bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of fiber content and chemical modifications on the transport properties of PP/jute commingled biocomposites
Authors: George Gejo , Joseph Kuruvilla , Saritha Appukuttan , Nagarajan E. R.
Published: February 2017

This article aims at the investigation of the effect of five different parameters on the transport behavior of PP/jute yarn commingled eco‐composites. The high affinity of jute yarns to moisture (hydrophilic nature) favored the water absorption whereas xylene and toluene diffusion through PP/jute commingled system reduced with increasing fiber content. Chemical treatments increased the interfacial adhesion between the matrix and jute yarns resulting in lesser number of voids and other irregularities at the interface and also resulted in a reduction in the hydrophilic tendency of jute yarns. This led to a decrease in apparent weight gain % with different treatments. The activation energy for the solvent xylene increased with the increase in fiber content owing to the hindering of motion of the solvent molecules by the reinforcing jute yarns whereas for the solvent water, the activation energy decreases with increase in fiber content due to the hydrophilic nature of jute yarns. The analysis of mechanism of transport revealed that the diffusion of water through the composites very nearly follow Fickian mode of transport whereas for the solvent xylene it deviates from it. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:E250–E260, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers
Structural and dynamic characterization of a freestanding acyl carrier protein involved in the biosynthesis of cyclic lipopeptide antibiotics
Authors: Paul Subrata , Ishida Hiroaki , Nguyen Leonard T. , Liu Zhihong , Vogel Hans J.
Published: February 2017

Friulimicin is a cyclic lipodecapeptide antibiotic that is produced by Actinoplanes friuliensis. Similar to the related lipopeptide drug daptomycin, the peptide skeleton of friulimicin is synthesized by a large multienzyme nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) system. The LipD protein plays a major role in the acylation reaction of friulimicin. The attachment of the fatty acid group promotes its antibiotic activity. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that LipD is most closely related to other freestanding acyl carrier proteins (ACPs), for which the genes are located near to NRPS gene clusters. Here, we report that the solution NMR structure of apo‐LipD is very similar to other four‐helix bundle forming ACPs from fatty acid synthase (FAS), polyketide synthase, and NRPS systems. By recording NMR dynamics data, we found that the backbone motions in holo‐LipD are more restricted than in apo‐LipD due to the attachment of phosphopantetheine moiety. This enhanced stability of holo‐LipD was also observed in differential scanning calorimetry experiments. Furthermore, we demonstrate that, unlike several other ACPs, the folding of LipD does not depend on the presence of divalent cations, although the presence of Mg2+ or Ca2+ can increase the protein stability. We propose that small structural rearrangements in the tertiary structure of holo‐LipD which lead to the enhanced stability are important for the cognate enzyme recognition for the acylation reaction. Our results also highlight the different surface charges of LipD and FAS‐ACP from A. friuliensis that would allow the acyl‐CoA ligase to interact preferentially with the LipD instead of binding to the FAS‐ACP.
Survey of conspecific herbivore‐induced volatiles from apple as possible attractants for Pandemis pyrusana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)
Authors: Giacomuzzi Valentino , Mattheis James P , Basoalto Esteban , Angeli Sergio , Knight Alan L
Published: February 2017

BACKGROUND

Studies were conducted to identify volatiles released by apple foliage untreated or sprayed with a yeast and from untreated and sprayed foliage with actively feeding larvae of Pandemis pyrusana Kearfott. Field studies then evaluated various combinations of these volatiles when paired with acetic acid as possible adult attractants.

RESULTS

The most abundant volatiles released following herbivore feeding were four green leaf volatiles (GLVs) and acetic acid. Nineteen volatiles were found to be released in significantly higher amounts from foliage with herbivore damage than from intact leaves. The combination of yeast followed by herbivore injury increased the levels of methyl salicylate and phenylacetonitrile compared with herbivory alone. Levels of acetic acid released were not significantly different among the four treatments. Only phenylacetonitrile and 2‐phenylethanol with acetic acid caught similar and significantly more total and female moths than acetic acid alone. Moth catches with 12 other volatiles plus acetic acid were not significantly higher than with acetic acid alone, and were lower than with acetic acid and 2‐phenylethanol.

CONCLUSION

These data show that herbivore injury does not create a unique chemical signal for adults to locate oviposition or rendezvous sites. Instead, moths may cue to the aromatic–acetic acid combination as a nutritional cue to locate sugary resources. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
A robust cryptographic‐based system for secure data sharing in cloud environments
Authors: Mahmoud Ibrahim M. , Nour El‐Din Sherif H. , Elgohary Rania , Faheem Hossam , Mostafa Mostafa G. M.
Published: February 2017

