bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cumulative effects of repetitive intermittent hypercapnic hypoxia on orexin in the developing piglet hypothalamus
Authors: Du Man K. , Hunt Nicholas J. , Waters Karen A. , Machaalani Rita
Published: November 2015

Orexin neuropeptides (OxA and OxB) and their receptors (OX1R and OX2R) are involved in maintenance of sleep and wakefulness, and are regulated by various environmental stimuli. We studied piglets, in the early neonatal period, exposed to 48‐min of intermittent hypercapnic hypoxia (IHH; 7% O2/8% CO2) alternating with air. Three groups of 13–14 day‐old piglets with IHH exposure of 1‐day (1D‐IHH) (n = 7), 2‐days (2D‐IHH) (n = 7) and 4‐days (4D‐IHH) (n = 8) were compared to controls (exposed only to air, n = 8). Immunoreactivity of OxA and OxB was studied in the piglet hypothalamic regions of the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH), perifornical area (PeF) and lateral hypothalamic area (LH). Results showed that after 1D‐ and 2D‐IHH, total OxA and OxB expression decreased by 20% (p ≤ 0.005) and 40% (p < 0.001), respectively. After 4D‐IHH, the decrease in OxA and OxB was 50% (p < 0.001). These findings indicate that a chronic IHH exposure induces greater changes in orexin neuropeptide expression than an acute 1‐day exposure in the hypothalamus. This may be causally related to the dysregulation of sleep.
Medium‐term outcomes after combined trachelectomy and uterosacral ligament suspension among young women with severe uterine prolapse
Authors: Sun Zhixing , Zhu Lan , Hu Huiying , Lang Jinghe , Shi Honghui , Gong Xiaoming
Published: November 2015

Objective

To evaluate anatomic and sexual outcomes among young women with severe pelvic organ prolapse undergoing combined trachelectomy and laparoscopic high uterosacral ligament suspension (LHUS).

Methods

In a prospective study in Beijing, China, patients (aged ≤ 50 years) with pelvic organ prolapse of stage III or higher according to the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POP‐Q) were enrolled between November 2007 and August 2011. After combined trachelectomy and LHUS, patients were followed up at 6 weeks, 6 months, 12 months, and yearly thereafter. Anatomic success was defined as POP‐Q lower than stage II. Sexual outcomes were assessed at 6 months via the validated Short‐Form Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire (PISQ‐12), and compared with a control group of 39 healthy age‐matched women.

Results

Among 49 patients, surgical success and patient satisfaction rates were 100% after a median follow‐up of 54 months. Among 48 patients who were sexually active at follow‐up, 39 (81%) completed the PISQ‐12 questionnaire. The 6‐month PISQ‐12 score was higher than the preoperative score overall (38.1 vs 26.4, P < 0.001) and for all three subscale domains (P ≤ 0.001). The PISQ‐12 score of postoperative patients was similar to that of control women (36.8, P = 0.52).

Conclusion

Trachelectomy combined with LHUS produced satisfactory medium‐term anatomic and functional outcomes for young women with severe uterine prolapse.
The moderating role of dialecticism in consumer responses to product information
Authors: Wang Haizhong , Batra Rajeev , Chen Zengxiang
Published: November 2015

We show that consumers high in dialecticism—the tolerance of contradictions and the expectations of change (Peng & Nisbett, 1999)—respond differently than low‐dialecticism consumers to messages that have purely positive, mixed, or purely negative information. We find first that for low dialectics, felt ambivalence—and discomfort—is greater for mixed information messages than for negative or positive information. For high dialectics, however, mixed information leads to high felt ambivalence, but not to high discomfort. When given univalent positive or negative information messages, high dialectics have more thoughts about information opposite in valence to that presented, when presented with negative information messages. As a result, for high dialectics, univalent negative information produces the same high felt ambivalence, and even greater discomfort, than do mixed information messages. Through these non‐parallel effects, we show that the relationship between felt ambivalence and discomfort is itself moderated by dialecticism. Through three experiments and using a novel manipulation of dialecticism, we replicate and generalize these effects and provide process evidence.
Ultrasound‐Guided Scraping for Chronic Patellar Tendinopathy: A Case Presentation
Authors: Hall Mederic M. , Rajasekaran Sathish
Published: November 2015

Chronic patellar tendinopathy is a common complaint among athletes who repetitively stress the extensor mechanism of the knee. Multiple treatment options have been described, but evidence is lacking, specifically when eccentric loading has failed. Debate continues regarding the patho‐etiology of chronic patellar tendon pain. There has been recent interest regarding the neurogenic influences involved in chronic tendinopathy, and interventions targeting neovessels and accompanying neonerves have shown promise. This is the first description of an ultrasound‐guided technique in which the neovessels and accompanying neonerves in patellar tendinopathy were targeted using a needle scraping technique of the posterior surface of the patellar tendon.
Perceptions of civil rights, security and the “war on terror”: East and West compared
Authors: Grødeland Åse B.
Published: November 2015

