bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gedeon Richter
Authors: Hargittai István , Hargittai Magdolna
Published: April 2015

The founder of the Hungarian pharmaceutical industry, Gedeon Richter, and a pioneer of incandescent lamp research and industry, Imre Bródy, were among the victims of the Hungarian Holocaust. Hungary enacted its first anti-Jewish legislation as early as 1920, severely limiting the number of Jewish students at its universities. During the quarter-century period between the two world wars, Jews did not receive professorial appointments and were not elected to the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Nicholas Horthy’s anti-Semitic regime enacted harsh anti-Jewish legislation in the late 1930s and early 1940s, followed by the physical annihilation of more than half a million Hungarian Jews in 1944. There are moving memorials to the Hungarian Holocaust, to Raoul Wallenberg, Gábor Sztehlo, and others who saved Jews and among them future luminaries of science. Alas, there are no specific memorials of the scientist-martyrs of the Holocaust.
States and Operators
Authors: Dalton Bryan J. , Jeffers John , Barnett Stephen M.
Published: April 2015

This chapter sets out the second-quantisation treatment for systems of identical bosons or fermions. Key features such as the symmetrisation principle and super-selection rules are presented. Orthogonality and completeness requirements for mode functions are set out, and Fock states are defined in terms of mode occupancy, leading to the definitions of mode annihilation and creation operators and the determination of their commutation (bosons) or anticommutation (fermions) rules. Important two-mode states such as binomial states and relative-phase eigenstates are considered. Field creation and annihilation operators are defined and related to multi-particle position eigenstates. The Hamiltonian is expressed in terms of both mode operators and field operators, state dynamics being treated via Liouville–von Neumann, master or Matsubara equations for the density operator. Normal ordering is introduced and applied to expressions for the vacuum state projector. Multi-particle position probabilities are considered and related to normally ordered quantum correlation functions.
Application to Few-Mode Systems
Authors: Dalton Bryan J. , Jeffers John , Barnett Stephen M.
Published: April 2015

This chapter presents three examples of applying of phase space methods in systems with only a few important modes. The boson application is to interferometry in two-mode Bose–Einstein condensates, as in a double-well potential. The fermion application is to Cooper pairing in a four-mode system involving two spin-1/2 fermions, initially occupying states with opposite spins and momenta. The one-atom two-level Jaynes–Cummings model provides an example combining a one-mode bosonic system (the cavity mode) with a two-mode fermionic system (the two atomic states). Fokker–Planck equations are derived in each case. In the first two cases, Ito stochastic differential equations are determined. These describe dephasing effects in the boson interferometry case, and are solved to demonstrate Cooper pairing in the fermion case. For the combined case, the Fokker–Planck equations are solved directly—the distribution function shown to give the well-known Jaynes–Cummings model results.
Distribution Functionals in Quantum Atom Optics
Authors: Dalton Bryan J. , Jeffers John , Barnett Stephen M.
Published: April 2015

This chapter formally presents the representation of the quantum density operator by phase space distribution functionals of phase space fields, leading to expressions for quantum correlation functions in terms of phase space functional integrals, where the field functions—complex fields for bosons, Grassmann fields for fermions—replace field annihilation and creation operators. The emphasis is on double-phase-space normally ordered (positive P type) normalised distribution functionals, with distinct fields for annihilation and creation field operators; however, symmetrically ordered (Wigner type) distribution functionals are also considered, along with unnormalised B distribution functionals, which lead to phase space functional integrals for Fock position state populations and coherences. Characteristic functionals are first defined and then shown to be related to distribution functionals via phase space functional integrals. The existence of the distribution functionals is demonstrated from previous results for equivalent distribution functions by using mode expansions.
Functional Fokker–Planck Equations
Authors: Dalton Bryan J. , Jeffers John , Barnett Stephen M.
Published: April 2015

This chapter deals with deriving functional Fokker–Planck equations (FFPEs) that govern the behaviour of phase space distribution functionals (normalised and unnormalised) for boson and fermion systems due to dynamical or thermal evolution. The approach used is to derive correspondence rules, which map changes in the density operator when multiplied from left or right by field annihilation or creation operators (as in evolution equations) onto corresponding changes in distribution functionals, these being functional differentiations and/or multiplications by field functions (left or right for fermions). Derivations are carried out by applying mode expansions to previously established results for distribution functions. Specific forms are obtained for FFPEs relating drift vector and diffusion matrix elements in the FFPE to corresponding quantities in equivalent Fokker–Planck equations and to sums over mode functions. Symmetry (bosons) and antisymmetry (fermions) properties of the diffusion matrix are established. Results are generalised to treat cases with several sets of field operators.
Further Developments
Authors: Dalton Bryan J. , Jeffers John , Barnett Stephen M.
Published: April 2015

