bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular Dynamics Simulation and Density Functional Theory Study of Chemisorption of Propranolol Optical Isomers on a Uracil‐modified Carbon Paste Electrode
Authors: Khamitov Edward M. , Shayakhmetova Regina Kh. , Sidelnikov Artem V. , Maistrenko Valery N.
Published: July 2017

To reveal the nature of the interaction of the optical isomers of propranolol with the surface of carbon paste electrodes modified by uracil, we performed a combined computational and experimental study. Our study comprised the different modes of complexation between propranolol and uracil molecules covering the carbon paste electrode within two approaches: molecular dynamics simulation (MD) and quantum mechanics (QM) modeling. A graphene layer was used as a model of the carbon paste electrode. The computations showed that uracil modification of the carbon paste electrode surface enhanced the selectivity toward the D‐isomer of propranolol as compared to the unmodified case. These theoretical results agree with our voltammetric measurements.
Overview on Developed Synthesis Methods of Triazepane Heterocycles
Authors: Mohammadi Zeydi Masoud , Mahmoodi Nosrat O.
Published: July 2017

Triazepanes are important seven‐membered heterocyclic compounds with nitrogen at different positions in the ring, and have many pharmaceutical activities. Compounds with the triazepane core have attracted much attention as a result of their interesting biological properties. A study of the literature shows that there are various methods for the preparation of triazepanes. In this review, we have classified the methods based on the nitrogen position in the final triazepine products into four triazepine classes, namely TAP‐1,2,3, TAP‐1,2,4, TAP‐1,2,5, and TAP‐1,3,5.
An Efficient Bead‐captured Denaturation Method for Preparing Long Single‐stranded DNA
Authors: Kao Wei‐Siang , Li Hung‐Wen
Published: July 2017

Previous methods to prepare single‐stranded DNA (ssDNA) substrates are limited to short DNA lengths and inefficient. We have developed an efficient and rapid method to prepare long ssDNA substrates (up to 4000 nt) based on the denaturation of the bead‐captured DNA substrates, with the individual steps optimized. Immobilization of the targeted DNA substrates on the antibody‐modified beads allows easy separation of the denatured targeted ssDNA strand. This method also allows the recovery of the captured strand, making it possible to obtain two ssDNA strands from the same duplex DNA. Within 20 min, 80 nM of the 200 nt ssDNA strand could be obtained from its duplex DNA.
Nonlinear robust adaptive control strategies for a lactic fermentation process
Authors: Petre Emil , Selişteanu Dan , Roman Monica
Published: July 2017

BACKGROUND

This work addresses the design of robust adaptive control strategies for a lactic fermentation process carried out inside a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR). This bioprocess is widely used in bioindustry for lactic acid production, and it is characterized by strong nonlinearities and uncertainties. Under the realistic assumption that the reaction kinetics and the influent flow rates are unknown and time‐varying, but lower and upper bounds of the uncertainties are known, two innovative robust adaptive control structures are proposed.

RESULTS

The control strategies are designed by combining a linearizing control law with two novel parameter estimators able to estimate the unknown reaction rates. The first strategy uses a modified observer based estimator and the second one utilizes an interval parameter estimator. The control objective is to adjust the plant load so as to convert the glucose into lactic acid via fermentation, which is directly correlated with the economic aspects of lactic acid production. Numerical simulations are performed in order to validate the proposed solution.

CONCLUSION

By using the proposed control strategies the process is maintained at certain operating points that correspond to a maximum lactic production rate and a minimal residual glucose concentration. The simulations performed by considering various uncertainties and noisy measurement data show that the proposed novel robust adaptive controllers are suitable to control this kind of fermentation processes. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Pleurotus sajor‐caju can be used to synthesize silver nanoparticles with antifungal activity against Candida albicans
Authors: Musa Siti Fadhilah , Yeat Ting Seng , Kamal Laina Zarisa Mohd , Tabana Yasser M , Ahmed Mowaffaq Adam , El Ouweini Ahmad , Lim Vuanghao , Keong Lee Chee , Sandai Doblin
Published: July 2017

BACKGROUND

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has become widely practiced worldwide. In this study, AgNPs were synthesized using a hot‐water extract of the edible mushroom Pleurotus sajor‐caju. The product, PSC‐AgNPs, was characterized by using UV–visible spectra, dynamic light scattering analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry. To assess its antifungal activity against Candida albicans, gene transcription and protein expression analyses were conducted for CaICL1 and its product, ICL, using real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot, respectively.

RESULTS

PSC‐AgNPs with an average particle size of 11.68 nm inhibited the growth of the pathogenic yeast C. albicans. Values for minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum fungicidal concentration were 250 and 500 mg L−1, respectively. TEM images revealed that the average particle size of PSC‐AgNPs was 16.8 nm, with the values for zeta potential and the polydispersity index being −8.54 mV and 0.137, respectively. XRD and FTIR spectra showed PSC‐AgNPs to have a face‐centered cubic crystalline structure. The polysaccharides and amino acid residues present in P. sajor‐caju extract were found to be involved in reducing Ag+ to AgNP. Both CaICL1 transcription and ICL protein expression were found to be suppressed in the cells treated with PSC‐AgNPs as compared with the control.