This article explores the tension between civil rights and security by examining the perceptions of the general public and elites in Eastern and Western Europe on (i) the terrorist threat; (ii) external pressure to stay within or step outside the law when combatting terrorism; and (iii) how best to combat terrorism. Large scale qualitative and quantitative data collected in Western and Eastern Europe before the terrorist act in Norway in 2011 and the Russian intervention in Ukraine and subsequent annexation of the Crimea in 2014 suggest that at the time terrorism was perceived as a greater threat in Western than in Eastern Europe. Further, Europeans felt that the US had extended pressure on their countries to combat terrorism by stepping outside the law. While ordinary citizens believed that terrorism should be fought by introducing more security — if necessary at the expense of civil rights — elites emphasized the need to protect civil rights while combating terrorism. Finally, European Muslims claimed that the terrorist threat was exaggerated and that protecting civil rights is more important than combating terrorism.
Inflectional Defectiveness
Authors: Sims Andrea D.
Published: November 2015

Paradigmatic gaps ('missing' inflected forms) have traditionally been considered to be the random detritus of a language's history and marginal exceptions to the normal functioning of its inflectional system. Arguing that this is a misperception, Inflectional Defectiveness demonstrates that paradigmatic gaps are in fact normal and expected products of inflectional structure. Sims offers an accessible exploration of how and why inflectional defectiveness arises, why it persists, and how it is learned. The book presents a theory of morphology which is rooted in the implicative structure of the paradigm. This systematic exploration of the topic also addresses questions of inflection class organization, the morphology-syntax interface, the structure of the lexicon, and the nature of productivity. Presenting a novel synthesis of established research and new empirical data, this work is significant for researchers and graduate students in all fields of linguistics.
Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry
Authors: Tusser Thomas
Published: November 2015

A singer and poet as well as a farmer, Thomas Tusser (c.1524–80) first produced his verse manual on farming in the mid-sixteenth century. Since then, it has gone through more than a dozen editions. This 1812 version is a collation of three of the poem's early editions. Editor William Mavor (1758–1837) provides a biographical sketch of Tusser, modernises the work's orthography and punctuation, and includes page-by-page annotations on subject matter and difficult points of language. The work divides into two: the first half, structured around the farming calendar, deals with the cultivation of open and enclosed land, while the second contains 'points of huswifery', arranged loosely around the working day. Tusser writes from the perspective of a tenant farmer, notably placing emphasis on the often overlooked benefits of land enclosure as well as on the role of women in farm labour.
Innovative Vaulting in the Architecture of the Roman Empire
Authors: Lancaster Lynne C.
Published: November 2015

This book studies six vaulting techniques employed in architecture outside of Rome and asks why they were invented where they were and how they were disseminated. Most of the techniques involve terracotta elements in various forms, such as regular flat bricks, hollow voussoirs, vaulting tubes, and armchair voussoirs. Each one is traced geographically via GIS mapping, the results of which are analysed in relation to chronology, geography, and historical context. The most common building type in which the techniques appear is the bath, demonstrating its importance as a catalyst for technological innovation. This book also explores trade networks, the pottery industry, and military movements in relation to building construction, revealing how architectural innovation was influenced by wide ranging cultural factors, many of which stemmed from local influences rather than imperial intervention. Additional resources including extensive searchable databases with bibliographical data and colour illustrations available at www.cambridge.org/vaulting.
Pausanias and Other Greek Sketches
Authors: Frazer James George
Published: November 2015

Sir James Frazer (1854–1941) is best remembered for his monumental study of ancient religion, The Golden Bough (of which the first and third editions are both reissued in this series). He also produced a translation of and commentary on the Description of Greece of Pausanias, the second-century CE traveller and antiquarian, and the first piece in this 1900 compilation of Frazer's 'sketches' is the introductory essay to that work. Short descriptions then follow of the present-day appearance of over ninety places visited by Pausanias, and the work ends with an essay on Pericles and the effect of the period of his rule on the art and architecture of Athens. This fascinating work is imbued with Frazer's enthusiasm for, and knowledge of, the topography of ancient Greece, and will be of interest not only to scholars but also to visitors to the country.
Was sind und was sollen die Zahlen?
Authors: Dedekind Richard
Published: November 2015

The nineteenth century saw the paradoxes and obscurities of eighteenth-century calculus gradually replaced by the exact theorems and statements of rigorous analysis. It became clear that all analysis could be deduced from the properties of the real numbers. But what are the real numbers and why do they have the properties we claim they do? In this charming and influential book, Richard Dedekind (1831–1916), Professor at the Technische Hochschule in Braunschweig, showed how to resolve this problem starting from elementary ideas. His method of constructing the reals from the rationals (the Dedekind cut) remains central to this day and was generalised by Conway in his construction of the 'surreal numbers'. This reissue of Dedekind's 1888 classic is of the 'second, unaltered' 1893 edition.
Value of Information in the Earth Sciences
Authors: Eidsvik Jo , Mukerji Tapan , Bhattacharjya Debarun
Published: November 2015

