bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mesoporous Co–CoO@NC Micro‐Disk Derived from ZIF‐9 as Bifunctional Catalyst for Lithium‐Oxygen Batteries
Authors: Chen Xiang , Chen Chunguang , Zhang Xiuhui , Huang Tao , Yu Aishui
Published: August 2018

Metal and metal oxides are considered as effective catalysts owing to their excellent oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reaction activity. However, their low electrical conductivity, the collapse of the structure during the cycles and agglomeration in thermal treatment, which can degrade the electrochemical properties, are still puzzles for researchers. Herein, we present a facile method to synthesize mesoporous N‐doped carbon matrix modified with cobalt and cobalt oxide (Co–CoO@NC) micro‐disk derived from zeolitic imidazolate frameworks, alleviating the agglomeration of the cobalt nanoparticles to form CoO with abundant oxygen vacancies and introducing nitrogen in the carbon matrix with strong metal‐N‐doped carbon bridging bonds. The porous structure shows numerous mesoporous with diameters of 4–7 nm and an excellent specific surface area as high as 739.4 m2 g−1. The lithium‐oxygen batteries based on Co–CoO@NC electrode show improved electrochemical performance, with a high initial discharge capacity up to 5582 mAh g−1 at 0.05 mA cm−2 and preferable cycling stability with a cut‐off specific capacity of 500 mAh g−1 at 0.1 mA cm−2. The improved performance is mainly ascribed to the synergic effect of the porous structure, CoO and strong metal‐N‐doped carbon bridging bonds, leading to the excellent OER and ORR activities.
Hierarchical Assembly of Nanocellulose‐Based Filaments by Interfacial Complexation
Authors: Zhang Kaitao , Liimatainen Henrikki
Published: August 2018

In the present study, interfacial complexation spinning of oppositely charged cellulose‐materials is applied to fabricate hierarchical and continuous nanocellulose based filaments under aqueous conditions by using cationic cellulose nanocrystals with different anionic celluloses including soluble sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and insoluble 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidinyl‐1‐oxy radical‐oxidized cellulose nanofibers and dicarboxylated cellulose nanocrystals (DC‐CNC). The morphologies of the wet and dry nanocellulose based filaments are further investigated by optical and electron microscopy. All fabricated continuous nanocellulose based filaments display a hierarchical structure similar to the natural cellulose fibers in plant cells. As far as it is known, this is not only the first report about the fabrication of nanocellulose based filaments by interfacial complexation of cationic CNCs with anionic celluloses but also the first demonstration of fabricating continuous fibers directly from oppositely charged nanoparticles by interfacial nanoparticle complexation (INC). This INC approach may provide a new route to design continuous filaments from many other oppositely charged nanoparticles with tailored characteristics.
A NASICON‐Type Positive Electrode for Na Batteries with High Energy Density: Na4MnV(PO4)3
Authors: Chen Fan , Kovrugin Vadim M. , David Rénald , Mentré Olivier , Fauth François , Chotard Jean‐Noël , Masquelier Christian
Published: August 2018

The mixed Mn2+/V3+ Na‐super‐ionic‐conductor (NASICON) cathode material Na4MnV(PO4)3 is prepared by solid‐state reaction at 800 °C under argon. When used as a positive electrode in Na batteries, this material can exchange three electrons for two transition metals, that is, yielding a high gravimetric capacity of 156 mAh g−1 on charge when the upper cutoff voltage is set to 4.3 V versus Na+/Na. Operando X‐ray diffraction during battery operation is performed and it is shown that the mechanisms of Na+ insertion/extraction are single or biphasic depending on the electrochemical cycling conditions.
Adventures in Defining Roles of Oxygenases in the Regulation of Protein Biosynthesis
Authors: Walport Louise J. , Schofield Christopher J.
Published: August 2018

The 2‐oxoglutarate (2OG) dependent oxygenases were first identified as having roles in the post‐translational modification of procollagen in animals. Subsequently in plants and microbes, they were shown to have roles in the biosynthesis of many secondary metabolites, including signalling molecules and the penicillin/cephalosporin antibiotics. Crystallographic studies of microbial 2OG oxygenases and related enzymes, coupled to DNA sequence analyses, led to the prediction that 2OG oxygenases are widely distributed in aerobic biology. This personal account begins with examples of the roles of 2OG oxygenases in antibiotic biosynthesis, and then describes efforts to assign functions to other predicted 2OG oxygenases. In humans, 2OG oxygenases have been found to have roles in small molecule metabolism, as well as in the epigenetic regulation of protein and nucleic acid biosynthesis and function. The roles and functions of human 2OG oxygenases are compared, focussing on discussion of their substrate and product selectivities. The account aims to emphasize how scoping the substrate selectivity of, sometimes promiscuous, enzymes can provide insights into their functions and so enable therapeutic work.
Notes on the solutions of Zamolodchikov-type recursion relations in Virasoro minimal models
Authors: Javerzat Nina , Santachiara Raoul , Foda Omar
Published: August 2018

