bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Case Study in Music Education
Authors: Barrett Janet R.
Published: June 2014

This chapter discusses the widespread prevalence of case studies and the role they play in music education research. It has five goals: to address divergent definitions of case study; to represent key dimensions of case studies drawn from these definitions in a diagram; to address common criticisms and misconceptions related to tensions between theoretical and context-dependent knowledge, generalizability, and rigor; to apply resulting analytical insights to select case studies drawn from music education journals; and to propose avenues for improving the overall impact and utility of case studies within music education based on their particularity and complexity.
Phenomenological Research in Music Education
Authors: Hourigan Ryan M. , Edgar Scott N.
Published: June 2014

Phenomenology is at the heart of all qualitative exploration. This chapter considers the foundations of phenomenology, phenomenological inquiry in general, as well as music education. In addition, the potential uses of phenomenology in music education research are explored in order to identify models of phenomenological inquiry for future use in music education. A methodological and philosophical clarification is considered to show how the phenomenological lens can be used to interpret the lived experience of all participants, including the researcher, as well as suggestions for future uses of phenomenology in music education.
Narrative Inquiry and the Uses of Narrative in Music Education Research
Authors: Stauffer Sandra L.
Published: June 2014

Narrative inquiry is a relatively recent edition to qualitative scholarship, related to the narrative turn in social science research. Three distinct pathways to narrative are summarized in the first half of this chapter: narrative knowing as described by Jerome Bruner; narrative inquiry as described by F. Jean Clandinin and Michael Connelly; and critical storytelling as described by Tom Barone. Descriptions of each pathway include theoretical underpinnings as well as examples of studies from various disciplines, including music education, in which authors claim narrative inquiry or make use of narrative techniques. The second half of the chapter includes descriptions of five markers or characteristics of narrative scholarship and the tensions within those markers given the three narrative pathways and the diverse uses of narrative by scholars in the social sciences. Comments on assessing narrative scholarship conclude the chapter.
Mixed Methods Research in Music Education
Authors: Fitzpatrick Kate R.
Published: June 2014

This chapter discusses the use of qualitative research within mixed methods studies in music education. The chapter begins with a definition of mixed methods research, followed by a discussion of the emergence of mixed methods research in music education. An overview of the basic foundations of mixed methods research is then presented, including a description of mixed methods philosophical foundations, purposes, designs, and strategies for data integration. Then, in alignment with the purpose of this book, the final part of the chapter raises issues for consideration within the qualitative research community regarding the emergence of mixed methods research in music education.
Inservice Music Teacher Professional Development
Authors: Conway Colleen M. , Edgar Scott N.
Published: June 2014

This chapter reviews the qualitative studies within music education that have examined music teacher professional development. Professional development is defined in the opening of the chapter and then studies are presented within the broad categories of (a) professional development of beginning music teachers and (b) professional development of experienced music teachers. The beginning teacher section includes: (a) challenges faced by beginning music teachers and (b) supporting beginning music teachers in mentoring and induction. The experienced teacher section includes: (a) communities of practice, (b) music-making as professional development, (c) graduate school as professional development, and (d) action research/teacher research as professional development. The final section of the chapter addresses research on the music teacher career cycle.
Billy Connolly, Daniel Barenboim, Willie Wonka, Jazz Bastards, and the Universality of Improvisation
Authors: MacDonald Raymond , Wilson Graeme
Published: June 2014

Group musical improvisation is an important artistic, educational, and therapeutic process, and understanding the unique mental, individual, and social processes involved should be a key task for psychology. This chapter summarizes constraints in how some branches of psychology and ethnomusicology have conceptualized improvisation, and describes recent research embracing the breadth of what constitutes improvisation in music. Analyzing how highly diverse musicians discuss the fullest range of improvisational practices indicates important relationships between this creative interaction and wider psychological and social constructs. The chapter also presents research investigating the relationship between improvisation and health, highlighting a number of key benefits connected with improvisation in music therapy for patients with cancer. Enhancing understanding of the process and outcomes of musical improvisation in this way can help realize the potential contribution of music participation to contemporary culture, creativity in everyday life, and therapeutic interventions.
Practice and Ethics of the Use of Animals in Contemporary Art
Authors: Zammit-Lucia Joe
Published: June 2014

Contemporary art has entered a stage where the animal has been degraded to the status of mere artistic material. Dehumanization, sensationalism, and the provision of moral cover by powerful art institutions are the three components of the culture of contemporary art ensuring that the moral considerability of the animal merits little serious discussion. The views of those concerned with animal welfare are pitted against those who see freedom of artistic expression as untouchable. The result is a sterile debate between polarized and irreconcilable positions. Cultural norms are changing and will likely result in changes in the culture of contemporary art. While formal censorship approaches are unlikely to be either acceptable or effective, there are opportunities for institutional changes that give the ethics of artists’ use and misuse of animals a seat at the table in the mainstream art world.
Animals as Scientific Objects
Authors: Michael Mike
Published: June 2014

