bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Highly selective multilayer polymer thin films for CO2/N2 separation
Authors: Song Yixuan , Lugo Elva L. , Powell Stuart , Tzeng Ping , Wilhite Benjamin A. , Grunlan Jaime C.
Published: August 2017

Multilayer thin films of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA), deposited via layer‐by‐layer (LbL) assembly from aqueous solutions, are investigated for CO2/N2 separation. Eight and ten bilayer (217 and 389 nm thick, respectively) PEO/PMAA thin films deposited on a 25 μm polystyrene substrate exhibit CO2/N2 selectivities of 142 and 136, respectively. These are the highest reported to‐date for this gas pair separation using a homogeneous polymer film. While further work remains to improve CO2 permeability, these results indicate the potential of LbL assemblies as standalone CO2 separation membranes for low‐flux/high‐purity applications, or as part of a composite and/or mixed‐matrix membrane for high‐flux applications. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017, 55, 1730–1737
SiV Color Centers in Si‐Doped Isotopically Enriched 12C and 13C CVD Diamonds
Authors: Sedov Vadim , Boldyrev Kirill , Krivobok Vladimir , Nikolaev Sergei , Bolshakov Andrey , Khomich Alex , Khomich Andrew , Krasilnikov Anatoly , Ralchenko Victor
Published: August 2017

The effect of isotopic modification of diamond lattice on photoluminescence (PL) and optical absorption spectra of ensembles of SiV− centers was studied. Thin epitaxial diamond layers were grown by a microwave plasma CH4/H2 mixtures using methane enriched to 99.96% for either 12C or 13C isotopes, while the Si doping was performed by adding a small percentage of silane SiH4 into the plasma. Temperature dependent SiV− ZPL spectra in absorption were measured at 3–80 K to monitor the evolution of the ZPL fine structure. It is found that the SiV− ZPL at 736.9 nm observed in PL for 12C diamond at T = 5 K, exhibits a blue shift of 1.78 meV, to 736.1 nm in 13C diamond matrix. Narrow ZPL with the width (FWHM) of 0.09 meV (21 GHz) was measured in absorption spectra at T = 3–30 K in the Si‐doped 13C diamond. Besides the charged SiV− center, the absorption of the neutral SiV0 defect at 946 nm wavelength has also been detected. From changes observed in SiV− phonon band structure in PL with isotopic modification, the band at 64 meV was confirmed to be a local vibration mode (LVM) involving a Si atom.
Hesperidin Supplementation Alleviates Oxidative DNA Damage and Lipid Peroxidation in Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Double‐Blind Placebo‐Controlled Clinical Trial
Authors: Homayouni Fatemeh , Haidari Fatemeh , Hedayati Mehdi , Zakerkish Mehrnoosh , Ahmadi Kambiz
Published: August 2017

This study aimed to examine the effects of hesperidin supplement on the glycemic parameters, oxidative DNA damage, and lipid peroxidation in patients with type 2 diabetes. Sixty‐four patients were randomly allocated to receive 500 mg/day hesperidin or placebo capsules for 6 weeks. Data on glycemic parameters, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), 8‐hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8‐OHDG), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were collected at the baseline and at the end of the study. In hesperidin group, TAC increased (0.74 ± 0.16 vs. 0.82 ± 0.18), while serum froctoseamin (5.79 ± 5.86 vs. 5.01 ± 4.95; p = 0.001), 8‐OHDG (14.32 ± 6.4 vs. 11.00 ± 7.0; p = 0.000), and MDA (5.78 ± 1.76 vs. 4.60 ± 0.75; p = 0.000) decreased in comparison with the baseline values. There was a significant difference in percent change of TAC (13.35 ± 19.21 vs. 3.13 ± 10.02; p = 0.043), froctoseamin (−10.10 ± 16.84 vs. 4.27 ± 34.646), 8‐OHDG (−25.11 ± 28.23 vs. 8.69 ± 35.41; p = 0.000), and MDA (−16.46 ± 18.04 vs. −1.82 ± 22.63; p = 0.007) between hesperidin and control groups following intervention in adjusted models. These results suggest that hesperidin may improve TAC and alleviate serum froctoseamin, 8‐OHDG, and MDA levels in type 2 diabetes. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Robust convergence of discrete‐time delayed switched nonlinear systems and its applications to cascade systems
Authors: Liu Xingwen , Zhao Qianchuan
Published: August 2017

Systems in real world are always subject to perturbations. This paper addresses the convergence properties of a class of nominal systems with perturbations. It is assumed that the nominal system is a switched nonlinear exponentially stable one with time‐varying delays and that the perturbation exponentially or asymptotically converges to zero. It is revealed that the trajectories of the perturbed system behave as the perturbation, ie, trajectories exponentially or asymptotically converge to zero, depending on the property of perturbation. Applying these results to cascade switched nonlinear systems, it is shown that such systems are exponentially stable if and only if all the subsystems, obtained by removing the coupling terms, are exponentially stable. A similar conclusion is presented for systems being asymptotically stable. Finally, a numerical example illustrates the proposed theoretical results.
Direct Microrolling Processing on a Silicon Wafer
Authors: Aoki Kanna , Ishiguro Keita , Denokami Masaki , Tanahashi Yuya , Furusawa Kentaro , Sekine Norihiko , Adschiri Tadafumi , Fujii Minoru
Published: August 2017

