bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative analysis of serum proteome in congenital scoliosis patients with TBX6 haploinsufficiency – a first report pointing to lipid metabolism
Authors: Zhu Qiankun , Wu Nan , Liu Gang , Zhou Yangzhong , Liu Sen , Chen Jun , Liu Jiaqi , Zuo Yuzhi , Liu Zhenlei , Chen Weisheng , Chen Yixin , Chen Jia , Lin Mao , Zhao Yanxue , Yang Yang , Wang Shensgru , Yang Xu , Ma Yufen , Wang Jian , Chen Xiaoli , Zhang Jianguo , Shen Jianxiong , Wu Zhihong , Qiu Guixing
Published: September 2017

Congenital scoliosis (CS) is a three‐dimensional deformity of the spine affecting quality of life. We have demonstrated TBX6 haploinsufficiency is the most important contributor to CS. However, the pathophysiology at the protein level remains unclear. Therefore, this study was to explore the differential proteome in serum of CS patients with TBX6 haploinsufficiency. Sera from nine CS patients with TBX6 haploinsufficiency and nine age‐ and gender‐matched healthy controls were collected and analysed by isobaric tagged relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) labelling coupled with mass spectrometry (MS). In total, 277 proteins were detected and 20 proteins were designated as differentially expressed proteins, which were submitted to subsequent bioinformatics analysis. Gene Ontology classification analysis showed the biological process was primarily related to ‘cellular process’, molecular function ‘structural molecule activity’ and cellular component ‘extracellular region’. IPA analysis revealed ‘LXR/RXR activation’ was the top pathway, which is a crucial pathway in lipid metabolism. Hierarchical clustering analysis generated two clusters. In summary, this study is the first proteomic research to delineate the total and differential serum proteins in TBX6 haploinsufficiency‐caused CS. The proteins discovered in this experiment may serve as potential biomarkers for CS, and lipid metabolism might play important roles in the pathogenesis of CS.
Concluding Early Agreements in the EU: A Double Principal‐Agent Analysis of Trilogue Negotiations
Authors: Delreux Tom , Laloux Thomas
Published: September 2017

Applying a principal‐agent perspective on trilogue negotiations, this article examines how the rapporteur and the Presidency, as agents of respectively the European Parliament and the Council, are able to reach a deal with their fellow agent while avoiding an involuntary defection among their principals. Despite these intra‐ and inter‐institutional constraints, early agreements can be concluded because agents execute two parallel tasks on behalf of their principals: representing them inter‐institutionally and acting as the deal‐facilitator intra‐institutionally. We identify three ways in which the agents can combine these two acts of delegation and conclude an early agreement: (1) creating a tied‐hand situation for themselves; (2) affecting the intra‐institutional coalition formation by bringing in allies from the other institution; and (3) actively searching for signals from the principals and the fellow agent on the zone of possible agreement. We illustrate these dynamics through a case study of the policy‐making process on the 2015 Decision on the Market Stability Reserve.
Olfactory Dysfunction Predicts Subsequent Dementia in Older U.S. Adults
Authors: Adams Dara R. , Kern David W. , Wroblewski Kristen E. , McClintock Martha K. , Dale William , Pinto Jayant M.
Published: September 2017

Objectives

To investigate the relationship between olfactory dysfunction and subsequent diagnosis of dementia.

Design

Longitudinal study of a population representative of U.S. older adults.

Setting

Home interviews (National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project).

Participants

Men and women aged 57 to 85 (N = 2,906).

Measurements

Objective odor identification ability was measured at baseline using a validated five‐item test. Five years later, the respondent, or a proxy if the respondent was too sick to interview or had died, reported physician diagnosis of dementia. The association between baseline olfactory dysfunction and an interval dementia diagnosis was tested using multivariate logistic regression, controlling for age, sex, race and ethnicity, education, comorbidities (modified Charlson Comorbidity Index), and cognition at baseline (Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire).

Results

Older adults with olfactory dysfunction had more than twice the odds of having developed dementia 5 years later (odds ratio = 2.13, 95% confidence interval = 1.32–3.43), controlling for the above covariates. Having more odor identification errors was associated with greater probability of an interval dementia diagnosis (P = .04, 1‐degree of freedom linear‐trend test).

Conclusion

We show for the first time in a nationally representative sample that home‐dwelling older adults with normal cognition and difficulty identifying odors face higher odds of being diagnosed with dementia 5 years later, independent of other significant risk factors. This validated five‐item odor identification test is an efficient, low‐cost component of the physical examination that can provide useful information while assessing individuals’ risk of dementia. Use of such testing may provide an opportunity for early interventions to reduce the attendant morbidity and public health burden of dementia.
Screening Is Not Benign: Comment on “Olfactory Dysfunction Predicts Subsequent Dementia in Older US Adults”
Authors: Thielke Stephen
Published: September 2017

This Editorial comments on the article by Pinto et al.
Age‐Friendly Health Systems: Their Time Has Come
Authors: Allen Kyle , Ouslander Joseph G.
Published: September 2017

