bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Forensic Evidence and Criminal Investigations: The Impact of Ballistics Information on the Investigation of Violent Crime in Nine Cities,
Authors: King William R. , Campbell Bradley A. , Matusiak Matthew C. , Katz Charles M.
Published: January 2017

We explore the impact of information from ballistics imaging hit reports on the investigation into violent crimes. Ballistics imaging hits link two crimes involving the same firearm by forensically matching tool marks on the fired bullets or cartridge cases. Interview data collected from detectives who received a hit report were used to explore the relationship between the presence of a hit report and outcomes in 65 gun‐related violent crime investigations in nine U.S. police agencies. Findings indicate hit reports rarely contribute to identification, arrest, charging, or sentencing of suspects, because of delays in producing hit reports. On average, hit reports were completed 181.4 days after the focal crime. This delay forces investigations to proceed without the benefit of information from ballistics analysis. Additionally, hit reports rarely contained detailed information that was immediately useful to investigators. Instead, hit reports required additional research by the investigator to unlock useful information.
Transfer of care and overstay in the management of cellulitis in the emergency short stay unit: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Abetz Jeremy W , Adams Nicholas G , Newnham Harvey , Smit De Villiers , Mitra Biswadev
Published: January 2017

Objective

This study aimed to quantify the rate of transfer of care or overstay from cellulitis management in the emergency short stay unit (ESSU) and to identify risk factors during initial assessment associated with transfer of care or overstay.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted including cellulitis patients diagnosed with and admitted to the ESSU at a metropolitan adult tertiary referral centre. Data abstracted included patient demographics, comorbidities, initial investigations and initial vital signs. Transfer of care or overstay were defined as inpatient admission or a stay in ESSU >28 h, respectively.

Results

Of the 451 included patients, 157 (34.8%) met the criteria for transfer of care or overstay. These criteria included admission to hospital inpatient units (115 patients, 73.2%) and patients who overstayed the ESSU time period (42 patients, 26.8%). Variables independently associated with transfer of care or overstay were obesity (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 4.33; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.38–15.59), i.v. drug use (adjusted OR 2.15; 95% CI 1.03–4.51), white blood cell count (adjusted OR 1.09; 95% CI 1.02–1.16 per 1 × 109/L increase) and C‐reactive protein (adjusted OR 1.004; 95% CI 1.00–1.01 per 1 mg/L increase).

Conclusions

Transfer of care or overstay after admission to ESSU was high among patients with cellulitis. Variables independently associated with transfer of care or overstay were obesity, i.v. drug use, elevated white blood cell count and elevated C‐reactive protein. Awareness of these variables can inform appropriate guidelines for ESSU admission, potentially improving patient flow and reducing length of stay in the ED and hospital.
Identification and comparison of long non‐coding RNAs in the silk gland between domestic and wild silkworms
Authors: Zhou Qiu‐Zhong , Fang Shou‐Min , Zhang Qiang , Yu Quan‐You , Zhang Ze
Published: January 2017

Under long‐term artificial selection, the domestic silkworm (Bombyx mori) has increased its silk yield tremendously in comparison with its wild progenitor, Bombyx mandarina. However, the molecular mechanism of silk yield increase is still unknown. Comparative analysis of long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) may provide some insights into understanding this phenotypic variation. In this study, using RNA sequencing technology data of silk gland in domestic and wild silkworms, we identified 599 lncRNAs in the silk gland of the silkworm. Compared with protein‐coding genes, the silk gland lncRNA genes tend to have fewer exon numbers, shorter transcript length and lower GC‐content. Moreover, we found that three lncRNA genes are significantly and differentially expressed between domestic and wild silkworms. The potential targets of two differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) (dw4sg_0040 and dw4sg_0483) and the expression‐correlated genes with the two DELs are mainly enriched in the related processes of silk protein translation. This implies that these DELs may affect the phenotypic variation in silk yield between the domestic and wild silkworms through the post‐transcriptional regulation of silk protein.
qfasar: quantitative fatty acid signature analysis with R
Authors: Bromaghin Jeffrey F.
Published: January 2017

Knowledge of predator diets provides essential insights into their ecology, yet diet estimation is challenging and remains an active area of research.

Quantitative fatty acid signature analysis (QFASA) is a popular method of estimating diet composition that continues to be investigated and extended. However, software to implement QFASA has only recently become publicly available.

