bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recombination Strength of Dislocations in High‐Performance Multicrystalline/Quasi‐Mono Hybrid Wafers During Solar Cell Processing
Authors: Adamczyk Krzysztof , Søndenå Rune , You Chang Chuan , Stokkan Gaute , Lindroos Jeanette , Rinio Markus , Di Sabatino Marisa
Published: November 2017

Wafers from a hybrid silicon ingot seeded in part for High Performance Multicrystalline, in part for a quasi‐mono structure, are studied in terms of the effect of gettering and hydrogenation on their final Internal Quantum Efficiency. The wafers are thermally processed in different groups – gettered and hydrogenated. Afterwards, a low temperature heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer cell process is applied to minimize the impact of temperature. Such procedure made it possible to study the effect of different processing steps on dislocation clusters in the material using the Light Beam Induced Current technique with a high spatial resolution. The dislocation densities are measured using automatic image recognition on polished and etched samples. The dislocation recombination strengths are obtained by a correlation of the IQE with the dislocation density according to the Donolato model. Different clusters are compared after different process steps. The results show that for the middle of the ingot, the gettering step can increase the recombination strength of dislocations by one order of magnitude. A subsequent passivation with layers containing hydrogen can lead to a decrease in the recombination strength to levels lower than in ungettered samples.
Benchmarking of DFT functionals for the kinetics and mechanisms of atmospheric addition reactions of OH radicals with phenyl and substituted phenyl‐based organic pollutants
Authors: Ma Fangfang , Xie Hong‐Bin , Chen Jingwen
Published: November 2017

•OH addition reactions play a pivotal role in the atmospheric transformation of a number of phenyl and substituted phenyl‐based persistent and toxic organic pollutants. Here, we screened appropriate DFT functionals to predict reaction mechanisms and rate constants (kOH) of the •OH additions by taking benzene and substituted benzenes (C6H5F, C6H5Cl, C6H5Br, C6H5CH3, C6H5OH) as model compounds. By comparing the kOH values calculated with DFT methods to experimental values, we found that the ωB97 functional is the best among the 18 functionals considered (using the basis sets 6‐31 + G(d,p) for optimizations and 6‐311++G(3df,2pd) for single point energy calculations) in the temperature range of 230‐330 K. In addition, we found that some other functionals performed well in specific conditions, e.g., BMKD3 is good for benzene, halogenated benzenes and C6H5CH3, and CAM‐B3LYP is good for the reaction of C6H5OH at room temperature. Based on the diversity of the electronic structures of the selected model compounds and the frequent occurrence of certain substituents (CH3, OH, F, Cl, and Br) in the target compounds, the functionals recommended here can be used for future study of the reaction mechanisms and kOH values for •OH addition to phenyl and substituted phenyl‐based persistent and toxic organic pollutants.
Spectrum Sharing Policy: Interoperable Communication and Information Sharing for Public Safety
Authors: Kapucu Naim , Haupt Brittany , Yuksel Murat
Published: November 2017

Among Public Safety Communication (PSC) systems there is a mounting concern over interoperability. To mitigate such interoperability issues, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) created the National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP) to guide the implementation of a nationwide PSC system; however, this system hinges on the effective integration of heterogeneous wireless communication systems, efficient spectrum sharing, and ability to overcome other key policy or management obstacles. To explore these topics further, this paper reviews government documents pertaining to interoperability, wireless communication, and spectrum sharing. Within the context of PSC, the study aims to identify key obstacles; understand how government documents address policies and regulations related to the wireless communication, interoperability, and spectrum sharing; and, determine how to address overload of wireless communication and spectrum during a major disaster situation.
Creating and capturing value from freemium business models: A demand‐side perspective
Authors: Rietveld Joost
Published: November 2017

Research Summary: While it has long been recognized that the business model can be a source of performance heterogeneity, less is known about how the business model affects consumers' perceptions about a firm's products and services. By taking a demand‐side perspective, I argue that business models create and capture value when the elements that compose a business model improve how consumers perceive a firm's products and better enable heterogeneous consumers to act on their willingness‐to‐pay. I develop theory on how the freemium business model competes with the premium business model and test hypotheses in the market for digital PC games. Results show that freemium games are played less and generate less revenues and that greater variety in games' menus of paid items is associated with higher revenues.

Managerial Summary: Freemium business models are increasingly prevalent in the digital economy, yet very little is known about how freemium affects consumers' perceptions of value and their willingness‐to‐pay. In this article, I study how the freemium business model competes with the premium business model in the market for digital PC games. Results show that freemium games are played less and generate less revenues than premium games and that greater variety in games' menus of paid items is associated with higher revenues. This implies that in order to achieve competitive parity with firms operating the premium business model, firms operating the freemium business model need to create more value (e.g., through improved product quality, income from advertisements, or unlocking network externalities) or operate at lower costs.
Self‐selection of entrepreneurial firms in thin venture capital markets: Theory and empirical evidence
Authors: Bertoni Fabio , D'Adda Diego , Grilli Luca
Published: November 2017

Research Summary: We develop a two‐step selection model between entrepreneurial ventures and venture capital (VC) investors in a thin VC market. The model predicts that in a thin VC market, the availability of VC reduces the propensity of firms to self‐select into the market for VC (demand‐side selection) but not the probability that firms entering the market for VC will receive financing (supply‐side selection). We test these predictions using survey‐based data on 190 new technology‐based firms in Italy during the late 1990s and early 2000s. The empirical evidence supports the predictions of the model.

