bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conversion of Goat Fibroblasts into Lineage‐Specific Cells Using a Direct Reprogramming Strategy
Authors: Guo Yanjie , Yu Tong , Lei Lei , Duan Anqin , Ma Xiaoling , Wang Huayan
Published: September 2016

Direct reprogramming is an efficient strategy to convert one cell type to another. In this study, due to the failure of maintaining the undifferentiated state of goat embryotic stem‐ and induced pluripotent stem‐like cells in vitro, we explored an alternative way to directly convert goat fibroblasts to lineage‐specific cells. The ‘Yamanaka factors’ was ectopically expressed in fibroblasts for a short term to situate cells in a metastable state. By culturing with lineage‐specific media for 1–2 weeks, the cardiomyocyte‐like cells and neurocyte‐like cells were generated and confirmed by the quantitative RT‐PCR and immunocytochemical staining. The metastable‐state cells could also be converted into oocyte‐like cells (OLCs) after culturing in media with retinoic acid (RA) and bovine follicular fluid (bFF) for 2–3 weeks. The generated OLCs were surrounded by cumulus granulosa cell‐like cells and formed a structure resembling goat cumulus‐oocyte complex from ovaries. This primary follicular structure could be developed further in oocyte mature medium and expressed germ cell‐specific markers. In addition, we found that the induction efficiency was higher and OLC cell size was bigger in bFF than in RA treatment. Altogether, the direct reprogramming of goat fibroblasts into lineage‐specific cells can facilitate stem cell research in domestic animals.
Developing Autonomy and Transitional Paternalism
Authors: Tucker Faye
Published: September 2016

Adolescents, in many jurisdictions, have the power to consent to life saving treatment but not necessarily the power to refuse it. A recent defence of this asymmetry is Neil Manson's theory of ‘transitional paternalism’. Transitional paternalism holds that such asymmetries are by‐products of sharing normative powers. However, sharing normative powers by itself does not entail an asymmetry because transitional paternalism can be implemented in two ways. Manson defends the asymmetry‐generating version of transitional paternalism in the clinical context, arguing that it maximizes respect for adolescent autonomy. This article offers an alternative argument in favour of the asymmetry‐generating form of transitional paternalism, one that makes appeal to obligations that individuals have to develop self‐governance in others. We should share normative powers asymmetrically in the clinical context for three reasons. First, the asymmetric version of transitional paternalism takes seriously duties to support adolescents’ developing autonomy, alongside other duties that adults have to young people. It does so by enabling young people to be involved in important decisions that they would otherwise be excluded from. This is of value because participation of this sort is central to the cultivation of their self‐governance. Second, only the asymmetric version gives young people a voice in respect of all clinical actions, and only the asymmetric version leaves open the possibility that the coarse lines of legislation might be ‘fine‐tuned’ in individual cases. Third, the asymmetric sharing of normative powers is consistent with the kind of social arrangements that best support autonomy.
Active and Passive Physician‐Assisted Dying and the Terminal Disease Requirement
Authors: Varelius Jukka
Published: September 2016

The view that voluntary active euthanasia and physician‐assisted suicide should be made available for terminal patients only is typically warranted by reference to the risks that the procedures are seen to involve. Though they would appear to involve similar risks, the commonly endorsed end‐of‐life practices referred to as passive euthanasia are available also for non‐terminal patients. In this article, I assess whether there is good reason to believe that the risks in question would be bigger in the case of voluntary active euthanasia and physician‐assisted suicide than in that of passive euthanasia. I propose that there is not. On that basis, I suggest that limiting access to voluntary active euthanasia and physician‐assisted suicide to terminal patients only is not consistent with accepting the existing practices of passive euthanasia.
Why Gametes are not Like Enriched Uranium
Authors: Botterell Andrew
Published: September 2016

According to Rivka Weinberg, gametes are like enriched uranium: both are hazardous materials. Exposing human beings to enriched uranium can result in radioactivity and decreased life expectancy, while exposing sperm and ova to each other can result in the creation of needy innocent persons with full moral status. Weinberg argues that when we engage in activities that put our gametes at risk of joining with others and growing into persons, we assume the costs of that risky activity. She calls this the Hazmat Theory of parental responsibility. The theory is novel and important, and has far‐reaching consequences for the ethics of procreation, parenting, and population, implying among other things that that the only way to avoid acquiring parental responsibilities may be to “abstain from sexual intercourse or surgically interfere with our gamete‐release system.” For these reasons the theory merits careful scrutiny. In this article I criticize the theory's account of how parental responsibility is acquired and its treatment of the standard of care expected of gamete possessors, and argue that it fails to properly account for a distinction between procreative costs and parental responsibility. Even if gametes are hazardous, it does not follow that parental responsibility in Weinberg's sense is acquired whenever one brings new persons into existence.
Meta Consent – A Flexible Solution to the Problem of Secondary Use of Health Data
Authors: Ploug Thomas , Holm Søren
Published: September 2016

