bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pioneers of Gentrification: Transformation in Global Neighborhoods in Urban America in the Late Twentieth Century
Authors: Hwang Jackelyn
Published: December 2015

Few studies have considered the role of immigration in the rise of gentrification in the late twentieth century. Analysis of U.S. Census and American Community Survey data over 24 years and field surveys of gentrification in low-income neighborhoods across 23 U.S. cities reveal that most gentrifying neighborhoods were “global” in the 1970s or became so over time. An early presence of Asians was positively associated with gentrification; and an early presence of Hispanics was positively associated with gentrification in neighborhoods with substantial shares of blacks and negatively associated with gentrification in cities with high Hispanic growth, where ethnic enclaves were more likely to form. Low-income, predominantly black neighborhoods and neighborhoods that became Asian and Hispanic destinations remained ungentrified despite the growth of gentrification during the late twentieth century. The findings suggest that the rise of immigration after 1965 brought pioneers to many low-income central-city neighborhoods, spurring gentrification in some neighborhoods and forming ethnic enclaves in others.
Endoscopic submucosal tunnel dissection for a large esophageal subepithelial leiomyoma to prevent postprocedural stenosis
Authors: Hsu Wen‐Hsin , Sun Meng‐Shun , Lo Hoi‐Wan , Tsai Ching‐Yang , Tsai Yu‐Jou
Published: December 2015

A 27‐year‐old man with a huge esophageal leiomyoma, 4.5 cm in size, at the distal esophagus suffered from postprandial belching and chest discomfort. Endoscopic submucosal tunnel dissection was implemented to resect his leiomyoma. His symptoms resolved after tumor resection without any sequelae, such as luminal stricture that often occurs after large‐size esophageal lesion resection. Endoscopic submucosal tunnel dissection has been reported to be a useful method for the resection of esophageal submucosal tumors; however, such large‐size tumors are rare.
Using quantile regression to create baseline norms for neuropsychological tests
Authors: Sherwood Ben , Zhou Andrew Xiao‐Hua , Weintraub Sandra , Wang Lan
Published: December 2015

Introduction

The Uniform Data Set (UDS) contains neuropsychological test scores and demographic information for participants at Alzheimer's disease centers across the United States funded by the National Institute on Aging. Mean regression analysis of neuropsychological tests has been proposed to detect cognitive decline, but the approach requires stringent assumptions.

Methods

We propose using quantile regression to directly model conditional percentiles of neuropsychological test scores. An online application allows users to easily implement the proposed method.

Results

Scores from 13 different neuropsychological tests were analyzed for 5413 cognitively normal participants in the UDS. Quantile and mean regression models were fit using age, gender, and years of education. Differences between the mean and quantile regression estimates were found on the individual measures.

Discussion

Quantile regression provides more robust estimates of baseline percentiles for cognitively normal adults. This can then serve as standards against which to detect individual cognitive decline.
Microscopic analysis of patients with chronic diarrhea without macroscopic disease
Authors: Silva Ary Santos , dos Reis Lima Doryane Maria
Published: December 2015

Background Colonoscopy is part of the current diagnostic armamentarium. However, in some patients with chronic diarrhea, a colonoscopy may show normal mucosa; in these cases, serial biopsies can provide important information for the diagnosis and treatment of patients.

Aim To analyze patients with chronic diarrhea having a macroscopically normal colonoscopy, by evaluating histological changes.

Methods 30 patients with chronic diarrhea and normal colonoscopy were prospectively evaluated and submitted to serial biopsies of the terminal ileum, ascending colon and rectum.

Results The sample of 30 patients showed a ratio of 18 men (60%) and 12 women (40%). On histological types, it was found that 13 patients (43.3%) had lymphoid hyperplasia, eosinophilic inflammation in 4 (13.3%), nonspecific inflammation in 4 (13.3%), regenerative changes in 3 (10%), lymphocytic colitis in 2 (6.6%) and changes consistent with Crohn's disease in 1 (3.3%).

Conclusions One can observe that even chronic diarrhea patients, without other associated factors, benefited from colonoscopy with biopsy, because it held the etiologic diagnosis in some cases as also excluded by histopathology. It was noticed that the frequency of patients with altered biopsy and less dragged diarrheal episodes (84.2%) was large, should consider their achievement.
Can Hypernorms Be Justified? Insights From A Discourse–Ethical Perspective
Authors: Scherer Andreas Georg
Published: December 2015

I explore the role of hypernorms in the Integrative Social Contracts Theory (ISCT) of Thomas Donaldson and Thomas W. Dunfee, who suggested that hypernorms are a necessary condition for the rejection of cultural relativism and justification of moral norms within and across social communities. Hypernorms are, thus, a significant part of a conception of international business ethics. I highlight philosophical problems that emerge in attempts to identify and justify hypernorms. These problems have not been sufficiently addressed in the ISCT; therefore, I will discuss the discourse–ethical contributions of contemporary German philosophers toward resolving the justification problem with regards to universal norms. Discourse ethics builds on the linguistic and the pragmatic turns in philosophy and develops procedural rules for the assessment of norms. I explore variants of discourse ethics with regards to their concept of justification and discuss the implications of discourse ethical procedures for the justification of norms and actions.
Traditions of Tolerance: The Long-Run Persistence of Regional Variation in Attitudes towards English Immigrants
Authors: Fielding David
Published: December 2015

