bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A one-dimensional study of the evolution of the microwave breakdown in air
Authors: Semenov V. E. , Rakova E. I. , Tarakanov V. P. , Glyavin M. Yu. , Nusinovich G. S.
Published: September 2015

The microwave breakdown in air is simulated numerically within a simple 1D model taking into account a perturbation of electromagnetic field by plasma. The simulations were performed using two qualitatively different codes. One of these codes is based on computation of Maxwell equations, whereas the other one utilizes an approximation of quasi-monochromatic electromagnetic field. There is a good agreement between simulation results obtained by using both codes. Calculations have been carried out in a wide range of air pressures and field frequencies; also varied were initial spatial distributions of plasma density. The results reveal strong dependence of the breakdown evolution on the relation between the field frequency and the gas pressure as well as on the presence of extended rarefied background plasma. At relatively low gas pressures (or high field frequencies), the breakdown process is accompanied by the stationary ionization wave propagating towards the incident electromagnetic wave. In the case of a high gas pressure (or a relatively low field frequency), the peculiarities of the breakdown are associated with a formation of plasma filament array. The extended background plasma can suppress formation of the plasma filament array completely even at high pressures (or low frequencies).
Phase formation, thermal stability and magnetic moment of cobalt nitride thin films
Authors: Gupta Rachana , Pandey Nidhi , Tayal Akhil , Gupta Mukul
Published: September 2015

Cobalt nitride (Co-N) thin films prepared using a reactive magnetron sputtering process are studied in this work. During the thin film deposition process, the relative nitrogen gas flow (RN2) was varied. As RN2 increases, Co(N), Co4N, Co3N and CoN phases are formed. An incremental increase in RN2, after emergence of Co4N phase at RN2 = 10%, results in a linear increase of the lattice constant (a) of Co4N. For RN2 = 30%, a maximizes and becomes comparable to its theoretical value. An expansion in a of Co4N, results in an enhancement of the magnetic moment, to the extent that it becomes even larger than pure Co. Such larger than pure metal magnetic moment for tetra-metal nitrides (M4N) have been theoretically predicted. Incorporation of N atoms in M4N configuration results in an expansion of a (relative to pure metal) and enhances the itinerary of conduction band electrons leading to larger than pure metal magnetic moment for M4N compounds. Though a higher (than pure Fe) magnetic moment for Fe4N thin films has been evidenced experimentally, higher (than pure Co) magnetic moment is evidenced in this work.
Propagation characteristics of SH wave in an mm2 piezoelectric layer on an elastic substrate
Authors: Kong Yanping , Liu Jinxi , Nie Guoquan
Published: September 2015

We investigate the propagation characteristics of shear horizontal (SH) waves in a structure consisting of an elastic substrate and an mm2 piezoelectric layer with different cut orientations. The dispersion equations are derived for electrically open and shorted conditions on the free surface of the piezoelectric layer. The phase velocity and electromechanical coupling coefficient are calculated for a layered structure with a KNbO3 layer perfectly bonded to a diamond substrate. The dispersion curves for the electrically shorted boundary condition indicate that for a given cut orientation, the phase velocity of the first mode approaches the B-G wave velocity of the KNbO3 layer, while the phase velocities of the higher modes tend towards the limit velocity of the KNbO3 layer. For the electrically open boundary condition, the asymptotic phase velocities of all modes are the limit velocity of the KNbO3 layer. In addition, it is found that the electromechanical coupling coefficient strongly depends on the cut orientation of the KNbO3 crystal. The obtained results are useful in device applications.
Visualization and analysis of active dopant distribution in a p-i-n structured amorphous silicon solar cell using scanning nonlinear dielectric microscopy
Authors: Hirose K. , Chinone N. , Cho Y.
Published: September 2015

Scanning nonlinear dielectric microscopy (SNDM) and super-higher-order (SHO-) SNDM were used for dopant profiling analysis of a cross-section of the p-i-n structure of an amorphous silicon solar cell. The p-i-n and zigzag structures of each layer boundary were visualized as carrier polarity and density images on 10-20 nm scale through a SNDM measurement. A capacitance-voltage curve was obtained at each pixel in the scan area through a SHO-SNDM measurement. The obtained SNDM and SHO-SNDM data suggest that the i-layer was not completely intrinsic, but was very-low-density p-type.
A space–time observation system for soil organic carbon
Authors: Karunaratne S. B. , Bishop T. F. A. , Lessels J. S. , Baldock J. A. , Odeh I. O. A.
Published: September 2015

