bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unraveling resistive versus collisional contributions to relativistic electron beam stopping power in cold-solid and in warm-dense plasmas
Authors: Vauzour B. , Debayle A. , Vaisseau X. , Hulin S. , Schlenvoigt H.-P. , Batani D. , Baton S. D. , Honrubia J. J. , Nicolaï Ph. , Beg F. N. , Benocci R. , Chawla S. , Coury M. , Dorchies F. , Fourment C. , d'Humières E. , Jarrot L. C. , McKenna P. , Rhee Y. J. , Tikhonchuk V. T. , Volpe L. , Yahia V. , Santos J. J.
Published: March 2014

We present results on laser-driven relativistic electron beam propagation through aluminum samples, which are either solid and cold or compressed and heated by laser-induced shock. A full numerical description of fast electron generation and transport is found to reproduce the experimental absolute Kα yield and spot size measurements for varying target thicknesses, and to sequentially quantify the collisional and resistive electron stopping powers. The results demonstrate that both stopping mechanisms are enhanced in compressed Al samples and are attributed to the increase in the medium density and resistivity, respectively. For the achieved time- and space-averaged electronic current density, ⟨jh⟩∼8×1010 A/cm2 in the samples, the collisional and resistive stopping powers in warm and compressed Al are estimated to be 1.5 keV/μm and 0.8 keV/μm, respectively. By contrast, for cold and solid Al, the corresponding estimated values are 1.1 keV/μm and 0.6 keV/μm. Prospective numerical simulations involving higher jh show that the resistive stopping power can reach the same level as the collisional one. In addition to the effects of compression, the effect of the transient behavior of the resistivity of Al during relativistic electron beam transport becomes progressively more dominant, and for a significantly high current density, jh∼1012 A/cm2, cancels the difference in the electron resistive stopping power (or the total stopping power in units of areal density) between solid and compressed samples. Analytical calculations extend the analysis up to jh=1014 A/cm2 (representative of the full-scale fast ignition scenario of inertial confinement fusion), where a very rapid transition to the Spitzer resistivity regime saturates the resistive stopping power, averaged over the electron beam duration, to values of ∼1 keV/μm.
High finesse pulsed optical cavity locking by tilt-locking technique
Authors: You Y. , Chiche R. , Yan L. X. , Huang W. H. , Tang C. X. , Zomer F.
Published: March 2014

We report the Tilt-Locking (TL) technique applied to lock a laser in pulsed regime to a 28 000 high finesse Fabry–Perot cavity. Preliminary experimental results show that TL technique is comparable with the well-known Pound–Drever–Hall technique. This study is the first to implement the TL technique to lock a pulsed laser to a high-finesse optical cavity. Very high and stable coupling is obtained. The coupling rate is ∼80%, and locking can last for more than 1 h. Furthermore, while previously published papers have focused on near field case, in this study we will give the error signal shape simulation for the far field case. We will show that for different types of error sources, the split photodiode transverse position can be carefully adjusted to obtain a symmetrical error signal. Our experimental results are consistent with the simulations.
Note: Experimental evidence of three-dimensional dynamics of an electromagnetically imploded liner
Authors: Nakamura D. , Sawabe H. , Takeyama S.
Published: March 2014

The time-dependent spatial distribution of magnetic fields generated by the electromagnetic flux compression technique is investigated, with emphasis on the dynamical processes of an imploding liner. The developing magnetic field distribution in space and time is determined by a three-dimensional implosion process of the liner that is settled in a primary coil, using an advanced numerical calculation.
Humidity measurement in air using filament-induced nitrogen monohydride fluorescence spectroscopy
Authors: Yuan Shuai , Wang Tiejun , Lu Peifen , Leang Chin See , Zeng Heping
Published: March 2014

Strong fluorescence emissions from nitrogen monohydride (NH) free radical at 336 nm were observed in air, when water vapor was present in a 400 nm femtosecond laser filament. The generated NH radical is ascribed to chemical reaction between nitrogen and water vapor during laser filamentation. The backscattered fluorescence from NH shows an exponential increase with increasing filament length, indicating amplified spontaneous emission. The fluorescence intensity of NH was found to be linearly dependent on the relative humidity around the filament region, and a record of NH fluorescence detection at 2 m was achieved, which opens up the possibility for remote humidity measurements.
Non-local thermodynamic equilibrium effects on isentropic coefficient in argon and helium thermal plasmas
Authors: Sharma Rohit , Singh Kuldip
Published: March 2014