This article builds on existing studies of the long-run persistence of geographical variation in tolerance towards other ethnicities. Using English data, the study tests whether the persistent characteristic is an attitude towards a specific ethnic group, or is an underlying cultural trait of which the attitude towards a specific group is just one expression. It finds evidence for the latter, identifying geographical variation in anti-immigrant sentiment in the twenty-first century that is correlated with patterns of immigrant settlement in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, despite the fact that modern immigrant groups are quite different from those in the Middle Ages.
California Fair Trade: Antitrust and the Politics of “Fairness” in U.S. Competition Policy
Authors: Phillips Sawyer Laura
Published: December 2015

In the decades before World War II, U.S. antitrust law was anything but settled. Considerable pressure for antitrust revision came from the states. A perhaps unlikely leader, Edna Gleason, organized California's retail pharmacists and coordinated trade networks to monitor and enforce Resale Price Maintenance (RPM) contracts, a system of price-fixing, then known as “fair trade.” Progressive jurists, including Louis Brandeis and institutional economist E. R. A. Seligman, supported RPM as a protection to independent proprietors. The breakdown of legal and economic consensus regarding what constituted “unfair competition” allowed businesspeople to act as intermediaries between heterodox economic thought and contested antitrust law, ultimately tailoring federal policy to accommodate state regulations.
English shop names in the retail landscape of Medellín, Colombia
Authors: Weyers Joseph R.
Published: December 2015

The city of Medellín, Colombia's second largest, impresses the visitor. What was once the most dangerous city in the world has gone through a metamorphosis since drug lord Pablo Escobar's death in 1993. Indeed, in 2013, Medellín was named the World's Most Innovative City by the Wall Street Journal and the Urban Land Institute (ULI). ‘Few cities have transformed the way that Medellín… has in the past 20 years' reads the ULI's explanation (Wall Street Journal, 2013, online). Medellín is now poised to move forward with its innovative infrastructure projects, and looks to position itself as a center of international business, technology, and education (Alexander, 2015). One of the ways in which this new international outlook manifests itself is in the ever-increasing use of English in various areas of public life, notably in advertising and in shop names. Accordingly, this study explores and describes the use of English in shop names in a cross section of commercial areas in Medellín. First, we consider the use of English shop names in four shopping malls that serve customers from a variety of socioeconomic strata. Note that our use of ‘shop’ refers not only to stores but also restaurants, bars, travel agencies, and any other commercial enterprise. Second, we look at four public commercial corridors (retail streets or demarcated zones) in metropolitan Medellín through a similar lens. From these two commercial venues, we find that English use is common in Medellín's retail landscape and that it increases as the socioeconomic status of the target consumers increases.
From margarine to butter: predictors of changing bread spread in an 11-year population follow-up
Authors: Prättälä Ritva , Levälahti Esko , Lallukka Tea , Männistö Satu , Paalanen Laura , Raulio Susanna , Roos Eva , Suominen Sakari , Mäki-Opas Tomi
Published: December 2015

Objective

Finland is known for a sharp decrease in the intake of saturated fat and cardiovascular mortality. Since 2000, however, the consumption of butter-containing spreads – an important source of saturated fats – has increased. We examined social and health-related predictors of the increase among Finnish men and women.

Design

An 11-year population follow-up.

Setting

A representative random sample of adult Finns, invited to a health survey in 2000.

Subjects

Altogether 5414 persons aged 30–64 years at baseline in 2000 were re-invited in 2011. Of men 1529 (59 %) and of women 1853 (66 %) answered the questions on bread spreads at both time points. Respondents reported the use of bread spreads by choosing one of the following alternatives: no fat, soft margarine, butter–vegetable oil mixture and butter, which were later categorized into margarine/no spread and butter/butter–vegetable oil mixture (= butter). The predictors included gender, age, marital status, education, employment status, place of residence, health behaviours, BMI and health. Multinomial regression models were fitted.

Results

Of the 2582 baseline margarine/no spread users, 24.6% shifted to butter. Only a few of the baseline sociodemographic or health-related determinants predicted the change. Finnish women were more likely to change to butter than men. Living with a spouse predicted the change among men.

Conclusions

The change from margarine to butter between 2000 and 2011 seemed not to be a matter of compliance with official nutrition recommendations. Further longitudinal studies on social, behavioural and motivational predictors of dietary changes are needed.
Reltrad Coding Problems and a New Repository
Authors: Stetzer Ed , Burge Ryan P.
Published: December 2015

While there have been many approaches to classifying religious traditions in the social sciences (see Hackett and Lindsay 2008), the most popular approach is the religious tradition classification scheme, which was most carefully systematized by Steensland et al. (2000). Their widely-embraced article argued that the most accurate typology of religiosity was to sort individuals into seven distinct groups: evangelical Protestant, mainline Protestant, black Protestant, Jewish, Catholic, other religious groups, and no religion. This approach has become popularly known as “reltrad” and its usage in academic writing is voluminous. A brief search of Google Scholar indicates that over 900 published articles and books utilized the reltrad framework. However, the implementation of this typology has never been fully and accurately operationalized.
Endothelial protein kinase MAP4K4 promotes vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis
Authors: Roth Flach Rachel J. , Skoura Athanasia , Matevossian Anouch , Danai Laura V. , Zheng Wei , Cortes Christian , Bhattacharya Samit K. , Aouadi Myriam , Hagan Nana , Yawe Joseph C. , Vangala Pranitha , Menendez Lorena Garcia , Cooper Marcus P. , Fitzgibbons Timothy P. , Buckbinder Leonard , Czech Michael P.
Published: December 2015

