bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Embedded Behavior: Human Activities and the Construction of the Mesolithic Shellmound of Cabeço da Amoreira, Muge, Portugal
Authors: Aldeias Vera , Bicho Nuno
Published: May 2016

Shellmound formation processes are greatly influenced by human inputs associated with an intensive exploitation of marine and estuarine resources. The complex stratigraphy of shellmounds has been difficult to decipher and few studies have focused on the microstratigraphic record of midden formation, especially in European Mesolithic contexts. Cabeço da Amoreira is a long‐known Mesolithic shellmound located on the shores of the Muge River, a tributary of the Tagus River in central Portugal. The abundance of shellfish refuse favors an intricate and laterally variable stratigraphic succession of layers and lenses, which results in an extensive artificial mound. Here, we use micromorphological and microfacies analysis to investigate aspects pertaining to site formation, and the nature of individual anthropogenic activities at the site. This methodology allowed for a distinction between primary activities (e.g., discrete shell tossing events, trampled occupational surfaces, and activity areas), and secondary position of the sediments in intentionally raked‐up and dumped deposits. Nondepositional hiatuses and discrete geogenic sedimentation are associated with periods of abandonment. The complex superposition of events seen at Cabeço da Amoreira underlines the role of micromorphology for the identification of behavioral signatures and its relevance in deciphering shellmound adaptations.
Depression and the risk of vascular dementia: a population‐based retrospective cohort study
Authors: Lin Wei‐Chen , Hu Li‐Yu , Tsai Shih‐Jen , Yang Albert C. , Shen Cheng‐Che
Published: May 2016

Objective

To examine the association between the risks of depression and vascular dementia (VaD) based on Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database.

Methods

This retrospective longitudinal matched‐cohort study used National Health Insurance Research Database data from 49,955 participants (9,991 with new onset depression, 39,964 controls). A Cox regression analysis was performed on the whole sample and the subgroup of patients with depression. We further excluded patients who developed VaD within 3 or 5 years after enrollment to evaluate depression as an independent risk factor for or a prodrome of VaD.

Results

During the 10‐year follow‐up period, the incidence rate ratio of VaD between patients with depression and controls was 4.24 [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.90–6.21, P < 0.001]. After adjustment for covariates, the hazard ratio (HR) of VaD in patients with depression was 3.10 (95% CI 2.13–4.52, P < 0.001). In the whole sample, risk factors for VaD besides depression were aged ≥60 years (HR = 20.08), hypertension (HR = 1.70), diabetes (HR = 1.61), coronary artery disease (HR = 2.26), head injury (HR = 2.20), and cerebrovascular disease (HR = 3.02). In patients with depression, aged ≥60 years (HR = 32.16), coronary artery disease (HR = 2.82), head injury (HR = 2.06), and cerebrovascular disease (HR = 2.37) remained risk factors for VaD. After excluding those who developed VaD within 3 or 5 years, HRs remained high (3.28, 95% CI 2.03–5.31, P < 0.001; 2.12, 95% CI 1.05–4.25, P = 0.035, respectively).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that depression is an independent risk factor for subsequent VaD. Older age, cerebrovascular disease, head injury, and coronary artery disease might increase the risk of VaD among patients with depression.
Neural basis for the relationship between frequency of going outdoors and depressive mood in older adults
Authors: Sakurai Ryota , Suzuki Hiroyuki , Fujiwara Yoshinori , Yasunaga Masashi , Takeuchi Rumi , Murayama Yoh , Cuya Kimi Estela Kobayashi , Kanosue Kazuyuki , Ishii Kenji
Published: May 2016

Objective

Low frequency of going outdoors (e.g. being homebound) is associated with depressive mood; however, the underlying neural mechanism of this association is unclear. We therefore investigated the neural substrate involved in the relationship between frequency of going outdoors and depressive mood using positron emission tomography (PET), focusing on the frontal lobe and the limbic system.

Methods

One hundred fifty‐eight community‐dwelling older adults aged 65–85 years underwent PET with 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose to evaluate regional cerebral metabolic rates of glucose normalized in reference to cerebellar glucose metabolic value (normalized‐rCMRglc) in six regions of interest. We also assessed depressive mood, frequency of going outdoors, and potential covariates. Depressive mood was assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS).

Results

The proportion of participants who reported low frequency of going outdoors (LG, every 2–3 days or less) was 36.1%. The LG group showed significantly higher GDS scores than those who reported high (once a day or more) frequency of going outdoors. A multiple linear regression analysis adjusted for potential covariates showed higher GDS scores were associated with lower normalized‐rCMRglc in the ventrolateral prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortices. Adjusting for frequency of going outdoors, the association between GDS score and normalized‐rCMRglc in the orbitofrontal cortex was attenuated.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that the orbitofrontal cortex may mediate the relationship between low frequency of going outdoors and depressive mood among community‐dwelling older adults. These findings may help disentangle the role of going outdoors in regulating brain function to improve and/or maintain mental health among community‐dwelling older adults. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Does Health Insurance Encourage the Rise in Medical Prices? A Test on Balance Billing in France
Authors: Dormont Brigitte , Péron Mathilde
Published: May 2016

