bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Complement-activation fragment C4a mediates effector functions by binding as untethered agonist to protease-activated receptors 1 and 4
Authors: Wang HongBin , Ricklin Daniel , Lambris John D.
Published: October 2017

Significance

How C4a transduces signaling and generates various biological functions has long been unresolved. Using a cell-based reporter assay, we screened C4a against a panel of 168 known and 73 orphan G protein-coupled receptors and now provide evidence that C4a is a ligand for protease-activated receptor (PAR)1 and PAR4. In human endothelial cells, our assessment of ERK activation and calcium mobilization in the presence of various antagonists and inhibitors suggests that C4a-mediated cell activation is mediated through PAR1 and PAR4. Our results demonstrate that C4a is a nontraditional agonist for PAR1 and PAR4 whose direct functional effects indicate a potentially significant direct linkage between the complement, coagulation, and endothelial barrier systems.
Systems biology analysis of longitudinal functional response of endothelial cells to shear stress
Authors: Ajami Nassim E. , Gupta Shakti , Maurya Mano R. , Nguyen Phu , Li Julie Yi-Shuan , Shyy John Y.-J. , Chen Zhen , Chien Shu , Subramaniam Shankar
Published: October 2017

Significance

Endothelial responses to shear stress modulate vascular homeostasis. This study offers a comprehensive temporal mechanistic model of shear stress response in cultured human vascular endothelial cells by presenting a systematic time-series RNA-sequencing dataset on endothelial cells exposed to pulsatile and oscillatory shears, consisting of 10 time points across 24 h. The experimental data were used for pathway analysis and construction of transcription factor-to-gene networks. The model highlights (
i
) dynamic regulation of several key shear-sensitive endothelial functions relevant to atheroprotective vs. atherogenic phenotype, (
ii
) how these functions may be causally interrelated, and (
iii
) how they are regulated by common upstream shear-responsive transcription factors. The results provide insights into the dynamics of functional evolution over time.
Catheterization alters bladder ecology to potentiate
Staphylococcus aureus
infection of the urinary tract
Authors: Walker Jennifer N. , Flores-Mireles Ana L. , Pinkner Chloe L. , Schreiber Henry L. , Joens Matthew S. , Park Alyssa M. , Potretzke Aaron M. , Bauman Tyler M. , Pinkner Jerome S. , Fitzpatrick James A. J. , Desai Alana , Caparon Michael G. , Hultgren Scott J.
Published: October 2017

Significance

Staphylococcus aureus
is a cause of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs).
S. aureus
CAUTIs are problematic because they are usually caused by antibiotic-resistant strains, and patients who develop these infections have a high risk of developing serious complications. Catheterization in humans and mice causes damage in the bladder that results in the release of host protein fibrinogen (Fg). This study suggests that
S. aureus
exploits the presence of Fg via interactions mediated by the Fg-binding protein ClfB to facilitate colonization of the bladder and the catheter to cause a persistent infection in both mice and humans. Insights into
S. aureus
CAUTI pathogenesis is facilitating the development of more-targeted therapies to better treat these infections.
Network of nutrient-sensing pathways and a conserved kinase cascade integrate osmolarity and carbon sensing in
Neurospora crassa
Authors: Huberman Lori B. , Coradetti Samuel T. , Glass N. Louise
Published: October 2017

Significance

Microbes have evolved complex signaling networks to identify and prioritize utilization of available energy sources. For many fungi, such as
Neurospora crassa
, this entails distinguishing between an array of carbon sources, including insoluble carbohydrates in plant cell walls. Here, we identified a repressor of the cellulose-response pathway in
N
.
crassa
. Using this derepressed mutant, we implicated the conserved hyperosmotic-response MAP kinase pathway in regulating the response of
N
.
crassa
to insoluble carbohydrates. We hypothesize that fungal species that degrade plant biomass use osmolarity as a proxy for soluble sugar in the environment to regulate their nutritional responses, enabling tailored production of lignocellulases. This finding could help in battling fungal plant diseases and in the production of second-generation biofuels.
Mycobacterium tuberculosisis protected from NADPH oxidase and LC3-associated phagocytosis by the LCP protein CpsA
Authors: Köster Stefan , Upadhyay Sandeep , Chandra Pallavi , Papavinasasundaram Kadamba , Yang Guozhe , Hassan Amir , Grigsby Steven J. , Mittal Ekansh , Park Heidi S. , Jones Victoria , Hsu Fong-Fu , Jackson Mary , Sassetti Christopher M. , Philips Jennifer A.
Published: October 2017

Significance

Mycobacterium tuberculosis(Mtb), the causative agent of the disease tuberculosis, grows in macrophages, cells that normally kill bacteria. Recent work has defined a macrophage pathway called “LC3-associated phagocytosis” (LAP) that can eliminate other microbes. LAP is characterized by the recruitment of NADPH oxidase to phagosomes, followed by phagosomal association with LC3 and delivery of the bacteria to a degradative lysosome. Here, we show that LAP does not effectively clear Mtb. The ability of Mtb to inhibit LAP and therefore cause disease depends upon CpsA, a member of the LytR-CpsA-Psr (LCP) protein family, which has previously been implicated in cell-wall metabolism. We demonstrate that Mtb CpsA plays an unexpected role in antagonizing host innate immunity by inhibiting NADPH oxidase and LAP.
Nucleus accumbens feedforward inhibition circuit promotes cocaine self-administration
Authors: Yu Jun , Yan Yijin , Li King-Lun , Wang Yao , Huang Yanhua H. , Urban Nathaniel N. , Nestler Eric J. , Schlüter Oliver M. , Dong Yan
Published: October 2017

