bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integration gain limitations in passive coherent location radars for manoeuvring target detection
Authors: Zaimbashi A.
Published: September 2016

The lack of transmission antenna gain in passive coherent location (PCL) systems can be circumvented somewhat by the fact that most broadcast waveforms are continuous waveforms and that the lengthening of the integration time can help to increase signal energy. However, with the increase of integration time, a PCL system encounters some limitations in detecting manoeuvring targets. To investigate this, the uniformly most powerful invariant (UMPI) detector presented by Zaimbashi et al. is considered. The detection performance of the UMPI detector in a closed‐form expression for a manoeuvring target is obtained. The theoretical findings accompanied by simulation results demonstrate that a manoeuvring target can seriously degrade the detection performance of the UMPI detector when using long integration times.
Probabilistic multi-catalogue positional cross-match
Authors: Pineau F.-X. , Derriere S. , Motch C. , Carrera F. J. , Genova F. , Michel L. , Mingo B. , Mints A. , Nebot Gómez-Morán A. , Rosen S. R. , Ruiz Camuñas A.
Published: September 2016

Context. Catalogue cross-correlation is essential to building large sets of multi-wavelength data, whether it be to study the properties of populations of astrophysical objects or to build reference catalogues (or timeseries) from survey observations. Nevertheless, resorting to automated processes with limited sets of information available on large numbers of sources detected at different epochs with various filters and instruments inevitably leads to spurious associations. We need both statistical criteria to select detections to be merged as unique sources, and statistical indicators helping in achieving compromises between completeness and reliability of selected associations.

Aims. We lay the foundations of a statistical framework for multi-catalogue cross-correlation and cross-identification based on explicit simplified catalogue models. A proper identification process should rely on both astrometric and photometric data. Under some conditions, the astrometric part and the photometric part can be processed separately and merged a posteriori to provide a single global probability of identification. The present paper addresses almost exclusively the astrometrical part and specifies the proper probabilities to be merged with photometric likelihoods.

Methods. To select matching candidates in n catalogues, we used the Chi (or, indifferently, the Chi-square) test with 2(n−1) degrees of freedom. We thus call this cross-match a χ-match. In order to use Bayes’ formula, we considered exhaustive sets of hypotheses based on combinatorial analysis. The volume of the χ-test domain of acceptance – a 2(n−1)-dimensional acceptance ellipsoid – is used to estimate the expected numbers of spurious associations. We derived priors for those numbers using a frequentist approach relying on simple geometrical considerations. Likelihoods are based on standard Rayleigh, χ and Poisson distributions that we normalized over the χ-test acceptance domain. We validated our theoretical results by generating and cross-matching synthetic catalogues.

Results. The results we obtain do not depend on the order used to cross-correlate the catalogues. We applied the formalism described in the present paper to build the multi-wavelength catalogues used for the science cases of the Astronomical Resource Cross-matching for High Energy Studies (ARCHES) project. Our cross-matching engine is publicly available through a multi-purpose web interface. In a longer term, we plan to integrate this tool into the CDS XMatch Service.
Exploring the science–policy interface on climate change: The role of the IPCC in informing local decision-making in the UK
Authors: Howarth Candice , Painter James
Published: September 2016

Building on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) review of how to make its Assessment Reports (ARs) more accessible in the future, the research reported here assesses the extent to which the ARs are a useful tool through which scientific advice informs local decision-making on climate change in the United Kingdom. Results from interviews with local policy representatives and three workshops with UK academics, practitioners and local decision makers are presented. Drawing on these data, we outline three key recommendations made by participants on how the IPCC ARs can be better utilized as a form of scientific advice to inform local decision-making on climate change. First, to provide more succinct summaries of the reports paying close attention to the language, content, clarity, context and length of these summaries; second, to better target and frame the reports from a local perspective to maximize engagement with local stakeholders; and third, to work with local decision makers to better understand how scientific advice on climate change is being incorporated in local decision-making. By adopting these, the IPCC would facilitate local decision-making on climate change and provide a systematic review of how its reports are being used locally. We discuss implications of these recommendations and their relevance to the wider debate within and outside the IPCC as to the most effective way the IPCC can more effectively tailor its products to user needs without endangering the robustness of its scientific findings. This article is published as part of a collection on scientific advice to governments.
The usefulness of GPS bicycle tracking data for evaluating the impact of infrastructure change on cycling behaviour
Authors: Heesch Kristiann C. , Langdon Michael
Published: September 2016

Issue addressed

A key strategy to increase active travel is the construction of bicycle infrastructure. Tools to evaluate this strategy are limited. This study assessed the usefulness of a smartphone GPS tracking system for evaluating the impact of this strategy on cycling behaviour.

Methods

Cycling usage data were collected from Queenslanders who used a GPS tracking app on their smartphone from 2013–2014. ‘Heat’ and volume maps of the data were reviewed, and GPS bicycle counts were compared with surveillance data and bicycle counts from automatic traffic‐monitoring devices.