This editorial comments on the article by Fulmer et al.
Agency, Firm Growth, and Managerial Turnover
Authors: ANDERSON RONALD W. , BUSTAMANTE M. CECILIA , GUIBAUD STÉPHANE , ZERVOS MIHAIL
Published: September 2017

We study managerial incentive provision under moral hazard when growth opportunities arrive stochastically and pursuing them requires a change in management. A trade‐off arises between the benefit of always having the “right” manager and the cost of incentive provision. The prospect of growth‐induced turnover limits the firm's ability to rely on deferred pay, resulting in more front‐loaded compensation. The optimal contract may insulate managers from the risk of growth‐induced dismissal after periods of good performance. The evidence for the United States broadly supports the model's predictions: Firms with better growth prospects experience higher CEO turnover and use more front‐loaded compensation.
Diet quality in patients with end‐stage kidney disease undergoing dialysis
Authors: Roach Lauren A. , Lambert Kelly , Holt Jane L. , Meyer Barbara J.
Published: September 2017

Background

People on haemodialysis (HD) are at risk of consuming a poor quality diet. This includes inadequate intake of omega‐3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n‐3 LCPUFA).

Objective

This study aims to investigate diet quality, with a particular focus on n‐3 LCPUFA intake, in a population of incentre HD patients.

Design

Dietary intake was measured using three 24 hour recalls; the Polyunsaturated food frequency questionnaire (PUFA FFQ) and the Total Diet Score (TDS). Dietary intake was also compared to evidence based practice guidelines (EBPG). Nutritional status was assessed using the Patient Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG SGA).

Subjects

A total of 32 dialysis patients were recruited, from two regional HD centres in New South Wales, Australia.

Main Outcome Measure

Diet quality was the main outcome measure.

Results

Diet quality of study participants was poor, with the majority not meeting the EBPG for energy, protein and potassium. All participants exceeded the recommended amount of saturated fat. The mean TDS of the dialysis cohort was 10.2, which was significantly higher than the TDS of 9.3 of a healthy disease free cohort (p < 0.05). Positive correlations were found between TDS and LC omega‐3 intake (r = 0.392) and TDS and total omega‐6 intake (r = 0.363). Only 22% of participants met the suggested dietary target for n‐3 LCPUFA intake.

Conclusion

Dialysis patients in this study had suboptimal diet quality. Improvements are required for better adherence to the EBPG. Increased consumption of n‐3 LCPUFA fatty acids may also be of benefit.
Effect of the use of earplugs and eye mask on the quality of sleep in intensive care patients: a systematic review
Authors: Locihová Hana , Axmann Karel , Padyšáková Hana , Fejfar Jakub
Published: September 2017

Intensive care unit (ICU) environment has a very strong and unavoidable negative impact on patients' sleep. Sleep deprivation in ICU patients has been already studied and negative effects on their outcome (prolonged ICU stay, decreased recovery) and complication rates (incidence of delirium, neuropsychological sequels of critical illness) discussed. Several interventions potentially improving the sleep disturbance in ICU (sleep‐promotion strategies) have been assumed and tested for clinical practice. We present a review of recent literature focused on chosen types of non‐pharmacological interventions (earplugs and eye mask) analysing their effect on sleep quality/quantity. From the total amount of 82 papers found in biomedical databases (CINAHL, PubMed and SCOPUS) we included the 19 most eligible studies meeting defined inclusion/exclusion criteria involving 1 379 participants. Both experimental and clinical trials, either ICU and non‐ICU patient populations were analysed in the review. Most of the reviewed studies showed a significant improvement of subjective sleep quality when using described non‐pharmacological interventions (objective parameters were not significantly validated). Measuring the sleep quality is a major concern limiting the objective comparison of the studies’ results since non‐standardised (and mainly individual) tools for sleep quality assessment were used. Despite the heterogeneity of analysed studies and some common methodological issues (sample size, design, outcome parameters choice and comparison) earplugs and eye mask showed potential positive effects on sleep quality and the incidence of delirium in ICU patients.
En Hommage: The Contributions of I. William Zartman
Authors: Crump Larry , Terrence Hopmann P. , Lyons Terrence , Spector Bertram
Published: September 2017

In this tribute to the 2001 International Association for Conflict Management Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, we recognize and celebrate the work of I. William (Bill) Zartman—a prolific scholar who has offered understanding and insight about conflict, negotiation, and peace throughout a remarkable career. We specifically highlight Zartman's substantial contribution to scholarship, knowledge, and understanding in four areas: international negotiation; negotiation and conflict in Africa; negotiation complexity and its analysis; and his work as a teacher and educator. The article closes by providing Bill Zartman with an opportunity to reflect and impart words of wisdom to negotiation and conflict management students and scholars.
Educating Negotiators: Using Theory, Practice, Case Studies, and Simulations in an Integrated Learning Experience
Authors: Fisher Joshua , Fisher‐Yoshida Beth
Published: September 2017

