bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Five Ayurvedic Herbs on Locomotor Behaviour in a Drosophila melanogaster Parkinson's Disease Model
Authors: Jansen R. L. M. , Brogan B. , Whitworth A. J. , Okello E. J.
Published: August 2014

Current conventional treatments for Parkinson's disease (PD) are aimed at symptom management, as there is currently no known cure or treatment that can slow down its progression. Ayurveda, the ancient medical system of India, uses a combination of herbs to combat the disease. Herbs commonly used for this purpose are Zandopa (containing Mucuna pruriens), Withania somnifera, Centella asiatica, Sida cordifolia and Bacopa monnieri. In this study, these herbs were tested for their potential ability to improve climbing ability of a fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) PD model based on loss of function of phosphatase and tensin‐induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1). Fruit flies were cultured on food containing individual herbs or herbal formulations, a combination of all five herbs, levodopa (positive control) or no treatment (negative control). Tests were performed in both PINK1 mutant flies and healthy wild‐type (WT) flies. A significant improvement in climbing ability was observed in flies treated with B. monnieri compared with untreated PINK1 mutant flies. However, a significant decrease in climbing ability was observed in WT flies for the same herb. Centella asiatica also significantly decreased climbing ability in WT flies. No significant effects were observed with any of the other herbs in either PINK1 or WT flies compared with untreated flies. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
WEBridge: west–east bridge for distributed heterogeneous SDN NOSes peering
Authors: Lin Pingping , Bi Jun , Wang Yangyang
Published: August 2014

Large networks are often partitioned by the network operators into several smaller networks when deploying software‐defined networks (SDNs). Additionally, a dedicated network operating system (NOS) is deployed for each of these SDNs. Each NOS can learn the local network view that enables control of how data packets are forwarded within its network. Controlling the flow of data packets in an entire network requires each NOS to have a global network view to determine the next NOS hop. Hence, NOSes are required to share or exchange reachability and topological information. How such information is efficiently exchanged has not been well addressed so far, especially in the case of multi‐vendor NOSes. This paper proposes a west–east bridge mechanism for distributed heterogeneous NOSes to cooperate in enterprise/data center/intra‐autonomous system networks. We propose to simplify physical networks into virtual networks and only exchange the simplified virtual network information to construct the global network view. To achieve a resilient peer‐to‐peer control plane of distributed heterogeneous NOSes, we propose a “maximum connection degree”‐based connection algorithm. Considering the security issue, we adopt controller identity authentication. We implement the west–east bridge and analyze the performance obtained: about 100% of enterprises and data centers, and about 99.5% of autonomous systems can adopt to this solution. The deployment in three SDNs (CERNET, Internet2, and CSTNET) proves the feasibility. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of modified graphene and microwave irradiation on the mechanical and thermal properties of poly(styrene‐co‐methyl methacrylate)/graphene nanocomposites
Authors: Zubair Mukarram , Jose Jobin , Emwas Abdul‐Hamid , Al‐Harthi Mamdouh A.
Published: August 2014

The effect of modified graphene (MG) and microwave irradiation on the interaction between graphene (G) and poly(styrene‐co‐methyl meth acrylate) [P(S‐co‐MMA)] polymer matrix has been studied in this article. Modification of graphene was performed using nitric acid. P(S‐co‐MMA) polymer was blended via melt blending with pristine and MG. The resultant nanocomposites were irradiated under microwave at three different time intervals (5, 10, and 20 min). Compared to pristine graphene, MG showed improved interaction with P(S‐co‐MMA) polymer (P) after melt mixing and microwave irradiation. The mechanism of improved dispersion and interaction of modified graphene with P(S‐co‐MMA) polymer matrix during melt mixing and microwave irradiation is due to the presence of oxygen functionalities on the surface of MG as confirmed from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The formation of defects on modified graphene and free radicals on P(S‐co‐MMA) polymer chains after irradiation as explained by Raman spectroscopy and X‐Ray diffraction studies. The nanocomposites with 0.1 wt% G and MG have shown a 26% and 38% increase in storage modulus. After irradiation (10 min), the storage modulus further improved to 11.9% and 27.6% of nanocomposites. The glass transition temperature of nanocomposites also improved considerably after melt mixing and microwave irradiation (but only for polymer MG nanocomposite). However, at higher irradiation time (20 min), degradation of polymer nanocomposites occurred. State of creation of crosslink network after 10 min of irradiation and degradation after 20 min of irradiation of nanocomposites was confirmed from SEM studies. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Experimental and theoretical investigation on adsorption and corrosion inhibition properties of imidazopyridine derivatives on mild steel in hydrochloric acid solution
Authors: Yadav Mahendra , Behera Debasis , Kumar Sushil
Published: August 2014