The final chapter, on further developments, provides a brief survey of developments in phase space theory that are both recent and beyond the scope of the present book. References are given to research papers outlining these developments. These include the gauge P method, involving the introduction of an extra phase space variable, the Gaussian projector method, where the density operator is written in terms of Gaussian rather than Bargmann state projectors, and various hybrid methods, where modes or field operators are divided into two sets and hybrid distribution functions are introduced which have different characteristics (typically positive P and Wigner) for each set.
A New Audience for Greece and Rome
Authors: Nichols Kate
Published: April 2015

Chapter 1 asks how ideas about Greek and Roman culture were shaped by the Palace’s new audience, and assesses verbal and visual representations of this new ‘mass’ constituency. Examining the writings of a working-class male autobiographer and a middle-class female diarist, and a range of illustrated press engravings depicting visitors, it uncovers for the first time these new encounters with antiquity at the Palace, highlighting differing ideals of cultural engagement across class and gender. The chapter explores how the Crystal Palace’s unusual combination of leisure and learning might complicate Pierre Bourdieu’s study of cultural preference as a means of achieving social distinction. It draws on theories of audience response developed across the humanities and social sciences, which suggest the importance of response in generating the meaning of a (broadly defined) text. The responses of Palace visitors form a compelling alternative to Tony Bennett’s ‘exhibitionary complex’, which has dominated museum studies.
Reproducing Greece and Rome
Authors: Nichols Kate
Published: April 2015

Chapter 3 unpicks the debates about presenting the past to a mass audience stimulated by the Palace’s 1850s reconstructions of Greek and Roman sculpture and architecture. It examines the changing status of the Palace’s plaster cast replicas alongside developments in archaeological knowledge and changing ideas about authenticity, 1854–1936, and considers its place among new modes of imagining antiquity; mass tourism to archaeological sites, increasing artistic reconstructions of Greece and Rome by painters such as Lawrence Alma Tadema, and technologies of photography, stereography, and film. Reconstructions and the idea of ‘heritage industry’ were widely debated from the late 1980s. The idea that the past might become a recreational space has been greeted with hostility; critics align mass audiences with inauthenticity, and marginalize the deep engagements with the past that ‘heritage’ might constitute. Chapter 3 provides a nineteenth-century take on this industry.
Greek Sculpture and Nineteenth-century Commerce
Authors: Nichols Kate
Published: April 2015

Chapter 4 contributes a classical focus to recent scholarship on the contested relationships between visual art and industry in Victorian culture. At the Crystal Palace, classical sculpture was not a refuge from industrial modernity, but a means of enhancing manufacture. The first part establishes the Sydenham Palace as a significant location for the design reform movement usually associated with the South Kensington Museum. It examines the roles that Palace architects Matthew Digby Wyatt and Owen Jones hoped Greek sculpture might play in reforming art manufacture, and subsequently the British economy. The second section analyses the successes and failures of the connections fostered between classical art and industry at Sydenham, focusing on the Ceramic Court and the Crystal Palace Art-Union. It concludes by analysing the changing relationship between ‘high art’, design, labour, and commerce in the context of the Arts and Crafts movement in the later nineteenth century.
Conclusion
Authors: Nichols Kate
Published: April 2015

The conclusion situates the Sydenham Palace alongside the Millennium Dome/O2 arena, comparing the criticisms of mass audiences, authenticity, and exhibitionary strategies at 2008’s Tutankhmun Exhibition to the 1850s critics at Sydenham. Museums now seem the only suitable environment for antiquities; the Crystal Palace stands as a counter narrative, an example of the wide range of mid-nineteenth-century exhibitions of and engagements with classical sculpture—and of the changing approaches to these objects throughout the Palace’s lifespan into the twentieth century.
Approaches to statistical inference
Authors: McCarthy Michael A.
Published: April 2015

If your data does not require statistical analysis, then you are probably not doing ecology. In an environment that can be very variable, and where data are usually expensive or difficult to collect, statistics is necessary to extract a signal from noisy data. This chapter introduces some basic concepts in probability that underpin much of statistics. It then describes the major approaches to statistical inference in ecology, covering null hypothesis significance testing, calculation of effect sizes and confidence intervals, and non-parametric, likelihood, information theoretic and Bayesian methods. In many cases, inference from these different approaches is very similar if the results are interpreted appropriately. Therefore, debates in ecology about the most appropriate statistical method can overlook a larger issue—the appropriate use and reporting of statistical results regardless of the method chosen. The chapter concludes with points that should be heeded when using statistical inference in ecology: avoid nil null hypotheses; failure to reject a null hypothesis is not evidence that it is true; statistical significance is different from biological significance; p-values do not indicate replicability; and effect sizes and intervals around them should be reported and interpreted.
Likelihood and model selection
Authors: Richards Shane A.
Published: April 2015

