bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Thin‐film Potentiometric Sensor to Detect CO2 Concentrations Ranging Between 2 % and 100 %
Authors: Rojo Lander , Castro‐Hurtado Irene , Mandayo Gemma G. , Castaño Enrique , Morant‐Miñana Maria C. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractA potentiometric thin‐film sensor to detect CO2 in a wide range (2–100 %) has been developed. The system has been fabricated depositing a reference electrode of Pt, a solid electrolyte of YSZ (Yttria‐stabilized Zirconia), a sensing phase made of Li2CO3 and a working electrode of Au via Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD). Characterization of the different elements has provided the optimal fabrication parameters and the system response for CO2 concentrations can be measured from 2 to 100 % at 450 °C. The sensor behaves as a non‐Nerstian system and slightly deviates from a linear response with the logarithm of CO2 until the CO2 concentration reaches the 30 %. Higher CO2 amounts make the response divert more from the Nernst law but give a stable and reproducible response to CO2 in a wide range of concentrations. Based on these promising results the recovery time, stability, repeatability and selectivity of the sensor have been measured. The performance showed by the thin film sensor proves the feasibility of the use of this system for biogas and natural gas applications owing to its very good consistency at low temperature in a wide concentration range.
Development of a Conceptual Model for Application of Hydro‐Mechanical Gates in Irrigation Networks by a System Dynamic Approach
Authors: Hosseinzadeh Zeinab , Monem Mohammad Javad , Nahavandi Nasim , Tehrani Mahsa Vaez 
Published: July 2017

AbstractPoor performance of irrigation networks necessitates their improvement. One of the measures for performance improvement is application of automatic systems such as hydro‐mechanical gates. The decision‐making process for application of automatic systems is a complicated task. Reasons for this complexity are the wide range of existing technologies to be selected from, interactions between components and economic and social short‐ and long‐term impacts. Development of a suitable model which addresses all aspects of automation is needed. One suitable technique for coping with this is a system dynamic approach.In this research, the dynamic behaviour of irrigation networks using automated control systems is investigated and its conceptual model is developed as a first step of a system dynamic model. A questionnaire based on system dynamic archetypes was designed and completed by irrigation experts from six irrigation networks in Iran. In addition, interview techniques were used to collect data. The conceptual model was developed by a system dynamic approach. The conceptual model includes fixes that fail, limits to growth, eroding goals, success to the successful, and shifting the burden archetypes. The interactions between social, managerial, economic, technical and water resources in the long term, which play a significant role, are well elaborated in the developed conceptual model. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Climate‐Smart Land and Water Management for Sustainable Agriculture
Authors: Sikka Alok K. , Islam Adlul , Rao K.V. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractIndian agriculture is vulnerable to climate variability and change. The Coupled Model Inter‐comparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) based model ensemble projects a warming of 1.5–4.3°C and an increase in precipitation by 6–14% for India under different representative concentration pathways (RCPs) for the 2080s (2071–2100) compared to the baseline period (1961–1990). The Indian Council of Agricultural Research through its network project on National Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) has demonstrated different land and water management interventions in the vulnerable districts of India to enhance the resilience of agriculture to climate change and variability. Rainwater harvesting and its judicious utilization through farm ponds and community tanks in rainfed districts demonstrated the ability to build resilience and also enhance cropping intensity (20–135%). Construction of temporary check dams (bori‐bandhan) in high‐rainfall areas brought lowland areas into cultivation which otherwise would have remained fallow due to inundation in the kharif (monsoon) season. Renovation of aahar (water reservoirs) and construction of farm ponds in Bihar ensured protective irrigation during dry spells in kharif, increasing paddy productivity by 20.7%, and also raised the groundwater level by 30 cm. Adoption of participatory integrated watershed management within a river basin perspective provides a framework for climate change adaptation through reduced runoff, increased groundwater recharge, improved crop productivity and increased carbon sequestration. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A web‐based multi‐agent decision support system for a city‐oriented management of cruise arrivals
Authors: Di Napoli Claudia , Santamaria Pol Mateu , Rossi Silvia 
Published: July 2017

