bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phase transitions and the piezoelectricity around morphotropic phase boundary in Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3-x(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 lead-free solid solution
Authors: Zhang Le , Zhang Ming , Wang Liang , Zhou Chao , Zhang Zhen , Yao Yonggang , Zhang Lixue , Xue Dezhen , Lou Xiaojie , Ren Xiaobing
Published: October 2014

In this paper, two displacive phase transitions around the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) in Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3-x(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 (BZT-xBCT) ceramics were detected by inspecting two anomalies of the Raman Ti4+-O2− longitudinal optical mode (∼725 cm−1). Further, permittivity and X-ray diffraction results demonstrated these two phase transitions originate from tetragonal (T) to rhombohedral (R) through an intermediate orthorhombic (O) phase. Importantly, we found that the maximum piezoelectric response (d33 = 545pC/N) was achieved at the boundary between the T and O phase, indicating that the giant piezoelectricity of BZT-xBCT may mainly stem from the T-O phase boundary due to easier polarization rotation and larger lattice softening.
Rapid and highly sensitive detection using Fano resonances in ultrathin plasmonic nanogratings
Authors: Zeng Beibei , Gao Yongkang , Bartoli Filbert J.
Published: October 2014

We developed a nanoplasmonic sensor platform employing the extraordinary optical properties of one-dimensional nanogratings patterned on 30 nm-thick ultrathin Ag films. Excitation of Fano resonances in the ultrathin Ag nanogratings results in transmission spectra with high amplitude, large contrast, and narrow bandwidth, making them well-suited for rapid and highly sensitive sensing applications. The ultrathin nanoplasmonic sensor chip was integrated with a polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic channel, and the measured refractive index resolution was found to be 1.46 × 10−6 refractive index units with a high temporal resolution of 1 s. This compares favorably with commercial prism-based surface plasmon resonance sensors, but is achieved using a more convenient collinear transmission geometry and a significantly smaller sensor footprint of 50 × 50 μm2. In addition, an order-of-magnitude improvement in the temporal and spatial resolutions was achieved relative to state-of-the-art nanoplasmonic sensors, for comparable detection resolutions.
Schottky contact by Ag on In2O3 (111) single crystals
Authors: Nazarzadehmoafi M. , Machulik S. , Neske F. , Scherer V. , Janowitz C. , Galazka Z. , Mulazzi M. , Manzke R.
Published: October 2014

The barrier height of a metal-semiconductor contact was studied by means of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, which was implemented through stepwise Ag deposition on the ultra-high vacuum cleaved (111) surface of melt-grown In2O3 single crystals. A small Schottky barrier height of 0.22 ± 0.08 eV was determined by following the band bending of the valence band and core level spectra with Ag thickness and corrected for the photovoltage effect. In addition, the work function of Ag and the electron affinity of In2O3 were measured in situ to be 4.30 ± 0.05 eV and 4.18 ± 0.06 eV, respectively. Agreement was observed when comparing the barrier height from band bending to the calculated one by applying the Schottky-Mott rule, yielding a value of 0.12 ± 0.11 eV. Due to an additionally appearing photovoltage, an explicit reference to the surface electron accumulation layer is not necessary when discussing the Schottky character of the Ag/In2O3 contact.
Elastocaloric effect in a textured polycrystalline Ni-Mn-In-Co metamagnetic shape memory alloy
Authors: Lu Binfeng , Xiao Fei , Yan Aru , Liu Jian
Published: October 2014

By direct measurements, the elastocaloric effect at various temperatures in a [001]-oriented Ni45.7Mn36.6In13.3Co5.1 metamagnetic shape memory polycrystal has been investigated. A reversible temperature change of ±3.5 K, due to the relatively low stress (100 MPa) induced martensitic transformation, was observed at room temperature. A theoretical analysis based on the Debye description has revealed that the adiabatic temperature change arising from the lattice vibration plays a dominant role in the large elastocaloric effect for Ni-Mn-In-Co alloys.
Universal stretched exponential relaxation in nanoconfined water
Authors: Shekhar Adarsh , Kalia Rajiv K. , Nakano Aiichiro , Vashishta Priya , Alm Camilla K. , Malthe-Sørenssen Anders
Published: October 2014

Understanding the behavior of water confined at the nanometer scale is a fundamental problem not only in physics but also in life sciences, geosciences, and atmospheric sciences. Here, we examine spatial and dynamic heterogeneities in water confined in nanoporous silica using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The simulations reveal intermixed low-density water and high-density water with distinct local structures in nanopores of silica. The MD simulations also show dynamic heterogeneities in nanoconfined water. The temporal decay of cage correlation functions for room temperature and supercooled, nanoconfined water is very well described by stretched exponential relaxation, exp(−(t/τ)β). The exponent β has a unique value, d/(d + 2), which agrees with an exact result for diffusion in systems with static, random traps in d = 3 dimensions.
Discussion on device structures and hermetic encapsulation for SiOx random access memory operation in air
Authors: Zhou Fei , Chang Yao-Feng , Wang Yanzhen , Chen Yen-Ting , Xue Fei , Fowler Burt W. , Lee Jack C.
Published: October 2014