Although, varieties of micro‐ to nanoscale fabrication technologies have been invented and refined for silicon (Si) processing because Si is the basic material of integrated circuits, the layouts are based on layer‐by‐layer approaches, making it difficult to realize three‐dimensional (3D) structures with complicated shapes normal to the planar surface (along the out‐of‐plane direction) of the wafers used. Here, a novel and direct Si‐processing technology that enables to bend thin layers of Si surfaces into various 3D curved structures at the micrometer scale is introduced. This bending is achieved by porosifying a Si wafer surface using anodic oxidation and then performing conventional photolithography patterning and wet etching. The porosity gradient in the depth direction gives rise to a stress‐internalized layer in which self‐rolling action is induced via subsequent patterning and wet etching. A subsequent oxidation process further enhances the curvature deformation, leading to the formation of tubes, for example. The rolling directions can be controlled by 2D patterning of the porous Si layer, which is explained well from a structural dynamics perspective. This technology has a wide range of capabilities for realizing 3D structures on Si substrates, enabling new design possibilities for Si‐based on‐chip devices.
Formal verification of probabilistic SystemC models with statistical model checking
Authors: Ngo Van Chan , Legay Axel
Published: August 2017

Transaction‐level modeling with SystemC has been very successful in describing the behavior of embedded systems by providing high‐level executable models, in which many of them have inherent probabilistic behaviors, eg, random data and unreliable components. It is thus crucial to have both quantitative and qualitative analysis of the probabilities of system properties.

Such analysis can be conducted by constructing a formal model of the system under verification and using Probabilistic Model Checking. However, this method is infeasible for large systems, due to the state space explosion. In this article, we demonstrate the successful use of statistical model checking to conduct such analysis directly from large SystemC models and allow designers to express a wide range of useful properties.

The first contribution of this work is a framework to verify properties expressed in Bounded Linear Temporal Logic for SystemC models with both timed and probabilistic characteristics.

Second, the framework allows users to expose a rich set of user code primitives as atomic propositions in Bounded Linear Temporal Logic. Moreover, users can define their own fine‐grained time resolution rather than the boundary of clock cycles in the SystemC simulation.

The third contribution is an implementation of a statistical model checker. It contains an automatic monitor generation for producing execution traces of the model‐under‐verification, the mechanism for automatically instrumenting the model‐under‐verification, and the interaction with statistical model checking algorithms.
Theoretical model for the bond–slip relationship between ribbed steel bars and confined concrete
Authors: Zhao Weiping , Zhu Binrong
Published: August 2017

This paper conducts a theoretical research into bond–slip relationship between ribbed steel bars and concrete. According to whether the concrete is cracked or not, the ascending part of the bond–slip curve is divided into two sections which are calculated by two different mechanical models. Based on the wedging action mechanism, the slip is introduced as displacement boundary conditions into the model, which is the main innovation of this study. The boundary conditions of the model are changed by the changing slip, so the bond stress values corresponding to all levels of slip are obtained. According to the rebar geometrical parameters specified in National Standard GB1499‐2007, the spacing of the adjacent ribs is fitted as a linear function of the rebar diameter. Then characteristic slip with the rib spacing as the main parameter is adopted in this study. Also, a negative exponential function is proposed for the descending part of the bond–slip curve. Specially, parameters of slipping path are therefore suggested for engineering applications. Comparison between calculated values and test results shows that the theoretical model can reasonably predict the local bonding problems with different steel bar diameters and concrete strength grades.
Evaluating relationships between hunting and biodiversity knowledge among children
Authors: Peterson M. Nils , Chesonis Tessa , Stevenson Kathryn T. , Bondell Howard D.
Published: August 2017

We investigated how hunting participation and associated demographic variables relate to biodiversity knowledge among children. Past participation in hunting among elementary age children in North Carolina, USA, surveyed during 2014 was high (29%) and a positive predictor of student's ability to name native wildlife species after controlling for gender, ethnicity, and grade level. Minorities and girls had lower biodiversity knowledge scores and were less supportive of hunting. Our findings suggest children may view hunting differently than adults and that youth hunting programs, particularly those targeting very young children, may be fruitful ways to promote biodiversity knowledge. Such efforts, however, may be most valuable among minorities because Hispanic children had the lowest participation in hunting and Black children had both low participation rates and lowest biodiversity knowledge scores. © 2017 The Wildlife Society.
Non‐invasive assessment of adrenocortical function as a measure of stress in the endangered golden langur
Authors: Sarmah Jatin , Hazarika Chaya R. , Berkeley Elizabeth V. , Ganswindt Stefanie B. , Ganswindt Andre
Published: August 2017

