bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Rise and Fall of Cheap Chinese Goods in Ecuadorian Popular Markets: The Limits of Post‐Neoliberal Development in Correa's Ecuador
Authors: Colloredo‐Mansfeld Rudi
Published: August 2017

En contraste con sus vecinos Colombia y Perú, Ecuador ha utilizado los aranceles para regular el flujo de bienes importados de China. En esta investigación, estoy enfocada en la ropa china y las prácticas de negocio y aspiraciones económicas de dos comunidades de comerciantes paralela–uno quichua, el otro chino. Algunos operadores de fábricas textiles nacional se han beneficiado claramente de los aranceles. Sin embargo, desde la crisis fiscal “dolarización” de Ecuador de la década de 2000, muchos comerciantes indígenas se han desplazado a la comercialización Asia, especialmente los bienes fabricados en China como una táctica para preservar los medios de vida y las comunidades de la diáspora comercial. Con ganancias empujadas a cerca de cero, créditos informales, costumbres durables de la vida comercial y la cortesía profesional han llegado a asumir el papel urgente en la supervivencia de la empresa no sólo individual, sino comunidades enteras comerciales. [diáspora, Ecuador, indígenas, mercados populares, migración]
Myricetin protects keratinocyte damage induced by UV through IκB/NFκb signaling pathway
Authors: Xie Jing , Zheng Yanyan
Published: August 2017

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential molecular mechanism of myricetin that protecting cells from photodamage.

Methods

Myricetin had broadly chemopreventive effects and anti‐inflammatory properties. The effect of myricetin was assessed on HaCaT cells. Cell viability assay was carried out. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was measured. The expression of pro‐inflammatory factor COX2 was determined by real‐time PCR and Western blot. The protein levels of p‐IκBa and IκBa were determined by Western blot.

Results

Myricetin attenuated UV‐induced keratinocyte death in a dose‐dependent manner as determined by cell viability assay. Pretreatment with myricetin also reduced the UV‐induced ROS levels. Myricetin suppresses the upregulation of COX2 induced by UV in keratinocyte as demonstrated by real‐time PCR and Western blot. Furthermore, signal transduction studies confirmed that myricetin attenuates the upregulation of COX2 induced by UV via suppression of IκB/NFκB pathways.

Conclusion

These results showed that antioxidant property of myricetin can effectively attenuate UV‐caused cell damage and suppress the expression of COX2 through the IκB/NFκB signaling pathways. Myricetin had potential protective effects on UV‐induced skin cell damages, which might be used in cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.
Life in a Forgotten Scottish Gulag: Punishment and Social Regulation in HM Peterhead Convict Prison
Authors: Holligan Chris
Published: August 2017

This paper contributes to filling a lacuna in our knowledge of penal history in Scotland by examining the voices of convicts through records of prisoners experiencing Penal Servitude during the period 1897–1942. The sources utilized are the archived files of thirty‐two male convict prisoners in Scotland's Convict Prison at Peterhead. These files give insights about life in this remote prison as conveyed through records of punishment, prisoners' requests, and prisoners' letters. Prison Rules about convict correspondence highlight penal letters as a distinctive genre of communication: political and personal boundaries were enforced on all exchanges. The convict prison, like nineteenth‐century British labour colonies, imposed workhouse conditions at the extreme; it was a place of exclusion, dominated by religious and social sentiment and suppositions about criminal psychology and containment. The extent of the curtailment of convicts' liberty and the aim of re‐socialization is refracted in penal practices fostering convict dependency. The ethos of Scotland's convict colony was immersed in military traditions of training, subservience to authority and generalized gloom.
A worthy self is a caring self: Examining the developmental relations between self‐esteem and self‐compassion in adolescents
Authors: Donald James N. , Ciarrochi Joseph , Parker Philip D. , Sahdra Baljinder K. , Marshall Sarah L. , Guo Jiesi
Published: August 2017

Objective

Self‐compassion has been framed as a healthy alternative to self‐esteem, as it is nonevaluative. However, rather than being alternatives, it may be that the two constructs develop in a mutually reinforcing way. The present study tested this possibility among adolescents.

Method

A large adolescent sample (N = 2,809; 49.8% female) reported levels of trait self‐esteem and self‐compassion annually for 4 years. Autoregressive cross‐lagged structural equation models were used to estimate the reciprocal longitudinal relations between the two constructs.

Results

Self‐esteem consistently predicted changes in self‐compassion across the 4 years of the study, but not vice versa.

Conclusions

Self‐esteem appears to be an important antecedent of the development of self‐compassion, perhaps because the capacity to extend compassion toward the self depends on one's appraisals of worthiness. These findings add important insights to our theoretical understanding of the development of self‐compassion.
Interpreting the 2004 Moroccan Family Law: Street-Level Bureaucrats, Women's Groups, and the Preservation of Multiple Normativities
Authors: Engelcke Dörthe
Published: August 2017

