bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Highly Uniform and Low Hysteresis Piezoresistive Pressure Sensors Based on Chemical Grafting of Polypyrrole on Elastomer Template with Uniform Pore Size
Authors: Oh Jinwon , Kim Jin‐Oh , Kim Yunjoo , Choi Han Byul , Yang Jun Chang , Lee Serin , Pyatykh Mikhail , Kim Jung , Sim Joo Yong , Park Steve
Published: June 2019

Sensor‐to‐sensor variability and high hysteresis of composite‐based piezoresistive pressure sensors are two critical issues that need to be solved to enable their practical applicability. In this work, a piezoresistive pressure sensor composed of an elastomer template with uniformly sized and arranged pores, and a chemically grafted conductive polymer film on the surface of the pores is presented. Compared to sensors composed of randomly sized pores, which had a coefficient of variation (CV) in relative resistance change of 69.65%, our sensors exhibit much higher uniformity with a CV of 2.43%. This result is corroborated with finite element simulation, which confirms that with increasing pore size variability, the variability in sensor characteristics also increases. Furthermore, our devices exhibit negligible hysteresis (degree of hysteresis: 2%), owing to the strong chemical bonding between the conductive polymer and the elastomer template, which prevents their relative sliding and displacement, and the porosity of the elastomer that enhances elastic behavior. Such features of the sensor render it highly feasible for various practical applications in the near future.
ZIF‐67‐Derived 3D Hollow Mesoporous Crystalline Co3O4 Wrapped by 2D g‐C3N4 Nanosheets for Photocatalytic Removal of Nitric Oxide
Authors: Liu Dongni , Chen Dongyun , Li Najun , Xu Qingfeng , Li Hua , He Jinghui , Lu Jianmei
Published: June 2019

ZIF‐67‐derived 3D hollow mesoporous crystalline Co3O4 wrapped by 2D graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C3N4) nanosheets are prepared by low temperature annealing, and are used for the photocatalytic oxidation of nitric oxide (NO) at a concentration of 600 ppb. The p–n heterojunction between Co3O4 and g‐C3N4 forms a spatial conductive network frame and results in a broad visible light response range. The hollow mesoporous structure of Co3O4 contributes to the circulation and adsorption of NO, and the large specific surface area exposes abundant active sites for the reaction of active species. A maximum NO degradation efficiency of 57% is achieved by adjusting the mass of the Co3O4 precursor. Cycling tests and X‐ray diffraction indicate the high stability and recyclability of the composite, making it promising in environmental purification applications.
Potential‐Induced Degradation and Recovery of Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Carolus Jorne , Merckx Tamara , Purohit Zeel , Tripathi Brijesh , Boyen Hans-Gerd , Aernouts Tom , De Ceuninck Ward , Conings Bert , Daenen Michaël
Published: June 2019

In recent years, metal halide perovskite solar cells have become a major competitor in the run to lower the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of photovoltaic (PV) systems. Commercialization of this new technology mainly depends on the long‐term stability of such devices, for which potential‐induced degradation (PID) may represent a factor of detrimental impact. As PID can trigger rapid and significant losses in PV systems, it is generally considered among the most critical failure modes with a high financial repercussion. Herein, the results of PID tests on perovskite solar cells are reported for the very first time. The solar cells are found to be extremely susceptible to PID: 18 h of high‐voltage stress, according to the PID test standard IEC 62804‐1 TS (foil method at 60 °C), shows a performance degradation of up to 95%, which mainly results from a decrease in the short‐circuit current. These results also uncover near full PID recoverability and pave the way toward further research into its mechanisms, kinetics, and mitigation.
Rapid Stabilization of Droplets by Particles in Microfluidics: Role of Droplet Formation
Authors: Chacon Orellana Laura Andreina , Baret Jean‐Christophe
Published: June 2019

Droplet‐based microfluidics has emerged as a powerful technology for the miniaturization and automation of biochemical assays. The replacement of surfactants by nanoparticles as interfacial stabilizers has gained increasing interest. However, the stabilization mechanism of droplets by nanoparticles in microchannels is poorly understood, drastically hindering the development of practical applications. Current methods for droplet stabilization involve a trade‐off between low droplet production throughput and the waste of a large number of nanoparticles. Herein, we introduce a modification to the droplet production junction that reduces the droplet stabilization time by an order of magnitude, and at the same time significantly reduces the particle waste. Our results show that the limiting step in the kinetics of stabilization is the initial time where both phases come into contact and offer a guideline for the design of particle‐stabilized droplet production devices.
Better Together on Behalf of Our Children
Authors: Simone Julie , Hauptman Ally , Hasty Michelle
Published: June 2019

The authors detail how 2,000 teachers facilitating summer camps for 8,000 students across a state for three years engaged families in authentic literacy practices. Building relationships, considering families’ needs and strengths, and providing authentic learning experiences linked with literacy led to positive changes in family engagement and literacy motivation.
Save your office hours of work with a digital class roster
Authors: Sutton Halley
Published: June 2019