We evaluate the causal impact of an improvement in insurance coverage on patients' decisions to consult physicians who charge more than the regulated fee. We use a French panel data set of 43,111 individuals observed from 2010 to 2012. At the beginning of the period, none of them were covered for balance billing; by the end, 3819 had switched to supplementary insurance contracts that cover balance billing. Using instrumental variables to deal with possible non‐exogeneity of the decision to switch, we find evidence that better coverage increases demand for specialists who charge high fees, thereby contributing to the rise in medical prices. People whose coverage improves increased their average amount of balance billing per consultation by 32%. However, the impact of the coverage shock depends on the supply of physicians. For people residing in areas where few specialists charge the regulated fee, better coverage increases not only prices but also the number of consultations, a finding that suggests that balance billing might limit access to care. Conversely, in areas where patients have a genuine choice between specialists who balance bill and those who do not, we find no evidence of a response to better coverage. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reduced tonic inhibition in the dentate gyrus contributes to chronic stress‐induced impairments in learning and memory
Authors: Lee Vallent , MacKenzie Georgina , Hooper Andrew , Maguire Jamie
Published: May 2016

It is well established that stress impacts the underlying processes of learning and memory. The effects of stress on memory are thought to involve, at least in part, effects on the hippocampus, which is particularly vulnerable to stress. Chronic stress induces hippocampal alterations, including but not limited to dendritic atrophy and decreased neurogenesis, which are thought to contribute to chronic stress‐induced hippocampal dysfunction and deficits in learning and memory. Changes in synaptic transmission, including changes in GABAergic inhibition, have been documented following chronic stress. Recently, our laboratory demonstrated shifts in EGABA in CA1 pyramidal neurons following chronic stress, compromising GABAergic transmission and increasing excitability of these neurons. Interestingly, here we demonstrate that these alterations are unique to CA1 pyramidal neurons, since we do not observe shifts in EGABA following chronic stress in dentate gyrus granule cells. Following chronic stress, there is a decrease in the expression of the GABAA receptor (GABAAR) δ subunit and tonic GABAergic inhibition in dentate gyrus granule cells, whereas there is an increase in the phasic component of GABAergic inhibition, evident by an increase in the peak amplitude of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs). Given the numerous changes observed in the hippocampus following stress, it is difficult to pinpoint the pertinent contributing pathophysiological factors. Here we directly assess the impact of a reduction in tonic GABAergic inhibition of dentate gyrus granule cells on learning and memory using a mouse model with a decrease in GABAAR δ subunit expression specifically in dentate gyrus granule cells (Gabrd/Pomc mice). Reduced GABAAR δ subunit expression and function in dentate gyrus granule cells is sufficient to induce deficits in learning and memory. Collectively, these findings suggest that the reduction in GABAAR δ subunit‐mediated tonic inhibition in dentate gyrus granule cells contributes, at least in part, to deficits in learning and memory associated with chronic stress. These findings have significant implications regarding the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying impairments in learning and memory associated with stress and suggest a role for GABAAR δ subunit containing receptors in dentate gyrus granule cells. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Critical considerations about the use of poverty measures in the study of cognitive development
Authors: Lipina Sebastián J.
Published: May 2016

Developmental psychology and developmental cognitive neuroscience generated evidence at different levels of analysis about the influences of poverty on neurocognitive development (i.e., molecular, neural activation, cognition, behaviour). In addition, different individual and environmental factors were identified as mediators of such influences. Such a complexity is also illustrated through the many poverty conceptual and operational definitions generated by social, human and health sciences. However, to establish the causal relationships between the different factors of poverty and neurocognitive outcomes is still an issue under construction. Most studies of this area apply classic unidimensional poverty indicators such as income and maternal education. Nonetheless, this approach does not take into adequate consideration the variability of neurocognitive outcomes depending on the type of poverty measures, and the dynamic nature of changes during development. This creates a virtual underestimation of the complexity imposed by the involved mediating mechanisms. The scientific and policy implications of this underestimation include the risk of not adequately addressing children rights and developmental opportunities. This article proposes to explore such scenario, which is necessary for the reconsideration of the criteria used to analyse the influences of poverty on child development in general and neurocognitive development in particular.
Protection From Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis by Anti-Catabolic Signaling in the Absence of Sost/Sclerostin
Authors: Sato Amy Y , Cregor Meloney , Delgado-Calle Jesus , Condon Keith W , Allen Matthew R , Peacock Munro , Plotkin Lilian I , Bellido Teresita
Published: May 2016

