bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High-resolution measurements of shock behavior across frictional Be/Cu interfaces
Authors: Loomis E. , Hammerberg J. , Cooley J. C. , Shimada T. , Johnson R. P. , Peralta P. , Olson R. , Gray G. T.
Published: May 2015

A longstanding question in the field of multi-material behavior pertains to the treatment of interfaces possessing finite frictional strength under high dynamic pressures and shear. Here, we examine the effects of constrained interface sliding on local deformation near the boundary using new, high-resolution measurements combined with simulations to infer friction strength. The experiments use laser driven plate impacts at the Los Alamos National Laboratory TRIDENT Laser Facility to launch a shock wave into a target consisting of a central cylindrical plate of Be and an outer ring of Cu oriented, such that the shock propagates at nearly a 90° angle to the interface normal producing a large velocity gradient across the material boundary. Impact experiments were performed on targets that underwent diffusion bonding of the two materials and on targets that were only press fit together. Friction-induced surface deformation was diagnosed using line-imaging velocity interferometry and surface Transient Imaging Displacement Interferometry in the immediate region of the interface. In these studies, we observed a significant behavioral change in both simulations and experiments between targets with diffusion bonded interfaces and those that were press fit. Bonded targets exhibited a mutual dragging between the Be and Cu parts throughout the entire experiment, whereas unbonded targets displayed a surface slope reversal on the Cu side of the interface, which simulations suggest arise due to altered wave interactions from a 3× lower frictional force compared to the bonded interface.
Portable polarimetric fiber stress sensor system for visco-elastic and biomimetic material analysis
Authors: Harrison Mark C. , Armani Andrea M.
Published: May 2015

Non-destructive materials characterization methods have significantly changed our fundamental understanding of material behavior and have enabled predictive models to be developed. However, the majority of these efforts have focused on crystalline and metallic materials, and transitioning to biomaterials, such as tissue samples, is non-trivial, as there are strict sample handling requirements and environmental controls which prevent the use of conventional equipment. Additionally, the samples are smaller and more complex in composition. Therefore, more advanced sample analysis methods capable of operating in these environments are needed. In the present work, we demonstrate an all-fiber-based material analysis system based on optical polarimetry. Unlike previous polarimetric systems which relied on free-space components, our method combines an in-line polarizer, polarization-maintaining fiber, and a polarimeter to measure the arbitrary polarization state of the output, eliminating all free-space elements. Additionally, we develop a more generalized theoretical analysis which allows more information about the polarization state to be obtained via the polarimeter. We experimentally verify our system using a series of elastomer samples made from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a commonly used biomimetic material. By adjusting the base:curing agent ratio of the PDMS, we controllably tune the Young's modulus of the samples to span over an order of magnitude. The measured results are in good agreement with those obtained using a conventional load-frame system. Our fiber-based polarimetric stress sensor shows promise for use as a simple research tool that is portable and suitable for a wide variety of applications.
On the trajectories of O(1)-Kepler problems
Authors: Meng Guowu
Published: May 2015

The trajectories of the O(1)-Kepler problem at level n ≥ 2 are completely determined. It is found in particular that a non-colliding trajectory is an ellipse, a parabola, or a branch of hyperbola according as the total energy is negative, zero, or positive. Moreover, it is shown that the group GL(n, ℝ)/O(1) acts transitively on both the set of oriented elliptic trajectories and the set of oriented parabolic trajectories. The method employed here is similar to the one used by Levi-Civita in the study of planar Kepler problem in 1920.
Enhanced hydrogen storage properties of Pd/Ti/Mg/Ti multilayer films using the catalytic effects of Pd
Authors: Jung Hwaebong , Cho Sungmee , Lee Wooyoung
Published: May 2015

Here, we report the microstructural and hydrogen storage properties of a 40-layer film of Pd (x nm)/Ti (40 nm)/Mg (360 nm)/Ti (40 nm) (x = 0, 5, 10, and 20) fabricated using an ultra-high vacuum DC magnetron sputtering system. The superior hydrogen uptake of the Pd/Ti/Mg/Ti films was 6.42 wt. % for x = 10 at 150 °C. The hydrogen absorption time is strongly dependent on the Pd film thickness (0–40 nm). As a result, the Pd/Ti/Mg/Ti multilayer film with the Pd interlayer can be attributed to offer the further diffusion channels and the controlled growth rate of hydride formation at the Pd/Ti/Mg interfaces, which provides an overall enhancement of the hydrogen storage properties.
Impact of cyclic plasma treatment on oxygen vacancy defects in TiN/HfZrO/SiON/Si gate stacks
Authors: Bhuyian Md Nasir Uddin , Poddar S. , Misra D. , Tapily K. , Clark R. D. , Consiglio S. , Wajda C. S. , Nakamura G. , Leusink G. J.
Published: May 2015

