bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Suppressive activities and mechanisms of ugonin J on vascular smooth muscle cells and balloon angioplasty‐induced neointimal hyperplasia
Authors: Pan Chun‐Hsu , Li Pei‐Chuan , Chien Yi‐Chung , Yeh Wan‐Ting , Liaw Chih‐Chuang , Sheu Ming‐Jyh , Wu Chieh‐Hsi
Published: December 2017

Neointimal hyperplasia (or restenosis) is primarily attributed to excessive proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effects and mechanisms of ugonin J on VSMC proliferation and migration as well as neointimal formation. Cell viability and the cell‐cycle distribution were, respectively, analyzed using an MTT assay and flow cytometry. Cell migration was examined using a wound‐healing analysis and a transwell assay. Protein expressions and gelatinase activities were, respectively, measured using Western blot and gelatin zymography. Balloon angioplasty‐induced neointimal formation was induced in a rat carotid artery model and then examined using immunohistochemical staining. Ugonin J induced cell‐cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase and apoptosis to inhibit VSMC growth. Ugonin J also exhibited marked suppressive activity on VSMC migration. Ugonin J significantly reduced activations of focal adhesion kinase, phosphoinositide 3‐kinase, v‐akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog 1, and extracellular signal‐regulated kinase 1/2 proteins. Moreover, ugonin J obviously reduced expressions and activity levels of matrix metalloproteinase‐2 and matrix metalloproteinase‐9. In vivo data indicated that ugonin J prevented balloon angioplasty‐induced neointimal hyperplasia. Our study suggested that ugonin J has the potential for application in the prevention of balloon injury‐induced neointimal formation.
Teaching Writing in Grades 7–9 in Urban Schools in Chinese Societies in Asia
Authors: Hsiang Tien Ping , Graham Steve , Wong Ping Man
Published: December 2017

A random sample of 1,313 grades 7–9 Chinese language arts teachers in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taipei were surveyed about their instructional writing practices. When asked about their college, inservice, and personal preparation, three out of four teachers indicated that they were poorly prepared to teach writing. They were slightly positive about themselves and writing, their students and writing, and their effectiveness as writing teachers. Textbooks, school guidelines, national standards, and high school entrance exams played a prominent role in shaping how they taught writing, but a sizable minority of teachers indicated that they mostly designed their own writing program. Writing classes occurred infrequently, as just one in six teachers held a class more often than once every two weeks. Teachers used evidence‐based practices, but such procedures were typically applied only once a month. Students completed a broad range of writing activities during the school year and applied a variety of revising and planning procedures. Consistent with sociocultural theory, teachers from the four locations evidenced differences on almost every variable studied, although the observed differences were mostly a matter of degree (i.e., teachers applied certain practices more or less frequently). Teachers’ preparation, beliefs about writing, and frequency of writing classes predicted their instructional practices and how frequently students engaged in specific writing activities.
Rational Construction of Hollow Core‐Branch CoSe2 Nanoarrays for High‐Performance Asymmetric Supercapacitor and Efficient Oxygen Evolution
Authors: Chen Tian , Li Songzhan , Wen Jian , Gui Pengbin , Guo Yaxiong , Guan Cao , Liu Jinping , Fang Guojia
Published: December 2017

Metal selenides have great potential for electrochemical energy storage, but are relatively scarce investigated. Herein, a novel hollow core‐branch CoSe2 nanoarray on carbon cloth is designed by a facile selenization reaction of predesigned CoO nanocones. And the electrochemical reaction mechanism of CoSe2 in supercapacitor is studied in detail for the first time. Compared with CoO, the hollow core‐branch CoSe2 has both larger specific surface area and higher electrical conductivity. When tested as a supercapacitor positive electrode, the CoSe2 delivers a high specific capacitance of 759.5 F g−1 at 1 mA cm−2, which is much larger than that of CoO nanocones (319.5 F g−1). In addition, the CoSe2 electrode exhibits excellent cycling stability in that a capacitance retention of 94.5% can be maintained after 5000 charge–discharge cycles at 5 mA cm−2. An asymmetric supercapacitor using the CoSe2 as cathode and an N‐doped carbon nanowall as anode is further assembled, which show a high energy density of 32.2 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 1914.7 W kg−1, and maintains 24.9 Wh kg−1 when power density increased to 7354.8 W kg−1. Moreover, the CoSe2 electrode also exhibits better oxygen evolution reaction activity than that of CoO.
STED‐TEM Correlative Microscopy Leveraging Nanodiamonds as Intracellular Dual‐Contrast Markers
Authors: Prabhakar Neeraj , Peurla Markus , Koho Sami , Deguchi Takahiro , Näreoja Tuomas , Chang Huan‐Cheng , Rosenholm Jessica M. , Hänninen Pekka E.
Published: December 2017

