bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Autonomous aerial navigation using monocular visual‐inertial fusion
Authors: Lin Yi , Gao Fei , Qin Tong , Gao Wenliang , Liu Tianbo , Wu William , Yang Zhenfei , Shen Shaojie
Published: July 2017

Autonomous micro aerial vehicles (MAVs) have cost and mobility benefits, making them ideal robotic platforms for applications including aerial photography, surveillance, and search and rescue. As the platform scales down, MAVs become more capable of operating in confined environments, but it also introduces significant size and payload constraints. A monocular visual‐inertial navigation system (VINS), consisting only of an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and a camera, becomes the most suitable sensor suite in this case, thanks to its light weight and small footprint. In fact, it is the minimum sensor suite allowing autonomous flight with sufficient environmental awareness. In this paper, we show that it is possible to achieve reliable online autonomous navigation using monocular VINS. Our system is built on a customized quadrotor testbed equipped with a fisheye camera, a low‐cost IMU, and heterogeneous onboard computing resources. The backbone of our system is a highly accurate optimization‐based monocular visual‐inertial state estimator with online initialization and self‐extrinsic calibration. An onboard GPU‐based monocular dense mapping module that conditions on the estimated pose provides wide‐angle situational awareness. Finally, an online trajectory planner that operates directly on the incrementally built three‐dimensional map guarantees safe navigation through cluttered environments. Extensive experimental results are provided to validate individual system modules as well as the overall performance in both indoor and outdoor environments.
Breaking the Cycle: Cumulative Disadvantage in Literacy
Authors: Northrop Laura
Published: July 2017

This research used a mixed‐methods framework to investigate cumulative disadvantage in literacy, specifically focusing on the differences between early struggling readers who recover and early struggling readers who continue struggling. Quantitative analysis used the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998–1999 (ECLS‐K), whereas qualitative data came from in‐depth interviews with 42 teachers. This research suggests three main findings about cumulative disadvantage in reading: (1) Cumulative disadvantage is not the only pathway available for students with early difficulties in reading; (2) recovery is based on alignment of child, home, and school factors; and (3) schools can act as a site of intervention to disrupt the cumulative disadvantage trajectory through the use of high‐quality instruction and high‐quality intervention.
XPS valence band study of Na‐silicate glasses: energetics and reactivity
Authors: Nesbitt H. W. , Bancroft G. M. , Ho R.
Published: July 2017

High‐resolution X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of valence bands of vitreous silica (SiO2(vit)), and Na‐silicate glasses are divisible into 3 sub‐bands. These are the O 2s band, the lower valence band (LVB), and the upper valence band (UVB). Many peaks of the LVB and UVB have line widths (full width at half maximum) of 1.2–1.7 eV, which are commensurate with widths of core level O 1s lines, indicating weak dispersion of these valence band peaks. Two types of oxygen exist in the glasses. There is oxygen bridging 2 Si atoms (bridging oxygen [BO]), and O bonded to Si and Na (nonbridging oxygen [NBO]). The addition of Na to siliceous glasses diminishes electronic density of states of the LVB and enhances density of states of the UVB, a consequence of quenching Si‐BO σ‐bonds of the LVB, creating Si‐NBO σ‐bonds in the UVB, and creating atomic‐like O 2px,y nonbonding orbitals at the top of the UVB or highest occupied molecular orbitals. The process destabilizes the valence bands of the glasses by 2 to 6 eV per Si‐NBO bond formed. All orbitals are destabilized with increased Na2O content. There is effectively complete transfer of Na 3s electrons to NBO but this charge is redistributed among all atoms of the tetrahedron via the 4 Si‐O σ bonds (sp3‐O 2px character). The BE of the Si 2p line decreases more rapidly with Na2O content than any other line monitored, and this preferential accumulation of negative charge on Si causes Si‐O bonds to become weaker through decrease in the force constant of the bonds. The durability of Na‐silicate glasses decreases in response. The destabilization of the highest occupied molecular orbitals makes the Na‐rich glasses more susceptible to attack by reagents such as H+, OH−, and H2O. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ternary Alloys Encapsulated within Different MOFs via a Self‐Sacrificing Template Process: A Potential Platform for the Investigation of Size‐Selective Catalytic Performances
Authors: Chen Lu‐Ning , Li Hui‐Qi , Yan Meng‐Wen , Yuan Chao‐Fan , Zhan Wen‐Wen , Jiang Ya‐Qi , Xie Zhao‐Xiong , Kuang Qin , Zheng Lan‐Sun
Published: July 2017

Functional nanoparticles encapsulated within metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) as an emerging class of composite materials attract increasing attention owing to their enhanced or even novel properties caused by the synergistic effect between the two functional materials. However, there is still no ideal composite structure as platform to systematically analyze and evaluate the relation between the enhanced catalytic performance of composites and the structure of MOF shells. In this work, taking RhCoNi ternary alloy nanoflowers, for example, first the RhCoNi@MOF composite catalysts sheathed with different structured MOFs via a facile self‐sacrificing template process are successfully fabricated. The structure type of MOF shells is easily adjustable by using different organic molecules as etchant and coordination reagent (e.g., 2,5‐dihydroxyterephthalic acid or 2‐methylimidazole), which can dissolve out the Co or Ni element in the alloy template in a targeted manner, thereby producing ZIF‐67(Co) or MOF‐74(Ni) shells accordingly. With the difference between the two MOF shells in the aperture sizes, the as‐prepared two RhCoNi@MOF composites preform distinct size selectivity during the alkene hydrogenation. This work would help us to get more comprehensive understanding of the intrinsic role of MOFs behind the enhanced catalytic performance of nanoparticle@MOF composites.
Investigating the Diffusion of Agent‐based Modelling and System Dynamics Modelling in Population Health and Healthcare Research
Authors: Liu Shiyong , Xue Hong , Li Yan , Xu Judy , Wang Youfa
Published: July 2017

