bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electron-selective contacts via ultra-thin organic interface dipoles for silicon organic heterojunction solar cells
Authors: Reichel Christian , Würfel Uli , Winkler Kristina , Schleiermacher Hans-Frieder , Kohlstädt Markus , Unmüssig Moritz , Messmer Christoph A. , Hermle Martin , Glunz Stefan W.
Published: January 2018

In the last years, novel materials for the formation of electron-selective contacts on n-type crystalline silicon (c-Si) heterojunction solar cells were explored as an interfacial layer between the metal electrode and the c-Si wafer. Besides inorganic materials like transition metal oxides or alkali metal fluorides, also interfacial layers based on organic molecules with a permanent dipole moment are promising candidates to improve the contact properties. Here, the dipole effect plays an essential role in the modification of the interface and effective work function of the contact. The amino acids L-histidine, L-tryptophan, L-phenylalanine, glycine, and sarcosine, the nucleobase adenine, and the heterocycle 4-hydroxypyridine were investigated as dipole materials for an electron-selective contact on the back of p- and n-type c-Si with a metal electrode based on aluminum (Al). Furthermore, the effect of an added fluorosurfactant on the resulting contact properties was examined. The performance of n-type c-Si solar cells with a boron diffusion on the front was significantly increased when L-histidine and/or the fluorosurfactant was applied as a full-area back surface field. This improvement was attributed to the modification of the interface and the effective work function of the contact by the dipole material which was corroborated by numerical device simulations. For these solar cells, conversion efficiencies of 17.5% were obtained with open-circuit voltages (Voc) of 625 mV and fill factors of 76.3%, showing the potential of organic interface dipoles for silicon organic heterojunction solar cells due to their simple formation by solution processing and their low thermal budget requirements.
Atomic structure and dynamics properties of Cu50Zr50 films
Authors: Chen Heng , Qu Bingyan , Li Dongdong , Zhou Rulong , Zhang Bo
Published: January 2018

In this paper, the structural and dynamic properties of Cu50Zr50 films are investigated by molecular dynamics simulations. Our results show that the dynamics of the surface atoms are much faster than those of the bulk. Especially, the diffusion coefficient of the surface atoms is about forty times larger than that of the bulk at 600 K, which qualitatively agrees with the experimental results. Meanwhile, we find that the population of the icosahedral (-like) clusters in the surface region is obviously higher than that of the bulk, which prevents the surface from crystallization. A new method to determine the string-like collective atomic motion is introduced in the paper, and it suggests a possible connection between the glass formation ability and collective atomic motion. By using the method, the effects of surface on collective motion are illustrated. Our results show that the string-like collective atomic motion of surface atoms is weakened while that of the interior atoms is strengthened. The studies clearly explain the effects of surface on the structural and dynamic properties of Cu50Zr50 films from the atomic scale.
Barocaloric and magnetocaloric effects in (MnNiSi)1−x(FeCoGe)x
Authors: Samanta Tapas , Lloveras Pol , Us Saleheen Ahmad , Lepkowski Daniel L. , Kramer Emily , Dubenko Igor , Adams Philip W. , Young David P. , Barrio Maria , Tamarit Josep Ll. , Ali Naushad , Stadler Shane
Published: January 2018

(MnNiSi)1−x(FeCoGe)x undergoes a magnetostructural phase transition near room temperature that is acutely sensitive to applied hydrostatic pressure, which presents as a marked shift in the martensitic transition temperature (TM) by about –7.5 K/kbar. The magnetostructural transition can therefore be induced by applied hydrostatic pressure or by magnetic field. The barocaloric and magnetocaloric effects were measured across TM (for the sample with x = 0.38), and the corresponding entropy changes were +74 J/kg K (P = 2.7 kbar) and –58 J/kg K (μ0 H = 5 T), respectively. It was observed that the transition entropy change increases with pressure, which results in an enhancement of the barocaloric effect. Our measurements show that the transformed phase fraction associated with magnetostructural transition does not depend on pressure and, therefore, this enhancement cannot be attributed to a pressure-assisted completion of the phase transformation.
Study aspect ratio of microchannel on different polymer substrates with CO2 laser and hot bonding for microfluidic chip
Authors: Chen Xueye , Hu Zengliang
Published: January 2018

The paper demonstrates four different polymer substrates including Polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA), Polycarbonate (PC), Polystyene (PS) and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) for fabricating microfluidic chips using CO2 laser and hot bonding machine. The experimental methods are very simple and convenient. The work aims to obtain combination of optimal polymer for hot bonding through comparing the influence of different polymer cover plates on aspect ratio of different polymer microchannels at the same hot bonding parameters. There are three microchannels in each polymer substrate. And three microchannels are processed at three different laser parameters. The hot bonding parameters include bonding temperature of 95°C, pressure of 1Mpa for time of 9min. The results show PS cover plate with the basic plate of other substrates is the best due to stability of microfluidic chip and the ignored microchannel deformation. Next, a fluid mixing experiment in microfluidic chip with PMMA basic plate and PS cover plate is successfully performed. The microchannel in PMMA is processed with laser speed of 10mm/s, laser power of 12W, distance between the sheet surface and the lens of 7.5mm.
Sexual content in video games: an analysis of the Entertainment Software Rating Board classification from 1994 to 2013
Authors: Vidaña-Pérez Dèsirée , Braverman-Bronstein Ariela , Basto-Abreu Ana , Barrientos-Gutierrez Inti , Hilscher Rainer , Barrientos-Gutierrez Tonatiuh
Published: January 2018

