bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physiological and antioxidant responses of two accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana in different light and temperature conditions
Authors: Szymańska Renata , Nowicka Beatrycze , Gabruk Michał , Glińska Sława , Michlewska Sylwia , Dłużewska Jolanta , Sawicka Anna , Kruk Jerzy , Laitinen Roosa
Published: September 2014

During their lifetime, plants need to adapt to a changing environment, including light and temperature. To understand how these factors influence plant growth, we investigated the physiological and antioxidant responses of two Arabidopsis accessions, Shahdara (Sha) from the Shahdara valley (Tajikistan, Central Asia) in a mountainous area and Lovvik‐5 (Lov‐5) from northern Sweden to different light and temperature conditions. These accessions originate from different latitudes and have different life strategies, both of which are known to be influenced by light and temperature. We showed that both accessions grew better in high‐light and at a lower temperature (16°C) than in low light and at 23°C. Interestingly, Sha had a lower chlorophyll content but more efficient non‐photochemical quenching than Lov‐5. Sha, also showed a higher expression of vitamin E biosynthetic genes. We did not observe any difference in the antioxidant prenyllipid level under these conditions. Our results suggest that the mechanisms that keep the plastoquinone (PQ)‐pool in more oxidized state could play a role in the adaptation of these accessions to their local climatic conditions.
The invasive weed Ventenata dubia is a host of Barley yellow dwarf virus with implications for an endangered grassland habitat
Authors: Ingwell L L , Bosque‐Pérez N A
Published: September 2014

Ventenata dubia (African wiregrass), a winter annual weed, is a non‐native species invading grasslands, rangelands and pastures throughout the USA. Limited information is available on its suitability as a host to pathogens and insects in its invaded range. The barley/cereal yellow dwarf virus (B/CYDV) complex occurs ubiquitously in Poaceae species. In non‐managed grasslands, BYDV infection influences competitive dynamics between native and invasive grasses and facilitates invasion by non‐native annual weeds. The Palouse prairie of south‐eastern Washington and northern Idaho, USA, is an endangered ecosystem. Surveys of V. dubia in Palouse prairie and neighbouring Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) habitats were conducted to determine whether B/CYDV viral species are present. Laboratory tests examined the suitability of V. dubia to host BYDV‐PAV and serve as an inoculum source. Plant growth and weight parameters were measured to gauge the impact of BYDV‐PAV on V. dubia. Infection of V. dubia in Palouse prairie and CRP habitats with two species of BYDV, PAV and SGV, was detected for the first time. The ability of BYDV‐PAV to infect V. dubia in the laboratory and transmission from infected V. dubia to barley were demonstrated. BYDV‐PAV‐infected V. dubia showed reductions in plant height, number of leaves and tillers per plant, and above‐ground dry weight, suggesting that V. dubia is sensitive to BYDV. Results demonstrate that V. dubia is a host to BYDV and may serve as a virus inoculum source with potential implications for its management, competitive dynamics between invasive and native grasses and future conservation of endangered grasslands.
A Noise Based Distributed Optimization Method for Multirobot Task Allocation With Multimodal Utility
Authors: HomChaudhuri Baisravan , Kumar Manish
Published: September 2014

Distributed optimization methods have been used extensively in multirobot task allocation (MRTA) problems. In distributed optimization domain, most of the algorithms are developed for solving convex optimization problems. However, for complex MRTA problems, the cost function can be nonconvex and multimodal in nature with more than one minimum or maximum points. In this paper, an effort has been made to address these complex MRTA problems with multimodal cost functions in a distributed manner. The approach used in this paper is a distributed primal–dual interior point method where noise is added in the search direction as a mechanism to allow the algorithm to escape from suboptimal solutions. The search direction from the distributed primal–dual interior point method and the weighted variable updates help in the generation of feasible primal and dual solutions and in faster convergence while the noise added in the search direction helps in avoiding local optima. The optimality and the computation time of this proposed method are compared with that of the genetic algorithm (GA) and the numerical results are provided in this paper.
Mass, Stiffness, and Damping Identification for a Pressurized Water Reactors Fuel Assembly by a Proper Orthogonal Decomposition Method
Authors: Ricciardi G. , Boccaccio E.
Published: September 2014

In this paper, dynamic tests of a fuel assembly subjected to an axial flow are presented. Tests are performed for various flow conditions, at several displacement amplitudes. The first four modes of the fuel assembly are excited, two confinements are tested. A parameters identification method based on a proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) analysis is proposed. Mass, damping, and stiffness parameters are presented for different displacement amplitudes and flow rates. An added mass effect in still water is observed, and the damping increases linearly with the flow rate. A nonlinear behavior of the fuel assembly is observed. An added stiffness effect increasing with the flow rate is observed, and the mass seems to depend on the flow rate. The by-pass seems to be responsible for these observations.
Magnetorheological effect in the magnetic field oriented along the vorticity
Authors: Kuzhir P. , Magnet C. , Rodríguez-Arco L. , López-López M. T. , Fezai H. , Meunier A. , Zubarev A. , Bossis G.
Published: September 2014

