bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trombones Elicit Bitter More Strongly Than Do Clarinets: a Partial Replication of Three Studies of Crisinel and Spence
Authors: Watson Quentin J. , Gunther Karen L.
Published: May 2017

We present a partial replication of the crossmodal pitch/taste correspondence of Crisinel and Spence. Male college students () were asked to judge the pitch (F1–C4 on trombone; F3–C6 on clarinet) that best corresponded with each of four tastants (unsweetened coffee, unsweetened chocolate, salt, and sugar). With trombone there was a significant effect of tastant [, , ] with unsweetened chocolate being associated with the lowest pitch and sugar with the highest. With clarinet we did not find a significant effect [, , ]. The average across instruments was significant [, , ]. When looking at the effect of taster status, we found a significant correlation [, ] with supertasters associating the bitterness of a PTC strip with higher pitches than did nontasters — this is in contrast with Crisinel and Spence’s finding of no correlation with taster status. In light of the ‘replication crisis’ in psychology as found by the Open Science Collaboration, it is noteworthy that this crossmodal pitch/taste correspondence, at least for trombone, was replicated in a different lab.
Nomenclatural novelties in Petrosedum (Crassulaceae)
Authors: GALLO LORENZO
Published: May 2017

The recent paper of Nikulin et al. (2016), states the needs to move the Sedum ser. Rupestria Berger (1930: 456) to the genus Petrosedum Grulich (1984: 39); most of the recombinations are already in hand but some still remain to carried out and some names are illegitimate. In order to achieve this goal, a new name and a new combination under Petrosedum for two French hybrid taxa are proposed here.
Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Lake Breezes over Lake Taihu, China
Authors: Wang Yongwei , Gao Yaqi , Qin Hairun , Huang Jianping , Liu Cheng , Hu Cheng , Wang Wei , Liu Shoudong , Lee Xuhui
Published: May 2017

Lake Taihu is a shallow lake located in the Yangtze River delta region in eastern China. Lake breezes and their interactions with urban heat islands are of great importance to air quality and weather forecasting. In this study, surface observations at a dense network and Wind Profile Radar measurements were utilized to characterize the lake breezes at Lake Taihu and assess the impact of geophysical factors on the development and intensity of the lake breezes. The lake breezes were characterized by a low occurrence frequency of 12%–17% (defined as the percentage of days with lake breezes in a given month), weak speed (annual mean ranging from 1.5 to 3.3 m s−1), late onset [average onset around 1110 local standard time (LST), with a range of 0900–1300 LST], short duration (annual mean 3.5 h), and low circulation depth (average depth of 400 m from 1200 to 1400 LST). The lake breezes were greatly suppressed when the geostrophic winds were higher than 4.1 m s−1. The low heat capacity of shallow water (mean depth 2.0 m) led to small temperature differences between the land and the lake, which was the main factor responsible for the low occurrence frequency along Lake Taihu. All of the characteristic parameters showed distinct seasonal variations. Increased frequencies, earlier onset times, and longer durations on the northern lakeshore were indicative of the impact of the urban heat island on the lake breezes.
Spectral Dependence of the Seawater–Air Radiance Transmission Coefficient
Authors: Voss Kenneth J. , Flora Stephanie
Published: May 2017

The transmission coefficient TL commonly used to propagate the upwelling nadir radiance from just below the ocean surface to above the surface has been assumed to be a constant value of 0.543 in seawater. Because the index of refraction of seawater varies with wavelength, salinity, and temperature, the variation of TL with these parameters should be taken into account, especially if low uncertainty is required for the quantities derived using TL. In particular, the wavelength dependence of this factor is important. For example, at a salinity of 35 g kg−1 and a temperature of 26°C, TL will be 1.3% lower at 380 nm and 1.1% higher at 700 nm than the constant value (0.543) and should be taken into account when calculating the water-leaving radiance and the normalized water-leaving radiance from in-water measurements.
Calibration-Free Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (CF-LIBS) with Standard Reference Line for the Analysis of Stainless Steel
Authors: Fu Hongbo , Dong Fengzhong , Wang Huadong , Jia Junwei , Ni Zhibo
Published: May 2017

In this work, calibration-free laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (CF-LIBS) is used to analyze a certified stainless steel sample. Due to self-absorption of the spectral lines from the major element Fe and the sparse lines of trace elements, it is usually not easy to construct the Boltzmann plots of all species. A standard reference line method is proposed here to solve this difficulty under the assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium so that the same temperature value for all elements present into the plasma can be considered. Based on the concentration and rich spectral lines of Fe, the Stark broadening of Fe(I) 381.584 nm and Saha–Boltzmann plots of this element are used to calculate the electron density and the plasma temperature, respectively. In order to determine the plasma temperature accurately, which is seriously affected by self-absorption, a pre-selection procedure for eliminating those spectral lines with strong self-absorption is employed. Then, one spectral line of each element is selected to calculate its corresponding concentration. The results from the standard reference lines with and without self-absorption of Fe are compared. This method allows us to measure trace element content and effectively avoid the adverse effects due to self-absorption.
Raman and Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) Mineral to Matrix Ratios Correlate with Physical Chemical Properties of Model Compounds and Native Bone Tissue
Authors: Taylor Erik A. , Lloyd Ashley A. , Salazar-Lara Carolina , Donnelly Eve
Published: May 2017

Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic imaging techniques can be used to characterize bone composition. In this study, our objective was to validate the Raman mineral:matrix ratios (ν1 PO4:amide III, ν1 PO4:amide I, ν1 PO4:Proline + hydroxyproline, ν1 PO4:Phenylalanine, ν1 PO4:δ CH2 peak area ratios) by correlating them to ash fraction and the IR mineral:matrix ratio (ν3 PO4:amide I peak area ratio) in chemical standards and native bone tissue. Chemical standards consisting of varying ratios of synthetic hydroxyapatite (HA) and collagen, as well as bone tissue from humans, sheep, and mice, were characterized with confocal Raman spectroscopy and FT-IR spectroscopy and gravimetric analysis. Raman and IR mineral:matrix ratio values from chemical standards increased reciprocally with ash fraction (Raman ν1 PO4/Amide III: P < 0.01, R2 = 0.966; Raman ν1 PO4/Amide I: P < 0.01, R2 = 0.919; Raman ν1 PO4/Proline + Hydroxyproline: P < 0.01, R2 = 0.976; Raman ν1 PO4/Phenylalanine: P < 0.01, R2 = 0.911; Raman ν1 PO4/δ CH2: P < 0.01, R2 = 0.894; IR P < 0.01, R2 = 0.91). Fourier transform infrared mineral:matrix ratio values from native bone tissue were also similar to theoretical mineral:matrix ratio values for a given ash fraction. Raman and IR mineral:matrix ratio values were strongly correlated ( P < 0.01, R2 = 0.82). These results were confirmed by calculating the mineral:matrix ratio for theoretical IR spectra, developed by applying the Beer–Lambert law to calculate the relative extinction coefficients of HA and collagen over the same range of wavenumbers (800–1800 cm–1). The results confirm that the Raman mineral:matrix bone composition parameter correlates strongly to ash fraction and to its IR counterpart. Finally, the mineral:matrix ratio values of the native bone tissue are similar to those of both chemical standards and theoretical values, confirming the biological relevance of the chemical standards and the characterization techniques.
Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR FT-IR) for Rapid Determination of Microbial Cell Lipid Content: Correlation with Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS)
Authors: Millan-Oropeza Aaron , Rebois Rolando , David Michelle , Moussa Fathi , Dazzi Alexandre , Bleton Jean , Virolle Marie-Joelle , Deniset-Besseau Ariane
Published: May 2017

There is a growing interest worldwide for the production of renewable oil without mobilizing agriculture lands; fast and reliable methods are needed to identify highly oleaginous microorganisms of potential industrial interest. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the relevance of attenuated total reflection (ATR) spectroscopy to achieve this goal. To do so, the total lipid content of lyophilized samples of five Streptomyces strains with varying lipid content was assessed with two classical quantitative but time-consuming methods, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and ATR Fourier transform infrared (ATR FT-IR) spectroscopy in transmission mode with KBr pellets and the fast ATR method, often questioned for its lack of reliability. A linear correlation between these three methods was demonstrated allowing the establishment of equations to convert ATR values expressed as CO/amide I ratio, into micrograms of lipid per milligram of biomass. The ATR method proved to be as reliable and quantitative as the classical GC-MS and FT-IR in transmission mode methods but faster and more reproducible than the latter since it involves far less manipulation for sample preparation than the two others. Attenuated total reflection could be regarded as an efficient fast screening method to identify natural or genetically modified oleaginous microorganisms by the scientific community working in the field of bio-lipids.
Prediction of Cortisol and Progesterone Concentrations in Cow Hair Using Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS)
Authors: Tallo-Parra Oriol , Albanell Elena , Carbajal Annais , Monclús Laura , Manteca Xavier , Lopez-Bejar Manel
Published: May 2017

Concentrations of different steroid hormones have been used in cows as a measure of adrenal or gonadal activity and, thus, as indicators of stress or reproductive state. Detecting cortisol and progesterone in cow hair provides a long-term integrative value of retrospective adrenal or gonadal/placental activity, respectively. Current techniques for steroid detection require a hormone-extraction procedure that involves time, several types of equipment, management of reagents, and some assay procedures (which can also be time-consuming and can destroy the samples). In contrast, near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) is a multi-component predictor technique, characterized as rapid, nondestructive for the sample, and reagent-free. However, as a predictor technique, NIRS needs to be calibrated and validated for each matrix, hormone, and species. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of the NIRS technique for hair cortisol and progesterone quantification in cows by using specific enzyme immunoassay as a reference method. Hair samples from 52 adult Friesian lactating cows from a commercial dairy farm were used. Reflectance spectra of hair samples were determined with a NIR reflectance spectrophotometer before and after trimming them. Although similar results were obtained, a slightly better relationship between the reference data and NIRS predicted values was found using trimmed samples. Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy demonstrated its ability to predict cortisol and progesterone concentrations with certain accuracy (R2 = 0.90 for cortisol and R2 = 0.87 for progesterone). Although NIRS is far from being a complete alternative to current methodologies, the proposed equations can offer screening capability. Considering the advantages of both fields, our results open the possibility for future work on the combination of hair steroid measurement and NIRS methodology.
Religious–Secular Polarization Compared
Authors: Wilkins-Laflamme Sarah
Published: May 2017