A decade after celebrating Morocco's 2004 family law as a social revolution, women's groups became dismayed by the persistence of minor marriage, polygyny, and marriage guardianship. Conventional explanations for why statutory law reform often fails to produce intended outcomes depart from the concept of the homogeneous state, pointing to insufficient enforcement mechanisms and cultural resistance to the new law within society. Arguing against this conceptualization, this article adopts the state-in-society approach. It compares how two types of street-level bureaucrats and secular and Islamist women's groups have engaged with the 2004 law. It finds that different groups have emphasized and rejected different categories and norms of the law. Street-level bureaucrats' interpretations have sometimes overlapped with those of civil society actors. The state is therefore not enforcing one normative order against cultural resistance from society; instead, different state actors are themselves actively involved in the production and preservation of multiple normativities.
Impact of simulation‐based learning on immediate outcomes of temporary haemodialysis catheter placements by nephrology fellows
Authors: Tan Ru Yu , Lee Kian Guan , Gan Shien Wen Sheryl , Li Huihua , Yeon Wenxiang , Pang Suh Chien , Teh Swee Ping , Htay Htay , Teo Su Hooi , Kwek Jia Liang , Tok Pei Loo , Poh Cheng Boon , Ng Chee Yong , Liu Peiyun , Tay Hui Boon , Koniman Riece , Foo Marjorie Wai Yin , Choong Lina Hui Lin , Tan Chieh Suai
Published: August 2017

Summary at a Glance

Improving procedural competency by simulation training may be associated with less complications. This retrospective study supports the use of structured training over the traditional apprentice model of insertion of acute haemodialysis catheters in a small cohort of trainees.
Female butterflies modulate investment in reproduction and flight in response to monsoon‐driven migrations
Authors: Bhaumik Vaishali , Kunte Krushnamegh
Published: August 2017

Migratory species may display striking phenotypic plasticity during individual lifetimes. This may include differential investment in body parts and functions, differential resource use and allocation, and behavioural changes between migratory and non‐migratory phases. While migration‐related phenotypic changes are well‐reported, their underlying mechanisms are usually poorly understood. Here we compare individuals from migratory (reproductive diapause) and non‐migratory (reproductive) phases of closely related aposematic butterfly species to study how sexual dimorphism and migratory behaviour underlie significant morphological tradeoffs, and propose a plausible scenario to explain the migration‐related phenotypic plasticity observed in females of migratory species. We found that female butterflies invested significantly more in their abdominal mass compared to males irrespective of their migratory phase, and underwent a clear shift in their body mass allocation after the switch from the reproductive diapause phase to the reproductive phase. In reproductive phase, females invested much more in reproductive tissue. This switch occurred as a result of increased abdominal mass (i.e. reproductive tissue mass) without significant reduction in the thoracic mass (i.e. flight muscle mass). Migratory males, however, were not significantly different from non‐migratory males in terms of relative investment in flight and reproductive tissues. These patterns were consistent between migratory and non‐migratory aposematic species within and across clades. While migratory habits may influence the physiology and behaviour of both sexes, long‐distance migration affected female morphology much more markedly compared to that of males. These results show the sex‐specific nature of adaptations to migratory behaviour, and suggest that seemingly disparate life‐history traits such as aposematism and migration may have similar influences on the lifetime energetic investments of insects.
Global profiling of alternative splicing landscape responsive to drought, heat and their combination in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Authors: Liu Zhenshan , Qin Jinxia , Tian Xuejun , Xu Shengbao , Wang Yu , Li Hongxia , Wang Xiaoming , Peng Huiru , Yao Yingyin , Hu Zhaorong , Ni Zhongfu , Xin Mingming , Sun Qixin
Published: August 2017

Plant can acquire tolerance to environmental stresses via transcriptome reprogramming at transcriptional and alternative splicing (AS) levels. However, how AS coordinates with transcriptional regulation to contribute to abiotic stresses responses is still ambiguous. In this study, we performed genome‐wide analyses of AS responses to drought stress (DS), heat stress (HS) and their combination (HD) in wheat seedlings, and further compared them with transcriptional responses. In total, we found 200, 3576 and 4056 genes exhibiting significant AS pattern changes in response to DS, HS and HD, respectively, and combined drought and heat stress can induce specific AS compared with individual one. In addition, wheat homeologous genes exhibited differential AS responses under stress conditions that more AS events occurred on B subgenome than on A and D genomes. Comparison of genes regulated at AS and transcriptional levels showed that only 12% of DS‐induced AS genes were subjected to transcriptional regulation, whereas the proportion increased to ~40% under HS and HD. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that abiotic stress‐responsive pathways tended to be highly overrepresented among these overlapped genes under HS and HD. Thus, we proposed that transcriptional regulation may play a major role in response to DS, which coordinates with AS regulation to contribute to HS and HD tolerance in wheat.
Urinary β2‐microglobulin and bronchopulmonary dysplasia: Trends in preterm infants
Authors: Shima Yoshio , Kumasaka Sakae , Nishimaki Shigeru
Published: August 2017

Background

The developmental process of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is not identical between very preterm infants born small for gestational age (SGA) and those born appropriate for gestational age (AGA). In this study, we compared the pattern of the inflammatory response in infants of each group, by measuring urinary β2‐microglobulin (Uβ2M) as an alternative, concise, and less‐invasive biomarker.

Methods

Uβ2M and clinical details were examined at birth and at 4 weeks of age in 146 very preterm infants.