This work evaluates the defects in HfZrO as a function of Zr addition into HfO2 and when the dielectric was subjected to a slot-plane-antenna (SPA) plasma treatment in a cyclic process to form TiN/HfZrO/SiON/Si gate stacks. The defect energy levels, estimated by temperature-dependent current-voltage measurements, suggest that Zr addition in HfO2 modifies the charge state of the oxygen vacancy formation, V+. The influence of electron affinity variation of Hf and Zr ions on the charged oxygen vacancy levels seems to have contributed to the increase in defect activation energy, Ea, from 0.32 eV to 0.4 eV. The cyclic SPA plasma exposure further reduces the oxygen vacancy formation because of the film densification. When the dielectric was subjected to a constant voltage stress, the charge state oxygen vacancy formation changes to V2+ and improvement was eliminated. The trap assisted tunneling behavior, as observed by the stress induced leakage current characteristics, further supports the oxygen vacancy formation model.
The Raman redshift of graphene impacted by gold nanoparticles
Authors: Zheng Xiaoming , Chen Wei , Wang Guang , Yu Yayun , Qin Shiqiao , Fang Jingyue , Wang Fei , Zhang Xue-Ao
Published: May 2015

The influence of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) on graphene was studied by Raman spectroscopy. It was found that the contact of GNPs could induce the whole Raman spectrum of graphene to redshift. And the shift of the 2D peak is more obvious than that of the G peak. A model of local strain was brought forward to explain the shift of Raman spectrum, which comes from the charges transfer between the GNPs and graphene. The observation of the Raman shifts helps us to gain more physical insights into the graphene-related systems.
A near-infrared 64-pixel superconducting nanowire single photon detector array with integrated multiplexed readout
Authors: Allman M. S. , Verma V. B. , Stevens M. , Gerrits T. , Horansky R. D. , Lita A. E. , Marsili F. , Beyer A. , Shaw M. D. , Kumor D. , Mirin R. , Nam S. W.
Published: May 2015

We demonstrate a 64-pixel free-space-coupled array of superconducting nanowire single photon detectors optimized for high detection efficiency in the near-infrared range. An integrated, readily scalable, multiplexed readout scheme is employed to reduce the number of readout lines to 16. The cryogenic, optical, and electronic packaging to read out the array as well as characterization measurements are discussed.
Waveguide piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer array for short-range pulse-echo imaging
Authors: Lu Y. , Tang H. , Wang Q. , Fung S. , Tsai J. M. , Daneman M. , Boser B. E. , Horsley D. A.
Published: May 2015

This paper presents an 8 × 24 element, 100 μm-pitch, 20 MHz ultrasound imager based on a piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer (PMUT) array having integrated acoustic waveguides. The 70 μm diameter, 220 μm long waveguides function both to direct acoustic waves and to confine acoustic energy, and also to provide mechanical protection for the PMUT array used for surface-imaging applications such as an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. The imager consists of a PMUT array bonded with a CMOS ASIC using wafer-level conductive eutectic bonding. This construction allows each PMUT in the array to have a dedicated front-end receive amplifier, which together with on-chip analog multiplexing enables individual pixel read-out with high signal-to-noise ratio through minimized parasitic capacitance between the PMUT and the front-end amplifier. Finite element method simulations demonstrate that the waveguides preserve the pressure amplitude of acoustic pulses over distances of 600 μm. Moreover, the waveguide design demonstrated here enables pixel-by-pixel readout of the ultrasound image due to improved directivity of the PMUT by directing acoustic waves and creating a pressure field with greater spatial uniformity at the end of the waveguide. Pulse-echo imaging experiments conducted using a one-dimensional steel grating demonstrate the array's ability to form a two-dimensional image of a target.
Reducing galvanomagnetic effects in spin pumping measurement with Co75Fe25 as a spin injector
Authors: Haidar S. M. , Iguchi R. , Yagmur A. , Lustikova J. , Shiomi Y. , Saitoh E.
Published: May 2015

We have investigated dc voltage generation induced by ferromagnetic resonance in a Co75Fe25/Pt film. In order to reduce rectification effects of anisotropic magnetoresistance and the planar Hall effect, which may be observed simultaneously with the inverse spin Hall effect, we selected Co75Fe25 with extremely small anisotropic magnetoresistance as a spin injector. Using the difference in the spectral shape of voltage and in the angle dependence of in-plane magnetization among the effects, we demonstrated that the generated dc voltage is governed by the inverse spin Hall effect induced by spin pumping.
Synthesis of Co1Cu2(BHTC)2 and Its Application in Adsorption Desulfurization
Authors: Li Qiming , Li Fang
Published: May 2015

A heterobimetallic metal–organic framework Co1Cu2(BHTC)2 was successfully synthesized based on biphenyl-3,4′, 5-tricarboxylate (H3BHTC). The adsorption desulfurization capability of Co1Cu2(BHTC)2 was investigated in the experiment. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses show that Co1Cu2(BHTC)2 possesses a two-dimensional hexagonal morphology and an identical crystallographic structure to that of UMCM-150. Thermogravimetric analysis and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis indicate that Co1Cu2(BHTC)2 has excellent thermal stability and its BET area can reach up to 2715 m2 g–1. The adsorption desulfurization experiments were conducted based on a in-house built fixed bed at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The sulfur capacities of the adsorbents were calculated according to breakthrough curves. Compared with UMCM-150 [Cu3(BHTC)2], Co1Cu2(BHTC)2 exhibits different adsorptive desulfurization properties. The experimental results indicate that Cu3(BHTC)2 has a higher sulfur capacity than Co1Cu2(BHTC)2 although the specific surface area of Co1Cu2(BHTC)2 is higher than that of [Cu3(BHTC)2], which can be ascribed to different open metal sites.
Low humidity is a failed treatment option for chytridiomycosis in the critically endangered southern corroboree frog
Authors: Brannelly Laura A. , Berger Lee , Marrantelli Gerry , Skerratt Lee F.
Published: May 2015

