bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Examining the genetic influences of educational attainment and the validity of value-added measures of progress
Authors: Morris Tim T , Davies Neil M , Dorling Danny , Richmond Rebecca C , Smith George Davey
Published: December 2017

In this study, we estimate (i) the SNP heritability of educational attainment at three time points throughout the compulsory educational lifecourse; (ii) the SNP heritability of value-added measures of educational progress built from test data; and (iii) the extent to which value-added measures built from teacher rated ability may be biased due to measurement error. We utilise a genome wide approach using generalized restricted maximum likelihood (GCTA-GREML) to determine the total phenotypic variance in educational attainment and value-added measures that is attributable to common genetic variation across the genome within a sample of unrelated individuals from a UK birth cohort, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Our findings suggest that the heritability of educational attainment measured using point score test data increases with age from 47% at age 11 to 61% at age 16. We also find that genetic variation does not contribute towards value-added measures created only from educational attainment point score data, but it does contribute a small amount to measures that additionally control for background characteristics (up to 20.09% [95%CI: 6.06 to 35.71] from age 11 to 14). Finally, our results show that value-added measures built from teacher rated ability have higher heritability than those built from exam scores. Our findings suggest that the heritability of educational attainment increases through childhood and adolescence. Value-added measures based upon fine grain point scores may be less prone to between-individual genomic differences than measures that control for students’ backgrounds, or those built from more subjective measures such as teacher rated ability.
A short, robust brain activation control task optimised for pharmacological fMRI studies
Authors: Harvey Jessica-Lily , Demetriou Lysia , McGonigle John , Wall Matthew B
Published: December 2017

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a popular method for examining pharmacological effects on the brain; however the BOLD response is an indirect measure of neural activity, and as such is vulnerable to confounding effects of pharmacological probes. Controlling for such non-specific effects in pharmacological fMRI studies is therefore an important consideration. We have developed two variants of a standardized control task that are short (5 minutes duration) simple (for both the subject and experimenter), widely applicable, and yield a number of readouts in a spatially diverse set of brain networks. The tasks consist of four functionally discreet three-second trial types (plus additional null trials) and contain visual, auditory, motor and cognitive (eye-movements, and working memory tasks in the two task variants) stimuli. Performance of the tasks was assessed in a group of 15 subjects scanned on two separate occasions, with test-retest reliability explicitly assessed using intra-class correlation coefficients. Both tasks produced robust patterns of brain activation in the expected brain regions, and reliability coefficients for the tasks were generally high, with four out of eight task conditions rated as ‘excellent’, and only one out of eight rated as ‘poor’. Voxel-wise reliability measures also showed good spatial concordances with the brain activation results. Either of the two task variants would be suitable for use as a control task in future pharmacological fMRI studies or for any situation where a short, reliable, basic task paradigm is required. Stimulus code is available online for re-use by the scientific community.
The genomic ancestry, landscape genetics, and invasion history of introduced mice in New Zealand
Authors: Veale Andrew J. , Russell James C. , King Carolyn M.
Published: December 2017

1.

The house mouse (Mus musculus) provides a fascinating system for studying both the genomic basis of reproductive isolation, and the patterns of human-mediated dispersal. New Zealand has a complex history of mouse invasions, and the living descendants of these invaders have genetic ancestry from all three subspecies, although most are primarily descended fromM. m. domesticus. We used the GigaMUGA genotyping array (~135,000 loci) to describe the genomic ancestry of 161 mice, sampled from 34 locations from across New Zealand (and one Australian city - Sydney). Of these, two populations, one in the south of the South Island, and one on Chatham Island, showed complete mitochondrial lineage capture, featuring two different lineages ofM. m. castaneusmitochondrial DNA but with onlyM. m. domesticusnuclear ancestry detectable. Mice in the northern and southern parts of the North Island had small traces (~2-3%) ofM. m. castaneusnuclear ancestry, and mice in the upper South Island had ~7-8%M. m. musculusnuclear ancestry including some Y-chromosomal ancestry – though no detectableM. m. musculusmitochondrial ancestry. This is the most thorough genomic study of introduced populations of house mice yet conducted, and will have relevance to studies of the isolation mechanisms separating subspecies of mice.
The Role of Conformational Dynamics in abacavir-Induced Hypersensitivity Syndrome
Authors: Fodor James , Riley Blake T. , Kass Itamar , Buckle Ashley M. , Borg Natalie A.
Published: December 2017

