bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quaternion softmax classifier
Authors: Zeng Rui , Wu Jiasong , Shao Zhuhong , Senhadji Lotfi , Shu Huazhong
Published: November 2014

For the feature extraction of red–blue–green (RGB) colour images, researchers usually deal with R, G and B channels separately to obtain three feature vectors, and then combine them together to obtain a long real feature vector. This approach does not exploit the relationships between the three channels of the colour images. Recently, attention has been paid to quaternion features, which take the relationships between channels into consideration and seem to be more suitable for representing colour images. However, there are only a few quaternion classifiers for dealing with quaternion features. To meet this requirement, a new quaternion classifier, namely, the quaternion softmax classifier is proposed, which is an extended version of the conventional softmax classifier generally defined in the complex (or real) domain. The proposed quaternion softmax classifier is applied to two of the most common quaternion features, that is, the quaternion principal components analysis feature and the colour image pixel feature. The experimental results show that the proposed method performs better than the quaternion back propagation neural network in terms of accuracy and convergence rate.
Optical‐delay‐based wide‐range FMCW radar altimeter
Authors: Choi J.H. , Jang J.H. , Roh J.E.
Published: November 2014

The design of a frequency‐modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar altimeter with wide altitude range and low measurement errors is presented. Wide altitude range is achieved by employing the optical delay in the transmitting path to reduce the dynamic range of the measuring altitude. Transmitting power and receiver gain are also controlled to enable the dynamic range of the received power to be reduced. In addition, low measurement errors are obtained by improving the sweep linearity using the direct digital synthesiser (DDS) and minimising the phase noise employing the reference clock (Ref_CLK) as the offset frequency of the phase‐locked loop (PLL).
Versatile CMOS bio‐potential amplifier for high‐density neural recording applications
Authors: Kim J.
Published: November 2014

A fully‐integrated low‐power and area‐efficient bio‐potential amplifier for high‐density neural recording applications is presented. Using a self‐biased amplifier structure, the bio‐potential amplifier can operate at a lower power with a reduced active area. The Miller capacitance and area‐efficient pad techniques harnessed in the amplifier also help to dramatically shrink the area of the amplifier. This implantable bio‐potential amplifier was fabricated using a 0.35 µm CMOS process and was verified on a bench top by observing ex vivo biological signals.
Evaluation of stacking faults and associated partial dislocations in AlSb/GaAs (001) interface by aberration-corrected high-resolution transmission electron microscopy
Authors: Wen C. , Ge B. H. , Cui Y. X. , Li F. H. , Zhu J. , Yu R. , Cheng Z. Y.
Published: November 2014

The stacking faults (SFs) in an AlSb/GaAs (001) interface were investigated using a 300 kV spherical aberration-corrected high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). The structure and strain distribution of the single and intersecting (V-shaped) SFs associated with partial dislocations (PDs) were characterized by the [110] HRTEM images and geometric phase analysis, respectively. In the biaxial strain maps εxx and εyy, a SF can be divided into several sections under different strain states (positive or negative strain values). Furthermore, the strain state for the same section of a SF is in contrast to each other in εxx and εyy strain maps. The modification in the strain states was attributed to the variation in the local atomic displacements for the SF in the AlSb film on the GaAs substrate recorded in the lattice image. Finally, the single SF was found to be bounded by two 30° PDs. A pair of 30° PDs near the heteroepitaxial interface reacted to form a Lomer-Cottrell sessile dislocation located at the vertices of V-shaped SFs with opposite screw components. The roles of misfit dislocations, such as the PDs, in strain relaxation were also discussed.
Taking control of the female fertile lifespan: a key role for Bcl-2 family proteins
Authors: Liew Seng H. , Vaithiyanathan Kavitha , Hutt Karla J.
Published: November 2014

Precisely how the length of the female fertile lifespan is regulated is poorly understood and it is likely to involve complex factors, one of which is follicle number. Indeed, the duration of female fertility appears to be intimately linked to the number of available oocytes, which are stored in the ovary as primordial follicles. There is mounting evidence implicating the intrinsic apoptosis pathway, which is controlled by members of the B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) family, as a key regulator of the number of primordial follicles established in the ovary at birth and maintained throughout reproductive life. Consequently, the pro- and anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family proteins are emerging as key determinants of the length of the female fertile lifespan. This review discusses the relationship between the intrinsic apoptosis pathway, follicle number and length of the female fertile lifespan.
Critical slowing down as early warning for the onset of collapse in mutualistic communities
Authors: Dakos Vasilis , Bascompte Jordi
Published: November 2014

Significance

Little is known on whether structurally diverse ecological networks may respond abruptly to anthropogenic stress and even less on our ability to detect such responses in advance. By simulating mutualistic communities en route to a tipping point, we show how critical slowing-down indicators may be used as early warnings for the collapse of ecological networks. Our findings not only confirm the existence of the generic dynamical signatures of tipping points in ecological networks but also suggest a promising way for identifying most vulnerable components in a broad class of networks at the brink of collapse.
Clause structure and grounding in Chinese written narrative discourse
Authors: Li Wendan
Published: November 2014

