bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Thermolysis of Ru3(CO)12 with Carboxylic Acids Revisited: Stepwise Assembly of Ru2 to Ru6 Cluster Frameworks
Authors: Yang Jindou D. , Wang Xian , Song Chengxin X. , Zhang Weiqiang Q. , Zhang Guofang F. , Gao Ziwei , Fan Juan , Sun Huaming M.
Published: October 2016

Thermolysis of Ru3(CO)12 with carboxylic acids directly accessed a large variety of low valence ruthenium carbonyl complexs. Under the conditions of the reaction firstly reported by J. Lewis, 3 equivalents of acids were employed to assembly sawhorse‐type dirutheniumtetra carbonyl complex. Six Ru3‐Ru6 ruthenium clusters were unexpectedly isolated in the reaction of Ru3(CO)12 with 1 equivalent of carboxylic acids under thermal condition. The reaction of Ru3(CO)12 with ten kind of carboxylic acids were systematically investigated. The reactions of Ru3(CO)12 with non‐coordinative carboxylic acids afforded β‐H2Ru4(CO)13 (2), Ru6(μ6‐C)(μ‐CO)(CO)16 (3) and then to Ru6(μ6‐C)(μ‐CO)(CO)13(η6‐C6H5CH3) (4), respectively. The further experiments indicated that the formation of 3 was attributed to the assembly of tetraruthenium carbonyl dihydrid 2 with polymeric sawhorse diruthenium intermediate [Ru2(CO)4(OOR)2]n (R= alkyl, aryl). The thermolysis of phenylpropiolic acid with Ru3(CO)12 unveiled an alternative pathway to access Ru6 skeleton. The triruthenium cluster [(μ‐H)Ru3(CO)9(μ3‐η2‐(⊥)‐C≡CC6H5)] (5) and butterfly tetraruthenium compound Ru4(CO)12(HC≡CC6H5) (6) were identified as the key intermediates in the construction of compound 3.
Objective‐driven process appraisals: an educational experiment
Authors: De Man Jozef
Published: October 2016

Software improvement frameworks are often perceived to be expensive and oriented toward larger companies. It is also difficult to teach these frameworks to students who lack any experience with software development in a commercial setting. In this paper, we report experience with teaching software process improvement by using a series of small exercises that together establish a quick objective‐driven appraisal of a software organization. We show how the focus on practical results reinforces the educational value of the exercise by making it more engaging for students.
Revisiting an open access monograph experiment: measuring citations and tweets 5 years later
Authors: Snijder Ronald
Published: October 2016

An experiment run in 2009 could not assess whether making monographs available in open access enhanced scholarly impact. This paper revisits the experiment, drawing on additional citation data and tweets. It attempts to answer the following research question: does open access have a positive influence on the number of citations and tweets a monograph receives, taking into account the influence of scholarly field and language? The correlation between monograph citations and tweets is also investigated. The number of citations and tweets measured in 2014 reveal a slight open access advantage, but the influence of language or subject should also be taken into account. However, Twitter usage and citation behaviour hardly overlap.
Interfacial Activity of 2‐Ethylhexan‐1‐ol‐Based Surfactants in Quasi‐ternary Systems
Authors: Chruściel A. , Hreczuch W. , Dąbrowska K. , Materna K. , Sznajdrowska A.
Published: October 2016

The surface properties of quasi‐ternary systems comprising two surfactants in water were studied in the light of previously published hypotheses of specific two‐dimensional arrangements of associated surfactant molecules and compatibility of their hydrophobic chains. In contrast to the studies of model ternary systems of pure components reported previously in the literature, the title quasi‐ternary systems were prepared as water solutions of two polydisperse mixtures of surfactants: an anionic one (quasi‐component 1) and nonionic one (quasi‐component 2). The complex quasi‐components used were polydisperse in terms of both ethylene oxide substituent numbers and the carbon chain length, obtained as received under industrial conditions from commercial raw materials. The novel surfactants which are the subject of the present study were synthesized by elongation of the hydrophobic chain of 2‐ethylhexan‐1‐ol molecules by catalytic polyaddition of methyloxirane (propylene oxide), followed by introduction into the resulting transformed structure of a hydrophilic group (in the form of a polyether chain and/or a sulfosuccinate group). All synthesized surfactants were therefore polydispersed mixtures of methyloxirane and oxirane (ethylene oxide) homologues. It was shown that, in the case of the quasi‐ternary aqueous systems studied, the extrema of the investigated functions describing the surface properties occur in the neighborhood of some specific stoichiometric ratios of the surfactant concentrations, namely 1:3/3:1. On the other hand, synergistic effects associated with the compatibility of the hydrophobic chains studied were not confirmed.
Scorecards and social accountability for improved maternal and newborn health services: A pilot in the Ashanti and Volta regions of Ghana
Authors: Blake Carolyn , Annorbah‐Sarpei Nii Ankonu , Bailey Claire , Ismaila Yakubu , Deganus Sylvia , Bosomprah Samuel , Galli Francesco , Clark Sarah
Published: October 2016

Background

With the limited availability of quality emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC) in Ghana, and a lack of dialogue on the issue at district level, the Evidence for Action (E4A) program (2011–2015) initiated a pilot intervention using a social accountability approach in two regions of Ghana.