Abacavir is an antiretroviral drug used to reduce human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication and decrease the risk of developing acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). However, its therapeutic value is diminished by the fact that it is associated with drug hypersensitivity reactions in up to 8% of treated patients. This hypersensitivity is strongly associated with patients carrying human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B*57:01, but not patients carrying closely related alleles. Abacavir’s specificity to HLA-B*57:01 is attributed to its binding site within the peptide-binding cleft and subsequent influence of the repertoire of peptides that can bind HLA-B*57:01. To further our understanding of abacavir-induced hypersensitivity we used molecular dynamics (MD) to analyze the dynamics of three different peptides bound to HLA-B*57:01 in the presence and absence of abacavir or abacavir analogues. We found that abacavir and associated peptides bind to HLA-B*57:01 in a highly diverse range of conformations that are not apparent from static crystallographic snapshots. Further, the presence of abacavir has a direct impact on the dynamics and the conformational space available to peptides bound to HLA-B*57:01, likely influencing abacavir-induced immune self-reactivity. Our results support hypersensitivity models in which abacavir-binding alters the equilibrium proportions of neopeptide conformations in a manner favourable to TCR binding. Our findings highlight the need to also consider the role of dynamics in understanding drug-induced hypersensitivities at the molecular and mechanistic level. This additional insight can help inform the chemical modification of abacavir to prevent hypersensitivity reactions in HLA-B*57:01+ HIV patients whilst retaining potent antiretroviral activity.
KCC2-dependent Steady-state Intracellular Chloride Concentration and pH in Cortical Layer 2/3 Neurons of Anesthetized and Awake Mice
Authors: Boffi Juan Carlos , Knabbe Johannes , Kaiser Michaela , Kuner Thomas
Published: December 2017

Neuronal intracellular Cl- concentration ([Cl-]i) influences a wide range of processes such as neuronal inhibition, membrane potential dynamics, intracellular pH (pHi) or cell volume. Up to date, neuronal [Cl-]i has predominantly been studied in model systems of reduced complexity. Here, we implemented the genetically encoded ratiometric Cl- indicator Superclomeleon (SCLM) to estimate the steady-state [Cl-]i in cortical neurons from anesthetized and awake mice using 2-photon microscopy. Additionally, we implemented superecliptic pHluorin as a ratiometric sensor to estimate the intracellular steady-state pH (pHi) of mouse cortical neurons in vivo. We estimated an average resting [Cl-]i of 6 ± 2 mM with no evidence of subcellular gradients in the proximal somato-dendritic domain and an average somatic pHi of 7.1 ± 0.1. Neither [Cl-]i nor pHi were affected by isoflurane anesthesia. We deleted the cation-Cl- co-transporter KCC2 in single identified neurons of adult mice and found an increase of [Cl-]i to approximately 26 ± 8 mM, demonstrating that under in vivo conditions KCC2 produces low [Cl-]i in adult mouse neurons. In summary, neurons of the brain of awake adult mice exhibit a low and evenly distributed [Cl-]i in the proximal somato-dendritic compartment that is independent of anesthesia and requires KCC2 expression for its maintenance.
How peer monitoring and punishment affect the performance of the group contract
Authors: Wu Dan , Chen Yefeng , Zhang Weiwen , Xing Xiaoshi
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of three types of peer monitoring and punishment tools on the performance of a group contract for the control of agricultural non-point source pollution (ANPSP) in China.

Design/methodology/approach

Experimental economics.

Findings

All the three tools result in efficiency improvement and show little difference in performance. In addition, they break the theoretical Nash equilibrium of the team entry auction and help to better reveal bidders’ private cost information.

Originality/value

To the authors’ knowledge, this study can be the first laboratory experiment study in the area of ANPSP in China and might provide some beneficial lessons for China’s policy-makers.
Religious motivation, nepotism and conflict management in Jordan
Authors: Caputo Andrea
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this research paper is to investigate the role of individual and cultural differences, specifically religious motivation and attitudes toward nepotism, in the selection of conflict management styles (obliging, avoiding, forcing, integrating and compromising), in the Middle-Eastern context.

Design/methodology/approach

The research surveyed a sample of 588 individuals (both Muslims and Christians), representative of the Jordanian population. Data were analyzed through multiple ANOVAs and multiple regressions.

Findings

Results suggest that both religious motivation and attitude toward nepotism affect the choice of conflict management styles, while demographic variables, such as age and gender, do not seem to have an effect.

Originality/value

This paper constitutes one of the first attempts to investigate the conflict management style preferences of a Middle-Eastern society and the role of two important cultural variables, namely, religious motivation and attitudes toward nepotism, which have not been previously investigated by conflict management research.
A mixed-methods analysis of mediator socialization through training
Authors: Borton Ian M. , Paul Gregory Dennis
Published: December 2017

Purpose

This study aims to better understand the socialization process individuals undergo when training to become a conflict mediator.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents an analysis of Michigan’s state-wide training guidelines, training documents and eight semi-structured narrative interviews from participants of two 40-hour mediation trainings.

