bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disciplinary literacy in the science classroom: Using adaptive primary literature
Authors: Koomen Michele Hollingsworth , Weaver Sarah , Blair Robert B. , Oberhauser Karen S.
Published: May 2016

This study reports on an innovative version of adaptive primary literature (APL) that we call Science Behind the Scenes used during a summer professional development (PD) program. Classroom teachers read and discussed papers from the primary literature, and created translations of these papers relevant to their own classroom needs. We randomly selected 31 teacher‐created Science behind the Scenes products for evaluation with a rubric that was aligned with the K‐12 Science Education Frameworks (2012). In addition, we interviewed groups of teachers at follow‐up sessions and individual teachers who used the APL in their classrooms. We used frameworks for grounded theory to sort the interview text and descriptive statistical measures for quantitative data. Our analysis reveals two key findings: (i) the teachers created respectable adaptations of primary scientific literature into APL; and (ii) the teachers used the APL products in their classrooms to support the discourse of science and disciplinary literacy, and to create a bridge to the scientific enterprise. Our findings have implications for instructional design, curricular materials, professional development, and science education. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 53: 847–894, 2016
Improved in vivo antitumor effect of a daunorubicin - GnRH-III bioconjugate modified by apoptosis inducing agent butyric acid on colorectal carcinoma bearing mice
Authors: Kapuvári Bence , Hegedüs Rózsa , Schulcz Ákos , Manea Marilena , Tóvári József , Gacs Alexandra , Vincze Borbála , Mező Gábor
Published: May 2016

Compared to classical chemotherapy, peptide-based drug targeting is a promising therapeutic approach for cancer, which can provide increased selectivity and decreased side effects to anticancer drugs. Among various homing devices, gonadotropin-releasing hormone-III (GnRH-III) peptide represents a suitable targeting moiety, in particular in the treatment of hormone independent tumors that highly express GnRH receptors (e.g. colon carcinoma). We have previously shown that GnRH-III[4Lys(Ac),8Lys(Dau = Aoa)] bioconjugate, in which daunorubicin was attached via oxime linkage to the 8Lys of a GnRH-III derivative, exerted significant in vivo antitumor effect on subcutaneously developed HT-29 colon tumor. In contrast, results of the study reported here indicated that this compound was not active on an orthotopically developed tumor. However, if Lys in position 4 was acylated with butyric acid instead of acetic acid, the resulting bioconjugate GnRH-III[4Lys(Bu),8Lys(Dau = Aoa)] had significant tumor growth inhibitory effect. Furthermore, it prevented tumor neovascularization, without detectable side effects. Nevertheless, the development of metastases could not be inhibited by the bioconjugate; therefore, its application in combination with a metastasis preventive agent might be necessary in order to achieve complete tumor remission. In spite of this result, the treatment with GnRH-III[4Lys(Bu),8Lys(Dau = Aoa)] bioconjugate proved to have significant benefits over the administration of free daunorubicin, which was used at the maximum tolerated dose.
Quality of care from the perspective of women with gestational diabetes in China
Authors: Ge Li , Wikby Kerstin , Rask Mikael
Published: May 2016

Objective

To explore the quality of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) care experienced by women in China and how it could be improved.

Methods

A qualitative study was conducted at a municipal hospital in south east China. Women who had been diagnosed with GDM at 34–38 weeks of pregnancy were enrolled during two periods; between May 1 and July 31, 2012, and between April 1 and July 31, 2013. Data regarding patient‐perceived care quality were collected through semi‐structured individual interviews and were analyzed by qualitative content analysis.

Results

The study enrolled 44 patients; the interviews recorded a lack of professional care resources for GDM, a lack of high‐quality personalized care for women with GDM, and patients' suggestions regarding how to improve GDM care.

Conclusion

The participants reported a lack of high‐quality GDM care, describing the core problem as an imbalance between over‐stretched hospitals and low‐efficiency under‐utilized primary healthcare centers. Clinical‐practice reforms identified, particularly in primary healthcare settings, included improving services through increasing the number of health professionals and material resources to comply with diabetes guidelines, and incorporating a humanistic approach in the provision of care.
Maternal 25‐hydroxyvitamin D level and the occurrence of neural tube defects in Tunisia
Authors: Nasri Kaouther , Ben Fradj Mohamed K. , Feki Moncef , Kaabechi Naziha , Sahraoui Mariem , Masmoudi Aida , Marrakchi Raja , Gaigi Soumeya S.
Published: May 2016

Objective

To determine whether low vitamin D levels in pregnant women are associated with the occurrence of neural tube defects (NTDs) in Tunisia.

Methods

In a prospective study, pregnant women were recruited at a center in Tunis between January 1, 2012, and December 30, 2013. Women carrying a fetus with a severe NTD were recruited before elective termination. Matched, healthy pregnancy women were enrolled into a control group. Plasma levels of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D were measured by a competitive chemiluminescence immunoassay.