The chapter addresses the topic of animals as scientific objects by drawing on recent literature that emphasizes the heterogeneous construction—or eventuation—of the object. As such, the animal object is understood to emerge from a version of biomedical science that encompasses various elements that derive from within and beyond the laboratory and the experimental system. The chapter thus traces a number of ways the animal is eventuated as an object, including the processes of animal supply and scientist self-selection, the procedures of animal care and ethical assessment, and the prospects of collaboration and clinical translation. Along the way, the chapter points to the complex and conjoint eventuation of animals as subjects and of humans as objects. The chapter ends with a brief reflection on how we might better engage with the complex ethics of the co-becomings of human and animal, objects and subjects.
Commensal Species
Authors: O'Connor Terry
Published: June 2014

Urban areas and their surrounding environments present a challenge and an opportunity to other species. Some animal populations have adapted successfully, taking advantage of food stores and garbage as predictable trophic resources and man-made structures as secure living space. Archaeological and historical records show that this synanthropic adaptation began in prehistory, probably before the advent of agriculture, for example in some fox populations. Some commensal species show successful ethnophoresy, such as rodent populations that have accompanied human colonization of the planet. Once established, commensal animals form a part of the everyday scene for millions of people. Our response to them ranges from food handouts to extermination, from welcome neighbors to vermin, exemplified by our range of attitudes to urban pigeons. It is argued that commensal animals are an important social and educational resource that deserves further research and encouragement.
Crime Policies of Small Countries
Authors: Hamilton Claire
Published: June 2014

This article discusses crime policy in small jurisdictions which to date have been underexamined in the criminological literature. In Section I, arguments concerning the dynamics of small-scale systems and the manner in which elite networks operating within them can act to resist larger transformative processes are discussed. In Section II, the impact of country size on penal policy is examined in more detail, with a view to assessing whether it can act as a protective factor against punitiveness. In Section III, the limits of macro-level accounts of punitiveness are explored through a number of small-country case studies.
Liver Involvement in the Hispanic Population of North America With Cystic Fibrosis
Authors: Wagener Jeffrey S. , Woo Marlyn S. , Pasta David J. , Konstan Michael W. , Morgan Wayne J. ,   Investigators and Coordinators of the Epidemiologic Study of Cystic Fibrosis
Published: June 2014

Objectives:

The aim of the present article was to determine the prevalence of liver involvement in Hispanic patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and identify associations with age and severity of liver involvement.

Methods:

We used 1994–2005 Epidemiologic Study of CF data to compare abnormal liver findings between Hispanic and non‐Hispanic white patients with CF.

Results:

Of 30,727 patients with CF, 5015 had liver involvement. Of 1957 Hispanic patients, 20.8% had liver involvement compared with 16.0% of 28,770 non‐Hispanic white patients (odds ratio [OR] 1.38, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.23–1.54). This higher prevalence of liver involvement persisted after adjusting for demographics and meconium ileus and was especially high in the first year of life (adjusted OR 3.14, 95% CI 2.27–4.35). Ten percent of infants with only elevated liver enzymes progressed to more severe liver disease.

Conclusions:

The Hispanic population with CF has more liver involvement (both elevated liver enzymes and clinical liver disease) than the non‐Hispanic white population with CF, especially during the first year of life.
Rapid invasion of anthropogenic CO2into the deep circulation of the Weddell Gyre
Authors: van Heuven Steven M. A. C. , Hoppema Mario , Jones Elizabeth M. , de Baar Hein J. W.
Published: June 2014

Data are presented for total carbon dioxide (TCO2), oxygen and nutrients from 14 cruises covering two repeat sections across the Weddell Gyre, from 1973 to 2010. Assessments of the rate of increase in anthropogenic CO2(Cant) are made at three locations. Along the Prime Meridian, TCO2is observed to steadily increase in the bottom water. Accompanying changes in silicate, nitrate and oxygen confirm the non-steady state of the Weddell circulation. The rate of increase in TCO2of +0.12±0.05 μmol kg−1 yr−1therefore poses an upper limit to the rate of increase in Cant. By contrast, the bottom water located in the central Weddell Sea exhibits no significant increase in TCO2, suggesting that this water is less well ventilated at the southern margins of the Weddell Sea. At the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula (i.e. the formation region of the bottom water found at the Prime Meridian), the high rate of increase in TCO2over time observed at the lowest temperatures suggests that nearly full equilibration occurs with the anthropogenic CO2of the atmosphere. This observation constitutes rare evidence for the possibility that ice cover is not a major impediment for uptake of Cantin this prominent deep water formation region.
Changes in the ventilation of the southern oceans
Authors: Waugh Darryn W.
Published: June 2014

Changes in the ventilation of the southern oceans over the past few decades are examined using ocean measurements of CFC-12 and model simulations. Analysis of CFC-12 measurements made between the late 1980s and late 2000s reveal large-scale coherent changes in the ventilation, with a decrease in the age of subtropical Subantarctic Mode Waters (SAMW) and an increase in the age of Circumpolar Deep Waters. The decrease in SAMW age is consistent with the observed increase in wind stress curl and strength of the subtropical gyres over the same period. A decrease in the age of SAMW is also found in Community Climate System Model version 4 perturbation experiments where the zonal wind stress is increased. This decrease is due to both more rapid transport along isopycnals and the movement of the isopycnals. These results indicate that the intensification of surface winds in the Southern Hemisphere has caused large-scale coherent changes in the ventilation of the southern oceans.
Auxin Input Pathway Disruptions Are Mitigated by Changes in Auxin Biosynthetic Gene Expression in Arabidopsis
Authors: Spiess Gretchen M. , Hausman Amanda , Yu Peng , Cohen Jerry D. , Rampey Rebekah A. , Zolman Bethany K.
Published: June 2014

