bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Work Health and Safety, Competitive Advantage, and Organisational Performance in Small Construction Firms: Research Proposal
Authors: Eldejany Raed
Published: January 2017

Research into small firms has expanded over recent years, yet one field where insight is still limited is Work Health and Safety (WHS) especially in the high risk construction industry. The main objective of this research proposal is to provide the foundation for a potential future study that explores the impact of WHS on developing a competitive advantage and improving organisational performance from the perspective of the owner-managers of small Australian construction firms using a qualitative multiple case design. This research proposal investigates a sample of four small construction firms from the same industry therefore the findings can’t be generalised to other work environments, which a limitation to the proposed study.
How to Restore Forest Areas in a Smallholder Agriculture-Dominated Country?
Authors: Moussa Sangaré
Published: January 2017

This study deals with ways of addressing more effectively the problems of forest restoration in a smallholder agriculture-dominated area like the southwest Côte d’Ivoire. An empirical estimation based on a probit model is used to analyze the farmer decisions concerning their eventual participation to the national program of forest development based on a policy of large-scale reforestation.The results show that the main explicative variables of smallholders’ adhesion to this project are agricultural training, ethnic group, access to credit, the age of the head of household and the household’s residence area. Contrary to all expectations, some variables such as literacy, out-farm income, and the status of landowner and whole-time farmer do not explain the decision of smallholder.
Bespreking van: J.E. Furobo, R.C. Rist & S. Speer (Eds.), Evaluation and turbulent times. Reflections on a discipline in disarray, New Brunswick/London: Transaction Publishers 2013
Authors: Hoppe Rob
Published: January 2017

Bespreking van: J.E. Furobo, R.C. Rist & S. Speer (Eds.), Evaluation and turbulent times. Reflections on a discipline in disarray, New Brunswick/London: Transaction Publishers 2013

Dit artikel bevat een uitvoerige samenvatting en een beoordeling van een nieuw boek van Furubo, Rist en Speer met als (in het Nederlands vertaalde) titel: ‘Evaluatie in turbulente tijden. Reflecties op een discipline in verwarring’. De aanleiding voor dit boek is dus de opvatting dat de meeste politieke en bestuurlijke contexten voor beleidsevaluatie zo sterk in beweging zijn geraakt dat ex-post beleidsevaluatie als discipline en vanzelfsprekend onderdeel van het proces van beleidsondersteuning in crisis is geraakt en bedreigd wordt. In het kort geeft dit boek als antwoord op deze dreiging: relativeer het ideaal van ‘evidence-based’ beleid, en ga voor ‘real-time’ evaluatie; verleg uw aandacht van ex-post evaluatie ten behoeve van verantwoording achteraf naar ex-ante evaluatie tijdens de beleidsformulering en ex-durante evaluatie parallel aan de beleidsimplementatie, met als doelen: ‘early warning’, beleidsleren, en flexibel reageren op snel veranderende omstandigheden. Natuurlijk heeft dat gevolgen voor rolopvattingen en taakverdelingen in de procesarchitectuur van het beleidsproces.
Doorgeven, negeren of vervormen?
Authors: Schillemans Thomas , Klijn Anne
Published: January 2017

‘News media as (un)critical implementers of transparency-policies’

Transparency is a token of modern governance and is said to serve many different goals. Earlier research has shown that the disclosure of information will only be seen by the public and serve its goals if ‘transparators’, such as news media, pay attention to the information. The news media cannot be expected to be uncritical implementers of transparency policies; they will only do so when the policy and ensuing story fit their criteria for newsworthiness. This paper analyzes when and how news media pay attention to different types of policies serving different types of goals. It does so on the basis of quantitative and qualitative content analysis of 8 important cases of transparency-policies in the Netherlands in the past decade. The analysis shows that, even for these high profile cases, the amount of media attention for disclosed information is limited. The analysis also suggests that the media primarily tend to treat items in neutral or critical frames. Particularly in cases where the disclosed information is about the government itself, media stories seem to be primarily negative. These results suggest, in line with prior research, that transparency-policies may easily fail to be effective.
Van doelgroepenbenadering naar business case van diversiteit: de invloed van het kabinet op publieke sectoren
Authors: Celik Saniye
Published: January 2017

From target groups approach to business case of diversity: the influence of the cabinet on public sectors

The focus of the diversity policy in the Dutch public sector has moved during the past decennia. In the eighties offering equal chances for the different target groups was the central policy goal, after the millennium this became the effective and efficient management of a diverse work force in order to arrive at a better performing public sector, also called the business case of diversity. This article investigates the question how far the Dutch cabinet has influenced the diversity policy of public organizations. The answer to the question is that there was limited influence from the Dutch cabinet on the arguments for diversity of public organizations, but there was greater influence on the diversity interventions, especially in three sectors: central government, municipalities and police. This influence on interventions of other (‘fellow’) governments is caused by the strong steering of the cabinet. The interventions undertaken therefore reflect to a more limited extent the business case of diversity and remain stuck in the old target group policy. However, public organizations with a longer history in diversity policy, that operate closer to society and see the necessity for diversity, are more inclined to embrace the business case and start interventions that are related to this new approach.
Ministeriabel
Authors: Sybesma J. , Rogier L.J.J.
Published: January 2017

Ministeriabel – tot slot

Reactie op de repliek van dr. R.S.J. Martha LLM.
Dead or alive?
Authors: Ganpat Soenita , van der Leun Joanne , Nieuwbeerta Paul
Published: January 2017

