bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Higher education service quality, student satisfaction and loyalty
Authors: Teeroovengadum Viraiyan , Nunkoo Robin , Gronroos Christian , Kamalanabhan T.J. , Seebaluck Ashley Keshwar
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to validate the higher education service quality (HESQUAL) scale using a confirmatory approach and test an improved structural model that predicts student loyalty from image, perceived value, satisfaction and service quality. In addition to validating the HESQUAL scale using a confirmatory approach, two other main limitations in the extant literature are addressed.

Design/methodology/approach

The model is tested using data collected from 501 students enrolled in different higher education institutions in Mauritius. A two-stage approach to structural equation modeling is used whereby the measurement model is first tested using confirmatory factor analysis and followed by the assessment of the structural model.

Findings

Importantly, results indicate that student satisfaction is influenced by technical service quality, image and perceived value, but not by functional service quality. Both dimensions of service quality however are significant predictors of image and perceived value. The study uses a comprehensive measure of service quality and demonstrates that it is worthwhile to consider functional service quality as higher-order model and clearly distinguish between functional and technical quality, as both the technical and functional aspects play an important role in shaping students’ perceptions and behaviors.

Originality/value

First, in the existing literature, service quality has not been considered as a second-order factor model in structural models of student satisfaction and loyalty, thus lacking either precision or parsimony. Second, the transformative quality aspect of higher education has been largely neglected in previous research testing such predictive models. The model delineates service quality into the functional and transformative (technical) aspects and treats functional service quality as a second-order factor comprising nine sub-dimensions.
Bayesian factor analysis for mixed data on management studies
Authors: Albuquerque Pedro , Demo Gisela , Alfinito Solange , Rozzett Kesia
Published: September 2019

Purpose

Factor analysis is the most used tool in organizational research and its widespread use in scale validations contribute to decision-making in management. However, standard factor analysis is not always applied correctly mainly due to the misuse of ordinal data as interval data and the inadequacy of the former for classical factor analysis. The purpose of this paper is to present and apply the Bayesian factor analysis for mixed data (BFAMD) in the context of empirical using the Bayesian paradigm for the construction of scales.

Design/methodology/approach

Ignoring the categorical nature of some variables often used in management studies, as the popular Likert scale, may result in a model with false accuracy and possibly biased estimates. To address this issue, Quinn (2004) proposed a Bayesian factor analysis model for mixed data, which is capable of modeling ordinal (qualitative measure) and continuous data (quantitative measure) jointly and allows the inclusion of qualitative information through prior distributions for the parameters’ model. This model, adopted here, presents considering advantages and allows the estimation of the posterior distribution for the latent variables estimated, making the process of inference easier.

Findings

The results show that BFAMD is an effective approach for scale validation in management studies making both exploratory and confirmatory analyses possible for the estimated factors and also allowing the analysts to insert a priori information regardless of the sample size, either by using the credible intervals for Factor Loadings or by conducting specific hypotheses tests. The flexibility of the Bayesian approach presented is counterbalanced by the fact that the main estimates used in factor analysis as uniqueness and communalities commonly lose their usual interpretation due to the choice of using prior distributions.

Originality/value

Considering that the development of scales through factor analysis aims to contribute to appropriate decision-making in management and the increasing misuse of ordinal scales as interval in organizational studies, this proposal seems to be effective for mixed data analyses. The findings found here are not intended to be conclusive or limiting but offer a useful starting point from which further theoretical and empirical research of Bayesian factor analysis can be built.
Navigating student success: learning from the higher education landscape
Authors: Deeken Lynn , Press Meggan , Thorpe Pusnik Angie , Birkenhauer Laura , Floyd Nate , Miller Lindsay , Revelle Andrew , Spraetz Jaclyn , Riehman-Murphy Christina , Flynn Christie , Gerrity Caitlin , Graves Stephanie J. , LeMire Sarah , Pemberton Anne , Yeager Vonzell DeRico , Bednar Magen
Published: September 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to demonstrate the variety of ways institutions and their libraries approach student success both conceptionally and operationally.

Design/methodology/approach

Librarians from nine different institutions of higher education were given a series of questions about student success on their campuses and in their libraries. They responded with written essays describing their experiences and perspectives.

Findings

The contributed pieces are collected together and display a shared interest in defining “student success,” aligning strategic planning with student success initiatives and establishing (and assessing) strong infrastructure to support student success.

