bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation of Preparation, Solubility and Stability Properties of Nickel Hydrazine Nitrate (NiHN)
Authors: Cartwright Michael
Published: October 2018

Following an initial, brief, review of the environmental problems associated with the use of lead based primers, and also some of their potential replacements, this study investigated the preparation of the promising, lead free, energetic material nickel hydrazine nitrate by different methods. All three methods trialed produced the same, analytically indistinguishable, compound but with minor changes in visual appearance. The solution properties governing the precipitation process were investigated in a controlled pH titration experiment. Product solubility in a number of common solvents was investigated. Aqueous ammonia and hydrazine hydrate proved the best “non‐destructive solvents” for the solid. UV spectroscopy and conductivity of the solutions obtained was used as an indicator of the processes involved in the solubility. Using the critical pH conditions for precipitation from aqueous solutions of hydrazine and nickel nitrate the formation constant for the tris hydrazine complex was determined. Also using the solubility of the tris‐hydrazine complex in concentrated hydrazine hydrate an equilibrium constant for the formation of the soluble hexa‐hydrazine complex from insoluble tris hydrazine complex was determined. These values were compared with similar values for nickel hydrazine complexes with other anions. The origins of these differences were discussed. Further work on controlling and measuring the particle size of the NiHN produced should be considered.
Unique RING finger structure from the human HRD1 protein
Authors: Miyamoto Kazuhide , Taguchi Yukari , Saito Kazuki
Published: October 2018

Artificial RING fingers (ARFs) are created by transplanting active sites of RING fingers onto cross‐brace structures. Human hydroxymethylglutaryl‐coenzyme A reductase degradation protein 1 (HRD1) is involved in the degradation of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) proteins. HRD1 possesses the RING finger domain (HRD1_RING) that functions as a ubiquitin‐ligating (E3) enzyme. Herein, we determined the solution structure of HRD1_RING using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Moreover, using a metallochromic indicator, we determined the stoichiometry of zinc ions spectrophotometrically and found that HRD1_RING binds to two zinc atoms. The Simple Modular Architecture Research Tool database predicted the structure of HRD1_RING as a typical RING finger. However, it was found that the actual structure of HRD1_RING adopts an atypical RING‐H2 type RING fold. This structural analysis unveiled the position and range of the active site of HRD1_RING that contribute to its specific ubiquitin‐conjugating enzyme (E2)‐binding capability.
Resveratrol derivatives from Commiphora africana (A. Rich.) Endl. display cytotoxicity and selectivity against several human cancer cell lines
Authors: Segun Peter A. , Ogbole Omonike O. , Ismail Fyaz M.D. , Nahar Lutfun , Evans Andrew R. , Ajaiyeoba Edith O. , Sarker Satyajit D.
Published: October 2018

Commiphora africana (A. Rich.) Endl. (Burseraceae) is a medicinal plant widely used in Nigerian ethnomedicine. The in vitro cytotoxicity of the stem bark extract of C. africana and isolated cytotoxic compounds was investigated. Three resveratrol derivatives: (E)‐resveratrol 3‐O‐rutinoside (1), 5‐methoxy‐(E)‐resveratrol 3‐O‐rutinoside (2), and pinostilbene (3), together with 3‐hydroxy‐5‐methoxybenzoic acid (4) were isolated from the methanol fraction of C. africana. Their structures were determined by extensive analysis of their HREIMS and NMR spectra. The cytotoxicity of the isolated compounds against four human carcinoma cells was determined using the MTT assay. Compound 1 displayed the highest antiproliferative effect on the cell lines, with IC50 values of 16.80, 21.74, 17.89, and 17.44 μM, against MCF7, A549, PC3, and HepG2 human cancer cell lines, respectively. In addition, compounds 1–3 showed low toxicity against normal human prostate cell line, with selectivity indices greater than five across the carcinoma cells, indicating that the compounds possess potential in the development of low‐toxicity chemotherapeutic agents. These results support the traditional use of this plant in the treatment of cancer.
Multiscale characteristics of an extreme precipitation event over Nepal
Authors: Bohlinger Patrik , Sorteberg Asgeir , Liu Changhai , Rasmussen Roy , Sodemann Harald , Ogawa Fumiaki
Published: October 2018

This study focuses on the analysis of the extreme precipitation event in Central Nepal on 19 July 2007 which was part of a sequence of rain events leading to the devastating South Asia flood of 2007. We investigate synoptic‐scale conditions using reanalyses and attribute moisture sources with a Lagrangian moisture source diagnostic. Further, we characterize the mesoscale precipitation event with a high‐resolution numerical simulation. The simulation reveals an intense wide convective event with a simulated 40 dBZ echo core of considerable horizontal extent (1,550 km
2) exceeding a height of 12 km. Initially small convective cells were invigorated by high CAPE and a potentially unstable layer at mid‐tropospheric levels. This layer reached conditional instability adding latent energy to the system. Isolated convective cells organized upscale into a wide intense convective system, fuelled with moist low‐level inflow. The result was torrential rain with over 250 mm within 24 hr. Several synoptic‐scale conditions contributed to the intense development: (a) supply of moist air with the help of a typical monsoon break condition flow pattern, (b) anomalously significant moisture sources along this path due to prior precipitation events, (c) an upper‐tropospheric trough orienting the atmospheric flow against the Himalayas with associated quasi‐geostrophic forcing creating a favourable environment for convection, and (d) destabilized stratification due to an upslope flow. This analysis encompasses multiple scales and shows how a wide intense convective system, not unusual for this region, can be intensified by distinct synoptic constituents.
Constructing the female coffee farmer: Do corporate smart‐economic initiatives promote gender equity within agricultural value chains?
Authors: Lyon Sarah , Mutersbaugh Tad , Worthen Holly
Published: October 2018

