bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A nonlinear small-deformation theory for transient droplet electrohydrodynamics
Authors: Das Debasish , Saintillan David
Published: November 2016

The deformation of a viscous liquid droplet suspended in another liquid and subject to an applied electric field is a classic multiphase flow problem best described by the Melcher–Taylor leaky dielectric model. The main assumption of the model is that any net charge in the system is concentrated on the interface between the two liquids as a result of the jump in Ohmic currents from the bulk. Upon application of the field, the drop can either attain a steady prolate or oblate shape with toroidal circulating flows both inside and outside arising from tangential stresses on the interface due to action of the field on the surface charge distribution. Since the pioneering work of Taylor (Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A, vol. 291, 1966, pp. 159–166), there have been numerous computational and theoretical studies to predict the deformations measured in experiments. Most existing theoretical models, however, have either neglected transient charge relaxation or nonlinear charge convection by the interfacial flow. In this work, we develop a novel small-deformation theory accurate to second order in electric capillary number $O(Ca_{E}^{2})$ for the complete Melcher–Taylor model that includes transient charge relaxation, charge convection by the flow, as well as transient shape deformation. The main result of the paper is the derivation of coupled evolution equations for the induced electric multipoles and for the shape functions describing the deformations on the basis of spherical harmonics. Our results, which are consistent with previous models in the appropriate limits, show excellent agreement with fully nonlinear numerical simulations based on an axisymmetric boundary element formulation and with existing experimental data in the small-deformation regime.
Enhanced ablation of a vertical ice wall due to an external freshwater plume
Authors: McConnochie Craig D. , Kerr Ross C.
Published: November 2016

We investigate the effect of an external freshwater plume on the dissolution of a vertical ice wall in salty water using laboratory experiments. We measure the plume velocity, the ablation velocity of the ice and the temperature at the ice wall. The freshwater volume flux, $Q_{s}$, is varied between experiments to determine where the resultant wall plume transitions from being dominated by the distributed buoyancy flux due to dissolution of the ice, to being dominated by the initial buoyancy flux, $B_{s}$. We find that when $B_{s}$ is significantly larger than the distributed buoyancy flux from dissolution, the plume velocity is uniform with height and is proportional to $B_{s}^{1/3}$, the interface temperature is independent of $B_{s}$, and the ablation velocity increases with $B_{s}$.
Women business owners’ start-up motivations and network structure
Authors: Sharafizad Jalleh , Coetzer Alan
Published: November 2016

This research responds to calls for studies aimed at developing a more nuanced understanding of women small business owners’ networking behaviours and structures. The study examined whether business start-up motivations and phase of the business (prestart-up, start-up and established) influenced women’s networking behaviours and structures. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 28 women. Interview data were used to categorise participants into classic, forced, and work–family owners. Analysis of the interviews found no marked differences in networking behaviours and network structures of participants during prestart-up phase. During start-up and established phases differences began to emerge. Given that classic and forced owners had established their businesses for financial reasons, a diverse network was more relevant for them. However, work–family participants established the business for family/work balance, thus a small network of close ties was sufficient to achieve their business goals. Theoretical, practical and research implications of the findings are outlined.
From social support to capabilities for the work–life balance of independent professionals
Authors: Annink Anne
Published: November 2016

This qualitative study aims to explain how social support enables independent professionals to achieve work–life balance. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 50 independent professionals in the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden. The interview data were analyzed from a capability approach, from which work–life balance is understood in terms of capabilities. The most important sources of social support for independent professionals appeared to be their partner, family, as well as work and nonwork-related friends who were able to provide emotional and instrumental support. However, the extent to which social support can be converted into capabilities is influenced by individual (gender and cohabitation), institutional (the ease of doing business and formal childcare), and societal factors (financial hardship and familialism). The cross-national comparison shows that the institutional and societal context may hinder or reinforce social support for work–life balance, resulting in different experiences across countries.
Ontogeny of the articulated yiliangellinine trilobite Zhangshania typica from the lower Cambrian (Series 2, Stage 3) of southern China
Authors: Hou Jin-bo , Hughes Nigel C. , Yang Jie , Lan Tian , Zhang Xi-guang , Dominguez Chrysalyn
Published: November 2016

New discoveries of the early Cambrian yiliangellinine trilobite Zhangshania typica Li and Zhang in Kunming preserve almost all instars from early postembryonic (protaspid) to mature (holaspid) phases in articulated state, in addition to mature specimens with antennae bearing paired spines on the basal articles. The ontogenetic series shows protarthrous development with some, but likely not all, early holaspid instars expressing additional pygidial segments, gradual rearward migration of the location of the longest pleural spines on the trunk segments, and striking positive allometry of the genal spines. It also reveals Parazhangshania sichuanensis Li and Zhang, 1990 to be the holaspid stage 3 of Z. typica, and therefore its junior synonym. This new find in the Hongjingshao Formation provides species-based regional correlation across the South China block and Z. typica may provide an important biostratigraphic marker for the base of the traditional Tsanglangpuan Stage.
Effect of dietary manganese on antioxidant status and expressions of heat shock proteins and factors in tissues of laying broiler breeders under normal and high environmental temperatures
Authors: Zhu Yong-Wen , Lu Lin , Li Wen-Xiang , Zhang Li-Yang , Ji Cheng , Lin Xi , Liu Hsiao-Ching , Odle Jack , Luo Xu-Gang
Published: November 2016

