bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Payment of Hospital Services: a Waiting Lists Model
Authors: Ferrari Dr. Alessandra 
Published: April 2015

Abstract
This paper analyses the incentive properties of prospective payment systems for hospital contracts, a key feature in many health systems’ reforms. Building on current literature, the model explicitly allows for the existence of waiting time, modelled as adversely affecting patients’ utility and therefore reducing social welfare. The model shows that rewarding hospitals for their demand leads to the first best solution, identified with respect to the relevant quality and quantity variables. The additional separate payment of a price per case is instead required when the social cost of waiting is introduced alongside the private costs.
The Impact of Voluntary Youth Service on Future Outcomes: Evidence from Teach For America
Authors: Dobbie Will , Fryer, Jr. Roland G. 
Published: April 2015

Abstract
This paper provides causal estimates of the impact of service programs on those who serve, using data from a web-based survey of former Teach For America (TFA) applicants. We estimate the effect of voluntary youth service using a discontinuity in the TFA application process. Participating in TFA increases racial tolerance, makes individuals more optimistic about the life prospects of poor children, and makes them more likely to work in education.
Longevity: epigenetic and biomolecular aspects
Authors: Taormina Giusi , Mirisola Mario G. 
Published: April 2015

AbstractMany aging theories and their related molecular mechanisms have been proposed. Simple model organisms such as yeasts, worms, fruit flies and others have massively contributed to their clarification, and many genes and pathways have been associated with longevity regulation. Among them, insulin/IGF-1 plays a key and evolutionary conserved role. Interestingly, dietary interventions can modulate this pathway. Calorie restriction (CR), intermittent fasting, and protein and amino acid restriction prolong the lifespan of mammals by IGF-1 regulation. However, some recent findings support the hypothesis that the long-term effects of diet also involve epigenetic mechanisms. In this review, we describe the best characterized aging pathways and highlight the role of epigenetics in diet-mediated longevity.
Faecal leukocyte esterase activity is an alternative biomarker in inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Dumoulin Els N. , Van Biervliet Stephanie , De Vos Martine , Himpe Jonas , Speeckaert Marijn M. , Delanghe Joris R. 
Published: April 2015

AbstractLeukocyte cytosolic proteins (e.g., calprotectin) are emerging biomarkers for inflammatory bowel disease. Leukocyte aryl esterase activity has been commonly used for sensitive detection of leukocytes in human body fluids such as urine. Urine test strip results are generally reported in categories. As automated strip readers allow quantitative data to be reported, sensitive quantitative detection of leukocytes in body fluids has become possible. Here, we explored the use of leukocyte esterase as a potential alternative faecal biomarker for inflammatory bowel disease.We evaluated leukocyte esterase activity in faecal extracts and compared Cobas u 411 (Roche) quantitative reflectance data with calprotectin concentration for 107 routine samples. Stability of leukocyte esterase for trypsin digestion was carried out by adding trypsin to the extract. Incubation occurred at 37 °C for 24 h or 48 h.Reproducibility of the reflectance signal was good (within-run imprecision: 6.1%; between-run imprecision: 6.2%). Results were linear in the range 10Quantitative leukocyte esterase activity of faecal extracts provides information about the leukocyte count in the gut lumen. Leukocyte esterase is a promising and affordable alternative biomarker for monitoring inflammatory bowel disease.
Using the parameters of the Zipf–Mandelbrot law to measure diachronic lexical, syntactical and stylistic changes – a large-scale corpus analysis
Authors: Koplenig Alexander 
Published: April 2015

AbstractUsing the Google Ngram Corpora for six different languages (including two varieties of English), a large-scale time series analysis is conducted. It is demonstrated that diachronic changes of the parameters of the Zipf–Mandelbrot law (and the parameter of the Zipf law, all estimated by maximum likelihood) can be used to quantify and visualize important aspects of linguistic change (as represented in the Google Ngram Corpora). The analysis also reveals that there are important cross-linguistic differences. It is argued that the Zipf–Mandelbrot parameters can be used as a first indicator of diachronic linguistic change, but more thorough analyses should make use of the full spectrum of different lexical, syntactical and stylometric measures to fully understand the factors that actually drive those changes.
Transesterification of Castor Oil with Methanol – Kinetic Modelling
Authors: Chaudhary Payal , Kumar Brajesh , Kumar Surendra , Gupta V. K. 
Published: April 2015