Development of fluorescent and electron dense markers is essential for the implementation of correlative light and electron microscopy, as dual‐contrast landmarks are required to match the details in the multimodal images. Here, a novel method for correlative microscopy that utilizes fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) as dual‐contrast probes is reported. It is demonstrated how the FNDs can be used as dual‐contrast labels—and together with automatic image registration tool SuperTomo, for precise image correlation—in high‐resolution stimulated emission depletion (STED)/confocal and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) correlative microscopy experiments. It is shown how FNDs can be employed in experiments with both live and fixed cells as well as simple test samples. The fluorescence imaging can be performed either before TEM imaging or after, as the robust FNDs survive the TEM sample preparation and can be imaged with STED and other fluorescence microscopes directly on the TEM grids.
High Performance of N‐Doped Graphene with Bubble‐like Textures for Supercapacitors
Authors: Zhang Shuo , Sui Lina , Kang Hongquan , Dong Hongzhou , Dong Lifeng , Yu Liyan
Published: December 2017

Nitrogen‐doped graphene (NG) with wrinkled and bubble‐like texture is fabricated by a thermal treatment. Especially, a novel sonication‐assisted pretreatment with nitric acid is used to further oxidize graphene oxide and its binding with melamine molecules. There are many bubble‐like nanoflakes with a dimension of about 10 nm appeared on the undulated graphene nanosheets. The bubble‐like texture provides more active sites for effective ion transport and reversible capacitive behavior. The specific surface area of NG (5.03 at% N) can reach up to 438.7 m2 g−1, and the NG electrode demonstrates high specific capacitance (481 F g−1 at 1 A g−1, four times higher than reduced graphene oxide electrode (127.5 F g−1)), superior cycle stability (the capacitance retention of 98.9% in 2 m KOH and 99.2% in 1 m H2SO4 after 8000 cycles), and excellent energy density (42.8 Wh kg−1 at power density of 500 W kg−1 in 2 m KOH aqueous electrolyte). The results indicate the potential use of NG as graphene‐based electrode material for energy storage devices.
A High‐Performance Top‐Gated Graphene Field‐Effect Transistor with Excellent Flexibility Enabled by an iCVD Copolymer Gate Dielectric
Authors: Oh Joong Gun , Pak Kwanyong , Kim Choong Sun , Bong Jae Hoon , Hwang Wan Sik , Im Sung Gap , Cho Byung Jin
Published: December 2017

A high‐performance top‐gated graphene field‐effect transistor (FET) with excellent mechanical flexibility is demonstrated by implementing a surface‐energy‐engineered copolymer gate dielectric via a solvent‐free process called initiated chemical vapor deposition. The ultrathin, flexible copolymer dielectric is synthesized from two monomers composed of 1,3,5‐trimethyl‐1,3,5‐trivinyl cyclotrisiloxane and 1‐vinylimidazole (VIDZ). The copolymer dielectric enables the graphene device to exhibit excellent dielectric performance and substantially enhanced mechanical flexibility. The p‐doping level of the graphene can be tuned by varying the polar VIDZ fraction in the copolymer dielectric, and the Dirac voltage (VDirac) of the graphene FET can thus be systematically controlled. In particular, the VDirac approaches neutrality with higher VIDZ concentrations in the copolymer dielectric, which minimizes the carrier scattering and thereby improves the charge transport of the graphene device. As a result, the graphene FET with 20 nm thick copolymer dielectrics exhibits field‐effect hole and electron mobility values of over 7200 and 3800 cm2 V−1 s−1, respectively, at room temperature. These electrical characteristics remain unchanged even at the 1 mm bending radius, corresponding to a tensile strain of 1.28%. The formed gate stack with the copolymer gate dielectric is further investigated for high‐frequency flexible device applications.
Generalized Scheme for High Performing Photodetectors with a p‐Type 2D Channel Layer and n‐Type Nanoparticles
Authors: Jia Jingyuan , Jeon Sumin , Jeon Jaeho , Xu Jiao , Song Young Jae , Cho Jeong Ho , Lee Byoung Hun , Song Jin Dong , Kim Hyung‐Jun , Hwang Euyheon , Lee Sungjoo
Published: December 2017

A generalized scheme for the fabrication of high performance photodetectors consisting of a p‐type channel material and n‐type nanoparticles is proposed. The high performance of the proposed hybrid photodetector is achieved through enhanced photoabsorption and the photocurrent gain arising from its effective charge transfer mechanism. In this paper, the realization of this design is presented in a hybrid photodetector consisting of 2D p‐type black phosphorus (BP) and n‐type molybdenum disulfide nanoparticles (MoS2 NPs), and it is demonstrated that it exhibits enhanced photoresponsivity and detectivity compared to pristine BP photodetectors. It is found that the performance of hybrid photodetector depends on the density of NPs on BP layer and that the response time can be reduced with increasing density of MoS2 NPs. The rising and falling times of this photodetector are smaller than those of BP photodetectors without NPs. This proposed scheme is expected to work equally well for a photodetector with an n‐type channel material and p‐type nanoparticles.
Integrating Sub‐3 nm Plasmonic Gaps into Solid‐State Nanopores
Authors: Shi Xin , Verschueren Daniel , Pud Sergii , Dekker Cees
Published: December 2017

