bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Flexible thin film pH sensor based on low‐temperature atomic layer deposition
Authors: Jakob Markus H. , Gutsch Sebastian , Chatelle Claire , Krishnaraja Abinaya , Fahlteich John , Weber Wilfried , Zacharias Margit
Published: May 2017

Flexible and transparent zinc oxide (ZnO) thin film field‐effect transistors (TF‐FET) for the use as small volume potentiometric pH sensors are developed. Low temperature atomic layer deposition (ALD) is used for the fabrication of the metal oxides ZnO and aluminum dioxide (Al2O3). Changing the deposition temperature of the ZnO from 150 to 100 °C allowed a significant increase in resistivity by four orders of magnitude. Hence, adjusting the controlled low carrier concentration for the field‐effect based sensor is demonstrated. ZnO TF‐FET pH sensors fabricated on silicon/silicon dioxide (Si/SiO2) substrates are compared with sensors based on flexible and transparent polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) foil substrates. Comparison of both types of pH sensors showed successful pH sensitivity for pH ranging from 5 to 10 in both cases.
Atmospheric energy transfer response to global warming
Authors: Chemke R.
Published: May 2017

The projected changes in temperature due to global warming will have a profound effect on the behaviour of midlatitude eddies. Using an idealized moist global circulation model, the atmospheric barotropic energy balance is studied over a wide range of climates. The barotropic energy cycle is found to shift poleward as the long‐wave optical thickness increases in concert with the poleward shift of the static stability, driven by the poleward shift of the upper‐level baroclinicity. The baroclinic–barotropic conversion (barotropization) shows a non‐monotonic behaviour at midlatitudes as the climate becomes warmer, and reaches a maximum value around present‐day climate with lower values for colder and warmer climates. This is found to be associated with the non‐monotonic behaviour of the stratification. Similar to the barotropization, the strength of the inverse energy cascade also shows a non‐monotonic behaviour as the climate becomes warmer. However, the inverse energy cascade does not shift poleward, but rather corresponds to the uniform latitudinal distribution of the quasi‐geostrophic supercriticality through all climates. The eddy–mean flow interactions increase and transfer kinetic energy from the eddies to the mean flow at low and high latitudes, and from the mean flow to the eddies at midlatitudes, as the climate becomes warmer. This occurs mostly due to the decrease of the latitudinal extent of the mean flow at high latitudes, which increases and shifts equatorward the meridional shear of the barotropic mean zonal wind. The findings of this study imply that under global warming the eddy flow is dominated by eddy–mean flow interactions and has a more baroclinic nature.
Environmental Performance and the Market for Corporate Assets
Authors: Berchicci Luca , Dowell Glen , King Andrew A.
Published: May 2017

Research summary: Scholars and policy‐makers have tended to assume that asset sales have a negative effect on stakeholders, but quantitative evidence to inform the debate has been scarce. In our research, we explored one way such sales could be beneficial: by facilitating the transfer of specialized capabilities used for environmental improvement. Employing quantitative data from a longitudinal sample of U.S. manufacturers, we find evidence consistent with the transfer of capabilities to or from acquired assets. Our results inform theories of ownership change and the conditional flow of capabilities among operations. They provide evidence as well of the existence of environmental capabilities. For policy‐makers they provide needed evidence and insight on the merits of regulations designed to limit asset sales.

Managerial summary: It is often assumed that acquisitions harm environmental performance‐‐acquisition leads to greater emphasis on efficiency, while focusing on environmental performance is driven by managerial discretion. We propose instead that acquisitions might lead to improvement in environmental outcomes; the key is in knowing where to look for improvement. We studied thousands of facility‐level acquisitions and find that when a clean firm buys a facility from a dirtier firm, that facility's environmental performance improved. When a dirtier firm buys from a cleaner one, however, it is the dirtier firm's other facilities in the same industry of the target that improved. These results, along with extensions we undertook, suggest that managers and policy‐makers should view acquisitions as conduits rather than impediments in transferring environmental capabilities. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Adding Value to Trade Space Exploration When Designing Complex Engineered Systems
Authors: Simpson Timothy W. , Miller Simon , Tibor Elliott B. , Yukish Michael A. , Stump Gary , Kannan Hanumanthrao , Mesmer Bryan , Winer Eliot H. , Bloebaum Christina L.
Published: May 2017

Design decision‐making involves tradeoffs between many design variables and attributes, which can be difficult to model and capture in complex engineered systems. To choose the best design, the decision maker is often required to analyze many different combinations of these variables and attributes and process the information internally. Trade Space Exploration (TSE) tools, including interactive and multidimensional data visualization, can be used to aid in this process and provide designers with a means to make better decisions, particularly during the design of complex engineered systems that have multiple, competing objectives. In this paper, we investigate the use of TSE tools to support decision makers using a Value‐Driven Design (VDD) approach for complex engineered systems. A VDD approach necessitates a rethinking of TSE, and we outline and illustrate four different uses of a VDD approach to TSE. The research leverages existing TSE paradigms and multidimensional data visualization tools to identify optimal designs when using a value function for a system. A satellite design example is used to demonstrate the differences between a VDD approach to design complex engineered systems and a multiobjective approach to capture the Pareto frontier. Ongoing and future work is also discussed.
Gene therapy for monogenic liver diseases: clinical successes, current challenges and future prospects
Authors: Baruteau Julien , Waddington Simon N. , Alexander Ian E. , Gissen Paul
Published: May 2017

