bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fully laminated shell‐type three‐phase rotating transformer for brushless applications
Authors: Mohabati Hamid Reza , Moghani Javad Shokrollahi , Taghipour Boroujeni Samad
Published: April 2015

A fully laminated shell‐type three‐phase rotating transformer, appropriate for the most brushless applications, is proposed. The stationary and rotary parts of the proposed machine include both radially and axially laminated magnetic cores. Thanks to the special construction, the mechanical assembling of the proposed device in an integrated three‐phase unit is very simple. In addition, a high permeance, low eddy current magnetic path is provided for the magnetic flux in the machine volume. However, to limit the core eddy currents in a normal range, a special geometry is selected for the radially laminated parts. Using the transformer magnetic equivalent circuit, the self and mutual inductances are obtained analytically. Based on the developed analytical model, geometrical dimensions are selected such that, a balanced three‐phase machine is provided. Finally, finite‐element analysis and experimental results are used to verify the obtained analytical model.
Dynamic planning of distributed generation units in active distribution network
Authors: Abapour Saeed , Zare Kazem , Mohammadi‐Ivatloo Behnam
Published: April 2015

This study proposes long‐term dynamic planning of distributed generation (DG) units in distribution networks considering active management (AM). In the AM operation mode, the distribution network equipment is controlled in real time based on the real‐time measurements of system parameters (voltage and current). The proposed model determines the optimal size, location and time of investment of DG units. The uncertainty of energy price and rate of load growth is handled using a scenario‐based modelling approach. To demonstrate the advantages of dynamic DG planning, its results are compared with those of static model. Also the results of optimal DG planning in active network are compared with those of the passive operation mode. In addition, a technical evaluation and comparison between conventional, passive and active networks have been performed. The proposed model is successfully applied to the 33‐bus radial distribution network. The results indicate that using AM, the cost function and losses are decreased effectively compared to the passive management. Computation of the optimal DG planning in AM environment is formulated as a mixed integer non‐linear problem which can be solved using commercial optimisation packages like as GAMS.
System fidelity factor evaluation of wearable ultra‐wideband antennas for on‐body communications
Authors: Koohestani Mohsen , Moreira Antonio Alves , Skrivervik Anja K.
Published: April 2015

This study reports an experimental study of the system fidelity factor (SFF) of ultra‐wideband wireless body area network antennas in an on‐body environment. This study also investigates the influence in the SFF because of the antenna polarisation with respect to the body. For this purpose, two antennas having different polarisations are compared: a mono‐cone antenna with the polarisation perpendicular to the wearer and a printed monopole with the polarisation either parallel or perpendicular to the wearer. A phantom made of pork meat was considered as a model for the wearer's body, and five different communication scenarios involving each pair of antennas were considered. On‐body experimental results show that the time‐domain behaviour of the transmission is better for two different antenna types having the same polarisation, but, more importantly, that the SFF (and thus the time‐domain fidelity of the signal) is better for a link having a polarisation perpendicular to the body.
Precise acquisition of global navigation satellite system signals in the presence of multipath and influence on tracking capability
Authors: Brahim Fadoua , Chonavel Thierry , Trubuil Joel , Boudraa Abdel‐Ouahab
Published: April 2015

New Galileo and enhanced GPS signals use binary offset carrier (BOC) waveforms namely composite BOC (CBOC) and alternate BOC (AltBOC). For good tracking, these signals require precise acquisition. The more sidelobes the autocorrelation function has, the tighter the pull‐in range region is, and the more precise the acquisition must be. Further, when multipath propagation is encountered, the received waveform is so distorted that a precise acquisition becomes difficult. To solve this problem, two approaches are considered by enhancing either the acquisition stage or the tracking one. At the acquisition stage, the authors focus on Bayesian estimation where Bernoulli–Gaussian and Laplacian (Lp) priors for channel distribution are compared. On one hand, the BG prior leads to rather complex optimisation criterion that can be solved by a Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm. This is a very efficient but time consuming method. On the other hand, the Lp prior results in exact maximum a posteriori calculation. In this case, the Bayesian estimation involves an ℓ1‐norm penalisation and provides quite good performance for reasonable acquisition complexity. At the tracking stage, many works have dealt with false lock positions, such as the sidelobe cancellation method (SCM) or multiple gate delay (MGD) technique. In this article, the authors highlight the need for accurate acquisition for better detection and estimation at the tracking output. The SCM and MGD methods are taken as examples to illustrate this influence. The analysed signals are GPS BPSK(1), BPSK(10), and Galileo CBOC(6, 1, 1/11) and AltBOC(15, 10) modulated open service signals. The impact of multipath is studied for line of sight (LOS) signal, LOS plus multipath replicas, and multipath alone. The authors compare the results of classical acquisition followed by precise tracking to those of Bayesian acquisition followed by classical tracking. The results of Bayesian acquisition followed by precise tracking are also provided.
Fingerprint matching algorithm for poor quality images
Authors: Singh Vedpal , Elamvazuthi Irraivan
Published: April 2015