Over the past few years, the usage of cloud storage services has been growing rapidly to share digital objects between data owner and consumers. However, such environment introduces many data privacy disclosure challenges. These challenges are maintaining data confidentiality, enforcing fine‐grained data access control, applying efficient user revocation mechanism, and resisting collusion between system users. In addition, such environment imposes the support of system scalability and generic implementation features. Unfortunately, the proposal of a robust system that accomplishes all data privacy disclosure challenges and the mentioned features is still an open problem. In this paper, a robust cryptographic‐based system that solves the stated problem is presented. In addition, the proposed system offers a novel architecture of data consumer digital identity. The presented digital identity solves scalability challenges faced by previous works without complicating data management for both data owner and consumer. Moreover, the proposed digital identity eliminates the need of online presence of data owner and consumer to exchange any information. Furthermore, the proposed system defends man‐in‐the‐middle attack, ensures identity of participants, achieves non‐repudiation, and maintains role separation between different participants. Finally, the proposed system implementation proofs the system validity to accomplish all the specified goals with acceptable performance. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Regression test suite minimization using integer linear programming model
Authors: Panda S. , Mohapatra D. P.
Published: February 2017

Software testers always face the dilemma of whether to retest the software with all the test cases or select a few of them on the basis of their fault detection ability. This paper introduces a novel approach to minimizing the test suite as an integer linear programming problem with optimal results. The minimization method uses the cohesion values of the program parts affected by the changes made to the program. The hypothesis is that the program parts with low cohesion values are more prone to errors. This assumption is validated on the mutation fault detection ability of the test cases. The experimental study carried out on 30 programs evaluates the effectiveness and usefulness of the proposed framework. The experimental results show that the minimized test suite can efficiently reveal the errors and ensure acceptable software quality. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Rare syndromes of the head and face: mandibulofacial and acrofacial dysostoses
Authors: Terrazas Karla , Dixon Jill , Trainor Paul A. , Dixon Michael J.
Published: February 2017

Craniofacial anomalies account for approximately one‐third of all congenital birth defects reflecting the complexity of head and facial development. Craniofacial development is dependent upon a multipotent, migratory population of neural crest cells, which generate most of the bone and cartilage of the head and face. In this review, we discuss advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis of a specific array of craniofacial anomalies, termed facial dysostoses, which can be subdivided into mandibulofacial dysostosis, which present with craniofacial defects only, and acrofacial dysostosis, which encompasses both craniofacial and limb anomalies. In particular, we focus on Treacher Collins syndrome, Acrofacial Dysostosis‐Cincinnati Type as well as Nager and Miller syndromes, and animal models that provide new insights into the molecular and cellular basis of these congenital syndromes. We emphasize the etiologic and pathogenetic similarities between these birth defects, specifically their unique deficiencies in global processes including ribosome biogenesis, DNA damage repair, and pre‐mRNA splicing, all of which affect neural crest cell development and result in similar tissue‐specific defects. WIREs Dev Biol 2017, 6:e263. doi: 10.1002/wdev.263

This article is categorized under:

Signaling Pathways > Cell Fate Signaling

Birth Defects > Craniofacial and Nervous System Anomalies
Nanoparticle drug‐delivery systems for peritoneal cancers: a case study of the design, characterization and development of the expansile nanoparticle
Authors: Colby Aaron H. , Oberlies Nicholas H. , Pearce Cedric J. , Herrera Victoria L.M. , Colson Yolonda L. , Grinstaff Mark W.
Published: February 2017

Nanoparticle (NP)‐based drug‐delivery systems are frequently employed to improve the intravenous administration of chemotherapy; however, few reports explore their application as an intraperitoneal therapy. We developed a pH‐responsive expansile nanoparticle (eNP) specifically designed to leverage the intraperitoneal route of administration to treat intraperitoneal malignancies, such as mesothelioma, ovarian, and pancreatic carcinomatoses. This review describes the design, evaluation, and evolution of the eNP technology and, specifically, a Materials‐Based Targeting paradigm that is unique among the many active‐ and passive‐targeting strategies currently employed by NP‐delivery systems. pH‐responsive eNP swelling is responsible for the extended residence at the target tumor site as well as the subsequent improvement in tumoral drug delivery and efficacy observed with paclitaxel‐loaded eNPs (PTX‐eNPs) compared to the standard clinical formulation of paclitaxel, Taxol®. Superior PTX‐eNP efficacy is demonstrated in two different orthotopic models of peritoneal cancer—mesothelioma and ovarian cancer; in a third model—of pancreatic cancer—PTX‐eNPs demonstrated comparable efficacy to Taxol with reduced toxicity. Furthermore, the unique structural and responsive characteristics of eNPs enable them to be used in three additional treatment paradigms, including: treatment of lymphatic metastases in breast cancer; use as a highly fluorescent probe to visually guide the resection of peritoneal implants; and, in a two‐step delivery paradigm for concentrating separately administered NP and drug at a target site. This case study serves as an important example of using the targeted disease‐state's pathophysiology to inform the NP design as well as the method of use of the delivery system. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2017, 9:e1451. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1451

This article is categorized under:

Diagnostic Tools > Diagnostic Nanodevices

Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease
Atouts d'une procédure récente d'inférence bayésienne pour l'étude de l'impact des crises démographiques. Application à trois sites médiévaux bas-normands
Authors: Buchet L. , Caussinus H. , Courgeau D. , Seguy I.
Published: February 2017

Pour mettre en lumière les caractéristiques démographiques de populations issues de contextes archéologiques, le paléodémographe doit pouvoir restituer sans biais la composition par sexe et par âge de ces populations. Nous proposons pour cela une nouvelle procédure d'inférence bayésienne qui permet d'estimer des probabilités de décès, aux âges adultes, assorties de marges d'erreur fiables. Une telle analyse appelle quelques réflexions préalables. Tout d'abord, il convient de vérifier que les différences mises en évidence entre les sites ne peuvent pas être attribuées à des artefacts méthodologiques, notamment lors de l'observation de l'indicateur biologique. Elle suppose aussi l'acceptation du principe d'uniformité biologique entre les populations historiques et les populations de référence préindustrielles. Pour illustrer l'intérêt de cette démarche, nous l'avons appliquée à trois sites bas-normands d'époque mérovingienne susceptibles d'avoir été touchés par la crise démographique des premiers siècles du Moyen Âge décrite par les chroniqueurs et les historiens. Les résultats obtenus montrent clairement que le nombre de décédés est particulièrement élevé dans la première classe d'âge. Si l'explication peut être envisagée en termes de mortalité, on peut y voir aussi l'incidence de mouvements migratoires, cette hypothèse trouvant un écho dans les sources archéologiques qui voient le haut Moyen Âge comme une période d'immigration dans la plaine de Caen.
Using Classifications to Identify Pathological and Taphonomic Modifications on Ancient Bones: Do “Taphognomonic” Criteria Exist?
Authors: Corron L. , Huchet J.-B. , Santos F. , Dutour O.
Published: February 2017

Pathological and taphonomic agents can sometimes produce bone modifications that seem indistinguishable from one another, even to an experienced eye. The aim of this study is to propose a classification system to identify modifications observed on skeletal elements from different environmental and chronological contexts, with similar morphologies but varied aetiologies. Two types of classifications, empirical and statistical, were constructed, tested by two independent observers and compared. This classification system aims to categorise, differentiate and identify pathological and taphonomic bone modifications. In this paper, we identify several taphonomic criteria and propose a new term, “taphognomonic”, to characterise criteria that are specific to particular taphonomic agents. The two classification methods complement each other by providing precise (empirical classification) and reliable (statistical classification) diagnostic criteria. Finally, criteria are highlighted to differentiate pseudo-pathological from pathological bone modifications, the ultimate goal being to reduce the risk of misdiagnosis.
Relationship between determinant factors of disclosure of information on environmental impacts of Brazilian companies
Authors: Vogt Mara , Hein Nelson , Da Rosa Fabricia Silva , Degenhart Larissa
Published: February 2017

This study aims at analyzing the relationship between determinant factors of disclosure of information on environmental impacts of Brazilian companies. A descriptive, documental and quantitative research was conducted through a sample of 97 Brazilian companies. In the Sustainability Reports and in the Annual Reports information, five environmental aspects were collected: emissions, effluents, wastes, products and services; and transport, which were used to measure the degree of environmental disclosure. This concludes that there is a relationship between the variables investigated in all analyzed years. The size, audit and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) are associated with disclosure and the Corporate Sustainability Index (CSI), Pollution Potential (POTEN), governance, stocks, Return on Assets (ROA) and Return on Equity (ROE) are not
Responding 30 Years Later
Authors: Robottom Ian
Published: February 2017

This article was written very early in my career. I was part way through my doctoral degree study on environmental education (EE) theory and practice, and had just completed an evaluation of a national EE curriculum development project. In both of these projects, I found that despite the presence of an emerging discourse about what a distinctive EE is or ought to be, classroom practice represented as EE was essentially either informational or nature study in character — somewhat different from the ‘education for the environment’ being advanced by researchers and curriculum developers internationally at the time. It seemed to me that this situation was less one of teachers’ failure to implement government policy than one of EE curriculum developers failing to recognise teachers’ existing, robust personal constructions of EE (of the environment, education, teaching and learning . . .). An entailment of this position is that EE research has the opportunity and responsibility of exploring the relationship of teachers’ theories and practices and the professional contexts within which these are intelligible. Consequently, a new wave emerged of participatory research involving teachers-as-researchers directly investigating the meaning and significance of their professional work. Some of this work is represented in the following publications.
A Response in 2014
Authors: Gough Annette
Published: February 2017

