bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Correlation of Structure and EBIC Contrast from Threading Dislocations in AlN/Si Films
Authors: Vacek Petr , Kostelník Petr , Gröger Roman
Published: July 2019

Epitaxial growth of polar GaN is frequently made on AlN/Si substrates that contain a large density of threading dislocations induced by the mismatch of their lattice parameters and thermal expansion coefficients. In this paper, the structural and electrical properties of surface and extended defects found in 220 nm {0001} AlN films grown epitaxially on {111} oriented Si substrate by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition are characterized. Three types of surface depressions are recognized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) that correspond to V‐defects and their clusters and individual threading dislocations. Transmission electron microscopy studies prove that all V‐defects are attached to threading screw or mixed‐type threading dislocations. The electrical activity of the defects in the AlN film is assessed by measuring the electron beam induced current (EBIC) across Au/Ni/AlN Schottky barrier. The largest drop of EBIC compared to defect‐free regions is observed at clusters of V‐defects, which have a low density of (2.4 ± 0.4) × 107 cm−2. Only a very weak drop of EBIC is found at isolated threading dislocations, which have much higher density compared to clusters of V‐defects. Considering the defects studied, the electrical properties of AlN films are primarily affected by threading dislocations, despite the relatively weak recombination efficiency of individual dislocations.
Tanshinone IIA combined with cisplatin synergistically inhibits non‐small‐cell lung cancer in vitro and in vivo via down‐regulating the phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase/Akt signalling pathway
Authors: Liao Xiao‐Zhong , Gao Ying , Huang Sheng , Chen Zhuang‐Zhong , Sun Ling‐Ling , Liu Jia‐Hui , Chen Han‐Rui , Yu Ling , Zhang Jia‐Xing , Lin Li‐Zhu
Published: July 2019

Cisplatin represents one of the first‐line drugs used for non‐small‐cell lung cancer treatment. However, considerable side effects and the emergence of drug resistance are becoming critical limitations to its application. Combinatorial strategies may be able to extend the use of cisplatin. Both Tanshinone IIA and cisplatin inhibit non‐small‐cell lung cancer cell growth in a time‐ and dose‐dependent manner. When Tanshinone IIA was combined with cisplatin at a ratio of 20:1, they were observed to exert a synergistic inhibitory effect on non‐small‐cell lung cancer cells. The combination treatment was shown to impair cell migration and invasion, arrest the cell cycle in the S phases, and induce apoptosis in A549 and PC9 cells in a synergistic manner. KEGG pathway analysis and molecular docking indicated that Tanshinone IIA might mainly influence the phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase‐Akt signalling pathway. In all treated groups, the expression levels of Bax and cleaved Caspase‐3 were up‐regulated, whereas the expression levels of Bcl‐2, Caspase‐3, p‐Akt, and p‐PI3K proteins were down‐regulated. Among these, the combination of Tan IIA and cisplatin exhibited the most significant difference. Tanshinone IIA may function as a novel option for combination therapy for non‐small‐cell lung cancer treatment.
Towards a more reliable historical reanalysis: Improvements for version 3 of the Twentieth Century Reanalysis system
Authors: Slivinski Laura C. , Compo Gilbert P. , Whitaker Jeffrey S. , Sardeshmukh Prashant D. , Giese Benjamin S. , McColl Chesley , Allan Rob , Yin Xungang , Vose Russell , Titchner Holly , Kennedy John , Spencer Lawrence J. , Ashcroft Linden , Brönnimann Stefan , Brunet Manola , Camuffo Dario , Cornes Richard , Cram Thomas A. , Crouthamel Richard , Domínguez‐Castro Fernando , Freeman J. Eric , Gergis Joëlle , Hawkins Ed , Jones Philip D. , Jourdain Sylvie , Kaplan Alexey , Kubota Hisayuki , Blancq Frank Le , Lee Tsz‐Cheung , Lorrey Andrew , Luterbacher Jürg , Maugeri Maurizio , Mock Cary J. , Moore G.W. Kent , Przybylak Rajmund , Pudmenzky Christa , Reason Chris , Slonosky Victoria C. , Smith Catherine A. , Tinz Birger , Trewin Blair , Valente Maria Antónia , Wang Xiaolan L. , Wilkinson Clive , Wood Kevin , Wyszyński Przemysław
Published: July 2019

