bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An investigation of financial expertise improvement among CFOs hired following restatements
Authors: Xu Yang , Zhao Lijuan
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine chief financial officer (CFO) qualification improvement associated with restatements and restatement characteristics (restatement materiality). The study is motivated by recent high-profile financial scandals and increasing instances of restatements which focus public attention on the role of CFOs in maintaining the integrity and quality of corporate financial reporting.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study employs data composed of 80 restating firms matched with 80 non-restating firms with hand-collected CFO turnover information in the periods of 2003-2010. The research questions are tested in the logistic regression models.

Findings

– The results provide some support that restating firms are more likely to hire new CFOs with greater accounting knowledge and overall CFO qualification (both accounting knowledge and CFO work experience) than non-restating firms. Furthermore, the authors also find that the number of restating years has a positive effect on CFO qualification improvement.

Research limitations/implications

– Although the authors fail to find strong evidence for the hypotheses (perhaps due to the small sample size) the authors provide the first evidence on the relation between CFO qualification improvement and restatement. Further research can examine the relation in the pre-SOX period, and investigate whether any of the firms experiencing CFO turnover have experienced any financial statement restatements in subsequent years.

Originality/value

– The results extend the understanding of companies’ strategies for regaining reporting credibility in the wake of restatements. Restatements of erroneous accounting numbers (primarily earnings) have led to significant losses for investors, contributed to a series of corporate governance reforms and legislative changes including SOX 2002, and prompted efforts to identify the remedies restating firms take to improve reporting quality and restore credibility.
The LTCC device for miniature plasma generators characterization
Authors: Macioszczyk Jan , Malecha Karol , Golonka Leszek J.
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is a presentation of a miniature vertical dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma generators. The presented devices, with sub- and superstrate, were made using low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC). Such construction allowed to measure discharge spectra and device temperature easily.

Design/methodology/approach

The generators were made in the Du Pont 951 system with silver vertical metallizations and PdAg contacts. The devices had electrodes with different width and height. Also, the distance between them could be established. They were placed on substrate with buried temperature sensor and covered with a ceramic lid. The lid had opening to measure emitted light. Different configurations of vertical DBD were tested.

Findings

Geometry of vertical metallizations influences on spectra, as well as distance between them. Signal-to-noise ratio had a maximum for certain generators and can be measured by the intensity of highest peak.

Research limitations/implications

Height of vertical metallizations is limited by the difference in shrinkage of LTCC tape and via paste. Parameters of temperature sensors vary between measurements, according to rapid changes of temperature and presence of strong electric field.

Practical implications

The generators can be used for creating discharge for optical emission spectrometry. It is a convenient method to determine the amount of selected gas compounds.

Originality/value

This paper shows fabrication and performance of the novel vertical DBD generators with ceramic additions for convenient spectra measurement and monitoring temperature of the device during work.
Influence of the SiNx:H layer deposited by PECVD technique on the surface and grain boundary passivation of mc-Si
Authors: Kluska Stanislawa , Panek Piotr
Published: August 2016

Purpose

In this paper, we aim to investigate the influence of the hydrogenated silicon nitride layers deposited by a large area 13.56 MHz plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition system on the electrical activity of the surface and interfaces of the grains for solar cells fabricated on microcrystalline silicon and multicrystalline silicon.

Design/methodology/approach

The characterization of current-voltage parameters of 25 cm2 solar cells manufactured with different passivation and antireflective layers are presented. After spectral response measurements, external quantum efficiency was calculated, and the final results are shown graphically. The passivation effect concerning grain areas was evaluated more precisely by light-beam-induced current scan maps (LBIC).

Findings

The final impact of the type of passivation layer on surface and grain boundary photoconvertion in solar cells is determined.

Originality/value

The passivation effect concerning grain areas was evaluated more precisely by LBIC.
Developing a matrix and using self-reported scoring to measure librarian engagement on campus
Authors: Broughton Kelly
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– The library’s strategic plan calls for the author to “Transform the role of the subject liaison librarian to better engage the campus community.” This statement specifically focusses on the aspect of the liaison role that builds relationships with the campus partners, “to better engage the campus community.” And like the peers, liaison librarians at this mid-size research institution have been struggling not only with implementing but also determining how to measure this new role. The purpose of this paper is to develop one measure of librarian engagement with the campus community.

Design/methodology/approach

– The author developed a “campus relationship matrix” that articulates dozens of products that could potentially be the result of liaison work, such as co-authoring a grant proposal, developing a class, co-presenting a workshop on article impact metrics, etc. These relationship products were generated by examining the own work and by scanning liaison responsibility statements from other institutions. These products fall into three relationship status levels: emergent, generative, and productive. Each subject librarian was asked to rate his and her relationship with each department he or she serves. Additionally, in order to achieve consistency across the organization in understanding of three relationship levels, the author engaged in an exercise to calibrate the categorization of these work products. During this exercise and through the discussions, greater nuances were revealed about what the author is hoping to achieve with the strategic goal. A review and summary of the ratings is presented.