In this paper, we present a framework for a space–time observation system for soil organic carbon (STOS-SOC). We propose that the RothC model be embedded within the STOS-SOC, which is driven by satellite-derived inputs and readily available geospatial inputs, such as digital soil maps. In particular, advances in remote sensing have enabled the development of satellite products that represent key inputs into soil carbon models, examples being evapotranspiration and biomass inputs to soil, which characterise space–time variations in management and land use. Starting from an initial calibrated base for prediction, as new observations are acquired, data assimilation techniques could be used to optimise calibration algorithms and predicted model outputs. We present initial results obtained from the implementation of the proposed STOS-SOC approach to the 1445-km2 Cox’s Creek catchment in northern New South Wales, Australia. Our results showed that use of satellite-derived biomass inputs with a MODIS satellite product (MOD17A3) improved the accuracy of simulations by 16% compared with carbon inputs derived through other methods normally adopted in the spatialisation of the RothC model. We further discuss the possibility of improving the capabilities of the STOS-SOC for future applications.
Invasion Ecology: An International Perspective Centered in the Holarctic
Authors: Douglas Marlis R. , Slynko Yury V. , Dgebuadze Yury Yu. , Olenin Sergej , Aleksandrov Borys , Boltachev Alexander , Slynko Elena E. , Khristenko Dima , Minchin Dan , Pavlov Dmitry F. , Reshetnikov Andrey N. , Vekhov Dmitry A. , Ware Christopher J. , Douglas Michael E.
Published: September 2015

The Fourth International Symposium on “Alien Species in the Holarctic” was convened September 22–28, 2013, by the Russian Academy of Sciences at the I.D. Papanin Institute for the Biology of Inland Waters (IBIW) on the Volga River in Borok (∼355 km north of Moscow). The Organizing Committee spanned five countries (France, People's Republic of China, Poland, Russian Federation, and the United States), with participants (n=150) across the breadth and depth of the Russian Federation, from countries in proximity to it (i.e., Armenia, Lithuania, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Siberia, and The Republic of China), and more globally from the United States to Tasmania and Norway to South Africa. This report provides a synopsis of invasive species issues that were discussed at the symposium and, as such, provides an international window for the evaluation of fisheries-related topics in this part of the globe.
Disclosure and Information Transfer in Signaling Games
Authors: Bruner Justin P.
Published: September 2015

One of the major puzzles in evolutionary theory is how communication and information transfer are possible when the interests of those involved conflict. Perfect information transfer seems inevitable if there are physical constraints, which limit the signal repertoire of an individual, effectively making bluffing an impossibility. This, I argue, is incorrect. Unfakeable signals by no means guarantee information transfer. I demonstrate the existence of a so-called pooling equilibrium and discuss why the traditional argument for perfect information transfer (Frank’s full disclosure principle) does not hold in all cases. Additionally, I demonstrate that deception is possible at equilibrium despite the fact that signals are impossible to fake.
Laboratory, Environmental, and Epidemiologic Investigation and Regulatory Enforcement Actions in Response to an Outbreak of Salmonella Bredeney Infections Linked to Peanut Butter
Authors: Viazis Stelios , Beal Jennifer K. , Monahan Caitlin , Lanier William A. , Kreil Katherine R. , Melka David C. , Boden William D. , Dion Jamie L. , Miller Zachary A. , Nguyen Thai-An , Gieraltowski Laura B. , Zink Donald L.
Published: September 2015

Background.  In September 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and state and local partners investigated an outbreak of Salmonella enterica serovar Bredeney linked to peanut butter (PB).

Methods.  A case was defined as infection with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Bredeney between June 1, 2012 and October 31, 2012. Food exposure questionnaires were analyzed by the CDC to determine the food vehicle. The FDA reviewed production information from Retail Chain A's sole supplier of PB, Company A. The PB samples collected from case-patients and Company A were tested for Salmonella.

Results.  Forty-two case-patients from 20 states were identified. Of 33 case-patients from whom food exposure information was obtained, 25 (76%) shopped at Retail Chain A and 25 (100%) purchased Company A PB. Three state health departments isolated the outbreak strain from opened jars of PB collected from case-patients. The FDA investigators identified multiple deficiencies in current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs) in Company A's manufacturing facility and determined that internal controls were insufficient to prevent shipment of contaminated product. The FDA isolated the outbreak strain of Salmonella Bredeney from implicated product collected at the firm and the environment of the firm's food production facility.

Conclusions.  Timely laboratory, investigational, and epidemiologic data led to the voluntary recall of PB by Company A. The FDA suspended Company A's food facility registration, prohibiting the firm from introducing food into interstate commerce. This outbreak underscores the need for effective preventive controls, including robust internal environmental monitoring programs, appropriate action in response to contamination findings, and an improved understanding of food safety at the managerial and corporate levels.
Institutional Investors in Corporate Governance
Authors: Rock Edward
Published: September 2015

