bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
International Criminal Court in the Trenches of Africa
Authors: Nkansah Lydia A.
Published: December 2014

International Criminal Court in the Trenches of Africa

The pursuit of international criminal justice in Africa through the International Criminal Court (ICC) platform has not been without hitches. There is a rift between the African Union (AU), as a continental body, and the ICC owing to the AU’s perception that the ICC is pursuing selective justice and the AU’s misgivings about the ICC’s indictment /trial of some sitting heads of states in Africa. This article argues that the claim of selective justice cannot be dismissed because it undermines the regime of international criminal justice. The indictment/trial of serving heads of states also has serious constitutional and political implications for the countries involved, but this has been ignored in the literature. Further, the hitches arise both from the failure of the ICC to pay attention to the domestic contexts in order to harmonize its operations in the places of its interventions and from the inherent weakness of the ICC as a criminal justice system. The ICC, on its part, insists that any consideration given to the domestic contexts of its operations would undermine it. Yet the ICC’s interventions in Africa have had serious political, legal and social implications for the communities involved, jeopardizing the peaceful equilibrium in some cases. This should not be ignored. Using the law to stop and prevent international crimes in African societies would require a concerted effort by all concerned to harmonize the demand for justice with the imperatives on the ground.
Compensatie: óók bij onverwachte technische problemen!
Authors: Meijer P.N.
Published: December 2014

Compensatie: óók bij onverwachte technische problemen!

Ook na 9 jaar ondervinden passagiers nog veel moeite bij het claimen van compensatie. Jarenlang vochten luchtvaartmaatschappijen de verordening aan, maar nadat het HvJ EU de verordening in stand liet is de nadruk komen te liggen op een beroep op de uitzonderingsbepaling van de zogeheten ‘buitengewone omstandigheden’. Met name in geval van technische problemen wordt passagiers ten onrechte de verplichte compensatie onthouden.
La persona y siempre la persona
Authors: Herrero Pérez Fernando
Published: December 2014

Artículo para la sección Tribuna de adComunica
La integración real de la tecnología en la estrategia de comunicación
Authors: Cebrián Alfredo
Published: December 2014

Artículo para la sección Tribuna de adComunica
Tecnocreatividad: la capacidad de revolucionar los procesos de interacción
Authors: Ramos Serrano Marina , Blay Arráez Rocío
Published: December 2014

Presentación del informe sobre tecnocreatividad
Los retos de la planificación de medios en el entorno digital: hacia un modelo de eficacia, eficiencia y creatividad dominado por la tecnología
Authors: Martín-Guart Ramon
Published: December 2014

La evolución o revolución digital está cambiando el panorama de los medios de comunicación. Todos los medios, sin excepción, se ven afectados por el nuevo modelo comunicacional que se está instaurando. En este marco, las agencias de medios juegan un papel importante al tomar decisiones sobre cómo poner en contacto emisor y receptor. Con el objetivo de reflexionar sobre los desafíos a los que se enfrentarán y cómo la planificación de medios debe reaccionar en este nuevo ecosistema mediático, y tras una amplia revisión de la literatura nacional e internacional, se planteó una investigación exploratoria destinada a recabar la opinión de los profesionales de la publicidad que ha revelado las nuevas demandas de la publicidad que evoluciona desde una comunicación masiva hacia una comunicación personalizada. Un ejemplo es el llamado efecto multi-pantalla por el cual los individuos acceden a contenidos multimedia a través de los dispositivos móviles. Pero el efecto no consiste únicamente en sustituir o compaginar el aparato de televisión tradicional por los nuevos dispositivos móviles sino que nuevos usos de los medios facilitan la interacción entre las marcas y los usuarios en tiempo real. En este sentido, es evidente que la industria publicitaria evoluciona hacia un nuevo planteamiento con la tecnología y la creatividad en el centro del negocio, elementos que evidencian la transformación de los patrones de interacción social.
Les relations fiscales Canada — Nouveau-Brunswick de 1867 à 1917
Authors: Migneault Gaétan
Published: December 2014

Un des motifs importants d’opposition exprimés au Nouveau-Brunswick contre les conditions de la Confédération visait l’insuffisance des transferts fédéraux offerts. On craignait l’émergence d’une situation financière éventuellement insoutenable, forçant le recours accru à la taxation directe pour soutenir les activités provinciales. Comme prévu, les recettes publiques provinciales se sont effondrées après l’Union, puis ont stagné jusqu’au recours à la taxation directe à partir de 1892.

