bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preservation of Surface Conductivity and Dielectric Loss Tangent in Large‐Scale, Encapsulated Epitaxial Graphene Measured by Noncontact Microwave Cavity Perturbations
Authors: Rigosi Albert F. , Glavin Nicholas R. , Liu Chieh‐I , Yang Yanfei , Obrzut Jan , Hill Heather M. , Hu Jiuning , Lee Hsin‐Yen , Hight Walker Angela R. , Richter Curt A. , Elmquist Randolph E. , Newell David B.
Published: May 2017

Regarding the improvement of current quantized Hall resistance (QHR) standards, one promising avenue is the growth of homogeneous monolayer epitaxial graphene (EG). A clean and simple process is used to produce large, precise areas of EG. Properties like the surface conductivity and dielectric loss tangent remain unstable when EG is exposed to air due to doping from molecular adsorption. Experimental results are reported on the extraction of the surface conductivity and dielectric loss tangent from data taken with a noncontact resonance microwave cavity, assembled with an air‐filled, standard R100 rectangular waveguide configuration. By using amorphous boron nitride (a‐BN) as an encapsulation layer, stability of EG's electrical properties under ambient laboratory conditions is greatly improved. Moreover, samples are exposed to a variety of environmental and chemical conditions. Both thicknesses of a‐BN encapsulation are sufficient to preserve surface conductivity and dielectric loss tangent to within 10% of its previously measured value, a result which has essential importance in the mass production of millimeter‐scale graphene devices demonstrating electrical stability.
Effects of fatigue loading and alkali–silica reaction on the mechanical behavior of pavement concrete
Authors: Wiedmann Andreas , Weise Frank , Kotan Engin , Müller Harald S. , Meng Birgit
Published: May 2017

The primary aim of this paper is to analyze the impact of mechanical pre‐damage and alkali–silica reaction (ASR) on the fracture mechanical properties of pavement concrete. For this purpose, a four point bending test was applied to large format beams to produce a defined level of cyclic pre‐damage. The fatigue‐induced concrete degradation process was simultaneously recorded using a testing procedure specifically developed for the purpose. In addition, fatigue‐induced cracks on extracted drilling cores were spatially visualized and quantified using micro X‐ray 3D‐computed tomography (3D‐CT). The storage of the small‐format test specimens, with and without cyclic pre‐damage, in an ASR‐conducive environment showed that pre‐damage leads to an increase in ASR damage processes. Subsequent structural mechanical investigations on small format specimens with and without pre‐damage show that fatigue loading and ASR significantly influence fracture mechanical parameters of the concrete.
Preparing Culturally and Linguistically Competent Teachers for English as an International Language Education
Authors: Li Guofang
Published: May 2017

Despite recent scholarly advancements in teaching English as an international language (EIL), its implementation in TESOL classrooms has been challenging and limited. Because English teachers play a significant role in EIL implementation in their daily lessons, preparing EIL‐oriented teachers becomes critical. This article outlines major developments in EIL and their implications for teacher competence and discusses the ideological challenges in integrating EIL in teacher education. It concludes with a detailed description of a three‐step EIL‐oriented pedagogy for TESOL teacher education courses and programs that aims to foster teachers’ linguistic self‐respect, build their pedagogical competence for plurilingual teaching, and transform their classrooms.
Confronting the Digital Divide: Debunking Brave New World Discourses
Authors: Rowsell Jennifer , Morrell Ernest , Alvermann Donna E.
Published: May 2017

There is far more to the digital divide than meets the eye. In this article, the authors consolidate existing research on the digital divide to offer some tangible ways for educators to bridge the gap between the haves and have‐nots, or the cans and cannots. Drawing on Aldous Huxley's notion of a “brave new world,” some digital divide approaches and frameworks require debunking and are strongly associated with first‐world nations that fail to account for the differential access to technologies that people who live in poverty have. Taking a closer look at current realities, the authors send out a call to teachers, administrators, and researchers to think more seriously and consequentially about the effect the widespread adoption of technologies has had on younger generations and the role of the digital on knowledge creation and on imagined futures.
Dynamic enhancer function in the chromatin context
Authors: Goldstein Ido , Hager Gordon L.
Published: May 2017

Enhancers serve as critical regulatory elements in higher eukaryotic cells. The characterization of enhancer function has evolved primarily from genome‐wide methodologies, including chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP‐seq), DNase‐I hypersensitivity (DNase‐seq), digital genomic footprinting (DGF), and the chromosome conformation capture techniques (3C, 4C, and Hi‐C). These population‐based assays average signals across millions of cells and lead to enhancer models characterized by static and sequential binding. More recently, fluorescent microscopy techniques, including fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, and single molecule tracking (SMT), reveal a highly dynamic binding behavior for these factors in live cells. Furthermore, a refined analysis of genomic footprinting suggests that many transcription factors leave minimal or no footprints in chromatin, even when present and active in a given cell type. In this study, we review the implications of these new approaches for an accurate understanding of enhancer function in real time. In vivo SMT, in particular, has recently evolved as a promising methodology to probe enhancer function in live cells. Integration of findings from the many approaches now employed in the study of enhancer function suggest a highly dynamic view for the action of enhancer activating factors, viewed on a time scale of milliseconds to seconds, rather than minutes to hours. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2018, 10:e1390. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1390