CONCLUSION

Our PSC‐AgNP preparation makes for a promising antifungal agent that can downregulate isocitrate lyase. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Variation in passerine use of burned and hayed planted grasslands
Authors: Davis Stephen K. , Devries James H. , Armstrong Llwellyn M.
Published: July 2017

Creation of grassland communities is a popular approach to conserve grassland‐nesting waterfowl and songbirds. Much uncertainty remains regarding the most appropriate seed mixtures and the type and frequency of management. We conducted line‐transect songbird surveys in grasslands converted from cropland to native and tame grass‐forb mixtures and managed by burning (native only) or haying (native and tame) in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Canada. Fields were 1–9 years post‐management (YPM). Our objective was to improve our understanding of the effects of management regime (native hayed, native burned and tame hayed fields) and frequency (YPM) on passerine density and occurrence in planted grassland. We found limited support for an effect of management regime on passerine density and occurrence in both provinces. Vesper sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus) occurrence in Saskatchewan was greatest in tame hayed fields, and clay‐colored sparrow (Spizella pallida) density in Manitoba was greater in tame hayed fields than in native burned fields up to 5 YPM. Years post‐management most strongly influenced the occurrence of vesper sparrows in Saskatchewan and sedge wrens (Cistothorus platensis); common yellowthroats (Geothlypis trichas); clay‐colored, Savannah (Passerculus sandwichensis), Le Conte's (Ammodramus leconteii), and Nelson's (A. nelsoni) sparrows; and bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) in Manitoba. Five of the 8 species influenced by YPM exhibited a year‐dependent non‐linear response such that they reached their greatest density 4–5 YPM. Our results indicate that the type of stand (native or tame) or management (burning or haying) matters little to the grassland songbird community occupying planted cover fields and that the frequency of management will likely depend upon local environmental conditions in a given region or year. Some form of management of planted grasslands, however, should occur every 4–6 years to maintain habitat for a number of generalist grassland species. © 2017 The Wildlife Society.
Functional donor site morbidity longer than one year after fibula free flap: A prospective biomechanical analysis
Authors: Rendenbach Carsten , Rashad Ashkan , Hansen Lara , Kohlmeier Carsten , Dyck Moritz L. , Suling Anna , Assaf Alexandre T. , Amling Michael , Heiland Max , Wikner Johannes , Riecke Bjoern , Kreutzer Kilian
Published: July 2017

Objectives

The fibula free flap is the workhorse procedure for osseous reconstruction. The objective of this study was to investigate long‐term functional outcomes of the harvesting site.

Patients and Methods

About 19 patients (10 male, 9 female, mean age 58.1 years) were available for the long‐term analysis 13–51 months after surgery. Jumping mechanography and balance testing on a ground force reaction plate (Leonardo Mechanograph GFRP) were performed before and surgery. The Esslinger Fitness Index (EFI, maximum peak power in W/kg normalized for age and gender) was considered as primary endpoint. Secondary outcomes were maximum force, range of motion in the ankle joint, sensory limitations, the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society Score (AOFAS‐Score), and subjective perceptions.

Results

We found no significant difference between pre‐ and postoperative EFI (70.4% versus 66.0%, P = 0.07) and body sway (1.72 cm2 versus 2.60 cm2, P = 0.093). The AOFAS‐Score was reduced by 8.8 points (99.1 points versus 90.3 points, P < 0.001). Dorsal extenstion (31.6° versus 24.1°, P < 0.001) and flexion (32.3 versus 25.6° flexion, P = 0.011) were significantly reduced and 6 patients had chronic pain.

Conclusions

Reduced peak power and balance ability seem to be reversible short‐term effects after fibula harvesting. We recommend preoperative patient education and standardized protocols for physiotherapy.
Classification of changes occurring in lung patient during radiotherapy using relative γ analysis and hidden Markov models
Authors: Varfalvy Nicolas , Piron Ophelie , Cyr Marc François , Dagnault Anne , Archambault Louis
Published: July 2017

Purpose

To present a new automated patient classification method based on relative gamma analysis and hidden Markov models (HMM) to identify patients undergoing important anatomical changes during radiation therapy.

Methods

Daily EPID images of every treatment field were acquired for 52 patients treated for lung cancer. In addition, CBCT were acquired on a regular basis. Gamma analysis was performed relative to the first fraction given that no significant anatomical change was observed on the CBCT of the first fraction compared to the planning CT. Several parameters were extracted from the gamma analysis (e.g., average gamma value, standard deviation, percent above 1). These parameters formed patient‐specific time series. Data from the first 24 patients were used as a training set for the HMM. The trained HMM was then applied to the remaining 28 patients and compared to manual clinical evaluation and fixed thresholds.

