bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A New Approach for Rainfall Rate Field Space-Time Interpolation for Western Europe
Authors: Yang Guangguang , Ndzi David , Paulson Kevin , Filip Misha
Published: August 2018

Abstract. The prediction of rainfall rate characteristics at small space-time scales is currently an important topic, particularly within the context of the planning and design of satellite network systems. A new comprehensive interpolation approach is presented in this paper to deal with such an issue. There are three novelties in the proposed approach: (1) the proposed interpolation approach is not directly applied to measured rain precipitation (either radar or raingauge-derived data) but focuses on the coefficients of the fitted statistical distributions and/or computed rain characteristics at each location; (2) the parameter databases are provided and the contour maps of coefficients spanning Western Europe have been created. It conveniently and efficiently provides the rain parameter for any location within the studied map; (3) more speculatively, the 3D space-time interpolation approach can extrapolate to rain parameters at space-time resolutions shorter than those in the NIMROD databases.
Myrmekite and strain weakening in granitoid mylonites
Authors: Ceccato Alberto , Menegon Luca , Pennacchioni Giorgio , Morales Luiz Fernando Grafulha
Published: August 2018

Abstract. At mid-crustal conditions, deformation of feldspar is mainly accomplished by a combination of fracturing, dissolution/precipitation and reaction-weakening mechanisms. In particular, K-feldspar is reaction-weakened by formation of strain-induced myrmekite – a fine-grained symplectite of plagioclase and quartz. Here we investigate with EBSD the microstructure of a granodiorite mylonite, developed at 420–460 °C during cooling of the Rieserferner pluton (Eastern Alps), to assess the microstructural processes and the role of weakening associated with myrmekite development. Our analysis shows that the crystallographic orientation of the plagioclase of pristine myrmekite was controlled by that of the replaced K-feldspar. Myrmekite nucleation resulted in both grain size reduction and ordered phase mixing by heterogeneous nucleation of quartz and plagioclase. The fine grain size of sheared myrmekite promoted grain size-sensitive creep mechanisms including fluid-assisted grain boundary sliding in plagioclase, coupled with heterogeneous nucleation of quartz within creep cavitation pores. Flow laws calculated for monomineralic quartz, feldspar, and quartz + plagioclase aggregates (sheared myrmekite), show that during mylonitization at 450 °C, grain-size-sensitive creep in sheared myrmekite accommodated strain rates several orders of magnitude higher than monomineralic quartz layers deforming by dislocation creep. Therefore, diffusion creep and grain size-sensitive processes contributed significantly to bulk rock weakening during mylonitization. Our results have implications for modelling the rheology of the mid-upper continental (felsic) crust.
Response of sub-ice platelet layer thickening rate to variations in Ice Shelf Water supercooling in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica
Authors: Cheng Chen , Jenkins Adrian , Holland Paul R. , Wang Zhaomin , Liu Chengyan , Xia Ruibin
Published: August 2018

Abstract. Persistent outflow of supercooled Ice Shelf Water (ISW) from beneath McMurdo Ice Shelf creates a sub-ice platelet layer (SIPL) having a unique crystallographic structure under the sea ice in McMurdo Sound (MMS), Antarctica. A new frazil-ice-laden ISW plume model that encapsulates the combined nonlinear effects of the vertical distributions of supercooling and frazil ice concentration (FIC) on frazil ice growth is applied to MMS, and is shown to reproduce the observed ISW supercooling and SIPL distributions. Using this model, the dependence of SIPL thickening rate on ISW supercooling in MMS is investigated. Results are found to be sensitive to the choice of frazil ice suspension index, which determines the vertical distribution of FIC. For each suspension index, SIPL thickening rate can be expressed as an exponential function of ISW supercooling. The complex dependence on FIC highlights the need to improve frazil ice observations within the ice-ocean boundary layer.
“eine(r) große(n) verhängnisvolle(n) Zeit”. La Guerra de la Indepen-dencia española en la obra de dos románticos alemanes: Hoffmann y Eichendorff
Authors: Raposo Berta
Published: August 2018

A principios del siglo XIX empieza a despuntar en la literatura alemana un interés por temas actuales (“Zeitgeschehen”). E. T. A. Hoffmann y Joseph von Eichendorff, los dos autores más importantes del Romanticismo tardío, sitúan dos de sus relatos (de 1819 y 1834 respectivamente) en el escenario de la Guerra de la Independencia española (1808-1814). En el presente artículo se analizan comparativamente las líneas argumentales, el tratamiento de los personajes y la representación de la guerra en ambas obras. De esta manera se puede comprobar que ésta es en ambos casos un recipiente para situar acciones o personajes que escapan del mundo cotidiano, con la diferencia de que Hoffmann describe la guerra con apariencia de veracidad, mientras que Eichendorff la pone al servicio de sus propios mitos.
¿Palabras diacríticas o palabras ligadas fraseológicamente? Respuestas desde la perspectiva de la lingüística de corpus
Authors: Holzinger Herbert J.
Published: August 2018