Significance

The nucleus accumbens (NAc) regulates cue-induced motivated behaviors, a process that requires fine-tuned functional output of medium spiny principal neurons (MSNs). Our present study reveals that, although contributing <1% of the NAc shell (NAcSh) neuronal population, fast-spiking interneurons (FSIs) form an inhibitory feedforward circuit to dictate the functional output of NAc MSNs. Cocaine self-administration, a rodent model mimicking human cocaine seeking and taking, persistently potentiates the driving force to this FSI-embedded feedforward circuit. Functionally mimicking this effect of cocaine in vivo expedites the acquisition of cocaine self-administration. These results demonstrate a previously unidentified role of an FSI-mediated NAcSh feedforward circuit in cue-induced cocaine seeking and taking.
Mycobacterium tuberculosisinhibits human innate immune responses via the production of TLR2 antagonist glycolipids
Authors: Blanc Landry , Gilleron Martine , Prandi Jacques , Song Ok-ryul , Jang Mi-Seon , Gicquel Brigitte , Drocourt Daniel , Neyrolles Olivier , Brodin Priscille , Tiraby Gérard , Vercellone Alain , Nigou Jérôme
Published: October 2017

Significance

To secure their colonization and survival, pathogens have evolved tactics to undermine host immune responses. Most particularly,Mycobacterium tuberculosisinhibits the activation of macrophages, one of whose roles is to recognize and kill invading microorganisms. Here, we used a library ofM. tuberculosismutants to infect macrophages and uncover molecular mechanisms by which the pathogen modulates the function of these immune cells. We found thatM. tuberculosisproduces cell envelope glycolipids that are antagonists of a macrophage receptor, named TLR2, which is dedicated to the recognition of pathogens, thereby preventing its efficient recognition by the immune system.
Early snowmelt significantly enhances boreal springtime carbon uptake
Authors: Pulliainen Jouni , Aurela Mika , Laurila Tuomas , Aalto Tuula , Takala Matias , Salminen Miia , Kulmala Markku , Barr Alan , Heimann Martin , Lindroth Anders , Laaksonen Ari , Derksen Chris , Mäkelä Annikki , Markkanen Tiina , Lemmetyinen Juha , Susiluoto Jouni , Dengel Sigrid , Mammarella Ivan , Tuovinen Juha-Pekka , Vesala Timo
Published: October 2017

Significance

We quantified a 36-y trend of advanced spring recovery of carbon uptake across the northern hemisphere boreal evergreen forest zone. From this trend, we estimated the corresponding change in global gross primary production (GPP) and further quantified the magnitude and spatiotemporal variability of spring GPP, that is, the cross-photosynthetic carbon uptake by forest. Our main findings are the following: (
i
) We developed a proxy indicator for spring recovery from in situ flux data on CO
2
exchange and recent satellite snowmelt products and (
ii
) we established a relation between spring recovery and carbon uptake to assess changes in springtime carbon exchange showing a major advance in the CO
2
sink.
Cavity hydration dynamics in cytochrome
c
oxidase and functional implications
Authors: Son Chang Yun , Yethiraj Arun , Cui Qiang
Published: October 2017

Significance

Cytochrome
c
oxidase (CcO) reduces molecular oxygen to generate the proton motive force across the membrane that drives ATP synthesis. Internal water molecules in and near a central cavity play important roles in mediating the proton transfers. Molecular simulations of CcO reveal reversible transitions between wet and dry configurations of this internal cavity in response to the charge state of key cofactors and residues. Quantitative analysis of the free energy change and timescale of the transition suggests that hydration-level change of the central cavity is an essential feature that contributes to the vectorial efficiency of proton pumping in CcO. Thus, wetting transition of protein internal cavities can be functionally significant, especially for the transport of charged species.
Time-resolved measurements of an ion channel conformational change driven by a membrane phase transition
Authors: Stevenson Paul , Tokmakoff Andrei
Published: October 2017

Significance

Membranes act as a host matrix to many different biomolecules, such as membrane proteins. As highly dynamic structures, membranes have many modes of fluctuation accessible under physiological conditions. By inducing a phase transition that thins a membrane with a temperature jump and monitoring the response of a model ion channel, we are able to track in a time-resolved manner how this protein responds to fast structural changes in the membrane.
Engineering of tomato for the sustainable production of ketocarotenoids and its evaluation in aquaculture feed
Authors: Nogueira Marilise , Enfissi Eugenia M. A. , Martínez Valenzuela Maria E. , Menard Guillaume N. , Driller Richard L. , Eastmond Peter J. , Schuch Wolfgang , Sandmann Gerhard , Fraser Paul D.
Published: October 2017