Findings

– Baseline counts of relationship types were completed. The author is working to establish goals for next year’s comparisons. In actuality, the specific goals matters much less than the conversations surrounding these results about what work the author should be doing and why and how is valued.

Originality/value

– This study presents a tool useful for the exploration and measure of librarian relationships with campus.
Social networks and relational capital in library service assessment
Authors: Bracke Paul
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– Researchers and administrators have struggled to fully understand the value of library human resources for decades. There are many approaches to counting the activities of library staffs, but less is understood about the value of developing and maintaining relationships. Given the growing importance of engagement-focussed, expertise-based service models in research libraries, the failure of library assessment models to account for the relational value of librarian activities is problematic in justifying and incentivizing new strategic activities and understanding the importance of libraries’ relationships with users and other stakeholders. The social network perspectives now commonplace in organizational studies to provide relational and contextual understandings of organizational behavior could be applied to library performance measurement and evaluation, providing a fuller picture of library impact. The purpose of this paper is to address this conceptual gap in the evaluation of library services.

Design/methodology/approach

– The first part of the paper will present a content analysis of recent literature on emerging service models in academic libraries to identify relational aspects of the models. The relational elements will then be mapped to major concepts and methods from the social network analysis literature. This will include, as appropriate, basic network properties such as transactional content (e.g. exchange of power, services, etc.) of the relationship, nature (e.g. intensity, reciprocity, embeddedness) of the relationship, and structural characteristics of library networks. It will also identify more advanced areas of analysis such as the development of social capital, diffusion of innovations and contagion, and the role of networks in providing access to organizational resources. After mapping relational elements of emerging library service models to social network theory, a research agenda for better understanding library social networks and their value will be proposed.

Findings

– Social network theory offers a rich conceptual and methodological framework for understanding the relational value of library services, particularly in emerging engagement-centered views of librarianship. Although activity- and outcome-based models of assessment are still important in the assessment of library activities, a social network view of library relationships is an essential complement in providing a more complete view of library value and will complement other work in this area such as human capital valuation and the relational capital components of the values scorecard.

Originality/value

– This paper presents a unique theoretical and methodological viewpoint on the assessment of library services. This will contribute to the understanding of a vexing problem in library assessment, the value of library human resources, by providing a framework for the measurement and evaluation of relational aspects of librarianship that are often viewed as intangible and unmeasurable.
Seven stories of performativity and advocacy: a review of the published work of Stephen Town
Authors: Corrall Sheila
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– Stephen Town has been a thought leader and change agent in the academic library world for more than 20 years, who has produced a very large body of work in the areas of quality management and performance measurement that has been disseminated internationally. Town’s retirement from full-time employment at the University of York provides a timely opportunity to review his contribution to the field. The purpose of this paper is to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

– The review outlines Town’s career path and professional interests and then appraises his published output, concentrating on his contributions to thinking and practice in the areas of benchmarking, information literacy, service quality, and measuring the value and impact of academic libraries and information services. The discussion is organized thematically to illustrate the evolution and development of his interests and ideas over the review period and also references-related work by other authors to set his work in context.

Findings

– The study found many examples of innovative and creative work that had influenced thinking and practice in the library profession, including the development of models, frameworks, and tools with the potential to improve the effectiveness of service benchmarking, information literacy education, library advocacy, relationship management, staff evaluation, and impact measurement.

Research limitations/implications

– The volume of published work necessitated some selectivity in the material covered, but the review provides sufficiently comprehensive coverage of the areas specified to represent the work effectively.

Originality/value

– Town has produced a substantial number of publications as a practitioner-researcher that have not previously been reviewed independently as a coherent body of work.
Archives as a trusted third party in maintaining and preserving digital records in the cloud environment
Authors: Guo Wei , Fang Yun , Pan Weimei , Li Dekun
Published: August 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to present a case wherein a public archive intervenes in maintaining and preserving digital records (including underlying technological infrastructure) created by a private company to protect the trustworthiness of records, thereby helping the company to discharge their accountability.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper details the intervention of Tianjin Municipal Archives in the management of the records of Tianjin Otis Elevator Co., Ltd, the technical infrastructure that enables and supports such configuration, the issues encountered and the theoretical implications of this case.

Findings

This case suggests that not only does the concept of archives as a trusted third party remain relevant in the changing technological environment but also, in certain cases (e.g. wherein the supplier of evidentiary documents holds a monopoly over an industry), archives are becoming increasingly critical in maintaining the reliability and authenticity of digital records in the cloud environment.