Imidazopyridine derivatives, namely 4‐methoxy‐N‐((2‐(4‐methoxyphenyl)H‐imidazo[1,2‐a]pyridin‐3‐yl)methylene)benzenamine (MMPIPB) and 4‐chloro‐N‐((2‐(4‐methoxyphenyl)H‐imidazo[1,2‐a]pyridin‐3yl)methylene)benzenamine (CMPIPB), were investigated as inhibitors for mild steel corrosion in 15% HCl solution using the weight loss and electrochemical techniques. According to electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies, MMPIPB and CMPIPB show corrosion inhibition efficiency of 84.8 and 77.2% at 10‐ppm concentration and 98.1 and 94.8% at 80‐ppm concentration, respectively at 303 K. The corrosion inhibition efficiency of both inhibitors increased with increasing inhibitor concentration and decreased with increasing temperature. The adsorption of both inhibitor molecules on the surface of mild steel obeys Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Polarization studies showed that both studied inhibitors were of mixed type in nature. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies showed that for both inhibitors, the value of charge transfer resistance increased and double‐layer capacitance decreased on increasing the concentration of inhibitors. Scanning electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX), and atomic force microscopy were performed for surface study. The density functional theory was employed for theoretical calculations. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Who matters more? The impact of functional background and top executive mobility on firm survival
Authors: Bermiss Y. Sekou , Murmann Johann P.
Published: August 2014

Do some top executives matter more than others? Integrating insights from upper echelons and executive mobility research, we suggest that the functional roles performed by top executives shape their value to the firm. We examine the effects of interfirm executive mobility on firm survival for New York City advertising firms from 1924 to 1996. We find that, while losing any top executive is damaging, the loss of a top executive whose functional role focuses on internal firm processes is more detrimental to firm survival than losing a top executive whose functional role focuses on managing external exchange relationships. Additionally, in situations when multiple executives leave simultaneously, firms are more negatively affected when the group departing is functionally heterogeneous. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Quantum Nature of C–H···Metal Interaction: Vibrational Spectra and Kinetic and Geometric Isotope Effects of Adsorbed Cyclohexane
Authors: Koitaya Takanori , Yoshinobu Jun
Published: August 2014

The nature of C–H···M (M = metal surface) interactions is reviewed based mainly on our recent investigations of cyclohexane on Rh(111). Infrared reflection–absorption spectroscopy measurements at low temperature (∼20 K) have shown that the softened CH stretching band consists of several sharp peaks. At temperatures above 80 K, each peak is broadened, most probably by anharmonic coupling with thermally excited low‐energy frustrated translational modes. The origin of fine structure in this band and its similarity to that in hydrogen bond systems are discussed. In addition, novel isotope effects were observed in desorption kinetics and adsorption geometry of cyclohexane on Rh(111) using temperature programmed desorption, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, and spot profile analysis low‐energy electron diffraction. The desorption energy of deuterated cyclohexane (C6D12) is lower than that of C6H12 (inverse kinetic isotope effect). In addition, the work function change by adsorbed C6D12 is smaller than that by adsorbed C6H12. These results indicate that C6D12 molecules are slightly more distant from the surface than C6H12 molecules (vertical geometric isotope effect). A lateral geometric isotope effect was also observed for the two‐dimensional cyclohexane superstructures as a result of the repulsive interaction between interfacial dipoles (= work function change). These isotope effects are ascribed to the quantum nature of hydrogen involved in the C–H···M interaction.
Imaging Molecular Interaction of NO on Cu(110) with a Scanning Tunneling Microscope
Authors: Okuyama Hiroshi
Published: August 2014

Molecular interaction on metal surfaces is one of the central issues of surface science for the microscopic understanding of heterogeneous catalysis. In this Personal Account, I review the recent studies on NO/Cu(110) employing a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) to probe and control the molecule–molecule interaction on the surface. An individual NO molecule was observed as a characteristic dumbbell‐shaped protrusion, visualizing the 2π* orbital. By manipulating the intermolecular distance with the STM, the overlap of the 2π* orbital between two NO molecules was controlled. The interaction causes the formation of the bonding and antibonding orbitals below and above the Fermi level, respectively, as a function of the intermolecular distance. The 2π* orbital also plays a role in the reaction of NO with water molecules. A water molecule donates a H‐bond to NO, giving rise to the down‐shift of the 2π* level below the Fermi level. This causes electron transfer from the substrate to NO, weakening, and eventually rupturing, the N–O bond. The facile bond cleavage by water molecules has implications for the catalytic reduction of NO under ambient conditions.
Cross‐fertilizing aquatic and terrestrial research to understand predator risk effects
Authors: Wirsing Aaron J. , Heithaus Michael R. , Frid Alejandro
Published: August 2014

Research that conceptually transcends boundaries between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems has a long history of increasing insight into ecology and evolution. To stimulate further cross‐fertilization between studies that focus on different ecosystems, we highlight several insights on risk effects—the costs of antipredator behavior—that have emerged in part because of combined advances in aquatic and terrestrial systems. Namely, risk effects (1) are not restricted to structured landscapes where antipredator behavior is easily measurable, (2) can be substantial even when prey experience very low predation rates, (3) are contingent on a three‐way interaction between the hunting mode of the predator, escape tactic of the prey, and features of the landscape/physical environment, and (4) can interact with direct predation (consumption) and resource availability (through its effects on prey energy state) to control consumer population size. We conclude by highlighting the value of exploring differences between aquatic and terrestrial risk effects and offering a prospectus for future studies of antipredator behavior and its ecological importance in both eco‐domains. WIREs Water 2014, 1:439–448. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1039

