bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and characterisation of laser power converters for optical power transfer applications
Authors: Jarvis Scott D. , Mukherjee Jayanta , Perren Matthew , Sweeney Stephen J.
Published: March 2014

Interest in single‐junction photovoltaic devices has been renewed in recent years due to their potential to produce very high optical to electrical conversion efficiencies under monochromatic illumination. A single‐junction photovoltaic converter was developed for monochromatic radiation (a laser power converter (LPC)) to specifically convert monochromatic light at a wavelength of 1.55 µm (which is eye and skin safe up to a power density of 1 kW/m2) into electrical energy. Such devices find use in space‐based laser power transfer, as well as fibre optic power delivery and the remote powering of subcutaneous equipment and other electrical devices. The LPC design is based on lattice‐matched InGaAsP/InP, which includes elements for photon recycling and efficient carrier extraction. Here, the design process is reported based on computer simulated characteristics, and compare them to experimental data from both laboratory and field tests. The LPC demonstrates a conversion efficiency of 45% ± 1% under illumination at 1.55 µm and 1 kW/m2, and a conversion efficiency of 13.3% under AM1.5 solar illumination for potential dual‐use applications. With further design optimisation, it has been predicted that the conversion efficiency will exceed 50% at 1.55 µm and 1 kW/m2.
Generation of optical frequency combs based on time‐to‐frequency conversion
Authors: Yan Juanjuan , Peng Yichao , Yao Xiayuan , Bai Ming , Zheng Zheng
Published: March 2014

Flat‐top optical frequency combs (OFC) are generated using electro‐optical phase modulators (PM) driven by sinusoidal signals as a time‐to‐frequency convertor. A linear equation is derived to predict the number of OFC lines according to the time duration of the flat‐top pulse inputted to the PM and the modulation index of the PM. Both the simulated and experimental results confirm the validity of the proposed method.
Analysis of nonlinear dynamic stability of single‐walled carbon nanotubes in thermal environments
Authors: Fu Yiming , Zhong Jun
Published: March 2014

Based on the non‐local Euler beam theory, the nonlinear dynamic stability of single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) embedded in an elastic medium including the thermal effects is presented. The nonlinear dynamic equations and the boundary conditions of the SWCNTs are obtained by using the Hamilton variation principle. By adopting the Galerkin procedure, the governing nonlinear partial differential equation is converted into a nonlinear ordinary differential equation, and then the incremental harmonic balance method is applied to obtain the principal unstable regions of the SWCNTs. In the numerical examples, the effects of the thermal loads, the non‐local parameters and the elastic medium on the nonlinear dynamic stability, respectively, are discussed.
Anomalous magneto-structural behavior of MnBi explained: A path towards an improved permanent magnet
Authors: Zarkevich N. A. , Wang L.-L. , Johnson D. D.
Published: March 2014

Low-temperature MnBi (hexagonal NiAs phase) exhibits anomalies in the lattice constants (a, c) and bulk elastic modulus (B) below 100 K, spin reorientation and magnetic susceptibility maximum near 90 K, and, importantly for high-temperature magnetic applications, an increasing coercivity (unique to MnBi) above 180  K. We calculate the total energy and magneto-anisotropy energy (MAE) versus (a, c) using DFT+U methods. We reproduce and explain all the above anomalies. We predict that coercivity and MAE increase due to increasing a, suggesting means to improve MnBi permanent magnets.
An electrically driven terahertz metamaterial diffractive modulator with more than 20 dB of dynamic range
Authors: Karl N. , Reichel K. , Chen H.-T. , Taylor A. J. , Brener I. , Benz A. , Reno J. L. , Mendis R. , Mittleman D. M.
Published: March 2014

We design and experimentally demonstrate a switchable diffraction grating for terahertz modulation based on planar active metamaterials, where a Schottky gate structure is implemented to tune the metamaterial resonances in real-time via the application of an external voltage bias. The diffraction grating is formed by grouping the active split-ring resonators into an array of independent columns with alternate columns biased. We observe off-axis diffraction over a wide frequency band in contrast to the narrow-band resonances, which permits operation of the device as a relatively high-speed, wide-bandwidth, high-contrast modulator, with more than 20 dB of dynamic range.
Proton conductivity of perfluorosulfonate ionomers at high temperature and high relative humidity
Authors: Matos Bruno R. , Goulart Cleverson A. , Santiago Elisabete I. , Muccillo R. , Fonseca Fabio C.
Published: March 2014

The proton transport properties of Nafion membranes were studied in a wide range of temperature by using an air-tight sample holder able to maintain the sample hydrated at high relative humidity. The proton conductivity of hydrated Nafion membranes continuously increased in the temperature range of 40–180 °C with relative humidity kept at RH = 100%. In the temperature range of 40–90 °C, the proton conductivity followed the Arrhenius-like thermal dependence. The calculated apparent activation energy Ea values are in good agreement with proton transport via the structural diffusion in absorbed water. However, at higher measuring temperatures an upturn of the electrical conductivity was observed to be dependent on the thermal history of the sample.
Coupled vibration of driving sections for an electromechanical integrated harmonic piezodrive system
Authors: Li Chong , Xing Jichun , Xu Lizhong
Published: March 2014

