bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Host Preference and Damage potential of Rice Weevil, (Sitophilus oryzae L.) on Different Stored Millets
Authors: Sharma Yash Vardhan , Yadav Usha , Yadav Anamika
Published: July 2024

The study was carried out at the Department of Entomology, SHUATS, Prayagraj during 2023-2024 to study the host preference and damage potential of rice weevil Sitophilus oryzae (L.) on different stored millets. The laboratory experiment was conducted to study host preference and seed damage of rice weevil Sitophilus oryzae (L.) on different millets (sorghum, pearl millet, foxtail millet, finger millet, kodo millet). Among different millets, sorghum was found as most preferred host with 30.44 number of weevils after 15 days of release. Maximum and minimum seed damage (%) was recorded on sorghum and foxtail millet after 30 days of release. It was observed that sorghum's high nutritional content, suitable grain structure, optimal moisture levels, and favorable storage conditions make it an ideal environment for rice weevils' development and reproduction.
Pre‐ and postnatal findings in a patient with a novel rec(8)dup(8q)inv(8)(p23.2q22.3) associated with san luis valley syndrome
Authors: Vera‐Carbonell Ascensión , López‐González Vanesa , Bafalliu Juan Antonio , Piñero‐Fernández Juan , Susmozas Joaquín , Sorli Moisés , López‐Pérez Rocío , Fernández Asunción , Guillén‐Navarro Encarna , López‐Expósito Isabel
Published: July 2013

San Luis Valley syndrome, which is due to a recombinant chromosome 8 (SLV Rec8) found in Hispanic individuals from Southwestern United States, is a well‐established syndrome associated with intellectual disabilities and, frequently, severe cardiac anomalies. We report for the first time on a Moroccan girl with a recombinant chromosome 8 prenatally diagnosed as SLV Rec8 by conventional cytogenetic studies. At birth, an oligo array‐CGH (105 K) defined the breakpoints and the size of the imbalanced segments, with a deletion of ∼2.27 Mb (8p23.2‐pter) and a duplication of ∼41.93 Mb (8q22.3‐qter); thus this recombinant chromosome 8 differed from that previously reported in SLV Rec8 syndrome. The phenotypic characteristics associated with this SLV Rec8 genotype overlap those commonly found in patients with 8q duplication reported in the literature. We review SLV Rec8 and other chromosome 8 aberrations and suggest that the overexpression of cardiogenic genes located at 8q may be the cause of the cardiac defects in this patient. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Environmental Regulation: “All‐of‐the‐Above Energy Strategy”: Really?
Authors: Andrews Block
Published: July 2013

President Obama has pushed the idea of an “all‐of‐the‐above” energy strategy where all types of energy sources are allowed to compete in the marketplace and the market will determine the winners and losers. This is American capitalism at its finest.
NERC Matters: NERC: Electric System Is Adequately Reliable
Authors: Carpentier Deborah
Published: July 2013

A primary role of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) is to develop and enforce standards that provide for an “adequate level of reliability,” and to “conduct periodic assessments of the reliability and adequacy of the bulk‐power system in North America.” In fulfillment of those responsibilities, NERC recently issued the State of Reliability 2013 report (Report), in which it declared that the bulk power system (BPS) “remains adequately reliable.”
Electric Regulation: Electric Industry Retail Choice Revival—Jury Still Out
Authors: Bowden Nicholas S.
Published: July 2013

The legislative branches of two midwestern states, Indiana and Michigan, are reconsidering the structure of the electric power industry under their jurisdiction. Indiana remains vertically integrated, but current conditions have prompted the state to reconsider its choice not to restructure back in the late 1990s.
A strong angular dependence of magnetic properties of magnetosome chains: Implications for rock magnetism and paleomagnetism
Authors: Li Jinhua , Ge Kunpeng , Pan Yongxin , Williams Wyn , Liu Qingsong , Qin Huafeng
Published: July 2013

Single‐domain magnetite particles produced by magnetotactic bacteria (magnetosomes) and aligned in chains are of great interest in the biosciences and geosciences. Here, we investigated angular variation of magnetic properties of aligned Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB‐1 cells, each of which contains one single fragmental chain of magnetosomes. With measurements at increasing angles from the chain direction, we observed that (i) the hysteresis loop gradually changes from nearly rectangular to a ramp‐like shape (e.g., Bc and remanence decrease), (ii) the acquisition and demagnetization curves of IRM shift toward higher fields (e.g., Bcr increases), and (iii) the FORC diagram shifts toward higher coercivity fields (e.g., Bc,FORC increases). For low‐temperature results, compared to unoriented samples, the samples containing aligned chains have a much lower remanence loss of field‐cooled (δFC) and zero‐field‐cooled (δZFC) remanence upon warming through the Verwey transition, higher δ‐ratio (δ = δFC/δZFC) for the measurement parallel to the chain direction, and lower δ‐ratio, larger δFC and δZFC values for the perpendicular measurement. Micromagnetic simulations confirm the experimental observations and reveal that the magnetization reversal of magnetosome chain appears to be noncoherent at low angles and coherent at high angles. The simulations also demonstrate that the angular dependence of magnetic properties is related to the dispersion degree of individual chains, indicating that effects of anisotropy need to be accounted for when using rock magnetism to identify magnetosomes or magnetofossils once they have been preserved in aligned chains. Additionally, this study experimentally demonstrates an empirical correspondence of the parameter Bc,FORC to Bcr rather than Bc, at least for magnetite chains with strong shape anisotropy. This suggests FORC analysis is a good discriminant of magnetofossils in sediments and rocks.
Does the mid‐Atlantic United States sea level acceleration hot spot reflect ocean dynamic variability?
Authors: Kopp Robert E.
Published: July 2013