In this article we provide an in‐depth description of a new model of informed consent called ‘meta consent’ and consider its practical implementation. We explore justifications for preferring meta consent over alternative models of consent as a solution to the problem of secondary use of health data for research. We finally argue that meta consent strikes an appropriate balance between enabling valuable research and protecting the individual.
The effects of letter spacing and coloured overlays on reading speed and accuracy in adult dyslexia
Authors: Sjoblom Amanda M. , Eaton Elizabeth , Stagg Steven D.
Published: September 2016

Background

Zorzi et al. (2012, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 109, 11455) found evidence that extra‐large letter spacing aids children with dyslexia, but the evidence for the coloured overlays is contradictory (e.g., Henderson et al., 2013, J. Res. Special Educ. Needs, 13, 57; Wilkins, 2002, Ophthalmic Physiol. Opt., 22, 448), and possible combined advantages have not been identified.

Aims

To investigate whether extra‐large letter spacing or coloured overlays can alleviate reading problems in dyslexic adults.

Sample

The participants were 24 dyslexic and 24 non‐dyslexic university students, matched for age and fluid intelligence.

Methods

The reading speed and the errors made by a dyslexic and a control group were measured in four conditions: with and without coloured overlays and with normally and largely spaced texts.

Results

Large letter spacing improves the reading speed in general, as well as improves the reading accuracy in dyslexic readers.

Conclusions

The results support the positive effect of letter spacing on reading performance.
Latitude matters: an examination of behavioural plasticity in dietary traits amongst extant and Pleistocene Rangifer tarandus
Authors: Rivals Florent , Semprebon Gina M.
Published: September 2016

The geographical distribution of species affects their dietary traits relative to resources available in different latitudes. Dietary traits of Rangifer tarandus, a species with a wide geographical distribution, were investigated using tooth mesowear and microwear methods in eight extant populations from Canada. The data show a latitudinal shift corresponding to a vegetational gradient from the taiga to the tundra, i.e. an increase of lichen consumption from the low to the high latitudes. This pattern is also evidenced in the Pleistocene fossil record of Europe where R. tarandus populations from low latitude localities show a lower consumption of lichen than at higher latitudes.
Exploring Design Principles of Organizing for Collaborative Innovation: The Case of an Open Innovation Initiative
Authors: Ollila Susanne , Yström Anna
Published: September 2016

In a distributed world, relationships and partnering become even more critical for business, as delivering on rising and complex demands and addressing complex issues is more than one organization can do alone. Such a situation constitutes a huge challenge for many organizations. Building on an inductive case study of an open innovation initiative, illustrating the complex and messy nature of such organizing, we outline five design principles that appear fundamental to the organizing for collaborative innovation. These design principles are our main contribution to the emerging research on organizing for collaborative innovation as they form a perspective and a conceptual tool to talk about and understand the messiness and disorganization of dynamic and discontinuous contemporary organizational constructs.
Hearing “Quack” and Remembering A Duck: Evidence for Fluency Attribution in Young Children
Authors: Geurten Marie , Lloyd Marianne , Willems Sylvie
Published: September 2016

Previous research has suggested that fluency does not influence memory decisions until ages 7–8. In two experiments (n = 96 and n = 64, respectively), children, aged 4, 6, and 8 years (Experiments 1 and 2), and adults (Experiment 2) studied a list of pictures. Participants completed a recognition test during which each study item was preceded by a sound providing either a highly predictive or mildly predictive context in order to make some test items more conceptually fluent. Overall, highly predictive items were recognized at a higher rate than mildly predictive items demonstrating an earlier development of the fluency heuristic than previously observed. The study provides insight into how children develop metacognitive expectations and when they start to use them to guide their memory responses.
Economic Growth and Convergence, Applied to China
Authors: Barro Robert J.
Published: September 2016

From the perspective of conditional convergence, China's GDP growth rate since 1990 has been surprisingly high. However, China cannot deviate forever from the global historical experience, and the per capita growth rate is likely to fall soon from around 8 percent per year to a range of 3–4 percent. China can be viewed as a middle‐income convergence success story, grouped with Costa Rica, Indonesia, Peru, Thailand and Uruguay. Upper‐income convergence successes (toward which China is likely heading) include Chile, Hong Kong, Ireland, Malaysia, Poland, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan.
Sustainability of China's Growth Model: A Productivity Perspective
Authors: Wu Harry X.
Published: September 2016

In the present paper, the debate on China's growth sustainability is first revisited by highlighting the importance of total factor productivity (TFP). China's TFP performance is then assessed by applying the Jorgensonian aggregate production possibility frontier framework to the latest version of the China Industry Productivity (CIP) database. We find that of China's 8.9‐percent annual GDP growth over the period 1980–2012, 7.0 percentage points (ppts) could be attributed to the growth of labor productivity and 1.9 ppts to the increase in hours worked. Nevertheless, the labor productivity growth is found to be heavily dependent on capital deepening (5.7) rather than TFP growth (0.8). Notably, the TFP growth turned negative over 2007–2012, which brings into question the sustainability of China's growth. Besides, industries that are less prone to state intervention show faster TFP growth than those controlled by the state. Incorporating the Domar aggregation scheme into our model, we further reveal that two‐thirds of the TFP growth originates from within industries and the remainder is attributed to a net factor reallocation effect in which labor plays a positive role, whereas capital appears to behave irrationally. Finally, using a revised Maddison–Wu approach to address the potential flaws in official statistics, we arrive at an annual growth rate of 7.2 percent, or 1.7‐ppts slower than the 8.9 percent obtained based on the CIP data reconstructed using the official national accounts.
Korea's Economic Growth and Catch‐up: Implications for China
Authors: Lee Jong‐Wha
Published: September 2016