Originality/value

These examples help us observe what is happening throughout higher education and see potential paths forward at our own institutions engaged in this work.
Application of fluorescence spectroscopy for rapid and noninvasive quality determination of yoghurt ice cream using chemometrics
Authors: Muhammad Niaz , Huma Nuzhat , Sahar Amna , Ahmad Muhammad Haseeb , Rahman Ubaid ur , Khan Muhammad Azam , Ishaq Anum
Published: September 2019

The aim of this study was to explore the potential of fluorescence spectroscopy to determine the quality of yoghurt ice cream, prepared by adding different concentrations of yoghurt (10, 20, 30, 40, 50%). The addition of 50% of yoghurt showed the lowest pH and meltdown values, whereas the highest acidity and overrun rates were observed at the same concentration. Additionally, fluorescence spectra taken at varied emission and excitation ranges were preprocessed for baseline correction. The partial least square regression analysis on proposed excitation wavelengths (270 nm, 280 nm, 290 nm and 315 nm) showed effective prediction of various quality parameters of yoghurt ice cream.
Sustaining a long career in emergency medicine: Issues for emergency physicians of all ages
Authors: Holmes John L
Published: September 2019

Emergency Medicine is a rewarding discipline but ‘burnout’ can be a problem that Emergency Physicians (EPs) wishing to sustain a long career should take steps to avoid. Particular issues affect those working in regional and remote areas where professional isolation and lack of support may potentially predispose to burnout. Issues specifically affecting senior EPs, especially cognitive and physical decline have largely been neglected. Allowances should be made for experienced EPs approaching retirement from clinical work but who may also still have much to offer.
Pearson marrow‐pancreas syndrome with cardiac conduction abnormality necessitating prophylactic pacemaker implantation
Authors: Jennifer Mats Steffi , Cortez Daniel
Published: September 2019

Pearson marrow‐pancreas syndrome (PS), an exceedingly rare mitochondrial disorder, involves multiple systems including hematologic system and pancreas. Other mitochondrial disorders have been associated with progressive infrahisian block but this has not yet been described as a major feature of PS. We report a 7‐year‐old girl with classical features of PS and cardiac conduction defect. Her electrocardiogram revealed QRS prolongation with right bundle and left anterior fascicular blocks. Follow‐up Holter revealed bifascicular block, alternating left and right bundle branch blocks, supraventricular tachycardia (with alternating bundles), and suspicion for nonsustained ventricular tachycardia. She underwent successful transvenous single‐chamber ventricular pacemaker.
Valuing floodplain protection and avoidance in a coastal watershed
Authors: Blessing Russell , Brody Samuel D. , Highfield Wesley E.
Published: September 2019

Flood‐related losses in the United States are increasing despite large‐scale mitigation efforts. To offset the rising cost of floods, the US Congress passed legislation in 2014 that will augment insurance premiums to make the National Flood Insurance Program more actuarially sound. Consequently, there is interest in lowering flood‐related costs to the homeowner, both in terms of premiums and damage. This study addresses the issue by integrating premium savings and damages avoided based on several mitigation scenarios. Specifically, it examines how much policyholders within a watershed near Houston, Texas, could have saved between 1999 and 2009 had their communities introduced specific avoidance‐based mitigation activities. The results indicate that homeowners and communities can offset premium rises and a majority of the damage suffered through marginal expansions of such initiatives. However, the costs associated with their implementation could counter some of these savings, and hence they need to be considered in future work.
Developmental bias in the fossil record
Authors: Jackson Illiam S. C.
Published: September 2019

The role of developmental bias and plasticity in evolution is a central research interest in evolutionary biology. Studies of these concepts and related processes are usually conducted on extant systems and have seen limited investigation in the fossil record. Here, I identify plasticity‐led evolution (PLE) as a form of developmental bias accessible through scrutiny of paleontological material. I summarize the process of PLE and describe it in terms of the environmentally mediated accumulation and release of cryptic genetic variation. Given this structure, I then predict its manifestation in the fossil record, discuss its similarity to quantum evolution and punctuated equilibrium, and argue that these describe macroevolutionary patterns concordant with PLE. Finally, I suggest methods and directions towards providing evidence of PLE in the fossil record and conclude that such endeavors are likely to be highly rewarding.
Empirical Likelihood Approach for Aligning Information from Multiple Surveys
Authors: Berger Yves G. , Kabzińska Ewa
Published: September 2019

When two surveys carried out separately in the same population have common variables, it might be desirable to adjust each survey's weights so that they give equal estimates for the common variables. This problem has been studied extensively and has often been referred to as alignment or numerical consistency. We develop a design‐based empirical likelihood approach for alignment and estimation of complex parameters defined by estimating equations. We focus on a general case when a single set of adjusted weights, which can be applied to both common and non‐common variables, is produced for each survey. The main contribution of the paper is to show that the impirical log‐likelihood ratio statistic is pivotal in the presence of alignment constraints. This pivotal statistic can be used to test hypotheses and derive confidence regions. Hence, the empirical likelihood approach proposed for alignment possesses the self‐normalisation property, under a design‐based approach. The proposed approach accommodates large sampling fractions, stratification and population level auxiliary information. It is particularly well suited for inference about small domains, when data are skewed. It includes implicit adjustments when the samples considerably differ in size. The confidence regions are constructed without the need for variance estimates, joint‐inclusion probabilities, linearisation and re‐sampling.
Understanding the Nature of Eco‐Leadership: A Mixed Methods Study of Leadership in Community Organizations
Authors: Kaufman Eric K. , Kennedy Rachael E. , Cletzer D. Adam
Published: September 2019

