bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification method of neuro‐fuzzy‐based Hammerstein model with coloured noise
Authors: Li Feng , Li Jia , Peng Daogang
Published: September 2017

In this study, neuro‐fuzzy‐based identification procedure for Hammerstein model with coloured noise is presented. Separable signal is used to realise the decoupling of the identification of dynamic linear part from that of static non‐linear part, and then correlation analysis method is adopted to identify the parameters of the linear part. Furthermore, by combining multi‐innovation and gradient search theory, multi‐innovation‐based extended stochastic gradient approach is derived for improving the parameters estimation accuracy of the non‐linear part and the noise model. In addition, the convergence analysis in the martingale theory illustrates that the parameter estimation error will converge to zero under the persistent excitation condition. Finally, two simulation results demonstrate that the proposed approach has high identification accuracy and good robustness to the disturbance of coloured noise.
Facile Synthesis of 3-Amido-Dienynes via a Tandem α-Propargylation–Isomerization of Chiral Allenamides and their Applications in Diels–Alder Cycloadditions
Authors: Ma Zhi-Xiong , Fang Li-Chao , Haugen Bryan , Bruckbauer Daniel , Feltenberger John , Hsung Richard
Published: September 2017

A series of interesting 3-amido-dienynes was synthesized via tandem α-propargylation–isomerization of chiral allenamides with moderate E/Z ratio. Reactivities of E and Z isomers were examined.
Dokumentationspflicht – „Die Dokumentation dient den Therapeuten“
Authors: Oldenburg Elke
Published: September 2017

Obwohl Therapeuten zur Dokumentation per Gesetz verpflichtet sind, tauchen immer wieder Fragen auf, was sie wann und wie in der Patientenakte festhalten müssen. Rechtsanwalt Karsten Bossow gibt Sicherheit – auch für den seltenen Fall des Rechtsstreits. Denn wer notiert hat, wie seine Behandlung aussah, kann sich besser verteidigen.
White Paper: Interventional MRI: Current Status and Potential for Development Considering Economic Perspectives, Part 2: Liver and Other Applications in Oncology
Authors: Barkhausen Jörg , Kahn Thomas , Krombach Gabriele , Kuhl Christiane , Lotz Joachim , Maintz David , Ricke Jens , Schönberg Stefan , Vogl Thomas , Wacker Frank ,   German Association of Chairmen in Academic Radiology (KLR)
Published: September 2017

Background MRI is attractive for guiding and monitoring interventional procedures due to its high intrinsic soft tissue contrast and the possibility to measure flow and cardiac function.

Methods Technical solutions have been developed for all procedural steps including imaging guidance, MR-safe catheters and instruments and patient monitoring. This has led to widening of the clinical applications. Interventional MRI is becoming increasingly important for the treatment of patients suffering from malignant diseases. The detectability of masses and consequently their accessibility for biopsy is higher, compared to other modalities, due to the high intrinsic soft tissue contrast of MRI. Temperature-dependent sequences allow for minimally invasive and tissue-sparing ablation (A-0 ablation).

Conclusion Interventional MRI has become established in the clinical routine for a variety of indications, including biopsies and tumor ablation. Since the economic requirement of covering costs by reimbursement is met and interventional MRI decreases the mortality and morbidity of interventional procedures, broader application of interventional MRI can be expected in the clinical routine in the future.

Key points 

Citation Format
Wohnraumberatung – Wenn das alte Bad nicht mehr passt
Authors: Matuschek Kathrin
Published: September 2017

Krankheit und Behinderung schränken die Handlungsfähigkeit ein und fordern Klienten in allen Lebensbereichen heraus – zum Beispiel in ihrer räumlichen Umwelt. Um größtmögliche Selbstständigkeit und Lebensqualität in den eigenen vier Wänden zu erlangen, begleiten und beraten Ergotherapeuten den Prozess der Wohnraumbegehung und -anpassung.
Discourse analysis as critique
Authors: Nonhoff Martin
Published: September 2017

This paper intervenes in the discussion about the relationship between discourse analysis and critique. It argues that this relationship can be understood either as an external or as an integrated relationship. In an external relationship, there is first social criticism that is then braced by discourse analysis, that is, the latter aims at giving empirical credence to the critique. However, such an external relationship cannot give us any insight concerning the critical potential that isspecificto discourse analysis, precisely because in this case critique exists before and independent of discourse analysis. If, however, critique emanates from discourse analysis itself, we would speak of an integrated relationship and would no longer speak of discourse analysis and critique, but of discourse analysisascritique. It is argued that such an integrated relationship becomes visible once we think of discourse analysis as being itself a discursive formation and ask what unsettling effects this formation has on research objects, on subject formations and on the academic production context in which they are conducted.
Transformation, adaptation and development: relating concepts to practice
Authors: Few Roger , Morchain Daniel , Spear Dian , Mensah Adelina , Bendapudi Ramkumar
Published: September 2017

