bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The electric dipole moments in the ground states of gold oxide, AuO, and gold sulfide, AuS
Authors: Zhang Ruohan , Yu Yuanqin , Steimle Timothy C. , Cheng Lan
Published: February 2017

The B2Σ− − X2Π3/2(0,0) bands of a cold molecular beam sample of gold monoxide, AuO, and gold monosulfide, AuS, have been recorded at high resolution both field free and in the presence of a static electric field. The observed electric field induced splittings and shifts were analyzed to produce permanent electric dipole moments, μ→el, of 2.94±0.06 D and 2.22±0.05 D for the X2Π3/2(v = 0) states of AuO and AuS, respectively. A molecular orbital correlation diagram is used to rationalize the trend in ground state μ→el values for AuX (X = F, Cl, O, and S) molecules. The experimentally determined μ→el are compared to those computed at the coupled-cluster singles and doubles (CCSD) level augmented with a perturbative inclusion of triple excitations (CCSD(T)) level of theory.
Voltage induced mechanical/spin wave propagation over long distances
Authors: Chen C. , Barra A. , Mal A. , Carman G. , Sepulveda A.
Published: February 2017

We simulated the generation and propagation of spin waves (SWs) using two excitation methods, namely, magnetic field and voltage induced strain. A fully coupled non-linear magnetoelastic model, combining Landau–Lifshitz-Gilbert with elastodynamic equations, is used to study the propagation characteristics of SWs in magnetoelastic materials. Simulation results show that for excitation frequencies above ferromagnetic resonance (FMR), SWs excited by voltage induced strain propagate over longer distances compared to SWs excited by magnetic field. In addition, strain mediated SWs exhibit loss characteristics, which are relatively independent of the magnetic losses (Gilbert damping). Moreover, it is also shown that strain induced SWs can also be excited at frequencies below FMR.
Noble metal free photocatalytic H2 generation on black TiO2: On the influence of crystal facets vs. crystal damage
Authors: Liu Ning , Steinrück Hans-Georg , Osvet Andres , Yang Yuyun , Schmuki Patrik
Published: February 2017

In this study, we investigate noble metal free photocatalytic water splitting on natural anatase single crystal facets and on wafer slices of the [001] plane before and after these surfaces have been modified by high pressure hydrogenation and hydrogen ion-implantation. We find that on the natural, intact low index planes, photocatalytic H2 evolution (in the absence of a noble metal co-catalyst) can only be achieved when the hydrogenation treatment is accompanied by the introduction of crystal damage, such as simple scratching and miscut in the crystal, or by implantation damage. X-ray reflectivity, Raman, and optical reflection measurements show that plain hydrogenation leads to a ≈ 1 nm thick black titania surface layer without activity, while a colorless, density modified, and ≈7 nm thick layer with broken crystal symmetry is present on the ion implanted surface. These results demonstrate that (i) the H-treatment of an intact anatase surface needs to be combined with defect formation for catalytic activation and (ii) activation does not necessarily coincide with the presence of black color.
Characterization of high-temperature performance of cesium vapor cells with anti-relaxation coating
Authors: Li Wenhao , Balabas Mikhail , Peng Xiang , Pustelny Szymon , Wickenbrock Arne , Guo Hong , Budker Dmitry
Published: February 2017

Vapor cells with antirelaxation coating are widely used in modern atomic physics experiments due to the coating's ability to maintain the atoms' spin polarization during wall collisions. We characterize the performance of vapor cells with different coating materials by measuring longitudinal spin relaxation and vapor density at temperatures up to 95 °C. We infer that the spin-projection-noise-limited sensitivity for atomic magnetometers with such cells improves with temperature, which demonstrates the potential of antirelaxation coated cells in applications of future high-sensitivity magnetometers.
Noise characteristics of thermistors: Measurement methods and results of selected devices
Authors: Ryger Ivan , Harber Dave , Stephens Michelle , White Malcolm , Tomlin Nathan , Spidell Matthew , Lehman John
Published: February 2017

As part of the development of a spectrally uniform room-temperature absolute radiometer, we have studied the electrical noise of several bulk chip thermistors in order to estimate the noise floor and optical dynamic range. Understanding the fundamental limits of the temperature sensitivity leads inevitably to studying the noise background of the complex electro-thermal system. To this end, we employ a measurement technique based on alternating current synchronous demodulation. Results of our analysis show that the combination of a low-current noise Junction Field Effect Transistor (JFET) preamplifier together with chip thermistors is optimal for our purpose, yielding a root mean square noise temperature of 2.8 μK in the frequency range of 0.01 Hz to 1 Hz.
On the VLF wave generation by beating of two HF heaters
Authors: Kuo S. P. , Lee M. C.
Published: February 2017

