bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Radiomics
Authors: Constanzo Julie , El Naqa Issam
Published: January 2018

Recent advances in image-guided and adaptive radiotherapy have ushered new requirements for using single and/or multiple-imaging modalities in staging, treatment planning, and predicting response of different cancer types. Quantitative information analysis from multi-imaging modalities, known as ‘radiomics', have generated great promises to unravel hidden knowledge embedded in imaging for mining it and its association with observed clinical endpoints and/or underlying biological processes. In this chapter, we will review recent advances and discuss current challenges for using radiomics in radiotherapy. We will discuss issues related to image acquisition, registration, contouring, feature extraction and fusion, statistical modeling, and combination with other imaging modalities and other ‘omics' for developing robust models of treatment outcomes. We will provide examples based on our experience and others for predicting cancer outcomes in radiotherapy generally and brain cancer specifically, and their application in personalizing treatment planning and clinical decision-making.
Decentralization and Local Governance in Tanzania
Authors: Kumburu Neema Penance , Pande Vincent Sebastian
Published: January 2018

Decentralization, local governance, and sustainable development are still exploratory, despite an increased importance in facilitating development of citizens. In facilitating development, many challenges remain in designing a more decentralized and governance mechanisms that are inclusive and can facilitate sustainability. This chapter addresses the problem of how to support decentralization and local governance on sustainable management of projects. Existing research in decentralization and local governance tend to focus on finding out how levels at which decisions are made facilitate sustainable development. However, there is little evidence that researchers have approached the issue of inclusion and exclusion, power, power relations, and dynamics as well as strengthening decentralization and local governance with the intent of enhancing sustainable development. Consequently, the aim of this chapter is to provide an overview on how the decentralization and local governance in local government can be supported to enhance sustainable development.
Elections, Politics, Democracy, and the Challenge of Sustainable Development in Africa
Authors: Afolabi Olugbemiga Samuel
Published: January 2018

The chapter conceptualized elections, politics, and democracy; showed the nexus among these variables; and established the link between them and sustainable development. Elections as key components of democracy are examined as a factor to engendering sustainable development. The chapter also appraises the concept of sustainable development as a construct of Western powers and its promotion as a liberal ideology as an appraisal of a cross section of countries within the African continent. Furthermore, the chapter discusses elections, politics, and the trend of the emerging democracy in Africa towards sustainable development with facts and figures. The chapter in conclusion examines factors that have shaped and is shaping elections, politics, democracy, and sustainable development in Africa and thereafter recommends policy options that would engender credible elections, inclusive politics, and participation and development that is home grown and sustainable across the African continent.
Inequality as Driver of Conflict
Authors: Babikir Osman Mohammed
Published: January 2018

The Horn of Africa is a region that faces a number of challenges including fatal conflicts. The root causes of these conflicts are many, inter-related, and complex in nature. The purpose of this chapter is to review and give evidence to inequality as a driver of conflict in the region. Among its findings, the chapter argues that one of the pressing problems in the region is the prevalence of several categories of conflicts that are linked to various forms of inequalities, as well as other root causes that fuel the persistence and continuity of most of them. The reviewed evidence from the two case studies (Kenya and Sudan) show that there is unequal access and distribution of resources such as land, presence of group formation, their mobilization, and the presence of inequalities among them, which might support the hypothesis of inequality-conflict nexus.
African Women and Economic Development
Authors: Maloiy Lanoi
Published: January 2018

There is a recognition that African women are amongst the world's poorest; however, they are also the most industrious. As such, African women's lives present a contradiction. This chapter examines the contradictory nature of African women's lives using a case study of Kenyan women. A possible reason for this contradiction is that African women face many barriers when attempting to access education, careers, and economic resources. These barriers often originate from political, social, and cultural factors. Given the prominence and extent of these barriers, it is important to not only identify them but to comprehend them as well. The chapter examines how these factors contribute to the feminization of poverty in Africa with a particular focus on Kenya.
Institutional Structures and the Prevalence of Foreign Ownership of Firms
Authors: Agyemang Otuo Serebour
Published: January 2018

This chapter examines how country-level institutional structures influence the prevalence of foreign ownership of firms in Africa. It reinforces the new institutional economics perspective by empirically highlighting that institutional structures influence the prevalence of foreign ownership of companies in an economy. Using archival data from 39 African economies, the authors found that there is a significant positive association between regulatory quality and foreign ownership prevalence. Also, foreign ownership is prevalent in African countries that are politically stable and embrace rule of law. However, the authors found that countries with high voice and accountability structures are associated with low foreign ownership prevalence.
Multiple Perspectives for Poverty Reduction
Authors: Sofo Francesco , Wicks Alison , Sofo Michelle , Miranti Riyana , Taylor-Ide Luke
Published: January 2018