Results

Of the 57 infants diagnosed with BPD, 18 were SGA, and 39 were AGA. Uβ2M at birth was significantly lower in SGA BPD infants than in AGA BPD infants, but it increased with time. The prevalence of chorioamnionitis (CAM) was significantly lower in SGA BPD infants than in AGA BPD infants, while that of pregnancy‐induced hypertension was the opposite.

Conclusions

Exposure to prenatal factors other than CAM may sensitize fetal lungs to become vulnerable to postnatal inflammation in very preterm SGA infants with BPD.
Molecular characterization, expression pattern and ligand‐binding properties of the pheromone‐binding protein gene from Cyrtotrachelus buqueti
Authors: Yang Hua , Su Ting , Yang Wei , Yang Chun‐Ping , Chen Zhang‐Ming , Lu Lin , Liu Yan‐Lin , Tao Yuan‐Yuan
Published: August 2017

Pheromone‐binding proteins (PBPs) play important roles in the information exchange between insect sexes, specifically in the process of transporting fat‐soluble odour molecules from the external environment to olfactory receptors through the olfactory sensillum lymph. The PBP functions in this process may explain the sex pheromone identification mechanism used by insects, laying a theoretical foundation for the prevention and control of pests by interfering with olfactory recognition. In the present study, a PBP gene of Cyrtotrachelus buqueti (GenBank accession number: KU845733) is cloned for prokaryotic expression. Using N‐phenyl‐1‐naphthylamine as the fluorescent probe in a competitive binding assay, the ability of CbuqPBP1 to bind 12 sex pheromone analogues and three volatiles of Neosinocalamus affinis shoots is examined. Of the 12 C. buqueti sex pheromone analogues, dibutyl phthalate gives the greatest displacement (inhibitory constant value of 11.1 μm), whereas the other sex pheromone components show much smaller displacements. Consistent with other PBPs, the three plant volatiles (linalool, benzaldehyde and indole) show only a limited displacement of CbuqPBP1. However, the binding abilities of 1 : 1 ratios of each of the three plant volatiles with dibutyl phthalate show increases of 62.3%, 65.1% and 51.7% over the binding abilities of the three plant volatiles alone. CbuqPBP1 has dual roles in the processes of sensing sex pheromones and plant volatiles.
Leishmania tarentolae expressing CXCL‐10 as an efficient immunotherapy approach against Leishmania major‐infected BALB/c mice
Authors: Montakhab‐Yeganeh H. , Abdossamadi Z. , Zahedifard F. , Taslimi Y. , Badirzadeh A. , Saljoughian N. , Taheri T. , Taghikhani M. , Rafati S.
Published: August 2017

Recent findings have demonstrated the suitability of interferon‐gamma‐induced protein 10 (IP‐10) or CXCL‐10 as an immunotherapy tool in treatment of leishmaniasis. This chemokine can overcome Leishmania (L.) infection through inducing nitric oxide (NO) production for parasite elimination. This study was undertaken to investigate the therapeutic effects of recombinant Leishmania tarentolae expressing CXCL‐10 and an expression vector encoding CXCL‐10 (pcDNA‐CXCL‐10‐EGFP) in a model of BALB/c mice susceptible to infection by Leishmania major. The outcome of intervention was examined at 3 weeks post‐treatment by evaluating the parameters of parasite burden (PB), arginase activity, NO and various cytokines such as IFN‐γ, IL‐4, IL‐6 and IL‐10. The results have shown that despite the efficacy of CXCL‐10 expression vector as gene therapy, the live therapy strategy using L. tarentolae expressing CXCL‐10 was more effective in terms of decreasing PB. Nitric oxide production increased, especially in the live therapy approaches. Arginase activity also decreased in all regimens, which demonstrates the potency of the treatment. The overall cytokine production shifted in favour of Th1 responses in the treated mice. Altogether, recombinant L. tarentolae expressing CXCL‐10 represents a promising therapeutic strategy to improve treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis.
Frontal alpha asymmetry and callous‐unemotional traits in imprisoned violent offenders: A pilot study
Authors: Keune Philipp M. , Mayer Sarah V. , Jusyte Aiste , Schönenberg Michael
Published: August 2017

Based on the approach‐withdrawal model of hemispheric asymmetry, anger and aggression have been linked to an approach‐related pattern, characterized by stronger relative left‐hemispheric anterior cortical activity. Recent work suggests that also in individuals with extremely violent tendencies, such as imprisoned offenders, approach‐related asymmetry may be associated with self‐reported trait anger and aggression. A putative association between alpha asymmetry and further characteristics relevant for aggression, such as callous‐unemotional (CU) traits, remains to be explored. CU traits may increase the probability of aggressive behavior; nevertheless, they may also enable individuals to inhibit and postpone the overt display of aggression until circumstances grant its strongest impact. In the current exploratory study, we measured trait aggression, CU traits, and resting‐state EEG asymmetry in the alpha band (8–13 Hz) in imprisoned violent offenders in a German high security prison. Results revealed that particularly trait callousness was associated with stronger relative right‐hemispheric anterior cortical activity (i.e., a withdrawal‐related pattern). An association between alpha asymmetry and aggression was not replicated. These preliminary findings suggest that, due to the involved emotional and interpersonal detachment, callousness might be withdrawal related, despite its potential to bring about aggressive behavior. They also imply that the identification of putative clinical subtypes in prisoners is required, as varying psychopathology might undermine an association between alpha asymmetry and aggression.
Estimating the Level and Distribution of Global Wealth, 2000–2014
Authors: Davies James B. , Lluberas Rodrigo , Shorrocks Anthony F.
Published: August 2017