Nighttime very low frequency (VLF) wave generation high frequency (HF) heating experiments were performed under three distinctive ionospheric situations, employing two x-mode transmissions with a frequency difference of 3.5–9.5 kHz. The three situations were HF heater transmissions: (1) reflecting well below, (2) reflecting slightly below, and (3) penetrating through the F-peak (i.e., foF2 layer). The results reveal that (1) the N-S component of the VLF wave magnetic field dominated in all measurements; (2) the VLF radiation intensity is the strongest when the HF heaters are reflected slightly below the foF2 layer, i.e., in situation (2); (3) the VLF radiation intensity does not vary strongly with frequency; however, there is an anomaly in situation (2), the 5.5 kHz radiation intensity is approximately 7 dB above the intensity trend with frequency in situations (1) and (3). In situation (2), foF2 was decreasing with time, while a density cusp appeared slightly below the heater reflection height. Theoretical analysis indicates that the density cusp instigates the enhancement of VLF radiation intensity in situation (2) and the stimulated electromagnetic emission via the generation of 5.5 kHz lower hybrid waves by the HF beat wave is a likely mechanism for 7 dB intensity anomaly.
Spin-photo-currents generated by femtosecond laser pulses in a ferrimagnetic GdFeCo/Pt bilayer
Authors: Huisman T. J. , Ciccarelli C. , Tsukamoto A. , Mikhaylovskiy R. V. , Rasing Th. , Kimel A. V.
Published: February 2017

Using THz emission spectroscopy, we detect spin-photo-currents from a ferrimagnetic amorphous alloy GdFeCo to an adjacent Pt capping layer. The currents are generated upon excitation of a GdFeCo/Pt heterostructure with femtosecond laser pulses. It is found that the polarization of the spin-polarized current is determined by magnetic sublattice sensitivity rather than the total magnetization, allowing for spin-polarized current generation when the net magnetization is zero.
Direct and parametric synchronization of a graphene self-oscillator
Authors: Houri S. , Cartamil-Bueno S. J. , Poot M. , Steeneken P. G. , van der Zant H. S. J. , Venstra W. J.
Published: February 2017

We explore the dynamics of a graphene nanomechanical oscillator coupled to a reference oscillator. Circular graphene drums are forced into self-oscillation, at a frequency fosc, by means of photothermal feedback induced by illuminating the drum with a continuous-wave red laser beam. Synchronization to a reference signal, at a frequency fsync, is achieved by shining a power-modulated blue laser onto the structure. We investigate two regimes of synchronization as a function of both detuning and signal strength for direct (fsync≈fosc) and parametric locking (fsync≈2fosc). We detect a regime of phase resonance, where the phase of the oscillator behaves as an underdamped second-order system, with the natural frequency of the phase resonance showing a clear power-law dependence on the locking signal strength. The phase resonance is qualitatively reproduced using a forced van der Pol-Duffing-Mathieu equation.
Measuring the carrier lifetime by using a quasi-optical millimeter- and THz-wave system
Authors: Choe Mun Seok , Sawant Ashwini , Lee Kyu-Sup , Yu Nan Ei , Choi EunMi
Published: February 2017

The existing method for contactless measurement of the photoconductivity decay time is limited in terms of sample selection according to the injection level or doping density. To solve this problem and improve the measurement sensitivity, we developed a quasi-optical photoconductivity decay (QO-PCD) technique based on millimeter- and terahertz-wave technology. A semi-insulating silicon (Si) wafer was used in a proof-of-concept experiment with the proposed QO-PCD system to find the initial excess carrier density and carrier lifetime based on the Drude–Zener model with a single decay function. The initial excess carrier density and carrier lifetime were measured to be 1.5 × 1015 cm−3 and 30.6 μs, respectively, in semi-insulating Si wafer (460 μm thickness). A 2D areal measurement of the decay time of the Si wafer was experimentally obtained. The proposed QO-PCD technique can provide more reliable and sensitive carrier lifetime measurement data for semiconductor wafers, which may impact the fields of photovoltaic solar cells and power electronics.
Enhanced diffusivity in Ni-Al system by alternating magnetic field
Authors: Li Chuanjun , He Shengya , Fan Yafu , Engelhardt Hannes , Jia Shanghua , Xuan Weidong , Li Xi , Zhong Yunbo , Ren Zhongming
Published: February 2017

The diffusivity in the Ni-Al system with and without an alternating magnetic field (AMF) was investigated by the diffusion couple technique. It was found that the diffusion coefficient was increased with increasing AMF intensity. The enhanced diffusivity in the AMF can be ascribed to the increase in the dislocation density in the diffusion couples, which was demonstrated by the broadening of X-ray diffraction peaks. The higher dislocation density was induced by the magnetoplastic effect (MPE). The theoretical calculation based on the MPE is in agreement with the experimental values.
A multi-modular helical magnetic millirobot navigating in curved tubular environments
Authors: Jeon Seungmun
Published: February 2017