Objective

Using scorecards to assess and improve maternal and newborn health services, the intervention study evaluated the effectiveness of engaging multiple, health and non‐health sector stakeholders at district level to improve the enabling environment for quality EmONC.

Methods

The quantitative study component comprised two rounds of assessments in 37 health facilities. The qualitative component is based on an independent prospective policy study.

Results

Results show a marked growth in a culture of accountability, with heightened levels of community participation, transparency, and improved clarity of lines of accountability among decision‐makers. The breadth and type of quality of care improvements were dependent on the strength of community and government engagement in the process, especially in regard to more complex systemic changes.

Conclusion

Engaging a broad network of stakeholders to support MNH services has great potential if implemented in ways that are context‐appropriate and that build around full collaboration with government and civil society stakeholders.
POTENTIAL GAMES WITH AGGREGATION IN NON-COOPERATIVE GENERAL INSURANCE MARKETS
Authors: Wu Renchao , Pantelous Athanasios A.
Published: October 2016

In the global insurance market, the number of product-specific policies from different companies has increased significantly, and strong market competition has boosted the demand for a competitive premium. Thus, in the present paper, by considering the competition between each pair of insurers, an N-player game is formulated to investigate the optimal pricing strategy by calculating the Nash equilibrium in an insurance market. Under that framework, each insurer is assumed to maximise its utility of wealth over the unit time interval. With the purpose of solving a game of N-players, the best-response potential game with non-linear aggregation is implemented. The existence of a Nash equilibrium is proved by finding a potential function of all insurers' payoff functions. A 12-player insurance game illustrates the theoretical findings under the framework in which the best-response selection premium strategies always provide the global maximum value of the corresponding payoff function.
Relations de voyages et textes géographiques arabes, persans et turks relatifs a l'Extrême-Orient du VIIIe au XVIIIe siècles
Authors: Ferrand Gabriel
Published: October 2016

Gabriel Ferrand (1864–1935) travelled widely as a French diplomat and pursued scholarly passions as a polyglot orientalist. He served as consul to Madagascar and published several works about the island, noting the Arab influence that preceded the arrival of Europeans. A member of the Société Asiatique, and editor of its journal from 1920 until his death, Ferrand sought in particular to make Arabic geographical and nautical writings more accessible to fellow scholars and students. Forming part of that project, this work appeared in two volumes in 1913–14. It presents annotated French translations of mainly Arabic texts relating to the Far East. Brief biographical notes on the authors are given for the benefit of non-specialists. Volume 2 contains texts from the thirteenth century onwards, and includes a section of translated extracts from Chinese, Japanese, Tamil, Kawi and Malay texts.
Prevalence of potential smoking-related conditions among tobacco users in the emergency department and their perception that their visit may be smoking-related
Authors: Tsai Amy Po Yu , Tsai Jimmy Po-Nien , Stewart Lauren , Brubacher Jeffrey , Cheung Ka Wai
Published: October 2016

Objectives

Patients who are tobacco users present to the emergency department (ED) with many medical conditions that are causally or potentially causally related to smoking. Previous studies have shown increased cessation rates for patients who accurately perceive that their ED visit is smoking-related. Our study goals were 1) to determine the prevalence of potential smoking-related conditions among tobacco users at a tertiary care academic ED, and 2) to determine which medical conditions are more or less likely to be perceived by patients as smoking-related.

Methods

We included adults≥19 years of age who reported smoking within 30 days of their ED visit, and were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01454375) from December 1, 2011 to August 31, 2012. Patients were asked whether they perceived their ED visit to be related to smoking. ED discharge diagnoses were coded as smoking-related or not smoking-related based on the 2004 U.S. Surgeon General’s Report.

Results

We included 893 patients (62% male; mean age=40±15), of which 120 (13%) had a visit for a potential smoking-related condition: 6 (5%) of neoplasm, 18 (15%) of cardiovascular disease, 67 (56%) of respiratory disease, 3 (3%) of reproductive complication, 7 (6%) of postoperative complication, 9 (8%) of dental disease, 9 (8%) of peptic ulcer disease, 0 (0%) of eye condition, and 1 (1%) of bony condition. Of the potential smoking-related conditions, 46 (38%) were perceived by patients to be possibly smoking-related: 61% of cardiovascular disease, 33% of neoplasm, 43% of respiratory disease, 22% of dental disease, 14% of postoperative complication, 11% of peptic ulcer disease, and 0% of the remaining conditions.