This article is categorized under:

Water and Life > Conservation, Management, and Awareness
Thickness and composition of gold and silver alloys determined by combining EDXRF‐analysis and transmission measurements
Authors: Cesareo Roberto
Published: August 2014

Energy‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence (EDXRF)‐analysis is a technique which in the case of metals analyzes thin surface layers. For example, when gold and silver alloys are analyzed, it typically interests a depth of microns up to a maximum of tens of microns. Therefore, it can give wrong results or be affected by a large indetermination when the sample composition is altered because of surface processes, as often happens when silver alloys are oxidated, and sometimes in the case of gold alloys rich on copper or silver. A complementary technique was therefore developed, of bulk analysis, which uses the same equipment employed for EDXRF‐analysis; the X‐ray beam from the X‐ray tube is monochromatized by means of a tin secondary target, which K lines bracket the silver‐K discontinuity. The sample to be analyzed is positioned between the secondary target and the detector. This technique is able to determine (by measuring the attenuation of tin‐K rays) thickness and/or composition of gold and silver alloys having a thickness of less than about 120 µm for gold and about 0.7 mm for silver. The method was tested with Au–Ag–Cu alloys of known composition and thickness and then applied to gold and silver artifacts from the tomb of the Lady of Cao, which belongs to the Moche pre‐hispanic culture from the North of Peru, and dates about 300 A.D. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
In situ analysis of stratified glass eye beads from the tomb of Marquis Yi of the Zeng State in Hubei Province, China using XRF and micro‐Raman spectrometry
Authors: Zhao H. X. , Li Q. H. , Liu S. , Li L. , Gan F. X.
Published: August 2014

A total of 46 stratified glass eye beads in Hubei Provincial Museum, Wuhan, China were analyzed in situ by means of portable X‐ray fluorescence and Raman spectrometers. These beads were excavated from the famous tomb of Marquis Yi of the Zeng State, which was dated back to the early Warring States Period (433 bc or little late), in Hubei Province. It is determined that most of these elegant glass beads belong to the typical soda‐lime‐silicate glasses with low contents of MgO and K2O. The colorants used within these beads are attributed to two types: antimony‐based compound opacifiers/colorants and the transition metals in their oxidized state such as Co, Cu, and Fe ions. According to their characteristics of typology, chemical composition, and micro‐crystals within samples, we classified them into three subtypes and evaluated the possible relations among them. In addition, through comparing with the similar contemporary samples unearthed from Xu Jialing Tomb (5th–4th century bc) in Henan Province, we discussed the provenance of these stratified glass eye beads and relative issues briefly. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Juvenile sexual dimorphism, dichromatism and condition-dependent signaling in a bird species with early pair bonds
Authors: Surmacki Adrian , Stępniewski Janusz , Stępniewska Małgorzata
Published: August 2014

Sexual selection in juvenile vertebrates is a rare and seldom studied phenomenon. Bearded Reedlings are passerines that form stable, life-long pair bonds within a few weeks after fledging. We investigated the degree to which juvenile Bearded Reedlings are sexually dimorphic and whether they possess condition-dependent ornaments. We found significant intersexual differences in the bill reflectance, reflectance and size of eumelanin-based plumage traits (lore and back patch) and morphological traits. Females that were in better body condition had longer tails and bills with greater red chroma, and lore size was negatively related to the occurrence of chewing lice. In males, body condition was positively related to melanic back patch length. Moreover, a positive relationship between bill color and feather mite load in males suggests a symbiotic, rather than parasitic, relationship. Our study provides the first evidence that sexually dimorphic traits in immature birds with pair bonds have the potential to signal condition and resistance to parasites.
Palmitoylation and depalmitoylation defects
Authors: Hornemann Thorsten
Published: August 2014

Palmitoylation describes the enzymatic attachment of a 16‐carbon atom fatty acid to a target protein. Such lipidation events occur in all eukaryotes and can be of reversible (S‐palmitoylation) or irreversible (N‐palmitoylation) nature. In particular S‐palmitoylation is dynamically regulated by two opposing types of enzymes which add (palmitoyl acyltransferases – PAT) or remove (acyl protein thioesterases) palmitate from proteins. Protein palmitoylation is an important process that dynamically regulates the assembly and compartmentalization of many neuronal proteins at specific subcellular sites. Enzymes that regulate protein palmitoylation are critical for several biological processes. To date, eight palmitoylation related genes have been reported to be associated with human disease. This review intends to give an overview on the pathological changes which are associated with defects in the palmitoylation/depalmitoylation process.
Synthesis and Application of a Hyperbranched Polyester Quaternary Ammonium Surfactant
Authors: Chen Kun , Zhou Xiangdong , Wang Xiangrong
Published: August 2014