This chapter examines the role of institutional investors in corporate governance and whether regulation is likely to encourage them to become active stewards. It considers the lessons that can be learned from the US experience for the EU’s 2014 proposed amendments to the Shareholder Rights Directive. After reviewing how institutional investors fit within the historical evolution of finance, the chapter documents the growth in institutions equity holdings over time. It explains how institutional investors are governed and organize share voting before turning to two competing hypotheses to account for the relative passivity of institutional investors: the excessive regulation and the inadequate incentives hypotheses. In evaluating these hypotheses, it reviews the results of the SEC’s attempt to incentivize mutual funds to vote their shares. The chapter concludes by highlighting the role of hedge funds in catalyzing institutional shareholders, along with some of the risks associated with such highly incentivized actors.
Metamemory in Psychopathology
Authors: Izaute Marie , Bacon Elizabeth
Published: September 2015

This chapter explores the degree to which various psychopathologies influence metamemory. The literature suggests such patients suffer different impairment patterns rather than global, nonspecific impairments of metamemory processes and the memory-metamemory relationships: Depressed patients present memory and metamemory difficulties; obsessive-compulsive patients appear to suffer from metamemory impairments rather than memory disturbances. ADHD patients suffer more from control process impairments than from monitoring deficits. Patients with autism present metamemory and memory difficulties that are restricted to certain context. The chapter focuses on schizophrenia, as impairments of cognition and consciousness are today considered core symptoms of the illness and contribute to patients ‘difficulties in social and professional integration. Patients with schizophrenia present specific disruptions and selective preservation of the metacognitive processes, as the accuracy of their metamemory monitoring is relatively preserved, whereas their metamemory control is sometimes impaired. The presence of preserved abilities allows for optimism regarding patients’ possibilities to improve their memory.
Challenges to Evolutionary Theory
Authors: Walsh D.M.
Published: September 2015

Evolutionary theory has long been influenced by modern synthesis thinking, which focuses on the theoretical primacy of genes and the fractionation of evolution into four discrete, quasi-independent processes: (i) inheritance, (ii) development, (iii) mutation, and (iv) natural selection. Recent challenges to modern synthesis orthodoxy, leveled at the fractionation of evolution and the attendant theoretical privilege accorded to genes, are driven by empirical advances in the understanding of inheritance and development. This article argues that inheritance holism, the idea that the contribution of genes to the pattern of inheritance cannot generally be differentiated from the contribution of extragenetic causes, invalidates the modern synthesis conception of inheritance as the transmission of replicants. Moreover, recent empirical understandings of development erode the fractionated view of evolution, which has misconstrued the role of natural selection. Development not only involves inheritance and the generation of novelties but is the source of the adaptive bias in evolution.
Having Science in View
Authors: Psillos Stathis
Published: September 2015

This chapter discusses the general philosophy of science (GPoS) and its significance to the philosophies of various sciences. It is argued that there can be no philosophies of the various sciences without GPoS. However, there is osmosis between GPoS and the philosophies of the individual sciences, which is grounded on two important functions GPoS plays vis-à-vis Science-in-general: an explicative function and a critical function. The chapter first considers debates about the nature of science, particularly how it differs from nonscience or pseudoscience and the issue of what counts as “scientific,” then examines how scientific theories are related to evidence and how theory-appraisal and theory-choice work as a central concern of GPoS. It also describes four dimensions along which the explicative and critical functions of GPoS operate: the epistemic, metaphysical, conceptual, and practical dimensions. Finally, the article turns to the philosophy of X and how it relates to GPoS.
Conflicting Tastes
Authors: Kennair Leif Edward Ottesen , Biegler Robert
Published: September 2015

Shared genes give relatives shared interests in each other’s evolutionary success, yet differences in patterns of relatedness can create conflicts. In a monogamous relationship, parents are equally related to all their children and also equally related to all their grandchildren. However, their children are more closely related to their own children and take greater interest in them than in their nieces and nephews. Various types of parent–offspring conflict can be explained in terms of such patterns of genetic relatedness. The authors extend this principle to mother–daughter conflict over choice of the daughter’s partner and to competition between sisters by considering how parental influence causes increased competition among same-sex siblings. The authors conclude that females wish family members to choose partners with traits that may provide more direct benefits and potentially improve their fitness, that individuals choose sexier partners for themselves, and that parental influence may theoretically drive sister competition.
Collaborating
Authors: Twyford Karen
Published: September 2015

Effective teamworking is increasingly considered vital for successful outcomes for clients, professionals, and advancement of the profession of music therapy. However, while many benefits may be realized, teamworking does not come without its challenges. Team success requires tasks which are clearly defined and motivating overall in addition to synthesis and integration of skills and knowledge to stimulate team members. Additionally, effective teamworking requires an awareness of the diverse purposes required for different forms of integrated working. This chapter evaluates and discusses the ways in which music therapists can be effective as team members in health care and education services.
Societies at War, 1914–1918
Authors: Goebel Stefan
Published: September 2015