Over the last decade, pioneering liver‐directed gene therapy trials for haemophilia B have achieved sustained clinical improvement after a single systemic injection of adeno‐associated virus (AAV) derived vectors encoding the human factor IX cDNA. These trials demonstrate the potential of AAV technology to provide long‐lasting clinical benefit in the treatment of monogenic liver disorders. Indeed, with more than ten ongoing or planned clinical trials for haemophilia A and B and dozens of trials planned for other inherited genetic/metabolic liver diseases, clinical translation is expanding rapidly. Gene therapy is likely to become an option for routine care of a subset of severe inherited genetic/metabolic liver diseases in the relatively near term. In this review, we aim to summarise the milestones in the development of gene therapy, present the different vector tools and their clinical applications for liver‐directed gene therapy. AAV‐derived vectors are emerging as the leading candidates for clinical translation of gene delivery to the liver. Therefore, we focus on clinical applications of AAV vectors in providing the most recent update on clinical outcomes of completed and ongoing gene therapy trials and comment on the current challenges that the field is facing for large‐scale clinical translation. There is clearly an urgent need for more efficient therapies in many severe monogenic liver disorders, which will require careful risk‐benefit analysis for each indication, especially in paediatrics.
The Production of Black Ph.D.'s in Economics at Harvard University, 1905–1955
Authors: Myers Samuel L.
Published: May 2017

Harvard University's Economics Department produced some of the leading African American economists between World War I and the Korean War. This essay explores the factors that contributed to this accomplishment and documents the career trajectories of the six blacks who obtained the Doctorate in Economics from Harvard University during the period 1905–1955. The analysis reveals the pivotal roles of the Rosenwald Fund, Classical High Schools, Black Fraternal Organizations and former University of Minnesota Applied Economics Professor, John D. Black. A common outcome of the careers of these six pioneers was a commitment to black economic empowerment.
Biosorption characteristic of Alcaligenes sp. BAPb.1 for removal of lead(II) from aqueous solution
Authors: Jin Yu , Yu Sumei , Teng Chunying , Song Tao , Dong Liying , Liang Jinsong , Bai Xin , Xu Xiuhong , Qu Juanjuan
Published: May 2017

In this study, strain BAPb.1 was isolated from lead mining area and used as an adsorbent to remove lead(II) ions from aqueous solution. The physicochemical characteristics, heavy metal resistance and antibiotic sensitivity of strain BAPb.1 were investigated. Biosorption capacity was evaluated by batch biosorption experiments, and isothermal characteristics were discussed. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) were conducted to explore the mechanism for lead(II) adsorption. Based on morphological and physiological characteristics as well as the phylogenetic analysis of 16S rDNA sequences, strain BAPb.1 was identified as a member of the genus Alcaligenes. It exhibited high resistances to multiple heavy metals such as lead(II), copper(II), zinc(II), nickel(II) and chromium(VI), and to antibiotics such as kanamycin, ampicillin, streptomycin, chloramphenicol, and tetracycline. The optimum conditions for maximum biosorption rate of 85.2% and maximum capacity of 56.8 mg g−1 were found at pH of 5, adsorbent dosage of 1.5 g L−1 (dry weight), initial lead(II) concentration of 100 mg L−1, and contact time of 30 min at 30 °C. Biosorption isotherms were well fitted with Langmuir isotherm model. Mechanism analysis reveals that the lead(II) ions may exchange with sodium and potassium ions, and the hydroxyl, carbonyl and phosphate groups on the cell surface can chelate the lead(II) ions, therefore, surface adsorption play significant role in the biosorption process.
Endophytic Nocardiopsis sp. from Zingiber officinale with both antiphytopathogenic mechanisms and antibiofilm activity against clinical isolates
Authors: Sabu Rohini , Soumya K. R. , Radhakrishnan E. K.
Published: May 2017

Novel and potential antimicrobial compounds are essential to tackle the frequently emerging multidrug-resistant pathogens and also to develop environment friendly agricultural practices. In the current study, endophytic actinomycetes from rhizome of Zingiber officinale were explored in terms of its diversity and bioactive properties. Fourteen different organisms were isolated, identified and screened for activity against Pythium myriotylum and human clinical pathogens. Among these, Nocardiopsis sp. ZoA1 was found to have highest inhibition with excellent antibacterial effects compared to standard antibiotics. Remarkable antibiofilm property was also shown by the extract of ZoA1. Its antifungal activity against Pythium and other common phytopathogens was also found to be promising as confirmed by scanning electron microscopic analysis. By PCR-based sequence analysis of phz E gene, the organism was confirmed for the genetic basis of phenazine biosynthesis. Further GC–MS analysis of Nocardiopsis sp. revealed the presence of various compounds including Phenol, 2,4-bis (1,1-dimethylethyl) and trans cinnamic acid which can have significant role in the observed result. The current study is the first report on endophytic Nocardiopsis sp. from ginger with promising applications. In vivo treatment of Nocardiopsis sp. on ginger rhizome has revealed its inhibition towards the colonization of P. myriotylum which makes the study to have promises to manage the severe diseases in ginger like rhizome rot.
Production, purification and biochemical characterization of an exo-polygalacturonase from Aspergillus niger MTCC 478 suitable for clarification of orange juice
Authors: Anand Gautam , Yadav Sangeeta , Yadav Dinesh
Published: May 2017