In the past 40 years, negotiation studies have become increasingly available and sought after across college campuses. While there is widespread agreement on the prominent role negotiation plays in education, in the workplace, in public policy, and in other fields, there remains a lack of consensus on pedagogies and teaching models that effectively train students and practitioners in the various aspects of negotiation, ranging from pre‐intervention assessment, to effective bargaining, dialogue, and facilitation, to evaluating procedural and distributive outcomes. In order to synthesize distinct disciplinary approaches and skill/content areas into an integrated pedagogical model, this article describes a negotiation simulation designed to incorporate skill building, process management, conflict analysis, and conflict management tools. The model incorporates equal emphasis on theoretical frameworks and understanding, self‐awareness training for facilitators, social network and stakeholder analysis for negotiation preparation, participatory analytical and discursive process management, and developing metrics for monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment.
Priority effects can persist across floral generations in nectar microbial metacommunities
Authors: Toju Hirokazu , Vannette Rachel L. , Gauthier Marie‐Pierre L. , Dhami Manpreet K. , Fukami Tadashi
Published: September 2017

The order of species arrival can influence how species interact with one another and, consequently, which species may coexist in local communities. This phenomenon, called priority effects, has been observed in various types of communities, but it remains unclear whether priority effects persist over the long term spanning multiple generations of local communities in metacommunities. Focusing on bacteria and yeasts that colonize floral nectar of the sticky monkey flower, Mimulus aurantiacus, via hummingbirds and other flower‐visiting animals, we experimentally manipulated initial microbial dominance on plants (regarded as metacommunities) to examine whether its effects persisted across multiple generations of flowers (regarded as local microbial habitats). The experimental introduction of Neokomagataea (= Gluconobacter) bacteria and Metschnikowia yeasts into wild flowers showed that the effects of initial dominance were observable across multiple floral generations. Three weeks after introduction, corresponding approximately to three floral generations, Neokomagataea introduction led to exclusion of yeasts, whereas Metschnikowia introduction did not result in the exclusion of Neokomagataea. Our results suggest that, even when local habitats are ephemeral, priority effects may influence multiple generations of local communities within metacommunities.
Three AtCesA6‐like members enhance biomass production by distinctively promoting cell growth in Arabidopsis
Authors: Hu Huizhen , Zhang Ran , Feng Shengqiu , Wang Youmei , Wang Yanting , Fan Chunfen , Li Ying , Liu Zengyu , Schneider René , Xia Tao , Ding Shi‐You , Persson Staffan , Peng Liangcai
Published: September 2017

Cellulose is an abundant biopolymer and a prominent constituent of plant cell walls. Cellulose is also a central component to plant morphogenesis and contributes the bulk of a plant's biomass. While cellulose synthase (CesA) genes were identified over two decades ago, genetic manipulation of this family to enhance cellulose production has remained difficult. In this study, we show that increasing the expression levels of the three primary cell wall AtCesA6‐like genes (AtCesA2, AtCesA5, AtCesA6), but not AtCesA3, AtCesA9 or secondary cell wall AtCesA7, can promote the expression of major primary wall CesA genes to accelerate primary wall CesA complex (cellulose synthase complexes, CSCs) particle movement for acquiring long microfibrils and consequently increasing cellulose production in Arabidopsis transgenic lines, as compared with wild‐type. The overexpression transgenic lines displayed changes in expression of genes related to cell growth and proliferation, perhaps explaining the enhanced growth of the transgenic seedlings. Notably, overexpression of the three AtCesA6‐like genes also enhanced secondary cell wall deposition that led to improved mechanical strength and higher biomass production in transgenic mature plants. Hence, we propose that overexpression of certain AtCesA genes can provide a biotechnological approach to increase cellulose synthesis and biomass accumulation in transgenic plants.
MuMADS1 and MaOFP1 regulate fruit quality in a tomato ovate mutant
Authors: Liu Juhua , Zhang Jing , Wang Jingyi , Zhang Jianbin , Miao Hongxia , Jia Caihong , Wang Zhuo , Xu Biyu , Jin Zhiqiang
Published: September 2017

Fruit ripening and quality are common botanical phenomena that are closely linked and strictly regulated by transcription factors. It was previously discovered that a banana MADS‐box protein named MuMADS1 interacted with an ovate family protein named MaOFP1 to regulate banana fruit ripening. To further investigate the role of MuMADS1 and MaOFP1 in the regulation of fruit quality, a combination of genetic transformation and transcriptional characterization was used. The results indicated that the co‐expression of MuMADS1 and MaOFP1 in the ovate mutant could compensate for fruit shape and inferior qualities relating to fruit firmness, soluble solids and sugar content. The number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was 1395 in WT vs. ovate, with 883 up‐regulated and 512 down‐regulated genes, while the numbers of DEGs gradually decreased with the transformation of MuMADS1 and MaOFP1 into ovate. ‘Starch and sucrose metabolism’ constituted the primary metabolic pathway, and the gene numbers in this pathway were obviously different when MuMADS1 and MaOFP1 were integrated into ovate. A series of metabolic genes involved in cell wall biosynthesis were up‐regulated in the WT vs. ovate, which probably resulted in the firmer texture and lower sugar contents in the ovate fruit. These results demonstrate that MuMADS1 and MaOFP1 are coregulators of fruit quality, facilitating the dissection of the molecular mechanisms underlying fruit quality formation.
Uptake of nitrogen and production of kainic acid by laboratory culture of the red alga Digenea simplex
Authors: Jiang Shanshan , Kuwano Kazuyoshi , Nishihara Gregory N. , Urata Chisato , Shimoda Ryusuke , Takatani Tomohiro , Arakawa Osamu
Published: September 2017

