bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Morphology and hydroscopic properties of acrylic/thermoplastic polyurethane core–shell electrospun micro/nano fibrous mats with tunable porosity
Authors: Safeeda NV Fathima , Gopinathan Janarthanan , Indumathi Balakrishnan , Thomas Sabu , Bhattacharyya Amitava
Published: May 2016

PAN/TPU core–shell electrospum mats with tunable porosity.
Metal oxide as a template in the preparation of porous poly(2-hydroxyethylmethylacrylate-co-divinylbenzene) particles as a metallocene catalyst support
Authors: Wang Xiong , Xu Renwei , Zhu Bochao , Li Yanfeng , Han Xiaoyu
Published: May 2016

Porous functional P(HEMA-co-DVB) particles with controllable pore structure and morphology were prepared using metal oxide as particle-forming template.
Single-crystal TiO2 nanowires by seed assisted thermal oxidation of Ti foil: synthesis and photocatalytic properties
Authors: Arcadipane E. , Sanz R. , Amiard G. , Boninelli S. , Impellizzeri G. , Privitera V. , Bonkerud J. , Bhoodoo C. , Vines L. , Svensson B. G. , Romano L.
Published: May 2016

TiO2 nanowires growth was investigated varying the synthesis parameters. Nanowires demonstrated improved photocatalytic activity, especially when treated in forming gas.
Prochiral alkyl-aminomethyl ketones as convenient precursors for efficient synthesis of chiral (2,3,5)-tri-substituted pyrrolidines via an organo-catalysed tandem reaction
Authors: Song Yuming , Li Ke , Shu Tao , Xie Yamei , Zhang Yixin , Qu Jingping
Published: May 2016

2-Alkanoyl-3-aryl-5-hydroxy pyrrolidines were prepared in high yields and ees via a secondary amine catalyzed tandem process.
Resistive hysteresis in flexible nanocomposites and colloidal suspensions: interfacial coupling mechanism unveiled
Authors: Chiolerio A. , Roppolo I. , Bejtka K. , Asvarov A. , Pirri C. F.
Published: May 2016

The interaction between ethoxyl groups of acrylate polymers and oxygen vacancies on the surface of ZnO nanoparticles is shown to produce resistive hysteresis according to a new interfacial phenomenon called interfacial coupling mechanism.
Correction: Quickly FeCl3-catalyzed highly chemo- and stereo-selective [3 + 2] dipolar cycloaddition of aziridines with isothiocyanates
Authors: Gao Lingfeng , Fu Kai , Zheng Gengxiu
Published: May 2016

Correction for ‘Quickly FeCl3-catalyzed highly chemo- and stereo-selective [3 + 2] dipolar cycloaddition of aziridines with isothiocyanates’ by Lingfeng Gao et al., RSC Adv., 2016, 6, 47192–47195.
Speech Perception in Classroom Acoustics by Children With Cochlear Implants and With Typical Hearing
Authors: Iglehart Frank
Published: May 2016

Purpose

This study measured speech perception ability in children with cochlear implants and children with typical hearing when listening across ranges of reverberation times (RTs) and speech-to-noise ratios.

Method

Participants listened in classroom RTs of 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9 s combined with a 21-dB range of speech-to-noise ratios. Subsets also listened in a low-reverberant audiological sound booth. Performance measures using the Bamford-Kowal-Bench Speech-in-Noise Test (Etymotic Research, Inc., 2005) were 50% correct word recognition across these acoustic conditions, with supplementary analyses of percent correct.

Results

Reduction in RT from 0.9 to 0.6 s benefited both groups of children. A further reduction in RT to 0.3 s provided additional benefit to the children with cochlear implants, with no further benefit or harm to those with typical hearing. Scores in the sound booth were significantly higher for the participants with implants than in the classroom.

Conclusions

These results support the acoustic standards of 0.6 s RT for children with typical hearing and 0.3 s RT for children with auditory issues in learning spaces (≤283 m
3
) as specified in standards S12.60-2010/Part 1 of the American National Standards Institute /Acoustical Society of America (2010). In addition, speech perception testing in a low-reverberant booth overestimated classroom listening ability in children with cochlear implants.

Supplemental Material

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.6170183
Online learning early skip decision method for the HEVC Inter process using the SVM‐based Pegasos algorithm
Authors: de Oliveira J.F. , Alencar M.S.
Published: May 2016

High efficient video coding (HEVC), the latest coding standard, has an encoding complexity much higher compared with H.264/advanced video coding (AVC). The greater efficiency in HEVC is obtained at much greater computational cost compared with AVC. A fast coding unit (CU) splitting algorithm is proposed for the HEVC encoder, which early terminates the CU partitioning process based on an adaptive classification model. This model is generated by an online learning method based on a Pegasos (primal estimated sub‐gradient solver for SVM) algorithm. The proposed method is implemented over the HEVC reference implementation on its version 16.7. Experimental results show that the proposed method reduces the computational complexity of HEVC encoder to 35% without any loss, resulting in a 1% of Bjøntegaard Delta‐rate gain in the low delay B configuration without any offline training phase.
Novel microfluidically tunable bandpass filter with precisely‐controlled passband frequency
Authors: Zhou Wen‐Jun , Chen Jian‐Xin
Published: May 2016