Results

Overall, 68 women formed the NTD group and 64 the control group. The mean maternal vitamin D level was significantly lower in the NTD group (20.65 ± 10.25 nmol/L) than in the control group (28.30 ± 13.82 nmol/L;P< 0.001). Vitamin D deficiency was recorded for 53 (78%) women in the NTD group and 39 (61%) in the control group. Vitamin D insufficiency was recorded for 15 (22%) women in the NTD group and 20 (31%) in the control group. Vitamin D sufficiency was found only in the control group (n = 5 [8%];P< 0.001).

Conclusion

The findings confirm an association between a decreased vitamin D level in pregnant women and the risk of fetal NTDs.
Biofilms in chronic rhinosinusitis: Pathophysiology and therapeutic strategies
Authors: Fastenberg Judd H. , Hsueh Wayne D. , Mustafa Ali , Akbar Nadeem A. , Abuzeid Waleed M.
Published: May 2016

Background

There is increasing evidence that biofilms are critical to the pathophysiology of chronic infections including chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Until relatively recently, our understanding of biofilms was limited. Recent advances in methods for biofilm identification and molecular biology have offered new insights into the role of biofilms in CRS. With these insights, investigators have begun to investigate novel therapeutic strategies that may disrupt or eradicate biofilms in CRS.

Objective

This review seeks to explore the evidence implicating biofilms in CRS, discuss potential anti‐biofilm therapeutic strategies, and suggest future directions for research.

Results

The existing evidence strongly supports the role of biofilms in the pathogenesis of CRS. Several anti‐biofilm therapies have been investigated for use in CRS and these are at variable stages of development. Generally, these strategies: 1) neutralize biofilm microbes; 2) disperse existing biofilms; or 3) disrupt quorum sensing. Several of the most promising anti‐biofilm therapeutic strategies are reviewed.

Conclusions

A better understanding of biofilm function and their contribution to the CRS disease process will be pivotal to the development of novel treatments that may augment and, potentially, redefine the CRS treatment paradigm. There is tremendous potential for future research.
Grammatical Complexity in Academic English
Authors: Biber Douglas , Gray Bethany
Published: May 2016

Grammatical Complexity in Academic English uses corpus-based analyses to challenge a number of dominant stereotypes and assumptions within linguistics. Biber and Gray tackle the nature of grammatical complexity, demonstrating that embedded phrasal structures are as important as embedded dependent clauses. The authors also overturn ingrained assumptions about linguistic change, showing that grammatical change occurs in writing as well as speech. This work establishes that academic writing is structurally compressed (rather than elaborated); that it is often not explicit in the expression of meaning; and that scientific academic writing has been the locus of some of the most important grammatical changes in English over the past 200 years (rather than being conservative and resistant to change). Supported throughout with textual evidence, this work is essential reading for discourse analysts, sociolinguists, applied linguists, as well as descriptive linguists and historical linguists.
Common Pitfalls in Multiple Sclerosis and CNS Demyelinating Diseases
Authors: Keegan B. Mark
Published: May 2016

Differentiating multiple sclerosis (MS) from alternative demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system and systemic medical conditions that mimic MS is challenging. A simple three-step approach is used in this text to guide readers through clinical cases to define MS and rule out competing causes. Case presentations are used to illustrate simple pearls and other clues that will aid clinicians in assessing and managing difficult clinical situations. The chapters are organized to reflect challenges regarding specific anatomical territories affected by MS and its mimickers, namely evaluation of impairment in the optic nerves, brain, brainstem, cerebellum, and spinal cord. Specific examples are used where the author or the treating physician was correct or incorrect in investigating or managing a particular question. The wisdom of hindsight thus generated becomes an invaluable and enduring lesson. The text is written in a coaching style, buttressed by the strong pedagogic wisdom of the author.
Boiotia in Antiquity
Authors: Schachter Albert , Beck Hans
Published: May 2016

Boiotia was - next to Athens and Sparta - one of the most important regions of ancient Greece. Albert Schachter, a leading expert on the region, has for many decades pioneered and fostered the exploration of it and its people through his research. His seminal publications have covered all aspects of its history, institutions, cults, and literature from late Mycenaean times to the Roman Empire, revealing a mastery of the epigraphic evidence, archaeological data, and the literary tradition. This volume conveniently brings together twenty-three papers (two previously unpublished, others revised and updated) which display a compelling intellectual coherence and a narrative style refreshingly immune to jargon. All major topics of Boiotian history from early Greece to Roman times are touched upon, and the book can be read as a history of Boiotia, in pieces.
Peace Education in a Conflict-Affected Society
Authors: Zembylas Michalinos , Charalambous Constadina , Charalambous Panayiota
Published: May 2016