Historical reanalyses that span more than a century are needed for a wide range of studies, from understanding large‐scale climate trends to diagnosing the impacts of individual historical extreme weather events. The Twentieth Century Reanalysis (20CR) Project is an effort to fill this need. It is supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and is facilitated by collaboration with the international Atmospheric Circulation Reconstructions over the Earth initiative. 20CR is the first ensemble of sub‐daily global atmospheric conditions spanning over 100 years. This provides a best estimate of the weather at any given place and time as well as an estimate of its confidence and uncertainty. While extremely useful, version 2c of this dataset (20CRv2c) has several significant issues, including inaccurate estimates of confidence and a global sea level pressure bias in the mid‐19th century. These and other issues can reduce its effectiveness for studies at many spatial and temporal scales. Therefore, the 20CR system underwent a series of developments to generate a significant new version of the reanalysis. The version 3 system (NOAA‐CIRES‐DOE 20CRv3) uses upgraded data assimilation methods including an adaptive inflation algorithm; has a newer, higher‐resolution forecast model that specifies dry air mass; and assimilates a larger set of pressure observations. These changes have improved the ensemble‐based estimates of confidence, removed spin‐up effects in the precipitation fields, and diminished the sea‐level pressure bias. Other improvements include more accurate representations of storm intensity, smaller errors, and large‐scale reductions in model bias. The 20CRv3 system is comprehensively reviewed, focusing on the aspects that have ameliorated issues in 20CRv2c. Despite the many improvements, some challenges remain, including a systematic bias in tropical precipitation and time‐varying biases in southern high‐latitude pressure fields.
Characterization of bioactive and nutraceutical compounds occurring in olive oil processing wastes
Authors: Ventura Giovanni , Calvano Cosima D. , Abbattista Ramona , Bianco Mariachiara , De Ceglie Cristina , Losito Ilario , Palmisano Francesco , Cataldi Tommaso R.I.
Published: July 2019

Rationale

Several bioactive compounds, including phenolic acids and secoiridoids, are transferred from olive drupes to olive oil during the first stage of production. Here, the characterization of these low molecular weight (LMW) compounds in olive oil and in closely related processing materials, like olive leaves (OL) and olive mill wastewaters (OMW), was faced up, for the first time, by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (TOF MS).

Methods

A novel binary matrix composed of 1,8‐bis(tetramethylguanidino)naphthalene (TMGN) and 9‐aminoacridine (9AA) (1:1 molar ratio), displaying excellent ionization properties at low levels of laser energy, was employed in reflectron negative ion mode by a MALDI TOF/TOF system equipped with a neodymium‐doped yttrium lithium fluoride (Nd:YLF) laser (345 nm). MS/MS experiments were performed by using ambient air as the collision gas.

Results

Four major secoiridoids typically present in olive oil, i.e., the aglycones of oleuropein and ligstroside, and oleacein and olecanthal at m/z 377.1, 361.1, 319.1 and 303.1, respectively, were detected in virgin olive oil (VOO) extracts, along with some of their chemical/enzymatic hydrolysis by‐products, such as elenolic (m/z 241.1), decarboxymethyl‐elenolic acids (m/z 183.1) and hydroxytyrosol (m/z 153.1). Besides oleuropein aglycone and oleacein, hydroxylated derivatives of decarboxymethyl‐elenolic acid and hydroxytyrosol were evidenced in OMW.

Conclusions

While oleuropein was confirmed in OL extracts, several interesting phenolic compounds, including hydroxytyrosol, were recognized in OMW. The proposed approach based on the use of a novel binary matrix for MALDI MS/MS analyses of LMW bioactive compounds can be considered a promising analytical tool for a rapid screening of the phenolic fraction in olive oils and related processing wastes.
Stochastic approximation EM for large‐scale exploratory IRT factor analysis
Authors: Camilli Gregory , Geis Eugene
Published: July 2019

A stochastic approximation EM algorithm (SAEM) is described for exploratory factor analysis of dichotomous or ordinal variables. The factor structure is obtained from sufficient statistics that are updated during iterations with the Robbins‐Monro procedure. Two large‐scale simulations are reported that compare accuracy and CPU time of the proposed SAEM algorithm to the Metropolis‐Hasting Robbins‐Monro procedure and to a generalized least squares analysis of the polychoric correlation matrix. A smaller‐scale application to real data is also reported, including a method for obtaining standard errors of rotated factor loadings. A simulation study based on the real data analysis is conducted to study bias and error estimates. The SAEM factor algorithm requires minimal lines of code, no derivatives, and no large‐matrix inversion. It is programmed entirely in R.
Factors Affecting Catchability in Longline Fishing of Red Grouper in the Southeastern Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Rincón‐Sandoval Luis A. , Velázquez‐Abunader Iván , Brulé Thierry
Published: July 2019

Catchability (q) is a key parameter in stock assessment that can vary in response to biological (e.g., abundance), spatial (e.g., fishing zones), and fishing technique and tactic (e.g., fishing gear design) factors. Few studies have been done on the influence of these sources of variation on q estimates. Catchability was calculated for Red Grouper Epinephelus morio caught with bottom longlines in two coastal zones fished by the small‐scale fleet in Yucatan, Mexico. Experimental data collected from these catches were used to assess the effect on q‐values of fishing zone and depth stratum, hook and bait size, and fish length. Three longlines were each equipped with one of three sizes (13/0, 14/0, or 15/0) of Mustad circle hooks. Bait was Atlantic Thread Herring Opisthonema oglinum in one of two sizes: 4 or 8 cm long. Sampling occurred in two zones (west and east coast) and in three depth strata (10–15 m, 15–20 m, and >20 m). Generalized linear models were used to identify any effect of the analyzed variables on q. Fishing depth and bait size alone had no apparent effect on q, but a combined effect of hook (14/0) size and bait (8 cm) size on q was observed. Fishing zone, hook size, and fish total length were significant sources of variation. The observed catchability patterns suggest possible high fishing mortality in juvenile Red Grouper related to fishing zone, hook and bait size, and fish length, highlighting the need to consider these variables to improve stock assessments of the Campeche Bank Red Grouper fishery.
NH3‐Driven Benzene C−H Activation with O2 that Opens a New Way for Selective Phenol Synthesis
Authors: Acharyya Shankha S. , Ghosh Shilpi , Yoshida Yusuke , Kaneko Takuma , Sasaki Takehiko , Iwasawa Yasuhiro
Published: July 2019