The quest for gender economic equality is becoming a component of corporate and transnational institutional antipoverty initiatives in the Global South. Framed as “smart economics,” this approach explicitly ties women's empowerment to economic growth. On one hand, this framework employs a discursive construction that depicts women as attentive, family‐oriented entrepreneurs and caregivers who are more likely than their male counterparts to invest in their household and in their children's future; on the other hand, it involves a set of practices that register and reward women's participation. The smart‐economics movement operates on both public and private registers, ranging from women‐oriented government welfare programs to NGO‐managed microcredit schemes and, in this article, corporate actors and public–private partnerships engaged in agricultural value chains. Here we examine recent smart‐economic coffee industry initiatives, namely, a case study of microbatched “women's coffee” projects such as Allegro Coffee's Café La Dueña. We explore how coffee‐market value‐chain discourses and economic actions affect gendered ideologies and agricultural practices in coffee‐producing communities. We compare the impact on members of an Oaxacan (Mexican) fairtrade, organic producer organization that has implemented a women's microbatching coffee initiative relative to other organizations that have not adopted such programs. We find that although the program fails to demonstrate improvements in gender equity by reducing agricultural asset gaps or enhancing women's economic decision‐making power, landownership, or access to important agrotechnical services, it does lead to practical changes that are positively correlated with an increase in women's organizational participation, an openness of both women and men to gender‐equity programs and services, and women's increased access to land titles. Smart‐economic depictions of women as caring entrepreneurs also found a mixed reception in coffee communities: although women producers agreed with the notion that their coffee is superior, their risk aversion countered the entrepreneurial imaginary.
Propensity‐score matching with competing risks in survival analysis
Authors: Austin Peter C. , Fine Jason P.
Published: October 2018

Propensity‐score matching is a popular analytic method to remove the effects of confounding due to measured baseline covariates when using observational data to estimate the effects of treatment. Time‐to‐event outcomes are common in medical research. Competing risks are outcomes whose occurrence precludes the occurrence of the primary time‐to‐event outcome of interest. All non‐fatal outcomes and all cause‐specific mortality outcomes are potentially subject to competing risks. There is a paucity of guidance on the conduct of propensity‐score matching in the presence of competing risks. We describe how both relative and absolute measures of treatment effect can be obtained when using propensity‐score matching with competing risks data. Estimates of the relative effect of treatment can be obtained by using cause‐specific hazard models in the matched sample. Estimates of absolute treatment effects can be obtained by comparing cumulative incidence functions (CIFs) between matched treated and matched control subjects. We conducted a series of Monte Carlo simulations to compare the empirical type I error rate of different statistical methods for testing the equality of CIFs estimated in the matched sample. We also examined the performance of different methods to estimate the marginal subdistribution hazard ratio. We recommend that a marginal subdistribution hazard model that accounts for the within‐pair clustering of outcomes be used to test the equality of CIFs and to estimate subdistribution hazard ratios. We illustrate the described methods by using data on patients discharged from hospital with acute myocardial infarction to estimate the effect of discharge prescribing of statins on cardiovascular death.
Vapor Phase Selective Production of Ethyl Lactate over ZrO2‐SiO2 Catalysts Using Lactic Acid and Ethanol
Authors: Peddinti Nagaiah , Venkata Pramod Chodimella , Challa Prathap , Burri David Raju , Kamaraju Seetha Rama Rao
Published: October 2018

A series of zirconia‐silica catalysts with different weight % of ZrO2 were prepared by sol‐gel method and tested for the vapor phase production of ethyl lactate via esterification of lactic acid using ethanol. Under the optimized conditions, 99% selectivity to ethyl lactate and complete conversion of lactic acid is observed over 7% ZrO2/SiO2 catalyst at 453 K with 1:15 molar ratio of lactic acid and ethanol. The catalysts were studied for various properties using XRD, FTIR, NH3‐TPD, N2 sorption, Pyridine FT‐IR and UV‐Vis. The results revealed that 7% ZrO2/SiO2 possesses amorphous phase and sufficient number of acidic sites which are helpful in achieving higher activity.
Continuous Production of 5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural from Monosaccharide over Zirconium Phosphates
Authors: Zhu Changhui , Cai Chiliu , Liu Qiying , Li Wenzhi , Tan Jin , Wang Chenguang , Chen Lungang , Zhang Qi , Ma Longlong
Published: October 2018

