bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Energy transfer model and its applications of ultrasonic gas flow-meter under static and dynamic flow rates
Authors: Fang Min , Xu Ke-Jun , Zhu Wen-Jiao , Shen Zi-Wen
Published: January 2016

Most of the ultrasonic gas flow-meters measure the gas flow rate by calculating the ultrasonic transmission time difference between the downstream and upstream. Ultrasonic energy attenuation occurs in the processes of the ultrasonic generation, conversion, transmission, and reception. Additionally, at the same time, the gas flow will also affect the ultrasonic propagation during the measurement, which results in the ultrasonic energy attenuation and the offset of ultrasonic propagation path. Thus, the ultrasonic energy received by the transducer is weaker. When the gas flow rate increases, this effect becomes more apparent. It leads to the measurement accuracy reduced, and the measurement range narrowed. An energy transfer model, where the ultrasonic gas flow-meter under without/with the gas flow, is established by adopting the statistical analysis and curve fitting based on a large amount of experimental data. The static sub model without the gas flow expresses the energy conversion efficiency of ultrasonic gas transducers, and the dynamic sub model with the gas flow reflects the energy attenuation pattern following the flow rate variations. The mathematical model can be used to determine the minimum energy of the excitation signal for meeting the requirement of specific measurement range, and predict the maximum measurable flow rate in the case of fixed energy of excitation signal. Based on the above studies, a method to enhance the excitation signal energy is proposed under the output power of the transmitting circuit being a finite value so as to extend the measurement rage of ultrasonic gas flow-meter.
Scale growth of structures in the turbulent boundary layer with a rod-roughened wall
Authors: Lee Jin , Kim Jung Hoon , Lee Jae Hwa
Published: January 2016

Direct numerical simulation of a turbulent boundary layer over a rod-roughened wall is performed with a long streamwise domain to examine the streamwise-scale growth mechanism of streamwise velocity fluctuating structures in the presence of two-dimensional (2-D) surface roughness. An instantaneous analysis shows that there is a slightly larger population of long structures with a small helix angle (spanwise inclinations relative to streamwise) and a large spanwise width over the rough-wall compared to that over a smooth-wall. Further inspection of time-evolving instantaneous fields clearly exhibits that adjacent long structures combine to form a longer structure through a spanwise merging process over the rough-wall; moreover, spanwise merging for streamwise scale growth is expected to occur frequently over the rough-wall due to the large spanwise scales generated by the 2-D roughness. Finally, we examine the influence of a large width and a small helix angle of the structures over the rough-wall with regard to spatial two-point correlation. The results show that these factors can increase the streamwise coherence of the structures in a statistical sense.
Streak instability and generation of hairpin-vortices by a slotted jet in channel crossflow: Experiments and linear stability analysis
Authors: Philip Jimmy , Karp Michael , Cohen Jacob
Published: January 2016

Streaks and hairpin-vortices are experimentally generated in a laminar plane Poiseuille crossflow by injecting a continuous jet through a streamwise slot normal to the crossflow, with air as the working media. Small disturbances form stable streaks, however, higher disturbances cause the formation of streaks which undergo instability leading to the generation of hairpin vortices. Particular emphasis is placed on the flow conditions close to the generation of hairpin-vortices. Measurements are carried out in the cases of natural and phase-locked disturbance employing smoke visualisation, particle image velocimetry, and hot-wire anemometry, which include, the dominant frequency, wavelength, and the disturbance shape (or eigenfunctions) associated with the coherent part of the velocity field. A linear stability analysis for both one- and two-dimensional base-flows is carried out to understand the mechanism of instability and good agreement of wavelength and eigenfunctions are obtained when compared to the experimental data, and a slight under-prediction of the growth-rates by the linear stability analysis consistent with the final nonlinear stages in transitional flows. Furthermore, an energy analysis for both the temporal and spatial stability analysis revels the dominance of the symmetric varicose mode, again, in agreement with the experiments, which is found to be governed by the balance of the wallnormal shear and dissipative effects rather than the spanwise shear. In all cases the anti-symmetric sinuous modes governed by the spanwise shear are found to be damped both in analysis and in our experiments.
Wrinkling micropatterns regulated by a hard skin layer with a periodic stiffness distribution on a soft material
Authors: Wang Jiawen , Li Bo , Cao Yan-Ping , Feng Xi-Qiao , Gao Huajian
Published: January 2016

A wrinkling-based method is proposed to create various surface micropatterns regulated by a hardened skin layer with a periodic stiffness distribution on a soft material. It is shown that the surface patterns generated by this technique are controlled by three fundamental surface deformation modes that involve sinusoidal wrinkling, Euler buckling, and rigid rotation of the skin. Systematic experiments and a phase diagram validate the efficacy and robustness of the proposed method.
Wireless power transfer based on magnetic quadrupole coupling in dielectric resonators
Authors: Song Mingzhao , Iorsh Ivan , Kapitanova Polina , Nenasheva Elizaveta , Belov Pavel
Published: January 2016