This article is categorized under:

Analytical and Computational Methods > Computational Methods

Laboratory Methods and Technologies > Genetic/Genomic Methods

Laboratory Methods and Technologies > Imaging
Insights from the complete genome sequence of Clostridium tyrobutyricum provide a platform for biotechnological and industrial applications
Authors: Wu Qian , Liu Tingting , Zhu Liying , Huang He , Jiang Ling
Published: May 2017

Genetic research enables the evolution of novel biochemical reactions for the production of valuable chemicals from environmentally-friendly raw materials. However, the choice of appropriate microorganisms to support these reactions, which must have strong robustness and be capable of a significant product output, is a major difficulty. In the present study, the complete genome of the Clostridium tyrobutyricum strain CCTCC W428, a hydrogen- and butyric acid-producing bacterium with increased oxidative tolerance was analyzed. A total length of 3,011,209 bp of the C. tyrobutyricum genome with a GC content of 31.04% was assembled, and 3038 genes were discovered. Furthermore, a comparative clustering of proteins from C. tyrobutyricum CCTCC W428, C. acetobutylicum ATCC 824, and C. butyricum KNU-L09 was conducted. The results of genomic analysis indicate that butyric acid is produced by CCTCC W428 from butyryl-CoA through acetate reassimilation via CoA transferase, instead of the well-established phosphotransbutyrylase-butyrate kinase pathway. In addition, we identified ten proteins putatively involved in hydrogen production and 21 proteins associated with CRISPR systems, together with 358 ORFs related to ABC transporters and transcriptional regulators. Enzymes, such as oxidoreductases, HNH endonucleases, and catalase, were also found in this species. The genome sequence illustrates that C. tyrobutyricum has several desirable traits, and is expected to be suitable as a platform for the high-level production of bulk chemicals as well as bioenergy.
Impact of Armored Shorelines on Shore-Zone Fish Density in a Mid-Atlantic, USA, Estuary: Modulation by Hypoxia and Temperature
Authors: Balouskus Richard G. , Targett Timothy E.
Published: May 2017

Anthropogenic modifications of estuarine environments, including shoreline hardening and corresponding alteration of water quality, are accelerating worldwide as human population increases in coastal regions. Estuarine fish species inhabiting temperate ecosystems are adapted to extreme variations in environmental conditions including water temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen across seasonal, daily, and hourly time scales. The present research utilized quantitative sampling to examine the spatiotemporal distribution of shore-zone estuarine fish species in association with four unique shoreline types across a range of water temperature and dissolved oxygen conditions. Fish were collected from the intertidal and shallow subtidal region of four shoreline types,Spartina alternifloramarsh,Phragmites australismarsh, riprap, and bulkhead, in the summer and fall of 2009 and 2010. Analyses were performed to (1) compare mean fish density among shoreline types across all water conditions and (2) explore relationships of the complete fish assemblage, three functional species groupings, and two fish species (Fundulus heteroclitusandMenidia menidia) to unique shoreline/water conditions. Significantly greater mean fish densities were found alongS. alterniflorashorelines than armored shorelines. Several metrics including fish density, species richness, and occurrence rates suggestS. alterniflorashorelines may serve as a form of refuge habitat during periods of low dissolved oxygen and high temperatures for various species, particularly littoral-demersal species includingF. heteroclitus. Potential mechanisms that could contribute to a habitat providing refuge during adverse water quality conditions include tempering of the adverse condition (decreased temperatures, increased dissolved oxygen), predation protection, and increased foraging opportunities.
Source Parameters of 1st April 2015 Chamoli Earthquake (Mw 4.8) vis-à-vis Seismotectonics of the Region
Authors: Verma Mithila , Sutar Anup K. , Bansal B. K.
Published: May 2017

The paper presents a detailed analysis of 1st April 2015 earthquake, whose epicenter (30.16° N, 79.28° E) was located near Simtoli village of Chamoli district, Uttarakhand. The focal depth is refined to 7 km by the grid search technique using moment tensor inversion. The source parameters of the earthquake as estimated by spectral analysis method suggested the source radius of ~1.0 km, seismic moment as 1.99E+23 dyne-cm with moment magnitude (Mw) of 4.8 and stress drop of 69 bar. The fault plane solution inferred using full waveform inversion indicated two nodal planes, the northeast dipping plane having strike 334° and dip 5° and the southwest dipping plane with dip 86° and strike 118°. The parallelism of the nodal plane striking 334° with dip 5° as indicated in depth cross sections of the tectonic elements suggested the north dipping Main Boundary Thrust (MBT) to be the causative fault for this earthquake. Spatio-temporal distribution of earthquakes during the period 1960-2015 showed seismic quiescence during 2006-2010 and migration of seismicity towards south.
A Natural Gamma Spectrometry Approach to Derive Clay Mineral Composition and Depositional Environment of a Reservoir Facies in Ramnad Sub-basin, Cauvery Basin, Southern India
Authors: Srikant D. , Shanmugam P.
Published: May 2017