I summarize a new R package, qfasar, for diet estimation using QFASA methods. The package also provides functionality to evaluate and potentially improve the performance of a library of prey signature data, compute goodness‐of‐fit diagnostics, and support simulation‐based research. Several procedures in the package have not previously been published.

qfasar makes traditional and recently published QFASA diet estimation methods accessible to ecologists for the first time. Use of the package is illustrated with signature data from Chukchi Sea polar bears and potential prey species.
Emerging Role of Epigenetic Mechanisms in Alcohol Addiction
Authors: Berkel Tiffani D.M. , Pandey Subhash C.
Published: January 2017

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a complex brain disorder with an array of persistent behavioral and neurochemical manifestations. Both genetic and environmental factors are known to contribute to the development of AUD, and recent studies on alcohol exposure and subsequent changes in gene expression suggest the importance of epigenetic mechanisms. In particular, histone modifications and DNA methylation have emerged as important regulators of gene expression and associated phenotypes of AUD. Given the therapeutic potential of epigenetic targets, this review aims to summarize the role of epigenetic regulation in our current understanding of AUD by evaluating known epigenetic signatures of brain regions critical to addictive behaviors in both animal and human studies throughout various stages of AUD. More specifically, the effects of acute and chronic alcohol exposure, tolerance, and postexposure withdrawal on epigenetically induced changes to gene expression and synaptic plasticity within key brain regions and the associated behavioral phenotypes have been discussed. Understanding the contribution of epigenetic regulation to crucial signaling pathways may prove vital for future development of novel biomarkers and treatment agents in ameliorating or preventing AUD.
Business ethics searches: A socioeconomic and demographic analysis of U.S. Google Trends in the context of the 2008 financial crisis
Authors: Faugère Christophe , Gergaud Olivier
Published: January 2017

A socioeconomic and demographic analysis of U.S. Google Trends for queries about Business Ethics and Greed is proposed in the context of the 2008 financial crisis. The framework is grounded in the ethical decision‐making literature. Two models using micro and macro‐type variables are tested using GLM and GEE regression techniques. The frequency of these Google queries varies positively with the ratio of females, educational attainment, younger adult age, some measures of economic hardship or inequalities, and the lesser the weight of the finance industry represented in each State. The frequency of queries intensifies for these same socioeconomic and demographic categories, in the aftermath of the financial crisis. This article is the first to study the salience of business ethics as an issue in the empirical literature using a nationwide database. It also provides a first empirical study in the specialized literature on “ethics in a time of crisis”. This study lays a preliminary groundwork to identify pro‐ethical reform segments of the population, with practical use for financial regulatory agencies.
Improving Efficiency of Parameter Estimation in Case-Cohort Studies with Multivariate Failure Time Data
Authors: Yan Ying , Zhou Haibo , Cai Jianwen
Published: January 2017

The case-cohort study design is an effective way to reduce cost of assembling and measuring expensive covariates in large cohort studies. Recently, several weighted estimators were proposed for the case-cohort design when multiple diseases are of interest. However, these existing weighted estimators do not make effective use of the covariate information available in the whole cohort. Furthermore, the auxiliary information for the expensive covariates, which may be available in the studies, cannot be incorporated directly. In this article, we propose a class of updated-estimators. We show that, by making effective use of the whole cohort information, the proposed updated-estimators are guaranteed to be more efficient than the existing weighted estimators asymptotically. Furthermore, they are flexible to incorporate the auxiliary information whenever available. The advantages of the proposed updated-estimators are demonstrated in simulation studies and a real data analysis.
Observing the Observer: Freud and the Limits of Empiricism
Authors: Allison Elizabeth
Published: January 2017

In Freud's representations of the origins of psychoanalysis he tended to deny the existence of any significant philosophical or literary precursors, preferring to present psychoanalysis as an empirical science. This paper will situate Freud's work in the context of the philosophical crisis resulting from David Hume's pushing of empiricism to its limits. The difficulties that Hume encountered in his attempt to observe the observer raised unsettling questions concerning the constitution of the psyche and its implications for the possibility of knowledge and agency that a succession of subsequent thinkers struggled to answer. Freud's work can fruitfully be seen as an intervention in this debate, which, as we shall see, is still ongoing.
The Breathing Boundary
Authors: Sinason Valerie
Published: January 2017

All psychotherapy is dependent on a frame, a structure. We require boundaries in order to feel and provide containment. However, when working with patient groups who have been excluded from mainstream risk‐averse treatment we learn more about the nature of professional boundaries. A boundary needs to be nurtured and thought about. It needs to breathe and to come from thought. A rigid boundary is a different matter. Where is the humble concept of not knowing? What makes flexible guidelines become rigidified into inflexible codes and barriers? In interrogating techniques that do not work with people with intellectual disabilities we learn more about shared areas of social disability. This paper focuses on questions of analytic neutrality, affect, anger, transparency, and disability psychotherapy in the external as well as internal world.
Biodegradation and tissue integration of various polyethylene glycol matrices: a comparative study in rabbits
Authors: Thoma Daniel S. , Weber Franz E. , Bienz Stefan P. , Ge Yanjun , Hämmerle Christoph H. F. , Jung Ronald E.
Published: January 2017

Objectives

To test whether or not chemical and/or physical modifications of polyethylene glycol (PEG) hydrogels influence degradation time, matrix/membrane stability, and integration into surrounding hard and soft tissues.

Material and methods

In 28 rabbits, six treatment modalities were randomly applied to six sites on the rabbit skull: a dense network PEG hydrogel (PEG HD), a medium‐dense network PEG hydrogel (PEG MD), a medium‐dense network PEG hydrogel modified with an RGD sequence (PEG MD/RGD), a medium‐dense network PEG hydrogel modified with RGD with reduced carboxymethyl cellulose (PEG MD/RGD_LV), a loose network PEG hydrogel modified with RGD (PEG LD/RGD), and a collagen membrane (BG). Descriptive histology and histomorphometry were performed at 1, 2, 4, and 6 weeks.