We numerically investigate a magnetic resonant wireless power transfer system based on high refractive index dielectric resonators. We propose to operate at magnetic quadrupole mode of the resonators to enlarge the efficiency due to minimization of ohmic and radiation losses. Numerical estimation predicts the 80% efficiency of the wireless power transfer (WPT) system operating at quadrupole mode at 300 MHz. Moreover, the system operating at magnetic quadrupole mode is capable of transferring power with 70% efficiency when the receiver rotates 90°. We verify the simulated results by experimental investigation of the WPT system based on microwave  ceramic  resonators (ε = 80 and tanδ = 10−4).
Enhancing polarization by electrode-controlled strain relaxation in PbTiO3 heterostructures
Authors: Peräntie J. , Stratulat M. S. , Hannu J. , Jantunen H. , Tyunina M.
Published: January 2016

A large remanent polarization close to theoretical value 80 μC/cm2 of bulk PbTiO3 is achieved in epitaxial heterostructures of (120–600)-nm-thick PbTiO3 films grown by pulsed laser deposition on (001) SrTiO3 substrate using a 100-nm-thick SrRuO3 bottom electrode layer. The heterostructures employing a 50-nm-thick electrode exhibit a significantly smaller polarization of ≤60 μC/cm2. A detailed x-ray diffraction analysis of the crystal structure allows for relating this large polarization to electrode-controlled relaxation of epitaxial strain in PbTiO3. Based on the observed results, we anticipate that the electrode-promoted strain relaxation can be used to enhance polarization in other epitaxial ferroelectric films.
Activation and control of visible single defects in 4H-, 6H-, and 3C-SiC by oxidation
Authors: Lohrmann A. , Castelletto S. , Klein J. R. , Ohshima T. , Bosi M. , Negri M. , Lau D. W. M. , Gibson B. C. , Prawer S. , McCallum J. C. , Johnson B. C.
Published: January 2016

In this work, we present the creation and characterisation of single photon emitters at the surface of 4H- and 6H-SiC, and of 3C-SiC epitaxially grown on silicon. These emitters can be created by annealing in an oxygen atmosphere at temperatures above 550 °C. By using standard confocal microscopy techniques, we find characteristic spectral signatures in the visible region. The excited state lifetimes are found to be in the nanosecond regime in all three polytypes, and the emission dipoles are aligned with the lattice. HF-etching is shown to effectively annihilate the defects and to restore an optically clean surface. The defects described in this work have ideal characteristics for broadband single photon generation in the visible spectral region at room temperature and for integration into nanophotonic devices.
A novel thermal acoustic device based on porous graphene
Authors: Tao Lu-Qi , Liu Ying , Tian He , Ju Zhen-Yi , Xie Qian-Yi , Yang Yi , Ren Tian-Ling
Published: January 2016

A thermal acoustic (TA) device was fabricated by laser scribing technology. Polyimide (PI) can be converted into patterned porous graphene (PG) by laser’s irradiation in one step. The sound pressure level (SPL) of such TA device is related to laser power. The theoretical model of TA effect was established to analyze the relationship between the SPL and laser power. The theoretical results are in good agreement with experiment results. It was found that PG has a flat frequency response in the range of 5-20 kHz. This novel TA device has the advantages of one-step procedure, high flexibility, no mechanical vibration, low cost and so on. It can open wide applications in speakers, multimedia, medical, earphones, consumer electronics and many other aspects.
Near-wall velocity profile measurement for nanofluids
Authors: Kanjirakat Anoop , Sadr Reza
Published: January 2016

We perform near-wall velocity measurements of a SiO2–water nanofluid inside a microchannel. Nanoparticle image velocimetry measurements at three visible depths within 500 nm of the wall are conducted. We evaluate the optical properties of the nanofluid and their effect on the measurement technique. The results indicate that the small effect of the nanoparticles on the optical properties of the suspension have a negligible effect on the measurement technique. Our measurements show an increase in nanofluid velocity gradients near the walls, with no measurable slip, relative to the equivalent basefluid flow. We conjecture that particle migration induced by shear may have caused this increase. The effect of this increase in the measured near wall velocity gradient has implications on the viscosity measurement for these fluids.
Review and conceptual models of agricultural impacts and water quality in waterways of the Great Barrier Reef catchment area
Authors: Davis Aaron M. , Pearson Richard G. , Brodie Jon E. , Butler Barry
Published: January 2016

Adequate conceptual frameworks that link land use to water quality and ecosystem health are lacking for tropical and subtropical freshwater systems, so we review here extensive water-quality research undertaken in the Great Barrier Reef catchment area (GBRCA) and present conceptual models synthesising the dynamics of agricultural pollutants and their ecological effects. The seasonal flow regime defines the following key periods of water-quality risk over the annual hydrological cycle for diverse GBRCA ecosystems: initial ‘pre-flush’ flows during the transition from the dry to the wet season; early wet-season ‘first flush’ flows; peak wet-season flood flows; and sustained base flow or periods of disconnection during the dry season. The level of seasonal contrast varies from the perennial systems of the wet tropics to the intermittent systems of the dry tropics. Major water-quality stressors may be catchment scale (e.g. in streams draining broad-scale agriculture) or more localised (e.g. cattle access, irrigation tail water). Water-quality stressors such as ammonia toxicity and hypoxia (due to organic or nutrient run-off and enhanced plant productivity) are of low relevance to downstream GBR ecosystems but are major threats to fresh waters. Similarly, whereas high contaminant loads in wet-season floods present the highest water-quality risk to marine ecosystems, the greatest risk in fresh waters is often from acute contamination during early wet-season ‘pre-flush’ flows into lentic waters, or continuous input of contaminants over long periods of base flow. Because of differences in the nature of risk periods, water-quality threats and pollutant-delivery mechanisms, the benefits of different management options to improve water quality can also differ among freshwater habitats and between freshwater and marine environments.
Effects of Ti target current on properties of TiSiN coatings
Authors: Li S. , Deng J. , Qin X. , Ji C.
Published: January 2016