In the present work, two cases of thermal plasma have been considered; the ground state plasma in which all the atoms and ions are assumed to be in the ground state and the excited state plasma in which atoms and ions are distributed over various possible excited states. The variation of Zγ, frozen isentropic coefficient and the isentropic coefficient with degree of ionization and non-equilibrium parameter θ(= Te/Th) has been investigated for the ground and excited state helium and argon plasmas at pressures 1 atm, 10 atm, and 100 atm in the temperature range from 6000 K to 60 000 K. For a given value of non-equilibrium parameter, the relationship of Zγ with degree of ionization does not show any dependence on electronically excited states in helium plasma whereas in case of argon plasma this dependence is not appreciable till degree of ionization approaches 2. The minima of frozen isentropic coefficient shifts toward lower temperature with increase of non-equilibrium parameter for both the helium and argon plasmas. The lowering of non-equilibrium parameter decreases the frozen isentropic coefficient more emphatically in helium plasma at high pressures in comparison to argon plasma. The increase of pressure slightly reduces the ionization range over which isentropic coefficient almost remains constant and it does not affect appreciably the dependence of isentropic coefficient on non-equilibrium parameter.
Validation of plasma shape reconstruction by Cauchy condition surface method in KSTAR
Authors: Miyata Y. , Hahn S. H. , Suzuki T. , Ide S. , Chung J. , Bak J. G. , Ko W. H.
Published: March 2014

Cauchy Condition Surface (CCS) method is a numerical approach to reconstruct the plasma boundary and calculate the quantities related to plasma shape using the magnetic diagnostics in real time. It has been applied to the KSTAR plasma in order to establish the plasma shape reconstruction with the high elongation of plasma shape and the large effect of eddy currents flowing in the tokamak structures for the first time. For applying the CCS calculation to the KSTAR plasma, the effects by the eddy currents and the ferromagnetic materials on the plasma shape reconstruction are studied. The CCS calculation includes the effect of eddy currents and excludes the magnetic diagnostics, which is expected to be influenced largely by ferromagnetic materials. Calculations have been performed to validate the plasma shape reconstruction in 2012 KSTAR experimental campaign. Comparison between the CCS calculation and non-magnetic measurements revealed that the CCS calculation can reconstruct the accurate plasma shape even with a small IP.
Investigation of crystalline and electronic band alignment properties of GaP/Ge(111) heterostructure
Authors: Dixit V. K. , Kumar Shailendra , Singh S. D. , Khamari S. K. , Kumar R. , Tiwari Pragya , Phase D. M. , Sharma T. K. , Oak S. M.
Published: March 2014

Gallium phosphide (GaP) epitaxial layer and nanostructures are grown on n-Ge(111) substrates using metal organic vapour phase epitaxy. It is confirmed by high resolution x-ray diffraction measurements that the layer is highly crystalline and oriented with the coexistence of two domains, i.e., GaP(111)A and GaP(111)B, with an angle of 60° between them due to the formation of a wurtzite monolayer at the interface. The valence band offset between GaP and Ge is 0.7 ± 0.1 eV as determined from the valence band onsets and from Kraut's method. A band alignment diagram for GaP/Ge/GeOx is also constructed which can be used to design monolithic optoelectronic integrated circuits.
Analysis of dominant carrier recombination mechanisms depending on injection current in InGaN green light emitting diodes
Authors: Kim Kyu-Sang , Han Dong-Pyo , Kim Hyun-Sung , Shim Jong-In
Published: March 2014

Two kinds of green InGaN light emitting diodes (LEDs) have been investigated in order to understand the different slopes in logarithmic light output power-current (L-I) curves. Through the analysis of the carrier rate equation and by considering the carrier density-dependent the injection efficiency into quantum wells, the slopes of the logarithmic L-I curves can be more rigorously understood. The low current level, two as the tunneling current is initially dominant. The high current level beyond the peak of the external quantum efficiency (EQE) diminishes below one as the carrier overflow becomes dominant. In addition, the normalized carrier injection efficiency can be obtained by analyzing the slopes of the logarithmic L-I curves. The carrier injection efficiency decreases after the EQE peak of the InGaN LEDs, determined from the analysis of the slopes of the logarithmic L-I curves.
Faecal particle size and tooth wear of the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus)
Authors: Ellis William , Attard Rachael , Johnston Stephen , Theileman Peter , McKinnon Allan , Booth David
Published: March 2014

We used computer-aided image analysis of leaf fragment particles found in faecal pellets of 45 koalas, representing the range of tooth wear in this species, to investigate how tooth wear in the koala influences faecal particle sizes. Although the range of sizes of particles produced did not vary between koalas across different tooth wear classes, with all koalas producing small, medium and large particles, koalas with advanced tooth wear produced a greater proportion of larger particles. This observation may prove useful for demographic population analyses based on scat surveys since the broad age class of individual koalas can be estimated from faecal pellet analysis. Older koalas produced faecal pellets containing a higher proportion of the largest-sized particle sizes (those greater than 0.59 mm2) than either young or mature koalas but there was no difference detected between mature and young koalas.
A virological investigation into declining woylie populations
Authors: Pacioni Carlo , Johansen Cheryl A. , Mahony Timothy J. , O'Dea Mark A. , Robertson Ian D. , Wayne Adrian F. , Ellis Trevor
Published: March 2014

