bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of low‐frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields on plateau frostbite healing in rats
Authors: Jiao Mingke , Lou Lin , Jiao lin , Hu Jie , Zhang Peng , Wang Zhongming , Xu Wenjuan , Geng Xiliang , Song Hongping
Published: September 2016

Plateau frostbite (PF) treatments have remained a clinical challenge because this condition injures tissues in deep layers and affected tissues exhibit unique pathological characteristics. For instance, low‐frequency pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) can affect tissue restoration and penetrate tissues. Therefore, the effect of PEMF on PF healing should be investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of low‐frequency PEMF on PF healing systematically. Ninety‐six Sprague‐Dawley rats were randomly and equally divided into three groups: normal control, partial thickness plateau frostbite (PTPF), and PTPF with low‐frequency PEMF exposure (PTPF + PEMF). PTPF wounds were induced in the dorsum of the rats. The PTPF + PEMF group was exposed to low‐frequency PEMF daily. During PF healing, wound microcirculation in each group was monitored through contrast ultrasonography. Wound appearance, histological observation, and wound tensile strength were also evaluated. Results showed that the rate of the microcirculation restoration of the PTPF + PEMF group was nearly 25% faster than that of the PTPF group, and wound appearance suggested that the healing of the PTPF group was slower than that of the PTPF + PEMF group. Histological observation revealed that PEMF accelerated the growth of different deep tissues, as confirmed by tensile strength examination. Low‐frequency PEMF could penetrate PF tissues, promote their restoration, and provide a beneficial effect on PF healing. Therefore, this technique may be a potential alternative to treat PF.
Similarities and Differences between Public and Private Sector Leadership Strategies in the Caribbean: Empirical Findings on the Link between Leadership, Culture, and Performance
Authors: Flemming Paul L.
Published: September 2016

Conventional theory, which holds that there is a significant difference between leadership in the public and private sectors as leaders manage organizational culture to achieve strategic performance, has begun to be disputed by recent scholars in organizational behavior. The purpose of this study was to validate the views of organizational practitioners that private sector leaders are best suited to facilitate organizational efficiency by examining the link between leaders, culture, and employee performance. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) was distributed to middle managers (N=200) who worked in public and private sector organizations across the United States Virgin Islands to examine how the leaders used organizational culture to improve their organizations’ performances. The study found that leadership practices in both sectors have significant effects on performance. While the hierarchy culture was dominant in government agencies dictating effectiveness is the adherence to strict rules and regulations, the criteria of effectiveness most prominent in the private sector was market culture evident in the achieving of goals, outpacing the competition, increasing market share, and acquiring premium levels of financial returns. These findings suggest that, contrary to conventional theory, those leaders with the greatest organizational success are not restricted only to the private sector; but they are also evident in the public sector. This study concluded that leadership in both the public and the private sectors can induce a significant level of performance when strategies are aligned with organization’s culture and objectives as these organizations developed, grow, and mature.
Biaxial Properties of the Left and Right Pulmonary Arteries in a Monocrotaline Rat Animal Model of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Authors: Pursell Erica R. , Vélez-Rendón Daniela , Valdez-Jasso Daniela
Published: September 2016

In a monocrotaline (MCT) induced-pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) rat animal model, the dynamic stress–strain relation was investigated in the circumferential and axial directions using a linear elastic response model within the quasi-linear viscoelasticity theory framework. Right and left pulmonary arterial segments (RPA and LPA) were mechanically tested in a tubular biaxial device at the early stage (1 week post-MCT treatment) and at the advanced stage of the disease (4 weeks post-MCT treatment). The vessels were tested circumferentially at the in vivo axial length with matching in vivo measured pressure ranges. Subsequently, the vessels were tested axially at the mean pulmonary arterial pressure by stretching them from in vivo plus 5% of their length. Parameter estimation showed that the LPA and RPA remodel at different rates: axially, both vessels decreased in Young's modulus at the early stage of the disease, and increased at the advanced disease stage. Circumferentially, the Young's modulus increased in advanced PAH, but it was only significant in the RPA. The damping properties also changed in PAH; in the LPA relaxation times decreased continuously as the disease progressed, while in the RPA they initially increased and then decreased. Our modeling efforts were corroborated by the restructuring organization of the fibers imaged under multiphoton microscopy, where the collagen fibers become strongly aligned to the 45 deg angle in the RPA from an uncrimped and randomly organized state. Additionally, collagen content increased almost 10% in the RPA from the placebo to advanced PAH.
Linear and Nonlinear Viscoelastic Arterial Wall Models: Application on Animals
Authors: Ghigo Arthur R. , Wang Xiao-Fei , Armentano Ricardo , Fullana Jose-Maria , Lagrée Pierre-Yves
Published: September 2016