Context
One of the major drivers of the current worldwide amphibian decline and extinction crisis is the spread of the amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Captive assurance colonies may be the only lifeline for some species. Current antifungal chemotherapies can be effective for clearing infection but may have detrimental side effects. The only non-chemotherapeutic treatment that has been clinically tested is heat, which is impractical for cold-adapted species. The fungus does not survive desiccation, and therefore a plausible alternative non-chemotherapeutic treatment would be a low-humidity regimen.

Aims
We tested the efficacy of a low-humidity treatment regimen for treating Bd-infected animals of the critically endangered species Pseudophryne corroboree. This species has high tolerance of dry environments, and is thus an ideal candidate for this treatment trial.

Methods
Forty frogs were exposed to 1 × 106 zoospores. At three weeks after exposure access to water was reduced to once daily for 10 days for 20 animals. Ten of these animals were also rinsed daily with the aim of removing zoospores.

Key results
The drying regimen neither increased survival nor decreased infection load, and treatment may have hastened mortality. All infected frogs died between 21 and 80 days after exposure, except one untreated frog.

Conclusions
Our results suggest that a drying regimen is not a viable treatment for chytridiomycosis. Infection may decrease the host’s ability to cope with water stress.

Implications
The failed drying treatment in P. corroboree suggests that drying is not an appropriate treatment for chytridiomycosis and treatment efforts should be focussed on chemotherapies for cold-adapted species. P. corroboree is a critically endangered species for which chytridiomycosis is the primary cause of decline, yet few experiments have been carried out on this species with regards to chytridiomycosis. All experimental information about this species and disease will benefit the management and protection of the species.
Influence of three-dimensional nanoparticle branching on the Young’s modulus of nanocomposites: Effect of interface orientation
Authors: Raja Shilpa N. , Olson Andrew C. K. , Limaye Aditya , Thorkelsson Kari , Luong Andrew , Lin Liwei , Ritchie Robert O. , Xu Ting , Alivisatos A. Paul
Published: May 2015

Significance

Currently, the effect of branching of nanoparticles tens of nanometers in size on the mechanical properties of structural composites is not well understood due to the limited availability of branched nanoscale fillers. We report that branched nanofillers have the potential for optimization of nanocomposite Young’s modulus over their linear counterparts. Lattice spring model simulations reveal that the mechanism for this improvement involves the ability of branched nanoparticles to optimize the ratio of both filler and stiff interfacial bonds aligned with the tensile axis, as opposed to linear nanoparticles, which optimize only the filler bond orientation when parallel to the stretching axis. We believe this information could inform the design of nanocomposites with optimized mechanical properties for a variety of structural applications.
Protein MRI contrast agent with unprecedented metal selectivity and sensitivity for liver cancer imaging
Authors: Xue Shenghui , Yang Hua , Qiao Jingjuan , Pu Fan , Jiang Jie , Hubbard Kendra , Hekmatyar Khan , Langley Jason , Salarian Mani , Long Robert C. , Bryant Robert G. , Hu Xiaoping Philip , Grossniklaus Hans E. , Liu Zhi-Ren , Yang Jenny J.
Published: May 2015

Significance

Primary and metastatic liver cancers that are associated with high mortality rates and poor treatment responses are only diagnosed at late stages, due to the lack of highly sensitive contrast agents and robust imaging methodologies. We have developed a protein MRI contrast agent (ProCA32) by engineering high-affinity Gd
3+
-binding pockets in rat and human α-parvalbumin. ProCA32 can function as both a T
1
- and T
2
-weighted contrast agent, which enables noninvasive detection of early-stage micrometastatic liver tumors with sizes as small as 0.24 mm using T
1
- and T
2
-weighted or T
2
/T
1
ratio MRI. Our protein-based MRI contrast agents and imaging methodology are expected to provide robust results for the early detection of liver cancer as well as other liver diseases.
Postmitotic regulation of sensory area patterning in the mammalian neocortex by Lhx2
Authors: Zembrzycki Andreas , Perez-Garcia Carlos G. , Wang Chia-Fang , Chou Shen-Ju , O’Leary Dennis D. M.
Published: May 2015

