bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Weak Consistency for Ensuring Priority Vectors Reliability
Authors: Cavallo Bice , D'Apuzzo Livia , Basile Luciano
Published: December 2015

Consistency and transitivity are important and leading research topics in the study of decision‐making in terms of pairwise comparison matrices. In this paper, we search for conditions that, in case of inconsistency, guarantee ordinal compatibility between ordinal ranking (actual ranking) derived from a transitive matrix and cardinal rankings provided by the most usual priority vectors proposed in the scientific literature. We provide the notion of weak consistency; it is a condition weaker than consistency and stronger than transitivity and ensures that vectors associated with a matrix, by means of a strictly increasing synthesis functional, provide a preference order, on the related set of decision elements, equal to the actual ranking. This notion extends, to the case in which the decision‐maker can be indifferent between two or more alternatives/criteria, weak consistency introduced in previous papers under constraint of no indifference. Finally, we introduce an order relation on the rows of the matrix, that is, a simple order if and only if weak consistency is satisfied; this simple order allows us to easily determine the actual ranking on the set of decision elements. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Assessment of the benefits of the Chinese Public Weather Service
Authors: Yuan Huiling , Sun Min , Wang Yuan
Published: December 2015

The present study aims to understand the public opinion on the Chinese Public Weather Service and evaluate its benefits. Statistics based on a nationwide survey conducted in China in 2006 show that the receipt and perception of weather information vary across different ages and groups. People obtain weather information from various sources (television ranks first); younger generations favour new media. There is a high demand for information services related to severe weather and short‐range weather, which have the largest impact on daily lives and professional needs. The respondents' satisfaction with the current weather service and forecast accuracy are very high, although the accuracy of weather forecasts requires improvements. The benefits of the Chinese Public Weather Service and cost–benefit ratios are evaluated via direct, indirect and reverse willingness‐to‐pay evaluation models. For the entire country, the benefit of the Chinese Public Weather Service is estimated to be at least 46.482 billion Chinese Yuan (CNY), which accounted for 0.22% of the Chinese gross domestic product (GDP) in 2006; the national cost–benefit ratio is 1:26. The regional cost–benefit ratios of the Chinese Public Weather Service exhibit a wide range from 1:2 to 1:81 over different provincial‐level regions. The cost–benefit ratios are much higher in economically developed areas (Central and East China) than in economically underdeveloped areas (Northwest China). The social development level, especially certain aspects of primary industry and transportation, is closely related to the cost–benefit ratio of the Chinese Public Weather Service. These findings can assist the China Meteorological Administration and its supervised meteorological bureaus in providing a weather service that meets the public needs effectively.
Observed regional climatic changes over Ontario, Canada, in response to global warming
Authors: Wang Xiuquan , Huang Guohe , Liu Jinliang
Published: December 2015

Human‐induced climatic changes are not expected to be uniform across the globe due to the regional variations in topography, land cover/land use, economic development and so on. Investigating the regional effects of climate change is thus of great concern for decision makers and resource managers to develop scientifically informed policies and strategies against the changing climate. In the present study, regional climatology over Ontario, Canada, and its temporal trends in the past century are analysed based on the historical observations at the gauged stations, aiming to investigate how the local climate has been affected by human‐induced global warming. The analysis shows that the annual mean temperature over Ontario varies mainly between 1.6 and 7 °C with a median of 3.8 °C, while its annual total precipitation usually ranges between 836 and 1004 mm with a median of 896 mm. Further correlation analysis suggests that no or negligible correlations between total precipitation and mean temperature are found at the vast majority of stations (accounting for over 80% of the total), except for summer when significant negative correlations (with a correlation co‐efficient varying between −0.7 and −0.2) are reported at over 54% stations. As for the temporal trends, significant warming trends are detected throughout the province and the overall trend in annual mean temperature varies largely between 0.01 and 0.02 °C year–1. Increasing trends in annual rainfall (by 1–3 mm year–1) and total precipitation (by 1–4 mm year–1) are detected at the vast majority of gauged stations, but no significant trends in annual snowfall are identified at most of the stations. The results of this study can help better understand the regional climate of Ontario and provide important references for developing future climate scenarios that can be used for impact studies.
Wie Bakterien uns mit Naturstoffen krank machen
Authors: Prothiwa Michaela , Szamosvari David , Böttcher Thomas
Published: December 2015

Entscheidend dafür, ob Bakterien Menschen krank machen, ist ihre Virulenz, also ihre Infektionskraft. Dabei spielen nicht nur Enzyme eine Rolle, sondern auch kleine organische Moleküle: darunter Siderophore, die Eisen komplexieren, und Signalstoffe, die den Angriff auf den Wirt steuern.
Chemie für den russischen Forst
Authors: Wienhaus Otto
Published: December 2015

