bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The nonlinear dust potential and collision frequencies in dusty plasmas
Authors: Pandey B. P. , Vladimirov S. V.
Published: October 2016

The nonlinear modification to the Debye–Hückel potential of a dust grain depends on the thermodynamic properties of the background plasma. When the grain carries more than one electronic charge, the nonlinear self-interaction of the potential substantially modifies the ion-dust collision frequency. The electron-negatively charged dust collision frequency on the other hand remains largely unaffected by such a nonlinear modification. In the absence of nonlinear modification, collisions between the electrons and the negatively charged dust cease completely when the potential energy is four times the electron thermal energy. Thus once the dust acquires maximum charge, it will encounter electrons only because of its induced dipole field. Our electron-dust collision frequency agrees well with the previously known result whereas ion-dust collision frequency is always small compared with the known fitting formula.
The effect of sub-oxide phases on the transparency of tin-doped gallium oxide
Authors: Lim K. , Schelhas L. T. , Siah S. C. , Brandt R. E. , Zakutayev A. , Lany S. , Gorman B. , Sun C. J. , Ginley D. , Buonassisi T. , Toney M. F.
Published: October 2016

There have been a number of studies on the fabrication of Sn-doped gallium oxide (Ga2O3:Sn) films with both conductive and transparent properties using a variety of deposition methods. However, often, synthesis results in films that are not transparent. In this paper, we examine the mechanisms underlying these results in Ga2O3:Sn thin films prepared at various growth temperatures, Sn concentrations, and oxygen partial pressures. With X-ray absorption spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy, we find that when films are grown under the oxygen deficient conditions there are Ga sub-oxide and SnOx phases in the Ga2O3:Sn thin film. These Ga sub-oxide phases are only found in non-transparent films, and so we infer that the Ga sub-oxide is responsible for the non-transparency. These observations suggest that to obtain transparent Ga2O3:Sn, films deposition or subsequent annealing must be carefully controlled in both temperature and oxygen partial pressure to avoid the formation of Ga sub-oxide phases.
Microfluidic droplet sorting using integrated bilayer micro-valves
Authors: Chen Yuncong , Tian Yang , Xu Zhen , Wang Xinran , Yu Sicong , Dong Liang
Published: October 2016

This paper reports on a microfluidic device capable of sorting microfluidic droplets utilizing conventional bilayer pneumatic micro-valves as sorting controllers. The device consists of two micro-valves placed symmetrically on two sides of a sorting area, each on top of a branching channel at an inclined angle with respect to the main channel. Changes in transmitted light intensity, induced by varying light absorbance by each droplet, are used to divert the droplet from the sorting area into one of the three outlet channels. When no valve is activated, the droplet flows into the outlet channel in the direction of the main channel. When one of the valves is triggered, the flexible membrane of valve will first be deflected. Once the droplet leaves the detection point, the deflected membrane will immediately return to its default flattened position, thereby exerting a drawing pressure on the droplet and deviating it from its original streamline to the outlet on the same side as the valve. This sorting method will be particularly suitable for numerous large-scale integrated microfluidic systems, where pneumatic micro-valves are already used. Only few structural modifications are needed to achieve droplet sorting capabilities in these systems. Due to the mechanical nature of diverting energy applied to droplets, the proposed sorting method may induce only minimal interference to biological species or microorganisms encapsulated inside the droplets that may accompany electrical, optical and magnetic-based techniques.
The impact of artificial lighting on bats along native coastal vegetation
Authors: Linley Grant D.
Published: October 2016

Anthropogenic light pollution is increasing rapidly within urban areas around the world, causing a raft of ecological issues, including species loss. I used echolocation detectors to uncover the impact of artificial lighting on insectivorous bat (Chiroptera) species in Melbourne’s south-east. Surveys were undertaken in native vegetation at a lit treatment, which was illuminated by a street light, and an unlit treatment, which was dark. Bat activity and species richness at unlit treatments was significantly higher when compared with lit treatments. The temperature at which the greatest activity occurred was ~2°C higher at unlit treatments than lit treatments. Bat activity at both the lit and unlit treatments increased rapidly after sunset. Bat activity moderately decreased during the night at lit treatments until sunrise, whilst activity at unlit treatments remained steady throughout the night before rapidly decreasing two hours before sunrise. The negative effect of artificial lighting on bat activity and species in urban areas may have major long-term implications on the ecology of urban areas.
Breaking the icosahedra in boron carbide
Authors: Xie Kelvin Y. , An Qi , Sato Takanori , Breen Andrew J. , Ringer Simon P. , Goddard William A. , Cairney Julie M. , Hemker Kevin J.
Published: October 2016