Polygalacturonases (PG) represent an important member of pectinases group of enzymes with immense industrial applications. A fungal strainAspergillus nigerMTCC478 was used for the production of polygalacturonase both under submerged and solid-state fermentation condition. Further its production was optimized under solid-state fermentation condition with media comprising of wheat bran and tea extract. Purification of an exo-PG was achieved by acetone precipitation (60–90%) and CM-cellulose column chromatography revealing 15.28-fold purification with a specific activity of 33.47 U/mg protein and 1.2% yield. A relative molecular mass of purified PG was approximately 124.0 kDa. The pH and temperature optimum was found to be 4 and 50 °C, respectively. ThekcatandKmvalue for degradation of PGA by the purified enzyme was found to be 194 s−1and 2.3 mg/mL, respectively. Cu2+was found to enhance the PG activity while Ag+completely inhibited the enzyme activity. The application of the purified PG in orange juice clarification was elucidated.
Optimization of rhamnolipid production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa OG1 using waste frying oil and chicken feather peptone
Authors: Ozdal Murat , Gurkok Sumeyra , Ozdal Ozlem Gur
Published: May 2017

In the present study, production of rhamnolipid biosurfactant by Pseudomonas aeruginosa OG1 was statistically optimized by response surface methodology. Box–Behnken design was applied to determine the optimal concentrations of 52, 9.2, and 4.5 g/L for carbon source (waste frying oil), nitrogen source (chicken feather peptone), and KH2PO4, respectively, in production medium. Under the optimized cultivation conditions, rhamnolipid production reached up to 13.31 g/L (with an emulsification activity of 80%), which is approximately twofold higher than the yield obtained from preliminary cultivations. Hence, rhamnolipid production, noteworthy in the literature, was achieved with the use of statistical optimization on inexpensive waste materials for the first time in the present study.
A classification algorithm for predicting progression from normal cognition to mild cognitive impairment across five cohorts: The preclinical AD consortium
Authors: Gross Alden L. , Hassenstab Jason J. , Johnson Sterling C. , Clark Lindsay R. , Resnick Susan M. , Kitner‐Triolo Melissa , Masters Colin L. , Maruff Paul , Morris John C. , Soldan Anja , Pettigrew Corinne , Albert Marilyn S.
Published: May 2017

Introduction

We established a method for diagnostic harmonization across multiple studies of preclinical Alzheimer's disease and validated the method by examining its relationship with clinical status and cognition.

Methods

Cognitive and clinical data were used from five studies (N = 1746). Consensus diagnoses established in each study used criteria to identify progressors from normal cognition to mild cognitive impairment. Correspondence was evaluated between these consensus diagnoses and three algorithmic classifications based on (1) objective cognitive impairment in 2+ tests only; (2) a Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) of ≥0.5 only; and (3) both. Associations between baseline cognitive performance and cognitive change were each tested in relation to progression to algorithm‐based classifications.

Results

In each study, an algorithmic classification based on both cognitive testing cutoff scores and a CDR ≥0.5 provided optimal balance of sensitivity and specificity (areas under the curve: 0.85–0.95). Over an average 6.6 years of follow‐up (up to 28 years), N = 186 initially cognitively normal participants aged on average 64 years at baseline progressed (incidence rate: 15.3 people/1000 person‐years). Baseline cognitive scores and cognitive change were associated with future diagnostic status using this algorithmic classification.

Discussion

Both cognitive tests and CDR ratings can be combined across multiple studies to obtain a reliable algorithmic classification with high specificity and sensitivity. This approach may be applicable to large cohort studies and to clinical trials focused on preclinical Alzheimer's disease because it provides an alternative to implementation of a time‐consuming adjudication panel.
Comparison of Forearm Swelling After Loop Forearm Arteriovenous Graft between Distal Vein Ligation and No Ligation
Authors: Prasertcharoensuk Supatcha , Jirasiritham Sopon , Tirapanich Wiwat , Leela-Udomlipi Surasak , Pootracool Piyanut , Horsirimanont Suthas , Lertsithichai Pannuwat , Phasit Chatree , Lieungthada Nantawan
Published: May 2017

Purpose: Forearm loop arteriovenous grafts (AVGs) are an effective way to grant permanent vascular access in end-stage renal disease patients undergoing hemodialysis. A common postoperative complication with this procedure is forearm swelling. Distal vein ligation is believed to reduce postoperative venous hypertension and forearm swelling. There have been no previous randomized controlled trials comparing the efficacy of AVGs with and without distal vein ligation.