Abstract
In this research work, transesterification of castor oil with methanol and sulphuric acid catalyst has been carried out in a lab reactor of capacity 500 mL at various operating conditions (reaction temperature=35–65°C, pressure=1 atm, methanol/oil ratio=6:1 and 600 rpm). The effect of reaction temperature is considered, followed by the determination of kinetics of the production of biodiesel. Experimental results have been analysed with respect to three types of reaction kinetics, namely first-order irreversible reaction, second-order irreversible reaction and reversible reaction. For each of the schemes, the activation energy and Arrhenius constants were determined. The experimental data fits very well to second-order reversible reaction kinetics. Properties of fatty acid methyl ester (biodiesel) produced from castor oil have been experimentally determined and compared with standard values as given in EN 14214 norms.
Overdiagnosis and overtreatment over time
Authors: Martin Stephen A. , Podolsky Scott H. , Greene Jeremy A. 
Published: April 2015

Abstract
Overdiagnosis and overtreatment are often thought of as relatively recent phenomena, influenced by a contemporary combination of technology, specialization, payment models, marketing, and supply-related demand. Yet a quick glance at the historical record reveals that physicians and medical manufacturers have been accused of iatrogenic excess for centuries, if not millennia. Medicine has long had therapeutic solutions that search for ever-increasing diagnostic problems. Whether the intervention at hand has been leeches and lancets, calomel and cathartics, aspirins and amphetamines, or statins and SSRIs, medical history is replete with skeptical critiques of diagnostic and therapeutic enthusiasm. The opportunity cost of this profusion shapes the other side of the coin: chronic persistence of underdiagnosis and undertreatment. Drawing from key controversies of the 19th and 20th centuries, we chart the enduring challenges of inter-related diagnostic and therapeutic excess. As the present critique of overdiagnosis and overtreatment seeks to mobilize resources from inside and outside of medicine to rein in these impulses, we provide an instructive historical context from which to act.
Investigation of BaCO3 Powders Synthesized by Microwave Homogeneous Precipitation
Authors: Chen Guo , Chang Xiaodong , Chen Jin , Zhao Wei , Peng Jinhui 
Published: April 2015

Abstract
BaCO3 powders have been successfully synthesized by the microwave homogeneous precipitation method, using BaCl2 · 2H2O, NaOH and (NH2)2CO as raw materials with variety of different guide reagents. The phases and morphologies of raw materials after microwave homogeneous precipitation were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The results showed that 85°C of reaction temperature, 2 h of reaction time, 0.8 mol/L of Ba2+ concentration, 2.5 of amount of sodium hydroxide and 6 of amount of urea were used in the further research work, and the optimum conditions for preparation of BaCO3 powders were obtained. The XRD results show that the well-crystallized BaCO3 powder synthesized has an orthorhombic unit cell. The characterization results show that different guide reagents play a significant role in determining uniform morphology of products. Based on the mentioned results, microwave homogeneous precipitation method can be applied effectively and efficiently for preparing BaCO3 powders.
High-Temperature Oxidation Behavior of Fe-Si-Ce Alloys
Authors: Su Yong , Zhang Shunke , Fu Guangyan , Liu Qun , Tang Yuanze 
Published: April 2015