Peace education initiatives have been subject to heated public debate and so far the complexities involved have not been fully understood. This multilayered analysis examines how teachers negotiate ideological, pedagogical and emotional challenges in their attempts to enact a peace education policy. Focusing primarily on the case study of conflict-affected Cyprus, Michalinos Zembylas, Constadina Charalambous and Panayiota Charalambous situate the Cypriot case within wider theoretical and methodological debates in the field and explore the implications of their findings for theory and practice. Building on current anthropological approaches, the authors use insights from policy studies and sociolinguistics to examine peace education agendas and the ways these are shaped by the dynamics of local politics and classroom practices. This study will be valuable reading for researchers of peace and policy studies as well as for practitioners and policy makers involved in introducing peace education initiatives that challenge teachers' long-held beliefs.
The Emergence of the South African Metropolis
Authors: Bickford-Smith Vivian
Published: May 2016

Focusing on South Africa's three main cities - Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban - this book explores South African urban history from the late nineteenth century onwards. In particular, it examines the metropolitan perceptions and experiences of both black and white South Africans, as well as those of visitors, especially visitors from Britain and North America. Drawing on a rich array of city histories, travel writing, novels, films, newspapers, radio and television programs, and oral histories, Vivian Bickford-Smith focuses on the consequences of the depictions of the South African metropolis and the 'slums' they contained, and especially on how senses of urban belonging and geography helped create and reinforce South African ethnicities and nationalisms. This ambitious and pioneering account, spanning more than a century, will be welcomed by scholars and students of African history, urban history, and historical geography.
The Missing Lemur Link
Authors: Norscia Ivan , Palagi Elisabetta , Jolly Alison , Tatterall Ian , Huffman Michael
Published: May 2016

Lemurs share a common distant ancestor with humans. Following their own evolutionary pathway, lemurs provide the ideal model to shed light on the behavioural traits of primates including conflict management, communication strategies and society building and how these aspects of social living relate to those found in the anthropoid primates. Adopting a comparative approach throughout, lemur behaviour is cross-examined with that of monkeys, apes and humans. This book reviews and expands upon the newest fields of research in lemur behavioural biology, including recent analytical approaches that have so far been limited to studies of haplorrhine primates. Different methodological approaches are harmonised in this volume to break conceptual walls between both primate taxa and different disciplines. Through a focus on the methodologies behind lemur behaviour and social interactions, future primate researchers will be encouraged to produce directly comparable results.
Epidemics in Modern Asia
Authors: Peckham Robert
Published: May 2016

Epidemics have played a critical role in shaping modern Asia. Encompassing two centuries of Asian history, Robert Peckham explores the profound impact that infectious disease has had on societies across the region: from India to China and the Russian Far East. The book tracks the links between biology, history, and geopolitics, highlighting infectious disease's interdependencies with empire, modernization, revolution, nationalism, migration, and transnational patterns of trade. By examining the history of Asia through the lens of epidemics, Peckham vividly illustrates how society's material conditions are entangled with social and political processes, offering an entirely fresh perspective on Asia's transformation.
Grassmannian Geometry of Scattering Amplitudes
Authors: Arkani-Hamed Nima , Bourjaily Jacob , Cachazo Freddy , Goncharov Alexander , Postnikov Alexander , Trnka Jaroslav
Published: May 2016

Outlining a revolutionary reformulation of the foundations of perturbative quantum field theory, this book is a self-contained and authoritative analysis of the application of this new formulation to the case of planar, maximally supersymmetric Yang–Mills theory. The book begins by deriving connections between scattering amplitudes and Grassmannian geometry from first principles before introducing novel physical and mathematical ideas in a systematic manner accessible to both physicists and mathematicians. The principle players in this process are on-shell functions which are closely related to certain sub-strata of Grassmannian manifolds called positroids - in terms of which the classification of on-shell functions and their relations becomes combinatorially manifest. This is an essential introduction to the geometry and combinatorics of the positroid stratification of the Grassmannian and an ideal text for advanced students and researchers working in the areas of field theory, high energy physics, and the broader fields of mathematical physics.
Religious Deviance in the Roman World
Authors: Rüpke Jörg
Published: May 2016

Religious individuality is not restricted to modernity. This book offers a new reading of the ancient sources in order to find indications for the spectrum of religious practices and intensified forms of such practices only occasionally denounced as 'superstition'. Authors from Cicero in the first century BC to the law codes of the fourth century AD share the assumption that authentic and binding communication between individuals and gods is possible and widespread, even if problematic in the case of divination or the confrontation with images of the divine. A change in practices and assumptions throughout the imperial period becomes visible. It might be characterised as 'individualisation' and informed the Roman law of religions. The basic constellation - to give freedom of religion and to regulate religion at the same time - resonates even into modern bodies of law and is important for juridical conflicts today.
Risk Inequality and Welfare States
Authors: Rehm Philipp
Published: May 2016