Methods: A pilot study was performed as a randomized controlled trial. End-stage renal disease patients who required AVG construction were recruited and randomly assigned to either the distal vein ligation group or the nondistal vein ligation group. Forearm swelling, graft patency, and graft thrombosis were recorded and compared.

Results: The nonligation and ligation groups consisted of 30 and 31 patients, respectively. Forearm swelling at both the proximal and distal areas was nonsignificantly higher in the nonligation group than in the ligation group. The success rate of cannulation of the graft was 77% in both groups. The first cannulation time was somewhat shorter in the ligation group than in the nonligation group (57 vs 63 days; P = .282). There was no difference in graft thrombosis between the 2 groups (8 and 6 patients, respectively, in the nonligation and ligation groups).

Conclusions: AVGs can be performed with or without distal vein ligation.
Quality of Computed Tomography Pulmonary Embolism and Aortic Phase Images Acquired with Power Injection via an Arm Port
Authors: Verity Ryan , Leswick David , Burbridge Brent , Bryce Rhonda , Lim Hyun
Published: May 2017

Background: The safety of power-injectable implanted arm ports is well established, but there is insufficient data to conclude that image quality of computed tomography resulting from contrast introduced via the port is of equal quality to images derived from contrast introduced via traditional peripheral access. The objective of this study was to determine whether the image quality of computed tomography pulmonary embolism and computed tomography aorta studies would differ when injecting contrast via an implanted arm port vs a peripheral intravenous site. We hypothesized that injecting via an implanted arm port would produce better-quality images, the result of more appropriate timing and less streak artifact.

Methods: Scans from a provincial database search for patients who underwent a computed tomography pulmonary embolism or aorta study with contrast injection via the implanted arm port and thin section images available, were reviewed (pulmonary embolism studies n = 3, aorta studies n = 3). Only a limited number of patients were available for review because there are currently few patients with these ports in place and we limited evaluation to thin section images. Comparison was made with 6 control patients who did not have a port and had received a peripheral arm intravenous contrast injection for these study types. Objective measurements included signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio of the pulmonary arteries (4 sites) and aorta (2 sites) as appropriate for scan type. Subjective analysis of image quality was performed by 2 radiologists.

Results: Although sample size was limited, the implanted arm port group had similar or higher mean signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio values at all sites. Subjective assessments showed the implanted arm port group to have similar or better opacification and diagnostic confidence; similar or less streak artifact was also observed at each of the sites.

Conclusions: These exploratory results suggest that studies with implanted arm port injection can generate high-quality images on both objective and subjective assessment, similar to, or possibly better than, images generated from usual peripheral intravenous access for contrast injection.
The Politics of Bureaucratic Corruption in Post-Transitional Eastern Europe
Authors: Zaloznaya Marina
Published: May 2017

Using a mix of ethnographic, survey, and comparative historical methodologies, this book offers an unprecedented insight into the corruption economies of Ukrainian and Belarusian universities, hospitals, and secondary schools. Its detailed analysis suggests that political turnover in hybrid political regimes has a strong impact on petty economic crime in service-provision bureaucracies. Theoretically, the book rejects the dominant paradigm that attributes corruption to the allegedly ongoing political transition. Instead, it develops a more nuanced approach that appreciates the complexity of corruption economies in non-Western societies, embraces the local meanings and functions of corruption, and recognizes the stability of new post-transitional regimes in Eastern Europe and beyond. This book offers a critical look at the social costs of transparency, develops a blueprint for a 'sociology of corruption', and offers concrete and feasible policy recommendations. It will appeal to scholars across the social sciences, policymakers and a variety of anti-corruption and social justice activists.
On the identification of well-behaved turbulent boundary layers
Authors: Sanmiguel Vila C. , Vinuesa R. , Discetti S. , Ianiro A. , Schlatter P. , Örlü R.
Published: May 2017

This paper introduces a new method based on the diagnostic plot (Alfredsson et al., Phys. Fluids, vol. 23, 2011, 041702) to assess the convergence towards a well-behaved zero-pressure-gradient (ZPG) turbulent boundary layer (TBL). The most popular and well-understood methods to assess the convergence towards a well-behaved state rely on empirical skin-friction curves (requiring accurate skin-friction measurements), shape-factor curves (requiring full velocity profile measurements with an accurate wall position determination) or wake-parameter curves (requiring both of the previous quantities). On the other hand, the proposed diagnostic-plot method only needs measurements of mean and fluctuating velocities in the outer region of the boundary layer at arbitrary wall-normal positions. To test the method, six tripping configurations, including optimal set-ups as well as both under- and overtripped cases, are used to quantify the convergence of ZPG TBLs towards well-behaved conditions in the Reynolds-number range covered by recent high-fidelity direct numerical simulation data up to a Reynolds number based on the momentum thickness and free-stream velocity $Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D703}}$ of approximately 4000 (corresponding to 2.5 m from the leading edge) in a wind-tunnel experiment. Additionally, recent high-Reynolds-number data sets have been employed to validate the method. The results show that weak tripping configurations lead to deviations in the mean flow and the velocity fluctuations within the logarithmic region with respect to optimally tripped boundary layers. On the other hand, a strong trip leads to a more energized outer region, manifested in the emergence of an outer peak in the velocity-fluctuation profile and in a more prominent wake region. While established criteria based on skin-friction and shape-factor correlations yield generally equivalent results with the diagnostic-plot method in terms of convergence towards a well-behaved state, the proposed method has the advantage of being a practical surrogate that is a more efficient tool when designing the set-up for TBL experiments, since it diagnoses the state of the boundary layer without the need to perform extensive velocity profile measurements.
What Explains the Low Success Rate of Investor-State Disputes?
Authors: Pelc Krzysztof J.
Published: May 2017