Dead or alive? The influence of event characteristics and actors’ behaviour on the outcome of violent events

Some serious events end lethally while others do not. This study examined to what extent a selected number of event characteristics and actors’ behaviour contributed to the escalation of an event into a lethal outcome. We examined Dutch court files of 267 serious events in which offenders were convicted for either lethal violence (homicide, N=126) or non-lethal violence (attempted homicide, N=141). Pronounced differences were found between lethal versus non-lethal events with respect to event characteristics and to actors’ behaviour during the incident in particular. In particular, the likelihood of a lethal outcome increased in events involving alcohol use by victims, firearm use by offenders, victim precipitation and the absence of third parties.
Relatos médicos sobre formação acadêmica e trabalho na Estratégia de Saúde da Família
Authors: Barboza Jaqueline Santos , Lemos Amanda Batista da Silva , Barreiro Bruna Fraga Guimarães , Peixoto Gabriela Bernardes Martins
Published: January 2017

Objetivo: Analisar as percepções dos médicos atuantes na Estratégia de Saúde da Família de um município de médio porte no estado de Minas Gerais sobre a formação e atuação neste nível de atenção. Métodos: Trata-se de uma pesquisa de abordagem qualitativa, exploratória e descritiva, que avaliou o universo de significados, crenças, valores e atitudes dos participantes em relação ao tema. Os dados foram coletados mediante entrevista semiestruturada. Resultados: Foram realizadas 12 entrevistas com médicos de 11 unidades de saúde. Os sujeitos entrevistados relatam que os conhecimentos referentes à Estratégia de Saúde da Família no currículo da graduação foram satisfatórios e contribuíram com sua formação e atuação profissional. No entanto, a escolha pelo trabalho ainda aparece como um caminho facilitador para entrada na residência médica, principalmente por meio de programas governamentais. Conclusões: Ainda que a pesquisa tenha abordado os relatos de uma pequena parcela de médicos, a análise evidencia a importância da educação médica na sensibilização e capacitação em medicina de família e comunidade, bem como a ainda necessária valorização da carreira no nível primário de atenção. Estas temáticas permanecem no bojo das discussões quando se trata da consolidação desta estratégia no país.
Conductive Polymeric Ionic Liquid/Fe3O4 Nanocomposite as an Efficient Catalyst for the Voltammetric Determination of Amlodipine Besylate
Authors: Fathirad Fariba , Mostafavi Ali , Afzali Daryoush
Published: January 2017

A novel conductive polymeric ionic liquid (IL)-Fe3O4 nanocomposite (represented as PIL-Fe3O4) based on inorganic-organic hybrid material was synthesized using two different methods. Nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, and field emission scanning electron microscopy characterized the structures of IL, Fe3O4 nanoparticles, and PIL-Fe3O4. The electrochemical sensors based on PIL-Fe3O4-modified glassy carbon electrode were fabricated, and each of these nanocomposites was examined for the ability to determine amlodipine besylate (AMD). The electrochemical study of the modified electrodes, as well as its efficiency for the electro-oxidation of AMD, was described in 0.1 M phosphate-buffered solution (pH 7.0) using voltammetric methods. The results exhibit a linear dynamic range from 1 to 500 nM and a detection limit of 0.36 nM. Finally, the modified electrode was used for the determination of AMD in pharmaceutical and biological samples.
Analysis of Numerous Androgen Disruptors in Fish by Gas Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Liu Shaoying , Bian Tianbin , He Huali , Huang Huang , Jin Quan , Wang Shuting , Zhu Guonian
Published: January 2017

An improved analytical method was developed for the simultaneous quantification of numerous androgen disruptors—vinclozolin, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs), hexachlorocyclohexanes, chlordane, heptachlor, dieldrin, endrin, and aldrin—in fish, followed by GC with tandem MS (MS/MS). Extraction, cleanup, and MS/MS parameters of analytes were optimized. The LOQs of the analytes ranged from 0.3 to 3.7 μg/kg. Reasonable recoveries (73.7–119.2%) were demonstrated at different spike levels with RSDs lower than 12.2%. This method was applied for the analysis of the target analytes in fish samples sold in Hangzhou, China, and DDTs were found to be the predominant contaminants in fish samples.
Dansk identitet i moderne lyrik
Authors: Larsen Peter Stein
Published: January 2017

Peter Stein Larsen: “Danish Identity in Modern Poetry”The article examines how Danish identity has been expressed in poetry. Since the 1960s, Danish poetry has had a tradition of a critical focus on national identity. This tradition of ‘interaction poetry’ has a polyphonic enunciation, a style influenced by spoken language and an ironic perspective on Danish identity. The tradition is distinct from the dominant symbolist and modernist tradition, where one can observe a monological enunciation, a high poetic style and an international perspective. Aspecial feature of the tradition of a critical focus on national identity is its ability to express an implied utopia of openness, empathy, equality and solidarity, despite the fact that the poems are ironic about Danish xenophobia, narrowness, pettiness, bureaucracy and lack of engagement in the world. The article investigates a number of poetry collections by Klaus Rifbjerg, Benny Andersen, Marianne Larsen, Henrik Nordbrandt, Maja Lee Langvad and Eva Tind Kristensen.
Affekt og racialisering i ny dansk (minoritets)litteratur. Om hjemløse kroppe i den store (h)vide verden
Authors: Skiveren Tobias
Published: January 2017