Conclusion

In this study, 13% of all ED visits among smokers were for a potential smoking-related condition, of which 38% were perceived by patients to be smoking-related. Education to increase awareness of smoking-related conditions may increase cessation rates.
Kreines on the Problem of Metaphysics in Kant and Hegel
Authors: Stern Robert
Published: October 2016

This article offers a discussion of James Kreines’s book Reason in the World: Hegel’s Metaphysics and Its Philosophical Appeal. While broadly sympathetic to Kreines’s ‘concept thesis’ as a conceptual realist account of Hegel, the article contrasts two Kantian arguments for transcendental idealism to which Hegel’s position may be seen as a response—the argument from synthetic a priori knowledge and the argument from the dialectic of reason—and explores the implications of Kreines’s commitment to the latter over the former.
And Yet He is a Monist: Comments on James Kreines, Reason in the World
Authors: Knappik Franz
Published: October 2016

I critically discuss Kreines’s arguments against readings on which Hegel holds some version of metaphysical monism. In section 1, I address Kreines’s claim that Hegel’s revised version of Kant’s argument in the Transcendental Dialectic implies a rejection of metaphysical monism. I argue both that the argument that Kreines ascribes to Hegel does not itself rule out monism, and that there are serious exegetical problems with the way Kreines understands Hegel’s diagnosis of the antinomies and his critique of the metaphysics of the understanding. In section 2, I discuss additional reasons that Kreines gives for seeing Hegel as rejecting metaphysical monism. In particular, I argue that Hegel is much more optimistic about the intelligibility of nature than Kreines thinks: to a substantial degree, the basic structure of nature, including the laws of mechanics, is open to explanations that are ultimately based on a monistic principle.
Ethnicity as a Hindrance for Understanding Ethiopian History: An Argument Against an Ethnic Late Nineteenth Century
Authors: Yates Brian J.
Published: October 2016

Despite its present ethnic federalism, Ethiopian history has been marked by provincial or cultural identities, which twentieth century notions of identity have obscured. This essay gives three major reasons why ethnicity is not an effective lens to understand Ethiopia’s complex history. One, there is no agreement among either popular and academic writers on what ethnic identities in Ethiopia represents, either currently or historically. Two, a focus on ethnicity obscures the rationale behind the actions of the state and key actors during the nineteenth century. Three, an ethnic lens brings much needed scholarly attention away from key moments in the nineteenth century.
Catholic Interests and the Politics of English Overseas Expansion 1660–1689
Authors: Glickman Gabriel
Published: October 2016

Throughout the reign of Charles II, a growing number of Catholics entered into the civil and military infrastructure of the overseas colonies. While Maryland was consolidated as a center of settlement, a new crop of English and Irish officeholders shaped the political development of Tangier, New York and the Leeward Islands. Their careers highlighted the opportunities of overseas expansion as a route into the public domain: a chance for Catholics to sidestep the penal restrictions of the three kingdoms and construct an alternative relationship with the crown. This article examines the emergence of Catholic authority within the plantations, and situates the experiment within larger shifts in strategic and ideological debate over English colonization. I suggest that experiences in the colonies invigorated economic and political strategies that became central to the advancement of Catholic interests in the domestic realm. While colonial trade bolstered Catholic estates against penal pressures, the new settlements provided the training ground for attempts to demonstrate the compatibility of confessional pluralism with commercial flourishing and civil allegiance. The effect, however, was to raise conflict in colonial politics and heighten anxieties in the domestic realm over the effects of overseas plantation. I argue that by uncovering a neglected sphere of “recusant history” we gain new insights into the ideological fragilities that disrupted the pursuit of territories overseas. Catholic promotions exposed a growing tension between the “Protestant interest” and the principles and practices that informed the expansion of the Stuart realm.
An asteroid (Echinodermata) faunule from the Oxfordian Swift Formation (Upper Jurassic) of Montana
Authors: Blake Daniel B. , Guensburg Thomas E.
Published: October 2016

A new Late Jurassic (Oxfordian) asteroid (Echinodermata) faunule from the Swift Formation of Montana includes representatives of four genera including the new genus and speciesAtalopegaster gundersoni(Stichasteridae),Eokainastersp. indet. (Astropectinidae), an indeterminate probable member of the Goniasteridae, and a species indeterminate beyond the class level. Because of weathering at the outcrop, preservation is poor.

Although representing an unusual depositional occurrence, overall faunule composition appears comparable to that found in a similar modern environment. The faunule is comparable in age and regional location to earlier Jurassic asteroid discoveries, suggesting wide distribution during a geologically brief time interval of favorable conditions. Asteroids are only rarely reported from the Mesozoic of the North American continental interior, and co-occurrence of multiple fossil taxa is unusual on a global basis.
High order algorithms for calculating roots
Authors: Abel Ulrich
Published: October 2016

In a recent Note [1] Michael D. Hirschhorn presented high order algorithms for calculating numerically square roots and cube roots. In particular, he obtained the method

(1)

with , where the convergence is of tenth order:

We recall his idea in the case of an arbitrary square root with a > 0. Let p ⩾ 2 be a fixed integer. Our starting point is the relation

Choose
Multisection of series
Authors: Beauregard Raymond A. , Dobrushkin Vladimir A.
Published: October 2016

In a recent paper [1], the authors gave a combinatorial interpretation to sums of equally spaced binomial coefficients. Others have been interested in finding such sums, known as multisection of series. For example, Gould [2] derived interesting formulas but much of his work involved complicated manipulations of series. When the combinatorial approach can be implemented, it is neat and efficient. In this paper, we present another approach for finding equally spaced sums. We consider both infinite sums and partial finite sums based on generating functions and extracting coefficients.