To test a hypothesized faster‐than‐global sea level acceleration along the mid‐Atlantic United States, I construct a Gaussian process model that decomposes tide gauge data into short‐term variability and longer‐term trends, and into globally coherent, regionally coherent, and local components. While tide gauge records indicate a faster‐than‐global increase in the rate of mid‐Atlantic U.S. sea level rise beginning ∼1975, this acceleration could reflect either the start of a long‐term trend or ocean dynamic variability. The acceleration will need to continue for ∼2 decades before the rate of increase of the sea level difference between the mid‐Atlantic and southeastern U.S. can be judged as very likely unprecedented by 20th century standards. However, the difference is correlated with the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, North Atlantic Oscillation, and Gulf Stream North Wall indices, all of which are currently within the range of past variability.
Numerical Simulation of Mixed‐Convection Flow in a Lid‐Driven Porous Cavity Using Different Nanofluids
Authors: Mittal Nitesh , Satheesh A. , Santhosh Kumar D.
Published: July 2013

In this study, the effect of mixed convection flow in a lid‐driven porous cavity using different nanoparticles, such as aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), and titanium dioxide (TiO 2), are investigated. The base fluid is considered as water. The transport equations are solved numerically by finite volume method on a co‐located grid arrangement using quadratic upwind interpolation for convective kinematics (QUICK) scheme. A two‐dimensional square cavity is considered for the present investigation whose horizontal walls are insulated. The cold left wall is moving up and hot right wall is moving down with equal velocities. The variations of temperature distribution, stream function, and Nusselt number (Nu) are analyzed at constant Grashof numbers (Gr), Richardson numbers (Ri), and Darcy numbers (Da) as 1 × 10 4, 100, and 0.1, respectively, for different nanoparticles. The present results are validated by favorable comparison with previously published literature. The predicted results clearly indicate that the presence of nanoparticles inside the porous media enhances the heat transfer significantly. It is observed from the numerical results that the average Nusselt numbers (Nu) were found to increase linearly with an increase in volume fraction (χ). For the given volume fraction, the average Nu is maximum for a silver‐based nanoparticle. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res, 43(1): 1–16, 2014; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/htj). DOI 10.1002/htj.21075
Partial characterization of proapoptotic action of biliary deteriorated lipids on biliary epithelial cells in pancreaticobiliary diseases
Authors: Fujita Keiko , Sugiyama Akiko , Otoshi Kasumi , Taogoshi Takanori , Kimura Yasuhiro , Kishikawa Nobusuke , Kodama Masanobu , Kanno Keishi , Kihira Kenji , Tazuma Susumu
Published: July 2013

Background

Lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), a derivative of phosphatidylcholine (PC) hydrolyzed by phospholipase A2 (PLA2), is reported to be increased in bile of the patients with pancreaticobiliary maljunction or intrahepatic cholelithiasis, both of which are major risk factors for biliary tract cancers with undefined etiology.

Methods

To investigate the influence of LPC on biliary epithelial cells (BECs), a human cholangiocarcinoma cell line HuCCT‐1 and an immortalized human BECs line MMNK‐1 were treated by LPC in vitro.

Results

The treatment of LPC exhibited cytotoxicity with significant induction of apoptosis. In addition to upregulation of Fas receptor mRNA, the activities of caspase‐8 and ‐3 were significantly increased by LPC treatment. We also observed upregulation of Bax mRNA and significant activation of caspase‐9. Interestingly, LPC significantly upregulated G2A, a member of transmembrane G protein‐coupled receptor family at mRNA and protein levels, and 9‐hydroxyoctadecaduenoic acid (9HODE), an oxidized free fatty acid that functions as a ligand for G2A dramatically reduced cell viability when treated together with LPC.

Conclusions

These data suggest that PLA2, which catalyzes the hydrolysis of PC to yield LPC and free fatty acid, is supposed to be an important etiological factor in BECs injury in pancreaticobiliary maljunction or intrahepatic cholelithiasis.
Slow increase in IgG avidity correlates with prevention of human cytomegalovirus transmission to the fetus
Authors: Furione Milena , Rognoni Vanina , Sarasini Antonella , Zavattoni Maurizio , Lilleri Daniele , Gerna Giuseppe , Revello Maria Grazia
Published: July 2013

