bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Housing Finance in Africa
Authors: Bah El-hadj M. , Faye Issa , Geh Zekebweliwai F. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractHousing finance plays a vital role in the housing delivery value chain. This is due to the fact that finance is needed for both the demand and the supply of housing. On the demand side, the availability of and access to housing finance is a significant determinant in a household’s decision to acquire, build, or rent a house. Similarly, on the supply side, developers need financing to build the mass housing projects that are needed to address the continent’s housing deficit.
Zero Email Initiative: A Critical Review of Change Management during the Introduction of Enterprise Social Networks
Authors: Oettl Christian Albert , Beck Katharina , Raufer Franziska Marie , Priglmeir Anja Teresa , Böhm Markus , Krcmar Helmut 
Published: March 2018

How can a company successfully improve collaboration and teamwork with the introduction of new IT tools? This case offers new solutions to this question by reviewing two Change Management processes which took place over a period of 6 years within Atos’ Zero Email initiative. The change processes of (1) replacing internal emails with an Enterprise Social Network (ESN) solution in 2012 and (2) replacing the introduced ESN solution by a second, enhanced ESN solution in 2016 are analyzed. By comparing them to established Change Management theories, important key factors of a change process can be highlighted and the evolution of Change Management within an innovative, multinational IT service provider is shown. The Teaching Case is accompanied by in-depth Teaching Notes where we craft a synthesized checklist for thorough Change Management that addresses IT adoption issues and mitigates the critic that theoretical models are too rigid for vivid organizations. In addition to this comprehensive “360°-analysis” consisting of personal interviews, inquiries on organizational communication and research on Change Management theory, the Innovation Diffusion Theory (including a reflection of recognized technology acceptance models) is used to find explanations for possible deviations from the expected outcomes.
NanoPack: visualizing and processing long-read sequencing data
Authors: De Coster Wouter , D’Hert Svenn , Schultz Darrin T , Cruts Marc , Van Broeckhoven Christine 
Published: March 2018

Abstract

Summary
Here we describe NanoPack, a set of tools developed for visualization and processing of long-read sequencing data from Oxford Nanopore Technologies and Pacific Biosciences.

Availability and implementation
The NanoPack tools are written in Python3 and released under the GNU GPL3.0 License. The source code can be found at https://github.com/wdecoster/nanopack, together with links to separate scripts and their documentation. The scripts are compatible with Linux, Mac OS and the MS Windows 10 subsystem for Linux and are available as a graphical user interface, a web service at http://nanoplot.bioinf.be and command line tools.

Supplementary information
Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Real Representations of Finite Symplectic Groups over Fields of Characteristic Two
Authors: Vinroot C Ryan 
Published: March 2018

AbstractWe prove that when q is a power of 2 every complex irreducible representation of $\textrm{Sp}\big (2n, \mathbb{F}_{q}\big )$ may be defined over the real numbers, that is, all Frobenius–Schur indicators are 1. We also obtain a generating function for the sum of the degrees of the unipotent characters of $\textrm{Sp}\big(2n, \mathbb{F}_{q}\big )$, or of $\textrm{SO}\big(2n+1,\mathbb{F}_{q}\big )$, for any prime power q.
Racial Disparities in Time From Diagnosis to Treatment for Stage I Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Holmes Jordan A , Chen Ronald C 
Published: March 2018

