bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Depth-integrated equations for entraining granular flows in narrow channels
Authors: Capart H. , Hung C.-Y. , Stark C. P.
Published: January 2015

Flowing over erodible beds, channelized granular avalanches can alter their volume by entraining or detraining basal grains. In detail, entrainment results from a gradual adjustment of stress and velocity profiles over depth, bringing bed material past yield (and vice versa for detrainment). To capture this process, we propose new depth-integrated equations that balance kinetic energy in addition to mass and momentum. The equations require a local granular rheology, assumed viscoplastic, but no extra erosion law. Entrainment rates are instead deduced from the depth-integrated layer dynamics. To check the approach, we obtain solutions for non-equilibrium heap flows, and compare them with experiments conducted in a seesaw channel.
Global linear instability of the rotating-disk flow investigated through simulations
Authors: Appelquist E. , Schlatter P. , Alfredsson P. H. , Lingwood R. J.
Published: January 2015

Numerical simulations of the flow developing on the surface of a rotating disk are presented based on the linearized incompressible Navier–Stokes equations. The boundary-layer flow is perturbed by an impulsive disturbance within a linear global framework, and the effect of downstream turbulence is modelled by a damping region further downstream. In addition to the outward-travelling modes, inward-travelling disturbances excited at the radial end of the simulated linear region, $r_{end}$, by the modelled turbulence are included within the simulations, potentially allowing absolute instability to develop. During early times the flow shows traditional convective behaviour, with the total energy slowly decaying in time. However, after the disturbances have reached $r_{end}$, the energy evolution reaches a turning point and, if the location of $r_{end}$ is at a Reynolds number larger than approximately $R=594$ (radius non-dimensionalized by $\sqrt{{\it\nu}/{\rm\Omega}^{\ast }}$, where ${\it\nu}$ is the kinematic viscosity and ${\rm\Omega}^{\ast }$ is the rotation rate of the disk), there will be global temporal growth. The global frequency and mode shape are clearly imposed by the conditions at $r_{end}$. Our results suggest that the linearized Ginzburg–Landau model by Healey (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 663, 2010, pp. 148–159) captures the (linear) physics of the developing rotating-disk flow, showing that there is linear global instability provided the Reynolds number of $r_{end}$ is sufficiently larger than the critical Reynolds number for the onset of absolute instability.
Bubble dynamics in a viscoelastic medium with nonlinear elasticity
Authors: Gaudron R. , Warnez M. T. , Johnsen E.
Published: January 2015

In a variety of recently developed medical procedures, bubbles are formed directly in soft tissue and may cause damage. While cavitation in Newtonian liquids has received significant attention, bubble dynamics in tissue, a viscoelastic medium, remains poorly understood. To model tissue, most previous studies have focused on Maxwell-based viscoelastic fluids. However, soft tissue generally possesses an original configuration to which it relaxes after deformation. Thus, a Kelvin–Voigt-based viscoelastic model is expected to be a more appropriate representation. Furthermore, large oscillations may occur, thus violating the infinitesimal strain assumption and requiring a nonlinear/finite-strain elasticity description. In this article, we develop a theoretical framework to simulate spherical bubble dynamics in a viscoelastic medium with nonlinear elasticity. Following modern continuum mechanics formalism, we derive the form of the elastic forces acting on a bubble for common strain-energy functions (e.g. neo-Hookean, Mooney–Rivlin) and incorporate them into Rayleigh–Plesset-like equations. The main effects of nonlinear elasticity are to reduce the violence of the collapse and rebound for large departures from the equilibrium radius, and increase the oscillation frequency. The present approach can readily be extended to other strain-energy functions and used to compute the stress/deformation fields in the surrounding medium.
Prevalence of hyperhomocysteinaemia and some of its major determinants in Shaanxi Province, China: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Liu Xue-Dong , Gao Bin , Sun Dong , Shi Ming , Ma Yue-Yun , Liu Zhi-Rong , Wang Bo , Xu Xiping , Xu Xin , Ji Qiu-He , Zhao Gang
Published: January 2015

The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of hyperhomocysteinaemia (HHCY; total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) concentration >15 μmol/l) and its major determinants in healthy Chinese northerners. A descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted in Shaanxi Province, China. The study sample included 2645 participants (1042 men and 1603 women) aged >20 years. Demographic characteristics and lifestyle factors were assessed via questionnaire interviews and physical examination. Plasma levels of homocysteine and folate and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene polymorphism were determined according to standard methods. The prevalence of HHCY was 67·7 % (81·4 % in men and 58·8 % in women). The geometric mean of tHcy concentration was 19·1 μmol/l. The OR of HHCY were 0·44 (95 % CI 0·34, 0·57) for womenv.men; 1·95 (95 % CI 1·41, 2·70), 1·41 (95 % CI 1·05, 1·88) and 0·76 (95 % CI 0·64, 0·89) for participants with smoking and alcohol drinking cessation and improved physical activity levels, respectively; 0·25 (95 % CI 0·17, 0·38), 0·33 (95 % CI 0·22, 0·49) and 0·56 (95 % CI 0·36, 0·88) for participants with an education level of elementary school, secondary school and universityv.illiterate, respectively; 1·41 (95 % CI 1·13, 1·75) and 3·05 (95 % CI 2·35, 3·97) for participants with CT and TTv.CC genotype at MTHFR 677C → T polymorphism, respectively. These results demonstrate that the prevalence of HHCY is considerably high in Chinese northerners, especially in TT subjects, suggesting that implementation of tHcy-lowering strategies, such as lifestyle changes, is necessary.
WERE THERE POLITICAL ALTERNATIVES IN THE WAKE OF THE SHARPEVILLE-LANGA VIOLENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA, 1960?
Authors: DUBOW SAUL
Published: January 2015