LOS ANGELES — When administrators at the Oxford College of Emory University decided to update their class roster system from a manual to an automated digital (and, thus, paperless) system, it was no small undertaking. But Stephanie Moncada, director of registration; Janice Ly, business operations specialist; and Seth Tepfer, director of software engineering, all at Oxford College at Emory University, knew the challenges would be worth it because of the work that would eventually be saved every semester. “The day following the add/drop swap was Nightmare on Emory Street,” Ly said.
Address the career and life needs of students with workforce experience
Authors: Enos Gary
Published: June 2019

Gordon Swartz, Ph.D., brings experience in management consulting and business school teaching to his current role as dean of the School of Business at Golden Gate University in San Francisco. Making the academic program highly relevant to students with an established history in the workforce is an essential priority at a university where the average age of both undergraduate and graduate students is 34.
Holographic signatures of resolved cosmological singularities
Authors: Bodendorfer N. , Schäfer A. , Schliemann J.
Published: June 2019

Abstract

The classical gravity approximation is often employed in AdS/CFT to study the dual field theory, as it allows for many computations. A drawback is however the generic presence of singularities in classical gravity, which limits the applicability of AdS/CFT to regimes where the singularities are avoided by bulk probes, or some other form of regularisation is applicable. At the same time, quantum gravity is expected to resolve those singularities and thus to extend the range of applicability of AdS/CFT also in classically singular regimes. This paper exemplifies such a computation. We use an effective quantum corrected Kasner-AdS metric inspired by results from non-perturbative canonical quantum gravity to compute the 2-point correlator in the geodesic approximation for a negative Kasner exponent. The correlator derived in the classical gravity approximation has previously been shown to contain a pole at finite distance as a signature of the singularity. Using the quantum corrected metric, we show explicitly how the pole is resolved and that a new subdominant long-distance contribution to the correlator emerges, caused by geodesics passing arbitrarily close to the resolved classical singularity. In order to compute analytically in this paper, two key simplifications in the quantum corrected metric are necessary. They are lifted in a companion paper using numerical techniques, leading to the same qualitative results.
Blunt cerebrovascular injury: incidence and long-term follow-up
Authors: Hundersmarck Dennis , Slooff Willem-Bart M. , Homans Jelle F. , van der Vliet Quirine M. J. , Moayeri Nizar , Hietbrink Falco , de Borst Gert J. , Öner Fetullah Cumhur , Muijs Sander P. J. , Leenen Luke P. H.
Published: June 2019

Purpose

Blunt cerebrovascular injuries (BCVI), which can result in ischemic stroke, are identified in 1–2% of all blunt trauma patients. Computed tomography angiography (CTA) scanning has improved and is the diagnostic modality of choice in BCVI suspected patients. Data about long-term functional outcomes and the incidence of ischemic stroke after BCVI are limited. The aim of this study was to determine BCVI incidence in relation to imaging modality improvements and to determine long-term functional outcomes.

Methods

All consecutive trauma patients from 2007 to 2016 with BCVI were identified from the level 1 trauma center prospective trauma database. Three periods were identified where CTA diagnostic modalities for trauma patients were improved. Long-term functional outcomes using the EuroQol six-dimensional (EQ-6D™) were determined.

Results

Seventy-one BCVI patients were identified among the 12.122 (0.59%) blunt trauma patients. In the first period BCVI incidence among the overall study cohort, polytrauma, basilar skull fracture and cervical trauma subgroups was found to be 0.3%, 0.9%, 1.2%, 4.6%, respectively, which more than doubled towards the third period (0.8, 2.4, 1.9 and 8.5% respectively). Ischemic stroke as a result of BCVI was found in 20 patients (28%). In-hospital stroke rate was lower in patients receiving antiplatelet therapy (p < 0.01). Six in-hospital deaths were BCVI related. Long-term follow-up (follow-up rate of 83%) demonstrated lower functional outcomes compared to Dutch reference populations (p < 0.01). Ischemic stroke was identified as a major cause of functional impairment at long-term follow-up.

Conclusions

Improved CTA diagnostic modalities have increased BCVI incidence. Furthermore, BCVI patients reported significant functional impairment at long-term follow-up. Antiplatelet therapy showed a significant effect on in-hospital stroke rate reduction.
Adverse Events in the Operating Room: Definitions, Prevalence, and Characteristics. A Systematic Review
Authors: Jung James J. , Elfassy Jonah , Jüni Peter , Grantcharov Teodor
Published: June 2019

Background

Adverse events occur commonly in the operating room (OR) and often contribute to morbidity, mortality, and increased healthcare spending. Validated frameworks to measure and report postoperative outcomes have long existed to facilitate exchanges of structured information pertaining to postoperative complication rates in order to improve patient safety. However, systematic evidence regarding measurement and reporting of intraoperative adverse events (iAE) is still lacking.

Methods

We searched Ovid Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases for articles published up to June 2016 that measured and reported iAE. We presented the terms and definitions used to describe iAE. We identified the types of reported iAE and summarized them into discrete categories. We reported frequencies of iAE by detection methods.