This work deals with the viscoelasticity of the arterial wall and its influence on the pulse waves. We describe the viscoelasticity by a nonlinear Kelvin–Voigt model in which the coefficients are fitted using experimental time series of pressure and radius measured on a sheep's arterial network. We obtained a good agreement between the results of the nonlinear Kelvin–Voigt model and the experimental measurements. We found that the viscoelastic relaxation time—defined by the ratio between the viscoelastic coefficient and the Young's modulus—is nearly constant throughout the network. Therefore, as it is well known that smaller arteries are stiffer, the viscoelastic coefficient rises when approaching the peripheral sites to compensate the rise of the Young's modulus, resulting in a higher damping effect. We incorporated the fitted viscoelastic coefficients in a nonlinear 1D fluid model to compute the pulse waves in the network. The damping effect of viscoelasticity on the high-frequency waves is clear especially at the peripheral sites.
Acoustic attenuation imaging of tissue bulk properties with a priori information
Authors: Hooi Fong Ming , Kripfgans Oliver , Carson Paul L.
Published: September 2016

Attenuation of ultrasound waves traversing a medium is not only a result of absorption and scattering within a given tissue, but also of coherent scattering, including diffraction, refraction, and reflection of the acoustic wave at tissue boundaries. This leads to edge enhancement and other artifacts in most reconstruction algorithms, other than 3D wave migration with currently impractical, implementations. The presented approach accounts for energy loss at tissue boundaries by normalizing data based on variable sound speed, and potential density, of the medium using a k-space wave solver. Coupled with a priori knowledge of major sound speed distributions, physical attenuation values within broad ranges, and the assumption of homogeneity within segmented regions, an attenuation image representative of region bulk properties is constructed by solving a penalized weighted least squares optimization problem. This is in contradistinction to absorption or to conventional attenuation coefficient based on overall insertion loss with strong dependence on sound speed and impedance mismatches at tissue boundaries. This imaged property will be referred to as the bulk attenuation coefficient. The algorithm is demonstrated on an opposed array setup, with mean-squared-error improvements from 0.6269 to 0.0424 (dB/cm/MHz)2 for a cylindrical phantom, and 0.1622 to 0.0256 (dB/cm/MHz)2 for a windowed phantom.
Complex modes expansion with vector projection using power flow to simulate Lamb waves scattering from horizontal cracks and disbonds
Authors: Poddar Banibrata , Giurgiutiu Victor
Published: September 2016

This paper presents an inexpensive but accurate analytical method to calculate the scattering of straight-crested Lamb waves from cracks parallel to the plate surface. The same method is applicable for the disbond problem. In this method, the scatter field is expanded in terms of complex Lamb wave modes with unknown amplitudes. These unknown amplitudes are obtained from the boundary conditions using vector projection utilizing the power expression. The process works by projecting the stress conditions onto the displacement eigen-spaces of complex Lamb wave modes and vice versa. The authors call this technique “complex modes expansion with vector projection” (CMEP). The CMEP approach is versatile and can be readily applied to corrosion, cracks, or disbonds. In this paper, the CMEP method is applied to a horizontal crack in a plate. For verification of the results the authors compared them with the results obtained by using the finite element method (FEM) and literature. The FEM analysis was conducted in the frequency domain with non-reflecting boundaries. It was found that CMEP results correspond very well with FEM results over a wide frequency-thickness range up to 1.5 MHz mm with CMEP being orders of magnitude faster than FEM.
Reliability of a Seven-Segment Foot Model with Medial and Lateral Midfoot and Forefoot Segments During Walking Gait
Authors: Cobb Stephen C. , Joshi Mukta N. , Pomeroy Robin L.
Published: September 2016

In-vitro and invasive in-vivo studies have reported relatively independent motion in the medial and lateral forefoot segments during gait. However, most current surface-based models have not defined medial and lateral forefoot or midfoot segments. The purpose of the current study was to determine the reliability of a 7-segment foot model that includes medial and lateral midfoot and forefoot segments during walking gait. Three-dimensional positions of marker clusters located on the leg and 6 foot segments were tracked as 10 participants completed 5 walking trials. To examine the reliability of the foot model, coefficients of multiple correlation (CMC) were calculated across the trials for each participant. Three-dimensional stance time series and range of motion (ROM) during stance were also calculated for each functional articulation. CMCs for all of the functional articulations were ≥ 0.80. Overall, the rearfoot complex (leg–calcaneus segments) was the most reliable articulation and the medial midfoot complex (calcaneus–navicular segments) was the least reliable. With respect to ROM, reliability was greatest for plantarflexion/dorsiflexion and least for abduction/adduction. Further, the stance ROM and time-series patterns results between the current study and previous invasive in-vivo studies that have assessed actual bone motion were generally consistent.
Spirituality, Depression, and Anxiety Among Ocean Surfers
Authors: Amrhein Michael , Barkhoff Harald , Heiby Elaine M.
Published: September 2016

