bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An evolutional free-boundary problem of a reaction–diffusion–advection system
Authors: Zhou Ling , Zhang Shan , Liu Zuhan
Published: February 2017

In this paper we consider a system of reaction–diffusion–advection equations with a free boundary, which arises in a competition ecological model in heterogeneous environment. The evolution of the free-boundary problem is discussed, which is an extension of the results of Du and Lin (Discrete Contin. Dynam. Syst. B19 (2014), 3105–3132). Precisely, when u is an inferior competitor, we prove that (u, v) → (0, V) as t→∞. When u is a superior competitor, we prove that a spreading–vanishing dichotomy holds, namely, as t→∞, either h(t)→∞ and (u, v) → (U, 0), or limt→∞h(t) < ∞ and (u, v) → (0, V). Moreover, in a weak competition case, we prove that two competing species coexist in the long run, while in a strong competition case, two species spatially segregate as the competition rates become large. Furthermore, when spreading occurs, we obtain some rough estimates of the asymptotic spreading speed.
Order algebras: a quantitative model of interaction
Authors: BEFFARA EMMANUEL
Published: February 2017

A quantitative model of concurrent interaction is introduced. The basic objects are linear combinations of partial order relations, acted upon by a group of permutations that represents potential non-determinism in synchronisation. This algebraic structure is shown to provide faithful interpretations of finitary process algebras, for an extension of the standard notion of testing semantics, leading to a model that is both denotational (in the sense that the internal workings of processes are ignored) and non-interleaving. Constructions on algebras and their subspaces enjoy a good structure that make them (nearly) a model of differential linear logic, showing that the underlying approach to the representation of non-determinism as linear combinations is the same.
Closed worlds. Reflections on institutional care and child slavery in Australia
Authors: Hil Richard , Penglase Joanna , Smith Gregory
Published: February 2017

This article deals with various implications arising from evidence of slavery experienced by children placed in orphanages and children's homes between 1910 and 1974. Slavery was an integral part of the day-to-day realities of many of these children who also experienced forms of sexual, physical and emotional abuse in institutions that were supposedly responsible for their care. It is argued that slave labour in care settings contravened various provisions contained in welfare legislation of the period and was used to supplement the incomes of care institutions. The end result was that children were often compelled to work rather than receive the education to which they were entitled, rendering them ill-prepared to deal with various challenges in later life. This largely hidden story of slavery among the ‘Forgotten Australians’ is one of crude exercise of self-serving authority over children – authority aimed at serving the interests of institutions rather than the children they were meant to help.
Child protection, risk assessment and blame ideology
Authors: Gillingham Philip , Bromfield Leah
Published: February 2017

In this article we use qualitative data drawn from a sample of child protection cases to demonstrate how the process of attributing blame to parents and carers for child maltreatment is a significant influence on decisionmaking, sometimes to the detriment of assessing the future safety of children. We focus on two cases which both demonstrate how the process of apportioning blame can lead to decisions which might not be considered to be in the best interests of the children concerned. We conceptualise blame as an ‘ideology’ with its roots in the discourse of the ‘risk society’, perpetuated and sustained by the technology of risk assessment. The concept of blame ideology is offered as an addition to theory which seeks to explain the influences on decision making in child protection practice.
Silenced stakeholders: Responding to mothers' experiences of the child protection system
Authors: Klease Chris
Published: February 2017

While there has been a plethora of international and Australian research and inquiries into child protection and, to a lesser extent, foster care, there is a paucity of Australian research undertaken with the parents of children in care. While these parents are stakeholders in a system that has had a profound effect on their lives, their views are not generally canvassed. This paper discusses key findings of a community welfare Honours study which explored the experiences of six women whose children had been removed into foster care. The paper focuses on two core themes: firstly, the mothers' sense of betrayal when their pleas for help ultimately led to them losing their children, and, secondly, despite the resultant loss, grief and anger, their compulsion to do whatever it takes to have contact with, and to be reunited with, their children. The paper concludes with key messages and recommendations for practice.
Continuous family assessment: How are you going? How are you going now?
Authors: Berry Marianne , Cash Scottye J.
Published: February 2017

Working with children and families experiencing child maltreatment requires that a practitioner understand the family: their risks, their needs, their strengths, and the goals of the intervention. Therefore, many of the tools and training topics that support this work focus on family and child assessment. The purposes of a thorough assessment are to understand the immediate circumstances so that children are protected, and interventions are relevant to the child and family's circumstances and events. This paper presents a new assessment tool that is ecologically oriented, empirically based, and able to provide a continuous assessment of the child and family that can chart improvements and declines over the life of a case.
Moving from dependence to independence: A study of the experiences of 18 care leavers in a leaving care and after care support service in Victoria
Authors: Mendes Philip
Published: February 2017

Young people leaving state out-of-home care are arguably one of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in society. Many have been found to experience significant health, social and educational deficits. In recent years, most Australian States and Territories have introduced specialist leaving care and after care programs and supports, but there has been only limited examination of the effectiveness of these programs. This paper examines the experiences of a group of young people involved in the leaving care and after care support program introduced by St Luke's Anglicare and Whitelion in the Victorian town of Bendigo. Attention is drawn to the impact of some of the key program initiatives around accommodation, employment and mentoring. Some conclusions are drawn about ‘what works’ in leaving care programs, including particular implications for rural policy and practice.
Human rights as social investment for Indigenous children and families: Putting history, culture and self-determination back into the equation
Authors: Bamblett Muriel , Lewis Peter
Published: February 2017

While the emerging theory of ‘social investment’ offers an opportunity to advance the political discourse beyond the false dichotomy between economics and social justice, social investment for Indigenous children and families must be built on the awareness of the need to promote human rights, respect Indigenous cultures and address the historical conditions that create disadvantage.