Results

Of the 47 included studies, 30 were cross‐sectional, 14 were case‐series, and 3 were cohort studies. The studies used 16 different terms and 22 unique definitions to describe 74 types of iAE. Frequencies of iAE appeared to vary depending on the detection methods, with higher numbers reported when direct observation in the OR was used to detect iAE. Twenty studies assessed severity of iAE, which were mostly based on whether they resulted in postoperative outcomes.

Conclusions

This study systematically reviewed the current evidence on prevalence and characteristics of iAE that were detected by direct observation, reviews of patient charts, administrative data and incident reports, and surveys and interviews of healthcare providers. Our findings suggest that direct observation method has the most potential to identify and characterize iAE in detail.
The complete genomic sequence of Streptomyces spectabilis NRRL-2792 and identification of secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters
Authors: Sinha Arkadeep , Phillips-Salemka Silvia , Niraula Tanu-Adhikari , Short Kevin A , Niraula Narayan P
Published: June 2019

This is the first report of a fully annotated genomic sequence of Streptomyces spectabilis NRRL-2792, isolated and identified by The Upjohn Company in 1961. The genome was assembled into a single scaffold for annotation and analysis. The chromosome is linear, 9.5 Mb in size which is one of the largest Streptomyces genomes yet described, has a G+C content of 72%, and encodes for approximately 7943 genes. Antibiotic Secondary Metabolite Analysis Shell (antiSMASH) and Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) bioinformatics analyses identified six complete secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters for ectoine, melanin, albaflavenone, spectinomycin, 2-methylisoborneol and coelichelin. Additionally, biosynthetic clusters were identified that shared ≥ 90% gene content with complestatin, hopene, neoaureothin, or undecylprodigiosin. Thirty-one other likely secondary metabolite gene clusters were identified by antiSMASH. BLAST identified two subsets of undecylprodigiosin biosynthetic genes at polar opposites of the chromosome; their duplication was subsequently confirmed by primer walking.
Can Quantitative Research Solve Social Problems? Pragmatism and the Ethics of Social Research
Authors: Powell Thomas C.
Published: June 2019

Journal of Business Ethicsrecently published a critique of ethical practices in quantitative research by Zyphur and Pierides (J Bus Ethics 143:1–16, 2017). The authors argued that quantitative research prevents researchers from addressing urgent problems facing humanity today, such as poverty, racial inequality, and climate change. I offer comments and observations on the authors’ critique. I agree with the authors in many areas of philosophy, ethics, and social research, while making suggestions for clarification and development. Interpreting the paper through the pragmatism of William James, I suggest that the authors’ arguments are unlikely to change attitudes in traditional quantitative research, though they may point the way to a new worldview, or Jamesian “sub-world,” in social research.
Evolution of Damodar Fan Delta in the Western Bengal Basin, West Bengal
Authors: Mahata Hirak Kumar , Maiti Ramkrishna
Published: June 2019

Fan delta is formed when an alluvial fan prograde directly into the standing body of water from the adjacent highland. An ancient fan delta was developed 6-10m above from the present sea level at the lower course of Damodar river in the western part of Bengal basin. The present study attempted to represent the evolutionary history of Damodar fan delta in the context of many associative features favor to fan delta formation such as adjacent highland, basin margin faults, accommodation space and standing water body. These elements have been taken into consideration to identify the location, time and processes for the fan delta formation. Data related to tectonic and depositional history, sea level fluctuation and palaeodrainage network have been collected from various sources. These reveal that the western part of Bengal basin is characterized by numbers of north-south trending normal faults, shifting river courses and repeated marine transgression and regression phases. After collecting a huge amount of sediment from Chhotanagpur plateau, Damodar river deposited its sediment in the eastern side of these north-south trending faults in the subaerial and subaqueous environment throughout the geological period. In this region Chhotanagpur plateau, fault-dominated stable shelf and transgressed Bay of Bengal play the role of adjacent highland, accommodation space and standing water body respectively to develop Damodar fan delta. Sedimentation process started in late Cretaceous and still it is continuing in a subaerial environment. These fan forming processes led Damodar river to shift its course and make this region flood prone.
Drainage Pattern and its Bearing on Relative Active Tectonics of a Region: A Study in the Son Valley, Central India
Authors: Dubey R. K. , Shankar Ravi
Published: June 2019

The paper emphasis the participation of different geomorphic parameters related to various characteristics of drainage in evaluation of active tectonics of an area. For the purpose, the morphotectonic evaluations of the Son valley, central India have been carried by involving various drainage related geomorphic indices viz., stream-gradient index (SL), hypsometric integral (HI), drainage basin asymmetry (AF), valley floor height and width ratio (Vf), transverse topographic symmetry factor (T), mountain front sinuosity (Smf), drainage basin shape (BS) and sinuosity index (SI) and relative rock strength (RRS) for classification of relative index of active tectonics (RIAT) in geographic information systems (GIS) environment to understand the role of active tectonics in geomorphologic evolution of the studied region. The established RIAT classes through field validations categorize the valley into four zones such as class 1- low activity ( RIAT < 2.7); class 2-moderate activity ( RIAT =2.7 < 2.99); class 3- high activity (RIAT=2.99 < 3.29); and class 4-very high activity (RIAT>3.29). The sub-dendritic, rectilinear and parallel linear drainage styles in RIAT classified basin reveal the traverse of a network of seventeen faults in association with two major faults namely Son-Narmada-North Fault (SNNF) and Son-Narmada South Fault (SNSF) in variable associations of rocks and multiple types of structural elements present in the Son valley. The signature of vertical upliftments may indicate the instability tectonic activities along the identified network of faults associated with SNNF and SNSF. Hence, the study suggests variable tectonically activeness of area in the Son valley.
Regional and Racial Inequality in Infectious Disease Mortality in U.S. Cities, 1900–1948
Authors: Feigenbaum James J. , Muller Christopher , Wrigley-Field Elizabeth
Published: June 2019

