bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DC motor simulation transfer function estimation: case study Proteus Ver. 7
Authors: Wahyu S A , Riky D P
Published: November 2019

Computing technology development today has a significant influence on the design process of a product or system even including the learning process in the field concerned. The electronics and control field is a field that greatly helped by these developments. Developments of electronic products or systems become faster and more efficient with the availability of CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software. Some Electronic CAD software provides DC motor model, as Proteus 7.0. Availability of this model is beneficial in control system designing and learning but the availability of a DC motor models are often constrained because are not accompanied with adequate information about internal parameters of the dc motor model or dc motor modeling done in programming so it is not possible to derive dc motor transfer function based on internal parameters. This study successfully showed transfer function derivation of dc motor in Proteus CAD simulation with a black-box approach for linear systems.
A review of literature on types, stages of recovery and humanitarian logistics operations in the tsunami and earthquake disaster in Indonesia
Authors: Masudin I , Fernanda F W
Published: November 2019

Recovery after a disaster determines the survival of the population in the affected area. However, there is still little lecturer to discuss recovery compared to other processes. This literature review aims to develop findings from previous literature reviews with a focus on the area of Indonesia and the earthquake and tsunami disaster. The conclusions that can be drawn are the majority of journals discussing earthquakes and researching on physical recovery. Economy recovery being the least discussed them, and the most widely researched recovery phase is a long term recovery. In 2016-2017 there is now a majority of themed journals of recovery management, and 2010-2012 the most widely publicized long term reconstruction journal. This article also presents 5 gaps in the recovery themed literature.
Using DEMATEL and ANP for development of post-mining area at sub-district Pongkor gold mining, West Java
Authors: Leksono E B , Agustian R
Published: November 2019

The objective of this paper proposes strategy for development of post-mining area at sub-district Pongkor gold mining, Bogor, West Java. The strategy of development designed using DEMATEL and ANP. The DEMATEL used to determine of important and influence level, then ANP used to determine potency weighted for development strategy. From the DEMATEL, 5 (five) potency from 8 (eight) is feasible to develop while post-mining of Pongkor gold mining, namely: training and education area, tourism of underground mine, natural & culture tourism, conservation area, and sports facilities. The development priority can determine based on weight of potency by ANP. Based on rank of weight by ANP, potencies for development are training and education area, tourism of underground mine, natural & culture tourism and conservation area.
Food processing industry and ergonomics handicraft creation from shellfish
Authors: Nurmianto E , Pamungkas A
Published: November 2019

Ujung Pangkah Sub-district, Gresik has great potential of seafood in the form of shellfish but low selling price. This is because the shellfish are sold without being processed first but sold in the form of fresh shells. The problem can be solved when there are methods to process shellfishes into various types of foods and handicrafts with higher production capacity and socialization to the community about shell processing correctly and adequately. Therefore, efforts are made to increase the industry and household scale in food processing and handicraft production from shellfishes in Ujung Pangkah Sub-district. These efforts are carried out in the form of various training and food processing assistance into various foods (such as shell nuggets, and crispy shells), handicraft making (table clock, photo frame, pencil box), financial management, packaging techniques, and marketing management to improve their welfare. This innovation is shell processing into a variety of products that combine several functions of food processing, but safe, comfortable, and healthy for the user and useful for its products. Through this program is expected many entrepreneurs who use the potential shells.
Determination of lot size orders of furniture raw materials using dynamic lot sizing method
Authors: Djunaidi M , Devy B A R , Setiawan E , Fitriadi R
Published: November 2019

Wisanka is an indoor and outdoor furniture manufacture and export company in Indonesia. In the production activities, inventory control of raw materials is very important and needs to be handled properly so that the production process can run smoothly and orders from consumers can be fulfilled in a timely manner. Problems faced in the company that there is no optimal planning in determining the size of ordering of raw materials. Reservations made during this only based on the quantity of raw materials ordered can meet the needs during a certain period without considering the total cost incurred. The main purpose of this research is to determine the policy of controlling raw material requirement for the coming period by paying attention to the inventory cost incurred. In this research used lot sizing technique based on Silver Meal algorithm and Wagner Within algorithm. The use of lot sizing technique based on Wagner Within algorithm resulted in a cost efficiency of 3.6% for klabang material while Silver Meal of 2.9% for semi-polished rattan and 3.4% for leles compared to the lot sizing technique applied by the company.
Design tools for underground pipe welding on weldingtie-in parts using value engineering method
Authors: Puteri R A M , Romansyah D
Published: November 2019