TiSiN coatings were deposited on WC/TiC/Co substrates using a combined method of arc ion plating and medium-frequency magnetron sputtering. Effects of Ti target currents on coating's properties were studied. Results showed that with Ti target current increasing from 55 to 95 A, surface roughness significantly increased and Si content decreased from 9.87 to 3.22 at.-%. The preferred orientation was TiN (200) below Ti current of 85 A, but changed into TiN (111) at 95 A. As Ti current increased, the hardness increased first and then decreased. The maximum value (39.6 GPa) was achieved at 65 A with the Si content of 8.2 at.-%. Edge effect happened on all samples, which exhibited large differences in Si content and hardness between edge and central regions. The increase in Ti current enhanced the edge effect with a bigger difference in Si contents and a larger affected region.
Tradeoff between Assessment and Control of Aquatic Invasive Species: A Case Study of Sea Lamprey Management in the St. Marys River
Authors: Robinson Jason M. , Wilberg Michael J. , Adams Jean V. , Jones Michael L.
Published: January 2016

Allocating resources between the gathering of information to guide management actions and implementing those actions presents an inherent tradeoff. This tradeoff is evident for control of the Sea Lamprey Petromyzon marinus in the St. Marys River, connecting Lakes Huron and Superior and a major source of parasitic Sea Lampreys to Lake Huron and northern Lake Michigan. Larval Sea Lampreys in the St. Marys River are controlled through the application of Bayluscide, which is applied to areas of high larval density. Bayluscide applications are guided with an annual deepwater electrofishing survey to estimate larval Sea Lamprey density at relatively fine spatial scales. We took a resampling approach to describe the effect of sampling intensity on the success of the larval Sea Lamprey management program and explicitly incorporated the economic tradeoff between assessment and control efforts to maximize numbers of larvae killed in the St. Marys River. When no tradeoff between assessment and control was incorporated, increasing assessment always led to more larvae killed for the same treatment budget. When the tradeoff was incorporated, the sampling intensity that maximized the number of larvae killed depended on the overall budget available. Increased sampling intensities maximized effectiveness under medium to large budgets (US$0.4 to $2.0 million), and intermediate sampling intensities maximized effectiveness under low budgets. Sea Lamprey control actions based on assessment information outperformed those that were implemented with no assessment under all budget scenarios.

Received March 26, 2015; accepted September 30, 2015
Application of Passive Integrated Transponder Technology to Juvenile Salmon Habitat Use on an Experimental Agricultural Floodplain
Authors: Conrad J. Louise , Holmes Eric , Jeffres Carson , Takata Lynn , Ikemiyagi Naoaki , Katz Jacob , Sommer Ted
Published: January 2016

Passive integrated transponder (PIT) technology allows passive, individual identification of small fish, making it a potentially useful tool to address an information gap of juvenile salmon habitat use in off-channel environments. We investigated the combined use of field enclosures and PIT technology as a method for studying the habitat preference of juvenile Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha on a flooded rice field, a potential surrogate for lost floodplain habitat. We stocked two field enclosures (182 m2) with 42 juvenile salmon. One enclosure had equal portions of rice stubble, disced, and fallow habitat treatments, and the second contained only the disced treatment. Fish were tagged with 8- or 12-mm-sized PIT tags, and generated approximately 1 million detections in each enclosure over 14 d. We used a condensing procedure to reduce the data volume while preserving habitat use patterns. The smaller 8-mm tags were only detected along antenna edges, and the 12-mm tags had broader but more variable detection fields. Despite this difference, habitat occupancy probabilities showed the same spatial pattern between tag sizes, with increased occupancy in the upstream locations of both field enclosures. Similar results between tag sizes suggest that valuable habitat use data can be obtained with the 8-mm tag.