Auxin is a phytohormone involved in cell elongation and division. Levels of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), the primary auxin, are tightly regulated through biosynthesis, degradation, sequestration, and transport. IAA is sequestered in reversible processes by adding amino acids, polyol or simple alcohols, or sugars, forming IAA conjugates, or through a two-carbon elongation forming indole-3-butyric acid. These sequestered forms of IAA alter hormone activity. To gain a better understanding of how auxin homeostasis is maintained, we have generated Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) mutants that combine disruptions in the pathways, converting IAA conjugates and indole-3-butyric acid to free IAA. These mutants show phenotypes indicative of low auxin levels, including delayed germination, abnormal vein patterning, and decreased apical dominance. Root phenotypes include changes in root length, root branching, and root hair growth. IAA levels are reduced in the cotyledon tissue but not meristems or hypocotyls. In the combination mutants, auxin biosynthetic gene expression is increased, particularly in the YUCCA/Tryptophan Aminotransferase of Arabidopsis1 pathway, providing a feedback mechanism that allows the plant to compensate for changes in IAA input pathways and maintain cellular homeostasis.
Comparative pollination biology in two sympatric varieties of Cypripedium macranthos (Orchidaceae) on Rebun Island, Hokkaido, Japan
Authors: Sugiura Naoto , Takahashi Hideki
Published: June 2014

Cypripedium macranthos sensu lato typically has purple‐pink flowers with no nectar and harvestable pollen. On Rebun Island, Hokkaido, Japan, purple‐pink‐flowered C. macranthos var. macranthos individuals rarely grow among numerous pale‐cream‐flowered C. macranthos var. rebunense plants. In both varieties, flower size is similar, their flowering periods completely overlap, and they share the same pollinator (Bombus pseudobaicalensis). However, in only one of 12 years from 2001 to 2012 did var. macranthos attain an annual fruit‐set ratio (an estimate of pollination success) higher than that of sympatric var. rebunense plants. These findings strongly suggest that in C. macranthos on Rebun Island, flower color results in the differential pollination success, because the pollinator prefers pale‐cream Cypripedium flowers and/or avoids purple‐pink ones, thereby producing pollinator‐mediated selection favoring pale‐cream flowers.
The Old SardinianCondaghes: a syntactic study
Authors: Wolfe Sam
Published: June 2014

This article presents findings of a syntactic study of two Old Sardinian legal documents. It is proposed that Old Sardinian had a verb‐initial syntax, which at face value appears quite distinct from the verb‐second (V2) syntax reported elsewhere in Old Romance. It is suggested, however, that this verb‐initial order is derived by V‐to‐C movement, a feature which is inherited from late Latin and represents a synchronic point of continuity in the syntax of Old Romance varieties. Old Sardinian matrix clauses show evidence for a rich set of left peripheral projections to which subjects can raise, leading to anSVO/VSOalternation which is sensitive to the information structure of the subject constituent in question. There is no direct evidence for these discourse‐related projections in the C‐layer in embedded contexts, leading to a strictVSOword order and suggesting that Old Sardinian may have an impoverished embedded left periphery.
Geminate reduction and high vowel syncope in West Saxon weak past participles
Authors: Scott Penelope Jane
Published: June 2014

High vowel syncope, when applying in Old English past participles, is expected only to affect those that (a) contain a heavy root syllable, and (b) are inflected. However, numerous exceptions are noted in traditional handbooks (e.g. Campbell 1959). In particular, West Saxon displays a process by which high vowel syncope over‐applies in weak Class 1 past participles with roots ending in t/d, with deletion occurring after light syllables, as in settan ‘set’ set+ed+um(Past.Part.Dat.) ➝ settum, and also in uninflected participles: seted ➝ sett. The root‐final dental and the stem‐forming ‐ed come together following deletion to form a geminate: lǣded+e ‘led’ ➝ lǣdde. However, phonological pressures cause the geminates to be simplified in certain environments. This paper focuses on the interaction of high vowel syncope and degemination, and aims to provide a synchronic account of both processes, arguing that deletion in dental‐final forms is in fact not merely the extension of high vowel syncope. The paper also challenges the view that final geminates are merely orthographic in Old English. The analysis, which is formed within Optimality Theory (OT), is supported by newly collected data for the West Saxon past participles, which are taken from Cosijn's Altwestsächsische Grammatik glossary (1888).
Meta‐analysis of prospective studies on the effects of nut consumption on hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus 对食用坚果对高血压和2型糖尿病的影响的前瞻性研究进行的meta分析
Authors: Guo Kai , Zhou Zhiwen , Jiang Yibo , Li Wei , Li Yigang
Published: June 2014

Background

Inconclusive reports have been published on the consumption of nuts and the risk of hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We performed a meta‐analysis of prospective studies to assess the effects of nut consumption on hypertension and T2DM risks.

Methods

A PUBMED and EMBASE database search was performed. Summary relative risks (SRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random‐effects model. Q and I2 statistics were used to examine between‐study heterogeneity.

