bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Self-Reported Sleep Disturbance Mediates the Relationship Between PTSD and Cognitive Outcome in Blast-Exposed OEF/OIF Veterans
Authors: Verfaellie Mieke , Lee Lewina O. , Lafleche Ginette , Spiro Avron
Published: November 2015

Objectives:

To examine the contribution of sleep disturbance to cognitive performance following blast exposure.

Design:

Correlational research evaluating self-reported sleep disturbance as a mediator of the association between the primary blast-related comorbidities of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder and cognitive outcome.

Participants:

One hundred sixty Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans with a history of blast exposure assigned to 1 of 3 groups (no TBI, mTBI without loss of consciousness, and mTBI with loss of consciousness).

Main Outcome Measures:

Neuropsychological measures and self-report of sleep disturbance.

Results:

Increased posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology was associated with worse performance in multiple cognitive domains. This association was mediated in part by self-reported sleep disturbance. Traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness was associated with lower manual dexterity, but this association was not mediated by sleep disturbance.

Conclusions:

Our results highlight the importance of sleep disturbance as a factor contributing to cognitive outcome in individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. They point to the importance of considering sleep problems in the diagnosis and treatment of cognitive deficits in veterans with blast exposure.
Cognitive Intervention for Attention and Executive Function Impairments in Children With Traumatic Brain Injury: A Pilot Study
Authors: Treble-Barna Amery , Sohlberg McKay Moore , Harn Beth E. , Wade Shari L.
Published: November 2015

Objective:

To test the effectiveness of the Attention Improvement and Management (AIM) program, a cognitive intervention for improving impairments in attention and executive functions (EFs) after pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Setting:

Tertiary care children's hospital.

Participants:

A total of 13 children with complicated mild-to-severe TBI (average of 5 years postinjury) and 11 healthy comparison children aged 9 to 15 years completed the study.

Design:

Open-label pilot study with a nontreated control group.

Main Measures:

Subtests from the Test of Everyday Attention-for Children (TEA-Ch) and the Delis–Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS), the self- and parent-report from the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), and the Goal Attainment Scale (GAS).

Results:

Relative to the healthy comparison group, children with TBI demonstrated significant improvement postintervention on a neuropsychological measure of sustained attention, as well as on parent-reported EFs. The majority of families also reported expected or more-than-expected personalized goal attainment.

Conclusions:

The study provides preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of AIM in improving parent-reported EFs and personalized real-world goal attainment in children with TBI.
Effect of Circadian Rhythm Disruption and Alcohol on the Oxidative Stress Level in Rat Brain
Authors: Varadinova Miroslava Georgieva , Valcheva-Traykova Maria Lozanova , Boyadjieva Nadka Ivanova
Published: November 2015

Alcohol abuse is often associated with disrupted circadian rhythms and sleep, and the link seems to be bidirectional. In addition, it has been shown that exposure to constant illumination may increase lipid peroxidation in tissues. In this study, we investigated the effects of circadian rhythm disruption (CRD) and chronic alcohol intake (A) alone and in combination (CRD+A), on the oxidative stress in total rat brain homogenate. Our results demonstrated that lipid peroxidation was increased in the brain samples of all experimental animals compared with the control ones. The oxidative stress levels increased in the order: C<CRD<A<(CRD+A). Furthermore, xanthine oxidase activity changed in the order: C<CRD<A=CRD+A. It was proposed that chronic alcohol intake, if accompanied with CRD, might lead to significantly higher lipid peroxidation in the brain, than if present alone. Our data suggest that ethanol metabolites may be involved in the increase of the brain xanthine oxidase activity in rats with chronic alcohol intake.
Bipolar disorder dynamics: affective instabilities, relaxation oscillations and noise
Authors: Bonsall Michael B. , Geddes John R. , Goodwin Guy M. , Holmes Emily A.
Published: November 2015

Bipolar disorder is a chronic, recurrent mental illness characterized by extreme episodes of depressed and manic mood, interspersed with less severe but highly variable mood fluctuations. Here, we develop a novel mathematical approach for exploring the dynamics of bipolar disorder. We investigate how the dynamics of subjective experience of mood in bipolar disorder can be understood using a relaxation oscillator (RO) framework and test the model against mood time-series fluctuations from a set of individuals with bipolar disorder. We show that variable mood fluctuations in individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder can be driven by the coupled effects of deterministic dynamics (captured by ROs) and noise. Using a statistical likelihood-based approach, we show that, in general, mood dynamics are described by two independent ROs with differing levels of endogenous variability among individuals. We suggest that this sort of nonlinear approach to bipolar disorder has neurobiological, cognitive and clinical implications for understanding this mental illness through a mechacognitive framework.
Fold and flexibility: what can proteins' mechanical properties tell us about their folding nucleus?
Authors: Sacquin-Mora Sophie
Published: November 2015