AbstractBackgroundDelay in lung cancer treatment is associated with worse survival outcomes. We examined whether there are racial disparities in time from diagnosis to treatment initiation for stage I non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using data from the National Cancer Data Base, which includes approximately 70% of incident cancer patients across the United States.MethodsWe analyzed 119 184 patients diagnosed with stage I NSCLC from 2008 to 2013. Median times (in days) from diagnosis to treatment initiation for external beam radiation (EBRT), stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), and surgery (inclusive of wedge resection, lobectomy, and pneumonectomy) were calculated separately and compared among white vs African American (AA) patients using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Multivariable linear regression assessed racial differences in days to treatment while adjusting for sex, age, insurance status, regional income, Charlson-Deyo comorbidity score, region, facility type, and treatment. Statistical tests were two-sided.ResultsAA patients had a statistically significantly longer median time to treatment for all three treatment modalities: EBRT 54 days (AA) vs 48 days (white, P < .001); SBRT 66 days vs 55 days (P < .001); surgery 31 vs 26 days (P < .001). In addition, 34% AA vs 24% white patients (P ≤ .001) had treatment initiation eight or more weeks after diagnosis. In multivariable analysis, AA patients experienced an average 8.2-day delay compared with white patients (P < .001).ConclusionsThese results shed light on one possible mechanism of the observed racial disparity in mortality outcomes in NSCLC. Future studies are needed to determine if interventions to reduce treatment delays can reduce racial disparities in this disease.
The inception of star cluster formation revealed by [C ii] emission around an Infrared Dark Cloud
Authors: Bisbas Thomas G , Tan Jonathan C , Csengeri Timea , Wu Benjamin , Lim Wanggi , Caselli Paola , Güsten Rolf , Ricken Oliver , Riquelme Denise 
Published: March 2018

Abstract
We present SOFIA-upGREAT observations of [C ii] emission of Infrared Dark Cloud (IRDC) G035.39-00.33, designed to trace its atomic gas envelope and thus test models of the origins of such clouds. Several velocity components of [C ii] emission are detected, tracing structures that are at a wide range of distances in the Galactic plane. We find a main component that is likely associated with the IRDC and its immediate surroundings. This strongest emission component has a velocity similar to that of the 13CO(2–1) emission of the IRDC, but offset by ∼3 km s−1 and with a larger velocity width of ∼9 km s−1. The spatial distribution of the [C ii] emission of this component is also offset predominantly to one side of the dense filamentary structure of the IRDC. The C ii column density is estimated to be of the order of ∼1017–1018 cm−2. We compare these results to the [C ii] emission from numerical simulations of magnetized, dense gas filaments formed from giant molecular cloud (GMC) collisions, finding similar spatial and kinematic offsets. These observations and modellingof [C ii] add further to the evidence that IRDC G035.39-00.33 has been formed by a process of GMC–GMC collision, which may thus be an important mechanism for initiating star cluster formation.
Endoscopic Endonasal Transclival Approach for Resection of a Pontine Glioma: Surgical Planning, Surgical Anatomy, and Technique
Authors: Fernandes Cabral David T , Zenonos Georgios A , Nuñez Maximiliano , Celtikci Pinar , Snyderman Carl , Wang Eric , Gardner Paul A , Fernandez-Miranda Juan C 
Published: March 2018

Abstract

BACKGROUND
The endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) has been proposed as a potential alternative for ventral brainstem lesions. The surgical anatomy, feasibility, and limitations of the EEA for intrinsic brainstem lesions are still poorly understood.

OBJECTIVE
To describe the surgical planning, anatomy, and technique of an intrinsic pontine glioma operated via EEA.

METHODS
Six-human brainstems were prepared for white matter microdissection. Ten healthy subjects were studied with high-definition fiber tractography (HDFT). A 56-yr-old female with right-hemiparesis underwent EEA for an exophytic pontine glioma. Pre- and postoperative HDFTs were implemented.

RESULTS
The corticospinal tracts (CSTs) are the most eloquent fibers in the ventral brainstem. At the pons, CSTs run between the pontine nuclei and the middle cerebellar peduncle (MCP). At the lower medulla, the pyramidal decussation leaves no room for safe ventral access. In our illustrative case, preoperative HDFT showed left-CST displaced posteromedially and partially disrupted, right-CST posteriorly displaced, and MCP severely disrupted. A transclival exposure was performed achieving a complete resection of the exophytic component with residual intra-axial tumor. Immediately postop, patient developed new left-side abducens nerve palsy and worse right-hemiparesis. Ten days postop, her strength returned to baseline. HDFT showed preservation and trajectory restoration of the CSTs.