Significance

The extraordinary hardness of boron compounds is related to their internal structure, which is comprised of 12-atom icosahedra arranged in crystalline lattices. In these hierarchical materials, the icosahedra are easy to image with EM, but individual atoms are not. Here, we show that laser-assisted atom probe tomography can be used to deduce the atomic structure and relative interatomic bond strengths of atoms in boron carbide. To our surprise, the icosahedra disintegrated during the field evaporation process. Statistical analyses of event multiplicity and stoichiometry in the atom probe dataset substantiate that the icosahedra are less tightly bound than their interconnecting chains. Comparisons with quantum mechanics simulations further suggest that this instability plays a role in the amorphization of boron carbide.
Explicating the English lexicon of ‘doing and happening’
Authors: Goddard Cliff , Wierzbicka Anna
Published: October 2016

This study proposes NSM semantic explications for a cross-section of the English verbal lexicon of ‘doing and happening’. The twenty-five verbs are drawn from about a dozen verb classes, including verbs for non-typical locomotion (crawl,swim,fly), other intransitive activities (play,sing), manipulation (hold), activities that affect material integrity (cut,grind,dig), creation/production (make,build,carve), actions that affect people or things (hit,kick,kill) or cause a change of location (pick up,put,throw,push), bodily reactions to feelings (laugh,cry), displacement (fall,sink) and weather phenomena (rain,snow). Though the verbs explicated are specifically English verbs, they have been chosen with an eye to their relevance to lexical typology and cross-linguistic semantics (many are drawn from the Verb Meanings List of the Leipzig Valency Patterns project) and it is hoped that the analytical strategy and methodology exemplified in this study can be a useful model for research into other languages. The study demonstrates the application of the NSM concept of semantic templates, which provide a clear “skeletal” structure for explications of considerable internal complexity and which help account for shared semantic and grammatical properties of verbs of a given subclass.
The media of the ultra-right
Authors: Padovani Cinzia
Published: October 2016

In light of the rise of ultra-right ideologies in Europe, this article offers an in-depth analysis of the discourse on immigration presented by CasaPound Italia (CPI), a self-defined fascist organization in Italy. This case study illustrates the importance of media and communication activism for the promotion of contemporary ultra-right movements. Specifically, the analysis focuses on how CPI reported one of the first widely covered immigration-related disaster in the Mediterranean, on 3 October 2013, and on the audience interactions that followed on the organisation’s website. In this article, I argue that CasaPound Italia’s online communiqué and its members’ comments need to be considered as one discursive event in which the encoding/decoding processes at play can be explored in detail. The examination, which draws from critical discourse studies, reveals audiences’ contributions in unpacking the implicit message contained in the original communiqué and underlines the active role that “rank and file” members play in the promotion of ultra-right ideologies.
Making English local
Authors: Flowers Katherine S.
Published: October 2016

This study examines the role of chronotopes in a municipal campaign to make English the official language. Drawing on theories of scale, localism, and chronotopes in discourse, this article traces how 30 town residents situated the English language in local and US history through talk and gesture. By evoking two contrasting chronotopes as they created and interpreted the language policy, people positioned monolingualism as a local tradition and multilingualism as a new, outside threat. Yet these chronotopes of local time and distant time were also recursive and fluid in two key ways. First, the US could be aligned with or against the local, which allowed English-only advocates to simultaneously criticize the nation and appeal to an idealized US past. Second, some critics of the policy reconfigured the chronotopes in order to posit multilingualism as the more authentic local tradition. These moves allowed the people involved to support, redefine and resist the English-only movement.
Identity, ideology, and attitude in Syrian rural child and adolescent speech
Authors: Habib Rania
Published: October 2016

Through ethnographic investigation, this study shows that the different linguistic behavior of girls and boys in the village of Oyoun Al-Wadi in Syria is due to gendered linguistic ideologies and attitudes that are utilized in different ways to project gendered (feminine or masculine) and spatial (local or supralocal) identities. Social meanings are gleaned from the naturally occurring speech of 72 speakers aged 6–18 and 29–57 to illuminate the ideologies and attitudes that result in inter- and intra-speaker variation between and among boys and girls and highlight the importance of both the community of practice and the speech community in investigating linguistic variation. The study also highlights the growth of the children’s sociolinguistic competence and their awareness from a very young age of the ideologies and attitudes that exist in their community and their capability to build on them. The results of this awareness are highly observed in preadolescents, particularly boys.
Distributions of case allomorphy by multilingual children
Authors: O'Shannessy Carmel
Published: October 2016

When a new linguistic code emerges and stabilizes, what are the roles of children and adults in leading and consolidating the changes? This question lies at the intersection of child language acquisition and contact-induced language change. Adults and children have played different roles in the development of a new mixed code, Light Warlpiri, spoken in a Warlpiri community in northern Australia that arose from code-switching practices among bilinguals. Elements from typologically dissimilar languages are combined systematically in the new language, with verbal and nominal structures derived from different sources. Verbal morphology is from English/Kriol (which have fixed nominative-accusative word order patterns), with the addition of some innovations, probably brought in by speakers who were then children. Nominal case morphology is from Warlpiri (with ergative-absolutive case-marking, and flexible word order). But Light Warlpiri shows redistributions of case suffix allomorphy derived from Warlpiri. The paper shows the emerging case-marking patterns in Light Warlpiri, and tracks the roles played by children and adults in the changes.
Third person singular -sand event marking in child African American English
Authors: Newkirk-Turner Brandi L. , Green Lisa
Published: October 2016

