bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Anarchism in Occupy Wall Street
Authors: Gautney Heather
Published: January 2018

Occupy Wall Street (OWS) is a massive protest movement calling for radical social change and an end to unbridled corruption. OWS emerged in September 2011 in New York with highly confrontational demonstrations against the Wall Street banks, and a small encampment in the city’s financial district. Within weeks, hundreds of local camps emerged throughout the U.S., along with ongoing series of vehement, decentralized protest actions. Much to the chagrin of the American political establishment, OWS operates as an elusive and flexible, “leaderless” organization, without a centralized authority or party affiliation, and uses occupation as a primary form of protest. This paper looks at the ways in which the movements’ leaderless organization and egalitarian social vision were/are deeply influenced by anarchist principles like anti-authoritarianism (anti-statism), anti-capitalism, direct action, and prefiguration. It then discusses attempts by Occupy camps, such as those in New York, Philadelphia, and Oakland, to repossess spaces, rights, and other forms of social wealth within different urban contexts. It analyzes how the Occupy camps, as well as innovations like the General Assemblies, spokescouncils, and social media formations, are transforming urban landscapes and creating new forms of social and political engagement based on anarchist praxis.
Background, 1918–1941
Authors: Prusin Alexander
Published: January 2018

Serves as a brief introduction to the history of Serbia within the kingdom of Kingdom of Yugoslavia. At the end of World War I, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenians (SCS) appeared on the map of the Balkans. From the beginning, the SCS (since 1929 the Kingdom of Yugoslavia) was beset by political instability. The Serbian political and military circles were poised to maintain the “Serbian” outlook of the new state, while the non-Serbs, particularly the Croats and Slovenes, resented the pronounced Serbian dominance in state politics. As a result of these conflicting expectations, the entire history of the SCS (renamed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929) was marred by political and ethnic dissent, compounded by serious economic problems.
The Cream of Tartar Wars
Authors: Civitello Linda
Published: January 2018

This chapter deals with three different trade wars at the end of the nineteenth century: (1) within Royal for control of the company; (2) between Royal and companies that used different formulas; and (3) among three companies that used cream of tartar, including Dr. Price. All the companies claimed that their competitors’ products were toxic and that they were perpetrating frauds on consumers. The last war was resolved by combining the three companies into the Royal trust, capitalized at $20 million, as part of the Great Merger Movement. There is also an analysis of cookbooks showing African-American and Hispanic use of baking powder.
Paul Hanly Furfey
Authors: Rademacher Nicholas K.
Published: January 2018

Paul Hanly Furfey (1896-1992) is one of U.S. Catholicism’s greatest champions of peace and social justice. In a career that spanned over five decades, Furfey attempted to compose a coherent and penetrating social reform agenda in theory and practice from the elements available to him at any given time. He attempted to remain as objective as possible by remaining attentive to facts derived from social analysis; the corporate wisdom of the Catholic Church; and best practices in the field, whether from professional social work, the personalism of radical Catholic social justice groups, or the praxis based approach of liberation theology. First and foremost, Furfey viewed his role in terms of an intellectual apostolate. Clearly, Furfey’s pursuit of objectivity in this apostolate did not blunt his criticism. His social analysis, especially as filtered through his reading of the Christian theological tradition, revealed an unwavering and, at times, prophetic preferential option for the poor. He communicated this message through his role as a priest, scholar, and educator. Furfey’s revolutionary view of the university as a center for social transformation is paradigmatic of his contribution. Education of students and scholarship were central to his work. He also encouraged the creation of structures that would empower and transform the communities that surrounded the university. He and his colleagues developed social settlement communities that drew on the latest social scientific research and technique while at the same time incorporating principles that they learned from radical Catholics like Dorothy Day and Catherine de Hueck Doherty.
Digital Literacy in Second Language Teaching: Spaces for an Education Adapted to the Communication Needs of Our Age
Authors: Escandell Montiel Daniel
Published: January 2018

The set of competencies required for full participation in a knowledge society (the digital literacy) is an ever-growing concern in the contemporary educative space. This article defends that Second/Foreign Language Teaching provides a relevant opportunity for the inclusion digital literacy in the classroom in both official and unofficial education systems. Moreover, the article shows how electronic literature can provide realias for both cyber communication learning and digital literary development. To do so, the article offers a selection of renowned works and a critical perspective on its potential educative use.
Lexical Approach: translation and interpretation in the teaching of E/LE with Persian speakers
Authors: Ghavamí Setareh , Gorji Khatereh , Alcoba Santiago
Published: January 2018