A novel microfluidically tunable bandpass filter (BPF) is proposed and it consists of a second‐order microstrip BPF with five plastic tubes placed above the coupled quarter‐wavelength resonators. The tubes can be filled with high‐permittivity water. By properly choosing the locations of the tubes and the water‐filling sequence, the electrical length of the resonator can be tuned, and thus the passband centre frequency of the filter can be precisely adjusted. A demonstration example is designed, and the simulated and measured results of the filter are given for verifying the theoretical prediction.
Performance enhancement of multi‐hop relay‐based wireless systems based on outage probability
Authors: Baroudi Sami , Shayan Yousef R.
Published: May 2016

Wireless communication is now accessible throughout the world, with an increasing number of users. Engineers are putting extra efforts to evaluate and improve the performance of wireless systems. Multi‐hop wireless systems have drawn significant attention as a cost‐effective solution to improve the performance of wireless systems. In these systems, a certain number of relays is deployed over the cell to help in the transmission of signals from the base station (BS) to the users. In a multi‐hop system, a low‐quality long‐distance link is broken into two or more better‐quality links, minimising the outage probability and enhancing the system performance. Interference is one of the fundamental elements affecting the quality of service in wireless networks. The probability density function (PDF) of the signal‐to‐interference ratio (SIR) is evaluated in a circular cell with uniformly distributed users around a BS located at the centre of the cell. Then, the PDF for outage probability is assessed, based on the evaluated SIR. After that, the minimum number of relays and their placement is found over the studied area, which can achieve the desirable performance of the wireless system. Finally, simulation is performed based on long‐term evolution parameters to validate the derived analytical solution.
Wearable logo‐antenna for GPS–GSM‐based tracking systems
Authors: Monti Giuseppina , Corchia Laura , De Benedetto Egidio , Tarricone Luciano
Published: May 2016

This study presents a wearable antenna for a global positioning system–global system for mobile communication (GPS–GSM)‐based anti‐theft tracking system to be embedded in high‐cost clothing and luggage accessories (such as leather bags). To assess the feasibility of this solution, a prototype antenna was designed mimicking the shape of one of the Levi Strauss & Co.’s logos, and it was fabricated using a conductive non‐woven fabric on a layer of leather. Furthermore, to cover both the GPS L1 and the GSM‐1800 bands with a single radiating element, positive‐intrinsic‐negative (PIN) diodes were employed to reconfigure the operating frequency of the antenna. Experimental data demonstrating the feasibility of the proposed design strategy are presented and discussed.
Wegweisender Tarifvertrag der Charité: Bei Unterbesetzung droht Strafe
Authors: vom Lehn Birgitta
Published: May 2016

Charité und Verdi haben einen Tarifvertrag geschlossen, der den Mitarbeitern Mindeststandards bei der Personalausstattung garantiert. Pflegerat und Verdi wünschen sich den Charité-Tarifvertrag als Vorbild für andere Häuser.
Beatmung: Assistent der Anästhesisten
Authors: Hohnstein Aileen
Published: May 2016

Weil die mechanische Beatmung bei Operationen häufig zu Lungenschäden führt, suchen Anästhesisten nach schonenderen Lösungen. Ein neues Assistenzsystem soll sie beim Steuern der Beatmung unterstützen und ihnen Zeit für andere wichtige Tätigkeiten verschaffen. Ganz nebenbei könnte es auch den Klinikhaushalt entlasten.
Tavi: Nicht ohne meinen Herzchirurgen
Authors: König Romy
Published: May 2016

Die kathetergestützte Implantation von Aortenklappen (Tavi) ist oft schonender als die klassische Herz-OP – und war bislang für Krankenhäuser ein lukratives Geschäft. Die klingelnden Kassen führten auch zu einem Machtkampf unter den Herz-Disziplinen. Nach einem GBA-Beschluss ist damit Ende dieses Monats für viele Kliniken Schluss. Nun versuchen Krankenhäuser, mit einem Filial-Modell die Tavi-Einkünfte zu sichern.
Kliniken Frankfurt-Main-Taunus GmbH: Fusion der anderen Art
Authors: Mewis Dirk
Published: May 2016

Verschmelzen zwei Klinikunternehmen, geht dies in der Regel mit einer – zumindest teilweisen – Zusammenlegung von Abteilungen einher. Nicht so bei den fusionierten Kliniken Frankfurt-Main-Taunus (FMT). Hier gilt das Prinzip Aufrüsten, wie Geschäftsführer Tobias Kaltenbach im Interview mit kma deutlich macht.
BuFaTa 2016: Die FKT beteiligt sich am Klinikkongress Ruhr 2016
Authors: Thalmayr Maria
Published: May 2016

Die diesjährige Bundesfachtagung (BuFaTa) der Fachvereinigung Krankenhaustechnik findet am 7. und 8. September als technische Vortragsschiene mit dem Titel „Krankenhaustechnik 4.0“ auf dem 5. Klinikkongress Ruhr in der Westfalenhalle in Dortmund statt. Visionen einer vernetzten Medizin sind das übergeordnete Thema der Veranstaltung.
Krankenversicherung: Wir brauchen eine mutige Reform
Authors: Gerster Florian
Published: May 2016