The determination of a protein's folding nucleus, i.e. a set of native contacts playing an important role during its folding process, remains an elusive yet essential problem in biochemistry. In this work, we investigate the mechanical properties of 70 protein structures belonging to 14 protein families presenting various folds using coarse-grain Brownian dynamics simulations. The resulting rigidity profiles combined with multiple sequence alignments show that a limited set of rigid residues, which we call the consensus nucleus, occupy conserved positions along the protein sequence. These residues' side chains form a tight interaction network within the protein's core, thus making our consensus nuclei potential folding nuclei. A review of experimental and theoretical literature shows that most (above 80%) of these residues were indeed identified as folding nucleus member in earlier studies.
Regulation of lamin properties and functions: does phosphorylation do it all?
Authors: Machowska Magdalena , Piekarowicz Katarzyna , Rzepecki Ryszard
Published: November 2015

The main functions of lamins are their mechanical and structural roles as major building blocks of the karyoskeleton. They are also involved in chromatin structure regulation, gene expression, intracellular signalling pathway modulation and development. All essential lamin functions seem to depend on their capacity for assembly or disassembly after the receipt of specific signals, and after specific, selective and precisely regulated interactions through their various domains. Reversible phosphorylation of lamins is crucial for their functions, so it is important to understand how lamin polymerization and interactions are modulated, and which sequences may undergo such modifications. This review combines experimental data with results of ourin silicoanalyses focused on lamin phosphorylation in model organisms to show the presence of evolutionarily conserved sequences and to indicate specificin vivophosphorylations that affect particular functions.
MethylRAD: a simple and scalable method for genome-wide DNA methylation profiling using methylation-dependent restriction enzymes
Authors: Wang Shi , Lv Jia , Zhang Lingling , Dou Jinzhuang , Sun Yan , Li Xue , Fu Xiaoteng , Dou Huaiqian , Mao Junxia , Hu Xiaoli , Bao Zhenmin
Published: November 2015

Characterization of dynamic DNA methylomes in diverse phylogenetic groups has attracted growing interest for a better understanding of the evolution of DNA methylation as well as its function and biological significance in eukaryotes. Sequencing-based methods are promising in fulfilling this task. However, none of the currently available methods offers the ‘perfect solution’, and they have limitations that prevent their application in the less studied phylogenetic groups. The recently discovered Mrr-like enzymes are appealing for new method development, owing to their ability to collect 32-bp methylated DNA fragments from the whole genome for high-throughput sequencing. Here, we have developed a simple and scalable DNA methylation profiling method (called MethylRAD) using Mrr-like enzymes. MethylRAD allows for de novo (reference-free) methylation analysis, extremely low DNA input (e.g. 1 ng) and adjustment of tag density, all of which are still unattainable for most widely used methylation profiling methods such as RRBS and MeDIP. We performed extensive analyses to validate the power and accuracy of our method in both model (plant
Arabidopsis thaliana
) and non-model (scallop
Patinopecten yessoensis
) species. We further demonstrated its great utility in identification of a gene (
LPCAT1
) that is potentially crucial for carotenoid accumulation in scallop adductor muscle. MethylRAD has several advantages over existing tools and fills a void in the current epigenomic toolkit by providing a universal tool that can be used for diverse research applications, e.g. from model to non-model species, from ordinary to precious samples and from small to large genomes, but at an affordable cost.
A theorem on the existence of trace-form generalized entropies
Authors: Tempesta Piergiulio
Published: November 2015

An analytic technique is proposed, which allows to generate many new examples of entropic functionals generalizing the standard Boltzmann–Gibbs entropy. Our approach is based on the existence of a group-theoretical structure, which is intimately related with the notion of entropy, as clarified in recent work of the author. The new entropies proposed satisfy the first three Shannon–Khinchin axioms and are composable (at least in a weak sense). By combining them, multi-parametric examples of entropies can be realized. As a by-product of the theory, entropic functionals related to the Riemann zeta function and other number-theoretical functions are introduced.
Impact of a crushing ice particle onto a dry solid wall
Authors: Roisman I. V. , Tropea C.
Published: November 2015

This is a theoretical study about ice particle impact onto a rigid wall. It is motivated by the need to model the process of ice crystal accretion or damage caused by an ice particle impacts. A quasi-one-dimensional model of ice particle impact and deformation is developed. Spherical, cylindrical and conical shapes of the ice crystals are analysed. The model is able to predict particle residual height, the force produced by impact and the collision duration. The theoretical predictions agree well with the available experimental data.
Coral reef fish populations can persist without immigration
Authors: Salles Océane C. , Maynard Jeffrey A. , Joannides Marc , Barbu Corentin M. , Saenz-Agudelo Pablo , Almany Glenn R. , Berumen Michael L. , Thorrold Simon R. , Jones Geoffrey P. , Planes Serge
Published: November 2015

