bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A comprehensive evaluation of CHEK2 germline mutations in men with prostate cancer
Authors: Wu Yishuo , Yu Hongjie , Zheng S. Lilly , Na Rong , Mamawala Mufaddal , Landis Tricia , Wiley Kathleen , Petkewicz Jacqueline , Shah Sameep , Shi Zhuqing , Novakovic Kristian , McGuire Michael , Brendler Charles B. , Ding Qiang , Helfand Brian T. , Carter H. Ballentine , Cooney Kathleen A. , Isaacs William B. , Xu Jianfeng
Published: March 2018

Background

Germline mutations in CHEK2 have been associated with prostate cancer (PCa) risk. Our objective is to examine whether germline pathogenic CHEK2 mutations can differentiate risk of lethal from indolent PCa.

Methods

A case‐case study of 703 lethal PCa patients and 1455 patients with low‐risk localized PCa of European, African, and Chinese origin was performed. Germline DNA samples from these patients were sequenced for CHEK2. Mutation carrier rates and their association with lethal PCa were analyzed using the Fisher exact test and Kaplan‐Meier survival analysis.

Results

In the entire study population, 40 (1.85%) patients were identified as carrying one of 15 different germline CHEK2 pathogenic or likely pathogenic mutations. CHEK2 mutations were detected in 16 (2.28%) of 703 lethal PCa patients compared with 24 (1.65%) of 1455 low‐risk PCa patients (P = 0.31). No association was found between CHEK2 mutation status and early‐diagnosis or PCa‐specific survival time. However, the most common mutation in CHEK2, c.1100delC (p.T367 fs), had a significantly higher carrier rate (1.28%) in lethal PCa patients than low‐risk PCa patients of European American origin (0.16%), P = 0.0038. The estimated Odds Ratio of this mutation for lethal PCa was 7.86. The carrier rate in lethal PCa was also significantly higher than that (0.46%) in 32 461 non‐Finnish European subjects from the Exome Aggregation Consortium (ExAC) (P = 0.01).

Conclusions

While overall CHEK2 mutations were not significantly more common in men with lethal compared to low‐risk PCa, the specific CHEK2 mutation, c.1100delC, appears to contribute to an increased risk of lethal PCa in European American men.
Antiadipogenic effects of a standardized quassinoids‐enriched fraction and eurycomanone from Eurycoma longifolia
Authors: Balan D. , Chan Kit‐Lam , Murugan D. , AbuBakar Sazaly , Wong Pooi‐Fong
Published: March 2018

Bioactive compounds of Eurycoma longifolia (EL) jack were previously shown to reduce omentum fat mass and oestradiol‐induced fatty uterine adhesion in rats. However, the exact role of EL on adipogenesis remains unknown. This study sought to investigate the effects of an EL standardized quassinoids‐enriched fraction (SQEL) and the pure compound, eurycomanone, on adipogenesis in 3T3‐L1 preadipocyte cells. 3T3‐L1 cells were induced to differentiate and treated for 8 days. The treatment reduced intracellular accumulation of lipid droplets and triglycerides in the differentiating adipocytes and induced lipolysis in matured adipocytes. The expressions of adipogenic transcription factors and markers were also significantly downregulated during the early stage of differentiation. Furthermore, SQEL also suppressed body weight gain, decreased epididymal and perirenal fat pad mass and size, and reduced the accumulation of fat in the livers of C57BL/6J mice fed with normal or high‐fat diet that were concurrently given 5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg (i.p) of SQEL for 12 weeks. SQEL also improved glucose intolerance and decreased the elevated total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in these mice groups. These findings suggest that SQEL could be explored as an alternative pharmacologic agent inhibiting adipogenesis for the prevention of obesity.
Thermal regime metrics and quantifying their uncertainty for North American streams
Authors: Jones N. E. , Schmidt B. J.
Published: March 2018

Understanding and characterizing thermal regimes is gaining popularity, but there has been little assessment of the sources and magnitudes of uncertainty among different thermal metrics. Understanding how the quantity of data influence estimates of metrics and the characterization of thermal regime is critical to resource management. We examine the influence of record length on the uncertainty of estimation for commonly used thermal metrics including mean annual maximum and minimum, timing of the annual maximum and minimum, mean annual temperature range, mean weekly maximum temperature, July maximum, minimum, and range. We selected 19 sites from U.S. Geological Survey hydrometric station network to represent stations with both small and large drainage areas across the ecoregions of the contiguous United States with at least 20 years of daily stream temperature data. We also selected 54 sites from Water Survey of Canada's hydrometric network with at least 7 years of sub‐daily data for the province of Ontario. Randomizing a progressively increasing set of years used to calculate estimates of each metric provided the percentile confidence bands that were compared with various thresholds of acceptable certainty. Bootstrap confidence bands quickly decreased in width with increasing record length and approached an acceptable level at an average of 12 years for daily data metrics. Metrics calculated using the sub‐daily data required approximately 3 years of data. The timing of annual minimum and maximum temperatures required the greatest amount of data to reduce bias to an acceptable level.
Shallow and deep water aquatic vegetation potential for a midlatitude pool of the Upper Mississippi River System with drawdown
Authors: Schorg A. J. , Romano S. P.
Published: March 2018

Prior to navigation dam and levee placement, the Upper Mississippi River (UMR) flowed through a wide floodplain supporting a diverse ecosystem. Diversity was created by variable flood frequencies and water flow, but presently high and static water levels supporting river navigation have caused low diversity of aquatic vegetation in locations within the UMR. A pool‐scale water level drawdown was proposed as a wetland management tool to mimic historic low water flow for UMR Navigation Pool 18, between Oquawka and Keithsburg, IL. The objectives of this research are to determine plant species, density, and diversity expected for a drawdown in Pool 18.

