bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Insensitive High Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) Nanostructured Explosives Derived from Solvent/Nonsolvent Method in a Bacterial Cellulose (BC) Gelatin Matrix
Authors: Luo Qingping , Pei Chonghua , Liu Guixiang , Ma Yongjun , Li Zhaoqian
Published: December 2014

Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) is an energetic material (EM) from the class of cyclic nitroamine explosive widely used in military applications because of its excellent integral properties. Using bacterial cellulose (BC) gelatin with a three-dimensional network as a matrix, N,N-dimethyllformamide (DMF) as the solvent of RDX, the RDX nanostructured explosives were prepared through the solvent/nonsolvent method. It was found that the solvent had a great impact on the crystallization of RDX in the solution and the RDX content in the nanostructured explosive. The RDX particles in the nanostructured explosives smoothly coated to the nanofibers of BC gelatin network at high RDX concentrations, and the granularity distributions of RDX in the nanostructured explosives were very uniform in the range of 30–50 nm. The average contents of the RDX in the nanostructured explosives are greater than 83 wt.% when the RDX concentrations of the soaked solutions are greater than 0.20 g/mL. The average content is approximately 91 wt.% when the RDX concentration is 0.30 g/mL. The decomposition temperatures of the RDX nanostructured explosives were found to decrease approximately to 20°C and their mechanical sensitivities decreased greatly compared to that of raw micro-size RDX. It opens a useful way to prepare nanostructured explosives with high energy and low mechanical sensitivity.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN QUANTITATIVE FINANCE: AN OVERVIEW
Authors: CHANG CHIA-LIN , HU SHING-YANG , YU SHIH-TI
Published: December 2014

Quantitative finance combines mathematical finance, financial statistics, financial econometrics and empirical finance to provide a solid quantitative foundation for the analysis of financial issues. The purpose of this special issue on "Recent developments in quantitative finance" is to highlight some areas of research in which novel methods in quantitative finance have contributed significantly to the analysis of financial issues, specifically fast methods for large-scale non-elliptical portfolio optimization, the impact of acquisitions on new technology stocks: the Google–Motorola case, the effects of firm characteristics and recognition policy on employee stock options prices after controlling for self-selection, searching for landmines in equity markets, whether CEO incentive pay improves bank performance, using a quantile regression analysis of U.S. commercial banks, testing price pressure, information, feedback trading, and smoothing effects for energy exchange traded funds, actuarial implications of structural changes in El Niño-Southern Oscillation Index dynamics, credit spreads and bankruptcy information from options data, QMLE of a standard exponential ACD model: asymptotic distribution and residual correlation, and using two-part quantile regression to analyze how earnings shocks affect stock repurchases.
TESTING PRICE PRESSURE, INFORMATION, FEEDBACK TRADING, AND SMOOTHING EFFECTS FOR ENERGY EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS
Authors: CHANG CHIA-LIN , KE YU-PEI
Published: December 2014

This paper examines the relationships between flows and returns for five exchange traded funds (ETF) in the U.S. energy sector. Four alternative hypotheses are tested, including the price pressure hypothesis, information (or price release) hypothesis, feedback trading hypothesis, and smoothing hypothesis. The five ETF are the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE), iShares U.S. Energy ETF (IYE), iShares Global Energy ETF (IXC), Vanguard Energy ETF (VDE), and PowerShares Dynamic Energy Exploration & Production Portfolio (PXE). A vector autoregressive (VAR) model is used to analyze the relationships between energy flows and returns. The empirical results show that energy ETF flows and subsequent returns have a negative relationship, thereby supporting the smoothing hypothesis. Moreover, the smoothing effect exists for XLE and IYE during the global financial crisis. Regardless of whether the whole sample period or the sub-samples before, during and after the global financial crisis are used, no evidence is found in support of the price pressure hypothesis, information hypothesis, or feedback trading hypothesis.
Direct Metal Laser Sintering Titanium Dental Implants: A Review of the Current Literature
Authors: Mangano F. , Chambrone L. , van Noort R. , Miller C. , Hatton P. , Mangano C.
Published: December 2014

Statement of Problem. Direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) is a technology that allows fabrication of complex-shaped objects from powder-based materials, according to a three-dimensional (3D) computer model. With DMLS, it is possible to fabricate titanium dental implants with an inherently porous surface, a key property required of implantation devices.Objective. The aim of this review was to evaluate the evidence for the reliability of DMLS titanium dental implants and their clinical and histologic/histomorphometric outcomes, as well as their mechanical properties.Materials and Methods. Electronic database searches were performed. Inclusion criteria were clinical and radiographic studies, histologic/histomorphometric studies in humans and animals, mechanical evaluations, andin vitrocell culture studies on DMLS titanium implants. Meta-analysis could be performed only for randomized controlled trials (RCTs); to evaluate the methodological quality of observational human studies, the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS) was used.Results. Twenty-seven studies were included in this review. No RCTs were found, and meta-analysis could not be performed. The outcomes of observational human studies were assessed using the NOS: these studies showed medium methodological quality.Conclusions. Several studies have demonstrated the potential for the use of DMLS titanium implants. However, further studies that demonstrate the benefits of DMLS implants over conventional implants are needed.
Management of Pregnancy in a Chilean Patient with Congenital Deficiency of Factor VII and Glanzmann’s Thrombasthenia Variant
Authors: Murray Nigel P. , Garcia Claudio , Ilabaca Javier , Lagos Nestor
Published: December 2014

