bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
ZrB2–SiC Nano‐Powder Mixture Prepared Using ZrSi2 and Modified Spark Plasma Sintering
Authors: Lee Sea‐Hoon , Choi Si‐Young , Kim Hai‐Doo 
Published: March 2013

ZrB2–SiC nano‐powder mixture was synthesized using ZrSi2 source material and a modified spark plasma sintering apparatus. The particle size of ZrB2 and SiC was about 80 and 20 nm, respectively. The molecular‐level homogeneity of Zr/Si source and fast heating/cooling rate by SPS caused the formation of homogeneously intermixed nano‐powders. A strong exothermal reaction occurred at around 860°C, which caused strong agglomeration and growth of the synthesized powder mixture. The rapid reaction could be controlled by adding 20 wt% of NaCl, which acted as an inert filler.
Large Piezoresponse and Ferroelectric Properties of (Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3–(Bi0.5K0.5)TiO3–Bi(Mg0.5Ti0.5)O3 Thin Films Prepared by Chemical Solution Deposition
Authors: Jeon Yu Hong , Patterson Eric A. , Cann David P. , Mardilovich Peter , Stickel William , Gibbons Brady J. 
Published: March 2013

Bulk ceramic 72.5 mol%(Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3–22.5 mol%(Bi0.5K0.5)TiO3–5 mol%Bi(Mg0.5Ti0.5)O3 (BNT–BKT–BMgT) has previously been reported to show a large high‐field piezoelectric coefficient (d33* = 570 pm/V). In this work, the same composition was synthesized in thin film embodiments on platinized silicon substrates via chemical solution deposition. Overdoping of volatile cations in the precursor solutions was necessary to achieve phase‐pure perovskite. An annealing temperature of 700°C resulted in good ferroelectric properties (Pmax = 52 μC/cm2 and Pr = 12 μC/cm2). Quantitative compositional analysis of films annealed at 650°C and 700°C indicated that near ideal atomic ratios were achieved. Compositional fluctuations observed through the film thickness were in good agreement with the existence of voids formed between successive spin‐cast layers, as observed with electron microscopy. Bipolar and unipolar strain measurements were performed via double laser beam interferometry and a high effective piezoelectric coefficient (d33,f) of approximately 75 pm/V was obtained.
The phenomenon of hate crimes in the United States
Authors: Cheng Wen , Ickes William , Kenworthy Jared B. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractThis review examines the phenomenon of hate crimes in the United States. Findings derived from the FBI data for the period 1996–2008 revealed that the incidence of anti‐racial hate crimes varied among different racial groups, that antireligious hate crimes were committed toward Jews and Muslims more than toward others, and that antisexual orientation hate crimes focused on male homosexuals more than others. Antireligious hate crimes were more likely to be directed against property, whereas anti‐racial and antisexual orientation hate crimes were more likely to be directed against people. We discuss these findings in the light of some relevant theoretical perspectives from social psychology. Potential solutions to hate crimes could be developed by focusing on the most relevant predictive factors.
The Effect of Antiarrhythmic Medication Management on Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Outcomes
Authors: DUKES JONATHAN W. , CHILUKURI KARUNA , SCHERR DANIEL , MARINE JOSEPH E. , BERGER RONALD D. , NAZARIAN SAMAN , CHENG ALAN , SPRAGG DAVID D. , CALKINS HUGH , HENRIKSON CHARLES A. 
Published: March 2013