A seedbank and propagule assay was used to evaluate drawdown plant species response. Emergence was tested using river bottom substrate samples collected in 2009 from the proposed drawdown area. Samples were treated at two hydrologic levels: shallow (3‐cm depth) and deep (16‐cm depth). Dominant species in the shallow flooded treatment were Gratiola neglecta, Leersia oryzoides, Eleocharis palustris, Sagittaria latifolia, and Ammania coccinea. Deep flooded dominant taxa included G. neglecta, S. latifolia, Vallisneria americana, and A. coccinea. Each treatment indicated a seedbank of moderate diversity with a shallow treatment diversity of D = 0.56 and deep treatment diversity of D = 0.44. Plant density for the shallow flooded treatment was 213 stems/m2 (±112; 95% CI), and deep flooded hydrologic treatment, 206 stems/m2 (±82; 95% CI). It is expected that this drawdown will provide an intermediate ecological disturbance resulting in greater species diversity and density currently lacking in this portion of the Upper Mississippi River System.
Control of functionalization of supports for subsequent assembly of titania nanoparticle films
Authors: Rades Steffi , Borghetti Patrizia , Ortel Erik , Wirth Thomas , Blanco Miren , Gómez Estíbaliz , Martinez Amaia , Jupille Jacques , Martra Gianmario , Hodoroaba Vasile‐Dan
Published: March 2018

For self‐assembling of TiO2 nanoparticles in multiple layers by layer‐by‐layer deposition to be applied to TiO2 thin films with defined and homogeneous thickness for large‐scale applications, the proper functionalization of substrate surface is a prerequisite to guarantee sufficient adhesion. The substrates selected and tested in the present paper were conductive, fluorine‐doped tin oxide (FTO) glass, nonconductive silica glass, and titanium alloy. The current study focusses on the analytical control of the stepwise functionalization of the substrates with 3‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane and glutaraldehyde (GA) for both the FTO glass and silica glass and with 3‐aminepropyl phosphonic acid and GA for Ti alloy. The analyses have been conducted by means of surface sensitive methods, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, and time‐of‐flight secondary ions mass spectrometry. Chemical composition of surface of functionalized substrates shows differences in the degree and type of modification in dependence on substrate. It could be demonstrated that the best functionalized substrates were the conductive FTO glasses. The analysis of the functionalized Ti substrates has revealed that the surface coverage with 3‐aminepropyl phosphonic acid and GA molecules is an inhomogeneous one, and further optimization of the two‐step functionalization on the Ti alloy substrate is necessary.
Self‐Formed Channel Devices Based on Vertically Grown 2D Materials with Large‐Surface‐Area and Their Potential for Chemical Sensor Applications
Authors: Kim Chaeeun , Park Jun‐Cheol , Choi Sun Young , Kim Yonghun , Seo Seung‐Young , Park Tae‐Eon , Kwon Se‐Hun , Cho Byungjin , Ahn Ji‐Hoon
Published: March 2018

2D layered materials with sensitive surfaces are promising materials for use in chemical sensing devices, owing to their extremely large surface‐to‐volume ratios. However, most chemical sensors based on 2D materials are used in the form of laterally defined active channels, in which the active area is limited to the actual device dimensions. Therefore, a novel approach for fabricating self‐formed active‐channel devices is proposed based on 2D semiconductor materials with very large surface areas, and their potential gas sensing ability is examined. First, the vertical growth phenomenon of SnS2 nanocrystals is investigated with large surface area via metal‐assisted growth using prepatterned metal electrodes, and then self‐formed active‐channel devices are suggested without additional pattering through the selective synthesis of SnS2 nanosheets on prepatterned metal electrodes. The self‐formed active‐channel device exhibits extremely high response values (>2000% at 10 ppm) for NO2 along with excellent NO2 selectivity. Moreover, the NO2 gas response of the gas sensing device with vertically self‐formed SnS2 nanosheets is more than two orders of magnitude higher than that of a similar exfoliated SnS2‐based device. These results indicate that the facile device fabrication method would be applicable to various systems in which surface area plays an important role.
Magnesium‐Based Micromotors: Water‐Powered Propulsion, Multifunctionality, and Biomedical and Environmental Applications
Authors: Chen Chuanrui , Karshalev Emil , Guan Jianguo , Wang Joseph
Published: March 2018