This study examines the grounding functions of eight basic clause types in Chinese written narrative. It demonstrates that variations in constituent order and clause structure are a major means to designate events versus states at the clause level and ultimately a device to encode foregrounding versus backgrounding distinction. While perfective clauses in the canonical SV(O) word order typically designate major events and are signposts of foregrounding, deviations from this prototype tend to be interpreted as stative predications in the background. Variations in constituent order and clause structure even override the verb form in indicating situation types and grounding functions.
A corpus-based study on Chinese sentiment parameters of Chinese sentiment discourse
Authors: Cui Xiao-Ling , Shibamoto-Smith Janet S.
Published: November 2014

Most previous work on sentiment identification and annotation has focused on the identification and annotation of attitudes and targets, while less work has been done on other sentiment parameters. In this paper, we aim to discover different lexical, syntactic and semantic features of Chinese sentiment parameters based on Appraisal Theory. The data are from an annotated corpus of Chinese commentaries, analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative methods. We find that sentence-level sentiment production is the collaborative work of the core sentiment parameter (attitude) with other peripheral sentiment parameters (topic, source, field, process and degree of attitude). The distribution of sentiment parameters is also restricted by word classes, syntactic and semantic features and functions. This work not only offers a new analytic framework for Chinese sentiment analysis, but will improve the precision of sentence-level machine extraction of sentiment expressions in Chinese, with implications for possible extension to other languages.
Language attitudes toward Northeastern Mandarin andPutonghua(PTH) by young professionals
Authors: Yang Chunsheng
Published: November 2014

This study examines the language attitudes of young professionals in three cities in China towards Northeastern Mandarin (NEM) andPutonghua(PTH) (i.e., the standard language in China). It confirms that NEM has lower status as compared to PTH. However, the young professionals in Northeast China rated the NEM speaker higher than the PTH speaker in most qualities, attesting to the empathy and solidarity of native speakers toward their own variety of language. The northeastern professionals also rated the NEM speaker lower in some personal qualities, implying that the northeastern professionals’ awareness of the stereotypes associated with NEM and the prestige associated with PTH. The findings show that language attitude is directly linked to socio-economic status and that speakers of the low variety of a language may develop complicated language attitudes when negotiating their language use and identity in social interaction.
Chinese disyllabic words in conversation
Authors: Tseng Shu-Chuan
Published: November 2014

This paper presents a study of segment duration in Chinese disyllabic words. The study accounts for boundary-related factors at levels of syllable, word, prosodic unit, and discourse unit. Face-to-face conversational speech data annotated with signal-aligned, multi-layer linguistic information was used for the analysis. A series of quantitative results show that Chinese disyllabic words have a long first syllable onset and a long second syllable rhyme, suggesting an edge effect of disyllabic words. This is in line with disyllabic merger in Chinese that preserves the onset of the first syllable and the rhyme of the second syllable. A shortening effect at prosodic and discourse unit initiation locations is due to a duration reduction of the second syllable onset, whereas the common phenomenon of pre-boundary lengthening is mainly a result of the second syllable rhyme prolongation including the glide, nucleus, and coda. Morphologically inseparable disyllabic words in principle follow the “long first onset and long second rhyme” duration pattern. But diverse duration patterns were found in words with a head-complement and a stem-suffix construction, suggesting that word morphology may also play a role in determining the duration pattern of Chinese disyllabic words in conversational speech.
The inter-sentential function of Mandarin bei passives
Authors: Wuyun Saina , Pan Haihua
Published: November 2014

Although the intra-sentential functions of the Mandarin bei passive construction have been well studied, its inter-sentential function has not been well understood yet. In this paper, from a Centering Theory perspective, we demonstrate that the bei passive also bears inter-sentential weights. Specifically, the function of the pre-bei semantic entity is to preserve the Cb from its preceding utterance; whereas that of the bei-object is either to introduce a new Cb or to retain the original Cb so as to step aside for a new one at the pre-bei position. This study also compares the Centering Theory approach with the Givón tradition in discourse analysis and claims that Centering Theory is a more suitable analytical tool of calculating the degree of discourse coherence and portraying the fluency of information flow, whereas the Givón tradition is better treated as a measurement for discourse relatedness.
Gender, Language and Ideology
Authors: Nakamura Momoko
Published: November 2014

The book examines women’s language as an ideological construct historically created by discourse. The aim is to demonstrate, by delineating a genealogy of Japanese women’s language, that, to deconstruct and denaturalize the relationships between gender and any language, and to account for why and how they are related as they are, we must consider history, discourse and ideology. The book analyzes multiple discourse examples spanning the premodern period of the thirteenth century to the immediate post-WWII years, mostly translated into English for the first time, locating them in political, social and academic developments and describing each historical period in a manner easily accessible for those readers not familiar with Japanese history. This is the first book that describes a comprehensive development of Japanese women’s language and will greatly interest students of Japanese language, gender and language studies, linguistics, anthropology, sociology, and history, as well as women’s studies and sexuality studies.
Translation as a social fact
Authors: Tyulenev Sergey
Published: November 2014