System dynamics modelling (SDM) applications in health research began to appear in 1972 while agent‐based modelling (ABM) applications first appeared in 1995, but their applications have increased dramatically over the last decade. This study examines the diffusion patterns of these two approaches and the main driving factors. We conducted a systematic analysis of 653 journal articles published from 1972 to 2014 that employed two approaches in health research and found that over the last few years, there has been a rapid increase of studies in using ABM compared with SDM, partly due to the launching of new journals and the application of ABM to a broad range of topics. The concentration of SDM studies in just a few journals may be adversely affecting its diffusion. The last decade saw acceleration in using ABM to investigate infectious diseases and cancer while SDM applications have predominantly focused on non‐communicable diseases such as obesity. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Innovationen im Stahl‐ und Verbundbrückenbau
Authors: Marzahn Gero , Collette Marcell
Published: July 2017

Das Straßenverkehrsnetz in Deutschland ist eines der besten und leistungsfähigsten der Welt. Straßen sind die Lebensadern für eine moderne Volkswirtschaft. Als unverzichtbarer Bestandteil der Verkehrsinfrastruktur sorgen sie für Wachstum, Wohlstand und Lebensqualität. Damit die Leistungsfähigkeit erhalten bleibt oder gesteigert wird, ist eine ständige Erhaltung und Erneuerung sowie der Ausbau und die Erweiterung des Verkehrsnetzes erforderlich.

Ein modernes Straßenverkehrsnetz ist ohne Stahl‐ und Verbundbrücken nicht denkbar. Diese Bauweisen werden vielseitig eingesetzt, weisen einen hohen Grad an industrieller Vorfertigung auf, sind wirtschaftlich und besitzen eine hohe Lebensdauer. Aufgrund des niedrigen Eigengewichts, der guten Tragfähigkeitseigenschaften und den damit verbundenen großen Spannweiten ist der Werkstoff Stahl im Bereich des Großbrückenbaus stark vertreten. Aber auch kleinere Brücken lassen sich mit Stahl gut gestalten, wobei Verbundbrücken im Allgemeinen im mittleren Stützweitenbereich eingesetzt werden.

Stahl‐ und Verbundbrücken stehen in wirtschaftlicher Konkurrenz zu anderen Bauweisen. Die Wirtschaftlichkeit ist maßgeblich von der konstruktiven Ausführung und von den Lebenszykluskosten abhängig. Dieser Artikel informiert über aktuelle Regelungen, die bei der Konstruktion von Stahlhohlkästen zu beachten sind, über die Entwicklung von neuen Beschichtungssystemen und über die Feuerverzinkung von dynamisch beanspruchten Bauteilen.
Grundinstandsetzung der Müngstener Talbrücke
Authors: Kalameya Jens , Anschütz Michael , Ungermann Dieter , Dipl.‐Ing. Münch
Published: July 2017

Die im Jahr 1897 fertiggestellte Müngstener Talbrücke überführt die Eisenbahnstrecke 2675 zweigleisig über das Tal der Wupper. Sie gilt nicht nur in Deutschland bis heute aufgrund ihrer Größe und der eingesetzten Bau‐ und Montagetechnologie als eines der bedeutendsten Bauwerke des Stahlbrückenbaus. Neben ihrer historischen Bedeutung stellt sie eine wichtige Verkehrsverbindung zwischen den Städten Solingen und Remscheid dar. Etwa 120 Jahre Eisenbahnnutzung und Witterungseinflüsse haben zu Schäden am Bauwerk und geänderte Anforderungen der heutigen Regelwerke zu Defiziten in den Bauteilnachweisen geführt, sodass eine Grundinstandsetzung des Bauwerks für eine weitere Nutzung von mindestens 30 Jahren erforderlich wurde. Dieser Beitrag gibt einen Einblick von der Historie bis hin zur gegenwärtig noch andauernden Ertüchtigung dieses bedeutsamen Bauwerks.
Instandsetzung und Verstärkung von Stahlbrücken mit Kategorie‐2‐Schäden
Authors: Kuhlmann Ulrike , Bove Simon , Hubmann Michael
Published: July 2017