An edge-free structure and hermetic encapsulation technique are presented that enable SiOx-based resistive random-access memory (RRAM) operation in air. A controlled etch study indicates that the switching filament is close to the SiOx surface in devices with an exposed SiOx edge. Electrical test of encapsulated, edge-free devices in 1 atmosphere air indicates stable switching characteristics, unlike devices with an edge. This work demonstrates that SiOx RRAM is able to operate in air with proper encapsulation and an edge-free structure. The resistive switching failure mechanism when operating in air is explained by the oxidation of hydrogen-complexed defects in the switching filament.
The problems of adverbs in Zulu
Authors: Cheng Lisa Lai-Shen , Downing Laura J.
Published: October 2014

Adverbs in Durban Zulu appear to have contradictory properties. On the one
hand, when they appear with intransitive verbs, they phrase prosodically with
the verb, just like direct objects. On the other hand, adverbs which appear with
transitive verbs are like typical adjuncts, which are adjoined above νP, and they
are prosodically phrased separately from the rest of the sentence. We suggest
that due to the nominal character of adverbs in Zulu, they can be selected by
the verb. Selected materials (including selected adverbs) are merged at the time
of main structure building, while non-selected adverbs and other adjuncts are
merged late. The timing of the merger of adverbs reflects their prosodic phrasing
properties.
No Stress Typology
Authors: Goedemans Rob , van Zanten Ellen
Published: October 2014

Our contribution introduces a new typological database on word stress that is
being constructed from two separate databases. We offer a sneak preview of the
distribution of languages by stress type in these two databases, and conclude
that we should not expect to gain any drastic new insights from the new database
with respect to this distribution. Secondly, broadening our views beyond
Indonesian – a language without word stress – we investigated descriptions
of all Austronesian languages for which the phonological status of word stress
seems doubtful, to see whether there are more of these “stressless” languages.
We conclude that there may be quite a few such languages, and hypothesize that
the use of phrasal accent rather than word stress is a fairly widespread linguistic
feature in the Malayo-Polynesian area.
The effect of pause insertion on the intelligibility of Danish among Swedes
Authors: Gooskens Charlotte , van Bezooijen Renée
Published: October 2014

Scharpff & Van Heuven (1988) have shown that low-quality, synthetic speech is
better understood when pauses are inserted at prosodic boundaries. Their study
pertains to an L1 situation. In the present paper we test the hypothesis that the
positive effect of particular pauses on intelligibility within the same language
can be generalized to speech of an unknown but closely related language. We
presented long Danish sentences to Swedish listeners in two versions, one without
pauses and one with pauses at prosodic boundaries. The results showed that
the percentage of correct translations was higher for sentences with pauses than
for sentences without pauses, thus confirming our hypothesis.
The Laryngeal Class in RcvP and Voice phenomena in Dutch
Authors: van der Hulst Harry
Published: October 2014

This article proposes a system for representing phonation distinction in consonants
within Radical CV Phonology (RCVP), a dependency-based model that
uses unary “features” (called elements). The RCVP model is briefly outlined.
The proposal for phonation distinction is compared to traditional binary
systems and other unary proposals in the context of Government Phonology.
The model is applied to phonation distinctions in Dutch, English and French
which has traditionally been claimed to have different analyses. RCVP proposes
a more unified analysis that uses the notion of enhancement. This article pays
specific attention to voicing phenomena in Dutch (final devoicing, progressive
and regressive voice assimilation) to illustrate and motivate certain aspects of
the proposed system.
The mental representation of plural events
Authors: Patson Nikole D. , Warren Tessa
Published: October 2014

A growing body of work suggests that in the absence of strong cues to individuation, comprehenders leave their mental representations of plural entities underspecified—that is, they mentally represent plural noun phrases (NPs) as groups or nondifferentiated sets. The current paper investigates whether this also holds for plural events. Experiments 1a–1b used an aspectual coercion manipulation to provide evidence that event plurality can be indexed by the number-of-words judgement task that Patson and Warren [2010. Evidence for distributivity effects in comprehension. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 36, 782–789] used to investigate the mental representation of plural nouns. Experiment 2 confirmed this by showing that comprehenders mentally represent predicates associated with distributive quantifiers as plural, and they do so immediately at the verb rather than waiting until the completion of the predicate. Experiment 3 probed inherently distributed verbs and showed that inherent distributivity is not enough to push comprehenders to mentally represent multiple events. Only when the subject of an inherently distributed verb is a conjoined NP, rather than a plural definite description, do comprehenders mentally represent multiple events. Experiment 4 replicated and extended Experiment 3. This body of findings suggests that in the absence of strong cues to individuation, plural events are left underspecified. However, when disambiguating information is provided, comprehenders do mentally represent number information explicitly and incrementally.
Working memory and number line representations in single-digit addition: Approximate versus exact, nonsymbolic versus symbolic
Authors: Xenidou-Dervou Iro , van der Schoot Menno , van Lieshout Ernest C. D. M.
Published: October 2014