This work starts with a brief presentation of some of the most outstanding aspects of the Persian language to get an idea of the distances and differences between L1 and L2, which can justify the use of translation and interpretation, as defended by Lewis (1997).From the perspective of a historian, Noah Harari (2013), the significant relevance of figurative syntagmas is highlighted, from the placements to the culturemas as an essential proof of the mastery of a natural language.Then there is a brief reminder of the operative concepts of EL in order to place the concepts of collocations, chunks, expressions or figurative representations and ‘culturemas’, as their nature is the basis of the translation and interpretation resource in the acquisition of the competences of the lexical component of an L2.From this perspective, and taking into account this framework of concepts and references, some examples with data from a collection of journalistic columns from Pamies (2003) have been studied in order to justify the use of translation or interpretation, when appropriate, according to language level A , B, or C of the learner.In the end, it is defended to operate with the placements or phraseological lexical units with a figurative or a non-compositional sense: integrarse en el entorno, no son ni uno ni dos, so that the use of translation seems sufficient in the potential lexicon; but it is absolutely necessary to resort to interpretation when operating with L2 combinations of humor, double meaning, irony and culture, such as eñe que eñe, tratar de tú a tú, or el toro de Osborne.
Dignitarian Hunting
Authors: Demetriou Dan , Fischer Bob ,   Department of Philosophy, Florida State University
Published: January 2018

Faced with the choice between supporting industrial plant agriculture and hunting, Tom Regan’s rights view can be plausibly developed in a way that permits a form of hunting we call “dignitarian.” To motivate this claim, we begin by showing how the empirical literature on animal deaths in plant agriculture suggests that a non-trivial amount of hunting would not add to animal harm. We discuss how Tom Regan’s miniride principle appears to morally permit hunting in that case, and we address recent objections by Jason Hanna to environmentally-based culling that may be seen to speak against this conclusion. We then turn to dignity, which is especially salient in scenarios where harm is necessary or justifiable. We situate “dignitarian” hunting within a larger framework of adversarial ethics, and argue that dignitarian hunting gives animals a more dignified death than the alternatives endemic to large-scale plant agriculture, and so is permissible based on the kinds of principles that Regan endorses. Indeed, dignitarian hunting may actually fit better with Regan’s widely endorsed animal rights framework than the practice of many vegans, and should only be rejected if we’re just as willing to condemn supporting conventional plant agriculture.
Interface Development of Ship Indoor Lighting
Authors: Wang Yung-Lien , Tseng Chun-Yuan
Published: January 2018

In this research study, a lighting interface was designed to draw lighting wiring diagrams of ships using a Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) program. By means of the utilization factor method for calculating the lamp number in the cabin, the luminaires and wiring are drawn with an AutoCAD drawing. From the design concept and manufacturing cost, the VBA program can build a construction layout, indoor lighting systems drawing, description of the luminaires, and cost estimation. Illumination experiments can calibrate the lamp number and illumination correctness; last, we use ant colony algorithms to calculate the optimized path and reduce the costs.

1. Introduction

Light is a basic need of people in their daily lives, and it can affect people's physical and psychological behavior. Bellia et al. (2011) and Flynn et al. (1973) explained light sources with visual and nonvisual effects in terms of different spectral power, and the traditional method of lighting design uses the lowest illumination and lighting position to achieve an effective average illuminance of the environment. In addition to considering the lowest illumination, the visible and nonvisual aspects of lighting design must be estimated by designers.

In general, lighting design is affected by daylight, and the daylight is from the sun and sky; the intensity of light in the sunlight is reduced in the atmosphere by the irradiation direction problem, and the sky's illumination is affected by the sun's radiation (Elvegård & Sjöstedt 1940). In recent years, there have been many lighting designs using computer simulations that account for the effects of sunlight. For example, Ng et al. (2001) used simulation software for lighting to assist the interior lighting design of buildings after recording the sunshine data, which allowed designers to more efficiently control the building's lighting conditions. Li and Tsang (2005) simulated indoor corridor illumination; the simulation results would be detected by light sensors, and the compared results were used to predict the consumption of lighting energy and to achieve energy savings. Yun and Kim (2013) accurately predicted the lighting energy consumed by the integrated simulation method, setting the scale model parameters that are required for simulation, through the split-flux, radiosity, and Daysin daylighting algorithms; the simulation results were considered for comparing the lighting of the energy consumption. Díaz-Vilariño et al. (2014) used simulation software to automatically generate a 3D geometrical model that can import lighting simulation software to perform an illumination analysis. Jia et al. (2014) integrated a dynamic environment simulation and illumination algorithms to provide quantitative visualization for lighting and position, to simulate and evaluate the impact of the lighting system.
Teens and Territory in 'Post-Conflict' Belfast
Authors: Leonard Madeleine
Published: January 2018

This book provides a timely and necessary response to the neglect of the perceptions and experiences of young people growing up in ‘post conflict’ societies using Belfast as a case study. Despite a great deal of research on the social, economic and political consequences of sectarianism in Northern Ireland, few studies have examined young people’s attitudes to and experiences of territory. We still know relatively little about how young people relate to concepts such as space, place and territory in divided societies. This book addresses this vacuum. By presenting a detailed rich ethnographic account of how teenagers living in segregated localities in Belfast access and use local and city centre space, the book contributes to knowledge about the role of young people in both sustaining conflict and overcoming divisions. Teenagers’ spatial practices provide insight into how the regenerated, rebranded, repacked, ‘post conflict’ city is experienced, perceived, negotiated and imagined by a group whose voices are often absent or regarded as peripheral. While the book presents a case study of Belfast, its appeal is not limited to those interested in Ireland. Rather, through this detailed case study, the book aims to address wider questions concerning the role of young people in politically contested societies. The book underlines the need to take on board young people’s ways of seeing and contributes to knowledge about appropriate ways to engage young people in research.
Critical Theory and Epistemology
Authors: Marinopoulou Anastasia
Published: January 2018