Background
Video games are widely used by children and adolescents and have become a significant source of exposure to sexual content. Despite evidence of the important role of media in the development of sexual attitudes and behaviours, little attention has been paid to monitor sexual content in video games. Methods: Data was obtained about sexual content and rating for 23 722 video games from 1994 to 2013 from the Entertainment Software Rating Board database; release dates and information on the top 100 selling video games was also obtained. A yearly prevalence of sexual content according to rating categories was calculated. Trends and comparisons were estimated using Joinpoint regression. Results: Sexual content was present in 13% of the video games. Games rated ‘Mature’ had the highest prevalence of sexual content (34.5%) followed by ‘Teen’ (30.7%) and ‘E10+’ (21.3%). Over time, sexual content decreased in the ‘Everyone’ category, ‘E10+’ maintained a low prevalence and ‘Teen’ and ‘Mature’ showed a marked increase. Both top and non-top video games showed constant increases, with top selling video games having 10.1% more sexual content across the period of study. Conclusion: Over the last 20 years, the prevalence of sexual content has increased in video games with a ‘Teen’ or ‘Mature’ rating. Further studies are needed to quantify the potential association between sexual content in video games and sexual behaviour in children and adolescents.
Lipid signaling to membrane proteins: From second messengers to membrane domains and adapter-free endocytosis
Authors: Hilgemann Donald W. , Dai Gucan , Collins Anthony , Larricia Vincenzo , Magi Simona , Deisl Christine , Fine Michael
Published: January 2018

Lipids influence powerfully the function of ion channels and transporters in two well-documented ways. A few lipids act as bona fide second messengers by binding to specific sites that control channel and transporter gating. Other lipids act nonspecifically by modifying the physical environment of channels and transporters, in particular the protein–membrane interface. In this short review, we first consider lipid signaling from this traditional viewpoint, highlighting innumerable Journal of General Physiology publications that have contributed to our present understanding. We then switch to our own emerging view that much important lipid signaling occurs via the formation of membrane domains that influence the function of channels and transporters within them, promote selected protein–protein interactions, and control the turnover of surface membrane.
Aeschylus’s Oresteia
Authors: Mitchell-Boyask Robin
Published: January 2018

The Oresteia, the pinnacle, and likely the final production, of Aeschylus’s long career in Athens, was produced at the City Dionysia of 458 bce, where it won the first prize. The Oresteian tetralogy consisted of four plays—Agamemnon, Libation Bearers (Choephori), Eumenides, and the satyr-play, Proteus, which was lost—with the first three plays forming the only trilogy to survive antiquity. Since Aeschylus died in Sicily two years later and there is no evidence of any Athenian productions in the intervening period, Aeschylus likely ended his career victoriously at the City Dionysia with the Oresteia. The theme of the Oresteia, justice, was a particularly urgent concern for a democracy that was still only a half-century old. To address this theme Aeschylus transformed from the Odyssey the myth of the final phases of the House of Atreus: the murder of Agamemnon by his wife Clytemnestra and cousin Aegisthus after the sack of Troy, and the consequent matricide committed by their son Orestes. Aeschylus, to maximize the dramatic potential of his theme, re-imagined the myth so that the system of justice as vendetta reaches an absolute crisis in the form of an intra-familial gender war that takes on a cosmic scale that results in the origins of the legal system wherein humans are held accountable for their actions and tried by other humans who are not party to those actions. In addressing justice through the origin of the Areopagus tribunal, Aeschylus, uncharacteristically for Greek tragedy, engaged one of the most explosive political issues of this time, since, a few years earlier, Ephialtes, attempting to check the power of aristocratic institutions like the Areopagus, stripped it of its broader powers, but was assassinated shortly after the changes were instituted. The Oresteia also participated in major changes to Athenian dramaturgy, as Aeschylus used—possibly for the first time—the skēnē building, the wheeled cart (ekkyklêma), and a third actor.
Environmental Law
Authors: Fisher Liz
Published: January 2018