Results

A total of eight articles with nine prospective cohort studies (three hypertension studies and six T2DM studies) were selected. Using random effects models, we found that compared with never/rare consumers of nuts, those consuming >2 servings per week had an 8% lower risk of hypertension (SRR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.87–0.97, P heterogeneity = 0. 590, I2 = 0%), while consumption of nuts at one serving per week had similar risk (SRR = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.83–1.13). In addition, nuts consumption was not associated with risk of T2DM (SRRs = 0. 98, 95% CI: 0.84–1.15; Pheterogeneity = 0. 008, I2 = 67.7%) on the basis of the highest versus lowest analysis. This null association was also shown in the dose‐response analysis.

Conclusion

Findings from this meta‐analysis indicate that consumption of nuts (>2 servings/week) may be inversely associated with hypertension risk, but not with T2DM risk.
The prefrontal dysfunction in individuals with Internet gaming disorder: a meta‐analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies
Authors: Meng Yajing , Deng Wei , Wang Huiyao , Guo Wanjun , Li Tao
Published: June 2014

With the advancement in high‐resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology and automated analysis, studies on functional MRI (fMRI) made it possible to identify the functional activity of brain in vivo in individuals with Internet gaming disorder (IGD), and to explore the underpinning neuroscience basis of IGD. Yet, no available literature has systemically reviewed the fMRI studies of IGD using meta‐analyses. This study reviewed 61 candidate articles and finally selected 10 qualified voxel‐wise whole‐brain analysis studies for performing a comprehensive series of meta‐analyses employing effect size signed differential mapping approach. Compared with healthy controls, subjects with IGD showed a significant activation in the bilateral medial frontal gyrus (MFG) and the left cingulate gyrus, as well as the left medial temporal gyrus and fusiform gyrus. Furthermore, the on‐line time of IGD subjects was positively correlated with activations in the left MFG and the right cingulated gyrus. These findings implicate the important role of dysfunctional prefrontal lobe in the neuropathological mechanism of IGD. Considering the overlapped role of prefrontal lobe in the reward and self‐regulatory system, our results provided supportive evidence for the reclassification of IGD as a behavioural addiction.
New method for viewing Krehbiel flow by polymethylmethacrylate particles suspended in fluorescein solution
Authors: Yamaguchi Masahiko , Ohta Kiyohiko , Shiraishi Atsushi , Sakane Yuri , Zheng Xiaodong , Kamao Tomoyuki , Yamamoto Yasuaki , Inoue Yasushi , Ohashi Yuichi
Published: June 2014

Purpose

To investigate the changes in the tear flow velocities caused by ageing.

Methods

Ninety‐nine subjects (41 men, mean age 48.3 ± 20.7 years) were recruited from the Department of Ophthalmology of the Ehime University Hospital. None of the subjects had serious abnormalities of the external surface of the eye. The Krehbiel flow of tears was determined by 40‐μm polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) beads suspended in a fluorescein sodium solution (PPF). The movement of the beads was video recorded through a slit‐lamp during normal blinking. The flow of the beads was determined with a Motion analyzer®software (KEYENCE Co., Osaka, Japan). The velocity of the beads in young age, 20–40 years, middle age, 41–60 years and old age, ≥61 years, groups was determined.

Results

The equation describing the velocity (mm/second) of the PMMA particles as a function of age in the lower tear meniscus measured in the direction of the lacrimal punctum was Y = 2.49−0.04X, where Y = velocity and X = age (r2 = 0.214; p < 0.0001). For the upper meniscus, the equation was Y = 4.83−0.05X (r2 = 0.195, p < 0.0001). The average velocity was 0.70 ± 1.66 mm/second in the lower and 2.16 ± 1.93 mm/second in the upper tear meniscus (p < 0.0001). The particle velocity decreased significantly with increasing age, but no significant difference between the male and female groups except for the lower tear meniscus when all subjects were analysed.

Conclusion

The PPF technique is a simple method of examining Krehbiel flow of tears and may be used for evaluating functional nasolacrimal duct obstruction quantitatively.
Using a prescribed fire to test custom and standard fuel models for fire behaviour prediction in a non‐native, grass‐invaded tropical dry shrubland
Authors: Pierce Andrew D. , McDaniel Sierra , Wasser Mark , Ainsworth Alison , Litton Creighton M. , Giardina Christian P. , Cordell Susan
Published: June 2014

Questions

Do fuel models developed for North American fuel types accurately represent fuel beds found in non‐native, grass‐invaded tropical dry shrublands? Do standard or custom fuel models used in fire behaviour models with in situ or remote automated weather stations (RAWS) measured fuel moistures affect the accuracy of predicted fire behaviour in grass‐invaded tropical shrublands?

Location

Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, Hawai'i, USA.

Methods

Pre‐fire fuel loads of coarse woody debris, live herbaceous and live woody fuel loads were quantified with Brown's transects and biomass sampling to create a custom fuel model for non‐native grass‐invaded tropical dry shrublands in Hawai'i. In situ fuel moistures were quantified using oven‐dried vegetation samples, and compared to RAWS estimated fuel moistures. Fire behaviour was recorded on a stationary video camera to quantify flame length (FL) and rate of spread (ROS). Observed fire behaviour was compared to BehavePlus predicted fire behaviour parameterized with both standard and customized fuel models, and in situ and RAWS‐based estimates of fuel moisture.

