bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Polarisation independent resistively loaded frequency selective surface absorber with optimum oblique incidence performance
Authors: Zabri Normi , Cahill Robert , Schuchinsky Alexander
Published: July 2014

This study presents the design of a thin electromagnetic absorber which exhibits radar backscatter suppression that is independent of the wave polarisation at large incidence angles. The structure consists of a metal backed printed frequency selective surface (FSS), with resistors placed across narrow gaps inserted in the middle of each of the four sides of the conductor loops. The geometry of the periodic array and the value of the vertical and horizontal resistor pairs are carefully chosen to present a real impedance of 377 Ω at the centre operating frequency for both TE and TM polarised waves. Angular sensitivity and reflectivity bandwidth have been investigated for FSS absorber designs with thicknesses of 1, 2 and 3 mm. Each of the three structures was optimised to work at a centre frequency of 10 GHz and an incident angle of 45°. The design methodology is verified by measuring the radar backscatter suppression from a 3 mm (λ / 10) thick screen in the frequency range 8–12 GHz. The absorber construction was simplified by filling the four metal gaps in each unit cell with shielding paint, and selecting the ink thickness to give the two required surface resistance values.
Action spectroscopy of SrCl+ using an integrated ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometer
Authors: Puri Prateek , Schowalter Steven J. , Kotochigova Svetlana , Petrov Alexander , Hudson Eric R.
Published: July 2014

The photodissociation cross-section of SrCl+ is measured in the spectral range of 36 000–46 000 cm−1 using a modular time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOF-MS). By irradiating a sample of trapped SrCl+ molecular ions with a pulsed dye laser, X1Σ+ state molecular ions are electronically excited to the repulsive wall of the A1Π state, resulting in dissociation. Using the TOF-MS, the product fragments are detected and the photodissociation cross-section is determined for a broad range of photon energies. Detailed ab initio calculations of the SrCl+ molecular potentials and spectroscopic constants are also performed and are found to be in good agreement with experiment. The spectroscopic constants for SrCl+ are also compared to those of another alkaline earth halogen, BaCl+, in order to highlight structural differences between the two molecular ions. This work represents the first spectroscopy and ab initio calculations of SrCl+.
Movable multi-probes for plasma boundary measurement in sino-united spherical tokamak
Authors: Chai Song , Wang Wenhao , Tan Yi , Gao Zhe
Published: July 2014

A novel movable multi-probes is developed to get local magnetic and electrostatic profiles on Sino-UNIted Spherical Tokamak (SUNIST). This multi-probes combines a four-tips Langmuir probe, a magnetic coil, and a retarding field energy analyzer (RFEA). It can be used to simultaneously measure the poloidal magnetic field Bp, electric field Er, electron temperature Te, electron density ne, and ion temperature Ti. Its small overall size (20 × 20 × 38 mm3) enables the movable multi-probes to measure the magnetic and electrostatic profiles in high spatial resolution, with negligible impact to plasma in SUNIST. This paper presents the design of the movable multi-probes, in particular, details of RFEA for reliable ion energy measurements. Preliminary experimental results of the movable multi-probes are given as well.
Accumulation capacitance frequency dispersion of III-V metal-insulator-semiconductor devices due to disorder induced gap states
Authors: Galatage R. V. , Zhernokletov D. M. , Dong H. , Brennan B. , Hinkle C. L. , Wallace R. M. , Vogel E. M.
Published: July 2014

The origin of the anomalous frequency dispersion in accumulation capacitance of metal-insulator-semiconductor devices on InGaAs and InP substrates is investigated using modeling, electrical characterization, and chemical characterization. A comparison of the border trap model and the disorder induced gap state model for frequency dispersion is performed. The fitting of both models to experimental data indicate that the defects responsible for the measured dispersion are within approximately 0.8 nm of the surface of the crystalline semiconductor. The correlation between the spectroscopically detected bonding states at the dielectric/III-V interface, the interfacial defect density determined using capacitance-voltage, and modeled capacitance-voltage response strongly suggests that these defects are associated with the disruption of the III-V atomic bonding and not border traps associated with bonding defects within the high-k dielectric.
Metallic attenuated total reflection infrared hollow fibers for robust optical transmission systems
Authors: Jing Chengbin , Guo Hong , Hu Zhigao , Yang Pingxiong , Chu Junhao , Liu Aiyun , Shi Yiwei
Published: July 2014