In the industrial world, tools are needed to carry out all work activities, one of the aids on pipe connection. The research entitled the design of underground pipe welding tools in the welding tie-in section with value engineering methods. As for the background of this title, because the company does not achieve the target on the welding tie-in, it is caused by the process of fit-up is too long, narrow space and the tools used too much. Has a problem formation how to design a tool to facilitate fit up underground pipe (tie-in) and how the final welding process before and after using tools. And the purpose of the research to design the underground pipe welding aids with value engineering methods so that faster job time and more efficient workforce can also know the performance and result of implementation. This research uses field observation method directly with the following stages, functional analysis phase, creative stage, evaluation phase, percentage stage, and implementation. In data collection and data processing using Nordic Body Map questionnaire to find out the types of complaints experienced by workers during the preparation process of the tool up to the welding process on the welding tie-in. From this research is generated tool welding process in the underground pipe welding in the form of clamp aids made of iron plate with total cost IDR 2,713,000.00. Based on the results of the Nordic Body Map questionnaire, after using the tool cannot find a complaint on the worker, and the amount of labor from the initial process to the end is enough with six people on each team/group.
Design and generating energy as a car alternator to be an alternative electricity
Authors: Lubis S , Cholish
Published: November 2019

The alternator is a critical component. The car alternator issued AC electric power by utilizing wind power rotation is then converted into DC electrical power supplied to the accumulator before. Therefore, it is not required of operators to operate the working of the alternator. The voltage generated cells in a standard battery is 2V / cell. However, the working voltage is higher. As is known, in order to drain current through a battery, alternator voltage should be higher than the voltage of the batteries themselves. On the other hand must be maintained so that the voltage is not too high to prevent boiling of (gas) from the batteries. As the voltage regulator safe at 200 ° C should be maintained to 2.35 V / cell until 2.4 V / cell. For 12V battery it means that the working voltage of 14.1 V-14.
Surface topographical studies of glass fiber reinforced epoxy-ZnO nanocomposites
Authors: Thipperudrappa Sridhar , Kini Achutha Ullal , Hiremath Anupama , Kumar Karani Dileep
Published: November 2019

The objective of present research work is to investigate the surface morphology and surface microhardness of unidirectional E-glass fiber epoxy composites filled with varying amount of ZnO nanofiller content such as 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 wt% respectively. ZnO nanofiller was added to the epoxy resin matrix in varying amount (wt%) using mechanical stirrer and followed by ultrasonication process. The laminate composites were fabricated using a compression molding press technique. Further, laminate composites were subjected to individual characterization and testing according to ASTM standards. The crystalline nature of ZnO nanofiller was studied using x-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and surface morphology of ZnO nanofiller on the resin surface was examined by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The experimental test results revealed that addition of nanofiller content by 1, 2 and 3 wt% resulted in a gradual reduction of void fraction and thereafter increase in void fraction was observed with 4 and 5 wt% of ZnO loading. The surface microhardness results indicated a linear increment with increase in ZnO nanofiller loading from 1 to 5 wt%. Further, surface topography was studied with the help of atomic force microscopy (AFM), to obtain the surface roughness values. The surface roughness values increased with increase in ZnO wt% within the epoxy resin matrix. The results of the surface analysis of the fabricated composites indicate that at higher loading of ZnO nanofiller, there is formation of clusters and agglomerates of the nanofiller which reduces the nano-scale effects of the filler and nanofillers tend to behave as micro-fillers.
Fast speciations and slow genes: uncovering the root of living canids
Authors: Lamarca Alessandra P , Schrago Carlos G
Published: November 2019

Despite ongoing efforts relying on computationally intensive tree-building methods and large datasets, the deeper phylogenetic relationships between living canid genera remain controversial. We demonstrate that this issue arises fundamentally from the uncertainty of root placement as a consequence of the short length of the branch connecting the major canid clades, which probably resulted from a fast radiation during the early diversification of extant Canidae. Using both nuclear and mitochondrial genes, we investigate the position of the canid root and its consistency by using three rooting methods. We find that mitochondrial genomes consistently retrieve a root node separating the tribe Canini from the remaining canids, whereas nuclear data mostly recover a root that places the Urocyon foxes as the sister lineage of living canids. We demonstrate that, to resolve the canid root, the nuclear segments sequenced so far are significantly less informative than mitochondrial genomes. We also propose that short intervals between speciations obscure the place of the true root, because methods are susceptible to stochastic error in the presence of short internal branches near the root.
Induction of the germ cell fate from pluripotent stem cells in cynomolgus monkeys†
Authors: Sakai Yoshitake , Nakamura Tomonori , Okamoto Ikuhiro , Gyobu-Motani Sayuri , Ohta Hiroshi , Yabuta Yukihiro , Tsukiyama Tomoyuki , Iwatani Chiduru , Tsuchiya Hideaki , Ema Masatsugu , Morizane Asuka , Takahashi Jun , Yamamoto Takuya , Saitou Mitinori
Published: November 2019