Excess of glucocorticoids, either due to disease or iatrogenic, increases bone resorption and decreases bone formation and is a leading cause of osteoporosis and bone fractures worldwide. Improved therapeutic strategies are sorely needed. We investigated whether activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling protects against the skeletal actions of glucocorticoids, using female mice lacking the Wnt/β-catenin antagonist and bone formation inhibitor Sost. Glucocorticoids decreased the mass, deteriorated the microarchitecture, and reduced the structural and material strength of bone in wild-type (WT), but not in Sost–/– mice. The high bone mass exhibited by Sost–/– mice is due to increased bone formation with unchanged resorption. However, unexpectedly, preservation of bone mass and strength in Sost–/– mice was due to prevention of glucocorticoid-induced bone resorption and not to restoration of bone formation. In WT mice, glucocorticoids increased the expression of Sost and the number of sclerostin-positive osteocytes, and altered the molecular signature of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway by decreasing the expression of genes associated with both anti-catabolism, including osteoprotegerin (OPG), and anabolism/survival, such as cyclin D1. In contrast in Sost–/– mice, glucocorticoids did not decrease OPG but still reduced cyclin D1. Thus, in the context of glucocorticoid excess, activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling by Sost/sclerostin deficiency sustains bone integrity by opposing bone catabolism despite markedly reduced bone formation and increased apoptosis. This crosstalk between glucocorticoids and Wnt/β-catenin signaling could be exploited therapeutically to halt resorption and bone loss induced by glucocorticoids and to inhibit the exaggerated bone formation in diseases of unwanted hyperactivation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. © 2016 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Identification and characterization of a library of surfactins and fengycins from a marine endophytic Bacillus sp.
Authors: Nair Divya , Vanuopadath Muralidharan , Nair Bipin G. , Pai Jayashree Gopalakrishna , Nair Sudarslal Sadasivan
Published: May 2016

An endophytic bacterial strain from a marine green alga, Ulva lactuca, was isolated and identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing method. The bacterial isolate was found to secrete two major families of cyclic depsilipopeptides, surfactins, and fengycins. Sequencing of the isolated lipopeptides was carried out using the MSn data obtained from an electrospray ionization (ESI) ion trap mass spectrometer coupled to an HPLC system. The assigned sequences were confirmed by a chemical derivatization approach involving esterification followed by mass spectrometric analysis. Distinction of leucine residues from isoleucine was established through a combined electron transfer dissociation‐collision‐induced dissociation (ETD‐CID) method. The fengycins described in this study were found to cause significant delay of growth of two plants, Vigna radiata (mung bean) and Oryza sativa (rice). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study describing identification and characterization of cyclic peptides from an endophytic Bacillus sp. isolated from marine algae.
Sacred Attributions: Implications for Marketplace Behavior
Authors: Minton Elizabeth A.
Published: May 2016

Prior research in marketing has extensively examined attribution theory and how this influences product evaluations; however, such research has only examined secular attributions to a company, employees, other consumers, or one's self. Thus, through a series of three studies, the research herein examines a new category of attributions—sacred attributions—to determine when consumers make secular versus sacred attributions and how this influences product evaluations. Study 1 shows that religiosity is positively correlated with sacred attributions. Additionally, Study 1 finds that sacred attributions to God are more likely in positive consumption situations, while sacred attributions to Satan are more likely in negative consumption situations. Study 2 finds that God (Satan) attributions lead to positive (negative) product evaluations, and these effects are pervasive, regardless of religious priming. Study 3 increases external validity by using real businesses to show that sacred attributions are greatest for businesses with a sacred value system, although these effects differ based on situational affect. Findings build upon the literature on attribution theory and priming.
Employee Mere Presence and Its Impact on Customer Satisfaction
Authors: Söderlund Magnus
Published: May 2016

Existing research suggests that humans are hardwired to be sensitive to the presence of other humans, and that the mere presence of someone is likely to affect human behavior. So far, however, this issue has been under‐researched in physical environments in which retail and service transactions take place and with respect to the mere presence of employees. This study examined empirically if the mere presence of an employee in a physical environment has an impact on customer affect (in terms of pleasure) and customer satisfaction. Two between‐subjects experiments, in two different settings, showed that the absence of an employee produced lower levels of pleasure and lower levels of customer satisfaction than the mere presence of an employee. The results also indicate that pleasure mediated the association between employee presence and customer satisfaction. In addition, a field study with mystery shoppers confirmed that the employee absent condition produced lower levels of satisfaction than conditions in which employees were visible.
Heating and temperature gradients of lipid bilayer samples induced by RF irradiation in MAS solid‐state NMR experiments
Authors: Wang Jing , Zhang Zhengfeng , Zhao Weijing , Wang Liying , Yang Jun
Published: May 2016