Findings

Results are presented with regard to pre-training and post-training beliefs about mediation alongside data gathered regarding mediator tactics, beliefs and potential for transformation. In sum, newly trained mediators often undergo a phase of “unlearning” before returning to a settlement-focused facilitative model of mediation.

Practical implications

The paper presents implications for facilitative mediator training, training materials and role-play activities.

Originality/value

Third-party interventions can impact conflicts both positively and negatively. Currently, many states and municipal districts have engaged individuals through mediation training to act as a positive force for conflict resolution. Thus far, very little is understood about the development of individuals through mediation training.
Measuring performance of US homeownership policies past and present
Authors: Graff Richard A.
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The past century and a quarter can be divided into three successive eras for homeownership policy characterization. For the first four decades, the federal government pursued a laissez-faire policy that left housing issues to the individual states and private markets. For the next six decades, the federal government implemented a policy created as part of the Roosevelt New Deal program. Finally, the Clinton administration discarded the New Deal policy in favor of a more aggressive policy that has continued to the present day. The purpose of this study is to compare the performance of the respective policies.

Design/methodology/approach

The study introduces two metrics. The first metric, based on government homeownership rate data, enables comparison of the laissez-faire and New Deal policies. The second metric, based on financial frictions in the mortgage market, enables comparison of the New Deal and Clinton policies.

Findings

Analysis based on the first metric suggests the New Deal policy was successful in meeting its macroeconomic objectives and was more effective overall than the laissez-faire policy. Analysis based on the second metric suggests the New Deal policy was also more successful in both respects than the Clinton policy.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that the Clinton homeownership policy was the primary driver behind the recent US housing crisis and that vulnerability in the secondary mortgage market created by the Clinton policy represents systemic housing market risk.

Originality/value

The study introduces simple analytical tools to address problems related to systemic risk in the US housing and housing finance markets due to homeownership policy.
Conditional values of urban heritage: context and scale
Authors: Berg Sveinung K.
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show the gap between the authorised heritage discourse (AHD) as practised within Norwegian heritage management and the recommendations forwarded by UNESCO for the managing of the historic urban landscape (HUL), indicating that a shift is necessary to manage dynamic urban change.

Design/methodology/approach

A current development initiative in Oslo is used to show how heritage values can be differentiated by a spatial scale to prioritise between heritage goods at a practical level and as an attempt to balance financial interests and the values identified by heritage criteria.

Findings

The scaling of heritage assets is useful for distinguishing between different levels or types of value (cultural/economic, private/social/public) but is not sufficient for obtaining the aims forwarded by UNESCO within an AHD that does not support development of HULs. A contextual understanding of heritage value must be obtained to make heritage a vital resource in the contemporary urban context.

Practical implications

A broader understanding of what constitutes the urban environment, including economic viability, seems mandatory to make the current Norwegian practice of heritage management more adaptive to the dynamic nature of living cities and the ambitions reflected in the recommendations from UNESCO.

Originality/value

Integrating development potential as a criterion adds a dynamic aspect to the valuation of heritage not sufficiently present in the current practice and literature.
On the ranking of critical success factors
Authors: Hopland Arnt Ove , Kvamsdal Sturla
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss rankings of critical success factors (CSFs) from survey data, both with respect to what information such rankings should be based on and how to evaluate and interpret uncertainty from sampling errors.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a survey on CSFs in public facilities management. The survey data set covers two-thirds of all Norwegian local governments and 80 per cent of the Norwegian population. The authors analyze the data using basic statistics and bootstrap sampling techniques.

Findings

Rankings of CSFs are sensitive to the information one chooses to collect in the survey. With the survey data, the authors show that the typical approach of inquiring about importance of various factors leads to a different ranking of factors than if one inquires about cost efficiency. The authors further consider a ranking that reflects all information in the data; the authors look in particular at a ranking with equal weights to importance and cost efficiency. The authors also find that many factors, when controlling for sampling error, should be ranked equally, and that further considerations need to be consulted when priorities are decided.

Originality/value

The authors demonstrate the effect of cost efficiency and uncertainty considerations on rankings of CSFs for facilities management. The study paves the way for a broader and more comprehensive perspective on CSFs and what these factors should and could reflect.
Bridging the life cycle: a case study on facility management infrastructures and uses of BIM
Authors: Miettinen Reijo , Kerosuo Hannele , Metsälä Teemu , Paavola Sami
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the conditions of the building information modelling (BIM) implementation in facility management (FM) specifically from the point of view of different groups of FM practitioners, and the FM infrastructures already in use.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review on the gap between the uses of BIM in design and FM has been done. The key professional groups of FM in the Premises Centre of the City of Helsinki were interviewed on the information tools they use, and the needs and impediments of the BIM implementation in the FM. Cultural–historical activity theory is used as a theoretical framework.