In the first half of the twentieth century, the rate of death from infectious disease in the United States fell precipitously. Although this decline is well-known and well-documented, there is surprisingly little evidence about whether it took place uniformly across the regions of the United States. We use data on infectious disease deaths from all reporting U.S. cities to describe regional patterns in the decline of urban infectious mortality from 1900 to 1948. We report three main results. First, urban infectious mortality was higher in the South in every year from 1900 to 1948. Second, infectious mortality declined later in southern cities than in cities in the other regions. Third, comparatively high infectious mortality in southern cities was driven primarily by extremely high infectious mortality among African Americans. From 1906 to 1920, African Americans in cities experienced a rate of death from infectious disease that was greater than what urban whites experienced during the 1918 flu pandemic.
True lies
Authors: Hugh-Jones David
Published: June 2019

Garbarino et al. (J Econ Sci Assoc. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40881-018-0055-4, 2018) describe a new method to calculate the probability distribution of the proportion of lies told in “coin flip” style experiments. I show that their estimates and confidence intervals are flawed. I demonstrate two better ways to estimate the probability distribution of what we really care about—the proportion of liars—and I provide R software to do this.
Arundic acid administration protects astrocytes, recovers histological damage and memory deficits induced by neonatal hypoxia ischemia in rats
Authors: Mari C , Odorcyk FK , Sanches EF , Wartchow KM , Martini AP , Nicola F , Zanotto C , Wyse AT , Gonçalves CA , Netto CA
Published: June 2019

Introduction

Perinatal hypoxia‐ischemia (HI) is one of the main causes of mortality and chronic neurological morbidity in infants and children. Astrocytes play a key role in HI progression, becoming reactive in response to the injury, releasing S100 calcium binding protein B (S100B). Since S100B inhibition seems to have neuroprotective effects on central nervous system injury models, here we evaluated the neuroprotective effects of an S100B inhibitor, arundic acid (AA) in a HI model.

Methods

On the 7th postnatal day, animals were submitted to the combination of common carotid artery occlusion and hypoxic atmosphere (8% O2) for 60 min. Three experiments were performed in order to: (1) define AA dose (0.1, 1 or 10 mg/kg, pre‐hypoxia i.p. injection), (2) test if repeated AA administrations (10 mg/kg at 3 time points: Pre‐hypoxia, 24 h and 48 h after HI) would improve the response and (3) investigate biochemical mechanisms involved in AA protection two days after HI.

Results

AA at a dose of 10 mg/kg applied before and after hypoxia, was the only treatment protocol that was able to improve HI‐induced memory deficits, to reduce tissue damage, to promote astrocytic survival in the hippocampus and to reduced extracellular release of S100B in the cerebrospinal fluid.

Conclusion

Overall, AA treatment showed beneficial effects on memory deficits, tissue damage, promoting astrocyte survival likely by reducing S100B release. Protection aided to astrocytes by AA treatment against HI lesion may lead to development of new therapeutic strategies that target these particular cells.
The Microstructure of Experience
Authors: LEE ANDREW Y.
Published: June 2019

I argue that experiences can have microphenomenal structures, where the macrophenomenal properties we introspect are realized by non-introspectible microphenomenal properties. After explaining what it means to ascribe a microstructure to experience, I defend the thesis against its principal philosophical challenge, discuss how the thesis interacts with other philosophical issues about experience, and consider our prospects for investigating the microphenomenal realm.
National Assessment of Nursing Schools and Nurse Educators Readiness for Radiation Emergencies and Nuclear Events
Authors: Veenema Tener Goodwin , Lavin Roberta Proffitt , Schneider-Firestone Sarah , Couig Mary Pat , Langan Joanne C. , Qureshi Kristine , Scerpella Danny , Sasnett Lesley
Published: June 2019

Nurses will play a crucial role in responding to a public health emergency resulting from nuclear war or other large-scale release of radiation into the environment and in supporting the National Health Security Strategy. Schools of nursing are ultimately responsible for developing a competent nursing workforce prepared to assess a population’s public health emergency needs and respond to these low-frequency but high-impact events. This responsibility includes the provision of specific content and training regarding how to respond and care for patients and communities in the event of a nuclear or radiation emergency. To date, however, there has been a lack of empirical evidence focusing specifically on nursing schools’ capacity to prepare nurses for radiation emergencies and nuclear events, as well as perception of risk. This study employed a cross-sectional survey administered to a nationwide sample of nursing school administrators and faculty to assess content, faculty expertise, planning, and perception of risk related to radiation emergencies and nuclear events.
Implementation of a Clostridioides difficile prevention bundle: Understanding common, unique, and conflicting work system barriers and facilitators for subprocess design
Authors: Musuuza Jackson S. , Hundt Ann Schoofs , Carayon Pascale , Christensen Karly , Ngam Caitlyn , Haun Nicholas , Safdar Nasia
Published: June 2019

Objective:

Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) poses a major challenge to the healthcare system. We assessed factors that should be considered when designing subprocesses of a C. difficile infection (CDI) prevention bundle.

