bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A probabilistic model to recover individual genomes from metagenomes
Authors: Dröge Johannes , Schönhuth Alexander , McHardy Alice C.
Published: May 2017

Shotgun metagenomics of microbial communities reveal information about strains of relevance for applications in medicine, biotechnology and ecology. Recovering their genomes is a crucial but very challenging step due to the complexity of the underlying biological system and technical factors. Microbial communities are heterogeneous, with oftentimes hundreds of present genomes deriving from different species or strains, all at varying abundances and with different degrees of similarity to each other and reference data. We present a versatile probabilistic model for genome recovery and analysis, which aggregates three types of information that are commonly used for genome recovery from metagenomes. As potential applications we showcase metagenome contig classification, genome sample enrichment and genome bin comparisons. The open source implementation MGLEX is available via the Python Package Index and on GitHub and can be embedded into metagenome analysis workflows and programs.
Utilization of Distilled Water Lavage for Localized Fluid Collection After Combined Hepatectomy and Cyst Fenestration for Polycystic Liver Disease
Authors: Yamaguchi Kazuya , Morioka Daisuke , Kobayashi Atsuo , Horii Nobutoshi , Miyake Kentaro , Takakura Hideki , Sato Yoshiki
Published: May 2017

Ascites necessitating persistent drainage or paracentesis after drain removal has been found among early postoperative complications after combined hepatectomy and cyst fenestration (CHCF) for polycystic liver disease (PLD). It has been reportedly observed in 20% to 70% of cases and seemed to easily cause recurrent symptoms unless properly treated. We utilized distilled water lavage for treating localized fluid collection after combined hepatectomy and cyst fenestration for PLD. A 63-year-old female patient underwent CHCF for PLD, which caused severe abdominal fullness. Early postoperative course was uneventful until 10 days after surgery when the patient suffered sudden abdominal fullness and resultant severe anorexia because of right subphrenic massive localized monolocular fluid collection diagnosed by abdominal computed tomography—although total liver volume was reduced to less than half of that before surgery. Percutaneous drainage relieved symptoms immediately, but the drainage tube could not be removed because of massive outflow. Then we utilized distilled water lavage for treating this condition. After that, drain outflow dramatically reduced and the drainage tube was successfully removed. Total liver volume of the patient continued to reduce up to 1 year after surgery and retained less than one-third of preoperative total liver volume thereafter. Sustained reduction of total liver volume in the present case suggested a sclerosant effect of hypotonic cytocidal property of distilled water for cyst endothelium and/or retrieved effectiveness of fenestration. Hence, we consider this approach to be useful for patients with PLD receiving CHCF and thus present it here.
Ontogenetic changes in crown architecture and leaf arrangement: effects on light capture efficiency in three tree species differing in leaf longevity
Authors: Escudero Alfonso , del Río Teresa , Sánchez‐Zulueta Paula , Mediavilla Sonia
Published: May 2017

Pronounced strategy shifts along ontogeny have been observed in several tree species, mainly because of the trend to maximize growth during the seedling stage, which constitutes the most vulnerable part of the tree's life cycle. Our aim here was to analyze the ontogenetic changes in crown characteristics and light capture patterns in three Quercus species: the evergreens Quercus ilex and Quercus suber and the deciduous Quercus faginea co‐occurring in a Mediterranean open woodland. The seedlings were distributed in the large clearings among the adults and received full sunlight. We constructed three‐dimensional models of the aerial parts of seedlings and mature trees of the three species, using the YplantQMC program. Large differences between growth stages were observed for all variables. The seedlings exhibited smaller branch sizes and crown densities than those observed in the adult trees. Leaf angles to horizontal also tended to increase during ontogeny, whereas leaf dispersion and the observed distances between leaves tended to decrease. The amount of photosynthetic radiation absorbed per unit leaf area throughout the growing season was lower in adult specimens than in young specimens. Changes in absorption efficiency during ontogeny were more intense for the species with longer leaf life span at maturity. We conclude that more intense ontogenetic shifts in species with longer leaf life span reflect the priority change from the maximization of short‐term productivity at the seedling stage to maximizing leaf longevity during the adult stage.
Prospects for rare and forbidden hyperon decays at BESIII
Authors: Li Hai-Bo
Published: May 2017

The study of hyperon decays at the Beijing Electron Spectrometer III (BESIII) is proposed to investigate the events of J/ψ decay into hyperon pairs, which provide a pristine experimental environment at the Beijing Electron–Positron Collider II. About 106–108 hyperons, i.e., Λ, Σ, Ξ, and Ω, will be produced in the J/ψ and ψ(2S) decays with the proposed data samples at BESIII. Based on these samples, the measurement sensitivity of the branching fractions of the hyperon decays is in the range of 10−5–10−8. In addition, with the known center-of-mass energy and “tag technique”, rare decays and decays with invisible final states can be probed.
Investigations on the Crystal Structure and the Stability Field of FCAM-I (Ca3MgAl6Fe10O28), an Iso-structure to SFCA-I
Authors: Zöll Klaus , Manninger Tanja , Kahlenberg Volker , Krüger Hannes , Tropper Peter
Published: May 2017