While generating functions were first introduced by Abraham de Moivre at the end of seventeen century, its systematic use in combinatorial analysis was inspired by Leonhard Euler. Generating functions got a new birth in the twentieth century as a part of symbolic methods. As a central mathematical tool in discrete mathematics, generating functions are an essential part of the curriculum in the analysis of algorithms [3, 4]. They provide a bridge between discrete and continuous mathematics, as illustrated by the fact that the generating functions presented here appear as solutions to corresponding differential equations.
Bisecting and trisecting the arc of the lemniscate
Authors: Osler Thomas J.
Published: October 2016

In this paper we will discuss the lemniscate curve and show that its arc length can be bisected and trisected using classical ruler and compasses construction. The method dates back to 1718 when Count Giulio Fagnano (1682-1766) first published these constructions [1]. Fagnano was self-educated in mathematics and treated the subject as a hobby. Euler was impressed by his work on this topic and recommended his admission to the Berlin Academy of Science. Euler then generalised Fagnano's work on integrals. In addition, Fagnano was employed to assist in reinforcing the dome of Saint Peter's which was in danger of collapse. Pope Benedict IV rewarded him for his work by publishing his mathematical papers. Fagnano achieved considerable international fame as a mathematician, and rightly so given the outstanding contributions which he made on a number of different topics.
The evolution of party funding in Italy: a case of inclusive cartelisation?
Authors: Pizzimenti Eugenio
Published: October 2016

The aim of this paper is to analyse the evolution of the Italian public funding regime, in the light of the assumptions of the cartel party thesis. In the mid-1990s, the debate on party and party system change was revitalised by R. Katz and P. Mair (1995), who introduced the concept of the ‘cartel party’ as a means to study the increasing influence of the state on party politics. Among the main analytical dimensions of the cartel party argument, the system-level variables have received little attention with respect to the Italian case. In what follows I try to find out empirical evidence for the hypothesised changes in the relationship between parties and the state and in the patterns of inter-party competition. I will analyse the trends of the law-making process in the domain of party funding (1948–2014), by combining these observations with data on parties’ reliance on state funds and party collusive behaviour.
BOUNDING VOLUMES OF SINGULAR FANO THREEFOLDS
Authors: LAI CHING-JUI
Published: October 2016

Let$(X,\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E5})$be an$n$-dimensional$\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}$-klt log$\mathbb{Q}$-Fano pair. We give an upper bound for the volume$\text{Vol}(X,\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E5})=(-(K_{X}+\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E5}))^{n}$when$n=2$, or$n=3$and$X$is$\mathbb{Q}$-factorial of$\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}(X)=1$. This bound is essentially sharp for$n=2$. The main idea is to analyze the covering families of tigers constructed in J. McKernan (Boundedness of log terminal fano pairs of bounded index, preprint, 2002,arXiv:0205214). Existence of an upper bound for volumes is related to the Borisov–Alexeev–Borisov Conjecture, which asserts boundedness of the set of$\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}$-klt log$\mathbb{Q}$-Fano varieties of a given dimension$n$.
THE INTERNATIONAL LAW FRAMEWORK REGULATING THE USE OF ARMED DRONES
Authors: Heyns Christof , Akande Dapo , Hill-Cawthorne Lawrence , Chengeta Thompson
Published: October 2016

This article provides a holistic examination of the international legal frameworks which regulate targeted killings by drones. The article argues that for a particular drone strike to be lawful, it must satisfy the legal requirements under all applicable international legal regimes, namely: the law regulating the use of force (ius ad bellum); international humanitarian law and international human rights law. It is argued that the legality of a drone strike under the ius ad bellum does not preclude the wrongfulness of that strike under international humanitarian law or international human rights law, and that since those latter obligations are owed to individuals, one State cannot consent to their violation by another State. The article considers the important legal challenges that the use of armed drones poses under each of the three legal frameworks mentioned above. It considers the law relating to the use of force by States against non-State groups abroad. This part examines the principles of self-defence and consent, in so far as they may be relied upon to justify targeted killings abroad. The article then turns to some of the key controversies in the application of international humanitarian law to drone strikes. It examines the threshold for non-international armed conflicts, the possibility of a global non-international armed conflict and the question of who may be targeted in a non-international armed conflict. The final substantive section of the article considers the nature and application of the right to life in armed conflict, as well as the extraterritorial application of that right particularly in territory not controlled by the State conducting the strike.
COMPARATIVE SUBNATIONAL FOREIGN RELATIONS LAW IN THE CHINESE SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGIONS
Authors: Ip Eric C
Published: October 2016

The increasing importance of subnational governments in interstate affairs calls for international and comparative law scholars to take subnational foreign relations law more seriously. This article conceives this law as the legal rules that regulate the vertical allocation of foreign relations powers within and across States, and constructs an analytical framework that addresses the questions of why any sovereign would grant extensive foreign relations powers to constituent entities and how such an arrangement plays out in actual practice. This study takes a comparative approach to case studies of the Special Administrative Regions (SARs) of the People's Republic of China: Hong Kong and Macau, which are known for their unusually extensive paradiplomatic powers, which not only defy conventional categories but also surpass those of other substates.
Managing clubroot disease (caused byPlasmodiophora brassicaeWor.) by exploiting the interactions between calcium cyanamide fertilizer and soil microorganisms
Authors: DIXON G. R.
Published: October 2016