Following primary human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection, virus‐specific IgG antibody shift from low to high avidity with individual variations in the rate of avidity maturation. The kinetics of the avidity maturation of IgG specific for HCMV nuclear antigen in pregnant women with primary infection was investigated. Absorbance values used for avidity index calculation of 286 sequential sera collected from 69 pregnant women with primary HCMV infection were retrieved. Percent difference in absorbance values of IgG antibody bound to the solid phase after urea treatment (IgG avidity) between early (T1, 0–90, median 31 days) and late (T2, 91–180, median 136 days) serum samples was calculated for each woman. Three groups of women were identified: 24/69 (34.8%) women showed high (>100%) avidity increase between T1 and T2 (pattern H), 29/69 (42%) low (<50%) increase (pattern L), and 16/69 (23.2%) intermediate increase (pattern I). Avidity values in T1 samples were significantly higher in women with pattern L compared to women with pattern H (P = 0.01). Altogether, 28/69 (40.6%) women transmitted HCMV infection to their fetuses. Fetal infection preferentially occurred (P < 0.01) in women with pattern H (15/24, 62.5%) compared with women with pattern L (7/29, 24.1%). In conclusion, different patterns of IgG avidity maturation can be detected following primary HCMV infection. Pregnant women with pattern H (rapid IgG avidity increase) appear to be at higher risk for fetal infection, whereas, pregnant women developing early antibody with high avidity appear to be at a lower risk of vertical transmission. J Med. Virol. 85:1960–1967, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Reexperiencing Symptoms, Dissociation, and Avoidance Behaviors in Daily Life of Patients With PTSD and Patients With Panic Disorder With Agoraphobia
Authors: Pfaltz Monique C. , Michael Tanja , Meyer Andrea H. , Wilhelm Frank H.
Published: July 2013

Panic attacks are frequently perceived as life threatening. Panic disorder (PD) patients may therefore experience symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The authors explored this in 28 healthy controls, 17 PTSD patients, and 24 PD patients with agoraphobia who completed electronic diaries 36 times during 1 week. Patient groups frequently reported dissociation as well as thoughts, memories, and reliving of their trauma or panic attacks. PTSD patients reported more trauma/panic attack thoughts (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 2.9) and memories (IRR = 2.8) than PD patients. Patient groups relived their trauma or panic attacks equally frequently, and reported comparable bodily reactions and distress associated with trauma or panic attack memories. Clinical groups avoided trauma or panic attack reminders more often than healthy controls (avoidance of trauma‐ or panic attack‐related thoughts (IRR = 8.0); avoidance of things associated with the trauma or panic attack (IRR = 40.7). PD patients avoided trauma or panic attack reminders less often than PTSD patients (avoidance of trauma‐ or panic attack‐related thoughts [IRR = 2.5]; avoidance of things associated with the trauma or panic attack [IRR = 4.1]), yet these differences were nonsignificant when controlling for functional impairment. In conclusion, trauma‐like symptoms are common in PD with agoraphobia and panic attacks may be processed similarly as trauma in PTSD.
Preparation of Au Nanoparticles and End‐Functionalized Poly(butadiene) Composites via Electrostatic Interaction
Authors: Kanahara Masaaki , Shimomura Masatsugu , Yabu Hiroshi
Published: July 2013

Polymer‐inorganic nanoparticle (NP) composites are prepared by immersing preformed end‐functionalized poly (butadiene) (PB) films, which have a lower glass transition temperature than room temperature, in an aqueous dispersion of Au NPs. Depending on the viscosity of the PB matrix, the Au NPs show different distributions in the end‐functionalized PB matrix. In the high viscosity matrix, the Au NPs are immobilized at the surface of the end‐functionalized PB, whereas in the low viscosity matrix, the Au NPs are incorporated into the matrix and are well dispersed. This incorporation of Au NPs occurs dynamically in three steps: (1) adsorption of the Au NPs on the surface of the PB matrix through electrostatic interactions; (2) stabilization of the Au NPs by the end functional groups of the PB molecules; (3) the diffusion of the Au NPs into the PB matrix because of the low viscosity of the matrix.
Additional insights from very‐high‐resolution 13C NMR spectra of long‐chain n‐alkanes
Authors: Alemany Lawrence B.
Published: July 2013

New information has been obtained from very‐high‐resolution 13C NMR studies of a series of long‐chain n‐alkanes. These compounds are fundamentally important in the petroleum industry and are essential to the life of some plants, flowers, and insects. At least partial resolution of the ten different 13C NMR signals of n‐C20H42 is observed at 11.7 T for solutions in C6D6 or C6D5CD3. A 13C T1 inversion‐recovery experiment provides much more detailed information than in previous studies of long‐chain n‐alkanes, demonstrates a steady increase in the relaxation times of the ten different carbons proceeding from the middle to the end of the chain because of segmental motion, and thus confirms the assignments for the interior carbons. In contrast, there is significant overlap for the signals for C‐7 and the more interior carbons in a solution of n‐C16 or longer chain alkanes in CDCl3. Not only are the chemical shifts sensitive to the solvent used, but also the relative chemical shifts change. Signals for the interior carbons of the odd‐number alkanes in CDCl3 are better resolved than in the spectra of their even‐number counterparts. Some mixed aromatic solvent systems give increased dispersion of the cluster of C‐6 through C‐10 signals of n‐C20H42, n‐C21H44, and n‐C22H46. However, none of the solvents used could even partially resolve the C‐10 and C‐11 signals of n‐C21H44 or n‐C22H46 at 11.7 T, which may result from a different distribution of conformers for n‐C21H44 or n‐C22H46 than for n‐C20H42 and shorter n‐alkanes. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of Reaction Temperature on Adhesive Properties of Waterborne Polyurethane/Acrylic Hybrids Synthesized by Semicontinuous Miniemulsion Polymerization
Authors: Ballard Nicholas , Carretero Paula , Asua José M.
Published: July 2013

