bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Maize Hybrid and Foliar Fungicides on Yield Under Low Foliar Disease Severity Conditions
Authors: Mallowa Sally O. , Esker Paul D. , Paul Pierce A. , Bradley Carl A. , Chapara Venkata R. , Conley Shawn P. , Robertson Alison E.
Published: March 2015

Foliar fungicide use in the U.S. Corn Belt increased in the last decade; however, questions persist pertaining to its value and sustainability. Multistate field trials were established from 2010 to 2012 in Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, and Wisconsin to examine how hybrid and foliar fungicide influenced disease intensity and yield. The experimental design was in a split-split plot with main plots consisting of hybrids varying in resistance to gray leaf spot (caused by Cercospora zeae-maydis) and northern corn leaf blight (caused by Setosphaera turcica), subplots corresponding to four application timings of the fungicide pyraclostrobin, and sub-subplots represented by inoculations with either C. zeae-maydis, S. turcica, or both at two vegetative growth stages. Fungicide application (VT/R1) significantly reduced total disease severity relative to the control in five of eight site-years (P < 0.05). Disease was reduced by approximately 30% at Wisconsin in 2011, 20% at Illinois in 2010, 29% at Iowa in 2010, and 32 and 30% at Ohio in 2010 and 2012, respectively. These disease severities ranged from 0.2 to 0.3% in Wisconsin in 2011 to 16.7 to 22.1% in Illinois in 2010. The untreated control had significantly lower yield (P < 0.05) than the fungicide-treated in three site-years. Fungicide application increased the yield by approximately 6% at Ohio in 2010, 5% at Wisconsin in 2010 and 6% in 2011. Yield differences ranged from 8,403 to 8,890 kg/ha in Wisconsin 2011 to 11,362 to 11,919 kg/ha in Wisconsin 2010. Results suggest susceptibility to disease and prevailing environment are important drivers of observed differences. Yield increases as a result of the physiological benefits of plant health benefits under low disease were not consistent.
Transgenerational effect of infection in
Plasmodium-
infected mosquitoes
Authors: Pigeault R. , Vézilier J. , Nicot A. , Gandon S. , Rivero A.
Published: March 2015

Transgenerational effects of infection have a huge potential to influence the prevalence and intensity of infections in vectors and, by extension, disease epidemiology. These transgenerational effects may increase the fitness of offspring through the transfer of protective immune factors. Alternatively, however, infected mothers may transfer the costs of infection to their offspring. Although transgenerational immune protection has been described in a dozen invertebrate species, we still lack a complete picture of the incidence and importance of transgenerational effects of infection in most invertebrate groups. The existence of transgenerational infection effects in mosquito vectors is of particular interest because of their potential for influencing parasite prevalence and intensity and, by extension, disease transmission. Here we present what we believe to be the first study on transgenerational infection effects in a mosquito vector infected with malaria parasites. The aim of this experiment was to quantify both the benefits and the costs of having an infected mother. We find no evidence of transgenerational protection in response to a
Plasmodium
infection. Having an infected mother does, however, entail considerable fecundity costs for the offspring: fecundity loss is three times higher in infected offspring issued from infected mothers than in infected offspring issued from uninfected mothers. We discuss the implications of our results and we call for more studies looking at transgenerational effects of infection in disease vectors.
Mitochondrial genomes reveal the extinct
Hippidion
as an outgroup to all living equids
Authors: Der Sarkissian Clio , Vilstrup Julia T. , Schubert Mikkel , Seguin-Orlando Andaine , Eme David , Weinstock Jacobo , Alberdi Maria Teresa , Martin Fabiana , Lopez Patricio M. , Prado Jose L. , Prieto Alfredo , Douady Christophe J. , Stafford Tom W. , Willerslev Eske , Orlando Ludovic
Published: March 2015

Hippidions were equids with very distinctive anatomical features. They lived in South America 2.5 million years ago (Ma) until their extinction approximately 10 000 years ago. The evolutionary origin of the three known
Hippidion
morphospecies is still disputed. Based on palaeontological data,
Hippidion
could have diverged from the lineage leading to modern equids before 10 Ma. In contrast, a much later divergence date, with
Hippidion
nesting within modern equids, was indicated by partial ancient mitochondrial DNA sequences. Here, we characterized eight
Hippidion
complete mitochondrial genomes at 3.4–386.3-fold coverage using target-enrichment capture and next-generation sequencing. Our dataset reveals that the two morphospecies sequenced (
H. saldiasi
and
H. principale
) formed a monophyletic clade, basal to extant and extinct
Equus
lineages. This contrasts with previous genetic analyses and supports
Hippidion
as a distinct genus, in agreement with palaeontological models. We date the
Hippidion
split from
Equus
at 5.6–6.5 Ma, suggesting an early divergence in North America prior to the colonization of South America, after the formation of the Panamanian Isthmus 3.5 Ma and the Great American Biotic Interchange.
Removal mechanisms of dew via self-propulsion off the gecko skin
Authors: Watson Gregory S. , Schwarzkopf Lin , Cribb Bronwen W. , Myhra Sverre , Gellender Marty , Watson Jolanta A.
Published: March 2015