For many decades now, there has been a general decline of traditional indicators of religiosity in both Quebec and British Columbia. New generations are being born and raised in much more secular social contexts than in years past. However, this general trend of decline masks many differences between the two Canadian provinces, and does not imply a complete disappearance of religion from society. Certain groups of believers have been able to maintain their numbers and levels of practice. Since the 2000s, these two worlds of the secular and the religious seem to have been confronting one another more and more, evident in public debates and individual representations. The emerging framework of religious polarization offers conceptual tools to better grasp this dynamic in advanced Modernity. By analyzing recent statistical data on individual religious practices, we examine the extent to which this cleavage between the religious and non-religious is developing among younger generations in two distinct religious and social contexts: those of Quebec and British Columbia.
Is Quebec Still a Catholically Distinct Society within Canada? An Examination of Catholic Affiliation and Mass Attendance
Authors: Nault Jean-François , Meunier E.-Martin
Published: May 2017

Since the Quiet Revolution, Quebec has significantly transformed its relationship to Catholicism. Some commentators have even gone as far as discussing an increasingly important secularization within the province. Yet, an examination of the main indicators of religiosity in Quebec provides evidence for the permanence of a certain cultural Catholicism. However, this cultural Catholicism is tending to gradually fade over time, giving place to the reconfiguration of the regime of religiosity. Meanwhile, in the rest of Canada, Catholicism tends to grow, primarily due to the immigrant population in recent years. In this general context, is Quebec still a “Catholically distinct” society? To answer this question, the authors use a series of logistic models to examine the main determinants of Catholic affiliation and Mass attendance. Age, place of birth and mother tongue emerge as principal determinants of religious affiliation and practice. Based on the findings from these models, the authors show that Quebec remains a Catholically distinct society in comparison with other Canadian regions. However, the gap between this province and the rest of Canada seems to have been increasingly fading, at least over the last thirty years.
Awareness of the Food–Energy–Water Nexus and Public Policy Support in the United States: Public Attitudes Among the American People
Authors: Portney Kent E. , Hannibal Bryce , Goldsmith Carol , McGee Peyton , Liu Xinsheng , Vedlitz Arnold
Published: May 2017

Most research into the connections between water and energy, water and food, and food and energy has been scientific and technical; little research has examined the public’s understandings of these connections. This article studies these understandings and awareness of nexus issues using a 2015 national public opinion survey on the water–energy–food nexus. Responses from this representative sample of U.S. adults are used to create “awareness measures” for elements of the nexus—water and energy, water and food, and energy and food—which are then used as independent variables to investigate the extent to which awareness is associated with support for public policies designed to address these nexus interconnections. All three measures are significantly correlated to support for policy options. Results suggest that awareness of the water–energy–food nexus may represent conditions necessary for supporting policies and that building such awareness could represent an important pathway for increasing support for policy interventions.
Public service or private affair? The application of ‘kinship by design’ to intercountry adoption in England
Authors: Hoffman Katie
Published: May 2017

This article examines the status of intercountry adoption (ICA) within adoption and family policy in England by analysing the extent to which the preventive ideals of ‘kinship by design’ are applied to ICA, particularly in the provision of adoption support. The discussion is set in the context of adoption reform under the New Labour and Coalition governments, broader family policy ideals of prevention and early intervention and state objectives in adoption, as well as global policy standards. This article argues that ‘kinship by design’ is not equally applied to intercountry adoptive families in England.
Rational Choice Theory and Interest in the “Fortune of Others”
Authors: Paternoster Ray , Jaynes Chae Mamayek , Wilson Theodore
Published: May 2017

Objectives:

We test the relationship between other-regarding preferences (concerns for other people) and intentions to drink and drive and whether these preferences condition the effect of sanction threats on willingness to drink and drive.

Methods:

A sample of university undergraduates played common economic games (dictator and ultimatum games) and responded to a hypothetical scenario about drinking and driving. Ordinary least squares regression models were used with the full sample and then separate samples for those with differing levels of other-regarding preferences (social preferences).