In recent years there has been a growing number of academic reviews discussing the theme of transformation and its association with adaptation to climate change. On the one hand this has stimulated exchange of ideas and perspectives on the parameters of transformation, but it has also given rise to confusion in terms of identifying what constitutes a non-incremental form of adaptation on the ground. What this article aims to do instead is help researchers and practitioners relate different interpretations of transformation to practice by proposing a typological framework for categorising forms of change that focuses on mechanisms and objectives. It then discusses how these categorisations link to the broader conceptions and critiques noted above, with the idea that this will enable those who seek to analyse or plan adaptation to better analyse what types of action are potentially constitutive of transformation. In doing so, it should equally assist in the identification and specification of critical questions that need to be asked of such activity in relation to issues of sustainability and equity.
Simulations of ionic liquids confined by metal electrodes using periodic Green functions
Authors: Girotto Matheus , dos Santos Alexandre P. , Levin Yan
Published: September 2017

We present an efficient method for simulating Coulomb systems confined by metal electrodes. The approach relies on Green function techniques to obtain the electrostatic potential for an infinite periodically replicated system. This avoids the use of image charges or an explicit calculation of the induced surface charge, both of which dramatically slows down the simulations. To demonstrate the utility of the new method, we use it to obtain the ionic density profiles and the differential capacitances, which are of great practical and theoretical interest, for a lattice model of an ionic liquid.
Role of the Fermi level in the formation of electronic band-tails and mid-gap states of hydrogenated amorphous silicon in thin-film solar cells
Authors: Bidiville A. , Matsui T. , Sai H. , Matsubara K.
Published: September 2017

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon solar cells in p-i-n and n-i-p configurations were made with the intrinsic absorber layer deposited at different temperatures, between 200 and 350 °C. Using Fourier-transform photocurrent spectroscopy, the sub-gap absorption was measured, allowing the evaluation of the band-tail width and mid-gap defect quantity of the intrinsic absorber layer of the working device. When deposited at high temperature (>200 °C), p-i-n cells showed a larger performance decrease than n-i-p cells, along with broader band-tails as well as a larger number of defects created in the absorber layer. Hydrogen content measurements showed that for high temperature deposition (>200 °C), the Si-H bond becomes markedly less stable if the Fermi level of the intrinsic layer is shifted toward the valence band by an adjacent p-layer. Furthermore, by annealing samples at different stages of their layer stack deposition, the impact of the band-tail and mid-gap defect states on the open-circuit voltage and on the fill factor was evaluated. Based on these insights, we propose a model to predict the losses of solar cell parameters.
Resonances under rank-one perturbations
Authors: Bourget Olivier , Cortés Víctor H. , Del Río Rafael , Fernández Claudio
Published: September 2017

We study resonances generated by rank-one perturbations of self-adjoint operators with eigenvalues embedded in the continuous spectrum. Instability of these eigenvalues is analyzed and almost exponential decay for the associated resonant states is exhibited. We show how these results can be applied to Sturm-Liouville operators. Main tools are the Aronszajn-Donoghue theory for rank-one perturbations, a reduction process of the resolvent based on the Feshbach-Livsic formula, the Fermi golden rule, and a careful analysis of the Fourier transform of quasi-Lorentzian functions. We relate these results to sojourn time estimates and spectral concentration phenomena.
Note: A compact external-cavity diode laser, using feedback from an optical fiber
Authors: Potnis S. , Edge G. J. A. , Jackson S. , Verma M. , Vutha A. C.
Published: September 2017

We demonstrate a simple and compact external cavity diode laser (ECDL), where light reflected from the tip of an optical fiber provides feedback, and an interference filter provides frequency selection. The ECDL combines ease of construction with robust operation and exhibits a linewidth of 50 kHz.
Weak hydrogen bond topology in 1,1-difluoroethane dimer: A rotational study
Authors: Chen Junhua , Zheng Yang , Wang Juan , Feng Gang , Xia Zhining , Gou Qian
Published: September 2017

The rotational spectrum of the 1,1-difluoroethane dimer has been investigated by pulsed-jet Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. Two most stable isomers have been detected, which are both stabilized by a network of three C—H⋯F—C weak hydrogen bonds: in the most stable isomer, two difluoromethyl C—H groups and one methyl C—H group act as the weak proton donors whilst in the second isomer, two methyl C—H groups and one difluoromethyl C—H group act as the weak proton donors. For the global minimum, the measurements have also been extended to its four 13C isotopologues in natural abundance, allowing a precise, although partial, structural determination. Relative intensity measurements on a set of μa-type transitions allowed estimating the relative population ratio of the two isomers as NI/NII ∼ 6/1 in the pulsed jet, indicating a much larger energy gap between these two isomers than that expected from ab initio calculation, consistent with the result from pseudo-diatomic dissociation energies estimation.
Near-infrared luminescence in perovskite BaSnO3 epitaxial films
Authors: Takashima Hiroshi , Inaguma Yoshiyuki
Published: September 2017

