bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spearfishing promotes a timidity syndrome and increases the safe operating distances in fish
Authors: Sbragaglia Valerio , Morroni Lorenzo , Bramanti Lorenzo , Weitzmann Boris , Arlinghaus Robert , Azzurro Ernesto
Published: October 2017

In a landscape of fear, humans are altering key behaviors expressed by wild-living animals, including those related to foraging, reproduction and survival. When exposed to potentially lethal human actions, such as hunting or fishing, fish and wildlife is expected to behaviorally respond by becoming more timid, but proving such responses underwater in the wild has been challenging. Using a rich dataset collected in situ, we provide evidence of spearfishing-induced behavioral effects in five coastal fish species using the flight initiation distance (FID) as a proxy of predator avoidance and boldness. We document that spearfishing promotes a timidity syndrome (i.e., an increase of the average timidity of harvested populations) and that the wariness of prey’s wariness is influenced by individual size, level of protection offered through marine protected areas and the ability to recognize the risk posed by underwater human predators. In particular, we show that changes in the appearance of the observer (spearfisher vs. snorkeler) modulate the risk perception among the exploited species, and these differences are more evident outside marine protected areas where spearfishing is allowed. We also detected a positive correlation between FID and fish size, with larger specimens (that are more likely targets of spearfishers) revealing larger FID. The behavioral effects were most clearly expressed in the most heavily exploited species and declined towards the less desired and less targeted ones, which may be a result of learning mechanisms and plasticity and/or fisheries-induced evolution of timidity. Our study reveals a trade-off where intensive spearfishing negatively affects future spearfishing success through behavior-based alteration of catchability. Either rotating harvest or implementation of mosaics of protected and exploited areas might be needed to manage spearfishing-induced timidity in exploited stocks.
Histone Deacetylase 7 Mediates Tissue-Specific Autoimmunity via Control of Innate Effector Function in Invariant Natural Killer T-Cells
Authors: Kasler Herbert G. , Lee Intelly S. , Lim Hyung W. , Verdin Eric
Published: October 2017

We report that Histone Deacetylase 7 (HDAC7) controls the thymic effector programming of Natural Killer T (NKT) cells, and that interference with this function contributes to tissue-specific autoimmunity. Gain of HDAC7 function in thymocytes blocks both negative selection and NKT development, diverting these cells into a Tconv-like lineage. Conversely, HDAC7 deletion promotes thymocyte apoptosis and causes aberrant expansion of innate-effector cells. Investigating the mechanisms involved, we found that HDAC7 binds PLZF and modulates PLZF-dependent transcription. Moreover, HDAC7 and many of its transcriptional targets are human risk loci for IBD and PSC, autoimmune diseases that strikingly resemble the disease we observe in HDAC7 gain-of-function in mice. Importantly, reconstitution of iNKT cells in these mice abrogated their disease, suggesting that interaction between the defects in negative selection and iNKT cells caused by altered HDAC7 function can cause tissue-restricted autoimmunity, a finding that may explain the association between HDAC7 and hepatobiliary autoimmunity.
Polygenic risk score for schizophrenia is not strongly associated with the expression of specific genes or gene sets
Authors: Curtis David
Published: October 2017

The polygenic risk score (PRS) is derived from SNPs including both those which are genome-wide significant and also a large number of others more weakly associated with schizophrenia. Such variants are widely dispersed, though concentrated near genes expressed in the brain, and it has been proposed that these SNP associations result from impacts on cell regulatory networks which ultimately affect the expression or function of a modest number of "core" genes. A previous study demonstrated association of some GWAS-significant variants with expression of a number of genes, by examining pair-wise correlations of gene expression with SNP genotypes. The present study used data downloaded from the CommonMind Consortium site, consisting of SNP genotypes and RNAseq expression data from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, to examine whether the expression of individual genes or sets of genes correlated with PRS in 207 controls and 209 schizophrenia cases. Although the PRS was significantly associated with phenotype, the correlations with genes and genes sets followed distributions expected by chance. Thus, this analysis failed to demonstrate that the PRS captures a cumulative effect of multiple variants impacting the expression of a small number of genes and it failed to focus attention on a small number of genes of biological relevance. The multiple SNP associations observed in schizophrenia may result from other mechanisms, including effects mediated indirectly through environmental risk factors.
Mef2 induction of the immediate early gene Hr38/Nr4a is terminated by Sirt1 to promote ethanol tolerance
Authors: Adhikari Pratik , Orozco Donnoban , Wolf Fred W.
Published: October 2017