A durable metallic attenuated total reflection (ATR) hollow fiber (bore size: 1.45 mm, wall thickness: 50 μm) was designed and fabricated based on a nickel capillary tube and hexagonal germanium dioxide (GeO2). The anomalous dispersion of the hexagonal GeO2 layer grown inside a nickel tube achieves low-loss light transmission at two peak-power wavelengths for CO2 laser devices (10.2 and 10.6 μm). An 11–28 W, 10.2 or 10.6 μm CO2 laser power was steadily delivered via a fiber elastically bent from 0° to 90° (radius: 45 cm) for over 40 min (transmission loss: 0.22 to 4.2 dB/m). Theoretically fitting the measured temperatures showed that front-end clipping caused greater thermal loading than the distributed mode absorption. The maximum external temperature of a nickel ATR fiber is much lower than that of a silica glass ATR fiber owing to their different heat dissipation abilities. The HE11 mode purity of the output beam profiles decreased from 90.3% to 44.7% as the bending angle increased from 0° to 90°. Large core sizes and wall roughnesses (scattering loss 0.04 dB/m) contributed to mode mixing and excess losses that were above the value predicted by the classical Marcatili and Schmeltzer equation (0.024–0.037 dB/m).
Dynamics of a confined dusty fluid in a sheared ion flow
Authors: Laishram Modhuchandra , Sharma Devendra , Kaw Predhiman K.
Published: July 2014

Dynamics of an isothermally driven dust fluid is analyzed which is confined in an azimuthally symmetric cylindrical setup by an effective potential and is in equilibrium with an unconfined sheared flow of a streaming plasma. Cases are analyzed where the confining potential constitutes a barrier for the driven fluid, limiting its spatial extension and boundary velocity. The boundary effects entering the formulation are characterized by applying the appropriate boundary conditions and a range of solutions exhibiting single and multiple vortex are obtained. The equilibrium solutions considered in the cylindrical setup feature a transition from single to multiple vortex state of the driven flow. Effects of (i) the variation in dust viscosity, (ii) coupling between the driving and the driven fluid, and (iii) a friction determining the equilibrium dynamics of the driven system are characterized.
Observations of modal interaction in lateral bulk acoustic resonators
Authors: Charmet Jérôme , Daly Ronan , Thiruvenkatanathan Pradyumna , Woodhouse Jim , Seshia Ashwin A.
Published: July 2014

High Q factor resonators, such as micro-electro-mechanical systems based lateral bulk acoustic resonators excited in their primary in-plane modes, are promising candidates for timing and frequency reference applications as well as gravimetric bio-sensing. The excitation and detection of out-of-plane modes is often assumed to be unlikely in such devices. However, we report observations of modal interaction with out-of-plane spurious modes that reduces the Q factor of the in-plane modes by up to a factor 3. We also show that the appearance of the spurious modes is unpredictable, and therefore, we propose statistical metrics to minimize the risk of modal interaction.
Topology breaking of the vortex in multiferroic Y0.67Lu0.33MnO3
Authors: Zhang Qing-Hua , Tan Guo-Tai , Gu Lin , Yao Yuan , Jin Chang-Qing , Wang Yan-Guo , Duan Xiao-Feng , Yu Ri-Cheng
Published: July 2014

Although topological defects, such as domain walls (DWs) or vortices, are naturally protected by topological invariance, yet, we discover an exception that the six-state topology of the vortex with Z2 × Z3 symmetry is broken by a partial edge dislocation (PED) in hexagonal Y0.67Lu0.33MnO3, where the topologies of the four-state vortex or closed DWs emerges. Using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy, we found that the PED plays an important role in changing the phase of translation domain. The PED at the vortex core leads to the formation of the four-state vortex, while the ones at closed DWs connect different types of DWs, both corresponding to continuous phase changes. These results indicate that PEDs can change the topology of translation-related domain vortices and more vortices with even domains can be expected.
Physics of band-gap formation and its evolution in the pillar-based phononic crystal structures
Authors: Pourabolghasem Reza , Khelif Abdelkrim , Mohammadi Saeed , Eftekhar Ali Asghar , Adibi Ali
Published: July 2014

In this paper, the interplay of Bragg scattering and local resonance is theoretically studied in a phononic crystal (PnC) structure composed of a silicon membrane with periodic tungsten pillars. The comparison of phononic band gaps (PnBGs) in three different lattice types (i.e., square, triangular, and honeycomb) with different pillar geometries shows that different PnBGs have varying degrees of dependency on the lattice symmetry based on the interplay of the local resonances and the Bragg effect. The details of this interplay is discussed. The significance of locally resonating pillars, specially in the case of tall pillars, on PnBGs is discussed and verified by examining the PnBG position and width in perturbed lattices via Monte Carlo simulations. It is shown that the PnBGs caused by the local resonance of the pillars are more resilient to the lattice perturbations than those caused by Bragg scattering.
Flight performance of the largest volant bird
Authors: Ksepka Daniel T.
Published: July 2014

Significance

A fossil species of pelagornithid bird exhibits the largest known avian wingspan. Pelagornithids are an extinct group of birds known for bony tooth-like beak projections, large size, and highly modified wing bones that raise many questions about their ecology. At 6.4 m, the wingspan of this species was approximately two times that of the living Royal Albatross. Modeling of flight parameters in this species indicates that it was capable of highly efficient gliding and suggests that pelagornithids exploited a long-range marine soaring strategy similar, in some ways, to that of extant albatrosses.
G-CSF Induces Membrane Expression of a Myeloperoxidase Glycovariant that Operates as an E-selectin Ligand on Human Myeloid Cells
Authors: Silvescu Cristina I. , Sackstein Robert
Published: July 2014