To investigate the effect of Mn on antioxidant status and on the expressions of heat shock proteins/factors in tissues of laying broiler breeders subjected to heat challenge, we used a completely randomised design (n 6) with a factorial arrangement of 2 environmental temperatures (normal, 21±1°C, and high, 32±1°C)×3 dietary Mn treatments (a Mn-unsupplemented basal diet (CON), or a basal diet supplemented with 120 mg Mn/kg diet, either as inorganic Mn sulphate (iMn) or as organic Mn proteinate (oMn)). There were no interactions (P>0·10) between environmental temperature and dietary Mn in any of the measured indices. High temperature decreased (P<0·003) Mn content, and also tended (P=0·07) to decrease Cu Zn superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) activity in the liver and heart. However, an increased Mn superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) activity (P<0·05) and a slight increase in malondialdehyde level (P=0·06) were detected in breast muscle. Up-regulated (P<0·05) expressions of heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) and HSF3 mRNA and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) mRNA and protein were found in all three tissues. Broiler breeders fed either iMn or oMn had higher tissue Mn content (P<0·0001), heart MnSOD and CuZnSOD activities (P<0·01) and breast muscle MnSOD protein levels (P<0·05), and lower (P<0·05) breast muscle HSP70 mRNA and protein levels compared with those fed CON. Broiler breeders fed oMn had higher (P<0·03) bone Mn content than those fed iMn. These results indicate that high temperature decreases Mn retention and increases HSP70, HSF1 and HSF3 expressions in the tissues of laying broiler breeders. Furthermore, dietary supplementation with Mn in either source may enhance the heart’s antioxidant ability and inhibit the expression of HSP70 in breast muscle. Finally, the organic Mn appears to be more available than inorganic Mn for bone in laying broiler breeders regardless of environmental temperatures.
Including white clover in nitrogen fertilized perennial ryegrass swards: effects on dry matter intake and milk production of spring calving dairy cows
Authors: EGAN M. , LYNCH M. B. , HENNESSY D.
Published: November 2016

The current experiment was undertaken to investigate the effect of including white clover (Trifolium repensL.; WC) into perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenneL.; PRG) swards (PRG/WC) receiving 250 kg nitrogen (N) per hectare (ha) per year compared with PRG only swards receiving 250 kg N/ha/year, in an intensive grass-based spring calving dairy production scenario. Forty spring-calving cows were allocated to graze either a PRG/WC or PRG sward (n= 20) from 6 February to 31 October 2012. Fresh herbage was offered daily (17 kg dry matter (DM)/cow) supplemented with concentrate in times of herbage deficit (total supplementation 507 kg/cow). Pre-grazing herbage mass (HM), sward WC content and milk production were measured for the duration of the experiment. Herbage DM intake was estimated in May, July and September. Pre-grazing HM (±s.e.) was similar (1467 ± 173·1 kg DM/ha) for both treatments, as was cumulative herbage production (14 158 ± 769 kg DM/ha). Average WC content of the PRG/WC swards was 236 ± 30 g/kg DM. The PRG/WC cows had greater average daily milk yield and milk solids yield from June onwards. Cumulative milk yield and milk solids yield were greater for the PRG/WC cows compared with the PRG cows (5048 and 4789 ± 34·3 kg milk yield/cow, and 400 and 388 ± 1·87 kg milk solids/cow, respectively). Cows had similar DM intake in all measurements periods (15·1 ± 0·42 kg DM/cow/day). In conclusion, including WC in N-fertilized PRG swards increased milk production from cows grazing the PRG/WC swards compared with PRG, particularly in the second half of the lactation.
On the Boundaries Between Good and Evil: Constructing Multiple Moralities in China
Authors: Weller Robert P. , Wu Keping
Published: November 2016

This essay discusses three contrasting versions of the relationship between good and evil in contemporary China: a spirit medium who maneuvers between them, a charismatic Christian group that forges an identity by defending the border between them, and an official state and religious discourse of banal goodness and universal love that seeks to annihilate evil. Each defines good and evil differently, but more importantly, each imagines the nature of the boundary itself differently—as permeable and negotiable, clear and defensible, or simply intolerable. These varied conceptions help to shape alternate views of empathy, pluralism, and the problem of how to live with otherness.
USE OF MALE METHODS OF CONTRACEPTION WORLDWIDE
Authors: Ross John , Hardee Karen
Published: November 2016