Signalling pathways that control endothelial cell (EC) permeability, leukocyte adhesion and inflammation are pivotal for atherosclerosis initiation and progression. Here we demonstrate that the Sterile-20-like mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase kinase 4 (MAP4K4), which has been implicated in inflammation, is abundantly expressed in ECs and in atherosclerotic plaques from mice and humans. On the basis of endothelial-specific MAP4K4 gene silencing and gene ablation experiments in Apoe−/− mice, we show that MAP4K4 in ECs markedly promotes Western diet-induced aortic macrophage accumulation and atherosclerotic plaque development. Treatment of Apoe−/− and Ldlr−/− mice with a selective small-molecule MAP4K4 inhibitor also markedly reduces atherosclerotic lesion area. MAP4K4 silencing in cultured ECs attenuates cell surface adhesion molecule expression while reducing nuclear localization and activity of NFκB, which is critical for promoting EC activation and atherosclerosis. Taken together, these results reveal that MAP4K4 is a key signalling node that promotes immune cell recruitment in atherosclerosis.
Co-dispersal of the blood fluke Schistosoma japonicum and Homo sapiens in the Neolithic Age
Authors: Yin Mingbo , Zheng Hong-Xiang , Su Jing , Feng Zheng , McManus Donald P. , Zhou Xiao-Nong , Jin Li , Hu Wei
Published: December 2015

The global spread of human infectious diseases is of considerable public health and biomedical interest. Little is known about the relationship between the distribution of ancient parasites and that of their human hosts. Schistosoma japonicum is one of the three major species of schistosome blood flukes causing the disease of schistosomiasis in humans. The parasite is prevalent in East and Southeast Asia, including the People’s Republic of China, the Philippines and Indonesia. We studied the co-expansion of S. japonicum and its human definitive host. Phylogenetic reconstruction based on complete mitochondrial genome sequences showed that S. japonicum radiated from the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River to the mountainous areas of China, Japan and Southeast Asia. In addition, the parasite experienced two population expansions during the Neolithic agriculture era, coinciding with human migration and population growth. The data indicate that the advent of rice planting likely played a key role in the spread of schistosomiasis in Asia. Moreover, the presence of different subspecies of Oncomelania hupensis intermediate host snails in different localities in Asia allowed S. japonicum to survive in new rice-planting areas and concurrently drove the intraspecies divergence of the parasite.
A Novel Recombinant Enterovirus Type EV-A89 with Low Epidemic Strength in Xinjiang, China
Authors: Fan Qin , Zhang Yong , Hu Lan , Sun Qiang , Cui Hui , Yan Dongmei , Sikandaner Huerxidan , Tang Haishu , Wang Dongyan , Zhu Zhen , Zhu Shuangli , Xu Wenbo
Published: December 2015

Enterovirus A89 (EV-A89) is a novel member of the EV-A species. To date, only one full-length genome sequence (the prototype strain) has been published. Here, we report the molecular identification and genomic characterization of a Chinese EV-A89 strain, KSYPH-TRMH22F/XJ/CHN/2011, isolated in 2011 from a contact of an acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) patient during AFP case surveillance in Xinjiang China. This was the first report of EV-A89 in China. The VP1 coding sequence of this strain demonstrated 93.2% nucleotide and 99.3% amino acid identity with the EV-A89 prototype strain. In the P2 and P3 regions, the Chinese EV-A89 strain demonstrated markedly higher identity than the prototype strains of EV-A76, EV-A90 and EV-A91, indicating that one or more recombination events between EV-A89 and these EV-A types might have occurred. Long-term evolution of these EV types originated from the same ancestor provides the spatial and temporal circumstances for recombination to occur. An antibody sero-prevalence survey against EV-A89 in two Xinjiang prefectures demonstrated low positive rates and low titres of EV-A89 neutralization antibody, suggesting limited range of transmission and exposure to the population. This study provides a solid foundation for further studies on the biological and pathogenic properties of EV-A89.
Shear-mediated contributions to the effective properties of soft acoustic metamaterials including negative index
Authors: Forrester Derek Michael , Pinfield Valerie J.
Published: December 2015

Here we show that, for sub-wavelength particles in a fluid, viscous losses due to shear waves and their influence on neighbouring particles significantly modify the effective acoustic properties and thereby the conditions at which negative acoustic refraction occurs. Building upon earlier single particle scattering work, we adopt a multiple scattering approach to derive the effective properties (density, bulk modulus, wavenumber). We show,through theoretical prediction, the implications for the design of “soft” (ultrasonic) metamaterials based on locally-resonant sub-wavelength porous rubber particles, through selection of particle size and concentration and demonstrate tunability of the negative speed zones by modifying the viscosity of the suspending medium. For these lossy materials with complex effective properties, we confirm the use of phase angles to define the backward propagation condition in preference to “single-” and “double-negative” designations.
Lignocellulose-based analytical devices: bamboo as an analytical platform for chemical detection
Authors: Kuan Chen-Meng , York Roger L. , Cheng Chao-Min
Published: December 2015

