bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bottom‐up and top‐down effects of tree species diversity on leaf insect herbivory
Authors: Castagneyrol Bastien , Bonal Damien , Damien Maxime , Jactel Hervé , Meredieu Céline , Muiruri Evalyne W. , Barbaro Luc
Published: April 2017

The diversity of plant neighbors commonly results in direct, bottom‐up effects on herbivore ability to locate their host, and in indirect effects on herbivores involving changes in plant traits and a top‐down control by their enemies. Yet, the relative contribution of bottom‐up and top‐down forces remains poorly understood. We also lack knowledge on the effect of abiotic constraints such as summer drought on the strength and direction of these effects. We measured leaf damage on pedunculate oak (Quercus robur), alone or associated with birch, pine or both in a long‐term tree diversity experiment (ORPHEE), where half of the plots were irrigated while the other half remained without irrigation and received only rainfall. We tested three mechanisms likely to explain the effects of oak neighbors on herbivory: (1) Direct bottom‐up effects of heterospecific neighbors on oak accessibility to herbivores, (2) indirect bottom‐up effects of neighbors on the expression of leaf traits, and (3) top‐down control of herbivores by predators. Insect herbivory increased during the growth season but was independent of neighbor identity and irrigation. Specific leaf area, leaf toughness, and thickness varied with neighbor identity while leaf dry matter content or C:N ratio did not. When summarized in a principal component analysis (PCA), neighbor identity explained 87% of variability in leaf traits. PCA axes partially predicted herbivory. Despite greater rates of attack on dummy caterpillars in irrigated plots, avian predation, and insect herbivory remained unrelated. Our study suggests that neighbor identity can indirectly influence insect herbivory in mixed forests by modifying leaf traits. However, we found only partial evidence for these trait‐mediated effects and suggest that more attention should be paid to some unmeasured plant traits such as secondary metabolites, including volatile organic compounds, to better anticipate the effects of climate change on plant‐insect interactions in the future.
Phenotypic plasticity in female mate choice behavior is mediated by an interaction of direct and indirect genetic effects in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Filice David C. S. , Long Tristan A. F.
Published: April 2017

Female mate choice is a complex decision‐making process that involves many context‐dependent factors. In Drosophila melanogaster, a model species for the study of sexual selection, indirect genetic effects (IGEs) of general social interactions can influence female mate choice behaviors, but the potential impacts of IGEs associated with mating experiences are poorly understood. Here, we examined whether the IGEs associated with a previous mating experience had an effect on subsequent female mate choice behaviors and quantified the degree of additive genetic variation associated with this effect. Females from 21 different genetic backgrounds were housed with males from one of two distinct genetic backgrounds for either a short (3 hr) or long (48 hr) exposure period and their subsequent mate choice behaviors were scored. We found that the genetic identity of a previous mate significantly influenced a female's subsequent interest in males and preference of males. Additionally, a hemiclonal analysis revealed significant additive genetic variation associated with experience‐dependent mate choice behaviors, indicating a genotype‐by‐environment interaction for both of these parameters. We discuss the significance of these results with regard to the evolution of plasticity in female mate choice behaviors and the maintenance of variation in harmful male traits.
Impact of groundwater regimes on water balance components of a site with a shallow water table
Authors: Dietrich Ottfried , Kaiser Thomas
Published: April 2017

The management of shallow water table sites is often the subject of discussion between different interest groups, the most controversial topic being the different target groundwater levels. A good level of knowledge about the effects of the different water levels on the water budget components is a precondition for the development of compromises in well‐balanced water resource management.

We used groundwater lysimeters to investigate the impact of different water level regimes on the water balance. The lysimeters were installed directly within a typical shallow water table site and had a specially designed system to control the lower boundary condition. This enabled us to simulate different management options in a realistic way.

Our results show increasing evapotranspiration with higher water levels but only if the vegetation is adapted to these conditions. Adaptation may take place within a few years of higher water levels. High water levels in spring are linked to increased water storage. This can help to compensate for the higher evapotranspiration for some weeks but not for the entire season. The meteorological conditions have a large short‐term impact on the water budget, which is difficult to compensate for using long‐term water management strategies or slow‐responding vegetation development. Our results underline the complex ecohydrological dependencies in such site conditions and could be an important basis for the development or improvement of ecohydrological models.
Prevalence and vertical transmission of human pegivirus among pregnant women infected with HIV
Authors: Santos Lucas M. , Lobato Rubens C. , Barral Maria Fernanda M. , Gonçalves Carla V. , da Hora Vanusa P. , Martinez Ana Maria B.
Published: April 2017

Objective

To determine the prevalence of human pegivirus (HPgV) and factors associated with vertical transmission among pregnant women infected with HIV.

Method

A retrospective cross‐sectional study was conducted among pregnant women treated at an HIV reference service in Rio Grande, Brazil, between January 1, 2010, and January 1, 2015. The polymerase chain reaction was used to diagnose HPgV infection among the women and their neonates. Clinical, obstetric, and neonatal data were obtained from medical records.

Results

Infection with HPgV was detected among 16 (25%) of 63 women and 5 (8%) of 63 newborns, corresponding to a vertical transmission rate of 31%. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the absence of prenatal care was the only risk factor for vertical transmission of HPgV (prevalence ratio 19.61, 95% confidence interval 1.29–297.48; P=0.032).