Catalytic benzene C−H activation toward selective phenol synthesis with O2 remains a stimulating challenge to be tackled. Phenol is currently produced industrially by the three‐steps cumene process in liquid phase, which is energy‐intensive and not environmentally friendly. Hence, there is a strong demand for an alternative gas‐phase single‐path reaction process. This account documents the pivotal confined single metal ion site platform with a sufficiently large coordination sphere in β zeolite pores, which promotes the unprecedented catalysis for the selective benzene hydroxylation with O2 under coexisting NH3 by the new inter‐ligand concerted mechanism. Among alkali and alkaline‐earth metal ions and transition and precious metal ions, single Cs+ and Rb+ sites with ion diameters >0.300 nm in the β pores exhibited good performances for the direct phenol synthesis in a gas‐phase single‐path reaction process. The single Cs+ and Rb+ sites that possess neither significant Lewis acidic−basic property nor redox property, cannot activate benzene, O2, and NH3, respectively, whereas when they coadsorbed together, the reaction of the inter‐coadsorbates on the single alkali‐metal ion site proceeds concertedly (the inter‐ligand concerted mechanism), bringing about the benzene C−H activation toward phenol synthesis. The NH3‐driven benzene C−H activation with O2 was compared to the switchover of the reaction pathways from the deep oxidation to selective oxidation of benzene by coexisting NH3 on Pt6 metallic cluster/β and Ni4O4 oxide cluster/β. The NH3‐driven selective oxidation mechanism observed with the Cs+/β and Rb+/β differs from the traditional redox catalysis (Mars‐van Krevelen) mechanism, simple Langmuir‐Hinshelwood mechanism, and acid−base catalysis mechanism involving clearly defined interaction modes. The present catalysis concept opens a new way for catalytic selective oxidation processes involving direct phenol synthesis.
Wavefunctions on S2 with flux and branes
Authors: Imai Sosuke , Tatsuta Yoshiyuki
Published: July 2019

Abstract

We formulate a six dimensional U(1) gauge theory compactified on a (two dimensional) sphere S
2 with flux and localized brane sources. Profiles of the lowest Kaluza-Klein (KK) wavefunctions and their masses are derived analytically. In contrast to ordinary sphere compactifications, the above setup can lead to the degeneracy of and the sharp localizations of the linearly independent lowest KK modes, depending on the number of branes and their tensions. Moreover, it can naturally accommodate CP violation in Yukawa interactions.
The fifth archetype of electricity market: the blockchain marketplace
Authors: Xu Yueqiang , Ahokangas Petri , Yrjölä Seppo , Koivumäki Timo
Published: July 2019

Enabling and empowering the diverse energy resources to have active yet efficient participation in the smart grid and energy market is an unrivaled challenge for the energy industry. This research expands the four dominant archetypes of business models in the energy and electricity market, creating a fifth archetype, the “blockchain marketplace”. The contributions of the study are to identify the extant electricity market designs and architectures as centralized and pseudo-decentralized while proposing a fully decentralized architecture enabled by the blockchain. The research contributes to the literature of smart grids and demand-side management and introduces the value configuration/architecture approach for the energy market and business model domains.
Interest, But Not Liking, Drives Consumer Preference toward Novelty
Authors: Sung Billy , Vanman Eric , Hartley Nicole
Published: July 2019

Do consumers really like familiarity and therefore dislike novelty? This is a central question that has resonated through different fields of marketing and psychology. Past research has found that people heuristically associate familiarity to liking, but they also prefer novelty in certain motivational contexts. This paper presents three studies to show that novelty does not result in liking but instead, evokes interest—a similar but functionally different positive affective experience. Specifically, we show that people feel interested toward and therefore favour a product when it is subjectively perceived to be new or said to be new, even when the novel product is objectively identical to its counterpart. Novelty, however, was found to be unrelated to liking. These findings suggest that consumers’ paradoxical tendency to favour both familiarity and novelty is manifested in ways beyond a general emotional valence account. Specifically, familiarity appears to evoke liking whereas novelty appears to evoke interest.
Ethics as a Fabric: An Emotional Reflexive Sensemaking Process
Authors: Fatien Diochon Pauline , Nizet Jean
Published: July 2019