Drug naïve animals given a single dose of ethanol show changed responses to subsequent doses, including the development of ethanol tolerance and ethanol preference. These simple forms of behavioral plasticity are due in part to changes in gene expression and neuronal properties. Surprisingly little is known about how ethanol initiates changes in gene expression or what the changes do. Here we demonstrate a role in ethanol plasticity for Hr38, the sole Drosophila homolog of the mammalian Nr4a1/2/3 class of immediate early response transcription factors. Acute ethanol exposure induces transient expression of Hr38 and other immediate early neuronal activity genes. Ethanol activates the Mef2 transcriptional activator to induce Hr38, and the Sirt1 histone/protein deacetylase terminates Hr38 induction. Loss of Hr38 decreases ethanol tolerance and causes precocious but short-lasting ethanol preference. Similarly, reduced Mef2 activity in all neurons or specifically in the mushroom body α/β neurons decreases ethanol tolerance; Sirt1 promotes ethanol tolerance in these same neurons. Genetically decreasing Hr38 expression levels in Sirt1 null mutants restores ethanol tolerance, demonstrating that both induction and termination of Hr38 expression are important for behavioral plasticity to proceed. These data demonstrate that Hr38 functions as an immediate early transcription factor that promotes ethanol behavioral plasticity.
Maternal SSRI treatment during offspring development results in long-term behavioral, cellular, and neuroimaging disruptions
Authors: Maloney Susan E. , Rahn Rachel , Akula Shyam , Rieger Michael A. , McCullough Katherine B. , Jakes Christine , Avdagic Selma , Chandler Krystal , Bauernfeind Amy L. , Culver Joseph P. , Dougherty Joseph D.
Published: October 2017

Serotonergic dysregulation is implicated in psychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Epidemiological studies suggest selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment during pregnancy may increase ASD risk in offspring, however it is unclear from these studies whether ASD susceptibility is related to the maternal diagnosis or if treatment poses additional risk. Here, we exposed mouse dams to fluoxetine and characterized the offspring to isolate possible effects of SSRI exposure on ASD-relevant behaviors. We demonstrate social communication and interaction deficits and repetitive behaviors, with corresponding dendritic morphology changes in pertinent brain regions. Also, using a novel application of optical intrinsic signal imaging, we show altered stimulus-evoked cortical response and region-specific decreases in functional connectivity. These findings indicate drug exposure alone is sufficient to induce long-term behavioral, cellular, and hemodynamic-response disruptions in offspring, thus contributing to our understanding of ASD pathogenesis, risk and mechanism, as well as the developmental role of serotonin.
A conduit to metastasis: circulating tumor cell biology
Authors: Micalizzi Douglas S. , Maheswaran Shyamala , Haber Daniel A.
Published: October 2017

Advances in the enrichment and analysis of rare cells from the bloodstream have allowed for detection and characterization of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from patients with cancer. The analysis of CTCs has provided significant insight into the metastatic process. Studies on the biology of CTCs have begun to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of CTC generation, intravasation, survival, interactions with components of the blood, extravasation, and colonization of distant organs. Additionally, the study of CTCs has exposed dramatic intrapatient and interpatient heterogeneity and their evolution over time. In this review, we focus on the current knowledge of CTC biology and the potential clinical implications.
Emotional and cultural intelligence in diverse workplaces: getting out of the box
Authors: Clark Jeremy Michael , Polesello Daiane
Published: October 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how cultural intelligence (CQ) and emotional intelligence (EI) can assist with navigating the complexities associated with diversity in the workplace.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper was developed through a comprehensive literature review related to the constructs of EI and CQ.

Findings

The authors focused on the conceptualization and evolution of the intelligence types as reflected in the literature, examine research that connects the intelligence types with issues of the workplace, and its contributions when used in a diverse workplace for improving organizational outcomes and access and inclusion of underrepresented cultural and social groups.

Originality/value

This paper explores the constructs of EQ and CQ and specifically the value the constructs may provide to individuals and organizations. Further, means of developing CQ and EI are discussed
Perception of employees toward e-learning service quality: exploratory factor analysis
Authors: Agrawal Vivek , Agarwal Sucheta , Agrawal Anand Mohan
Published: October 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the employee’s perception toward e-learning programs or services and to explore the attribute for improvements.

Design/methodology/approach

For this study, 294 employees from four different types of banks in North India were selected as respondents. Four types of banks were considered – government bank, private bank, foreign bank, and cooperative bank. The respondents were asked to give their responses as per their perceptions toward e-learning on a five-point Likert scale.

Findings

Although e-learning has not been able to fulfill its promise in revolutionizing corporate training in India, there is little doubt that in future the mode of learning will play a major role in human resource development in India because the research carried out on the successful implementation of e-learning is mostly in the western part of world.

