bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Towards an understanding of the biology and targeted treatment of paediatric relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
Authors: Irving Julie A. E.
Published: November 2015

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is the most common childhood cancer and for those children who relapse, prognosis is poor and new therapeutic strategies are needed. Recurrent pathways implicated in relapse include RAS, JAK STAT, cell cycle, epigenetic regulation, B cell development, glucocorticoid response, nucleotide metabolism and DNA repair. Targeting these pathways is a rational therapeutic strategy and may deliver novel, targeted therapies into the clinic. Relapse often stems from a minor clone present at diagnosis and thus analysis of persisting leukaemia during upfront therapy may allow targeted drug intervention to prevent relapse.
A review of chemical reactions of nitrification intermediates and their role in nitrogen cycling and nitrogen trace gas formation in soil
Authors: Heil J. , Vereecken H. , Brüggemann N.
Published: November 2015

Soil is a major source of nitrogen trace gases (NTGs). Microbial denitrification has long been identified as a source of NTGs under reducing conditions, whereas the production of NTGs during nitrification is far from being completely understood. This review updates information about the role of abiotic processes in the formation of gaseous N products in soil and brings attention to the potential interplay of microbial and chemical soil processes that tend to be neglected in research on NTG emissions. Several reactions that involve the nitrification intermediates, nitrite (NO2−) and hydroxylamine (NH2OH), are known to produce the NTGs nitric oxide (NO) and nitrous oxide (N2O). These abiotic reactions are: the self‐decomposition of NO2−, reactions of NO2− with reduced metal cations, nitrosation of soil organic matter (SOM) by NO2−, the reaction between NO2− and NH2OH, and the oxidation of NH2OH by Fe3+ or MnO2. These reactions can occur over a broad range of soil characteristics, but they are disregarded in most current research on NTG studies in favour of biological processes only. Relatively few studies have tried to quantify the contribution of abiotic processes to total NTG emissions, which results in uncertainty in emission models and mitigation strategies. It is difficult to discriminate between biological and abiotic sources because both processes can proceed at the same time in the same soil layer. The potential of stable isotope techniques to disentangle the different processes in soil and to constrain budgets of atmospheric NTGs better are highlighted. Recent advances in stable isotope technologies, such as infrared real‐time laser spectroscopy, provide considerable potential for both natural abundance and tracer studies in this field.
Causality between abundance and diversity is weak for wintering migratory waterbirds
Authors: Guan Lei , Jia Yifei , Saintilan Neil , Wang Yuyu , Liu Guanhua , Lei Guangchun , Wen Li
Published: November 2015

The species–area relationship, which is closely linked with the more general species‐energy theory, is one of the most well‐known patterns in geographical ecology, but the underlying causes remain contentious. The more individuals hypothesis (MIH) articulates a causal path from resource availability to population abundance to species richness. The MIH has been tested with a range of taxa including plants, invertebrates and land birds but never with migratory waterbirds.

Using multiyear simultaneous survey data of wintering waterbirds in 10 lakes at Poyang Lake, China, and remotely sensed habitat condition measurements, we applied structural equation modelling (SEM) to test three causal paths: (A) good habitat conditions (e.g. habitat availability and heterogeneity) attract more species (high richness); (B) habitat conditions promote abundance (more individuals); and (C) habitat conditions promote abundance, which in turn increases richness.

We also modelled responses of species richness and abundance to habitat conditions using generalised additive mixed modelling (GAMM) to assess their co‐variation.

While our analysis confirmed the first two paths, we found no support for the third, which is the central postulate of the MIH. In addition, in agreement with GAMM, SEM indicated that species richness was more closely related to habitat quality than to abundance. Our findings suggest that wintering waterbird species richness and abundance are two intrinsic community indices that covary with environmental variables.
Candidates’ Education and Turnout: Evidence from Italyn Municipal Elections
Authors: Benedetto Marco Alberto De , Paola Maria De
Published: November 2015

We analyze the impact that the educational level of candidates running for the position of mayor has on electoral turnout by using a large dataset for Italyn municipal elections held between 1993 and 2011. We firstly estimate a municipality fixed effects model and show that the median education of candidates standing in an election is positively correlated with turnout. To handle endogeneity issues arising from the unobservable time variant features of electoral races, we build on the literature which shows that politicians’ educational level is positively affected by their wage and apply a Fuzzy Regression Discontinuity Design on the basis of the fact that the wages of mayors in Italy increase non-monotonically at different thresholds. Results show that an exogenous increase in the median educational level of candidates, induced by a higher wage, leads to an increase in turnout of about 1 percentage point.
Structure of the Equilibrated Ni(111)‐YSZ(111) Solid–Solid Interface
Authors: Nahor Hadar , Kaplan Wayne D.
Published: November 2015

