bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Role of Neighborhood in the Development of Aggression in Urban African American Youth: A Multilevel Analysis
Authors: Romero Edna , Richards Maryse H. , Harrison Patrick R. , Garbarino James , Mozley Michaela
Published: July 2015

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of neighborhood disadvantage and perceptions of neighborhood on the development of aggressive behavior among a sample of urban low‐income African American middle school aged youth (mean age = 11.65 years). Results of hierarchical linear modeling indicated that youth experienced significant changes in rates of aggression across the three middle school years, and that on average, negative youth perceptions of neighborhood predicted increases in aggression. Both parent and youth perceptions of neighborhood disadvantage trended toward significance as a moderator between objective neighborhood characteristics and aggression. These results are in accordance with past research, which suggests that personal evaluations of the disadvantage of a neighborhood influence child development and behavior. Future studies should examine the role that perceptions play in youth development, as well as in interventions geared towards thwarting youth aggression.
Antioxidant Activities and Phenolic Compositions of Wheat Germ as Affected by the Roasting Process
Authors: Zou Yanping , Yang Miao , Zhang Ge , He Hui , Yang Tiankui
Published: July 2015

Wheat germ is a good source for wheat germ oil, and it is a by‐product with highly concentrated nutrients from the wheat flour‐milling industries. In the present study, raw wheat germ was firstly heat‐treated at 180 °C for 20 min in a fluidized bed dryer, and further roasted at 180 °C for different periods of time. Roasting influence on total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activities, and phenolic compositions of wheat germ were evaluated. The roasting process significantly increased the TPC and antioxidant activities including free radical scavenging against DPPH and ABTS radicals, FRAP, and ORAC. In particular, the wheat germ roasted at 180 °C for 20 min showed higher antioxidant activity than those roasted at 180 °C for 5 and 10 min. Three major phenolic acids, namely, ferulic, chlorogenic, and caffeic acid, and four main flavonoids, namely, schaftoside and its isomers or adduct of sinapic acid were identified by HPLC. In general, the content of individual phenolic compounds decreased with prolongation of the roasting time except for ferulic acid. The results suggest that the antioxidant activities of wheat germ can be enhanced by roasting, and the enhancement effect might be partially attributed to the formation of Maillard reaction products (MRP).
Study Protocol:Missing Voices– Communication Difficulties after Stroke and Traumatic Brain Injury in Aboriginal Australians
Authors: Armstrong Elizabeth , Hersh Deborah , Katzenellenbogen Judith M. , Coffin Juli , Thompson Sandra C. , Ciccone Natalie , Hayward Colleen , Flicker Leon , Woods Deborah , McAllister Meaghan
Published: July 2015

Background:Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians experience stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI) with much greater frequency than non-Aboriginal Australians. Acquired communication disorders (ACD) can result from these conditions and can significantly impact everyday life. Yet few Aboriginal people access rehabilitation services and little is known about Aboriginal peoples’ experiences of ACD. This paper describes the protocol surrounding a study that aims to explore the extent and impact of ACD in Western Australian Aboriginal populations following stroke or TBI and develop a culturally appropriate screening tool for ACD and accessible and culturally appropriate service delivery models.

Method/Design:The 3-year, mixed methods study is being conducted in metropolitan Perth and five regional centres in Western Australia. Situated within an Aboriginal research framework, methods include an analysis of linked routine hospital admission data and retrospective file audits, development of a screening tool for ACD, interviews with people with ACD, their families, and health professionals, and drafting of alternative service delivery models.

Discussion:This study will address the extent of ACD in Aboriginal populations and document challenges for Aboriginal people in accessing speech pathology services. Documenting the burden and impact of ACD within a culturally secure framework is a forerunner to developing better ways to address the problems faced by Aboriginal people with ACD and their families. This will in turn increase the likelihood that Aboriginal people with ACD will be diagnosed and referred to professional support to improve their communication, quality of life and functioning within the family and community context.
Effect of Triage Nurse Initiated Radiography Using the Ottawa Ankle Rules on Emergency Department Length of Stay at a Tertiary Centre
Authors: Lee Wailliam W. , Filiatrault Lyne , Abu-Laban Riyad B. , Rashidi Anita , Yau Lawrence , Liu Nancy
Published: July 2015

Objective

To determine the effect of triage nurse initiated radiographs using the Ottawa Ankle Rules (OAR) on emergency department (ED) throughput. We hypothesized OAR use would reduce median ED length of stay (LOS) by 25 minutes or more.

Methods

A randomized controlled trial was conducted at a tertiary centre ED with an annual census of over 90,000 patients. Adult patients presenting within 10 days of isolated blunt ankle trauma were eligible. Participants were randomly assigned to standard triage or OAR application by 15 explicitly trained triage nurses. Our primary outcome was ED LOS. Secondary outcomes included triage nurses' and patients’ satisfaction. A power calculation indicated 142 patients were required. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the medians between the two groups.

Results

Of 176 patients with blunt ankle injury screened, 146 were enrolled (83.0%); baseline characteristics in the two groups were similar. The median/mean ED LOS in the control and OAR groups were 128/143 minutes and 108/115 minutes respectively (median difference 20 minutes; p=0.003). Agreement in OAR use between emergency physicians and nurses was moderate (kappa 0.46/0.77 for foot/ankle rule components), and satisfaction of both nurses and participants was high.