Results

Heat maps broadly indicated that changes in cycling occurred near infrastructure improvements. Volume maps provided changes in counts of cyclists due to these improvements although errors were noted in geographic information system (GIS) geo‐coding of some GPS data. Large variations were evident in the number of cyclists using the app in different locations. These variations limited the usefulness of GPS data for assessing differences in cycling across locations.

Conclusion

Smartphone GPS data are useful in evaluating the impact of improved bicycle infrastructure in one location. Using GPS data to evaluate differential changes in cycling across multiple locations is problematic when there is insufficient traffic‐monitoring devices available to triangulate GPS data with bicycle traffic count data.

So what?

The use of smartphone GPS data with other data sources is recommended for assessing how infrastructure improvements influence cycling behaviour.
Application of ecological momentary assessment in workplace health evaluation
Authors: Engelen Lina , Chau Josephine Y. , Burks‐Young Sarah , Bauman Adrian
Published: September 2016

Issue addressed

Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) involves repeated sampling of current behaviours and experiences in real‐time at random intervals. EMA is an innovative measurement method for program evaluation, using mobile technology (e.g. smartphones) to collect valid contextual health promotion data with good compliance. The present study examined the feasibility of using EMA for measuring workplace health outcomes.

Methods

Twenty‐two office‐based adults were prompted at four random times per work‐day during a 5‐day period to respond to a short survey via a smartphone application. The prompting stopped when participants had either responded 12 times or the 5‐day period had ended. The questions pertained to posture, task currently being undertaken, social interactions, musculoskeletal issues, mood, and perceptions of engagement and creativity.

Results

In total 156 responses were collected. Nine participants completed all 12 surveys; the average completion rate was 58% (7/12). The average completion time was initially 50 s and reduced to 24 s during the later surveys. On average the participants were sitting and standing in 79% and 14% of survey instances, respectively. The participants reported they were working alone at their desks in 68% of instances. Reported productivity and stress were on average 6 and 3 out of 10, respectively, but varied up to 6–8 points within one person, hence the method appears sensitive to temporal variations in perceptions and mood.

Conclusion

Given the rich real‐time data, minimal participant burden and use of readily available technology, EMA has substantial potential in workplace health promotion evaluation through the measurement of participants' well being, activities, and behaviour change.

So what?

An in‐the‐moment method using readily available mobile technology to assess participants' perceptions, mood and activity that provides rich information with minimal participant burden is a promising way to evaluate future health promotion programs.
Laboratory experiments to estimate interception of infrared radiation by tree canopies
Authors: Mathews Bill J. , Strand Eva K. , Smith Alistair M. S. , Hudak Andrew T. , Dickinson B. , Kremens Robert L.
Published: September 2016

Estimates of biomass-burning in wildfires or prescribed fires are needed to account for the production of trace gases and aerosols that enter the atmosphere during combustion. Research has demonstrated that the biomass consumption rate is linearly related to fire radiative power (FRP), and that total biomass consumed is linearly related to fire radiative energy (FRE). Measurement of these is biased by certain characteristics of a forest canopy, such as foliar moisture content and tree canopy cover. Laboratory experiments were conducted to assess the influence of canopy cover on the FRP observed from an overhead sensor (e.g. an aircraft or satellite). A range of canopy cover from 0 to 90% and two classes of canopy (non-transpiring living and desiccated branches) were used in the experiments. Experiments suggest that in cases of complete or nearly complete canopy closure, fires obscured by the canopy may be below the detection threshold of above-canopy FRP sensors. Results from this research will reduce uncertainties in estimates of biomass consumption in surface fires burning under forest canopies.
Communicating about Carbon Capture and Storage
Authors: Boyd Amanda
Published: September 2016

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has emerged as a potential strategy for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It involves the capture of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from large point source emitters, such as coal-fired power plants. The CO2 is transported to a storage location, where it is isolated from the atmosphere in stable underground reservoirs. CCS technology has been particularly intriguing to countries that utilize fossil fuels for energy production and are seeking ways to reduce their GHG emissions. While there has been an increase in technological development and research in CCS, some members of the public, industry, and policymakers regard the technology as controversial. Some proponents see CCS as a climate change mitigation technology that will be essential to reducing CO2 emissions. Others view CCS as an environmentally risky, complex, and expensive technology that is resource-intensive, promotes the continued extraction of fossil fuels, and competes with renewable energy investments.