This study investigates the economic growth and catch‐up of Korea over the past half century. Korea's growth experience confirms the prediction of a “conditional convergence” theory. Cross‐country regression further suggests that Korea's strong catch‐up to the USA is also attributable to its favorable growth factors such as strong investment, lower fertility, greater trade openness, and improvements in human resources and rule of law. However, as Korea catches up to the USA and its steady‐state level in per worker output, it will be subject to a growth slowdown unless improvements are made in those growth factors. While manufacturing‐oriented and export‐oriented development has served Korea's success well, poor productivity performance in the services sector has hampered overall productivity growth. Korea's experience implies that China's potential growth rates are likely to slow in the coming decades due to the convergence effect and with the rebalancing toward a domestic consumption and services‐based economy. China needs to upgrade its rule of law, reform state‐owned enterprises and improve productivity, particularly in its services sector, to sustain strong growth.
Will China be Able to Avoid the Japan Syndrome?
Authors: Yao Yang
Published: September 2016

Following the 1973 oil crisis, Japan's economic growth slowed down substantially and its asset prices overshot their long‐term trend. The economic performance of this episode of the Japanese history has been dubbed the “Japan syndrome.” China has followed Japan's export‐led growth model and the current world economy very much resembles the world economy following the oil crisis. It is then a legitimate question to ask whether China is likely to follow in Japan's steps and experience a major slowdown in its growth. The present paper shows that China can do a better job than Japan primarily because its large size allows the country to benefit from internal convergence. Based on the estimation of a growth equation using cross‐country panel data, the paper forecasts that under reasonable assumptions about the growth rate of the world economy and China's investment rate, China could maintain reasonably high growth rates in the next 10 years.
Glucagon in artificial pancreas systems: Potential benefits and safety profile of future chronic use
Authors: Taleb Nadine , Haidar Ahmad , Messier Virginie , Gingras Véronique , Legault Laurent , Rabasa‐Lhoret Rémi
Published: September 2016

The role of glucagon in the pathophysiology of diabetes has long been recognized, although its approved clinical use has so far been limited to the emergency treatment of severe hypoglycaemia. A novel use of glucagon as intermittent mini‐boluses is proposed in the dual‐hormone version (insulin and glucagon) of the external artificial pancreas. Short‐term studies suggest that the incorporation of glucagon into artificial pancreas systems has the potential to further decrease hypoglycaemic risk and improve overall glucose control; however, the potential long‐term safety and benefits also need to be investigated given the recognized systemic effects of glucagon. In the present report, we review the available animal and human data on the physiological functions of glucagon, as well as its pharmacological use, according to dosing and duration (acute and chronic). Along with its main role in hepatic glucose metabolism, glucagon affects the cardiovascular, renal, pulmonary and gastrointestinal systems. It has a potential role in weight reduction through its central satiety function and its role in increasing energy expenditure. Most of the pharmacological studies investigating the effects of glucagon have used doses exceeding 1 mg, in contrast to the mini‐boluses used in the artificial pancreas. The available data are reassuring but comprehensive human studies using small but chronic glucagon doses that are close to the physiological ranges are lacking. We propose a list of variables that could be monitored during long‐term trials of the artificial pancreas. Such trials should address the questions about the risk–benefit ratio of chronic glucagon use.
Synchrony in small mammal community dynamics across a forested landscape
Authors: Stephens Ryan B. , Hocking Daniel J. , Yamasaki Mariko , Rowe Rebecca J.
Published: September 2016

Long‐term studies at local scales indicate that fluctuations in abundance among trophically similar species are often temporally synchronized. Complementary studies on synchrony across larger spatial extents are less common, as are studies that investigate the subsequent impacts on community dynamics across the landscape. We investigate the impact of species population fluctuations on concordance in community dynamics for the small mammal fauna of the White Mountain National Forest, USA. Hierarchical open population models, which account for imperfect detection, were used to model abundance of the most common species at 108 sites over a three year period. Most species displayed individualistic responses of abundance to forest type and physiographic characteristics. However, among species, we found marked synchrony in population fluctuations across years, regardless of landscape affinities or trophic level. Across the region, this population synchrony led to high within‐year concordance of community composition and aggregate properties (e.g. richness and diversity) independent of forest type and low among‐year similarity in communities, even for years with similar species richness. Results suggest that extrinsic factors primarily drive abundance fluctuations and subsequently community dynamics, although local community assembly may be modified by species dispersal abilities and biotic interactions. Concordant community dynamics across space and over time may impact the stability of regional food webs and ecosystem functions.
Improvement of very high cycle fatigue properties in an AA7075 friction stir welded joint by ultrasonic peening treatment
Authors: He C. , Yang K. , Liu Y. , Wang Q. , Cai M.
Published: September 2016