This article analyses male contraceptive use, both globally and for developing countries. Shares of all contraceptive use due to males are examined, in the context of female use and all use. Patterns according to wealth quintiles are analysed, as well as time trends and geographic variations. Data are drawn primarily from compilations by the UN Population Division and from the Demographic and Health Series and subjected to relatively simple statistical methods including correlation/regression applications. Contraceptive methods that men use directly, or that require their co-operation to use, including condoms, withdrawal, rhythm and male sterilization, account for one-quarter of all contraceptive use worldwide. This represents 13% of married/in-union women. Both the share and the prevalence of male methods vary widely by geography and by the four methods, as well as by quintile wealth groups. With greater wealth there is an unbroken rise for total use; among the male methods, the shares of condom use and rhythm rise by wealth quintiles, while the share of withdrawal drops. The share for male sterilization is highest in the lowest and highest wealth quintiles and dips for the middle quintiles. The overall time trend since the 1980s has been steady at one-quarter of all use involving men; moreover, the share is about the same at all levels of total use. The female-only methods continue to dominate: female sterilization, IUD, pill, injectable and implant, again with great diversity geographically. In surveys men report less total use but more condom use, while females report more injectable use. For the future the male share of one-quarter of use seems secure, with little prospect of an increase unless concerted programmatic efforts are made to expand access to male methods and promote their use as part of a broadened contraceptive method mix.
Sealing, whaling and krill fishing in the Southern Ocean: past and possible future effects on catch regulations
Authors: Hofman Robert J.
Published: November 2016

This paper (1) reviews the history of sealing and whaling in the Southern Ocean to illustrate how market demands combined with no or ineffective regulation of catches led to the overexploitation and near extinction of southern fur seals, southern elephant seals and all but one of the Southern Ocean populations of large whales; (2) indicates how the overexploitation and depletion of krill-eating whales led to the Krill Surplus Hypothesis, and the development of the Antarctic krill fishery and the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR); (3) points out how misinterpretation of the reference to ‘rational use’ in CCAMLR Article II(2), combined with consensus decision-making and the potential growth of markets for Antarctic krill, could lead to ineffective regulation of the krill fishery and adverse effects on the krill resource, on recovery of depleted populations of krill-dependent whales, and on other ecologically related species and populations; and (4) identifies reasonable actions that could be taken cooperatively by the International Whaling Commission and the CCAMLR Commission to minimise the risk that the krill fishery will prevent or impede recovery of depleted populations of krill-dependent whales.
Nonlinear evolution of the filamentation instability and chaos in laser–plasma interaction
Authors: Sharma S. , Kumar N. , Hussain S. , Sharma R.P.
Published: November 2016

Filamentation is one of the most common nonlinear phenomena taking place in the laser–plasma interaction that splits the laser beam into high-intensity spikes. The present study deals with the nonlinear evolution of filamentation instability in laser–plasma interaction and the development of chaos in contrast to linear growth as reported by Kaw et al. in 1973. We have considered a non-uniform perturbation superimposed on plane-wave pump such that due to non-uniformity of the perturbation a finite intensity gradient arises and gives rise to ponderomotive force. This causes filamentation of wave, which has been studied presently using numerical methods as well as analytical tools. The results reveal that the intensity of perturbation gets localized and delocalized with the distance of propagation. The numerical simulation results also reveal that the intensity of perturbation route from ordered to chaotic behavior depending upon the pump laser and perturbation parameters. To study the chaotic behavior, Lyapunov exponents has also been calculated. The semi-analytical method is also developed to have an insight into some of the features of simulation like the formation of localized structures.
Movement prediction for a lower limb exoskeleton using a conditional restricted Boltzmann machine
Authors: Chong Eunsuk , Park F. C.
Published: November 2016

We propose a novel class of unsupervised learning-based algorithms that extend the conditional restricted Boltzmann machine to predict, in real-time, a lower limb exoskeleton wearer's intended movement type and future trajectory. During training, our algorithm automatically clusters unlabeled exoskeletal measurement data into movement types. Our predictor then takes as input a short time series of measurements, and outputs in real-time both the movement type and the forward trajectory time series. Physical experiments with a prototype exoskeleton demonstrate that our method more accurately and stably predicts both movement type and the forward trajectory compared to existing methods.
To do or not to do: willingness to communicate in the ESL context
Authors: Bukhari Syeda Farzana , Cheng Xiaoguang
Published: November 2016

English is used by more than one and a half billion people as a first, second or foreign language for communication purposes (Strevens, 1992). In this context, the purpose of teaching English has shifted from mastery of the grammatical rules to the ability to use the target language for successful communication. Consequently, the communication aspect of teaching and learning English has become the key issue in the domain of second language acquisition (Yashima, 2002: 54). Therefore, the issue of whether the learners will communicate in English when they have the chance to do so and to what extent they are willing to communicate gain importance. These questions have led to the emergence of an important construct in the field of L2 instruction, i.e. willingness to communicate (hereafter, WTC), which is defined as a learner's ‘readiness to enter into discourse at a particular time with a specific person or persons, using a L2’ (MacIntyre et al., 1998: 547). MacIntyre and his associates even proposed that WTC in L2 should be conceptualized as ‘the primary goal’ of language instruction (MacIntyre et al., 1998: 545). This paper explores the important concept of WTC by looking into Pakistani students' WTC in Canada.
‘Deregisterment’ and ‘fossil forms’: the cases of gan and mun in ‘Yorkshire’ dialect
Authors: Cooper Paul
Published: November 2016