Gathering the right kind and the right amount of information is crucial for any decision-making process. This book presents a unified framework for assessing the value of potential data gathering schemes by integrating spatial modelling and decision analysis, with a focus on the Earth sciences. The authors discuss the value of imperfect versus perfect information, and the value of total versus partial information, where only subsets of the data are acquired. Concepts are illustrated using a suite of quantitative tools from decision analysis, such as decision trees and influence diagrams, as well as models for continuous and discrete dependent spatial variables, including Bayesian networks, Markov random fields, Gaussian processes, and multiple-point geostatistics. Unique in scope, this book is of interest to students, researchers and industry professionals in the Earth and environmental sciences, who use applied statistics and decision analysis techniques, and particularly to those working in petroleum, mining, and environmental geoscience.
The Cemeteries of Abydos
Authors: Naville Édouard , Peet T. Eric , Loat W. L. S.
Published: November 2015

Originally published between 1913 and 1914 for the Egypt Exploration Fund, these three excavation reports relating to the necropolis at Abydos are now reissued together in one volume. Following the important work carried out by Flinders Petrie - his two reports on The Royal Tombs (1900–1) and the three-part Abydos (1902–4) are also reissued in this series - Édouard Naville (1844–1926) began further excavation and recording of the site's cemeteries with Thomas Eric Peet (1882–1934) and others. Each report contains a section of valuable illustrative material, such as photographs and drawings of the discovered artefacts. Part 1, covering the 1909–10 season, includes chapters on pottery and mummified dogs. Part 2, written up by Peet, covers all the tomb work carried out between 1909 and 1912. Part 3, co-authored with W. L. S. Loat, covers the 1912–13 season, notably the discovery of an ibis cemetery.
Radical Deprivation on Trial
Authors: Rodríguez-Garavito César , Rodríguez-Franco Diana
Published: November 2015

This book is an empirical study of contributions by courts in the Global South to comparative constitutionalism. It offers an analytical framework for understanding these constitutional innovations and illustrates them with a qualitative study of the most ambitious case in constitutional adjudication in Latin America over the last decade: the Colombian Constitutional Court's structural injunction affecting the rights of over five million internally displaced people and its implementation process. Although the ruling (known as T25) was handed down in 2004, its monitoring process continues. This book traces the case's evolution from its origin to its effects on policy, politics and public opinion. It also compares the implementation and effects of T25 with those of other rulings on the rights to health, food, housing, and prison overcrowding in Colombia, India and South Africa. The study's insights will be of interest to scholars of comparative constitutionalism in Latin America, Africa and Asia.
The Rise and Decline of an Iberian Bourgeoisie
Authors: Fynn-Paul Jeff
Published: November 2015

The Rise and Decline of an Iberian Bourgeoisie is one of the first long-term studies in English of an Iberian town during the late medieval crisis. Focusing on the Catalonian city of Manresa, Jeff Fynn-Paul expertly integrates Iberian historiography with European narratives to place the city's social, political and economic development within the broader context of late medieval urban decline. Drawing from extensive archival research, including legal and administrative records, royal letters, and a cadastral survey of more than 640 households entitled the 1408 Liber Manifesti, the author surveys the economic strategies of both elites and non-elites to a level previously unknown for any medieval town outside of Tuscany and Ghent. In a major contribution to the series, The Rise and Decline of an Iberian Bourgeoisie reveals how a combination of the Black Death, royal policy, and a new public debt system challenged, and finally undermined urban resilience in Catalonia.
The Pauline Church and the Corinthian Ekklēsia
Authors: Last Richard
Published: November 2015

Moving past earlier descriptions of first-century Christ groups that were based on examining the New Testament in isolation from extant sources produced by analogous cult groups throughout Mediterranean antiquity, this book engages with underexplored epigraphic and papyrological records and situates the behaviour of Paul's Corinthian ekklēsia within broader patterns of behaviour practised by Greco-Roman associations. Richard Last's comparative analysis generates highly original contributions to our understanding of the social history of the Jesus movement: he shows that the Corinthians were a small group who had no fixed meeting place, who depended on financial contributions from all ten members in order to survive, and who attracted recruits by offering social benefits such as crowns and office-holding that made other ancient cult groups successful. This volume provides a much-needed robust alternative to the traditional portrayal of Pauline Christ groups as ecclesiastically egalitarian, devoid of normative honorific practices, and free for the poor.
AP Foreign Correspondents in Action
Authors: Dell'Orto Giovanna
Published: November 2015

Based on extended interviews conducted from the Pakistani countryside to Washington, AP Foreign Correspondents in Action: World War II to the Present reveals for the first time what it takes to get the stories that brought the world home to America. It gives new front-line insights into major events from the Japanese surrender in 1945 to the 2010s Syrian civil war, and it helps to understand news impact on international affairs through evolving journalistic practices. Both successes and failures through eight decades of foreign correspondence from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe show that public discourse has been best served by correspondents who, at great risk, challenged accepted narratives, exposed omnipresent lies, gave a voice to the voiceless, and stymied the frequently violent efforts of those who feared truth-telling eyewitnesses.
The Mandrill
Authors: Dixson Alan F.
Published: November 2015