In vitro reconstitution of germ-cell development from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) has created key opportunities to explore the fundamental mechanisms underlying germ-cell development, particularly in mice and humans. Importantly, such investigations have clarified critical species differences in the mechanisms regulating mouse and human germ-cell development, highlighting the necessity of establishing an in vitro germ-cell development system in other mammals, such as non-human primates. Here, we show that multiple lines of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis; cy) can be maintained stably in an undifferentiated state under a defined condition with an inhibitor for WNT signaling, and such PSCs are induced efficiently into primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLCs) bearing a transcriptome similar to early cyPGCs. Interestingly, the induction kinetics of cyPGCLCs from cyPSCs is faster than that of human (h) PGCLCs from hPSCs, and while the transcriptome dynamics during cyPGCLC induction is relatively similar to that during hPGCLC induction, it is substantially divergent from that during mouse (m) PGCLC induction. Our findings delineate common as well as species-specific traits for PGC specification, creating a foundation for parallel investigations into the mechanism for germ-cell development in mice, monkeys, and humans.
Gonadotrope-specific deletion of the BMP type 2 receptor does not affect reproductive physiology in mice†‡
Authors: Ongaro Luisina , Zhou Xiang , Cui Yiming , Boehm Ulrich , Bernard Daniel J
Published: November 2019

Activins selectively stimulate follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) secretion by pituitary gonadotrope cells. More recently, other members of the TGFbeta superfamily, the bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), were reported to regulate FSH synthesis. Activins and BMPs independently and synergistically stimulate transcription of the FSHbeta subunit (Fshb) gene in immortalized gonadotrope-like cells. Both ligands can signal via the activin receptor type IIA (ACVR2A) to regulate FSH synthesis in vitro. In vivo, global Acvr2a knockout mice exhibit a 60% reduction in circulating FSH relative to wild-type animals, suggesting that activins, BMPs, or related ligands might signal through additional type II receptors to regulate FSH in vivo. Although the leading candidates are ACVR2B and the BMP type II receptor (BMPR2), only the latter mediates activin or BMP2 induction of Fshb transcription in vitro. Here, we generated mice carrying a loss of function mutation in Bmpr2 specifically in gonadotropes. Puberty onset, estrous cyclicity, and reproductive organ weights were similar between control and conditional knockout females. Serum FSH and luteinizing hormone (LH) and pituitary expression of Fshb and the LHbeta subunit (Lhb) were similarly unaffected by the gene deletion in both sexes. These results suggest that BMPR2 might not play a necessary role in FSH synthesis or secretion in vivo or that another type II receptor, such as ACVR2A, can fully compensate for its absence. These data also further contribute to the emerging concept that BMPs may not be physiological regulators of FSH in vivo.
Transcriptome analysis during photostimulated recrudescence reveals distinct patterns of gene regulation in Siberian hamster ovaries†
Authors: Leon Kathleen , Hennebold Jon D , Fei Suzanne S , Young Kelly A
Published: November 2019

In Siberian hamsters, exposure to short days (SDs, 8 h light:16 h dark) reduces reproductive function centrally by decreasing gonadotropin secretion, whereas subsequent transfer of photoinhibited hamsters to stimulatory long days (LDs, 16 L:8 D) promotes follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) release inducing ovarian recrudescence. Although differences between SD and LD ovaries have been investigated, a systematic investigation of the ovarian transcriptome across photoperiod groups to identify potentially novel factors that contribute to photostimulated restoration of ovarian function had not been conducted. Hamsters were assigned to one of four photoperiod groups: LD to maintain ovarian cyclicity, SD to induce ovarian regression, or post transfer (PT), where females housed in SD for 14-weeks were transferred to LD for 2-days or 1-week to reflect photostimulated ovaries prior to (PTd2) and following (PTw1) the return of systemic FSH. Ovarian RNA was extracted to create RNA-sequencing libraries and short-read sequencing Illumina assays that mapped and quantified the ovarian transcriptomes (n = 4/group). Ovarian and uterine masses, plasma FSH, and numbers of antral follicles and corpora lutea decreased in SD as compared to LD ovaries (P < 0.05). When reads were aligned to the mouse genome, 18 548 genes were sufficiently quantified. Most of the differentially expressed genes noted between functional LD ovaries and regressed SD ovaries; however, five main expression patterns were identified across photoperiod groups. These results, generally corroborated by select protein immunostaining, provide a map of photoregulated ovary function and identify novel genes that may contribute to the photostimulated resumption of ovarian activity.
Digging deeper into volatile organic compounds associated with cancer
Authors: Janfaza Sajjad , Khorsand Babak , Nikkhah Maryam , Zahiri Javad
Published: November 2019

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), produced and emitted through the metabolism of cancer cells or the body’s immune system, are considered novel cancer biomarkers for diagnostic purposes. Of late, a large number of work has been done to find a relationship between VOCs’ signature of body and cancer. Cancer-related VOCs can be used to detect several types of cancers at the earlier stages which in turn provide a significantly higher chance of survival. Here we aim to provide an updated picture of cancer-related VOCs based on recent findings in this field focusing on cancer odor database.
Making Meaning of Justice Ideals for Intimate Partner Violence: Reflections on Restorative Justice
Authors: Ehret Stephanie
Published: November 2019