Effective communication about CCS begins with understanding the perceptions of the general public and individuals living in the communities where CCS projects are sited or proposed. Most people may never live near a CCS site, but may be concerned about risks, such as the cost of development, environmental impacts, and competition with renewable energy sources. Those who live near proposed or operational projects are likely to have a strong impact on the development and deployment of CCS. Individuals in locally affected communities may be more concerned about disruptions to sense of place, impact on jobs or economy, or effect on local health and environment. Effective communication about the risks and benefits of CCS has been recognized as a critical factor in the deployment of this technology.
The International Political Economy of Regionalism
Authors: Börzel Tanja A. , Kim Soo Yeon
Published: September 2016

Economic regionalism has been dominated by preferential trade agreements (PTAs). Not only have their numbers surged since the end of the Cold War but also different varieties of PTAs have emerged. First, long-standing PTAs have evolved into deeper forms of economic regionalism, such as customs unions, common markets, or currency unions. Second, PTAs increasingly involve “behind-the-border” trade liberalization, such as the coordination of domestic trade-related regulatory standards. Third, many of the PTAs that were established during the past 25 years no longer only involve countries of the Global North but are formed by developing and developed countries (“North–South” PTAs) and between developing countries (“South–South” PTAs). Finally, a most recent development in economic regionalism concerns the building of so-called mega-PTAs, such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTTP), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, which combine the many pre-existing PTAs among its members.

In order to explain the formation, proliferation, and evolution of these varieties of PTAs, existing international political economy (IPE) approaches have to give more credit to political factors, such as the locking-in of domestic reforms or the preservation of regional stability. Moreover, IPE scholarship should engage more systematically with diffusion research, particularly to account for the spate of deeper regionalism. Finally, “rising powers” and “emerging markets” constitute an exciting new research area for IPE. These new players differ with regard to the importance they attribute to regionalism and the ways in which they have sought to use and shape it. Identifying and explaining variations in the link between rising powers and regionalism is a key challenge for future research.
Gender-Sensitive Parliaments
Authors: Palmieri Sonia
Published: September 2016

While women have succeeded in promoting a feminist agenda in some parliaments, the international research shows that this is not always possible, and accordingly, not a realistic expectation for women. Parliaments, like any institution, have specific cultural norms and practices, some of which actively work against the advancement of gender equality. Understanding the conditions under which female—and male—parliamentarians might succeed in promoting gender equality outcomes has become an important avenue for research and development practice. The focus on gender-sensitive parliaments allows for a framework to identify, and encourage the development of, those conditions.

There are four key elements of a gender-sensitive parliament. First, it accepts that the responsibility to achieve gender equality, both as a policy outcome and as a process, rests with the parliament as a whole (its male and female members and staff) and with the organizations that drive substantial policy, procedural, and normative development (political parties). Second, a gender-sensitive parliament is guided by institutional policies and legal frameworks, which allow the parliament to monitor its achievements toward gender equality and allow follow-up and review. Third, a gender-sensitive parliament institutionalizes a gender mainstreaming approach through its representational, legislative, and oversight work to ensure that all the parliament’s outputs consider, and counteract, any potential discrimination against women or men, girls or boys. This element requires a reconsideration of the process and structures of the parliament, including the respective roles and capacities of members and parliamentary staff. Fourth, a gender-sensitive parliament constantly strives to eliminate institutional cultures that sanction and perpetuate discriminatory, prejudicial norms and attitudes in the workplace against women members and staff.
Capitalist Peace Theory: A Critical Appraisal
Authors: Schneider Gerald
Published: September 2016

Capitalist peace theory (CPT) has gained considerable attention in international relations theory and the conflict literature. Its proponents maintain that a capitalist organization of an economy pacifies states internally and externally. They portray CPT either as a complement to or a substitute for other liberal explanations, such as the democratic peace thesis, but disagree about the facet of capitalism that is supposed to reduce the risk of political violence. Key contributions have identified three main drivers of the capitalist peace phenomenon: the fiscal constraints that a laissez-faire regimen puts on potentially aggressive governments, the mollifying norms that a capitalist organization creates, and the increased ability of capitalist governments to signal their intentions effectively in a confrontation with an adversary. CPT should be based on a narrow definition of capitalism and should scrutinize motives and constraints of the main actors more deeply. Future contributions to the CPT literature should pay close attention to classic theories of capitalism, which all considered individual risk taking and the dramatic changes between booms and busts to be key constitutive features of this form of economic governance. Finally, empirical tests of the proposed causal mechanism should rely on data sets in which capitalists appear as actors and not as “structures.” If the literature takes these objections seriously, CPT could establish itself as central theory of peace and war in two respects: First, it could serve as an antidote to “critical” approaches on the far left or far right that see in capitalism a source of conflict rather than of peace. Second, it could become an important complement to commercial liberalism that stresses the external openness rather than the internal freedoms as an economic cause of peace and that particularly sees trade and foreign direct investment as pacifying forces.
Psychology and its Impact on Education in India
Authors: Khan Farida Abdulla
Published: September 2016

Educational studies in India has its roots in teacher training, beginning with an apprenticeship model for primary school teachers in the 19th century. It was subsequently formally instituted in “normal” schools, then colleges, and finally as departments of teacher education in universities by the mid-20th century. In moving beyond school-level subject competence and school-based practical skills, the intellectual and academic foundations and the professional character of teacher education were sought to be strengthened by adding a disciplinary component of the “foundational” disciplines of history, philosophy, sociology, and psychology of education. Of these, psychology, as the then-emerging science of human behavior, with a growing corpus of scientific research, was most easily able to integrate into the programs and to contribute applicable academic and research inputs into the professional content.