Condensation resulting in the formation of water films or droplets is an unavoidable process on the cuticle or skin of many organisms. This process generally occurs under humid conditions when the temperature drops below the dew point. In this study, we have investigated dew conditions on the skin of the gecko
Lucasium steindachneri
. When condensation occurs, we show that small dew drops, as opposed to a thin film, form on the lizard's scales. As the droplets grow in size and merge, they can undergo self-propulsion off the skin and in the process can be carried away a sufficient distance to freely engage with external forces. We show that factors such as gravity, wind and fog provide mechanisms to remove these small droplets off the gecko skin surface. The formation of small droplets and subsequent removal from the skin may aid in reducing microbial contact (e.g. bacteria, fungi) and limit conducive growth conditions under humid environments. As well as providing an inhospitable microclimate for microorganisms, the formation and removal of small droplets may also potentially aid in other areas such as reduction and cleaning of some surface contaminants consisting of single or multiple aggregates of particles.
Contact lines on soft solids with uniform surface tension: analytical solutions and double transition for increasing deformability
Authors: Dervaux Julien , Limat Laurent
Published: March 2015

Using an exact Green function method, we calculate analytically the substrate deformations near straight contact lines on a soft, linearly elastic incompressible solid, having a uniform surface tension
γ
s
. This generalized Flamant–Cerruti problem of a single contact line is regularized by introducing a finite width 2
a
for the contact line. We then explore the dependence of the substrate deformations upon the softness ratio
l
s
/
a
, where
l
s
=
γ
s
/(2
μ
) is the elastocapillary length built upon
γ
s
and on the elastic shear modulus
μ
. We discuss the force transmission problem from the liquid surface tension to the bulk and surface of the solid and show that the Neuman condition of surface tension balance at the contact line is only satisfied in the asymptotic limit

a

/

l

s

 

→

 
0

, the Young condition holding in the opposite limit. We then address the problem of two parallel contact lines separated from a distance 2
R
, and we recover analytically the ‘double transition’ upon the ratios
l
s
/
a
and
R
/
l
s
identified recently by Lubbers
et al.
(2014
J. Fluid Mech.
747
, R1. (
doi:10.1017/jfm.2014.152
)), when one increases the substrate deformability. We also establish a simple analytic law ruling the contact angle selection upon
R
/
l
s
in the limit
a
/
l
s
≪1, that is the most common situation encountered in problems of wetting on soft materials.
Understanding nonlinear vibration behaviours in high-power ultrasonic surgical devices
Authors: Mathieson Andrew , Cardoni Andrea , Cerisola Niccolò , Lucas Margaret
Published: March 2015

Ultrasonic surgical devices are increasingly used in oral, craniofacial and maxillofacial surgery to cut mineralized tissue, offering the surgeon high accuracy with minimal risk to nerve and vessel tissue. Power ultrasonic devices operate in resonance, requiring their length to be a half-wavelength or multiple-half-wavelength. For bone surgery, devices based on a half-wavelength have seen considerable success, but longer multiple-half-wavelength endoscopic devices have recently been proposed to widen the range of surgeries. To provide context for these developments, some examples of surgical procedures and the associated designs of ultrasonic cutting tips are presented. However, multiple-half-wavelength components, typical of endoscopic devices, have greater potential to exhibit nonlinear dynamic behaviours that have a highly detrimental effect on device performance. Through experimental characterization of the dynamic behaviour of endoscopic devices, it is demonstrated how geometrical features influence nonlinear dynamic responses. Period doubling, a known route to chaotic behaviour, is shown to be significantly influenced by the cutting tip shape, whereas the cutting tip has only a limited effect on Duffing-like responses, particularly the shape of the hysteresis curve, which is important for device stability. These findings underpin design, aiming to pave the way for a new generation of ultrasonic endoscopic surgical devices.
Glacial refugia and modern genetic diversity of 22 western North American tree species
Authors: Roberts David R. , Hamann Andreas
Published: March 2015

North American tree species, subspecies and genetic varieties have primarily evolved in a landscape of extensive continental ice and restricted temperate climate environments. Here, we reconstruct the refugial history of western North American trees since the last glacial maximum using species distribution models, validated against 3571 palaeoecological records. We investigate how modern subspecies structure and genetic diversity corresponds to modelled glacial refugia, based on a meta-analysis of allelic richness and expected heterozygosity for 473 populations of 22 tree species. We find that species with strong genetic differentiation into subspecies had widespread and large glacial refugia, whereas species with restricted refugia show no differentiation among populations and little genetic diversity, despite being common over a wide range of environments today. In addition, a strong relationship between allelic richness and the size of modelled glacial refugia (r2= 0.55) suggest that population bottlenecks during glacial periods had a pronounced effect on the presence of rare alleles.
머스커다인 포도 추출물의 항산화 및 항균 활성
Authors: Park Mi-Kyung , Oh Jun-Hyun
Published: March 2015

