Self-Consistent Ornstein-Zernike approximation for the Yukawa fluid with improved direct correlation function

Thermodynamic consistency of the Mean Spherical Approximation as well as the Self-Consistent Ornstein-Zernike Approximation (SCOZA) with the virial route to thermodynamics is analyzed in terms of renormalized gamma-ordering. For continuum fluids this suggests the addition of a short-range contribution to the usual SCOZA direct correlation function, and the shift of the adjustable parameter from the potential term to this new term. The range of this contribution is fixed by imposing consistency with the virial route at the critical point. Comparison of the results of our theory for the hard-core Yukawa potential with simulation data show very good agreement for cases where the liquid-vapor transition is stable or not too far into the metastable region with respect to the solid state. In the latter case for extremely short-ranged interactions discrepancies arise.Comment: Minimal changes due to referee's comments. Accepted for publication in J. Chem. Phys

The dark side of employee referral bonus programs : potential applicants’ awareness of a referral bonus and perceptions of organizational attractiveness

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of potential applicants’ awareness of employees being rewarded for referrals on organizational attractiveness, based on credibility theory and the multiple inference model. In a first study (N=450), final-year students were less attracted to the organization when they knew employee referrals were rewarded, which was partially explained by lower credibility perceptions. Moreover, varying the specific characteristics of the referral bonus program (i.e., timing, size, type, recipient) did not improve potential applicants’ perceptions of credibility and attractiveness. A second study (N=127) replicated the negative effect of referral bonuses on organizational attractiveness and found that it could be explained by both potential applicants’ inferences about the referrer’s other-oriented motive and lower referrer credibility. Whether employees explicitly stated their referral reason was bonus-driven or not did not affect these results

Social media recruitment : communication characteristics and sought gratifications

This study examines how social media pages can be used to influence potential applicants' attraction. Based on the uses and gratifications theory, this study examines whether organizations can manipulate the communication characteristics informativeness and social presence on their social media page to positively affect organizational attractiveness. Moreover, we examine whether job applicants' sought gratifications on social media influence these effects. A 2 x 2 between-subjects experimental design is used. The findings show that organizations can manipulate informativeness and social presence on their social media. The effect of manipulated informativeness on organizational attractiveness depends on the level of manipulated social presence. When social presence was high, informativeness positively affected organizational attractiveness. This positive effect was found regardless of participants' sought utilitarian gratification. Social presence had no significant main effect on organizational attractiveness. There was some evidence that the effect of social presence differed for different levels of social gratification

Kosterlitz-Thouless and Manning Condensation

A comparison between the Kosterlitz-Thouless theory of metal insulator transition in a two dimensional plasma and a counterion condensation in a polyelectrolyte solution is made. It is demonstrated that, unlike some of the recent suggestions, the counterion condensation and the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition are distinct.Comment: 3 pages, uses multicol.sty, accepted to Physica

Systematic review and meta-analysis of optimal P2Y₁₂ blockade in dual antiplatelet therapy for patients with diabetes with acute coronary syndrome

Background: Patients with diabetes are at increased risk of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and their mortality and morbidity outcomes are significantly worse following ACS events, independent of other comorbidities. This systematic review sought to establish the optimum management strategy with focus on P2Y₁₂ blockade in patients with diabetes with ACS. Methods: MEDLINE (1946 to present) and EMBASE (1974 to present) databases, abstracts from major cardiology conferences and previously published systematic reviews were searched to June 2014. Relevant randomised control trials with clinical outcomes for P2Y₁₂ inhibitors in adult patients with diabetes with ACS were scrutinised independently by 2 authors with applicable data was extracted for primary composite end point of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke; enabling calculation of relative risks with 95% CI with subsequent direct and indirect comparison. Results: Four studies studied clopidogrel in patients with diabetes, with two (3122 patients) having primary outcome data showing superiority of clopidogrel against placebo with RR0.84 (95% CI 0.72–0.99). Irrespective of management strategy, the newer agents prasugrel (2 studies) and ticagrelor (1 study) had a lower primary event rate compared with clopidogrel; RR 0.80 (95% CI 0.66 to 0.97) and RR 0.89 (95% CI 0.77 to 1.02), respectively. When ticagrelor was indirectly compared with prasugrel, there was a trend to an improved primary outcome with prasugrel (RR 1.11 (95% CI 0.94 to 1.31)) particularly in those managed with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (RR 1.23 (95% CI 0.95 to 1.59)). Prasugrel demonstrated a statistical superiority with prevention of further MI with RR 1.48 (95% CI 1.11 to 1.97). This was not at the expense of increased major thrombolysis in MI (TIMI) bleeding rates RR 0.94 (95% CI 0.59 to 1.51). Conclusions: This meta-analysis shows the addition of a P2Y₁₂ inhibitor is superior to placebo, with a trend favouring the use of prasugrel in patients with diabetes with ACS, particularly those undergoing PCI

The haemodynamic effects of collateral donation to a chronic total occlusion : implications for patient management

Physiological lesion assessment in the form of Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) is now well established for the purpose of guiding multi-vessel revascularization. Chronic total coronary occlusions are frequently associated with multi-vessel disease and the collateral dependent myocardium distal to the occlusion is often supplied by a collateral supply from another epicardial coronary artery. The haemodynamic effect of collateral donation upon collateral donor vessel flow may have important implications for the vessel's FFR; rendering it unreliable at predicting ischaemia should the CTO be revascularized. As a consequence, in the setting of multi-vessel disease, optimal revascularization strategy might be altered. There is a paucity of work in the medical literature directly examining this phenomenon. We endeavoured to review the existing literature related to it, to summarise from current knowledge of coronary physiology what is known about the potential effects of CTO revascularization on both collateral flow and collateral donor vessel physiology, and to highlight where further studies might inform practice

Medical therapy, percutaneous coronary intervention and prognosis in patients with chronic total occlusions

Objective There is little published data reporting outcomes for those found to have a chronic total coronary occlusion (CTO) that is electively treated medically versus those treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We sought to compare long-term clinical outcomes between patients treated by PCI and elective medical therapy in a consecutive cohort of patients with an identified CTO. Methods Patients found to have a CTO on angiography between January 2002 and December 2007 in a single tertiary centre were identified using a dedicated database. Those undergoing CTO PCI and elective medical therapy to the CTO were propensity matched to adjust for baseline clinical and angiographic differences. Results In total, 1957 patients were identified, a CTO was treated by PCI in 405 (20.7%) and medical therapy in 667 (34.1%), 885 (45.2%) patients underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Of those treated by PCI or medical therapy, propensity score matching identified 294 pairs of patients, PCI was successful in 177 patients (60.2%). All-cause mortality at 5 years was 11.6% for CTO PCI and 16.7% for medical therapy HR 0.63 (0.40 to 1.00, p=0.052). The composite of 5-year death or myocardial infarction occurred in 13.9% of the CTO PCI group and 19.6% in the medical therapy group, HR 0.64 (0.42 to 0.99, p=0.043). Among the CTO PCI group, if the CTO was revascularised by any means during the study period, 5-year mortality was 10.6% compared with 18.3% in those not revascularised in the medical therapy group, HR 0.50 (0.28–0.88, p=0.016). Conclusions Revascularisation, but not necessarily PCI of a CTO, is associated with improved long-term survival relative to medical therapy alone