Serious engagement with the more socially and critically oriented foundational disciplines was more difficult, and although they formed part of the teacher education (TE) curriculum, their integration with the programs remained superficial. When a more comprehensive field of study to explore the landscape of education beyond teacher education began to be imagined, the established departments of education and the educational community were reluctant to create a parallel field of study in education. Given their long association with and commitment to teacher education and its eclectic character, the departments were keen on retaining the TE framework and directing all study of education through this lens. The established and familiar empiricist and positivist model of psychology that had been adopted by teacher education was therefore to seriously influence the development of the new discipline, with long-term consequences for its teaching and research.
Pedagogy for Inclusive Education
Authors: Loreman Tim
Published: September 2016

A number of different pedagogical approaches have been presented as being helpful for teachers working with students in inclusive learning environments. These approaches were developed in the late 20th century and were largely derived from models of special education. Many of them are still evident in classrooms around the world today. Based on approaches that appear to have been effective, a set of principles for the development and implementation of inclusive education pedagogy, as identified in the academic literature, can be discerned. These principles, however, are best viewed through a critical lens that highlights cautions for teachers engaged in inclusive teaching. Examples of inclusive approaches that align with some basic principles of inclusive pedagogy include but are not limited to Differentiated Instruction, Universal Design for Learning, and Florian and Spratt’s (2013) Inclusive Pedagogical Approach in Action framework.
The Mexican-American War
Authors: Levinson Irving W.
Published: September 2016

The Mexican-American War ranks among the most consequential events in the history of both nations. Although the casus belli for the United States’s May 12, 1846, declaration of war was the Mexican ambush of a U.S. Army patrol in the disputed Nueces Strip on April 25 of that year, two underlying causes rendered conflict inevitable. The dispute over Texas was the first, and the desire of both nations to control the Mexican provinces of Nuevo Mexico and California was the second. President James Knox Polk identified the acquisition of that territory as the principal objective of his administration.

The conflict also remains noteworthy for the extent to which the political milieu in both countries proved as important as events on the battlefields. In México, a devastating war of independence (1810–1821), multiple violent overthrows of the federal government, the failure of two constitutions to produce a structure acceptable to both conservatives and liberals, and enmities generated by the socioeconomic structure severely limited México’s growth, tranquility, and potential for armed resistance to an invader. In the United States, the national unity evident at the outbreak of the war faded in the face of sectional rivalries, unexpectedly high casualties, and declining relations between the executive and legislative branches.

The military phases of the war fall into two segments. In the first, forces considerably smaller than those deployed in later phases of the war fought in Texas and in the Mexican provinces of Nuevo Mexico, California, Tamaulipas, and Nuevo Leon. When United States victories in northern Mexico failed to produce the anticipated Mexican surrender, the second phase of the conflict began on March 9, 1847, with General Winfield Scott’s invasion of central Mexico and ended with his entrance in Mexico City on September 14, 1847.

In the following seven months, both governments sought to obtain the best terms. A rising tide of violent rural rebellion in Mexico and a rising tide of Whig opposition to the Polk administration in Washington served as catalysts during the negotiations. Two agreements, the February 2, 1848, Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo and the March 6, 1848, Truce Agreement brought hostilities a close.

Consequences of the conflict included the Mexico’s loss of 525,000 square miles of territory, the emergence of the United States as the dominant continental power, the dispossession of many Mexican citizens living in what had become U.S. territory, and the reestablishment of Mexican sovereignty over territories in rebellion.
Closing crack earthquakes within the Krafla caldera, North
Iceland
Authors: Mildon Zoë K. , Pugh David J. , Tarasewicz Jon , White Robert S. , Brandsdóttir Bryndís
Published: September 2016

Moment tensor analysis with a Bayesian approach was used to analyse a non-double-couple (non-DC) earthquake (Mw ∼ 1) with a high isotropic (implosive) component within the Krafla caldera, Iceland. We deduce that the earthquake was generated by a closing crack at depth. The event is well located, with high signal-to-noise ratio and shows dilatational P-wave first arrivals at all stations where the first arrival can be picked with confidence. Coverage of the focal sphere is comprehensive and the source mechanism stable across the full range of uncertainties. The non-DC event lies within a cluster of microseismic activity including many DC events. Hence, we conclude that it is a true non-DC closing crack earthquake as a result of geothermal utilization and observed magma chamber deflation in the region at present.
The SLUGGS survey: revisiting the correlation between X-ray luminosity and total mass of massive early-type galaxies
Authors: Forbes Duncan A. , Alabi Adebusola , Romanowsky Aaron J. , Kim Dong-Woo , Brodie Jean P. , Fabbiano Giuseppina
Published: September 2016