The Ramnad sub-basin is one of the most explored for hydrocarbons in Cauvery basin. A number of exploratory wells have been drilled to delineate hydrocarbon bearing horizons. Nannilam Formation of Santonian – Campanian age hosts considerable thickness of reservoir facies. The reservoir facies is mainly clastics such as sandstone and siltstone with lot of clay content. In addition to normal logs, the NGS (Natural Gamma Ray Spectrometry) logs are widely employed to estimate sediment composition and broad depositional environment of reservoir facies. The present study employs and analyses NGS logs of four well sections from Kanjirangudi area of Ramnad sub-basin to determine the clay mineral composition and depositional environment of Nannilam Formation. Thorium (Th), potassium (K) and uranium (U) concentrations and their interrelationships reveal that montmorillonite, illite and kaolinite are the dominant clay minerals. The clay mineral composition suggests that the sediments of the Nannilam Formation were derived from a provenance of acid igneous rocks during warm, humid and tropical conditions. Also, the ratios of Th/K indicate a deep open marine condition under which the sediments of the Nannilam Formation were deposited. These results would aid a better understanding and characterization of reservoir facies in the sub-basin.
Geochemical Characteristics of Tukureswari and Barbhita Granitoid in Goalpara District, Assam
Authors: Bhagabaty B. , Mazumdar M. K. , Mazumdar A. C. , Borah P.
Published: May 2017

Late intrusive Tukureswari granitoids (TKG) and the Barbhita granitoids (BBG) of Goalpara district in western Assam constitute an important component of the continental crust of the Shillong Plateau. Thus, the geochemical study of these two granitoids involving their origin, classification and petrogenetic significance would be a contribution towards a better understanding of the evolution of continental crust of the Shillong Plateau.

The major oxide and trace element geochemistry reveals several genetic issues on these two granitoids. The I-type affinity of the TKG is indicated from the geochemical features such as high TiO2, P2O5 and K2O contents, low normative corundum (< 1%), high Na2O/K2O ratios, and low concentrations of Ni, Co and Cr. Further, enriched LREE-LILE and HFSE depletion, as well as the normal calc-alkaline nature of arc affinity (e.g., enhanced LILE abundance and low HFSE/LILE ratios) of the TKG indicate subduction-related magmatism. The TKG are also categorized as a deep-level pluton, being enriched in LREE and depleted in total REE and HFSE (Y, Nb, Ta, Zr, Hf). The high La/Nb ratio (1.9 – 8.6), negative Nb and Ti anomalies also suggest orogenic related magmatism.

On the other hand, the geochemistry of the BBG reveal a high Niggli Si and Mg values, slightly high normative corundum values (2.16 – 3.41), high Th/Ta, Y/Nb, La/Nb, K2O/Na2O, and Rb/Sr ratios. It also shows ASI, K, Rb, and U contents, prominent depletion of Nb, Sr and Ti on the primitive mantle-normalized multi-element spider diagrams and a low concentrations of Cu, Cr, V and Na2O (> 3.2%). All these geochemical characteristics provide strong evidences in support of a sedimentary parentage for Barbhita granitoids (BBG) and are dominantly of S-type.
SMR and Kinematic Analysis for Slope Instability along Bodi-Bodimettu Ghat section, Tamil Nadu
Authors: Saranaathan S. E. , Kannan M.
Published: May 2017

This study evaluates slope stability of 19km stretch Bodimettu ghat section, Theni, Tamil Nadu. The study involves 107.8km to 117.5km stretch by dividing it into two zones - Kaththuparai and Bodimettu slope. These two sections are considered for slope stability studies. In this study, analysis of the rock slope stability was performed using Modified SMR technique. Hoek and Bray (1981) analysis have been used for rock cut slopes. 12 rock slopes were identified in Kaththuparai section and four slopes in Bodimettu section. The detailed field investigations were carried out to collect data required for RMR and SMR calculation and SMR was calculated for each section. As per Hoek and Bray (1981) stereographic projection methods, FOS was calculated. In this study, sections R1 and R2 fulfill wedge conditions and R1, R2, R5, R7, R9, R10, R11, R12, R13, R14 and R16 are suitable for planar and stereographic analysis. The details are furnished in this paper. The planar analysis shows that, FOS for the sections R2/J2, R5, R9, R10, and R11/J3 was < 1, and stereographic projection study shows that sections R2, R5, R7, R9, R10, R11/J3 and R13 are present in unstable zone.
We need to talk: clinical competency committees in the key of c(onversation)
Authors: Hemmer Paul A. , Kelly William F.
Published: May 2017

None
How Small Sample Size and Replication Can Increase Accuracy in Experiments: Lessons that Marketing May Learn from Agricultural Scientific Method
Authors: Hamlin Robert
Published: May 2017