Significance

Leukocyte migration to sites of inflammation involves “braking” and attachment of blood-borne leukocytes onto target endothelium (vessel surfaces), a process mediated principally by the endothelial molecule E-selectin binding to leukocyte E-selectin ligands. We report here that the cytokine granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) induces expression of a novel E-selectin ligand on human leukocytes, a glycovariant of the enzyme myeloperoxidase (MPO), which we call “MPO–E-selectin ligand” (MPO–EL). MPO is normally found in lysosomes, but G-CSF triggers both MPO-EL production and its presentation on the leukocyte surface. MPO–EL is catalytically active. The production of toxic oxidizing agents by MPO–EL in apposition to E-selectin–bearing endothelium kills the cell. This previously unrecognized function of G-CSF and MPO raises additional insights into the biology of vascular injury during inflammatory reactions.
Modulation of frustration in folding by sequence permutation
Authors: Nobrega R. Paul , Arora Karunesh , Kathuria Sagar V. , Graceffa Rita , Barrea Raul A. , Guo Liang , Chakravarthy Srinivas , Bilsel Osman , Irving Thomas C. , Brooks Charles L. , Matthews C. Robert
Published: July 2014

Significance

Folding mechanisms of large proteins are often complicated by the existence of kinetic traps that impede progress toward the native conformation. We have tested the role of chain connectivity in creating such traps by permuting the sequence of a small α/β/α sandwich protein, the chemotaxis response regulator Y. An approach combining experimental and native-centric simulations reveals that chain entropy and aliphatic-rich sequences conspire to create frustrated species whose structures and stabilities vary with connectivity. The initial events in folding reflect not a random collapse driven by the hydrophobic effect but rather the accumulation of substructures favored by low-contact-order nonpolar interactions in the polypeptide. The conserved global free-energy minimum of the native conformation ultimately resolves these early frustrations in folding.
Role of projection in the control of bird flocks
Authors: Pearce Daniel J. G. , Miller Adam M. , Rowlands George , Turner Matthew S.
Published: July 2014

Significance

We propose a new model for long-range information exchange in bird flocks based on the projected view of each individual out through the flock. Visual input is coarse grained to a pattern of (dark) bird against (light) sky. We propose the simplest hybrid projection model that combines metric-free coalignment, and noise, with this projected view; here the birds fly toward the resolved vector sum of all the domain boundaries. This model leads to robustly coherent flocks that self-assemble to a state of marginal opacity. It therefore provides a mechanism for the control of density. Although it involves only two primary control parameters, it also gives rise to several distinct phenotypes. We compare our predictions with experimental data.
Commensal microbes drive intestinal inflammation by IL-17–producing CD4
+
T cells through ICOSL and OX40L costimulation in the absence of B7-1 and B7-2
Authors: Xin Lijun , Jiang Tony T. , Chaturvedi Vandana , Kinder Jeremy M. , Ertelt James M. , Rowe Jared H. , Steinbrecher Kris A. , Way Sing Sing
Published: July 2014

Significance

T-cell activation requires cognate antigen encounter plus additional stimulation through B7 costimulatory molecules. This explains why B7 costimulation blockade is therapeutically effective in many autoimmune disorders including diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. Interestingly, however, intestinal inflammation is uniquely resistant to B7-neutralizing therapies. We show that colonization with commensal bacteria predisposes the intestine to inflammation despite B7 deprivation caused by IL-17–producing T cells that become activated through the acces-sory costimulation molecules ICOSL and OX40L. Reciprocally, intestinal inflammation is silenced when either commensal enteric bacteria or stimulation through ICOSL/OX40L is eliminated. These results suggest that simultaneously neutralizing accessory costimulation molecules may be needed to extinguish inflammation in tissues like the intestine that retain prominent B7-independent pathways for T-cell activation.
TOR complex 2-Ypk1 signaling is an essential positive regulator of the general amino acid control response and autophagy
Authors: Vlahakis Ariadne , Graef Martin , Nunnari Jodi , Powers Ted
Published: July 2014

Significance

Autophagy recycles cytoplasmic components to facilitate cellular homeostasis and adaptation in response to nutrient deprivation. Impaired autophagy regulation is linked to numerous metabolic and aging-related disorders. One important regulator of autophagy is the Target of Rapamycin (TOR) kinase, which assembles into two complexes: TOR Complex 1 (TORC1) and TOR Complex 2 (TORC2), where TORC1 is a well-established negative regulator of autophagy. Here we characterize a pathway wherein TORC2 and its downstream target kinase, Ypk1, act as positive regulators of autophagy by promoting the activation of the general amino acid control response during amino acid starvation. Thus TOR functions in two distinct complexes to provide a tunable autophagy response according to the cellular metabolic state.
Enhancement of protein expression by alphavirus replicons by designing self-replicating subgenomic RNAs
Authors: Kim Dal Young , Atasheva Svetlana , McAuley Alexander J. , Plante Jessica A. , Frolova Elena I. , Beasley David W. C. , Frolov Ilya
Published: July 2014