Hybrid polyurethane/acrylic particles have been synthesized by miniemulsion polymerization at various temperatures to determine the effect of the reaction temperature on the polymer microstructure and the adhesive properties of films prepared from latexes. Simultaneous free radical polymerization of a mixture of (meth)acrylic monomers in the presence of 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate and addition polymerization of an isocyanate terminated prepolymer and chain extending diol have been performed and the resulting polymers are characterized in terms of their gel content, sol molecular weight, swelling degree, and microgel size. The changes in the polymer microstructure are related to bulk effects in the adhesive films resulting from differences in the polymerization kinetics at different temperatures.
A normal modes technique to reduce the order of poroelastic models: application to 2D and coupled 3D models
Authors: Dazel O. , Brouard B. , Groby J.‐P. , Göransson P.
Published: July 2013

A reduced‐order model for structures involving poroelastic materials is proposed in this paper. The approach is based on a separation of the solid and fluid phases of the porous material into separate substructures. For each individual substructure, a decoupled normal mode basis is considered, from which a set of vectors for the decomposition is selected. The preserved modes are completed by an additional family to correct for the influence of the static response of the non‐preserved. It is shown that the only neglected phenomenons in the model are the inertia of the non‐preserved modes and part of their intercoupling. The following three features render the proposed scheme computationally attractive: (i) real valued matrices are involved in the transformations; (ii) the assembly of complex, frequency dependent matrices is only performed at the stage of solving for a particular frequency; and (iii) the number of normal modes required are selected using a novel method.

The computational efficacy is demonstrated, on a simple but realistic 3D case, through numerical results obtained using a reduced number of DOFs, showing a significant reduction of computational cost compared with traditional methods. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
High thermally conducting composites obtained via in situ exfoliation process of expandable graphite filled polyamide 6
Authors: Zhou Shengtai , Lei Yanzhou , Zou Huawei , Liang Mei
Published: July 2013

In this article, high thermally conducting polymer composites were prepared by low temperature expandable graphite (LTEG) filling polyamide 6 (PA6) via an in situ exfoliation process during melt blending. Thermal conductivity of the composites was measured by hot disk method and a very high value of 32.33 W/mK was obtained at the LTEG loading fraction of 70% by weight. Dynamic rheology analysis was applied to determine the structural change by the interconnection of the in situ exfoliated graphite flakes. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed that the exfoliation of LTEG was crucial to the overall thermal conductivity of the composites. Based on differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) data, the introduction of LTEG had little effect on the melting behavior of the composites, but a prominent heterogeneous nucleation effect and greatly accelerated its crystallization procedure of PA6. POLYM. COMPOS., 34:1816–1823, 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers
Electrical characterization of diamond PiN diodes for high voltage applications
Authors: Suzuki Mariko , Sakai Tadashi , Makino Toshiharu , Kato Hiromitsu , Takeuchi Daisuke , Ogura Masahiko , Okushi Hideyo , Yamasaki Satoshi
Published: July 2013

Reverse characteristics of diamond PiN diodes were studied under high reverse bias for high voltage applications. We have fabricated vertical diamond PiN diode structures consisting of a phosphorus‐doped n‐type diamond layer and an undoped intrinsic diamond layer on a heavily boron‐doped p‐type diamond substrate with Au/Pt/Ti Ohmic contacts on both the top and the bottom surfaces. Temperature dependent current–voltage (I–V) and capacitance–voltage (C–V) measurements were carried out to reveal the diode characteristics. The fabricated PiN diodes exhibited a sharp and repeatable reverse breakdown with positive temperature dependence indicating an avalanche mechanism. The obtained maximum breakdown field was 2.3 MV cm−1 (920 V) which is comparable to the ideal dielectric breakdown field of SiC. The reverse breakdown field and the leakage current were correlated with the hillock density. This research indicates that robust diamond power devices with high breakdown reliability can be achievable after improvement the quality of the intrinsic layer.
Charge transport in surfactant‐free single walled carbon nanotube networks
Authors: Ravi Shrividya , Kaiser Alan B. , Bumby Christopher W.
Published: July 2013

Conduction in thin random networks of single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) is typically dominated by metallic SWNT segments and limited by variable‐range hopping (VRH) in disordered junction regions. However, in our surfactant‐free networks, we show that in parallel with VRH there is another mode of conduction involving both semiconducting and metallic SWNTs. This second process showing activated behavior makes a substantial contribution to conductance at higher temperatures, with similar activation energies in different samples despite a large variation in overall magnitude of the conductivity. From the magnitude of the activation energy (0.160.05\,eV), we ascribe this additional term to activation across Schottky barriers between metallic and semiconducting SWNTs in conducting paths involving a small number of semiconducting SWNTs. The Mott parameters for VRH are also independent of the overall conductivity, indicating that the local structure of intertube contacts between metallic SWNTs in the most conductive paths is also similar in samples of different overall conductivity.
Competing A‐site and B‐site doping effects on magneto‐transport of RE0.55 Sr0.45 Mn1−x Rux O3 manganites in the vicinity of the SGI and FMM border
Authors: Alagoz H. S. , Živković I. , Mahmud S. T. , Saber M. M. , Perrin G. , Shandro J. , Khan M. , Zhang Y. , Egilmez M. , Jung J. , Chow K. H.
Published: July 2013