This article describes the development of lignocellulose-based analytical devices (LADs) for rapid bioanalysis in low-resource settings. LADs are constructed using either a single lignocellulose or a hybrid design consisting of multiple types of lignocellulose. LADs are simple, low-cost, easy to use, provide rapid response and do not require external instrumentation during operation. Here, we demonstrate the implementation of LADs for food and water safety (i.e., nitrite assay in hot-pot soup, bacterial detection in water and resazurin assay in milk) and urinalysis (i.e., nitrite, urobilinogen and pH assays in human urine). Notably, we created a unique approach using simple chemicals to achieve sensitivity similar to that of commercially available immunochromatographic strips that is low-cost and provides on-site, rapid detection, for instance, of Eschericia coli (E. coli) in water.
The temporal topography of the N-Methyl- N-nitrosourea induced photoreceptor degeneration in mouse retina
Authors: Tao Ye , Chen Tao , Fang Wei , Peng Guanghua , Wang liqiang , Qin Limin , Liu Bei , Fei Huang Yi
Published: December 2015

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a group of inherited neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the progressive photoreceptors apoptosis. The N-Methyl- N-nitrosourea (MNU) is an alkylating toxicant which could induce photoreceptor apoptosis resembling that of the hereditary RP. However, the detailed process pattern of this degeneration remains poorly characterized. We systemically explored the topography of the photoreceptor degeneration in the MNU treated mouse and related these spatial data with the time-dependent characteristics of retinal pathology. These temporal topographic data delineated sequential scenes of the progressive photoreceptor degeneration in the MNU treated retinas: focal photoreceptors showed different vulnerabilities to the MNU toxicity and displayed a distinctive spatial- and time-dependent progression. Moreover, the positional asymmetry between the retinal quadrants firstly provided instructive information about the unique toxicology properties of the MNU. Further mechanism study suggested that the up-regulation of Bax and Calpain-2, rather than the Caspase-3, should be responsible for the asymmetry in the MNU induced photoreceptor degeneration. Together with the comparative sensitivities to the neurotoxicity of MNU between two photoreceptor populations, these topographic data would facilitate the standardization of analytic parameters related to the MNU induced RP model and enhance its application in the therapeutic explorations of human RP.
Phosphorous Diffuser Diverged Blue Laser Diode for Indoor Lighting and Communication
Authors: Chi Yu-Chieh , Hsieh Dan-Hua , Lin Chung-Yu , Chen Hsiang-Yu , Huang Chia-Yen , He Jr-Hau , Ooi Boon , DenBaars Steven P. , Nakamura Shuji , Kuo Hao-Chung , Lin Gong-Ru
Published: December 2015

An advanced light-fidelity (Li-Fi) system based on the blue Gallium nitride (GaN) laser diode (LD) with a compact white-light phosphorous diffuser is demonstrated for fusing the indoor white-lighting and visible light communication (VLC). The phosphorous diffuser adhered blue GaN LD broadens luminescent spectrum and diverges beam spot to provide ample functionality including the completeness of Li-Fi feature and the quality of white-lighting. The phosphorous diffuser diverged white-light spot covers a radiant angle up to 120o with CIE coordinates of (0.34, 0.37). On the other hand, the degradation on throughput frequency response of the blue LD is mainly attributed to the self-feedback caused by the reflection from the phosphor-air interface. It represents the current state-of-the-art performance on carrying 5.2-Gbit/s orthogonal frequency-division multiplexed 16-quadrature-amplitude modulation (16-QAM OFDM) data with a bit error rate (BER) of 3.1 × 10−3 over a 60-cm free-space link. This work aims to explore the plausibility of the phosphorous diffuser diverged blue GaN LD for future hybrid white-lighting and VLC systems.
Novel hollow and yolk–shell structured periodic mesoporous polymer nanoparticles
Authors: Liang Yeru , Mai Weicong , Huang Junlong , Huang Zhike , Fu Ruowen , Zhang Mingqiu , Wu Dingcai , Matyjaszewski Krzysztof
Published: December 2015

Novel hollow and yolk–shell structured periodic mesoporous polymer nanoparticles were prepared by the development of an efficient reactive interface-guided co-assembly approach.
Molecular tectonics: dimensionality and geometry control of silver coordination networks based on pyrazolyl appended thiacalixarenes
Authors: Ovsyannikov A. S. , Noamane M. H. , Abidi R. , Ferlay S. , Solovieva S. E. , Antipin I. S. , Konovalov A. I. , Kyritsakas N. , Hosseini M. W.
Published: December 2015

Combinations of six new tetrakis-pyrazolyl appended calix[4]arenes derivatives, blocked in 1,3-A conformation as coordinating tectons, with AgX salts (X = NO3−, BF4−, XF6−(X = P, As and Sb)) lead to nine new silver coordination networks.
Laboratory astrochemistry: catalytic conversion of acetylene to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons over SiC grains
Authors: Zhao T. Q. , Li Q. , Liu B. S. , Gover R. K. E. , Sarre P. J. , Cheung A. S.-C.
Published: December 2015