How do kindergarteners solve different single-digit addition problem formats? We administered problems that differed solely on the basis of two dimensions: response type (approximate or exact), and stimulus type (nonsymbolic, i.e., dots, or symbolic, i.e., Arabic numbers). We examined how performance differs across these dimensions, and which cognitive mechanism (mental model, transcoding, or phonological storage) underlies performance in each problem format with respect to working memory (WM) resources and mental number line representations. As expected, nonsymbolic problem formats were easier than symbolic ones. The visuospatial sketchpad was the primary predictor of nonsymbolic addition. Symbolic problem formats were harder because they either required the storage and manipulation of quantitative symbols phonologically or taxed more WM resources than their nonsymbolic counterparts. In symbolic addition, WM and mental number line results showed that when an approximate response was needed, children transcoded the information to the nonsymbolic code. When an exact response was needed, however, they phonologically stored numerical information in the symbolic code. Lastly, we found that more accurate symbolic mental number line representations were related to better performance in exact addition problem formats, not the approximate ones. This study extends our understanding of the cognitive processes underlying children's simple addition skills.
Statistical significance of variables driving systematic variation in high-dimensional data
Authors: Chung Neo Christopher , Storey John D.
Published: October 2014

Motivation: There are a number of well-established methods such as principal component analysis (PCA) for automatically capturing systematic variation due to latent variables in large-scale genomic data. PCA and related methods may directly provide a quantitative characterization of a complex biological variable that is otherwise difficult to precisely define or model. An unsolved problem in this context is how to systematically identify the genomic variables that are drivers of systematic variation captured by PCA. Principal components (PCs) (and other estimates of systematic variation) are directly constructed from the genomic variables themselves, making measures of statistical significance artificially inflated when using conventional methods due to over-fitting.

Results: We introduce a new approach called the jackstraw that allows one to accurately identify genomic variables that are statistically significantly associated with any subset or linear combination of PCs. The proposed method can greatly simplify complex significance testing problems encountered in genomics and can be used to identify the genomic variables significantly associated with latent variables. Using simulation, we demonstrate that our method attains accurate measures of statistical significance over a range of relevant scenarios. We consider yeast cell-cycle gene expression data, and show that the proposed method can be used to straightforwardly identify genes that are cell-cycle regulated with an accurate measure of statistical significance. We also analyze gene expression data from post-trauma patients, allowing the gene expression data to provide a molecularly driven phenotype. Using our method, we find a greater enrichment for inflammatory-related gene sets compared to the original analysis that uses a clinically defined, although likely imprecise, phenotype. The proposed method provides a useful bridge between large-scale quantifications of systematic variation and gene-level significance analyses.

Availability and implementation: An R software package, called jackstraw, is available in CRAN.

Contact: jstorey@princeton.edu
Temporal aggregation of bottom trawling and its implication for the impact on the benthic ecosystem
Authors: van Denderen P. Daniël , Hintzen Niels T. , van Kooten Tobias , Rijnsdorp Adriaan D.
Published: October 2014

Understanding trawling impacts on the benthic ecosystem depends to a large extent on the ability to estimate trawling activity at the appropriate scale. Several studies have assessed trawling at fine spatial scales yearly, largely ignoring temporal patterns. In this study, we analysed these temporal patterns in beam trawl effort intensity at 90 stations of the Dutch continental shelf of the North Sea for a period of 10 years, at a fine temporal (weekly) and spatial (110 × 70 m) scale using Vessel Monitoring by Satellite (VMS) data. Our results show that trawling is aggregated in time and shows clear seasonality, related to the behavior of the fleet and migration patterns of the target fish species. The temporal patterns affect the overall impact on and the recovery of the benthic community, as is illustrated with a benthic population model. Our results imply that trawling impact studies using high-resolution data like VMS should take account of the possibility of temporal aggregation and seasonality in trawling to improve the assessment of the impact of trawling on the population dynamics of benthos.
Atomic carbon as a powerful tracer of molecular gas in the high-redshift Universe: perspectives for ALMA
Authors: Tomassetti M. , Porciani C. , Romano-Díaz E. , Ludlow A. D. , Papadopoulos P. P.
Published: October 2014