Competing effects of the A—site and B—site doping on the magneto—transport have been investigated in RE0.55Sr0.45Mn1−xRuxO3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.25) manganites with RE (A—site) = GdySm1−y (0 ≤ y ≤ 1). The Ru (B—site)‐free system is a ferromagnetic metal (FMM) for y ≤ 0.5 and a spin—glass insulator (SGI) for y > 0.5. For y ≤ 0.5, Ru improves the metallicity compared to the Ru—undoped system. For y > 0.5, Ru—doping induces a transition from the SGI to FMM state, above a percolation threshold which depends strongly on the A—site substitution. Interestingly, irrespective of the A—site doping level y, the percolation is suppressed when the Ru concentration x exceeds ∼16% to 18%.
Characterization of Carnauba Wax Inorganic Content
Authors: de S. Dantas Allan N. , Magalhães Ticiane A. , Matos Wladiana O. , Gouveia Sandro T. , Lopes Gisele S.
Published: July 2013

In this work the analysis of inorganic elements (Al, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na and Zn) in different types of carnauba waxes (types 1, 3 and 4) was implemented. The Box‐Behnken experimental design was used to optimize the digestion of the carnauba wax sample using a microwave‐assisted approach. The following parameters were evaluated: microwave power applied (600–1,000 W), time of microwave power application (5–20 min) and nitric acid volume (1–4 mL). The residual carbon content (%RCC) was measured by ICP OES (inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry) to evaluate the efficiency of the digestion. The %RCC values in all of the experiments were below 16 %. The best conditions for carnauba wax digestion were found: 800 W applied power for 15 min using 2.5 mL of HNO3. In these conditions the %RCC was lower than 4 %. The amounts of Al, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na and Zn in these samples were determined by ICP OES. The average contents of Al, Ca, Fe and K found in the carnauba wax type 1 were 28.6 ± 1.5, 33.8 ± 2.8, 18.5 ± 1.1 and 37.2 ± 2.5 mg kg−1, respectively. For carnauba wax types 3 and 4 larger amounts were found. The principal components analysis (PCA) showed three groups of carnauba wax with the first two principal components.
Attachment and Commitment in Dyadic Friendships: Mediating Roles of Satisfaction, Quality of Alternatives, and Investment Size
Authors: Chow Chong Man , Tan Cin Cin
Published: July 2013

This study integrated the investment model and attachment theory to examine: (1) whether the link between friendship attachment and commitment would be mediated by relationship features of satisfaction, quality of alternatives, and investment size; and (2) whether these mediation processes would function at the intrapersonal (actor) and interpersonal (partner) levels. The sample included 120 pairs of same-sex friends (78 pairs of women). Data were analysed with the Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model (APIMeM). Mediated actor effects suggest that individuals high in attachment avoidance are less satisfied with and invest less in their current friendship; these in turn, lead them to show less commitment. Furthermore, individuals high in attachment anxiety invest more in their current friendship, which in turn leads to higher commitment. Mediated partner effects suggest that individuals high in attachment avoidance have a friend who feels less satisfied with, invests less, and shows low commitment in their current friendship. The current study demonstrated that a dyadic design is useful in illustrating the dynamics of commitment between close friends.
Politics, Institutions, and Trade: Lessons of the Interwar Era
Authors: Gowa Joanne , Hicks Raymond
Published: July 2013

Recent studies cast doubt on the value added of international trade agreements and institutions. Using a new data set that consists of about 35,000 observations on the trade of fifty-four nations between 1919 and 1938, we examine whether this skepticism also applies to the infamous interwar trade blocs. Traditional historical accounts attribute to them a large drop in international trade and a rise in the political tensions that would later erupt in World War II. In this study, we show that no bloc raised trade among its members as a whole or decreased trade between members and nonmembers. However, our findings are not wholly consistent with the skepticism recent studies express. We argue that conflicts of interest among the great powers encouraged the emergence of the bloc system and also gave rise to intrabloc trade shifts consistent with the political interests of their great-power hubs. The political-military alliances these conflicts created also reduced trade between their signatories, and we argue more generally that the causal chain runs from politics to trade. As a result, measuring only the effect of agreements and institutions on aggregate trade between their members can generate inaccurate estimates of their value added.
Anarchy and Hierarchy in International Relations: Examining South America's War-Prone Decade, 1932–41
Authors: Butt Ahsan I.
Published: July 2013