This paper proposes a novel multi-modular helical magnetic millirobot (MHMM) able to navigate in curved tubular environments. The proposed MHMM is basically composed of head, middle, and tail modules serially connected by a universal joint, and can employ more modules if necessary. The head module is a helical body with a magnetic rotary tip attached to the front end. Thus, once located in a curved tube filled with a fluid, the MHMM can effectively generate navigating or unclogging motions simply actuated by an external rotating magnetic field. This paper also examines the dynamic characteristics of the MHMM under various working conditions to manipulate the MHMM in a stable and safe manner. Then, it demonstrates various controlled motions of the MHMM in an in-vitro pulsatile flow environment to show the validity of the proposed structure and method.
Public attitudes to government intervention to regulate food advertising, especially to children
Authors: Berry Narelle M. , Carter Patricia , Nolan Rebecca , Dal Grande Eleonora , Booth Sue
Published: February 2017

The World Health Organization has called on governments to implement recommendations on the marketing of foods and beverages to children. This study describes high public support for government intervention in marketing of unhealthy food to children and suggests more effort is needed to harness public opinion to influence policy development.
Forestry affects the abundance of Phormidium-dominated biofilms and the functioning of a New Zealand river ecosystem
Authors: Aristi Ibon , Clapcott Joanne E. , Acuña Vicenç , Elosegi Arturo , Mills Holly , Wood Susanna A. , Young Roger G.
Published: February 2017

Toxic cyanobacterial proliferations in water bodies can cause serious environmental and public health issues, as well as having economic effects. Increased inputs of nutrients and fine sediment caused by forestry have been hypothesised as possible causes of increased Phormidium-dominated proliferations in New Zealand rivers. Little is known about the effect of these proliferations on river ecosystem functioning. In the present study, we evaluated five sites along the Maitai River (New Zealand) differing in pine plantation cover of their catchments. We hypothesised that Phormidium biofilms would trap more sediments and recycle more phosphorus than diatoms, that Phormidium proliferations would increase with forestry cover in the catchment and that the varying abundance of Phormidium would affect river ecosystem functioning. Phormidium did not trap more sediment or recycle more phosphorus (measured as alkaline phosphate activity) than diatom biofilms. However, the cover of Phormidium did increase with the proportion of forestry in the catchment. Organic matter decomposition rates (measured as loss of tensile strength of standard cotton strips) varied very little among sites, whereas river ecosystem metabolism increased with the abundance of Phormidium, especially in the lower part of the river. The results of the present study suggest that pine forestry does promote Phormidium biofilm abundance and affect ecosystem functioning in the Maitai River.
Variability and drivers of extreme fire weather in fire-prone areas of south-eastern Australia
Authors: Harris Sarah , Mills Graham , Brown Timothy
Published: February 2017

Most of the life and property losses due to bushfires in south-eastern Australia occur under extreme fire weather conditions – strong winds, high temperatures, low relative humidity (RH) and extended drought. However, what constitutes extreme, and the values of the weather ingredients and their variability, differs regionally. Using a gridded dataset to identify the highest 10 fire weather days from 1972 to 2012, as defined by McArthur’s Forest Fire Danger Index (FFDI), for 24 sites across Victoria and nearby, we analyse the extent and variability of these highest 10 FFDI days, and of the contributing temperature, RH, wind speed, wind direction and drought indices. We document the occurrence of these events by time of day, month of occurrence and inter-annual variability. We find there is considerable variability among regions in the highest FFDI days and also the contributing weather and drought parameters, with some regional groupings apparent. Many major fire events occurred on these highest 10 fire weather days; however there are also days in which extreme fire weather occurred yet no known major fires are recorded. The results from this study will be an additional valuable resource to fire agencies in fire risk planning by basing fire management decisions on site-specific extreme fire weather conditions.
Cross-domain variation in the X itself as a grammatical construction
Authors: Ebensgaard Jensen Kim
Published: February 2017

The X itself

is a nominal construction that has not received much attention within cognitive linguistics despite it having a quite interesting function, as it serves to select a core part in a partonomy and thus specify lexical relations within a text. Apart from being mentioned in passing in Croft & Cruse (2004), one of the few treatments of this construction in cognitive linguistics is Jensen (2014) who builds on the comments in Croft & Cruse (2004) and proposes a hypothesis pertaining to the cognitive and discursive function of the construction. However, that hypothesis does not take into account an important aspect of the reality of language — namely, variation. This article investigates, within the framework of usage-based construction grammar, the X itself in the Open American National Corpus (OANC) to see whether the construction displays variation across the nine domains that the data in OANC are divided into. Applying quantitative techniques, including lexical diversity measures and multidimensional scaling, this article explores aspects of the discursive behavior of the X itself across these domains and addresses the extent to which the construction interacts with the registers associated with the domains. Focusing on use-based varieties (McArthur 1992, see also Quirk 1989 and Halliday et al. 1964: 77), the present article argues that the X itself is not a constructional monolith, but that it is characterized by register-sensitive functional variation and that its core selection function very likely serves a information-structural discourse-pragmatic purpose.
A variational approach to deliberate metaphors
Authors: Tay Dennis
Published: February 2017