Conclusion

Prenatal care could protect against vertical transmission of HPgV among women infected with HIV; however, studies among HIV‐negative individuals are still required to verify this correlation.
Monocular hyper‐realistic AR head‐up display
Authors: Okumura Haruhiko , Sasaki Takashi , Hotta Aira , Shinohara Kazumitsu
Published: April 2017

We proposed and developed a novel monocular hyper‐realistic head dome projector for an amusement application and a novel monocular windshield augmented reality projector for augmented reality and head‐up display applications. They use monocular vision that eliminates the depth cues caused by binocular parallax information. Our developed monocular hyper‐realistic head dome projector and windshield augmented reality projector system achieved a high hyper‐reality performance with free depth perception and high visibility.
It's about time: Insights into temporal genetic patterns in oceanic zooplankton from biodiversity indices
Authors: Iacchei Matthew , Butcher Elizabeth , Portner Elan , Goetze Erica
Published: April 2017

Large population sizes and high dispersal potential should lead to temporal genetic stability in marine species; however, the magnitude of allele frequency shifts through time have varied greatly in prior studies. We investigated temporal variation in the genetic composition of populations of two planktonic copepod species at an open ocean time series site in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (Station ALOHA, 22.45°N, 158°W). We sequenced fragments of the mitochondrial genes cytochrome c oxidase subunit II (Haloptilus longicornis) and subunit I (Pleuromamma xiphias) from approximately 500 individuals of each species collected on 11 cruises from September 2012 to October 2013 (12–15 generations). Conventional population genetic analyses found no evidence for significant temporal variation across cruises, including results of non‐hierarchical analysis of molecular variance, pairwise ΦST values among cruises, and isolation‐by‐time Mantel tests. Generalized entropies were able to characterize the turnover of rare haplotypic variants through time using q = 0 (haplotype richness), the shifting frequencies of the less common haplotypes using q = 1 (Shannon differentiation), and the general stability of the most abundant haplotypes using q = 2 (Jost's D). With q = 1, mild seasonality was detected in the composition of P. xiphias haplotypes from three summertime cruises, in which both copepodites and adults were included in the analyses. These results highlight the complementary insights that F‐statistics and generalized entropy contribute to characterizing the nuances of population genetic composition through time. This approach may prove particularly useful for unlocking patterns in genomic datasets for marine species.
A functional screening of the kinome identifies the Polo‐like kinase 4 as a potential therapeutic target for malignant rhabdoid tumors, and possibly, other embryonal tumors of the brain
Authors: Sredni Simone Treiger , Suzuki Mario , Yang Jian‐Ping , Topczewski Jacek , Bailey Anders W. , Gokirmak Tufan , Gross Jeffrey N. , de Andrade Alexandre , Kondo Akihide , Piper David R. , Tomita Tadanori
Published: April 2017

Purpose

Malignant rhabdoid tumors (MRTs) are deadly embryonal tumors of the infancy. With poor survival and modest response to available therapies, more effective and less toxic treatments are needed. We hypothesized that a systematic screening of the kinome will reveal kinases that drive rhabdoid tumors and can be targeted by specific inhibitors.

Methods

We individually mutated 160 kinases in a well‐characterized rhabdoid tumor cell line (MON) using lentiviral clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR‐associated protein 9 (Cas9). The kinase that most significantly impaired cell growth was further validated. Its expression was evaluated by microarray gene expression (GE) within 111 pediatric tumors, and functional assays were performed. A small molecule inhibitor was tested in multiple rhabdoid tumor cell lines and its toxicity evaluated in zebrafish larvae.

Results

The Polo‐like kinase 4 (PLK4) was identified as the kinase that resulted in higher impairment of cell proliferation when mutated by CRISPR/Cas9. PLK4 CRISPR‐mutated rhabdoid cells demonstrated significant decrease in proliferation, viability, and survival. GE showed upregulation of PLK4 in rhabdoid tumors and other embryonal tumors of the brain. The PLK4 inhibitor CFI‐400945 showed cytotoxic effects on rhabdoid tumor cell lines while sparing non‐neoplastic human fibroblasts and developing zebrafish larvae.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that rhabdoid tumor cell proliferation is highly dependent on PLK4 and suggest that targeting PLK4 with small‐molecule inhibitors may hold a novel strategy for the treatment of MRT and possibly other embryonal tumors of the brain. This is the first time that PLK4 has been described as a potential target for both brain and pediatric tumors.
Effects of endometrial injury on frozen‐thawed blastocyst transfer in hormone replacement cycles
Authors: Matsumoto Yukiko , Kokeguchi Shoji , Shiotani Masahide
Published: April 2017

Aim

To evaluate whether local endometrial injury would improve the pregnancy rates after frozen‐thawed blastocyst transfer in cycles with hormone replacement.

Methods

Seventy‐seven patients who were aged <40 years with a history of at least three unsuccessful embryo transfers and who underwent frozen‐thawed blastocyst transfer during hormone replacement cycles between February and June, 2013 were studied. They were allocated into two groups based on the last digit of their clinical record number: an experimental group (n=22), excluding patients who withheld consent or who were unable to undergo treatment, and a control group (n=55). In the experimental group, the endometrium was scratched once with an endometrial sampler during the luteal phase of the cycle preceding the embryo transfer.