The book makes a critical comparison of fundamental trends in modern epistemology with the epistemological concerns of critical theory of the Frankfurt School. It comprises five chapters, which refer to phenomenology, structuralism and poststructuralism, modernism and postmodernism, systems’ theory and critical realism.It follows the course of development of modern epistemology, considering basic conceptions such as dialectics, theory and practice in science, and the potential for a political epistemology based on the arguments of critical theory. It can certainly be used as a textbook because each chapter tallies with a major trend in modern epistemology, and provides a concrete analysis of the comparison it draws with the work of leading figures of the Frankfurt School such as Horkheimer, Adorno and Habermas.The present volume addresses the reader of political theory, epistemology, social theory and it also raises key questions on methodology in science and research. Therefore, it can prove beneficial for students, researchers and academics that deal with issues of theory, practice, and method in science. The contents of the volume were meticulously constructed in order to be of practical use both for undergraduate and postgraduate students, and each chapter includes basic graphs that condense the basic argument for each thematic circle on modern epistemology and methodology.The book contains unpublished critique and information provided to the writer in recent interviews she conducted with Jürgen Habermas (providing analysis on systems theory), William Outhwaite and Stefan Müller-Doohm (both the latter clarified issues and contributed valuable information on critical realism and the Frankfurt School, respectively).
Russian-American Relations in the Post-Cold War World
Authors: Peterson James W.
Published: January 2018

Why did the Russian take-over of Crimea come as a surprise to so many observers in the academic practitioner and global-citizen arenas? The answer presented in this book is a complex one, rooted in late-Cold War dualities but also in the variegated policy patterns of the two powers after 1991. This book highlights the key developmental stages in the evolution of the Russian-American relationship in the post-Cold War world. The 2014 crisis was provoked by conflicting perspectives over the Balkan Wars of the 1990s, the expansion of NATO to include former communist allies of Russia as well as three of its former republics, the American decision to invade Iraq in 2003, and the Russian move to invade Georgia in 2008. This book uses a number of key theories in political science to create a framework for analysis and to outline policy options for the future. It is vital that the attentive public confront the questions raised in these pages in order to control the reflexive and knee-jerk reactions to all points of conflict that emerge on a regular basis between America and Russia.Key topics include struggles over the Balkans, the expansion of NATO, the challenges posed by terrorism to both nations, wars fought by both powers in the first decade of the twenty-first century, conflict over missile defence, reactions to post-2011 turmoil in the Middle East, and the mutual interest in establishing priorities in Asia.
Paranoid Visions
Authors: Oldham Joseph
Published: January 2018

Paranoid Visions provides an extensive historical account of the spy and conspiracy genres in British television drama, tracing a lineage from 1960s Cold War series, through 1980s paranoid conspiracy dramas, to contemporary ‘war on terror’ thrillers. It argues that the on-screen depictions of intelligence services can interpreted as metaphors for the production cultures that created the programmes, meditating on the roles and responsibilities of public institutions whose trade is information and ideas. It incorporates close analyses of classic series including Callan, The Sandbaggers, Edge of Darkness, A Very British Coup, Spooks and the BBC adaptation of John Le Carré’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, supported by new archival research. The account is positioned against aesthetic, institutional and technological shifts in British television drama as it transitioned from its traditional public service principles to the more commercial priorities of the multi-channel era, in particular examining the growth of long-form serial narratives in ‘quality’ television. It is also mapped closely to the real history of British intelligence through consideration of how such programmes responded to key scandals and exposés and counterblast campaigns of transparency and openness. Finally, it also situates these dramas against key issues in the history of British culture and national identity, including discourses of class politics, Cold War culture, the heritage industry, terrorism past and present, the decline of the social-democratic consensus, the growth of personal computing and the ascendance of the free market economy.
Análisis estratégico en salud y gestión a través de la escucha
Authors: Rivera Francisco Javier Uribe
Published: January 2018

Este libro reúne una serie de trabajos, cuyo hilo conductor representa una propuesta teórico metodológica de gestión, que se traduce en el título: Análisis Estratégico en Salud y Gestión a través de la Escucha. Javier Uribe y sus colaboradores exploran la particularidad institucional de los sistemas de salud que se configuran como organizaciones profesionales. Estas organizaciones dependen, fundamentalmente, de sus centros operadors y no responden bien a mecanismos de formalización y control de sus procesos de trabajo. El libro se articula en torno del concepto de liderazgo como posibilidad intersubjetiva de desarrollo del consenso necesário para el funcionamiento productivo de una organización y la promoción de los câmbios necesários. Un libro indispensable para los que enseñan y practican la gestión de sistemas y servicios de salud.
Molecular phylogenetics of swimming crabs (Portunoidea Rafinesque, 1815) supports a revised family-level classification and suggests a single derived origin of symbiotic taxa
Authors: Evans Nathaniel
Published: January 2018

