bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of seagrass loss and subsequent revegetation on carbon sequestration and stocks
Authors: Marbà Núria , Arias‐Ortiz Ariane , Masqué Pere , Kendrick Gary A. , Mazarrasa Inés , Bastyan Geoff R. , Garcia‐Orellana Jordi , Duarte Carlos M.
Published: January 2015

Seagrass meadows are sites of high rates of carbon sequestration and they potentially support ‘blue carbon’ strategies to mitigate anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Current uncertainties on the fate of carbon stocks following the loss or revegetation of seagrass meadows prevent the deployment of ‘blue carbon’ strategies.

Here, we reconstruct the trajectories of carbon stocks associated with one of the longest monitored seagrass restoration projects globally. We demonstrate that sediment carbon stocks erode following seagrass loss and that revegetation projects effectively restore seagrass carbon sequestration capacity. We combine carbon chronosequences with 210Pb dating of seagrass sediments in a meadow that experienced losses until the end of 1980s and subsequent serial revegetation efforts.

Inventories of excess 210Pb in seagrass sediments revealed that its accumulation, and thus sediments, coincided with the presence of seagrass vegetation. They also showed that the upper sediments eroded in areas that remained devoid of vegetation after seagrass loss. Seagrass revegetation enhanced autochthonous and allochthonous carbon deposition and burial. Carbon burial rates increased with the age of the restored sites, and 18 years after planting, they were similar to that in continuously vegetated meadows (26.4 ± 0.8 gCorg m−2 year−1).

Synthesis. The results presented here demonstrate that loss of seagrass triggers the erosion of historic carbon deposits and that revegetation effectively restores seagrass carbon sequestration capacity. Thus, conservation and restoration of seagrass meadows are effective strategies for climate change mitigation.
Cameron's Conservatism: Why God, Why Now?
Authors: McANULLA STUART
Published: January 2015

In recent months David Cameron has emphasised both his personal religious faith and the ongoing importance of Christianity and religion in Britain. This article seeks to explain why Cameron has made increasing reference to religious themes, and examines the extent to which they have been reflected in the approach of the current Coalition government. It is argued that Cameron's references to religion have been indicative of still tentative attempts to reaffirm, and in respects redefine, the role of Christianity and faith in British public life in response to the pressures of greater secularisation, religious pluralism and vocal challenges to religious privilege.
The politics of healthcare informatics: knowledge management using an electronic medical record system
Authors: Bar‐Lev Shirly
Published: January 2015

The design and implementation of an electronic medical record system pose significant epistemological and practical complexities. Despite optimistic assessments of their potential contribution to the quality of care, their implementation has been problematic, and their actual employment in various clinical settings remains controversial. Little is known about how their use actually mediates knowing. Employing a variety of qualitative research methods, this article attempts an answer by illustrating how omitting, editing and excessive reporting were employed as part of nurses' and physicians' political efforts to shape knowledge production and knowledge sharing in a technologically mediated healthcare setting.
A rapid enzymatic assay for high‐throughput screening of adenosine‐producing strains
Authors: Dong Huina , Zu Xin , Zheng Ping , Zhang Dawei
Published: January 2015

Adenosine is a major local regulator of tissue function and industrially useful as precursor for the production of medicinal nucleoside substances. High‐throughput screening of adenosine overproducers is important for industrial microorganism breeding. An enzymatic assay of adenosine was developed by combined adenosine deaminase (ADA) with indophenol method. The ADA catalyzes the cleavage of adenosine to inosine and NH3, the latter can be accurately determined by indophenol method. The assay system was optimized to deliver a good performance and could tolerate the addition of inorganic salts and many nutrition components to the assay mixtures. Adenosine could be accurately determined by this assay using 96‐well microplates. Spike and recovery tests showed that this assay can accurately and reproducibly determine increases in adenosine in fermentation broth without any pretreatment to remove proteins and potentially interfering low‐molecular‐weight molecules. This assay was also applied to high‐throughput screening for high adenosine‐producing strains. The high selectivity and accuracy of the ADA assay provides rapid and high‐throughput analysis of adenosine in large numbers of samples.
Structural conservation of chemotaxis machinery across Archaea and Bacteria
Authors: Briegel Ariane , Ortega Davi R. , Huang Audrey N. , Oikonomou Catherine M. , Gunsalus Robert P. , Jensen Grant J.
Published: January 2015

Chemotaxis allows cells to sense and respond to their environment. In Bacteria, stimuli are detected by arrays of chemoreceptors that relay the signal to a two‐component regulatory system. These arrays take the form of highly stereotyped super‐lattices comprising hexagonally packed trimers‐of‐receptor‐dimers networked by rings of histidine kinase and coupling proteins. This structure is conserved across chemotactic Bacteria, and between membrane‐bound and cytoplasmic arrays, and gives rise to the highly cooperative, dynamic nature of the signalling system. The chemotaxis system, absent in eukaryotes, is also found in Archaea, where its structural details remain uncharacterized. Here we provide evidence that the chemotaxis machinery was not present in the last archaeal common ancestor, but rather was introduced in one of the waves of lateral gene transfer that occurred after the branching of Eukaryota but before the diversification of Euryarchaeota. Unlike in Bacteria, the chemotaxis system then evolved largely vertically in Archaea, with very few subsequent successful lateral gene transfer events. By electron cryotomography, we find that the structure of both membrane‐bound and cytoplasmic chemoreceptor arrays is conserved between Bacteria and Archaea, suggesting the fundamental importance of this signalling architecture across diverse prokaryotic lifestyles.
Concentrated Trading and Order Execution Costs
Authors: Garvey Ryan , Huang Tao , Wu Fei
Published: January 2015