Results

There was no significant difference in the baseline characteristics between the groups. The clinical pregnancy rate was 6% in the experimental group and 22% in the control group. Among these, the ongoing pregnancy rate was 100% in the experimental group and 50% in the control group.

Conclusion

Endometrial injury might increase the pregnancy rates after frozen‐thawed blastocyst transfer and decrease the risk of miscarriage in patients with a history of unsuccessful embryo transfers.
Validation of a Self‐Monitoring Tool for Use in Exercise Therapy
Authors: Powierza Camilla S. , Clark Michael D. , Hughes Jaime M. , Carneiro Kevin A. , Mihalik Jason P.
Published: April 2017

Background

Aerobic exercise at a subsymptom heart rate has been recommended as therapy for postconcussion syndrome. Assessing adherence with an accurate heart rate‐monitoring instrument is difficult, limiting the proliferation of large‐scale randomized controlled trials.

Objective

To evaluate the validity of the Fitbit Charge HR compared with electrocardiogram (EKG) to monitor heart rate during a treadmill‐based exercise protocol.

Design

A methods comparison study.

Setting

Sports medicine research center within a tertiary care institution.

Participants

A convenience sample of 22 healthy participants (12 female) aged 18‐26 years (mean age: 22 ± 2 years).

Methods

Fitbit Charge HR heart rate measurements were compared with EKG data concurrently collected while participants completed the Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test.

Main Outcome Measures

Agreement between Fitbit Charge HR and EKG was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC3,1), Bland‐Altman limits of agreement, and percent error.

Results

We observed a strong single‐measure absolute agreement between Fitbit Charge HR and EKG (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.83; 95% confidence interval 0.67‐0.90). Fitbit Charge HR underestimated heart rate compared with EKG (mean difference = −6.04 bpm; standard deviation = 10.40 bpm; Bland‐Altman 95% limits of agreement = −26.42 to 14.35 bpm). A total of 69.9% of Fitbit heart rate measurements were within 10% error compared with EKG, and 91.5% of all heart rate measurements were within 20% error.

Conclusions

Although the mean bias in measuring heart rate was relatively small, the limits of agreement between the Fitbit Charge HR and EKG were broad. Thus, the Fitbit Charge HR would not be a suitable option for monitoring heart rate within a narrow range. For the purposes of postconcussion exercise therapy, the relatively inexpensive cost, easy implementation, and low maintenance make Fitbit Charge HR a viable option for assessing adherence to an exercise program when expensive clinical equipment is unavailable.

Level of Evidence

II
Effects of rotor blade-tip geometry on helicopter trim and control response
Authors: Kumar M. Rohin , Venkatesan C.
Published: April 2017

For performance improvement and noise reduction, swept and anhedral tips have been incorporated in advanced-geometry rotor blades. While there are aerodynamic benefits to these advanced tip geometries, they come at the cost of complicated structural design and weight penalties. The effect of these tip shapes on loads, vibration and aeroelastic response are also unclear. In this study, a comprehensive helicopter aeroelastic analysis which includes rotor-fuselage coupling shall be described and the analysis results for rotor blades with straight tip, tip sweep and tip anhedral shall be presented and compared. The helicopter modelled is a conventional one with a hingeless single main rotor and single tail rotor. The blade undergoes flap, lag, torsion and axial deformations. Tip sweep, pretwist, precone, predroop, torque offset and root offset are included in the model. Aerodynamic model includes Peters-He dynamic wake theory for inflow and the modified ONERA dynamic stall theory for airloads calculations. The complete 6-dof nonlinear equilibrium equations of the fuselage are solved for analysing any general flight condition. Response to pilot control inputs is determined by integrating the full set of nonlinear equations of motion with respect to time. The effects of tip sweep and tip anhedral on structural dynamics, trim characteristics and vehicle response to pilot inputs are presented. It is shown that for blades with tip sweep and tip anhedral/dihedral, the 1/rev harmonics of the root loads reduce while the 4/rev harmonics of the hub loads increase in magnitude. Tip dihedral is shown to induce a reversal of yaw rate for lateral and longitudinal cyclic input.
Yealands Wine Group Holdings Limited: A case study
Authors: Pavlovich Kathryn , Connolly Heather , Gibb Jenny , Collins Eva
Published: April 2017

Yealands Wine Group Holdings Limited has an exciting future and Peter Yealands (founder) and Jason Judkins (CEO) were celebrating. They felt that Yealands was in a strong position going forward and the new partnership with Marlborough Lines offered exciting future possibilities. However, they knew that the company faced many strategic issues that needed to be addressed. They also wanted to ensure that they were able to achieve their growth plans by 2020: lifting sales from 1 to 2 million cases a year, wine processing capacity from 20,000 tonnes to 30,000 tonnes and turnover from $100 million to $150 million. To meet their intended projections, what direction should they grow in? And how?
Ground-penetrating radar measurements of debris thickness on Lirung Glacier, Nepal
Authors: McCARTHY MICHAEL , PRITCHARD HAMISH , WILLIS IAN , KING EDWARD
Published: April 2017