Viele der in den 1960er bis 1980er Jahren erbauten Stahlbrücken, die sich auch heute noch im Netz der Autobahnen und Bundesstraßen in Deutschland befinden, weisen inzwischen gravierende Schäden auf, die nicht selten durch den in den letzten Jahren erheblich gestiegenen Güterverkehr bedingt sind. Zusätzlich sagen die Prognosen einen weiter steigenden Schwerlastverkehr voraus. Hinzu kommt, dass vor allem bei vielen orthotropen Stahlfahrbahnen Details ausgeführt wurden, die heutzutage nicht mehr Stand der Technik sind. Dieser Beitrag legt den Fokus auf so genannte Kategorie‐2‐Schäden, die alle Schäden im Bereich der Längssteifen zusammenfassen. Für diese Schadenskategorie werden unterschiedliche Brückenbaubeispiele aufgezeigt und ihre Sanierungslösungen vorgestellt. Vor allem eine Möglichkeit der Instandsetzung mit mechanischen Verbindungsmitteln wird hierbei näher betrachtet. Diese steht auch in dem aktuell an der Universität Stuttgart durchgeführten Forschungsvorhaben „Sanierung ermüdungsbeanspruchter Längsrippen orthotroper Stahlfahrbahnplatten mit geschraubten Lösungen” im Mittelpunkt der Untersuchungen, von dem erste Ergebnisse vorgestellt werden.
Instandsetzungs‐ und Sicherungsmaßnahmen bei den Rheinbrücken Leverkusen und DuisburgNeuenkamp – ein Zwischenbericht (Teil 1)
Authors: Paschen Michael , Hensen Wolfgang , Hamme Markus
Published: July 2017

Die Rheinbrücke Leverkusen wurde 1965 in Betrieb genommen, die Rheinbrücke Duisburg‐Neuenkamp 5 Jahre später. Beides sind Mittelträger‐Schrägseilbrücken mit orthotroper Fahrbahnplatte. Die Brücken sind geschweißte Konstruktionen, die Montagestöße der Rheinbrücke Leverkusen sind weitgehend genietet, die Rheinbrücke Duisburg‐Neuenkamp ist eine der ersten komplett geschweißten Stahlbrücken in Deutschland. Bei beiden Brücken beträgt die Verkehrsbeanspruchung über 100 000 Kfz/d, mit einem großen Anteil von Schwerverkehr (mehr als 10 %). Die Schadensentwicklung bei beiden Brücken betraf in den letzten ca. 5 Jahren nicht nur den Bereich der Fahrbahnplatte, sondern es wurden auch massive Schäden im Quer‐ und Haupttragsystem der Brücke entdeckt. Der Beitrag beschreibt die Schäden, die getroffenen Sicherungs‐ und Instandsetzungsmaßnahem und versucht, erste Schlussfolgerungen zu ziehen.
27. Dresdner Brückenbausymposium mit Verleihung der Wackerbarth‐Medaille
Authors: Stritzke Jürgen
Published: July 2017

Herrn Chefredakteur Dr.‐Ing. Karl‐Eugen Kurrer zur Vollendung seines 65. Lebensjahres gewidmet

Als Forum für richtungsweisende Ideen ist das Dresdner Brückenbausymposium fest an der TU Dresden etabliert – national und international. Diese renommierte Veranstaltung ist über 27 Jahre enorm gewachsen und so konnte Prof. Dr.‐Ing. Dr.‐Ing. E.h. Manfred Curbach auch diesmal über 1 400 Teilnehmer begrüßen, obwohl in diesem Jahr kein Deutscher Brückenbaupreis verliehen wurde.

Wissenschaftliche Veranstaltungen wie dieses Symposium lenken die positive Aufmerksamkeit auf die Landeshauptstadt Dresden und tragen auch dazu bei, den gesamten Wissenschaftsstandort Dresden im internationalen Wettbewerb noch weiter voranzubringen. Das Institut für Massivbau ist ein hervorragendes Beispiel für eine äußerst erfolgreiche interdisziplinäre Zusammenarbeit. Mit dem Verein C3 – Carbon Concrete Composite e. V. ist hier ein Netzwerk aus mehr als 150 Partnern der Wirtschaft, Wissenschaft und von Verbänden angesiedelt, das an der Weiterentwicklung der Carbon‐Technologie arbeitet. Der Bundespräsident Joachim Gauck zeichnete am 30.11.2016 das Team Prof. Dr.‐Ing. Dr.‐Ing. E.h. Manfred Curbach, Prof. Dr.‐Ing. habil. Peter Offermann und Prof. Dr.‐Ing. habil. Dipl.‐Wirt.‐Ing. Chokri Cherif mit dem Zukunftspreis 2016 aus und ehrte damit seine Forschungsleistung in Carbonbeton, eine korrosionsbeständige und rohstoffsparende Alternative zum Stahlbeton.
Denken in Modellen – Begreifbare Modelle als zentrales Instrumentarium im Werk von Frei Otto
Authors: Möller Eberhard
Published: July 2017

Der innovative Architekt, Konstrukteur und Forscher Frei Otto (1925–2015) gilt als eine der weltweit renommiertesten Persönlichkeiten des Bauwesens der zweiten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts. Vieles ist von ihm und über ihn bereits gesagt und geschrieben worden. Zeitlebens oszillierte seine Tätigkeit im Wechselspiel zwischen Suchen und Finden, zwischen Gestalten und Verstehen, zwischen Modellieren und Analysieren, zwischen Konstruktions‐Entwicklung und Natur‐Erforschung. Die bisweilen geäußerte Behauptung, er habe seine innovativen Konstruktionen der Natur abgeschaut, ist dabei so oberflächlich wie unzutreffend. Das wesentliche Werkzeug seines Schaffens war vielmehr das physische, das gebaute, das im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes „begreifbare” physikalische Modell. Etwa 200 seiner zarten, filigranen Arbeits‐ und Forschungsgeräte waren bis zum 12. März 2017 im Karlsruher Zentrum für Kunst und Medien (ZKM) zu sehen.
Long‐term data of reinforced concrete beams subjected to high sustained loads and simplified prediction method
Authors: Reybrouck Nicky , Criel Pieterjan , Van Mullem Tim , Caspeele Robby
Published: July 2017

In 1967–1985, a research campaign comprising a unique set of long‐term experimental data on concrete beams was conducted in joint collaboration with four Belgian research institutes to determine the influence of creep and shrinkage on the long‐term behavior of reinforced concrete members. The main aim of the research campaign was the determination of the long‐term behavior of cracking and deformations subjected to permanent loads considering the influence of the magnitude of the loads and various reinforcement ratios.