Recent work in sociolinguistics has illustrated that language features can become explicitly linked with numerous and multiple social values for certain speakers1. These language features can include pronunciations, words, or phrases, and the kind of associated social values can include social class or geographical region, notions of aesthetics or correctness, or more abstract concepts like ‘authenticity’ or ‘friendliness’. When speaker awareness leads to the linking of language features with social values in this way, the features may have undergone enregisterment, defined by Agha (2003: 231) as ‘processes through which a linguistic repertoire becomes differentiable within a language as a socially recognized register of forms’. I will focus here on the explicit association of a geographical location, Yorkshire2, with a distinct set of language features.
Beyond the World Englishes Paradigm: Agency, Performativity and Malaysian English
Authors: Brown Jeffrey
Published: November 2016

As a global language, English is taken up and used in local contexts in ways that cannot be accounted for by limited World Englishes (WE) paradigm. This can be illustrated through an analysis of the performative agency of individuals’ language usage in specific contact contexts. After a brief overview of the WE paradigm, this article offers a consideration of the Malaysian linguistic context and Malaysian English from a ‘post-WE’ perspective. The conclusion is that, rather than think of the respective WE and post-WE approaches as opposed to one another, it is more useful to characterize them as distinctive theoretical prisms that illuminate divergent issues.
DECIPHERING THE SYMBOLS AND SYMBOLIC MEANING OF THE MAYA WORLD TREE
Authors: McDonald J. Andrew
Published: November 2016

Although cosmic tree symbolism among pre-Columbian societies of Mesoamerica traces from the Preclassic period, the underlying meaning of the motif and its symbolic permutations are poorly understood. Attempts to identify the plant in a botanical context on ceramic vessels, stucco reliefs, and stone stelae of lowland Maya attribution usually favor determinations as a kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra) or maize plant (Zea mays). A botanical assessment of the morphic and ecological characteristics of these motifs suggests, however, a white-flowered water lily of lowland swamps,Nymphaea ampla. Archeological remains at San Bartolo of the Petén indicate that these iconographic practices were established and codified to a certain extent by the first centuryb.c.The frequent identification of various gods and dynastic rulers as personifications of a water lily world tree underscores the crucial symbolic and ritualistic roles this plant once played in the practice of religion and kingship among Mayan civilizations.
DEPICTING THE MESOAMERICAN SPIRIT WORLD
Authors: Frassani Alessia
Published: November 2016

In this study I argue that modern ethnographic data can be used in the interpretation of ancient Mesoamerican art and pictography, in particular, beyond iconographic analysis. Ancient painted texts were read in a performative way, with recitation, enunciation, and context playing a fundamental role in conveying meaning. While normally pictography is approached as a provider of content information, the way meaning is encoded and decoded is also integral to pictorial language. In this essay, I attempt to trace durable forms of Mesoamerican religiosity by comparing ancient depictions, their colonial transformations, and modern Mazatec chants through the prism of the “religious specialist.” This figure embodies an ecstatic experience: a direct contact and communication with the divine, which requires a cognitive transformation materialized in words, texts, and pictures.
Keeping the person with dementia and the informal caregiver together: a systematic review of psychosocial interventions
Authors: Rausch Annemarie , Caljouw Monique A. A. , van der Ploeg Eva S.
Published: November 2016

Background:

Social support, relationships, and closeness are emphasized as important by both people with dementia and their informal caregivers. Psychosocial interventions might be helpful to reinforce the relationship between a person with dementia and his or her informal caregiver. Therefore, this review explores what types of psychosocial interventions have been provided for people with dementia and their informal caregivers together, and the effectiveness of these interventions.

Methods:

PubMed, PsychInfo, Cinahl, and references of key papers were searched for studies describing a psychosocial intervention for people with dementia and their informal caregivers together. Psychosocial interventions were defined as focusing primarily on psychological or social factors.

Results:

A total of seven publications describing six studies were identified as eligible for inclusion in this review. Interventions ranged in focus from skills training to viewing/making art. The methodology of the studies varied, especially regarding the outcome measures used. The results of individual studies were mixed. A narrative synthesis of the included studies is given.

Conclusion:

Although caregiving dyads emphasize the importance of their relationship, this is mostly not taken into consideration in the design and effect evaluations of the interventions. Improved research is needed on this subject, which focuses on people with dementia living in the community and those living in nursing homes.
Longitudinal Emergency Medical Technician Attributes and Demographic Study (LEADS) Design and Methodology
Authors: Levine Roger
Published: November 2016

Objectives

The objective of this study is to describe the Longitudinal Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Attributes and Demographic Study (LEADS) design, instrument development, pilot testing, sampling procedures, and data collection methodology. Response rates are provided, along with results of follow-up surveys of non-responders (NRs) and a special survey of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) professionals who were not nationally certified.