Portunoidea is a diverse lineage of ecologically and economically important marine crabs comprising 8 families and 14 subfamilies. Closely related portunid subfamilies Caphyrinae and Thalamitinae constitute some of this group’s greatest morphological and taxonomic diversity, and are the only known lineages to include symbiotic taxa. Emergence of symbiosis in decapods remains poorly studied and portunoid crabs provide an interesting, but often overlooked example. Yet the paucity of molecular phylogenetic data available for Portunoidea makes it challenging to investigate the evolution and systematics of the group. Phylogenetic analyses, though limited, suggest that many putative portunoid taxa are para- or polyphyletic. Here I augment existing molecular data—significantly increasing taxon sampling of Caphyrinae, Thalamitinae, and several disparate portunoid lineages—to investigate the phylogenetic origin of symbiosis within Portunoidea and reevaluate higher- and lower-level portunoid classifications. Phylogenetic analyses were carried out on sequences of H3, 28S rRNA, 16S rRNA, and CO1 for up to 168 portunoid taxa; this included, for the first time, molecular data from the generaAtoportunus,Brusinia,Caphyra,Coelocarcinus,Gonioinfradens,Raymanninus, andThalamonyx. Results support the placement of all symbiotic taxa (Caphyra,Lissocarcinus, and twoThalamita) in a single clade derived within the thalamitine genusThalamita. Caphyrina Paulson, 1875, nom. trans. is recognized here as a subtribe within the subfamily Thalamitinae. Results also support the following taxonomic actions:Croniusis reclassified as a thalamitine genus;Thalamonyxis reestablished as a valid genus;Goniosupradensis raised to the generic rank; and three new genera (Zygitagen. nov.,Thranitagen. nov., andTrierarchusgen. nov.) are described to accommodate someThalamitas.l. taxa rendered paraphyletic by Caphyrina. A new diagnosis of Thalamitinae is provided. Results also support a more conservative classification of Portunoidea comprising three instead of eight extant families: Geryonidae (Geryonidae + Ovalipidae; new diagnosis provided), Carcinidae (Carcinidae + Pirimelidae + Polybiidae + Thiidae +Coelocarcinus; new diagnosis provided) and Portunidae. Finally, 16s rRNA data suggests family Brusiniidae might not be a portunoid lineage.
How Will Air Quality Change in South Asia by 2050?
Authors: Kumar Rajesh , Barth Mary C. , Pfister G. G. , Delle Monache L. , Lamarque J. F. , Archer‐Nicholls S. , Tilmes S. , Ghude S. D. , Wiedinmyer C. , Naja M. , Walters S.
Published: January 2018

Exposure to unhealthy air causes millions of premature deaths and damages crops sufficient to feed a large portion of the South Asian population every year. However, little is known about how future air quality in South Asia will respond to changing human activities. Here we examine the combined effect of changes in climate and air pollutant emissions projected by the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 8.5 and RCP6.0 on air quality of South Asia in 2050 using a state‐of‐the‐science Nested Regional Climate model with Chemistry (NRCM‐Chem). RCP8.5 and RCP6.0 are selected to represent scenarios of highest and lowest air pollution in South Asia by 2050. NRCM‐Chem shows the ability to capture observed key features of variability in meteorological parameters, ozone and related gases, and aerosols. NRCM‐Chem results show that surface ozone and particulate matter of less than 2.5 μm in diameter will increase significantly by midcentury in South Asia under the RCP8.5 but remain similar to present day under RCP6.0. No RCP suggest an improvement in air pollution in South Asia by midcentury. Under RCP8.5, the frequency of air pollution events is predicted to increase by 20–120 days per year in 2050 compared to the present‐day conditions, with particulate matter of less than 2.5 μm in diameter predicted to breach the World Health Organization ambient air quality guidelines on an almost daily basis in many parts of South Asia. These results indicate that while the RCP scenarios project a global improvement in air quality, they generally result in degrading air quality in South Asia.
Dose and Timing of N‐Cadherin Mimetic Peptides Regulate MSC Chondrogenesis within Hydrogels
Authors: Kwon Mi Y. , Vega Sebastián L. , Gramlich William M. , Kim Minwook , Mauck Robert L. , Burdick Jason A.
Published: January 2018