Tobias Skiveren: “Affect and Racialization in Contemporary Danish (Minority) Literature: on Homeless Bodies in a World of Whiteness”In recent years, there has been a proliferation of literary works dealing with corporal experiences of racialization within contemporary Danish literature. This article argues that the growing field of affect theory can function as a constructive interlocutor when trying to grasp the emotional nerve permeating this trend. Drawing on the work of among others Sianne Ngai, Sara Ahmed and Mayra Rivera, it demonstrates a sensitive reading strategy by charting the dominant affective components of the corporal lives presented in Yahya Hassan’s Yahya Hassan (2013), Eva Tind’s Han (2014) and Maja Lee Langvad’s Hun er vred (2014).
Den affektive intensivering af Danmark. Grænsekontrollen på Facebook
Authors: Reestorff Camilla Møhring
Published: January 2017

Camilla Møhring Reestorff: “The Affective Intensification of Denmark: Border Controls on Facebook”Through a study of the nine Danish political parties and the nine party leaders’ Facebook updates in the period between the 4th of January and the 16th of September 2016, this article investigates the affective structures that impact and intensify the debate about border control, refugees and immigrants. The article follows and studies the affective rhythms and the seriality that results in demands of more affect and heightens the affective investment in the notion of Denmark.
Magtens repræsentation af danskhed. Konstitueringen af nationalidentitet i Dronning Margrethes nytårstaler
Authors: Madsen Carsten
Published: January 2017

Carsten Madsen: “The Queen’s Representation of “Danishness”: Constituting National Identity in Queen Margrethe II’s New Year’s Address”This article uses Maurice Charland’s criticism of constitutional rhetoric and Jacques Derrida’s deconstruction of representational logic to analyse the formal and pragmatic status of Queen Margrethe II’s annual New Year’s Address. The main goal of the article is to show how the rhetoric of the address seeks to constitute national identity in the Danish population by suppressing an irreducible otherness at the judicial and cultural core of the nation’s constitutional monarchy.
Les vertus de l’oubli : ambivalences du passé arthurien chez Kazuo Ishiguro
Authors: Moran Patrick
Published: January 2017

The Buried Giant (2014) de Kazuo Ishiguro est un roman à la frontière des genres : l’auteur puise dans la matière arthurienne, notamment dans Gauvain et le chevalier vert, pour élaborer un texte à mi-chemin entre la fantasy, le conte de fées et le roman intime. Située peu après la mort du roi Arthur, l’action se concentre sur un couple vieillissant et présente une Bretagne crépusculaire, où la coexistence des Bretons et des Saxons se fait de plus en plus inconfortable. Une étrange amnésie frappe l’île, et le souvenir d’événements récents risque sans cesse de resurgir et de briser l’équilibre des forces, en même temps qu’il menace de ruiner l’harmonie fragile qui unit les deux protagonistes. Un tel travail sur la mémoire et ses ambivalences est typique de l’oeuvre d’un auteur qui privilégie les zones de non-dit et d’incertitude. En se concentrant sur le rapport ambivalent que The Buried Giant entretient avec ses sources médiévales, cet article cherche à montrer comment Kazuo Ishiguro, tout en se tenant à distance de l’imaginaire médiéval et breton, réactive en fait la réflexion arthurienne sur l’impermanence, et construit un récit qui assume pleinement ses penchants allégoriques.
Le culte paradoxal du génie militaire chez Montaigne
Authors: Vaillancourt Luc
Published: January 2017

La présente étude se propose de vérifier, à travers l’analyse rhétorique des exempla, anecdotes et citations associées aux grands conquérants de l’histoire, tels qu’évoqués dans les Essais de Montaigne, si un changement s’opère dans la représentation du génie militaire du premier livre au dernier (sur lequel l’essayiste a travaillé jusqu’en 1592) afin de déterminer si l’on peut expliquer, en regard du registre délibératif par exemple et au terme d’une résolution pro et contra, l’occultation progressive de la figure de César au profit de celle d’Alexandre.
Représentations de la guerre dans les éloges collectifs de femmes du xvie siècle
Authors: Breitenstein Renée-Claude
Published: January 2017

Cet article vise à faire dialoguer un thème, celui de la guerre, et un genre littéraire, les éloges collectifs de femmes de la Renaissance française, expression sous laquelle nous regroupons les recueils de femmes illustres et les défenses du sexe féminin. À travers une vingtaine de textes publiés au xvie siècle, il met au jour des représentations variées d’activités menées par des femmes en temps de guerre et en temps de paix, et les valeurs qui leur sont associées. Nous explorons en particulier trois pistes : le conflit métaphorique entre les sexes sur fond de « Querelle des femmes » et son lexique, les modulations de la vertu de courage appliquée aux femmes, et l’inscription des textes dans l’actualité et les conflits armés qui ont marqué le xvie siècle. Ce panorama n’est pas sans points de tensions, que nous explorons également : tensions liées à la disputabilité de l’éloge, particulièrement en ce qui a trait au courage, qualité masculine par excellence ; tensions générées par le caractère collectif de l’éloge, qui peut opposer les figures féminines entre elles.
Les « favoris de Mars1 ». Gens d’épée et comédie fin de règne (1680-1715)
Authors: Croft Marie-Ange
Published: January 2017