In this work, we have studied the magnetorheological (MR) fluid rheology in the magnetic field parallel to the fluid vorticity. Experimentally, the MR fluid flow was realized in the Couette coaxial cylinder geometry with the magnetic field parallel to the symmetry axis. The rheological measurements were compared to those obtained in the cone-plate geometry with the magnetic field perpendicular to the lower rheometer plate. Experiments revealed a quasi-Bingham behavior in both geometries with the stress level being just a few dozens of percent smaller in the Couette cylindrical geometry at the same internal magnetic field. The unexpectedly high MR response in the magnetic field parallel to the fluid vorticity is explained by stochastic fluctuations of positions and orientations of the particle aggregates. These fluctuations are induced by magnetic interactions between them. Once misaligned from the vorticity direction, the aggregates generate a high stress independent of the shear rate, and thus assimilated to the suspension apparent (dynamic) yield stress. Quantitatively, the fluctuations of the aggregate orientation are modeled as a rotary diffusion process with a diffusion constant proportional to the mean square interaction torque. The model gives a satisfactory agreement with the experimental field dependency of the apparent yield stress and confirms the nearly quadratic concentration dependency σY∝Φ2.2, revealed in experiments. The practical interest of this study lies in the development of MR smart devices with the magnetic field nonperpendicular to the channel walls.
Draft Genome Sequence of a Staphylococcus aureus Isolate Taken from the Blood of a Preterm Neonatal Blood Sepsis Patient
Authors: Kropp K. A. , Lucid A. , Carroll J. , Belgrudov V. , Walsh P. , Kelly B. , Templeton K. , Smith C. , Dickinson P. , O'Driscoll A. , Ghazal P. , Sleator R. D.
Published: September 2014

Herein, we report the draft genome sequence of
Staphylococcus aureus
ED-NGS-1006, cultivated from a blood sample taken from a neonatal sepsis patient at the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.
High Power Density Zinc-Nickel Single Flow Batteries with Excellent Performance
Authors: Cheng Yuanhui , Zhang Huamin , Lai Qinzhi , Li Xianfeng
Published: September 2014

Zinc-nickel single flow battery is a promising candidate for energy storage. The low operating current density (low power density) is the critical obstacle for improving its performance and reducing cost. In this paper, we analyzed the polarization distribution (negative polarization, positive polarization and IR drop) at various current densities (20 to 80 mA cm-2) and found that the positive polarization is the main hinder to improve its operating current density without the sacrifice of energy efficiency. Through the design of cell structure and electrode structure, we reduced positive polarization, negative polarization and IR drop to improve the operating current density to realize high power density ZNBs. Meanwhile energy efficiency improved 17 % reaching to 82 % at 80 mA cm-2, which is the highest value ever reported.
Evaluation of an Early Stage Air Cathode for Zinc Air Battery Applications
Authors: Zhang Xinge , Qu Wei , Fahlman Jason , Tsay Ken , Yuan Xiao-Zi
Published: September 2014

In this study, we evaluated the performance of the air cathode prepared by our industrial partner in a customized test platform under operating conditions of temperature up to 70°C, potassium hydroxide (KOH) concentration approximately 45wt% and current density of 0.2A/cm2. The temperature and CO2 effect on the performance were also investigated. The air cathode performed for over 1000 hours lifetime with the best degradation rate of approximately 0.15mV/hr.
Synthesis of Chalcogenide Sensitized One-Dimensional Oxide Matrices for Photovoltaic Applications
Authors: Jaramillo-Quintero Oscar A. , Calva-Yañez Julio C. , Solís de la Fuente Mauricio , Rincón Marina E.
Published: September 2014

Recently, quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSC) have attracted much attention because they have high absorption coefficients when compared with conventional organic dye-type solar cells. In this work, we investigated the sensitization of solvothermal nanowires and thermally treated MWCNT-TiO2 coreshell structures with PbS QDs. ZnS passivation was also implemented by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method using 3 cycles. Besides the absorbance spectrum of these materials, we report the carrier’s life-time obtained by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy in two-electrode cells filled with polysulfide electrolyte.
Electrochemical Processes and Novel Electrodes for Water Decontamination
Authors: Zhou Minghua , Hu Youshuang , Yu Xinming , Lin Haibo
Published: September 2014

Environmental pollution control has become one of the global ever-increasing important tasks, especially for those biorefractory and toxic pollutants abatement. In recent years, the applications of environmental electrochemistry for pollutants abatement, especially the electrochemical conversion /destruction of organic pollutants have attracted considerable attention due to the advantages such as environmental compatibility, versatility, and high efficiency. Great efforts have been made to sound electrode materials exploration, efficient processes and novel reactors development, as well as typical organic pollutants degradation mechanism investigation. At present, electrochemical technologies have reached such a status that they are not only comparable with other technologies in terms of cost, but sometimes more efficient and compact. This work summarized our recent works in this area to enhance treatment efficiency in view of engineering application, including anode and cathode material development, degradation mechanism as well as reactor development, which would enrich electrochemical technologies and their applications for environmental remediation.
Vitamin D inhibits development of liver fibrosis in an animal model but cannot ameliorate established cirrhosis
Authors: Abramovitch Shirley , Sharvit Efrat , Weisman Yosef , Bentov Amir , Brazowski Eli , Cohen Gili , Volovelsky Oded , Reif Shimon
Published: September 2014