Prior studies indicate that investors who hold more concentrated investment portfolios perform better. In our paper, we examine whether concentration benefits occur in trading settings. We find that US traders who focus on fewer stocks pay lower order execution costs. Concentrated trading behavior is correlated across different dimensions. Traders who concentrate on a smaller number of stocks also concentrate in fewer market centers, at particular times of the day, and on certain order types. Our results suggest that trading costs vary across market participants, and that by focusing on a smaller subset of securities, traders gain advantages for order execution.
Integrative population pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic dose finding approach of the new camptothecin compound namitecan (ST1968)
Authors: Joerger M. , Hess D. , Delmonte A. , Gallerani E. , Fasolo A. , Gianni L. , Cresta S. , Barbieri P. , Pace S. , Sessa C.
Published: January 2015

Aims

Namitecan is a new camptothecan compound undergoing early clinical development. This study was initiated to build an integrated pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) population model of namitecan to guide future clinical development.

Methods

Plasma concentration–time data, neutrophils and thrombocytes were pooled from two phase 1 studies in 90 patients with advanced solid tumours, receiving namitecan as a 2 h infusion on days 1 and 8 every 3 weeks (D1,8) (n = 34), once every 3 weeks (D1) (n = 29) and on 3 consecutive days (D1–3) (n = 27). A linear three compartment PK model was coupled to a semiphysiological PD‐model for neutrophils and thrombocytes. Data simulations were used to interrogate various dosing regimens and give dosing recommendations.

Results

Clearance was estimated to be 0.15 l h–1, with a long terminal half‐life of 48 h. Body surface area was not associated with clearance, supporting flat‐dosing of namitecan. A significant and clinically relevant association was found between namitecan area under the concentration–time curve (AUC) and the percentage drop of neutrophils (r2 = 0.51, P < 10−4) or thrombocytes (r2 = 0.49, P < 10−4). With a target for haematological dose‐limiting toxicity of <20%, the recommended dose was defined as 12.5 mg for the D1,8 regimen, 23 mg for the once every 3 week regimen and 7 mg for the D1–3 regimen.

Conclusion

This is the first integrated population PK–PD analysis of the new hydrophilic topoisomerase I inhibitor namitecan, that is currently undergoing early clinical development. A distinct relationship was found between drug exposure and haematological toxicity, supporting flat‐dosing once every 3 weeks as the most adequate dosing regimen.
Reading Level and Length of Written Research Consent Forms
Authors: Larson Elaine , Foe Gabriella , Lally Rachel
Published: January 2015

In 100 Institutional Review Board approved consent forms (CFs), we assessed pages, reading levels, and whether they included essential elements. CF page numbers ranged from 3 to 28 (mean, 10.3) and readability ranged from grades 5.6 to 28.9 (mean, 11.6). The CF mean score for including essential elements was 90.8% (range: 63.5–100%). There were no significant differences by specialty in number of pages (p = 0.053), but surgical specialties had the highest readability (mean, 13.1), and pediatrics the lowest (10.5), p = 0.008. While approved CFs generally included the Office for Human Research Protections recommended essential elements, they were very long, and even pediatric forms, which had the lowest reading levels, were written on average at a tenth grade level. Researchers need guidance to resolve pressure between regulatory mandates and guidelines and “keeping it simple and clear.”
Endogenous elevation of plasma cholecystokinin does not prevent gallstones
Authors: Shahid Rafiq A. , Wang David Q.‐H. , Fee Brian E. , McCall Shannon J. , Romac Joelle M.‐J. , Vigna Steven R. , Liddle Rodger A.
Published: January 2015

Background

Regular gall bladder contraction reduces bile stasis and prevents gallstone formation. Intraduodenal administration of exogenous pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor‐I (PSTI‐I, also known as monitor peptide) causes cholecystokinin (CCK) secretion.

Design

We proposed that stimulation of CCK release by PSTI would produce gall bladder contraction and prevent gallstones in mice fed a lithogenic diet. Therefore, we tested the effect of overexpression of rat PSTI‐I in pancreatic acinar cells on plasma CCK levels and gall bladder function in a transgenic mouse line (TgN[Psti1]; known hereafter as PSTI‐I tg).

Results

Importantly, PSTI tg mice had elevated fasting and fed plasma CCK levels compared to wild‐type (WT) mice. Only mice fed the lithogenic diet developed gallstones. Both fasting and stimulated plasma CCK levels were substantially reduced in both WT and PSTI‐I tg mice on the lithogenic diet. Moreover, despite higher CCK levels PSTI‐I tg animals developed more gallstones than WT animals.