Environmental law is the law of environmental problems. It is a subject that can be traced back to ancient civilizations but has primarily developed since the 1960s as a response to democratic demands to deal with environmental degradation. It is a vast subject covering a range of topics, and what the boundaries of the subject are is often open to debate. For non-lawyers reading environmental-law scholarship and material, there are six important points to keep in mind. First, the subject is jurisdiction based. Any inquiry into environmental law needs to be accompanied with an understanding of the legal system that the inquiry relates to. The environmental law of the United States is distinct from the environmental law of Thailand and even from the environmental law of Canada. There is a large body of international environmental law, but given the nature of international law, it does not legally bind in the way national law does, and it does not exist in an automatic hierarchy with national law. Second, environmental law is “applied law” and thus often involves the application of basic legal concepts to environmental problems. Environmental law in most jurisdictions is primarily made up of legislation, and thus knowing about the legal principles of legislation is important. The role of the courts will also be important in adjudicating on legal disputes. Third, there are common themes across all jurisdictions (e.g., Environmental Law and Tragedies of the Commons and the respective roles of Science and Environmental Law and Public Participation and Access to Justice) and common legal techniques (e.g., Environmental Principles and Regulatory Strategies and Environmental Governance) and legal processes (e.g., the Role of Courts and regulatory Enforcement). It is these common themes that are often the focus of scholarly attention and debate. This article has been structured with this in mind. Research within the field will be more successful if questions are as focused as they can be in relation to themes and jurisdictions. Fourth, this is a fast-moving area of law, and the environmental-law regime of a jurisdiction can change quickly. The law of a decade ago may not be the law now. Fifth, given the social and environmental complexity of environmental problems, the subject is heavily influenced by writings from other disciplines, particularly writings that relate to environmental problems and how a state should respond to them. Sixth, there is no obvious “canon” of environmental-law scholarship due to the jurisdiction-based, fast-paced, and diverse nature of the subject.
Cultural Capital
Authors: Swartz David L.
Published: January 2018

Cultural capital is used conceptually and researched empirically as a staple in much contemporary social scientific research. The concept was coined by the French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu to explain educational inequality in France. His concept covers a wide variety of cultural resources, such as verbal facility, general cultural awareness, aesthetic preferences, information about the school system, and educational credentials. In later writings Bourdieu suggests that what he calls cultural capital should in fact be called “informational capital.” His point is to suggest that culture (in the broadest sense of the term) can become a power resource that socially differentiates insiders from outsiders. This inequality occurs when cultural resources become objects of struggle. The concept gained traction early in educational research, in which it has been used to explain differential achievement in schooling. As a measure of family background, the importance of cultural capital relative to income and other possible stratifying factors has become the object of considerable research and debate in the sociology of education. But the concept has been imported into many other substantive areas, such as culture, consumer tastes, family, organizations, and stratification to such an extent that today it is found across a broad range of the social sciences and now figures as an important concept in introductory sociology textbooks. And the concept has provoked criticism and debate relative to how it is measured, its effects, its distribution, and variations in different national contexts.
Popular Song in the Age of Louis XIV
Authors: Romey John
Published: January 2018

Across early modern Europe popular tunes functioned as canvases for new texts and they served thereby as a tool for oral and written communication. Song enabled literate, semiliterate, and illiterate members of the population to participate in the circulation of news, gossip, and rumors and to mock both current events and individuals through satire. When performed, songs also encouraged audience participation when a tune had a refrain. In France in the 17th and 18th centuries, popular songs, often referred to as vaudevilles or pont-neufs, permeated urban and rural soundscapes. Popular tunes played an important social role in the lives of individuals from all social spheres, from singers begging for donations in the streets to members of fashionable Parisian society who gathered at salons and at the court. Mondains, members of fashionable society who frequently had literary pretensions, composed and preserved (in manuscripts, known today as chansonniers, as well as in printed publications) song texts that circulated between friends, acquaintances, and in the streets. Vaudevilles became associated with the Pont-Neuf, a spacious “new” bridge that functioned as a central thoroughfare but also a public space in which Parisians came to shop, hear the latest gossip, and be entertained by charlatans, street singers, and itinerant actors. Popular song also flourished in close connection to theater, and in the late 17th century popular songs began to play an increasingly prominent role in the Parisian theaters, namely the Comédie-Italienne and the Comédie-Française. By the early 18th century, comic opera (opéra-comique) emerged as a flexible satirical genre of popular theater. In this genre, which at first intermingled sung tunes with spoken prose, vaudevilles served as musical and structural building blocks and enabled audience participation in a manner similar to street performances. Besides the use of vaudevilles, early French comic operas continued the tradition developed in street song and in the late-17th-century theaters of parodying operas and opera airs. Some airs from Jean-Baptiste Lully’s ballets and operas, for example, became vaudevilles and survive with many new texts intended to be sung to simplified versions of his melodies. People from all social ranks, including street performers, servants, salonnières, courtiers, playwrights, and actors created and performed these parodic songs. When we discuss a body of popular songs during the reign of Louis XIV, then, we must imagine a constantly changing repertory that absorbed any tune that was, in contemporary parlance, “in the mouths” of the population. The study of French popular song, therefore, requires a broad interdisciplinary approach.
Psychological Perspectives on Media Violence
Authors: Gentile Douglas A. , Bender Patrick K. , Plante Courtney , Schmidt Casper , Park Soyoung
Published: January 2018