The objective of this research was to investigate the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of muscadine grape extracts. Three different cultivars of muscadine grapes including Higgings, Jumbo, and Noble were selected. The skin/pulp and seed parts of three selected muscadine grape cultivars were used for extraction. The total phenolic contents of muscadine grape extracts were expressed as gallic acid equivalents (GAE). The antioxidant activity of muscadine grape extracts were determined by scavenging activity of diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and expressed as effective concentration (EC50), which represented the concentration of the extract exhibiting 50% DPPH radical scavenging. The antimicrobial activity against E. coli K12 was determined and expressed as the minimum inhibition concentration (MIC). The seed extracts exhibited greater total phenolic contents than the skin/pulp extracts, ranging from 231.24 to 294.81 mg/mL GAE. The seed extracts exhibited greater antioxidant activities than the skin/pulp extracts (EC50 of Higgins seed extract=0.026 mg/mL). However, the skin/pulp extracts exhibited greater antimicrobial activities than the seed extracts, exhibiting the minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) in Higgins skin/pulp extract (MIC=4.0 mg/mL). This research indicated that the seed part and skin/pulp parts of the muscadine grapes possessed antioxidant activity and antimicrobial activity, respectively. Therefore, it was concluded that muscadine grapes possess the potential to be utilized as functional foods or nutraceuticals.
3,3'-Diindolylmethane (DIM)이 인체 전립선암 세포의 부착, 이동 및 침윤성에 미치는 영향
Authors: Kim Hyeon-A
Published: March 2015

Indole 3-carbinol (I3C), important component of cruciferous vegetables and its major acid-catalyzed metabolite, 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) have been suggested to have an inhibitory effect on the tumor growth and metastasis. This study investigated the effect of DIM on the adhesion, migration and invasion of highly invasive PC3 and DU145 human prostate cancer cell lines. Cells were grown in Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium (DMEM) supplemented with 3.0 g/L glucose, 3.7 g/L sodium bicarbonate and 10% fetal bovine and were incubated in a humidified incubator at 37°C and 5% CO2. DIM reduced the adhesion of PC3 and DU145 cells in a dose dependent manner. The pretreatment of PC3 cells with DIM reduced the adhesion dose dependantly, but inhibition was less effective than the treatment with DIM during the adhesion assay. The migration and invasion of PC3 and DU145 cells were reduced by DIM dose dependantly, and the inhibition of DIM was less effective in the DU145 cells than in the PC3 cells. The pretreatment of PC3 cells with DIM for 24 hr before the assay reduced invasion of PC3 cells by 37%. These results suggest that DIM inhibits adhesion, migration and invasion of the PC3 and DU145 cells and may be an effective antimetastatic therapy in addition to traditional chemotherapy.
Effect of blanching time on physicochemical characteristics and sensory evaluation of Aster scaber
Authors: Beom Seo-Woo , Jiang Gui-Hun , Eun Jong-Bang
Published: March 2015

This study investigated the changes in the physicochemical characteristics and sensory evaluation of Aster scaber by blanching treatment time. Aster scaber was blanched with 100°C hot water for 1~5 min. At 100°C blanching, the total polyphenol contents of the sample blanched for 1~5 min ranged from 7.57 to 6.45% while the sample blanched for 5 min showed a severe loss of phenolic compounds. The sample blanched at 100°C for 5 min had the lowest L* and b* values (24.96 and 16.14, respectively) and the highest a* value (-10.39) among all the samples. With regard to the texture profile, the sample blanched at 100°C for 5 min was the highest in texture. Significant reductions in the texture, color, and total phenol content were observed after blanching. In the sensory evaluation, the Aster scaber sample blanched with hot water at 100°C for 2 min showed the highest color, appearance, and flavor while the sample heated with boiling water for 3 min had the highest sensory score in terms of texture and overall acceptability. In conclusion, the 3 min blanching of Aster scaber yielded the best sensory quality.
Quality characteristics of Aronia melanocarpa by different drying method
Authors: Lee Seul , Kim Jong-Kuk
Published: March 2015

In this study, the quality characteristics of different drying methods of Aronia melanocarpa, which contains large amounts of bioactive substances, were investigated for the improvement of their practical use. During the drying period, the weight reduction was the highest with vacuum freeze drying (81.6%). The water content was reduced to the maximum level when vacuum freeze-drying was used. With regard to the color value measurement results, there were no significant differences in the L* value. Values of a* and b* were increased in vacuum freeze drying and cold air drying, but decreased in hot air drying. The hardness was increased dramatically after 36 hours of hot air drying, while with cold air drying, it increased slowly until 132 hr and increased rapidly after 132 hr. The dried yield was the highest with cold air drying (24.2%). As for the general component analysis results of Aronia melanocarpa, the moisture content was the lowest, and the crude protein and crude fat contents were the highest with vacuum freeze drying. No difference in pH value was shown among the dried Aronia melanocarpa obtained from the different drying methods, but the sugar content was the highest with vacuum freeze drying. The mineral content was the highest with cold air drying, and K, Ca, Mg, and Na were the major minerals. The free sugar content of dried Aronia melanocarpa was found to be 5.92~20.59 g/100 g, and the highest free sugar content was found with vaccum freeze drying.
ISMapper: Identifying insertion sequences in bacterial genomes from short read sequence data
Authors: Hawkey Jane , Hamidian Mohammad , Wick Ryan R , Edwards David J , Billman-Jacobe Helen , Hall Ruth M , Holt Kathryn E
Published: March 2015