Findings

The literature discussing the BIM implementation tends to omit the analysis of the existing FM information systems and software tools in use. The challenge in the BIM implementation is in which ways the relevant information included in the BIM models could be integrated with these systems. No well-articulated problems or developmental contradictions came up that would demand the investment in the BIM implementation.

Practical implications

The results call for experimenting with incremental implementation of BIM in different FM activities and in the FM information infrastructures in use.

Originality/value

This paper studies empirically different FM activities and information systems used by the professional groups. Such studies are needed for a realistic view of the potential integration of the BIM information to the FM information systems.
The need for economic performance measures for life cycle costing of sustainable commercial office buildings
Authors: Oduyemi Olufolahan , Okoroh Michael Iheoma , Fajana Oluwaseun Samuel , Arowosafe Oluwumi
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the current level of awareness, usage and advocated benefits of economic performance measures of life cycle costing (LCC) in sustainable commercial office buildings.

Design/methodology/approach

Questionnaire survey to 120 construction professionals was used to gauge the current level of awareness, usage and advocated benefits of economic performance measures in LCC.

Findings

The key findings of the statistical analysis indicated that there is a low awareness and usage of economic performance measures, and revealing the entire value of capital outflow alternatives was the most advocated benefit of its application.

Research limitations/implications

Although the data used in this paper were from professionally qualified members of either the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and the British Institute for Facilities Management (BIFM), the research is limited in some ways in that it does not cover all the professionals in the construction industry. Nevertheless, all the professionals who responded to the questionnaire have up-to-date level of awareness of economic performance measures in LCC.

Practical implications

The use of economic performance measures helps to make available the information required for building performance. Therefore, economic performance methods in LCC are useful devices for users to appraise and distribute recognisable values from initial costs, operating and maintenance costs to clients in the life cycle of an asset.

Social implications

Value for money for construction products and its facilities should not be viewed only in terms of costs to design and construction. Rather, it is vital for corporate occupants and society in general to consider other key variables such as operations, maintenance, renovation, replacement and end-of-life costs.

Originality/value

This study fills the gap in the existing knowledge by addressing concerns over performance measurement to improve the confidence in LCC for sustainable commercial office buildings.
On variation of charge carrier mobility under influence of mismatch-induced stress in a heterostructure
Authors: Pankratov Evgeny L. , Bulaeva Elena A.
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the manufacturing of diffusion-junction heterorectifier with account relaxation of mismatch-induced stress. On the basis of the analysis, the authors formulate recommendations to increase sharpness of thep-n-heterojunction, homogeneity of concentration of dopant in the junction and charge carrier mobility.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors formulate recommendations to increase sharpness ofp-n-heterojunction, homogeneity of concentration of dopant in the junction and charge carrier mobility. To formulate the recommendations, the authors analyzed the manufacturing of the junction. The authors introduce an analytical approach to analyze the manufacturing.

Findings

The authors find a possibility to increase sharpness ofp-n-heterojunction, homogeneity of concentration of dopant in the junction and charge carrier mobility.

Originality/value

The results are original.
The use of academic libraries in turbulent times
Authors: de Jager Karin , Nassimbeni Mary , Daniels William , D’Angelo Alexander
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how an innovation in the University Management Information System was leveraged to incorporate library data by an initially sceptical strategic management team. The rationale was to extract evidence of correlations between library use and student achievement. This kind of information is of particular interest to the institution, which is at present dealing with crises popularly summarised in the slogan “#FeesMustFall” among students who suffer from the effects of poverty and exclusion in higher education. Comment is offered on some of the relationships between student library behaviour before, during and after the nationwide disruptions that destabilised universities and threatened their survival at the end of 2016, just before the final examination period.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were extracted from the data warehouse from the comparative demographic perspectives of students’ degrees of disadvantage in an effort to uncover any hitherto hidden patterns of library use.

Findings

The use of the library as expressed by footfall and loans was mapped against students’ pass rates and their collective GPA, indicating that increased library use correlates positively with better academic performance. Some of the initial correlations between student library behaviour before, during and after the nationwide disruptions that destabilised universities and threatened their survival at the end of 2016 just before the final examination period are explored. The effects that library closures (under threat of damage) at a critical time in the academic year might have had on library use and on student performance are interrogated.