Significance

The mammalian neocortex is divided into specialized modality-specific areas that are responsible for the processing of sensory information. This architecture is critical, because altered area size affects normal sensory function and behavior in animals and humans. Current knowledge suggests that sensory area specification is dominated by patterning genes expressed in cortical progenitors. We show that postmitotic deletion of the transcription factor LIM homeobox 2 (
Lhx2
) in cortical neurons does not affect area patterning in progenitors but strongly alters sensory areas, demonstrating that specification of area identity in progenitors alone is insufficient. We suggest a novel and more comprehensive model of cortical area patterning that incorporates these revelations and define the relevance of postmitotic mechanisms in determining the functional properties of cortical areas.
Characterization and immunomodulatory activities of polysaccharides from Spirogyra neglecta (Hassall) Kützing
Authors: Surayot Utoomporn , Wang JianGuo , Lee Ju Hun , Kanongnuch Chartchai , Peerapornpisal Yuwadee , You SangGuan
Published: May 2015

Sulfated polysaccharides (SP) isolated from freshwater green algae, Spirogyra neglecta (Hassall) Kützing, and fractionated SPs were examined to investigate their molecular characteristics and immunomodulatory activity. The crude and fractionated SPs (F1, F2, and F3) consisted mostly of carbohydrates (68.5–85.3%), uronic acids (3.2–4.9%), and sulfates (2.2–12.2%) with various amounts of proteins (2.6–17.1%). d-galactose (23.5–27.3%), d-glucose (11.5–24.8%), l-fucose (19.0–26.7%), and l-rhamnose (16.4–18.3%) were the major monosaccharide units of these SPs with different levels of l-arabinose (3.0–9.4%), d-xylose (4.6–9.8%), and d-mannose (0.4–2.3%). The SPs contained two sub-fractions with molecular weights (Mw) ranging from 164 × 103 to 1460 × 103 g/mol. The crude and fractionated SPs strongly stimulated murine macrophages, producing considerable amounts of nitric oxide and various cytokines via up-regulation of their mRNA expression by activation of nuclear factor-kappa B and mitogen-activated protein kinases pathways. The main backbone of the most immunoenhancing SP was (1→3)-l-Fucopyranoside, (1→4,6)-d-Glucopyranoside, and (1→4)-d-Galactopyranoside.
ECHELLE SPECTROSCOPY OF γ-RAY BINARY 1FGL J1018.6-5856
Authors: Waisberg Idel R. , Romani Roger W.
Published: May 2015

We observed the Fermi-discovered γ-ray binary 1FGL J1018.6-5856 at 20 epochs over 50 days using the CHIRON spectrograph, obtaining spectra at

covering

Å. The average spectrum confirms an O6 V((f)) spectral type and extinction

. Variable absorption line equivalent widths suggest substantial contamination by wind line features. This variability and limited signal-to-noise ratio hindered accurate continuum definition and prevented measurement of a high quality radial velocity curve. Nevertheless, the best data indicate a radial velocity amplitude

for the He ii lines and substantially lower for H i. We argue that this indicates a most likely compact object mass

. While black hole solutions are not excluded, a neutron star source of the γ-ray emission seems preferred.
Codimension one structurally stable chain classes
Authors: Wen Xiao , Wen Lan
Published: May 2015

The well-known stability conjecture of Palis and Smale states that if a diffeomorphism is structurally stable, then the chain recurrent set is hyperbolic. It is natural to ask if this type of result is true for an individual chain class, that is, whether or not every structurally stable chain class is hyperbolic. Regarding the notion of structural stability, there is a subtle difference between the case of a whole system and the case of an individual chain class. The latter is more delicate and contains additional difficulties. In this paper we prove a result of this type for the latter, with an additional assumption of codimension 1. Precisely, let

f
f

be a diffeomorphism of a closed manifold

M
M

and let

p
p

be a hyperbolic periodic point of

f
f

of index 1 or

dim
⁡
M
−
1

\dim M-1

. We prove if the chain class of

p
p

is structurally stable, then it is hyperbolic. Since the chain class of

p
p

is not assumed in advance to be locally maximal, and since the counterpart of it for the perturbation

g
g

is defined not canonically but indirectly through the continuation

p
g

p_g

of

p
p

, the proof is quite delicate.
Regulation of cell proliferation by ERK and signal-dependent nuclear translocation of ERK is dependent on Tm5NM1-containing actin filaments
Authors: Schevzov Galina , Kee Anthony J. , Wang Bin , Sequeira Vanessa B. , Hook Jeff , Coombes Jason D. , Lucas Christine A. , Stehn Justine R. , Musgrove Elizabeth A. , Cretu Alexandra , Assoian Richard , Fath Thomas , Hanoch Tamar , Seger Rony , Pleines Irina , Kile Benjamin T. , Hardeman Edna C. , Gunning Peter W.
Published: May 2015