Abstract

We study Virasoro minimal-model 4-point conformal blocks on the sphere and 0-point conformal blocks on the torus (the Virasoro characters), as solutions of Zamolodchikov-type recursion relations. In particular, we study the singularities due to resonances of the dimensions of conformal fields in minimal-model representations, that appear in the intermediate steps of solving the recursion relations, but cancel in the final results.
Enhancement of NAD(H) pool for formation of oxidized biochemicals in Escherichia coli
Authors: Han Qi , Eiteman Mark A
Published: August 2018

The NAD+/NADH ratio and the total NAD(H) play important roles for whole-cell biochemical redox transformations. After the carbon source is exhausted, the degradation of NAD(H) could contribute to a decline in the rate of a desired conversion. In this study, methods to slow the native rate of NAD(H) degradation were examined using whole-cell Escherichia coli with two model oxidative NAD+-dependent biotransformations. A high phosphate concentration (50 mM) was observed to slow NAD(H) degradation. We also constructed E. coli strains with deletions in genes coding several enzymes involved in NAD+ degradation. In shake-flask experiments, the total NAD(H) concentration positively correlated with conversion of xylitol to l-xylulose by xylitol 4-dehydrogenase, and the greatest conversion (80%) was observed using MG1655 nadR nudC mazG/pZE12-xdh/pCS27-nox. Controlled 1-L batch processes comparing E. coli nadR nudC mazG with a wild-type background strain demonstrated a 30% increase in final l-xylulose concentration (5.6 vs. 7.9 g/L) and a 25% increase in conversion (0.53 vs. 0.66 g/g). MG1655 nadR nudC mazG was also examined for the conversion of galactitol to l-tagatose by galactitol 2-dehydrogenase. A batch process using 15 g/L glycerol and 10 g/L galactitol generated over 9.4 g/L l-tagatose, corresponding to 90% conversion and a yield of 0.95 g l-tagatose/g galactitol consumed. The results demonstrate the value of minimizing NAD(H) degradation as a means to improve NAD+-dependent biotransformations.
Molecular genetics of a cohort of 635 cases of phenylketonuria in a consanguineous population
Authors: Shirzadeh Tina , Saeidian Amir Hossein , Bagherian Hamideh , Salehpour Shadab , Setoodeh Aria , Alaei Mohammad Reza , Youssefian Leila , Samavat Ashraf , Touati Andrew , Fallah Mohammad‐Sadegh , Vahidnezhad Hassan , Karimipoor Morteza , Azadmehr Sarah , Raeisi Marzieh , Bandehi Sarhadi Ameneh , Zafarghandi Motlagh Fatemeh , Jamali Mojdeh , Zeinali Zahra , Abiri Maryam , Zeinali Sirous ,   Additional individual contributors
Published: August 2018

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an inborn error of amino acid metabolism caused by mutations in the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) gene, characterized by intellectual deficit and neuropsychiatric complications in untreated patients with estimated frequency of about one in 10,000 to 15,000 live births. PAH deficiency can be detected by neonatal screening in nearly all cases with hyperphenylalaninemia on a heel prick blood spot. Molecular testing of the PAH gene can then be performed in affected family members. Herein, we report molecular study of 635 patients genetically diagnosed with PKU from all ethnicities in Iran. The disease‐causing mutations were found in 611 (96.22%) of cases. To the best of our knowledge, this is the most comprehensive molecular genetics study of PKU in Iran, identifying 100 distinct mutations in the PAH gene, including 15 previously unreported mutations. Interestingly, we found unique cases of PKU with uniparental disomy, germline mosaicism, and coinheritance with another Mendelian single‐gene disorder that provides new insights for improving the genetic counseling, prenatal diagnosis (PND), and/or pre‐implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) for the inborn error of metabolism group of disorders.
Late‐onset Pompe disease in France: molecular features and epidemiology from a nationwide study
Authors: Semplicini Claudio , Letard Pascaline , De Antonio Marie , Taouagh Nadjib , Perniconi Barbara , Bouhour Françoise , Echaniz‐Laguna Andoni , Orlikowski David , Sacconi Sabrina , Salort‐Campana Emmanuelle , Solé Guilhem , Zagnoli Fabien , Hamroun Dalil , Froissart Roseline , Caillaud Catherine , Laforêt Pascal ,   French Pompe Study Group
Published: August 2018

Pompe disease (PD) is caused by a deficiency of lysosomal acid α‐glucosidase resulting from mutations in theGAAgene. The clinical spectrum ranges from a rapidly fatal multisystemic disorder (classic PD, onset < 1 year) to a milder adult onset myopathy. The aims of this study were to characterize theGAAmutations, to establish the disease epidemiology, and to identify potential genotype‐phenotype correlations in French late‐onset PD patients (onset ≥ 2 years) diagnosed since the 1970s. Data were collected from the two main laboratories involved in PD diagnosis and from the French Pompe registry. Two hundred forty‐six patients (130 females and 116 males) were included, with a mean age at diagnosis of 43 years. Eighty‐three different mutations were identified in theGAAgene, among which 28 were novel. These variants were spread all over the sequence and included 42 missense (one affecting start codon), 8 nonsense, 15 frameshift, 14 splice mutations, 3 small in‐frame deletions, and one large deletion. The common c.‐32‐13T>G mutation was detected in 151/170 index cases. Other frequent mutations included the exon 18 deletion, the c.525del, and the missense mutations c.1927G>A (p.Gly643Arg) and c.655G>A (p.Gly219Arg). Patients carrying the c.‐32‐13T>G mutation had an older mean age at onset than patients non‐exhibiting this mutation (36 versus 25 years). Patients with the same genotype had a highly variable age at onset. We estimated the frequency of late‐onset PD in France around 1/69,927 newborns. In conclusion, we characterized the French cohort of late‐onset PD patients through a nationwide study covering more than 40 years.
Fibroblast growth factor 21 as a biomarker for long‐term complications in organic acidemias
Authors: Molema F. , Jacobs E. H. , Onkenhout W. , Schoonderwoerd G. C. , Langendonk J. G. , Williams Monique
Published: August 2018