Conclusions

Together with the previously observed decrease in CCK‐stimulated gall bladder emptying in mice fed a lithogenic diet, our findings suggest that a lithogenic diet causes gallstone formation by impaired CCK secretion in addition to reduced gall bladder sensitivity to CCK.
Unskilled wage gaps within the Japanese Empire
Authors: Cha Myung Soo
Published: January 2015

This study calculates the cost of subsistence and respectability consumption baskets to derive ‘welfare ratios’ for 11 cities in the Japanese Empire as defined by Allen and his colleagues. Nominal wages tended to be higher where higher prices prevailed, and vice versa. Prices and nominal wages remained highest in Japan and lowest in Manchuria, with Korea and Taiwan being placed in between. Welfare ratios remained roughly comparable in the 1910s in the imperial cities outside Manchuria, where unskilled workers enjoyed substantially higher living standards. Interwar decades saw real wages rise in Tokyo, but fall in Dalian, which caused convergence in workers' income levels. Wage divergence occurred within Manchuria, as workers in Shenyang and Changchun enjoyed an improving welfare ratio. Real wages rose more slowly in Korean and Taiwanese than in Japanese cities. Replacing a subsistence lifestyle with a ‘respectable’ lifestyle yields a significantly different picture of the evolution of the real wage gap within the empire, which contradicts findings reported by existing studies in important respects.
Crop yield response to climate change varies with cropping intensity
Authors: Challinor Andrew J. , Parkes Ben , Ramirez‐Villegas Julian
Published: January 2015

Projections of the response of crop yield to climate change at different spatial scales are known to vary. However, understanding of the causes of systematic differences across scale is limited. Here, we hypothesize that heterogeneous cropping intensity is one source of scale dependency. Analysis of observed global data and regional crop modelling demonstrate that areas of high vs. low cropping intensity can have systematically different yields, in both observations and simulations. Analysis of global crop data suggests that heterogeneity in cropping intensity is a likely source of scale dependency for a number of crops across the globe. Further crop modelling and a meta‐analysis of projected tropical maize yields are used to assess the implications for climate change assessments. The results show that scale dependency is a potential source of systematic bias. We conclude that spatially comprehensive assessments of climate impacts based on yield alone, without accounting for cropping intensity, are prone to systematic overestimation of climate impacts. The findings therefore suggest a need for greater attention to crop suitability and land use change when assessing the impacts of climate change.
‘It was like he was in the room with us’: patients’ and carers’ perspectives of telemedicine in acute stroke
Authors: Gibson Josephine , Lightbody Elizabeth , McLoughlin Alison , McAdam Joanna , Gibson Alison , Day Elaine , Fitzgerald Jane , May Carl , Price Chris , Emsley Hedley , Ford Gary A , Watkins Caroline
Published: January 2015

Background

Telemedicine can facilitate delivery of thrombolysis in acute stroke. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore patients’ and carers’ views of their experiences of using a stroke telemedicine system in order to contribute to the development of reliable and acceptable telemedicine systems and training for health‐care staff.

Method

We recruited patients who had, and carers who were present at, recent telemedicine consultations for acute stroke in three hospitals in NW England. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted using an interview guide based on normalization process theory (NPT). Thematic analysis was undertaken.

Results

We conducted 24 interviews with 29 participants (16 patients; 13 carers). Eleven interviews pertained to ‘live’ telemedicine assessments (at the time of admission); nine had mock‐up telemedicine assessments (within 48 h of admission); four had both assessments. Using the NPT domains as a framework for analysis, factors relating to coherence (sense making) included people's knowledge and understanding of telemedicine. Cognitive participation (relational work) included interaction between staff and with patients and carers. Issues relating to collective action (operational work) included information exchange and support, and technical matters. Findings relating to reflexive monitoring (appraisal) included positive and negative impressions of the telemedicine process, and emotional reactions.

Conclusion

Although telemedicine was well accepted by many participants, its use added an additional layer of complexity to the acute stroke consultation. The ‘remote’ nature of the consultation posed challenges for some patients. These issues may be ameliorated by clear information for patients and carers, staff interpersonal skills, and teamworking.
Optimal numbers of matings: the conditional balance between benefits and costs of mating for females of a nuptial gift‐giving spider
Authors: Toft S. , Albo M. J.
Published: January 2015

In species where females gain a nutritious nuptial gift during mating, the balance between benefits and costs of mating may depend on access to food. This means that there is not one optimal number of matings for the female but a range of optimal mating numbers. With increasing food availability, the optimal number of matings for a female should vary from the number necessary only for fertilization of her eggs to the number needed also for producing these eggs. In three experimental series, the average number of matings for females of the nuptial gift‐giving spider Pisaura mirabilis before egg sac construction varied from 2 to 16 with food‐limited females generally accepting more matings than well‐fed females. Minimal level of optimal mating number for females at satiation feeding conditions was predicted to be 2–3; in an experimental test, the median number was 2 (range 0–4). Multiple mating gave benefits in terms of increased fecundity and increased egg hatching success up to the third mating, and it had costs in terms of reduced fecundity, reduced egg hatching success after the third mating, and lower offspring size. The level of polyandry seems to vary with the female optimum, regulated by a satiation‐dependent resistance to mating, potentially leaving satiated females in lifelong virginity.
Experimental Evaluation of a New Thermal Process for Microorganisms Inactivation
Authors: Cammalleri Marco , Pipitone Emiliano , Rubino Teresa , Saporito Laura , Mammina Caterina
Published: January 2015