Here we utilize recent measures of galaxy total dynamical mass and X-ray gas luminosities (LX,Gas) for a sample of 29 massive early-type galaxies from the SLUGGS survey to probe LX, Gas–mass scaling relations. In particular, we investigate scalings with stellar mass, dynamical mass within 5 effective radii (Re) and total virial mass. We also compare these relations with predictions from Λ cold dark matter simulations. We find a strong linear relationship between LX, Gas and galaxy dynamical mass within 5Re, which is consistent with the recent cosmological simulations of Choi et al. that incorporate mechanical heating from AGN. We conclude that the gas surrounding massive early-type galaxies was shock-heated as it fell into collapsing dark matter haloes so that LX, Gas is primarily driven by the depth of a galaxy's potential well. Heating by an AGN plays an important secondary role in determining LX, Gas.
Plume dynamics in Hele-Shaw porous media convection
Authors: Ecke Robert E. , Backhaus Scott
Published: September 2016

Mass transport in multi-species porous media is through molecular diffusion and plume dynamics. Predicting the rate of mass transport has application in determining the efficiency of the storage and sequestration of carbon dioxide. We study a water and propylene–glycol system enclosed in a Hele-Shaw cell with variable permeability that represents a laboratory analogue of the general properties of porous media convection. The interface between the fluids, tracked using an optical shadowgraph technique, is used to determine the mass transport rate, the spatial separation of solutal plumes, and the velocity and width characteristics of those plumes. One finds that the plume dynamics are closely related to the mass transport rate.

This article is part of the themed issue ‘Energy and the subsurface’.
Fluid-driven cracks in an elastic matrix in the toughness-dominated limit
Authors: Lai Ching-Yao , Zheng Zhong , Dressaire Emilie , Stone Howard A.
Published: September 2016

The dynamics of fluid-driven cracks in an elastic matrix is studied experimentally. We report the crack radiusR(t) as a function of time, as well as the crack shapesw(r,t) as a function of space and time. A dimensionless parameter, the pressure ratio Δpf/Δpv, is identified to gauge the relative importance between the toughness (Δpf) and viscous (Δpv) effects. In our previous paper (Laiet al.2015Proc. R. Soc. A471, 20150255. (doi:10.1098/rspa.2015.0255)), we investigated the viscous limit experimentally when the toughness-related stresses are negligible for the crack propagation. In this paper, the experimental parameters, i.e. Young’s modulusEof the gelatin, viscosityμof the fracturing liquid and the injection flow rateQ, were chosen so that the viscous effects in the flow are negligible compared with the toughness effects, i.e. Δpf/Δpv≫1. In this limit, the crack dynamics can be described by the toughness-dominated scaling laws, which give the crack radiusR(t)∝t2/5and the half maximum crack thicknessW(t)∝t1/5. The experimental results are in good agreement with the predictions of the toughness scaling laws: the experimental data for crack radiusR(t) for a wide range of parameters (E,μ,Q) collapse after being rescaled by the toughness scaling laws, and the rescaled crack shapesw(r,t) also collapse to a dimensionless shape, which demonstrates the self-similarity of the crack shape. The appropriate choice of the viscous or toughness scaling laws is important to accurately describe the crack dynamics.

This article is part of the themed issue ‘Energy and the subsurface’.
Understanding hydraulic fracturing: a multi-scale problem
Authors: Hyman J. D. , Jiménez-Martínez J. , Viswanathan H. S. , Carey J. W. , Porter M. L. , Rougier E. , Karra S. , Kang Q. , Frash L. , Chen L. , Lei Z. , O’Malley D. , Makedonska N.
Published: September 2016

Despite the impact that hydraulic fracturing has had on the energy sector, the physical mechanisms that control its efficiency and environmental impacts remain poorly understood in part because the length scales involved range from nanometres to kilometres. We characterize flow and transport in shale formations across and between these scales using integrated computational, theoretical and experimental efforts/methods. At the field scale, we use discrete fracture network modelling to simulate production of a hydraulically fractured well from a fracture network that is based on the site characterization of a shale gas reservoir. At the core scale, we use triaxial fracture experiments and a finite-discrete element model to study dynamic fracture/crack propagation in low permeability shale. We use lattice Boltzmann pore-scale simulations and microfluidic experiments in both synthetic and shale rock micromodels to study pore-scale flow and transport phenomena, including multi-phase flow and fluids mixing. A mechanistic description and integration of these multiple scales is required for accurate predictions of production and the eventual optimization of hydrocarbon extraction from unconventional reservoirs. Finally, we discuss the potential of CO
2
as an alternative working fluid, both in fracturing and re-stimulating activities, beyond its environmental advantages.