Catalytic conversion reactions of acetylene on a solid SiC grain surface lead to the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and are expected to mimic chemical processes in certain astrophysical environments.
A self-defense redox mediator for efficient lithium–O2 batteries
Authors: Zhang Tao , Liao Kaiming , He Ping , Zhou Haoshen
Published: December 2015

InI3, a self-defense redox mediator, can form a pre-deposited indium layer to resist the synchronous attack on a Li anode by the soluble I3−, and hence can suppress the shuttle effect in lithium–O2 batteries.
SiO2–carbon nanocomposite anodes with a 3D interconnected network and porous structure from bamboo leaves
Authors: Xu Huaqiu , Zhang Shuzhen , He Wen , Zhang Xudong , Yang Guihua , Zhang Jing , Shi Xiaoyuan , Wang Lianzhou
Published: December 2015

To seek for a low-cost, green and sustainable method of preparing nanostructured carbon electrode materials, we are inspired by natural biomaterials.
Synthesis and properties of hyperbranched polyimides derived from tetra-amine and long-chain aromatic dianhydrides
Authors: Liu Shanyou , Zhang Yunhe , Wang Xueping , Tan Haiwei , Song Ningnig , Guan Shaowei
Published: December 2015

The synthesized hyperbranched polyimides obtained from a novel tetra-amine have a treelike randomly branched topology with a branch-on-branch structure, which affords a compact, globular molecule.
In situ synthesis of carbon nanotube doped metal–organic frameworks for CO2 capture
Authors: Iqbal Nousheen , Wang Xianfeng , Yu Jianyong , Jabeen Naila , Ullah Hameed , Ding Bin
Published: December 2015

Metal organic–frameworks (MOFs) with intriguing structural motifs and unique properties are potential candidates for carbon dioxide (CO2) storage.
Dehydrocoupling of phosphine–boranes using the [RhCp*Me(PMe3)(CH2Cl2)][BArF4] precatalyst: stoichiometric and catalytic studies
Authors: Hooper Thomas N. , Weller Andrew S. , Beattie Nicholas A. , Macgregor Stuart A.
Published: December 2015

Detailed experimental and computational studies are reported on the fundamental B–H and P–H bond activation steps involved in the dehydrocoupling/dehydropolymerization of primary and secondary phosphine–boranes, H3B·PPhR′H (R = Ph, H), using the [RhCp*(PMe3)Me(ClCH2Cl)][BArF4] catalyst.
Hierarchically porous BEA stannosilicates as unique catalysts for bulky ketone conversion and continuous operation
Authors: Al-Nayili Abbas , Yakabi Keiko , Hammond Ceri
Published: December 2015

Hierarchical stannosilicates with BEA framework topology are found to catalyze the conversion of bulky ketone substrates, and demonstrate exceptional stability in the continuous regime.
Human placenta-derived stromal cells decrease inflammation, placental injury and blood pressure in hypertensive pregnant mice
Authors: Chatterjee Piyali , Chiasson Valorie L. , Pinzur Lena , Raveh Shani , Abraham Eytan , Jones Kathleen A. , Bounds Kelsey R. , Ofir Racheli , Flaishon Liat , Chajut Ayelet , Mitchell Brett M.
Published: December 2015

Pre-eclampsia, the development of hypertension and proteinuria or end-organ damage during pregnancy, is a leading cause of both maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality, and there are no effective clinical treatments for pre-eclampsia aside from delivery. The development of pre-eclampsia is characterized by maladaptation of the maternal immune system, excessive inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. We have reported that detection of extracellular RNA by the Toll-like receptors (TLRs) 3 and 7 is a key initiating signal that contributes to the development of pre-eclampsia. PLacental eXpanded (PLX-PAD) cells are human placenta-derived, mesenchymal-like, adherent stromal cells that have anti-inflammatory, proangiogenic, cytoprotective and regenerative properties, secondary to paracrine secretion of various molecules in response to environmental stimulation. We hypothesized that PLX-PAD cells would reduce the associated inflammation and tissue damage and lower blood pressure in mice with pre-eclampsia induced by TLR3 or TLR7 activation. Injection of PLX-PAD cells on gestational day 14 significantly decreased systolic blood pressure by day 17 in TLR3-induced and TLR7-induced hypertensive mice (TLR3 144–111 mmHg; TLR7 145–106 mmHg; both P<0.05), and also normalized their elevated urinary protein:creatinine ratios (TLR3 5.68–3.72; TLR7 5.57–3.84; both P<0.05). On gestational day 17, aortic endothelium-dependent relaxation responses improved significantly in TLR3-induced and TLR7-induced hypertensive mice that received PLX-PAD cells on gestational day 14 (TLR3 35–65%; TLR7 37–63%; both P<0.05). In addition, markers of systemic inflammation and placental injury, increased markedly in both groups of TLR-induced hypertensive mice, were reduced by PLX-PAD cells. Importantly, PLX-PAD cell therapy had no effects on these measures in pregnant control mice or on the fetuses. These data demonstrate that PLX-PAD cell therapy can safely reverse pre-eclampsia-like features during pregnancy and have a potential therapeutic role in pre-eclampsia treatment.
Al:ZnO top electrodes deposited with various oxygen pressures for ferroelectric (Pb,La)(Zr,Ti)O3 capacitors
Authors: Takada Y. , Okamoto N. , Saito T. , Kondo K. , Yoshimura T. , Fujimura N. , Higuchi K. , Kitajima A.
Published: December 2015