In a study on parts of the system Fe2O3-CaO-Al2O3-MgO, the previously unknown compound Ca3MgAl6Fe10O28 or FCAM-I (iso-structural with SFCA-I) has been synthesized. The two principal aims of our investigations have been (i) analysis of the stability field of the new phase as a function of T and fO2 and (ii) determination of its crystal structure. Two experimental series in air and under controlled oxygen fugacity via the hematite-magnetite buffer were conducted. Pure polycrystalline FCAM-I has been obtained at 1463.15 K (1190 °C) in air. While increasing the temperature from 1573.15 K to 1673.15 K (1300 °C to 1400 °C), the FCAM-I phase breaks down forming a variety of new compounds depending on T and fO2. Ca3MgAl6Fe10O28 has a triclinic crystal structure (space group P

$$ \overline{1} $$

1
¯

). Basic crystallographic data are as follows: a = 10.2980(4) Å, b = 10.4677(4) Å, c = 11.6399(4) Å, α = 94.363(3)°, β = 111.498(3)°, γ = 109.744(3)°, V = 1069.81(7) Å3, Z = 2.
In silico analysis of Shiga toxins (Stxs) to identify new potential vaccine targets for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli
Authors: Golshani Maryam , Oloomi Mana , Bouzari Saeid
Published: May 2017

Shiga toxins belong to a family of structurally and functionally related toxins serving as the main virulence factors for pathogenicity of the Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) associating with Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). At present, there is no effective treatment or prevention for HUS. The aim of the present study was to find conserved regions within the amino acid sequences of Stx1, Stx2 (Shiga toxin) and their variants. In this regard, In-silico identification of conformational continuous B cell and T-cell epitopes was performed in order to introduce new potential vaccine candidates. 93–100% Homology was observed in Stx1 and its variants. In Stx2 and its variants, 69–100% homology was shown. By sequence alignment with Stx1 and Stx2, 54% homology was detected. T-cell epitope identification in Stx1A and Stx2A epitopes with highest binding affinity for each HLA (human leukocyte antigen) was demonstrated with 100% identity among all Stxs. B-cell epitope prediction was resulted in finding of four common epitopes between Stxs. In silico analysis of Stxs was resulted to identification of new peptide targets that could be used in development of new epitope vaccine candidates or in immunodiagnostic tests.
Whistleblowing studies in accounting research: A review of experimental studies on the determinants of whistleblowing
Authors: Gao Lei , Brink Alisa G.
Published: May 2017

We review and summarize accounting literature that examines whistleblowing in the accounting context. We organize our review around the five determinants of whistleblowing identified by Near and Miceli (1995). The first determinant is characteristics of the whistleblower. Studies related to this determinant examine whistleblowers’ personality characteristics, moral judgment, and demographic characteristics. Studies related to the second determinant, characteristics of the report recipient, examine characteristics of the individual or individuals who receive the report and characteristics of the reporting channel. The third determinant is characteristics of the wrongdoer. Studies in this area focus on the wrongdoer’s power and credibility. Fourth, accounting studies related to characteristics of the wrongdoing examine factors that affect the dependence of the organization on the wrongdoing and evidence credibility. Studies related to the final determinant, characteristics of the organization, examine organizational perceptions of the appropriateness of whistleblowing, organizational climate, and organizational structure. For each determinant, we first summarize and analyze the findings of prior research, and then we present suggestions for future accounting research in whistleblowing.
Atmospheric and Oceanic Fluid Dynamics
Authors: Vallis Geoffrey K.
Published: May 2017

The atmosphere and ocean are two of the most important components of the climate system, and fluid dynamics is central to our understanding of both. This book provides a unified and comprehensive treatment of the field that blends classical results with modern interpretations. It takes the reader seamlessly from the basics to the frontiers of knowledge, from the equations of motion to modern theories of the general circulation of the atmosphere and ocean. These concepts are illustrated throughout the book with observations and numerical examples. As well as updating existing chapters, this full-color second edition includes new chapters on tropical dynamics, El Niño, the stratosphere and gravity waves. Supplementary resources are provided online, including figures from the book and problem sets, making this new edition an ideal resource for students in the atmospheric, oceanic and climate sciences, as well as in applied mathematics and engineering.
Escape from Democracy
Authors: Levy David M. , Peart Sandra J.
Published: May 2017

The orthodox view of economic policy holds that public deliberation sets the goals or ends, and then experts select the means to implement these goals. This assumes that experts are no more than trustworthy servants of the public interest. David M. Levy and Sandra J. Peart examine the historical record to consider cases in which experts were trusted with disastrous results, such as eugenics, the regulatory use of security ratings, and central economic planning. This history suggests that experts have not only the public interest but also their own interests to consider. The authors then recover and extend an alternative view of economic policy that subjects experts' proposals to further discussion, resulting in transparency and ensuring that the public obtains the best insights of experts in economics while avoiding pitfalls such as expert bias.
Modeling of Atmospheric Chemistry
Authors: Brasseur Guy P. , Jacob Daniel J.
Published: May 2017