Strong near-infrared luminescence under ultraviolet excitation was obtained in epitaxially grown BaSnO3 perovskite films. The films were grown on SrTiO3 (001) substrates by pulsed-laser deposition, and the crystallinity of the epitaxial growth was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and reflected high-energy electron diffraction. Near-infrared luminescence of the as-grown film showed a broad emission peak centered at 905 nm. The transparencies of the double-side-polished substrate with and without the film were about 70% at around 550 nm, suggesting that the transparency of the film itself is close to 100%. The preparation of epitaxial thin films with a strong near-infrared luminescence and a high transparency may open up applications for wavelength conversion in solar cells for realizing a higher efficiency.
The rising motion of spheres in structured fluids with yield stress
Authors: Mirzaagha S. , Pasquino R. , Iuliano E. , D’Avino G. , Zonfrilli F. , Guida V. , Grizzuti N.
Published: September 2017

The rising of spherical bodies in structured fluids with yield stress is studied. The system is a suspension of hydrogenated castor oil colloidal fibers in a surfactant micellar solution. The fiber network confers to the fluid a viscoelastic behavior, with a well-defined yield stress, which increases with increasing fiber concentration. Various fluids with different fiber contents are prepared and rheologically characterized. A home-made time-lapse photography setup is used to monitor the time evolution position of the spherical particles, and the rising motion of both hollow spheres and air bubbles, in the diameter range 65–550 μm, is measured. The experiments last as long as several weeks, corresponding to significantly low measured velocities. Finite element simulations are performed to support the experimental data, assuming both interfacial slip and no slip conditions. The fluid dynamic phenomenon is studied and discussed in terms of dimensionless numbers, such as yield ratio, Bingham number, and Stokes drag coefficient. The results are novel for the system (suspending medium and hollow spheres) and for the covered Bingham number range, which is extended over three orders of magnitude in comparison with already available literature results. Our values provide quantitative data of the mechanical properties (i.e., yield stress value) at very low shear rates, in a prohibitive range for a traditional rheometer, and agree with the macroscopic rheological response. Moreover, the important role of the power law index n of the Herschel-Bulkley model, used to fit the data, has been highlighted. Our results, based on a Bingham-like fluid, are compared with the experimental data already available with Carbopol, treated as a Herschel Bulkley fluid with n = 0.5. The results could have important implications in the fabric and personal care detergency, a technological area where many fluids have composition and show rheological properties similar to those considered in the current work.
In search of the wind energy potential
Authors: Petersen Erik Lundtang
Published: September 2017

The worldwide advancement of wind energy is putting high demands on a number of underlying technologies such as wind turbine aerodynamics, structural dynamics, gearbox design, electrical grid connections, and so on. As wind is the only fuel for wind power plants, naturally, wind-meteorology and wind-climatology are essential for any utilization of wind energy. This is what we are concerned about here with a view on what has happened in wind energy potential assessments in the last 25 years where the utilization of wind turbines in national power supply has accelerated and what is the perspective for future improvements of the assessment methods. We take as the starting point the methodology of The European Wind Atlas [I. Troen and E. L. Petersen, European Wind Atlas (Risø National Laboratory, Roskilde, Denmark, 1989)]. From there to the global wind atlas methodology [J. Badger et al., The New Worldwide Microscale Wind Resource Assessment Data on IRENA's Global Atlas (The EUDP Global Wind Atlas, 2015)], and finally, the perspective for the current work with the New European Wind Atlas [E. L. Petersen et al., Energy Bull. 17, 34–39 (2014); Environ. Res. Lett. 8(1), 011005 (2013)] to be finalized in 2020.
Observation of the de Vries behavior in SmA* phase of a liquid crystal using polarised Raman scattering and infrared spectroscopy
Authors: Kocot A. , Vij J. K. , Perova T. S. , Merkel K. , Swaminathan V. , Sreenilayam S. P. , Yadav N. , Panov V. P. , Stevenson P. J. , Panov A. , Rodriguez-Lojo D.
Published: September 2017

Two approaches exist in the literature for describing the orientational distribution function (ODF) of the molecular directors in SmA* phase of liquid crystals, though several models are recently proposed in the literature for explaining the de Vries behaviour. These ODFs correspond to either the conventional unimodal arrangements of molecular directors arising from the mean field theory that leads to the broad or sugar-loaf like distribution or to the “diffuse-cone-shaped” type distribution proposed by de Vries. The hypothesis by de Vries provides for a realistic explanation as to how at a molecular level, a first-order SmA* to SmC* transition can occur where the uniform molecular director azimuthal distributions condense to values lying within a narrow range of angles; finally these condense to a single value while at the same time ensuring a little or no concomitant shrinkage in the layer spacing. The azimuthal distribution of the in-layer directors is probed using IR and polarized Raman spectroscopic techniques. The latter allows us to obtain the ODF and the various order parameters for the uniaxial and the biaxial phases. Based on the results of these measurements, we conclude that the “cone-shaped” (or volcano-shaped) de Vries type of distribution can most preferably describe SmA* where “a first-order phase transition from SmA* to SmC*” and a low layer shrinkage can both be easily explained.
Series resistance and gate leakage correction for improved border trap analysis of Al2O3/InGaAs gate stacks
Authors: Tang K. , Scheuermann A. G. , Zhang L. , McIntyre P. C.
Published: September 2017