Background

There is increasing evidence that long‐term complications in organic acidemias are caused by impaired mitochondrial metabolism. Currently, there is no specific biomarker to monitor mitochondrial dysfunction in organic acidemias. Serum fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF‐21) is a biomarker for mitochondrial disease and could be a candidate to monitor mitochondrial function in the deleterious course of disease.

Methods

Data of 17 patients with classical organic acidemias (11 propionic acidemia (PA), four methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) and two isovaleric acidemia (IVA) patients) were included. The clinical course was evaluated; metabolic decompensations and long‐term complications were correlated with plasma FGF‐21 levels. Cardiomyopathy, prolonged QT interval, renal failure, and optic neuropathy were defined as long‐term complications.

Results

Patients ages ranged from 16 months up to 32 years. Serious long‐term complications occurred in eight patients (five PA and three MMA patients). In MMA and PA patients plasma FGF‐21 levels during stable metabolic periods were significantly higher in patients with long‐term complications (Mdn = 2556.0 pg/ml) compared to patients without (Mdn = 287.0 pg/ml). A median plasma FGF‐21 level above 1500 pg/ml during a stable metabolic period, measured before the occurrence of long‐term complications, had a positive predictive value of 0.83 and a negative predictive value of 1.00 on long‐term complications in MMA and PA patients.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates the potential role of FGF‐21 as a biomarker for long‐term complications in classical organic acidemias, attributed to mitochondrial dysfunction.
Bayesian latent time joint mixed‐effects model of progression in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Authors: Li Dan , Iddi Samuel , Thompson Wesley K. , Rafii Michael S. , Aisen Paul S. , Donohue Michael C. ,   Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: August 2018

Introduction

We characterize long‐term disease dynamics from cognitively healthy to dementia using data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative.

Methods

We apply a latent time joint mixed‐effects model to 16 cognitive, functional, biomarker, and imaging outcomes in Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. Markov chain Monte Carlo methods are used for estimation and inference.

Results

We find good concordance between latent time and diagnosis. Change in amyloid positron emission tomography shows a moderate correlation with change in cerebrospinal fluid tau (ρ = 0.310) and phosphorylated tau (ρ= 0.294) and weaker correlation with amyloid‐β 42 (ρ = 0.176). In comparison to amyloid positron emission tomography, change in volumetric magnetic resonance imaging summaries is more strongly correlated with cognitive measures (e.g.,ρ= 0.731 for ventricles and Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale). The average disease trends are consistent with the amyloid cascade hypothesis.

Discussion

The latent time joint mixed‐effects model can (1) uncover long‐term disease trends; (2) estimate the sequence of pathological abnormalities; and (3) provide subject‐specific prognostic estimates of the time until onset of symptoms.
Determinants of Retailers’ Cross-channel Integration: An Innovation Diffusion Perspective on Omni-channel Retailing
Authors: Cao Lanlan , Li Li
Published: August 2018

The decision on whether and to what extent they should implement cross-channel integration is a crucial and complex task for multi-channel retailers. Although prior studies have sought to identify key determinants of this decision, most are descriptive or draw on divergent theoretical perspectives. The authors provide a cohesive theoretical model from the perspective of innovation diffusion, including not only technology-related but also organizational and environmental factors. The empirical findings based on the observations in the U.S. retail sector indicate that retailers’ information-technology capabilities and private-label provision drive their cross-channel integration. Moderate diversity facilitates cross-channel integration more than does high or low diversity. Firms’ financial resources seem to be less important or unimportant at a low level of industry concentration, but may influence retailers’ cross-channel integration at a high level of industry concentration.
Advisory Opinion on the Environment and Human Rights
Authors: Papantoniou Angeliki
Published: August 2018

On November 15, 2017, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (Court) rendered a historic advisory opinion (Advisory Opinion) on the relationship between human rights and the environment. The opinion was a response to a request from Colombia regarding extraterritorial jurisdiction of state parties to the American Convention, in particular their obligations under the rights to life and personal integrity, arising from the construction and operation of large-scale infrastructure projects in the Greater Caribbean region. Colombia's concern was that, due to their dimensions and permanence, such projects could cause significant environmental harm, that goes beyond national borders, and, as a consequence, adversely affect the inhabitants of the whole region and the enjoyment of their rights under the Convention (para. 2). One of the most important aspects of the Advisory Opinion is the Court's finding that in relation to large-scale transboundary infrastructure projects, state parties to the Convention can exercise extraterritorial jurisdiction under certain circumstances and thus be responsible for the human rights of the people in the affected area. Another significant finding of the Court is that Article 26 of the American Convention, which provides for the progressive realization of economic, social, and cultural rights, includes an autonomous right to a healthy environment—a right fundamental for the existence of humankind. Finally, the Court directly linked the rights to life and personal integrity with general principles of international environmental under a due diligence obligation. The Court's extensive use of international environmental law instruments, case law, and reasoning could pave the way for greater interconnection and integration between human rights and international environment law obligations.
Imperfect Alternatives: Institutional Choice and the Reform of Investment Law
Authors: Puig Sergio , Shaffer Gregory
Published: August 2018