Given the ubiquity of digital media and the thousands of hours people spend consuming digital media each year, it is hardly surprising that researchers devote considerable effort to understanding media effects. Although many other aspects of media effects have been studied (e.g., advertising, educational media, etc.), the most-studied effect in the psychological literature is that of violent media. Most of these studies have focused on effects associated with the exposure to violent television shows and films. In the 1970s, researchers converged on the conclusion that violent television increased consumers’ risk for aggressive behavior, a consensus begun by the 1972 U.S. Surgeon General’s report on television violence. It is important to note that the vast majority of this research involved aggressive behavior, not violence. Although news reports and critics often use those words interchangeably, the distinction is critically important. Research typically involves aggressive behavior, defined as any action (verbal, relational, or physical) intended to harm someone who would not wish to be harmed, as well as the precursors of aggression (e.g., emotions, attitudes, thoughts). Such measures do not constitute “violence,” an extreme subtype of physical aggression that would, if successful, cause severe bodily damage or death. As such, it is important to examine the language surrounding any claim about violent media effects carefully, to avoid falling into the trap of manipulative rhetoric. With the advent of interactive digital media, the topic of media violence has once again risen to prominence and controversy. Researchers and laypersons alike questioned whether the interactive nature of video games meant that violent games would affect people in a different way than traditional media. Although the consensus among most media researchers and public health officials is that the effects of violent video games are no different than for other violent media, misconceptions and misrepresentations of the research persist. Those motivated to believe that violent content effects do not exist narrowly focus on the limitations of individual studies or measures and rely on studies that themselves suffer from serious methodological limitations. However, when the literature is viewed as a whole, with an emphasis on converging evidence and methods with overlapping strengths, the literature converges on the conclusion that violent video games, like violent television, are one risk factor for aggression.
Plant-Insect Interactions
Authors: Calatayud Paul-André , Sauvion Nicolas , Thiéry Denis , Rebaudo François , Jacquin-Joly Emmanuelle
Published: January 2018

Plants and insects are highly diverse groups due to their ability to exploit a wide range of niches, from the desert to the arctic zone, and also almost all the plant species growing on the planet. Plants and insects make up together approximately half of all known species of multicellular organisms. Each plant interacts with insects in a different manner; insects may act as protection, dispersers, or fertilizers for plants, while plants may be a food/energy resource or nest location for insects. Starting with herbivory, plant-insect interactions date back to the Devonian period, about 420 million years ago, when plants first began their conquest of the land. But it was most probably in the Upper Carboniferous, about 320 million years ago, that these interactions became more intense, characterized also by the appearance of entomophily (i.e., insect pollination) about 252 million years ago, before the appearance of flowering plants (angiosperms).
Adoption of Minimally Invasive Surgery and Decrease in Surgical Morbidity for Endometrial Cancer Treatment in the United States
Authors: Casarin Jvan , Multinu Francesco , Ubl Daniel S. , Dowdy Sean C. , Cliby William A. , Glaser Gretchen E. , Butler Kristina A. , Ghezzi Fabio , Habermann Elizabeth B. , Mariani Andrea
Published: January 2018

OBJECTIVE:

To assess how the widespread adoption of minimally invasive surgery in the United States is associated with changes in 30-day morbidity and mortality in endometrial cancer treatment.

METHODS:

In this retrospective cohort study, the American College of Surgeons’ National Surgical Quality Improvement Project database for 2008–2014 was reviewed for patients who had undergone surgery for endometrial cancer according to their primary Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes. Women with CPT codes for advanced cancer or with disseminated disease were excluded. A trend analysis across the time period by surgical approach (open surgery through laparotomy, vaginal surgery, and minimally invasive surgery) was performed using a Cochran-Armitage test for trend. Thirty-day surgical outcomes were compared between patients who had minimally invasive surgery and open surgery. Inverse probability of treatment weighting models were used to investigate the independent effect of minimally invasive surgery on 30-day outcomes.

RESULTS:

Overall, 12,283 patients met the inclusion criteria. A significant implementation of minimally invasive surgery (24.2–71.4%) and a concomitant decrease in open surgery through laparotomy (71.1–26.4%) were observed from 2008 to 2014 (both P<.001). Rate of vaginal surgery did not change over time (1.5–2.2%, P=.06). After adjusting for possible confounders, open surgery (compared with minimally invasive surgery) was independently associated with increased odds of major complications (n=347 versus n=274, adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.4, 95% CI 2.0–2.8), readmission (n=269 versus n=238, adjusted OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.8–2.6), reoperation (n=80 versus n=93, adjusted OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.2–2.1), superficial surgical site infection (n=190 versus n=55, adjusted OR 6.8, 95% CI 5.0–9.2), perioperative transfusion (n=430 versus n=149, adjusted OR 5.9, 95% CI 4.8–7.1), and death (n=41 vs, n=20, adjusted OR 3.8, 95% CI 2.2–6.6). A comprehensive decrease in 30-day morbidity for the treatment of endometrial cancer overall was observed from 2008 to 2014 (P<.001), whereas 30-day mortality remained stable (P=.24).

CONCLUSION:

The widespread adoption of minimally invasive surgery is associated with substantial decreases in 30-day morbidity, readmission, and reoperation for women treated for endometrial cancer in the United States.
Obstetric Outcomes After Failed Hysteroscopic and Laparoscopic Sterilization Procedures
Authors: Brandi Kristyn , Morgan Jake R. , Paasche-Orlow Michael K. , Perkins Rebecca B. , White Katharine O'Connell
Published: January 2018

OBJECTIVE:

To compare obstetric outcomes after failed hysteroscopic and laparoscopic sterilization.