This is an examination of Barbara Hudson’s theory of social justice and her delineation of three principles at the centre of restorative justice—discursiveness, reflectiveness and relationalism. It explores how justice might be done for intimate partner violence (IPV) through the principles. Part of a larger project, this study consists of critically informed one-on-one interviews with 12 women who have experienced IPV. It finds the women conceptualize justice socially and reconfigure and relocate the principles to prioritize social collaborations and protective solutions in extralegal locations with persons who understand the complexities and challenges of the issue.
Joint estimation of gravity anomalies using second and third order potential derivatives
Authors: Romeshkani Mohsen , Sharifi Mohammad A , Tsoulis Dimitrios
Published: November 2019

Satellite gradiometry data provide the framework for estimating and validating Earth's gravity field from second and third order derivatives of the Earth's gravitational potential. Such procedures are especially useful when applied locally, as they relate to local and regional characteristics of the real gravity field. In the present study a joint inversion procedure is proposed for the estimation of gravity anomalies at sea surface level from second and third order potential derivatives, based on a standard Gauss-Markov estimation model. The estimation procedure is applied for a test area stretching over Iran involving simulated grids from GOCE-only model GGM_TIM_R05 at GOCE altitude and gravity anomalies recovered at sea level. In order to validate the proposed estimation three different reductions have been considered independently, namely the removal of the long-wavelength part of the observed field through a global gravity model, the removal of the high-frequency part of the field through the incorporation of a topographic/isostatic gravity model and the application of variance component estimation. The application of a global gravity model leads to an improvement in the individual component estimation of the order of magnitude 3 per cent to 73 per cent, with a significant reduction in bias to 4 mGal. Smoother gradient components can come out according to removing the topography and taking into account for isostasy that improved up results of recovery to 25 per cent for the radial second order derivative. Finally, the implementation of variance component estimation leads to no significant improvement in results of recovered gravity anomalies.
HIV infection risk and condom use among sex workers in Senegal: evidence from the list experiment method
Authors: Lépine Aurélia , Treibich Carole , Ndour Cheikh Tidiane , Gueye Khady , Vickerman Peter
Published: November 2019

Social desirability bias, which is the tendency to under-report socially undesirable health behaviours, significantly distorts information on sensitive behaviours that is gained from self-reports. As a result, self-reported condom use among high-risk populations is thought to be systematically over-reported, and it is impossible to identify the determinants of condom use. The main objective of the article is to elicit unbiased information on condom use among female sex workers (FSWs) using the double list experiment method to analyse the role of HIV infection and exposure to HIV prevention methods in condom use. More specifically, the difference in levels of condom use between HIV-positive and HIV-negative FSWs is estimated. In addition, the role of FSWs’ registration and participation in a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) demonstration project in condom use is considered. A list experiment was designed to elicit condom use information from 786 FSWs in Senegal who were surveyed in 2015 and 2017. Using the list experiment method, participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups (treatment or control) and were asked to report the number of statements they agreed with. Respondents assigned to the control group were presented with three non-sensitive items, whereas those allocated to the treatment group were presented with the same three statements plus the sensitive item (e.g. ‘I used a condom during my last intercourse with a client’). Comparing the average number of sentences that were agreed with in both groups provides an estimation of the condom use rate in the treatment group and estimating such prevalence for several sub-groups allows the role of HIV infection risk in condom use to be identified. The percentage of FSWs using condoms in their last sexual intercourse with a client was 80% in 2015 and 78% in 2017, which was significantly lower than the 97% obtained in the face-to-face surveys in both waves. When estimating condom use among sub-groups with the list experiment method, we found that condom use among HIV-positive FSWs was only 34%, which was 47 percentage points lower than condom use among HIV-negative FSWs. We also found that registered FSWs are more likely to use condoms than clandestine FSWs. However, we did not find any difference in condom use between FSWs who were enrolled in the PrEP demonstration project and those who were not enrolled. Health policies should therefore aim to increase condom use among HIV-positive FSWs.
Clostridium Difficile and Increased Risk of Surgery in Crohn’s Disease. Can Early Microbial Signatures Forecast Risk of Disease Progression?
Authors: Goyal Alka
Published: November 2019

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is associated with dysbiosis and a higher risk of complications in patients with ulcerative colitis. This study reveals a possible association between CDI, dysbiosis, suppression of methionine synthesis, and increased risk of surgery in Crohn’s disease.
Exploring exploration: the role of affective states as forces that hinder change
Authors: Brusoni Stefano , Laureiro-Martínez Daniella , Canessa Nicola , Zollo Maurizio
Published: November 2019