The 193 United Nations member countries, focused on halving world poverty by 2015, set eight Millennium Development Goals. A new 2030 agenda for sustainable development has replaced the failed goals; it comprises 17 new sustainable development goals including ending poverty. 1.2 billion people (about 20% of the world's population) cannot fulfil most basic daily needs to live without fear, hunger, or suffering. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) estimates that more than one billion people in the world live on less than US$1 a day while 2.7 billion struggle to survive on less than US$2 per day. The chapter strategically examines four perspectives (economic, sociological, occupational, and educational) to identify some of the key success factors to ensure the viability of new micro-businesses. A theoretical framework that incorporates these perspectives and the SEED–SCALE methodology is proposed, demonstrating how the establishment of new micro-businesses may be used to reduce poverty in developing economies.
Social Media for Mental Health Initiatives
Authors: Richardson Gemma
Published: January 2018

Social media has added a new dynamic for those living with mental illness. There are several benefits to using social media to obtain information and support for mental health issues, but there are also new challenges and drawbacks. This chapter explores social media for mental health initiatives, with a focus on two case studies: Facebook's suicide prevention tools and the Bell Let's Talk campaign. These case studies highlight the unique ways that social media can be harnessed to raise awareness and provide support and resources to vulnerable populations, while also providing insights into the challenges of utilizing these platforms.
Formal Methods for Assessing Patient Satisfaction in a Patient-Doctor Relationship
Authors: Mreła Aleksandra , Sokołov Oleksandr
Published: January 2018

When patients visit a doctor, they not only expect to be cured, but also to feel that they are taken care of. The patients like to be treated like guests, sit in a nice place during waiting for a doctor and feel that they are taken care of seriously at the reception desk. All these factors are important for the patients but the relationship with doctors seems to be the most valid. When the patients can choose a clinic where they want to make an appointment with a doctor, the owners and managers of the clinics try to persuade people to choose their clinic. Hence more and more often managers of the clinics try to find out the opinion of the patients, so scientists carried out the research on this phenomenon and called it Patient Satisfaction. This chapter presents the application of fuzzy sets and fuzzy relations to gather and analyze the information from patients and compute their contentment. Using classical logic is less appropriate because the patients can only choose two values: they are satisfied or dissatisfied. Fuzzy logic let the patients choose more phrases for their opinions.
Critical Race Design
Authors: Kier Meredith , Khalil Deena
Published: January 2018

This chapter is about introducing critical race design (CRD), a research methodology that centers race and equity at the center of educational opportunities by design. First, the authors define design-based implementation research (DBIR) as an equity-oriented education research methodology where teaching and learning is informed by robust, iterative, evidence-based research conducted by multiple stakeholders. Next, they provide a brief overview of critical race theory in education (CRT) as a theoretical and methodological approach that aims to unpack and disrupt the structural inequities experienced by disenfranchised racial groups. The authors then describe how both education methodologies inform CRD, their emerging anti-racist critical design methodology. Finally, they provide an example where they used CRD to design an online service-learning course that aims to situate the narratives of underrepresented STEM professionals as a curricular resource for nondominant adolescents.
Design-Based Case Study
Authors: Deaton Cynthia C. M. , Malloy Jacquelynn A.
Published: January 2018

Design-based case studies allow researchers to examine instructional innovations that are bounded by perspective, context, and time. Design-based case study is an approach that blends case study research with design-based research in order to more systematically examine the process and products of an intervention. This approach provides a framework for engaging in iterative cycles of data collection and analysis to determine if, how, and why goals of instructional innovations have been met. This chapter provides an overview of the design-based case study approach and responds to common concerns surrounding case study and design-based research and how design-based case studies address these concerns by building on the strengths of both approaches.
Full Field Imaging Ellipsometry (FFIE) Platform Using CCD Camera and Advanced Software for Simultaneous Spots' Sensing and Measurement
Authors: Karsenty Avi , Feldman Shmuel , Veig Zvi , Arieli Yoel
Published: January 2018

This article describes a new approach for performing full field imaging ellipsometry. In this new technique, the objective lens of a high numerical aperture microscope is used to illuminate the surface of a 2D object. The light reflected from each point of the surface is gathered by the same lens and projected onto a 2D CCD detectors array; thus, enabling the measurement of numerous surface points simultaneously. Using this simple method, areas of up to 0.9 cm2 can be measured with high accuracy. Since the nanotechnology domain is rapidly growing, such a technique can bring benefits to the scientific community, facing the need to analyze large surfaces of thin films.
The Magnitude and IgG Subclass of Antibodies Elicited by Targeted DNA Vaccines Are Influenced by Specificity for APC Surface Molecules
Authors: Braathen Ranveig , Spång Heidi C L , Lindeberg Mona M , Fossum Even , Grødeland Gunnveig , Fredriksen Agnete B , Bogen Bjarne
Published: January 2018