This paper estimates the level and distribution of household wealth globally, as well as for regions and countries, for the period 2000–2014. The data used are mainly from household surveys and national accounts balance sheets, covering about two thirds of the world's population and over 95% of global household wealth. Lists of the most wealthy published in the media are used to adjust the upper tail. Wealth levels and distributions are imputed for countries without data. Estimated global household wealth stood at USD 251 trillion in 2014, having grown from USD 117 trillion in the year 2000. Wealth per adult in 2014 was USD 53,000. The estimated Gini coefficient of global wealth was 92.2% in 2014 and the share of the top 10% was 88.3%. Wealth inequality fell from 2000 to 2007, with the share of the top 10% falling from 89.4% to 86.5%, before rising steadily to 2014. From 2000 to 2008 the share of financial assets in gross wealth, an important driver of wealth inequality, fell from 55.2% to 50.2%, before climbing to 55.0% in 2014. Household debt rose from 13.6% of gross assets in 2000 to 16.0% in 2008, and has since fallen to 13.9%.
Most Likely Transformations
Authors: Hothorn Torsten , Möst Lisa , Bühlmann Peter
Published: August 2017

We propose and study properties of maximum likelihood estimators in the class of conditional transformation models. Based on a suitable explicit parameterization of the unconditional or conditional transformation function, we establish a cascade of increasingly complex transformation models that can be estimated, compared and analysed in the maximum likelihood framework. Models for the unconditional or conditional distribution function of any univariate response variable can be set up and estimated in the same theoretical and computational framework simply by choosing an appropriate transformation function and parameterization thereof. The ability to evaluate the distribution function directly allows us to estimate models based on the exact likelihood, especially in the presence of random censoring or truncation. For discrete and continuous responses, we establish the asymptotic normality of the proposed estimators. A reference software implementation of maximum likelihood‐based estimation for conditional transformation models that allows the same flexibility as the theory developed here was employed to illustrate the wide range of possible applications.
Anchored hybrid enrichment provides new insights into the phylogeny and evolution of longhorned beetles (Cerambycidae)
Authors: HADDAD STEPHANIE , SHIN SEUNGGWAN , LEMMON ALAN R. , LEMMON EMILY MORIARTY , SVACHA PETR , FARRELL BRIAN , ŚLIPIŃSKI ADAM , WINDSOR DONALD , MCKENNA DUANE D.
Published: August 2017

Cerambycidae is a species‐rich family of mostly wood‐feeding (xylophagous) beetles containing nearly 35 000 known species. The higher‐level phylogeny of Cerambycidae has never been robustly reconstructed using molecular phylogenetic data or a comprehensive sample of higher taxa, and its internal relationships and evolutionary history remain the subjects of ongoing debate. We reconstructed the higher‐level phylogeny of Cerambycidae using phylogenomic data from 522 single copy nuclear genes, generated via anchored hybrid enrichment. Our taxon sample (31 Chrysomeloidea, four outgroup taxa: two Curculionoidea and two Cucujoidea) included exemplars of all families and 23 of 30 subfamilies of Chrysomeloidea (18 of 19 non‐chrysomelid Chrysomeloidea), with a focus on the large family Cerambycidae. Our results reveal a monophyletic Cerambycidae s.s. in all but one analysis, and a polyphyletic Cerambycidae s.l. When monophyletic, Cerambycidae s.s. was sister to the family Disteniidae. Relationships among the subfamilies of Cerambycidae s.s. were also recovered with strong statistical support except for Cerambycinae being made paraphyletic by Dorcasomus Audinet‐Serville (Dorcasominae) in the nucleotide (but not amino acid) trees. Most other chrysomeloid families represented by more than one terminal taxon – Chrysomelidae, Disteniidae, Vesperidae and Orsodacnidae – were monophyletic, but Megalopodidae was rendered paraphyletic by Cheloderus Gray (Oxypeltidae). Our study corroborates some relationships within Chrysomeloidea that were previously inferred from morphological data, while also reporting several novel relationships. The present work thus provides a robust framework for future, more deeply taxon‐sampled, phylogenetic and evolutionary studies of the families and subfamilies of Cerambycidae s.l. and other Chrysomeloidea.
Use of granulocyte transfusions among haematology units in England and North Wales
Authors: Morton S. , Mijovic A. , Marks D. I. , Griffin J. , Massey E. , Bhatnagar N. , Stanworth S. J.
Published: August 2017

Objectives

To establish the current use of granulocyte transfusions in haematology patients and explore interest in further research.

Background

Granulocytes may be used for the treatment of severe infection in neutropenic patients or for primary or secondary prophylaxis. Clinical utility of granulocyte transfusions is unclear, and recent studies have demonstrated equivocal outcomes. Pooled granulocytes are the main granulocyte product used in England and Wales, but there are no data on the patterns of use and little consensus on accepted indications.

Methods

A survey was distributed to UK hospitals delivering intensive chemotherapy. Clinical scenarios were posed, with further questions on clinician experience of using granulocytes, availability of the product, barriers to use and interest in further research.