Living in the remote forests of western central Africa, the mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) is notoriously elusive and has evaded scientific scrutiny for decades. Yet, it is the largest and most sexually dimorphic of all the Old World monkeys, and perhaps the most colourful of all the mammals. Synthesising the results of more than twenty-five years of research, this is the first extensive treatment of the mandrill's reproductive and behavioural biology. Dixson explores in detail the role that sexual selection has played in shaping the mandrill's evolution, covering mechanisms of mate choice, intra-sexual competition, sperm competition and cryptic female choice. Bringing to life, through detailed descriptions and rich illustrations, the mandrill's communicatory biology and the functions of its brightly coloured adornments, this book sheds new light on the evolutionary biology of this fascinating primate.
Memory and Migration in the Shadow of War
Authors: Damousi Joy
Published: November 2015

In an engaging and original contribution to the field of memory studies, Joy Damousi considers the enduring impact of war on family memory in the Greek diaspora. Focusing on Australia's Greek immigrants in the aftermath of the Second World War and the Greek Civil War, the book explores the concept of remembrance within the larger context of migration to show how intergenerational experience of war and trauma transcend both place and nation. Drawing from the most recent research in memory, trauma and transnationalism, Memory and Migration in the Shadow of War deals with the continuities and discontinuities of war stories, assimilation in modern Australia, politics and activism, child migration and memories of mothers and children in war. Damousi sheds new light on aspects of forgotten memory and silence within families and communities, and in particular the ways in which past experience of violence and tragedy is both negotiated and processed.
The Image of the Artist in Archaic and Classical Greece
Authors: Hedreen Guy
Published: November 2015

This book explores the persona of the artist in Archaic and Classical Greek art and literature. Guy Hedreen argues that artistic subjectivity, first expressed in Athenian vase-painting of the sixth century BCE and intensively explored by Euphronios, developed alongside a self-consciously constructed persona of the poet. He explains how poets like Archilochos and Hipponax identified with the wily Homeric character of Odysseus as a prototype of the successful narrator, and how the lame yet resourceful artist-god Hephaistos is emulated by Archaic vase-painters such as Kleitias. In lyric poetry and pictorial art, Hedreen traces a widespread conception of the artist or poet as socially marginal, sometimes physically imperfect, but rhetorically clever, technically peerless, and a master of fiction. Bringing together in a sustained analysis the roots of subjectivity across media, this book offers a new way of studying the relationship between poetry and art in ancient Greece.
Islam and Democracy in Indonesia
Authors: Menchik Jeremy
Published: November 2015

Indonesia's Islamic organizations sustain the country's thriving civil society, democracy, and reputation for tolerance amid diversity. Yet scholars poorly understand how these organizations envision the accommodation of religious difference. What does tolerance mean to the world's largest Islamic organizations? What are the implications for democracy in Indonesia and the broader Muslim world? Jeremy Menchik argues that answering these questions requires decoupling tolerance from liberalism and investigating the historical and political conditions that engender democratic values. Drawing on archival documents, ethnographic observation, comparative political theory, and an original survey, Islam and Democracy in Indonesia demonstrates that Indonesia's Muslim leaders favor a democracy in which individual rights and group-differentiated rights converge within a system of legal pluralism, a vision at odds with American-style secular government but common in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe.
The Crucible of Language
Authors: Evans Vyvyan
Published: November 2015

From the barbed, childish taunt on the school playground, to the eloquent sophistry of a lawyer prising open a legal loophole in a court of law, meaning arises each time we use language to communicate with one another. How we use language - to convey ideas, make requests, ask a favour, and express anger, love or dismay - is of the utmost importance; indeed, linguistic meaning can be a matter of life and death. In The Crucible of Language, Vyvyan Evans explains what we know, and what we do, when we communicate using language; he shows how linguistic meaning arises, where it comes from, and the way language enables us to convey the meanings that can move us to tears, bore us to death, or make us dizzy with delight. Meaning is, he argues, one of the final frontiers in the mapping of the human mind.
The Paradox of Traditional Chiefs in Democratic Africa
Authors: Baldwin Kate
Published: November 2015

The Paradox of Traditional Chiefs in Democratic Africa shows that unelected traditional leaders can facilitate democratic responsiveness. Ironically, chiefs' undemocratic character gives them a capacity to organize responses to rural problems that elected politicians and state institutions lack. Specifically, chiefs' longer time horizons encourage investment in local institutions that enable the provision of local public goods. This is the paradox of traditional chiefs in democratic Africa: elected politicians can only effectively respond to rural constituents through institutions constructed and maintained by local leaders who are not worried about electoral terms. Furthermore, the critical role played by chiefs in brokering local development projects forces us to reassess how we understand the basis of their political influence during elections. The book examines the effects of traditional leaders on the electoral connection in Africa through a multi-method approach that combines qualitative research, surveys, and experiments, with particular attention to the Zambian case.
Geometry in a Fréchet Context
Authors: Dodson C. T. J. , Galanis George , Vassiliou Efstathios
Published: November 2015