This article is part of the themed issue ‘Energy and the subsurface’.
Recent advances in the study of fine-scale population structure in humans
Authors: Novembre John , Peter Benjamin M.
Published: September 2016

Empowered by modern genotyping and large samples, population structure can be accurately described and quantified even when it only explains a fraction of a percent of total genetic variance. This is especially relevant and interesting for humans, where fine-scale population structure can both confound disease-mapping studies and reveal the history of migration and divergence that shaped our species’ diversity. Here we review notable recent advances in the detection, use, and understanding of population structure. Our work addresses multiple areas where substantial progress is being made: improved statistics and models for better capturing differentiation, admixture, and the spatial distribution of variation; computational speed-ups that allow methods to scale to modern data; and advances in haplotypic modeling that have wide ranging consequences for the analysis of population structure. We conclude by outlining four important open challenges: The limitations of discrete population models, uncertainty in individual origins, the incorporation of both fine-scale structure and ancient DNA in parametric models, and the development of efficient computational tools, particularly for haplotype-based methods.
A Scalable Algorithm for Structure Identification of Complex Gene Regulatory Network from Temporal Expression Data
Authors: Gui Shupeng , Chen Rui , Wu Liang , Liu Ji , Miao Hongyu
Published: September 2016

Motivation

Gene regulatory interactions are of fundamental importance to various biological functions and processes. However, only a few previous computational studies have claimed success in revealing genome-wide regulatory landscapes from temporal gene expression data, especially for complex eukaryotes like human. Moreover, recent work suggests that these methods still suffer from the curse of dimensionality if network size increases to 100 or higher.

Result

We present a novel scalable algorithm for identifying genome-wide regulatory network structures. The highlight of our method is that its superior performance does not degenerate even for a network size on the order of 104, and is thus readily applicable to large-scale complex networks. Such a breakthrough is achieved by considering both prior biological knowledge and multiple topological properties (i.e., sparsity and hub gene structure) of complex networks in the regularized formulation. We also illustrate the application of our algorithm in practice using the time-course expression data from an influenza infection study in respiratory epithelial cells.

Availability and Implementation

The algorithm described in this article is implemented in MATLAB®. The source code is freely available fromhttps://github.com/Hongyu-Miao/DMI.git.

Contact

jliu@cs.rochester.edu;hongyu.miao@uth.tmc.edu

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available online.
Investigating resting-state functional connectivity in the cervical spinal cord at 3T
Authors: Eippert Falk , Kong Yazhuo , Winkler Anderson M. , Andersson Jesper L. , Finsterbusch Jürgen , Büchel Christian , Brooks Jonathan C.W. , Tracey Irene
Published: September 2016

The study of spontaneous fluctuations in the blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal has recently been extended from the brain to the spinal cord. Two ultra-high field functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies in humans have provided evidence for reproducible resting-state connectivity between the dorsal horns as well as between the ventral horns, and a study in non-human primates has shown that these resting-state signals are impacted by spinal cord injury. As these studies were carried out at ultra-high field strengths using region-of-interest (ROI) based analyses, we investigated whether such resting-state signals could also be observed at the clinically more prevalent field strength of 3T. In a reanalysis of a sample of 20 healthy human participants who underwent a resting-state fMRI acquisition of the cervical spinal cord, we were able to observe significant dorsal horn connectivity as well as ventral horn connectivity, but no consistent effects for connectivity between dorsal and ventral horns, thus replicating the human 7T results. These effects were not only observable when averaging along the acquired length of the spinal cord, but also when we examined each of the acquired spinal segments separately, which showed similar patterns of connectivity. Finally, we investigated the robustness of these resting-state signals against variations in the analysis pipeline by varying the type of ROI creation, temporal filtering, nuisance regression and connectivity metric. We observed that – apart from the effects of band-pass filtering – ventral horn connectivity showed excellent robustness, whereas dorsal horn connectivity showed moderate robustness. Together, our results provide evidence that spinal cord resting-state connectivity is a robust and spatially consistent phenomenon that could be a valuable tool for investigating the effects of pathology, disease progression, and treatment response in neurological conditions with a spinal component, such as spinal cord injury.
(Tris{2-[(5-chloro-2-oxidobenzylidene-κO)amino-κN]ethyl}amine-κN)ytterbium(III): crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis
Authors: Lee See Mun , Lo Kong Mun , Tan Sang Loon , Tiekink Edward R. T.
Published: September 2016

The YbIII atom in the title complex, [Yb(C27H24Cl3N4O3)] [systematic name: (2,2′,2′′-{(nitrilo)tris[ethane-2,1-diyl(nitrilo)methylylidene]}tris(4-chlorophenolato)ytterbium(III)], is coordinated by a trinegative, heptadentate ligand and exists within an N4O3 donor set, which defines a capped octahedral geometry whereby the amine N atom caps the triangular face defined by the three imine N atoms. The packing features supramolecular layers that stack along the a axis, sustained by a combination of aryl-C—H...O, imine-C—H...O, methylene-C—H...π(aryl) and end-on C—Cl...π(aryl) interactions. A Hirshfeld surface analysis points to the major contributions of C...H/ H...C and Cl...H/H...Cl interactions (along with H...H) to the overall surface but the Cl...H contacts are at distances greater than the sum of their van der Waals radii.
Crystal structure of μ-4-oxidobenzoato-κ2
O
1:O
4-bis[bis(1,10-phenanthroline-κ2
N,N′)copper(II)] bis(4-hydroxybenzoate) 7.5-hydrate
Authors: Su Jian-Rong , Li Yu
Published: September 2016