Results

A three‐category system was used for patient classification ranging from minor deviations (category 1) to severe deviations (category 3) from the treatment plan. Patient classified using the HMM lead to the same result as the classification made by a human expert 83% of the time. The HMM overestimate the category 10% of the time and underestimate 7% of the time. Both methods never disagree by more than one category. In addition, the information provided by the HMM is richer than the simple threshold‐based approach. HMM provides information on the likelihood that a patient will improve or deteriorate as well as the expected time the patient will remain in that state.

Conclusion

We showed a method to classify patients during the course of radiotherapy based on relative changes in EPID images and a hidden Markov model. Information obtained through this automated classification can complement the clinical information collected during treatment and help identify patients in need of a plan adaptation.
The 1961 British Military Recruitment Campaign in Fiji: Historical Circumstances, Discourses of Fijian Culture and Personal Narratives
Authors: Schieder Dominik
Published: July 2017

In 1961, the British Armed Forces enlisted 200 men and 12 women of various ethnic backgrounds in what was then the Crown Colony of Fiji. Many of these Pacific Islanders, now widely known as the ‘212’, have since settled in the United Kingdom. Although this military recruitment campaign has remained a footnote in British history, it represented a critical juncture for the ‘212’, their kin, and following generations of transnational Fiji Islanders who have been working for the British forces. Drawing on Marshall D. Sahlins’ notion of ‘structure of the conjuncture’ and the personal narratives of my interlocutors as an analytical focus, I reveal how these Fiji Islanders have appropriated and creatively used the historical circumstances as well as discourses of Fijian culture that enabled Britain to recruit soldiers in Fiji to pursue their individual projects and ambitions. While loyalty and colonial obedience feature in some of the ‘212’ narratives, other prominent motives include the urge to escape the communal Fijian lifestyle and the smallness of the Fiji Islands, as well as the desire to experience adventure. The article suggests that the socio‐cultural complexities ingrained in critical junctures, made visible through narration, enable us to scrutinize how modernity and global circumstances have allowed Pacific Islanders to transform their ways of life.
High‐performance starch/clay bionanocomposite for textile warp sizing
Authors: Zhou Mi , Gao Ming , Kong Qin‐ming , Zhu Pu‐xin
Published: July 2017

In this study, an oxidized starch (OS)/montmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposite was prepared via a solution intercalation method. Before incorporating MMT into OS, MMT was organically modified with 20 wt% of octadecyl dimethyl tertiary amine followed by a hydrophilic ball‐milling treatment in the presence of urea, ethanol, and formaldehyde (two‐step processing technique). X‐ray diffraction revealed that the interlayer spacing of the MMT expanded from 1.29 to 2.00 nm after the organic modification and MMT turned into an exfoliated state after the hydrophilic treatment and the solution intercalation, which was also confirmed by transmission electron microscope result. Owing to the interaction between OS and the silicate layers, the hygroscopicity of the obtained nanocomposite decreased and the mechanical properties were improved. Our work demonstrates that the two‐step processing technique is a promising method for modifying MMT nanofillers and preparing starch/MMT nanocomposites, which paves a way for preparing other polar polymer‐based nanocomposites and developing environment‐friendly textile sizing materials. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:E441–E447, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers
Conscious awareness and time perception
Authors: Montemayor Carlos
Published: July 2017

This paper examines Zhou, Pöppel, and Bao's 2014 proposal (“In the Jungle of Time: The Concept of Identity as a Way Out,” https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00844) to unify the psychology of time through a biological principle concerning identity and homeostasis. Although the present analysis largely agrees with their proposal, it argues that a Dual Model of time (see Montemayor's 2013 monograph, Minding Time: A Philosophical and Theoretical Approach to the Psychology of Time) is needed to account for two important roles in time cognition, one related to navigation and the other to conscious awareness. In a Dual Model, the homeostatic principle plays a critical role with respect to conscious awareness, but a different principle is needed for integrating the metric constraints on navigation.
The concordance between self‐reported medication use and pharmacy records in pregnant women
Authors: Cheung K. , El Marroun H. , Elfrink M.E. , Jaddoe V.W.V. , Visser L.E. , Stricker B.H.Ch.
Published: July 2017

Purpose

Several studies have been conducted to assess determinants affecting the performance or accuracy of self‐reports. These studies are often not focused on pregnant women, or medical records were used as a data source where it is unclear if medications have been dispensed. Therefore, our objective was to evaluate the concordance between self‐reported medication data and pharmacy records among pregnant women and its determinants.

Methods

We conducted a population‐based cohort study within the Generation R study, in 2637 pregnant women. The concordance between self‐reported medication data and pharmacy records was calculated for different therapeutic classes using Yule's Y. We evaluated a number of variables as determinant of discordance between both sources through univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Results

The concordance between self‐reports and pharmacy records was moderate to good for medications used for chronic conditions, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or anti‐asthmatic medications (0.88 and 0.68, respectively). Medications that are used occasionally, such as antibiotics, had a lower concordance (0.51). Women with a Turkish or other non‐Western background were more likely to demonstrate discordance between pharmacy records and self‐reported data compared with women with a Dutch background (Turkish: odds ratio, 1.63; 95% confidence interval, 1.16–2.29; other non‐Western: odds ratio, 1.33; 95% confidence interval, 1.03–1.71).