5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), an important platform compound produced from lignocellulosic biomass, is widely applied in petrochemical industry for downstream synthesis of medical supplies or intermediate of the other important chemicals by the typical catalytic processes. A continuous production route was developed to yield HMF from monosaccharides by using zirconium phosphate (ZrP) with different Zr/P ratios as catalysts. Its physicochemical properties were then characterized by Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller (BET), X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD), X‐ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), pyridine adsorbed Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (Py‐FT‐IR), X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) and temperature programmed desorption of ammonia (NH3‐TPD) techniques. A mixed phase containing monosaccharide in aqueous and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) phase was applied in the fixed bed to keep the continuous production. The optimized reaction conditions were applied to maximized HMF yield by varying the processing parameters. The highest HMF yield of 56.3% was obtained when using fructose as the feedstock under the reaction condition of 120 °C, 180 min, N2 pressure 2 MPa and DMSO: fructose solution of 9:1 over ZrP with the P/Zr with molar ratio of 2. Comparatively, the glucose conversion of 72% with the HMF yield of 32% were gained under the same conditions using glucose as the feedstock. It is deduced that the ZrP catalysts simultaneously possessing Brönsted/Lewis acid showed synergy in glucose dehydration to HMF. The ZrP catalyst showed good stability and no obvious deactivation was observed after 30 h of time‐on‐stream, due to the primary structure and acidic properties of catalyst can be kept during the reaction. Finally, it is generally efficient for some C6 sugars dehydration to HMF with the Brönsted/Lewis acid synergy of ZrP.
Asymmetric Color‐Changeable Luminophore with Donor–Acceptor–Donor Structure for Solvent and Temperature Sensitive Properties
Authors: Kitagawa Yuichi , Yachi Ryuto , Nakanishi Takayuki , Fushimi Koji , Hasegawa Yasuchika
Published: October 2018

An asymmetric donor–acceptor–donor (D–A–D) type organic luminophore is reported for solvent and temperature sensors. The electronic absorption and luminescence properties of the luminophore were assessed from its electronic absorption and luminescence spectra, which depended on the external environment. The D–A–D luminophore showed environment‐sensitive charge transfer fluorescence based on structural transformation through excited singlet states. Characteristic D–A–D phosphorescence was also observed at 494 nm, which was shorter than that of the D–A–D fluorescence (502 nm). In this study, the novel photophysical properties of a D–A–D‐type luminophore induced by its asymmetric electronic structure are described.
Facile Synthesis of Ag‐TiO2 Hybrid Nanocluster:A Comprehensive Experimental and Computational Insight into the Role of Surface Ligands on Enhanced Visible Light Photo‐catalysis
Authors: Goswami Tapas , Singh Manjeet , Reddy K. Mohan , Mishra Abhishek K.
Published: October 2018

Owing to their ultrafine size, biocompatibility and excellent photo‐stability, metallic nanoclusters are promising materials which could be combined with ultra‐small TiO2 to discover a new class of hybrid nanomaterial with unique photocatalytic and self‐cleaning properties. A lot of effort has been made very recently to combine silver nanoclusters (AgNC) with titania and hence size and composition controlled electronic and catalytic properties. However, most of the methods used extended network of titania to support AgNC and individual titania functionalized AgNC is rarely observed. In the present study, we report a new low temperature method of preparation of ultra‐small TiO2 functionalized AgNC ligated with glutathione. AgNC alone shows negligible visible light photocatalysis whereas incorporation of ultra‐small titania, lowers the bandgap of the hybrid nanocluster and facilitate solar activation leading to enhanced catalytic activity. Visible light induced catalytic property of hybrid NCs are investigated in degradation of a model dye, Rhodamine B (RhB). Simple structural models Agm(SCH3)n‐TiO2 are used to explore the interaction of surface ligands with TiO2 molecule using Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. The calculated absorption spectra using Time Dependent Density Functional Theory (TD‐DFT) have been used for monitoring the spectral shifts of characteristics absorption bands towards visible region.
β‐Cyclodextrin Monosulphonic Acid Promoted Multicomponent Synthesis of 1,8‐Dioxodecahydroacridines in Water
Authors: Madankumar Natarajan , Pitchumani Kasi
Published: October 2018

A simple and efficient route for the synthesis of 1,8‐dioxodecahydroacridine derivatives in water is described using β‐cyclodextrin monosulphonic acid (prepared readily from β‐cyclodextrin obtained by enzymatic degradation of starch and chlorosulphonic acid), as an environmentally friendly acid catalyst. In this one‐pot method, 1,8‐dioxodecahydroacridine derivatives (19 compounds) are synthesized from dimedone, ammonium chloride and aromatic aldehydes in high yields (upto 94 %). All the synthesized compounds are extensively characterized by 1H and 13C‐NMR, ESI‐MS and also by their melting points. A plausible mechanism involving a multifunctional role for β‐cyclodextrin monosulphonic acid is proposed. The other key benefits and green credentials of this protocol are nitrogen assimilation (formation of organic nitrogen compounds from ammonium chloride in laboratory), use of water which is an environmentally benign solvent, solid acid catalyst, easy workup, reusability upto five times, milder reaction conditions and broad substrate scope.
A Robust Integrated SnOx/Carbon Composite Anode for Sodium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Xu Jia , Shen Lu , Shi Kai , Cao Tengfei , Lv Wei , He Yan‐Bing
Published: October 2018