This Article applies the theory of comparative institutional analysis to evaluate the trade-offs associated with alternative mechanisms for resolving investment disputes. We assess the trade-offs in light of the principle of accountability under the rule of law, which underpins the goals of fairness, efficiency, and peace that are attributed to investment law. The Article makes two recommendations: first, reforms should address complementarity between domestic and international institutions; second, institutional choices should respond to the different contexts that states face.
Surveillance for central-line–associated bloodstream infections: Accuracy of different sampling strategies
Authors: Kourkouni Elani , Kourlaba Georgia , Chorianopoulou Evangelia , Tsopela Grammatiki-Christina , Kopsidas Ioannis , Spyridaki Irene , Tsiodras Sotirios , Roilides Emmanuel , Coffin Susan , Zaoutis Theoklis E. ,   for the PHIG investigators
Published: August 2018

Background

Active daily surveillance of central-line days (CLDs) in the assessment of rates of central-line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) is time-consuming and burdensome for healthcare workers. Sampling of denominator data is a method that could reduce the time necessary to conduct active surveillance.

Objective

To evaluate the accuracy of various sampling strategies in the estimation of CLABSI rates in adult and pediatric units in Greece.

Methods

Daily denominator data were collected across Greece for 6 consecutive months in 33 units: 11 adult units, 4 pediatric intensive care units (PICUs), 12 neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), and 6 pediatric oncology units. Overall, 32 samples were evaluated using the following strategies: (1) 1 fixed day per week, (2) 2 fixed days per week, and (3) 1 fixed week per month. The CLDs for each month were estimated as follows: (number of sample CLDs/number of sampled days) × 30. The estimated CLDs were used to calculate CLABSI rates. The accuracy of the estimated CLABSI rates was assessed by calculating the percentage error (PE): [(observed CLABSI rates − estimated CLABSI rates)/observed CLABSI rates].

Results

Compared to other strategies, sampling over 2 fixed days per week provided the most accurate estimates of CLABSI rates for all types of units. Percentage of estimated CLABSI rates with PE ≤±5% using the strategy of 2 fixed days per week ranged between 74.6% and 88.7% in NICUs. This range was 79.4%–94.1% in pediatric onology units, 62.5%–91.7% in PICUs, and 80.3%–92.4% in adult units. Further evaluation with intraclass correlation coefficients and Bland-Altman plots indicated that the estimated CLABSI rates were reliable.

Conclusion

Sampling over 2 fixed days per week provides a valid alternative to daily collection of CLABSI denominator data. Adoption of such a monitoring method could be an important step toward better and less burdensome infection control and prevention.
A noninferiority cluster-randomized controlled trial on antibiotic postprescription review and authorization by trained general pharmacists and infectious disease clinical fellows
Authors: Rattanaumpawan Pinyo , Upapan Prasit , Thamlikitkul Visanu
Published: August 2018

Objective

We compared the effectiveness of antibiotic postprescription review and authorization (PPRA) determined by infectious disease (ID) clinical fellows with that of trained general pharmacists.

Methods

We conducted a noninferiority cluster-randomized controlled trial in 6 general medical wards at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. Three wards were randomly assigned to the intervention (ie, the pharmacist PPRA group), and another 3 wards were assigned to the control (ie, the fellow PPRA group). We enrolled all patients in the study wards who received 1 or more doses of the targeted antibiotics: piperacillin/tazobactam, imipenem/cilastatin, and meropenem. The noninferiority margin was 10% for the favorable clinical response and 1.5 defined daily doses (DDDs) for the targeted antibiotics.

Results

We enrolled 303 patients in the pharmacist PPRA group and 307 patients in the ID fellow PPRA group. The baseline and clinical characteristics were similar in the 2 groups. The difference in the favorable response of patients who received the targeted antibiotics (ie, the pharmacist PPRA group minus the fellow PPRA group) was 5.15% (95% confidence interval [CI], –2.69% to 12.98%); the difference in the DDD of targeted antibiotic use (ie, the pharmacist PPRA group minus the fellow PPRA group) was 0.62 (95% CI, –1.57 to 2.82). We observed no significant difference in the DDD of overall antibiotics, 28-day mortality, 28-day ID-related mortality, favorable microbiological outcome, or antibiotic-associated complications.

Conclusions

We confirmed the noninferiority of pharmacist PPRA in terms of favorable clinical response; however, noninferiority in targeted antibiotic consumption could not be established. Therefore, using trained general pharmacists rather than ID clinical fellows could be an alternative in a resource-limited setting.