Como palabras diacríticas o palabras ligadas fraseológicamente se entienden palabras que solo existen dentro de unidades fraseológicas. Se han confeccionado varios listados de estas palabras para el alemán. Sin embargo, análisis de corpus han puesto de manifiesto que no todas esas palabras existen únicamente en unidades fraseológicas sino que también tienen, en mayor o menor medida, uso libre en la lengua. Como consecuencia de análisis de corpus algunas palabras se desplazan a la periferia de la categoría o dejan de pertenecer a ella, mientras otras se añaden. Establecer y analizar el núcleo de la categoría promete revelar nuevos conocimientos sobre las palabras ligadas fraseológicamente.
Métodos computacionais para segmentação do disco óptico em imagens de retina: uma revisão
Authors: Claro Maíla Lima , Veras Rodrigo , Santos Luís , Frazão Marcos , Carvalho Filho Antonio , Leite Daniel
Published: August 2018

A utilização de técnicas de processamento digital de imagens (PDI) é destaque no cenário médico para o diagnóstico automático de patologias. Na área oftalmológica o glaucoma é a segunda principal causa da perda de visão no mundo e não possui cura. Atualmente, existem tratamentos para prevenir a perda da visão, contudo a doença deve ser descoberta nos estágios iniciais. O objetivo principal deste artigo é revisar as metodologias e técnicas de segmentação dos limites do disco óptico e escavação. Essas regiões são utilizadas para o cálculo de métricas para classificação do glaucoma e auxílio aos profissionais da área. Os trabalhos mais recentes publicados na área foram classificados em cinco grupos de acordo com a principal técnica de PDI aplicada: agrupamento, superpixel, contorno ativo, morfologia matemática e redes neurais convolucionais. Além disso, foi realizado um levantamento das principais bases de imagens e métricas de avaliação utilizadas.
Aplicação de células inativas, Compressed Sparse Row e OpenMP na simulação numérica paralelizada de reservatórios de petróleo
Authors: De Salles Rafael Machado , Werneck Leonardo Figueira , De Souza Grazione , Amaral Souto Helio Pedro
Published: August 2018

Este trabalho visa, principalmente, à simulação numérica de escoamentos monofásicos de óleo em reservatórios de petróleo do tipo anticlinal. Portanto, uma técnica específica para a representação de células inativas foi desenvolvida. Além disso, a fim de melhorar a eficiência computacional, a interface de programação OpenMP foi utilizada, juntamente com a técnica Compressed Sparse Row, com a finalidade de paralelizar-se o método dos Gradientes Conjugados, empregado na resolução do sistema algébrico de equações oriundo da discretização da Equação da Difusividade Hidráulica (EDH) que governa o escoamento. Testes de sensibilidade, convergência e desempenho foram realizados considerando-se diferentes reservatórios do tipo anticlinal.
COMUNICAÇÃO QUÍMICA ENTRE CÃES MACHOS: URINA E FEZES
Authors: Genaro Gelson , NAKADI CINTIA VENÂNCIO , Cintra Lucas Vinícius de Castro , Neves Jéssica Ariane de Paula
Published: August 2018

A comunicação entre animais pode ocorrer de diversas formas, e em cães essa interação ocorre principalmente por sinais químicos. O presente estudo observou cães machos, adultos e castrados para analisar a marcação química (urinar, raspar e defecar) nesta espécie. O objetivo do experimento foi detectar de que maneira essa marcação pode servir como estímulo olfatório e sua influência na interação entre seus co-especificos, quando há, ou não, contato visual entre os mesmos. Durante os 27 dias de experimento, utilizamos mapas e tabelas para coletar os dados necessários, que posteriormente foram analisados em teste de comparação de variâncias e teste qui-quadrado. O resultado mostrou que os animais estudados utilizam mais a urina do que o raspar e, em menor quantidade, fezes para marcação química; cães sem contato visual marcam mais território com urinar e raspar, do que cães com contato visual; e também que os cães sem contato visual marcam duas vezes mais o território perto de seu canil do que cães com contato visual. Dessa forma, esse trabalho contribui para melhorar a vida do animal em cativeiro, oferecendo condições para este desempenhar seus comportamentos naturais, bem como proporcionar o manejo do recinto de modo a privilegiar as condições sanitárias, minimizando o contato com patógenos veiculados possivelmente por suas excretas.
MODELO QUANTITATIVO DE RISCO A ATAQUES DE MORCEGOS HEMATÓFAGOS A BOVINOS NO MUNICÍPIO DE SÃO PEDRO - SP
Authors: Mialhe Paulo Jacques
Published: August 2018

O morcego hematófago Desmodus rotundus é o principal transmissor da raiva dos herbívoros domésticos, causando enormes prejuízos na pecuária da América Latina. Utilizando um modelo de análise de decisão por múltiplos critérios em Sistema de Informações Geográficas (SIG) foi possível integrar informações e gerar um mapa quantitativo de risco a ataques de D. rotundus aos bovinos no Munícipio de São Pedro – SP. O mapa indicou que a distância dos abrigos de morcegos hematófagos aos rebanhos e número de morcegos existentes nestes abrigos parece ter maior relevância na definição de áreas de ataques que a densidade de herbívoros domésticos. O modelo pode ser usado para otimizar ações de vigilância epidemiológica e educativas, concentrando seus esforços nas áreas mais vulneráveis, poupando assim tempo e recursos.
Patient satisfaction with nurse practitioner care in Newfoundland and Labrador
Authors: Emberley-Burke Wanda , Meadus Robert J. , Twomey June Creina , Kean Kelly Power
Published: August 2018

