bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Hilbert-Kunz Function for Binomial Hypersurfaces
Authors: Upadhyay Shyamashree
Published: November 2014

I give an iterative closed form formula for the Hilbert-Kunz function for any binomial hypersurface in general, over any field of arbitrary positive characteristic. I prove that the Hilbert-Kunz multiplicity associated with any binomial hypersurface over any field of arbitrary positive characteristic is rational. As an example, I also prove the well known fact that for 1-dimensional binomial hypersurfaces the Hilbert-Kunz multiplicity is a positive integer and give a precise account of the integer.
Secure OpenID Authentication Model by Using Trusted Computing
Authors: Ghazizadeh E. , Shams Dolatabadi Z. S. , Khaleghparast R. , Zamani M. , Manaf A. A. , Abdullah M. S.
Published: November 2014

The growth of Internet online services has been very quick in recent years. Each online service requires Internet users to create a new account to use the service. The problem can be seen when each user usually needs more than one service and, consequently, has numerous accounts. These numerous accounts have to be managed in a secure and simple way to be protected against identity theft. Single sign-on (SSO) and OpenID have been used to decrease the complexity of managing numerous accounts required in the Internet identity environment. Trusted Platform Module (TPM) and Trust Multitenancy are great trusted computing-based technologies to solve security concerns in the Internet identity environment. Since trust is one of the pillars of security in the cloud, this paper analyzes the existing cloud identity techniques in order to investigate their strengths and weaknesses. This paper proposes a model in which One Time Password (OTP), TPM, and OpenID are used to provide a solution against phishing as a common identity theft in cloud environment.
In SilicoApproach towards Designing Virtual Oligopeptides for HRSV
Authors: Jain Ruchi , Piramanayagam Shanmughavel
Published: November 2014

HRSV (human respiratory syncytial virus) is a serious cause of lower respiratory tract illness in infants and young children. Designing inhibitors from the proteins involved in virus replication and infection process provides target for new therapeutic treatments. In the present study,in silicodocking was performed using motavizumab as a template to design motavizumab derived oligopeptides for developing novel anti-HRSV agents. Additional simulations were conducted to study the conformational propensities of the oligopeptides and confirmed the hypothesis that the designed oligopeptide is highly flexible and capable of assuming stable confirmation. Our study demonstrated the best specific interaction of GEKKLVEAPKS oligopeptide for glycoprotein strain A among various screened oligopeptides. Encouraged by the results, we expect that the proposed scheme will provide rational choices for antibody reengineering which is useful for systematically identifying the possible ways to improve efficacy of existing antibody drugs.
Genetic Diversity of Freshwater Leeches in Lake Gusinoe (Eastern Siberia, Russia)
Authors: Kaygorodova Irina A. , Mandzyak Nadezhda , Petryaeva Ekaterina , Pronin Nikolay M.
Published: November 2014

The study of leeches from Lake Gusinoe and its adjacent area offered us the possibility to determine species diversity. As a result, an updated species list of the Gusinoe Hirudinea fauna (Annelida, Clitellata) has been compiled. There are two orders and three families of leeches in the Gusinoe area: order Rhynchobdellida (families Glossiphoniidae and Piscicolidae) and order Arhynchobdellida (family Erpobdellidae). In total, 6 leech species belonging to 6 genera have been identified. Of these, 3 taxa belonging to the family Glossiphoniidae (Alboglossiphonia heteroclita f. papillosa, Hemiclepsis marginata, andHelobdella stagnalis) and representatives of 3 unidentified species (Glossiphoniasp.,Piscicolasp., andErpobdellasp.) have been recorded. The checklist gives a contemporary overview of the species composition of leeches and information on their hosts or substrates. The validity of morphological identification of each taxon has been verified by phylogenetic approach with a molecular marker adopted for a DNA barcoding of most invertebrates.
Gene Expression Profile of Increased Heart Rate in Shensongyangxin‐Treated Bradycardia Rabbits
Authors: Liu Zhouying , Huang Jian , Hu Roumu , Huo Youping , Gong Jing , Zhang Yinhui , Wei Cong , Pu Jielin
Published: November 2014

Aims. The present study tries to investigate the gene expression profile of bradycardia rabbits’ hearts after SSYX (SSYX, a traditional Chinese medicine) treatment. Methods. Eighteen adult rabbits were randomly assigned in three groups: sham, model, and SSYX treatment groups. Heart rate was recorded in rabbits and total RNA was isolated from hearts. Gene expression profiling was conducted and quantitative real‐time reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) was performed to confirm the gene expression results. Patch clamp using human induced pluripotent stem cell‐derived cardiomyocytes was applied to record the calcium current in the presence of SSYX. Results. The mean RR interval reduced after six weeks due to the injury of the sinoatrial node in the model group. This effect was partially reversed by 4‐week SSYX treatment. cDNA microarray demonstrated that genes related with pacemaker current, calcium ion homeostasis, and signaling were altered by SSYX treatment. Results from patch clamp demonstrated that SSYX reduced the calcium current which is consistent with gene expression results. Conclusion. The present study shows mRNA remodeling of bradycardia and demonstrates that SSYX is effective in treating bradycardia by reversing altered gene expression in bradycardia models. Reduced calcium current by SSYX also confirmed the gene expression results.
Synthesis, Spectroscopic, Molecular Structure, and Antibacterial Studies of Dibutyltin(IV) Schiff Base Complexes Derived from Phenylalanine, Isoleucine, and Glycine
Authors: Singh Har Lal , Singh Jangbhadur
Published: November 2014