Results

The response rate was 57%; 34·9% of all responses were from allogeneic stem cell transplant centres. Paediatric centres comprised 9·5% respondents, and 19% centres had access to apheresis granulocytes. Of respondents, 58·7% had used granulocytes in the last 3 years, 89·2% of whom used granulocytes to treat refractory infection. There was little consensus on use of granulocytes in the given clinical scenarios even when patients clearly met national guideline criteria. Paediatric centres were overall more likely to recommend granulocyte use. The most frequently identified barrier to use of granulocytes was lack of evidence of effect. Of the respondents, 75% indicated a willingness to participate in further research.

Conclusion

There remains a lack of consistency about use of granulocytes, which is unsurprising given the lack of clinical data to support their efficacy. We did, however, demonstrate a willingness to participate in further research.
Country size and trade in intermediate and final goods
Authors: Soo Kwok Tong
Published: August 2017

This paper documents a negative relationship between country size and the share of final consumption goods in total exports. A model is developed, based on the division of labour and comparative advantage, to explain this relationship. Labour is used to produce traded intermediate inputs which are used in the production of traded final goods. Large countries gain relatively more from comparative advantage than from the division of labour, while the opposite is true for small countries. As in the data, large countries export a smaller share of final goods and a larger share of intermediate goods than small countries. It is shown that the model developed in the paper yields the same results as a model based on monopolistic competition.
RHD genotype and zygosity analysis in the Chinese Southern Han D+, D− and D variant donors using the multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification assay
Authors: Ji Y. L. , Luo H. , Wen J. Z. , Haer‐Wigman L. , Veldhuisen B. , Wei L. , Wang Z. , Ligthart P. , Lodén‐van Straaten M. , Fu Y. S. , van der Schoot C. E. , Luo G. P.
Published: August 2017

Background and Objectives

Several comprehensive genotyping platforms for determining red blood cell (RBC) antigens have been established and validated for use in the Caucasian and Black populations, but not for the Chinese. The multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification (MLPA) assay was validated for RHD genotyping in the Chinese.

Materials and Methods

The blood samples of 200 D+, 200 D− and 62 D variant Chinese donors were collected. RhD antigen was routinely typed by serological method. D variant phenotype was determined by an anti‐D panel (D‐Screen), when RBCs were available. The RHD genotype and its zygosity were analysed with the RH‐MLPA technique. When the MLPA was unable to identify a RHD variant, direct sequencing of all exons of the RHD gene was performed.

Results

In 200 D+ donors, DD (168/200, 84%), D (12/200, 6%), DDD genotype (1/200) and D variant allele carriers (19/200, 9·5%) were found. In 200 D− donors, six reported RHD alleles, RHD*01EL.01, RHD*01N.03, RHD*01N.05, RHD*01N.16, RHD*DFR2 and RHD*weak partial 15 and one novel RHD*1154T allele were identified in 36·5% (73/200) of them. In 62 D variant donors, three novel RHD alleles, RHD*79_81delCTC, RHD*710T and RHD*689A, and twelve reported alleles, RHD*DVI.3, RHD*weak partial 15, RHD*DVI.4, RHD*01EL.01, RHD*01N.03, RHD*DLO, RHD*DV.5, RHD*D‐CE(2‐10), RHD*730C, RHD*weak D type 25, 33 and 72, were identified, either alone or in combination.

Conclusion

The RH‐MLPA assay correctly identified the common RHD variant alleles in the Chinese population. However, DNA sequencing was required to identify certain alleles; probes to detect these alleles should be added into the assay.
TRANSHUMANISM, THEOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, AND MODERN BIOLOGICAL TAXONOMY
Authors: Dumsday Travis
Published: August 2017

I examine the ways in which the theological and philosophical debate surrounding transhumanism might profit by a detailed engagement with contemporary biology, in particular with the mainline accounts of species and speciation. After a short introduction, I provide a very brief primer on species concepts and speciation in contemporary biological taxonomy. Then in a third section (titled “Implications for Technological Alteration of Species”) I draw out some implications for the prospects of our being able intentionally to intervene in human evolution for the production of new species out of Homo sapiens. In a fourth section (titled “How Does the Biological Conception of Homo sapiens Relate to a Philosophical (or Theological) Account of Human Nature? And Where Does This Leave Transhumanism?”) I bring in the debate over the proper relationship between biological and theological conceptions of human nature, laying out the major options available (in light of Ian Barbour's fourfold categorization schema) and considering their possible implications for our understanding of transhumanism. In a fifth section (titled “Potential Applications to Specific Subdisciplines of Theology”) several concrete examples are drawn out pertaining to particular subdisciplines within theology (hamartiology, soteriology, and eschatology). I conclude by briefly laying out some suggestions for future work, focusing on tasks that theologians specifically ought to pursue.
WHAT IF THE HUMAN MIND EVOLVED FOR NONRATIONAL THOUGHT? AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Marks Jonathan
Published: August 2017