1,25(OH)2D3, the active form of vitamin D, has an antiproliferative and antifibrotic effect on hepatic stellate cells. Our aim was to investigate the potential of 1,25(OH)2D3 to inhibit the development of liver fibrosis and to ameliorate established fibrosis in vivo. The antifibrotic effect of 1,25(OH)2D3 was investigated in a thioacetamide (TAA) model (as a preventive treatment and as a remedial treatment) and in a bile duct ligation model. In the preventive model, rats received simultaneously intraperitoneum injection of TAA and/or 1,25(OH)2D3 for 10 wk. In the remedial model, rats were treated with TAA for 10 wk and then received 1,25(OH)2D3 or saline for 8 wk. Fibrotic score was determined by Masson staining. Collagen I, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP1), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) expression were measured by Western blot analysis and real-time PCR. Hypercalemia was detected by chemistry measurements. Preventive treatment of 1,25(OH)2D3 significantly suppressed liver fibrosis both macroscopically and microscopically and significantly lowered the fibrotic score of the TAA + 1,25(OH)2D3 group compared with the TAA group. 1,25(OH)2D3 significantly inhibited expression of PDGF and TGF-β by ∼50% and suppressed the expression of collagen Iα1, TIMP1, and α-SMA by approximately three-, two-, and threefold, respectively. In contrast, 1,25(OH)2D3 was inefficient in amelioration of established liver fibrosis. Administration of 1,25(OH)2D3 to bile duct ligation rats led to a high mortality rate probably caused by hypercalcemia. We conclude that 1,25(OH)2D3 may be considered as a potential preventive treatment in an in vivo model but failed to ameliorate established cirrhosis.
Presence of intramucosal neuroglial cells in normal and aganglionic human colon
Authors: Badizadegan Kamran , Thomas Alyssa R. , Nagy Nandor , Ndishabandi Dorothy , Miller Sarah A. , Alessandrini Alessandro , Belkind-Gerson Jaime , Goldstein Allan M.
Published: September 2014

The enteric nervous system (ENS) is composed of neural crest-derived neurons (also known as ganglion cells) the cell bodies of which are located in the submucosal and myenteric plexuses of the intestinal wall. Intramucosal ganglion cells are known to exist but are rare and often considered ectopic. Also derived from the neural crest are enteric glial cells that populate the ganglia and the associated nerves, as well as the lamina propria of the intestinal mucosa. In Hirschsprung disease (HSCR), ganglion cells are absent from the distal gut because of a failure of neural crest-derived progenitor cells to complete their rostrocaudal migration during embryogenesis. The fate of intramucosal glial cells in human HSCR is essentially unknown. We demonstrate a network of intramucosal cells that exhibit dendritic morphology typical of neurons and glial cells. These dendritic cells are present throughout the human gut and express Tuj1, S100, glial fibrillary acidic protein, CD56, synaptophysin, and calretinin, consistent with mixed or overlapping neuroglial differentiation. The cells are present in aganglionic colon from patients with HSCR, but with an altered immunophenotype. Coexpression of Tuj1 and HNK1 in this cell population supports a neural crest origin. These findings extend and challenge the current understanding of ENS microanatomy and suggest the existence of an intramucosal population of neural crest-derived cells, present in HSCR, with overlapping immunophenotype of neurons and glia. Intramucosal neuroglial cells have not been previously recognized, and their presence in HSCR poses new questions about ENS development and the pathobiology of HSCR that merit further investigation.
Stress, the Stress System and the Role of Glucocorticoids
Authors: Nicolaides Nicolas C. , Kyratzi Elli , Lamprokostopoulou Agaristi , Chrousos George P. , Charmandari Evangelia
Published: September 2014

All living organisms have developed a highly conserved and regulatory system, the stress system, to cope with a broad spectrum of stressful stimuli that threaten, or are perceived as threatening, their dynamic equilibrium or homeostasis. This neuroendocrine system consists of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the locus caeruleus/norepinephrine-autonomic nervous system. In parallel with the evolution of the homeostasis and stress concepts from ancient Greek to modern medicine, significant advances in the field of neuroendocrinology have identified the physiologic biochemical effector molecules of the stress response. Glucocorticoids, the end-products of the HPA axis, play a fundamental role in the maintenance of both resting and stress-related homeostasis and, undoubtedly, influence the physiologic adaptive reaction of the organism against stressors. If the stress response is dysregulated in terms of magnitude and/or duration, homeostasis is turned into cacostasis with adverse effects on many vital physiologic functions, such as growth, development, metabolism, circulation, reproduction, immune response, cognition and behavior. A strong and/or long-lasting stressor may precipitate and/or cause many acute and chronic diseases. Moreover, stressors during pre-natal, post-natal or pubertal life may have a critical impact on our expressed genome. This review describes the central and peripheral components of the stress system, provides a comprehensive overview of the stress response, and discusses the role of glucocorticoids in a broad spectrum of stress-related diseases.
The Surgeon's Contribution to Image-Guided Oncology
Authors: Benckert Christoph , Bruns Christiane
Published: September 2014