Significance

One of the goals of modern molecular medicine is delivery and expression of heterologous genes in living organisms. RNA-based delivery vectors are a safer choice than DNA vectors, but they are prone to degradation and are highly dependent on efficient delivery methods. One of the ways to improve RNA vector performance is to increase the level of expression of the encoded proteins. We followed this approach and modified standard alphavirus replicon-based expression systems to make the transcribed subgenomic RNA additionally amplifiable by viral replication enzymes. Higher levels of subgenomic RNA synthesis increased the replicons’ expression efficiency at least 10-fold. Such replicons can be widely applied for development of efficient DNA and RNA vaccines and protein production in vitro.
An investigation into fisheries interaction effects using Atlantis
Authors: Smith Michael D. , Fulton Elizabeth A. , Day Robert W.
Published: July 2014

Fisheries management is commonly based on the outputs of single-species stock assessment models. While such models are appropriate for tactical issues such as quota setting, they typically omit explicit trophic interactions between different parts of the ecosystem. To successfully manage multiple fisheries in the same ecosystem, we need to understand how fishing one species may indirectly affect other species. In this paper, we used a simulation model of the southern Benguela ecosystem, built in the Atlantis framework, to explore fisheries interaction effects. We first measured the impact of fishing different stocks individually at FMSY, the hypothetical level of fishing effort which produces maximum sustainable yield (MSY) in a single-species modelling context. We then applied FMSY to all stocks simultaneously and compared the simultaneous yield with the sum of yields from the individual applications of FMSY. Contrary to expectations, the total catch was higher under the simultaneous scenario. We explored our results by studying the influences of trophic interaction between species at different levels of the foodweb, and found that our overall result was driven by two key factors: volumetric dominance of small pelagic fish in the total catch, and asymmetric influences of competition and predation between piscivorous and planktivorous species. The simultaneous increase in fishing pressure across multiple species in the model led to increased effective carrying capacity for small pelagic species (due to reduced competition), but reduced carrying capacity for piscivorous species (due to reduced small pelagic prey). This work has important implications for the design of tactical multispecies models for use in ecosystem-based fisheries management.
On Practice
Authors: Fewster Kathryn
Published: July 2014

This chapter argues that, despite the fact that the integration of a theory of practice into archaeology was a fashionable subject of the 1990s and early 2000s, there appears to be less discussion of it in recent years, apart from a few stalwarts. This is a shame, because there could not be a view of the world better suited to archaeology. Unfortunately, the programme of investigation that began in around 2000 is not yet complete, and confusion remains about some of the basic terminology; nor have we seen the development of a methodology by which a theory of practice may be routinely incorporated into archaeological interpretation. The aim of this chapter is to revisit the ideas of Bourdieu and Giddens to reiterate their suitability for archaeology. As an exemplifier of how a methodology might develop, I tentatively posit ethnoarchaeology as a potential candidate and use the principles of sociological ethnomethodology as a blueprint.
Finger-based representation of mental arithmetic
Authors: Andres Michael , Pesenti Mauro
Published: July 2014

Human beings are permanently required to process the world numerically and, consequently, to perform computations to adapt their behaviour and they have developed various calculation strategies, some of them based on specific manipulations of the fingers. In this chapter, we argue that the way we express physically numerical concepts by raising fingers while counting leads to embodied representations of numbers and calculation procedures in the adult brain. To illustrate this, we focus on number and finger interactions in the context of simple arithmetic operations. We show that the fixed order of fingers on the hand provides human beings with unique facilities to increment numerical changes or represent a cardinal value while solving arithmetic problems. In order to specify the influence of finger representation on mental arithmetic both at the cognitive and neural level, we review past and recent findings from behavioural, electrophysiological, and brain imaging studies. We start with anthropological and developmental data showing the role of fingers in the acquisition of arithmetic knowledge, then address the issue of whether number and finger interactions are also observed in adults solving arithmetic problems mentally. We suggest that arithmetic performance depends on the integrity of finger representations in children and adults. Finally, we overview the results of recent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies showing a common brain substrate for finger and number representations during and after the acquisition of arithmetic skills.
What is There to Learn from International Surveys of Mathematical Achievement?
Authors: Sturman Linda
Published: July 2014

TIMSS and PISA are two high-profile international surveys evaluating the achievement of students in mathematics or mathematical literacy, among other subjects. Surveys such as these are of increasing importance to policy-makers in the UK and further afield, allowing participants to measure their national achievement at a given point in time and over time, to explore factors related to that achievement, and to benchmark their achievement against that of other countries. This chapter looks at what can, or cannot, be learned from these surveys and explores issues related to apparently different findings from the two surveys of mathematical achievement/literacy within a country.
Arithmetic in the Child and Adult Brain
Authors: Menon Vinod
Published: July 2014