Calcium cyanamide is a nitrogenous fertilizer used predominantly for over a century in field and glasshouse vegetable and salad production. The current review draws together, for the first time, knowledge concerning the biological properties of the compound that benefit crop production by encouraging sustainable soil health and quality. This is achieved through the increase of microorganisms antagonistic to plant pathogens. The review also reports on the natural occurence and degradation of cyanamide. The literature survey provides a perspective of research from the early 1900s to current studies. This identifies that nitrogen is released steadily into the rhizosphere from this fertilizer. Calcium is also readily available for plant roots and promotes the alkaline soil conditions beneficial to benign microorganisms. Consequently, soil suppressiveness towards organisms such asPlasmodiophora brassicae, the cause of clubroot disease in brassicas, develops. The effects of calcium and accompanying changes in soil pH values are discussed in relation to the life-cycle stages ofP. brassicaeand the development of clubroot disease. Formulations of calcium cyanamide contain the dimeric form, dicyandiamide. This compound slows soil nitrification and subsequent nitrate leaching into ground waters, reducing potential pollution. Calcium cyanamide is normally used for growing specialized fresh produce and is not available in quantities comparable with ammoniacal fertilizers. It is contended, however, that it has properties deserving wider assessment because of their implications for sustainable cropping.
EFFECTS OF STRESSFUL EVENTS IN FRANCE (1968) AND JAPAN (1995) ON THE SEX RATIO AT BIRTH
Authors: Grech Victor , Zammit Dorota , Scherb Hagen
Published: October 2016

Males are usually born in excess of females. The sex ratio at birth (SR) is often expressed as the ratio of male to total births. A wide variety of factors have been shown to influence SR, including terrorist attacks, which have been shown to reduce SR. This paper reviews the effects on SR outcomes of the stressful events in France in 1968 (in association with the student and worker riots) and in Japan following the Aum Shinrikyo religious cult’s attack on the Tokyo subway using sarin nerve gas in 1995. Both countries displayed seasonal variation in SR. France exhibited a decline in SR in 1968 (p=0.042), with a particularly strong dip in May of that year (p=0.015). For Japan, there was no statistically significant dip for 1995 but there was a significant dip in June of that year (p=0.026). The SR dips follow catastrophic or tragic events if these are perceived to be momentous enough by a given populace. It is believed that SR slumps may be caused by population stress, which is known to lead to the culling of frail/small male fetuses. It has been observed that these fluctuations are comparable in intensity to a substantial proportion of quoted values for perinatal mortality, potentially making this a public health issue.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for sudden sensorineural hearing loss in divers
Authors: Van Der Wal A W , Van Ooij P J A M , De Ru J A
Published: October 2016

Objective:

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss in divers may be caused by either inner-ear barotrauma or inner-ear decompression sickness. There is no consensus on the best treatment option. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic value of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for sudden sensorineural hearing loss in divers.

Method:

A literature review and three cases of divers with sudden sensorineural hearing loss treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy are presented.

Results:

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy resulted in hearing improvement in 80 per cent of patients: 39 per cent had hearing improvement and 41 per cent had full recovery.

Conclusion:

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy improved hearing in divers with sudden sensorineural hearing loss.
A survey of how and why medical students and junior doctors choose a career in ENT surgery
Authors: Bhutta M , Mandavia R , Syed I , Qureshi A , Hettige R , Wong B Y W , Saeed S , Cartledge J
Published: October 2016

Objective:

To ascertain determinants of an interest in a career in ENT surgery through a survey of medical students and junior doctors.

Methods:

A survey was administered, comprising Likert scales, forced response and single option questions, and free text responses, at five different courses or events for those interested in a career in ENT.

Results:

The survey had an 87 per cent response rate; respondents consisted of 43 applicants for national selection, 15 foundation doctors and 23 medical students. The most important factors that encourage ENT as a career included: the variety of operative procedures, work–life balance, inherent interest in this clinical area and inspirational senior role models. Exposure to ENT in undergraduate or post-graduate training is critical in deciding to pursue this specialty.

Conclusion:

It is important to promote those aspects of ENT surgery that attract people to it, and to argue for greater exposure to ENT during undergraduate and post-graduate training.
Hyperspora aquatica n.gn., n.sp. (Microsporidia), hyperparasitic in Marteilia cochillia (Paramyxida), is closely related to crustacean-infecting microspordian taxa
Authors: STENTIFORD G. D. , RAMILO A. , ABOLLO E. , KERR R. , BATEMAN K. S. , FEIST S. W. , BASS D. , VILLALBA A.
Published: October 2016