This essay explores how Europeans experienced the First World War. Consent in wartime was generated from the bottom up rather than choreographed by the state. Civil society and commercial mass entertainment played a vital role in sustaining morale among civilians and the troops. Far from being alienated from each other, people in and out of uniform remained in constant communication. Moreover, the drive towards ‘total war’ broke down the barrier between military and non-military spheres and transformed enemy civilians into targets and one’s own civilians into an important resource. Atrocities were committed, people at the home front attacked from the air, civilians forced to flee their homes, soldiers brutalized and prisoners of war maltreated; and yet, the war cannot be described as an unmitigated demographic catastrophe. To be sure, it left a legacy of mass bereavement and a memory culture that endured long beyond the caesura of 1918.
Ethnicity as a Factor
Authors: Johnson Kimberly S. , Rhodes Ramona L.
Published: September 2015

This chapter examines how race or ethnicity affects access to, and the quality of, palliative care by focusing on the experience of African Americans and Hispanics. More specifically, it considers how cultural beliefs, values, and preferences may influence care. It begins by looking at racial and ethnic disparities that exist throughout the health-care continuum, from disease prevention, early diagnosis, and curative treatment, to communication and pain management, lower rates of advance care planning, and lower utilization of hospice and palliative care services. It then explores the preferences of African Americans and Hispanics when it comes to end-of-life care, as well as the role of spirituality and faith in how they cope with illness. The chapter concludes by suggesting strategies and future directions for health-care providers, organizations, policymakers, and researchers on how to improve care for patients of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.
White Matter Microstructural Compromise Is Associated With Cognition But Not Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Military Veterans With Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Sorg Scott F. , Schiehser Dawn M. , Bondi Mark W. , Luc Norman , Clark Alexandra L. , Jacobson Mark W. , Frank Lawrence R. , Delano-Wood Lisa
Published: September 2015

Objective:

To investigate white matter microstructure compromise in Veterans with a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and its possible contribution to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology and neuropsychological functioning via diffusion tensor imaging.

Participants and Methods:

Thirty-eight Veterans with mild (n = 33) and moderate (n = 5) TBI and 17 military control participants without TBI completed neuropsychological testing and psychiatric screening and underwent magnetic resonance imaging an average of 4 years following their TBI event(s). Fractional anisotropy (FA) and diffusivity measures were extracted from 9 white matter tracts.

Results:

Compared with military control participants, TBI participants reported higher levels of PTSD symptoms and performed worse on measures of memory and psychomotor-processing speed. Traumatic brain injury was associated with lower FA in the genu of the corpus callosum and left cingulum bundle. Fractional anisotropy negatively correlated with processing speed and/or executive functions in 7 of the 8 tracts. Regional FA did not correlate with memory or PTSD symptom ratings.

Conclusion:

Results suggest that current PTSD symptoms are independent of TBI-related white matter alterations, as measured by diffusion tensor imaging. In addition, white matter microstructural compromise may contribute to reduced processing speed in our sample of participants with history of neurotrauma. Findings of the current study add insight into the factors associated with complicated recovery from mild to moderate TBI.
Family factors and immigrant students’ academic achievement
Authors: Gong Xiaopeng , Marchant Gregory , Cheng Yinsheng
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of the paper is to examine the relationship between family-related factors and academic performance for Asian and Hispanic immigrant students.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study used data drawn from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study. Data were collected from second-generation immigrant students in forms of surveys. A total of 10th to 12th grade Asian (n=3,022) and Hispanic immigrant students (n=1,664) reported their family income, father’s and mother’ education, parents’ education aspiration for them, their own education aspiration, English proficiency, family cohesion, and parent-child conflict. Their school performance indicated by grade point average demonstrated in school records was also collected. Data were analyzed with analysis of variance and regression techniques.

Findings

– Family income and parent-child conflict were identified as predictors of immigrant students’ grade point average. When regression analyses were conducted separately for Asian and Hispanic students, different patterns emerged. Family income and parent-child conflict predicted Hispanic immigrant students’ academic performance whereas parent education aspiration and family income predicted Asian immigrant students’ academic performance.

Originality/value

– The current study was among the first to examine how family emotional factors related to Asian and Hispanic immigrant students’ academic performance. The findings demonstrated some interesting patterns in terms of how different family-related factors contributed to the two immigrant student groups. It added to the existing literature about what distinguished Asian and Hispanic immigrant students’ academic achievement.
Intersections of gender, age and occupational group in the Finnish defence forces
Authors: Otonkorpi-Lehtoranta Katri , Leinonen Minna , Nikkanen Risto , Heiskanen Tuula
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– Addressing the challenges expressed by organization researchers and Leslie McCall with her conceptual framework of intercategorical analysis, this paper contributes to the methodological debate on intersectionality. The purpose of this paper is to explore intersectionality on the organizational level in the Finnish defence forces (FDF). In the paper, the authors explore how the interactions between categories of gender, age, and position in the organization explain the concerns of employees in the changing military organization. Furthermore, the authors also investigate the types of intersectional mechanisms behind the empirical observations.

Design/methodology/approach

– The logistic regression analysis is based on a survey addressed to the whole salaried personnel in the FDF in 2011 (n=8,093, response rate being 54 per cent).