Background Insertion sequences (IS) are small transposable elements, commonly found in bacterial genomes. Identifying the location of IS in bacterial genomes can be useful for a variety of purposes including epidemiological tracking and predicting antibiotic resistance. However IS are commonly present in multiple copies in a single genome, which complicates genome assembly and the identification of IS insertion sites. Here we present ISMapper, a mapping-based tool for identification of the site and orientation of IS insertions in bacterial genomes, direct from paired-end short read data. Results ISMapper was validated using three types of short read data: (i) simulated reads from a variety of species, (ii) Illumina reads from 5 isolates for which finished genome sequences were available for comparison, and (iii) Illumina reads from 7 Acinetobacter baumannii isolates for which predicted IS locations were tested using PCR. A total of 20 genomes, including 13 species and 32 distinct IS, were used for validation. ISMapper correctly identified 96% of known IS insertions in the analysis of simulated reads, and 98% in real Illumina reads. Subsampling of real Illumina reads to lower depths indicated ISMapper was reliable for average genome-wide read depths >20x. All ISAba1 insertions identified by ISMapper in the A. baumannii genomes were confirmed by PCR. In each A. baumannii genome, ISMapper successfully identified an IS insertion upstream of the ampC beta-lactamase that could explain phenotypic resistance to third-generation cephalosporins. The utility of ISMapper was further demonstrated by profiling genome-wide IS6110 insertions in 138 publicly available Mycobacterium tuberculosis genomes, revealing lineage-specific insertions and multiple insertion hotspots. Conclusions ISMapper provides a rapid and robust method for identifying IS insertion sites direct from short read data, with a high degree of accuracy demonstrated across a wide range of bacteria.
Metassembler: Merging and optimizing de novo genome assemblies
Authors: Hernandez Wences Alejandro , Schatz Michael C.
Published: March 2015

Genome assembly projects typically run multiple algorithms in an attempt to find the single best assembly, although those assemblies often have complementary, if untapped, strengths and weaknesses. We present our metassembler algorithm that merges multiple assemblies of a genome into a single superior sequence. We apply it to the four genomes from the Assemblathon competitions and show it consistently and substantially improves the contiguity and quality of each assembly. We also develop guidelines for metassembly by systematically evaluating 120 permutations of merging the top 5 assemblies of the first Assemblathon competition. The software is open-source athttp://metassembler.sourceforge.net.
Fables and foibles: a critical analysis of the Palaeoflora database and the Coexistence approach for palaeoclimate reconstruction
Authors: Grimm Guido W. , Bouchal Johannes M. , Denk Thomas , Potts Alastair J.
Published: March 2015

The “Coexistence Approach” is a mutual climate range (MCR) technique combined with the nearest-living relative (NLR) concept. It has been widely used for palaeoclimate reconstructions based on Eurasian plant fossil assemblages, most of them palynofloras (studied using light microscopy). The results have been surprisingly uniform, typically converging to subtropical, per-humid or monsoonal conditions. Studies based on the coexistence approach have had a marked impact in literature, generating over 10,000 citations thus far. However, recent studies have pointed out inherent theoretical and practical problems entangled in the application of this widely used method. But so far little is known how results generated by the coexistence approach are affected by subjective errors, data errors, and violations of the basic assumptions. The majority of Coexistence Approach studies make use of the Palaeoflora database (the combination of which will be abbreviated to CA+PF). Testing results produced by CA+PF studies has been hindered by the general unavailability of the contents in the underlying Palaeoflora database; two exceptions are the mean-annual temperature tolerances and lists of assigned associations between fossils and nearest-living relatives. Using a recently published study on the Eocene of China, which provides the first usable insight into the data structure of the Palaeoflora database, we compare the theory and practice of Coexistence Approach using the Palaeoflora database (CA+PF). We show that CA+PF is riddled by association and climate data error. We reveal the flaws in the application of CA, which is often in stark contrast to the theory of the method. We show that CA+PF is highly vulnerable against numerous sources of errors, mainly because it lacks safeguards that could identify unreliable data. We demonstrate that the CA+PF produces coherent, pseudo-precise results even for artificially generated, random plant assemblages. Alternative MCR-NLR methods can surpass the most imminent deficits of CA, and may be used as a stop-gap until more accurate bioclimatic and distribution data on potential Eurasian NLRs, and theoretically- and statistically-robust methods will become available. Finally, general guidelines are provided for the future application of methods using the mutual climatic range with nearest living relatives approach when reconstructing climate from plant fossil assemblages.
A common theory of line broadening and rocking curves
Authors: Zilahi Gyula , Ungár Tamás , Tichy Géza
Published: March 2015