The red alga Digenea simplex was cultured with various culture media to clarify the nutritional conditions to produce kainic acid (KA). Unlike the domoic acid‐producing red alga Chondria armata, D. simplex was insensitive to excessive manganese, and grew best (mean growth rate approximately 800% for 25 days) in modified PES medium (mPES; seawater + nitrate, phosphate, iron, trace metals, vitamins, and 2‐[4‐(2‐hydroxyethyl)‐1‐piperazinyl]‐ ethanesulfonic acid) prepared with autoclaved seawater. Liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry analysis of the algal extracts revealed that the KA content of the explants cultured with mPES or N·P·Fe medium (seawater + nitrate, phosphate, and iron) was somewhat higher than that of wild specimens (1748–2378 μg g−1 vs 1562 μg g−1). The 1H‐nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum of the KA extracted and purified from pooled explants was indistinguishable from the previously reported KA spectrum. When D. simplex was cultured for 6 weeks with medium in which NaNO3 of mPES was replaced by Na15NO3, the ratio of 214KA to total measured KA (totalKA = 213KA + 214KA) in the cultured explants (0.1 at the beginning of culture) gradually increased to 2.5, indicating that D. simplex produces KA in proportion to its growth under the condition in which sufficient nitrogen source is available.
Enlisting the Public in Facilitating Election Administration: A Field Experiment
Authors: Menger Andrew , Stein Robert M.
Published: September 2017

The proliferation of election reforms poses a challenge for local election officials (LEOs) charged with conducting elections. To meet this challenge, LEOs attempt to communicate, inform, and persuade voters how to cast their ballots in a manner that is efficient and effective for both the voter and the administrator. This article examines the effects of efforts by LEOs to persuade voters to return mailed ballots before Election Day and in person in order to facilitate the efficient administration of vote‐by‐mail elections in Colorado. Field experiments testing the efficacy of alternative messages find that many messages have no effect on the timing or method of ballot return. Messaging that focuses on LEOs' responsiveness to voters' demands is most effective at steering voters to return their mailed ballots in person but results in later ballot returns.
Social Equity and Evidence: Insights from Local Government
Authors: Gooden Susan T.
Published: September 2017

This article examines the role of evidence‐based decision making in social equity, with a particular focus on local government. It offers an assessment of the past, present, and future of such efforts by engaging themes from Matias Valenzuela's article based on King County, Washington. King County is one of more than 70 local governments that are members of the Government Alliance on Race and Equity, a growing national network of governments using an evidence‐based approach to achieve racial equity. In general, previous social equity measures have focused largely on measuring the extent to which disparities exist. More recently, tools and resources have become available to assist local governments in designing and evaluating their approach and performance in reducing social inequities. Future evidence should include more standardized measures to benchmark success, provide comparative analysis, and better support the identification of best practices.
Hepatitis E virus and related viruses in wild, domestic and zoo animals: A review
Authors: Spahr C. , Knauf‐Witzens T. , Vahlenkamp T. , Ulrich R. G. , Johne R.
Published: September 2017

Hepatitis E is a human disease mainly characterized by acute liver illness, which is caused by infection with the hepatitis E virus (HEV). Large hepatitis E outbreaks have been described in developing countries; however, the disease is also increasingly recognized in industrialized countries. Mortality rates up to 25% have been described for pregnant women during outbreaks in developing countries. In addition, chronic disease courses could be observed in immunocompromised transplant patients. Whereas the HEV genotypes 1 and 2 are mainly confined to humans, genotypes 3 and 4 are also found in animals and can be zoonotically transmitted to humans. Domestic pig and wild boar represent the most important reservoirs for these genotypes. A distinct subtype of genotype 3 has been repeatedly detected in rabbits and a few human patients. Recently, HEV genotype 7 has been identified in dromedary camels and in an immunocompromised transplant patient. The reservoir animals get infected with HEV without showing any clinical symptoms. Besides these well‐known animal reservoirs, HEV‐specific antibodies and/or the genome of HEV or HEV‐related viruses have also been detected in many other animal species, including primates, other mammals and birds. In particular, genotypes 3 and 4 infections are documented in many domestic, wildlife and zoo animal species. In most cases, the presence of HEV in these animals can be explained by spillover infections, but a risk of virus transmission through contact with humans cannot be excluded. This review gives a general overview on the transmission pathways of HEV to humans. It particularly focuses on reported serological and molecular evidence of infections in wild, domestic and zoo animals with HEV or HEV‐related viruses. The role of these animals for transmission of HEV to humans and other animals is discussed.
Attitudes and Self-Efficacy of Arabic-speaking Physical Education Teachers in Israel toward Including Children with Disabilities
Authors: Hutzler Yeshayahu , Daniel-Shama Einas
Published: September 2017