Determining the conditions under which populations may persist requires accurate estimates of demographic parameters, including immigration, local reproductive success, and mortality rates. In marine populations, empirical estimates of these parameters are rare, due at least in part to the pelagic dispersal stage common to most marine organisms. Here, we evaluate population persistence and turnover for a population of orange clownfish,Amphiprion percula, at Kimbe Island in Papua New Guinea. All fish in the population were sampled and genotyped on five occasions at 2-year intervals spanning eight years. The genetic data enabled estimates of reproductive success retained in the same population (reproductive success to self-recruitment), reproductive success exported to other subpopulations (reproductive success to local connectivity), and immigration and mortality rates of sub-adults and adults. Approximately 50% of the recruits were assigned to parents from the Kimbe Island population and this was stable through the sampling period. Stability in the proportion of local and immigrant settlers is likely due to: low annual mortality rates and stable egg production rates, and the short larval stages and sensory capacities of reef fish larvae. Biannual mortality rates ranged from 0.09 to 0.55 and varied significantly spatially. We used these data to parametrize a model that estimated the probability of the Kimbe Island population persisting in the absence of immigration. The Kimbe Island population was found to persist without significant immigration. Model results suggest the island population persists because the largest of the subpopulations are maintained due to having low mortality and high self-recruitment rates. Our results enable managers to appropriately target and scale actions to maximize persistence likelihood as disturbance frequencies increase.
Metabolic programming mediated by an essential fatty acid alters body composition and survival skills of a marine fish
Authors: Fuiman Lee A. , Perez Kestrel O.
Published: November 2015

Metabolic programming occurs when variations in nutrition during a specific developmental window result in long-term metabolic effects. It has been studied almost exclusively in humans and other mammals but never in an ecological context. Here, we report metabolic programming and its functional consequences in a marine fish, red drum. We demonstrate that maternal provisioning of eggs with an essential fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), varies with DHA content of the maternal diet. When offspring are reared on a DHA-replete diet, whole-body DHA content of offspring depends upon the amount of DHA that was in the egg. We further demonstrate that whole-body DHA content is correlated with traits related to offspring fitness (escape responses, routine swimming, growth, and survival). DHA content of red drum eggs produced in nature is in the range where the effects of metabolic programming are most pronounced. Our findings indicate that during a brief developmental window, DHA plays a role in establishing the metabolic capacity for its own uptake or storage, with protracted and possibly permanent effects on ecologically important survival skills of individuals and important implications for dynamics of populations and food webs.
Annual coral bleaching and the long-term recovery capacity of coral
Authors: Schoepf Verena , Grottoli Andréa G. , Levas Stephen J. , Aschaffenburg Matthew D. , Baumann Justin H. , Matsui Yohei , Warner Mark E.
Published: November 2015

Mass bleaching events are predicted to occur annually later this century. Nevertheless, it remains unknown whether corals will be able to recover between annual bleaching events. Using a combined tank and field experiment, we simulated annual bleaching by exposing three Caribbean coral species (
Porites divaricata
,
Porites astreoides
and
Orbicella faveolata
) to elevated temperatures for 2.5 weeks in 2 consecutive years. The impact of annual bleaching stress on chlorophyll
a
, energy reserves, calcification, and tissue C and N isotopes was assessed immediately after the second bleaching and after both short- and long-term recovery on the reef (1.5 and 11 months, respectively). While
P. divaricata
and
O. faveolata
were able to recover from repeat bleaching within 1 year,
P. astreoides
experienced cumulative damage that prevented full recovery within this time frame, suggesting that repeat bleaching had diminished its recovery capacity. Specifically,
P. astreoides
was not able to recover protein and carbohydrate concentrations. As energy reserves promote bleaching resistance, failure to recover from annual bleaching within 1 year will likely result in the future demise of heat-sensitive coral species.
The agonistic adrenal: melatonin elicits female aggression via regulation of adrenal androgens
Authors: Rendon Nikki M. , Rudolph Lauren M. , Sengelaub Dale R. , Demas Gregory E.
Published: November 2015

Classic findings have demonstrated an important role for sex steroids as regulators of aggression, but this relationship is lacking within some environmental contexts. In mammals and birds, the adrenal androgen dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a non-gonadal precursor of biologically active steroids, has been linked to aggression. Although females, like males, use aggression when competing for limited resources, the mechanisms underlying female aggression remain understudied. Here, we propose a previously undescribed endocrine mechanism regulating female aggression via
direct
action of the pineal hormone melatonin on adrenal androgens. We examined this in a solitary hamster species,
Phodopus sungorus
, in which both sexes are highly territorial across the seasons, and display increased aggression concomitant with decreased serum levels of sex steroids in short ‘winter-like' days. Short- but not long-day females had increased adrenal DHEA responsiveness co-occurring with morphological changes in the adrenal gland. Further, serum DHEA and total adrenal DHEA content were elevated in short days. Lastly, melatonin increased DHEA and aggression and stimulated DHEA release from cultured adrenals. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that DHEA is a key peripheral regulator of aggression and that melatonin coordinates a ‘seasonal switch’ from gonadal to adrenal regulation of aggression by direct action on the adrenal glands.
Molecular diversity and distribution of marine fungi across 130 European environmental samples
Authors: Richards Thomas A. , Leonard Guy , Mahé Frédéric , del Campo Javier , Romac Sarah , Jones Meredith D. M. , Maguire Finlay , Dunthorn Micah , De Vargas Colomban , Massana Ramon , Chambouvet Aurélie
Published: November 2015