A new thermal process for the inactivation of microorganisms in beverages has been studied and is presented in this paper. The treatment, not yet studied in the scientific literature, mainly consists of a thermal shock characterized by temperature increases up to 30°C/s, with final temperatures up to 65°C. This study presents the first experimental results obtained by the application of the new thermal treatment, with different combinations of the process parameters (rate of temperature rise, final temperature and holding time), on separate suspensions of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria innocua and Candida albicans. The required rapid temperature increase has been performed by means of a properly designed test bench. The treatment proved to be effective against all the microorganisms tested, obtaining a load reduction greater than 5 Log units. Compared with the commonly employed thermal treatments for microorganisms inactivation, this new process is characterized by a very interesting combination of a short duration (few seconds) and a low final temperature, which makes it particularly attractive for the application in the beverage industry.

Practical Applications

Nowadays, most liquid foods, such as beverages, milk, fruit and vegetables juices, are pasteurized by high‐temperature/short‐time treatments and then bottled or packaged under rigidly maintained sterile conditions. Thanks to the very short duration of this new treatment and to its relatively low maximum temperature (65°C), which does not endanger the plastic materials commonly employed for bottles packaging, its online application in the filling process could be conveniently considered: this would avoid the use of an aseptic environment and the risk of the post‐processing contamination. Moreover, a final temperature as low as 65°C would also preserve the sensorial and nutritional features of the beverage, which are usually deteriorated by the common high temperature treatments, and would be in agreement with the present‐day energy‐saving policy.
β‐Hydroxybutyric Acid Inhibits Growth Hormone‐Releasing Hormone Synthesis and Secretion Through the GPR109A/Extracellular Signal‐Regulated 1/2 Signalling Pathway in the Hypothalamus
Authors: Fu S.‐P. , Liu B.‐R. , Wang J.‐F. , Xue W.‐J. , Liu H.‐M. , Zeng Y.‐L. , Huang B.‐X. , Li S.‐N. , Lv Q.‐K. , Wang W. , Liu J.‐X.
Published: January 2015

β‐hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) has recently been shown to regulate hormone synthesis and secretion in the hypothalamus. However, little is known about the effects of BHBA‐mediated hormone regulation or the detailed mechanisms by which BHBA regulates growth hormone‐releasing hormone (GHRH) synthesis and secretion. In the present study, we examined the expression of the BHBA receptor GPR109A in primary hypothalamic cell cultures. We hypothesised that BHBA regulates GHRH via GPR109A and its downstream signals. Initial in vivo studies conducted in rats demonstrated that GHRH mRNA expression in the hypothalamus was strongly inversely correlated with BHBA levels in the cerebrospinal fluid during postnatal development (r = −0.89, P < 0.01). Furthermore, i.c.v. administration of BHBA acutely decreased GHRH mRNA expression in rats. Further in vitro studies revealed a decrease in GHRH synthesis and secretion in primary hypothalamic cells after treatment with BHBA; this effect was inhibited when hypothalamic cells were pretreated with pertussis toxin (PTX). BHBA had no effect on GHRH synthesis and secretion in GT1‐7 cells, which do not exhibit cell surface expression of GPR109A. Furthermore, BHBA acutely decreased the transcription of the homeobox gene for Gsh‐1 in the hypothalamus in both in vivo and in vitro, and this effect was also inhibited by PTX in vitro. In primary hypothalamic cells, BHBA activated the extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK)1/2, p38 and c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinases, as shown by western blot analysis. Moreover, inhibition of ERK1/2 with U0126 attenuated the BHBA‐mediated reduction in Gsh‐1 expression and GHRH synthesis and secretion. These results strongly suggest that BHBA directly regulates GHRH synthesis and secretion via the GPR109A/ERK1/2 MAPK pathway, and also that Gsh‐1 is essential for this function.
Age‐dependent changes in damage processes of hair cuticle
Authors: Takahashi Toshie , Mamada Akira , Breakspear Steven , Itou Takashi , Tanji Noriyuki
Published: January 2015

Background

Human hair cuticle is always exposed to various stresses and then gradually lost in daily life. There are two typical patterns of cuticle damage: type L, where the cell membrane complex, the structure located between cuticle cells, is split and the cuticle lifts up, and type E, where the fragile substructure of the cuticle cell (endocuticle) is damaged so that its rugged residue is exposed. We previously reported that type L damage preferentially occurs in the case of Japanese females in their 20s to 40s.

Aims

This study aims to elucidate the age‐dependent change of cuticle and its effect on hair properties.

