bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Grading Fingerling Hybrid Catfish (♀ Channel Catfish × ♂ Blue Catfish) on Growth, Production, Feed Conversion, and Food Fish Size Distribution
Authors: Torrans Les , Ott Brian
Published: April 2018

Hybrid catfish (♀ Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus × ♂ Blue Catfish I. furcatus) production ponds often produce a wide size range of fish, and payments to farmers may be reduced due to discounts for larger fish. In general, fish under 1 lb or over 4 lb may decrease the price paid to farmers, but this is highly dependent on individual processors. The present study was conducted to determine the effect of grading hybrid catfish fingerlings on the size distribution of harvested food fish. Three 0.25-acre ponds were stocked with ungraded fingerlings (average weight = 0.05 lb; coefficient of variation [CV] = 78.0%) at 8,000 fish/acre. An additional three 0.25-acre ponds were stocked with double-graded fingerlings of the same average weight (0.05 lb) as the ungraded fingerlings but with a significantly reduced size variation (CV = 26.9%). Grading of the fingerlings had no significant effect on any production variable other than final size variation (ungraded fingerlings: CV = 48.2%; graded fingerlings: CV = 26.1%). Final mean weights were identical (1.1 lb) and feed conversion ratios were nearly identical (1.58 and 1.57) between the treatments. Survival and net production were similar between treatments. Overall, 13.5% of ungraded fish and 1.2% of graded fish were less than 0.5 lb at harvest; 5.6% of the ungraded fish and 0.1% of the graded fish were larger than 2.0 lb. Grading of hybrid catfish fingerlings is an effective means of decreasing food fish size variability without impacting production efficiency.
Mouse urothelial genes associated with voiding behavior changes after ovariectomy and bladder lipopolysaccharide exposure
Authors: Acevedo‐Alvarez Marian , Yeh Judy , Alvarez‐Lugo Lery , Lu Ming , Sukumar Nitin , Hill Warren G. , Chai Toby C.
Published: April 2018

Aims

Symptoms from overactive bladder (OAB) and cystitis secondary to urinary tract infection (UTI) can be similar in post‐menopausal women. Effects of ovariectomy (OVX) on voiding behavior after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) intravesical exposure (surrogate for cystitis) in mice were measured. Urothelial genes associated with micturition changes were identified.

Methods

Female C57BL6/J mice underwent OVX or sham surgeries (n = 10 for each). Voiding spot assays (VSA) were performed prior to surgery, 4 weeks post‐surgery, and each time after 3 consecutive days of transurethral instillation of LPS. In another experiment, mice underwent either sham (n = 9) or OVX (n = 9) surgeries. Urothelial RNAs were collected 4 weeks post‐surgery, day 1 and day 3 after LPS instillation. Mouse Gene 2.0 ST Arrays (entire 34 K transcripts) were used for microarray hybridization. A set of criteria was utilized to identify gene expression changes that mimicked voiding behavior changes.

Results

Three days after LPS exposure, OVX mice persisted with overactive whereas sham mice normalized voiding behavior. Nine urothelial paralleling voiding behavior changes were identified: IL6 (interleukin 6), IL6rα (Interleukin 6 receptor α), Ptgs2 (Prostaglandin‐endoperoxide synthase 2 or COX‐2), Ereg (epiregulin), Dusp6 (dual specificity phosphatase 6), Zfp948 (zinc finger protein 948), Zfp52 (Zinc finger protein 52), Gch1 (GTP cyclohydrolase 1), and Amd (S‐adenosylmethionine decarboxylase). Three other genes, coding unknown proteins, were also identified: GM12840, GM23134, and GM26809.

Conclusions

OVX mice persisted with increased voiding frequency after LPS. Urothelial genes that could mediate this voiding behavior include IL6, COX‐2, and S‐adenosylmethionine decarboxylase.
Accurate computations with collocation matrices of a general class of bases
Authors: Mainar E. , Peña J.M.
Published: April 2018

In this paper, we provide algorithms for computing the bidiagonal decomposition of the collocation matrices of a very general class of bases of interest in computer‐aided geometric design and approximation theory. It is also shown that these algorithms can be used to perform accurately some algebraic computations with these matrices, such as the calculation of their inverses, their eigenvalues, or their singular values. Numerical experiments illustrate the results.
Computational Krylov‐based methods for large‐scale differential Sylvester matrix problems
Authors: Hached M. , Jbilou K.
Published: April 2018

In the present paper, we propose Krylov‐based methods for solving large‐scale differential Sylvester matrix equations having a low‐rank constant term. We present two new approaches for solving such differential matrix equations. The first approach is based on the integral expression of the exact solution and a Krylov method for the computation of the exponential of a matrix times a block of vectors. In the second approach, we first project the initial problem onto a block (or extended block) Krylov subspace and get a low‐dimensional differential Sylvester matrix equation. The latter problem is then solved by some integration numerical methods such as the backward differentiation formula or Rosenbrock method, and the obtained solution is used to build the low‐rank approximate solution of the original problem. We give some new theoretical results such as a simple expression of the residual norm and upper bounds for the norm of the error. Some numerical experiments are given in order to compare the two approaches.
Ensemble time‐stepping algorithms for the heat equation with uncertain conductivity
Authors: Fiordilino Joseph Anthony
Published: April 2018

