bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Beliefs about back pain and pain management behaviours, and their associations in the general population: A systematic review
Authors: Morton L. , de Bruin M. , Krajewska M. , Whibley D. , Macfarlane G.J.
Published: July 2018

Previous mass media campaigns have aimed to influence how people manage back pain, with mixed success. Campaigns should target beliefs which are related to the behaviours they aim to change. This systematic review brings together research that has measured the prevalence of beliefs about back pain in the general population and factors associated with these beliefs, including future pain‐related outcomes. Five databases were searched up until April 2017. Quantitative studies which reported a measure of agreement with a belief about back pain, cross‐sectional associations, or associations between beliefs and future outcomes were eligible. Eligibility was assessed and data extracted independently by two authors. Results were tabulated and narratively synthesized. Nineteen studies from 10 countries were eligible (median study n [IQR] = 990.5 [524.75–2387.5]). Beliefs were measured using eight questionnaires and 57 stand‐alone items. Beliefs about back pain's negative consequences were common across countries and populations, whereas most samples did not hold fear‐avoidance beliefs. Beliefs about back pain's consequences were associated with pain and disability, but only one study investigated this specific relationship prospectively. No studies investigated whether beliefs are associated with future pain management behaviours. Agreement with certain beliefs (e.g. about negative consequences) was associated with sociodemographic characteristics (e.g. older age) and poorer self‐rated health. Interventions may benefit from targeting beliefs about the perceived negative consequences of back pain in these populations. However, future research should explore how beliefs prospectively influence the management of back pain.

Significance

This review brings together studies which have assessed the prevalence of beliefs about back pain, and factors associated with holding them. It highlights that whether or not these beliefs represent important determinants of how people manage pain remains unknown.
Preparation, flame retardancy, and thermal and mechanical properties of polyurethane containing phosphonated bisphenol‐A units
Authors: Niu Xianglian , Nie Zubao , Wang Guiyou
Published: July 2018

A novel phosphonated bisphenol‐A glycol (3001‐OH) was synthesized by the ring opening reaction between α,ω‐phenol‐terminated aromatic polyphosphonate and propylene oxide. 3001‐OH was then incorporated into polyurethanes (PUs) as soft segments, and the effects of 3001‐OH on the flame retardancy and thermal and mechanical properties of PUs were investigated. The tensile strength and Young modulus of PUs are improved with the incorporation of 3001‐OH into the PUs. With the increase of 3001‐OH content in the PUs, the glass transition temperature of the soft segments increases, and the phase separation degree between the hard and soft segments decreases. The limiting oxygen index values of PUs increase from 23.1% to 29.6%, while total heat release values from micro‐scale combustion calorimeter decrease from 24.3 to 21.5 kJ g−1. And the PUs containing phosphorus element successfully met UL‐94 V‐0 rating requirements. The thermal degradation behaviors and flame retardant mechanism of 3001‐OH were studied by thermal gravimetric analysis and pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectrometry coupled with the morphology and chemical analysis of the char residues. The results confirm that 3001‐OH exerts gaseous‐phase and condensed‐phase flame retardant effects on the PUs.
Numerical Investigation of Convergent and Divergent Parallel Flow Fields for PEMFCs
Authors: Timurkutluk B. , Chowdhury M. Z.
Published: July 2018

In this study, the classical parallel flow field pattern is modified by a convergent and divergent design concept for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The modification is achieved by varying the channel depth with different constant inclination gradients from the inlet to the outlet, along with the bipolar plate width which creates either a convergent or divergent flow field depending on the position of the inlet and outlet selected. The numerical model is solved to predict the cell performance including the mass transport, water vapor concentration and, pressure and current density distribution for the flow fields. The numerical results reveal that the modified convergent parallel flow fields have a better mass transport and water removal characteristics than those in the conventional one, whereas mal‐distribution of species and excessive water concentration occur in the conventional and divergent parallel flow fields. Introducing convergent parallel flow field design concept not only minimizes these issues but the cell power density is also improved by a maximum of 16%, which can show a new window in PEMFC flow field design concept.
Potential effect modifiers of the arsenic–bladder cancer risk relationship
Authors: Koutros Stella , Baris Dalsu , Waddell Richard , Beane Freeman Laura E. , Colt Joanne S. , Schwenn Molly , Johnson Alison , Ward Mary H. , Hosain GM Monawar , Moore Lee E. , Stolzenberg‐Solomon Rachael , Rothman Nathaniel , Karagas Margaret R. , Silverman Debra T.
Published: July 2018