New series of organotin(IV) complexes and Schiff bases derived from amino acids have been designed and synthesized from condensation of1H-indole-2,3-dione, 5-chloro-1H-indole-2,3-dione, andα-amino acids (phenylalanine, isoleucine, and glycine). All compounds are characterized by elemental analyses, molar conductance measurements, and molecular weight determinations. Bonding of these complexes is discussed in terms of their UV-visible, infrared, and nuclear magnetic resonance (1H,13C, and119Sn NMR) spectral studies. The results suggest that Schiff bases behave as monobasic bidentate ligands and coordinate with dibutyltin(IV) in octahedral geometry according to the general formula [Bu2Sn(L)2]. Elemental analyses and NMR spectral data of the ligands with their dibutyltin(IV) complexes agree with their proposed distorted octahedral structures. Few representative compounds are tested for their in vitro antibacterial activity against Gram-positive (B. cereus,Staphylococcusspp.) and Gram-negative (E. coli,Klebsiellaspp.) bacteria. The results show that the dibutyltin complexes are more reactive with respect to their corresponding Schiff base ligands.
Optimized Design of Relay Node Placement for Industrial Wireless Network
Authors: Zhang Heng , Zhang Zeyu , Zhang Fengxiang , Li Li , Wang Ying
Published: November 2014

The industrial wireless network (IWN) is an important part of industrial CPS, which must address the key issue of reliable and real-time communication as well as the desired network lifetime. The nodes of IWN are usually fixed on the devices for better monitoring of the state information of the equipment and environment, while the relay node placement plays a significant role on network performance guarantee. This paper proposes an Integer Linear Program (ILP) placement strategy to meet the fault tolerance and survivability requirement. In addition, an edge coloring algorithm is proposed to solve the conflict of TDMA communication, which improves paralleled and real-time communication performance. Simulation results show that this placement strategy not only meets the requirements of robust communication and survivability, but also enhances real-time communication of IWN.
Performance of Various Metaheuristic Techniques for Economic Dispatch Problem with Valve Point Loading Effects and Multiple Fueling Options
Authors: Ahmed Ijaz , Rao Ali Rauf , Shah Alaf , Alamzeb Engr , Khan Junaid Ali
Published: November 2014

The paper presents the metaheuristic approaches based on pattern search and simulated annealing hybridized with sequential quadratic programming, a powerful nonlinear adaptive technique for estimation of the finest combination of generated power in a given system at lowest operating cost while sustaining the operating condition of system efficiently. The fuel cost is minimized by satisfying the nonlinear operating conditions of thermal units mainly based on generation capacity constraints, generator ramp limit, power balance constraints, and valve point loading effect and by keeping in view the prohibited operating zones, respectively. About the optimization, a comparative study is made for pattern search (PS) and simulated annealing (SA), as a viable global search technique and sequential quadratic programming, an efficient local optimizer and their hybrid versions. The applicability, stability, and reliability of the designed approaches are validated through comprehensive statistical analysis based on Monte Carlo simulations.
Robust H∞ Control for Singular Time‐Delay Systems via Parameterized Lyapunov Functional Approach
Authors: Liu Li-li , Wu Bao-wei , Wang Yue-E
Published: November 2014

A new version of delay‐dependent bounded real lemma for singular systems with state delay is established by parameterized Lyapunov‐Krasovskii functional approach. In order to avoid generating nonconvex problem formulations in control design, a strategy that introduces slack matrices and decouples the system matrices from the Lyapunov‐Krasovskii parameter matrices is used. Examples are provided to demonstrate that the results in this paper are less conservative than the existing corresponding ones in the literature.
Bell’s Palsy: Symptoms Preceding and Accompanying the Facial Paresis
Authors: De Seta Daniele , Mancini Patrizia , Minni Antonio , Prosperini Luca , De Seta Elio , Attanasio Giuseppe , Covelli Edoardo , De Carlo Andrea , Filipo Roberto
Published: November 2014