This paper discusses 3rd person singular -sin the language of three- to six-year-old developing AAE speakers, in relation to early stages of zero 3rd person singular -s(Øs) and overtsmarking. Data include a sentence repetition task and a story retell task. The speakers’ 3rd person singular -s and Øs marking are examined as a function of age, verb type, allomorph, and verb coordination. Analyses are presented to support the claim that the 3rd person singular marker -sis not part of the AAE grammar although children produce the marker in certain contexts. The speakers’ 3rd person singular -sand Øs marking are also discussed in relation to the optional root infinitive stage and the Multiple Grammars approach.
Acquiring language from variable input
Authors: Henry Alison
Published: October 2016

Thisi paper considers the impact of morphosyntactic variation in the input on the language acquisition process. In particular, it studies the acquisition of variable subject-verb agreement and variable negative concord by children acquiring the Belfast dialect of English. It finds that, given variation in the input, children can acquire more than one grammatical variant, although both do not necessarily emerge at the same time in the case of negative concord, forms without negative concord emerge in the children’s language before the use of negative concord is used. It is also found that the proportion of each variant in a child’s output matches the proportion in the input they receive.
Psychological factors of diet and health: a modernist and postmodernist perspective.
Authors: Puspa J. , Rahardja C. T.
Published: October 2016

This review aims at providing a comprehensive perspective of the area of consumer psychological aspects concerning diet, healthy eating habits and health behaviour in the era of modernism and postmodernism.
Oil-rich nonseed tissues for enhancing plant oil production.
Authors: Rahman M. M. , Divi U. K. , Liu Qing Liu Qing , Zhou XueRong Zhou XueRong , Surinder Singh Surinder Singh , Aruna Kilaru Aruna Kilaru
Published: October 2016

Plants are being engineered for enhanced ethanol production; however, challenges remain in meeting the demand for bioenergy that is expected to double by 2030. Therefore, targeting carbon accumulation in the form of energy-dense oils in nonseed biomass is considered a superior alternative for bioenergy production. Although oils in the form of triacylglycerols (TAGs) are typically stored in seed tissues, various nonseed tissues such as mesocarp, tubers, stems and leaves also serve as storage tissues for TAG accumulation in plants. Moreover, the biomass of these tissues is generally far greater than seed biomass. In order to increase oil content in nonseed biomass for bioenergy and nutritional purposes, it is important to understand how such plants naturally accumulate TAG in nonseed tissues. Several molecular approaches, including transcriptomics, have been undertaken to elucidate the metabolic and regulatory mechanisms of carbon partitioning in oil-rich nonseed tissues. Such studies are expected to generate important transgenic tools that can be used to alter fatty acid metabolism and engineer plants to produce oil-rich biomass successfully. This review focuses on the potential of different oil-rich nonseed tissues and the strategies developed for enhancing oil biomass.
Hot ductility behaviour of high manganese steels with varying aluminium contents
Authors: Steenken B. , Rezende J. L. L. , Senk D.
Published: October 2016

The influence of aluminium on the hot ductility of high manganese steels between 700°C and Tliq has been examined, using the hot tensile test machine. Five materials with 17 wt-% [Mn], 0.3 wt-% [C] and 0–8 wt-% [Al] were cast. To detect the cause of cracking, optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy analysis of the fracture surfaces have been conducted and compared to thermodynamic modelling. By adding more than 3 wt-% [Al] the fully austenitic structure changed to a two-phase structure (δ-Fe, γ-Fe). In case of the one- and also two-phase structured materials two regions of lower ductility (<30% RA) are present. Complex (AlN) and Mn(S,Se) precipitates were formed with different cores in dependence of the [Al] content.
Evaluation of the prevalence of burnout and psychological morbidity among radiation oncologist members of the Kyoto Radiation Oncology Study Group (KROSG)
Authors: Mampuya Wambaka Ange , Matsuo Yukinori , Nakamura Akira , Hiraoka Masahiro
Published: October 2016