Methods

Hair fibers collected from Japanese females (ranging from 10 to 70 years old) were evaluated in the aspects of inclination for each type of damage, resistance of cuticle against grooming stresses and content of fatty acid 18‐MEA on hair surface.

Results

It was revealed that the dominant damage pattern shifts from type L to E with aging. Furthermore, the cuticle becomes gradually less resistant to daily grooming stress. The dominance of type E damage accelerates cuticle loss. Reduction of 18‐MEA on weathered hair is accelerated with aging on elder hair.

Conclusions

It has been reported that various age‐dependent changes of whole hair shaft, such as diameter, density, elasticity, etc., occur in the age range of 40s and 50s. In this study, it was revealed that cuticle becomes more fragile and the hair surface properties deteriorate in the same age range.
Deflected Pathways: Becoming Aggressive, Socially Withdrawn, or Prosocial With Peers During the Transition to Adolescence
Authors: Monahan Kathryn C. , Booth‐LaForce Cathryn
Published: January 2015

Although research has suggested strong continuity in children's adaptive or maladaptive behavior with peers across the transition to adolescence, less is known about deflected developmental pathways of peer social competence across this transition. This study investigates how mother–child and best friend relationship quality predict the deflection of youth from adaptive to maladaptive behavior with peers or the reverse. Using data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (N = 1,055), high‐quality friendships were associated with changes in peer social competence from 3rd to 6th grade. More positive and fewer negative interactions with a friend were linked with becoming more prosocial with peers, whereas less positive interactions with a friend were linked to becoming aggressive or withdrawn.
“Making the Beast with two Backs” – Interracial Relationships in Early Modern England
Authors: Kaufmann Miranda
Published: January 2015

Shakespeare's tragedy of Othello and Desdemona has long attracted critics to consider the issues of interracial relationships and miscegenation in early modern England. More recently, other black characters have been found in Renaissance literature and an African presence in 16th and 17th century England has been demonstrated from archival sources. This article gives an overview of these developments and their implications for the study of interracial relationships in early modern literature. Evidence from the archives is brought to bear on different aspects of relationships both between black men and white women and between black women and white men. This new information about interracial marriages, as well as sexual intercourse or “fornication”, prostitution and the resulting mixed race children must be incorporated into the discussion of interracial relationships in Renaissance literature.
Phylogenetic skew: an index of community diversity
Authors: Chen Hungyen , Shao Kwang‐Tsao , Kishino Hirohisa
Published: January 2015

The distribution of divergence times between member species of a community reflects the pattern of species composition. In this study, we contrast the species composition of a community against the meta‐community, which we define as the species composition of a set of target communities. We regard the collection of species that comprise a community as a sample from the set of member species of the meta‐community, and interpret the pattern of the community species composition in terms of the type of species sampled from the meta‐community. A newly defined effective species sampling proportion explains the amount of the difference between the divergence time distributions of the community and that of the meta‐community, assuming random sampling. We propose a new index of phylogenetic skew (PS), as the ratio of the maximum‐likelihood estimate of the effective species sampling proportion to the observed sampling proportion. APSvalue of 1 is interpreted as random sampling. If the value is >1, the sampling is suspected to be phylogenetically skewed. If it is <1, systematic thinning of species is likely. Unlike other indices, thePSdoes not depend on species richness as long as the community has more than a few members of a species. Because it is possible to compare partially observed communities, the index may be effectively used in exploratory analysis to detect candidate communities with unique species compositions from a large number of communities.
ICE1 demethylation drives the range expansion of a plant invader through cold tolerance divergence
Authors: Xie H. J. , Li H. , Liu D. , Dai W. M. , He J. Y. , Lin S. , Duan H. , Liu L. L. , Chen S. G. , Song X. L. , Valverde B. E. , Qiang S.
Published: January 2015

Cold tolerance adaption is a crucial determinant for the establishment and expansion of invasive alien plants into new cold environments; however, its evolutionary mechanism is poorly understood. Crofton weed (Ageratina adenophora), a highly invasive alien plant, is continuously spreading across subtropical areas in China, north‐eastward from the first colonized south‐western tropical regions, through cold tolerance evolution. Close relations between the cold tolerance levels of 34 populations, represented by 147 accessions, and the latitude, extreme lowest temperature, coldest month average temperature, and invasion period have provided direct insight into its cold tolerance divergence. A comparative study of the CBF pathway, associated with the cold tolerance enhancement of cold‐susceptible CBF1‐transgenic plant, among four geographically distinct crofton weed populations revealed that the CBF pathway plays a key role in the observed cold tolerance divergence. Four epialleles of the cold response regulator ICE1 ranged from 66 to 50 methylated cytosines, representing a 4.4% to 3.3% methylation rate and significantly corresponding to the lowest to highest cold tolerance levels among these different populations. The significant negative relation between the transcription levels of the primary CBF pathway members, except for CBF2, and the methylation levels among the four populations firstly demonstrates that the demethylation‐upregulated transcription level of CBF pathway is responsible for this evolution. These facts, combined with the cold tolerance variation and methylation found among three native and two other introduced populations, indicate that the ICE1‐demethylated upregulation of cold tolerance may be the underlying evolutionary mechanism allowing crofton weed to expand northward in China.
Volatile anesthetics for status asthmaticus in pediatric patients: a comprehensive review and case series
Authors: Carrié Sabrina , Anderson Thomas Anthony
Published: January 2015