We use a high-resolution hydrodynamic simulation that tracks the non-equilibrium abundance of molecular hydrogen within a massive high-redshift galaxy to produce mock Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) maps of the fine-structure lines of atomic carbon, C i 1–0 and C i 2–1. Inspired by recent observational and theoretical work, we assume that C i is thoroughly mixed within giant molecular clouds and demonstrate that its emission is an excellent proxy for H2. Nearly all of the H2 associated with the galaxy can be detected at redshifts z < 4 using a compact interferometric configuration with a large synthesized beam (that does not resolve the target galaxy) in less than 4 h of integration time. Low-resolution imaging of the C i lines (in which the target galaxy is resolved into three to four beams) will detect ∼80 per cent of the H2 in less than 12 h of aperture synthesis. In this case, the resulting data cube also provides the crucial information necessary for determining the dynamical state of the galaxy. We conclude that ALMA observations of the C i 1–0 and 2–1 emission are well-suited for extending the interval of cosmic look-back time over which the H2 distributions, the dynamical masses, and the Tully–Fisher relation of galaxies can be robustly probed.
Genome, Transcriptome, and Functional Analyses of Penicillium expansum Provide New Insights Into Secondary Metabolism and Pathogenicity
Authors: Ballester Ana-Rosa , Marcet-Houben Marina , Levin Elena , Sela Noa , Selma-Lázaro Cristina , Carmona Lourdes , Wisniewski Michael , Droby Samir , González-Candelas Luis , Gabaldón Toni
Published: October 2014

The relationship between secondary metabolism and infection in pathogenic fungi has remained largely elusive. The genus Penicillium comprises a group of plant pathogens with varying host specificities and with the ability to produce a wide array of secondary metabolites. The genomes of three Penicillium expansum strains, the main postharvest pathogen of pome fruit, and one Pencillium italicum strain, a postharvest pathogen of citrus fruit, were sequenced and compared with 24 other fungal species. A genomic analysis of gene clusters responsible for the production of secondary metabolites was performed. Putative virulence factors in P. expansum were identified by means of a transcriptomic analysis of apple fruits during the course of infection. Despite a major genome contraction, P. expansum is the Penicillium species with the largest potential for the production of secondary metabolites. Results using knockout mutants clearly demonstrated that neither patulin nor citrinin are required by P. expansum to successfully infect apples.

Li et al. ( MPMI-12-14-0398-FI ) reported similar results and conclusions in MPMI's June 2015 issue.
Colonization of Dormant Walnut Buds by Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis Is Predictive of Subsequent Disease
Authors: Lindow Steven , Olson William , Buchner Richard
Published: October 2014

The potential role of walnut buds as a driver of walnut blight disease, caused by Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis, was addressed by quantifying its temporal dynamics in a large number of orchards in California. The abundance of X. arboricola pv. juglandis on individual dormant and developing buds and shoots of walnut trees varied by >106-fold at any sample time and within a given tree. X. arboricola pv. juglandis population size in shoots was often no larger than that in the buds from which the shoots were derived but was strongly correlated with prior pathogen population sizes in buds. X. arboricola pv. juglandis populations on developing nuts were strongly related to that on the shoots on which they were borne. The incidence of disease of nuts in June was strongly correlated with the logarithm of the population size of X. arboricola pv. juglandis in dormant buds in March. Inoculum efficiency, the slope of this linear relationship, varied between years but was strongly related to the number of rain events following bud break in each year. Thus, inoculum of X. arboricola pv. juglandis present on dormant buds is the primary determinant of nut infections and the risk of disease can be predicted from both the numbers of X. arboricola pv. juglandis in buds and the incidence of early spring rain.
Plant species richness and shrub cover attenuate drought effects on ecosystem functioning across Patagonian rangelands
Authors: Gaitán Juan J. , Bran Donaldo , Oliva Gabriel , Maestre Fernando T. , Aguiar Martín R. , Jobbágy Esteban , Buono Gustavo , Ferrante Daniela , Nakamatsu Viviana , Ciari Georgina , Salomone Jorge , Massara Virginia
Published: October 2014

Drought is an increasingly common phenomenon in drylands as a consequence of climate change. We used 311 sites across a broad range of environmental conditions in Patagonian rangelands to evaluate how drought severity and temperature (abiotic factors) and vegetation structure (biotic factors) modulate the impact of a drought event on the annual integral of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI-I), our surrogate of ecosystem functioning. We found that NDVI-I decreases were larger with both increasing drought severity and temperature. Plant species richness (SR) and shrub cover (SC) attenuated the effects of drought on NDVI-I. Grass cover did not affect the impacts of drought on NDVI-I. Our results suggest that warming and species loss, two important imprints of global environmental change, could increase the vulnerability of Patagonian ecosystems to drought. Therefore, maintaining SR through appropriate grazing management can attenuate the adverse effects of climate change on ecosystem functioning.
Nanomechanical properties of bird feather rachises: exploring naturally occurring fibre reinforced laminar composites
Authors: Laurent Christian M. , Palmer Colin , Boardman Richard P. , Dyke Gareth , Cook Richard B.
Published: October 2014