The new capabilities and functionalities of synthetic micro/nanomotors open up considerable opportunities for diverse environmental and biomedical applications. Water‐powered micromachines are particularly attractive for realizing many of these applications. Magnesium‐based motors directly use water as fuel to generate hydrogen bubbles for their propulsion, eliminating the requirement of common toxic fuels. This Review highlights the development of new Mg‐based micromotors and discusses the chemistry that makes it extremely attractive for micromotor applications. Understanding these Mg properties and its transient nature is essential for controlling the propulsion efficiency, lifetime, and overall performance. The unique and attractive behavior of Mg offers significant advantages, including efficient water‐powered movement, remarkable biocompatibility, controlled degradation, convenient functionalization, and built‐in acid neutralization ability, and has paved the way for multifunctional micromachines for diverse real‐life applications, including operation in living animals. A wide range of such Mg motor‐based applications, including the detection and destruction of environmental threats, effective in‐vivo cargo delivery, and autonomous release, have been demonstrated. In conclusion, the current challenges, future opportunities, and performance improvements of the Mg‐based micromotors are discussed. With continuous innovation and attention to key challenges, it is expected that Mg‐based motors will have a profound impact on diverse biomedical and environmental applications.
Sexual Violence Through a Social Justice Paradigm: Framing and Applications
Authors: Hong Luoluo , Marine Susan B.
Published: March 2018

In this chapter, we explore the factors that support the occurrence of sexual violence, including the role of interlocking systems of oppression. Traditional conceptions of “prevention” are deconstructed, a social justice paradigm for addressing sexual violence is advanced, and examples of how the paradigm can be applied to practice are described.
Comprehensive Sexual Violence Prevention Education
Authors: Edwards Keith E. , Shea Heather D. , Barboza Barela Amanda‐Rae
Published: March 2018

In this chapter, we outline student learning goals and outcomes and discuss approaches to engaging college students effectively to prevent sexual violence on campus and beyond.
Effects of polyaniline loading and naphthalene surface modifier on properties of conductive polyethylene oxide/polyvinyl chloride/polyaniline films
Authors: Mohd Yazid Mohammed Izzuddeen , Osman Azlin Fazlina , Ghani Supri Abdul , Leng Teh Pei , Mohd Din Siti Hajar
Published: March 2018

The conductive polyethylene oxide/polyvinyl chloride/polyaniline (PEO/PVC/PAni) films were studied in terms of filler loading and the naphthalene effect. The films were fabricated via solution casting using tetrahydrofuran as the solvent at room temperature. The analyses of tensile properties, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electrical conductivity, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis were done on conductive PEO/PVC/PAni films. It is noticeable that the conductive PEO/PVC/PAni/naphthalene films exhibited an average of 10% tensile strength higher and an average of 14% Young's modulus higher compared to the conductive PEO/PVC/PAni films. The presence of naphthalene in the conductive films also improved the electrical conductivity while increasing the films' thermal stability. SEM analysis confirmed that naphthalene in conductive films offers better dispersion of PAni in the conductive PEO/PVC/PAni films. FTIR analysis has further proved that no new functional group was created with the presence of naphthalene. It showed that naphthalene only influence the filler–matrix interfacial adhesion physically. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 24:E186–E193, 2018. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers
Opening the black box of spring water microbiology from alpine karst aquifers to support proactive drinking water resource management
Authors: Savio Domenico , Stadler Philipp , Reischer Georg H. , Kirschner Alexander K.T. , Demeter Katalin , Linke Rita , Blaschke Alfred P. , Sommer Regina , Szewzyk Ulrich , Wilhartitz Inés C. , Mach Robert L. , Stadler Hermann , Farnleitner Andreas H.
Published: March 2018

Over the past 15 years, pioneering interdisciplinary research has been performed on the microbiology of hydrogeologically well‐defined alpine karst springs located in the Northern Calcareous Alps (NCA) of Austria. This article gives an overview on these activities and links them to other relevant research. Results from the NCA springs and comparable sites revealed that spring water harbors abundant natural microbial communities even in aquifers with high water residence times and the absence of immediate surface influence. Apparently, hydrogeology has a strong impact on the concentration and size of the observed microbes, and total cell counts (TCC) were suggested as a useful means for spring type classification. Measurement of microbial activities at the NCA springs revealed extremely low microbial growth rates in the base flow component of the studied spring waters and indicated the importance of biofilm‐associated microbial activities in sediments and on rock surfaces. Based on genetic analysis, the autochthonous microbial endokarst community (AMEC) versus transient microbial endokarst community (TMEC) concept was proposed for the NCA springs, and further details within this overview article are given to prompt its future evaluation. In this regard, it is well known that during high‐discharge situations, surface‐associated microbes and nutrients such as from soil habitats or human settlements—potentially containing fecal‐associated pathogens as the most critical water‐quality hazard—may be rapidly flushed into vulnerable karst aquifers. In this context, a framework for the comprehensive analysis of microbial pollution has been proposed for the NCA springs to support the sustainable management of drinking water safety in accordance with recent World Health Organization guidelines. Near‐real‐time online water quality monitoring, microbial source tracking (MST) and MST‐guided quantitative microbial‐risk assessment (QMRA) are examples of the proposed analytical tools. In this context, this overview article also provides a short introduction to recently emerging methodologies in microbiological diagnostics to support reading for the practitioner. Finally, the article highlights future research and development needs.