Ferroelectric (Pb,La)(Zr,Ti)O3 capacitors were fabricated using chemical solution deposition with Al:ZnO (AZO) top electrodes that were deposited using pulsed laser deposition (PLD), where the oxygen pressure was varied systematically. The oxygen pressure during deposition of the AZO layer affected the surface morphology of the AZO top electrodes, as well as the ferroelectric properties of the capacitors. As the oxygen pressure increased, the AZO grains gradually appeared clearer in the SEM images, indicating less dense stacking, and the polarisation–voltage hysteresis loops expanded horizontally. The largest values of remnant polarisation and coercive voltage were obtained at 10 Pa. Appropriate ferroelectric properties were obtained for oxygen pressures in the range of 0.5–2.0 Pa. The hydrogen degradation resistance during annealing in 3% H2 200°C and 1 Torr was independent of oxygen pressure during PLD.
Frequency noise analysis of 1.55 µm indium arsenide/indium phosphide quantum dot lasers: impact of non‐linear gain and direct carrier transition
Authors: Sanaee Maryam , Zarifkar Abbas , Sheikhi Mohammad Hossein
Published: December 2015

Frequency noise (FN) characteristic of 1.55 µm quantum dot (QD) lasers is investigated by introducing a theoretical model. A set of five rate equations are developed in presence of Langevin noise sources by writing a new equation for dynamics of the optical field phase. To investigate the effects of non‐linear gain and direct carrier transition on FN spectrum of QD lasers, the auto and cross‐correlation coefficients between carriers and photons have been calculated. Calculations demonstrate that the excited state and ground state (GS) carriers’ shot noises play dominant role on both the level and the resonance frequency of FN spectrum. Moreover, the level of FN declines by increasing the non‐linear gain coefficient. On the other hand, direct carrier transition from wetting layer to the lasing state of GS leads to lower‐frequency fluctuations. Finally, it is revealed that the linewidth of QD laser decreases by increasing the pumping current and its value is in the order of about 1 MHz.
Palladium-Catalyzed Suzuki Cross-Coupling of 2-Halo-Deazapurines with Potassium Organotrifluoroborate Salts in the Regioselective Synthesis of Imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine Analogues
Authors: Savitha Bhaskaran , Sajith Ayyiliath. M. , Joy M. Nibin , Khader K.K. Abdul , Muralidharan A. , Padusha M. Syed Ali , Bodke Yadav D.
Published: December 2015

In this paper, we report the use of potassium organotrifluoroborate salts as nucleophilic organoboron reagents in the Suzuki cross-coupling reactions of 2-halo deazapurines. Regio-isomeric C-2-substituted imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine analogues were synthesized by employing this protocol in good to excellent yields. Whereas aryl and heteroaryl trifluoroborates reacted readily to give the coupled products in high yields, alkyltrifluoroborates were found to be less reactive. The utilization of tetrabutylammonium acetate was found to play a substantial role in enhancing the reaction rates of the cross-coupling process. Also, a comparative study was performed between boronic acids and potassium organotrifluoroborate salts.
Across-trophic variation of potassium, calcium and magnesium stoichiometric traits in a parasitism food chain across temperate and subtropical biomes
Authors: Sun Xiao , Rosanoff Andrea , Liu Chunjiang
Published: December 2015

Potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) are three macro-elements essential for plants and animals. The ratios K : Mg or K :  (Ca + Mg) are viewed as indices of physiological status in livestock animals. In plants, Ca, Mg and K concentrations can vary with climate in terrestrial ecosystems. Here, with a widespread tree species (Chinese cork oak, Quercus variabilis Blume) and an acorn predator (the weevil Curculio davidi Fairmaire), we investigate how K, Ca and Mg vary in soils, plant tissues (leaves and acorns) and a consumer (herbivore insects) with climatic variables induced by latitude (LAT) across the temperate–subtropical areas of eastern China. Concentrations of K, Ca and Mg in soils, leaves, acorns and weevil larvae showed different degrees of variation across the study area, but only Mg concentration increased significantly with rising LAT across all four trophic levels, albeit with varying slopes. With rising mean annual temperature (MAT) and precipitation (MAP), soil Ca significantly decreased, as did leaf and acorn K concentrations, whereas all four tropic levels showed significant decreases in Mg content with both MAT and MAP (P < 0.05–0.001). Leaf and acorn Ca : Mg showed significant relationships with LAT and MAT (P < 0.05–0.01). The K : (Mg + Ca) ratio in soils and weevil larvae increased linearly with MAP (P < 0.05), and acorn K : (Mg + Ca) ratio varied in a concave manner (P < 0.001). Our results suggest that variations of Ca, Mg and K in plant tissues and weevil larva across a study area of 20° LAT range were largely driven by climatic factors, and that Mg concentration changes in all four trophic levels with climate (and LAT) largely drive changes in soil, plant and consumer ratios between Mg, Ca and/or K. These results provide information on possible effects of climate change on nutrient dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems.
Understanding the decline in anguillid eels
Authors: Castonguay Martin , Durif Caroline M. F.
Published: December 2015