This review examines brain and cognitive processes involved in arithmetic. I take a distinctly developmental perspective because neither the cognitive nor the brain processes involved in arithmetic can be adequately understood outside the framework of how developmental processes unfold. I review four basic neurocognitive processes involved in arithmetic, highlighting (1) the role of core dorsal parietal and ventral temporal-occipital cortex systems that form basic building blocks from which number form and quantity representations are constructed in the brain; (2) procedural and working memory systems anchored in the basal ganglia and frontoparietal circuits, which create short-term representations that allow manipulation of multiple discrete quantities over several seconds; (3) episodic and semantic memory systems anchored in the medial and lateral temporal cortex that play an important role in long-term memory formation and generalization beyond individual problem attributes; and (4) prefrontal cortex control processes that guide allocation of attention resources and retrieval of facts from memory in the service of goal-directed problem solving. Next I examine arithmetic in the developing brain, first focusing on studies comparing arithmetic in children and adults, and then on studies examining development in children during critical stages of skill acquisition. I highlight neurodevelopmental models that go beyond parietal cortex regions involved in number processing, and demonstrate that brain systems and circuits in the developing child brain are clearly not the same as those seen in more mature adult brains sculpted by years of learning. The implications of these findings for a more comprehensive view of the neural basis of arithmetic in both children and adults are discussed.
Pedagogy of Different Sung Genres
Authors: Fisher Jeremy , Kayes Gillyanne , Popeil Lisa
Published: July 2014

Traditional singing voice pedagogy has been heavily influenced by the performance practice and aesthetic of the Western lyric (classical) tradition. Recently, non-classical vocal genres have been termed contemporary commercial music (CCM). These genres include pop, rock, jazz, country, folk, rhythm and blues, and sometimes musical theater. Though in its infancy, the pedagogy of CCM (including belting) is of great interest worldwide. There are numerous differences between Western lyric and CCM genres including: written versus oral tradition; historical/cultural context; use of voice, word articulation, dynamics, vibrato, phrasing; stylistic idioms; vocal registers; pitch range; resonance characteristics; and learning cultures. This chapter advocates that the role of the modern vocal pedagogue is to explore, learn, and ultimately be able to impart the intricacies of each vocal genre to the next generation while honoring traditions and values.
Professional Disequilibrium
Authors: Thompson Dennis
Published: July 2014

The economics profession lags behind others in adopting policies to regulate conflict of interest. The purposes of conflict of interest regulations, which are often misunderstood, are to minimize bias in research and maintain confidence in the profession. With only minimal rules of professional ethics (such as those in the American Economics Association code), the work that economists publish and advice they give are at risk of manifesting analytic bias and generating public distrust. More effective procedures for regulating conflicts must go beyond disclosure. They include divesting, creating blind trusts, pooling multiple sources of support, and establishing an independent oversight bodies. Some relationships may have to be prohibited when the source of support is closely related to the research. Failure to deal with the challenge of conflict of interest is likely to undermine efforts to address the other serious problems the profession faces today.
Considerations on Conflict of Interest in Academic Economics
Authors: Carrick-Hagenbarth Jessica , Epstein Gerald
Published: July 2014

Conflicts of interest in the economics profession received attention after the Great Financial Crisis of 2008. There is evidence that some academic economists hold one or more significant financial interests in addition to their university positions. We argue the economics profession must adopt and codify rules to deal with potential conflicts of interest. Economists should disclose all potential conflicts of interest in their publications, presentations, interviews, and in Congressional testimony. The economics profession must delineate situations when disclosure is not sufficient and complete avoidance of the conflict of interest must occur. For conflicts of interest policies to be effective, disclosure and avoidance requirements need to be monitored and enforced. In lieu of a licensing agency, this can be accomplished by a combination of university conflicts of interest policies, a professional conflict of interest policy, rules by journals, such as those published by the American Economic Association, and research organizations, such as the National Bureau for Economic Research.
Ethical Issues in Forensic Economics
Authors: Thornton Robert J. , Ward John
Published: July 2014

The involvement of economists as expert witnesses in civil tort actions has grown rapidly in recent decades. This involvement most often involves economists being asked to estimate damages in litigation involving personal injury and wrongful death. Because there is considerable discretion in the methods and data sources used by forensic economists, as well as potential conflicts of interest, there is suspicion that some economists act unethically in presenting damages estimates that are biased toward the party (plaintiff or defense) hiring him or her. As a consequence, the National Association of Forensic Economics (NAFE) has formulated a statement of ethical principles and practice, one of the only codes of its type to have been passed by an association of economists in the United States. A central issue addressed in this chapter is whether such codes can have a favorable effect on the quality and impartiality of economic testimony in litigation.
Niche Communication in Political Campaigns
Authors: Frankel Laura Lazarus , Hillygus D. Sunshine
Published: July 2014

Dramatic changes in communication technology and the information environment in recent years have changed not only our daily lives, but also campaign communications. With each new election cycle, candidates seem to add to the expanding list of communication technologies used—smartphones, Facebook, blogs, and the like—to get their message to intended recipients. In this essay, we review the limited, but growing, research that examines candidates’ use of niche campaign communications, conceptualized here as any communication medium candidates employ to directly and narrowly target a particular audience. There is a tendency to think of the use of new technologies as a supplemental communication tool for conducting politics as usual. The authors suggest, however, that new communication technologies have changed not only how candidates communicate, but also whom they contact and what they are willing to say. In this way, niche communications have fundamentally changed candidate strategy and campaign dynamics.
Two-Step Flow, Diffusion, and the Role of Social Networks in Political Communication
Authors: Southwell Brian G.
Published: July 2014