Background: Advances in surgical and in imaging technology permit the performance of complex tumour resections in a safe and oncologically correct manner. To date, this has mainly implicated refined preoperative imaging methods, such as three-dimensional computer-assisted planning (3D-CASP). With the advent of modern hybrid operating rooms, intraoperative imaging has spread and various techniques of intraoperative image guidance have been developed. Methods: We review recent advances in intraoperative image guidance. We also delineate the role of intraoperative imaging techniques such as intraoperative ultrasound and computed tomography for real-time image guidance in laparoscopic liver surgery. Results: Our review shows that advances in intraoperative imaging accompany the increasing use of laparoscopic approaches in visceral surgery. For the liver surgeon working laparoscopically, the loss of tactile sensation and the complex three-dimensional anatomy of the human liver make 3D-imaging techniques and intraoperative image guidance indispensable. We describe the role of 3D-CASP in preoperative surgical planning in liver surgery. Conclusion: An innovative imaging strategy for identifying liver segments during laparoscopic liver surgery by applying a fluorescent imaging method is proposed.
Antiatherosclerotic Effects of Long-Term Maximally Intensive Statin Therapy After Acute Coronary Syndrome
Authors: Puri Rishi , Nissen Steven E. , Shao Mingyuan , Ballantyne Christie M. , Barter Philip J. , Chapman M. John , Erbel Raimund , Libby Peter , Raichlen Joel S. , Uno Kiyoko , Kataoka Yu , Nicholls Stephen J.
Published: September 2014

Objectives—

Patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) display diffuse coronary atheroma instability and heightened risk of early and late recurrent coronary events. We compared the long-term antiatherosclerotic efficacy of high-intensity statins in patients with ACS when compared with stable disease.

Approach and Results—

Study of Coronary Atheroma by Intravascular Ultrasound: Effect of Rosuvastatin Versus Atorvastatin (SATURN) used serial intravascular ultrasound measures of coronary atheroma volume in patients treated with rosuvastatin 40 mg or atorvastatin 80 mg for 24 months. The overall effect of high-intensity statins on the change in coronary percent atheroma volume and major adverse cardiovascular events (death/nonfatal myocardial infarction/coronary revascularization) were evaluated in this post hoc analysis. When compared with non-ACS patients (n=678), patients with ACS (n=361) were younger, actively smoking, and have had a previous myocardial infarction (all
P
<0.001). At baseline, patients with ACS exhibited lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (43.5±11 versus 45.8±11 mg/dL;
P
=0.002), a higher apolipoprotein B: apolipoprotein A-1 ratio (0.90±0.24 versus 0.83±0.24;
P
<0.001) and greater percent atheroma volume (37.3±8.5% versus 35.9±8.1%;
P
=0.01) when compared with non-ACS patients. Despite similar achieved levels of lipid and inflammatory markers after high-intensity statin therapy, patients with ACS demonstrated greater percent atheroma volume regression than non-ACS patients (−1.46±0.14 versus −0.89±0.13;
P
=0.003). After propensity-weighted multivariable adjustment, baseline percent atheroma volume (
P
<0.001) and an ACS clinical presentation (
P
=0.02) independently associated with plaque regression. The 24-month major adverse cardiovascular events–free survival was similar between patients with ACS and non-ACS (90.6 versus 92.9%;
P
=0.25).

Conclusions—

Long-term high-intensity statin therapy caused greater plaque regression and comparable major adverse cardiovascular events rates in ACS when compared with non-ACS patients. Despite a higher clinical risk profile, patients with ACS harbor a more modifiable disease substrate and seem to benefit the most from potent statin therapy.
Children’s disaster experiences and psychological symptoms: An international comparison between the Chilean earthquake and tsunami and Hurricane Katrina
Authors: Navarro Javiera , Pulido Ricardo , Berger Christian , Arteaga Mauricio , Osofsky Howard J , Martinez Monica , Osofsky Joy D , Hansel Tonya Cross
Published: September 2014

Improved understanding of the psychological impact on children following natural disasters is needed to assist with psychological recovery. The purpose of this exploratory study was to compare the disaster experiences and psychological symptoms of children, ages 8 to 17, following the Chilean earthquake and tsunami, and Hurricane Katrina. Over one-third of all students ( N = 827) met the symptom cut-off for mental health referral. Two one-sided test (TOST) procedures revealed similar symptom levels among the Chilean and Hurricane Katrina samples and similar numbers of reported disaster experiences. Interestingly, the Chilean earthquake and tsunami sample reported more direct disaster related losses and the Hurricane Katrina sample reported more recovery related issues. The findings suggest that even with cultural and type of disaster experience differences, children’s responses to disasters are similar across cultures and that mental health services are needed to support recovery.
Shoplifting of Everyday Products That Serve Illicit Drug Uses
Authors: Smith Brian T. , Clarke Ronald V.
Published: September 2014

Objectives:

Some everyday products, particularly over-the-counter drugs, which are sold in supermarkets and other stores can produce a “high” or serve other roles in illicit drug use. Informed by CRAVED, a model of theft choices derived from crime opportunity theory, this study explores whether products with known roles in drug use are shoplifted at higher rates than other products.