The main aim of this study is to establish an efficient platform for fingerprint matching for low‐quality images. Generally, fingerprint matching approaches use the minutiae points for authentication. However, it is not such a reliable authentication method for low‐quality images. To overcome this problem, the current study proposes a fingerprint matching methodology based on normalised cross‐correlation, which would improve the performance and reduce the miscalculations during authentication. It would decrease the computational complexities. The error rate of the proposed method is 5.4%, which is less than the two‐dimensional (2D) dynamic programming (DP) error rate of 5.6%, while Lee's method produces 5.9% and the combined method has 6.1% error rate. Genuine accept rate at 1% false accept rate is 89.3% but at 0.1% value it is 96.7%, which is higher. The outcome of this study suggests that the proposed methodology has a low error rate with minimum computational effort as compared with existing methods such as Lee's method and 2D DP and the combined method.
Rotation angle recovery for rotation invariant detector in lying pose human body detection
Authors: Xia Dao‐Xun , Li Shao‐Zi
Published: April 2015

A method for rotation‐invariant lying‐pose human body detection in overlooking images is proposed. The rotation‐invariant histogram of oriented gradient using Fourier analysis in polar coordinate is exploited as descriptor for lying‐pose human body. And then the authors used the exhaustive sliding window search strategy with multiple scale scan to localise human body. Finally, principal component analysis (PCA) is used to determine the rotation angle of the exhaustive sliding window based on the classifier output scores. Experiments on their built XiaMen University Lying‐Pose Dataset (XMULP) show the effectiveness of their proposed method.
Effects of phase transformation on the microstructures and magnetostriction of Fe-Ga and Fe-Ga-Zn ferromagnetic shape memory alloys
Authors: Lin Yin-Chih , Lin Chien-Feng
Published: April 2015

The phase transformation and magnetostriction of bulk Fe73Ga27 and Fe73Ga18Zn9 (at. %) ferromagnetic shape memory alloys (FSMs) were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and a magnetostrictive-meter setup. For the Fe73Ga27 FSM alloy solution treated at 1100 °C for 4 h and quenched in ice brine, the antiphase boundary segments of the D03 domain were observed in the A2 (disordered) matrix, and the Fe73Ga27 FSM alloy had an optimal magnetostriction (λ‖s = 71 × 10−6 and λ⊥s = −31 × 10−6). In Fe73Ga27 FSM alloy as-quenched, aged at 700 °C for 24 h, and furnace cooled, D03 nanoclusters underwent phase transformation to an intermediate tetragonal phase (i.e., L10-like martensite) via Bain distortion, and finally L12 (Fe3Ga) structures precipitated, as observed by TEM and XRD. The L10-like martensite and L12 phases in the aged Fe73Ga27 FSM alloy drastically decreased the magnetostriction from positive to negative (λ‖s = −20 × 10−6 and λ⊥s = −8 × 10−6). However, in Fe73Ga18Zn9 FSM alloy as-quenched and aged, the phase transformation of D03 to an intermediate tetragonal martensite phase and precipitation of L12 structures were not found. The results indicate that the aged Fe73Ga18Zn9 FSM alloy maintained stable magnetostriction (λ‖s = 36 × 10−6 and λ⊥s = −31 × 10−6). Adding Zn can improve the ferromagnetic shape memory effect of aged Fe73Ga18Zn9 alloy, which may be useful in application of the alloy in high temperature environments.
Capturing turbulent density flux effects in variable density flow by an explicit algebraic model
Authors: Grigoriev I. A. , Wallin S. , Brethouwer G. , Johansson A. V.
Published: April 2015

The explicit algebraic Reynolds stress model of Grigoriev et al. [“A realizable explicit algebraic Reynolds stress model for compressible turbulent flow with significant mean dilatation,” Phys. Fluids 25, 105112 (2013)] is extended to account for the turbulent density flux in variable density flows. The influence of the mean dilatation and the variation of mean density on the rapid pressure-strain correlation are properly accounted for introducing terms balancing a so-called “baroclinic” production in the Reynolds stress tensor equation. Applying the weak-equilibrium assumption leads to a self-consistent formulation of the model. The model together with a K − ω model is applied to a quasi-one-dimensional plane nozzle flow transcending from subsonic to supersonic regimes. The model remains realizable with constraints put on the model parameters. When density fluxes are taken into account, the model is less likely to become unrealizable. The density variance coupled with a “local mean acceleration” also can influence the model acting to increase anisotropy. The general trends of the behaviour of the anisotropy and production components under the variation of model parameters are assessed. We show how the explicit model can be applied to two- and three-dimensional mean flows without previous knowledge of a tensor basis to obtain the general solution. Approaches are proposed in order to achieve an approximate solution to the consistency equation in cases when analytic solution is missing. In summary, the proposed model has the potential to significantly improve simulations of variable-density flows.
Current transport mechanisms in lattice-matched Pt/Au-InAlN/GaN Schottky diodes
Authors: Ren Jian , Yan Dawei , Yang Guofeng , Wang Fuxue , Xiao Shaoqing , Gu Xiaofeng
Published: April 2015