Methods

Annual surveys from 1999 to 2008 were mailed out to a random, stratified sample of nationally registered EMT-Basics and Paramedics. Survey weights were developed to reflect each respondent’s probability of selection. A special survey of NRs was mailed out to individuals who did not respond to the annual survey to estimate the probable extent and direction of response bias. Individuals who indicated they were no longer in the profession were mailed a special exit survey to determine their reasons for leaving EMS.

Results

Given the large number of comparisons between NR and regular (annual) survey respondents, it is not surprising that some statistically significant differences were found. In general, there were few differences. However, NRs tended to report higher annual EMS incomes, were younger, healthier, more physically fit, and were more likely to report that they were not practicing EMS. Comparisons of the nationally certified EMS professionals with EMS professionals who were not nationally certified indicated that nationally certified EMS providers were younger, had less EMS experiences, earned less, were more likely to be female and work for private EMS services, and less likely to work for fire-based services. These differences may reflect state and local policy and practice, since many states and local agencies do not require maintenance of national certification as a requirement to practice. When these differences were controlled for statistically, there were few systematic differences between non-nationally certified and nationally certified EMS professionals.

Conclusions

The LEADS study is the only national, randomized, and longitudinal data source for studying EMS professionals in the United States. Although not without flaws, this study remains an excellent source of information about EMS provider demographics, attributes, attitudes, workplace issues and concerns, and how the profession has changed from 1999 to 2008.

LevineR. Longitudinal Emergency Medical Technician Attributes and Demographic Study (LEADS) design and methodology. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2016;31(Suppl. 1):s7–s17.
A National Assessment of the Health and Safety of Emergency Medical Services Professionals
Authors: Bentley Melissa A , Levine Roger
Published: November 2016

Objectives

The objectives were to assess changes in (1) health and physical fitness, (2) the prevalence of selected health problems, (3) risk behaviors, (4) ambulance safety issues, and (5) the preparedness of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) professionals. In addition, the incidence of patient-initiated violence directed toward EMS personnel and associated factors were assessed.

Methods

Data were obtained from a sample of nationally certified EMS professionals via annual questionnaires between 1999 and 2008. Stratification was based upon national certification level, self-reported race, and experience level. Weighted percentages, averages for continuous variables, and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Significant changes over time were noted by lack of CI overlap.

Results

The proportion reporting “excellent” health declined significantly from 1999 (38.5%) to 2008 (32.2%). High rates of sleeping problems (20%-27%), back problems (20%-24%), and hearing problems (7%-10%) were reported as having occurred in the past year. These rates remained constant over time. As a result of sleepiness, 8.0% of nationally certified EMS professionals reported difficulty in driving an emergency vehicle for short distances and 17.5% reported difficulty in driving long distances. The proportion of daily tobacco smokers significantly declined from over one-third (35.3%) to about one-fifth (20.3%). The proportion of providers who had ever been involved in an ambulance crash increased slightly from 2004 (14.5%) to 2008 (15.8%). In 2000, the majority of EMS professionals reported that they and/or their partner had been assaulted by a patient. Finally, there was a significant decrease in the amount of training time devoted to the recognition of biological, chemical, and nuclear (BCN) threats, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and treatment and management of patients exposed to BCN from an average from 8.4 hours in 2003 to 6.2 hours in 2008.

Conclusions

The overall health and physical fitness of EMS professionals as well as their health problems, risk behaviors, ambulance safety, and patient-initiated violence in the prehospital emergency setting are areas of concern for the nation’s emergency medical system. The prevalence of these problems and overall health and physical fitness has shown little or no improvement from 1999 to 2008.

BentleyMA,LevineR.A national assessment of the health and safety of Emergency Medical Services professionals.Prehosp Disaster Med.2016;31(Suppl.1):s96–s104.
Bimodal code-mixing: Dutch spoken language elements in NGT discourse
Authors: BANK RICHARD , CRASBORN ONNO , VAN HOUT ROELAND
Published: November 2016

Mouthings, the spoken language elements in sign language discourse, are typically analysed as having a redundant, one-on-one relationship with manual signs, both semantically and temporally. We explore exceptions to this presupposed semantic and temporal congruency in a corpus of spontaneous signed conversation by deaf users of Sign Language of the Netherlands (NGT). We identify specifying mouthings (words with a different meaning than the co-occurring sign), solo mouthings (uttered while the hands are inactive) and added mouthings (words added to a signing stream without their corresponding sign), and make a sentence-level analysis of their occurrences. These non-redundant mouthings occurred in 12% of all utterances, and were made by almost all signers. We argue for the presence of a code-blending continuum for NGT, where NGT is the matrix language and spoken Dutch is blended in, in various degrees. We suggest expansion of existing code-mixing models, to allow for description of bimodal mixing.
Choice architecture to promote fruit and vegetable purchases by families participating in the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): randomized corner store pilot study
Authors: Thorndike Anne N , Bright Oliver-John M , Dimond Melissa A , Fishman Ronald , Levy Douglas E
Published: November 2016