Cet article établit le lien entre les débats menant à la Confédération et les effets fiscaux de la mise en oeuvre du texte de la Constitution observés au Nouveau-Brunswick. Il démontre la perspicacité des opposants et la justesse de leur crainte.
Neoliberal urban transformations in the arab city
Authors: Daher Rami Farouk
Published: December 2014

This research represents a discursive-comparative analysis aiming to understand the current urban neoliberal condition in the Arab world in terms of the circulating patterns of urban transformation. The research introduces and suggests a discursive framework in which various neoliberal projects could be examined and evaluated against one or more of the following indicators: urban lifestyle, emancipatory neoliberal discourse, claims to social sustainability, socio-spatial politics and dynamics, governance and place management, changing role of the state, and circulation of neoliberal practices. The research applies and benefits from a reconciliation between neo-Marxist theories of political economy and poststructuralist approaches related to the art of governance. However, in doing so it relies mostly on one body of theory, namely, neo-Marxist theories considering neoliberalism as a class project of social exclusion. The framework of analysis is applied to the following three case studies in Amman: high-end business towers, gated upper-middle class communities, and low-income housing projects. In general, these projects, despite their emancipatory rhetoric, led to geographies of inequality and urban disparities within the city of Amman.
Spatialization of political action applied to waterways management an overview of Parisian urban small rivers
Authors: Carré Catherine , Haghe Jean-Paul
Published: December 2014

The small urban rivers of the Paris conurbation are subject to local land use and segmentation processes at the threshold between urban politics and environmental policy. At present, the obligation to restore these streams pursuant to the Water Framework Directive is challenging stakeholders to proceed as collectively as possibly in this undertaking. This article attempts to identify the points of agreement and disagreement within a shared representation of local decision-makers’ relations with waterways through several spatiotemporal trajectories that are specific to each small river. We will show that the shared management of a river involves the management of not only the resource but also of a shared space. Choosing to model the relation between local societies and their river in time and space around a land-based diagram provides local and regional authorities with an explanation of their interactions with the river and its environments and can foster their capacity to act cohesively.
Park(ing) Day : label international d’un activisme édulcoré?
Authors: Douay Nicolas , Prevot Maryvonne
Published: December 2014

The movement of Park(ing) Day proposes to transform for a day a parking spot into a green, artistic, recreational and citizen space. Created in 2005 by the group REBAR in San Francisco the event is now an annual and international appointment, which relies on a wide network of local activists. From case studies in Paris, Lille, Brussels and Montreal, this article examines the global process of labeling of this movement and also questions the implications of the labeling on the activist practices. The institutionalization of Park(ing) Day illustrates a contemporary form of “sweetened” activism, which means less conflict.
Une lecture du rapport ville-nature à travers les promenades d’artistes
Authors: Miaux Sylvie , Roulez Marie-Claude
Published: December 2014

La promenade, forme ancienne de transmission des savoirs, ne cesse d’évoluer notamment par l’entremise des artistes qui transcendent l’acte de marcher en acte de création. Ainsi, dans cet article, nous insisterons sur le rapport ville-nature mis en scène par les artistes à travers la lecture de différents dispositifs artistiques mobilisant la promenade sous différentes forme : dérive, flânerie, etc. Ainsi, nous serons en mesure, d’une part, de révéler les manières dont les artistes mobilisent la promenade notamment dans le rapport ville-nature et, d’autre part, d’identifier et d’approfondir les dimensions de la promenade mobilisées par les artistes pour proposer des pistes en matière d’aménagement de l’espace urbain favorable à la promenade.
Vashti and the Golden legend: A pagan queen turns saint?
Authors: Bevevino Lisa Shugert
Published: December 2014

Hagiographic texts establish a narrative template for shame, avoidance of shame, what looks like death wish in courtly literature. Scenes of shame and its avoidance through death are adapted and folded into romance and other genres and affect how characters behave and are described and gendered. This article treats saints’ lives as literary texts and identifies the language used for female saints in the Old French and Old Occitan versions of the Legenda aurea and uses that codified language to compare the hagiographic text with a vernacular Jewish narrative: the Occitan Romans de la reina Ester, written in octosyllabic rhyming couplets by Crescas Caslari in 1327. This codification gives insight into how widespread such language and description became by the fourteenth century across language and culture barriers. Both the hagiographic texts and the romance are read as narrative, regardless of their intent for the original audiences. Acknowledging the deep-seated literary tradition of shame in a woman’s bodied existence and attempts to avoid that shame through dying, it is argued that both narratives have such substance and language in common that there may be crossover between the readers or writers of Jewish and Christian contemporary texts. This article first establishes the critical approaches to the lives of the saints and the death wish more generally. Secondly, it shows one pattern of the death wish in the French and Occitan Golden legend, that of a desire for death to avoid shame. Thirdly, it presents the language of the death wish for a female character folded into a Jewish text and how the similarities between Christian and Jewish description of such a character could imply an even more widespread sharing of saints’ lives than just among a Christian community.
Oltre la ricerca del Graal, il divenire del mito
Authors: Castaldini Alberto
Published: December 2014

A mythologist’s study of the Graal cultural tradition. Using Francesco Zambon’s recent Metamorfosi del Graal as his starting point, the author undertakes an analysis on the importance of the Graal in Western mystical, philosophical and literary traditions throughout time, from the impact of the medieval Graal stories on the matière de Bretagne and beyond (Troyes, Boron), to the appeal of this myth in modern times, including its occurrence on Richard Wagner, Martin Heidegger, Simone Weil, Italo Calvino and Umberto Eco.
Mesh analysis for extracting the S-parameters of lumped element RF and microwave circuits
Authors: Moss Terry L. , Chen Yinchao
Published: December 2014