The purpose of this study was to explore and explain eco‐leadership in practice, specifically among community groups in Virginia’s New River Valley. This paper describes relationships between community groups’ leadership style and other factors while also highlighting an intricate mixed method design that ultimately led to a deep, rich understanding of these relationships. There were five research objectives: (1) Characterize the community groups’ leadership culture; (2) Assess each group’s cohesiveness; (3) Assess the groups’ community project involvement; (4) Determine if relationships exist between the variables; and (5) Highlight the role of mixed methods in the emergence of findings. The study has implications for carrying forward the concept of eco‐leadership in research and practice.
Functions and mechanisms of lysine crotonylation
Authors: Wan Junhu , Liu Hongyang , Chu Jie , Zhang Hongquan
Published: September 2019

Lysine crotonylation is a newly discovered post‐translational modification, which is structurally and functionally different from the widely studied lysine acetylation. Recent advances in the identification and quantification of lysine crotonylation by mass spectrometry have revealed that non‐histone proteins are frequently crotonylated, implicating it in many biological processes through the regulation of chromatin remodelling, metabolism, cell cycle and cellular organization. In this review, we summarize the writers, erasers and readers of lysine crotonylation, and their physiological functions, including gene transcription, acute kidney injury, spermatogenesis, depression, telomere maintenance, HIV latency and cancer process. These findings not only point to the new functions for lysine crotonylation, but also highlight the mechanisms by which crotonylation regulates various cellular processes.
EU Policies and Populist Radical Right Parties' Programmatic Claims: Foreign Policy, Anti‐discrimination and the Single Market
Authors: Falkner Gerda , Plattner Georg
Published: September 2019

In recent national elections and in those to the European Parliament, populist radical right parties (PRRPs) have gained many more votes than in previous decades. What could that mean, at least in the long run, for EU activities in such areas as for example, the internal market, defence and security and the fight against discrimination? Beyond these parties' general eurosceptical attitude, little is known about their agreed plans for specific EU policies. Therefore, we have collected and analysed their programmatic statements. In this article we discuss how coherent or incoherent the demands of different PRRPs in the EU actually are, in terms of comparing their policies. How much do they agree or disagree when it comes to reforming EU policies?
A return to reasonableness and virtue in medical epistemology
Authors: Ghinea Narcyz
Published: September 2019

The foundationalist and anti‐foundationalist conceptions of medical knowledge have been at loggerheads for decades. Evidence‐based medicine (EBM), the most prominent form of foundationalism, has attained wide appeal and acceptance among authorities. It proposes that evidence is the “base” upon which all clinical decisions should be grounded. Others have countered that the clinical encounter is far too complex for a singular base, and the different factors that impose on a clinical decision cannot be neatly and permanently ranked a priori. By its very nature, this anti‐foundationalist outlook has resisted simplistic description, which is perhaps the reason it has not been as popular. In this paper, I provide a survey of the foundationalist and anti‐foundationalist debate in medicine and defend anti‐foundationalism on the basis that foundationalist approaches are anachronistic, and in the case of evidence‐based medicine ultimately confuses inputs (evidence) for consideration in making a judgement with outputs (conclusions). I further propose that virtue ethics is inseparable from anti‐foundationalism and conclude that the current infatuation with EBM implies something rather troubling; that physicians cannot be trusted to utilize their extensive training and skills to make reasonable decisions in the best interests of their patients. If this is in fact true, it suggests a crisis in virtue amongst medical professionals.
Dielectric barrier discharge cold atmospheric plasma: Bacterial inactivation mechanism
Authors: Olatunde Oladipupo Odunayo , Benjakul Soottawat , Vongkamjan Kitiya
Published: September 2019

The mechanisms of inactivation against Gram‐negative bacteria (GNB) including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Gram‐positive bacteria (GPB) involving Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus, by dielectric barrier discharge cold atmospheric plasma were elucidated. Both GNB and GPB were exposed to treatment with cold plasma produced from argon/oxygen mixture (90:10) as the working gas for different treatment times (1, 2.5, and 5 min). Survival counts were reduced with augmenting treatment time (TT; p < .05). All tested bacteria were not detected after TT of 5 min. There was an irreversible poration in cell wall of GNB. Meanwhile, GPB were partially shrunken after TT of 5 min. Therefore, irreversible cell wall damage, oxidation, and release of intracellular compounds including lipids, proteins and DNA were the proposed mode of action of cold plasma against GNB, whereas, oxidation and release of intracellular components played a major role in GPB.