Populations exposed to arsenic in drinking water have an increased bladder cancer risk and evidence suggests that several factors may modify arsenic metabolism, influencing disease risk. We evaluated whether the association between cumulative lifetime arsenic exposure from drinking water and bladder cancer risk was modified by factors that may impact arsenic metabolism in a population‐based case–control study of 1,213 cases and 1,418 controls. Unconditional logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between cumulative arsenic intake and bladder cancer stratified by age, sex, smoking status, body mass index (BMI), alcohol consumption and folate intake. P‐values for interaction were computed using a likelihood ratio test. We observed no statistically significant multiplicative interactions although some variations in associations were notable across risk factors, particularly for smoking and BMI. Among former smokers and current smokers, those with the highest cumulative arsenic intake had elevated risks of bladder cancer (OR = 1.4, 95% CI: 0.96–2.0 and OR = 1.6, 95% CI: 0.91–3.0, respectively; while the OR among never smokers was 1.1, 95% CI: 0.6–1.9, p‐interaction = 0.49). Among those classified as normal or overweight based on usual adult BMI, the highest level of cumulative arsenic intake was associated with elevated risks of bladder cancer (OR = 1.3, 95% CI: 0.89–2.0 and OR = 1.6, 95% CI: 1.1–2.4, respectively), while risk was not elevated among those who were obese (OR = 0.9, 95% CI: 0.4–1.8) (p‐interaction = 0.14). Our study provides some limited evidence of modifying roles of age, sex, smoking, BMI, folate and alcohol on arsenic‐related bladder cancer risk that requires confirmation in other, larger studies.
Critical Literacy for Culturally Diverse Teenagers: “I've Learned Something That Is Actually Useful”
Authors: Poulus David , Exley Beryl
Published: July 2018

The authors describe how one teacher scaffolded his 16‐ and 17‐year‐old English communications students to identify the subtle techniques of persuasion in a news report. Situated in an Australian public secondary school, these students were not following a tertiary entrance pathway, but the teacher still wanted them to develop critical literacy skills. The teaching focus was on increasing students’ understandings of the power of language used in a news report through the development of a technical metalanguage. The authors outline seven activities in which the teacher helped his students analyze exchanges in text and the social constructions of identity. Attention is drawn to the role of facilitated discussion, where the teacher has depth of knowledge of a functional model of language. This focus on critical literacy allowed the students to engage with substantive issues and complex texts and to also unite over a common issue.
Prevalence and distribution of cervical human papillomavirus genotypes in women with cytological results from Sichuan province, China
Authors: Li Bei , Wang Hui , Yang Dan , Ma Jian
Published: July 2018

The epidemiologic characteristics of human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes vary by age, ethnicity, and geographic location, and the available data on HPV epidemiological characteristics with cytology results in Sichuan province are limited. Our research was conducted from June 2016 to July 2017. A total of 10 953 women getting HPV testing were enrolled. Liquid‐based cytological and histological results were collected. The overall HPV infection rate was 24.1% in Sichuan province. The prevalence of high‐risk HPV (hrHPV) was 19.9%. For hrHPV genotypes, HPV52 (15.5%) was the most prevalent genotype, followed by HPV16 (13.8%), HPV58 (13.3%), HPV51 (8.6%), HPV39 (8.1%), and HPV68 (7.8%). Among all HPV‐positive women with a cytology or histology result, HPV16‐positive women have the highest cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 1 (CIN1)+ prevalence (11.1%), followed by HPV18 and HPV33; HPV16‐positive women also have the highest CIN2+ prevalence (9.3%), followed by HPV58 and HPV18. To date, this is the largest study done in the Sichuan province for HPV prevalence and subtype distribution with normal and abnormal cytological results. The age‐specific prevalence in patients at gynecology clinics and other clinics is different. Besides, patients at the same age also have a different hrHPV prevalence and lrHPV prevalence. Our result revealed that in every 10 HPV16‐positive women, there is approximately one women with CIN2, CIN3, or cervical cancer. A higher oncogenic potential of HPV58 than that of HPV52 was observed.
Allylthioketone Mediating Radical Polymerization of Styrene
Authors: Zhong Feng , Hong Chun‐Yan , Pan Cai‐Yuan
Published: July 2018

By combination of high trapping radical efficiency of thioketone with resonance of allylic radicals, a novel mediated agent, 1,3,3‐triphenylprop‐2‐ene‐1‐thione (TPPT) is successfully synthesized. The results of studying TPPT‐mediated radical polymerization of styrene (St) respectively at 70 °C and 100 °C reveal that at 70 °C, the monomer conversion is very low (less than 5%), the molecular weights do not change obviously with the monomer conversion, and their molecular weights are also low. However, the polymerization at 100 °C displays first‐order kinetics and a linear increase of the molecular weight with conversion. Several methods are used to study polymerization mechanisms and the results are interesting. The TPPT can efficiently capture the growing PS radicals to form PS‐TPPT radicals, this highly stable radical can be cross‐terminated by the primary radical R• (or the growing PS radicals) to form PS‐TPPT‐R (or PS‐TPPT‐PS), but this termination reaction is irreversible, and the dormant PS‐TPPT‐PS chains cannot be cleaved to regenerate the propagating radicals in the polymerization at 70 °C. However, the growing PS radical can be regenerated from the dormant chains at 100 °C, and the factors influencing the polymerization of St are studied.
Motor unit number estimation of human abductor hallucis from a compound muscle action potential scan
Authors: Li Xiaoyan , Zong Ya , Klein Cliff S. , Zhou Ping
Published: July 2018