Mathematical modeling of atmospheric composition is a formidable scientific and computational challenge. This comprehensive presentation of the modeling methods used in atmospheric chemistry focuses on both theory and practice, from the fundamental principles behind models, through to their applications in interpreting observations. An encyclopaedic coverage of methods used in atmospheric modeling, including their advantages and disadvantages, makes this a one-stop resource with a large scope. Particular emphasis is given to the mathematical formulation of chemical, radiative, and aerosol processes; advection and turbulent transport; emission and deposition processes; as well as major chapters on model evaluation and inverse modeling. The modeling of atmospheric chemistry is an intrinsically interdisciplinary endeavour, bringing together meteorology, radiative transfer, physical chemistry and biogeochemistry, making the book of value to a broad readership. Introductory chapters and a review of the relevant mathematics make this book instantly accessible to graduate students and researchers in the atmospheric sciences.
Politics, Privileges, and Loyalty in the Zimbabwe National Army
Authors: Maringira Godfrey
Published: May 2017

In postcolonial Africa, the military has become an actor in politics, often in ways that can be described as unprofessional. This paper focuses on the manner in which the Zimbabwean National Army (ZNA) has become heavily politicized since independence, directly supporting the regime of President Robert Mugabe while denigrating the opposition political party. The military metamorphosed, to all intents, into an extension of President Mugabe’s political party, the ZANU-PF. I argue that even though the military is expected to subordinate itself to a civilian government, the ZNA is highly unprofessional, in- and outside the army barracks. The ways in which politics came to be mediated by army generals, as “war veterans” serving in the military, directly influenced not only how soldiers who joined the army in postindependence Zimbabwe were promoted and demoted, but how they lived their lives as soldiers in the army barracks. This article is based on fifty-eight life histories of army deserters living in exile in South Africa.
Contentious Land Narratives and the Nonescalation of Election Violence: Evidence from Kenya’s Coast Region
Authors: Klaus Kathleen
Published: May 2017

This article examines the puzzle of the nonescalation of electoral violence. Drawing on evidence from Kenya’s Coast and Rift Valley regions, the article argues that land narratives along the coast create few motives for people to participate in electoral violence because residents do not link their land rights with electoral outcomes. Politicians thus have far less power to use land narratives to organize violence. Two factors help account for this regional variation between the Rift Valley and the Coast: the strength of the political patron and the proportion of “outsiders” relative to “insiders.”
“The Clave Comes Home”: Salsa Dance and Pan-African Identity in Ghana
Authors: Carwile Christey
Published: May 2017

While salsa dance is popularly, and now globally, understood to be a symbol and expression of Latin identity, its adoption in non-Latin contexts has produced new meanings and cultural configurations. This is particularly the case in West Africa, where salsa is not only catching on among urban youth, but is becoming understood and approached from an African perspective. This article explores the ways in which salsa dance in Ghana serves as an innovative, embodied expression of a contemporary, pan-African identity. This is seen in Ghanaian dancers’ ideological reinvigoration of salsa’s African history and in the physical incorporation of local styles and presentations. Salsa in Ghana is recast through global networks, which in turn contributes to its global character while refashioning it to better suit local motives and desires. Thus, rather than emphasizing salsa’s African roots alone, dancers in Ghana equally engage with the complexroutesof the dance.
Traumatic Brain Injury in the Workplace
Authors: Paci Michael , Infante-Rivard Claire , Marcoux Judith
Published: May 2017

Objectives:Work-related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are not well documented in the literature. Published studies mostly rely on worker databases that fail to provide clinically relevant information. Our objective is to describe the characteristics of hospitalized patients and their work-related TBI.Methods:We used the Québec provincial trauma and TBI program databases to identify all patients with a diagnosis of work-related TBI admitted to the Montreal General Hospital, a level 1 trauma center, between 2000 and 2014. Data from their medical records were extracted using a predetermined information sheet. Simple descriptive statistics (means and percentages) were used to summarize the data.Results:A total of 285 cases were analyzed. Workplace TBI patients were middle-aged (mean, 43.62 years), overwhelmingly male (male:female 18:1), mostly healthy, and had completed a high school level education. Most workers were from the construction industry; falling was the most common mechanism of injury. The majority of patients (76.8%) presented with a mild TBI; only a minority (14%) required neurosurgery. The most common finding on computed tomography was skull fracture. The median length of hospitalization was 7 days, after which most patients were discharged directly home. A total of 8.1% died of their injuries.Conclusions:Our study found that most hospitalized victims of work-related TBI had mild injury; however, some required neurosurgical intervention and a non-negligible proportion died of their injury. Improving fall prevention, accurately document helmet use and increasing the safety practice in the construction industry may help decrease work-related TBI burden.
Towards a shared ontology: A generic classification of cognitive processes in conceptual design
Authors: Hay Laura , Duffy Alex H. B. , McTeague Chris , Pidgeon Laura M. , Vuletic Tijana , Grealy Madeleine
Published: May 2017