This individual prospective cohort study aims to report and analyze the symptoms preceding and accompanying the facial paresis in Bell’s palsy (BP). Two hundred sixty-nine patients affected by BP with a maximum delay of 48 hours from the onset were enrolled in the study. The evolution of the facial paresis expressed as House-Brackmann grade in the first 10 days and its correlation with symptoms were analyzed. At the onset, 136 patients presented postauricular pain, 114 were affected by dry eye, and 94 reported dysgeusia. Dry mouth was present in 54 patients (19.7%), facial pain, hyperlacrimation, aural fullness, and hyperacusis represented a smaller percentage of the reported symptoms. After 10 days, 39.9% of the group had a severe paresis while 10.2% reached a complete recovery. Dry mouth at the onset was correlated with severe grade of palsy and was prognostic for poor recovery in the early period. These outcomes lead to the deduction that the nervus intermedius plays an important role in the presentation of the BP and it might be responsible for most of the accompanying symptomatology of the paresis. Our findings could be of important interest to early address a BP patient to further examinations and subsequent therapy.
Transcriptome Profiling of Wheat Seedlings following Treatment with Ultrahigh Diluted Arsenic Trioxide
Authors: Marotti Ilaria , Betti Lucietta , Bregola Valeria , Bosi Sara , Trebbi Grazia , Borghini Giovanni , Nani Daniele , Dinelli Giovanni
Published: November 2014

Plant systems are useful research tools to address basic questions in homeopathy as they make it possible to overcome some of the drawbacks encountered in clinical trials (placebo effect, ethical issues, duration of the experiment, and high costs). The objective of the present study was to test the hypothesis whether 7‐day‐old wheat seedlings, grown from seeds either poisoned with a sublethal dose of As2O3 or unpoisoned, showed different significant gene expression profiles after the application of ultrahigh diluted As2O3 (beyond Avogadro’s limit) compared to water (control). The results provided evidence for a strong gene modulating effect of ultrahigh diluted As2O3 in seedlings grown from poisoned seeds: a massive reduction of gene expression levels to values comparable to those of the control group was observed for several functional classes of genes. A plausible hypothesis is that ultrahigh diluted As2O3 treatment induced a reequilibration of those genes that were upregulated during the oxidative stress by bringing the expression levels closer to the basal levels normally occurring in the control plants.
Are There Differences in the Health Outcomes of Mothers in Europe and East-Asia? A Cross-Cultural Health Survey
Authors: Mautner Eva , Ashida Chie , Greimel Elfriede , Lang Uwe , Kolman Christina , Alton Daniela , Inoue Wataru
Published: November 2014

The aim of the current study was to investigate differences in quality of life outcomes and depression of mothers in East-Asia and Central Europe. 170 women in Japan and 226 women in Austria with children between 3 and 5 answered the same cross-culturally validated questionnaires. The Quality of Life Questionnaire from the WHO (WHOQOL-Bref), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2), the Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-13), a Social Support Scale (MSPSS), and questions on gender orientation were used. In all dimensions of QOL (physical, psychological, social, and environmental) Japanese women had lower QOL scores compared to Austrian mothers (P<001). Seven percent of women in both countries experienced major depression. In both countries sense of coherence, experienced stress level, satisfaction with income, social support, and gender roles had an influence on QOL and depressive symptoms. Mothers in Japan consider life events less comprehensible, manageable, and meaningful and experience less support. Consequently, creating an environment where fathers could be more involved in child rearing and mothers have more opportunities to choose between life styles and working and social environments would improve QOL not only in Japanese mothers but also in other countries all over the world.
Molecular and Physical Characterization of the Complex Pericentromeric Heterochromatin of the Vole Species Microtus thomasi
Authors: Rovatsos Michalis T. , Marchal Juan A. , Romero-Fernández Ismael , Cano-Linares Maribel , Fernández Francisco J. , Giagia-Athanasopoulou Eva B. , Sánchez Antonio
Published: November 2014

A new repeated DNA from Microtus thomasi, Mth-Alu2.2, was cloned and characterized and is presented here for the first time. Digestion of genomic DNA from M. thomasi with AluI restriction enzyme revealed a 2.2-kb repetitive DNA sequence with a high AT content (69%). This sequence consists of a tandemly repeated nonanucleotide of the consensus sequence CACAATGTA, which constitutes approximately 93-95% of the total unit length. The location of the Mth-Alu2.2 sequence in the karyotype was determined by FISH, demonstrating strong hybridization signals in the pericentromeric regions of all chromosomes and in the heterochromatin blocks of several X chromosome variants. In addition, the distribution of the 4 pericentromeric repeat sequences Msat-160, Mth-Alu900, Mth-Alu2.2, and interstitial telomeric repeats was analyzed by in situ hybridization in M. thomasi, in order to shed light on the complex composition of the chromosomal pericentromeric regions in this species. The order and organization of these sequences in the pericentromeric regions are conserved, with slight variations in both the degree of overlapping and the amount of each repeated DNA in the chromosomes. Specifically, Mth-Alu2.2 is localized in the terminal regions of the chromosomes, with Msat-160 occupying the immediately inner region, partially intermixed with Mth-Alu2.2. The sequence Mth-Alu900 is found in internal positions below Msat-160, and the interstitial telomeric repeats are located close to the long-arm euchromatin of the chromosomes.
Regulation of Appetite, Satiation, and Body Weight by Enteroendocrine Cells. Part 1: Characteristics of Enteroendocrine Cells and Their Capability of Weight Regulation
Authors: Posovszky Carsten , Wabitsch Martin
Published: November 2014