Methods:

Products that serve a variety of roles in illicit drug use were identified through a review of the medical literature and web sources. Data from 204 supermarkets yielded theft rates for 551 of these products, which were compared with theft rates for 7,887 products sold by the same stores without known roles in drug abuse.

Results:

Theft rates of products with roles in drug use were significantly higher than theft rates of other products.

Conclusions:

Knowing which products are shoplifted can provide only limited information about the shoplifter’s “craft.” In this case, more information was needed about the security given to products by the stores, which has broader implications for CRAVED. Despite this, the findings about the higher theft rates of products with known drug roles could assist retailers, manufacturers, and responsible government agencies to secure these products from theft.
A Proposed Model of Jazz Theory Knowledge Acquisition
Authors: Ciorba Charles R. , Russell Brian E.
Published: September 2014

The purpose of this study was to test a hypothesized model that proposes a causal relationship between motivation and academic achievement on the acquisition of jazz theory knowledge. A reliability analysis of the latent variables ranged from .92 to .94. Confirmatory factor analyses of the motivation (standardized root mean square residual [SRMR] = .067) and jazz theory (SRMR = .063) measures indicated a good fit of the predicted model to the observed data. Results of the latent path model indicated good fit (χ2 = 20.08, p = .692, df = 24, N = 102) and large, positive, and statistically significant direct effects of motivation (β = 0.65) and academic achievement (β = 0.56) on jazz theory knowledge acquisition. The successful identification of this proposed model lends enough support for continued investigation into the process surrounding the acquisition of jazz theory knowledge.
Preservice Teachers’ Learning to Generate Evidence-Based Hypotheses About the Impact of Mathematics Teaching on Learning
Authors: Yeh Cathery , Santagata Rossella
Published: September 2014

This study examines the development of a specific sub-skill for studying and improving teaching—the generation of hypotheses about the effects of teaching on student learning. Two groups of elementary preservice teachers (PSTs) were compared: one group that attended a typical mathematics-methods course and one that attended a course integrating analysis skills for learning from teaching. Data consist of PSTs’ comments on video clips of mathematics instruction administered before and after course completion. Findings reveal that PSTs at the beginning of the program struggled to generate hypotheses with relevant evidence, often equating teacher behavior or student correct answers as evidence of student understanding. After course participation, PSTs who attended the course with integrated analysis skills significantly improved in their ability to generate hypotheses based on student evidence whereas their counterparts continued to display difficulties. Implications for teacher education and future research are considered.
Self-Assessing the Benefits of Educational Tours
Authors: Cohen Erik H.
Published: September 2014

This article assesses the effectiveness of retrospective self-assessments in evaluating the impact and benefits of educational-heritage tours. This is done by comparing tourists’ retrospective self-assessments with the degree of change between their pre- and posttour evaluations. The survey population consists of 10,374 youth from dozens of countries who participated in educational tours to Israel. All completed questionnaires before and after the tours. It was found that their self-assessments of the tour’s impact reliably reflect changes in attitude as measured by parallel questions in the pre- and posttour surveys. Thus, the article makes a methodological contribution to tourism research, an area of the literature that is relatively scarce. The extent to which researchers may rely upon the less expensive and logistically simpler self-assessment method to evaluate tourist experiences is discussed.
Repetition of words and non-words in typically developing children: The role of prosody
Authors: Sundström Simon , Samuelsson Christina , Lyxell Björn
Published: September 2014

In this study, segmental and prosodic aspects of word repetition and non-word repetition in typically developing children aged four to six years were investigated. Focus was on developmental differences, and on how tonal word accent and word length affect segment production accuracy. Prosodically controlled words and non-words were repeated by 44 Swedish-speaking children. Repetition accuracy for both words and non-words increased with age, and was higher for words than non-words. Further, tonal word accents I and II provided different conditions for segment repetition in favor of accent II during both word repetition and non-word repetition for older children, but only during word repetition for younger children. This suggests age-dependent differences regarding how prosody is stored and integrated with segments. The findings have theoretical significance regarding the role of prosody in the perception, processing and production of phonological information. There are also clinical implications concerning the interpretation of repetition tasks and the potential use of prosody in speech and language intervention.
Teddy bears and tigers: How renewable energy can revitalise local communities
Authors: Callaghan George , Williams Derek
Published: September 2014

In recent years, in Scotland, there has been significant policy and academic interest in community ownership and in renewable energy. This paper draws these two together and investigates the economic and social impact of community ownership of renewable energy projects. The researchers gained access to the project database of Community Energy Scotland to gather primary and secondary data from a number of large-scale revenue-generating and small-scale community energy projects. The paper looks at the economic impact of community participation in renewable energy schemes and examines how this is used to stimulate local economies and societies. Also emerging from the data is the social impact of community renewables, particularly the nurturing of new networks and the improvement in community confidence. The paper also discusses the challenges and policy implications of community-owned renewables. These include funding, the relationship between the level of community ownership and local economic impact and the need for further community empowerment.
The Impact of Shareholders on Executive Pay
Authors: Ellig Bruce R.
Published: September 2014