Patients with inherited bleeding disorders are rare in obstetric practice but present with prolonged bleeding even after minor invasive procedures. They require a combined approach with obstetric and hematological management of each case, including the neonatal management of a possibly affected fetus. We present the case of a pregnancy in a patient with combined Factor VII deficiency and Glanzmann’s thrombasthenia, the successful obstetric and hematological management of the case, and a review of the literature.
Preparation of Cerium Modified Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles and Investigation of Their Visible Light Photocatalytic Performance
Authors: Liu Jinfeng , Li Haiyan , Li Qiuye , Wang Xiaodong , Zhang Min , Yang Jianjun
Published: December 2014

Mesoporous CeOx/TiO2nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized using titanate nanotubes as precursor through the hydrothermal-calcination method. The as-prepared materials were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscope (TEM), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm analysis. All the obtained CeOx/TiO2materials exhibit anatase phase. Ce element existed in two valance states of Ce3+and Ce4+. Introduction of Ce species can effectively extend the spectral response from UV to visible light region. N2adsorption-desorption analysis revealed that all the samples belong to mesoporous structure and have large BET surface area compared with P25. The CeOx/TiO2nanoparticles showed excellent photocatalytic activity in the degradation of MB under visible light irradiation.
Chaotic Dynamics in Smart Grid and Suppression Scheme via Generalized Fuzzy Hyperbolic Model
Authors: Sun Qiuye , Wang Yaguang , Yang Jun , Qiu Yue , Zhang Huaguang
Published: December 2014

This paper presents a method to control chaotic behavior of a typical Smart Grid based on generalized fuzzy hyperbolic model (GFHM). As more and more distributed generations (DG) are incorporated into the Smart Grid, the chaotic behavior occurs increasingly. To verify the behavior, a dynamic model which describes a power system with DG is presented firstly. Then, the simulation result shows that the power system can lead to chaos under certain initial conditions. Based on the universal approximation of GFHM, we confirm that the chaotic behavior could be suppressed by a new controller, which is designed by means of solving a linear matrix inequality (LMI). This approach could make a good application to suppress the chaos in Smart Grid. Finally, a numerical example is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed chaotic suppression strategy.
Acrodermatitis Continua of Hallopeau Treated Successfully with Ustekinumab and Acitretin after Failure of Tumour Necrosis Factor Blockade and Anakinra
Authors: Saunier Jordane , Debarbieux Sébastien , Jullien Denis , Garnier Lorna , Dalle Stéphane , Thomas Luc
Published: December 2014

Acrodermatitis continua of Hallopeau (ACH) is a rare form of chronic acral pustular eruption. Considered to be a variant of pustular psoriasis, it is a refractory condition that may not respond to conventional treatments. We report herein the case of a 53-year-old patient whose ACH was refractory to all conventional systemic treatment modalities and to anti-tumour necrosis factor. Because he had increased plasma levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, he received anakinra for 7 weeks, without further improvement however. Achievement of complete response was obtained with ustekinumab 90 mg s.c. every 12 weeks combined with acitretin; the plasma level of IL-1β concomitantly returned to normal. This case report is associated with a review on recent data on ACH treatment with biological agents, including anakinra and ustekinumab.
What Do We Know About Steroids Metabolism and ‘PK/PD Approach' in AKI and CKD Especially While on RRT - Current Status in 2014
Authors: Honoré Patrick M. , Jacobs Rita , De Waele Elisabeth , De Regt Jouke , Rose Thomas , Van Gorp Viola , Joannes-Boyau Olivier , Boer Willem , Spapen Herbert D.
Published: December 2014

The knowledge on PK behavior of steroid drugs such as prednisolone or prednisone has indeed been expanding but at a rather slow pace. First, convenient, rapid, and specific determination of plasma levels of these steroids was largely indebted to the breakthrough of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Second, prednisolone is non-linearly protein-bound. Since unbound prednisolone is the biologically active compound, only the measurement of this free fraction in plasma is relevant. Third, the short half-life of prednisolone precludes to reach steady-state levels and requires determination of the area under the concentration-time curve. Fourth, prednisolone and prednisone are mutually convertible. Intravenous prednisolone, however, is administered as a pro-drug ester, which renders comparison and interpretation of reported PK data of both agents unreliable. A poignant lack of awareness and knowledge regarding catabolism, clearance mechanisms, and elimination route of steroids fuels the ongoing controversy that surrounds adjunctive corticosteroid therapy in patients with chronic or acute inflammatory disease. This particular patient population is also more prone to develop early and significant kidney dysfunction, necessitating extra-renal support. A better understanding of steroid PK/PD, preferentially guided by HPLC measurement of plasma steroid concentrations, likely will have direct clinical implications, for instance by adapting steroid doses in IHD or implementing higher dose regimens during CRRT.
Evidentiary Earthquakes: Design and Discontinuity through Seismic Methods
Authors: Ferng Jennifer
Published: December 2014