X-ray diffraction peak broadening is discussed in terms of line broadening and rocking-curve broadening in a novel theoretical description. The nonlocal strain tensor is factorized by using the method of polar decomposition instead of the more conventional separation into symmetrical and antisymmetrical components. A number of X-ray line-broadening and rocking-curve experiments on the same single crystals or individual grains in bulk polycrystals prove that plastic deformation produces strained subgrains mutually rotated by rigid-body rotations. The novel theoretical description appropriately accounts for the rigid-body rotation and strain at the same time and provides straightforward separation of the two effects of line and rocking-curve broadening in the radial and normal directions of the diffraction vector. The mathematical results are discussed in terms of experiments of X-ray diffraction, Laue asterism and electron backscatter diffraction. From the experimental results it is shown that the simultaneous evaluation of line and rocking-curve broadening provides qualitative information about the redundant and geometrically necessary character of dislocations, not available if only one or the other is accessible.
GISAXS and TOF-GISANS studies on surface and depth morphology of self-organized TiO2nanotube arrays: model anode material in Li-ion batteries
Authors: Paul Neelima , Brumbarov Jassen , Paul Amitesh , Chen Ying , Moulin Jean-Francois , Müller-Buschbaum Peter , Kunze-Liebhäuser Julia , Gilles Ralph
Published: March 2015

Self-organized anodic titania (TiO2) nanotube arrays are an interesting model anode material for use in Li-ion batteries owing to their excellent rate capability, their cycling stability and their enhanced safety compared to graphite. A composite material where carbothermally treated conductive TiO2nanotubes are used as support for a thin silicon film has been shown to have the additional advantage of high lithium storage capacity. This article presents a detailed comparison of the structure, surface and bulk morphology of self-organized conductive TiO2nanotube arrays, with and without silicon coating, using a combination of X-ray diffraction, X-ray reflectivity, grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) and time-of-flight grazing-incidence small-angle neutron scattering (TOF-GISANS) techniques. X-ray diffraction shows that the nanotubes crystallize in the anatase structure with a preferred (004) orientation. GISAXS and TOF-GISANS are used to study the morphology of the nanotube arrays, delivering values for the inner nanotube radius and intertubular distances with high statistical relevance because of the large probed volume. The analyses reveal the distinct signatures of a prominent lateral correlation of the TiO2nanotubes of ∼94 nm and a nanotube radius of ∼46 nm. The porosity averaged over the entire film using TOF-GISANS is 46%. The inner nanotube radius is reduced to half (∼23 nm) through the silicon coating, but the prominent lateral structure is preserved. Such in-depth morphological investigations over large sample volumes are useful towards development of more efficient battery electrode morphologies.
Crystallization dynamics and interface stability of strontium titanate thin films on silicon
Authors: Hanzig Florian , Hanzig Juliane , Mehner Erik , Richter Carsten , Veselý Jozef , Stöcker Hartmut , Abendroth Barbara , Motylenko Mykhaylo , Klemm Volker , Novikov Dmitri , Meyer Dirk C.
Published: March 2015

Different physical vapor deposition methods have been used to fabricate strontium titanate thin films. Within the binary phase diagram of SrO and TiO2the stoichiometry ranges from Ti rich to Sr rich, respectively. The crystallization of these amorphous SrTiO3layers is investigated byin situgrazing-incidence X-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation. The crystallization dynamics and evolution of the lattice constants as well as crystallite sizes of the SrTiO3layers were determined for temperatures up to 1223 K under atmospheric conditions applying different heating rates. At approximately 473 K, crystallization of perovskite-type SrTiO3is initiated for Sr-rich electron beam evaporated layers, whereas Sr-depleted sputter-deposited thin films crystallize at 739 K. During annealing, a significant diffusion of Si from the substrate into the SrTiO3layers occurs in the case of Sr-rich composition. This leads to the formation of secondary silicate phases which are observed by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.
Determination and mitigation of the uncertainty of neutron diffraction measurements of residual strain in large-grained polycrystalline material
Authors: Holden Tom M. , Traore Yeli , James Jon , Kelleher Joe , Bouchard P. John
Published: March 2015

For large-grained samples it is advantageous to perform pairs of neutron diffraction measurements at the same spatial location but rotated 180° around the geometric centre of the gauge volume as a means of minimizing the scatter coming from the random positioning of grains within the gauge volume.
Symmetry of semi-reduced lattices
Authors: Stróż Kazimierz
Published: March 2015