An electromechanical integrated harmonic piezodrive system was developed that elicits fast responses with nanoscale accuracy and large torque density. The operating principle of the drive system is discussed and its dynamic equations are deduced. Coupled with boundary conditions and continuity conditions, these equations provide the natural frequencies and modal functions. The effects of the principal factors affecting the natural frequencies are investigated. These results provide a basis for improving the rotational accuracy of such systems.
Alternating current admittance of DNTT-based metal-insulator-semiconductor capacitors
Authors: Hayashi T. , Take N. , Tamura H. , Sekitani T. , Someya T.
Published: March 2014

Frequency-dependent carrier dynamics in dinaphtho[2,3-b:2′,3′-f]thieno[3,2-b]thiophene (DNTT)-based organic field-effect transistors and metal-insulator-semiconductor capacitors were studied by using admittance measurements. Both the real (conductance) and imaginary (capacitance) components of admittance, which have a mutually complementary relationship, were analyzed in the same way. On the basis of an experimental study of devices with different contact geometries, peaks observed in the conductance spectra corresponding to slopes in the capacitance spectra were classified into two groups. The high-frequency peak was attributed to the carrier injection from the top contact to the DNTT/insulator interface just underneath the contact while the low-frequency peaks were attributed to the drift current spreading all over the interface. The model calculation of carrier diffusion reproduces the low-frequency peaks very well. It is shown that the field-effect mobility from the accumulation region to the subthreshold region can be estimated by the fitting.
Gene silencing and gene expression in phytopathogenic fungi using a plant virus vector
Authors: Mascia Tiziana , Nigro Franco , Abdallah Alì , Ferrara Massimo , De Stradis Angelo , Faedda Roberto , Palukaitis Peter , Gallitelli Donato
Published: March 2014

Significance

RNAi is used to elucidate gene functions also in phytopathogenic fungi, where it is expressed by hairpin RNAs delivered through plasmids, sequences integrated in fungal or plant genomes, or by RNAi generated in planta by a plant virus infection. These approaches have drawbacks ranging from instability of hairpin constructs to difficulties in preparing and handling transgenic plants to silence homologous sequences in fungi grown on these plants. Here we show that RNAi can be expressed in phytopathogenic fungi by direct transfection with a plant virus-based vector and that the approach also can be used to obtain foreign protein expression in fungi. This technique could find wider application for functional genomics in filamentous fungi of biomedical and phytopathological interest.
An antibasis result for graphs of infinite Borel chromatic number
Authors: Conley Clinton , Miller Benjamin
Published: March 2014

We answer in the negative a question posed by Kechris-Solecki-Todorcevic as to whether the shift graph on Baire space is minimal among graphs of indecomposably infinite Borel chromatic number. To do so, we use ergodic-theoretic techniques to construct a new graph amalgamating various properties of the shift actions of free groups. The resulting graph is incomparable with any graph induced by a function. We then generalize this construction and collect some of its useful properties.
Shintani’s zeta function is not a finite sum of Euler products
Authors: Thorne Frank
Published: March 2014

We prove that the Shintani zeta function associated to the space of binary cubic forms cannot be written as a finite sum of Euler products. Our proof also extends to several closely related Dirichlet series. This answers a question of Wright in the negative.
Molecular Detection of the Laurel Wilt Fungus, Raffaelea lauricola
Authors: Jeyaprakash A. , Davison D. A. , Schubert T. S.
Published: March 2014

The laurel wilt disease fungus, Raffaelea lauricola, is killing redbay trees, spreading rapidly in the U.S. southeastern coastal plain forest, and posing a serious threat to the avocado industry in Florida. A molecular tool is urgently required to facilitate detection of this pathogen. The 5′ region of the large ribosomal RNA (28S) gene is highly variable among Raffaelea spp. and ideal for this purpose but amplification of this sequence from R. lauricola has been difficult. Different amplification conditions were tested and a high-fidelity polymerase chain reaction (PCR) procedure utilizing a dNTP mix containing 7-deaza-dGTP was found to reliably amplify 28S sequences from R. lauricola. Sequencing the amplified products or cloned inserts also turned out to be difficult and required using a custom-blended sequencing mix containing 1 M betaine, 5% dimethyl sulfoxide, and dGTP-BigDye v3.1. Three GC-rich stem and loop or cruciform secondary structures were discovered, which may have interfered with amplification. This improved protocol made it possible to partially characterize the internal transcribed spacers sequence from R. lauricola, which also has interfering secondary structures. A TaqMan real-time PCR assay was designed using the species-specific 28S sequences and this allowed detection of R. lauricola from wood tissues or cultures. Wood tissues from symptomatic redbay, avocado, and sassafras trees in Florida were screened using this TaqMan assay and several were found to test positive for R. lauricola. Results were further confirmed by performing Koch's postulates for avocado specimens collected from commercial grooves.
Aspiration Induced by Remifentanil
Authors: Savilampi Johanna , Ahlstrand Rebecca , Magnuson Anders , Geijer Håkan , Wattwil Magnus
Published: March 2014

Background:

Remifentanil is widely used for monitored anesthesia care in spontaneously breathing patients. However, the authors’ previous studies have shown that remifentanil induces subjective swallowing difficulties, which may increase the risk of aspiration.