Received January 30, 2015; accepted October 13, 2015
Destabilization of mayonnaise induced by lipid crystallization upon freezing
Authors: Miyagawa Yayoi , Ogawa Takenobu , Nakagawa Kyuya , Adachi Shuji
Published: January 2016

The thermal and rheological history of mayonnaise during freezing and its dispersion stability after the freeze-thaw process were investigated. Mayonnaise was cooled to freeze and stored at −20 to −40 °C while monitoring the temperature; penetration tests were conducted on the mayonnaise, which was sampled at selected times during isothermal storage at −20 °C. Significant increases in the temperature and stress values due to water-phase crystallization and subsequent oil-phase crystallization were observed. The water phase crystallized during the cooling step in all the tested mayonnaise samples. The oil phases of the prepared mayonnaise (with rapeseed oil) and commercial mayonnaise crystallized during isothermal storage after 6 and 4 h, respectively, at −20 °C. The dispersion stability was evaluated from the separation ratio, which was defined as the weight ratio of separated oil after centrifuging to the total amount of oil in the commercial mayonnaise. The separation ratio rapidly increased after 4 h of freezing. This result suggests that crystallization of the oil phase is strongly related to the dispersion stability of mayonnaise.
Geranylgeraniol enhances testosterone production via the cAMP/protein kinase A pathway in testis-derived I-10 tumor cells
Authors: Ho Hsin-Jung , Shirakawa Hitoshi , Yoshida Risa , Ito Asagi , Maeda Misato , Goto Tomoko , Komai Michio
Published: January 2016

Testosterone levels in men decrease with age; this decline has been linked to various diseases and can shorten life expectancy. Geranylgeraniol (GGOH) is an isoprenoid found in plants that plays an important role in several biological processes; however, its role in steroidogenesis is unknown. Here, we report that GGOH enhances the production of testosterone and its precursor progesterone in testis-derived I-10 tumor cells. GGOH induced protein kinase A (PKA) activity and increased cAMP levels and was found to regulate cAMP/PKA signaling by activating adenylate cyclase without altering phosphodiesterase activity. GGOH also stimulated mRNA and protein levels of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein, a downstream effector in the cAMP/PKA pathway. These results demonstrate that GGOH enhances steroidogenesis in testis-derived cells by modulating cAMP/PKA signaling. Our findings have potential applications for the development of therapeutics that increase testosterone levels in aging men.
Eigenfunction expansions of ultradifferentiable functions and ultradistributions
Authors: Dasgupta Aparajita , Ruzhansky Michael
Published: January 2016

In this paper we give a global characterisation of classes of ultradifferentiable functions and corresponding ultradistributions on a compact manifold

X
X

. The characterisation is given in terms of the eigenfunction expansion of an elliptic operator on

X
X

. This extends the result for analytic functions on compact manifolds by Seeley in 1969, and the characterisation of Gevrey functions and Gevrey ultradistributions on compact Lie groups and homogeneous spaces by the authors (2014).
Generalisation of the Hammersley-Clifford theorem on bipartite graphs
Authors: Chandgotia Nishant
Published: January 2016

The Hammersley-Clifford theorem states that if the support of a Markov random field has a safe symbol, then it is a Gibbs state with some nearest neighbour interaction. In this paper we generalise the theorem with an added condition that the underlying graph is bipartite. Taking inspiration from Brightwell and Winkler (J. Combin. Theory Ser. B 78 (2000), 141–166) we introduce a notion of folding for configuration spaces called strong config-folding proving that if all Markov random fields supported onXXare Gibbs with some nearest neighbour interaction, then so are Markov random fields supported on the ‘strong config-folds’ and ‘strong config-unfolds’ ofXX.
U.S. Agricultural Productivity: A Review of USDA Economic Research Service Methods
Authors: Shumway C. Richard , Fraumeni Barbara M. , Fulginiti Lilyan E. , Samuels Jon D. , Stefanou Spiro E.
Published: January 2016

The USDA Economic Research Service has emerged as an acknowledged intellectual leader in the construction and integration of national and state‐level productivity accounts in agriculture. The national and state‐level ERS productivity measures are widely referred to and used, and international sectoral comparisons rely on the ERS production accounts for foundation methodology in constructing agricultural productivity accounts in other countries. This leadership role has endured for many decades and accelerated in response to the AAEA‐USDA Task Force review of the agricultural productivity accounts (Gardner et al. 1980). It is against this backdrop of vigorous intellectual leadership that an external review committee has examined the data sources, methodology, ongoing research, documentation, and reporting of the ERS agricultural productivity accounts. Our recommendations are many and some are substantial. Two of the most important recommendations address overarching concerns of documentation and efficiency, two more consider website communication of methods and data, and four focus on the renewal and construction of the state‐level accounts.
Radiation hydrodynamic simulations of line-driven disk winds for ultra-fast outflows
Authors: Nomura Mariko , Ohsuga Ken , Takahashi Hiroyuki R. , Wada Keiichi , Yoshida Tessei
Published: January 2016

Using two-dimensional radiation hydrodynamic simulations, we investigate the origin of the ultra-fast outflows (UFOs) that are often observed in luminous active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We found that the radiation force due to the spectral lines generates strong winds (line-driven disk winds) that are launched from the inner region of accretion disks (∼30 Schwarzschild radii). A wide range of black hole masses (MBH) and Eddington ratios (ε) was investigated to study the conditions causing the line-driven winds. For MBH = 106–109 M⊙ and ε = 0.1–0.7, funnel-shaped disk winds appear, in which dense matter is accelerated outward with an opening angle of 70°–80° and with 10% of the speed of light. If we observe the wind along its direction, the velocity, the column density, and the ionization state are consistent with those of the observed UFOs. As long as obscuration by the torus does not affect the observation of X-ray bands, the UFOs could be statistically observed in about 13%–28% of the luminous AGNs, which is not inconsistent with the observed ratio (∼40%). We also found that the results are insensitive to the X-ray luminosity and the density of the disk surface. Thus, we can conclude that UFOs could exist in any luminous AGNs, such as narrow-line Seyfert 1s and quasars with ε > 0.1, with which fast line-driven winds are associated.
A systematic study of evolved supernova remnants in the large and small Magellanic Clouds with Suzaku
Authors: Takeuchi Yoko , Yamaguchi Hiroya , Tamagawa Toru
Published: January 2016