Solid‐state dewetting of continuous Ni films deposited on the (111) surface of yttrium‐stabilized zirconia (YSZ) was used to produce equilibrated Ni particles, and the solid–solid interface structure was determined using aberration‐corrected transmission electron microscopy. The ~150 nm thick Ni films were annealed at 1350°C in Ar + H2 (99.9999%) at a partial pressure of oxygen of 10−20 atm for 6 h. Transmission electron microscopy of equilibrated particles, which was conducted to analyze the structure at the interface, revealed that despite the 31% lattice mismatch between Ni and YSZ, the interface is semicoherent and a two‐dimensional network of misfit dislocations was identified.
Genetic association between leg conformation in young pigs and sow longevity
Authors: Le T.H. , Madsen P. , Lundeheim N. , Nilsson K. , Norberg E.
Published: November 2015

Longevity is important in pig production with respect to both economic and ethical aspects. Direct selection for longevity might be ineffective because ‘true’ longevity can only be recorded when a sow has been culled or died. Thus, indirect selection for longevity using information from other traits that can be recorded early in life and are genetically correlated with longevity might be an alternative. Leg conformation has been included in many breeding schemes for a number of years. However, proving that leg conformation traits are good early indicators for longevity still remains. Our aim was to study genetic associations between leg conformation traits of young (5 months; 100 kg) Swedish Yorkshire pigs in nucleus herds and longevity traits of sows in nucleus and multiplier herds. Data included 97 533 animals with information on conformation (Movement and Overall score) recorded at performance testing and 26 962 sows with information on longevity. The longevity traits were as follows: stayability from 1st to 2nd parity, lifetime number of litters and lifetime number of born alive piglets. Genetic analyses were performed with both linear models using REML and linear‐threshold models using Bayesian methods. Heritabilities estimated using the Bayesian method were higher than those estimated using REML, ranging from 0.10 to 0.24 and 0.07 to 0.20, respectively. All estimated genetic correlations between conformation and longevity traits were significant and favourable. Heritabilities and genetic correlations between conformation and longevity indicate that selection on leg conformation should improve sow longevity.
Role of habitat heterogeneity and landscape connectivity in shaping gene flow and spatial population structure of a dominant rodent species in a tropical dry forest
Authors: Garrido‐Garduño T. , Téllez‐Valdés O. , Manel S. , Vázquez‐Domínguez E.
Published: November 2015

Evaluating how habitat heterogeneity and landscape connectivity influence fine‐scale population processes of gene flow and spatial population structure is key for understanding animal dispersal. Liomys pictus is a heteromyid rodent that inhabits tropical dry deciduous and semideciduous forests, where it is a dominant, abundant species and a key element on the ecosystem as seed disperser. We evaluated how landscape features shaped the genetic structure and gene flow at a fine scale among L. pictus populations in a well‐conserved natural environment. On the basis of L. pictus ecological characteristics (e.g. dominant species, female philopatry), we predicted that forested areas (irrespective of vegetation type) should facilitate dispersal if the forest vegetation acted as a kind of corridor, and that these patterns will be different between sexes. We tested these assumptions (104 individuals, six sampling localities, 14 microsatellite loci) after checking for discrete genetic groups using Bayesian clustering methods, by assessing the effect of landscape variables on patterns of gene flow combining Mantel and partial Mantel tests, least‐cost path and circuit theories. L. pictus differentiated into genetic clusters delimited by clear landscape boundaries. Accordingly, resistance hypotheses results showed that precipitation and stream channels were the main environmental and landscape attributes influencing gene flow. Exchange of a majority of migrants was detected from the center into other sampling localities, indicating higher dispersal throughout deciduous and semideciduous forest corridors, whereas isolation by distance was found only for females. Our approach allowed us to elucidate animal environmental space use, identifying some of the landscape features linked to the species dispersal patterns, which can serve as a basis for the study and comparison with other tropical forests and species. It can also have conservation applications, for instance, preserving the forested corridors we identified as significant for dispersal can likely benefit other codistributed, threatened rodent species.
Climate Change Policy and Energy Reform: An Assessment of Mexico's Foreign Policy
Authors: Sosa‐Núñez Gustavo Sadot
Published: November 2015

This article aims to provide insight about the relationship between climate change policy and foreign policy. With Mexico as case study and through the examination of literature on foreign policy analysis, the author suggests that the search for a better performance in the energy sector could undermine previously made climate change actions and commitments, thus modifying foreign policy. This situation is assessed for two presidential terms. The previous administration was eager to locate and promote Mexico as a front‐runner in climate change actions, developing national policies aimed at reducing emissions from pollution sources and actively participating at the international fora. On the other hand, the current government has followed a different approach. Now that the energy sector has been reformed, a potential increase in oil production can be expected, regardless of the promotion of renewable energy. Such an ambivalent attitude may send confusing signals to the international community about Mexico's role and position with respect to climate change, even though this modification is acknowledged as a result of a change in government.
Survey of outcomes in a faculty development program on simulation pedagogy
Authors: Roh Young Sook , Kim Mi Kang , Tangkawanich Thitiarpha
Published: November 2015