The present paper aims to investigate the effect of ultrasonic peening treatment on the very high cycle fatigue resistance of an AA7075 friction stir welded joint. Microscopy observation, microhardness and X‐ray diffraction measurements were carried out to characterize the treated surface of peened specimens. Fatigue crack initiation sites were investigated through scanning electron microscope, and the role of enhanced surface on fatigue resistance was analyzed. The results indicate that a sensible fatigue strength improvement can be obtained through application of ultrasonic peening treatment and that fatigue cracks can initiate from the interior of the specimen. To clarify the fatigue failure mechanism, we analyzed the microstructure characteristics, compressive residual stress profile and intermetallic inclusion distribution in the surface layers, and we discussed the capability of ultrasonic peening treatment to hinder the surface crack initiation.
Improving physical fitness and health status perception in community‐dwelling older adults through a structured program for physical activity promotion in the city of Naples, Italy: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Gallè Francesca , Di Onofrio Valeria , Romano Spica Vincenzo , Mastronuzzi Roberto , Russo Krauss Pio , Belfiore Patrizia , Buono Pasqualina , Liguori Giorgio
Published: September 2016

Aim

To evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of a physical activity promotion intervention in community‐dwelling older adults based on a free program of exercise adapted for older adults aged ≥60 years managed by trainees from the Movement Sciences degree course.

Methods

A total of 160 adults aged 60–82 years were randomly allocated into the intervention and control group. The exercise program consisted of 1‐h sessions carried out twice a week for a year. Control participants received recommendations about an active lifestyle from their physicians. Senior Fitness Tests and the 12‐item Short Form Health Survey were used to assess six functional fitness domains of participants and perception of their health status, respectively. Body mass index was also evaluated.

Results

A total of 62 participants completed the exercise path. At the end of the intervention, they showed a significant body mass index decrease (from 27.9 ± 1.6 to 25.1 ± 1.8 kg/m2, P < 0.01), and a significant improvement in functional domains, mainly aerobic fitness (+33.9%, P < 0.01) and agility (+24.2%, P < 0.01), and in good health status perception (+38.7%, P < 0.05). Similar variations were not observed in the control group (P > 0.05). A high acceptance of the intervention was registered among participants (>88.7%); staff competence and gratuitousness were the most appreciated features (>85.5%).

Conclusions

The structured program represented a useful opportunity to promote physical activity among participants, and it was effective in improving their physical fitness and health status perception. Similar interventions are required to sensitize the whole older population, and experts in Movement Sciences might represent a key figure in this context. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 1421–1428.
The divergent logics of labour market reforms in times of permanent austerity
Authors: Riekhoff Aart‐Jan
Published: September 2016

In an age of ‘permanent austerity’, growing economic insecurity may increase the demand for protection against labour market risks. At the same time, economic pressures may push governments to scale down on the provision of social protection. In this article, this contradiction is examined by focusing on reforms of two labour market institutions: unemployment benefits and employment protection legislation. It is argued that the incidence of reforms of both institutions follows a different set of logics, depending on the type of economic pressures as well as the political and institutional settings. The article makes use of a new data set on labour market reforms in 14 European countries over the period of 1980–2007. Results from discrete‐time logit‐regression analysis support the main hypotheses that (1) reforming unemployment benefits (UBs) does not follow the same logic as reforming employment protection legislation (EPL), and (2) factors that contribute to expansion/regulation are not the reverse of those that lead to retrenchment/deregulation.
Maxillary overdentures supported by four or six implants in the anterior region: 5‐year results from a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Slot Wim , Raghoebar Gerry M. , Cune Marco S. , Vissink Arjan , Meijer Henny J.A.
Published: September 2016

Objective

To compare a four‐ and six‐implant maxillary overdenture after an observation period of 5 years.

Material and methods

Fifty subjects with functional problems concerning their maxillary denture, who had ample bone volume in the anterior region to place four or six implants, were included and randomly assigned to either group. Implant and overdenture survival, clinical performance, marginal bone loss and patient satisfaction were assessed.

Results

Forty‐six patients completed the 5‐year follow‐up. One implant failed in the six implants group (99.2% survival) and none in the four implants group (100% survival). No overdentures had to be replaced during the observation period and the number of complications was limited. Clinical function was good, with no difference in clinical parameters between the groups. Mean marginal bone resorption was 0.50 ± 0.37 and 0.52 ± 0.43 mm in the four and six implant group respectively.