The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes and self-efficacy (SE) of physical education (PE) teachers in the Arabic-speaking educational sector in Israel toward including children with disability in their classes, utilizing translated questionnaires. The specific goals were (a) to describe the structure and internal consistency of the responses to the Attitudes Toward Inclusion in Physical Education (ATIPE) and Situation Specific Self-Efficacy (SE-ASPE) questionnaires of an Arabic-speaking PE teachers' sample, (b) to assess the effect of selected background variables on attitudes and SE in the study population, (c) to determine the association between SE and attitudes toward including children with disabilities in PE in the study population, and (d) to describe the differences in PE teachers' SE toward including children with different disabilities. The results indicated a bi-dimensional factor structure of the ATIPE and an unidimensional structure of each of the SE-ASPE subscales: intellectual disability (ID), physical disability (PD), and visual impairment (VI), and confirmed an internal reliability. The impact of background variables on attitudes and SE indicated that females had more favorable attitudes and SE than males, age had a small significant impact, training, and experience in inclusion of children with disability had a significant impact. Finally, it was found that the SE toward including children with VI was lower than toward ID and PD.  Based on our findings it can be recommended that the training processes be strengthened, and include continuous education workshops on inclusion with an emphasis on VI.
Views on Politics
Authors: Wong Carolyn
Published: September 2017

Chapter Four uses interviews of Hmong American leaders and grassroots community members to examine views on a wide range of questions: the nature and extent of participants’ political and civic engagement; sources of political information; attitudes about leadership; relationships to political parties; views about the main problems in the community; concepts of ethnic identity; and views of national policy issues.
Luxurious Networks
Authors: Wu Yulian
Published: September 2017

This book explores the transformation of Huizhou salt merchants’ social and political status in eighteenth-century China. These merchants left their homes in the remote countryside of Huizhou, conducting business and sojourning in the most prosperous part of the Qing empire (1644-1911), the Lower Yangzi valley. Benefiting from the new salt monopoly policies instituted by Manchu emperors, they became one of the wealthiest merchant groups of the High Qing period (1683-1839).
Goddess on the Frontier
Authors: Bryson Megan
Published: September 2017

This book follows the transformations of the goddess Baijie, a deity worshiped in the Dali region of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, to understand how local identities developed in a Chinese frontier region from the twelfth century to the twenty-first. Dali, a region where the cultures of China, India, Tibet, and Southeast Asia converge, has long served as a nexus of religious interaction even as its status has changed. Once the center of independent kingdoms, it was absorbed into the Chinese imperial sphere with the Mongol conquest and remained there ever since. Goddess on the Frontier examines how people in Dali developed regional religious identities through the lens of the local goddess Baijie, whose shifting identities over this span of time reflect shifting identities in Dali. She first appears as a Buddhist figure in the twelfth century, then becomes known as the mother of a regional ruler, next takes on the role of an eighth-century widow martyr, and finally is worshiped as a tutelary village deity. Each of her forms illustrates how people in Dali represented local identities through gendered religious symbols. Taken together, they demonstrate how regional religious identities in Dali developed as a gendered process as well as an ethno-cultural process. This book applies interdisciplinary methodology to a wide variety of newly discovered and unstudied materials to show how religion, ethnicity, and gender intersect in a frontier region.
A World Trimmed with Fur
Authors: Schlesinger Jonathan
Published: September 2017

Based on three years of archival research, A World Trimmed with Fur uses Chinese, Manchu, Mongolian records to rethink China’s environmental history in the years 1760-1830, when a rush for natural resources transformed both China and its borderlands. We tend to tell China’s environmental history in this period with settlers in mind: in the Qing empire’s frontiers, we are told, people like the Manchus, Mongols, and Tibetans maintained separate and untouched homelands before modern Chinese immigrants developed them. This book argues instead that the very notion of the untouched, like distinctions between Manchus, Mongols, and Chinese, was itself a product of empire and an invention of the boom years. Stunning reports poured into Beijing during these years: mussels disappeared from the wild; mushroom pickers destroyed the steppe; trappers killed the last fur-bearing animals. The empire’s response, in turn, was dramatic. In Mongolia and the northern borderlands, the court backed a so-called “purification” campaign to repatriate undocumented Chinese, investigate Mongols collaborators, and restore the land to a “pure” and pristine form. In the Northeast, the Qing state mobilized around efforts to establish controls on immigration and trade, control pearling, and allow mussel beds to revive. Results were mixed. Conservation succeeded in some regions; others were emptied of fur-bearing animals, stripped of mussels, or left bare around abandoned camps. We thus can ask: what did it mean for the land to be “pristine”?
Hard Target
Authors: Haggard Stephan , Noland Marcus
Published: September 2017