Research limitations/implications

Given the challenges raised by the emerging cloud environment, it is vital to develop a renewed understanding of the concept of archives as a trusted third party, the relationship between archives and commercial third party services and the relationship between public archives and private records. Furthermore, this case identifies the need to re-examine archival methodologies to protect the authenticity of structured data.

Originality/value

This case exemplifies how archives can help private organizations address issues related to guaranteeing and demonstrating the evidential nature of digital records and provides empirical evidence for archives being conceptualized as a trusted third party in maintaining and preserving digital records.
Factors that influence students’ satisfaction with their physical learning environments
Authors: Wilson Hannah Kira , Cotgrave Alison
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify personality types between different university disciplines, and to establish whether there are differing requirements in the design of physical learning environment. Also to identify features of the learning environment that can support a sense of community. This paper seeks to investigate the relationship between student’s personality and preferences of features of the built environment.

Design/methodology/approach

– Quantitative questionnaires were distributed in three university disciplines based on the variables personality, elements of the physical learning environment and features that could support a sense of community.

Findings

– The analysis revealed that there are differences in preferred features within the physical learning environment for the three university disciplines within a large UK-based university. It can also be seen that there are differences in personality profiles between these three university disciplines. Features of the environment that could support a sense of community have been also identified.

Research limitations/implications

– Those who are responsible for the design and refurbishment of higher education institutions may find this research useful to improve the facilities for students. To support the development of appropriate physical learning spaces through the understanding of students’ requirements.

Originality/value

– This paper presents a new perspective on how the development of higher education facilities can be designed to increase student experience by identifying specific features of the physical learning environment students prefer.
Proposed methodology for measurement, survey and assessment of vertical deformation of structures
Authors: Ruiz-Jaramillo Jonathan , Mascort-Albea Emilio , Jaramillo-Morilla Antonio
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– Growing awareness of the importance of preserving the built environment has created an increasing demand for experts capable of performing building inspections to ensure a high level of preservation. Technical surveys include a set of procedures and tests that have become essential tools providing the necessary knowledge required for maintenance, preservation and improvement of buildings. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– Within this set of inspection techniques, this paper presents a method developed to produce vertical deformation plans from the levelling data obtained from different floors of a building. It also explains how to perform accurate levelling and an outcome analysis to provide displacement maps. Thus, based upon obtained measurements, it is possible to achieve 2D contour maps and three-dimensional (3D) surface mapping by means of specialized software that is typically used for cartographic and territorial analysis.

Findings

– The developed methodology provides easier analysis of the deformation of buildings and structures. Consequently, the method produces relatively accurate outcomes that are sufficient to make a proper assessment that facilitates the diagnostic and decision-making process. The case studies analysed show the applicability and usefulness of the procedure.

Originality/value

– This sustainable and non-destructive system is an essential instrument for providing valuable and useful information to the specialist. The 2D/3D graphical data displays enable easier analysis of survey results, also aiding comprehension of these results in the context of liability claims.
BIM performance framework for the maintenance and refurbishment of housing stock
Authors: Alwan Zaid
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present a systematic framework for maintenance and refurbishment in domestic housing sector for utilising BIM processes, which tackles ageing housing stock and allows for sustainability improvements, and carbon footprinting.

Design/methodology/approach

– The methods used consisted using modern technology currently used in the built environment sector, and applying them to BIM framework. The BIM implementation covered both technical and social implications, and appraisal of different approaches needed to make the framework effective within the housing sector.

Findings

– The study revealed that there are many modern approaches for a BIM framework in relation to maintenance and refurbishment, and a possible strategic BM approach largely used in new built sector can be applied to domestic building to achieve effective modern asset management. This makes the housing stock easier to manage as well as addressing vital issues such as carbon footprint, and excessive energy wasted on inefficient buildings envelopes.

Research limitations/implications

– Further testing and adoption of the approach and model proposed, will result in greater acceptance of BIM for housing management and greater realisation of benefits.

Practical implications

– A potential model that can be used and applied to domestic housing sector as a result of this research.

Originality/value

– Demonstration of a road map for BIM applications within the maintenance and refurbishment for housing stock is currently under researched, and the findings aimed to address such a gap. This can in turn shift the focus of BIM towards asset management and building performance rather than just new build.
Basement geology beneath the northeast Thelon Basin, Nunavut: insights from integrating new gravity, magnetic and geological data
Authors: Tschirhart V. , Jefferson C.W. , Morris W.A.
Published: August 2016