Plasmonic nanopores combine the advantages of nanopore sensing and surface plasmon resonances by introducing confined electromagnetic fields to a solid‐state nanopore. Ultrasmall nanogaps between metallic nanoantennas can generate the extremely enhanced localized electromagnetic fields necessary for single‐molecule optical sensing and manipulation. Challenges in fabrication, however, hamper the integration of such nanogaps into nanopores. Here, a top‐down approach for integrating a plasmonic antenna with an ultrasmall nanogap into a solid‐state nanopore is reported. Employing a two‐step e‐beam lithography process, the reproducible fabrication of nanogaps down to a sub‐1 nm scale is demonstrated. Subsequently, nanopores are drilled through the 20 nm SiN membrane at the center of the nanogap using focused‐electron‐beam sculpting with a transmission electron microscope, at the expense of a slight gap expansion for the smallest gaps. Using this approach, sub‐3 nm nanogaps can be readily fabricated on solid‐state nanopores. The functionality of these plasmonic nanopores for single‐molecule detection is shown by performing DNA translocations. These integrated devices can generate intense electromagnetic fields at the entrance of the nanopore and can be expected to find applications in nanopore‐based single‐molecule trapping and optical sensing.
Novel Sensing Strategies Based on Monolayer Protected Gold Nanoparticles for the Detection of Metal Ions and Small Molecules
Authors: Ertem Elif , Diez‐Castellnou Marta , Ong Quy Khac , Stellacci Francesco
Published: December 2017

Monolayer protected gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have a huge potential for the development of innovative sensing systems for the detection of metal ions and small molecules. The organic ligand shell, primarily utilized to stabilize the gold core, can be rationally designed to promote selective interactions with a desired analyte. In addition, the outstanding physical and optical properties of AuNPs can be exploited to obtain analytically useful signals upon analyte binding. In this account, we review recent advances in AuNP‐based sensing systems emphasizing on the rational design of the ligand shell for detection of heavy metal ions and small molecules. We examine various strategies of detection by evaluating their improvements in terms of sensitivity, selectivity and applicability to real samples.
Identifying and teaching target vocabulary in an ESP course
Authors: Nekrasova‐Beker Tatiana , Becker Anthony , Sharpe Angela
Published: December 2017

With an increasing need for teaching discipline‐specific language to second language (L2) learners, language instructors are tasked with a challenging objective to target the vocabulary that is necessary for students to understand and produce discipline‐specific discourse. To meet this objective, language corpora and corpus software have been used extensively to examine the vocabulary demands of commercial textbooks and research articles as well as to enhance students' language‐learning experiences (Hsu, ; Mudraya, ; Ward, ). This article describes how to develop teaching materials for L2 vocabulary instruction using corpus‐based techniques. Focusing on a case study from an introductory engineering course, the authors demonstrate how freely available software programs (e.g., AntConc, Range, Compleat Lexical Tutor) can be used to identify and select relevant vocabulary items. The authors discuss the three types of vocabulary that might be targeted in an English for specific purposes course (technical, semitechnical, and nontechnical words) and explain the principles employed to guide the vocabulary selection process (i.e., keyness and frequency of words and their distribution in the materials). Finally, drawing on Nation's () framework of word knowledge, the authors provide an overview of several corpus‐informed activities developed for teaching vocabulary in engineering.
SO(10) × S4 grand unified theory of flavour and leptogenesis
Authors: de Anda Francisco J. , King Stephen F. , Perdomo Elena
Published: December 2017

Abstract

We propose a Grand Unified Theory of Flavour, based on SO(10) together with a non-Abelian discrete group S4, under which the unified three quark and lepton 16-plets are unified into a single triplet 3′. The model involves a further discrete group ℤ
4

R

 × ℤ
4
3
which controls the Higgs and flavon symmetry breaking sectors. The CSD2 flavon vacuum alignment is discussed, along with the GUT breaking potential and the doublet-triplet splitting, and proton decay is shown to be under control. The Yukawa matrices are derived in detail, from renormalisable diagrams, and neutrino masses emerge from the type I seesaw mechanism. A full numerical fit is performed with 15 input parameters generating 19 presently constrained observables, taking into account supersymmetry threshold corrections. The model predicts a normal neutrino mass ordering with a CP oscillation phase of 260°, an atmospheric angle in the first octant and neutrinoless double beta decay with m
ββ
= 11 meV. We discuss N2 leptogenesis, which fixes the second right-handed neutrino mass to be M2 ≃ 2 × 1011 GeV, in the natural range predicted by the model.
Family Trajectories Across Time and Space: Increasing Complexity in Family Life Courses in Europe?
Authors: Van Winkle Zachary
Published: December 2017