Ecologists study systems in which the biological patterns of interest are usually the result of complex webs of interactions. In such cases, many hypotheses may be proposed that might account for the patterns observed, and the problem is to determine which hypotheses are indeed consistent with the data. This chapter introduces the concept of a likelihood function, which is a way of formalizing a biological hypothesis as a mathematical model and linking it to a sampling design. It then explains how likelihood functions can be used to select among competing models, focusing on the information-theoretic approach to model selection. Examples are provided that illustrate key concepts, and demonstrate good practice when performing model selection.
What you don’t know can hurt you
Authors: Fox Gordon A.
Published: April 2015

Censored and truncated data are ubiquitous in ecology. Censored data are values for which we know only inequalities (e.g., some data are recorded as 0 because instruments have limited sensitivity, or because study subjects live beyond the time of a study). With truncated data sets we have no information on data in some range (e.g., we do not know if there are patches of an invasive plant smaller than some limit). Both can lead to inconsistent estimates—they do not converge to the true value even with large samples. This chapter reviews techniques for estimating means and regression models for both censored and truncated data. These techniques lead to consistent estimates. Much of the chapter uses simulated data—the “true” values are known from the simulation, so readers can easily assess the importance of using the techniques discussed here. R code is provided, and the chapter includes a discussion of how data sets should be structured for these analyses.
Statistical approaches to the problem of phylogenetically correlated data
Authors: Lajeunesse Marc J. , Fox Gordon A.
Published: April 2015

Analyzing data from multiple species is a problem for conventional regression methods because they violate some of the most basic assumptions of these statistics. Examples of multi-species data sets with these problems include: comparisons of parental care and egg size across related bird species, and analyses on how herbivory relates to the taxonomic identity of neighboring plants. This chapter aims to answer why such data sets violate statistical assumptions like independence of samples and homogeneity of variance by comparing the error rates of conventional and phylogenetically-informed regression models. Using Monte Carlo simulations, the chapter begins with an exploration on how sampling error and phylogenetic correlations challenge what statistical inferences can be made with a simple linear regression. Simulations are then extended to show: (1) how inferences with multi-species data can be improved when phylogenetic generalized least squares (PGLS) models are applied, and (2) how adopting a phylogenetic perspective can significantly expand the scope of statistical, ecological, and evolutionary inferences from these data. The chapter ends with a brief survey of approaches that can help facilitate applications of phylogenetic information to regression models, and outlines practical instructions on how to interpret results from these analyses.
Mixture models for overdispersed data
Authors: Rhodes Jonathan R.
Published: April 2015

Ecological data often do not conform to the assumptions of standard probability distributions and this has important implications for the validity of statistical inference. A common reason for this is that the variability of ecological data is often much higher than can be accounted for by the standard probability distributions that underpin most statistical inference in ecology. This leads to an underestimation of variances and bias in statistical tests unless the overdispersion is accounted for. Consequently, having methods for dealing with overdispersion is an essential component of the ecologist’s statistical toolbox. This chapter introduces statistical methods known as mixture models that can deal with overdispersion. Mixture models are powerful because not only can they account for overdispersion, but they can also help to identify the actual ecological or observation processes that drive overdispersion. The chapter begins by discussing the causes and consequences of overdispersion in ecological data and how overdispersion can be identified. Mixture models are then described and illustrated using two different case studies from survival analysis and the analysis of population abundance. The chapter ends with a discussion of some of the limitations of mixture models and pitfalls to look out for.
1. Pilgrimage around the world
Authors: Reader Ian
Published: April 2015

Pilgrimage is a global human phenomenon spanning cultures, religions, and continents. Some pilgrimage centres attract millions of pilgrims each year creating an important ‘spiritual tourism’ industry. ‘Pilgrimage around the world’ shows that some sites are not faith-specific; Jerusalem has great significance in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and is a site of pilgrimage for all three. Not all pilgrimage places are internationally significant, however—many are essentially local in nature and involve replications of more famed and distant ones, allowing people who cannot travel far to simulate the pilgrimage. The detail of pilgrimage practices may differ across religious traditions and countries, but there is much common ground, even with ‘secular’ pilgrimages.
3. More than miracles
Authors: Reader Ian
Published: April 2015

While miraculous tales, apparitions, associations with religious leaders, the claimed presence of deities, and striking geographical features may all be important elements in pilgrimage, their presence does not automatically mean that the places where they occur will become flourishing pilgrimage sites. Issues of accessibility and the ways in which various interest groups promote and support the development of pilgrimage cults are also significant factors. ‘More than miracles’ considers the well-known pilgrimage sites at Lourdes, Santiago de Compostela, Shikoku, Mecca, Hardwar, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, and the site of a popular folk deity in Vietnam to learn more about their emergence and to look at how important, practical considerations played a role in their development.
6. Star Wars and beyond
Authors: Siracusa Joseph M.
Published: April 2015