Supraglacial debris thickness is a key control on the surface energy balance of debris-covered glaciers, yet debris thickness measurements are sparse due to difficulties of data collection. Here we use ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to measure debris thickness on the ablation zone of Lirung Glacier, Nepal. We observe a strong, continuous reflection, which we interpret as the ice surface, through debris layers of 0.1 to at least 2.3 m thick, provided that appropriate acquisition parameters were used while surveying. GPR measurements of debris thickness correlate well with pit measurements of debris thickness (r= 0.91, RMSE = 0.04 m) and two-way travel times are consistent at tie points (r= 0.97). 33% of measurements are <0.5 m, so sub-debris melting is likely important in terms of mass loss on the debris-covered tongue and debris thickness is highly variable over small spatial scales (of order 10 m), likely due to local slope processes. GPR can be used to make debris thickness measurements more quickly, over a wider debris thickness range, and at higher spatial resolution than any other means and is therefore a valuable tool with which to map debris thickness distribution on Himalayan glaciers.
Home, family and intimacy in recent writings on and from South Africa
Authors: Coetzee Carli
Published: April 2017

In recent works on intimacy and home in South Africa, scholars question the assumptions about where ‘home’ ends, and who counts as ‘family’. In calls for curriculum change and the transformation of the university (discourses that were about access for both black studentsandblack faculty), these questions of affiliation and ‘home’ have played a prominent role. In the student protest movement of 2015 and 2016, for example, a recurring discourse was to invoke ‘our mothers, the domestic workers’. This was partly an attempt to forge links between the students’ demands and those of casualized cleaning and catering staff on campus, but the invocation of ‘our mothers, the domestic workers’ also underlined the lineage of the university as one associated with ‘the big house’ and many black students’ feelings of being tolerated, at best, in spaces that historically did not imagine them as full citizens, but instead as marginal to the home that is South Africa.
‘Transporting thought’: cultures of balloon flight in Britain, 1784–1785
Authors: DOHERTY CAITLÍN RÓISÍN
Published: April 2017

The balloon has long drifted through popular discourse as a symbol of an Enlightenment attitude towards discovery and a Romanticized image of rationality. This article uses two accounts of early British balloon voyages, both published in 1786, and through them attempts to understand the wide range of practices – literary, social, chemical and adventurous – employed by early balloonists in Britain. I argue that the two series of flights recorded by John Jeffries and Vincenzo Lunardi can be read to show two different philosophical ideas of and aspirations for ballooning, each of which is tied to a different British location, and established a different paradigm for the public reception of flight experiments in later years.
Development and characterization of polymorphic genomic-SSR markers in Asian long-horned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis)
Authors: Liu Zhaoyang , Tao Jing , Luo Youqing
Published: April 2017

The Asian long-horned beetle (ALB), Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae), is a wood-borer and polyphagous xylophage that is native to Asia. It infests and seriously harms healthy trees, and therefore is a cause for considerable environmental concern. The analysis of population genetic structure of ALB and sibling species Anoplophora nobilis (Ganglbauer) will not only help to clarify the relationship between environmental variables and mechanisms of speciation, but also will enhance our understanding of evolutionary processes. However, the known genetic markers, particularly microsatellites, are limited for this species. SSRLocator software was used to analyze the distribution and frequencies of genomic simple sequence repeat (SSR), to infer the basic characteristics of repeat motifs, and to design primers. We developed SSR loci of 2–6 repeated units, including 10,650 perfect SSRs, and found 140 types of repeat motifs. A total of 2621 SSR markers were discovered in ALB whole-genome shotgun sequences. 48 pairs of SSR primers were randomly chosen from 2621 SSR markers, and half of these 48 pairs were polymorphic containing 4 di-, 7 tri-, 2 tetra-, and 11-hexamer SSRs. Four populations test the effectiveness of the primers. These results suggest that our method for whole-genome SSR screening is feasible and efficient, and the SSR markers developed in this study are suitable for further population genetics studies of ALB. Moreover, they may also be useful for the development of SSRs for other Coleoptera.
The Americanization of Canadian Political Science? The Doctoral Training of Canadian Political Science Faculty
Authors: Albaugh Quinn M.
Published: April 2017

Fifty years ago, Canadian political science (CPS) debated whether there was an “Americanization problem” in the discipline. Today, the idea does not have the same force. This article revisits the debate by focusing on one of the main points of concerns: the doctoral training of CPS faculty. The article presents an original dataset of tenure and tenure-track faculty at CPS departments. It then provides analysis of where these tenure and tenure-track faculty received their doctorates, by sub-field and rank, paying particular attention to the country of doctoral training. Unlike fifty years ago, Canadian-trained scholars form a much larger share of the professoriate. There is no evidence of a trend towards more American-trained scholars among recent hires of assistant professors. However, the results also suggest a continuing status hierarchy between the two countries. It concludes by arguing that CPS needs to be more reflective about its position within this status hierarchy.
Dinosaur footprints in the Early Jurassic of Patagonia (Marifil Volcanic Complex, Argentina): biochronological and palaeobiogeographical inferences
Authors: DÍAZ-MARTÍNEZ IGNACIO , GONZÁLEZ SANTIAGO N. , DE VALAIS SILVINA
Published: April 2017