Krisen sind Chancen: Das gilt auch für politische Reformen. Ohne die Massenarbeitslosigkeit zu Beginn dieses Jahrhunderts hätte die Agenda 2010 mit Einschnitten in arbeitsmarktpolitische Leistungen keine Chance gehabt. Ohne drohende demografische Verwerfungen hätte es keinen Einstieg in die Rente mit 67 gegeben.
Scanning thermo-ionic microscopy for probing local electrochemistry at the nanoscale
Authors: Eshghinejad Ahmadreza , Nasr Esfahani Ehsan , Wang Peiqi , Xie Shuhong , Geary Timothy C. , Adler Stuart B. , Li Jiangyu
Published: May 2016

Conventional electrochemical characterization techniques based on voltage and current measurements only probe faradaic and capacitive rates in aggregate. In this work we develop a scanning thermo-ionic microscopy (STIM) to probe local electrochemistry at the nanoscale, based on imaging of Vegard strain induced by thermal oscillation. It is demonstrated from both theoretical analysis and experimental validation that the second harmonic response of thermally induced cantilever vibration, associated with thermal expansion, is present in all solids, whereas the fourth harmonic response, caused by local transport of mobile species, is only present in ionic materials. The origin of STIM response is further confirmed by its reduced amplitude with respect to increased contact force, due to the coupling of stress to concentration of ionic species and/or electronic defects. The technique has been applied to probe Sm-doped Ceria and LiFePO4, both of which exhibit higher concentrations of mobile species near grain boundaries. The STIM gives us a powerful method to study local electrochemistry with high sensitivity and spatial resolution for a wide range of ionic systems, as well as ability to map local thermomechanical response.
Contact area of rough spheres: Large scale simulations and simple scaling laws
Authors: Pastewka Lars , Robbins Mark O.
Published: May 2016

We use molecular simulations to study the nonadhesive and adhesive atomic-scale contact of rough spheres with radii ranging from nanometers to micrometers over more than ten orders of magnitude in applied normal load. At the lowest loads, the interfacial mechanics is governed by the contact mechanics of the first asperity that touches. The dependence of contact area on normal force becomes linear at intermediate loads and crosses over to Hertzian at the largest loads. By combining theories for the limiting cases of nominally flat rough surfaces and smooth spheres, we provide parameter-free analytical expressions for contact area over the whole range of loads. Our results establish a range of validity for common approximations that neglect curvature or roughness in modeling objects on scales from atomic force microscope tips to ball bearings.
Adaptive vibrational configuration interaction (A-VCI): A posteriori error estimation to efficiently compute anharmonic IR spectra
Authors: Garnier Romain , Odunlami Marc , Le Bris Vincent , Bégué Didier , Baraille Isabelle , Coulaud Olivier
Published: May 2016

A new variational algorithm called adaptive vibrational configuration interaction (A-VCI) intended for the resolution of the vibrational Schrödinger equation was developed. The main advantage of this approach is to efficiently reduce the dimension of the active space generated into the configuration interaction (CI) process. Here, we assume that the Hamiltonian writes as a sum of products of operators. This adaptive algorithm was developed with the use of three correlated conditions, i.e., a suitable starting space, a criterion for convergence, and a procedure to expand the approximate space. The velocity of the algorithm was increased with the use of a posteriori error estimator (residue) to select the most relevant direction to increase the space. Two examples have been selected for benchmark. In the case of H2CO, we mainly study the performance of A-VCI algorithm: comparison with the variation-perturbation method, choice of the initial space, and residual contributions. For CH3CN, we compare the A-VCI results with a computed reference spectrum using the same potential energy surface and for an active space reduced by about 90%.
Elastic constant C11 of 12C diamond between 10 and 613 K
Authors: Nagakubo A. , Arita M. , Ogi H. , Sumiya H. , Nakamura N. , Hirao M.
Published: May 2016

We measured the temperature dependence of the elastic constant C11 of a 12C diamond monocrystal using picosecond ultrasonics between 10 and 613 K. We found that C11 is almost temperature independent below room temperature; the temperature coefficient around 300 K is −6.6 MPa/K. Our results show a significantly higher Einstein temperature than reported values by ∼30%, indicating that diamond has a larger zero-point energy, which remains dominant around ambient temperature. We also calculated the temperature dependence of the elastic constants using ab-initio methods, resulting in good agreement with measurements. Our study shows that below-ambient-temperature measurements are not sufficient to extract the Debye temperature and the Grüneisen parameter of high-Debye-temperature materials.
Symmetry of quantum supertorus
Authors: Kim Hoil
Published: May 2016

We extend the result on the symmetry of quantum torus by Rieffel and Schwarz to the symmetry of quantum supertorus. The symmetry group is extended from O(n, n, ℤ) to OSp(n, n|2m, ℤ).
Surface and finite size effects impact on the phase diagrams, polar, and dielectric properties of (Sr,Bi)Ta2O9 ferroelectric nanoparticles
Authors: Eliseev E. A. , Semchenko A. V. , Fomichov Y. M. , Glinchuk M. D. , Sidsky V. V. , Kolos V. V. , Pleskachevsky Yu. M. , Silibin M. V. , Morozovsky N. V. , Morozovska A. N.
Published: May 2016