Current models for unconformity‐associated uranium deposits predict fluid flow and ore deposition along reactivated faults in >1.76 Ga basement beneath Mesoproterozoic siliciclastic basins. In frontier regions such as the Thelon Basin in the Kivalliq region of Nunavut, little is known about the sub‐basin distribution of units and structures, making exploration targeting very tenuous. We constructed a geological map of the basement beneath the unconformity by extrapolating exposed features into the subsurface. The new map is constrained by detailed geological, geophysical, and rock property observations of outcrops adjacent to the basin and by aeromagnetic and gravity data over the geophysically transparent sedimentary basin. From rock property measurements, it is clear that the diverse magnetic and density characteristics of major rock packages provide quantitative three‐dimensional constraints. Gravity profiles forward modelled in four cross sections define broad synforms of the Amer Belt and Archean volcanic rocks that are consistent with the structural style outside the basin. Major lithotectonic entities beneath the unconformity include: supracrustal rocks of the Archean Woodburn Lake group and Marjorie Hills meta sedimentary gneiss and associated mixed granitoid and amphibolitic gneiss; the Amer Mylonite Zone and inferred mafic intrusions oriented parallel and sub‐parallel; other igneous intrusions of 2.6 Ga, 1.83 Ga, and 1.75 Ga vintage; and the <2.3 Ga to >1.84 Ga Amer Group. Four main brittle regional fault arrays (040°–060°, 075°–90°, 120°, and 150°) controlled development and preservation of the basin. The reactivated intersections of such faults along fertile basement units such as the Rumble assemblage, Marjorie Hills assemblage, Nueltin igneous rocks, and Pitz formation are the best targets for uranium exploration.
An NPV Analysis of Buying versus Renting for Prospective Australian First Home Buyers
Authors: Crowley Dominic , Li Shuyun May
Published: August 2016

This paper explores buying versus renting as an investment decision for a prospective Australian first home buyer, by comparing the net present values of buying and renting. An ex‐post analysis for overlapping 10‐year periods from 1983 to 2015 for Australia's eight capital cities suggests that buying was financially more favourable than renting over most of the study period. Renting was favourable in some capital cities for the decade from 1983, but buying was clearly favourable from the early 1990s to early 2000s in all capital cities. An ex‐ante analysis suggests that buying is currently favourable in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Darwin.
Invasion, alien control and restoration: Legacy effects linked to folivorous insects and phylopathogenic fungi
Authors: Maoela Malebajoa A. , Jacobs Shayne M. , Roets Francois , Esler Karen J.
Published: August 2016

Invasive alien trees increase native tree stress and may increase attack by herbivores and pathogenic fungi. Alien tree removal should ameliorate such impacts. Here we compared the levels of damage by phylopathogenic fungi and folivorous insects on Brabejum stellatifolium and Metrosideros angustifolia (native trees) and Acacia mearnsii (invasive tree species) among near‐pristine, invaded and restored sites. Generally, foliar damage levels were higher at invaded than at near‐pristine sites. Damage levels at restored sites were similar, or even higher than those at invaded sites. Decreased native tree species richness did not explain these patterns, as restored sites had native tree species richness levels similar to those of near‐pristine sites. Increased host abundance and leaf nitrogen content did not significantly correlate with increased damage in most cases. Therefore, plant species richness recovers following restoration, but native trees still experience increased pressure from folivores and phylopathogenic fungi, which may even exceed levels experienced at invaded sites, thus impacting recovery trajectories.
Validation of a point‐of‐care prothrombin time test after cardiopulmonary bypass in cardiac surgery
Authors: Meesters M. I. , Kuiper G. , Vonk A. B. A. , Loer S. A. , Boer C.
Published: August 2016

Point‐of‐care coagulation monitoring can be used for the guidance of haemostasis management. However, the influence of time on point‐of‐care prothrombin time testing following protamine administration after cardiopulmonary bypass has not been investigated. Bland–Altman and error grid analysis were used to analyse the level of agreement between prothrombin time measurements from point‐of‐care and laboratory tests before cardiopulmonary bypass, and then 3 min, 6 min and 10 min after protamine administration. Prothrombin times were expressed as International Normalised Ratios. While the point‐of‐care and laboratory prothrombin time measurements showed a high level of agreement before bypass, this agreement deteriorated following protamine administration to a mean (SD) bias of −0.22 (0.13) [limits of agreement 0.48–0.04]. Error grid analysis revealed that 35 (70%) of the paired values showed a clinically relevant discrepancy in international normalised ratio. At 3 min, 6 min and 10 min after cardiopulmonary bypass there is a clinical unacceptable discrepancy between the point‐of‐care and laboratory measurement of prothrombin time.
Long‐term anti‐endotoxin/E. coli efficacy in mice transfected with AAV2/1‐muBPI25‐muFcγ1
Authors: Lv Zhe , Fan Yiqiang , Xu Qing , Kong Qingli , Li Chen , Liu Zhenlong , Wang Wei , An Yunqing
Published: August 2016