Methods:

Twenty-five healthy volunteers participated in a double-blind, randomized, crossover trial at the University Hospital in Örebro, Örebro, Sweden. The volunteers were studied on two different occasions during which they received either remifentanil with an effect-site target concentration of 3 ng/ml or saline over 1 h. A radionuclide tracer was infused simultaneously into the nasopharynx at a rate of 0.1 ml/min. Aspiration was determined by lung scans, and subjective swallowing difficulties and grip strength were evaluated. The primary outcome was the difference in occurrence of aspiration between remifentanil and placebo treatments. The secondary outcomes were differences in swallowing difficulty and grip strength and the association between aspiration and swallowing difficulty.

Results:

During remifentanil and placebo infusion, 48 and 12% of the volunteers aspirated, respectively, difference: 36% (95% CI, 10 to 62%). A similar significant difference was found for swallowing difficulties but not for the association between aspiration and swallowing. No difference was found in grip strength between the two treatments.

Conclusions:

Remifentanil infusion at concentrations used in monitored anesthesia care increases the incidence of aspiration. However, the subjective swallowing difficulty induced by remifentanil is not indicative of the aspiration risk.
Long-term Application of Glycine Transporter Inhibitors Acts Antineuropathic and Modulates Spinal N-methyl-d-aspartate Receptor Subunit NR-1 Expression in Rats
Authors: Barthel Franziska , Urban Andrea , Schlösser Lukas , Eulenburg Volker , Werdehausen Robert , Brandenburger Timo , Aragon Carmen , Bauer Inge , Hermanns Henning
Published: March 2014

Background:

Dysfunction of spinal glycinergic neurotransmission is a major pathogenetic factor in neuropathic pain. The synaptic glycine concentration is controlled by the two glycine transporters (GlyT) 1 and 2. GlyT inhibitors act antinociceptive in various animal pain models when applied as bolus. Yet, in some studies, severe neuromotor side effects were reported. The aim of the current study was to elucidate whether continuous inhibition of GlyT ameliorates neuropathic pain without side effects and whether protein expression of GlyT1, GlyT2, or N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor subunit NR-1 in the spinal cord is affected.

Methods:

In the chronic constriction injury model of neuropathic pain, male Wistar rats received specific GlyT1 and GlyT2 inhibitors (ALX5407 and ALX1393; Sigma-Aldrich®, St. Louis, MO) or vehicle for 14 days via subcutaneous osmotic infusion pumps (n = 6). Mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia were assessed before, after chronic constriction injury, and every 2 days during substance application. At the end of behavioral assessment, the expression of GlyT1, GlyT2, and NR-1 in the spinal cord was determined by Western blot analysis.

Results:

Both ALX5407 and ALX1393 ameliorated thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Respiratory or neuromotor side effects were not observed. NR-1 expression in the ipsilateral spinal cord was significantly reduced by ALX5407, but not by ALX1393. The expression of GlyT1 and GlyT2 remained unchanged.

Conclusions:

Continuous systemic inhibition of GlyT significantly ameliorates neuropathic pain in rats. Thus, GlyT represent promising targets in pain research. Modulation of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor expression might represent a novel mechanism for the antinociceptive action of GyT1 inhibitors.
Discovery of a relict lineage and monotypic family of passerine birds
Authors: Alström Per , Hooper Daniel M. , Liu Yang , Olsson Urban , Mohan Dhananjai , Gelang Magnus , Le Manh Hung , Zhao Jian , Lei Fumin , Price Trevor D.
Published: March 2014

Analysis of one of the most comprehensive datasets to date of the largest passerine bird clade, Passerida, identified 10 primary well-supported lineages corresponding to Sylvioidea, Muscicapoidea, Certhioidea, Passeroidea, the ‘bombycillids’ (here proposed to be recognized as Bombycilloidea), Paridae/Remizidae (proposed to be recognized as Paroidea), Stenostiridae, Hyliotidae, Regulidae (proposed to be recognized as Reguloidea) and spotted wren-babbler
Spelaeornis formosus
. The latter was found on a single branch in a strongly supported clade with Muscicapoidea, Certhioidea and Bombycilloidea, although the relationships among these were unresolved. We conclude that the spotted wren-babbler represents a relict basal lineage within Passerida with no close extant relatives, and we support the already used name
Elachura formosa
and propose the new family name Elachuridae for this single species.
A minimal model of predator–swarm interactions
Authors: Chen Yuxin , Kolokolnikov Theodore
Published: March 2014