Tin (Sn) has been considered as a promising anode material for sodium ion battery due to its high specific capacity. However, its poor cycling stability and rate performance hinders the real application. Inspired by the structure of reinforced concrete and tunnel, an integrated SnOx/carbon composite anode was designed for high performance sodium ion batteries. In this structure, the SnOx nanoparticles were embedded in the amorphous carbon with interconnected pores derived from carbonization of the polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and starch, where the amorphous carbon can buffer the bulk expansion of SnOx to maintain structural stability and the interconnected pores can store the electrolyte to promote the sodium ion transportation for high rate reaction of the SnOx particles with sodium ion. The reduced graphene oxide as robust framework similar with rebar is inserted into the amorphous carbon/SnOx composite to enhance the stability and conductivity of composite. The starch as pore‐creating additive is decomposed during high‐heat treatment to form interconnected tunnel‐like pores in SnOx/carbon composite for electrolyte storage and high efficient sodium ion transportation. As a result, the as‐prepared integrated SnOx/carbon composite anode shows outstanding rate and cycling performance. Constructing the interconnected pore in SnOx/carbon composite using starch can greatly improve its charge specific capacity and rate performance.
2‐Hydroxyethyl‐Substituted (NHC)Pd(II)PPh3 Complexes: Synthesis, Characterization, Crystal Structure and Its Application on Sonogashira Cross‐Coupling Reactions in Aqueous Media
Authors: Aktaş Aydın , Celepci Duygu Barut , Gök Yetkin , Aygün Muhittin
Published: October 2018

This study contains the synthesis of the novel series of the 2‐ hydroxyethyl substituted Pd‐based N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) / triphenylphosphine (PPh3) complexes. The (NHC)Pd(II)PPh3 complexes have been prepared from the PPh3 ligand, replaced by 3‐chloro pyridine ligand in (NHC)Pd(II)(3‐Cl‐pyridine) complexes. The novel 2‐hydroxyethyl substituted (NHC)Pd(II)PPh3 complexes have been characterized by using 1H NMR, 13C {1H}NMR, 31P {1H}NMR, FTIR spectroscopy, and elemental analysis techniques. Molecular and crystal structure of 1 f was obtained by using single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction method. The novel 2‐hydroxyethyl substituted (NHC)Pd(II)PPh3 complexes have been examined as catalysts in the Sonogashira cross‐coupling reactions aqueous medium and demonstrated excellent activity in this reaction.
Investigation on the Nucleation Stage of Palladium Nanoparticles Using a Microfluidic Droplet Generator Integrated with In Situ Sol‐Gel Quencher
Authors: Bae Sunwoong , Jung Euiyoung , Yu Taekyung , Seo Tae Seok
Published: October 2018

The nanoparticle (NP) synthesis undergoes stepwise processes starting from the input metal ions: nucleation, coalescence, ripening, and growth. Considering the whole process is completed in a very short time, the conventional flask‐scale method, which requires at least minutes, is not adequate to trace the mechanism of NP nucleation. In this study, a microfluidic droplet generator is developed, which is capable of in situ sol–gel polymerization for synthetic reaction quenching. As a model, palladium (Pd) NPs are synthesized within microdroplets, and the reaction time is controlled by tuning the length of the microchannel. In the microfluidic design, the outmost microchannel is incorporated, in which tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) dissolved in ethanol is injected. The generated droplets are merged to the outmost flow under the variety of time interval (50 to 5,000 ms), so that the tens of milliseconds observation on NP nucleation is conducted via flash‐like sol–gel quenching. Based on the result analysis, the seeds of Pd NPs have undergone slight size fluctuation and then a thermodynamically stable aggregation/coalescence step within 5 s before moving into the growth stage. This microfluidic platform permits the study of the fundamental and initial stage of the NP synthesis, which cannot be approached by the conventional methodology.
A Report and Reflection on an Application of Critical Systems Practice to Improve a Business Intelligence System's Business Requirements
Authors: Venter Carin , Goede Roelien
Published: October 2018

Organizations require relevant and accurate information and systems for making strategic decisions. However, in practice, these business intelligence systems have a high failure rate, in part due to an overemphasis on technical implementation, and perhaps more importantly, the inability of prospective users to visualize the needs of the future system in the requirements phase. In this paper, critical systems practice is used to guide the selection of alternative requirements collection methodologies for the requirements phase, reviewing methodologies from the interpretive, critical and postmodern paradigms for their suitability for use in the described case study. In the resulting selection of critical systems heuristics for this intervention, this paper argues that although critical systems heuristics was developed in an era when the critical paradigm emerged, it can be applied from a postmodern perspective and that it may also be useful in guiding the creative process to identify requirements that improve business decision making that is sensitive to the local environment and enhance future decision making. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dhh1 is a member of the SESA network
Authors: Ergüden Bengü
Published: October 2018