Family life courses are thought to have become more complex in Europe. This study uses SHARELIFE data from 14 European countries to analyze the family life courses of individuals born in 1924–1956 from ages 15 to 50. A new methodological approach, combining complexity metrics developed in sequence analysis with cross-classified multilevel modeling, is used to simultaneously quantify the proportions of variance attributable to birth cohort and country differences. This approach allows the direct comparison of changing levels of family trajectory differentiation across birth cohorts with cross-national variation, which provides a benchmark against which temporal change may be evaluated. The results demonstrate that family trajectories have indeed become more differentiated but that change over time is minor compared with substantial cross-national variation. Further, cross-national differences in family trajectory differentiation correspond with differences in dominant family life course patterns. With regard to debates surrounding the second demographic transition thesis and the comparative life course literature, the results indicate that the degree of change over time tends to be overstated relative to large cross-national differences.
Comparing Observed and Unobserved Components of Childhood: Evidence From Finnish Register Data on Midlife Mortality From Siblings and Their Parents
Authors: Kröger Hannes , Hoffmann Rasmus , Tarkiainen Lasse , Martikainen Pekka
Published: December 2017

In this study, we argue that the long arm of childhood that determines adult mortality should be thought of as comprising an observed part and its unobserved counterpart, reflecting the observed socioeconomic position of individuals and their parents and unobserved factors shared within a family. Our estimates of the observed and unobserved parts of the long arm of childhood are based on family-level variance in a survival analytic regression model, using siblings nested within families as the units of analysis. The study uses a sample of Finnish siblings born between 1936 and 1950 obtained from Finnish census data. Individuals are followed from ages 35 to 72. To explain familial influence on mortality, we use demographic background factors, the socioeconomic position of the parents, and the individuals’ own socioeconomic position at age 35 as predictors of all-cause and cause-specific mortality. The observed part—demographic and socioeconomic factors, including region; number of siblings; native language; parents’ education and occupation; and individuals’ income, occupation, tenancy status, and education—accounts for between 10 % and 25 % of the total familial influence on mortality. The larger part of the influence of the family on mortality is not explained by observed individual and parental socioeconomic position or demographic background and thus remains an unobserved component of the arm of childhood. This component highlights the need to investigate the influence of childhood circumstances on adult mortality in a comprehensive framework, including demographic, social, behavioral, and genetic information from the family of origin.
Bad faith, medical education, and post-truth
Authors: Bleakley Alan
Published: December 2017

None
Midlife cardiovascular health and 20‐year cognitive decline: Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study results
Authors: González Hector M. , Tarraf Wassim , Harrison Kimystian , Windham B. Gwen , Tingle Jonathan , Alonso Alvaro , Griswold Michael , Heiss Gerardo , Knopman David , Mosley Thomas H.
Published: December 2017

Introduction

The aim was to examine associations between midlife cardiovascular health (CVH) and 20‐year cognitive decline among blacks and whites.

Methods

Midlife CVH metrics (American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7) were calculated and examined in relation to midlife and 20‐year change in cognitive function among 13,270 whites and blacks from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Cohort Study. We used linear mixed models to estimate adjusted associations of midlife CVH with midlife cognitive status and change.

Results

Higher midlife (Life's Simple 7) scores and individual metrics, particularly blood pressure and glucose, were associated with better midlife cognition and reduced 20‐year decline. Midlife CVH 20‐year neuroprotection was more pronounced among whites than blacks.

Discussion

Better midlife CVH was associated with higher midlife and reduced decline in cognitive function 20 years later. However, the benefits of midlife CVH on cognition were stronger for whites than for blacks. Our findings suggest that improved midlife CVH may promote enduring cognitive health.
Continuous-length +/−45 spread tow fabrics reducing knockdown factor for bias reinforcements
Authors: Ohlsson Fredrik
Published: December 2017

Spread Tow fabrics have already proven to offer reduced weight, increased stiffness and strength, improved impact as well as better dampening performance of composites parts and can be highly tailored to meet specific needs. By offering continuous length +/−45 fabrics in up to 60″ (1524 mm) width, the construction freedom is highly broadened.
China's Legal Response to Trafficking in Wild Animals: The Relationship between International Treaties and Chinese Law
Authors: Chang Jiwen
Published: December 2017

In China, the wild animals and animal products that are sold through illegal trafficking are mainly those that can be made into medicines; are raw materials in the form of ivory, rhinoceros horns, and turtle shells; and are edible or have ornamental value, such as birds, monkeys, turtles, and lizards. Due to its rapid economic development over the past decade, China has become one of the world's largest wildlife markets. The main reasons for trafficking are a lack of viable substitutes for raw materials used in traditional Chinese medicines (e.g., bear bile, bear bile powder, pangolin, and other products); a preference in traditional food culture for delicacies made from wildlife; and of the private consumption by some rich and corrupt government officials of tiger's meat, bear's paw, pangolin and other wild animal products—bear's paw and pangolin being the most popular. This type of wild animal trafficking endangers the safety of animal species protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and damages the international image of the government and people of China. Since 2013, under the frame of
construction of ecological civilization, China has taken stricter measures on legislation, administrative enforcement, judicial adjudication, and international cooperation on prevention and punishment of illegal trafficking.
The contribution of behavioral economics to crisis management decision-making
Authors: Parnell John A. , Crandall William ‘Rick’
Published: December 2017

