bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Differential evolution algorithm based photonic structure design: numerical and experimental verification of subwavelength λ/5 focusing of light
Authors: Bor E. , Turduev M. , Kurt H. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractPhotonic structure designs based on optimization algorithms provide superior properties compared to those using intuition-based approaches. In the present study, we numerically and experimentally demonstrate subwavelength focusing of light using wavelength scale absorption-free dielectric scattering objects embedded in an air background. An optimization algorithm based on differential evolution integrated into the finite-difference time-domain method was applied to determine the locations of each circular dielectric object with a constant radius and refractive index. The multiobjective cost function defined inside the algorithm ensures strong focusing of light with low intensity side lobes. The temporal and spectral responses of the designed compact photonic structure provided a beam spot size in air with a full width at half maximum value of 0.19λ, where λ is the wavelength of light. The experiments were carried out in the microwave region to verify numerical findings and very good agreement between the two approaches was found. The subwavelength light focusing is associated with a strong interference effect due to nonuniformly arranged scatterers and an irregular index gradient. Improving the focusing capability of optical elements by surpassing the diffraction limit of light is of paramount importance in optical imaging, lithography, data storage and strong light-matter interaction.
Nitrogen fixation in a non-heterocystous cyanobacterial mat from a mountain river
Authors: Berrendero Esther , Valiente Eduardo Fernández , Perona Elvira , Gómez Claudia L. , Loza Virginia , Muñoz-Martín M. Ángeles , Mateo Pilar 
Published: August 2016

AbstractIn situ nitrogen fixation was investigated in a cyanobacterial mat growing on the bed of rocks of the Muga River, Spain. The filamentous non-heterocystous cyanobacterium Schizothrix dominated the mat, showing nitrogenase activity in the light at similar rates to those found in nearby heterocystous Rivularia colonies. N2 fixation in the light was significantly increased by an inhibitor of PSII and oxygen evolution, DCMU (3-[3,4-dichlorophenyl]-1,1-dimethylurea), and anaerobic conditions. However, no nitrogenase activity was found in the dark. Addition of fructose as a respiratory substrate induced nitrogenase activity in samples incubated under aerobic conditions in the dark but not in anaerobic conditions. Microelectrode oxygen profiles showed internal microaerobic microzones where nitrogen fixation might concentrate. Analyses of the 16S rRNA gene revealed only the presence of sequences belonging to filamentous non-heterocystous cyanobacteria. nifH gene diversity showed that the major phylotypes also belonged to this group. One of the three strains isolated from the Schizothrix mat was capable of fixing N2 and growing in the absence of combined N. This was consistent with the nifH gene analysis. These results suggest a relevant contribution of non-heterocystous cyanobacteria to nitrogen fixation in these mats.
Pediatric burn and key regulatory cytokines: Impact of burn surface area and sepsis on the clinical outcomes
Authors: Hamed Enas , Awean Galia , Abdel-Hafez Nagla , Hassan Youssef , Zahran Samer 
Published: August 2016