Significance

Ketocarotenoids are high-value pigments used in the food and feed industry to confer color. Aquaculture is a good example, where the addition of carotenoids to the feed is essential for the coloration of trout or salmon flesh, and thus product viability. In this study, complex engineering has been carried out to produce a renewable source of ketocarotenoids for use as feed additives. Production in tomato fruit has enabled the testing of this “generally recognized as safe” material with low-energy minimal bioprocessing in aquaculture trials to demonstrate production, technical, and economic feasibility of the system. This achievement represents a potential paradigm in the bioproduction of specialty and bulk chemicals without our reliance on fossil fuel-derived chemical processes.
An anion-immobilized composite electrolyte for dendrite-free lithium metal anodes
Authors: Zhao Chen-Zi , Zhang Xue-Qiang , Cheng Xin-Bing , Zhang Rui , Xu Rui , Chen Peng-Yu , Peng Hong-Jie , Huang Jia-Qi , Zhang Qiang
Published: October 2017

Significance

The Li metal electrode is regarded as a “Holy Grail” anode for next-generation batteries due to its extremely high theoretical capacity and lowest reduction potential. Unfortunately, uncontrolled dendrite growth leads to serious safety issues. This work realizes a dendrite-free Li metal anode by introducing an anion-immobilized composite solid electrolyte, where anions are tethered to polymer chains and ceramic particles. Immobilized anions contribute to uniform distribution of Li ions and dendrite-free Li deposition. The flexible electrolyte can be applied in all–solid-state Li metal batteries with excellent specific capacities. This work demonstrates a concept to adjust ion distribution based on solid-state electrolytes for safe dendrite-free Li anodes, paving the way to practical Li metal batteries.
Detection of isolated protein-bound metal ions by single-particle cryo-STEM
Authors: Elad Nadav , Bellapadrona Giuliano , Houben Lothar , Sagi Irit , Elbaum Michael
Published: October 2017

Significance

Trace metal ions play essential roles in the function of many proteins. Examples include iron in oxygen transport, zinc in proteolytic enzymes and nucleic acid binding, and calcium in signaling and muscle contraction. Current structural methods are not optimal to detect protein-bound metals, which may be observed only after determination of the protein structure to atomic resolution. Elastic scattering contrast in annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) is particularly sensitive to atomic number. Using 3D reconstructions generated from cryo-STEM images, we detect isolated Zn and Fe bound to ferritin at very low stoichiometry. The different patterns obtained reflect physiological interactions of these metals with ferritin. The demonstration also raises the potential for specific protein labeling with heavy atoms.
Molecular origin of the weak susceptibility of kinesin velocity to loads and its relation to the collective behavior of kinesins
Authors: Wang Qian , Diehl Michael R. , Jana Biman , Cheung Margaret S. , Kolomeisky Anatoly B. , Onuchic José N.
Published: October 2017

Significance

Successful functioning of biological systems depends on efficient cellular transport supported by several classes of active biological molecules known as motor proteins. Although they have been intensively studied using various experimental methods, their molecular properties remain not fully understood. We developed a theoretical approach by using structure-based molecular dynamics simulations. It allowed us to understand at the molecular level the effect of external forces on kinesin motor proteins. It is shown that a force-regulated coupling between the neck linker and the ATP binding site of a kinesin accounts for experimentally observed weak susceptibility to loads. Our framework helps us to rationalize the low cooperativity among kinesins. The presented method is a powerful tool in clarifying microscopic features of motor proteins.
Root-associated fungal microbiota of nonmycorrhizal
Arabis alpina
and its contribution to plant phosphorus nutrition
Authors: Almario Juliana , Jeena Ganga , Wunder Jörg , Langen Gregor , Zuccaro Alga , Coupland George , Bucher Marcel
Published: October 2017

Significance

Most terrestrial plants live in symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and rely on this association to scavenge the macronutrient phosphorus (P) from soil.
Arabis alpina
thrives in P-limited alpine habitats, although, like all Brassicaceae species, it lacks the ability to establish an AM symbiosis. By studying the fungal microbiota associated with
A. alpina
roots we uncovered its association with a beneficial Helotiales fungus capable of promoting plant growth and P uptake, thereby facilitating plant adaptation to low-P environments.
Ab initio theory and modeling of water
Authors: Chen Mohan , Ko Hsin-Yu , Remsing Richard C. , Calegari Andrade Marcos F. , Santra Biswajit , Sun Zhaoru , Selloni Annabella , Car Roberto , Klein Michael L. , Perdew John P. , Wu Xifan
Published: October 2017

Significance

Water is vital to our everyday life, but its structure at a molecular level is still not fully understood from either experiment or theory. The latter is hampered by our inability to construct a purely predictive, first principles model. The difficulty in modeling water lies in capturing the delicate interplay among the many strong and weak forces that govern its behavior and phase diagram. Herein, molecular simulations with a recently proposed nonempirical quantum mechanical approach (the SCAN density functional) yield an excellent description of the structural, electronic, and dynamic properties of liquid water. SCAN (strongly constrained and appropriately normed)-based approaches, which describe diverse types of bonds in materials on an equal, accurate footing, will likely enable efficient and reliable modeling of aqueous phase chemistry.
Critical role for PI3-kinase in regulating the use of proteins as an amino acid source
Authors: Palm Wilhelm , Araki Jingwen , King Bryan , DeMatteo Raymond G. , Thompson Craig B.
Published: October 2017