Flight feathers have evolved under selective pressures to be sufficiently light and strong enough to cope with the stresses of flight. The feather shaft (rachis) must resist these stresses and is fundamental to this mode of locomotion. Relatively little work has been done on rachis morphology, especially from a mechanical perspective and never at the nanoscale. Nano-indentation is a cornerstone technique in materials testing. Here we use this technique to make use of differentially oriented fibres and their resulting mechanical anisotropy. The rachis is established as a multi-layered fibrous composite material with varying laminar properties in three feathers of birds with markedly different flight styles; the Mute Swan (Cygnus olor), the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and the partridge (Perdix perdix).These birds were chosen not just because they are from different clades and have different flight styles, but because they have feathers large enough to gain meaningful results from nano-indentation. Results from our initial datasets indicate that the proportions and orientation of the laminae are not fixed and may vary either in order to cope with the stresses of flight particular to the bird or with phylogenetic lineage.
Extracting information from S-curves of language change
Authors: Ghanbarnejad Fakhteh , Gerlach Martin , Miotto José M. , Altmann Eduardo G.
Published: October 2014

It is well accepted that adoption of innovations are described by S-curves (slow start, accelerating period and slow end). In this paper, we analyse how much information on the dynamics of innovation spreading can be obtained from a quantitative description of S-curves. We focus on the adoption of linguistic innovations for which detailed databases of written texts from the last 200 years allow for an unprecedented statistical precision. Combining data analysis with simulations of simple models (e.g. the Bass dynamics on complex networks), we identify signatures of endogenous and exogenous factors in the S-curves of adoption. We propose a measure to quantify the strength of these factors and three different methods to estimate it from S-curves. We obtain cases in which the exogenous factors are dominant (in the adoption of German orthographic reforms and of one irregular verb) and cases in which endogenous factors are dominant (in the adoption of conventions for romanization of Russian names and in the regularization of most studied verbs). These results show that the shape of S-curve is not universal and contains information on the adoption mechanism.
Printing low-melting-point alloy ink to directly make a solidified circuit or functional device with a heating pen
Authors: Wang Lei , Liu Jing
Published: October 2014

A new method to directly print out a solidified electronic circuit through low-melting-point metal ink is proposed. A functional pen with heating capability was fabricated. Several typical thermal properties of the alloy ink Bi
35
In
48.6
Sn
16
Zn
0.4
were measured and evaluated. Owing to the specifically selected melting point of the ink, which is slightly higher than room temperature, various electronic devices, graphics or circuits can be manufactured in a short period of time and then rapidly solidified by cooling in the surrounding air. The liquid–solid phase change mechanism of the written lines was experimentally characterized using a scanning electron microscope. In order to determine the matching substrate, wettability between the metal ink Bi
35
In
48.6
Sn
16
Zn
0.4
and several materials, including mica plate and silicone rubber, was investigated. The resistance–temperature curve of a printed resistor indicated its potential as a temperature control switch. Furthermore, the measured reflection coefficient of a printed double-diamond antenna accords well with the simulated result. With unique merits such as no pollution, no requirement for encapsulation and easy recycling, the present printing approach is an important supplement to current printed electronics and has enormous practical value in the future.
Evidence for a genetic basis of urogenital carcinoma in the wild California sea lion
Authors: Browning Helen M. , Acevedo-Whitehouse Karina , Gulland Frances M. D. , Hall Ailsa J. , Finlayson Jeanie , Dagleish Mark P. , Billington Karen J. , Colegrove Kathleen , Hammond John A.
Published: October 2014

Although neoplasia is a major cause of mortality in humans and domestic animals, it has rarely been described in wildlife species. One of the few examples is a highly prevalent urogenital carcinoma in California sea lions (CSLs). Although the aetiology of this carcinoma is clearly multifactorial, inbreeding depression, as estimated using levels of microsatellite multilocus heterozygosity, is identified as predictive for this neoplasia. On further analysis, this relationship appears to be largely driven by one marker, suggesting that a single locus might be associated with the occurrence of this disease in CSLs. In a case–control study, carcinoma was significantly associated with homozygosity at the Pv11 microsatellite locus. Pv11 was mapped to intron 9 of the heparanase 2 gene (
HPSE2
) locus, a very large gene encoding heparanase 2, which in humans is associated with multiple carcinomas. Correspondingly, immunohistochemical labelling in tissues was present in carcinoma cases within a single homozygous Pv11 genotype. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an individual locus being associated with cancer in any wildlife species. This adds emphasis to the study of
HPSE2
in other species, including humans and will guide future studies on this sentinel species that shares much of its diet and environment with humans
Mammal survival at the Cretaceous–Palaeogene boundary: metabolic homeostasis in prolonged tropical hibernation in tenrecs
Authors: Lovegrove Barry G. , Lobban Kerileigh D. , Levesque Danielle L.
Published: October 2014