Upon APC-targeted DNA vaccination, transfected cells secrete fusion proteins with targeting units specific for surface molecules on APC. In this study, we have tested several different targeting units for their ability to influence the magnitude and subclass of Ab responses to hemagglutinin from influenza A virus. The experiments employed bivalent homodimeric Ig-based molecules (vaccibodies). The overall efficiency in BALB/c mice depended on the targeting units in the following order: αMHC class II > αCD11c > αCD40 > Xcl-1 = MIP-1α > FliC > GM-CSF > Flt-3L > αDEC205. GM-CSF induced mainly IgG1, whereas Xcl1, MIP-1α, αCD40, and αDEC205 induced predominantly IgG2a. A more balanced mixture of IgG1 and IgG2a was observed with αCD11c, αMHC class II, Flt-3L, and FliC. Similar results of IgG subclass–skewing were obtained in Th1-prone C57BL/6 mice with a more limited panel of vaccines. IgG1 responses in BALB/c occurred early after immunization but declined relatively rapidly over time. IgG2a responses appeared later but lasted longer (>252 d) than IgG1 responses. The most efficient targeting units elicited short- and long-term protection against PR8 influenza (H1N1) virus in BALB/c mice. The results suggest that targeting of Xcr1+ conventional type 1 dendritic cells preferentially induces IgG2a responses, whereas simultaneous targeting of several dendritic cell subtypes also induces IgG1 responses. The induction of distinct subclass profiles by different surface molecules supports the APC–B cell synapse hypothesis. The results may contribute to generation of more potent DNA vaccines that elicit high levels of Abs with desired biologic effector functions.
Species-Specific Transcriptional Regulation of Genes Involved in Nitric Oxide Production and Arginine Metabolism in Macrophages
Authors: Young Rachel , Bush Stephen J , Lefevre Lucas , McCulloch Mary E B , Lisowski Zofia M , Muriuki Charity , Waddell Lindsey A , Sauter Kristin A , Pridans Clare , Clark Emily L , Hume David A
Published: January 2018

Activated mouse macrophages metabolize arginine via NO synthase (NOS2) to produce NO as an antimicrobial effector. Published gene expression datasets provide little support for the activation of this pathway in human macrophages. Generation of NO requires the coordinated regulation of multiple genes. We have generated RNA-sequencing data from bone marrow–derived macrophages from representative rodent (rat), monogastric (pig and horse), and ruminant (sheep, goat, cattle, and water buffalo) species, and analyzed the expression of genes involved in arginine metabolism in response to stimulation with LPS. In rats, as in mice, LPS strongly induced Nos2, the arginine transporter Slc7a2, arginase 1 (Arg1), GTP cyclohydrolase (Gch1), and argininosuccinate synthase (Ass1). None of these responses was conserved across species. Only cattle and water buffalo showed substantial NOS2 induction. The species studied also differed in expression and regulation of arginase (ARG2, rather than ARG1), and amino acid transporters. Variation between species was associated with rapid promoter evolution. Differential induction of NOS2 and ARG2 between the ruminant species was associated with insertions of the Bov-A2 retrotransposon in the promoter region. Bov-A2 was shown to possess LPS-inducible enhancer activity in transfected RAW264.7 macrophages. Consistent with a function in innate immunity, NO production and arginine metabolism vary greatly between species and differences may contribute to pathogen host restriction.
Gene Expression Signatures Characterized by Longitudinal Stability and Interindividual Variability Delineate Baseline Phenotypic Groups with Distinct Responses to Immune Stimulation
Authors: Scheid Adam D. , Van Keulen Virginia P. , Felts Sara J. , Neier Steven C. , Middha Sumit , Nair Asha A. , Techentin Robert W. , Gilbert Barry K. , Jen Jin , Neuhauser Claudia , Zhang Yuji , Pease Larry R.
Published: January 2018

Human immunity exhibits remarkable heterogeneity among individuals, which engenders variable responses to immune perturbations in human populations. Population studies reveal that, in addition to interindividual heterogeneity, systemic immune signatures display longitudinal stability within individuals, and these signatures may reliably dictate how given individuals respond to immune perturbations. We hypothesize that analyzing relationships among these signatures at the population level may uncover baseline immune phenotypes that correspond with response outcomes to immune stimuli. To test this, we quantified global gene expression in peripheral blood CD4+ cells from healthy individuals at baseline and following CD3/CD28 stimulation at two time points 1 mo apart. Systemic CD4+ cell baseline and poststimulation molecular immune response signatures (MIRS) were defined by identifying genes expressed at levels that were stable between time points within individuals and differential among individuals in each state. Iterative differential gene expression analyses between all possible phenotypic groupings of at least three individuals using the baseline and stimulated MIRS gene sets revealed shared baseline and response phenotypic groupings, indicating the baseline MIRS contained determinants of immune responsiveness. Furthermore, significant numbers of shared phenotype-defining sets of determinants were identified in baseline data across independent healthy cohorts. Combining the cohorts and repeating the analyses resulted in identification of over 6000 baseline immune phenotypic groups, implying that the MIRS concept may be useful in many immune perturbation contexts. These findings demonstrate that patterns in complex gene expression variability can be used to define immune phenotypes and discover determinants of immune responsiveness.
MLS measurements of stratospheric hydrogen cyanide during the 2015–2016 El Niño event
Authors: Pumphrey Hugh C. , Glatthor Norbert , Bernath Peter F. , Boone Christopher D. , Hannigan James W. , Ortega Ivan , Livesey Nathaniel J. , Read William G.
Published: January 2018