Clinical trials registration: clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT 01797133
Comparing colony-forming units in inpatient nurses: Should military nurses who provide patient care wear hospital-provided scrubs?
Authors: West Gordon F. , Resendiz Marisol , Lustik Michael B. , Nahid Md A.
Published: August 2018

Objective

To compare bacterial contamination of military-approved uniforms and hospital-provided scrubs donned by nursing staff in an inpatient setting.

Design

Randomized experimental crossover study.

Setting

Large academic military medical center.

Methods

Inpatient units were randomized to predetermine the order of uniform sampling. Participants included nursing staff who provided direct patient care across 7 eligible inpatient units. Sampling of 6 designated sites on the uniform was completed on arrival to work, at ~4 hours into their shift, and at the 8-hour time point, for a total of 18 samples. Sampling of each participant occurred on 2 separate occasions, once in a military-approved uniform, and once in hospital-provided scrubs. After 24 hours of incubation, a colony-counting machine was used to calculate the total colony-forming units (CFU) of the sample.

Results

Across all time points, military-approved uniforms demonstrated a 2-fold bacterial increase at the abdominal site and 3-fold increases at the sleeve cuff and waist pocket regions compared to the same regions on hospital-provided scrubs.

Conclusion

Nurses should be aware that bacteria are present at much higher levels on their personal military uniforms compared to hospital-provided scrubs. Additional research is needed to determine whether these findings are a function of wear, laundering, or environmental factors. Nurses should adhere to daily uniform washing to reduce bacterial load and minimize risk of nosocomial infections to the patients they care for.
Duelling dry zones around hygroscopic droplets
Authors: Nath Saurabh , Bisbano Caitlin E. , Yue Pengtao , Boreyko Jonathan B.
Published: August 2018

In the 1480s, da Vinci invented the first hygrometer using cellulose fibres to attract moisture from the atmosphere. Five hundred years later, Williams and Blanc showed that the depressed vapour pressure of a hygroscopic sessile droplet can inhibit condensation within an annular dry zone on the surface. What remains unresolved to this day is whether these regions of suppressed condensation around hygroscopic agents are due to inhibited nucleation versus inhibited growth of the condensate. We elucidate the competition between these two mechanisms by generating steady-state dry zones about frozen water droplets. The choice of ice as the hygroscopic material was motivated by its unique ability to remain undiluted as it attracts moisture from the air. Experiments, scaling models, and simulations where the ice droplet size, ambient humidity and surface temperature are systematically varied reveal that over the vast majority of the parameter space, the inhibited growth dry zone wins the duel over the nucleation dry zone.
High-Expectations Relationships: A Foundation for Enacting High Expectations in all Australian Schools
Authors: Sarra Chris , Spillman David , Jackson Cathy , Davis John , Bray John
Published: August 2018

Enacting high expectations for all students in the classroom is a complex undertaking. Underlying, out-of-awareness assumptions may lead to actions, behaviours or pedagogic choices that do not support these high expectations beliefs and intentions. For Indigenous education, this is compounded by public and professional discourses around deficit positioning, and by historical conditioning, where many Indigenous students do not see achieving in school as part of their cultural identity. High expectations are usually considered as a performance agenda — in terms of effort, learning and achievement. In this paper, we introduce the concept of high-expectations relationships where viewing and enacting high expectations through a relational lens equips educators with strategies to support such performance outcomes. We describe this relational lens where fair, socially just relating establishes a relational space of trust, thus enabling both student motivation and the firm, critically reflective relating necessary for quality learning. Using the voices of educators, we describe how high-expectations relationships can promote collegiate staff environments, strong teacher–student relationships and trusting and supportive relationships with parents and carers. We show how these positive educational attributes of any school community, seeded through a focus on high-expectations relationships, work to support the performance outcomes of a high-expectations educational agenda.
School House to Big House
Authors: O'Brien Grace , Trudgett Michelle
Published: August 2018

In 1991, the Australian Government released the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody Report. Of the 339 recommendations, Recommendation 62 identified that there was an alarming over-representation of Indigenous youth in contact with the criminal justice system. The report called for immediate action by governments to develop strategies that would urgently reduce retention rates of Indigenous youth within the prison system. Analysis of the literature indicates that almost three decades after the release of this report, the high numbers of Indigenous youth who are incarcerated, or who have come into contact with the juvenile justice system remains the same. Although there is a good deal of literature investigating the criminological characteristics of this phenomena; there is a substantial gap in the literature surrounding the educational exclusion of young Indigenous males from the formal education system. This paper focusses specifically on the literature surrounding student exclusion from state schools and how this may provide some insight into the subsequent over-representation of young Indigenous males within the Queensland juvenile justice system.
Evaluation of xanthosine treatment on gene expression of mammary glands in early lactating goats
Authors: Choudhary Ratan K , Choudhary Shanti , Pathak Devendra , Udehiya Rahul , Verma Ramneek , Kaswan Sandeep , Sharma Arpan , Gupta Dhiraj , Honparkhe Mrigank , Capuco Anthony V
Published: August 2018