Our knowledge of the evolution of human thought is limited not only by the nature of the evidence, but also by the values we bring to the authoritative scientific study of our ancestors. The tendency to see human thought as linear progress in rational (i.e., problem‐solving) capacities has been popular since the Enlightenment, and in the wake of Darwinism has been extended to other species as well. Human communication (language) can be used to transmit useful information, but is rooted in symbolic processes that are nonrational—that is, they involve choosing among functionally equivalent alternatives, any of which is as good an option as any other. The evolution of human thought cannot be realistically isolated from the evolution of human society or human communication, neither of which is rooted in obvious rationality.
HUMAN PHENOTYPIC MORALITY AND THE BIOLOGICAL BASIS FOR KNOWING GOOD
Authors: Rappaport Margaret Boone , Corbally Christopher
Published: August 2017

Co‐creating knowledge takes a new approach to human phenotypic morality as a biologically based, human lineage specific (HLS) trait. Authors from very different backgrounds (anthropology and biology, on the one hand, and astronomy, philosophy, and theology, on the other) first review research on the nature and origins of morality using the social brain network, and studies of individuals who cannot “know good” or think morally because of brain dysfunction. They find these models helpful but insufficient, and turn to paleoanthropology, cognitive science, and neuroscience to understand human moral capacity and its origins long ago, in the genus Homo. An unusual narrative capturing “morality in action” takes the reader back 900,000 years, and then the authors analyze the essential features of moral thinking and behavior as expressed by early and later species on our lineage. In what has primarily been the province of philosophers to date, the authors’ morality model is presented for further scientific testing.
THE ROAD IS MADE BY WALKING: AN INTRODUCTION
Authors: Bennett Pat , Teske John A.
Published: August 2017

We are living in a time of unprecedented challenges: human activity is now the primary driver shaping the planet and we are perilously close to breaching a variety of critical planetary boundaries—a prelude to the possible extinction of our species. How should we be thinking and acting—as persons, communities, institutions and societies—so as to best understand and respond to these challenges? What contribution can the field of science and religion make to develop the knowledge needed to negotiate the civilizational transition we face? Such questions were addressed through a series of dialogues at the 62nd annual conference of the Institute on Religion in an Age of Science in June of 2016—“How Can We Know? Co‐Creating Knowledge in Perilous Times.” This essay sets the background to these challenges and introduces the set of articles in this themed section.
A CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEBATE ON SCIENCE AND FAITH BY CHRISTIAN STUDENTS FROM ABIDJAN
Authors: Bom Klaas , van den Toren Benno
Published: August 2017

The science and faith debate is dominated by Western voices. In order to enrich this debate, the authors study the discourses of different groups of Christian academics and master's students in francophone Africa. This article describes the process of reconstructing and analyzing the discourse of a group of master's students from Abidjan (Ivory Coast) with the help of group model building and focus groups. Three characteristic features that emerge from this discourse include the foundational position of faith, the central role of truth, and the ambiguous connotations of the term “science” in this context. The reconstructed discourse is then brought into conversation with the North Atlantic debate, with a special focus on the concept of scientism.
Forced Response Analysis of Pipes Conveying Fluid by Nonlinear Normal Modes Method and Iterative Approach
Authors: Liang Feng , Yang Xiao-Dong , Qian Ying-Jing , Zhang Wei
Published: August 2017

The forced vibration of gyroscopic continua is investigated by taking the pipes conveying fluid as an example. The nonlinear normal modes and a numerical iterative approach are used to perform numerical response analysis. The nonlinear nonautonomous governing equations are transformed into a set of pseudo-autonomous ones by using the harmonic balance method. Based on the pseudo-autonomous system, the nonlinear normal modes are constructed by the invariant manifold method on the state space and substituted back into the original discrete equations. By repeating the above mentioned steps, the dynamic responses can be numerically obtained asymptotically using such iterative approach. Quadrature phase difference between the general coordinates is verified for the gyroscopic system and traveling waves instead of standing waves are found in the time-domain complex modal analysis.
Nonlinear Dynamics of Multilayered Microplates
Authors: Ghayesh Mergen H.
Published: August 2017

This paper, for the first time, investigates the nonlinear forced dynamics of a three-layered microplate taking into account all the in-plane and out-of-plane motions. The Kirchhoff's plate theory, along with von Kármán nonlinear strains, is employed to derive the nonlinear size-dependent transverse and in-plane equations of motion in the modified couple stress theory (MCST) framework, based on Hamilton's energy principle. A nonconservative damping force of viscous type as well as an external excitation load consisting of a harmonic term is considered in the model. All the transverse and in-plane displacements and inertia are accounted for in both the theoretical modeling and numerical simulations; this leads to further complexities in the nonlinear model and simulations. These complexities arising in the theoretical model are overcome through the use of a well-optimized numerical scheme. The effects of different layer arrangements and different layer material percentages on the force–amplitude and frequency–amplitude curves of the microsystem are investigated. The results of this study shed light in the nonlinear resonant behavior of multilayered microplates and could be helpful in design and analysis of multilayered microplates in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) applications.
A Data-Driven Text Mining and Semantic Network Analysis for Design Information Retrieval
Authors: Shi Feng , Chen Liuqing , Han Ji , Childs Peter
Published: August 2017