The Effect of Antiarrhythmic Drugs Ablation OutcomesBackgroundPatients commonly present for atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation while taking antiarrhythmic (AA) medications. It is unknown if AA use at the time of ablation affects procedural outcome. This study compares the AF ablation outcomes of patients who underwent ablation while on AA medications to those who were not on AA medications.Methods and ResultsA total of 180 consecutive patients who underwent their first catheter ablation of AF were identified from the Johns Hopkins Hospital AF registry and divided into 2 cohorts: those On AA at the time of ablation (127 patients, mean follow‐up 24.6 months) and those Off AA at the time of ablation (53 patients, mean follow‐up 20.3 months). Follow‐up was performed to identify recurrent AF. There was no statistically significant difference in the percentage of patients without a recurrence of symptomatic AF (single procedure success rate) in the On and Off AA groups at 6 months postablation (53.5% vs 50.1%, P = 0.75), or by the end of follow‐up (37.8% vs 41.5%, P = 0.64). For those patients who had symptomatic AF recurrence, the average time to recurrence was 6.2 ± 9.0 months in the On AA group and 4.2 ± 7.2 months in the Off AA group (P = 0.27).ConclusionsThere was no statistically significant difference in the rate of symptomatic AF recurrence between the On AA and Off AA groups in this study. The use of AA medications at the time of ablation does not appear to affect procedural outcomes in this population.
Fluctuating viability selection on morphology of cliff swallows is driven by climate
Authors: Brown C. R. , Brown M. B. , Roche E. A. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractThe extent to which fluctuating selection can maintain evolutionary stasis in most populations remains an unresolved question in evolutionary biology. Climate has been hypothesized to drive reversals in the direction of selection among different time periods and may also be responsible for intense episodic selection caused by rare weather events. We measured viability selection associated with morphological traits in cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) in western Nebraska, USA, over a 14‐year period following a rare climatic event. We used mark‐recapture to estimate the annual apparent survival of over 26 000 individuals whose wing, tail, tarsus and bill had been measured. The fitness functions associated with tarsus length and bill dimensions fluctuated depending on annual climate conditions on the birds' breeding grounds. The oscillating yearly patterns may have slowed and occasionally reversed directional change in trait trajectories, although there was a trend over time for all traits except tarsus to increase in size. The net positive directional selection on some traits, despite periodic climate‐associated fluctuations, suggests that cliff swallow morphology in the population is likely to keep changing and supports recent work contending that selection in general does not fluctuate enough to be an effective driver of stasis.
Clinical studies of innovative medical devices: what level of evidence for hospital‐based health technology assessment?
Authors: Boudard Aurélie , Martelli Nicolas , Prognon Patrice , Pineau Judith 
Published: March 2013

AbstractRationaleaims and objectivesLike health technology assessment (HTA) agencies, hospitals are faced with requests for innovative and costly medical devices. However, local decision makers are frequently confronted with a lack of high‐quality clinical data when assessing the effectiveness of innovative medical devices. The aim of this study was to quantify the level of evidence available for innovative medical devices in the context of hospital‐based HTA.MethodsWe searched the Medline, Embase and Cochrane Library databases for articles, letters and reports relating to 32 innovative medical devices requested at our hospital between January 2008 and March 2012. All clinical studies retrieved were screened and classified according to the Sackett 5‐point level‐of‐evidence scale.ResultsWe screened and classified 217 studies: 215 clinical trials and 2 cost‐effectiveness studies. Only 47 of the 215 clinical studies (22%) provided high‐level clinical evidence (levels 1–2); 33 (15%) were randomized controlled trials (RCTs). More than half of the 215 studies (52.1%) included fewer than 30 patients. Only 14 of the 47 high‐quality studies reported the amount of missing data. For implantable medical devices, 84 (71.8%) studies specified the follow‐up period and the mean follow‐up period was 18.9 months. Finally, methodological quality did not increase with the risk level of the medical device.ConclusionsOur findings confirm that only a few studies of innovative medical devices provide high‐level clinical evidence. Nevertheless, RCT may be the ‘gold standard’ for drugs, but it is not always appropriate for medical devices. Changes to the European regulation of medical devices, with the requirement for a demonstration of clinical efficacy and safety before release onto the European market, have raised expectations.
Guideline‐based development and practice test of quality indicators for physiotherapy care in patients with neck pain
Authors: Oostendorp Rob AB , Rutten Geert M , Dommerholt Jan , Nijhuis‐van der Sanden Maria W , Harting Janneke 
Published: March 2013

AbstractRationale, aims and objectivesLittle is currently known about the quality of physiotherapy care for patients with musculoskeletal pain. Neck pain was used as an example. The aim is to develop a set of quality indicators, including a practice test.MethodsA systematic method is used to develop potential process and outcome indicators. An expert and user panel is used to appraise the potential quality indicators regarding clarity, relevancy, feasibility, acceptability and improvement potential. An invitation to participate in the practice test was sent to physiotherapy practices. The resulting algorithm is used to calculate the degree to which physiotherapists met these indicators (0–100%). Differences in valid outcomes are tested for significance (Student's t‐test; α = 0.05) and compared with established values for clinical relevance [minimal clinically important change (MCIC)].ResultsA representative set of 40 quality indicators (28 process indicators and 12 outcome indicators) is selected from 44 initial guidelines and literature‐based recommendations. The process indicators (n = 28) are classified per step of the clinical reasoning process of physiotherapy care. Of the 106 potential participants from 27 practices, 38 physiotherapists (35.8%) submitted data on 96 patients with non‐specific neck pain. On average, the participating physiotherapists showed a 55.6% adherence to process indicators with a great variation in scores per step of the clinical reasoning process. The outcomes for ‘pain’, ‘headache’ and ‘daily functioning’ were significantly better compared with baseline, and the mean differences exceeded established values for MCICs.ConclusionGuardedly, we can conclude that a systematic approach is a valuable means to develop a preliminary set of process and outcome indicators for physiotherapy care for patients with non‐specific neck pain, and a practice test should be an intrinsic part of such a systematic approach as it provides valuable information on the key attributes of the set indicators.
Comparative Analysis of Extended Producer Responsibility Policy in the United States and Canada
Authors: Hickle Garth T. 
Published: March 2013