The objective of this article is twofold: to provide an overview of the measured data of the reinforced beams of the research campaign, which has never been published before, and to propose a simplified calculation method based on available models in literature that can predict the available measurement data. A simplified calculation model is proposed, which accounts for nonlinear creep strains due to high stresses, shrinkage, aging, and cracking in reinforced concrete beams. This numerical method is based on a cross‐sectional analysis formulated using the layered Euler‐Bernoulli beam theory, allowing fast and accurate predictions of strains, stresses, and deflections as a function of time based on fib Model Code 2010 and EN1992‐1‐1. The measurements of the beams subjected to high permanent loads during a time period of 4 years are compared to the results evaluated with the proposed simplified calculation model. The results show that the proposed simplified calculation method based on the current models of EN1992‐1‐1 and fib Model Code 2010 can predict the long‐term behavior of reinforced concrete beams subjected to high loads in good agreement with the measurements.
Improvement in ethanol productivity of engineered E. coli strain SSY13 in defined medium via adaptive evolution
Authors: Jilani Syed Bilal , Venigalla Siva Sai Krishna , Mattam Anu Jose , Dev Chandra , Yazdani Syed Shams
Published: July 2017

E. coli has the ability to ferment both C5 and C6 sugars and produce mixture of acids along with small amount of ethanol. In our previous study, we reported the construction of an ethanologenic E. coli strain by modulating flux through the endogenous pathways. In the current study, we made further changes in the strain to make the overall process industry friendly; the changes being (1) removal of plasmid, (2) use of low-cost defined medium, and (3) improvement in consumption rate of both C5 and C6 sugars. We first constructed a plasmid-free strain SSY13 and passaged it on AM1–xylose minimal medium plate for 150 days. Further passaging was done for 56 days in liquid AM1 medium containing either glucose or xylose on alternate days. We observed an increase in specific growth rate and carbon utilization rate with increase in passage numbers until 42 days for both glucose and xylose. The 42nd day passaged strain SSK42 fermented 113 g/L xylose in AM1 minimal medium and produced 51.1 g/L ethanol in 72 h at 89% of maximum theoretical yield with ethanol productivity of 1.4 g/L/h during 24–48 h of fermentation. The ethanol titer, yield and productivity were 49, 40 and 36% higher, respectively, for SSK42 as compared to unevolved SSY13 strain.
Moose winter diet components from feces and field feeding signs: consistency and variability related to forage availability and nutritional requirements
Authors: Bao Heng , Dou Hongliang , Ma Yingjie , Liu Hui , Jiang Guangshun
Published: July 2017

Diet composition detection of herbivores, relating to feeding strategies, might be influenced by forage availability, geographical variation, and the results of diet estimation also varied in some extent by the different research methods. Therefore, it is difficult to assess how effective various methods of identifying herbivores diet components and their nutritional requirements are. In order to assess the consistency and variability of moose (Alces alces) winter diet composition across a large spatial scale, we compared the results of diet analysis from fecal analysis to those of parallel field survey related to forage availability and crude protein requirements during winter from December to March of 2012, 2013, and 2014 in the Greater Khingan Mountains, China. Our results suggested that: (1) the diet components variability between the two methods exist, and the value of species richness index, shannon wiener index and species evenness index in fecal analysis were greater than in field survey; (2) staple foods (birch, willow and aspen) identified from the two methods exhibited the stable consistency; and the percentage of birch was positive relative to forage availability from both methods; (3) quantitative crude protein of staple food items were different between both method, it was much lower than moose nutritional requirement by fecal analysis, and it was match the nutritional requirement of moose during field survey. These findings suggested that the two methods kept variability in detecting quantitative nutritional components, and only diet composition overlap consistency could not be reflected as quantitative nutritional similarity.
The Status Quo is not an Option: Functional and Existential Weaknesses of the Emu
Authors: Nurvala Juha-Pekka
Published: July 2017

This article argues that maintaining the status quo is not an option for the euro area. The euro has functional and existential weaknesses that force us to take drastic action if we want to become resilient enough to withstand the next banking crisis. The article argues that the existential weaknesses of the euro stem from the D/Y ratio (debt-to-GDP). Euro-area members have only limited scope for using traditional mechanisms to deal with D/Y problems. What makes this especially worrying for the overall stability of the euro area is the ownership of the debt issued by the euro-area member states. It is absolutely vital to separate banks and sovereigns and to slash debt-to-GDP levels. The question is whether the political decision-making processes in the member states can deliver these structural changes.
Perceived sleep deficit is a strong predictor of RLS in multisite pain – A population based study in middle aged females
Authors: Stehlik Romana , Ulfberg Jan , Zou Ding , Hedner Jan , Grote Ludger
Published: July 2017

Background

Chronic pain conditions as well as Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) are known to be associated with subjectively and objectively disturbed sleep. RLS has been recently described as highly prevalent in multisite pain and the role of sleep as a modifying factor in this RLS phenotype is unknown. This study aimed to investigate if perceived sleep deficit and other sleep related parameters predict RLS in subjects with multisite pain.