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the level of patient satisfaction with health care provided by Nurse Practitioners (NPs) in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), in primary health care settings.Methods: This is a descriptive study. 155 adult patients (N = 155) were recruited from the four regional health authorities (RHAs) throughout NL who employed NPs in a primary health care setting. A 47-item questionnaire called the Nurse Practitioner Satisfaction Survey (NPSS) was given to patients after receiving care from a NP.Results: Over 93% of the participants agreed or strongly agreed with their degree of satisfaction of care provided by the NP. Patients who visited the NP one to five times in the past year reported higher levels of satisfaction. No significant differences based upon marital status, gender or ethnicity were found.Conclusions: Patient satisfaction was rated as high for care provided by NPs with over 98% of participants reporting they would seek the services of a NP in the future. The majority of the participants would recommend the NP to others seeking health care services. This study describes patient satisfaction with NP care and highlights NPs as valued providers of care in rural and urban primary health care settings. Identified narrative themes were timely access to care, NP knowledge, trust, and provider consistency. NPs should seek ways to ensure they work to their full scope of practice to meet the needs of the population and increase their presence in primary health care settings.
BUILDING A COLLECTION
BY REV. JAN WIŚNIEWSKI, A GREAT DONOR
OF THE DIOCESAN MUSEUM IN SANDOMIERZ
Authors: Stępień Urszula
Published: August 2018

The article is an attempt to show collecting
achievements of Rev. Jan Wiśniewski (1876–1943), who
after building an unusual, astonishingly vast and versatile
collection of art and national memorabilia, donated it to
the Diocesan Museum in Sandomierz. His collecting was
rooted in the 19th century, in the spirit of growing patriotic
awareness and interests in the history of one’s own
country, resulted from the lack of independence. Apart
from collecting, Rev. Wiśniewski conducted comprehensive
research. As an amateur historian, he edited and published
at his own cost 15 volumes of the Monografia dekanatów
and Historyczne opisy kościołów. He started his collection
in Radom, then continued accumulating items in Borkowice
where he became a parish priest. It was there, in the
parsonage, that he arranged the Museum of National
Memorabilia. His exhibits were often displayed as loans
outside his museum. As confirmed in written sources,
Rev. Jan Wiśniewski had many contacts among collectors,
antiquarians, art dealers and bibliophiles, some of them of
great renown. His collection became a cornerstone of the
Diocesan Museum in Sandomierz, which seems to be his
intention from the start, as much as saving from demolition
the historic elements of churches’ interiors. He was building
his collection in order to make it public and pass on to the
following generations.
Grazing pressure versus environmental covariates: Effects on woody and herbaceous plant biodiversity on a limestone mountain in northern Tunisia
Authors: Kirk David Anthony , Goldsmith F. B.
Published: August 2018

Mediterranean vegetation is characterized by high biodiversity and conservation value and grazing is controversial. We sampled woody and herbaceous plants on a limestone mountain with strong mesic-xeric gradients, ranked grazing pressure (on a scale of 1-4) and asked whether grazing had a significant effect on plant compositional abundance before and after controlling for environmental covariates. For woody species the shift in means among grazing classes was greater than for herbaceous species according to distance-based redundancy analysis (dbRDA). For herbaceous species differences in multivariate dispersion were greater among grazing classes. Both groups showed significant differences among grazing classes in multivariate location (permutational multivariate ANOVA), even after controlling for aspect. After taking into account biophysical covariates, grazing was not significant and the variation unique to grazing was small. According to best models in dbRDA, grazing was significant in two models for woody species, and all models for herbaceous species. For woody species, spatial variables were most important and confounded with grazing while for herbs, altitude, distance to road, slope, rock outcropping were important. Significant effects of grazing were found for forbs, Poaceae, and Geophytes but not woody and herbaceous legumes. We found a negative relationship between grazing intensity and beta diversity for herbs overall and especially Poaceae, but moderate grazing resulted in higher beta diversity for Geophytes and herbaceous legumes. Jebel Ichkeul provides a microcosm of similar conservation and management issues elsewhere in the Mediterranean. Carefully controlled grazing may enhance plant diversity and maintain the characteristics of maquis vegetation.
Effects of spinal cord stimulation on postural control in Parkinson's disease patients with freezing of gait
Authors: de Lima-Pardini Andrea Cristina , Coelho Daniel Boari , Souza Carolina Pinto , Souza Carolina Oliveira , Ghilardi Maria Gabriela dos Santos , Garcia Tiago , Voos Mariana , Milosevic Matija , Hamani Clement , Teixeira Luis Augusto , Fonoff Erich Talamoni
Published: August 2018