Those who own shares of stock in a company are called shareholders. As such they are in part owners of the company. Typically, stock of large companies is in the hands of institutional investors: mutual funds, private money managers, and public sector pension funds. It is the latter who are long-term investors. Stock is typically sold on a stock exchange (such as the New York Stock Exchange). Shareholders elect members of the company’s board of directors and vote on other matters needing their vote. The 2010 Dodd Frank Act requires that companies submit to shareholders a non-binding vote on executive pay. Since shareholders seek an appreciable return on their investment, they are interested in tying executive pay to shareholder value (stock price and dividends). Shareholder watchdogs review and comment on proposed company actions including executive compensation and anti-takeover devices. Shareholders have a high interest in executive benefits and short as well as long-term incentives. More specifically, they do not like: payouts based on internal goals (ignoring shareholder value); restricted stock awards not tied to performance; stock option reloads; omnibus plans; stock options without performance factors; and evergreen plans.
Hypersonic lifting body aerodynamic shape optimization based on the multiobjective evolutionary algorithm based on decomposition
Authors: Ma Yang , Yang Tao , Feng Zhiwei , Zhang Qingbin
Published: September 2014

In this work, a volume and longitudinal stability-constrained multiobjective aerodynamic shape optimization is conducted. The aerodynamic shapes of lifting bodies are parameterized by using class function/shape function transformation parameterization method for maximum design flexibility. Hypersonic aerodynamic objectives and constraints are analyzed by solving the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations in conjunction with a two-equation turbulence model. The Kriging technique is adopted to construct surrogate models aiming at reducing the computational cost. A two-stage method of infill sampling combined with multiobjective optimization is proposed to improve the performance of the surrogate models. Multiobjective evolutionary algorithm based on decomposition (MOEA/D) combined with penalty function method is employed to handle the multiobjective optimization problem with nonlinear constraints. The optimization results reveal that the two-stage method based on surrogates can reduce the computational cost significantly, and the accuracy of the surrogates around the Pareto front is sufficient. The two objectives are competing such that a set of Pareto optimal solutions are obtained, which are the best tradeoffs among the objectives. The unconstrained multiobjective optimization problem is also investigated with MOEA/D and nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) respectively to make a further comparison. The results show that the Pareto sets based on MOEA/D are more excellent and distribute more evenly than that obtained by NSGA-II. The computational efficiency of MOEA/D is about six times faster than that of NSGA-II. Lastly, aerodynamic characters of typical shape of Pareto front are analyzed under different flight conditions, and the results reveal favorable robustness of this shape.
Joint modelling compared with two stage methods for analysing longitudinal data and prospective outcomes: A simulation study of childhood growth and BP
Authors: Sayers A , Heron J , Smith ADAC , Macdonald-Wallis C , Gilthorpe MS , Steele F , Tilling K
Published: September 2014

There is a growing debate with regards to the appropriate methods of analysis of growth trajectories and their association with prospective dependent outcomes. Using the example of childhood growth and adult BP, we conducted an extensive simulation study to explore four two-stage and two joint modelling methods, and compared their bias and coverage in estimation of the (unconditional) association between birth length and later BP, and the association between growth rate and later BP (conditional on birth length). We show that the two-stage method of using multilevel models to estimate growth parameters and relating these to outcome gives unbiased estimates of the conditional associations between growth and outcome. Using simulations, we demonstrate that the simple methods resulted in bias in the presence of measurement error, as did the two-stage multilevel method when looking at the total (unconditional) association of birth length with outcome. The two joint modelling methods gave unbiased results, but using the re-inflated residuals led to undercoverage of the confidence intervals. We conclude that either joint modelling or the simpler two-stage multilevel approach can be used to estimate conditional associations between growth and later outcomes, but that only joint modelling is unbiased with nominal coverage for unconditional associations.
Achieving Provider Engagement
Authors: Ignatowicz Agnieszka , Greenfield Geva , Pappas Yannis , Car Josip , Majeed Azeem , Harris Matthew
Published: September 2014

The literature on integrated care is limited with respect to practical learning and experience. Although some attention has been paid to organizational processes and structures, not enough is paid to people, relationships, and the importance of these in bringing about integration. Little is known, for example, about provider engagement in the organizational change process, how to obtain and maintain it, and how it is demonstrated in the delivery of integrated care. Based on qualitative data from the evaluation of a large-scale integrated care initiative in London, United Kingdom, we explored the role of provider engagement in effective integration of services. Using thematic analysis, we identified an evolving engagement narrative with three distinct phases: enthusiasm, antipathy, and ambivalence, and argue that health care managers need to be aware of the impact of professional engagement to succeed in advancing the integrated care agenda.
Efficacy and Safety of Tranexamic Acid Versus ϵ-Aminocaproic Acid in Cardiovascular Surgery
Authors: Falana Olabisi , Patel Gourang
Published: September 2014