Conclusion

In patients with functional complaints of their maxillary denture, bar‐supported overdentures on four implants in the anterior maxillary region were not inferior to overdentures supported by six implants after 5 years of function. Implant survival and patient satisfaction were high, clinical parameters favourable, bone loss and complications to the denture were minor in both groups (Clinical trial registration number: NTR2969).
Challenges to validity in single‐group interrupted time series analysis
Authors: Linden Ariel
Published: September 2016

Rationale, aims and objectives

Single‐group interrupted time series analysis (ITSA) is a popular evaluation methodology in which a single unit of observation is studied; the outcome variable is serially ordered as a time series, and the intervention is expected to “interrupt” the level and/or trend of the time series, subsequent to its introduction. The most common threat to validity is history—the possibility that some other event caused the observed effect in the time series. Although history limits the ability to draw causal inferences from single ITSA models, it can be controlled for by using a comparable control group to serve as the counterfactual.

Method

Time series data from 2 natural experiments (effect of Florida's 2000 repeal of its motorcycle helmet law on motorcycle fatalities and California's 1988 Proposition 99 to reduce cigarette sales) are used to illustrate how history biases results of single‐group ITSA results—as opposed to when that group's results are contrasted to those of a comparable control group.

Results

In the first example, an external event occurring at the same time as the helmet repeal appeared to be the cause of a rise in motorcycle deaths, but was only revealed when Florida was contrasted with comparable control states. Conversely, in the second example, a decreasing trend in cigarette sales prior to the intervention raised question about a treatment effect attributed to Proposition 99, but was reinforced when California was contrasted with comparable control states.

Conclusions

Results of single‐group ITSA should be considered preliminary, and interpreted with caution, until a more robust study design can be implemented.
Two Extensive Margins of Credit and Loan‐to‐Value Policies
Authors: GETE PEDRO , REHER MICHAEL
Published: September 2016

We analyze a model of mortgage markets, housing tenure choice, heterogeneous agents, and default with closed form solutions. We uncover new insights which may inspire empirical work, and we ground already established insights in a series of tractable expressions. Then we study optimal loan‐to‐value (LTV) regulation and show that the choice of an LTV cap should balance the opposing forces of access to homeownership and the negative externalities associated with default. Homeownership affordability concerns induce procyclical elements into optimal regulation which attenuate the countercyclical regulation justified by the negative default externalities.
Mixed Integer Programming Revealed Preference Tests of Utility Maximization and Weak Separability of Consumption, Leisure, and Money
Authors: HJERTSTRAND PER , SWOFFORD JAMES L. , WHITNEY GERALD A.
Published: September 2016

Swofford and Whitney (1987, 1988, 1994) investigated the validity of two key assumptions underlying representative agent models of macroeconomics. These assumptions are utility maximization and weak separability. Using mixed integer programming, we check revealed preference conditions for these assumptions. We find that M1, money defined by Friedman and Schwartz (1963), and a broad aggregate are weakly separable. We find that consumption goods and leisure and nondurables and services are weakly separable. We find that M2, M3, and MZM are not weakly separable. Finally, we find three categories of consumption, durables, nondurables and services, do not form an aggregate.
Pregnancy‐driven cardiovascular maternal miR‐29 plasticity in obesity
Authors: Schlabritz‐Loutsevitch N. , Apostolakis‐Kyrus K. , Krutilina R. , Hubbard G. , Kocak M. , Janjetovic Z. , Sathanandam S. , Slominski A. T. , Mari G. , Dick E.
Published: September 2016

Background

Obesity in pregnancy (MO) is a risk factor for maternal and/or fetal cardiovascular system disorders. This study evaluated maternal CVS expression of microRNA‐29 family and its target molecules in MO to test the hypotheses: CVS miR‐29 concentrations are increased in pregnancy and decreased in MO.

Methods

Non‐pregnant (n=4), pregnant obese (POb, n=4), and pregnant non‐obese (PnOb, n=4) baboons (Papio spp.) were studied. Maternal left ventricle (LV), left atrium (LA), and aortic arch (AA) were collected at the end of gestation. Expression of MiR‐29 and elastin (ELN) mRNA were quantified.

Results

LA miR‐29 (a, c) expression was highest in PnOb. In the LV, miR‐29b expression trended lower (P=.059) for PnOb animals. ELN mRNA expression correlated positively with miR‐29b expression in AA (r=.76, P=.03).

Conclusion

Maternal obesity diminishes miR‐29 adaptation to pregnancy. Pharmacologic, tissue‐specific targeting of miRNA‐29 may represent a strategy for prevention and treatment of MO complications.
Biometric values, C‐reactive protein, and proteinogram of healthy blonde capuchin(Sapajus flavius)kept in northeast of Brazil
Authors: Mota Stéphanie Machado , Ferreira Adriano Fernandes , Azevedo Jair , Nery Thiago Lopes , Zermiani Fabiana , Queiroga Felisbina Luisa
Published: September 2016

Background

Sapajus flaviusis a species of capuchin monkey classified as critically endangered. Studies related to their biometric values are scarce with incomplete external measurement reports available from only four specimens. Moreover, information regarding proteinogram is limited with no reference to C‐reactive protein (CRP) and globulin fractions for this species.

Methods

Biometric values,CRP, and proteinogram were determined for 12 clinically healthyS. flavius, kept in captivity in João Pessoa, Brazil.