Status asthmaticus is an acute, intractable asthma attack refractory to standard interventions that can lead to progressive respiratory failure. Successful management requires a fundamental understanding of the disease process, its clinical presentation, and proper evaluation. Treatment must be instituted early and is aimed at reversing the airway inflammation, bronchoconstriction, and hyper‐reactivity that often lead to lower airway obstruction, impaired ventilation, and oxygenation. Most patients are effectively treated with standard therapy including beta2‐adrenergic agonists and corticosteroids. Others necessitate adjunctive therapies and escalation to noninvasive ventilation or intubation. We will review the pathophysiology, evaluation, and treatment options for pediatric patients presenting with status asthmaticus with a particular focus on refractory status asthmaticus treated with volatile anesthetics. In addition, we include a proven approach to the management of these patients in the critical care setting, which requires close coordination between critical care and anesthesia providers. We present a case series of three patients, two of which have the longest reported cases of continuous isoflurane use in status asthmaticus. This series was obtained from a retrospective chart review and highlights the efficacy of the volatile anesthetic, isoflurane, in three pediatric patients with refractory life‐threatening status asthmaticus.
A couple analysis of relationship perception among couples who face work demands
Authors: SWENSON ANDREA R. , ZVONKOVIC ANISA M. , ROJAS‐MCWHINNEY JENNIFER , GERST KATHERINE N.
Published: January 2015

This study addresses how couples experiencing work travel demands talk about their relationship. Using a sample of 29 couples who experience work travel, this study examines what couples in separate interviews reported regarding their relationship, and uses mixed‐method strategies to develop a typology of couples. Three different relationship types were uncovered: aware couples who consider a variety of aspects of themselves, their partners, their relationships, and their contexts as they discuss their lives; individually focused couples who discuss their relationship only in terms of themselves and their partners; and isolated couples who discuss their relationships void of context. These findings support the notion that couples have a degree of similarity when it comes to social cognitions of their relationships.
Give and Take Between Households and the State: Development and Application of A Benefaction–Contribution Ratio
Authors: Lee Gregory John , Rees Gareth
Published: January 2015

This study defines a “Benefaction–Contribution Ratio” (BCR), describing the extent to which households are net beneficiaries of or contributors to the economy in relation to income and consumption. Such issues are central to assessment and targeting of policies such as social welfare and taxation. We apply the ratio to 21,144 South African households. South Africa employs various taxation‐funded social grants and subsidized services. A central question is how such transfers affect real household income and consumption. We find that the constitution of social transfers as a function of tax adjusted earned income significantly augments household buying power. Furthermore, we hypothesize and find a negative curvilinear shape which has implications for design of taxation and welfare. This constitution and distribution of this ratio may be useful for international benchmarking and household planning, and as an economic predictor of outcomes such as job seeking, entrepreneurial behavior, family planning, migration, and tax evasion.
New Routes to Recruiting and Retaining Women in STEM: Policy Implications of a Communal Goal Congruity Perspective
Authors: Diekman Amanda B. , Weisgram Erica S. , Belanger Aimee L.
Published: January 2015

Despite advances within a wide range of professional roles, women remain a minority in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees and occupations. The gender gap in mathematics and science performance has converged, and so it is important to consider the motivational reasons that might underlie the differential STEM pursuits of women and men. The goal congruity perspective contends that a fundamental cause of gender gaps in STEM pursuits is the gender difference in communal motivation (i.e., an orientation toward others). STEM fields may be particularly likely to deter communally oriented individuals because these fields are thought to impede goals of directly benefitting others, altruism, or collaboration. In this review, we examine how the communal goal perspective might address the challenges of gender gaps in STEM pursuits from childhood through adulthood. We review the logic and evidence for the goal congruity perspective, and we examine two other deterrents to women in STEM—work‐family challenges and stereotyping—from the perspective of this framework. We then examine particular recommendations for policy actions that might broaden participation of women and girls, and communally oriented people generally, in STEM.
Energy Storage and Loss in Fractional-Order Systems
Authors: Hartley Tom T. , Trigeassou Jean-Claude , Lorenzo Carl F. , Maamri Nezha
Published: January 2015

As fractional-order systems are becoming more widely accepted and their usage is increasing, it is important to understand their energy storage and loss properties. Fractional-order operators can be implemented using a distributed state representation, which has been shown to be equivalent to the Riemann–Liouville representation. In this paper, the distributed state for a fractional-order integrator is represented using an infinite resistor–capacitor network such that the energy storage and loss properties can be readily determined. This derivation is repeated for fractional-order derivatives using an infinite resistor–inductor network. An analytical example is included to verify the results for a half-order integrator. Approximation methods are included.
Determining Granularity of Changeable Manufacturing Systems Using Changeable Design Structure Matrix and Cladistics
Authors: AlGeddawy Tarek , ElMaraghy Hoda
Published: January 2015