Identifying the origin type (i.e., Type Ia or core-collapse) of supernova remnants (SNRs) is crucial to determining the rates of supernova (SN) explosions in a galaxy, which is a key to understanding its recent chemical evolution. However, evolved SNRs in the so-called Sedov phase are dominated by the swept-up interstellar medium (ISM), making it difficult to determine their ejecta composition and thus SN type. Here we present a systematic X-ray study of nine evolved SNRs in the Magellanic Clouds, DEM L238, DEM L249, 0534−69.9, 0548−70.4, B0532−71.0, B0532−67.5, 0103−72.6, 0049−73.6, and 0104−72.3, using archival data of the Suzaku satellite. Although Suzaku does not spatially resolve the SN ejecta from the swept-up ISM due to the limited angular resolution, its excellent energy resolution has enabled clear separation of emission lines in the soft X-ray band. This leads to the finding that the “spatially integrated” spectra of the evolved (∼104 yr) SNRs are still significantly contributed by emission from the ejecta at energies around 1 keV. The Fe/Ne mass ratios, determined mainly from the well-resolved Fe L-shell and Ne K-shell lines, clearly divide the observed SNRs into the Type Ia and core-collapse groups, confirming some previous typing made by Chandra observations that had utilized its extremely high angular resolution. This demonstrates that spatially integrated X-ray spectra of old SNRs can also be used to discriminate their progenitor type, which would be helpful for future systematic studies of extragalactic SNRs with ASTRO-H and beyond.
Genotypic Diversity and Resistance to Azoxystrobin ofCercospora beticolaon Processing Table Beet in New York
Authors: Vaghefi Niloofar , Hay Frank S. , Kikkert Julie R. , Pethybridge Sarah J.
Published: January 2016

Cercospora leaf spot (CLS), caused by Cercospora beticola, is one of the major diseases affecting productivity and profitability of beet production worldwide. Fungicides are critical for the control of this disease and one of the most commonly used products is the quinone outside inhibitor (QOI) azoxystrobin. In total, 150 C. beticola isolates were collected from two commercial processing table beet fields in Batavia, NY in 2014. The mating types of the entire population were determined, and genetic diversity of a subset of samples (n = 48) was assessed using five microsatellite loci. Sensitivity to azoxystrobin was tested using a spore germination assay. The cytochrome b gene was sequenced to check for the presence of point mutations known to confer QOI resistance in fungi. High allelic diversity (He= 0.50) and genotypic diversity (D* = 0.96), gametic equilibrium of the microsatellite loci, and equal ratios of mating types were suggestive of a mixed mode of reproduction for C. beticola. Resistance to azoxystrobin was prevalent because 41% of the isolates had values for effective concentrations reducing spore germination by 50% (EC50) > 0.2 μg/ml. The G143A mutation, known to cause QOI resistance in C. beticola, was found in isolates with EC50values between 0.207 and 19.397 μg/ml. A single isolate with an EC50of 0.272 μg/ml carried the F129L mutation, known to be associated with low levels of QOI resistance in fungi. This is the first report of the F129L mutation in C. beticola. The implications of these findings for the epidemiology and control of CLS in table beet fields in New York are discussed.
The Notch pathway regulates both the proliferation and differentiation of follicular cells in the panoistic ovary ofBlattella germanica
Authors: Irles Paula , Elshaer Nashwa , Piulachs Maria-Dolors
Published: January 2016

The Notch pathway is an essential regulator of cell proliferation and differentiation during development. Its involvement in insect oogenesis has been examined in insect species with meroistic ovaries, and it is known to play a fundamental role in cell fate decisions and the induction of the mitosis-to-endocycle switch in follicular cells (FCs). This work reports the functions of the main components of the Notch pathway (Notch and its ligands Delta and Serrate) during oogenesis inBlattella germanica, a phylogenetically basal species with panoistic ovary. As is revealed by RNAi-based analyses, Notch and Delta were found to contribute towards maintaining the FCs in an immature, non-apoptotic state. This ancestral function of Notch appears in opposition to the induction of transition from mitosis to endocycle that Notch exerts inDrosophila melanogaster,a change in the Notch function that might be in agreement with the evolution of the insect ovary types. Notch was also shown to play an active role in inducing ovarian follicle elongation via the regulation of the cytoskeleton. In addition, Delta and Notch interactions were seen to determine the differentiation of the posterior population of FCs. Serrate levels were found to be Notch-dependent and are involved in the control of the FC programme, although they would appear to play no crucial role in panoistic ovary oogenesis.
Ants determine their next move at rest: motor planning and causality in complex systems
Authors: Hunt Edmund R. , Baddeley Roland J. , Worley Alan , Sendova-Franks Ana B. , Franks Nigel R.
Published: January 2016