Results

The measured values in biometric parameters present a tendency to be higher in males. TheCRPmean values from 12S. flaviuswere 1.2±0.2 mg/dL. For albumin, alpha, beta, and gamma globulin fraction parameters, the reference interval was calculated.

Conclusions

Authors believe that with certain limitations, results obtained can be helpful for the populations in the wild, which could be of great aid in detecting unhealthy individuals and therefore contributing to the conservation of this species.
GABA Receptors in the Medial Preoptic Area Modulate the Onset of Oestradiol‐Induced Maternal Behaviour in Hysterectomised‐Ovariectomised, Pregnant Rats
Authors: Gómora‐Arrati P. , Dominguez G. , Ågmo A.
Published: September 2016

We studied the participation of GABA neurotransmission in the medial preoptic area (mPOA) with respect to the onset of the pup retrieval response and nest building. Pregnant female rats were implanted with bilateral cannulae in the mPOA on day 12 of pregnancy and, on day 16, the females were hysterectomised and ovariectomised and given 200 μg/kg of oestradiol benzoate. Two days later, the females received one of the following intracerebral drug treatments: GABAB agonist baclofen (200 ng); GABAB antagonist phaclofen (1 μg); GABAA antagonist bicuculline (60 ng); or physiological saline. Five minutes after intracerebral infusion, three foster pups were introduced into the females’ home cage. The subjects were observed for pup grouping (retrieval) during 15 min, after which the pups were left with the female. During the next 12 h, an observation was made every 1 h to determine whether the pups had been grouped (retrieved) or not. The GABAB agonist baclofen reduced the proportion of females retrieving pups from 4 to 8 h following pup introduction. By contrast, both the GABAA antagonist bicuculline and the GABAB antagonist phaclofen enhanced the proportion of females retrieving pups during the first 3 h of observation. The latency to pup retrieval in subjects treated with the GABAB agonist baclofen was significantly longer than that in subjects given any of the antagonists. All females built a nest but baclofen reduced nest quality. These data show that activation of GABAB receptors in the mPOA has an inhibitory effect on basic maternal behaviours, whereas blockade of either the GABAA or GABAB receptor facilitates pup retrieval. It is possible that reduced GABAergic tone in the mPOA is a key element in the initiation of maternal behaviours in postparturient rats.
Sibling Additions, Resource Dilution, and Cognitive Development During Early Childhood
Authors: Workman Joseph
Published: September 2016

A sizable literature found an inverse association between number of siblings and developmental outcomes. Little is known about this relationship during the earliest years of children's lives, a period when parental attention and resources matter greatly for cognitive development. Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Birth Cohort, a nationally representative sample of American children born in 2001, this study investigates the inter‐relationships between siblings, home resources, and cognitive development during the years before formal schooling. To address unobserved differences between families, child fixed effects models were used to assess children's experiences before and after the birth of a sibling. The birth of a sibling was not significantly associated with lower cognitive development, even when the age spacing between the siblings was small. Concerning home resources, interpersonal resources mattered a great deal for young children's cognitive development, but interpersonal resources were not shaped by the presence of siblings.
“Hemispheric Postcolonialism: Black Female Sexuality and Slavery in the Americas”
Authors: Shinn Christopher A.
Published: September 2016

Building on what Günter H. Lenz describes as the “always two‐directional processes of transculturation,” this piece brings together two classic works, Gayl Jones's Corregidora and Carlos Diegues's Brazilian film, Xica da Silva (1975), specifically addressing the hemispheric connections in cross‐cultural literary and cinematic representations of black female sexuality, colonialism and slavery in the Americas. The essay presents a critical comparison of the legacy of slave concubinage and black female resistance, noting how Jones's Corregidora helps to undermine the Brazilian myth of racial democracy, while Xica da Silva deepens Gayl Jones's Pan‐African vision of the quilombos, or maroon societies, and problematizes sexuality by magnifying the complex mix of abjection and desire, which deeply engages Jones's novel. By furthering an already existing discussion yet promoting a new critical paradigm for a hemispheric postcolonialism, this work seeks to fortify the nexus of Africana Studies, Comparative American Studies and Hemispheric Studies, but with a distinct postcolonial focus on the historic and cultural intersections of U.S. and Latin America, working within the purview of postcolonial studies in particular.
A New Reliability Defeater for Evolutionary Naturalism
Authors: Talbott William J.
Published: September 2016

The author identifies the structure of Sharon Street's skeptical challenge to non‐naturalist, normative epistemic realism (NNER) as an argument that NNER is liable to reliability defeat and then argues that Street's argument fails, because it itself is subject to reliability defeat. As the author reconstructs Street's argument, it is an argument that the normative epistemic judgments of the realist could only be probabilistically sensitive to normative epistemic truths (if there any) by sheer chance. The author then recaps Street's own naturalist translation of normative epistemic judgments into purely descriptive, contingent probability statements, and argues that, on her own terms, the reasoning that leads her to rationally believe in evolutionary theory (and other scientific theories) could only be probabilistically sensitive to the relevant purely descriptive, contingent probabilities by sheer chance. The author's argument is addressed to Street, but it applies to all evolutionary naturalist accounts of epistemic rationality. The author explains how his argument differs from Plantinga's Evolutionary Argument Against Naturalism (EAAN) and shows how it avoids the objections to Plantinga's EAAN. The author closes with the outline of an explanation of how evolution could have made human reasoning probabilistically sensitive to metaphysically necessary normative epistemic standards, even though those standards did not exert and, indeed, could not have exerted any kind of causal influence on the evolutionary process.
Recollection is delayed under changed viewing conditions: A graded effect on the latency of the late posterior component
Authors: Liesefeld Heinrich René , Liesefeld Anna M. , Zimmer Hubert D.
Published: September 2016