In the presence of the alkaline catalyst sodium hydroxide, the intermediate of hyperbranched polyester (H20Cl) was prepared by the modification of the hyperbranched polyester Boltorn H20 with epichlorohydrin. Then a new kind of quaternary ammonium functionalized hyperbranched polyester (H20C16 N) was synthesized by the reaction of H20Cl and hexadecyldimethylamine. The characteristics of H20C16 N were determined by FT‐IR, 1H NMR and TGA. The molecular and molecular weight distribution of H20C16 N were determined by Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) and the surface activities of H20C16 N including surface tension (γ) and the critical micelle concentration (CMC) were measured at 25 °C. The H20C16 N reduced the surface tension of water to 30.81 mN/m at concentration levels of 7.94 × 10−5 mol L−1 and micellization free energies of the quaternary ammonium salt in its solution showed a good tendency towards adsorption at interfaces. The H20C16 N was applied to the silk fabric. An antimicrobial test of the treated fabrics against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was carried out. SEM and XPS analysis were performed to study the dispersion of H20C16 N onto the fabric. All results exhibited excellent antibacterial properties of the hyperbranched polyester quaternary ammonium salt.
Microstructure and texture evolution in commercial-purity Zr 702 during cold rolling and annealing
Authors: Ma Min , Li Ming-he , Tan Yuan-biao , Yuan Hui , Liu Wen-chang
Published: August 2014

Microstructure and texture evolution in commercial-purity Zr 702 during cold rolling and annealing was investigated by optical microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The results showed that crystallographic slip was the predominant deformation mechanism in the early stage of deformation. Deformation twins started to form when the rolling reduction was larger than 38.9%; both the dislocation density and the number of twins increased with increasing rolling reduction. The initial texture of the Zr 702 plate consisted of the basal fiber component. During cold rolling the strength of the basal fiber first decreased and then increased with increasing rolling reduction. The cold-rolled sheets were fully recrystallized after being annealed at 550°C. The recrystallization temperature and the size of recrystallized grains decreased with increasing rolling reduction. A larger rolling reduction resulted in a higher grain growth rate when the annealing temperature increased from 550°C to 700°C. The recrystallization texture was characterized by a major basal fiber and a minor
$$\{ 01\bar 13\} < 2\bar 1\bar 10 >$$
component. The strength of the recrystallization texture increased with increasing rolling reduction.
Sarcopenia: describing rather than defining a condition
Authors: Alchin David Rhys
Published: August 2014

Background

Traditional definitions of sarcopenia have described an aging‐associated disorder roughly defined as muscle mass two standard deviations below the young adult demographic. In an effort to clear the ambiguity pertaining to such descriptions, two international bodies have put forth working definitions of sarcopenia, namely The Society of Sarcopenia, Cachexia and Wasting Disorders in 2011, and The European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People in 2009.

Review

This paper will look at the current zeitgeist of sarcopenia through a range of studies and will argue that what we have is an amalgamated and often conflicted description, rather than a definition, of the sarcopenic condition. Herein, we will consider whether such descriptions of sarcopenia should center on the consideration of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) rather than describing the condition more in terms of muscular pathology.

Conclusion

Consideration was given to studies of the NMJ to advance the idea that present notions of the sarcopenic condition are incomplete and that at its' core, sarcopenia is an age‐related disorder of the NMJ.
The transcription factors Sox5 and Sox9 regulate Catsper1 gene expression
Authors: Mata-Rocha Minerva , Hernández-Sánchez Javier , Guarneros Gabriel , de la Chesnaye Elsa , Sánchez-Tusié Ana A. , Treviño Claudia L. , Felix Ricardo , Oviedo Norma
Published: August 2014

Catsper is a Ca2+permeable channel required for sperm hyperactivation. In spite of its central role in male fertility, the transcriptional mechanisms that regulate Catsper1 expression are ill defined. In this work, we describe the identification and characterization of important regulatory elements in the murine Catsper1 gene proximal promoter. Four transcription start sites and three functional Sox‐binding sites were identified in the Catsper1 promoter. Interestingly, transcription factors Sox5 and Sox9 caused a significant increase in transactivation of the Catsper1 promoter in heterologous systems, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays showed that both transcription factors interact with the Catsper1 promoter in vivo. These results provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms that control Catsper channel expression.
Designer functionalised self-assembling peptide nanofibre scaffolds for cartilage tissue engineering
Authors: He Bin , Yuan Xiao , Zhou Aiguo , Zhang Hua , Jiang Dianming
Published: August 2014