Managerial Summary: Venture capital (VC) is an important ingredient of an environment that is conducive to the birth and the growth of entrepreneurial ventures, but VC markets are often highly local and thin in terms of participants. We show that the scarcity of VC supply may cause a drop in the demand for VC because entrepreneurs, anticipating that competition for VC money will be tough, will not seek VC in the first place. The more a market is thin, the more the demand‐side selection is likely to become more important than the supply‐side selection of VC investors. Demand‐side selection may involve a significant number of otherwise good targets for VC investment, which will not be in the radar of VC investors. In turn, this may deter new VC investors from entering the local market, thus creating a vicious cycle that raises concerns for both policy makers and VC general partners.
Accelerator expertise: Understanding the intermediary role of accelerators in the development of the Bangalore entrepreneurial ecosystem
Authors: Goswami Ketan , Mitchell J. Robert , Bhagavatula Suresh
Published: November 2017

Research Summary: To understand the intermediary role of accelerators in the developing regional entrepreneurial ecosystem of Bangalore, we analyze data from 54 interviews with accelerator graduates, accelerator managers, and other ecosystem stakeholders and from 49 websites, 13 online video interviews, 26 online news sources, and 301 pages of policy documents. Specifically, we adopt a socially situated entrepreneurial cognition approach to theorize how accelerator expertise, existing at a meso‐level, intermediates between (micro‐level) founders and the (macro‐level) ecosystem. In our model, four types of accelerator expertise—connection, development, coordination, and selection—together increase stakeholders’ commitment to the entrepreneurial ecosystem, leading to venture validation (success or failure) and ecosystem additionality. These findings indicate that accelerators contribute to ecosystems in a way that is distinct from, but supportive of, building individual ventures.

Managerial Summary: Accelerators are a new form of entrepreneurial support organization. These organizations typically focus on developing individual start‐ups, but we find that they also help develop entrepreneurial ecosystems. They do so by acting as a bridge between start‐ups and the broader entrepreneurial environmental resources by: (a) helping form connections, (b) helping develop individual start‐ups, (c) helping coordinate the right match among the various players in the ecosystem, and (d) helping select mentors and founders with the appropriate motivation and knowledge. As these accelerators apply this expertise in this go‐between role, they help build commitment to the broader ecosystem. Furthermore, they enable success (or fast failure) of individual start‐ups and do so in a way that develops the overall entrepreneurial capacity of the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Heterojunction‐Assisted Co3S4@Co3O4 Core–Shell Octahedrons for Supercapacitors and Both Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide Reduction Reactions
Authors: Yan Yibo , Li Kaixin , Chen Xiaoping , Yang Yanhui , Lee Jong‐Min
Published: November 2017

Expedition of electron transfer efficiency and optimization of surface reactant adsorption products desorption processes are two main challenges for developing non‐noble catalysts in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and CO2 reduction reaction (CRR). A heterojunction prototype on Co3S4@Co3O4 core–shell octahedron structure is established via hydrothermal lattice anion exchange protocol to implement the electroreduction of oxygen and carbon dioxide with high performance. The synergistic bifunctional catalyst consists of p‐type Co3O4 core and n‐type Co3S4 shell, which afford high surface electron density along with high capacitance without sacrificing mechanical robustness. A four electron ORR process, identical to the Pt catalyzed ORR, is validated using the core–shell octahedron catalyst. The synergistic interaction between cobalt sulfide and cobalt oxide bicatalyst reduces the activation energy to convert CO2 into adsorbed intermediates and hereby enables CRR to run at a low overpotential, with formate as the highly selective main product at a high faraday efficiency of 85.3%. The remarkable performance can be ascribed to the synergistic coupling effect of the structured co‐catalysts; heterojunction structure expedites the electron transfer efficiency and optimizes surface reactant adsorption product desorption processes, which also provide theoretical and pragmatic guideline for catalyst development and mechanism explorations.
TiO2 Films from the Low‐Temperature Oxidation of Ti as Passivating‐Contact Layers for Si Heterojunction Solar Cells
Authors: He Jian , Ling Zhaoheng , Gao Pingqi , Ye Jichun
Published: November 2017

Crystalline silicon (c‐Si) heterojunction solar cells featuring dopant‐free and carrier‐selective contacts have drawn considerable attention due to their potential in achieving high efficiency with extremely simple fabrication procedures. Here, a low‐temperature thermal oxidation process is developed to fabricate a titanium dioxide (TiO2) ultrathin layer directly from a titanium (Ti) film that was predeposited onto Si substrates, leading to a surface recombination velocity as low as 15 cm s−1. Detailed interfacial and structural characterizations show that the excellent contact passivation property was mainly attributed to the amorphous nature of TiO2 and the presence of a Ti‐contained SiOx interlayer. By applying this ultrathin TiO2 layer as a passivating‐contact layer, test heterojunction solar cells employing a core structure of poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)/n‐Si/TiO2 obtained an efficiency as high as 14.6% (only 13.0% for the reference device), demonstrating the potential for applications of this thermal oxidation‐derived TiO2 layer in dopant‐free heterojunction solar cells.
The Influence of Continuous Cooling Rate on Nano‐Precipitation Behavior of a Ti‐Bearing Steel undergone Hot Deformation
Authors: Ji Fengqin , Li Chengning , Song Wenwen , Wang Guodong
Published: November 2017