This article is categorized under:

Engineering Water > Water, Health, and Sanitation

Science of Water > Water Extremes

Water and Life > Nature of Freshwater Ecosystems
Investigation of heavy metal distributions along 15 m soil profiles using EDXRF, XRD, SEM‐EDX, and ICP‐MS techniques
Authors: Özen Songül Akbulut , Özkalaycı Fatih , Çevik Uğur , Van Grieken Rene
Published: March 2018

The research of soil contamination by heavy metal is an important field due to its environmental and health implications. The goal was to study the elemental mobility as a function of depth. For this reason, the distribution of heavy metals (V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Sn, and Pb) was investigated along soil profiles up to a depth of 15 m at 9 sampling sites in the Nilufer industrial district (Bursa, Turkey). Elemental analyses were done with the Epsilon 5 energy dispersive X‐ray fluorescence and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry equipment. Particle analysis was performed with a JEOL scanning electron microscope equipped with a Si(Li) X‐ray detector. The crystallographic compositions of oxide compounds in soil samples were identified by a Rigaku X‐ray diffraction instrument. Different parameters such as the soil's chemical (mineralogical structure, pH, and electrical conductivity) and physical properties (the number of blows, the stiffness index, the liquidity index, the plasticity index, and the water content) were analyzed. To assess the mobility of the heavy metals, diffusion (D) and convection coefficients (ʋ) were calculated with the finite difference method. Convection was determined to dominate the studied region. In addition, the mobility coefficient was determined for each metal. High mobilities were determined for Zn and V, moderate mobilities for Cr, Ni, Cu, and As, and low mobilities were determined for Co and Pb. The results revealed that elements had reached depths of up to 15 m, causing irreversible soil contamination that may lead to environmental health issues.
Benchmarking Measures of Network Controllability on Canonical Graph Models
Authors: Wu-Yan Elena , Betzel Richard F. , Tang Evelyn , Gu Shi , Pasqualetti Fabio , Bassett Danielle S.
Published: March 2018

The control of networked dynamical systems opens the possibility for new discoveries and therapies in systems biology and neuroscience. Recent theoretical advances provide candidate mechanisms by which a system can be driven from one pre-specified state to another, and computational approaches provide tools to test those mechanisms in real-world systems. Despite already having been applied to study network systems in biology and neuroscience, the practical performance of these tools and associated measures on simple networks with pre-specified structure has yet to be assessed. Here, we study the behavior of four control metrics (global, average, modal, and boundary controllability) on eight canonical graphs (including Erdős–Rényi, regular, small-world, random geometric, Barábasi–Albert preferential attachment, and several modular networks) with different edge weighting schemes (Gaussian, power-law, and two nonparametric distributions from brain networks, as examples of real-world systems). We observe that differences in global controllability across graph models are more salient when edge weight distributions are heavy-tailed as opposed to normal. In contrast, differences in average, modal, and boundary controllability across graph models (as well as across nodes in the graph) are more salient when edge weight distributions are less heavy-tailed. Across graph models and edge weighting schemes, average and modal controllability are negatively correlated with one another across nodes; yet, across graph instances, the relation between average and modal controllability can be positive, negative, or nonsignificant. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that controllability statistics (and their relations) differ across graphs with different topologies and that these differences can be muted or accentuated by differences in the edge weight distributions. More generally, our numerical studies motivate future analytical efforts to better understand the mathematical underpinnings of the relationship between graph topology and control, as well as efforts to design networks with specific control profiles.
Focus on fatty acids in the neurometabolic pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders
Authors: Mocking R. J. T. , Assies J. , Ruhé H. G. , Schene A. H.
Published: March 2018

Continuous research into the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders, such as major depressive disorder (MDD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and schizophrenia, suggests an important role for metabolism. This narrative review will provide an up‐to‐date summary of how metabolism is thought to be involved in the pathophysiology of these psychiatric disorders. We will focus on (I) the important role of fatty acids in these metabolic alterations, (II) whether fatty acid alterations represent epiphenomena or risk factors, and (III) similarities and dissociations in fatty acid alterations between different psychiatric disorders. (Historical) epidemiological evidence links fatty acid intake to psychiatric disorder prevalence, corroborated by altered fatty acid concentrations measured in psychiatric patients. These fatty acid alterations are connected with other concomitant pathophysiological mechanisms, including biological stress (hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA)‐axis and oxidative stress), inflammation, and brain network structure and function. Metabolomics and lipidomics studies are underway to more deeply investigate this complex network of associated neurometabolic alterations. Supplementation of fatty acids as disease‐modifying nutraceuticals has clinical potential, particularly add‐on eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in depressed patients with markers of increased inflammation. However, by interpreting the observed fatty acid alterations as partly (mal)adaptive phenomena, we attempt to nuance translational expectations and provide new clinical applications for these novel neurometabolic insights, e.g., to predict treatment response or depression recurrence. In conclusion, placing fatty acids in context can contribute to further understanding and optimized treatment of psychiatric disorders, in order to diminish their overwhelming burden of disease.
A Novel Approach for Controlling the Band Formation in Medium Mn Steels
Authors: Farahani H. , Xu W. , van der Zwaag S.
Published: March 2018