Owing to the limited regenerative capacity of cartilage tissue, cartilage repair remains a challenge in clinical treatment. Tissue engineering has emerged as a promising and important approach to repair cartilage defects. It is well known that material scaffolds are regarded as a fundamental element of tissue engineering. Novel biomaterial scaffolds formed by self-assembling peptides consist of nanofibre networks highly resembling natural extracellular matrices, and their fabrication is based on the principle of molecular self-assembly. Indeed, peptide nanofibre scaffolds have obtained much progress in repairing various damaged tissues (e.g. cartilage, bone, nerve, heart and blood vessel). This review outlines the rational design of peptide nanofibre scaffolds and their potential in cartilage tissue engineering.
Directional recurrence for infinite measure preserving actions
Authors: JOHNSON AIMEE S. A. , ŞAHİN AYŞE A.
Published: August 2014

We define directional recurrence for infinite measure preserving $\mathbb{Z}^{d}$ actions both intrinsically and via the unit suspension flow and prove that the two definitions are equivalent. We study the structure of the set of recurrent directions and show it is always a $G_{{\it\delta}}$ set. We construct an example of a recurrent action with no recurrent directions, answering a question posed in a 2007 paper of Daniel J. Rudolph. We also show by example that it is possible for a recurrent action to not be recurrent in an irrational direction even if all its sub-actions are recurrent.
Prime Poisson suspensions
Authors: PARREAU FRANÇOIS , ROY EMMANUEL
Published: August 2014

We establish a necessary and sufficient condition for a Poisson suspension to be prime. The proof is based on the Fock space structure of the$L^{2}$-space of the Poisson suspension. We give examples of explicit infinite measure-preserving systems, in particular of non-singular compact group rotations that give rise to prime Poisson suspensions. We also compare some properties of so far known prime transformations with those of our examples, showing that these examples are new.
Sequencing, People Movements and Mass Politicization in European and Trans-Tasman Single Markets
Authors: Leslie John
Published: August 2014

This article demonstrates the utility of comparative historical approaches and tools for temporal analysis in comparative regional integration. Over three decades Australian and New Zealand policymakers constructed a Trans-Tasman Single Economic Market that, like the Single European Market, creates supra-national authority and removes administrative barriers to free movement of goods, services capital and people. Like the Single European Market, the Trans-Tasman Single Economic Market regulates internal movements of people liberally. In Europe, some argue, liberal regulation of people movements has led to politicization of integration. In Australia and New Zealand integration has no mass political salience. This article compares European and trans-Tasman integration to explain these divergent outcomes. It shows how differing sequences of events can explain varying levels of mass mobilization around integration in the two cases. In Europe ‘economic integration’ preceded the liberalization of people movements. Trans-Tasman integration reversed this sequence.
Why are the Attempts of Organisations to Enhance the Wellbeing of Individuals Often Likely to Fail: The Curse of Conflicting Needs
Authors: Moss Simon A. , Wilson Samuel G.
Published: August 2014

According to self-determination theory, when individuals feel their relationships are supportive, their choices are unfettered and their competence is extensive, they experience wellbeing. Many workplaces implement measures that purportedly fulfill these three needs: relationships, autonomy, and competence. Yet, these measures are not always successful. This article delineates a complication of these attempts: Measures that organisations introduce to fulfill one of these three needs, such as relationships, will often impede one of the other needs. For example, to foster relationships, managers may attempt to dismantle the divisions or boundaries within the organisation. As these schisms dissolve, individuals are not as likely to perceive their environment as competitive, promoting trust and consolidating relationships. Yet, after these divisions evaporate, people are not as certain of their specific duties. They are not sure of whether they have fulfilled their obligations, and this uncertainty has been shown to distract their attention from their personal hopes and aspirations of the future, diminishing their sense of autonomy. Likewise, measures that promote competence disrupt relationships or limit feelings of autonomy. This article delineates a set of ideologies and paradigms, such as multiculturalism and equality of privileges, that could overcome these tensions and fulfill all the needs simultaneously.
“Two Mothers United”: Interclass Female Friendship inStella Dallas
Authors: BRANHAM KRISTI
Published: August 2014

Much has been made of Olive Higgins Prouty's character Stella Dallas, who appeared first in serial form in 1922 followed by a best-selling novel in 1923. Like other Prouty novels,Stella Dallaswas adapted into film only two years later in 1925 and again in 1937. Directed by King Vidor and starring Barbara Stanwyck, the 1937 adaptation garnered Oscar nominations for Stanwyck, inspired a long-running radio show, and attracted much scholarly attention. In this essay, I argue that the story of Prouty's titular character can be in large part attributed to its overarching narrative of mother love as sacrifice. Yet this narrative includes a subtext of interclass female collusion that drives the plot and has mass appeal. Stella and Helen collude to exploit their class differences both as women and as maternal figures in the making and maintenance of the early twentieth-century status quo of motherhood and of womanhood, but also of interclass white female relations.
Optimizing enforcement and compliance in offshore marine protected areas: a case study from Cocos Island, Costa Rica
Authors: Arias Adrian , Pressey Robert L. , Jones Rhondda E. , Álvarez-Romero Jorge G. , Cinner Joshua E.
Published: August 2014