As the size of electronic devices scales down, series resistance (RS) and gate leakage effects are commonly observed in electrical measurement of metal-oxide-semiconductor gate stacks. As a result of their effects on device characteristics, these phenomena complicate the analysis of border trap density (Nbt) in the gate insulator using capacitance-voltage (C-V) and conductance-voltage (G-V) measurements. In this work, we develop methods to correct for the effects of RS and gate leakage in Al2O3/InGaAs gate stacks to enable reliable fitting of C-V and G-V data to determine Nbt. When tested using data from Pd/Al2O3/InGaAs gate stacks, the RS correction method successfully removes the RS-induced high frequency dispersion in the accumulation region of the C-V curves and provides an accurate extraction of RS and Nbt. The gate leakage correction method is tested on gate stacks with high gate leakage current of ∼25 μA at 2 V bias, and is found to effectively fit capacitance and conductance data, to achieve consistent Nbt extraction. The compatibility of these two methods is confirmed by analysis of data obtained from gate stacks with both substantial RS and gate leakage.
How the growth rate of host cells affects cancer risk in a deterministic way
Authors: Draghi Clément , Viger Louise , Denis Fabrice , Letellier Christophe
Published: September 2017

It is well known that cancers are significantly more often encountered in some tissues than in other ones. In this paper, by using a deterministic model describing the interactions between host, effector immune and tumor cells at the tissue level, we show that this can be explained by the dependency of tumor growth on parameter values characterizing the type as well as the state of the tissue considered due to the “way of life” (environmental factors, food consumption, drinking or smoking habits, etc.). Our approach is purely deterministic and, consequently, the strong correlation (r = 0.99) between the number of detectable growing tumors and the growth rate of cells from the nesting tissue can be explained without evoking random mutation arising during DNA replications in nonmalignant cells or “bad luck”. Strategies to limit the mortality induced by cancer could therefore be well based on improving the way of life, that is, by better preserving the tissue where mutant cells randomly arise.
Researchers advance Fe4N as a spintronics conductor
Authors: Blaustein Rich
Published: September 2017

Stacking Fe 4 N upon a Ta/Ru buffer and a Si substrate, scientists demonstrate Fe 4 N spintronics application possibility.
X rays peer inside a magnet
Authors: Miller Johanna L.
Published: September 2017

Submicron spin textures in bulk magnetic materials have been stubbornly hard to detect.
Revisiting The Los Alamos Primer
Authors: Reed B. Cameron
Published: September 2017

A concise packet of lecture notes offers a window into one of the turning points of 20th-century history.
Microscopy without lenses
Authors: McLeod Euan , Ozcan Aydogan
Published: September 2017

Lens-free on-chip imaging devices provide cost-effective, compact, and wide-field microscopy solutions for fieldwork and global health applications.
Endoplasmic reticulum stress regulates glutathione metabolism and activities of glutathione related enzymes in Arabidopsis
Authors: Uzilday Baris , Ozgur Rengin , Sekmen A. Hediye , Turkan Ismail
Published: September 2017

Stress conditions generate an extra load on protein folding machinery in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and if the ER cannot overcome this load, unfolded proteins accumulate in the ER lumen, causing ER stress. ER lumen localised protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) catalyses the generation of disulfide bonds in conjugation with ER oxidoreductase1 (ERO1) during protein folding. Mismatched disulfide bonds are reduced by the conversion of GSH to GSSG. Under prolonged ER stress, GSH pool is oxidised and H2O2 is produced via increased activity of PDI-ERO1. However, it is not known how glutathione metabolism is regulated under ER stress in plants. So, in this study, ER stress was induced with tunicamycin (0.15, 0.3, 0.45 μg mL–1 Tm) in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. Glutathione content was increased by ER stress, which was accompanied by induction of glutathione biosynthesis genes (GSH1, GSH2). Also, the apoplastic glutathione degradation pathway (GGT1) was induced. Further, the activities of glutathione reductase (GR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) were increased under ER stress. Results also showed that chloroplastic GPX genes were specifically downregulated with ER stress. This is the first report on regulation of glutathione metabolism and glutathione related enzymes in response to ER stress in plants.
Factors influencing uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis: some qualitative insights from an intervention study of men who have sex with men in China
Authors: Liu Chunxing , Ding Yingying , Ning Zhen , Gao Meiyang , Liu Xing , Wong Frank Y. , He Na
Published: September 2017