Although many nursing programs use simulation as a teaching‐learning modality, there are few systematic approaches to help nursing educators learn this pedagogy. This study evaluates the effects of a simulation pedagogy nursing faculty development program on participants' learning perceptions using a retrospective pre‐course and post‐course design. Sixteen Thai participants completed a two‐day nursing faculty development program on simulation pedagogy. Thirteen questionnaires were used in the final analysis. The participants' self‐perceived learning about simulation teaching showed significant post‐course improvement. On a five‐point Likert scale, the composite mean attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control scores, as well as intention to use a simulator, showed a significant post‐course increase. A faculty development program on simulation pedagogy induced favorable learning and attitudes. Further studies must test how faculty performance affects the cognitive, emotional, and social dimensions of learning in a simulation‐based learning domain.
Structural outcomes in the Cleft Care UK study. Part 2: dento‐facial outcomes
Authors: Al‐Ghatam R. , Jones T. E. M. , Ireland A. J. , Atack N. E. , Chawla O. , Deacon S. , Albery L. , Cobb A. R. M. , Cadogan J. , Leary S. , Waylen A. , Wills A. K. , Richard B. , Bella H. , Ness A. R. , Sandy J. R.
Published: November 2015

Structured Abstract

Objectives

To compare facial appearance and dento‐alveolar relationship outcomes from the CSAG (1998) and CCUK (2013) studies.

Setting and sample population

Five‐year‐olds born with non‐syndromic unilateral cleft lip and palate. Those in the original CSAG were treated in a dispersed model of care with low‐volume operators. Those in CCUK were treated in a more centralized, high‐volume operator model.

Materials and methods

We compared facial appearance using frontal view photographs (252 CCUK, 239 CSAG) and dental relationships using study models (198 CCUK, 223 CSAG). Facial appearance was scored by a panel of six assessors using a standardized and validated outcome tool. Dento‐alveolar relationships were scored by two assessors using the 5‐Year‐Olds’ Index. Ordinal regression was used to compare results between surveys.

Results

Excellent or good facial appearance was seen in 36.2% of CCUK compared with 31.9% in CSAG. In CCUK, 21.6% were rated as having poor or very poor facial appearance compared with 27.6% in CSAG. The percentage rated as having excellent or good dento‐alveolar relationships was 53.0% in CCUK compared with 29.6% in CSAG. In CCUK, 19.2% were rated as having poor or very poor dento‐alveolar relationships compared to 36.3% in CSAG. The odds ratios for improved outcome in CCUK compared to CSAG were 1.43 (95% CI 1.03, 1.97) for facial appearance and 2.29 (95% CI 1.47, 3.55) for dento‐alveolar relationships.

Conclusions

Facial and dento‐alveolar outcomes were better in CCUK children compared to those in CSAG.
Functional outcomes in the Cleft Care UK study – Part 3: oral health and audiology
Authors: Smallridge J. , Hall A. J. , Chorbachi R. , Parfect V. , Persson M. , Ireland A. J. , Wills A. K. , Ness A. R. , Sandy J. R.
Published: November 2015

Structured Abstract

Objectives

To compare oral health and hearing outcomes from the Clinical Standards Advisory Group (CSAG, 1998) and the Cleft Care UK (CCUK, 2013) studies.

Setting and sample population

Two UK‐based cross‐sectional studies of 5‐year‐olds born with non‐syndromic unilateral cleft lip and palate undertaken 15 years apart. CSAG children were treated in a dispersed model of care with low‐volume operators. CCUK children were treated in a centralized, high volume operator system.

Materials and methods

Oral health data were collected using a standardized proforma. Hearing was assessed using pure tone audiometry and middle ear status by otoscopy and tympanometry. ENT and hearing history were collected from medical notes and parental report.

Results

Oral health was assessed in 264 of 268 children (98.5%). The mean dmft was 2.3, 48% were caries free, and 44.7% had untreated caries. There was no evidence this had changed since the CSAG survey. Oral hygiene was generally good, 96% were enrolled with a dentist. Audiology was assessed in 227 of 268 children (84.7%). Forty‐three per cent of children received at least one set of grommets – a 17.6% reduction compared to CSAG. Abnormal middle ear status was apparent in 50.7% of children. There was no change in hearing levels, but more children with hearing loss were managed with hearing aids.

Conclusions

Outcomes for dental caries and hearing were no better in CCUK than in CSAG, although there was reduced use of grommets and increased use of hearing aids. The service specifications and recommendations should be scrutinized and implemented.
Cleft Care UK study. Part 5: child psychosocial outcomes and satisfaction with cleft services
Authors: Waylen A. , Ness A. R. , Wills A. K. , Persson M. , Rumsey N. , Sandy J. R.
Published: November 2015

Structured Abstract

Objectives

To describe the impact of cleft service centralization on parental perceptions of child outcomes and satisfaction with care from the Cleft Care UK (CCUK) study and compare them to the Clinical Standards Advisory Group (CSAG) study that took place 15 years earlier.