In the framework of the thermodynamic approach Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire (LGD) combined with the equations of electrostatics, we investigated the effect of polarization surface screening on finite size effects of the phase diagrams, polar, and dielectric properties of ferroelectric nanoparticles of different shapes. We obtained and analyzed the analytical results for the dependences of the ferroelectric phase transition temperature, critical size, spontaneous polarization, and thermodynamic coercive field on the shape and size of the nanoparticles. The pronounced size effect of these characteristics on the scaling parameter, the ratio of the particle characteristic size to the length of the surface screening, was revealed. Also our modeling predicts a significant impact of the flexo-chemical effect (that is a joint action of flexoelectric effect and chemical pressure) on the temperature of phase transition, polar, and dielectric properties of nanoparticles when their chemical composition deviates from the stoichiometric one. We showed on the example of the stoichiometric nanosized SrBi2Ta2O9 particles that except the vicinity of the critical size, where the system splitting into domains has an important role, results of analytical calculation of the spontaneous polarization have a little difference from the numerical ones. We revealed a strong impact of the flexo-chemical effect on the phase transition temperature, polar, and dielectric properties of SryBi2+xTa2O9 nanoparticles when the ratio Sr/Bi deviates from the stoichiometric value of 0.5 within the range from 0.35 to 0.65. From the analysis of experimental data, we derived the parameters of the theory, namely, the coefficients of expansion of the LGD functional, the contribution of flexo-chemical effect, and the length of the surface screening.
Intrinsic electron traps in atomic-layer deposited HfO2 insulators
Authors: Cerbu F. , Madia O. , Andreev D. V. , Fadida S. , Eizenberg M. , Breuil L. , Lisoni J. G. , Kittl J. A. , Strand J. , Shluger A. L. , Afanas'ev V. V. , Houssa M. , Stesmans A.
Published: May 2016

Analysis of photodepopulation of electron traps in HfO2 films grown by atomic layer deposition is shown to provide the trap energy distribution across the entire oxide bandgap. The presence is revealed of two kinds of deep electron traps energetically distributed at around Et ≈ 2.0 eV and Et ≈ 3.0 eV below the oxide conduction band. Comparison of the trapped electron energy distributions in HfO2 layers prepared using different precursors or subjected to thermal treatment suggests that these centers are intrinsic in origin. However, the common assumption that these would implicate O vacancies cannot explain the charging behavior of HfO2, suggesting that alternative defect models should be considered.
Tuning and stabilizing topological insulator Bi2Se3 in the intrinsic regime by charge extraction with organic overlayers
Authors: Wu Liang , Ireland R. M. , Salehi M. , Cheng B. , Koirala N. , Oh S. , Katz H. E. , Armitage N. P.
Published: May 2016

In this work, we use charge extraction via organic overlayer deposition to lower the chemical potential of topological insulator (TI) Bi2Se3 thin films into the intrinsic (bulk-insulating) regime. We demonstrate the tuning and stabilization of intrinsic topological insulators at high mobility with low-cost organic films. With the protection of the organic charge extraction layers tetrafluorotetracyanoquinodimethane or tris(acetylacetonato)cobalt(III) (Co(acac)3), the sample is stable in the atmosphere with chemical potential ∼135 meV above the Dirac point (85 meV below the conduction band minimum, well within the topological insulator regime) after four months, which is an extraordinary level of environmental stability. The Co complex demonstrates the use of an organometallic for modulating TI charge density. The mobility of surface state electrons is enhanced as high as ∼2000 cm2/V s. Even at room temperature, a true topologically insulating state is realized and stabilized for months' exposure to the atmosphere.
Optical trapping and control of nanoparticles inside evacuated hollow core photonic crystal fibers
Authors: Grass David , Fesel Julian , Hofer Sebastian G. , Kiesel Nikolai , Aspelmeyer Markus
Published: May 2016

We demonstrate an optical conveyor belt for levitated nanoparticles over several centimeters inside both air-filled and evacuated hollow-core photonic crystal fibers (HCPCF). Detection of the transmitted light field allows three-dimensional read-out of the particle center-of-mass motion. An additional laser enables axial radiation pressure based feedback cooling over the full fiber length. We show that the particle dynamics is a sensitive local probe for characterizing the optical intensity profile inside the fiber as well as the pressure distribution along the fiber axis. In contrast to some theoretical predictions, we find a linear pressure dependence inside the HCPCF, extending over three orders of magnitude from 0.2 mbar to 100 mbar. A targeted application is the controlled delivery of nanoparticles from ambient pressure into medium vacuum.
Observation of large nonlinear responses in a graphene-Bi2Te3 heterostructure at a telecommunication wavelength
Authors: Wang Yingwei , Mu Haoran , Li Xiaohong , Yuan Jian , Chen Jiazhang , Xiao Si , Bao Qiaoliang , Gao Yongli , He Jun
Published: May 2016

We report the large nonlinear response and ultrafast carrier relaxation dynamics of a graphene-Bi2Te3 heterostructure produced by two-step chemical vapour deposition. The nonlinear refractive index reaches n2 = 0.2 × 10−7 cm2/W at the telecommunication wavelength of 1550 nm, which is almost seven orders of magnitude larger than that of the bulk Si material. Additionally, a pump-probe experiment is performed to investigate the ultrafast dynamic process (intraband relaxation time τ1 = 270 ± 20 fs; interband relaxation time τ2 = 3.6 ± 0.2 ps) of the graphene-Bi2Te3 heterostructure. Then, based on the donor-acceptor structure model, we propose a theoretical model to explain the dynamic relaxation process. Our results show that the graphene-Bi2Te3 heterostructure is a promising saturable absorber for ultrafast pulse laser applications at telecommunication wavelengths.
Lucerne yield, water productivity and persistence under variable and restricted irrigation strategies
Authors: Rogers M. E. , Lawson A. R. , Kelly K. B.
Published: May 2016

Lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) has the potential to be grown widely under water-limiting conditions in the dairy region of northern Victoria and southern New South Wales, Australia, possibly because of its greater water productivity and because irrigation management of lucerne can be more flexible compared with other forage species. A large-scale field experiment was conducted at Tatura in northern Victoria, over 5 years to determine the effects of limiting (deficit) and non-limiting irrigation management on the dry matter (DM) production, water productivity (irrigation and total water productivity) and stand density (or persistence) of lucerne. Nine irrigation treatments were imposed that included full irrigation, partial irrigation and no irrigation in either a single, or over consecutive, irrigation seasons. In the fifth year of the experiment, all plots received the full irrigation treatment to examine plant recovery from the previous irrigation treatments. In any one year, there was a linear relationship between DM production and total water supply (irrigation plus rainfall plus changes in soil water) such that DM production decreased as the total water supply – due to deficit irrigation – decreased. Over the 5 years, annual DM production ranged from 1.4 to 17.7 t DM ha–1 with the highest production occurring in plots that received full irrigation. Irrigation water productivity was inversely related to the amount of water used and was higher in the treatments that had only been partially irrigated for that year compared with the treatments that had been fully watered for that year. Total water productivity values were significantly lower only in the treatments that had not been irrigated for that year, and there was little difference between the treatments that were only partially watered during the year and the fully watered treatments (range 9.1–12.2 kg DM ha–1 mm–1 for Year 4). There was no significant reduction in plant density or plant persistence in those plots where deficit irrigation had been imposed. However, the high irrigation regime and poor drainage in the fully irrigated border-check plots significantly reduced plant density and allowed weed infestation in the fifth year of the experiment. These results suggest that, although lucerne DM production is directly related to total water use and may be significantly reduced in the irrigation regions of south-eastern Australia in seasons when water is restricted, the lucerne stand is able to fully recover once a full irrigation regime is resumed. This makes lucerne an ideal forage species for situations when water is limiting.
The frequency of herbicide-resistant wild oat (Avena spp.) populations remains stable in Western Australian cropping fields
Authors: Owen Mechelle J. , Powles Stephen B.
Published: May 2016

Avena is a problematic weed of cropping regions of southern Australia and many areas of the world. In 2010, a random survey was conducted across 14 million hectares of the Western Australian grain belt to monitor the change in herbicide resistance levels by comparing resistance frequency results with a survey conducted in 2005. Screening Avena populations with herbicides commonly used to control this weed revealed that 48% of Avena populations displayed resistance to the commonly used acetyl-Co A carboxylase-inhibiting herbicides, which was lower than that found in 2005 (71%). The broad-spectrum herbicides glyphosate and paraquat provided good control of all Avena populations. Resistance to acetolactate synthase-inhibiting herbicides and to flamprop were detected for the first time in Western Australia in this survey. Therefore, a wide range of weed management options that target all phases of the cropping program are needed to sustain these cropping systems in the future.
A comparative proteomic study of drought-tolerant and drought-sensitive soybean seedlings under drought stress
Authors: Yu X. , James A. T. , Yang A. , Jones A. , Mendoza-Porras O. , Bétrix C.-A. , Ma H. , Colgrave M. L.
Published: May 2016

Drought is a major factor limiting plant growth causing yield reduction in crops; hence the characterisation of drought tolerance and the development of drought-tolerant crop varieties have been a goal of many crop breeding programs. Using the proteomics approach, we compared the differential protein abundance of drought-tolerant and drought-sensitive soybean leaves subjected to mild or severe drought stress. Proteins were extracted and separated using two-dimensional electrophoresis. Those protein spots with significant and more than 2-fold difference in abundance, 174 in total, were further analysed and 102 proteins were positively identified. Around 38.5% of these proteins were related to energy metabolism and photosynthetic functions, followed by those associated with defence response (36.4%) and protein metabolism (25.2%). Severe drought resulted in a greater number of proteins with differential abundance. Genotypes responded differently to drought stress with the tolerant genotype showing a higher capacity for reactive oxygen species scavenging and maintaining energy supply than the sensitive genotype. The sensitive genotype had a greater number of proteins with significant differential abundance than the tolerant genotypes due to drought. The different patterns in protein abundance induced by drought stress may potentially be utilised to screen and select candidate soybean lines with improved drought tolerance.
Soil amendment with biochar increases maize yields in a semi-arid region by improving soil quality and root growth
Authors: Xiao Qian , Zhu Li-Xia , Zhang Hong-Pei , Li Xiu-Yun , Shen Yu-Fang , Li Shi-Qing
Published: May 2016