In many accounts, the Sharpeville emergency of 1960 was a key ‘turning point’ for modern South African history. It persuaded the liberation movements that there was no point in civil rights-style activism and served as the catalyst for the formation of the African National Congress's armed wing,Umkhonto we Sizwe. From the South African government's perspective, the events at Sharpeville made it imperative to crush black resistance so that whites could defend themselves against communist-inspired revolutionary agitation. African and Afrikaner nationalist accounts are thus mutually invested in the idea that, after Sharpeville, there was no alternative. This article challenges such assumptions. By bringing together new research on African and Afrikaner nationalism during this period, and placing them in the same frame of analysis, it draws attention to important political dynamics and possibilities that have for too long been overlooked.
WAR, RACISM, AND THE TAKING OF HEADS: REVISITING MILITARY CONFLICT IN THE CAPE COLONY AND WESTERN XHOSALAND IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
Authors: WEBB DENVER A.
Published: January 2015

The emergence of scientific racism and the taking of heads and skulls in the nineteenth-century colonial wars in Southern Africa have received limited attention from historians. Closer examination of head-taking in colonial wars fought in the western parts of Xhosaland and the Cape Colony suggests that the rise of scientific racism alone does not explain the complex interplay between military discourse on Africans, atrocities committed, and commonplace racial attitudes. A detailed examination of the incidents of head-taking in the colonial conflicts against the Xhosa indicates the practice evolved over time, had several causes, and became an increasingly common part of the construction and re-enforcement of a racial identity and culture of domination by British and colonial soldiers. It also suggests that for the Xhosa, the taking of heads was a behaviour acquired from the British.
Microwave discharge initiated by double laser spark in a supersonic airflow
Authors: Khoronzhuk R. S. , Karpenko A. G. , Lashkov V. A. , Potapeko D. P. , Mashek I. Ch.
Published: January 2015

In this paper, we report the results of an experimental study of microwave (MW) discharge in the supersonic flow initiated by the laser spark and numerical simulation of multiple laser spark shockwave structures in airflow. The MW discharge initiation has been produced by single and double laser sparks. By using different spatial and temporal configuration of laser sparks in supersonic flow, we demonstrate the feasibility of an MW breakdown threshold decrease and control over shape and location of MW plasma. Calculation of laser spark shock wave structures shows good agreement with experimental shadow photographs both in the front shock wave diameter and its internal structure.
A multi-configuration kinematic model for active drive/steer four-wheel robot structures
Authors: Martínez-García Edgar A. , Lerín-García Erik , Torres-Córdoba Rafael
Published: January 2015

In this study, a general kinematic control law for automatic multi-configuration of four-wheel active drive/steer robots is proposed. This work presents models of four-wheel drive and steer (4WD4S) robotic systems with all-wheel active drive and steer simultaneously. This kinematic model comprises 12 degrees of freedom (DOFs) in a special design of a mechanical structure for each wheel. The control variables are wheel yaw, wheel roll, and suspension pitch by active/passive damper systems. The pitch angle implies that a wheel's contact point translates its position over time collinear with the robot's lateral sides. The formulation proposed involves the inference of the virtual z-turn axis (robot's body rotation axis) to be used in the control of the robot's posture by at least two acceleration measurements local to the robot's body. The z-turn axis is deduced through a set of linear equations in which the number of equations is equal to the number of acceleration measurements. This research provides two main models for stability conditions. Finally, the results are sustained by different numerical simulations that validate the system with different locomotion configurations.
‘The Power of Attraction’: the Staging of Wilde and his Contemporaries at the St James's Theatre, 1892–1895
Authors: Sutherland Lucie
Published: January 2015

The actor-manager system remained pivotal to West End production throughout the later nineteenth century. Focusing on one actor-manager, George Alexander, and using records of his expenditure on productions during the early 1890s, Lucie Sutherland demonstrates how financial data can be used to examine evolving relationships between industry leaders and dramatic authors in this era. She argues that this kind of evidence demonstrates not only the fiscal dimension to such relationships – level of investment per production, percentage of royalties paid – but also that the data may be analyzed to ascertain the responsiveness of an actor-manager to income generated. Here, significant attention is paid to box-office revenue and expenditure for the first productions of Lady Windermere's Fan and The Importance of Being Earnest, exploring the income Alexander achieved by staging Wilde's drama prior to the arrest and trials of 1895. The use of quantitative data allows for close scrutiny of the work undertaken by prominent figures in the professional theatre; familiar narratives can be contested and endorsed through engagement with this type of material. Lucie Sutherland is a Teaching Associate in Drama and Performance at the University of Nottingham. She has written on aspects of nineteenth- and twentieth-century British theatre, including regional performance cultures and the impact of increasing professional regulation (for example the emergence of an actors' union) upon commercial theatre. She is currently completing a critical biography of Alexander.
Shadow of a Man: a Chicana/Latina Drama as Embodied Feminist Practice
Authors: Jacobs Elizabeth
Published: January 2015