Findings

– In line with McCall’s (2005) intercategorical approach, the analysis shows that the plain examination of main effects of the variables will not suffice, but the interaction effects of the variables must also be examined. The analysis indicates that even though women in general experienced more concerns, gender does not alone explain the concerns expressed by the members of the FDF, but age and especially personnel group are significant in understanding configurations of positions in relation to the organizational change process.

Research limitations/implications

– The methodological limitation of the study is that although the data were large, it was not possible to conduct three-ways analysis, because of the size of some groups.

Originality/value

– The study offers a noteworthy addition to the rare research of practising intersectionality in the conceptual framework using quantitative methods.
Building a research data management service for the London school of hygiene
&
tropical medicine
Authors: Knight Gareth
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present a case study of work performed at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to set-up a Research Data Management Service and tailor it to the needs of health researchers.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper describes the motivations for establishing the RDM Service and outlines the three objectives that were set to improve data management practice within the institution. Each of the objectives are explored in turn, stating how they were addressed.

Findings

– A university with limited resources can operate a RDM Service that pro-actively supports researchers wishing to manage research data by monitoring evolving support needs, identifying common trends and developing resources that will reduce the time investment needed. The institution-wide survey identified a need for guidance on developing data documentation and archiving research data following project completion. Analysis of ongoing support requests identifies a need for guidance on data management plans and complying with journal sharing requirements.

Research limitations/implications

– The paper provides a case study of a single institution. The results may not be generally applicable to universities that support other disciplines.

Practical implications

– The case study may be helpful in helping other universities to establish an RDM Service using limited resources.

Originality/value

– The paper outlines how the evolving data management needs of public health researchers can be identified and a strategy that can be adopted by an RDM Service to efficiently address these requirements.
Variability in academic research data management practices
Authors: Whitmire Amanda L. , Boock Michael , Sutton Shan C.
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how knowledge of local research data management (RDM) practices critically informs the progressive development of research data services (RDS) after basic services have already been established.

Design/methodology/approach

– An online survey was distributed via e-mail to all university faculty in the fall of 2013, and was left open for just over one month. The authors sent two reminder e-mails before closing the survey. Survey data were downloaded from Qualtrics survey software and analyzed in R.

Findings

– In this paper, the authors reviewed a subset of survey findings that included data types, volume, and storage locations, RDM roles and responsibilities, and metadata practices. The authors found that Oregon State University (OSU) researchers are generating a wide variety of data types, and that practices vary between colleges. The authors discovered that faculty are not utilizing campus-wide storage infrastructure, and are maintaining their own storage servers in surprising numbers. Faculty-level research assistants perform the majority of data-related tasks at OSU, with the exception of data sharing, which is primarily handled by the professorial ranks. The authors found that many faculty on campus are creating metadata, but that there is a need to provide support in how to discover and create standardized metadata.

Originality/value

– This paper presents a novel example of how to efficiently move from establishing basic RDM services to providing more focussed services that meet specific local needs. It provides an approach for others to follow when tackling the difficult question of, “What next?” with regard to providing academic RDS.
Human Identification Using Automatic and Semi‐Automatically Detected Facial Marks
Authors: Srinivas Nisha , Flynn Patrick J. , Vorder Bruegge Richard W.
Published: September 2015

Continuing advancements in the field of digital cameras and surveillance imaging devices have led law enforcement and intelligence agencies to use analysis of images and videos for the investigation and prosecution of crime. When determining identity from photographic evidence, forensic analysts perform comparison of visible facial features manually, which is inefficient. In this study, we will address research efforts to use facial marks as biometric signatures to distinguish between individuals. We propose two systems to assist forensic analysts during photographic comparison: an improved multiscale facial mark system in which facial marks are detected automatically, and a semi‐automatic facial mark system that integrates human knowledge within the improved multiscale facial mark system. Experiment results employ a high‐resolution time‐elapsed dataset acquired at the University of Notre Dame between 2009 and 2011. The results indicate that the geometric distributions of facial mark patterns can be used to distinguish between individuals.
Brugia malayi cystatin therapeutically ameliorates dextran sulfate sodium‐induced colitis in mice
Authors: Khatri Vishal , Amdare Nitin , Tarnekar Aaditya , Goswami Kalyan , Reddy Maryada Venkata Rami
Published: September 2015

Objective

Helminth immunomodulation in the host has been shown to have therapeutic implications in inflammatory bowel diseases. In this study we aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of Brugia malayi recombinant cystatin (rBmCys) in a dose‐dependent manner on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)‐induced colitis in mice.

Methods

The anti‐inflammatory activity of rBmCys on mice peritoneal exudate cells was initially analyzed in vitro. BALB/c mice were fed with 5% DSS for 7 days to induce colitis. The colitis mice were treated intraperitoneally with rBmCys (10, 25 or 50 µg for the three different groups of mice) on days 1, 3 and 5 of the DSS administration. Disease severity was assessed by the disease activity index (DAI) and macroscopic and histopathological scores of colon and myeloperoxidase activity in colonic mucosa. Cytokine profiles were measured in sera and cultured splenocytes of treated mice followed by stimulation with rBmCys.