Environmental DNA and culture-based analyses have suggested that fungi are present in low diversity and in low abundance in many marine environments, especially in the upper water column. Here, we use a dual approach involving high-throughput diversity tag sequencing from both DNA and RNA templates and fluorescent cell counts to evaluate the diversity and relative abundance of fungi across marine samples taken from six European near-shore sites. We removed very rare fungal operational taxonomic units (OTUs) selecting only OTUs recovered from multiple samples for a detailed analysis. This approach identified a set of 71 fungal ‘OTU clusters' that account for 66% of all the sequences assigned to the Fungi. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that this diversity includes a significant number of chytrid-like lineages that had not been previously described, indicating that the marine environment encompasses a number of zoosporic fungi that are new to taxonomic inventories. Using the sequence datasets, we identified cases where fungal OTUs were sampled across multiple geographical sites and between different sampling depths. This was especially clear in one relatively abundant and diverse phylogroup tentatively named Novel Chytrid-Like-Clade 1 (NCLC1). For comparison, a subset of the water column samples was also investigated using fluorescent microscopy to examine the abundance of eukaryotes with chitin cell walls. Comparisons of relative abundance of RNA-derived fungal tag sequences and chitin cell-wall counts demonstrate that fungi constitute a low fraction of the eukaryotic community in these water column samples. Taken together, these results demonstrate the phylogenetic position and environmental distribution of 71 lineages, improving our understanding of the diversity and abundance of fungi in marine environments.
Social benefits of non-kin food sharing by female vampire bats
Authors: Carter Gerald G. , Wilkinson Gerald S.
Published: November 2015

Regurgitations of blood among vampire bats appear to benefit both direct and indirect fitness. To maximize inclusive fitness, reciprocal food sharing should occur among close kin. Why then do females with kin roost-mates help non-kin? We tested the hypothesis that helping non-kin increases a bat's success at obtaining future donations by expanding its network of potential donors. On six occasions, we individually fasted 14 adult females and measured donations from 28 possible donors. Each female was fasted before, during and after a treatment period, when we prevented donations from past donors (including 10 close relatives) by simultaneously fasting or removing them. This experiment was designed to detect partner switching and yielded three main results. First, females received less food when we prevented donations from a past donor versus a control bat. Donors within a group are therefore not interchangeable. Second, the treatment increased the variance in donors' contributions to food received by subjects, suggesting the possibility of alternative responses to a partner's inability to reciprocate. Finally, bats that fed more non-kin in previous years had more donors and received more food during the treatment. These results indicate that a bat can expand its network of possible donors by helping non-kin.
Vectorization techniques for efficient agent-based model simulations of tumor growth
Authors: Poleszczuk Jan , Enderling Heiko
Published: November 2015

Abstract

Multi-scale agent-based models are increasingly used to simulate tumor growth dynamics. Simulating such complex systems is often a great challenge despite large computational power of modern computers and, thus, implementation techniques are becoming as important as the models themselves. Here we show, using a simple agent-based model of tumor growth, how the computational time required for simulation can be decreased by using vectorization techniques. In numerical examples we observed up to 30-fold increases in computation performance when standard approaches were, at least in part, replaced with vectorized routines in MATLAB.
Integrating experimental data to calibrate quantitative cancer models
Authors: Enderling Heiko
Published: November 2015

Abstract

For quantitative cancer models to be meaningful and interpretable the number of unknown parameters must be kept minimal. Experimental data can be utilized to calibrate model dynamics rates or rate constants. Proper integration of experimental data, however, depends on the chosen theoretical framework. Using live imaging of cell proliferation as an example, we show how to derive cell cycle distributions in agent-based models and averaged proliferation rates in differential equation models. We focus on a tumor hierarchy of cancer stem and progenitor non-stem cancer cells.
Nearest-neighbor coordination polyhedral clusters in metallic phases defined using Friedel oscillation and atomic dense packing
Authors: Dong Dandan , Zhang Shuang , Wang Zengrui , Dong Chuang
Published: November 2015