By the 1960s, both the United States and the Soviet Union found themselves caught up in an offensive and defensive arms race that threatened the stability of an embryonic nuclear deterrence system. ‘Star Wars and beyond’ looks at how domestic politics and the desire to stabilize the nuclear environment played a major role in American and Soviet anti-ballistic missile decisions after the Cuban Missile Crisis. Would rival nations fear that the United States might flaunt its strategic arsenal as a means of encouraging states to behave? Would US missile defences cause an opponent to feel compelled to strike first? Would this impede strategic arms-limitations efforts? Or would US missile defences renew the strategic arms race?
Agriculture Afforestation for Carbon Sequestration Under Carbon Markets in the United States: Leakage Behavior from Regional Allowance Programs
Authors: Haim David , White Eric M. , Alig Ralph J.
Published: April 2015

This study quantifies how leakage behavior from afforesting agricultural land affects the intensification of agricultural production. In particular, we examine the leakage percentage from carbon offset allowance at specific southern regions in the United States as a part of a carbon market. We use the Forest and Agriculture Sector Optimization Model‐Greenhouse Gases model to examine responses between sectors as part of the regional afforestation policy analysis. Regional characteristics and a policy's time frame are found to play important roles in achieving net gains, in terms of greenhouse gases stored, from such regional policies. In some cases, however, leakage greater than 100% is evident.
High Viral Load and Respiratory Failure in Adults Hospitalized for Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections
Authors: Lee Nelson , Chan Martin C. W. , Lui Grace C. Y. , Li Ran , Wong Rity Y. K. , Yung Irene M. H. , Cheung Catherine S. K. , Chan Eugenia C. Y. , Hui David S. C. , Chan Paul K. S.
Published: April 2015

A prospective study among adults hospitalized for polymerase chain reaction–confirmed respiratory syncytial virus infections (n = 123) showed frequent occurrence of lower respiratory-tract complications causing respiratory insufficiency (52.8%), requirement for assisted ventilation (16.3%), and intensive care unit admission/death (12.2%). High viral RNA concentration was detected at time of hospitalization, including in patients who presented later than 2 days of illness (day 1–2, 7.29 ± 1.47; day 3–4, 7.28 ± 1.41; day 5–8, 6.66 ± 1.87 log10 copies/mL). RNA concentration was independently associated with risk of complications and respiratory insufficiency (adjusted odds ratio 1.40 per log10 copies/mL increase, 95% confidence interval, 1.03–1.90; P = .034). Our data indicate the need and provide a basis for clinical research on antiviral therapy in this population.
Antimicrobial activity and skin permeation of iodine present in an iodine-impregnated surgical incise drape
Authors: Casey A. L. , Karpanen T. J. , Nightingale P. , Conway B. R. , Elliott T. S. J.
Published: April 2015

Objectives

The antimicrobial efficacy of an iodine-impregnated incise drape against MRSA was evaluated in a skin model. The permeation of iodine from this drape into the skin was also assessed.

Methods

The antimicrobial efficacy was evaluated in ex vivo studies following application of the surgical incise drape for various times on the surface of donor skin, which was inoculated with either 1 × 103 or 1 × 106 cfu MRSA/cm2 skin and mounted on Franz diffusion cells. In some experiments the MRSA-inoculated skin was pre-incubated for 18 h at room temperature prior to applying the drape. Permeation of iodine into the skin using this model was also determined following application of the incise drape for 6 h.

Results

The iodine-impregnated drape demonstrated antimicrobial activity compared with the non-use of drape. This reached significance when a high inoculum of MRSA was applied with no pre-incubation period and when a low inoculum of MRSA was applied with a pre-incubation period (P = 0.002 and P = 0.014, respectively). Furthermore, in experiments wherein a high inoculum of MRSA was applied with no pre-incubation period, the iodine-impregnated drape demonstrated superior antimicrobial activity compared with the use of a non-antimicrobial drape (P < 0.001). MIC and MBC values of iodine were attained to 1500 μm below the skin surface.

Conclusions

The iodine-impregnated surgical incise drape had detectable antimicrobial activity. Furthermore, iodine penetrated into the deeper layers of the skin. This property should suppress microbial regrowth at and around a surgical incision site, making its use preferable to the use of a standard drape or non-use of a drape.
Electron Microscopic Features of Intraluminal Portion of Nasolacrimal Silastic Stents Following Dacryocystorhinostomy: Is There a Need for Stents Without a Lumen?
Authors: Ali Mohammad Javed , Baig Farhana , Naik Milind N.
Published: April 2015

Aim:

The aim of this study was to examine the presence of biofilms and physical deposits within the lumen of silastic nasolacrimal duct stents inserted during dacryocystorhinostomy.

Methods:

A prospective interventional study was performed on consecutive patients undergoing endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy with Crawford stent insertion. All the patient samples were retrieved 4 weeks after the surgery. None of the patients had any clinical evidence of postoperative infection. The intraluminal portions studied include the distal cut ends and the entire intraluminal surface. The analysis was performed using the standard protocols of scanning electron microscopy. The luminal surfaces were compared against sterile stents that acted as controls.