This article proposes a reading of classical works of Emile Durkheim, one of the founding fathers of sociology, in light of their applicability to translation research. It is argued that, since translation is a social phenomenon, Durkheimian sociological thought may be of considerable help to Translation Studies (TS). The sociology of translation should be methodologically distinguished from the psychology of translation. In the sociology of translation, even studies of individual translations and translators should be conducted within a social context. In accordance with Durkheimian theory, it is argued that methodology for a sociologically-informed study of translation should avoid relying on common sense, which more often than not turns out to hamper, rather than help, the perception of translation as a social phenomenon. In other words, translation is presented as a social fact and the need to study it as such is strongly emphasized. Examples are borrowed from present-day translation research.
The sociological turn in the interpreter’s role
Authors: Jiang Lihua , Han Chong , Jiang Jinlin , Feng Yue
Published: November 2014

Interpreter-mediated communication, as a complex activity that involves social interaction among all participants, is increasingly important in today’s globalized world. A focus on sociolinguistic questions and on considerations associated with the interpreter’s presence and actions has led to opposing views ranging from that of “verbatim” interlinguistic reproducer or “conduit” to that of “advocate,” “cultural broker,” or “coordinator.” Still, the existing literature has rarely modeled the relationship between the parameters that influence the interpreter’s on-site decisions during a specific communication event. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the interpreter’s scope of action in a given communicative situation within a Triadic Discourse Interpreting Model (TRIM) by means of discourse interpreting filters, which show the interplay of static and dynamic TRIM parameters. Thus, the interpreter’s role is no longer defined by the verbatim-mediation dichotomy but rather reflects a decision-making continuum that evolves as the communication develops and offers a better understanding of the interpreter’s complex and important social role.
Moving up the value chain?
Authors: Chan Andy Lung Jan
Published: November 2014

In this age of globalization, and as a result of the advent of information, communication and translation technologies, translation tasks tend to be outsourced or even crowd-sourced to countries with lower wages, and translation fees seem to be on a downward spiral. Downward pressure on translation rates appears to confirm the factor price equalization theorem, a key derivation of the Heckscher-Ohlin trade model in economics. This famous theorem in labor and international economics argues that the prices of factors of production such as wage rate (or return on human capital) are equalized across countries as a result of international trade activities. This paper begins by presenting the theoretical framework of the factor price equalization theorem. It then examines how this theorem can be applied to analyze certain recently observed phenomena in the market for professional services in general and in the translation market in particular, and discusses implications for professional translators, language service providers and translator training institutions.
Beta-Glucans and Mannan Oligosaccharides Enhance Growth and Immunity in Nile Tilapia
Authors: Selim Khaled M , Reda Rasha M
Published: November 2014

We studied the effects of a combination of dietary beta-glucans (β-G) and mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) on Nile Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus. Three-hundred-sixty fingerlings (mean mass ± SD = 8.7 ± 0.4 g) were separated into three groups (G1, G2, and G3) of 120 fish; G1 (control group) was fed a basal diet, whereas G2 and G3 were fed prebiotic-supplemented diets at final levels of 1.5 and 3.0 g/kg feed, respectively. Each group was subdivided into two subgroups: subgroup A was fed for 60 d to evaluate growth performance, nutrient utilization, intestinal morphometry, and body composition; and subgroup B was fed for 30 d to evaluate immune status and disease resistance. The best growth and feed utilization were observed in G3. There was no significant difference in final body weight or weight gain between G2 and G1 after 30 d, whereas both variables were significantly higher in G2 than in G1 after 60 d. At the end of the feeding period, G2 had a better feed conversion ratio than G1. Villus height, number of goblet cells, and number of intraepithelial lymphocytes were greatest in G3, followed by G2 and then G1. Whole-body protein content and fat content were higher in G3 than in G2 and G1. Only G3 had significantly higher serum total protein, albumin, and globulin than G1. Serum killing percentage and phagocytic activity were significantly higher in G3 than in G1 and G2, whereas serum lysozyme activity was significantly higher in G3 and G2 than in G1. The nitric oxide assay indicated a significant effect in G3 compared with G1 after 30 d. Fish that were fed the prebiotic mixture had better relative percent survival than G1 fish after challenge with Yersinia ruckeri. Dietary supplementation with β-G and MOS in combination improves the performance of Nile Tilapia.
Populations without Reproduction
Authors: Charbonneau Mathieu
Published: November 2014