Practical applications

This current research provides background knowledge about the bacterial inactivation efficacy of cold plasma, which could be used as a nonthermal technology for assuring food safety and for extending the shelf‐life of food.
Challenging the myth of the attrition of empathy in paediatrics residents
Authors: Rawal Surabhi , Strahlendorf Caron , Nimmon Laura
Published: September 2019

Context

Empathy is vital to the physician–patient relationship. It promotes patient compliance and increases treatment efficacy. Studies evaluating the loss of empathy as residents advance through training curricula have generated inconsistent claims. Those considering diverse resident populations have supported a decline, whereas the few studies focused on paediatrics note stable empathy scores during training, which, indeed, exceed those of the general population. To better understand the issue as it pertains to paediatrics trainees, this study aimed to explore the state, and map a trajectory, of empathy in paediatrics residents, to identify factors influencing the learning and retention of empathy.

Methods

This qualitative descriptive study was conducted at an urban children's hospital in Canada. A total of 10 participants were recruited for semi‐structured interviews via a purposeful sampling strategy. The institutional research ethics board approved the project.

Results

Senior residents (R3 and R4) reported increased empathy, attributable to greater knowledge regarding paediatric illnesses, according them a fuller sense of the impact on families. Challenges to sustained empathy correlated with published literature: time constraints, compassion fatigue and burnout with poor coping, and the hidden curriculum. Empathy was learned from peers, preceptors and other health care providers. Resident resilience, borne out of personal adversity, was protective against the loss of empathy. Residents advocated for increased autonomy and responsibility for patient care, and increased exposure to longitudinal care, including the patient's social context and home life, to increase resident empathy.

Conclusions

Curriculum development committees could consider the inclusion of these encounters and experiences in residency training, although similar descriptive research in other specialty contexts would be needed to refine understanding.
Nicotiana benthamiana phosphatidylinositol 4‐kinase type II regulates chilli leaf curl virus pathogenesis
Authors: Mansi  , Kushwaha Nirbhay Kumar , Singh Ashish Kumar , Karim Mir Jishan , Chakraborty Supriya
Published: September 2019

Geminiviruses are single‐stranded DNA viruses that can cause significant losses in economically important crops. In recent years, the role of different kinases in geminivirus pathogenesis has been emphasized. Although geminiviruses use several host kinases, the role of phosphatidylinositol 4‐kinase (PI4K) remains obscure. We isolated and characterized phosphatidylinositol 4‐kinase type II from Nicotiana benthamiana (NbPI4KII) which interacts with the replication initiator protein (Rep) of a geminivirus, chilli leaf curl virus (ChiLCV). NbPI4KII‐mGFP was localized into cytoplasm, nucleus or both. NbPI4KII‐mGFP was also found to be associated with the cytoplasmic endomembrane systems in the presence of ChiLCV. Furthermore, we demonstrated that Rep protein directly interacts with NbPI4KII protein and influenced nuclear occurrence of NbPI4KII. The results obtained in the present study revealed that NbPI4KII is a functional protein kinase lacking lipid kinase activity. Downregulation of NbPI4KII expression negatively affects ChiLCV pathogenesis in N. benthamiana. In summary, NbPI4KII is a susceptible factor, which is required by ChiLCV for pathogenesis.
Different types of parental stress and childhood obesity: A systematic review of observational studies
Authors: Jang Myoungock , Owen Brenda , Lauver Diane R.
Published: September 2019

Different types of parental stress may influence children's health behaviors and weight. The aim of this review was to systematically examine the relationships between parental stress and child obesity. We reviewed 27 studies published through December 2018 and classified parental stress as parents' general stress, parenting role stress, and life event stress. There were positive relationships of parents' general stress and parenting role stress with child obesity among families with younger children and in longitudinal studies. The relationship between life event stress and child obesity differed by measures. We found that parenting role stress may be associated with unhealthy parenting practices. Contextual factors such as children's and parents' sex, race or ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and family structure appeared to play a moderating role in the relationship between parents' stress and child obesity, which warrant cautious interpretation. Our recommendations for future research include clarifying further the types of parental stress that influence child obesity, evaluating long‐term relationship between parental stress and child obesity, and identifying possible mediating factors to support the relationship between parents' stress and child obesity. Researchers may also consider developing stress management programs for parents to address child obesity.
Testimonial hinges
Authors: Coliva Annalisa
Published: September 2019

The paper presents an extension of the kind of hinge epistemology proposed in Extended Rationality. A Hinge Epistemology (Coliva 2015) to the case of testimonial justification. This extension stems naturally from a reinterpretation of the classic dispute between reductionists and anti‐reductionists with respect to testimonial justification. The interesting and novel aspect of that reinterpretation is that it brings to light the deep analogy between that classic dispute and the contemporary debate between so‐called “liberals” and “conservatives” with respect to the structure of perceptual justification. The paper first presents the reinterpretation; it subsequently proposes the extension of hinge epistemology to the case of testimonial justification; it then turns to a detailed discussion of the exact “hinges” testimonial justification is taken to depend on, and closes by considering some possible objections.
Knowledge‐first functionalism
Authors: Simion Mona
Published: September 2019