The correct separation of chromosomes during mitosis is necessary to prevent genetic instability and aneuploidy, which are responsible for cancer and other diseases, and it depends on proper centrosome duplication. In a recent study, we found that Smy2 can suppress the essential role of Mps2 in the insertion of yeast centrosome into the nuclear membrane by interacting with Eap1, Scp160, and Asc1 and designated this network as SESA (Smy2, Eap1, Scp160, Asc1). Detailed analysis showed that the SESA network is part of a mechanism which regulates translation of POM34 mRNA. Thus, SESA is a system that suppresses spindle pole body duplication defects by repressing the translation of POM34 mRNA. In this study, we performed a genome‐wide screening in order to identify new members of the SESA network and confirmed Dhh1 as a putative member. Dhh1 is a cytoplasmic DEAD‐box helicase known to regulate translation. Therefore, we hypothesized that Dhh1 is responsible for the highly selective inhibition of POM34 mRNA by SESA.
Corporate reputation in management research: a review of the literature and assessment of the concept
Authors: Veh Annika , Göbel Markus , Vogel Rick
Published: October 2018

The study of reputation figures prominently in management research, yet the increasing number of publications makes it difficult to keep track of this growing body of literature. This paper provides a systematic review of the literature based on a large-scale bibliometric analysis. We draw on bibliographic data of 5885 publications published until 2016, inclusively, and combine co-citation analysis and bibliographic coupling with network visualization. Results show how research on corporate reputation is embedded in the broader field of scholarship on reputation in general. When zooming into the publication cluster on corporate reputation more closely, the concept’s origins in economics, organizational studies, and marketing as well as corresponding theoretical and methodological discussions are revealed. Beyond providing a structured overview of the field, the bibliometric analyses also reveal conceptual incoherencies that lead to ambiguities in research. Our assessment builds on the philosophy of science and is guided by the criteria of good concepts in social sciences. It shows that the concept of corporate reputation lacks internal coherence and could have more theoretical utility. We recommend focusing on corporate reputation as an attitudinal concept and thereby emphasizing the stakeholder who acts as an evaluator of the corporation.
Hacking democracy: abusing the Internet for political gain
Authors: Mansfield-Devine Steve
Published: October 2018

Democracy is a fragile process and many people are becoming worried that it is not sufficiently robust to withstand the seemingly lawless free-for-all unleashed by the Internet. The 2016 US presidential election and the UK's Brexit referendum have only ramped up the fear that the Internet has provided a powerful tool for those who would seek to gain advantage in public discourse and the struggle for political power. In this interview, Oliver Tavakoli of Vectra explains that many concerns are well-founded, some are unproven and that we still haven't fully explored the dangers – and the opportunities – that the Internet represents in our democratic processes.
Barriers to Children's Participation in Child Protection Practice: The Views and Experiences of Practitioners in Ghana
Authors: Abdullah Alhassan , Cudjoe Ebenezer , Frederico Margarita
Published: October 2018

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) includes provisions to ensure that children and young people have a say in decisions affecting their lives. Although a signatory to the UNCRC, Ghana is a nation where little empirical evidence has been gathered regarding the barriers that prevent children from participating in child protection. Thus, in this article, we report on findings from a qualitative study into the barriers to children's participation in child protection practice in Ghana. The study was based on qualitative interviews with 15 child protection practitioners, and a constructivist grounded theory approach was used to analyse data from the interviews. Intimidation, parental influence, communication problems, and confidentiality were identified as barriers to promoting participatory practices for children in the child protection process. The study findings suggest that engaging with children in separate rooms or spaces, away from the presence of parents and other adults, could help practitioners promote children's participation. It is recommended that practitioners should upgrade their skills for working with children by taking part in in-service training, workshops, and seminars to help address issues with communication. Practical actions suggested in this study may also be useful for other practitioners addressing similar issues.
Selling the product: Strategies to increase recruitment and retention of Spanish-speaking Latinos in biomedical research
Authors: Rhodes Scott D. , Alonzo Jorge , Mann-Jackson Lilli , Tanner Amanda E. , Vissman Aaron T. , Martinez Omar , Rodriguez-Celedon Rodrigo , Garcia Jesus M. , Arellano Hall Jorge E. , Song Eunyoung Y. , Eng Eugenia , Reboussin Beth A.
Published: October 2018

Introduction

The Latino population in the United States is rapidly growing and faces profound health disparities; however, engagement of Latinos in biomedical research remains low. Our community-based participatory research partnership has recruited 2083 Spanish-speaking Latinos into 21 studies over 15 years. We sought to identify and describe the strategies we have used to successfully recruit and retain Spanish-speaking Latinos in research.

Methods

We abstracted and analyzed data from archived study notes, progress reports, team meeting minutes, and in-depth interviews conducted annually from community-based participatory research partnership members. We used a nominal group process to refine and prioritize strategies.

Results

Overall, 13 recruitment strategies and 12 retention strategies emerged. These strategies relied on the creativity and perseverance of the study team and partners.