Lattice-matched Pt/Au-In0.17Al0.83N/GaN hetreojunction Schottky diodes with circular planar structure have been fabricated and investigated by temperature dependent electrical measurements. The forward and reverse current transport mechanisms are analyzed by fitting the experimental current-voltage characteristics of the devices with various models. The results show that (1) the forward-low-bias current is mainly due to the multiple trap-assisted tunneling, while the forward-high-bias current is governed by the thermionic emission mechanism with a significant series resistance effect; (2) the reverse leakage current under low electric fields (<6 MV/cm) is mainly carried by the Frenkel-Poole emission electrons, while at higher fields the Fowler-Nordheim tunneling mechanism dominates due to the formation of a triangular barrier.
The technology gap of Chinese regions' energy efficiency and spatial convergence—Based on the hybrid meta-frontier data envelopment analysis
Authors: Zou Wen-Jie , Cai Peng-Hong , Shen Neng , Lu Ching-Cheng
Published: April 2015

This paper applies the hybrid meta-frontier data envelopment analysis model to estimate the energy efficiency of the eastern, central, western, and northeastern regions in China as well as all Chinese provinces during 2003–2012. We further compare the energy efficiency under the regional frontier and the meta-frontier for different provinces and then examine the convergence situation among these four regions in China as well as the national energy efficiency. The results show the evidence of big gaps in the energy efficiency between the provinces under both the regional frontier and the national meta-frontier. In general, the highest energy efficiency lies in eastern China, followed by western China and then northeastern China, with the lowest in central China. Using the technology gap ratio, the findings present that eastern China achieves the national potential optimized production technology, whereas the central, western, and northeastern regions are still some distance away from their own national potential optimized production technology with considerable room for improvement. As for the variation trends of energy efficiency, those of the central and northeastern regions have a convergence tendency, whereas the energy efficiencies of eastern and western China show the characteristics of slight divergence. Moreover, the convergence tendency of energy efficiency for the whole country has not yet been formed. Based on the above research conclusions, we propose a number of energy policy recommendations for China's government in order to improve energy efficiency.
Dependency of tunneling magneto-resistance on Fe insertion-layer thickness in Co2Fe6B2/MgO-based magnetic tunneling junctions
Authors: Chae Kyo-Suk , Park Jea-Gun
Published: April 2015

For Co2Fe6B2/MgO-based perpendicular magnetic tunneling junctions spin valves with [Co/Pd]n-synthetic-antiferromagnetic (SyAF) layers, the tunneling-magneto-resistance (TMR) ratio strongly depends on the nanoscale Fe insertion-layer thickness (tFe) between the Co2Fe6B2 pinned layer and MgO tunneling barrier. The TMR ratio rapidly increased as tFe increased up to 0.4 nm by improving the crystalline linearity of a MgO tunneling barrier and by suppressing the diffusion of Pd atoms from a [Co/Pd]n-SyAF. However, it abruptly decreased by further increasing tFe in transferring interfacial-perpendicular magnetic anisotropy into the IMA characteristic of the Co2Fe6B2 pinned layer. Thus, the TMR ratio peaked at tFe = 0.4 nm: i.e., 120% at 29 Ωμm2
A simple and wide-range refractive index measuring approach by using a sub-micron grating
Authors: Liu Chun-Wei , Wu Chun-Che , Lin Shih-Chieh
Published: April 2015

This paper presents the design and simulation results of a high-precision low-cost refractometer that demonstrates the main advantage of a wide measurement range (1 ≤ n ≤ 2). The proposed design is based on the diffractive properties of sub-micron gratings and Snell's Law. The precision and uncertainty factors of the proposed system were tested and analyzed, revealing that the proposed refractometer demonstrates a wide measurement range with sensitivity of 10−4.
Generalized Pauli constraints in reduced density matrix functional theory
Authors: Theophilou Iris , Lathiotakis Nektarios N. , Marques Miguel A. L. , Helbig Nicole
Published: April 2015

Functionals of the one-body reduced density matrix (1-RDM) are routinely minimized under Coleman’s ensemble N-representability conditions. Recently, the topic of pure-state N-representability conditions, also known as generalized Pauli constraints, received increased attention following the discovery of a systematic way to derive them for any number of electrons and any finite dimensionality of the Hilbert space. The target of this work is to assess the potential impact of the enforcement of the pure-state conditions on the results of reduced density-matrix functional theory calculations. In particular, we examine whether the standard minimization of typical 1-RDM functionals under the ensemble N-representability conditions violates the pure-state conditions for prototype 3-electron systems. We also enforce the pure-state conditions, in addition to the ensemble ones, for the same systems and functionals and compare the correlation energies and optimal occupation numbers with those obtained by the enforcement of the ensemble conditions alone.
The Put-and-Fetch Ambiguity: How Magicians Exploit the Principle of Exclusive Allocation of Movements to Intentions
Authors: Van de Cruys Sander , Wagemans Johan , Ekroll Vebjørn
Published: April 2015