This paper demonstrates the applicability of basic mesh current circuit analysis techniques, usually learned in the first year of engineering studies, to lumped element RF circuits, which are usually taught with more sophisticated analysis techniques. As an example, the S-parameters of the 90° lumped element hybrid coupler is derived using the traditional mesh current analysis, and compared to that of the distributed micro-strip response. The distributed transmission line coupler is transformed into equivalent lumped element PI sections, and then combined for the resulting lumped element coupler. Mesh current analysis is then utilized to demonstrate the equivalence between the lumped element coupler and the micro-strip coupler as well as the ability to easily simulate the effects of finite inductor Q on the circuit's performance.
Foxc1 dependent mesenchymal signalling drives embryonic cerebellar growth
Authors: Haldipur Parthiv , Gillies Gwendolyn S , Janson Olivia K , Chizhikov Victor V , Mithal Divakar S , Miller Richard J , Millen Kathleen J
Published: December 2014

Loss of Foxc1 is associated with Dandy-Walker malformation, the most common human cerebellar malformation characterized by cerebellar hypoplasia and an enlarged posterior fossa and fourth ventricle. Although expressed in the mouse posterior fossa mesenchyme, loss of Foxc1 non-autonomously induces a rapid and devastating decrease in embryonic cerebellar ventricular zone radial glial proliferation and concurrent increase in cerebellar neuronal differentiation. Subsequent migration of cerebellar neurons is disrupted, associated with disordered radial glial morphology. In vitro, SDF1α, a direct Foxc1 target also expressed in the head mesenchyme, acts as a cerebellar radial glial mitogen and a chemoattractant for nascent Purkinje cells. Its receptor, Cxcr4, is expressed in cerebellar radial glial cells and conditional Cxcr4 ablation with Nes-Cre mimics the Foxc1−/− cerebellar phenotype. SDF1α also rescues the Foxc1−/− phenotype. Our data emphasizes that the head mesenchyme exerts a considerable influence on early embryonic brain development and its disruption contributes to neurodevelopmental disorders in humans.
Called to respond: The potential of unveiling hiddens
Authors: Black Alison L , Loch Sarah
Published: December 2014

Interested in exploring how personal stories and aesthetic modes of representing experiences can nudge open academic and educational spaces, this article/collection of particles seeks to document our encounters of being affected and called to respond to things the other has written and represented. As a way of engaging with questions about what research and research data might be and become, our attention has been drawn to stories and images from our lives that we have not shaken off – and to how, as we have opened these to the other, making once private moments public, our hiddens have morphed tenderly into a shared knowing and being. As we have acted on the call we have felt to respond we have found ourselves entering spaces of collaboration, communion, contemplation, and conversation – spaces illuminated by what we have not been able to – and cannot – set aside. Using visual and poetic materials we explore heartfelt and heartbroken aspects of our educational worlds and lives, to be present with each other and our (re)emerging personal and professional meanings. We see the shared body (of work, of writing, of image) that develops from the taking of brave steps and the risky slipping off of academic masks and language, as a manifestation of the trusted and nurturing spaces that can be generated through collaborative opportunities to gather together. These steps towards unveiling hiddens are producing in us and of us a friendship, fluency, and fluidity as we write new ways of becoming. In turn, we hope the uncovering and revealing of our dialogue in the public gathering of this journal might supports readers’ telling of their own life stories through what calls them to respond.
Geometric Morphometric Analysis of Individual Variation in Bumblebee Wings
Authors: ARAÑA RAY VINCENT E.
Published: December 2014

The morphological features of an organism are an important source ofinformation for many areas of biological study. Insect wing architectural designis believed to be an excellent system for studying morphological variation becauseof their firm or solidly cleared structures. It has been the center of geometricmorphometric investigation in the past since insect’s wing pattern can providedetails on their evolutionary history and flight performance. Wing shape andsize disparity of fifty-nine individuals of bumblebee was explored to explain andfigure out biological structure variation within similar species. Examination inboth left and right forewings and hind wings was also considered to find out ifphenotypic sexual dimorphism exists. The outline-based geometric morphometrictechnique was employed in this study to measure and evaluate wing shape andsize variation among bumblebees. Results from mean shapes and scatter plotdiagrams analysis revealed that individuals of bumblebee differ less with respect to shape. Overlapping of individuals is visible on both wings in both sexes, which shows absence of dimorphism. Male individuals have larger forewings comparedto females. Slight variation was observed for both sexes in terms of hind wings,which indicates that both individuals exhibit common size characteristic andabsence of dimorphism. The study concludes that size may be considered as abasis for sex determination and that wing size is somewhat a sexual dimorphictrait among bumblebee species. Keywords - Biology, wing morphometry, outline-based geometric morphometric analysis,Philippines
Attenuation of Amoeba in Biochar-amended Clayey and Sandy Soil
Authors: CARNICE PEARL APHRODITE BOBON
Published: December 2014