Abstract. It is known from ground-based measurements made during the 1982–1983
and 1997–1998 El Niño events that atmospheric hydrogen cyanide (HCN) tends to be higher
during such years than at other times. The Microwave Limb Sounder
(MLS) on the Aura satellite has been measuring HCN mixing ratios since launch in
2004; the measurements are ongoing at the time of writing. The
winter of 2015–2016 saw the largest El Niño event since
1997–1998. We present MLS measurements of HCN in the lower
stratosphere for the Aura mission to date, comparing the 2015–2016 El
Niño period to the rest of the mission. HCN in 2015–2016 is higher
than at any other time during the mission, but ground-based
measurements suggest that it may have been even more elevated in
1997–1998. As the MLS HCN data are essentially unvalidated, we show
them alongside data from the MIPAS and ACE-FTS instruments; the
three instruments agree reasonably well in the tropical lower
stratosphere. Global HCN emissions calculated from the Global Fire Emissions Database (GFED v4.1)
database are much greater during large El Niño events and are
greater in 1997–1998 than in 2015–2016, thereby showing good qualitative
agreement with the measurements. Correlation between El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) indices,
measured HCN, and GFED HCN emissions is less clear if the 2015–2016
event is excluded. In particular, the 2009–2010 winter had fairly
strong El Niño conditions and fairly large GFED HCN emissions, but
very little effect is observed in the MLS HCN.
A relation between the locations of the polar boundary of outer electron radiation belt and the equatorial boundary of the auroral oval
Authors: Riazanteseva Maria O. , Antonova Elizaveta E. , Stepanova Marina V. , Marjin Boris V. , Rubinshtein Ilia A. , Barinova Vera O. , Sotnikov Nikita V.
Published: January 2018

Abstract. Finding the position of the external boundary of the outer electron radiation belt, relative to the position of the auroral oval, is a long-standing problem. Here we analyze it using data of the Meteor-M No. 1 auroral satellite for the period from 11 November 2009 to 27 March 2010. The geomagnetic conditions during the analyzed period were comparatively quiet. Meteor-M No. 1 has a polar solar-synchronous circular orbit with an altitude of ~ 832 km, a period of 101.3 min, and an inclination of 98°. We analyze flux observations of auroral electrons with energies between 0.03 and 16 keV, and electrons with energies > 100 keV, measured simultaneously by the GGAK-M set of instruments, composed by semiconductors, scintillator detectors, and electrostatic analyzers. We assume that at the absence of geomagnetic storms the external boundary of the outer radiation belt can be identified as a decrease in the count rate of precipitating energetic electrons to the background level. It was found that this boundary can be located both inside the auroral oval or to the equator from the equatorial boundary of the auroral precipitations. It was also found that for disturbed geomagnetic conditions the external boundary of the outer radiation belt is almost always located inside the auroral oval. We observe that the difference between the position of the outer boundary of the outer radiation belt and the position of the equatorial boundary of auroral precipitations depends on the AE and PC indexes of geomagnetic activity. The implications of these results in the analysis of the formation of the outer radiation belt is discussed.
On the dynamic nature of
hydrological
similarity
Authors: Loritz Ralf , Gupta Hoshin , Jackisch Conrad , Westhoff Martijn , Kleidon Axel , Ehret Uwe , Zehe Erwin
Published: January 2018

Abstract. The increasing diversity and resolution of spatially distributed data on terrestrial systems greatly enhances the potential of hydrological modeling. Optimal and parsimonious use of these data sources implies, however, that we better understand (a) which system characteristics exert primary controls on hydrological dynamics and (b) to what level of detail do those characteristics need to be represented in a model. In this study we develop and test an approach to explore these questions that draws upon information theoretic and thermodynamic reasoning, using spatially distributed topographic information as a straightforward example. Specifically, we subdivide a meso-scale catchment into 105 hillslopes and represent each by a two dimensional numerical hillslope model. These hillslope models differ exclusively with respect to topography related parameters derived from a digital elevation model; the remaining setup and meteorological forcing for each are identical. We analyze the degree of similarity of simulated discharge and storage among the hillslopes as a function of time by examining the Shannon information entropy. We furthermore derive a compressed catchment model by clustering the hillslope models into functional groups of similar runoff generation using normalized mutual information as a distance measure. Our results reveal that, within our given model environment, only a portion of the entire amount of topographic information stored within a digital elevation model is relevant for the simulation of distributed runoff and storage dynamics. This manifests through a possible compression of the model ensemble from the entire set of 105 hillslopes to only 6 hillslopes, each representing a different functional group, which leads to no substantial loss in model performance. Importantly, we find that the concept of hydrological similarity is not necessarily time-invariant. On the contrary, the Shannon entropy as measure for diversity in the simulation ensemble shows a distinct annual pattern, with periods of highly redundant simulations, reflecting coherent and organized dynamics, and periods where hillslopes operate in distinctly different ways. We conclude that the proposed approach provides a powerful framework for understanding and diagnosing how and when process organization and functional similarity of hydrological systems emerges in time. Our approach is neither restricted to the model, nor to model targets or the data source we selected in this study. Overall, we propose that the concepts of hydrological systems acting similarly (and thus giving rise to redundancy) or displaying unique functionality (and thus being irreplaceable) are not mutually exclusive. They are in fact of complementary nature, and systems operate by gradually changing to different levels of organization in time.
HESS Opinions: Science in today's media landscape – challenges
and lessons from hydrologists and journalists
Authors: Lutz Stefanie R. , Popp Andrea , van Emmerik Tim , Gleeson Tom , Kalaugher Liz , Möbius Karsten , Mudde Tonie , Walton Brett , Hut Rolf , Savenije Hubert , Slater Louise J. , Solcerova Anna , Stoof Cathelijne , Zink Matthias
Published: January 2018