Bactericidal/permeability increasing (BPI) is an antibiotic protein which kills Gram‐negative bacteria and neutralizes endotoxin. We have previously developed a recombinant adeno‐associated virus which contains human BPI amino acid residues 1–199 and Fc fragment of human IgG1 gene (AAV‐hBPI‐Fc) and shown that the recombinant virus can protect mice from lethal endotoxemia. However, whether AAV‐hBPI‐Fc can be used in vivo for the long term remains unclear. To address this, we established an adeno‐associated virus‐containing mouse BPI and Fc fragment genes (muBPI‐Fc) and compared antigenicity of these recombinant proteins in murine models. Immunohistochemistry showed the expression of both fusion proteins at injected sites. ELISA and Western blotting showed that the muBPI‐Fc protein was detected in serum up to 8 weeks after injection, without generation of autoantibodies against muBPI‐Fc. In contrast, expressed hBPI‐Fc protein was only detected on the 2nd week, whereas the autoantibody against hBPI‐Fc protein occurred in serum from the 4th week to the end of study. muBPI‐Fc also reduced production of proinflammatory cytokines and protected mice from endotoxemia and bacteremia. Our data showed that AAV‐muBPI‐Fc has potential long‐term efficacy as an anti‐endotoxin and has anti‐bacterial activity in mice, suggesting the potential clinical application of AAV‐hBPI‐Fc, such as in endotoxin shock.
Correlation between the presence of degenerated inclusion‐bearing cells in voided urine samples and the occurrence of polyomavirus infection
Authors: Ranzi A. D. , Introíni G. O. , Prolla J. C. , Brackmann R. , Bassani N. C. , Pasqualotto A. C. , Bica C. G.
Published: August 2016

Objective

The purpose of the present, prospective, cohort study was to monitor urine cytology samples from recipients of renal transplants to search for the occurrence of decoy cells and degenerated inclusion‐bearing cells with an aim to correlate the existence of these cells with molecular detection of polyomavirus BK (BKV) DNA in urine.

Material and methods

This study included patients who underwent renal transplantation. Patients had their urine tested quarterly, during the first year post‐transplantation, for the presence of decoy cells and degenerated cells, as well as by quantitative determination of BKV load in the urine and plasma.

Results

Three hundred and sixty‐one examinations were performed on 101 patients within 12 months of attendance. Urine cytology results were: 198 (54.9%) negative and 60 (16.6%) positive for the presence of viral cytopathic effects depending on the presence of BKV infection, 72 (19.9%) positive for the manifestation of degenerated cells and 31 (8.6%) unsatisfactory for analysis. There was a subtle tendency towards the presence of degenerated inclusion‐bearing cells in cases in which the virus was detected in voided urine. However, the presence of degenerated cells exhibited a tendency to BKV positivity in months 3, 6 and 9 and, exclusively in month 12, this trend was statistically significant.

Conclusions

There were not enough strong morphological and staining elements to state the origin of the degenerated cells or to describe the nature of the infection (viral or bacterial), given that these cells were undergoing an apoptotic process in post renal transplant patients.
Environmental variability and the evolution of the glucocorticoid receptor (Nr3c1) in African starlings
Authors: Hofmeister Natalie R. , Rubenstein Dustin R.
Published: August 2016

One of the primary ways that organisms cope with environmental change is through regulation of the hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, the neuroendocrine system that controls reactions to stress. Variation in genes regulating the HPA axis – particularly the glucocorticoid receptor – may facilitate adaptation to changing climatic conditions by altering expression. Here we examine signatures of selection on the glucocorticoid receptor gene (Nr3c1) in African starlings that inhabit a range of environments, including those with variable climatic conditions. To investigate potential adaptive mechanisms underlying the vertebrate stress response, we sequence the Nr3c1 gene in 27 species of African starlings. Although we find some evidence of positive selection, substitution rate is negatively correlated with variance in precipitation. This suggests climatic cycling in sub‐Saharan Africa may have resulted in lower substitution rates to maintain a successful coping strategy. When environmental conditions fluctuate rapidly, variation in the strength of purifying selection can explain evolutionary rate variation.
Phosphorus accumulates faster than nitrogen globally in freshwater ecosystems under anthropogenic impacts
Authors: Yan Zhengbing , Han Wenxuan , Peñuelas Josep , Sardans Jordi , Elser James J. , Du Enzai , Reich Peter B. , Fang Jingyun
Published: August 2016