Originality/value

The present study provides a useful insight about employee perceptions on the effectiveness of e-learning, which ultimately improves the e-service quality and results in the improvement of satisfaction of customers in the online banking sector.
The belief in redeemability – version 2 (BiR-2) scale and its relation to desistance
Authors: O’Sullivan Kevin , Levin Chana , Bright David , Kemp Richard
Published: October 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to test the relationship between the belief in redeemability – Version 2 (BIR-2) Scale and desistance from crime. It also seeks to explore how patterns of responding on the BIR-2 with offenders compare to previous patterns of responding in the general public.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors report the results of a study of offenders using the belief in redeemability – Version 2 (BiR-2) scale. In total, 180 offenders under the supervision of the Community Corrections Service (formerly the Probation and Parole Service) of New South Wales completed the ten-item questionnaire and when these data were combined with demographic and reoffending data collected by Corrective Services New South Wales, 168 sets of useable data were collected. Scores on the BIR-2 scale were compared to Level of Service Inventory – Revised (LSI-R) score, Most Serious Offence category, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status, number of custodial sentences in previous five years, age, gender and reoffending.

Findings

Results showed that the sample overall was closely representative of the caseload from which the study sample was drawn (a metropolitan community corrections office) and that BIR-2 scores showed a small, significant, negative correlation with LSI-R scores. Analysis of re-offending data indicated a small, positive, but non-significant correlation with BIR-2. Implications of this are discussed and future research outlined.

Practical implications

The paper suggests that it is worth attempting to measure belief in redeemability in the broader context of a narrative approach to desistance.

Originality/value

This is the first time that a scale has been used to test the importance of a belief in redeemability quantitatively and to permit the use of multivariate analysis.
Understanding critical care nurses’ autonomy in Jordan
Authors: Maharmeh Mahmoud
Published: October 2017

Purpose

The aim of this study was to describe Jordanian critical care nurses’ experiences of autonomy in their clinical practice.

Design/methodology/approach

A descriptive correlational design was applied using a self-reported cross-sectional survey. A total of 110 registered nurses who met the eligibility criteria participated in this study. The data were collected by a structured questionnaire.

Findings

A majority of critical care nurses were autonomous in their decision-making and participation in decisions to take action in their clinical settings. Also, they were independent to develop their own knowledge. The study identified that their autonomy in action and acquired knowledge were influenced by a number of factors such as gender and area of practice.

Practical implications

Nurse’s autonomy could be increased if nurses are made aware of the current level of autonomy and explore new ways to increase empowerment. This could be offered through classroom lectures that concentrate on the concept of autonomy and its implication in practice. Nurses should demonstrate autonomous nursing care at the same time in the clinical practice. This could be done through collaboration between educators and clinical practice to help merge theory to practice.

Originality/value

Critical care nurses were more autonomous in action and knowledge base. This may negatively affect the quality of patient care and nurses’ job satisfaction. Therefore, improving nurses’ clinical decision-making autonomy could be done by the support of both hospital administrators and nurses themselves.
Diffusion of adoption of solar energy – a structural model analysis
Authors: Pathania Ajay Kumar , Goyal Bindiya , Saini Jagdish Raj
Published: October 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to locate determinants of the diffusion process of solar energy and examine the relationship between variables affecting diffusion and adoption solar of energy.

Design/methodology/approach

The data used in this research have been collected from users and non-users of solar energy products in Punjab. A research model was used to test for factors of diffusion and intention to use solar energy products.

Findings

The survey results show that the majority of solar product users are aware of the difference between renewable and non-renewable sources of energy. Roger’s diffusion model containing five components, relative advantage, trialability, observability, complexity and compatibility, shows that relative advantage and trialability significantly influence user’s intention to use solar products. In order to increase adoption and usage of solar energy products, more consideration is required toward raising the reliability and utility of solar products. Demos and trials highly convince users toward solar products. Hence sellers of solar products should give effective trials to increase acceptance of solar products.

Originality/value

This work provides a clear focus which will allow the diffusion and adoption of solar energy product by providing guidance and aspiration as well as providing platform to solar energy manufacture and government for policy making and future decision.
Do Municipal Mergers Improve Technical Efficiency? An Empirical Analysis of the 2008 Queensland Municipal Merger Program
Authors: McQuestin Dana , Drew Joseph , Dollery Brian
Published: October 2017

Municipal mergers remain an important instrument of local government policy in numerous countries, including Australia, despite some concerns surrounding its efficacy. We consider the claim that amalgamations enhance the technical efficiency of the merged entities by examining the 2008 Queensland compulsory consolidation program that reduced the number of local authorities from 157 to 73 councils. To test the claim, we conduct locally inter‐temporal data envelopment analysis over the period 2003–2013 inclusive. Our evidence suggests that (1) in the financial year preceding the mergers, there was no statistically significant difference in the typical efficiency scores of amalgamated and non‐amalgamated councils and (2) 2 years following the mergers, the typical technical efficiency score of the amalgamated councils was well below the non‐amalgamated cohort. We argue this may be attributed to increased spending on staffing expenses, although comparatively larger operational expenditure also served to diminish efficiency.
The role of semantic retrieval in children's reading comprehension development in the upper primary grades
Authors: Nouwens Suzan , Groen Margriet A. , Kleemans Tijs , Verhoeven Ludo
Published: October 2017

Background

The lexical quality hypothesis proposes that successful reading comprehension requires high quality lexical representations, which allow for efficient retrieval. These retrieval operations have however not been specified.