Véritables phénomènes de société en raison des nombreuses guerres que mène Louis xiv tout au long de son règne, les gens de guerre ne pouvaient espérer demeurer à l’écart de la critique théâtrale. Dès la décennie 1670, ils s’invitent sur les planches, notamment chez les Italiens, et connaissent une grande fortune littéraire à partir de 1680. Rarement identifiés comme tel dans la liste des personnages — ce qui explique par ailleurs l’absence de travaux sur le sujet —, ils apparaissent sous diverses appellations : cadet, capitaine, chevalier, dragon, fantassin, homme de guerre, major, militaire, mousquetaire, officier, sergent, soldat, spadassin et, par extension parfois, Gascon. La mise en scène du soldat dans la comédie dite fin de règne, les préjugés et les valeurs qu’il incarne attestent des représentations ambivalentes que s’en fait la société fin de règne. En s’appuyant sur un corpus composé d’une quarantaine de comédies tirées du théâtre italien et français, qui mettent en scène un ou des hommes de guerre, cet article entend mieux cerner les caractéristiques et les fonctions dramaturgiques de cette figure complexe.
Les auteurs de crimes sexuels sur internet
Authors: Raymond Michel
Published: January 2017

Cet article aborde la question des crimes sexuels sur internet (accès, possession, distribution de pornographie juvénile, leurre informatique) de même que la question souvent posée à savoir si les auteurs de tels crimes sont aussi des agresseurs sexuels actifs ou des agresseurs sexuels potentiels. Les caractéristiques distinguant les auteurs de crimes sexuels sur internet des auteurs d’agressions sexuelles avec contact seront précisées de même que les facteurs de risque associés aux abus sexuels avec contact. Les mécanismes par lesquels les consommateurs de pornographie juvénile peuvent en venir à commettre des agressions sexuelles avec contact seront présentés. Des pistes d’intervention s’adressant aux auteurs de crimes sexuels sur internet seront proposées.
Frontal beta-theta network during REM sleep
Authors: Vijayan Sujith , Lepage Kyle Q , Kopell Nancy J , Cash Sydney S
Published: January 2017

We lack detailed knowledge about the spatio-temporal physiological signatures of REM sleep, especially in humans. By analyzing intracranial electrode data from humans, we demonstrate for the first time that there are prominent beta (15–35 Hz) and theta (4–8 Hz) oscillations in both the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the DLPFC during REM sleep. We further show that these theta and beta activities in the ACC and the DLPFC, two relatively distant but reciprocally connected regions, are coherent. These findings suggest that, counter to current prevailing thought, the DLPFC is active during REM sleep and likely interacting with other areas. Since the DLPFC and the ACC are implicated in memory and emotional regulation, and the ACC has motor areas and is thought to be important for error detection, the dialogue between these two areas could play a role in the regulation of emotions and in procedural motor and emotional memory consolidation.
Characterization of clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from HIV positive individuals in Colombia, 2012
Authors: Castro Claudia , Ricardo Alba , Zabaleta Angie , Llerena Claudia , Puerto Gloria
Published: January 2017

Introducción. Una tercera parte de los casos nuevos de tuberculosis se atribuye a la propagación del HIV. En 2012, se presentaron en Colombia 1.397 casos de tuberculosis concomitante con la infección por HIV, es decir, 11,8 % del total de notificados. El uso de las herramientas de epidemiología molecular contribuye a una mejor comprensión de la transmisión de la enfermedad.Objetivo. Caracterizar los aislamientos clínicos de Mycobacterium tuberculosis de individuos positivos para HIV recibidos en el Laboratorio Nacional de Referencia del Instituto Nacional de Salud.Materiales y métodos. Se hizo un estudio observacional descriptivo. Se estudiaron 63 aislamientos de individuos con tuberculosis e infección por HIV mediante pruebas de identificación, sensibilidad y genotipificación.Resultados. Dos de los casos nuevos (3,3 %) eran resistentes a rifampicina y uno (1,6 %) a isoniacida, en tanto que tres (5,0 %) lo eran a la isoniacida combinada con estreptomicina. Los casos previamente tratados fueron sensibles. No se evidenció multirresistencia. Hubo 20 (31,7 %) aislamientos de la familia genética LAM9, 8 (12,7 %) de la H1 y 7 (11,1 %) de la T1 . Diecinueve aislamientos correspondieron a patrones huérfanos. Se observó un único agrupamiento entre los aislamientos analizados. No se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre la resistencia a fármacos y las familias genéticas.Conclusión. La resistencia encontrada demostró la transmisión de cepas resistentes a rifampicina e isoniacida. Las familias genéticas LAM9, T1 y H1 corresponden a las descritas en la población general. No se evidenció transmisión activa en los aislamientos estudiados. Se necesitan estudios más completos para conocer la situación real de la infección concomitante de tuberculosis y HIV en el país.
Polyclonal antibodies against recombinant dengue virus NS3 protein
Authors: Morales Liliana , Velandia Myriam L. , Calderon María Angélica , Castellanos Jaime E. , Chaparro-Olaya Jacqueline
Published: January 2017