METHODS:

This retrospective cohort study examined pregnancy outcomes including live birth, preterm birth, stillbirth, spontaneous abortion, therapeutic abortion, ectopic pregnancies, and gestational trophoblastic disease using a commercial claims administrative database for the years 2007–2013. We used a Z-test to compare pregnancy outcomes per 100 person-years based on type of sterilization. Cox proportional hazard models controlled for patient age, geographic region, urbanicity, comorbidities, and insurance type.

RESULTS:

We evaluated 997 pregnancy outcomes among 817 women from a total of 70,115 women with a history of either hysteroscopic sterilization (n=387 pregnancies/27,724 cases) or laparoscopic sterilization (n=610 pregnancies/42,391 cases). Women undergoing hysteroscopic sterilization were slightly older than, but otherwise similar to, women undergoing laparoscopic sterilization. The most common outcome was live birth, which was more likely after hysteroscopic sterilization compared with laparoscopic sterilization (adjusted hazard ratio 1.32, 95% CI 1.09–1.60). The rate of spontaneous abortion was not statistically significantly different between the two groups. Therapeutic abortion occurred more often after hysteroscopic sterilization (adjusted hazard ratio 1.49, 95% CI 1.10–2.01), whereas ectopic pregnancies occurred less often (adjusted hazard ratio 0.12, 95% CI 0.05–0.29) compared with laparoscopic sterilization.

CONCLUSION:

Hysteroscopic sterilization is associated with higher rates of live birth and lower rates of ectopic pregnancy compared with laparoscopic sterilization. Spontaneous abortion and preterm birth rates were similar in both groups. These data do not support an adverse effect of hysteroscopic sterilization on subsequent pregnancy outcomes.
What Is New in Global Women's Health? (Part 2)
Authors: Stuart Gretchen S. , Ramsey Patrick S.
Published: January 2018

This month we focus on current research in women's global health. Drs. Stuart and Ramsey discuss five recent publications, which are concluded with a “bottom line” that is a take-home message. A complete reference for each can be found in Box 1 on this page along with direct links to abstracts.
VISUALIZATION FROM INTRAOPERATIVE SWEPT-SOURCE MICROSCOPE-INTEGRATED OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY IN VITRECTOMY FOR COMPLICATIONS OF PROLIFERATIVE DIABETIC RETINOPATHY
Authors: Gabr Hesham , Chen Xi , Zevallos-Carrasco Oscar M. , Viehland Christian , Dandrige Alexandria , Sarin Neeru , Mahmoud Tamer H. , Vajzovic Lejla , Izatt Joseph A. , Toth Cynthia A.
Published: January 2018

Purpose:

To evaluate the use of live volumetric (4D) intraoperative swept-source microscope-integrated optical coherence tomography in vitrectomy for proliferative diabetic retinopathy complications.

Methods:

In this prospective study, we analyzed a subgroup of patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy complications who required vitrectomy and who were imaged by the research swept-source microscope-integrated optical coherence tomography system. In near real time, images were displayed in stereo heads-up display facilitating intraoperative surgeon feedback. Postoperative review included scoring image quality, identifying different diabetic retinopathy-associated pathologies and reviewing the intraoperatively documented surgeon feedback.

Results:

Twenty eyes were included. Indications for vitrectomy were tractional retinal detachment (16 eyes), combined tractional-rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (2 eyes), and vitreous hemorrhage (2 eyes). Useful, good-quality 2D (B-scans) and 4D images were obtained in 16/20 eyes (80%). In these eyes, multiple diabetic retinopathy complications could be imaged. Swept-source microscope-integrated optical coherence tomography provided surgical guidance, e.g., in identifying dissection planes under fibrovascular membranes, and in determining residual membranes and traction that would benefit from additional peeling. In 4/20 eyes (20%), acceptable images were captured, but they were not useful due to high tractional retinal detachment elevation which was challenging for imaging.

Conclusion:

Swept-source microscope-integrated optical coherence tomography can provide important guidance during surgery for proliferative diabetic retinopathy complications through intraoperative identification of different complications and facilitation of intraoperative decision making.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Assessed by Overnight Polysomnography in Patients With Keratoconus
Authors: Pedrotti Emilio , Demasi Christian Luigi , Fasolo Adriano , Bonacci Erika , Brighenti Tommaso , Gennaro Nicola , Ferrari Marcello , Marchini Giorgio
Published: January 2018

Purpose:

To determine the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in patients with keratoconus (KCN) and to evaluate the association between the severity of KCN and OSA.

Methods:

OSA was diagnosed with an overnight home sleep apnea test. As estimated by home monitoring, an apnea–hypopnea index threshold of ≥5 sleep-related obstructive breathing events per hour was considered suggestive of OSA. For grading KCN severity (Amsler–Krumeich classification), slit-lamp biomicroscopy, corneal topography, and pachymetry measurements were performed. Preoperative measurements were included in the analysis for patients who had undergone surgery for KCN.