In many magic tricks, magicians fool their audience by performing a mock action (a so-called “ruse”), which merely serves the purpose of providing a seemingly natural explanation for visible movements that are actually part of the secret move they want to hide from the audience. Here, we discuss a special magic ruse in which the action of secretly putting something somewhere is “explained away” by the mock action of fetching something from the same place, or vice versa. Interestingly, the psychological principles underlying the amazing potency and robustness of this technique seem to be very similar to the general perceptual principles underlying figure–ground perception and the assignment of border ownership. This analogy may be useful for exploring the possibility that this and similar magical effects involve immediate “unconscious inferences” about intentions more akin to perceptual processing than to explicit deliberations based on a reflective “theory” of mind.
A preliminary study of the role of bacterial–fungal co-inoculation on heavy metal phytotoxicity in serpentine soil
Authors: Seneviratne Mihiri , Seneviratne Gamini , Madawala H. M. S. P. , Iqbal M. C. M. , Rajakaruna Nishanta , Bandara Tharanga , Vithanage Meththika
Published: April 2015

This study was conducted to understand the role of bacterial–fungal interactions on heavy metal uptake by Zea mays plants. A pot experiment was conducted for 90 days with Z. mays in serpentine soil inoculated with a Gram-negative bacterium, fungus (Aspergilllus sp.) and both microbes to determine the effects of inoculation on nickel, manganese, chromium and cobalt concentrations in plant tissue and soil. Soil nutrients and soil enzyme activities were measured to determine the effect of inoculations on soil quality. Inoculation of microorganisms increased shoot and root biomass, and the maximum biomass was in the bacterial–fungal inoculation. This could be due to the solubilisation of phosphate and production of indole acetic acid. Although the combination treatment contributed to an increase in heavy metal uptake in Z. mays plants, the lowest translocation was observed in the combination treatment. Moreover, the soil available nitrogen, available phosphorous and total organic carbon content were increased with the microbial inoculation. Similarly, the soil dehydrogenase activity was higher as a result of microbial inoculation, whereas the highest dehydrogenase activity was reported in the combination inoculation. This study confirms the synergistic effect of bacterial–fungal inoculation as a soil-quality enhancer and as a plant-growth promoter in the presence of heavy metals.
Metal-accumulating plants from serpentine habitats of Kızıldaǧ, Konya Province, Turkey
Authors: Aksoy A. , Leblebici Z. , Prasad M. N. V.
Published: April 2015

Serpentine (ultramafic) soils are generally deficient in essential plant nutrients such as phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and calcium (Ca) and often also have elevated concentrations of toxic trace elements such as, for example, nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr) and manganese (Mn). However, some serpentine areas have a species-rich plant cover, often with a few endemics. Thus, serpentine areas host valuable bioresources for understanding plant–metal interactions. In the present study, metal-accumulating plants from serpentine habitats in Kızıldağ, Konya Province, Turkey, viz., Aethionema spicatum, Alyssum murale ssp. murale var. murale, Arenaria acerosa, Bornmuellera kiyakii, Cerastium macranthum, Dianthus crinitus. var. crinitus, Dianthus zonatus var. hypochlorus, Iberis sempervirens, Minuartia anatolica var. anatolica, Noccaea camlikensis, Saponoria kotschyi and Silene ozyurtii, belonging to the families Brassicaceae and Caryophyllaceae, were investigated. All plant specimens collected were deposited in the Herbarium of the Biology Department of Akdeniz University. Samples of different plant parts, namely roots, stems, leaves and flowers, were analysed for Ni, Cr, cobalt (Co), Mn, copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe) by inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectroscopy. Noccaea camlikensis, Alyssum murale and Bornmuellera kiyakii accumulated 16 650 μg g–1, 12 570 μg g–1 and 8780 μg g–1 Ni, respectively. Noccaea camlikensis is a new addition to the list of Ni hyperaccumulators. The majority of the floristic elements investigated were found to be tolerant to serpentine soil chemistry. A small proportion of the plant assemblages were endemics. Nickel hyperaccumulators were the least abundant in terms of number of species. The study assumes importance in understanding bioconcentration in different plants and, eventually, for gaining a knowledge of plant–metal interactions and applications in biogeochemistry and bioprospecting for metals, including phytoremediation.
Seasonal and habitat-related changes in bird assemblage structure: applying a diversity/dominance approach to Mediterranean forests and wetlands
Authors: Isotti Roberto , Battisti Corrado , Luiselli Luca
Published: April 2015

