bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Raiders of the lost jewel (in the Crown)
Authors: Mavroidis Petros C.
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to offer an overview of papers in the WTO @ 20 collection.

Design/methodology/approach

– An overview of the papers in the WTO @ 20 collection, complete with a personal perspective on the continuing relevance of the organization.

Findings

– This paper adds further support to the notion that the compliance rate with the WTO dispute settlement system and the “quality” of judgments handed down require greater study and less impressionistic reporting.

Originality/value

– This paper positions the papers in the WTO @ 20 collection in their appropriate context.
Regulatory convergence and dispute settlement in the WTO
Authors: Meagher Niall
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to examine the issues faced by the World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement system in disputes involving questions of regulatory convergence. The traditional focus of the WTO has been on increasing market access and eliminating discrimination in trade. Now, as tariffs have been all but eliminated and Members rarely impose obviously discriminatory trade barriers, attention increasingly turns to questions of regulatory convergence. Leaving aside questions as to the overall benefits of regulatory convergence between markets, these developments pose a significant challenge to the organs of the WTO dispute settlement – and it is here that this paper focuses.

Design/methodology/approach

– While General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)/WTO law has fairly well-developed tools for identifying discrimination in trade, the tools necessary for assessing whether regulatory measures maintain the requisite balance or proportionality between sovereign/domestic concerns and trade concerns are less clear. The paper discusses this latter point.

Findings

– The WTO agreements are frequently not clear on where or how this balance between sovereign/domestic concerns and trade concerns is to be determined. To date, WTO panels and the Appellate Body have preferred to focus on whether they can identify any discriminatory aspects of a measure. However, they will increasingly be called to pronounce on non-discriminatory regulatory policy choices of Members.

Originality/value

– This paper contributes to the literature on the Appellate Body, and argues that Members will need to develop a credible and consistent balance between policy space and trade restrictiveness.
Macro stress test for credit risk
Authors: Kanno Masayasu
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to analyze the benchmark model and offer a practical implementation of the macro stress test. The emergence of complicated instruments such as securitized products has rendered the risk management methodologies used in non-crisis periods insufficient. The macro stress test has become prominent as both an internal risk management tool for financial institutions and a way for supervisory authorities to maintain financial stability. However, no practical model is available for transforming macro stress scenarios into the risk parameters of an institution’s internal model.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study presents a model for assessing a company’s default risk through a multi-level regression based on simultaneous estimates of the impacts of company-specific, macroeconomic and sector-specific risk factors using panel and time series data.

Findings

– Equity capital, EBITDA, the current ratio and the fixed assets to fixed liability ratio are selected as the company-specific factors, while the CPI core rate, overall unemployment rate, overnight call rate and JGB yield to subscribers are selected as the macroeconomic factors. The correlation coefficients among the latent sector factors are significant at 5 per cent. In addition, the accuracy ratio values prove that the presented model has more default prediction power than do models without them.

Originality/value

– This study is the first to provide a benchmark model for incorporating macroeconomic variables into a credit risk model for use in a bottom-up macro stress test.
Antioxidant Properties of Caffeic acid Phenethyl Ester and 4‐Vinylcatechol in Stripped Soybean Oil
Authors: Jia Cai‐Hua , Wang Xiang‐Yu , Qi Jin‐Feng , Hong Soon‐Taek , Lee Ki‐Teak
Published: December 2015

Caffeic acid was used to synthesize 4‐vinylcatechol (4‐VC) by thermal decarboxylation and to prepare caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) by esterification reaction. The identities of synthesized products were confirmed by 1H NMR. Antioxidative activities of 4‐VC and CAPE were compared with α‐tocopherol and BHT in stripped soybean oil at 60 °C under the dark. To evaluate the degrees of oxidation at different concentrations and combinations, peroxide value (PV) and 1H NMR were performed. From the results of PV, the formation of primary oxidation products (i.e., hydroperoxides) in stripped soybean oil containing 200 ppm CAPE was the slowest. The relative oxidation degree of 200 ppm CAPE (9.5%) was lower than other samples on 9 d. Similar results were obtained by 1H NMR analysis. After 15 d of storage, levels of conjugated diene forms and aldehydes of 200 ppm CAPE sample (57.3 and 0.9 mmol/mol oil) were also lower than other treatments. In addition, 4‐VC and α‐tocopherol were found to have a synergistic antioxidant effect.
Vaspin prevents elevation of blood pressure through inhibition of peripheral vascular remodelling in spontaneously hypertensive rats
Authors: Kameshima S. , Sakamoto Y. , Okada M. , Yamawaki H.
Published: December 2015

Aim

Visceral adipose tissue‐derived serine protease inhibitor (vaspin) is a relatively novel adipocytokine with protective effects on metabolic diseases including obesity and type II diabetes. We have previously demonstrated that vaspin exerts anti‐inflammatory and antimigratory roles through antioxidative effects in vascular smooth muscle cells. As inflammatory responses and migration of smooth muscle in peripheral vascular wall are key mechanisms for the pathogenesis of hypertension, we hypothesized that vaspin could prevent the development of hypertension in in vivo hypertensive animal model.