Background: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a biomedical approach for preventing the acquisition of HIV in populations at substantial risk for HIV. However, its uptake among men who have sex with men (MSM) is low in China. The study aimed to identify factors that might influence MSM’s uptake and use of PrEP. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 32 self-identified MSM from a PrEP intervention study evaluating daily oral tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) to prevent HIV infection. Of these men, 11 were presently using the ‘TDF’ group; 8 from the ‘change-over’ group (i.e. initially used PrEP but subsequently quitted); and 13 from the non-user group. Data were analysed using thematic approach. Results: Perception of low HIV risk, mistrust of the national PrEP program, and concerns of side effects were the main reasons for not wanting to use PrEP. Also, lack of main sexual partner’s support, difficulties in adhering to the daily TDF regimen, and the inconvenient schedules in securing the medicine were the major reasons for not wanting to use or quitting the use of PrEP. On the other hand, perceived high HIV risk, beliefs in efficacy of PrEP, and worries of transmitting HIV to families were the major motives for PrEP uptake. Conclusions: Findings suggest that PrEP implementation strategies should first address issues including but not limited to accurate self-assessment of HIV risk, mistrust and limited knowledge about medical trials and PrEP, and ease of accessing PrEP.
Stigma associated with sexually transmissible infection testing in an online testing environment: examining the perspectives of youth in Vancouver, Canada
Authors: Karamouzian Mohammad , Knight Rod , Davis Wendy M. , Gilbert Mark , Shoveller Jean
Published: September 2017

Background
Online sexually transmissible infection (STI) testing is increasingly available and has shown promising results across different settings. However, evidence on how stigma associated with STI testing may be experienced by youth in the context of these online services is limited. Methods: A convenience sample of 71 youth (aged 15–24 years) both male and female was engaged through online and offline recruitment strategies in Vancouver, Canada. Through semistructured and exploratory interviews, participants were asked about their perceptions of stigma associated with STI testing in an online testing environment. Data were analysed using a thematic analysis approach. Results: Youth came from a diverse set of sociodemographic backgrounds and most (n = 46, 65%) had previously accessed STI testing in clinic-based settings. Participants’ perceptions pointed to the benefits of online testing for reducing the external stigma despite the potential persistence of internalised stigma. Notions of hegemonic masculinity and emphasised femininity were also present in the participants’ descriptions of the role of gender in accessing online STI testing. Conclusions: Online STI testing could potentially ameliorate the experiences of participants in regards to the stigma associated with STI testing; however, participants’ internalised feelings of shame and stigma around testing for STI may continue to persist. Our findings underscore the need to revisit and re-evaluate existing STI testing services to provide less anxiety-inducing testing environments for youth.
“Where Do I Go without Money?” Reza Shah’s Finances in Exile
Authors: Bakhash Shaul
Published: September 2017

When Reza Shah died in exile in Johannesburg, South Africa, in July 1944, he left in his account at Barclays Bank a deposit of £110,000, a considerable amount of money. Yet when he went into exile only three years earlier, Reza Shah feared he would be hard-pressed for money, if not left altogether destitute—and with good reason. He left Iran with a “horde” of progeny, family members and retainers. Before departing, he had ceded all his enormous wealth in cash and property to his son and successor. He did not remain destitute for long. His son, the new shah, continued to send him money, and for a while the British paid for a major part of his upkeep. Yet his money anxieties did not cease. This article describes and follows the winding trail of Reza Shah’s finances in exile.
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank's environmental and social policies: a critical discourse analysis
Authors: Radavoi Ciprian N. , Bian Yongmin
Published: September 2017

Like all other multilateral development banks, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which approved its first loan in November 2016, has adopted Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) policies. Treating the text as Chinese discourse and using Critical Discourse Analysis as methodological tool, this article unveils socio-political interests beyond its contents and semiotics. We identify areas where the AIIB policies are intertextual with the ones that inspired them, namely those of the World Bank and the regional multilateral development banks, but also important departures from their discursive practice, reflecting the legal culture and strategic interests of AIIB's founders. Both appropriation and colonisation of ‘classical’ ESGs by the AIIB ones lead to reflection on social wrongs associated with development, and suggest solutions for turning development safeguards into meaningful instruments.
Price Signals and Supply Responses for Staple Food Crops in Sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Magrini Emiliano , Balié Jean , Morales‐Opazo Cristian
Published: September 2017

We investigate the supply response for main staple food crops in Sub‐Saharan Africa over the period 2005−2013 using an innovative dataset recently developed by FAO’s “Monitoring and Analysing Food and Agricultural Policies” (MAFAP) programme. Relying on dynamic panel techniques, we observe that acreage, production and yields respond to price signals, even if with a limited intensity. Moreover, we find that direct price incentives arising from border protection, government interventions in domestic markets, and price shocks at the border stimulate farmers’ supply. We also show that omitting transaction costs from the analysis leads to underestimation of the price elasticity of supply. Conversely, using wholesale instead of farm gate prices as proxy for producer prices leads to overestimation of this price elasticity.
Three-dimensional cardiovascular imaging-genetics: a mass univariate framework
Authors: Biffi Carlo , de Marvao Antonio , Attard Mark I , Dawes Timothy J W , Whiffin Nicola , Bai Wenjia , Shi Wenzhe , Francis Catherine , Meyer Hannah , Buchan Rachel , Cook Stuart A , Rueckert Daniel , O’Regan Declan P
Published: September 2017

Motivation

Left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy is a strong predictor of cardiovascular outcomes, but its genetic regulation remains largely unexplained. Conventional phenotyping relies on manual calculation of LV mass and wall thickness, but advanced cardiac image analysis presents an opportunity for high-throughput mapping of genotype-phenotype associations in three dimensions (3D).