This paper has two aims. The first is critical: I identify a set of normative desiderata for accounts of justified belief and I argue that prominent knowledge first views have difficulties meeting them. Second, I argue that my preferred account, knowledge first functionalism, is preferable to its extant competitors on normative grounds. This account takes epistemically justified belief to be belief generated by properly functioning cognitive processes that have generating knowledge as their epistemic function.
Urban Transformations and Land Governance in Peri‐Urban Khartoum: The Case of Soba
Authors: Steel Griet , Abukashawa Salaheldin , Hussein Mohamed Osman
Published: September 2019

The New Urban Agenda and SDG 11 promote inclusive urban development, but limited empirical knowledge exists on how such global rhetoric plays out on the ground. This paper contributes to the inclusive city debate by focusing on the case of Soba, a peri‐urban area at the fringes of the capital of Sudan. Based on an explorative study of secondary material, semi‐structured interviews and structured observations it aims to systematically analyse the dynamics of peri‐urban development. Findings show how the rising pressure on land results in commoditisation, (informal) land‐use changes and a multitude of other land transformations. The paper concludes that the mismatch of urban land policies has resulted in increasing fragmentation of urban space and socio‐spatial discrepancies between those who can afford to buy land or transform it into urban uses and those who cannot. It sheds fresh light on the challenges of the inclusive urban transition agenda.
Children Who Are Overweight Display Altered Vertical Jump Kinematics and Kinetics From Children Who Are Not Overweight
Authors: Cowley Jeffrey C. , McCaw Steven T. , Laurson Kelly R. , Torry Michael R.
Published: September 2019

Purpose: Children who are overweight typically do not perform motor skills as well as normal-weight peers. This study examined whether vertical jump kinetics and kinematics of children who are overweight differ from nonoverweight peers. Methods: Thirty-nine children completed maximum-effort countermovement vertical jumps. Motion capture was used to complete lower extremity kinematic and kinetic analyses. Results: The overweight group (body mass index ≥ 85th percentile; N = 11; age = 6.5 [1.6] y) jumped lower relative to their mass (0.381 cm/kg lower; P < .001) than normal-weight peers (N = 28; age = 6.4 [1.7] y). Compared with children who are normal weight, children who were overweight exhibited a shallower countermovement (knee: 12° less flexion, P = .02; hip: 10° less flexion, P = .045), lower hip torque (0.06 N·m/kg lower, P = .01) and hip work (40% less work, P = .01), and earlier peak joint angular velocities (knee: 9 ms earlier, P = .001; hip: 14 ms earlier, P = .004). Conclusion: Children who are overweight do not achieve optimal jumping mechanics and exhibit jumping characteristics of an earlier developmental stage compared with their peers. Interventions should help children who are overweight learn to execute a proper countermovement.
The bulk-edge correspondence in three simple cases
Authors: Shapiro Jacob
Published: September 2019

We present examples in three symmetry classes of topological insulators in one or two dimensions where the proof of the bulk-edge correspondence is particularly simple. This serves to illustrate the mechanism behind the bulk-edge principle without the overhead of the more general proofs which are available. We also give a new formula for the [Formula: see text]-index of our time-reversal invariant systems inspired by Moore and Balents.
Effects of combustor geometry on the combustion process of an RBCC combustor in high-speed ejector mode
Authors: Wang Taiyu , Wang Zhenguo , Cai Zun , Chen Jian , Sun Mingbo , Dong Zeyu , An Bin
Published: September 2019

The combustion characteristics of high-speed ejector mode in a 2-dimensional strut-based RBCC (rocket-based combined cycle) combustor had been investigated numerically in a Mach 2.5 supersonic flow. The numerical approach had been validated by comparing numerical results with available experimental data. Besides, three different hydrogen-air chemical reaction mechanisms had also been compared. The effect of the combustor geometry on the combustion process was then discussed by analyzing the heat release distribution and flow field. It was found that the wall configuration, closeout angle of the converging location and converging ratio all have significant influences on the heat release distribution and flow field structures. It is demonstrated that a converging–diverging wall configuration is beneficial for the combustion process with significant heat release increase compared to the other wall configurations. In addition, the closeout angle of the converging location is also closely related to the combustion performance, and there exists an optimized closeout angle in a specific combustor geometry. It is also revealed that the major heat release region moves upstream obviously with increase in the converging ratio, leading to an enhanced combustion process. However, the converging ratio is still to be optimized to keep a balance between heat release increase and total pressure loss of the supersonic flow.
Impact of neutrino properties and dark matter on the primordial Lithium production
Authors: Makki Tahani R. , El Eid Mounib F. , Mathews Grant J.
Published: September 2019