AbstractBurn is an injury which is not only devastating for the patients but also puts a great burden on the society by consuming enormous health care resources. Despite improvements in burn wound care and treatment, understanding the role of key pro-/anti-inflammatory cytokines in pathogenesis of burn injury, sepsis and survival requires clarification. This work aimed at measuring plasma levels of the following cytokines: leptin, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, transforming growth factor (TGF)-α, and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in children with thermal burn (n = 42; 22 males and 20 females with an age range of two months up to 7 years) vs. sex and age matched healthy controls (n = 26; 12 males and 14 females with an age range of six months up to 8 years). The venous samples were drawn from patients at 2nd and 8th day postinjury. The relationship between measured plasma cytokines with length of hospital stay, total burn surface area (TBSA), sepsis, survival and complete blood count were investigated. The fatality rate was 28.6% (n = 12). At the 2nd day of postinjury, burn cases showed significantly higher values of WBC, CRP, PCT, TNF-α, IL-6, leptin, bFGF, and TGF-α than healthy controls. At the 8th day of postinjury, sepsis caused further significant elevations of WBC, CRP, PCT, TNF-α and IL-6 levels but significantly lower TGF-α levels than cases without sepsis. At the 8th day of postinjury, patients with larger TBSA (> 30%) demonstrated significantly higher values of WBC, CRP, PCT, TNF-α, and IL-6, but significantly lower levels of bFGF and TGF-α than cases with smaller TBSA (≤ 30%). At the 8th day of postinjury, non-survivors showed significantly higher levels of WBC, CRP, PCT, TNF-α and IL-6, but significantly lower levels of leptin, bFGF, and TGF-α than survivors. Correlation studies showed significant positive correlation between TBSA and each of IL-6, TNF-α and leptin levels. Except for bFGF and TGF-α levels that were reduced, the increases in other parameters (PCT, TNF-α and IL-6) were directly proportionate to the burn severity, sepsis and fatality. Both bFGF and TGF-α correlated with poor prognostic burn healing in severe septic cases. PCT and/or IL-6 are valuable biomarkers for early detection of burn infections. TGF-α, bFGF and leptin being immuno- and angiogenic modulators might reduce inflammation and post-burn immune dysfunction and enhance burn healing.
The Effects of Pulmonary Vasodilating Agents on Right Ventricular Parameters in Severe Group 3 Pulmonary Hypertension: A Pilot Study
Authors: Sato Takahiro , Tsujino Ichizo , Sugimoto Ayako , Nakaya Toshitaka , Watanabe Taku , Ohira Hiroshi , Suzuki Masaru , Konno Satoshi , Oyama‐Manabe Noriko , Nishimura Masaharu 
Published: August 2016

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)–approved vasodilators improve right ventricular (RV) function in patients with PAH. However, whether PAH‐approved drugs ameliorate RV morphology and function in lung disease–associated pulmonary hypertension (lung‐PH) remains unclear. We aimed to prospectively evaluate the changes in RV volume and ejection fraction (RVEF) in 14 consecutive severe lung‐PH patients treated with PAH‐approved vasodilators. Severe lung‐PH was defined as a mean pulmonary arterial pressure (MPAP) of ≥35 mmHg or an MPAP of ≥25 mmHg with a cardiac index (L/min/m2) of <2. Right heart catheterization and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging were performed at baseline and at 3 months after starting sildenafil with or without other PAH‐approved drugs. Follow‐up was conducted at 3 months in 11 participants; compared with baseline values, MPAP and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) decreased by 18% and 37%, respectively. Baseline CMR imaging revealed an elevated RV end‐diastolic volume index (RVEDVI; mL/m2) of 117.5 ± 35.9 and a below‐average RVEF of 25.2% ± 7.2%; after 3 months, RVEDVI decreased by 23.7% (P = 0.0061) and RVEF increased by 32.9% (P = 0.0165). Among the 11 patients, 3 were thought to be a stable and homogenous subset in terms of background lung disease and medical management administered. These 3 patients exhibited similar ameliorations in PVR and RVEF, compared with the other 8 patients. PAH‐approved drug treatment may improve RV dilatation and systolic function among patients with severe lung‐PH. This study was approved by University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN‐CTR) on September 1, 2013 (UMIN000011541).
Hottest summers the new normal
Authors: Camargo Suzana J , Seth Anji 
Published: August 2016

Abstract
With the rise in temperature due to anthropogenic climate change, the occurrence of hot summers, temperature extremes and heat waves is increasing globally. Projections for the coming decades to century indicate increases in the occurrence, magnitude and duration of these events. In a recent paper, Mueller et al (2016 Environ. Res. Lett.