A new dinosaurian track-bearing site, with tridactyl footprints from the Lower Jurassic (pre-middle Pliensbachian) volcanogenic and epiclastic rocks of the Marifil Volcanic Complex, Patagonia, Argentina, is presented and described. The best-preserved footprint, classified as cf. Anomoepus, confirms the utility of the Anomoepus-like tracks for the Early Jurassic biochronology. Palaeobiogeographically, this record supports the idea that the South American Early Jurassic dinosaur fauna presents elements of Pangaean distribution, and others with Gondwanan relationships with prevalent southern African affinities. Dinosaur records from South America between the Rhaetian and the Pliensbachian are very scarce, and this find contributes to the knowledge of early radiation and evolution of Dinosauria.
Carbonate carbon isotope evolution of seawater across the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition: evidence from the Keping area, Tarim Basin, NW China
Authors: GUO QINGJUN , DENG YINAN , HU JIAN , WANG LIYUAN
Published: April 2017

Sedimentary rocks from the Ediacaran–Cambrian boundary record important biological, climatic and geotectonic changes during this time. To date, only few geochemical investigations on the upper Ediacaran – upper Cambrian rocks in the Tarim Basin have been carried out. Here, we report high-resolution δ13Ccarb records from the Penglaiba, the Wushi phosphorite and the Dongergou sections from Ediacaran–Cambrian Series 3 in the Keping area of the Tarim Basin. The sections display several obvious δ13Ccarb shifts; δ13Ccarb values increased from 3‰ to 6.7‰ across the Qigebulage Formation. Moreover, a negative δ13Ccarb shift across the Ediacaran–Cambrian boundary is apparent; δ13Ccarb values decreased to a minimum of −9.8‰ in the Wushi phosphorite section (−7.7‰ in Dongergou section and −5.4‰ in Penglaiba section), followed by a positive carbonate carbon isotopic excursion across the Yuertusi Formation into the middle of the overlying Xiaoerbulak Formation. Furthermore, more or less invariable positive δ13Ccarb values characterize the middle and upper Xiaoerbulak Formation. The most negative δ13Ccarb value (−14.3‰) occurred near the base of the Shayilik Formation, which is the absolute minimum value among the studied sections of the Cambrian Series 2 to Cambrian Series 3 transition in the world. The δ13C data from Keping, Tarim Basin are in good agreement with carbon isotope profiles recorded in South China, and these events may reflect the perturbation of the carbon cycle in the Tarim Basin during the Ediacaran–Cambrian and the Cambrian Series 2 – Cambrian Series 3 transitions.
SEMI-PARAMETRIC SEASONAL UNIT ROOT TESTS
Authors: del Barrio Castro Tomás , Rodrigues Paulo M.M. , Robert Taylor A.M.
Published: April 2017

We extend the ${\cal M}$ class of unit root tests introduced by Stock (1999, Cointegration, Causality and Forecasting. A Festschrift in Honour of Clive W.J. Granger. Oxford University Press), Perron and Ng (1996, Review of Economic Studies 63, 435–463) and Ng and Perron (2001, Econometrica 69, 1519–1554) to the seasonal case, thereby developing semi-parametric alternatives to the regression-based augmented seasonal unit root tests of Hylleberg, Engle, Granger, and Yoo (1990, Journal of Econometrics 44, 215–238). The success of this class of unit root tests to deliver good finite sample size control even in the most problematic (near-cancellation) case where the shocks contain a strong negative moving average component is shown to carry over to the seasonal case as is the superior size/power trade-off offered by these tests relative to other available tests.
Resource Conflict Resolution in China
Authors: Zhan Jing Vivian , Ming Zeng
Published: April 2017

Mineral resource extraction has frequently caused social tensions in China. This research examines the reactive and pre-emptive strategies used by the Chinese state to cope with resource conflicts. Based on extensive fieldwork in multiple mining areas, we find that the Chinese local state actively mediates between the mining sector and local citizens, and skilfully suppresses collective protests. More importantly, it pre-emptively intervenes in dispute-prone processes and redistributes resource wealth to create vested interests and mitigate popular grievances. We argue that the active state intervention in resource conflicts in China is driven by the party-state's tight control of local officials, which prevents local capture by resource interests, and enabled by the party-state's deep reach into society, which allows grassroots governments to negotiate between conflicting interests and mobilize resources towards conflict resolution.
Snow and Rain Modify Neighbourhood Walkability for Older Adults
Authors: Clarke Philippa , Hirsch Jana A. , Melendez Robert , Winters Meghan , Sims Gould Joanie , Ashe Maureen , Furst Sarah , McKay Heather
Published: April 2017

La littérature a documenté une relation positive entre la mobilité à l’extérieur chez les personnes âgées et les environnements bâtisables et marchables. Cependant, étonnamment, toute considération de la façon dont le temps modifie l’accessibilité piétonnière à travers les quartiers est absente. À Vancouver, au Canada, on a utilisé des données météorologiques archivées liées à des données recueillies auprès d’un échantillon d’aînés. On a constaté que, lorsqu’il neige, les quartiers où l’on dépend d’automobiles (comportant des blocs plus longs, moins d’intersections et une plus grande distance aux commodités) sont devenus inaccessibles. Même les adultes plus âgés qui vivaient dans les quartiers qui étaient très bien adaptés au traffic pietonnier marchait à 25 pour cent moins de destinations pendant la neige. Il est essentiel de tenir compte de l’impact des conditions météorologiques dans la relation entre la marchabilité des quartiers et la mobilité des personnes âgées.
ON THE CONCEPT OF ECONOMIA CIVILE AND “FELICITAS PUBLICA”: A COMMENT ON FEDERICO D’ONOFRIO
Authors: Bruni Luigino
Published: April 2017