The light elements and their isotopes were produced during standard big bang nucleosynthesis (SBBN) during the first minutes after the creation of the universe. Comparing the calculated abundances of these light species with observed abundances, it appears that all species match very well except for lithium (7Li) which is overproduced by the SBBN. This discrepancy is rather challenging for several reasons to be considered on astrophysical and on nuclear physics ground, or by invoking nonstandard assumptions which are the focus of this paper. In particular, we consider a variation of the chemical potentials of the neutrinos and their temperature. In addition, we investigated the effect of dark matter on 7Li production. We argue that including nonstandard assumptions can lead to a significant reduction of the 7Li abundance compared to that of SBBN. This aspect of lithium production in the early universe may help to resolve the outstanding cosmological lithium problem.
One-Step CVD Synthesis of Few-Layer SnS2/MoS2 Vertical Heterostructures
Authors: Zhao Hongxiao , Yan Yong , Song Xiaohui , Dong Aodi , Su Jian , Jia Huimin
Published: September 2019

Constructing van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures with various-layered two-dimensional (2D) materials is attractive to design various materials and devices. For controllable fabrication of vdW heterostructures, it is very important to make the growth process clear. In this work, SnS2/MoS2 vertical heterostructures were synthesized by the one-step chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. The bottom MoS2 triangle layers can be partially or completely covered by SnS2 layers. The interlayer charge separation was also observed in the heterostructures by photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The growth mechanism of SnS2/MoS2 vertical heterostructures was also discussed for the first time. MoS2 triangle layers form on the substrates at first and then grow a top layer of SnS2. This study will provide an important and practical method, as a guidance to prepare high-quality vertical heterostructures.
Polymer-Assisted Pressure Sensor with Piezoresistive Suspended Graphene and Its Temperature Characteristics
Authors: Lin Xin , Liu Ying , Zhang Yong , Yang Peng , Cheng Xianzhe , Qiu Jing , Liu Guanjun
Published: September 2019

A polymer-assisted pressure sensor with piezoresistive suspended graphene is proposed and fabricated with high yield. Our sensor exhibits a good pressure response comparable to that of commercial sensors. The sensitivity is estimated to be [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]kPa[Formula: see text], higher than that of similar Si-based pressure sensors. The influence of the temperature on the sensor performance is systematically analyzed. An inverse temperature response is observed, and a nonnegligible temperature effect on the sensor resistance is demonstrated. Considering the temperature-induced cavity pressure change, a new temperature–resistance model is built to explain the nonlinearity of the sensor response to the temperature variation. Experiments under different test voltages show the influence of the current thermal effect, which is similar to that of temperature and nonnegligible for high-precision pressure sensors. Our new sensor holds great potential for practical application, and the findings on the temperature characteristics open up a route to further improve the sensor performance.
Product of symplectic groups and its cyclic orbit code
Authors: Poroch Mahdieh Hakimi , Talebi Ali Asghar
Published: September 2019

Constant dimension subspace codes are subsets of the finite Grassmann Variety. Orbit codes are constant dimension subspace codes that arise as the orbit of subgroup of general linear group acting on subspaces in an ambient space. In particular, orbit codes of symplectic subgroup of the general linear group have been investigated recently. In this paper, we determine product of symplectic groups and its orbit code, and decoding algorithm of this code is considered.
The strong domination problem in block graphs and proper interval graphs
Authors: Pal Saikat , Pradhan D.
Published: September 2019

In a graph [Formula: see text], the degree of a vertex [Formula: see text], denoted by [Formula: see text], is defined as the number of edges incident on [Formula: see text]. A set [Formula: see text] of vertices of [Formula: see text] is called a strong dominating set if for every [Formula: see text], there exists a vertex [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. For a given graph [Formula: see text], Min-Strong-DS is the problem of finding a strong dominating set of minimum cardinality. The decision version of Min-Strong-DS is shown to be NP -complete for chordal graphs. In this paper, we present polynomial time algorithms for computing a strong dominating set in block graphs and proper interval graphs, two subclasses of chordal graphs. On the other hand, we show that for a graph [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text]-vertices, Min-Strong-DS cannot be approximated within a factor of [Formula: see text] for every [Formula: see text], unless NP [Formula: see text] DTIME ([Formula: see text]). We also show that Min-Strong-DS is APX -complete for graphs with maximum degree [Formula: see text]. On the positive side, we show that Min-Strong-DS can be approximated within a factor of [Formula: see text] for graphs with maximum degree [Formula: see text].
China’s Economic Relations with Japan, South Korea and Taiwan Sustained by Persistent Technological Gaps
Authors: CHIANG Min-Hua
Published: September 2019

Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are China’s leading sources of imports, a result of China’s efforts to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to develop its high-technology industry in the 1990s and beyond. Foreign firms in China have relied on importing key components and capital equipment from their home countries. Despite its industrial upgrading in recent years, China continues to run an increasingly large trade deficit with the three economies due to its lack of key technology.
Technology as a Battleground: US Demands, China’s Responses
Authors: ZHAO Litao , YIN Xiangru
Published: September 2019