The title hydrated complex, [Cu2(C7H4O3)(C12H8N2)4](C7H5O3)2·7.5H2O, is composed of dinuclear CuII complex cations, noncoordinating 4-hydroxybenzoate anions and water molecules of crystallization. In the dinuclear complex cation, the CuII ions are bridged by a 4-oxidobenzoate ligand and thus each metal ion is five-coordinated by two chelating 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) molecules and one anionic O atom in a distorted trigonal-bipyramid geometry. In the crystal, aromatic π–π stacking occurs between phen rings of neighbouring dinuclear CuII complex cations, forming two-dimensional supramolecular systems parallel to (100).
Synthesis and crystal structure of 4-(2-ammonioethyl)morpholin-4-ium dichloridodiiodidocadmate/chloridotriiodidocadmate (0.90/0.10)
Authors: Mahbouli Rhouma Najla , Rayes Ali , Mezzadri Francesco , Calestani Gianluca , Loukil Mohamed
Published: September 2016

The crystal structure of the title compound, (C6H16N2O)[CdCl1.90I2.10], a new organic–inorganic hybrid salt synthesized in the form of single crystals, consists of discrete statistically distributed dichloridodiiodidocadmate/chloridotriiodidocadmate anions (occupancy ratio 0.90:0.10) and 4-(2-ammonioethyl)morpholin-4-ium cations, [NH3(CH2)2NH(CH2)4O]2+. The cations are linked by intermolecular N—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming corrugated chains extending parallel to the c axis. The [CdCl1.90I2.10]2− tetrahalidocadmate anions lie between the chains to maximize the electrostatic interactions and are connected with the organic cations via N—H...Cl and C—H...Cl(I) hydrogen bonds developing in the ab plane and leading to the formation of a three-dimensional network structure. The tetracoordinate CdII atom has a distorted tetrahedral conformation, with a τ4 index of 0.87.
(E)-1-(4-Aminophenyl)-3-[4-(benzyloxy)phenyl]prop-2-en-1-one
Authors: Hannah Clara T. , Prasana Johanan Christian , Reuben Jonathan D. , Revathi B. K. , Usha G.
Published: September 2016

The title compound, C22H19NO2, crystallizes with two independent molecules (AandB) in the asymmetric unit. The benzyloxy ring in moleculeAis disordered over two sets of sites, with a refined occupancy ratio of 0.665 (6):0.335 (6). Both molecules have anEconformation about the C=C bond of the prop-2-en-1-one unit. In the major component of moleculeA, the aminobenzene and benzyloxy rings are inclined to the central benzene ring by 20.12 (16) and 36.2 (3)°, respectively, and by 55.6 (3)° to one another. In moleculeB, the corresponding dihedral angles are 23.65 (12), 10.24 (14) and 23.07 (14)°, respectively. In the crystal, the two molecules are linked by an N—H...O hydrogen bond. TheseA–Bunits are linked by N—H...π and C—H...π interactions, forming undulating sheets parallel to theabplane.
1,4-Bis[3,11-dithiatricyclo[11.3.1.15,9]octadeca-1(17),5,7,9(18),13,15-hexaen-7-yl]buta-1,3-diyne
Authors: Moriguchi Tetsuji , Yakeya Daisuke , Jalli Venkataprasad , Tsuge Akihiko
Published: September 2016

The complete molecule of the title compound, C36H30S4{common name: 1,4-[4-(9,17-dithia[3.3]metacyclophane)]-1,3-butadiyne}, is generated by a crystallographic inversion centre at the mid-point of the central C—C bond [1.367 (5) Å]. Both cyclophane units exist incisoidpseudo-boat–chair chair–boat conformations. In the crystal, the packing is controlled by van der Waals interactions.
GLOBE Study culture clusters
Authors: Michael Clark Jeremy , Quast Louis N. , Jang Soebin , Wohkittel Joseph , Center Bruce , Edwards Katherine , Bovornusvakool Witsinee
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore patterns of importance ratings of managerial competencies in 22 countries in different regions around the globe, to guide specificity in assessing and developing managers in multiple geographies. Additionally, this study examined the utility of clustering countries based on shared culture, as defined by Houseet al.(2004), to determine whether such clustering aids in interpreting and acting on any differences identified.

Design/methodology/approach

The PROFILOR®for Managers contains 135 behavioral items, grouped into 24 competency scales. The instrument was developed from a review of the management and psychology literatures, exhaustive analysis of a large database (Sevyet al., 1985), job analysis questionnaires and interviews of hundreds of managers representing many functional areas and most major industries.