Background: Blood conservation is a major concern in the management of surgical patients because of transfusion-related complications, limited supply, and health care costs. Tranexamic acid (TXA) and ϵ-aminocaproic acid (ϵACA) are lysine analogue antifibrinolytics used to reduce surgical bleeding and transfusions. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of TXA compared with ϵACA in the management of cardiovascular surgical bleeding at an academic medical center. Methods: This single-center, retrospective, observational cohort study included 120 patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery with or without cardiopulmonary bypass, who received at least 1 dose of perioperative TXA or ϵACA. The efficacy outcome—massive perioperative bleeding—was a composite end point of chest tube drainage >1500 mL in any 8-hour period after surgery, perioperative transfusion of 10 or more units of packed red blood cells, reoperation for bleeding, or death from hemorrhage within 30 days. The safety outcomes were incidence of thromboembolic events, postoperative renal dysfunction, seizure, and 30-day all-cause mortality. Results: The primary end point—massive perioperative bleeding—occurred in 10 patients (16.7%) in the TXA group compared with 5 patients (8.3%) in the ϵACA group ( P = 0.17). There were no significant differences in the secondary end points of 30-day all-cause mortality, thromboembolic events, renal dysfunction, and seizure. Conclusions: There were no differences in the efficacy and safety outcomes between TXA and ϵACA in the management of cardiovascular surgical bleeding at our institution. Considering the substantial cost difference and comparable efficacy and safety, ϵACA may have better value over TXA for reducing cardiovascular surgical bleeding.
Partisan Priorities and Public Budgeting
Authors: Epp Derek A. , Lovett John , Baumgartner Frank R.
Published: September 2014

We explore budget data from twenty-nine Western countries from 1948 to 2012 to investigate the impact of partisan control of government on spending patterns. We use a variety of empirical methods, but the central element of analysis is to code spending allocations as “consistent” or “inconsistent” based on the partisanship of the majority party in government. Looking across the board, we show that inconsistent allocations occur at almost exactly the same rate as consistent ones. The implication is that budgets are best understood not as an expression of partisan priorities but as a reaction to changing contextual circumstances.
Optimal tuning of PID controllers for dead-time systems using Stud genetic algorithms
Authors: Ganapathy Kanthaswamy , Kumar C Agees , Jerome Jovitha
Published: September 2014

The tuning of controllers is a field of intrinsic research in the control and automation industry. Proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controllers and their variant forms have been much studied for automatic controller tuning owing to their simplicity and performance. The challenge in autotuning controllers is increased in systems that involve delay. Use of metaheuristics and soft computing methods are increasingly dominant in the autotuning of PID controllers. This paper deals with the design of a PID controller and Smith’s predictor for processes with delay. The algorithm employs a Stud genetic algorithm that is search intensified using derivative free search methods, namely simplex derivative pattern search and implicit filtering. The resulting algorithms are named as DFSGStudGA1 and DFSGStudGA2 respectively. The effectiveness of the discussed schemes are compared against some existing methods of controller tuning for robustness in terms of vector gain margin (VGM) and tolerance to plant uncertainty.
Nonlinear stability analysis of rotational dynamics and transversal vibrations of annular circular thin plates functionally graded in radial direction by differential quadrature
Authors: Davoodi Kermani Iman , Mirdamadi Hamid Reza , Ghayour Mostafa
Published: September 2014

In this article, the nonlinear analysis of free vibrations, dynamic stability, and rotational dynamics of rotating annular circular thin plates, made of functionally graded material (FGM), is studied. Based on classical plate theory, von Karman’s nonlinear plate theory, and assuming the FGM mechanical properties vary in the radial direction, the governing equations of motion are obtained by direct use of Newton’s laws. A 1-D differential quadrature is used to solve the governing equations determining the natural frequencies, corresponding transverse mode shapes, and the critical speeds of rotation. The accuracy and convergence of the method are studied by comparing the results with the similar results whenever available in the literature. The influence of different parameters such as inner-to-outer radii ratio, thickness-to-outer radius ratio, graded index, angular velocity of the plate, and different boundary conditions on the natural frequencies of FG rotating plate are demonstrated by numerical examples. It is shown that fabricating a rotating disk with FGM can lead to an increase in its critical speed.
The plane waves at the edge of a uniformly pre-stressed fiber-reinforced plate
Authors: Singh Abhishek K , Lakshman Anirban , Chattopadhyay Amares
Published: September 2014

The present study analytically deals with the propagation of plane waves at the edge of a uniformly pre-stressed fiber-reinforced plate of finite thickness and infinite extent. The frequency equation is established in closed form. The significant effect of wave number, compressive and tensile initial stresses (acting uniformly on the plate in horizontal and vertical direction with respect to the plate middle plane) on the phase velocity has been identified. The comparative study has been made to highlight the effect of reinforcement present in the plate medium by comparing a case where the considered plate is composed of fiber-reinforced material with a case where the considered plate is composed of isotropic material. Remarkably, it is pointed out that as reinforcement prevails in the plate medium, the phase velocity gets increased. As a particular case of the problem it is found that the edge wave does not propagate in a very thick/thin isotropic plate under no initial stress. Numerical computation has been carried out for uniformly pre-stressed fiber-reinforced plate of carbon fiber-epoxy resin and illustrated graphically. Moreover, some important points have been traced out by means of graphs.
News Media’s Role in the Issue-Voting Process
Authors: Hyun Ki Deuk , Moon Soo Jung
Published: September 2014