The treatment of foreign investment has become the most controversial issue in global governance. At the center of the controversy lies the mechanism of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS), which allows private firms legal recourse against governments if government interference has degraded their investment. Using newly released data covering 742 investment disputes, I assess some of the central claims about ISDS. I argue that the regime has indeed undergone an important shift: a majority of claims today deal not with direct takings by low-rule-of-law countries, but with regulation in democratic states. Such “indirect expropriation” claims have seen a precipitous decrease in their odds of legal success over the past twenty years. They are also far less likely to result in early settlement. These parallel trends may be a result of a rise in strategic litigation by investors whose aim is not only to obtain compensation but also to deter governments' regulatory ambitions.
Jésus : Un « Fils de l'Homme » tourné vers les « Fils de Dieu ». Un nouveau regard sur Mt 11,27 et Lc 10,22
Authors: Rastoin Marc
Published: May 2017

The logion of Matt 11.27 (// Luke 10.22) – ‘All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him’ – has long been considered a ‘Johannine meteorite in the Synoptic sky’ and, after fierce exegetical battles, a sort of ‘foreign body’ in both Matthean and Lukan theological projects. This paper intends to question this assumption on the basis of recent works both on the historical Jesus and on Synoptic theology. It suggests that this verse not only fits very well with the theological and literary project of the Synoptics’ authors but can also shed some light on Jesus’ theology of creation. The way Jesus articulates his own special relationship to ‘his father’ with the human relationship of God's children to ‘their father’ is coherent with the theology implied by this logion.
Hedonism and asceticism
Authors: FRAMARIN CHRISTOPHER G.
Published: May 2017

Some philosophers take the ascetic sage as a test case for the plausibility of theories of welfare. They maintain that attitudinal hedonism entails that the sage lives the good life, since he enjoys meditation, solitude, peace and quiet, and so on. Some of the longest-enduring traditions of asceticism, however, deny that the sage takes attitudinal pleasure in these kinds of things. A group of Upaniṣads aptly named the Saṃnyāsa, or Ascetic Upaniṣads, for example, explicitly states that the sage neither enjoys nor despairs in earthly states of affairs. The attitudinal hedonist might argue that the sage of the Saṃnyāsa Upaniṣads lives the good life nonetheless, since he takes immense and constant pleasure in the ātman– the eternal, immaterial self. The sage's immense and constant pleasure in the ātman, however, also commits the attitudinal hedonist to the stronger claim that the ascetic lives the best life possible. The sage's life seems less than optimal, however, because he enjoys only one thing to the exclusion of all other things.
Building a single proposition from imagistic and categorical components
Authors: Davidson Kathryn
Published: May 2017

Bimodal bilingual language provides further evidence for the viewpoint advocated by Goldin-Meadow & Brentari (G-M&B) that sign, speech, and gesture work together to create a single proposition, illustrating the potential in each set of articulators for both imagistic and categorical components. Recent advances in formal semantics provide a framework for incorporating both imagistic and categorical components into a single compositional system.
Same or different: Common pathways of behavioral biomarkers in infants and children with neurodevelopmental disorders?
Authors: Marschik Peter B. , Zhang Dajie , Esposito Gianluca , Bölte Sven , Einspieler Christa , Sigafoos Jeff
Published: May 2017

The extent to which early motor patterns represent antecedents to later communicative functions, and the emergence of gesture and/or sign as potential communicative acts in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), are research questions that have received recent attention. It is important to keep in mind that different NDDs have different neurological underpinnings, with correspondingly different implications for their conceptualization, detection, and treatment.
An evolutionary approach to sign language emergence: From state to process
Authors: Motamedi Yasamin , Schouwstra Marieke , Kirby Simon
Published: May 2017

Understanding the relationship between gesture, sign, and speech offers a valuable tool for investigating how language emerges from a nonlinguistic state. We propose that the focus on linguistic status is problematic, and a shift to focus on the processes that shape these systems serves to explain the relationship between them and contributes to the central question of how language evolves.
Contextual and social cues may dominate natural visual search
Authors: Henriksson Linda , Hari Riitta
Published: May 2017

A framework where only the size of the functional visual field of fixations can vary is hardly able to explain natural visual-search behavior. In real-world search tasks, context guides eye movements, and task-irrelevant social stimuli may capture the gaze.
Until the demise of the functional field of view
Authors: Itti Laurent
Published: May 2017