Motivated by applications to 3D printing, this article presents two algorithms for calculating an ensemble of solutions to heat conduction problems. The ensemble average is the most likely temperature distribution and its variance gives an estimate of prediction reliability. Solutions are calculated by solving a linear system, involving a shared coefficient matrix, for multiple right‐hand sides at each timestep. Storage requirements and computational costs to solve the system are thereby reduced. Stability and convergence of the methods are proven under a condition involving the ratio between fluctuations of the thermal conductivity and the mean. A series of numerical tests are provided which confirm the theoretical analyses and illustrate uses of ensemble simulations.
Infinite horizon linear quadratic tracking problem: A discounted cost function approach
Authors: Najafi Birgani Soleiman , Moaveni Bijan , Khaki‐Sedigh Ali
Published: April 2018

The discounted cost function approach is one of the main approaches to the infinite time horizon problems in economics and market. This paper introduces a causal and optimal solution based on the discounted cost function approach for infinite horizon linear quadratic tracking problem with disturbance rejection and the problem of disturbance tracking by presenting the theoretical foundations. It is shown that the proposed method has the ability to solve the problems where the reference inputs and disturbance signals are not asymptotically stable. Two numerical examples, a grid connection of voltage source power electronic converter as a SISO system and a load frequency control of a 2‐area nonreheat thermal power system as a MIMO example, are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Optimal control for a nonlinear mathematical model of tumor under immune suppression: A numerical approach
Authors: Sweilam N. H. , AL‐Mekhlafi S. M.
Published: April 2018

In this paper, optimal control for a novel nonlinear mathematical model of tumor under immune suppression is presented. The proposed model is governed by a system of fractional differential equations, where the fractional derivative is defined in the Caputo sense. Modified parameters are introduced to account for the fractional order. Necessary and sufficient conditions that guarantee the existence and the uniqueness of the solution of the control problem are given. Two control variables are proposed to minimize the cost of interventions. Two simple numerical methods are used to study the nonlinear fractional optimal control problem. The methods are the generalized Euler method and the nonstandard generalized Euler method. The stability analysis and the truncation error of the nonstandard generalized Euler method are given. Comparative studies are implemented.
Virus‐induced gene silencing database for phenomics and functional genomics in Nicotiana benthamiana
Authors: Senthil‐Kumar Muthappa , Wang Mingyi , Chang Junil , Ramegowda Venkategowda , del Pozo Olga , Liu Yule , Doraiswamy Vanthana , Lee Hee‐Kyung , Ryu Choong‐Min , Wang Keri , Xu Ping , Van Eck Joyce , Chakravarthy Suma , Dinesh‐Kumar Savithramma P. , Martin Gregory B. , Mysore Kirankumar S.
Published: April 2018

Virus‐induced gene silencing (VIGS) is an important forward and reverse genetics method for the study of gene function in many plant species, especially Nicotiana benthamiana. However, despite the widespread use of VIGS, a searchable database compiling the phenotypes observed with this method is lacking. Such a database would allow researchers to know the phenotype associated with the silencing of a large number of individual genes without experimentation. We have developed a VIGS phenomics and functional genomics database (VPGD) that has DNA sequence information derived from over 4,000 N. benthamiana VIGS clones along with the associated silencing phenotype for approximately 1,300 genes. The VPGD has a built‐in BLAST search feature that provides silencing phenotype information of specific genes. In addition, a keyword‐based search function could be used to find a specific phenotype of interest with the corresponding gene, including its Gene Ontology descriptions. Query gene sequences from other plant species that have not been used for VIGS can also be searched for their homologs and silencing phenotype in N. benthamiana. VPGD is useful for identifying gene function not only in N. benthamiana but also in related Solanaceae plants such as tomato and potato. The database is accessible at http://vigs.noble.org.
Weed presence altered biotic stress and light signaling in maize even when weeds were removed early in the critical weed‐free period
Authors: Horvath David P. , Bruggeman Stephanie , Moriles‐Miller Janet , Anderson James V. , Dogramaci Munevver , Scheffler Brian E. , Hernandez Alvaro G. , Foley Michael E. , Clay Sharon
Published: April 2018

Weed presence early in the life cycle of maize (typically, from emergence through the 8 to 12 leaf growth stage) can reduce crop growth and yield and is known as the critical weed‐free period (CWFP). Even if weeds are removed during or just after the CWFP, crop growth and yield often are not recoverable. We compared transcriptome responses of field‐grown hybrid maize at V8 in two consecutive years among plants grown under weed‐free and two weed‐stressed conditions (weeds removed at V4 or present through V8) using RNAseq analysis techniques. Compared with weed‐free plant responses, physiological differences at V8 were identified in all weed‐stressed plants and were most often associated with altered photosynthetic processes, hormone signaling, nitrogen use and transport, and biotic stress responses. Even when weeds were removed at V4 and tissues sampled at V8, carbon: nitrogen supply imbalance, salicylic acid signals, and growth responses differed between the weed‐stressed and weed‐free plants. These underlying processes and a small number of developmentally important genes are potential targets for decreasing the maize response to weed pressure. Expression differences of several novel, long noncoding RNAs resulting from exposure of maize to weeds during the CWFP were also observed and could open new avenues for investigation into the function of these transcription units.
Specificity of detection methods of nitrites and ozone in aqueous solutions activated by air plasma
Authors: Tarabová Barbora , Lukeš Petr , Janda Mário , Hensel Karol , Šikurová Libuša , Machala Zdenko
Published: April 2018