Practical implications

Students on financial aid, which was used as an indicator of disadvantage, come from schools and environments where access to information technology and libraries is very limited, so that library habits are either poorly established or not at all. At the University of Cape Town (UCT), considerable support is in place for students to encourage the development of library habits. An analysis of available data indicates that students who have acquired library habits regardless of unfavourable financial circumstances do not exhibit behaviour and academic outcomes markedly different from that of their more privileged peers.

Originality/value

Combining library data with data from the university data warehouse is a new approach in South Africa. It is an approach that is of value both to the library and the institution at large and has brought meaningful insights into the role the academic library might be seen to play in promoting student academic achievement.
Understanding students’ satisfaction with OERs as course materials
Authors: Jaggars Shanna Smith , Folk Amanda L. , Mullins David
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a survey instrument to measure three components of students’ perceptions of open and affordable course materials – quality, integration, and experience – and discuss its reliability and predictive validity.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors distributed an end-of-semester online survey to students enrolled in sections of 12 courses that adopted OER in Fall 2016, as well as conducting a within-interview survey with the instructors of those courses. The authors calculated the descriptive statistics from the responses to the student survey, as well as examining the inter-item and inter-rater reliability of the instrument. Finally, explored correlations in the data gathered through both the student and faculty surveys were explored.

Findings

The authors found that both students and faculty were generally pleased with the quality and experience of using open and affordable digital materials. The authors also found that our three survey subscales had strong inter-item reliability, and that the quality and experience subscales had predictive validity in terms of whether students would choose a traditional or digital text in future courses.

Originality/value

In addition to providing evidence in terms of the full survey instrument’s reliability and predictive validity, factor analysis indicates that a short scale of quality and experience Likert scale items could be used by practitioners to effectively assess satisfaction of digital materials among traditionally aged undergraduate students.
English in the multilingual classroom: implications for research, policy and practice
Authors: Brutt-Griffler Janina
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The shift in the function of English as a medium of instruction together with its use in knowledge construction and dissemination among scholars continue to fuel the global demand for high-level proficiency in the language. These components of the global knowledge economy mean that the ability of nations to produce multilinguals with advanced English proficiency alongside their mastery of other languages has become a key to global competitiveness. That need is helping to drive one of the greatest language learning experiments the world has ever known. It carries significant implications for new research agendas and teacher preparation in applied linguistics.

Design/methodology/approach

Evidence-based decision-making, whether it pertains to language policy decisions, instructional practices, teacher professional development or curricula/program building, needs to be based on a rigorous and systematically pursued program of research and assessment.

Findings

This paper seeks to advance these objectives by identifying new research foci that underscore a student-centered approach.

Originality/value

It introduces a new theoretical construct – multilingual proficiency – to underscore the knowledge that the learner develops in the process of language learning that makes for the surest route to the desired high levels of language proficiency. The paper highlights the advantages of a student-centered approach that focuses on multilingual proficiency for teachers and explores the concomitant conclusions for teacher development.
Conocimientos sobre violencia familiar en padres o cuidadores de escolares de un colegio de educación básica
Authors: Chanamé Ampuero Eva , Danjoy León Delia Luzmila , Cerna Carolina , Zurita Julio , Valentín Roció , Roque Miriam
Published: December 2017

Objetivo: Determinar los conocimientos sobre violencia familiar en padres o cuidadores de niños en etapa escolar en una institución educativa nacional del distrito de Ate Vitarte (Lima, Perú). Métodos: Enfoque cuantitativo, tipo descriptivo de corte transversal. Se trabajó con una muestra de 73 padres o cuidadores de escolares de un colegio estatal de Lima. La técnica utilizada fue la encuesta y como instrumento se utilizó un cuestionario que constó de dos partes: la primera sobre datos sociodemográficos de los sujetos de estudio y una segunda parte donde se indaga sobre los conocimientos de violencia familiar en veinte preguntas relativas a violencia física, psicológica, sexual y por negligencia. Resultados: El 62 % de los encuestados obtuvo un nivel de conocimiento bajo en violencia física por negligencia; el 52 %, en violencia sexual, y el 34 %, en violencia psicológica. Por otro lado, se consideró elpuntaje global sobre conocimiento de violencia de los cuales el 45 % obtuvo un nivel bajo. Conclusión: Los padres o cuidadores tienen un conocimiento deficiente de los conceptos de violencia y sus tipos.
Rendimiento académico, enfoques de trabajo e implicación en los deberes escolares
Authors: Valle-Arias Antonio , Regueiro-Fernández Bibiana , Suárez-Fernández Natalia , Núñez-Pérez José Carlos , Rosário Pedro , Pan-López Irene
Published: December 2017