The woylie (Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi) is a critically endangered small Australian marsupial that is in a state of accelerated population decline for reasons that are currently unknown. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the involvement of several viral pathogens through strategic serological testing of several wild woylie populations. Testing for antibodies against the Wallal and Warrego serogroup of orbiviruses, Macropod herpesvirus 1 and Encephalomyocarditis virus in woylie sera was undertaken through virus neutralisation tests. Moreover, testing for antibodies against the the alphaviruses Ross River virus and Barmah Forest virus and the flaviviruses Kunjin virus and Murray Valley encephalitis virus was undertaken through virus neutralisation tests and ELISA mainly because of the interest in the epidemiology of these important zoonoses as it was considered unlikely to be the cause of the decline. Between 15 and 86 samples were tested for each of the four sites in south-western Australia (Balban, Keninup, Warrup and Karakamia). Results indicated no exposure to any of the viral pathogens investigated, indicating that all populations are currently naïve and may be at risk if these pathogens were to be introduced.
Identification of ocular dominance domains in New World owl monkeys by immediate-early gene expression
Authors: Takahata Toru , Miyashita Masanobu , Tanaka Shigeru , Kaas Jon H.
Published: March 2014

Significance

Ocular dominance columns (ODCs), the segregation of activation patterns from each eye in primary visual cortex, are variable in form but are present in most studied primates. However, their existence seems to be weak or absent in nocturnal owl monkeys, raising questions about the significance of ODCs. Using the highly sensitive method of immediate-early genes after monocular deprivation, we revealed an unusual pattern of eye-dependent activity in V1, providing further evidence for the widespread presence and variability of ODCs in primates and raising further questions about their development and functions.
On the homeomorphisms of the space of geodesic laminations on a hyperbolic surface
Authors: Charitos C. , Papadoperakis I. , Papadopoulos A.
Published: March 2014

We prove that for any orientable connected surfaceSSof finite type which is not a sphere with at most four punctures or a torus with at most two punctures, the natural homomorphism from the extended mapping class group ofSSto the group of homeomorphisms of the space of geodesic laminations onSS, equipped with the Thurston topology, is an isomorphism.
Economics in the Christian Scriptures
Authors: Meeks M. Douglas
Published: March 2014

The Christian Scriptures do not contain what would be called modern economics, but they are replete with the concerns of economy, that is, the means of livelihood. The “economy of God” is a term in the Scriptures and the tradition designating God’s all-inclusive history with the creation and the human response to God’s economic work. Considering this larger framework is essential to understanding the particular economic material in the Scriptures. This includes material on wealth and poverty, property, justice, mercy, the Sabbath, usury, slavery, and hospitality.
From the Foundation of Liberal Political Economy to its Critique
Authors: Faccarello Gilbert
Published: March 2014

The relationship between economics, religion, and morals are by far more complex than usually stated. It is possible to show that, at some crucial steps of the development of economics, religious thought gave it a decisive impetus, but it is also true that religious thought developed a strong critique of these very developments. The very beginning of the French eighteenth century allows us to exemplify the first kind of relationship: it shows how some fundamental propositions of liberal political economy stemmed out of religious questions and controversies. The French nineteenth century, by contrast, witnessed the second and inverse movement: it shows how some Protestant and Catholic authors, dissatisfied with the evolution of the economic situation, strongly criticized the “laissez-faire” economic theories of the time and tried to change them.
Theology and the Rise of Political Economy in Britain in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries
Authors: Waterman A. M. C.
Published: March 2014

In the eighteenth century, and for much of the nineteenth, Britain was a Christian society. In such a society, ideas are inevitably conceived within a theological matrix; and to be generally acceptable they must be consonant with prevailing theological orthodoxy. In eighteenth-century England and Scotland, there is hardly a trace of any dissonance between economic thought and Christian theology. But at the very end of that century there appeared T. R. Malthus’s anonymous Essay on the Principle of Population, which almost immediately created a conflict between theology and what was becoming known as “political economy,” a conflict which in some respects has continued to the present. This chapter surveys the characteristics of Christian society that provided the intellectual context of economic thought in those centuries and provides an account of the relation between economic thought and theology in the eighteenth century, and the story of what happened after Malthus.
Reformed Christian Economics
Authors: Goudzwaard Bob , Jongeneel Roel
Published: March 2014

Within the Reformed Christian tradition, there is a diversity of economic thinking. Contributions differ with respect to their theoretical significance, scientific originality, and typicality for the reformed tradition. Four different typologies or approaches are distinguished: some use a single normative key concept, while others choose to embed their approach in an existing school, which they try to correct. In addition a welfare approach and a renewed normative approach are distinguished. Of the selected studies that are analyzed the thematic-oriented approach is argued to be lacking in terms of theoretical reflection and being often oriented to the own reformed public. Embedded approaches are better linked to standard economic theories, follow a specific economic methodology and interact relatively much with fellow economists. A critical element in the welfare-approach is the link between economics and (economic) ethics. The normative institutional contributions are argued to provide the most influential and systematic type of reformed economic thought.
Regulation of Religious Markets
Authors: North Charles M.
Published: March 2014