Results

PEG HD revealed the highest percentage of residual matrix at all time points starting with 47.2% (95% CI: 32.8–63.8%) at 1 week and ending with 23.4% (95% CI: 10.3–49.8%) at 6 weeks. The hydrogel with the loosest network (PEG LD/RGD) was stable the first 2 weeks and then degraded continuously with a final area of 8.3% (95% CI: 3.2–21.2%). PEG HD was the most stable and densely stained membrane, whereas PEG MD and PEG LD matrices integrated faster, but started to degrade to a higher degree between 2 and 4 weeks. PEG MD degradation was dependent on the addition of RGD and the amount of CMC.

Conclusions

Chemical and/or physical modifications of PEG hydrogels influenced matrix stability. PEG MD/RGD demonstrated an optimal balance between degradation time and integration into the surrounding soft and hard tissues.
Benign vascular lesions of the lips: Diagnostic approach
Authors: Tobouti Priscila L. , Olegário Isabel , de Sousa Suzana C.O.M.
Published: January 2017

Background

Although not rare, vascular lesions occurring in the lips sometimes poses a difficult in properly diagnosing and handling them. In this study, vascular lesions occurring in the lips were retrieved from an Oral Pathology Service.

Methods

Among 5600 biopsies, 131 cases were found. The following diagnoses were attributed: caliber‐persistent artery, infantile hemangioma, vascular malformation, venous lake, thrombus, papillary endothelial hyperplasia and pyogenic granuloma. Clinical data were obtained from patients’ records.

Results

The lesions’ frequency were: pyogenic granuloma (48%), followed by venous lake (17.5%), thrombus (14.5%), papillary endothelial hyperplasia (9.1%), infantile hemangioma (6.1%), caliber‐persistent artery (3%) and vascular malformation (1.5%). Glucose transporter protein of the erythrocyte type was positive only in infantile hemangioma. The other markers (CD34 and smooth muscle action) were positive in all lesions, except for podoplanin, which was negative.

Conclusion

It is important to be aware of the occurrence of different vascular lip lesions and their histomorphologies in order to properly handle them. Despite most lesions do not represent any risk to the patient, some of them can reach large dimensions and thus cause aesthetical trouble. Immunohistochemistry may help when the vascular character of the lesion is not promptly determined and to differentiate among some lesions.
Neonatal predictors of cognitive ability in adults born very preterm: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Breeman Linda D , Jaekel Julia , Baumann Nicole , Bartmann Peter , Wolke Dieter
Published: January 2017

Aim

To identify neonatal predictors to allow a developmental prognosis of the cognitive abilities of survivors born very preterm/very low birthweight (VLBW) into adult life.

Method

The Bavarian Longitudinal Study is a prospective whole‐population study that followed 260 infants born very preterm/VLBW from birth to adulthood. Regression analyses examined which neonatal factors predicted adult IQ.

Results

Neonatal morbidity, neonatal treatment, and early social environment of infants born very preterm/VLBW explained 37.6% of the variance in adult IQ. Seven unique early‐life predictors of lower adulthood IQ were found: respiratory distress syndrome, intraventricular haemorrhage, problems with mobility, mechanical ventilation, less parenteral nutrition, low/middle socioeconomic status, and poor early parent–infant relationships. Specifically, modifiable factors such as mechanical ventilation predicted a drop of 0.43 IQ points for each day of treatment, adjusted for initial respiratory problems. Good early parent–infant relationships predicted an approximately 5‐point increase in adult IQ, adjusted for other significant predictors such as socioeconomic status.

Interpretation

Mechanical ventilation, parenteral feeding, and early parenting were identified as significant modifiable factors that were strongly related to adult IQ. Mechanical ventilation policies have changed but there is scope for early interventions that focus on positive parenting, which may reduce the adverse effects of very preterm/VLBW birth on cognitive abilities.
Disruption of dopamine homeostasis has sexually dimorphic effects on senescence characteristics of Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Bednářová Andrea , Hanna Marley E. , Rakshit Kuntol , O'Donnell Janis M. , Krishnan Natraj
Published: January 2017

The neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) is known to be involved in a multitude of physiological processes. We investigated sexually dimorphic effects of disruptions in DA homeostasis and its relationship to senescence using three different Drosophila melanogaster mutants namely Catsup (Catsup26) with elevated DA levels, and pale (ple2), Punch (PuZ22) with depleted DA levels. In all genotypes including controls, DA levels were significantly lower in old (45–50‐day‐old) flies compared with young (3–5‐day‐old) in both sexes. Interestingly, females had lower DA content than males at young age whereas this difference was not observed in old age, suggesting that males had a larger decline in DA levels with age. Females, in general, were longer lived compared with males in all genotypes except ple2 mutants with depleted DA levels. This phenotype was abolished in the ple2 rescue flies. Interestingly, females also demonstrated marked age‐related decline in circadian locomotor activity compared with males. Old Catsup26 males with elevated DA levels accumulated significantly lower levels of lipid peroxidation product 4‐hydroxy 2‐nonenal (4‐HNE) compared with age‐matched wild type, ple2 and PuZ22 mutant males. In Catsup26 revertant lines this phenomenon was absent. We also observed a sexually dimorphic response in the expression levels of key stress and aging associated and/or related transcription factor genes across genotypes with elevated or depleted DA levels which was reverted to wild type levels in specific rescue lines. Taken together, our results reveal a novel sexually dimorphic involvement of DA in senescence characteristics of D. melanogaster.
The effect of age, sex and clinical features on the volume of Corpus Callosum in pre‐schoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder: a case–control study
Authors: Giuliano Alessia , Saviozzi Irene , Brambilla Paolo , Muratori Filippo , Retico Alessandra , Calderoni Sara
Published: January 2017

A growing body of literature has identified volume alterations of the corpus callosum (CC) in subjects with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, to date very few investigations have been conducted on pre‐school‐age ASD children. This study aims to compare the volume of CC and its sub‐regions between pre‐schoolers with ASD and controls (CON) and to examine their relationship to demographic and clinical variables (sex, age, non‐verbal IQ ‐NVIQ‐, expressive non‐echolalic language, emotional and behavioural problems, and autism severity). The volume of CC of 40 pre‐schoolers with ASD (20 males and 20 females; mean age: 49 ± 12 months; mean NVIQ: 73 ± 22) and 40 sex‐, age‐, and NVIQ‐matched CON subjects (20 M and 20 F; mean age: 49 ± 14 months; mean NVIQ: 73 ± 23) were quantified applying the FreeSurfer automated parcellation software on Magnetic Resonance images. No significant volumetric differences in CC total volume and in its sub‐regions between ASD and CON were found using total brain volume as a covariate. Analogously, absence of CC volumetric differences was evident when boys and girls with ASD were compared with their matched controls. The CC total volume of younger ASD male subjects was found significantly larger with respect to matched CON, which is consistent with the atypical growth trajectory widely reported in these young children. The CC total volume was negatively correlated with autism severity, whereas no association between CC volume and other clinical variables was detected. If replicated, the indirect relationship between CC volume and autism severity suggests the involvement of CC in core ASD symptoms.
Food restriction induces synaptic incorporation of calcium‐permeable AMPA receptors in nucleus accumbens
Authors: Ouyang Jiangyong , Carcea Ioana , Schiavo Jennifer K. , Jones Kymry T. , Rabinowitsch Ariana , Kolaric Rhonda , Cabeza de Vaca Soledad , Froemke Robert C. , Carr Kenneth D.
Published: January 2017

Chronic food restriction potentiates behavioral and cellular responses to drugs of abuse and D‐1 dopamine receptor agonists administered systemically or locally in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). However, the alterations in NAc synaptic transmission underlying these effects are incompletely understood. AMPA receptor trafficking is a major mechanism for regulating synaptic strength, and previous studies have shown that both sucrose and d‐amphetamine rapidly alter the abundance of AMPA receptor subunits in the NAc postsynaptic density (PSD) in a manner that differs between food‐restricted and ad libitum fed rats. In this study we examined whether food restriction, in the absence of reward stimulus challenge, alters AMPAR subunit abundance in the NAc PSD. Food restriction was found to increase surface expression and, specifically, PSD abundance, of GluA1 but not GluA2, suggesting synaptic incorporation of GluA2‐lacking Ca2+‐permeable AMPARs (CP‐AMPARs). Naspm, an antagonist of CP‐AMPARs, decreased the amplitude of evoked EPSCs in NAc shell, and blocked the enhanced locomotor response to local microinjection of the D‐1 receptor agonist, SKF‐82958, in food‐restricted, but not ad libitum fed, subjects. Although microinjection of the D‐2 receptor agonist, quinpirole, also induced greater locomotor activation in food‐restricted than ad libitum fed rats, this effect was not decreased by Naspm. Taken together, the present findings are consistent with the synaptic incorporation of CP‐AMPARs in D‐1 receptor‐expressing medium spiny neurons in NAc as a mechanistic underpinning of the enhanced responsiveness of food‐restricted rats to natural rewards and drugs of abuse.
Applying population and community ecology theory to advance understanding of belowground biogeochemistry
Authors: Buchkowski Robert W. , Bradford Mark A. , Grandy Andrew Stuart , Schmitz Oswald J. , Wieder William R.
Published: January 2017