Results:

A total of 7 stents were studied. Five were consecutive patient samples and 2 were sterile stents. The cut ends and intraluminal surfaces of all the patient stents demonstrated evidence of biofilm formation and physical deposits. The luminal cut ends demonstrated extensive deposits and thick mixed biofilms constituted by fungal filaments and bacteria. The entire stretch of intraluminal surfaces showed thin, fine layers of deposits and bacterial biofilms with skip areas.

Conclusions:

Intraluminal surfaces of lacrimal stents harbor physical deposits and mixed biofilms. Because the purpose and functions of stents are not influenced by the presence or absence of its lumen, the use of nonluminal stents may prevent additional surfaces from acting as nidus for microbes.
High Coexpression of Runt-related Transcription Factor 2 (RUNX2) and p53 Independently Predicts Early Tumor Recurrence in Bladder Urothelial Carcinoma Patients
Authors: Abdelzaher Eman , Kotb Ahmed F.
Published: April 2015

Conventional prognostic factors for bladder cancer are inadequate to predict tumor recurrence and/or progression successfully; thus, the identification of adjunctive novel prognostic biomarkers is of paramount importance. In this study, the immunohistochemical expression patterns and clinical significance of RUNX2, WWOX, and p53 were investigated in a tissue microarray of 87 primary urothelial carcinomas and 17 control cases. We found that RUNX2, WWOX, and p53 were significantly correlated and overexpressed in urothelial carcinoma cases compared with the control group. RUNX2 and p53 were significantly upregulated in association with high-grade, nonpapillary pattern, and bilharziasis. Muscle-invasive tumors significantly overexpressed RUNX2. WWOX overexpression was significantly associated with high-grade tumors and inversely correlated with age. In a bivariate analysis, the risk of early tumor recurrence and progression was significantly associated with RUNX2 and p53 overexpression and bilharziasis. A multivariate Cox regression analysis proved that RUNX2 and p53 were independent predictors of early tumor recurrence. The ROC curve analysis showed that combined RUNX2 and p53 high expression (scores >3 and >5, respectively) had the highest accuracy (73.6%) for the prediction of early tumor recurrence. We conclude that RUNX2 and p53 might be functionally related and are likely involved in bladder tumor carcinogenesis and aggressiveness, which provides a new perspective for targeted therapy. RUNX2 and p53 independently predict early tumor recurrence in bladder carcinoma patients, with the highest prediction accuracy being achieved on their combined high expression. The role of WWOX in bladder urothelial carcinoma and its relationship with RUNX2 and p53 remains unclear and warrants further investigation.
Inadequate Preoperative Team Briefings Lead to More Intraoperative Adverse Events
Authors: Phadnis Joideep , Templeton-Ward Oliver
Published: April 2015

Introduction

Implementation of the World Health Organization checklists has reduced major surgical complications and errors; however, the impact of preoperative briefings on intraoperative adverse events has not been assessed.

Materials and Methods

A prospective case-control study assessing the association between preoperative briefings and minor, potentially major, and major adverse intraoperative events was performed in 2 phases. Phase 1 involved prospective data collection for all trauma and orthopedic lists during a 2-week period. Changes were implemented as a result of the findings, and after this, the study was repeated (phase 2) to assess for the effect of the changes made to the practice.

Results

Forty-one lists were audited during phase 1 and 47 lists were audited during phase 2 of the study. Adequate preoperative briefings were performed in 10 (24%) of 41 lists in phase 1. There was a significant association between the occurrences of intraoperative adverse events (n = 37) when a briefing was not performed (P = < 0.01) and when a briefing was performed incompletely (P = 0.01). In phase 2, after staff reeducation and policy change, briefings were found to be adequate in 38 (81%) of 47 lists with the occurrence of only 3 adverse events. Team familiarity also improved significantly as a result of better preoperative briefings (P = 0.02).

Conclusions

Inadequate preoperative briefings are associated with an increase in minor adverse events and are detrimental to team familiarity. On the basis of our findings, we recommend that all surgical units perform preoperative briefings thoroughly to minimize these factors.
A Factorial Survey on Safety Behavior Providing Opportunities to Improve Safety
Authors: Simons Pascale , Houben Ruud , Reijnders Petra , Pijls-Johannesma Madelon , Marneffe Wim , Vlayen Annemie , Hellings Johan , Vandijck Dominique
Published: April 2015

Objectives

To realize safe, high-quality treatment, employees should behave according to patient safety standards. Periodic measurement of safety behavior could provide management-relevant information to adjust the implementation of interventions and maximize improvement. Therefore, we constructed a factorial survey measuring safety awareness and intentions for behavior.

Methods

Cross-sectional results of the factorial survey were compared with results from the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture, distributed in MAASTRO radiotherapy in 2010 to 2011. Respondents were presented 20 scenarios about incidents, randomly varying on work pressure, person causing incident, whether patient level was reached, severity of harm, notification by patient, and management support. After each scenario, questions were asked about safety awareness and behavior. χ2 and multilevel regression analyses were used.