The science of seismology has long wrestled with the problem of discontinuity when evaluating terrestrial phenomena such as earthquakes. Discontinuity arises between the cause of an earthquake and its resulting effects, making it difficult to ascertain what triggered such a seismic occurrence in the first place. This article revisits documented case studies of earthquakes in the United States and the impact of these tectonic upheavals using observations, quantitative measurements and narrative accounts to interrogate the so-called ordered relationship between events and their causes. Architecture as a discipline stands to gain substantial ground through the study of seismology as a discontinuous model of science and of history; diachronic frameworks for comprehending physical evidence are used to reflect on how architects may engage with geological singularities beyond analogy and formal imitation.
Who Is the Subject of Atrocities Prevention?
Authors: Conley-Zilkic Bridget
Published: December 2014

This essay poses the question, who is the subject of atrocities prevention? Borrowing a rhetorical and argumentative model from Jacques Ranciere’s work on the subject of human of rights, the essay explores the conceptual frameworks for the subjects of atrocities and queries their relevance to the specific context of prevention. The concepts that dominate work on mass atrocities were articulated in relation to atrocities that were underway or had concluded; they are a poor fit for prevention. New work on prevention, like that on ‘factors of restraint’ or resilience,’ suggest revisions to the concepts and cases that currently dominate study of mass atrocities. Crucial amongst these concepts that require adjustment are how we address the subject of atrocities prevention.
International Affinity and the Prevention of Genocide
Authors: Midlarsky Manus I.
Published: December 2014

The question of the absence of genocides where they might have been expected is an important one; answering this question successfully can help establish the empirical validity or instead, disconfirmation, of proposed explanations for genocide’s occurrence. Affinity of populations or governments (ethnoreligiously similar or ideologically sympathetic) with the power and influence to actively intervene or to provoke intervention on behalf of the victims is understood to be a major genocide preventive. Cases examined include a contrast between Greek survival and genocide of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, the absence of the genocide of Jews in Poland at the time of the Partitions, absence of genocide of the Irish Catholics by the British after the First World War, and a contrast between the absence of the Holocaust in the early stages of the Nazi occupation of Europe, but its presence upon the German invasion of Russia in 1941. Protection of threatened populations in peacetime but their extreme vulnerability in time of war is a paradox of the affinity condition. Implications of affinity for R2P are developed in the international propagation of the R2P norm and the deft use of the diplomacy in the service of protecting threatened populations.
REDE EN RELIGIE IN DE GREEP VAN GRONDMODELLEN
Authors: Klapwijk Jacob
Published: December 2014

Over de vraag hoe geloof en verstand zich onderling verhouden, bestaat geen communis opinio; ook in het verleden is die er nooit geweest. Integendeel, de filosofiehistorie vertoont een complexe verscheidenheid van opvattingen. In dit artikel heb ik deze geordend in een beperkt aantal grondschema’s of grondmodellen. Ik breng zeven van die grondmodellen ter sprake, en duid ze kortweg aan met de termen identificatie, conflict, subordinatie, complementariteit, fundering, authenticiteit en transformatie. Mijn analyse laat zien hoe deze modellen, eenmaal present op het publieke forum, zich blijvend doen gelden, tot op de dag van vandaag. Hun sterke en zwakke kanten dagen ons uit tot een eigen standpuntbepaling in het debat over religie en rede.
SECULARISME EN SECULARISATIE
Authors: Griffioen Sander
Published: December 2014

Dit artikel neemt de secularisatietheorie van H. van Riessen als leidraad. Het begint met het onderscheid tussen secularisatie als emancipatie en als secularisme uit te werken. Vervolgens toont het de actualiteit van deze theorie (die representatief wordt geacht voor de Reformatorische wijsbegeerte) door op het punt van het onderscheid tussen emancipatie en secularisme overeenkomsten met hedendaagse denkers aan te wijzen (vooral Charles Taylor). Via een verbinding tussen emancipatie en modernisering wordt daarna Taylors positie vergeleken met radicalere visies op deze verhouding binnen de traditie van de Vrije Universiteit. In het slotgedeelte staat secularisatie als secularisme centraal. Dit onderdeel begint met een analyse van het leerstuk van de ‘werkzame schijn’. Afgesloten wordt met een eigen visie op secularisme als religie. Een ongetoetste vooronderstelling van veel (alle?) Reformatorische wijsbegeerte is dat religie altijd in geconcentreerde vorm optreedt. Aan de hand van het voorbeeld van multipele religieuze participatie in China maakt dit artikel aannemelijk dat secularisme ook in diffuse vormen kan optreden.
DOOYEWEERD’S CONCEPTION OF TRUTH: EXPOSITION AND CRITIQUE
Authors: Zuidervaart Lambert
Published: December 2014