We propose a minimal model of predator–swarm interactions which captures many of the essential dynamics observed in nature. Different outcomes are observed depending on the predator strength. For a ‘weak’ predator, the swarm is able to escape the predator completely. As the strength is increased, the predator is able to catch up with the swarm as a whole, but the individual prey is able to escape by ‘confusing’ the predator: the prey forms a ring with the predator at the centre. For higher predator strength, complex chasing dynamics are observed which can become chaotic. For even higher strength, the predator is able to successfully capture the prey. Our model is simple enough to be amenable to a full mathematical analysis, which is used to predict the shape of the swarm as well as the resulting predator–prey dynamics as a function of model parameters. We show that, as the predator strength is increased, there is a transition (owing to a Hopf bifurcation) from confusion state to chasing dynamics, and we compute the threshold analytically. Our analysis indicates that the swarming behaviour is not helpful in avoiding the predator, suggesting that there are other reasons why the species may swarm. The complex shape of the swarm in our model during the chasing dynamics is similar to the shape of a flock of sheep avoiding a shepherd.
A belief-based model for characterizing the spread of awareness and its impacts on individuals' vaccination decisions
Authors: Xia Shang , Liu Jiming
Published: March 2014

During an epidemic, individuals' decisions on whether or not to take vaccine may affect the dynamics of disease spread and, therefore, the effectiveness of disease control. Empirical studies have shown that such decisions can be subjected to individuals' awareness about disease and vaccine, such as their perceived disease severity and vaccine safety. The aim of this paper is to gain a better understanding of individuals' vaccination behaviour by modelling the spread of awareness in a group of socially connected individuals and examining the associated impacts on their vaccination decision-making. In our model, we examine whether or not individuals will get vaccinated as well as when they would. In doing so, we consider three possible decisions from an individual, i.e. to accept, to reject, and yet to decide, and further associate them with a set of belief values. Next, we extend the Dempster–Shafer theory to characterize individuals' belief value updates and their decision-making, having incorporated the awareness obtained from their connected neighbours. Furthermore, we examine two factors that will affect individuals' vaccination decisions: (i) reporting rates of disease- and vaccine-related events, and (ii) fading coefficient of awareness spread. By doing so, we can assess the impacts of awareness spread by evaluating the vaccination dynamics in terms of the number of vaccinated individuals. The results have demonstrated that the former influences the ratio of vaccinated individuals, whereas the latter affects the time when individuals decide to take vaccine.
The role of ecological opportunity in shaping disparate diversification trajectories in a bicontinental primate radiation
Authors: Tran Lucy A. P.
Published: March 2014

Exceptional species and phenotypic diversity commonly are attributed to ecological opportunity (EO). The conventional EO model predicts that rates of lineage diversification and phenotypic evolution are elevated early in a radiation only to decline later in response to niche availability. Foregut fermentation is hypothesized to be a key innovation that allowed colobine monkeys (subfamily Colobinae), the only primates with this trait, to successfully colonize folivore adaptive zones unavailable to other herbivorous species. Therefore, diversification rates also are expected to be strongly linked with the evolution of traits related to folivory in these monkeys. Using dated molecular phylogenies and a dataset of feeding morphology, I test predictions of the EO model to evaluate the role of EO conferred by foregut fermentation in shaping the African and Asian colobine radiations. Findings from diversification methods coupled with colobine biogeographic history provide compelling evidence that decreasing availability of new adaptive zones during colonization of Asia together with constraints presented by dietary specialization underlie temporal changes in diversification in the Asian but not African clade. Additionally, departures from the EO model likely reflect iterative diversification events in Asia.
Resolving the roles of body size and species identity in driving functional diversity
Authors: Rudolf Volker H. W. , Rasmussen Nick L. , Dibble Christopher J. , Van Allen Benjamin G.
Published: March 2014

Efforts to characterize food webs have generated two influential approaches that reduce the complexity of natural communities. The traditional approach groups individuals based on their species identity, while recently developed approaches group individuals based on their body size. While each approach has provided important insights, they have largely been used in parallel in different systems. Consequently, it remains unclear how body size and species identity interact, hampering our ability to develop a more holistic framework that integrates both approaches. We address this conceptual gap by developing a framework which describes how both approaches are related to each other, revealing that both approaches share common but untested assumptions about how variation across size classes or species influences differences in ecological interactions among consumers. Using freshwater mesocosms with dragonfly larvae as predators, we then experimentally demonstrate that while body size strongly determined how predators affected communities, these size effects were species specific and frequently nonlinear, violating a key assumption underlying both size- and species-based approaches. Consequently, neither purely species- nor size-based approaches were adequate to predict functional differences among predators. Instead, functional differences emerged from the synergistic effects of body size and species identity. This clearly demonstrates the need to integrate size- and species-based approaches to predict functional diversity within communities.
The clock genePeriod1regulates innate routine behaviour in mice
Authors: Bechstein Philipp , Rehbach Nils-Jörn , Yuhasingham Gowzekan , Schürmann Christoph , Göpfert Melanie , Kössl Manfred , Maronde Erik
Published: March 2014