Results

The custom fuel model and measured fuel moistures performed better than most standard models, but over‐predicted actual ROS and top decile FL by 29% and 26%, respectively. The best match between observed and modelled fire behaviour came from a standard fuel model for shrublands with a grassy matrix (23% under‐prediction for ROS and 9% under‐prediction for FL) using measured fuel moistures. Using fuel moistures and wind speeds estimated from the nearest RAWS station (5 km from the fire) substantially decreased prediction accuracy of the custom fuel model and increased its relative error to 71% over‐prediction of ROS and 45% over‐prediction of FL.

Conclusions

Fire behaviour in at least some tropical fuel beds can be accurately modelled using certain standard or custom fuel models. Standard fuel models should not be applied uncritically to systems outside of North America, as our comparison showed widely ranging accuracy across six standard models. In addition, the current reliance on RAWS data for meteorological inputs to predict fire behaviour in the tropics, especially in the US‐affiliated tropical Pacific, must be used with caution. Instead, field‐measured fuel moistures should be used when possible.
What does ‘solidarity economy’ mean? Contours and feasibility of a theoretical and political project
Authors: Ould Ahmed Pepita
Published: June 2014

The market relationships are being contested. This can be seen in the increasing number of alternative social experiments in the ‘North’ and the ‘South’ which propose to think out the present market relationships in a different way, in particular in establishing exchange value and in facilitating access to trade. These practical alternatives are supported by trends in academic circles that over the past three decades have opposed neoliberal capitalism and individualism in today's commercialised society. Calling for greater solidarity and social justice in economic relationships, in particular, partisans of social and solidarity economics (SSE), identifying with these trends, demand new forms of exchange. The objective of this article is to re‐examine these demands. What exactly do the SSE mean by ‘solidarity’ and ‘solidarity‐based economy'? We would like to trace the contours of this theoretical and political project and to assess the practicability of the proposed alternative to neoliberal capitalism.
Do brokers act in the best interests of their clients? New evidence from electronic trading systems
Authors: Game Annilee M. , Gregoriou Andros
Published: June 2014

Prior research suggests brokers do not always act in the best interests of clients, although morally obligated to do so. We empirically investigated this issue focusing on trades executed at best execution price, before and after the introduction of electronic limit‐order trading, on the London Stock Exchange. As a result of limit‐order trading, the proportion of trades executed at the best execution price for the customer significantly increased. We attribute this to a sustained increase in the liquidity of stocks as a result of limit‐order trading, regardless of market capitalisation. We discuss the ethical implications of our findings and conclude that market structures that enhance market competitiveness may help reconcile broker and client interests.
Innovations in Practice: Piloting electronic session‐by‐session monitoring in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: a preliminary study
Authors: Hall Charlotte L. , Moldavsky Maria , Taylor John , Marriott Michael , Goodman Robert , Sayal Kapil , Hollis Chris
Published: June 2014

Background

Recent UK initiatives have advocated the use of session‐by‐session outcome measurement in CAMHS. However, little is known about the feasibility of this approach.

Method

The PROMPT study (Patient Reported Outcome Monitoring Progress Tracker) piloted an iPad administered brief session‐by‐session measure (S × S) related to the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire impact supplement in three CAMHS teams. We report adherence to electronic S × S monitoring and a preliminary analysis of sensitivity to change.

Results

Adherence to S × S was 57%, which is higher than the completion rates for the standard set of outcome measures usually completed by clinicians and young people. S × S showed some sensitivity to change.

Conclusions

Session‐by‐session monitoring in CAMHS is worthy of further pursuit.
Environmentally friendly coloration of cotton by the UV‐induced photografting of α‐bromoacrylamido dyes
Authors: Dong Yuanyuan , Jang Jinho
Published: June 2014

Conventional wet dyeing based on dye diffusion and adsorption in water requires large amounts of salt, time, and energy. α‐Bromoacrylamido dyes are photografted onto cotton at room temperature as an environmentally friendly coloration process. Dye‐originated radicals are produced by the photoscission of the carbon–sulfur and carbon–bromine bonds of the dyes and subsequently abstract hydrogen atoms to generate cellulose radicals which can initiate graft copolymerisation. About 88% of the dyes are polymerised, and the degree of polymerisation is estimated to be 12.7 or more, which was substantiated by mass and elemental analyses. The colour yield of the photografted cotton is seven times higher than that of conventional dyeing. Furthermore, good colour fastness properties are attributed to the water‐insoluble polymeric dyes formed.
Mutations and thrombosis in essential thrombocythemia: prognostic interaction with age and thrombosis history
Authors: Gangat Naseema , Wassie Emnet A. , Lasho Terra L. , Finke Christy , Ketterling Rhett P. , Hanson Curtis A. , Pardanani Animesh , Wolanskyj Alexandra P. , Maffioli Margherita , Casalone Rosario , Passamonti Francesco , Tefferi Ayalew
Published: June 2014

Background

Vascular events in essential thrombocythemia (ET) are associated with advanced age and thrombosis history. Recent information suggests additional effect from the presence of specific mutations.