This paper examines the use of small sample sizes and replication in marketing experimentation, including full factorials, fractional factorials, Latin squares and their derivatives such as conjoint analysis. It is well understood within agricultural research that the sample size used within these experiments should be kept to a minimum if maximum reliability is to be achieved. This understanding, which underlies the massive success of agricultural research in the last century, does not appear to have been transferred to marketing. This article explains the logic behind this counterintuitive claim. It then discusses the links between the use of small sample size and replication in experimental research. It concludes that the current very low level of replication in marketing can be related to a very basic mismatch between academic marketing's theoretical expectations of replication outcomes and the degree to which these expectations can be meaningfully achieved by replication within any living environment.
Family history and TOMM40 '523 interactive associations with memory in middle‐aged and Alzheimer's disease cohorts
Authors: Willette Auriel A. , Webb Joseph L. , Lutz Michael W. , Bendlin Barbara B. , Wennberg Alexandra M. , Oh Jennifer M. , Roses Allen , Koscik Rebecca L. , Hermann Bruce P. , Dowling N. Maritza , Asthana Sanjay , Johnson Sterling C.
Published: May 2017

Introduction

Family history (FH) of Alzheimer's disease (AD) affects mitochondrial function and may modulate effects of translocase of the outer mitochondrial membrane 40 kDa (TOMM40) rs10524523 ('523) poly‐T length on memory decline.

Methods

For 912 nonapolipoprotein ε4 middle‐aged adults and 365 aged adults across the AD spectrum, linear mixed models gauged FH and TOMM40 '523 interactions on memory and global cognition between baseline and up to 10 years later. A cerebrospinal fluid mitochondrial function biomarker was also assessed.

Results

For FH negative participants, gene‐dose preservation of memory and global cognition was seen for “very long” versus “short” carriers. For FH positive, an opposite gene‐dose decline was seen for very long versus short carriers. Maternal FH was a stronger predictor in aged, but not middle‐aged, participants. Similar gene‐dose effects were seen for the mitochondrial biomarker aspartate aminotransferase.

Discussion

These results may clarify conflicting findings on TOMM40 poly‐T length and AD‐related decline.
An improved envelope detection method using particle swarm optimisation for rolling element bearing fault diagnosis
Authors: Tyagi Sunil , Panigrahi S.K.
Published: May 2017

Traditionally Envelope Detection (ED) is implemented for detection of rolling element bearing faults by extracting the envelope of band-passed vibration signal and thereafter taking its Fourier transform. The performance of ED is highly sensitive to the envelope window (i.e. central frequency and bandwidth of the passband). This paper employs Particle Swarm Optimisation (PSO) to select the most optimum envelope window to band pass the vibration signals emanating from rotating driveline that was run in normal and with faults induced rolling element bearings. The envelopes of band-passed signals were extracted with the help of Hilbert Transform. The performance of ED whose envelope window was optimised by PSO to identify various commonly occurring bearing faults such as bearing with Outer Race Fault (ORF), Inner Race Fault (IRF) and Rolling Element Fault (REF) were checked under varying load conditions. The performance of ‘ED enhanced by PSO’ was also checked with increase in the severity of defect. It was shown that the improved ED method is successfully able to identify all types of bearing faults under different load conditions. It was shown that the by selecting envelope window by PSO makes ED especially useful to identify bearing faults at the incipient stage of defect. It was also shown by presenting comparative performance that by optimising the envelope window by PSO the performance of ED gets significantly enhanced in comparison to the traditional ED method for bearing fault diagnosis.
SAVAGE LANDS, CIVILIZING APPETITES: POWER AND WILDERNESS IN QUEBEC CITY (1535–1900)
Authors: Bouchard-Perron Julie-Anne
Published: May 2017

Quebec City (Canada) is well-known for its unique wild environments and its protected cultural heritage, which have attracted tourists to the area for centuries. Often taken for granted or overlooked, the interactions between its natural and cultural landscape have been scantly investigated in a diachronic perspective in archaeology. This article explores the relationship between Quebec City's colonists/inhabitants and their surrounding territory, through the study of food plants for the period between 1535 and 1900. It contrasts visitors’ accounts and official discourses with daily experience using a combination of historical and archaeobotanical evidence to unravel how changing historical, social, and political contingencies impacted past perceptions of “wilderness” as manifested in food choices. In this process, the consumption of local indigenous plants has been interpreted as a form of incorporation of local environments that can enlighten us about popular attitudes toward the New World's natural features.
Reducing parametric uncertainty in limit-cycle oscillation computational models
Authors: Hayes R. , Dwight R. , Marques S.
Published: May 2017

The assimilation of discrete data points with model predictions can be used to achieve a reduction in the uncertainty of the model input parameters, which generate accurate predictions. The problem investigated here involves the prediction of limit-cycle oscillations using a High-Dimensional Harmonic Balance (HDHB) method. The efficiency of the HDHB method is exploited to enable calibration of structural input parameters using a Bayesian inference technique. Markov-chain Monte Carlo is employed to sample the posterior distributions. Parameter estimation is carried out on a pitch/plunge aerofoil and two Goland wing configurations. In all cases, significant refinement was achieved in the distribution of possible structural parameters allowing better predictions of their true deterministic values. Additionally, a comparison of two approaches to extract the true values from the posterior distributions is presented.
Do Smartphones have the Potential to Support Cognition and Independence Following Stroke?
Authors: Wong Dana , Wang Qiao Jerry , Stolwyk Renerus , Ponsford Jennie
Published: May 2017