The formation of nanoscale precipitates influences the uniform mechanical properties of steels. The precipitation behavior in a Ti‐bearing steel with 50% hot deformation is investigated at different continuous cooling rates, including 0.5, 2, and 5 °C s−1. It is found that both the random precipitation and the interphase precipitation are observed in the hot deformed steel by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM). At the cooling rate of 0.5 and 2 °C s−1, the interphase precipitation and the random precipitation occur even in the same ferrite grain. When the cooling rate is 5 °C s−1, the interphase precipitation disappears and only the random precipitates exist in the small ferrite grains. The morphologies of the interphase precipitation change from the irregular curved type (I‐CIP) to regular curved type (R‐CIP), and finally to the regular planar type (PIP) with the increase of the cooling rate. The interphase precipitation adjacent to the ferrite grain boundaries reveals its preferential occurrence in the final stage of the transformation. Compared with the isothermal heat treatment, the control of precipitation behavior via cooling rate adjustment is easier and less time‐consuming to obtain tailored mechanical properties of the steel.
Behaviour of double shear connections with injection bolts
Authors: Kolstein Henk , Li Jingbin , Koper Axel , Gard Wolfgang , Nijgh Martin , Veljkovic Milan
Published: November 2017

The RFCS project SIROCO (2014–17) included research on the further development and optimization of double shear connections with injection bolts to achieve slip‐ and creep‐resistant bolted connections considering various influencing parameters. The type of resin, the curing condition of the resin, the geometrical and mechanical characteristics of the connection and the type of loading were studied. Results showed, for example, that of the five epoxy resins investigated, only RenGel SW404 + HY2404 (Araldite) fulfils the requirements given in Eurocode 3. A bearing stress of 175 MPa is safely allowable in the long‐term without exceeding imposed deformation limits.
Slip‐resistant bolted connections of stainless steel
Authors: Stranghöner Natalie , Afzali Nariman , de Vries Peter , Schedin Erik , Pilhagen Johan , Cardwell Simon
Published: November 2017

The use of stainless steel components can lead to a significant reduction of maintenance costs compared to a structure executed in carbon steel. Because of its high material strength, ductility and corrosion resistance stainless steels are becoming more and more popular as a construction material in both building and civil engineering structures. Consequently slip‐resistant bolted connections made of stainless steel are becoming more important. Slip‐resistant bolted connections are used in joints where slip is not acceptable (because they are subject to reversal of shear load or any other reason) or in joints that are subject to cyclic shear load (to improve the fatigue class of the connecting plates). Existing design codes/standards do not specify slip factors for surface treatments of stainless steel grades, the minimum values of slip factors for common surface treatments/coatings that are specified in EN 1090‐2 are exclusively valid for carbon steels. One of the reasons for this is that stainless steel alloys are thought to suffer more than carbon steels from time dependent behaviour (creep and relaxation) at room temperature. This could lead to higher preload losses and consequently to lower slip factors than used for carbon steels with comparable surface treatment. However, no evidence of this can be found in literature. Creep and relaxation are stress dependant phenomena and the stresses in the components of preloaded bolted connections are locally highly non‐uniform. Therefore, slip factors of different stainless steel grades have to be determined by experiments to investigate the effects of time dependant material behaviour. In this paper the results of slip factor tests on four stainless steel grades are presented and the influence of surface treatments and the preload level on the slip factor of stainless steel slip‐resistant connections is discussed.
Seismic evaluation of engineered cementitious composites beam–column–slab subassemblies with various column‐to‐beam flexural strength ratios
Authors: Liang Xingwen , Lu Tingting
Published: November 2017

Previous studies showed that the column‐to‐beam flexural strength ratio, the effect flange width, and the material nonlinearity were the major factors in determining the failure mechanism of frame structure during seismic loading. For the purpose of evaluating the seismic performance of frame structures, five beam‐column–slab subassemblies with various column‐to‐beam flexural strength ratios were tested, four of which used engineered cementitious composites (ECC) at the joint and plastic hinge regions of the beam, column, and slab (referred to as the expected damaged position below). The findings suggest that the specimens that used ECC material in the expected damaged positions had a greater tendency toward the “strong column–weak beam” failure mechanism compared with the reinforced concrete specimens, and the use of ECC in the subassemblies enhanced their seismic performance with regard to energy dissipation, ductility, and integrity. The ECC specimen with the expected column‐to‐beam strength ratio of 1.2 (the ratio in the test was 1.12) still had serious damage at the lower column end. However, the specimen with the expected ratio of 1.6 (the ratio in the test was 1.45) only had multiple cracks at the column ends and did not exhibit obvious damage.
Social identity in MNCs based on language and nationality
Authors: Wöcke Albert , Grosse Robert , Stacey Anthony , Brits Natasha
Published: November 2017