Limited information has been published regarding the attenuation ofmicroorganism, specifically amoeba in soil with biochar amendment. This studydetermines the attenuation of amoeba between water-saturated clay and sandysoil with biochar and to determine the effect of biochar in clayey and sandy soilwith amoeba contamination in relation to its transport. Four treatments wereformulated, TS (sandy soil, control), TSB (sandy soil + biochar), TC (clayeysoil, control) and TCB (clayey soil + biochar) and replicated three times. Theexperiment was rendered using a 17cm soil column with 2.5cm diameter;all treatments were saturated and leached. Number of amoeba leached andattenuated was counted under a compound microscope. Results revealed thatclayey soil attenuated more amoeba compared to sandy soil treatment due toits smaller pores. Moreover, biochar amendment in a sandy soil would enhance the attenuation of amoeba and lessen the transport of amoeba while biochar amendment in clayey soil lessens the attenuation and facilitate the transfer ofamoeba. It has also been observed that at four to eight centimeters depth of thesoil column, the spatial distribution of amoeba is superior. The study implies thatbiochar physical enhancement of soil would depend upon the initial texture ofthe soil.' Keywords - Ecology and Conservation, Biochar as Filter for Amoeba Attenuation,Experimental Study, Philippines
Entrainment of bed material by Earth‐surface mass flows: Review and reformulation of depth‐integrated theory
Authors: Iverson Richard M. , Ouyang Chaojun
Published: December 2014

Earth‐surface mass flows such as debris flows, rock avalanches, and dam‐break floods can grow greatly in size and destructive potential by entraining bed material they encounter. Increasing use of depth‐integrated mass and momentum conservation equations to model these erosive flows motivates a review of the underlying theory. Our review indicates that many existing models apply depth‐integrated conservation principles incorrectly, leading to spurious inferences about the role of mass and momentum exchanges at flow‐bed boundaries. Model discrepancies can be rectified by analyzing conservation of mass and momentum in a two‐layer system consisting of a moving upper layer and static lower layer. Our analysis shows that erosion or deposition rates at the interface between layers must, in general, satisfy three jump conditions. These conditions impose constraints on valid erosion formulas, and they help determine the correct forms of depth‐integrated conservation equations. Two of the three jump conditions are closely analogous to Rankine‐Hugoniot conditions that describe the behavior of shocks in compressible gasses, and the third jump condition describes shear traction discontinuities that necessarily exist across eroding boundaries. Grain‐fluid mixtures commonly behave as compressible materials as they undergo entrainment, because changes in bulk density occur as the mixtures mobilize and merge with an overriding flow. If no bulk density change occurs, then only the shear traction jump condition applies. Even for this special case, however, accurate formulation of depth‐integrated momentum equations requires a clear distinction between boundary shear tractions that exist in the presence or absence of bed erosion.
Three‐dimensional electromagnetic imaging of upwelling fluids in the Kyushu subduction zone, Japan
Authors: Hata Maki , Oshiman Naoto , Yoshimura Ryokei , Tanaka Yoshikazu , Uyeshima Makoto
Published: December 2014

A three‐dimensional (3‐D) lithospheric‐scale electrical resistivity model, developed using network‐magnetotelluric (network‐MT) data, contains structures associated with arc magmatism beneath Kyushu Island in the Southwest Japan arc. Kyushu Island, where the Philippine Sea Plate (PSP) subducts beneath the Eurasian plate, can be divided into northern and southern volcanic regions separated by a nonvolcanic region. Many active Quaternary volcanoes occur along the volcanic front (VF) associated with the PSP in the two volcanic regions. Our 3‐D electrical resistivity model shows three different shapes of upwelling fluid‐like conductive anomalies, indicative of either slab‐derived aqueous fluid and/or partial melt beneath the volcanic and nonvolcanic regions. A conductive anomaly in the northern volcanic region, located at some distance from the subducting PSP, extends from the surface to depths of <100 km, whereas another conductive anomaly in the southern volcanic region, located along the subducting PSP at >70 km depth, extends from the surface to depths of >100 km. In the nonvolcanic region, the upper region of a relatively conductive anomaly extends upward to a depth of ~50 km along the subducting plate. The degrees of magmatism and the relative contribution of slab‐derived fluids to the magmatism vary spatially in the one nonvolcanic and two volcanic regions.
A stability‐dependent parametrization of transfer coefficients for momentum and heat over polar sea ice to be used in climate models
Authors: Lüpkes Christof , Gryanik Vladimir M.
Published: December 2014