Documenting a history of environmental education in Australia within an international context has been a research focus (some would say obsession) of mine since 1974, when I undertook a ‘needs for environmental education’ survey for the Curriculum Development Centre. Given the human-centred issues that launched the field (clean air and water, population), it was disturbing to see how it became characterised as nature focused from the 1990s onwards, to distinguish it from education for sustainable development (ESD). As we now look post-decade, we find that ESD is not yet integrated into mainstream education and sustainable development agendas, and the need to promote global citizenship is being added to the agenda. Most of the UNESCO priority action areas from 2014 look very familiar: policy support, whole-institution approaches, educators and local communities. The fifth area is Youth, a category that emerged in its own right for the first time in Agenda 21. Having been in this historical space for so long, I expect I will continue to document a history of the field for as long as I can, to see where the journey leads us.
Responding to the Plight of Species and Landscapes
Authors: Stewart Alistair
Published: February 2017

Have you heard of the White-footed Rabbit Rat, or the Christmas Island Pipistrelle? The White-footed Rabbit Rat was thought to be widespread in south-east Australia but became extinct within 3 decades of European colonisation (Tzaros, 2005). The Christmas Island Pipistrelle, a micro bat, is probably the most recent species to become extinct in Australia (Flannery, 2012).
Diagnostic Accuracy of Transient Ischemic Attack from Physician Claims
Authors: Edwards Jodi D. , Koehoorn Mieke , Boyd Lara A. , Sobolev Boris , Levy Adrian R.
Published: February 2017

Background:Hospitalization data underestimate the occurrence of transient ischemic attack (TIA). As TIA is frequently diagnosed in primary care, methodologies for the accurate ascertainment of a TIA from physician claims data are required for surveillance and health systems planning in this population. The present study evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of multiple algorithms for TIA from a longitudinal population-based physician billing database.Methods:Population-based administrative data from the province of British Columbia were used to identify the base population (1992–2007;N=102,492). Using discharge records for hospital admissions for acute ischemic stroke with a recent (<90 days) TIA as the reference standard, we performed receiver-operating characteristic analyses to calculate sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and overall accuracy, and to compare area under the curve for each physician billing algorithm. To evaluate the impact of different case definitions on population-based TIA burden, we also estimated the annual TIA occurrence associated with each algorithm.Results:Physician billing algorithms showed low to moderate sensitivity, with the algorithm for two consecutive physician visits within 90 days showing the highest sensitivity at 37.7% (CI95%=37.4–38.1). All algorithms demonstrated high specificity and moderate to high overall accuracy, resulting in low positive predictive values (≤5%), low discriminability (0.53–0.57) and high false positive rates (1 – specificity). Population-based estimates of TIA occurrence were comparable to prior studies and declined over time.Conclusions:Physician billing data have insufficient sensitivity to identify TIAs but may be used in combination with hospital discharge data to improve the accuracy of estimating the population-based occurrence of TIAs.
HAPPINESS FROM A BUDDHIST PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Dalai Lama
Published: February 2017

Happiness is an essential goal of all people. Because happiness is so
fundamentally part of our being, the question of how to attain it is of great
importance. Buddhism has a long and well-developed philosophical and practical
tradition with the goal of helping humans to attain happiness and end suffering.
In this article, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama draws on the wisdom of the
Buddhist tradition to explain how one can achieve happiness by transforming the
mind. In particular, His Holiness explains how, in the Buddhist tradition, there
is a special instruction called Mind Training, which focuses on cultivating
concern for others and turning adversity to advantage that can be of great
benefit to people seeking to end suffering and cultivate happiness.
ISLAM, DEMOCRACY, AND THE LIMITS OF SECULAR CONCEPTUALITY
Authors: Tareen Sherali K.
Published: February 2017

Recent years have seen a proliferation of academic and popular writings on the relationship among Islam, secularism, and democracy. Often, this topic is approached through the question of compatibility: Is Islam compatible or incompatible with secular democracy? Regardless of whether one answers this question with a yes or with a no, such an approach does little to help one in achieving a more nuanced understanding of Islam or secular democracy as discursive traditions. The two works under review here do not follow this pattern. Though distinct in their disciplinary persuasions and in their questions and objects of research, both works offer critical insights into the interaction between Islam and the conditions and structures of secular modernity.
Letter to the Editor
Authors: Redding Gordon
Published: February 2017

I wish to congratulate the editorial team on their forthright lead article in MOR12.4 regarding the state of empirical research in our field. I strongly endorse the aspiration of making the field more scientific. I understand the need to regain confidence in published empirical social science. But I would not wish readers to come away with the idea that such concerns define the heart of the discipline. The paper was quite properly concerned with bringing empirical research up to the highest standards. But let us not forget that there is another endeavor running in partnership, and in any review, it should not be taken for granted. I refer to theory-building.
Lowermost Cambrian acritarchs from the Yanjiahe Formation, South China: implication for defining the base of the Cambrian in the Yangtze Platform
Authors: AHN SOO YEUN , ZHU MAOYAN
Published: February 2017