Methods

Vaspin (1 μg kg−1 day−1) was administered intraperitoneally to 5‐week‐old male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) for 4 weeks. Superior mesenteric artery was isolated and used for measurement of isometric contraction and histological analysis.

Results

Long‐term vaspin treatment significantly prevented an elevation of systolic blood pressure (SBP) at 8 weeks of age. Vaspin had no effect on reactivity of isolated mesenteric artery from SHR. In contrast, vaspin significantly inhibited mesenteric arterial wall hypertrophy in SHR. Moreover, vaspin significantly inhibited an increase of tumour necrosis factor‐α expression and a production of reactive oxygen species in isolated mesenteric artery from SHR.

Conclusion

This study for the first time demonstrates that vaspin prevents the increase of SBP in SHR through inhibiting peripheral vascular hypertrophy possibly via antioxidative and anti‐inflammatory mechanisms.
Validating space‐for‐time substitution in a new‐growth coastal dune forest
Authors: Rolo Victor , Olivier Pieter I. , Guldemond Robert A.R. , van Aarde Rudolph J.
Published: December 2015

Questions

Can trends derived from chronosequences (space) be compared with those derived from repeated surveys (time) to validate the use of space‐for‐time substitution? Can this approach provide insight into the dynamics of vegetation in rehabilitating forests?

Location

Rehabilitating coastal dune forest in KwaZulu‐Natal, South Africa.

Methods

We surveyed sapling and adult trees in seven study sites with similar abiotic conditions that were rehabilitated after mining. Sites ranged in age from 1 to 24 yr in 2001 and we repeated the surveys in 2005 and 2010. We related patterns of change in community attributes (e.g. species composition, turnover, taxonomic and functional diversity) to site age. We compared functional diversity indices (e.g. functional dispersion and evenness) with a random community to infer the ecological processes that structure the tree community during forest development. We focused on the magnitude and direction of change predicted by the 2001 chronosequence with the values returned from subsequent surveys.

Results

Species composition changed during forest development. Species richness increased and species turnover decreased. Null models indicated that early stages of forest development had lower functional diversity than expected from a random community, indicating convergence in reproductive traits in early succession. Late stages of forest development showed higher functional diversity. Apart from species composition, the rest of the community attributes recorded from repeated surveys confirmed the predictions made by the chronosequence.

Conclusions

The trajectory of plant community succession observed in space across a chronosequence was supported by the site‐specific findings derived from long‐term monitoring. In the case of our study system (rehabilitating dune forests), space‐for‐time substitution works. The main drivers of species co‐existence changed from environmental filtering and/or dispersal limitation to niche complementarity as these forests developed.
The persistence of maternal vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency during pregnancy and lactation irrespective of season and supplementation
Authors: Kramer Caroline K. , Ye Chang , Swaminathan Balakumar , Hanley Anthony J. , Connelly Philip W. , Sermer Mathew , Zinman Bernard , Retnakaran Ravi
Published: December 2015

Background

Pregnancy and lactation comprise a critical window spanning all seasons during which maternal vitamin D status potentially may influence the long‐term health of the newborn. Women typically receive calcium/vitamin D supplementation through antenatal vitamins, but there has been limited serial evaluation of maternal vitamin D status across this critical window.

Design/Patients/Measurements

In this prospective observational cohort study, 467 women in Toronto, Canada, underwent measurement of serum 25‐hydroxy vitamin D (25‐OH‐D) at mean 29·7 ± 2·9 weeks' gestation, 3 months postpartum and 12 months postpartum, enabling serial assessment across 3 seasons. At each assessment, vitamin D status was classified as deficiency (25‐OH‐D<50 nmol/l), insufficiency (25‐OH‐D≥50 nmol/l and <75 nmol/l) or sufficiency (25‐OH‐D≥75 nmol/l).

Results

The prevalence rates of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency were 31·5% and 35·1% in pregnancy, 33·4% and 35·3% at 3 months, and 35·6% and 33·8% at 12 months postpartum, respectively. These high rates remained stable over time (P = 0·49) despite declining usage of antenatal calcium/vitamin D supplementation from pregnancy to 3 months to 12 months postpartum (P < 0·001). Indeed, on mixed model analyses, vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency in pregnancy were independently associated with decrements in average 25‐OH‐D over time of 49·6 nmol/l and 26·4 nmol/l, respectively (both P < 0·001). In contrast, season of baseline assessment and use of calcium/vitamin D supplements were independently associated with changes in 25‐OH‐D in the range of 3–5 nmol/l (both P < 0·008).

Conclusions

The persistence of vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency during pregnancy and lactation, irrespective of season and supplementation, supports the emerging concept that current vitamin D supplementation in antenatal care is likely inadequate.
Correlates of family involvement before and during medical visits among older adults with high‐risk diabetes
Authors: Janevic M. R. , Piette J. D. , Ratz D. P. , Kim H. M. , Rosland A.‐M.
Published: December 2015

Aims

To examine the characteristics of patients with diabetes who regularly receive help from a supporter in preparing for and attending medical visits, and the association between this help and clinical risk factors for diabetes complications.