This study aimed to evaluate the self-reported prevalence of burnout and psychological morbidity among radiation oncologists members of the Kyoto Radiation Oncology Study Group (KROSG) and to identify factors contributing to burnout. We mailed an anonymous survey to 125 radiation oncologists members of the KROSG. The survey included; the demographic data, the Maslach Burnout Inventory – Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). There were 87 responses out of 125 eligible respondents (69.6% response rate). In terms of burnout, three participants (3.4%) fulfilled the MBI-HSS criteria of having simultaneously high emotional exhaustion (EE), high depersonalization (DP) and low sense of personal accomplishment (PA). Eighteen (20.6%) reported a high score for either EE or DP meeting the alternative criteria for burnout with three of these simultaneously having high EE and high DP. The prevalence of psychological morbidity estimated using GHQ-12 was 32%. A high level of EE and low level of PA significantly correlated with high level of psychological morbidity with P < 0.001 and <0.01 respectively. Having palliative care activities other than radiotherapy and number of patients treated per year were the only factors associated with burnout. This is the first study investigating the prevalence of burnout and psychological morbidity among radiation oncologists in Japan. Compared with other studies involving radiation oncologists, the prevalence of low personal accomplishment was particularly high in the present study. The prevalence of psychological morbidity was almost the double that of the Japanese general population and was significantly associated with low PA and high EE.
Tryptophan and Cysteine Mutations in M1 Helices of α1β3γ2L γ-Aminobutyric Acid Type A Receptors Indicate Distinct Intersubunit Sites for Four Intravenous Anesthetics and One Orphan Site
Authors: Nourmahnad Anahita , Stern Alex T. , Hotta Mayo , Stewart Deirdre S. , Ziemba Alexis M. , Szabo Andrea , Forman Stuart A.
Published: October 2016

Background

γ-Aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptors mediate important effects of intravenous general anesthetics. Photolabel derivatives of etomidate, propofol, barbiturates, and a neurosteroid get incorporated in GABAA receptor transmembrane helices M1 and M3 adjacent to intersubunit pockets. However, photolabels have not been consistently targeted at heteromeric αβγ receptors and do not form adducts with all contact residues. Complementary approaches may further define anesthetic sites in typical GABAA receptors.

Methods

Two mutation-based strategies, substituted tryptophan sensitivity and substituted cysteine modification–protection, combined with voltage-clamp electrophysiology in Xenopus oocytes, were used to evaluate interactions between four intravenous anesthetics and six amino acids in M1 helices of α1, β3, and γ2L GABAA receptor subunits: two photolabeled residues, α1M236 and β3M227, and their homologs.

Results

Tryptophan substitutions at α1M236 and positional homologs β3L231 and γ2L246 all caused spontaneous channel gating and reduced γ-aminobutyric acid EC50. Substituted cysteine modification experiments indicated etomidate protection at α1L232C and α1M236C, R-5-allyl-1-methyl-5-(m-trifluoromethyl-diazirinylphenyl) barbituric acid protection at β3M227C and β3L231C, and propofol protection at α1M236C and β3M227C. No alphaxalone protection was evident at the residues the authors explored, and none of the tested anesthetics protected γ2I242C or γ2L246C.

Conclusions

All five intersubunit transmembrane pockets of GABAA receptors display similar allosteric linkage to ion channel gating. Substituted cysteine modification and protection results were fully concordant with anesthetic photolabeling at α1M236 and β3M227 and revealed overlapping noncongruent sites for etomidate and propofol in β+–α– interfaces and R-5-allyl-1-methyl-5-(m-trifluoromethyl-diazirinylphenyl) barbituric acid and propofol in α+–β– and γ+–β– interfaces. The authors’ results identify the α+–γ– transmembrane interface as a potentially unique orphan modulator site.
Management of Tissue Ischemia in Mastectomy Skin Flaps: Algorithm Integrating SPY Angiography and Topical Nitroglycerin
Authors: Sanniec Kyle , Teotia Sumeet , Amirlak Bardia
Published: October 2016

Tissue ischemia can be managed in several different ways based on the cause of the perfusion defect, including topical nitroglycerin or surgical intervention. However, there are times when tissue perfusion is questioned and clinical examination is unable to determine definitively the cause of ischemic tissue and whether it will survive. In this technique article, we describe our comprehensive algorithm for the management of tissue ischemia in mastectomy skin flaps, which can be applied to other plastic surgery procedures by integrating SPY angiography and topical nitroglycerin.
Multimodal Vulvar and Peripheral Sensitivity Among Women With Vulvodynia: A Case–Control Study
Authors: Reed Barbara D. , Sen Ananda , Harlow Sioban D. , Haefner Hope K. , Gracely Richard H.
Published: October 2016

Objective

To assess differences in vulvar and peripheral sensitivity between women with and without vulvodynia.

Methods

Women with vulvodynia (n = 41) and age-matched controls (n = 43) seen in the outpatient setting were evaluated via surveys, clinical examination, and multimodal sensory testing (pressure, heat, cold, vibration, and electrical stimulation). The relationships between sensitivity to various sensory modalities and case/control status, as well as by vulvodynia subgroups, were assessed using logistic regression.