Because authoritarian regimes like North Korea can impose the costs of sanctions on their citizens, they constitute “hard targets.” Yet such regimes may also be immune—and even hostile—to economic inducements if those inducements imply reform and opening. Can economic carrots and sticks by used effectively with respect to such systems? This book draws on an array of evidence—trade data, surveys of Chinese and South Korea firms doing business in North Korea, and an analysis of the country’s political structure—to capture the effects of sanctions and inducements. The book also provides a detailed reconstruction of the role of economic incentives in the bargaining over North Korea’s nuclear program. While it highlights the difficulties sanctions have faced, it also shows the reluctance of the leadership to weaken its grip on foreign economic activity, suggesting that inducements may have limited effect as well. The case is made through a detailed reconstruction of negotiations over North Korea’s nuclear program. Discussing parallels to Iran, the book urges policy makers to think in terms of gradual strategies—including informational ones—that may have effects only over the long run.
Evaluation of inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibition on kidney function and structure in high‐fat diet‐induced kidney disease
Authors: Martin Blanche , Caron Nathalie , Jadot Inès , Colombaro Vanessa , Federici Gabrielle , Depommier Clara , Declèves Anne‐Émilie
Published: September 2017

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

The metabolic pathways regulating the effects of obesity on the kidney remain unknown. We sought to determine whether inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is involved in the underlying mechanisms of high‐fat diet‐induced kidney disease using a specific iNOS inhibitor, N6‐(1‐iminoethyl)‐l‐lysine hydrochloride (L‐NIL).

What is the main finding and its importance?

We did not demonstrate an upregulation of iNOS renal expression after high caloric intake, suggesting that iNOS might not be a crucial player in the development of obesity‐induced kidney disease. Although L‐NIL treatment clearly ameliorated systemic metabolic parameters, the effect on loss of renal function, impairment of tubular integrity, oxidative stress and inflammation appeared to be more moderate.

Central obesity is related to caloric excess, promoting deleterious cellular responses in targeted organs. Nitric oxide (NO) has been determined as a key player in the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases. Here, we investigated the implication of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) in the development of obesity‐induced kidney disease. C57Bl/6 male mice were randomized to a low‐fat diet (LFD) or a high‐fat diet (HFD) and treated with N6‐(1‐iminoethyl)‐l‐lysine hydrochloride (L‐NIL), a specific iNOS inhibitor, for 16 weeks. Mice fed an HFD exhibited a significant increase in body weight, fasting blood glucose and plasma concentrations of non‐esterified fatty acids, triglyceride and insulin. Inhibition of iNOS prevented these changes in mice fed an HFD. Interestingly, the significant increase in albuminuria and mesangial matrix expansion were not ameliorated with L‐NIL, whereas a significant decrease in proteinuria, N‐acetyl‐β‐d‐glucosaminidase excretion and renal triglyceride content were found, suggesting that iNOS inhibition is more suitable for tubular function than glomerular function. The urinary concentration of hydrogen peroxide, a stable product of reactive oxygen species production, that was found to be increased in mice fed an HFD, was significantly reduced with L‐NIL. Finally, despite a moderate effect of L‐NIL on inflammatory processes in the kidney, we demonstrated a positive impact of this treatment on adipocyte hypertrophy and on adipose tissue inflammation. These results suggest that inhibition of iNOS leads to a moderate beneficial effect on kidney function in mice fed an HFD. Further studies are needed for better understanding of the role of iNOS in obesity‐induced kidney disease.
Application of microcracked columnar TiO2 thin films deposited by DC hollow cathode plasma jet in dye-sensitized solar cells
Authors: Perekrestov Roman , Kudrna Pavel , Daniš Stanislav , Tichý Milan , Bieloshapka Igor , Vladoiu Rodica
Published: September 2017

The deposition of nanostructured thin films with specific optical properties is of great importance for solar cell technology. In this work, the authors used a direct current hollow cathode plasma jet with a supporting anode to deposit highly microcracked columnar titanium dioxide thin films. For diagnostics of the morphology and crystalline structure of the films, they used scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction methods. The light-harvesting ability of the films was tested in dye-sensitized solar cells at the AM 1.5 G conditions, where TiO2 was used as the photoelectrode. Photovoltaic tests were performed using platinum counter electrodes and an N719 dye-sensitizer. The effect of microcracks on the conversion efficiency and angular response of solar cells was discussed.
Effect of composition in Si1−xGex seed layer on the solid phase crystallization of ultrathin amorphous silicon layer
Authors: Kim Youngmo , Baek Seungbeom , Jang Yongwoon , Park Jiwoo , Sohn Hyunchul
Published: September 2017

The effect of top silicon-germanium (Si1−xGex) layers on the crystallization of underlying amorphous Si (a-Si) films was investigated for various Ge compositions in Si1−xGex. Si and Si1−xGex films were sequentially deposited on thermal SiO2 by using SiH4 and GeH4 source gases in reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition. The fraction and the microstructure of underlying crystallized Si were characterized by plan-view transmission electron microscopy. Scanning nanobeam diffraction was performed to investigate the grain size of crystallized Si films. The crystallization of the underlying a-Si thin film in a-Si1−xGex/Si bilayer stack gradually increased with the increasing Ge composition of the top Si1−xGex layer. The grain size of underlying crystallized Si films showed a dependence on the Ge composition of top Si1−xGex. For Si1−xGex with 22% Ge, microtwins were observed to be the dominant defect, while stacking faults were dominant for Si1−xGex with 47% Ge. The Ge composition and the thickness of Si1−xGex are important factors to obtain the optimized crystallization time and grain size of ultrathin a-Si with a reduced density of intragrain defects.
In situ resistance measurements during physical vapor deposition of ultrathin metal films on Si(111) at room temperature
Authors: Lutzer Bernhard , Bethge Ole , Zimmermann Christina , Smoliner Jürgen , Bertagnolli Emmerich
Published: September 2017