In this article we argue that in order to understand failure or success in adapting to environmental change, we should better understand why people hesitate to pursue novel choices. This article asks: what forces hinder individuals’ exploration choices of different alternatives, and hence their ability to learn from them? To answer this question, this article looks to the cognitive sciences to identify a set of plausible mechanisms that hinder people’s tendency to explore. So far, “exploration” has been studied as a relatively monolithic behavior. Instead, we propose that exploration can be characterized in terms of some distinctive forces behind it. On one hand, agents experience “attachment” to choices that proved successful in the past, and hence comfort when sticking with them. On the other hand, they also experience concerns about less familiar options, as they lack knowledge about “distant” choices that have not been tried for a long time, or ever. We propose that high attachment is related to anxiety, and high distance to fear. Both these negative affective states hinder exploration. We find and discuss preliminary and tentative evidence of this effect.
2030 Countdown to combating malnutrition in Burundi: comparison of proactive approaches for case detection and enrolment into treatment
Authors: Odjidja Emmanuel Nene , Christensen Cathryn , Gatasi Ghislaine , Hakizimana Sonia , Murorunkwere Honorine , Masabo Jean-Berchmans , Meguid Tarek
Published: November 2019

Background

Burundi has one of the highest rates of malnutrition in the world, particularly chronic malnutrition, which affects 55% of all children <5 y of age. Although it rolled out a national treatment programme to combat all forms of malnutrition, enrolment of children remains difficult. In this study, we use observational data from two screening approaches to assess the effectiveness in detection and enrolment into treatment.

Methods

Individual data from each screening approach was classified as either acutely malnourished or normal and either chronically malnourished or normal using a cut-off z-score between −2 and 2.

Results

While the Global Acute Malnutrition rate for the community-based mass screening was 8.3% (95% CI 5.6 to 11), with 8% enrolled in treatment, that of clinic-based systematic screening was 14.1% (95% CI 12.2 to 16.1), 98% of which were enrolled in treatment. Clinic systematic screening was 1.82 times (OR, 95% CI 1.26 to 2.62, p<0.001) and 1.35 times (95% CI 1.09 to 1.68, p=0.06) more likely to detect acute and chronic malnutrition, respectively, than community-based mass screening.

Conclusions

Although different mechanisms are relevant to proactively detect cases, strengthening the health system to systematically screen children could yield the best results, as it remains the primary contact for the sicker population, who may be at risk of increased infection as a result of underlying malnutrition.
Lessons learned implementing a complex and innovative patient safety learning laboratory project in a large academic medical center
Authors: Businger Alexandra C , Fuller Theresa E , Schnipper Jeffrey L , Rossetti Sarah Collins , Schnock Kumiko O , Rozenblum Ronen , Dalal Anuj K , Benneyan James , Bates David W , Dykes Patricia C
Published: November 2019

Objective

The objective of this paper is to share challenges, recommendations, and lessons learned regarding the development and implementation of a Patient Safety Learning Laboratory (PSLL) project, an innovative and complex intervention comprised of a suite of Health Information Technology (HIT) tools integrated with a newly implemented Electronic Health Record (EHR) vendor system in the acute care setting at a large academic center.

Materials and Methods

The PSLL Administrative Core engaged stakeholders and study personnel throughout all phases of the project: problem analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. Implementation challenges and recommendations were derived from direct observations and the collective experience of PSLL study personnel.

Results

The PSLL intervention was implemented on 12 inpatient units during the 18-month study period, potentially impacting 12,628 patient admissions. Challenges to implementation included stakeholder engagement, project scope/complexity, technology/governance, and team structure. Recommendations to address each of these challenges were generated, some enacted during the trial, others as lessons learned for future iterative refinements of the intervention and its implementation.

Conclusion

Designing, implementing, and evaluating a suite of tools integrated within a vendor EHR to improve patient safety has a variety of challenges. Keys to success include continuous stakeholder engagement, involvement of systems and human factors engineers within a multidisciplinary team, an iterative approach to user-centered design, and a willingness to think outside of current workflows and processes to change health system culture around adverse event prevention.
Topical Toxicity Profiles of Some Aliphatic and Aromatic Essential Oil Components Against Insecticide-Susceptible and Resistant Strains of German Cockroach (Blattodea: Ectobiidae)
Authors: Oladipupo S O , Hu X P , Appel A G
Published: November 2019

Toxicity profiles of four aliphatic (α-pinene, cyclononanone, limonene, nerolidol), four aromatic (β-thujaplicin, carvacrol, eugenol, tropolone) essential oil components (EOCs), and permethrin were investigated against three strains of German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.). The strains include a susceptible strain (S), and two multi-resistant strains – strains D and E. Also, a synergism bioassay, using piperonyl butoxide (PBO) was conducted. The most toxic EOCs were aromatic EOCs carvacrol, eugenol, and tropolone, followed by aliphatic EOC limonene; all had LD50 values of <0.7 mg/µl. Four of the EOCs were equally toxic against all the strains, with carvacrol being the most toxic, followed by eugenol, tropolone, and α–pinene. The other four EOCs were more toxic against strain S than against the two resistant strains. Permethrin was significantly more toxic to strain S (LD50 = 0.056 µg/µl) compared with the resistant strains (D = 2.138 µg/µl, E = 1.730 µg/µl). Toxicity of aliphatic EOCs correlated positively with their molecular weight against strain E only, whereas both molecular weight and vapor pressure of aromatic EOCs correlated significantly with toxicity in all strains. Strain D exhibited the greatest resistance (RR of 6.7) to EOCs, and synergism to the aliphatic EOC cyclononanone. Clear synergism with PBO was observed in permethrin against resistant strains, but not in all of the EOCs, suggesting multiple resistance mechanisms in the resistant cockroaches. These findings give insight on the potential of EOCs to be incorporated as parts of an IPM approach to managing insecticide resistant German cockroaches.
Gender-based Persecution as a Crime Against Humanity
Authors: Grey Rosemary , O’Donohue Jonathan , Rosenthal Indira , Davis Lisa , Llanta Dorine
Published: November 2019