It is generally difficult to define coordination polyhedral clusters with multi-shelled nearest neighbors. The present work defines their cutoff distances in typical metallic phase structure typesviaFriedel oscillation and atomic dense packing. The nearest neighbors of a cluster are considered to be confined within the first effective Friedel minimum in the pair potential, with the radial distance ratio of the outermost shell to the innermost shell beingrL/rS= 1.5. This ratio is further correlated to atomic radius ratio, facet-capping configuration and cluster coordination number after considering hard-sphere atomic dense packing. The cluster cutoff distance is obtained by multiplying therL/rSratio with the measured innermost shell distance, as is well validated in common cluster types.
Optimized pinhole geometry for small-angle scattering
Authors: Wacha András
Published: November 2015

In order to make the most of the low photon flux in laboratory small-angle X-ray scattering instruments, the experimental geometry has to be chosen carefully, with special stress on the beam-shaping system. The optimum collimation scheme should enable accurate measurements over the desired range of the scattering variable, while yielding the highest flux and the lowest possible instrumental background. In order to identify the best setting, a phase-space optimization of the collimating scheme is carried out in the present work, including constraints on the beam size at the sample position and on the detector surface. The resulting formulae are implemented in a Python script with a graphical user interface, to aid the planning, construction and daily operation of pinhole small-angle scattering cameras.
Tuning the instrument resolution using chopper and time of flight at the small-angle neutron scattering diffractometer KWS-2
Authors: Radulescu Aurel , Székely Noémi Kinga , Polachowski Stephan , Leyendecker Marko , Amann Matthias , Buitenhuis Johan , Drochner Matthias , Engels Ralf , Hanslik Romuald , Kemmerling Günter , Lindner Peter , Papagiannopoulos Aristeidis , Pipich Vitaliy , Willner Lutz , Frielinghaus Henrich , Richter Dieter
Published: November 2015

Following demand from the user community regarding the possibility of improving the experimental resolution, the dedicated high-intensity/extendedQ-range SANS diffractometer KWS-2 of the Jülich Centre for Neutron Science at the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Center in Garching was equipped with a double-disc chopper with a variable opening slit window and time-of-flight (TOF) data acquisition option. The chopper used in concert with a dedicated high-intensity velocity selector enables the tuning at will of the wavelength resolution Δλ/λ within a broad range, from 20% (standard) down to 2%, in a convenient and safe manner following pre-planned or spontaneous decisions during the experiment. The new working mode is described in detail, and its efficiency is demonstrated on several standard samples with known properties and on a completely new crystallizable copolymer system, which were investigated using both the conventional (static) and TOF modes.
An improved algorithm for reducing reflectometry data involving divergent beams or non-flat samples
Authors: Cubitt Robert , Saerbeck Thomas , Campbell Richard A. , Barker Robert , Gutfreund Philipp
Published: November 2015

Reflectometry is a powerful technique for determining many physical quantities of stratified media, including length scales, densities and magnetism. However, experimentally neutron reflectometry in particular suffers from the relatively feeble brilliance of the sources compared with those of X-rays, for example. In this paper, a simple modification of existing data-reduction methods is demonstrated, allowing quantitative improvements in the quality of the data. Using the same algorithm, reflections from non-flat surfaces can be treated, leading to a full recovery of the resolution. The method involves re-binning of the data in the linear coordinates of the raw data, which leads to substantial gains in statistical quality, equivalent to a significant flux increase, and also improved resolution.
Microstructural investigations of SrTiO3single crystals and polysilicon using a powerful new X-ray diffraction surface mapping technique
Authors: Guguschev Christo , Tagle Roald , Juda Uta , Kwasniewski Albert
Published: November 2015

In the research work described here, single-crystalline SrTiO3has been used as a model system to facilitate the development of a new qualitative characterization method for the nondestructive identification of small-angle boundaries in bulk single crystals. Subgrain misorientations with a lower limit in the range between 40 and 100′′ were reliably identified. For scientists and engineers working in the field of single-crystal growth it is often indispensable to continuously check the structural quality of the grown bulk crystals, which is usually time consuming or challenging for large single crystals. This article presents in detail how a spatially resolved micro X-ray fluorescent device can be used for the identification of subgrains and merely a one-side-planarized sample of nearly arbitrary geometry is needed. The approach presented combines high-speed measurements and full sample area coverage with a high spatial resolution of 25 µm. The resolution is limited by the spot size of the focused X-ray beam. TheBremsstrahlungof the excitation source interacts with the crystals, and because of the instrument geometry it is possible to detect Bragg reflections. These reflections can be found at specific energies and can be displayed in two-dimensional diffraction intensity maps. These maps were used for the qualitative analysis of the crystal domains. The results obtained by this new approach were verified by rocking curve measurements and by defect-selective etching studies. Ultrafast large-area mappings on widely used polysilicon were additionally performed to demonstrate the potential of the developed method for use in industrial applications.
MultiRef: software platform for Rietveld refinement of multiple powder diffractograms fromin situ, scanning or diffraction tomography experiments
Authors: Frølich Simon , Birkedal Henrik
Published: November 2015