Conclusions

It is essential that we develop and disseminate effective recruitment and retention strategies that engage Latinos in biomedical research to reduce health disparities and promote health equity.
Economic Expectations and Satisfaction with Democracy: Evidence from Italy
Authors: Loveless Matthew , Binelli Chiara
Published: October 2018

In this article, we argue that individuals’ expectations about their future economic prospects are a crucial missing determinant of their degree of satisfaction with democracy. To investigate this link, we collected an original, nationally representative data set on young skilled unemployed Italians using the innovative quantitative expectations data methodology (Manski 2004). Controlling for current local labour market conditions with administrative province-level data and for a rich array of individual-level determinants, we show that those expecting greater job insecurity and instability have lower current satisfaction levels with democracy. By better conceptualizing and operationalizing individuals’ expectations, we advance the theoretical framework on satisfaction with democracy and show that expectations are an important and often overlooked determinant of the current level of satisfaction with democratic institutions.
Velocity and acceleration statistics in rapidly rotating Rayleigh–Bénard convection
Authors: Rajaei Hadi , Alards Kim M. J. , Kunnen Rudie P. J. , Clercx Herman J. H.
Published: October 2018

Background rotation causes different flow structures and heat transfer efficiencies in Rayleigh–Bénard convection. Three main regimes are known: rotation unaffected, rotation affected and rotation dominated. It has been shown that the transition between rotation-unaffected and rotation-affected regimes is driven by the boundary layers. However, the physics behind the transition between rotation-affected and rotation-dominated regimes are still unresolved. In this study, we employ the experimentally obtained Lagrangian velocity and acceleration statistics of neutrally buoyant immersed particles to study the rotation-affected and rotation-dominated regimes and the transition between them. We have found that the transition to the rotation-dominated regime coincides with three phenomena; suppressed vertical motions, strong penetration of vortical plumes deep into the bulk and reduced interaction of vortical plumes with their surroundings. The first two phenomena are used as confirmations for the available hypotheses on the transition to the rotation-dominated regime while the last phenomenon is a new argument to describe the regime transition. These findings allow us to better understand the rotation-dominated regime and the transition to this regime.
Glacier branch lines and glacier ice thickness estimation for debris-covered glaciers in the Central Tien Shan
Authors: PIECZONKA TINO , BOLCH TOBIAS , KRÖHNERT MELANIE , PETERS JULIANE , LIU SHIYIN
Published: October 2018

Information about the ice volume stored in glaciers is of high importance for sustainable water management in many arid regions of Central Asia. Several methods to estimate the ice volume exist. However, none of them take the specific characteristics of flat terminus debris-covered glaciers into account. We present a method for deriving spatially-distributed ice thickness for debris-covered dendritic glaciers, which are common not only in Central Tien Shan but also in several other mountain ranges in High Asia. The method relies on automatically generated branch lines, observed surface velocities and surface topographic parameters as basic input. Branch lines were generated using Thiessen polygons and Dijkstra's path algorithm. Ice thicknesses for four debris-covered glaciers – South Inylchek, Kaindy, Tomur and Koxkar glaciers – have been estimated along the branch line network solving the equation of laminar flow. For Koxkar and South Inylchek glaciers, respectively, maximum thicknesses of ~250 and 380 m were estimated. These results differ by ~50 m compared with GPR measurements with an uncertainty for the debris-covered parts of ~40%. Based on geodetic mass balances, we estimate that the investigated glaciers lost between 6 and 28% of their volume from 1975 to the early 2000s.
Polarization and Electoral Incentives: The End of the Chilean Consensus Democracy, 1990–2014
Authors: Fábrega Jorge , González Jorge , Lindh Jaime
Published: October 2018

Consensus democracy among the main Chilean political forces ended abruptly after the 2013 presidential and parliamentary elections, the most polarized elections since the return to democracy in 1990. Relying on spatial voting theory to uncover latent ideological dimensions from survey data between 1990 and 2014, this study finds patterns of gradual polarization starting at least ten years before the collapse of consensus, based on an increasing demobilization of the political center that misaligned politicians from their political platforms (particularly in the center-left parties). That phenomenon changed the political support for the two main political coalitions and the intracoalition bargaining power of their various factions. The pattern also helps to explain the process behind the 2015 reform of the electoral system.
The Deep Roots of Protectionism in the Southern Cone: Constituent Interests and Mercosur’s Common External Tariff
Authors: Pezzola Anthony A.
Published: October 2018

This article examines the influence of subnational economic interests on the formation of supranational trade policy in the Southern Common Market (Mercosur). Accounting for differences in the relative importance of member countries, the article argues that subnational economic interests influenced the structure of Mercosur’s common external tariff (CET). Although the CET was negotiated without direct input from voters or legislators, its structure reflects the interests of geographically specific economic interests in the member countries. The results of a regression analysis of tariffs toward nonmembers indicate that the economic composition of subnational political jurisdictions shaped the structure of the CET. These findings suggest that by overlooking subnational economic interests, much of the current literature on the evolution of Mercosur misses a critical aspect of the policymaking process.
When Political Mega-Donors Join Forces: How the Koch Network and the Democracy Alliance Influence Organized U.S. Politics on the Right and Left
Authors: Hertel-Fernandez Alexander , Skocpol Theda , Sclar Jason
Published: October 2018