The golden langur (Trachypithecus geei) is an endangered primate endemic to northern India and Bhutan. The main stressors to the species are habitat degradation and fragmentation. Non‐invasive fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) analysis is a powerful tool for assessing stress associated with environmental disturbances in wildlife. However, interspecific differences in glucocorticoid metabolism require careful selection of the antibody used in their quantification. The goals of this study were to: 1) validate an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to determine fecal GC metabolite (fGCM) concentrations in the golden langur and 2) compare fGCM concentrations between golden langurs living under different environmental conditions. We compared five enzyme immunoassays for determining stress related physiological responses in golden langurs by performing an adrenocorticotropic stimulation test in both sexes. Our validations identified an 11‐oxoaetiocholanolone EIA detecting 11, 17 dioxoandrostanes as the most suitable assay for monitoring adrenocortical activity in the species. FGCM concentrations from semi‐captive temple langurs were significantly higher than respective stress steroid concentrations in free‐ranging or pet/zoo langurs. This study presents a validated practical method for non‐invasive monitoring of adrenocortical function in this rare and declining species.
Purification of Cyclic GMP-AMP from Viruses and Measurement of Its Activity in Cell Culture
Authors: Mayer Alice , Maelfait Jonathan , Bridgeman Anne , Rehwinkel Jan
Published: August 2017

Sensing of cytoplasmic DNA by cGAS is essential for the initiation of immune responses against several viruses. cGAS also plays important roles in some autoinflammatory and autoimmune diseases and may be involved in immune responses targeting cancer cells. Once activated, cGAS catalyzes the formation of the di-nucleotide 2′-3′-cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP), which propagates a signaling cascade leading to the production of type I interferons (IFNs). Interestingly, cGAMP is incorporated into enveloped viruses and is transferred to newly infected cells by virions. In this article, we describe a method to purify cGAMP from viral particles and a bioassay to measure its activity. This assay takes advantage of a reporter cell line that expresses the genes encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP) and firefly luciferase under the control of the IFNß promoter, allowing the testing of several samples in a single experiment taking not more than 3 days.
The Impact of the Location of Esophagogastrostomy on Acid and Duodenogastroesophageal Reflux After Transthoracic Esophagectomy with Gastric Tube Reconstruction and Intrathoracic Esophagogastrostomy
Authors: Usui Hiroaki , Fukaya Masahide , Itatsu Keita , Miyata Kazushi , Miyahara Ryoji , Funasaka Kohei , Nagino Masato
Published: August 2017

Background

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the location of esophagogastrostomy on acid and duodenogastroesophageal reflux (DGER) in patients undergoing gastric tube reconstruction and intrathoracic esophagogastrostomy.

Methods

Thirty patients receiving transthoracic esophagectomy without cervical lymph node dissection and gastric tube reconstruction by intrathoracic anastomosis were enrolled. All patients underwent 24‐h pH and bilirubin monitoring and gastrointestinal endoscopy one year after surgery. Patients were divided into three groups according to esophagogastrostomy location: group A (n = 9), above the top of the aortic arch; group B (n = 15), between the top and bottom of the aortic arch; and group C (n = 6), below the bottom of the aortic arch. The relations among the esophagogastrostomy location, 24‐h pH and bilirubin monitoring results, endoscopic findings, and reflux symptoms were investigated.

Results

No acid reflux into the remnant esophagus was observed in group A, whereas it was observed in three of 15 patients (20%) in group B and in two of six patients (33%) in group C (P = 0.139). No DGER was found in group A, whereas DGER was observed in eight (53%) patients in group B and all patients in group C (P < 0.001). Reflux esophagitis was observed in one patient (11%) in group A, five patients (33%) in group B, and all patients in group C (P = 0.002).

Conclusion

In gastric tube reconstruction via intrathoracic anastomosis, esophagogastrostomy should be performed above the top of the aortic arch to prevent postoperative DGER and reduce the incidence of reflux esophagitis.
Comparative Evaluation of Surgical Procedures with Clinical Equipoise: The Unique Perspective of Our Hand Therapy Colleagues
Authors: Schreiber Joseph J. , Clark Susan , Yao Jeffrey
Published: August 2017

Background

There are several accepted surgical treatment options available for carpal tunnel syndrome, thumb carpometacarpal joint (CMC), osteoarthritis (OA), and wrist degenerative joint disease.

Questions/Purposes

We sought to obtain the views and preferences from a cohort of certified hand therapists (CHT) and hypothesized that this source may identify differences in procedures that are otherwise widely believed to have clinical equipoise.

Methods

Five hundred twelve CHTs were surveyed regarding their experience, volume, and referral base along with their subjective assessments and preferences regarding open versus endoscopic carpal tunnel release (CTR), various surgical procedures for CMC OA, and proximal row carpectomy (PRC) versus 4-corner fusion (4-CF).

Results

The average CHT surveyed had 15.2 years experience and had a referral base of 7.7 different hand surgeons. Twenty-seven percent of respondents perceived superior pain control and incisional tenderness following open CTR compared to that of endoscopic CTR. However, 68% of CHTs would elect to undergo an open CTR themselves. There was no clear consensus for the optimal reconstructive technique for thumb CMC OA. As compared to that of 4-CF, PRC was thought to result in superior pain control (34 versus 22%), motion (43 versus 18%), and earlier discharge from therapy (32 versus 19%); however, 53% of respondents would prefer a 4-CF for themselves.