This article questions the validity of anarchy as an assumption in International Relations theory. Powerful states often provide public goods to smaller states in return for their acquiescence on matters of interest. This transactional provision of public goods is analogous to how central governments behave in domestic environments; thus the hierarchic structure of domestic politics is replicated in international politics. The anarchy-hierarchy distinction, which rests on a neat separation of international and domestic structures, is therefore highly contentious. One public good that great powers provide, largely ignored by the literature on hierarchy, is justice. Powerful states can provide a forum for aggrieved parties to settle their disputes, and thus contain conflicts before they escalate to war. If such a forum is no longer provided, the system reverts to anarchy, where escalation—and therefore, war—is more likely. South America's war-prone decade can be explained by the variation in structural conditions on the continent. Due to the Depression, its Good Neighbor policy, and the onset of World War II, the United States was less interested in South American affairs in the 1930s, resulting in a more anarchic structure and a higher propensity for war.
Reciprocity between second-person neuroscience and cognitive robotics
Authors: Dominey Peter Ford
Published: July 2013

As there is “dark matter” in the neuroscience of individuals engaged in dynamic interactions, similar dark matter is present in the domain of interaction between humans and cognitive robots. Progress in second-person neuroscience will contribute to the development of robotic cognitive systems, and such developed robotic systems will be used to test the validity of the underlying theories.
Interaction versus observation: A finer look at this distinction and its importance to autism
Authors: Redcay Elizabeth , Rice Katherine , Saxe Rebecca
Published: July 2013

Although a second-person neuroscience has high ecological validity, the extent to which a second- versus third-person neuroscience approach fundamentally alters neural patterns of activation requires more careful investigation. Nonetheless, we are hopeful that this new avenue will prove fruitful in significantly advancing our understanding of typical and atypical social cognition.
Second-person social neuroscience: Connections to past and future theories, methods, and findings
Authors: Vermeulen Nicolas , Pleyers Gordy , Mermillod Martial
Published: July 2013

We argue that Schilbach et al. have neglected an important part of the social neuroscience literature involving participants in social interactions. We also clarify some part of the models the authors discussed superficially. We finally propose that social neuroscience should take into consideration the effect of being observed and the complexity of the task as potentially influencing factors.
It takes two to talk: A second-person neuroscience approach to language learning
Authors: Syal Supriya , Anderson Adam K.
Published: July 2013

Language is a social act. We have previously argued that language remains embedded in sociality because the motivation to communicate exists only within a social context. Schilbach et al. underscore the importance of studying linguistic behavior from within the motivated, socially interactive frame in which it is learnt and used, as well as provide testable hypotheses for a participatory, second-person neuroscience approach to language learning.
A second-person neuroscience in interaction
Authors: Schilbach Leonhard , Timmermans Bert , Reddy Vasudevi , Costall Alan , Bente Gary , Schlicht Tobias , Vogeley Kai
Published: July 2013

In this response we address additions to as well as criticisms and possible misinterpretations of our proposal for a second-person neuroscience. We map out the most crucial aspects of our approach by (1) acknowledging that second-person engaged interaction is not the only way to understand others, although we claim that it is ontogenetically prior; (2) claiming that spectatorial paradigms need to be complemented in order to enable a full understanding of social interactions; and (3) restating that our theoretical proposal not only questions the mechanism by which a cognitive process comes into being, but asks whether it is at all meaningful to speak of a mechanism and a cognitive process when it is confined to intra-agent space. We address theoretical criticisms of our approach by pointing out that while a second-person social understanding may not be the only mechanism, alternative approaches cannot hold their ground without resorting to second-person concepts, if not in the expression, certainly in the development of social understanding. In this context, we also address issues of agency and intentionality, theoretical alternatives, and clinical implications of our approach.
Academic discourse: Dissociating standardized and conversational measures of language proficiency in bilingual kindergarteners
Authors: PEETS KATHLEEN F. , BIALYSTOK ELLEN
Published: July 2013

This study examined the relationship between performance on standardized measures of language proficiency and conversational measures of the same features used in academic discourse among 24 monolingual and 25 bilingual kindergarteners. Academic discourse performance was considered for both its linguistic and its genre features in two discourse forms: narrative and explanation. Bilinguals performed more poorly than monolinguals on standardized measures of language proficiency, yet they performed similarly to monolinguals in the discourse-based linguistic and genre features. Moreover, genre features were more strongly related to linguistic features assessed through discourse than to standardized tests of these same features. These findings indicate that standardized measures of language proficiency underrepresent the abilities of bilingual children and that children's second language proficiency may be more accurately reflected in conversation.
The Power of Weak Competitors: Women Scholars, “Popular Science,” and the Building of a Scientific Community in Italy, 1860s-1930s
Authors: Govoni Paola
Published: July 2013

Argument

The history of Italian “popular science” publishing from the 1860s to the 1930s provides the context to explore three phenomena: the building of a scientific community, the entering of women into higher education, and (male) scientists’ reaction to women in science. The careers of Evangelina Bottero (1859–1950) and Carolina Magistrelli (1857–1939), science writers and teachers in an institute of higher education, offer hints towards an understanding of those interrelated macro phenomena. The dialogue between a case study and the general context in a comparative perspective will help us understand why Italian scientists, in the last decades of the nineteenth century, unlike their British colleagues, did not close the doors of the university on women. The case confirms the history of so-called popular science as a useful tool for historians of science generally and also when dealing with the awakening of a new social actor: in this case the “new woman” who, from the 1870s, was determined to take up science in a professional capacity.
Popular Science and Politics in Interwar France
Authors: Bensaude-Vincent Bernadette
Published: July 2013