Objectives

To examine the influence of age and thrombosis history on the reported association between mutational status and thrombosis‐free survival in ET.

Patients and Methods

Analysis was performed using a Mayo Clinic cohort of 300 ET patients, and key findings were reanalyzed by including additional 102 Italian patients.

Results

Among 300 Mayo patients with ET (median age 55 yr, 60% females), mutational frequencies were 53% JAK2, 32% CALR, 3% MPL, and 12% JAK2, CALR and MPL wild type. One hundred and six (35%) patients experienced arterial (n = 75) or venous (n = 43) events, before (n = 55) or after (n = 71) diagnosis. In univariate analysis, compared to JAK2‐mutated cases, JAK2, CALR and MPL wild type (HR 0.31, 95% CI 0.11–0.86), and CALR‐mutated (0.53, 95% CI 0.30–0.92) patients displayed better thrombosis‐free survival. JAK2, CALR, and MPL wild type remained significant (P = 0.03; HR 0.32, 95% CI 0.11–0.9) during multivariable analysis that included age (P = 0.01) and thrombosis history (P = 0.0006); a favorable impact from CALR mutations was of borderline significance (P = 0.1; HR 0.62, 95% CI 0.35–1.1), but became significant (P = 0.02) when multivariable analysis including thrombosis history (P = 0.02) was performed on patients younger than 60 yr of age.

Conclusions

The favorable impact of mutational status on thrombosis‐free survival in ET might be most evident for JAK2, CALR, and MPL wild type patients, whereas the favorable effect from CALR mutations might be confined to young patients.
Knowledge Internalization and Product Development in Family Firms: When Relational and Affective Factors Matter
Authors: Chirico Francesco , Salvato Carlo
Published: June 2014

Understanding the forces that support and inhibit product development (PD) in family firms is central to explaining their long–term success and survival. Our study reveals that social capital and relational conflict among family members do not affect PD directly, as existing theory suggests, but only through the internalization of knowledge among family members. In contrast, family members’ affective commitment to the family firm is so powerful that it has both a mediated and a direct effect on PD. These results differ across generations of the controlling family, therefore offering an extension of existing theories of knowledge and PD in family firms.
Edge strand engineering prevents native‐like aggregation in Sulfolobus solfataricus acylphosphatase
Authors: de Rosa Matteo , Bemporad Francesco , Pellegrino Sara , Chiti Fabrizio , Bolognesi Martino , Ricagno Stefano
Published: June 2014

β‐proteins are constantly threatened by the risk of aggregation because β‐sheets are inherently structured for edge‐to‐edge interactions. To avoid native‐like aggregation, evolution has resulted in a set of strategies that prevent intermolecular β‐interactions. Acylphosphatase from Sulfolobus solfataricus (Sso AcP) represents a suitable model for the study of such a process. Under conditions promoting aggregation, Sso AcP acquires a native‐like conformational state whereby an unstructured N‐terminal segment interacts with the edge β‐strand B4 of an adjacent Sso AcP molecule. Because B4 is poorly protected against aggregation, this interaction triggers the aggregation cascade without the need for unfolding. Recently, three single Sso AcP mutants (V84D, Y86E and V84P) were designed to engineer additional protection against aggregation in B4 and were observed to successfully impair native‐like aggregation in all three variants at the expense of a lower stability. To understand the structural basis of the reduced aggregation propensity and lower stability, the crystal structures of the Sso AcP variants were determined in the present study. Structural analysis reveals that the V84D and Y86E mutations exert protection by the insertion of an edge negative charge. A conformationally less regular B4 underlies protection against aggregation in the V84P mutant. The thermodynamic basis of instability is discussed. Moreover, kinetic experiments indicate that aggregation of the three mutants is not native‐like and is independent of the interaction between B4 and the unstructured N‐terminal segment. The reported data rationalize previous evidence regarding Sso AcP native‐like aggregation and provide a basis for the design of aggregation‐free proteins.

Database

The atomic coordinates and related experimental data for the Sso AcP mutants V84P, V84D, ΔN11 Y86E have been deposited in the Protein Data Bank under accession numbers 4OJ3, 4OJG and 4OJH, respectively.

Structured digital abstract

• Sso AcP and Sso AcP bind by fluorescence technology (View interaction).
The economics of producing sustainable aviation fuel: a regional case study in Queensland, Australia
Authors: Hayward Jennifer A. , O'Connell Deborah A. , Raison R. John , Warden Andrew C. , O'Connor Michael H. , Murphy Helen T. , Booth Trevor H. , Braid Andrew L. , Crawford Debbie F. , Herr Alexander , Jovanovic Tom , Poole Michael L. , Prestwidge Di , Raisbeck‐Brown Nat , Rye Lucas
Published: June 2014