SummaryThis article analyzes the policy choices and programmatic elements of extended producer responsibility (EPR) as implemented in the United States and Canada. The article traces the historical development of EPR in each country and defines common features of EPR in each nation. The U.S. states and the Canadian provinces have assumed the primary role, rather than the federal governments, for enacting producer responsibility requirements in their respective countries. However, the paths taken demonstrate several fundamental differences, including the prevalence of individual versus collective responsibility and the financing mechanisms implemented for EPR. Given the deepening experience with EPR and the breadth of its application to a widening array of products in the United States, the Canadian model for EPR is starting to receive more examination from policy makers in the United States, indicating that the policy and programmatic differences between the two nations may eventually be narrowing.The comparative policy analysis is illustrated through the lens of EPR regulatory efforts for waste electronics, with particular profiles of the programs in the State of Minnesota and Province of Ontario. Both approaches broadly reflect many of the policy considerations and governance and programmatic themes that dominate EPR programs in each country.Finally, the article offers recommendations for collaborative work between the United States and Canada to explore consistency between programs and other complementary strategies to support producer responsibility activities.
STED microscopy of living cells – new frontiers in membrane and neurobiology
Authors: Eggeling Christian , Willig Katrin I. , Barrantes Francisco J. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractRecent developments in fluorescence far‐field microscopy such as STED microscopy have accomplished observation of the living cell with a spatial resolution far below the diffraction limit. Here, we briefly review the current approaches to super‐resolution optical microscopy and present the implementation of STED microscopy for novel insights into live cell mechanisms, with a focus on neurobiology and plasma membrane dynamics.
Diaper dermatitis care of newborns human breast milk or barrier cream
Authors: Gozen Duygu , Caglar Seda , Bayraktar Sema , Atici Funda 
Published: March 2013

Aims and objectivesTo establish the effectiveness of human breast milk and barrier cream (40% zinc oxide with cod liver oil formulation) applied for the skincare of newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit on the healing process of diaper dermatitis.BackgroundDiaper dermatitis is the most common dermatological condition in newborns who are cared for in the neonatal intensive care unit. Recently, there are several kinds of complementary skincare methods suggested for newborns, such as sunflower oil, human breast milk, etc. Also, some chemical formulations are still being used in many neonatal intensive care units.DesignRandomised controlled, prospective, experimental.MethodsThis study was carried out with a population including term and preterm newborns who developed diaper rash while being treated in the neonatal intensive care unit of a university hospital in Istanbul between February–October 2010. On completion of the research, a total of 63 newborns from human breast milk (n = 30) and barrier cream (n = 33) groups were contacted.ResultsGenders, mean gestation weeks, feeding method, antibiotic use, diaper area cleansing methods, diaper brands and prelesion scores of newborns in both groups were found to be comparable (p > 0·05). There was no statistically significant difference (p = 0.294) between the groups in terms of mean number of clinical improvement days, but postlesion score of the barrier cream group was statistically significantly lower (p = 0·002) than the human breast milk group.ConclusionBarrier cream delivers more effective results than treatment with human breast milk, particularly in the treatment of newborns with moderate to severe dermatitis in the result of the study.Relevance to clinical practiceThis study will shed light on nursing care of skin for newborns who are treated in neonatal intensive care unit.
CONVERTIBLE BOND PRICING MODELS
Authors: Batten Jonathan A. , Khaw Karren Lee‐Hwei , Young Martin R. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractConvertible bonds are an important segment of the corporate bond market, with worldwide outstandings approaching US$235 billion. Simple pricing models value a convertible bond as being equivalent to a straight bond with an embedded option that enables the bond holder to convert to a specific amount of common stock. The straight bond is subject to both interest rate and credit risk, whereas the option to convert is dependent on the underlying stock price, which exposes the convertible bond holder to equity risk. The complexity of these features means that convertible bonds tend to be treated casually in major derivatives and corporate finance textbooks. This paper presents a survey of the theoretical and empirical aspects of convertible bond pricing. The limitations of these studies are highlighted to identify those areas of research that may improve the valuation process and facilitate the application of these securities for corporate financing.
International Stock Return Predictability: What Is the Role of the United States?
Authors: RAPACH DAVID E. , STRAUSS JACK K. , ZHOU GUOFU 
Published: March 2013