Conclusions

Further research is needed to assess how the cultural or ethnic differences may affect the concordance or discordance between both medication sources. The results of this study showed that the use of multiple sources is needed to have a good estimation of the medication use during pregnancy.
KF post deposition treatment in co‐evaporated Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin film solar cells: Beneficial or detrimental effect induced by the absorber characteristics
Authors: Lepetit Thomas , Harel Sylvie , Arzel Ludovic , Ouvrard Guy , Barreau Nicolas
Published: July 2017

Recent breakthroughs in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) thin film solar cell energy conversion efficiency are related to the application of a potassium fluoride post‐deposition treatment (KF‐PDT) to the completed absorber. Using X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman scattering, we compare CIGS layers prior and after the KF‐PDT in the case of a deterioration and an improvement of the solar cells photovoltaic performance. The purpose is to study and model the modification of the surface in both cases and address some of the required characteristics of the absorber, grown on soda lime glass by 3‐stage process, in order to take advantage of the treatment. We show that, in both cases, KF‐PDT induces the formation of GaF3, which is removed during the subsequent chemical bath deposition of CdS, explaining the Ga depleted absorber surface, already reported in literature. However, the presence or not of an ordered defect compound (ODC), correlated with the third stage duration during the CIGS growth, is shown to be crucial in the modifications of the surface induced by the treatment. When an ODC is present prior the treatment, KF‐PDT leads to the formation of a surface layer of In2Se3 containing K, and the photovoltaic performance of completed solar cells are improved. When no ODC is present prior KF‐PDT, no trace of K is found at the absorber surface after the treatment, copper (Cu) segregates into detrimental CuxSe phases, high amount of elemental Se is formed, and the photovoltaic performance are lowered. The role of the ODC during the KF‐PDT is finally discussed.
Reaction pathway and H/D kinetic isotope effects of the triple proton transfer in a 7‐hydroxyquinoline‐methanol complex in the ground state: A computational approach
Authors: Mori Yukie
Published: July 2017

Multiple proton transfer (PT) is an essential process in long‐range proton transport such as proton relay in enzymes. 7‐Hydroxyquinoline (7HQ) undergoes alcohol‐mediated PT in both the excited and ground states, and this system has been investigated as a biomimetic model. In the present study, the reaction pathway of triple PT in a 7HQ‐methanol cluster, 7HQ·(MeOH)2, in the ground state has been investigated using density functional theory calculations to clarify the reaction mechanism and the origin of the experimentally observed kinetic isotope effect (KIE). The PT takes place in an asynchronous concerted fashion, in which the oxygen atom in 7HQ first accepts a proton from the directly hydrogen‐bonded MeOH. The rate constants and primary H/D KIEs have been estimated with canonical variational transition state theory in combination with the small curvature tunneling approximation. The tunneling effect on the PT rate is significant, and the KIE is much greater than 1 at room temperature. The rule of the geometric mean for the KIEs breaks down because of the asynchronicity in the motions of 3 protons and tunneling effect. In addition, the rate constant is smaller, the KIE is larger, and the activation energy is higher compared with the experimental values in heptane solution, suggesting that the PT dynamics in solution is governed by not only the intrinsic PT process but also thermal fluctuation of the solute and solvent molecules, which plays an important role in the configurational change of the 7HQ·(MeOH)2 complex.
Evaluating a light‐louver system for behavioural guidance of age‐0 white sturgeon
Authors: Ford M.I. , Elvidge C.K. , Baker D. , Pratt T.C. , Smokorowski K.E. , Patrick P. , Sills M. , Cooke S.J.
Published: July 2017

Water diversions for hydropower and other applications are some of the most disruptive alterations affecting fish populations in lotic systems. Although many different strategies have been developed to reduce lethal encounters with such infrastructure, few studies have evaluated different forms of behavioural guidance concurrently. Here, we combine an LED‐based light guidance device (LGD) equipped with adjustable wavelength and strobing output with a reverse‐configured louver rack to assess the effectiveness of this two‐part behavioural guidance system on downstream movement through a bypass by age‐0 white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus). Several combinations of LGD and louver settings were tested under both simulated day and night (low light) conditions in a laboratory setting. In the absence of the LGD, louver slat spacings of 10 or 20 cm were most effective at achieving downstream bypasses with greater success rates (~ two‐fold greater) under night conditions than under day conditions. Incorporating the LGD operating at the most attractive setting (green light strobing at 20 Hz) with the louver spacings of 10 or 20 cm achieved the highest rates of bypass usage (100% and 97%, respectively) under both day and night conditions while the control treatment (no LGD or louver) resulted in the lowest bypass rate (46%) among fish that moved downstream. Collectively, these results demonstrate that complementary cues can enhance the behavioural guidance of fishes and highlight the importance of continuing to explore the use of multiple strategies to mitigate entrainment for high priority fish species.
Meta‐analysis of gene‐environment interaction exploiting gene‐environment independence across multiple case‐control studies
Authors: Estes Jason P. , Rice John D. , Li Shi , Stringham Heather M. , Boehnke Michael , Mukherjee Bhramar
Published: July 2017