Results:

Net of other factors including sanction threats, demographics, measures of individual propensity, and previous experience with drinking and driving, those with strong other-regarding preferences (as indicated by responses to dictator and ultimatum games) were less likely to state that they would drive while drunk under the conditions described by the scenario. In support of differential deterrence, the self-interested were deterred by sanction threats, but those with stronger other-regarding preferences were not deterred by the perceived certainty of sanctions.

Conclusions:

Our findings speak to the importance of more than self-interest in explaining antisocial behavior and thereby expanding the conceptual boundaries of rational choice theory to include more than self-interest.
Graph-based loop extraction for automatic analysis of a water pipe distribution network and comparison with EPANET
Authors: Mishra Manish Kumar , Jha Kailash
Published: May 2017

This study introduces a new approach for automatic water pipe distribution network analysis by four integrated algorithms using graph theory, which are algorithms of minimal loop extraction, automatic initialization, automatic updating of initial discharges, and automatic pressure calculation at nodes. Object-oriented concepts have been used to design the algorithms for efficient data handling. The present integrated approach reduces the dependency of different processes involved in the analysis. The nested breadth first search traversal is used in the first algorithm to extract the loops without subdividing the graphical network. The initialization of pipes in loops is performed by satisfying the continuity equation at nodes in the second algorithm. The initialization, in the loop, is done in such a way that the adjacent loop will carry the residual discharge. Friction in the pipes is calculated iteratively for all flow types. Updating of discharge in pipes is according to the simultaneous loop flow adjustment method in the third algorithm. Initial discharges in the pipes of the loop in network are updated by corrective discharge in the loop according to the direction. The algorithm of nodal pressure calculation is done in the fourth algorithm, which is based on the energy equation in terms of pressure on the reference node. The results obtained by the proposed work are matched with EPANET software, in which the graphical display of the network is more user friendly and has the desired accuracy.
Housing supply, investment demand and money creation: A comment on the drivers of London’s housing crisis
Authors: Gallent Nick , Durrant Dan , May Neil
Published: May 2017

This commentary examines the current emphasis on supply-side solutions to the housing crisis in England – building more homes to increase accessibility – against a backdrop of intensifying demand-side pressures, the financialisation of housing, and the impact of credit liberalisation and money creation on housing demand and prices. It reflects on the need to balance additional housing supply, where needed, with gradual ‘demand management’ responses that at last acknowledge the centrality of spatially unbounded investment demand and the flow of money created by deregulated banks into housing as fundamental to the current crisis of housing affordability and access.
Municipality attraction and commuter mobility in urban Sweden: An analysis based on longitudinal population data
Authors: Schéele Siv , Andersson Gunnar
Published: May 2017

At the individual level, commuting can be seen as part of a search process that may lead to adjustments in terms of migration or change of workplace. The behaviour of commuters is affected by individual characteristics and factors related to housing, labour and transport markets. It can provide insight into factors related to different municipalities’ levels of attraction. In our study, we provide a longitudinal analysis of individual commuting behaviour during a one-year study period: we simultaneously address the dynamics of ending commuting by a migration event, a change of workplace, or both. Our study is situated in the urban region that surrounds lake Mälaren of Sweden, including its capital Stockholm. We draw on unique register data on the entire commuter population of that region and linked contextual data on the characteristics of the municipalities where the commuters live and work. Migration rates are strongly related to demographic variables, whereas the propensity to change workplace mainly varies with economic variables. We demonstrate that the attraction of a municipality in terms of residence increases with the general accessibility to workplaces and decreases with its level of housing prices. An increased supply of new dwellings in a municipality has a greater impact on the capacity to increase its population than has an increased supply of workplaces.
An Analysis of Big 4 Pricing and Firm Size: The Differential Impact of Demand and Supply Shocks on Large and Small Clients
Authors: Alali Fatima , Elder Randal , Zhou Jian
Published: May 2017

We investigate Big 4 pricing over the period of 2000 to 2010. We classify the data into five periods: 2000-2001 as the pre-Sarbanes–Oxley Act (SOX) period, 2002-2003 as the SOX period, 2004-2006 as the Auditing Standard 2 (AS2) period, 2007 as the AS5 period, and 2008-2010 as the Great Recession period. The shocks to the audit market associated with these changes in auditing regulations and the economic environment have differential impacts on large clients and small clients. The percentage of small clients using Big 4 auditors dropped significantly over these shocks, whereas the percentage of large clients using Big 4 auditors experienced a large drop only from the SOX period to the AS2 period. We find that Big 4 pricing increased significantly from the pre-SOX period to the SOX period and continued to increase significantly in the AS2 period. Big 4 pricing experienced a significant decline in the AS5 period and declined insignificantly in the Great Recession period. Big 4 small firm pricing decreased significantly in the AS2 period compared with the SOX period and in the Great Recession period compared with the AS5 period. We find that the Big 4 pricing for small clients is contingent on the nature of competition. The Big 4 charged small firms higher prices in the SOX period, AS5 period, and Great Recession period when competition was lower. Our paper provides a unique contribution as a comprehensive analysis of Big 4 pricing and Big 4 small firm pricing.
The Efficacy of Adenotonsillectomy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Children with Down Syndrome: A Systematic Review
Authors: Nation Javan , Brigger Matthew
Published: May 2017

Objective

Determine the efficacy of adenotonsillectomy in children with Down syndrome.