Methods

We investigated the contribution of semantic retrieval to reading comprehension in 119 Dutch children in the upper grades of primary school, while taking decoding skills and vocabulary size into account in a longitudinal design. By using verbal fluency tasks, we measured retrieval in line with the structural organisation of the mental lexicon and additionally, a more controlled search through the mental lexicon.

Results

Semantic retrieval assessed in grade 5 accounted for variance in reading comprehension in grade 6, in addition to variance accounted for by vocabulary size and reading comprehension in grade 5.

Conclusions

The ability to search through the mental lexicon, along the lines of its hierarchical structure, is important for children's reading comprehension development in the upper primary grades.
Baseline and Time‐Averaged Values Predicting Residual Renal Function Decline Rate in Japanese Peritoneal Dialysis Patients
Authors: Uchiyama Kiyotaka , Yanai Akane , Maeda Keizo , Ono Keisuke , Honda Kazuya , Tsujimoto Ryuji , Kamijo Yuka , Yanagi Mai , Ishibashi Yoshitaka
Published: October 2017

Residual renal function (RRF) is a strong prognostic factor of morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD). We determined predictors of the RRF rate of decline using both baseline values and time‐averaged ones. We retrospectively analyzed 94 patients being treated with PD at the Japanese Red Cross Medical Center. The decline rate of RRF was calculated by a diminution in the weekly renal Kt/V between the first and last follow up divided by follow‐up years. The mean follow‐up period was 2.28 years, and the mean decline rate of weekly renal Kt/V was 0.25 per year. A multivariate analysis using baseline parameters identified dialysis‐to‐plasma ratios of creatinine at 4 h (P = 0.02), urinary protein (P = 0.02), and mean blood pressure (MBP) (P < 0.01) as being positively associated with the RRF rate of decline, while the use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI)/angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) had a negative correlation (P = 0.03). When using time‐averaged values as independent variables, a lower weekly total renal Kt/V (P < 0.0001), higher urinary protein (P < 0.0001), and higher MBP (P = 0.04) independently predicted a faster RRF rate of decline. We demonstrated that PD patients with a lower MBP and lower urinary protein both at baseline and throughout their PD duration had a slower RRF rate of decline. We recommend strict control of blood pressure and anti‐proteinuric therapy for PD patients.
‘One that was no Furtherer of this Devise’: (Manufactured?) Opposition to the ‘Monarchical Republic of Elizabeth I’
Authors: Chou Catherine
Published: October 2017

How might attention to the materiality of political communication alter our accounts of political history? Through a major archival discovery, this article upsets a central tenet of Elizabethan historiography: the claim that the political elite was united against the queen in embracing parliamentary and conciliar governance as a solution to the succession crisis that dominated her reign. Instead, by reconstructing the production and circulation of a previously‐unexamined set of manuscripts, this article reveals that the Elizabethan establishment was divided over both the advisability of adopting such measures in the event of the queen's untimely death, and the question of whether experimental parliaments and councils constituted a recurring motif in English and European history (or a radical departure from normative, legitimate modes of governance). Opponents of these schemes argued that they both expanded the political nation in dangerous ways (reducing the possibility for unanimity and cohesion) and arbitrarily limited the number of stakeholders and participants (leading to a potentially volatile accumulation of grievances). Even as the uncertainty of the Elizabethan succession question incentivised a vision of the English polity as quasi‐republican in nature, and thus able to withstand the vicissitudes of hereditary monarchy, the commentators featured in this article resisted the imputation that parliament and council were flexible templates rather than fixed institutions; and that political ideology should be shaped to fit historical contingency, instead of acting to limit the range of acceptable responses to dynastic and religious crisis.
The Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne
Authors: Sainty J. C.
Published: October 2017

This article traces the evolution of the address in reply to the speech from the throne, from its origins in the early 18th century, showing how it developed from a device for bringing about a community of interest between government and parliament while at the same time providing a focal point for rallying the opposition. It describes how the address became an echo of the speech, often drafted at the same time as the speech itself. Its management involved a good deal of organisation. The terms of the address had to be drafted, the movers and seconders selected and the terms communicated to government supporters. The meetings arranged for this purpose gradually became less exclusive to the point where they were superseded by dinners given by the leaders of the two Houses. In the course of time they were mirrored by dinners given by the leaders of the opposition who eventually managed to secure copies of the speech, thus assisting them to formulate amendments to the address. In the 19th century the procedure for considering the address was reformed with a view to curtailing debate but without success. While the address may have lost something of its symbolic significance, the debates to which it gives rise remain significant features in the timetables of both Houses.
Are all dividends created equal? Australian evidence using dividend‐increase track records
Authors: Michayluk David , Neuhauser Karyn , Walker Scott
Published: October 2017