11 044011) showed that half of summers are expected to be ‘hot’ (warmer than the warmest on record) across much of the world in one or two decades. While these results are consistent with earlier work, what is new here includes (i) an earlier timing of emergence of the hot summer signal and (ii) additional confidence due to the rigorous statistical examination of the observations and the analyses of the latest improved suite of model experiments. The potential impacts of these projections on society are extremely serious.
Hypothesis Tests for Neyman’s Bias in Case-Control Studies
Authors: Swanson D.M. , Anderson C.D. , Betensky R.A. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractSurvival bias is a long-recognized problem in case-control studies, and many varieties of bias can come under this umbrella term. We focus on one of them, termed Neyman’s bias or “prevalence-incidence bias.” It occurs in case-control studies when exposure affects both disease and disease-induced mortality, and we give a formula for the observed, biased odds ratio under such conditions. We compare our result with previous investigations into this phenomenon and consider models under which this bias may or may not be important. Finally, we propose three hypothesis tests to identify when Neyman’s bias may be present in case-control studies. We apply these tests to three data sets, one of stroke mortality, another of brain tumors, and the last of atrial fibrillation, and find some evidence of Neyman’s bias in the former two cases, but not the last case.
A rodent model of social rejection
Authors: Shan Haozhe , Ben-Ami Bartal Inbal , Mason Peggy 
Published: August 2016

AbstractRats help conspecifics by releasing them from a restrainer only when they have previous social experience with the strain of the restrained rat. When rats have been cross-fostered with rats of a different strain than their own since birth and have never interacted with rats of their own strain, they do not help rats of their own strain when tested as adults. Here we interrogated whether a cross-fostered rat expressed his lack of motivation to help through any behaviors beyond not-helping. Accordingly, a cross-fostered rat was placed in an arena with a trapped rat and the door to the centrally located restrainer was taped shut. We found that cross-fostered rats moved more slowly and approached the trapped rat less than did control, regularly-raised rats tested under the same conditions. We then asked whether the behavior of the cross-fostered rats influenced the trapped rat. After being restrained with cross-fostered rats, trapped rats showed a decrease in exploratory behavior in an open field test compared to trapped rats who were raised normally. The same decrease in movement was observed after subject rats were allowed to freely interact with cross-fostered rats. These results suggest that rats that do not help demonstrate their disinterest to a trapped rat and that trapped rats exposed to apathetic rats show behavior suggestive of an increase in anxiety. In sum, the paradigm introduced here could serve as a rodent model for social rejection.
The Preprocessed Connectomes Project Repository of Manually Corrected Skull-stripped T1-weighted Anatomical MRI Data
Authors: Puccio Benjamin , Pooley James P , Pellman John S , Taverna Elise C , Craddock R Cameron 
Published: August 2016

AbstractBackgroundSkull-stripping is the procedure of removing non-brain tissue from anatomical MRI data. This procedure is necessary for calculating brain volume and for improving the quality of other image processing steps. Developing new skull-stripping algorithms and evaluating their performance requires gold standard data from a variety of different scanners and acquisition methods. We complement existing repositories with manually-corrected brain masks for 125 T1-weighted anatomical scans from the Nathan Kline Institute Enhanced Rockland Sample Neurofeedback Study.FindingsSkull-stripped images were obtained using a semi-automated procedure that involved skull-stripping the data using the brain extraction based on non local segmentation technique (BEaST) software and manually correcting the worst results. Corrected brain masks were added into the BEaST library and the procedure was reiterated until acceptable brain masks were available for all images. In total, 85 of the skull-stripped images were hand-edited and 40 were deemed to not need editing. The results are brain masks for the 125 images along with a BEaST library for automatically skull-stripping other data.ConclusionSkull-stripped anatomical images from the Neurofeedback sample are available for download from the Preprocessed Connectomes Project. The resulting brain masks can be used by researchers to improve their preprocessing of the Neurofeedback data, and as training and testing data for developing new skull-stripping algorithms and evaluating the impact on other aspects of MRI preprocessing. We have illustrated the utility of these data as a reference for comparing various automatic methods and evaluated the performance of the newly created library on independent data.
Framing the development and directions of business sustainability efforts
Authors: Høgevold Nils M. , Svensson Göran 
Published: August 2016

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to frame the development and directions of business sustainability efforts.

Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative study was undertaken with respect to a convenience sample of reputable companies in Norway, which have implemented significant business sustainability efforts within their organisations, their business networks, the marketplace and in the society, beyond the level of mere compliance.

Findings
Different directions are associated with the development of corporate efforts in connection with business sustainability. Business sustainability efforts are not static, but dynamic and based upon continuous flexibility to changes and adaptations over time.

Research Limitations/implications
The current study highlights the need for further research into the development and directions of corporate efforts in connection with business sustainability in the marketplace and society. A key suggestion for further research is to further explore the existence of other directions.

Practical Implications
The directions reported, provide a framework to assess the development or the status of companies’ business sustainability efforts in the marketplace and society. Corporate efforts in connection with business sustainability develop over time as experiences are gained and personal impressions move the identified directions forward.

Originality/value
This study contributes to seven interconnected directions of corporate efforts in connection with business sustainability that are both relevant and potentially fruitful to both scholars and practitioners.
Alignment vs rent-extraction effects of stock options. A conceptual model
Authors: Catuogno Simona , Saggese Sara , Sarto Fabrizia 
Published: August 2016

PurposeThis paper aims to develop a conceptual model that systematically interprets how key governance factors drive the alignment and the rent-extraction effects of executive stock options (SOs) as proxied by plan characteristics.Design/methodology/approachThe authors draw on the review of 202 articles published in international academic journals. They collect data from library databases and by hand-searching and citation-tracking relevant papers on the topic. Moreover, the authors review and classify the studies as related with determinants or proxies of alignment and rent-extraction effects of SOs.FindingsThe conceptual model systematically interprets the results of the literature review and identifies the relationships between archetypes, driving factors and proxies of the rent/alignment effect of executive SOs. It highlights that, given ownership archetypes, effective (ineffective) governance practices drive the alignment (rent) aim of SOs as proxied by the optimal (non-optimal) plan design.Practical implicationsThis paper supports compensation committees in selecting the SO characteristics that better attract investors and retain executives. Moreover, it guides future policy making interventions aiming at mitigating the rent-extraction effect of SOs.Originality/valueThe paper highlights that the governance determinants of SO aims can be effectively classified as archetypes or drivers of rent-extracting and aligning outcomes of these remuneration tools. Moreover, it offers a useful framework to guide future research efforts by providing a comprehensive interpretation of the relationships between ownership archetypes, driving factors and proxies of SO effects.
Effects of hall and ion slip on MHD peristaltic flow of Jeffrey fluid in a non-uniform rectangular duct
Authors: Ellahi R. , Bhatti M. M. , Pop Ioan 
Published: August 2016

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to theoretically study the problem of the peristaltic flow of Jeffrey fluid in a non-uniform rectangular duct under the effects of Hall and ion slip. An incompressible and magnetohydrodynamics fluid is also taken into account. The governing equations are modelled under the constraints of low Reynolds number and long wave length. Recent development in biomedical engineering has enabled the use of the periastic flow in modern drug delivery systems with great utility.

Design/methodology/approach
– Numerical integration is used to analyse the novel features of volumetric flow rate, average volume flow rate, instantaneous flux and the pressure gradient. The impact of physical parameters is depicted with the help of graphs. The trapping phenomenon is presented through stream lines.

Findings
– The results of Newtonian fluid model can be obtained by taking out the effects of Jeffrey parameter from this model. No-slip case is a special case of the present work. The results obtained for the flow of Jeffrey fluid reveal many interesting behaviours that warrant further study on the non-Newtonian fluid phenomena, especially the shear-thinning phenomena. Shear-thinning reduces the wall shear stress.

Originality/value
– The results of this paper are new and original.
Quality of life in breast cancer sufferers
Authors: Shouman Ahmed Essmat , Abou El Ezz Nahla Fawzy , Gado Nivine , Ibrahim  Goda Amal Mahmoud 
Published: August 2016

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to measure health-related quality of life (QOL) among patients with early stage cancer breast under curative treatment at department of oncology and nuclear medicine at Ain Shams University Hospitals. Identify factors affecting QOL among these patients.