Data Sources

Databases included PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Google Scholar. The search was inclusive of all references available through January 5, 2017.

Review Methods

A systematic review of the medical literature addressing adenotonsillectomy in treating obstructive sleep apnea in children with Down syndrome was performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses. Data were pooled using a random‐effects model where possible. The quality of studies was graded using the Methodological Index for Nonrandomized Studies criteria.

Results

Of the 957 articles screened, 5 met inclusion for the qualitative analysis and 3 met criteria for the quantitative analysis. The findings of the qualitative analysis were that adenotonsillectomy has a positive effect on children with Down syndrome but in many cases is noncurative, up to 75% need postoperative breathing support, there is a high rate of immediate postoperative airway needs, and there is no change in sleep efficiency or architecture. The articles consistently reported moderate success in improving polysomnographic parameters, and limited pooling of the data demonstrated a mean decrease of the apnea‐hypopnea index by 51% (95% confidence interval [CI], 46%‐55%).

Conclusion

A 51% reduction in the preoperative apnea‐hypopnea index can be expected with the intervention of adenotonsillectomy alone in children with Down syndrome. This information is useful for counseling and managing patient and family expectations. It also serves as a reminder to clinicians to obtain a postoperative sleep study, as many of these patients will need nighttime airway support or secondary sleep surgery.
Women in Otolaryngology
Authors: O’Connell Ferster Ashley P. , Hu Amanda
Published: May 2017

Advances in gender equality have been sought in the field of medicine for centuries, including the specialty of otolaryngology. Currently, about 14.5% of practicing otolaryngologists are women. Strides have been made to support equality by the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery through the development of the Women in Otolaryngology Section in 2010, among other efforts. This article reviews the literature of women in otolaryngology, as well as current trends toward equality among otolaryngologists of all genders.
Compared Outcomes of Concurrent versus Staged Transoral Robotic Surgery with Neck Dissection
Authors: Frenkel Catherine H. , Yang Jie , Zhang Mengru , Altieri Maria S. , Telem Dana A. , Samara Ghassan J.
Published: May 2017

Objective

Outcomes of concurrent versus staged neck dissection with transoral robotic surgery have not been studied. This study compares outcomes of concurrent versus staged transoral robotic surgery and neck dissection.

Design

Retrospective administrative database analysis.

Setting

Article 28 licensed inpatient and outpatient care facilities in New York State.

Subjects/Methods

Adults undergoing transoral robotic surgery with staged or concurrent neck dissection from 2008 to 2014 were identified in the New York Statewide Planning and Research Collaborative System database. We compared complications, readmissions, subsequent procedures, and length of stay for concurrent versus staged procedures with multivariable logistic regression and multiple linear regression models.

Results

Of the 425 patients undergoing transoral robotic surgery and neck dissection, 333 had concurrent procedures, and 92 had staged. Risk‐adjusted length of stay for concurrent procedures was 42.3% less than that of staged procedures (P <. 0001). Neck dissection timing was not associated with postoperative complications (P =. 41), readmissions (P =. 67), or additional procedures, including reconstruction, tracheostomy, or gastrostomy (P =. 17,. 84,. 82, respectively). Bleeding (7.8%) was the most common complication, and the majority (78.8%) required reoperation. Bleeding or surgical error was not associated with either concurrent or staged surgery (concurrent vs staged: adjusted odds ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.35‐1.37; P =. 26).

Conclusions

Concurrent and staged procedures are equivalent with respect to adverse events, but length of stay is shorter for concurrent procedures. Cost and clinical benefits associated with length of stay are unknown, and it is reasonable to allow operator preference and patient factors to determine surgical logistics.
Regional and territorial development policy after the 2016 EU referendum – Initial reflections and some tentative scenarios
Authors: Sykes Olivier , Schulze Bäing Andreas
Published: May 2017

European regional policy evolved partly as a response to the distinctive needs of the UK following its accession to the then European Economic Community in the 1970s and remains a key and well-regarded ‘British contribution’ to the present-day European Union. Inspired by this rarely acknowledged reality and the aftermath of the UK’s European Union referendum in 2016, this paper first reflects on the position of regional policy within the wider ‘European Project’. It then outlines the material, symbolic and political impacts that European regional policy has had on Britain and its deprived regions and communities over the past four decades. The outcome of the UK’s 2016 European Union referendum is then reviewed from a territorial perspective, and some of the key spatial and placed-based contradictions which it embodies are unpacked. A reflection on the prospects for place-based policy in a post-European Union Britain then follows emphasising that the new context invites a reappraisal of the purposes and forms of regional development policy. Five tentative scenarios of the UK’s future relationship with European Union territorial development policy are then presented. The conclusion recalls the crucial role that European Union regional policy has played in UK regions and communities and calls for close attention to be paid over the coming years to the distributional territorial impacts of leaving the European Union.
Chemical exchange-sensitive spin-lock MRI of glucose analog 3-O-methyl-d-glucose in normal and ischemic brain
Authors: Jin Tao , Mehrens Hunter , Wang Ping , Kim Seong-Gi
Published: May 2017