The existence of multiple languages in a multinational corporation (MNC) causes tensions in the firm both by causing problems in communicating and by creating social groups. MNCs that adopt a common corporate language that is not their home language will find a problem of competing languages. Nationality is another cultural feature that leads to perceived biases that favor home‐country nationals. We explore both of these influences using social identity theory. Our research was conducted in a Spanish MNC that has subsidiaries in 42 countries and has adopted English as its corporate language. We used a mixed‐method approach with a mailed survey of 216 managers across 42 subsidiaries in the MNC and personal interviews of headquarters executives. We found that Spanish speakers enjoyed advantages in terms of access to resources for themselves and their subsidiaries, relative to non‐Spanish speakers. This access was greater when the Spanish speakers were Spanish nationals and was moderated by geographic proximity of the subsidiary to the headquarters and age of the subsidiary.
Simultaneous search for extra light and heavy Higgs bosons via cascade decays
Authors: Ellwanger Ulrich , Rodríguez-Vázquez Matías
Published: November 2017

Abstract

Models with extended Higgs sectors can contain several additional Higgs states, heavier or lighter than the SM Higgs boson. The couplings of lighter extra states to SM particles can be strongly reduced, leading to small cross sections for their direct production. Heavier extra states can have larger couplings to SM particles and, moreover, have large branching fractions into lighter extra states, notably into a SM-like Higgs boson accompagnied by another Higgs state which can be lighter or heavier than 125 GeV. Motivated by corresponding scenarios in the NMSSM we study the prospects for the discovery or exclusion of cascade decays ggF → H
3 → H
2 + H
1 in the

$$ b\overline{b}b\overline{b},\kern0.5em b\overline{b}\tau \tau $$

b

b
¯

b

b
¯

,

b

b
¯

τ
τ

and

$$ b\overline{b}\gamma \gamma $$

b

b
¯

γ
γ

final states where either H
1 or H
2 can be SM-like. Significant regions of the NMSSM parameter space can be tested by these searches. These are, however, not confined to models of the NMSSM type.
A formal approach for detection of security flaws in the android permission system
Authors: Bagheri Hamid , Kang Eunsuk , Malek Sam , Jackson Daniel
Published: November 2017

The ever increasing expansion of mobile applications into nearly every aspect of modern life, from banking to healthcare systems, is making their security more important than ever. Modern smartphone operating systems (OS) rely substantially on the permission-based security model to enforce restrictions on the operations that each application can perform. In this paper, we perform an analysis of the permission protocol implemented in Android, a popular OS for smartphones. We propose a formal model of the Android permission protocol in Alloy, and describe a fully automatic analysis that identifies potential flaws in the protocol. A study of real-world Android applications corroborates our finding that the flaws in the Android permission protocol can have severe security implications, in some cases allowing the attacker to bypass the permission checks entirely.
Contribution of reactive oxygen species to the anticancer activity of aminoalkanol derivatives of xanthone
Authors: Sypniewski Daniel , Szkaradek Natalia , Loch Tomasz , Waszkielewicz Anna M. , Gunia-Krzyżak Agnieszka , Matczyńska Daria , Sołtysik Dagna , Marona Henryk , Bednarek Ilona
Published: November 2017

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are critically involved in the action of anticancer agents. In this study, we investigated the role of ROS in the anticancer mechanism of new aminoalkanol derivatives of xanthone. Most xanthones used in the study displayed significant pro-oxidant effects similar to those of gambogic acid, one of the most active anticancer xanthones. The pro-oxidant activity of our xanthones was shown both directly (by determination of ROS induction, effects on the levels of intracellular antioxidants, and expression of antioxidant enzymes) and indirectly by demonstrating that the overexpression of manganese superoxide dismutase decreases ROS-mediated cell senescence. We also observed that mitochondrial dysfunction and cellular apoptosis enhancement correlated with xanthone-induced oxidative stress. Finally, we showed that the use of the antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine partly reversed these effects of aminoalkanol xanthones. Our results demonstrated that novel aminoalkanol xanthones mediated their anticancer activity primarily through ROS elevation and enhanced oxidative stress, which led to mitochondrial cell death stimulation; this mechanism was similar to the activity of gambogic acid.
The Class-A GPCR Dopamine D2 Receptor Forms Transient Dimers Stabilized by Agonists: Detection by Single-Molecule Tracking
Authors: Kasai Rinshi S. , Ito Shuichi V. , Awane Ryo M. , Fujiwara Takahiro K. , Kusumi Akihiro
Published: November 2017

Whether class-A G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) exist and work as monomers or dimers has drawn extensive attention. A class-A GPCR dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) is involved in many physiological and pathological processes and diseases, indicating its critical role in proper functioning of neuronal circuits. In particular, D2R homodimers might play key roles in schizophrenia development and amphetamine-induced psychosis. Here, using single-molecule imaging, we directly tracked single D2R molecules in the plasma membrane at a physiological temperature of 37 °C, and unequivocally determined that D2R forms transient dimers with a lifetime of 68 ms in its resting state. Agonist addition prolonged the dimer lifetime by a factor of ~1.5, suggesting the possibility that transient dimers might be involved in signaling.
Prevalence of Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus in Uygur
and Han populations from the Urumqi and Kashgar regions of Xinjiang,
China
Authors: Zheng Jun , Yang Yang , Cui Meng , Shu Zhan-Jun , Han Li-Li , Liu Zhen-Qiu , Wood Charles , Zhang Tiejun , Zeng Yan
Published: November 2017