TheAsteridium–Heliosphaeridium–Comasphaeridium(AHC) acritarch assemblage is composed of common organic-walled microfossils in the basal Cambrian chert–phosphorite units in South China, indicating that the AHC assemblage can be a useful biostratigraphic tool for the Ediacaran–Cambrian boundary successions in the Yangtze Platform. To test the validity of the AHC acritarch assemblage as a biostratigraphic tool, the stratigraphic range of the AHC acritarch assemblage was confirmed, and its spatial and temporal relationships to other bio- and chemostratigraphic tools were analysed in the Yanjiahe Formation, Yangtze Gorges area, South China. The result shows that the AHC assemblage temporally correlates to theAnabarites trisulcatus–Protohertzina anabaricaAssemblage Zone, and spatially correlates to the large negative carbon isotope anomaly of the lowermost Cambrian (BACE) in the Yanjiahe Formation. This implies that the radiation of phytoplankton occurred slightly before the radiation of the small shelly fossils, and the AHC acritarch assemblage can be another important chronological reference to the lowermost Cambrian successions in South China, and potentially to global correlations.
Transcending the Realism/Anti-Realism Divide in the Philosophy of History
Authors: Talachian Sina
Published: February 2017

In this essay an attempt is made to transcend the divide between realists and anti-realists in the philosophy of history by proposing an alternative account of understanding the past, one based on the nature of testimonies, specifically theirscopeanddepth. This is done through a critical engagement with the works of prominent realist and anti-realist philosophers of history (Bevir/Lorenz and Ankersmit/White, respectively); other philosophers working on relevant topics such as epistemology, and historians who have written on historical method. The alternative account thus developed is then tested by applying it to the case of theHistorikerstreit, the bitterly waged historian's struggle concerning the history and legacy of Nazism. On the surface it appears to affirm the anti-realist position that posits historical narratives as being inherently normative/aesthetic given the inadequacies of the ‘thick’ realist position, but upon closer scrutiny it demonstrates the merit of my alternative, testimony-based ‘thin’ realist account.
Did Romans Have an Ethnic Identity?
Authors: Gruen Erich S.
Published: February 2017

This paper begins with a stark contrast. Whereas the Athenians took great pride in claiming autochthony, a bloodline unsullied by admixture with barbarians or even other Hellenes, Rome's legendary genealogy unhesitatingly encompassed a host of divergent blends and multiple minglings. Greek forbears from Arcadia, Trojan immigrants who merged with Latins, Sabine and Etruscan kings, the fabled intermarriage of Romans and Sabine women – all indicate a firm belief in ethnic mixture at the origins of the nation. This article asks a pointed question: if Romans were perfectly comfortable with multiple identities in their own makeup, how does one account for the numerous slurs, smears and nasty comments addressed by Roman writers against other races and peoples? It examines a variety of such calumnies and stereotypes and argues that they do not fall into the category of ethnic prejudice. Many of the more (ostensibly) hostile remarks have been taken out of context, misunderstood, more humorous than malicious, and outweighed by a host of admiring comments. The collection of quips, jibes and clichés does not amount to ethnic bigotry. Indeed ethnicity, in terms of genetic characteristics that render non-Romans inferior to Romans, plays little or no role in these assessments. A far better indicator of the Roman outlook is the remarkable practice of extending citizenship to manumitted slaves — almost all of whom (or their ancestors) came from abroad. The Romans’ sense of themselves did not require the establishment of ethnic superiority.
Revisiting the Roman Alexander
Authors: Welch Kathryn , Mitchell Hannah
Published: February 2017

Green (1978) overturned the standard view of Romans' desire to compare themselves with Alexander the Great. He especially criticised the too-credulous acceptance of Caesar's ‘Alexander complex’. Gruen (1998) and Martin (1998) extended Green's arguments to include Pompeius. This paper argues that in attempting to redress the balance Green, Gruen and Martin go too far. Alexanderwasa powerful icon in first-century BC Rome but the desire to be compared to him grew out of specific, not general, considerations. In the case of Pompeius and Caesar, emulation of Alexander was as much about competition between themselves as it was about any third party.
The Succession Planning of Augustus
Authors: Stevenson Tom
Published: February 2017

Erich Gruen has questioned the notion of ‘succession planning’ under Augustus, arguing that theprincepswas careful to avoid giving the impression that he wanted to create a heritable dynasty, for it was not in his interest to emphasise autocracy and there was no office of state to pass on. This view seems incomplete, since the prerogatives and resources of the Julian family were of such magnitude that Augustus’ heir could hardly fail to occupy a position of dominance in the state, as everyone surely knew. Moreover, it seems likely that Gruen overestimates the level of opposition to autocracy, that the cause of state stability was aided overall by clear lines of succession, that relevant attitudes were dynamic rather than static, and that there was a higher public profile (and more practical, substantial importance) for the imperial family than Gruen describes.
What is an empire and how do you know when you have one? Rome and the Greek States after 188 BC
Authors: Eckstein Arthur M.
Published: February 2017