Glucose transport is important for understanding brain glucose metabolism. We studied glucose transport with a presumably non-toxic and non-metabolizable glucose analog, 3-O-methyl-d-glucose, using a chemical exchange-sensitive spin-lock MRI technique at 9.4 Tesla. 3-O-methyl-d-glucose showed comparable chemical exchange properties with d-glucose and 2-deoxy-d-glucose in phantoms, and higher and lower chemical exchange-sensitive spin-lock sensitivity than Glc and 2-deoxy-d-glucose in in vivo experiments, respectively. The changes of the spin-lattice relaxation rate in the rotating frame (Δ R1ρ) in normal rat brain peaked at ∼15 min after the intravenous injection of 1 g/kg 3-O-methyl-d-glucose and almost maintained a plateau for >1 h. Doses up to 4 g/kg 3-O-methyl-d-glucose were linearly correlated with Δ R1ρ. In rats with focal ischemic stroke, chemical exchange-sensitive spin-lock with 3-O-methyl-d-glucose injection at 1 h after stroke onset showed reduced Δ R1ρ in the ischemic core but higher Δ R1ρ in the peri-core region compared to normal tissue, which progressed into the ischemic core at 3 h after stroke onset. This suggests that the hyper-chemical exchange-sensitive spin-lock region observed at 1 h is the ischemic penumbra at-risk of infarct. In summary, 3-O-methyl-d-glucose-chemical exchange-sensitive spin-lock can be a sensitive MRI technique to probe the glucose transport in normal and ischemic brains.
Collecting the sea shanty: British maritime identity and Atlantic musical cultures in the early twentieth century
Authors: Milne Graeme J
Published: May 2017

This article explores an important phase in the survival of the sea shanty as a collected, recorded and documented musical form. The final demise of the sailing ship as an economic mode of transport in the early twentieth century inspired a plethora of books and memoirs celebrating the age of sail, and many authors focused on the sea shanty. Collectors debated the accuracy of written versions, the sanitisation of lyrics and the likely origins of particular songs, trying to establish both the ‘authentic’ shanty, and their own varied maritime qualifications for writing about it. The shanty also became important to wider debates about national identity, with its multicultural origins sitting awkwardly with the mainstream folk movement’s search for an English musical tradition.
The Strait of Gibraltar as the ‘meeting of the two seas’ from the Quran: References in medieval Spanish and North African texts
Authors: Modarressi Matin
Published: May 2017

In the Quran, there is a story in which Moses accidentally loses a fish at a place called the ‘meeting of the two seas’. While there are different interpretations, some Islamic scholars in Andalusia (medieval Spain) claimed that the ‘meeting of the two seas’ was a reference to the Strait of Gibraltar. Accordingly, they claimed that near Ceuta, there was an unusual-looking fish that was the offspring of the fish from the Quran, and that people called it ‘Moses’ fish’. As it turns out, this purported fish was based on something that actually existed.
Closing the ‘blue hole’: Maritime history as a core element of historical research
Authors: Heidbrink Ingo
Published: May 2017

The articles in this Forum are revised versions of papers presented in a roundtable session of the XXII International Congress of Historical Sciences, which was held in Jinan, China, during August 2015. In line with the roundtable format deployed by the congress, a broad proposition was introduced in the opening paper, followed by four responses delivered by experts in the field and a plenary discussion of the issues raised by the speakers. In this session, the proponent, Ingo Heidbrink, discussed the development of maritime history as a historical sub-discipline in relation to the emergence of world (and global) history. Particular attention was afforded to the comparative growth rates of these cognate sub-disciplines, and to the reasons why maritime history has expanded relatively slowly, leading to the emergence of a ‘blue hole’ in our knowledge and understanding of the past. The four respondents then addressed the issues raised by Heidbrink from their own disciplinary and regional perspectives. As Heidbrink’s ‘Concluding Remarks’ indicate, all participants agreed that, in itself, the allocation of a session to this subject on the core programme of the congress was a significant recognition that maritime history is a historical sub-discipline that is of relevance to the wider global community of historians, and not just those who are interested in the interaction of humans and the oceans.
Maritime history: A health check
Authors: Ojala Jari , Tenold Stig
Published: May 2017