Current knowledge/study rationale

We have recently demonstrated a strong association between Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) and number of pain locations. In the current analysis we hypothesized that impaired sleep predicts RLS in subjects with multisite pain.

Method

Questionnaire-based data from 2727 randomly selected women aged 18-64 years were used to analyze RLS symptoms, self-reported sleep quality, and the degree of daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS)) in relation to type, degree and localization of body pain. Potential confounders including anthropometrics, pain localization, co-morbidities, and medication were adjusted for in the Generalized Linear Models (GLM).

Results

Perceived sleep deficit ≥90 min (OR 2.4 (1.5-3.8), p < 0.001) and frequent nocturnal awakenings (OR 2.3 (1.4-3.6), p <0.001) were the strongest sleep related predictors for RLS in subjects with multisite pain. Additional factors include prolonged sleep latency (≥30 min, OR 1.8 (1.1-2.8), p = 0.01) and daytime symptoms like elevated daytime sleepiness (ESS score ≥9, OR 1.8 (1.2-2.7), p = 0.005). Accordingly, RLS diagnosis was associated with impaired sleep quality (TST (Total Sleep Time) -8.2 min, sleep latency +8.0 min, and number of awakenings from sleep +0.4, p <0.01). ESS score increased with RLS diagnosis (+0.74, p <0.01) and number of pain locations (0.5, 1.7, and 1.8 for 1, 3, and 5 pain areas, p <0.001). In addition, confounders like pain severity, the history of psychiatric disease, and current smoking were associated with impaired sleep quality in this group of females.

Conclusions

Perceived sleep deficit and sleep fragmentation are the strongest sleep related predictors of RLS in multisite pain. Potential implication of our results are that clinical management programmes of RLS in subjects with multisite pain need to consider both sleep quality and sleep quantity for individually tailored treatment regimes.

Study impact

RLS, pain, and sleep disorders are highly interrelated. Our study strongly suggests that clinical management of RLS in patients with multisite pain needs to consider sleep quality as an independent risk factor.
Ultracondensed Matter by Dynamic Compression
Authors: Nellis William
Published: July 2017

Dynamic compression is an experimental technique with interdisciplinary uses, ranging from enabling the creation of ultracondensed matter under previously impossible conditions to understanding the likely cause of unusual planetary magnetic fields. Readers can now gain an intuitive understanding of dynamic compression; clear and authoritative chapters examine its history and experimental method, as well as key topics including dynamic compression of liquid hydrogen, rare gas fluids and shock-induced opacity. Through an up-to-date history of dynamic compression research, Nellis also clearly shows how dynamic compression addresses and will continue to address major unanswered questions across the scientific disciplines. The past and future role of dynamic compression in studying and making materials at extreme conditions of pressure, density and temperature is made clear, and the means of doing so are explained in practical language perfectly suited for researchers and graduate students alike.
The Judicial Application of Human Rights Law
Authors: Jayawickrama Nihal
Published: July 2017

Since the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, over 165 countries have incorporated human rights standards into their legal systems: the resulting jurisprudence from diverse cultural traditions creates new dimensions to concepts first articulated in 1948. In this revised second edition, Nihal Jayawickrama draws on extensive sources to encapsulate the judicial interpretation of human rights law in one comprehensive volume. Jayawickrama covers the case law of the superior courts of 103 countries in America, Europe, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific, as well as jurisprudence of human rights monitoring bodies. He analyses the judicial application of human rights law to demonstrate empirically the universality of contemporary human rights norms. This definitive volume is essential for legal practitioners, and government and non-governmental officials, as well as academics and students of both constitutional law and the international law of human rights.
Introduction to Microwave Imaging
Authors: Nikolova Natalia K.
Published: July 2017

With this self-contained, introductory text, readers will easily understand the fundamentals of microwave and radar image generation. Written with the complete novice in mind, and including an easy-to-follow introduction to electromagnetic scattering theory, it covers key topics such as forward models of scattering for interpreting S-parameter and time-dependent voltage data, S-parameters and their analytical sensitivity formulae, basic methods for real-time image reconstruction using frequency-sweep and pulsed-radar signals, and metrics for evaluating system performance. Numerous application examples and practical tutorial exercises provided throughout allow quick understanding of key concepts, and sample MATLAB codes implementing key reconstruction algorithms accompany the book online. This one-stop resource is ideal for graduate students taking introductory courses in microwave imaging, as well as researchers and industry professionals wanting to learn the fundamentals of the field.
Constituents Before Assembly
Authors: Eisenstadt Todd A. , LeVan A. Carl , Maboudi Tofigh
Published: July 2017

Under what circumstances do new constitutions improve a nation's level of democracy? Between 1974 and 2014, democracy increased in 77 countries following the adoption of a new constitution, but it decreased or stayed the same in 47 others. This book demonstrates that increased participation in the forming of constitutions positively impacts levels of democracy. It is discovered that the degree of citizen participation at the 'convening stage' of constitution-making has a strong effect on levels of democracy. This finding defies the common theory that levels of democracy result from the content of constitutions, and instead lends support to 'deliberative' theories of democracy. Patterns of constitutions are then compared, differentiating imposed and popular constitution-making processes, using case studies from Chile, Nigeria, Gambia, and Venezuela to illustrate the dynamics specific to imposed constitution-making, and case studies from Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, and Tunisia to illustrate the specific dynamics of popular constitution-making.
Sovereignty and Status in East Asian International Relations
Authors: Park Seo-Hyun
Published: July 2017