Interstate politics in the ancient Mediterranean was for centuries what political scientists term a multipolar anarchy – a world consisting of a plurality of independent states all contending with each other for survival and hegemony. The most successful of these was, of course, Rome. But did the tremendous victories of 196 and 188 BC over the Antigonid monarchy and then the Seleucid monarchy – which followed the defeat in 201 of the Carthaginian Republic in the West – mean that Rome established an empire in the eastern Mediterranean? That the Roman Republic established an empire in the Greek East from 188 BC is asserted by some scholars. I will argue differently here. The emergence of Rome as a true imperial metropole was haphazard and long-delayed. After the defeat of Carthage, Macedon and the Seleucids, Rome by 188 had certainly achieved what political scientists term ‘unipolarity’: in the Mediterranean state-system of states, the preponderance of power was now in the hands of a single entity. But does the emergence of even greater inter-state asymmetry of power equal the establishment of an ‘empire’? This is the complicated question I will address.
Zeus and Mount Ida in Homer’sIliad
Authors: Mackie C.J.
Published: February 2017

This article explores the part played by Mount Ida in theIliad. It begins with some consideration of Ida in the early ‘history’ of Troy – the stories of Dardanus and the early line of Trojan kings. The city of Troy (Ilios) has its origins on Mount Ida, and the mountain remains very dear to the Trojans in many different ways. The rivers at Troy have their source on the mountain, and the Trojans acquire their water and wood from there. Moreover, the mountain is a central part of Trojan religious life, including the peak at Gargarus, where Zeus resides for a significant part of the poem. This article considers the two journeys of Zeus to Mount Ida from Olympus in theIliad, and the ways that these are dealt with in the text. It raises questions about the rationale for and the effect of his visits there. It is argued that the poet uses Zeus’s absence from Olympus to ‘open up’ the cosmos, and permit new kinds of divine conduct and intervention. The article concludes with some consideration of the fact that the text offers no reference to the return of Zeus from Ida to Olympus prior to the council of the gods and Theomachy in Book 20.
The Eleian ManticGene
Authors: Bourke Graeme
Published: February 2017

The Eleianmanteiswho practised at the altar of Zeus in Olympia appear to have belonged to two separategene, the Iamids and the Klytiads. This paper first considers the identity and number of the Eleian manticgeneand then questions the long-held assumption that the Iamidgenoswas the first to become established at Olympia. It is argued that the foundation myths that appear in Pindar and Pausanias are probably the result of the embellishment of pre-existing tradition in the Classical and Hellenistic periods. While neither archaeology nor further textual evidence entitles us to assume that mantic activity at Olympia predated the late Archaic period, an early Classical inscription, certain of the sculptures on the temple of Zeus and a later series of inscriptions from Olympia do make it possible to infer that two mantic houses, of which the Iamids were one and the Klytiads likely the other, were practising at Olympia from that time or earlier. Some reflection upon the limitations of myth as historical evidence is offered before the conclusion is reached that we cannot be certain that the Iamids constituted the senior house.
Cinna’s Trouser Snake – or the Biter Bit? Alternative Interpretations of Cinna fr. 12FRP
Authors: Cowan Robert
Published: February 2017

The only extant choliambic line by Cinna, comparing some action to a Psyllus doing something to an asp, is preserved by Aulus Gellius to illustrate that the adjectivesomniculosuscan have the causative sense ‘sleep-inducing’ as well as the active one of ‘sleepy’. If Gellius is correct, then the simile’s missing verb is likely to have one of the Psylli, famed for their ability to lull snakes to sleep, doing just that to a ‘sleep-inducing asp’. The situation which would be compared to this must be that of someone receiving a taste of their own medicine. This would also account for the Psyllus’ imprecise epithetPoenus, which would pun onpoena. If Gellius is wrong, andsomniculosusmeans ‘sleepy’ as in almost all other instances in Latin, the combination of snake and sleep imagery, which can be paralleled separately in other texts, with the abusive choliambic metre might suggest that what is being compared to the asp is the flaccid penis of an impotent man.
Conjoint Analysis of the Mid-Atlantic Food-Fish Market for Farm-Raised Hybrid Striped Bass
Authors: Halbrendt C.K. , Wirth F.F. , Vaughn G.F.
Published: February 2017

Conjoint analysis was used to examine buyer preferences toward farm-raised hybrid striped bass at the wholesale, retail, and restaurant levels. Low price and round form were found to be important attributes in the product preference rating for the wholesale and retail markets. The filleted form contributed the most to restaurants' preference rating. Following these, larger fish size was preferred by all markets.
Robust design of Passive Assist Devices for multi-DOF robotic manipulator arms
Authors: Brown W. Robert , Ulsoy A. Galip
Published: February 2017