The main result of this work is extension of the famous characterization of Bravais lattices according to their metrical, algebraic and geometric properties onto a wide class of primitive lattices (including Buerger-reduced, nearly Buerger-reduced and a substantial part of Delaunay-reduced) related to low-restrictedsemi-reduced descriptions(s.r.d.'s). While the `geometric' operations in Bravais lattices map the basis vectors into themselves, the `arithmetic' operators in s.r.d. transform the basis vectors into cell vectors (basis vectors, face or space diagonals) and are represented by matrices from the set {\bb V} of all 960 matrices with the determinant ±1 and elements {0, ±1} of the matrix powers. A lattice is in s.r.d. if the moduli of off-diagonal elements in both the metric tensorsMandM−1are smaller than corresponding diagonal elements sharing the same column or row. Such lattices are split into 379 s.r.d. types relative to the arithmetic holohedries. Metrical criteria for each type do not need to be explicitly given but may be modelled as linear derivatives {\bb M}(p,q,r), where {\bb M} denotes the set of 39 highest-symmetry metric tensors, and p,q,r describe changes of appropriate interplanar distances. A sole filtering of {\bb V} according to an experimental s.r.d. metric and subsequent geometric interpretation of the filtered matrices lead to mathematically stable and rich information on the Bravais-lattice symmetry and deviations from the exact symmetry. The emphasis on the crystallographic features of lattices was obtained by shifting the focus (i) from analysis of a lattice metric to analysis of symmetry matrices [Himes & Mighell (1987).Acta Cryst.A43, 375–384], (ii) from theisometric approachandinvariant subspacesto theorthogonality concept{some ideas in Le Page [J. Appl. Cryst.(1982),15, 255–259]} andsplitting indices[Stróż (2011).Acta Cryst.A67, 421–429] and (iii) from fixed cell transformations to transformations derivableviageometric information (Himes & Mighell, 1987; Le Page, 1982). It is illustrated that corresponding arithmetic and geometric holohedries share space distribution of symmetry elements. Moreover, completeness of the s.r.d. types reveals their combinatorial structure and simplifies the crystallographic description of structural phase transitions, especially those observed with the use of powder diffraction. The research proves that there are excellent theoretical and practical reasons for looking at crystal lattice symmetry from an entirely new and surprising point of view – the combinatorial set {\bb V} of matrices, their semi-reduced lattice context and their geometric properties.
The influence of marketing on consumption behavior at the bottom of the pyramid
Authors: Jaiswal Anand Kumar , Gupta Shruti
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to explore the nature and degree to which marketing affects consumption behavior of bottom of the pyramid (BOP) population. The objective of the study is to examine, identify and explain aspects of consumption behavior that evidences the influence of marketing practices on the BOP consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study uses a long interview-based approach for an in-depth qualitative investigation of consumption behaviors of BOP consumers.

Findings

– Key findings that emerged from the research are: widespread usage of international brands and expenditure on products outside of the core bundle of consumption, susceptibility to sales promotions, need to look and feel good and use “fairness” creams, susceptibility to advertising and celebrity endorsements and influence of store personnel.

Practical implications

– For managers, this research suggests a careful examination of the likely consequences of their marketing actions. A set of guidelines are provided to them for doing business in a responsible manner at the BOP markets.

Social implications

– Recommendations for public policymakers are offered that stress on the need for ethical marketing exchanges to address the concern over possible exploitation of this vulnerable population.

Originality/value

– Extant literature on BOP has largely been conceptual in nature, relying on various case studies. This study empirically examines the nature and influence of marketing in the purchase behavior of BOP consumers. This is perhaps the first study providing empirical support to the argument that the poor consumers divert their scarce financial resources from fulfilling basic needs to purchasing non-essential discretionary products under the influence of BOP marketing.
From trait to state: understanding privacy concerns
Authors: Taylor Jennifer Fries , Ferguson Jodie , Ellen Pamela Scholder
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to advance our understanding of how information privacy concerns are derived from the combination effects of individual traits, compound traits, situational traits and surface traits that ultimately influence the consumer’s attitude toward data collection programs. The study investigates a hierarchical model of individual traits, information privacy orientation and consumer privacy concerns.

Design/methodology/approach

– The empirical research utilizes structural equation modeling to analyze the responses from 964 respondents.

Findings

– The results suggest that consumer attitudes toward data collection programs associated with personal shopping information (e.g. retail loyalty card programs) are determined through a hierarchical model of personal traits and contextual-dependent variables. Specifically, the authors find that the compound traits of risk orientation and need for cognition influence the situational trait of information privacy orientation which leads to the surface trait of consumer privacy concern and ultimately attitude toward the information collection program.

Practical implications

– The results suggest several means to increase participation in data collection programs. Although high need for cognition and high risk orientation cannot be changed, communication plans can provide guarantees that mitigate perceived risk associated with sharing personal information and highlight the information value to the individual’s sharing of information.

Originality/value

– While previous research focuses on either the internal traits or external traits, this research contributes to the current literature by offering insights into how privacy evolves from more abstract personality traits to more situational-specific behavioral tendencies, which then influence attitudes and behavior.
Stadium atmosphere: scale development and validation in Indian context
Authors: Balaji M.S. , Chakraborti Rajdeep
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to develop a scale for stadium atmosphere in the Indian context. This is considered as a key area for sports managers, as stadium attendance contributes toward the teams revenues. Moreover, while the importance of environment is well-established in the marketing literature, stadium atmosphere has received limited attention.