Introducción. El dengue es una enfermedad causada por uno de los cuatro serotipos del virus del dengue (DENV) y es endémica en, aproximadamente, 130 países. Su incidencia ha aumentado notablemente en las últimas décadas, así como la frecuencia y la magnitud de los brotes. A pesar de los esfuerzos, no existen tratamientos profilácticos ni terapéuticos contra la enfermedad y, en ese contexto, el estudio de los procesos que gobiernan el ciclo de infección del DENV es esencial paradesarrollar vacunas o terapias antivirales. Una de las moléculas del DENV más prometedoras es la proteína no estructural 3 (NS3), la cual es indispensable para la replicación viral y es uno de los principales blancos inmunológicos durante la infección.Objetivo. Producir anticuerpos policlonales para contribuir a los futuros estudios sobre las interacciones entre la proteína NS3 y otras proteínas celulares.Materiales y métodos. Se expresaron dos proteínas recombinantes del dominio helicasa de NS3 del DENV de serotipo 2, las cuales se emplearon para inmunizar ratas y producir anticuerpos policlonales.Resultados. Los anticuerpos producidos fueron útiles en ensayos de Western blot e inmunofluorescencia y se reportó por primera vez un anticuerpo policlonal anti-NS3 que permitió la inmunoprecipitación de la proteína viral y la detecta con Western blot sin necesidad de inducir sobreexpresión de NS3 o de usar extractos de células marcados metabólicamente con radioisótopos. Conclusión. Las proteínas recombinantes expresadas y los anticuerpos producidos constituyen herramientas valiosas para estudiar procesos infecciosos del DENV que involucren a la proteína NS3 y evaluar pruebas dirigidas a interferir las funciones de esta proteína.
STAT3 activation by hypoxia in in vitro models of cervix cancer and endothelial cells
Authors: Ortega Óscar , Ondo-Méndez Alejandro , Garzón Ruth
Published: January 2017

Introducción. El microambiente tumoral influye en el comportamiento de las células cancerosas. Especialmente, el estímulo de agentes estresantes, como la hipoxia, se convierte en un factor crítico para la evolución y el tratamiento del cáncer. La reacción celular frente a diversos estímulos se manifiesta en la activación de vías de señalización como la JAK/STAT, una de las más importantes por sus efectos en la diferenciación y proliferación celular.Objetivo. Evaluar el estado de la vía JAK/STAT mediante la expresión o activación de la proteína STAT3 en células de cáncer de cuello uterino (HeLa) y en células endoteliales (EA.hy926) sometidas a hipoxia.Materiales y métodos. Las líneas celulares se sometieron a condiciones de hipoxia física (1 % de O2) o química (100 μM de deferoxamina, DFO) durante dos, seis y 24 horas. Mediante Western blot se determinó el cambio en la expresión y activación de STAT3, y mediante inmunofluorescencia indirecta, su localización subcelular.Resultados. La hipoxia se evidenció por la activación y translocación al núcleo del HIF-1. Ni la hipoxia física ni la química alteraron la expresión de STAT3, pero sí la activación, según se comprobó por su fosforilación y su translocación al núcleo en los dos modelos bajo estudio.Conclusiones. Se evidenció la importancia de la hipoxia como un estímulo que modifica la activación de la proteína STAT3 en las células HeLa y EA.hy926, lo cual la convierte en un elemento importante en el diseño de estrategias terapéuticas contra el cáncer.
Polymorphism in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC class II B) genes of the Rufous-backed Bunting (Emberiza jankowskii)
Authors: Li Dan , Sun Keping , Zhao Yunjiao , Lin Aiqing , Li Shi , Jiang Yunlei , Feng Jiang
Published: January 2017

Genetic diversity is one of the pillars of conservation biology research. High genetic diversity and abundant genetic variation in an organism may be suggestive of capacity to adapt to various environmental changes. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is known to be highly polymorphic and plays an important role in immune function. It is also considered an ideal model system to investigate genetic diversity in wildlife populations. The Rufous-backed Bunting (Emberiza jankowskii) is an endangered species that has experienced a sharp decline in both population and habitat size. Many historically significant populations are no longer present in previously populated regions, with only three breeding populations present in Inner Mongolia (i.e., the Aolunhua, Gahaitu and Lubei557 populations). Efforts focused on facilitating the conservation of the Rufous-backed Bunting (Emberiza jankowskii) are becoming increasingly important. However, the genetic diversity ofE. jankowskiihas not been investigated. In the present study, polymorphism in exon 2 of the MHCIIB ofE. jankowskiiwas investigated. This polymorphism was subsequently compared with a related species, the Meadow Bunting (Emberiza cioides). A total of 1.59 alleles/individual were detected inE. jankowskiiand 1.73 alleles/individual were identified inE.cioides. The maximum number of alleles per individual from the threeE. jankowskiipopulations suggest the existence of at least three functional loci, while the maximum number of alleles per individual from the threeE. cioidespopulations suggest the presence of at least four functional loci. Two of the alleles were shared between theE. jankowskiiandE. cioides. Among the 12 unique alleles identified inE. jankowskii, 10.17 segregating sites per allele were detected, and the nucleotide diversity was 0.1865. Among the 17 unique alleles identified inE. cioides, eight segregating sites per allele were detected, and the nucleotide diversity was 0.1667. Overall, compared to other passerine birds, a relatively low level of MHC polymorphism was revealed inE. jankowskii, which was similar to that inE. cioides. Positive selection was detected by PAML/SLAC/FEL analyses in the region encoding the peptide-binding region in both species, and no recombination was detected. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the alleles fromE. jankowskiiandE. cioidesbelong to the same clade and the two species shared similar alleles, suggesting the occurrence of a trans-species polymorphism between the twoEmberizaspecies.
Halocarbon emissions by selected tropical seaweeds: species-specific and compound-specific responses under changing pH
Authors: Mithoo-Singh Paramjeet Kaur , Keng Fiona S.-L. , Phang Siew-Moi , Leedham Elvidge Emma C. , Sturges William T. , Malin Gill , Abd Rahman Noorsaadah
Published: January 2017