Die St. Petersburger Staatliche Forsttechnische Akademie hat eine über zweihundertjährige Geschichte. Ab Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts waren es Chemiker, welche die Forschungsrichtung der Akademie maßgeblich bestimmten. Bis heute sind Lehre und Forschung an der Akademie stark chemisch orientiert.
Repeatability of 31P MRSI in the human brain at 7 T with and without the nuclear Overhauser effect
Authors: Lagemaat Miriam W. , van de Bank Bart L. , Sati Pascal , Li Shizhe , Maas Marnix C. , Scheenen Tom W. J.
Published: December 2015

An often‐employed strategy to enhance signals in 31P MRS is the generation of the nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) by saturation of the water resonance. However, NOE allegedly increases the variability of the 31P data, because variation is reported in NOE enhancements. This would negate the signal‐to‐noise (SNR) gain it generates. We hypothesized that the variation in NOE enhancement values is not caused by the variability in NOE itself, but is attributable to measurement uncertainties in the values used to calculate the enhancement. If true, the expected increase in SNR with NOE would improve the repeatability of 31P MRS measurements. To verify this hypothesis, a repeatability study of native and NOE‐enhanced 31P MRSI was performed in the brains of seven healthy volunteers at 7 T. The repeatability coefficient (RC) and the coefficient of variation in repeated measurements (CoVrepeat) were determined for each method, and the 95% limits of agreement (LoAs) between native and NOE‐enhanced signals were calculated. The variation between the methods, defined by the LoA, is at least as great as that predicted by the RC of each method. The sources of variation in NOE enhancements were determined using variance component analysis. In the seven metabolites with a positive NOE enhancement (nine metabolite resonances assessed), CoVrepeat improved, on average, by 15%. The LoAs could be explained by the RCs of the individual methods for the majority of the metabolites, generally confirming our hypothesis. Variation in NOE enhancement was mainly attributable to the factor repeat, but between‐voxel effects were also present for phosphoethanolamine and (glycero)phosphocholine. CoVrepeat and fitting error were strongly correlated and improved with positive NOE. Our findings generally indicate that NOE enhances the signal of metabolites, improving the repeatability of metabolite measurements. Additional variability as a result of NOE was minimal. These findings encourage the use of NOE‐enhanced 31P MRSI. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Managing Public Sector Decentralization in Developing Countries: Moving Beyond Conventional Recipes
Authors: Smoke Paul
Published: December 2015

Decentralization has become a nearly universal feature of public sector reform in developing countries, but it has unevenly met the often considerable and diverse expectations placed on it. This paper contends that the popular reform has been framed and assessed in standardized—yet disjointed and incomplete—ways that do not offer a suitably robust basis for its effective application. Decentralization is a complex process that is pursued in variable environments, and superficial commonalities that suggest routine remedies are often overwhelmed by great heterogeneity in how it is perceived and unfolds in context. The drivers of diversity—the country setting, national and local political and bureaucratic dynamics, available resources and capacities, and in some cases the role of aid agencies, among others—shape what is intended and what is feasible relative to normative goals. Deeper attention to these factors can inform possibilities for more appropriate design and implementation. This paper discusses basic elements of the persistent decentralization challenge and outlines a preliminary approach to broaden contextual analysis and to define pragmatic ways to tap its potential more productively. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The impact of a spiritual legacy intervention in patients with brain cancers and other neurologic illnesses and their support persons
Authors: Piderman Katherine M. , Radecki Breitkopf Carmen , Jenkins Sarah M. , Lapid Maria I. , Kwete Gracia M. , Sytsma Terin T. , Lovejoy Laura A. , Yoder Timothy J. , Jatoi Aminah
Published: December 2015

Objective

The objectives were to assess the feasibility of using a novel, comprehensive chaplain‐led spiritual life review interview to develop a personal Spiritual Legacy Document (SLD) for persons with brain tumors and other neurodegenerative diseases and to describe spiritual well‐being (SWB), spiritual coping, and quality of life (QOL) of patients and their support persons (SP) before and after receipt of the SLD.

Methods

Patient‐SP pairs were enrolled over a 2‐year period. Assessments included the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy‐Spiritual Expanded Version, Brief Religious Coping Scale, Brief COPE Inventory, and QOL Linear Analog Scale. Baseline assessments were completed prior to an audio‐recorded spiritual life review interview with a chaplain.

Results

Thirty‐two patient/SP pairs were enrolled; 27 completed baseline assessments and the interview. Twenty‐four reviewed their SLD and were eligible for follow‐up. A total of 15 patients and 12 SPs completed the 1‐month follow‐up; 10 patients and seven SPs completed the 3‐month follow‐up. Patients endorsed high levels of SWB and spiritual coping at baseline. Both patients and SPs evidenced improvement on several aspects of SWB, spiritual coping, and QOL at 1 month, but patients' decreased financial well‐being was also observed. Patients and SPs demonstrated favorable changes in peacefulness and positive religious coping at both time points.