In this work, we quantified the differences in the bird assemblage structure between seasons in two Mediterranean habitat types (small wetlands and oak forests) using a diversity/dominance approach (Whittaker plots). Small wetland assemblages showed the higher slopes in Whittaker plots for breeding species; oak forest assemblages showed the higher slope for wintering species. When we compared seasonal assemblages between the two habitat types, only the breeding species showed significant differences in the slopes of lines. When we compared the three seasonal-related assemblages (migrants, wintering and passage species) inside each habitat type, we observed significant differences in small wetlands, but not in oak woodlands. Our data suggest that season associated to habitat type could be considered an important factor affecting the structure of bird assemblages. Small Mediterranean wetlands are characterized by seasonally specific structural disturbances and changes in resource and niche availability that may be more abrupt when compared to forest habitats. These changes allow the coexistence of a higher number of individuals and species, so significantly affecting the line slopes between seasonal-related assemblages. During the spring, breeding species are less represented in small wetlands due to their less stratified vegetation, when compared to oak forests. Instead, oak forests are resource poor and less dynamic environments, especially in winter (high slope in tendency line) where only sedentary generalist species could persist. We stimulate the use of diversity/dominance approaches to detect seasonal and habitat differences among animal assemblages.
When alcohol narrows the field of focal attention
Authors: Harvey Alistair J.
Published: April 2015

The aim of this study was to measure the extent to which alcohol intoxication restricts the scope of attention in the visual field. A group of intoxicated ( n = 31; mean BAC ≈ .08%) and placebo control ( n = 31; mean BAC ≈ .00%) participants were required to correctly identify visual probes while performing two verbal categorization tasks: one designed to widen the scope of visual attention on to each stimulus word, the other to narrow attention on to the central letter of each word. Response times to surprise probes interpolated between categorization trials were measured and these catch trials could appear in any of the stimulus word letter positions. As predicted by alcohol myopia theory (AMT), which assumes that the drug narrows focal attention, intoxicated participants made slower responses than the sober controls to probes displayed in non-central letter positions, although right-field probe reaction times (RTs) were slower than those for left-field targets. This response asymmetry and the wider theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.
Preterm Birth Reduces Nutrient Absorption With Limited Effect on Immune Gene Expression and Gut Colonization in Pigs
Authors: Østergaard Mette V. , Cilieborg Malene S. , Skovgaard Kerstin , Schmidt Mette , Sangild Per T. , Bering Stine B.
Published: April 2015

Objectives:

The primary risk factors for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) are preterm birth, enteral feeding, and gut colonization. It is unclear whether feeding and colonization induce excessive expression of immune genes that lead to NEC. Using a pig model, we hypothesized that reduced gestational age would upregulate immune‐related genes and cause bacterial imbalance after birth.

Methods:

Preterm (85%–92% gestation, n = 53) and near‐term (95%–99% gestation, n = 69) pigs were delivered by cesarean section and euthanized at birth or after 2 days of infant formula or bovine colostrum feeding.

Results:

At birth, preterm delivery reduced 5 of 30 intestinal genes related to nutrient absorption and innate immunity, relative to near‐term pigs, whereas 2 genes were upregulated. Preterm birth also reduced ex vivo intestinal glucose and leucine uptake (40%–50%), but failed to increase cytokine secretions from intestinal explants relative to near‐term birth. After 2 days of formula feeding, NEC incidence was increased in preterm versus near‐term pigs (47% vs 0%–13%). A total of 6 of the 30 genes related to immunity (TLR2, IL1B, and IL8), permeability (CLDN3, and OCLN), and absorption (SGLT) decreased in preterm pigs without affecting Gram‐negative bacteria–related responses (TLR4, IKBA, NFkB1, TNFAIP3, and PAFA). Bacterial abundance tended to be higher in preterm versus near‐term pigs (P = 0.09), whereas the composition was unaffected.

Conclusions:

Preterm birth predisposes to NEC and reduces nutrient absorption but does not induce upregulation of immune‐related genes or cause bacterial dyscolonization in the neonatal period. Excessive inflammation and bacterial overgrowth may occur relatively late in NEC progression in preterm neonates.
Baleen boom and bust: a synthesis of mysticete phylogeny, diversity and disparity
Authors: Marx Felix G. , Fordyce R. Ewan
Published: April 2015

A new, fully dated total-evidence phylogeny of baleen whales (Mysticeti) shows that evolutionary phases correlate strongly with Caenozoic modernization of the oceans and climates, implying a major role for bottom-up physical drivers. The phylogeny of 90 modern and dated fossil species suggests three major phases in baleen whale history: an early adaptive radiation (36–30 Ma), a shift towards bulk filter-feeding (30–23 Ma) and a climate-driven diversity loss around 3 Ma. Evolutionary rates and disparity were high following the origin of mysticetes around 38 Ma, coincident with global cooling, abrupt Southern Ocean eutrophication and the development of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC). Subsequently, evolutionary rates and disparity fell, becoming nearly constant after approximately 23 Ma as the ACC reached its full strength. By contrast, species diversity rose until 15 Ma and then remained stable, before dropping sharply with the onset of Northern Hemisphere glaciation. This decline coincided with the final establishment of modern mysticete gigantism and may be linked to glacially driven variability in the distribution of shallow habitats or an increased need for long-distance migration related to iron-mediated changes in glacial marine productivity.
Engineered biosynthesis of enduracidin lipoglycopeptide antibiotics using the ramoplanin mannosyltransferase Ram29
Authors: Wu Ming-Cheng , Styles Matthew Q. , Law Brian J. C. , Struck Anna-Winona , Nunns Laura , Micklefield Jason
Published: April 2015