The transformation of night-watchman states into welfare states is one of the most notable societal developments in recent history. In 1880, not a single country had a nationally compulsory social policy program. A few decades later, every single one of today's rich democracies had adopted programs covering all or almost all of the main risks people face: old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment. These programs rapidly expanded in terms of range, reach, and resources. Today, all rich democracies cover all main risks for a vast majority of citizens, with binding public or mandatory private programs. Three aspects of this remarkable transformation are particularly fascinating: the trend (the transformation to insurance states happened in all rich democracies); differences across countries (the generosity of social policy varies greatly across countries); and the dynamics of the process. This book offers a theory that not only explains this remarkable transition but also explains cross-national differences and the role of crises for social policy development.
Introduction to Model Spaces and their Operators
Authors: Garcia Stephan Ramon , Mashreghi Javad , Ross William T.
Published: May 2016

The study of model spaces, the closed invariant subspaces of the backward shift operator, is a vast area of research with connections to complex analysis, operator theory and functional analysis. This self-contained text is the ideal introduction for newcomers to the field. It sets out the basic ideas and quickly takes the reader through the history of the subject before ending up at the frontier of mathematical analysis. Open questions point to potential areas of future research, offering plenty of inspiration to graduate students wishing to advance further.
Optimal Control and Geometry: Integrable Systems
Authors: Jurdjevic Velimir
Published: May 2016

The synthesis of symplectic geometry, the calculus of variations and control theory offered in this book provides a crucial foundation for the understanding of many problems in applied mathematics. Focusing on the theory of integrable systems, this book introduces a class of optimal control problems on Lie groups, whose Hamiltonians, obtained through the Maximum Principle of optimality, shed new light on the theory of integrable systems. These Hamiltonians provide an original and unified account of the existing theory of integrable systems. The book particularly explains much of the mystery surrounding the Kepler problem, the Jacobi problem and the Kovalevskaya Top. It also reveals the ubiquitous presence of elastic curves in integrable systems up to the soliton solutions of the non-linear Schroedinger's equation. Containing a useful blend of theory and applications, this is an indispensable guide for graduates and researchers in many fields, from mathematical physics to space control.
When States Come Out
Authors: Ayoub Phillip M.
Published: May 2016

In the last two decades, the LGBT movement has gained momentum that is arguably unprecedented in speed and suddenness when compared to other human rights movements. This book investigates the recent history of this transnational movement in Europe, focusing on the diffusion of the norms it champions and the overarching question of why, despite similar international pressures, the trajectories of socio-legal recognition for LGBT minorities are so different across states. The book makes the case that a politics of visibility has engendered the interactions between movements and states that empower marginalized people - mobilizing actors to demand change, influencing the spread of new legal standards, and weaving new ideas into the fabrics of societies. It documents how this process of 'coming out' empowers marginalized social groups by moving them to the center of political debate and public recognition and making it possible for them to obtain rights to which they have due claim.
From Hometown to Battlefield in the Civil War Era
Authors: Mahoney Timothy R.
Published: May 2016

Mahoney examines how members of the middle class from small cities across the great West were transformed by boom and bust, years of recession, and civil war. He argues that in their encounters with national economic forces, the national crisis in politics, and the Civil War, middle class people were cut adrift from the social identity that they had established in the 'face to face' communities of the 'hometowns' of the urban West. By grounding them in their hometown ethos, and understanding how the Panic of 1857 and the subsequent recession undermined their lives, the author provides important insights into how they encountered, responded to, and were changed by their experiences in the Civil War. Providing a rare view of social history through the framework of the Civil War, the author documents, in both breadth and depth, the dramatic change and development of modern life in nineteenth-century America.
Water Histories and Spatial Archaeology
Authors: Harrower Michael J.
Published: May 2016

This book offers a new interpretation of the spatial-political-environmental dynamics of water and irrigation in long-term histories of arid regions. It compares ancient Southwest Arabia (3500 BC–AD 600) with the American West (2000 BC–AD 1950) in global context to illustrate similarities and differences among environmental, cultural, political, and religious dynamics of water. It combines archaeological exploration and field studies of farming in Yemen with social theory and spatial technologies, including satellite imagery, Global Positioning System (GPS), and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping. In both ancient Yemen and the American West, agricultural production focused not where rain-fed agriculture was possible, but in hyper-arid areas where massive state-constructed irrigation schemes politically and ideologically validated state sovereignty. While shaped by profound differences and contingencies, ancient Yemen and the American West are mutually informative in clarifying human geographies of water that are important to understandings of America, Arabia, and contemporary conflicts between civilizations deemed East and West.
Random Graphs, Geometry and Asymptotic Structure
Authors: Krivelevich Michael , Panagiotou Konstantinos , Penrose Mathew , McDiarmid Colin
Published: May 2016

The theory of random graphs is a vital part of the education of any researcher entering the fascinating world of combinatorics. However, due to their diverse nature, the geometric and structural aspects of the theory often remain an obscure part of the formative study of young combinatorialists and probabilists. Moreover, the theory itself, even in its most basic forms, is often considered too advanced to be part of undergraduate curricula, and those who are interested usually learn it mostly through self-study, covering a lot of its fundamentals but little of the more recent developments. This book provides a self-contained and concise introduction to recent developments and techniques for classical problems in the theory of random graphs. Moreover, it covers geometric and topological aspects of the theory and introduces the reader to the diversity and depth of the methods that have been devised in this context.
Counting Women's Ballots
Authors: Corder J. Kevin , Wolbrecht Christina
Published: May 2016