A transformed idea of truth is central to the project of reformational philosophy. This essay lays groundwork for such an idea by proposing a critical retrieval of Herman Dooyeweerd’s conception of truth. First it summarizes relevant passages in Dooyeweerd’s New Critique. Then it demonstrates several problems in his conception: he misconstrues religious truth, misconceives its relation to theoretical truth, and overlooks central questions of epistemology and truth theory. By addressing these problems, reformational philosophers can find new ways to think about truth that retain the holism, normativity, and radicalness of Dooyeweerd’s conception. [T]he decisive blow against the idea of religiously neutral philosophy must be delivered on the field of the problem of truth”¦ The postulate of neutrality always stands and falls with an idea of truth that takes theoretical truth to be self-sufficient. Herman Dooyeweerd1
BEYOND MULTICULTURALISM – BUT TO WHERE? PUBLIC JUSTICE AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY
Authors: Chaplin Jonathan
Published: December 2014

no summary available
A SECULAR AGE: OPEN TOWARD THE TRANSCENDENT
Authors: Benschop Gerrit J.
Published: December 2014

In his book A secular age, Charles Taylor rejects the view that modernity must lead to a steady decline of religion and argues that although the conditions of belief changed, causing a destabilization and recomposition of religious forms, our modern world still can and should be open to the transcendent. I attempt to give a general overview of A secular age by describing shifts in worldview with respect to nature, self, society and God. Finally, I discuss how Taylor’s message relates to that of Reformational thinking. Taylor’s description of motivations to regard the world as closed to the transcendent corresponds well with the Reformational analysis of the humanistic ground motives of freedom and nature. Taylor, however, seems to consider our current worldview as a neutral basis and religion as an optional add-on.
Linda Trinkaus Zagzebski, The Philosophy of Religion: An Historical Introduction (Fundamentals of Philosophy) 2007: Wiley-Blackwell. Paperback. 264 pages. ISBN: 1405118725 / 978-1405118729.
Authors: Vroom A.
Published: December 2014

Abraham P. Bos and Rein Ferwerda, Aristotle, On the Life-Bearing Spirit (De Spiritu). A Discussion with Plato and his Predecessors on Pneuma as the Instrumental Body of the Soul (G. Groenewoud) Linda Trinkaus Zagzebski, The Philosophy of Religion: An Historical Introduction (A. Vroom) Jonathan L. Kvanvig (ed.), Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion (J. de Ridder) Lambert Zuidervaart, Social Philosophy after Adorno (R. Hayward)
Lambert Zuidervaart, Social Philosophy after Adorno Cambridge 2007: Cambridge University Press. 219 pages. ISBN 9780521690386
Authors: Hayward R.
Published: December 2014

Abraham P. Bos and Rein Ferwerda, Aristotle, On the Life-Bearing Spirit (De Spiritu). A Discussion with Plato and his Predecessors on Pneuma as the Instrumental Body of the Soul (G. Groenewoud) Linda Trinkaus Zagzebski, The Philosophy of Religion: An Historical Introduction (A. Vroom) Jonathan L. Kvanvig (ed.), Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion (J. de Ridder) Lambert Zuidervaart, Social Philosophy after Adorno (R. Hayward)
PLACING TECHNOLOGY IN RELIGIOUS-PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE: A DIALOGUE AMONG TRADITIONS
Authors: Mitcham Carl
Published: December 2014

The following text has been expanded slightly from a lecture read at the Technological University Delft on 21 April 2006. As is often the case, there were certain difficulties with transforming a text composed for oral delivery to one written for publication. One can employ a more dramatic phrasing in person, with body language and personal interactions to qualify it, than it would be appropriate to use when the same text takes printed form. I have nevertheless left some of oral phrasing in tact, with an appeal to readers to give the text as a charitable an interpretation as they can. There are also always desires to make a printed text more complete than what might be necessary in an oral presentation. Although I have made some modest elaborations here and there and added notes, I have also resisted trying to go as far as I would like in this regard. The recurring “I” in the present version also bothers me to some extent, but to have become more scholarly would have imposed a kind of artifice if not a false image of detachment.
Nicholas Wolterstorff, Justice: Rights and Wrongs. Princeton and Oxford 2008: Princeton University Press. XXI + 400 pages. ISBN 978-0691129679
Authors: Soeteman Arend
Published: December 2014

Book Reviews Jacob Klapwijk, Purpose in the living world? (R. Clouser) Bradley Monton, Seeking God in Science: An Atheist Defends Intelligent Design (J. de Ridder) Alvin Plantinga and Michael Tooley, Knowledge of God (J. de Ridder) Nicholas Wolterstorff, Justice: Rights and Wrongs (A. Soeteman)
CREATION BELIEF AND THE PARADIGM OF EMERGENT EVOLUTION
Authors: Klapwijk Jacob
Published: December 2014

Renewed attention on Darwin over the last few years has not brought to a halt the clash between belief in creation and the theory of evolution. In Christian circles, too, opinions clash. In this article, the author sketches the diverse positions of creationism, Intelligent Design, and Theistic Evolution. He formulates his reservations against these three approaches and suggests that both evolutionary science and the biblical faith in creation need to be re-examined. Over against philosophical materialism or naturalism, on which evolution theory is usually based, he introduces a theory of emergent evolution. The process of evolution had its starting point in physical reality but has shown stepwise novelties at crucial moments. In successive organisms, irreducible new ways of being came to the fore. Evolution includes chance, but the ascent to higher modal levels of being refers to plan and purpose in the phylogenetic development of life. Not in theory but in faith, we can see evolution and its ascending line as being embedded in the creation order. However, the creation message of Genesis 1 does not only concern what happened in the past. It is a dynamic motive and includes liturgical and prophetic references to a new world of shalom.
EMERGENCE IN THE INORGANIC WORLD
Authors: Satherley John
Published: December 2014