Freezing of gait (FoG) in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is an incapacitating transient phenomenon, followed by continuous postural disorders. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a promising intervention for FoG in patients with PD, however, its effects on distinct domains of postural control is not well known. The aim of this study is to assess the effects of SCS on FoG and distinct domains of postural control. Four patients with FoG were implanted with SCS systems in the upper thoracic spine. Anticipatory postural adjustment (APA), reactive postural responses, gait and FoG were biomechanically assessed. In general, the results showed that SCS improved FoG and APA. However, SCS failed to improve reactive postural responses. SCS seems to influence cortical motor circuits, involving the supplementary motor area. On the other hand, reactive posture control to external perturbation that mainly relies on neuronal circuitries involving the brainstem and spinal cord, is less influenced by SCS.
HPO2GO: prediction of human phenotype ontology term associations for proteins using cross ontology annotation co-occurrences
Authors: Doğan Tunca
Published: August 2018

Analysing the relationships between biomolecules and the genetic diseases is a highly active area of research, where the aim is to identify the genes and their products that cause a particular disease due to functional changes originated from mutations. Biological ontologies are frequently employed in these studies, which provides researchers with extensive opportunities for knowledge discovery through computational data analysis. In this study, a novel approach is proposed for the identification of relationships between biomedical entities by automatically mapping phenotypic abnormality defining HPO terms with biomolecular function defining GO terms, where each association indicates the occurrence of the abnormality due to the loss of the biomolecular function expressed by the corresponding GO term. The proposed HPO2GO mappings were extracted by calculating the frequency of the co-annotations of the terms on the same genes/proteins, using already existing curated HPO and GO annotation sets. This was followed by the filtering of the unreliable mappings that could be observed due to chance, by statistical resampling of the co-occurrence similarity distributions. Furthermore, the biological relevance of the finalized mappings were discussed over selected cases, using the literature. The resulting HPO2GO mappings can be employed in different settings to predict and to analyse novel gene/protein—ontology term—disease relations. As an application of the proposed approach, HPO term—protein associations (i.e., HPO2protein) were predicted. In order to test the predictive performance of the method on a quantitative basis, and to compare it with the state-of-the-art, CAFA2 challenge HPO prediction target protein set was employed. The results of the benchmark indicated the potential of the proposed approach, as HPO2GO performance was among the best (Fmax = 0.35). The automated cross ontology mapping approach developed in this work may be extended to other ontologies as well, to identify unexplored relation patterns at the systemic level. The datasets, results and the source code of HPO2GO are available for download at: https://github.com/cansyl/HPO2GO.
First appearance deceives many: disentangling theHemidactylus triedrusspecies complex using an integrated approach
Authors: Mirza Zeeshan A. , Gowande Gaurang G. , Patil Rishikesh , Ambekar Mayuresh , Patel Harshil
Published: August 2018

The gekkonid lizard genusHemidactylusOken is the second most species-rich genus of geckos with greatest diversity in the tropical regions of the world. Some species of the genus are commensal and widespread; however, there are several endemic lineages with restricted distribution. India is home to at least 35 species, with 20 endemic species and the number is steadily increasing with exploration of new habitats and integrated taxonomic approach including molecular data. We made investigations into the molecular and morphological variation throughout the distribution ofHemidactylus triedrusDaudin, 1802 based on fresh specimens, literature review, museum material and molecular data. Results from morphological, molecular and micro-CT based anatomical data are unequivocal and show thatH. triedrusis a species complex represented by three species,H. triedrussensu stricto and two undescribed taxa.H. subtriedrusJerdon, 1854 syn. nov. was found to be morphologically similar to the type specimen ofH. triedrus, and genetically embedded in a clade containingH. triedrussensu stricto and is here treated as a junior synonym ofH. triedrus, whereasH. lankaeDeraniyagala is referred to asnomen dubiumgiven that the types are presently not traceable and the original description is inadequate in diagnosing the taxon. The populations from western-central India and parts of Pakistan, and from southern Karnataka are distinct and diagnosable, and are herein described as two new species, respectively. Morphological and molecular data support the distinctiveness of the new species. The present work resolves a taxonomic turmoil that lasted over two centuries highlighting the need for studies that integrate morphological and molecular data.
Effect of Phosphorus on the Activity and Stability of Supported Cobalt Catalysts for Fischer‐Tropsch Synthesis
Authors: Martinelli Michela , Kumaran Gnanamani Muthu , Hopps Shelley D. , Sparks Dennis E. , MacLennan Aimee , Hu Yongfeng , Davis Burtron H. , Jacobs Gary
Published: August 2018

Phosphorus promotion on Fischer‐Tropsch (FT) synthesis was investigated for Co/Al2O3 and Co/SiO2 catalysts having the same Co/P ratio. When P is added to Co/Al2O3, CO conversion on a per g catalyst basis decreased, while methane selectivity increased. Catalyst stability was higher for the sample containing both P and Pt. The main cause for lower initial conversion is Co site blocking, while the lower extent of cobalt reduction for the P‐promoted Co/Al2O3 sample played a lesser role. When SiO2 is used to support cobalt particles, an initial induction period for the P‐promoted catalyst was observed, where CO conversion increased. Higher CO conversion at steady state, as well as improved catalyst stability during FT testing, suggest that P hindered sintering. Over the same period, a decline and leveling off of conversion were observed for the unpromoted catalyst. Completely different effects were observed depending on support type. P only acted as a poison for Co/Al2O3, whereas beneficial effects on steady state CO conversion and stability occurred with Co/SiO2. The different effects of P for Al2O3 and SiO2 supported Co catalysts can be explained by differences in Co‐support interactions. With alumina, Co clusters are already stabilized by strong interactions with the support. P has no benefit, as it mainly interacts with alumina instead of Co; pore blocking by P also occurred. In contrast, SiO2 has weak interactions with Co and less Co cluster stabilization. With P promotion, P anchors Co to the support, improving Co dispersion, stability and steady‐state conversion.
Voltammetric Behaviors and Determination of Thiocyanate on Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes‐Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide Modified Electrode
Authors: Li Dan , Xie Fangfang , Zhang Jingdong
Published: August 2018