Conclusions

Hand therapists are intimately involved in the care of surgical patients and provide an educated and unique source for evaluating postoperative outcomes.
CYP2A6 Polymorphisms Associate with Outcomes of S-1 Plus Oxaliplatin Chemotherapy in Chinese Gastric Cancer Patients
Authors: Yang Lin , Zou Shanshan , Shu Chang , Song Yan , Sun Yong-Kun , Zhang Wen , Zhou Aiping , Yuan Xinghua , Yang Yi , Hu Songnian
Published: August 2017

Gastric carcinoma is a heterogeneous malignant disease involving genetic factors. To identify predictive markers for gastric cancer treatment in Chinese patients, we evaluated the association between polymorphisms of the gene encoding cytochrome P450 2A6 (CYP2A6) and outcomes of S-1 plus oxaliplatin (SOX) chemotherapy treatment. Clinical data on 60 consecutive gastric cancer patients receiving SOX regimen were collected prospectively. We sequenced all exons of CYP2A6 and a total of 22 different polymorphisms were detected in the present study. Comprehensive analyses of these genetic polymorphisms were performed to determine their association with both safety and efficacy of SOX regimen. Our results showed that polymorphisms of CYP2A6 were associated with the safety and efficacy of SOX treatment. Among them, missense mutations CYP2A6 rs60823196 and rs138978736 could be possible risk factors (P < 0.05) for severe diarrhea induced by SOX, whereas CYP2A6 rs138978736 could be a conceivable predictor for overall survival of patients treated with SOX adjuvant chemotherapy. Further large-scale randomized prospective studies are warranted to confirm these findings.
Extrapolating the Value Per Statistical Life Between Populations: Theoretical Implications
Authors: Hammitt James K.
Published: August 2017

Extrapolation of estimates of the value per statistical life (VSL) from high- to low- or middle-income populations requires attention to the possible effects of differences in income, current mortality risk, health, life expectancy, and many other factors. The standard theoretical model of VSL implies that VSL increases with income and decreases with current mortality risk. The effect of mortality risk is likely to be negligible while the effect of income is large and poorly quantified. Effects of differences in life expectancy and health are theoretically ambiguous. Effects of other factors, including differences in health care, formal and informal support networks, and cultural or religious factors that affect preferences for spending on oneself or others may be important but are unknown. Practical issues include choice of the most appropriate measure of income and possible differences in the patterns of age dependence between populations.
Predictors of obtaining follow-up care in the province of Ontario, Canada, following a new diagnosis of atrial fibrillation, heart failure, and hypertension in the emergency department
Authors: Atzema Clare L. , Yu Bing , Ivers Noah M. , Rochon Paula A. , Lee Douglas S. , Schull Michael J. , Austin Peter C.
Published: August 2017

Objective

Patients with cardiovascular diseases are common in the emergency department (ED), and continuity of care following that visit is needed to ensure that they receive evidence-based diagnostic tests and therapy. We examined the frequency of follow-up care after discharge from an ED with a new diagnosis of one of three cardiovascular diseases.

Methods

We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients with a new diagnosis of heart failure, atrial fibrillation, or hypertension, who were discharged from 157 non-pediatric EDs in Ontario, Canada, between April 2007 and March 2014. We determined the frequency of follow-up care with a family physician, cardiologist, or internist within seven and 30 days, and assessed the association of patient, emergency physician, and family physician characteristics with obtaining follow-up care using cause-specific hazard modeling.

Results

There were 41,485 qualifying ED visits. Just under half (47.0%) had follow-up care within seven days, with 78.7% seen by 30 days. Patients with serious comorbidities (renal failure, dementia, COPD, stroke, coronary artery disease, and cancer) had a lower adjusted hazard of obtaining 7-day follow-up care (HRs 0.77-0.95) and 30-day follow-up care (HR 0.76-0.95). The only emergency physician characteristic associated with follow-up care was 5-year emergency medicine specialty training (HR 1.11). Compared to those whose family physician was remunerated via a primarily fee-for-service model, patients were less likely to obtain 7-day follow-up care if their family physician was remunerated via three types of capitation models (HR 0.72, 0.81, 0.85) or via traditional fee-for-service (HR 0.91). Findings were similar for 30-day follow-up care.

Conclusions

Only half of patients discharged from an ED with a new diagnosis of atrial fibrillation, heart failure, and hypertension were seen within a week of being discharged. Patients with significant comorbidities were less likely to obtain follow-up care, as were those with a family physician who was remunerated via primarily capitation methods.
Retrospective evaluation of the BIG score to predict mortality in pediatric blunt trauma
Authors: Grandjean-Blanchet Charlotte , Emeriaud Guillaume , Beaudin Marianne , Gravel Jocelyn
Published: August 2017

Objectives

This study’s objective was to measure the criterion validity of the BIG score (a new pediatric trauma score composed of the initial base deficit [BD], international normalized ratio [INR], and Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS]) to predict in-hospital mortality among children admitted to the emergency department with blunt trauma requiring an admission to the intensive care unit, knowing that a score <16 identifies children with a high probability of survival.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study performed in a single tertiary care pediatric hospital between 2008 and 2016. Participants were all children admitted to the emergency department for a blunt trauma requiring intensive care unit admission or who died in the emergency department. The primary analysis was the association between a BIG score ≥16 and in-hospital mortality.