Results:

The study sample consisted of 50 consecutively enrolled patients: 33 men; mean age ± SD 43.6 ± 11.8 years; body mass index 29.7 ± 7.3 kg/m2; and neck circumference 40.0 ± 3.4 cm. The overall prevalence of OSA was 38% (6 women and 13 men). Patients with OSA were older (49.8 ± 9.3 vs. 37.5 ± 10.8 years; P < 0.01) and had a higher body mass index (34.7 ± 8.1 vs. 26.2 ± 4.8 kg/m2; P <0.01), neck circumference (41.2 ± 2.6 vs. 38.7 ± 3.6 cm; P < 0.01), and cylinder diopter (5.98 ± 1.94 vs. 4.05 ± 3.55 D; P = 0.045) compared with those without OSA. No significant association was found between OSA severity and ocular parameters and KCN grade.

Conclusions:

As measured by overnight home sleep apnea testing, OSA was 10 to 20 times more prevalent among patients with KCN than the rate reported for the general population. The rate lies between the prevalence estimated from sleep study data of self-reported diagnosis of OSA and the risk of developing OSA as determined by the Berlin Questionnaire.
The Functional Immune Response of Patients on Extracorporeal Life Support
Authors: Beshish Asaad G. , Bradley Jeffrey D. , McDonough Kelli L. , Halligan Nadine L. N. , McHugh Walker M. , Sturza Julie , Hall Mark W. , Cornell Timothy T. , Dahmer Mary K.
Published: January 2018

Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) is a widely used lifesaving technology. Whether ECLS results in immune dysregulation is unclear. This study’s aim was to examine whether ECLS affected innate immune response. All patients placed on ECLS were eligible. Blood was obtained before, during, and after ECLS. Function of the innate immune system was measured by ex vivo lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and plasma cytokine levels (interleukin [IL]-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α). Immunoparalysis was defined as ex vivo TNF-α levels less than 200 pg/ml. Nineteen patients were enrolled with twelve <18 years old. Median ECLS duration was 10 days (range: 3–108); nine patients died. After stratifying the cohort by the presence of immunoparalysis before ECLS, those immunoparalyzed showed increased response to LPS on days 1 and 3 (p = 0.016). Those without pre-ECLS immunoparalysis showed a transient decrease in response on day 3 (p = 0.008). Plasma IL-10 levels were elevated in those with pre-ECLS immunoparalysis and dropped significantly by day 1 (p = 0.031). The number treated with steroids was similar in the two groups. In conclusion, patients with immunoparalysis before ECLS showed a gradual increase in immune function during ECLS, whereas those without immunoparalysis had a transient decrease in responsiveness on day 3.
A pilot mixed-methods evaluation of MS INFoRm: a self-directed fatigue management resource for individuals with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Akbar Nadine , Turpin Karen , Petrin Julie , Smyth Penny , Finlayson Marcia
Published: January 2018

Fatigue management interventions for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) often feature structured programmes requiring repeated, in-person attendance that is not possible for all individuals. We sought to determine whether MS INFoRm, a self-directed fatigue management resource for individuals with MS, was worth further, more rigorous evaluation. Our indicators of worthiness were actual use of the resource by participants over 3 months, reductions in fatigue impact and increases in self-efficacy, and participant reports of changes in fatigue management knowledge and behaviours. This was a single-group, mixed-methods, before–after pilot study in individuals with MS reporting mild to moderate fatigue. Thirty-five participants were provided with MS INFoRm by a USB flash drive to use at home for 3 months, on their own volition. Twenty-three participants completed all standardized questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and study process measures. Participants reported actively using MS INFoRm over the 3-month study period (median total time spent using MS INFoRm=315 min) as well as significantly lower overall fatigue impact (Modified Fatigue Impact Scale: t=2.6, P=0.01), increased knowledge of MS fatigue (z=−2.8, P=0.01) and greater confidence in managing MS fatigue (z=−3.3, P=0.001). Individuals with significant reductions in fatigue impact also reported behavioural changes including tracking fatigue, better communication with others, greater awareness, improved quality of life and being more proactive. This study provides evidence that further rigorous evaluation of MS INFoRm, a self-directed resource for managing fatigue, is worth pursuing.
Susceptibility of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to Gentamicin—Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project, 2015–2016
Authors: Mann Laura M. , Kirkcaldy Robert D. , Papp John R. , Torrone Elizabeth A.
Published: January 2018

The gentamicin minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates were determined. Seventy-three percent of isolates demonstrated an MIC range of 8 to 16 μg/mL, and 27% demonstrated an MIC of 4 μg/mL or less. Significant associations between gentamicin MIC and resistance or reduced susceptibility to other antimicrobials were found.
Guidance on filtering DNA methylation microarray probes by detection p-values
Authors: Heiss Jonathan A. , Just Allan C.
Published: January 2018

DNA methylation microarrays are popular for epigenome-wide association studies, but spurious outlier values complicate downstream analysis. It was demonstrated previously that commonly used detection p-value cut-offs were insufficient and led to many calls on the Y-chromosome probes in females. We extend these observations by assessing 2,578 samples from 18 studies run on the 450K chip as well as outliers across technical replicates. We provide comprehensive guidance and software for filtering methylation microarrays as an essential step to reduce outliers.
The Impact of fodder onBombyx Mori
Authors: Flores Victor , Medina Katherine
Published: January 2018