Conclusions

A chaplain‐led spiritual life review is a feasible intervention for patients with neurodegenerative disease and results in beneficial effects on patients and SPs. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reconstructing Periglacial Geomorphology: The Contribution of J. Ross Mackay
Authors: Church Michael
Published: December 2015

Ross Mackay's contributions to periglacial geomorphology are commonly regarded as the fruit of solo inspiration. In fact, his work is an exemplary product of its time. At the outset of his career, geomorphology was entering a radical transformation from interpretive study of landscape history towards quantitative study of landscape‐forming processes. Early periglacial geomorphology was concerned mainly with attempting to infer historical environmental conditions on the periphery of the great Pleistocene ice sheets and Mackay's earliest works are historically oriented accounts of regional geography. From 1960, however, his work, following the new perspective, was based on quantitative measurement of landforms and land‐forming processes, both in the field and on maps, and application of physical theory to interpret his observations. He focused attention on individual periglacial landforms that had hitherto been only superficially described. Outstanding aspects of Mackay's contributions are his genius for making critical field observations and his ability to use them to test geophysical theory. He was one of a very small number of pioneers who reconstructed periglacial geomorphology. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Structural and biophysical investigation of the interaction of a mutant Grb2 SH2 domain (W121G) with its cognate phosphopeptide
Authors: Papaioannou Danai , Geibel Sebastian , Kunze Micha B. A. , Kay Christopher W. M. , Waksman Gabriel
Published: December 2015

The adaptor protein Grb2 is a key element of mitogenetically important signaling pathways. With its SH2 domain it binds to upstream targets while its SH3 domains bind to downstream proteins thereby relaying signals from the cell membranes to the nucleus. The Grb2 SH2 domain binds to its targets by recognizing a phosphotyrosine (pY) in a pYxNx peptide motif, requiring an Asn at the +2 position C‐terminal to the pY with the residue either side of this Asn being hydrophobic. Structural analysis of the Grb2 SH2 domain in complex with its cognate peptide has shown that the peptide adopts a unique β‐turn conformation, unlike the extended conformation that phosphopeptides adopt when bound to other SH2 domains. TrpEF1 (W121) is believed to force the peptide into this unusual conformation conferring this unique specificity to the Grb2 SH2 domain. Using X‐ray crystallography, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), we describe here a series of experiments that explore the role of TrpEF1 in determining the specificity of the Grb2 SH2 domain. Our results demonstrate that the ligand does not adopt a pre‐organized structure before binding to the SH2 domain, rather it is the interaction between the two that imposes the hairpin loop to the peptide. Furthermore, we find that the peptide adopts a similar structure when bound to both the wild‐type Grb2 SH2 domain and a TrpEF1Gly mutant. This suggests that TrpEF1 is not the determining factor for the conformation of the phosphopeptide.
Accounting for Skill Shortages? Migration and the Australian Labour Market
Authors: Weller Sally A.
Published: December 2015

Although recent circumstances have rekindled interest in matching skilled migrant intakes to domestic labour needs, the factors contributing to migrant employment outcomes remain poorly understood. Contemporary research tends to focus on the best and worst of skilled migrant outcomes – either integration into elite transnational labour markets or relegation to relatively menial work. By approaching the issue from a perspective attuned to differentiated labour markets and their multiple segmentations, this paper argues that skilled migrant outcomes are best examined at the scale of occupations, with analysis oriented to understanding mobility across groups of related occupations. Using the example of the ‘in demand’ occupation of accountants migrating to Australia in the years 2005 to 2010, the paper's analysis of data from theContinuous Survey of Australia's Migrantsreveals that migrant accountants trickled across and trickled down to a wide range of accounting‐related occupations. Individual migrant's positions were conditioned by the intertwined effects of region of origin, gender, and migration pathway. The paper concludes with a discussion of policy implications. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Links between recognition and degradation of cytoplasmic viral RNA in innate immune response
Authors: Oshiumi Hiroyuki , Mifsud Edin J. , Daito Takuji
Published: December 2015

Recognition and degradation of viral RNA are essential for antiviral innate immune responses. Cytoplasmic viral RNA is recognized by retinoic acid‐inducible gene I (RIG‐I)‐like receptors, which trigger type I interferon (IFN) production. Secreted type I IFN activates ubiquitously expressed type I IFN receptor and induces IFN‐stimulated genes (ISGs). To suppress viral replication, several nucleases degrade viral RNA. RNase L is an ISG with endonuclease activity that degrades viral RNA, producing small RNA that activates RIG‐I, resulting in the amplification of type I IFN production. Moreover, recent studies have elucidated novel links between viral RNA recognition and degradation. The RNA exosome is a protein complex that includes nucleases and is essential for host and viral RNA decay. Although the small RNAs produced by the RNA exosome do not activate RIG‐I, several accessory factors of the RNA exosome promote RIG‐I activation. Zinc‐finger antiviral protein (ZAP) is an accessory factor that recognizes viral RNA and promotes viral RNA degradation via the RNA exosome. ZAPS is an alternative splicing form of ZAP and promotes RIG‐I oligomerization and ATPase activity, resulting in RIG‐I activation. DDX60 is another cofactor involved in the viral RNA degradation via the RNA exosome. The DDX60 protein promotes RIG‐I signaling in a cell‐type specific manner. These observations imply that viral RNA degradation and recognition are linked to each other. In this review, I discuss the links between recognition and degradation of viral RNA. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The role of acid‐base properties in the interactions across the oxide‐primer interface in aerospace applications
Authors: Abrahami S.T. , Hauffman T. , de Kok J.M.M. , Terryn H. , Mol J.M.C.
Published: December 2015