While Deliberate Metaphor Theory is controversial from a psychological point of view, its advocates propose that the communicative notion of ‘deliberateness’ is valuable for structural-functional analyses of metaphors in the social world. Nevertheless, the inter-relationships between the linguistic, conceptual, and communicative dimensions of metaphor highlighted by Deliberate Metaphor Theory, and how these may vary across different discourse contexts, remains underexplored. This paper examines deliberate metaphor across four contrasting discourse categories of psychotherapy talk, news articles, popular science articles, and political speeches. 800 metaphor units were randomly sampled and coded under the variables DIRECT (direct/indirect), NOVEL (novel/conventional), DELIB (deliberate/non-deliberate), and CATEGORY. In the first part of the study, a hierarchical log-linear analysis identified three significant interaction effects: DELIB*DIRECT, CATEGORY*NOVEL*DIRECT, and CATEGORY *NOVEL*DELIB (χ2(7) = 0.0, p = 1). While generally reflecting the inter-relatedness of the three dimensions, the three-way interactions point towards underexplored patterns of variation which are discussed with respect to contrasting discourse objectives. In the second part of the study, six categories of deliberate metaphor features were inductively identified: elaboration, signal, analogy, stark novelty, topic-triggering, and repetition. They demonstrate diverse strategic ways in which ‘deliberateness’ is constructed across the four discourse categories.
Evaluating the relative effects of cognitive approach with 3D content and non-cognitive approach on the development of EFL learners’ knowledge about the different degrees of sureness
Authors: Takimoto Masahiro
Published: February 2017

The present pilot study compared the effects of cognitive and non-cognitive approaches on the development of Japanese learners’ knowledge about the different degrees of sureness attached to certain, probable, and possible items. The results showed that the cognitive approach group outperformed the non-cognitive approach and control groups in writing and comparison judgment tests, and that both the cognitive and non-cognitive approach groups performed better than the control group in the categorization judgment test. These results suggest that the cognitive approach with 3D image content through computers can promote L2 language learning because it may have made the target structures more salient and also enabled the participants to connect spatial concepts with different degrees of sureness attached to the certain, probable, and possible items, thereby facilitating deep processing of form-meaning pairings.
The acquisition of differential object marking in Hindi as a foreign language
Authors: Ponnet Aaricia , Baten Kristof , Verbeke Saartje
Published: February 2017

This article explores a grammatical structure — differential object marking (DOM) — that is particularly difficult for L2 learners to acquire. DOM is a phenomenon in which some direct objects are morphologically marked and others are not. In Hindi, animate direct objects are always marked with the objective case marker ko, whereas specific direct objects are only optionally marked with ko. Inanimate and non-specific direct objects are never marked with ko and take the unmarked nominative form. DOM in Hindi has been found to pose a problem to heritage speakers of Hindi. The present study investigates whether similar difficulties exist for foreign language learners. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 30 foreign language learners of Hindi completing an oral production task. The results suggest that the learners do not have difficulties with the concept of DOM in itself — they know that not every direct object needs to be marked —, but rather with the variable conditions under which DOM occurs. The study defines five developmental profiles, which reflect a gradual accumulation of contexts appropriately marked with the objective case.
Accounting for variability in Malayo-Polynesian pronouns
Authors: Reid Lawrence A.
Published: February 2017

This article is a suggested explanation for the multiple variants of the forms of some Malayo-Polynesian pronouns that have been characterized as the result of drift. The explanation that is given is referred to here as paradigmatic instability, a phenomenon not previously discussed with reference to these problems. In the cases discussed in this article it is the avoidance of forms that are semantically or pragmatically inappropriate within the context of the paradigm in which they occur which renders the forms morphologically variable and the paradigms in which they occur unstable. In Malayo-Polynesian languages, it is the avoidance of a form that is reconstructed as a plural pronoun in Proto-Austronesian but which in all Malayo-Polynesian daughter languages is found as a singular pronoun. Where this form is retained as part of some other plural forms, it has been lost or modified in a wide range of variants in the daughter languages.
The rise and fall of a minor category
Authors: Nurmio Silva , Willis David
Published: February 2017

Some languages use a special form of the noun, a “numerative”, after some or all numerals. In such languages, a distinct numerative is typically not available for all nouns, but rather only for a small subset, forming a morphological “minor category” (Corbett 2000). We examine how such a system emerges and disintegrates diachronically, looking in detail at Welsh, a language in which a distinct numerative emerged as the result of the phonological attrition of plural suffixes and analogical extension of new plural suffixes to all relevant syntactic environments except after numerals. Nouns with distinct numeratives tend to be animate and to denote units frequently counted, an association previously noted also for minor duals (Plank 1996). We suggest that this association arose in Welsh via differential analogical extension in two directions: animates resisted analogical extension of the pattern numeral + singular noun; and animates were most receptive to extension of the pattern numeral + numerative. We show that the loss of the numerative proceeded the same way in reverse: numeratives were first reanalyzed as special plurals, and this pattern, numeral + plural noun, resisted analogical spread of the dominant numeral + singular pattern most robustly with kinship terms and a unit of time, namely ‘year’. These developments show much commonality with other cases where the diachrony of the numerative is known, confirming the observation that numeratives typically emerge from the disintegration of a major category, such as plural or dual, and that they are diachronically unstable, liable ultimately to analogical elimination.
Prosody- vs. segment-based teaching
Authors: Capliez Marc
Published: February 2017