The MAS solid‐state NMR has been a powerful technique for studying membrane proteins within the native‐like lipid bilayer environment. In general, RF irradiation in MAS NMR experiments can heat and potentially destroy expensive membrane protein samples. However, under practical MAS NMR experimental conditions, detailed characterization of RF heating effect of lipid bilayer samples is still lacking. Herein, using 1H chemical shift of water for temperature calibration, we systematically study the dependence of RF heating on hydration levels and salt concentrations of three lipids in MAS NMR experiments. Under practical 1H decoupling conditions used in biological MAS NMR experiments, three lipids show different dependence of RF heating on hydration levels as well as salt concentrations, which are closely associated with the properties of lipids. The maximum temperature elevation of about 10 °C is similar for the three lipids containing 200% hydration, which is much lower than that in static solid‐state NMR experiments. The RF heating due to salt is observed to be less than that due to hydration, with a maximum temperature elevation of less than 4 °C in the hydrated samples containing 120 mmol l−1 of salt. Upon RF irradiation, the temperature gradient across the sample is observed to be greatly increased up to 20 °C, as demonstrated by the remarkable broadening of 1H signal of water. Based on detailed characterization of RF heating effect, we demonstrate that RF heating and temperature gradient can be significantly reduced by decreasing the hydration levels of lipid bilayer samples from 200% to 30%. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A first‐order hyperbolic framework for large strain computational solid dynamics: An upwind cell centred Total Lagrangian scheme
Authors: Haider Jibran , Lee Chun Hean , Gil Antonio J. , Bonet Javier
Published: May 2016

This paper builds on recent work developed by the authors for the numerical analysis of large strain solid dynamics, by introducing an upwind cell centred hexahedral finite volume framework implemented within the open source code OpenFOAM [http://www.openfoam.com/]. In Lee, Gil and Bonet (2013), a first‐order hyperbolic system of conservation laws was introduced in terms of the linear momentum and the deformation gradient tensor of the system, leading to excellent behaviour in two‐dimensional bending dominated nearly incompressible scenarios. The main aim of this paper is the extension of this algorithm into three dimensions, its tailor‐made implementation into OpenFOAM and the enhancement of the formulation with three key novelties. First, the introduction of two different strategies in order to ensure the satisfaction of the underlying involutions of the system, that is, that the deformation gradient tensor must be curl‐free throughout the deformation process. Second, the use of a discrete angular momentum projection algorithm and a monolithic Total Variation Diminishing Runge–Kutta time integrator combined in order to guarantee the conservation of angular momentum. Third, and for comparison purposes, an adapted Total Lagrangian version of the hyperelastic‐GLACE nodal scheme of Kluth and Després (2010) is presented. A series of challenging numerical examples are examined in order to assess the robustness and accuracy of the proposed algorithm, benchmarking it against an ample spectrum of alternative numerical strategies developed by the authors in recent publications. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Identification of CRISP2 from human sperm as PSP94‐binding protein and generation of CRISP2‐specific anti‐peptide antibodies
Authors: Anklesaria Jenifer H. , Kulkarni Bhalchandra J. , Pathak Bhakti R. , Mahale Smita D.
Published: May 2016

Cysteine‐rich secretory proteins (CRISPs) are mainly found in the mammalian male reproductive tract and reported to be involved at different stages of fertilization. CRISPs have been shown to interact with prostate secretory protein of 94 amino acids (PSP94) from diverse sources, and the binding of these evolutionarily conserved proteins across species is proposed to be of functional significance. Of the three mammalian CRISPs, PSP94–CRISP3 interaction is well characterized, and specific binding sites have been identified; whereas, CRISP2 has been shown to interact with PSP94 in vitro. Interestingly, human CRISP3 and CRISP2 proteins are closely related showing 71.4% identity. In this study, we identified CRISP2 as a potential binding protein of PSP94 from human sperm. Further, we generated antisera capable of specifically detecting CRISP2 and not CRISP3. In this direction, specific peptides corresponding to the least conserved ion channel regulatory region were synthesized, and polyclonal antibodies were generated against the peptide in rabbits. The binding characteristics of the anti‐CRISP2 peptide antibody were evaluated using competitive ELISA. Immunoblotting experiments also confirmed that the peptide was able to generate antibodies capable of detecting the mature CRISP2 protein present in human sperm lysate. Furthermore, this anti‐CRISP2 peptide antibody also detected the presence of native CRISP2 on sperm.Copyright © 2016 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The effect of surface termination on glucose oxidation using Ni‐modified diamond electrodes
Authors: Svanberg‐Larsson Johanna , Nelson Geoffrey W. , Jiang Luyun , Walker Robert J. , Foord John S.
Published: May 2016

Abstractauthoren This study describes the decoration of hydrogen‐ and oxygen‐terminated boron‐doped diamond electrodes (BDD) with three different loadings of Ni. The Ni was deposited electrochemically for 600, 400, and 100 s on both hydrogen‐terminated BDD (BDDH) and oxygen‐terminated BDD (BDDO). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that all Ni particles were roughly spherical in shape, but distribution and size varied with electrode termination: a uniform coverage with a particle size dependent on deposition duration was achieved on BDDH, but on BDDO the particles are deposited primarily along surface ridges and had similar sizes for all three deposition times. The performance of the samples was then tested using glucose sensing as an exemplar application. It was found that glucose oxidation varies greatly between electrodes at concentrations similar to those found in human blood. The variability between the samples was attributed to surface differences between electrodes and the difference in particle location. Amperometry using BDDs decorated with the 100 s Ni deposition gave a stable current response with respect to glucose concentration in the range 0.1–13 mM with much higher glucose oxidation currents being observed for the Ni nanoparticles deposited on the hydrogenated diamond surface.
Evaluation of the catalytic specificity, biochemical properties, and milk clotting abilities of an aspartic peptidase from Rhizomucor miehei
Authors: da Silva Ronivaldo Rodrigues , Souto Tatiane Beltramini , de Oliveira Tássio Brito , de Oliveira Lilian Caroline Gonçalves , Karcher Daniel , Juliano Maria Aparecida , Juliano Luiz , de Oliveira Arthur H C , Rodrigues André , Rosa Jose C , Cabral Hamilton
Published: May 2016