Air transient spark (TS) discharge generates cold plasma, which is a rich source of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). The gaseous products both in ambient air and air humidified by water electrospray (ES) are nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2). The rotational and vibrational temperatures determined by optical emission spectroscopy (OES) are lower with water ES through the discharge than in ambient air, which reduces the formation of NOx. The investigation of the specificity of Griess colorimetric assay for the detection of long‐lived nitrites in plasma activated solutions confirms its accuracy by comparison with ion chromatography (IC) and excludes possible interferences with hydrogen peroxide by using the enzyme catalase. Examination of the specificity of the Indigo blue assay for ozone detection shows strong interferences with the peroxynitrite chemistry. Phenol as the chemical probe confirms that the TS air discharge produces no aqueous ozone.
Chemical‐Strain Induced Tilted Dirac Nodes in (BEDT‐TTF)2X3 (X = I, Cl, Br, F) Based Charge‐Transfer Salts
Authors: Geilhufe R. Matthias , Commeau Benjamin , Fernando Gayanath W.
Published: April 2018

The identification of novel multifunctional Dirac materials has been an ongoing effort. In this connection quasi 2‐dimensional (BEDT‐TTF)‐based charge transfer salts are widely discussed. Here, we report about the electronic structure of α‐(BEDT‐TTF)2I3 and κ‐(BEDT‐TTF)2I3 under a hypothetical substitution of iodine with the halogens bromine, chlorine, and fluorine. The decreasing size of the anion layer corresponds to applying chemical strain which increases tremendously in the case of (BEDT‐TTF)2F3. We perform structural optimization and electronic structure calculations in the framework of density functional theory, incorporating, first, the recently developed strongly constrained and appropriately normed semilocal density functional SCAN, and, second, van der Waals corrections to the PBE exchange correlation functional by means of the dDsC dispersion correction method. In the case of α‐(BEDT‐TTF)2F3, the formation of over‐tilted Dirac‐type‐II nodes within the quasi two‐dimensional Brillouin zone can be found. For κ‐(BEDT‐TTF)2F3, the recently reported topological transition within the electronic band structure cannot be revealed.
Herbal medicine for hand–foot syndrome induced by fluoropyrimidines: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Deng Bo , Sun Wei
Published: April 2018

The aims of this study were to evaluate the efficacy of herbal medicine for the prevention and management of hand–foot syndrome (HFS) induced by fluoropyrimidines and to identify herbs associated with HFS alleviation for further research. The PubMed, Cochrane, Springer, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang databases were searched up to May 2017 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated herbal medicine for relieving HFS in patients undergoing fluoropyrimidine‐based chemotherapy. Study evaluation and synthesis methods were in accordance with the Cochrane Handbook, and data were analyzed using RevMan 5.3. In total, 35 RCTs (2,668 participants) were included. Meta‐analysis showed that the addition of herbal medicine significantly reduced the incidences of all‐grade and high‐grade HFS. The total effective rate and complete remission rate of HFS patients increased significantly with herbal medicine arm. Further sensitivity analysis identified Paeoniae Radix Alba, Carthami Flos, Cinnamomi Ramulus, and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma as being consistently associated with significant reductions in HFS incidence without important heterogeneity. However, the lack of blinding in most studies may have led to overestimation of these effects. More high‐quality RCTs and experimental research are needed to confirm and investigate the efficacy of the herbs identified in this study.
Protective effects of sarsasapogenin against early stage of diabetic nephropathy in rats
Authors: Liu Yao‐Wu , Hao Yun‐Chao , Chen Ya‐Jing , Yin Shen‐Yuan , Zhang Meng‐Ya , Kong Li , Wang Tao‐Yun
Published: April 2018