Laboratory mice are well capable of performing innate routine behaviour programmes necessary for courtship, nest-building and exploratory activities although housed for decades in animal facilities. We found that in mice inactivation of the clock genePeriod1profoundly changes innate routine behaviour programmes like those necessary for courtship, nest building, exploration and learning. These results in wild-type andPeriod1mutant mice, together with earlier findings on courtship behaviour in wild-type andperiod-mutantDrosophila melanogaster, suggest a conserved role ofPeriod-genes on innate routine behaviour. Additionally, bothper-mutant flies andPeriod1-mutant mice display spatial learning and memory deficits. The profound influence ofPeriod1on routine behaviour programmes in mice, including female partner choice, may be independent of its function as a circadian clock gene, sincePeriod1-deficient mice display normal circadian behaviour.
Highly conjugative IncX4 plasmids carrying bla
CTX-M in Escherichia coli from humans and food animals
Authors: Lo Wai-U , Chow Kin-Hung , Law Pierra Y. , Ng Ka-Ying , Cheung Yuk-Yam , Lai Eileen L. , Ho Pak-Leung
Published: March 2014

This study investigated the prevalence of IncX plasmid subtypes in commensal and pathogenic Escherichia coli isolates and the biological features of the IncX4 subtype. Two hundred and twenty-five E. coli isolates from multiple sources (47 chickens, 41 pigs, 30 cattle and 107 humans) obtained during the period 2006–2012 were tested for the presence of IncX1 to IncX5. Overall, the prevalence of IncX plasmids in chicken, pig, cattle and human isolates were 21.2 % (10/47), 19.5 % (8/41), 3.3 % (1/30) and 4.8 % (5/107), respectively. IncX4 was the most common subtype, followed by IncX1 and IncX3, while no IncX2 or IncX5 were found. Seven out of 16 (43.8 %) IncX4 plasmids were found to carry bla
CTX-M genes and six of them originating from different host sources (four chickens, one pig and one human) had identical or highly similar RFLP patterns. Three IncX4 plasmids carrying bla
CTX-M from different host sources were investigated further. It was found that the IncX4 plasmids had little effect on bacterial host growth parameters after their introduction to J53 recipients. Conjugation experiments demonstrated that the IncX4 plasmids could be efficiently transferred at 30–42 °C at rates which were generally 102–105-fold higher than those for the epidemic IncFII plasmid carrying bla
CTX-M (pHK01). In conclusion, the IncX plasmids are more common than previously recognized. The efficient transfer of IncX4 plasmid at different temperatures and the lack of fitness burden on bacterial hosts highlight the ability of this plasmid replicon to be an important vehicle for dissemination of antimicrobial resistance.
Systems Analysis of Guard Cell Membrane Transport for Enhanced Stomatal Dynamics and Water Use Efficiency
Authors: Wang Yizhou , Hills Adrian , Blatt Michael R.
Published: March 2014

Stomatal transpiration is at the center of a crisis in water availability and crop production that is expected to unfold over the next 20 to 30 years. Global water usage has increased 6-fold in the past 100 years, twice as fast as the human population, and is expected to double again before 2030, driven mainly by irrigation and agriculture. Guard cell membrane transport is integral to controlling stomatal aperture and offers important targets for genetic manipulation to improve crop performance. However, its complexity presents a formidable barrier to exploring such possibilities. With few exceptions, mutations that increase water use efficiency commonly have been found to do so with substantial costs to the rate of carbon assimilation, reflecting the trade-off in CO2 availability with suppressed stomatal transpiration. One approach yet to be explored in detail relies on quantitative systems analysis of the guard cell. Our deep knowledge of transport and homeostasis in these cells gives real substance to the prospect for reverse engineering of stomatal responses, using in silico design in directing genetic manipulation for improved water use and crop yields. Here we address this problem with a focus on stomatal kinetics, taking advantage of the OnGuard software and models of the stomatal guard cell recently developed for exploring stomatal physiology. Our analysis suggests that manipulations of single transporter populations are likely to have unforeseen consequences. Channel gating, especially of the dominant K+ channels, appears the most favorable target for experimental manipulation.
Peer‐Reviewed Forensic Consultation in Practice: Multidisciplinary Oversight in Common Expertise
Authors: Welner Michael , Davey Emily E. , Bernstein Adam
Published: March 2014

The fallibility of forensic science consultation is an ongoing and major justice concern. Prospective peer‐reviewed forensic consultation has over 10 years of application in American criminal and civil courts, adapting from the traditional oversight of teaching hospitals, rules of evidence and discovery, conventions of testimony of expert witnesses, and attorneys' overall trial strategy. In systematizing heightened oversight, this process ensures greater accountability in forensic science consultation. The integration of peer reviewers' complementary expertise and experience enhances the sophistication and overall quality of assessment. Forensic examination frequently involves the interface of different specialties. Multidisciplinary peer review augments expert proficiency with that of professional peers having different vantage points from relevant scientific disciplines. This approach ensures greater sophistication of a case inquiry, built‐in accountability, and streamlined processes when multiple experts are necessitated. Here, the authors present examples of several cases and the primary and secondary benefits of this collaborative, rigorous, cross‐disciplinary exercise.
The Public's Increasing Punitiveness and Its Influence on Mass Incarceration in the United States
Authors: Enns Peter K.
Published: March 2014