The ethical sensemaking approach stands as an essential alternative to the dominant rational and objectivist paradigm of ethical decision-making in organizations. From this perspective, this research explores the intrapersonal interplay of emotions and reflexivity in ethical sensemaking. We analyzed thirty-seven semi-structured interviews conducted with executive coaches sharing a critical incident about an issue they framed as ethical. Our findings show that their ethical decisions unfolded over a three-phase emotional reflexive sensemaking process, where reflexivity allowed for the management of emotions in the form of emotional awareness, emotional unpacking, and emotional (dis)engagement. Therefore, we portray ethics as afabric, produced through the knitting of emotions and reflexivity. And, while ethics certainly appear to be produced by the subject, we suggest a reciprocal relationship, whereby the very fabric of ethics contributes to the production of the ethical subject.
Effect of finite conductivity on the nonlinear behaviour of an electrically charged viscoelastic liquid jet
Authors: Li Fang , Ke Shi-You , Yin Xie-Yuan , Yin Xie-Zhen
Published: July 2019

In this paper a one-dimensional numerical study on the nonlinear behaviour of an electrically charged jet of Oldroyd-B viscoelastic, Taylor–Melcher leaky dielectric liquid is carried out. The effect of surface charge level, axial wavenumber and finite conductivity on the nonlinear evolution of the jet is investigated. Different structures including beads-on-a-string with/without satellite droplets, quasi-spikes and spikes are detected, and their domains in the plane of the non-dimensional axial wavenumber and the electrical Bond number are illustrated. The underlying mechanisms in the formation of the structures are examined. It is found that tangential electrostatic force plays a key role in the formation of a quasi-spike structure. Decreasing liquid conductivity may lead to a decrease in the size of satellite droplets or even the complete removal of them from a beads-on-a-string structure, induce the transition from a beads-on-a-string to a quasi-spike structure or postpone the appearance of a spike. On the other hand, finite conductivity has little influence on filament thinning in a beads-on-a-string structure, owing to the fact that the electrostatic forces are of secondary importance compared with the capillary force. The difference between the finite conductivity, large conductivity and other cases is elucidated. An experiment is carried out to observe spike structures.
A Discursive Void in a Cross-Language Study on Russia: Strategies for Negotiating Shared Meaning
Authors: Outila Virpi , Piekkari Rebecca , Mihailova Irina
Published: July 2019

Discursive voids in emerging markets present opportunities and challenges to debate meanings and taken-for granted assumptions. This article uncovers various strategies used by the researcher and the research participants to address the discursive void and to negotiate shared meaning about employee empowerment in Russia. In the absence of a concept for empowerment in the languages of the study, the researcher and the research participants engaged in joint sensemaking to bridge discursive voids. We contribute to the discussion of qualitative cross-language research in emerging markets by identifying the strategies used not only by the researcher, whose view has dominated previous research, but also those of the research participants. The researcher in our study addressed the discursive void by taking on the dual role of researcher-translator, engaging in contextual approach to translation, consulting external interpreters, and using iteration and flexibility in the course of the research process. Our research participants resorted to proverbs to address the discursive void, make sense of empowerment, and render it locally meaningful. Proverbs are a valuable methodological tool for sensemaking and theorising about context-specific phenomena in IB research.
Reflecting and Integrating the Contextual Influences of Ambiguities and Institutional Power in Organisational Research Design: A Case of Myanmar
Authors: Win Sandar , Kofinas Alexander K.
Published: July 2019

Our understanding of how an organisation operates is elucidated by the host country's political system. Myanmar has remained abstruse to researchers for many decades, as do most emerging markets prior to their transition from a centrally planned economy to a market economy such as China. We establish how the problematising and contextualisation of the methodologies adopted during longitudinal fieldwork in Myanmar (2008 to 2016) has influenced our research focus and question. By reflecting on our experience of conducting organisational research in a highly institutionalised environment, we have identified limitations in the prevalent research methodologies used by the extant literature. Such methodologies tend to be incompatible with the Asian context. This process of problematisation required us to remain flexible and adaptive during the process of the generation of the research questions. We adopted a context-informed theory-building process and reflect on the interplay between interviewer, interviewees, and local institutional contexts. An important insight from this process was the need to nullify the asymmetry of power between the interviewer and interviewees to obtain honest responses rather than superficial data that aimed to satisfy and please the interviewer/institutional context.
The Color of Faults Depends on the Lens: MNCs’ Legitimacy
Repair in Response to Framing by Local Governments in China
Authors: Liu Xiao-xiao , Tsui-Auch Lai Si , Yang Jun Jie , Wang Xueli , Chen Aihua , Wang Kai
Published: July 2019