One of the most important influences on the development of Cherríe Moraga's feminist theatre was undoubtedly the work of Maria Irene Fornes, the Cuban American playwright and director. Moraga wrote the first drafts of her second play Shadow of a Man while on Fornes's residency programme at the INTAR Hispanic Playwrights-in-Residence Laboratory in New York, and later Fornes directed the premiere at the Brava-Eureka Theatre in San Francisco (1990). The play radically restages the Chicana body through an exploration of the sexual and gendered politics of the family. Much has been written on how the family has traditionally been the stronghold of Chicana/o culture, but Shadow of a Man stages one of its most powerful criticisms, revealing how the complex kinship structures often mask male violence and sexual abuse. Using archival material and a range of critical studies, in this article Elizabeth Jacobs explores Moraga's theatre as an embodied feminist practice and as a means to displace the entrenched ideology of the family. An earlier version of this article was presented at the Department of English and Creative Writing, Aberystwyth University, as part of the 2014 International Women's Day events. Elizabeth Jacobs is the author of Mexican American Literature: the Politics of Identity (Routledge, 2006). Her articles have appeared in Comparative American Studies (2012), Journal of Adaptation and Film Studies (2009), Theatres of Thought: Theatre, Performance, and Philosophy (2008), and New Theatre Quarterly (2007). She works at Aberystwyth University.
Widening Participation in Theatre through ‘Relaxed Performances’
Authors: Kempe Andrew J.
Published: January 2015

In this article Andy Kempe discusses how a nationwide project has marked a significant step forward in improving access to the theatre for UK audiences who have hitherto felt largely excluded from theatre by mounting a number of ‘relaxed performances’. He makes particular reference to autistic spectrum disorders to illustrate how, in order to widen participation, theatres need to cater for a diverse range of individual needs. The article explores the challenges of catering for children and young people who may be, variously, under- or over-sensitive to sensory stimuli, in both the way performances are adapted and how the front-of-house is organized. A case study is offered of how one small regional theatre sought to address these challenges by giving a ‘relaxed performance’ of its annual pantomime. The impact of the production is considered as well as insights that have emerged from the enterprise. Andy Kempe is Professor of Drama Education and a Teaching Fellow of the University of Reading. His work with students of all ages and abilities has informed his numerous publications on a variety of issues in drama and arts education, including Drama, Disability, and Education (Routledge, 2012).
Habitat characteristics shaping ant species assemblages in a mixed deciduous forest in Eastern India
Authors: Parui Arpan Kumar , Chatterjee Soumik , Basu Parthiba
Published: January 2015

Environmental complexity and spatial heterogeneity are important factors influencing the structure of ant species assemblages. This paper documents the effect of different vegetation and environmental factors on ant community structure and functional group composition in different habitat patches. Ants were sampled at 16 sites distributed across five habitat types in the Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary. Sampling was performed 10 times over a 2-y period using pitfall traps. A total of 100 species belonging to 41 genera were collected during the study. Ant species richness was best explained by a combination of percentage grass cover, percentage litter cover and number of saplings whereas percentage litter cover and soil nitrogen concentration significantly explained the variation in ant species abundance. Dominant Dolichoderinae were present only at forest edge and were found to be associated positively with percentage bare ground cover and negatively with percentage litter cover. Generalized Myrmicinae, subordinate Camponotini and tropical climate specialists were prevalent in shaded forest habitats whereas opportunists were more common in two types of open habitat. Our study underpins the influence of vegetational complexity, litter and soil chemical properties on the structure and composition of ant species assemblages and various functional groups across forested habitats in this little-studied region.
Representations of abstract grammatical feature agreement in young children
Authors: MELANÇON ANDRÉANE , SHI RUSHEN
Published: January 2015

A fundamental question in language acquisition research is whether young children have abstract grammatical representations. We tested this question experimentally. French-learning 30-month-olds were first taught novel word–object pairs in the context of a gender-marked determiner (e.g., unMASCravole ‘a ravole’). Test trials presented the objects side-by-side while one of them was named in new phrases containing other determiners and an adjective (e.g., leMASCjoli ravoleMASC ‘the pretty ravole’). The gender agreement between the new determiner and the non-adjacent noun was manipulated in different test trials (e.g., leMASC__ravoleMASC; *laFEM__ravoleMASC). We found that online comprehension of the named target was facilitated in gender-matched trials but impeded in gender-mismatched trials. That is, children assigned the determiner genders to the novel nouns during word learning. They then processed the non-adjacent gender agreement between the two categories (Det, Noun) during test. The results demonstrate abstract featural representation and grammatical productivity in young children.
Free and projective Banach lattices
Authors: de Pagter Ben , Wickstead Anthony W.
Published: January 2015