ERK-regulated cell proliferation requires multiple phosphorylation events catalyzed first by MEK and then by casein kinase 2 (CK2), followed by interaction with importin7 and subsequent nuclear translocation of pERK. We report that genetic manipulation of a core component of the actin filaments of cancer cells, the tropomyosin Tm5NM1, regulates the proliferation of normal cells both in vitro and in vivo. Mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs) lacking Tm5NM1, which have reduced proliferative capacity, are insensitive to inhibition of ERK by peptide and small-molecule inhibitors, indicating that ERK is unable to regulate proliferation of these knockout (KO) cells. Treatment of wild-type MEFs with a CK2 inhibitor to block phosphorylation of the nuclear translocation signal in pERK resulted in greatly decreased cell proliferation and a significant reduction in the nuclear translocation of pERK. In contrast, Tm5NM1 KO MEFs, which show reduced nuclear translocation of pERK, were unaffected by inhibition of CK2. This suggested that it is nuclear translocation of CK2-phosphorylated pERK that regulates cell proliferation and this capacity is absent in Tm5NM1 KO cells. Proximity ligation assays confirmed a growth factor–stimulated interaction of pERK with Tm5NM1 and that the interaction of pERK with importin7 is greatly reduced in the Tm5NM1 KO cells.
Serum and cellular ribavirin pharmacokinetic and concentration–effect analysis in HCV patients receiving sofosbuvir plus ribavirin
Authors: Rower Joseph E. , Meissner Eric G. , Jimmerson Leah C. , Osinusi Anu , Sims Zayani , Petersen Tess , Bushman Lane R. , Wolfe Pamela , McHutchison John G. , Kottilil Shyamasundaran , Kiser Jennifer J.
Published: May 2015

Objectives

Ribavirin concentrations may impact hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment outcome. We modelled ribavirin serum and intracellular ribavirin monophosphate (RBV-MP) and ribavirin triphosphate (RBV-TP) pharmacokinetics in red blood cells (RBC) using samples collected during the NIAID SPARE trial to explore associations with treatment outcome and the development of anaemia.

Patients and methods

Individuals infected with HCV genotype 1 (GT1) received 400 mg of sofosbuvir and either low-dose or weight-based ribavirin as part of the NIAID SPARE trial. Concentrations were modelled using NONMEM and associated with treatment outcomes using unpaired t-tests or Pearson's rho correlations.

Results

Average day 14 RBV-MP concentrations were higher in subjects with haemoglobin nadir <10 g/dL relative to patients with haemoglobin nadir ≥10 g/dL (6.54 versus 4.48 pmol/106 cells; P = 0.02). Additionally, day 14 RBV-MP average concentrations trended towards being higher in subjects that achieved sustained virological response (SVR) as compared with patients who relapsed (4.97 versus 4.09 pmol/106 cells; P = 0.07). Receiver operating characteristic curves suggested day 14 RBV-MP concentration thresholds of 4.4 pmol/106 cells for SVR (P = 0.06) and 6.1 pmol/106 cells for haemoglobin nadir <10 versus ≥10 g/dL (P = 0.02), with sensitivity and specificity ≥60%. Dosing simulations showed that 800 mg of ribavirin once daily produced day 14 RBV-MP concentrations within the 4.4–6.1 pmol/106 cells range.

Conclusions

RBV-MP concentrations in RBC at day 14 were related to anaemia and SVR. A therapeutic range was identified for RBV-MP in persons with HCV GT1 disease receiving 24 weeks of sofosbuvir plus ribavirin, suggesting a potential pharmacological basis for individualized ribavirin dosing in IFN-free regimens.
Karl Marx
Authors: Leopold David
Published: May 2015

Karl Marx (b. 1818–d. 1883) was born into a Jewish family living in the Rhineland region of Prussia. Marx’s father was a lawyer whose conversion to Christianity allowed him to continue his career. Marx studied at the universities of Bonn and Berlin, writing a doctoral thesis in ancient philosophy (on the philosophy of nature in Democritus and Epicurus). His political radicalism made it difficult for him to stay in the German Confederation, and his adult life was made up of three successive exiles—in Paris (1843–1845), Brussels (1845–1848), and London (1849–1883). Throughout that adult life, Marx combined radical political activity, independent scholarship, and financial insecurity, in varying proportions. He was a prolific writer; his (and Engels’s) collected writings, in the most authoritative, and still ongoing, edition (the new MEGA, or Marx-Engels-Gesamtausgabe), will contain 114 volumes when complete. Identifying the central concerns of that body of work is controversial, but they surely include a theory of history, an account of alienation and human nature, a critique of modern capitalism, and a vision of communism. Determining the content of Marx’s views on these, and other, topics is not easy. He could produce clear and precise prose, but much of his output is opaque and less certain. In addition to the complexity and unfamiliarity of some of his ideas, Marx’s writings include texts written in a variety of languages (German, English, and French), targeting long-forgotten contemporaries, published under conditions of censorship, written only for the purposes of self-clarification, and so on. The resulting interpretative difficulties are hopefully eased by the bibliographical recommendations in this article. The literature on Marx’s life, ideas, and influence is considerable, but it has historically been rather mixed in quality. Happily, there is a growing body of interesting and scholarly work on Marx in English, and the recommendations here reflect that development. In order to remain manageable and focused, this article concentrates primarily on English-language literature, and especially on more recent and more “analytical” contributions to that literature.
Physicalism
Authors: Melnyk Andrew
Published: May 2015