In “On the Concept of ‘Felicitas Publica’ in Eighteenth-Century Political Economy,” a recent paper in this journal, Federico D’Onofrio strongly criticizes the interpretation that Luigino Bruni and Stefano Zamagni have offered of the eighteenth-century Neapolitan tradition of civil economy and public happiness, as articulated by Antonio Genovesi. D’Onofrio claims that Bruni and colleagues have not fully explored the political meaning of public happiness within eighteenth-century economics, and that Bruni unfairly criticized methodological individualism on the basis of the intrinsically social character of happiness. This paper is a reply to D’Onofrio.
Citation function, polarity and influence classification
Authors: HERNÁNDEZ-ALVAREZ MYRIAM , GOMEZ SORIANO JOSÉ M. , MARTÍNEZ-BARCO PATRICIO
Published: April 2017

Current methods for assessing the impact of authors and scientific media employ tools such as H-Index, Co-Citation and PageRank. These tools are primarily based on citation counting, which considers all citations to be equal. This type of methods can produce perverse incentives to publish controversial or incomplete papers, as mixed or negative reviews often generate larger citation counts and better indexes, regardless of whether the citations were critical or exerted minimal influence on the citing document. Passing citations that are employed to establish background, which do not have a real impact on the citing paper, are common in scientific literature. However, these citations have equal weight in impact evaluations. Notable researchers have emphasized the need to correct this situation by developing estimation methods that consider the different roles of quotations in citing papers. To accomplish this type of evaluation, a context citation analysis should be applied to determine the nature of the citations. We propose that citations should be categorized using four dimensions – FUNCTION, POLARITY, ASPECTS and INFLUENCE – as these dimensions provide adequate information that can be employed toward the generation of a qualitative method to measure the impact of a given publication in a citing paper. In this paper, we used interchangeably the words influence and impact. We present a method for obtaining this information using our proposed classification scheme and manually annotated corpus, which is marked with meaningful keywords and labels to help identify the characteristics or properties that constitute what we call ASPECTS. We develop a classification scheme which considers purpose definition shared by previous works. Our contribution is to abstract purpose classes from several other schemes and divide a complex structure in more manageable parts, to attain a simple system that combines low granularity dimensions but nevertheless produces a fine-grained classification. For annotators, the classification process is simple because in a first step, the coders distinguish only four primary classes, and in a second pass, they add the information contained in ASPECTS keyword and labels to obtain the more specific functions. This way, we gain a high granularity labeling that gives enough information about the citations to characterize and classify them, and we achieve this detailed coding with a straightforward process where the level of human error could be minimized.
The efficiency of market-assisted choice: an experimental analysis of mobile phone connection service recommendations
Authors: EARL PETER E. , FRIESEN LANA , SHADFORTH CHRISTOPHER
Published: April 2017

This paper reports an experiment in which participants were allowed an hour to find the cheapest mobile phone plan for a specific usage remit and were given either (a) access to an offline archive of provider websites or (b) access to the Internet. They were required to think aloud, and recordings were made of what they said and what transpired on their computer screens. Access to comparison sites and other market institutions resulted in significantly cheaper plans being selected on average. Within the group of online subjects, excess costs of recommended plans were inversely related to the time spent using market institutions. Although the designs of comparison websites sometimes hampered decision making, outcomes were generally enhanced by the ability to use these online market institutions.
Reassessing the role of plants in society
Authors: Amos Robert
Published: April 2017

Plants have been and will continue to be fundamental to the evolution of human society. However, the law’s traditional approach to plants, based broadly on the need to facilitate the exploitation of plants for the benefit of humans and to regulate the impacts of that exploitation, fails to recognise the ways in which plants can be said to participate in society. This participation takes three forms: a contribution to the achievement of social goals, the shaping of social spaces and the influencing of individual and collective human behaviours. It is argued that the recognition of these roles that plants play in society in law and policy could begin to redress the continuing decline in plant diversity, and lead to a reformed understanding of society’s relationship with plants and the wider natural world.
Influence of intermixing at the Ta/CoFeB interface on spin Hall angle in Ta/CoFeB/MgO heterostructures
Authors: Cecot Monika , Karwacki Łukasz , Skowroński Witold , Kanak Jarosław , Wrona Jerzy , Żywczak Antoni , Yao Lide , van Dijken Sebastiaan , Barnaś Józef , Stobiecki Tomasz
Published: April 2017

When a current is passed through a non-magnetic metal with strong spin-orbit coupling, an orthogonal spin current is generated. This spin current can be used to switch the magnetization of an adjacent ferromagnetic layer or drive its magnetization into continuous precession. The interface, which is not necessarily sharp, and the crystallographic structure of the nonmagnetic metal can both affect the strength of current-induced spin-orbit torques. Here, we investigate the effects of interface intermixing and film microstructure on spin-orbit torques in perpendicularly magnetized Ta/Co40Fe40B20/MgO trilayers with different Ta layer thickness (5 nm, 10 nm, 15 nm), greater than the spin diffusion length. Effective spin-orbit torques are determined from harmonic Hall voltage measurements performed at temperatures ranging from 20 K to 300 K. We account for the temperature dependence of damping-like and field-like torques by including an additional contribution from the Ta/CoFeB interface in the spin diffusion model. Using this approach, the temperature variations of the spin Hall angle in the Ta underlayer and at the Ta/CoFeB interface are determined separately. Our results indicate an almost temperature-independent spin Hall angle of $${{\boldsymbol{\theta }}}_{{\boldsymbol{SH}}}^{{\boldsymbol{N}}}\approx -{\bf{0.2}}$$