Free-ranging common tenrecs,
Tenrec ecaudatus
, from sub-tropical Madagascar, displayed long-term (nine months) hibernation which lacked any evidence of periodic interbout arousals (IBAs). IBAs are the dominant feature of the mammalian hibernation phenotype and are thought to periodically restore long-term ischaemia damage and/or metabolic imbalances (depletions and accumulations). However, the lack of IBAs in tenrecs suggests no such pathology at hibernation
T
b
s > 22°C. The long period of tropical hibernation that we report might explain how the ancestral placental mammal survived the global devastation that drove the dinosaurs and many other vertebrates to extinction at the Cretaceous–Palaeogene boundary following a meteorite impact. The genetics and biochemistry of IBAs are of immense interest to biomedical researchers and space exploration scientists, in the latter case, those envisioning a hibernating state in astronauts for deep space travel. Unravelling the physiological thresholds and temperature dependence of IBAs will provide new impetus to these research quests.
Interspecific aggression, not interspecific mating, drives character displacement in the wing coloration of male rubyspot damselflies (
Hetaerina
)
Authors: Drury J. P. , Grether G. F.
Published: October 2014

Traits that mediate intraspecific social interactions may overlap in closely related sympatric species, resulting in costly between-species interactions. Such interactions have principally interested investigators studying the evolution of reproductive isolation via reproductive character displacement (RCD) or reinforcement, yet in addition to reproductive interference, interspecific trait overlap can lead to costly between-species aggression. Previous research on rubyspot damselflies (
Hetaerina
spp.) demonstrated that sympatric shifts in male wing colour patterns and competitor recognition reduce interspecific aggression, supporting the hypothesis that agonistic character displacement (ACD) drove trait shifts. However, a recent theoretical model shows that RCD overshadows ACD if the same male trait is used for both female mate recognition and male competitor recognition. To determine whether female mate recognition is based on male wing coloration in
Hetaerina
, we conducted a phenotype manipulation experiment. Compared to control males, male
H. americana
with wings manipulated to resemble a sympatric congener (
H. titia
) suffered no reduction in mating success. Thus, female mate recognition is not based on species differences in male wing coloration. Experimental males did, however, experience higher interspecific fighting rates and reduced survival compared to controls. These results greatly strengthen the case for ACD and highlight the mechanistic distinction between ACD and RCD.
A Microbial Avenue to Cell Cycle Control in the Plant Superkingdom
Authors: Tulin Frej , Cross Frederick R.
Published: October 2014

Research in yeast and animals has resulted in a well-supported consensus model for eukaryotic cell cycle control. The fit of this model to early diverging eukaryotes, such as the plant kingdom, remains unclear. Using the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, we developed an efficient pipeline, incorporating robotics, semiautomated image analysis, and deep sequencing, to molecularly identify >50 genes, mostly conserved in higher plants, specifically required for cell division but not cell growth. Mutated genes include the cyclin-dependent kinases CDKA (resembling yeast and animal Cdk1) and the plant-specific CDKB. The Chlamydomonas cell cycle consists of a long G1 during which cells can grow >10-fold, followed by multiple rapid cycles of DNA replication and segregation. CDKA and CDKB execute nonoverlapping functions: CDKA promotes transition between G1 and entry into the division cycle, while CDKB is essential specifically for spindle formation and nuclear division, but not for DNA replication, once CDKA-dependent initiation has occurred. The anaphase-promoting complex is required for similar steps in the Chlamydomonas cell cycle as in Opisthokonts; however, the spindle assembly checkpoint, which targets the APC in Opisthokonts, appears severely attenuated in Chlamydomonas, based on analysis of mutants affecting microtubule function. This approach allows unbiased integration of the consensus cell cycle control model with innovations specific to the plant lineage.
Covering complete proteomes with X-ray structures: a current snapshot
Authors: Mizianty Marcin J. , Fan Xiao , Yan Jing , Chalmers Eric , Woloschuk Christopher , Joachimiak Andrzej , Kurgan Lukasz
Published: October 2014