The Paramyxida, closely related to haplosporidians, paradinids, and mikrocytids, is an obscure order of parasitic protists within the class Ascetosporea. All characterized ascetosporeans are parasites of invertebrate hosts, including molluscs, crustaceans and polychaetes. Representatives of the genus Marteilia are the best studied paramyxids, largely due to their impact on cultured oyster stocks, and their listing in international legislative frameworks. Although several examples of microsporidian hyperparasitism of paramyxids have been reported, phylogenetic data for these taxa are lacking. Recently, a microsporidian parasite was described infecting the paramyxid Marteilia cochillia, a serious pathogen of European cockles. In the current study, we investigated the phylogeny of the microsporidian hyperparasite infecting M. cochillia in cockles and, a further hyperparasite, Unikaryon legeri infecting the digenean Meiogymnophallus minutus, also in cockles. We show that rather than representing basally branching taxa in the increasingly replete Cryptomycota/Rozellomycota outgroup (containing taxa such as Mitosporidium and Paramicrosoridium), these hyperparasites instead group with other known microsporidian parasites infecting aquatic crustaceans. In doing so, we erect a new genus and species (Hyperspora aquatica n. gn., n.sp.) to contain the hyperparasite of M. cochillia and clarify the phylogenetic position of U. legeri. We propose that in both cases, hyperparasitism may provide a strategy for the vectoring of microsporidians between hosts of different trophic status (e.g. molluscs to crustaceans) within aquatic systems. In particular, we propose that the paramyxid hyperparasite H. aquatica may eventually be detected as a parasite of marine crustaceans. The potential route of transmission of the microsporidian between the paramyxid (in its host cockle) to crustaceans, and, the ‘hitch-hiking’ strategy employed by H. aquatica is discussed.
Minding your pleases and thank-yous in Britain and the US
Authors: Murphy M. Lynne
Published: October 2016

Probably my favourite study of American/British linguistic differences is Gail Jefferson's (2002) paper on no. The research was inspired by a Dutch colleague's suggestion that no can be used as an acknowledgement token for a negative statement – that is, no can be used instead of ‘positive’ indicators like mm-hmm or yeah to indicate that the listener has heard and understood a negative sentence like I didn't see her. Jefferson's first response to this suggestion was: but English no can't be an emotionally neutral acknowledgement token. And it turned out that she was right – but only for (her native) American English. Examining British telephone conversation data, Jefferson found that 87% of the tokens in response to negative statements were negative (usually no). In the American data, that number was 27%. Americans use negative response tokens less because for them a no response signals not just acknowledgement (‘I received your message and understood it’), but affiliation – communicating ‘I'd do the same thing’ or ‘I'm with you on that’. Affiliative no shows an emotional commitment, and people commit themselves less often than they simply acknowledge what's been said. Here's a slightly simplified version of an example from Jefferson's British data.
CAPACITY BUILDING IN AGENCIES FOR EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
Authors: Mueller Debjani , Gutiérrez-Ibarluzea Iñaki , Schuller Tara , Chiumente Marco , Ahn Jeonghoon , Pichon-Riviere Andres , García-Martí Sebastian , Grainger David , Cobbs Elizabeth , Marchetti Marco
Published: October 2016

Objectives:Health technology assessment (HTA) yields information that can be ideally used to address deficiencies in health systems and to create a wider understanding of the impact of different policy considerations around technology reimbursement and use. The structure of HTA programs varies across different jurisdictions according to decision-maker needs. Moreover, conducting HTA requires specialized skills. Effective decision making should include multiple criteria (medical, economic, technical, ethical, social, legal, and cultural) and requires multi-disciplinary teams of experts working together to produce these assessments. A workshop explored the multi-disciplinary skills and competencies required to build an effective and efficient HTA team, with a focus on low- and middle-income settings.

Methods:This proceeding summarizes main points from a workshop on capacity building, drawing on presentations and group discussions among attendees including different points of view.

Results and Conclusions:The workshop and thus this study would have benefited from a larger variety of stakeholders. Therefore, the conclusions arising from the workshop are not the opinion of a representative sample of HTA professionals. Nonetheless, organizations and speakers were carefully selected to provide a valuable approach to this theme. Thus, these proceedings highlight some of the gaps and needs in the education and training programs offered worldwide and calls for further investigation.
On thep-part of the Birch–Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture for elliptic curves with complex multiplication by the ring of integers of
Authors: KEZUKA YUKAKO
Published: October 2016

We study infinite families of quadratic and cubic twists of the elliptic curveE=X0(27). For the family of quadratic twists, we establish a lower bound for the 2-adic valuation of the algebraic part of the value of the complexL-series ats=1, and, for the family of cubic twists, we establish a lower bound for the 3-adic valuation of the algebraic part of the sameL-value. We show that our lower bounds are precisely those predicted by the celebrated conjecture of Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer.
A multi-scale analysis of habitat selection in peripheral populations of the endangered Dupont’s LarkChersophilus duponti
Authors: PÉREZ-GRANADOS CRISTIAN , LÓPEZ-IBORRA GERMÁN M. , SEOANE JAVIER
Published: October 2016