Five tropical seaweeds,Kappaphycus alvarezii(Doty) Doty ex P.C. Silva,Padina australisHauck,Sargassum binderiSonder ex J. Agardh (syn.S. aquifolium(Turner) C. Agardh),Sargassum siliquosumJ. Agardh andTurbinaria conoides(J. Agardh) Kützing, were incubated in seawater of pH 8.0, 7.8 (ambient), 7.6, 7.4 and 7.2, to study the effects of changing seawater pH on halocarbon emissions. Eight halocarbon species known to be emitted by seaweeds were investigated: bromoform (CHBr3), dibro­momethane (CH2Br2), iodomethane (CH3I), diiodomethane (CH2I2), bromoiodomethane (CH2BrI), bromochlorometh­ane (CH2BrCl), bromodichloromethane (CHBrCl2), and dibro­mochloromethane (CHBr2Cl). These very short-lived halocarbon gases are believed to contribute to stratospheric halogen concentrations if released in the tropics. It was observed that the seaweeds emit all eight halocarbons assayed, with the exception ofK. alvareziiandS. binderifor CH2I2and CH3I respectively, which were not measurable at the achievable limit of detection. The effect of pH on halocarbon emission by the seaweeds was shown to be species-specific and compound specific. The highest percentage changes in emissions for the halocarbons of interest were observed at the lower pH levels of 7.2 and 7.4 especially inPadina australisandSargassumspp., showing that lower seawater pH causes elevated emissions of some halocarbon compounds. In general the seaweed least affected by pH change in terms of types of halocarbon emission, wasP. australis. The commercially farmed seaweedK. alvareziiwas very sensitive to pH change as shown by the high increases in most of the compounds in all pH levels relative to ambient. In terms of percentage decrease in maximum quantum yield of photosynthesis (Fv∕Fm) prior to and after incubation, there were no significant correlations with the various pH levels tested for all seaweeds. The correlation between percentage decrease in the maximum quantum yield of photosynthesis (Fv∕Fm) and halocarbon emission rates, was significant only for CH2BrCl emission byP. australis(r = 0.47;p ≤ 0.04), implying that photosynthesis may not be closely linked to halocarbon emissions by the seaweeds studied. Bromine was the largest contributor to the total mass of halogen emitted for all the seaweeds at all pH. The highest total amount of bromine emitted byK. alvarezii(an average of 98% of total mass of halogens) and the increase in the total amount of chlorine with decreasing seawater pH fuels concern for the expanding seaweed farming activities in the ASEAN region.
Effects of groundwater abstraction on two keystone tree species in an arid savanna national park
Authors: Shadwell Eleanor , February Edmund
Published: January 2017

Background

In arid systems with no surface water, deep boreholes in ephemeral river beds provide for humans and animals. With continually increasing infrastructure development for tourism in arid wildlife parks such as the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in southern Africa, we ask what effects increased abstraction may have on large trees. Large trees in arid savannas perform essential ecosystem services by providing food, shade, nesting sites and increased nutrients for many other plant and animal species and for this are regarded as keystone species.

Methods

We determine seasonal fluctuations in the water table while also determining the water source for the dominant large tree species in the Auob and Nossob rivers in the Park. We also determine the extent to which these trees are physiologically stressed using leafδ13C, xylem pressure potentials, specific leaf area and an estimate of canopy death. We do this both upstream and downstream of a low water use borehole in the Auob River and a high water use borehole in the Nossob River.

Results

Our results show that the trees are indeed using deep groundwater in the wet season and that this is the same water used by people. In the dry season, trees in the Auob downstream of the active borehole become detached from the aquifer and use more isotopically enriched soil water. In the Nossob in the dry season, all trees use isotopically enriched soil water, and downstream of the active borehole use stomatal regulation to maintain leaf water potentials. These results suggest that trees in the more heavily utilised Nossob are under more water stress than those trees in the Auob but that trees in both rivers demonstrate physiological adaptation to the changes in available water with smaller heavier leaves, no significant canopy dieback and in the dry season in the Nossob stomatal regulation of leaf water potentials.

Discussion

An increase in abstraction of groundwater particularly at the Nossob borehole may cause an additional draw down of the water table adding to the physiological stress demonstrated in our study. The managers of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park have a mandate that includes biodiversity conservation. To fulfil this mandate, upper and lower thresholds for groundwater abstraction that allow for an adequate ecological reserve have to be determined.
Spatial characterization of the fisheries in the Avilés Canyon System (Cantabrian Sea, Spain)
Authors: Punzón Antonio , Arronte Juan Carlos , Sánchez Francisco , García-Alegre Ana
Published: January 2017

Marine protected areas are one of the main tools in ecosystem-based fishery management. This approach requires analyzing the role of fisheries in the ecosystem by, for example, identifying fishing tactics and analyzing the spatial distribution with sufficient precision to allow us to determine whether fishing activities and the habitat or ecosystem to be protected can coexist spatially. In the Avilés Canyon System (Cantabrian Sea, Spain), we detected 6 different gears and 17 fishing tactics were identified by a non-hierarchical classification technique (CLARA). The spatial distribution of demersal fishing activity is strongly affected by the topography of the study area and the large presence of rocky ground. There is a clear spatial segregation between gear types, mainly due to the operating requirements of the gears and the distribution of target species. This minimizes conflicts between different components of the fleet. The fishing tactics targeting pelagic species were mainly located on the coast and shelf, while those targeting demersal species were used on the shelf and slope. Longline fishing tactics are those that had a more restricted spatial distribution.
Intensification of hydrological drought in California by human water management
Authors: He Xiaogang , Wada Yoshihide , Wanders Niko , Sheffield Justin
Published: January 2017