Biochar has been widely proposed as a relatively novel approach to improve soil quality and increase crop productivity, but its underlying mechanisms are not well understood. A large root system in plants is either a constitutive or an inducible trait dependent on the uptake of resources and the production of shoot dry matter. Here a field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of biochar amendment on the dynamic growth and development of maize (Zea mays L.), both above- and belowground, and to explore the relationship between soil condition, root traits and shoot biomass over two growing seasons on the Loess Plateau in northern China. Biochar was added to a maize field at rates of 0, 10, 20 and 30 t ha–1 without mulching and at rates of 0 and 20 t ha–1 with film mulching before sowing the first crop. The application of straw biochar with 30 t ha–1 decreased soil bulk density by 12% and increased soil total porosity by 13% in the 0–10-cm soil layer 6 months after biochar addition. Biochar amendment increased soil organic carbon, total soil nitrogen, carbon : nitrogen ratio, and available phosphorus and potassium at the end of each growing season. Although, root growth was inhibited at a rate of 30 t ha–1 in the early stage of the first year, biochar amendment exhibited a positive effect in other stages, resulting in higher root weight density, root length density and root surface-area density. These responses led to higher growth rates, maize biomass, grain yields and uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium as the rate of biochar addition increased. Film mulching with biochar amendment achieved the greatest root and shoot biomass and grain yield in both crops, despite differences in climate conditions. Biochar aged in the field for 2 years had the same effect on soil properties and crop production, suggesting that the application of straw biochar may be a promising option for increasing productivity in semi-arid farmland.
Effect of time and diet change on the bacterial community structure throughout the gastrointestinal tract and in faeces of the northern brown bandicoot, Isoodon macrourus
Authors: O'Hara Patricia J. , Klieve Athol V. , Murray Peter J. , Maguire Anita J. , Ouwerkerk Diane , Harper Karen
Published: May 2016

A significant gap, in not only peramelid nutritional physiology but marsupial nutrition as a whole, is the lack of information relating to microorganisms of the gastrointestinal tract. This research is a preliminary investigation that will provide a baseline for comparisons among peramelids. The high degree of 16S rRNA gene clones identified in this research that are closely related to culturable bacteria suggests that additional research will enable a more complete description of the gastrointestinal bacteria of I. macrourus. Most identifiable clones belonged to Clostridium and Ruminococcus. This research has confirmed that the hindgut of I. macrourus, the caecum, proximal colon and distal colon, are the main sites for microbial activity.
Dislocated interests and climate change
Authors: Davis Steven J , Diffenbaugh Noah
Published: May 2016

The predicted effects of climate change on surface temperatures are now emergent and quantifiable. The recent letter by Hansen and Sato (2016Environ. Res. Lett.11034009) adds to a growing number of studies showing that warming over the past four decades has shifted the distribution of temperatures higher almost everywhere, with the largest relative effects on summer temperatures in developing regions such as Africa, South America, southeast Asia, and the Middle East (e.g., Diffenbaugh and Scherer 2011Clim. Change107615–24; Anderson 2011Clim. Change108581; Mahlsteinet al2012Geophys. Res. Lett.39L21711). Hansen and Sato emphasize that although these regions are warming disproportionately, their role in causing climate change—measured by cumulative historical CO2emissions produced—is small compared to the US and Europe, where the relative change in temperatures has been less. This spatial and temporal mismatch of climate change impacts and the burning of fossil fuels is a critical dislocation of interests that, as the authors note, has ‘substantial implications for global energy and climate policies.’ Here, we place Hansen and Sato’s ‘national responsibilities’ into a broader conceptual framework of problematically dislocated interests, and briefly discuss the related challenges for global climate mitigation efforts.
The Tragic Chorus
Authors: Battezzato Luigi , Catrambone Marco
Published: May 2016

The chorus was a standard feature of Greek tragedy (see Choral Interactions and the Structure of Tragedy). Aristotle argued that tragedy originated from Dithyramb (see the Tragic Chorus in Ancient Literary and Philosophical Theory, and Dithyramb), and this may explain its pervasive presence, but tragic authors make the chorus allude to and perform in several other lyric genres (see Relation to Lyric Genres). Recent research on the tragic chorus has focused on performance (see Music, and Dance) and on the social interpretation both of choruses within the play (see Choral Identity) and of the chorus in social life (see Political and Ritual Dimensions, and Performance, Competition, and the Dramatic Festivals). Most of the choral sections were sung (“lyric sections”); they were written in meters that were sharply different from those of recited speech, and much more complex (see Lyric Meters). The language of sung sections was also distinctive (see Style). Choral sections are especially long and complex in Aeschylus (see especially Agamemnon), but their role is equally crucial for the interpretation of the plays of Sophocles and Euripides (see e.g., Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex and Antigone; Euripides’ Medea, Trojan Women, and Bacchae). The chorus virtually disappeared from 4th-century tragedy, except for short interludes, but in the only extant 4th-century tragedy, the Rhesus attributed to Euripides (see Pseudo-Euripides, Rhesus), the chorus still has a crucial part in the plot.
History of Criminology
Authors: Dooley Brendan D.
Published: May 2016