Results

rBmCys showed anti‐inflammatory activity in vitro. Treatment of DSS‐induced colitis with rBmCys in mice ameliorated the overall disease severity as reflected by a significant reduction in weight loss, the DAI, mucosal edema, colon damage and myeloperoxidase activity of the colonic mucosa. While the mRNA expressions of IFN‐γ, TNF‐α, interleukin (IL)‐5, IL‐6 and IL‐17 were downregulated, IL‐10 expression was upregulated in the splenocytes of colitis mice treated with rBmCys. The amelioration of DSS‐induced colitis occurred in a dose‐dependent manner.

Conclusion

The results of this study indicate an anti‐inflammatory potential of rBmCys and provide evidence for using this protein as a promising therapeutic agent in ulcerative colitis.
Inhibition of the regulator of G protein signalling RGS4 in the spinal cord decreases neuropathic hyperalgesia and restores cannabinoid CB1 receptor signalling
Authors: Bosier Barbara , Doyen Pierre J. , Brolet Amandine , Muccioli Giulio G. , Ahmed Eman , Desmet Nathalie , Hermans Emmanuel , Deumens Ronald
Published: September 2015

Background and Purpose

Regulators of G protein signalling (RGS) are major determinants of metabotropic receptor activity, reducing the lifespan of the GTP‐bound state of G proteins. Because the reduced potency of analgesic agents in neuropathic pain may reflect alterations in RGS, we assessed the effects of CCG 63802, a specific RGS4 inhibitor, on pain hypersensitivity and signalling through cannabinoid receptors, in a model of neuropathic pain.

Experimental Approach

The partial sciatic nerve ligation (PSNL) model in male Sprague Dawley rats was used to measure paw withdrawal thresholds to mechanical (von Frey hairs) or thermal (Hargreaves method) stimuli, during and after intrathecal injection of CCG 63802. HEK293 cells expressing CB1 receptors and conditional expression of RGS4 were used to correlate cAMP production and ERK phosphorylation with receptor activation and RGS4 action.

Key Results

Treatment of PSNL rats with CCG 63802, twice daily for 7 days after nerve injury, attenuated thermal hyperalgesia during treatment. Spinal levels of anandamide were higher in PSNL animals, irrespective of the treatment. Although expression of CB1 receptors was unaffected, HU210‐induced CB1 receptor signalling was inhibited in PSNL rats and restored after intrathecal CCG 63802. In transfected HEK cells expressing CB1 receptors and RGS4, inhibition of cAMP production, a downstream effect of CB1 receptor signalling, was blunted after RGS4 overexpression. RGS4 expression also attenuated the CB1 receptor‐controlled activation of ERK1/2.

Conclusions and Implications

Inhibition of spinal RGS4 restored endogenous analgesic signalling pathways and mitigated neuropathic pain. Signalling through CB1 receptors may be involved in this beneficial effect
Seed Predation by Rodents and Implications for Plant Recruitment in Defaunated Atlantic Forests
Authors: Galetti Mauro , Guevara Roger , Galbiati Lígia A. , Neves Carolina L. , Rodarte Raisa R. , Mendes Calebe P.
Published: September 2015

Rodents are known to perform post‐dispersal seed predation in tropical rain forest, but there is little information on the identity of these seed predators and how they select their seeds. Using cafeteria experiments, we found that seed mass, rodent body mass, and the ratio of seed/rodent mass were determinants of seed consumption.
Structural and dyeing properties of aramid treated with 2‐phenoxyethanol
Authors: Cao Genyang , Sheng Dan , Xu Weilin , Wang Xin
Published: September 2015

In this study, 2‐phenoxyethanol was used as a carrier to realise the bright‐colour dyeing of aramid fibre. Fourier transform infrared, X‐ray diffraction, and thermal analyses were used to characterise the modification of 2‐phenoxyethanol on the aramid fibre structure. The dyeing performance, including the K/S value and the dye uptake, was tested by varying the concentration of 2‐phenoxyethanol and related experimental parameters. Structural analysis suggests strengthened H‐bonds, lower crystallinity, and slightly lower thermal stability after 2‐phenoxyethanol treatment, which can be explained by the swelling effect of 2‐phenoxyethanol, enlarging the amorphous structure through the reassembly of hydroxyl bonding to the aramid fibre. The dyeing performance can be improved by increasing the dyeing time, the temperature, and the concentration of sodium nitrate under slightly acidic condition. Colour fastness tests showed that 2‐phenoxyethanol treatment does not affect the rubbing fastness but lowers the wash fastness slightly. Dyeing of aramid is crucial under special environmental conditions in which the products must withstand a harsh environment while retaining a bright colour.
Heart–lung vs. double‐lung transplantation for idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Hill Charles , Maxwell Bryan , Boulate David , Haddad Francois , Ha Richard , Afshar Kamyar , Weill David , Dhillon Gundeep S.
Published: September 2015

Patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) have improved survival after heart–lung transplantation (HLT) and double‐lung transplantation (DLT). However, the optimal procedure for patients with IPAH undergoing transplantation remains unclear. We hypothesized that critically ill IPAH patients, defined by admission to the intensive care units (ICU), would demonstrate improved survival with HLT vs. DLT. All adult IPAH patients (>18 yr) in the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) database, who underwent either HLT or DLT between 1987 and 2012, were included. Baseline characteristics, survival, and adjusted survival were compared between the HLT and DLT groups. Similar analyses were performed for the subgroups as defined by the recipients' hospitalization status. A total of 928 IPAH patients (667 DLT, 261 HLT) were included in this analysis. The HLT recipients were younger, more likely to be admitted to the ICU, and have had their transplant in previous eras. Overall, the adjusted survivals after HLT or DLT were similar. For recipients who were hospitalized in the ICU, DLT was associated with worse outcomes (HR 1.827; 95% CI 1.018–3.279). In IPAH patients, the overall survival after HLT or DLT is comparable. HLT may provide improved outcomes in critically ill IPAH patients admitted to the ICU at time of transplantation.
Predicting the future effectiveness of protected areas for bird conservation in Mediterranean ecosystems under climate change and novel fire regime scenarios
Authors: Regos Adrián , D'Amen Manuela , Titeux Nicolas , Herrando Sergi , Guisan Antoine , Brotons Lluís
Published: September 2015

Aim

Global environmental changes challenge traditional conservation approaches based on the selection of static protected areas due to their limited ability to deal with the dynamic nature of driving forces relevant to biodiversity. The Natura 2000 network (N2000) constitutes a major milestone in biodiversity conservation in Europe, but the degree to which this static network will be able to reach its long‐term conservation objectives raises concern. We assessed the changes in the effectiveness of N2000 in a Mediterranean ecosystem between 2000 and 2050 under different combinations of climate and land cover change scenarios.

Location

Catalonia, Spain.

Methods

Potential distribution changes of several terrestrial bird species of conservation interest included in the European Union's Birds Directive were predicted within an ensemble‐forecasting framework that hierarchically integrated climate change and land cover change scenarios. Land cover changes were simulated using a spatially explicit fire‐succession model that integrates fire management strategies and vegetation encroachment after the abandonment of cultivated areas as the main drivers of landscape dynamics in Mediterranean ecosystems.

Results

Our results suggest that the amount of suitable habitats for the target species will strongly decrease both inside and outside N2000. However, the effectiveness of N2000 is expected to increase in the next decades because the amount of suitable habitats is predicted to decrease less inside than outside this network.

Main conclusions

Such predictions shed light on the key role that the current N2000 may play in the near future and emphasize the need for an integrative conservation perspective wherein agricultural, forest and fire management policies should be considered to effectively preserve key habitats for threatened birds in fire‐prone, highly dynamic Mediterranean ecosystems. Results also show the importance of considering landscape dynamics and the synergies between different driving forces when assessing the long‐term effectiveness of protected areas for biodiversity conservation.
Wolkenwandelbarkeit: Benjamin, Stieglitz, and the Medium of Photography
Authors: Powers Michael
Published: September 2015

In his essay on photography, Walter Benjamin repeatedly employs atmospheric, cloud‐like rhetoric in order to describe the decline of aura that accompanied the rise of camera technology. At approximately the same time that Benjamin published this piece, his contemporary Alfred Stieglitz was concluding his own decade‐long study of photography: a series of cloudscapes that highlighted the ungrounded character of the photographic image. This article provides an examination of Benjamin's and Stieglitz's respective attempts to develop an emphatically medial understanding of photography via the figure of the cloud. In perpetually drifting away from itself and harboring the potential to assume myriad forms, the cloud marks an uncontainable state of alterity and multiplicity, and therefore serves for Benjamin and Stieglitz as an apt figure for exploring the non‐self‐identical medium of photography itself.
Speaking for Liveliness: Franz Kafka's Obituary for Hyperion and his Introductory Speech on Yiddish
Authors: Densky Doreen
Published: September 2015