For many Indigenous children and families, mainstream Australian society fails to provide the conditions for social growth because it is built on systemic racism. In order to create the conditions for positive social engagement for Indigenous children and families, there needs to be a social investment framework which recognises that colonisation has impacted negatively on Indigenous social and economic capacity, and which builds on the strengths of Indigenous culture and respects the self-determining rights of Indigenous communities in order to re-build capacity.

A holistic, cultural strengthening and self-determination/human rights-based framework is the best approach to ensure that Indigenous children have a better future and participate positively in Australian society without forfeiting cultural identity and integrity. A human rights and culturally respectful framework can facilitate a ‘meeting place’ where Indigenous cultures can engage with the dominant culture and positive partnerships for social investment can be developed.
Beyond apologies Historical reflections on policy and practice relating to the out-of-home care of children in contemporary Australia
Authors: Cuthbert Denise
Published: February 2017

A series of harrowing reports across the 1990s on the past removal of children, black and white, from their families have impacted on children and family policy in contemporary Australia, and on the way in which this is reported by the media and understood by the public. This paper briefly surveys some of these consequences and asks how we, as a community, can learn from the past with respect to questions of the welfare of children, without being burdened by that past.
Proactive responses to delinquent behaviours in out-of-home care
Authors: Larmar Stephen , Clark Julie
Published: February 2017

The transition from childhood to young adulthood is often associated with a range of challenges that can be overwhelming for a young person. For young people in out-of-home care, complex histories that may include traumatic personal experiences can make this transition even more problematic, both for the young person and their carers. This is the final paper in a series of four which has focussed on a range of challenging behaviours in children and young people in out-of-home care. This paper examines delinquency and its associated effects on young people and carers and outlines specific considerations for carers and other health professionals in responding appropriately to delinquent behaviours in young people.
Balancing contradictions: The experiences of biological children of foster families
Authors: Nuske Elaine
Published: February 2017

This paper presents findings from a recent research project that provided an opportunity for the voices of a special group of young people to be heard. The biological children of foster families have rarely been the focus of foster care research. Their stories are used in this study to highlight individual experiences and, ultimately, to inform the practice of offering support to foster families.

Twenty-two young people between the ages of nine and thirty-two were interviewed. Their stories told of life in a confusing and contradictory world of foster care. This paper presents, through the words of the young people, four essential themes that highlight these contradictions. These are: sharing and losing; being responsible and escaping; caring and resenting; shouting and keeping quiet. Recommendations are made to improve training and support to foster families.
I'll make it work: Young people's views of leaving care in Queensland
Authors: Tennent Lee , Jenkins Brian , Fraser Elizabeth
Published: February 2017

Young people leaving state care are undoubtedly among the most vulnerable groups in society. Despite their susceptibility to a range of problems in young adulthood, few Australian studies have examined how young people feel about leaving care and the supports they feel they - will need. This paper presents selected findings from the Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian's third survey of children and young people in foster and kinship care conducted in Queensland in 2009 which attracted 2727 responses. The paper focuses specifically on the views of 124 young people aged 16 to 18 years. Young people were surveyed on a range of issues including: leaving care, their health and wellbeing, education, placement histories, and perceptions of both their current placement and the care system in general. Findings indicate that most are optimistic about managing independent living but anticipate needing a range of supports, especially financial assistance and help finding accommodation. Over half would prefer to continue living with their foster or kinship care family and more than three-quarters would like ongoing contact with the family after they leave care.
CONFESSIONS OF AN ENGLISH GREEN TEA DRINKER: SHERIDAN LE FANU AND THE MEDICAL AND METAPHYSICAL DANGERS OF GREEN TEA
Authors: Dickson Melissa
Published: February 2017

In Sheridan Le Fanu's 1872short story“Green Tea,”the Reverend Mr. Robert Lynder Jennings becomes obsessively engaged in a potentially subversive research project on ancient pagans, and finds himself experimenting with green tea as a stimulant to sharpen his mind, boost his productivity, and maintain his stamina through long, sleepless nights bent over books. One day, while riding an omnibus, Jennings sees two piercing deep red eyes staring at him, and gradually realises that they belong to a small black monkey, which was “pushing its face forward in mimicry to meet mine” (23). At first fancying the creature to be the “ugly pet” (23) of a fellow traveller, Jennings attempts to ascertain the monkey's mood, and “poked my umbrella softly towards it. It remained immovable – up to it –throughit!” (23–24). Gradually, he becomes convinced of the creature's demonic nature, and this grinning, screeching vision persecutes Jennings for the rest of his days, sitting on his books and interrupting him while he studies, shrieking curses and blasphemies to drown out his prayers, soliciting him to perform evil acts, and finally, commanding him to commit suicide, which he does, slitting his own throat with a single-edged razor. In the final analysis offered by Jennings's physician and confidant, the metaphysical doctor Martin Hesselius, a significant contributing cause to Jennings's nightmarish experience was his gradual self-poisoning by green tea.
GODS AND GHOST-LIGHT: ANCIENT EGYPT, ELECTRICITY, AND X-RAYS
Authors: Dobson Eleanor
Published: February 2017