The “world”, as we see and experience it, is multi-modal, multi-dimensional, multi-coloured, and multi-facetted; in other words, it is rich and deep in meaning and it defies complete explanation in any analytical sense. In his book Purpose in the Living World? Creation and Emergent Evolution, Jacob Klapwijk (2008) proposes a theory which, he says, intends to account for how this complex, multifacetted richness in living things emerged, how it has come about, how the diverse living reality came to be as we experience it now. In order to set out his theory in its full extent, Klapwijk makes an initial careful distinction between creation and becoming.
SOME CONTEXTUAL REFLECTIONS ON ‘PURPOSE IN THE LIVING WORLD?’
Authors: Wearne Bruce C.
Published: December 2014

Jacob Klapwijk’s book Purpose in the Living World? is examined with special attention given to the scholarly background from out of which it emerges as a significant contribution to reformational philosophical reflection. As an initial step to clarify some important issues raised by Klapwijk’s critical comments about Dooyeweerd’s “essentialist” concept of species, the article probes facets of the way Jan Lever incorporated reformational philosophical concepts into his biological theory and considers the 1959 review written by Herman Dooyeweerd of Lever’s Creation and Evolution. The analysis focuses specifically upon the social responsibilities of these two scholars and the confrontation of their respective views. With the work of Lever and Dooyeweerd we sense something of the ambiguities when reformational philosophy confronts an evangelical scholasticism. This confrontation is an important facet of the context in which Klapwijk has set forth his discussion of creation and emergent evolution. Purpose is also the fruit of scholarly collaboration across disciplines, providing a welcome stimulus for a deepened understanding of the corporate character of the student vocation.
REFORMATIONAL PHILOSOPHY IN THE MAKING
Authors: Tol Anthony
Published: December 2014

This study focuses on D.H.Th. Vollenhoven and H. Dooyeweerd in the early years of their philosophical contact. We find that Dooyeweerd allied himself to Vollenhoven when working his way into philosophy. Vollenhoven’s “critical realism” at the time was their common ground. Towards the end of 1922 there are signs of new developments. Vollenhoven was motivated to purge realism of its latent scholastic features so as to express a clearer Calvinist-Scriptural position. Dooyeweerd in turn introduced into critical realism the perspective of eternity, as seat for the role of faith. From 1928 on, he traded critical realism in for transcendental criticism, the latter as guided by an intuitive viewing that takes place from the human being’s transcendent spiritual centre of personality. The discussion first clarifies what the initial critical realism of Vollenhoven was and that Dooyeweerd worked in its framework; then it highlights the diverging ways in which each moved away from that position.
TOWARD A RESOLUTION OF ANTINOMIES IN MAX SCHELER’S VALUE THEORY
Authors: Blosser Philip
Published: December 2014

Two problems in Scheler’s thought are (1) his reason/feeling dualism, which artificially limits his classification of values, undermining the coherence of experience and its rational intelligibility; and (2) his restriction of moral value to a by-product of realizing non-moral values, which leads him to misidentify the value attaching to personal agency exclusively with moral value. To resolve these problems, I enlist Herman Dooyeweerd’s analysis of experiential aspects, analogical concepts, and subject-object relations, which illumine both Scheler’s insights and his oversights.
WHERE THE CONFLICT REALLY LIES: PLANTINGA, THE CHALLENGE OF EVIL, AND RELIGIOUS NATURALISM
Authors: Burns Elizabeth D.
Published: December 2014

In this paper I argue that, although Alvin Plantinga’s Felix Culpa theodicy appears on only two pages (i.e. 58-59) of his recent book Where the Conflict Really Lies: Science, Religion and Naturalism (2011), it is of pivotal importance for the book as a whole. Plantinga argues that there is superficial conflict but deep concord between science and monotheism, and that there is superficial concord but deep conflict between science and naturalism. I contend that the weakness of the Felix Culpa theodicy lends support to the view that there is more than superficial conflict between science and monotheism, and offer an alternative response to the challenge of evil which suggests that there might be, after all, concord between science and (religious) naturalism.
Sinalliaria, a new genus of Brassicaceae from eastern China, based on morphological and molecular data
Authors: Zhou Ying-Ying , ZHANG HONG-WEI , HU JIANG-QIN , Jin Xiao-Feng
Published: December 2014