Concerns over food safety in China not only direct public attention to negative
incidents, but also trigger the government's scrutiny of implicated
firms, particularly MNCs. The question of how to repair legitimacy after media
coverage of negative incidents has become a critical issue for MNCs. Although
the factors for MNCs’ public crises have been identified, how local
contexts and mechanisms shape repair approaches remain unclear. To address this
research gap, we conducted a study of Walmart China's approaches
associated with two negative incidents across two regions. We found that the
negative incidents can be framed differently depending on the local
environment's unfavorability for MNCs. Specifically, the negative
framing gave rise to varying degrees of legitimacy loss and offered different
leeway for MNCs to repair their legitimacy. We also identified the varied
outcomes of different repair approaches. By revealing the linkages among local
context, framing, legitimacy repair, and its outcomes, our study contributes to
research on MNCs’ legitimacy management under institutional
complexity and underscores the China context for legitimacy maintenance. We also
offer insights that advance the institutional approach to legitimacy repair in
this context. Last, we reflect on the techniques for conducting qualitative
research in China.
Long-chain PUFA profiles in parental diets induce long-term effects on growth, fatty acid profiles, expression of fatty acid desaturase 2 and selected immune system-related genes in the offspring of gilthead seabream
Authors: Turkmen Serhat , Hernández-Cruz Carmen M. , Zamorano María J. , Fernández-Palacios Hipólito , Montero Daniel , Afonso Juan M. , Izquierdo Marisol
Published: July 2019

The present study investigated the effects of nutritional programming through parental feeding on offspring performance and expression of selected genes related to stress resistance in a marine teleost. Gilthead seabream broodstock were fed diets containing various fish oil (FO)/vegetable oil ratios to determine their effects on offspring performance along embryogenesis, larval development and juvenile on-growing periods. Increased substitution of dietary FO by linseed oil (LO) up to 80 % LO significantly reduced the total number of eggs produced by kg per female per spawn. Moreover, at 30 d after hatching, parental feeding with increasing LO up to 80 % led to up-regulation of the fatty acyl desaturase 2 gene (fads2) that was correlated with the increase in conversion rates of related PUFA. Besides, cyclo-oxygenase 2 (cox2) and TNF-α (tnf-α) gene expression was also up-regulated by the increase in LO in broodstock diets up to 60 or 80 %, respectively. When 4-month-old offspring were challenged with diets having different levels of FO, the lowest growth was found in juveniles from broodstock fed 100 % FO. An increase in LO levels in the broodstock diet up to 60LO raised LC-PUFA levels in the juveniles, regardless of the juvenile’s diet. The results showed that it is possible to nutritionally programme gilthead seabream offspring through the modification of the fatty acid profiles of parental diets to improve the growth performance of juveniles fed low FO diets, inducing long-term changes in PUFA metabolism with up-regulation offads2expression. The present study provided the first pieces of evidence of the up-regulation of immune system-related genes in the offspring of parents fed increased FO replacement by LO.
Rice straw biochar improves soil fertility, growth, and yield of rice–wheat system on a sandy loam soil
Authors: Gupta R. K. , Hussain Ashaq , Yadvinder-Singh  , Sooch S. S. , Kang J. S. , Sharma Sandeep , Dheri G. S.
Published: July 2019

Biochar has received attention due to its potential for mitigating climate change through carbon sequestration in soil and improving soil quality and crop productivity. This study evaluated the effects of rice straw biochar (RSB) and rice husk ash (RHA) each applied at 5 Mg ha−1and four N levels (0, 40, 80, and 120 kg ha−1) on soil fertility, growth, and yield of rice and wheat for three consecutive rice–wheat rotations. RSB significantly increased electrical conductivity, dehydrogenase activity, and P and K contents when compared to control (no amendment) up to 7.5 cm soil depth. Both RSB and RHA did not influence shoot N concentration in wheat plant but significantly increased P and K concentrations at 60 days after sowing. Grain yields of both rice and wheat were significantly higher in RSB as compared to control (no amendment) and RHA treatments. While the highest grain yields of rice and wheat were observed at 120 kg N ha−1in RHA and no biochar-treated plots, a significant increase in grain yields was observed at 80 kg N ha−1in RSB treatment, thereby saving 40 kg N ha−1in each crop. Both agronomic and recovery N efficiencies in rice and wheat were significantly higher in RSB-amended soil compared to control. Significant positive correlations were observed between soil N, P, and K concentrations and total N, P, and K concentrations in aboveground biomass of wheat at 60 days after sowing. This study showed the potential benefits of applying RSB for improving soil fertility and yields of rice and wheat in a rice–wheat system.
An endoscopic Ear Trainer for the low-resource setting
Authors: Clark M P A , Nakku D , Westerberg B D
Published: July 2019

Background

Endoscopic ear surgery is a technique that is growing in popularity. It has potential advantages in the low-resource setting for teaching and training, for the relative ease of transporting and storing the surgical equipment and for telemedicine roles. There may also be advantages to the patient, with reduced post-operative pain, facilitating the ability to complete procedures as out-patients.

Methods

Our Ear Trainer has previously been validated for headlight and microscope otology skills, including foreign body removal and ventilation tube insertion, in both the high- and low-resource setting. This study aimed to assess the Ear Trainer for similar training and assessment of endoscopic ear surgery skills in the low-resource setting. The study was conducted in Uganda on ENT trainees.

Results

Despite a lack of prior experience with endoscopes, with limited practice time most participants showed improvements in: efficiency of instrument movement, steadiness of the camera view obtained, overall global rating of the task and performance time (faster task performance).