El objetivo de este artículo de investigación fue analizar la relación entre enfoque de trabajo, implicación en los deberes escolares y rendimiento académico en matemáticas. Partici­paron 897 estudiantes de 5º y 6º curso de Educación Prima­ria (50,2% chicos y 49,8% chicas). Los resultados indican que a mayor rendimiento académico mayor enfoque profundo en la realización de los deberes escolares, mayor cantidad de deberes realizados y mejor aprovechamiento del tiempo. No obstante, el tiempo que los estudiantes dedican a realizar los deberes es mayor cuando el rendimiento es bajo o medio. Se discuten implicaciones educativas.
Formas de recuerdo sin territorio
Authors: Noguera Palau Carolina
Published: December 2017

El objetivo principal de este trabajo es presentar una manera de aproximarse a la composición musical bajo la idea de las potencias creadoras del recuerdo y el olvido. En la metodología empleada, se toma como punto de partida la evocación como una necesidad por importar fragmentos del universo de músicas tradicionales a la disciplina de la música erudita como una forma de conexión y comunicación entre la academia y otros contextos y realidades musicales. Los resultados de esta investigación generaron dos intereses esenciales que dan lugar a posibles métodos de desarrollo musical. Por un lado, desde el enfoque en el aspecto tímbrico de la fuente sonora original, y por el otro, a partir del tratamiento morfológico del objeto melódico y la textura en que este es tratado. Esto conlleva mostrar cómo los procesos de desarrollo compositivo pueden ser gobernados bajo el principio de la distorsión como correlato de la presencia natural del olvido o de la subjetividad de la percepción en el ejercicio reminiscente, y a partir de ahí, concluir que los distintos niveles de variación que se crean entre el objeto percibido y la imagen de su recuerdo son consecuencia de la distancia que los separa, como quiera esta ser entendida (temporal, espacial, cultural, o de otros tipos). Desde el estudio de dos obras compuestas por la autora, se llegó a los hallazgos expuestos que, en última instancia, configuran un tipo de técnica compositiva que puede resultar de gran utilidad en la composición musical.
Pensando la conservación desde el multi-naturalismo en una localidad indígena de los andes colombianos
Authors: Martínez Dueñas William Andrés , Perafán Ledezma Atrid Lorena
Published: December 2017

A través de una experiencia etnográfica con el Cabildo Indígena de Puracé (CIP) en el Resguardo del mismo nombre (RIP) se puede observar cómo la “conservación” ha propiciado un espacio de interacción entre la organización indígena (CIP) y el Estado que permite evidenciar, por un lado, lo productivo que puede llegar a ser este proceso y por otro lado, que lo que sucede en esta dinámica puede ser mejor entendido a la luz de una plataforma analítica multi-naturalista y no solamente desde el marco multi-culturalista. Particularmente nos centraremos en mostrar cómo dos no-humanos, las vacas y los cóndores, se insertan de maneras específicas en redes socio-materiales particulares. En cada una de estas tanto las vacas como los cóndores son seres diferentes con los cuales se interactúa de manera particular. A partir de esto se sugiere una mirada que contemple la co-existencia de más que una sola naturaleza en un mismo espacio geográfico.
Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics Simulation of an Air-Assisted Atomizer Operating at High Pressure: Influence of Non-Newtonian Effects
Authors: Chaussonnet G. , Koch R. , Bauer H.-J. , Sänger A. , Jakobs T. , Kolb T.
Published: December 2017

A twin-fluid atomizer configuration is predicted by means of the two-dimensional (2D) weakly compressible smooth particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method and compared to experiments. The setup consists of an axial liquid jet surrounded by a high-speed air stream (Ug ≈ 60 m/s) in a pressurized reactor, which is operated at up to 11 bar. Two types of liquid are investigated: a viscous Newtonian liquid (μl = 200 mPa·s) consisting of glycerol/water mixture and a viscous non-Newtonian liquid (μ1,apparent. ≈ 150 mPa·s), which is a carboxymethyl cellulose solution. Three-dimensional (3D) effects are taken into account in the 2D code by introducing: (i) a surface tension term, (ii) a cylindrical viscosity operator, and (iii) a modified velocity accounting for the divergence of the volume in the radial direction. The numerical results at high pressure show a good qualitative agreement with experiment, i.e., a correct transition of the different atomization regimes with regard to pressure, and similar dynamics and length scales of the generated ligaments. The propagation velocity of the Kelvin–Helmholtz (KH) instability is well predicted, but its frequency needs a correction factor to be globally well recovered for the Newtonian liquid. The Sauter mean diameter (SMD), calculated from the spray size distribution, shows similar trends of the reactor pressure dependency. The simulation of the non-Newtonian liquid at high pressure shows the same breakup regime with finer droplets compared to Newtonian liquids, and the simulation at atmospheric pressure shows an apparent viscosity similar to the experiment.
Buoyancy-Induced Flow and Heat Transfer in Compressor Rotors
Authors: Tang Hui , Puttock-Brown Mark R. , Michael Owen J.
Published: December 2017