This chapter summarizes the current state of economic research on the regulation of religious markets and suggests directions for the future. Following a discussion of the differing views of Adam Smith and David Hume on the wisdom of state support of religion, the chapter next describes the early work—mainly by sociologists—on the empirical relationship between religious pluralism and religious participation. Because of substantial flaws in the pluralism/participation research, emphasis in more recent years has shifted to studying the effects of regulations on religion, such as the existence of state religions and restrictions on freedoms of religious groups. In the future, more work needs to be done to answer empirical questions on the effects of religious regulation, but more importantly economists need to develop a holistic theory of religious market regulation that accounts for the simultaneous decisions of individuals, religious organizations, and government actors.
Happiness
Authors: Cooper Ben
Published: March 2014

There has been a revolution in how economists treat the subject of happiness: in happiness measurement, in new economic insights related to happiness, and in the area of policy consequences. This has the potential to set up a stimulating dialogue. This chapter works through one possible imaginary exchange of views between economists and theologians, beginning with the new awareness in economics of the relative failure of economic growth to make people happy. Not surprisingly, the immediate response of the theologian to this insight is, “We know!” Theologians have always been clear about the limitations of material growth in providing happiness. The instinct of the theologian is then to argue that this supports his or her claim that true happiness can only be found in God. Thus far, the exchange has been quite predictable. However, the conversation need not end there. The economist is able to help the theologian refine and clarify what he or she means by “Christian happiness.”
Poverty
Authors: Gay Craig M.
Published: March 2014

The subjects of wealth and poverty are frequently and variously addressed in both the Old and the New Testaments and have been of crucial concern to Christians from the earliest days of the church down to the present day. Yet it would be seriously misleading to suggest that there is either a single or a simple Christian understanding of “poverty.” This chapter describes some of the understandings that have arisen within the Christian tradition. Contemporary reflection on the problem of “poverty” often neglects the deep fear that impedes our thinking and acting on behalf of the poor. If we are tempted to neglect the poor, this is not simply because we are selfish, complacent, and/or ignorant—though surely we are all of these things—but also because we are afraid that sharing our own resources with the poor might somehow threaten our own survival.
Acquired Tolerance in Apricot Plants that Stably Recovered from European Stone Fruit Yellows
Authors: Osler R. , Borselli S. , Ermacora P. , Loschi A. , Martini M. , Musetti R. , Loi N.
Published: March 2014

European stone fruit yellows (ESFY) is one of the most destructive phytoplasma diseases of plum, apricot, and peach in Europe. Conventional preventive defense strategies have been ineffective. Because apricot cultivars with innate-constitutive resistance against ESFY are not available, the aim of this more than 20-year-long study was to seek acquired resistance or tolerance. In the first experiment, we surveyed an orchard with seven apricot cultivars for 12 years in an area of northern Italy with a high rate of natural occurrence of ESFY. Of the diseased plants, a few (8.7%) became completely symptomless but retained the phytoplasma, as confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In the second experiment, we grafted buds from two stably recovered plants and from two nonrecovered plants onto ‘Rubira’ peach. Over the next 9 years in an orchard with a high rate of natural infection, 93.0% of the “nonrecovered clones” became diseased but only 1.5% of the plants grafted with the two “recovered clones” developed ESFY symptoms. According to PCR analyses, all of the exposed test plants were ESFY-infected, whether they were derived from recovered or nonrecovered mothers. This could indicate that epigenetic changes occurred in recovered plants due to a graft-transmissible memory. Based on the results attained from the two described experiments, we propose that an acquired tolerance that occurred in stably recovered apricot trees was graft transmitted from two tolerant apricot clones. In contrast, we did not demonstrate a cross-protection process based on protectant avirulent phytoplasma strains that suppress severe strains.
Fruit flies learn to avoid odours associated with virulent infection
Authors: Babin Aurélie , Kolly Sylvain , Schneider Franziska , Dolivo Vassilissa , Zini Marco , Kawecki Tadeusz J.
Published: March 2014

While learning to avoid toxic food is common in mammals and occurs in some insects, learning to avoid cues associated with infectious pathogens has received little attention. We demonstrate thatDrosophila melanogastershow olfactory learning in response to infection with their virulent intestinal pathogenPseudomonas entomophila. This pathogen was not aversive to taste when added to food. Nonetheless, flies exposed for 3 h to food laced withP. entomophila, and scented with an odorant, became subsequently less likely to choose this odorant than flies exposed to pathogen-laced food scented with another odorant. No such effect occurred after an otherwise identical treatment with an avirulent mutant ofP. entomophila, indicating that the response is mediated by pathogen virulence. These results demonstrate that a virulent pathogen infection can act as an aversive unconditioned stimulus which flies can associate with food odours, and thus become less attracted to pathogen-contaminated food.
Language extinction and linguistic fronts
Authors: Isern Neus , Fort Joaquim
Published: March 2014