Rhizome of Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge (AA, family Liliaceae) has been widely used in China for thousands of years to treat febrile diseases and diabetes. Steroidal saponins from AA show good antidiabetes effects and ameliorate diabetic complications. This study was designed to investigate the effects of sarsasapogenin (Sar), a major sapogenin from AA, on diabetic nephropathy (DN) in rats, and to explore the possible mechanisms. Diabetic rats were divided into 3 groups treated orally with Sar (0, 20, or 60 mg/kg) and carboxymethylcellulose sodium, whereas normal rats for Sar (0 or 60 mg/kg) and carboxymethylcellulose sodium. We found that chronic treatment with Sar for 9 weeks significantly ameliorated renal dysfunction of diabetic rats, as evidenced by decreases in albuminuria, kidney weight index, serum uric acid, and morphologic changes such as extracellular matrix expansion and accumulation (fibronectin and collagen IV levels, etc.). Meanwhile, Sar treatment resulted in decreases in interleukin‐18, NLRP3, and activated caspase 1 levels as well as advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) and their receptor (RAGE) levels in the renal cortex of diabetic rats. However, Sar has no effects on the above indices in the normal rats. Therefore, Sar can markedly ameliorate diabetic nephropathy in rats via inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation and AGEs–RAGE interaction.
Water temperatures in the headwaters of the Volga River: Trend analyses, possible future changes, and implications for a pan‐European perspective
Authors: Bui M.T. , Kuzovlev V.V. , Zhenikov Y.N. , Füreder L. , Seidel J. , Schletterer M.
Published: April 2018

Water temperature is a physical property influencing abiotic and biotic parameters in an aquatic ecosystem. In different Central European rivers and lakes, a general trend of water temperatures in the range of +0.05 to +0.8 °C per decade was identified. Our case study analyses whether similar patterns apply to the headwaters of the Volga River, in the East European plain. Based on a dataset of water temperatures for 2008–2015, we investigated the spatial and temporal distribution of water temperature along the Tudovka River and estimated backward as well as predicted future changes from development scenarios throughout the 21st century. Stochastic models were applied to track trends and variations in water temperature. Furthermore, the correlation between water temperature and air temperatures was used to model historical water temperatures and to predict possible changes in the future, under the effects of climate change. Based on climate change scenarios, an increase of the mean water temperatures as well as changes regarding the ice cover can be expected until the end of this century. The conditions described for the headwaters of the Volga River system represent a valuable dataset for medium and large rivers in the East European plain and serve as a basis for future management.
Secondary outcome analysis for data from an outcome‐dependent sampling design
Authors: Pan Yinghao , Cai Jianwen , Longnecker Matthew P. , Zhou Haibo
Published: April 2018

Outcome‐dependent sampling (ODS) scheme is a cost‐effective way to conduct a study. For a study with continuous primary outcome, an ODS scheme can be implemented where the expensive exposure is only measured on a simple random sample and supplemental samples selected from 2 tails of the primary outcome variable. With the tremendous cost invested in collecting the primary exposure information, investigators often would like to use the available data to study the relationship between a secondary outcome and the obtained exposure variable. This is referred as secondary analysis. Secondary analysis in ODS designs can be tricky, as the ODS sample is not a random sample from the general population. In this article, we use the inverse probability weighted and augmented inverse probability weighted estimating equations to analyze the secondary outcome for data obtained from the ODS design. We do not make any parametric assumptions on the primary and secondary outcome and only specify the form of the regression mean models, thus allow an arbitrary error distribution. Our approach is robust to second‐ and higher‐order moment misspecification. It also leads to more precise estimates of the parameters by effectively using all the available participants. Through simulation studies, we show that the proposed estimator is consistent and asymptotically normal. Data from the Collaborative Perinatal Project are analyzed to illustrate our method.
Conditional power and predictive power based on right censored data with supplementary auxiliary information
Authors: Sun Libo , Wan Ying
Published: April 2018

Conditional power and predictive power provide estimates of the probability of success at the end of the trial based on the information from the interim analysis. The observed value of the time to event endpoint at the interim analysis could be biased for the true treatment effect due to early censoring, leading to a biased estimate of conditional power and predictive power. In such cases, the estimates and inference for this right censored primary endpoint are enhanced by incorporating a fully observed auxiliary variable. We assume a bivariate normal distribution of the transformed primary variable and a correlated auxiliary variable. Simulation studies are conducted that not only shows enhanced conditional power and predictive power but also can provide the framework for a more efficient futility interim analysis in terms of an improved accuracy in estimator, a smaller inflation in type II error and an optimal timing for such analysis. We also illustrated the new approach by a real clinical trial example.
Soybean Lecithin‐Mediated Nanoporous PLGA Microspheres with Highly Entrapped and Controlled Released BMP‐2 as a Stem Cell Platform
Authors: Wei Daixu , Qiao Ruirui , Dao Jinwei , Su Jing , Jiang Chengmin , Wang Xichang , Gao Mingyuan , Zhong Jian
Published: April 2018