Significance

Mammalian cells can take up monomeric amino acids through cell-surface transporters or recover amino acids through macropinocytosis and lysosomal catabolism of extracellular proteins. In mammalian cells, nutrient uptake is regulated by growth factors. Yet how growth-factor signaling orchestrates different nutrient uptake routes is unclear. Here, we establish a central role for growth-factor–activated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) signaling in promoting cellular amino acid uptake and show that distinct effector branches regulate expression of amino acid transporters, and macropinocytosis and lysosomal catabolism of ingested proteins. Therefore, PI3-kinase signaling supports cell proliferation in the presence of various amino acid sources. These findings suggest that oncogenic PI3-kinase pathway activation is a selective advantage for tumor cells proliferating in fluctuating nutrient environments.
Mechanistic insights into electrochemical reduction of CO
2
over Ag using density functional theory and transport models
Authors: Singh Meenesh R. , Goodpaster Jason D. , Weber Adam Z. , Head-Gordon Martin , Bell Alexis T.
Published: October 2017

Significance

Chemical storage of solar energy can be achieved by electrochemical reduction of CO
2
to CO and H
2
, and subsequent conversion of this mixture to fuels. Identifying optimal conditions for electrochemical cell operation requires knowledge of the CO
2
reduction mechanism and the influence of all factors controlling cell performance. We report a multiscale model for predicting the current densities for H
2
and CO formation from first principles. Our approach brings together a quantum-chemical analysis of the reaction pathway, a microkinetic model of the reaction dynamics, and a continuum model for mass transport of all species through the electrolyte. This model is essential for identifying a physically correct representation of product current densities dependence on the cell voltage and CO
2
partial pressure.
Ideal crop plant architecture is mediated by
tassels replace upper ears1,
a BTB/POZ ankyrin repeat gene directly targeted by TEOSINTE BRANCHED1
Authors: Dong Zhaobin , Li Wei , Unger-Wallace Erica , Yang Jinliang , Vollbrecht Erik , Chuck George
Published: October 2017

Significance

Teosinte, the wild ancestor of maize, is a highly branched and low-yielding plant. Branch suppression in maize was achieved through selection for overexpression of the
teosinte branched1
(
tb1
) transcription factor that acts as a repressor of axillary branching. Here, we show a molecular mechanism for how TB1 transformed teosinte into a viable crop plant. The
tassels replace upper ears1
(
tru1
) mutant causes maize to revert back to its highly branched ancestral state, much like
tb1
. We demonstrate that
tru1
is a direct target of TB1 and is overexpressed in modern maize. The genetic mechanism underlying the
tb1
and
tru1
pathway reveals a blueprint for domesticating new grass species.
Translators, editors, publishers, and critics
Authors: Solum Kristina
Published: October 2017

This chapter examines three recent Norwegian debates on translation sparked off by translation reviews, in which the various agents involved in producing translated texts were granted unusual visibility. The case reflects how discussions on translators’ agency may be of interest for the public sphere in three senses: in disputing unfair judgments on translations, in discussing the quality criteria of translations, and in gatekeeping when the publishers’ quality control mechanisms have fallen short.
Three voices or one?
Authors: Gullin Christina
Published: October 2017

Translations are often treated as if they were identical to the source text – as if the translated text was written not by a translator but by the original author. This phenomenon, recently dubbed “the translation pact,” also informs the way literary reviewers talk about the works they review, as if such works provided access to the original author’s voice. In this chapter, I study the ways in which reviewers in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, respectively, talk about the Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish translations of Nadine Gordimer’s 2005 novel Get a Life as if they were talking about the original book, when they are in fact talking about three different books in closely related languages.
Ideas for use of notes and other visual prompts in dialogue interpreting classes
Authors: Mead Peter
Published: October 2017

This paper discusses ideas for encouraging students of dialogue interpreting to appreciate the potential benefits of acquiring limited familiarity with note-taking and, more generally, with use of visual prompts. After assessing the rationale for raising awareness of notes, even at beginners’ level, the text examines how this can be done as a by-product of listening comprehension and interpreting exercises. Contextualising notes as just one medium through which the interpreter can factor visual input into reception and reproduction of the source speech, the article also offers suggestions for incorporating pictorial cues or short captions into classroom exercises. Material for oral presentation by the teacher (or also by students) is discussed, with simple examples on the subject of rose growing, in English, French and Italian.
Teaching legal interpreting at university level
Authors: Hale Sandra , Gonzalez Erika
Published: October 2017