Following more than 30 years of rising incarceration rates, the United States now imprisons a higher proportion of its population than any country in the world. Building on theories of representation and organized interest group behavior, this article argues that an increasingly punitive public has been a primary reason for this prolific expansion. To test this hypothesis, I generate a new over‐time measure of the public's support for being tough on crime. The analysis suggests that, controlling for the crime rate, illegal drug use, inequality, and the party in power, since 1953 public opinion has been a fundamental determinant of changes in the incarceration rate. If the public's punitiveness had stopped rising in the mid‐1970s, the results imply that there would have been approximately 20% fewer incarcerations. Additionally, an analysis of congressional attention to criminal justice issues supports the argument that the public's attitudes have led, not followed, political elites.
Comparing hands‐on and video training for postpartum hemorrhage management
Authors: Nilsson Cecilia , Sørensen Bjarke Lund , Sørensen Jette Led
Published: March 2014

The objective was to compare two teaching methods for postpartum hemorrhage management: interactive hands‐on training and non‐interactive video training. In a controlled intervention study at a secondary health care center in Kenya, the two training methods, based on the Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics curriculum, were evaluated utilizing structured observation of a standardized scenario before and after training. Both intervention groups significantly increased in performance scores after receiving hands‐on training: 40% (95% CI 29.5–47.0) and video training: 34.5% (95% CI 25.0–42.0); likewise, pass rates improved significantly. No significant differences in performance score or pass rates were found between the two methods. The findings indicate that postpartum hemorrhage management training by mobile media might be just as effective as conventional hands‐on training and a feasible way to overcome the outreach gap in sub‐Saharan Africa's rural areas, where peripheral health facilities are generally difficult to reach with conventional training programs.
The prevalence of inflammatory sacroiliitis assessed on magnetic resonance imaging of inflammatory bowel disease: a retrospective study performed on 186 patients
Authors: Leclerc‐Jacob S. , Lux G. , Rat A. C. , Laurent V. , Blum A. , Chary‐Valckenaere I. , Peyrin‐Biroulet L. , Loeuille D.
Published: March 2014

Background

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) colonography or enterography is increasingly used to assess disease activity and complications in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, no study has evaluated the role of this imaging technique to assess sacroiliitis.

Aim

The primary objective was to assess the prevalence of inflammatory sacroiliitis on MRI performed for IBD investigation. The secondary aim was to elucidate clinico‐biological factors associated with the presence of sacroiliitis.

Methods

This study was performed on 186 patients suffering from IBD followed in a gastroenterology department between 2004 and 2011: 131 with Crohn's disease and 55 with ulcerative colitis. Clinico‐biological and endoscopic data were collected and MR enterography or colonography was performed to assess IBD activity on axial and coronal fat suppressed injected T1‐weighted sequences. On MRI, sacroiliitis was scored blindly by two independent readers according to ASAS (Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society) criteria.

Results

The prevalence of inflammatory sacroiliitis was 16.7% (n = 31). Sacroiliitis was bilateral in 14 cases and unilateral in 17 cases. The sacroiliac joints were considered normal in 144 cases and doubtful in 11 cases. Older age and female gender were significantly associated with the presence of sacroiliitis. Other factors such as type of IBD, disease duration and localisation of IBD, surgery history, biological inflammation, bowel disease activity and treatment were not associated with sacroiliitis.

Conclusion

Inflammatory sacroiliitis was evidenced by MRI in 16.7% in patients suffering from IBD. Added to clinico‐biological data, MRI analysis should contribute to an earlier diagnosis of axial spondylarthritis in patients with IBD.
Assessing long‐term fish responses and short‐term solutions to flow regulation in a dryland river basin
Authors: Pool Thomas K. , Olden Julian D.
Published: March 2014

Water resource development and non‐native species have been cited as primary drivers associated with the decline of native fishes in dryland rivers. To explore this topic, long‐term trends in the fish community composition of the Bill Williams River basin were studied over a 30‐year period (Arizona, USA). We sampled 31 sites throughout the basin that were included in fish surveys by Arizona Game and Fish in 1994–97 and the Bureau of Land Management in 1979–80. We found that non‐native species have proliferated throughout the entire basin, with greater densities in the lower elevations. Native species have persisted throughout most of the major river segments, but have experienced significant declines in frequency of occurrence and abundance in areas also containing high abundances of non‐native species. Next, we assessed the short‐term response of the fish assemblage to an experimental flood event from the system's only dam (i.e. Alamo Dam). In response to the flood, we observed a short‐term reduction in the abundance of non‐native species in sites close to the dam, but the fish assemblage returned to its preflood composition within 8 days of the event, with the exception of small‐bodied fish, which sustained lower postflood densities. Our findings demonstrate the importance of natural flow regime on the balance of native and non‐native species at the basin scale within dryland rivers and highlight minimal effects on non‐native fishes in response to short duration flood releases below dams.
International online survey to assess current practice in equine anaesthesia
Authors: Wohlfender F. D. , Doherr M. G. , Driessen B. , Hartnack S. , Johnston G. M. , Bettschart‐Wolfensberger R.
Published: March 2014

Reasons for performing study

Multicentre Confidential Enquiries into Perioperative Equine Fatalities (CEPEF) have not been conducted since the initial CEPEF Phases 1–3, 20 years ago.