To find useful work to do for their colony, individual eusocial animals have to move, somehow staying attentive to relevant social information. Recent research on individualTemnothorax albipennisants moving inside their colony’s nest found a power-law relationship between a movement’s duration and its average speed; and a universal speed profile for movements showing that they mostly fluctuate around a constant average speed. From this predictability it was inferred that movement durations are somehow determined before the movement itself. Here, we find similar results in loneT. albipennisants exploring a large arena outside the nest, both when the arena is clean and when it contains chemical information left by previous nest-mates. This implies that these movement characteristics originate from the same individual neural and/or physiological mechanism(s), operating without immediate regard to social influences. However, the presence of pheromones and/or other cues was found to affect the inter-event speed correlations. Hence we suggest that ants’ motor planning results in intermittent response to the social environment: movement duration is adjusted in response to social information only between movements, not during them. This environmentally flexible, intermittently responsive movement behaviour points towards a spatially allocated division of labour in this species. It also prompts more general questions on collective animal movement and the role of intermittent causation from higher to lower organizational levels in the stability of complex systems.
A portable library to support the SBML Layout Extension
Authors: Medley J Kyle , Choi Kiri , Sauro Herbert M
Published: January 2016

The SBML layout extension enables SBML models to encode layout information which describes the graphical depiction of model elements. In this application note, we describe libSBNW, a portable library that supports the SBML layout extension and can automatically generate layout for SBML models. The library can be used to automatically generate layout information for SBML models lacking it, or to edit coordinate information already encoded in a model. We provide C and Python APIs to allow other applications to host the library or to use it directly from the Python console. We show that the library is sufficient for creating a graphical application for displaying and editing layout information. The library is open-source and licensed under the BSD 3-clause license. Project source code, downloads, documentation and binaries for Windows and Mac OS X are available at \href{https://github.com/sys-bio/sbnw}{https://github.com/sys-bio/sbnw}. The library is also included in Tellurium, available at http://tellurium.analogmachine.org/. Video tutorials are available at http://0u812.github.io/sbnw/tutorials/.
Employer brand equity measurement
Authors: Kucherov Dmitry , Samokish Violetta
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– This paper aims to assess the value of the employer brand through employer brand equity.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on the model of employer brand equity by B. Minchington, the core employer brand assets (employer brand awareness, associations, loyalty, perceived employment experience) for three large companies are measured and the total employer brand equity strength is evaluated.

Findings

– The paper demonstrates a quantitative approach to employer brand evaluation. It takes into account the core target groups of the employer brand and could be the integrated tool for the assessment of the employer brand equity strength and its separate assets.

Practical implications

– In the paper, the universal formula for total employer brand strength evaluation is proposed. It provides evidence that employer brand needs to be measured systematically and depending on the value of its particular assets different employer brand activities should be intervened.

Originality/value

– The value of this paper is to provide the human resource team with a holistic set of tools for employer brand measurement to comprehend the competitive position of the company as an employer on the labor market.
Appreciation at Work training and the Motivating by Appreciation Inventory: development and validity
Authors: White Paul
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– This paper aims to present the process, progress and validity of the Motivating By Appreciation Inventory and the Appreciation at Work training.

Design/methodology/approach

– Several methods were utilized such as surveys, pre- and post-interviews and data from the inventory results.

Findings

– For the Motivating by Appreciation Inventory, the results showed that the results are consistent and stable over time. For the Appreciation at Work training, the results of surveys before and after the training showed high levels of positive change.

Originality/value

– When individuals feel appreciated and valued for their contributions in the workplace, good results follow, including increased employee engagement, less staff turnover, higher customer satisfaction ratings and the organization grows in its sense of purpose. The Motivating by Appreciation Inventory and Appreciation at Work Training are unique tools that help organizations grow in employee appreciation.
Feel Good Management as valuable tool to shape workplace culture and drive employee happiness
Authors: Frenking Stefanie
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is looking at Feel Good Management as a valuable tool to shape workplace culture and drive employee happiness: a low cost but priceless strategy for engaging a global workforce.

Design/methodology/approach

– A look back at Feel Good Management in practice after four years in global workforce.

Findings

– Very favorable impact on recruitment, retention and engagement.

Research limitations/implications

– A potentially valuable tool for retaining global talent with strong management support and continuous branding of the culture.

Practical implications

– One manager can shape and act as ambassador but the entire workforce must embrace the approach for true success.

Social implications

– Employees, especially millennials, care about far more than a paycheck. They want to feel valued and a part of something.

Originality/value

– Every company is different but any entity can benefit from a strategic focus on shaping workplace culture.
How HR can have an impact in non-traditional areas
Authors: Phillips Jack J , Phillips Patti
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– This paper aims to explain how the human resource (HR) function can take a lead in all of these areas by being a critical part of human capital strategy and driving that strategy with the support and input from executives. Organizations want a sense of purpose beyond just being productive and efficient. Four important purpose areas represent opportunities for HR leaders to add value: create an innovative organization; create a technology leader; support the environment; and confront globalization.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper represents the typical HR strategy and then provides an update to address 12 forces that are significantly influencing the success of organizations. Next, the paper focuses on four areas for human capital strategy that represents non-traditional areas.