The lipopeptides ramoplanin from Actinoplanes sp. ATCC 33076 and enduracidin produced by Streptomyces fungicidicus are effective antibiotics against a number of drug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens. While these two antibiotics share a similar cyclic peptide structure, comprising 17 amino acids with an N-terminal fatty acid side chain, ramoplanin has a di-mannose moiety that enduracidin lacks. The mannosyl substituents of ramoplanin enhance aqueous solubility, which was important in the development of ramoplanin as a potential treatment for Clostridium difficile infections. In this study we have determined the function of the putative mannosyltransferase encoded by ram29 from the ramoplanin biosynthetic gene cluster. Bioinformatics revealed that Ram29 is an integral membrane protein with a putative DxD motif that is suggested to bind to, and activate, a polyprenyl phosphomannose donor and an extracytoplasmic C-terminal domain that is predicted to bind the ramoplanin aglycone acceptor. The ram29 gene was cloned into the tetracycline inducible plasmid pMS17 and integrated into the genome of the enduracidin producer S. fungicidicus. Induction of ram29 expression in S. fungicidicus resulted in the production of monomannosylated enduracidin derivatives, which are not present in the WT strain. Tandem MS analysis showed that mannosylation occurs on the Hpg11 residue of enduracidin. In addition to confirming the function of Ram29, these findings demonstrate how the less common, membrane-associated, polyprenyl phosphosugar-dependent glycosyltransferases can be used in natural product glycodiversification. Such a strategy may be valuable in future biosynthetic engineering approaches aimed at improving the physico-chemical and biological properties of bioactive secondary metabolites including antibiotics.
Characteristics of de novo structural changes in the human genome
Authors: Kloosterman Wigard P. , Francioli Laurent C. , Hormozdiari Fereydoun , Marschall Tobias , Hehir-Kwa Jayne Y. , Abdellaoui Abdel , Lameijer Eric-Wubbo , Moed Matthijs H. , Koval Vyacheslav , Renkens Ivo , van Roosmalen Markus J. , Arp Pascal , Karssen Lennart C. , Coe Bradley P. , Handsaker Robert E. , Suchiman Eka D. , Cuppen Edwin , Thung Djie Tjwan , McVey Mitch , Wendl Michael C. ,   Genome of the Netherlands Consortium, Uitterlinden André , van Duijn Cornelia M. , Swertz Morris A. , Wijmenga Cisca , van Ommen GertJan B. , Slagboom P. Eline , Boomsma Dorret I. , Schönhuth Alexander , Eichler Evan E. , de Bakker Paul I.W. , Ye Kai , Guryev Victor
Published: April 2015

Small insertions and deletions (indels) and large structural variations (SVs) are major contributors to human genetic diversity and disease. However, mutation rates and characteristics of de novo indels and SVs in the general population have remained largely unexplored. We report 332 validated de novo structural changes identified in whole genomes of 250 families, including complex indels, retrotransposon insertions, and interchromosomal events. These data indicate a mutation rate of 2.94 indels (1–20 bp) and 0.16 SVs (>20 bp) per generation. De novo structural changes affect on average 4.1 kbp of genomic sequence and 29 coding bases per generation, which is 91 and 52 times more nucleotides than de novo substitutions, respectively. This contrasts with the equal genomic footprint of inherited SVs and substitutions. An excess of structural changes originated on paternal haplotypes. Additionally, we observed a nonuniform distribution of de novo SVs across offspring. These results reveal the importance of different mutational mechanisms to changes in human genome structure across generations.
Assessing the cultural intelligence and task performance equation
Authors: Jyoti Jeevan , Kour Sumeet
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– Organizations in India are multicultural in nature. In this context, cultural intelligence is a tool, which can increase an individual’s ability to interact with people outside his/her culture. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of cultural intelligence on task performance as well as to investigate the mediating role of cultural adjustment between the two.

Design/methodology/approach

– Extensive review of literature was done to acknowledge the cultural intelligence and task performance concept. Data for the study has been collected from the 225 managers working in nationalized banks in Jammu province (J&K, India). Data collected has been validated using confirmatory factor analysis and hypotheses have been tested through structural equation modeling.

Findings

– The study reveals that cultural intelligence significantly contributes toward task performance. The findings further reveal full mediation of cultural adjustment between cultural intelligence and task performance.

Research limitations/implications

– The study has been conducted in Indian cultural context, which can be extended to other Asian countries. Further, more outcomes of cultural intelligence can be taken into consideration in future for better understanding of the concept.

Practical implications

– The study contributes toward cultural intelligence theory. Organization should provide cultural training to the managers before sending them to out of home state assignment, which helps to understand the culture of that state and effectively interact with people belonging to that place.