We analyze the contribution of human water management to the intensification or mitigation of hydrological drought over California using the PCR‐GLOBWB hydrological model at 0.5° resolution for the period 1979–2014. We demonstrate that including water management in the modeling framework results in more accurate discharge representation. During the severe 2014 drought, water management alleviated the drought deficit by ∼50% in Southern California through reservoir operation during low‐flow periods. However, human water consumption (mostly irrigation) in the Central Valley increased drought duration and deficit by 50% and 50–100%, respectively. Return level analysis indicates that there is more than 50% chance that the probability of occurrence of an extreme 2014 magnitude drought event was at least doubled under the influence of human activities compared to natural variability. This impact is most significant over the San Joaquin Drainage basin with a 50% and 75% likelihood that the return period is more than 3.5 and 1.5 times larger, respectively, because of human activities.
Thermospheric nitric oxide response to shock‐led storms
Authors: Knipp D. J. , Pette D. V. , Kilcommons L. M. , Isaacs T. L. , Cruz A. A. , Mlynczak M. G. , Hunt L. A. , Lin C. Y.
Published: January 2017

We present a multiyear superposed epoch study of the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry nitric oxide (NO) emission data. NO is a trace constituent in the thermosphere that acts as cooling agent via infrared (IR) emissions. The NO cooling competes with storm time thermospheric heating, resulting in a thermostat effect. Our study of nearly 200 events reveals that shock‐led interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) are prone to early and excessive thermospheric NO production and IR emissions. Excess NO emissions can arrest thermospheric expansion by cooling the thermosphere during intense storms. The strongest events curtail the interval of neutral density increase and produce a phenomenon known as thermospheric “overcooling.” We use Defense Meteorological Satellite Program particle precipitation data to show that interplanetary shocks and their ICME drivers can more than double the fluxes of precipitating particles that are known to trigger the production of thermospheric NO. Coincident increases in Joule heating likely amplify the effect. In turn, NO emissions are more than double. We discuss the roles and features of shock/sheath structures that allow the thermosphere to temper the effects of extreme storm time energy input and explore the implication these structures may have on mesospheric NO. Shock‐driven thermospheric NO IR cooling likely plays an important role in satellite drag forecasting challenges during extreme events.
In Memoriam: Patrick Siler McIntosh, 1940–2016
Authors: Hewins Ian , Webb David , Gibson Sarah , McFadden Robert
Published: January 2017

Long‐time solar researcher Patrick McIntosh died on 16 October 2016 after developing symptoms of Alzheimer's disease about 2010.
Gas Phase Synthesis of Multifunctional Fe‐Based Nanocubes
Authors: Vernieres Jerome , Steinhauer Stephan , Zhao Junlei , Chapelle Audrey , Menini Philippe , Dufour Nicolas , Diaz Rosa E. , Nordlund Kai , Djurabekova Flyura , Grammatikopoulos Panagiotis , Sowwan Mukhles
Published: January 2017

Magnetron‐sputtering inert‐gas condensation is an emerging technique offering single‐step, chemical‐free synthesis of nanoparticles with well‐defined morphologies optimized for specific applications. In this study, the authors report a flexible approach to produce Fe nanocubes as building blocks for high‐performance NO2 gas sensor devices, and hybrid FeAu nanocubes with magneto‐plasmonic properties. Considering that nucleation happens within a short distance from the sputtering target, the authors utilize the high‐permeability and resultant screening effect induced by magnetic Fe targets of various thicknesses to manipulate the magnetic field configuration and plasma confinement. The authors thus readily switch from bimodal to single‐Gaussian size distributions of Fe nanocubes by modifying their primordial thermal environments, as explained by a combination of modeling methods. Simultaneously, the authors obtain a material yield increase of more than one order of magnitude compared to experiments using postgrowth mass filtration. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated by the deposition of Fe nanocubes on microhotplate devices, leading to unprecedented NO2 detection performance for Fe‐based chemoresistive gas sensors. The exceedingly low detection limit down to 3 ppb is attributed to a morphological change in operando from Fe/Fe‐oxide core/shell to specific hollow‐nanocube structures, as revealed by in situ environmental transmission electron microscopy.
Investigation of the Subcellular Neurotoxicity of Amyloid‐β Using a Device Integrating Microfluidic Perfusion and Chemotactic Guidance
Authors: Li Wei , Xu Zhen , Xu Bingzhe , Chan Chung Yuen , Lin Xudong , Wang Ying , Chen Ganchao , Wang Zhigang , Yuan Qiuju , Zhu Guangyu , Sun Hongyan , Wu Wutian , Shi Peng
Published: January 2017

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with the histopathological hallmark of extracellular accumulation of amyloid‐β (Aβ) peptide in brain senile plaques. Though many studies have shown the neural toxicity from various forms of Aβ peptides, the subcellular mechanisms of Aβ peptide are still not well understood, partially due to the technical challenges of isolating axons or dendrites from the cell body for localized investigation. In this study, the subcellular toxicity and localization of Aβ peptides are investigated by utilizing a microfluidic compartmentalized device, which combines physical restriction and chemotactic guidance to enable the isolation of axons and dendrites for localized pharmacological studies. It is found that Aβ peptides induced neuronal death is mostly resulted from Aβ treatment at cell body or axonal processes, but not at dendritic neurites. Simply applying Aβ to axons alone induces significant hyperactive spiking activity. Dynamic transport of Aβ aggregates is only observed between axon terminal and cell body. In addition to differential cellular uptake, more Aβ‐peptide secretion is detected significantly from axons than from dendritic side. These results clearly demonstrate the existence of a localized mechanism in Aβ‐induced neurotoxicity, and can potentially benefit the development of new therapeutic strategies for AD.
Colloidal Gold Nanoclusters Spiked Silica Fillers in Mixed Matrix Coatings: Simultaneous Detection and Inhibition of Healthcare‐Associated Infections
Authors: Alsaiari Shahad K. , Hammami Mohammed A. , Croissant Jonas G. , Omar Haneen W. , Neelakanda Pradeep , Yapici Tahir , Peinemann Klaus‐Viktor , Khashab Niveen M.
Published: January 2017