Injectable polymer microsphere‐based stem cell delivery systems have a severe problem that they do not offer a desirable environment for stem cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation because it is difficult to entrap a large number of hydrophilic functional protein molecules into the core of hydrophobic polymer microspheres. In this work, soybean lecithin (SL) is applied to entrap hydrophilic bone morphogenic protein‐2 (BMP‐2) into nanoporous poly(lactide‐co‐glycolide) (PLGA)‐based microspheres by a two‐step method: SL/BMP‐2 complexes preparation and PLGA/SL/BMP‐2 microsphere preparation. The measurements of their physicochemical properties show that PLGA/SL/BMP‐2 microspheres had significantly higher BMP‐2 entrapment efficiency and controlled triphasic BMP‐2 release behavior compared with PLGA/BMP‐2 microspheres. Furthermore, the in vitro and in vivo stem cell behaviors on PLGA/SL/BMP‐2 microspheres are analyzed. Compared with PLGA/BMP‐2 microspheres, PLGA/SL/BMP‐2 microspheres have significantly higher in vitro and in vivo stem cell attachment, proliferation, differentiation, and matrix mineralization abilities. Therefore, injectable nanoporous PLGA/SL/BMP‐2 microspheres can be potentially used as a stem cell platform for bone tissue regeneration. In addition, SL can be potentially used to prepare hydrophilic protein‐loaded hydrophobic polymer microspheres with highly entrapped and controlled release of proteins.
Template‐Free Fabrication of Mesoporous Alumina Nanospheres Using Post‐Synthesis Water‐Ethanol Treatment of Monodispersed Aluminium Glycerate Nanospheres for Molybdenum Adsorption
Authors: Saptiama Indra , Kaneti Yusuf Valentino , Suzuki Yoshitaka , Tsuchiya Kunihiko , Fukumitsu Nobuyoshi , Sakae Takeji , Kim Jeonghun , Kang Yong‐Mook , Ariga Katsuhiko , Yamauchi Yusuke
Published: April 2018

This work reports the template‐free fabrication of mesoporous Al2O3 nanospheres with greatly enhanced textural characteristics through a newly developed post‐synthesis “water‐ethanol” treatment of aluminium glycerate nanospheres followed by high temperature calcination. The proposed “water‐ethanol” treatment is highly advantageous as the resulting mesoporous Al2O3 nanospheres exhibit 2–4 times higher surface area (up to 251 m2 g−1), narrower pore size distribution, and significantly lower crystallization temperature than those obtained without any post‐synthesis treatment. To demonstrate the generality of the proposed strategy, a nearly identical post‐synthesis “water treatment” method is successfully used to prepare mesoporous monometallic (e.g., manganese oxide (MnO2)) and bimetallic oxide (e.g., CuCo2O4 and MnCo2O4) nanospheres assembled of nanosheets or nanoplates with highly enhanced textural characteristics from the corresponding monometallic and bimetallic glycerate nanospheres, respectively. When evaluated as molybdenum (Mo) adsorbents for potential use in molybdenum‐99/technetium‐99m (99Mo/99mTc) generators, the treated mesoporous Al2O3 nanospheres display higher molybdenum adsorption performance than non‐treated Al2O3 nanospheres and commercial Al2O3, thereby suggesting the effectiveness of the proposed strategy for improving the functional performance of oxide materials. It is expected that the proposed method can be utilized to prepare other mesoporous metal oxides with enhanced textural characteristics and functional performance.
Crumpling and Unfolding of Montmorillonite Hybrid Nanocoatings as Stretchable Flame‐Retardant Skin
Authors: Chang Ting‐Hsiang , Tian Yuan , Wee Daniel L. Y. , Ren Hongliang , Chen Po‐Yen
Published: April 2018

Flame‐retardant coatings are widely used in a variety of personnel or product protection, and many applications would benefit from film stretchability if suitable materials are available. It is challenging to develop flame‐retardant coatings that are stretchable, eco‐friendly, and capable of being integrated on mechanically dynamic devices. Here, a concept is reported that uses pretextured montmorillonite (MMT) hybrid nanocoatings that can undergo programed unfolding to mimic the stretchability of elastomeric materials. These textured MMT coatings can be transferred onto an elastomeric substrate to achieve an MMT/elastomer bilayer device with high stretchability (225% areal strain) and effective flame retardancy. The bilayer composite is utilized as flame‐retardant skin for a soft robotic gripper, and it is demonstrated that the actuated response can manipulate and rescue irregularly shaped objects from a fire scene. Furthermore, by depositing the conformal MMT nanocoatings on nitrile gloves, the firefree gloves can endure direct flame contact without ignition.
Unprecedented Centimeter‐Long Carbon Nitride Needles: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications
Authors: Barrio Jesús , Lin Lihua , Amo‐Ochoa Pilar , Tzadikov Jonathan , Peng Guiming , Sun Jingwen , Zamora Félix , Wang Xinchen , Shalom Menny
Published: April 2018

Free standing centimeter‐long 1D nanostructures are highly attractive for electronic and optoelectronic devices due to their unique photophysical and electrical properties. Here a simple, large‐scale synthesis of centimeter‐long 1D carbon nitride (CN) needles with tunable photophysical, electric, and catalytic properties is reported. Successful growth of ultralong needles is acquired by the utilization of 1D organic crystal precursors comprised of CN monomers as reactants. Upon calcination at high temperatures, the shape of the starting crystal is fully preserved while the CN composition and porosity, and optical and electrical properties can be easily tuned by tailoring the starting elements ratio and final calcination temperature. The facile manipulation and visualization of the CN needles endow their direct electrical measurements by placing them between two conductive probes. Moreover, the CN needles exhibit good photocatalytic activity for hydrogen production owing to their improved light harvesting properties, high surface area, and advantageous energy bands position. The new growth strategy developed here may open opportunities for a rational design of CN and other metal‐free materials with controllable directionality and tunable photophysical and electronic properties, toward their utilization in (photo)electronic devices.
Toward a more coherent model for science education than the crosscutting concepts of the next generation science standards: The affordances of styles of reasoning
Authors: Osborne Jonathan , Rafanelli Stephanie , Kind Per
Published: April 2018