Recent research indicates that the signal sent by a dividend change is more powerful for longer histories of unchanged dividends. We study the dividend history of Australian firms to investigate whether the signalling power of a dividend increase varies with the frequency of repetition. We find that the first three consecutive dividend increases are associated with significantly positive abnormal returns, and subsequent increases are generally not significant, even after controlling for the interaction effect with the simultaneously announced earnings information. Our results support the hypothesis that repeating a dividend increase eventually leads to a reputation for further increases and weakens the value of subsequent increases as a means of disseminating management's private information.
Making usable pasts: Collaboration, labour and activism in the archive
Authors: Griffin Paul
Published: October 2017

The precarious labour geography of shaping political left histories is raised in this paper to engage with and deepen accounts of the archive within geography and beyond. The focus of the paper is on the provision of radical history in Glasgow through two archive collections within the city. The analysis raises the politics of archival research practices and is positioned within a context of increasingly difficult economic circumstances for libraries, archives and museums. The insights emerging from interviews with archive representatives reveal multiple issues relating to the provision of usable pasts and asserts the continued importance of archives within places such as Glasgow. In this regard, the archive is positioned as a place of collaboration, labour and activism to suggest an alternative understanding of archival practice.
US Immigration Levels, Urban Housing Values, and their Implications for Capital Share
Authors: Murphy Ryan H. , Nowrasteh Alex
Published: October 2017

This article applies previously estimated effects of immigration on housing values to urban counties in the United States. Our findings here also help estimate how much of the increase in the net capital share of income since 1970 as observed by Piketty () is caused by immigration. We find that in most urban counties in the United States, increased levels of immigration have had a modest but non‐negligible effect on the level of real estate prices and, per Rognlie (), likely capital share. These estimates provide hard numbers for the public debate over immigration policy in the United States, with implications elsewhere as well.
Indirect Convertibility, Equity‐Based Banking and Financial Stability
Authors: Cronin David
Published: October 2017

Banking reform proposals put forward in the wake of the recent financial crisis maintain that equity‐based banking would be stable and would prevent bank runs. This article argues that complementing this form of banking with an indirect convertibility monetary standard and thereby dispensing with base money would enhance financial stability further. Banks would not hold a distinctive asset (base money) that would be called upon by customers at short notice, thereby removing the possibility of bank runs. No discrepancy in value between the two sides of a bank's balance sheet would arise as its assets (securitised loans) would be marked to market. Unlike other recent contributions, the intermediation model outlined here is not ‘limited purpose’ in nature as banks would not be restricted in the form of lending activity they can pursue. Common sources of banking and financial instability – liquidity risk, solvency risk, moral hazard – would be absent.
ASYMMETRIES IN THE RESPONSES OF REGIONAL JOB FLOWS TO OIL PRICE SHOCKS
Authors: Karaki Mohamad B.
Published: October 2017

This paper studies the effect of oil price innovations on manufacturing job flows across U.S. states. First, I estimate a nonlinear structural equation model and compute impulse response functions by Monte Carlo integration. I find asymmetries in the responses of job flows to positive and negative oil price innovations. Yet, these asymmetries do not pass a test of symmetry on the impulse responses, especially after accounting for data mining. Third, I use a test for the absence of job reallocation to evaluate whether an unexpected increase in the real price of oil price triggers an important change in job reallocation. I find that oil price shocks have limited regional allocative effects. (JEL E24, E32, Q43)
Expert finding by the Dempster‐Shafer theory for evidence combination
Authors: Torkzadeh Mahani Nafiseh , Dehghani Mostafa , Mirian Maryam S. , Shakery Azadeh , Taheri Khalil
Published: October 2017

The expertise of human experts can be formally extracted from their written documents, research projects, and everyday activities. The process whereby experts are recognized according to their activities is called expert finding. In this paper, we propose an approach to identify the experts in a given field according to the content of 3 easily accessible sources of information: (a) “Publications,” (b) “Social interactions,” and (c) “Scientometric information.” We employed the Dempster‐Shafer theory to combine the results obtained from individual sources to find a final unified ranking. In Digital Bibliography & Library Project standard data, it is shown that the Dempster‐Shafer combination creates a desired synergy between 2 bodies of knowledge, which improves the precision of the top‐ranked results.
Evaluation and selection of medical tourism sites: A rough analytic hierarchy process based multi‐attributive border approximation area comparison approach
Authors: Roy Jagannath , Chatterjee Kajal , Bandyopadhyay Abhirup , Kar Samarjit
Published: October 2017