Introduction: This study performed motor unit number estimation (MUNE) of the abductor hallucis (AH) muscle from 16 healthy control participants on the basis of the compound muscle action potential (CMAP) scan. Methods: Muscle responses to electrical stimuli ranging from subthreshold to supramaximal intensity were recorded, and MUNE was determined from a model of the responses (MScanFit program). Results: The average CMAP amplitude and MUNE of the AH for the right and left sides combined were 19.6 ± 0.75 mV and 127 ± 5 (mean ± SE), respectively. Discussion: Findings of the study provide useful information about the motor unit number of the AH. Muscle Nerve 58: 735–737, 2018
Facile Electrochemical Intramolecular Amination of Urea‐Tethered Terminal Alkenes for the Synthesis of Cyclic Ureas
Authors: Ahmed Nisar , Khatoon Saira
Published: July 2018

Facile intramolecular amination of unactivated alkenes has been achieved by using electricity as a catalyst that helps to generate an intermediate and accelerates formation of cyclic ureas in high yields. Using this method, no metal catalysts were used. During electrolysis, a nitrogen radical was formed at the urea substrate that cyclised with the alkene and generated a terminal carbon radical which further formed a bond with the 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine‐N‐oxyl radical (TEMPO). This method of electrolysis not only gives cyclic ureas but also functionalises terminal unactivated alkenes. This method can be considered to be environmentally friendly given that it avoids the issues of toxicity or complicated metal ligands and could therefore be potentially employed in green chemistry.
Property enhancement in polypropylene ternary blend nanocomposites via a novel poly(ethylene oxide)‐grafted polystyrene‐block‐poly(ethylene/butylene)‐block‐polystyrene toughener–compatibilizer system
Authors: Tekay Emre , Başkır Serap , Nugay Nihan , Nugay Turgut , Ortaç Bülend , Şen Sinan
Published: July 2018

Synthesis and characterization of a novel toughener–compatibilizer for polypropylene (PP)–montmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposites were conducted to provide enhanced mechanical and thermal properties. Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) blocks were synthetically grafted onto maleic anhydride‐grafted polystyrene‐block‐poly(ethylene/butylene)‐block‐polystyrene (SEBS‐g‐MA). Special attention was paid to emphasize the effect of PEO‐grafted SEBS (SEBS‐g‐PEO) against SEBS‐g‐MA on morphology, static/dynamic mechanical properties and surface hydrophilicity of the resultant blends and nanocomposites. It was found that the silicate layers of neat MMT are well separated by PEO chains chemically bonded to nonpolar SEBS polymer without needing any organophilic modification of the clay as confirmed by X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analyses. From scanning electron microscopy analyses, elastomeric domains interacting with MMT layers via PEO sites were found to be distributed in the PP matrix with higher number and smaller sizes than the corresponding blend. As a benefit of PEO grafting, SEBS‐g‐PEO‐containing nanocomposite exhibited not only higher toughness/impact strength but also increased creep recovery, as compared to corresponding SEBS‐g‐MA‐containing nanocomposite and neat PP. The damping parameter of the same nanocomposite was also found to be high in a broad range of temperatures as another advantage of the SEBS‐g‐PEO toughener–compatibilizer. The water contact angles of the blends and nanocomposites were found to be lower than that of neat hydrophobic PP which is desirable for finishing processes such as dyeing and coating. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Expression of FLOWERING LOCUS C and a frameshift mutation of this gene on chromosome 20 differentiate a summer and winter annual biotype of Camelina sativa
Authors: Anderson James V. , Horvath David P. , Doğramaci Münevver , Dorn Kevin M. , Chao Wun S. , Watkin Erin E. , Hernandez Alvaro G. , Marks M. David , Gesch Russ
Published: July 2018

The nature of the vegetative to reproductive transition in the shoot apical meristem of Camelina sativa summer annual cultivar CO46 and winter annual cultivar Joelle was confirmed by treating seedlings with or without 8 weeks of vernalization. True to their life cycle classification, Joelle required a vernalization treatment to induce bolting and flowering, whereas CO46 did not. In this study, whole genome sequence, RNAseq, and resequencing of PCR‐amplified transcripts for a key floral repressor were used to better understand factors involved in the flowering habit of summer and winter biotypes at the molecular level. Analysis of transcriptome data indicated that abundance for one of the three genes encoding the floral repressor FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC; Csa20 g015400) was 16‐fold greater in Joelle compared to CO46 prior to vernalization. Abundance of this transcript decreased only slightly in CO46 postvernalization, compared to a substantial decrease in Joelle. The results observed in the winter annual biotype Joelle are consistent with repression of FLC by vernalization. Further characterization of FLC at both the genome and transcriptome levels identified a one base deletion in the 5th exon coding for a keratin‐binding domain in chromosome 20 of CO46 and Joelle. The one base deletion detected in chromosome 20 FLC is predicted to result in a frameshift that would produce a nonfunctional protein. Analysis of whole genome sequence indicated that the one base deletion in chromosome 20 FLC occurred at a greater ratio in the summer biotype CO46 (2:1) compared to the winter biotype Joelle (1:4); similar trends were also observed for RNAseq and cDNA transcripts mapping to chromosome 20 FLC of CO46 and Joelle.
Clinical utility of surveillance computed tomography scans in infants with cystic fibrosis
Authors: Newbegin Katy , Pilkington Katie , Shanthikumar Shivanthan , Ranganathan Sarath
Published: July 2018

Background

In cystic fibrosis (CF), irreversible lung disease arises in early life, and is often asymptomatic and unrecognised. Chest computed tomography (CT) scans have been used to detect asymptomatic lung disease in research; however, the clinical utility of chest CT is unknown. This study aimed to determine the effect of surveillance CT in early life on the clinical management of patients with CF.