Towards addressing ontological issues in design cognition research, this paper presents the first generic classification of cognitive processes investigated in protocol studies on conceptual design cognition. The classification is based on a systematic review of 47 studies published over the past 30 years. Three viewpoints on the nature of design cognition are outlined (search, exploration and design activities), highlighting considerable differences in the concepts and terminology applied to describe cognition. To provide a more unified view of the cognitive processes fundamentally under study, we map specific descriptions of cognitive processes provided in protocol studies to more generic, established definitions in the cognitive psychology literature. This reveals a set of 6 categories of cognitive process that appear to be commonly studied and are therefore likely to be prevalent in conceptual design: (1) long-term memory; (2) semantic processing; (3) visual perception; (4) mental imagery processing; (5) creative output production and (6) executive functions. The categories and their constituent processes are formalised in the generic classification. The classification provides the basis for a generic, shared ontology of cognitive processes in design that is conceptually and terminologically consistent with the ontology of cognitive psychology and neuroscience. In addition, the work highlights 6 key avenues for future empirical research: (1) the role of episodic and semantic memory; (2) consistent definitions of semantic processes; (3) the role of sketching from alternative theoretical perspectives on perception and mental imagery; (4) the role of working memory; (5) the meaning and nature of synthesis and (6) unidentified cognitive processes implicated in conceptual design elsewhere in the literature.
THE INSTABILITY OF JOHN RAWLS'S “STABILITY FOR THE RIGHT REASONS”
Authors: Chung Hun
Published: May 2017

John Rawls's most mature notion of political order is “stability for the right reasons.” Stability for the right reasons is the kind of political order that Rawls hoped a well-ordered society could ideally achieve. In this paper, I demonstrate through the tools of modern game theory, theinstabilityof “stability for the right reasons.” Specifically, I will show that a well-ordered society can completely destabilize by the introduction of an arbitrarily small number of non-compliers whenever individuals fail to achieve full common knowledge ever so slightly.
Renormalization for Lorenz maps of monotone combinatorial types
Authors: GAIDASHEV DENIS
Published: May 2017

Lorenz maps are maps of the unit interval with one critical point of order $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}>1$ and a discontinuity at that point. They appear as return maps of sections of the geometric Lorenz flow. We construct real a priori bounds for renormalizable Lorenz maps with certain monotone combinatorics and a sufficiently flat critical point, and use these bounds to show existence of periodic points of renormalization, as well as existence of Cantor attractors for dynamics of infinitely renormalizable Lorenz maps.
CANNON–THURSTON MAPS FOR KLEINIAN GROUPS
Authors: MJ MAHAN
Published: May 2017

We show that Cannon–Thurston maps exist for degenerate free groups without parabolics, that is, for handlebody groups. Combining these techniques with earlier work proving the existence of Cannon–Thurston maps for surface groups, we show that Cannon–Thurston maps exist for arbitrary finitely generated Kleinian groups without parabolics, proving conjectures of Thurston and McMullen. We also show that point pre-images under Cannon–Thurston maps for degenerate free groups without parabolics correspond to endpoints of leaves of an ending lamination in the Masur domain, whenever a point has more than one pre-image. This proves a conjecture of Otal. We also prove a similar result for point pre-images under Cannon–Thurston maps for arbitrary finitely generated Kleinian groups without parabolics.
LOCALLY NORMAL SUBGROUPS OF TOTALLY DISCONNECTED GROUPS. PART I: GENERAL THEORY
Authors: CAPRACE PIERRE-EMMANUEL , REID COLIN D. , WILLIS GEORGE A.
Published: May 2017

Let $G$ be a totally disconnected, locally compact group. A closed subgroup of $G$ is locally normal if its normalizer is open in $G$. We begin an investigation of the structure of the family of closed locally normal subgroups of $G$. Modulo commensurability, this family forms a modular lattice ${\mathcal{L}}{\mathcal{N}}(G)$, called the structure lattice of $G$. We show that $G$ admits a canonical maximal quotient $H$ for which the quasicentre and the abelian locally normal subgroups are trivial. In this situation ${\mathcal{L}}{\mathcal{N}}(H)$ has a canonical subset called the centralizer lattice, forming a Boolean algebra whose elements correspond to centralizers of locally normal subgroups. If $H$ is second-countable and acts faithfully on its centralizer lattice, we show that the topology of $H$ is determined by its algebraic structure (and thus invariant by every abstract group automorphism), and also that the action on the Stone space of the centralizer lattice is universal for a class of actions on profinite spaces. Most of the material is developed in the more general framework of Hecke pairs.
Complementary and alternative medicine use by diabetes patients in Kerala, India
Authors: Vishnu N. , Mini G. K. , Thankappan K. R.
Published: May 2017

The study assessed: (1) the prevalence of exclusive use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), exclusive use of modern medicine and combined use; (2) the factors associated with exclusive CAM use; and (3) the expenditure for CAM use among type-2 diabetes patients in rural Kerala. We surveyed 400 diabetes patients selected by multi-stage cluster sampling. Exclusive CAM use was reported by 9%, exclusive modern medicine by 61% and combined use by 30%. Patients without any co-morbidity were four times, those having regular income were three times and those who reported regular exercise were three times more likely to use exclusive CAM compared with their counterparts. Expense for medicines was not significantly different for CAM compared with modern medicine both in government and private sector. Patients with any co-morbidity were less likely to use CAM indicating that CAM use was limited to milder cases of diabetes.
The First Missionaries of The Church Missionary Society in Sierra Leone, 1804–1816: A Biographical Approach
Authors: Keefer Katrina H.B.
Published: May 2017