Combined effects of cumulative nutrient inputs and biogeochemical processes that occur in freshwater under anthropogenic eutrophication could lead to myriad shifts in nitrogen (N):phosphorus (P) stoichiometry in global freshwater ecosystems, but this is not yet well‐assessed. Here we evaluated the characteristics of N and P stoichiometries in bodies of freshwater and their herbaceous macrophytes across human‐impact levels, regions and periods. Freshwater and its macrophytes had higher N and P concentrations and lower N : P ratios in heavily than lightly human‐impacted environments, further evidenced by spatiotemporal comparisons across eutrophication gradients. N and P concentrations in freshwater ecosystems were positively correlated and N : P was negatively correlated with population density in China. These results indicate a faster accumulation of P than N in human‐impacted freshwater ecosystems, which could have large effects on the trophic webs and biogeochemical cycles of estuaries and coastal areas by freshwater loadings, and reinforce the importance of rehabilitating these ecosystems.
Midazolam–ketamine dual therapy stops cholinergic status epilepticus and reduces Morris water maze deficits
Authors: Niquet Jerome , Baldwin Roger , Norman Keith , Suchomelova Lucie , Lumley Lucille , Wasterlain Claude G.
Published: August 2016

Objective

Pharmacoresistance remains an unsolved therapeutic challenge in status epilepticus (SE) and in cholinergic SE induced by nerve agent intoxication. SE triggers a rapid internalization of synaptic γ‐aminobutyric acid A (GABAA) receptors and externalization of N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptors that may explain the loss of potency of standard antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). We hypothesized that a drug combination aimed at correcting the consequences of receptor trafficking would reduce SE severity and its long‐term consequences.

Methods

A severe model of SE was induced in adult Sprague‐Dawley rats with a high dose of lithium and pilocarpine. The GABAA receptor agonist midazolam, the NMDA receptor antagonist ketamine, and/or the AED valproate were injected 40 min after SE onset in combination or as monotherapy. Measures of SE severity were the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes were acute neuronal injury, spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRS), and Morris water maze (MWM) deficits.

Results

Midazolam–ketamine dual therapy was more efficient than double‐dose midazolam or ketamine monotherapy or than valproate–midazolam or valproate–ketamine dual therapy in reducing several parameters of SE severity, suggesting a synergistic mechanism. In addition, midazolam–ketamine dual therapy reduced SE‐induced acute neuronal injury, epileptogenesis, and MWM deficits.

Significance

This study showed that a treatment aimed at correcting maladaptive GABAA receptor and NMDA receptor trafficking can stop SE and reduce its long‐term consequences. Early midazolam–ketamine dual therapy may be superior to monotherapy in the treatment of benzodiazepine‐refractory SE.
Parental Background Matters: Intergenerational Mobility and Assimilation of Italian Immigrants in Germany
Authors: Bönke Timm , Neidhöfer Guido
Published: August 2016

We investigate the hypothesis of failed integration and low social mobility of immigrants. An intergenerational assimilation model is tested empirically on household survey data and validated against registry data provided by the Italian Embassy in Germany. Although we confirm substantial disparities between educational achievements of immigrants and natives, we find that the children of Italian immigrants exhibit high intergenerational mobility and no less opportunity than natives to achieve high schooling degrees. These findings suggest a rejection of the failed assimilation hypothesis. Additionally, we evaluate different patterns by time of arrival, Italian region of origin and language spoken at home.
Ruminations on Ruins: Classical versus Romantic
Authors: Ziolkowski Theodore
Published: August 2016

Ruins evoke meditations, and none more than those of Rome. Not only historians from Gibbon to Toynbee have been inspired by those ruins. Writers of the German Classical period from Goethe to Schiller, Wilhelm von Humboldt, and A.W. Schlegel, not to mention Ludwig I of Bavaria or August von Platen, have reflected in their poems on the glory of that Roman past and its meaning for the present. The German Romantics, in contrast, shifted their gaze from antiquity to the Middle Ages and to such monuments as the castles of Heidelberg, Weibertreu, and Marienburg and the monastic ruins of Eldena and Sankt Wolfgang. Poets from Brentano and Chamisso to Eichendorff and Kerner regarded them not so much as cultural‐historical treasures for the cultivated few but, rather, as popular symbols of nationalistic pride and future unification. Classicists and Romantics alike sought to preserve those pasts through memory and art.
Beyond Borders: Pantheistic Confusion and Monotheistic Orthodoxy in Tieck's Der Runenberg
Authors: O'Neal Devin
Published: August 2016

This article suggests that the confusing nature of Tieck's Der Runenberg sets the text within the contemporaneous atheism and pantheism debates. The story can be read as a fictionalized exploration of the monotheistic Judeo‐Christian view of reality and of a pantheistic alternative. Confusion functions as a textual example of the literal fusing together (con‐fusio) of a pantheistic spirituality and simultaneously obfuscates the subject matter to avoid accusations of open blasphemy. However, the theme of confusion also calls into question the validity of pursuing this spiritual exploration and whether a pantheistic alternative is truly desirable over monotheistic orthodoxy. Ultimately, the text addresses the positive and negative aspects of both spiritual realms but does not make a clear judgment concerning either.
The analysis of scalp irritation by coacervates produced in hair shampoo via FTIR with focal plane array detector, X‐ray photoelectron microscopy and HaCaT cells
Authors: Jung I. K. , Park S. C. , Kim S. H. , Kim J. H. , Cha N. R. , Bae W. R. , Kim H. N. , Cho S. A. , Yoo J. W. , Kim B. M. , Lee J. H.
Published: August 2016

Objective

Coacervates are inevitably formed on scalp on using hair washing products. Our goal was to analyse the coacervates in detail to identify the part responsible for scalp stimulation.