For a population to undergo evolution by natural selection, it is assumed that the constituents of the population form parent-offspring lineages, that is, that they must reproduce. I challenge this assumption by dividing the notion of reproduction into two subprocesses, that is, multiplication and inheritance, that produce parent-offspring lineages between the parts of a population, and I show that their population-level roles, generation and memory, respectively, can be effected by processes that do not rely on such local-level lineages. I further argue that these two population-level processes, not local parent-offspring lineages, are necessary conditions for a population to undergo Darwinian evolution.
Small Tumors as Risk Factors not Disease
Authors: Schwartz Peter H.
Published: November 2014

I argue that ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), the tumor most commonly diagnosed by breast mammography, cannot be confidently classified as cancer, that is, as pathological. This is because there may not be dysfunction present in DCIS—as I argue based on its high prevalence and the small amount of risk it conveys—and thus DCIS may not count as a disease by dysfunction-requiring approaches, such as Boorse’s biostatistical theory and Wakefield’s harmful dysfunction account. Patients should decide about treatment for DCIS based on the risks it poses and the risks and benefits of treatment, not on its disease status.
Molecular bioelectricity: how endogenous voltage potentials control cell behavior and instruct pattern regulation in vivo
Authors: Levin Michael
Published: November 2014

In addition to biochemical gradients and transcriptional networks, cell behavior is regulated by endogenous bioelectrical cues originating in the activity of ion channels and pumps, operating in a wide variety of cell types. Instructive signals mediated by changes in resting potential control proliferation, differentiation, cell shape, and apoptosis of stem, progenitor, and somatic cells. Of importance, however, cells are regulated not only by their own Vmembut also by the Vmemof their neighbors, forming networks via electrical synapses known as gap junctions. Spatiotemporal changes in Vmemdistribution among nonneural somatic tissues regulate pattern formation and serve as signals that trigger limb regeneration, induce eye formation, set polarity of whole-body anatomical axes, and orchestrate craniofacial patterning. New tools for tracking and functionally altering Vmemgradients in vivo have identified novel roles for bioelectrical signaling and revealed the molecular pathways by which Vmemchanges are transduced into cascades of downstream gene expression. Because channels and gap junctions are gated posttranslationally, bioelectrical networks have their own characteristic dynamics that do not reduce to molecular profiling of channel expression (although they couple functionally to transcriptional networks). The recent data provide an exciting opportunity to crack the bioelectric code, and learn to program cellular activity at the level of organs, not only cell types. The understanding of how patterning information is encoded in bioelectrical networks, which may require concepts from computational neuroscience, will have transformative implications for embryogenesis, regeneration, cancer, and synthetic bioengineering.
Optimal Indicators of Home BP Variability in Perimenopausal Women and Associations With Albuminuria and Reproducibility: The J-HOT Home BP Study
Authors: Kagitani Hideaki , Hoshide Satoshi , Kario Kazuomi
Published: November 2014

BACKGROUND

This study investigated the associations between various indicators of home blood pressure (BP) variability and albuminuria as well as the reproducibility of these indicators in perimenopausal women, who are likely to exhibit increased BP variability.

METHODS

As a measure of organ damage, urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) was examined at baseline in 151 women aged 40–59 years. Home BP was measured in duplicate in both morning and evening for 12 weeks using a home BP monitor. The following home BP variability indicators were calculated biweekly: mean, maximum, minimum, difference between maximum and minimum, average real variability (ARV), SD, and coefficient of variation.

RESULTS

In simple correlation, the ARV of systolic BP (SBP) (morning + evening and morning), maximum SBP (evening), and maximum diastolic BP (all time points) were most strongly correlated with UACR. In multivariate linear regression, the maximum, minimum, and ARV of SBP (morning) and both mean and maximum SBP (evening) were significantly associated with Box–Cox transformed UACR after adjustment for age, body mass index, and lifestyle. In particular, maximum SBP had the lowest P value among those BP indicators. Furthermore, maximum morning SBP tended to distinguish high-normal albuminuria (UACR ≥ 10mg/g Cr) more clearly than mean morning SBP. The mean, maximum, and minimum values of home BP demonstrated the greatest reproducibility among all indicators.

CONCLUSION

Maximum home BP is associated with UACR and exhibits high reproducibility in perimenopausal women. These findings raise the hypothesis that maximum home SBP may be suitable to detect kidney damage.
Inflammatory Cytokines and Reactive Oxygen Species as Mediators of Chronic Kidney Disease-Related Vascular Calcification
Authors: Agharazii Mohsen , St-Louis Ronald , Gautier-Bastien Alexandra , Ung Roth-Visal , Mokas Sophie , Larivière Richard , Richard Darren E.
Published: November 2014

BACKGROUND

Vascular calcification, a regulated process in chronic kidney disease (CKD), requires vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) differentiation into osteoblast-like cells. This phenomenon can be enhanced by inflammatory cytokines and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In CKD rats with vascular calcification, we investigated whether inflammatory cytokines, ROS generation, and downstream signaling events are associated with CKD-related vascular calcification.