Changeable manufacturing systems offer a high level of adaptability and agility in response to product and market changes. They are characterized by modularity and scalability, which are derivatives of system granularity. Determining the best granularity level of a changeable system helps maximize its ability to change throughout its planned utilization horizon. A new model and two case studies are presented to show: (1) new changeability design structure matrix (CDSM) to express all planned system configurations, (2) cladistics analysis to hierarchically cluster CDSM into component modules, and (3) new granularity index (GI) to determine the best system granularity level which balances the merits of manufacturing system modularity with integration.
On Rolling Resistance in Gear Transmission
Authors: Ghosh S. S. , Chakraborty G.
Published: January 2015

The effect of rolling resistance on the power loss during gear transmission has been studied. The resistance has been modeled by a lateral shift of the line of action of the contact force. The effect of this shift on the equivalent friction force has been predicted with the help of a six degrees of freedom (DOF) model of a spur gear pair. The predicted results agree closely with the experimental data available in literature.
Integrating Function- and Affordance-Based Design Representations
Authors: Ciavola Benjamin T. , Wu Chunlong , Gershenson John K.
Published: January 2015

In this paper, we explore the possibility of reconciling and integrating practical affordance- and function-based design representations. We present a classic function-based design method and representation and argue for the benefits of augmenting it with affordance-based approaches. Building on existing function concept ontologies, we present an integrated approach to developing early-stage design representations. This approach combines the use of affordance and function representations to capture user needs across a device's life cycle. We demonstrate how affordances add rigor and expressiveness to the early stages of traditional design processes, and how traditional function-based tools provide affordance-based design (ABD) with structured methods for concept generation. The integrated approach is illustrated with an example, in which a use case is explicitly decomposed to demonstrate the structure of relationships between users, goals, actions, artifacts, functions, and affordances.
Stress Analysis of Packed Stuffing-Boxes
Authors: Kazeminia Mehdi , Bouzid Abdel-Hakim
Published: January 2015

Packed stuffing-boxes are mechanical sealing systems that are extensively used in pressurized equipment such as valves and pumps. Yet there is no standard design procedure in use to verify their mechanical integrity and leak tightness. It is only recently that standard test procedures to qualify packing materials have been suggested for adoption in both North America and Europe. Nonetheless the assessment of the structural integrity of the housing requires a well-documented design procedure to insure safe use of packed stuffing-boxes. While the packing contact stress with the side walls is predictable using existing models there is no analytical methodology to verify the stresses and strains in the stuffing-box housing. This paper presents an analytical model that analyzes the stresses and strains of the stuffing-box components including the packing rings. The developed model is validated both numerically using FEM (finite element method) and experimentally on an instrumented packed stuffing-box rig that is specially designed to measure the structural integrity and leakage tightness of different packing materials.
Nonlinear Vehicle Dynamics and Trailer Steering Control of the TowPlow, a Steerable Articulated Snowplowing Vehicle System
Authors: Kang Jae Young , Burkett George , Bennett Duane , Velinsky Steven A.
Published: January 2015

The TowPlow is a novel type of snowplow that consists of a conventional snowplow vehicle and a steerable, plow-mounted trailer. The system is used to plow two typical traffic lanes simultaneously. In this paper, a nonlinear dynamic model of the TowPlow is developed for longitudinal, lateral, and yaw motions. The model considers nonlinearity through a modified Dugoff’s tire friction model, tire rotation dynamics, and quasi-static load transfer. The model is verified through steady-state and transient tests on an actual TowPlow system. A new snow resistance model is developed to allow simulation of the TowPlow in snow clearing operations. Then, active steering control of the trailer axle is derived with the goal of improving safety and efficiency of the TowPlow. The comparison of the simulation results between the controlled system and the uncontrolled system for cornering, slalom, up and down hill, and split friction coefficient braking maneuvers clearly demonstrates the efficacy of active steering control for the trailer axle of the TowPlow.
Characterization of Hydrogen-Induced Contact Fracture in High-Strength Steel
Authors: Yonezu Akio , Niwa Michihiro , Chen Xi
Published: January 2015

This study investigated the hydrogen embrittlement (HE) cracking behavior produced by local contact loading of high-strength steel. When a spherical impression was applied to a hydrogen-absorbed high-strength steel, HE induces contact fracture, where radial cracks are initiated and propagated from the indentation impression. The length of the radial crack was found to be dependent on the hydrogen content in the steel as well as the applied contact force. A combined experimental/computational investigation was conducted in order to clarify the mechanism of hydrogen-induced contact fracture. In the computation, crack propagation was simulated using a cohesive zone model (CZM) in finite element method (FEM), in order to elucidate stress criterion of the present HE crack. It was found that the normal tensile stress was developed around impression, and it initiated and propagated the HE crack. It was also revealed that the hydrogen content enhanced contact fracture damage, especially the resistance of crack propagation (i.e., threshold stress intensity factor, Kth). The findings may be useful for countermeasure of contact fracture coupled with hydrogen in high-strength steel. Such phenomenon is potentially experienced in various contact components in hydrogen environment.
A Modified Closed Form Energy Based Framework for Fatigue Life Assessment for Aluminum 6061-T6—Damaging Energy Approach
Authors: Shen M.-H. Herman , Akanda Sajedur R.
Published: January 2015