This study examined the hypothesis that xanthosine (XS) treatment would promote mammary-specific gene expression and stem cell transcripts and have a positive influence on milk yield of dairy goats. Seven primiparous Beetal goats were assigned to the study. Five days after kidding, one gland (either left or right) was infused with XS (TRT) twice daily for 3 d and the other gland with no XS infusion served as a control (CON). Mammary biopsies were collected at 10 d and RNA was isolated. Gene expression analysis of milk synthesis genes, mammary stem/progenitor cell markers, cell proliferation and differentiation markers were performed using real time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Results showed that the transcripts of milk synthesis genes (BLG4, CSN2, LALBA, FABP3, CD36) and mammary stem/progenitor cell markers (ALDH1 and NR5A2) were increased in as a result of XS treatment. Average milk yield in TRT glands was increased marginally (approximately ~2% P = 0·05, paired t-test) per gland relative to CON gland until 7 wk. After 7 wk, milk yield of TRT and CON glands did not differ. Analysis of milk composition revealed that protein, lactose, fat and solids-not-fat percentages remained the same in TRT and CON glands. These results suggest that XS increases expression of milk synthesis genes, mammary stem/progenitor cells and has a small effect on milk yield.
Backfire: The Dark Side of Nonviolent Resistance
Authors: Gross Michael L.
Published: August 2018

Although nonviolent resistance assumes the moral high ground because its tactics do not intend to harm adversaries, severe ethical difficulties arise when nonviolent activists intentionally provoke harm to themselves. This occurs in a process called “backfire,” as hunger strikers or demonstrators provoke a disproportionately brutal and often lethal response from their adversaries to draw world attention and sympathy to their cause. As cases studies from Ireland, East Timor, and Israel demonstrate, backfire can offer insurgents and national liberation movements significant strategic gains. In Ireland, a 1981 IRA hunger strike radicalized the IRA's campaign against Britain. In East Timor, the massacre of hundreds of Timorese demonstrating for independence in 1991 galvanized world opinion and eventually brought international intervention and statehood. In Israel, the Marmara flotilla of 2010 and mass demonstrations in Gaza in the spring of 2018 refocused world attention on Palestinian grievances while easing the Israeli-imposed land and naval blockade. These events were transformative, but their success depended upon the careful cultivation of violence. An anathema to ideological nonviolence, backfire is often used by strategic activists who will mix violent and nonviolent tactics as circumstances demand. Ethically discharging this tactic requires organizers to articulate feasible operational goals while protecting minors, to mitigate risk, to obtain free and informed consent from participants, and to constantly evaluate the costs and benefits of political action.
Reconstructing Globalization in an Illiberal Era
Authors: DeMartino George F.
Published: August 2018

In their new indictments of global neoliberalism and the economic profession's culpability in its harms, Dani Rodrik and Joseph Stiglitz press the case for reconstructed globalization that generates benefits for all and not just for corporate and financial elites. Both books are deeply consistent with the insights of Karl Polanyi, who had identified the inherent contradictions of the project to create what he called a self-regulating economy. Like Polanyi, Rodrik and Stiglitz are attentive to the inadequacies of neoliberalism, and both emphasize the capture of the state and international economic policy by elites, who have turned their backs on those left behind. While Stiglitz emphasizes that the profession knows how to fix the problem by applying modern Keynesian insights, Rodrik emphasizes the inherent epistemic limitations facing economists. Indeed, his arguments about development policy reflect the insights of Friedrich Hayek into the limits of economic expertise.
Successful use of calcium channel blocker for management of arterio-venous malformations following Fontan procedure
Authors: Hamzeh Ramzi , Bulbul Ziad , Assy Jana
Published: August 2018

In diffuse forms of arteriovenous malformation following Fontan procedure, “classical” medical therapy, inhaled nitric oxide and sildenafil, may play a role, until re-direction of hepatic flow to pulmonary circulation cures it. However, in refractory cases, as reported in our 2-year-old patient, unusual medications such as calcium channel blockers can be tried and continued if patients respond adequately.
Aging and Attentional Control: Examining the Roles of Mind-Wandering Propensity and Dispositional Mindfulness
Authors: Fountain-Zaragoza Stephanie , Puccetti Nicole A. , Whitmoyer Patrick , Prakash Ruchika Shaurya
Published: August 2018

Objectives: Aging is associated with declines in performance on certain laboratory tasks of attentional control. However, older adults tend to report greater mindful, present-moment attention and less mind-wandering (MW) than young adults. For older adults, high levels of these traits may be protective for attentional performance. This study examined age-related differences in global (i.e., full-task) and local (i.e., pre-MW) attentional control and explored the variance explained by MW and mindfulness. Methods: Cross-sectional comparisons were conducted on data from a previously reported sample of 75 older adults (ages, 60–75 years) and a new sample of 50 young adults (ages, 18–30 years). All participants completed a Go/No-Go task and a Continuous Performance Task with quasi-random MW probes. Results: There were few age-related differences in attentional control. Although MW was not associated with decrements in global performance, local performance measures revealed deleterious effects of MW, which were present across age groups. Older adults reported higher trait mindfulness and less MW than young adults, and these variables helped explain the lack of observed age-related differences in attentional control. Conclusions: Individual differences in dispositional mindfulness and MW propensity explain important variance in attentional performance across age. Increasing present-moment focus and reducing lapses in attention represent important targets for cognitive rehabilitation interventions. (JINS, 2018, 24, 876–888)
Trends and determinants of stunting among under-5s: evidence from the 1995, 2001, 2006 and 2011 Uganda Demographic and Health Surveys
Authors: Yang Ying Ying , Kaddu Gabriella , Ngendahimana David , Barkoukis Hope , Freedman Darcy , Lubaale Yovani AM , Mupere Ezekiel , Bakaki Paul M
Published: August 2018

Objective

To describe trends of childhood stunting among under-5s in Uganda and to assess the impact of maternal education, wealth and residence on stunting.