Design:

Phenomenological qualitative study.

Methods:

We conducted 3 focus groups of environmental services (EVS) staff, physicians, and nurses to assess their perspectives on a CDI prevention bundle. We used the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) model to examine 5 subprocesses of the CDI bundle: diagnostic testing, empiric isolation, contact isolation, hand hygiene, and environmental disinfection. We coded transcripts to the 5 SEIPS elements and ensured scientific rigor. We sought to determine common, unique, and conflicting factors across stakeholder groups and subprocesses of the CDI bundle.

Results:

Each focus group lasted 1.5 hours on average. Common work-system barriers included inconsistencies in knowledge and practice of CDI management procedures; increased workload; poor setup of aspects of the physical environment (eg, inconvenient location of sinks); and inconsistencies in CDI documentation. Unique barriers and facilitators were related to specific activities performed by the stakeholder group. For instance, algorithmic approaches used by physicians facilitated timely diagnosis of CDI. Conflicting barriers or facilitators were related to opposing objectives; for example, clinicians needed rapid placement of a patient in a room while EVS staff needed time to disinfect the room.

Conclusions:

A systems engineering approach can help to holistically identify factors that influence successful implementation of subprocesses of infection prevention bundles.
Friction factor decomposition for rough-wall flows: theoretical background and application to open-channel flows
Authors: Nikora V. I. , Stoesser T. , Cameron S. M. , Stewart M. , Papadopoulos K. , Ouro P. , McSherry R. , Zampiron A. , Marusic I. , Falconer R. A.
Published: June 2019

A theoretically based relationship for the Darcy–Weisbach friction factor $f$ for rough-bed open-channel flows is derived and discussed. The derivation procedure is based on the double averaging (in time and space) of the Navier–Stokes equation followed by repeated integration across the flow. The obtained relationship explicitly shows that the friction factor can be split into at least five additive components, due to: (i) viscous stress; (ii) turbulent stress; (iii) dispersive stress (which in turn can be subdivided into two parts, due to bed roughness and secondary currents); (iv) flow unsteadiness and non-uniformity; and (v) spatial heterogeneity of fluid stresses in a bed-parallel plane. These constitutive components account for the roughness geometry effect and highlight the significance of the turbulent and dispersive stresses in the near-bed region where their values are largest. To explore the potential of the proposed relationship, an extensive data set has been assembled by employing specially designed large-eddy simulations and laboratory experiments for a wide range of Reynolds numbers. Flows over self-affine rough boundaries, which are representative of natural and man-made surfaces, are considered. The data analysis focuses on the effects of roughness geometry (i.e. spectral slope in the bed elevation spectra), relative submergence of roughness elements and flow and roughness Reynolds numbers, all of which are found to be substantial. It is revealed that at sufficiently high Reynolds numbers the roughness-induced and secondary-currents-induced dispersive stresses may play significant roles in generating bed friction, complementing the dominant turbulent stress contribution.
Does Public Opinion Constrain Presidential Unilateralism?
Authors: CHRISTENSON DINO P. , KRINER DOUGLAS L.
Published: June 2019

Whether presidential unilateralism is normatively advantageous or parlous for American democracy may depend on the extent to which a check remains on its exercise and abuse. Because the formal institutional constraints on unilateral action are weak, an emerging literature argues that the most important checks on unilateralism may be political, with public opinion playing a pivotal role. However, existing scholarship offers little systematic evidence that public opinion constrains unilateral action. To fill this gap, we use vector autoregression with Granger-causality tests to examine the relationship between presidential approval and executive orders. Contra past speculation that presidents increasingly issue executive orders as a last resort when their stock of political capital is low, we find that rising approval ratings increase the frequency of major unilateral action. Low approval ratings, by contrast, limit the exercise of unilateral power.
Effect ofNeuroterus quercusbaccarum(L.) galls on physiological and biochemical response ofQuercus roburleaves
Authors: Kot I. , Sempruch C. , Rubinowska K. , Michałek W.
Published: June 2019