Argument

The interwar period in France is characterized by intense activity to disseminate science in society through various media: magazines, conferences, book series, encyclopedias, radio, exhibitions, and museums. In this context, the scientific community developed significant attempts to disseminate science in close alliance with the State. This paper presents three ambitious projects conducted in the 1930s which targeted different audiences and engaged the social sciences along with the natural sciences. The first project was a multimedia enterprise aimed at bridging what would later be named “the two cultures” – natural sciences and humanities – rather than at popularizing scientific results in the society at large. The second project, an encyclopedia namedEncyclopédie françaiseedited by the French historian Lucien Febvre, was meant to shape a cultural view of science for the general public. The third project and the most successful enterprise was thePalais de la découvertedesigned by the physicist Jean Perrin and explicitly aimed at attracting the young public. This paper explores the paradoxes that resulted from these large enterprises. Despite their social ideals, the scientists-popularizers favored an elitist concept of popular science essentially aimed at integrating science into high culture. While they strove to overcome the increased specialization of sciences, their efforts nevertheless accelerated the professionalization of scientific research and the isolation of science in an ivory tower. In their attempts to get closer to the public, they eventually contributed to spreading the cliché of the increasing gap between the scientists and the public.
Factors Associated With Attitudes Toward Suicide
Authors: Kodaka Manami , Inagaki Masatoshi , Yamada Mitsuhiko
Published: July 2013

Background: Pharmacists could play a significant role in providing care for suicidal individuals. Previous studies reported that gatekeeper attitudes toward suicide could affect caregiving behaviors toward people at risk for suicide. Nevertheless, only few studies have examined the attitudes of pharmacists toward suicide. Aims: This study explores the factors associated with the attitudes of pharmacists toward suicide. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire and written explanation of the study were mailed to 541 pharmacists who had registered for the Board Certified Psychiatry Pharmacy Specialist Seminar in Tokyo, Japan. A Japanese version of the Attitudes Toward Suicide questionnaire was used to assess participant attitudes toward suicide. Multivariate analysis of covariance was used to assess relationships between participant attitudes toward suicide as well as demographics, occupational, and personal factors. Results: Participants who had previously received suicide-related education were more likely to have positive attitudes toward suicide prevention. Conversely, those with a lifetime history of suicidal thoughts had more permissive attitudes toward one’s right to commit suicide. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that pharmacist suicide prevention training programs should aim to alter permissiveness attitudes of trainees toward suicide.
Genome-wide analysis of lysine catabolism in bacteria reveals new connections with osmotic stress resistance
Authors: Neshich Izabella A P , Kiyota Eduardo , Arruda Paulo
Published: July 2013

Lysine is catabolized via the saccharopine pathway in plants and mammals. In this pathway, lysine is converted to α-aminoadipic-δ-semialdehyde (AASA) by lysine-ketoglutarate reductase/saccharopine dehydrogenase (LKR/SDH); thereafter, AASA is converted to aminoadipic acid (AAA) by α-aminoadipic-δ-semialdehyde dehydrogenase (AASADH). Here, we investigate the occurrence, genomic organization and functional role of lysine catabolic pathways among prokaryotes. Surprisingly, only 27 species of the 1478 analyzed contain the lkr and sdh genes, whereas 323 species contain aasadh orthologs. A sdh-related gene, identified in 159 organisms, was frequently found contiguously to an aasadh gene. This gene, annotated as lysine dehydrogenase (lysdh), encodes LYSDH an enzyme that directly converts lysine to AASA. Pipecolate oxidase (PIPOX) and lysine-6-aminotransferase (LAT), that converts lysine to AASA, were also found associated with aasadh. Interestingly, many lysdh–aasadh–containing organisms live under hyperosmotic stress. To test the role of the lysine-to-AASA pathways in the bacterial stress response, we subjected Silicibacter pomeroyi to salt stress. All but lkr, sdh, lysdh and aasadh were upregulated under salt stress conditions. In addition, lysine-supplemented culture medium increased the growth rate of S. pomeroyi under high-salt conditions and induced high-level expression of the lysdh–aasadh operon. Finally, transformation of Escherichia coli with the S. pomeroyi lysdh–aasadh operon resulted in increased salt tolerance. The transformed E. coli accumulated high levels of the compatible solute pipecolate, which may account for the salt resistance. These findings suggest that the lysine-to-AASA pathways identified in this work may have a broad evolutionary importance in osmotic stress resistance.
Optimising a vortex fluidic device for controlling chemical reactivity and selectivity
Authors: Yasmin Lyzu , Chen Xianjue , Stubbs Keith A. , Raston Colin L.
Published: July 2013

A vortex fluidic device (VFD) involving a rapidly rotating tube open at one end forms dynamic thin films at high rotational speed for finite sub-millilitre volumes of liquid, with shear within the films depending on the speed and orientation of the tube. Continuous flow operation of the VFD where jet feeds of solutions are directed to the closed end of the tube provide additional tuneable shear from the viscous drag as the liquid whirls along the tube. The versatility of this simple, low cost microfluidic device, which can operate under confined mode or continuous flow is demonstrated in accelerating organic reactions, for model Diels-Alder dimerization of cyclopentadienes and sequential aldol and Michael addition reactions, in accessing unusual 2,4,6-triarylpyridines. Residence times are controllable for continuous flow processing with the viscous drag dominating the shear for flow rates >0.1 mL/min in a 10 mm diameter tube rotating at >2000 rpm.
Combining risk markers improves cardiovascular risk prediction in women
Authors: Holewijn Suzanne , den Heijer Martin , Kiemeney Lambertus A. , Stalenhoef Anton F. H. , de Graaf Jacqueline
Published: July 2013