Multiple papers have studied the use of gene‐environment (G‐E) independence to enhance power for testing gene‐environment interaction in case‐control studies. However, studies that evaluate the role of G‐E independence in a meta‐analysis framework are limited. In this paper, we extend the single‐study empirical Bayes type shrinkage estimators proposed by Mukherjee and Chatterjee (2008) to a meta‐analysis setting that adjusts for uncertainty regarding the assumption of G‐E independence across studies. We use the retrospective likelihood framework to derive an adaptive combination of estimators obtained under the constrained model (assuming G‐E independence) and unconstrained model (without assumptions of G‐E independence) with weights determined by measures of G‐E association derived from multiple studies. Our simulation studies indicate that this newly proposed estimator has improved average performance across different simulation scenarios than the standard alternative of using inverse variance (covariance) weighted estimators that combines study‐specific constrained, unconstrained, or empirical Bayes estimators. The results are illustrated by meta‐analyzing 6 different studies of type 2 diabetes investigating interactions between genetic markers on the obesity related FTO gene and environmental factors body mass index and age.
Estimating the parameters of neural mass models including time delay and nonlinearity using a particle filter: a preliminary study toward model‐based EEG analysis
Authors: Ogawa Yutaro , Yamaguchi Ikuhiro , Kotani Kiyoshi , Jimbo Yasuhiko
Published: July 2017

Electroencephalogram (EEG) and local field potential (LFP) signals are measured for both experimental and clinical purposes which include sleep stage analyses, brain–computer interfaces, and disease diagnosis. EEG and LFP data analyses are typically based on models assuming that the measured data is generated from a biological system and estimate the model parameter values that most accurately reproduce the measured data. Thus, use of a biologically plausible model is important for a model‐based analysis. However, analyses using models that include time delay and nonlinearity have not been reported, even though they are biologically important for EEG generation mechanisms. In this study, we developed a parameter estimation method that uses a particle filter for models with time delay and nonlinearity, which was evaluated with simulations. Simulated EEG data were generated from neural mass models (NMMs). The NMM parameters were estimated from the generated data. Furthermore, parameters for modeling EEG features of patients with Alzheimer's disease were included in the NMM; the disease parameters were estimated from the simulated EEG data. We observed that NMM parameters, as well as the disease parameters, were accurately estimated from the simulated data. We conclude that the validity of our method for estimating parameters of NMMs including time delay and nonlinearity is confirmed for simulated EEG data, and these results show the possibility of using our method for model‐based analysis with real EEG data. © 2017 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
High‐power‐factor single‐switch AC to DC converter for LED lighting
Authors: Yesuraj Sukhi , Ramadas Geetha , Yesuraj Jeyashree
Published: July 2017

In this paper, we report a novel single‐switch AC to DC step‐down converter suitable for light emitting diodes. The proposed topology has a buck and a buck–boost converter. The circuit is designed to operate in the discontinuous conduction mode in order to improve the power factor. In this topology, a part of the input power is connected to the load directly. This feature of the proposed topology increases the efficiency of power conversion, improves the input power factor, produces less voltage stress on intermediate stages, and reduces the output voltage in the absence of a step‐down transformer. The theoretical analysis, design procedure, and performance of the proposed converter are verified by simulation and experiment. A 36 V, 60 W prototype has been built to demonstrate the merits of this circuit. © 2017 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Comparison of acoustic recorders and field observers for monitoring tundra bird communities
Authors: Vold Skyler T. , Handel Colleen M. , McNew Lance B.
Published: July 2017

Acoustic recorders can be useful for studying bird populations but their efficiency and accuracy should be assessed in pertinent ecological settings before use. We investigated the utility of an acoustic recorder for monitoring abundance of tundra‐breeding birds relative to point‐count surveys in northwestern Alaska, USA, during 2014. Our objectives were to 1) compare numbers of birds and species detected by a field observer with those detected simultaneously by an acoustic recorder; 2) evaluate how detection probabilities for the observer and acoustic recorder varied with distance of birds from the survey point; and 3) evaluate whether avian guild‐specific detection rates differed between field observers and acoustic recorders relative to habitat. Compared with the observer, the acoustic recorder detected fewer species (βMethod = −0.39 ± 0.07) and fewer individuals (βMethod = −0.56 ± 0.05) in total and for 6 avian guilds. Discrepancies were attributed primarily to differences in effective area surveyed (91% missed by device were >100 m), but also to nonvocal birds being missed by the recorder (55% missed <100 m were silent). The observer missed a few individuals and one species detected by the device. Models indicated that relative abundance of various avian guilds was associated primarily with maximum shrub height and less so with shrub cover and visual obstruction. The absence of a significant interaction between survey method (observer vs. acoustic recorder) and any habitat characteristic suggests that traditional point counts and acoustic recorders would yield similar inferences about ecological relationships in tundra ecosystems. Pairing of the 2 methods could increase survey efficiency and allow for validation and archival of survey results. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Effects of Local Shoreline and Subestuary Watershed Condition on Waterbird Community Integrity: Influences of Geospatial Scale and Season in the Chesapeake Bay
Authors: Prosser Diann J. , Nagel Jessica L. , Howlin Shay , Marbán Paul R. , Day Daniel D. , Michael Erwin R.
Published: July 2017