Many early records in West Africa arise from missionary accounts. While they may contain rich ethnographic data, this detail should be approached only after analysis and consideration of the authors of the sources in question. In early Sierra Leone, important data was recorded on behalf of the English evangelical Church Missionary Society, but the missionaries reporting on the ground comprised an insufficiently studied group of German-speaking Pietist Lutherans originating from central and northern Europe. This article analyzes the authors of this information in order to approach their accounts with a better appreciation of existing bias and to better engage with how diverse sociocultural perspectives affect the historical record.
Examining the Role of the Reader: A Necessary Task for Catholic Biblical Interpretation
Authors: Ruiz Gilberto A.
Published: May 2017

Thanks to the explosion of methods and hermeneutical frameworks that have surfaced in biblical studies since the 1970s, the discipline looks very different today than when Catholic scholars were first openly permitted to engage it. Among these approaches are those that foreground the complex role the real flesh-and-blood reader plays in interpretation. Recent discussion on what makes biblical interpretation “Catholic” reveals it to be a contested topic. Through an analysis of the Pontifical Biblical Commission'sThe Interpretation of the Bible in the Churchand Frank M. Yamada's article “What Does Manzanar Have to Do with Eden? A Japanese American Interpretation of Genesis 2–3,” the present article enters the discussion over what constitutes Catholic biblical interpretation to argue that it must integrate hermeneutical approaches that foreground real readers within the context of lived realities.
The Burden of Guilt and the Imperative of Reform: Pope Francis and Patriarch Bartholomew Take Up the Challenge of Re-Spiritualizing Christianity in the Anthropocene Age
Authors: Mongrain Kevin
Published: May 2017

This article discusses the pro-environmental theology of two contemporary Christian leaders. The first is the current ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I. The second is Roman Catholicism's Pope Francis. Both leaders seek to support members of their respective churches who are working to protect the environment, and also to speak globally across cultural and religious lines. Both Bartholomew and Francis believe the crisis of climate change has deep roots in modern culture's anthropocentric ethos, and hence there must be an “apocalypse” or an unveiling of this ethos as a betrayal not only of nature but also of God the Creator. Contrary to some religious environmentalists, therefore, both Bartholomew and Francis are careful to distinguish cosmocentric theology (pantheism and animism) and theocentric cosmology (monotheism centered on the Incarnation of the Trinity in creation). Francis in particular aims for a retrieval of Saint Francis of Assisi's relationship to the natural world as it was expressed by Saint Bonaventure, and later developed by Saint Ignatius of Loyola into a discipline (ascesis) of learning to see all created things as expressions of God's glory. In rivalry with theascesisof modern capitalism, which could be described as “disciplined avarice in action,” Bartholomew and Francis advocate the classical monastic-Franciscan-Ignatian spiritual ethos of “disciplined contemplation in action.”
Feeding strategies for reducing nitrogen excretion in New Zealand milk production
Authors: Wilkinson J.M. , Waldron L.A.
Published: May 2017

The concentration of crude protein in grazed New Zealand pasture is typically in excess of 200 g/kg DM, which exceeds the requirement of the dairy cow and is reflected in elevated levels of daily urinary nitrogen (N) excretion, estimated to average 262 g N/head or 751 kg N/ha. This has adverse environmental consequences, including leaching of nitrate from soil into water courses and atmospheric emissions of nitrous oxide. Problems associated with pasture as the sole feed for dairy cows include weight loss in early lactation, poor fertility and reduced lactation length. Low-protein supplements can reduce N excretion rates and increase N use efficiency. A simple feeding strategy is proposed in which pasture is supplemented with maize or whole-crop wheat silage at 5 kg DM/cow per day from the start of the pre-calving dry period on winter run-off pasture to 100 days post-calving, and from 250 days post-calving to the end of lactation. The expected response, at an assumed substitution rate of 0.7 kg decrease in pasture intake per kg silage DM, is an increase in metabolisable energy of 10 to 15 MJ/cow/day, equivalent to 33 to 48 g milk solids (MS)/kg DM of supplement. This strategy is expected to result in significantly lower urinary N excretion by the cow. Actual responses in daily milk output, from published experiments where grazing stocking rates were increased to take account of reduced herbage intake, ranged from 50 to 100 g MS/kg DM of supplement. Other benefits include early lactation bodyweight maintenance, higher percentage of cows calved which are pregnant at 150 days in milk and increased lactation period. Constraints for farmers to implement such changes include cost of silage, value of milk sold, failure to integrate forage maize or wheat in rotational cropping with pasture, and the relatively poor aerobic stability of maize and whole-crop wheat silages.
Magnetic micro-droplet in rotating field: numerical simulation and comparison with experiment
Authors: Erdmanis J. , Kitenbergs G. , Perzynski R. , Cēbers A.
Published: May 2017