Results

High-resolution cardiac magnetic resonance images were automatically segmented in 1124 healthy volunteers to create a 3D shape model of the heart. Mass univariate regression was used to plot a 3D effect-size map for the association between wall thickness and a set of predictors at each vertex in the mesh. The vertices where a significant effect exists were determined by applying threshold-free cluster enhancement to boost areas of signal with spatial contiguity. Experiments on simulated phenotypic signals and SNP replication show that this approach offers a substantial gain in statistical power for cardiac genotype-phenotype associations while providing good control of the false discovery rate. This framework models the effects of genetic variation throughout the heart and can be automatically applied to large population cohorts.

Availability and implementation

The proposed approach has been coded in an R package freely available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.834610 together with the clinical data used in this work.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Life Course Patterns of Concurrent Trajectories of BMI and Affective Symptoms of Rural Mothers: Socioeconomic Antecedents and Disease Outcomes in Later Life
Authors: Wickrama Kandauda (K A S) , Klopack Eric T , O’Neal Catherine Walker , Beach Steven R H , Neppl Tricia , Lorenz Frederick O , Bae Dayoung
Published: September 2017

Objectives

The current study, using prospective data over 25 years (1991–2015), concurrently investigates patterns of body mass index (BMI) and affective symptom trajectories in middle-aged mothers and the socioeconomic antecedents and disease outcomes of these patterns.

Method

Growth mixture modeling was used to identify latent classes of conjoint health risk trajectories (BMI, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms) from 1991 to 2001. For each latent class, we identified mean trajectories of each health risk. Then, analyses were conducted identifying how these conjoint health risk classes were associated with respondents’ socioeconomic background profiles in 1991 and subsequent chronic health problems in 2015.

Results

Socioeconomic background profiles were significantly associated with initially high-risk trajectories. There was a statistically significant association between membership in certain classes of conjoint trajectories and physical health outcomes in later years. Consistent patterns of association with changes in different health outcomes including onset of diseases were observed when classes of conjoint risk trajectories are examined.

Discussion

The identification of members of various conjoint risk trajectory groups provides a potentially useful prognostic tool for early preventive intervention efforts, treatment, and policy formation. Such interventions should promote and develop resiliency factors, thereby aiding in the redirection of middle-aged women’s adverse risk trajectories.
9. Post-positivism in IR
Authors: Jackson Robert , Sørensen Georg
Published: September 2017

This chapter examines post-positivist approaches in international relations (IR). Post-positivism rejects any claim of an established truth valid for all. Instead, its focus is on analysing the world from a large variety of political, social, cultural, economic, ethnic, and gendered perspectives. The chapter considers three of the most important issues taken up by post-positivist approaches: post-structuralism, which is concerned with language and discourse; post-colonialism, which adopts a post-structural attitude in order to understand the situation in areas that were conquered by Europe, particularly Africa, Asia, and Latin America; and feminism, which argues that women are a disadvantaged group in the world, in both material terms and in terms of a value system which favours men over women. The chapter concludes with an overview of criticisms against post-positivist approaches and the post-positivist research programme.
11. Key Issues in Contemporary IR
Authors: Jackson Robert , Sørensen Georg
Published: September 2017

This chapter examines four of the most important contemporary issues in international relations (IR): international terrorism, religion, the environment, and new patterns of war and peace. It also considers the different ways in which these issues are analysed by the various theories presented in this book. The chapter begins with a discussion of what the issue is about in empirical terms, the problems raised and why they are claimed to be important, and the relative significance of the issue on the agenda of IR. It then explores the nature of the theoretical challenge that the issues present to IR and how classical and contemporary theories handle the analysis of these issues. The chapter addresses Samuel Huntington's ‘clash of civilizations’ thesis, the influence of religion on politics, opposing views on the environment issue, and how new patterns of war and peace are linked to changes in statehood.
Introduction: Diversity and Disciplinarity in International Relations Theory
Authors: Smith Steve
Published: September 2017

This text argues that theory is central to explaining International Relations (IR) and that the discipline of IR is much more relevant to the world of international relations than it has been at any point in its history. Some chapters cover distinct IR theories ranging from realism/structural realism to liberalism/neoliberalism, the English school, constructivism, Marxism, critical theory, feminism, poststructuralism, green theory, and postcolonialism. Oher chapters explore International Relations theory and its relationship to social science, normative theory, globalization, and the discipline's identity. This introduction explains why this edition has chosen to cover these theories, reflects on international theory and its relationship to the world, and considers the kind of assumptions about theory that underlie each of the approaches.
4. Liberalism
Authors: Russett Bruce
Published: September 2017