Results

Response rates were 64% (n = 54) for the culture survey and 62% (n = 52) for the factorial survey on intentions. The culture survey reflected positive opinions regarding nonpunitive response and incident reporting, in accordance with high scores (factorial survey) on safety awareness (9.0; scale, 1-10) and reporting intentions (8.7). Whether an incident reached the patient level predicted safety awareness and intentions for safety behavior (β = −1.3/−3.08) most strongly. Severity of harm showed minimal additional effects (β = −0.24/−0.42).

Conclusions

The factorial survey presented practical information on safety awareness and intentions for behavior. Therefore, it created additional opportunities for improving safety interventions. Because behavior is expected to change before values, one could hypothesize that factorial surveys would be more sensitive to change than culture surveys. Longitudinal research should further study the surveys’ sensitivity to measure changes.
Bateman's principle is reversed in a cooperatively breeding bird
Authors: Apakupakul Kathleen , Rubenstein Dustin R.
Published: April 2015

Bateman's principle is not only used to explain sex differences in mating behaviour, but also to determine which sex has the greater opportunity for sexual selection. It predicts that the relationship between the number of mates and the number of offspring produced should be stronger for males than for females. Yet, it is unclear whether Bateman's principle holds in cooperatively breeding systems where the strength of selection on traits used in intrasexual competition is high in both sexes. We tested Bateman's principle in the cooperatively breeding superb starling (
Lamprotornis superbus
), finding that only females showed a significant, positive Bateman gradient. We also found that the opportunity for selection was on average higher in females, but that its strength and direction oscillated through time. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that sexual selection underlies the female trait elaboration observed in superb starlings and other cooperative breeders. Even though the Bateman gradient was steeper for females than for males, the year-to-year oscillation in the strength and direction of the opportunity for selection likely explains why cooperative breeders do not exhibit sexual role reversal. Thus, Bateman's principle may not hold in cooperative breeders where both sexes appear to be under mutually strong sexual selection.
Discovery of sea urchin NGFFFamide receptor unites a bilaterian neuropeptide family
Authors: Semmens Dean C. , Beets Isabel , Rowe Matthew L. , Blowes Liisa M. , Oliveri Paola , Elphick Maurice R.
Published: April 2015

Neuropeptides are ancient regulators of physiology and behaviour, but reconstruction of neuropeptide evolution is often difficult owing to lack of sequence conservation. Here, we report that the receptor for the neuropeptide NGFFFamide in the sea urchinStrongylocentrotus purpuratus(phylum Echinodermata) is an orthologue of vertebrate neuropeptide-S (NPS) receptors and crustacean cardioactive peptide (CCAP) receptors. Importantly, this has facilitated reconstruction of the evolution of two bilaterian neuropeptide signalling systems. Genes encoding the precursor of a vasopressin/oxytocin-type neuropeptide and its receptor duplicated in a common ancestor of the Bilateria. One copy of the precursor retained ancestral features, as seen in highly conserved vasopressin/oxytocin–neurophysin-type precursors. The other copy diverged, but this took different courses in protostomes and deuterostomes. In protostomes, the occurrence of a disulfide bridge in neuropeptide product(s) of the precursor was retained, as in CCAP, but with loss of the neurophysin domain. In deuterostomes, we see the opposite scenario—the neuropeptides lost the disulfide bridge, and neurophysin was retained (as in the NGFFFamide precursor) but was subsequently lost in vertebrate NPS precursors. Thus, the sea urchin NGFFFamide precursor and receptor are ‘missing links’ in the evolutionary history of neuropeptides that control ecdysis in arthropods (CCAP) and regulate anxiety in humans (NPS).
Use of elastic stability analysis to explain the stress-dependent nature of soil strength
Authors: Hanley Kevin J. , O'Sullivan Catherine , Wadee M. Ahmer , Huang Xin
Published: April 2015

The peak and critical state strengths of sands are linearly related to the stress level, just as the frictional resistance to sliding along an interface is related to the normal force. The analogy with frictional sliding has led to the use of a ‘friction angle’ to describe the relationship between strength and stress for soils. The term ‘friction angle’ implies that the underlying mechanism is frictional resistance at the particle contacts. However, experiments and discrete element simulations indicate that the material friction angle is not simply related to the friction angle at the particle contacts. Experiments and particle-scale simulations of model sands have also revealed the presence of strong force chains, aligned with the major principal stress. Buckling of these strong force chains has been proposed as an alternative to the frictional-sliding failure mechanism. Here, using an idealized abstraction of a strong force chain, the resistance is shown to be linearly proportional to the magnitude of the lateral forces supporting the force chain. Considering a triaxial stress state, and drawing an analogy between the lateral forces and the confining pressure in a triaxial test, a linear relationship between stress level and strength is seen to emerge from the failure-by-buckling hypothesis.
Temporal modelling of ballast water discharge and ship-mediated invasion risk to Australia
Authors: Cope Robert C. , Prowse Thomas A. A. , Ross Joshua V. , Wittmann Talia A. , Cassey Phillip
Published: April 2015