θ

SH

N

≈
−

0.2
in Ta and a strongly temperature-dependent $${{\boldsymbol{\theta }}}_{{\boldsymbol{SH}}}^{{\boldsymbol{N}}}$$

θ

SH

N

for the intermixed Ta/CoFeB interface.
Porous Graphene Sponge Additives for Lithium Ion Batteries with Excellent Rate Capability
Authors: Cheng Qian
Published: April 2017

Rate capability as well as power performance of lithium ion batteries (LiBs) is becoming more and more important, especially as the application targets of LiBs move from mobile devices to transportation, such as EVs and HEVs. In this research, we report porous graphene sponge additives for both anode and cathode materials for better rate performance. The charge capacity retention improved from 56% to 77% at 6C and from 7% to 45% at 10C with 0.5 wt% added to the anode, while the discharge capacity retention at the 6C rate improved from 43% to 76% and the 10C rate discharge improved from 16% to 40% with the same amount of MG added to the cathode. The cyclability at high rate was also improved with the MG additive. Moreover, preparation of the MG was facile, cost-effective, and compatible with commercially available active materials. These results demonstrate the suitability of MG for use with LiB additives to ensure better rate capability and high rate cyclability.
Real–time observation of interfacial ions during electrocrystallization
Authors: Nakamura Masashi , Banzai Takahiro , Maehata Yuto , Endo Osamu , Tajiri Hiroo , Sakata Osami , Hoshi Nagahiro
Published: April 2017

Understanding the electrocrystallization mechanisms of metal cations is of importance for many industrial and scientific fields. We have determined the transitional structures during underpotential deposition (upd) of various metal cations on Au(111) electrode using time–resolved surface X–ray diffraction and step–scan IR spectroscopy. At the initial stage of upd, a characteristic intensity transient appears in the time–resolved crystal truncation rod depending on metal cations. Metal cations with relatively high coordination energies of hydration water are deposited in two steps: first, the hydrated metal cations approached the surface and are metastably located at the outer Helmholtz plane, then they are deposited via the destruction of the hydration shell. However, Tl+ and Ag+, which have low hydration energy, are rapidly adsorbed on Au(111) electrode without any metastable states of dehydration. Therefore, the deposition rate is strongly related to the coordination energy of the hydration water. Metal cations strongly interacting with the counter coadsorbed anions such as Cu2+ in sulfuric acid causes the deposition rate to be slower because of the formation of complexes.
Inflammatory and Neuropathic Nociception is Preserved in GPR55 Knockout Mice
Authors: Carey Lawrence M. , Gutierrez Tannia , Deng Liting , Lee Wan-Hung , Mackie Ken , Hohmann Andrea G.
Published: April 2017

The G-protein coupled receptor GPR55 has been postulated to serve as a novel cannabinoid receptor. A previous report indicated that GPR55 knockout mice fail to develop mechanical hyperalgesia, suggesting a pro-nociceptive role for GPR55 in the control of nociceptive responding. However, GPR55 knockout mice remain incompletely characterized in models of pathological pain. Here we provide a comprehensive assessment of responses of GPR55 knockout and wild-type mice to mechanical and thermal (heat, cold) stimulation in multiple, mechanistically distinct models of inflammatory and neuropathic pain. Inflammatory sensitization was produced by intraplantar administration of capsaicin, formalin or complete Freund’s adjuvant. No differences in responding were detected between GPR55 knockout and wild-type mice in any model of inflammatory nociception assessed. Neuropathic pain was induced by partial sciatic nerve ligation (which induces hypersensitivity to mechanical, cold and heat stimulation) or by treatment with the chemotherapeutic agent paclitaxel (which induces hypersensitivity to mechanical and cold stimulation only). No differences were observed between GPR55 knockout and wild type mice in either development or maintenance of neuropathic nociception in either neuropathic pain model. In conclusion, genetic deletion of GPR55 did not alter the development of pathological pain in adult mice in any chronic pain model evaluated.
Temperature warming strengthens the mutualism between ghost ants and invasive mealybugs
Authors: Zhou Aiming , Qu Xiaobin , Shan Lifan , Wang Xin
Published: April 2017

Although the exogenous forces that directly affect the mutualisms between ants and honeydew-producing hemipterans have been well documented, few studies have been focused on the impacts of environmental warming on ant-hemipteran interactions. Here, we investigated how temperature warming affects the mutualism between ghost ant Tapinoma melanocephalum and invasive mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis by experimental manipulation of temperature. We found that higher temperatures have significant direct effects on the growth rate of mealybug colony, and the positive effect of ant tending on mealybug colony growth is temperature-dependent. Honeydew excretion by mealybugs was affected by ant tending and temperature warming, and was significantly increased under higher temperature. The effect of ant tending on percentage parasitism was also influenced by temperature warming. Ant performance including tending level, aggression, activity, and honeydew consumption was enhanced by temperature warming, which may provide superior protection to the mealybugs. Our results show that ghost ant-mealybug mutualism is strengthened in a warmer environment. These findings may facilitate the prediction of how each partner in the ant-hemipteran-enemy interactions responds to increasing temperature.
The tandem Agenet domain of fragile X mental retardation protein interacts with FUS
Authors: He Qingzhong , Ge Wei
Published: April 2017