SummaryCruise tourism represents a strategic sector for the economic growth of several countries, impacting on different direct and indirect markets. The arrival of cruises in a city represents an unmissable opportunity to increment its tourist market penetration. Nevertheless, the management of an unforeseen number of passengers that need to visit a city in a short time may also have a negative impact, so reducing the expected benefits. This is mainly due to the difficulty of taking the right decisions when organizing the dispatching of passengers in different city areas since these decisions depend on several conditions that can also dynamically occur, and may have an impact on different city sectors. Here, a decision support system is proposed to help involved stakeholders to make decisions to plan passengers' transportation in the city and also to evaluate the consequences for the city if the plans are really implemented. The system is designed according to the multi‐agent paradigm, so allowing one to easily manage the necessary coordination among different entities and data sources that are usually distributed and need to cooperate to provide useful suggestions. In addition, a prototype of a web‐based application is provided to end users, so that it can run on heterogeneous platforms, and it can be easily accessed by different users from different devices, as it is the case for the considered application domain.
Thyroxin Use Is Associated With Increased Risk of Thyroid Cancer in Patients With Hypothyroidism
Authors: Hung Shih‐Han , Chung Shiu‐Dong , Lin Herng‐Ching 
Published: July 2017

AbstractDespite evidence linking thyroxin use and breast cancer, little is known regarding the risk of other cancers with thyroxin use. The purpose of this case‐control study was to evaluate the association of thyroid cancer with primary hypothyroidism based on a population‐based database. The data for this case‐control study were retrieved from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005. We included 1285 patients with thyroid cancer as cases and 3855 sex‐ and age‐matched subjects as controls. We used conditional logistic regression to examine the association of thyroid cancer with previously diagnosed hypothyroidism. We found that a prior hypothyroidism diagnosis was found among 37 cases (2.88%) and 33 controls (0.86%). Conditional logistic regression analysis revealed that the cases were more likely to have been previously diagnosed with hypothyroidism than controls (adjusted OR, 3.01; 95%CI, 1.85–4.89). We also found that thyroid cancer was significantly associated with hypothyroidism patients who were regular thyroxin users (adjusted OR, 8.68; 95%CI, 4.34–17.34). However, we failed to observe a significant association between thyroid cancer and hypothyroidism patients who were irregular thyroxin users. This investigation detected a novel association between thyroid cancer and thyroxin use in patients with primary hypothyroidism.
A Size and Scale Framework for Guiding Curriculum Design and Assessment
Authors: Kong Yi , Douglas Kerrie A. , Rodgers Kelsey J. , Diefes‐Dux Heidi , Madhavan Krishna 
Published: July 2017

AbstractBackgroundThe concepts of size and scale in nanotechnology are difficult for most beginning engineering students to grasp. Yet, guidance on the specific aspects of size and scale that should be taught and assessed is limited.PurposeThis research sought to empirically develop a framework for size and scale conceptualization and provide a blueprint to guide curriculum development and assessment.Design/MethodsThrough an exploratory sequential mixed methods design, we qualitatively examined 30 teams of 119 first‐year engineering students' nanotechnology‐based projects to identify concepts beyond those in the literature to create a Size and Scale Framework (SSF). We then created a blueprint with associated learning objectives that can guide curriculum and assessment development. To demonstrate the utility of the SSF blueprint, an SSF‐based quiz was developed and studied using classical test theory with 378 first‐year engineering students.ResultsThe findings categorized size and scale in terms of eight aspects: Definition, Qualitative Categorical, Qualitative Relational, Qualitative Proportional, Quantitative Absolute, Quantitative Categorical, Quantitative Relational, and Quantitative Proportional. The SSF can be applied as a blueprint for others to develop curriculum and assessment. The SSF‐based quiz demonstrated acceptable properties for use with first‐year engineering students.ConclusionsDevelopment of the SSF‐based quiz is an example of how the SSF can be applied to create a classroom quiz to assess students' size and scale knowledge in the context of nanotechnology.
Engineering Thinking in Prekindergarten Children: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Lippard Christine N. , Lamm Monica H. , Riley Katie L. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractBackgroundChildren begin foundational learning in early childhood that sets the stage for later learning and academic success. Research regarding engineering in early childhood is limited yet growing.PurposeBecause interest in engineering in early childhood is growing, this article reviews research regarding interactions, materials, and activities that promote prekindergarten children's engineering thinking, and in turn how this engineering thinking is related to developmental outcomes.Scope/MethodThe initial search for papers with relevant keywords returned over 2,000 papers. Upon review, 27 papers pertained to children age five or under and to engineering. The following research questions were addressed: What (a) interactions and (b) materials and activities promote prekindergarten children's engineering thinking? What developmental outcomes are related to children's engineering thinking?ConclusionsThe small body of research regarding engineering thinking in prekindergarten children only allows for a few limited conclusions. Specifically, results indicate that children display engineering thinking when actively engaged with materials, adults are better able to facilitate engineering thinking if they have received some guidance on both engineering principles and asking children questions, and children's engineering thinking can promote early math skills and possibly social and emotional development. However, a consistent limitation in the literature is that measures are underdeveloped and their psychometric properties are often unestablished.
Balancing life and work by unbending gender: Early American women psychologists’ struggles and contributions
Authors: Johnston Elizabeth , Johnson Ann 
Published: July 2017