Structural genomics programs have developed and applied structure-determination pipelines to a wide range of protein targets, facilitating the visualization of macromolecular interactions and the understanding of their molecular and biochemical functions. The fundamental question of whether three-dimensional structures of all proteins and all functional annotations can be determined using X-ray crystallography is investigated. A first-of-its-kind large-scale analysis of crystallization propensity for all proteins encoded in 1953 fully sequenced genomes was performed. It is shown that current X-ray crystallographic knowhow combined with homology modeling can provide structures for 25% of modeling families (protein clusters for which structural models can be obtained through homology modeling), with at least one structural model produced for each Gene Ontology functional annotation. The coverage varies between superkingdoms, with 19% for eukaryotes, 35% for bacteria and 49% for archaea, and with those of viruses following the coverage values of their hosts. It is shown that the crystallization propensities of proteomes from the taxonomic superkingdoms are distinct. The use of knowledge-based target selection is shown to substantially increase the ability to produce X-ray structures. It is demonstrated that the human proteome has one of the highest attainable coverage values among eukaryotes, and GPCR membrane proteins suitable for X-ray structure determination were determined.
Structure of ADC-68, a novel carbapenem-hydrolyzing class C extended-spectrum β-lactamase isolated fromAcinetobacter baumannii
Authors: Jeon Jeong Ho , Hong Myoung-Ki , Lee Jung Hun , Lee Jae Jin , Park Kwang Seung , Karim Asad Mustafa , Jo Jeong Yeon , Kim Ji Hwan , Ko Kwan Soo , Kang Lin-Woo , Lee Sang Hee
Published: October 2014

Outbreaks of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections have become more frequent worldwide owing to the emergence of several different classes of β-lactamases. In this study, the molecular, biochemical and structural characteristics of anAcinetobacter-derived cephalosporinase (ADC)-type class C β-lactamase, ADC-68, isolated from the carbapenem-resistantA. baumanniiD015 were investigated. TheblaADC-68gene which encodes ADC-68 was confirmed to exist on the chromosomeviaSouthern blot analysis and draft genome sequencing. The catalytic kinetics of β-lactams and their MICs (minimum inhibitory concentrations) forA. baumanniiD015 and purified ADC-68 (a carbapenemase obtained from this strain) were assessed: the strain was resistant to penicillins, narrow-spectrum and extended-spectrum cephalosporins, and carbapenems, which were hydrolyzed by ADC-68. The crystal structure of ADC-68 was determined at a resolution of 1.8 Å. The structure of ADC-68 was compared with that of ADC-1 (a non-carbapenemase); differences were found in the central part of the Ω-loop and the C-loop constituting the edge of the R1 and R2 subsites and are close to the catalytic serine residue Ser66. The ADC-68 C-loop was stabilized in the open conformation of the upper R2 subsite and could better accommodate carbapenems with largerR2side chains. Furthermore, a wide-open conformation of the R2-loop allowed ADC-68 to bind to and hydrolyze extended-spectrum cephalosporins. Therefore, ADC-68 had enhanced catalytic efficiency against these clinically important β-lactams (extended-spectrum cephalosporins and carbapenems). ADC-68 is the first reported enzyme among the chromosomal class C β-lactamases to possess class C extended-spectrum β-lactamase and carbapenemase activities.
Perspectives on global fermented foods
Authors: Soni Surabhi , Dey Gargi
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to outline the present status of various fermented foods and beverages across the globe and reviews on the microbiology and therapeutic effects of fermented foods.

Design/methodology/approach

– Fermented foods play an important socio-economic role in developing countries as well as making a major contribution to the nutrition requirements of natural populations. These foods have attracted attention all over the world as foods that might promote longevity. The approach is based on observations of online research with respect to fermented foods and their origins, analysis of research papers in journals and systematic research on the microbiology and health benefits of fermented products.

Findings

– In general, traditional fermented foods produced with indigenous practices throughout the world are made under primitive conditions, which result in low yield and poor quality. But since, these foods are not only traditional but also functional foods. They are experiencing a burst of popularity as health foods worldwide. The raw materials traditionally used for fermentation are as diverse as: fruits, cereals, vegetables, milk, meat, and fish. It is possible to obtain a large variety of different food products by selecting different raw materials, starter cultures, and fermentation conditions.

Originality/value

– The paper offers a holistic view that would guide a reader to identify various fermented products and enlighten them about their therapeutic properties.
Tourist perceived image of local cuisine: the case of Bosnian food culture
Authors: Peštek Almir , Činjarević Merima
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the underlying dimensions of local cuisine image by identifying the key cuisine attributes tourists rely on in their evaluations of local cuisine; and to identify those dimensions of local cuisine image which have the strongest influence of tourist satisfaction with food experience. These issues are addressed within the context of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an emergent tourism market in Western Balkans.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research is exploratory. The city of Sarajevo was chosen as a study setting. Image of local cuisine was measured by using a multi-attribute approach in which several food attributes are specified and incorporated into the measurement instrument. Data from convenience sample of foreign tourists (n=402) were quantitatively analyzed using multivariate and descriptive statistics.

Findings

– Results suggest that the local cuisine image compromises four components (dimensions): “food uniqueness and cultural heritage”, “food quality and price”, “nutrition and health benefits of food” and “affective image of food”. Furthermore, findings show that these dimensions differ in terms of their relative importance in explaining the overall tourist satisfaction with food experience.

Research limitations/implications

– The main limitation of this study is related to the geographical area (tourist site) where the research process was carried out. Thus, future research with greater geographical scope is required.