In the transition to environmentally friendly production, chromic acid anodizing is being replaced by sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid or phosphoric‐sulfuric acid anodizing. While it is known that using these acids leads to the incorporation of anions into the oxide, little is known on how they affect the nature of the oxide and how this, in turn, affects the interactions across the oxide‐primer interface. In the current work, we investigate these changes in the interactions, especially the acid‐base bonding, across the interface as a function of the pretreatment. To exclude contribution of surface roughness, oxides with no surface features were prepared in the aforementioned anodizing solutions by stopping the oxide growth during the formation of the barrier layer. Treatments in alkaline solution and boiling water were also included. XPS and Fourier transform infrared were first used to probe the acid‐base properties of the oxide before its interactions with 4‐ethylphenol (4‐EP), and 4‐hydroxybenzyl alcohol (4‐HbA) was measured. These two molecules represent functional groups of phenolic‐based thermoset resins with different acidities. Results show that both the pretreatments and the choice of molecule play a role in the interactions across the interface. While 4‐HbA showed no preference, thin films of 4‐EP were not detected on oxides that were prepared in phosphoric acid. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Power and sample size calculations for interval‐censored survival analysis
Authors: Kim Hae‐Young , Williamson John M. , Lin Hung‐Mo
Published: December 2015

We propose a method for calculating power and sample size for studies involving interval‐censored failure time data that only involves standard software required for fitting the appropriate parametric survival model. We use the framework of a longitudinal study where patients are assessed periodically for a response and the only resultant information available to the investigators is the failure window: the time between the last negative and first positive test results. The survival model is fit to an expanded data set using easily computed weights. We illustrate with a Weibull survival model and a two‐group comparison. The investigator can specify a group difference in terms of a hazards ratio. Our simulation results demonstrate the merits of these proposed power calculations. We also explore how the number of assessments (visits), and thus the corresponding lengths of the failure intervals, affect study power. The proposed method can be easily extended to more complex study designs and a variety of survival and censoring distributions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cocurricular and Campus Contexts
Authors: Bazarsky Debra , Morrow Leslie K. , Javier Gabriel C.
Published: December 2015

In this chapter, the authors consider issues of LGBTQA+ representation and visibility across cocurricular departments in U.S. colleges and universities. There is also a particular focus on identity‐based centers and their role in facilitating LGBTQA+ inclusion.
Counterion‐Directed Assembly of Praseodymium(III) Compounds based on the Flexible Ligand 5‐Aminotetrazole‐1‐propionic Acid (Hatzp)
Authors: Wang Jing , Zhang Fei Fei , Wei Bo , Wu Qi , Cao Meng Jie , Bai Yu , Yang Gao Wen
Published: December 2015

Different kinds of counterions (such as NO3–, ClO4–, and Cl–) play a special role in controlling the framework of coordination compounds. Using this strategy, 5‐aminotetrazole‐1‐propionic acid (Hatzp) was selected to react with praseodymium(III) nitrate or perchlorate in the same solvent system, producing two different coordination compounds, [Pr2(atzp)4(H2O)8]·2NO3·2H2O (1) and [Pr2(atzp)6(H2O)2]·H2O (2). These compounds were structurally characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. X‐ray diffraction analysis revealed that compound 1 displays a dinuclear structure, whereas 2 shows a one dimensional zigzag chain framework. Furthermore, the luminescence properties of compounds 1 and 2 were investigated at room temperature in the solid state.
Disadvantage and discrimination in self-employment: caste gaps in earnings in Indian small businesses
Authors: Deshpande Ashwini , Sharma Smriti
Published: December 2015

Using the 2004–2005 India Human Development Survey data, we estimate and decompose the earnings of household businesses owned by historically marginalized social groups known as Scheduled Castes and Tribes (SCSTs) and non-SCSTs across the earnings distribution. We find clear differences in characteristics between the two types of businesses with the former faring significantly worse. The mean decomposition reveals that as much as 55 % of the caste earnings gap could be attributed to the unexplained component. Quantile regressions suggest that gaps are higher at lower deciles, providing some evidence of a sticky floor. Finally, quantile decompositions reveal that the unexplained component is greater at the lower and middle deciles than higher, suggesting that SCST-owned businesses at the lower and middle end of the conditional earnings distribution face greater discrimination.
Preparation and Surface Activities of Modified Soy Protein–Dextrin Surfactants
Authors: Lin Li‐Huei , Lai Yu‐Ching , Chen Keng‐Ming , Li Cai‐Shan
Published: December 2015