In the sense relevant to this article, physicalism (or materialism; the two terms are used interchangeably in the literature) is a comprehensive view about the nature of the world to the effect that every phenomenon whatever is, or is at bottom, physical. As such, it obviously raises issues about the place of phenomenal consciousness, intentionality, and morality—among other things—in a purely physical world. But it also raises issues that are independent of these familiar special cases, and it is to them that this article is devoted. One cluster of issues concerns how to formulate a thesis of physicalism that is neither obviously true nor obviously false, and significant if true. This has generally been thought to require specifying (1) a narrow sense of “physical,” perhaps linked to physics, and (2) some relation of being nothing over and above such that phenomena that are not physical in the narrow sense can be claimed to be nothing over and above phenomena that are physical in the narrow sense; candidates for such a relation are identity, supervenience, realization, and, most recently, grounding. A second cluster of issues concerns the implications of physicalism. Is physicalism a posteriori? Is it (if true at all) necessarily true? Can physicalism avoid commitment to physical reductionism? If so, how, and if not, then is that a problem for physicalism? Is physicalism consistent with the countless claims of causation and causal explanation made in the special sciences and in everyday life? (This last issue overlaps so much with the problems of mental causation, which have a vast literature of their own, that it is not addressed in the present article; the reader is directed to the separate article on mental causation.) A third cluster of issues concerns how in principle we could have, and whether in fact we do have, empirical evidence that physicalism is true—or of course that it is false. For example, is it true that for every (narrow sense) physical effect there is a sufficient physical cause, that is, that the causal closure of the physical holds? And if it does, then can a case for physicalism be built upon it? Can observed correlations between reported mental states (say) and brain states provide reason to think that mental states just are brain states? A fourth cluster of issues concerns alternatives to physicalism. Aside from traditional forms of mind-body dualism, what possible alternatives are there? For example, panpsychism holds that phenomenal properties are the intrinsic aspects of the properties known in physics through their causal or structural aspects. Is this a physicalist view or not? What scope is there for theses of pluralism, or of neutral monism?
Roary: Rapid large-scale prokaryote pan genome analysis
Authors: Page Andrew J. , Cummins Carla A. , Hunt Martin , Wong Vanessa K. , Reuter Sandra , Holden Matthew T. G. , Fookes Maria , Keane Jacqueline A. , Parkhill Julian
Published: May 2015

A typical prokaryote population sequencing study can now consist of hundreds or thousands of isolates. Interrogating these datasets can provide detailed insights into the genetic structure of of prokaryotic genomes. We introduce Roary, a tool that rapidly builds large-scale pan genomes, identifying the core and dispensable accessory genes. Roary makes construction of the pan genome of thousands of prokaryote samples possible on a standard desktop without compromising on the accuracy of results. Using a single CPU Roary can produce a pan genome consisting of 1000 isolates in 4.5 hours using 13 GB of RAM, with further speedups possible using multiple processors.

Availability and implementation

Roary is implemented in Perl and is freely available under an open source GPLv3 license fromhttp://sanger-pathogens.github.io/Roary

Contact

roary@sanger.ac.uk

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available atBioinformaticsonline.
Crystal structure of 3β-acetoxyandrosta-5,16-dien-17-yl trifluoromethanesulfonate
Authors: Zhou Shengjun , Huang Huaqi , Zhang Ting , Wang Dangfeng , Huang Rongbin
Published: May 2015

The title compound, C22H29F3O5S [systematic name: (3S,8R,9S,10R,13S,14S)-10,13-dimethyl-17-(trifluoromethylsulfonyloxy)-2,3,4,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15-dodecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-yl acetate], contains a fused four-ring steroidal system. RingsAandCadopt a chair conformation, while ringsBandDadopt half-chair and envelope (with the fused CH atom as the flap) conformations, respectively. In the crystal, weak intermolecular C—H...O interactions link the molecules into layers parallel to theabplane.
Revenue management research in hospitality and tourism
Authors: Denizci Guillet Basak , Mohammed Ibrahim
Published: May 2015

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine hospitality revenue management (RM) research in the recent decade, to identify emergent issues/topics and suggest directions for future research.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic process of literature review involving content analysis was adopted. The process involved searching for published articles in three major online databases for hospitality and tourism journals, evaluating and selecting the relevant articles, analyzing and synthesizing the findings of the selected papers and organizing the findings to determine what is known and what is yet to be known.

Findings

The paper established a broad range of topics that have engaged the attention of hospitality and tourism researchers in contemporary times. These topics were structured into seven major themes constituting the core activities of hospitality RM process and another eight themes covering the factors influencing the practice of RM.

Practical implications

The classification of the literature into core activities of RM process and factors influencing RM serves as a useful guide for practitioners and academics to trace relevant literature on various aspects of RM and to visibly notice the gaps in the existing literature.

Originality/value

By developing an RM framework and using it to evaluate existing literature, this study brings cohesion into the hospitality and tourism RM literature.
Sustainable business-and-industry foodservice
Authors: Kim Soyoung , Yoon Jihyun , Shin Joongwon
Published: May 2015

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate consumers’ perception on sustainable business-and-industry (B&I) foodservice and their willingness to pay a premium for it.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey was conducted. Among the 978 respondents, a total of 548 respondents who used B&I foodservice equal to or more than five times a month on an average were included for analyses.