Objective

To conduct a pilot study to determine if improving the visibility and quality of fresh produce (choice architecture) in corner stores would increase fruit/vegetable purchases by families participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

Design

Six stores were randomly assigned to choice architecture intervention or control. Store-level WIC sales data were provided by the state. Primary outcomes were WIC fruit/vegetable voucher and non-fruit/vegetable voucher sales, comparing trends from baseline (December 2012–October 2013) with the five-month intervention period (December 2013–April 2014). Secondary outcomes were differences in customer self-reported fruit/vegetable purchases between baseline and end of the intervention.

Setting

Chelsea, MA, USA, a low-income urban community.

Subjects

Adult customers (n575) completing store exit interviews.

Results

During baseline, WIC fruit/vegetable and non-fruit/vegetable sales decreased in both intervention and control stores by $US 16/month. During the intervention period, WIC fruit/vegetable sales increased in intervention stores by $US 40/month but decreased in control stores by $US 23/month (difference in trends: $US 63/month; 95 % CI 4, 121 $US/month;P=0·036); WIC non-fruit/vegetable sales were not different (P=0·45). Comparing baseline and intervention-period exit interview responses by customers participating in WIC (n134), intervention store customers reported increased fruit/vegetable purchases compared with control store customers (18v. −2 %), but this did not achieve statistical significance (P=0·11).

Conclusions

Placement of fruits/vegetables near the front of corner stores increased purchase of produce by customers using WIC. New policies that incentivize stores to stock and prominently display good-quality produce could promote healthier food choices of low-income families.
Electrostatic Capture Following Laser Microdissection for the Preparation of Homogeneous Biological Specimens
Authors: Yi Dingrong , Kong Linghua , Kankala Ranjith K. , Wang Zi
Published: November 2016

There is an unmet need for researchers in life sciences and clinical pathology to obtain untainted target cells with very high accuracy, which are suitable for subsequent genome and protein analysis. In this paper, an electrostatic capture laser microdissection technology (ECM) is proposed and explained. Following microscopic identification and separation of target cells from the surrounding tissues using laser cutting, the ECM uses electrostatic forces to capture target cells. Validation experiments indicate that ECM can capture a wide assortment of contamination-free homogeneous samples, ranging from very tiny pieces of a few micrometers in diameter to large pieces with a surface area of over 40,000µm2. Evidence is also provided indicating that uncontaminated homogeneous tissue materials collected by ECM are suitable for further DNA and RNA analysis. This suggests that ECM capture causes little or no identifiable damage to the collected tissues. This technique has significant advantages compared with existing traditional capture methods, such as very low risk of biological sample damage and the fact that it can be applied to both upright and inverted microscopy. The latter allows for separating target cells in tissue culture. ECM usage provides a cost-effective alternative to more traditional laser capture microdissection techniques.
Similar Ring Structures on Mars and Tibetan Plateau confirm recent tectonism on Martian Northern polar region
Authors: Anglés A. , Li Y. L.
Published: November 2016

The polar regions of Mars feature layered deposits, some of which exist as enclosed zoning structures. These deposits raised strong interest since their discovery and still remain one of the most controversial features on Mars. Zoning structures that are enclosed only appear in the Northern polar region, where the disappearance of water bodies may have left behind huge deposits of evaporate salts. The origin of the layered deposits has been widely debated. Here we propose that the enclosed nature of the zoning structures indicates the result of recent tectonism. We compared similar structures at an analogue site located in the western Qaidam Basin of Tibetan Plateau, a unique tectonic setting with abundant saline deposits. The enclosed structures, which we term Ring Structures, in both the analogue site and in the Northern polar region of Mars, were formed by uplift induced pressurization and buoyancy of salts as the result of recent tectonic activity.
Progressive muscle relaxation as a supportive intervention for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy: A systematic review
Authors: Pelekasis Panagiotis , Matsouka Ifigeneia , Koumarianou Anna
Published: November 2016

Background:

Many cancer patients use a wide variety of techniques to improve their physical and mental well-being, including relaxation therapy and, specifically, Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR). However, there is no strong evidence that supports the efficacy of this technique.

Objective:

Our aim was to review the evidence regarding the use of PMR as a supportive intervention for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapeutic treatment.

Method:

Six databases were electronically searched: AMED, the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, PsychINFO, Scopus, and the Web of Science. After removing duplicates, 700 publications were screened and 57 identified as potentially relevant. The flow of information from record identification to study inclusion was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA statement. Original articles published in peer-reviewed journals that studied the use of PMR as an intervention, were randomized or included a matched control group, and that included patients receiving chemotherapy were included. Studies that combined PMR with other interventions were excluded. The methodological quality of included trials was assessed using the Jadad Scale and the CONSORT guidelines.