Although research on the psychological correlates of ocean surfing is scarce, substantial anecdotal evidence suggests that the sport offers a uniquely positive experience. Prior research has demonstrated that surfers report fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety than normative groups, but no explanation has been identified. Greater spirituality has been correlated with lower depression and anxiety, and many surfers have described surfing as a spiritual experience, indicating a potential connection. One hundred surfers were recruited from the Hawaiian Islands and the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Participants reported their surfing habits and levels of their spiritual surfing experiences. Standardized tests were used to measure participants’ spirituality, depression, and anxiety levels. Results indicated that surfers reported fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety than most available normative groups. Results also demonstrated that greater spirituality is associated with less depression and more spiritual surfing experiences.
The Role of Mental Toughness in Coping and Injury Response in Female Roller Derby and Rugby Athletes
Authors: Madrigal Leilani , Wurst Katherine , Gill Diane L.
Published: September 2016

In this study, we explored mental toughness, injury response, and coping among female athletes in roller derby (n = 68) and collegiate rugby (n = 122). Participants completed a survey with measures of mental toughness, hardiness, optimism, coping with injury and psychological response to injury, as well as questions regarding injury status. Injured roller derby players had a more negative response to injury than injured rugby players, but did not differ on mental toughness. Mental toughness was related to approach styles of coping and negatively related to adverse psychological responses to injury. Rugby players who would play through injury reported higher mental toughness than those who would not play through injury; however, the reverse was found for roller derby players. Mental toughness is related to adaptive coping and positive injury response, but also to engaging in activity when injured, with potential detrimental effects.
The Role of Stigma and Referral Source in Predicting College Student-Athletes’ Attitudes Toward Psychological Help-Seeking
Authors: Wahto Rachel S. , Swift Joshua K. , Whipple Jason L.
Published: September 2016

The purposes of this study were to (a) examine the relationships between public stigma, self-stigma, and mental health help-seeking attitudes in college studentathletes, and (b) test whether referral source would have an impact on student-athletes’ willingness to seek mental health help. Participating college student-athletes (n = 43) completed an online survey including measures of stigma (public and self), attitudes, and willingness to seek mental health help. The results indicated that public stigma and self-stigma predicted a significant proportion of variance in attitudes (66%) above and beyond gender and treatment-use history. In addition, student-athletes were more willing to seek help when referred by a family member compared with a coach (d = 0.89), a teammate (d = 1.05), or oneself (d = 1.28). The results have important implications for helping student-athletes seek mental health help when there is a need.
Depth-resolved mid-infrared photothermal imaging of living cells and organisms with submicrometer spatial resolution
Authors: Zhang Delong , Li Chen , Zhang Chi , Slipchenko Mikhail N. , Eakins Gregory , Cheng Ji-Xin
Published: September 2016

Photothermal measurement enabled infrared spectroscopic imaging of live cells and organisms with submicrometer resolution.
Will Nobel Prize overlook LIGO's master builder?
Authors: Cho Adrian
Published: September 2016

Barry Barish assembled the gravitational wave detectors but hasn't shared the glory.
Crime forecasters
Authors: Hvistendahl Mara
Published: September 2016

Police are turning to big data to stop crime before it happens. But is predictive policing biased—and does it even work?
Electron optics with p-n junctions in ballistic graphene
Authors: Chen Shaowen , Han Zheng , Elahi Mirza M. , Habib K. M. Masum , Wang Lei , Wen Bo , Gao Yuanda , Taniguchi Takashi , Watanabe Kenji , Hone James , Ghosh Avik W. , Dean Cory R.
Published: September 2016

Electrons transmitted across a ballistic semiconductor junction are expected to undergo refraction, analogous to light rays across an optical boundary. In graphene, the linear dispersion and zero-gap band structure admit highly transparent p-n junctions by simple electrostatic gating. Here, we employ transverse magnetic focusing to probe the propagation of carriers across an electrostatically defined graphene junction. We find agreement with the predicted Snell’s law for electrons, including the observation of both positive and negative refraction. Resonant transmission across the p-n junction provides a direct measurement of the angle-dependent transmission coefficient. Comparing experimental data with simulations reveals the crucial role played by the effective junction width, providing guidance for future device design. Our results pave the way for realizing electron optics based on graphene p-n junctions.
James W. Cronin (1931–2016)
Authors: Watson Alan A.
Published: September 2016

A Nobel laureate raised the profile of physics worldwide
Accuracy of Automated Flow Cytometry-Based Leukocyte Counts To Rule Out Urinary Tract Infection in Febrile Children: a Prospective Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Duong Hong Phuoc , Wissing Karl Martin , Tram Nathalie , Mascart Georges , Lepage Philippe , Ismaili Khalid
Published: September 2016