Approaches to quantifying and predicting soil biogeochemical cycles mostly consider microbial biomass and community composition as products of the abiotic environment. Current numerical approaches then primarily emphasise the importance of microbe–environment interactions and physiology as controls on biogeochemical cycles. Decidedly less attention has been paid to understanding control exerted by community dynamics and biotic interactions. Yet a rich literature of theoretical and empirical contributions highlights the importance of considering how variation in microbial population ecology, especially biotic interactions, is related to variation in key biogeochemical processes like soil carbon formation. We demonstrate how a population and community ecology perspective can be used to (1) understand the impact of microbial communities on biogeochemical cycles and (2) reframe current theory and models to include more detailed microbial ecology. Through a series of simulations we illustrate how density dependence and key biotic interactions, such as competition and predation, can determine the degree to which microbes regulate soil biogeochemical cycles. The ecological perspective and model simulations we present lay the foundation for developing empirical research and complementary models that explore the diversity of ecological mechanisms that operate in microbial communities to regulate biogeochemical processes.
Joint associations of blood plasma proteins with overwinter survival of a large mammal
Authors: Garnier Romain , Cheung Christopher K. , Watt Kathryn A. , Pilkington Jill G. , Pemberton Josephine M. , Graham Andrea L.
Published: January 2017

In many wild animal populations, hosts are at risk of parasites and malnutrition and resource costs of defence may be difficult to afford. We postulate that proteins, important in homeostasis and immunity, play a complex but central role in condition dependence and resource costs of mammalian immune defence. To test this, we measured plasma concentrations of albumin, total proteins. Self‐reactive antibodies and parasite‐specific IgG in female Soay sheep. Using a principal component analysis, we found a new metric of condition reflecting individual variation in acquisition, assimilation and/or recycling of plasma proteins that predicted overwinter survival. Controlling for this metric, an age‐dependent trade‐off between antibody titres and protein reserves emerged, indicating costs of mounting an antibody response: younger individuals survived best when prioritising immunity while older individuals fared better when maintaining high‐protein nutritional plane. These findings suggest fascinating roles for protein acquisition and allocation in influencing survival in wild animal populations.
Overexpression of AQP3 and AQP10 in the skin exacerbates psoriasiform acanthosis
Authors: Soler David C. , Young Andrew E. , Griffith Alexis D. , Fu Ping fu , Cooper Kevin D. , McCormick Thomas S. , Popkin Daniel L.
Published: January 2017

We previously observed that aquaporin‐3 and aquaporin‐10 are upregulated in the epidermis of hand dermatitis patients (Med. Hypotheses, 84, 2015, 498). To address the functional relevance of this upregulation, we overexpressed AQP3/AQP10 in mice using the human K1 promoter. Combining imiquimod with detergent‐containing water challenge, a common trigger in hand and other dermatitis, resulted in an increase in acanthosis in mice overexpressing AQP3 or AQP3 and AQP10. Aquaporin overexpression also drove a trend towards greater weight loss in these animals. These data support a role for cutaneous aquaporins in the pathogenesis of dermatitis and as a potential target in their treatment.
Experimental reductions in stream flow alter litter processing and consumer subsidies in headwater streams
Authors: Northington Robert M. , Webster Jackson R.
Published: January 2017

Forested headwater streams are connected to their surrounding catchments by a reliance on terrestrial subsidies. Changes in precipitation patterns and stream flow represent a potential disruption in stream ecosystem function, as the delivery of terrestrial detritus to aquatic consumers and downstream transport are compromised. The potential effect of drying on decomposition is critical to understanding ecosystem processes in these detritus‐driven ecosystems.

In this study, we experimentally altered stream connectivity to examine how altered water availability would influence litter decomposition. We used three catchments in the Coweeta Hydrologic Lab in North Carolina, U.S.A., establishing sites that were always wet, intermediately wet and completely terrestrial, while also experimentally diverting significant surface flow from downstream locations for several months.

The flow manipulation significantly reduced the amount of water available to the three study reaches, leading to drastic changes in organic matter accumulation. Stream temperature and dissolved oxygen changed during the manipulation but only in response to season. Nutrient concentrations remained low or below detection during the experiment, demonstrating no response to the manipulation.

Red maple and white oak demonstrated significantly different mass loss during the first few days of the experiment, but by the completion of the experiment, location was a more significant determinant of breakdown rate than leaf identity. Leaves placed in sites that were consistently wet decomposed at a higher rate than those in bank or terrestrial sites.

Initially, leaf decomposition varied significantly based on site type and presence of water, which led to disruptions in microbial and macroinvertebrate colonisation and processing. High flows during large winter storms reconnected dried reaches and stimulated rates of decomposition due to colonisation by microbes and macroinvertebrates.

Macroinvertebrate densities tracked microbial biomass accumulation on leaves, but were dependent upon location. Leaves in the manipulated reaches had significantly higher macroinvertebrate densities compared to the upstream control in the winter and spring in response to the delayed wetting of large standing stocks of leaves and subsequent colonisation by microbes.