An increasing array of political communication scholars and political scientists now include interpersonal communication as part of their models. The central theoretical foundation for much of that work owes much to two long-running works of literature directly intersecting in, and stemming from, Katz and Lazarsfeld’s 1955 Personal Influence: research on the two-step flow and investigation of information diffusion. Consequently, a broad overview of political communication theories calls for a discussion of the theoretical underpinnings of the two-step flow (and its linkage to diffusion), major findings to date, and future directions for research. This essay provides such a discussion. While evidence has suggested a somewhat more complicated picture of the sequence of information and influence flow than described in the earliest formulations of the two-step flow hypothesis, the general theoretical orientation suggested by that tradition continues to be relevant to political communication in the 21st century.
Media Uses in Emerging Adulthood
Authors: Coyne Sarah M. , Padilla-Walker Laura M. , Howard Emily
Published: July 2014

This chapter reviews recent literature on uses, effects, and gratifications of media during emerging adulthood. The authors examine traditional media forms, including television, films, video games, music, and books, and also newer media, such as cell phones, social networking sites, and other Internet use, finding that emerging adults spend more time using media than they spend doing any other activity, with most time being spent on the Internet and listening to music. They also find that exposure to certain types of media content can influence both positive and negative outcomes in emerging adulthood, including aggressive and prosocial behavior, body image, sexual behavior, friendship quality, and academic achievement. The authors show that emerging adults use media to gratify certain needs, key among them entertainment, autonomy, identity, and intimacy needs. The authors discuss areas for future research involving media and emerging adulthood.
The Appeal of the Crime Genre
Authors: Cavender Gray , Jurik Nancy
Published: July 2014

This chapter provides an overview of the longevity and popular appeal of the crime genre and its relevance to the field of criminology. In our discussion we include such media as novels, television programs, and films that present fictionalized stories about crime, its investigation, and its solutions. We offer a brief history of the crime genre, indicators of its popularity, and a review of expert opinions explaining its appeal. Then we discuss evidence from conversations and surveys that we conducted with academics and other professionals as well as with students about their views of and engagement with crime genre productions. Our data suggest the myriad ways in which audiences actively engage crime fiction.
Religion, Crime, and Criminal Justice
Authors: Johnson Byron R. , Schroeder Curtis S.
Published: July 2014

Religion and crime are independent subjects that continue to receive significant attention in most societies. However, we do not have an extensive or well-developed research literature examining the direct and indirect ways in which these two topics relate to each other. This curious oversight is unfortunate, because upon close examination of the extant literature, we find that the relationship between religion and crime is quite robust, consistently inverse, and carries with it relevant implications for theory and practice. Additionally, the relationship between religion and crime offers important insights for sacred-secular approaches to crime prevention strategies and policy formation that ultimately improves the overall effectiveness of the criminal justice system.
The Psychology of White-Collar Offending
Authors: Benson Michael L. , Manchak Sarah M.
Published: July 2014

A growing body of research seems to contradict prior assumptions that individual characteristics are unimportant to the etiology of white-collar offending. This article highlights the theoretical thinking and the empirical research that underscores the need to attend to white-collar offenders’ personality traits, neutralizations, and criminal thinking styles. More research is needed to better understand what individual psychological factors contribute to the risk for becoming a white-collar offender and to inform intervention efforts and policy options for white-collar and corporate crime.
Modularity and intra-floral integration in metameric organisms: plants are more than the sum of their parts
Authors: Diggle Pamela K.
Published: July 2014

Within-individual variation in virtually every conceivable morphological and functional feature of reiterated structures is a pervasive feature of plant phenotypes. In particular, architectural effects, regular, repeatable patterns of intra-individual variation in form and function that are associated with position are nearly ubiquitous. Yet, flowers also are predicted to be highly integrated. For animal-pollinated plants, the coordination of multiple organs within each flower is required to achieve the complex functions of pollinator attraction and orientation, pollen donation and pollen receipt. To the extent that pollinators may select for multiple independent functions, phenotypic integration within flowers may also be modular. That is, subsets of floral structures may be integrated but vary independently of other subsets of structures that are themselves integrated. How can phenotypic integration and modularity be understood within the context of architectural effects? This essay reviews recent research on patterns of floral integration and modularity and explores the potential for spatial and temporal changes in the selective environment of individual flowers to result in positional variation in patterns of morphological integration.
Floral trait variation and integration as a function of sexual deception inGorteria diffusa
Authors: Ellis Allan G. , Brockington Samuel F. , de Jager Marinus L. , Mellers Gregory , Walker Rachel H. , Glover Beverley J.
Published: July 2014