Object recognition is a central human ability. In everyday life, the conditions under which objects have to be recognized are usually not perfect. Often, viewing conditions change in between two encounters with an object; typical are changes in illumination or in the object‐observer distance. With such changes, object recognition sometimes feels slightly delayed. We examined this phenomenon empirically by measuring the latency of the well‐established electrophysiological correlate of recollection, the late posterior component (LPC), in an object‐recognition task. Although the cognitive processes underlying successful recognition are well examined, thus far the consequences of changed viewing conditions on the timing of these processes have not been investigated. The ERP technique is well suited for investigating this question, because it allows differentiating between processes contributing to recognition times (in particular, recollection from familiarity as indexed by the FN400 component) and measuring their time course with high temporal precision. In the present study, participants' task was to differentiate previously studied (old) objects from a set of new objects. Viewing conditions for old objects changed slightly, changed strongly, or remained identical between learning and test. We found that the latency of the LPC in response to an old object was delayed whenever viewing conditions changed. Moreover, this delay in LPC latency scaled with the size of the change. These effects were absent for the FN400. This is the first examination of effects of changes in viewing conditions on the latency of recollection and the first dissociation of FN400 and LPC latencies.
Global Peatland Restoration after 30 years: where are we in this mossy world?
Authors: Rochefort Line , Andersen Roxane
Published: September 2016

As part of the Society of Ecological Restoration World Conference in 2015, we held a Global Peatland Restoration symposium, where we gave experts from around the world the mandate to provide an updated picture of peatland restoration in their part of the world and scan the horizon to identify challenges and opportunities to come. This special section was put together to make these valuable contributions available to all.
Service Trade and Occupational Tasks: An Empirical Investigation
Authors: Ariu Andrea , Mion Giordano
Published: September 2016

Using microdata for Belgium, we investigate the relationship between changes in the task content of production and the rise in the number of service exporters. We show that occupational tasks changes display an extremely consistent relationship with participation to service exports: in sectors in which the importance of face‐to‐face communication with customers has increased, the firm‐level likelihood of entering export markets has decreased; instead, the likelihood of exporting increased in sectors in which the sophistication of production and delivery has expanded (following an increase in cognitive tasks). Moreover, our analysis suggests that the change in IT use per se does not strike as being a key underlying force behind the increase in the extensive margin of service exports. These results are robust controlling for comparative advantage, offshoring, trade liberalisation and demand shifts.
Study of different ratios of primary and waste activated sludges to enhance the methane yield
Authors: Pinto N. , Carvalho A. , Pacheco J. , Duarte E.
Published: September 2016

This work aimed the study of methane yield using different proportions of primary sludge (PS) and waste activated sludge (WAS) for anaerobic digestion (AD) conversion. Three trials were carried out: T1 (60 : 40, v/v), T2 (80 : 20, v/v) and T3 (100 : 00, v/v) to estimate the best proportion in comparison with a reference scenario, T0 (40 : 60, v/v). AD was performed in mesophilic conditions with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 15 days and an organic loading rate (OLR) expressed in total volatile solids (TVS) of 1.62 ± 0.06 kgTVS m−3 day−1. Biogas production for trials T1 and T2 increased from 45 to 71% in comparison with T0. The experimental methane production along trials was used to assess the energy recovery corresponding to increases from 32 to 55%. The most suitable trial to be implemented at real‐scale is T1, applying a lower PS solid retention time combined with an increase of WAS thickening.
Performance enhancement of MgZnO ultraviolet photodetectors using ultrathin Al2O3 inserted layer
Authors: Lee Hsin-Ying , Tsai Wu-Han , Lin Yu-Chang , Lee Ching-Ting
Published: September 2016

In this study, the magnesium zinc oxide (MgZnO) films and ultrathin alumina (Al2O3) inserted layers were subsequently deposited on sapphire substrates using a plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition system, and applied in metal-semiconductor-metal ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors (MSM-UPDs). The dark current of the MgZnO MSM-UPDs was decreased from 1 to 0.34 nA with an increase in Al2O3 layer thickness from 0 to 5 nm. The ultrathin Al2O3 inserted layer effectively passivated the dangling bonds on the MgZnO surface and blocked leakage current. At a bias voltage of 5 V, the maximum UV-visible rejection ratio of the MgZnO MSM-UPDs was 1.78 × 103 with 5-nm-thick Al2O3 inserted layer. Furthermore, the noise equivalent power and detectivity of MgZnO MSM-UPDs with 5-nm-thick Al2O3 inserted layer were improved from 1.26 × 10−14 W and 2.50 × 1013 cm Hz1/2 W−1 to 0.93 × 10−14 W and 3.40 × 1013 cm Hz1/2 W−1 in comparison with MgZnO MSM-UPDs without Al2O3 inserted layer. The high performances of MgZnO MSM-UPDs were achieved by using ultrathin Al2O3 inserted layer.
Lung surface deformation prediction from spirometry measurement and chest wall surface motion
Authors: Nasehi Tehrani Joubin , McEwan Alistair , Wang Jing
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The authors have developed and evaluated a method to predict lung surface motion based on spirometry measurements, and chest and abdomen motion at selected locations.