Results

Women with vulvodynia were more sensitive to pressure and to electrical stimuli than were control women at the vulva (median, 22 vs 230 g and 0.495 vs 0.769 mA, respectively; P < 0.001 for each) and at the thumb (median, 2500 vs 4250 g and 0.578 vs 0.764 mA, respectively; P = 0.006 for pressure, P < 0.001 for electrical stimulation). Heat, cold, and vibration detection thresholds did not differ significantly between these groups (P > 0.025). Those reporting spontaneous pain versus provoked pain had greater pressure sensitivity to the thumb (median, 1850 vs 2690 g; P = 0.020) and greater electrical sensitivity at the introitus (0.450 vs 0.608 mA; P = 0.011), and those with primary versus secondary vulvodynia had substantially greater pressure sensitivity to the thumb (median, 2438 vs 3125 g, P = 0.004). However, having localized versus generalized vulvodynia was not associated with differences in pressure or electrical sensitivity.

Conclusions

Sensitivities to pressure and electrical stimuli are greater among vulvodynia cases than among controls and support 2 previously defined subgroups—those reporting spontaneous pain versus those whose pain only occurred when provoked, and those with primary versus secondary vulvodynia.
Effect of Curriculum Revision on Graduates' Transition to Practice
Authors: Meyer Geralyn , Shatto Bobbi , Delicath Timothy , von der Lancken Shelley
Published: October 2016

The effect of educational interventions on the transition experiences of new graduates of prelicensure programs is unclear. This study investigated the effect of curriculum revision on transition to practice of nursing graduates. The nursing curriculum can have a positive influence on professional and job satisfaction at 3 months postgraduation, but the practice environment becomes the dominant force after that. Graduates who demonstrated poorer transition to practice at 3 months were more likely to leave their first positions by 12 months.
Online Adjunct Faculty Support
Authors: Slade Julie D. , Robb Meigan , Sherrod Brad , Hunker Diane
Published: October 2016

Adjunct faculty are being used more frequently to meet the instructional and practice experience needs of growing nursing program cohorts. While most adjunct faculty tend to have clinical expertise, many lack formal training in online instruction. This article describes how faculty used technology to develop and implement a faculty support site to provide ongoing orientation and encourage informal mentoring relationships for online adjunct faculty.
An Innovative Model to Predict Pediatric Emergency Department Return Visits
Authors: Bergese Ilaria , Frigerio Simona , Clari Marco , Castagno Emanuele , De Clemente Antonietta , Ponticelli Elena , Scavino Enrica , Berchialla Paola
Published: October 2016

Objectives

Return visit (RV) to the emergency department (ED) is considered a benchmarking clinical indicator for health care quality. The purpose of this study was to develop a predictive model for early readmission risk in pediatric EDs comparing the performances of 2 learning machine algorithms.

Methods

A retrospective study based on all children younger than 15 years spontaneously returning within 120 hours after discharge was conducted in an Italian university children's hospital between October 2012 and April 2013. Two predictive models, artificial neural network (ANN) and classification tree (CT), were used. Accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity were assessed.

Results

A total of 28,341 patient records were evaluated. Among them, 626 patients returned to the ED within 120 hours after their initial visit. Comparing ANN and CT, our analysis has shown that CT is the best model to predict RVs. The CT model showed an overall accuracy of 81%, slightly lower than the one achieved by the ANN (91.3%), but CT outperformed ANN with regard to sensitivity (79.8% vs 6.9%, respectively). The specificity was similar for the 2 models (CT, 97% vs ANN, 98.3%). In addition, the time of arrival and discharge along with the priority code assigned in triage, age, and diagnosis play a pivotal role to identify patients at high risk of RVs.

Conclusions

These models provide a promising predictive tool for supporting the ED staff in preventing unnecessary RVs.
Are Graduating Pediatric Residents Prepared to Perform Infant Lumbar Punctures?
Authors: Auerbach Marc A. , White Marjorie Lee , Bhargava Sweta , Zaveri Pavan , Seelbach Elizabeth B. , Burns Rebekah A. , Mehta Renuka , McAninch Brett , Fein Daniel , Chang Todd P. , Kessler David O.
Published: October 2016

Objectives

Few published studies describe graduating pediatric residents' procedural skills or success rates. This information would help guide supervisors' decisions about graduating residents' preparedness, training, and supervision needs. This study aimed to measure success rates for graduating pediatric residents performing infant lumbar puncture (LP) during the final months of their training and to describe their experiences performing and supervising infant LPs during the course of their training.

Methods

This survey-based study was conducted at 10 academic medical institutions in 2013. The survey consisted of 4 domains: (1) demographics, (2) exposure to infant LP training as an intern, (3) number of LPs performed and supervised during residency, and (4) specific information on the most recent clinical infant LP.

Results

One hundred ninety-eight (82%) of 242 eligible graduating residents responded to the survey. A 54% success rate was noted for graduating residents when they were the first provider performing the infant LPs. Success rates were 24% if they were not the first provider to attempt the LP. Overall, graduating residents were supervised on 29% of their LPs, used anesthesia for 29%, and used the early stylet removal technique for 63%. The graduating residents performed a median of 12 infant LPs and supervised others on a median of 5 infant LPs throughout their residency. The vast majority reported feeling confident and prepared to perform this procedure.