Management of cognitive difficulties is a significant unmet need for individuals with stroke. Incorporating multiple functions, including memory aids and communication tools, smartphones have potential to improve everyday cognitive function and independence in daily activities post-stroke. We aimed to investigate patterns of smartphone use, facilitators and barriers to use, and relationships between smartphone use and daily functioning. Twenty-nine participants with stroke and 29 comparison participants with no history of neurological conditions completed measures of smartphone use, objective and subjective cognitive function, mood and community integration. The majority of participants used smartphones, though the proportion of users was lower in the stroke group (62%) than the comparison group (86%). Older participants were less likely to use smartphones. Using apps that support memory was a main benefit of smartphone use post-stroke. In the stroke group, frequent users of memory apps had significantly fewer motor symptoms (d = 1.20), and higher productivity (d = 0.84). Stroke survivors identified difficulty learning how to use smartphones, but only one participant had assistance with this from a clinician. These results suggest that smartphones have potential as assistive technology post-stroke, however, support in using them is essential, particularly for older individuals with motor dysfunction.
Glycaemic index and glycaemic load values of commonly consumed foods in the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Al Dhaheri Ayesha S. , Henry C. Jeyakumar K. , Mohamad Maysm N. , Ohuma Eric O. , Ismail Leila Cheikh , Al Meqbaali Fatima T. , Jarrar Amjad H.
Published: May 2017

Glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL) values of some commonly consumed foods in the United Arab Emirates were determined with an aim of adding these values to the existing international table of GI and GL values. In all, eighteen test foods categorised into breads (n5), entrée dishes (n3), main dishes (n5) and sweet dishes (n5) were tested. For each test food, at least fifteen healthy participants consumed 25 or 50 g available carbohydrate portions of a reference food (glucose), which was tested three times, and a test food after an overnight fast, was tested once, on separate occasions. Capillary blood samples were obtained by finger-prick and blood glucose was measured using clinical chemistry analyser. A fasting blood sample was obtained at baseline and before consumption of test foods. Additional blood samples were obtained at 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 min after the consumption of each test food. The GI value of each test food was calculated as the percentage of the incremental area under the blood glucose curve (IAUC) for the test food of each participant divided by the average IAUC for the reference food of the same participant. The GI values of tested foods ranged from low (55 or less) to high (70 or more). The GI values of various breads and rice-containing dishes were comparable with previously published values. This study provides GI and GL values of previously untested traditional Emirati foods which could provide a useful guide on dietary recommendations for the Emirati population.
Lawsonite-bearing eclogite from a tectonic mélange in the Ligurian Alps: new constraints for the subduction plate-interface evolution
Authors: SCARSI MARCO , MALATESTA CRISTINA , FORNASARO SILVIA
Published: May 2017

Lawsonite eclogites are rare rocks and have been described from only a few localities in the world. Lawsonite-bearing assemblages are highly unstable and physico-chemical processes linked to exhumation may destroy them; only aggregates interpreted as pseudomorphs after lawsonite could be often recognized. In this paper, we present a detailed structural and petrological study of an area in the northwestern sector of the metaophiolitic high-pressure Voltri Massif (Ligurian Western Alps, Italy). The study area is characterized by a lawsonite-bearing eclogitic metagabbro associated with carbonated serpentinites and glaucophanic metasediments. The metagabbro body reached eclogitic metamorphic peak conditions atT= 465–477°C andP= 20.9–24.4 kbar, with H2O continuously supplied to the system. H2O under-saturated conditions, with the occurrence of both lawsonite and epidote, characterized the exhumation path. Both the low temperature recorded by the body and the occurrence of variously carbonated serpentinites led us to interpret this area as a portion of the top of the subducted slab, coupled with a ‘cool’ mantle wedge, where both aqueous fluids and carbonate-rich fluids were present. The occurrence of rocks belonging to different paleogeographic domains (e.g. continent versus ocean) and the multiple deformations recorded by the metagabbro suggest that this area was nearby the slab–mantle interface. This sector was thus affected by a shear regime that acted in a low-viscosity serpentinite channel, bringing these high-pressure rocks back to the surface.
Tamar,Qĕdēšā, Qadištu, and Sacred Prostitution in Mesopotamia
Authors: Westenholz Joan Goodnick
Published: May 2017

The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet and glittered with gold and jewels and pearls, and she was holding a gold winecup filled with the disgusting filth of her prostitution; on her forehead was written a name, a cryptic name: “Babylon the Great, the mother of the prostitutes and all the filthy practices on the earth.” (Rev 17:4–5,NJB)

In discussions of the ancient Near Eastern setting for the Old Testament, various aspects of Mesopotamian society and culture are nominated as the precursors of certain features of Israelite practice.
AMarzēaḥin Ezekiel 8:7–13?
Authors: Ackerman Susan
Published: May 2017