CONCLUSION
The EEA provides direct access to the ventral brainstem, overcoming the limitations of lateral approaches. For intrinsic pathology, HDFT helps choosing the most appropriate surgical route/boundaries for safer resection. Further experience is needed to determine the indications and limitations of this approach that should be performed by neurosurgeons with high-level expertise in EEA.
Exploring the origin of broad-band emissions of Mrk 501 with a two-zone model
Authors: Lei Maichang , Yang Chuyuan , Wang Jiancheng , Yang Xiaolin 
Published: March 2018

Abstract
We propose a two-zone synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) model, including an inner gamma-ray emitting region with spherical shape and a conical radio emitting region located at the extended jet, to alleviate the long-standing “bulk Lorentz factor crisis” in blazars. In this model, the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of blazars are produced by considering the gamma-ray emitting region inverse Compton scattering of both the synchrotron photons itself and the ambient photons from the radio emitting region. Applying the model to Mrk 501, we obtain that the radio emitting region has a comoving length of ∼0.15 pc and is located at sub-parsec scale from the central engine by modeling the radio data; the flux of the Compton scattering of the ambient photons is so low that it can be neglected safely. The characteristic hard gamma-ray spectrum can be explained by the superposition of two SSC processes, and the model can approximately explain the very high energy (VHE) data. The insights into the spectral shape and the inter-band correlations under the flaring state will provide us with a diagnostic for the bulk Lorentz factor of radio emitting region, where the low and upper limits of 8 and 15 are preferred, and for the two-zone SSC model itself. In addition, our two-zone SSC model shows that the gamma-ray emitting region creates flare on the timescale of merely a few hours, and the long time outbursts more likely originate from the extended radio emitting region.
A Dynamically Focusing Cochlear Implant Strategy Can Improve Vowel Identification in Noise
Authors: Arenberg Julie G. , Parkinson Wendy S. , Litvak Leonid , Chen Chen , Kreft Heather A. , Oxenham Andrew J. 
Published: March 2018

Objectives:
The standard, monopolar (MP) electrode configuration used in commercially available cochlear implants (CI) creates a broad electrical field, which can lead to unwanted channel interactions. Use of more focused configurations, such as tripolar and phased array, has led to mixed results for improving speech understanding. The purpose of the present study was to assess the efficacy of a physiologically inspired configuration called dynamic focusing, using focused tripolar stimulation at low levels and less focused stimulation at high levels. Dynamic focusing may better mimic cochlear excitation patterns in normal acoustic hearing, while reducing the current levels necessary to achieve sufficient loudness at high levels.

Design:
Twenty postlingually deafened adult CI users participated in the study. Speech perception was assessed in quiet and in a four-talker babble background noise. Speech stimuli were closed-set spondees in noise, and medial vowels at 50 and 60 dB SPL in quiet and in noise. The signal to noise ratio was adjusted individually such that performance was between 40 and 60% correct with the MP strategy. Subjects were fitted with three experimental strategies matched for pulse duration, pulse rate, filter settings, and loudness on a channel-by-channel basis. The strategies included 14 channels programmed in MP, fixed partial tripolar (σ = 0.8), and dynamic partial tripolar (σ at 0.8 at threshold and 0.5 at the most comfortable level). Fifteen minutes of listening experience was provided with each strategy before testing. Sound quality ratings were also obtained.

Results:
Speech perception performance for vowel identification in quiet at 50 and 60 dB SPL and for spondees in noise was similar for the three tested strategies. However, performance on vowel identification in noise was significantly better for listeners using the dynamic focusing strategy. Sound quality ratings were similar for the three strategies. Some subjects obtained more benefit than others, with some individual differences explained by the relation between loudness growth and the rate of change from focused to broader stimulation.