We define and prove the existence of free Banach lattices in the category of Banach lattices and contractive lattice homomorphisms, and establish some of their fundamental properties. We give much more detailed results about their structure in the case when there are only a finite number of generators, and give several Banach lattice characterizations of the number of generators being, respectively, one, finite or countable. We define a Banach lattice P to be projective if, whenever X is a Banach lattice, J is a closed ideal in X, Q : X → X/J is the quotient map, T : P → X/J is a linear lattice homomorphism and ε > 0, there exists a linear lattice homomorphism : P → X such that T = Q º and ∥∥ ≤ (1 + ε)∥T∥. We establish the connection between projective Banach lattices and free Banach lattices, describe several families of Banach lattices that are projective and prove that some are not.
Optimal lower bounds for eigenvalues of linear and nonlinear Neumann problems
Authors: Brandolini Barbara , Chiacchio Francesco , Trombetti Cristina
Published: January 2015

In this paper we prove a sharp lower bound for the first non-trivial Neumann eigenvalue μ1(Ω) for the p-Laplace operator (p > 1) in a Lipschitz bounded domain Ω in ℝn. Our estimate does not require any convexity assumption on Ω and it involves the best isoperimetric constant relative to Ω. In a suitable class of convex planar domains, our bound turns out to be better than the one provided by the Payne—Weinberger inequality.
Ground states for the pseudo-relativistic Hartree equation with external potential
Authors: Cingolani Silvia , Secchi Simone
Published: January 2015

We prove the existence of positive ground state solutions to the pseudo-relativistic Schrödinger equation

where N ≥ 3, m > 0, V is a bounded external scalar potential and W is a radially symmetric convolution potential satisfying suitable assumptions. We also provide some asymptotic decay estimates of the found solutions.
Boundary concentrating solutions for a Hénon-like equation
Authors: Peng Shuangjie , Pi Huirong
Published: January 2015

This paper is concerned with the existence and qualitative property of solutions for a Hénon-like equation

where Ω = {x ∈ ℝN : 1 < |x| < 3} with N ≥ 4, 2* = 2N/(N − 2), τ > 0 and ε > 0 is a small parameter. For any given k ∈ ℤ+, we construct positive solutions concentrating simultaneously at 2k different points for ε sufficiently small, among which k points are near the interior boundary {x ∈ ℝN : |x| = 1} and the other k points are near the outward boundary {x ∈ ℝN : |x| = 3}. Moreover, the 2k points tend to the boundary of Ω as ε goes to 0.
A variational approach to multiplicity results for boundary-value problems on the real line
Authors: Bonanno Gabriele , Barletta Giuseppina , O’Regan Donal
Published: January 2015

We study the existence and multiplicity of solutions for a parametric equation driven by the p-Laplacian operator on unbounded intervals. Precisely, by using a recent local minimum theorem we prove the existence of a non-trivial non-negative solution to an equation on the real line, without assuming any asymptotic condition either at 0 or at ∞ on the nonlinear term. As a special case, we note the existence of a non-trivial solution for the problem when the nonlinear term is sublinear at 0. Moreover, under a suitable superlinear growth at ∞ on the nonlinearity we prove a multiplicity result for such a problem.
Cryptosporidium parvuminfections in a cohort of veterinary students in Sweden
Authors: KINROSS P. , BESER J. , TROELL K. , SILVERLÅS C. , BJÖRKMAN C. , LEBBAD M. , WINIECKA-KRUSNELL J. , LINDH J. , LÖFDAHL M.
Published: January 2015

In March 2013, a veterinary student tested positive forCryptosporidium; four classmates reported similar gastrointestinal symptoms. We aimed to identify source(s) and risk factors forCryptosporidiuminfection in university persons symptomatic between 21 January and 14 April 2013. Sixty-four (79%) students from a cohort of 81 fourth-year veterinary students completed questionnaires, identifying 13 cases; four wereCryptosporidium parvumGP60 subtype IIaA16G1R1b, two were IIdA24G1, seven did not submit stool samples. Thirteen cases attended the university's field clinic before symptom onset (13/37 attendees, 35%); 11 visited at least one of four farms where students recalled seeing calves with diarrhoea.C. parvumsubtype IIaA16G1R1b was identified in calves at one of the farms. Entering pens of calves with diarrhoea [relative risk (RR) 7·6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·7–33·5] and eating in clinic cars (RR 9·1, 95% CI 1·3–65·8) were associated with being a case. Washing hands at least twice per farm visit (0 cases,P= 0·03) was protective. This outbreak investigation was notable for rapid and effective collaboration between public health, veterinary and environmental sectors, leading to swift identification of a microbiological and epidemiological link between cases, infected calves and their farms. We recommend frequent hand-washing using proper technique and dissuasion from eating in clinic cars to minimize possible exposure to contaminated surfaces.
Sets in homotopy type theory
Authors: RIJKE EGBERT , SPITTERS BAS
Published: January 2015