Abstract. Media such as television, newspapers and social media play a key role in the communication between scientists and the general public. Communicating your science via the media can be positive and rewarding by providing the inherent joy of sharing your knowledge with a broader audience, promoting science as a fundamental part of culture and society, impacting decision and policy makers, and giving you a greater recognition by institutions, colleagues and funders. However, the interaction between scientists and journalists is not always straightforward. For instance, scientists may not always be able to translate their work into a compelling story, and journalists may sometimes misinterpret scientific output. In this paper, we present insights from hydrologists and journalists discussing the advantages and benefits as well as the potential pitfalls and aftermath of science-media interaction. As we perceive interacting with the media as a rewarding and essential part of our work, we aim to encourage scientists to participate in the diverse and evolving media landscape. With this paper, we call on the scientific community to support scientists who actively contribute to a fruitful science-media relationship.
Climate change vs. socio-economic development: Understanding the
future South-Asian water gap
Authors: Wijngaard René R. , Biemans Hester , Lutz Arthur F. , Shrestha Arun B. , Wester Philippus , Immerzeel Walter W.
Published: January 2018

Abstract. The Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra (IGB) river basins provide about 900 million people with water resources used for agricultural, domestic, and industrial purposes. These river basins are marked as climate change hotspot, where climate change is expected to affect monsoon dynamics and the amount of meltwater from snow and ice, and thus the amount of water available. Simultaneously, rapid and continuous population growth, and strong economic development will likely result in a rapid increase in water demand. Since quantification of these future trends is missing, it is rather uncertain how the future South Asian water gap will develop. To this end, we assess the combined impacts of climate change and socio-economic development on future blue water scarcity for the IGB until the end of the 21st century. We apply a coupled modelling approach consisting of the distributed cryospheric-hydrological model SPHY, which simulates current and future upstream water supply, and the hydrology and crop production model LPJmL, which simulates current and future downstream water supply and demand. We force the models with an ensemble of eight representative downscaled General Circulation Models (GCMs) that are selected from the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios, and a set of land use and socio-economic scenarios that are consistent with the Shared Socio-economic Pathway (SSP) marker scenarios 1 and 3. The simulation outputs are used to analyse changes in water availability, supply, demand, and scarcity. The outcomes show an increase in surface water availability towards the end of the 21st century, which can mainly be attributed to increases in monsoon precipitation. However, despite the increase surface water availability, the strong socio-economic development and associated increase in water demand will likely lead to an increase in the water gap during the 21st century. This indicates that socio-economic development is the key driver in the evolution of the future South Asian water gap.
Subglacial drainage characterization from eight years of continuous
borehole data on a small glacier in the Yukon Territory, Canada
Authors: Rada Camilo , Schoof Christian
Published: January 2018

Abstract. The subglacial drainage system is one of the main controls on basal sliding, but remains only partially understood. Here we use an eight-year data set of borehole observations on a small, alpine polythermal valley glacier in the Yukon Territory to assess qualitatively how well the established understanding of drainage physics explains the observed temporal evolution and spatial configuration of the drainage system. We find that the standard picture of a channelizing drainage system that evolves towards higher effective pressure explains many features of the data set. However, our data set underlines the importance of hydraulic isolation of parts of the bed. We observe how isolated portions of the bed systematically grow towards the end of the summer season, causing the drainage system to fragment into progressively more distinct subsystems. We conclude with an adaptation of existing drainage models that aims to capture the ability of parts of the bed to become hydraulically isolated due to basal cavities of finite size becoming disconnected from each other as they shrink.
Thelephora iqbalii sp. nov. from the Himalayan moist temperate forests of Pakistan
Authors: Khalid Abdul Nasir , Hanif Muhammad
Published: January 2018

A new thelephoroid species, Thelephora iqbalii, collected from the Himalayan moist temperate (HMT) forests of Pakistan, is characterized by small coralloid basidiomata bearing long, narrow ridges with fine hairs on their branches and hymenia that are cyanescent in KOH. An ITS-based
phylogeny comparing T. iqbalii with other Thelephora species is also presented.
Balancing Cost and Value: Scandinavian Students’ First Year Experiences of Encountering Science and Technology Higher Education
Authors: Jensen Fredrik , Henriksen Ellen Karoline , Holmegaard Henriette Tolstrup , Madsen Lene Møller , Ulriksen Lars
Published: January 2018