Scholarly work in the field of crisis management has flourished in recent years with contributions from numerous disciplines, including strategic management, organizational behavior, public relations, risk management, and disaster management. However, the substantial and prospective applications from behavioral economics – from Herbert Simon to modern theorists – have yet to be systematically integrated into the literature. This paper presents a framework that categorizes applications from behavioral economics along three stages of the crisis management life cycle – crisis preparation, crisis action, and postcrisis. It provides insights for scholars and practitioners into the crisis decision-making process and outlines why ‘less-than-rational’ decision-making approaches often appear in crisis environments.
Contextualized indigenous entrepreneurial models: A systematic review of indigenous entrepreneurship literature
Authors: Croce Francesca
Published: December 2017

Governmental development strategies focus on entrepreneurship as a major resource for the economic development of indigenous peoples. While initiatives and programs are locally based, there is a debate in the academic literature about how contextual factors affect the identification of indigenous entrepreneurship. The purpose of this paper is to analyze and integrate indigenous entrepreneurship literature to identify the main indigenous entrepreneurship models. Thus, a systematic literature review was conducted. In total, 25 relevant articles were identified in selected electronic databases and manual searches of Australian Business Deans Council ranked journals from January 1, 1995 to the end of 2016. Using a systematic analysis of sociocultural contexts and locations, the paper proposed that a typology of contextualized indigenous entrepreneurship models was possible, that were classified as urban, remote and rural. The parameters of these models, and their potential theoretical and practical applications to the study and practice of indigenous entrepreneurship ecosystems were also outlined.
The State of Matter in Simulations of Core-Collapse supernovae—Reflections and Recent Developments
Authors: Fischer Tobias , Bastian Niels-Uwe , Blaschke David , Cierniak Mateusz , Hempel Matthias , Klähn Thomas , Martínez-Pinedo Gabriel , Newton William G. , Röpke Gerd , Typel Stefan
Published: December 2017

In this review article, we discuss selected developments regarding the role of the equation of state in simulations of core-collapse supernovae. There are no first-principle calculations of the state of matter under supernova conditions since a wide range of conditions is covered, in terms of density, temperature, and isospin asymmetry. Instead, model equation of state are commonly employed in supernova studies. These can be divided into regimes with intrinsically different degrees of freedom: heavy nuclei at low temperatures, inhomogeneous nuclear matter where light and heavy nuclei coexist together with unbound nucleons, and the transition to homogeneous matter at high densities and temperatures. In this article, we discuss each of these phases with particular view on their role in supernova simulations.
Remodelling of primary human CD4+T cell plasma membrane order byn-3 PUFA
Authors: Fan Yang-Yi , Fuentes Natividad R. , Hou Tim Y. , Barhoumi Rola , Li Xian C. , Deutz Nicolaas E. P. , Engelen Marielle P. K. J. , McMurray David N. , Chapkin Robert S.
Published: December 2017

Cell membrane fatty acids influence fundamental properties of the plasma membrane, including membrane fluidity, protein functionality, and lipid raft signalling. Evidence suggests that dietaryn-3 PUFA may target the plasma membrane of immune cells by altering plasma membrane lipid dynamics, thereby regulating the attenuation of immune cell activation and suppression of inflammation. As lipid-based immunotherapy might be a promising new clinical strategy for the treatment of inflammatory disorders, we conductedin vitroandin vivoexperiments to examine the effects ofn-3 PUFA on CD4+T cell membrane order, mitochondrial bioenergetics and lymphoproliferation.n-3 PUFA were incorporated into human primary CD4+T cells phospholipidsin vitroin a dose-dependent manner, resulting in a reduction in whole cell membrane order, oxidative phosphorylation and proliferation. At higher doses,n-3 PUFA induced unique phase separation in T cell-derived giant plasma membrane vesicles. Similarly, in a short-term human pilot study, supplementation of fish oil (4 gn-3 PUFA/d) for 6 weeks in healthy subjects significantly elevated EPA (20 : 5n-3) levels in CD4+T cell membrane phospholipids, and reduced membrane lipid order. These results demonstrate that the dynamic reshaping of human CD4+T cell plasma membrane organisation byn-3 PUFA may modulate down-stream clonal expansion.
« Les fondements de la liberté et de la civilisation » : le rapport Durham, les institutions municipales et le libéralisme
Authors: Morissette Benoît
Published: December 2017

Cet article propose une nouvelle lecture des recommandations formulées dans le rapport Durham au sujet de la création d'administrations municipales au Canada. Il situe le document dans le contexte des débats soulevés par les réformes constitutionnelles et administratives revendiquées en Grande-Bretagne durant les années 1830. Certaines analyses avancent que Durham s'appuyait sur la conception libérale de la municipalité, que leurs auteurs retrouvent dans les écrits de Jeremy Bentham et de John Stuart Mill. Elles en déduisent que le libéralisme réduit nécessairement la municipalité à une institution intégrée à un État centralisé et hiérarchisé. Cet article démontre que malgré certaines similarités avec le radicalisme philosophique, le rapport présente une conception des institutions municipales qui s'inscrit dans la doctrine de la constitution équilibrée, à laquelle souscrivaient alors les whigs réformistes comme Durham. Ce texte conclut que l’étude du rapport permet d'apprécier l'hétérogénéité de la conception de la municipalité produite par le libéralisme.
The value of the twinkling artefact for the diagnosis of sialolithiasis of the large salivary glands
Authors: Pabst G , Strobel K , Zehnder J
Published: December 2017

Objective:

The imaging of stones in the salivary glands and ducts poses a challenge, even to experienced ultrasound examiners. This study investigated whether the ‘twinkling artefact’, which occurs at internal calcific foci during Doppler ultrasound examinations, is useful for detecting salivary gland stones.