Modern advanced diffraction experiments such asin situdiffraction, position-resolved diffraction or diffraction tomography generate extremely large data sets with hundreds to many thousands of diffractograms. Analyzing such data sets by Rietveld refinement is hampered by the logistics of running the Rietveld refinement program, extracting and analyzing the results, and possibly re-refining the data set based on an analysis of the preceding cycle of refinements. The complexity of the analysis may prevent some researchers either from performing the experiments or from conducting an exhaustive analysis of collected data. To this end, a MATLAB framework,MultiRef, which facilitates automated refinements, data extraction and intelligent choice of refinement model based on user choices, has been developed The use ofMultiRefis illustrated on data sets from diffraction tomography, position-resolved diffraction andin situpowder diffraction investigations of crystallization.
Growth mechanism of titanium monoxide TiOxon a reduced calcium titanate CaTi2O4surface
Authors: Guo Cong , Sheng Huaping , Ma Yurong , Jin Lei , Jia Shuangfeng , Zheng He , Liu Yong , Shi Jing , Wang Jianbo
Published: November 2015

This paper presents an electron microscopy study of reduced calcium titanate crystals (CaTi2O4) and the growth mechanism of titanium monoxide TiOxon a CaTi2O4surface. Large high-quality CaTi2O4crystals were prepared using the molten salt flux method. The crystallographic directions and the growth direction of the CaTi2O4crystalline needles were confirmed by electron backscatter diffraction and Kikuchi pattern analysis. The low-angle grain boundaries in CaTi2O4and the crystallographic orientation relationship between CaTi2O4and TiOxwere investigated using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. It is found that both the low-angle boundaries and the amorphous area may play a key role during the growth process of titanium monoxide TiOx. The results presented here contribute to a better understanding of the detailed growth mechanism of TiOxon a CaTi2O4surface.
Attitudes of Libyan retail consumers toward Islamic methods of finance
Authors: Gait Alsadek , Worthington Andrew C.
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to analyse the attitudes of Libyan retail customers to Islamic methods of finance.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study conducted a survey of 385 Libyan retail consumers. Descriptive, factor and discriminant analyses of responses were performed to identify principal factors affecting attitudes towards and the potential use of Islamic financial products and services.

Findings

– The results indicate that while most respondents have at least some knowledge about some Islamic products, especially Musharakah (full-equity business partnerships) and Quard Hassan (interest-free benevolent loans), they are generally unaware of many other products. Nonetheless, most respondents (85.9 per cent) are potential users of Islamic methods of finance at the retail level, though potential use varying markedly according to age, level of education, employment, income and nationality. Factor analysis reduces the large number of variables that determine retail consumers’ attitudes towards Islamic methods of finance to just community service, profitability, religion and unique services. Discriminant analysis shows that religion and community service are the most important positive attitudes determining the potential use of Islamic methods of finance by retail consumers in Libya.

Research limitations/implications

– The study is undertaken in a single national context, so there is no possibility of comparing the results with alternative financial systems in different stages of the adoption of Islamic finance. Research was completed in 2010, with the ongoing unrest in Libya precluding publication until recently.

Practical implications

– Religious motivations rank highest in determining positive attitudes to Islamic methods of finance, and marketers should ensure that Islamic financial products and services strictly comply with Sharia. However, it may be possible to strengthen these positive attitudes by promoting that the community service role of Islamic finance is also important. Consumers also react favourably to marketing that either admits something negative about the product (e.g. Islamic finance is Sharia-compliant, but less profitable for depositors) or something positive about a competing product (e.g. conventional finance is more profitable, but cares less about the community). Marketers should emphasise the strengths of Islamic finance across the several sources of positive attitudes the authors have identified.

Originality/value

– There is no published work on Libyan retail consumers and limited study of attitudes towards Islamic methods of finance more generally.
Charting relationship marketing practice: it really didn’t emerge in the 1970s
Authors: Tadajewski Mark
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to provide a history of relational perspectives in marketing practice from the nineteenth through to the twentieth century.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper engages in a systematic reading of published histories of retailing practice using the key attributes of transaction and relationship marketing as a conceptual framework to interrogate whether earlier practitioners were committed to either approach.

Findings

– This paper supplements the studies conducted in other domains that undermine the idea that relational practices were rejected in favor of transaction-type approaches during the industrialization of the USA and Canada.

Practical implications

– The content of this paper provides textbook authors with a means to fundamentally revise the way they discuss relationship marketing. It has a similar pedagogic utility.

Originality/value

– This paper studies the writings of practitioners known to be pioneers of retailing to unravel their business philosophies, comparing and contrasting these to known attributes of relationship marketing. It deals with an historical period that has not previously been studied in this level of detail by marketing historians.
The man who managed your marketing?
Authors: Pressey Andrew
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The US Senate hearings on pricing in the market for drugs in 1959, and lasting ten months, was part of a series of wider senatorial hearings into a range of American industries including the markets for milk, bread, automobiles, and steel, undertaken by the Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust and Monopoly, chaired by Senator Estes Kefauver of Tennessee between 1957 and 1963. The study examines how a body that had the initial investigational remit to examine the subject of ‘administered prices’ in the drug industry, became instead largely a systematic critique of the marketing activities and techniques practiced by pharmaceutical firms of the day.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study draws on the Senate Subcommittee hearings for prescription drugs.