Methods

Shampoo that increases coacervate formation was applied to in vitro skin and was washed. The residue was then analysed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy–focal plane array (FTIR‐FPA) and X‐ray photoelectron microscopy (XPS). And HaCaT cells were used for irritant test of coacervate.

Results

Through this research, it was confirmed that the coacervate was a macromolecule structurally similar to a cationic polymer and contains an anionic surfactant. Its anionic surfactant was structurally semi‐stable so that it released onto scalp when it absorbs moisture.

Conclusion

Coacervate releases sulphate bonding into the matrix when it is exposed to water. Thus, the scalp stimulation would be expected.
Experimental Investigations on Dielectric Fluids Behavior in High‐Power Transformers
Authors: Chitra Subbiah Rammohan , Sendhilnathan Sechasalom
Published: August 2016

The dielectric breakdown voltage of MgMnNi/transformer oil‐based nanofluids was systematically investigated under the influences of an electric field. The experimental behavior appears to come to a maximal end value of the breakdown voltage at around 72 kV. The prepared dielectric fluid has been investigated for use as high‐voltage insulation. The dielectric strengths of these nanofluids increase possibly due to enhanced electric field dissipation due to the presence of magnetite nanoparticles in fluids. The zeta potential value was found to be −18.8 mV, which shows that the nanoparticles are highly stable even at a pH 10. The thermophysical properties were performed using KD2 Pro method, and for viscosity measurements, DV‐E viscometer was used.
Role of the ubiquitin‐proteasome pathway on proteolytic activity in postmortem proteolysis and tenderisation of sheep skeletal muscle
Authors: Liu Yue , Du Manting , Li Xin , Chen Li , Shen Qingwu , Tian Jianwen , Zhang Dequan
Published: August 2016

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of ubiquitin‐proteasome pathway on meat tenderisation. The sheep muscle longissimus lumborum was injected with or without PYR‐41 (inhibitor of ubiquitination) or MG‐132 (inhibitor of proteasome). Muscle samples were collected at 6, 15, 24 and 48 h after injection. Myofibrillar protein degradation, muscle ultrastructure and sarcomere length were determined. Results showed that inhibition of proteasome or ubiquitination affected sarcomere length at 48 h after treatments. Destruction of muscle ultrastructure in both treatments was reduced when compared to control. Inhibition of proteasome produced different fragments of myofibrillar proteins in comparison with control at 48 h. In conclusion, ubiquitin‐proteasome plays a role in postmortem proteolysis and might contribute to meat tenderisation.
Significant improvement for the functional properties of konjac glucomannan based on phase separation
Authors: Huang Qing , Ge Honghe , Jin Weiping , Shah Bakht R. , Ye Shuxin , Hu Ying , Li Bin , Chen Yijie
Published: August 2016

Konjac glucomannan (KGM) serves as a stabiliser due to its high molecular weight and viscosity. However, these properties limit its addition in food products, especially in drinks. The main aim of this study was to improve the functional properties of KGM by a green and effective method, that is phase separation. It was found that increasing temperature accelerated phase separation of KGM/gum arabic mixture. KGM‐rich phase was characterised and its physical properties were investigated by different methods. Crystal property showed no significant changes after phase separation. Nevertheless, rheological properties indicated that the viscosities of samples after phase separation (FKGM) decreased dramatically. Their emulsifying capacities also improved. Moreover, the differences in molecular rearrangement at the oil–water interface were also studied by using interfacial rheology. These results suggested that FKGM with low viscosity had better interfacial properties, and thus may have potential applications as food ingredients.
Integrated time–cost tradeoff and resources leveling problems with allowed activity splitting
Authors: Hariga Moncer , Shamayleh Abdulrahim , El‐Wehedi Fekrat
Published: August 2016

Resource leveling and time–cost tradeoff are among the most challenging optimization problems in project management. These two problems are usually addressed separately because each problem optimizes different objective functions. In this paper, we develop an integrated model that addresses both problems when activities are allowed to split for better utilization of resources. The formulated mixed integer linear program (MILP) model considers the tradeoff between the crashing‐dependent costs; direct and indirect costs, and resource utilization related costs; acquiring, releasing, and splitting costs. The model can be used as a decision tool to determine whether crashing is recommended when decision makers are also concerned with the better utilization of project's resources. A one‐way sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess total cost savings achieved through the integration of time–cost tradeoff and resource leveling problems. Another experimental study was undertaken to evaluate the performance of the MILP runtime.
A robust possibilistic programming approach to multiperiod hospital evacuation planning problem under uncertainty
Authors: Rabbani Masoud , Zhalechian Mohammad , Farshbaf‐Geranmayeh Amir
Published: August 2016