Synthesizing research documenting the effects of news use on learning and evaluation of policy issues, this study explores the role of news media in the issue-voting process, which involves cognitive, attitudinal, and behavioral elements. Data analysis from the 2008 American National Election Study (ANES) shows that news attention predicts issue importance, issue knowledge, and perception of closeness on issue positions for one presidential candidate over another, which relates to vote choice. Results also indicate that the role of news attention for issue voting tends to be stronger among political independents highly attentive to news media than for others.
Local women’s coalitions: Critical actors and substantive representation in Spanish municipalities
Authors: Rodríguez-Garcia María Jesus
Published: September 2014

The relationship between descriptive representation and substantive representation is an issue that has been widely discussed by women’s studies scholars. In general, it is assumed that there exists a positive relationship between the two, but the literature and empirical analysis show that substantive representation also depends on the action of other critical actors, such as gender agencies and the women’s social movement. Comparative research has shown the existence of a common pattern in post-industrial democracies: the development of women-friendly policies depends on the existence of coalitions between these critical actors. However, the analysis usually focuses on the national or regional level, and there is very little analysis at the local level, despite this being a political arena in which these processes can be developed. The aim of this article is to analyse the effect of coalitions of critical actors on the responsiveness to the demands of women’s groups in the case of Spanish municipalities using a representative survey. The objective, therefore, is to apply advances in the women’s substantive representation literature to the local level in Spain. Main results show that responsiveness is higher in municipalities where women’s coalitions exist.
The Bright Side of Self-Discontinuity
Authors: Kim Hyoun S. (Andrew) , Wohl Michael J. A.
Published: September 2014

Across three studies, we tested the possible benefits of self-discontinuity among people engaging in addictive behaviors. Specially, we examined self-discontinuity as a motivator of readiness to change. Moreover, nostalgia (i.e., longing for the past “nonaddicted” self) was assessed as a mediator of this effect. To this end, self-discontinuity was both measured (Study 1) and manipulated (Studies 2 and 3) among a sample of problem gamblers (Studies 1 and 2) and problem drinkers (Study 3). As predicted, in Studies 1 and 2, high levels of self-discontinuity resulted in greater readiness to change to the extent that problem gamblers felt nostalgic for the preaddicted self. Study 3 extended the generalizability of the mediation model by replicating these findings with a sample of problem drinkers. Results suggest that highlighting a sense of self-discontinuity among people engaging in addictive behaviors may be an important catalyst in moving people from addiction to action.
Allatostatin A-like immunoreactivity in the nervous system and gut of the larval midge, Chironomus riparius (Meigen): Modulation of hindgut motility, rectal K+ transport and implications for exposure to salinity
Authors: Robertson Lisa , Chasiotis Helen , Galperin Vladimir , Donini Andrew
Published: September 2014

Evidence for the presence of allatostatin (AST) A-like neuropeptides in the larval midge, Chironomus riparius is reported. Immunohistochemical studies on the nervous system and gut revealed the presence of AST A-like immunoreactive (AST-IR) cells and processes. The nerve cord contained AST-IR processes that originated from cells in the brain and travelled the length of nerve cord to the terminal ganglion. Within each ganglion, these processes gave rise to varicosities suggesting that they formed synapses with neurons in the ganglia. Endocrine cells containing AST-IR were present in three regions of the midgut: near the attachment of the Malpighian tubules, between the anterior and posterior midgut and in the vicinity of the gastric caecae. The terminal ganglion also contained 4 AST-IR cells which gave rise to axons that projected onto the hindgut and posterior midgut. Application of a cockroach AST to the semi-isolated hindgut of larval C. riparius led to dose-dependent inhibition of muscle contractions with an EC50 of ~ 10 nM and a decrease in rectal K+ reabsorption resulting from reduced rectal Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA) and vacuolar type H+-ATPase (VA) activities. The results suggest the presence of endogenous AST-like neuropeptides in the larval midge C. riparius where these factors play a role in the function of the gut. Furthermore, regulation of ion reabsorption by ASTs at the rectum could serve as an ideal mechanism of ion regulation in the face of abrupt and acute elevated salt levels.
Cross-Cultural Dialogue as a Tool to Nurture and Develop Multicultural Competences of a Teacher’s Personality
Authors: Болотина  , Bolotina Tatyana , Мишина  , Mishina I.
Published: September 2014

This country is one of the world’s most multinational states; among the peoples inhabiting this country up to 180 ethnoses and ethnic groups

and followers of all major world religions are represented, as well as groups, belonging to various ethnoconfessional communities, several civilization

and cultural as well as historic and cultural communities.