Illegal exploitation of resources is a cause of environmental degradation worldwide. The effectiveness of conservation initiatives such as marine protected areas relies on users' compliance with regulations. Although compliance can be motivated by social norms (e.g. peer pressure and legitimacy), some enforcement is commonly necessary. Enforcement is expensive, particularly in areas far from land, but costs can be reduced by optimizing enforcement. We present a case study of how enforcement could be optimized at Cocos Island National Park, Costa Rica, an offshore protected area and World Heritage Site. By analysing patrol records we determined the spatial and temporal distribution of illegal fishing and its relationship to patrol effort. Illegal fishing was concentrated on a seamount within the Park and peaked during the third year-quarter, probably as a result of oceanographic conditions. The lunar cycle in conjunction with the time of year significantly influenced the occurrence of incursions. The predictability of illegal fishing in space and time facilitates the optimization of patrol effort. Repeat offenders are common in the Park and we suggest that unenforced regulations and weak governance are partly to blame. We provide recommendations for efficient distribution of patrol effort in space and time, establishing adequate governance and policy, and designing marine protected areas to improve compliance. Our methods and recommendations are applicable to other protected areas and managed natural resources.
Karyotype and reproduction mode of the rodent parasite Strongyloides venezuelensis
Authors: HINO AKINA , TANAKA TERUHISA , TAKAISHI MAHO , FUJII YUMIKO , PALOMARES-RIUS JUAN E. , HASEGAWA KOICHI , MARUYAMA HARUHIKO , KIKUCHI TAISEI
Published: August 2014

Strongyloides venezuelensis is a parasitic nematode that infects rodents. Although Strongyloides species described to date are known to exhibit parthenogenetic reproduction in the parasitic stage of their life cycle and sexual reproduction in the free-living stage, we did not observe any free-living males in S. venezuelensis in our strain, suggesting that the nematode is likely to depend on parthenogenetic reproduction. We confirmed by cytological analysis that S. venezuelensis produces eggs by parthenogenesis during the parasitic stage of its life cycle. Phylogenetic analysis using nearly the full length of 18S and D3 region of 28S ribosomal RNA gene suggested that S. venezuelensis is distantly related to another rodent parasite, namely Strongyloides ratti, but more closely related to a ruminant parasite, Strongyloides papillosus. Karyotype analysis revealed S. venezuelensis reproduces with mitotic parthenogenesis, and has the same number of chromosomes as S. papillosus (2n = 4), but differs from S. ratti (2n = 6) in this regard. These results, taken together, suggest that S. venezuelensis evolved its parasitism for rodents independently from S. ratti and, therefore, is likely to have a different reproductive strategy.
John Rae to be honoured in Westminster Abbey–but not for discovering the northwest passage
Authors: Barr William
Published: August 2014

Since at least 2001 Ken McGoogan has been claiming that in discovering Rae Strait in 1854 John Rae also discovered the final link in the northwest passage. This claim is false, in that a substantial section of the passage further north, some 240 km in length (between Bellot Strait and where James Clark Ross had found the north magnetic pole) was still undiscovered in 1854. On the basis of McGoogan's false claim Mr. Alistair Carmichael, MP for Orkney and Shetland, has been pursuing a campaign to have a corrective plaque installed near the Franklin cenotaph in Westminster Abbey to the effect that Rae, and not Franklin, discovered the northwest passage. The Dean of Westminster and the Abbey authorities have decided that a simple tablet with the words ‘John Rae; arctic explorer’ but with no further elaboration, will be installed in the Abbey near the Franklin cenotaph.
Shared white-matter dysconnectivity in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder with psychosis
Authors: Kumar J. , Iwabuchi S. , Oowise S. , Balain V. , Palaniyappan L. , Liddle P. F.
Published: August 2014

Background

There is an appreciable overlap in the clinical presentation, epidemiology and treatment response of the two major psychotic disorders – schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Nevertheless, the shared neurobiological correlates of these two disorders are still elusive. Using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), we sought to identify brain regions which share altered white-matter connectivity across a clinical spectrum of psychotic disorders.

Method

A sample of 41 healthy controls, 62 patients in a clinically stable state of an established psychotic disorder (40 with schizophrenia, 22 with bipolar disorder) were studied using DTI. Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) was used in order to study group differences between patients with psychosis and healthy controls using fractional anisotropy (FA). Probabilistic tractography was used in order to visualize the clusters that showed significant differences between these two groups.

Results

The TBSS analysis revealed five clusters (callosal, posterior thalamic/optic, paralimbic, fronto-occipital) with reduced FA in psychosis. This reduction in FA was associated with an increase in radial diffusivity and a decrease in mode of anisotropy. Factor analysis revealed a single white-matter integrity factor that predicted social and occupational functioning scores in patients irrespective of the diagnostic categorization.