Homotopy type theory may be seen as an internal language for the ∞-category of weak ∞-groupoids. Moreover, weak ∞-groupoids model the univalence axiom. Voevodsky proposes this (language for) weak ∞-groupoids as a new foundation for Mathematics called the univalent foundations. It includes the sets as weak ∞-groupoids with contractible connected components, and thereby it includes (much of) the traditional set theoretical foundations as a special case. We thus wonder whether those ‘discrete’ groupoids do in fact form a (predicative) topos. More generally, homotopy type theory is conjectured to be the internal language of ‘elementary’ of ∞-toposes. We prove that sets in homotopy type theory form a ΠW-pretopos. This is similar to the fact that the 0-truncation of an ∞-topos is a topos. We show that both a subobject classifier and a 0-object classifier are available for the type theoretical universe of sets. However, both of these are large and moreover the 0-object classifier for sets is a function between 1-types (i.e. groupoids) rather than between sets. Assuming an impredicative propositional resizing rule we may render the subobject classifier small and then we actually obtain a topos of sets.
Crisis Leadership in an Acute Clinical Setting: Christchurch Hospital, New Zealand ICU Experience Following the February 2011 Earthquake
Authors: Zhuravsky Lev
Published: January 2015

Introduction

On Tuesday, February 22, 2011, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck Christchurch, New Zealand. This qualitative study explored the intensive care units (ICUs) staff experiences and adopted leadership approaches to manage a large-scale crisis resulting from the city-wide disaster.

Problem

To date, there have been a very small number of research publications to provide a comprehensive overview of crisis leadership from the perspective of multi-level interactions among staff members in the acute clinical environment during the process of the crisis management.

Methods

The research was qualitative in nature. Participants were recruited into the study through purposive sampling. A semi-structured, audio-taped, personal interview method was chosen as a single data collection method for this study. This study employed thematic analysis.

Results

Formal team leadership refers to the actions undertaken by a team leader to ensure the needs and goals of the team are met. Three core, formal, crisis-leadership themes were identified: decision making, ability to remain calm, and effective communication. Informal leaders are those individuals who exert significant influence over other members in the group to which they belong, although no formal authority has been assigned to them. Four core, informal, crisis-leadership themes were identified: motivation to lead, autonomy, emotional leadership, and crisis as opportunity.

Shared leadership is a dynamic process among individuals in groups for which the objective is to lead one another to the achievement of group or organizational goals. Two core, shared-leadership themes were identified: shared leadership within formal medical and nursing leadership groups, and shared leadership between formal and informal leaders in the ICU.

Conclusion

The capabilities of formal leaders all contributed to the overall management of a crisis. Informal leaders are a very cohesive group of motivated people who can make a substantial contribution and improve overall team performance in a crisis. While in many ways the research on shared leadership in a crisis is still in its early stages of development, there are some clear benefits from adopting this leadership approach in the management of complex crises. This study may be useful to the development of competency-based training programs for formal leaders, process improvements in fostering and supporting informal leaders, and it makes important contributions to a growing body of research of shared and collective leadership in crisis.

ZhuravskyL. Crisis leadership in an acute clinical setting: Christchurch Hospital, New Zealand ICU experience following the February 2011 earthquake. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2015;30(2):1-6.
Young adolescents’ engagement in dietary behaviour – the impact of gender, socio-economic status, self-efficacy and scientific literacy. Methodological aspects of constructing measures in nutrition literacy research using the Rasch model
Authors: Guttersrud Øystein , Petterson Kjell Sverre
Published: January 2015

Objective

The present study validates a revised scale measuring individuals’ level of the ‘engagement in dietary behaviour’ aspect of ‘critical nutrition literacy’ and describes how background factors affect this aspect of Norwegian tenth-grade students’ nutrition literacy.

Design

Data were gathered electronically during a field trial of a standardised sample test in science. Test items and questionnaire constructs were distributed evenly across four electronic field-test booklets. Data management and analysis were performed using the RUMM2030 item analysis package and the IBM SPSS Statistics 20 statistical software package.

Setting

Students responded on computers at school.

Subjects

Seven hundred and forty tenth-grade students at twenty-seven randomly sampled public schools were enrolled in the field-test study. The engagement in dietary behaviour scale and the self-efficacy in science scale were distributed to 178 of these students.

Results

The dietary behaviour scale and the self-efficacy in science scale came out as valid, reliable and well-targeted instruments usable for the construction of measurements.

Conclusions

Girls and students with high self-efficacy reported higher engagement in dietary behaviour than other students. Socio-economic status and scientific literacy – measured as ability in science by applying an achievement test – did not correlate significantly different from zero with students’ engagement in dietary behaviour.
Two WorldsandTwo Aspects: on Kant’s Distinction between Things in Themselves and Appearances
Authors: Oberst Michael
Published: January 2015

In the interpretation of Kant’s transcendental idealism, a textual stalemate between two camps has evolved: two-world interpretations regard things in themselves and appearances as two numerically distinct entities, whereas two-aspect interpretations take this distinction as one between two aspects of the same thing. I try to develop an account which can overcome this dispute. On the one hand, things in themselves are numerically distinct from appearances, but on the other hand, things in themselves can be regarded as they exist in themselves and as they appear. This reveals a mutual entailment of both accounts. Finally, I suggest that this approach most naturally leads to a kind of ‘phenomenalism’, but of a sort not normally attributed to Kant.
Pricing of a resettable guarantee of a salary-connected individual pension account
Authors: CHEN CHAO-LIANG
Published: January 2015