Formation of the microstructural ferrite/pearlite bands in medium Mn steels is an undesirable phenomenon commonly addressed through fast cooling treatments. In this study, a novel approach using the cyclic partial phase transformation concept is applied successfully to prevent microstructural band formation in a micro-chemically banded Fe-C-Mn-Si steel. The effectiveness of the new approach is assessed using the ASTM E1268-01 standard. The cyclic intercritical treatments lead to formation of isotropic microstructures even for cooling rates far below the critical one determined in conventional continuous cooling. In contrast, isothermal intercritical experiments have no effect on the critical cooling rate to suppress microstructural band formation. The origin of the suppression of band formation either by means of fast cooling or a cyclic partial phase transformation is investigated in detail. Theoretical modeling and microstructural observations confirm that band formation is suppressed only if the intercritical annealing treatment leads to partial reversion of the austenite-ferrite interfaces. The resulting interfacial Mn enrichment is responsible for suppression of the band formation upon final cooling at low cooling rates.
Testing for control system interdependence with structural equation modeling: Conceptual developments and evidence on the levers of control framework
Authors: Johansson Tobias
Published: March 2018

This article deals with how to test for and evaluate interdependence among control practices in a management control system using structural equation modeling. Empirical research on the levers of control (LOC) framework is used as an example. In LOC research, a path model approach to interdependence has been developed. The appropriateness of this approach is evaluated, developed, and compared with the correlation of residuals approach (seemingly unrelated regression) implemented in the wider complementarity literature. Empirical examples of the different models are shown and compared by using a data set on LOC of 120 SBUs in Sweden. The empirical results show that modeling interdependence among control practices in a management control system as non-recursive (bi-directional) paths or as residual correlations evidently affects the conclusions drawn about interdependence in terms of both presence and magnitude. The two models imply different views on how to conceptualize interdependence and are not statistically and empirically comparable. If using non-recursive path models, several model specification issues appear. To be able to identify such models, this needs to be carefully considered in the theory and research design prior to data collection.
Communication mechanism of the discrete event simulation and the mechanical project softwares for manufacturing systems
Authors: Laurindo Quézia Manuela Gonçalves , Peixoto Túlio Almeida , Rangel João José de Assis
Published: March 2018

This paper presents an integration mechanism for online communication between a discrete event simulation (DES) software and a system dynamics (SD) software. The integration between them allowed executing a hybrid and broader simulation, in which the complexity of the systems and their multi-faceted relationships may demand the combination of different simulation methods and the synergies between the techniques. The Ururau free and open-source software (FOSS) was applied to implement the DES model. In order to build the dynamic model, we used the software for mechanical design called CAD 3D Software Inventor®. Besides, we also employed the DES model in the test step of a control system in real time. The results of that mechanism implementation enabled the evaluation of different aspects of a typical manufacturing system. Furthermore, the integration between the control system and the DES model allowed validating the logic of the programmable logic controller (PLC).

Highlights Mechanism for online communication between a discrete event simulation (DES) software and a system dynamics (SD) software. A free and open-source software (FOSS) was applied to implement the DES model. The results of that mechanism implementation enabled the evaluation of different aspects of a typical manufacturing system.
MODELLING INSURANCE LOSSES USING CONTAMINATED GENERALISED BETA TYPE-II DISTRIBUTION
Authors: Chan J.S.K. , Choy S.T.B. , Makov U.E. , Landsman Z.
Published: March 2018

The four-parameter distribution family, the generalised beta type-II (GB2), also known as the transformed beta distribution, has been proposed for modelling insurance losses. As special cases, this family nests many distributions with light and heavy tails, including the lognormal, gamma, Weibull, Burr and generalised gamma distributions. This paper extends the GB2 family to thecontaminatedGB2 family, which offers many flexible features, including bimodality and a wide range of skewness and kurtosis. Properties of the contaminated distribution are derived and evaluated in a simulation study and the suitability of the contaminated GB2 distribution for actuarial purposes is demonstrated through two real loss data sets. Analysis of tail quantiles for the data suggests large differences in extreme quantile estimates for different loss distribution assumptions, showing that the selection of appropriate distributions has a significant impact for insurance companies.
Plato on Virtuous Leadership: An Ancient Model for Modern Business
Authors: Bauman David C.
Published: March 2018

The business ethics and leadership literature has paid little attention to the analysis of virtue in the Socratic dialogues, but Plato’s account of virtue and persuasion offer relevant insights for business leaders. In the Republic, Plato’s description of five types of leaders offers a new perspective on leadership selection and development using the moral psychology of both virtuous and non-virtuous leaders. In this article, I explain Plato’s account of virtue and knowledge, his three-part moral psychology, the four cardinal virtues that virtuous leaders develop, and his continuum of five leader types. I apply Plato’s model to leadership issues in today’s corporate world and explain how the model can guide leaders, board members, and investors.
Opposite-Sex Relationship Questionnaire for Male Adolescents: Development and Psychometric Evaluation
Authors: Bahrami Nasim , Sibmar Masoumeh , Vedadhir AbouAli , Majd Hamid Alavi , Parker Averil
Published: March 2018