Legal Interpreting (LI) can be considered a specialised branch of Community Interpreting (CI). It encompasses interpreting in all legal settings, such as lawyer-client interviews, immigration-related interviews, police-related matters, tribunal hearings and court hearings and trials. In addition to a high level of bilingualism, legal interpreters need to possess specialist knowledge of the relevant legal systems, of the goals of the institutions concerned and of the discourse and language of their participants. Interpreters also need to understand their role and the way they can influence proceedings, have a solid theoretical underpinning to substantiate their choices and possess high level interpreting skills in order to perform to the required standard. Competent interpreting is crucial for the fair administration of justice, as inadequate interpreting can lead to juridical errors. Legal interpreters, therefore, require specialised education and training in order to become qualified to work in this setting. This chapter will present an overview of the education and training in interpreting in legal settings offered at the University of New South Wales, Australia, where the authors work. The course is part of a suite of post-graduate programmes but can also be taken by students who are external to the university as a stand-alone course, including practitioners seeking professional development opportunities. The course draws on the theories and research into forensic linguistics and LI as well as on practical experience from those who teach it.
Training legal interpreters in an imperfect world
Authors: Preziosi Isabella , Garwood Christopher
Published: October 2017

The European Union adopted Directive 64/2010/EU in order to create certain minimum standards in the provision of legal interpreting. The Building Mutual Trust report provides guidelines to help Member States develop training courses to achieve these minimum standards. Italy has failed to introduce a system of accreditation or certification and set up the necessary training courses. The authors propose a minimum course, adopting a learner-centred approach with a strong theoretical underpinning, to enable Italyʹs untrained legal interpreters to achieve a discernible improvement in their performances while awaiting the effective implementation of the Directive.
Telephonic dialogue interpreting
Authors: González Rodríguez María Jesús , Spinolo Nicoletta
Published: October 2017

The use of telephone interpreting (TI) is becoming increasingly popular in both the public and private sectors. Dialogue interpreting (DI) carried out over the telephone is an extremely complex interpreting mode, which requires an in-depth knowledge of the dynamics of communication and of the techniques used in “traditional” DI; only with these foundations, will students be able to develop the skills that are specifically required for TI. With this in mind, we propose a specific short teaching course for telephone interpreters, where prospective students have already received teaching in dialogue (and, if possible, consecutive) interpreting, or have practical experience in these fields. After describing the underlying principles of our work, we present five practical units in growing order of difficulty, which can be used for various language combinations.
Visuality, identity and emotion]
Authors: Aragón Karime
Published: October 2017

This chapter presents a semantic and ethnopragmatic analysis of the Mexican Spanish colour word rosa mexicano. This word functions as a symbol of Mexican identity and serves as a cultural keyword for Mexican Spanish speakers. This word appears in a variety of discourses, such as, international and cross-cultural relations, the arts, education and discursive representations of national self-perception. After providing a semantic analysis of the meaning of the word, the analysis moves on to an ethnopragmatic examination, articulating cultural scripts for the visual, identificational and emotional meanings associated with rosa mexicano discourse.
Subúrbio and suburbanos
Authors: Mattos Ana Paulla Braga
Published: October 2017

This chapter studies the Brazilian Portuguese keywords subúrbio ‘suburb’ and suburbanos ‘suburb dwellers’. Despite formal similarities, the English cityscape word suburb conveys a very different concept than subúrbio. In dictionaries, the cultural semantics of the words subúrbio ‘suburb’ and suburbanos ‘suburb dwellers’ is largely missing. This is unfortunate since the semantic richness of these words shed light on Brazilian discourses of urbanism and on a culturally-specific way of categorising people in the urban space. Using evidence from a range of different Brazilian discourses and speakers’ reflections on the two words, I propose a semantic explication for each, using the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) to adequately account for the complex and cultural meaning of the words – seen from an insider’s perspective.
Automatic detection of syntactic patterns from texts with application to Spanish clitic doubling
Authors: Estigarribia Bruno
Published: October 2017

We developed an automated algorithm to retrieve direct object clitic doubling (DOCLD) examples in Spanish data from texts and the web. We focused on the Rioplatense dialect, where this kind of doubling is rather common. Given an electronic text, our procedure has two steps: first, tagging the text with an available part-of speech (PoS) tagger (TreeTagger), then inputing the tagged text into java-based code that extracts all sentences containing direct object clitics and attempts to match each clitic to a candidate doubled NP in its sentence. Identification of DOCLD cases in a short story (edited text) was 100%, whereas on unedited, raw text it was only 50%. Missing DOCLD cases are mainly caused by misspellings and lack of punctuation in the raw texts. We discuss how to improve accuracy mainly by reducing the number of false negatives.
Return to Frenchville
Authors: Bullock Barbara E. , Nichols Jenna
Published: October 2017

This study investigates a potential case of near-merger in legacy French data from Frenchville, Pennsylvania. With previous research having found a robust differentiation in production between French schwa and the front mid rounded vowels by the final generation of Frenchville French speakers, we hypothesize that a former near-merger of these vowels enabled a subsequent demerger. The present analysis examines schwa and the mid vowels in interview data from the penultimate generation of Frenchville speakers and finds evidence for a near-merger, as the vowels are similar but not identical in duration and spectral quality. The data also support the notion that the differentiation of these vowels by the final generation was likely an innovation, rather than the result of transmission.
Revising the canon
Authors: Gilbert Madeline B. , Rohena-Madrazo Marcos
Published: October 2017