As economic inequalities have skyrocketed in the United States, scholars have started paying more attention to the individual political activities of billionaires and multimillionaires. Useful as such work may be, it misses an important aspect of plutocratic influence: the sustained efforts of organized groups and networks of political mega-donors, who work together over many years between as well as during elections to reshape politics. Our work contributes to this new direction by focusing on two formally organized consortia of wealthy donors that have recently evolved into highly consequential forces in U.S. politics. We develop this concept and illustrate the importance of organized donor consortia by presenting original data and analyses of the right-wing Koch seminars (from 2003 to the present) and the progressive left-leaning Democracy Alliance (from 2005 to the present). We describe the evolution, memberships, and organizational routines of these two wealthy donor collectives, and explore the ways in which each has sought to reconfigure and bolster kindred arrays of think tanks, advocacy groups, and constituency efforts operating at the edges of America's two major political parties in a period of intensifying ideological polarization and growing conflict over the role of government in addressing rising economic inequality. Our analysis argues that the rules and organizational characteristics of donor consortia shape their resource allocations and impact, above and beyond the individual characteristics of their wealthy members.
A sociophonetic account of onset /s/ weakening in Salvadoran Spanish: Instrumental and segmental analyses
Authors: Brogan Franny D. , Bolyanatz Mariška A.
Published: October 2018

In this study, we identify the linguistic and social predictors that condition onset /s/ weakening in speech data from sociolinguistic interviews with 72 Salvadoran Spanish speakers. In addition, we compare and contrast the explanatory power of instrumental and traditional segmental approaches. We find that the instrumental approach, which identifies flanking segments, stress, and region of origin of the speaker as conditioners of onset /s/ shortening and lowering of center of gravity, does not account for observed social variation in the data. Contrastingly, an ordinal logistic regression based on a combination of instrumental measures and perceived phonetic categories identifies flanking segment, region of origin, sex, and age of the speaker as predictors of onset /s/ weakening. We conclude that an exclusively instrumental analysis examining variation of onset /s/ thus obscures the potential social meaning of onset /s/ weakening in El Salvador.
Stylistic variation among mobile speakers: Using old and new regional variables to construct complex place identity
Authors: Nycz Jennifer
Published: October 2018

This paper examines stylistic variation in the (oh), (o), (aw), and (ay) classes among native speakers of Canadian English living in or just outside either New York City or Washington, DC. Speakers show evidence of change toward US norms for all four vowels, though only (aw) shows consistent style shifting: prevoiceless (aw) is realized with higher nuclei when speakers express ambivalence about or distance from the United States, and lower nuclei when closeness to or positive affect about the United States is being conveyed. Canadians in New York also show topic- and stance-based shift in (oh): (oh)s are higher when expressing positive affect or closeness to New York City and lower when expressing negative affect or distance. These results suggest that mobile speakers continue to exploit the socioindexical links in their native dialect while learning and using new links in their adopted dialect—but only if those links are socially salient.
A NEW SPECIES OF AESCHYNANTHUS (GESNERIACEAE) FROM VIETNAM
Authors: Middleton D. J. , Atkins H. J.
Published: October 2018

The new species Aeschynanthus scottii D.J.Middleton & H.J.Atkins from Vietnam is described.
Impact of adherence to cancer-specific prevention recommendations on subsequent risk of cancer in participants in Alberta’s Tomorrow Project
Authors: Xu Jian-Yi , Vena Jennifer E , Whelan Heather K , Robson Paula J
Published: October 2018

Objective

The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) publish recommendations for cancer prevention. The present study aimed to estimate the association between adherence to these cancer-specific prevention recommendations and subsequent development of cancer in a prospective cohort.

Design

A composite adherence score was constructed based on questionnaire data to reflect overall adherence to WCRF/AICR lifestyle-related recommendations on body fatness, physical activity, diet and alcoholic drinks. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to assess the association (hazard ratio; 95 % CI) between the adherence score and risk of developing cancer.

Setting

Alberta’s Tomorrow Project, a prospective cohort study.

Participants

Men and women (n25 100, mean age at enrolment 50·5 years) recruited between 2001 and 2009 with no previous cancer diagnosis were included in analyses.

Results

Cancer cases (n2066) were identified during a mean follow-up of 11·7 years. Participants who were most adherent to the selected WCRF/AICR recommendations (composite score: 4–6) were 13 % (0·87; 0·78, 0·98) less likely to develop cancer compared with those who were least adherent (composite score: 0–2). Each additional recommendation met corresponded to a 5 % (0·95; 0·91, 0·99) reduction in risk of developing cancer. When stratified by sex, the associations remained significant for women, but not for men.