Methods:

In a model test, 20 salivary stones were analysedin vitro, via Doppler ultrasound, with regard to their representability and the triggering of the twinkling artefact. In a follow-up study, 28 patients with sialolithiasis and food-related large salivary gland swellings were examined, using both power and colour Doppler modes, with regard to the twinkling artefact. All ultrasound examinations were performed by an experienced examiner and retrospectively graded by two experienced sonographers.

Results:

All stones could reliably be detected using the twinkling artefact in the model test. Twenty-seven of 28 salivary stones (96 per cent) also showed twinklingin vivo, during patient assessment. The power Doppler mode showed a significantly higher intensity level of twinkling than the colour Doppler mode (p< 0.0001).

Conclusion:

The twinkling artefact is a very reliable sign for the diagnosis of sialolithiasis. Power Doppler is superior to colour Doppler for detection of the twinkling artefact.
Three paths to more encompassing supplementary pensions
Authors: GELEPITHIS MARGARITA
Published: December 2017

In pension systems characterized by low or moderate state benefits, reliance on voluntary private pensions creates a dualism of access to adequate retirement income. This dualism is expected to persist over time. Yet while some private-heavy pension systems continue to rely on dualising voluntarism, since the 1980s most have introduced regulatory reforms to make private pensions more encompassing. This paper uses fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis to identify three paths to the regulatory extension of private pension coverage – collective self-regulation, top-down regulation in Continental Europe, and top-down regulation in Anglophone countries. A case study of the UK then shows how it is that unions have been able to bring about more encompassing private pensions in Anglophone countries, despite strong employer opposition, weak formal influence in policymaking, and a weak institutional capacity for collective self-regulation.
THE ROLE OF ACOUSTIC CUES AND LISTENER PROFICIENCY IN THE PERCEPTION OF ACCENT IN NONNATIVE SOUNDS
Authors: Eger Nikola Anna , Reinisch Eva
Published: December 2017

The speech of second language learners is often influenced by phonetic patterns of their first language. This can make them difficult to understand, but sometimes for listeners of the same first language to a lesser extent than for native listeners. The present study investigates listeners’ awareness of the accent by asking whether accented speech is not only more intelligible but also moreacceptableto nonnative than native listeners. English native speakers and German learners rated the goodness of words spoken by other German learners. Production quality was determined by measuring acoustic differences between minimal pairs with “easy” versus “difficult” sounds. Higher proficient learners were more sensitive to differences in production quality and between easy and difficult sounds, patterning with native listeners. Lower proficient learners did not perceive such differences. Perceiving accented productions as good instances of L2 words may hinder development because the need for improvement may not be obvious.
Local Hölder estimates for non-uniformly variable exponent elliptic equations in divergence form
Authors: Yao Fengping
Published: December 2017

In this paper we obtain the local Hölder regularity of the gradients of weak solutions for a class of non-uniformly nonlinear variable exponent elliptic equations in divergence form

including the following special model

under some proper assumptions on Ai and the Hölder continuous functions f, pi(x) for i = 1, 2.
Social determinants of household food expenditure in Australia: the role of education, income, geography and time
Authors: Venn Danielle , Dixon Jane , Banwell Cathy , Strazdins Lyndall
Published: December 2017

Objective

To examine socio-economic status (SES) and time-related factors associated with less healthy food purchases in Australia.

Design

Data were from the 2009/10 Household Expenditure Survey (HES) conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Regression analysis was used to examine the associations between the proportion of the household food budget spent on various food types (processed and unprocessed foods, foods purchased from takeaways and restaurants) and SES and time constraint variables.

Setting

Australia, 2009–2010.

Subjects

Nationally representative sample of Australian households.

Results

Household income seems to be the most important correlate with food expenditure patterns once other SES indicators are controlled for. Time constraints appear to explain some, but not all, of the adjusted SES gradients in food expenditure. Comparing home food consumption categories (processed and unprocessed foods) with foods purchased away from home (takeaway and restaurant foods) shows that wealthier, more highly educated and least disadvantaged households spend relatively less of their total food budget on processed and unprocessed foods prepared at home and more on foods purchased away from home at restaurants.