This chapter examines the expansion of three central phenomena associated with liberalism and its emphasis on the potentially peace-promoting effects of domestic and transnational institutions: the spread of democracy throughout most of the world; globalization; and the proliferation of intergovernmental organizations, especially those composed primarily of democratic governments. Each of these assumptions supports and extends the other in a powerful feedback system envisioned by Immanuel Kant. The chapter first considers four major changes in the world over the last century and particularly over recent decade before discussing the ‘epidemiology’ of international conflict. It then explores constraints on war from the perspective of realism vs. liberal institutionalism, whether democracies are peaceful in general, and how order is nurtured within anarchy. It also presents a case study of the European Union and concludes with some reflections on power, hegemony, and liberalism.
9. Constructivism
Authors: Fierke K. M.
Published: September 2017

This chapter examines the key debates that have shaped the development of constructivism in International Relations (IR). It first considers the idea that international relations is a social construction, as it emerged from the critique of more traditional theories of IR. It then explores the distinctions among various constructivisms, with particular emphasis on the contrast between those who seek a ‘better’ social science, and hence better theory, versus those who argue that constructivism is an approach that rests on assumptions at odds with those of positivist method. The chapter proceeds by discussing constructivists' critique of rationalism, along with constructivism as a ‘middle ground’ between rationalist and poststructuralist approaches to IR. It also analyses the role of language and causality in the debate between rationalists and constructivists. Finally, it links all these insights to the War on Terror.
10. Feminism
Authors: Tickner J. Ann , Sjoberg Laura
Published: September 2017

This chapter examines feminist perspectives on international relations. It first provides a historical background on the development of feminist IR, paying attention to feminist analyses of gender, before outlining a typology of feminist international relations, namely: liberal feminism, critical feminism, feminist constructivism, feminist poststructuralism, and postcolonial feminism. It then considers feminist perspectives on international security and global politics, along with developments in feminist reanalyses and reformulations of security theory. It illustrates feminist security theory by analysing the case of the United Nations Security Council sanctions on Iraq following the First Gulf War. The chapter concludes by assessing the contributions that feminist IR can make to the practice of world politics in general and to the discipline of IR in particular.
16. Still a Discipline After All These Debates?
Authors: Wæver Ole
Published: September 2017

This chapter considers how the arguments associated with the thirteen different theories of International Relations discussed in the book sum up. More specifically, it asks whether IR is (still?) a discipline, and whether it is likely to remain one. The chapter examines the intellectual and social patterns of IR and the discipline as a social system, along with its relations of power, privilege, and careers. It also reflects on where, what, and how IR is today by drawing on theories from the sociology of science, whether IR can be regarded as a subdiscipline within political science, and the social structure of IR. It argues that the discipline of international relations is likely to continue whether or not ‘international relations’ remains a distinct or delineable object. It also contends that the core of the intellectual structure in the discipline of IR has been recurring ‘great debates’.
Contemporary Security Studies
Authors: Collins Alan
Published: September 2017

Contemporary Security Studies provides an introduction to Security Studies. It features a wide breadth and depth of coverage of the different theoretical approaches to the study of security and the ever-evolving range of issues that dominate the security agenda in the twenty-first century. In addition to covering a large range of topical security issues, from terrorism and inter-state armed conflict to cyber-security, health, and transnational crime, the fourth edition features a new chapter on postcolonialism and expanded coverage of Critical Security Studies. Throughout, readers are encouraged to question their own preconceptions and assumptions, and to use their own judgement to critically evaluate key approaches and ideas. To help them achieve this, each chapter is punctuated with helpful learning features including ‘key ideas’, ‘think points’ and case studies, demonstrating the real world applications and implications of the theory.
1. Introduction:
Authors: Collins Alan
Published: September 2017

This text provides an introduction to Security Studies, the sub-discipline of International Relations that deals with the study of security. War and the threat to use force are part of the security equation, but the prevalence of threats is far-reaching for Security Studies. They encompass dangers ranging from pandemic and environmental degradation to terrorism and inter-state armed conflict. The latter is actually a sub-field of Security Studies and is known as Strategic Studies. This edition examines differing approaches to the study of security such as realism, liberalism, social constructivism, and postcolonialism. It also investigates the deepening and broadening of security to include military security, regime security, societal security, environmental security, and economic security. Finally, it discusses a range of traditional and non-traditional issues that have emerged on the security agenda, including weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, energy security, and health.
6. Social Constructivism
Authors: Agius Christine
Published: September 2017