Automated flow cytometry of urine remains an incompletely validated method to rule out urinary tract infection (UTI) in children. This cross-sectional analytical study was performed to compare the predictive values of flow cytometry and a dipstick test as initial diagnostic tests for UTI in febrile children and prospectively included 1,106 children (1,247 episodes). Urine culture was used as the gold standard test for diagnosing UTI. The performance of screening tests to diagnose UTI were established using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Among these 1,247 febrile episodes, 221 UTIs were diagnosed (17.7% [95% confidence interval {CI}, 15.6 to 19.8%]). The area under the ROC curve for flow cytometry white blood cell (WBC) counts (0.99 [95% CI, 0.98 to 0.99]) was significantly superior to that for red blood cell (0.74 [95% CI, 0.70 to 0.78]) and bacterial counts (0.89 [95% CI, 0.87 to 0.92]) (
P
< 0.001). Urinary WBC counts also had a significantly higher area under the ROC curve than that of the leukocyte esterase (LE) dipstick (0.92 [95% CI, 0.90 to 0.94]), nitrite dipstick (0.83 [95% CI, 0.80 to 0.87]), or the combination of positive LE and/or nitrite dipstick (0.91 [95% CI, 0.89 to 0.93]) test (
P
< 0.001). The presence of ≥35 WBC/μl of urine was the best cutoff point, yielding both a high sensitivity (99.5% [95% CI, 99 to 100%]) and an acceptable specificity (80.6% [95% CI, 78 to 83%]). Using this cutoff point would have reduced the number of samples sent to the laboratory for culture by 67%. In conclusion, the determination of urinary WBC counts by flow cytometry provides optimal performance as an initial diagnostic test for UTI in febrile children.
Rescue of the 1947 Zika Virus Prototype Strain with a Cytomegalovirus Promoter-Driven cDNA Clone
Authors: Schwarz Megan C. , Sourisseau Marion , Espino Michael M. , Gray Essanna S. , Chambers Matthew T. , Tortorella Domenico , Evans Matthew J.
Published: September 2016

The study of ZIKV, which has become increasingly important with the recent association of this virus with microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome, would benefit from an efficient strategy to genetically manipulate the virus. This work describes a model system to produce infectious virus in cell culture. We created a plasmid carrying the prototype 1947 Uganda MR766 ZIKV genome that both was stable in bacteria and could produce high levels of infectious virus in mammalian cells through direct delivery of this DNA. Furthermore, growth properties of this rescued virus closely resembled those of the viral isolate from which it was derived. This model system will provide a simple and effective means to study how ZIKV genetics impact viral replication and pathogenesis.
Divergent Isoprenoid Biosynthesis Pathways in
Staphylococcus
Species Constitute a Drug Target for Treating Infections in Companion Animals
Authors: Misic Ana M. , Cain Christine L. , Morris Daniel O. , Rankin Shelley C. , Beiting Daniel P.
Published: September 2016

Drug-resistant
Staphylococcus
species are a major concern in human and veterinary medicine. There is a need for new antibiotics that exhibit a selective effect in treating infections in companion and livestock animals and that would not be used to treat human bacterial infections. We have identified fosmidomycin as an antibiotic that selectively targets certain
Staphylococcus
species that are often encountered in skin infections in cats and dogs. These findings expand our understanding of
Staphylococcus
evolution and may have direct implications for treating staphylococcal infections in veterinary medicine.
Tectonic and climate controls on Neogene environmental change in the Zhada Basin, southwestern Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Saylor Joel E. , Casturi Lokin , Shanahan Timothy M. , Nie Junsheng , Saadeh Crystal M.
Published: September 2016

Evidence for a long-lived, high-elevation plateau contradicts the hypothesis that uplift of the southern Tibetan Plateau was a driver of late Miocene–Pliocene changes in ecology and monsoon strength. We illuminate the mechanisms underlying late Miocene–Pliocene environmental changes using a multi-proxy record from the Zhada Basin, southwestern Tibetan Plateau, between ca. 9.2 and 2.3 Ma. An increase in mean carbonate δ18Oc and δ13Cc values, decrease in grain size, and onset of lacustrine deposition at 6.0 Ma is attributed to local tectonic damming and transition from a through-flowing fluvial system to a terminal lake. This is followed at 3.5 Ma by a decrease in lake size indicated by synchronous increase in grain size, progradation of lake-margin depositional systems, increase in δ18Oc values at lake-central locations, and divergence in δ18Oc values between inflowing and lake water. We attribute lake shrinking to decreasing Indian summer monsoon precipitation due to the combined effects of decreased southern Tibetan Plateau elevations and cooler Indian Ocean temperatures. We attribute increased grain size and δ18Oc value variability to changes in fluvial discharge due to increased sensitivity to orbital forcing, itself possibly coupled with onset of glacial conditions at high elevations. These mechanisms link regional tectonic events to Pliocene changes in climate and environmental conditions, including erosion, granularity, sediment accumulation rates, and potentially biological turnover on and around the Tibetan Plateau.
Impact of tidal currents on delta-channel deepening, stratigraphic architecture, and sediment bypass beyond the shoreline
Authors: Rossi Valentina Marzia , Kim Wonsuck , Leva López Julio , Edmonds Douglas , Geleynse Nathanael , Olariu Cornel , Steel Ronald J. , Hiatt Matthew , Passalacqua Paola
Published: September 2016