Conclusions

Our results show that a shared white-matter dysconnectivity links the two major psychotic disorders. These microstructural abnormalities predict functional outcome better than symptom-based diagnostic boundaries during a clinically stable phase of illness, highlighting the importance of seeking shared neurobiological factors that underlie the clinical spectrum of psychosis.
IDENTIFICATION AND REVIEW OF COST-EFFECTIVENESS MODEL PARAMETERS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY
Authors: Kaltenthaler Eva , Essat Munira , Tappenden Paul , Paisley Suzy
Published: August 2014

Objectives: Health economic models are developed as part of the health technology assessment process to determine whether health interventions represent good value for money. These models are often used to directly inform healthcare decision making and policy. The information needs for the model require the use of other types of information beyond clinical effectiveness evidence to populate the model's parameters. The purpose of this research study was to explore issues concerned with the identification and use of information for the development of such models.

Methods: Three focus groups were held in February 2011 at the University of Sheffield with thirteen UK HTA experts. Attendees included health economic modelers, information specialists and systematic reviewers. Qualitative framework analysis was used to analyze the focus group data.

Results: Six key themes, with related sub-themes, were identified dealing with decisions and judgments; searching methods; selection and rapid review of evidence; team communication; modeler experience and clinical input and reporting methods. There was considerable overlap between themes.

Conclusions: Key issues raised by the respondents included the need for effective communication and teamwork throughout the model development process, the importance of using clinical experts as well as the need for transparent reporting of methods and decisions.
A tale of two hands: children's early gesture use in narrative production predicts later narrative structure in speech
Authors: DEMIR ÖZLEM ECE , LEVINE SUSAN C. , GOLDIN-MEADOW SUSAN
Published: August 2014

Speakers of all ages spontaneously gesture as they talk. These gestures predict children's milestones in vocabulary and sentence structure. We ask whether gesture serves a similar role in the development of narrative skill. Children were asked to retell a story conveyed in a wordless cartoon at age five and then again at six, seven, and eight. Children's narrative structure in speech improved across these ages. At age five, many of the children expressed a character's viewpoint in gesture, and these children were more likely to tell better-structured stories at the later ages than children who did not produce character-viewpoint gestures at age five. In contrast, framing narratives from a character's perspective in speech at age five did not predict later narrative structure in speech. Gesture thus continues to act as a harbinger of change even as it assumes new roles in relation to discourse.
Policing Postmodern Canada
Authors: Murphy Christopher
Published: August 2014

This article describes current changes in long established policing structures, ideologies and operational practices and links them to changes in the economy and culture of governing and policing late modern societies like Canada. This transition from modern to postmodern policing is marked by the following core changes: (a) the restructuring and relocation of policing authority and responsibility, (b) the re-conceptualization of public policing, and (c) the rationalization and commodification of public and private policing services. These key shifts in policing structure and ideology suggest the declining importance of modern policing assumptions and the emergence of a distinctive postmodern model of public policing in Canada. The social and political implications of this policing transition for citizens, governments and governance are also discussed.
Virtual Citizenship
Authors: Downes Daniel M. , Janda Richard
Published: August 2014

This paper examines the importance of metaphor and media to the ideas of citizenship, nation, and place. In particular, the authors explore the relationship between citizenship and the double metaphor of the “nation-state”. If this double metaphor were to lose its hold on the collective imagination, what metaphor could take its place and be represented through modern media of communication? The authors use the example of deterritorialization, discussing first the emergence of the phenomenon particularly given the role of contemporary media of communication, and noting how it bears upon community, place and citizenship to suggest that such an erosion is taking place. They suggest that the “global market” metaphor is gaining ascendancy, and is represented in simulacrum through contemporary information technologies. The third part of this paper conducts a thought experiment implementing a deterritorialized, global market for citizenship, asking to what degree such a market already characterizes contemporary citizenship and assessing what is attractive and unattractive about it. The paper concludes with a caution against either ignoring or embracing this emerging normative construction.
“The Other Woman: Lizzie Cyr and the Origins of the ‘Persons Case’”
Authors: Bright David
Published: August 2014

In 1929, the British Privy Council reversed an earlier ruling by Canada's Supreme Court that Canadian women did not, under the British North America Act, qualify as persons. Historians have long heralded this so-called ‘Persons Case’ as a turning point in the recognition of Canadian women's rights. However, little attention has been paid to the case's origins, which date back to the trial of an alleged prostitute in Calgary in 1917. That case successfully tested the right of women to hold high public office in Alberta – in this case, Calgary Police Magistrate Alice Jamieson – and began the subsequent twelve-year battle. However, this victory was achieved only at the expense of the rights of another woman: the alleged prostitute Lizzie Cyr. At best, then, the ‘Persons Case’ should be regarded as a tainted victory.
The Secession Reference and National Reconciliation: A Critical Note
Authors: Millard Gregory
Published: August 2014

In its judgement on the constitutionality of a unilateral declaration of independence by Quebec, the Supreme Court claimed to be guided by the implicit or explicit constitutional principles of democracy, federalism, rule of law, and respect for minorities. French-English duality, as part of a “multination” conception of Canada, was not among these, despite being crucially implicit in the Court's reasoning. Had the principle of duality been articulated, it would have enhanced the theoretical cohesion of the judgement; more importantly, it would have furthered a necessary dialogue outside Quebec, insofar as national reconciliation requires the recognition of Quebec's distinctiveness by the rest of Canada. The secession reference was therefore a significant opportunity missed.
Strategies of Governance and Canadian Sentencing Legislation, 1984-1997
Authors: Hatt Ken
Published: August 2014