Silk production by the Chilean silkworm, although an important source of revenue, has not been extensively studied. In the current study, we research 564 Mountain Silkworm (Bombyx mori), analyzing their silk harvests, silk production incubation periods and demographic profiles. The mountain silkworms were randomly divided into two clusters (cluster#1, cluster#2), each of which had 56 mountain silkworms. Crumpled maize were replaced by steam-flaked maize 30%, 50%, 100%, then researched the effects of nourishing steam-flaked maize on production performance of silk production by silkworm. The outcomes showed that the cluster#2 had better median silk harvest than cluster#1, the mean of these increment silk harvests was 3.48pounds (P-value <0.05); the protein proportion and the sugar in silk of cluster#2 went up than cluster#1; for the urine nitrogen and somatic cell count of cluster#2 were lower than cluster#1 by 0.9% (P-value >0.05), 30,800 cells/ml (P-value<0.05), respectively. The current research confirmed that utilizing the JHO nutrition heightened silk harvest, improved silk production characteristics, and enhanced the performance of mountain silkworms; furthermore, it heightened resistance to the sickness due to strengthened resistance.
Exploring protein orthogonality in immune space: a case study with AAV and Cas9 orthologs
Authors: Moreno Ana M. , Palmer Nathan , Alemán Fernando , Chen Genghao , Pla Andrew , Chew Wei Leong , Law Mansun , Mali Prashant
Published: January 2018

A major hurdle in protein-based therapeutics is the interaction with the adaptive immune system, which can lead to neutralization by circulating antibodies and clearance of treated cells by cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. One method of circumventing these issues is to use human or humanized proteins which avoid the immune response by self-recognition. However, this approach limits potential protein therapeutics to those of human origin, excluding many exciting effectors and delivery vehicles such as CRISPR-Cas9 and adeno-associated viruses (AAVs). To address this issue, we propose here the sequential use of orthologous proteins whose function is constrained by natural selection, but whose structure is subject to diversification by genetic drift. This would, in principle, allow for repeated treatments by ‘immune orthogonal’ orthologs without reduced efficacy due to lack of immune cross-reactivity among the proteins. To explore and validate this concept we chose 91 Type II CRISPR-Cas9 orthologs and 167 AAV capsid protein orthologs, and developed a pipeline to compare total sequence similarity as well as predicted binding to class I and class II Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) proteins. Interestingly, MHC binding predictions revealed wide diversity among the set of Cas9 orthologs, with 83% of pairs predicted to have non cross-reacting immune responses, while no global immune orthogonality among AAV serotypes was observed. To confirm these findings we selected two Cas9 orthologs, fromS. pyogenesandS. aureus, predicted to be orthogonal in immune space, and delivered them into mice via multiple AAV serotypes. We observed cross-reacting antibodies against AAV but not Cas9 orthologs in sera from immunized mice, validating the computationally predicted immune orthogonality among these proteins. Moving forward, we anticipate this framework can be applied to prescribe sequential regimens of immune orthogonal protein therapeutics to circumvent pre-existing or induced immunity, and eventually, to rationally engineer immune orthogonality among protein orthologs.
216 GHz Electron Paramagnetic Resonance of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Catalase-Peroxidase: The Role of the Arg418 Residue
Authors: Bawn Matt , Krzystek Jurek , Magliozzo Richard
Published: January 2018

The catalase-peroxidase protein from Mycobacterium tuberculosis contains a variety of unique structural features including a covalently-linked three amino acid adduct capable of hosting a tyrosine-based radical. Previous work has demonstrated that the Arg418 residue is essential for the catalse but not the peroxidase activity of the protein and crystallography has indicated the residue to be capable of adopting two conformations relative to the adduct-radical. In the present work the WT and Arg418Leu mutant proteins were investigated using high-field electron magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Different sets of g-values were found for each protein indicating different paramagnetic environments. Quantum chemical calculations of model structures were undertaken to elucidate the geometrical environment of the radical. It is proposed that the two sets of g-values correspond to the two conformations of the Arg418 residue. The implications for the catalytic mechanism are discussed.
ARID5B as a critical downstream target of the TAL1 complex that activates the oncogenic transcriptional program and promotes T-cell leukemogenesis
Authors: Leong Wei Zhong , Tan Shi Hao , Ngoc Phuong Cao Thi , Amanda Stella , Yam Alice Wei Yee , Liau Wei-Siang , Gong Zhiyuan , Lawton Lee N. , Tenen Daniel G. , Sanda Takaomi
Published: January 2018