Originality/value

– The paper empirically identifies the relationship between cultural intelligence and task performance in Indian context. Further, this relationship has been explored by using cultural adjustment as a mediator between the two. The model developed can be used for future research keeping it as a base.
Putting the peaces together: a situated model of mediation
Authors: Coleman Peter T. , Kugler Katharina G. , Mazzaro Kyong , Gozzi Christianna , El Zokm Nora , Kressel Kenneth
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– Research on conflict mediation presents a scattered, piecemeal understanding of what determines mediators’ strategies and tactics and ultimately what constitutes successful mediation. This paper presents research on developing a unifying framework – the situated model of mediation – that identifies and integrates the most basic dimensions of mediation situations. These dimensions combine to determine differences in mediator’s strategies that in turn influence mediation processes and outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

– The approach used by this paper was twofold. First, the existing empirical literature was reviewed on factors that influence mediator’s behaviors. Based on the findings of this review, a survey study was conducted with experienced mediators to determine the most fundamental dimensions of mediation situations affecting mediators’ behaviors and mediation processes and outcomes. The data were analyzed through exploratory factor analysis and regression analysis.

Findings

– The results of the study show that four of the most fundamental dimensions of mediation situations include: low vs high intensity of the conflict, cooperative vs competitive relationship between the parties, tight vs flexible context and overt vs covert processes and issues. Each of these factors was found to independently predict differences in mediators’ behaviors and perceptions of processes and outcomes. These dimensions are then combined to constitute the basic dimensions of the situated model of mediation.

Originality/value

– The situated model of mediation is both heuristic and generative, and it shows how a minimal number of factors are sufficient to capture the complexity of conflict mediation in a wide range of contexts.
Conflicts in innovation and how to approach the “last mile” of conflict management research – a literature review
Authors: Vollmer Albert
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to present the state-of-the-art in empirical research on conflicts in innovation inorganizations and to outline strategic implications both for research and practical application with the specific focus on intervention studies.

Design/methodology/approach

– Literature search in the Web-of-Science identified 32 empirical publications from 1990 to July 2012. Characteristics of the studies, methodological approaches and empirical findings are summarized and discussed. Strategic implications are derived.

Findings

– The literature review reveals studies of the relationship between conflict and innovation on different organizational levels. Most of the studies address different aspects of conflict as antecedents of innovation, while some address conflict as an outcome of innovative behavior or structures. Almost all authors come up with theoretical and practical implications. But intervention studies which could close the gap between theory and practice, here termed the “last mile” of conflict management, are yet to be addressed.

Research limitations/implications

– While several implications are derived that aim at consolidating and deepening the understanding of the conflict – innovation dynamics, the major implication is to develop a knowledge-oriented research approach and to expand the scope of research to intervention studies. Constructive controversy is described as an example of this new research avenue.

Practical implications

– From intervention studies, researchers could gain more direct, practical insights into actual work processes. Managers could profit by incorporating first-hand knowledge augmented by researchers’ expertise.

Originality/value

– This article provides a systematic review of the relationship between conflict and innovation in the business context and practical implications thereof.
Experimental investigation on the friction and sealing characteristics of narrow end-face seal ring with spiral grooves for wet clutch
Authors: Hu Ji Bin , Wei Chao , Li XueYuan
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the friction and sealing characteristics of narrow end face seal ring with spiral grooves for wet clutch by experiment.

Design/methodology/approach

– The shallow spiral grooves are machined in the end face of narrow seal ring by laser, and all of other parameters of specimens are the same with the actual production. The investigation of friction and sealing characteristics are carried out by comparing the experiment results of end face seal ring with spiral grooves with the conventional seal ring without spiral grooves through friction coefficient test, volume leakage rate test and pv value test.

Findings

– Comparing with conventional seal ring without spiral grooves, seal ring with spiral grooves experiences boundary lubrication, mixed lubrication and fluid film lubrication with the increase of rotation speed, whereas the conventional seal ring only experiences mixed lubrication. Besides this, the volume leakage rate is slightly larger, but the pv value is much larger than that of conventional seal ring.

Originality/value

– Effect of spiral grooves on the friction and sealing characteristics of narrow end face seal ring for wet clutch is investigated. The improved lubrication performance can be achieved by shallow spiral grooves even if the distance of radius difference used to machine grooves is very small.
Re-tweeting the Ayatollah
Authors: Hirsch Peter Buell
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine how the sudden emergence of official government voices using social media as their first platform for communication creates new opportunities to understand how those voices are influenced and by whom.

Design/methodology/approach

– The article examines some recent examples of social media use by government entities from around the world, particularly the Middle East.

Findings

– This examination of social media use by government entities suggests that this usage provides significant clues about what government leaders are paying attention to. The social media outputs from these sources creates for the first time a unique signature of what these leaders react to and also how the various publics to whom they speak react to their utterances.

Research limitations/implications

– By virtue of the small sample size of the examples reviewed, the findings are of necessity subjective opinion.