In many coastal regions throughout the world, there is increasing pressure to harden shorelines to protect human infrastructures against sea level rise, storm surge, and erosion. This study examines waterbird community integrity in relation to shoreline hardening and land use characteristics at three geospatial scales: (1) the shoreline scale characterized by seven shoreline types: bulkhead, riprap, developed, natural marsh,Phragmites-dominated marsh, sandy beach, and forest; (2) the local subestuary landscape scale including land up to 500 m inland of the shoreline; and (3) the watershed scale >500 m from the shoreline. From 2010 to 2014, we conducted waterbird surveys along the shoreline and open water within 21 subestuaries throughout the Chesapeake Bay during two seasons to encompass post-breeding shorebirds and colonial waterbirds in late summer and migrating and wintering waterfowl in late fall. We employed an Index of Waterbird Community Integrity (IWCI) derived from mean abundance of individual waterbird species and scores of six key species attributes describing each species’ sensitivity to human disturbance, and then used this index to characterize communities in each subestuary and season. IWCI scores ranged from 14.3 to 19.7. Multivariate regression model selection showed that the local shoreline scale had the strongest influence on IWCI scores. At this scale, percent coverage of bulkhead andPhragmitesalong shorelines were the strongest predictors of IWCI, both with negative relationships. Recursive partitioning revealed that when subestuary shoreline coverage exceeded thresholds of approximately 5%Phragmitesor 8% bulkhead, IWCI scores decreased. Our results indicate that development at the shoreline scale has an important effect on waterbird community integrity, and that shoreline hardening and invasivePhragmiteseach have a negative effect on waterbirds using subestuarine systems.
Age‐related differences in social influence on risk perception depend on the direction of influence
Authors: Knoll Lisa J. , Leung Jovita T. , Foulkes Lucy , Blakemore Sarah‐Jayne
Published: July 2017

Adolescents are particularly susceptible to social influence. Here, we investigated the effect of social influence on risk perception in 590 participants aged eight to fifty‐nine‐years tested in the United Kingdom. Participants rated the riskiness of everyday situations, were then informed about the rating of these situations from a (fictitious) social‐influence group consisting ofteenagersoradults, and then re‐evaluated the situation. Our first aim was to attempt to replicate our previous finding that young adolescents are influenced more byteenagersthan byadults. Second, we investigated the social‐influence effect when the social‐influence group's rating was more, or less, risky than the participants' own risk rating. Younger participants were more strongly influenced byteenagersthan byadults, but only whenteenagersrated a situation as more risky than did participants. This suggests that stereotypical characteristics of the social‐influence group – risk‐prone teenagers ‐ interact with social influence on risk perception.
Minimally invasive, pericardial implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator placement in a young child
Authors: Maki Wakana , Asakai Hiroko , Shiraga Kazuhiro , Shindo Takahiro , Hirata Yoichiro , Inuzuka Ryo , Hirata Yasutaka , Oka Akira
Published: July 2017

We report the successful minimally invasive placement of a pericardial implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator (ICD) in a 16‐kg child. A transvenous ICD dual coil was advanced through a small subxiphoid incision and screwed into the oblique sinus pericardium under fluoroscopic guidance. An additional sense‐pace lead was sutured onto the right ventricular apex, and the generator was placed in the upper abdominal wall through the same incision. Threshold testing demonstrated successful defibrillation at 15 J. After implantation, the patient had two episodes of appropriate shock for ventricular fibrillation. The ICD system continues to show stable impedance at 6 months of follow‐up.
The Private World of Soviet Scientists from Stalin to Gorbachev
Authors: Rogacheva Maria
Published: July 2017

Rogacheva sheds new light on the complex transition of Soviet society from Stalinism into the post-Stalin era. Using the case study of Chernogolovka, one of dozens of scientific towns built in the USSR under Khrushchev, she explains what motivated scientists to participate in the Soviet project during the Cold War. Rogacheva traces the history of this scientific community from its creation in 1956 through the Brezhnev period to paint a nuanced portrait of the living conditions, political outlook, and mentality of the local scientific intelligentsia. Utilizing new archival materials and an extensive oral history project, this book argues that Soviet scientists were not merely bought off by the Soviet state, but that they bought into the idealism and social optimism of the post-Stalin regime. Many shared the regime's belief in the progressive development of Soviet society on a scientific basis, and embraced their increased autonomy, material privileges and elite status.
The Insecurity State
Authors: Condos Mark
Published: July 2017