Working Hypothesis

Surveillance CT in early life changes the management of patients with CF.

Methods

A medical record review of patients in the AREST‐CF cohort who had chest CT at 1 and 3 years of age was performed. Information extracted included CT scan findings and the effect of CT results on clinical management.

Results

The chest CT scans and records of 50 subjects with CF were reviewed. The majority of CT scans (n = 75; 75%) were abnormal. N = 31 (31%) of scans overall led to a direct change in management. The number of CT scans needed to be performed to lead to a treatment change was 3.2. The majority (n = 18, 58%) of changes in management were prompted by the finding of bronchiectasis.

Conclusion

To the authors knowledge, this is the first study to highlight that early life surveillance CT frequently results in changes in clinical management, and hence may have a role beyond research and in routine care. If this can be shown to contribute to improved outcomes (such as reduced rates of bronchiectasis), then, as radiation doses diminish, chest CT could have an important clinical role.
Bias Exponent of Resistance Noise as a Probe for Disordered Systems
Authors: Dey Animesh Kr. , Nandi Upendranath , Talukdar Deep , Chakrabarty Rajkumar , Bardhan Kamal Kumar
Published: July 2018

The power spectral density Sv(f) of voltage fluctuations in the Ohmic regime of a system varies with voltage V as Sv(f) ≈ Vβ where β is the bias exponent. The equilibrium resistance fluctuation in a homogeneous system provides β = 2 but in disordered systems, we show that β strongly depends on quenched disorder and temperature and is less than 2 in the Ohmic region. At a fixed temperature, β remains nearly equal to 2 at low disorder and decreases from 2 to 1 with the increase in disorder. Interestingly, similar variation in β is observed with the change in temperature from high to low at a fixed quenched disorder. These two cases favor weak localization in the limit of high disorder or low temperature. Experimental results on manganite compounds indicate that the bias exponent β could be used as a sensible nondestructive parameter to identify the existence of a phase transition evolved during the course of investigation. Remarkable correlations between the electrical transport and the power spectral density Sv(f) are observed and explained with the help of inhomogeneous distribution of currents. The results are also supported by the non‐Gaussian nature of the second spectrum of 1/f noise at different temperatures.
A Lagrangian vertical coordinate version of the ENDGame dynamical core. Part II: Evaluation of Lagrangian conservation properties
Authors: Kavčič Iva , Thuburn John
Published: July 2018

A baroclinic instability test case is used to compare the Lagrangian conservation properties of three versions of a semi‐implicit semi‐Lagrangian dynamical core: one using a height‐based vertical coordinate and two using a Lagrangian vertical coordinate. The Lagrangian coordinate versions differ in the choice of target levels to which model levels are reset after each step—the first uses the initial model level heights while the second uses quasi‐Lagrangian target levels. A range of diagnostics related to Lagrangian conservation are computed, including global entropy, unavailable energy, cross‐isentrope mass flux, and consistency of potential temperature and potential vorticity with passive tracers and parcel trajectories. The global entropy, unavailable energy, and cross‐isentrope fluxes do not suggest any clear advantage or disadvantage from the use of a Lagrangian vertical coordinate, though the cross‐isentrope flux reveals a flaw in the formulation of the remapping of potential temperature in the Lagrangian coordinate model at the top boundary. The use of a Lagrangian vertical coordinate with quasi‐Lagrangian target levels improves the consistency among potential temperature as a dynamical variable, potential temperature as a tracer and potential temperature on Lagrangian particle trajectories. It also improves consistency between a potential vorticity tracer and potential vorticity on Lagrangian particle trajectories. However, it degrades the consistency between model and tracer potential vorticity, as well as between model potential vorticity and potential vorticity on Lagrangian trajectories. This degradation appears to be related to the slopes of model levels, which are greater in the version with quasi‐Lagrangian target levels.
Predicting suspended sediment concentration from nephelometric turbidity in organic‐rich waters
Authors: Bright Christina E. , Mager Sarah M. , Horton Sophie L.
Published: July 2018

Nephelometric turbidity is an optical index for the side scattering of light caused by fine particles suspended in water. When a mixed composition of suspended inorganic and organic materials, including dissolved organic material, is present, turbidity measurements can be affected by the different optical properties of the organic and inorganic materials present, and different turbidimeters are more or less sensitive to these influences. Two different methods of nephelometric turbidity measurement were assessed (using instruments confirming to two different turbidity standard methods: EPA 180.1 and ISO 7027). We investigated the influence of particulate organic matter and coloured dissolved organic matter on relationships between turbidity and suspended sediment concentration for rivers in diverse Otago catchments, in the South Island of New Zealand. The presence of organic matter and dissolved colour affected turbidity measurement owing to light absorption; however, turbidity measurement following the ISO 7027 standard, which specifies near infrared radiation at wavelengths where organic absorption is very weak, was less affected by organics. As a result, rating equations between suspended sediment and turbidity may be significantly different with ISO 7027 compared with EPA 180.1 methods.
Seasonal movements of shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) in the Altamaha River, Georgia
Authors: Ingram E.C. , Peterson D.L.
Published: July 2018

Shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) populations were decimated by a variety of anthropogenic activities throughout much of the 20th century. Understanding the spatial and temporal dynamics of spawning migrations within natal rivers is a critical information gap with regard to habitat protection and ultimately, species recovery. The objectives of this study were to document and describe seasonal movements of shortnose sturgeon in the Altamaha River system, Georgia. Passive acoustic telemetry was used to monitor the movements of 40 adult individuals from April 2011 through February 2014. Telemetry data revealed that during much of the year, the adults resided within the tidally influenced portion of the river, with most detections occurring near the freshwater–saltwater interface. Upstream movements to potential spawning habitat occurred during winter and early spring, and most fish returned to the lower estuary by April. Upstream migrations appeared to be triggered by environmental cues and were initiated when mean weekly temperatures in the lower Altamaha River were 11.6–16.9 °C. Unlike spawning migrations documented in northern rivers, the pattern of movement observed in this study was a single‐step migration without an apparent resting or staging period. Upstream migrations during nonspawning months were also observed and appeared to correspond with increasing discharge, which potentially resulted in increased channel navigability and habitat availability in nondrought years. This study further illustrates the clinal variations in life history typical of the species and may have important implications on river‐specific strategies for species recovery.
Thermal and physicomechanical properties of gamma‐irradiated EPDM/waste newsprint microfibers composites treated using acrylic styrene emulsion as a coupling agent
Authors: Ali Magdy A. M. , El‐Nemr Khaled F. , Badawy Nagwa A. , Saleh Wafaa
Published: July 2018

This investigation deals mainly with thermal stability and crosslinking density of EPDM/newsprint microfibers composites. The recycled newsprint microfibers were treated using a different ratio of acrylic styrene emulsion (5, 10, and 15 wt% fiber) as a bonding agent to reinforce EPDM rubber matrix. The effect of microfibers content, namely, 5 up to 50 phr (part per hundred part of rubber) and the effect of ionizing radiation on EPDM/newsprint microfibers composites properties were investigated. The microfibers structure and EPDM/microfibers composite were investigated using X‐ray diffraction and FTIR analysis; the results indicate that bonding has occurred between the treated newsprint microfibers and EPDM polymer matrix. EPDM/untreated newsprint microfibers composites have achieved higher crosslinking density than EPDM matrix up to 50 phr microfibers content and up to 100 kGy then decreased with increasing gamma irradiation dose. Meanwhile treatment of the microfibers using 10 wt% acrylic styrene leads to improve crosslinking density at any microfibers content. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was carried out for the microfibers and their composites. TGA indicated that the thermal stability of microfiber was enhanced using acrylic styrene. Whereas there is a slight improvement in thermal stability and activation energy of the composites due to adding treated microfibers using 10 phr microfiber content treated using10 wt% acrylic styrene emulsion and irradiated with 60 kGy gamma radiation dose. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 25:E91–E106, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers
On the Effect of Environmental Exposure on Dwell Fatigue Performance of a Fine-Grained Nickel-Based Superalloy
Authors: Pedrazzini S. , Child D. J. , Aarholt T. , Ball C. , Dowd M. , Girling A. , Cockings H. , Perkins K. , Hardy M. C. , Stone H. J. , Bagot P. A. J.
Published: July 2018

The influence of sulfur contamination on the corrosion-fatigue behavior of a polycrystalline superalloy used in aero-engines is considered. Samples tested under a variety of environmental conditions (including exposures to air, SO
x
gas, and salt) are characterized through a suite of high-resolution characterization methods, including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), secondary ion mass spectroscopy (nanoSIMS), and atom probe tomography (APT). The primary effect of sulfur contamination is to accelerate the crack growth rate by altering the failure mechanism. The SIMS and TEM analyses indicate Cr-Ti sulfide particle formation at grain boundaries ahead of and around oxidized cracks. The APT analysis suggests that these particles then oxidize as the crack propagates and are enveloped in chromia. The chromia is surrounded by a continuous layer of alumina within the cracks. All of the sulfur detected was confined within the particles, with no elemental segregation found at grain boundaries.
In Situ Characterization at Elevated Temperatures of a New Ni-Based Superalloy VDM-780 Premium
Authors: Solís C. , Munke J. , Bergner M. , Kriele A. , Mühlbauer M. J. , Cheptiakov D. V. , Gehrmann B. , Rösler J. , Gilles R.
Published: July 2018