Cardiovascular risk stratification could be improved by adding measures of atherosclerosis to current risk scores, especially in intermediate-risk individuals. We prospectively evaluated the additive value of different non-invasive risk markers (both individual and combined) for gender-specific cardiovascular risk stratification on top of traditional risk factors in a middle-aged population-based cohort. Carotid-plaques, IMT (intima–media thickness), ABI (ankle–brachial index), PWV (pulse–wave velocity), AIx (augmentation index), CAP (central augmented pressure) and CSP (central-systolic pressure) were measured in 1367 CVD (cardiovascular disease)-free participants aged 50–70 years old. Cardiovascular events were validated after a mean follow-up of 3.8 years. AUC (area-under-the-curve) and NRI (net reclassification improvement) analyses (total-NRI for all and clinical-NRI for intermediate-risk groups) were used to determine the additive value of individual and combined risk markers. Cardiovascular events occurred in 32 women and 39 men. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors explained 6.2% and 12.5% of the variance in CVD in women and men respectively. AUCs did not substantially increase by adding individual or combined non-invasive risk markers. Individual risk markers only improved reclassification in intermediate-risk women and more than in men; clinical-NRIs ranged between 48.0 and 173.1% in women and 8.9 and 20% in men. Combined non-invasive-risk markers improved reclassification in all women and even more in those at intermediate risk; ‘IMT-presence-thickness-of-plaques’ showed largest reclassification [total-NRI=33.8%, P=0.012; IDI (integrated-discrimination-improvement)=0.048, P=0.066; clinical-NRI=168.0%]. In men, combined non-invasive risk markers improved reclassification only in those at intermediate risk; ‘PWV-AIx-CSP-CAP-IMT’ showed the largest reclassification (total-NRI=14.5%, P=0.087; IDI=0.016, P=0.148; clinical-NRI=46.0%). In all women, cardiovascular risk stratification improved by adding combinations and in women at intermediate risk also by adding individual non-invasive risk markers. The additive value of individual and combined non-invasive risk markers in men is limited to men at intermediate risk only, and to a lesser extent than in women.
Efficient antisymmetrization algorithm for the partially correlated wave functions in the free complement-local Schrödinger equation method
Authors: Nakashima Hiroyuki , Nakatsuji Hiroshi
Published: July 2013

We propose here fast antisymmetrization procedures for the partially correlated wave functions that appear in the free complement-local Schrödinger equation (FC-LSE) method. Pre-analysis of the correlation diagram, referred to as dot analysis, combined with the determinant update technique based on the Laplace expansion, drastically reduces the orders of the antisymmetrization computations. When the complement functions include only up to single-correlated terms, the order of computations is O(N3), which is the same as the non-correlated case. Similar acceleration is obtained for general correlated functions as a result of dot analysis. This algorithm has been successfully used in our laboratory in actual FC-LSE calculations for accurately solving the many-electron Schrödinger equations of atoms and molecules. The proposed method is general and applicable to the sampling-type methodology of other partially correlated wave functions like those in the quantum Monte Carlo and modern Hylleraas-type methods.
Comment on “On the consistency of the solutions of the space fractional Schrödinger equation” [J. Math. Phys. 53, 042105 (2012)]
Authors: Bayın Selçuk Ş.
Published: July 2013

Hawkins and Schwarz [J. Math. Phys. 54, 014101 (2013)]10.1063/1.4772533 claim that there is a flaw in the way certain integrals are evaluated to show the consistency of the infinite square well solutions of the space fractional Schrödinger equation [S. S. Bayin, J. Math. Phys. 53, 042105 (2012)10.1063/1.4705268; S. S. Bayin, J. Math. Phys. 53, 084101 (2012)]10.1063/1.4739758. We give additional details about how these integrals are evaluated and show that there is no inconsistency for an infinite square well.
Laser initiated reactions in N2O clusters studied by time-sliced ion velocity imaging technique
Authors: Honma Kenji
Published: July 2013

Laser initiated reactions in N2O clusters were studied by a time-sliced velocity imaging technique. The N2O clusters, (N2O)n, generated by supersonic expansion were irradiated by an ultraviolet laser around 204 nm to convert reactant pairs, O(1D2)-(N2O)n−1. The NO molecules formed from these reactant pairs were ionized by the same laser pulse and their velocity distribution was determined by the time-sliced velocity imaging technique. At low nozzle pressure, lower than 1.5 atm, the speed distribution in the frame moving with the clusters consists of two components. These components were ascribed to the products appeared in the backward and forward directions in the center-of-mass frame, respectively. The former consists of the vibrational ground state and the latter consists of highly vibrational excited states. At higher nozzle pressure, a single broad speed distribution became dominant for the product NO. The pressure and laser power dependences suggested that this component is attributed to the product formed in the clusters larger than dimer, (N2O)n (n ≥ 3).