The resistance of ultrathin metal films (Ag, Au, Cr, Ir, Pt, and Ti) on hydrofluoric acid-treated Si(111) surfaces is investigated during room temperature evaporation at very low deposition rates (0.003–0.006 nm/s). High-resolution in situ measurements are performed using the four-point probe technique. The authors find that, in addition to the type of metal, the resistance versus metal thickness characteristics heavily depend on the doping of the Si substrate. Furthermore, for most metals on p-type Si, the resistance initially increases as a function of deposition time. The authors explain this by a conductive path at the surface due to H-terminated Si bonds which are destroyed during deposition.
Multistatic acoustic characterization of seabed targets
Authors: Fischell Erin M. , Schmidt Henrik
Published: September 2017

One application for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) is detecting and classifying hazardous objects on the seabed. An acoustic approach to this problem has been studied in which an acoustic source insonifies seabed target while receiving AUVs with passive sensing payloads discriminate targets based on features of the three dimensional scattered fields. The OASES-SCATT simulator was used to study how scattering data collected by mobile receivers around targets insonified by mobile sources might be used for sphere and cylinder target characterization in terms of shape, composition, and size. The impact of target geometry on these multistatic scattering fields is explored, and a discrimination approach developed in which the source and receiver circle the target with the same radial speed. The frequency components of the multistatic scattering data at different bistatic angles are used to form models for target characteristics. Data are then classified using these models. Classification accuracies were greater than 98% for shape and composition. Regression for target volume showed potential, with 90% chance of errors less than 15%. The significance of this approach is to make classification using low-cost vehicles plausible from scattering amplitudes and the relative angles between the target, source, and receiver vehicles.
Numerical simulation of blade-passage noise
Authors: Yauwenas Yendrew , Zajamšek Branko , Reizes John , Timchenko Victoria , Doolan Con J.
Published: September 2017

Numerical simulations are used to investigate the noise generated by the passage of a rotor blade past a fixed object (the blade-passage effects), which was studied by simulating a three-bladed rotor that is supported by a vertical cylindrical tower. To isolate the blade-passage effects, no incoming wind was introduced in the simulation. The symmetric blade was set to zero pitch angle relative to the plane of rotation and two blade-tower distances were investigated. The sliding mesh method was used to simulate the rotation of the blades and Curle's acoustic analogy was used to predict the noise generated from the simulated flow data. Intense force fluctuations occur during the interaction on both the tower and the passing blade, and these are the primary sources of blade-passage noise. The contribution of the force fluctuations on the support tower to blade-passage noise, which previously had been ignored, was revealed to be more significant than that of the blades. The numerical model successfully predicts the noise spectra, which are validated by the very good agreement with experimental measurements. The simulations provide a framework to better understand blade–tower interaction noise in various applications.
Measuring and Advancing Experimental Design Ability in an Introductory Course without Altering Existing Lab Curriculum
Authors: Shanks Ryan A. , Robertson Chuck L. , Haygood Christian S. , Herdliksa Anna M. , Herdliska Heather R. , Lloyd Steven A.
Published: September 2017

Introductory biology courses provide an important opportunity to prepare students for future courses, yet existing cookbook labs, although important in their own way, fail to provide many of the advantages of semester-long research experiences. Engaging, authentic research experiences aid biology students in meeting many learning goals. Therefore, overlaying a research experience onto the existing lab structure allows faculty to overcome barriers involving curricular change. Here we propose a working model for this overlay design in an introductory biology course and detail a means to conduct this lab with minimal increases in student and faculty workloads. Furthermore, we conducted exploratory factor analysis of the Experimental Design Ability Test (EDAT) and uncovered two latent factors which provide valid means to assess this overlay model’s ability to increase advanced experimental design abilities. In a pre-test/post-test design, we demonstrate significant increases in both basic and advanced experimental design abilities in an experimental and comparison group. We measured significantly higher gains in advanced experimental design understanding in students in the experimental group. We believe this overlay model and EDAT factor analysis contribute a novel means to conduct and assess the effectiveness of authentic research experiences in an introductory course without major changes to the course curriculum and with minimal increases in faculty and student workloads.
Learning about Chemiosmosis and ATP Synthesis with Animations Outside of the Classroom
Authors: Goff Eric E. , Reindl Katie M. , Johnson Christina , McClean Phillip , Offerdahl Erika G. , Schroeder Noah L. , White Alan R.
Published: September 2017