AbstractThe oxidation behavior of Fe-Si-Ce alloys with different Ce content at 1,173 and 1,273 K has been studied by means of optical microscope (OM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Results show that the Ce addition refines the grain size of Fe-Si alloys, and correspondingly the grain size of the oxides decreases, which increases the grain boundary concentration and promotes the short-path diffusion of the alloying elements and oxygen. During oxidation, the positive effect of the grain refinement on the oxidation behavior of the alloy is more obvious than negative effect, so the Ce addition improves the oxidation resistances of the Fe-3Si alloys. Compared to Fe-3Si-0.5Ce alloy, Fe-3Si-5.0Ce alloy has the larger mass gain for the preferential oxidation of the excessive content of Ce exceeding its beneficial effects. The rare earth Ce changes the oxidation mechanism of Fe-Si alloys. Oxygen penetrates the oxide scales and reacts preferentially with Ce-rich phases, which results in the pinning effect and improves the adhesion of the oxide scales.
Risky health-related behaviours among school-aged adolescents: a rational ‘consumer’ choice?
Authors: Hartley Jane E.K. 
Published: April 2015

Abstract
Within the contemporary culture of consumption, school-aged adolescents, though neither waged nor salaried producers, are nevertheless treated by the media and the advertisers as if they are active consumers who are engaged in the project of the self. For those adolescents who lack the financial resources to ‘buy into’ this culture, anxiety may ensue. In order to ease this anxiety, and to acquire social status, some – not all – may make the ‘rational’ ‘consumer’ choice to engage in risky health-related behaviour. In situ ethnographic research is needed in order to complement and inform the existing survey-based evidence on the relationship between economic status and health-related behaviour among school-aged adolescents as they deal with the pressures of consumerism.
Use of New Regeneration Processes for Thermolabile Amines
Authors: Gómez-Díaz Diego 
Published: April 2015

AbstractPresent work analyses the regeneration of aqueous solutions of glucosamine employed in carbon dioxide capture by gas–liquid absorption by using new methodologies. The aim of the development of these methods is to avoid the aggressiveness shown by the most common one: stripping (e.g. corrosion or degradation). This latest produces an important amine loss and also involves a high energetic cost. This research work has checked the behavior of two new regeneration processes when a thermolabile amine is employed in the chemical solvent for carbon dioxide absorption. These methods are based on the removal of bicarbonate ion and amine deprotonation showing suitable results in comparison with thermal treatment.
Pasting, Textural and Sensory Characteristics of the Kofter, A Fruit-Based Dessert: Effect of Molasses and Water Concentration
Authors: Yildiz Onder , Yurt Bayram , Toker Omer Said , Ceylan Mehmet Murat , Yilmaz Mustafa Tahsin , Bastürk Ayhan 
Published: April 2015

Abstract

Kofter is a traditional product which is composed of water, molasses and starch. The quality of Kofter depends on many factors involving concentration of the ingredients, starch concentration and type, composition and type of the molasses and drying temperature and time. In the present study, the effect of molasses concentration (75–25%) on the pasting and textural properties of the Kofter samples was investigated. All pasting properties (peak viscosity, trough viscosity, breakdown viscosity, final viscosity, setback viscosity, peak time, pasting temperature) were significantly affected by molasses concentration used in the formula. The increase in water concentration generally caused increase in hardness, adhesiveness, gumminess and chewiness value of the Kofter samples. Sensory analysis was also performed to determine mostly preferred sample regarding appearance, color, texture, taste, odor and overall preference. According to the sensory results, Kofter sample including 40% molasses and 60% water was found to be mostly preferred sample.
Demand Routing with ASE Impairment Consideration in Long Distance Optical Networks
Authors: Dai Rui , Yang Hongchang , Xu Liang 
Published: April 2015

AbstractIn this paper, a heuristic algorithm that considers ASE (Amplified Spontaneous Emission) noise impairment is developed for demand routing in long distance optical networks. Amplifier span constraints, determined by ASE noise impairment, are presented to constrain the maximal transparent reach of a lightpath. Problem formulation and heuristic algorithms are given. Simulation demonstrates that each demand stream is guaranteed to be successfully routed, and network resources (wavelength channels and transceivers) are effectively utilized.
Development of biomaterial surfaces with and without microbial nanosegments
Authors: Alarfaj Abdullah A. , Lee Henry Hsin-chung , Munusamy Murugan A. , Ling Qing-Dong , Kumar Suresh , Chang Yung , Chen Yen-Ming , Lin Hong-Ren , Lu Yi-Tung , Wu Gwo-Jang , Higuchi Akon 
Published: April 2015