Magnetic droplets obtained by induced phase separation in a magnetic colloid show a large variety of shapes when exposed to an external field. However, the description of the shapes is often limited. Here, we formulate an algorithm based on three-dimensional boundary-integral equations for strongly magnetic droplets in a high-frequency rotating magnetic field, allowing us to find their figures of equilibrium in three dimensions. The algorithm is justified by a series of comparisons with known analytical results. We compare the calculated equilibrium shapes with experimental observations and find a good agreement. The main features of these observations are the oblate–prolate transition, the flattening of prolate shapes with the increase of magnetic field strength and the formation of starfish-like equilibrium shapes. We show both numerically and in experiments that the magnetic droplet behaviour may be described with a triaxial ellipsoid approximation. Directions for further research are mentioned, including the dipolar interaction contribution to the surface tension of the magnetic droplets, accounting for the large viscosity contrast between the magnetic droplet and the surrounding fluid.
When unforeseen events become strategic
Authors: Vinther Larsen Mette , Gulddahl Rasmussen Jørgen
Published: May 2017

This article acknowledges that strategising processes revolve around allowing for continual shifts in an uncertain environment to constructively shape the ways in which managers strategise. The research question pursued in this article is: ‘How do unforeseen events shape managerial strategising?’ The theoretical background for this article is inspired by research done within the strategy-as-practice and strategy-in-practice communities and uses concepts such as strategic intent, wayfinding/wayfaring and temporal work to explore how the managers from the small Danish Software Company cooperated with actors in the mining industry. This cooperation was initially perceived as an unforeseen event but, incrementally and retrospectively, it became strategic. The main theoretical and practice-anchored findings draw attention to the roles that unforeseen events can play in shaping strategising. These findings underline the significance of prioritising micro-founded actions carried out contextually by strategists when learning more about the who, what and how of strategising.
An empirical examination of the relationship between skills shortage and firm performance: The role of high-performance work systems
Authors: Malik Amina R. , Manroop Laxmikant , Patel Pankaj C.
Published: May 2017

There has been growing scholarly interest in the relationship between high-performance work systems and firm performance. Yet, limited research attention has been given to the impact of high-performance work systems on firm performance during skills shortages. In this study, we empirically examine the influence of high-performance work systems on firm performance in the midst of skills shortages. Results from a study of 211 US firms with 50 or more employees demonstrate that internal skills shortages are not related to firm profitability. Findings further show that the use of high-performance work systems is more detrimental to firm performance for firms when they face an internal skills shortage. These results are discussed and future research directions are offered.
Retorting conditions affect palatability and physical characteristics of canned cat food
Authors: Hagen-Plantinga Esther A. , Orlanes Denmark F. , Bosch Guido , Hendriks Wouter H. , van der Poel Antonius F. B.
Published: May 2017

The effects of different temperature and time conditions during retorting of canned cat food on physicochemical characteristics and palatability were examined. For this purpose, lacquer cans containing an unprocessed loaf-type commercial cat food were heated in a pressurised retorting system at three specified temperature–time profiles (113°C/232 min, 120°C/103 min and 127°C/60 min) to equal a similar lethality (F0 value = 30). Physicochemical properties (viscosity, texture, particle size, pH) were determined, and a 10 d three-bowl palatability test was performed with ten European shorthair cats. Retorting at 113°C/232 min resulted in differences in all the physical parameters examined ( particle size). Significant pH differences were observed (6·53, 6·63 and 6·66 for T113/232, 120 and 127°C, respectively). Preference ratios were 0·38, 0·31 and 0·31 for T113/232, 120 and 127°C, respectively (P = 0·067). It can be concluded that different retorting temperature–time profiles with equal F0 value significantly affect physical characteristics and tended to affect palatability of moist cat food.
Nutritional correlates of monetary diet cost in young, middle-aged and older Japanese women
Authors: Shiraki Keiko , Murakami Kentaro , Okubo Hitomi , Livingstone M. Barbara E. , Kobayashi Satomi , Suga Hitomi , Sasaki Satoshi ,   The Three-Generation Study of Women on Diets and Health Study Group
Published: May 2017

Studies in many Western countries have consistently shown that monetary diet cost is positively associated with diet quality, but this may not necessarily be the case in Japan. This cross-sectional study examined the nutritional correlates of monetary diet cost among 3963 young (all 18 years old), 3800 middle-aged (mean age 48 years) and 2211 older (mean age 74 years) Japanese women. Dietary intakes were assessed using a comprehensive self-administered diet history questionnaire for young and middle-aged women and a brief self-administered diet history questionnaire for older women. Monetary diet cost was estimated using retail food prices. Total vegetables, fish and shellfish, green and black tea, white rice, meat, fruit and alcoholic beverages contributed most (79–89 %) to inter-individual variation in monetary diet cost. Multiple regression analyses showed that monetary diet cost was negatively associated with carbohydrate intake, but positively with intakes of all other nutrients examined (including not only dietary fibre and key vitamins and minerals but also saturated fat and Na) in all generations. For food group intakes, irrespective of age, monetary diet cost was associated inversely with white rice and bread but positively with pulses, potatoes, fruit, total vegetables, fruit and vegetable juice, green and black tea, fish and shellfish, and meat. In conclusion, in all three generations of Japanese women and contrary to Western populations, monetary diet cost was positively associated with not only healthy dietary components (including fruits, vegetables, fish and shellfish, dietary fibre, and key vitamins and minerals), but also less healthy components (including saturated fat and Na).
Sexual shape dimorphism and selection pressure on males in fossil ostracodes
Authors: Yamaguchi Tatsuhiko , Honda Rie , Matsui Hiroki , Nishi Hiroshi
Published: May 2017