A comparison of series, parallel, and dual Passive Assist Devices(PADs) designed using energy minimization based on a known maneuver is presented. Implementation of a PAD can result in an improvement in system performance with respect to efficiency, reliability, and/or utility. We introduce a new initial design using a weighted force displacement curve fit. A robust design approach for a family of maneuvers is developed and presented. Applications to a 3-link manipulator arm show that PADs could reduce energy consumption between 60% and 80%.
La politique d’amortissement fiscal de la firme
Authors: Gagnon Jean-Marie , Broquet Claude
Published: February 2017

Ce texte est consacré au rôle de l’amortissement fiscal dans les analyses de rentabilité. Dans une première partie, nous rappelons le rôle qu’y joue l’amortissement fiscal. Nous présentons ensuite quelques formules qui permettent d’évaluer la valeur présente d’un dégrèvement d’impôt attribuable à l’amortissement, compte tenu des lois et règlements présentement en vigueur en Belgique. Pour fins de comparaison, nous rappellerons au passage quelques aspects de la fiscalité canadienne. Dans la troisième partie, nous discutons du choix d’une méthode et d’un taux d’amortissement lorsque l’entrepreneur prévoit une hausse du taux d’impôt sur le revenu des sociétés. Nous y concluons que l’administrateur rationnel préférera généralement l’amortissement mixte. Enfin, en quatrième partie, nous examinons quelques hypothèses sur le comportement des firmes belges.
Analyse coûts-bénéfices et analyse multi-critères Le traitement d’un cas fictif
Authors: Gerard-Varet L.A.
Published: February 2017

Les problèmes de choix publics, en particulier ceux que pose la lutte contre les nuissances, peuvent être abordés par l’économiste de différentes manières. Nous nous proposons, dans ce qui suit, d’illustrer l’intérêt, ainsi que les éventuelles limites, de méthodes de résolution de ces problèmes initialement introduites par les théoriciens de la décision. Ces méthodes devraient trouver, dans le cadre de l’analyse économique, un contexte fécond de développement.

De manière générale, un problème de choix survient lorsqu’un agent de décision (individu, groupe d’individus ou institution) se trouve confronté à un ensemble d’actions (des projets publics en l’occurrence) au sein duquel il doit sélectionner un ou plusieurs éléments parmi « les meilleurs ». Partant de l’observation du comportement de choix l’analyste cherche à dégager une relation de préférence qui soit une bonne rationalisation de ce comportement. Réciproquement, à supposer qu’une préférence puisse être spécifiée sur l’ensemble des actions, et dans la mesure où les choix sont faits en accord avec elle, cette préférence constitue une rationalisation du comportement et le guide pour les choix futurs.
Global Warming Responses at the Primary Secondary Interface 2. Potential Effectiveness of Education
Authors: Skamp Keith , Boyes Eddie , Stannistreet Martin
Published: February 2017

In an earlier paper (Skamp, Boyes, & Stanisstreet, 2009b), students' beliefs and willingness to act in relation to 16 specific actions related to global warming were compared across the primary secondary interface. More primary students believed in the effectiveness of most actions to reduce global warming and were willing to take those actions. In general there was a disparity between students' beliefs and their actions and explanations were proffered for these differences. Using these data, a derived measure of the potential effectiveness of education in encouraging each of these pro-environmental actions to reduce global warming is reported. This measure, and other derived indices, suggests where education could be most effective in encouraging willingness to take pro-environmental actions to reduce global warming.
Reflections on Pedagogy and Place: A Journey into Learning For Sustainability through Environmental Narrative and Deep Attentive Reflection
Authors: Tooth Ron , Renshaw Peter
Published: February 2017

Narrative is fundamental to our diverse capacities to remember, to provide an account of self, and to represent our actions, motivations and place in society. The narrative mode is concerned with central aspects of the human condition – commitments and personal agency; motivations and emotions; collective experiences and cultural histories and myths. As such it is concerned with relationships between people, their activities within particular places and the ethics that arise in these specific relationships. This paper explores the role of narrative as a pedagogical device and as a form of thinking and valuing for students to use in their everyday interactions. In particular, it considers why a combination of environmental narrative, drama and deep attentive reflection sits so well with the emerging pedagogies of “place”, and why this alliance is such an effective means for allowing individuals to experience, understand and value for themselves the entwined and sensorial connections that exist between people and place. Based on a year-long values education case study in eight primary schools, we describe and theorise about why such a narrative approach to pedagogy, when linked to deep attentive experiences in nature, is so effective in developing a new kind of place-based body/mind meaning-making and learning that inspires individuals to engage with both the inner and outer work of sustainability.
Environmental Education in Small Business: The Owner-Manager's Perspective
Authors: Redmond Janice , Walker Elizabeth
Published: February 2017