Language diversity has become greatly endangered in the past centuries owing to processes of language shift from indigenous languages to other languages that are seen as socially and economically more advantageous, resulting in the death or doom of minority languages. In this paper, we define a new language competition model that can describe the historical decline of minority languages in competition with more advantageous languages. We then implement this non-spatial model as an interaction term in a reaction–diffusion system to model the evolution of the two competing languages. We use the results to estimate the speed at which the more advantageous language spreads geographically, resulting in the shrinkage of the area of dominance of the minority language. We compare the results from our model with the observed retreat in the area of influence of the Welsh language in the UK, obtaining a good agreement between the model and the observed data.
Rapid encoding of an internal model for imitative learning
Authors: Deshpande Mugdha , Pirlepesov Fakhriddin , Lints Thierry
Published: March 2014

As in human infant speech development, vocal imitation in songbirds involves sensory acquisition and memorization of adult-produced vocal signals, followed by a protracted phase of vocal motor practice. The internal model of adult tutor song in the juvenile male brain, termed ‘the template’, is central to the vocal imitation process. However, even the most fundamental aspects of the template, such as when, where and how it is encoded in the brain, remain poorly understood. A major impediment to progress is that current studies of songbird vocal learning use protracted tutoring over days, weeks or months, complicating dissection of the template encoding process. Here, we take the key step of tightly constraining the timing of template acquisition. We show that, in the zebra finch, template encoding can be time locked to, on average, a 2 h period of juvenile life and based on just 75 s of cumulative tutor song exposure. Crucially, we find that vocal changes occurring on the day of training correlate with eventual imitative success. This paradigm will lead to insights on how the template is instantiated in the songbird brain, with general implications for deciphering how internal models are formed to guide learning of complex social behaviours.
The origins of adipose fins: an analysis of homoplasy and the serial homology of vertebrate appendages
Authors: Stewart Thomas A. , Smith W. Leo , Coates Michael I.
Published: March 2014

Adipose fins are appendages found on the dorsal midline between the dorsal and caudal fins in more than 6000 living species of teleost fishes. It has been consistently argued that adipose fins evolved once and have been lost repeatedly across teleosts owing to limited function. Here, we demonstrate that adipose fins originated repeatedly by using phylogenetic and anatomical evidence. This suggests that adipose fins are adaptive, although their function remains undetermined. To test for generalities in the evolution of form in de novo vertebrate fins, we studied the skeletal anatomy of adipose fins across 620 species belonging to 186 genera and 55 families. Adipose fins have repeatedly evolved endoskeletal plates, anterior dermal spines and fin rays. The repeated evolution of fin rays in adipose fins suggests that these fins can evolve new tissue types and increased structural complexity by expressing fin-associated developmental modules in these new territories. Patterns of skeletal elaboration differ between the various occurrences of adipose fins and challenge prevailing hypotheses for vertebrate fin origin. Adipose fins represent a powerful and, thus far, barely studied model for exploring the evolution of vertebrate limbs and the roles of adaptation and generative biases in morphological evolution.
The cost of being valuable: predictors of extinction risk in marine invertebrates exploited as luxury seafood
Authors: Purcell Steven W. , Polidoro Beth A. , Hamel Jean-François , Gamboa Ruth U. , Mercier Annie
Published: March 2014

Extinction risk has been linked to biological and anthropogenic variables. Prediction of extinction risk in valuable fauna may not follow mainstream drivers when species are exploited for international markets. We use results from an International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List assessment of extinction risk in all 377 known species of sea cucumber within the order Aspidochirotida, many of which are exploited worldwide as luxury seafood for Asian markets. Extinction risk was primarily driven by high market value, compounded by accessibility and familiarity (well known) in the marketplace. Extinction risk in marine animals often relates closely to body size and small geographical range but our study shows a clear exception. Conservation must not lose sight of common species, especially those of high value. Greater human population density and poorer economies in the geographical ranges of endangered species illustrate that anthropogenic variables can also predict extinction risks in marine animals. Local-level regulatory measures must prevent opportunistic exploitation of high-value species. Trade agreements, for example CITES, may aid conservation but will depend on international technical support to low-income tropical countries. The high proportion of data deficient species also stresses a need for research on the ecology and population demographics of unglamorous invertebrates.
Photophysiology of kleptoplasts: photosynthetic use of light by chloroplasts living in animal cells
Authors: Serôdio João , Cruz Sónia , Cartaxana Paulo , Calado Ricardo
Published: March 2014