Phenotypic integration, the coordinated covariance of suites of morphological traits, is critical for proper functioning of organisms. Angiosperm flowers are complex structures comprising suites of traits that function together to achieve effective pollen transfer. Floral integration could reflect shared genetic and developmental control of these traits, or could arise through pollinator-imposed stabilizing correlational selection on traits. We sought to expose mechanisms underlying floral trait integration in the sexually deceptive daisy,Gorteria diffusa, by testing the hypothesis that stabilizing selection imposed by male pollinators on floral traits involved in mimicry has resulted in tighter integration. To do this, we quantified patterns of floral trait variance and covariance in morphologically divergentG. diffusafloral forms representing a continuum in the levels of sexual deception. We show that integration of traits functioning in visual attraction of male pollinators increases with pollinator deception, and is stronger than integration of non-mimicry trait modules. Consistent patterns of within-population trait variance and covariance across floral forms suggest that integration has not been built by stabilizing correlational selection on genetically independent traits. Instead pollinator specialization has selected for tightened integration within modules of linked traits. Despite potentially strong constraint on morphological evolution imposed by developmental genetic linkages between traits, we demonstrate substantial divergence in traits acrossG. diffusafloral forms and show that divergence has often occurred without altering within-population patterns of trait correlations.
Metabolomic analysis reveals rewiring of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 primary metabolism by ntcA overexpression
Authors: Osanai Takashi , Oikawa Akira , Iijima Hiroko , Kuwahara Ayuko , Asayama Munehiko , Tanaka Kan , Ikeuchi Masahiko , Saito Kazuki , Hirai Masami Yokota
Published: July 2014

NtcA is a cAMP receptor protein‐type transcription factor conserved among cyanobacteria and is essential for gene expression in response to nitrogen status. NtcA has been widely studied; however, no metabolomic analysis has been conducted using the ntcA mutant. Here, we generated a strain that overexpresses ntcA in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, named NOX10, and performed physiological, transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses. NOX10 grew faster than the wild‐type strain under photoautotrophic conditions, but slower under light‐activated heterotrophic conditions. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the expression of genes related to primary metabolism was altered by ntcA overexpression particularly under nitrogen‐depleted conditions. Metabolomic analysis revealed that metabolite levels in sugar, purine/pyrimidine nucleotide, organic acid and amino acid metabolism were widely altered by ntcA overexpression. The protein levels of nitrogen‐regulated transcriptional regulators were altered by ntcA overexpression during nitrogen starvation. These results demonstrate the alteration of primary metabolism by genetic engineering of NtcA, and they contribute to the current understanding of metabolic regulation of unicellular cyanobacteria.
RcsB positively regulates the Yersinia Ysc‐Yop type III secretion system by activating expression of the master transcriptional regulator LcrF
Authors: Li Yunlong , Hu Yangbo , Francis Matthew S. , Chen Shiyun
Published: July 2014

The Rcs phosphorelay is a complex signaling pathway used by the family Enterobacteriaceae to sense, respond and adapt to environmental changes during free‐living or host‐associated lifestyles. In this study, we show that the Rcs phosphorelay pathway positively regulates the virulence plasmid encoded Ysc‐Yop type III secretion system (T3SS) in the enteropathogen Yesinia pseudotuberculosis. Both the overexpression of the wild‐type Rcs regulator RcsB or the constitutive active RscB(D56E) variant triggered more abundant Ysc‐Yop synthesis and secretion, whereas the non‐phosphorylatable mutant RcsB(D56Q) negated this. Congruently, enhanced Yops expression and secretion occurred in an in cis rscB(D56E) mutant but not in an isogenic rscB(D56Q) mutant. Screening for regulatory targets of RcsB identified the virG‐lcrF operon that encodes for LcrF, the Ysc‐Yop T3SS master regulator. Protein‐DNA binding assays confirmed that RcsB directly bound to this operon promoter, which subsequently caused stimulated lcrF transcription. Moreover, active RcsB enhanced the ability of bacteria to deliver Yop effectors into immune cells during cell contact, and this promoted an increase in bacterial viability. Taken together, our study demonstrates the role of the Rcs system in regulating the Ysc‐Yop T3SS in Yersinia and reports on RcsB being the first transcriptional activator known to directly control lcrF transcription.
Comparison of Emergency Care Delivered to Children and Young Adults With Complex Chronic Conditions Between Pediatric and General Emergency Departments
Authors: Murtagh Kurowski Eileen , Byczkowski Terri , Grupp‐Phelan Jacqueline M.
Published: July 2014

Objectives

Increasing attention is being paid to medically complex children and young adults, such as those with complex chronic conditions, because they are high consumers of inpatient hospital days and resources. However, little is known about where these children and young adults with complex chronic conditions seek emergency care and if the type of emergency department (ED) influences the likelihood of admission. The authors sought to generate nationwide estimates for ED use by children and young adults with complex chronic conditions and to evaluate if being of the age for transition to adult care significantly affects the site of care and likelihood of hospital admission.

Methods

This was a cross‐sectional study using discharge data from the 2008 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS), Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to evaluate visits to either pediatric or general EDs by pediatric‐aged patients (17 years old or younger) and transition‐aged patients (18 to 24 years old) with at least one complex chronic condition. The main outcome measures were hospital admission, ED charges for treat‐and‐release visits, and total charges for admitted patients.