The interaction between sea ice and atmosphere depends strongly on the near‐surface transfer coefficients for momentum and heat. A parametrization of these coefficients is developed on the basis of an existing parametrization of drag coefficients for neutral stratification that accounts for form drag caused by the edges of ice floes and melt ponds. This scheme is extended to better account for the dependence of surface wind on limiting cases of high and low ice concentration and to include near‐surface stability effects over open water and ice on form drag. The stability correction is formulated on the basis of stability functions from Monin‐Obukhov similarity theory and also using the Louis concept with stability functions depending on the bulk Richardson numbers. Furthermore, a parametrization is proposed that includes the effect of edge‐related turbulence also on heat transfer coefficients. The parametrizations are available in different levels of complexity. The lowest level only needs sea ice concentration and surface temperature as input, while the more complex level needs additional sea ice characteristics. An important property of our parametrization is that form drag caused by ice edges depends on the stability over both ice and water which is in contrast to the skin drag over ice. Results of the parametrization show that stability has a large impact on form drag and, thereby, determines the value of sea ice concentration for which the transfer coefficients reach their maxima. Depending on the stratification, these maxima can occur anywhere between ice concentrations of 20 and 80%.
When Children's Knowledge of Memory Improves Children's Performance in Memory
Authors: Geurten Marie , Catale Corinne , Meulemans Thierry
Published: December 2014

One of the strongest hypotheses in the field of metacognition research involves the positive effect of metamemory on memory performance. However, owing to the lack of appropriate instruments to appraise knowledge of memory, few studies have examined this effect among children. This study was conducted to create and validate an instrument to assess children's metamemory knowledge and link this knowledge with their memory performance and strategy use. A sample of 166 children was given a new three‐factor metamemory interview, and its psychometric properties were investigated. Regression analyses were carried out to investigate the link between metamemory and memory performance in a subgroup of 128 children from the validation study. Results confirmed the scale's good psychometric properties and revealed its ability to predict children's memory performance. However, none of the scale's factors could predict children's use of memory strategies. Implications for the study of children's metamemory development are discussed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Back to the Future: Similarities and Differences in Emotional Memories and Prospections
Authors: Painter Janelle M. , Kring Ann M.
Published: December 2014

Previous research suggests that our prospections rely, in part, upon our memories. However, less is known about the ways in which the content of memories and prospections are similar (or dissimilar) and whether this similarity varies by emotion. In the present study, we coded the content and style of participants' (n = 109) positive, negative, and neutral memory and prospection narratives. Emotional memories were more elaborated, social, and further back in time than neutral memories. By contrast, prospections varied by valence: Positive prospections included more time and place indicators and were more social and closer in time than negative prospections. Although over half of the coded content in memories and prospections matched, regardless of valence, positive memories and prospections matched more than negative. These findings suggest that people are more likely to construct positive futures that are similar to the past but are less likely to do so for negative futures. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
GSTM1, GSTP1, and GSTT1 genetic variability in Turkish and worldwide populations
Authors: Karaca Sefayet , Karaca Mehmet , Cesuroglu Tomris , Erge Sema , Polimanti Renato
Published: December 2014

Objective

Glutathione S‐transferase (GST) variants have been widely investigated to better understand their role in several pathologic conditions. To our knowledge, no data about these genetic polymorphisms within the Turkish population are currently available. The aim of this study was to analyze GSTM1 positive/null, GSTT1 positive/null, GSTP1*I105V (rs1695), and GSTP1*A114V (rs1138272) variants in the general Turkish population, to provide information about its genetic diversity, and predisposition to GST‐related diseases.

Methods

Genotyping was performed in 500 Turkish individuals using the Sequenom MassARRAY platform. A comparative analysis was executed using the data from the HapMap and Human Genome Diversity Projects (HGDP). Sequence variation was deeply explored using the Phase 1 data of the 1,000 Genomes Project.

Results

The variability of GSTM1, GSTT1, and GSTP1 polymorphisms in the Turkish population was similar to that observed in Central Asian, European, and Middle Eastern populations. The high linkage disequilibrium between GSTP1*I105V and GSTP1*A114V in these populations may have a confounding effect on GSTP1 genetic association studies. In analyzing GSTM1, GSTT1, and GSTP1 sequence variation, we observed other common functional variants that may be candidates for associated studies of diseases related to GST genes (e.g., cancer, cardiovascular disease, and allergy).

Conclusions

This study provides novel data about GSTM1 positive/null, GSTT1 positive/null, GSTP1*I105V, and GSTP1*A114V variants in the Turkish population, and other functional variants that may affect GSTM1, GSTT1, and GSTP1 functions among worldwide populations. This information can assist in the design of future genetic association studies investigating oxidative stress‐related diseases. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 27:310–316, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Relationships of maternal and paternal anthropometry with neonatal body size, proportions and adiposity in an Australian cohort
Authors: Pomeroy Emma , Wells Jonathan C.K. , Cole Tim J. , O'Callaghan Michael , Stock Jay T.
Published: December 2014