Gall formation is associated with multiple changes in plant cells, which still requires a better understanding. In this study, galls caused by sexual generation (♀♂) ofNeuroterus quercusbaccarum(L.) (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) on pedunculate oak trees (Quercus roburL.) were used as a model. Cytoplasmic membrane condition, concentration of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), the activity of antioxidant enzymes and amino acid decarboxylase as well as chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were determined. Changes in physiological and biochemical parameters were analyzed in foliar tissues with galls and gall tissues themselves and compared to control. The presence of galls on oak leaves caused an increase of lipid peroxidation level. A significant decline in H2O2and TBARS content with the reduction of guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity were observed in gall tissues. The activity amino acid decarboxylase, i.e., LDC, ODC and TyDC varied between samples, which may affect the content of amino acids. The presence ofN. quercusbaccarumgalls caused an insignificant increase of the chlorophylls, carotenoids and anthocyanin contents, while the content of pigments and their ratios in gall tissues was extremely low. Moreover, photosynthetic parameters (F0,Fm,Fv/Fm,Y,qP) were significantly decreased. Data generated in this study indicate that the development ofN. quercusbaccarumgalls on pedunculate oak leaves has a negative effect on host plant related to the disruption of cell membrane integrity, disturbance of photosynthesis and reduction of the antioxidant potential of the host plant.
Disentangling the effects of foliar vs. floral herbivory of leaf-cutting ants on the plant reproductive success ofMiconia nervosa(Smith) Triana (Family Melastomataceae)
Authors: Câmara T. , Arnan X. , Barbosa V.S. , Wirth R. , Iannuzzi L. , Leal I.R.
Published: June 2019

Flower and leaf herbivory might cause relevant and negative impacts on plant fitness. While flower removal or damage by florivores produces direct negative effects on plant fitness, folivores affect plant fitness by reducing resource allocation to reproduction. In this study, we examine the effects of both flower and leaf herbivory by leaf-cutting ants on the reproductive success of the shrub speciesMiconia nervosa(Smith) Triana (Family Melastomataceae) in a fragment of Atlantic Forest in Northeast Brazil. We conducted a randomized block-designed field experiment with nine replicates (blocks), in which three plants per block were assigned to one of the three following treatments: undamaged plants (ant exclusion), leaf-damaged plants (ant exclusion from reproductive organs, but not from leaves), and flower + leaf-damaged plants (no exclusion of ants). We then measured flower production, fruit set, and fruit production. Our results showed that flower + leaf-damaged plants reduced flower production nearly twofold in relation to undamaged plants, while flower set in leaf-damaged plants remained constant. The number of flowers that turned into fruits (i.e., fruit set), however, increased by 15% in flower + leaf-damaged plants, while it slightly decreased in leaf-damaged compared to undamaged plants. Contrastingly, fruit production was similar between all treatments. Taken together, our results suggest a prominent role of ant floral herbivory across different stages of the reproductive cycle inM. nervosa, with no consequences on final fruit production. The tolerance ofM. nervosato leaf-cutting ant herbivory might explain its high abundance in human-modified landscapes where leaf-cutting ants are hyper-abundant.
Behavioral response and adaptive cost in resistant and susceptiblePlutella xylostellato Chlorantraniliprole
Authors: Passos D.A. , Silva-Torres C.S.A. , Siqueira H.A.A.
Published: June 2019

Diamides have been used worldwide to manage the diamondback moth (DBM),Plutella xylostellaL. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), however some strains showed resistance to these molecules. Also, pheromone traps could be used to manage this pest, hence reducing the use of insecticides in the field. Resistant DBM strains may have biological disadvantages in comparison to susceptible strains in areas without sprays, including reduction in fitness or behavioral changes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether DBM strains resistant to chlorantraniliprole showed adaptive costs that could alter male attraction to the sex pheromone, in comparison to susceptible strains in the laboratory and semi-field conditions. First, the LC1, LC10, LC25, and LC50of DBM to chlorantraniliprole were established, which were 0.003, 0.005, 0.007, and 0.011 mg a.i. liter−1, and 5.88, 24.80, 57.22, and 144.87 mg a.i. liter−1for the susceptible and resistant strains, respectively. Development and reproduction of DBM strains subjected to those concentrations were compared. Later, male response to the sex pheromone was investigated in a Y-tube in the laboratory and in a greenhouse to pheromone traps. Resistant DBM strain showed an adaptive cost in comparison to the susceptible strain that can result in a delay in population growth in the field when selection pressure is absent. Conversely, resistant males have no olfactory response alteration in comparison to susceptible males, consistently at 3 (P= 0.6848) and 7 days (P= 0.9140) after release, suggesting that pheromone traps continue to be a viable alternative to manage DBM in an IPM system.
WINTER IS COMING: THE BARBARIZATION OF ROMAN LEADERS IN IMPERIAL PANEGYRIC FROMa.d.446–68
Authors: Kennedy Scott
Published: June 2019

The Ostrogothic king Theoderic I (a.d.475–526) drew on his experience of ruling post-imperial Italy when he famously remarked that ‘The poor Roman imitates the Goth and the rich Goth imitates the Roman’. Written well after the fall of the western Roman empire, these words have prefaced many discussions of the process of Roman and barbarian assimilation and mutual acculturation. This topic has long captured the imagination of scholars, who have approached the topic from many different angles, such as archaeology, religion, prosopography and literature.
In trans variant calling reveals enrichment for compound heterozygous variants in genes involved in neuronal development and growth.
Authors: Cox Allison J. , Grady Fillan , Velez Gabriel , Mahajan Vinit B. , Ferguson Polly J. , Kitchen Andrew , Darbro Benjamin W. , Bassuk Alexander G.
Published: June 2019