This article discusses publishing trends within maritime history. The first part uses a purpose-built database to analyse information on more than 300 authors who have published in the International Journal of Maritime History, the leading journal within the field. The analysis of these data reveals that there is a substantial heterogeneity among those that publish maritime history articles. The second part of the article compares the development of publishing within maritime history with two other sub-disciplines, ‘world history’ and ‘global history’. Finally, the authors argue that maritime history is a very good entry point for other types of research, both historical analyses and other types of scholarship.
The future course of maritime history
Authors: Fischer Lewis R
Published: May 2017

The direction in which maritime history ought to go remains a somewhat contentious topic. Equally contentious is the issue of how best to proceed. One potential avenue is closer cooperation with world and global historians. This essay examines the possibilities and pitfalls of such collaboration, concluding that in thinking about the future maritime historians should be careful not to lose the approaches that have made their discipline unique.
The Social Organization of Access to Justice for Youth in ‘Unsafe’ Urban Neighbourhoods
Authors: Nichols Naomi
Published: May 2017

Drawing on the feminist sociological approach, institutional ethnography, this article reveals how young people in a designated neighbourhood improvement area in Toronto, Canada, experience reduced access to justice. Young people’s stories about their interactions with the police in their neighbourhood ground an analysis of the dispersal of justice in large urban centres as shaped by and constitutive of the social relations of race, gender and class. While the research proceeds from young people’s knowledge of their work and lives, the foci of analysis are the objectified forms of thought and action that produce the individual accounts young people share. The research finds that young people’s experiences of diminished relational fairness in their encounters with the police reduce the degree to which they expect full and equal access to other juridical and administrative public institutions and processes. Ultimately, the state’s efforts to produce and manage public safety, as a bureaucratic phenomenon, undermines embodied experiences of safety and access to justice for young people who live in economically disadvantaged and racialized urban neighbourhoods.
Does Corporate Social Responsibility Matter in Buying Behaviour?—A Study of Indian Consumers
Authors: Singh Ruhee , Malla Sweta Srivastava
Published: May 2017

Triple bottom line is making businesses increasingly conscious about the people, planet and profit. On one side where earning profits are crucial for organizations, the concept of sustainable corporate social responsibility (CSR) is also emerging as a major concern for the corporate strategy. How to strike a balance between the two is one of the major challenges ahead for organizations. Moreover, Indian consumers are also nowadays becoming more aware about the responsibilities that a firm should possess. They are not ignorant as they were earlier; media is more vigilant and companies have now started knowing about the escalating negative effects of neglecting society, dynamism, building brand reputation by incorporating CSR and increased competition in the marketing environment for being socially responsible. Therefore, this article is an endeavour to measure the extent to which Indian consumers are aware about CSR and whether CSR has any impact on Indian consumers’ actual buying behaviour. Data were collected from 232 respondents via a questionnaire. The results showed a significant positive effect of independent variables called intensity, intended loyalty and influence of socially responsible firms on dependent variables which is consumers’ actual buying behaviour. Regression analysis was carried out to arrive at the result. In addition to this, the study also found that Indian consumers are aware about the CSR activities of the organizations. The result also indicated that CSR is one of the determining factors while purchasing any product or services.
Determinants of Exchange Rate in Pakistan: Revisited with Structural Break Testing
Authors: Raza Syed Ali , Afshan Sahar
Published: May 2017

This study examines the determinants of exchange rate in Pakistan by using the time-series data from 1972 to 2013. The results of the autoregressive distributed lag bound testing co-integration approach, the Johansen and Juselius co-integration approach and the Gregory and Hansen structural break co-integration approach confirm the significant long-run relationship between a few considered variables. The estimations of the long run indicate a significant negative association of exchange rates with terms of trade, trade openness and economic growth. However, money supply and inflation rate have a positive and significant effect on exchange rates. The outcomes of the error correction model suggest the negative and significant relationship of the terms of trade and trade openness on exchange rates of Pakistan in the short run. However, all other variables are found insignificant in the short run. The Granger causality test confirms the presence of a bidirectional causal relationship of the exchange rate with economics growth and trade openness in Pakistan. However, the inflation, money supply and terms of trade possess the unidirectional causality which runs from the explanatory variable to the exchange rate of the country. The present study may guide policymakers in formulating conclusive monetary and fiscal policies to ascertain the less volatile and productive exchange rate for Pakistan to attain sustainable economic growth for a long span of time.
Credit Risk Stress Testing Practices in BRICS: Post-global Financial Crisis Scenario
Authors: Pati A. P.
Published: May 2017