Electrochemical behaviors of thiocyanate on three carbon nanotubes (CNTs) composites modified glass carbon electrode (GCE) were studied. The modified electrodes were prepared with CNTs suspended in aqueous solutions of chitosan (CHT), poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), respectively. The results indicated that CNTs‐CTAB enhanced the voltammetric response of thiocyanate more remarkably than other two CNTs composites. Then, the voltammetric behaviors of thiocyanate on CNTs‐CTAB/GCE were investigated systematically to develop an electrochemical sensor for thiocyanate determination. The solution pH, supporting electrolyte, amount of CNTs‐CTAB suspension, and accumulation time were optimized. Under optimum conditions, the anodic peak current on CNTs‐CTAB/GCE increased linearly with increasing the thiocyanate concentration from 5.0×10−6 to 1.0×10−4 mol L−1. The proposed CNTs‐CTAB/GCE was demonstrated to provide a fast and low‐cost approach to monitoring the adsorptive removal of thiocyanate with layered double hydrotalcite (LDH).
A GRIM fate for human neutrophils in airway disease
Authors: Mitchell Thomas C
Published: August 2018

A neutrophil culture method recapitulates their phenotypic plasticity and may accelerate development of drugs that target pathological subsets in airway disease.
Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus drive immune dysfunction, infection development, and sepsis mortality
Authors: Frydrych Lynn M , Bian Guowu , O’Lone David E , Ward Peter A , Delano Matthew J
Published: August 2018

Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) are global pandemics. Worldwide, the prevalence of obesity has nearly tripled since 1975 and the prevalence of T2D has almost doubled since 1980. Both obesity and T2D are indolent and chronic diseases that develop gradually, with cellular physiologic changes occurring before the clinical signs and symptoms of the diseases become apparent. Individuals with obesity and T2D are physiologically frail and have an increased risk of infections and mortality from sepsis. Improvement in the morbidity and mortality of these at-risk populations would provide a great societal benefit. We believe that the worsened outcomes observed in these patient populations is due to immune system dysfunction that is triggered by the chronic low-grade inflammation present in both diseases. As immune modulatory therapies have been utilized in other chronic inflammatory diseases, there is an emerging role for immune modulatory therapies that target the chronically affected immune pathways in obese and T2D patients. Additionally, bariatric surgery is currently the most successful treatment for obesity and is the only weight loss method that also causes a sustained, substantial improvement of T2D. Consequently, bariatric surgery may also have a role in improving immunity in these patient populations.

Review on how obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus impact immunity and lead to poor clinical outcomes and the cellular changes observed after weight loss.
Detonation Characteristics of Emulsion Explosives Sensitized by Hydrogen‐Storage Glass Microballoons
Authors: Wang Yixin , Ma Honghao , Shen Zhaowu , Wang Bo , Xue Bing , Ren Lijie
Published: August 2018

In order to improve the detonation performances of emulsion explosives, a new type of emulsion explosives sensitized by hydrogen‐storage glass microballoons is proposed. The influences of hydrogen in glass microballoons on explosion characteristics of emulsion explosives were studied. Brisance testing and underwater explosion experiments showed that, compared with traditional emulsion explosives, the shock impulse and specific total energy of hydrogen‐storage glass microballoons sensitized emulsion explosives are improved significantly. The brisance (compression of lead block) of hydrogen‐storage emulsion explosives is 23.0 mm, 3.2 mm more than that of traditional emulsion explosives. Therefore, the hydrogen‐storage glass microballoons could be a promising energetic additive for developing high‐power emulsion explosives.
Doing Good Together: Competition Law and the Political Legitimacy of Interfirm Cooperation
Authors: Claassen Rutger , Gerbrandy Anna
Published: August 2018

Demands have been growing upon firms to take actions in the interests of workers, the environment, local communities, and others. Firms sometimes have felt they could best discharge such responsibilities by cooperating with other firms. This, however, is suspect from the point of view of a purely economic interpretation of competition law, since interfirm agreements may raise prices and thus lower welfare for consumers. Should competition law remain focused on competition enhancing economic welfare, or be reformed to allow for acts of cooperation that are socially beneficial? To answer this question, the article provides a philosophical reevaluation of the deep-seated view that firms are merely private actors. It argues that demands of political legitimacy should also be addressed at firms cooperating together, and that standard views of democratic accountability should be broadened, introducing a model of delegated, sequential decision making which allows regulatory agencies and parliaments to control interfirm agreements.
Full-Scale Simulations of Magnetorheological Damper for Implementation of Semi-Actively Structural Control
Authors: Peng Y. B. , Zhang Z. K. , Yang J. G. , Wang L. H.
Published: August 2018