In 1892 the celebrated physicistand chemist William Crookes commented on the existence of “an almost infinite range of ethereal vibrations or electrical rays,” which he believed could revolutionize telegraphic communications (174). A few years later, and aided by Crookes's experiments with vacuums, the German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen successfully produced X-rays, a hitherto unrecorded form of electromagnetic radiation, which he tantalizingly described as “a new kind of invisible light” (Röntgen 413; Warner 256). Crookes was quick to speculate as to “the possibility of links between roentgen rays and the cerebral ganglia,” that an undiscovered organ in the brain might be “capable of transmitting and receiving . . . electrical rays” (Lyons 105; Crookes 176). X-rays, he thought, might prove a psychic counterpart to higher wavelength radio waves, allowing the transmission of messages telepathically rather than telegraphically, and even communication with the world of the spirits (Lyons 105). Crookes theorized that the parapsychological was intimately entwined with the findings of contemporary physics, occupying different zones of the same electromagnetic spectrum. An ardent Spiritualist, he believed that the ether, the “impalpable, invisible entity, by which all space is supposed to be filled” and which contained countless “channels of communication” also sustained “ghost-light . . . invisible to the naked eye” and acted as a medium that allowed “ethereal bodies to rise up” (Crookes 174; Warner 253–56). In other words, the matter through which light and electrical signals passed was envisaged as the same substance which allowed the spirits to fluctuate between visible and invisible forms. These links between the electromagnetic field and the occult, endorsed by Crookes and certain other members of his circles such as the Society for Psychical Research, anticipated turn-of-the-century associations between electricity, radiation and ancient Egypt which, through its reputation as the birthplace of magic, was central to Victorian conceptions of the supernatural.
Analyzing Fresh Vegetable Consumption From Household Survey Data
Authors: Reynolds Anderson
Published: February 2017

To analyze fresh vegetable consumption using household survey data, the tobit model and a more flexible parameterization to the tobit model—the “double hurdle” model—were considered. Based on the likelihood ratio test, the tobit model was rejected against the “double hurdle” specification. Moreover, the results suggest that the tobit model underestimated the impact of the explanatory variables on fresh vegetable expenditures. Other results indicate that total food expenditures (proxy for income), age, household composition, sex, race, marital status, urbanization, region, and seasonality are all important determinants of fresh vegetable expenditures.
Generalized Stochastic Dominance: An Empirical Examination
Authors: McCarl Bruce A.
Published: February 2017

Use of generalized stochastic dominance (GSD) requires one to place lower and upper bounds on the risk aversion coefficient. This study showed that breakeven risk aversion coefficients found assuming the exponential utility function delineate the places where GSD preferences switch between prospects. However, between these break points, multiple, overlapping GSD intervals can be found. Consequently, when one does not have risk aversion coefficient information, discovery of breakeven coefficients instead of GSD use is recommended. The investigation also showed GSD results are insensitive to wealth and data scaling but are sensitive to rounding.
Estimating The Value of the 0/92 Reduced Planting Alternatives of the 1985 Farm Bill For Farm Program Participants
Authors: Thompson Troy N. , Knight Thomas O. , Boren Billy D.
Published: February 2017

The 50/92 and 0/92reduced planting alternativestives of the 1985 farm bill allow farm program participants more flexibility in making production decisions. Specifically, these provisions relax the incentive to produce inherent in earlier commodity programs that linked deficiency payments directly to harvested acreage. This study examined the value of this additional decision flexibility for crop producers in the Blacklands of Central Texas. The results suggest that the reduced planting alternatives would not be used by, and have no value for risk neutral producers, but have substantial value for risk averse producers who would reduce planted acreage in years when yield expectations are low.
Economic Analysis of Alfalfa Integrated Management Practices
Authors: Ward Clement E. , Dowdy Alan K. , Berberet Richard C. , Stritzke Jimmie F.
Published: February 2017

Integrated pest management (IPM) initially focused on insect pest control. More recently, IPM encompasses a broader concept of management, one which crosses several disciplinary boundaries. This article reports results of research dealing with four integrated management decisions for alfalfa (cultivar selection, inset control, weed control, and end-of-season harvest options).
Effects of Generic Advertising on Perceptions and Behavior: The Case of Catfish
Authors: Kinnucan Henry W. , Venkateswaran Meenakshi
Published: February 2017