Findings

The result revealed that consumers tended to perceive the concept of sustainability as “equivalent to (32 per cent) or beyond (28 per cent) being green or eco-friendly”. Consumers appeared to perceive the need for and the quality of sustainable B&I foodservice highly, but their awareness was comparatively low. Consumers’ awareness was significantly different across all demographic and food-related lifestyle variables. However, significant differences in the need and perceived quality were found only among food-related lifestyle variables. The result also indicated that 66 per cent of consumers were willing to pay a premium average of USD 0.72, 21 per cent of the reference meal price (USD 3.53) proposed in the survey. Consumers’ gender and eco-friendly dietary lifestyles were the significant determinants in predicting consumers’ willingness to pay a premium.

Originality/value

With concerns over environmental crisis, sustainable development has been a mainstream agenda across the world. However, the issue of sustainable development appears to be relatively overlooked in the field of foodservice research. This study is meaningful, in that it calls attention to the importance and potential of realizing sustainable foodservice and provides a starting point in relevant researches.
The effectiveness of embedded social media on hotel websites and the importance of social interactions and return on engagement
Authors: Aluri Ajay , Slevitch Lisa , Larzelere Robert
Published: May 2015

Purpose

The main purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of embedded social media channels and determine whether the embedded social media channels enhance the overall experience of travelers using the hotel Web sites.

Design/methodology/approach

A true-experimental, between-group and post-test-only design was used to address the primary research questions. Two privately accessible complete versions of the Web site (one with embedded social media channels and one without them) were designed for the experiment. The uses and gratifications approach was used to test the proposed hypotheses. Data were analyzed using ANOVA.

Findings

The results of this study revealed that embedded social media channels on the hotel Web site enhanced travelers’ social gratifications of perceived social interaction. Apart from these benefits for travelers seeking social gratifications, embedded social media channels did not enhance the overall experience (content and process gratifications) of travelers using the Web site.

Practical implications

In the case of embedded social media on hotel Web sites, this study suggests that hotel managers measure return on engagement to examine the effectiveness of embedded social media, instead of return on investment.

Social implications

The study revealed that the emergence of embedded social media channels and their integration on hotel Web sites will have significant influence on travelers who seek social gratifications.

Originality/value

The findings of this study offer new empirical evidence that embedded social media channels enhance only travelers’ perceived social interaction during their first visit to the hotel Web site.
Capital structure of firms when taxes are removed
Authors: Alhashel Bader
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to further the understanding of the non-tax benefits of debt.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper analyzes the capital structure of firms when taxes are removed by analyzing firms in an emerging market, Kuwait, where personal and corporate taxation does not exist.

Findings

– The leverage of firms in markets with no taxes are affected by the same leverage factors that affect firms where taxes are present. Non-tax benefits are economically significant and are almost 16 percent of firm value for the average leveraged firm.

Practical implications

– Given such a finding and the positive effect of debt on firm value, there should be policies to facilitate bank lending and more efficient access to credit for firms.

Originality/value

– The paper provides an estimate of the size of the non-tax benefits of debt.
Homicide-suicide in police families: an analysis of cases from 2007-2014
Authors: Klinoff Vera A. , Van Hasselt Vincent B. , Black Ryan A.
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– There is a burgeoning body of evidence showing that police officers are at a higher risk of committing homicide-suicide than civilian counterparts. The purpose of this paper is to provide an update and expansion of previous work by Violanti (2007) on homicide-suicide in law enforcement families.

Design/methodology/approach

– Police-perpetrated homicide-suicide cases were obtained through an online forum dedicated to topics related to domestic violence in police families. A total of 43 police-perpetrated homicide-suicides was identified and reviewed for presence/absence of variables similar to those examined by Violanti (2007), with the addition of new factors.χ2 analyses were performed to test for inter-study differences in proportions on variables of interest.

Findings

– Results indicated a significantly smaller proportion of homicide-suicide incidents perpetrated by State officers. The remainder of the variable frequencies remained relatively consistent between studies. Of particular importance, domestic violence and divorce/estrangement were salient precursors in these cases.

Research limitations/implications

– Data were obtained from an online forum and media publications, which may not be regulated for accuracy and may contain biased data.

Practical implications

– The current results, combined with the prior research, underscore the need for prevention programs and departmental policies that: increase the accessibility of mental health services, increase the availability of services for victims of police-involved intimate partner violence, and stress the enforcement of current domestic violence laws.

Social implications

– Results indicate that domestic violence is still a significant problem in law enforcement personnel, with the potential for lethal consequences.

Originality/value

– To the authors knowledge, this is only the second study involving a formal analysis of police-involved homicide-suicide cases.
Patterns of strategic change
Authors: Dominguez CC Marta , Galán-González Jose Luís , Barroso Carmen
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to know how strategic change processes unfold over time and their potential consequences for firms. The study has two main objectives: to identify the actors involved; and to analyze the sequences of changes when a firm experiences strategic change.

Design/methodology/approach

– To know the temporal sequence of strategic change isper seone of the most important questions of research in management. This is because it allows for a better understanding of how and why organizations change. The qualitative analysis – based on the existing literature on the change processes – aims to capture reality in flight and study long-term processes.