This book provides a theoretical and empirical analysis of a key concept in East Asian security debates, sovereign autonomy, and how it reproduces hierarchy in the regional order. Park argues that contemporary strategic debates in East Asia are based on shared contextual knowledge - that of international hierarchy - reconstructed in the late-nineteenth century. The mechanism that reproduces this lens of hierarchy is domestic legitimacy politics in which embattled political leaders contest the meaning of sovereign autonomy. Park argues that the idea of status seeking has remained embedded in the concept of sovereign autonomy and endures through distinct and alternative security frames that continue to inform contemporary strategic debates in East Asia. This book makes a significant contribution to debates in international relations theory and security studies about autonomy and status, as well as to the now extensive literature on the nature of East Asian regional order.
Compliance of tranexamic acid administration to trauma patients at a level-one trauma centre
Authors: Ghawnni Abeer , Coates Angela , Owen Julian
Published: July 2017

Introduction

Current practice for the treatment of traumatic hemorrhage includes fluid resuscitation and the administration of blood products. The administration of tranexamic acid (TXA) within 8 hours of injury has been shown to significantly reduce mortality in a large, prospective, randomized controlled trial. As a result, TXA is widely used in trauma centres to manage trauma patients with major bleeding. The primary aim of this study was to assess the compliance of TXA administration at a level-one trauma centre in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective medical record review of consecutive adult trauma patients received at the Hamilton General Hospital between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2014. Compliance with TXA administration was based on the inclusion criteria of the CRASH–2 trial.

Results

Five hundred and thirty-four of 2,475 trauma patients met the inclusion criteria for TXA administration. Twenty-one patients who received TXA at peripheral hospital prior to their arrival at the level-one trauma centre were excluded from the analysis, and 18 patients were excluded due to missing data. One hundred and thirty-four patients received TXA, representing a compliance rate of 27%. Mean time from arrival to TXA administration was 47 minutes. Compliance increased for those who required massive transfusion and as the number of criteria for TXA administration increased.

Conclusions

Compliance with TXA administration to trauma patients with suspected major bleeding was low. Quality improvement strategies aimed at increasing appropriate use of TXA are warranted.
Two-stage autoignition and edge flames in a high pressure turbulent jet
Authors: Krisman Alex , Hawkes Evatt R. , Chen Jacqueline H.
Published: July 2017

A three-dimensional direct numerical simulation is conducted for a temporally evolving planar jet of n-heptane at a pressure of 40 atmospheres and in a coflow of air at 1100 K. At these conditions, n-heptane exhibits a two-stage ignition due to low- and high-temperature chemistry, which is reproduced by the global chemical model used in this study. The results show that ignition occurs in several overlapping stages and multiple modes of combustion are present. Low-temperature chemistry precedes the formation of multiple spatially localised high-temperature chemistry autoignition events, referred to as ‘kernels’. These kernels form within the shear layer and core of the jet at compositions with short homogeneous ignition delay times and in locations experiencing low scalar dissipation rates. An analysis of the kernel histories shows that the ignition delay time is correlated with the mixing rate history and that the ignition kernels tend to form in vortically dominated regions of the domain, as corroborated by an analysis of the topology of the velocity gradient tensor. Once ignited, the kernels grow rapidly and establish edge flames where they envelop the stoichiometric isosurface. A combination of kernel formation (autoignition) and the growth of existing burning surface (via edge-flame propagation) contributes to the overall ignition process. An analysis of propagation speeds evaluated on the burning surface suggests that although the edge-flame speed is promoted by the autoignitive conditions due to an increase in the local laminar flame speed, edge-flame propagation of existing burning surfaces (triggered initially by isolated autoignition kernels) is the dominant ignition mode in the present configuration.
Sensitivity of internal wave energy distribution over seabed corrugations to adjacent seabed features
Authors: Karimpour Farid , Zareei Ahmad , Tchoufag Joël , Alam Mohammad-Reza
Published: July 2017

Here we show that the distribution of energy of internal gravity waves over a patch of seabed corrugations strongly depends on the distance of the patch to adjacent seafloor features located downstream of the patch. Specifically, we consider the steady state energy distribution due to an incident internal wave arriving at a patch of seabed ripples neighbouring (i) another patch of ripples (i.e. a second patch) and (ii) a vertical wall. Seabed undulations with dominant wavenumber twice as large as overpassing internal waves reflect back part of the energy of the incident internal waves (Bragg reflection) and allow the rest of the energy to transmit downstream. In the presence of a neighbouring topography on the downstream side, the transmitted energy from the patch may reflect back; partially if the downstream topography is another set of seabed ripples or fully if it is a vertical wall. The reflected wave from the downstream topography is again reflected back by the patch of ripples through the same mechanism. This consecutive reflection goes on indefinitely, leading to a complex interaction pattern including constructive and destructive interference of multiply reflected waves as well as an interplay between higher mode internal waves resonated over the topography. We show here that when steady state is reached both the qualitative and quantitative behaviour of the energy distribution over the patch is a strong function of the distance between the patch and the downstream topography: it can increase or decrease exponentially fast along the patch or stay (nearly) unchanged. As a result, for instance, the local energy density in the water column can become an order of magnitude larger in certain areas merely based on where the downstream topography is. This may result in the formation of steep waves in specific areas of the ocean, leading to breaking and enhanced mixing. At a particular distance, the wall or the second patch may also result in a complete disappearance of the trace of the seabed undulations on the upstream and the downstream wave field.
Online Career Guidance: Does Knowledge Equate to Power for High School Students?
Authors: Galliott Natal'ya
Published: July 2017