Many geometrical features of manifolds and fibre bundles modelled on Fréchet spaces either cannot be defined or are difficult to handle directly. This is due to the inherent deficiencies of Fréchet spaces; for example, the lack of a general solvability theory for differential equations, the non-existence of a reasonable Lie group structure on the general linear group of a Fréchet space, and the non-existence of an exponential map in a Fréchet–Lie group. In this book, the authors describe in detail a new approach that overcomes many of these limitations by using projective limits of geometrical objects modelled on Banach spaces. It will appeal to researchers and graduate students from a variety of backgrounds with an interest in infinite-dimensional geometry. The book concludes with an appendix outlining potential applications and motivating future research.
Stability analysis of boundary layers controlled by miniature vortex generators
Authors: Siconolfi L. , Camarri S. , Fransson J. H. M.
Published: November 2015

It is currently known that Tollmien–Schlichting (TS) waves can be attenuated by the introduction of spanwise mean velocity gradients in an otherwise two-dimensional boundary layer (BL). The stabilizing effect, associated with an extra turbulence production term, is strong enough to obtain a delay in transition to turbulence induced by TS waves, with the implication of reducing skin-friction drag. Miniature vortex generators (MVGs), mounted in an array, have successfully been used to obtain velocity modulations by the generation of alternating high- and low-speed streaks in the spanwise direction to control the BL. Experimentally, an initial amplification of the TS waves has been reported, which takes place in the near-wake region of the MVG array. The higher the streak amplitude, the stronger the downstream stabilizing effect becomes, but with the drawback of experiencing an even stronger initial amplification. This can lead to a sub-critical transitional Reynolds number, which would not only mean that the control has failed but, even worse, also lead to an advancement of the transition location. Here, direct numerical simulations and a local spatial stability analysis have been performed in order to reach a deeper understanding of this behaviour. The results agree well with experiments and we propose an explanation of the described behavior in terms of stability properties of the controlled BL. This important knowledge can be used in future designs of BL modulators, which can lead to improved stability of the control and to an extended region of laminar flow.
Undulatory swimming in non-Newtonian fluids
Authors: Li Gaojin , Ardekani Arezoo M.
Published: November 2015

We numerically investigate the effects of non-Newtonian fluid properties, including shear thinning and elasticity, on the locomotion of Taylor’s swimming sheet with arbitrary amplitude. Our results show that elasticity hinders the swimming speed, but a shear-thinning viscosity in the absence of elasticity enhances the speed. The combination of the two effects, modelled using a Giesekus constitutive equation, hinders the swimming speed. We find that the swimming speed of an infinitely long waving sheet in an inelastic shear-thinning fluid has a maximum, whose value depends on the sheet undulation amplitude and the fluid rheological properties. The power consumption, on the other hand, follows a universal scaling law.
Team diversity, mood, and team creativity: The role of team knowledge sharing in Chinese R & D teams
Authors: Tang Chaoying , Naumann Stefanie E.
Published: November 2015

Research on the team diversity-team creativity relationship has been mixed. We present and empirically examine a model of mediated moderation in which team knowledge sharing intervenes in the impact of the interaction of team work value diversity and positive mood on team creativity. Survey participants included 458 employees working in 47 R&D teams from 17 research institutes in China. The interaction of team work value diversity and team positive mood positively affected team creativity and was mediated by team knowledge sharing. Our findings suggest that knowledge sharing and positive mood are necessary to facilitate the positive link between value diversity and creativity; otherwise, diversity can have negative effects on creativity. Thus, value diversity, mood, and knowledge sharing should be considered in the formation, training, and performance evaluation of teams.
Analysis of acutely exacerbated chronic tinnitus by the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory
Authors: Zeng X , Li P , Li Z , Cen J , Li Y , Zhang G
Published: November 2015

Objective:

To examine factors potentially contributing to acutely exacerbated chronic tinnitus initiation using the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory.

Methods:

Sixty acutely exacerbated chronic tinnitus out-patients were divided into two groups depending on whether hearing loss was aggravated or stable during tinnitus exacerbation. Total Tinnitus Handicap Inventory scores and scores for the three subscales (assessing functional limitations, emotional attitudes and catastrophic thoughts) were analysed.

Results:

Total Tinnitus Handicap Inventory scores did not differ between groups. In patients with acutely exacerbated chronic tinnitus and aggravated hearing loss, functional subscale scores were significantly higher after acutely exacerbated chronic tinnitus than at baseline, but catastrophic and emotional subscale scores did not change. In patients with acutely exacerbated chronic tinnitus and stable hearing loss, emotional subscale scores were significantly higher after acutely exacerbated chronic tinnitus than at baseline, but catastrophic and functional subscale scores did not change.