Methods

We linked survey data about family involvement for patients in the Veterans Health Administration system with poorly controlled Type 2 diabetes (n = 588; mean 67 years; 97% male) with health record data on blood pressure, glycaemic control and prescription‐fill gaps. We used multivariable regression to assess whether supporter presence and, among patients with supporters, supporter role (visit preparation, accompaniment to medical visit or no involvement) were associated with concurrent trends in clinical risk factors over 2 years, adjusting for sociodemographic and health characteristics.

Results

Most patients (78%) had a main health supporter; of these, more had regular support for preparing for appointments (69%) than were regularly accompanied to them (45%). Patients with preparation help only were younger and more educated than accompanied patients. Support presence and type was not significantly associated with clinical risk factors.

Conclusions

Family help preparing for appointments was common among these patients with high‐risk diabetes. In its current form, family support for medical visits may not affect clinical factors in the short term. Supporters helping patients engage in medical visits may need training and assistance to have an impact on the clinical trajectory of patients with diabetes.
Assessment of endothelin and copeptin as biomarkers for vasovagal syncope
Authors: Rash Arjun , McRae Maureen , Fatehi Jaleh , Richie Deborah , Solbiati Monica , Pillay Neelan , Ulke‐Lemée Annegret , MacDonald Justin , Sheldon Robert
Published: December 2015

Background

The diagnosis of vasovagal syncope continues to be difficult despite the use of accurate histories, tilt testing and implantable loop recorders. A circulating biomarker might be useful to facilitate diagnoses. Both endothelin‐1 and vasopressin are increased during positive tilt tests resulting in syncope. Copeptin is a stable cleavage product of vasopressin formation. We conducted a pilot study to assess the utility of endothelin‐1 and copeptin as circulating biomarkers of vasovagal syncope.

Methods

Three populations were studied: syncope patients, epilepsy patients and controls. Vasovagal syncope diagnosis was ascertained with the Calgary Syncope Score and epilepsy diagnosis was confirmed with EEG. Plasma levels of endothelin‐1 were measured using by ELISA and copeptin levels were determined using an EIA kit.

Results

Asymptomatic control subjects had mean age 35 ± 11 years (7/22 male); epileptic subjects had mean age 32 ± 7 years (4/15 male); and syncope subjects had mean age 33 ± 16 years (4 of 21 male). Circulating plasma levels of endothelin‐1 and copeptin were no different among the three groups. Mean concentrations of endothelin‐1 were as follows: syncope, 23 ± 32 pg/mL; controls, 21 ± 17 pg/mL; and epileptics, 18 ± 12 pg/mL. Mean concentrations of copeptin were as follows: syncope, 1·29 ± 0·79 ng/mL; controls, 1·25 ± 0·79 ng/mL; and seizures, 1·23 ± 0·45 ng/mL. There were no significant correlations between syncope frequency and copeptin or endothelin‐1 levels.

Conclusion

Circulating plasma endothelin‐1 and copeptin levels are not significantly different among populations of controls, syncope patients and seizure patients.
Assessment of quantitative polymerase chain reaction for equine herpesvirus‐5 in blood, nasal secretions and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid for the laboratory diagnosis of equine multinodular pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Pusterla N. , Magdesian K. G. , Mapes S. M. , Zavodovskaya R. , Kass P. H.
Published: December 2015

Reasons for performing study

The ante mortem diagnosis of equine multinodular pulmonary fibrosis (EMPF) relies on histopathological results and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐positive equine herpesvirus (EHV)‐5 testing of lung tissue. Polymerase chain reaction detection of EHV‐5 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) is commonly used to support a diagnosis of EMPF. However, the diagnostic power of EHV‐5 testing on BALF and other biological samples such as blood and nasal secretions has yet to be shown to support a diagnosis of EMPF.

Objectives

To determine the frequency of detection and the viral loads of EHV‐5 by quantitative PCR (qPCR) in blood, nasal secretions and BALF from horses confirmed with EMPF, healthy horses and horses with non‐EMPF pulmonary diseases.

Study design

Prospective study.

Methods

The study population consisted of 70 adult horses divided into 4 groups based on a combination of clinical findings, cytology of BALF, imaging studies of the thoracic cavity and histopathology of pulmonary tissue: control group (n = 14), EMPF group (n = 11); inflammatory airway disease group (n = 32); and non‐EMPF interstitial lung disease group (n = 13). For each horse, whole blood, nasal secretions and BALF were available for EHV‐5 qPCR testing. Sensitivities, specificities and their respective 95% confidence intervals were calculated for viral loads from blood, nasal secretions and BALF. In addition, these measures were calculated for combined use of blood and nasal secretions.

Results

The detection of EHV‐5 in BALF was strongly associated with EMPF (sensitivity 91%, specificity 98.3%). Detection of EHV‐5 in blood was, independent of the viral loads, strongly associated with EMPF with a sensitivity of 91% and specificity of 83.1%. The detection of EHV‐5 in nasal secretions displayed the highest sensitivity (72.7%) and specificity (83.1%) at a level of >245,890 glycoprotein B target genes/million cells to support a diagnosis of EMPF. Dually positive blood and nasal secretions at any viral loads in support of EMPF yielded a sensitivity and specificity of 90% and 89.8%, respectively.