A series of polymeric surfactants has been prepared through the reaction of soy protein with polyethoxylated stearyl ethers of various hydrophilic chain lengths. These surfactants exhibited surface activity, evaluated using surface tension, foaming, and wetting power that was superior to that of traditional surfactants containing only one hydrophobic moiety and one hydrophilic head group. Changing the ethoxylate (EO) group length had a significant effect on the surface activity. Increasing the EO group length decreased the critical micelle concentration (CMC) and increased the surface tension at the CMC (γCMC). The good surface properties of these polysaccharide/protein‐type surfactants suggest that they could be used as emulsifiers to prepare oil‐in‐water emulsions displaying good stability.
High‐Fat Diets Containing Different Amounts of n3 and n6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Modulate Inflammatory Cytokine Production in Mice
Authors: Sundaram Sneha , Bukowski Michael R. , Lie Wen‐Rong , Picklo Matthew J. , Yan Lin
Published: December 2015

Dysregulation of adipokines is a hallmark of obesity. Polyunsaturated fatty acids in fish oil may exert anti‐inflammatory effects on adipose tissue mitigating the dysregulation of adipokines thereby preventing obesity. This study investigated the effects of high‐fat diets containing different amounts of n3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on adiposity and adipokine production in mice. Mice were fed a low‐fat or a high‐fat diet with 16 or 45 % of energy from corn oil (low n3 PUFA) in comparison with a high‐fat diet containing soybean or high‐oleic sunflower oil (adequate n3 PUFA) or flaxseed or fish oil (high n3 PUFA) for 11 weeks. High‐fat diets, regardless of types of oils, significantly increased body fat mass and body weights compared to the low‐fat diet. Adipose fatty acid composition and contents reflected dietary fatty acid profiles. The high‐fat fish oil diet significantly increased adiponectin and reduced leptin concentrations in both plasma and adipose tissue; it did not elevate plasma insulin concentration compared to the high‐fat corn oil diet. All high‐fat diets elevated concentrations of plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 (PAI‐1) and monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1) but lowered resistin concentrations in both plasma and adipose tissue. In conclusion, fish oil may be beneficial in improving insulin sensitivity by upregulation of adiponectin and downregulation of leptin production; n3 and n6 PUFA do not play a role at the dietary levels tested in reducing adiposity and production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines (leptin, PAI‐1, MCP‐1 and resistin) and anti‐inflammatory cytokine adiponectin.
Patient-reported health status prior to cardiac resynchronisation therapy identifies patients at risk for poor survival and prolonged hospital stays
Authors: Versteeg H. , Denollet J. , Meine M. , Pedersen S.S.
Published: December 2015

Background

Patient-reported factors have largely been neglected in search of predictors of response to cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT). The current study aimed to examine the independent value of pre-implantation patient-reported health status in predicting four-year survival and cardiac-related hospitalisation of CRT patients.

Methods

Consecutive patients (N = 139) indicated to receive a first-time CRT-defibrillator at the University Medical Center Utrecht were asked to complete a set of questionnaires prior to implantation. The Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) was used to assess heart failure-specific health status. Data on patients’ demographic, clinical and psychological characteristics at baseline, and on cardiac-related hospitalisations and all-cause deaths during a median follow-up of 3.9 years were obtained from purpose-designed questionnaires and patients’ medical records.

Results

Results of multivariable Cox regression analyses showed that poor patient-reported health status (KCCQ score < 50) prior to implantation was associated with a 2.5-fold increased risk of cardiac hospitalisation or all-cause death, independent of sociodemographic, clinical and psychological risk factors (adjusted hazard ratio 2.46, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.30–4.65). Poor health status was not significantly associated with the absolute number of cardiac-related hospital admissions, but with the total number of days spent in hospital during follow-up (adjusted incidence rate ratio 3.20, 95 % CI 1.88–5.44).

Conclusions

Patient-reported health status assessed prior to CRT identifies patients at risk for poor survival and prolonged hospital stays, independent of traditional risk factors. These results emphasise the importance of incorporating health status measures in cardiovascular research and patient management. Heart failure patients reporting poor health status should be identified and offered appropriate additional treatment programs.
Luigi Nono
Authors: Nielinger-Vakil Carola
Published: December 2015

The anti-fascist cantata Il canto sospeso, the string quartet Fragmente - Stille, an Diotima and the 'Tragedy of Listening' Prometeo cemented Luigi Nono's place in music history. In this study, Carola Nielinger-Vakil examines these major works in the context of Nono's amalgamation of avant-garde composition with Communist political engagement. Part I discusses Il canto sospeso in the context of all of Nono's anti-fascist pieces, from the unfinished Fučik project (1951) to Ricorda cosa ti hanno fatto in Auschwitz (1966). Nielinger-Vakil explores Nono's position at the Darmstadt Music Courses, the evolution of his compositional technique, his penchant for music theatre and his use of spatial and electronic techniques to set the composer and his works against the diverging circumstances in Italy and Germany after 1945. Part II further examines these concerns and shows how they live on in Nono's work after 1975, culminating in a thorough analysis of Prometeo.
Optical Tweezers
Authors: Jones Philip H. , Maragò Onofrio M. , Volpe Giovanni
Published: December 2015