Conclusions

Simple SES gradients in dietary behaviour are influenced by correlations between different SES indicators and between SES and time constraints. Examining these factors separately obscures some of the possible causal effects of disadvantage on healthy eating. When formulating policy responses to unhealthy diets, policy makers should consider alternative sources of disadvantage, including time pressure.
Early health technology assessment of future clinical decision rule aided triage of patients presenting with acute chest pain in primary care
Authors: Willemsen Robert T.A. , Kip Michelle M.A. , Koffijberg Hendrik , Kusters Ron , Buntinx Frank , Glatz Jan F.C. , Dinant Geert Jan ,   The ‘RAPIDA’ – Study Team (‘RAPIDA’: RAPid Test for Investigating Complaints Possibly Due to Acute Coronary Syndrome)
Published: December 2017

The objective of the paper is to estimate the number of patients presenting with chest pain suspected of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in primary care and to calculate possible cost effects of a future clinical decision rule (CDR) incorporating a point-of-care test (PoCT) as compared with current practice. The annual incidence of chest pain, referrals and ACS in primary care was estimated based on a literature review and on a Dutch and Belgian registration study. A health economic model was developed to calculate the potential impact of a future CDR on costs and effects (ie, correct referral decisions), in several scenarios with varying correct referral decisions. One-way, two-way, and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to test robustness of the model outcome to changes in input parameters. Annually, over one million patient contacts in primary care in the Netherlands concern chest pain. Currently, referral of eventual ACS negative patients (false positives, FPs) is estimated to cost €1,448 per FP patient, with total annual cost exceeding 165 million Euros in the Netherlands. Based on ‘international data’, at least a 29% reduction in FPs is required for the addition of a PoCT as part of a CDR to become cost-saving, and an additional €16 per chest pain patient (ie, 16.4 million Euros annually in the Netherlands) is saved for every further 10% relative decrease in FPs. Sensitivity analyses revealed that the model outcome was robust to changes in model inputs, with costs outcomes mainly driven by costs of FPs and costs of PoCT. If PoCT-aided triage of patients with chest pain in primary care could improve exclusion of ACS, this CDR could lead to a considerable reduction in annual healthcare costs as compared with current practice.
CÉSAR DE PAEPE AND THE IDEAS OF THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL
Authors: WHITHAM WILLIAM
Published: December 2017

This article explores the ideas of a key thinker of the International Working Men's Association in the 1860s and 1870s. César De Paepe, recognized by contemporaries as a major advocate of “collectivism,” attempted to justify social property as the logical consequence both of mutualist justice and of economic necessity. His theories played a significant role in informing the programs of other socialists in the turbulent 1870s, and sustained the successes of the Belgian workers’ party into the twentieth century. While historians focus on Marx and Bakunin or posit a break between “early” and “late” socialism, the study of De Paepe's writings in context draws attention to neglected themes in the intellectual development of modern socialism, and suggests that “utopianism” could underwrite practical politics. The article concludes by reflecting on De Paepe's significance for contemporary politics and the practice of intellectual history.
Aspects of Nationalist Propaganda in the Late Nineteenth-Century Romanian Musical Press
Authors: Popa Florinela
Published: December 2017

In the last decades of the nineteenth century, two widely different attitudes regarding local music were evident in the Romanian musical press. One viewpoint had an obviously nationalist character, and was manifested in an apologetic idealization of Romanian music – especially folklore – but also in calls for the improvement of composition and performance in the local music scene. The other attitude revealed a pronounced inferiority complex connected to everything that contemporary Romanian music represented. This was manifested especially in the (sometimes harsh) criticism of Romanian musical life, and in a hostile position towards or ignorance of Romanian musicians, composers or interpreters, except when they attained success and recognition abroad – and sometimes not even then. The two extreme attitudes are not mutually exclusive, but complement each other; essentially, they can be seen to be in a cause–effect relationship.

These two faces of nationalist propaganda are reflected by publications such as Lyra română – foaie musicală şi literară, a weekly magazine published between 2 December 1879 and 31 October 1880, and România musicală, which appeared twice a month between 1 March 1890 and 28 December 1904.
Effect of some botanicals and table salt against Zabrotes subfasciatus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) on stored field pea (Pisum sativum L.) grain
Authors: Zekarias Elias , Haile Adugna
Published: December 2017

Storage pests cause considerable damage to stored grains in Eritrea. A study on storage pest control was conducted at room temperature (25 °C) and 57% relative humidity, to evaluate the efficacy of botanicals and sodium chloride (table salt) against Zabrotes subfasciatus Boheman on field pea (Pisum sativum L.). The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design (CRD) in three replications. The treatments used were: neem (Azadirachta indica), red pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.), sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) oil, datura (Datura stramonium L.), eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus Labill), table salt (sodium chloride) and a control without pesticide. Data collected were weight loss, damage percent and germination percent of field pea grain, and also adult mortality of Z. subfasciatus. Rates of application for all the treatments were 3% w/w and an untreated control. Results of the study showed that E. globulus leaf powder caused 88.89% mortality of Z. subfasciatus and sesame oil caused 100% mortality, three days after treatment. The other treatments were less effective in causing mortality of the insect. After five months of storage, the lowest weight loss was observed in grain treated with sesame oil (1.81%) and neem (4.02%) compared with the control that had 16.68% loss. Grain weight loss was 7.45% for treatment with table salt, 8.11% for eucalyptus, 9.62% for red pepper and 15.29% for datura. Grain damage and weight loss increased as storage time increased. Moreover, these plant materials and table salt had no effect on the germination capacity of field pea. In general, the results obtained indicate that these plant materials and table salt can be used for the control of Z. subfasciatus.
Institutional interconnections: understanding symbiotic relationships
Authors: VON JACOBI NADIA
Published: December 2017