The gastrointestinal tract is the gateway for food in our body. Food ingestion and the ensuing digestive processes depend on the composition and amount of ingested nutrients. This complex process of nutrient digestion and absorption is effectively regulated by the enteroendocrine system. Enteroendocrine cells (EECs) reside scattered throughout the intestinal epithelium. They express nutrient receptors that face the lumen and secrete peptide hormones in response to food. Besides regulating digestion, gastrointestinal endocrine cells are involved in the regulation of appetite and satiety. The first part of this review describes the anatomical and biological characteristics of EECs and discusses the capability of their hormones to influence appetite, satiety, and body weight. In the second part, we then discuss the therapeutic potential of EECs in the treatment of obesity.
Person-specific Theory of Mind in Medial pFC
Authors: Welborn B. Locke , Lieberman Matthew D.
Published: November 2014

Although research on theory of mind has strongly implicated the dorsomedial pFC (incuding medial BA 8 and BA 9), the unique contributions of medial pFC (MPFC; corresponding to medial BA 10) to mentalizing remain uncertain. The extant literature has considered the possibility that these regions may be specialized for self-related cognition or for reasoning about close others, but evidence for both accounts has been inconclusive. We propose a novel theoretical framework: MPFC selectively implements “person-specific theories of mind” (ToMp) representing the unique, idiosyncratic traits or attributes of well-known individuals. To test this hypothesis, we used fMRI to assess MPFC responses in Democratic and Republican participants as they evaluated more or less subjectively well-known political figures. Consistent with the ToMp account, MPFC showed greater activity to subjectively well-known targets, irrespective of participants' reported feelings of closeness or similarity. MPFC also demonstrated greater activity on trials in which targets (whether politicians or oneself) were judged to be relatively idiosyncratic, making a generic theory of mind inapplicable. These results suggest that MPFC may supplement the generic theory of mind process, with which dorsomedial pFC has been associated, by contributing mentalizing capacities tuned to individuated representations of specific well-known others.
Escape tactics in the lizard Meroles cuneirostris
Authors: Eifler Douglas , Eifler Maria
Published: November 2014

Successful escape from predators may involve the use of multiple tactics. The
wedge-snouted desert lizard (Meroles cuneirostris) flees from
predators through a series of discrete moves with each move representing a
specific manoeuvre type. By simulating the approach of a predator, we examined
the role of sex and age (adult vs. juvenile) on the manoeuvre types used during
escape, as well as the relationship between the number of moves needed to escape
and the number of manoeuvre types employed. The eight defined manoeuvre types
were used by all demographic groups, though there were differences among groups
in the tendency to use certain manoeuvre types. In general, there was a strong
difference in how adults and juveniles fled from predators. The number of
manoeuvre types used by a lizard tended to increase with the number of moves
required to escape and adults more readily added new manoeuvre types to an
escape sequence. Demographic differences in escape behaviour might result from
differing predation pressures incurred by juveniles and adults, and might also
be related to the ontogeny of escape behaviour.
An evaluation of daily, seasonal and population-level variation in the thermal preference of a group-living lizard, Ouroborus cataphractus (Sauria: Cordylidae)
Authors: Truter Johannes Christoff , van Wyk Johannes Hendrik , Mouton Pieter le Fras Nortier
Published: November 2014

Ectotherms are known to function optimally within a specific range of body
temperatures, bordered by two set-point values (i.e. preferred temperature
range; ). Preferred body temperature stands central in understanding
behavioural thermoregulation in a thermally dynamic temperate environment. In
this study we determined for the group-living cordylid lizard, Ouroborus
cataphractus, during the respective annual peak periods in food
availability and scarcity. Body temperatures were recorded in ecologically
realistic photo-thermal gradients using body-mounted, modified iButtons. In
addition to studying seasonal and spatial variation in we also assessed daily variation and among-day repeatability of
estimates. The mean among populations and across seasons was 29.8 ±
2.3°C (range: 26.8-32.6°C) and represents the lowest mean
and range recorded for any cordylid lizard to date. Literature
reports on the seasonal activity patterns and micro-spatial variation in thermal
habitat quality of O. cataphractus suggest that the low
minimizes thermoregulatory costs during summer, autumn, late winter
and spring. The low is therefore expected to relax energy budgets and function as part
of the adaptive strategy of the species to survive seasonal food stress in a
semi-arid environment. The among-day repeatability of mean varied among populations and across seasons despite exposure
conditions that were kept constant. The results of the present study suggest
that estimates based on short term laboratory trials may be inaccurate
due to potential high among-day individual variation and low repeatability in
thermal preference.
Urbanization as the Cause of Cities: Notes from the Near East and the Northeast
Authors: Thomas Alexander R.
Published: November 2014

The concept of urbanization has long been used to refer to the growth of cities in a particular region. The definition of a city is notoriously vague, however, and as such using their growth as a mechanism for understanding urbanization is highly problematic. In addition, the sequence of events leading to the urbanization of a region does not indicate that cities necessarily lead to the effects with which urbanization is commonly associated, but rather these “effects” predate and even facilitate the growth of cities. This paper discusses the concept of urbanization in light of two very distinct case studies of the sequence leading to the growth of cities: that of “pristine urbanization” in the ancient Fertile Crescent and of later urbanization in the American Northeast.
Trust in Government and Goal Pursuit in a Transition Society
Authors: Nikolayenko Olena
Published: November 2014