Sexual dimorphism is thought to have evolved via selection on both sexes. Ostracodes display sexual shape dimorphism in adult valves; however, no previous studies have addressed temporal changes on evolutionary timescales or examined the relationships between sexual shape dimorphism and selection pressure and between sexual shape dimorphism and juvenile shape. Temporal changes in sexually dimorphic traits result from responses of these traits to selection pressure. Using the Gaussian mixture model for the height/length ratio, a valve-shape parameter, we identified sexual differences in the valve shape ofKrithe dolichodeiras.l. from deep-sea sediments of the Paleocene (62.6–57.6 Ma) and estimated the proportion of females in the fossil populations at 11 time intervals. Because the proportion of females in a population is altered by the mortality rate of adult males, it is reflective of selection pressure on males. We attempted to correlate the height/length ratios between the sexes with the proportion of females, taking into consideration that the valve shape was not linked with the selection pressure on males. In time-series data of the height/length ratio, both sexes indicate no significant changes on evolutionary timescales, even though the sex ratio of the population changed from female skewed to male skewed during the late Paleocene. The sexual shape dimorphism was not driven by sexual selection. The static allometry between the height/length ratio and length indicates that the sexual shape dimorphism did not function for sexual display. The absence of change over time in the female allometric slope suggests that the evolution of valve shape was constrained by stasis.
Geo-Nested Analysis: Mixed-Methods Research with Spatially Dependent Data
Authors: Harbers Imke , Ingram Matthew C.
Published: May 2017

Mixed-methods designs, especially those where cases selected for small-N analysis (SNA) are nested within a large-N analysis (LNA), have become increasingly popular. Yet, since the LNA in this approach assumes that units are independently distributed, such designs are unable to account for spatial dependence, and dependence becomes a threat to inference, rather than an issue for empirical or theoretical investigation. This is unfortunate, since research in political science has recently drawn attention to diffusion and interconnectedness more broadly. In this paper we develop a framework for mixed-methods research with spatially dependent data—a framework we label “geo-nested analysis”—where insights gleaned at each step of the research process set the agenda for the next phase and where case selection for SNA is based on diagnostics of a spatial-econometric analysis. We illustrate our framework using data from a seminal study of homicides in the United States.
Polymannuronic acid ameliorated obesity and inflammation associated with a high-fat and high-sucrose diet by modulating the gut microbiome in a murine model
Authors: Liu Fang , Wang Xiong , Shi Hongjie , Wang Yuming , Xue Changhu , Tang Qing-Juan
Published: May 2017

Polymannuronic acid (PM), one of numerous alginates isolated from brown seaweeds, is known to possess antioxidant activities. In this study, we examined its potential role in reducing body weight gain and attenuating inflammation induced by a high-fat and high-sucrose diet (HFD) as well as its effect on modulating the gut microbiome in mice. A 30-d PM treatment significantly reduced the diet-induced body weight gain and blood TAG levels (P<0·05) and improved glucose tolerance in male C57BL/6J mice. PM decreased lipopolysaccharides in blood and ameliorated local inflammation in the colon and the epididymal adipose tissue. Compared with low-fat and low-sucrose diet (LFD), HFD significantly reduced the mean number of species-level operational taxonomic units (OTU) per sample as well as species richness (P<0·05) but did not appear to affect other microbial diversity indices. Moreover, compared with LFD, HFD altered the abundance of approximately 23 % of the OTU detected (log10 linear discriminant analysis (LDA) score>2·0). PM also had a profound impact on the microbial composition in the gut microbiome and resulted in a distinct microbiome structure. For example, PM significantly increased the abundance of a probiotic bacterium, Lactobacillus reuteri (log10 LDA score>2·0). Together, our results suggest that PM may exert its immunoregulatory effects by enhancing proliferation of several species with probiotic activities while repressing the abundance of the microbial taxa that harbor potential pathogens. Our findings should facilitate mechanistic studies on PM as a potential bioactive compound to alleviate obesity and the metabolic syndrome.
Organic zinc absorption by the intestine of broilersin vivo
Authors: Yu Yu , Lu Lin , Li Su-Fen , Zhang Li-Yang , Luo Xu-Gang
Published: May 2017