Results

Twenty-eight children died among the 336 who met the inclusion criteria. Two hundred eighty-four children had information on the three components of the BIG score, and they were included in the primary analysis. A BIG score ≥16 demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.76-0.98) and specificity of 0.83 (95% CI: 0.78-0.87) to identify mortality. Using receiver operating characteristic curves, the area under the curve was higher for the BIG score (0.97; 95% IC: 0.95-0.99) in comparison to the Injury Severity Score (0.78; 95% IC: 0.71-0.85).

Conclusion

In this retrospective cohort, the BIG score was an excellent predictor of survival for children admitted to the emergency department following a blunt trauma.
Cross-Border Evidence Gathering in Transnational Criminal Investigation: Is the Microsoft Ireland Case the “Next Frontier”?
Authors: CURRIE ROBERT J.
Published: August 2017

A recent and prominent American appeals court case has revived a controversial international law question: can a state compel a person on its territory to obtain and produce material that the person owns or controls, but which is stored on the territory of a foreign state? The case involved, United States v Microsoft, features electronic data stored offshore that was sought in the context of a criminal prosecution. It highlights the current legal complexity surrounding the cross-border gathering of electronic evidence, which has produced friction and divergent state practice. The author here contends that the problems involved are best understood — and potentially resolved — via an examination through the lens of the public international law of jurisdiction and, specifically, the prohibition of extraterritorial enforcement jurisdiction. An analysis of state practice reveals that unsanctioned cross-border evidence gathering is viewed by states as an intrusion on territorial sovereignty, engaging the prohibition, and that this view properly extends to the kind of state activity dealt with in the Microsoft Ireland case.
Axisymmetric viscous interfacial oscillations – theory and simulations
Authors: Farsoiya Palas Kumar , Mayya Y. S. , Dasgupta Ratul
Published: August 2017

We study axisymmetric, free oscillations driven by gravity and surface tension at the interface of two viscous, immiscible, radially unbounded fluids, analytically and numerically. The interface is perturbed as a zeroth-order Bessel function (in space) and its evolution is obtained as a function of time. In the linearised approximation, we solve the initial value problem (IVP) to obtain an analytic expression for the time evolution of wave amplitude. It is shown that a linearised Bessel mode temporally evolves in exactly the same manner as a Fourier mode in planar geometry. We obtain novel analytical expressions for the time varying vorticity and pressure fields in both fluids. For small initial amplitudes, our analytical results show excellent agreement with those obtained from solving the axisymmetric Navier–Stokes equations numerically. We also compare our results with the normal mode approximation and find the latter to be an accurate representation at very early and late times. The deviation between the normal mode approximation and the IVP solution is found to increase as a function of viscosity ratio. The vorticity field has a jump discontinuity at the interface and we find that this jump depends on the viscosity and the density ratio of the two fluids. Upon increasing the initial perturbation amplitude in the simulations, nonlinearity produces qualitatively new features not present in the analytical IVP solution. Notably, a jet is found to emerge at the axis of symmetry rising to a height greater than the initial perturbation amplitude. Increasing the perturbation amplitude further causes the jet to undergo end pinch off, giving birth to a daughter droplet. This can happen either for an advancing or a receding jet, depending on the viscosity ratio. A relation is found between the maximum jet height and the perturbation amplitude. Hankel transform of the interface demonstrates that at large perturbation amplitudes higher wavenumbers emerge, sharing some of the energy of the lowest mode. When these additional higher modes are present, the interface has pointed crests and rounded troughs.
Boardthink: Exploring the discourses and mind-sets of directors
Authors: Carroll Brigid , Ingley Coral , Inkson Kerr
Published: August 2017

In a context of institutionalized regulation and academic framing determined by agency theory, we note paradoxes in board governance literature and practice. These paradoxes concern boards’ conflicting roles of monitoring/control, and innovation/strategy-making. We explore directors’ mind-sets about governance on which their resolution of paradoxes and their decisions and actions will be based. We do this by applying discourse analysis to the transcripts of 60 semistructured interviews conducted with New Zealand directors who described and evaluated their experience of board governance. We identify and discuss their various discourses, which we label discourses of conformance, of deliberation, of enterprise and of bounded innovation. We note the homogeneity of discourses across different organization types, the dominance of conformance, the nonresolution of paradoxes, and the likely effects in inhibiting board strategy-making and contribution to innovation. We recommend attention by boards to their mind-sets and processes, and the development of generativity.
A Research Note: The Differential Impact of Threats on Ethnic Prejudice Toward Three Minority Groups in Britain
Authors: de Rooij Eline A. , Goodwin Matthew J. , Pickup Mark
Published: August 2017