Conclusion:

Elevated Tinnitus Handicap Inventory functional subscale scores might indicate further hearing loss, whereas elevated emotional subscale scores might be associated with negative life or work events.
Nonholonomic motion planning for minimizing base disturbances of space manipulators based on multi-swarm PSO
Authors: Zhang Qiang , Ji Lu , Zhou Dongsheng , Wei Xiaopeng
Published: November 2015

Because space manipulators must satisfy the law of conservation of momentum, any motion of a manipulator within a space-manipulator system disturbs the position and attitude of its free-floating base. In this study, the authors have designed a multi-swarm particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm to address the motion planning problem and so minimize base disturbances for 6-DOF space manipulators. First, the equation of kinematics for space manipulators in the form of a generalized Jacobian matrix (GJM) is introduced. Second, sinusoidal and polynomial functions are used to parameterize joint motion, and a quaternion representation is used to represent the attitude of the base. Moreover, by transforming the planning problem into an optimization problem, the objective function is analyzed and the proposed algorithm explained in detail. Finally, numerical simulation results are used to verify the validity of the proposed algorithm.
Effect of socioeconomic deprivation on uptake of measles, mumps and rubella vaccination in Liverpool, UK over 16 years: a longitudinal ecological study
Authors: HUNGERFORD D. , MACPHERSON P. , FARMER S. , GHEBREHEWET S. , SEDDON D. , VIVANCOS R. , KEENAN A.
Published: November 2015

Suboptimal uptake of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine by certain socioeconomic groups may have contributed to recent large measles outbreaks in the UK. We investigated whether socioeconomic deprivation was associated with MMR vaccine uptake over 16 years. Using immunization data for 72 351 children born between 1995 and 2012 in Liverpool, UK, we examined trends in vaccination uptake. Generalized linear models were constructed to examine the relative effect of socioeconomic deprivation and year of birth on MMR uptake. Uptake of MMR1 by age 24 months ranged between 82·5% in 2003 [95% confidence interval (CI) 81·2–83·7] and 93·4% in 2012 (95% CI 92·7–94·2). Uptake of MMR2 by age 60 months ranged between 65·3% (95% CI 64·4–67·4) in 2006 and 90·3% (95% CI 89·4–91·2) in 2012. In analysis adjusted for year of birth and sex, children in the most deprived communities were at significantly greater risk of not receiving MMR1 [risk ratio (RR) 1·70, 95% CI 1·45–1·99] and MMR2 (RR 1·36, 95% CI 1·22–1·52). Higher unemployment and lower household income were significantly associated with low uptake. Contrary to concerns about lower MMR uptake in affluent families, over 16 years, children from the most socioeconomically deprived communities have consistently had the lowest MMR uptake. Targeted catch-up campaigns and strategies to improve routine immunization uptake in deprived areas are needed to minimize the risk of future measles outbreaks.
Melioidosis in New Caledonia: a dominant strain in a transmission hotspot
Authors: MELOT B. , COLOT J. , LACASSIN F. , TARDIEU S. , LAPISARDI E. , MAYO M. , PRICE E. P. , SAROVICH D. S. , CURRIE B. J. , GOARANT C.
Published: November 2015

Melioidosis is an infectious disease caused byBurkholderia pseudomallei, a bacterium endemic in Southeast Asia and northern Australia. In New Caledonia, sporadic cases were first described in 2005; since then, more cases have been identified. To improve our understanding of melioidosis epidemiology in New Caledonia, we compared the local cases andB. pseudomalleiisolates with those from endemic areas. Nineteen melioidosis cases have been diagnosed in New Caledonia since 1999, mostly severe and with frequent bacteraemia, leading to three (16%) fatalities. All but one occurred in the North Province. Besides sporadic cases caused by non-clonal strains, we also identified a hotspot of transmission related to a clonal group ofB. pseudomalleithat is phylogenetically related to Australian strains.
Consumer preferences for ‘natural’ agricultural practices: Assessing methods to manage bird pests
Authors: Herrnstadt Zachary , Howard Philip H. , Oh Chi-Ok , Lindell Catherine A.
Published: November 2015

‘Natural’ is a popular food marketing term. Although it is not well-defined, it refers primarily to inputs used for food processing, rather than agricultural practices. Given the market success of organic and non-GMO labeled foods, other agricultural practices may have the potential to develop ‘natural’ market niches while also addressing sustainability goals. We assessed perceptions of natural for one specific set of agricultural practices, bird management methods in fruit crops, utilizing a series of four focus groups. In addition, we quantified consumer preferences for these methods with a national online survey (n = 1000). The most positively received methods, falconry and nest boxes, were typically described as more natural. Conversely, the most negatively received methods, live ammunition and methyl anthranilate spray, were frequently viewed as less natural. The majority of survey respondents indicated that controlling fruit-consuming birds with natural practices was important, but an even higher percentage deemed avoiding harms to personal health as important. Because falconry and nest boxes do not have perceived direct effects on human health, they are likely to have less market potential than more established ecolabels. Communicating the use of these practices to consumers, however, may result in consumers selecting them over other products, particularly if the associated price premiums are relatively modest.
A genetic study of steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome: relationship between polymorphism -173 G to C in the MIF gene and serum level MIF in children
Authors: Ramayani O. R. , Sekarwana N. , Trihono P. P. , Sadewa A. H. , Lelo A.
Published: November 2015