Practical implications

– This study provides valuable insight to practitioners who are seeking to integrate local food (cuisine) into the tourism product.

Originality/value

– This paper is the one of the first study that tries to identify perceived image of local cuisine held by visitors in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Developing an authenticity model of traditional food specialties
Authors: Laura Sidali Katia , Hemmerling Sarah
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop an authenticity model for food specialties considering both the subjective and the object-based dimensions of authenticity. Moreover, the relationship with personality traits – such as consumer self-concept and identification with the product – (antecedents) as well as with the consumption intention (consequences) are measured.

Design/methodology/approach

– Hypotheses were analyzed by means of a structural equation model using AMOS. Calculations were based on data collected through an online survey of 138 German respondents who were recruited by a consumer panel.

Findings

– Both subjective and object-based perceived authenticity significantly influence the purchase intention. Object-based authenticity's role is mediated by the subjective authenticity, which is affected by the consumers self-identification with the product and personality traits such as determination and passion.

Research limitations/implications

– The results presented in this paper will help to understand what influences the perception of authenticity of a traditional food product and how it affects purchase intentions. More influencing variables should be considered in future research, as well as other product groups. Repeated analyses considering larger samples are necessary to confirm the presented results.

Practical implications

– A deeper understanding of which psychological and social factors affect the perception of a product's authenticity is important for creating appropriate marketing strategies.

Originality/value

– While there is a vast literature on authenticity theories, remarkably few scholars have provided empirical evidence on this subject by using a quantitative research design.
Service production process: implications for service productivity
Authors: Agya Yalley Andrews , Singh Sekhon Harjit
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to differentiate the production process within services from the dominant manufacturing-based production process, with the objective of delineating the production process in services and highlighting its implication for service productivity.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study critically reviewed the extant literature on the production processes in manufacturing and services from a multidisciplinary perspective and proposed a framework for the service production process and its relationship with service productivity.

Findings

– The production process for services differs from the dominant manufacturing-based production process and entails an input, transformation process and outcome dimensions. Therefore, any advancement in services, particularly the conceptualisation and measurement of service productivity, is dependent on the application of a service-specific production process.

Research limitations/implications

– The understanding and delineation of the production process in services would further scholarly understanding of what is means to be productive in services and the impact on the validity of the conceptualisation and measurement of service productivity and other service-related concepts.

Practical implications

– The proposed service-based production process can further managerial understanding of the measurement and management of productivity in services.

Originality/value

– This paper delineates the production process in services and highlighted its implication for service productivity. This study, therefore, is a step forward in developing service-specific concepts and measures, particularly service productivity.
Tweeting corporate disclosures: SEC staff issues guidance permitting hyperlinks to cautionary statements and legends in social media communications
Authors: J. Parrino Richard , K. Greenslade Kevin
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– To review guidance issued in April 2014 by the staff of the USA Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that clarifies how participants in regulated securities offerings, business combinations, proxy contests, and tender offers may transmit required cautionary statements and legends to the securities marketplace via social media technology platforms whose space limitations preclude display of the full text of the required statements.

Design/methodology/approach

– Examines the new SEC staff interpretative guidance in light of the tension between the disclosure requirements of the SEC’s communications rules and the characteristics of some social media platforms that do not permit compliance with the SEC rules in the same manner as traditional paper-based disclosure vehicles.

Findings

– The staff’s new guidance permits issuers and other parties to comply with the communications rules by using in their social media transmissions an active hyperlink that connects to the text of the required statements, thereby dispelling the legal uncertainty about the hyperlinking approach that has discouraged parties from using some social media outlets to disseminate information about their transactions. The article notes that the staff’s conditions place important limitations on the use of hyperlinks, especially in connection with the use of popular social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and others that do not impose a cap on the number of characters or amount of text that may be included in a communication, and fails to address the permissibility of other approaches to overcoming the space limitations of some platforms.

Originality/value

– Provides expert guidance from experienced securities lawyers.
Marketing funds in Europe: a practical look at the marketing regime under the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive 2011/61/EU and other regulatory requirements
Authors: Ghanty Jacob , Cornelius Justin , Baker Matthew , Ormond Chris
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– To provide a practical look at the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive 2011/61/EU (AIFMD) and other regulatory requirements as they pertain to marketing funds in Europe.

Design/methodology/approach

– A series of questions and answers exploring some of the principal issues to be aware of when raising a fund in Europe. AIFMD is the key focus, but we also examine other financial regulation that may apply alongside AIFMD, as well as cross-border implications of any marketing initiative.

Findings

– One of the original aims of AIFMD was to harmonise the management and marketing of alternative investment funds in Europe so that a uniform set of rules will eventually apply. However, in the meantime, the law and regulations relating to marketing are particularly complicated, with a wide range of different requirements that may apply depending on who you are and where you are marketing.

Originality/value

– Practical guidance from experienced investment management and financial regulatory lawyers.