Full-scale simulations of a (Magnetorheological) MR damper are carried out for revealing its hysteretic behaviors associated with implementation of semi-active control using the routine of computational fluid dynamics. By virtue of the structural symmetry of the MR damper, a two-dimensional configuration for finite element simulation is built up. Herschel-Bulkley model is employed to represent the property of the MR fluid, of which the control parameters and their relevances to the input current are addressed. Typical cases involving sinusoidal and irregular displacements, steady and transient currents loaded upon the MR damper are investigated. Numerical investigations reveal that the damper force has a positive correlation with input current, excitation amplitude and excitation frequency. The full-scale simulation is proved to exhibit a sound accuracy through the validation of experimental data. It provides a logical manner revealing the true performance of MR dampers under desirable operating modes in practice, and can be readily integrated with the gain design of the associated semi-actively controlled structure. This progress bypasses the technical challenge inherent in the traditional tests with low-frequency cyclic loadings due to the limitation of experimental setup. Besides, comparative study between two-dimensional and three-dimensional configuration simulations of the MR damper shows that former has a better applicability, which can be carried out on a low-cost platform.
The association between dietary intake of magnesium and psychiatric disorders among Iranian adults: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Anjom-Shoae Javad , Sadeghi Omid , Hassanzadeh Keshteli Ammar , Afshar Hamid , Esmaillzadeh Ahmad , Adibi Peyman
Published: August 2018

Findings from clinical trials on the effect of Mg supplementation on depression and anxiety are not generalisable to the community owing to high-dose intervention in short-term periods. Limited observational data are available linking dietary intake of Mg and psychiatric disorders. We aimed to investigate the association between dietary intake of Mg and psychiatric disorders in a large cross-sectional study on Iranian adults. A total of 3172 Iranian adults (with an age range of 18–55 years) were included in this study. Data on dietary intakes were collected using a validated dish-based 106-item semi-quantitative FFQ. To assess depression and anxiety, an Iranian validated version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used. Furthermore, psychological distress was examined using the General Health Questionnaire. The mean age of men and women was 38·4 (sd8·2) and 35·1 (sd7·4) years, respectively. In unadjusted analyses, we found that higher dietary Mg intake was associated with lower odds of anxiety among women (OR 0·61; 95 % CI 0·41, 0·90), such that after taking potential confounders into account women in the highest quintile of Mg intake had a 39 % lower odds of anxiety compared with those in the lowest quintile (OR 0·61; 95 % CI 0·40, 0·93). Moreover, deficient Mg intake was positively associated with anxiety among all women (OR 1·80; 95 % CI 1·19, 2·72) and also normal-weight women (OR 1·73; 95 % CI 1·01, 2·95). In addition, a significant inverse association was found between dietary Mg intake and depression among normal-weight men (OR 0·45; 95 % CI 0·20, 0·99) and overweight women (OR 0·45; 95 % CI 0·24, 0·85). In conclusion, dietary intake of Mg was inversely associated with depression and anxiety. However, such findings were not seen for psychological distress.
On Gibbard’s Defence of the Dispositional Theory of Meaning
Authors: SABOOHI ALI
Published: August 2018

According to the dispositional theory of meaning and content, what a speaker means by an expression is determined by her dispositions to use it. The literature contains two well-known objections against this theory: the problem of finitude and the problem of error. In his bookMeaning and Normativity, Allan Gibbard propounds a novel defence against these objections. In this paper, I argue that Gibbard’s suggestions fail to save the dispositional theory. Moreover, I argue that Gibbard’s deflationary view about facts prevents him from saying anything about the property of meaning that would hold any interest for a naturalist.
Kinematic topology and constraints of multi-loop linkages
Authors: Müller Andreas
Published: August 2018

Modeling the instantaneous kinematics of lower pair linkages using joint screws and the finite kinematics with Lie group concepts is well established on a solid theoretical foundation. This allows for modeling the forward kinematics of mechanisms as well the loop closure constraints of kinematic loops. Yet there is no established approach to the modeling of complex mechanisms possessing multiple kinematic loops. For such mechanisms, it is crucial to incorporate the kinematic topology within the modeling in a consistent and systematic way. To this end, in this paper a kinematic model graph is introduced that gives rise to an ordering of the joints within a mechanism and thus allows to systematically apply established kinematics formulations. It naturally gives rise to topologically independent loops and thus to loop closure constraints. Geometric constraints as well as velocity and acceleration constraints are formulated in terms of joint screws. An extension to higher order loop constraints is presented. It is briefly discussed how the topology representation can be used to amend structural mobility criteria.
The role of prenatal maternal stress in the development of childhood anxiety symptomatology: The QF2011 Queensland Flood Study
Authors: McLean Mia A. , Cobham Vanessa E. , Simcock Gabrielle , Elgbeili Guillaume , Kildea Sue , King Suzanne
Published: August 2018