Conclusions

Although histopathological confirmation (lung biopsy) is considered the gold standard for EMPF diagnosis, results of qPCR testing of BALF or a combination of whole blood and nasal secretions should be regarded as clinically useful in support of this diagnosis. The latter testing may be relevant when dealing with horses in respiratory distress, for which invasive procedures such as BALF collection or lung biopsies may be detrimental to their health.
Other‐Orientation in Nonnative Spanish and Its Effect on Direct Objects
Authors: Peace Meghann M.
Published: December 2015

Other‐orientation (Linell, 2009) is an essential element of language in that all speakers dialogue with an “other” when communicating. They take into consideration the other's assumed perspective, knowledge, and needs, and manipulate their language in response to these assumptions. This study investigated the extent to which other‐orientation was present in second language (L2) Spanish learners and, if so, how it affected L2 learners' production of direct object nominal, pronominal, and null expressions. The results indicated that L2 Spanish learners were sensitive to their interlocutors' perspective. However, the actual effect that other‐orientation had on direct object expressions was constrained by the limits of the learners' interlanguage in that only higher‐level learners were capable of manipulating direct object expressions in accordance with the assumed accessibility of the referents. The results support Bardovi‐Harlig's (1999) argument that grammatical competence is a necessary condition of pragmatic competence.
Adverse drug reactions reporting: a questionnaire‐based study on Egyptian pharmacists’ attitudes following an awareness workshop
Authors: Alraie Nehal A , Saad Amr A , Sabry Nirmeen A , Farid Samar F
Published: December 2015

Rationale, aims and objectives

Hospital pharmacists can promote medication safety through spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs). However, different educational interventions and different factors (socio‐demographic and professional) have been implicated to influence the reporting process. The aims of this study were to assess the impact of pharmacovigilance awareness workshop on knowledge of hospital pharmacists; and to identify the main factors and barriers that influence ADRs reporting.

Methods

Two validated self‐administered questionnaires were distributed to pharmacists attending an awareness workshop (pre and post); and a telephone survey was completed three months after the workshop. ADR reports (yellow cards) received from participating pharmacists were monitored for six months, and analysed for quality (validity and seriousness) and reporter demographic and professional factors.

Results

Two hundred and eighty‐one pharmacists (95.25%) and 270 pharmacists (91.52%) completed pre‐ and post‐workshop questionnaires respectively. A comparison of their knowledge of ADRs to report before and after the workshop showed significant difference (Wilcoxon test P < 0.05). Two hundred and four pharmacists (72.6%) completed the follow‐up questionnaire, with lack of time, administrative barriers and inability to complete patient details being the most frequent reasons for not reporting. A total of 163 yellow cards were received from 49 pharmacists (17.44%) over 6 months, of which 126 reports (77.3%) were serious ADRs. Demographics of reporting pharmacists showed significance for completion of post‐graduate studies, ministry of health hospitals and pharmacist post in hospital.

Conclusion

Despite pharmacists’ adequate knowledge after the workshop, they failed to maintain consistent reporting. Addressing the barriers to reporting and the personal factors influencing the process may be needed.
Interprofessional Education: A Summary of Reports and Barriers to Recommendations
Authors: Meleis Afaf I.
Published: December 2015

Purpose

Effective, quality care to achieve the newly developed sustainable development goals requires the development of collaborative teams and is predicated on implementing transformative interprofessional education and on team members who are equally empowered. This is a report on The Lancet commission on transformative education for health professionals and the National Academy of Medicine's dialogues on developing and implementing innovations to enhance collaborations and to facilitate the effectiveness of healthcare teams.

Methods

Using postcolonial feminist theory for critical analysis and integrations of findings from both reports, as well as for identification of barriers to achieving equity in team functioning.

Findings

The global Lancet commission and the National Academy of Medicine/Institute of Medicine forum developed frameworks that could be used to educate the next generation of professionals based on identifying the local needs of communities within a global context. Recommendations included breaking down silos that exists between schools and using an equity and justice framework in developing educational programs; utilizing contemporary innovations in teaching that correspond with innovations in healthcare systems; and insuring investments in time, energy, and resources in interprofessional education. However, without addressing the silos created through professional identities and power differentials, goals of interprofessional education and collaborative practice may not be achieved.

Conclusions

While a great deal has been written about interprofessional education, it is imperative for faculty in the different professional schools and for members of healthcare teams to engage in dialogues that address the fundamental and most obstinate barriers to forming equitable teams, which is the consistent narrative of medical privilege and centrism.