With the advent of the big-data era, massive information stored in electronic and digital forms on the internet become valuable resources for knowledge discovery in engineering design. Traditional document retrieval method based on document indexing focuses on retrieving individual documents related to the query, but is incapable of discovering the various associations between individual knowledge concepts. Ontology-based technologies, which can extract the inherent relationships between concepts by using advanced text mining tools, can be applied to improve design information retrieval in the large-scale unstructured textual data environment. However, few of the public available ontology database stands on a design and engineering perspective to establish the relations between knowledge concepts. This paper develops a “WordNet” focusing on design and engineering associations by integrating the text mining approaches to construct an unsupervised learning ontology network. Subsequent probability and velocity network analysis are applied with different statistical behaviors to evaluate the correlation degree between concepts for design information retrieval. The validation results show that the probability and velocity analysis on our constructed ontology network can help recognize the high related complex design and engineering associations between elements. Finally, an engineering design case study demonstrates the use of our constructed semantic network in real-world project for design relations retrieval.
Eulerian–Eulerian Modeling of Convective Heat Transfer Enhancement in Upward Vertical Channel Flows by Gas Injection
Authors: Law Deify , Hinkle Haden
Published: August 2017

Two-phase bubbly flows by gas injection had been shown to enhance convective heat transfer in channel flows as compared with that of single-phase flows. The present work explores the effect of gas phase distribution such as inlet air volume fraction and bubble size on the convective heat transfer in upward vertical channel flows numerically. A two-dimensional (2D) channel flow of 10 cm wide × 100 cm high at 0.2 and 1.0 m/s inlet water and air superficial velocities in churn-turbulent flow regime, respectively, is simulated. Numerical simulations are performed using the commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code ANSYS fluent. The bubble size is characterized by the Eötvös number. The inlet air volume fraction is fixed at 10%, whereas the Eötvös number is maintained at 1.0 to perform parametric studies, respectively, in order to investigate the effect of gas phase distribution on average Nusselt number of the two-phase flows. All simulations are compared with a single-phase flow condition. To enhance heat transfer, it is determined that the optimum Eötvös number for the channel with a 10% inlet air volume fraction has an Eötvös number of 0.2, which is equivalent to a bubble diameter of 1.219 mm. Likewise, it is determined that the optimum volume fraction peaks at 30% inlet air volume fraction using an Eötvös number of 1.0.
Optimal Efficiency-Power Tradeoff for an Air Compressor/Expander
Authors: Rice Andrew T. , Li Perry Y. , Sanckens Caleb J.
Published: August 2017

An efficient and power dense high pressure air compressor/expander (C/E) is critical for the success of a compressed air energy storage (CAES) system. There is a tradeoff between efficiency and power density that is mediated by heat transfer within the compression/expansion chamber. This paper considers the optimal control for the compression and expansion processes that provides the optimal tradeoff between efficiency and power. Analytical Pareto optimal solutions are developed for the cases in which hA, the product of the heat transfer coefficient and heat transfer surface area, is either a constant or is a function of the air volume. It is found that the optimal trajectories take the form “fast-slow-fast” where the fast stages are adiabatic and the slow stage is either isothermal for the constant-hA assumption, or a pseudo-isothermal (where the temperature depends on the instantaneous hA) for the volume-varying-hA assumption. A case study shows that at 90% compression efficiency, power gains are in the range of 500−1500% over ad hoc linear and sinusoidal profiles.
Platoon Control Under a Novel Leader and Predecessor Following Scheme With the Use of an Advanced Aerodynamic Model
Authors: Köroğlu Hakan , Mirzaei Maryam , Falcone Paolo , Krajnović Siniša
Published: August 2017

The longitudinal platoon control problem is considered under a leader and predecessor following scheme with a novel velocity-dependent spacing policy. With this spacing policy, the steady-state intervehicle distances increase with increasing cruise velocity and more so for vehicles that are closer to the leader. Since significant changes might be encountered in intervehicle distances during the travel due to the variations in the velocity of the leader, the problem is studied together with a more accurate modeling of aerodynamic effects within a platoon formation. Based on a standard feedback linearization approach, a dynamic output feedback synthesis problem is formulated with two H∞ performance objectives. One of the performance objectives is linked to the string stability of the platoon formation, while the other can be shaped in a way to maintain small spacing errors without aggressive vehicle maneuvers. A synthesis procedure is then outlined based on linear matrix inequality optimization (LMI). The new control scheme is investigated for a three-vehicle platoon by using an advanced aerodynamic model developed based on extensive fluid dynamic simulations. It is observed in this investigation that a desirable platoon operation can be achieved even with a simple aerodynamic model, provided that the controller is designed in a way to ensure good disturbance attenuation. Nevertheless, an accurate modeling of aerodynamic disturbances might be needed especially for the first vehicle after the leader when the cruising velocity varies over a wide range.
Microstructure Modeling of Dynamically Recrystallized Grain Size of Sintered Al–4 wt % B4C Composite During Hot Upsetting
Authors: Seetharam R. , Kanmani Subbu S. , Davidson M. J.
Published: August 2017