In 2019, in the case of Prosecutor v. Al Hassan, Prosecutor Bensouda sought confirmation of the first charge of gender-based persecution at the International Criminal Court (ICC). Given that no previous international tribunal had jurisdiction to prosecute persecution on ‘gender’ grounds, this was an important first step towards developing the jurisprudence on this crime. Meanwhile, the Rome Statute’s definition of ‘gender’ has been discussed and debated in the International Law Commission (ILC) in the context of the ongoing development of draft articles on crimes against humanity. In the context of these recent developments in the ICC and ILC, this article closely examines the Rome Statute’s definition of ‘gender’, and explores what ‘gender’ means as a ground of persecution. We conclude that as a result of the definition agreed to at the 1998 Rome Diplomatic Conference, the Rome Statute’s definition of ‘gender’ captures the social aspects of gender, consistent with widely accepted practice at the time of the Statute's adoption and in the two decades since. These are important facts to hold on to as the focus on the definition of ‘gender’ intensifies, the ICC’s jurisprudence on gender-based persecution evolves, and efforts advance to develop a new convention on crimes against humanity.
Transcription factor TCP20 regulates peach bud endodormancy by inhibiting DAM5/DAM6 and interacting with ABF2
Authors: Wang Qingjie , Xu Gongxun , Zhao Xuehui , Zhang Zejie , Wang Xuxu , Liu Xiao , Xiao Wei , Fu Xiling , Chen Xiude , Gao Dongsheng , Li Dongmei , Li Ling
Published: November 2019

The dormancy-associated MADS-box (DAM) genes PpDAM5 and PpDAM6 have been shown to play important roles in bud endodormancy; however, their molecular regulatory mechanism in peach is unclear. In this study, by use of yeast one-hybrid screening, we isolated a TEOSINTE BRANCHED1/CYCLOIDEA/PROLIFERATING CELL FACTOR transcription factor, PpTCP20, in the peach cultivar ‘Zhongyou 4’ (Prunus persica var. nectarina). The protein was localized in the nucleus and was capable of forming a homodimer. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays demonstrated that PpTCP20 binds to a GCCCR element in the promoters of PpDAM5 and PpDAM6, and transient dual luciferase experiments showed that PpTCP20 inhibited the expression of PpDAM5 and PpDAM6 as the period of the release of flower bud endodormancy approached. In addition, PpTCP20 interacted with PpABF2 to form heterodimers to regulate bud endodormancy, and the content of abscisic acid decreased with the release of endodormancy. PpTCP20 also inhibited expression of PpABF2 to regulate endodormancy. Taken together, our results suggest that PpTCP20 regulates peach flower bud endodormancy by negatively regulating the expression of PpDAM5 and PpDAM6, and by interacting with PpABF2, thus revealing a novel regulatory mechanism in a perennial deciduous tree.
Slingshot prominences: coronal structure, mass loss and spin down
Authors: Jardine M , Cameron A Collier , Donati J-F , Hussain G A J
Published: November 2019

The structure of a star’s coronal magnetic field is a fundamental property that governs the high-energy emission from the hot coronal gas and the loss of mass and angular momentum in the stellar wind. It is, however, extremely difficult to measure. We report a new method to trace this structure in rapidly-rotating young convective stars, using the cool gas trapped on coronal field lines as markers. This gas forms “slingshot prominences” which appear as transient absorption features in H-α. By using different methods of extrapolating this field from the surface measurements, we determine locations for prominence support and produce synthetic H-α stacked spectra. The absorption features produced with a potential field extrapolation match well this those observed, while those from a non-potential field do not. In systems where the rotation and magnetic axes are well aligned, up to $50\%$ of the prominence mass may transit the star and so produces a observable feature. This fraction may fall as low as $~2\%$ in very highly inclined systems. Ejected prominences carry away mass and angular momentum at rates that vary by two orders of magnitude, but which may approach those carried by the stellar wind.
Determination of the star-spot covering fraction as a function of stellar age from observational data
Authors: Nichols-Fleming Fiona , Blackman Eric G
Published: November 2019