Conclusion

These results indicate that the Ear Trainer is a useful tool in the training and assessment of endoscopic ear surgery skills.
Normal-mode-based theory of collisionless plasma waves
Authors: Ramos J. J.
Published: July 2019

The Van Kampen normal-mode method is applied in a comprehensive study of the linear wave perturbations of a homogeneous, magnetized and finite-temperature plasma, described by the collisionless Vlasov–Maxwell system in its non-relativistic version. The analysis considers a stable, Maxwellian background, but is otherwise completely general in that it allows for arbitrary wave propagation direction relative to the equilibrium magnetic field, multiple plasma species and general polarization states of the perturbed electromagnetic fields. A convenient formulation is introduced whereby the generator of the time advance is a Hermitian operator, analogous to the Hamiltonian in the Schrödinger equation of quantum mechanics. This guarantees a real frequency spectrum and complete bases of normal modes. Expansions in these normal-mode bases yield immediately the solutions of initial-value problems for general initial conditions. With standard initial conditions and propagation direction parallel to the equilibrium magnetic field, all the familiar results obtained following Landau’s Laplace transform approach are recovered. Considering such parallel propagation, the present work shows also explicitly and provides an example of how to construct special initial conditions that result in different, damped but otherwise arbitrarily prescribed time variations of the macroscopic variables. The known dispersion relations for perpendicular propagation are also recovered.
Validation of a death assay for Angiostrongylus cantonensis larvae (L3) using propidium iodide in a rat model (Rattus norvegicus)
Authors: Jarvi Susan I. , Jacob John , Sugihara Robert T. , Leinbach Israel L. , Klasner Ina H. , Kaluna Lisa M. , Snook Kirsten A. , Howe M. Kathleen , Jacquier Steven H. , Lange Ingo , Atkinson Abigail L. , Deane Ashley R. , Niebuhr Chris N. , Siers Shane R.
Published: July 2019

Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a pathogenic nematode and the cause of neuroangiostrongyliasis, an eosinophilic meningitis more commonly known as rat lungworm disease. Transmission is thought to be primarily due to ingestion of infective third stage larvae (L3) in gastropods, on produce, or in contaminated water. The gold standard to determine the effects of physical and chemical treatments on the infectivity of A. cantonensis L3 larvae is to infect rodents with treated L3 larvae and monitor for infection, but animal studies are laborious and expensive and also raise ethical concerns. This study demonstrates propidium iodide (PI) to be a reliable marker of parasite death and loss of infective potential without adversely affecting the development and future reproduction of live A. cantonensis larvae. PI staining allows evaluation of the efficacy of test substances in vitro, an improvement upon the use of lack of motility as an indicator of death. Some potential applications of this assay include determining the effectiveness of various anthelmintics, vegetable washes, electromagnetic radiation and other treatments intended to kill larvae in the prevention and treatment of neuroangiostrongyliasis.
Getting out of the house: the use of community transport as a third place for rural-dwelling older adults
Authors: Hagan Robert J.
Published: July 2019

Rural-dwelling older adults experience significant shrinkage in their social networks and capital due to transitions in later life related to poor physical health, mobility difficulties and bereavements. Being rurally located adds an extra layer of disadvantage. This article explores how older adults may use community transport systems to not only facilitate important social tasks but also maintain friendships and other valued relationships. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 11 users of a rural transport community bus service in western Northern Ireland. The interviews identified that participants viewed the transport system as a highly valued conduit for helping escape isolation, maintaining autonomy, and providing an informal space for relationship building and accessing local news.
Filial piety and intergenerational ambivalence among mother–adult child dyads in rural China
Authors: Guo Qiuju , Gao Xiang , Sun Fei , Feng Nan
Published: July 2019

This study examines the relationship between filial piety (adult children's filial behaviours and attitudes as well as elderly mothers’ overall evaluation of children's filial piety) and elderly mothers’ reports of intergenerational ambivalence (positive feelings, negative feelings and combined ambivalence) in rural China. We analysed the data from a survey in 2016 covering 2,203 adult children and 802 elderly mothers in Sichuan Province using a two-level mixed-effects modelling analysis. The results indicate that most components of filial piety are associated with mothers’ ambivalence, in that less ambivalence was reported by mothers when their adult children provided more emotional support to, had less conflict with and were evaluated as more filial by their mothers. Interestingly, mothers demonstrated greater positive feelings when their children were more filial in behaviour and attitude, but they also reported greater negative feelings and ambivalence when their children were more obedient, implying that absolute obedience to elderly parents might no longer be accepted by people. These findings may provide further understanding about the correlation between the culture of filial piety and intergenerational relationships in rural China.
‘It's most of my life – going to the pub or the group’: the social networks of involuntarily childless older men
Authors: Hadley Robin A.
Published: July 2019