This paper presents a novel Multiple Criteria Decision Making methodology for assessing and prioritizing medical tourism destinations under uncertainty. A systematic evaluation and assessment approach is proposed by incorporating analytic hierarchy process and multi‐attributive border approximation area comparison methods in the rough environment. Rough number is used to aggregate individual judgements of decision makers and express their true perception to handle vagueness without any prior information. Rough analytic hierarchy process analyses the relative importance of criteria based on their preferences given by experts, whereas rough multi‐attributive border approximation area comparison evaluates the alternative sites based on the criteria weights. A case study of prioritizing different sites (cities) in India for medical tourism services is shown to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method. Among different criteria “quality of infrastructure of healthcare institutions” is observed to be the most important criteria in our analysis, followed by “supply of skilled human resources and new job creations” and “Chennai” is found to be the best medical tourism site in India. Finally, a comparative analysis and validity testing of the proposed method are elaborated, and the methodology provides a standard for select medical tourism sites on the basis of different criteria.
Nonlinear mode III crack stress fields for materials obeying a modified Ramberg‐Osgood law
Authors: Zappalorto M. , Maragoni L.
Published: October 2017

In this paper, an analytical study is carried out on the work‐hardening, elastic‐plastic stress distributions in a cracked body under antiplane shear deformation. A modified Ramberg‐Osgood law is introduced to describe the material behaviour, and stress and strain fields are derived in closed form. Compared with the conventional Ramberg‐Osgood formulation, the new law includes the effect of a new parameter, κ, which allows the transition from the ideally elastic behaviour (low stress regime) to the power law behaviour (large stress regime) to be controlled, thus providing 1 more degree of freedom to better fit the actual behaviour of engineering materials. A discussion is carried out on the features of stresses and strains close to and far away from the crack tip.
Experimental precipitation of apatite pseudofossils resembling fossil embryos
Authors: Crosby C. H. , Bailey J. V.
Published: October 2017

Certain phosphatic grains preserved in the rock record are interpreted as microfossils representing a diversity of microorganisms from bacteria to fossil embryos. In addition to bona fide primary biological features, phosphatic microfossils and fossil embryos commonly exhibit features that result from abiotic precipitation or diagenetic alteration. Distinguishing between abiotic and primary biological features can be difficult, and some features thought to represent biological tissue could instead be artifacts that are unrelated to the original morphology of a preserved organism. Here, we present experimentally generated, abiotically produced mineral precipitates that morphologically resemble biologically produced features, some of which may be observed in the rock record or noted in extant organisms, including embryos. These findings extend the diversity of biomorphic features known to result from abiotic precipitation.
Common correlated effects and international risk sharing
Authors: Fuleky Peter , Ventura Luigi , Zhao Qianxue
Published: October 2017

Correct assessment of consumption risk and its international diversification has important policy implications. However, existing studies of international risk sharing rely on the unrealistic assumptions that all economies are characterized by symmetric preferences and uniform transmission of global shocks. We relax these homogeneity constraints and compare our proposed approach with the conventional ones using a 44‐year panel of 120 countries. Our results confirm that consumption is only partially smoothed internationally and risk sharing is directly related to the level of development, but we do not detect a significant increase in risk sharing during the surge in financial globalization over the last four decades.
Rebamipide alleviates radiation‐induced colitis through improvement of goblet cell differentiation in mice
Authors: Jang Hyosun , Park Sunhoo , Lee Janet , Myung Jae kyung , Jang Won‐Suk , Lee Sun‐Joo , Myung Hyunwook , Lee Changsun , Kim Hyewon , Lee Seung‐Sook , Jin Young‐Woo , Shim Sehwan
Published: October 2017

Background and Aim

Radiation‐induced colitis is a common clinical problem associated with radiotherapy and accidental exposure to ionizing radiation. Goblet cells play a pivotal role in the intestinal barrier against pathogenic bacteria. Rebamipide, an anti‐gastric ulcer drug, has the effects to promote goblet cell proliferation. The aim of this study was to investigate whether radiation‐induced colonic injury could be alleviated by rebamipide.

Methods

This study orally administered rebamipide for 6 days to mice, which were subjected to 13 Gy abdominal irradiation, to evaluate the therapeutic effects of rebamipide against radiation‐induced colitis. To confirm the effects of rebamipide on irradiated colonic epithelial cells, this study used the HT29 cell line.

Results

Rebamipide clearly alleviated the acute radiation‐induced colitis, as reflected by the histopathological data, and significantly increased the number of goblet cells. The drug also inhibited intestinal inflammation and protected from bacterial translocation during acute radiation‐induced colitis. Furthermore, rebamipide significantly increased mucin 2 expression in both the irradiated mouse colon and human colonic epithelial cells. Additionally, rebamipide accelerated not only the recovery of defective tight junctions but also the differentiation of impaired goblet cells in an irradiated colonic epithelium, which indicates that rebamipide has beneficial effects on the colon.