Conclusions

At the end of residency, graduating pediatric residents were rarely supervised and had low infant LP success rates despite confidence in their skills. However, graduating residents frequently supervised others performing this procedure.
Disentangling opposing effects of motivational states on pain perception
Authors: Geuter Stephan , Cunningham Jonathan T. , Wager Tor D.
Published: October 2016

Introduction:Although the motivation to avoid injury and pain is central to human and animal behavior, this goal compete priority with other homeostatic goals. Animal studies have shown that competing motivational states, such as thirst, reduce pain. However, such states may also induce negative mood, which in humans has been found to increase pain. These opposing effects complicate study of the effects of motivational states in humans.

Objectives:To evaluate concurrent effects of motivational state competition and mood on pain ratings.

Methods:We compared a thirst challenge against a control group and measured thirst and mood as potential mediators. Pain induced through contact heat stimulation on the left forearm and was tested at 3 time points: before group randomization, after thirst induction, and after rehydration.

Results:Overall, the thirst group reported more pain when thirsty compared with baseline and controls. Mediation analyses showed evidence for two opposing effects. First, the thirst challenge increased negative mood and thirstiness, which was related to increased pain. Second, the thirst challenge produced a direct, pain-reducing effect.

Conclusion:Competing motivational states reduce pain but also induce concurrent mood changes that can mask motivational state-related effects.
Old dog begging for new tricks: current practices and future directions in the diagnosis of delayed antimicrobial hypersensitivity
Authors: Konvinse Katherine C. , Phillips Elizabeth J. , White Katie D. , Trubiano Jason A.
Published: October 2016

Purpose of review

Antimicrobials are a leading cause of severe T cell-mediated adverse drug reactions (ADRs). The purpose of this review is to address the current understanding of antimicrobial cross-reactivity and the ready availability of and evidence for in-vitro, in-vivo, and ex-vivo diagnostics for T cell-mediated ADRs.

Recent findings

Recent literature has evaluated the efficacy of traditional antibiotic allergy management, including patch testing, skin prick testing, intradermal testing, and oral challenge. Although patch and intradermal testing are specific for the diagnosis of immune-mediated ADRs, they suffer from drug-specific limitations in sensitivity. The use of ex-vivo diagnostics, especially enzyme-linked immunospot, has been highlighted as a promising new approach to assigning causality. Knowledge of true rates of antimicrobial cross-reactivity aids empirical antibiotic choice in the setting of previous immune-mediated ADRs.

In an era of increasing antimicrobial resistance and use of broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapy, ensuring patients are assigned the correct ‘allergy label’ is essential. Re-exposure to implicated antimicrobials, especially in the setting of severe adverse cutaneous reaction, is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The process through which an antibiotic label gets assigned, acted on and maintained is still imprecise. Predicting T cell-mediated ADRs via personalized approaches, including human leukocyte antigen-typing, may pave future pathways to safer antimicrobial prescribing guidelines.
A Comparison of Right Unilateral and Sequential Bilateral Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Major Depression
Authors: Galletly Cherrie A. , Carnell Benjamin L. , Clarke Patrick , Gill Shane
Published: October 2016

Background

A great deal of research has established the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in the treatment of depression. However, questions remain about the optimal method to deliver treatment. One area requiring consideration is the difference in efficacy between bilateral and unilateral treatment protocols.

Objective

This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of sequential bilateral rTMS and right unilateral rTMS.

Methods

A total of 135 patients participated in the study, receiving either bilateral rTMS (N = 57) or right unilateral rTMS (N = 78). Treatment response was assessed using the Hamilton depression rating scale.

Results

Sequential bilateral rTMS had a higher response rate than right unilateral (43.9% vs 30.8%), but this difference was not statistically significant. This was also the case for remission rates (33.3% vs 21.8%, respectively). Controlling for pretreatment severity of depression, the results did not indicate a significant difference between the protocols with regard to posttreatment Hamilton depression rating scale scores.

Conclusions

The current study found no statistically significant differences in response and remission rates between sequential bilateral rTMS and right unilateral rTMS. Given the shorter treatment time and the greater safety and tolerability of right unilateral rTMS, this may be a better choice than bilateral treatment in clinical settings.
From Typical Sequences to Typical Genotypes
Authors: Tal Omri , Tran Tat Dat , Portegies Jacobus
Published: October 2016

We demonstrate an application of a core notion of information theory, that of typical sequences and their related properties, to analysis of population genetic data. Based on the asymptotic equipartition property (AEP) for non-stationary discrete-time sources producing independent symbols, we introduce the concepts oftypical genotypesandpopulation entropy rateandcross entropy rate.We analyze three perspectives on typical genotypes: a set perspective on the interplay of typical sets of genotypes from two populations, a geometric perspective on their structure in high dimensional space, and a statistical learning perspective on the prospects of constructing typical-set based classifiers. In particular, we show that such classifiers have a surprising resilience to noise originating from small population samples, and highlight the potential for further links between inference and communication.
DUSP11 activity on triphosphorylated transcripts promotes Argonaute association with noncanonical viral microRNAs and regulates steady-state levels of cellular noncoding RNAs
Authors: Burke James M. , Kincaid Rodney P. , Nottingham Ryan M. , Lambowitz Alan M. , Sullivan Christopher S.
Published: October 2016