METHODS

CKD was induced in male Wistar rats by renal mass ablation and vascular calcification was induced with a high calcium–phosphate diet and vitamin D supplementation (Ca/P/VitD). At week 3–6, hemodynamic parameters were determined and thoracic aorta was harvested for assessment of vascular calcification, macrophage infiltration, cytokines expression, VSMC differentiation, ROS generation, and related signaling pathway activation.

RESULTS

CKD rats treated with Ca/P/VitD developed medial calcification of thoracic aorta and increased pulse pressure and aortic pulse wave velocity. VSMC differentiation was confirmed by increased bone morphogenetic protein-2 and osteocalcin expression and reduced α-smooth muscle actin expression. The expression of interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor were also increased. The expression of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase subunits p22phox and p47phox were increased, whereas the expression of antioxidant enzymes (SOD1, SOD2, Gpx1, and Prdx1) was reduced in CKD + Ca/P/VitD rats. Oxidized peroxiredoxin, a sensor of ROS generation, was significantly increased and ROS-sensitive signaling pathways were activated in the aorta from CKD + Ca/P/VitD rats.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates a relationship between inflammation/ROS and arterial calcification in CKD and contributes to understanding of the complex pathways that mediate arterial calcification in CKD patients.
Evolution of grain size distribution in high-redshift dusty quasars: integrating large amounts of dust and unusual extinction curves
Authors: Nozawa Takaya , Asano Ryosuke S. , Hirashita Hiroyuki , Takeuchi Tsutomu T.
Published: November 2014

The discoveries of huge amounts of dust and unusual extinction curves in high-redshift quasars (z ≳ 4) cast challenging issues on the origin and properties of dust in the early Universe. In this Letter, we investigate the evolutions of dust content and extinction curve in a high-z quasar, based on the dust evolution model taking account of grain size distribution. First, we show that the Milky Way extinction curve is reproduced by introducing a moderate fraction (≃0.2) of dense molecular-cloud phases in the interstellar medium for a graphite–silicate dust model. Then we show that the peculiar extinction curves in high-z quasars can be explained by taking a much higher molecular-cloud fraction ( ≳ 0.5), which leads to more efficient grain growth and coagulation, and by assuming amorphous carbon instead of graphite. The large dust content in high-z quasar hosts is also found to be a natural consequence of the enhanced dust growth. These results indicate that grain growth and coagulation in molecular clouds are key processes that can increase the dust mass and change the size distribution of dust in galaxies, and that, along with a different dust composition, can contribute to shape the extinction curve.
Evil Eye
Authors: Tilford Nicole
Published: November 2014

People throughout the world have believed that “certain individuals, animals, demons, or gods had the power of casting a spell or causing some damaging effect upon every object, animate or inanimate, upon which their glance fell” (John Elliot‘s “The Evil Eye in the First Testament: The Ecology and Culture of a Pervasive Belief” in The Bible and The Politics of Exegesis: Essays in Honor of Norman K. Gottwald on His Sixty-Fifth Birthday, p. 148 [cited under New Testament: The Evil Eye and John H. Elliot]). This belief has been referred to by many names: ayin ha-ra (Hebrew), baskaino (and related terms, Greek), invidia or fascinus (Latin), ‘ayn (Arabic), mal occhio (Italian), mal de ojo (Spanish), böser Blick (German), and so forth. However, it is commonly referred to in English as the “evil eye.” The belief is typically connected to envy and often emerges in cultures that believe in an extramission theory of vision (see Theoretical Explanations), that is, one in which the eye is understood as an active organ, capable of emitting light from it. Women and outsiders, in particular, are thought capable of casting the evil eye, and those who are beautiful, healthy, wealthy, or young are especially vulnerable to it. Yet, it is believed that individuals can protect themselves against the negative influences of the evil eye by wearing amulets and reciting certain incantations (see, e.g., Gideon Bohak‘s Ancient Jewish Magic: A History [cited under Ancient Near East], E. A. Wallis Budge‘s “The Evil Eye” in Amulets and Superstitions [cited under General Overviews: Classic Overviews], Christopher A. Faraone‘s “The Amuletic Design of the Mithraic Bull-Wounding Scene" and James Russell‘s “The Archaeological Context of Magic in the Early Byzantine Period” [both cited under Greece and Rome: Artistic and Archaeological Representations], James N. Ford‘s “Ninety-Nine by the Evil Eye and One from Natural Causes: KTU2 1.96 in its Near Eastern Context" [cited under Ancient Near East]. The scholarly study of the evil eye is vast. Siegried Seligmann‘s Die Zauberkraft des Auges und das Berufen: Ein Kapital aus der Geschichte des Aberglaubens, a classic survey (cited under General Overviews: Classic Overviews), lists more than 2,100 scholarly treatments, and, today, more than three thousand separate examinations of the phenomenon are found around the world. This article thus provides a selective list of relevant scholarship on the evil eye belief in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, the New Testament, Rabbinic Literature, and Early Christian Literature. Views from the Ancient Near East and Greece and Rome on the evil eye are included as background for the belief in biblical communities, as is a survey of scholarly explanations (Theoretical Explanations) for the belief around the world. Since a growing number of scholars are interested in the relationship among Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, scholarship on the evil eye belief in Islam is also included. The relevance of the belief for the history of Biblical Reception is also noted.
International Land Grabbing
Authors: D'Odorico Paolo , Rulli M. Cristina
Published: November 2014