The patterns of association between maternal or paternal and neonatal phenotype may offer insight into how neonatal characteristics are shaped by evolutionary processes, such as conflicting parental interests in fetal investment and obstetric constraints. Paternal interests are theoretically served by maximizing fetal growth, and maternal interests by managing investment in current and future offspring, but whether paternal and maternal influences act on different components of overall size is unknown. We tested whether parents' prepregnancy height and body mass index (BMI) were related to neonatal anthropometry (birthweight, head circumference, absolute and proportional limb segment and trunk lengths, subcutaneous fat) among 1,041 Australian neonates using stepwise linear regression. Maternal and paternal height and maternal BMI were associated with birthweight. Paternal height related to offspring forearm and lower leg lengths, maternal height and BMI to neonatal head circumference, and maternal BMI to offspring adiposity. Principal components analysis identified three components of variability reflecting neonatal “head and trunk skeletal size,” “adiposity,” and “limb lengths.” Regression analyses of the component scores supported the associations of head and trunk size or adiposity with maternal anthropometry, and limb lengths with paternal anthropometry. Our results suggest that while neonatal fatness reflects environmental conditions (maternal physiology), head circumference and limb and trunk lengths show differing associations with parental anthropometry. These patterns may reflect genetics, parental imprinting and environmental influences in a manner consistent with parental conflicts of interest. Paternal height may relate to neonatal limb length as a means of increasing fetal growth without exacerbating the risk of obstetric complications. Am J Phys Anthropol 156:625–636, 2015. © 2014 The Authors American Journal of Physical Anthropology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Calcium‐overloaded sympathetic preganglionic neurons in a case of severe sepsis with anorexia nervosa
Authors: Kinebuchi Miyuki , Matsuura Akihiro
Published: December 2014

Aim

We aimed to show the status of intracellular elements in sympathetic preganglionic neurons in an autopsy case of a 55‐year‐old woman with severe sepsis and cardiac dysfunction with anorexia nervosa.

Methods

Our methods include a case report and pathological examinations of autopsied tissues using synchrotron‐generated microbeam X‐ray fluorescence analysis.

Results

A case report of severe sepsis and myocardial dysfunction. The patient had sudden short cardiac arrest without arrhythmia and sequelae, and echocardiogram showed negative inotropic change. The X‐ray fluorescence analysis of autopsied tissues indicated an unusually high concentration of cytosolic calcium in sympathetic preganglionic neurons. However, there were no significant pathological findings of damage in the heart or the cardiovascular autonomic nuclei in the central nervous system.

Conclusion

The data indicate that dysfunction of the sympathetic preganglionic neurons exists in a patient of severe sepsis and cardiac dysfunction with anorexia nervosa.
The cerebellar nodulus: Perceptual and ocular processing of graviceptive input
Authors: Tarnutzer Alexander A. , Wichmann Werner , Straumann Dominik , Bockisch Christopher J.
Published: December 2014

Current concepts postulate a decisive role of the cerebellar nodulus in the processing of otolith input. We hypothesized that nodular lesions abolish otolith‐perceptual integration, predicting alignment of perceived direction of earth vertical with the z‐axis of the head and not with gravity. In an 80‐year‐old patient with acute heminodular infarction, the subjective visual vertical deviated contralesionally by −21.1° when the patient was upright. After subtracting this offset, perceived vertical closely matched the patient's head orientation when the patient was roll‐tilted. Otolith‐ocular reflexes remained normal. This is the first report on abolished earth verticality perception in heminodular stroke and underlines the importance of the nodulus in spatial orientation. Ann Neurol 2015;77:343–347
Compact Coupled Graphene and Porous Polyaryltriazine‐Derived Frameworks as High Performance Cathodes for Lithium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Su Yuezeng , Liu Yuxin , Liu Ping , Wu Dongqing , Zhuang Xiaodong , Zhang Fan , Feng Xinliang
Published: December 2014

It is highly desirable to develop electroactive organic materials and their derivatives as green alternatives of cathodes for sustainable and cost‐effective lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) in energy storage fields. Herein, compact two‐dimensional coupled graphene and porous polyaryltriazine‐derived frameworks with tailormade pore structures are fabricated by using various molecular building blocks under ionothermal conditions. The porous nanosheets display nanoscale thickness, high specific surface area, and strong coupling of electroactive polyaryltriazine‐derived frameworks with graphene. All these features make it possible to efficiently depress the dissolution of redox moieties in electrolytes and to boost the electrical conductivity of whole electrode. When employed as a cathode in LIBs, the two‐dimensional porous nanosheets exhibit outstanding cycle stability of 395 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1 for more than 5100 cycles and excellent rate capability of 135 mAh g−1 at a high current density of 15 A g−1.
Thermal and mechanical characterization of films based on poly(vinyl alcohol) and β‐lactoglobulin blends
Authors: Monasterio Nuria , Leiza Jose Ramon , Meaurio Emiliano , Sarasua Jose Ramon
Published: December 2014