The association of star-spots with magnetic fields leads to an expectation that quantities which correlate with magnetic field strength may also correlate with star-spot coverage. Since younger stars spin faster and are more magnetically active, assessing whether star-spot coverage correlates with shorter rotation periods and stellar youth tests these principles. Here, we analyse the star-spot covering fraction versus stellar age for M-, G-, K-, and F-type stars based on previously determined variability and rotation periods of over 30 000 Kepler main-sequence stars. We determine the correlation between age and variability using single and dual power-law best fits. We find that star-spot coverage does indeed decrease with age. Only when the data are binned in an effort to remove the effects of activity cycles of individual stars, do statistically significant power-law fits emerge for each stellar type. Using bin averages, we then find that the star-spot covering fraction scales with the X-ray to bolometric ratio to the power λ with 0.22 ± 0.03 < λ < 0.32 ± 0.09 for G-type stars of rotation period below 15 d and for the full range of F- and M-type stars. For K-type stars, we find two branches of λ separated by variability bins, with the lower branch showing nearly constant star-spot coverage and the upper branch λ ∼ 0.35 ± 0.04. G-type stars with periods longer than 15 d exhibit a transition to steeper power law of λ ∼ 2.4 ± 1.0. The potential connection to previous rotation-age measurements suggesting a magnetic breaking transition at the solar age, corresponding to period of 24.5 is also of interest.
An ionized accretion disc wind in Hercules X-1
Authors: Kosec P , Fabian A C , Pinto C , Walton D J , Dyda S , Reynolds C S
Published: November 2019

Hercules X-1 is one of the best-studied highly magnetized neutron star X-ray binaries with a wealth of archival data. We present the discovery of an ionized wind in its X-ray spectrum when the source is in the high state. The wind detection is statistically significant in most of the XMM–Newton observations, with velocities ranging from 200 to 1000 km s−1. Observed features in the iron K band can be explained by both wind absorption and a forest of iron emission lines. However, we also detect nitrogen, oxygen, and neon absorption lines at the same systematic velocity in the high-resolution Reflection Grating Spectrometer grating spectra. The wind must be launched from the accretion disc, and could be the progenitor of the ultraviolet absorption features observed at comparable velocities, but the latter likely originate at significantly larger distances from the compact object. We find strong correlations between the ionization level of the outflowing material and the ionizing luminosity as well as the superorbital phase. If the luminosity is driving the correlation, the wind could be launched by a combination of Compton heating and radiation pressure. If instead the superorbital phase is the driver for the variations, the observations are likely scanning the wind at different heights above the warped accretion disc. If this is the case, we can estimate the wind mass outflow rate, corrected for the limited launching solid angle, to be roughly 70 per cent of the mass accretion rate.
Recurrent Collection of Drosophila melanogaster from Wild African Environments and Genomic Insights into Species History
Authors: Sprengelmeyer Quentin D , Mansourian Suzan , Lange Jeremy D , Matute Daniel R , Cooper Brandon S , Jirle Erling V , Stensmyr Marcus C , Pool John E
Published: November 2019

A long-standing enigma concerns the geographic and ecological origins of the intensively studied vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster. This globally distributed human commensal is thought to originate from sub-Saharan Africa, yet until recently, it had never been reported from undisturbed wilderness environments that could reflect its precommensal niche. Here, we document the collection of 288 D. melanogaster individuals from multiple African wilderness areas in Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. The presence of D. melanogaster in these remote woodland environments is consistent with an ancestral range in southern-central Africa, as opposed to equatorial regions. After sequencing the genomes of 17 wilderness-collected flies collected from Kafue National Park in Zambia, we found reduced genetic diversity relative to town populations, elevated chromosomal inversion frequencies, and strong differences at specific genes including known insecticide targets. Combining these genomes with existing data, we probed the history of this species’ geographic expansion. Demographic estimates indicated that expansion from southern-central Africa began ∼13,000 years ago, with a Saharan crossing soon after, but expansion from the Middle East into Europe did not begin until roughly 1,800 years ago. This improved model of demographic history will provide an important resource for future evolutionary and genomic studies of this key model organism. Our findings add context to the history of D. melanogaster, while opening the door for future studies on the biological basis of adaptation to human environments.
Taxonomic resolution of the ribosomal RNA operon in bacteria: implications for its use with long-read sequencing
Authors: de Oliveira Martins Leonardo , Page Andrew J , Mather Alison E , Charles Ian G
Published: November 2019