Conclusion

Triage nurse initiated radiography using OAR leads to a statistically significant decrease of 20 minutes in the median ED LOS at a tertiary care centre. The overall impact of implementing such a process is likely site-specific, and the decision to do so should involve consideration of the local context.
The Northern Ireland government and the welfare state, 1942–8: the case of health provision
Authors: Privilege John
Published: July 2015

Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom’s only self-governing region, recorded year-on- year the worst statistics on health and poverty. However, it was far from certain that the Unionist government in Belfast would enact the kind of sweeping post-war reform that occurred in England and Wales. The raft of legislation governing health and social care introduced in 1948 was, therefore, the product of conditions and circumstances peculiar to Northern Ireland. The government in Belfast needed to overcome the conservative instincts of Ulster Unionism as well as suspicions regarding Clement Attlee’s Labour administration. Although the process was somewhat blighted by sectarianism, the government of Sir Basil Brooke enacted what amounted to a revolution in health and social care provision.
‘Syphilis is given over to sentimentalists’: the Dublin Medical Press and Circular and the drive to extend the Contagious Diseases Acts
Authors: Daly Ann
Published: July 2015

In 1878, a meeting organised in Dublin by those in favour of repealing the contentious Contagious Diseases Acts ended in chaos and disruption. The acts themselves empowered police and doctors to forcibly detain and examine women (within specified geographical locations) suspected of being infected with venereal disease. The campaign to abolish the acts appeared to lack the widespread support that it had gathered in England, particularly in medical circles, and the disorderliness of the Dublin meeting seemed to confirm this. The Irish medical press, specifically the weekly Dublin Medical Press and Circular (D.M.P.C.) mirrored The Lancet’s vilification of those who sought to abolish the acts. This article examines the D.M.P.C.’s campaign to extend the acts in Ireland and explores its influence within the context of the debate surrounding these controversial acts. Despite prolific representation of leading English medics among those who opposed the acts, the D.M.P.C. did not offer any outspoken testimony for the repeal of the C.D.A.s by an important figure in the Irish medical profession. This article examines the reasons for such a muted response by Irish doctors to the draconian legislation that directly involved the profession.
Performance considerations for expansion tube operation with a shock-heated secondary driver
Authors: Gildfind David E. , James Chris M. , Toniato Pierpaolo , Morgan Richard G.
Published: July 2015

A shock-heated secondary driver is a modification typically applied to an expansion tube which involves placing a volume of helium between the primary diaphragm and the test gas. This modification is normally used to either increase the driven shock strength through the test gas for high-enthalpy conditions, or to prevent transmission of primary driver flow disturbances to the test gas for low-enthalpy conditions. In comparison to the basic expansion tube, a secondary driver provides an additional configuration parameter, adds mechanical and operational complexity, and its effect on downstream flow processes is not trivial. This paper reports on a study examining operation of a shock-heated secondary driver across the entire operating envelope of a free-piston-driven expansion tube, using air as the test gas. For high-enthalpy conditions it is confirmed that the secondary driver can provide a performance increase, and it is further shown how this device can be used to fine tune the flow condition even when the free-piston driver configuration is held constant. For low-enthalpy flow conditions, wave processes through the driven tube are too closely coupled, and the secondary driver no longer significantly influences the magnitude of the final test gas flow properties. It is found that these secondary driver operating characteristics depend principally on the initial density ratio between the secondary driver helium gas and the downstream test gas.
Accuracy of self-reported intake of signature foods in a school meal intervention study: comparison between control and intervention period
Authors: Biltoft-Jensen Anja , Damsgaard Camilla Trab , Andersen Rikke , Ygil Karin Hess , Andersen Elisabeth Wreford , Ege Majken , Christensen Tue , Sørensen Louise Bergmann , Stark Ken D. , Tetens Inge , Thorsen Anne-Vibeke
Published: July 2015

Bias in self-reported dietary intake is important when evaluating the effect of dietary interventions, particularly for intervention foods. However, few have investigated this in children, and none have investigated the reporting accuracy of fish intake in children using biomarkers. In a Danish school meal study, 8- to 11-year-old children (n834) were served the New Nordic Diet (NND) for lunch. The present study examined the accuracy of self-reported intake of signature foods (berries, cabbage, root vegetables, legumes, herbs, potatoes, wild plants, mushrooms, nuts and fish) characterising the NND. Children, assisted by parents, self-reported their diet in a Web-based Dietary Assessment Software for Children during the intervention and control (packed lunch) periods. The reported fish intake by children was compared with their ranking according to fasting whole-blood EPA and DHA concentration and weight percentage using the Spearman correlations and cross-classification. Direct observation of school lunch intake (n193) was used to score the accuracy of food-reporting as matches, intrusions, omissions and faults. The reporting of all lunch foods had higher percentage of matches compared with the reporting of signature foods in both periods, and the accuracy was higher during the control period compared with the intervention period. Both Spearman's rank correlations and linear mixed models demonstrated positive associations between EPA+DHA and reported fish intake. The direct observations showed that both reported and real intake of signature foods did increase during the intervention period. In conclusion, the self-reported data represented a true increase in the intake of signature foods and can be used to examine dietary intervention effects.
Long-Term Consequences of Election Results
Authors: Fowler Anthony , Hall Andrew B.
Published: July 2015