In this article, we argue for a new rationale for the science curriculum that is more coherent and more useful than the crosscutting concepts of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). In an effort to provide both clarity and justification for the science curriculum, we contend that a framework based on the idea that there are sixstyles of scientific reasoningwill better guide teachers, curriculum designers, and assessment developers. While the NGSS set out to articulate the learning outcomes of the science curriculum as a set of performance expectations within three major scientific disciplines, we argue that the crosscutting concepts have no scholarly basis for what the sciences have in common. The consequence is that the NGSS make no case for the over‐arching importance of specific performance expectations, include cross cutting concepts inconsistently across different grades, and provide no rationale for each standard. In contrast, we argue that the framework ofstyles of scientific reasoningdoes offer a coherent curriculum framework for the science curriculum from grades K through 12, a justification for each performance expectation, and a vision of how each standard might support the development of scientific reasoning. Implications for curriculum designers and educators are discussed.
Objectivity, subjectivity, and emotion in school science inquiry
Authors: Davis James P. , Bellocchi Alberto
Published: April 2018

Science inquiry is an important part of educational reform focusing on improvements to pedagogy. Developing students' capacities and understandings about the design and conceptualization of scientific research informs contemporary curriculum and teaching practices. Althoughobjectivityis regarded as a fundamental aspect of scientific research, limited studies in school contexts have consideredhowstudents generate objectivity during situated classroom practices of science inquiry. A cognitive view of objectivity informs existing research, neglecting the localized production of objectivity during classroom practices and associated emotional experiences. To inform understandings about objectivity, we adopt an ethnomethodological orientation for understanding students' situated practices during science inquiry tasks. Transcripts produced from video recordings of group interactions are collected into salient episodes using ethnomethodological conventions. We extend beyond the fine‐grained ethnomethodological description to analyze transcript data by drawing on a theoretical perspective from the microsociology of emotion. Outcomes include an understanding ofhowobjectivity came to exist through the dialectic relationship between objectivity and subjectivity that are linked via emotional experience. Suggestions are provided to inform future research investigating relationships between emotion, objectivity, student identity, and learning in different science inquiry contexts.
Characterization of ISO 14001 implementation
Authors: Sorooshian Shahryar , Qi Lim Cai , Li Fei Lee
Published: April 2018

Environmental degradation caused by human activities is of concern to society, government, industry, companies, and the people who are able to enjoy improved lifestyles because of industrial activities. However, all of these parties also have a responsibility to support and conserve the environment and act responsibly toward the earth. This article, which includes a systematic literature review and draws upon the authors’ practical experience, summarizes the benefits, motives, and difficulties in implementing environmental management systems using the International Organization for Standardization's (ISO) 14001 framework.
Carbon footprint in corporate logistics operations in the food sector
Authors: Bermeo Juan Felipe , Rodríguez Victoria M. , Alvarez Maria Jesús
Published: April 2018

Global warming is negatively affecting the environment of the planet. This situation has led to the development of international standards, such as the International Organisation for Standardization's DIS 14064‐1 and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Standard, both of which measure corporate carbon footprints. These standards provide guidelines that can be applied to different organizational sectors. However, these are not sufficient for controlling the reduction of carbon emissions, because although they propose the use of indicators, they do not explicitly define them. In addition, in the case of emissions from wastewater treatment, they only suggest that the emissions associated with this process be considered. In the present study, an eight‐step, unified methodology based on these two international standards is proposed, focusing on direct emissions. Moreover, the step‐by‐step to data collection, calculations, and the required indicators to control the emissions are defined. The first scope considers direct emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by the company. Methane generation measurement from wastewater treatment has been included in the methodology within Scope 1, as it is the second most polluting gas after carbon dioxide, both of which give rise to global warming. The proposed methodology was tested as a case study in one of the most important companies in the food sector in Colombia.
Shame
Authors: Case Gretchen A. , Pippitt Karly A. , Lewis Benjamin R.
Published: April 2018

None
Characteristics of Genital Dissatisfaction Among a Nationally Representative Sample of U.S. Women
Authors: Rowen Tami S. , Gaither Thomas W. , Shindel Alan W. , Breyer Benjamin N.
Published: April 2018

Background

Female genital self-image is an important aspect of psychosocial and sexual health. The Female Genital Self-Image Scale (FGSIS) is a validated instrument that has been used to characterize women’s level of genital dissatisfaction.

Aim

In this report, we assess genital dissatisfaction using the FGSIS in a nationally representative sample of U.S. women.

Methods

We conducted a nationally representative survey of non-institutionalized adults aged 18–65 years residing in the United States. The survey included questions about demographics, sexual behavior, and the FGSIS.

Outcomes

Demographic characteristics were found to significantly correlate to women's perceived genital dissatisfaction.