How did the first female voters cast their ballots? For almost 100 years, answers to this question have eluded scholars. Counting Women's Ballots employs new data and novel methods to provide insights into whether, how, and with what consequences women voted in the elections after suffrage. The analysis covers a larger and more diverse set of places, over a longer period of time, than has previously been possible. J. Kevin Corder and Christina Wolbrecht find that the extent to which women voted and which parties they supported varied considerably across time and place, challenging attempts to describe female voters in terms of simple generalizations. Many women adapted quickly to their new right; others did not. In some cases, women reinforced existing partisan advantages; in others, they contributed to dramatic political realignment. Counting Women's Ballots improves our understanding of the largest expansion of the American electorate during a transformative period of American history.
After Obama
Authors: Singh Robert S.
Published: May 2016

Barack Obama's foreign policy has failed but the American strategic mind has not yet closed. In After Obama, Robert Singh examines how and why US influence has weakened and contributed to the erosion of the world America made, endangering international order and liberal values. A well-intentioned but naive strategy of engagement has encouraged US adversaries such as Russia, China and Iran to assert themselves while allowing Western alliances to fray. But, challenging claims of an inevitable American decline, Singh argues that US leadership is a matter of will as much as wallet. Despite partisan polarization at home and the rise of the rest abroad, Washington can renew American leadership and, through a New American Internationalism, pave a path to the restoration of global order. Timely and provocative, the book offers a powerful critique of the Obama Doctrine and a call for strategic resolution in place of 'leading from behind'.
WTO Dispute Settlement and the TRIPS Agreement
Authors: Kennedy Matthew
Published: May 2016

The TRIPS Agreement was implemented in the WTO to gain access to a functioning dispute settlement mechanism that could authorize trade sanctions. Yet TRIPS and the WTO Dispute Settlement Understanding are based on systems that developed independently in WIPO and GATT. In this book, Matthew Kennedy exposes the challenges created by the integration and independence of TRIPS within the WTO by examining how this trade organization comes to grips with intellectual property disputes. He contrasts the way intellectual property disputes between governments have been handled before and after the establishment of the WTO. Based on practical experience, this book provides a comprehensive review of the issues that arise under the DSU, TRIPS, GATT 1994 and other WTO agreements in intellectual property matters. These range from procedural pitfalls to substantive treaty interpretation and conflicts as well as remedies, including cross-retaliation.
Mechanics, Waves and Thermodynamics
Authors: Jain Sudhir Ranjan
Published: May 2016

The principles of classical physics, though superseded in specific fields by such theories as quantum mechanics and general relativity, are still of great importance in a broad range of applications. The book presents fundamental concepts of classical physics in a coherent and logical manner. It discusses important topics including the mechanics of a single particle, kinetic theory, oscillations and waves. Topics including the kinetic theory of gases, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics are discussed, which are normally not present in the books on classical physics. The fundamental concepts of energy, momentum, mass and entropy are explained with examples. Discussion on concepts of thermodynamics is presented along with the simplified explanation on Caratheodory's axioms. It covers chapters on wave motion and statistical physics, useful for the graduate students. Each concept is supported with real-life applications on several concepts including impulse and collision, Bernoulli's equation, and friction.
Signals and Systems
Authors: Apte Shaila Dinkar
Published: May 2016

This book provides a rigorous treatment of deterministic and random signals. It offers detailed information on topics including random signals, system modelling and system analysis. System analysis in frequency domain using Fourier transform and Laplace transform is explained with theory and numerical problems. The advanced techniques used for signal processing, especially for speech and image processing, are discussed. The properties of continuous time and discrete time signals are explained with a number of numerical problems. The physical significance of different properties is explained using real-life examples. To aid understanding, concept check questions, review questions, a summary of important concepts, and frequently asked questions are included. MATLAB programs, with output plots and simulation examples, are provided for each concept. Students can execute these simulations and verify the outputs.
God and the Secular Legal System
Authors: Domingo Rafael
Published: May 2016

This timely book offers a theistic approach to secular legal systems and demonstrates that these systems are neither agnostic nor atheist. Critical but succinct in its approach, this book focuses on an extensive range of liberal legal approaches to religious and moral issues and subjects them to critical scrutiny from a secular perspective. Expertly written by a leading scholar, the author offers a rare combination of profundity of ideas and simplicity of expression. It is a ringing defense of the theistic conception of secular legal systems and an uncompromising attack on the agnostic and atheist conception.
Regular and Irregular Holonomic D-Modules
Authors: Kashiwara Masaki , Schapira Pierre
Published: May 2016