This symposium issue of the ICES Journal of Marine Science contains 16 contributions from the second International Eels Symposium held during the American Fisheries Society (AFS) Annual Meeting (August 2014, Québec City, Canada). This symposium followed the first International Eels Symposium held in 2003, which emphasized the international scope of the Anguilla conservation problem. This second symposium reviewed a decade of research on biology and life history, genetics and genomics, reproduction, oceanic biology, early life history, population dynamics, assessment and management, eel passage at hydroelectric facilities, stocking, and threats, focusing primarily on Atlantic anguillids. The symposium finished with a panel discussion that emphasized the need to develop inter-jurisdictional governance approaches for panmictic eels as a way to promote recovery of the various species.
Montaigne’s Travel Journal
Authors: Rigolot François
Published: December 2015

After publishing the first two books of his Essays in 1580, Montaigne set out on a long journey, which took him to Italy through eastern France, Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. This extensive “field trip” allowed him to expand on his bookish knowledge of Latin and Italian languages and cultures. Like many of his contemporaries, he was eager to see what was left of Rome, a city that had occupied so much of his classical education. The manuscript of his Travel Journal, written between June 1580 and November 1581, was not discovered until 1770, and three editions were published in 1774. Although the manuscript disappeared during the French Revolution and has never been retrieved, an incomplete hand-written copy was discovered in the 1980s, which proved instrumental in correcting the text of the 18th-century editions. The text is composed of four sections: the first is written in French by an anonymous secretary; the second is written by Montaigne himself in French; the third is also written by Montaigne but in Italian; the fourth and shortest section is written in French by the essayist on his way home.
Montaigne on Language
Authors: Chenoweth Katie
Published: December 2015

This article discusses Montaigne’s complex relationship to the French language. From the foreign-language quotations that fill the pages of the Essays to Montaigne’s early education in Latin and his assertion that he has created a “dictionary all [his] own,” the relationship between the essayist and the French vernacular is anything but straightforward. This article examines the essayist’s resistance to the cultural politics of French in his own time and argues against the modern assimilation of Montaigne and the Essays into the French language. It proposes instead to understand the language of the Essais through the lens of temporality, translation, difference, and différance. The article also discusses the challenges involved in reading and translating Montaigne’s language in the twenty-first century.
Montaigne on Truth and Skepticism
Authors: Miernowski Jan
Published: December 2015

The incipit of the Essays presents it as a book of good faith. The truthfulness of this claim has traditionally been seriously called into question given how extensively ironic and deeply self-contradictory Montaigne’s text is. In this article I argue that Montaigne’s opening statement about good faith should not be understood as the author’s claim, but rather as a dramatic call addressed to the reader. According to Montaigne, truth is beyond our reach since we deal only with our own “phantasies” about God, the world, and ourselves. Most notably, Montaigne’s Pyrrhonian skepticism, ontologically framed by Cusanus’s negative theology, is also merely a “phantasy.” The solution to such radical epistemological negativity is neither the indefinite irresolution of Montaigne’s discourse nor his resignation to the spontaneous flow of life. The solution may only come from the reader who is asked to trust in a book intended as a “dissimilar sign” of truth.
The Salmon of Wisdom
Authors: Pierrepont Alexandre
Published: December 2015

This chapter scrutinizes the universe of representations of creative musicians, especially in the combinatorial and transformative dynamics of the jazzistic field. The poetics of improvisation encompasses both analytical analogical thought, through a dialogic treatment of oppositions rendered complementary, while allowing the discovery and practice of one’s own plurality: one’s self and self’s other. For improvisers, a continuum of multiple meanings may be played out in and around oneself, without abdicating clarity of conscience or the acuity of contexts and structures. In the act of improvisation, placing oneself in streams of unconsciousness and hyperconsciousness, as well as double and multiple consciousness, poses critical questions around the changing nature of identities and alterities.
Lon Fuller, The Morality of Law
Authors: Lovett Frank
Published: December 2015

This chapter reviews The Morality of Law, by Lon L. Fuller, one of the most important books in jurisprudence published in the twentieth century. Fuller offers an account of the rule of law and its connection to morality that has influenced not only legal philosophers, but also a wide range of political theorists and social scientists. This chapter provides some background that led to the publication of The Morality of Law, considering in particular Fuller’s response to Hart’s lecture on legal positivism, delivered in 1956 at the Harvard Law School. It also discusses the publication of The Morality of Law in 1964 and its description of eight “principles of legality”: generality, promulgation, no retroactive laws, clarity, no contradictions, no laws requiring the impossible, constancy of the law through time, and congruence between the official action and declared rule.
John Rawls,Political Liberalism
Authors: Thompson Dennis F.
Published: December 2015

John Rawls’ Political Liberalism is much more than just an effort to correct what Rawls saw as an error in his masterwork, A Theory of Justice. The political liberalism of Political Liberalism stands on its own. It is liberal in a new way, and political in the right way. By examing what makes the theory liberal and what makes it political, the chapter brings out a feature of the theory that has not been sufficiently emphasized—its dynamic character. Rawls’ political liberalism invites citizens to revise even their liberal views as they seek agreement while continuing to disagree.
The Muscovite Revival, 1881–1917
Authors: Wortman Richard S.
Published: December 2015