There is no satisfactory explanation as to why some nephrotic syndrome (NS) patients respond to glucocorticoids and others do not. The aim of this study was to investigate an association between single nucleotide polymorphism of the MIF gene -rs755622 and serum MIF concentrations in NS patients. During a period between November 2011 and September 2012, 120consecutive childrendivided into three groups [healthy children, steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) and steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS)] were examined.Children were defined as healthy when they had a normal estimated glomerular filtration rate and spot urinary albumin creatinine ratio <150 μg/mg creatinine. SRNS was diagnosed in children who did not respond to the usual doses of steroids within 4 weeks of initiating treatment. SSNS patients were defined as those who had remission after usual doses of steroids. The genotype of -173 G to C polymorphism of the MIF gene was determined using polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism methods. Serum MIF concentration was measured using sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The allele frequency of the C allele was higher in SRNS compared with that of SSNS patients (P=0.025). There was a trend toward an association between genotypes and serum MIF disturbances. In conclusion, this study noted elevated circulating serum MIF levels and higher frequency of the C allele of the MIF gene in SRNS patients. The presence of the C allele implies an increased risk for steroid resistance.
Lower expression of GATA3 and T‐bet correlates with downregulated IL‐10 in severe falciparum malaria
Authors: Mahanta Anusree , Baruah Shashi
Published: November 2015

Interleukin (IL)‐10, a non‐redundant anti‐inflammatory cytokine is produced by different cells and its production involves activation of cell‐specific transcriptional regulatory machinery in response to specific pathogen. We have previously demonstrated downregulated levels of IL‐10 in severe falciparum malaria. The present study investigated transcriptional regulation of IL‐10 in severe malaria. Comparative expression analysis of cell‐specific signalling proteins and transcription factors for IL‐10 production during the stage of active infection and with resolution of parasitaemia was performed. Interestingly, T‐bet and GATA3, the Th1 and Th2 transcription factors, respectively, were downregulated in severe malaria with fold change values of 0.59 and 0.86. Increase in the levels of both the factors with resolution of parasitaemia implicated a role for parasite in depressed levels of these factors. Further support for probable parasite manipulation of GATA3 was obtained from negative correlation of GATA3 with parasitaemia. In addition, a role for interferon‐α in suppressing IL‐10 transcription was evident from its negative correlation with GATA3 and IL‐10 levels. In summary, IL‐10 transcription in Th1 and Th2 is defective and appears to have major contribution to low levels in severe malaria.
The role of residence time in diagnostic models of global carbon storage capacity: model decomposition based on a traceable scheme
Authors: Yizhao Chen , Jianyang Xia , Zhengguo Sun , Jianlong Li , Yiqi Luo , Chengcheng Gang , Zhaoqi Wang
Published: November 2015

As a key factor that determines carbon storage capacity, residence time (τE) is not well constrained in terrestrial biosphere models. This factor is recognized as an important source of model uncertainty. In this study, to understand how τE influences terrestrial carbon storage prediction in diagnostic models, we introduced a model decomposition scheme in the Boreal Ecosystem Productivity Simulator (BEPS) and then compared it with a prognostic model. The result showed that τE ranged from 32.7 to 158.2 years. The baseline residence time (τ′E) was stable for each biome, ranging from 12 to 53.7 years for forest biomes and 4.2 to 5.3 years for non-forest biomes. The spatiotemporal variations in τE were mainly determined by the environmental scalar (ξ). By comparing models, we found that the BEPS uses a more detailed pool construction but rougher parameterization for carbon allocation and decomposition. With respect to ξ comparison, the global difference in the temperature scalar (ξt) averaged 0.045, whereas the moisture scalar (ξw) had a much larger variation, with an average of 0.312. We propose that further evaluations and improvements in τ′E and ξw predictions are essential to reduce the uncertainties in predicting carbon storage by the BEPS and similar diagnostic models.
Albumin administration prevents neurological damage and death in a mouse model of severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia
Authors: Vodret Simone , Bortolussi Giulia , Schreuder Andrea B. , Jašprová Jana , Vitek Libor , Verkade Henkjan J. , Muro Andrés F.
Published: November 2015

Therapies to prevent severe neonatal unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia and kernicterus are phototherapy and, in unresponsive cases, exchange transfusion, which has significant morbidity and mortality risks. Neurotoxicity is caused by the fraction of unconjugated bilirubin not bound to albumin (free bilirubin, Bf). Human serum albumin (HSA) administration was suggested to increase plasma bilirubin-binding capacity. However, its clinical use is infrequent due to difficulties to address its potential preventive and curative benefits and to the absence of reliable markers to monitor bilirubin neurotoxicity risk. We used a genetic mouse model of unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia showing severe neurological impairment and neonatal lethality. We treated mutant pups with repeated HSA administration since birth, without phototherapy application. Daily intraperitoneal HSA administration completely rescued neurological damage and lethality, depending on dosage and administration frequency. Albumin infusion increased plasma bilirubin-binding capacity, mobilizing bilirubin from tissues to plasma. This resulted in reduced plasma Bf, forebrain and cerebellum bilirubin levels. We showed that, in our experimental model, Bf is the best marker to determine the risk of developing neurological damage. These results support the potential use of albumin administration in severe acute hyperbilirubinemia conditions to prevent or treat bilirubin neurotoxicity in situations in which exchange transfusion may be required.
Targeted, noninvasive blockade of cortical neuronal activity
Authors: McDannold Nathan , Zhang Yongzhi , Power Chanikarn , Arvanitis Costas D. , Vykhodtseva Natalia , Livingstone Margaret
Published: November 2015