The present paper numerically prices a resettable guarantee of a salary-connected individual pension account (IPA). The results indicate that a principal guarantee without a reset feature is not worth much unless the volatility of assets in the IPA is huge, while the death benefit contributes a very small proportion to the guarantee value. Deferred proportional funding is an alternative to reducing problems from the difficulty in modeling salary behavior, because the required deferred proportional cost is impacted less by the salary behavior. Moreover, if the lapse from a guarantee is possible, then the guarantee is not necessarily more valuable for a younger individual.
Heritage Listing as a Tool for Advocacy: The Possibilities for Dissent, Contestation, and Emancipation in International Law Through International Cultural Heritage Law
Authors: LIXINSKI Lucas
Published: January 2015

This paper discusses the possible uses of heritage listing under UNESCO for the promotion of broader political and social agendas by minority groups. The paper uses as a case-study the “Buddhist Chanting of Ladakh: recitation of sacred Buddhist texts in the trans-Himalayan Ladakh region, Jammu and Kashmir, India”. This heritage showcases issues of Tibetan autonomy (both within India and more broadly), relationships between Tibetan and Muslim cultures, and regional autonomy and accommodation of cultural minorities in the Indian state. There are many uses of listing Ladakhi heritage, ranging from listing as a means for autonomy of the Ladakhi, to listing as an instrument of domination, or even geographical control. I argue that heritage listing is not as “apolitical” as normally thought of, and it can be used as a mechanism to both benefit or harm minority groups and the advocacy of their claims within or against the territorial state.
Körpererleben, Körperbild und UV-Exposition
Authors: Kalweit Christine , Bengel Jürgen
Published: January 2015

Das Bräunen der Haut ist trotz der mit ultravioletter (UV) Strahlung verbundenen gesundheitlichen Risiken weit verbreitet. Eine Verbesserung des Aussehens ist ein wichtiges Motiv hierfür. Diese systematische Übersichtsarbeit stellt den Forschungsstand zum Zusammenhang zwischen Aspekten des Körpererlebens und dem UV-Expositionsverhalten dar. Es wurden Studien identifiziert, die körperbezogene Kognitionen, Emotionen und die Körperwahrnehmung im Zusammenhang mit UV-Exposition untersuchen. Der Zusammenhang zwischen Einstellungen zu gebräunter Haut und dem UV-Expositionsverhalten wurde vielfach belegt. Im Gegensatz zu Menschen, die andere exzessive körperbezogene Verhaltensweisen zeigen, wie beispielsweise bei Ess- oder körperdysmorphen Störungen, sind Personen, die sich viel sonnen, nicht unzufrieden mit ihrem Körper. Jedoch messen auch diese Personen ihrem Aussehen viel Bedeutung zu. Aussehensbezogene Präventionsmaßnahmen setzen derzeit an der kognitiven Ebene an, indem Risiken wie Hautalterung aufgezeigt werden. Ergänzt werden sollten diese durch eine adäquate Fremdeinschätzung des natürlichen Hauttyps sowie des Ausmaßes der Pigmentierung durch UV-Strahlung, da der natürliche Hauttyp häufig zu dunkel eingeschätzt wird.
Work-SoC–Entwicklung und Validierung einer Skala zur Erfassung des arbeitsbezogenen Kohärenzgefühls
Authors: Bauer Georg F. , Vogt Katharina , Inauen Alice , Jenny Gregor J.
Published: January 2015

Das Kohärenzgefühl wurde ursprünglich als globale, unspezifische Lebensorientierung eingeführt, die zwischen Gesundheitsressourcen und Stressbewältigung vermittelt. Die drei Dimensionen Verstehbarkeit, Handhabbarkeit und Sinnhaftigkeit werden hier auf die Ebene der Arbeit und Organisation übertragen, um mit dem arbeitsbezogenen Kohärenzgefühl (Work-SoC) einen breit einsetzbaren Indikator gesundheitsrelevanter Arbeitsbedingungen zu bilden. Es wird eine 9-Item-Skala zur Erfassung des Work-SoC vorgestellt, die in acht Organisationen (n = 1084 Mitarbeitende) eingesetzt wurde. Die interne Konsistenz der Work-SoC-Gesamtskala lag bei α = .83. Die drei SoC-Dimensionen konnten abgebildet werden, wobei die Subskalen ein α = zwischen .72 und .84 aufwiesen. Es wurden die erwarteten quer- und längsschnittlichen Zusammenhänge mit spezifischen arbeitsbezogenen Belastungen und Ressourcen, sowie negativen und positiven Gesundheitsoutcomes gefunden. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass das Work-SoC ein nützlicher Indikator für die gesundheitsrelevante Arbeitsumgebung eines Individuums ist.
Prenatal Maternal Substance Use and Offspring Outcomes
Authors: Huizink Anja C.
Published: January 2015