Voters in US elections receive markedly different representation depending on which candidate they elect, and because of incumbent advantages, the effects of this choice persist for many years. What are the long-term consequences of these two phenomena? Combining electoral and legislative roll-call data in a dynamic regression discontinuity design, this study assesses the long-term consequences of election results for representation. Across the US House, the US Senate and state legislatures, the effects of ‘coin-flip’ elections persist for at least a decade in all settings, and for as long as three decades in some. Further results suggest that elected officials do not adapt their roll-call voting to their districts’ preferences over time, and that voters do not systematically respond by replacing incumbents.
Theater of the Holy: Performative Elements of Late Ancient Hymnography
Authors: Lieber Laura S.
Published: July 2015

A script is merely an artifact until a performer brings it to life; a text is a starting point, despite the fact that its finality suggests a destination. With works that were meant to be performed in some fashion (however generously understood “performance” may be), the dynamic relationship between performer and audience shapes and even defines their reception; such works, fully expressed, are visual, auditory, and kinetic. The written word may mediate this relationship, shaping the arc of the narrative and the words of the characters, but it is performance that gives the narrative life and the characters voices and bodies.
Absent but Accounted for: A New Approach to theCopper Scroll
Authors: Weitzman Steven
Published: July 2015

Like so much of early Jewish literature, the strange Dead Sea scroll known as theCopper Scroll(3Q15) remains suspended somewhere between reality and fantasy. Even before scholars had fully unrolled its copper plates in 1956, they were able to discern that it recorded a list of treasures, but there soon broke out a dispute over whether this treasure was real or not. Some scholars felt that the treasure was too large to be real and that it was a figment of its author's imagination. They sought the origins of the scroll in ancient Jewish legend. Others believed the treasure to be quite plausible, probably connected to the Temple in some way. The scroll itself, however, revealed nothing that might settle the issue in one direction or the other. In what follows, I wish to explore a way beyond this impasse, not resolving whether the treasure was real or not, but suggesting how it could be both at the same time. Such a claim will seem contradictory, but it is my hope over the course of this essay not just to establish the possibility of such a position but to demonstrate that such a reading is actually more consistent with the evidence we have than any reading that imposes an either/or choice between reading the treasure as fictional or genuine.
Effects of planting density and nitrogen fertilization level on grain yield and harvest index in seven modern tropical maize hybrids (Zea maysL.)
Authors: TRACHSEL S. , SAN VICENTE F. M. , SUAREZ E. A. , RODRIGUEZ C. S. , ATLIN G. N.
Published: July 2015

To support tropical maize (Zea maysL.) breeding efforts, the current work aimed to assess harvest index (HI) in modern hybrids and determine the effect of different planting densities on grain yield and HI under well-fertilized (HN) and nitrogen (N) deficient conditions. Harvest index and grain yield of 34 hybrids on average reached 0·42 and 7·06 t/ha (five environments), indicating a large potential for improvement in HI relative to temperate hybrids. Ear weight (r= 0·88), HI (r= 0·78) and shoot dry weight (r= 0·68) were strongly associated with grain yield. In the second experiment, seven hybrids were evaluated at planting densities of 5, 7, 9 and 11 plants/m2under HN (six environments) and N deficient (LN) conditions (four environments) to assess the effect of planting density on grain yield and HI. Grain yield increased by 40·4 and 21·8% under HN and LN conditions when planting density was increased relative to the lowest planting density. Harvest index increased from 0·42 at 5 plants/m2to 0·45 at 11 plants/m2under HN conditions and decreased from 0·44 at 5 plants/m2to 0·42 at 9 plants/m2under LN conditions. Harvest index was maximized at planting densities of 8·33 plants/m2and 5·30 plants/m2under HN and LN conditions, respectively, while grain yield was maximized at 9·93 plants/m2and 7·89/m2. Optimal planting density maximizing both HI and grain yield were higher than planting densities currently used in tropical germplasm. It can be concluded that productivity in tropical maize could be increased both under intensive (+40·4%) and lower-input management (+21·8%) by increasing planting densities above those currently used in smallholder agriculture in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa, in environments targeted by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center.
Russian
Authors: Yanushevskaya Irena , Bunčić Daniel
Published: July 2015

Russian (ISO 639-3 rus) is an Indo-European East Slavic language spoken by about 162 million people as their first language and about another 110 million as their second language (Lewis, Simons & Fennig 2013), mainly in the Russian Federation (where it is the native language of about 80% of the population, see Berger 1998, Federal’naja služba gosudarstvennoj statistiki (Federal State Statistics Service) 2012: 228–232) and in the other former republics of the USSR (among which it is co-official in Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan). Large groups of Russian speakers (so-called heritage speakers) also live in Europe (especially Germany: almost 3 million or 3.5% of the population, Brehmer 2007: 166–167), Israel (about 1 million or 20%, Glöckner 2008) and the United States (850,000 or 0.3%, Shin & Kominski 2010: 6).
Reduction of RBL–2H3 cells degranulation by nitroaromatic compounds from a Bacillus strain associated to the Amazonian sponge Metania reticulata
Authors: Rozas Enrique E. , Mendes Maria A. , Nascimento Cláudio A.O. , Rodrigues José C.V. , Albano Rodolpho M. , Custódio Márcio R.
Published: July 2015