D-module theory is essentially the algebraic study of systems of linear partial differential equations. This book, the first devoted specifically to holonomic D-modules, provides a unified treatment of both regular and irregular D-modules. The authors begin by recalling the main results of the theory of indsheaves and subanalytic sheaves, explaining in detail the operations on D-modules and their tempered holomorphic solutions. As an application, they obtain the Riemann–Hilbert correspondence for regular holonomic D-modules. In the second part of the book the authors do the same for the sheaf of enhanced tempered solutions of (not necessarily regular) holonomic D-modules. Originating from a series of lectures given at the Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques in Paris, this book is addressed to graduate students and researchers familiar with the language of sheaves and D-modules, in the derived sense.
Graded Rings and Graded Grothendieck Groups
Authors: Hazrat Roozbeh
Published: May 2016

This study of graded rings includes the first systematic account of the graded Grothendieck group, a powerful and crucial invariant in algebra which has recently been adopted to classify the Leavitt path algebras. The book begins with a concise introduction to the theory of graded rings and then focuses in more detail on Grothendieck groups, Morita theory, Picard groups and K-theory. The author extends known results in the ungraded case to the graded setting and gathers together important results which are currently scattered throughout the literature. The book is suitable for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, as well as researchers in ring theory.
Particle based modelling and simulation of natural sand dynamics in the wave bottom boundary layer
Authors: Finn Justin R. , Li Ming , Apte Sourabh V.
Published: May 2016

Sand transport and morphological change occur in the wave bottom boundary layer due to sand particle interactions with an oscillatory flow and granular interactions between particles. Although these interactions depend strongly on the characteristics of the particle population, i.e. size and shape, little is known about how natural sand particles behave under oscillatory conditions and how variations in particle size influence transport behaviour. To enable this to be studied numerically, an Euler–Lagrange point-particle model is developed which can capture the individual and collective dynamics of subaqueous natural sand grains. Special treatments for particle collision, friction and hydrodynamic interactions are included to take into account the wide size and shape variations in natural sands. The model is used to simulate sand particle dynamics in two asymmetric oscillatory flow conditions corresponding to the vortex ripple experiments of Van der Werfet al.(J. Geophys. Res., vol. 112, 2007, F02012) and the sheet-flow experiments of O’Donoghue & Wright (Coast. Engng, vol. 50, 2004, pp. 117–138). A comparison of the phase resolved velocity and concentration fields shows overall excellent agreement between simulation and experiments. The particle based datasets are used to investigate the spatio-temporal dynamics of the particle-size distribution and the influence of three-dimensional vortical features on particle entrainment and suspension processes. For the first time, it is demonstrated that even for the relatively well-sorted medium-size sands considered here, the characteristics of the local grain size population exhibit significant space–time variation. Both conditions demonstrate a distinct coarse-over-fine armouring at the bed surface during low-velocity phases, which restricts the vertical mobility of finer fractions in the bed, and also results in strong pickup events involving disproportionately coarse fractions. The near-bed layer composition is seen to be very dynamic in the sheet-flow condition, while it remains coarse through most of the cycle in the vortex ripple condition. Particles in suspension spend more time sampling the upward directed parts of these flows, especially the smaller fractions, which delays particle settling and enhances the vertical size sorting of grains in suspension. For the submillimetre grain sizes considered, most particle–particle collisions occur at low impact Stokes numbers and can be expected to have low rebound velocities. The results are considered to be fundamental to the understanding of particle sorting and transport mechanisms, and can help to improve current transport modelling approaches.
Rivulet flow over a flexible beam
Authors: Howell P. D. , Kim H. , Popova M. G. , Stone H. A.
Published: May 2016

We study theoretically and experimentally how a thin layer of liquid flows along a flexible beam. The flow is modelled using lubrication theory and the substrate is modelled as an elastica which deforms according to the Euler–Bernoulli equation. A constant flux of liquid is supplied at one end of the beam, which is clamped horizontally, while the other end of the beam is free. As the liquid film spreads, its weight causes the beam deflection to increase, which in turn enhances the spreading rate of the liquid. This feedback mechanism causes the front position ${\it\sigma}(t)$ and the deflection angle at the front ${\it\phi}(t)$ to go through a number of different power-law behaviours. For early times, the liquid spreads like a horizontal gravity current, with ${\it\sigma}(t)\propto t^{4/5}$ and ${\it\phi}(t)\propto t^{13/5}$. For intermediate times, the deflection of the beam leads to rapid acceleration of the liquid layer, with ${\it\sigma}(t)\propto t^{4}$ and ${\it\phi}(t)\propto t^{9}$. Finally, when the beam has sagged to become almost vertical, the liquid film flows downward with ${\it\sigma}(t)\propto t$ and ${\it\phi}(t)\sim {\rm\pi}/2$. We demonstrate good agreement between these theoretical predictions and experimental results.
Dietary patterns in India: a systematic review
Authors: Green Rosemary , Milner James , Joy Edward J. M. , Agrawal Sutapa , Dangour Alan D.
Published: May 2016