This paper investigates the experiences of students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) during their first year in higher education, based on 874 Danish and 1314 Norwegian students’ responses to an online questionnaire. Rather than focusing on averages, we compare the experiences of two distinct groups of students: those who rated their overall study situation as better than expected (the satisfied group) and those who rated it as worse than expected (the dissatisfied group). Although the satisfied group were more positive to many aspects of their study situation, the dissatisfied group were also relatively positive to many aspects. All respondents expressed that the study cost more time and effort than anticipated, but only for some students (notably the satisfied group) was this high cost counterbalanced by a high value in terms of subject interest and social integration. Implications are discussed in terms of future research directions and how educational institutions can improve students’ meeting with higher education.
A science teacher’s complex beliefs about nature of scientific inquiry
Authors: Bjønness Birgitte , Knain Erik
Published: January 2018

One major concern relating to teaching scientific inquiry is that many teachers show epistemologically naive beliefs about nature of science (NOS). In this study, we use in-depth interviews to identify an upper secondary science teacher’s beliefs about NOS and scientific inquiry in school. We found that what seemed to be a teacher’s positivist position was embedded in broader concerns regarding pedagogical considerations and personal engagement relating to the students. This broader ecology of a teacher’s beliefs enabled us to understand why positivist epistemology and related myths concerning NOS are seemingly robust in school versions of scientific inquiry. We suggest that implications for science teacher education and professional development are that teacher (students) need opportunities for guided reflections on personal experiences and commitments towards scientific inquiry to increase conscience with respect to how they might affect their situated practice.
Průběh gravidity v korelaci s předgravidním BMI
Authors: Erbenová Pavla , Horáčková Petra
Published: January 2018

The aim of the pilot research is to evaluate BMI of selected gravid probands. The researchers examined some correlations between pre-pregnant BMI and some other factors before, at the beginnings, and at the end of gravidity. The investigation used the standardized questionnaire of IPAQ supported with some demographic issues aimed to anthropological parameters and a life-style of the probands. The data was gathered in January 2014 at Jihlava Hospital Emergency Gynaecology Assessment Unit. 37 probands were included. The results display that during the period of gravidity no statistically significant changes in pre-pregnant BMI were found.
Analýza bezpečnostní politiky během Mistrovství světa ve fotbale 2014 v Brazílii
Authors: Šiman Jakub , Smolík Josef
Published: January 2018

The case study analyzes the security policy of FIFA 2014 World Cup in Brazil. This study aims to present the greatest risks associated with organizing events of such magnitude and analyze strategic Brazils approach to ensure security during the championship. Among the biggest security risks of the championship were classified areas as terrorism, crime, social protests, spectator violence and hooliganism, cyber threats and health hazards. The paper also focuses on the actual process of championships and the consequences which brought about.
CLiC and Corpus Literary Translation Studies: An Analysis of Suspensions in One Spanish Translation of Charles Dickens’s Hard Times
Authors:   Universidad de Extremadura (España), San Segundo Pablo Ruano
Published: January 2018

In this article, corpus tools are used to analyse suspensions in Charles Dickens’s Hard Timesand their translation into Spanish. Suspensions are interruptions of a character’s words by the narrator, and are a characteristic feature of Dickens’s style. In this article, I analyse the consequences of not suspending these narratorial interruptions in the target text, in order to demonstrate the importance of preserving them when translating Dickens’s works into another language. The analysis has been carried out using the CLiC tool (Corpus Linguistics in Cheshire), which allows for the systematic retrieval of suspensions from literary texts. The Spanish translation under analysis is Lázaro Ros’s (Ros, 1992), in which a systematic rearrange-ment of the original suspensions has been detected. This analysis aims to demonstrate the potential of new software tools in literary translation studies, thus contributing another ex-ample to the always evolving field of corpus literary translation studies.
La presencia de elementos de conexión y de progresión temporal en narraciones escritas: una mirada a la realidad escolar nacional
Authors:   Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Aranda Faúndez Gonzalo , Díaz Oyarce Carmen ,   Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Published: January 2018