Many undergraduate biology courses have begun to implement instructional strategies aimed at increasing student interaction with course material outside of the classroom. Two examples of such practices are introducing students to concepts as preparation prior to instruction, and as conceptual reinforcement after the instructional period. Using a three-group design, we investigate the impact of an animation developed as part of the Virtual Cell Animation Collection on the topic of concentration gradients and their role in the actions of ATP synthase as a means of pre-class preparation or post-class reinforcement compared with a no-intervention control group. Results from seven sections of introductory biology (n= 732) randomized to treatments over two semesters show that students who viewed animation as preparation (d= 0.44,p< 0.001) or as reinforcement (d= 0.53,p< 0.001) both outperformed students in the control group on a follow-up assessment. Direct comparison of the preparation and reinforcement treatments shows no significant difference in student outcomes between the two treatment groups (p= 0.87). Results suggest that while student interaction with animations on the topic of concentration gradients outside of the classroom may lead to greater learning outcomes than the control group, in the traditional lecture-based course the timing of such interactions may not be as important.
First-Year and Non-First-Year Student Expectations Regarding In-Class and Out-of-Class Learning Activities in Introductory Biology
Authors: Brown Tanya L. , Brazeal Kathleen R. , Couch Brian A.
Published: September 2017

National calls for teaching transformation build on a constructivist learning theory and propose that students learn by actively engaging in course activities and interacting with other students. While interactive pedagogies can improve learning, they also have the potential to challenge traditional norms regarding class participation and learning strategies. To better understand the potential openness of students to interactive teaching practices, we administered a survey during the first week of two sections of an introductory biology course to characterize how students envisioned spending time during class as well as what activities they expected to complete outside of class during non-exam weeks and in preparation for exams. Additionally, we sought to test the hypothesis that the expectations of first-year students differed from those of non-first-year students. Analyses of closed-ended and open-ended questions revealed that students held a wide range of expectations and that most students expressed expectations consistent with some degree of transformed teaching. Furthermore, first-year students expected more active learning in class, more out-of-class coursework during non-exam weeks, and more social learning strategies than non-first-year students. We discuss how instructor awareness of incoming student expectations might be used to promote success in introductory science courses.
Fitness of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in the Environment: A Laboratory Activity
Authors: Marvasi Massimiliano , Choudhury Manika , Vala Nimisha Binesh , Teplitski Max
Published: September 2017

In this laboratory experiment, we propose an opportunity for students to broaden their understanding of the ecology of antibiotic-resistant and sensitive waterborne bacteria. Antibiotics can be found in rivers or soil as a consequence of agricultural practices or as a result of human use. Concentrations of antibiotics in the environment may range from a few ng to μg L
−1
. Such concentrations can affect the selection and fitness of resistant bacteria. In this laboratory activity, students learn how to set up a fitness experiment by using an isogenic pair of antibiotic-resistant and sensitive bacteria in the presence or absence of selective pressure. Microcosms were generated by using filtered river water containing populations of resistant and sensitive bacteria. Competition of both populations was measured in the presence or absence of antibiotics. Students appreciated the use of microcosms for
in vitro
experiments and the extent to which the fitness of resistant and sensitive bacteria changed in the presence and/or absence of a selective pressure in river water. Student learning was measured by using different types of assessments: multiple-choice, true/false, fill in the blanks, laboratory skills observations, and laboratory reports. After the laboratory activity, the percentage of correct answers significantly rose from ~20% to ~85%. Laboratory skills were also evaluated during the exercises, showing no major issues during the experiment. Students showed proficiency in analyzing the complexity of fitness data by reaching a mean of 5.57 (standard error 0.57) over a maximum score of 7 points.
Microbiology Education in Nursing Practice
Authors: Durrant Robert J. , Doig Alexa K. , Buxton Rebecca L. , Fenn JoAnn P.
Published: September 2017

Nurses must have sufficient education and training in microbiology to perform many roles within clinical nursing practice (e.g., administering antibiotics, collecting specimens, preparing specimens for transport and delivery, educating patients and families, communicating results to the healthcare team, and developing care plans based on results of microbiology studies and patient immunological status). It is unclear whether the current microbiology courses required of nursing students in the United States focus on the topics that are most relevant to nursing practice. To gauge the relevance of current microbiology education to nursing practice, we created a confidential, web-based survey that asked nurses about their past microbiology education, the types of microbiology specimens they collect, their duties that require knowledge of microbiology, and how frequently they encounter infectious diseases in practice. We used the survey responses to develop data-driven recommendations for educators who teach microbiology to pre-nursing and nursing students.

Two hundred ninety-six Registered Nurses (RNs) completed the survey. The topics they deemed most relevant to current practice were infection control, hospital-acquired infections, disease transmission, and collection and handling of patient specimens. Topics deemed least relevant were the Gram stain procedure and microscope use. In addition, RNs expressed little interest in molecular testing methods. This may reflect a gap in their understanding of the uses of these tests, which could be bridged in a microbiology course.

We now have data in support of anecdotal evidence that nurses are most engaged when learning about microbiology topics that have the greatest impact on patient care. Information from this survey will be used to shift the focus of microbiology courses at our university to topics more relevant to nursing practice. Further, these findings may also support an effort to evolve national recommendations for microbiology education in pre-nursing and nursing curricula.