Evidence from both human and preclinical studies seems to indicate that maternal smoking, alcohol drinking, or other drug use during pregnancy can affect offspring outcomes. It also suggests that maternal substance use during pregnancy is a major preventable cause of adverse infant outcomes. Nonetheless, more recent studies applying genetically sensitive designs cast some doubt on the causality of the relationship between prenatal maternal substance use and infant and child behavioral outcomes. In this review, recent findings in this field of research are provided, with attention to correlated risk factors of maternal substance use during pregnancy and preclinical studies focusing on plausible biological pathways. Next, evidence-based interventions targeting maternal substance use during pregnancy are discussed. Finally, possible interventions targeting the correlated risk factors and recommendations for clinical work are presented.
Long-Term Outcomes of Very Preterm Birth
Authors: Lemola Sakari
Published: January 2015

Very preterm birth has become more frequent during the past decades due to progress in reproductive medicine, more frequent indicated preterm births due to maternal illnesses, and increasing maternal age. Moreover, survival rates of very preterm children have increased due to improved neonatal management. However, very preterm-born children, adolescents, and young adults are at increased risk for poor cognitive function and socio-emotional problems, which is of growing public health concern. Very premature birth has been studied to unravel consequences of a nonoptimal environment during a developmental period which under normal circumstances would be the last trimester of fetal development. For very preterm children, this developmental period partly occurs outside the womb, which leads to major distress for the immature newborn. For the cerebral cortex, the last trimester of pregnancy is a particularly sensitive period during which cortical folding takes place and the volume increases 4fold. During this period, even minor insults may cascade into disturbances of brain development. The most frequent complication after very preterm birth is related to insufficient functioning of the lungs, which may lead to hypoxic-ischemic incidences and damage to nervous tissue. This review presents evidence for long-term sequels of very premature birth regarding neurocognitive, academic, socio-emotional, and mental health development. Then it discusses possible underlying mechanisms including alterations in brain development, programming of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and circadian rhythmicity, as well as affected parent-child interaction patterns in families with very preterm children. Finally, intervention approaches to improve outcomes after very preterm birth are discussed and directions for future research presented.
The Use of Prescription Drugs and Drugs of Abuse for Neuroenhancement in Europe
Authors: Maier Larissa J. , Schaub Michael P.
Published: January 2015

Abstract. Pharmacological neuroenhancement, defined as the misuse of prescription drugs, illicit drugs, or alcohol for the purpose of enhancing cognition, mood, or prosocial behavior, is not widespread in Europe – nevertheless, it does occur. Thus far, no drug has been proven as safe and effective for cognitive enhancement in otherwise healthy individuals. European studies have investigated the misuse of prescription and illicit stimulants to increase cognitive performance as well as the use of tranquilizers, alcohol, and cannabis to cope with stress related to work or education. Young people in educational settings report pharmacological neuroenhancement more frequently than those in other settings. Although the regular use of drugs for neuroenhancement is not common in Europe, the irregular and low-dose usage of neuroenhancers might cause adverse reactions. Previous studies have revealed that obtaining adequate amounts of sleep and using successful learning techniques effectively improve mental performance, whereas pharmacological neuroenhancement is associated with ambiguous effects. Therefore, non-substance-related alternatives should be promoted to cope with stressful situations. This paper reviews the recent research on pharmacological neuroenhancement in Europe, develops a clear definition of the substances used, and formulates recommendations for practitioners regarding how to react to requests for neuroenhancement drug prescriptions. We conclude that monitoring the future development of pharmacological neuroenhancement in Europe is important to provide effective preventive measures when required. Furthermore, substance use to cope with stress related to work or education should be studied in depth because it is likely more prevalent and dangerous than direct neuroenhancement.
The networks of human gut microbe–metabolite associations are different between health and irritable bowel syndrome
Authors: Shankar Vijay , Homer Daniel , Rigsbee Laura , Khamis Harry J , Michail Sonia , Raymer Michael , Reo Nicholas V , Paliy Oleg
Published: January 2015

The goal of this study was to determine if fecal metabolite and microbiota profiles can serve as biomarkers of human intestinal diseases, and to uncover possible gut microbe–metabolite associations. We employed proton nuclear magnetic resonance to measure fecal metabolites of healthy children and those diagnosed with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D). Metabolite levels were associated with fecal microbial abundances. Using several ordination techniques, healthy and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) samples could be distinguished based on the metabolite profiles of fecal samples, and such partitioning was congruent with the microbiota-based sample separation. Measurements of individual metabolites indicated that the intestinal environment in IBS-D was characterized by increased proteolysis, incomplete anaerobic fermentation and possible change in methane production. By correlating metabolite levels with abundances of microbial genera, a number of statistically significant metabolite–genus associations were detected in stools of healthy children. No such associations were evident for IBS children. This finding complemented the previously observed reduction in the number of microbe–microbe associations in the distal gut of the same cohort of IBS-D children.
A dynamic periplasmic electron transfer network enables respiratory flexibility beyond a thermodynamic regulatory regime
Authors: Sturm Gunnar , Richter Katrin , Doetsch Andreas , Heide Heinrich , Louro Ricardo O , Gescher Johannes
Published: January 2015