Originality/value

– Expanding the typical human capital strategy to non-traditional areas provides a great opportunity to add value to the organization.
Professional attributes of the emerging academic dietetic educator workforce in Australia
Authors: Morgan Kate , Hughes Roger
Published: January 2016

Aim

To describe the size and demographic, education, experience and practice attributes of the core academic dietetic educator (ADEd) workforce in Australia.

Methods

A self‐administered, cross‐sectional survey was electronically distributed to ADEds at 18 Australian universities offering dietetic programs. Data from survey responses were collated and descriptively analysed.

Results

From a total sample frame of 147 ADEds identified by websites, responses were received from 91 eligible ADEds (response rate = 62%), with at least one participant from each university offering a dietetics program in Australia. The sample was not representative of more senior ADEds, and therefore the core ADEd workforce. Rather, the sample was typically female aged 30–39 years with a Lecturer level, full‐time appointment who cited clinical dietetics as their main area of practice specialisation. Around half of the sample had yet to complete a PhD and had five years or less of experience working as a dietetic educator or a dietetic researcher.

Conclusions

The findings were limited to emerging ADEds due to the non‐participation and underrepresentation of more credentialed ADEds. The sample was relatively young and inexperienced in dietetic education and research. This may reflect the rapid expansion of dietetic education programs in Australia over the past decade and limited workforce surge capacity. Nevertheless the data reflect a small workforce group with the capacity to significantly influence future dietetic practitioners. Ongoing research and workforce development strategies are required to support the dietetic educator workforce and further enhance dietetic workforce preparation in Australia.
Effect of Ultrastructure on Changes of Textural Characteristics between Crisp Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon Idellus C.Et V) and Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon Idellus) Inducing Heating Treatment
Authors: Lin Wan‐Ling , Yang Xian‐Qing , Li Lai‐Hao , Hao Shu‐Xian , Wang Jin‐Xu , Huang Hui , Wei Ya , Wu Yan‐Yan
Published: January 2016

The research studies the ultrastructure effect on texture of crisp grass carp (CGC) and grass carp (GC) fillets inducing heating for 15, 25, and 40 min with boiling water. After heating, the hardness, fracturability, springiness, chewiness, resilience, and cohesiveness of CGC were higher than that of raw CGC, whereas the all textural characteristics of heating GC were lower obviously than that of raw GC. The hardness, fracturability, springiness, chewiness, resilience, and cohesiveness of CGC for heating 15 min were higher by 6.3%, 9.0%, 27.0%, 71.8%, 9.4%, and 23.9%, respectively, than that of raw CGC (RCGC). The hardness increasing of CGC flesh with the extension of heating time related closely to more coagulating connective tissue in interstitial spaces, especially relating to smaller muscle fiber diameter and denser muscle fiber density. The more and larger spaces between fiber and fiber with the extension of heating time results in the decrease of cohesiveness and resilience of CGC flesh. For chewiness, the stronger chewiness of cooked CGC associated with more detachment of myofiber–myocommata and fiber–fiber. Overall, the results show that the changes of texture characteristics of CGC fillet with extension of heating time correlates positively with the ultrastructure.
Relational contracts with subjective peer evaluations
Authors: Deb Joyee , Li Jin , Mukherjee Arijit
Published: January 2016

We study optimal dynamic contracting for a firm with multiple workers where compensation is based on public performance signals and privately reported peer evaluations. We show that if evaluation and effort provision are done by different workers (e.g., consider supervisor‐agent hierarchy), first‐best can be achieved even in a static setting. However, if each worker both exerts effort and reports peer evaluations (e.g., consider team setting), effort incentives cannot be decoupled from truth‐telling incentives. This makes the optimal static contract inefficient. Relational contracts based on public signals increase efficiency. Interestingly, the optimal contract may ignore signals that are informative about effort.
Price competition and reputation in markets for experience goods: an experimental study
Authors: Huck Steffen , Lünser Gabriele K. , Tyran Jean‐Robert
Published: January 2016

We experimentally examine the effects of price competition in markets for experience goods where sellers can build up reputations for quality. We compare price competition to monopolistic markets and markets where prices are exogenously fixed. Although oligopolies benefit consumers regardless of whether prices are fixed or endogenously chosen, we find that price competition lowers efficiency as consumers pay too little attention to reputation for quality. This provides empirical support to recent models in behavioral industrial organization that assume that consumers may, with increasing complexity of the marketplace, focus on selected dimensions of products.
Performance responses to competition across skill levels in rank‐order tournaments: field evidence and implications for tournament design
Authors: Boudreau Kevin J. , Lakhani Karim R. , Menietti Michael
Published: January 2016