El texto narrativo es la unidad superior de comunicación cuya extensión varía y su objetivo principal es la comunicación (Pérez y Vega, 2001). En la construcción del texto narrativo los estudiantes, principalmente, van construyendo y entramando ideas (Shiro, 2001). Este tipo de texto es una unidad compleja y profundamente heterogénea (Adam y Lorda, 1999). Se destaca que un texto narrativo siempre deberá tener una sucesión de hechos lógicos, conectados de tal manera que podrán seguir un desarrollo de ideas que necesariamente darán cuenta de algún suceso. El presente estudio examina el desempeño de los niños de cuarto año de enseñanza básica de escuelas de dependencia municipalizada, subvencionada y particular pagada, en el uso de elementos de conexión y de progresión temporal en producciones de narraciones escritas. Se trabajó con 300 narraciones extraídas del corpus de la prueba de es-critura aplicada a nivel nacional (SIMCE, 2009). A partir de esta, se analizaron las estructuras conectivas y verbales presentes en las narraciones escritas a la luz de estructuras lingüísticas que fueron validadas de acuerdo al marco teórico del estudio. Los resultados obtenidos dan cuenta de que los elementos de conexión textual y de progresión temporal presentes en las narraciones escritas de los niños estudiados están determinados por el tipo de dependencia escolar a la que pertenecen. Por una parte, los establecimientos particulares subvencionados se caracterizan por un mayor uso de estructuras verbales, mientras que los establecimientos municipales presentan un mayor uso de conectores ligados al desarrollo central del relato.
Cuando las emociones irrumpen: análisis comparativo del empleo de las interjecciones en las comedias de Terencio y las tragedias de Séneca
Authors:   Departamento de Filología Clásica (España), Unceta Gómez Luis
Published: January 2018

Este trabajo, el tercero de una serie, presenta un análisis comparativo de los principales valores que desarrollan las interjecciones en los corpus teatrales de las comedias de Terencio y las tragedias de Séneca, agrupándolas según los distintos contenidos que expresan. Se re-flexiona además sobre la función de la interjección en el género analizado.
Wave Phenomena and Beam‐Plasma Interactions at the Magnetopause Reconnection Region
Authors: Burch J. L. , Webster J. M. , Genestreti K. J. , Torbert R. B. , Giles B. L. , Fuselier S. A. , Dorelli J. C. , Rager A. C. , Phan T. D. , Allen R. C. , Chen L.‐J. , Wang S. , Le Contel O. , Russell C. T. , Strangeway R. J. , Ergun R. E. , Jaynes A. N. , Lindqvist P.‐A. , Graham D. B. , Wilder F. D. , Hwang K.‐J. , Goldstein J.
Published: January 2018

This paper reports on Magnetospheric Multiscale observations of whistler mode chorus and higher‐frequency electrostatic waves near and within a reconnection diffusion region on 23 November 2016. The diffusion region is bounded by crescent‐shaped electron distributions and associated dissipation just upstream of the X‐line and by magnetic field‐aligned currents and electric fields leading to dissipation near the electron stagnation point. Measurements were made southward of the X‐line as determined by southward directed ion and electron jets. We show that electrostatic wave generation is due to magnetosheath electron beams formed by the electron jets as they interact with a cold background plasma and more energetic population of magnetospheric electrons. On the magnetosphere side of the X‐line the electron beams are accompanied by a strong perpendicular electron temperature anisotropy, which is shown to be the source of an observed rising‐tone whistler mode chorus event. We show that the apex of the chorus event and the onset of electrostatic waves coincide with the opening of magnetic field lines at the electron stagnation point.
Modeling the Wake of the Marquesas Archipelago
Authors: Raapoto H. , Martinez E. , Petrenko A. , Doglioli A. M. , Maes C.
Published: January 2018

In this study, a high‐resolution (∼2.5 km) numerical model was set up to investigate the fine‐scale activity within the region of the Marquesas archipelago. This has never been performed before. The robustness of the model results is assessed by comparison with remote sensing and in situ observations. Our results highlight regions of warm waters leeward of the different islands with high eddy kinetic energy (EKE) on their sides. The analysis of energy conversion terms reveals contributions to EKE variability by wind, baroclinic, and barotropic instabilities. The use of a geometry‐based eddy detection algorithm reveals the generation of cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies in the wake of the largest islands, with both an inshore and offshore effect. Maximum eddy activity occurs in austral winter following the seasonality of both wind stress and EKE intensity. Most eddies have a radius between 20 and 30 km and are generally cyclonic rather than anticyclonic. Significant vertical velocities are observed in the proximity of the islands, associated with topographically induced flow separation. Eddy trapping inshore waters are advected offshore in the wake of the islands. The overall influence of these fine‐scale dynamics could explain the strong biological enhancement of the archipelago.
Bioderived DNA Nanomachines for Potential Uses in Biosensing, Diagnostics, and Therapeutic Applications
Authors: Angell Chava , Kai Mingxuan , Xie Sibai , Dong Xiangyi , Chen Yi
Published: January 2018

Beside its genomic properties, DNA is also recognized as a novel material in the field of nanoengineering. The specific bonding of base pairs can be used to direct the assembly of highly structured materials with specific nanoscale features such as periodic 2D arrays, 3D nanostructures, assembly of nanomaterials, and DNA nanomachines. In recent years, a variety of DNA nanomachines are developed because of their many potential applications in biosensing, diagnostics, and therapeutic applications. In this review, the fuel‐powered motors and secondary structure motors, whose working mechanisms are inspired or derived from natural phenomena and nanomachines, are discussed. The combination of DNA motors with other platforms is then discussed. In each section of these motors, their mechanisms and their usage in the biomedical field are described. Finally, it is believed that these DNA‐based nanomachines and hybrid motifs will become an integral point‐of‐care diagnostics and smart, site‐specific therapeutic delivery.
Reversible Thermal‐Induced Fluorescence Color Change of Tetraphenylethylene‐Labeled Nylon‐6
Authors: Xu Jiaru , Ji Wenxi , Li Chao , Lv Yufeng , Qiu Zijie , Gao Longcheng , Chen Erqiang , Lam Jacky W. Y. , Tang Benzhong , Jiang Lei
Published: January 2018