A new Ni-base superalloy VDM-780 Premium was developed for higher service temperatures (above 650 °C), keeping the good processing characteristics of alloy 718. This article presents, for the first time, the morphology and the microstructure characterization of this newly developed superalloy VDM-780 by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and neutron and X-ray diffraction (XRD), after three different aging treatments performed for setting up different microstructures. Results show the presence of the γ-matrix, γ′-hardening phase, and a high-temperature phase whose structure is compatible with δ and η phases but whose exact crystal structure or the possibility of two different high-temperature phases still remains open. Rietveld refinements have allowed phase identification, determination of the lattice constants, and the weight fractions of constituting phases and shown that the presence of the different phases, amount, and morphology highly depend on the aging treatments. No traces of the γ″ phase are observed regardless of the heat treatment. In situ neutron diffraction (ND) studies at high temperature have allowed the determination of the solvus temperatures of the different phases present in each material after the corresponding aging treatment as well as the study of the evolution of their lattice parameters with temperature. The Vickers hardness (HV) of the three different samples was measured, and the results are correlated with the amount and particle size of the γ′-hardening phase of each sample.
Neurobehavioral effects of long‐term maternal fructose intake in rat offspring
Authors: Erbas Oytun , Erdogan Mümin Alper , Khalilnezhad Asghar , Gürkan Fulya Tuzcu , Yiğittürk Gürkan , Meral Ayfer , Taskiran Dilek
Published: July 2018

Background

Previous studies have indicated an association between maternal metabolic conditions and general developmental disturbances of the offspring.

Objective

We aimed to investigate the influence of long‐term maternal fructose intake during gestation and lactation on neurobehavioral development of rat offspring.

Methods

Twelve female Sprague Dawley rats were received either 30% fructose enriched water (n = 6) or regular tap water (control, n = 6) for 12 weeks. Then, control and fructose‐received females were caged with a fertile male, and received 30% fructose and regular chow throughout pregnancy, delivery and until offspring's weaning. On P21, forty littermates (10 male control, 10 female control, 10 male fructose and 10 female fructose) were separated and housed with ad libitum access to standard food and tap water. Following behavioral evaluations at P50, brain levels of TNF‐α, neuregulin 1 (NRG1), glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 (GAD67), nerve growth factor (NGF), insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1), and 5‐hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5‐HIAA) were measured. Histologically, hippocampal neuronal density and GFAP expression were assessed.

Results

Analysis of the behavioral tests (three‐chamber social test, open field test, passive avoidance learning test and stereotypy test) revealed significant differences among the groups. Histologically, hippocampal CA1 and CA3 regions displayed significant alterations such as gliosis and neuronal cell death in fructose‐exposed groups compare to controls. Biochemical measurements of the brain levels of TNF‐α and neurodevelopmental markers showed significant differences between controls and fructose‐exposed groups.

Conclusion

These results suggest a possible link between the chronic maternal metabolic stress, such as long‐term fructose intake, and neurodevelopmental disturbances in the offspring.
Sex differences in functional and molecular neuroimaging biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease in cognitively normal older adults with subjective memory complaints
Authors: Cavedo Enrica , Chiesa Patrizia A. , Houot Marion , Ferretti Maria Teresa , Grothe Michel J. , Teipel Stefan J. , Lista Simone , Habert Marie‐Odile , Potier Marie‐Claude , Dubois Bruno , Hampel Harald ,   for the INSIGHT‐preAD Study Group,   the Alzheimer Precision Medicine Initiative (APMI)
Published: July 2018

Introduction

Observational multimodal neuroimaging studies indicate sex differences in Alzheimer's disease pathophysiological markers.

Methods

Positron emission tomography brain amyloid load, neurodegeneration (hippocampus and basal forebrain volumes adjusted to total intracranial volume, cortical thickness, and 2‐deoxy‐2‐[fluorine‐18]fluoro‐D‐glucose–positron emission tomography metabolism), and brain resting‐state functional connectivity were analyzed in 318 cognitively intact older adults from the INSIGHT‐preAD cohort (female n = 201, male n = 117). A linear mixed‐effects model was performed to investigate sex effects and sex∗apolipoprotein E genotype interaction on each marker as well as sex∗amyloid group interaction for non‐amyloid markers.

Results

Men compared with women showed higher anterior cingulate cortex amyloid load (P = .009), glucose hypometabolism in the precuneus (P = .027), posterior cingulate (P < .001) and inferior parietal (P = .043) cortices, and lower resting‐state functional connectivity in the default mode network (P = .024). No brain volumetric markers showed differences between men and women. Sex∗apolipoprotein E genotype and sex∗amyloid status interactions were not significant.