We used a mixed-methods, sequential, exploratory design. In the qualitative phase, an in-depth interview approach was used to identify the properties and dimensions to be included in the Opposite-Sex Relationship Questionnaire for Male Adolescents (OSRQMA). In the quantitative phase, the psychometric properties of the OSRQMA were evaluated according to the concepts of face, content, and construct validity. Reliability and stability were assessed with Cronbach's alpha (α) and McDonald's coefficient omega (ω), and with test–retest analysis respectively. A preliminary questionnaire was developed, including 61 items that emerged from the qualitative phase of the study. Based on the impact scores for face validity, and the cutoff points for the content validity ratio (CVR) and content validity index (CVI), the preliminary questionnaire was reduced to 53 items. The Kaiser criteria (eigenvalues >1) and scree plot tests demonstrated that 22 items forming four factors, which were labelled ‘innate predilection’, ‘abstinence’, ‘family attitudes’, and ‘peer pressure’, were optimum, accounting for an estimated 53.449% of the variance. These scales had acceptable levels of internal consistency (α = .854, ω = 0.977) and stability (r = .892, p < .001).
‘Reserved Ratification’: An Analysis of States’ Entry of Reservations Upon Ratification of Human Rights Treaties
Authors: McKibben Heather Elko , Western Shaina D.
Published: March 2018

Governing elites often ratify human rights treaties, even when their policies do not align with those treaties’ obligations. This article argues that this can be explained by the fact that executives anticipate the potential challenges these treaties could raise vis-à-vis their domestic policies and enter different types of reservations when they ratify to head them off. The types of reservations they use depend on key characteristics of the executive’s policies and practices, as well as its relationship with the legislative and judicial branches. Domestic actors can raise different types of challenges against the executive depending on variations in these key factors. The types of reservations executives use will therefore vary depending on the specific challenges ratification raises for them. Using an original dataset of the reservations states entered on human rights treaties registered with the United Nations, and employing an event history analysis, this study shows that the particular challenges treaties present for executives in different types of states help explain variation in how they use reservations when they ratify human rights treaties.
Variations in abundance and diversity of phytoplankton in the surface waters of the Golden Horn Estuary (Sea of Marmara)
Authors: Dursun Fuat , Tas Seyfettin
Published: March 2018

The abundance pattern and species diversity of phytoplankton in the surface waters of the Golden Horn Estuary were investigated between August 2011 and July 2012 in relation to environmental factors. Seventy-eight phytoplankton taxa (38 diatoms, 30 dinoflagellates and 10 phytoflagellates) belonging to eight taxonomic classes were identified in bottle and net samples. Phytoplankton abundance increased in spring and summer (from March to August) and reached its highest (10,429 × 103cells L−1) during the bloom ofHeterosigma akashiwo(Raphidophyceae) in the middle and upper estuary in late May. In general, phytoplankton abundance was higher in the middle estuary indicating more suitable conditions for phytoplankton growth, while species richness and diversity was higher in the lower estuary. The most abundant species wereSkeletonema marinoiandThalassiosirasp. among diatoms;Scrippsiella trochoideaamong dinoflagellates;Plagioselmis prolongaandHeterosigma akashiwoamong phytoflagellates. Diatoms were more abundant in the lower and middle estuary, while dinoflagellates and phytoflagellates in the upper estuary. The main factors causing the spatio-temporal variation of phytoplankton in the study area were temperature, salinity, water transparency and nutrients. Water transparency in the upper estuary is mostly influenced by organic and inorganic matter carried by two streams. As a result, this area should be considered a potential risk area for future algal blooms.
Evaluating concurrent design approaches for a Delta parallel manipulator
Authors: Botello-Aceves Salvador , Valdez S. Ivvan , Becerra Héctor M. , Hernandez Eusebio
Published: March 2018

This paper addresses the problem of optimal mechanisms design, for the geometric structure and control parameters of mechanisms with complex kinematics, which is one of the most intricate problems in contemporary robot modeling. The problem is stated by means of task requirements and performance constraints, which are specified in terms of the end-effector's position and orientation to accomplish the task. Usually, this problem does not fulfill the characteristics needed to use gradient-based optimization algorithms. In order to circumvent this issue, we introduce case studies of optimization models using evolutionary algorithms (EAs), which deal with the concurrent optimization of both: structure and control parameters. We define and review several optimization models based on the workspace, task and dexterity requirements, such that they guarantee an adequate performance under a set of operating and joint constraints, for a Delta parallel manipulator. Then, we apply several methodologies that can approximate optimal designs. Additionally, we compare the EAs with a quasi-Newton method (the BFGS), in order to show that the last kind of methods is not capable of solving the problem if the initial point is not very close to a local optimum. The results provide directions about the best state-of-the-art EA for addressing different design problems.
The Purrification of English: Meowlogisms in Online Communities
Authors: Podhovnik Edith
Published: March 2018