Deltas are sensitive indicators of coastal processes (e.g., waves and tides) and show dynamic changes in shoreline morphology, distributary channel network, and stratigraphic architecture in response to coastal forcing. Numerical modeling has long been used to show delta evolution associated with a single dominant coastal process, but rarely to examine the sensitivity of deltas to mixed processes. Physics-based morphodynamic simulations (Delft3D) are used to investigate the influence of tidal currents on deltas. Tidal amplitude and the sand:mud ratio of subsurface sediment have been varied in the model. The results show that increasing tidal amplitude causes deeper and more stable distributary channels and more rugose planform shoreline patterns. A new metric for channel geometry quantifies tidal influence on the distributary channel network. Stable distributary channels act as an efficient mechanism for ebb-enhanced currents to (1) bypass sediment across the delta plain, and (2) extend channel tips seaward through mouth bar erosion. The basinward channel extension leads to sandier deposits in the tide-influenced deltas than in their river-dominated counterparts. The delta-front bathymetry also reflects sediment redistribution, changing the delta-front profile from concave to convex with compound geometries as tidal amplitude increases. These results suggest that channel overdeepening is a possible tidal signature that should be considered when interpreting ancient systems, and that sand may be bypassed much farther basinward in tide-influenced than in purely river-dominated deltas.
Severe accidental hypothermia treated with cardiopulmonary bypass
Authors: Gani Mohammed Akil Dilawar , Jagdev Balraj Singh , Champsi Asgher , Dandekar Uday
Published: September 2016

This case report describes the successful treatment of severe accidental hypothermia with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). A known intravenous drug misuser aged 22 years was found to be unresponsive at his home (winter evening) with a Glasgow coma scale of 3/15. In the ambulance, the patient went into cardiac arrest, cardiopulmonary resuscitation being started. On arrival to the emergency department, he had a core body temperature of 27°C which was refractory to conservative management. He underwent femoro-femoral CPB, which was successful in rewarming the patient slowly. The patient was discharged home with no neurological deficit 10 days later.
Patient empowerment through provision of a mobile application for medication reconciliation: a proof of concept study
Authors: Werumeus Buning Annabel , Klopotowska Joanna E , Duyvendak Michiel , Engelen Lucien JLPG , Arts Joris
Published: September 2016

Background

The operationalisation of medication reconciliation in daily practice is challenging, due to among others, insufficient interoperability of computer systems and high implementation costs. Involving patients in the medication reconciliation process by using information technology could potentially overcome these difficulties and reduce preventable patient harm accordingly.

Objective

The MyMedication app (MMa) is a mobile application developed to help patients keep their medication list up to date. This study aims to investigate the usability and reliability of MMa for medication reconciliation at care transitions.

Method

A random convenience sample of 17 patients was recruited during August–September 2014 at the Antonius Hospital in Sneek and Emmeloord, the Netherlands. Patients were asked to compile their medication list in MMa prior to their elective surgery. At admission, the medication list in MMa was compared with the medication list compiled by a pharmacy practitioner and the number of medication discrepancies per patient quantified. Acceptance and usability was assessed using a validated System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire and interviews.

Results

The mean number of medication discrepancies between the medication list in MMa and the list compiled by the standard procedure was 2.5 per patient. When discrepancies caused by technical errors in the MMa were excluded, only a mean number of 1.2 discrepancies per patient remained. MMa SUS indicated good usability (68/100).

Conclusions

The results of this study show that patients are positive about the use of the MMa and some feel even more involved in their medication treatment. The use of MMa for medication reconciliation at care transition shows potential as tool to improve patient safety and to reduce healthcare costs.
Extent and pattern of burden of care and its associated factors among Eritrean families of persons living with schizophrenia: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Hidru Tesfaldet Habtemariam , Osman Mohammed Hamid , Lolokote Sainyugu , Li Xiaofeng
Published: September 2016

Purpose

To assess the caregiving burden and its associated factors among Eritrean families of persons living with schizophrenia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted for 146 caregivers with their respective known patients with schizophrenia of Saint Mary's Neuropsychiatric National Referral Hospital (SMNNRH). Data were collected using Pai and Kapur's Family Burden Interview Schedule (FBIS), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and self-prepared sociodemographic sheet. Data were analysed using SPSS V.21. Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multiple regression analysis was employed to analyse the data.

Results

In this study, 84 (57.5%) were males and 62 (42.5%) were females. The mean age was 33.96+10.37 (median=31) for the patients and 46.76+13.96 (median=48) for the caregivers. Total mean objective score was 29.47+6.67. Family caregivers who were single (F=3.224, p<0.005, effect size (ES)=0.064), had educational level at elementary (F=5.647 p=0.001, ES=0.11), had low monthly income (t=7.727, p<0.001, ES=0.01) and were dissatisfied with family support (t=2.889, p<0.01, ES=0.01) experienced greater burden relative to the counterparts. Caregiver's age (β=0.156; p<0.05), duration of caregiving (β=0.131; p<0.05), monthly household family income (β=−0.298; p<0.001), history of self-injury (β=0.151; p=0.05), positive scale (β=0.344; p<0.001), negative scale (β=0.278; p<0.001) and general psychopathological scale (β=0.146; p<0.01) emerged as significant predictors of objective burden.