Design/methodology/approach

– Through qualitative and quantitative studies in five different phases, a 14-item four-dimension stadium atmosphere scale was developed that included physical layout, facility aesthetics, entertainment experience and social interaction.

Findings

– The stadium atmosphere scale developed in this study demonstrates sound psychometric properties based on various reliability and validity tests as well as scale replications using different samples.

Practical implications

– The stadium atmosphere scale developed will be of particular use for sports marketers and management. It could be inferred that the stadium managers could expect high spectator attendance and satisfaction by focusing on stadium atmosphere factors such as the accessibility of seats and allocation of seat spaces, stadium architecture, the game characteristics and the attitudes and behaviors of stadium employees during live games.

Originality/value

– The present study addresses a key gap identified in the sports marketing and management area. The study adds to the conceptual understanding of the stadium atmosphere construct and empirically demonstrates the measurement scale for the construct.
The interaction between the spatial distribution of resource patches and population density: consequences for intraspecific growth and morphology
Authors: Jacobson Bailey , Grant James W. A. , Peres‐Neto Pedro R.
Published: March 2015

How individuals within a population distribute themselves across resource patches of varying quality has been an important focus of ecological theory. The ideal free distribution predicts equal fitness amongst individuals in a 1 : 1 ratio with resources, whereas resource defence theory predicts different degrees of monopolization (fitness variance) as a function of temporal and spatial resource clumping and population density.

One overlooked landscape characteristic is the spatial distribution of resource patches, altering the equitability of resource accessibility and thereby the effective number of competitors. While much work has investigated the influence of morphology on competitive ability for different resource types, less is known regarding the phenotypic characteristics conferring relative ability for a single resource type, particularly when exploitative competition predominates.

Here we used young‐of‐the‐year rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to test whether and how the spatial distribution of resource patches and population density interact to influence the level and variance of individual growth, as well as if functional morphology relates to competitive ability. Feeding trials were conducted within stream channels under three spatial distributions of nine resource patches (distributed, semi‐clumped and clumped) at two density levels (9 and 27 individuals).

Average trial growth was greater in high‐density treatments with no effect of resource distribution. Within‐trial growth variance had opposite patterns across resource distributions. Here, variance decreased at low‐population, but increased at high‐population densities as patches became increasingly clumped as the result of changes in the levels of interference vs. exploitative competition. Within‐trial growth was related to both pre‐ and post‐trial morphology where competitive individuals were those with traits associated with swimming capacity and efficiency: larger heads/bodies/caudal fins and less angled pectoral fins.

The different degrees of within‐population growth variance at the same density level found here, as a function of spatial resource distribution, provide an explanation for the inconsistencies in within‐site growth variance and population regulation often noted with regard to density dependence in natural landscapes.
Testing the scaling effects and mechanisms of N‐induced biodiversity loss: evidence from a decade‐long grassland experiment
Authors: Lan Zhichun , Jenerette G. Darrel , Zhan Shuxia , Li Wenhuai , Zheng Shuxia , Bai Yongfei
Published: March 2015

Although extensive studies demonstrate that nitrogen (N) enrichment frequently reduces plant diversity within small quadrats (0.5–4 m2), only a few studies have evaluated N effects on biodiversity across different spatial scales.

We conducted the first experimental test of the scale dependence of N effects on species richness from a 10‐year N treatment (1.75–28 g N m−2 year−1) in a typical steppe. We used species–area relationship (SAR) to analyse the scale dependence of species loss with power model S = cAz (S is species number, A is area, c is intercept, and z is slope).

Absolute species loss decreased at sampling area > 8 m2. Proportional species loss (compared to control) decreased and critical threshold (Ncrit) for biodiversity losses increased with sampling areas.

These scale dependences were quantified as increasing slope (z‐value) of SAR with N addition. Through SAR decomposition, we found that this overall positive effect was in response to positive effects of changes to the species abundance distribution over negative effects of overall species richness losses.

Synthesis. As nitrogen (N) enrichment typically occurs at scales much larger than individual plots, understanding how N enrichment affects the scaling patterns of biodiversity is necessary for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management in response to anthropogenic N deposition.
Early positive effects of tree species richness on herbivory in a large‐scale forest biodiversity experiment influence tree growth
Authors: Schuldt Andreas , Bruelheide Helge , Härdtle Werner , Assmann Thorsten , Li Ying , Ma Keping , von Oheimb Goddert , Zhang Jiayong
Published: March 2015

Despite the importance of herbivory for the structure and functioning of species‐rich forests, little is known about how herbivory is affected by tree species richness, and more specifically by random vs. non‐random species loss.

We assessed herbivore damage and its effects on tree growth in the early stage of a large‐scale forest biodiversity experiment in subtropical China that features random and non‐random extinction scenarios of tree mixtures numbering between one and 24 species. In contrast to random species loss, the non‐random extinction scenarios were based on the tree species' local rarity and specific leaf area – traits that may strongly influence the way herbivory is affected by plant species richness.