Symbionts in sponges must interact with the host immune system, and this can be mediated by immunomodulators. As the bases of the immune system in sponges resemble those of higher metazoans, it is possible that compounds from this microbiota show similar effects in other phyla. It is also known that several antibiotics, in special macrolides, can modulate many components of the immune response and sponges and their associated microorganisms are a rich source of these compounds. Therefore, we tested the immunosuppressive capacity of antibiotic substances produced by bacterial and fungal strains isolated from the Amazon freshwater sponge Metania reticulata. Fourteen bacterial and six fungal strains were obtained from samples of M. reticulata collected in the Negro River (Amazon Central Basin region), during the dry season. These cultures were monitored for natural antimicrobial activity, and two Bacillus strains (MERETb.761 and MERETb.762) and one fungus (MERETf.010) were selected. One Bacillus strain, MERETb.762, showed strong and specific antibiosis on Staphylococcus aureus and two fractions of its extract inhibited the degranulation of RBL–2H3 cells. The predicted formulas of these fractions were C12H6N4O8 and C25H4N2O6, both corresponding to nitroaromatic compounds.
Rule-of-law Lineages in Colonial and Early Post-colonial Burma
Authors: CHEESMAN NICK
Published: July 2015

These days the rule of law is often invoked in Burma. Although its contemporary salience is partly a consequence of recent global trends, the rule of law also has lineages in the country's colonial and early post-colonial periods. To examine these lineages, this article distinguishes between its procedural and substantive conceptions. Whereas the latter conception recognizes the subjects of law as freely associating equals, the former is compatible with a range of political practices, including those that are undemocratic. The records of decisions in criminal cases before Burma's superior courts during the period of British domination suggest that some semblance of procedural rule of law did exist, and that it was compatible with the rule of colonial difference. Out of this procedural rule of law a nascent, substantive type emerged during the early years of democratic life in the post-colony, before the onset of military dictatorship. The article concludes that more effort to structure interpretations of the rule of law in history might better enable discussion about the concept's continued relevance.
Occupational differences in US Army suicide rates
Authors: Kessler R. C. , Stein M. B. , Bliese P. D. , Bromet E. J. , Chiu W. T. , Cox K. L. , Colpe L. J. , Fullerton C. S. , Gilman S. E. , Gruber M. J. , Heeringa S. G. , Lewandowski-Romps L. , Millikan-Bell A. , Naifeh J. A. , Nock M. K. , Petukhova M. V. , Rosellini A. J. , Sampson N. A. , Schoenbaum M. , Zaslavsky A. M. , Ursano R. J.
Published: July 2015

Background

Civilian suicide rates vary by occupation in ways related to occupational stress exposure. Comparable military research finds suicide rates elevated in combat arms occupations. However, no research has evaluated variation in this pattern by deployment history, the indicator of occupation stress widely considered responsible for the recent rise in the military suicide rate.

Method

The joint associations of Army occupation and deployment history in predicting suicides were analysed in an administrative dataset for the 729 337 male enlisted Regular Army soldiers in the US Army between 2004 and 2009.

Results

There were 496 suicides over the study period (22.4/100 000 person-years). Only two occupational categories, both in combat arms, had significantly elevated suicide rates: infantrymen (37.2/100 000 person-years) and combat engineers (38.2/100 000 person-years). However, the suicide rates in these two categories were significantly lower when currently deployed (30.6/100 000 person-years) than never deployed or previously deployed (41.2–39.1/100 000 person-years), whereas the suicide rate of other soldiers was significantly higher when currently deployed and previously deployed (20.2–22.4/100 000 person-years) than never deployed (14.5/100 000 person-years), resulting in the adjusted suicide rate of infantrymen and combat engineers being most elevated when never deployed [odds ratio (OR) 2.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.1–4.1], less so when previously deployed (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1–2.1), and not at all when currently deployed (OR 1.2, 95% CI 0.8–1.8). Adjustment for a differential ‘healthy warrior effect’ cannot explain this variation in the relative suicide rates of never-deployed infantrymen and combat engineers by deployment status.

Conclusions

Efforts are needed to elucidate the causal mechanisms underlying this interaction to guide preventive interventions for soldiers at high suicide risk.
Cross-linguistic interactions from second language to first language as the result of individualized narrative language intervention with children with and without language impairment
Authors: PETERSEN DOUGLAS B. , THOMPSEN BRENNA , GUIBERSON MARK M. , SPENCER TRINA D.
Published: July 2015

This study investigated the extent to which results of English narrative intervention interacted cross-linguistically with Spanish for 73 bilingual children. We employed a quasi-experimental design, using matched-pairs random assignment for children with typically developing language and a nonrandom block design for children with language impairment. At pretest and posttest we elicited three different English and Spanish narrative retells. We conducted two 25-min, individualized narrative intervention sessions in English with the treatment group, focusing on causal subordination and story grammar. The results indicated that the English narrative intervention was efficacious for both causal subordination and story grammar. They also indicated that the typically developing children had significantly greater cross-linguistic transfer of causal subordination and story grammar than did the children with language impairment.
Uncertainty estimation in robust tracking control of robot manipulators using the Fourier series expansion
Authors: Khorashadizadeh Saeed , Fateh Mohammad Mehdi
Published: July 2015