Practical implications

– If in fact, this social media “exhaust” from governmental sources continue to grow, companies and organizations for whom the evolution of government opinion is important will be able to gather fresher and powerful insights into public policy and views.

Originality/value

– Cyberspace continues to offer an ever expanding set of data tracking both the opinions and behaviors of various community stakeholders. To the best of authors’ knowledge, the viewpoint presented in this article is among the first to examine the ramifications of the shift to social media by government leaders from around the world.
Self-reported care activities in a home-based intervention programme for families with multiple problems
Authors: Tausendfreund Tim , Metselaar Janneke , Conradie Jelte , de Groot Maria Helena , Schipaanboord Nicolien , Knot-Dickscheit Jana , Grietens Hans , Knorth Erik J.
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to describe the development and application of the KIPP-list of care activities. The acronym KIPP stands for Knowledge and Insight into Primary Processes. The instrument is intended as a tool for family coaches to systematically report care activities conducted in the Dutch family support programme Ten for the Future (in Dutch: Tien voor Toekomst).

Design/methodology/approach

– The design of the instrument was based on the components of the programme and a literature search for similar instruments used in the Netherlands, complemented by a staff survey. A series of three studies was carried out to test the instrument’s validity and user-friendliness, and to assess its potential for programme evaluation.

Findings

– The majority of care activities were performed in cooperation with one or both parents alone, and less frequently with children or external professionals. Although the main focus of the work of the family coaches fell into the categories of “collecting information” and “working towards (behavioural) change” with families, the relatively high frequency of all the types of care contacts emphasises the intensity of this family support programme with a complex target group.

Originality/value

– Data gathered with the instrument provided meaningful information by descriptive analysis. KIPP thereby proved its general feasibility in increasing insight into service provision. The instrument can be useful in several stages and on several levels of quality assurance and service optimisation, including reflective practice, supervision, team management and research.
Cultural intelligence of entrepreneurs and international network ties
Authors: Charoensukmongkol Peerayuth
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– This paper aimed to investigate whether the cultural intelligence (CQ) of entrepreneurs is associated with the quality of the relationships firms develop with foreign networks.

Design/methodology/approach

– The samples include small and medium manufacturing firms in Thailand. Data were collected with a self-administered questionnaire survey. A list of 1,000 firms was randomly selected from the directory of Thai exporters. A total of 129 surveys were returned. Partial least square regression was used to analyze the data.

Findings

– The results revealed a positive association between the CQ of entrepreneurs and the quality of the relationships that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) had with foreign customers, foreign suppliers and foreign competitors. The quality of the relationships was also associated positively with export performance. However, there was no significant evidence for the role of the quality of relationships with foreign competitors in export performance.

Research limitations/implications

– The use of cross-sectional data makes it difficult to claim causality between the constructs. Moreover, the CQ and export performance measures that use subjective evaluation may cause bias. The small sample size also limits the generalizability of the results.

Practical implications

– The results suggested that CQ is a key capability entrepreneurs must develop to conduct business more successfully in foreign markets.

Social implications

– Because SMEs are considered a key driver of a country’s economic development, CQ training could be an important choice on which the government should focus. Furthermore, as the world economy is more integrated, CQ training can significantly help people improve cross-cultural communication skills which are essential for them to be successful in today’s globalized economy.

Originality/value

– Despite the increasing popularity of CQ research, evidence for its contribution to the ability of entrepreneurs to develop good relationships with foreign firms is lacking. The main contribution of this study is to bridge this research gap by providing empirical evidence.
C:N:P stoichiometry of Artemisia species and close relatives across northern China: unravelling effects of climate, soil and taxonomy
Authors: Yang Xuejun , Huang Zhenying , Zhang Keliang , Cornelissen Johannes H. C.
Published: April 2015

Carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) stoichiometries play critical roles in the function and structure of ecosystems by affecting important ecological processes. Yet, most studies to date have concentrated on foliar stoichiometry of phylogenetically distantly related species.

Here, we hypothesized that (i) plant stoichiometry of closely related species still shows biogeographic patterns because of the geographic patterns of abiotic environment at the regional scale and (ii) even related species still differ strongly in their stoichiometry owing to inherent differences in the absorption and retention of different elements.

To test the hypotheses, we analysed the C:N:P stoichiometry of 48 species of Artemisia and its close relatives from 65 sites across northern China.

Elemental concentrations and stoichiometry had no correlation with latitude or longitude but showed clear altitudinal trends. Climate had a weak effect on plant elemental concentrations and stoichiometry but not on C concentration. Soil chemistry had significant effects on C and P concentrations, C:P and N:P. Nested models revealed that species identity accounted for more than 30% of the total variance of all elemental concentrations and stoichiometric ratios, and different species responded differently to environmental gradients.

Synthesis. Our results highlight that even closely related species can vary importantly in plant elemental stoichiometry. This suggests that ecologists and global change researchers should be careful not to simply take a species’ stoichiometry as representative of an entire taxonomic group for upscaling of plant chemical responses to climatic and edaphic variation in our fast changing world.