Conclusions

Family caregivers of a person living with schizophrenia experience a significant burden of care. Our findings highlight that there is a need of strengthening social and psychological support to reduce the caregiving burden.
Patient-controlled hospital admission for patients with severe mental disorders: study protocol for a nationwide prospective multicentre study
Authors: Thomsen Christoffer Torgaard , Benros Michael Eriksen , Hastrup Lene Halling , Andersen Per Kragh , Giacco Domenico , Nordentoft Merete
Published: September 2016

Introduction

Patient-controlled hospital admission for individuals with severe mental disorders is a novel approach in mental healthcare. Patients can admit themselves to a hospital unit for a short stay without being assessed by a psychiatrist or contacting the emergency department. Previous studies assessing the outcomes of patient-controlled hospital admission found trends towards reduction in the use of coercive measures and length of hospital stay; however, these studies have methodological shortcomings and small sample sizes. Larger studies are needed to estimate the effect of patient-controlled hospital admission on the use of coercion and of healthcare services.

Design and methods

We aim to recruit at least 315 patients who are offered a contract for patient-controlled hospital admissions in eight different hospitals in Denmark. Patients will be followed-up for at least 1 year to compare the use of coercive measures and of healthcare services, the use of medications and suicidal behaviour. Descriptive statistics will be used to investigate hospitalisations, global assessment of functioning (GAF) and patient satisfaction with treatment. To minimise selection bias, we will match individuals using patient-controlled hospital admission and controls with a 1:5 ratio via a propensity score based on the following factors: sex, age group, primary diagnosis, substance abuse as secondary diagnosis, coercion, number of psychiatric bed days, psychiatric history, urbanity and suicidal behaviour. Additionally, a historical control study will be undertaken in which patients serve as their own control group prior to index date.

Ethics and dissemination

The study has been approved by The Danish Health and Medicines Authority (j.nr.: 3-3013-934/1/) and by The Danish Data Protection Agency (j.nr.: 2012-58-0004). The study was categorised as a register study by The Danish Health Research Ethics Committee and therefore no further approval was needed (j.nr.: H-2-2014-FSP70). Findings will be disseminated through scientific publications, presentations and in a PhD thesis.
Prevention and treatment of Rhodococcus equi infection in foals: an update
Authors: Johns Imogen
Published: September 2016

Rhodococcus equiis a Gram‐positive facultative intracellular bacterial pathogen that primarily infects macrophages. It is considered to be the most important cause of pneumonia in foals aged three weeks to five months, and affects foals worldwide. While its prevalence in the UK is unknown, anecdotal evidence suggests that morbidity and mortality on affected premises can be high. Over the past several decades, knowledge of the pathogenesis, virulence, immunity and treatment of R equi pneumonia has advanced significantly, resulting in improved survival rates and preventive strategies. However, despite these advancements, an effective vaccine has yet to be developed, and newer challenges, including the emergence of antimicrobial‐resistant R equi and effective management of subclinically affected foals, have been identified. This article gives an update on how to diagnose the condition, the various treatments available and possible preventive measures.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation in small animals
Authors: Strachan Fiona
Published: September 2016

Cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) is rapidly followed by death unless it is immediately recognised and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) promptly implemented. Even so, the chances of achieving a favourable outcome are fairly poor. To give the best possible chance of success, veterinary surgeons dealing with small animals should have knowledge of current CPR techniques, with the practice team trained in following a preplanned CPR protocol. This article, which incorporates evidence‐based guidelines produced by the Reassessment Campaign on Veterinary Resuscitation (RECOVER) initiative, describes the causes and recognition of CPA as well as the technique of CPR, including basic and advanced life support and postresuscitative care.
Reasons, reasonability and establishing conscientious objector status in medicine
Authors: Card Robert F
Published: September 2016

This paper builds upon previous work in which I argue that we should assess a provider's reasons for his or her objection before granting a conscientious exemption. For instance, if the medical professional's reasoned basis involves an empirical mistake, an accommodation is not warranted. This article poses and begins to address several deep questions about the workings of what I call a reason-giving view: What standard should we use to assess reasons? What policy should we adopt in order to evaluate the reasons offered by medical practitioners in support of their objections? I argue for a reasonability standard to perform the essential function of assessing reasons, and I offer considerations in support of a policy establishing conscientious objector status in medicine.
Vectorborne diseases: no respecters of borders
Authors: Gibbens Nigel
Published: September 2016