Abstract
Infections by microorganisms are a major problem in public health throughout the world. Artificial materials, including biomedical goods, inherently lack defense against microbial development. Therefore, microbial cells can adhere on any type of artificial surface, particularly in a moist environment, and start to multiply to form a huge population. In this review, we will discuss a strategy for designing antimicrobial polymers and antimicrobial surfaces. Generally, there are five types of antimicrobial polymers: (a) polymeric biocides, (b) biocidal polymers, (c) biocide-releasing polymers, (d) bioactive oligopeptides, and (e) antimicrobial surfaces. Antimicrobial surfaces preventing the growth of microorganisms are a promising method to inhibit the spread of microbial infections. The antimicrobial surfaces can reject the attachment of microbes and/or kill microbes in the vicinity and can be designed to kill microbes on contact. It is recommended that the material surface not release biocidal substances, therefore preventing exhaustion of biocide release to kill microbes. Furthermore, the antimicrobial surfaces are desired to be nontoxic to human cells. The development of contact-active antimicrobial surfaces by grafting antimicrobial nanosegments onto the material surface will be an important topic in the future.
Influence of tire cord layers and arrangement direction on mechanical properties and vibration isolation of chloroprene rubber composite materials reinforced with polyester tire cord
Authors: Tsai Peir-An , Wu Jyh-Horng 
Published: April 2015

Abstract
Polyester tire cord is often used as reinforcement in the production of chloroprene rubber (CR) composite materials. This study investigated the influences of polyester tire cord layers and arrangement directions on the mechanical properties and vibration isolation of CR composite materials. The experimental results indicate that the optimal molding condition for bonding tire cord with CR composites is 170°C for 30 min, which enables tire cord-reinforced CR composites to exhibit maximum pull-out strength. The compression set, tensile strength, and tear strength of CR composites increased with the increasing number of tire cord layers, and the stretching direction parallel to the arrangement direction of the tire cord produced optimal reinforcement effect. Moreover, the storage modulus of CR composites is better than that of pure CR at low temperature, although it reduced the tan delta at glass transition temperature. Regarding the vibration isolation properties, the transmissibility ratio decreased at resonance frequency, while the damping ratio increased when the CR is reinforced with increasing number of tire cord layers.
Material parameter identification in functionally graded structures using isoparametric graded finite element model
Authors: Huang Lixin , Yang Ming , Zhou Xiaojun , Yao Qi , Wang Lin 
Published: April 2015

Abstract
An identification algorithm based on an isoparametric graded finite element model is developed to identify the material parameters of the plane structure of functionally graded materials (FGMs). The material parameter identification problem is formulated as the problem of minimizing the objective function, which is defined as a square sum of differences between measured displacement and calculated displacement by the isoparametric graded finite element approach. The minimization problem is solved by using the Levenberg-Marquardt method, in which the sensitivity calculation is based on the differentiation of the governing equations of the isoparametric graded finite element model. The validity of this algorithm is illustrated by some numerical experiments. The numerical results reveal that the proposed algorithm not only has high accuracy and stable convergence, but is also robust to the effects of measured displacement noise.
Soliton Solutions, Bäcklund Transformation and Lax Pair for Coupled Burgers System via Bell Polynomials
Authors: Ünsal Ömer , Taşcan Filiz 
Published: April 2015

Abstract
In this work, we apply the binary Bell polynomial approach to coupled Burgers system. In other words, we investigate possible integrability of referred system. Bilinear form and soliton solutions are obtained, some figures related to these solutions are given. We also get Bäcklund transformations in both binary Bell polynomial form and bilinear form. Based on the Bäcklund transformation, Lax pair is obtained. Namely, this is a study in which integrabilitiy of coupled burgers system is investigated.
Comparative efficacy of biofeedback interventions in predicting improvements in soccer shooting performance
Authors: Saha Soumendra 
Published: April 2015