The social networks of older people are a significant influence on their health and wellbeing. Adult children are an important element in their parent's network and provide the majority of informal care. The morphology of personal networks alters with age, employment, gender and relationships. Not having children automatically reduces both vertical familial structure and affects the wider formal and informal social links that children can bring. Childless men are missing from gerontological, reproduction, sociological and psychological research. These fields have all mainly focused on family and women. This paper reports on an auto/biographical qualitative study framed by biographical, feminist, gerontological and lifecourse approaches. Data were gathered from semi-structured biographical interviews with 14 self-defined involuntarily childless men aged between 49 and 82 years old. A latent thematic analysis highlighted the complex intersections between childlessness and individual agency, relationships and socio-cultural structures. The impact of major lifecourse events and non-events had significant implications for how childless people perform and view their social and self-identity. I argue that involuntary childlessness affects the social, emotional and relational aspects of men's lived experience across the lifecourse.
Disability-adjusted life years for severe acute malnutrition: implications of alternative model specifications
Authors: Puett Chloe , Bulti Assaye , Myatt Mark
Published: July 2019

Objective:

Reducing the burden of childhood severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is key to improving global child health outcomes. Assessing cost-effectiveness of nutrition interventions remains an important evidence gap. Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) are a common indicator used in cost-effectiveness analyses. DALYs were established by the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study. Recent iterations of the GBD have changed the methods used to calculate DALYs by dropping age-weighting and discounting (AD) and updating disability weights (DW). Cost-effectiveness analyses may use either local or international standard life expectancies (LE). Changes in model specifications for calculating DALYs may have implications for cost-effectiveness analyses using DALYs, interpreting historical DALY estimates, and related resource allocation decisions. The present study aimed to quantify the magnitude of change in estimates of DALYs attributable to SAM given recent methodological changes.

Design:

From secondary data analysis, using parameter values from routine programme monitoring data for two SAM treatment programmes and published literature, eight calculation models were created to estimate DALYs with and without AD, using different sets of DW, and local v. standard LE.

Results:

Different DW had a marginal effect on DALY estimates. Different LE had a small effect when AD was used, but a large effect when AD was not used.

Conclusions:

DALY estimates are sensitive to the model used. This complicates comparisons between studies using different models and needs to be accounted for in decision making. It seems sensible for analyses to report results using models with and without AD and using local and standard LE.
Who Rules the World? A Portrait of the Global Leadership Class
Authors: Gerring John , Oncel Erzen , Morrison Kevin , Pemstein Daniel
Published: July 2019

It goes without saying that “leaders rule.” And it stands to reason that the background characteristics of leaders affect the way they rule. Who are the leaders of the world? We generate a composite portrait of the global political elite with data from the Global Leadership Project (GLP), the first dataset offering biographical information on a wide array of leaders in most countries of the world. We offer comparisons across office, regions, regime types, and level of development. And we enlist the variables in the dataset in a latent class model to arrive at an empirical typology of political leaders around the world.
Entwicklung eines Fragebogens zur Erfassung zentraler Merkmale der Arbeit 4.0
Authors: Poethke Ute , Klasmeier Kai Niclas , Diebig Mathias , Hartmann Nele , Rowold Jens
Published: July 2019

Zusammenfassung. Ziel dieses Beitrages ist es, ein Fragebogeninstrument zur Erfassung zentraler Merkmale der Arbeit 4.0 vorzustellen. Kerndimensionen des Fragebogens sind die Digitalisierung von Arbeitsprozessen, die Flexibilisierung der Arbeit in räumlicher und zeitlicher Hinsicht, die Entgrenzung der Arbeitstätigkeit, sowie die Möglichkeit zur Mitbestimmung bei der Arbeit und deren subjektive Relevanz. Die Faktorstruktur der erfassten fünf Dimensionen erweist sich als replizierbar stabil. Die Dimensionen lassen sich mittels konfirmatorischer Faktorenanalysen von verwandten Dimensionen des Job Diagnostic Survey ( JDS) und des Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire ( COPSOQ) trennen. In Bezug auf die Vorhersage von Außenkriterien besitzen die fünf Dimensionen inkrementelle Validität über den JDS hinaus. Insgesamt sprechen die Ergebnisse aus fünf unabhängig durchgeführten Erhebungen dafür, dass der Fragebogen ein kurzes, reliables und valides Instrument zur Erfassung zentraler Merkmale der modernen Arbeitswelt darstellt.
Conducting Event-Related Potential (ERP) Research With Young Children
Authors: Brooker Rebecca J. , Bates John E. , Buss Kristin A. , Canen Mara J. , Dennis-Tiwary Tracy A. , Gatzke-Kopp Lisa M. , Hoyniak Caroline , Klein Daniel N. , Kujawa Autumn , Lahat Ayelet , Lamm Connie , Moser Jason S. , Petersen Isaac T. , Tang Alva , Woltering Steven , Schmidt Louis A.
Published: July 2019