Tournaments are widely used in the economy to organize production and innovation. We study individual data on 2775 contestants in 755 software algorithm development contests with random assignment. The performance response to added contestants varies nonmonotonically across contestants of different abilities, precisely conforming to theoretical predictions. Most participants respond negatively, whereas the highest‐skilled contestants respond positively. In counterfactual simulations, we interpret a number of tournament design policies (number of competitors, prize allocation and structure, number of divisions, open entry) and assess their effectiveness in shaping optimal tournament outcomes for a designer.
Nonparametric identification and estimation of random coefficients in multinomial choice models
Authors: Fox Jeremy T. , Gandhi Amit
Published: January 2016

We show how to nonparametrically identify the distribution of unobservables, such as random coefficients, that characterizes the heterogeneity among consumers in multinomial choice models. We provide general identification conditions for a class of nonlinear models and then verify these conditions using the primitives of the multinomial choice model. We require that the distribution of unobservables lie in the class of all distributions with finite support, which under our most general assumptions, resembles a product space where some of the product members are function spaces. We show how identification leads to the consistency of a nonparametric estimator.
Sperm chromatin structure assay in prediction of in vitro fertilization outcome
Authors: Oleszczuk K. , Giwercman A. , Bungum M.
Published: January 2016

Sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) assessed by sperm chromatin structure assay is a valuable tool for prediction of fertility in vivo. Previous studies on DFI as predictor of in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcome, based on relatively small materials, gave contradictory results. The present study examines, in a large cohort, the association between sperm DFI and the outcome of IVF/ICSI procedure. The study is based on 1633 IVF or ICSI cycles performed at the Reproductive Medicine Centre, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden, between May 2007 and March 2013. DFI values were categorized into four intervals: DFI ≤ 10% (reference group), 10% < DFI ≤ 20%, 20% < DFI ≤ 30%, DFI > 30%. For the three latter intervals, the following outcomes of IVF/ICSI procedures were analyzed in relation to the reference group: fertilization, good quality embryo, pregnancy, miscarriage, and live births. In the standard IVF group, a significant negative association between DFI and fertilization rate was found. When calculated per ovum pick‐up (OPU) Odds Ratios (ORs) for at least one good quality embryo (GQE) were significantly lower in the standard IVF group if DFI > 20%. OR for live birth calculated per OPU was significantly lower in standard IVF group if DFI > 20% (OR 0.61; 95% CI: 0.38–0.97; p = 0.04). No such associations were seen in the ICSI group. OR for live birth by ICSI compared to IVF were statistically significantly higher for DFI > 20% (OR 1.7; 95% CI: 1.0–2.9; p = 0.05). OR for miscarriage was significantly increased for DFI > 40% (OR 3.8; 95% CI: 1.2–12; p = 0.02). The results suggest that ICSI might be a preferred method of in vitro treatment in cases with high DFI. Efforts should be made to find options for pharmacologically induced reduction of DFI. The study was based on retrospectively collected data and prospective studies confirming the superiority of ICSI in cases with high DFI are warranted.
Post‐fertilization effect of bilateral primary testicular damage induced by unilateral cryptorchidism in the rat model
Authors: Tsounapi P. , Honda M. , Dimitriadis F. , Shimizu S. , Hikita K. , Muraoka K. , Sejima T. , Saito M. , Tomita S. , Sofikitis N. , Takenaka A.
Published: January 2016

Cryptorchidism, a common anomaly of the male genitalia, affects 2–4% of male infants. The post‐fertilization effects of unilateral cryptorchidism model in the rat and the effects of antioxidant treatment were investigated. Six‐week‐old male Wistar rats were randomly separated into four groups. Unilateral cryptorchidism was induced in the right testis of three groups. One group was treated with saline intraperitoneally (i.p.) (Crypto), one group was treated with taurine (500 mg/kg, i.p.; Tau), and another group was treated with sivelestat (15 mg/kg i.p.; Siv). The control group was treated with saline i.p. The treatment was daily for 8 weeks. Five days before sacrifice, mating studies were performed. Body, testicular, and epididymal weights were recorded. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the seminal vesicular fluid (SVF) were measured. Testicular levels of MDA and 8‐hydroxy‐2′‐deoxyguanosine (8‐OHdG) were determined bilaterally. TUNEL assay was used to examine DNA fragmentation bilaterally. Histological examination and the Johnsen score were used to evaluate morphological testicular alterations. The Crypto group demonstrated significantly lower right testicular and epididymal weights, significantly increased SVF‐MDA levels, testicular MDA and 8‐OHdG levels, and the apoptotic score bilaterally compared to the controls. Furthermore, histological evaluation revealed significantly reduced spermatogenesis and mild injury to the cryptorchid testes compared to the control. Treatment with both taurine and sivelestat significantly reduced SVF‐MDA levels, testicular MDA, 8‐OHdG, and apoptosis bilaterally compared to the Crypto group. Antioxidant treatment was unable to ameliorate spermatogenesis. Newborns delivered by females that mated with Crypto‐males had significantly lower body weight compared with the respective animals from the control, Tau and Siv groups. The present study demonstrated that unilateral cryptorchidism‐induced testicular damage can significantly affect the contralateral testis as well having further deleterious post‐fertilization effect on the development of newborns. Treatment with antioxidants can partially improve the testicular damage bilaterally with beneficial effects for the newborns.