This study explores phonetic and social variation in coda (-ɾ) production in Buenos Aires Spanish. Although the traditionally described canonical realization of coda /-ɾ/ is occlusion + vocalic element, our results reveal that the “lenited” approximant + vocalic element is the most frequent variant, and that deletion, approximant, trill, and fricative realizations also exist. We found higher rates of lenited forms in informal speech and among younger, male, and working-class speakers. Higher percentages of canonical forms in careful speech and among older, female, and middle-class speakers indicate possible hypercorrection. Finally, we question the “canonical” status of coda (-ɾ) as occlusion + vocalic element, calling for the consideration of variant frequency and context in establishing a baseline description of coda /-ɾ/.
Hiatus resolution in L1 and L2 Spanish
Authors: González Carolina , Weissglass Christine
Published: October 2017

This study investigates the acquisition of vowel-vowel sequences across words in twenty-five L2 Spanish learners. Building on González & Weissglass (2016), it analyzes their acoustic realization and examines the incidence of hiatus maintenance, hiatus resolution, and glottal stop epenthesis in L2 Spanish. Eight Spanish native speakers are included for comparison. Based on our data, we propose a preliminary Optimality-Theoretic account of the different stages that L2 learners go through when acquiring vowel-vowel sequences. We find evidence for three possible target grammars in our dataset, which correlate with dialectal differences. Two of these grammars appear to have been acquired by some of the L2 learners investigated.
Oral Portuguese in Maputo from a diachronic perspective
Authors: Reite Torun , Jon-And Anna
Published: October 2017

This paper analyzes the diffusion of contact-induced linguistic innovations in Portuguese spoken in Maputo, Mozambique, in two datasets from 1993/4 and 2007, focusing on quantitative accounts of linguistic innovations at lexical, lexico-syntactic, syntactic and morphosyntactic levels. Overall, innovative features that registered in the two datasets are qualitatively the same. Results confirm an increase in the frequency of innovative features related to second language acquisition and language contact at all linguist levels, with particularly high diffusion rates of morphological simplifications. This increase may be related to bilingualism and changes in use of, access to, and input of Portuguese. Furthermore, the qualitative stability of features may be a sign of an emerging usage norm.
Corrosion resistance and self-cleaning behaviour of Ni/a-C: H superhydrophobic films
Authors: Zhou Shengguo , Zhu Xiaobo , Yan Qingqing , Wang Shuncai
Published: October 2017

Superhydrophobic nickel-incorporated carbon-based (Ni/a-C:H) nanocomposite films were prepared successfully on Si substrate via the one-step electrochemical deposition method using methanol as the carbon source and nickel (II) acetylacetonate as the dopant under high voltage, atmospheric pressure and low temperature. Surprisingly, this one-step electrochemical deposited Ni/a-C:H nanocomposite films could achieve superhydrophobic surface. Results showed that without any further modifications by low surface energy materials, the water contact angle of 154.21° and sliding angle of 7.96° were obtained, which attribute to the irregular petaloid structures. In addition, the corrosion resistance tests demonstrated the Ni/a-C:H films deposited at a Ni content of 0.08 mg/ml had excellent corrosion resistance. And the self-cleaning test revealed that the Ni/a-C:H films surface had excellent self-cleaning properties, which indicated this kind of film might have a promising application in the field of drag reduction and self-cleaning.
Influence of pH on the growth behaviour of Mg–Al LDH films
Authors: Wu Liang , Pan Fusheng , Liu Yuanhuan , Zhang Gen , Tang Aitao , Atrens Andrej
Published: October 2017

In this work, a facile in situ method to prepare the Mg–Al-layered double hydroxide (LDH) films on an anodised AZ31 substrate was proposed. The morphology, structure and composition of the LDH films produced within a range of pH values were studied by scanning electronic microscopy, X-ray diffractometer, energy-dispersive spectrum and Fourier transform infrared. The corrosion behaviours of the LDH films were further investigated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarisation. The influence of pH on the LDH films was also studied. The results revealed that the pH of solution is important in the formation of the LDH. The films, which formed within the pH range from 10.72 to 11.72, possessed higher crystallinity and denser layered structure. These LDH films could effectively seal the anodic oxide films and enhance the corrosion resistance of the AZ31 substrate.
Knowledge of the 911 Good Samaritan Law and 911-Calling Behavior of Overdose Witnesses
Authors: Jakubowski Andrea , Kunins Hillary V. , Huxley-Reicher Zina , Siegler Anne
Published: October 2017

Background

Overdose deaths tripled between 1999 and 2014. Most fatal overdoses are witnessed, offering an opportunity for bystanders to call 911. However, fear of arrest may prevent them from calling authorities. Many states have passed 911 Good Samaritan laws that protects the 911 caller and overdose victim from prosecution for drug possession. Little is known, however, about whether the law affects 911-calling behavior of overdose witnesses. We investigated the relationship between knowledge of a 911 Good Samaritan Law (GSL) and 911-calling behavior of study participants trained in opioid overdose rescue.

Methods

We enrolled 351 individuals (n = 351) trained in overdose rescue and educated about the New York State GSL in a prospective longitudinal study. Trained researchers conducted baseline, three, six and 12-month follow-up surveys with study participants to assess participant knowledge of the GSL and responses to witnessed overdoses.