Kleptoplasty is a remarkable type of photosynthetic association, resulting from the maintenance of functional chloroplasts—the ‘kleptoplasts’—in the tissues of a non-photosynthetic host. It represents a biologically unique condition for chloroplast and photosynthesis functioning, occurring in different phylogenetic lineages, namely dinoflagellates, ciliates, foraminiferans and, most interestingly, a single taxon of metazoans, the sacoglossan sea slugs. In the case of sea slugs, chloroplasts from macroalgae are often maintained as intracellular organelles in cells of these marine gastropods, structurally intact and photosynthetically competent for extended periods of time. Kleptoplasty has long attracted interest owing to the longevity of functional kleptoplasts in the absence of the original algal nucleus and the limited number of proteins encoded by the chloroplast genome. This review updates the state-of-the-art on kleptoplast photophysiology, focusing on the comparative analysis of the responses to light of the chloroplasts when in their original, macroalgal cells, and when sequestered in animal cells and functioning as kleptoplasts. It covers fundamental but ecologically relevant aspects of kleptoplast light responses, such as the occurrence of photoacclimationin hospite, operation of photoprotective processes and susceptibility to photoinhibition. Emphasis is given to host-mediated processes unique to kleptoplastic associations, reviewing current hypotheses on behavioural photoprotection and host-mediated enhancement of photosynthetic performance, and identifying current gaps in sacoglossan kleptoplast photophysiology research.
Diminished WNT → β-catenin → c-MYC signaling is a barrier for malignant progression of BRAFV600E-induced lung tumors
Authors: Juan Joseph , Muraguchi Teruyuki , Iezza Gioia , Sears Rosalie C. , McMahon Martin
Published: March 2014

Oncogene-induced senescence (OIS) is proposed as a cellular defense mechanism that restrains malignant progression of oncogene-expressing, initiated tumor cells. Consistent with this, expression of BRAFV600E in the mouse lung epithelium elicits benign tumors that fail to progress to cancer due to an apparent senescence-like proliferative arrest. Here we demonstrate that nuclear β-catenin → c-MYC signaling is essential for early stage proliferation of BRAFV600E-induced lung tumors and is inactivated in the subsequent senescence-like state. Furthermore, either β-catenin silencing or pharmacological blockade of Porcupine, an acyl-transferase essential for WNT ligand secretion and activity, significantly inhibited BRAFV600E-initiated lung tumorigenesis. Conversely, sustained activity of β-catenin or c-MYC significantly enhanced BRAFV600E-induced lung tumorigenesis and rescued the anti-tumor effects of Porcupine blockade. These data indicate that early stage BRAFV600E-induced lung tumors are WNT-dependent and suggest that inactivation of WNT → β-catenin → c-MYC signaling is a trigger for the senescence-like proliferative arrest that constrains the expansion and malignant progression of BRAFV600E-initiated lung tumors. Moreover, these data further suggest that the trigger for OIS in initiated BRAFV600E-expressing lung tumor cells is not simply a surfeit of signals from oncogenic BRAF but an insufficiency of WNT → β-catenin → c-MYC signaling. These data have implications for understanding how genetic abnormalities cooperate to initiate and promote lung carcinogenesis.
Empirical studies on the effectiveness of assistive technology in the care of people with dementia: a systematic review
Authors: Fleming Richard , Sum Shima
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to assess the empirical support for the use of assistive technology in the care of people with dementia as an intervention to improve independence, safety, communication, wellbeing and carer support.

Design/methodology/approach

– A total of 232 papers were identified as potentially relevant. Inclusion criteria were: studies published between 1995 and 2011, incorporated a control group, pre-test-post-test, cross sectional or survey design, type of interventions and types of participants. The 41 papers that met criteria were subjected to an assessment of their validity using the model provided by Forbes. Following the assessment seven papers were considered as strong, ten moderate and 24 weak. The review is presented around the following topics: independence, prompts and reminders; safety and security; leisure and lifestyle, communication and telehealth; and therapeutic interventions.

Findings

– The literature exploring the use of assistive technologies for increasing independence and compensating for memory problems illustrate the problems of moving from the laboratory to real life. The studies are usually limited by very small samples, high drop-out rates, very basic statistical analyses and lack of adjustment for multiple comparisons and poor performance of the technology itself.

Originality/value

– Research to date has been unable to establish a positive difference to the lives of people with dementia by the general use of the assistive technology reviewed here.
Proposing a model to test smartphone users' intention to use smart applications when ordering food in restaurants
Authors: Okumus Bendegul , Bilgihan Anil
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of smartphone apps as tools to promote healthy eating behaviors, especially when ordering food and drinks in restaurants. This paper also aims to develop a conceptual model based on literature to test users' intention to use smartphone apps as tools to promote healthy eating habits.

Design/methodology/approach

– The article is written based on a synthesis of previous research in this area.

Findings

– Smartphone apps are innovative channels for delivering individual health behavior changes. They offer a range of services that can improve the daily habits of their users. Smartphone apps allow users to keep up with their diets, exercise routines, and overall health. Based on an extensive review, this paper develops a conceptual model that includes the precursors of actual usage of smartphone apps that may assist in building healthy eating habits.