RNA silencing is a conserved eukaryotic gene expression regulatory mechanism mediated by small RNAs. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the accumulation of a distinct class of siRNAs synthesized by an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) requires the PIR-1 phosphatase. However, the function of PIR-1 in RNAi has remained unclear. Since mammals lack an analogous siRNA biogenesis pathway, an RNA silencing role for the mammalian PIR-1 homolog (dual specificity phosphatase 11 [DUSP11]) was unexpected. Here, we show that the RNA triphosphatase activity of DUSP11 promotes the RNA silencing activity of viral microRNAs (miRNAs) derived from RNA polymerase III (RNAP III) transcribed precursors. Our results demonstrate that DUSP11 converts the 5′ triphosphate of miRNA precursors to a 5′ monophosphate, promoting loading of derivative 5p miRNAs into Argonaute proteins via a Dicer-coupled 5′ monophosphate-dependent strand selection mechanism. This mechanistic insight supports a likely shared function for PIR-1 in C. elegans. Furthermore, we show that DUSP11 modulates the 5′ end phosphate group and/or steady-state level of several host RNAP III transcripts, including vault RNAs and Alu transcripts. This study shows that steady-state levels of select noncoding RNAs are regulated by DUSP11 and defines a previously unknown portal for small RNA-mediated silencing in mammals, revealing that DUSP11-dependent RNA silencing activities are shared among diverse metazoans.
Epigenetics of hematopoiesis and hematological malignancies
Authors: Hu Deqing , Shilatifard Ali
Published: October 2016

Hematological malignancies comprise a diverse set of lymphoid and myeloid neoplasms in which normal hematopoiesis has gone awry and together account for ∼10% of all new cancer cases diagnosed in the United States in 2016. Recent intensive genomic sequencing of hematopoietic malignancies has identified recurrent mutations in genes that encode regulators of chromatin structure and function, highlighting the central role that aberrant epigenetic regulation plays in the pathogenesis of these neoplasms. Deciphering the molecular mechanisms for how alterations in epigenetic modifiers, specifically histone and DNA methylases and demethylases, drive hematopoietic cancer could provide new avenues for developing novel targeted epigenetic therapies for treating hematological malignancies. Just as past studies of blood cancers led to pioneering discoveries relevant to other cancers, determining the contribution of epigenetic modifiers in hematologic cancers could also have a broader impact on our understanding of the pathogenesis of solid tumors in which these factors are mutated.
Rapid dynamics of general transcription factor TFIIB binding during preinitiation complex assembly revealed by single-molecule analysis
Authors: Zhang Zhengjian , English Brian P. , Grimm Jonathan B. , Kazane Stephanie A. , Hu Wenxin , Tsai Albert , Inouye Carla , You Changjiang , Piehler Jacob , Schultz Peter G. , Lavis Luke D. , Revyakin Andrey , Tjian Robert
Published: October 2016

Transcription of protein-encoding genes in eukaryotic cells requires the coordinated action of multiple general transcription factors (GTFs) and RNA polymerase II (Pol II). A “step-wise” preinitiation complex (PIC) assembly model has been suggested based on conventional ensemble biochemical measurements, in which protein factors bind stably to the promoter DNA sequentially to build a functional PIC. However, recent dynamic measurements in live cells suggest that transcription factors mostly interact with chromatin DNA rather transiently. To gain a clearer dynamic picture of PIC assembly, we established an integrated in vitro single-molecule transcription platform reconstituted from highly purified human transcription factors and complemented it by live-cell imaging. Here we performed real-time measurements of the hierarchal promoter-specific binding of TFIID, TFIIA, and TFIIB. Surprisingly, we found that while promoter binding of TFIID and TFIIA is stable, promoter binding by TFIIB is highly transient and dynamic (with an average residence time of 1.5 sec). Stable TFIIB–promoter association and progression beyond this apparent PIC assembly checkpoint control occurs only in the presence of Pol II–TFIIF. This transient-to-stable transition of TFIIB-binding dynamics has gone undetected previously and underscores the advantages of single-molecule assays for revealing the dynamic nature of complex biological reactions.
A sense-able microRNA
Authors: Pasquinelli Amy E.
Published: October 2016