Objectives

To collect data on current practice in equine anaesthesia and to recruit participants for CEPEF‐4.

Study design

Online questionnaire survey.

Methods

An online questionnaire was prepared and the link distributed internationally to veterinarians possibly performing equine anaesthesia, using emails, posters, flyers and an editorial. The questionnaire included 52 closed, semiclosed and open questions divided into 8 subgroups: demographic data, anaesthetist, anaesthesia management (preoperative, technical equipment, monitoring, drugs, recovery), areas of improvements and risks and motivation for participation in CEPEF‐4. Descriptive statistics and Chi‐squared tests for comparison of categorical variables were performed.

Results

A total of 199 questionnaires were completed by veterinarians from 14 different countries. Of the respondents, 43% worked in private hospitals, 36% in private practices and 21% in university teaching hospitals. In 40 institutions (23%) there was at least one diplomate of the European or American colleges of veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia on staff. Individual respondents reported routinely employ the following anaesthesia monitoring modalities: electrocardiography (80%), invasive arterial blood pressures (70%), pulse oximetry (60%), capnography (55%), arterial blood gases (47%), composition of inspired and expired gases (45%) and body temperature (35%). Drugs administered frequently or routinely as part of a standard protocol were: acepromazine (44%), xylazine (68%), butorphanol (59%), ketamine (96%), diazepam (83%), isoflurane (76%), dobutamine (46%), and, as a nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug, phenylbutazone (73%) or flunixin meglumine (66%). Recovery was routinely assisted by 40%. The main factors perceived by the respondents to affect outcome of equine anaesthesia were the preoperative health status of the animal and training of the anaesthetist.

Conclusions

Current practice in equine anaesthesia varies widely, and the study has highlighted important topics relevant for designing a future prospective multicentre cohort study (CEPEF‐4).

The Summary is available in Chinese – see Supporting information.
Validation of the Spanish version of the 9‐item Shared Decision‐Making Questionnaire
Authors: De las Cuevas Carlos , Perestelo‐Perez Lilisbeth , Rivero‐Santana Amado , Cebolla‐Martí Ausiàs , Scholl Isabelle , Härter Martin
Published: March 2014

Objective

To translate and assess the psychometric properties of the 9‐item Shared Decision‐Making Questionnaire (SDM‐Q‐9) for measuring patients' perceptions of how clinicians' performance fits the SDM process.

Design

Cross‐sectional study.

Setting and Participants

Data were collected in primary care health centres. Patients suffering from chronic diseases and facing a medical decision were included in the study.

Measurements

The original German SDM‐Q‐9 was translated to Spanish using the process of cross‐cultural adaptation of self‐reported measures as the methodological model for Spanish translation. Reliability (internal consistency) and construct validity [exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA)] were assessed.

Results

The final Spanish version of the SDM‐Q‐9 was tested in a primary care sample of 540 patients. The SDM‐Q‐9 presented adequate reliability and acceptable validity. Internal consistency yielded a Cronbach's alpha of 0.885 for the whole scale. EFA showed a two‐factorial solution, and for the CFA, the best solution was obtained with a one‐dimensional factor with the item 1 excluded, which produced the best indexes of fit.

Discussion and Conclusions

The Spanish version of the SDM‐Q‐9 showed adequate reliability and acceptable validity parameters among primary care patients. The SDM‐Q‐9 is suitable for use in Spain and other Spanish‐speaking countries with similarly organized health‐care systems. The use of the SDM‐Q‐9 may contribute to the evaluation of SDM process from the patient's perspective.
Origins and Transformations. Recent Historiography on the Nobility in the Medieval Low Countries I
Authors: van Steensel Arie
Published: March 2014

The medieval Low Countries are not usually associated with nobility and knighthood, but historical research in the past decades has proven that they should be. This series of essays gives a historiographical overview of the recent literature on the nobility in the medieval Low Countries and links it with major international debates on the subject. This first of the three sections into which this survey is organised deals with the origins and evolution of the nobility, knighthood and ministeriality during the central Middle Ages. The early history of the nobility in the medieval Low Countries would benefit from trans‐regional approaches in order to understand general patterns of development and regional peculiarities, and would offer an opportunity to confront different historiographical traditions by making comparisons with other European regions.
“Neoclassical Architecture in Spanish Colonial America: A Negotiated Modernity”
Authors: Niell Paul
Published: March 2014

The neoclassical style in Spanish Colonial architecture in the Americas emerged in the late 18th century under the impact of the reforms of the Bourbon monarchy. While subdued ornament, strict geometry, and Greco‐Roman revival motifs characterize this style internationally, few studies examine neoclassical architecture's translation in the Spanish Americas. Scholars such as Manuel Toussaint, George Kubler, and Jean Charlot have associated the Royal Academy of San Carlos with neoclassicism and a shifting away from prevalent baroque aesthetics. Yet neoclassicism's interplay with previous baroque idioms in the Spanish Americas calls into question its functions in colonial society, its reception by period audiences, and local impacts on international forms. Furthermore, the specific roles that neoclassicism played in projects of imperial reform and its negotiation by American societies requires revisionist approaches to the topic.
Culture, Class, and Revolution in China's Turbulent Decade: A Cultural Revolution State of the Field
Authors: Ho Denise Y.
Published: March 2014