This chapter examines the impact of social constructivism on Security Studies as well as its critique of the assumed orthodoxy of rationalist approaches to security and the international system. In particular, it considers the manner that social constructivists address the question of how security and security threats are ‘socially constructed’. The chapter first provides an overview of definitions and key concepts relating to constructivism, such as its emphasis on the importance of ideas, identity, and interaction, along with its alternative approach to thinking about security. It then explores Alexander Wendt’s three cultures of anarchy and compares conventional constructivism with critical constructivism. Finally, it analyses rationalist and poststructuralist critiques of constructivism.
7. Critical Security Studies:
Authors: Mutimer David
Published: September 2017

This chapter provides a partial history of the label ‘Critical Security Studies’ and the way it has developed and fragmented since the early 1990s. It considers the primary claims of the major divisions that have emerged within the literatures to which the label has been applied: constructivism, critical theory, and poststructuralism. It looks at the 1994 conference held at York University in Toronto entitled Strategies in Conflict: Critical Approaches to Security Studies, which spawned a book called Critical Security Studies: Concepts and Cases (1997b), and Security: A New Framework for Analysis (1998), which was published to serve as a relatively comprehensive statement of ‘securitization studies’, or the Copenhagen School. The chapter argues that Critical Security Studies needs to foster an ‘ethos of critique’ in either the study or refusal of security. Finally, it examines Ken Booth’s views on poststructuralism as part of a broad Critical Security Studies.
8. Critical Interventions:
Authors: Beier J. Marshall
Published: September 2017

This chapter explores some unconventional questions about somewhat unconventional subjects for Security Studies, a field that has traditionally been more inclined to focus on states in its investigations. In particular, it examines concepts such as ‘acting subject(s)’, which concerns who or what is acting to produce security or insecurity; ‘agency’, which refers to the capacity to act; ‘subjecthood’, which suggests mastery of one’s own agency or the idea that actions are products of one’s autonomous choices; and referent object(s), which are whom or what we seek to make secure. The chapter also discusses ‘smart’ bombs and other advanced weapons of the so-called Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA) that moved into popular consciousness beginning with the 1991 Gulf War. Finally, it considers the role of children and Indigenous peoples both in security discourse and actual security practices.
9. Postcolonialism
Authors: Laffey Mark , Nadarajah Suthaharan
Published: September 2017

This chapter examines postcolonialism, a recent and increasingly influential set of positions and perspectives within the wider discipline of International Relations, and its implications for Security Studies. It first considers the genealogies of postcolonialism, tracing its emergence in a set of transnational debates about the mutually constitutive relations between knowledge and imperialism. It then discusses the standard account of world history as organized around Westphalian sovereignty which informs Security Studies and shows how postcolonialism puts it in question. It also explores the relationship between culture and imperialism according to postcolonialism; Subaltern Studies and its significance to postcolonialism; the concepts of Orientalism and Occidentalism; and how contrapuntal analysis enables a postcolonial critique of Security Studies. The chapter concludes by asking what it might mean to decolonize Security Studies and whether there can be a postcolonial Security Studies.
12. Securitization
Authors: Emmers Ralf
Published: September 2017

This chapter examines the Copenhagen School and its securitization model. The Copenhagen School broadens the definition of security by encompassing five different sectors: military, political, societal, economic, and environmental security. It first provides an overview of the Copenhagen School’s securitization model before discussing its application to empirical research as well as the limitations of the securitization model. It then considers the role of the securitizing actor and the importance of the ‘speech act’ in convincing a specific audience of a threat’s existential nature. It argues that the Copenhagen School allows for non-military matters to be included in Security Studies while still offering a coherent understanding of the concept of security. It also describes the dangers and the negative connotations of securitizing an issue and concludes with some cases of securitization, including the securitization of undocumented migration, securitization of drug trafficking, and the failure of securitization in the Iraq War.
16. Environmental Security
Authors: Barnett Jon
Published: September 2017

This chapter examines the concept of environmental security, focusing on how it has both broadened and deepened the issue of security. It first traces the origins of environmental security, showing that it is the product of a merger of international environmental agreements, efforts by the peace movement to contest the meaning and practice of security, the proliferation of new security issues in the post-Cold War era, recognition that environmental changes pose grave risks to human well-being, and the growing community of research practice that seeks to build peace through natural resource management. The chapter goes on to consider the different meanings of environmental security, along with four major categories of environmental security problem: how environmental change can be a factor in violent conflict or a risk to national security, how war and preparation for war can damage the environment, and how environmental change can pose a risk to human security.
20. Weapons of Mass Destruction
Authors: Wirtz James J.
Published: September 2017

This chapter examines how weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) work and the effects they might have if used on the battlefield or against civilian targets. The threat posed by WMD proliferation to state actors is of increasing concern, and it is even more alarming if these weapons are deployed for terrorism purposes. A chemical weapons attack against a major sporting venue, for example, could kill thousands of people, while a successful anthrax attack might place hundreds of thousands at risk. The chapter considers how WMDs such as nuclear weapons, chemical weapons, and biological weapons have been used in war and how they have shaped the practice of international politics.