Conclusions

Rebamipide is a therapeutic candidate for radiation‐induced colitis, owing to its ability to inhibit inflammation and protect the colonic epithelial barrier.
Insurers and Lenders as Monitors During Securities Litigation: Evidence from D&O Insurance Premiums, Interest Rates, and Litigation Costs
Authors: Donelson Dain C. , Yust Christopher G.
Published: October 2017

This study examines whether directors’ and officers’ insurers and lenders effectively monitor securities litigation and respond through pricing before case outcomes are known. By “monitoring,” we refer to tracking case progress and obtaining information from the insured (defendant) firm and its counsel prior to case resolution. We find that insurers and lenders increase rates, and that this effect is almost completely isolated to firms with cases that eventually settle. We confirm that this response is reasonable as settled cases are associated with lower future earnings, while there is generally no relation between future earnings and dismissed cases. As direct costs appear low, our results suggest that most costs are indirect in the form of reputational damage. Overall, our results suggest that researchers and policymakers interested in litigation should focus on settled cases, which are the only cases with material long‐term costs.
Complications following laryngeal sacculectomy in brachycephalic dogs
Authors: Hughes J. R. , Kaye B. M. , Beswick A. R. , Ter Haar G.
Published: October 2017

Objectives

To evaluate the effect of sacculectomy on the immediate postoperative complication rate in dogs affected with brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome.

Materials and Methods

Retrospective review of clinical records of brachycephalic dogs with everted saccules that underwent surgery for brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome between 2009 and 2014. Dogs were grouped as those having nares resection and staphylectomy only and those having nares resection, staphylectomy and laryngeal sacculectomy. Complications were scored as mild, moderate or severe.

Results

In total, 37 dogs were included in the sacculectomy group and 44 in the comparator group. Dogs that had undergone sacculectomy were more likely to develop postoperative complications, with 18 of 37 developing complications, nine of which were moderate to severe. In the group without sacculectomy, nine of 44 dogs developed complications, of which one was severe. Different breed distribution between groups might also impact this outcome.

Clinical Significance

The results suggest that sacculectomy might increase morbidity following brachycephalic airway surgery, but repeat studies are required to confirm this result. Further information is also required to determine whether the short‐term risks of sacculectomy are outweighed by superior long‐term functional outcome.
Motivational orientations and performance in penalty throws during elite male team handball games
Authors: Debanne T. , Laffaye G. , Trouilloud D.
Published: October 2017

This study is based on Regulatory Focus Theory and investigates the links between the subjects' motivational orientations for promotion or prevention and their performance in handball penalty throws. In a real‐world setting with high stakes, we analyzed 327 penalties taken from 68 closed games. The results of the 7‐meter throws constitute the dependent variable (Goal vs Miss). The independent variables are the situational focus ([critical moment (ie, final minute) = pressure] vs [non‐critical moment = no pressure]), the reward structure (ie, [thrower's team is behind = losses reward structure] vs [thrower's team is ahead or teams are tied = gains reward structure), and the game location (home vs away). Using logistic regression analysis, the results show that when there is a fit between the situational focus and the reward structure, the thrower's performance is higher than when there is a mismatch (OR = 2.21; P = .004). In the same way, the thrower's performance is higher when there is high fit between the situational focus and the reward structure (OR = 1.78), than when there is a high mismatch (OR = 0.54). These results globally support the Regulatory Fit Theory in an ecological context.
Experimental evaluation of the interaction between a masonry infill wall and the surrounding frame
Authors: Brodsky A. , Rabinovitch O. , Yankelevsky D. Z.
Published: October 2017

This paper studies the interaction effects between a masonry infill wall and its surrounding frame. A new experimental technique is developed aiming at evaluating the loading dependent interaction effects. This includes the stage where the infill wall accumulates severe damage and cracking that are difficult to monitor with conventional devices (strain gauges and displacement transducers) or optical techniques such as digital image correlation (DIC). The experimental concept is based on detection of strains along the surrounding frame, their conversion into stress resultants, and the translation of the latter into interfacial contact tractions. It also aims at identifying the regions of contact and detachment between the frame and the infill wall and their changes during the loading path. A large‐scale experimental setup that realises the concept and demonstrates its ability to provide important new information is constructed. A complementary DIC analysis that serves as reference for the above monitoring system is also conducted. This experimental setup with its complementing combination of sensing methods allows measuring the infill wall‐frame interaction effects in a case of horizontal loading that simulates lateral seismic loads, as well as vertical loading that simulated a mechanism of progressive collapse triggered by failure of a supporting column. The paper presents the experimental concept and its implementation in the large‐scale experimental setup and explores its capabilities. Emphasis is given to the interaction effects in the deep non‐linear region where optical monitoring is adversely affected by the developing damage. The proposed experimental technique is found to be very effective and provides new information regarding the interaction of the infill wall with the surrounding frame. It is demonstrated by an experimental study simulating the loss of a frame supporting column thus enhancing the understanding of the infill wall role in the frame resistance and its contribution to avoid progressive collapse.
“My happiest time” or “my saddest time”? The spatial and generational construction of marriage among youth in rural Malawi and Lesotho
Authors: Ansell Nicola , Hajdu Flora , van Blerk Lorraine , Robson Elsbeth
Published: October 2017