In this study, we detail the specificity of an aspartic peptidase from Rhizomucor miehei and evaluate the effects of this peptidase on clotting milk using the peptide sequence of k-casein (Abz-LSFMAIQ-EDDnp) and milk powder. Molecular mass of the peptidase was estimated at 37 kDa, and optimum activity was achieved at pH 5.5 and 55 °C. The peptidase was stable at pH values ranging from 3 to 5 and temperatures of up 45 °C for 60 min. Dramatic reductions in proteolytic activity were observed with exposure to sodium dodecyl sulfate, and aluminum and copper (II) chloride. Peptidase was inhibited by pepstatin A, and mass spectrometry analysis identified four peptide fragments (TWSISYGDGSSASGILAK, ASNGGGGEYIFGGYDSTK, GSLTTVPIDNSR, and GWWGITVDRA), similar to rhizopuspepsin. The analysis of catalytic specificity showed that the coagulant activity of the peptidase was higher than the proteolytic activity and that there was a preference for aromatic, basic, and nonpolar amino acids, particularly methionine, with specific cleavage of the peptide bond between phenylalanine and methionine. Thus, this peptidase may function as an important alternative enzyme in milk clotting during the preparation of cheese.
Molecular mapping of bunchy top disease resistance in Gossypium hirsutum L.
Authors: Ellis Marc H. , Stiller Warwick N. , Phongkham Tanya , Tate Walter A. , Gillespie Vanessa J. , Gapare Washington J. , Zhu Qian-Hao , Llewellyn Danny J. , Wilson Iain W.
Published: May 2016

Cotton bunchy top (CBT) is an aphid transmitted Polerovirus disease and a significant threat to the Australian cotton industry. Symptoms include stunted plant growth, and leaves often display pale green angular patterns at the leaf margins and dark green centers with a leathery texture. Resistance to CBT was evaluated in 206 F2 plants and 76 F2:3 families derived from the resistant cultivar ‘Delta Opal’ crossed to the susceptible cultivar ‘Sicot 70’, and in 25 other cultivars the majority susceptible to CBT. CBT resistance in ‘Delta Opal’ was shown to be controlled by a single dominant locus designated Cbt. A combination of AFLP and single nucleotide polymorphism markers located Cbt on chromosome A10, close to the mapped resistance locus in ‘Delta Opal’ to another Polerovirus disease of cotton; cotton blue disease. The markers identified flanking CBT resistance will provide useful tools for breeders for marker-assisted selection to alleviate the impact of this disease on cotton production.
Mammal assemblages recorded by camera traps inside and outside the evacuation zone of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident
Authors: Keita Fukasawa , Yoshio Mishima , Akira Yoshioka , Nao Kumada , Kumiko Totsu , Takeshi Osawa
Published: May 2016

In 2011, the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant accident resulted in the evacuation of about 81,000 people from the evacuation zone, which suffered from high levels of radioactive contamination. Large‐scale and long‐term land abandonment can cause changes in species assemblages. Despite the extensive global attention this incident received, open and spatially‐explicit datasets of mammal fauna from Fukushima remain quite limited. We established a continuous monitoring protocol using camera traps for mammals both inside and outside the evacuation zone; this paper presents our first dataset. These data represent the monitoring results from 45 camera traps from May 2014 to October 2014, including the location and actuation time of each camera, and the list of video records. After the publication of this initial data paper, we intend to continue monitoring until 2023 and the dataset will be hereafter updated with new observations.
The Added Value of Eu Defence Research
Authors: Gahler Michael
Published: May 2016

This article examines why the EU should finance defence research. The answers are found in the role the EU increasingly plays in guaranteeing its own security and providing security in Europe's neighbourhood. Against this backdrop, and to compensate for the steady decline in defence research and technology investment, in 2013 the European Commission suggested undertaking preparatory action in this field. This initiative has received support from the European Council and the European Parliament on several occasions. The Parliament put itself in the driving seat for establishing a pilot project in the fiscal year 2015. All the ongoing efforts serve the purpose of establishing a fully fledged European Defence Research Programme starting in 2021. This programme could have the added value of catalysing future cooperative defence programmes, thus delivering urgently needed capabilities for European armed forces.
Investigation of unsteady aerodynamics effects in cycloidal rotor using RANS solver
Authors: Hu Y. , Du F. , Zhang H. L.
Published: May 2016