English, an international language, is widely taught and learnt as a foreign language in France. However, French learners face pronunciation difficulties, as the two languages differ both on the segmental level (i.e. individual sounds) and on the suprasegmental, prosodic level (i.e. stress, rhythm, intonation). It has been argued that focus on the prosodic features of the target language (L2) would improve learners’ oral skills. Nevertheless, very few studies have brought evidence of the greater role of prosody in the acquisition of a second or foreign language. The current study seeks to address this gap by directly comparing prosody-centred and segment-centred teaching to determine whether one approach is more effective than the other in the improvement of L2 oral perception skills. The study shows that both teaching approaches enabled French EFL learners to improve their perception skills; however, neither method proved to have a stronger impact, suggesting that both segmental and suprasegmental aspects should both be addressed in L2 teaching.
A contrastive analysis of reporting clauses in comparable and translated academic texts in English and Italian
Authors: Molino Alessandra
Published: February 2017

This article investigates the use of finite reporting clauses with that-clause complementation (e.g. I will suggest that…) as devices for the expression of stance in academic texts (Hyland and Tse 2005; Charles 2006). These constructions are compared to their functional equivalents in Italian, i.e. reporting clauses with che (‘that’) complementiser. The comparison is carried out using a corpus-based approach, involving the analysis of a parallel corpus of Political Science papers in English and their translations into Italian, as well as a comparable corpus of articles originally written in Italian within the same discipline. Thanks to their ability to convey evaluative meanings, reporting clauses are analysed as structures that may provide insights into the epistemological negotiations taking place in the encounter of different research traditions through the practice of translation.
The clustering of discourse markers and filled pauses
Authors: Crible Ludivine , Degand Liesbeth , Gilquin Gaëtanelle
Published: February 2017

This article presents a corpus-based contrastive study of (dis)fluency in French and English, focusing on the clustering of discourse markers (DMs) and filled pauses (FPs) across various spoken registers. Starting from the hypothesis that markers of (dis)fluency, or ‘fluencemes’, occur more frequently in sequences than in isolation, and that their contribution to the relative fluency of discourse can only be assessed by taking into account the contextual distribution of these sequences, this study uncovers the specific contextual conditions that trigger the clustering of fluencemes in the two languages. First, the contexts of appearance of DMs and FPs are described separately, both in English and French, focusing on their distribution, position and co-occurrence patterns. Then, the combination of DMs and FPs in sequences and their different configurations (DM+FP, FP+DM, etc.) are investigated. Overall, it appears that FPs function differently depending on whether they are clustered with DMs or not, and this difference consists in either maintaining or erasing inter- and intra-linguistic contrasts.
The pragmatics of person reference
Authors: De Cock Barbara , Serrano Neus Nogué
Published: February 2017

In this article, we show through a contrastive analysis of person reference in Catalan and Spanish parliamentary discourse, that it is paramount to take into account not only syntactic but also pragmatic factors in order to adequately analyse the differences between two languages that have rather similar morphological paradigms. Thus, we will show that singular deictics are used more widely in Spanish parliamentary discourse, whereas plural forms are preferred in Catalan, which is possibly related to more general cultural features and to the political system as a whole. Furthermore, we will discuss differences in the use of the formal address forms. Finally, we will show that some differences in the use of vocatives may be due to the debating styles and history of the respective parliaments.
Deposition potential effect on surface properties of Zn–Ni coatings
Authors: Faid H. , Mentar L. , Khelladi M. R. , Azizi A.
Published: February 2017

The electrodeposition of Ni–Zn alloy coatings at different deposition potentials from a sulphate bath was studied by means of chronoamperometry, anodic linear stripping voltammetry, X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. Corrosion behaviour of Zn–Ni alloys in 3.5 wt-% NaCl solution was examined by anodic polarisation and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Results indicated that the nickel content in the deposit is enhanced with more negative deposition potential, where the average surface roughness decreased. Electrochemical measurements obtained by anodic polarisation and impedance spectroscopy revealed that Zn–Ni alloy coatings obtained at more negative potential present best corrosion resistance.
Slurry erosive wear behaviour of plasma-sprayed flyash–Al2O3 coatings
Authors: Naveena B. E. , Keshavamurthy R. , Sekhar N.
Published: February 2017

The present investigation focuses on the study of erosive slurry wear behaviour of plasma-sprayed flyash–Al2O3 composite coatings on the substrate of Al6061 alloy in slurry with 3.5% NaCl solution. The influence of various process parameters, such as different slurry concentration (10–30%), varying rotational speed (500–1500 rev min−1) and varied impinging particle sizes (210–425 µm), was compared by conventional weight loss method and Taguchi's L27 experimental design method. It was observed that the composite coatings on Al6061 alloy showed a highest resistance to erosion. The significance of the parameters was determined by using analysis of variance technique and it was found that the factors slurry concentration and slurry speed had great influence on erosive slurry wear of substrate with and without plasma spray coatings. Regression analysis was used to develop mathematical model to predict the slurry erosive wear. Predicted values are in good agreement with experimental values.
Elite capture and state neglect: new evidence on South Africa’s land reform
Authors: Hall Ruth , Kepe Thembela
Published: February 2017