The oncogenic transcription factor TAL1/SCL induces an aberrant transcriptional program in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) cells. However, the critical factors that are directly activated by TAL1 and contribute to T-ALL pathogenesis are largely unknown. Here, we identified AT-rich interactive domain 5B (ARID5B) as a collaborating oncogenic factor involved in the transcriptional program in T-ALL. ARID5B expression is down-regulated at the double-negative 2–4 stages in normal thymocytes, while it is induced by the TAL1 complex in human T-ALL cells. The enhancer located 135 kb upstream of the ARID5B gene locus is activated under a superenhancer in T-ALL cells but not in normal T cells. Notably, ARID5B-bound regions are associated predominantly with active transcription. ARID5B and TAL1 frequently co-occupy target genes and coordinately control their expression. ARID5B positively regulates the expression of TAL1 and its regulatory partners. ARID5B also activates the expression of the oncogene MYC. Importantly, ARID5B is required for the survival and growth of T-ALL cells, and forced expression of ARID5B in immature thymocytes results in thymus retention, differentiation arrest, radioresistance, and tumor formation in zebrafish. Our results indicate that ARID5B reinforces the oncogenic transcriptional program by positively regulating the TAL1-induced regulatory circuit and MYC in T-ALL, thereby contributing to T-cell leukemogenesis.
Attractiveness of discount rate versus limited quantity
Authors: Park Hye Kyung , Shin Bong-Sup , Huh Jong-Ho
Published: January 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to examine how the temporal distance can influence the effect of the scarcity message. To demonstrate this effect, the authors use the limited-quantity flash sales and compare two types of mixed promotion method comprising discount rate and limited quantity.

Design/methodology/approach

The results of the experiment reveal that consumers in the temporally distant condition have a relatively high-level construal of the limited-quantity flash sales and are more likely to value desirability (discount rate) over feasibility (limited quantity).

Findings

When the expected value is identical, consumers prefer limited-quantity flash sales with smaller limited quantity but higher discount rates. However, consumers in the temporally near condition have a relatively low-level construal of the limited-quantity flash sales and are more likely to value feasibility (limited quantity) over desirability (discount rate).

Originality/value

When the expected value is identical, consumers prefer limited-quantity flash sales with lower discount rates but larger limited quantity.
The income-generating projects of a government academic institution in The Philippines
Authors: Miranda Asterio T. , Tenedero Lilibeth E. , Fiel-Miranda Juneth Lourdes , Celestino Edwin R.
Published: January 2018

Purpose

This study aims to determine the extent of implementation of income-generating projects (IGPs) of the University of Eastern Philippines (UEP).

Design/methodology/approach

It uses a descriptive-correlational research design, involving 126 respondents, composed of 5 members of IGP Board of management, 11 managers and 110 clients. Frequency counts, percentages, ratios, weighted means and multiple regression analysis are used to treat and analyze the data gathered. The assessment of the extent of implementation of IGPs results in a high extent of implementation, indicating that the emergence and development of IGPs significantly improved the income-generating capacity of UEP.

Findings

The test of the relationship between the extent of implementation and the profile of the IGPs in terms of length of operations prove that they are not significantly related, indicating that the length of operations has no direct influence on the implementation of the IGPs, and the extent of how IGPs are implemented does not largely depend on the number of staff the IGPs have. However, the average number of clients served is significantly related to the extent of implementation of IGPs.

Originality/value

In determining whether a relationship existed between the extent of implementation of IGP and the profile of the staff, the results prove that except for the age of the staff, the educational attainment and the number of trainings and seminars attended are found to have a significant relationship.
The impact of ISP, BPR, and customization on ERP performance in manufacturing SMEs of Korea
Authors: Hong Soon-Goo , Siau Keng , Kim Jong-Weon
Published: January 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to assess how enterprise resource planning (ERP) performance of Korean small and medium enterprises in manufacturing differs according to different levels of business process reengineering (BPR), information strategic planning (ISP) and ERP customization.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire survey was carried out in this research. Responses from 96 small and medium manufacturing companies that have adopted ERP systems were analyzed.

Findings

The results of this study suggest that ISP and BPR implementation are positively correlated to ERP performance.

Originality/value

While consulting and customization costs have positive impacts on ERP performance, the level of customization does not influence performance. As one of the pioneering studies that investigate the impact of BPR, ISP and ERP customization on small and medium manufacturing companies, this research contributes to both theory and practice.
A study of ethnic perception gap on consumer boycott of Korean and Canadian University students
Authors: Jae Mie Kyung , Jeon Hyang Ran
Published: January 2018

Purpose

In this paper, the authors aim to offer a cross-cultural comparison of the boycott intentions of university students in Canada with those of students in Korea.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected from students at Inje University and York University via self-administered questionnaire. A t-test found that Canadian students’ answers showed significantly greater scores in ethnocentrism, boycott attitudes prior to reading the target article and motivations related to self-enhancement compared to those acquired from Korean students. However, the motivation of counterarguments and the boycott intentions of Korean students’ toward Rogers, the parent company of Maclean’s magazine, showed significantly higher scores than those gained from Canadian students.

Findings

The boycott case used in the study is Maclean’s magazine, a Canadian news magazine, which published a controversial article called, “Too Asian? Some frosh don’t want to study at an “Asian” University”. A noticeable gap in each group of students’ boycott attitude and intentions toward Rogers, the parent company of Maclean’s magazine was found.

Originality/value

In the multiple regression analysis, the boycott motivation of self-enhancement was the most influential variable on boycott intentions. The boycott case examined in this paper is a practical case study of cross-national grouping as well as the perceptional difference of the locus of corporate accountability that comes from cross-cultural backgrounds.