In this study, we investigated the possibility of creating easy to handle films based on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and β‐lactoglobulin (βlg) blends using the casting method. Four different variables were studied to obtain these films: different proportions of PVA and βlg, different pHs (10, 7, 5.5, and 2.5), several molecular masses of PVA (130,000, 13,000–23,000, and 2000 g/mol), and the denaturation of βlg. The first objective was to obtain films, and the second was to characterize them by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and mechanical testing. Significant variations in behavior were found, and the variables studied modified the blends in different ways. In particular, better results were achieved when the βlg proportion was less than 30 wt %, and when a pH of 2.5 was used in conjunction with a high molecular mass (130,000 g/mol) of PVA. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41745.
The Blooming Anatomy Tool (BAT): A discipline‐specific rubric for utilizing Bloom's taxonomy in the design and evaluation of assessments in the anatomical sciences
Authors: Thompson Andrew R. , O'Loughlin Valerie D.
Published: December 2014

Bloom's taxonomy is a resource commonly used to assess the cognitive level associated with course assignments and examination questions. Although widely utilized in educational research, Bloom's taxonomy has received limited attention as an analytical tool in the anatomical sciences. Building on previous research, the Blooming Anatomy Tool (BAT) was developed. This rubric provides discipline‐specific guidelines to Blooming anatomy multiple‐choice questions (MCQs). To test the efficacy of the BAT, a group of volunteers were randomly split up and asked to Bloom a series of anatomy MCQs using either the BAT or a traditional Bloom's reference called Bloom's Learning Objectives (BLO). Both groups utilized each rubric for a different series of MCQs. Examination question categorizations made using each rubric were tested for accuracy and interrater reliability. In addition, previous experience in anatomy and Bloom's taxonomy were considered. Results demonstrated that volunteers using the BAT had consistently higher levels of interrater reliability, but accuracy varied and was similar between rubrics. Neither measure was substantially impacted by experience in Bloom's taxonomy or anatomy. A poststudy survey indicated that volunteers strongly preferred the BAT and felt it was more helpful in categorizing anatomy MCQs than the BLO. These results suggest that the BAT can be useful in educational research in the anatomical sciences to aid in aligning observer judgment on Bloom taxonomic levels and improve consistency, especially when used in conjunction with a norming session prior to data collection. Anat Sci Educ 8: 493–501. © 2014 American Association of Anatomists.
On identifying the role of Sun and the El Niño Southern Oscillation on Indian Summer Monsoon Rainfall
Authors: Roy Indrani , Collins Matthew
Published: December 2014

A solar influence on Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) rainfall, identified in previous studies using the method of solar peak year compositing, may not be robust and can be influenced by other factors such as the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and trends. Regression analysis, which takes into account variations across the whole solar cycle rather than just the minimum /maximum solar years, fails to detect any direct solar influence on the ISM during June–August. Regression suggests that the spatial pattern of ENSO, as imprinted in the sea level pressure in the Indian Ocean region, covering parts of Australia, has changed during the second half of last century. Thus ENSO impacts via variations in the local Hadley circulation may have played a role in modulating the ISM during that period. Finally, we discuss a possible indirect connection between the solar cycle and monsoon rainfall, which are different since the 1950s.
Improving livestock for agriculture – technological progress from random transgenesis to precision genome editing heralds a new era
Authors: Laible Götz , Wei Jingwei , Wagner Stefan
Published: December 2014

Humans have a long history in shaping the genetic makeup of livestock to optimize production and meet growing human demands for food and other animal products. Until recently, this has only been possible through traditional breeding and selection, which is a painstakingly slow process of accumulating incremental gains over a long period. The development of transgenic livestock technology offers a more direct approach with the possibility for making genetic improvements with greater impact and within a single generation. However, initially the technology was hampered by technical difficulties and limitations, which have now largely been overcome by progressive improvements over the past 30 years. Particularly, the advent of genome editing in combination with homologous recombination has added a new level of efficiency and precision that holds much promise for the genetic improvement of livestock using the increasing knowledge of the phenotypic impact of genetic sequence variants. So far not a single line of transgenic livestock has gained approval for commercialization. The step change to genome‐edited livestock with precise sequence changes may accelerate the path to market, provided applications of this new technology for agriculture can deliver, in addition to economic incentives for producers, also compelling benefits for animals, consumers, and the environment.
Meta-analysis of superficial versus deep injection of radioactive tracer and blue dye for lymphatic mapping and detection of sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer
Authors: Ahmed M , Purushotham A D , Horgan K , Klaase J M , Douek M
Published: December 2014

Background

Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is the standard of care for axillary staging in early breast cancer. Currently, no consensus exists on the optimal site of injection of the radioactive tracer or blue dye.

Methods

A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies comparing superficial and deep injections of radioactive tracer or blue dye for lymphatic mapping and SLNB was performed. The axillary and extra-axillary sentinel lymph node (SLN) identification rates obtained by lymphoscintigraphy and intraoperative SLNB were evaluated. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95 per cent c.i. were estimated using fixed-effect analyses, or random-effects analyses if there was statistically significant heterogeneity (P < 0·050).