Findings

Results suggest that clustering countries together for the purpose of providing prescriptive guidance for the development of individuals planning expatriate assignments does not clarify such guidance; in fact, it masks unique differences in competency priorities as measured on a country-by-country basis.

Research limitations/implications

The participants for this study come from mid- to large-size organizations in 22 countries around the world. The organizations represented sought out management consulting services from a large, highly respected private-sector consultancy. As such, these findings are likely to be generalizable to managers from similar organizations. No attempt has been made to generalize these findings to entrepreneurial start-ups, small local organizations or organizations not inclined to seek Western-style management consulting services.

Originality/value

This study is one of the first to examine the effectiveness of the GLOBE clusters as they relate to managerial competencies in multicultural workforces.
Installment land contracts, single-family houses and bargaining power
Authors: Larsen James E.
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to add to the single-family house bargaining power literature by investigating the bargaining power of the principals when the seller provides financing with an installment land contract (ILC).

Design/methodology/approach

Generalized spatial two-stage least squares regression is used to analyze data from 998 ILC transactions and 19,376 traditionally financed transactions all of which occurred in Montgomery County, Ohio between January 2002 and March 2011.

Findings

The results indicate that buyers using an ILC operate at a bargaining power disadvantage. In our sample, they paid approximately 6.64 per cent more, on average, than did buyers using traditional financing to purchase similar housing. This result occurred despite the fact that the included ILC transactions were limited to those carrying an interest rate that was above the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) rate at the time of contract origination.

Research limitations/implications

The study is limited to transactions that occurred in one county of a Midwestern state over a ten-year period. Therefore, the results may not apply in other locations. Valuable extensions of the current study would include an investigation to determine if similar results apply in other local housing markets. In addition, an examination of ILC transactions for other property types (e.g. undeveloped land, commercial properties, etc.) which may involve more sophisticated vendees could prove interesting.

Originality/value

This is the first study to investigate bargaining power in the single-family house market by focusing on ILC transactions. In this rather unique market segment, evidence of an imbalance of bargaining power is found. The results suggest that prospective purchasers, real property investors, fee appraisers, county auditors and others interested in determining the value of a single-family house using the transaction price of comparable properties take precautions in identifying comparable properties. The results indicate that house acquisitions facilitated with an ILC may not be a good comparable for a traditionally financed property and vice versa.
Mortgage debt and household vulnerability
Authors: Sánchez-Martínez M. Teresa , Sanchez-Campillo Jose , Moreno-Herrero Dolores
Published: September 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to study the financial vulnerability of the Spanish households derived from their primary residence mortgage debt payments. This paper shown as the economic and financial crisis triggered after the burst of the housing bubble brought an unemployment shock and a fall in the disposable family income, which alarmingly aggravated the financial vulnerability of the mortgaged households. Consequently, the number of financially vulnerable households almost doubled.

Design/methodology/approach

Econometric model of discrete election.

Findings

The most vulnerable households – and therefore those with a higher risk of mortgage payment default – are those whose family head is a married and self-employed female. In contrast, in social housing the mortgaged households have been less vulnerable in the context of economic and financial crisis and unlike what would have been initially expected, higher education levels have not acted as a protective factor against households’ financial vulnerability.

Originality/value

There is a great need to understand how the financial health of the mortgaged families that bought their primary residence has deteriorated in a context of significant changes in macroeconomic conditions. This need is specially pressing in a country such as Spain which is one of the OECD’s countries with a higher rate of household property and which shows a sector of highly mortgaged households.
Magnitude ofGiardiacases among refugees, adoptees and immigrants in Monroe County, New York, 2003-2013
Authors: Bedard Brenden , Pennise Melissa , Weimer Anita C. , Kennedy Byron S.
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the morbidity ofGiardiain Monroe County, New York attributed to refugees, foreign adoptees and immigrants, and to examine factors related to asymptomaticGiardiainfection.

Design/methodology/approach

A retrospective epidemiological analysis was conducted ofGiardiacase investigations submitted to the New York State Department of Health on the Communicable Disease Electronic Surveillance System, between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2013 from Monroe County Department of Public Health. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess odds for asymptomaticGiardia.

Findings

Of the 1,221Giardiacases reported in Monroe County during that time, 38 percent (n=467) were refugees, 6 percent (n=77) were foreign adoptees and 1.4 percent (n=17) were immigrants. In total, 95 percent of the refugees and 89 percent of the adoptees/immigrants were asymptomatic, compared to 15 percent of the non-refugee/adoptee/immigrant cases. Unadjusted odds for asymptomatic infection were 113.4 (95 percent CI: 70.6-183.7) for refugees, and 45.6 (95 percent CI: 22.9-91) for adoptees/immigrants.

Originality/value

This study demonstrates the importance of routine screening forGiardiaduring refugees’ initial health assessment.