Hulleman & Olivers (H&O) make a much-needed stride forward for a better understanding of visual search behavior by rejecting theories based on discrete stimulus items. I propose that the framework could be further enhanced by clearly delineating distinct mechanisms for attention guidance, selection, and enhancement during visual search, instead of conflating them into a single functional field of view.
Chances and challenges for an active visual search perspective
Authors: Ohl Sven , Rolfs Martin
Published: May 2017

Using fixations as the fundamental unit of visual search is an appealing gear change in a paradigm that has long dominated attention research. To truly inform theories of search, however, additional challenges must be faced, including (1) an empirically motivated definition of fixation in the presence of fixational saccades and (2) the biases and limitations of transsaccadic perception and memory.
Mathematical fixation: Search viewed through a cognitive lens
Authors: Phillips Steven , Takeda Yuji
Published: May 2017

We provide a mathematical category theory account of the size and location of the authors' Functional View Field (FVF). Category theory explains systematic cognitive ability via universal construction, that is, a necessary and sufficient condition for composition of cognitive processes. Similarly, FVF size and location is derived from a (universal) construction called a fibre (pullback) bundle.
Item-based selection is in good shape in visual compound search: A view from electrophysiology
Authors: Töllner Thomas , Rangelov Dragan
Published: May 2017

We argue that although the framework put forward by Hulleman & Olivers (H&O) can successfully explain much of visual search behaviour, it appears limited to tasks without precise target identification demands. In particular, we contend that the unit of selection may be larger than a single item in standard detection tasks, whereas the unit may mandatorily be item-based in compound tasks.
The FVF might be influenced by object-based attention
Authors: Urale Poutasi W. B.
Published: May 2017

Hulleman & Olivers (H&O) argue that the primary unit in search should be fixations, and in doing so posit a Functional View Field (FVF). There is evidence from the object-based visual attention literature that the FVF may not process visual information uniformly. Here I sketch how object-based attention may influence processing within the FVF as well as the shape of the FVF.
Gesture and language: Distinct subsystem of an integrated whole
Authors: Goldin-Meadow Susan , Brentari Diane
Published: May 2017

The commentaries have led us to entertain expansions of our paradigm to include new theoretical questions, new criteria for what counts as a gesture, and new data and populations to study. The expansions further reinforce the approach we took in the target article: namely, that linguistic and gestural components are two distinct yet integral sides of communication, which need to be studied together.
Research into practice: The task-based approach to instructed second language acquisition
Authors: East Martin
Published: May 2017

This article discusses the phenomenon of task-based language teaching (TBLT) in instructed additional language settings. It begins from the premise that, despite considerable theoretical and empirical support, TBLT remains a contested endeavour. Critics of TBLT argue that, particularly with regard to time-limited foreign language instructional contexts, TBLT's learner-centred and experiential approach to second language acquisition fails to provide an adequately structured environment that allows for sufficient exposure to frequent language, and processing and practising of grammatical form. At the same time, differences emerge between how TBLT is conceptualised in theory and how TBLT is operationalised practically in many additional language classrooms. These realities signal the need to look at the interface between theory, research and practice. The article considers what current research into TBLT has not succeeded in getting through to classrooms, what has succeeded in getting through reasonably well, and what has been over-applied. It is concluded that the under- and over-application of theory and research in practice highlight the difficulty in identifying exactly what TBLT is or should be in instructed contexts. The article proposes a way forward to strengthen the effectiveness of the TBLT endeavour.
English medium instruction: Global views and countries in focus – ADDENDUM
Authors: Macaro Ernesto
Published: May 2017

Dr Stephen Evans (Hong Kong Polytechnic University) also contributed to the symposium. Unfortunately Stephen fell seriously ill soon after and was unable to write up his part of the proceedings. We have recently received the very sad news that Stephen has passed away. The field of Applied Linguistics has lost a meticulous scholar and a wonderful colleague.
A rigidity result for non-local semilinear equations
Authors: Farina Alberto , Valdinoci Enrico
Published: May 2017

We consider a possibly anisotropic integrodifferential semilinear equation, driven by a non-decreasing nonlinearity. We prove that if the solution grows less than the order of the operator at infinity, then it must be affine (possibly constant).
How’s Your Health at Home: Frail Homebound Patients Reported Health Experience and Outcomes
Authors: McGregor Margaret J. , Slater Jay , Sloan John , McGrail Kimberlyn M. , Martin-Matthews Anne , Berg Shannon , Plecash Alyson , Sloss Leila , Trimble Johanna , Murphy Janice M.
Published: May 2017