An eight-equation partially-recursive econometric model is specified to indicate the effects of catfish advertising on product awareness, beliefs, attitude and consumption. Results indicate the ad campaign in its first year (i) increased consumers' awareness of farm-raised catfish 15 percent, (ii) improved consumers' perceptions of and attitude toward catfish 3 to 6 percent, and (iii) increased at-home and restaurant purchases of catfish 12 to 13 percent. The response to the ad campaign is broken down into an “attitude effect” and a “reminder effect” to determine the relative behavioral importance of the affective and cognitive components of the ad copy. Model simulations suggest primacy of the reminder effect, implying the factual content of the ads had less impact on behavior than the mere presence of the ads.
A Case Study of Timeliness in the Selection of Risk-Efficient Machinery Complements
Authors: Wetzstein Michael E. , Musser Wesley N. , McClendon Ronald W. , Edwards David M.
Published: February 2017

The importance of timeliness is investigated in the selection of machinery complements for double-crop wheat and soybean production in the southeastern coastal plain. An intertemporal stochastic simulation model was developed to generate probability distributions that were evaluated with stochastic dominance analysis. This research investigated the importance of intertemporal production linkages and inadequate soil moisture on machinery selection. Failure to include these dimensions can result in erroneous machinery choices.
Effect of the 1985 Farm Bill Provisions on Farmers' Soil Conservation Decisions
Authors: Gillespie Jeffrey M. , Hatch L. Upton , Duffy Patricia A.
Published: February 2017

Conservation initiatives in the 1985 Farm Bill affected farmers' decisions regarding soil conservation. A farmer survey was conducted and a multi-period mixed-integer programming model was developed to determine an optimal farm plan with choices of crop-tillage combinations and land retirement Results indicate that farmers' incentives to reduce soil loss in the Sand Mountain region in Alabama are not substantially affected by provisions of the 1985 Farm Bill. The bid price for the Conservation Reserve Program will have to be considerably higher than 1988 levels to provide an incentive to remove land from production.
Simulating Impact of Pecan Storage Technology on Farm Price and Growers' Income
Authors: Florkowski W. J. , Xi-Ling Wu
Published: February 2017

Pecan growers can increase income by storing pecans if economically feasible storage technology is available. The marginal conditions under which growers would store pecans were derived. Revenue changes due to storage and impact of storage on price variations were simulated, suggesting the price that growers could pay for new storage technology.
The Environment for Scholarship in Agricultural Economics Extension
Authors: Doye Damona
Published: February 2017

Although opportunities and challenges for the Cooperative Extension Service have been addressed in the agricultural economics literature, little attention has been paid to the extension scholar. This article relates Boyer's scholarship concepts and subsequent scholarship assessment articles to agricultural economics extension and describes some unique features of the extension scholar's operating environment. Organizational framework, leadership, staffing, funding, accountability, and evaluation are addressed. Data from a survey of agricultural economics department heads are used to supplement personal experience in describing the current operating environment and constraints for extension scholars.
An Outlook for the Biofuels Industry in the Southern United States
Authors: Crooks Anthony , Dunn John
Published: February 2017

Two seemingly unrelated topics are discussed—an outlook for biofuels in the southern United States, along with an overview of the important role that information technology is playing in the fuel ethanol industry. The outlook discussion is limited to issues involving the two principal biofuels, fuel ethanol and biodiesel, and their respective feed stocks, corn and soybean oil. The two topics are linked with a description of how information technology (IT) has enabled the development of the fuel ethanol franchise and a discussion of how IT is changing the very nature of biofuel operations.
Introduction and Overview of the Real World Management of Schizophrenia in the Comorbid Patient
Authors: Citrome Leslie
Published: February 2017

Simone is a 64-year-old African American female with a 25-year history of schizophrenia who had been hospitalized ∼10 times. Simone's last psychiatric hospitalization occurred 2 years prior to this presentation. She had been living in a supervised residence facility in a rural community with other patients and was generally adherent to her medications with encouragement by staff at her residence. Her psychotic symptoms had improved but had not disappeared. She continued to have persistent delusions that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was keeping her under surveillance because of information she supposedly had about national security. She continued to smoke 1 pack of cigarettes/day despite being told that she was developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. She stopped abusing alcohol, principally because of a lack of funds and lack of access to a liquor store. Simone was obese, with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2. She was hypertensive, with a blood pressure of 140 over 95, and had mild abnormalities in her metabolic variables. She enjoyed fatty foods and never refused a meal.

Simone's case is not an unusual presentation for someone with schizophrenia. Psychiatric and somatic comorbidities in patients with schizophrenia are quite common. There is justifiable concern regarding long-term impact of treatments on metabolic variables, and metabolic comorbidities are often encountered.
Schizophrenia and Respiratory Symptoms: A Serious, but Overlooked, Comorbidity
Authors: Weiden Peter J. , Weiden Michael
Published: February 2017

Mr. A is 24 years of age with a history of schizophrenia (Slide 1). He has been living with his parents and has been ill for a few years. Police saw him on the street in a state of crisis and brought him to the emergency room (ER). He was very anxious and his delusions of being in great physical danger had worsened. He reported a history of asthma, but it was noted that his asthma occurred a long time ago and was inactive; however, due to his anxiety, his smoking had increased to where it was continuous. At the time he was brought to the ER, Mr. A was triaged to psychiatry and became agitated in the waiting area; hence, security was called. He was about to be restrained and given an intramuscular dose (IM) of lorazepam, but the psychiatrist noted that he was having trouble breathing and stopped the IM before it was given. The psychiatrist noticed that Mr. A was wheezing, had a rapid respiratory rate of 25/minute, was tachycardic, and sweating. His pulse oximeter measurement was 90% saturated, which is considered low.