Nylon is the first synthetic fiber material and is widely used throughout the world. However, traditional nylons show limited optical applications as they emit no or weak fluorescence. Herein, a fluorescent nylon‐6 is synthesized by utilizing tetraphenylethylene (TPE) carrying two amino groups as coinitiator. The resulting TPE‐labeled nylon‐6 exhibits reversible thermal‐induced fluorescence color change. This unique property arises from the synergistic effect of its chemical structure and conformation. The thermal expansion of the polymer at high temperature induces the phenyl rings of TPE to rotate in a greater extent, which decreases the conjugation of TPE to lead to a blueshift in its fluorescence. The novel fluorescence property of TPE‐labeled nylon‐6 enables it to find applications in fields like chemosensor and security label.
Graphene‐Based Nanomaterials for Sodium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Lu Yong , Lu Yanying , Niu Zhiqiang , Chen Jun
Published: January 2018

Sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) are considered as promising candidates for large‐scale energy storage systems due to the wide availability and low cost of raw sodium resources. However, the heavier mass and larger radius of Na+ inevitably result in lower electrochemical kinetics and larger volume expansion of active materials than that of lighter and smaller Li+. To solve these problems, rational electrode design by integrating nanomaterials with graphene is an effective approach. In this review, the authors mainly focus on recent progress of graphene‐based nanomaterials for SIBs, including their design principle, preparation, characterization, and electrochemical performance. The important roles of graphene in graphene‐based inorganic and organic electrode materials are discussed in depth. In such composites, graphene can effectively enhance the electrical conductivity and mitigate volume change due to the robust and highly conductive networks formed by graphene. Moreover, the nanosized materials can enhance the reaction kinetics. Future research should focus on revealing the interaction mechanism between graphene and active materials, and improving the whole energy/power density, cycling stability, and the initial Coulombic efficiency of graphene‐based nanomaterials via elaborate design.
Recent Developments and Perspectives in the Asymmetric Mannich Reaction
Authors: Saranya Salim , Harry Nissy Ann , Krishnan K. Keerthi , Anilkumar Gopinathan
Published: January 2018

The asymmetric Mannich reaction is a very important method for C−C bond formation, and it is the classical method for the preparation of β‐amino ketones and aldehydes. The resulting β‐amino carbonyl compounds are widely found in nature, which attests to the importance of this reaction. This Focus Review provides an overview of asymmetric Mannich reactions, the various catalysts that have been used, and its applications, for papers published since 2013.
A phase 3 trial of mometasone furoate sinus implants for chronic sinusitis with recurrent nasal polyps
Authors: Kern Robert C. , Stolovitzky J. Pablo , Silvers Stacey L. , Singh Ameet , Lee Jivianne T. , Yen David M. , Iloreta Alfred M.C. , Langford Francis P.J. , Karanfilov Boris , Matheny Keith E. , Stambaugh James W. , Gawlicka Anna K. ,   for the RESOLVE II study investigators
Published: January 2018

Background

Topical intranasal corticosteroid sprays (INCSs) are standard treatment for nasal polyps (NPs), but their efficacy is reduced by poor patient compliance and impaired access of drug to the sinus mucosa. A corticosteroid‐eluting sinus implant was designed to address these limitations in patients with recurrent polyposis after sinus surgery by delivering 1350 μg of mometasone furoate (MF) directly to the ethmoid sinus mucosa over approximately 90 days.

Methods

A randomized, sham‐controlled, double‐blind trial was undertaken in 300 adults with refractory chronic rhinosinusitis with NPs (CRSwNP), who were candidates for repeat surgery. Eligible patients were randomized (2:1) and underwent in‐office bilateral placement of 2 implants or a sham procedure. All patients used the MF INCS 200 μg once daily. Co‐primary efficacy endpoints were the change from baseline in nasal obstruction/congestion score and bilateral polyp grade, as determined by an independent panel based on centralized, blinded videoendoscopy review.

Results

Patients treated with implants experienced significant reductions in both nasal obstruction/congestion score (p = 0.0074) and bilateral polyp grade (p = 0.0073) compared to controls. At day 90, implants were also associated with significant reductions in 4 of 5 prespecified secondary endpoints compared to control: proportion of patients still indicated for repeat sinus surgery (p = 0.0004), percent ethmoid sinus obstruction (p = 0.0007), nasal obstruction/congestion (p = 0.0248), and decreased sense of smell (p = 0.0470), but not facial pain/pressure (p = 0.9130). One patient experienced an implant‐related serious adverse event (epistaxis).

Conclusion

Significant improvements over a range of subjective and objective endpoints, including a reduction in the need for sinus surgery by 61%, suggest that MF sinus implants may play an important role in management of recurrent NP.