The United States’ fear of losing its technological edge to China is on the rise. The Trump administration has viewed China’s techno-industrial plans and policies as a national security threat. Recognising the reality that it cannot afford to have a Cold War or “cold peace” with the United States, China has shown willingness to make concessions, but only to a certain degree. The Trump administration’s growing hostility is unlikely to stop China from pursuing frontier technologies, which are a source of national competitiveness, security and pride for China as much as for the United States.
China’s Approaches to the South China Sea Code of Conduct Negotiation
Authors: ZHANG Feng
Published: September 2019

China is pressing ahead with the negotiation on a code of conduct (COC) in the South China Sea with remarkable resolve. The new COC-centred diplomacy was motivated to suppress the impact of the Philippines versus China arbitral ruling, de-escalate regional tension and promote cooperation, especially the Belt and Road Initiative. It also serves as a broad strategic goal, i.e. preserving stability by banishing the ruling and creating a new diplomatic process with China exercising some control.
Decision Support System (DSS) for Fraud Detection in Health Insurance Claims Using Genetic Support Vector Machines (GSVMs)
Authors: Sowah Robert A. , Kuuboore Marcellinus , Ofoli Abdul , Kwofie Samuel , Asiedu Louis , Koumadi Koudjo M. , Apeadu Kwaku O.
Published: September 2019

Fraud in health insurance claims has become a significant problem whose rampant growth has deeply affected the global delivery of health services. In addition to financial losses incurred, patients who genuinely need medical care suffer because service providers are not paid on time as a result of delays in the manual vetting of their claims and are therefore unwilling to continue offering their services. Health insurance claims fraud is committed through service providers, insurance subscribers, and insurance companies. The need for the development of a decision support system (DSS) for accurate, automated claim processing to offset the attendant challenges faced by the National Health Insurance Scheme cannot be overstated. This paper utilized the National Health Insurance Scheme claims dataset obtained from hospitals in Ghana for detecting health insurance fraud and other anomalies. Genetic support vector machines (GSVMs), a novel hybridized data mining and statistical machine learning tool, which provide a set of sophisticated algorithms for the automatic detection of fraudulent claims in these health insurance databases are used. The experimental results have proven that the GSVM possessed better detection and classification performance when applied using SVM kernel classifiers. Three GSVM classifiers were evaluated and their results compared. Experimental results show a significant reduction in computational time on claims processing while increasing classification accuracy via the various SVM classifiers (linear (80.67%), polynomial (81.22%), and radial basis function (RBF) kernel (87.91%).
Plasmablastic Lymphoma, a Rare Entity in Bone Marrow with Unusual Immunophenotype and Challenging Differential Diagnosis
Authors: Al Shaarani Majd , Shackelford Rodney E. , Master Samip R. , Mills Glenn M. , AlZubaidi Yasir , Mamilly Ahmed , Wei Eric X.
Published: September 2019

Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is an aggressive malignancy that usually occurs in the setting of immunosuppression. The immunohistochemical profile of PBL is that of terminally differentiated B lymphocytes. CD138, CD38, and MUM1 are usually immunopositive. However, pan B-cell markers such as CD20 and PAX-5 are usually negative.MYCrearrangement is the most commonly encountered genetic alteration, with immunoglobulin (IG), especially immunoglobulin heavy (IGH) chain, being the most frequent partner. We report a case of PBL in a 48-year-old human immunodeficiency virus- (HIV-) positive male who was admitted to the hospital with signs and symptoms suspicious for tumor lysis syndrome. Bone marrow examination revealed hypercellular marrow with trilineage hypoplasia and sheets of intermediate to large neoplastic cells with basophilic vacuolated cytoplasm comprising the majority of cellular elements of the bone marrow. The neoplastic cells were negative for conventional B-cell, T-cell, plasma cell, and myeloid markers, while flow cytometric analysis revealed an abnormal CD45-dim population that was partially weakly positive for CD71 and CD79b. The diagnosis was initially thought to be a high-grade primitive hematopoietic neoplasm, possibly an acute undifferentiated leukemia. BOB-1, however, was immunopositive in the neoplastic cells, confirming its B-cell origin. MYC was positive by immunohistochemistry and break-apart FISH, as were CD45, MUM-1, and EMA immunostains. There was immunoglobulin kappa (IGK) light chain gene rearrangement by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Additionally, Epstein–Barr virus- (EBV–) encoded small RNAs (EBER) were positive by in situ hybridization (ISH). The tumor proliferation index by Ki-67 immunostaining approached 95%. Although the tumor cells were negative for CD38 and CD138, the diagnosis of PBL was still rendered. We recommend using a broad spectrum of B-cell markers, including BOB-1 and OCT-2, in such challenging cases of B-cell lymphomas with no expression of conventional B-cell markers. We also emphasize that the negative CD38 and CD138 should not exclude PBL from the differential diagnosis.
Role of Inflammatory Cell Subtypes in Heart Failure
Authors: Strassheim Derek , Dempsey Edward C. , Gerasimovskaya Evgenia , Stenmark Kurt , Karoor Vijaya
Published: September 2019