Clinical Relevance

The dialogues about medical privilege and physician centrism in education and health care could drive the development of programmatic approaches to enhancing interprofessional education and teamwork based on justice and equity frameworks.
Mary Robinson and the Idiot's Guide to Sensibility and Oblivion
Authors: Singer Kate
Published: December 2015

Mary Robinson's now infamous depiction of Sappho's leap into the Leucadian deep at the end of her sonnet sequence Sappho and Phaon has been most often read as the poet's celebration or critique of the poetics of sensibility. Understanding this and other moments from her work as arising from the discourse of suicide reveals Robinson working not simply with or against feeling but rather thinking through epistemology more broadly. Beginning with her earliest poems, Robinson repeatedly depicts moments of oblivion that evacuate the ecstasy of sensation and sensibility, or feeling built on empiricist sensation. Sappho, after she becomes stuck singing the same songs of sickly feeling about Phaon, plots her final leap as an exit from an empiricist idiocy – the constant sensing, emoting, and embodying required of the feeling female poet schooled in empiricist epistemology. Placing herself in conversation with friends and philosophers William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft, Robinson skirts both contemporary notions of sentimental and rational suicide. Drawing instead on John Locke's discussion of liberty as the choice to think and forbear to think, exemplified in both Locke and Robinson by cliff leaping, Robinson theorizes suicide as a perverse kind of freedom. Sappho's self‐destruction in the oceanic void figures a radical turn past Enlightenment forms of knowing – particularly those dependent on sensation and passion – to a new epistemological horizon.
Introduction: Romanticism and Suicide
Authors: Faubert Michelle , Reynolds Nicole
Published: December 2015

This essay introduces the issue ofLiterature Compassthat explores the topic of female suicide and Romantic literature, culture, and criticism. Although little critical work has been published on suicide and Romanticism to date, the subject addresses concerns that several major recent works on Romanticism have studied, such as the body and medicine, psychology, violence, and protest against political and domestic tyranny. Historically, too, the topic of Romanticism and suicide appears tangentially in well‐known scholarship about melancholy, madness, genius, the sublime, and the transcendental. As the articles in this issue make clear, female suicide in the Romantic era emerges as a powerful trope through which a range of discourses – aesthetic, scientific, religious, philosophical, and political – converge to manage the culture's most unknowable, recalcitrant subjects and bodies, women and subalterns chief among these. By exploring the ways in which current and established criticism has touched on issues related to Romanticism and suicide, and in particular female suicide, this introduction argues for the timely relevance of the topic and highlights new directions for further inquiry.
Annealing of radiation damage in zircons from Apollo 14 impact breccia 14311: Implications for the thermal history of the breccia
Authors: Pidgeon R. T. , Merle R. E. , Grange M. L. , Nemchin A. A. , Whitehouse M. J.
Published: December 2015

Impact breccia 14311, was collected from the Apollo 14 landing site as a potential sample of the underlying Fra Mauro Formation. Published zircon U‐Pb ages of >4000 Ma date the source material of the breccia and the apatite U‐Pb age of ~3940 Ma is interpreted as dating thermal resetting of the apatite U‐Pb systems. In this contribution we present new age information on the late stage thermal history of the breccia based on the annealing of radiation damage in the zircons. From Raman spectroscopic determination of the radiation damage within SIMS analytical spots on the zircons and the U and Th concentrations determined on these spots, we demonstrate that the radiation damage in the zircons has been annealed and we estimate the age of annealing at 3410 ± 80 Ma. This age is interpreted as a cooling age following heating of the breccia to above the annealing temperature of ~230 °C for stage 1 radiation damage in zircon, but below the temperature needed to reset the U‐Pb system of apatite (~500 °C). It is proposed that this thermal event was associated with the prolonged period of Mare volcanism, from 3150 to 3750 Ma, that generated massive basalt flows in the vicinity of the sample location.
Petrology and provenance of a very‐low‐titanium picrite clast in lunar highland regolith breccia 15295
Authors: Sonzogni Yann , Kramer Georgiana Y. , Treiman Allan H.
Published: December 2015

Clast 100 in regolith breccia 15295 could be a key to resolving the relationship(s) between mare basalts and lunar picritic glasses. The clast is basaltic, with texture, mineralogy, mineral compositions, and calculated bulk composition suggesting that it crystallized in a thick lava flow or shallow intrusive body from a very‐low‐titanium (VLT) basaltic magma. The estimated bulk composition of clast 15295,100 is primitive (i.e., magnesian) compared to those of known VLT basalts, and is very close to those of VLT picritic green glasses, especially the Apollo 14 A green glass. From these similarities, we infer that clast 15295,100 is a crystalline product of a picritic magma similar to the Apollo 14 A glass. Clementine and M3 remotely sensed data of the lunar surface were used to find areas that have chemical compositions consistent with those of clast 15295,100, not only near the Apollo 15 site, but in a broad region surrounding the site. Two regions are consistent with clast's 15295,100 compositional data. The larger region is in southern Mare Imbrium, and a smaller region is in the eastern half of Sinus Aestuum. These locations should be considered as candidates for future missions focusing on sample science.
Into and out of the tropics: global diversification patterns in a hyperdiverse clade of ectomycorrhizal fungi
Authors: Looney Brian P. , Ryberg Martin , Hampe Felix , Sánchez‐García Marisol , Matheny P. Brandon
Published: December 2015

Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi, symbiotic mutualists of many dominant tree and shrub species, exhibit a biogeographic pattern counter to the established latitudinal diversity gradient of most macroflora and fauna. However, an evolutionary basis for this pattern has not been explicitly tested in a diverse lineage. In this study, we reconstructed a mega‐phylogeny of a cosmopolitan and hyperdiverse genus of ECM fungi, Russula, sampling from annotated collections and utilizing publically available sequences deposited in GenBank. Metadata from molecular operational taxonomic unit cluster sets were examined to infer the distribution and plant association of the genus. This allowed us to test for differences in patterns of diversification between tropical and extratropical taxa, as well as how their associations with different plant lineages may be a driver of diversification. Results show that Russula is most species‐rich at temperate latitudes and ancestral state reconstruction shows that the genus initially diversified in temperate areas. Migration into and out of the tropics characterizes the early evolution of the genus, and these transitions have been frequent since this time. We propose the ‘generalized diversification rate’ hypothesis to explain the reversed latitudinal diversity gradient pattern in Russula as we detect a higher net diversification rate in extratropical lineages. Patterns of diversification with plant associates support host switching and host expansion as driving diversification, with a higher diversification rate in lineages associated with Pinaceae and frequent transitions to association with angiosperms.
Improvement of water and light availability after thinning at a xeric site: which matters more? A dual isotope approach
Authors: Giuggiola Arnaud , Ogée Jérôme , Rigling Andreas , Gessler Arthur , Bugmann Harald , Treydte Kerstin
Published: December 2015

Thinning fosters individual tree growth by increasing the availability of water, light and nutrients. At sites where water rather than light is limiting, thinning also enhances soil evaporation and might not be beneficial. Detailed knowledge of the short‐ to long‐term physiological response underlying the growth responses to thinning is crucial for the management of forests already suffering from recurrent drought‐induced dieback.

We applied a dual isotope approach together with mechanistic isotope models to study the physiological processes underlying long‐term growth enhancement of heavily thinnedPinus sylvestrisin a xeric forest in Switzerland. This approach allowed us to identify and disentangle thinning‐induced changes in stomatal conductance and assimilation rate.

At our xeric study site, the increase in stomatal conductance far outweighed the increase in assimilation, implying that growth release in heavily thinned trees is primarily driven by enhanced water availability rather than increased light availability.

We conclude that in forests with relatively isohydric species (drought avoiders) that are growing close to their physiological limits, thinning is recommended to maintain a less negative water balance and thus foster tree growth, and ultimately the survival of forest trees under drought.
La armonización territorial: su incorporación en la planificación y gestión administrativa mediante la gestión del riesgo
Authors: Villegas Rodríguez Ernesto
Published: December 2015

A lo largo del artículo emergen varios elementos con los cuales se puede establecer la incidencia de las políticas públicas en las tomas de decisión en el territorio, sobre todo en la utilización de tres instrumentos de planificación y de gestión territorial como el Plan de Desarrollo (PD), el Plan de Ordenamiento Territorial (POT) y los Planes de Manejo Integral de Cuencas Hidrográficas (Pomca), estructurados por medio de las Unidades de Planificación y de Gestión Territorial (UPGT). Estos permiten articular el desarrollo de programas y proyectos en un territorio asociado en municipios y departamentos, con el motivo de invertir y localizar infraestructuras que reduzcan la vulnerabilidad y amenaza en áreas que han sido objeto de deslizamientos e inundaciones e intervenidas por el Gobierno nacional mediante la Ley 1523 de 2012 de Gestión del Riesgo y complementadas por otras normas que fortalecen la dimensión ambiental, social, económica y administrativa que coadyuvan a un ordenamiento territorial más integral. La participación de actores y sectores públicos y privados y la sociedad civil son coordinados con la puesta en marcha de los Comités de Integración Territorial (CIT), que jalonan los procesos administrativos alrededor del riesgo y de los desastres naturales asociados, en muchos casos, con las actividades humanas
Los inicios de la insustentabilidad: problemas urbanos e institucionalidad en la ciudad de Temuco, 1955-1970
Authors: Vergara-Erices Luis , Gola Muñoz Rodrigo , Huiliñir Curío Viviana
Published: December 2015

Este trabajo explora los problemas urbanos que aquejaron a Temuco (Chile) entre 1955 y 1970 y la manera como la institucionalidad intentó resolverlos. Para reconstruir la historia del desarrollo urbano local, se acudió a fuentes primarias, archivos de prensa, registros de la intendencia regional y actas de los Concejos municipales. Los resultados indican que, en aquel entonces, la ciudad experimentó un fuerte crecimiento poblacional derivado de la migración campo-ciudad, generada por el modelo ISI, lo que originó una serie de inconvenientes como pavimentación, congestiónn vehicular, falta de servicios básicos y la carencia de viviendas. Se concluye que los esfuerzos institucionales centralizados provocaron soluciones lentas y poco adaptadas a la realidad local e intensificaron los efectos de los problemas y contribuyeron a desestabilizar el equilibrio entre las esferas de la sustentabilidad.
Previ: la tipología entre la fluidez de la vida y el rigor de la edificación
Authors: Gutiérrez Mozo María Elia , Pérez del Hoyo Raquel
Published: December 2015