Biological invasions have the potential to cause extensive ecological and economic damage. Maritime trade facilitates biological invasions by transferring species in ballast water, and on ships' hulls. With volumes of maritime trade increasing globally, efforts to prevent these biological invasions are of significant importance. Both the International Maritime Organization and the Australian government have developed policy seeking to reduce the risk of these invasions. In this study, we constructed models for the transfer of ballast water into Australian waters, based on historic ballast survey data. We used these models to hindcast ballast water discharge over all vessels that arrived in Australian waters between 1999 and 2012. We used models for propagule survival to compare the risk of ballast-mediated propagule transport between ecoregions. We found that total annual ballast discharge volume into Australia more than doubled over the study period, with the vast majority of ballast water discharge and propagule pressure associated with bulk carrier traffic. As such, the ecoregions suffering the greatest risk are those associated with the export of mining commodities. As global marine trade continues to increase, effective monitoring and biosecurity policy will remain necessary to combat the risk of future marine invasion events.
Influenza A virus evolution and spatio-temporal dynamics in Eurasian wild birds: a phylogenetic and phylogeographical study of whole-genome sequence data
Authors: Lewis Nicola S. , Verhagen Josanne H. , Javakhishvili Zurab , Russell Colin A. , Lexmond Pascal , Westgeest Kim B. , Bestebroer Theo M. , Halpin Rebecca A. , Lin Xudong , Ransier Amy , Fedorova Nadia B. , Stockwell Timothy B. , Latorre-Margalef Neus , Olsen Björn , Smith Gavin , Bahl Justin , Wentworth David E. , Waldenström Jonas , Fouchier Ron A. M. , de Graaf Miranda
Published: April 2015

Low pathogenic avian influenza A viruses (IAVs) have a natural host reservoir in wild waterbirds and the potential to spread to other host species. Here, we investigated the evolutionary, spatial and temporal dynamics of avian IAVs in Eurasian wild birds. We used whole-genome sequences collected as part of an intensive long-term Eurasian wild bird surveillance study, and combined this genetic data with temporal and spatial information to explore the virus evolutionary dynamics. Frequent reassortment and co-circulating lineages were observed for all eight genomic RNA segments over time. There was no apparent species-specific effect on the diversity of the avian IAVs. There was a spatial and temporal relationship between the Eurasian sequences and significant viral migration of avian IAVs from West Eurasia towards Central Eurasia. The observed viral migration patterns differed between segments. Furthermore, we discuss the challenges faced when analysing these surveillance and sequence data, and the caveats to be borne in mind when drawing conclusions from the apparent results of such analyses.
Tribolium castaneumas a model for microRNA evolution, expression and function during short germband development
Authors: Ninova Maria , Ronshaugen Matthew , Griffiths-Jones Sam
Published: April 2015

MicroRNAs are well-established players in the development of multicellular animals. Most of our understanding of microRNA function in arthropod development comes from studies inDrosophila.Despite their advantages as model systems, the long germband embryogenesis of fruit flies is an evolutionary derived state restricted to several holometabolous insect lineages. MicroRNA evolution and expression across development in animals exhibiting the ancestral and more widespread short germband mode of embryogenesis has not been characterized. We sequenced small RNA libraries of oocytes and successive time intervals covering the embryonic development of the short germband model organism, the red flour beetleTribolium castaneum.We analysed the evolution and temporal expression of the microRNA complement, and sequenced libraries of total RNA to investigate the relationships with microRNA target expression. We show microRNA maternal loading and sequence-specific 3’-end non-template oligoadenylation of maternally deposited microRNAs that is conserved betweenTriboliumandDrosophila.We further uncover large clusters encoding multiple paralogs from severalTribolium-specificmicroRNA families expressed during a narrow interval of time immediately after the activation of zygotic transcription. These novel microRNAs, together with several early expressed conserved microRNAs, target a significant number of maternally deposited transcripts. Comparison withDrosophilashows that microRNA-mediated maternal transcript targeting is a conserved phenomenon in insects, but the number and sequences of microRNAs involved in this process have diverged. The expression of fast-evolving and species-specific microRNAs in the early blastoderm ofT. castaneumis consistent with previous findings inDrosophilaand shows that the unique permissiveness for microRNA innovation at this stage is a conserved phenomenon.
Time–place learning over a lifetime: absence of memory loss in trained old mice
Authors: Mulder Cornelis K. , Reckman Gerlof A.R. , Gerkema Menno P. , Van der Zee Eddy A.
Published: April 2015