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the infectious etiologic agent
associated with Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS), primary effusion lymphoma, and multicentric
Castleman disease. It has been shown that high KSHV prevalence and high incidence of
both classic KS and AIDSassociated KS are found mostly among people of Uygur
ethnicity in Xinjiang, while people of Han ethnicity in Xinjiang have a higher KSHV
seroprevalence than those of other Han populations in mainland China. However, it is
still unclear why there is such geographical and population variation in KSHV
distribution in China. In this work, we focused on the populations in the Kashgar
region and Urumqi area, where a total of 1294 research subjects were randomly
selected to investigate the potential correlation between KSHV prevalence and
different ethnicities in endemic areas of Xinjiang, and to determine risk factors
that may affect KSHV infection rates or KS incidence. We identified a high
seroprevalence of KSHV and high peripheral blood DNA infection in the general Uygur
and Han populations in both Urumqi and Kashgar regions of Xinjiang, and determined
that advancing age, low education level, and stationary population status affect
KSHV infection rates. Further, KSHV-positive Uygur participants were shown to have
higher prevalence of neutralizing antibodies and neutralizing antibody titers than
KSHV-positive Han participants.
The regulatory role of protein phosphorylation in human
gammaherpesvirus associated cancers
Authors: Wang Yuyan , Banerjee Shuvomoy , Ding Ling , Cai Cankun , Wei Fang , Cai Qiliang
Published: November 2017

Activation of specific sets of protein kinases by intracellular signal molecules
has become more and more apparent in the past decade. Phosphorylation, one of key
posttranslational modification events, is activated by kinase or regulatory protein
and is vital for controlling many physiological functions of eukaryotic cells such
as cell proliferation, differentiation, malignant transformation, and signal
transduction mediated by external stimuli. Moreovers, the reversible modification of
phosphorylation and dephosphorylation can result in different features of the target
substrate molecules including DNA binding, protein-protein interaction, subcellular
location and enzymatic activity, and is often hijacked by viral infection.
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Kaposi’s sarcomaassociated herpesvirus (KSHV), two
human oncogenic gamma-herpesviruses, are shown to tightly associate with many
malignancies. In this review, we summarize the recent progresses on understanding of
molecular properties and regulatory modes of cellular and viral proteins
phosphorylation influenced by these two tumor viruses, and highlight the potential
therapeutic targets and strategies against their related cancers.
‘Lawfare’, US military discourse, and the colonial constitution of law and war
Authors: Irani Freya
Published: November 2017

In this article, I aim to reorient debates, in International Relations and Law, about the relationship between law and war. In the last decade, writers have challenged common understandings of law as a limit on, or moderator of, warfare. They have instead claimed that law is often used as a ‘weapon of warfare’, describing such uses as ‘lawfare’. Below, rather than arguing that law is either a constraint on or an enabler of warfare, I examine how law comes to be represented as such. Specifically, I examine representations, primarily by US military and other governmental lawyers, of ‘non-Western’ invocations of the laws of war, which seek to constrain the policies or practices of the US or Israeli governments. I show how these authors cast such invocations as not law at all, but as tools of war. I suggest that this move rests on, and reproduces, colonial discourses of ‘non-Western’ legal inadequacy or excess, which serve to render ‘non-Western’ law ‘violent’ or ‘war-like’. I show that the referents and boundaries of law and war are stabilised by notions of civilisational difference, which serve to give meaning to what law is, what war is, and whether particular claims or practices are understood as martial or legal.
Lower bounds for the decay of correlations in non-uniformly expanding maps
Authors: HU HUYI , VAIENTI SANDRO
Published: November 2017

We give conditions under which non-uniformly expanding maps exhibit lower bounds of polynomial type for the decay of correlations and for a large class of observables. We show that if the Lasota–Yorke-type inequality for the transfer operator of a first return map is satisfied in a Banach space ${\mathcal{B}}$, and the absolutely continuous invariant measure obtained is weak mixing, in terms of aperiodicity, then, under some renewal condition, the maps have polynomial decay of correlations for observables in ${\mathcal{B}}.$ We also provide some general conditions that give aperiodicity for expanding maps in higher dimensional spaces. As applications, we obtain lower bounds for piecewise expanding maps with an indifferent fixed point and for which we also allow non-Markov structure and unbounded distortion. The observables are functions that have bounded variation or satisfy quasi-Hölder conditions and have their support bounded away from the neutral fixed points.
Ecumenism in a Time of Transition
Authors: Root Michael
Published: November 2017