This paper presents a novel control algorithm for electrically driven robot manipulators. The proposed control law is simple and model-free based on the voltage control strategy with the decentralized structure and only joint position feedback. It works for both repetitive and non-repetitive tasks. Recently, some control approaches based on the uncertainty estimation using the Fourier series have been presented. However, the proper value for the fundamental period duration has been left as an open problem. This paper addresses this issue and intuitively shows that in order to perform repetitive tasks; the least common multiple (LCM) of fundamental period durations of the desired trajectories of the joints is a proper value for the fundamental period duration of the Fourier series expansion. Selecting the LCM results in the least tracking error. Moreover, the truncation error is compensated by the proposed control law to make the tracking error as small as possible. Adaptation laws for determining the Fourier series coefficients are derived according to the stability analysis. The case study is an SCARA robot manipulator driven by permanent magnet DC motors. Simulation results and comparisons with a voltage-based controller using adaptive neuro-fuzzy systems show the effectiveness of the proposed control approach in tracking various periodic trajectories. Moreover, the experimental results on a real SCARA robot manipulator verify the successful practical implementation of the proposed controller.
VALUE NEUTRALITY AND THE RANKING OF OPPORTUNITY SETS
Authors: Garnett Michael
Published: July 2015

I argue that a liberal commitment to value neutrality is best honoured by maintaining a pure cardinality component in our rankings of opportunity sets. Two challenges to this claim are considered. The first holds that cardinality rankings areunnecessaryfor neutrality, since what matters from this perspective is thevariety(and not the meresize) of opportunity sets. The second holds that pure cardinality metrics areinsufficientfor neutrality, because opportunities cannot be individuated into countable entities without presupposing some relevantly partisan evaluative perspective. In each case, a clear understanding of the liberal basis for valuing liberty yields a satisfying response.
Is late-onset OCD a distinct phenotype? Findings from a comparative analysis of “age at onset” groups
Authors: Sharma Eesha , Sundar A. Shyam , Thennarasu Kandavel , Reddy Y. C. Janardhan
Published: July 2015

Objective

Significant differences in clinical profile and comorbidity patterns have been observed between “juvenile-onset” and “adult-onset” obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). There is little systematic research on onset of OCD after the fourth decade. The current study aims to compare the demographic, clinical, and comorbidity patterns of patients with “juvenile-onset” (<18 years), “adult-onset” (18–39 years), and “late-onset” (≥40 years) OCD.

Method

Eight hundred two consecutive patients who consulted a specialty OCD clinic at a tertiary care hospital in India were evaluated with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, the Yale–Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, and the Clinical Global Impression scale.

Results

37.4%, 57.4%, and 5.2% of patients had juvenile-, adult-, and late-onset OCD, respectively. Late-onset OCD was associated with female gender (χ2=42, p<0.001); negative family history of OCD in first-degree relatives (χ2=20.4, p<0.001); and less aggressive obsessions (χ2=18.16, p<0.001), sexual obsessions (χ2=26.68, p<0.001), pathological doubts (χ2=19.41; p<0.001), and repeating rituals (χ2=44.28; p<0.001). On multinomial logistic regression, late-onset OCD was significantly associated with female gender, collecting compulsions, and less aggressive obsessions, in comparison with adult-onset OCD. In comparison with juvenile-onset, late-onset OCD was significantly associated with female gender, presence of precipitating factors, and less aggressive obsessions, sexual obsessions, and repeating compulsions.

Conclusion

Late-onset OCD is characterized by female gender, lesser familial loading for OCD, and presence of precipitating factors, suggesting that it may have a distinct pathophysiology compared to juvenile- and adult-onset OCD. Systematic research is required to understand the family-genetic, neuropsychological, and neurobiological correlates of late-onset OCD.
Turning Towards or Turning Away: A Comparison of Mindfulness Meditation and Guided Imagery Relaxation in Patients with Acute Depression
Authors: Costa Ana , Barnhofer Thorsten
Published: July 2015

Background: Disengaging from maladaptive thinking is an important imperative in the treatment of depression. Mindfulness training is aimed at helping patients acquire relevant skills for this purpose. It remains unclear, however, whether this practice is helpful when patients are acutely depressed. Aims: In order to investigate effects of mindfulness on symptoms and self-regulatory capacities in this group, the current study compared a brief training in mindfulness (n = 19) to guided imagery relaxation (n = 18). Method: Participants were introduced to the respective techniques in a single session, and practised daily over one week. Self-reported severity of symptoms, difficulties in emotion-regulation, attentional control, the ability to decentre, and mindfulness were assessed pre and postintervention, and at a one-week follow-up. Results: Symptoms of depression significantly decreased and self-regulatory functioning significantly increased in both groups, with changes being maintained during follow-up. When controlling for change in depressive symptoms, results showed significantly higher improvements in emotion regulation at follow-up in the mindfulness group. The ability to decentre predicted changes in symptoms from pre to postintervention, while mindfulness skills predicted changes in symptoms during the maintenance phase. Conclusions: The findings suggest that both practices can help to instigate reductions in symptoms and enhance self-regulatory functioning in depression. However, in order to improve emotion regulation above levels explained by reductions in symptoms more intentional mental training seems necessary. Furthermore, while the ability to disengage from negative patterns of thinking seems crucial for initial reduction of symptoms, maintenance of gains might require broader skills in mindfulness.
Evaluating Deformation-Induced Grain Orientation Change in a Polycrystal During In Situ Tensile Deformation using EBSD
Authors: Buchheit Thomas E. , Carroll Jay D. , Clark Blythe G. , Boyce Brad L.
Published: July 2015