Time–place learning (TPL) offers the possibility to study the functional interaction between cognition and the circadian system with aging. With TPL, animals link biological significant events with the location and the time of day. This what–where–when type of memory provides animals with an experience-based daily schedule. Mice were tested for TPL five times throughout their lifespan and showed (re)learning from below chance level at the age of 4, 7, 12, and 18 mo. In contrast, at the age of 22 mo these mice showed preservation of TPL memory (absence of memory loss), together with deficiencies in the ability to update time-of-day information. Conversely, the majority of untrained (naïve) mice at 17 mo of age were unable to acquire TPL, indicating that training had delayed TPL deficiencies in the mice trained over lifespan. Two out of seven naïve mice, however, compensated for correct performance loss by adapting an alternative learning strategy that is independent of the age-deteriorating circadian system and presumably less cognitively demanding. Together, these data show the age-sensitivity of TPL, and the positive effects of repeated training over a lifetime. In addition, these data shed new light on aging-related loss of behavioral flexibility to update time-of-day information.
Ambiguity assessment of small-angle scattering curves from monodisperse systems
Authors: Petoukhov Maxim V. , Svergun Dmitri I.
Published: April 2015

A novel approach is presented for ana prioriassessment of the ambiguity associated with spherically averaged single-particle scattering. The approach is of broad interest to the structural biology community, allowing the rapid and model-independent assessment of the inherent non-uniqueness of three-dimensional shape reconstruction from scattering experiments on solutions of biological macromolecules. One-dimensional scattering curves recorded from monodisperse systems are nowadays routinely utilized to generate low-resolution particle shapes, but the potential ambiguity of such reconstructions remains a major issue. At present, the (non)uniqueness can only be assessed bya posterioricomparison and averaging of repetitive Monte Carlo-based shape-determination runs. The newa prioriambiguity measure is based on the number of distinct shape categories compatible with a given data set. For this purpose, a comprehensive library of over 14 000 shape topologies has been generated containing up to seven beads closely packed on a hexagonal grid. The computed scattering curves rescaled to keep only the shape topology rather than the overall size information provide a `scattering map' of this set of shapes. For a given scattering data set, one rapidly obtains the number of neighbours in the map and the associated shape topologies such that in addition to providing a quantitative ambiguity measure the algorithm may also serve as an alternative shape-analysis tool. The approach has been validated in model calculations on geometrical bodies and its usefulness is further demonstrated on a number of experimental X-ray scattering data sets from proteins in solution. A quantitative ambiguity score (a-score) is introduced to provide immediate and convenient guidance to the user on the uniqueness of theab initioshape reconstruction from the given data set.
Getting published: achieving acceptance from reviewers and editors
Authors: Sheppard Jerry Paul
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop an understanding how to successfully develop, write up and get research work accepted and published in an English language business research journal.

Design/methodology/approach

– A review of good basics in writing, producing good scholarly academic writing, presentation of papers that are in a style that is proper for academic English language journals and how to avoid common writing problems and mistakes.

Findings

– Getting research work published requires persistence, people and progress. One must have persistence in seriously approaching and improving one’s research work. Researchers need to involve a network of people (conference attendees, people who understand the area, reviewers and editors) to develop good research. Research should lead to progress in our understanding of the way the world works.

Practical implications

– This paper helps authors readily bring their research to publishable quality in English language research journals by reducing pitfalls to authors writing in English as a foreign language.

Originality/value

– By providing not only sound practical advice, and how to avoid potential errors, the paper also provides graphic diagrams and a checklist for research writing that will aid authors writing in English as a foreign language in readily bringing their research to publishable quality in English language research journals.
Measuring the effectiveness of the communication strategy by using the brand score technique – a conceptual study
Authors: Srivastava Rajesh
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The aim of the study is to find the relation between brand score and strategy through measurement of brand score. Quantitative methods to assess consumer awareness, satisfaction and preferences are the main purpose of the study.

Design/methodology/approach

– One hundred twenty respondents participated in the study of brands in dish washing category. A survey was conducted to test the brand score and to see if communication effectiveness impacts the brand score of extensions.

Findings

– The report finds that brand score is an indicator of how effective a brand is. Higher brand equity help in getting better acceptance in brand extensions of a new market and results of brand scores confirms the same. There should be clear distinguish between the brand as a whole and its sub-brands and extensions so that it may have a differential approach to each sub-brand and extensions.

Research limitations/implications

– This study conducted across the metro cities may represent different cultures. However, it may not represent the Tier 2 cities including the rural population. However, with the penetration of such goods sweeping in to these markets, it will be interesting to explore if similar strategy clicks with these consumers. The paper lacks of theoretical support in depth due to conceptual in nature.

Practical implications

– Application of brand scorecard would be useful for the managers to conduct analysis of brand mapping score in reference to brand strategy vs others. The brand score tools help in measuring the impact on various markets drivers’ measures on ten parameters on the performance of brands.

Originality/value

– Brand score is a new concept, as there is paucity of similar research. Brand score analysis and mapping of a brand plays a major role in measuring the performance of brand in the market. This research will improve the effectiveness of communication in marketing.