Institutions are the driving features of economic and human development. Together with other social structures they influence the trajectories of societal change. Such factors are however tightly connected and should not be analysed in isolation but considered as interdependent with each other. This study contributes to the understanding of interconnections among institutions and other structural factors by focusing on two features: the manifold nature of linkages and the possibility of relations being asymmetric. An analogy tosymbiotic relationships, common in ecology, serves as inspiration for an innovative methodological strategy to empirically study multiple interconnections. Focusing on the Brazilian municipality level, the study includes 54 structural factors in a correlation network. Empirical results include the identification ofcentroids, meaning most connected factors, which tend to gain or lose importance at higher levels of municipal development; and the identification of positive asymmetric relationships between structural factors, which may inform on system dynamics.
A new species ofOrthobittacus(Mecoptera, Bittacidae) from the Middle Jurassic of Daohugou, Inner Mongolia (China)
Authors: Kopeć Katarzyna , Krzemiński Wiesław , Soszyńska-Maj Agnieszka , Cao Yizi , Ren Dong
Published: December 2017

The genusOrthobittacuswas established by Willmann (1989) and is characterised by a long Sc vein and the unusually developed medial sector for the Bittacidae. Four Jurassic species have been described in this genus to date:O. abshiricus(Martynova, 1951) from Kirgizia;O.desacuminatus(Bode, 1953) from Braunschweig (Germany);O. polymitusNovokshonov, 1996 from Karatau (Kazakhstan); andO. maculosusLiu, Shih, Bashkuev & Ren, 2016 from the Jiulongshan Formation of Daohugou (China). The fifth congeneric and second species from China,O. sunisp. nov., is described herein. The importance of the genusOrthobittacusfor the phylogeny of Bittacidae, as the most plesiomorphic genus, is discussed.
Hitting a triple in the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease field: sucrose intake in adulthood increases fat content in the female but not in the male rat offspring of dams fed a gestational low-protein diet
Authors: Nicolás-Toledo L. , Cervantes-Rodríguez M. , Cuevas-Romero E. , Corona-Quintanilla D. L. , Pérez-Sánchez E. , Zambrano E. , Castelán F. , Rodríguez-Antolín J.
Published: December 2017

The excessive consumption of carbohydrates is related to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in infants and adults. The effect of combining maternal malnutrition and a high carbohydrate intake on the development of NAFLD in adulthood remains unknown. We therefore hypothesized that consumption of 5% sucrose by the offspring of dams fed a low-protein diet during pregnancy promotes liver fat accumulation and oxidative damage differently in females and males. To test this, 12-month-old female and male offspring of mothers fed a Control (C) or low-protein diet (Restricted, R) were provided with either tap water or 5% sucrose for a period of 10 weeks. Livers were excised to measure the fat content and 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NTyr) immunostaining; serum samples were also obtained to measure the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA). Data were analyzed using a non-repeated measures three-way analysis of variance to determine significant differences (P<0.05) regarding to the interaction among maternal diet, sucrose consumption and sex. Results showed that the liver fat content of females from R mothers was higher than that of their male counterpart. Hepatic 3-NTyr immunostaining and serum MDA concentrations were not affected by the interaction involving maternal diet, sucrose consumption and sex. Otherwise, liver fat content was correlated with the hepatic 3-NTyr immunostaining and serum MDA concentrations only in females. Thus, sucrose intake in adulthood increases fat content in the female but not in the male rat offspring of dams fed with a low-protein diet during pregnancy. This research emphasizes the importance of a balanced diet during pregnancy and the influence of the diet on the adult offspring.
A microscale optical implant for continuous in vivo monitoring of intraocular pressure
Authors: Lee Jeong Oen , Park Haeri , Du Juan , Balakrishna Ashwin , Chen Oliver , Sretavan David , Choo Hyuck
Published: December 2017

Intraocular pressure (IOP) is a key clinical parameter in glaucoma management. However, despite the potential utility of daily measurements of IOP in the context of disease management, the necessary tools are currently lacking, and IOP is typically measured only a few times a year. Here we report on a microscale implantable sensor that could provide convenient, accurate, on-demand IOP monitoring in the home environment. When excited by broadband near-infrared (NIR) light from a tungsten bulb, the sensor’s optical cavity reflects a pressure-dependent resonance signature that can be converted to IOP. NIR light is minimally absorbed by tissue and is not perceived visually. The sensor’s nanodot-enhanced cavity allows for a 3–5 cm readout distance with an average accuracy of 0.29 mm Hg over the range of 0–40 mm Hg. Sensors were mounted onto intraocular lenses or silicone haptics and secured inside the anterior chamber in New Zealand white rabbits. Implanted sensors provided continuous in vivo tracking of short-term transient IOP elevations and provided continuous measurements of IOP for up to 4.5 months.