It is possible that findings suggesting a link between prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) and anxiety symptoms in offspring are confounded by postnatal and/or shared mother–child heritability effects. Following exposure to a natural disaster, the Queensland Flood Study investigated the unique and additive effects of various types of disaster-related PNMS (objective hardship, cognitive appraisal, and subjective distress) on childhood anxiety symptomatology (internalizing and/or anxiety symptom measures). Timing of flood exposure during pregnancy and child sex were examined as potential moderators. After controlling for maternal psychosocial factors, greater objective hardship as a result of the floods was significantly associated with greater anxiety symptoms (N = 114) and marginally associated with greater internalizing behaviors (N = 115). Earlier timing of the flood in pregnancy was associated with greater anxiety symptoms. No such associations were found between any PNMS measure and teacher-rated child internalizing behaviors (N = 90). Sex and timing did not moderate associations. Our findings suggest that, in isolation, increased maternal hardship due to exposure to an independent stressor, during pregnancy, may have a programming effect on childhood anxiety symptoms.
Children's stress regulation mediates the association between prenatal maternal mood and child executive functions for boys, but not girls
Authors: Neuenschwander Regula , Hookenson Kaia , Brain Ursula , Grunau Ruth E. , Devlin Angela M. , Weinberg Joanne , Diamond Adele , Oberlander Tim F.
Published: August 2018

Prenatal exposure to maternal mood disturbances shapes children's cognitive development reflected in the critical construct of executive functions (EFs). Little is known, however, about underlying mechanisms. By examining cortisol responses in both everyday and lab challenge settings, we tested whether the child/offspring hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis mediates effects of prenatal maternal mood on child EFs at age 6. In 107 Canadian children born to women with a wide range of anxious and depressive symptoms during pregnancy, we found that in boys but not girls, depressed and/or anxious prenatal maternal mood is associated with heightened diurnal cortisol levels in everyday settings, as well as heightened cortisol reactivity to a lab challenge and that this heightened reactivity was associated with poorer EFs. Among boys we also observed that cortisol reactivity but not diurnal cortisol mediated the association between depressed and/or anxious prenatal maternal mood and EFs. Depressed and/or anxious prenatal maternal mood was related to child EFs for both girls and boys. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate a mediating role for child stress regulation in the association between prenatal maternal stress-related mood disturbances and child EFs, providing evidence of a mechanism contributing to fetal programming of cognition.
Predicting child temperament and behavior from the fetus
Authors: Dipietro Janet A. , Voegtline Kristin M. , Pater Heather A. , Costigan Kathleen A.
Published: August 2018

There remains little debate that the period before birth sets the stage for subsequent development, yet scant evidence exists showing continuity from characteristics of the individual fetus to characteristics of the child. This report examines, in two studies, whether baseline and evoked fetal neurobehavioral functioning are predictive of features of child temperament and behavior as reported by mothers when offspring were between 7 and 14 years old (M = 10.1 years). Study 1 utilizes data generated from 333 maternal–fetal pairs collected during an undisturbed condition during the second half of gestation in relation to the child temperament dimensions of behavioral inhibition and exuberance. Associations at 32 weeks gestation were detected between all features of fetal neurobehavior and behavioral inhibition. In adjusted models, slower fetal heart rate and less fetal movement were associated with significant unique variance in predicting higher levels of childhood behavioral inhibition. No associations were detected for exuberance. Study 2 focuses on the association of evoked fetal reactivity and recovery to induced maternal arousal with subsequent child behavioral difficulties in a subset of the full sample (n = 130). Greater recovery in fetal heart rate following maternal stimulation was predictive of fewer behavioral difficulties and more prosocial behavior in childhood. Results from both studies provide support for gestational origins of core individual differences that portend childhood outcomes with foundational reactivity and regulatory components.
Utilisation of blood and blood products during open heart surgery in a low-income country: our local experience in 3 years
Authors: Nwafor Ikechukwu A. , Arua Onyinyechukwu A. , Eze John C. , Ezemba Ndubueze , Nwafor Maureen N.
Published: August 2018

Background

In Nigeria, access to open heart surgery (OHS) is adversely affected by insufficient blood and blood products, including the challenges because of the lack of patient-focused blood management strategies owing to the absent requisite point-of-care tests in the operating theatre (OR)/ICU. In addition, the limited availability of altruistic blood donors including the detection of transfusion transmitted infections more commonly among non-altruistic blood donors is another burden affecting the management of excessive bleeding during and after open heart surgery in our country.

Objective

The objective of this study was to review our local experience in the use of blood and blood products during open heart surgery and compare the same with the literature.

Materials and methods

In a period of 3 years (March, 2013–February, 2016), we performed a retrospective review of those who had open heart surgery in our institution. The data were obtained from our hospital health information technology department. The data comprised demography, types of operative procedures and units of blood and blood products transfused per procedure, including the details regarding the usage of the cell saver, as well as those who had severe bleeding requiring excessive blood transfusion.