Mr. A was re-interviewed and reported that he previously had asthma. His parents were contacted and agreed that he had active asthma, had stopped his psychiatric treatment several months ago, and, more recently, stopped his asthma medications when his prescriptions were not refilled ∼1 week prior to this episode. An emergency arterial blood gas showed a pH of acidosis at 7.27; a Po2 of 60 (normal is 80); and a Pco2 of 48 (normal is 40). The Pco2 was of particular concern because if he was retaining CO2, respiratory failure was imminent.
Analysis of the Effect of Desvenlafaxine on Anxiety Symptoms Associated with Major Depressive Disorder: Pooled Data from 9 Short-Term, Double-blind, Placebo-Controlled Trials
Authors: Tourian Karen A. , Jiang Qin , Ninan Philip T.
Published: February 2017

Background: This analysis evaluated the effects of the serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, desvenlafaxine (administered as desvenlafaxine succinate), on anxiety symptoms associated with depression.

Methods: Data were pooled from 9 randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, 8 week studies of desvenlafaxine (50-400 mg/day, fixed or flexible dose) in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), without a primary anxiety diagnosis. Changes from baseline in scores on the anxiety/somatization factor of the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D17) and on the Covi Anxiety Scale at the final evaluation (last observation carried forward) were compared between desvenlafaxine and placebo groups using analysis of covariance.

Results: In the overall data set (intent to treat n=2,913 [desvenlafaxine, n=1,805; placebo, n=1,108]), desvenlafaxine was associated with significantly greater reductions compared with placebo in scores on the HAM-D17 anxiety/somatization factor (-3.41 vs -2.92, P<.001) and Covi Anxiety Scale (-1.35 vs -1.04, P<.001). In the subset of fixed-dose studies, significant differences were observed for all dose groups on the HAM-D17 anxiety/somatization factor (P≤.OH), and for the 50, 100, and 200 mg/day dose groups on the Covi Anxiety Scale (all P≤.015 vs placebo).

Conclusions: Desvenlafaxine was associated with significantly greater improvement in anxiety symptoms compared with placebo in patients with MDD.
Adjunctive Atypical Antipsychotics in Medication-Resistant Depression
Authors: Nelson J. Craig
Published: February 2017

Conventional antipsychotics have a substantial literature of >30 placebo-controlled studies supporting their use in depression. Reports describing the use of antipsychotic treatment in depression appeared as early as 1959. In the 1970s, combination products of perphenazine and amitrip-tyline were quite popular. Antipsychotic agents were effective for selected symptoms or in selected patients; yet, these agents were not viewed as “true” antidepressants, perhaps because of their lack of effects on loss of interest. The use of antipsychotics in patients with nonpsychotic depression declined rapidly in the 1980s when tardive dyskinesia (TD) surfaced as a potential adverse effect of this class of medications. Depressed patients were thought to be at increased risk. Interest in the potential utility of antipsychotics in depression resurfaced with the availability of the second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs), which possess a considerably lower risk for TD.

Most of the SGAs are inhibitors of the serotonin (5-HT)2A receptor and the dopamine (D)2 receptor. In fact, the ratio of these effects has been considered one attribute of an SGA. The SGAs have a variety of other receptor actions that might contribute to antidepressant effects but which vary substantially among the drugs. These include agonist effects at the 5-HT1A serotonin receptor, inhibition of the 5-HT2C receptor, and partial D2 agonism of aripiprazole (Slide 1). In addition, ziprasidone blocks 5-HT and norepinephrine (NE) reuptake and the metabolite of quetiapine has NE reuptake blocking effects.
Relative impacts of health and obesity on US household servings of fruits and vegetables
Authors: Briz Teresa , Ward Ronald W. , Ortega Leonardo E.
Published: February 2017

Discrete choice models estimated over a large household database, show the impacts of demographics, household behavior, health status, obesity issues and prices on household servings of fruits and vegetables. These impacts are ranked from the most to least effects on daily servings. A major result is the importance of obesity and calorie issues relative to other major demand drivers.
Effect of host plants on predation, prey preference and switching behaviour of Orius albidipennis on Bemisia tabaci and Tetranychus turkestani
Authors: Banihashemi Aida Samim , Seraj Ali Asghar , Yarahmadi Fatemeh , Rajabpour Ali
Published: February 2017