Abstract. There has been an unprecedented increase in the number of research studies employing event-related potential (ERP) techniques to examine dynamic and rapidly occurring neural processes with children during the preschool and early childhood years. Despite this, there has been relatively little discussion of the methodological and procedural differences that exist for studies of young children versus older children and adults. That is, reviewers, editors, and consumers of this work often expect developmental studies to simply apply adult techniques and procedures to younger samples. Procedurally, this creates unrealistic expectations for research paradigms, data collection, and data reduction and analyses. Scientifically, this leads to inappropriate measures and methods that hinder drawing conclusions and advancing theory. Based on ERP work with preschoolers and young children from 10 laboratories across North America, we present a summary of the most common ERP components under study in the area of emotion and cognition in young children along with 13 realistic expectations for data collection and loss, laboratory procedures and paradigms, data processing, ERP averaging, and typical challenges for conducting this type of work. This work is intended to supplement previous guidelines for work with adults and offer insights to aid researchers, reviewers, and editors in the design and evaluation of developmental research using ERPs. Here we make recommendations for researchers who plan to conduct or who are conducting ERP studies in children between ages 2 and 12 years, focusing on studies of toddlers and preschoolers. Recommendations are based on both data and our cumulative experience and include guidelines for laboratory setup, equipment and recording settings, task design, and data processing.
Evaluating the Association of High Trait Anxiety With a Bias in Familiarity-Based Recognition of Emotional Stimuli
Authors: Barg Gabriel , Carboni Alejandra , Roche Thomas , Nin Verónica , Carretié Luis
Published: July 2019

Abstract. In the past decades the role of cognitive biases as maintaining factors of anxiety has been widely researched. This theoretical framework assumes that vulnerability self-referential thoughts promote a hyper-vigilant mode of processing environmental stimuli. In this mode, threatening information increases attentional capture and therefore encoding and retrieval of such stimuli is enhanced. Although this attentional bias has been confirmed, the evidence concerning the memory bias is contradictory. Our hypothesis is that the bias in memory is expressed through the pattern of recognition. Particularly, the aim of this study was to evaluate the association of anxiety with familiarity, a deficient form of recognition which consists only in the identification of the item without retrieval of contextual information. Two groups of 17 participants with low and high anxiety levels performed an experimental task of visual recognition memory, using neutral, positive, and negative pictures. The experiment had two test phases, with a 24-hour interval, to evaluate possible effects of consolidation. The pattern of recognition was measured, behaviorally (through an independent Remember/Know paradigm) and through event-related potentials (ERP). Participants with higher levels of anxiety developed a bias in recognition of arousing stimuli (positive and negative) compared with the control group. This bias was observed behaviorally through an increase of familiarity-based recognition, and was associated with a positive modulation of a right parietal late positive component (LPC) at approximately 600 ms of latency. Participants with higher levels of anxiety are capable of recognizing arousing stimuli but lack efficiency in retrieving past contextual information compared to lower level anxiety participants. A recognition bias can be the first step in cognitive distortions that generate anxiety. This is, to our knowledge, the first study to explore the association of anxiety with familiarity-based recognition, using an independent Remember/Know paradigm combined with electrophysiological data. Further studies with bigger samples and more recording channels are needed to confirm the electrophysiological findings.
Motivational Climate in the Classroom
Authors: Gucciardi Daniel F. , Weixian Joseph Chen , Gibson William , Ntoumanis Nikos , Ng Leo
Published: July 2019

Abstract. Adaptive motivation is central to positive functioning. Social agents such as teachers play a significant role in shaping the motivation of people with whom they interact by satisfying or thwarting their psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The development and validation of tools that assess the types of behaviors social agents adopt to satisfy these psychological needs are important agenda items for substantive and applied researchers. In this study, we examined factorial and convergent validity evidence of a need support scale adapted from the physical education context for use in tertiary settings with health science students. Factor analyses of responses from 290 health science students indicated that need-supportive behaviors are best captured by one latent factor, rather than the a priori 4-factor structure designed to capture needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competence. Regression analyses supported the convergent validity of the unidimensional structure, such that students who perceived higher levels of need-supportive behaviors from their tutor reported higher levels of behavioral engagement, and experiences of vitality and learning. Validation of a scale that assesses need-supportive behaviors within a health science context provides researchers with a tool to employ in future research that aims to investigate the antecedents and outcomes of such behaviors, as well as the effects of interventions designed to equip educators with the skills, motivation, and knowledge to employ successfully such behaviors.
A Psychometric Evaluation of the Short Grit Scale
Authors: Gonzalez Oscar , Canning Jessica R. , Smyth Heather , MacKinnon David P.
Published: July 2019

Abstract. Grit, the passion and perseverance for long-term goals, has received attention from personality psychologists because it predicts success and academic achievement. Grit has also been criticized as simply another measure of self-control or conscientiousness. A precise psychometric representation of grit is needed to understand how the construct is unique and how it overlaps with other constructs. Previous research suggests that the Short Grit Scale (Grit-S) has several psychometric limitations, such as uncertain factor structure within and across populations, uncertainty about reporting total or subscale scores, and different assessment precision at low and high levels on the construct. We conducted modern psychometric techniques including parallel analysis, measurement invariance, extrinsic convergent validity, and Item Response Theory models on two American samples. Our results suggest that the Grit-S is essentially unidimensional and that there is construct overlap with the self-control construct. Subscale factors were the result of an item doublet, where two items had highly correlated uniquenesses, showed similar item information, and were more likely to exhibit measurement bias. Findings replicated across samples. Finally, we discuss recommendations for the use of the Grit-S based on the theoretical interpretation of the unidimensional factor and our empirical findings.