Combining state-of-the-art research with a strong pedagogic approach, this text provides a detailed and complete guide to the theory, practice and applications of optical tweezers. In-depth derivation of the theory of optical trapping and numerical modelling of optical forces are supported by a complete step-by-step design and construction guide for building optical tweezers, with detailed tutorials on collecting and analysing data. Also included are comprehensive reviews of optical tweezers research in fields ranging from cell biology to quantum physics. Featuring numerous exercises and problems throughout, this is an ideal self-contained learning package for advanced lecture and laboratory courses, and an invaluable guide to practitioners wanting to enter the field of optical manipulation. The text is supplemented by www.opticaltweezers.org, a forum for discussion and a source of additional material including free-to-download, customisable research-grade software (OTS) for calculation of optical forces, digital video microscopy, optical tweezers calibration and holographic optical tweezers.
Children's Multilingual Development and Education
Authors: Bailey Alison L. , Osipova Anna V. , Genesee Fred
Published: December 2015

The study of families and educators who successfully sustain children's linguistic resources is a novelty in current educational research, where focus has largely been on the development of students' English language skills. In this book, Alison L. Bailey and Anna V. Osipova provide a systematic examination of the beliefs and practices of parents and educators who share the common goal of improving educational and social outcomes for multilingual children. Giving voice to parents and educators, they explore the strategies being devised to foster multilingualism and support its development both at home and in the classroom. This book presents new research findings and combines these with compelling firsthand accounts of the successes and concerns of both families and educators, making its content pertinent to a wide audience of researchers and a range of higher education courses.
Mathematical Foundations of Infinite-Dimensional Statistical Models
Authors: Giné Evarist , Nickl Richard
Published: December 2015

In nonparametric and high-dimensional statistical models, the classical Gauss-Fisher-Le Cam theory of the optimality of maximum likelihood estimators and Bayesian posterior inference does not apply, and new foundations and ideas have been developed in the past several decades. This book gives a coherent account of the statistical theory in infinite-dimensional parameter spaces. The mathematical foundations include self-contained 'mini-courses' on the theory of Gaussian and empirical processes, on approximation and wavelet theory, and on the basic theory of function spaces. The theory of statistical inference in such models - hypothesis testing, estimation and confidence sets - is then presented within the minimax paradigm of decision theory. This includes the basic theory of convolution kernel and projection estimation, but also Bayesian nonparametrics and nonparametric maximum likelihood estimation. In the final chapter, the theory of adaptive inference in nonparametric models is developed, including Lepski's method, wavelet thresholding, and adaptive inference for self-similar functions.
Prehistoric Man
Authors: Wilson Daniel
Published: December 2015

The Scottish archaeologist and anthropologist Daniel Wilson (1816–92) spent the latter part of his life in Canada. Published in 1862, this is a seminal work in the study of early man in which Wilson utilises studies of native tribes 'still seen there in a condition which seems to reproduce some of the most familiar phases ascribed to the infancy of the unhistoric world'. He believed that civilisations initially developed in mild climates and judged the Mayans to have been the most advanced civilisation in the New World. Twentieth-century anthropologist Bruce Trigger argued that Wilson 'interpreted evidence about human behaviour in a way that is far more in accord with modern thinking than are the racist views of Darwin and Lubbock', and it is in this light that this two-volume work can be judged. Volume 2 covers topics ranging from ceramic arts to the influence of interbreeding and migration upon civilisations.
A Dictionary of the Bengalee Language
Authors: Carey William
Published: December 2015

The language of Bangladesh, West Bengal and parts of Tripura and Assam, Bengali is the sixth most spoken language in the world. A member of the Indo-Aryan family, with its origins in Sanskrit, it has over 230 million speakers. Published in 1825, this is the third volume of a revised three-part dictionary of Bengali, compiled by the Baptist missionary William Carey (1761–1834) during his time in India. Its purpose was to assist Carey's European students at Fort William College in Calcutta, and he endeavoured to include every simple word used in the language, along with all the compound terms found in Bengali literature. Containing over 100,000 entries in Bengali script with English translations, and providing etymologies for most words, it remains of great interest to linguists today. Carey's reference works on Marathi and Sanskrit are also reissued in this series.
An Account of the Natives of the Tonga Islands, in the South Pacific Ocean
Authors: Mariner William
Published: December 2015

In November 1806, the damaged Port-au-Prince arrived at what Captain Cook had called the Friendly Islands. William Charles Mariner (1791–1853) was among the few crew members spared by the native inhabitants. He lived there for four years. Published in 1818, this two-volume second edition offers an important early insight into Tongan customs and language. As editor John Martin (1789–1869) explains, the structure of a nation's language is vital to the consideration of its history. So successful was the first edition of 1817 - expanded upon here to include 'generally corroborative, and in a few instances somewhat corrective' information from another erstwhile inhabitant - that within months of its publication a French translation appeared; German and American editions soon followed. Volume 1 comprises Martin's extensive introduction, the story of the ship's voyage and destruction, and an account of Mariner's stay on the islands and the events leading to his departure.
The Structure of Spoken Language
Authors: Martin Philippe
Published: December 2015