The transmembrane glycoprotein N‐cadherin (NCad) mediates cell–cell interactions found during mesenchymal condensation and chondrogenesis. Here, NCad‐derived peptides (i.e., HAV) are incorporated into hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels with encapsulated mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Since the dose and timing of NCad signaling are dynamic, HAV peptide presentation is tuned via alterations in peptide concentration and incorporation of an ADAM10‐cleavable domain between the hydrogel and the HAV motif, respectively. HA hydrogels functionalized with HAV result in dose‐dependent increases in early chondrogenesis of encapsulated MSCs and resultant cartilage matrix production. For example, type II collagen and glycosaminoglycan production increase ≈9‐ and 2‐fold with the highest dose of HAV (i.e., 2 × 10−3m), respectively, when compared to unmodified hydrogels, while incorporation of an efficient ADAM10‐cleavable domain between the HAV peptide and hydrogel abolishes increases in chondrogenesis and matrix production. Treatment with a small‐molecule ADAM10 inhibitor restores the functional effect of the HAV peptide, indicating that timing and duration of HAV peptide presentation is crucial for robust chondrogenesis. This study demonstrates a nuanced approach to the biofunctionalization of hydrogels to better emulate the complex cell microenvironment during embryogenesis toward stem‐cell‐based cartilage production.
Computation of Electronic Energy Band Diagrams for Piezotronic Semiconductor and Electrochemical Systems
Authors: German Lazarus N. , Starr Matthew B. , Wang Xudong
Published: January 2018

Electronic energy band diagrams provide useful and illustrative information on how material stacking might affect electronic properties and charge transport throughout a multijunction device. However, schematic diagrams, which are often used in many publications, lack quantified changes in potential across junction interfaces. This is especially true as the energetics become increasingly unintuitive when incorporating the effects of dielectric layers and applying ferroelectric and piezoelectric charges, such as the case of piezotronics. In the paper, a quantitative band diagram computation of a series of complex heterojunctions often seen in piezotronic systems is provided. The computation is conducted by using fundamental semiconductor and electrochemical equations, idealizing metals, insulators, and ferroelectrics, and treating ferro‐ and piezoelectric dipoles as surface charges at their respective interfaces. A Mathematica code is used to produce potential profiles and energy band diagrams of sections of semiconductor‐based electrochemical electrodes. It is illustrated that the ferro‐ and piezoelectric properties have a profound effect on solid–solid heterojunctions and solid–electrolyte interfaces, offering a guideline for piezotronic system design and development.
Targeted gene panel sequencing prenatally detects two novel mutations of DYNC2H1 in a fetus with increased biparietal diameter and polyhydramnios
Authors: Deng Linbei , Cheung Sau Wai , Schmitt Eric S. , Xiong Shiyi , Yuan Meizhen , Chen Zhonghai , Chen Lei , Sun Luming
Published: January 2018

Background

Genetic skeletal disorders (GSDs) are clinically and genetically heterogeneous with more than 350 genes accounting for the diversity of disease phenotypes. Prenatal diagnosis of these disorders has been challenging because of the limited but variable prenatal phenotypes, highlighting the need of a novel genetic approach. Short‐rib polydactyly syndrome (SRPS) Type III is an autosomal recessive GSD characterized by extreme narrowness of the thorax, severely shortened tubular bones, polydactyly and multiple malformations.

Methods

Cytogenetic and molecular analyses using GTG‐banding, single nucleotide polymorphism array and a novel GSDs targeted gene panel sequencing were performed in a 24 weeks fetus with increased biparietal diameter (BPD), short limbs, narrow thorax and polyhydramnios.

Results

No chromosomal abnormalities and pathogenic copy number variations (CNVs) were detected in the fetus. Two novel compound heterozygous mutations c.2992C > T and c.12836G > C in the DYNC2H1 gene were identified by targeted genes panel sequencing. A literature review was performed to delineate the prenatal phenotype of SRPS Type III.

Conclusion

This is the first report of prenatal diagnosis of DYNC2H1 mutations causing SRPS Type III in a fetus with increased BPD associated with polyhydramnios in China. Our findings expand the mutation spectrum of DYNC2H1 in this rare disease and demonstrate that targeted gene panel capture followed by next‐generation sequencing (NGS) is an efficient and cost‐effective method to perform a molecular prenatal diagnosis of a rare genetic skeletal disorder.
Maternal occupational cadmium exposure and nonsyndromic orofacial clefts
Authors: Suhl Jonathan , Romitti Paul A. , Cao Yanyan , Rocheleau Carissa M. , Burns Trudy L. , Conway Kristin , Rajaraman Preetha , Agopian AJ , Stewart Patricia ,   The National Birth Defects Prevention Study
Published: January 2018

Background

Cigarette smoking is a well‐studied risk factor for orofacial clefts (OFCs). Little is known about which constituents in cigarette smoke contribute to this teratogenicity in humans. One constituent, cadmium, has been associated with OFCs in animal studies; in humans, the role of maternal cadmium exposure on OFCs, independent of cigarette smoke, is unclear. In particular, the relation between maternal occupational cadmium exposure and OFCs is largely unexplored.