Results:

A total of 5 of the 57 papers fulfilled the preset criteria and were included in our systematic review. Our findings indicate that PMR might improve comfort and reduce the anxiety levels and side effects caused by chemotherapy, with the exception of vomiting. Nonetheless, the quality of all the included studies was extremely low.

Significance of results:

There is evidence that PMR might have a few benefits for patients undergoing chemotherapy. Still, the small number of studies included and their poor quality limit the significance of our results. Despite the fact that pharmaceutical approaches for controlling side effects might be reaching their full potential and that there might be further usefulness for such integrative treatments as PMR, the need to run more high-quality trials testing the efficacy of this technique is warranted before suggesting its adoption as part of standard cancer care.
Embodying cognition: working with self-control in cerebral palsy
Authors: Martiny Kristian Moltke , Aggerholm Kenneth
Published: November 2016

During the last decades, research on cognition has undergone a reformation, which is necessary to take into account when evaluating the cognitive and behavioural aspects of therapy. This reformation is due to the research programme called Embodied Cognition (EC). Although EC may have become the theoretical authority in current cognitive science, there are only sporadic examples of EC-based therapy, and no established framework. We aim to build such a framework on the aims, methods and techniques of the current third-wave of CBT. There appears to be a possibility for cross-fertilization between EC and CBT that could contribute to the development of theory and practice for both of them. We present a case-study of an EC-based model of intervention for working with self-control in cerebral palsy. We centre the results of the study and its discussion on how we should understand and work with self-control in a more general sense from both an EC and a CBT perspective. We end by elaborating the five learning objectives and present suggestions for follow-up reading.
Modesty Doesn’t Become Me
Authors: Rubinstein Gidi
Published: November 2016

Abstract. The objective of this study is to compare the Big Five of personality and the narcissism levels between candidates who auditioned for the show and control individuals, who had no intention to participate in a reality TV show. Ninety-two candidates who auditioned for the show and 94 control individuals who had no intention to do so filled in a demographic questionnaire, Costa and McCrae’s (1992) NEO-FFI-R, and Raskin and Hall’s (1981) Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI). The candidates were significantly less agreeable and neurotic, but more extroverted, conscientious, and narcissistic, than noncandidates. Gender personality differences between candidates and noncandidates are also presented. Reality TV shows are one of the modalities of the narcissistic culture, through which narcissistic individuals may channel their need for admiration.
There’s No Place Like a Neurotic’s Home
Authors: Meagher Benjamin R.
Published: November 2016

Abstract. In addition to serving many practical needs for human beings, territories also serve the psychological function of being restorative, helping to facilitate the regulation of residents’ thoughts and moods. In this paper, it was hypothesized that individuals high in neuroticism would be particularly likely to prioritize the restorative properties of their home environments, in light of previous research demonstrating their reduced capacity to regulate internally. Drawing on Attention Restoration Theory (ART), this paper reports a pair of studies testing this hypothesis using both an online community sample (Study 1; n = 380) and undergraduate sample (Study 2; n = 101). In both studies, neuroticism enhanced the relationship between residents’ satisfaction with their home environment and their impressions of its restorative properties (e.g., fascination and extent). Conversely, high neuroticism reduced the relationship between satisfaction and the perceived compatibility of the setting to the resident. These results demonstrate how neuroticism guides residents’ sensitivity to distinct design features within their territories.
MICU1 may be a promising intervention target for gut-derived sepsis induced by intra-abdominal hypertension
Authors: Leng Yuxin , Ge Qinggang , Zhao Zhiling , Wang Kun , Yao Gaiqi
Published: November 2016

Intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) is a common and serious complication in critically ill patients, for which there is no targeted therapy. IAH-induced dysfunction of intestinal barriers is closely associated with oxidative imbalances, which are considered to provide a pathophysiological basis for subsequent gut-derived sepsis. However, the upstream mechanism that produces oxidative damage during IAH remains unknown. It is not clear whether ‘mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake 1’ (MICU1, the key protein regulating the oxidative process) is involved in preventing Ca2+m (mitochondrial Ca2+) overload. Here, we detected changes in the expression of MICU1 during the development of increased intestinal permeability in rats with IAH, and we explored the related mechanism regulating epithelial-barrier functions by knocking-down micu1 in Caco-2 cells. Our results demonstrated that, to combat IAH-induced dysfunction of intestinal barriers, MICU1 undergoes a compensatory increase in expression, whereas ‘mitochondrial calcium uniporter’ (MCU) – a conserved Ca2+ transporter – becomes transcriptionally suppressed. Silencing the expression of MICU1 destroyed Caco-2 cell barrier integrity, promoted paracellular permeability, and impaired the expression of tight junction proteins (occludin, ZO-1, and claudin 1). Meanwhile, oxidative imbalances were induced; malondialdehyde (MDA), a product of oxidation, was increased and antioxidant products (GSH-Px, CAT, and SOD) were decreased. In MICU1-deficient Caco-2 cells, proliferation was inhibited and apoptosis was promoted. Collectively, our results indicate that MICU1-related oxidation/antioxidation disequilibrium is strongly involved in IAH-induced damage to intestinal barriers. MICU1-targeted treatment may hold promise for preventing the progression of IAH to gut-derived sepsis.
A TLR7 agonist enhances the antitumor efficacy of obinutuzumab in murine lymphoma models via NK cells and CD4 T cells
Authors: Cheadle E J , Lipowska-Bhalla G , Dovedi S J , Fagnano E , Klein C , Honeychurch J , Illidge T M
Published: November 2016

Anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) such as rituximab have been proven to be highly effective at improving outcome in B-cell malignancies. However, many patients ultimately relapse and become refractory to treatment. The glycoengineered anti-CD20 mAb obinutuzumab was developed to induce enhanced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, antibody-dependent phagocytosis and direct cell death and was shown to lead to improved outcomes in a randomized study in B-CLL. We hypothesized that immune stimulation through Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonism in combination with obinutuzumab would further enhance lymphoma clearance and the generation of long-term antitumor immune responses. Here we demonstrate, in syngeneic human CD20 (hCD20)-expressing models of lymphoma, that systemic administration of a TLR7 agonist (R848) increases responses when administered in combination with obinutuzumab and protects against disease recurrence. Depletion studies demonstrate that primary antitumor activity is dependent on both NK cells and CD4+ T cells but not on CD8+ T cells. However, both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells appear necessary for the generation of protective immunological memory. Importantly, increased tumor-free survival post obinutuzumab and R848 combination therapy was seen in hCD20 transgenic mice, which express hCD20 on normal B cells. These findings provide a rationale for clinical testing of obinutuzumab in combination with systemically administered TLR7 agonists to further improve outcome.
Borane catalysed ring opening and closing cascades of furans leading to silicon functionalized synthetic intermediates
Authors: Hazra Chinmoy K. , Gandhamsetty Narasimhulu , Park Sehoon , Chang Sukbok
Published: November 2016

The conversion of renewable biomass resources to synthetically valuable chemicals is highly desirable, but remains a formidable challenge in regards to the substrate scope and reaction conditions. Here we present the development of tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane–catalysed conversion of furans via ring-opening and closing cascade processes to afford silicon-functionalized synthetic chemicals under transition metal-free conditions. The furan ring-opening with hydrosilanes is highly efficient (TON up to 2,000) and atom-economical without forming any byproduct to give rise to α-silyloxy-(Z)-alkenyl silanes. Additional equivalents of silane smoothly induce a subsequent B(C6F5)3-catalysed cyclization of initially formed olefinic silane compounds to produce anti-(2-alkyl)cyclopropyl silanes, another versatile synthon being potentially applicable in the synthesis of natural products and pharmacophores.
IL-12 protects from psoriasiform skin inflammation
Authors: Kulig Paulina , Musiol Stephanie , Freiberger Sandra Nicole , Schreiner Bettina , Gyülveszi Gabor , Russo Giancarlo , Pantelyushin Stanislav , Kishihara Kenji , Alessandrini Francesca , Kündig Thomas , Sallusto Federica , Hofbauer Günther F.L. , Haak Stefan , Becher Burkhard
Published: November 2016

Neutralization of the common p40-subunit of IL-12/23 in psoriasis patients has led to a breakthrough in the management of moderate to severe disease. Aside from neutralizing IL-23, which is thought to be responsible for the curative effect, anti-p40 therapy also interferes with IL-12 signalling and type 1 immunity. Here we dissect the individual contribution of these two cytokines to the formation of psoriatic lesions and understand the effect of therapeutic co-targeting of IL-12 and IL-23 in psoriasis. Using a preclinical model for psoriatic plaque formation we show that IL-12, in contrast to IL-23, has a regulatory function by restraining the invasion of an IL-17-committed γδT (γδT17) cell subset. We discover that IL-12 receptor signalling in keratinocytes initiates a protective transcriptional programme that limits skin inflammation, suggesting that collateral targeting of IL-12 by anti-p40 monoclonal antibodies is counterproductive in the therapy of psoriasis.
Total synthesis of feglymycin based on a linear/convergent hybrid approach using micro-flow amide bond formation
Authors: Fuse Shinichiro , Mifune Yuto , Nakamura Hiroyuki , Tanaka Hiroshi
Published: November 2016

Feglymycin is a naturally occurring, anti-HIV and antimicrobial 13-mer peptide that includes highly racemizable 3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycines (Dpgs). Here we describe the total synthesis of feglymycin based on a linear/convergent hybrid approach. Our originally developed micro-flow amide bond formation enabled highly racemizable peptide chain elongation based on a linear approach that was previously considered impossible. Our developed approach will enable the practical preparation of biologically active oligopeptides that contain highly racemizable amino acids, which are attractive drug candidates.