Vectorborne diseases have been very much in the news in 2016, with, for example, the outbreak of Zika virus resulting in a number of high‐profile athletes withdrawing from this year's Olympic Games in Brazil. In the UK, the threat of bluetongue virus arriving by windborne midges from France remains real. In his latest update for Veterinary Record, Nigel Gibbens, the UK's Chief Veterinary Officer, discusses why a collaborative approach is needed to combat such diseases and their vectors
Mentoring for new graduates
Authors: Graham Helen
Published: September 2016

The School of Veterinary Medicine in Dublin (UCD) has introduced an alumni mentoring programme for new veterinary and veterinary nursing graduates. Helen Graham, clinical education support manager, explains how it works
Examining nonstationarity in the recruitment dynamics of fishes using Bayesian change point analysis
Authors: Perälä Tommi A. , Swain Douglas P. , Kuparinen Anna
Published: September 2016

Marine ecosystems can undergo regime shifts, which result in nonstationarity in the dynamics of the fish populations inhabiting them. The assumption of time-invariant parameters in stock–recruitment models can lead to severe errors when forecasting renewal ability of stocks that experience shifts in their recruitment dynamics. We present a novel method for fitting stock–recruitment models using the Bayesian online change point detection algorithm, which is able to cope with sudden changes in the model parameters. We validate our method using simulations and apply it to empirical data of four demersal fishes in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. We show that all of the stocks have experienced shifts in their recruitment dynamics that cannot be captured by a model that assumes time-invariant parameters. The detected shifts in the recruitment dynamics result in clearly different parameter distributions and recruitment predictions between the regimes. This study illustrates how stock–recruitment relationships can experience shifts, which, if not accounted for, can lead to false predictions about a stock’s recovery ability and resilience to fishing.
Single Machine Two-Agent Scheduling with Deteriorating Jobs
Authors: Wang Zhenyou , Wei Cai-Min , Wu Yu-Bin
Published: September 2016

This paper deals with the single machine scheduling problem with deteriorating jobs in which there are two distinct families of jobs (i.e., two-agent) pursuing different objectives. In this model the processing time of a job is defined as a function that is proportional to a linear function of its stating time. For the following three scheduling criteria: minimizing the makespan, minimizing the total weighted completion time, and minimizing the maximum lateness, we show that some basic versions of the problem are polynomially solvable. We also establish the conditions under which the problem is computationally hard.
Error Compensation Techniques for Fixed-Width Array Multiplier Design — A Technical Survey
Authors: Balamurugan S. , Mallick P. S.
Published: September 2016

This paper provides a comprehensive review of various error compensation techniques for fixed-width multiplier design along with its applications. In this paper, we have studied different error compensation circuits and their complexities in the fixed-width multipliers. Further, we present the experimental results of error metrics, including normalized maximum absolute error [Formula: see text], normalized mean error [Formula: see text] and normalized mean-square error [Formula: see text] to evaluate the accuracy of fixed-width multipliers. This survey is intended to serve as a suitable guideline and reference for future work in fixed-width multiplier design and its related research.
Unsupervised Bug Report Categorization Using Clustering and Labeling Algorithm
Authors: Limsettho Nachai , Hata Hideaki , Monden Akito , Matsumoto Kenichi
Published: September 2016

Bug reports are one of the most crucial information sources for software engineering offering answers to many questions. Yet, getting these answers is not always easy; the information in bug reports is often implicit and some processes are required to extract the meaning of these reports. Most research in this area employ a supervised learning approach to classify bug reports so that required types of reports could be identified. However, this approach often requires an immense amount of time and effort, the resources that already too scarce in many projects.

We aim to develop an automated framework that can categorize bug reports, according to their grammatical structure without the need for labeled data.

Our framework categorizes bug reports according to their text similarity using topic modeling and a clustering algorithm. Each group of bug reports are labeled with our new clustering labeling algorithm specifically made for clusters in the topic space. Our framework is highly customizable with a modular approach and options to incorporate available background knowledge to improve its performance, while our cluster labeling approach make use of natural language process (NLP) chunking to create the representative labels.

Our experiment results demonstrate that the performance of our unsupervised framework is comparable to a supervised learning one. We also show that our labeling process is capable of labeling each cluster with phrases that are representative for that cluster's characteristics.

Our framework can be used to automatically categorize the incoming bug reports without any prior knowledge, as an automated labeling suggestion system or as a tool for obtaining knowledge about the structure of the bug report repository.
Irreducibility Properties of Keller Maps
Authors: de Bondt Michiel , Yan Dan
Published: September 2016

Jędrzejewicz showed that a polynomial map over a field of characteristic zero is invertible, if and only if the corresponding endomorphism maps irreducible polynomials to irreducible polynomials. Furthermore, he showed that a polynomial map over a field of characteristic zero is a Keller map, if and only if the corresponding endomorphism maps irreducible polynomials to square-free polynomials. We show that the latter endomorphism maps other square-free polynomials to square-free polynomials as well.