Habitat selection of endangered species in peripheral populations must be considered when designing effective conservation plans, as these populations tend to occupy atypical habitats where species-environment relationships are not well understood. We examined patterns of habitat use in peripheral populations of the endangered Dupont’s LarkChersophilus duplontiusing a multi-scale approach and assessed the spatiotemporal transferability of these models to test for their generality. Our results show that at microhabitat (circles of 50-m diameter used by the species versus random points) and macrohabitat (occupied/unoccupied squares of 1 ha) scales the species selected flat and non-forested areas, but at the microhabitat scale the cover of small shrubs was also important. Models developed at patch scale (occupied /unoccupied sites) identified only site size as an important predictor of species occurrence. Habitat models transferred successfully among sites and years, which suggests that these models and our recommendations may be extrapolated over a larger geographic area. A multi-scale approach was used for identifying conservation requirements at different spatial scales. At the patch scale our models confirm it is a priority to maintain or enlarge the extent of habitat patches to ensure the viability of the studied metapopulation. At the macrohabitat scale our results suggest that reducing tree density in low slope areas would be the most effective management action. At the microhabitat scale, encouraging the presence of small and medium-sized shrubs, by clearing certain scrubs (e.g. large broomsGenistaspp. and rosemaryRosmarinus officinalis) or promoting traditional low-level extensive grazing, should increase the availability of high-quality habitats for the species, and thus the number of potential territories within a patch. These recommendations largely coincide with the ones given for core populations at specific scales elsewhere.
Introduction: communities, courts and Scottish towns
Authors: ARMSTRONG JACKSON W. , MACKILLOP ANDREW
Published: October 2016

This short essay sets the context for the special section on communities, courts and Scottish towns. Scottish burgh records generally, and Aberdeen's UNESCO recognized collection in particular, are considered in light of their legal character. The changing features of pre-modern political society between the fifteenth century and the early nineteenth century are introduced as a shared problem for investigation, and an ancien régime framework is examined as a comparative tool in this field. A vital concern of these articles is with the construction and sometimes contested use of vocabularies of law and authority, privileges and liberties, and ideas of urban ‘community’. Courts at the municipal level, and in the world beyond the burgh, are appreciated as legal and governmental fora. The ambition of this special section is to prompt European comparisons, and encourage greater dialogue with and consideration of Scottish urban records in future research.
Effect of insulin–transferrin–selenium (ITS) andl-ascorbic acid (AA) duringin vitromaturation onin vitrobovine embryo development
Authors: Guimarães A.L.S. , Pereira S.A. , Diógenes M. N. , Dode M.A.N.
Published: October 2016

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of adding a combination of insulin, transferrin and selenium (ITS) andl-ascorbic acid (AA) duringin vitromaturation (IVM) andin vitroculture (IVC) onin vitroembryo production. To verify the effect of the supplements, cleavage and blastocyst rates, embryo size and total cell number were performed. Embryonic development data, embryo size categorization and kinetics of maturation were analyzed by chi-squared test, while the total cell number was analyzed by a Kruskal–Wallis test (P< 0.05). When ITS was present during IVM, IVC or the entire culture, all treatments had a cleavage and blastocyst rates and embryo quality, similar to those of the control group (P< 0.05). Supplementation of IVM medium with ITS and AA for 12 h or 24 h showed that the last 12 h increased embryo production (51.6%;n= 220) on D7 compared with the control (39.5%;n= 213). However, no improvement was observed in blastocyst rate when less competent oocytes, obtained from 1–3 mm follicles, were exposed to ITS + AA for the last 12 h of IVM, with a blastocyst rate of 14.9% (n= 47) compared with 61.0% (n= 141) in the control group. The results suggest that the addition of ITS alone did not affect embryo production; however, when combined with AA in the last 12 h of maturation, there was improvement in the quantity and quality of embryos produced. Furthermore, the use of ITS and AA during IVM did not improve the competence of oocytes obtained from small follicles.
Antihypertensive drug exposure in premature infants from 1997 to 2013
Authors: Ravisankar Srikanth , Kuehn Devon , Clark Reese H. , Greenberg Rachel G. , Smith P. Brian , Hornik Christoph P.
Published: October 2016

Background

Systemic hypertension is increasingly recognised in premature infants. There is limited evidence regarding treatment, and most published treatment recommendations are based solely on expert opinions.

Methods

We identified all infants born ⩽32 weeks of gestation and ⩽1500 g birth weight discharged from one of 348 neonatal ICUs managed by the Pediatrix Medical Group between 1997 and 2013. We defined antihypertensive drugs as vasodilators, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, β receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers, and central α2 receptor agonists. We compared characteristics between infants who were treated with at least one antihypertensive drug during their initial hospitalisation and infants who were not prescribed antihypertensive drugs using Wilcoxon’s ranked sum test or Pearson’s χ2-test.

Results

We identified 2504/119,360 (2.1%) infants who required at least one antihypertensive drug. The median postnatal age of first exposure was 48 days (25th, 75th percentile 15, 86), and the median length of therapy was 6 days (1, 16). Hydralazine was the most commonly prescribed antihypertensive with 1280/2504 (51.1%) treated infants exposed to the drug. More than two antihypertensive drugs were administered in 582/2504 (23.2%) infants, and 199/2097 (9.5%) of the treated infants were discharged home on antihypertensive therapy. Infants who received antihypertensive drugs were of lower gestational age (p<0.001) and birth weight (p<0.001) compared with infants not prescribed antihypertensive drugs.