Using an in situ load frame within a scanning electron microscope, a microstructural section on the surface of an annealed tantalum (Ta) polycrystalline specimen was mapped at successive tensile strain intervals, up to ~20% strain, using electron backscatter diffraction. A grain identification and correlation technique was developed for characterizing the evolving microstructure during loading. Presenting the correlated results builds on the reference orientation deviation (ROD) map concept where individual orientation measurements within a grain are compared with a reference orientation associated with that grain. In this case, individual orientation measurements in a deformed grain are measured relative to a reference orientation derived from the undeformed (initial) configuration rather than the current deformed configuration as has been done for previous ROD schemes. Using this technique helps reveal the evolution of crystallographic orientation gradients and development of deformation-induced substructure within grains. Although overall crystallographic texture evolved slowly during deformation, orientation spread within grains developed quickly. In some locations, misorientation relative to the original orientation of a grain exceeded 20° by 15% strain. The largest orientation changes often appeared near grain boundaries suggesting that these regions were preferred locations for the initial development of subgrains.
What Humpty Dumpty might have said about property rights – and the need to put them back together again: a response to critics
Authors: HODGSON GEOFFREY M.
Published: July 2015

This is a response to the useful comments by Allen, Barzel and Cole on Hodgson (2015a) on property rights. One section deals with some misrepresentations by Allen and Barzel. For instance, contrary to one interpretation, Hodgson (2015a) did not accuse the ‘economics of property rights’ of ignoring legal institutions or of making them generally irrelevant. This response further clarifies the standard meaning of rights, showing that it is at variance with usages in the ‘economics of property rights’. The issue of moral motivation, and its relevance for legal compliance, are also elaborated. Some arguments in Hodgson (2015a) have been described by critics as mere semantics, but in response it is argued – contrary to philosophical nominalism – that changes in the meanings of words can be analytically significant, and we should treat traditional meanings more seriously, especially when dealing with other disciplines such as law. (The cryptic reference to Humpty Dumpty comes in here). Before concluding, there is also a brief discussion of different ways of interpreting transaction costs.
Market institutions and income inequality
Authors: HOLCOMBE RANDALL G. , BOUDREAUX CHRISTOPHER J.
Published: July 2015

Some economic analysis concludes that capitalist institutions tend to produce growing income inequality. Piketty (2014Capital in the Twenty-First Century., Cambridge: Harvard University Press) is a recent example. This paper uses two different datasets on income shares of the top 10% to analyze the effect of market institutions on income inequality. The same empirical specifications give different results for the two datasets. This empirical investigation suggests that whether market institutions generate income inequality is an open question.
Does social trust speed up reforms? The case of central-bank independence
Authors: BERGGREN NICLAS , DAUNFELDT SVEN-OLOV , HELLSTRÖM JÖRGEN
Published: July 2015

Many countries have undertaken central-bank independence reforms, but the years of implementation differ. What explains such differences in timing? This is of interest more broadly, as it sheds light on factors that matter for the speed at which economic reforms come about. We study a rich set of potential determinants, both economic and political, but put special focus on a cultural factor, i.e. social trust. We find empirical support for an inverse u-shape: Countries with low and high social trust implemented their reforms earlier than countries with intermediate levels. We make use of two factors to explain this pattern: the need to undertake reform (which is more urgent in countries with low social trust) and the ability to undertake reform (which is greater in countries with high social trust). Overall, our findings imply that culture matters for institutional change.
Compact asymmetric coplanar strip fed Sinc shaped monopole antenna for multiband applications
Authors: Badhai Ritesh Kumar , Gupta Nisha
Published: July 2015

A compact asymmetric coplanar strip fed Sinc shaped monopole antenna suitable for multifrequency operations is proposed for portable wireless devices. The proposed Sinc shaped monopole antenna with truncated half ground plane operates at three frequency bands, 2110–2380, 4180–4600, and 5200–5678 MHz, showing fractional impedance bandwidths of 12, 9, and 8.8%, respectively, suitable for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System, Long Term Evolution handheld devices, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, Wireless Local Area Network, Hyperlan-2, and aeronautical navigation applications. Proposed antenna shows a dual mode of polarization. Finally a prototype model is developed for a typical configuration and the simulated results are validated experimentally.
Adaptation and Validation of the Psychological Need Thwarting Scale in Spanish Physical Education Teachers
Authors: Cuevas Ricardo , Sánchez-Oliva David , Bartholomew Kimberley J. , Ntoumanis Nikos , García-Calvo Tomás
Published: July 2015