Our study demonstrated that even minor disruptions in stream connectivity at key times of the year have community‐ and ecosystem‐level influences that alter decomposition. The resilience of these ecosystems will depend on the frequency of disturbances and the ability of organisms to adapt to changing resource conditions.
Social Network Analysis of Actors in Rural Development: A Case Study of Yanhe Village, Hubei Province, China
Authors: Wang Xu , Wang Xiaoming , Wu Jingxia , Zhao Guochao
Published: January 2017

Agricultural production, rural areas, and farmers are three key aspects of agriculture related to sustainable economic and social development in China. Rural development is a process of multi‐participation, which involves actors from governments, village committees, villagers, rural economic cooperatives, enterprises, financing institutions, and non‐government organizations (NGOs). Based on social network analysis (SNA), this article analyzes the social network structures and characteristics of various actors in different stages of rural development in Yanhe village, Hubei Province, China. The results show that both the village committee and villagers have great influence on rural development; NGOs are the leaders of rural environmental improvement; village cooperatives are the promoters of rural economic development; enterprises are the accelerators of rural construction and development. The study outlines the rural development model in Yanhe village where the village committee is the leader and multiple forms of participation and cooperation are present; there are excellent partnerships and communication mechanisms among the participants. The endogenous and sustainable development model identified from Yanhe village is valuable for other villages in China to adopt.
Intention to receive the seasonal influenza vaccine among nurses working in a long‐term care facility
Authors: Shahar Irit , Mendelson Gad , Ben Natan Merav
Published: January 2017

The factors affecting influenza vaccine uptake among nurses might vary between different medical facilities. The purpose of the present study was to explore factors that affect the intention of nurses at a long‐term care facility to receive the influenza vaccine and whether the health belief model predicts this intention. In this cross‐sectional quantitative correlational study, a convenience sample of 150 nurses employed at a large long‐term care facility in central Israel completed a questionnaire based on the health belief model. Data collection took place between January and February of 2016. Forty‐two percent of the respondents reported having been vaccinated against influenza in the current year. The health belief model explained 53% of the variance (p < .01), with perceived (personal) benefits of the vaccine being the most significant factor. The number of times of receiving the influenza vaccine in the past was strongly correlated with the intention to receive the vaccine (p < .01). To improve nurses' compliance with influenza vaccination at long‐term care facilities, we find that it is necessary to emphasize the benefits of vaccination and, particularly, the personal benefits. Annual vaccination behavior should be promoted to make it become a routine.
Self‐care behaviours and trajectory management by people with scleroderma in northeastern Thailand
Authors: Hornboonherm Promjit , Nanagara Ratanavadee , Kochamat Apinya , Wantha Oratai
Published: January 2017

Scleroderma, particularly systemic sclerosis, is a chronic illness that affects a person's physical, emotional, psychosocial, and spiritual dimensions. To investigate self‐care deficits, health behaviours, and trajectory management of Thai people with systemic sclerosis, an exploratory case study method was used through interviews and patient records. Self‐care deficit nursing theory and the chronic illness trajectory framework guided the research. Twelve patients with systemic sclerosis were purposively recruited at a hospital clinic in the northeastern region of Thailand. Thai people living with systemic sclerosis developed specific self‐care agencies in each of 3 identified trajectory patterns to improve their health and well‐being. By applying the theory and framework that guided the research, nurses can promote self‐care behaviours and recognize situations along an illness trajectory that require intervention and management. The results extend the understanding of how people live and cope with systemic sclerosis.
Effect of grit shape and crystal structure on damage in diamond wire scribing of silicon
Authors: Kumar Arkadeep , Melkote Shreyes N. , Kaminski Steffi , Arcona Chris
Published: January 2017

Fundamental understanding of the fixed abrasive slicing of photovoltaic silicon wafers is crucial for producing low‐cost wafers with superior surface quality and mechanical strength. With the goal of understanding the diamond wire sawing process, this paper investigates the scribing of mono‐ and multi‐crystalline silicon by the abrasive grits on an actual diamond wire. Specifically, the effects of grit shape and silicon crystal structure on the resulting surface morphology, subsurface damage, and the critical depth of cut at which ductile‐to‐brittle transition occurs are investigated. Results show that surface cracking depends on the grit shape. Scribing across the grain and twin boundaries in multi‐crystalline silicon impacts the resulting surface morphology, with grit shape producing a greater effect than crystallographic orientation in the grain interior relative to the grain boundary. Subsurface damage depends on the grit shape and crystal structure. Differences in the critical depth of cut for ductile‐to‐brittle transition in scribing of mono‐crystalline silicon are explained via analysis of the stress state produced by idealized grit shapes.
Presentation Trainer: what experts and computers can tell about your nonverbal communication
Authors: Schneider J. , Börner D. , van Rosmalen P. , Specht M.
Published: January 2017

The ability to present effectively is essential for professionals; therefore, oral communication courses have become part of the curricula for higher education studies. However, speaking in public is still a challenge for many graduates. To tackle this problem, driven by the recent advances in computer vision techniques and prosody analysis, multimodal tools have been designed to support the development of public speaking skills. One of these tools is the Presentation Trainer, a research prototype able to provide learners with real‐time feedback on a set of nonverbal communication aspects. Despite initial positive evaluations, the application still lacks grounding in a valid assessment model for nonverbal communication aspects in the context of presentations. To come up with such a model, we conducted semi‐structured interviews with experts in the public speaking domain. Furthermore, the objective of these interviews was also to have a formative evaluation of the Presentation Trainer, analysing how it suits with common practices for teaching and learning public speaking skills. The results of this study identify 131 nonverbal communication practices that affect the quality of a presentation and summarize experts' points of view regarding multimodal public speaker instructors.
Environmental Sustainability of Fluid Milk Delivery Systems in the United States
Authors: Burek Jasmina , Kim Daesoo , Nutter Darin , Selke Susan , Auras Rafael , Cashman Sarah , Sauer Beverly , Thoma Greg
Published: January 2017