The impact of global financial crisis (GFC) was well pervasive with no exception to Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) nations. Banking being the conduit to the market was affected severely in many economies including BRICS, where credit risk emanated from non-performing loans (NPL) was ascribed as the main cause of concern. With the help of The World Bank data set of pre-GFC and post-GFC, this article attempts to look into the credit risk testing practices of BRICS. The Chow’s F-test based on NPL shows no shift in the profitability of banking across all the five economies, whereas a shift in the capital adequacy ratio (CAR) of Russia, India and China in post-crisis years was visible. The BRICS though has different political set-ups follow the international practice of credit risk stress testing for assessing the resilience of their banking sector. Before the crisis, International Monetary Fund (IMF) assessed stress testing for credit risk was in place with BRICS (except India) and currently all the countries are conducting such tests, either independently by their own central banks or with the help of IMF. Bank-specific tests, however, were not found. While India and South Africa are conducting such tests regularly, other three economies are lacking behind. Most of the assessments adopt simulated scenario analysis as well as sensitivity tests for credit risk. While India has been conducting the tests at macro, sector and bank group levels, others are concentrating on macro-level and bank group level. Though variations in selecting variables are found across BRICS, it was found to be very insignificant. The cautions that came along with these tests were mostly found for next 1 to 2 years indicating the test lacuna in predicting bank crisis on a long term.
Lesions caused by virulent Aeromonas hydrophila in farmed catfish (Ictalurus punctatus and I. punctatus × I. furcatus) in Mississippi
Authors: Baumgartner Wes A. , Ford Lorelei , Hanson Larry
Published: May 2017

In 2009, a virulent strain of Aeromonas hydrophila caused severe disease and high mortalities (motile aeromonad septicemia variant [MASv]) in farmed channel catfish ( Ictalurus punctatus) and hybrid catfish ( I. punctatus × I. furcatus) in eastern Mississippi and Alabama. As is common in MAS, there is severe hemorrhagic dermatitis with ulceration, as well as abdominal hyperemia, petechiation, and mild ascites. Additional findings in MASv cases include panophthalmitis and orbital cellulitis, leading to ocular rupture, and brains are often hyperemic with mild random acute hemorrhage. In MASv infections, there is consistently also marked hemorrhage and edema in the submucosa and muscularis of the stomach, with lymphangitis and a few bacteria, plus splenomegaly with infarcts. Microscopically, spleens have necrosis of ellipsoids with macrophage infiltration and small numbers of bacteria; however, large infarcts are filled with bacteria. Other organs, such as liver, kidneys, and intestine, which are typically associated with MAS caused by various aeromonad species, are less affected. The findings in the stomach have not been reported in MAS in farmed catfish, to our knowledge, and the splenic changes are highly characteristic of MAS compared to infection with other gram-negative bacteria, including Edwardsiella ictaluri and other aeromonad species and strains.
On Triangles and Houses: Conjectures on Space and the City in Relation to Some of Vilanova Artigas’s Houses in São Paulo
Authors: Medrano Leandro , Recaman Luiz
Published: May 2017

In São Paulo during the 1950s, a number of architectural projects for private residences had a significant impact on discussions concerning the relationship between architecture and the city within the context of industrial modernization and developmentism. The work of Vilanova Artigas (1915-1985) not only assembled the greatest number of theories on potential spatial and architectural configuration in this emerging peripheral metropolis but, from that moment onward, also had a permanent impact on Brazilian architecture. This was a period of expansive growth in the occupation and urbanization of Brazilian industrial cities and the problems thrown up by Vilanova Artigas’s architecture determined the endurance of architectural patterns which focused on a wide range of urbanity issues related to buildings which could not be controlled or changed by land occupations of that time. The aim of this work is to analyze the development of architectural and spatial patterns, which we believe, are at the root of the constructive experimentations in homes projected by Vilanova Artigas. Through his works, the architect was able to give shape to the social contradictions of the conservative modernization of South America’s greatest metropolis, São Paulo. The aim of this paper is to propose new topics which can assist the theorization of the difficult relationship between Brazilian architecture and the accelerated development of Brazil’s large cities. Brazil is currently undergoing a period of great urban transformations in the wake of the recent public and private investment in cities. Which local conceptions of architecture will counteract the processes of territorial degradation, a product of the aggression of economic movements driven by private conceptions of the collective space?
A randomized controlled trial to treat impaired learning and memory in multiple sclerosis: The self-GEN trial
Authors: Goverover Yael , Chiaravalloti Nancy , Genova Helen , DeLuca John
Published: May 2017

Background:

Difficulties in learning and memory are among the most persistent and frequently reported cognitive symptoms in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Objective:

To examine the efficacy of the self-generation learning program ( self-GEN trial) that consist of behavioral intervention sessions, teaching self-generation technique while using metacognitive strategies to improve learning and memory abilities in persons with MS. Additionally, the treatment aimed to address generalization of the treatment to activities of daily living.

Methods:

This double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial included 35 participants with clinically definite MS, 19 in the treatment group and 16 in the placebo control group. Participants completed a baseline neuropsychological assessment, including questionnaires assessing everyday memory and a repeat assessment immediately post-treatment.

Results:

The treatment group showed significantly improved learning and memory, self-regulation, and metacognition relative to the placebo post-treatment. Similar results were noted on measures of depression, functional status, and quality of life (QOL).

Conclusion:

This study provides initial Class I evidence that the self-GEN behavioral intervention improves memory, self-regulation, functional status, affective symptomatology, and QOL in patients with MS.