Hace diez años que el Proyecto Experimental de Vivienda (Previ), de Lima, a propósito de la convocatoria de investigación de la Bienal Iberoamericana de Arquitectura y Urbanismo celebrada en 2004 en esta ciudad, despertó un renovado interés en arquitectos jóvenes y comprometidos que se aproximaban a esta experiencia con la mirada atenta de quien desea aprender para construir vivienda social de irrenunciable vocación urbana. Asimismo, la asignatura pendiente de la industrialización en la vivienda de bajo coste ha propiciado el estudio de este caso. Después de plantear los aspectos básicos de Previ que nos permiten entenderlo y proyectarlo en su contexto, este artículo se acerca de nuevo a esa experiencia para leerla desde las claves proyectuales tipológicas que, a nuestro parecer, tienden un puente entre la vida que fluye (la utilitas) y el rigor que reclama la re edificatoria (la firmitas).
La Universidad de Antioquia como institución promotora de la salud (Medellín, Colombia, 2010-2013)
Authors: Gaviria Mendez Alba Emilse
Published: December 2015

La promoción de la salud en el ámbito universitario se concreta cuando en sus entornos se manifiesta la vida saludable de su comunidad educativa. El objetivo de este artículo es compartir la experiencia de la Universidad de Antioquia como universidad promotora de la salud. Este proceso se inició en Bienestar Universitario, al gestionar tres servicios: 1) Promoción de la Salud Sexual y la Afectividad, 2) Autocuidado en
Salud y 3) Programa para la Salud Psicofísica. En 2005 se formalizó la propuesta de Universidad Saludable, mediante la Resolución Rectoral 20535 de 2005. A partir de 2010 se introdujo el concepto de universidad promotora de la salud, con sus tres ejes: el de investigación, la transversalización del currículo y la participación de estudiantes. Estos ejes se materializaron en tres proyectos: el primero, Facultad Saludable y
Segura, de la Facultad Nacional de Salud Pública, que permitió plantear estrategias de ambientes laborales saludables y de transversalización de la promoción de la salud en los currículos académicos e investigativo; el segundo, Promotores de Bienestar, que logró la participación de estudiantes para trabajar con sus pares en promoción de la salud, y el tercero, Universidad Libre de Humo, que llevó a que las facultades de Medicina y Odontología se declararan libres de humo. Finalmente, se concluye que la Universidad de Antioquia, como universidad promotora de la salud, se logró materializar a través de tres proyectos. La voluntad política institucional y de los actores comprometidos es un factor clave de éxito para garantizar su continuidad.
Overview on Fusion Nuclear Technology Experimental Testing
Authors: Entler Slavomir , Kysela Jan
Published: December 2015

Research Centre Rez in the Czech Republic has carried out a number of research and development activities on the nuclear technology of the fusion reactor International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). These contributions have led to the development of numerous experimental facilities. The initial experimental research related to ITER was focused on the technology of the LiPb eutectic alloy, and a production unit and technological channel were constructed. At a later time, material tests were performed in the neutron field of the LVR-15 research nuclear reactor. Interactions of EUROFER 97 and the LiPb eutectic alloy were examined in in-pile and out-pile tests, and the technology of the LiPb was developed. First wall mock-ups were in-pile and out-pile tested under high heat flux (HHF) cycle loads. At present, a full-size mock-up of the ITER Test Blanket System (TBS) and an HHF testing complex are constructed. This paper provides an overview of the research activities and experimental facilities.
Micromechanical Modeling of the Ratcheting Behavior of 304 Stainless Steel
Authors: Ben Naceur I. , Saï K. , Hassan T. , Cailletaud G.
Published: December 2015

Numerical simulations of 304 austenitic stainless steel (SS304) cyclic and ratcheting responses are performed using polycrystalline plasticity models. On the basis of the polycrystalline model of Cailletaud and Pilvin (1994, “Utilisation de modèles polycristallins pour le calcul par éléments finis,” Rev. Eur. Élém. Finis, 3, pp. 515–541), a modification of the β rule that operates the transition between the macroscopic level and the grain level is proposed. The improvement of the transition rule is obtained by introducing a “memory variable” at the grain level, so that a better description of the local stress–strain behavior is provided. This new feature is calibrated by means of previous simulations using finite element (FE) aggregate models. The results of the updated polycrystalline plasticity model are in good agreement with the macroscopic responses.
The Effect of the Electrical Discharge Machining Process on the Material Properties of Nonconductive Ceramics
Authors: Ojha Nirdesh , Zeller Florian , Mueller Claas , Reinecke Holger
Published: December 2015

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is widely used to manufacture complex shaped dies, molds and critical parts in conductive materials. With the help of an assisting electrode (AE), EDM process can be used to machine nonconductive ceramics. This paper evaluates the mechanical properties of three high-performance nonconductive ceramics (ZrO2, Si3N4, and SiC) that have been machined with the EDM process using AE. Mechanical properties such as Vickers hardness (HV 0.3), surface roughness (Sq), and flexural strength of the machined and the nonmachined samples are compared. The EDM process causes decrease in Vickers hardness, increase in surface roughness, and decrease in flexural strength.
Combined Microstructure and Heat Transfer Modeling of Carbon Nanotube Thermal Interface Materials1
Authors: Sadasivam Sridhar , Hodson Stephen L. , Maschmann Matthew R. , Fisher Timothy S.
Published: December 2015