This paper examines changes in Canadian sentencing legislation between 1984 and 1997 in relation to M. Foucault's genealogy of discursive practices. Foucault suggested three regulatory practices which were associated with contemporary projects of governmentality: punishment, discipline and risk management. The legislative changes regarding sentencing in court and conditional release decisions are reviewed to assess the extent to which the various regulatory practices have been adopted. It is suggested that Canadian sentencing discourse has become increasingly bifurcated around a combination of risk management and disciplinary strategies which are presented in a context of denunciation. The character of this arrangement and several of its anomalous features are examined.
Les velléités normalisatrices de la Cour suprême en matière d'échanges économiques: Fraude et sens du risque
Authors: Bacher Jean-Luc
Published: August 2014

Cet article rend compte de la portée que confère, dans sa jurisprudence, la Cour suprême à l'article 380 du Code criminel canadien, qui définit la fraude. Il s'attache en particulier à cerner l'interprétation que fait la Cour suprême de ces éléments constitutifs de la fraude que sont la malhonnêteté et le préjudice causé à la victime. L'auteur s'efforce ensuite de dégager la logique implicite qui guide la Cour suprême dans son interprétation de cette disposition. Il se demande quelles sont les valeurs, les modèles sociaux et, ultimement, les pratiques qu'entendent promouvoir les Juges de la Cour suprême dans l'élaboration de leur politique en matière de fraude. Il oppose enfin la logique de la Cour suprême à quelques unes des thèses énoncées par la sociologie pour rendre compte des pratiques qui ont cours en matière d'échanges économiques et de prise de risque par les acteurs économiques, en particulier par les entrepreneurs. A la lumière de la sociologie, l'auteur tente notamment de comprendre en quoi consiste l'enrichissement malhonnête, quels sont les risques économiques considérés comme tolérables et quelles sont les entraves naturelles à la sécurisation des activités économiques.
Electronic Miscommunication and the Defamatory Sense
Authors: Burkell Jacquelyn , Kerr Ian R.
Published: August 2014

This article examines the effect that cultural and technological changes have had on interpersonal communication and aims to provide an interdisciplinary explanation for the recent proliferation of defamation in electronic media. The authors argue that the absence of certain extra-linguistic cues and established cultural convention in the electronic environment often results in miscommunication which — if not itself defamatory — gives rise to emotional exchanges between interlocutors in a manner that provokes defamation. The authors begin their analysis with a discussion of defamation law as a recipient-oriented tort, demonstrating the importance of the context of communication in the determination of whether a particular remark carries a defamatory sense. In order to better understand how an online communication is received and understood by its recipients, the authors then investigate three differences between electronic and other media of communications: i) that the technology-mediated and text-bases character of electronic communication makes the process of communication more difficult and the incidence of miscommunication more likely; ii) that the nature of social interaction in the online setting has a tendency to increase hostile communications that might be considered defamatory; iii) that the cultural context and standards of communication that develop in online communities will reduce the significance of these hostile communications. Applying these considerations to the law of defamation, the authors conclude by rejecting the naive point of view that a libel published through the Internet ought to be dealt with in exactly the same way that a libel published in a newspaper is dealt with. The authors end by calling for further empirical research about the content that is produced as a consequence of contextual challenges in electronic communication.
Gendered Racial Violence and Spatialized Justice: The Murder Pamela George
Authors: Razack Sherene H.
Published: August 2014

En 1995, Pamela George a été brutalement assassinée par deux jeunes athlètes universitaires de dix-huit ans. Les deux hommes condamnés pour meurtre se virent infliger des peines légères pour leur crime. Dans cet article, j'examine le meurtre de Pamela George comme un acte de violence raciale sexuée faisant partie de la poursuite de la colonisation des Autochtones. Je suggère qu'en tant que femme autochtone travaillant dans un espace de prostitution, Pamela George représentait un corps qui pouvait être violé impunément. Les hommes blancs respectables qui s'aventurent temporairement dans une zone de dégénérescence pour s'engager dans une rencontre avec une prostituée ne sont pas tenus responsables de la violence qui se produit régulièrement dans les espaces et sur le corps de l'Autre. La relation entre les corps, l'espace et la justice, où les zones habitées par l'Autre racialisé ainsi que celles de prostitution (souvent l'une étant l'autre) sont considérées comme des espaces où la justice universelle n'opère pas, suggère que cette violence reste invisible devant la loi. Ses caractéristiques, son rôle dans la constitution de l'homme blanc et des sociétés de colonisateurs blancs, indiquent pourquoi la violence persiste et pourquoi elle est niée par le droit de façon constante. Les processus de création d'identité décrits sont essentiels à la colonisation et, dans ce cas, à celle des Autochtones du Canada.