Inflammation is a well-known feature of heart failure. Studies have shown that while some inflammation is required for repair during injury and is protective, prolonged inflammation leads to myocardial remodeling and apoptosis of cardiac myocytes. Various types of immune cells are implicated in myocardial inflammation and include neutrophils, macrophages, eosinophils, mast cells, natural killer cells, T cells, and B cells. Recent clinical trials have targeted inflammatory cascades as therapy for heart failure with limited success. A better understanding of the temporal course of the infiltration of the different immune cells and their contribution to the inflammatory process may improve the success for therapy. This brief review outlines the major cell types involved in heart failure, and some of their actions are summarized in the supplementary figure.
Pulsed Laser Cladding of NiCrBSiFeC Hardcoatings Using Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Additives
Authors: Pascu Alexandru , Stanciu Elena Manuela , Croitoru Catalin , Roată Ionut Claudiu , Rosca Julia Mirza , Nicanor Cimpoesu , Țierean Mircea Horia , Bogatu Cristina
Published: September 2019

Carbonaceous nanoscale additives present a pronounced influence on the mechanical properties of both metallic and plastic materials. This paper addresses the fabrication of composite coatings by laser cladding of single-walled carbon nanotubes incorporated by ball milling into a nickel-based powder (NiCrBSiFeC). The coatings were obtained by using the preplaced laser cladding technique on steel substrates. Optical microscopy and SEM microscopy were used to characterise the microstructure refinement of the coatings, and the mechanical behaviour of the coatings has been studied through wear and micro-/nanohardness testing.
Histone Acetyltransferase-Dependent Pathways Mediate Upregulation of NADPH Oxidase 5 in Human Macrophages under Inflammatory Conditions: A Potential Mechanism of Reactive Oxygen Species Overproduction in Atherosclerosis
Authors: Vlad Mihaela-Loredana , Manea Simona-Adriana , Lazar Alexandra-Gela , Raicu Monica , Muresian Horia , Simionescu Maya , Manea Adrian
Published: September 2019

Histone acetylation plays a major role in epigenetic regulation of gene expression. Monocyte-derived macrophages express functional NADPH oxidase 5 (Nox5) that contributes to oxidative stress in atherogenesis. The mechanisms of Nox5 regulation are not entirely elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression pattern of key histone acetyltransferase subtypes (p300, HAT1) in human atherosclerosis and to determine their role in mediating the upregulation of Nox5 in macrophages under inflammatory conditions. Human nonatherosclerotic and atherosclerotic tissue samples were collected in order to determine the expression of p300 and HAT1 isoforms, H3K27ac, and Nox5. In vitro determinations were done on human macrophages exposed to lipopolysaccharide in the absence or presence of histone acetyltransferase inhibitors. Western blot, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, real-time PCR, transfection, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay were employed. The protein levels of p300 and HAT1 isoforms, H3K27ac, and Nox5 were found significantly elevated in human atherosclerotic specimens. Immunohistochemistry/immunofluorescence staining revealed that p300, HAT1, H3K27ac, H3K9ac, and Nox5 proteins were colocalized in the area of CD45+/CD68+ immune cells and lipid-rich deposits within human atherosclerotic plaques. Lipopolysaccharide induced the levels of HAT1, H3K27ac, H3K9ac, and Nox5 and the recruitment of p300 and HAT1 at the sites of active transcription within Nox5 gene promoter in cultured human macrophages. Pharmacological inhibition of histone acetyltransferase significantly reduced the Nox5 gene and protein expression in lipopolysaccharide-challenged macrophages. The overexpression of p300 or HAT1 enhanced the Nox5 gene promoter activity. The histone acetyltransferase system is altered in human atherosclerosis. Under inflammatory conditions, HAT subtypes control Nox5 overexpression in cultured human macrophages. The data suggest the existence of a new epigenetic mechanism underlying oxidative stress in atherosclerosis.
Effect of Chilled Ageing Conditioning at 4°C in Lamb Longissimus Dorsi Muscles on Water-Soluble Flavour Precursors as Revealed by a Metabolomic Approach
Authors: You Liqin , Luo Ruiming
Published: September 2019

The objective of this study was to investigate, by a metabolomic approach, the effects of chilled ageing conditioning at 4°C in lamb longissimus dorsi (LD) muscles on water-soluble flavour precursors. The results showed that the content of nucleotide degradation products significantly increased (P<0.05) due to the adjusted biosynthesis of alkaloids derived from histidine and purine from day 0 to day 4. Additionally, the content of glycolytic compounds significantly increased (P<0.05) due to enhanced glycolysis, and the content of organic acid increased (P<0.05) because of the altered tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) from day 0 to day 4. In addition, the content of total free amino acids significantly increased (P<0.05), owing to the altered biosynthesis of amino acids from day 4 to day 8. These results are significant proof that there were quantitative changes observed in lamb flavour precursors during chilled ageing.