Herbivory increased with tree species richness across all scenarios and was unaffected by the different species compositions in the random and non‐random extinction scenarios. Whereas tree growth rates were positively related to herbivory on plots with smaller trees, growth rates significantly declined with increasing herbivory on plots with larger trees. Our results suggest that the effects of herbivory on growth rates increase from monocultures to the most species‐rich plant communities and that negative effects with increasing tree species richness become more pronounced with time as trees grow larger.

Synthesis. Our results indicate that key trophic interactions can be quick to become established in forest plantations (i.e. already 2.5 years after tree planting). Stronger herbivory effects on tree growth with increasing tree species richness suggest a potentially important role of herbivory in regulating ecosystem functions and the structural development of species‐rich forests from the very start of secondary forest succession. The lack of significant differences between the extinction scenarios, however, contrasts with findings from natural forests of higher successional age, where rarity had negative effects on herbivory. This indicates that the effects of non‐random species loss could change with forest succession.
Edge influence on vegetation at natural and anthropogenic edges of boreal forests in Canada and Fennoscandia
Authors: Harper Karen A. , Macdonald S. Ellen , Mayerhofer Michael S. , Biswas Shekhar R. , Esseen Per‐Anders , Hylander Kristoffer , Stewart Katherine J. , Mallik Azim U. , Drapeau Pierre , Jonsson Bengt‐Gunnar , Lesieur Daniel , Kouki Jari , Bergeron Yves
Published: March 2015

Although anthropogenic edges are an important consequence of timber harvesting, edges due to natural disturbances or landscape heterogeneity are also common. Forest edges have been well studied in temperate and tropical forests, but less so in less productive, disturbance‐adapted boreal forests.

We synthesized data on forest vegetation at edges of boreal forests and compared edge influence among edge types (fire, cut, lake/wetland; old vs. young), forest types (broadleaf vs. coniferous) and geographic regions. Our objectives were to quantify vegetation responses at edges of all types and to compare the strength and extent of edge influence among different types of edges and forests.

Research was conducted using the same general sampling design in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec in Canada, and in Sweden and Finland. We conducted a meta‐analysis for a variety of response variables including forest structure, deadwood abundance, regeneration, understorey abundance and diversity, and non‐vascular plant cover. We also determined the magnitude and distance of edge influence (DEI) using randomization tests.

Some edge responses (lower tree basal area, tree canopy and bryophyte cover; more logs; higher regeneration) were significant overall across studies. Edge influence on ground vegetation in boreal forests was generally weak, not very extensive (DEI usually < 20 m) and decreased with time. We found more extensive edge influence at natural edges, at younger edges and in broadleaf forests. The comparison among regions revealed weaker edge influence in Fennoscandian forests.

Synthesis. Edges created by forest harvesting do not appear to have as strong, extensive or persistent influence on vegetation in boreal as in tropical or temperate forested ecosystems. We attribute this apparent resistance to shorter canopy heights, inherent heterogeneity in boreal forests and their adaptation to frequent natural disturbance. Nevertheless, notable differences between forest structure responses to natural (fire) and anthropogenic (cut) edges raise concerns about biodiversity implications of extensive creation of anthropogenic edges. By highlighting universal responses to edge influence in boreal forests that are significant irrespective of edge or forest type, and those which vary by edge type, we provide a context for the conservation of boreal forests.
Is Self‐Referral Associated with Higher Quality Care?
Authors: Pollack Craig Evan , Rastegar Afshin , Keating Nancy L. , Adams John L. , Pisu Maria , Kahn Katherine L.
Published: March 2015

Objective

To assess the extent to which patients self‐refer to cancer specialists and whether self‐referral is associated with better experiences and quality of care.

Data Sources

Data from surveys and medical record abstraction collected through the Cancer Care Outcomes Research and Surveillance Consortium.

Study Design

Observational study of patients with lung and colorectal cancer diagnosed from 2003 through 2005 in five geographically defined regions and five integrated health care delivery systems.

Methods

Multivariable logistic regression models used to assess factors associated with self‐referral and propensity score‐weighted doubly robust models to test the association between self‐referral and experiences/quality of care.

Principal Findings

Among 5,882 patients, 9.7 percent of lung cancer patients and 14.9 percent of colorectal cancer patients self‐referred to at least one cancer specialist. Black patients were less likely to self‐refer than white patients (odds ratio: 0.48, 95 percent confidence interval: 0.35, 0.64); patients with high incomes (vs. low) and with a college degree (vs. non‐high school graduates) were significantly more likely to self‐refer. Self‐referral was associated with lower ratings of overall physician communication for patients with lung cancer but, conversely, higher odds of curative surgery among patients with stage I/II lung cancer.

Conclusions

A small but significant proportion of patients self‐referred to their cancer specialists; rates varied by patient race and socioeconomic status. To the extent that self‐referral is associated with quality, it may reinforce disparities in care.