Using an innovative approach, this book focuses on a widely debated area of phonetics and phonology: intonation, and specifically its relation to metrics, its interface with syntax, and whether it can be attributed more to phonetics or phonology, or equally to both. Drawing on data from six Romance languages (French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan and Romanian), whose rich intonation patterns have long been of interest to linguists, J-Philippe Martin challenges the assumptions of traditional phonological approaches, and re-evaluates the data in favour of a new usage-based model of intonation. He proposes a unified description of the sentence prosodic structure, focusing on the dynamic and cognitive aspects of both production and perception of intonation in speech, leading to a unified grammar of Romance languages' sentence intonation. This book will be welcomed by researchers and advanced students in phonetics and phonology.
Crisis, Resilience and Survival
Authors: Holweg Matthias , Oliver Nick
Published: December 2015

Crisis, Resilience and Survival charts the evolution of the global automotive industry, revealing the pressures and challenges facing firms in this huge but turbulent realm of business. Long-term overcapacity and swings of the economic cycle mean that many car companies are in financially perilous positions. Yet failures of auto companies are rare, and many have bounced back from the brink. Using the concept of the 'survival envelope', Holweg and Oliver argue that the ability to design, develop, manufacture and distribute vehicles competitively is not the only factor in ensuring success. Using detailed analyses of two failures (Rover and Saab) and two near-misses (Chrysler and Nissan) they explore how scale, market reach and supportive stakeholder relations can make the difference between success and failure in this global industry. This book will appeal to anyone working in, or studying the auto industry, as well as those interested in corporate success and failure.
Naturalism and Realism in Kant's Ethics
Authors: Rauscher Frederick
Published: December 2015

In this comprehensive assessment of Kant's metaethics, Frederick Rauscher shows that Kant is a moral idealist rather than a moral realist and argues that Kant's ethics does not require metaphysical commitments that go beyond nature. Rauscher frames the argument in the context of Kant's non-naturalistic philosophical method and the character of practical reason as action-oriented. Reason operates entirely within nature, and apparently non-natural claims - God, free choice, and value - are shown to be heuristic and to reflect reason's ordering of nature. The book shows how Kant hesitates between a transcendental moral idealism with an empirical moral realism and a complete moral idealism. Examining every aspect of Kant's ethics, from the categorical imperative to freedom and value, this volume argues that Kant's focus on human moral agency explains morality as a part of nature. It will appeal to academic researchers and advanced students of Kant, German idealism and intellectual history.
Analogies in International Investment Law and Arbitration
Authors: Vadi Valentina
Published: December 2015

Although investment treaty arbitration has become the most common method for settling investor-state disputes, some scholars and practitioners have expressed concern regarding the magnitude of decision-making power allocated to investment treaty tribunals. Many of the recent arbitral awards have determined the boundary between two conflicting values: the legitimate sphere for state regulation in the pursuit of public goods, and the protection of foreign private property from state interference. Can comparative reasoning help adjudicators in interpreting and applying broad and open-ended investment treaty provisions? Can the use of analogies contribute to the current debate over the legitimacy of investor-state arbitration, facilitating the consideration of the commonweal in the same? How should comparisons be made? What are the limits of comparative approaches to investment treaty law and arbitration? This book scrutinises the impact a comparative approach can have on investment law, and identifies a method for drawing sound analogies.
Using Figurative Language
Authors: Colston Herbert L.
Published: December 2015

Using Figurative Language presents results from a multidisciplinary decades-long study of figurative language that addresses the question, 'Why don't people just say what they mean?' This research empirically investigates goals speakers or writers have when speaking (writing) figuratively, and concomitantly, meaning effects wrought by figurative language usage. These 'pragmatic effects' arise from many kinds of figurative language including metaphors (e.g. 'This computer is a dinosaur'), verbal irony (e.g. 'Nice place you got here'), idioms (e.g. 'Bite the bullet'), proverbs (e.g. 'Don't put all your eggs in one basket') and others. Reviewed studies explore mechanisms - linguistic, psychological, social and others - underlying pragmatic effects, some traced to basic processes embedded in human sensory, perceptual, embodied, cognitive, social and schematic functioning. The book should interest readers, researchers and scholars in fields beyond psychology, linguistics and philosophy that share interests in figurative language - including language studies, communication, literary criticism, neuroscience, semiotics, rhetoric and anthropology.
Crossing the Aisle
Authors: Yoshinaka Antoine
Published: December 2015