The airline industry has a strong interest in developing sustainable aviation fuels, in order to reduce their exposure to increasing oil prices and cost liability for greenhouse gas emissions. The feasibility and cost of producing sustainable biomass‐based jet fuels at a sufficient scale to materially address these issues is an enormous challenge. This paper builds directly on the biophysical study by H.T. Murphy, D.A. O'Connell, R.J. Raison, A.C. Warden, T.H. Booth, A. Herr, A.L. Braid, D.F. Crawford, J.A. Hayward, T. Javonovic, J.G. McIvor, M.H. O'Connor, M.L. Poole, D. Prestwidge, N. Raisbeck‐Brown & L. Rye, In review, which examined a 25 year scale‐up strategy to produce 5% of projected jet fuel demand in Australia in 2020 (470 mL) in the Fitzroy region of Queensland, Australia. The strategy was based on the use of a mixed ligno‐cellulosic biomass feedstock and assumed, for the sake of exploring and quantifying the scenario, a simplified two‐step conversion process – conversion of biomass to crude bio‐oil within the region, and upgrade to jet fuel at a central Brisbane facility. This paper provides details on the costs of production in this scenario, focusing on two different strategies for biomass utilization, and two types of novel small–medium scale conversion technologies. The cost analyses have taken into account technology learning curves, different economies of scale and key cost sensitivities. The cost of biomass‐based jet fuels is estimated to be between 0.70 and 1.90 $ L−1 when the efficiency of conversion of biomass to biocrude and subsequently to aviation fuel is varied by ±10% of published values, with an average value of 1.10 $ L−1. This is within the range of the projected 2035 conventional jet fuel price of 1.50 $ L−1. Therefore, biomass‐based jet fuel has the potential to contribute to supply of Australia's jet fuel needs in the future.
Overaccumulation, Public Debt and the Importance of Land
Authors: Homburg Stefan
Published: June 2014

In recent contributions, von Weizsäcker (2014) and Summers (2014) maintain that mature economies accumulate too much capital. They suggest large and lasting public deficits as a remedy. This study argues that overaccumulation cannot occur in an economy with land. It presents novel data of aggregate land values, analyzes the issue within a stochastic framework and conducts an empirical test of overaccumulation.
Impact of visceral fat ratio on sleep‐related erection: A retrospective study of elderly patients
Authors: Takeuchi Motoi , Hisasue Shin‐ichi , Hashimoto Kohei , Tsukamoto Taiji , Masumori Naoya
Published: June 2014

Objectives

To investigate the impact of visceral fat accumulation on the preoperative erectile function of elderly patients undergoing radical prostatectomy.

Methods

A total of 83 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy from August 2005 through August 2013 were included in the present study. Findings at preoperative computed tomography scanning and sleep‐related erection were used to determine the objective erectile function. Sleep‐related erection was measured with an erectometer during at least three nights, and we assessed the maximum penile circumferential change. The visceral fat ratio was calculated as the ratio of the visceral fat area to the total subcutaneous fat area on computed tomography images, and the influence of these parameters on preoperative erectile function was assessed.

Results

In simple linear regression analysis there was a strong correlation between the waist circumference and visceral fat ratio (P < 0.01). A visceral fat ratio of 55% was equivalent to a waist circumference of 85 cm, which is the standard value for central obesity in Japan. Furthermore, the factor that most negatively affected maximum penile circumferential change was the visceral fat ratio. In addition, only a visceral fat ratio of 55% or greater was a significant independent risk factor for declining maximum penile circumferential change in both univariate and multivariate analyses (P = 0.04 and 0.02, respectively).

Conclusions

The present study is the first to show the utility of the visceral fat ratio as an index of central obesity and the relationship with sleep‐related erection in elderly men.
Baseline characteristics and management of patients with atrial fibrillation/flutter in the emergency department: results of a prospective, multicentre registry in China
Authors: Zhang H. , Yang Y. , Zhu J. , Shao X. , Liu Y. , Zhao L. , Yu P. , Zhang H. , He Q. , Gu X.
Published: June 2014

Background/Aim

There have been several studies of atrial fibrillation (AF) over the past decades; however, data from Chinese patients are scarce. The aim of the study was therefore to describe the patient characteristics, risk profile and management strategies for Chinese AF patients presenting to emergency department (ED).

Methods

We conducted a prospective, multicentre registry of patients with AF or atrial flutter (AFL) in China. Participants were enrolled at 20 EDs, then data regarding baseline characteristics and treatment in EDs were collected.

Results

Of the 2016 Chinese patients, 1104 (54.8%) were female. Six hundred eighteen (30.7%) had paroxysmal AF, 452 (22.4%) had persistent AF and 945 (46.9%) had permanent AF. The most common comorbidity was hypertension (55.5%), followed by coronary artery disease (41.8%) and heart failure (HF, 37.4%). The prevalence of concomitant cardiovascular risk factors, such as HF and valvular heart disease, increased as AF progressed. Among the patients with non‐valvular AF, 110 (12.7%) of those with CHADS2 (congestive HF, hypertension, age of 75 years and greater, diabetes mellitus and history of stroke) ≥2 were prescribed oral anticoagulants (OAC), while 119 (15.6%) of those with CHADS2 <2 received such agents. Among the 324 patients with valvular AF, 134 (41.4%) actually were treated with OAC. The international normalised ratio value was within the target range (2.0–3.0) in 96 patients only (26.4%). Moreover, a total of 16.2% of the patients received ≥1 anti‐arrhythmic agents, whereas rate control agents were used more frequently (68.4%).