Known for shying away from public exposure, Franz Kafka nonetheless wrote and spoke publicly for two very different kinds of peripheral literature. In this article, I juxtapose his lesser‐known obituary for Hyperion, a discontinued bibliophile journal, and his well‐known introductory speech to Yitzhak LÖwy's recitations in the Yiddish language. Analyzing the rhetorical strategies in these reviews, and relating them to Kafka's diary notes on minor literature, I show how, in both texts, Kafka is profoundly concerned with the tensions between a lively, unmediated mode of speaking for oneself and any kind of intervention, editorial or explanatory. In addition to identifying the Hyperion‐necrologue as a critical text for Kafka's œuvre, I propose a more comprehensive understanding of liveliness as a property of peripheral forms of artistic expression. By simultaneously reflecting and performing speaking‐for (Fürsprechen), Kafka negotiates a poetics of margins that connects high modernist aestheticism, Jewish vernacular, and his own writings.
Effect of Amine Additive for the Synthesis of Cadmium Selenide Quantum Dots in a Microreactor
Authors: Jeong Da‐Woon , Swain Basudev , Seong Tae‐Yeon , Park Kyoung‐Tae , Lee Chan Gi , Kim Bum Sung
Published: September 2015

The effect of octylamine flow rate on the structure and morphology of CdSe quantum dots synthesized in a microreactor was studied. The flow rate of octylamine was varied from 0.005 ml/min to 0.030 ml/min, and the optical properties of the synthesized particles were analyzed by UV–vis and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The particle size of the quantum dots was found to increase with an increasing octylamine flow rate. Further, UV–vis and photoluminescence bands were found to be red‐shifted with an increasing flow rate. We determined that, by controlling octylamine flow rate, the particle size of the quantum dots could be controlled. This method will help to determine the optimal octylamine flow conditions for synthesizing nanoparticles for use in a diverse range of applications.
Tipped Wage Effects on Earnings and Employment in Full‐Service Restaurants
Authors: Allegretto Sylvia , Nadler Carl
Published: September 2015

We exploit more than 20 years of changes in state‐level tipped wage policy and estimate earnings and employment effects of the tipped wage using county‐level panel data on full‐service restaurants (FSR). We extend earlier work by Dube, Lester, and Reich () and compare outcomes between contiguous counties that straddle a state border. We find a 10‐percent increase in the tipped wage increases earnings in FSRs about 0.4 percent. Employment elasticities are sensitive to the inclusion of controls for unobserved spatial heterogeneity. In our preferred models, we find small, insignificant effects of the tipped wage on FSR employment.
Pay Secrecy and the Gender Wage Gap in the United States
Authors: Kim Marlene
Published: September 2015

Legislators and advocates claim that pay secrecy perpetuates the gender wage gap and that the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) should be amended to outlaw these practices. Using a difference‐in‐differences fixed‐effects human‐capital wage regression, I find that women with higher education levels who live in states that have outlawed pay secrecy have higher earnings, and that the wage gap is consequently reduced. State bans on pay secrecy and federal legislation to amend the FLSA to allow workers to share information about their wages may improve the gender wage gap, especially among women with college or graduate degrees.
The Effects of Minimum Wages on Food Stamp Enrollment and Expenditures
Authors: Reich Michael , West Rachel
Published: September 2015

We provide the first causal analysis of how minimum wages affects enrollments and expenditures in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Exploiting state‐ and federal‐level variation in minimum‐wage policy between 1990 and 2012, and incorporating local controls in our specifications, we find that a 10 percent minimum wage increase reduces SNAP enrollment between 2.4 and 3.2 percent, and reduces program expenditures an estimated 1.9 percent. If the federal minimum wage were increased from $7.25 to $10.10, enrollment would fall between 7.5 and 8.7 percent (3.1 to 3.6 million persons) relative to 2012 levels, and annual expenditures would decrease 6 percent ($4.6 billion).
LaNbO4–NiO–Y2O3 Stabilized ZrO2 Anode‐Support Materials for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
Authors: Ma Ben , Li Kai , Chi Bo , Pu Jian , Li Jian
Published: September 2015

As anode‐support materials for solid oxide fuel cells, porous LaNbO4–NiO–Y2O3 stabilized ZrO2 (YSZ) composites (LNY), containing 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 wt% of LaNbO4 and designated as 0LNO, 5LNO, 10LNO, 15LNO, and 20LNO, respectively, are prepared by tape casting and sintering. They are investigated for their microstructure and mechanical, electrical and thermal expansion properties. The porosity of as‐sintered LNY is around 30%, and that of reduced LNY cermets decreases from 47% for reduced 0LNO to 43% for reduced 20LNO. The fracture strength (σf) of LNY is higher than that of the reduced form; however, both of them are not rather sensitive to the amount of LaNbO4, depending on crack‐originating flaws in the specimens. The fracture toughness (KIC) of LNY increases with LaNbO4 content and is 1.87 MPa·m1/2 for 20LNO, which is more than 20% increase from that of 0LNO; however the KIC for reduced LNY is higher than that of LNY, and decreases with increasing LaNbO4 content due to the decreased amount of ductile metallic Ni phase. The conductivity of reduced LNY depends on Ni content and is higher than 289 S/cm at temperatures below 900°C. The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of both LNY and reduced LNY is in the range between 12.4 and 11.4 × 10−6 K−1; which is closely matched with that of YSZ electrolyte.