The cycloidal propeller for a Micro-Aerial Vehicle (MAV)-scale cyclogyro in hover was studied using a 2D Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations solver. The effects of the blade dynamic stall, parallel Blade Vortex Interaction (BVI), inflow variation and flow curvature were discussed, based on the results of numerical simulation. The results from the 2D Computational Fluid Dynamics simulation indicated that the blade of the cycloidal rotor is actually performing a pitching oscillation, if observed in a moving reference frame. The dynamic stall vortices shed from the upstream blade cause intense parallel BVI on the downstream blade. The interaction will induce upwash and downwash on the downstream blade. This changes the effective reduced frequency and actually delays the stall of the blade, which is beneficial to the thrust generation. There is also strong downwash in the rotor cage and it changes the inflow velocity experienced by the blade. The downwash and flow curvature can either be beneficial or harmful to the thrust generation. The combined effects of dynamic stall, parallel BVI, inflow variation and flow curvature cause large aerodynamic force peaks and ensure the cycloidal rotors work at very low rotation speeds with high thrust. This guarantees that the cycloidal rotors possess at least the same level of hover efficiency as screw propellers.
Fly-by-wire robustness to flight dynamics change under horizontal stabiliser damage
Authors: Dlamini Z. , Jones T.
Published: May 2016

Aircraft damage modelling was conducted on a Boeing 747 to examine the effects of asymmetric horizontal stabiliser loss on the flight dynamics of a commercial Fly-by-Wire (FBW) aircraft. Robustness of the control system is investigated by analysing how characteristic eigenvalues move as a result of damage and comparison to the non-FBW aircraft is made. Furthermore, the extent of stabiliser loss that the system can successfully handle without loss of stability and acceptable performance is identified. The presented analysis of the results gives insightful knowledge to aid in the design of an improved FBW system with increased damage tolerance. A handling qualities evaluation is presented to provide an understanding of how the pilot perceives the damaged aircraft. The results of the study show that a generic FBW system improves robustness such that the aircraft is stable with 50% horizontal stabiliser loss. With 50% damage, the aircraft is controllable but unsafe to fly and may be unable to effectively complete its mission task.
Human Dignity and The Dignity of Work: Insights from Catholic Social Teaching
Authors: Sison Alejo José G. , Ferrero Ignacio , Guitián Gregorio
Published: May 2016

What contributions could we expect from Catholic Social Teaching (CST) on human dignity in relation to the dignity of work? This article begins with an explanation of CST and its relevance for secular audiences. It then proceeds to identify the main features of human dignity based on the notion of imago Dei in CST. Next comes an analysis of the dignity of work in CST from which two normative principles are derived: the precedence of duties over rights and the priority of the subjective dimension of work over the objective dimension. Afterwards, the “right to work” and the “rights of workers” are engaged with from this normative perspective, particularly within the context of globalization.
Asking territories: the constituency orientation of Italian and French members of the European Parliament
Authors: Sozzi Fabio
Published: May 2016

In this article, we explore how electoral systems influence attitudes and behavior of elected representatives. Focusing on constituency representation, we consider how variation in electoral systems may shape forms of political representation. An analysis of written parliamentary questions (PQs) is an important instrument to look at the role of parliamentarians even where, as in the European Parliament, political parties enforce discipline in roll-call voting. This kind of investigation offers the opportunity to partially resolve empirical and theoretical problems related to other methods of research. Unlike voting and speeches, PQs face fewer constrains from party leaders. This article analyses the constituency focus of members of European Parliament from France and Italy. These countries differ with regard to two main dimensions of electoral systems: ballot structure and district magnitude. The study is conducted through a content analysis of 5343 written PQs during the sixth term (2004–09). The results suggest that, despite the lack of strong electoral connection, electoral institutions shape the legislative behavior of the Italian and French parliamentarians providing incentives to cultivate personal reputation and constituency-orientation.
l-Citrulline supplementation attenuates blood pressure, wave reflection and arterial stiffness responses to metaboreflex and cold stress in overweight men
Authors: Figueroa Arturo , Alvarez-Alvarado Stacey , Jaime Salvador J. , Kalfon Roy
Published: May 2016

Combined isometric exercise or metaboreflex activation (post-exercise muscle ischaemia (PEMI)) and cold pressor test (CPT) increase cardiac afterload, which may lead to adverse cardiovascular events.l-Citrulline supplementation (l-CIT) reduces systemic arterial stiffness (brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV)) at rest and aortic haemodynamic responses to CPT. The aim of this study was to determine the effect ofl-CIT on aortic haemodynamic and baPWV responses to PEMI+CPT. In all, sixteen healthy, overweight/obese males (age 24 (sem6) years; BMI 29·3 (sem4·0) kg/m2) were randomly assigned to placebo orl-CIT (6 g/d) for 14 d in a cross-over design. Brachial and aortic systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP), aortic augmented pressure (AP), augmentation index (AIx), baPWV, reflection timing (Tr) and heart rate (HR) were evaluated at rest and during isometric handgrip exercise (IHG), PEMI and PEMI+CPT at baseline and after 14 d. No significant effects were evident afterl-CIT at rest.l-CIT attenuated the increases in aortic SBP and wave reflection (AP and AIx) during IHG, aortic DBP, MAP and AIx during PEMI, and aortic SBP, DBP, MAP, AP, AIx and baPWV during PEMI+CPT compared with placebo. HR and Tr were unaffected byl-CIT in all conditions. Our findings demonstrate thatl-CIT attenuates aortic blood pressure and wave reflection responses to exercise-related metabolites. Moreover,l-CIT attenuates the exaggerated arterial stiffness response to combined metaboreflex activation and cold exposure, suggesting a protective effect against increased cardiac afterload during physical stress.
Re-examining Socialization Theory: How Does Democracy Influence the Impact of Education on Anti-Foreigner Sentiment?
Authors: Frølund Thomsen Jens Peter , Olsen Mark
Published: May 2016