Drawing from self-determination theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 1985; Ryan & Deci, 2002), the aim of the study was to adapt and validate a Spanish version of the Psychological Need Thwarting Scale (PNTS; Bartholomew, Ntoumanis, Ryan, & Thørgersen-Ntoumani, 2011) in the educational domain. Psychological need thwarting and burnout were assessed in 619 physical education teachers from several high schools in Spain. Overall, the adapted measure demonstrated good content, factorial (χ2/gl = 4.87, p < .01, CFI = .95, IFI = .96, TLI = .94, RMSEA = .08, SRMR = .05), and external validity, as well as internal consistency (α ≥ .81) and invariance across gender. Moreover, burnout was strongly predicted by teachers’ perceptions of competence (β = .53, p ≤ .01), autonomy (β = .34, p ≤ .01), and relatedness (β = .31, p ≤ .01) need thwarting. In conclusion, these results support the Spanish version of the PNTS as a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the understudied concept of psychological need thwarting in teachers.
Validation of the Communities That Care Measure Adapted for Use in Malaysia
Authors: Razali Muzafar Mohd , Kliewer Wendy
Published: July 2015

In order to address drug use among adolescents and young adults in Malaysia, research is needed on risk and protective factors across multiple domains. The current study describes the adaptation of the Communities That Care (CTC) assessment tool for use in Malaysia, and assessment of its reliability and validity. Participants were 338 adolescents (58.3% male) from secondary schools (87%) and a juvenile center for youth with substance abuse or delinquency problems who completed the adapted version of the CTC. The risk and protective factor scales had adequate to good internal consistency. The measure demonstrated construct validity in that risk and protective factors differed across adolescents in riskier versus less risky settings. Further, risk and protective factors were inversely associated, demonstrating discriminant validity. In logistic regression analyses predicting membership in either the riskier or less risky group of youth, peer drug use and community disorganization both uniquely predicted group membership in the analysis with risk factors; religious practices uniquely predicted group membership in the analysis with protective factors. Collectively, these data supported the utility of this measure for use in Malaysia. The adapted CTC may be useful to school counselors and others in designing and evaluating drug abuse prevention programs.
Non-wetting surface-driven high-aspect-ratio crystalline grain growth for efficient hybrid perovskite solar cells
Authors: Bi Cheng , Wang Qi , Shao Yuchuan , Yuan Yongbo , Xiao Zhengguo , Huang Jinsong
Published: July 2015

Large-aspect-ratio grains are needed in polycrystalline thin-film solar cells for reduced charge recombination at grain boundaries; however, the grain size in organolead trihalide perovskite (OTP) films is generally limited by the film thickness. Here we report the growth of OTP grains with high average aspect ratio of 2.3–7.9 on a wide range of non-wetting hole transport layers (HTLs), which increase nucleus spacing by suppressing heterogeneous nucleation and facilitate grain boundary migration in grain growth by imposing less drag force. The reduced grain boundary area and improved crystallinity dramatically reduce the charge recombination in OTP thin films to the level in OTP single crystals. Combining the high work function of several HTLs, a high stabilized device efficiency of 18.3% in low-temperature-processed planar-heterojunction OTP devices under 1 sun illumination is achieved. This simple method in enhancing OTP morphology paves the way for its application in other optoelectronic devices for enhanced performance.
Atomic view of the histidine environment stabilizing higher-pH conformations of pH-dependent proteins
Authors: Valéry Céline , Deville-Foillard Stéphanie , Lefebvre Christelle , Taberner Nuria , Legrand Pierre , Meneau Florian , Meriadec Cristelle , Delvaux Camille , Bizien Thomas , Kasotakis Emmanouil , Lopez-Iglesias Carmen , Gall Andrew , Bressanelli Stéphane , Le Du Marie-Hélène , Paternostre Maïté , Artzner Franck
Published: July 2015

External stimuli are powerful tools that naturally control protein assemblies and functions. For example, during viral entry and exit changes in pH are known to trigger large protein conformational changes. However, the molecular features stabilizing the higher pH structures remain unclear. Here we elucidate the conformational change of a self-assembling peptide that forms either small or large nanotubes dependent on the pH. The sub-angstrom high-pH peptide structure reveals a globular conformation stabilized through a strong histidine-serine H-bond and a tight histidine-aromatic packing. Lowering the pH induces histidine protonation, disrupts these interactions and triggers a large change to an extended β-sheet-based conformation. Re-visiting available structures of proteins with pH-dependent conformations reveals both histidine-containing aromatic pockets and histidine-serine proximity as key motifs in higher pH structures. The mechanism discovered in this study may thus be generally used by pH-dependent proteins and opens new prospects in the field of nanomaterials.
Development of a transformation system for Hirsutella spp. and visualization of the mode of nematode infection by GFP-labeled H. minnesotensis
Authors: Sun Jingzu , Park Sook-Young , Kang Seogchan , Liu Xingzhong , Qiu Junzhi , Xiang Meichun
Published: July 2015