Results

At the twelve-month follow-up, participants had witnessed 326 overdoses. In the overdose events where the participant had correct knowledge of the GSL at the time of the event, the odds of a bystander calling 911 were over three times greater than when the witness had incorrect knowledge of the GSL (OR = 3.3, 95% CI, 1.4–7.5). This association remained significant after adjusting for age, gender, race of the witness and overdose setting (AOR = 3.6, 95% CI, 1.4–9.4).

Conclusions

To our knowledge, this is the first study to show an association between knowledge of the GSL and 911-calling behavior. Legislation that protects overdose responders along with public awareness of the law may be an effective strategy to increase rates of 911-calling in response to overdose events and decrease overdose-related mortality.
Crisis as seen by the individual: the Norm Deviation Approach / La crisis vista por el individuo: el Enfoque de la Desviación de la Norma
Authors: Gaspar Rui , Barnett Julie , Seibt Beate
Published: October 2017

This paper presents a conceptual proposal applied to social, environmental and health crisis appraisal and coping: the Norm Deviation Approach. It is focused on the individual level and its interaction with the context within which a threat (or threats) has emerged. Thus far our understanding of the psychosocial processes that occur at the individual level during crises is a clear lacuna in the risk and crisis perception literature. As a first step for this understanding, we present a definition of crisis as perceived by the individual, based on three necessary components: (1) norm deviation; (2) appraisal; (3) coping. Despite the individual focus, the model is also cognizant of the social level, considering the system in which transactions between individuals and their social environment occur. This approach may be an initial step for developing experimental and computer modelling of societal crises, with practical implications for crisis prevention and monitoring, through social media analysis and other methods. Evidence from research focusing on specific aspects of the model and implications for crisis management and communication are also presented.
From dry land to water: psychosocial impact on the lakeside villages of the Alqueva dam / Desde tierra firme al agua: impacto psicosocial en los pueblos junto de la presa de Alqueva
Authors: Luís Sílvia , Neves Ana-Cristina , Palma-Oliveira José
Published: October 2017

This quasi-experimental study focus on the psychosocial impact of the Alqueva dam on state-anxiety, residential satisfaction and place identity of the inhabitants of four villages: Luz (forced to relocate), Estrela (whose village became a peninsula), Amieira (whose village became a peninsula with a marina) and Monsaraz (whose village started overlooking water). Psychosocial impact was analysed as a function of village and time. As expected, Luz evidenced the most negative psychosocial impact, as inhabitants showed higher anxiety, lower residential satisfaction towards village and house and lower place identity. Results also evidence how changes in the immediate surroundings and landscape have significant psychosocial impact. Cross-sectional measures taken with a six-year interval evidenced no changes in time. Perceived public engagement, in particular perceived public communication and consultation, was related to greater adaptation in Luz, its role being discussed as a coping strategy. Results stress the need to manage the psychosocial impact of large projects.
Air pollution in Mexico City: attribution and perception of causes and effects / La contaminación del aire en la Ciudad de México: atribución y percepción de sus causas y efectos
Authors: Landeros-Mugica Karina , Ortega-Andeane Patricia , Reyes-Lagunes Isabel , Sosa-Echeverría Rodolfo
Published: October 2017

Air pollution is caused by human activities and affects health. As an imminent risk to the inhabitants of Mexico City’s Metropolitan Area, both environmental and socio-cultural aspects must be taken into account. Because of the psychological dimensions’ relevance as predecessors of environmental behaviour, the aim of this study is to describe air pollution’s perception, causal attribution and their relation. Results show differences by age, education, location and awareness. The use of cars and of public transport is attributed to behavioural characteristics, while household energy saving and car maintenance are attributed to personal factors. The perception of causes and effects points out energy saving as attributed to personal factors. To attribute car use to circumstances leads to explain the use of public transport to personal factors. Identifying these characteristics will allow policy makers to design tailored informational campaigns, address specific necessities and intervene more effectively.
Explaining the ‘gender-risk effect’ in risk perception research: a qualitative secondary analysis study / Explicando el ‘efecto género-riesgo’ en la investigación de la percepción del riesgo: un estudio cualitativo de análisis secundario
Authors: Henwood Karen , Pidgeon Nick , Parkhill Karen
Published: October 2017

Quantitative psychometric experiments and surveys have been used extensively in the field of risk research to explore the cognitive and cultural determinants of beliefs about environmental risk. We adopt a conceptually novel approach called effects made by gender and conduct an interpretive, qualitative study involving secondary analysis of a data set comprising 11 reconvened focus groups. The groups were initially designed to compare talk about the meanings for people of six different risk cases: climate change, nuclear power and radioactive waste, genetically modified foods and crops, human genetic testing, mobile phone handsets and transmission masts. In-depth findings and insights are presented concerning the dynamic role played by gender binaries, epistemic subject positions and identity-making within the workings of gender discourses. These serve to define everyday realities and (de)stabilize taken-for-granted ‘truths’ of gender difference in risk perception studies. A deeper regulatory role is identified for hegemonic masculinity; in particular, how concern for risk is downplayed when set alongside the cultural and psychological gains made from technological world-making. Care discourses are also part of the matrix of culture-technology-identity relationships responsible for creating effects made by gender.
In search of a positive framework for communications about Global Climate Change. Positive communication about Global Climate Change / En busca de un encuadre positivo en la comunicación sobre el cambio climático global. Comunicaciones positivas sobre el cambio climático global
Authors: Pinheiro José Q. , Farias Alexandra C.
Published: October 2017