Beverage producers in the United States choose packaging based on cost and consumer preference. Monolayer high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) and gable‐top carton containers have long dominated the U.S. fluid milk market, but pressure for more sustainable packaging is increasing. We present a broad discussion on environmental sustainability of 18 fluid milk containers through life cycle assessment. Because different container types require unique milk processing, distribution, and disposal and incur or avoid milk losses, fluid milk delivery systems (FMDSs) are evaluated, rather than containers in isolation. By assessing FMDSs, a complete measure of containers’ environmental sustainability was obtained. Despite conservative assumptions about milk losses, differences in container size, milk processing, distribution, and container recycling, pair‐wise cradle‐to‐grave comparisons of FMDSs show there are no superior FMDSs. But, 500‐ to 1,000‐milliliter FMDSs are potentially superior to ≥half gallon if they prevent milk losses. Thus, the future of FMDSs in the United States depends on the industry's ability to prevent distribution (12%) and consumption milk losses (20% to 35%). Farm‐gate‐to‐grave comparisons showed that chilled HDPE FMDSs are superior to other plastic and chilled paperboard FMDSs for climate‐change impact, but the result is inconclusive for chilled HDPE to ambient (unrefrigerated) paperboard or plastic pouch FMDS comparisons. Plastic pouch FMDSs show potential to reduce nonrenewable fossil energy, but need to be recyclable. Ambient FMDSs are superior to chilled FMDSs for water depletion. Eight‐ounce paperboard FMDSs are superior to 8‐ounce plastic FMDSs. Thus, alternative FMDSs may improve environmental sustainability of the U.S. postfarm fluid milk supply chain.
Deriving European Tantalum Flows Using Trade and Production Statistics
Authors: Deetman Sebastiaan , van Oers Lauran , van der Voet Ester , Tukker Arnold
Published: January 2017

Even though tantalum has a high economic importance and is associated with armed conflict, the use of tantalum throughout the supply chain of importing economies is not well understood. This article adds to existing qualitative descriptions of the tantalum supply chain by performing a quantified substance flow analysis (SFA) of tantalum for Europe in the year 2007. The exercise is meant to show how readily available statistical information could be used along with simple and transparent assumptions on product composition and allocation, to yield an enabling and visual representation of the supply chain for critical materials. The case of tantalum shows some surprising results. First of all, this study shows that tantalum in computer hard disks and artificial joints may be more relevant than found in previous studies. Further, we find that the tantalum consumption in Europe may be larger than expected based on geological survey reports, attributed to a high fraction of tantalum being imported in subcomponents and final products. Further research is needed to substantiate this claim, but what is clear is that a detailed SFA provides valuable insights into the consumption of tantalum as a critical material, throughout the stages in the supply chain related to the production and use of tantalum‐containing products. The exercise also allowed production of waste generation profiles and enabled identification of e‐waste as an important focus group in order to improve tantalum recycling rates and eventually to reduce society's dependence on scarce or conflict‐related raw materials.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Quantification and Reduction Efforts in a Rural Municipality
Authors: Froemelt Andreas , Mauchle Manuela , Steubing Bernhard , Hellweg Stefanie
Published: January 2017

The present article aims to determine the current carbon footprint (CF) of Zernez, a Swiss mountain village, and to identify reduction potentials of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. For this purpose, material and energy flows were assessed mainly based on detailed household surveys, interviews, and energy bills, but also by means of other information sources, for example, national statistics, traffic censuses, and literature values. To set up the GHG balance, special attention was paid to the consistent definition of system boundaries by adopting two fundamentally different perspectives: purely geographical accounting (PGA) and the consumption‐based footprint (CBF) method. Each of these two perspectives total approximately 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents per capita per year. The PGA revealed that 70% of the direct emissions in Zernez are caused by agricultural activities, whereas no consumption area dominated the consumption‐induced CF. For the identification of targeted measures, both perspectives were considered in a complementary manner. The building stock and its underlying energy supply system showed a GHG reduction potential of 80%. The building sector was thus detected as a reasonable first step for the municipality to adopt GHG mitigation strategies. In the case of Zernez, building‐stock‐related measures are predicted to decrease the current CF by 13% (CBF) and 17% (PGA), respectively.
Carbon Accounting in Harvested Wood Products: Assessment Using Material Flow Analysis Resulting in Larger Pools Compared to the IPCC Default Method
Authors: Jasinevičius Gediminas , Lindner Marcus , Cienciala Emil , Tykkyläinen Markku
Published: January 2017