Setting and Sample Population

A subgroup of respondents from a UK multicentre cross‐sectional study (CCUK) of 5‐year‐olds born with non‐syndromic unilateral cleft lip and palate.

Materials and Methods

Data on parents’ perceptions of child self‐confidence and their satisfaction with treatment outcomes and service provision were collected via self‐report questionnaires. Data were compared with findings from the 1998 CSAG study.

Results

Fewer parents in the CCUK study perceived their children as having poor self‐confidence than in the 1998 CSAG study (8 and 19%, respectively). At least 81% of parents report satisfaction with the child's facial features after surgery and 98% report being satisfied with the care received. These results are similar to those reported in 1998. There is no evidence of an adverse impact on families’ ability to attend appointments at the cleft clinic following centralization. Levels of reported problems (around 30%) with attendance were similar to those reported by CSAG.

Conclusion

Centralization of cleft services appears to have improved parental perceptions of some child outcomes but has made little difference to already high levels of parental satisfaction with cleft care services. Centralization is not associated with an increase in the proportion of families who find it difficult to attend appointments.
The SloR metalloregulator is involved in the Streptococcus mutans oxidative stress response
Authors: Crepps S.C. , Fields E.E. , Galan D. , Corbett J.P. , Von Hasseln E.R. , Spatafora G.A.
Published: November 2015

SloR, a 25‐kDa metalloregulatory protein in Streptococcus mutans modulates the expression of multiple genes, including the sloABC operon that encodes essential Mn2+ transport and genes that promote cariogenesis. In this study, we report on SloC‐ and SloR‐deficient strains of S. mutans (GMS284 and GMS584, respectively) that demonstrate compromised survivorship compared with their UA159 wild‐type progenitor and their complemented strains (GMS285 and GMS585, respectively), when challenged with streptonigrin and/or in growth competition experiments. The results of streptonigrin assays revealed significantly larger zones of inhibition for GMS584 than for either UA159 or GMS585, indicating weakened S. mutans survivorship in the absence of SloR. Competition assays revealed a compromised ability for GMS284 and GMS584 to survive peroxide challenge compared with their SloC‐ and SloR‐proficient counterparts. These findings are consistent with a role for SloC and SloR in S. mutans aerotolerance. We also predicted differential expression of oxidative stress tolerance genes in GMS584 versus UA159 and GMS585 when grown aerobically. The results of quantitative RT‐PCR experiments revealed S. mutans sod, tpx, and sloC expression that was upregulated in GMS584 compared with UA159 and GMS585, indicating that the impact of oxidative stress on S. mutans is more severe in the absence of SloR than in its presence. The results of electrophoretic mobility shift assays indicate that SloR does not bind to the sod or tpx promoter regions directly, implicating intermediaries that may arbitrate the SloR response to oxidative stress.
On Water Drinkers and Magical Springs: Challenging the Lockean Proviso as a Justification for Copyright
Authors: Lambrecht Maxime
Published: November 2015

Does intellectual property satisfy the requirements of the Lockean proviso, that the appropriator leave “enough and as good” or that he at least not “deprive others”? If an author's appropriation of a work he has just created is analogous to a drinker “taking a good draught” in the flow of an inexhaustible river, or to someone magically “causing springs of water to flow in the desert,” how could it not satisfy the Lockean proviso?
Comparative Environmental Law and Orientalism: Reading beyond the ‘Text’ of Traditional Knowledge Protection
Authors: Vermeylen Saskia
Published: November 2015

This article uses traditional knowledge as a case study to address multiple discussions in the field of comparative law. First, it addresses the theoretical challenge of the role of comparative law as a critical research tool in the development of environmental law. Second, within the context of transnational legal processes, it questions the extent to which comparative law as a method can further the relationship between different levels of law making by distinct legal actors. It is timely to bring mainstream comparative law into conversation with critical perspectives from other disciplines such as postcolonial theory and poststructuralism when studying non‐Western law. These issues have been firmly placed on the research agenda of comparative law scholars for quite a few years but studying these questions from the perspective of traditional knowledge brings a new outlook to these debates.
Traditional Local Communities: What Lessons Can Be Learnt at the International Level from the Experiences of Brazil and Scotland?
Authors: Bessa Adriana
Published: November 2015

A new Draft Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas is currently being negotiated at the Human Rights Council. It is hoped that this negotiation will lead to the adoption of a new international human rights instrument that reflects the specific needs of traditional local communities and other rural populations, and allows for the adequate protection of their rights. This article will look into the question of the right to land and natural resources of traditional local communities through a comparative study of the domestic laws in Brazil and Scotland. Assessing whether and how these countries define communities and legally protect their customary forms of land and resource tenure may contribute to a better understanding of the under‐theorized notion of traditional local communities, and illuminate legal solutions or challenges that should be taken into account in the negotiations of the new Declaration.
The Comparative Law of Climate Change: A Research Agenda
Authors: Mehling Michael
Published: November 2015