In this paper, a biobjective programming model is developed to address the hospital evacuation problem under uncertainty. It aims to concurrently minimize the total evacuation time and the total weighted number of unevacuated patients in each period. The presented model considers two types of patients and three transportation modes. Moreover, the evacuating hospitals are divided into two groups. In the first group, it is not possible to send vehicles to the evacuating hospitals due to the poor road condition or congestion, whereas there is no such limitation in the second group. A robust possibilistic programming approach is adopted to deal with the inherent uncertainty in the input data. To cope with the computational complexity of the problem, two well‐known metaheuristic algorithms are developed to solve the large‐sized problems. Finally, several computational experiments and sensitivity analyses are conducted and the results are analyzed.
Stabilizing Highly Loaded Silicon Nitride Aqueous Suspensions Using Comb Polymer Concrete Superplasticizers
Authors: Rueschhoff Lisa M. , Youngblood Jeffrey P. , Trice Rodney W.
Published: August 2016

The stabilization of highly loaded silicon nitride suspensions will afford the processing of complex and near‐net shaped parts using methods such as injection molding or direct write additive manufacturing. In this study, aqueous silicon nitride suspensions up to 45 vol% solids loading were dispersed using commercially available comb‐type copolymer. These copolymers are used as superplasticizers in the concrete industry and are referred to as water‐reducing admixtures (WRAs). Four different WRA dispersants were examined and chemical analysis determined that each was made up of a sodium salt of polyacrylic acid (PAA‐Na) backbone with neutral polyethylene oxide (PEO) side chains that afford steric stabilization. The general structures of the WRAs were compared to each other by measuring the relative areas of their prominent FTIR peaks and calculating a PAA‐Na/PEO peak ratio. Suspensions were made with as‐received silicon nitride powders with 5 wt% aluminum oxide and 5 wt% yttrium oxide added as sintering aids. Three of the four WRA dispersants studied were able to produce suspensions with 43 vol% solids loading and 5 vol% polymer dispersant, while exhibiting a yield‐pseudoplastic behavior up to 30 s−1. At higher solids loading (45–47 vol%), a shift to shear‐thickening behavior was observed at a critical shear rate for these WRAs. Those WRAs with a lower PAA‐Na/PEO peak ratio displayed better stabilization and diminished shear‐thickening behavior. The vol% of the dispersant was optimized producing yield‐pseudoplastic suspensions containing 45 vol% solids loading with yield stresses less than 75 Pa, no shear‐thickening behavior, and viscosities less than 75 Pa·s for shear rates in the range of 1–30 s−1.
Nestedness and species replacement along bathymetric gradients in the deep sea reflect productivity: a test with polychaete assemblages in the oligotrophic north‐west Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Stuart Carol T. , Brault Solange , Rowe Gilbert T. , Wei Chih‐Lin , Wagstaff Martine , McClain Craig R. , Rex Michael A.
Published: August 2016

Aim

To test the hypothesis that low productivity drives the nestedness component of β‐diversity in polychaetes at the deep‐sea floor.

Location

Western Gulf of Mexico.

Methods

We used A. Baselga's (2010, Global Ecology and Biogeography, 19, 134–143) metrics of species replacement and nestedness to assess their overall significance with differences in depth and particulate organic carbon (POC) flux to the seafloor. We used M. A. Rodríguez‐Gironés & L. Santamaría's (2006, Journal of Biogeography, 33, 924–935) BINMATNEST to calculate the significance and direction of nestedness with depth and POC flux.

Results

Nestedness was the most significant part of β‐diversity with depth and POC flux. The rank order of nestedness increased significantly with increasing depth, and decreased significantly with increasing POC flux. There was little endemism below 2000 m.

Main conclusion

The polychaete fauna in the deepest western Gulf of Mexico is largely a nested subset of the shallower upper to mid‐bathyal fauna. While the causes of β‐diversity in the deep sea are undoubtedly multivariate, the relative importance of turnover and nestedness appears to be modulated by productivity in the form of POC flux to the seafloor. Under circumstances of extremely low POC flux and animal density in the deepest reaches of the Gulf, nestedness may be caused by some populations being maintained by immigration from larger populations upslope, or by biogeographic filtering for tolerance to abyssal conditions. Resources at great depths in regions of exceptionally low productivity may be too limited to permit adaptation resulting in endemism and continued downslope turnover. If productivity helps to explain the nestedness part of β‐diversity, this may lead to a more unified theory of deep‐sea biodiversity.