Design

Serial and pooled cross-sectional analyses of data from Uganda Demographic and Health Surveys (UDHS) of 1995, 2001, 2006 and 2011. Prevalence of stunting and mean height-for-age Z-score were computed by maternal education, wealth index, region and other sociodemographic characteristics. Multivariable logistic and linear regression models were fitted to survey-specific and pooled data to estimate independent associations between covariates and stunting or Z-score. Sampling weights were applied in all analyses.

Setting

Uganda.

Subjects

Children aged <5 years.

Results

Weighted sample size was 14 747 children. Stunting prevalence decreased from 44·8% in 1995 to 33·2% in 2011. UDHS reported stunting as 38% in 1995, underestimating the decline because of transitioning from National Center for Health Statistics/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention standards to WHO standards. Nevertheless, one in three Ugandan children was still stunted by 2011. South Western, Mid Western, Kampala and East Central regions had highest odds of stunting. Being born in a poor or middle-income household, of a teen mother, without secondary education were associated with stunting. Other persistent stunting predictors included small birth size, male gender and age 2–3 years.

Conclusions

Sustained decrease in stunting suggests that child nutrition interventions have been successful; however, current prevalence does not meet Millennium Development Goals. Stunting remains a public health concern and must be addressed. Customizing established measures such as female education and wealth creation while targeting the most vulnerable groups may further reduce childhood stunting.
The divergent paths of tax development during different waves of democratization
Authors: Kato Junko , Toyofuku Miki
Published: August 2018

Taxation is a critical part of state power and has evolved with modernization. Although tax systems are expected to converge as countries achieve economic development, there are variations in the scale and structure of tax revenues. A recurring question is which tax dominates state financing in democracies. Some scholars associate mature democracies with progressive income taxation, and others find that democracies have relied on regressive taxation on consumption. Learning from the history of tax development, this paper illuminates that countries in different democratic waves followed divergent paths of tax development in the process of modernization. The first and second wave democratizers established progressive income taxation in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and continued to rely on it. On the other hand, newly democratized countries came to rely heavily on the value-added tax, which was innovated in the mid-twentieth century, shortly before the beginning of the third wave of democratization. By shedding new light on the linkage between the development of modern taxation and the waves of democratization, the study demonstrates that the trajectory of modernization has shaped different tax systems.
Taxation, redistribution, and models of fiscal politics in Latin America
Authors: Mahon James E.
Published: August 2018

Latin American fiscal policy presents a stark challenge to standard analytical models of political economy. Most importantly, since about 1990 the combination of drastic inequality, electoral democracy, and weak redistributive efforts appears to contradict the economists’ workhorse, the median-voter model, which predicts significant fiscal redistribution under these conditions (Meltzer and Richard, 1981; Profeta and Scabrosetti, 2008: 70–71; Huber and Stephens, 2012). However, recent innovations – a “basic universalism” in social welfare and a couple of progressive tax reforms – might be thought to bring the region more in line with the model's predictions, or perhaps those of other approaches. In short, this field could benefit from theoretical clarification. This paper evaluates the performance of median-voter and several other models in an attempt to explain longstanding differences in fiscal policy. It compares Latin America with other world regions, first and mainly, before examining variation across the region. It then turns its attention to the new developments in policy.
Weak taxation and constraints of the welfare state in democratized Taiwan
Authors: Lin Chenwei
Published: August 2018

The relationship between taxation and welfare regime in Taiwan has largely been unexplored to date. This study argues that since taxation capacity of the state decides the fate of new welfare programs such as the public provision of long-term care, it also affects the trajectory of the welfare regime. Through the analysis of Taiwan's tax revenue structure and tax base, this study reveals that Taiwan, unlike many new democracies, has shone away from relying on goods and services taxes but at the same time continues to provide preferential tax treatment for the corporate world. The result has been the erosion of tax base which makes introducing new welfare programs extremely difficult even when new policies allow for credit-claiming. Therefore, the familialistic welfare regime persists because of a weakened taxation capacity. Furthermore, the political determinants of the weakened taxation capacity can be found in identity-based party politics, an influential capital vs acquiescent labor and the limited bargaining power of civil society.
Role of Edamame (Glycine max) Seed Size in Early-Season Crop–Weed Interactions
Authors: Crawford Laura E. , Williams Martin M.
Published: August 2018