The buoyancy-induced flow and heat transfer inside the compressor rotors of gas-turbine engines affects the stresses and radial growth of the compressor disks, and it also causes a temperature rise in the axial throughflow of cooling air through the center of the disks. In turn, the radial growth of the disks affects the radial clearance between the rotating compressor blades and the surrounding stationary casing. The calculation of this clearance is extremely important, particularly in aeroengines where the increase in pressure ratios results in a decrease in the size of the blades. In this paper, a published theoretical model—based on buoyancy-induced laminar Ekman-layer flow on the rotating disks—is extended to include laminar free convection from the compressor shroud and forced convection between the bore of the disks and the axial throughflow. The predicted heat transfer from these three surfaces is then used to calculate the temperature rise of the throughflow. The predicted temperatures and Nusselt numbers are compared with measurements made in a multicavity compressor rig, and mainly good agreement is achieved for a range of Rossby, Reynolds, and Grashof numbers representative of those found in aeroengine compressors. Owing to compressibility effects in the fluid core between the disks—and as previously predicted—increasing rotational speed can result in an increase in the core temperature and a consequent decrease in the Nusselt numbers from the disks and shroud.
Interactions of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium and Pectobacterium carotovorum within a Tomato Soft Rot
Authors: George Andrée S. , Cox Clayton E. , Desai Prerak , Porwollik Steffen , Chu Weiping , de Moraes Marcos H. , McClelland Michael , Brandl Maria T. , Teplitski Max
Published: December 2017

Salmonella
spp. are remarkably adaptable pathogens, and this adaptability allows these bacteria to thrive in a variety of environments and hosts. The mechanisms with which these pathogens establish within a niche amid the native microbiota remain poorly understood. Here, we aimed to uncover the mechanisms that enable
Salmonella enterica
serovar Typhimurium strain ATCC 14028 to benefit from the degradation of plant tissue by a soft rot plant pathogen,
Pectobacterium carotovorum
. The hypothesis that in the soft rot, the liberation of starch (not utilized by
P. carotovorum
) makes this polymer available to
Salmonella
spp., thus allowing it to colonize soft rots, was tested first and proven null. To identify the functions involved in
Salmonella
soft rot colonization, we carried out transposon insertion sequencing coupled with the phenotypic characterization of the mutants. The data indicate that
Salmonella
spp. experience a metabolic shift in response to the changes in the environment brought on by
Pectobacterium
spp. and likely coordinated by the
csrBC
small regulatory RNA. While
csrBC
and
flhD
appear to be of importance in the soft rot, the global two-component system encoded by
barA sirA
(which controls
csrBC
and
flhDC
under laboratory conditions) does not appear to be necessary for the observed phenotype. Motility and the synthesis of nucleotides and amino acids play critical roles in the growth of
Salmonella
spp. in the soft rot.

IMPORTANCE
Outbreaks of produce-associated illness continue to be a food safety concern. Earlier studies demonstrated that the presence of phytopathogens on produce was a significant risk factor associated with increased
Salmonella
carriage on fruits and vegetables. Here, we genetically characterize some of the requirements for interactions between
Salmonella
and phytobacteria that allow
Salmonella
spp. to establish a niche within an alternate host (tomato). Pathways necessary for nucleotide synthesis, amino acid synthesis, and motility are identified as contributors to the persistence of
Salmonella
spp. in soft rots.
Validation of Whole-Genome Sequencing for Identification and Characterization of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli To Produce Standardized Data To Enable Data Sharing
Authors: Holmes Anne , Dallman Timothy J. , Shabaan Sharif , Hanson Mary , Allison Lesley
Published: December 2017