Findings

– Three objectionable marketing practices were identified by the Antitrust Subcommittee: the use of sales representatives and high-pressure sales techniques; industry promotional practices, expenditure and deceptiveness; and the role of drug branding to hold consumers captive to major brands.

Research limitations/implications

– Rather than being an investigation that was perceived by some as out of tune with the major events of the day (most notably civil rights), it will be demonstrated that, far from being an anachronism, the hearings were an important precursor to the consumer rights movement, which peaked in the 1960s and 1970s, and a link will be established between antitrust issues and contemporary consumer politics.

Originality/value

– The paper demonstrates the historical value of studying regulatory body appraisals of marketing practices.
The beginnings of motivation research, 1934-1954: a prequel to Fullerton 2013
Authors: Fullerton Ron
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to show the genesis of motivation research in work done from the 1920s through 1954, especially with the growth in reception of European “depth psychology”. This has been followed up by Fullerton (2013).

Design/methodology/approach

– Standard historical methodology – heavy reliance on sources written at the time (primary resources), avoidance of anachronism, heavy use of contemporary quotations, efforts to explain and interpret.

Findings

– Motivation research dates to the 1920s with the work of Paul F. Lazarsfeld and others. It grew rapidly in the USA, part of the great expansion of the behavioral sciences, and amidst a zeitgeist of growing discontent with older psychologies and of Economic Man.

Originality/value

– This paper takes motivation research back to its origins for the first time, placing it clearly in line with contemporary intellectual developments.
Trust and work place spirituality on knowledge sharing behaviour
Authors: Rahman Muhammad Sabbir , Osmangani Aahad M , Daud Nuraihan Mat , Chowdhury Abdul Hannan , Hassan Hasliza
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– This empirical research aims to, to add value in the existing research on knowledge sharing, investigate the antecedents of knowledge-sharing behaviour by embedding trust and workplace spirituality variable on non-academic staff from higher learning institution in Malaysia. The role of trust, perceived risk and workplace spirituality towards knowledge-sharing behaviour has attracted significant attention from researchers and practitioners to facilitate the culture of knowledge sharing in organization settings.

Design/methodology/approach

– The units of analysis include non-academic staffs who are currently working in different higher learning institutions in Malaysia. Apart from descriptive study, this research applied confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling.

Findings

– The result revealed that there is a strong relationship between workplace spirituality and knowledge-sharing behaviour. On the other hand, the perceived risk variables partially mediate the association between trust and knowledge-sharing behaviour.

Research limitations/implications

– This research is a cross-sectional study. As a result, the limited sample size in this study may have an effect on the power of generalizability. Further research may be necessary to confirm the model across different industry to reveal the nature of the knowledge-sharing behaviour among the staff.

Practical implications

– The findings from this research could help the policymakers and the respective authorities of higher learning institutions to create a knowledge-sharing culture that is needed to support knowledge sharing and knowledge management within the higher learning institutions.

Originality/value

– This research not only adds value to knowledge-sharing literature but also used the variable like workplace spirituality under the context of Malaysian higher learning institution.
Politics and Eschatology: Reassessing the Appeal of the “Jewish Indian” Theory in England and New England in the 1650s
Authors: Crome Andrew
Published: November 2015

This article examines the “Jewish Indian” theory — which claimed that American Indians were the ten lost tribes of Israel — in 1650s England and New England. The theory found support in England while failing in New England. This difference in reception can be explained by considering its ecclesiological, political, and eschatological implications. Biblical commentators in both England and New England held to a form of “Judeo‐Centric” eschatology, which looked for a sudden, miraculous conversion of the Jews and their eventual superiority to Gentile believers. Such beliefs undermined crucial elements of New England ecclesiology when applied to Native Americans. Conversely, the New England Company used the theory in its publications as a fund‐raising tool in England. These publications impacted upon debates on Jewish readmission to England in the mid‐1650s, with New England missionary models suggested as a way of evangelising Jews. This article therefore argues for the importance of understanding eschatological beliefs in local contexts, while demonstrating the way in which such beliefs can be maintained and reoriented in the face of apparent disconfirmation.
Placing the Urban Village: A Spatial Perspective on the Development Process of Urban Villages in Contemporary China
Authors: Kochan Dror
Published: November 2015