A previously developed energy based high cycle fatigue (HCF) life assessment framework is modified to predict the low cycle fatigue (LCF) life of aluminum 6061-T6. The fatigue life assessment model of this modified framework is formulated in a closed form expression by incorporating the Ramberg–Osgood constitutive relationship. The modified framework is composed of the following entities: (1) assessment of the average strain energy density and the average plastic strain range developed in aluminum 6061-T6 during a fatigue test conducting at the ideal frequency for optimum energy calculation, and (2) determination of the Ramberg–Osgood cyclic parameters for aluminum 6061-T6 from the average strain energy density and the average plastic strain range. By this framework, the applied stress range is related to the fatigue life by a power law whose parameters are functions of the fatigue toughness and the cyclic parameters. The predicted fatigue lives are found to be in a good agreement with the experimental data.
Visualization and Validation of Ejector Flow Field With Computational and First-Principles Analysis
Authors: Little Adrienne B. , Bartosiewicz Yann , Garimella Srinivas
Published: January 2015

Passive, heat actuated ejector pumps offer simple and energy-efficient options for a variety of end uses with no electrical input or moving parts. In an effort to obtain insights into ejector flow phenomena and to evaluate the effectiveness of commonly used computational and analytical tools in predicting these conditions, this study presents a set of shadowgraph images of flow inside a large-scale air ejector and compares them to both computational and first-principles-based analytical models of the same flow. The computational simulations used for comparison apply k-ε renormalization group (RNG) and k-ω shear stress transport (SST) turbulence models to two-dimensional (2D), locally refined rectangular meshes for ideal gas air flow. A complementary analytical model is constructed from first principles to approximate the ejector flow field. Results show that on-design ejector operation is predicted with reasonable accuracy, but accuracy with the same models is not adequate at off-design conditions. Exploration of local flow features shows that the k-ω SST model predicts the location of flow features, as well as global inlet mass flow rates, with greater accuracy. The first-principles model demonstrates a method for resolving the ejector flow field from relatively little visual data and shows the evolving importance of mixing, momentum, and heat exchange with the suction flow with distance from the motive nozzle exit. Such detailed global and local exploration of ejector flow helps guide the selection of appropriate turbulence models for future ejector design purposes, predicts locations of important flow phenomena, and allows for more efficient ejector design and operation.
Maxwell–Voigt and Maxwell Ladder Models for Multi-Degree-of-Freedom Elastomeric Isolation Systems
Authors: Kaul Sudhir
Published: January 2015

This paper presents a model for an elastomeric isolation system consisting of a three degree-of-freedom (DOF) rigid body assembled to a frame through multiple isolators. Each elastomeric isolator is either represented by a Maxwell–Voigt (MV) model consisting of two Maxwell elements or by a Maxwell ladder (ML) model consisting of three Maxwell elements. The MV models and the ML models are characterized by using experimental data that are collected at multiple excitation frequencies. The characterized models are evaluated and used to simulate the performance of the isolation system. The models developed in this paper are capable of representing frequency-dependent behavior that is exhibited by elastomeric isolators and the overall isolation system. Furthermore, the proposed model is capable of directly associating the behavior of the isolation system with physical and geometrical properties of each isolator. The proposed model is expected to be a useful tool for the analysis and design optimization of elastomeric isolation systems. Most of the isolation systems in practical applications exhibit multiple DOF, this model will be particularly useful in such applications since it does not constrain motion to translation only. This is a shortcoming of the models in the current literature that the proposed model attempts to overcome.
CuO Nanoparticles Based Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells: Investigations on Morphology and Performance
Authors: Wanninayake Aruna P. , Gunashekar Subhashini , Li Shengyi , Church Benjamin C. , Abu-Zahra Nidal
Published: January 2015

Copper oxide (CuO) is a p-type semiconductor having a band gap energy of 1.5 eV, which is close to the ideal energy gap of 1.4 eV required for solar cells to allow good solar spectral absorption. The inherent electrical characteristics of CuO nanoparticles make them attractive candidates for improving the performance of polymer solar cells (PSCs) when incorporated in the active polymer layer. The incorporation of CuO nanoparticles in P3HT/PC70BM solar cells at the optimum concentration yields 40.7% improvement in power conversion efficiency (PCE). The CuO nanoparticles in the size range of 100–150 nm have an effective average band gap of 2.07 eV. In addition, the X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses show improvement in P3HT crystallinity, and surface analysis by atomic force microscope (AFM) shows an increase in surface roughness of the PSCs. The key factors namely photo-absorption, exciton diffusion, dissociation, charge transport, and charge collection inside the PSCs which affect the external quantum efficiency (EQE) and PCE of these cells are analyzed.