Edamame [Glycine max(L.) Merr.] differs from grain-type soybean in several aspects, one being that edamame seeds are 65% to 100% larger than grain-type soybean seed. Crop seed size has implications for weed management in grain-type soybean; however, the extent to which this observation holds true for edamame is unknown. Because weed interference continues to be a barrier to domestic edamame production, the objective was to quantify the effect of edamame seed size on the crop’s ability to tolerate weed interference (CT) and the crop’s ability to suppress weeds (WSA). Five edamame cultivars plus one grain-type cultivar were each sorted to create “small” and “large” seed size classes. Seed lots were included in a split–split plot design, whereby an additional experimental factor was presence or absence of velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrastiMedik.). Crop and weed emergence and growth were monitored through 8 wk after emergence (WAE). Crop plants from large seed had higher tolerance toA. theophrastithan plants from small seed, as evidenced by crop height, area, and biomass. Edamame seed size had little effect on WSA; however, crop cultivars differentially reducedA. theophrastileaf area and biomass at 4 and 8 WAE. While both seed size and edamame cultivar influence early-season crop competitive ability, the magnitude of these factors on CT and WSA underscores the importance of considering them not as stand-alone tactics but rather as useful additions to a more comprehensive integrated weed management system.
Reply to Comment by Zhang et al. on the Paper “Long‐Term Variations of Exospheric Temperature Inferred From foF1 Observations: A Comparison to ISR Ti Trend Estimates” by Perrone and Mikhailov
Authors: Perrone L. , Mikhailov A. V.
Published: August 2018

The majority of Zhang et al. critical comments concern our method to retrieve aeronomic parameters from ionosonde foF1 observations. The main idea of the method was described by Mikhailov and Perrone (2016, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JA022716), but it is seen that an additional clarification is required. The method has been slightly changed to meet numerous comments of referees, and its description is given here. The comments by Zhang et al. are analyzed and answered.
An Analytical Model With a Critical Richardson Number Closure for Sediment‐Stratified Open Channel Flow
Authors: Chen Shih‐Nan , Chen Chiou‐Jiu
Published: August 2018

An analytical model is developed for sediment‐stratified open channel flow, with an objective to explore the parameter regime where the self‐induced stratification controls the vertical structure. The model exploits a critical Richardson number closure motivated by a suite of numerical experiments. It is shown that, with Rouse number (relative settling speed) below one, a buoyancy length scale LB, defined as the Monin‐Obukhov length scaled by a factor of 0.1, separates the water column into two regions. Below LB, the buoyancy destruction by sediment stratification is of secondary importance (as indicated by the factor 0.1), and the concentration and velocity closely resemble the unstratified Rousean and logarithmic distributions; Above LB, the sediment feedback in the turbulence kinetic energy balance helps maintain a critically stratified state, and the vertical profiles deviate markedly from the unstratified scaling. Incorporating this closure then leads to analytical expressions for concentration and velocity that compare well with the numerical model and prior studies. The influence of sediment stratification on vertical structure is governed by a dimensionless height LB/h (h is water depth). A smaller LB/h reflects a greater portion of critically stratified water column, indicative of a stronger stratification control. Large near‐bottom buoyancy destruction, as indicated by a large bottom Richardson number, and slow vertical decay, as indicated by a small Rouse number, lead to an expansion of critically stratified region and thus favor sediment stratification. It is shown further that, in sediment‐stratified regime, different concavities of concentration profiles are possible.
Petrology, Geochronology and Tectonic Setting of Early Triassic Alkaline Metagabbros From the Eastern Pontide Orogenic Belt (NE Turkey): Implications for the Geodynamic Evolution of Gondwana's Early Mesozoic Northern Margin
Authors: Eyuboglu Yener , Dudas Francis O. , Chatterjee Nilanjan , Santosh M. , Billor Mehmet Z. , Yuva Sabire
Published: August 2018

The Triassic geodynamic evolution of the Pontides Belt, which geographically corresponds to northern Anatolia, is still a matter of debate. We present and interpret geological, petrographical, geochemical, and geochronological data from small, discordant, metagabbroic rocks exposed in the Tokat Massif. Field and petrographic characteristics distinguish four subgroups: (i) medium‐grained, slightly lineated, clinopyroxene‐rich metagabbros; (ii) fine‐grained, nonlineated, clinopyroxene‐rich metagabbros; (iii) medium‐grained, nonlineated, brown amphibole‐rich metagabbros; and (iv) medium‐grained, slightly lineated, brown and blue amphibole‐rich metagabbros. Magmatic kaersutites give 39Ar/40Ar plateau ages of 244.6 ± 0.5 and 243.16 ± 0.92 Ma and overlap the U‐Pb age of titanite from a clinopyroxene‐rich sample. Inherited zircons (~460, ~880, and ~2600 Ma) in fine‐grained clinopyroxene‐rich metagabbros indicate interaction with a range of crustal rocks during the intrusion. The blue amphiboles are magnesioriebeckites that formed during metamorphism or late‐stage crystallization. Geochemical data, including whole rock major and trace element concentrations, and Sr‐Nd‐Pb isotope compositions reveal that both clinopyroxene‐ and amphibole‐rich metagabbros are alkaline in composition but derived from distinct mantle sources. They are compositionally distinct from mafic igneous rocks in the contemporaneous Permo‐Triassic Karakaya Complex that is well exposed in the western part of the Pontides Belt. Considering all data, we suggest that the Pontides Belt was shaped above a south dipping subduction zone during Permo‐Triassic and the alkaline gabbros that were emplaced into crustal rocks during Early Triassic back‐arc rifting of the northern margin of Gondwana.