Sinalliaria is described here as a new genus of the family Brassicaceae from eastern China, based on the morphological characters and molecular sequences. Sinalliaria differs from the related genus Orychophragmus in having basal leaves petiolate, simple or rarely with 1‒3 lateral lobes (not pinnatisect); cauline leaves petiolate, cordate at base (not sessile, auriculate or amplexicaul at base); petals obovate to narrowly obovate, claw inconspicuous (not broadly obovate, with a claw as along as sepal); siliques truncate (not long-beaked) at apex. The microscopic characters of seed testa also show significant differences between Sinalliaria and Orychophragmus. Phylogenetic evidence from DNA sequences of nuclear ribosomal ITS and plastid region trnL-trnF indicates that Sinalliaria is a distinct group related to Orychophragmus and Raphanus, but these three genera do not form a clade. The new genus Sinalliaria is endemic to eastern China and has only one species and one variety. The new combinations, S. limprichtiana (Pax) X. F. Jin, Y. Y. Zhou & H. W. Zhang and S. limprichtiana var. grandifolia (Z. X. An) X. F. Jin, Y. Y. Zhou & H. W. Zhang are proposed here.
Estuarine Frontogenesis
Authors: Geyer W. R. , Ralston D. K.
Published: December 2014

Model studies and observations in the Hudson River estuary indicate that frontogenesis occurs as a result of topographic forcing. Bottom fronts form just downstream of lateral constrictions, where the width of the estuary increases in the down-estuary (i.e., seaward) direction. The front forms during the last several hours of the ebb, when the combination of adverse pressure gradient in the expansion and baroclinicity cause a stagnation of near-bottom velocity. Frontogenesis is observed in two dynamical regimes: one in which the front develops at a transition from subcritical to supercritical flow and the other in which the flow is everywhere supercritical. The supercritical front formation appears to be associated with lateral flow separation. Both types of fronts are three-dimensional, with strong lateral gradients along the flanks of the channel. During spring tide conditions, the fronts dissipate during the flood, whereas during neap tides the fronts are advected landward during the flood. The zone of enhanced density gradient initiates frontogenesis at multiple constrictions along the estuary as it propagates landward more than 60 km during several days of neap tides. Frontogenesis and frontal propagation may thus be essential elements of the spring-to-neap transition to stratified conditions in partially mixed estuaries.
Polyandry in the medfly - shifts in paternity mediated by sperm stratification and mixing
Authors: Scolari Francesca , Yuval Boaz , Gomulski Ludvik M , Schetelig Marc F , Gabrieli Paolo , Bassetti Federico , Wimmer Ernst A , Malacrida Anna R , Gasperi Giuliano
Published: December 2014

Background

In the Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly), Ceratitis capitata, a highly invasive agricultural pest species, polyandry, associated with sperm precedence, is a recurrent behaviour in the wild. The absence of tools for the unambiguous discrimination between competing sperm from different males in the complex female reproductive tract has strongly limited the understanding of mechanisms controlling sperm dynamics and use.

Results

Here we use transgenic medfly lines expressing green or red fluorescent proteins in the spermatozoa, which can be easily observed and unambiguously differentiated within the female fertilization chamber. In twice-mated females, one day after the second mating, sperm from the first male appeared to be homogenously distributed all over the distal portion of each alveolus within the fertilization chamber, whereas sperm from the second male were clearly concentrated in the central portion of each alveolus. This distinct stratified sperm distribution was not maintained over time, as green and red sperm appeared homogeneously mixed seven days after the second mating. This dynamic sperm storage pattern is mirrored by the paternal contribution in the progeny of twice-mated females.

Conclusions

Polyandrous medfly females, unlike Drosophila, conserve sperm from two different mates to fertilize their eggs. From an evolutionary point of view, the storage of sperm in a stratified pattern by medfly females may initially favour the fresher ejaculate from the second male. However, as the second male's sperm gradually becomes depleted, the sperm from the first male becomes increasingly available for fertilization. The accumulation of sperm from different males will increase the overall genetic variability of the offspring and will ultimately affect the effective population size. From an applicative point of view, the dynamics of sperm storage and their temporal use by a polyandrous female may have an impact on the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT). Indeed, even if the female's last mate is sterile, an increasing proportion of sperm from a previous mating with a fertile male may contribute to sire viable progeny.
Genetics and biology of Anastrepha fraterculus: research supporting the use of the sterile insect technique (SIT) to control this pest in Argentina
Authors: Cladera Jorge L , Vilardi Juan C , Juri Marianela , Paulin Laura E , Giardini M Cecilia , Gómez Cendra Paula V , Segura Diego F , Lanzavecchia Silvia B
Published: December 2014

Two species of true fruit flies (taxonomic family Tephritidae) are considered pests of fruit and vegetable production in Argentina: the cosmopolitan Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann) and the new world South American fruit fly (Anastrepha fraterculus Wiedemann). The distribution of these two species in Argentina overlaps north of the capital, Buenos Aires. Regarding the control of these two pests, the varied geographical fruit producing regions in Argentina are in different fly control situations. One part is under a programme using the sterile insect technique (SIT) for the eradication of C. capitata, because A. fraterculus is not present in this area. The application of the SIT to control C. capitata north of the present line with the possibility of A. fraterculus occupying the niche left vacant by C. capitata becomes a cause of much concern. Only initial steps have been taken to investigate the genetics and biology of A. fraterculus. Consequently, only fragmentary information has been recorded in the literature regarding the use of SIT to control this species. For these reasons, the research to develop a SIT protocol to control A. fraterculus is greatly needed. In recent years, research groups have been building a network in Argentina in order to address particular aspects of the development of the SIT for Anastrepha fraterculus. The problems being addressed by these groups include improvement of artificial diets, facilitation of insect mass rearing, radiation doses and conditions for insect sterilisation, basic knowledge supporting the development of males-only strains, reduction of male maturation time to facilitate releases, identification and isolation of chemical communication signals, and a good deal of population genetic studies. This paper is the product of a concerted effort to gather all this knowledge scattered in numerous and often hard-to-access reports and papers and summarize their basic conclusions in a single publication.
Development of a genetic sexing strain in Bactrocera carambolae (Diptera: Tephritidae) by introgression of sex sorting components from B. dorsalis, Salaya1 strain
Authors: Isasawin Siriwan , Aketarawong Nidchaya , Lertsiri Sittiwat , Thanaphum Sujinda
Published: December 2014