To assess the present state and future possibilities of personal and ecclesial ecumenism between Protestant and Catholic Christians is a difficult task. On the one hand, the diversity among Protestants is so great few generalities hold for all of them. The challenges involved in Catholic relations with the Church of England are quite different than those involved in relations with the Southern Baptist Convention, and different in yet other ways from those involved in relations with a Pentecostal church in South Africa. In a broad sense, one can think of a spectrum of Protestant churches, some with whom Catholic relations might be close, and then a series of churches at a greater distance from Catholicism with whom relations would be more limited. That picture is only partially true, however. On many social issues, Catholics can work more closely with Evangelicals, with whom there are deep differences over sacraments and ecclesiology, than they can with more socially liberal representatives of, say, the Lutheran or Anglican traditions. In this brief reflection, I will be concerned with the Protestant communities with whom the greatest possibilities of a wide spectrum of closer relations seem to exist, such as the Anglican, Lutheran, and Reformed churches.
Nonperturbative generation of above-threshold harmonics from pre-excited argon atoms in intense mid-infrared laser fields
Authors: Li Guihua , Xie Hongqiang , Li Ziting , Yao Jinping , Chu Wei , Cheng Ya
Published: November 2017

We experimentally investigate the generation of above-threshold harmonics completely from argon atoms on an excited state using mid-infrared femtosecond laser pulses. The highly nonlinear dependences of the observed signal on the pulse energy and polarization of the probe laser pulses indicate its nonperturbative characteristic.
Seeing the World Through the Other's Eye: An Online Intervention Reducing Ethnic Prejudice
Authors: SIMONOVITS GÁBOR , KÉZDI GÁBOR , KARDOS PÉTER
Published: November 2017

We report the results of an intervention that targeted anti-Roma sentiment in Hungary using an online perspective-taking game. We evaluated the impact of this intervention using a randomized experiment in which a sample of young adults played this perspective-taking game, or an unrelated online game. Participation in the perspective-taking game markedly reduced prejudice, with an effect-size equivalent to half the difference between voters of the far-right and the center-right party. The effects persisted for at least a month, and, as a byproduct, the intervention also reduced antipathy toward refugees, another stigmatized group in Hungary, and decreased vote intentions for Hungary's overtly racist, far-right party by 10%. Our study offers a proof-of-concept for a general class of interventions that could be adapted to different settings and implemented at low costs.
Wisdom of Crowds reveals decline of Asian horseshoe crabs in Beibu Gulf, China
Authors: Liao Yongyan , Hsieh Hwey-Lian , Xu Shuqing , Zhong Qiuping , Lei Juan , Liang Mingzhong , Fang Huaiyi , Xu Lili , Lin Wuying , Xiao Xiaobo , Chen Chang-Po , Cheung Siu Gin , Kwan Billy K. Y.
Published: November 2017

Population decline among Asian horseshoe crabs in Asia is increasingly reported, but knowledge of their population and ecological status in China is limited. We conducted community interviews in 30 fishing villages around Beibu Gulf in Guangxi, China, to collect distribution information about the potential spawning/nursery grounds of Tachypleus tridentatus and Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda, and any imminent threats to their populations. Based on the results from 400 respondents we identified 45 potential spawning/nursery grounds distributed widely along the shores of Beibu Gulf. We visited 10 of these sites and verified the presence of juvenile horseshoe crabs by field surveys. Nearly all respondents reported an overall depletion in horseshoe crab populations from these 45 sites, which they attributed mainly to unsustainable fishing practices. Respondents who reported having seen horseshoe crab mating pairs on shores were mostly older people, which may suggest a considerable reduction in horseshoe crabs coming to the shores to spawn in recent years. The mean daily harvest of adult T. tridentatus offshore, as indicated by fishers, has declined from c. 50–1,000 in the 1990s to 0–30 individuals during 2011–2016. Our Wisdom of Crowds approach, supported by confirmatory field surveys, is a cost-effective method for assessing the population status of horseshoe crabs, and the level of threat they face. Similar approaches with other species are likely to be particularly valuable in the Asia–Pacific region, where well-structured population monitoring is largely unaffordable.
Stabilising sleep for patients admitted at acute crisis to a psychiatric hospital (OWLS): an assessor-blind pilot randomised controlled trial
Authors: Sheaves Bryony , Freeman Daniel , Isham Louise , McInerney Josephine , Nickless Alecia , Yu Ly-Mee , Rek Stephanie , Bradley Jonathan , Reeve Sarah , Attard Caroline , Espie Colin A. , Foster Russell , Wirz-Justice Anna , Chadwick Eleanor , Barrera Alvaro
Published: November 2017

Background

When patients are admitted onto psychiatric wards, sleep problems are highly prevalent. We carried out the first trial testing a psychological sleep treatment at acute admission (Oxford Ward sLeep Solution, OWLS).

Methods

This assessor-blind parallel-group pilot trial randomised patients to receive sleep treatment at acute crisis [STAC, plus standard care (SC)], or SC alone (1 : 1). STAC included cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) for insomnia, sleep monitoring and light/dark exposure for circadian entrainment, delivered over 2 weeks. Assessments took place at 0, 2, 4 and 12 weeks. Feasibility outcomes assessed recruitment, retention of participants and uptake of the therapy. Primary efficacy outcomes were the Insomnia Severity Index and Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale at week 2. Analyses were intention-to-treat, estimating treatment effect with 95% confidence intervals.