Switching parties is arguably the most important decision a politician will ever make. This book is the first-ever systematic study of the causes and consequences of legislative party switching in the United States. The author argues that re-election alone does not explain party switching. He proposes an ambition-based theory that accounts for multiple goals (including higher office aspirations and the desire for influence in the legislature) with a focus on the electoral costs and the institutional benefits of the decision. The book combines the statistical analysis of electoral data and legislative careers in the US Congress and state legislatures with elite interviews of party switchers, non-switchers, and a party leader. The case study of a party switcher's decision in 'real time' documents the complexity of the decision in a politician's own words prior to and following the switch. The book raises important questions regarding the meaning of a party label.
The Last Hindu Emperor
Authors: Talbot Cynthia
Published: December 2015

This fascinating new study traces traditions and memories relating to the twelfth-century Indian ruler Prithviraj Chauhan; a Hindu king who was defeated and overthrown during the conquest of Northern India by Muslim armies from Afghanistan. Surveying a wealth of narratives that span more than 800 years, Cynthia Talbot explores the reasons why he is remembered, and by whom. In modern times, the Chauhan king has been referred to as 'the last Hindu emperor', because Muslim rule prevailed for centuries following his defeat. Despite being overthrown, however, his name and story have evolved over time into a historical symbol of India's martial valor. The Last Hindu Emperor sheds new light on the enduring importance of heroic histories in Indian culture and the extraordinary ability of historical memory to transform the hero of a clan into the hero of a community, and finally a nation.
Latin America Confronts the United States
Authors: Long Tom
Published: December 2015

Latin America Confronts the United States offers a new perspective on US-Latin America relations. Drawing on research in six countries, the book examines how Latin American leaders are able to overcome power asymmetries to influence US foreign policy. The book provides in-depth explorations of key moments in post-World War II inter-American relations - foreign economic policy before the Alliance for Progress, the negotiation of the Panama Canal Treaties, the expansion of trade through NAFTA, and the growth of counternarcotics in Plan Colombia. The new evidence challenges earlier, US-centric explanations of these momentous events. Though differences in power were fundamental to each of these cases, relative weakness did not prevent Latin American leaders from aggressively pursuing their interests vis-à-vis the United States. Drawing on studies of foreign policy and international relations, the book examines how Latin American leaders achieved this influence - and why they sometimes failed.
Asymmetry and International Relationships
Authors: Womack Brantly
Published: December 2015

Power is real, but it does not always prevail. This book explores how disparity structures international relationships. Beginning at the bilateral level, the relationship between the smaller side and the larger side can be normal as long as the smaller does not feel threatened and the larger can assume that its capabilities are respected. However, the smaller can be tempted to brinksmanship, while the larger can be tempted to bully. Asymmetric conflicts are often stalemated because the limited commitment of the larger side is met by the smaller's mortal resistance. In multilateral situations, asymmetry shapes patterns of uncertainty and attention. In global systems, how hegemons treat their subjects is the unobserved sand shifting beneath their feet as they look toward their challenger. Since 2008, the US has retained primacy but not dominance. The management of asymmetric relationships in a multinodal world will determine how power matters in the current era.
Effect of small roughness elements on thermal statistics of a turbulent boundary layer at moderate Reynolds number
Authors: Doosttalab Ali , Araya Guillermo , Newman Jensen , Adrian Ronald J. , Jansen Kenneth , Castillo Luciano
Published: December 2015

A zero-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layer flowing over a transitionally rough surface (24-grit sandpaper) with$k^{+}\approx 11$and a momentum-thickness Reynolds number of approximately 2400 is studied using direct numerical simulation (DNS). Heat transfer between the isothermal rough surface and the turbulent flow with molecular Prandtl number$Pr=0.71$is simulated. The dynamic multiscale approach developed by Arayaet al.(J. Fluid Mech., vol. 670, 2011, pp. 581–605) is employed to prescribe realistic time-dependent thermal inflow boundary conditions. In general, the rough surface reduces mean and fluctuating temperature profiles with respect to the smooth surface flow when normalized by Wang & Castillo (J. Turbul., vol. 4, 2003, 006) inner/outer scaling. It is shown that the Reynolds analogy does not hold for$y^{+}<9$. In this region the value of the turbulent Prandtl number departs substantially from unity. Above this region the Reynolds analogy is only approximately valid, with the turbulent Prandtl number decreasing from 1 to 0.7 across the boundary layer for rough and smooth walls. In comparison with the smooth-wall case, the turbulent transport of heat per unit mass,$\overline{v^{\prime }v^{\prime }{\it\theta}^{\prime }}$, towards the wall is enhanced in the buffer layer, but the transport of$\overline{v^{\prime }v^{\prime }{\it\theta}^{\prime }}$away from the wall is reduced in the outer layer for the rough case; similar behaviour is found for the vertical transport of turbulent momentum per unit mass,$\overline{v^{\prime }u^{\prime }v^{\prime }}$. Above the roughness sublayer (3$k$–5$k$) it is found that most of the temperature field statistics, including higher-order moments and conditional averages, are highly similar for the smooth and rough surface flow, showing that the Townsend’s Reynolds number similarity hypothesis applies for the thermal field as well as the velocity field for the Reynolds number and$k^{+}$considered in this study.