Climate change defies traditional models of academic enquiry; its scale and complexity strain the explanatory power of established thought, prompting the espousal of new, fluid concepts and calls for greater interdisciplinarity. Law, with its rigid doctrines and insistence on binary categories, appears particularly unsuited as a framework of analysis. However, as this article submits, the legal method offers a unique vessel to infer collective understandings of the climate challenge, helping bridge the divide between fact and norm that characterizes other intellectual paradigms. A shifting focal point from international to domestic climate action suggests the particular utility of comparative law, which can identify policy barriers and drivers, and add a vital dimension to the study of policy design and transfer. Invoking the epistemic value of legal exegesis, this article proposes a research agenda for comparative analysis in a rapidly evolving issue area, which, although not yet a field of law in its own right, offers ample opportunities for study: the law as it relates to climate change.
Labour Migration and Economic Growth in East and South‐East Asia
Authors: Walmsley Terrie , Aguiar Angel , Ahmed Syud Amer
Published: November 2015

East and South‐East Asia will face major demographic changes over the next few decades with many countries’ labour forces starting to decline, while others experience higher labour force growth as populations and/or participation rates increase. A well‐managed labour migration strategy presents itself as a mechanism for ameliorating the impending labour shortages in some East Asia–Pacific countries, while providing an opportunity for other countries with excess labour to provide migrant workers who will contribute to the development of the home country through greater remittance flows. This paper examines such migration policy options using a global dynamic economic simulation approach and finds that allowing migrants to respond to the major demographic changes occurring in Asia over the next 50 years would be beneficial to most economies in the region in terms of real incomes and real GDP over the 2007–50 period. Such a policy could deeply affect the net migration position of a country. Countries that were net recipients under current migration policies might become net senders under the more liberal policy regime.
Electrohydrodynamic Conduction Pumping-Driven Liquid Film Flow Boiling on Bare and Nanofiber-Enhanced Surfaces
Authors: Patel Viral K. , Seyed-Yagoobi Jamal , Sinha-Ray Suman , Sinha-Ray Sumit , Yarin Alexander
Published: November 2015

Liquid film flow boiling heat transfer driven by electrohydrodynamic (EHD) conduction pumping is experimentally studied on a surface with a novel metal-plated nanofiber-mat coating. The nanotextured surface is formed on a copper substrate covered by an electrospun polymer nanofiber mat, which is copper-plated as a postprocess. The mat has a thickness of about 30 μm and is immersed in saturated HCFC-123. The objective is to study electrowetting of the copper-plated nanofiber-enhanced surface via EHD conduction pumping mechanism for the entire liquid film flow boiling regime leading up to critical heat flux (CHF), and compare it to the bare surface without EHD-driven flow. The results show that with the combination of these two techniques, for a given superheat value, enhancement in heat flux and boiling heat transfer coefficient is as high as 555% compared to the bare surface. The results are quite promising for thermal management applications.
An Experimental and Numerical Investigation on the Effects of Aerothermal Mixing in a Confined Oblique Jet Impingement Configuration
Authors: Schulz Sebastian , Schindler Alexander , von Wolfersdorf Jens
Published: November 2015

An investigation to characterize the effect of entrainment in a confined jet impingement arrangement is presented. The investigated configuration shows an impingement-cooled turbine blade passage and holds two staggered rows of inclined impingement jets. In order to distinctly promote thermal entrainment phenomena, the jets were heated separately. A steady-state liquid crystal technique was used to obtain near-wall fluid temperature distributions for the impingement surfaces under adiabatic conditions. Additionally, flow field measurements were undertaken using particle image velocimetry (PIV). Furthermore, compressible Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) simulations carried out with ansys cfx using Menter's shear stress transport (SST) turbulence model accompany the experiments. Distributions of effectiveness, velocity, and turbulent kinetic energy detail the complexity of the aerothermal situation. The study was conducted for a jet Reynolds number range from 10,000 to 45,000. The experimental and numerical results are generally in good agreement. Nevertheless, the simulations predict flow features in particular regions of the geometry that are not as prominent in the experiments. These affect the effectiveness distributions, locally. The investigations reveal that the effectiveness is independent of the temperature difference between the heated and cold jet as well as the jet Reynolds number.
Finite-Element Analysis of Rate-Dependent Buckling and Postbuckling of Viscoelastic-Layered Composites
Authors: Alur Kashyap , Bowling Thomas , Meaud Julien
Published: November 2015