The provision of online career information and guidance is becoming more popular among career counselling practitioners and policy makers targeting the postschool transitions of youth. Internet-based career exploration and guidance systems provide convenience and economy to both individuals confronted with career decision making as well as those assisting them in the process. However, the usefulness of these systems in improving the career uncertainty of young people is under-researched. This article presents the results of a cross-sectional survey conducted with high school students in Years 9–12 ( N = 706) from 12 schools in New South Wales, Australia. Analyses reveal that: the majority of students are unaware of the online career guidance services targeted towards them; the personal characteristics, school type, and sector of participants differed between websites recalled; and that there are no significant relations between listed web resources and students’ career certainty. The article concludes with implications for career counselling practitioners and policy makers.
Group Counselling on College Students’ Internet Dependency and Life Satisfaction
Authors: Odacı Hatice , Çelik Çiğdem Berber
Published: July 2017

The limited number of programs of tested efficacy in the literature such as cognitive-behavioural therapy and family-based prevention of internet addiction is striking. The aim of this study was to analyse the effect of reality therapy-based group counselling on college students’ problematic internet use and life satisfaction. In order to determine who would participate in the counselling program, screening tests were administered to 418 students. Twenty students who met the inclusion criteria eventually took part. The Online Cognition Scale and Life Satisfaction Scale were used pre- and posttests in order to evaluate the counselling program. Results show that reality therapy-based group counselling significantly reduces the level of problematic internet use among college students and increases their life satisfaction levels.
Association between spicy food consumption and lipid profiles in adults: a nationwide population-based study
Authors: Xue Yong , He Tingchao , Yu Kai , Zhao Ai , Zheng Wei , Zhang Yumei , Zhu Baoli
Published: July 2017

CVD remains the leading cause of mortality worldwide, with abnormal lipid metabolism as a major risk factor. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between spicy food consumption and serum lipids in Chinese adults. Data were extracted from the 2009 phase of the China Health and Nutrition Survey, consisting of 6774 apparently healthy Chinese adults aged 18–65 years. The frequency of consumption and degree of pungency of spicy food were self-reported, and regular spicy food consumption was assessed using three consecutive 24-h recalls. Total cholesterol, TAG, LDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol in fasting serum were measured. Multilevel mixed-effects models were constructed to estimate associations between spicy food consumption and serum lipid profiles. The results showed that the frequency and the average amount of spicy food intake were both inversely associated with LDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol:HDL-cholesterol ratio (all Pfor trend<0·05) after adjustment for potential confounders and cluster effects. HDL-cholesterol in participants who usually consumed spicy food (≥5 times/week) and who consumed spicy food perceived as moderate in pungency were significantly higher than those who did not (both P<0·01). The frequency and the average amount of spicy food intake and the degree of pungency in spicy food were positively associated with TAG (all Pfor trend<0·05). Spicy food consumption was inversely associated with serum cholesterol and positively associated with serum TAG, and additional studies are needed to confirm the findings as well as to elucidate the potential roles of spicy food consumption in lipid metabolism.
Nationalism in a Liberal Register: Beyond the ‘Paradox of Universalism’ in Immigrant Integration Politics
Authors: Jensen Kristian Kriegbaum , Mouritsen Per
Published: July 2017

In recent years scholars have observed a restrictive turn in West European immigrant integration policies towards conditioning access to permanent residence and citizenship on language proficiency, knowledge of history, institutions, culture and political values, national loyalty and labour market integration. This has been accompanied by a strong reaction among European politicians and publics emphasizing that newcomers must share in certain liberal-democratic values and virtues that characterize the national community. Yet, the influential scholar Christian Joppke argues, among others, that liberal values cannot define national particularity, nor can cultural integration be enforced because legislation and policies are legally and normatively constrained by the same liberal values. Hence, prevalent liberal conceptions of national identity are paradoxical and inconsequential for the formulation of public policies. This article critically examines this argument in detail. It argues that the paradox of universalism does not exist, and that therefore nationalism should not be dismissed as a central factor behind recent policy developments.
Ensiled Moringa oleifera: an antioxidant-rich feed that improves dairy cattle performance
Authors: COHEN-ZINDER M. , WEINBERG Z. , LEIBOVICH H. , CHEN Y. , ROSEN M. , SAGI G. , ORLOV A. , AGMON R. , YISHAY M. , MIRON J. , SHABTAY A.
Published: July 2017