In this research note we replicate, update and expand innovative research by Sniderman et al. conducted in the Netherlands in the late 1990s, and ask whether the relative primacy of cultural compared with economic and safety threats in explaining ethnic prejudice remains true under markedly different national, economic and political contexts. Using two national British surveys conducted in 2011 and 2016, we examine the impact of threat on hostility toward three minority groups. Our results confirm the primacy of cultural threat as the strongest and most consistent predictor of hostility, while demonstrating the more context-specific effects of safety and economic concerns, with safety threats playing an overall more prominent role and increased economic concerns being related to less hostility post-Brexit.
Influence of the Changjiang diluted waters on the nanophytoplankton distribution in the northern East China Sea
Authors: Lee Youngju , Yang Eun-Jin , Youn Seokhyun , Choi Joong Ki
Published: August 2017

We investigated the influence of the Changjiang diluted waters (CDW) on the distribution of nanophytoplankton (<20 µm) abundance and biomass in the northern East China Sea (ECS) during two research cruises conducted in the summers of 2010 and 2012, using flow cytometry. Each group of nanophytoplankton responded differently to the distribution of the CDW. In the surface layer,Synechococcus1 which has low orange fluorescence, a major component of summer nanophytoplankton, were more abundant under the large extension of CDW to the northern ECS in August 2010, whereas the abundance of other groups includingSynechococcus2 which has high orange fluorescence, and pico- and nano-eukaryotes (0.2–2 and 2–20 µm in diameter, respectively), dramatically increased under the small extension of CDW in August 2012. The subsurface chl-amaximum layer became more developed under the small extension of CDW, and was dominated by nano-eukaryotes. During two study periods, environmental characteristics in the CDW also showed annual variations, with higher seawater temperature, lower salinity, and higher nitrate concentration in the surface layer of the CDW in August 2010. The summer distributions ofSynechococcusand nano-eukaryotes were likely to be limited by low salinity and high temperature, respectively, indicating that phytoplankton distribution could be influenced not only by the extension level of the CDW but also by the change of the environmental characters of the CDW.
Khwaja sara, hijra, and the Struggle for Rights in Pakistan
Authors: KHAN SHAHNAZ
Published: August 2017

Drawing upon interviews with individuals in Pakistan who cannot be identified as heterosexual or be contained by the gender binary, I argue that in recent years post-colonial legacies of colonial laws have been challenged in Pakistan in ways that suggest a complicated relationship among sexuality, gender, and modernity. I draw upon Partha Chatterjee's notion of political society to situate this relationship. As such, I seek to strengthen prior discussions located in India and Pakistan. Further, this article challenges the problematic assumptions in mainstream queer politics that Muslim societies are static and ahistorical assumptions that appear to assume progress and struggle for sexual rights to be a Western attribute. In so doing, I extend earlier critiques arguing for a more complex understanding of the rule of non-normative sexualities in Muslim societies and suggest that colonial policies that regulated and criminalized the more fluid forms of sexuality in Muslim societies were incorporated in the imperial project of civilizing non-European cultures. The stability of colonial policies regarding sexuality was challenged in 2009 when the Pakistani state gave political recognition to trans* communities, identifying them as citizens of a modern state. These changes, I argue, pave the way for a potential shift from the fluid sexuality and irreverence that khwaja sara are usually associated with middle-class norms of respectability and encouragement towards assimilation into the social order.
Repurposing as a strategy for the discovery of new anti-leishmanials: the-state-of-the-art
Authors: CHARLTON REBECCA L. , ROSSI-BERGMANN BARTIRA , DENNY PAUL W. , STEEL PATRICK G.
Published: August 2017

Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne neglected tropical disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genusLeishmaniafor which there is a paucity of effective viable non-toxic drugs. There are 1·3 million new cases each year causing considerable socio-economic hardship, best measured in 2·4 million disability adjusted life years, with greatest impact on the poorest communities, which means that desperately needed new antileishmanial treatments have to be both affordable and accessible. Established medicines with cheaper and faster development times may hold the cure for this neglected tropical disease. This concept of using old drugs for new diseases may not be novel but, with the ambitious target of controlling or eradicating tropical diseases by 2020, this strategy is still an important one. In this review, we will explore the current state-of-the-art of drug repurposing strategies in the search for new treatments for leishmaniasis.
Larval development of Angiostrongylus chabaudi, the causative agent of feline angiostrongylosis, in the snail Cornu aspersum
Authors: COLELLA V. , CAVALERA M. A. , DEAK G. , TARALLO V. D. , GHERMAN C. M. , MIHALCA A. D. , OTRANTO D.
Published: August 2017