The development of life goals and aspirations is vital to positive youth development, and may be especially important in societies undergoing dramatic political and socioeconomic changes. Scholars have identified a wide range of factors associated with goal-directed behavior during youth, but the linkage between trust in government and goal pursuit has received scant attention in this literature. Using data from a nationally representative survey and focus group discussions with Russian youth, this study examines the impact of trust in government on goal pursuit in post-communist Russia. The analysis finds that trust in government has a significant effect on the likelihood of goal pursuit among 25–30 year old respondents, but a negligible impact on goal-oriented behavior of younger respondents. The results from the focus groups further suggest that failure avoidance, historical legacies, and limited access to resources inhibit goal pursuit in the post-communist state. The present analysis seeks to contribute to extant research by investigating youth development in a transition society.
The Study of Normal Psychic Life
Authors: van de Pol Albert-Jan , Derksen Jan
Published: November 2014

In the introduction to hisAllgemeine Psychopathologie, published in 1913, Karl Jaspers stated that psychology has little value for the psychopathologist because it focuses on all kinds of interesting matters, but not on normal psychic life. In this article we argue that today, in the year 2013, little has changed in this respect. During the past century, normal psychic life (non-pathological psychic life) has rarely been a topic of research. Clinical psychology has focused primarily on studying three other topics: the mind-body problem (does the mind actually exist, or are we exclusively the result of brain function?), the methodological debate (should psychology use quantitative or qualitative research results as a basis for its expertise?) and the psychotherapy debate (Is psychotherapy effective? If so, which form is the most effective?). Due to this focus, our knowledge in the above-mentioned areas has increased significantly, but the issue raised by Karl Jaspers about normal psychic life has still not been addressed. In this article, we propose that normal psychic life should indeed become the new focus of clinical psychology. We illustrate the importance of this new focus with three examples from clinical psychology: the Global Assessment of Functioning scale, empathy and the emergence of positive psychology during the past decade. We then explore the efficacy of phenomenology for studying this normal psychic life, thereby discovering a useful epistemological basis in Husserl’s systematic phenomenology. Various phenomenological research methods are evaluated in the light of this systematic phenomenology.
Guiqiao (Returned Overseas Chinese) Identity in the prc归侨的认同意识
Authors: Ford Caleb
Published: November 2014

Beginning in the early 1950s there were tens of thousands of ethnic Chinese who chose to ‘return’ to the People’s Republic of China (prc). Until fairly recently, little attention has been given to the approximately 600,000 ethnic Chinese who chose to immigrate to China from locations throughout Southeast Asia, as well as further afield in the first few decades after the founding of theprc. There were many factors influencing their migration to a country that many had never stepped foot on. However, it is clear that the Chinese state made a concerted attempt to rally the support (capital and immigration) of overseas Chinese communities. Many of the returnees were resettled on one of dozens of ‘Overseas Chinese Farms’ (huaqiao nongchang) scattered throughout the provinces of southern China. Outside of China they were considered ‘Chinese’ and foreign, juxtaposed against the local or ‘indigenous’ identities that had taken shape in tandem with the independence of former colonies in Southeast Asia and the rise of modern nationalism. Upon their ‘return’ to what was, for many, an imagined ancestral homeland — a country many of them had never seen — they were confronted with a different type of discrimination and suspicion than they faced ‘abroad’. This was despite, and in some cases because of, certain favorable policies enacted by the party state to assist in their relocation and assimilation into society. Ironically, some of the same policies that sought to gradually assimilate them into Chinese society actually reinforced their position as ‘permanent outsiders’: the creation of an official ‘huaqiao’ legal status; institutionalized segregation in the form ofhuaqiao nongchang, huaqiao villages, andhuaqiao schools; and a resultant pariah status that did not begin to recede until after the reforms of the late 1970s. While the concept of ‘huaqiao’ (overseas Chinese sojourners) was falling out of use among Chinese communities abroad, the word was taking on a new meaning in theprc, both for the Chinese party state, and for those who would come to self-identify ashuaqiao/guiqiao.
Why Contribute? Understanding Asian Motivations for Troop Contribution to Peace Operations
Authors: Avezov Xenia
Published: November 2014

This article provides an overview of South and Northeast Asian motivations for contributing troops to United Nations peace operations. It identifies five groups of countries based on their motivations and characteristics: (1) Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, (2) India and China, (3) Japan and South Korea, and two individual cases, (4) Mongolia and (5) Pakistan. It argues that the size and level of development of a troop-contributing country are important determinants for the pattern a country follows and for the size of its contribution. In addition, the article suggests that countries with both political and military motivations for contribution tend to provide the most troops, with either economic or geostrategic motivations reinforcing the commitment for contribution. In every case, normative considerations and the perception of a positive international image serve as motivations for contribution, but these do not explain the size of a country’s contributions.
An Intellectual ‘Great Game’
Authors: Davidann Jon Thares
Published: November 2014