Methods

Using data from a large, population‐based case‐control study, we compared expert rater assessed maternal occupational cadmium exposure from self‐reported occupational histories during the period 1 month before through 3 months after conception between OFC cases (n = 1,185) and unaffected controls (n = 2,832). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals for any (yes/no) and cumulative (no, low, high exposure) occupational cadmium exposures and all OFCs, cleft lip ± cleft palate (CL/P) and cleft palate (CP).

Results

Overall, 45 mothers (cases = 13, controls = 32) were rated as having occupational cadmium exposure. Comparing all OFCs to controls, we observed inverse, nonsignificant aORs for any or low exposure, and positive, nonsignificant aORs for high exposure. Where data were available, aORs for CL/P and CP tended to parallel those for all OFCs.

Conclusion

To our knowledge, this is the first study to specifically examine maternal occupational cadmium exposure and OFCs, using expert rater exposure assessment. The small numbers of exposed mothers observed, however, led to imprecise estimates. Continued research using more detailed occupational exposure assessment and increased sample sizes is recommended.
Large‐Area Schottky Junctions between ZnO and Carbon Nanotube Fibres
Authors: Monreal‐Bernal Alfonso , Vilatela Juan J.
Published: January 2018

In this study, large‐area (10 cm2) samples of heterojunctions between zinc oxide and carbon nanotube (CNT) fibre arrays were synthesised. A two‐step hydrothermal treatment was used to grow Zn nanowires (NWs) in situ directly onto the CNT array. This resulted in a bulk heterojunction that consisted of a five‐micron layer of ZnO crystals in contact with the built‐in CNT fabric current collector, with preferential orientation of the ZnO c axis perpendicular to the CNT sheet. The electrical properties of the heterojunction corresponded to a Schottky junction with a barrier height of 0.26 eV and an ideality factor of 2.9. Photoconductivity measurements indicated charge transfer through the ZnO/CNT interface, thus leading to a gain factor of approximately 100 and a responsivity as high as 5000 mA w−1 under UV irradiation. The resulting ZnO/CNT fibre hybrid was both piezoresistive and piezoelectric under transverse compression with an attractive format for energy‐harvesting applications.
Introgression of exotic Cervus (nippon and canadensis) into red deer (Cervus elaphus) populations in Scotland and the English Lake District
Authors: Smith Stephanie L. , Senn Helen V. , Pérez‐Espona Sílvia , Wyman Megan T. , Heap Elizabeth , Pemberton Josephine M.
Published: January 2018

Since the mid‐19th century, multiple introductions of Japanese sika deer (Cervus nippon nippon) and North American wapiti (C. canadensis) have taken place in the British Isles. While wapiti have generally been unsuccessful, sika have been very successful, especially in Scotland where they now overlap at least 40% of the range of native red deer (C. elaphus). Hybridization between these two species and red deer has been demonstrated in captivity and in the wild. Using a panel of 22 microsatellite loci that are highly diagnostic between red deer and sika, and moderately diagnostic between red deer and wapiti, we investigated the extent of introgression between these species in 2,943 deer sampled from around Scotland and from the English Lake District using the Bayesian clustering software STRUCTURE. We also used a diagnostic mitochondrial marker for red deer and sika. Our survey extends previous studies indicating little introgression of wapiti nuclear alleles into red deer, in particular in Northern Scotland, Kintyre, and the Lake District. We found a new area of extensive sika introgression in South Kintyre. In the North Highlands, we show for the first time geographically scattered evidence of past hybridization followed by extensive backcrossing, including one red‐like individual with sika introgression, two sika‐like individuals with red deer introgression, and six individuals that were apparently pure sika at the nuclear markers assessed but which carried red deer mitochondria. However, there has not been a collapse of assortative mating in this region. Similarly, in the English Lake District red deer, we found only traces of past sika introgression. No sika alleles were detected in the Central Highlands or the Hebridean red deer refugia. We make suggestions for management to prevent further spread of sika alleles into red deer and vice versa.
Frequency and intensity of facilitation reveal opposing patterns along a stress gradient
Authors: Gallien Laure , Zurell Damaris , Zimmermann Niklaus E.
Published: January 2018

Disentangling the different processes structuring ecological communities is a long‐standing challenge. In species‐rich ecosystems, most emphasis has so far been given to environmental filtering and competition processes, while facilitative interactions between species remain insufficiently studied. Here, we propose an analysis framework that not only allows for identifying pairs of facilitating and facilitated species, but also estimates the strength of facilitation and its variation along environmental gradients. Our framework combines the analysis of both co‐occurrence and co‐abundance patterns using a moving window approach along environmental gradients to control for potentially confounding effects of environmental filtering in the co‐abundance analysis. We first validate our new approach against community assembly simulations, and exemplify its potential on a large 1,134 plant community plots dataset. Our results generally show that facilitation intensity was strongest under cold stress, whereas the proportion of facilitating and facilitated species was higher under drought stress. Moreover, the functional distance between individual facilitated species and their facilitating species significantly changed along the temperature–moisture gradient, and seemed to influence facilitation intensity, although no general positive or general negative trend was discernible among species. The main advantages of our robust framework are as follows: It enables detecting facilitating and facilitated species in species‐rich systems, and it allows identifying the directionality and intensity of facilitation in species pairs as well as its variation across long environmental gradients. It thus opens numerous opportunities for incorporating functional (and phylogenetic) information in the analysis of facilitation patterns. Our case study indicated high complexity in facilitative interactions across the stress gradient and revealed new evidence that facilitation, similarly to competition, can operate between functionally similar and dissimilar species. Extending the analyses to other taxa and ecosystems will foster our understanding how complex interspecific interactions promote biodiversity.
Application of Carbon Paste Electrode Modified with Carbon Nanofibres/Polyaniline/Platinum Nanoparticles as an Electrochemical Sensor for the Determination of Bezafibrate
Authors: Rajpurohit Anuja S. , Punde Ninad S. , Rawool Chaitali R. , Srivastava Ashwini K.
Published: January 2018