Nematodes of the Angiostrongylidae family, such as Angiostrongylus vasorum and Angiostrongylus cantonensis, may cause potentially life-threatening diseases in several mammal species. Alongside these well-known species, Angiostrongylus chabaudi has been recently found affecting the cardiopulmonary system of domestic and wild cats from Italy, Germany, Greece, Romania and Bulgaria. Nonetheless, significant gaps in the understanding of A. chabaudi epidemiology include the lack of information of species acting as intermediate host and of the morphological description of larval stages. Cornu aspersum (n = 30) land snails were infected with 100 first-stage larvae of A. chabaudi collected from a naturally infected wildcat in Romania. Larvae at different developmental stages were found in 29 out of 30 (96·7%) infected snails and a total of 282 (mean 9·8 ± 3·02 larvae per each specimen) were collected from the gastropods. Here we demonstrate that A. chabaudi develops in snails and report C. aspersum as potential intermediate host for this parasitic nematode. Findings of this study are central to understand the ecological features of feline angiostrongylosis and its epidemiology within paratenic and intermediate hosts.
The in vitro anthelmintic activity of the ethanol leaf extracts of Terminalia catappa L. on Fasciola gigantica
Authors: ANURACPREEDA PANAT , CHAWENGKIRTTIKUL RUNGLAWAN , NGAMNIYOM ARIN , PANYARACHUN BUSABA , PUTTARAK PANUPONG , KOEDRITH PREEYAPORN , INTARATAT NOPPADOL
Published: August 2017

At present, there are no medicinal plant extracts currently available for treatment and control of fasciolosis. The present work could provide, for the first study, conclusions on the in vitro fasciolicidal properties of the ethanol extract of Terminalia catappa L. (TcCE) leaves against adult Fasciola gigantica after incubation with RPMI-1640 medium containing the TcCE at various concentrations and times when compared with triclabendazole (TCZ). The relative motility and survival index values of the TcCE-treated flukes decreased at a more rapid rate than the TCZ-treated flukes. The death of the parasites was observed after exposed to TcCE at 3 h incubation with 400, 800 and 1000 µg mL−1, and at 6 h incubation in 100 and 200 µg mL−1. Vacuolization, blebbings and partial disruption on the parasites’ tegument were observed by light microscopy. When examined by scanning electron microscopy, TcCE caused similar tegumental alterations in the parasites as those observed in TCZ treatment but with larger damage at comparative incubation periods, consisting of swelling, blebbing, disrupted blebs, loss of spines, leading to the erosion, lesion and eventual disruption of the total tegument. Therefore, the TcCE may exert its fasciolicidal effect against F. gigantica by initially causing the tegumental alteration.
Buffering effects of safe, supportive, and nurturing relationships among women with childhood histories of maltreatment
Authors: Jaffee S. R , Takizawa R. , Arseneault L.
Published: August 2017

Background

Adults who were victims of childhood maltreatment tend to have poorer health compared with adults who did not experience abuse. However, many are in good health. We tested whether safe, supportive, and nurturing relationships buffer women with a history of childhood maltreatment from poor health outcomes in later life.

Methods

Participants included women from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study who were involved in an intimate relationship at some point by the time their twin children were 10 years old. Women were initially interviewed in 1999–2000 (mean age = 33 years) and 2, 5, and 7 years later. They reported on their physical and mental health, and their health-risk behaviours.

Results

Compared with women who did not experience abuse in childhood, women with histories of maltreatment were at elevated risk for mental, physical, and health-risk behaviours, including major depressive disorder, sleep, and substance use problems. Cumulatively, safe, supportive, and nurturing relationships characterized by a lack of violence, emotional intimacy, and social support buffered women with a history of maltreatment from poor health outcomes.

Conclusions

Our findings emphasize that negative social determinants of health – such as a childhood history of maltreatment – confer risk for psychopathology and other physical health problems. If, however, a woman's current social circumstances are sufficiently positive, they can promote good health, particularly in the face of past adversity.
Latent traits of impulsivity and compulsivity: toward dimensional psychiatry
Authors: Chamberlain S. R. , Stochl J. , Redden S. A. , Grant J. E.
Published: August 2017

Background

The concepts of impulsivity and compulsivity are commonly used in psychiatry. Little is known about whether different manifest measures of impulsivity and compulsivity (behavior, personality, and cognition) map onto underlying latent traits; and if so, their inter-relationship.

Methods

A total of 576 adults were recruited using media advertisements. Psychopathological, personality, and cognitive measures of impulsivity and compulsivity were completed. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to identify the optimal model.

Results

The data were best explained by a two-factor model, corresponding to latent traits of impulsivity and compulsivity, respectively, which were positively correlated with each other. This model was statistically superior to the alternative models of their being one underlying factor (‘disinhibition’) or two anticorrelated factors. Higher scores on the impulsive and compulsive latent factors were each significantly associated with worse quality of life (both p < 0.0001).

Conclusions

This study supports the existence of latent functionally impairing dimensional forms of impulsivity and compulsivity, which are positively correlated. Future work should examine the neurobiological and neurochemical underpinnings of these latent traits; and explore whether they can be used as candidate treatment targets. The findings have implications for diagnostic classification systems, suggesting that combining categorical and dimensional approaches may be valuable and clinically relevant.
CAMPO MINADO/MINEFIELD: War, Affect and Vulnerability – a Spectacle of Intimate Power
Authors: SOSA CECILIA
Published: August 2017