Background

The carambola fruit fly, Bactrocera carambolae Drew & Hancock is a high profile key pest that is widely distributed in the southwestern ASEAN region. In addition, it has trans-continentally invaded Suriname, where it has been expanding east and southward since 1975. This fruit fly belongs to Bactrocera dorsalis species complex. The development and application of a genetic sexing strain (Salaya1) of B. dorsalis sensu stricto (s.s.) (Hendel) for the sterile insect technique (SIT) has improved the fruit fly control. However, matings between B. dorsalis s.s. and B. carambolae are incompatible, which hinder the application of the Salaya1 strain to control the carambola fruit fly. To solve this problem, we introduced genetic sexing components from the Salaya1 strain into the B. carambolae genome by interspecific hybridization.

Results

Morphological characteristics, mating competitiveness, male pheromone profiles, and genetic relationships revealed consistencies that helped to distinguish Salaya1 and B. carambolae strains. A Y-autosome translocation linking the dominant wild-type allele of white pupae gene and a free autosome carrying a recessive white pupae homologue from the Salaya1 strain were introgressed into the gene pool of B. carambolae. A panel of Y-pseudo-linked microsatellite loci of the Salaya1 strain served as markers for the introgression experiments. This resulted in a newly derived genetic sexing strain called Salaya5, with morphological characteristics corresponding to B. carambolae. The rectal gland pheromone profile of Salaya5 males also contained a distinctive component of B. carambolae. Microsatellite DNA analyses confirmed the close genetic relationships between the Salaya5 strain and wild B. carambolae populations. Further experiments showed that the sterile males of Salaya5 can compete with wild males for mating with wild females in field cage conditions.

Conclusions

Introgression of sex sorting components from the Salaya1 strain to a closely related B. carambolae strain generated a new genetic sexing strain, Salaya5. Morphology-based taxonomic characteristics, distinctive pheromone components, microsatellite DNA markers, genetic relationships, and mating competitiveness provided parental baseline data and validation tools for the new strain. The Salaya5 strain shows a close similarity with those features in the wild B. carambolae strain. In addition, mating competitiveness tests suggested that Salaya5 has a potential to be used in B. carambolae SIT programs based on male-only releases.
Australian endemic pest tephritids: genetic, molecular and microbial tools for improved Sterile Insect Technique
Authors: Raphael Kathryn A , Shearman Deborah CA , Gilchrist A Stuart , Sved John A , Morrow Jennifer L , Sherwin William B , Riegler Markus , Frommer Marianne
Published: December 2014

Among Australian endemic tephritid fruit flies, the sibling speciesBactrocera tryoniandBactrocera neohumeralishave been serious horticultural pests since the introduction of horticulture in the nineteenth century. More recently,Bactrocera jarvisihas also been declared a pest in northern Australia. After several decades of genetic research there is now a range of classical and molecular genetic tools that can be used to develop improved Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) strains for control of these pests. Four-way crossing strategies have the potential to overcome the problem of inbreeding in mass-reared strains ofB. tryoni. The ability to produce hybrids betweenB. tryoniand the other two species in the laboratory has proved useful for the development of genetically marked strains. The identification of Y-chromosome markers inB. jarvisimeans that male and female embryos can be distinguished in any strain that carries aB. jarvisiY chromosome. This has enabled the study of homologues of the sex-determination genes during development ofB jarvisiandB. tryoni, which is necessary for the generation of genetic-sexing strains. Germ-line transformation has been established and a draft genome sequence forB. tryonireleased. Transcriptomes from various species, tissues and developmental stages, to aid in identification of manipulation targets for improving SIT, have been assembled and are in the pipeline. Broad analyses of the microbiome have revealed a metagenome that is highly variable within and across species and defined by the environment. More specific analyses detectedWolbachiaat low prevalence in the tropics but absent in temperate regions, suggesting a possible role for this endosymbiont in future control strategies.
Chiropractor interaction and treatment equivalence in a pilot randomized controlled trial: an observational analysis of clinical encounter video-recordings
Authors: Salsbury Stacie A , DeVocht James W , Hondras Maria A , Seidman Michael B , Stanford Clark M , Goertz Christine M
Published: December 2014

Background

Chiropractic care is a complex health intervention composed of both treatment effects and non-specific, or placebo, effects. While doctor-patient interactions are a component of the non-specific effects of chiropractic, these effects are not evaluated in most clinical trials. This study aimed to: 1) develop an instrument to assess practitioner-patient interactions; 2) determine the equivalence of a chiropractor’s verbal interactions and treatment delivery for participants allocated to active or sham chiropractic groups; and 3) describe the perceptions of a treatment-masked evaluator and study participants regarding treatment group assignment.