In this issue of Genes & Development, Drexel and colleagues (pp. 2042–2047) present a beautiful example of how microRNAs (miRNAs) can regulate tissue-specific gene expression in a biologically relevant setting. They found that miR-791 is expressed in only three types of carbon dioxide (CO2)-sensing neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans, and its primary function there seems to be repression of two target genes that interfere with the behavioral response to CO2. Interestingly, these two targets are broadly expressed across other tissues. Thus, restricted miRNA expression can lead to target repression in select tissues to promote distinct cellular physiologies.
On the active deformations of hybrid specimens
Authors: Chiarelli Mario Rosario , Binante Vincenzo , Botturi Stefano , Massai Andrea , Kunzmann Jan , Colbertaldo Angelo , Romano Diego Giuseppe
Published: October 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this study concerns numerical studies and experimental validation of the mechanical behavior of hybrid specimens. These kinds of composite specimens are made up of thin carbon and glass substrates on which some Macro Fiber Composite® (MFC) piezoelectric patches are glued. A proper design and manufacturing of the hybrid specimens as well as testing activities have been performed. The research activity has been carried out under the FutureWings project, funded by the European Commission within the 7th Framework.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper describes the basic assumptions made to define specimen geometries and to carry out experimental tests. Finite element (FE) results and experimental data (laser technique measurements) have been compared: it shows very good agreement for the displacements’ distribution along the specimens.

Findings

Within the objectives of the project, the study of passive and active deformation characteristics of the hybrid composite material has provided reference technical data and has allowed for the correct adaptation of the FE models. More in particular, using the hybrid specimens, both the bending deformations and the torsion deformations have been studied.

Practical implications

The deformation capability of the hybrid specimens will be used in the development of prototypical three-dimensional structures, that, through the electrical control of the MFC patches, will be able to change the curvature of their cross section or will be able to change the angle of torsion along their longitudinal axis.

Originality/value

The design of nonstandard specimens and the tests executed represent a novelty in the field of structures using piezoelectric actuators. The numerical and experimental data of the present research constitute a small step forward in the field of smart materials technology.
PyPAD: a multidisciplinary framework for preliminary airframe design
Authors: Travaglini Lorenzo , Ricci Sergio , Bindolino Giampiero
Published: October 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of an integrated framework suitable for preliminary airframe design, called PyPAD (Python module for Preliminary Aircraft Design), providing the capability to define models to compute loads and to perform the structural sizing.

Design/methodology/approach

The modules developed until now allow for the definition of multi-fidelity aero-structural models starting from a Common Parametric Aircraft Configuration Schema (CPACS) input file and to compute static loads (trim) and flutter margin with minimum user effort. PyPAD take advantages of Abaqus-CAE, and the main functions are developed in Python, to take advantages of the simplicity in terms of software development and maintenance, but the core routines are developed in Fortran, taking advantages of parallel programming to get the best performances.

Findings

A complete test case, starting from the CPACS input and ending with the definition of structural, aerodynamic and aero-elastic models, with the computation of different design loads, is reported. An example will show that the framework developed is able to handle different problematics of the preliminary projects using quite complex global models.

Practical implications

All the tools developed in the framework, and the ones currently under development, could be a valid help during the preliminary design of a new aircraft, speeding up the iterative process and improving the design solution.

Originality/value

PyPAD is the first framework developed around Abaqus-CAE for the preliminary aircraft design and is one of the few tools looking at the different problematics involved in a preliminary airframe design: design, loads and aero-elasticity, sizing and multi-disciplinary optimization.
Middle East luxury retail sector – opportunities or uncertainties in the future?
Authors: Moser Roger , Narayanamurthy Gopalakrishnan
Published: October 2016

Subject area

The subject area is international business and global operations.

Study level/applicability

The study includes BSc, MSc and MBA students and management trainees who are interested in learning how an industry can be assessed to make a decision on market entry/expansion. Even senior management teams could be targeted in executive education programs, as this case provides a detailed procedure and methodology that is also used by companies (multinational corporations and small- and medium-sized enterprises) to develop strategies on corporate and functional levels.

Case overview

A group of five senior executive teams of different Swiss luxury and lifestyle companies wanted to enter the Middle East market. To figure out the optimal market entry and operating strategies, the senior executive team approached the Head of the Swiss Business Hub Middle East of Switzerland Global Enterprise, Thomas Meier, in December 2012. Although being marked with great potential and an over-proportional growth, the Middle Eastern luxury market contained impediments that international firms had to take into consideration. Therefore, Thomas had to analyze the future outlook for this segment of the Middle East retail sector to develop potential strategies for the five different Swiss luxury and lifestyle companies to potentially operate successfully in the Middle East luxury and lifestyle market.

Expected learning outcomes

The study identifies barriers and operations challenges especially for Swiss and other foreign luxury and lifestyle retailers in the Middle East, understands the future (2017) institutional environment of the luxury and lifestyle retail sector in the Middle East and applies the institutions-resources matrix in the context of a Swiss company to evaluate the uncertainties prevailing in the Middle East luxury and lifestyle retail sector. It helps in turning insights about future developments in an industry (segment) into consequences for the corporate and functional strategies of a company.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or e-mail support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Subject code

CSS 5: International Business.