Pour notre sondage, nous avons utilisé une méthodologie mixte basée sur le Web (How’s Your Health – Frail) pour examiner la santé des adultes fragiles (78% âgés de 80 ans et plus) inscrits à un programme de soins primaires à domicile à Vancouver, au Canada. Soixante pour cent des répondants admissibles ont participé, représentant plus d’un quart (92/350, 26,2%) de tous les individus qui reçoivent le service. Malgré des niveaux élevés de co-morbidité et de dépendance fonctionnelle, 50% ont jugé leur santé aussi bonne, très bonne ou excellente. Les ratios de cotes ajustés pour l’auto-évaluation de sa santé positive étaient de 7,50, 95 pour cent d’intervalle de confiance (IC) [1,09, 51,81] et 4,85, 95% CI [1,02, 22,95] pour l’absence de symptômes gênants et le pouvoir de parler à la famille ou amis, respectivement. Des réponses narratives aux questions sur la fin de vie et la vie avec une maladie sont également décrites. Les résultats suggèrent que l’accent mis sur la gestion des symptômes, et le soutien des contacts sociaux, peut améliorer la santé des personnes âgées fragiles.
AFTER 40 YEARS: REVISITING CEIBAL TO INVESTIGATE THE ORIGINS OF LOWLAND MAYA CIVILIZATION
Authors: Inomata Takeshi , Triadan Daniela , Aoyama Kazuo
Published: May 2017

The Ceibal-Petexbatun Archaeological Project has been conducting field investigations at the lowland Maya site of Ceibal since 2005. Previous research at this site by Harvard University allowed us to develop detailed research designs geared toward specific research questions. A particularly important focus was the question of how lowland Maya civilization emerged and developed. Comparison with contemporaneous sites in central Chiapas led us to hypothesize that the residents of Ceibal established a formal spatial pattern similar to those of the Chiapas centers during the Middle Preclassic period (1000–350b.c.). Through excavations of important elements of this spatial pattern, including a probable E-Group assemblage and large platforms, we examined how the Ceibal residents participated in interregional interactions with Chiapas, the Gulf Coast, and other areas, and how construction activities and architecture shaped the course of social change.
Food security among individuals experiencing homelessness and mental illness in the At Home/Chez Soi Trial
Authors: O’Campo Patricia , Hwang Stephen W , Gozdzik Agnes , Schuler Andrée , Kaufman-Shriqui Vered , Poremski Daniel , Lazgare Luis Ivan Palma , Distasio Jino , Belbraouet Slimane , Addorisio Sindi
Published: May 2017

Objective

Individuals experiencing homelessness are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity. The At Home/Chez Soi study provides a unique opportunity to first examine baseline levels of food security among homeless individuals with mental illness and second to evaluate the effect of a Housing First (HF) intervention on food security in this population.

Design

At Home/Chez Soi was a 2-year randomized controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of HF compared with usual care among homeless adults with mental illness, stratified by level of need for mental health services (high or moderate). Logistic regressions tested baseline associations between food security (US Food Security Survey Module), study site, sociodemographic variables, duration of homelessness, alcohol/substance use, physical health and service utilization. Negative binomial regression determined the impact of the HF intervention on achieving levels of high or marginal food security over an 18-month follow-up period (6 to 24 months).

Setting

Community settings at five Canadian sites (Moncton, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver).

Subjects

Homeless adults with mental illness (n2148).

Results

Approximately 41 % of our sample reported high or marginal food security at baseline, but this figure varied with gender, age, mental health issues and substance use problems. High need participants who received HF were more likely to achieve marginal or high food security than those receiving usual care, but only at the Toronto and Moncton sites.

Conclusions

Our large multi-site study demonstrated low levels of food security among homeless experiencing mental illness. HF showed promise for improving food security among participants with high levels of need for mental health services, with notable site differences.
A conceptual model: Redesigning how we provide palliative care for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Philip Jennifer , Crawford Gregory , Brand Caroline , Gold Michelle , Miller Belinda , Hudson Peter , Smallwood Natasha , Lau Rosalind , Sundararajan Vijaya
Published: May 2017

Background:

Despite significant needs, patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) make limited use of palliative care, in part because the current models of palliative care do not address their key concerns.

Objective:

Our aim was to develop a tailored model of palliative care for patients with COPD and their family caregivers.

Method:

Based on information gathered within a program of studies (qualitative research exploring experiences, a cohort study examining service use), an expert advisory committee evaluated and integrated data, developed responses, formulated principles to inform care, and made recommendations for practice. The informing studies were conducted in two Australian states: Victoria and South Australia.

Results:

A series of principles underpinning the model were developed, including that it must be: (1) focused on patient and caregiver; (2) equitable, enabling access to components of palliative care for a group with significant needs; (3) accessible; and (4) less resource-intensive than expansion of usual palliative care service delivery. The recommended conceptual model was to have the following features: (a) entry to palliative care occurs routinely triggered by clinical transitions in care; (b) care is embedded in routine ambulatory respiratory care, ensuring that it is regarded as “usual” care by patients and clinicians alike; (c) the tasks include screening for physical and psychological symptoms, social and community support, provision of information, and discussions around goals and preferences for care; and (d) transition to usual palliative care services is facilitated as the patient nears death.