Results

In total, 3,372 women completed the survey and 3,143 (93.2%) completed the FGSIS. The mean age was 46 years, and there was broad representation across the United States in terms of age, education, and location. On bivariate analysis, women’s genital dissatisfaction was significantly correlated to their age, race, location, and education. Women who were sexually active were less likely to report genital dissatisfaction than women who were not sexually active (76% vs 62%, respectively, P < .001). The frequency of sexual activity was negatively correlated with genital dissatisfaction (P = .002). Women who reported genital dissatisfaction were less likely than those who reported satisfaction to engage in receptive vaginal sex (83% vs 88%, respectively, P = .03). There were no other significant associations between genital dissatisfaction and types of sexual activity. On multivariate analysis, women were less likely to report genital dissatisfaction if they were older, of black race, had an education level of high school or above, and/or lived in the Northeastern or Midwestern United States. There was no association between genital dissatisfaction and relationship status or gender of sexual partner.

Clinical Translation

Female genital dissatisfaction may be related to age, race, education, and geography.

Conclusions

This is the first nationally representative sample of U.S. women focusing on genital and self-image and dissatisfaction. These data may not apply outside the United States. These data may help providers who provide information for women and manage concerns related to genital self-image.
A novel superconducting magnetic levitation method to support the laser fusion capsule by using permanent magnets
Authors: Li Xiaojia , Xiao Tingting , Chen Fengwei , Zhang Yingjuan , Li Xiaofei , Wu Weidong
Published: April 2018

A novel magnetic levitation support method is proposed, which can relieve the perturbation caused by traditional support methods and provide more accurate position control of the capsule. This method can keep the perfect symmetry of the octahedral spherical hohlraum and has the characteristics in stability, tunability and simplicity. It is also favorable that all the results, such as supporting forces acting on the superconducting capsule, are calculated analytically, and numerical simulations are performed to verify these results. A typical realistic design is proposed and discussed in detail. The superconducting coating material is suggested, and the required superconducting properties are listed. Damped oscillation of the floating capsule in thin helium gas is discussed, and the restoring time is estimated.
Education Agendas and Resistance With the Teaching and Learning of Freshwater and Extreme Freshwater Events
Authors: Sammel Alison , McMartin Dena , Arbuthnott Katherine
Published: April 2018

Despite the essentiality of freshwater to all life on the planet, the populous has inadequate understandings of water. Formal education plays a key role in shaping how individuals and communities make sense of water, its accessibility, management, consumption, and hazards. This article seeks to bring attention to the influence of cultural framings of freshwater and extreme freshwater events (such as flood and drought) in government-mandated school curricula in two water-vulnerable geographical regions of Australia and Canada. We seek to identify and respond to hegemonic social constructions that become naturalised if left unexamined. By examining the agendas and language around freshwater and extreme freshwater events in formal educational curricula, we gain a better understanding of the perceptions and assumptions made about freshwater. The results highlight that freshwater and extreme freshwater events are minimally conceptualised within these curricula as ‘nature-based’, rather than being part of a dialectical relationship with societal agendas and practices. This article discusses the implications of this framing and the psychological barriers that may affect the acknowledgment and investigation of extreme freshwater events. We conclude by offering curricular suggestions that invite community-based understandings of the dialectic relationship freshwater has with communities and regional ecosystems.
Palaeontological pedagogues of the 1830s: the prehistory of the ‘history of life’ genre
Authors: SOMERSET RICHARD
Published: April 2018

Although the findings of the discipline of palaeontology had been rich enough since the 1830s to render a chronological history of nature conceivable, a recognizable genre fulfilling this purpose did not fully emerge until the 1860s. The lapse of time was largely due to the conceptual and formal difficulties of marrying content of adequate empirical credibility to a narrative of adequate readability. Early efforts were made by pedagogues and popularizers more than by men of science. This article considers four examples of such pieces, written between 1828 and 1837, and studies the ways in which their authors experimented with traditional and less traditional pedagogical formats in their various attempts to promote specific outlooks on the nature of natural process and on the place of empirical science in the education of their essentially middle-class audiences. It argues that the particular requisites of the pedagogical mode would help set the norm for the mature genre in later years.
Using publication data to evaluate a Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) career development program: Early outcomes from KL2 scholars
Authors: Sayavedra Noelia , Hogle Janice A. , Moberg D. Paul
Published: April 2018

Introduction

This study uses KL2 scholars’ publications to evaluate the types of research the KL2 program supports and to assess the initial productivity and impact of its scholars.

Methods

We illustrate the feasibility of 3 different approaches to bibliometrics, one viable method for determining the types of research a program or hub supports, and demonstrate how these data can be further combined with internal data records.

Results

Gender differences were observed in the types of research scholars undertake. Overall KL2 scholars are performing well, with their publications being cited more than the norm for National Institutes of Health publications. Favorable results were also observed in scholars’ continued engagement in research.