Here we describe a novel method to noninvasively modulate targeted brain areas through the temporary disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) via focused ultrasound, enabling focal delivery of a neuroactive substance. Ultrasound was used to locally disrupt the BBB in rat somatosensory cortex and intravenous administration of GABA then produced a dose-dependent suppression of somatosensory-evoked potentials in response to electrical stimulation of the sciatic nerve. No suppression was observed 1–5 days afterwards or in control animals where the BBB was not disrupted. This method has several advantages over existing techniques: it is noninvasive; it is repeatable via additional GABA injections; multiple brain regions can be affected simultaneously; suppression magnitude can be titrated by GABA dose; and the method can be used with freely behaving subjects. We anticipate that the application of neuroactive substances in this way will be a useful tool for noninvasively mapping brain function and potentially for surgical planning or novel therapies.
Innovative Strategy on Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Utilizing Activated Liquid Water
Authors: Hwang Bing-Joe , Chen Hsiao-Chien , Mai Fu-Der , Tsai Hui-Yen , Yang Chih-Ping , Rick John , Liu Yu-Chuan
Published: November 2015

Splitting water for hydrogen production using light, or electrical energy, is the most developed ‘green technique’. For increasing efficiency in hydrogen production, currently, the most exciting and thriving strategies are focused on efficient and inexpensive catalysts. Here, we report an innovative idea for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) utilizing plasmon-activated liquid water with reduced hydrogen-bonded structure by hot electron transfer. This strategy is effective for all HERs in acidic, basic and neutral systems, photocatalytic system with a g-C3N4 (graphite carbon nitride) electrode, as well as in an inert system with an ITO (indium tin oxide) electrode. Compared to deionized water, the efficiency of HER increases by 48% based on activated water ex situ on a Pt electrode. Increase in energy efficiency from activated water is 18% at a specific current yield of −20 mA in situ on a nanoscale-granulated Au electrode. Moreover, the onset potential of −0.023 V vs RHE was very close to the thermodynamic potential of the HER (0 V). The measured current density at the corresponding overpotential for HER in an acidic system was higher than any data previously reported in the literature. This approach establishes a new vista in clean green energy production.
Heteroepitaxial Cu2O thin film solar cell on metallic substrates
Authors: Wee Sung Hun , Huang Po-Shun , Lee Jung-Kun , Goyal Amit
Published: November 2015

Heteroepitaxial, single-crystal-like Cu2O films on inexpensive, flexible, metallic substrates can potentially be used as absorber layers for fabrication of low-cost, high-performance, non-toxic, earth-abundant solar cells. Here, we report epitaxial growth of Cu2O films on low cost, flexible, textured metallic substrates. Cu2O films were deposited on the metallic templates via pulsed laser deposition under various processing conditions to study the influence of processing parameters on the structural and electronic properties of the films. It is found that pure, epitaxial Cu2O phase without any trace of CuO phase is only formed in a limited deposition window of P(O2) - temperature. The (00l) single-oriented, highly textured, Cu2O films deposited under optimum P(O2) - temperature conditions exhibit excellent electronic properties with carrier mobility in the range of 40–60 cm2 V−1 s−1 and carrier concentration over 1016 cm−3. The power conversion efficiency of 1.65% is demonstrated from a proof-of-concept Cu2O solar cell based on epitaxial Cu2O film prepared on the textured metal substrate.
Proximal segmentation of the dorsal mesogastrium reveals new anatomical implications for laparoscopic surgery
Authors: Xie Daxing , Gao Chun , Lu An , Liu Liang , Yu Chaoran , Hu Junbo , Gong Jianping
Published: November 2015

Generally, the gold standard of radical surgery for gastrointestinal (GI) tumors is en bloc resection of primary lesions and their related tissues. For gastric cancer, the ideal surgical treatment should be D2 radical gastrectomy plus complete mesogastrium excision. Complete mesogastrium excision is rarely done or mentioned since little is known about the mesogastrium and its presence is still with controversy. Topographically, the “mesogastrium” refers to a peri-gastric structure composed of “fascia propria”, enveloping lymph nodes, blood vessels and adipose tissues, which by connecting to the stomach, suspends from the posterior abdominal wall. In this study, by employing video laparoscopy, a number of proximal segments of dorsal mesogastrium were found being extensively scattered around the pancreas. The structure of the mesogastrium was further identified intraoperatively and then confirmed both grossly and histologically after the operation. Our results demonstrated the existence of mesogastrium (gastric mesentery) and its architecture. We suggest for the first time a “Table model” to describe the relationship between the stomach and gastric mesenteries enveloped by fascia propria, which might provide an improvement in the surgical methods for excision of gastric cancer.