Findings

– The study identifies strategic change’s essential patterns. It determines when it is appropriate to use these sequences to improve firm performance and it explains that reorganization of the senior management can produce strategic change. The results provide a greater understanding of the strategic change processes carried out by firms which will broaden the theory relating to this subject.

Practical implications

– To know the strategic change circumstances and, over all, the sequence of the change process, could accelerate its implementation in a time when the speed is essential for the company competitiveness.

Originality/value

– The paper studies strategic change like a process. The results provide a greater understanding of the strategic change processes carried out by firms which will broaden the theory relating to this subject. The study identifies strategic change’s essential patterns both incremental as radical. By identifying these sequences, it can define the what, how and why of change, and who is involved.
Overcoming invisible obstacles in organizational learning
Authors: Huang Rui-Ting
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the key factors that could influence mobile learning outcome, and further explore the moderating effect of employee resistance to change (RTC) on mobile learning

Design/methodology/approach

– Partial least squares analysis was utilized to examine the data. Totally, 261 employees with mobile English learning experience participated in this study.

Findings

– The study findings have indicated that the perceived playfulness, flexibility advantages, and self-regulated learning (SRL) could have a positive impact on mobile learning satisfaction, which in turn could lead to better mobile learning continuance intention. In addition, it has been found that RTC could moderate the relationship between perceived flexibility advantages and mobile learning satisfaction, the link between SRL and mobile learning satisfaction, as well as the connection between mobile learning satisfaction and continuance intention.

Originality/value

– Although a considerable amount of literature has been published on mobile and organizational learning, relatively little work has probed into the moderating role of employee RTC on mobile learning in organizations. As mobile learning has gradually been regarded as a key learning channel, in order to minimize learning barriers, and further improve learning effectiveness and efficiency in organizations, it is critical that more work should be done on the moderating role of RTC in mobile learning.
Sustainable life cycle offers through cooperation
Authors: Selberherr Julia
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– Sustainable buildings bear enormous potential benefits for clients, service providers, and our society. To release this potential a change in business models is required. The purpose of this paper is to develop a new business model with the objective of proactively contributing to sustainable development on the societal level and thereby improving the economic position of the service providers in the construction sector.

Design/methodology/approach

– The modeling process comprises two steps, the formal structuring and the contextual configuration. In the formal structuring systems theory is used and two levels are analytically separated. The outside view concerns the business model’s interaction with the environment and its impact on sustainability. The inside view focusses on efficient value creation for securing sustainability. The logically deductively developed business model is subsequently theory-led substantiated with Giddens’ structuration theory.

Findings

– The relevant mechanisms for the development of a new service offer, which creates a perceivable surplus value to the client and contributes to sustainable development on the societal level, are identified. The requirements for an efficient value creation process with the objective of optimizing the service providers’ competitive position are outlined.

Research limitations/implications

– The model is developed logically deductively based on literature and embedded in a theoretical framework. It has not yet been empirically tested.

Practical implications

– Guidelines for the practical implementation of more sustainable business models for the provision of life cycle service offers are developed.

Social implications

– The construction industry’s impact requires it to contribute proactively to a more sustainable development of the society.

Originality/value

– This paper analyzes the role for the players in the construction sector in proactively contributing to sustainable development on the societal level. One feasible strategy is proposed with a new business model, which aims at cooperatively optimizing buildings and infrastructures and taking the responsibility for the operating phase via guarantees.
New spatial decision support systems for sustainable urban and regional development
Authors: Lombardi Patrizia , Ferretti Valentina
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– Policy makers are frequently challenged by the need to achieve sustainable development in cities and regions. Current decision-making processes are based on evaluation support systems which are unable to tackle the problem as they cannot take a holistic approach or a full account of actors. The purpose of this paper is to present a new generation of evaluation systems to support decision making in planning and regeneration processes which involve expert participation. These systems ensure network representation of the issues involved and visualization of multiple scenarios.

Design/methodology/approach

– A literature review is used for both revising existing evaluation tools in urban planning and the built environment and highlighting the need to give stakeholders (industry, cities, operators, etc.) new tools for collaborative or individual decisions and to facilitate scaling up solutions. An overview of the new generation of decision support systems, named Multicriteria Spatial Decision Support Systems (MC-SDSS) is provided and real case studies are analyzed to show their ability to tackle the problem.

Findings

– Recent research findings highlight that decisions in urban planning should be supported by collaborative and inclusive processes. Otherwise, they will fail. The case studies illustrated in this study highlight the usefulness of MC-SDSS for the successful resolution of complex problems, thanks to the visualization facilities and a network representation of the scenarios.

Research limitations/implications

– The case studies are limited to the Italian context.

Practical implications

– These SDSS are able to empower planners and decision makers to better understand the interaction between city design, social preferences, economic issues and policy incentives. Therefore, they have been employed in several case studies related to territorial planning and regeneration processes.

Originality/value

– This study provides three case studies and a review of the new MC-SDSS methodology which involve the Analytic Network Process technique to support decision-making in urban and regional planning.