Results

Between October 2015 and July 2016, 40 participants were recruited (from 43 assessed eligible). All participants offered STAC completed treatment (mean sessions received = 8.6, s.d. = 1.5). All participants completed the primary end point. Compared with SC, STAC led to large effect size (ES) reductions in insomnia at week 2 (adjusted mean difference −4.6, 95% CI −7.7 to −1.4, ES −0.9), a small improvement in psychological wellbeing (adjusted mean difference 3.7, 95% CI −2.8 to 10.1, ES 0.3) and patients were discharged 8.5 days earlier. One patient in the STAC group had an adverse event, unrelated to participation.

Conclusions

In this challenging environment for research, the trial was feasible. Therapy uptake was high. STAC may be a highly effective treatment for sleep disturbance on wards with potential wider benefits on wellbeing and admission length.
Grandparent Care: A Key Factor in Mothers’ Labour Force Participation in the UK
Authors: KANJI SHIREEN
Published: November 2017

The relationships between paid work and informal care are critical to understanding how paid work is made possible. An extensive source of childcare in the UK is the intergenerational care grandparents provide. Using data from the UK's Millennium Cohort Study, a nationally representative sample of children born in 2000, biprobit and instrumental variables (IV) analysis of mothers’ participation (given the social construction of caring responsibility) identifies a significant causal effect of grandparents’ childcare in that it:

(i)

raises the labour force participation of mothers with a child of school entry age on average by 12 percentage points (the average marginal effect);

(ii)

raises the participation of the group of mothers who use grandparent childcare by 33 percentage points compared to the situation if they did not have access to this care (the average treatment effect on the treated).

Thus grandparent-provided childcare has a substantial impact on the labour market in the UK, an impact that may not be sustainable with forthcoming changes to the state pension age. Grandparents’ childcare increases the labour force participation of lone and partnered mothers at all levels of educational qualifications but by different degrees. Grandparents’ childcare enables mothers to enter paid work rather than extending their hours of paid work.
Anaximander’s Model and the Measures of the Sun and Moon
Authors: Thibodeau Philip
Published: November 2017

This paper proposes a new interpretation of the dimensions of the sun and moon wheels in Anaximander's cosmology. While the traditional reconstruction proposed by Tannery and Diels posits six measures for three different wheels (sun, moon and stars), it will be argued here that Anaximander gave only two basic measurements, one for the moon's wheel (19 times bigger than the earth) and one for the sun's (28 times bigger). These two values can be accounted for by their connection to the lunar month – a graphic representation of the wheels which includes motion accurately reproduces the relative positions of the sun and moon; in fact they are the smallest pair of figures from which a twowheel model can be made that represents the month correctly. Anaximander derived his two parameters by attempting to incorporate basic observational data into a cosmic model.
Schrödinger’s Mouse: Liminality and the ΛΙΜΝΗ in the Batrachomyomachia
Authors: Hosty Matthew
Published: November 2017

This article argues that the ambiguity over whether certain characters are alive or dead during the second half of the Batrachomyomachia is not only deliberate, as previous scholars have suggested, but part of a complex intertextual relationship with Iliad 21 and Achilles’ battle in the Scamander. It concludes by suggesting that the poet's decision to stage this new battle in a ƛίμνη, a pool or pond, helps to articulate the ideas of life, death and resurrection which characterize this section of the poem.
Unmet need for social care among older people
Authors: VLACHANTONI ATHINA
Published: November 2017

Understanding the nature and extent of unmet need for social care among older people is a critical policy priority in the United Kingdom and beyond, as national governments juggle the provision of adequate social care for a growing older population with competing funding priorities. Several factors can heighten the experience of unmet need among older people, for instance their family environment, and their health and socio-economic status. This paper contributes empirical evidence on the patterns of unmet need for social care among older people in England today, focusing on the individual characteristics associated with experiencing unmet need in relation to mobility tasks, activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). The results show that about 55 per cent of older individuals with an ADL difficulty had unmet need, compared to 24 per cent of those with an IADL difficulty and 80 per cent of those with a mobility difficulty. Characteristics reflecting greater vulnerability were more strongly associated with the risk of experiencing unmet need for ADLs, and such vulnerability was greater for particular ADLs (e.g. bathing), and for a higher number of ADLs. The findings reaffirm the complexity of conceptualising and empirically investigating unmet need in later life, and add to our understanding of the challenges of providing adequate and appropriate social care to older people.
Restricted gene flow in the endangered Capricorn Yellow ChatEpthianura crocea macgregori: consequences for conservation management
Authors: HOUSTON WAYNE A. , ASPDEN WILLIAM J. , ELDER ROD , BLACK ROBERT L. , NEAVES LINDA E. , KING ANDREW G. , MAJOR RICHARD E.
Published: November 2017