Marriage among African teenagers is currently a central focus of campaigns by UN agencies and international NGOs. Yet marriage has received only limited attention from geographers and has largely escaped the attention of geographers of youth. In this paper we explore the relational geographies of age that underlie young people's motivations for, and experiences of, marriage in two rural African settings with differing marriage practices: matrilocal southern Malawi and patrilocal Lesotho. We draw on participatory research activities and life history interviews conducted with 80 people aged between 10 and 24 years old. While the young people's attitudes and experiences were varied and complex, starkly different accounts emerged from the two settings. In particular, young women in Lesotho offered very negative assessments of marriage, while those in Malawi were very much more positive. Through these examples, we highlight how young people's marriage choices and experiences are relationally produced. Decisions about whether, when and whom to marry reflect socially entrenched expectations concerning generational allocations of resources, labour and responsibilities, which intersect with contemporary social and economic processes including poverty, unemployment, land scarcity and AIDS. Experiences of marriage, too, are produced through practices that are spatially structured and contextually situated in relation to socio‐economic conditions. Thus marriage, as a “vital conjuncture” in young people's lives, plays a key role in the relational construction of individual lifecourses and in (re)constructing relationships of age, gender and, especially, generation.
Turbine Blade Platform Film Cooling With Fan-Shaped Holes Under Simulated Swirl Purge Flow and Slashface Leakage Conditions
Authors: Chen Andrew F , Shiau Chao-Cheng , Han Je-Chin
Published: October 2017

The combined effects of upstream purge flow, slashface leakage flow, and discrete hole film cooling on turbine blade platform film cooling effectiveness were studied using the pressure sensitive paint (PSP) technique. As a continued study, discrete cylindrical holes were replaced by laidback fan-shaped (10-10-5) holes, which generally provide better film coverages on the endwall. Experiments were done in a five-blade linear cascade. The inlet and exit Mach numbers were 0.26 and 0.43, respectively. The inlet and exit mainstream Reynolds numbers based on the axial chord length of the blade were 475,000 and 720,000, respectively. A wide range of parameters was evaluated in this study. The coolant-to-mainstream mass flow ratio (MFR) was varied from 0.5%, 0.75%, to 1% for the upstream purge flow. For the platform film cooling holes and slashface gap, average blowing ratios (M) of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 were examined. Coolant-to-mainstream density ratios (DR) that range from 1 (close to low-temperature experiments) to 1.5 (intermediate DR) and 2 (close to engine conditions) were also examined. Purge flow swirl effect was studied particularly at a typical swirl ratio (SR) of 0.6. Area-averaged film cooling effectiveness results were compared between cylindrical and fan-shaped holes. The results indicate that the fan-shaped holes provide superior film coverage than cylindrical holes for platform film cooling especially at higher blowing ratios and momentum flux ratios.
Methods for the Calculation of Thermoacoustic Stability Boundaries and Monte Carlo-Free Uncertainty Quantification
Authors: Mensah Georg A. , Magri Luca , Moeck Jonas P.
Published: October 2017

Thermoacoustic instabilities are a major threat for modern gas turbines. Frequency-domain-based stability methods, such as network models and Helmholtz solvers, are common design tools because they are fast compared to compressible flow computations. They result in an eigenvalue problem, which is nonlinear with respect to the eigenvalue. Thus, the influence of the relevant parameters on mode stability is only given implicitly. Small changes in some model parameters, may have a great impact on stability. The assessment of how parameter uncertainties propagate to system stability is therefore crucial for safe gas turbine operation. This question is addressed by uncertainty quantification. A common strategy for uncertainty quantification in thermoacoustics is risk factor analysis. One general challenge regarding uncertainty quantification is the sheer number of uncertain parameter combinations to be quantified. For instance, uncertain parameters in an annular combustor might be the equivalence ratio, convection times, geometrical parameters, boundary impedances, flame response model parameters, etc. A new and fast way to obtain algebraic parameter models in order to tackle the implicit nature of the problem is using adjoint perturbation theory. This paper aims to further utilize adjoint methods for the quantification of uncertainties. This analytical method avoids the usual random Monte Carlo (MC) simulations, making it particularly attractive for industrial purposes. Using network models and the open-source Helmholtz solver PyHoltz, it is also discussed how to apply the method with standard modeling techniques. The theory is exemplified based on a simple ducted flame and a combustor of EM2C laboratory for which experimental data are available.