Discussion

Our findings suggest that cognitively intact older men compared with women have higher resilience to pathophysiological processes of Alzheimer's disease.
Marine Technology Transfer under a BBNJ Treaty: A Case for Transnational Network Cooperation
Authors: Minas Stephen
Published: July 2018

Our ability to protect and sustainably use the high seas is ultimately subject to our ability to understand this vast and remote environment. The success of an international legally binding instrument (ILBI) for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) will depend, in part, on utilizing technology to access ocean life, to analyze it, and to implement measures for its conservation and sustainable use. Indeed, technology, broadly defined, is integral to meeting the ILBI's objectives: not just the mandate to address “capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology,” but also the sustainable use and conservation of marine genetic resources, the implementation of environmental impact assessments, and biodiversity conservation measures such as area-based management tools. To maximize marine technology deployment to protect marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, transferring technology to developing countries will be critical. Provisions for the transfer of technology, generally from developed to developing countries, are included in many international environmental agreements and declarations, but these provisions have often proven difficult to implement. Part of the difficulty is that the relevant technology is dispersed among states; universities, research institutes and other nonstate actors; and private industry. The particular challenge in crafting an ILBI is, as the European Union has identified, to avoid repeating existing provisions and instead to “focus on added value.” One opportunity for an ILBI to add value on technology transfer is to further develop a network model to facilitate marine technology transfer.
Provenance and geochemical variations across the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition in the Soltanieh Formation, Alborz Mountains, Iran
Authors: ETEMAD-SAEED NAJMEH , NAJAFI MAHDI
Published: July 2018

The Soltanieh Formation in the Alborz Mountains of northern Iran is not only a key lithostratigraphic unit for reconstruction of the Iranian geological history, but also a globally outstanding succession to reveal variations in seawater composition across the Precambrian–Cambrian (PC–C) transition. Mineralogical and geochemical data from a continuous stratigraphic record of Lower and Upper Shale members of the Soltanieh Formation are used to define their provenance, tectonic setting as well as geochemical variations during the PC–C transition. The Soltanieh mudrocks are composed of quartz and plagioclase, with minor constituents of illite, chlorite and montmorillonite. The chemical index of alteration, A-CN-K (Al2O3– CaO + Na2O – K2O) relations, index of compositional variability, and Th/Sc versus Zr/Sc ratios indicate low chemical weathering in source areas, compositionally immature and first-cycle sediments. Immobile trace-element ratios and discrimination diagrams, chondrite-normalized rare Earth element (REE) patterns and negative Eu anomaly, along with low total REE abundances and negligible Ce anomalies, demonstrate that the Soltanieh Formation was mainly derived from proximal felsic-intermediate Cadomian magmatic arc sources and deposited in a continental-arc-related basin on the proto-Tethyan active margin of Gondwana. The palaeoredox indicators exhibit a remarkable change in environmental condition from a suboxic to an oxic state across the PC–C transition from the Kahar Formation to the Upper Shale Member of the Soltanieh Formation. Moreover, a significant upwards increase of P, Ba, and Ca is likely associated with enhanced fluxes of nutrient elements during the PC–C transition, coeval with the building of collisional mountain belts during the amalgamation of Gondwana.
Process-Tracing Research Designs: A Practical Guide
Authors: Ricks Jacob I. , Liu Amy H.
Published: July 2018

Process-tracing has grown in popularity among qualitative researchers. However, unlike statistical models and estimators—or even other topics in qualitative methods—process-tracing is largely bereft of guidelines, especially when it comes to teaching. We address this shortcoming by providing a step-by-step checklist for developing a research design to use process-tracing as a valid and substantial tool for hypothesis testing. This practical guide should be of interest for both research application and instructional purposes. An online appendix containing multiple examples facilitates teaching of the method.
The Future of the Social Sciences: Between Empiricism and Normativity
Authors: Abbott Andrew
Published: July 2018

This article takes a processualist position to identify the current forces conducive to rapid change in the social sciences, of which the most important is the divergence between their empirical and normative dimensions. It argues that this gap between the many and various empirical ontologies we typically use and the much more restricted normative ontology on which we base our moral judgments is problematic. In fact, the majority of social science depends on a “normative contractarianism.” While this ontology is the most widely used basis for normative judgments in the social sciences, it is not really effective when it comes to capturing the normative problems raised by the particularity and historicity of the social process, nor the astonishing diversity of values in the world. The article closes with a call to establish a truly processual foundation for our analysis of the social world, which must move away from contractualism and imagine new ways of founding the human normative project.
Authority between Mask and Sign: The Status of the Royal Body in Ancient Greece (Fourth to Second Centuries BCE)
Authors: Cournarie Paul
Published: July 2018

What kind of body was the body of a Hellenistic king? To consider kings in antiquity is to necessarily reach back beyond Ernst Kantorowicz's schema and explore the body before the concept of the “king's two bodies.” An analysis of Xenophon's Cyropaedia sheds light on this configuration, in which the problem was not so much the (unachievable) conformation of a royal super-body as the obscure point at which the natural encountered the ceremonial, the latter absolutely essential to the former in the context of a sprawling empire, but nevertheless threatening to engulf it in the luxury with which the sovereign surrounded himself. Neither transparent nor opaque, at once a sign and a mask, this model was further honed by Alexander the Great. While his persona was bound up with the same alternative, the criticisms that he faced obliged Alexander to make a tactical distinction between his person and ceremonial luxury. This separation in no way implied a duality but rather depended on shifting boundaries, sometimes insisting on his naturally royal body, sometimes on the luxury reconfigured by the sovereign's extreme mastery. The Hellenistic kings inherited these questions, and alternated between a symbolization of their natural being and a naturalization of the symbolic in a constant interplay that resisted stabilization. Only the rise of Rome would bring an end to this vision of the royal body in a process of perpetual construction, as though the incarnation of royalty itself was inconceivable.
Natural and Anthropogenic Controls on Wood Loads in River Corridors of the Rocky, Cascade, and Olympic Mountains, USA
Authors: Scott Daniel N. , Wohl Ellen E.
Published: July 2018