In this provocative new work, Mark Condos explores the 'dark underside' of the ideologies that sustained British rule in India. Using Punjab as a case study, he argues that India's colonial overlords were obsessively fearful, and plagued by an unreasoning belief in their own vulnerability as rulers. These enduring anxieties precipitated, and justified, an all too frequent recourse to violence, joined with an insistence on untrammelled power placed in the hands of the executive. Examining how the British colonial experience was shaped by a chronic sense of unease, anxiety, and insecurity, this is a timely intervention in debates about the contested project of colonial state-building, the oppressive and violent practices of colonial rule, the nature of imperial sovereignty, law, and policing and the postcolonial legacies of empire.
The Supreme Court's New Workplace
Authors: Seiner Joseph A.
Published: July 2017

The US Supreme Court has systematically eroded the rights of minority workers through subtle changes in procedural law. This accessible book identifies and describes how the Supreme Court's new procedural requirements create legal obstacles for civil-rights litigants, thereby undermining their substantive rights. Seiner takes the next step of providing a framework that practitioners can use to navigate these murky waters, allowing workers a better chance of prevailing with their claims. Seiner clearly illustrates how to effectively use his framework, applying the proposed model to one emerging sector - the on-demand industry. Many minority workers now face pervasive discrimination in an uncertain legal environment. This book will serve as a roadmap for successful workplace litigation and a valuable resource for civil-rights research. It will also spark a debate among scholars, lawyers, and others in the legal community over the use of procedure to alter substantive worker rights.
Democratising Beauty in Nineteenth-Century Britain
Authors: Hartley Lucy
Published: July 2017

Could the self-interested pursuit of beauty actually help to establish the moral and political norms that enable democratic society to flourish? In this book, Lucy Hartley identifies a new language for speaking about beauty, which begins to be articulated from the 1830s in a climate of political reform and becomes linked to emerging ideals of equality, liberty, and individuality. Examining British art and art writing by Charles Lock Eastlake, John Ruskin, Walter Pater, Edward Poynter, William Morris, and John Addington Symonds, Hartley traces a debate about what it means to be interested in beauty and whether this preoccupation is necessary to public political life. Drawing together political history, art history, and theories of society, and supplemented by numerous illustrations, Democratising Beauty in Nineteenth-Century Britain offers a fresh interdisciplinary understanding of the relation of art to its publics.
Just War Theory and Civilian Casualties
Authors: Schulzke Marcus
Published: July 2017

There are strong moral and legal pressures against harming civilians in times of conflict, yet neither just war theory nor international law is clear about what responsibilities belligerents have to correct harm once it has been inflicted. In this book, Marcus Schulzke argues that military powers have a duty to provide assistance to the civilians they attack during wars, and that this duty is entailed by civilians' right to life. Schulzke develops new just war principles requiring belligerents to provide medical treatment and financial compensation to civilian victims, and then shows how these principles can be implemented in governmental, military, and international practice. He calls for a more individual-focused conception of international law and post-war justice for victims - as opposed to current state- or group-based reconstruction and reparation programs - which will provide a framework for protecting civilian rights.
Mobility assessments of geriatric emergency department patients: A systematic review
Authors: Eagles Debra , Yadav Krishan , Perry Jeffrey J. , Sirois Marie Josée , Emond Marcel
Published: July 2017

Objectives

We wished to determine the impact of emergency department (ED) mobility assessments for older patients on hospitalization, return visits, future falls, and frailty.

Methods

We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, PEDro, and OTseeker (September 2016). Two independent reviewers identified studies of patients ≥65 years with ED physical mobility assessments and outcomes of hospitalization, return to ED, falls, and frailty. Language was not restricted. Only clinical trials and observational studies were included.

Results

We identified 1,365 unique citations. Nine studies (six cohort and three cross-sectional) met full inclusion criteria. Patients (n=2,513) with mean age 75-85 years, admitted to hospital and discharged, underwent these ED evaluations: Timed Up and Go (TUG), Get Up and Go, tandem walk, and a gait assessment. Study quality was moderate to poor. Tandem walk did not predict falls at 90 days. TUG was not associated with return to the ED/hospitalization at 90 days. Get Up and Go was associated with hospital admission but not return to ED visits at 1 or 3 months. Due to clinical heterogeneity in study populations and outcomes, a meta-analysis was not undertaken.