The anthocorid bugOrius albidipennisReuter is a generalist predator that feeds on the whiteflyBemisia tabaciGennadius and the strawberry spider miteTetranychus turkestaniUgarov & Nikolski in greenhouse crops. There are no previous studies on the potential efficacy of the predatory bug against these pests on greenhouse crops. We report on the efficacy and the prey preference of the predator to control these pests on different host plants under laboratory conditions. In a laboratory experiment, we estimated the predation rates ofO. albidipennisat different densities of each prey after 24 h on cucumber and sweet pepper leaves. Predation rates of the predatory bug toT. turkestaniandB. tabaciwere significantly higher on sweet pepper leaf than on cucumber leaf. We studied the effect of plant species on prey preference and switching ofO. albidipennistoB. tabaciandT. turkestaniusing Manly'sαindex values and Murdoch's no-switch line, respectively. Our results show thatO. albidipennisprefersT. turkestanitoB. tabacion both host plants but its preference forT. turkestanion sweet pepper is significantly greater than on cucumber. Moreover, on sweet pepper, preference values are completely fitted by Murdoch's no-switch line. The findings suggest that morphological defence traits of plants, such as hairy leaves of cucumber, may effectively change prey preference and reduce predation success ofO. albidipennis.
An Analysis of (Dis)Ordered Categories, Thresholds, and Crossings in Difference and Divide-by-Total IRT Models for Ordered Responses
Authors: García-Pérez Miguel A.
Published: February 2017

Threshold parameters have distinct referents across models for ordered responses. In difference models, thresholds are trait levels at which responding beyond category k is as likely as responding at or below it; in divide-by-total models, thresholds are trait levels at which responding in category k is as likely as responding in category k – 1. Thus, thresholds in divide-by-total models (but not in difference models) are the crossings of the option response functions for consecutive categories. Thresholds in difference models are always ordered but they may inconsequentially yield ordered or disordered crossings. In contrast, assimilation of thresholds and crossings in divide-by-total models questions category order when crossings are disordered. We analyze these aspects of difference and divide-by-total models, their relation to the order of response categories, and the consequences of collapsing categories to instate ordered crossings under divide-by-total models. We also show that item parameters in models for ordered responses can never contradict the pre-assumed order of categories and that the empirical order can only be established using a polytomous model that does not assume ordered categories, although this often gives rise to spurious outcomes. Practical implications for scale development are discussed.
Strong tunable absorption enhancement in graphene using dielectric-metal core-shell resonators
Authors: Wan Mingjie , Li Yan , Chen Jiawei , Wu Wenyang , Chen Zhuo , Wang Zhenlin , Wang Huitian
Published: February 2017

We theoretically investigate light absorption by a graphene monolayer that is coated on the outside of dielectric-metal core-shell resonators (DMCSRs). We demonstrate that light absorption of graphene can be greatly enhanced in such multi-layered core-shell architectures as a result of the excitation of the hybridized bonding plasmon resonance supported by the DMCSRs. We also demonstrate that the absorption enhancement in graphene can be easily tuned over a wide range from the visible to the near-infrared, and particularly the enhancement factor can be optimally maximized at any selective wavelength, by simultaneously varying the dielectric core size and the metal shell thickness. Our results suggest that the graphene-wrapped DMCSRs with strong and highly wavelength-tunable absorption enhancement in graphene could be attractive candidates for applications in graphene-based photodetectors and image sensors.
The microbe-secreted isopeptide poly-γ-glutamic acid induces stress tolerance in Brassica napus L. seedlings by activating crosstalk between H2O2 and Ca2+
Authors: Lei Peng , Pang Xiao , Feng Xiaohai , Li Sha , Chi Bo , Wang Rui , Xu Zongqi , Xu Hong
Published: February 2017

Poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) is a microbe-secreted isopeptide that has been shown to promote growth and enhance stress tolerance in crops. However, its site of action and downstream signaling pathways are still unknown. In this study, we investigated γ-PGA-induced tolerance to salt and cold stresses in Brassica napus L. seedlings. Fluorescent labeling of γ-PGA was used to locate the site of its activity in root protoplasts. The relationship between γ-PGA-induced stress tolerance and two signal molecules, H2O2 and Ca2+, as well as the γ-PGA-elicited signaling pathway at the whole plant level, were explored. Fluorescent labeling showed that γ-PGA did not enter the cytoplasm but instead attached to the surface of root protoplasm. Here, it triggered a burst of H2O2 in roots by enhancing the transcription of RbohD and RbohF, and the elicited H2O2 further activated an influx of Ca2+ into root cells. Ca2+ signaling was transmitted via the stem from roots to leaves, where it elicited a fresh burst of H2O2, thus promoting plant growth and enhancing stress tolerance. On the basis of these observation, we propose that γ-PGA mediates stress tolerance in Brassica napus seedlings by activating an H2O2 burst and subsequent crosstalk between H2O2 and Ca2+ signaling.
Vascular smooth muscle cell glycocalyx mediates shear stress-induced contractile responses via a Rho kinase (ROCK)-myosin light chain phosphatase (MLCP) pathway
Authors: Kang Hongyan , Liu Jiajia , Sun Anqiang , Liu Xiao , Fan Yubo , Deng Xiaoyan
Published: February 2017

The vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are exposed to interstitial flow induced shear stress that may be sensed by the surface glycocalyx, a surface layer composed primarily of proteoglycans and glycoproteins, to mediate cell contraction during the myogenic response. We, therefore, attempted to elucidate the signal pathway of the glycocalyx mechanotransduction in shear stress regulated SMC contraction. Human umbilical vein SMCs (HUVSMCs) deprived of serum for 3–4 days were exposed to a step increase (0 to 20 dyn/cm2) in shear stress in a parallel plate flow chamber, and reduction in the cell area was quantified as contraction. The expressions of Rho kinase (ROCK) and its downstream signal molecules, the myosin-binding subunit of myosin phosphatase (MYPT) and the myosin light chain 2 (MLC2), were evaluated. Results showed that the exposure of HUVSMCs to shear stress for 30 min induced cell contraction significantly, which was accompanied by ROCK1 up-regulation, re-distribution, as well as MYPT1 and MLC activation. However, these shear induced phenomenon could be completely abolished by heparinase III or Y-27632 pre-treatment. These results indicate shear stress induced VSMC contraction was mediated by cell surface glycocalyx via a ROCK-MLC phosphatase (MLCP) pathway, providing evidence of the glycocalyx mechanotransduction in myogenic response.
Correction: Corrigendum: The size-distribution of Earth’s lakes
Authors: Cael B. B. , Seekell D. A.
Published: February 2017

Scientific Reports 6: Article number: 29633; published online: 08 July 2016; updated: 13 February 2017 The original version of this Article contained errors. A subset of the global lake census was incorrectly and inadvertently used instead of the full dataset resulting in three parameters to be incorrect: power-law slope for the lake size-distribution, the area at which small lakes begin to deviate from a power-law distribution, and the fractal dimension relating lake areas to perimeters.
Luman contributes to brefeldin A-induced prion protein gene expression by interacting with the ERSE26 element
Authors: Déry Marc-André , LeBlanc Andréa C.
Published: February 2017

The cellular prion protein (PrP) is essential for transmissible prion diseases, but its exact physiological function remains unclear. Better understanding the regulation of the human prion protein gene (PRNP) expression can provide insight into this elusive function. Spliced XBP1 (sXBP1) was recently shown to mediate endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced PRNP expression. In this manuscript, we identify Luman, a ubiquitous, non-canonical unfolded protein response (UPR), as a novel regulator of ER stress-induced PRNP expression. Luman activity was transcriptionally and proteolytically activated by the ER stressing drug brefeldin A (BFA) in human neurons, astrocytes, and breast cancer MCF-7 cells. Over-expression of active cleaved Luman (ΔLuman) increased PrP levels, while siRNA-mediated Luman silencing decreased BFA-induced PRNP expression. Site-directed mutagenesis and chromatin immunoprecipitation demonstrated that ΔLuman regulates PRNP expression by interacting with the ER stress response element 26 (ERSE26). Co-over-expression and siRNA-mediated silencing experiments showed that sXBP1 and ΔLuman both up-regulate ER stress-induced PRNP expression. Attempts to understand the function of PRNP up-regulation by Luman excluded a role in atorvastatin-induced neuritogenesis, ER-associated degradation, or proteasomal inhibition-induced cell death. Overall, these results refine our understanding of ER stress-induced PRNP expression and function.
CuII(atsm) improves the neurological phenotype and survival of SOD1G93A mice and selectively increases enzymatically active SOD1 in the spinal cord
Authors: Hilton James B. , Mercer Stephen W. , Lim Nastasia K. H. , Faux Noel G. , Buncic Gojko , Beckman Joseph S. , Roberts Blaine R. , Donnelly Paul S. , White Anthony R. , Crouch Peter J.
Published: February 2017

Ubiquitous expression of mutant Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1) selectively affects motor neurons in the central nervous system (CNS), causing the adult-onset degenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The CNS-specific impact of ubiquitous mutant SOD1 expression is recapitulated in transgenic mouse models of the disease. Here we present outcomes for the metallo-complex CuII(atsm) tested for therapeutic efficacy in mice expressing SOD1G93A on a mixed genetic background. Oral administration of CuII(atsm) delayed the onset of neurological symptoms, improved locomotive capacity and extended overall survival. Although the ALS-like phenotype of SOD1G93A mice is instigated by expression of the mutant SOD1, we show the improved phenotype of the CuII(atsm)-treated animals involves an increase in mature mutant SOD1 protein in the disease-affected spinal cord, where concomitant increases in copper and SOD1 activity are also evident. In contrast to these effects in the spinal cord, treating with CuII(atsm) had no effect in liver on either mutant SOD1 protein levels or its activity, indicating a CNS-selective SOD1 response to the drug. These data provide support for CuII(atsm) as a treatment option for ALS as well as insight to the CNS-selective effects of mutant SOD1.
Entorhinal Cortex dysfunction can be rescued by inhibition of microglial RAGE in an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model
Authors: Criscuolo Chiara , Fontebasso Veronica , Middei Silvia , Stazi Martina , Ammassari-Teule Martine , Yan Shirley ShiDu , Origlia Nicola
Published: February 2017