In recent years, some food crises have threatened food security worldwide. These episodes were induced by extreme climate events occurring in periods of unprecedented worldwide pressure on agricultural land due to new bioenergy policies, changes in diets, and demographic growth. To curb the associated escalation in food prices, the governments of some major crop-producing countries have banned or limited their exports, thereby generating food insecurity in many trade-dependent nations. As a result, investors saw in agriculture new business opportunities, while some governments started to secure a more direct access to agricultural land. Therefore, public corporations, agribusiness investors, and speculators started to acquire productive and relatively cheap agricultural land, particularly in the developing world.
Quipu
Authors: Medrano Manuel , Brokaw Galen
Published: November 2014

The quipu (also khipu or kipu) is a device of knotted and colored strings of vegetal or animal fiber used by the Incas and other Andean cultures to record information. The earliest universally recognized quipus, which were used by the Wari culture from at least the ninth century ce, employ primarily chromatic patterns created by wrapping different colored threads around the cords. Later Inca quipus appear to make use of colored pendant strings rather than thread wrappings. Other notable Inca quipu conventions include cord groupings and knots tied into the cords, in most cases using a decimal place system. Wari quipus remain almost entirely undeciphered; in Inca quipus, the only established decipherment is that of the decimal knot system. Functional quipu use would persist for centuries following the Spanish conquest in 1532 ce in a range of agropastoral, administrative, and ritual settings through the mid-twentieth century. The quipu is often invoked in responses to the so-called Inca paradox: the fact that the Incas developed a highly complex and extensive empire without a form of writing, at least as that term is typically defined. Scholars in the twentieth century often dismissed the quipu as a mnemonic device that, while not writing, enabled effective socioeconomic and political administration. However, colonial sources claim that the quipu was used for a variety of purposes beyond tribute and storehouse accounting, including the recording of censuses, laws, genealogy, and even history. Such assertions have led some to argue in favor of a division between numerical and narrative quipus. Since the first international quipu conference in 1988, research on the topic has expanded to encompass a variety of themes and initiatives. These comprise the history of quipus, including their historical circulation as museum objects; archaeological excavations of quipus; detailed physical descriptions of specimens in museums and private collections, including their digitization and incorporation into databases; textual analyses of colonial-era quipu transcriptions; and decipherment projects, which have increasingly leveraged the tools of data science. In addition, a handful of Andean communities retain quipus as patrimonial objects. These have informed ongoing ethnographic research, while also providing valuable clues about the nature and recording conventions of pre-Hispanic quipus.
Buenos Aires
Authors: Degiovanni Fernando , Rosenberg Fernando J.
Published: November 2014

One of the most important city ports of the Western Hemisphere, Buenos Aires has a history inextricably connected to the fluctuations of the Atlantic economy as well as to its strategic position as a gateway to vast and fertile flatlands that extend far beyond the city limits. Founded and re-founded in the 16th century as a secondary colonial outpost, Buenos Aires was dramatically transformed by the demands of the European markets at the turn of both the 18th and 19th centuries. In this context, two crucial developments are decisive for understanding the physical, social, and cultural fabric of the city: the emergence of the gauchos and the arrival of millions of European immigrants. The gauchos, although primarily inhabiting the pampas, would nonetheless project their influence on the city’s margins and later be elevated to cultural icon; whereas the immigrants would give Buenos Aires the particular imprint for which it is internationally recognized. Crucial periods of the city’s history, repeatedly visited by scholars, can only be explained as the result of the interplay between local and international political, economic, and demographic factors. These include the autocratic and populist rule of Juan Manuel de Rosas in the 1830s and 1840s, the influx of Italian, Spanish, and Jewish populations between 1880 and 1930, and the rise of Juan D. Perón as a popular leader in the 1940s (along with the formation of his still influential movement). The experience of living in an urban environment subject to quick transformations, particularly since the end of the 19th century, has had a decisive impact on Argentine literature, music, and visual arts. The creations of poets, novelists, musicians, artists, and filmmakers have proven crucial for constructing a lasting image of Buenos Aires for local and international consumption. Tango, perhaps the city’s most singular cultural expression, has played an unparalleled role in this regard. But if a turn-of-the-century burgeoning city has occupied an undisputed place in the artistic and scholarly imagination, there is also the Buenos Aires of economic decline and cultural conflict that gradually emerged in the last century. Despite having being affected by several dictatorial regimes and financial crises on which recent scholarship and cultural production have increasingly focused, contemporary Buenos Aires continues to be a sociocultural and economic center for tourists, students, and new waves of immigrants (mainly from Latin American and East Asian countries).
James Dean
Authors: Hemmer Kurt
Published: November 2014