Conclusions

Despite multiple guidelines recommending a mobility assessment prior to ED discharge for older patients, we found that such assessments were neither associated with nor predictive of adverse outcomes. Robust research is required to guide clinicians on the utility of physical mobility assessments in older ED patients.
Action of natural phytosanitary products onBacillus thuringiensissubsp.kurstakiS-1905
Authors: Lozano E.R. , Neves P.M.O.J. , Alves L.F.A. , Potrich M. , Vilas-Bôas G.F.L.T. , Monnerat R.G.
Published: July 2017

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of natural phytosanitary products (NPs) on spores and crystals ofBacillus thuringiensissubsp.kurstakiS-1905 (Btk S-1905). For the spore assay, NPs and bacteria were applied in combination and individually. For the combined application, Btk S-1905 + NP mixtures were inoculated on nutrient agar (NA), and for the separate applications, the NPs were spread on NA plates, which were later inoculated with the pathogen. The number of colony-forming units (CFU) per milliliter was quantified after 18 h of incubation. For the crystal protein degradation assay, the Btk S-1905 + NP mixtures were added to the diet ofAnticarsia gemmatalis(Lepidoptera: Erebidae), and mortality was evaluated at the following time points: 12, 24, 48, and 72 h. Scanning electron microscopy and agarose gel electrophoresis were carried out. Biogermex and Ecolife®reduced the CFU ml−1in both combined and separate applications. Biogermex, Ecolife®, and Planta Clean were antagonistic to the action of bacterial toxins, and no product affected the morphology or resulted in the degradation of the crystal proteins. The remaining products evaluated did not reduce the CFU ml−1and had additive effect when combined with the crystal toxin.
CENSORING THE KISHKOPHONE: RELIGION AND STATE POWER IN MUBARAK'S EGYPT
Authors: Rock-Singer Aaron
Published: July 2017

How do states produce religion and how can the study of state censorship cast light on this phenomenon? This article examines the logic by which two Egyptian government bodies, the Ministry of Culture and the Islamic Research Academy, censored the sermons of a premier Islamist preacher, Shaykh ʿAbd al-Hamid Kishk (d. 1999), between 1987 and 1993. To do so, it draws on two distinct sets of sources: a sixteen-volume printed edition of Kishk's sermons published in Egypt and MP3s of original performances recorded initially by audiocassette. While previous studies on religion and state power in the Middle East emphasize the strategies by which states use religion to assert their interests, this article uses the censorship of a leading antiregime preacher to probe the undertheorized distinction between claiming and producing religion. A focus on the strategies, in turn, casts light on both the internal diversity of religious visions within the Egyptian state and on the subtle, yet significant, ways in which state actors not only censor but also are shaped by their Islamist challengers.
RENTIER ISLAMISM IN THE ABSENCE OF ELECTIONS: THE POLITICAL ROLE OF MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD AFFILIATES IN QATAR AND THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Authors: Freer Courtney
Published: July 2017

Drawing on contemporary history and empirical research, this article revises traditional rentier state theory, which fails to account for the existence of Islamist movements in states accruing substantial outside wealth. Rentier state theory expects that citizens of such states will form opposition blocs only when their stake in rent income is threatened. Examining the development of Muslim Brotherhood affiliates in two archetypal rentier states, or super-rentiers, in the Gulf—Qatar and the United Arab Emirates—this article shows that ideology rather than rent motivated the formation of independent Islamist movements. This research helps to break the causal link established by rentier state theory between oil rents and lack of politically relevant Islamist organizations. We find that the presence of oil rents, instead of rendering Islamist complaint politically irrelevant, shapes the ways in which Islamist movements seek to influence government policies.
Memory as a Field Site: Interviewing Displaced Persons
Authors: Pearlman Wendy
Published: July 2017

Six and a half years after the start of the Arab uprisings, the initial euphoria of popular mobilization and optimism in revolutionary change is an increasingly distant memory. While a few countries in the region are moving in the direction of greater openness, most are gripped by a resurgent authoritarianism that is ever more repressive. Some states are collapsing amid mass violence and humanitarian catastrophe. In others, threat of brutal punishment continues to enforce red lines against permissible speech and action, even as those red lines continue to shift.
Economic dependence of mountain communities on Chinese caterpillar fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis (yarsagumba): a case from western Nepal
Authors: Shrestha Uttam Babu , Dhital Krishna Ram , Gautam Ambika Prasad
Published: July 2017

Products obtained from forests or other natural environments play a crucial role in sustaining the livelihoods of poor people in developing countries through income generation and the creation of employment opportunities. Although studies have been carried out to evaluate the dependence of local livelihoods on environmental products, quantify the linkage between poverty and biodiversity, and assess the impacts of resource depletion on household economics, most have been focused geographically on the tropics. Our study was conducted in the mountain village of Jumla, Nepal, to quantify the economic contribution of Chinese caterpillar fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis (yarsagumba) to local households. Income from yarsagumba accounted for up to 65% of the total household cash income, on average, and its contribution was highest in the poorest households. It contributed to reducing income inequality by 38%, and the income was utilized to purchase food and clothes, celebrate festivals, pay for medical treatment and children's education, and for savings. There was a mean annual decline of 25 pieces in the per capita harvest of yarsagumba during 2010–2014. However, the decline had no adverse impact on household income, as the price increased.