A comprehensive survey of criminology, in all its variants, manifestations, and historical antecedents, has yet to be written. Several reasons can be adduced why the effort has yet to be undertaken. The first results from a professional orientation shared by all scientific endeavors. The most immediate imperative of science is to begin accumulating knowledge of the phenomena it wishes to comprehend. This mandate produces a professional orientation toward expertise. The premium placed on the esoteric over the general requires the scholarly community to direct the profession toward the dissection of smaller aspects of the larger, more complicated subject matter. It is presumed that documenting its own history is a secondary concern better left to historians. An additional impediment is an artifact of the field’s canon being fed by contributions from a wide spectrum of disciplines through the years, from political science, psychology, and biology to moral philosophy and economics and everything beyond. These peculiarities of an undisciplined emerging discipline present challenges for any historian attempting to determine the working identity of the study of crime and its control. Combining the multiple strands and facets of the field is a challenge not to be dismissed lightly; nevertheless, offering an outline of the field’s development is certainly not an impossible task. The bibliographic format, and the larger bibliographic effort of which this article is but a small part, offers an ideal opportunity to attempt a compilation of criminology’s history. The approach followed here will mimic that of an introductory criminology text, with a few modifications. Each theoretical school will be represented in the sequence in which it appears in the historical record, roughly considered, as seen in the publication of foundational works. The theoretical school that supersedes the earlier contributions will then be introduced. There are only two minor departures from the textbook-like formula. First, the article begins with a section dedicated to introducing a body of work that is about the field of criminology. Increasing attention has been given of late to chronicling its history. Second, a section is included that considers pre-professional criminology. These writings address the question of crime and its control prior to the field cohering around a professional identity. Because the article endeavors to provide a history capturing the seminal works in its canon readers interested in learning of recent theoretical developments beginning in the 1980s and 1990s (e.g., career criminal research, life-course theory, self-control/general theory of crime, bio-social criminology) are encouraged to consult entries dealing with these topics found elsewhere in the Oxford Bibliographies Online collection. [Please note that many of the works cited here were originally published at much earlier dates.]
Social Darwinism
Authors: Bowler Peter
Published: May 2016

Social Darwinism is a complex and controversial topic, a package of ideologies supposedly inspired by biological evolutionism that is of interest to scholars of both the life and the social sciences. In principle it includes any political system inspired by the view that human nature and social activity are driven by our biological nature, especially as defined by the process of evolution. The complexity of the topic derives from the fact that the term social Darwinism has been applied to a number of different (and to some extent incompatible) ideologies. The key feature is supposed to be the influence of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection, in which the “struggle for existence” determines the “survival of the fittest,” thereby ensuring that the species adapts to new conditions—although it is widely assumed that the process also guarantees progress toward higher levels of complexity. The classic image is of the proponents of unrestrained free-enterprise capitalism justifying their policy by appealing to the “survival of the fittest.” But the term has also been applied to justifications of militarism and imperialism (national or racial struggle) and to the eugenics movement’s efforts to replace natural selection with a process of artificial selection by restricting the reproduction of the “unfit.” The term has also been applied to more or less any claim that human nature is fixed by hereditary factors, especially those linked to social class or race. The topic is contentious because social Darwinism is almost always used in a pejorative sense—the opponents of these ideologies use it to define positions they reject, and this becomes particularly sensitive when applied to areas such as Nazi racial policies and the Holocaust. Most forms of social Darwinism are associated with right-wing ideologies, despite the fact that scholars can point to many left-wing writers who were also inspired by Darwin. The problem of interpretation is compounded by the fact that historians of both the biological and the social sciences are involved, bringing very different interpretive frameworks to bear. Scholars interested in the social world tend to equate social Darwinism with any ideology based on the struggle for existence, whether or not there is evidence of inspiration from biological Darwinism. Historians of science may be well aware that the term refers to a much wider range of ideologies than those inspired directly by Darwin, but they do expect the analysis to respect the fact that other biological ideas and, indeed, other evolutionary mechanisms were involved.
Andre Dubus
Authors: Carr Edenfield Olivia
Published: May 2016

Contemporary writer Andre Dubus (b. 1936–d. 1999) published two novels, six collections of short stories / novellas, and two collections of essays during his lifetime. He was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, where perhaps the fondness he felt for his two older sisters coupled with the close relationship he maintained with his mother, Katherine (Burke) Dubus, contributed to his ability to write so well from a female perspective. He graduated from the Christian Brothers High School in Lafayette, Louisiana, then earned his BA in English and journalism from McNeese State College, where he wrote a weekly column for the campus newspaper, in which he gave his opinions on a wide variety of current events. In 1958, after he graduated, he married Patricia (Pat) Lowe and, hoping to please his detached father, accepted a commission as a lieutenant in the US Marines. When Andre Sr. died in 1963, his son resigned to pursue his master of fine arts (MFA) degree at the University of Iowa, where he became friends with Richard Yates, Kurt Vonnegut, and others who would influence him both professionally and personally. In 1966, he moved with his wife and four children to teach at Bradford College in Haverhill, Massachusetts, where he remained on the faculty until his retirement in 1984. Though Dubus would be the first at Iowa to receive a contract for a novel while still in graduate school, it would be his short stories that would secure his critical reputation. Dubus’s successful career was complicated by three divorces, the last of which brought an end to his eight-year marriage to writer Peggy Rambach, with whom he had two daughters. The couple separated a year and a half after tragedy occurred along I-93 just after midnight on 23 July 1986, in Wilmington, Massachusetts. Dubus had stopped to aid two stranded motorists and was struck by a car. The accident left him crippled and in constant pain. As he adjusted to the frustrating disability that robbed him of his physical energy and temporarily stole his ability to write fiction, he found peace in the rituals of family and faith and rediscovered his voice in essay writing. On 24 February 1999, Andre Dubus died of heart failure at his home in Haverhill. Though he lived and worked for the majority of his life around the mill towns of Massachusetts, his upbringing in the bayous of Louisiana and his deep Catholic faith had the greatest influence on his writing. With the exception of the limited edition of Land Where My Fathers Died (1985) and the novels The Lieutenant (1967) and Voices from the Moon (1984), which are available as e-books, all of Dubus’s collections remain in print. His story “Killings” (1979) is popular in anthologies. He has had two screenplays adapted from his work, In the Bedroom (2001) and We Don’t Live Here Anymore (2004).
When Antimicrobial Stewardship Isn′t Watching: The Educational Impact of Critical Care Prospective Audit and Feedback
Authors: Fleming Dimitra , Ali Karim F. , Matelski John , D'Sa Ryan , Powis Jeff
Published: May 2016