Practical implications

– Restaurants are advised to consider developing apps that includes nutritional facts about their menu items. These apps could be used for both consumer education and marketing efforts. The conceptual framework developed in this paper suggests that perceived enjoyment, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, self-efficacy and social norms are the antecedents of intention to use these apps.

Originality/value

– This is one of the first studies in the foodservice and nutrition fields that looks at the smartphone apps' impact on healthy eating. It offers practical implications for restaurateurs and smartphone app developers. In addition, this is one of the first papers that offers a model to test smartphone users' intention to use smartphone apps when ordering food and drinks in restaurants.
Made in Bangladesh: challenges to the ready-made garment industry
Authors: Ramesh Kurpad Meenakshi
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The primary aim of this paper is to evaluate the challenges before the growth of the ready-made garment (RMG) industry in Bangladesh, the economy's backbone, and suggest appropriate reform.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper begins by tracing the growth and evolution of the RMG industry before identifying the challenges. It then proceeds to suggest appropriate reform for the same.

Findings

– The paper argues for more effective models of collective bargaining and unionism as a solution to the problems that the industry faces.

Originality/value

– The paper is the first of its kind in the sense that it is a comprehensive account of the challenges to the RMG industry in Bangladesh.
Development of SVM rapid prototyping for scaffold fabrication
Authors: Phattanaphibul Thittikorn , Koomsap Pisut , Idram Irwansyah , Nachaisit Suchart
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to introduce selective vacuum manufacturing (SVM), a powder-based rapid prototyping (RP) technique, and the ongoing development to improve its capability to apply in temporary scaffold fabrication.

Design/methodology/approach

– SVM employs a combination of sand casting and powder sintering process to construct a prototype layer by layer. A dense layer of support material is prepared and selectively removed to create a cavity where part material is filled and sintered to form a solid layer. In order for SVM to be considered for scaffold fabrication, besides preparing poly-lactic acid (PLA) for part material, support material preparation and process parameters identification have been studied. Redesigning of SVM machine to be more suitable for the real usage has also been presented.

Findings

– Particle size of salt has been controlled, and its suitable composition with flour and water has been determined. Process parameters have been identified to scale down the size of scaffolds to meso-scale and to achieve mechanical requirement. Properties of fabricated scaffolds have been enhanced and can be used for soft tissue applications. A prototype of the medical SVM machine has been constructed and tested. An examination of scaffolds fabricated on this new machine also showed their qualification for soft tissue application.

Research limitations/implications

– Further study will be on conducting a direct cytotoxicity test to provide the evidence for tissue growth before the clinical usage, on continuing to scaling down the scaffold size, and on improving SVM to meet the requirement of hard tissue.

Originality/value

– This simple, inexpensive RP technique demonstrates its viability for scaffold fabrication.
Psychosocial job strain and risk of congenital malformations in offspring—a Danish National cohort study
Authors: Larsen AD , Hannerz H , Thulstrup AM , Bonde JP , Obel C , Hougaard KS
Published: March 2014

Objective

To investigate if maternal exposure to psychosocial job strain at work (high demands and low control) measured by questionnaire early in pregnancy (median week 15) is associated with malformations in the offspring.

Design

Population‐based cohort study.

Setting

The Danish National Birth Cohort.

Population

A cohort of 60 386 singleton children with full information on mother's occupational status, exposure to psychosocial job strain and all covariates during pregnancy.

Methods

Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the odds of congenital malformations as a function of job strain with adjustment for maternal age, body mass index, parity, smoking, alcohol use, manual versus nonmanual work, maternal serious disease and gestational age at interview.

Main outcome measures

Circulatory malformation, musculoskeletal malformation or any malformation.

Results

Logistic regression analyses, both crude and adjusted, indicated no associations between working under high strain and giving birth to a child with circulatory malformation (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.04, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.75–1.44), musculoskeletal malformation (aOR 0.88, 95% CI 0.71–1.10) or any malformation (aOR 0.99, 95% CI 0.85–1.15). Supplementary analyses including restriction to first‐borns and a stratified analysis with respect to manual and nonmanual work did not change the results.

Conclusions

Association between exposure to high job strain during pregnancy and elevated risk of circulatory, muscle and any malformations is not supported by this study.
Gross tumour volume variations in primary non‐small‐cell lung cancer during the course of treatment with stereotactic body radiation therapy
Authors: Gunter T , Ali I , Matthiesen C , Machiorlatti M , Thompson D , Algan O
Published: March 2014

Introduction

We aim to quantify the variations in the gross tumour volume (GTV) during a course of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and determine its impact on dosimetric coverage of the GTV.

Methods

The GTVs and dose coverage for 14 patients with 16 primary non‐small‐cell lung tumours treated with SBRT were investigated. Initial GTVs were calculated from treatment planning CT scans. The prescribed doses ranged from 48 to 60 Gy in three to five fractions. Before each treatment, patients underwent a CBCT scan. For each CBCT scan, the GTV and the dose received by the GTV were determined and followed during the course of therapy.