In Expt 1, a Zn-unsupplemented basal diet (control) and the basal diet supplemented with one of four different Zn sources, including ZnSO4, Zn-amino acid chelate with a weak chelation strength (Zn-AA W), Zn-protein chelate with a moderate chelation strength (Zn-Pro M) and Zn-protein chelate with a strong chelation strength (Zn-Pro S) were fed to broiler chickens from days 14 to 28. On day 28, Zn content in plasma from the hepatic portal vein increased (P<0·05) in the following order: control<ZnSO4<Zn-AA W<Zn-Pro M<Zn-Pro S. Meanwhile, metallothionein (MT) mRNA levels in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum were enhanced (P<0·05) by Zn addition regardless of Zn source. However, no differences among different Zn sources were observed. In Expt 2, ligated duodenal loops from Zn-deficient broilers (28-d old) were perfused with solutions containing 0–2·464 mmol Zn/l from the above-mentioned four Zn sources for up to 30 min. The uptake kinetics of Zn followed a saturable carrier-mediated process. The maximum absorption velocity values were in the following order: control<ZnSO4<Zn-AA W<Zn-Pro M<Zn-Pro S. Moreover, MT mRNA levels for Zn-Pro S (P<0·03), Zn-Pro M (P>0·05) and Zn-AA W(P<0·04) were higher than those for ZnSO4. These findings indicate that organic Zn absorption (especially Zn-Pro S) in intact living broilers was more effective than that of inorganic Zn; organic Zn absorption in the ligated duodenal segment was a saturable carrier-mediated process similar to that of ZnSO4. Moreover, except for MT, there might be other Zn transporters involved in Zn absorption that are affected by different Zn sources.
Breather structures in degenerate relativistic non-extensive plasma
Authors: Shahmansouri M. , Alinejad H. , Tribeche M.
Published: May 2017

We examine the excitation of breather structures in a degenerate relativistic plasma consisting of non-extensive electrons and cold ions. For this purpose, the multiple time scale perturbation technique is used to obtain a nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE). We then consider different localized solutions regarding analytical breather solutions of the NLSE, and examine their properties in the frame of the present plasma system, i.e. a degenerate relativistic non-extensive plasma. The results of the present investigation may be useful for the understanding of the basic features of the nonlinear excitations that may occur in dense astrophysical plasmas.
Application of nonlinear models to estimate the gain of one-dimensional free-electron lasers
Authors: Peter E. , Rizzato F. B. , Endler A.
Published: May 2017

In the present work, we make use of simplified nonlinear models based on the compressibility factor (Peter et al., Phys. Plasmas, vol. 20 (12), 2013, 123104) to predict the gain of one-dimensional (1-D) free-electron lasers (FELs), considering space-charge and thermal effects. These models proved to be reasonable to estimate some aspects of 1-D FEL theory, such as the position $z$ of the onset of mixing, in the case of a initially cold electron beam, and the position $z$ of the breakdown of the laminar regime, in the case of an initially warm beam (Peter et al., Phys. Plasmas, vol. 21 (11), 2014, 113104). The results given by the models are compared to wave–particle simulations showing a reasonable agreement.
Contribution of seed banks across Europe towards the 2020 Global Strategy for Plant Conservation targets, assessed through the ENSCONET database
Authors: Rivière S. , Müller J. V.
Published: May 2017

To meet the international biodiversity targets of the 2011–2020 Global Strategy for Plant Conservation, it is important to assess the success of coordinated ex situ plant conservation initiatives such as the European Native Seed Conservation Network (ENSCONET), which operated during 2005–2009, and the ENSCONET Consortium, which was established in 2010. In particular, analysis of the ENSCONET database (ENSCOBASE) indicates that ex situ seed banks have been making significant progress towards meeting targets 8 (at least 75% of threatened plant species in ex situ collections, preferably in the country of origin, and at least 20% available for recovery and restoration programmes) and 9 (70% of the genetic diversity of crops, including their wild relatives and other socio-economically valuable plant species, conserved, while respecting, preserving and maintaining associated indigenous and local knowledge) for native European species. However, the infraspecific diversity of threatened species stored in ENSCONET seed banks needs to be increased to meet research and conservation objectives.
THE RANDOM NEURAL NETWORK FOR COGNITIVE TRAFFIC ROUTING AND TASK ALLOCATION IN NETWORKS AND THE CLOUD
Authors: Wang Lan
Published: May 2017

G-Network queueing network models, and in particular the random neural network (RNN), are useful tools for decision making in complex systems, due to their ability to learn from measurements in real time, and in turn provide real-time decisions regarding resource and task allocation. In particular, the RNN has led to the design of the cognitive packet network (CPN) decision tool for the routing of packets in the Internet, and for task allocation in the Cloud. Thus in this paper, we present recent research on how to dynamically create the means for quality of service (QoS) to end users of the Internet and in the Cloud. The approach is based on adapting the decisions so as to benefit users as the conditions in the Internet and in Cloud servers vary due to changing traffic and workload. We present an overview of the algorithms that were designed based on the RNN, and also detail the experimental results that were obtained in three areas: (i) traffic routing for real-time applications, which have strict QoS constraints; (ii) routing approaches, which operate at the overlay level without affecting the Internet infrastructure; and (iii) the routing of tasks across servers in the Cloud through the Internet.