Compound heterozygotes occur when different variants at the same locus on both maternal and paternal chromosomes produce a recessive trait. Here we present the tool VarCount for the quantification of variants at the individual level. We used VarCount to characterize compound heterozygous coding variants in patients with epileptic encephalopathy and in the 1000 Genomes Project participants. The Epi4k data contains variants identified by whole exome sequencing in patients with either Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS) or infantile spasms (IS), as well as their parents. We queried the Epi4k dataset (264 trios) and the phased 1000 Genomes Project data (2504 participants) for recessive variants. To assess enrichment, transcript counts were compared between the Epi4k and 1000 Genomes Project participants using minor allele frequency (MAF) cutoffs of 0.5 and 1.0%, and including all ancestries or only probands of European ancestry. In the Epi4k participants, we found enrichment for rare, compound heterozygous variants in six genes, including three involved in neuronal growth and development – PRTG (p = 0.00086, 1% MAF, combined ancestries), TNC (p = 0.022, 1% MAF, combined ancestries) and MACF1 (p = 0.0245, 0.5% MAF, EU ancestry). Due to the total number of transcripts considered in these analyses, the enrichment detected was not significant after correction for multiple testing and higher powered or prospective studies are necessary to validate the candidacy of these genes. However, PRTG, TNC and MACF1 are potential novel recessive epilepsy genes and our results highlight that compound heterozygous variants should be considered in sporadic epilepsy.
Obamageddon: Fear, the Far Right, and the Rise of “Doomsday” Prepping in Obama's America
Authors: MILLS MICHAEL F.
Published: June 2019

This article examines the politics of American “doomsday” prepping during Barack Obama's presidency. It challenges claims that growing interest in prepping post-2008 arose exclusively from extreme apocalyptic, white supremacist, and anti-government reactions to Obama's electoral successes – claims that suggest prepping to be politically congruent with previous waves of extreme right-wing American “survivalism.” Drawing on ethnography, this paper argues that, while fears of Obama have been central to many preppers’ activities, much of their prepping under his presidency centred on fears that sit outside survivalist politics. Building on this, the article illuminates connections between prepping and America's twenty-first-century electoral mainstream. Engaging with discussions about the “remaking” of American conservatism during Obama's presidency, it particularly frames prepping's growth as being engaged with, and shaped by, currents of mainstream anti-Obama fear that similarly undergirded the Tea Party's rise within popular Republicanism at this time.
Rhabdias glaurungisp. nov. (Nematoda: Rhabdiasidae), parasite ofScinaxgr.ruber(Laurenti, 1768) (Anura: Hylidae), from the Brazilian Amazon
Authors: Willkens Y. , Rebêlo G.L. , Santos J.N. , Furtado A.P. , Vilela R.V. , Tkach V.V. , Kuzmin Y. , Melo F.T.V.
Published: June 2019

The genusRhabdiasStiles & Hassal, 1905 includes about 83 species of nematodes parasitic in amphibians and reptiles worldwide. Herein, we describeRhabdias glaurungisp. nov. from the hylid frogScinaxgr.ruber(Laurenti, 1768) in the Gunma Ecological Park, Santa Bárbara municipality, state of Pará, Brazil. This species has six small lips, an inflated cuticle along the entire body and a cup-shaped buccal capsule with smooth internal surface of its anterior part and irregularly folded internal surface of its posterior part in apical view. From the 17 valid species recognized in the Neotropical realm, the new species can be distinguished by the number of lips, the morphology and size of its buccal capsule, as well as the extent and shape of its cuticular inflation; in addition, there are molecular differences. Sequences of the mitochondrial Cytochrome c Oxidase subunit I gene strongly support the status of this form as a separate species. Molecular phylogenetic analysis showsR. glaurungisp. nov. nested within theR. pseudosphaerocephalaKuzmin, Tkach & Brooks, 2007 species complex.Rhabdias glaurungisp. nov. is the second species of the genus described from hosts of the family Hylidae in the Neotropical realm. We conclude that the diversity ofRhabdiaswithin the Neotropics is likely largely underestimated.
TcNST2encodes a Golgi-localized UDP-galactose transporter inTrypanosoma cruzi
Authors: Rodrigues Elizabeth C. , Mörking Patricia , Rosa Jaqueline O. , Romagnoli Bruno A. A. , Guimarães Beatriz G. , Hiraiwa Priscila M. , Klinke Amanda , de Aguiar Alessandra M. , Kuligovski Crisciele , Goldenberg Samuel , Ramos Augusto S. P.
Published: June 2019