In July 2016, the British media covered the events in Whitehall from the viewpoint of cats. Larry, the Number 10 Downing Street cat, along with his feline colleagues Palmerston, Gladstone and Evie, made the news when the coverage of British politics was transferred to the street fights of competing tomcats Larry, Palmerston, and Gladstone. Headlines included: ‘The feline fight for Downing Street: Larry and Palmerston face-off to be the top cat of No 10’ (Burrows, 2016) in The Daily Mail; ‘Gladstone the cat lands Treasury job’ (‘Gladstone the Cat Lands Treasury Job’, 2016) on the BBC; ‘Gladstone the cat gives Treasury some paws for thought’ (Walker, 2016) in The Guardian; and ‘Cat & Mouser. Foreign Office moggie in stand off with Larry at No10 as bid for power continues’ (Foxton & Pettitt, 2016) in The Sun.
Généalogie de l'Anthropocène: La fin du risque et des limites
Authors: Charbonnier Pierre
Published: March 2018

Cet article vise à éclairer l’émergence du concept d'Anthropocène dans les sciences sociales et la philosophie contemporaines. Il inscrit cette notion dans le contexte assez large d'une crise de ces savoirs, désormais confrontés à la nécessité de considérer le changement climatique global à la fois comme un socle empirique et comme un horizon politique incontournable. Cette réflexion repose sur une hypothèse : l'organisation des savoirs relatifs aux relations entre modernité et nature a été profondément bouleversée dans la dernière décennie, et les concepts sur lesquels reposaient ces savoirs, le risque et la limite, ont dû être réaménagés. En effet, concevoir le présent à travers le concept d'Anthropocène suppose que la rationalité du risque, c'est-à-dire la suspension de l'autonomie politique moderne, et l'idée d'une limitation fondamentale du développement matériel ne peuvent plus être dissociées. Cette hypothèse permet d'envisager la configuration épistémologique dans laquelle nous nous trouvons et d'en discuter quelques aspects.
L’écologie politique et la politique moderne
Authors: Karsenti Bruno
Published: March 2018

L'exigence de politisation de l’écologie qui s'accuse toujours plus aujourd'hui suppose que l'on soit en mesure de conduire une critique de la politique moderne, reprise dans ses concepts fondamentaux et dans son histoire. Cette thèse, développée dans le dernier livre de Bruno Latour, Face à Gaïa, laisse ouverte la question de savoir quel type de critique est le mieux adapté à cette fin. Cet article se propose de la traiter en suivant les lignes argumentatives de l'ouvrage et la recomposition des rapports entre science, politique et religion à laquelle il procède. Constitutifs de l'expérience de la modernité, ces rapports apparaissent différemment selon la conception des collectifs que l'on privilégie et la façon dont on appréhende leur ancrage environnemental. À la différence de B. Latour, la thèse défendue ici considère que c'est dans le cadre des sociétés modernes, prises comme des collectifs foncièrement originaux et dotés d'une histoire déformée et méconnue par l'idéologie moderniste, que la conception de la justice proprement écologique doit nécessairement se formuler. L'enjeu de la critique requise en vue de la politisation de l’écologie est de déterminer autrement les acteurs impliqués dans la crise environnementale, en repartant des liens spécifiques que la modernité a noués entre les sociétés, des formes d'auto-compréhension que celles-ci sécrètent en se développant et des attentes de justice qui en résultent.
Le dépôt en foire au début de l’époque moderne: Transfert de crédit et financement du commerce
Authors: Matringe Nadia
Published: March 2018

À partir des archives privées d'une banque marchande de premier plan au xvie siècle (la maison Salviati de Lyon), cet article apporte un éclairage sur un important instrument de financement du commerce au début de l’époque moderne : le dépôt en foire. Si l'histoire financière a souvent fait du dépôt bancaire et des activités des banques d'affaires des sujets d’étude distincts, cet article démontre qu'un type spécifique de dépôt bancaire a émergé au xvie siècle sur les places de foire, en lien étroit avec les activités de banque d'affaires et le commerce international. Il apparaît que le dépôt en foire, tel que révélé par l'analyse des livres de la maison Salviati, est tout à la fois un instrument de compensation et un instrument de crédit, et qu'il participe largement au financement des grands échanges commerciaux européens. Le crédit, issu principalement du commerce international et de la banque, s'y trouvait ainsi immédiatement réinjecté. Les investissements étaient stimulés par les nombreux avantages qu'offraient les foires de Lyon, notamment la licéité du prêt avec intérêt, les options d'investissement et les possibilités d'achats et de transferts rapides. Les prêts aux hommes d'affaires locaux et étrangers stimulaient le commerce des marchandises et, surtout, le change, en conférant à Lyon une position unique dans le système du commerce et des changes en Europe. Cette forme de dépôt bancaire était étroitement liée au développement des banques d'affaires qui travaillaient principalement sur commission et en tiraient des bénéfices substantiels, sans pour autant se spécialiser dans le dépôt ni même devenir des banques de dépôt.
Recommendations for the configuration of a cardiac catheterisation laboratory for the treatment of children with CHD
Authors: Krasemann Thomas , Berger Felix , Liuba Petru , Thomson John
Published: March 2018