Results

During the study period, 102 patients had open heart surgery, an average of 34 cases in a year. Among them, there were 75 (73.53%) males and 37 (36.27%) females, giving a ratio of 2:1. The ages of the patients were from 0.6 (7/12) to 74 years. Mitral valve procedure was the most common (n=22, 21.6%) surgery type. Transfusion requirements averaged 1.9 units of fresh frozen plasma, 0.36 units of platelet concentrate, and 1.68 units of packed cells per procedure. The least common surgical procedure was common atrium repair (n=1, 0.01%).

Conclusion

Open heart procedure is a very complex procedure requiring cardiopulmonary bypass with associated severe perioperative bleeding. The attendant blood loss and haemostatic challenges are combated by intricate and selective transfusions of allogeneic blood and or blood products.
Effects of temperatures and high pressures on the growth and survivability of methanogens and stable carbon isotope fractionation: implications for deep subsurface life on Mars
Authors: Sinha Navita , Nepal Sudip , Kral Timothy , Kumar Pradeep
Published: August 2018

In order to examine the potential survivability of life in the Martian deep subsurface, we have investigated the effects of temperature (45°C, 55°C and 65°C) and pressure (1, 400, 800 and 1200 atm) on the growth, carbon isotopic data and morphology of chemolithoautotrophic anaerobic methanogenic archaea, Methanothermobacter wolfeii. The growth and survivability of this methanogen were determined by measuring the methane concentration in headspace gas samples after the cells were returned to their conventional growth conditions. Interestingly, this methanogen survived at all the temperatures and pressures tested. M. wolfeii demonstrated the highest methane concentration following exposure to pressure of 800 atm and a temperature of 65°C. We found that the stable carbon isotopic fractionation of methane, δ13C(CH4), was slightly more enriched in 12C at 1 atm and 55°C than the carbon isotopic data obtained in other temperature and pressure conditions. A comparison of the images of the cells before and after the exposure to different temperatures and pressures did not show any obvious alteration in the morphology of M. wolfeii. The research reported here suggests that at least one methanogen, M. wolfeii, may be able to survive under hypothetical Martian subsurface conditions with respect to temperature and pressure.
ON FUNDAMENTAL GROUPS OF TENSOR PRODUCT FACTORS
Authors: Isono Yusuke
Published: August 2018

Let$M$be a$\text{II}_{1}$factor and let${\mathcal{F}}(M)$denote the fundamental group of$M$. In this article, we study the following property of$M$: for any$\text{II}_{1}$factor$B$, we have${\mathcal{F}}(M\,\overline{\otimes }\,B)={\mathcal{F}}(M){\mathcal{F}}(B)$. We prove that for any subgroup$G\leqslant \mathbb{R}_{+}^{\ast }$which is realized as a fundamental group of a$\text{II}_{1}$factor, there exists a$\text{II}_{1}$factor$M$which satisfies this property and whose fundamental group is$G$. Using this, we deduce that if$G,H\leqslant \mathbb{R}_{+}^{\ast }$are realized as fundamental groups of$\text{II}_{1}$factors, then so are groups$G\cdot H$and$G\cap H$.
THE ROMAN ARMY AND GREEK MILITARISM IN CHARITON'SCHAEREAS AND CALLIRHOE
Authors: Jolowicz Daniel
Published: August 2018

This paper seeks to highlight and assess the presence of allusions to Roman military apparatus in Chariton'sChaereas and Callirhoe. In the introduction, I contextualise the argument within the history of scholarship on the novel, and discuss issues relating to the author's date, Aphrodisian provenance and readership. I then divide the argument into three parts. At the end of the novel, Chaereas returns to Syracuse and publicly displays the spoils won from the east in a manner that, I argue, is highly suggestive of the Roman triumph (Parti). He then extends a grant of citizenship to the Greek element of his army and issues them cash donatives, while Hermocrates gives farmland to the Egyptians. As I demonstrate, this is characteristic of what happens upon the demobilisation of Roman military manpower (especially theauxilia) (Partii). I then draw out the ramifications of an imperial-era author who represents Greek military exploits against the Persians, writing during a period in which Greeks were not interested in military endeavours (Partiii).
Self-Reported Sense of Smell Predicts Disgust Sensitivity and Disgust Reactivity
Authors: Kelley Nicholas J. , Crowell Adrienne L.
Published: August 2018

Abstract. Two studies tested the hypothesis that self-reported sense of smell (i.e., metacognitive insight into one’s olfactory ability) predicts disgust sensitivity and disgust reactivity. Consistent with our predictions two studies demonstrated that disgust correlates with self-reported sense of smell. Studies 1 and 2 demonstrated, from an individual difference perspective, that trait-like differences in disgust relate to self-reported sense of smell. Physical forms of disgust (i.e., sexual and pathogen disgust) drove this association. However, the association between self-reported sense of smell and disgust sensitivity is small, suggesting that it is likely not a good proxy for disgust sensitivity. The results of Study 2 extended this finding by demonstrating that individual differences in self-reported sense of smell influence how individuals react to a disgusting olfactory stimulus. Those who reported having a better sense of smell (or better insight into their olfactory ability) found a disgusting smell significantly more noxious as compared to participants reporting having a poor sense of smell (or poor insight into their olfactory ability). The current findings suggest that a one-item measure of self-reported sense of smell may be an effective tool in disgust research.