Traditionally, environmental education has been aimed at the community or in primary schools and governmental pressure to reduce environmental damage has focussed on large businesses. More recently, the role and importance of small business and how to engage them in the environmental debate has come under scrutiny. Researchers have identified education as one method of increasing the understanding of small business owner-managers' role and knowledge of practices that, when implemented, will reduce the negative impacts of their businesses. However, there is little attention given in the literature to the perspective of the small business owner-manager and environmental education. This research was conducted to begin to address this gap. Research results confirm that there is limited environmental education for small businesses and that there is a disconnect in meeting the needs of such a disparate group. Six elements were identified by the small business owner-managers in the design of environmental education for them: use of plain language, provision of best practice examples, industry specific information, solutions for immediate improvement, practical content and use of trusted sources to deliver the program.
Beyond Lip Service: A Council Approach to Planning for Behaviour Change
Authors: Collier Grahame , Smith Phil
Published: February 2017

The Council of the City of Sydney – like many other councils around Australia – has embarked on a whole-of-council approach to establishing sustainable behaviours amongst its residents. In developing its Residential Environmental Action Plan - designed to motivate and bring about real change in resident choices and behaviours - the City sought to base its planning on a significant knowledge base.

It undertook a project which asked two fundamental questions: What does the literature say about behaviour change in the community? and What do the residents of the City of Sydney local government area say about the best ways to influence community behaviour? A review of behaviour change models and the conduct of focus groups and other informant interviews across the key demographics of the City of Sydney local government area, yielded two sets of criteria for behaviour change programs. Not surprisingly, both sets were similar and for ease of use they were merged into one shorter set of twelve criteria. These are useful in informing the design of programs or assessing whether existing programs are capable of affecting behaviour. The key claim in this paper is the importance of understanding both the theory and the local community at the design phase of any program. Good planning of behaviour change programs enables graceful interventions, the magic of co-learning and the power of adaptation.

The authors acknowledge the work and support of the City of Sydney in undertaking this project.
From Wilderness to the Educational Heart: A Tasmanian Story of Place
Authors: Green Monica
Published: February 2017

This paper discusses the emerging field of place-based education or place-based pedagogy - an approach that seeks to enhance childrens perspective of ‘place’ via school and community related environmental projects. Place-based education is proposed as an approach that enables students to establish a connection to a place, its people, and to the world beyond the school gate. Through initiating teaching and learning experiences that respond to the unique and local places where children live, play and go to school, place-based education is notable as a significant educational tool. Gregory Smith's place-based framework (2002) and a Tasmanian case study are put forward to highlight the significance of place-based pedagogy for environmental education.
Turn Your Key - Reducing Truck Idling
Authors: MacRae Gareth , Stockport Tina
Published: February 2017

As Australia enters the era of emissions trading schemes, strategies to further curb emissions will grow in importance. At the same time, a national emissions trading scheme is set to be introduced whilst the country is set to increase its dependency and volume of road transport in years to come. This raises a doubly important question for transport operators: what can they do to reduce emissions? Whilst advances in fuel technology and vehicle regulations will play their parts, changing driving behaviour is an area that remains relatively unexplored. This paper will highlight the design, implementation and evaluation of a behaviour change initiative that was trialled by the State of Western Australia Department of Environment and Conservation's CleanRun team in collaboration with fleet truck drivers in a large national transport company. It will also propose a model for broader implementation and compare this to other similar programs in other countries.
Democracy and the Freedom of Speech: Rethinking the Conflict between Liberty and Equality
Authors: Dawood Yasmin
Published: February 2017

This article re-examines the distinction between the libertarian approach and the egalitarian approach to the regulation of campaign finance. The conventional approach (as exemplified by the work of Owen Fiss and Ronald Dworkin) is to reconcile the competing values of liberty and equality. By contrast, this article advances the normative claim that democracies should seek to incorporate both the libertarian and the egalitarian approaches within constitutional law. I argue that instead of emphasizing one value over the other, the ideal position is one that simultaneously recognizes the values of liberty and equality despite the irreconcilable tension between them. Rather than choosing one value over the other, or reconciling these values by redefining them, I claim that it is vital to maintain the tension between liberty and equality by instantiating the conflict in law. Democracy is better served when the law contains an explicit tension between these foundational values.

After setting forth this normative framework, I then apply it to the campaign finance decisions of the Supreme Courts of the United States and Canada, respectively. I make two main claims. First, I argue that although the libertarian/egalitarian distinction is usually presented as a binary choice, the laws of a given jurisdiction often simultaneously display both libertarian and egalitarian characteristics. For this reason, I claim that the libertarian/egalitarian distinction is better conceived of as a “libertarian-egalitarian spectrum.” Second, I argue that in recent years, the U.S. Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of Canada, respectively, have privileged one value—liberty or equality—at the expense of the other. The U.S. Supreme Court has over-emphasized the value of liberty (most notably in itsCitizens Uniteddecision), with the result that political equality is markedly undermined. By the same token, the Supreme Court of Canada’s commitment to equality has become too one-sided in recent cases (HarperandBryan), with the result that there are significant impairments to free speech liberties. I argue that both of these approaches are detrimental to democratic participation and governance. Finally, this article offers a preliminary proposal for how courts and legislatures can allow for the conflict between liberty and equality to be instantiated in law.