The present study deals with the development of an electrochemical sensor for quantitative determination of Bezafibrate (BZF) based on carbon nanofibers/polyaniline/platinum nanoparticles modified carbon paste electrode (CNF/PANI/Pt/CPE). BZF is a fibric acid derivative and is used largely in the treatment of lipid disorders. The nanocomposite was synthesized by in situ polymerization of aniline using ammonium persulphate and platinum nanoparticles were uniformly decorated on the CNF/PANI surface by reducing hexachloroplatinic acid using sodium borohydride. The electrochemical response of BZF at CNF/PANI/Pt/CPE was studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The above study resulted into significant improvement of the electrochemical signal towards the oxidation of BZF, revealing that the oxidation process is highly favorable at the surface of modified electrode. The anodic peak current Ip (μA) is found to be linearly dependent on BZF concentration in the range of 0.025 μM to 100 μM with a detection limit of 2.46 nM. The practical analytical utilities of the sensor were investigated by performing the experiments on synthetic pharmaceutical formulations, human blood serum and urine samples which offered good recovery, suggesting the high efficacy and authenticity of CNF/PANI/Pt/CPE sensor for BZF determination.
Monte Carlo analysis of beam blocking grid design parameters: Scatter estimation and the importance of electron backscatter
Authors: Bootsma Gregory J. , Ren Lei , Zhang Hong , Jin Jian‐Yue , Jaffray David A.
Published: January 2018

Purpose

Beam blocking grids provide a simple and direct measurement of the scattered photon signal which degrades image quality in x‐ray imaging systems, such as cone‐beam CT (CBCT). This study evaluates the scatter estimation accuracy of the beam blocking method to optimize the design parameters of the grid system (e.g., grid thickness, source‐to‐grid distance (SGD), septa width, air interspace, and grid ratio) using Monte Carlo (MC) simulations.

Method

A MC model of a CBCT imaging system with a beam blocking grid in place is made using code based on EGSnrc, with the x‐ray tube portion of the simulation including electron backscatter between the anode and cathode. The inclusion of the electron backscatter allowed a more complete model of the contamination signal to be estimated. The contamination signal consists of the off‐focal radiation (OFR) and source component scatter (photon scatter in source components such as tube housing, filters, and collimators). The MC model was validated against measurements collected on a bench top imaging system with a grid in place. The MC model was used to simulate 11 different grid design configurations in addition to a case with no grid. For each design a simulated projection with and without a phantom in place was computed. The simulated projections were then used to estimate the scatter and contamination portion of the signal using the signal behind the grid septa. The estimated signals from the grid data were compared to the actual signals labeled during the MC simulation.

Results

Simulated results showed good agreeance with measured results with the importance of including electron backscatter resulting in off‐focal radiation in the simulation being highlighted. When the source was free of contamination photons all grids performed with an error less than 8% when estimating just the scatter from the object. When the contamination photons were included in the simulation, the error in estimating both the scatter and contamination signal rose by a factor of 4 on average. In the case when both signals are present, increasing the grid thickness, changing the SGD, and reducing septa width and air interspace sizes all showed the ability to improve the grid‐based estimates of the object scatter and contamination portion signal.

Conclusions

The inclusion of the contamination signal in MC simulations of x‐ray imaging systems is important in the design, validation, and evaluation of measurement‐based scatter methods. Beam blocking grids show potential not only in object scatter estimation but in the estimation of the contamination signal, but appropriate interpolation functions must be used to account for higher frequencies found in contamination signal.
Particle reinforced composites from acrylamide modified blend of styrene‐butadiene and natural rubber
Authors: Jong Lei
Published: January 2018