Moringa oleifera is a rich source of antioxidants and a promising feed for livestock, due to significant amounts of protein, vitamins, carotenoids and polyphenols, and negligible amounts of anti-nutritional factors. The current study tested whether ensiling would preserve the antioxidant capacity of M. oleifera plants, and assessed whether Moringa silage, fed as a substitute for maize silage, would confer health-promoting traits and affect milk production in dairy cows. To this end, hand-harvested M. oleifera plants were ensiled, with or without molasses and inoculants, in anaerobic jars at room temperature (25 °C) for 37 days. At the end of the storage period the silages were analysed for pH, lactic acid and acetic acid concentrations, aerobic stability, antioxidant capacity, polyphenols and protein content, and tocopherols and carotenoids concentrations. Moringa silages exhibited higher antioxidant capacity compared with fresh and dried Moringa plants, not related to polyphenol content but presumably attributed to accumulation of amino acids and low molecular weight peptides. Based on these findings, a large-scale ensiling protocol was implemented, followed by a feeding trial for dairy cows, in which Moringa silage replaced 263 g maize silage/kg in the diet. Cows fed Moringa silage had higher milk yield and antioxidant capacity and lower milk somatic cell counts compared with controls, during some stages of lactation. These findings imply that ensiling M. oleifera is an appropriate practice by which health and production of dairy cows can be improved.
Truth, Lies, and Concealment: St. Augustine on Mendacious Political Thought
Authors: Russell Jeremiah , Promisel Michael
Published: July 2017

There is disagreement among scholars regarding the mendacity of esoteric writing. Some see it as a necessarily dishonest mode of communication; others argue it does not meet the conditions of lying; others are more nuanced in their assessment. In this article, we seek to resolve this disagreement by offering a systematic analysis of the literary practice in which we argue that there are both truthful and mendacious forms of esoteric writing. In sum, if an author conceals truths from a general audience while still being truthful on the surface of the text or makes it clear that he is being untruthful, he is not lying; yet if an author conceals truths while intentionally being untruthful on the surface, he is lying. Given the parallel ethical structure between esoteric writing and political discourse, we argue that the analysis provided in this article may illuminate the ethical choices made in both written and political statements.
Richard Rorty's Unfulfilled Humanism and the Public/Private Divide
Authors: Ballacci Giuseppe
Published: July 2017

Rorty's separation between self-creation and political commitment is at the same time one of the pillars of his political theory and one of its most criticized elements. In this paper I offer a novel criticism of this separation, elaborating a comparison between him and the rhetorical-humanistic tradition of Cicero, Quintilian, the Italian Humanists, and Vico. If many have emphasized the deep humanism of Rorty's thought, still unnoticed is the fact that his version of humanism contradicts a basic tenet of that tradition: the idea that the mastery of communicative skills is key to the development of the person both as individual and citizen. As I will show, Rorty's conclusion about the necessity to neatly separate the two realms is in contradiction not only with that tradition but also with the general scope of his own project and the very humanistic picture he himself draws of culture, society, and the intellectuals.
THE SYNTAX-SEMANTICS OF ADJECTIVAL DISTRIBUTION IN ADULT POLISH-SPANISH CHILDHOOD BILINGUALS
Authors: Judy Tiffany
Published: July 2017

The present study examines potential age and microparametric effects in childhood bilinguals (currently adults) in an understudied language pairing, Polish-Spanish. Specifically, a Spanish group (N =28) and a Sequential child bilingual (N =22) and a Simultaneous bilingual (N =8) group living in Misiones, Argentina, completed three experimental tasks assessing their knowledge of the syntactic and syntax-semantic distribution of adjectives. Results show that, despite several semantic differences related to adjective position, both experimental groups demonstrate knowledge of interpretive constraints that fall out from underlying Spanish syntax. Differences predicted as a result of crosslinguistic influence were not evidenced, yet, contrary to Polish and Spanish, the experimental groups accepted ungrammatical postnominal intensional adjectives significantly more than Spanish speakers.
AGENCY COSTS, RISK SHOCKS, AND INTERNATIONAL CYCLES
Authors: Letendre Marc-André , Wagner Joel
Published: July 2017

We add agency costs into a two-country, two-good international business-cycle model. In our model, changes in the relative price of investment arise endogenously. Despite the fact that technology shocks are uncorrelated across countries, the relative price of investment is positively correlated across countries in our model, much as it is in detrended U.S./Euro-area data. We also find that financial frictions tend to increase the volatility of the terms of trade and the international correlations of consumption, hours worked, output, and investment. We then compare this model to an alternative model that also includes risk shocks. We use credit spread data (for the United States) to calibrate the AR(1) process for risk shocks. We find that risk shocks are too small to significantly impact the model's dynamics.
Advanced microscopy and imaging techniques in immunology and cell biology
Authors: Hawkins Edwin D
Published: July 2017

Since microscopes were first invented, scientists have constantly been drawn to these marvellous machines. This is because microscopes provide their user with the ability to view first hand minuscule objects and processes they have often dedicated their entire careers to studying. It is this ability to view biology at work in both space and time, from a single molecule to an entire organism that makes imaging such a powerful tool. In this Special Feature, we have compiled a series of articles that discuss the history of microscopes and imaging modalities. We look at how current platforms have influenced basic research of immunology and cell biology as well as their use in the clinic to diagnose and treat disease. We also discuss how future developments in technology will open avenues for an even deeper understanding of fundamental principles in biology and the challenges associated with handling vast amounts of data generated by technology that gives such a high level of deta iled information. Immunology & Cell Biology thanks the coordinator of this Special Feature ‐ Edwin Hawkins ‐ for his planning and input.