This article surveys the recent scholarship on China's Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) from a variety of disciplines. It selects three keywords – culture, class, and revolution – and shows how contemporary research has reframed our understanding of each concept. Studies of culture argue that Cultural Revolution culture was an integral part of China's 20th century project of modernization, examinations of class challenge the role of class status in explaining action while offering new frameworks for understanding class, and analyses of the “revolution” in the Cultural Revolution question how we locate it within the history of 20th century China.
The effects of Chinese five‐element music therapy on nursing students with depressed mood
Authors: Chen Chen‐Jung , Sung Huei‐Chuan , Lee Ming‐Shinn , Chang Ching‐Yuan
Published: March 2014

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Chinese five‐element music therapy on nursing students with depressed mood. We randomly assigned 71 nursing students from Taiwan with depressed mood to the music and control groups. The music group (n = 31) received Chinese five‐element music therapy, whereas the participants in the control group (n = 40) maintained their routine lifestyles with no music therapy. All of the participants were assessed using the Depression Mood Self‐Report Inventory for Adolescence, and their salivary cortisol levels were measured. The study found that there was a significant reduction in depression between the pre‐ and posttherapy test scores and in salivary cortisol levels over time in the music group. After receiving the music therapy, the nursing students' depression levels were significantly reduced (P = 0.038) compared with the control group (P < 0.001). These results indicate that the Chinese five‐element music therapy has the potential to reduce the level of depression in nursing students with depressed mood.
Cluster dyads of risk factors and symptoms are associated with major adverse cardiac events in patients with acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Hwang Seon Young , Kim JinShil
Published: March 2014

The purpose of this study was to examine the cluster dyads of risk factors and symptoms and their impact on the incidence of 12 month major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) among patients with first‐time myocardial infarction (MI). In a descriptive study, a total of 522 patients completed semi‐structured interviews for data on risk factors and symptoms. Patients were followed for 12 months to determine MACEs. Latent class cluster analysis was performed to identify risk factor clusters and symptom clusters. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the impact of cluster dyads on 12 month MACEs. There were 436 event‐free survivors and 86 patients with MACEs for 12 months. Ten risk factors and 14 symptoms were clustered into two (dyslipidemia/smoking, hypertension/diabetes dominant) and three (typical, multiple, atypical) memberships, respectively. Six cluster dyads which were generated based on the association between risk factors and symptom clusters were a significant predictor of 12 month MACEs, with the incidence occurring three times higher in a dyad of hypertension/diabetes‐and‐atypical symptoms than a dyad of dyslipidemia/smoking‐and‐typical symptoms (odds ratio = 3.10, P = 0.01), after adjustment for age, gender and a type of MI diagnosis. The information on cluster dyads suggests that health‐care providers need to consider both risk factors and symptoms at hospital presentation for risk stratification to prevent adverse outcomes.
Critical role of the endogenous interferon ligand–receptors in type I and type II interferons response
Authors: Lasfar Ahmed , Cook Jeffry R. , Cohen Solal Karine A. , Reuhl Kenneth , Kotenko Sergei V. , Langer Jerome A. , Laskin Debra L.
Published: March 2014

Separate ligand–receptor paradigms are commonly used for each type of interferon (IFN). However, accumulating evidence suggests that type I and type II IFNs may not be restricted to independent pathways. Using different cell types deficient in IFNAR1, IFNAR2, IFNGR1, IFNGR2 and IFN‐γ, we evaluated the contribution of each element of the IFN system to the activity of type I and type II IFNs. We show that deficiency in IFNAR1 or IFNAR2 is associated with impairment of type II IFN activity. This impairment, presumably resulting from the disruption of the ligand–receptor complex, is obtained in all cell types tested. However, deficiency of IFNGR1, IFNGR2 or IFN‐γ was associated with an impairment of type I IFN activity in spleen cells only, correlating with the constitutive expression of type II IFN (IFN‐γ) observed on those cells. Therefore, in vitro the constitutive expression of both the receptors and the ligands of type I or type II IFN is critical for the enhancement of the IFN activity. Any IFN deficiency can totally or partially impair IFN activity, suggesting the importance of type I and type II IFN interactions. Taken together, our results suggest that type I and type II IFNs may regulate biological activities through distinct as well as common IFN receptor complexes.
Psychological and Biological Processes in Children Associated with High Conflict Parental Divorce
Authors: Davidson Ryan D. , O'Hara Karey L. , Beck Connie J. A.
Published: March 2014

Several factors impact a child's adjustment after a parental divorce; a well‐established one is the level of parental conflict during and after a divorce. Research is beginning to investigate the biological mechanisms that may be impacted by childhood trauma in general and parental high conflict specifically. This paper reviews the existing research concerning the relationship between exposure to high parental conflict/trauma and the biological stress response system (the hypothalamic‐pituitary adrenocortical axis and the sympathetic nervous system), sleep, and psychological maladjustment. We propose a conceptual model linking biological and psychological responses and discuss suggestions for future research.