Socialization theory claims that the ability of education to reduce anti-foreigner sentiment varies cross-nationally because state authorities are not equally committed to accepting ethnic minorities: higher educated persons harbor less anti-foreigner sentiment because they spend longer in educational institutions that impose official democratic values, which forbid negative reactions toward ethnic minorities. Consequently, higher educated persons ought to diverge from the lower educated as democratic institutions progress. Analyses support these claims: the impact of education on reducing anti-foreigner sentiment is strongest in the oldest democracies, moderate among the medium-aged (e.g., South European) democracies and weakest among the youngest (East European) democracies; and higher educated persons are disproportionately influenced by the maturation of democratic institutions. Analyses utilize data from the 28-country 2008 European Social Survey.
Justifications and Citizen Competence in Direct Democracy: A Multilevel Analysis
Authors: Colombo Céline
Published: May 2016

The criticism that ordinary voters lack the necessary competence to make policy decisions persists despite the growth, popularity and implementation of direct democratic instruments throughout the democratic world. This article presents a novel measure of voters’ levels of justification as a possible, policy-specific, conceptualization of citizen competence in direct democracy. Using a unique dataset based on thirty-four ballot decisions in Switzerland, the study analyses the levels and correlates of citizen competence. The main findings are, first, that most voters do understand arguments about policies. Secondly, the political contextas well asindividual resources are important in determining voters’ competence. Finally, with regard to individual resources, motivation is strongly associated with justification levels, while the effect of ability is smaller than expected.
Key Factors Influencing the Building of Arctic Shipping Routes
Authors: Shyu Wen-Hwa , Ding Ji-Feng
Published: May 2016

Arctic shipping routes attract more and more attention because of the increasing possibility to build commercial shipping routes which connect East Asia and Western Europe. To build profitable commercial shipping routes, shipping companies should study many issues about the Arctic carefully since it is a new and unfamiliar frontier. To find out key factors influencing the building of Arctic shipping routes, the authors applied the fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) model in this study. Based on the AHP experts’ questionnaires, we applied the fuzzy AHP model to analyse the opinions of respondents. This article presents the results of an empirical survey conducted among shipping companies and academic researchers with ship captain experience to explore their attitudes toward the building of Arctic shipping routes. The findings showed that: ‘Safety and risk’ is the most important aspect affecting the building of Arctic shipping routes and in order of relative importance, the top six critical assessment factors are ‘navigation safety and risk analysis,’ ‘governance and cooperation,’ ‘navigation information,’ ‘cargo sources,’ ‘cost,’ and ‘navigator ability,’ respectively.
Model of the Adaptive Information System on a Navigational Bridge
Authors: Maglić Lovro , Zec Damir , Frančić Vlado
Published: May 2016

Adaptive Information Systems (AdIS) are systems responsive to environmental changes or changes in a ship's systems. In this paper the potential of shipboard AdIS to decrease an officer's excessive workload are examined. The workload of the Officer Of the Watch (OOW) consists of tasks being initiated by the OOW and by external inputs. Sometimes the external inputs, particularly those requiring low priority actions, actually distract the OOW and increase the workload. Consequently an overload may be reduced by delaying low priority information, thus delaying the actions they could initiate. To estimate the applicability of AdIS, a model has been developed using a discrete event simulation software, consisting of three main modules: environment, AdIS and the OOW. The simulation has been run with a traffic environment comparable to those existing in the Dover Strait. A comparison between the OOW workload with and without AdIS has been estimated, indicating that during demanding navigation AdIS can significantly reduce the overload time. In areas similar to the Dover Strait the overload time can be reduced by a third.
X-ray powder diffraction data for Palbociclib, C24H29N7O2
Authors: Zheng Shoujun , Peng Jiankun , Xu Kailin , Tang Pei Xiao , Ma Xiaoli , Huang Yanmei , Chen Lijuan , Li Hui
Published: May 2016

X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) data for Palbociclib, C24H29N7O2, are reported [a = 18.182(2) Å, b = 11.508(1) Å, c = 5.041(1) Å, α = 81.282(7)°, β = 97.423(7)°, γ = 102.415(2)°, unit-cell volume V = 1013.1(4) Å3, Z = 2, and space group P-1. All XRPD measured lines were indexed and no detectable impurities were observed.
Preserved brain metabolic activity at the age of 96 years
Authors: Apostolova Ivayla , Lange Catharina , Spies Lothar , Ritter Kerstin , Mäurer Anja , Seybold Joachim , Fiebach Jochen B. , Steinhagen-Thiessen Elisabeth , Buchert Ralph
Published: May 2016