In 592bce, at the midpoint between the two Babylonian invasions of 597bceand 587bce, Ezekiel, who was exiled to Babylon after the first invasion, finds himself transported back to Jerusalem in a divine vision (Ezekiel 8–11). In the first part of this vision, Ezekiel 8, Ezekiel sees Jerusalem in a state of religious collapse, as God shows the prophet four strange cultic abominations: the image of jealousy (8:3–6), elders burning incense in a room of reliefs (8:7–13), women wailing over Tammuz (8:14–15), and men worshiping the sun (8:16–18). Of these four cultic abominations, the character of the last two, the mourning over Tammuz and the worship of the sun, is clear. Less certain is the nature of the first cultic abomination, the image of jealousy. Still, there has recently emerged in the literature a consensus that the image (semel) in question is anʾăšērâ, the wooden cult object associated with the goddess Asherah. However, there has been no agreement among scholars concerning the cult act referred to in Ezek 8:7–13, where elders burn incense in a room of reliefs.
The recurrent domestication of viruses: major evolutionary transitions in parasitic wasps
Authors: Gauthier Jérémy , Drezen Jean-Michel , Herniou Elisabeth A.
Published: May 2017

Several lineages of endoparasitoid wasps, which develop inside the body of other insects, have domesticated viruses, used as delivery tools of essential virulence factors for the successful development of their progeny. Virus domestications are major evolutionary transitions in highly diverse parasitoid wasps. Much progress has recently been made to characterize the nature of these ancestrally captured endogenous viruses that have evolved within the wasp genomes. Virus domestication from different viral families occurred at least three times in parasitoid wasps. This evolutionary convergence led to different strategies. Polydnaviruses (PDVs) are viral gene transfer agents and virus-like particles of the waspVenturia canescensdeliver proteins. Here, we take the standpoint of parasitoid wasps to review current knowledge on virus domestications by different parasitoid lineages. Then, based on genomic data from parasitoid wasps, PDVs and exogenous viruses, we discuss the different evolutionary steps required to transform viruses into vehicles for the delivery of the virulence molecules that we observe today. Finally, we discuss how endoparasitoid wasps manipulate host physiology and ensure parasitism success, to highlight the possible advantages of viral domestication as compared with other virulence strategies.
Social Forces and Regime Change
Authors: Clarke Killian
Published: May 2017

This article discusses three recent books that analyze patterns of political conflict and regime change in postcolonial Asia and Africa using a social forces approach to political analysis. The social forces tradition, originally pioneered by Barrington Moore, studies the social origins and political consequences of struggles between social groups whose members hold shared identities and interests. The works under review examine, respectively, the varied regime trajectories of Southeast Asia's states, divergent regime outcomes in India and Pakistan, and the institutional origins of social cleavages and political conflict in sub-Saharan Africa. Although historically the social forces paradigm has focused on conflict between class actors, the author argues that these three works fruitfully extend the social forces approach to encompass struggles between nonclass social groups, including those defined along the lines of ethnicity, religion, nationality, region, and family. This pluralized version of the social forces approach is better suited to studying patterns of regime change in Asia and Africa, where the paradigm has been less frequently applied than it has been to cases in Europe and Latin America.
Coastal sand dunes as geomorphological systems
Authors: Goldsmith Victor
Published: May 2017

Synopsis

The importance of aeolian deposition is clearly shown by the size and bulk of coastal dunes. Sand dunes occur where there is a large supply of sand, a wind to move it, and a place in which it can accumulate. A dune classification is presented which takes into account the origin, internal geometry and surface geomorphology of coastal dunes. Since the main element that distinguishes coastal dunes from desert dunes is vegetation, the relative amount of vegetation may be used as a typology. Four dune types are distinguished: vegetated dunes, parabolic dunes, medanos (i.e. large sand hills devoid of vegetation), and artificially-inseminated dunes. Vegetated and medano dunes are the end members, with parabolic dunes in between. Parabolic dunes are “anchored” by vegetation, but the centre of the dunes has migrated in the down-wind direction. The artificially-inseminated dunes are formed by vegetation plantings, fencing, or other artificial means, but with natural sand accumulation around these obstacles. These now account for a very substantial portion of the world's coastal dunes.

The role of wind and its relation to the internal geometry (i.e. cross-bed dip and direction) are discussed in some detail, with examples from Brazil, U.S. east and south coasts, Israel and China. Differences in these characteristics are detailed, and related to the different modes of formation of the four dune types.

The role of the wind in transporting and depositing sand in coastal areas is being quantified through both wind tunnel and field transport measurements. An example from a field study along the coast of Israel illustrates the differences between desert and coastal dune transport, where the role of vegetation and beach topography must be taken into account. From the Israeli study, and others, it appears that transport in coastal dunes is reduced by one-third to one-half of that in deserts, due to these factors.

Coastal dunes provide a useful, and often necessary, buffer against storm waves and the presently rising sea level. They form primarily through vertical sand accretion trapped by the sensitive dune vegetation. Provided that sufficient space exists between the high tide line and developed areas, planned dunes can be easily formed with the aid of plantings and fencing.
The grazing of British sand dune vegetation
Authors: Boorman Laurence A.
Published: May 2017

Synopsis

The herbaceous vegetation of sand dunes is quite strongly influenced by a number of different grazing animals, principally vertebrates. Between 1985 and 1987 forty-eight dune sites were visited and studied, information being recorded on the vegetation and grazing status of 777 quadrats.