James Dean (b. 1931–d. 1955), along with the actors Montgomery Clift and Marlon Brando, ushered onto the American silver screen a type of acting often called the “Method,” which was inspired by the teachings of the Russian director Constantin Stanislavsky. Although a great deal of debate exists over what the Method actually is, it can generally be described as “reacting” rather than “acting,” in order to create a more naturalistic and internally derived style. To what extent Dean absorbed the Method through classes he took with James Whitmore in California and Lee Strasberg in New York, or whether his style of acting was simply “natural,” is a matter of debate. What is indisputable is that his name and reputation are connected to this technique that had a tremendous influence on the New York stage via the Actors Studio before coming in front of Hollywood cameras. Although Dean starred in only three films—East of Eden (1955), Rebel Without a Cause (1955), and Giant (1956)—he is still considered one of the major influences on contemporary acting with actors from his own generation (Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, and Dennis Hopper) to the next generation (Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino, and Robert De Niro) and the following generation (Sean Penn, River Phoenix, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Johnny Depp) being inevitably compared to him. Many biographies, journalism, and documentaries have accumulated over the years since Dean’s death, in forms often exploitive and sensational, dealing with his sexuality and psychology. Much vigorous scholarship on the true worth of his acting skills and his place in the cultural landscape of his time and in the 21st century can still be done. Unlike Clift and Brando, Dean did not spend much time refining his craft on the stage and did much of his initial work on television. What makes Dean unique is his position as a cultural icon, largely the result of his tragic death in a car accident on 30 September 1955. His image is recognized throughout the world as a signifier readily filled by several types of, often contradictory, iconography: teenager, rebel, all-American, cowboy, biker, punk, homosexual, among others. Born in Marion, Indiana, and later raised in Fairmount, Indiana, by his aunt and uncle after his mother died when he was nine, Dean achieved in his short lifetime what he claimed was most important to him—immortality.
Singin' in the Rain
Authors: Delamater Jerome
Published: November 2014

Called by conductor and composer André Previn, and by many others echoing him, “the best musical ever made,” Singin’ in the Rain (1952) has become a film that embodies numerous aspects of academic inquiry. Overshadowed on its initial release by An American in Paris (1951), today it has achieved classic, canonical status and has become the touchstone film for any discussion of the musical genre and, indeed, Hollywood in the fifties. Its popularity and critical esteem are demonstrated by its recurrent ranking on various all-time-great lists, including number ten (and the only musical) on Sight and Sound’s 2022 list of critics’ “Top 20 Greatest Films,” number five of the American Film Institute’s “Top 100 Films” in 2007, and number one of the AFI’s 2006 list of the twenty-five “Greatest Movie Musicals.” Notably, as well, it was one of the first twenty-five “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant films” chosen for the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry. The varieties of commentary represented by the entries in this bibliography show that it has also become the site of serious film study. Singin’ in the Rain is often cited not only in research into the studio system (MGM in particular) and (as an Arthur Freed production) of the producer-unit system, but also in cinematic analysis of almost every kind, especially cultural, historical, gender, and, of course, aesthetic. Two particular areas of interest for scholars and the general public are: (1) the nature of the authorial relationship between Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, the codirectors, which is complicated by Kelly’s acknowledged roles as star, dancer, and choreographer, and (2) the film’s self-reflexive, satirical look at the birth of sound film and at the nature of the filmmaking process. Made during a major moment of crisis in Hollywood, the advent of television, about another, similar moment of crisis, the advent of sound, Singin’ in the Rain has remained a durable artifact of American culture. It is studied in classrooms, subjected to academic and popular criticism, and admired as a film that, even after more than seventy years, is still—as costar Debbie Reynolds says at the end of the documentary What a Glorious Feeling: The Making of “Singin’ in the Rain”—“wonderfully fresh, wildly exuberant and will always give us that glorious feeling.”
Subgroup Differences in Response to 8 Weeks of Ledipasvir/Sofosbuvir for Chronic Hepatitis C
Authors: O'Brien Thomas R. , Lang Kuhs Krystle A. , Pfeiffer Ruth M.
Published: November 2014

Treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with ledipasvir/sofosbuvir promises tremendous benefits, but high cost may impede implementation of this regimen. Subgroups with excellent response to 8 weeks of treatment might respond to a shorter course. In ION-3, 423 previously untreated HCV genotype 1-infected patients without cirrhosis had outcome data after receiving ledipasvir/sofosbuvir for 8 weeks. After reanalyzing published ION-3 data, we found that sustained virologic response (SVR) rates varied significantly by gender (P = .002) and rs12979860 genotype (Ptrend = .03), exceeding 98% in women and rs12979860-CC individuals. The very high SVR rates in these subgroups suggest that these factors might be considered in selecting patients to receive 8 weeks of ledipasvir/sofosbuvir and support shorter trials of this regimen in selected patients.
Observations of the bursting activity of the 6.7 GHz methanol maser in G33.641−0.228
Authors: Fujisawa Kenta , Aoki Nozomu , Nagadomi Yoshito , Kimura Saki , Shimomura Tadashi , Takase Genta , Sugiyama Koichiro , Motogi Kazuhito , Niinuma Kotaro , Hirota Tomoya , Yonekura Yoshinori
Published: November 2014