Hirsutella rhossiliensis and H. minnesotensis are endoparasitic fungi of the second-stage juvenile (J2) of the soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines) in nature. They also parasitize both H. glycines J2 and Caenorhabditis elegans on agar plates. Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation conditions were established for these Hirsutella spp. The resulting transformants were similar to the corresponding wild-type strains. The infection processes of H. glycines J2 and C. elegans second larval stage (L2) by H. minnesotensis expressing ZsGreen were microscopically analyzed. Conidia of H. minnesotensis adhered to passing nematodes within 8 h post-inoculation (hpi), formed an infection peg between 8 and 12 hpi and penetrated the nematode cuticle between 12 and 24 hpi for C. elegans L2 and between 12 and 32 hpi for H. glycines J2. Hyphal proliferation inside of the nematode coelom was observed at approximately 32 hpi for C. elegans L2 and at approximately 40 hpi for H. glycines J2. The fungus consumed the whole body and grew out to produce conidia at approximately 156 and 204 hpi for C. elegans L2 and H. glycines J2, respectively. The efficient transformation protocol and a better understanding of infection process provide a solid foundation for studying the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying fungal parasitism of nematodes.
Rhes influences striatal cAMP/PKA-dependent signaling and synaptic plasticity in a gender-sensitive fashion
Authors: Ghiglieri Veronica , Napolitano Francesco , Pelosi Barbara , Schepisi Chiara , Migliarini Sara , Di Maio Anna , Pendolino Valentina , Mancini Maria , Sciamanna Giuseppe , Vitucci Daniela , Maddaloni Giacomo , Giampà Carmela , Errico Francesco , Nisticò Robert , Pasqualetti Massimo , Picconi Barbara , Usiello Alessandro
Published: July 2015

Mechanisms of gender-specific synaptic plasticity in the striatum, a brain region that controls motor, cognitive and psychiatric functions, remain unclear. Here we report that Rhes, a GTPase enriched in medium spiny neurons (MSNs) of striatum, alters the striatal cAMP/PKA signaling cascade in a gender-specific manner. While Rhes knockout (KO) male mice, compared to wild-type (WT) mice, had a significant basal increase of cAMP/PKA signaling pathway, the Rhes KO females exhibited a much stronger response of this pathway, selectively under the conditions of dopamine/adenosine-related drug challenge. Corticostriatal LTP defects are exclusively found in A2AR/D2R-expressing MSNs of KO females, compared to KO males, an effect that is abolished by PKA inhibitors but not by the removal of circulating estrogens. This suggests that the synaptic alterations found in KO females could be triggered by an aberrant A2AR/cAMP/PKA activity, but not due to estrogen-mediated effect. Consistent with increased cAMP signaling, D1R-mediated motor stimulation, haloperidol-induced catalepsy and caffeine-evoked hyper-activity are robustly enhanced in Rhes KO females compared to mutant males. Thus Rhes, a thyroid hormone-target gene, plays a relevant role in gender-specific synaptic and behavioral responses.
Mechanism of influenza A M2 transmembrane domain assembly in lipid membranes
Authors: Georgieva Elka R. , Borbat Peter P. , Norman Haley D. , Freed Jack H.
Published: July 2015

M2 from influenza A virus functions as an oligomeric proton channel essential for the viral cycle, hence it is a high-priority pharmacological target whose structure and functions require better understanding. We studied the mechanism of M2 transmembrane domain (M2TMD) assembly in lipid membranes by the powerful biophysical technique of double electron-electron resonance (DEER) spectroscopy. By varying the M2TMD-to-lipid molar ratio over a wide range from 1:18,800 to 1:160, we found that M2TMD exists as monomers, dimers and tetramers whose relative populations shift to tetramers with the increase of peptide-to-lipid (P/L) molar ratio. Our results strongly support the tandem mechanism of M2 assembly that is monomers-to-dimer then dimers-to-tetramer, since tight dimers are abundant at small P/L’s and thereafter they assemble as dimers of dimers in weaker tetramers. The stepwise mechanism found for a single-pass membrane protein oligomeric assembly should contribute to the knowledge of the association steps in membrane protein folding.
Anatase TiO2 Nanoparticles with Exposed {001} Facets for Efficient Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
Authors: Chu Liang , Qin Zhengfei , Yang Jianping , Li Xing’ao
Published: July 2015

Anatase TiO2 nanoparticles with exposed {001} facets were synthesized from Ti powder via a sequential hydrothermal reaction process. At the first-step hydrothermal reaction, H-titanate nanowires were obtained in NaOH solution with Ti powder and at second-step hydrothermal reaction, anatase TiO2 nanoparticles with exposed {001} facets were formed in NH4F solution. If the second-step hydrothermal reaction was carried out in pure water, the H-titanate nanowires were decomposed into random shape anatase-TiO2 nanostructures, as well as few impurity of H2Ti8O17 phase and rutile TiO2 phase. Then, the as-prepared TiO2 nanostructures synthesized in NH4F solution and pure water were applied to the photoanodes of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), which exhibited power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 7.06% (VOC of 0.756 V, JSC of 14.80 mA/cm2, FF of 0.631) and 3.47% (VOC of 0.764 V, JSC of 6.86 mA/cm2, FF of 0.662), respectively. The outstanding performance of DSSCs based on anatase TiO2 nanoparticles with exposed {001} facets was attributed to the high activity and large special surface area for excellent capacity of dye adsorption.