This essay studies the Japanese model and the origins of modernity in East Asia and the United States. Japanese innovations in the 1870s to 1890s impacted Chinese attempts at modernization in the initial decades of the 20th Century. This resulted in a strong connection between modern thinking and the rise of civic nationalism in East Asia and the United States. Asian intellectuals picked the most useful parts of Confucianism and combined them with Western ideas. Modern thinking among American intellectuals arose at about the same time as East Asian modernity but under very different conditions. Modern thinkers in East Asia, under intense external pressure from Western imperialism, were highly motivated and innovative in projecting forward a vision later carried out in a full-scale modernization. In the United States, however, the conditions of modernity arrived first. Incessant industrialization, urbanization, and immigration after the Civil War caused American modern thinkers to develop innovative new perspectives and approaches to meet these challenges. Successful Japanese modernization created an alternative to Western imperialism that appealed to any Asian country under threat or reality of Western hegemony.
Gastrointestinal helminths (Cestoda, Chabertiidae and Heligmonellidae) of Pogonomys loriae and Pogonomys macrourus (Rodentia: Muridae) from Papua Indonesia and Papua New Guinea with the description of a new genus and two new species
Authors: SMALES L. R.
Published: November 2014

Pieces of cestode, not indentified further, and 12 species of nematode including 1 new genus, 3 new species and 7 putative new species from the Families Chabertiidae and Heligmonellidae were collected from the digestive tracts of 16 Pogonomys loriae and 19 P. macrurous (Murinae: Hydromyini) from Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The chabertiid Cyclodontostomum purvisi and the heligmonellid Odilia mackerrasae have been described previously from endemic murids. Hasanuddinia pogonomyos n. sp. can be distinguished from its congeners by the number of ridges in the synlophe, length of spicules and having a vagina with a dorsal diverticulum. Odilia dividua n. sp. is larger than its congeners, has a longer oesophagus, relatively shorter spicules and larger eggs. Pogonomystrongylus domaensis n. gen., n. sp. differs from all other genera in the Heligmonellidae in the characters of the synlophe, 7–10 ridges oriented sub frontally with a single left ventral ridge hypertrophied. Species richness of the nematode assemblages of P. loriae and P. macrourus are comparable to those of Abeomelomys sevia, Chiruromys vates and Coccymys rummleri when numbers of hosts examined are considered. Species composition was distinctive with 12, including the 7 putative species, of 14 species presently known only from species of Pogonomys. Similarities between the nematode fauna of endemic rodent hosts from Indonesia and Papua New Guinea were noted.
Początek świata: żywoty proroków jako źródła religijnych dystynkcji w narracjach bułgarskojęzycznych muzułmanów
Authors: Lubańska Magdalena
Published: November 2014

The beginning of the world: Lives of the prophets as a source of religious distinctions in the narratives of Bulgarian-speaking MuslimsThis paper draws on data collected through the ethnographic fieldwork carried out between 2002 and 2009 in the Central and Western Rhodope Mountains. In my studies I aimed to verify the thesis of Bulgarian-speaking Muslims’ syncretic religiosity, believed by some Bulgarian scholars to preserve strong crypto-Christian components.Asked about motivations behind their religious practices, Muslims often evoked cosmological narratives. These narratives are of crucial importance in the process of legitimising their religion in a multi-faith neighborhood. Referring to the main topic of this volume of “Slavia Meridionalis” I focus on the possible “ideological” backgrounds to these stories. I consider them as examples of the vanishing post-Ottoman influences on Bulgarian Muslims’ religious culture. Początek świata: żywoty proroków jako źródła religijnych dystynkcji w narracjach bułgarskojęzycznych muzułmanówArtykuł opiera się na materiałach zgromadzonych podczas etnograficznych badań terenowych przeprowadzonych w latach 2002–2009 w Centralnych i Zachodnich Rodopach. W swoich badaniach starałam się zweryfikować tezę o synkretycznych charakterze religijności bułgarskojęzycznych muzułmanów, według niektórych bułgarskich badaczy zawierającej silne kryptochrześcijań­skie komponenty.Gdy pytałam muzułmanów o motywacje wykonywanych przez nich religijnych praktyk, często powoływali się oni na narracje komologiczne. Oka­zało się, że mają one kluczowe znaczenie w procesie legitymizacji ich religii w wielowyznaniowym sąsiedztwie. W artykule koncentruję się na możliwych „ideologicznych” kontekstach tych narracji. Odnosząc się do głównego tematu niniejszego tomu „Slavii Meridionalis” pokazuję owe kosmologiczne motywy jako przejawy zanikających wpływów postosmańskich w kulturze religijnej bułgarskojęzycznych muzułmanów w Bułgarii.
Understanding dementia in the sociocultural context: A review
Authors: Cipriani Gabriele , Borin Gemma
Published: November 2014

Background:

The perception of old age differs in different societies and cultures: in the Western societies, the loss of youth, multiple losses of functions and independence resulting in inability produce a social stigma. Dementia is common among the elderly, regardless of their ethnic background. In countries dominated by Western philosophical thought, the cognitive domain has been privileged over other mental domains. Knowledge of cultural factors is essential to an understanding of aging and dementia; studies are currently dominated by biomedical models that consider dementing disorders solely as a pathological entity caused by neuronal and neurotrasmitters loss, and focus on the individual without regard to sociocultural context.