Conclusion

This study illustrates that linking bibliometric data and data categorizing publications along the translational spectrum with a Clinical and Translational Science Award hub’s internal data records is feasible and offers a number of innovative possibilities for the evaluation of a Clinical and Translational Science Award hub’s programs and investigators.
kW-class high power fiber laser enabled by active long tapered fiber
Authors: Shi Chen , Zhang Hanwei , Wang Xiaolin , Zhou Pu , Xu Xiaojun
Published: April 2018

Compared with traditional uniform fibers, tapered fiber has numerous unique advantages, such as larger mode area, higher pump absorption, suppression to nonlinear effects, and maintaining good beam quality. In this manuscript, we have constructed an all-fiberized fiber amplifier which is based on a piece of ytterbium-doped tapered double-clad fiber (T-DCF). The fiber amplifier is operated under continuous wave (CW) regime at 1080 nm wavelength. The $M^{2}$ factor of the amplifier at 1.39 kW output power is ${\sim}1.8$. The maximum output power of the system reached 1.47 kW, which, to the best of our knowledge, is the highest output power of long tapered fiber based fiber laser system. Our result successfully verifies the potential of power scalability and all-fiberized capability of long tapered fiber, and the performance of our system can be further enhanced by fiber design optimization.
Why Find My Own When I Can Take Yours?: The Quality of Relationships That Arise From Successful Mate Poaching
Authors: Belu Charlene F. , O'Sullivan Lucia F.
Published: April 2018

Mate poaching occurs when a person attracts another, whom he or she knows is already in an exclusive relationship, into a sexual or romantic relationship. Mate poaching is involved in the evolution of many relationships. Yet, little is known about the quality of these relationships. We examined relationship quality between individuals whose relationships were formed via mate poaching versus not (i.e., a relationship formed serially without overlap with another relationship). We compared ratings of quality from the perspectives of poachers, poached, and co-poached individuals. Adult participants (n = 660) in a romantic relationship responded to questions assessing relationship quality. Those in relationships formed from poaching rated their relationships as lower in relationship satisfaction, commitment and trust, and higher in jealousy, and had higher rates of romantic and sexuality infidelity in their current relationship compared to individuals in non-poached relationships. Those who were poached from an existing relationship rated their current relationship as lower in commitment than did those who poached their current partner into a relationship. The study also provides first insights regarding relationship quality for those who identify as co-poached. We discuss these findings in terms of implications for understanding how relationships are formed and the qualities of those that endure.
(Trans)gender citizenship in Italy: a contradiction in terms? From the parliamentary debate about Law 164/1982 to the present
Authors: Voli Stefania
Published: April 2018

This article concerns the processes of normalisation and medicalisation of transgender people’s experiences in Italy. Drawing on the analysis of the parliamentary debate which led to the endorsement of Law no. 164/1982, ‘Rules Concerning the Rectification of Sex-Attribution’, the article will foreground the (still) existing contradictions between trans people’s (ostensible) individual rights over their own gendered bodies, as enshrined in law, and their subjection to medico-legal supervision and control. Next, it will look at the relationship between transgender experience and the notion of citizenship: in particular, it will explore the opportunities and contradictions in the possibility of trans citizenship in the current Italian context.
AMS Dates of New Maize Specimens Found in Rock Shelters of the Tehuacan Valley
Authors: Torres-Rodríguez Esperanza , Vallebueno-Estrada Miguel , Martínez González Javier , García Cook Angel , Montiel Rafael , Vielle-Calzada Jean-Philippe
Published: April 2018

A large collection of maize macro-specimens has been gathered from archaeological sites across the American continent, but only a few have been directly dated by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). We recently conducted two new excavations in several rock shelters of Tehuacán valley (San Marcos, Coxcatlán, and Purrón) and uncovered 132 non-manipulated macro-specimens of maize suitable for morphological and paleogenomic analysis, including many complete cobs, stalks, internodes, and leaves. Direct AMS dates for 43 samples found in San Marcos or Coxcatlán confirm the previously reported chronologies for these sites. By contrast, a cob found in Purrón was dated to 3060±30 before present (3360–3180 cal BP) (2σ), demonstrating that maize was present at that site at least 1500 calendar years earlier than previously expected, and suggesting that other specimens of similar age are still likely to be found in the southeastern region of the Tehuacán valley. A global comparison of macro-specimen chronology across the continent shows that the current archaebotanical record does not yet reflect the chronology of dispersal from central Mexico to northern or southern regions, opening the possibility for finding the missing links in subsequent expeditions within Mexico and Central America.
Troubled Vistas: Looking West through the Eyes ofThe Nation, 1870–1879
Authors: KINNAHAN THOMAS
Published: April 2018

This article analyzes representations of the American West inThe Nationmagazine during the expansionist era of the 1870s. It traces an arc of growing anxiety regarding three central issues associated with western settlement and development: institutional scientific exploration, land policy, and Indian policy. Focussing primarily on the decade in which the magazine's peak circulation and, presumably, influence coincided with important developments regarding the aforementioned issues, the essay argues thatThe Nation’s coverage of the West, produced and circulated within a privileged and circumscribed social sphere and deeply inflected by the priorities of capital, provides counterpoint to widely shared optimism regarding the development of the region that stood as an emblem of the nation's future.