The rapid urbanization of China since the mid‐1980s has led to the development of a new spatial category, the urban village (chengzhongcun). The dominant neoliberal urban development regime approaches urban villages as a social, spatial, economic and political problem, and as targets for aggressive redevelopment and eradication policies. In this article, I propose a spatial perspective that makes use of several theoretical ‘anchors' to analyze the influence of urban village spatiality on its development process and to explore alternatives to the dominant redevelopment model. I begin by examining the spatial conceptualization of the urban village as a non‐place, arguing that this spatial reading undergirds the redevelopment‐by‐demolition model and tends to obscure alternative conceptualizations. I then move on to propose three alternative readings of urban village space, examining it as an everyday space, a liminal space and a neighborhood. Combining these three readings with the ‘non‐place' conceptualization provides a nuanced understanding of urban villages' unique spatial attributes and social roles, by evoking spatial and social processes that take place in most urban villages across China. Taken together, these spatial readings challenge the social and spatial rigidity of dominant representations of urban villages and supply a much‐needed spatially based conceptual framework that can be used to develop new urban planning models.
Carob Kibble: A Bioactive‐Rich Food Ingredient
Authors: Nasar‐Abbas Syed M. , e‐Huma Zill‐ , Vu Thi‐Huong , Khan Muhammad Kamran , Esbenshade Henry , Jayasena Vijay
Published: November 2015

Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) is well known for its valuable locust bean gum obtained from the carob seeds. Separation of seeds from the pod leaves behind the carob kibble which is a good source of dietary fiber, sugars, and a range of bioactive compounds such as polyphenols and pinitol. Bioactive compounds present in carob kibble have been found to be beneficial in the control of many health problems such as diabetes, heart diseases, and colon cancer due to their antidiabetic, antioxidant, and anti‐inflammatory activities. Carob kibble has substantial potential to be used as a food ingredient. This article focuses on the composition, health benefits, and food applications of carob kibble.
Physicochemical Properties, Minerals, Trace Elements, and Heavy Metals in Honey of Different Origins: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Solayman Md. , Islam Md. Asiful , Paul Sudip , Ali Yousuf , Khalil Md. Ibrahim , Alam Nadia , Gan Siew Hua
Published: November 2015

Honey is a popular natural food product with a very complex composition mainly consisting of both organic and inorganic constituents. The composition of honey is strongly influenced by both natural and anthropogenic factors, which vary based on its botanical and geographical origins. Although minerals and heavy metals are minor constituents of honey, they play vital role in determining its quality. There are several different analytical methods used to determine the chemical elements in honey. These methods are typically based on spectroscopy or spectrometry techniques (including atomic absorption spectrometry, atomic emission spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry). This review compiles available scientific information on minerals and heavy metals in honey reported from all over the world. To date, 54 chemical elements in various types of honey have been identified and can be divided into 3 groups: major or macroelements (Na, K, Ca, Mg, P, S, Cl), minor or trace elements (Al, Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn, Cd, Tl, Co, Ni, Rb, Ba, Be, Bi, U, V, Fe, Pt, Pd, Te, Hf, Mo, Sn, Sb, La, I, Sm, Tb, Dy, Sd, Th, Pr, Nd, Tm, Yb, Lu, Gd, Ho, Er, Ce, Cr, As, B, Br, Cd, Hg, Se, Sr), and heavy metals (trace elements that have a specific gravity at least 5 times higher than that of water and inorganic sources). Chemical elements in honey samples throughout the world vary in terms of concentrations and are also influenced by environmental pollution.
Formation of 4(5)‐Methylimidazole in Aqueous d‐Glucose‐Amino Acids Model System
Authors: Karim Faris , Smith J. Scott
Published: November 2015

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IRAC) has classified 4(5)‐methylimidazole (4‐MeI) as a group 2B possible human carcinogen. Thus, how 4‐MeI forms in a d‐glucose (Glu) amino acids (AA) model system is important, as it is how browning is affected. An aqueous solution of Glu was mixed individually in equimolar amounts at 3 concentrations (0.05, 0.1, and 0.15 M) with aqueous solutions of l‐Alanine (Ala), l‐Arginine (Arg), Glycine (Gly), l‐Lysine (Lys), and l‐Serine (Ser). The Glu‐AA mixtures were reacted at 60, 120, and 160 °C for 1 h. The 4‐MeI levels were measured by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry after derivatization with isobutylchloroformate. No 4‐MeI was formed at 60 °C for any treatment combination; however, at 120 °C and 0.05 M, Glu‐Arg and Glu‐Lys produced 0.13 and 0.14 mg/kg of 4‐MeI. At 160 °C and 0.05 M all treatment combinations formed 4‐MeI. At 160 °C and 0.15 M, the observed levels of Glu‐Ala, Glu‐Arg, Glu‐Gly, Glu‐Lys, and Glu‐Ser were 0.21, 1.00, 0.15, 0.22, and 0.16 mg/kg. The AA type, reactant concentrations, and temperature significantly affected (P < 0.001) formation of 4‐MeI as well as browning. Glu‐Lys treatment in all combinations produced the most browning, but Glu‐Arg produced the most 4‐MeI. This method showed that foods processed using low temperatures may have reduced levels of 4‐MeI.