The Entorhinal cortex (EC) has been implicated in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In particular, spreading of neuronal dysfunction within the EC-Hippocampal network has been suggested. We have investigated the time course of EC dysfunction in the AD mouse model carrying human mutation of amyloid precursor protein (mhAPP) expressing human Aβ. We found that in mhAPP mice plasticity impairment is first observed in EC superficial layer and further affected with time. A selective impairment of LTP was observed in layer II horizontal connections of EC slices from 2 month old mhAPP mice, whereas at later stage of neurodegeneration (6 month) basal synaptic transmission and LTD were also affected. Accordingly, early synaptic deficit in the mhAPP mice were associated with a selective impairment in EC-dependent associative memory tasks. The introduction of the dominant-negative form of RAGE lacking RAGE signalling targeted to microglia (DNMSR) in mhAPP mice prevented synaptic and behavioural deficit, reducing the activation of stress related kinases (p38MAPK and JNK). Our results support the involvement of the EC in the development and progression of the synaptic and behavioural deficit during amyloid-dependent neurodegeneration and demonstrate that microglial RAGE activation in presence of Aβ-enriched environment contributes to the EC vulnerability.
Association evidence of CCTTT repeat polymorphism in the iNOS promoter and the risk of atrial fibrillation in Taiwanese
Authors: Hsu Lung-An , Yeh Yung-Hsin , Chen Wei-Jan , Kuo Chi-Tai , Tsai Feng-Chun , Chan Yi-Hsin , Wang Chun-Li , Chang Chi-Jen , Tsai Hsin-Yi
Published: February 2017

Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation (AF). The iNOS promoter has a CCTTT-repeat length polymorphism that can determine the level of gene transcription. This study enrolled 200 AF patients and 240 controls. The length of CCTTT-repeat polymorphism in the iNOS promoter region was examined by polymerase chain reactions, with the alleles with ≤11 repeats designated as S and alleles with ≥12 repeats designated as L alleles. AF patients carried significantly higher frequencies of the LL genotype than control subjects (40.0% versus 28.3%, P = 0.010). Multivariate analysis showed that the presence of LL genotype was significantly associated with AF (odds ratio: 1.87, 95% CI = 1.10–3.17, P = 0.021). In vitro, transient transfection assay in HL-1 atrial myocytes showed that the responsiveness of iNOS transcriptional activity to tachypacing was correlated with the length of the CCTTT-repeats. Right atrial tissues from patients with chronic AF were investigated with immunoconfocal microscopy. Patients with LL genotype exhibited greater oxidative stress and substrate remodeling in their atria than those with non-LL genotypes. Our results suggest that the iNOS microsatellite polymorphism may contribute to the genetic background of AF in Chinese-Taiwanese patients.
Concentration-dependent oligomerization of an alpha-helical antifreeze polypeptide makes it hyperactive
Authors: Mahatabuddin Sheikh , Hanada Yuichi , Nishimiya Yoshiyuki , Miura Ai , Kondo Hidemasa , Davies Peter L. , Tsuda Sakae
Published: February 2017

A supersoluble 40-residue type I antifreeze protein (AFP) was discovered in a righteye flounder, the barfin plaice (bp). Unlike all other AFPs characterized to date, bpAFP transitions from moderately-active to hyperactive with increasing concentration. At sub-mM concentrations, bpAFP bound to pyramidal planes of ice to shape it into a bi-pyramidal hexagonal trapezohedron, similarly to the other moderately-active AFPs. At mM concentrations, bpAFP uniquely underwent further binding to the whole ice crystal surface including the basal planes. The latter caused a bursting ice crystal growth normal to c-axis, 3 °C of high thermal hysteresis, and alteration of an ice crystal into a smaller lemon-shaped morphology, all of which are well-known properties of hyperactive AFPs. Analytical ultracentrifugation showed this activity transition is associated with oligomerization to form tetramer, which might be the forerunner of a naturally occurring four-helix-bundle AFP in other flounders.
Spatial regularity of InAs-GaAs quantum dots: quantifying the dependence of lateral ordering on growth rate
Authors: Konishi T. , Clarke E. , Burrows C. W. , Bomphrey J. J. , Murray R. , Bell G. R.
Published: February 2017

The lateral ordering of arrays of self-assembled InAs-GaAs quantum dots (QDs) has been quantified as a function of growth rate, using the Hopkins-Skellam index (HSI). Coherent QD arrays have a spatial distribution which is neither random nor ordered, but intermediate. The lateral ordering improves as the growth rate is increased and can be explained by more spatially regular nucleation as the QD density increases. By contrast, large and irregular 3D islands are distributed randomly on the surface. This is consistent with a random selection of the mature QDs relaxing by dislocation nucleation at a later stage in the growth, independently of each QD’s surroundings. In addition we explore the statistical variability of the HSI as a function of the number N of spatial points analysed, and we recommend N > 103 to reliably distinguish random from ordered arrays.
An efficient noble-metal-free supported copper catalyst for selective nitrocyclohexane hydrogenation to cyclohexanone oxime
Authors: Zhang Qian-Qian , Dong Jing , Liu Yong-Mei , Cao Yong , He He-Yong , Wang Yang-Dong
Published: February 2017

A green, inexpensive and robust heterogeneous non-noble metal catalyst comprising CuOx/SiO2 nanocomposites can efficiently convert nitrocyclohexane into cyclohexanone oxime under mild hydrogenation conditions.