Increasing the amount of carbon stored in harvested wood products (HWPs) is an internationally recognized measure to mitigate climate change. Several approaches and tiers of methods may be used to analyze the contribution of HWP in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and removals at a regional and national level. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) provides guidelines on three tiers of methods for estimating annual carbon stock changes in the carbon pool of HWPs. These tiers mostly differ by the availability of input data and the level of HWP aggregation. In this case study for the Czech Republic, we have applied the production approach and alternative tiers of accounting methods, which are described in the IPCC guidelines, including the default method (tier 2) and the most advanced method (tier 3). We used country‐specific data and material flow analysis to trace the carbon flow over the entire forest‐based sector, including only the domestic harvest and the primary and secondary wood products manufactured within the country. The results of this study show that the carbon stored in the HWP pool could be underestimated if simpler methods and default values nonspecific to the country are applied. At the national level, applying the tier 3 method resulted in a 15.8% higher annual carbon inflow in the pool of HWPs compared to the tier 2 IPCC default method. This means that the advanced method reveals an apparently higher carbon sink in HWPs. A documented increase of carbon storage might bring additional credits to reporting countries, and, more important, it could promote the use of long‐life HWPs to mitigate climate change.
Integrated Material Flow Analysis and Process Modeling to Increase Energy and Water Efficiency of Industrial Cooling Water Systems
Authors: Schlei‐Peters Ina , Wichmann Matthias Gerhard , Matthes Ingo‐Georg , Gundlach Friedrich‐Wilhelm , Spengler Thomas Stefan
Published: January 2017

Cooling water systems (CWS) are one of the main energy and water using operations in industry. Existing CWS in operation provide high improvement potentials in environmental and economic performance through optimized operation and system control. Industry often fails to realize these potentials, given that the efficiency measures as well as their technical, economic, and ecological impact are mostly unknown because of the lack of appropriate approaches. This article presents a holistic approach to the systematic identification and assessment of efficiency measures that support industry in improving the operation and system control of large‐scale CWS consisting of one or multiple cooling towers, heat exchangers, and pumps. Based on material flow analysis coupled with process modeling, a material and energy flow model of CWS is developed. The model enables the investigation of different adjustments in operation of CWS in order to identify and assess specific efficiency measures. The approach is applied to a CWS of a real manufacturing facility. The results show, first, high validity of the approach as compared to a real system. Second, the effectiveness of the approach, given that the model allows fast and simple identification and assessment of efficiency measures that save up to 16% energy and 24% water in the presented case study.
Actin filament‐associated protein 1 (AFAP‐1) is a key mediator in inflammatory signaling‐induced rapid attenuation of intrinsic P‐gp function in human brain capillary endothelial cells
Authors: Hoshi Yutaro , Uchida Yasuo , Tachikawa Masanori , Ohtsuki Sumio , Terasaki Tetsuya
Published: January 2017

The purpose of this study was to identify regulatory molecule(s) involved in the inflammatory signaling‐induced decrease in P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp) efflux function at the blood–brain barrier (BBB) that may occur in brain diseases. We confirmed that in vivo P‐gp efflux activity at the BBB was decreased without any change in P‐gp protein expression level in a mouse model of acute inflammation induced by 3 mg/kg lipopolysaccharide. In a human BBB model cell line (human brain capillary endothelial cells; hCMEC/D3), 1‐h treatment with 10 ng/mL tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α; an inflammatory mediator) rapidly reduced P‐gp efflux activity, but had no effect on P‐gp protein expression level. To clarify the non‐transcriptional mechanism that causes the decrease in intrinsic efflux activity of P‐gp in acute inflammation, we applied comprehensive quantitative phosphoproteomics to compare hCMEC/D3 cells treated with TNF‐α and vehicle (control). Actin filament‐associated protein‐1 (AFAP‐1), MAPK1, and transcription factor AP‐1 (AP‐1) were significantly phosphorylated in TNF‐α‐treated cells, and were selected as candidate proteins. In validation experiments, knockdown of AFAP‐1 expression blocked the reduction in P‐gp efflux activity by TNF‐α treatment, whereas inhibition of MAPK function or knockdown of AP‐1 expression did not. Quantitative targeted absolute proteomics revealed that the reduction in P‐gp activity by TNF‐α did not require any change in P‐gp protein expression levels in the plasma membrane. Our results demonstrate that AFAP‐1 is a key mediator in the inflammatory signaling‐induced, translocation‐independent rapid attenuation of P‐gp efflux activity in human brain capillary endothelial cells.

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CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF CORRUPTION: WHAT HAS PAST DECADE'S EMPIRICAL RESEARCH TAUGHT US? A SURVEY
Authors: Dimant Eugen , Tosato Guglielmo
Published: January 2017

Corruption has fierce impacts on economic and societal development and is subject to a vast range of institutional, jurisdictional, societal, and economic conditions. It is this paper's aim to provide a reassessment and a comprehensive state‐of‐the‐art survey of existing literature on corruption and its causes and effects. A particularly strong focus is put on presenting and discussing insights resulting from empirical research and contrasting recent with older findings.