Methods

We conducted an observational analysis of digital video-recordings derived from study visits conducted during a pilot randomized trial of conservative therapies for temporomandibular pain. A theory-based, iterative process developed the 13-itemChiropractor Interaction and Treatment Equivalence Instrument. A trained evaluator masked to treatment assignment coded video-recordings of clinical encounters between one chiropractor and multiple visits of 26 participants allocated to active or sham chiropractic treatment groups. Non-parametric statistics were calculated.

Results

The trial ran from January 2010 to October 2011. We analyzed 111 complete video-recordings (54 active, 57 sham). Chiropractor interactions differed between the treatment groups in 7 categories. Active participants received more interactions with clinical information (8 vs. 4) or explanations (3.5 vs. 1) than sham participants within the therapeutic domain. Active participants received more directions (63 vs. 58) and adjusting instrument thrusts (41.5 vs. 23) in the procedural domain and more optimistic (2.5 vs. 0) or neutral (7.5 vs. 5) outcome statements in the treatment effectiveness domain. Active participants recorded longer visit durations (13.5 vs. 10 minutes). The evaluator correctly identified 61% of active care video-recordings as active treatments but categorized only 31% of the sham treatments correctly. Following the first treatment, 82% of active and 11% of sham participants correctly identified their treatment group. At 2-months, 93% of active and 42% of sham participants correctly identified their group assignment.

Conclusions

Our findings show the feasibility of evaluating doctor-patient interactions in chiropractic clinical trials using video-recordings and standardized instrumentation. Clinical trial design and clinician training protocols should improve and assess the equivalence of doctor-patient interactions between treatment groups.

Trial registration

This trial was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT01021306 on 24 November 2009.
Is lactate the new panacea for endothelial dysfunction?
Authors: Nalos Marek , Tang Benjamin M , Nanan Ralph
Published: December 2014

Fluid resuscitation in the critically ill is a hot topic. The current strategy of rapid and adequate resuscitation in shock followed by conservative fluid administration is often difficult to achieve with standard crystalloid solutions. Research into alternative intravenous fluids tailored to individual patient needs is required. In the previous issue of Critical Care, Somasetia and colleagues compare the effects of hypertonic sodium lactate with the World Health Organization-recommended strategy of Ringer’s lactate resuscitation in children with severe Dengue, a viral infection for which causal treatment and vaccination are not available. The results not only suggest unimpaired lactate metabolism during shock in children but document improvement in endothelial barrier function, limited coagulopathy, and avoidance of fluid overload with hypertonic sodium lactate. Their study invites several important questions to be answered. Is hypertonicity or lactate per se important for the beneficial effects? Are the metabolic or anti-inflammatory effects responsible? Is the raised lactate in shock an adaptive response? Should reduction in lactate levels be the goal of resuscitation? These questions may trigger further research into the role of lactate and lactate-based intravenous fluids in resuscitation of the critically ill.
Pathological changes in a patient with acute respiratory distress syndrome and H7N9 influenza virus infection
Authors: Guo Qiang , Huang Jian-an , Zhao Daguo , Jin Jun , Liu Shenlang , Fraidenburg Dustin R
Published: December 2014

No abstract
The translational significance of epithelial‐mesenchymal transition in head and neck cancer
Authors: Graves Christian A , Abboodi Fadi F , Tomar Swati , Wells James , Pirisi Lucia
Published: December 2014

Positive markers of epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) in head and neck cancers complicate clinical management and are associated with reduced survival. We discuss recent translational discoveries in EMT and suggest additional actionable molecular pathways, biomarkers, and clinical agents.
Influence of equal-channel angular extrusion on impact toughness of aluminum and brass at room and low temperatures
Authors: Wang Jyhwen , Zhu Huanlin , Sudhakar K Vadiraja , Price Angie Hill
Published: December 2014

Background

Equal-channel angular extrusion is a severe plastic deformation process that can be used for grain refinement to improve material properties of bulk metals. In this paper, the effect of equal-channel angular extrusion on the impact toughness of aluminum 1100 and brass C26000 was investigated.

Methods

Brass and aluminum materials were extruded in two and four passes using two equal-channel angular extrusion processing routes. Specimens were tested for hardness and Charpy impact toughness. Microstructure and fractography were examined.

Results

The results showed the hardness remained almost constant after two passes for both brass and aluminum. Impact energy of brass after two passes decreased due to increase in dislocation density whereas for aluminum it remained almost constant after four passes due to the formation of ultrafine grains in addition to deformation/dislocation structures. Impact energies of specimens tested at room temperature and low temperature (−70°C) were almost the same due to their face-centered crystal structure. It was also found that the impact toughness of a specimen with a non-distorted notch surface is higher than that of a specimen with a distorted notch surface.

Conclusions

It is evident from the present study that the number of passes determines the extent of ultrafine grain structure that is known to increase impact toughness of equal-channel angular extrusion processed materials. All of these observed characteristics can influence material and process selections in practical design applications.