The tandem Agenet domain (TAD) of fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) protein is considered to be a member of the methyl-lysine-binding Tudor domain “Royal family”. Several groups have reported that the TAD binds with methylated histones and plays a role in DNA damage responses. FMRP is a RNA-binding protein predominantly resident in cytoplasm. Therefore, in this study, we identified DDX5, FUS, EWSR1 and LSM14A as TAD-interacting proteins sensitive to F32L and/or Y96L mutation by pull-down assays and mass spectrometry. We also showed that the interaction is potentially mediated by RGG/RG motifs. Furthermore, when FMRP was knocked-down, translocation of exogenously expressed wild-type FUS and disease-related mutant R514G was observed. This study may provide a novel insight into FMRP involvement in the intracellular localization of FUS and pathology of FUS-related amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Epidemiological Characteristics and Spatial-Temporal Clusters of Mumps in Shandong Province, China, 2005–2014
Authors: Li Runzi , Cheng Shenghui , Luo Cheng , Rutherford Shannon , Cao Jin , Xu Qinqin , Liu Xiaodong , Liu Yanxun , Xue Fuzhong , Xu Qing , Li Xiujun
Published: April 2017

Mumps presents a serious threat to public health in China. We conducted a descriptive analysis to identify the epidemiological characteristics of mumps in Shandong Province. Spatial autocorrelation and space-time scan analyses were utilized to detect spatial-temporal clusters. From 2005 to 2014, 115745 mumps cases were reported in Shandong, with an average male-to-female ratio of 1.94. Mumps occurred mostly in spring (32.17% of all reported cases) and in children aged 5 to 9 (40.79% of all reported cases). The Moran’s I test was significant and local indicators of spatial autocorrelation (LISA) analysis revealed significant spatial clusters with high incidence. The results showed that the mid-west of Shandong Province and some coastal regions (Qingdao City and Weihai City) were high-risk areas, particularly in the center of the Jining City and the junction of Dongying City, Binzhou City and Zibo City. The results could assist local and national public health agencies in formulating better public health strategic planning and resource allocation.
Discovery of monocarbonyl curcumin-BTP hybrids as STAT3 inhibitors for drug-sensitive and drug-resistant breast cancer therapy
Authors: Zhang Wenda , Guo Jianpeng , Li Shanshan , Ma Ting , Xu Dingqiao , Han Chao , Liu Feiyan , Yu Wenying , Kong Lingyi
Published: April 2017

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a well-known antitumor target. Exogenous ROS insult can lead to selective cytotoxicity against cancer cells. A combination of STAT3 inhibition and “oxidation therapy” may be a new strategy to address the multidrug-resistance issue due to their important roles in the survival and drug resistance of cancer cells. Here, a series of novel curcumin-BTP hybrids were designed and evaluated as STAT3 inhibitors with ROS production activity. Compound 6b exerted the best antitumor activity and selectivity for MCF-7 and MCF-7/DOX cells (IC50 = 0.52 μM and 0.40 μM, respectively), while its IC50 value for MCF-10A breast epithelial cells was 7.72 μM. Furthermore, compound 6b suppressed STAT3 phosphorylation, nuclear translocation and DNA-binding activity and the expression of STAT3 specific oncogenes. Increases in the level of IL-6-induced p-STAT3 were also inhibited by 6b without influencing IFN-γ-induced p-STAT1 expression. Additionally, 6b effectively promoted intracellular ROS accumulation, induced cancer cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, abolished the colony formation ability of breast cancer cells, and inhibited P-gp expression in MCF-7/DOX cells. Finally, 6b suppressed the growth of implanted human breast cancer in vivo. Our findings highlight that 6b may be a promising therapeutic agent for drug-sensitive and drug-resistant breast cancers.
Fabrication and Analysis of Chemically-Derived Graphene/Pyramidal Si Heterojunction Solar Cells
Authors: Lee Wen-Chieh , Tsai Meng-Lin , Chen You-Ling , Tu Wei-Chen
Published: April 2017

In the study, the chemically-derived reduced graphene oxide flakes on the pyramidal Si substrate to construct the heterojunction solar cells via simple spin-coating process have been presented. The total reflectance of chemically-derived graphene on pyramidal Si is ~12% at the wavelength of 550 nm which is remarkably reduced compared with that of reduced graphene oxide on planar Si. By modifying the density and distribution of reduced graphene oxide flakes on Si, the power conversion efficiency of 5.20% is achieved. Additionally, the simulated absorbance of different-thick graphene is implemented to optimize the performance of graphene/pyramidal Si devices. The fabrication technique for rGO-based devices has the merits of simplicity, large scale, high throughput and low cost, which is a new starting point in the direction of graphene-based material for the applications of next generation optoelectronics.