Blends of styrene‐butadiene rubber and natural rubber that provide balanced properties were modified with acrylamide and reinforced with hydrophilic particles. The rubber composites show improved mechanical properties. Both modified rubber and composites showed a faster curing rate. The crosslinking density of the modified rubber composites increases with increasing amount of acrylamide in the modification. The glass transition temperature of the modified rubber composite shifts to a higher temperature compared with the unmodified rubber composite. The reinforcement factors show that the relative contributions of crosslinking effect and the filler–rubber interaction to the storage modulus vary with temperature. The modified rubber has improved tensile strength, elongation and moduli. The moduli of the modified composite increases and elongation decreases with increasing amount of acrylamide. Tensile fractural surfaces show good adhesion between filler and rubber matrix for all composites. The poly(acrylamide) grafts of the modified rubber increase stress relaxation rate. Stress relaxation also shows a stronger interaction within the modified rubber composites. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:758–765, 2019. Published 2018. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA
Enabling private sector adaptation to climate change in sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Crick Florence , Gannon Kate Elizabeth , Diop Mamadou , Sow Momadou
Published: January 2018

The private sector is increasingly recognized as having important potential to help society adapt and become more resilient to climate change. Yet there is limited research examining how to promote and facilitate private sector adaptation in developing countries and in particular how governments can create an enabling environment to stimulate and incentivize domestic private sector adaptation. In this paper, we address this gap through a review of the key factors required to provide an enabling environment for the private sector denoted by existing adaptation literatures. We do this with a focus on adaptation by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA). To advance this review, we draw insights from a much larger, yet generally independent, literature on enabling environments for private sector development. This literature disaggregates the private sector and highlights key constraints to the development and growth of SMEs in SSA, including deficient infrastructure and evidence of an African gap in access to and use of finance. Both areas of scholarship are then combined in a framework identifying key “building blocks” constituting enabling conditions for private sector adaptation. The framework could be applied in many ways including to focus strategies to enhance private sector adaptation and to identify trade‐offs and interactions between policies or initiatives surrounding private sector development. By combining these literatures, we call for a more holistic approach to develop enabling environments for SME adaptation and climate resilient development that addresses the broader structural deficits that condition vulnerability and barriers that limit adaptive capacity.

This article is categorized under:

Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change > Institutions for Adaptation
On the Couch: The Alpha Male in Therapy in Contemporary American Television Drama
Authors: TEMPLETON PETER
Published: January 2018

As ideas of masculinity have changed in the United States, so too has the presentation of men on television. This article, then, explores a range of characters that have characteristics associated with the alpha male in the unusually vulnerable position of the patient, in a variety of programmes from generic detective dramas through to critically acclaimed productions, to analyse how programme makers navigate questions of masculinity against the cultural backdrop of the most recentfin de siècle. It also demonstrates a range of responses by programme makers, including some that question hypermasculine tendencies only to ultimately reinforce them.
Risk Premium Information from Treasury-Bill Yields
Authors: Lee Jaehoon
Published: January 2018

I find that short-maturity Treasury-bill yields have unique information about risk premiums that is not spanned by long-maturity Treasury-bond yields. I estimate 2 components of risk premiums: long term and short term. The long-term component steepens the slope of yield curves and has a forecastability horizon of longer than 1 year. In contrast, the short-term component affects Treasury-bill yields but is almost invisible from Treasury bonds, has a forecastability horizon of less than 1 quarter, and is related to bond liquidity premiums.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Dual roles of miR-374a by modulated c-Jun respectively targets CCND1-inducing PI3K/AKT signal and PTEN-suppressing Wnt/β-catenin signaling in non-small-cell lung cancer
Authors: Zhao Mengyang , Xu Ping , Liu Zhen , Zhen Yan , Chen Yiyu , Liu Yiyi , Fu Qiaofen , Deng Xiaojie , Liang Zixi , Li Yonghao , Lin Xian , Fang Weiyi
Published: January 2018

MiR-374a appears to play a complex role in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here, we demonstrate a dual role for miR-374a in NSCLC pathogenesis. The effects and modulatory mechanisms of miR-374a on cell growth, migration, invasion, and in vivo tumorigenesis and metastasis in nude mice were also analyzed. The expression of miR-374a was examined in NSCLC and non-cancerous lung tissues by quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR), and in situ hybridization, respectively. miR-374a directly targets CCND1 and inactivates PI3K/AKT and Ras-mediated cell cycle signalings, as well as epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). This not only dramatically suppressed cell growth, migration, invasion,and metastasis, but also elevated A549 and pc-9 NSCLC cell sensitivity to cisplatin (DDP) while increasing survival time of tumor-bearing mice. Interestingly, miR-374a serves an inverse function in SPCA-1 and H1975 NSCLC cells by directly targeting PTEN to activate Wnt/β-catenin and Ras signalings and its downstream cascade signals. Surprisingly, transcription factor c-Jun bound to the promoter region of human miR-374a and suppressed miR-374a in A549 and pc-9 cells while inducing it in SPCA-1 and H1975 cells. Increased levels of miR-374a appeared to serve a protective role by targeting CCND1 in early-stage NSCLC (Stages I and II). Inversely, increased miR-374a was an unfavorable factor when targeting PTEN in more advanced staged NSCLC patients. Our studies are the first to demonstrate that miR-374a plays divergent roles in NSCLC pathogenesis at different stages of the disease and implicate the potential application of miR-374a targeting for cancer therapy.