The most recent incarnation of South Africa’s land reform is a model of state purchase of farms to be provided on leasehold, rather than transferring title. This briefing presents headline findings from our field research in one district.
Molecular characterization of aspartylglucosaminidase, a lysosomal hydrolase upregulated during strobilation in the moon jellyfish,Aurelia aurita
Authors: Tsujita Natsumi , Kuwahara Hiroyuki , Koyama Hiroki , Yanaka Noriyuki , Arakawa Kenji , Kuniyoshi Hisato
Published: February 2017

The life cycle of the moon jellyfish, Aurelia aurita, alternates between a benthic asexual polyp stage and a planktonic sexual medusa (jellyfish) stage. Transition from polyp to medusa is called strobilation. To investigate the molecular mechanisms of strobilation, we screened for genes that are upregulated during strobilation using the differential display method and we identified aspartylglucosaminidase (AGA), which encodes a lysosomal hydrolase. Similar to AGAs from other species, Aurelia AGA possessed an N-terminal signal peptide and potential N-glycosylation sites. The genomic region of Aurelia AGA was approximately 9.8 kb in length and contained 12 exons and 11 introns. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that AGA expression increased during strobilation, and was then decreased in medusae. To inhibit AGA function, we administered the lysosomal acidification inhibitors, chloroquine or bafilomycin A1, to animals during strobilation. Both inhibitors disturbed medusa morphogenesis at the oral end, suggesting involvement of lysosomal hydrolases in strobilation.
GABA promotes elastin synthesis and elastin fiber formation in normal human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs)
Authors: Uehara Eriko , Hokazono Hideki , Hida Mariko , Sasaki Takako , Yoshioka Hidekatsu , Matsuo Noritaka
Published: February 2017

The multiple physiological effects of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) as a functional food component have been recently reported. We previously reported that GABA upregulated the expression of type I collagen in human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs), and that oral administration of GABA significantly increased skin elasticity. However, details of the regulatory mechanism still remain unknown. In this study, we further examined the effects of GABA on elastin synthesis and elastin fiber formation in HDFs. Real-time PCR indicated that GABA significantly increased the expression of tropoelastin transcript in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, the expression of fibrillin-1, fibrillin-2, and fibulin-5/DANCE, but not lysyl oxidase and latent transforming factor-β-binding protein 4, were also significantly increased in HDFs. Finally, immunohistochemical analysis confirmed that treatment with GABA dramatically increased the formation of elastic fibers in HDFs. Taken together, our results showed that GABA improves skin elasticity in HDFs by upregulating elastin synthesis and elastin fiber formation.
Analysing design and technology as an educational construct: an investigation into its curriculum position and pedagogical identity
Authors: Bell Dawne , Wooff David , McLain Matt , Morrison-Love David
Published: February 2017

The hierarchal status of academic disciplines, what defines valuable or legitimate knowledge and what should we teach our children is a topic of much debate. Amidst concerns of an academic decline, tackling the culture of low expectation and anti‐intellectualism, the need to address social justice, and its by‐product of cultural reproduction, is the focus of current education policy. Set within the UK, this paper presents a critical review of the literature relating to disciplinary knowledge and teaching and learning regimes, specifically seeking to explore the subcultures which exist between design and technology and its associated curricula counterparts that combine to produce science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The purpose being to proffer an explanation that is supportive in developing an understanding as to why design and technology is perceived by many to be of less value than its STEM counterparts. Situation within a functionalist approach to STEM education policy, findings are discussed in relation to design and technology, which as a subject is caught between the identities of academic and vocational exponents, and it is from this perspective that complex nature and perceived value of design and technology is explored.
Osteoblastic Lrp4 promotes osteoclastogenesis by regulating ATP release and adenosine-A2AR signaling
Authors: Xiong Lei , Jung Ji-Ung , Guo Hao-Han , Pan Jin-Xiu , Sun Xiang-Dong , Mei Lin , Xiong Wen-Cheng
Published: February 2017

Bone homeostasis depends on the functional balance of osteoblasts (OBs) and osteoclasts (OCs). Lrp4 is a transmembrane protein that is mutated in patients with high bone mass. Loss of Lrp4 in OB-lineage cells increases bone mass by elevating bone formation by OBs and reducing bone resorption by OCs. However, it is unclear how Lrp4 deficiency in OBs impairs osteoclastogenesis. Here, we provide evidence that loss of Lrp4 in the OB lineage stabilizes the prorenin receptor (PRR) and increases PRR/V-ATPase–driven ATP release, thereby enhancing the production of the ATP derivative adenosine. Both pharmacological and genetic inhibition of adenosine-2A receptor (A2AR) in culture and Lrp4 mutant mice diminishes the osteoclastogenic deficit and reduces trabecular bone mass. Furthermore, elevated adenosine-A2AR signaling reduces receptor activator of nuclear factor κB (RANK)–mediated osteoclastogenesis. Collectively, these results identify a mechanism by which osteoblastic Lrp4 controls osteoclastogenesis, reveal a cross talk between A2AR and RANK signaling in osteoclastogenesis, and uncover an unrecognized pathophysiological mechanism of high-bone-mass disorders.
Inferring a qualitative contact rate index of uncertain epidemics
Authors: Angulo Marco Tulio , Velasco-Hernandez Jorge X.
Published: February 2017