This essay reflects on the different spectatorial, political, cultural, affective and bodily experiences of attending Lola Arias's MINEFIELD/CAMPO MINADO, both at the Royal Court in London and at a university auditorium in Buenos Aires. Drawing upon the 1982 Malvinas/Falklands War, the Argentine internationally recognized director's production featured six former soldiers who used to be enemies on the battlefield telling real stories about the conflict. Although there was almost nothing that could be called traditional theatre onstage, the production received standing ovations on both sides of the Atlantic. But what was applauded at the end of each performance? The audiences’ reactions, including my own, were very different at the two venues. I argue that Arias's production hinged upon a high-risk, highly exposed public encounter that envisioned a change of perspectives, not only for the ex-soldiers involved but also for the spectators. Rather than staging veterans as war heroes, Arias's social experiment exposed both teams on a common ground of vulnerability. MINEFIELD constructed a spectacle of intimate power that delineated a naked form of transnational citizenship.
Surface energies emerging in a microscopic, two-dimensional two-well problem
Authors: Kitavtsev Georgy , Luckhaus Stephan , Rüland Angkana
Published: August 2017

In this paper we are interested in the microscopic modelling of a two-dimensional two-well problem that arises from the square-to-rectangular transformation in (two-dimensional) shape-memory materials. In this discrete set-up, we focus on the surface energy scaling regime and further analyse the Hamiltonian that was introduced by Kitavtsev et al. in 2015. It turns out that this class of Hamiltonians allows for a direct control of the discrete second-order gradients and for a one-sided comparison with a two-dimensional spin system. Using this and relying on the ideas of Conti and Schweizer, which were developed for a continuous analogue of the model under consideration, we derive a (first-order) continuum limit. This shows the emergence of surface energy in the form of a sharp-interface limiting model as well the explicit structure of the minimizers to the latter.
Hybrid ant colony optimization for capacitated multiple-allocation cluster hub location problem
Authors: Mirabi Mohammad , Seddighi Parya
Published: August 2017

The hub location problems involve locating facilities and designing hub networks to minimize the total cost of transportation (as a function of distance) between hubs, establishing facilities and demand management. In this paper, we consider the capacitated cluster hub location problem because of its wide range of applications in real-world cases, especially in transportation and telecommunication networks. In this regard, a mathematical model is presented to address this problem under capacity constraints imposed on hubs and transportation lines. Then, a new hybrid algorithm based on simulated annealing and ant colony optimization is proposed to solve the presented problem. Finally, the computational experiments demonstrate that the proposed heuristic algorithm is both effective and efficient.
Elliptic Fourier analysis and perceptual matching for the evaluation of bioinspired sketching in conceptual design
Authors: Yang Zhongliang , Chen Yumiao , Liu Zheng
Published: August 2017

Biologically inspired design can be used to aid in conceptual design. Sketching is an important ideation process in conceptual design for recording and evaluating flashing moments of inspiration. The present study aims to provide a framework for exploring the effects of biological examples on the sketching contours of products, as well as the perceptual matching degree between design ideas generated via sketching and the desired functions. Elliptic Fourier descriptors with principal component analysis and perceptual matching were used to evaluate and compare the effects of biological examples, no examples, and human-engineered examples from different product categories and within one product category on the sketches in an experiment that involved 28 participants. The application of elliptic Fourier descriptors with principal component analysis shows that there are significant differences in the third and seventh principal components. It is also found that exposure to biological examples can produce more sketches with high perceptual matching degree than the other three conditions, but there are no significant effects of the example exposure on the Pearson correlation coefficients of semantic differential evaluation value vectors between design problems and sketches. These results demonstrate that exposure to biological examples will correlate with Elliptic Fourier descriptors of sketches and will not significantly increase the perceptual matching degree between sketches and the desired function.
Estimating the risk of invasive group A Streptococcus infection in care home residents in England, 2009–2010
Authors: SAAVEDRA-CAMPOS M. , SIMONE B. , BALASEGARAM S. , WRIGHT A. , USDIN M. , LAMAGNI T.
Published: August 2017

Invasive group A streptococcal (iGAS) infections cause severe disease and death, especially in residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs). In order to inform iGAS prevention, we compared the risk of iGAS in LTCF residents and community residents. We identified LTCF residents among cases of iGAS from national surveillance (2009–2010) using postcode matching, and cases of hospital-acquired infections via hospital admission records. We used Poisson regression to calculate incidence rate ratios (IRR) and logistic regression to explore factors associated with case fatality rate (CFR). A total of 2741 laboratory-confirmed iGAS cases were matched to a hospital admission: 156 (6%) were defined as hospital-acquired. Out of the total cases, 96 (3·5%) were LTCF residents. Compared with community residents, LTCF residents over 75 years of age had a higher risk of iGAS infection (IRR = 1·7; 95% CI 1·3–2·1) and CFR (OR = 2·3; 95% CI 1·3–3·8). Amongst community-acquired cases, the risk of iGAS in LTCF residents between 75 and 84 years of age doubled (IRR = 2·7; 95% CI 1·8–3·9) compared with their community counterparts. The CFR among community-acquired cases was higher in LTCF residents than community residents (21% vs. 11%). Age remained associated with death in our final model. Our study showed that, even controlling for age, LTCF residents have a higher risk of acquiring and dying from iGAS. Whilst existing co-morbidities may explain this, it is reasonable to assume that the institutional setting may facilitate transmission. Therefore, cases in LTCF require prompt investigation together with a better understanding of factors contributing to the acquisition of infection.