A microstructure-sensitive thermomechanical simulation framework is developed to predict the mechanical and heat transfer properties of vertically aligned CNT (VACNT) arrays used as thermal interface materials (TIMs). The model addresses the gap between atomistic thermal transport simulations of individual CNTs (carbon nanotubes) and experimental measurements of thermal resistance of CNT arrays at mesoscopic length scales. Energy minimization is performed using a bead–spring coarse-grain model to obtain the microstructure of the CNT array as a function of the applied load. The microstructures obtained from the coarse-grain simulations are used as inputs to a finite volume solver that solves one-dimensional and three-dimensional Fourier heat conduction in the CNTs and filler matrix, respectively. Predictions from the finite volume solver are fitted to experimental data on the total thermal resistance of CNT arrays to obtain an individual CNT thermal conductivity of 12 W m−1 K−1 and CNT–substrate contact conductance of 7 × 107 W m−2 K−1. The results also indicate that the thermal resistance of the CNT array shows a weak dependence on the CNT–CNT contact resistance. Embedding the CNT array in wax is found to reduce the total thermal resistance of the array by almost 50%, and the pressure dependence of thermal resistance nearly vanishes when a matrix material is introduced. Detailed microstructural information such as the topology of CNT–substrate contacts and the pressure dependence of CNT–opposing substrate contact area are also reported.
Design for the Developing World: Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Authors: Wood Amy E. , Mattson Christopher A.
Published: December 2015

Engineers face many challenges when designing for the developing world, which are not typically encountered in other design circumstances, such as a lack of understanding of language, culture, and context. These challenges often prevent engineers from having a sustained impact as they design for resource-poor individuals. In this paper, reports from 41 engineering projects in the developing world were analyzed, and common pitfalls were identified. The data came from Failure Reports from Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Canada and from the authors' own field reports. After the pitfalls are described, the authors present a visual tool called the Design for the Developing World Canvas to help design teams that are developing manufactured products to avoid these common pitfalls. This canvas can be used throughout the product development process as part of regular design reviews to help the team evaluate their progress in advancing the design while avoiding the pitfalls that engineers commonly face.
Design and Implementation of a Distributed Variable Impedance Actuator Using Parallel Linear Springs
Authors: Kani Mohammad Hasan H. , Yaghini Bonabi Hamed Ali , Jalaly Bidgoly Hamed , Javad Yazdanpanah Mohammad , Nili Ahmadabadi Majid
Published: December 2015

This paper introduces a distributed variable impedance actuator that provides independent control of the actuator's angular position and its impedance. The idea for the actuator was inspired by the morphological structure of muscles and tendons. The system to be presented can be used as both a variable impedance actuator as well as a passive piecewise linear spring. Moreover, the actuator has an adequate number of degrees-of-freedom to approximate any nonlinear spring characteristics because of its distributed nature. Using distributed torque production subsystems with small and low power motors makes it possible to use this actuator in many applications such as prosthesis, artificial limbs, and wearable robots. The stability of the system discussed and the conditions that ensure the system stability are presented. Finally, a proof-of-concept actuator design is presented, as well as experimental results which confirm that the proposed distributed variable impedance actuator can be implemented in practical applications.
Involvement of Agrobacterium tumefaciens Galacturonate Tripartite ATP-Independent Periplasmic (TRAP) Transporter GaaPQM in Virulence Gene Expression
Authors: Zhao Jinlei , Binns Andrew N.
Published: December 2015

Monosaccharides capable of serving as nutrients for the soil bacterium
Agrobacterium tumefaciens
are also inducers of the
vir
regulon present in the tumor-inducing (Ti) plasmid of this plant pathogen. One such monosaccharide is galacturonate, the predominant monomer of pectin found in plant cell walls. This ligand is recognized by the periplasmic sugar binding protein ChvE, which interacts with the VirA histidine kinase that controls
vir
gene expression. Although ChvE is also a member of the ChvE-MmsAB ABC transporter involved in the utilization of many neutral sugars, it is not involved in galacturonate utilization. In this study, a putative tripartite ATP-independent periplasmic (TRAP) transporter, GaaPQM, is shown to be essential for the utilization of galacturonic acid; we show that residue R169 in the predicted sugar binding site of the GaaP is required for activity. The gene upstream of
gaaPQM
(
gaaR
) encodes a member of the GntR family of regulators. GaaR is shown to repress the expression of
gaaPQM
, and the repression is relieved in the presence of the substrate for GaaPQM. Moreover, GaaR is shown to bind putative promoter regions in the sequences required for galacturonic acid utilization. Finally,
A. tumefaciens
strains carrying a deletion of
gaaPQM
are more sensitive to galacturonate as an inducer of
vir
gene expression, while the overexpression of
gaaPQM
results in strains being less sensitive to this
vir
inducer. This supports a model in which transporter activity is crucial in ensuring that
vir
gene expression occurs only at sites of high ligand concentration, such as those at a plant wound site.