We will inevitably face new epidemic outbreaks where the mechanisms of transmission are still uncertain, making it difficult to obtain quantitative predictions. Thus we present a novel algorithm that qualitatively predicts the start, relative magnitude and decline of uncertain epidemic outbreaks, requiring to know only a few of its “macroscopic” parameters. The algorithm is based on estimating exactly the time-varying contact rate of a canonical but time-varying Susceptible-Infected-Recovered epidemic model parametrized to the particular outbreak. The algorithm can also be extended to other canonical epidemic models. Even if dynamics of the outbreak deviates significantly from the underlying epidemic model, we show the predictions of the algorithm remain robust. We validated our algorithm using real time-series data of measles, dengue and the current zika outbreak, comparing its performance to existing algorithms that also use a few macroscopic parameters (e.g., those estimating reproductive numbers) and to those using a thorough understanding of the mechanisms of the epidemic outbreak. We show our algorithm can outperform existing algorithms using a few macroscopic parameters, providing an informative qualitative evaluation of the outbreak.
Denitrification of water in a microbial fuel cell (MFC) using seawater bacteria
Authors: Naga Samrat MVV , Kesava Rao K , Ruggeri Bernardo , Tommasi Tonia
Published: February 2017

The sea contains various microbes which have an ability to reduce and oxidize substances like iron, sulphur, and nitrate. Most of these processes happen in the seawater, but can also be applied for puriﬁcation of wastewater. In the present work, a consortium of seawater bacteria has been used for the first time in a microbial fuel cell to reduce nitrate in synthetic water samples and produce electricity by oxidizing organic matter. The concentrations ofandwere reduced to well below their permissible limits. Moreover, the growth of the bacterial consortium at cathode causes an increased electricity production in the cell because of the increased bacterial activity. The performance of the cell with a bicarbonate buffered solution (BBS) at the cathode was superior to that obtained with the commonly used phosphate buffered solution (PBS). As BBS is the natural buffering agent found in the sea, the use of BBS is eco-friendly. The same seawater bacterial consortium could be used at both the anode and the cathode, confirming their adaptability to different environments. Unfortunately, denitrification was accompanied by the generation of high concentrations ofat the anode and the cathode, probably because of the use of N2gas for sparging the anolyte. This aspect merits further investigation.
Eye-movement reinstatement and neural reactivation during mental imagery
Authors: Bone Michael B. , St-Laurent Marie , Dang Christa , McQuiggan Douglas A. , Ryan Jennifer D. , Buchsbaum Bradley R.
Published: February 2017

Half a century ago, Donald Hebb posited that mental imagery is a constructive process that emulates perception. Specifically, Hebb claimed that visual imagery results from the reactivation of neural activity associated with viewing images. He also argued that neural reactivation and imagery benefit from the re-enactment of eye movement patterns that first occurred at viewing (fixation reinstatement). To investigate these claims, we applied multivariate pattern analyses to functional MRI (fMRI) and eye-tracking data collected while healthy human participants repeatedly viewed and visualized complex images. We observed that the specificity of neural reactivation correlated positively with vivid imagery and with memory for stimulus image details. Moreover, neural reactivation correlated positively with fixation reinstatement, meaning that image-specific eye movements accompanied image-specific patterns of brain activity during visualization. These findings support the conception of mental imagery as a simulation of perception, and provide evidence of the supportive role of eye-movement in neural reactivation.
Structure of salts of lithium chloride and lithium hexafluorophosphate as solvates with pyridine and vinylpyridine and structural comparisons: (C5H5N)LiPF6, [p-(CH2=CH)C5H4N]LiPF6, [(C5H5N)LiCl]
n
, and [p-(CH2=CH)C5H4N]2Li(μ-Cl)2Li[p-(CH2=CH)C5H4N]2
Authors: Jalil AbdelAziz , Clymer Rebecca N. , Hamilton Clifton R. , Vaddypally Shivaiah , Gau Michael R. , Zdilla Michael J.
Published: February 2017