The assassination of Alexander II on 1 March 1881 ended the European myth of Russian monarchy—the narratives and imagery that had elevated Russian rulers since the reign of Peter I as exemplars of Western absolutism—and was followed by the introduction of a new governing myth idealizing seventeenth-century Muscovy. This chapter demonstrates that, by entertaining the illusion of a monarchical early Rus’, Alexander III and Nicholas II not only undermined the supra-national culture of their multi-national empire, but isolated themselves from educated society, both liberal and conservative, that looked towards political participation and the formation of a united nation-state on the model of the West. The catastrophic events of early twentieth-century Russia resulted not from a decrepit monarchy collapsing before insurgent oppositional movements, but from the clash of a monarch seeking to restore divinely inspired authoritarian rule with a Russia awakening politically and demanding to be heard.
Openness
Authors: Sutin Angelina R.
Published: December 2015

Despite its early struggles to survive, openness is now recognized as a personality trait with far-reaching consequences. This chapter is an overview of how individual differences in cognitive flexibility, sensitivity to aesthetics, depth of feeling, and preference for novelty contribute to important domains of functioning. Briefly reviewed will be conceptualizations of openness, some measurement considerations, and where it fits within the nomological net of related constructs. The chapter is then devoted to the nature and consequences of openness, arranged from the biological to the societal. Research on the biological roots of openness and its developmental trajectory from early childhood through old age are then covered. Also considered is how openness contributes to nearly every aspect of functioning, including health and well-being, employment, person presentation and perception, marriage and family, and its geographic implications.
Universal and Specific in the Five Factor Model of Personality
Authors: Allik Jüri , Realo Anu
Published: December 2015

Personality psychologists—perhaps even more than in some other disciplines—are deeply interested in what is common to personality descriptions in all cultures and societies. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the potential universality of the Five Factor Model (FFM) of general personality structure. The chapter begins with a discussion of what is meant, or should be meant, by a universal. Discussed then is the empirical support, as well as the conceptual and empirical difficulty, in establishing universality in personality structure, for the FFM as well as other dimensional models. The chapter then considers different levels of analysis (including cultural and intraindividual analyses), higher-order invariants (including sex differences, age differences, and differences in perspective), and whether mean levels are universal. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the basis for personality universals, as well as addressing the common challenges to universality.
Scientific Explanation
Authors: Skow Brad
Published: December 2015

This chapter argues that the notion of explanation relevant to the philosophy of science is that of an answer to a why-question. From this point of view it surveys most of the historically important theories of explanation. Hempel’s deductive-nomological, and inductive-statistical, models of explanation required explanations to cite laws. Familiar counterexamples to these models suggested that laws are not needed, and instead that explanations should cite causes. One theory of causal explanation, David Lewis’s, is discussed in some detail. Many philosophers now reject causal theories of explanation because they think that there are non-causal explanations; some examples are reviewed. The role of probabilities and statistics in explanation, and their relation to causation, is also discussed. Another strategy for dealing with counterexamples to Hempel’s theory leads to unificationist theories of explanation. Kitcher's unificationist theory is presented, and a new argument against unificationist theories is offered. Also discussed in some detail are Van Fraassen’s pragmatic theory, and Streven’s and Woodward’s recent theories of causal explanation.
Advertisement for the Philosophy of the Computational Sciences
Authors: Shagrir Oron
Published: December 2015

This chapter deals with those fields that study computing systems. Among these computational sciences are computer science, computational cognitive science, computational neuroscience, and artificial intelligence. In the first part of the chapter, it is shown that there are varieties of computation, such as human computation, algorithmic machine computation, and physical computation. There are even varieties of versions of the Church-Turing thesis. The conclusion is that different computational sciences are often about different kinds of computation. The second part of the chapter discusses three specific philosophical issues. One is whether computers are natural kinds. Another issue is the nature of computational theories and explanations. The last section of the chapter relates remarkable results in computational complexity theory to problems of verification and confirmation.
Complexity Theory
Authors: Strevens Michael
Published: December 2015

Complexity theory attempts to explain, at the most general possible level, the interesting features of complex systems. Two such features are the emergence of simple or stable behavior of the whole from relatively complex or unpredictable behavior of the parts and the emergence of sophisticated behavior of the whole from relatively simplistic behavior of the parts. Often, both kinds of emergence are found nested in the same system. Concerning the emergence of simplicity, this essay examines Herbert Simon’s explanation from near-decomposability and a stochastic explanation that generalizes the approach of statistical physics. A more general notion of an abstract difference-making structure is introduced with examples, and a discussion of evolvability follows. Concerning the emergence of sophistication, this chapter focuses on, first, the energetics approach associated with dissipative structures and the “fourth law of thermodynamics” and, second, the notion of a “complex adaptive system.”
Wealth and Weight
Authors: Zagorsky Jay L.
Published: December 2015

The average person’s weight is climbing as the world grows richer. This chapter investigates the relationship between wealth and weight. Cross-national macro data (1995–2005) analysis finds a small, positive, statistically significant relationship; a 10 percentage point increase in a country’s wealth is associated with an absolute body mass index (BMI) increase of 0.03 points (a 0.13% change). US micro data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1985–2012) shows a small, negative, statistically significant relationship: each extra pound of weight is associated with a loss of $226 of wealth, and one additional BMI point is associated with a wealth reduction of about $1,900 for the typical adult. A potential explanation for this seeming contradiction is that the macro data are heavily weighted toward poorer developing countries, which make up a majority of the world’s population, and the micro data represent the experiences of a rich developed country.