Dietary patterns analysis is an emerging area of research. Identifying distinct patterns within a large dietary survey can give a more accurate representation of what people are eating. Furthermore, it allows researchers to analyse relationships between non-communicable diseases (NCD) and complete diets rather than individual food items or nutrients. However, few such studies have been conducted in developing countries including India, where the population has a high burden of diabetes and CVD. We undertook a systematic review of published and grey literature exploring dietary patterns and relationships with diet-related NCD in India. We identified eight studies, including eleven separate models of dietary patterns. Most dietary patterns were vegetarian with a predominance of fruit, vegetables and pulses, as well as cereals; dietary patterns based on high-fat, high-sugar foods and more meat were also identified. There was large variability between regions in dietary patterns, and there was some evidence of change in diets over time, although no evidence of different diets by sex or age was found. Consumers of high-fat dietary patterns were more likely to have greater BMI, and a dietary pattern high in sweets and snacks was associated with greater risk of diabetes compared with a traditional diet high in rice and pulses, but other relationships with NCD risk factors were less clear. This review shows that dietary pattern analyses can be highly valuable in assessing variability in national diets and diet–disease relationships. However, to date, most studies in India are limited by data and methodological shortcomings.
Formulations of the -functional calculus and some consequences
Authors: Colombo Fabrizio , Gantner Jonathan
Published: May 2016

In this paper we introduce the two possible formulations of the -functional calculus that are based on the Fueter–Sce mapping theorem in integral form and we introduce the pseudo--resolvent equation. In the case of dimension 3 we prove the -resolvent equation and we study the analogue of the Riesz projectors associated with this calculus. The case of dimension 3 is also useful to study the quaternionic version of the -functional calculus.
Antibiotic and metal resistance of cultivable bacteria in the Antarctic sea urchin
Authors: González-Aravena M. , Urtubia R. , Del Campo K. , Lavín P. , Wong C.M.V.L. , Cárdenas C.A. , González-Rocha G.
Published: May 2016

In this paper we report the first characterization of cultivable bacteria obtained from the Antarctic sea urchinSterechinus neumayeri. The coelomic fluid was obtained from a pool of sea urchins which was plated onto different media to isolate the bacteria. A total of 42 isolates of psychrotrophic and aerobic γ-Proteobacteria (59.5%), Flavobacteria (33.3%) and Actinomycetes (7.2%) were isolated and sequenced. These bacteria were exposed to heavy metals and antibiotics, where 38 strains were analysed by the minimal inhibitory concentration method. Antibiotic resistance was detected in 44% of cultivable strains, and a further 13% presented co-resistance to antibiotics and heavy metals. The genera of bacteria that showed an increased resistance and co-resistance to metals and antibiotics wereFlavobacterium,PsychrobacterandPseudomonas. Additionally, 30.9% of isolated bacterial strains contained plasmids, which are probably related to resistance and co-resistance to metals. These results indicate that sea urchin-associated bacteria could be reservoirs for antibiotic resistance genes.
Aberration-Corrected Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (STEM) Through-Focus Imaging for Three-Dimensional Atomic Analysis of Bismuth Segregation on Copper [001]/33° Twist Bicrystal Grain Boundaries
Authors: Wade Charles Austin , McLean Mark J. , Vinci Richard P. , Watanabe Masashi
Published: May 2016

Scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) through-focus imaging (TFI) has been used to determine the three-dimensional atomic structure of Bi segregation-induced brittle Cu grain boundaries (GBs). With TFI, it is possible to observe single Bi atom distributions along Cu [001] twist GBs using an aberration-corrected STEM operating at 200 kV. The depth resolution is ~5 nm. Specimens with GBs intentionally inclined with respect to the microscope’s optic axis were used to investigate Bi segregant atom distributions along and through the Cu GB. It was found that Bi atoms exist at most once per Cu unit cell along the GB, meaning that no continuous GB film is present. Therefore, the reduced fracture toughness of this particular Bi-doped Cu boundary would not be caused by fracture of Bi–Bi bonds.
Creativity, Automaticity, Irrationality, Fortuity, Fantasy, and Other Contingencies: An Eightfold Response Typology
Authors: Simonton Dean Keith
Published: May 2016

A 4-decade long research program that had started out focusing on creative genius unexpectedly produced a general response typology potentially applicable to the average person on the street. In particular, attempts to define both creativity and noncreativity resulted in an eightfold typology of everyday human thought and behavior. Given any situation that may evoke a response, the alternative outcomes can be distinguished according to their initial probability, actual utility, and the person's prior knowledge of that utility. These 3 parameters then yield 8 major types of outcomes: (a) routine, reproductive, or habitual responses (based on acquired life and work expertise); (b) fortuitous responses (such as uninformed response biases); (c) irrational perseveration (or failing to learn from past mistakes); (d) problem finding (such as violations of expert expectations); (e) irrational suppression (refusing to do what's good for you); (f) creative or productive thoughts and behaviors (original, useful, and surprising responses); (g) rational suppression (such as those due to previous response extinction); and (h) mind wandering and behavioral exploration (such as fantasy, tinkering, and play). These distinct responses exhibit important interrelationships. For example, although habitual responses are antithetical to creative thought and behavior, creativity is fostered by problem finding, rational suppression, and mind wandering or behavioral exploration. Moreover, because the 3 parameters can assume continuous values between 0 and 1 inclusively, the typology allows for more finely differentiated thoughts and behaviors, including “satisficing” decisions that fall short of utility optimization as well as tentative hunches residing between absolute ignorance and certain knowledge.
Inhibition of HIF-prolyl-4-hydroxylases prevents mitochondrial impairment and cell death in a model of neuronal oxytosis
Authors: Neitemeier S , Dolga A M , Honrath B , Karuppagounder S S , Alim I , Ratan R R , Culmsee C
Published: May 2016