ABSTRACTWe investigate lead‐lag relationships among monthly country stock returns and identify a leading role for the United States: lagged U.S. returns significantly predict returns in numerous non‐U.S. industrialized countries, while lagged non‐U.S. returns display limited predictive ability with respect to U.S. returns. We estimate a news‐diffusion model, and the results indicate that return shocks arising in the United States are only fully reflected in equity prices outside of the United States with a lag, consistent with a gradual information diffusion explanation of the predictive power of lagged U.S. returns.
Informed Trading through the Accounts of Children
Authors: BERKMAN HENK , KOCH PAUL D. , WESTERHOLM P. JOAKIM 
Published: March 2013

ABSTRACTThis study shows that the guardians behind underaged accounts are successful at picking stocks. Moreover, they tend to channel their best trades through the accounts of children, especially when they trade just before major earnings announcements, large price changes, and takeover announcements. Building on these results, we argue that the proportion of total trading activity through underaged accounts (labeled BABYPIN) should serve as an effective proxy for the probability of information trading in a stock. Consistent with this claim, we show that investors demand a higher return for holding stocks with a greater likelihood of private information, proxied by BABYPIN.
Mutual Fund Performance and the Incentive to Generate Alpha
Authors: GUERCIO DIANE DEL , REUTER JONATHAN 
Published: March 2013

ABSTRACTTo rationalize the well‐known underperformance of the average actively managed mutual fund, we exploit the fact that retail funds in different market segments compete for different types of investors. Within the segment of funds marketed directly to retail investors, we show that flows chase risk‐adjusted returns, and that funds respond by investing more in active management. Importantly, within this direct‐sold segment, we find no evidence that actively managed funds underperform index funds. In contrast, we show that actively managed funds sold through brokers face a weaker incentive to generate alpha and significantly underperform index funds.
The effect of supplementing leaves of four tannin‐rich plant species with polyethylene glycol on digestibility and zootechnical performance of zebu bulls (Bos indicus)
Authors: Yisehak K. , De Boever J. L. , Janssens G. P. J. 
Published: March 2013

SummaryThe effect of supplementing leaves of four tannin‐rich plant species with polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG) on nutrient intake and digestibility as well as on weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR) and N retention of zebu bulls (Bos indicus) was studied. Leaves of Albizia gummifera, Grewia ferruginea, Prunus africana and Syzygium guineense, containing, respectively, 85, 55, 76 and 172 g condensed tannins (CT) per kg dry matter (DM), were combined with natural pasture hay in a ratio of 40:60 on DM basis. The four diets were fed both without and with addition of PEG, at a dose of 40 g per kg DM, to eight zebu bulls during trials of 25 days in an 8 × 8 randomized crossover design. Supplementation with PEG increased nutrient intake, digestibility, FCR, N retention and average daily gain (p < 0.01). A diet × PEG interaction was observed for nutrient intake as well as for crude protein, neutral detergent fibre and acid detergent fibre digestibility (p < 0.05), but the effect size of PEG addition could not be attributed to the CT content as such, and also digestibility without PEG was not related to CT content of the diets. The reason why the efficacy of PEG addition did not relate to the CT content pointed the need to evaluate other factors that can help to predict the efficacy of PEG, for example, tannin type or interaction with other nutrients.
Promoting Health of Persons With Intellectual Disabilities Using the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities: Early Implementation Assessment in Spain and Hungary
Authors: Brehmer‐Rinderer Barbara , Zigrovic Lucija , Naue Ursula , Weber Germain 
Published: March 2013

AbstractThe article explores the initial achievements in the process of implementation of the Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) with a special focus on health of persons with intellectual disabilities (ID) in Spain and Hungary, the first countries to submit and receive a review for their report in the European Union. The CRPD is a major human rights instrument of the United Nations that was adopted in 2006 with the goal of ensuring protection of rights of persons with disabilities by holding governments accountable for the services they provide to this population. It was found that the reports designed to represent official state comments on the situation of human rights of persons with disabilities often do not follow the reporting requirements of the Convention in terms of required data. Moreover, they do not use a unified understanding of disability promoted by the Convention and make no mention of many important health‐related issues. Access to health is generally understood in a purely physical sense of availability and accessibility of services, while no attention is given to specific expectations and needs of persons with disabilities or to the competence of health staff to work with vulnerable groups. In order to be able to implement the Convention, governments need to carefully assess their country's status quo with regard to disability policies and politics, and at the same time need to develop action plans to implement the CRPD.