Due to the flammability of liquid electrolytes used in lithium ion batteries, solid lithium ion conductors are of interest to reduce danger and increase safety. The two dominating general classes of electrolytes under exploration as alternatives are ceramic and polymer electrolytes. Our group has been exploring the preparation of molecular solvates of lithium salts as alternatives. Dissolution of LiCl or LiPF6 in pyridine (py) or vinylpyridine (VnPy) and slow vapor diffusion with diethyl ether gives solvates of the lithium salts coordinated by pyridine ligands. For LiPF6, the solvates formed in pyridine and vinylpyridine, namely tetrakis(pyridine-κN)lithium(I) hexafluorophosphate, [Li(C5H5N)4]PF6, and tetrakis(4-ethenylpyridine-κN)lithium(I) hexafluorophosphate, [Li(C7H7N)4]PF6, exhibit analogous structures involving tetracoordinated lithium ions with neighboring PF6
− anions in the I\overline{4} and Aea2 space groups, respectively. For LiCl solvates, two very different structures form. catena-Poly[[(pyridine-κN)lithium]-μ3-chlorido], [LiCl(C5H5N)]
n
, crystalizes in the P212121 space group and contains channels of edge-fused LiCl rhombs templated by rows of π-stacked pyridine ligands, while the structure of the LiCl–VnPy solvate, namely di-μ-chlorido-bis[bis(4-ethenylpyridine-κN)lithium], [Li2Cl2(C7H7N)4], is described in the P21/n space group as dinuclear (VnPy)2Li(μ-Cl)2Li(VnPy)2 units packed with neighbors via a dense array of π–π interactions.
Marketing and financial barriers in agri-food exporting
Authors: Sudarevic Tomislav , Radojevic Predrag , Marjanovic Darko , Dragas Radovan
Published: February 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to empirically research marketing and financial export barriers by perceptions of agri-food firms from small developing country with preferential trade position in Europe. Using resource-based and contingency theories as framework, differences in barriers perceptions between exporters classified by five organizational factors were tested.

Design/methodology/approach

Secondary data collection for literature review, conceptualization and hypotheses setting, and primary data collection for hypotheses testing were employed. Survey’s variables and their measurement were derived from previous studies, so exploratory factor analysis was utilized to test dimensionality. A total of 224 agri-food exporters were surveyed and 86 usable responses were collected. The single export venture was used as unit of analysis. ANOVA and t test were utilized for hypotheses testing.

Findings

Results indicate that the biggest barriers are price competitiveness and insufficient government support. Larger firms and foreign-owned ones perceive researched export barriers as lower than smaller firms and domestic-owned ones.

Research limitations/implications

The primary limitation of the paper is its one country scope, limiting generalizability. Despite this, research derives several implications especially for management and policy-makers.

Originality/value

This research confirmed propositions of resource-based and contingency theory in export barriers researching in a case of agri-food sector of small, developing economy with preferential position in European trade, but challenges treating export experience, intensity, and product type as firm’s valuable resources and internal contingencies.
Have you chosen your request? Analysis of online food delivery companies in Brazil
Authors: Pigatto Gessuir , Machado Joao Guilherme de Camargo Ferraz , Negreti Amanda dos Santos , Machado Lucas Miranda
Published: February 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to characterize the performance of online food delivery companies in Brazil and to analyze the content of the websites of these companies with a view to its use as a site for conducting business transactions.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper used a qualitative and exploratory approach through the collection and analysis of data from a sample of 30 companies operating in the online delivery sector in Brazil. Reviews of their websites have also been conducted through parameters involving aspects of content, usability and functionality.

Findings

The Brazilian main platforms received large foreign investment, growing with the acquisition of companies, making them market leaders. There was a greater presence of these companies on social networks, publicizing and interacting with their customers, increasing business visibility and attracting new prospects. The results of the sites analysis showed that the dimension “content” was the one with the highest incidence of attendance, followed by the dimension “functionality” and then the dimension “usability.” The downside was the access security parameter since only 54 percent of websites showed the use of encryption capabilities and secure site.

Originality/value

The online delivery service is growing rapidly, bringing together innovation and convenience to their customers, coupled with ease of access to mobile phones and internet, that contributed toward the emergence of a large number of platforms that offer this service in Brazil; despite being a relatively new service, its growth was accompanied by a strong sector consolidation process and by the creation of large groups supported by international capital.
The role of social media in communication about food risks
Authors: Henderson Julie , Wilson Annabelle M. , Webb Trevor , McCullum Dean , Meyer Samantha B. , Coveney John , Ward Paul R.
Published: February 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the views of journalists, food regulators and the food industry representatives on the impact of social media on communication about food risk. The authors identify how journalists/media actors use social media in identifying and creating news stories arguing that food regulators need to maintain a social media presence to ensure that accurate information about food safety is disseminated via social media.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through 105 semi-structured interviews.

Findings

While food regulators and representatives of the food industry identify advantages of social media including two-way communication and speed of transmission of information, they maintain concerns about information provided via social media fearing the potential for loss of control of the information and sensationalism. There is evidence, however, that media actors use social media to identify food stories, to find sources, gauge public opinion and to provide a human interest angle.

Practical implications

While there are commonalities between the three groups, concerns with social media reflect professional roles. Food regulators need to be aware of how media actors use social media and maintain a social media presence. Further, they need to monitor other sources to maintain consumer trust.

Originality/value

This paper adds to public debate through comparing the perspectives of the three groups of respondents each that have their own agendas which impact how they interact with and use social media.