Aim:

The purpose of this study is to explore how the phenomenon of dementia is perceived in ethnically diverse groups and cultures.

Methods:

Medline and Google Scholar searches were conducted for relevant articles, chapters and books published before 2014. Search terms used included anthropology, culture, ethnic elderly and dementia. Publications found through this indexed search were reviewed for further relevant references.

Results:

The experience of dementia is not universal, but is profoundly shaped by culture in which the demented person lives. Sociocultural conceptualization of the symptoms of dementing diseases remains obscure in many countries.

Conclusion:

Sociocultural conceptualization of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias is of growing interest in shaping the interpretation of the symptoms of dementing diseases. To explore the intersection of culture with the expression of dementia may optimize the management of these complex and chronic conditions.
In plane compressive response and crushing of foam filled aluminum honeycombs
Authors: Mozafari Hozhabr , Molatefi Habibollah , Crupi Vincenzo , Epasto Gabriella , Guglielmino Eugenio
Published: November 2014

In this paper, the influence of foam filling of aluminum honeycomb core on its in-plane crushing properties is investigated. An aluminum honeycomb core and a polyurethane foam with densities of 65, 90, and 145 kg/m3 were used to produce foam filled honeycomb panels, and then experimental quasi-static compression tests were performed. Moreover, finite element model, based on the conducted tests, was developed. In the finite element analyses, three different polyurethane foams were used to fill three different honeycomb cores. The effects of foam filling of aluminum honeycomb core on its in-plane mechanical properties (such as mean crushing strength, absorbed energy, and specific absorbed energy) were analyzed experimentally and numerically. The results showed that the foam filling of honeycomb core can increase the in plane crushing strength up to 208 times, and its specific absorbed energy up to 20 times. However, it was found that the effect of foam filling decreases in heavier honeycombs, producing an increment of the above mentioned properties only up to 36 and 6 times, respectively.
Principal strain-induced fiber orientation evolution in the Csf/Mg composites with a large deformation
Authors: Tian Wenlong , Qi Lehua , Zhou Jiming , Xu Yiren
Published: November 2014

In this article, the fiber orientation evolution in the Csf/Mg composites with a large deformation is investigated. The principal strain-induced fiber orientation evolution mechanism, which states that the fiber orientation evolution in the Csf/Mg composites with a large deformation is determined by the principal strains, is proposed. The fiber orientation distribution factors [Formula: see text] taking the form of the principal strains are proposed to quantitatively characterize the fiber orientation distribution in the Csf/Mg composites. The fiber orientation factors [Formula: see text] predicted by the finite element simulation based on the principal strain-induced fiber orientation evolution mechanism are compared against those [Formula: see text] measured from the micrographs of the extrusion experiments of Csf/Mg composites. The results demonstrate that the principal strain-induced fiber orientation evolution mechanism is valid and convenient to predict the fiber orientation evolution in the Csf/Mg composites with a large deformation. In the extruded Csf/Mg composites, the fibers are reoriented toward the direction of the maximum principal strain and deviated from the direction of the minimum principal strain.
Cognition enhancers for the treatment of dementia
Authors: Malek Naveed , Greene John
Published: November 2014

Dementia is a broad term used to describe several chronic progressive neurological disorders that adversely affect higher mental functions including memory, language, behaviour, abstract thinking, comprehension, calculation, learning capacity and judgement. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia but other neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, cerebrovascular disease and chronic infections such as syphilis can also lead to the clinical syndrome of dementia. Initial investigations should always focus on finding any treatable cause for dementia such as HIV, structural lesions such as subdural haematomas or specific nutritional deficiency states such as that due to vitamin B12 and treated appropriately. Where no treatable or reversible aetiology is found, a referral to a specialist should be considered who may initiate further investigations including magnetic resonance imaging or perfusion single-photon emission computerised tomography scans of the brain, and sometimes cerebrospinal fluid examination or an electroencephalogram.
Mapping producer services networks in mainland Chinese cities
Authors: Zhao Miaoxi , Liu Xingjian , Derudder Ben , Zhong Ye , Shen Wei
Published: November 2014

We analyse the geographies of urban networks created by leading producer services (PS) firms in China. Because of the national regulation of the Chinese state-led economy and the location strategies of global advanced producer services (APS) firms, the geography of global APS in China as examined by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) cannot be studied as a subnetwork of GaWC’s global network, but needs an empirical study based on a wide range of leading PS in the Chinese market. We explore the spatial differentiation in the connectivity of Chinese cities based on the location strategies of 323 APS firms in 287 Chinese cities. Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen emerge as the primary nodes. The spatial distribution of banking, securities, and insurance services networks appears to be more even than those of non-financial PS firms. Regional disparity exists in terms of polycentric urban development in coastal China, as well as in the centralisation model in central and western areas. We suggest that owing to the continued tight regulation of China’s state-led economy and the nature of the location strategies of ‘globalised’ PS firms, the urban networks created by Chinese PS firms are not only an extension of urban networks at a global scale but also an embodiment of economic activities at other scales.
Do Audit Fees Reflect Risk Premiums for Control Risk?
Authors: Jiang Wei , Son Myungsoo
Published: November 2014