Loss of brain tissue becomes notable to cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at age 30 years, and progresses more rapidly from mid 60s. The incidence of dementia increases exponentially with age, and is all too frequent in the oldest old (≥ 90 years of age), the fastest growing age group in many countries. However, brain pathology and cognitive decline are not inevitable, even at extremely old age (den Dunnen et al., 2008).
Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy caused by a de novo Gly716Arg mutation of the β-myosin heavy chain
Authors: Zhao Peng , Cui Hong-Li , He Ting-Ting , Wang Ji-Gang , Wang Dong , Feng Xin-Xing , Zou Yu-Bao , Wang Yi-Lu , Wang Ji-Zheng , Hui Ru-Tai , Song Lei
Published: May 2016

The present study was performed to identify the genotype of a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy family and investigate the clinicopathogenic characteristics and prognostic features of relevant genetic abnormalities. Target sequence capture sequencing was performed to screen for pathogenic alleles in a 32-year-old female patient (proband). Sanger sequencing was carried out to verify the results. Sanger sequencing was also performed on other family members to identify allele carriers. A survival analysis was carried out using published literature and our findings. We found that the proband and her son harboured a Gly716Arg sequence variant of the β-myosin heavy chain. Neither the proband’s father nor the mother were carriers of this sequence variant; thus, the mutation was classified as “de novo”. Further survival analysis revealed that female patients appear to have a longer life expectancy compared with males. Our study may provide an effective approach for the genetic diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
JAMES, MARSH, WILDE: UNCANNY KINETICS IN THE 1890S
Authors: Worth Aaron
Published: May 2016

Old media can be scary – much scarier, ceteris paribus, than other objects of comparable antiquity. Film and television directors, as well as writers of fiction, who traffic in chills know that few things can insert a palpable sense of dread into a mise-en-scène more economically than a strategically placed daguerreotype (its dour or baleful inhabitants staring out from their world of sepia), a tinny voice issuing from an ancient radio, or the needle of a Victrola bobbing cracklingly in grooves of black vinyl. On the other hand, it is at least as much of a truism to say that new media, too, come freighted with anxieties as well as exhilarations: otherwise we would be less susceptible to narratives about being enslaved by a transpersonal Matrix, zombified by our cell phones, and so on. It should not surprise, then, that in our own media-saturated age a host of tropes and topoi derived from information technologies have tended to recur again and again in works of horror film and fiction. Many of these involve interactions between and among media: old technologies acting like new ones, and vice versa; categorial blurrings and hybridizations involving different media within a particular ecology, or the sense of an uncanny partnership or cooperation between them; and so on. Also common are tableaux of trans- or extra-medial transgression: e.g., the figure of dread escaping the representational field and entering the “real world” of the story. Then, too, there is the figure of prodigious or preternatural (and usually unasked-for) perceptual extension or augmentation, the trope of the technology that enables, or compels, one to see and/or hear more than is good for one.
Introduction
Authors: ANSARI SARAH
Published: May 2016

The Mongols as part of popular imagination have acquired the reputation of providing nothing more than a fierce but amusing footnote in history, men on horseback who appeared from nowhere in the thirteenth-century and receded into obscurity a century or so later. As the articles in this volume demonstrate, the popular imagination is un-nuanced and, far from being transitory rogues, the Mongols, and their complex narratives, made a significant impact upon many histories and cultures across the world as they expanded through Asia changing, modifying and absorbing much in their wake.
Phenotypic diversity and relationships among Chilean Choclero maize (Zea mays L. mays) landraces
Authors: Salazar Erika , Correa José , Araya María José , Méndez Marco A. , Carrasco Basilio
Published: May 2016

Choclero is a Chilean traditional floury maize, consumed as a vegetable, with large economic and cultural value due to its culinary properties that give unique characteristics to the traditional local cuisine. Market diversification demands new materials with different ear and kernel characteristics, which are at present not fulfilled by breeders due to lack of genetic diversity. At present, the Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias has a Choclero germplasm collection composed of 96 accessions, which can supply this lack of diversity, or increase the gene pool. In the present study, 34 selected Chilean Choclero landraces were characterized for 41 agromorphological traits. Phenotypic evaluation in three environments representative of the core production area revealed significant genetic variability for most of the evaluated traits, leading to the identification of several promising accessions. The greater contribution of genotype in most phenological plant, ear and kernel traits suggest their potential usefulness for breeding purposes. Principal component analysis explained over 75% of the total variation for 29 quantitative agromorphological traits. Cluster analysis separated accessions into four major groups, differentiated mainly by plant phenology and ear trait. These findings indicate a number of useful traits at an intra-racial level and a wide range of phenotypic variation that provides a good source of diversity for use in the development of new Choclero varieties.