The results of the survey confirm that the dominant grazing animal in British sand dunes is the rabbit. Over 70% of the quadrats are regarded as being rabbit-grazed directly and over 98% of the dune sites sampled appeared to be affected by rabbit grazing to some extent. Just over a third of the sites were grazed by cattle and a similar proportion by sheep; generally it was either cattle or sheep although five sites were grazed by both. There was only one site significantly grazed by ponies although a number of other sites were grazed occasionally by passing ponies.

The intensity of grazing was very variable. Out of the forty-eight sites, three were regarded as being ungrazed and a further ten only lightly grazed, while nine sites were considered to be heavily grazed. However the remaining twenty-six sites were recognised as being intermediate only to the extent of not being obviously overgrazed or undergrazed. It was further recognised that the present state of the vegetation tended to reflect the grazing management in the recent past rather than current practice. A change in the grazing management often took many years to effect a permanent change in the vegetation.

The grazing requirements to promote species diversity are very different for the different habitat types. In the yellow dunes the plant community is open with bare ground for colonisation and plant competition is not intense. There is thus little need for the control of plant growth by grazing.

Dune grassland, in the narrow sense, needs to be grazed to maintain plant species diversity. The purpose of grazing is to remove prolific growth from the most vigorously growing plants to reduce competition. Lower grazing intensities are needed for all the year round grazing than when grazing is first applied to an area or is a permanent measure for limited periods of the year only.

Dune slacks are generally best grazed by cattle and, with the higher soil moisture, grazing intensities can be higher than those applied to dune grassland. Excessive grazing is likely to cause serious damage to both the soil and the vegetation, especially in the wetter areas.

Dune heath vegetation has a low productivity and its own special management problems. It needs to be grazed (or cut or burnt) to maintain the internal mosaic by the successful regeneration of the main species, but too much grazing will lead to conversion to a species-poor acid grassland.
Macrofungi of sand dunes
Authors: Watling R. , Rotheroe M.
Published: May 2017

Synopsis

Our knowledge of the macrofungi of British sand dune systems is outlined and similarities and differences are discussed, based both on intensive studies and scattered observations, particularly in Scotland and Wales. Comparisons are made with European sand dune communities, and much wider observations from as far afield as N.E. Australia and North America are presented. Several records new to Britain are documented.
Some aspects of flow over coastal dunes
Authors: Rasmussen K. R.
Published: May 2017

Synopsis

The paper discusses limits under which flux-gradient relationships derived for horizontal homogeneous terrain can be applied to aeolian transport over non-uniform terrain with coastal dunes. For flat sandy beaches the roughness change upstream of the beach-dune boundary can be expected to be small. For horizontal beaches that are some hundred metres wide and where the length scale of the horizontal heterogeneities does not exceed some tens of metres, consistent surface stress and aerodynamical roughness values may be deduced from the wind-speed profile.

Slope effects will modify the air flow strongly as it crosses a dune ridge or escarpment. Recent developments in the theory of turbulent flow over hills are discussed in relation to common coastal dune terrain. The depth of the layer where the profile is in equilibrium with the underlying surface typically does not exceed a few tens of centimeters. This strongly restricts our ability to derive reliable values for roughness and surface stress from the wind profile.

Experimental studies at two coastal dunes in Denmark indicate that it is often difficult to obtain a good upwind reference for the flow. Analysis with a numerical model, set up for one of the sites, suggests that information about the flow and the value of experimental data may be improved when these can be both related to and supported by numerical calculations.
Saltation of sand: a qualitative review with biological analogy
Authors: Anderson Robert S.
Published: May 2017

Synopsis

In the last two decades both experimental and theoretical research in aeolian sediment transport has greatly enhanced our quantitative understanding of the saltation process. I emphasise the qualitative understanding of saltation that has emerged in part through development of a numerical model consisting of four subprocesses: (1) aerodynamic entrainment, (2) grain trajectories, (3) grain-bed impacts, and (4) momentum extraction from the wind. Each sub-model encapsulates the physics of the process, and is constrained, where necessary, by experimental data. When combined, the full model allows simulation of aeolian saltation from inception by aerodynamic entrainment to steady state. The results are encouraging, showing both qualitative and quantitative correspondence with wind tunnel measurements.

In an attempt to further the qualitative understanding of the problem, an analogy is proposed between the saltation population and a biological population, wherein both individual and collective properties are considered. Although at present these models lack the detail to treat the true complexity of the natural world – in particular the wetness of beach sands and the potential role of beach vegetation – they serve both to develop our intuition about the natural setting, and to guide future experimental efforts.
Stratification models for vegetated coastal dunes in Atlantic Canada
Authors: McCann S. B. , Byrne M.-L.
Published: May 2017

Synopsis

The principal types of stratification and some characteristic sedimentary sequences found in vegetated coastal dunes in Atlantic Canada are described. Four examples are selected to show a range of dune types and depositional settings. In each case the documentation and interpretation of the internal structure and stratification has made an important contribution to understanding the evolution of the dunes. Stratification and depositional models are presented for:

(1) a single, continuous, transgressive foredune ridge which maintains its form during transgression;

(2) a discontinuous transgressive foredune ridge, interrupted by washover passages;