Healthcare‐associated infections (HAIs) are the infections that patients get while receiving medical treatment in a medical facility with bacterial HAIs being the most common. Silver and gold nanoparticles (NPs) have been successfully employed as antibacterial motifs; however, NPs leaching in addition to poor dispersion and overall reproducibility are major hurdles to further product development. In this study, the authors design and fabricate a smart antibacterial mixed‐matrix membrane coating comprising colloidal lysozyme‐templated gold nanoclusters as nanofillers in poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(butylene terephthalate) amphiphilic polymer matrix. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles–lysozyme functionalized gold nanoclusters disperse homogenously within the polymer matrix with no phase separation and zero NPs leaching. This mixed‐matrix coating can successfully sense and inhibit bacterial contamination via a controlled release mechanism that is only triggered by bacteria. The system is coated on a common radiographic dental imaging device (photostimulable phosphor plate) that is prone to oral bacteria contamination. Variation and eventually disappearance of the red fluorescence surface under UV light signals bacterial infection. Kanamycin, an antimicrobial agent, is controllably released to instantly inhibit bacterial growth. Interestingly, the quality of the images obtained with these coated surfaces is the same as uncoated surfaces and thus the safe application of such smart coatings can be expanded to include other medical devices without compromising their utility.
Electronic Devices for Human‐Machine Interfaces
Authors: Wang Hong , Ma Xiaohua , Hao Yue
Published: January 2017

Electronic devices that can integrate with soft biological tissue like the surface of a human body have a great potential for applications in health monitoring, safety monitoring, prosthetics, robotics, and even consumer electronics. Enormous progress has been made with respect to materials, device design, and fabrication techniques of human‐machine interfaces systems. Devices that consist of human‐machine interfaces include energy supply devices, logic circuits, sensors, and data storage systems need to be flexible, stretchable, imperceptible, biocompatible and self‐healable. In this article we review the latest technological advances of preparing electronic devices capable for human‐machine interfaces, especially highlighting electronic devices that meet the above‐mentioned needs. Finally, insights into the development of devices for human‐machine interfaces in the future are provided.
Synthesis of Single‐Layer Graphene on Nickel Using a Droplet CVD Process
Authors: Zang Xining , Zhou Qin , Chang Jiyoung , Teh Kwok Siong , Wei Minsong , Zettl Alex , Lin Liwei
Published: January 2017

A liquid metal “droplet” chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process is developed for the synthesis of single‐layer graphene flakes utilizing molten nickel droplets (nominal diameter from 0.5 to 1 µm) as the catalysts. Ultrathin nickel films melt and form nickel droplets at around 1000 °C, providing liquid‐phase, single‐grain catalytic sites for the nucleation of graphene flakes via carbon precipitation process. Experimentally, both single and double‐layer graphene flakes with low defects have been synthesized by using nickel thin films of either less or more than 100 nm (up to 130 nm) in thickness, respectively. Furthermore, the synthesized graphene flakes are hybridized by the nickel orbitals as suggested by a density function analysis and experimentally observed blue shifts in Raman spectra tests. When the original nickel thin film is 75 nm in thickness, the resulting nickel droplets are physically and electrically isolated, while the graphene flakes are found to be electrically connected probably due to the outgrowth of graphene from the separated nickel droplets. These electrically connected graphene sheets could be readily available for device applications without the need of transfer processes. This work demonstrates the direct generation of photocurrents (up to 0.53 µA mm−2 W−1) due to the photothermal effect based on as‐fabricated graphene sheets under a visible light source.
Trade‐Offs in Thin Film Solar Cells with Layered Chalcostibite Photovoltaic Absorbers
Authors: Welch Adam W. , Baranowski Lauryn L. , Peng Haowei , Hempel Hannes , Eichberger Rainer , Unold Thomas , Lany Stephan , Wolden Colin , Zakutayev Andriy
Published: January 2017

Discovery of novel semiconducting materials is needed for solar energy conversion and other optoelectronic applications. However, emerging low‐dimensional solar absorbers often have unconventional crystal structures and unusual combinations of optical absorption and electrical transport properties, which considerably slows down the research and development progress. Here, the effect of stronger absorption and weaker carrier collection of 2D‐like absorber materials are studied using a high‐throughput combinatorial experimental approach, complemented by advanced characterization and computations. It is found that the photoexcited charge carrier collection in CuSbSe2 solar cells is enhanced by drift in an electric field, addressing a different absorption/collection balance. The resulting drift solar cells efficiency is <5% due to inherent J
SC/V
OC trade‐off, suggesting that improved carrier diffusion and better contacts are needed to further increase the CuSbSe2 performance. This study also illustrates the advantages of high‐throughput experimental methods for fast optimization of the optoelectronic devices based on emerging low‐dimensional semiconductor materials.