Conclusions:
These initial results suggest that further exploration of dynamic focusing is warranted. Specifically, optimizing such strategies on an individual basis may lead to improvements in speech perception for more adult listeners and improve how CIs are tailored. Some listeners may also need a longer period of time to acclimate to a new program.
Descriptive Analysis of Patient Misidentification From Incident Report System Data in a Large Academic Hospital Federation
Authors: Abraham Paul , Augey Laurence , Duclos Antoine , Michel Philippe , Piriou Vincent 
Published: March 2018

Introduction
Patient misidentification continues to be an issue in everyday clinical practice and may be particularly harmful. Incident reporting systems (IRS) are thought to be cornerstones to enhance patient safety by promoting learning from failures and finding common root causes that can be corrected. The aim of this study was to describe common patient misidentification incidents and contributory factors related to perioperative care.

Design and Settings
We retrospectively analyzed IRS data reported by healthcare workers from a large academic hospital federation from 2011 to 2014. All patient misidentification incidents that occurred during perioperative care were reviewed and classified using the international classification for patient safety taxonomy. Incident type, contributory factor, error type, and consequences for the patient and for the organization were extracted for each incident report.

Results
Among the 293 reported incidents, the most frequent errors were missing wristbands (34%), wrong charts or notes in files (20%), administrative issues (19%), and wrong labeling (14%). The main contributory factors included the absence of patient identity control (30%), patient transfer (30%), and emergency context (8%). Data on patient and institutional consequences were scarce. Events of missing and wrong identities on wristbands were rarely detected when patients were transferred from the admission ward to the operating room or the radiology department.

Conclusion
These results illustrate that misidentification errors are still common in France. This work contributes to enhancing interest in IRS data analysis to define or refine patient safety improvement strategies related to misidentification errors in healthcare institutions.
Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance in Commensal Escherichia Coli among the Children in Rural Hill Communities of North East India
Authors: Singh Ashish Kumar , Das Saurav , Singh Samer , Gajamer Varsha Rani , Pradhan Nilu , Lepcha Yangchen Doma , Tiwari Hare Krishna 
Published: March 2018

AbstractCommensal bacteria are the representative of the reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes present in a community. Merely a few community-based studies on the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in commensal bacteria have been conducted so far in Southeast Asia and other parts of India. Northeastern India is still untapped regarding the surveillance of antibiotic-resistant genes and prevalence in commensal bacteria. In the present work, the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in commensal Escherichia coli was investigated along with the associated demographic factors in pre-school and school going children in rural areas of Sikkim. A total of 550 fecal E. coli isolates were obtained from children of the age 1-14 years living in different villages at various altitudes of Sikkim from July 2015 to June 2017. Standard antibiotic susceptibility testing of these isolates was performed. A structured questionnaire was designed to study the factors associated with carriage of antibiotic resistance in commensal E. coli isolates among children. Descriptive statistics analysis and a logistic regression model were used to identify the effect of external factors on antibiotic resistance pattern. High prevalence of resistance was found against commonly used antibiotics ampicillin (92%), ceftazidime (90%), cefoxitin (88%), streptomycin (40%) and tetracycline (36%) among the samples examined in our present study. No resistance to chloramphenicol was recorded. Fifty-two percent of the isolates were resistant to the combination of penicillin and quinolone group of antibiotics. Children living in nuclear families showed higher incidence of resistance to ampicillin (63.15%, OR 0.18,95% CI:0.11 – 0.28, p<0.01) while children of mothers having education up to school level displayed higher incidence of ceftazidime (59.27% OR 0.75, 95% CI:0.55 - 1.02, p<0.02). Our study demonstrates a high prevalence of antibiotic-resistant commensal E. coli against the commonly used antibiotics among children in the study area. A close association between different demographic factors and the pattern of carriage of antibiotic-resistant isolates was observed suggesting a concern over misuse of antibiotics and warrants a future threat of emerging multidrug resistant isolates.
A study on the effect of new prepared amide cationic amphipathic on the corrosion inhibition of API N80 steel pipelines in oil wells industries
Authors: Shaban Samy , Fouda Abd Elaziz , Elmorsi Mohamed , Fayed Tarek , Azazy Omar 
Published: March 2018