Conclusions

Adherence to lifestyle-related cancer prevention recommendations was associated with reduced risk of developing cancer over the follow-up term in this Canadian cohort.
A review of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) testing in livestock with an emphasis on the use of alternative diagnostic specimens
Authors: Poonsuk Korakrit , Giménez-Lirola Luis , Zimmerman Jeffrey J.
Published: October 2018

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) remains an important pathogen of livestock more than 120 years after it was identified, with annual costs from production losses and vaccination estimated at €5.3–€17 billion (US$6.5–US$21 billion) in FMDV-endemic areas. Control and eradication are difficult because FMDV is highly contagious, genetically and antigenically diverse, infectious for a wide variety of species, able to establish subclinical carriers in ruminants, and widely geographically distributed. For early detection, sustained control, or eradication, sensitive and specific FMDV surveillance procedures compatible with high through-put testing platforms are required. At present, surveillance relies on the detection of FMDV-specific antibody or virus, most commonly in individual animal serum, vesicular fluid, or epithelial specimens. However, FMDV or antibody are also detectable in other body secretions and specimens, e.g., buccal and nasal secretions, respiratory exhalations (aerosols), mammary secretions, urine, feces, and environmental samples. These alternative specimens offer non-invasive diagnostic alternatives to individual animal sampling and the potential for more efficient, responsive, and cost-effective surveillance. Herein we review FMDV testing methods for contemporary and alternative diagnostic specimens and their application to FMDV surveillance in livestock (cattle, swine, sheep, and goats).
Implication of our technological species being first and early: The anthropic selection effect of our technological youth
Authors: Whitmire Daniel P.
Published: October 2018

In the previous paper (Whitmire 2017; hereafter Paper I) arguments were given which suggest that the typical technological species is short-lived and that their demise coincides with the extinction of their planetary biosphere. This conclusion is based on two observations and one primary assumption. The observations are: (1) Our own technological species is the first such species to evolve on Earth and (2) we are early in the potential evolution of a technological species. The primary assumption is that we are a typical member (in age) of the reference class of all extant technological species in the universe. In this Letter, I thoroughly discuss the anthropic selection effect that the predicted lifetime of the typical technological species would most likely first be made when a technological species is young, thus guaranteeing a predicted short lifetime, regardless of the actual typical lifetime. I argue here that this selection effect is equivalent to narrowly redefining the reference class to be only early technological species and, although true, it is a logical tautology, correct by definition and does not invalidate the application of the Principle of Mediocrity assumption to the expanded reference class of all technological species, as was done in Paper I. Several simple analogies are given to illustrate this point.
Temporal Variation of Kuroshio Nutrient Stream South of Japan
Authors: Long Yu , Zhu Xiao‐Hua , Guo Xinyu , Huang Haocai
Published: October 2018

The temporal variation of the Kuroshio nutrient stream south of Japan was examined using quarterly hydrographic data at section 137E from 2000 to 2013. During the seasonal cycle, nitrate flux and transport reach the maximum (minimum) in autumn (winter). The Kuroshio recirculation contributes about 60% to the mean eastward nitrate transport and the seasonal variations thereof. Empirical orthogonal function analysis showed two dominant modes in nitrate flux, nitrate concentration, and velocity at section 137E; these were associated with Kuroshio path meander and the Kuroshio Extension decadal oscillation. The Kuroshio large meander induced a significant increase in the eastward nitrate transport, from 609 to 1,723 kmol/s, at the section. Due to the modulation of the Kuroshio Extension decadal oscillation, both the eastward nitrate transport and the Kuroshio recirculation were stronger in an unstable state compared to when in a stable state. The variation in the eastward nitrate transport in these dynamic patterns can be attributed to the strength, location, and spatial expansion of the Kuroshio recirculation south of Japan. Nitrate transport from the south of Japan to the Kuroshio Extension was relatively stable at 400 kmol/s. There was a strong seasonal variation in the surface chlorophyll concentration over the subtropical gyre including Kuroshio recirculation region, whereas variations in the Kuroshio region was controlled by the Kuroshio path shift. The velocity‐weighted nitrate concentration in the dense layer along the Kuroshio path increased throughout the year while that in the light layer decreased in spring and autumn and increased in summer and winter.
Long‐Term Distribution of Meteors in a Solar Cycle Period Observed by VHF Meteor Radars at Near‐Equatorial Latitudes
Authors: Batubara M. , Yamamoto M.‐Y. , Madkour W. , Manik T.
Published: October 2018

We investigated meteor height and number of meteor echoes over a 13‐year observation period, with the data recorded by the meteor wind radar systems in Kototabang (0.20°S, 100.32°E) and Biak (1.17°S, 136.10°E), Indonesia. We aimed to investigate the changes in meteor peak height according to solar activity, represented by the solar radio index F10.7, and the number of solar sunspots, R, compared with the empirical results of the Mass Spectrometer Incoherent Scatter Extending (MSISE) and Committee on Space Research International Reference Atmosphere models. We found that (i) the daily meteor count rates at both sites in the period from 2003 to 2016 could be used to determine the dynamics in the upper atmosphere, where peak conditions occurred in the middle of the year; (ii) through a statistical approach using the normal distribution function, the variation in meteor peak height showed a positive correlation with the trend in solar activity; and (iii) comparison between the two empirical models and our observations showed two points where annual air density seemed to have a clear relationship with peak meteor height. In addition, the annual neutral density pattern of the model was related to the daily meteor count every year, although it showed a pattern opposite to the solar activity trends.