Prospective audit and feedback (PAF) is an effective strategy to optimize antimicrobial use in the critical care setting, yet whether skills gained during PAF influence future antimicrobial prescribing is uncertain. This multisite study demonstrates that knowledge learned during PAF is translated and incorporated into the practice of critical care physicians even when not supported by an antimicrobial stewardship program.
Information use shapes range expansion dynamics into environmental gradients
Authors: Fronhofer Emanuel A. , Nitsche Nicolai , Altermatt Florian
Published: May 2016

Globally, geographic distributions of species are dynamic and strongly influenced by dispersal. Vice versa, range dynamics feed back and may select for increased dispersal. This interplay almost universally happens across environmental gradients which can directly impact the fitness of organisms, but also provide individuals with information on the environmental changes. However, the organisms’; ability to subsequently adjust dispersal decisions plastically has been largely ignored and the (macro)ecological consequences remain unclear. Using modeling and controlled experiments in replicated microcosm landscapes, we show that information on environmental gradients severely impacted range dynamics and inverted the spatial distribution of population densities in comparison to controls where this information was not provided. Additionally, information use prevented evolutionary changes in dispersal and an acceleration of range expansions. We demonstrate the strong impact of informed dispersal and subsequent behavioral changes on range dynamics in environmental gradients and spatial dynamics in general.
fMRI evidence of equivalent neural suppression by repetition and prior knowledge
Authors: Poppenk J. , Moscovitch M. , McIntosh A.R.
Published: May 2016

Stimulus repetition speeds behavioral responding (behavioral priming) and is accompanied by suppressed neural responses (repetition suppression; RS) that have been observed up to three days after initial exposure. While some proposals have suggested the two phenomena are linked, behavioral priming has been observed many years after initial exposure, whereas RS is widely considered a transitory phenomenon. This raises the question: what is the true upper limit of RS persistence? To answer this question, we scanned healthy, English-native adults with fMRI as they viewed novel (Asian) proverbs, recently repeated (Asian) proverbs, and previously known (English) proverbs that were matched on various dimensions. We then estimated RS by comparing repeated or previously known proverbs against novel ones. Multivariate analyses linked previously known and repeated proverbs with statistically indistinguishable RS in a broad visual-linguistic network. In eachsuppressedregion, prior knowledge and repetition also induced a common shift in functional connectivity, further underscoring the similarity of the RS phenomenon induced by these conditions. By contrast,activatedregions readily distinguished prior knowledge and repetition conditions in a manner consistent with engagement of semantic and episodic memory systems, respectively. Our results illustrate that regardless of whether RS is understood in terms of its magnitude, spatial extent or functional connectivity profile, typical RS effects can be elicited even under conditions where recently triggered biological processes or episodic memory are unlikely to play a prominent role. These results provide important new evidence that RS (of the kind observed after an interval of at least several minutes) reflects the facilitation of perceptual and comprehension processes by any type of information retrieved from long-term memory.
Pcadapt: An R Package to Perform Genome Scans for Selection Based on Principal Component Analysis
Authors: Luu Keurcien , Bazin Eric , Blum Michael G. B.
Published: May 2016

The R packagepcadaptperforms genome scans to detect genes under selection based on population genomic data. It assumes that candidate markers are outliers with respect to how they are related to population structure. Because population structure is ascertained with principal component analysis, the package is fast and works with large-scale data. It can handle missing data and pooled sequencing data. By contrast to population-based approaches, the package handle admixed individuals and does not require grouping individuals into populations. Since its first release,pcadapthas evolved both in terms of statistical approach and software implementation. We present results obtained with robust Mahalanobis distance, which is a new statistic for genome scans available in the 2.0 and later versions of the package. When hierarchical population structure occurs, Mahalanobis distance is more powerful than the communality statistic that was implemented in the first version of the package. Using simulated data, we comparepcadaptto other software for genome scans (BayeScan, hapflk, OutFLANK, sNMF). We find that the proportion of false discoveries is around a nominal false discovery rate set at 10% with the exception ofBayeScanthat generates 40% of false discoveries. We also find that the power ofBayeScanis severely impacted by the presence of admixed individuals whereaspcadaptis not impacted. Last, we find thatpcadaptandhapflkare the most powerful software in scenarios of population divergence and range expansion. Becausepcadapthandles next-generation sequencing data, it is a valuable tool for data analysis in molecular ecology.