Survival and infectivity of trypanosomatids rely on cell-surface and secreted glycoconjugates, many of which contain a variable number of galactose residues. Incorporation of galactose to proteins and lipids occurs along the secretory pathway from UDP-galactose (UDP-Gal). Before being used in glycosylation reactions, however, this activated sugar donor must first be transported across the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi membranes by a specific nucleotide sugar transporter (NST). In this study, we identified an UDP-Gal transporter (named TcNST2 and encoded by the TcCLB.504085.60 gene) fromTrypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease. TcNST2 was identified by heterologous expression of selected putative nucleotide sugar transporters in a mutant Chinese Hamster Ovary cell line.TcNST2mRNA levels were detected in allT. cruzilife-cycle forms, with an increase in expression in axenic amastigotes. Confocal microscope analysis indicated that the transporter is specifically localized to the Golgi apparatus. A three-dimensional model of TcNST2 suggested an overall structural conservation as compared with members of the metabolite transporter superfamily and also suggested specific features that could be related to its activity. The identification of this transporter is an important step toward a better understanding of glycoconjugate biosynthesis and the role NSTs play in this process in trypanosomatids.
A Discrete Artificial Potential Field for Ship Trajectory Planning
Authors: Lazarowska Agnieszka
Published: June 2019

This paper introduces an approach for solving a safe ship trajectory planning problem. The algorithm, utilising the concept of a discrete artificial potential field and a path optimisation algorithm, calculates an optimised collision-free trajectory for a ship. The method was validated by simulation tests with the use of real navigational data registered on board the research and training ship Horyzont II. Results of simulation studies demonstrate that the approach is capable of finding a collision-free trajectory in near-real time, and this proves its applicability in commercial collision avoidance systems for ships. The paper contributes to the development of decision support systems for ships and autonomous navigation.
Canopy Cover Shapes Bat Diversity across an Urban and Agricultural Landscape Mosaic
Authors: Bailey Amanda M , Ober Holly K , Reichert Brian E , McCleery Robert A
Published: June 2019

Human alteration of the planet’s terrestrial landscapes for agriculture, habitation and commerce is reshaping wildlife communities. The threat of land cover change to wildlife is pronounced in regions with rapidly growing human populations. We investigated how species richness and species-specific occurrence of bats changed as a function of land cover and canopy (tree) cover across a rapidly changing region of Florida, USA. Contrary to our predictions, we found negligible effects of agriculture and urban development on the occurrence of all species. In contrast, we found that a remotely sensed metric of canopy cover on a broad scale (25 km2) was a good predictor of the occurrence of eight out of ten species. The occurrence of all smaller bats (vespertilionids) in our study increased with 0–50% increases in canopy cover, while larger bats showed different patterns. Occurrence of Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) decreased with increasing canopy cover, and Florida bonneted bats (Eumops floridanus) were not influenced by canopy cover. We conclude that remotely sensed measures of canopy cover can provide a more reliable predictor of bat species richness than land-cover types, and efforts to prevent the loss of bat diversity should consider maintaining canopy cover across mosaic landscapes with diverse land-cover types.
Social Capital, Civic Labor, and State Capacity in the Early American Republic: Schools, Courts, and Law Enforcement
Authors: Neem Johann N.
Published: June 2019

This article examines the local roots of the American state to complicate existing historiography. It suggests that, for education and law, the state tapped into local social capital to develop capacity. State and local governments relied on the mobilization of citizens’ bodies—civic labor—to provide public goods. In doing so, it suggests that we need to offer a story that captures the myriad ways that Americans engaged in state-building, and how those different forms shaped Americans’ relations with state power.
Visible States and Invisible Nation: Newspaper Coverage of Nineteenth-Century Lawmaking
Authors: Pears Emily
Published: June 2019

Researchers and the public alike have long recognized that in American politics visibility matters. To claim credit for policies, to recruit supporters, and to maintain democratic legitimacy, the lawmaking process must be visible to the American public. Yet little is known about how the public perceived the legislative process during the nineteenth century. This article uses systematic qualitative and quantitative analysis of newspapers in Baltimore, Maryland, Portland, Maine, and Charleston, South Carolina, to measure the comparative visibility of lawmaking at the state and federal levels between 1830 and 1880. The research demonstrates how analysis of newspaper coverage can be used to better understand public perceptions of state and federal lawmaking during time periods without polling data. The visibility of congressional lawmaking varied greatly from one state to the next, and competition for coverage between state legislatures and Congress remained strong across the country throughout the studied period.
A High-Wire Crusade: Republicans and the War on Poverty, 1966
Authors: McLay Mark
Published: June 2019

During 1966, the Republican Party launched a largely successful challenge to Lyndon Johnson’s “War on Poverty.” Republican candidates pursued an anti–War on Poverty midterm strategy, which made antipoverty programs the symbol of Great Society liberalism, rather than its more popular programs, such as Medicare or the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Moreover, in Congress and on the campaign trail, Republicans offered well-crafted alternatives—such as their “Opportunity Crusade”—to offset charges of negativism and elitism that had dogged the Grand Old Party (GOP) since the creation of the New Deal in the 1930s. Significantly, while the War on Poverty survived the year, the Republican minority was unexpectedly successful in making important changes to the Economic Opportunity Act during the antipoverty legislation’s renewal. Overall, the Republican challenge to the War on Poverty in 1966, boded ill for the program’s longevity when the GOP finally secured the levers of power.