Results

In 2008, 69% of visits by pediatric‐aged and 92% of visits by transition‐aged patients with multiple complex chronic conditions occurred in general EDs. Not surprisingly, pediatric age was the strongest predictor of seeking care in a pediatric ED (odds ratio [OR] = 15.86; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 12.3 to 20.5). Technology dependence (OR = 1.56; 95% CI =1.2 to 2.0) and presence of multiple complex chronic conditions (OR = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.2 to 1.6) were also associated with higher odds of seeking care in a pediatric ED. When controlling for patient and hospital characteristics, type of ED was not a significant predictor of admission (p = 0.87) or total charges (p = 0.26) in either age group.

Conclusions

Overall, this study shows that, despite their complexity, the vast majority of children and young adults with multiple complex chronic conditions are cared for in general EDs. When controlling for patient and hospital characteristics, the admission rate and total charges for hospitalized patients did not differ between pediatric and general EDs. This result highlights the need for increased attention to the care that these medically complex children and young adults receive outside of pediatric‐specialty centers. These results also emphasize that any future performance metrics developed to evaluate the quality of emergency care for children and young adults with complex chronic conditions must be applicable to both pediatric and general ED settings.
The endocannabinoid system is altered in the post‐mortem prefrontal cortex of alcoholic subjects
Authors: Erdozain Amaia M. , Rubio Marina , Valdizan Elsa M. , Pazos Angel , Meana J Javier , Fernández‐Ruiz Javier , Alexander Stephen P. H. , Callado Luis F.
Published: July 2014

There is strong biochemical, pharmacological and genetic evidence for the involvement of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in alcohol dependence. However, the majority of studies have been performed in animal models. The aim of the present study was to assess the state of the CB1 receptor, the enzymes fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL), and the extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) and cyclic‐AMP response element‐binding protein (CREB) in the post‐mortem prefrontal cortex of alcoholic subjects. Experiments were performed in samples from 44 subjects classified in four experimental groups: (1) non‐suicidal alcoholic subjects (n = 11); (2) suicidal alcoholic subjects (n = 11); (3) non‐alcoholic suicide victims (n = 11); and (4) control subjects (n = 11). We did not observe statistically significant differences in CB1 mRNA relative expression among the four experimental groups. Conversely, our results showed an increase in CB1 receptor protein expression in the prefrontal cortex of the suicidal alcoholic group (127.2 ± 7.3%), with no changes in functionality with regard to either G protein activation or the inhibition of adenylyl cyclase. In parallel, alcoholic subjects presented lower levels of MAGL activity, regardless of the cause of death. A significant decrease in the active form of ERK and CREB levels was also observed in both alcoholic groups. Taken together, our data are consistent with a role for the ECS in the neurobiological mechanisms underlying alcoholism. Moreover, the alterations reported here should be of great interest for the therapeutic treatment of this chronic psychiatric disease.
Analgesic efficacy of pre‐operative stellate ganglion block on postoperative pain relief: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Kumar N. , Thapa D. , Gombar S. , Ahuja V. , Gupta R.
Published: July 2014

We undertook a randomised, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study to compare the analgesic efficacy of pre‐operative stellate ganglion block on postoperative pain relief after upper limb orthopaedic surgery. Patients were administered a 3‐ml injection during ultrasound‐guided stellate ganglion block; 15 patients received lidocaine 2% and 15 patients received 0.9% saline. Following the block, all patients received standardised general anaesthesia. Postoperative analgesia included regular intravenous diclofenac, paracetamol and patient‐controlled analgesia with tramadol for 24 h. Patients were observed at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24 h after surgery for tramadol consumption, cardiovascular variables and visual analogue scale pain scores at rest and on movement. The mean (SD) hourly tramadol consumption was significantly reduced in the lidocaine group compared with the saline group at 4 h (8.0 (10.1) mg vs 28.0 (12.6) mg, respectively; p = 0.001), 6 h (5.3 (10.8) mg vs 17.3 (12.7) mg, respectively; p = 0.013) and 8 h (5.3 (11.8) mg vs 21.3 (9.1) mg, respectively; p = 0.001). The cumulative 24‐h tramadol consumption was 97.3 (16.6) mg in the lidocaine group and 150.6 (26.0) mg in the saline group (p = 0.001). There were significant differences in the pain visual analogue scale at rest at two time points; at 4 h the median (IQR [range]) visual analogue scale scores were 4 (4–6 [2–8]) in the lidocaine group and 5 (4–6 [2–7]) in the saline group (p = 0.03), and at 6 h visual analogue scale scores were 3 (3–4 [3–6]) and 4 (4–6 [2–7]), respectively (p = 0.04). Pain visual analogue scale on movement was lower in the lidocaine group at all time intervals compared with the saline group, but this did not reach statistical significance. The present study has demonstrated a postoperative tramadol‐sparing and analgesic effect of pre‐operative stellate ganglion block in patients undergoing upper limb orthopaedic surgery under general anaesthesia.