We have observed bursting variability of the 6.7 GHz methanol maser of G33.641−0.228. Five bursts were detected in the observation period of 294 days from 2009 to 2012. The typical burst is a large flux density rise in about one day followed by a slow fall. A non-typical burst observed in 2010 showed a large and rapid flux density enhancement from the stable state, but the rise and fall of the flux density were temporally symmetric and a fast fluctuation continued for 12 days. On average, the bursts occurred once every 59 days, although bursting was not periodic. Since the average power required for causing a burst of order of 1021 J s−1 is far smaller than the luminosity of G33.641−0.228, a very small fraction of the source's power would be sufficient to cause the burst occasionally. The burst can be explained as a solar-flare-like event in which the energy is accumulated in the magnetic field of the circumstellar disk, and is released for a short time. However, the mechanism of the energy release and the dust heating process are still unknown.
Sclareol Induces Plant Resistance to Root-Knot Nematode Partially Through Ethylene-Dependent Enhancement of Lignin Accumulation
Authors: Fujimoto Taketo , Mizukubo Takayuki , Abe Hiroshi , Seo Shigemi
Published: November 2014

The root-knot nematode (RKN) is one of the most devastating parasitic nematodes of plants. Although some secondary metabolites released by the host plant play roles as defense substances against parasitic nematodes, the mechanism underlying the induction of such defense responses is not fully understood. We found that sclareol, a natural diterpene known as an antimicrobial and defense-related molecule, inhibited RKN penetration of tomato and Arabidopsis roots. Sclareol induced genes related to ethylene (ET) biosynthesis and signaling and phenylpropanoid metabolism in Arabidopsis roots. In roots of ein2-1, an ET-insensitive mutant line, both sclareol-induced inhibition of RKN penetration and sclareol-induced enhancement of lignin accumulation were abolished. A mutant defective in lignin accumulation did not exhibit such inhibition. Sclareol also activated MPK3 and MPK6, Arabidopsis mitogen-activated protein kinases whose activation is required for triggering ET biosynthesis. Sclareol-induced inhibition of RKN penetration was exhibited by mutants of neither MPK3 nor MPK6. Treatment with a biosynthetic precursor of ET was insufficient compared with sclareol treatment to inhibit RKN penetration, suggesting the existence of an ET-independent signaling pathway leading to RKN resistance. These results suggested that sclareol induced resistance to RKN penetration partially through ET-dependent accumulation of lignin in roots.
Water wave transmission by an array of floating discs
Authors: Bennetts L. G. , Williams T. D.
Published: November 2014

An experimental validation of theoretical models of regular-water-wave transmission through arrays of floating discs is presented. The experiments were conducted in a wave basin. The models are based on combined potential-flow and thin-plate theories, and the assumption of linear motions. A low-concentration array, in which discs are separated by approximately a disc diameter in equilibrium, and a high-concentration array, in which adjacent discs are almost touching in equilibrium, were used for the experiments. The proportion of incident-wave energy transmitted by the discs is presented as a function of wave period, and for different wave amplitudes. Results indicate the models predict wave-energy transmission accurately for small-amplitude waves and low-concentration arrays. Discrepancies for large-amplitude waves and high-concentration arrays are attributed to wave overwash of the discs and collisions between discs. Validation of model predictions of a solitary disc's rigid-body motions are also presented.
Quality characteristics of cookies with acaiberry (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) powder added
Authors: Choi Young-Sim , Kim Sun-Kyung , Mo Eun-Kyoung
Published: November 2014

The quality characteristics of cookies with 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8% acaiberry (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) powder added were analyzed through chemical and sensory evaluations. The moisture contents of the cookies were insignificant (p<0.05) as the acaiberry powder levels (0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8%) increased. The pH values of the cookies were significantly reduced in all the acaiberry powder groups compared to the controls. According to the Hunter color of the cookies, tbe L-value (lightness) and the b-value (yellowness) significantly decreased (p<0.05), whereas the a-value (redness) increased when the acaiberry powder was added at different levels (0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8%). The spread factor decreased significantly (p<0.05) with the acaiberry powder addition levels (0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8%). The hardness of the cookies significantly decreased (p<0.05) according to the increase in the acaiberry powder level (0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8%). The sensory evaluation of the cookies showed that those with 6% acaiberry powder added had the greatest of the color, taste, flavor, texture, and overall acceptability. These results showed that up to 6% acaiberry powder can be added to cookies.