The Yellow ChatEpthianura croceais comprised of three disjunct subspecies. SubspeciesE. c. macgregori(Capricorn Yellow Chat) is listed as Critically Endangered under the EPBC Act and has a distribution that also appears to be disjunct, with a limited geographic area of less than 7,000 ha. Some populations are threatened by rapid industrial development, and it is important for conservation of the subspecies to determine the extent to which the putative populations are connected. We used 14 microsatellite markers to measure genetic diversity and to determine the extent of gene flow between two disjunct populations at the northern and southern extremes of the subspecies’ range. No significant differences in genetic diversity (number of alleles and heterozygosity) were observed, but clear population structuring was apparent, with obvious differentiation between the northern and southern populations. The most likely explanation for reduced gene flow between the two populations is either the development of a geographic barrier as a consequence of shrinkage of the marine plains associated with the rise in sea levels following the last glacial maxima, or reduced connectivity across the largely unsuitable pasture and forest habitat that now separates the two populations, exacerbated by declining population size and fewer potential emigrants. Regardless of the mechanism, restricted gene flow between these two populations has important consequences for their ongoing conservation. The relative isolation of the smaller southern groups (the Fitzroy River delta and Curtis Island) from the much larger northern group (both sides of the Broad Sound) makes the southern population more vulnerable to local extinction. Conservation efforts should focus on nature refuge agreements with land owners agreeing to maintain favourable grazing management practices in perpetuity, particularly in the northern area where most chats occur. Supplemental exchanges of individuals from northern and southern populations should be explored as a way of increasing genetic diversity and reducing inbreeding.
Aortic elasticity and carotid intima-media thickness in children with mitral valve prolapse
Authors: Erolu Elif , Akalın Figen , Çetiner Nilüfer , Şaylan Çevik Berna
Published: November 2017

Aim

We aimed to study the dimensions, systolic and diastolic functions of the left ventricle; dimensions and elasticity of the aorta; and carotid intima-media thickness and flow-mediated dilatation of the brachial artery in mitral valve prolapse.

Methods

The study group consisted of 43 patients (mean age=13.3±3.9) and 42 healthy children (mean age=12.9±3.4). Left ventricular end-diastolic, end-systolic, left atrial diameters, interventricular septum, and left ventricular posterior wall thickness were measured. Ejection and shortening fractions were calculated by M-mode. Measurements were adjusted to the body surface area. Mitral annulus, and systolic and diastolic diameters of the aortic annulus and aorta at each level were obtained; z-scores, aortic strain, distensibility, stiffness index were calculated. Carotid intima-media thickness and flow-mediated dilatation were studied. Patients were classified as classical/non-classical mitral valve prolapse and younger/older patients.

Results

Left ventricular end-systolic, end-diastolic, and left atrial diameters (p=0.009, p=0.024, p=0.001) and aortic z-scores at annulus, sinus valsalva, and sinotubuler junction were larger (p=0.008, p=0.003, p=0.002, respectively) in the mitral valve prolapse group. Aortic strain and distensibility increased and stiffness decreased at the ascending aorta in the patient group (p=0.012, 0.020, p=0.019, respectively). Classical mitral valve prolapse had lower strain and distensibility and higher stiffness of the aorta at sinus valsalva level (p=0.010, 0.027, 0.004, respectively). Carotid intima-media thickness was thinner in the patient group, especially in the non-classical mitral valve prolapse group (p=0.037). Flow-mediated dilatation did not differ among the groups.

Conclusion

Mitral valve prolapse is a systemic disease of the connective tissue causing enlarged cardiac chambers and increased elasticity of the aorta. Decreased carotid intima-media thickness in this group may indicate low atherosclerosis risk.
DIRECTED STRUCTURAL CHANGE
Authors: Kane Robert F.
Published: November 2017

This paper extends the existing theories of directed technical change by allowing the factors of production, skilled, and unskilled workers, to be employed in both the skill-intensive and unskilled-intensive sectors. Consequently, the direction of technical progress and the sectoral allocation of factors are jointly determined. The feedback between technical progress and the allocation of factors leads to new results concerning structural change and directed technical change. An increase in the endowment of a factor leads to a dynamic reallocation of factors toward the sector that uses the factor intensively. The reallocation of factors also affects the stability properties of directed technical change. When the parameter conditions necessary for strong bias are satisfied, the interior regime (nonspecialization) is at most locally stable. More importantly, if the relative endowment of skilled labor becomes too high (low), the economy necessarily specializes in the production of skilled (unskilled)-labor-intensive goods. Last, the relationship between the relative endowment of skilled labor and the steady-state relative wage rate is not necessarily monotonic.
UNIQUENESS THEOREMS FOR MAPPINGS OF FINITE DISTORTION
Authors: VILLAMOR ENRIQUE
Published: November 2017

In this paper we prove uniqueness theorems for mappings $F\in W_{\text{loc}}^{1,n}(\mathbb{B}^{n};\mathbb{R}^{n})$ of finite distortion $1\leq K(x)=\Vert \mathit{DF}(x)\Vert ^{n}/J_{F}(x)$ satisfying some integrability conditions. These types of theorems fundamentally state that if a mapping defined in $\mathbb{B}^{n}$ has the same boundary limit $a$ on a ‘relatively large’ set $E\subset \unicode[STIX]{x2202}\mathbb{B}^{n}$, then the mapping is constant. Here the size of the set $E$ is measured in terms of its $p$-capacity or equivalently its Hausdorff dimension.