Design/methodology/approach
– A cross-sectional study measured QOL among early stage female breast cancer (BC) patients and determined the main factors affecting their QOL. Three interviewer administered questionnaires were used.

Findings
– The physical domain mostly affected in BC patients and the functional domain least. Socio-demographic factors that significantly affected BC patients QOL scores were patient age, education, having children and family income. Specific patient characteristics include caregiver presence – a factor that affected different QOL scores. Age at diagnosis, affection in the side of the predominant hand, post-operative chemotherapy and difficulty in obtaining the medication were the disease-related factors that affected QOL scores.

Originality/value
– The final model predicting QOL for early stage female BC patients included age, education and difficulty in obtaining the medication as determinants for total QOL score. Carer presence was the specific patient characteristic that affected different QOL scores.
Improving outpatient phlebotomy service efficiency and patient experience using discrete-event simulation
Authors: Yip Kenneth , Pang Suk-King , Chan Kui-Tim , Chan Chi-Kuen , Lee Tsz-Leung 
Published: August 2016

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to present a simulation modeling application to reconfigure the outpatient phlebotomy service of an acute regional and teaching hospital in Hong Kong, with an aim to improve service efficiency, shorten patient queuing time and enhance workforce utilization.

Design/methodology/approach
– The system was modeled as an inhomogeneous Poisson process and a discrete-event simulation model was developed to simulate the current setting, and to evaluate how various performance metrics would change if switched from a decentralized to a centralized model. Variations were then made to the model to test different workforce arrangements for the centralized service, so that managers could decide on the service’s final configuration via an evidence-based and data-driven approach.

Findings
– This paper provides empirical insights about the relationship between staffing arrangement and system performance via a detailed scenario analysis. One particular staffing scenario was chosen by manages as it was considered to strike the best balance between performance and workforce scheduled. The resulting centralized phlebotomy service was successfully commissioned.

Practical implications
– This paper demonstrates how analytics could be used for operational planning at the hospital level. The authors show that a transparent and evidence-based scenario analysis, made available through analytics and simulation, greatly facilitates management and clinical stakeholders to arrive at the ideal service configuration.

Originality/value
– The authors provide a robust method in evaluating the relationship between workforce investment, queuing reduction and workforce utilization, which is crucial for managers when deciding the delivery model for any outpatient-related service.
Clinical Assessment of Risk Management: an INtegrated Approach (CARMINA)
Authors: Tricarico Pierfrancesco , Tardivo Stefano , Sotgiu Giovanni , Moretti Francesca , Poletti Piera , Fiore Alberto , Monturano Massimo , Mura Ida , Privitera Gaetano , Brusaferro Silvio 
Published: August 2016

Purpose
– The European Union recommendations for patient safety calls for shared clinical risk management (CRM) safety standards able to guide organizations in CRM implementation. The purpose of this paper is to develop a self-evaluation tool to measure healthcare organization performance on CRM and guide improvements over time.

Design/methodology/approach
– A multi-step approach was implemented including: a systematic literature review; consensus meetings with an expert panel from eight Italian leader organizations to get to an agreement on the first version; field testing to test instrument feasibility and flexibility; Delphi strategy with a second expert panel for content validation and balanced scoring system development.

Findings
– The self-assessment tool – Clinical Assessment of Risk Management: an INtegrated Approach includes seven areas (governance, communication, knowledge and skills, safe environment, care processes, adverse event management, learning from experience) and 52 standards. Each standard is evaluated according to four performance levels: minimum; monitoring; outcomes; and improvement actions, which resulted in a feasible, flexible and valid instrument to be used throughout different organizations.

Practical implications
– This tool allows practitioners to assess their CRM activities compared to minimum levels, monitor performance, benchmarking with other institutions and spreading results to different stakeholders.

Originality/value
– The multi-step approach allowed us to identify core minimum CRM levels in a field where no consensus has been reached. Most standards may be easily adopted in other countries.