(3) a “precipitation” dune, which buries an existing stable dune; and

(4) complex dunes produced by two or more phases of aeolian activity characterised by different plant associations.
Restoration of coastal dunes breached by pipeline landfalls in north-east Scotland
Authors: Ritchie W. , Gimingham C. H.
Published: May 2017

Synopsis

Six major oil and natural gas pipelines make landfalls on the coastline of north-east Scotland. Four land at St Fergus, one at Cruden Bay and one at Shandwick. The Cruden Bay line dates from 1973: at St Fergus landfalls were made in 1975, 1976 and 1984: and at Shandwick in 1979. With the exception of the Shandwick landfall, the pipelines cross relatively wide sandy beaches with associated dune ridges. All the pipelines were laid using a simple trenching technique whereby a beach trench was dug and a large V-shaped cut made through the main foredune ridge and interior backslope, inner dunes or slack environments. All these landforms were replaced quickly by backfilling. Thereafter, physical devices such as nets, brushwood, sand trapping fences and bitumen sprays ensured surface stability. Equally important was a replanting programme which had two main components: – hand-planted marram grass and agriculturally seeded grass mixtures. Topsoil was added, fertiliser was applied and other cultivation practices were used.

Since 1973, several surveys of the progress and success of these restoration procedures have been made. On the whole, landform stability has been very satisfactory. Re-vegetation has met with mixed success, especially with regard to those changes which could be described as the gradual re-invasion of natural or local plant associations to replace the artificially planted species. Various lengths of time have ensued, and in some examples the rate and pattern of re-vegetation have been examined by means of periodic sampling. This has made possible reasonable assessments of the influence of local environment factors on the ability of sown species to establish and create a sward, the extent to which they persist over a period of years, and the ability of native species from the neighbouring dune system to re-invade and compete successfully in the developing turf. Standard methods have been used for planting marram grass to stabilise the steeper seaward sand slopes, but these are reviewed in the light of results of recent experimental studies of various planting techniques. The possibilities for exploiting these findings in the rehabilitation of any future pipeline crossings of dunes are considered. Since slightly different re-vegetation procedures were adopted in the several dune crossings under review, it is also possible to comment on the optimum solutions to restoration problems of this kind which are associated with mature coastal sand dunes.
Postictal Aphasia and Paresis: A Clinical and Intracerebral EEG Study
Authors: Adam Christine , Adam Claude , Rouleau Isabelle , Saint-Hilaire Jean-Marc
Published: May 2017

Background:

We examined the lateralizing value of postictal language and motor deficits and studied their underlying mechanisms.

Patients and methods:

The total sample consisted of 35 patients (26 temporals, 8 frontals, 1 parietal) with a good postsurgical outcome (Engel's class I and II). Postictal examination was blindly reviewed on videotapes. In 15 cases (29 seizures), postictal language manifestations were analyzed in relation with the diffusion of the epileptic discharge recorded by intracerebral EEG. Language dominance was determined by the intracarotid amobarbital test.

Results:

Postictal aphasia was observed only when (1) seizure originated in the dominant hemisphere and (2) ictal activity spread to language areas (Wernicke and/or Broca areas). When the epileptic focus was in the nondominant hemisphere, no postictal aphasia was observed even if there was secondary generalization of ictal activity affecting the language areas of the dominant hemisphere. Postictal motor deficits also had a strong lateralizing value even when seizures were secondarily generalized.

Conclusion:

Postictal aphasia in temporal epilepsies and postictal motor deficits in temporal and extra temporal epilepsies provided excellent lateralizing information. Postictal deficits appear to be the result of inhibitory mechanisms induced by previous ictal activity of the structures related to these functions.
Neurology and Neurosurgery at the Montreal General Hospital 1960-1980
Authors: Baxter D.W. , Stratford J.G.
Published: May 2017

Neurology and neurosurgery are among the most active disciplines at the Montreal General Hospital (MGH) today with impressive academic and neuroscientific profiles. This paper records an earlier period of activity when the feasibility of such research and clinical developments was only a dream.

The history of neurology and neurosurgery at the MGH dates from the early days of this century – a story which is well-told by Preston Robb in “The Development of Neurology at McGill”. The level of clinical activities varied from decade to decade and from the 1930s was closely linked to the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI). An MGH Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery was established in the 1940s. Francis McNaughton was the first director and, on his move to become neurologist-in-chief at the MNI in 1951, he was succeeded by Harold Elliott, the neurosurgeon. Preston Robb was then the senior neurologist, assisted over variable periods of time by colleagues Norman Viner, Miller Fisher, William Tatlow, Bernard Graham, and David Howell. Dr. Robb reluctantly resigned in 1953 after having “met with the authorities to see if a basic research program could be developed. I was told that this was not possible, it was not in the tradition of the hospital, and research was the responsibility of the university.” For a short period in 1955 and 1956, JGS was a junior staff member in neurosurgery before joining Bill Feindel at the University of Saskatchewan. Despite these impressive hospital rosters, neurologists and neurosurgeons at the MGH were not full-time and the bulk of the academic and training activities of the McGill Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery continued at the MNI.