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is rapidly becoming the method of choice for outbreak investigations and public health surveillance of microbial pathogens. The combination of improved cluster resolution and prediction of resistance and virulence phenotypes provided by a single tool is extremely advantageous. However, the data produced are complex, and standard bioinformatics pipelines are required to translate the output into easily interpreted epidemiologically relevant information for public health action. The main aim of this study was to validate the implementation of WGS at the Scottish
Escherichia coli
O157/STEC Reference Laboratory (SERL) using the Public Health England (PHE) bioinformatics pipeline to produce standardized data to enable interlaboratory comparison of results generated at two national reference laboratories. In addition, we evaluated the BioNumerics whole-genome multilocus sequence typing (wgMLST) and
E. coli
genotyping plug-in tools using the same data set. A panel of 150 well-characterized isolates of Shiga toxin-producing
E. coli
(STEC) that had been sequenced and analyzed at PHE using the PHE pipeline and database (SnapperDB) was assembled to provide identification and typing data, including serotype (O:H type), sequence type (ST), virulence genes (
eae
and Shiga toxin [
stx
] subtype), and a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) address. To validate the implementation of sequencing at the SERL, DNA was reextracted from the isolates and sequenced and analyzed using the PHE pipeline, which had been installed at the SERL; the output was then compared with the PHE data. The results showed a very high correlation between the data, ranging from 93% to 100%, suggesting that the standardization of WGS between our reference laboratories is possible. We also found excellent correlation between the results obtained using the PHE pipeline and BioNumerics, except for the detection of
stx
2a
and
stx
2c
when these subtypes are both carried by strains.
Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I (FLA-E*01801) Molecular Structure in Domestic Cats Demonstrates Species-Specific Characteristics in Presenting Viral Antigen Peptides
Authors: Liang Ruiying , Sun Yaping , Liu Yanjie , Wang Junya , Wu Yanan , Li Zibin , Ma Lizhen , Zhang Nan , Zhang Lijie , Wei Xiaohui , Qu Zehui , Zhang Nianzhi , Xia Chun
Published: December 2017

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection in domestic cats is the smallest usable natural model for lentiviral infection studies. FLA-E*01801 was applied to FIV AIDS vaccine research. We determined the crystal structure of FLA-E*01801 complexed with a peptide derived from FIV (gag positions 40 to 48; RMANVSTGR [RMA9]). The A pocket of the FLA-E*01801 complex plays a valuable restrictive role in peptide binding. Mutation experiments and circular-dichroism (CD) spectroscopy revealed that peptides with Asp at the first position (P1) could not bind to FLA-E*01801. The crystal structure and
in vitro
refolding of the mutant FLA-E*01801 complex demonstrated that Glu
63
and Trp
167
in the A pocket play important roles in restricting P1D. The B pocket of the FLA-E*01801 complex accommodates M/T/A/V/I/L/S residues, whereas the negatively charged F pocket prefers R/K residues. Based on the peptide binding motif, 125 FLA-E*01801-restricted FIV nonapeptides (San Diego isolate) were identified. Our results provide the structural basis for peptide presentation by the FLA-E*01801 molecule, especially A pocket restriction on peptide binding, and identify the potential cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitope peptides of FIV presented by FLA-E*01801. These results will benefit both the reasonable design of FLA-E*01801-restricted CTL epitopes and the further development of the AIDS vaccine.

IMPORTANCE
Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a viral pathogen in cats, and this infection is the smallest usable natural model for lentivirus infection studies. To examine how FLA I presents FIV epitope peptides, we crystallized and solved the first classic feline major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) molecular structure. Surprisingly, pocket A restricts peptide binding. Trp
167
blocks the left side of pocket A, causing P1D to conflict with Glu
63
. We also identified the FLA-E*01801 binding motif X (except D)-(M/T/A/V/I/L/S)-X-X-X-X-X-X-(R/K) based on structural and biochemical experiments. We identified 125 FLA-E*01801-restricted nonapeptides from FIV. These results are valuable for developing peptide-based FIV and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccines and for studying how MHC-I molecules present peptides.
Cryo-Electron Microscopy Structure of Seneca Valley Virus Procapsid
Authors: Strauss Mike , Jayawardena Nadishka , Sun Eileen , Easingwood Richard A. , Burga Laura N. , Bostina Mihnea
Published: December 2017

Seneca Valley virus (SVV), like some other members of the
Picornaviridae
, forms naturally occurring empty capsids, known as procapsids. Procapsids have the same antigenicity as full virions, so they present an interesting possibility for the formation of stable virus-like particles. Interestingly, although SVV is a livestock pathogen, it has also been found to preferentially infect tumor cells and is being explored for use as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of small-cell lung cancers. Here we used cryo-electron microscopy to investigate the procapsid structure and describe the transition of capsid protein VP0 to the cleaved forms of VP4 and VP2. We show that the SVV receptor binds the procapsid, as evidence of its native antigenicity. In comparing the procapsid structure to that of the full virion, we also show that a cage of RNA serves to stabilize the inside surface of the virus, thereby making it more acid stable.

IMPORTANCE
Viruses are extensively studied to help us understand infection and disease. One of the by-products of some virus infections are the naturally occurring empty virus capsids (containing no genome), termed procapsids, whose function remains unclear. Here we investigate the structure and formation of the procapsids of Seneca Valley virus, to better understand how they form, what causes them to form, how they behave, and how we can make use of them. One potential benefit of this work is the modification of the procapsid to develop it for targeted
in vivo
delivery of therapeutics or to make a stable vaccine against SVV, which could be of great interest to the agricultural industry.