The buckling and postbuckling responses of viscoelastic-layered composites are investigated using finite-element simulations. These composites consist of alternating layers of a stiff elastic constituent and of a soft viscoelastic constituent. In response to compressive loads in the layer direction, elastic instabilities significantly affect the finite deformation mechanics of these composites. The dependence of the critical strain and critical wavenumber on strain rate is analyzed. In the postbuckling regime, the wavenumber of the mode of deformation is found to be highly dependent on strain rate and time and can be used to identify three different regimes that depend on the volume fraction of the stiff constituent. Interestingly, a transition from a wrinkling mode to a longwave mode can be observed when the strain rate is varied for moderate volume fractions of the stiff material. Analytical formulae for the buckling and postbuckling of the elastic-layered composites are used to interpret numerical results obtained for viscoelastic-layered composites. Viscoelastic-layered composites exhibit a wide range of rate-dependent mechanical behavior and could have applications in vibration damping and acoustic metamaterials.
Mismatch Constraint Effect of Creep Crack With Modified Boundary Layer Model
Authors: Dai Yanwei , Liu Donghuan , Liu Yinghua
Published: November 2015

Mismatch effect plays a crucial role in weldments, and an independent mismatch constraint parameter M* is proposed to characterize the material mismatch constraint effect in this paper. A mismatched modified boundary layer (MBL) model for creeping solids is developed to simulate the stress field of creep cracks in mismatched weldments. It can be found that there still exists the similarity between creep crack tip stress fields under different mismatch factors. Numerical results show that M* obtains the minimum value on the under match condition and the maximum value on the over match condition. Comparisons between M* and other geometric constraint parameters (A2(t) and Q22) are carried out and the applicability of M* is verified. A modified assessment formula for creep crack growth rate ratio is proposed based on the parameter M*. It is found that M* is a reasonable and remarkable parameter to characterize the mismatch constraint effect of creeping cracks.
The bag-of-frames approach: A not so sufficient model for urban soundscapes
Authors: Lagrange Mathieu , Lafay Grégoire , Défréville Boris , Aucouturier Jean-Julien
Published: November 2015

The “bag-of-frames” (BOF) approach, which encodes audio signals as the long-term statistical distribution of short-term spectral features, is commonly regarded as an effective and sufficient way to represent environmental sound recordings (soundscapes). The present paper describes a conceptual replication of a use of the BOF approach in a seminal article using several other soundscape datasets, with results strongly questioning the adequacy of the BOF approach for the task. As demonstrated in this paper, the good accuracy originally reported with BOF likely resulted from a particularly permissive dataset with low within-class variability. Soundscape modeling, therefore, may not be the closed case it was once thought to be.
Prevalence of Disordered Eating and Its Association With Emotion Regulation in Female College Athletes
Authors: Lenka  , Shriver H. , Wollenberg Gena , Gates Gail E.
Published: November 2015

The number of females participating in college sports in the U.S. has increased in last two decades. While female college athletes might be at a high risk, research examining disordered eating in this population is limited and difficult to summarize due to differences in methodologies. Factors contributing to disordered eating in female college athletes are not well established, but emotional regulation may be a potential correlate. The main purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of disordered eating and explore potential differences between weight-sensitive and less weight-sensitive sports in a sample of female college athletes. The second purpose was to examine emotional regulation, body dissatisfaction, sport type, a family history of eating disorder, and BMI as potential predictors of disordered eating. The Eating Attitudes Test-26 and the Minnesota Eating Behavior Survey were used to estimate disordered eating prevalence in a sample of 151 athletes. Emotion regulation was assessed by the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. The prevalence of disordered eating was 6.6% and 10.6%, respectively, with no differences by sport type. The multiple regression model explained 11% of the EAT-26 variance, F(5, 150) = 3.74, p < .01. Greater emotional regulation difficulties (β = .174, t = 2.191, p = .03) and body dissatisfaction (β = .276, t = 2.878, p = .005) were significant predictors of disordered eating. Further examination of emotional regulation and body dissatisfaction in relation to disordered eating in female college athletes is warranted.
The Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of an Athlete Leadership Development Program With Female Varsity Athletes
Authors: Duguay Ashley M. , Loughead Todd M. , Munroe-Chandler Krista J.
Published: November 2015

The purpose of the current study was to develop, implement, and evaluate a season-long athlete leadership development program. Participants were 27 female varsity athletes who participated in four leadership workshops throughout the season, each 1 hr in duration. All of the participants completed inventories measuring leadership behaviors, cohesion, communication, athlete satisfaction, and peer motivational climate. Overall, the results showed significant differences in regards to leadership behaviors, athlete satisfaction, and peer motivational climate from pre- to postintervention. Further, follow-up focus groups were also conducted to assess the social validity of the leadership development program. These focus groups revealed important insight into program structure, influence of the program, leadership challenges, and suggestions for future improvements. These findings provide researchers, sport psychology consultants, and coaches with important information regarding the effectiveness of this athlete leadership development program in targeting human and social capital development.
Nanomedicine gets personal
Authors: Tietjen Gregory T. , Saltzman W. Mark
Published: November 2015

Companion nanoparticle imaging merges with drug delivery technologies toward personalized nanomedicine (Miller
et al
., this issue).
Delivering profit?
Authors: Brown Richard
Published: November 2015

THIS series gives readers the opportunity to consider and contribute to discussion of some of the ethical dilemmas that can arise in veterinary practice. Each month, a case scenario is presented, followed by discussion of some of the issues involved.