<p>The beneficial impact of the differential biofeedback intervention technique on modification in autonomic competence, as well as the ultimate impact on bilateral shooting ability, were studied on young and competitive male soccer players. A total of 45 young high-performing soccer players in the age range of 18 to 24 years were recruited. At first, the players were subjected to baseline evaluation of psychomotor (i.e., reaction time – RT), physiological (viz. resting heart-rate; VO<sub>2</sub>Max, electrical muscle potentiality, etc.), and psychobiological indices (such as skin conductance components – latency, amplitude and recovery time). Thereafter, they were equally categorized into: Control Group,<strong> </strong>Experimental Group I [who received skin conductance (Sc) biofeedback training], and Experimental Group II [who received electromyography (EMG) biofeedback intervention training]. Participants of the experimental groups were subjected to their respective interventions (Sc &amp; EMG biofeedback intervention training), which were imparted for 24 sessions (15 mins/day; 2 days/week for 12 weeks). After six weeks of intervention, mid-term evaluation of all of the aforementioned parameters (assessed during baseline evaluation) was performed. Thereafter, intervention sessions continued following the identical protocol for six weeks. At the end of the 12<sup>th</sup> week, a post-intervention assessment on all of the psychological, psychomotor and psychobiological variables was carried out on all of the participants to verify the effect of training on dependent measures. Post-intervention analyses revealed improvements in physiological, psychobiological and performance parameters, which could be rationally attributed to the differential biofeedback therapeutic interventions introduced to the experimental groups. The outcome suggested that both interventions facilitated improvement in bilateral shooting ability, while in-depth analyses clarified that a higher extent of autonomic recovery emerged as the most significant factor facilitating shooting ability in the experimental groups. </p>
Caenorhabditis elegansTBX-2 Directly Regulates Its Own Expression in a Negative Autoregulatory Loop
Authors: Milton Angenee C , Okkema Peter G 
Published: April 2015

AbstractT-box genes often exhibit dynamic expression patterns, and their expression levels can be crucial for normal function. Despite the importance of these genes, there is little known about T-box gene regulation. We have focused on the Caenorhabditis elegans gene tbx-2 to understand how T-box gene expression is regulated, and here we demonstrate TBX-2 itself directly represses its own expression in a negative autoregulatory loop. tbx-2 is essential for normal pharyngeal muscle development, and a tbx-2 promoter gfp fusion (Ptbx-2::gfp) is transiently expressed in the pharynx during embryogenesis and in a small number of head neurons in larvae and adults. Reduced tbx-2 function resulted in ectopic Ptbx-2::gfp expression in the seam cells and gut in larvae and adults. Mutation of potential T-box binding sites within the tbx-2 promoter resulted in a similar pattern of ectopic Ptbx-2::gfp expression, and chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses show TBX-2 binds these sites in vivo. This pattern of ectopic Ptbx-2::gfp expression in tbx-2 mutants was very similar to that observed in mutants affecting the NF-Y complex, and our results comparing tbx-2 and nfyb-1 single- and double mutants suggest TBX-2 and NF-Y function in a single pathway to repress the tbx-2 promoter. The tbx-2 promoter is the first direct target identified for TBX-2, and we used it to ask whether SUMOylation is essential for TBX-2 repression. RNAi knockdown of SUMOylation pathway components led to ectopic Ptbx-2::gfp expression in the seam cells and gut. Ectopic Ptbx-2::gfp also was observed in the syncytial hypodermis, suggesting either the tbx-2 promoter is repressed by other SUMOylation dependent mechanisms, or that decreased SUMOylation leads to stable changes in seam cell nuclei as they fuse with the syncytial hypodermis. We suggest negative autoregulation is an important mechanism that allows precise control of tbx-2 expression levels and may allow rapid changes in gene expression during development.