Methods

A patient‐specific 3D triangular surface mesh of the lung region was obtained at the end expiratory phase by the threshold‐based segmentation method. Lung flow volume changes were recorded with a spirometer for each patient. A total of 192 selected points at a regular spacing of 2 × 2 cm matrix points were used to detect chest wall motion over a total area of 32 × 24 cm covering the chest and abdomen surfaces. QR factorization with column pivoting was employed to remove redundant observations of the chest and abdominal areas. To create a statistical model between the lung surface and the corresponding surrogate signals, the authors developed a predictive model based on canonical ridge regression. Two unique weighting vectors were selected for each vertex on the lung surface; they were optimized during the training process using all other 4D‐CT phases except for the test inspiration phase. These parameters were employed to predict the vertex locations of a testing data set.

Results

The position of each lung surface mesh vertex was estimated from the motion at selected positions within the chest wall surface and from spirometry measurements in ten lung cancer patients. The average estimation of the 98th error percentile for the end inspiration phase was less than 1 mm (AP = 0.9 mm, RL = 0.6 mm, and SI = 0.8 mm). The vertices located at the lower region of the lung had a larger estimation error as compared with those within the upper region of the lung. The average landmark motion errors, derived from the biomechanical modeling using real surface deformation vector fields (SDVFs), and the predicted SDVFs were 3.0 and 3.1 mm, respectively.

Conclusions

Our newly developed predictive model provides a noninvasive approach to derive lung boundary conditions. The proposed system can be used with personalized biomechanical respiration modeling to derive lung tumor motion during radiation therapy from noninvasive measurements.
Beamforming pointing error of a triaxial velocity sensor under gain uncertainties
Authors: Lin Tsair-Chuan , Wong Kainam Thomas , Cordel Macario O. , Ilao Joel Paz
Published: September 2016

A “triaxial velocity sensor” consists of three uniaxial velocity sensors, which are nominally identical, orthogonally oriented among themselves, and co-centered at one point in space. A triaxial velocity sensor measures the acoustic particle velocity vector, by its three Cartesian components, individually component-by-component, thereby offering azimuth-elevation two-dimensional spatial directivity, despite the physical compactness that comes with the collocation of its three components. This sensing system's azimuth-elevation beam-pattern has been much analyzed in the open literature, but only for an idealized case of the three uniaxial velocity sensors being exactly identical in gain. If this nominal identity is violated among the three uniaxial velocity sensors, as may occur in practical hardware, what would happen to the corresponding “spatial matched filter” beam-pattern's peak direction? How would this effective peak direction deviate from the nominal “look direction”? This paper, by modeling each uniaxial velocity sensor's gain as stochastic, derives this deviation's statistical mean and variance, analytically in closed mathematical forms. This analytical derivation is verified by Monte Carlo simulations.
The effects of exposure and training on the perception of time-compressed speech in native versus nonnative listeners
Authors: Banai Karen , Lavner Yizhar
Published: September 2016

The present study investigated the effects of language experience on the perceptual learning induced by either brief exposure to or more intensive training with time-compressed speech. Native (n = 30) and nonnative (n = 30) listeners were each divided to three groups with different experiences with time-compressed speech: A trained group who trained on the semantic verification of time-compressed sentences for three sessions, an exposure group briefly exposed to 20 time-compressed sentences, and a group of naive listeners. Recognition was assessed with three sets of time-compressed sentences intended to evaluate exposure-induced and training-induced learning as well as across-token and across-talker generalization. Learning profiles differed between native and nonnative listeners. Exposure had a weaker effect in nonnative than in native listeners. Furthermore, native and nonnative trained listeners significantly outperformed their untrained counterparts when tested with sentences taken from the training set. However, only trained native listeners outperformed naive native listeners when tested with new sentences. These findings suggest that the perceptual learning of speech is sensitive to linguistic experience. That rapid learning is weaker in nonnative listeners is consistent with their difficulties in real-life conditions. Furthermore, nonnative listeners may require longer periods of practice to achieve native-like learning outcomes.
Consensus and experience trump leadership, suppressing individual personality during social foraging
Authors: McDonald Nicholas D. , Rands Sean A. , Hill Francesca , Elder Charlotte , Ioannou Christos C.
Published: September 2016

A variety of mechanisms express and suppress individual behavioral tendencies during group decision-making in fish.