A modern catheter laboratory for the treatment of children with CHD should be in close proximity to the paediatric ICU, operating theatres, and imaging facilities. Space requirements and equipment for an up-to-date catheter laboratory are discussed. The document was endorsed by the council of the Association of European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiologists.
The Japanese House
Authors: Tozer Luke
Published: March 2018

Western fascination with Japan and Japanese design is long established. The popularity of the recent exhibition The Japanese House: Architecture and Life After 1945 at London's Barbican illustrates that this fascination remains. This ‘blockbuster’ review of postwar domestic Japanese Architecture, supported by The Japan Foundation and previously hosted at MAXXI, National Museum of 21st Century Arts, Rome, responds to an enormous challenge: to try to account for the range and diversity of architectural approaches to domestic design within the broader contexts of traditional Japanese architecture and national life after 1945.

The seven decades covered in the exhibition span postwar reconstruction, rapid economic expansion, bubble-era boom and bust, and deflationary stagnation, brought up to the present day. Material is organised ‘genealogically’ rather than chronologically, drawing together certain threads and traditions. It makes connections across time periods to suggest how the design of the Japanese house has dealt with sociological changes over this period, from the fracturing of the nuclear family and an increase in single-person households to an ageing population.
An experimental analysis of modifications to the survivor benefit information within the Social Security statement
Authors: DIEBOLD JEFFREY , CAMILLERI SUSAN
Published: March 2018

The Social Security Statement is the primary resource most workers prefer to use to learn about their Social Security benefits. The Social Security Administration periodically mails this and supporting documents to all workers to help them make informed decisions about when to start receiving their benefits. Understandably, the Statement provides detailed information about the worker's retirement benefit. However, these documents contain remarkably little information about the survivor benefit despite the financial importance of this particular auxiliary benefit to the widows of deceased workers in widowhood. We analyze the effect of modifications to the survivor benefit information in the Statement on benefit knowledge and expected claiming behavior of married men using an experimental survey of workers. The results provide evidence that the augmentation of this information can temporarily improve benefit knowledge and influence expected claim ages.
Care gap: a comprehensive measure to quantify unmet needs in mental health
Authors: Pathare S. , Brazinova A. , Levav I.
Published: March 2018

Aim.

Treatment gap refers to the percentage of individuals who require treatment in a country or a defined community but do not receive it due to various reasons. There is widespread acceptance of ‘treatment gap’ as a measure of unmet needs in mental health. However, the term ‘treatment’ carries a medical connotation and implies biomedical treatment (or lack of it) of mental illness and is often interpreted by policymakers, planners and researchers, as well as by non-professional stakeholders as exclusively referring to curative clinical psychiatric interventions. This common interpretation results in the exclusion of a range of effective psychosocial interventions available today. Treatment gap also does not include physical health services for persons with mental illness, a major concern due to the relative frequent yet highly unattended physical comorbidity and early mortality of persons with severe mental illness.

Methods & Results.

We, therefore, propose a more comprehensive measure of unmet needs.
Skipping Breakfast Affects the Early Steps of Cognitive Processing
Authors: González-Garrido Andrés Antonio , Brofman-Epelbaum Jacobo José , Gómez-Velázquez Fabiola Reveca , Balart-Sánchez Sebastián Agustín , Ramos-Loyo Julieta
Published: March 2018

Abstract. It has been generally accepted that skipping breakfast adversely affects cognition, mainly disturbing the attentional processes. However, the effects of short-term fasting upon brain functioning are still unclear. We aimed to evaluate the effect of skipping breakfast on cognitive processing by studying the electrical brain activity of young healthy individuals while performing several working memory tasks. Accordingly, the behavioral results and event-related brain potentials (ERPs) of 20 healthy university students (10 males) were obtained and compared through analysis of variances (ANOVAs), during the performance of three n-back working memory (WM) tasks in two morning sessions on both normal (after breakfast) and 12-hour fasting conditions. Significantly fewer correct responses were achieved during fasting, mainly affecting the higher WM load task. In addition, there were prolonged reaction times with increased task difficulty, regardless of breakfast intake. ERP showed a significant voltage decrement for N200 and P300 during fasting, while the amplitude of P200 notably increased. The results suggest skipping breakfast disturbs earlier cognitive processing steps, particularly attention allocation, early decoding in working memory, and stimulus evaluation, and this effect increases with task difficulty.
Twisted photons: new quantum perspectives in high dimensions
Authors: Erhard Manuel , Fickler Robert , Krenn Mario , Zeilinger Anton
Published: March 2018

Twisted photons can be used as alphabets to encode information beyond one bit per single photon. This ability offers great potential for quantum information tasks, as well as for the investigation of fundamental questions. In this review article, we give a brief overview of the theoretical differences between qubits and higher dimensional systems, qudits, in different quantum information scenarios. We then describe recent experimental developments in this field over the past three years. Finally, we summarize some important experimental and theoretical questions that might be beneficial to understand better in the near future.