DNA barcoding through the use of amplified regions of the ribosomal operon, such as the 16S gene, is a routine method to gain an overview of the microbial taxonomic diversity within a sample without the need to isolate and culture the microbes present. However, bacterial cells usually have multiple copies of this ribosomal operon, and choosing the ‘wrong’ copy could provide a misleading species classification. While this presents less of a problem for well-characterized organisms with large sequence databases to interrogate, it is a significant challenge for lesser known organisms with unknown copy number and diversity. Using the entire length of the ribosomal operon, which encompasses the 16S, 23S, 5S and internal transcribed spacer regions, should provide greater taxonomic resolution but has not been well explored. Here, we use publicly available reference genomes and explore the theoretical boundaries when using concatenated genes and the full-length ribosomal operons, which has been made possible by the development and uptake of long-read sequencing technologies. We quantify the issues of both copy choice and operon length in a phylogenetic context to demonstrate that longer regions improve the phylogenetic signal while maintaining taxonomic accuracy.
Nutraceutical approach to enhance lutein bioavailability via nanodelivery systems
Authors: Bhat Ishani , Yathisha Undiganalu Gangadharappa , Karunasagar Iddya , Mamatha Bangera Sheshappa
Published: November 2019

Lutein, a potent dietary carotenoid, has considerable biological activity and confers protection against age-related macular degeneration. Its bioavailability following consumption, however, depends on its rate of degradation. Nanodelivery systems with improved efficacy and stability are currently being developed to increase the bioavailability of lutein. This review examines nutraceutical approaches used in the development of such nanodelivery systems. It describes the methods of lutein preparation, the characteristics of various delivery systems, and the lutein delivery profile. In order to enhance lutein loading, provide electrostatic stabilization, and achieve the controlled release of lutein, adjuvants such as dextran moieties, whey proteins, medium-chain triglycerides, and chitosan polymers can be used to effectively reduce the particle size (< 70 nm) and improve encapsulation efficiency (to 99.5%). The improved bioavailability of lutein via nanocrystals incorporated into rapidly dissolving films for oral consumption is a new area of exploratory research. This review aims to provide clarity about current research aimed at enhancing the bioavailability of lutein through the development of nanodelivery systems.
Young Drivers, Deterrence Theory, and Punishment Avoidance: A Qualitative Exploration
Authors: Bates Lyndel , Anderson Levi
Published: November 2019

Punishment avoidance occurs when a person commits an offence but is not punished for it. The aim of this article was to explore how young drivers experience punishment avoidance. New drivers aged between 17 and 25 years participated in 11 focus groups held in both metropolitan and regional areas in two Australian states: Queensland and Victoria. Thematic analysis identified that young drivers experience punishment avoidance in one of three ways. First, they can attempt to actively avoid punishment by engaging in deliberate actions to circumvent policing activities. Secondly, they can experience either direct or vicarious punishment avoidance of police enforcement. An example of this would be ‘talking their way out of a ticket’ after they had been caught by a police officer. Finally, their parents may help them avoid punishment by, for instance, paying the traffic fine on their child’s behalf. This article increases our understanding of how punishment avoidance occurs in practice.
Alcohol consumption and self-rated health among older people: population-based study in Sweden
Authors: Lindström Jim , Hellström Charlotta , Simonsson Bo , Molarius Anu
Published: November 2019

Objective

To analyse alcohol consumption and its association with self-rated health among a representative sample of older people in mid-Sweden.

Background

Over the past decades, alcohol consumption has increased in the older population in Sweden, but few studies have investigated the association between alcohol consumption and self-rated health in this group. The aim was therefore to investigate alcohol consumption and self-rated health among older Swedes.

Methods

The study is based on a cross-sectional study of 11,716 men and women, 65 years and over, answering a survey questionnaire sent to a random population sample in mid-Sweden in 2012. We assessed alcohol consumption with AUDIT-C and its association with self-rated health using logistic regression analysis, adjusting for age, economic situation, educational level, BMI, physical activity, social support and medication use.

Results

Men (83%) were more prone to drink alcohol compared to women (71%). The prevalence of risk drinking was about 2% for both genders. Alcohol consumption declined with age. Moderate consumption of alcohol was associated with lower probability of poor self-rated health compared to non-drinking with an adjusted odds ratio 0.64 (95% confidence interval: 0.54-0.76) for men and 0.68 (0.59-0.79) for women.

Conclusion

Since the study was cross-sectional the direction of the association could not be determined, and the results should not be interpreted as an argument for promoting alcohol consumption among older people.
The Distinctions Between Theory, Theoretical Framework, and Conceptual Framework
Authors: Varpio Lara , Paradis Elise , Uijtdehaage Sebastian , Young Meredith
Published: November 2019

Health professions education (HPE) researchers are regularly asked to articulate their use of theory, theoretical frameworks, and conceptual frameworks in their research. However, all too often, these words are used interchangeably or without a clear understanding of the differences between these concepts. Further problematizing this situation is the fact that theory, theoretical framework, and conceptual framework are terms that are used in different ways in different research approaches. In this article, the authors set out to clarify the meaning of these terms and to describe how they are used in 2 approaches to research commonly used in HPE: the objectivist deductive approach (from theory to data) and the subjectivist inductive approach (from data to theory). In addition to this, given that within subjectivist inductive research theory, theoretical framework, and conceptual framework can be used in different ways, they describe 3 uses that HPE researchers frequently rely on: fully inductive theory development, fully theory-informed inductive, and theory-informing inductive data analysis.