Grain size control of any engineering metal is very important in the hot upsetting process. Generally, the grain size directly controls the mechanical properties and performance of the material. Al–B4C composite finds extensive applications in nuclear industries, defense, and electronic industries. Therefore, the aim of this work is to study the dynamic recrystallization (DRX) behavior of Al–4 wt % B4C composite during the hot upsetting test. Experimental work was performed on sintered Al–4 wt % B4C preforms at various initial relative density (IRD) values of 80%, 85%, and 90%, and over the temperature range of 300–500 °C and strain rates range of 0.1–0.3 s−1. The DRXed grain size of Al–4 wt % B4C preforms for IRDes, and temperatures and strain rates were evaluated by using an optical microscope. The activation energy (Q) and Zener–Hollomon parameter of sintered Al–4 wt % B4C preforms were calculated for various deformation conditions and IRDes. The mathematical models of DRX were developed as a function of Zener–Hollomon parameter for various IRDes to predict the DRXed grain size. It was found that the DRXed grain size decreases with increasing Zener–Hollomon parameter. Verification tests were done between the measured and predicted DRXed grain size for various IRDes, and absolute and mean absolute error was found to be 9.92% and 8.58%, respectively.
Fluid–Structure Interaction Simulation on Energy Harvesting From Vortical Flows by a Passive Heaving Foil
Authors: Alan Wei Zhenglun , Charlie Zheng Zhongquan
Published: August 2017

This study investigates energy harvesting of a two-dimensional foil in the wake downstream of a cylinder. The foil is passively mobile in the transverse direction. An immersed boundary (IB) method with a fluid–structure interaction (FSI) model is validated and employed to carry out the numerical simulation. For improving numerical stability, this study incorporates a modified low-storage first-order Runge–Kutta scheme for time integration and demonstrates the performance of this temporal scheme on reducing spurious pressure oscillations of the IB method. The simulation shows the foil emerged in a vortical wake achieves better energy harvesting performance than that in a uniform flow. The types of the dynamic response of the energy harvester are identified, and the periodic response is desired for optimal energy harvesting performance. Last, the properties of vortical wakes are found to be of pivotal importance in obtaining this desired periodic response.
Investigation Into the Thermal Limitations of Steam Turbines During Start-Up Operation
Authors: Topel Monika , Nilsson Åsa , Jöcker Markus , Laumert Björn
Published: August 2017

Liberalized electricity market conditions and concentrating solar power technologies call for increased power plant operational flexibility. Concerning the steam turbine (ST) component, one key aspect of its flexibility is the capability for fast starts. In current practice, turbine start-up limitations are set by consideration of thermal stress and low cycle fatigue. However, the pursuit of faster starts raises the question whether other thermal phenomena can become a limiting factor to the start-up process. Differential expansion (DE) is one of such thermal properties, especially since the design of axial clearances is not included as part of start-up schedule design and because its measurement during operation is often limited or not a possibility at all. The aim of this work is to understand DE behavior with respect to transient operation and to quantify the effect that such operation would have in the design and operation of axial clearances. This was accomplished through the use of a validated thermomechanical model that was used to compare DE behavior for different operating conditions of the machine. These comparisons showed that faster starts do not necessarily imply that wider axial clearances are needed, which means that the thermal flexibility of the studied turbine is not limited by DE. However, for particular locations, it was also obtained that axial rubbing can indeed become a limiting factor in direct relation to start-up operation. The resulting approach presented in this work serves to avoid over-conservative limitations in both design and operation concerning axial clearances.
Dynamic and Thermal Analysis of Rotor Drop on Sleeve Type Catcher Bearings in Magnetic Bearing Systems
Authors: Kang Xiao , Palazzolo Alan
Published: August 2017

The catcher bearing (CB) is a crucial part of the magnetic bearing system. It can support the rotor when the magnetic bearing is shut down or malfunctioning and limit the rotor's position when large vibration occurs. The sleeve bearing has the advantages of a relatively large contact surface area, simple structure, and an easily replaced surface. There are already many applications of the sleeve type CBs in the industrial machinery supported by the magnetic bearings. Few papers though provide thorough investigations into the dynamic and thermal responses of the sleeve bearing in the role of a CB. This paper develops a coupled two-dimensional (2D) elastic deformation—heat transfer finite element model of the sleeve bearing acting as a CB. A coulomb friction model is used to model the friction force between the rotor and the sleeve bearing. The contact force and 2D temperature distribution of the sleeve bearing are obtained by numerical integration. To validate the finite element method (FEM) code developed by the author, first, the mechanical and thermal static analysis results of the sleeve bearing model are compared with the results calculated by the commercial software solidworks simulation. Second, the transient analysis numerical results are compared with the rotor drop test results in reference. Additionally, this paper explores the influences of different surface lubrication conditions, different materials on rotor-sleeve bearing's dynamic and thermal behavior. This paper lays the foundation of the fatigue life calculation of the sleeve bearing and provides the guideline for the sleeve type CB design.
Study on Optimization Design for CSR1000 Core
Authors: Wang Lianjie , Yang Ping , Lu Di , Zhao Wenbo
Published: August 2017

An optimization design of China supercritical water-cooled reactor (SCWR) with the rated electric power of 1000 MWe (CSR1000) conceptual core is proposed. Steady-state performance of the proposed core is then studied with the SCWR core steady-state analysis code system SNTA. These key parameters such as burnup performance, reactivity control capability, power distribution, maximum fuel cladding temperature, and maximum linear power density are analyzed. The relative coolant flow rate of the second flow path, which is suited with assembly power, is also presented. The study shows that the refueling cycle of CSR1000 core can be extended effectively under the optimization design.