After decades of wide spreading, Global Climate Change (GCC) is still rarely present in people’s minds and hearts or public policies. More recently, studies are suggesting that the catastrophic tone typically used in the dissemination of the topic should be replaced by positive approaches that would facilitate acceptance and participation of the general public in mitigative actions. In order to explore such possibility, we interviewed eight advertisers and eight environmentalists, asking them to design publicity campaigns aimed at new strategies of persuasion that would motivate palpable and proactive reactions from the public. The majority of the interviewees (13) were able to delineate positive campaigns whose content allowed the identification of important categories of such strategies. Our study indicates the importance of the joint collaboration among distinct professionals in the complex communication processes about GCC, so that irrelevant details may be discarded in favour of what is most relevant.
Children’s environmental perception of protected areas in the Atlantic Rainforest / Percepción ambiental infantil en la selva tropical. Cómo los niños perciben las áreas protegidas de la selva tropical
Authors: Profice Christiana , Pinheiro José Q. , Fandi Ana-Cláudia , Gomes Ana-Roberta
Published: October 2017

Interaction between children and protected natural environments was analysed in an exploratory method investigation conducted by a multi-disciplinary team in the Atlantic Rainforest. The purpose was to understand the environmental perceptions of children about the natural environment of a biological reserve’s buffer zone in which they live. The specific objectives were: to outline a group profile on environmental perception based on the analysis of drawings made by children; to deepen the understanding of the environmental perception of participants through discussion groups; to compare children’s drawings with photographs. We found similarity between the real landscape and the drawings, betokening the empirical adequacy of environmental knowledge. We argue that protected natural environments provide opportunities for cognitive, affective and social development, in addition to being a direct source of personal significance for their conservation.
Attitudes towards urban air pollution: a Q methodology study / Actitudes frente a la contaminación atmosférica urbana: un estudio basado en el método Q
Authors: Sala Roser , Oltra Christian , Gonçalves Lila
Published: October 2017

This article assesses the variety of public attitudes towards air pollution. The objective is to analyse how people differently understand and react to air pollution. In particular, we attempt to discern different profiles of people in terms of their attitudes towards air pollution by means of the Q method. The Q method is a qualitative but statistical approach enabling us to discover a variety of attitudinal profiles or discourses concerning an issue from reduced samples. Our results reveal two different attitudinal profiles: annoyed-aware and optimistic-unaware. Nonetheless, there is an important shared discourse among these two groups regarding their behavioural responses to air pollution, levels of worry, self-efficacy and desire for more information. The results have implications for potential health and environmental communication interventions.
The role of anticipated emotions in recycling intention: an extension of the Theory of Planned Behaviour / Emociones anticipadas en la intención de reciclar: una extensión de la Teoría de la Conducta Planificada
Authors: Durán Mar , Ferraces María-José , Rodríguez Mauro , Sabucedo José-Manuel
Published: October 2017

Based on Ajzen’s previous research, the primary aim of this paper is to explore the importance of anticipated emotions in household waste recycling intention beyond the explanation provided by the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). A questionnaire was constructed and given to a sample of 276 students aged 18 to 24 at the University of Santiago de Compostela. Anticipated emotions were measured in relation to the intention, or lack thereof, to separate out household waste for the purposes of recycling. Findings show that negative emotions, in the same (NAE_sd) and the opposite direction (NAE_od) as the action, make the highest contribution to increasing explained variance ( R2 = 6.0%). Furthermore, these variables are also directly and significantly related to intention (NAE_sd (β = −.19); NAE_od (β = .23)), making them more relevant in terms of better explaining this environmentally responsible intention.
Ecuadorian students’ conceptions and personal experience regarding water management issues / Concepciones y experiencias personales de los estudiantes ecuatorianos sobre la gestión del agua
Authors: Liefländer Anne K. , Fremerey Christian , Bogner Franz X.
Published: October 2017

Household water distribution and wastewater management represent major challenges in developing countries. In designing effective instructional interventions to address this issue, educators should consider people’s current knowledge of water management as a starting point. In our study, we examine Ecuadorian students’ current conceptions and personal experience in the context of water management issues. A sample of 73 adolescents from the Guayas coastal region of Ecuador responded to a paper-pencil questionnaire with open questions. The subsequent qualitative content analysis revealed some interesting results. In particular, the students’ life experiences appear to shape the students’ conceptions regarding the origin of piped-in household water and its ultimate destination, suggesting that experience-based learning has occurred. We found that a confusion of issues may arise. Mixing up the household water system with the wastewater system or household water with bottled water may lead to overgeneralization. Technical terms like groundwater, waterworks and wastewater treatment plant seem to be unfamiliar to most Ecuadorian students. Inferring from our results, we present practical recommendations for educators, both in developed and developing countries, to use in their instruction on water management issues.