AbstractWomen's participation in the work force shifted markedly throughout the twentieth century, from a low of 21 percent in 1900 to 59 percent in 1998. The influx of women into market work, particularly married women with children, put pressure on the ideology of domesticity: an ideal male worker in the outside market married to a woman taking care of children and home (Williams, 2000). Here, we examine some moments in the early‐to‐mid‐twentieth century when female psychologists contested established norms of life‐work balance premised on domesticity. In the 1920s, Ethel Puffer Howes, one of the first generation of American women psychologists studied by Scarborough and Furumoto (1987), challenged the waste of women's higher education represented by the denial of their interests outside of the confines of domesticity with pioneering applied research on communitarian solutions to life‐work balance. Prominent second‐generation psychologists, such as Leta Hollingworth, Lillian Gilbreth, and Florence Goodenough, sounded notes of dissent in a variety of forums in the interwar period. At mid‐century, the exclusion of women psychologists from war work galvanized more organized efforts to address their status and life‐work balance. Examination of the ensuing uneasy collaboration between psychologist and library scholar Alice Bryan and the influential male gatekeeper E. G. Boring documents gendered disparities in life‐work balance and illuminates how the entrenched ideology of domesticity was sustained. We conclude with Jane Loevinger's mid‐century challenge to domesticity and mother‐blaming through her questioning of Boring's persistent focus on the need for job concentration in professional psychologists and development of a novel research focus on mothering.
Left ventricular function and regional strain with subtly‐tagged steady‐state free precession feature tracking
Authors: Schrauben Eric M. , Cowan Brett R. , Greiser Andreas , Young Alistair A. 
Published: July 2017

PurposeTo provide regional strain and ventricular volume from a single acquisition, using subtly tagged steady‐state free precession (SubTag SSFP) feature tracking.Materials and MethodsThe effects on regional strain of tag strength in gradient recalled echo (GRE) tagging, flip angle in untagged balanced SSFP, and both in SubTag SSFP were examined in the mid left ventricle of 15 healthy volunteers at 3T. Optimal parameters were determined from varying both tag strength and SSFP flip angle using full tag saturation GRE as the reference standard. SubTag SSFP was acquired in 15 additional healthy volunteers for whole‐heart volume and strain assessment using the optimized parameters. Values measured by two image analysts were compared to clinical reference standards from untagged SSFP (volumes) and GRE tagging (strains).ResultsRegional strain accuracy was maintained with decreasing total tagging flip angle (β); less than 3% differences for β ≥ 26°. For untagged SSFP flip angle (α), whole‐wall strain differences became statistically significant when α < 40°. A SubTag SSFP acquisition with α = 40° and β = 46° showed the best combination of tagging strength, blood‐myocardial contrast, and tag persistence at end‐systole for regional strain estimation. SubTag SSFP also showed excellent agreement with untagged SSFP for volumetrics (percent difference: end‐diastolic volume = 0.6%, end‐systolic volume = 0.4%, stroke volume = 1.2%, ejection fraction = 0.6%, mass = 1.1%).ConclusionFeature tracking for regional myocardial strain assessment is dependent on image features, mainly the tag strength, persistence, and image contrast. SubTag SSFP balances these criteria to provide accurate regional strain and volumetric assessment in a single acquisition.Level of Evidence: 1Technical Efficacy Stage: 2J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018;47:787–797.
Identifying remains of extinct kangaroos in Late Pleistocene deposits using collagen fingerprinting
Authors: Buckley Michael , Cosgrove Richard , Garvey Jillian , Prideaux Gavin J. 
Published: July 2017

ABSTRACTOur knowledge of past animal populations, including the geographical ranges of extinct species, has largely been derived from morphological analyses of skeletal fossil remains. However, a major barrier to the identification of the remains of extinct megafaunal species in archaeological and palaeontological sites is the highly fragmented nature of the material, which often precludes confident taxonomic identifications based on morphology. Biomolecular techniques are able to go beyond these limitations and are increasingly being used to make such identifications. Protein analysis offers a promising alternative to DNA techniques because they can be much cheaper, more amenable to high‐throughput processing and work on much older specimens. Here we demonstrate the potential of collagen fingerprinting in an Australian context by extracting collagen from 50‐ka kangaroo fossils from two caves in Tasmania, and identify several species including the extinct short‐faced kangaroo Simosthenurus occidentalis. Importantly, of the five fossil bones sampled that had hitherto been ascribed morphology‐based identifications below the family level, three had been incorrectly identified during an initial assessment of photographs taken in the field. Our results highlight the utility of using protein‐based methods for making genus‐level identification of marsupial bone, especially those that may form a basis for broader arguments such as that of late‐surviving megafaunal species.
Effects of alternative cropping systems on globe artichoke qualitative traits
Authors: Spanu Emanuela , Deligios Paola A , Azara Emanuela , Delogu Giovanna , Ledda Luigi 
Published: July 2017