Conclusions

According to the present study, the risk profile and management of Chinese patients with AF/AFL differed from that observed in previous studies. The use of OAC inadequately deviate from current guidelines.
Venous thromboembolism and underutilisation of anticoagulant thromboprophylaxis in hospitalised patients with inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Dwyer J. P. , Javed A. , Hair C. S. , Moore G. T.
Published: June 2014

Background

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a well‐recognised extra‐intestinal manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Despite the widespread support for anticoagulant prophylaxis in hospitalised IBD patients, the utilisation and efficacy in clinical practice are unknown.

Aims

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and clinical features of VTE among hospitalised IBD patients and ascertain whether appropriate thromboprophylaxis had been administered.

Methods

All patients with a discharge diagnosis of Crohn disease or ulcerative colitis and VTE were retrospectively identified using International Classification of Diseases, tenth revision codes from medical records at our institution from July 1998 to December 2009. Medical records were then reviewed for clinical history and utilisation of thromboprophylaxis. Statistical analysis was performed by Mann–Whitney test and either χ2 tests or Fisher's exact tests.

Results

Twenty‐nine of 3758 (0.8%) IBD admissions suffered VTE, 13 preadmission and 16 during admission. Of these 29 admissions (in 25 patients), 24% required intensive care unit and 10% died. Of the 16 venous thrombotic events that occurred during an admission, eight (50%) did not receive anticoagulant thromboprophylaxis and eight (50%) occurred despite thromboprophylaxis. Most thromboembolism despite prophylaxis occurred post‐intestinal resection (n = 5, 63%).

Conclusion

Thromboprophylaxis is underutilised in half of IBD patients suffering VTE. Prescription of thromboprophylaxis for all hospitalised IBD patients, including dual pharmacological and mechanical prophylaxis in postoperative patients, may lead to a reduction in this preventable complication of IBD.
The Impact of Living‐Wage Ordinances on Urban Crime
Authors: Fernandez Jose , Holman Thomas , Pepper John V.
Published: June 2014

We examine the impact of living wages on crime. Past research has found that living wages appear to increase unemployment while providing greater returns to market work. The impact on crime, therefore, is unclear. Using data on annual crime rates for large cities in the United States, we find that living‐wage ordinances are associated with notable reductions in property‐related crime and no discernable impact on nonproperty crimes.
Fabrication of Fine‐Scale 1–3 Piezoelectric Arrays by Aqueous Gelcasting
Authors: Xie Rui , Zhao Yang , Zhou Kechao , Zhang Dou , Wang Yu , Chan Helen L. W.
Published: June 2014

Soft mold technique combined with a modified gelcasting process was developed to fabricate microscale piezoelectric pillar arrays. This technique involves the fabrication of high‐aspect‐ratio silicon master, generation of negative polydimethylsiloxane mold, and replica molding piezoelectric pillar array by gelcasting. A gelling system based on the polymerization of Hydantion epoxy resin and 3,3′‐Diaminodipropylamine (DPTA) was employed. Weibull analysis revealed that 20.0 wt% Hydantion epoxy resin was the optimized concentration while the highest Weibull modulus and characteristic flexural strength of 14.8 and 90.9 MPa were obtained for lead zirconate titanate sintered bodies, respectively. Excellent piezoelectric pillar arrays with lateral dimensions around 8 μm and aspect ratio higher than five were successfully fabricated.
Impedance Spectroscopy of (Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3–BaTiO3 Based High‐Temperature Dielectrics
Authors: Zang Jiadong , Li Ming , Sinclair Derek C. , Frömling Till , Jo Wook , Rödel Jürgen
Published: June 2014

The dielectric properties of CaZrO3 (CZ) modified 0.94Bi1/2Na1/2TiO3 (BNT)–0.06BaTiO3 (BT) and 0.82(0.94BNT–0.06BT)–0.18(K1/2Na1/2)NbO3 have been investigated by impedance spectroscopy over a wide temperature range. The presence of a highly polarizable phase in addition to a bulk response is revealed by electric modulus (M″) spectra in both systems. The relaxation frequency of the polar phase follows the Vogel–Fulcher law below the Burns temperature which decreases with increasing CZ content. The dc conductivity of the ceramics is dominated by the bulk response which follows the Arrhenius law with an activation energy ranging from 1.4 to 1.7 eV and has an oxygen partial pressure dependence consistent with n‐type semiconductivity. This information is pertinent to on‐going compositional development of relaxor‐based high‐temperature dielectrics.
Simultaneous Laser‐Induced Reduction and Nitrogen Doping of Graphene Oxide in Titanium Oxide/Graphene Oxide Composites
Authors: György Enikö , Pérez del Pino Angel , Logofatu Costantin , Cazan Cristina , Duta Anca
Published: June 2014

Titanium oxide/graphene oxide nanocomposite thin films were grown by ultraviolet (UV)matrix‐assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) technique in controlled oxygen or nitrogen atmospheres. The effect of graphene oxide addition and laser‐induced reduction as well as nitrogen doping on the wetting behavior and photoactive properties of titanium oxide thin films was investigated. Hydrophobic to hydrophilic conversion of titanium oxide films takes place progressively as the relative amount of graphene oxide in theMAPLEcomposite target increases. Nitrogen doping leads to further decrease of the static contact angle of the composite films. The photoactive properties of the synthesized materials were investigated through the evolution of contact angle underUVlight irradiation. Wetting properties of bothTiO2andTiO2/GOnanocomposite thin films improved upon exposure toUVlight.