Results

There was considerable variation in the measured GTVs during the course of therapy. Increases of up to 63.3% of volume measured by initial CBCT were detected during the first few fractions, after which GTV tended to decrease. Dose coverage (V95) for any given fraction deviated no more than 5% from optimised coverage obtained in the initial treatment plan. In the long term, all patients with follow‐up scans demonstrated tumour shrinkage with no radiographic evidence of tumour recurrence.

Conclusion

GTV, as evaluated in this study, demonstrates an initial increase in volume followed by a subsequent decrease. This volume change needs to be considered in the design of treatment plans and assignment of treatment margins.
50 years of bat tracking: device attachment and future directions
Authors: O'Mara M. Teague , Wikelski Martin , Dechmann Dina K.N.
Published: March 2014

Radiotelemetry and satellite‐based telemetry approaches are essential to describe the behaviour and biology of animals. This is especially true for bats, whose small size and cryptic lifestyles make them challenging to study. However, only a handful of studies have evaluated how transmitter mass and the attachment method affect bat behaviour or health, and none have assessed the development of technical methods in the field.

We review the past 50 years of bat tracking studies to determine how devices have been attached, how guidelines have been followed or changed, and whether any health or fitness impacts from these transmitters can be determined.

Half of the nearly 300 studies available used devices heavier than the recommended 5% of body mass with minimal justification. Devices were typically glued directly to the backs of small bats and remained attached for 9 days. This is far shorter than battery life span of most devices. Little information is available regarding the overall impact of attaching transmitters on the health, survival and reproductive success of bats, and there has been little development in attachment methods since the first tracking studies.

We consequently developed a collar for small bats with a degradable weak link and tested it on several species. The collar worked successfully on three of four species. This allows longer habituation and tracking times while ensuring that the device drops off after the battery expires.

Future studies will need to invest more effort in assessing potential long‐term effects of tracking. They also need to build upon previous knowledge to find the best attachment method, size and shape for their study species to effectively improve wildlife tracking.
Induction of oxidative stress causes functional alterations in mouse urothelium via a TRPM8‐mediated mechanism: implications for aging
Authors: Nocchi Linda , Daly Donna M. , Chapple Christopher , Grundy David
Published: March 2014

The incidence of bladder conditions such as overactive bladder syndrome and its associated urinary incontinence is highly prevalent in the elderly. However, the mechanisms underlying these disorders are unclear. Studies suggest that the urothelium forms a ‘sensory network’ with the underlying innervation, alterations in which, could compromise bladder function. As the accumulation of reactive oxygen species can cause functional alterations with age, the aim of this study was to investigate whether oxidative stress alters urothelial sensory signalling and whether the mechanism underlying the effect of oxidative stress on the urothelium plays a role in aging. Five‐month‐old(young) and 24‐month‐old (aged) mice were used. H2O2, used to induce oxidative stress, resulted in an increase in bladder afferent nerve activity and urothelial intracellular calcium in preparations from young mice. These functional changes were concurrent with upregulation of TRPM8 in the urothelium. Moreover, application of a TRPM8 antagonist significantly attenuated the H2O2‐induced calcium responses. Interestingly, an upregulation of TRPM8 was also found in the urothelium from aged mice, where high oxidative stress levels were observed, together with a greater calcium response to the TRPM8 agonist WS12. Furthermore, these calcium responses were attenuated by pretreatment with the antioxidant N‐acetyl‐cysteine. This study shows that oxidative stress affects urothelial function involving a TRPM8‐mediated mechanism and these effects may have important implications for aging. These data provide an insight into the possible mechanisms by which oxidative stress causes physiological alterations in the bladder, which may also occur in other organs susceptible to aging.
Luteinizing Hormone Contributes to Fetal Tolerance by Regulating Adaptive Immune Responses
Authors: Schumacher Anne , Poloski Eileen , Spörke Dominique , Zenclussen Ana C.
Published: March 2014

Problem

Pregnancy hormones were proposed to be crucially involved in fetal tolerance. Recently, we showed that human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) not only increases the number and activity of regulatory T cells (Treg) but also retains tolerogenic dendritic cells (DCs). Here, we investigate whether the highly homologous luteinizing hormone (LH) modulates Treg number and DC phenotype and thereby supports pregnancy.

Method of study

Abortion‐prone females were treated with LH or PBS on different gestation days. Pregnancy outcome and the number and phenotype of Treg and DCs were evaluated in the periphery and locally.

Results

We discovered that LH application completely prevented fetal rejection in abortion‐prone females. This protective effect was associated with a Treg augmentation peripherally and locally. Moreover, LH reduced the number of total and mature DCs.

Conclusion

Our data suggest that LH, similar to hCG, is involved in the regulation of adaptive immune responses, thus contributing to fetal tolerance.