Results

Thirteen studies were included in the meta-analysis. There was no significant difference between superficial and deep injections of radioactive tracer for axillary SLN identification on lymphoscintigraphy (OR 1·59, 95 per cent c.i. 0·79 to 3·17), during surgery (OR 1·27, 0·60 to 2·68) and for SLN identification using blue dye (OR 1·40, 0·83 to 2·35). The rate of extra-axillary SLN identification was significantly greater when deep rather than superficial injection was used (OR 3·00, 1·92 to 4·67). The discordance rate between superficial and deep injections ranged from 4 to 73 per cent for axillary and from 0 to 61 per cent for internal mammary node mapping.

Conclusion

Both superficial and deep injections of radioactive tracer and blue dye are effective for axillary SLN identification. Clinical consequences of discordance rates between the two injection techniques are unclear. Deep injections are associated with significantly greater extra-axillary SLN identification; however, this may not have a significant impact on clinical management.
Comparative pharmacokinetics of three monoester‐diterpenoid alkaloids after oral administration of Acontium carmichaeli extract and its compatibility with other herbal medicines in Sini Decoction to rats
Authors: Zhang Hai , Liu Min , Zhang Wen , Chen Jun , Zhu Zhenyu , Cao Hong , Chai Yifeng
Published: December 2014

Sini decoction (SND) is an important traditional Chinese multiherbal formula, which is widely used to treat cardiovascular disease. Acontium carmichaeli (AC) is a leading herb in SND, whose main components are monoester‐diterpenoid alkaloids (MDAs). The aim of this study is to compare the pharmacokinetics of three MDAs in rat plasma after oral administration of AC extract and its compatibility with other herbal medicines in SND. A sensitive, accurate and specific LC‐MS/MS method was developed to determine the contents of three MDAs in rat plasma. Male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly assigned to four groups: AC, AC + ZO, AC + GU and SND groups. There were significant differences in the pharmacokinetic parameters (Cmax, Tmax, t1/2, AUC(0–24), MRT and CL). Compared with the AC group, Cmax, AUC(0–24) and CL of three MDAs increased and t1/2 decreased in AC + ZO, AC + GU and SND groups. Little changed in the AC + GU group in comparison with AC + ZO group, which indicated that other ingredients in ZO may promote the absorption rate and accelerate excretion rate of MDAs. The results could be helpful for revealing the compatibility mechanism of Chinese multiherbal medicine and providing clinical medication guidance on AC and its compatibility with other herbal medicines in SND. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Up‐regulation of semaphorin 4A expression in human retinal pigment epithelial cells by PACAP released from cocultured neural cells
Authors: Ko Ji‐Ae , Hirata Junko , Yamane Ken , Sonoda Koh‐Hei , Kiuchi Yoshiaki
Published: December 2014

Development and homeostasis of multicellular organisms require interactions between neighbouring cells. We recently established an in vitro model of cell–cell interaction based on a collagen vitrigel membrane. We have now examined the role of neural cells in retinal homeostasis by coculture of human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells and neural cells on opposite sides of such a membrane. The neural cells (differentiated PC12 cells) induced up‐regulation of semaphorin 4A (Sema4A), a member of the semaphorin family of neural guidance proteins, in RPE (ARPE19) cells. This effect of the neural cells was mimicked by the neuropeptide pituitary adenylate cyclase–activating polypeptide (PACAP) and was abolished by the PACAP antagonist PACAP(6–38). Coculture with neural cells or stimulation with PACAP also induced the phosphorylation of extracellular‐signal‐regulated kinase in ARPE19 cells, and this effect of the neural cells was inhibited by PACAP(6–38). Finally, among various cytokines examined, only the amount of interleukin‐6 released by cocultures of ARPE19 and neural cells differed from that released by ARPE19 cells cultured alone. Interleukin‐6 was not detected in culture supernatants of neural cells, and the reduction in the amount of interleukin‐6 released by the cocultures compared with that released by ARPE19 cells alone was prevented by PACAP(6–38). Our findings suggest that PACAP released from retinal neural cells (photoreceptors or optic nerve cells) may regulate Sema4A expression in RPE cells and thereby contribute to the maintenance of retinal structure and function.

Development and homeostasis of multicellular organisms require interactions between neighbouring cells. With the use of a coculture system based on a collagen vitrigel membrane, we have now shown that neural cells induce up‐regulation of the neural guidance protein Sema4A in RPE cells. This effect of neural cells appears to be mediated by the neuropeptide PACAP. PACAP released from retinal neural cells (photoreceptors or optic nerve cells) may thus regulate Sema4A expression in RPE cells and thereby contribute to the maintenance of retinal structure and function. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Device closure of secundum atrial septal defect in a 4.5 kilogram infant: Novel use of the Amplatzer DuctOccluder II device
Authors: McCrossan B.A. , Walsh K.P.
Published: December 2014

Modest secundum atrial septal defects (2°ASD) may cause significant pulmonary over perfusion during infancy, particularly in conjunction with left heart obstructive lesions. Amplatzer Septal Occluders are not ideal in this setting especially given recent concerns regarding device erosion. We report the first use of the Amplatzer Duct Occluder II device (ADO2) to close a 2°ASD in a 4.5 kg infant. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.