Microorganisms show an astonishing versatility in energy metabolism. They can use a variety of different catabolic electron acceptors, but they use them according to a thermodynamic hierarchy, which is determined by the redox potential of the available electron acceptors. This hierarchy is reflected by a regulatory machinery that leads to the production of respiratory chains in dependence of the availability of the corresponding electron acceptors. In this study, we showed that the γ-proteobacterium Shewanella oneidensis produces several functional electron transfer chains simultaneously. Furthermore, these chains are interconnected, most likely with the aid of c-type cytochromes. The cytochrome pool of a single S. oneidensis cell consists of ca. 700 000 hemes, which are reduced in the absence on an electron acceptor, but can be reoxidized in the presence of a variety of electron acceptors, irrespective of prior growth conditions. The small tetraheme cytochrome (STC) and the soluble heme and flavin containing fumarate reductase FccA have overlapping activity and appear to be important for this electron transfer network. Double deletion mutants showed either delayed growth or no growth with ferric iron, nitrate, dimethyl sulfoxide or fumarate as electron acceptor. We propose that an electron transfer machinery that is produced irrespective of a thermodynamic hierarchy not only enables the organism to quickly release catabolic electrons to a variety of environmental electron acceptors, but also offers a fitness benefit in redox-stratified environments.
Prospective errors determine motor learning
Authors: Takiyama Ken , Hirashima Masaya , Nozaki Daichi
Published: January 2015

Diverse features of motor learning have been reported by numerous studies, but no single theoretical framework concurrently accounts for these features. Here, we propose a model for motor learning to explain these features in a unified way by extending a motor primitive framework. The model assumes that the recruitment pattern of motor primitives is determined by the predicted movement error of an upcoming movement (prospective error). To validate this idea, we perform a behavioural experiment to examine the model’s novel prediction: after experiencing an environment in which the movement error is more easily predictable, subsequent motor learning should become faster. The experimental results support our prediction, suggesting that the prospective error might be encoded in the motor primitives. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this model has a strong explanatory power to reproduce a wide variety of motor-learning-related phenomena that have been separately explained by different computational models.
Endothelial destabilization by angiopoietin-2 via integrin β1 activation
Authors: Hakanpaa Laura , Sipila Tuomas , Leppanen Veli-Matti , Gautam Prson , Nurmi Harri , Jacquemet Guillaume , Eklund Lauri , Ivaska Johanna , Alitalo Kari , Saharinen Pipsa
Published: January 2015

Angiopoietins regulate vascular homeostasis via the endothelial Tie receptor tyrosine kinases. Angiopoietin-1 (Ang1) supports endothelial stabilization via Tie2 activation. Angiopoietin-2 (Ang2) functions as a context-dependent Tie2 agonist/antagonist promoting pathological angiogenesis, vascular permeability and inflammation. Elucidating Ang2-dependent mechanisms of vascular destablization is critical for rational design of angiopoietin antagonists that have demonstrated therapeutic efficacy in cancer trials. Here, we report that Ang2, but not Ang1, activates β1-integrin, leading to endothelial destablization. Autocrine Ang2 signalling upon Tie2 silencing, or in Ang2 transgenic mice, promotes β1-integrin-positive elongated matrix adhesions and actin stress fibres, regulating vascular endothelial-cadherin-containing cell–cell junctions. The Tie2-silenced monolayer integrity is rescued by β1-integrin, phosphoinositide-3 kinase or Rho kinase inhibition, and by re-expression of a membrane-bound Tie2 ectodomain. Furthermore, Tie2 silencing increases, whereas Ang2 blocking inhibits transendothelial tumour cell migration in vitro. These results establish Ang2-mediated β1-integrin activation as a promoter of endothelial destablization, explaining the controversial vascular functions of Ang1 and Ang2.
Augmented AMPK activity inhibits cell migration by phosphorylating the novel substrate Pdlim5
Authors: Yan Yi , Tsukamoto Osamu , Nakano Atsushi , Kato Hisakazu , Kioka Hidetaka , Ito Noriaki , Higo Shuichiro , Yamazaki Satoru , Shintani Yasunori , Matsuoka Ken , Liao Yulin , Asanuma Hiroshi , Asakura Masanori , Takafuji Kazuaki , Minamino Tetsuo , Asano Yoshihiro , Kitakaze Masafumi , Takashima Seiji
Published: January 2015

Augmented AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity inhibits cell migration, possibly contributing to the clinical benefits of chemical AMPK activators in preventing atherosclerosis, vascular remodelling and cancer metastasis. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here we identify PDZ and LIM domain 5 (Pdlim5) as a novel AMPK substrate and show that it plays a critical role in the inhibition of cell migration. AMPK directly phosphorylates Pdlim5 at Ser177. Exogenous expression of phosphomimetic S177D-Pdlim5 inhibits cell migration and attenuates lamellipodia formation. Consistent with this observation, S177D-Pdlim5 suppresses Rac1 activity at the cell periphery and displaces the Arp2/3 complex from the leading edge. Notably, S177D-Pdlim5, but not WT-Pdlim5, attenuates the association with Rac1-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factors at the cell periphery. Taken together, our findings indicate that phosphorylation of Pdlim5 on Ser177 by AMPK mediates inhibition of cell migration by suppressing the Rac1-Arp2/3 signalling pathway.