In addition, a possible way forward is suggested; however, there is rarely a cut‐and‐dried answer in such cases, and readers may wish to suggest an alternative approach. This month's dilemma, ‘Delivering profit?’, was submitted and is discussed by Richard Brown. Readers with comments to contribute are invited to send them as soon as possible, so that they can be considered for publication in the next issue. Discussion of the dilemma ‘Accounting for a lame cow’, which was published in the October issue of In Practice, appears on page 551.

The series is being coordinated by Siobhan Mullan, of the University of Bristol. It is hoped it will provide a framework that will help practices find solutions when facing similar dilemmas.
Comments on the dilemma in the October issue: ‘Accounting for a lame cow’
Authors: Mullan Siobhan
Published: November 2015

The dilemma in the October issue concerned a farm's account which, at year end, included bills that were higher that usual. The farmer's wife asked to speak to the senior partner and find a reason for this. It was found that one case stood out: treating a pedigree embryo donor cow that had gone lame. This had had numerous examinations and treatments, and the cow had been seen by three separate vets, but was still significantly lame at year end (IP, October 2015, vol 37, pp 485–487). Richard Brown suggested that the senior partner should get all the relevant information on this case. A possible way forward would be to transfer the cow to a centre of excellence, eg, a university veterinary school. If this was not possible, and the senior partner decided that the practice should treat the animal, the agreed treatment plan should be acceptable from a welfare perspective. Euthanasia was an option if a treatment plan could not be decided upon. If the problem could be solved amicably, an agreed protocol should be decided with the farmer for future cases, taking welfare into account. For example, the farmer should contact the vet if an animal had been treated for 48 hours with a poor response.
Sample size in studies on the germination process
Authors: Ribeiro-Oliveira João Paulo , Ranal Marli A.
Published: November 2015

Studies on diaspore germination in native species with low economic relevance but great ecological significance have been based on a wide range of sample sizes. However, can the sample size change the physiological inferences made from germination measurements? To answer this question, diaspores of six Cerrado species were evaluated for germinability, germination time (initial, mean, and final), germination velocity (mean germination rate and Maguire’s rate), coefficient of variation of the germination time, and synchronization index of the germination process. Germinability, final time, mean time, and synchronization index were robust with respect to sample size fluctuation. Maguire’s rate, initial time, coefficient of variation of the germination time, and mean germination rate, in contrast, were affected by sample size fluctuation, at least in one of the species tested. The robustness of the time measurements and the synchronization index also demonstrates that the germination process occurs in a cadenced rhythm, much like a biological clock. Among the measurements evaluated, Maguire’s rate is the only one that must be avoided, since it is strongly influenced by sample size and by the balance between germinability and mean germination rate. These results demonstrate that sample size can affect inferences about the germination process and can compromise restoration and (or) conservation efforts.
Darwin and Mendel today: a comment on “Limits of imagination: the 150th Anniversary of Mendel’s Laws, and why Mendel failed to see the importance of his discovery for Darwin’s theory of evolution”
Authors: Liu Yongsheng , Li Xiuju
Published: November 2015

We comment on a recent paper by Rama Singh, who concludes that Mendel deserved to be called the father of genetics, and Darwin would not have understood the significance of Mendel’s paper had he read it. We argue that Darwin should have been regarded as the father of genetics not only because he was the first to formulate a unifying theory of heredity, variation, and development — Pangenesis, but also because he clearly described almost all genetical phenomena of fundamental importance, including what he called “prepotency” and what we now call “dominance” or “Mendelian inheritance”. The word “gene” evolved from Darwin’s imagined “gemmules”, instead of Mendel’s so-called “factors”.
Deeply virtual Compton scattering
Authors: Marukyan Hrachya
Published: November 2015

This paper reviews the experimental measurements in the field of deeply virtual Compton scattering and related theoretical efforts aimed for the extraction of generalized parton distributions, objects, describing the three-dimensional structure of nucleons and nuclei. The future experiments and theoretical expectations are also considered.
Higgs decay H → γγ: New theoretical results and possible experimental implications
Authors: Gastmans R. , Wu Sau Lan , Wu Tai Tsun
Published: November 2015