This study examines whether audit fees reflect risk premiums in the presence of control risk after controlling for audit effort through audit delay. Our results indicate that auditors adjust risk premiums as well as audit efforts in response to altered control risk. Further analysis shows that the extent of risk premium adjustment varies depending on the severity of the underlying internal control problems. Overall, these findings provide insights into the distinct role of audit effort and risk premium in audit pricing decisions.
‘Power Politician’ or ‘Fighting Bureaucrat’: gender and power in German political coverage
Authors: Lünenborg Margreth , Maier Tanja
Published: November 2014

This study interrogates the relationship of gender and power in the journalistic coverage of leading politicians. As an exemplar, we compare the coverage of German chancellor Angela Merkel and her (then) male counterpart, the social-democrat Frank-Walter Steinmeier. In a qualitative textual analysis of news and entertainment print media, we explain how politics is inscribed as a male field while its constitutive Other remains female. Acknowledging the importance of Merkel’s position as chancellor, journalists confer authority to the incumbent as much as to her competitor. However, a closer analysis of personal labels, descriptions of the body, and explanations of political actions reveals that gendering continues to be a constitutive aspect of political reporting, but in other ways than previously explained: the coverage constructs a disconnect between person and action, that is, between the gender of the politician and her or his political maneuvering. For example, the political model of the ‘fighter’ (and related constructions of masculine action) is employed in journalistic reporting for both men and women. At times, it evokes criticism toward hegemonic masculinity even when embodied by a woman. This analysis offers opportunities for deconstructing the gendered system of politics – regardless of whether performed by women or men.
Facing up to Facebook: politicians, publics and the social media(ted) turn in New Zealand
Authors: Ross Karen , Fountaine Susan , Comrie Margie
Published: November 2014

Social media have an increasingly important place in the lives of citizens, and their potential to expand the reach of communication messages beyond individual networks is attractive to those looking to maximise message efficiency. The influence of Facebook in Obama’s 2008 campaign success galvanised many politicians into taking it seriously as a campaign tool. Our study explored the Facebook wall posts (1148 in total) of New Zealand Members of Parliament (MPs) leading up to the 2011 general election to determine posting behaviours and differences. Among other things, we found that women posted more frequently than men and that Labour MPs posted more than their National counterparts. Additionally, most politicians do not invite dialogue with readers of their posts, rarely get involved in comment threads and mostly take a monologic approach, using Facebook as a way of broadcasting information rather than as a medium enabling two-way flow. In other words, same old, same old.
Expressive and Instrumental Offending
Authors: Youngs Donna , Ioannou Maria , Eagles Jenna
Published: November 2014

Although previous research into specialisation has been dominated by the debate over the existence of specialisation versus versatility, it is suggested that research needs to move beyond the restrictions of this dispute. The current study explores the criminal careers of 200 offenders based on their criminal records, obtained from a police database in the North West of England, aiming to understand the patterns and nature of specialisation by determining the presence of differentiation within their general offending behaviours and examining whether the framework of Expressive and Instrumental offending styles can account for any specialised tendencies that emerge. Fifty-eight offences were subjected to Smallest Space Analysis. Results revealed that a model of criminal differentiation could be identified and that any specialisation is represented in terms of Expressive and Instrumental offending styles.
Comparative models of American Indian economic development: Capitalist versus cooperative in the United States and Canada
Authors: Rose Samuel
Published: November 2014

The purpose of this article is to use a comparative case study method to evaluate the different existing economic development practices of American Indian peoples in the United States and Canada. The basis of comparison is the organizational structure of businesses with the comparison being between capitalist and cooperative forms. The goal is to understand how organizational type (or mode of production) is connected to the production of contemporary culture and social relations. The main conclusion is that, while not equivalent to traditional indigenous economies, cooperative structures are closer than capitalist ones to facilitating and reproducing traditionalist forms of sociality and cultural production.
Gun concealment, display, and other magical habits of the body
Authors: Springwood Charles Fruehling
Published: November 2014

This analysis argues that armed Americans and their weapons are central agents in a network of objects and affects. Guns may not only assert agency on people but, also, firearm–human relations – emergent within the contested legal boundaries that discipline their bodily concealment and revelation – are best seen as an enchanted assemblage of performance, control, omnipotence, pleasure, and fear. Both material and semiotic in nature – guns are things that shoot and things that convey meaning. The cultural desire to secretly arm or openly carry a firearm in public spaces, and the range of motivations and reactions that frame it, inform this project. How are gun owners transformed by the corporeal relationships they have with their weapons? Moreover, how is this relationship a mode of affective embodiment, in which the gun so easily merges with its owner, forming and conforming to the body, dissolving into one’s person unconsciously, much like but much differently than a cell phone?