Significance of results:

Our proposed innovative and conceptual model for provision of palliative care requires future formal testing using rigorous mixed-methods approaches to determine if theoretical propositions translate into effectiveness, feasibility, and benefits (including economic benefits). There is reason to consider adaptation of the model for the palliative care of patients with other nonmalignant conditions.
Positive Aging in Nursing Home Residents
Authors: Wiesmann Ulrich , Becker Marie-Luise , Hannich Hans-Joachim
Published: May 2017

Abstract. The main objective of nursing homes is to enable their residents a good life despite their existing physical, mental, and social health problems. In this cross-sectional study, we explored the mechanisms of positive aging in nursing-home residents from a salutogenic perspective. We interviewed 190 individuals (155 women) with a mean age of M = 84.3 years (SD = 7.60) and assessed selected resistance resources (subjective age, social network characteristics), the sense of coherence, and positive aging (psychological health and subjective well-being). The sense of coherence fully mediated perceived availability of social support and a younger age identification effects on positive aging. In line with salutogenic theory, it represents a superordinate concept which pools resource influences on positive aging.
Selective analysis of cancer-cell intrinsic transcriptional traits defines novel clinically relevant subtypes of colorectal cancer
Authors: Isella Claudio , Brundu Francesco , Bellomo Sara E. , Galimi Francesco , Zanella Eugenia , Porporato Roberta , Petti Consalvo , Fiori Alessandro , Orzan Francesca , Senetta Rebecca , Boccaccio Carla , Ficarra Elisa , Marchionni Luigi , Trusolino Livio , Medico Enzo , Bertotti Andrea
Published: May 2017

Stromal content heavily impacts the transcriptional classification of colorectal cancer (CRC), with clinical and biological implications. Lineage-dependent stromal transcriptional components could therefore dominate over more subtle expression traits inherent to cancer cells. Since in patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) stromal cells of the human tumour are substituted by murine counterparts, here we deploy human-specific expression profiling of CRC PDXs to assess cancer-cell intrinsic transcriptional features. Through this approach, we identify five CRC intrinsic subtypes (CRIS) endowed with distinctive molecular, functional and phenotypic peculiarities: (i) CRIS-A: mucinous, glycolytic, enriched for microsatellite instability or KRAS mutations; (ii) CRIS-B: TGF-β pathway activity, epithelial–mesenchymal transition, poor prognosis; (iii) CRIS-C: elevated EGFR signalling, sensitivity to EGFR inhibitors; (iv) CRIS-D: WNT activation, IGF2 gene overexpression and amplification; and (v) CRIS-E: Paneth cell-like phenotype, TP53 mutations. CRIS subtypes successfully categorize independent sets of primary and metastatic CRCs, with limited overlap on existing transcriptional classes and unprecedented predictive and prognostic performances.
Regulated membrane remodeling by Mic60 controls formation of mitochondrial crista junctions
Authors: Hessenberger Manuel , Zerbes Ralf M. , Rampelt Heike , Kunz Séverine , Xavier Audrey H. , Purfürst Bettina , Lilie Hauke , Pfanner Nikolaus , van der Laan Martin , Daumke Oliver
Published: May 2017

The mitochondrial contact site and cristae organizing system (MICOS) is crucial for the formation of crista junctions and mitochondrial inner membrane architecture. MICOS contains two core components. Mic10 shows membrane-bending activity, whereas Mic60 (mitofilin) forms contact sites between inner and outer membranes. Here we report that Mic60 deforms liposomes into thin membrane tubules and thus displays membrane-shaping activity. We identify a membrane-binding site in the soluble intermembrane space-exposed part of Mic60. This membrane-binding site is formed by a predicted amphipathic helix between the conserved coiled-coil and mitofilin domains. The mitofilin domain negatively regulates the membrane-shaping activity of Mic60. Binding of Mic19 to the mitofilin domain modulates this activity. Membrane binding and shaping by the conserved Mic60–Mic19 complex is crucial for crista junction formation, mitochondrial membrane architecture and efficient respiratory activity. Mic60 thus plays a dual role by shaping inner membrane crista junctions and forming contact sites with the outer membrane.
Metabolic network analysis reveals microbial community interactions in anammox granules
Authors: Lawson Christopher E. , Wu Sha , Bhattacharjee Ananda S. , Hamilton Joshua J. , McMahon Katherine D. , Goel Ramesh , Noguera Daniel R.
Published: May 2017

Microbial communities mediating anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) represent one of the most energy-efficient environmental biotechnologies for nitrogen removal from wastewater. However, little is known about the functional role heterotrophic bacteria play in anammox granules. Here, we use genome-centric metagenomics to recover 17 draft genomes of anammox and heterotrophic bacteria from a laboratory-scale anammox bioreactor. We combine metabolic network reconstruction with metatranscriptomics to examine the gene expression of anammox and heterotrophic bacteria and to identify their potential interactions. We find that Chlorobi-affiliated bacteria may be highly active protein degraders, catabolizing extracellular peptides while recycling nitrate to nitrite. Other heterotrophs may also contribute to scavenging of detritus and peptides produced by anammox bacteria, and potentially use alternative electron donors, such as H2, acetate and formate. Our findings improve the understanding of metabolic activities and interactions between anammox and heterotrophic bacteria and offer the first transcriptional insights on ecosystem function in anammox granules.