AbstractBACKGROUNDTraditionally, globe artichoke cultivation in the Mediterranean basin is based on monoculture and on use of high amounts of nitrogen fertiliser. This raises issues regarding its compatibility with sustainable agriculture. We studied the effect of one typical conventional (CONV) and two alternative cropping systems [globe artichoke in sequence with French bean (NCV1), or in biannual rotation (NCV2) with cauliflower and with a leguminous cover crop in inter‐row spaces] on yield, polyphenol and mineral content of globe artichoke heads over two consecutive growing seasons.RESULTSNCV2 showed statistical differences in terms of fresh product yield with respect to the monoculture systems. In addition, the dihydroxycinnamic acids and dicaffeoylquinic acids of non‐conventional samples were one‐fold significantly higher than the conventional one. All the samples reported good mineral content, although NCV2 achieved a higher Fe content than conventional throughout the two seasons. After two and three dates of sampling, the CONV samples showed the highest levels of K content.CONCLUSIONIn our study, an acceptable commercial yield and quality of ‘Spinoso sardo’ were achieved by shifting the common conventional agronomic management to more sustainable ones, by means of an accurate choice of cover crop species and rotations introduced in the systems. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Application of a sensory–instrumental tool to study apple texture characteristics shaped by altitude and time of harvest
Authors: Charles Mathilde , Corollaro Maria Laura , Manfrini Luigi , Endrizzi Isabella , Aprea Eugenio , Zanella Angelo , Corelli Grappadelli Luca , Gasperi Flavia 
Published: July 2017

AbstractBACKGROUNDTexture is important in the preferences of apple consumers. Of the pre‐harvest factors affecting fruit quality and especially texture, altitude and subsequent climatic conditions are crucial, determining differences in the physiological mechanisms of fruit growth, ripening stage and chemical composition, as demonstrated by several studies. This work applies a detailed sensory‐instrumental protocol developed in a previous paper to investigate the impact of altitude, time of harvest and their cross‐effect on sensory characteristics of apple, with a focus on texture.RESULTSSensory differences were found in relation to altitude, although the profile results were mainly affected by the time of harvest. Fruit from lower altitude was described as juicier, crunchier and sweeter than samples from higher altitude, which were floury, sourer and more astringent. Texture performance, soluble solids content and titratable acidity corroborated this sensory description. Moreover, anatomical data showed that fruit from lower altitude had a larger volume, a higher number of cells and a higher percentage of intercellular spaces.CONCLUSIONWe demonstrated that differences between fruit from various altitudes can be perceived through human senses, and that the proposed sensory–instrumental tool can be used to describe such differences. This study brings more understanding about the impact of altitude and time of harvest on apple sensory properties. This work could support apple producers, from semi‐mountainous regions (Alps, Tyrol, etc.), in advertising and valorising their products with their specific characteristics in a more efficient manner. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Medical residents' circadian preferences across specialties
Authors: Chin‐Quee Anthony L , Yaremchuk Kathleen 
Published: July 2017

ObjectiveCircadian preference refers to the tendency of individuals to be more alert and effective in the morning (larks) or the evening (owls). Given the rigors of medical residency training and perceived lifestyle differences among specialties, circadian preference may play a role in choice of medical specialty and subsequent job satisfaction during training. This study aimed to determine the circadian preferences of residents across specialties and correlations with specialty choice and job satisfaction.Study DesignSingle‐institution, cross‐sectional survey.MethodsThe Horne‐Ostberg Morningness‐Eveningness questionnaire, the standard to identify circadian preference, was modified to include demographic and job satisfaction variables and administered to residents at our tertiary care hospital in 2014. Independent t tests were used to correlate circadian preference and specialty choice, and Spearman's correlations were used to correlate circadian preference and job satisfaction.ResultsA total of 160 residents from postgraduate years 1 through 7 and 10 specialties responded. The mean chronotype scores from all specialties met the category of “neither” morning nor evening type. A significant difference occurred between emergency medicine residents and residents from anesthesiology (P = 0.0007), surgery (P < 0.0001), and medicine (P = 0.0005). Residents in the surgical specialties trended toward the morning chronotype, whereas emergency medicine trended toward evening chronotype. There was no significant correlation between chronotype and job satisfaction.ConclusionAlthough preliminary because of the low response rate, this study points to the potential of considering circadian preference in choice of specialty training and for designing resident on‐call schedules.Level of EvidenceNA. Laryngoscope, 127:2236–2238, 2017