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to inspect the corrosion inhibition of API N80 steel pipelines in uninhibited solution and inhibited with a synthesized surfactant compound [N-(3-(dimethyl octyl ammonio) propyl) palmitamide bromide] (DMDPP), which is prepared through a simple and applicable method.Design/methodology/approachWeight loss was inspected at five different temperatures of 25°C, 30°C, 40°C, 50°C and 60°C Potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and electrochemical frequency modulation were used at room temperature. Density functional theory was used to study the relation between the molecular structure and inhibition theoretically.FindingsAdsorption of the prepared DMDPP fits the Langmuir isotherm model. The inhibition efficiency of the prepared DMDPP amphipathic inhibitor is directly proportional to temperature increase. Polarization results reveal that the investigated DMDPP amphipathic compound behaves as a mixed-type inhibitor. EIS spectra produced one individual capacitive loop.Originality/valueThe originality is the preparation of cationic surfactants through a simple method, which can be used as corrosion inhibitors in oil production. The synthesized inhibitors were prepared from low-price materials. The work studied the behavior of the synthesized surfactants in inhibiting the corrosion of the steel in an acidic medium. Electrochemical and theoretical studies were presented, besides gravimetric and surface examination.
Performance of SMEs in Tangier: the interface of networking andwasta
Authors: Sefiani Yassine , Davies Barry J. , Bown Robin , Kite Neilson 
Published: March 2018

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of networking on business performance by uncovering particular and significant methods of pursuing business connections, for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Tangier.Design/methodology/approachA two-stage design, which incorporated both quantitative and qualitative approaches, was employed in this study. Approaches were employed in succession with the findings from the quantitative phase informing the qualitative phase. Initially, a paper and online survey questionnaire was administered to a population of 365 industrial SMEs to gain some insights on the perceptions of owner-managers of the impact of networking on business performance. Following the quantitative phase, 15 in-depth face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with selected owner-managers of SMEs, forming a judgmental selection, to explore their experiences, beliefs, and attitudes with respect to networking factor.FindingsBoth quantitative and qualitative phases of the study found that networking was a significant factor in influencing the success of SMEs. The concept ofwasta, the Arabic word for connections, emerged from the qualitative phase. Findings show that usingwasta, through politico-business networks is important since it enables access to current information that is crucial for the success of SMEs. The concept ofwastawas also mentioned in relation to financial resources and suppliers. Findings revealed that strong relationships with suppliers enable firms to get financial resources in the form of trade credits. Furthermore, the relationship betweenwastaand human resources was also revealed. Findings showed that owner-managers use their network relations throughwastain order to recruit their staff.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings of this study add to the understanding of networking in Arabic countries with the importance ofwastain an economy that functions on relationships. The findings of this study could therefore be useful to international managers to assist their intercultural effectiveness by adjusting to culture-specific networking in Tangier.Originality/valueThis study is among those few studies located in the Middle East North Africa region that explore the performance of SMEs from the perceptions of owner-managers themselves, and not based on aggregate or economic data. It supports previous findings of several studies and contributes additional evidence that suggests the significance ofwastaand its impact on SME success.
Audit report timeliness
Authors: Oussii Ahmed Atef , Boulila Taktak Neila 
Published: March 2018

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine whether coordination between external auditors and the internal audit function affect the timeliness of audit reports as proxied by audit delay.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a survey of chief internal auditors from Tunisian listed companies to analyze the extent of coordination between IAFs and external auditors. Data spanning a four year period (2011-2014) was collected for 53 listed companies. Further, regression analysis was used to test the hypothesis.FindingsResults indicate that greater coordination between internal and external auditors results in timelier financial reporting.Practical implicationsOverall, the study makes several important contributions. Findings provide important insights that an IAF acts as a valuable resource to external auditors. The results should be of interest to managers, external auditors and the Tunisian Financial Market Council.Originality/valueThis paper is one of few studies which have examined the association between internal-external audit coordination and timeliness of audit reports in an emerging market. The study makes a meaningful contribution to the corporate governance literature by investigating the influence of internal audit assistance on the delivery of timely audited financial information to the capital market. Results also have policy implications for Tunisian regulators with respect to the promotion of internal auditing best practices.