The contribution of one [Formula: see text] loop to the decay of the Higgs particle into two gammas is recalculated. Since this matrix element is finite in the standard model, it should be calculated in a straightforward way without artifacts such as regularization or ghosts. The result of the present calculation differs from the previous one, giving a Higgs decay rate smaller by a factor of 2 in the mass range of physical interest. In view of the results from the ATLAS Collaboration and the CMS Collaboration, this leads to possible far-reaching experimental consequences.
A holographic big bang?
Authors: Afshordi N. , Mann R. B. , Pourhasan R.
Published: November 2015

We present a cosmological model in which the Universe emerges out of the collapse of a five-dimensional (5D) star as a spherical three-brane. The initial singularity of the big bang becomes hidden behind a causal horizon. Near scale-invariant primordial curvature perturbations can be induced on the brane via a thermal atmosphere that is in equilibrium with the brane, circumventing the need for a separate inflationary process and providing an important test of the model.
Tsunami Inundation Map and Its Application on Evacuation Planning in Taiwan
Authors: Wu Bing-Ru , Ke Siao-Syun , Wu Tso-Ren , Liu Kun-Sung
Published: November 2015

The casualty and impact induced by the 2011 Tohoku tsunami event and the earthquake in Japan drew considerable attention of Taiwanese government and civilian to review what we have accomplished for tsunami disaster prevention. However, at that time, there was no applicable tsunami potential data for local governments in Taiwan to draw the tsunami evacuation plans. Therefore, the simulation result is adopted in this study to produce the first version of tsunami inundation maps for coastal cities/counties in Taiwan. Furthermore, a planning guideline including analytical procedure and methodology is proposed to help local governments make tsunami evacuation plans using tsunami inundation maps. Examples are given in each analytical step to illustrate typical outcomes and suggestions on planning based on local conditions. This guideline and tsunami inundation maps have been submitted to central and local governments for evacuation planning. The application in one county is chosen as an example to demonstrate the practical achievement of this study. A thorough tsunami evacuation planning associated with education and training is crucial to disaster prevention of tsunami.
Dominator Tree Certification and Divergent Spanning Trees
Authors: Georgiadis Loukas , Tarjan Robert E.
Published: November 2015

How does one verify that the output of a complicated program is correct? One can formally prove that the program is correct, but this may be beyond the power of existing methods. Alternatively, one can check that the output produced for a particular input satisfies the desired input--output relation by running a checker on the input--output pair. Then one only needs to prove the correctness of the checker. For some problems, however, even such a checker may be too complicated to formally verify. There is a third alternative: augment the original program to produce not only an output but also a
correctness certificate
, with the property that a very simple program (whose correctness is easy to prove) can use the certificate to verify that the input--output pair satisfies the desired input--output relation.

We consider the following important instance of this general question: How does one verify that the dominator tree of a flow graph is correct? Existing fast algorithms for finding dominators are complicated, and even verifying the correctness of a dominator tree in the absence of additional information seems complicated. We define a correctness certificate for a dominator tree, show how to use it to easily verify the correctness of the tree, and show how to augment fast dominator-finding algorithms so that they produce a correctness certificate. We also relate the dominator certificate problem to the problem of finding divergent spanning trees in a flow graph, and we develop algorithms to find such trees. All our algorithms run in linear time. Previous algorithms apply just to the special case of only trivial dominators, and they take at least quadratic time.
Chronic hypoxia during development does not trigger pathologic remodeling of the chicken embryonic heart but reduces cardiomyocyte number
Authors: Österman Hanna , Lindgren Isa , Lindström Tom , Altimiras Jordi
Published: November 2015

Fetal growth restriction programs an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in adulthood, but the actual mechanisms of this developmental programming are not fully understood. Previous studies in mammalian models suggest that hearts of growth-restricted fetuses have reduced cardiomyocyte number due to reduced proliferation and premature cardiomyocyte maturation. Chicken embryos incubated under chronic hypoxia are also growth-restricted, have smaller hearts, and show signs of cardiac insufficiency posthatching. The aim of the present study was to investigate how chronic hypoxia (14% O2) during development affects cardiomyocyte mass and how myocardial structure is altered. Hypoxic incubation reproduced the well-characterized embryonic growth restriction and an increased ventricle-to-body mass ratio (at E11, E15, E17, and E19) with reduced absolute heart mass only at E19. Cell density, apoptosis, and cardiomyocyte size were insensitive to hypoxia at E15 and E19, and no signs of ventricular wall remodeling or myocardial fibrosis were detected. Bayesian modeling provided strong support for hypoxia affecting absolute mass and proliferation rates at E15, indicating that the growth impairment, at least partly, occurs earlier in development. Neither E15 nor E19 hearts contained binucleated cardiomyocytes, indicating that fetal hypoxia does not trigger early maturation of cardiomyocytes in the chicken, which contrasts with previous results from hypoxic rat pups. In conclusion, prenatal hypoxia in the chick embryo results in a reduction in the number of cardiomyocytes without inducing ventricular remodeling, cell hypertrophy, or premature cardiomyocyte maturation.