Conclusions

Our study is the largest to describe current antihypertensive drug exposure in a cohort of exclusively premature infants born ⩽32 weeks of gestation. We found wide variations in practice for treating hypertension in premature infants.
Staphylococcus lugdunensis endocarditis in children
Authors: Guillaume Marie-Paule , Dubos François , Godart François
Published: October 2016

We report the case of a 2-year-old boy with severe Langerhans cell histiocytosis who had tricuspid endocarditis caused by Staphylococcus lugdunensis and required surgery despite appropriate antimicrobial therapy. Through this case and literature review of endocarditis caused by S. lugdunensis in children, we highlight pitfalls and mistakes to be avoided in the management of this rare but serious infection.
On the role of discourse-level information in second-language sentence processing
Authors: KAISER ELSI
Published: October 2016

Based on a detailed review of existing studies of high-proficiency second-language (L2) learners who acquired the L2 in adolescence/adulthood, Cunnings (Cunnings, 2016) argues that Sorace's (2011) Interface Hypothesis (IH) and Clahsen and Felser's (2006) Shallow Structure Hypothesis (SSH) do not explain the existing data as well as his memory-based approach which posits that memory-retrieval processes in the L1 and L2 do not pattern alike. Cunnings proposes that L1 and L2 processing differ in terms of comprehenders’ ability to retrieve from memory information constructed during sentence processing. He concludes that L2 processing is more susceptible to interference effects during retrieval, and, most relevantly for this commentary, that discourse-based cues to memory retrieval are more heavily weighted in L2 than L1 processing.
Multipolarity and the future of economic regionalism
Authors: Garzón Jorge F.
Published: October 2016

This paper inquires into the effects of an emerging multipolar world upon economic regionalism. While IR scholarship has been making a strong case for the regionalization of world politics after the end of the Cold War, the fact that most of the rising powers are also the sole regional powers of their home regions has led some scholars to argue that the advent of multipolarity can only strengthen this general trend towards a more regionalized international order. In this contribution, I challenge these arguments by proposing an alternative way of thinking about how multipolarity is developing. The implications of this interpretation are that the emergence of multipolarity may actually generate powerful centrifugal forces within regions, which would have adverse effects on well-known forms of complex economic regionalism that diverse regional groupings have been implementing thus far. This applies particularly to the global south, where intraregional economic interdependencies tend to be weak. The proposition is tested through a case study and by examining empirical findings across several world regions.
Clay mineralogical characteristics and the palaeoclimatic significance of a Holocene to Late Middle Pleistocene loess–palaeosol sequence from Chaoyang, China
Authors: Sun Zhong-Xiu , Wang Qiu-Bing , Han Chun-Lan , Zhang Qing-Jie , Owens Phillip R.
Published: October 2016

Changes in soil chemistry in response to varying climatic regimes can alter the equilibria of soil systems and result in different clay minerals. Variations in phyllosilicate clay composition can reflect temporal and spatial climatic changes, such as summer/winter monsoon cycles. The objective of this research was to investigate the mineralogy of the clay fractions as a proxy for determining variations in the East Asian monsoon climate, based on a section at Chaoyang in China spanning the last 0.423 Ma BP. The clay mineralogy record in the Chaoyang section was compared with other proxies as recorded in this section and with other palaeoclimatic indicators, including oxygen isotopes from oceanic sediments and loess–palaeosol sections on the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP). The results from clay mineralogy and related climatic studies show that the summer monsoon has a trend of four increased stages and four decreased stages; whereas the winter monsoon displays the opposite trend. During the last 0.423 Ma BP, the strongest winter monsoon occurred around 0.243–0.311 Ma BP. During this period, which included an intense winter monsoon, the soil in the section had the least illite, one of the smallest kaolinite and illite/Chlorite (I/C) indices and an overall decreasing clay content. The period 0.225–0.243 Ma BP had the strongest summer monsoon over the last 0.423 Ma BP. This period had the greatest amount of illite, the highest I/C index, greater overall clay content and the strongest magnetic susceptibility signal. Additionally, this section contained the smallest mean grain size. The multi-monsoon climate cycles of alternating cold-dry and warm-moist conditions as recorded in the Chaoyang section corresponded well with multiple glaciation cycles based on deep sea sediments. This indicates that the Chaoyang section provides a record of palaeoclimate changes in northeast China that can be linked to mineralogical suites to assist in reconstructing the palaeoclimate over the Late Middle Pleistocene, and complements the global palaeoclimate records in the CLP.
The updated Commentary on the First Geneva Convention – a new tool for generating respect for international humanitarian law
Authors: Cameron Lindsey , Demeyere Bruno , Henckaerts Jean-Marie , La Haye Eve , Niebergall-Lackner Heike
Published: October 2016

Since their publication in 1950s and 1980s, respectively, the Commentaries on the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977 have become a major reference for the application and interpretation of these treaties. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), together with a team of renowned experts, is currently updating these Commentaries in order to document developments and provide up-to-date interpretations. The work on the first updated Commentary, the Commentary on the First Geneva Convention relating to the protection of the wounded and sick in the armed forces, has already been finalized. This article provides an overview of the methodology and process of the update and summarizes the main evolutions in the interpretation of the treaty norms reflected in the updated Commentary.