In connection with the above classification of invertible polynomial maps and the Jacobian Conjecture, we study irreducibility properties of several types of Keller maps, to each of which the Jacobian Conjecture can be reduced. Herewith, we generalize the result of Bakalarski that the components of cubic homogeneous Keller maps with a symmetric Jacobian matrix (over ℂ and hence any field of characteristic zero) are irreducible.

Furthermore, we show that the Jacobian Conjecture can even be reduced to any of these types with the extra condition that each affinely linear combination of the components of the polynomial map is irreducible. This is somewhat similar to reducing the planar Jacobian Conjecture to the so-called (planar) weak Jacobian Conjecture by Kaliman.
Regular Orbits of Extra-special Groups
Authors: Goodson Joshua E.
Published: September 2016

In this paper, for odd primes p we find a recursive formula for the number of regular orbits of an extra-special p-group of exponent p2 acting on a faithful irreducible module over a finite field. This complements an earlier result of Foulser for extra-special groups of order p.
Gelfand-Kirillov Dimensions of Modules over Differential Difference Algebras
Authors: Zhao Xiangui , Zhang Yang
Published: September 2016

Differential difference algebras are generalizations of polynomial algebras, quantum planes, and Ore extensions of automorphism type and of derivation type. In this paper, we investigate the Gelfand-Kirillov dimension of a finitely generated module over a differential difference algebra through a computational method: Gröbner-Shirshov basis method. We develop the Gröbner-Shirshov basis theory of differential difference algebras, and of finitely generated modules over differential difference algebras, respectively. Then, via Gröbner-Shirshov bases, we give algorithms for computing the Gelfand-Kirillov dimensions of cyclic modules and finitely generated modules over differential difference algebras.
3D geological models to groundwater flow models: data integration between GSI3D and groundwater flow modelling software GMS and FeFlow®
Authors: Pasanen A. H. , Okkonen J. S.
Published: September 2016

Data integration between different software is routinely needed in order to create suitable data formats or necessary data manipulation prior to importing the data. The procedures and workflows are not usually published. This paper presents the data integration between GSI3D (Geological Surveying and Investigation in 3 Dimensions) and groundwater flow modelling software GMS version 7.0 (Groundwater Modelling Systems) and FeFlow®. Geological models for two sites in Finland, an esker aquifer at Patamäki and a mine site in Luikonlahti, were constructed using dedicated 3D geological modelling software GSI3D.

The data from the GSI3D model in Patamäki was exported as ASCII grid files directly to GMS in order to delineate hydrogeological features prior to groundwater flow modelling. The data from the GSI3D model in Luikonlahti was first manipulated in ArcGIS to make it amenable in FeFlow®.

In both modelling locations, the detailed geological modelling greatly helped to discern different hydraulic conductivity zones that are based on different geological materials. This, in addition, eases the development of conceptual groundwater flow models, the model calibration process and potentially improves the simulation results.
Measuring Similarity Similarly
Authors: Towne W. Ben , Rosé Carolyn P. , Herbsleb James D.
Published: September 2016

Several intelligent technologies designed to improve navigability in and digestibility of text corpora use topic modeling such as the state-of-the-art Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA). This model and variants on it provide lower-dimensional document representations used in visualizations and in computing similarity between documents. This article contributes a method for validating such algorithms against human perceptions of similarity, especially applicable to contexts in which the algorithm is intended to support navigability between similar documents via dynamically generated hyperlinks. Such validation enables researchers to ground their methods in context of intended use instead of relying on assumptions of fit. In addition to the methodology, this article presents the results of an evaluation using a corpus of short documents and the LDA algorithm. We also present some analysis of potential causes of differences between cases in which this model matches human perceptions of similarity more or less well.
Dynamic Task Mapping with Congestion Speculation for Reconfigurable Network-on-Chip
Authors: Chao Hung-Lin , Tung Sheng-Ya , Hsiung Pao-Ann
Published: September 2016

Network-on-Chip (NoC) has been proposed as a promising communication architecture to replace the dedicated interconnections and shared buses for future embedded system platforms. In such a parallel platform, mapping application tasks to the NoC is a key issue because it affects throughput significantly due to the problem of communication congestion. Increased communication latency, low system performance, and low resource utilization are some side-effects of a bad mapping. Current mapping algorithms either do not consider link utilizations or consider only the current utilizations. Besides, to design an efficient NoC platform, mapping task to computation nodes and scheduling communication should be taken into consideration. In this work, we propose an efficient algorithm for dynamic task mapping with congestion speculation (DTMCS) that not only includes the conventional application mapping, but also further considers future traffic patterns based on the link utilization. The proposed algorithm can reduce overall congestion, instead of only improving the current packet blocking situation. Our experiment results have demonstrated that compared to the state-of-the-art congestion-aware Path Load algorithm, the proposed DTMCS algorithm can reduce up to 40.5% of average communication latency, while the maximal communication latency can be reduced by up to 67.7%.