Mitochondrial impairment induced by oxidative stress is a main characteristic of intrinsic cell death pathways in neurons underlying the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, protection of mitochondrial integrity and function is emerging as a promising strategy to prevent neuronal damage. Here, we show that pharmacological inhibition of hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl-4-hydroxylases (HIF-PHDs) by adaptaquin inhibits lipid peroxidation and fully maintains mitochondrial function as indicated by restored mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP production, reduced formation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) and preserved mitochondrial respiration, thereby protecting neuronal HT-22 cells in a model of glutamate-induced oxytosis. Selective reduction of PHD1 protein using CRISPR/Cas9 technology also reduced both lipid peroxidation and mitochondrial impairment, and attenuated glutamate toxicity in the HT-22 cells. Regulation of activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) expression levels and related target genes may mediate these beneficial effects. Overall, these results expose HIF-PHDs as promising targets to protect mitochondria and, thereby, neurons from oxidative cell death.
Distal retinal ganglion cell axon transport loss and activation of p38 MAPK stress pathway following VEGF-A antagonism
Authors: Foxton R , Osborne A , Martin K R , Ng Y-S , Shima D T
Published: May 2016

There is increasing evidence that VEGF-A antagonists may be detrimental to neuronal health following ocular administration. Here we investigated firstly the effects of VEGF-A neutralization on retinal neuronal survival in the Ins2Akita diabetic and JR5558 spontaneous choroidal neovascularization (CNV) mice, and then looked at potential mechanisms contributing to cell death. We detected elevated apoptosis in the ganglion cell layer in both these models following VEGF-A antagonism, indicating that even when vascular pathologies respond to treatment, neurons are still vulnerable to reduced VEGF-A levels. We observed that retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) seemed to be the cells most susceptible to VEGF-A antagonism, so we looked at anterograde transport in these cells, due to their long axons requiring optimal protein and organelle trafficking. Using cholera toxin B-subunit tracer studies, we found a distal reduction in transport in the superior colliculus following VEGF-A neutralization, which occurred prior to net RGC loss. This phenomenon of distal transport loss has been described as a feature of early pathological changes in glaucoma, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease models. Furthermore, we observed increased phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and downstream Hsp27 stress pathway signaling in the retinas from these experiments, potentially providing a mechanistic explanation for our findings. These experiments further highlight the possible risks of using VEGF-A antagonists to treat ocular neovascular disease, and suggest that VEGF-A may contribute to the maintenance and function of axonal transport in neurons of the retina.
Nrf2-driven TERT regulates pentose phosphate pathway in glioblastoma
Authors: Ahmad F , Dixit D , Sharma V , Kumar A , Joshi S D , Sarkar C , Sen E
Published: May 2016

Given the involvement of telomerase activation and dysregulated metabolism in glioma progression, the connection between these two critical players was investigated. Pharmacological inhibition of human Telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) by Costunolide induced glioma cell apoptosis in a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent manner. Costunolide induced an ROS-dependent increase in p53 abrogated telomerase activity. Costunolide decreased Nrf2 level; and ectopic Nrf2 expression decreased Costunolide-induced ROS generation. While TERT knock-down abrogated Nrf2 levels, overexpression of Nrf2 increased TERT expression. Inhibition of hTERT either by Costunolide, or by siRNA or dominant-negative hTERT (DN-hTERT) abrogated (i) expression of Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and Transketolase (TKT) – two major nodes in the pentose phosphate (PPP) pathway; and (ii) phosphorylation of glycogen synthase (GS). hTERT knock-down decreased TKT activity and increased glycogen accumulation. Interestingly, siRNA-mediated knock-down of TKT elevated glycogen accumulation. Coherent with the in vitro findings, Costunolide reduced tumor burden in heterotypic xenograft glioma mouse model. Costunolide-treated tumors exhibited diminished TKT activity, heightened glycogen accumulation, and increased senescence. Importantly, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patient tumors bearing TERT promoter mutations (C228T and C250T) known to be associated with increased telomerase activity; exhibited elevated Nrf2 and TKT expression and decreased glycogen accumulation. Taken together, our findings highlight the previously unknown (i) role of telomerase in the regulation of PPP and glycogen accumulation and (ii) the involvement of Nrf2-TERT loop in maintaining oxidative defense responses in glioma cells.