Wood in rivers creates habitat, shapes the morphology of valley bottoms, and acts as a pool of organic carbon (OC). Effective riverine wood management depends on a robust understanding of the spatial distribution of wood throughout river networks. This motivates the analysis of wood load in relation to both reach‐ and basin‐scale processes. We present wood load data coupled with precipitation, forest stand characteristic, land use, and geomorphic data across four basins in the Rocky, Cascade, and Olympic Mountains of the western U.S. We compare basins with differing land use within the same climatic region and basins in differing climates and statistically model intrabasin wood load variability. Wood load is a function of metrics that generally describe river corridor spatial heterogeneity, metrics that describe wood storage patterns, and, at a broader scale, metrics that relate to wood supply. From this, we generate a conceptual model to describe controls on wood load across spatial scales. We use this model to propose that spatial heterogeneity and wood storage pattern together determine reach‐scale wood trapping efficiency. Trapping efficiency in turn regulates how wood supply to valley bottoms determines wood load. We also find that wood in an undisturbed basin stores significant amounts of OC and that wood load restoration has the potential to restore significant amounts of OC to valley bottoms. This conceptual model of wood load controls may serve as a framework to guide wood load modeling and restoration at multiple scales.
Self‐Potential as a Predictor of Seawater Intrusion in Coastal Groundwater Boreholes
Authors: Graham M. T. , MacAllister DJ. , Vinogradov J. , Jackson M. D. , Butler A. P.
Published: July 2018

Monitoring of self‐potentials (SPs) in the Chalk of England has shown that a consistent electrical potential gradient exists within a coastal groundwater borehole previously affected by seawater intrusion (SI) and that this gradient is absent in boreholes further inland. Furthermore, a small but characteristic reduction in this gradient was observed several days prior to SI occurring. We present results from a combined hydrodynamic and electrodynamic model, which matches the observed phenomena for the first time and sheds light on the source mechanisms for the spatial and temporal distribution of SP. The model predictions are highly sensitive to the relative contribution of electrochemical exclusion and diffusion potentials, the exclusion efficiency, in different rock strata. Geoelectric heterogeneity, largely due to marls and hardgrounds with a relatively high exclusion efficiency, was the key factor in controlling the magnitude of the modeled SP gradient ahead of the saline front and its evolution prior to breakthrough. The model results suggest that, where sufficient geoelectric heterogeneity exists, borehole SP may be used as an early warning mechanism for SI.
Radiations effects in ISG glass: from structural changes to long-term aqueous behavior
Authors: Peuget Sylvain , Tribet Magaly , Mougnaud Sarah , Miro Sandrine , Jégou Christophe
Published: July 2018

The aim of the studies about the stability of nuclear glasses is to predict as accurately as possible their behavior over geological timescale. It requires the development of experimental methods to accelerate their irradiation and leaching ageing. This study focuses on the International Simple Glass behavior under irradiation by evaluating its structural and macroscopic property evolutions, and also its long-term chemical durability. Two irradiation ageing scenarios are considered: an alpha self-irradiation of a 244Cm-doped-ISG glass and an external irradiation with few MeV gold ions of non-radioactive ISG glass coupons. The results obtained from the Raman spectroscopy, density, and hardness measurements led to the conclusion that ballistic effects from the recoil nuclei are responsible of the changes with dose observed under alpha self-irradiation and that the ISG glass is a good surrogate of the French nuclear SON68 complex glass under such irradiation conditions. The assessment of the structural evolution with dose of this glass reinforces the mechanistic concepts about the glass response under alpha self-irradiation damage, where the glass response to a recoil nucleus event is the result of a very fast quenching of the damaged zone in the displacement cascade. Furthermore, the irradiation damage induced by gold ions does not fully mimic the 244Cm-doped glass evolution with nuclear dose, since the results of this simulation method overestimates the amplitude of the irradiation damage in the glass because the effects of the alpha particle are not included. Finally, this study demonstrates that the ISG glass water alteration at high-reaction progress is impacted by the glass damage, which indicates that the long-term glass chemical durability will depend on the glass structure when water arrives in contact.
Extracting the Energy Sensitivity of Charge Carrier Transport and Scattering
Authors: Tang Shuang
Published: July 2018

It is a challenge to extract the energy sensitivity of charge carriers’ transport and scattering from experimental data, although a theoretical estimation in which the existing scattering mechanism(s) are preliminarily assumed can be easily done. To tackle this problem, we have developed a method to experimentally determine the energy sensitivities, which can then serve as an important statistical measurement to further understand the collective behaviors of multi-carrier transport systems. This method is validated using a graphene system at different temperatures. Further, we demonstrate the application of this method to other two-dimensional (2D) materials as a guide for future experimental work on the optimization of materials performance for electronic components, Peltier coolers, thermoelectricity generators, thermocouples, thermopiles, electrical converters and other conductivity and/or Seebeck-effect-related sensors.