bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the anisotropy of the turbulent passive scalar in the presence of a mean scalar gradient
Authors: Bos Wouter J. T.
Published: March 2014

We investigate the origin of the scalar gradient skewness in isotropic turbulence on which a mean scalar gradient is imposed. The problem of the advection of an anisotropic scalar field is reformulated in terms of the advection of an isotropic vector field. For this field, triadic closure equations are derived. It is shown how the scaling of the scalar gradient skewness depends on the choice of the time scale used for the Lagrangian decorrelation of the vector field. The persistent anisotropy in the small scales for the third-order statistics is shown to be perfectly compatible with Corrsin–Obukhov scaling for second-order quantities, since second- and third-order scalar quantities are governed by a different triad correlation time scale. Whereas the inertial range dynamics of second-order scalar quantities is governed by the Lagrangian velocity correlation time, the third-order quantities remain correlated over a time related to the large-scale dynamics of the scalar field. It is argued that this time is determined by the average time it takes for a fluid particle to travel between ramp-cliff scalar structures.
Subgrid-scale backscatter in reacting and inert supersonic hydrogen–air turbulent mixing layers
Authors: O’Brien J. , Urzay J. , Ihme M. , Moin P. , Saghafian A.
Published: March 2014

This study addresses the dynamics of backscatter of kinetic energy in the context of large-eddy simulations (LES) of high-speed turbulent reacting flows. A priori analyses of direct numerical simulations (DNS) of reacting and inert supersonic, time-developing, hydrogen–air turbulent mixing layers with complex chemistry and multicomponent diffusion are conducted here in order to examine the effects of compressibility and combustion on subgrid-scale (SGS) backscatter of kinetic energy. The main characteristics of the aerothermochemical field in the mixing layer are outlined. A selfsimilar period is identified in which some of the turbulent quantities grow in a quasi-linear manner. A differential filter is applied to the DNS flow field to extract filtered quantities of relevance for the large-scale kinetic-energy budget. Spatiotemporal analyses of the flow-field statistics in the selfsimilar regime are performed, which reveal the presence of considerable amounts of SGS backscatter. The dilatation field becomes spatially intermittent as a result of the high-speed compressibility effect. In addition, the large-scale pressure-dilatation work is observed to be an essential mechanism for the local conversion of thermal and kinetic energies. A joint probability density function (PDF) of SGS dissipation and large-scale pressure-dilatation work is provided, which shows that backscatter occurs primarily in regions undergoing volumetric expansion; this implies the existence of an underlying physical mechanism that enhances the reverse energy cascade. Furthermore, effects of SGS backscatter on the Boussinesq eddy viscosity are studied, and a regime diagram demonstrating the relationship between the different energy-conversion modes and the sign of the eddy viscosity is provided along with a detailed budget of the volume fraction in each mode. A joint PDF of SGS dissipation and SGS dynamic-pressure dilatation work is calculated, which shows that high-speed compressibility effects lead to a decorrelation between SGS backscatter and negative eddy viscosities, which increases for increasingly large values of the SGS Mach number and filter width. Finally, it is found that the combustion dynamics have a marginal impact on the backscatter and flow-dilatation distributions, which are mainly dominated by the high-Mach-number effects.
Numerical study on unstable surfaces of oblique detonations
Authors: Teng Hong Hui , Jiang Zong Lin , Ng Hoi Dick
Published: March 2014

In this study, the onset of cellular structure on oblique detonation surfaces is investigated numerically using a one-step irreversible Arrhenius reaction kinetic model. Two types of oblique detonations are observed from the simulations. One is weakly unstable characterized by the existence of a planar surface, and the other is strongly unstable characterized by the immediate formation of the cellular structure. It is found that a high degree of overdrive suppresses the formation of cellular structures as confirmed by the results of many previous studies. However, the present investigation demonstrates that cellular structures also appear with degree of overdrive of 2.06 and 2.37, values much higher than ${\sim }$1.8 suggested previously in the literature for the critical value defining the instability boundary of oblique detonations. This contradiction could be explained by the use of differently shaped walls, a straight wall used in this study and a custom-designed curved wedge system so as to induce straight oblique detonations in previous studies. Another possible reason could be due to the low and possibly insufficient resolution used in previously published studies. Hence, simulations with different grid sizes are also performed to examine the effect of resolution on the numerical solutions. Using the present results, analysis also shows that although the characteristic lengths of unstable surfaces are different when the incident Mach number changes, these length scales are proportional to tangential velocities. Hence, the interior time determined by the overdrive degree is identified, and its limitation as the instability parameter is discussed.
The Relationship Between Social-Emotional Difficulties and Underachievement of Gifted Students
Authors: Blaas Sabrina
Published: March 2014

Gifted students are a diverse minority group with high intelligence and talent whose needs are often unrecognised and unmet. It is believed that this group of students, from a range of backgrounds, socio-economic statuses and abilities, may experience a range of social-emotional difficulties, including peer exclusion, isolation, stress, anxiety, depression and destructive perfectionism. Literature also reveals that gifted and talented students are underachieving at school. Many educators do not recognise or meet the needs of gifted students as there is a false perception that they can look after themselves (Neihard, Reis, Robinson, & Moon, 2002). As research indicates, there is a positive correlation between poor social-emotional development and scholastic underachievement in gifted students (Australian Council for Educational Research, 2010; Queensland Government, 2013). While this may be true, there is limited understanding of how these variables influence one another. Many researchers believe that social-emotional difficulties cause school underachievement, whereas others argue that school underachievement results in social and emotional problems. Furthermore, many researchers dispute these arguments altogether, and believe that these problems are a result of external factors, including family, school, and community environments. Given these contrasting viewpoints, critical investigation is necessary in order to develop a more conclusive understanding of this relationship. This article aims to critically analyse the scope of the current literature, and provides recommendations for further research, as this may result in better development of programs to further support the social-emotional and academic needs of gifted students.
Interest Rate Risk and the Cross Section of Stock Returns
Authors: Lioui Abraham , Maio Paulo
Published: March 2014

We derive a macroeconomic asset pricing model in which the key factor is the opportunity cost of money. The model explains well the cross section of stock returns in addition to the excess market return. The interest rate factor is priced and seems to drive most of the explanatory power of the model. In this model, both value stocks and past long-term losers enjoy higher average (excess) returns because they have higher interest rate risk than growth/past winner stocks. The model significantly outperforms the nested models (capital asset pricing model (CAPM) and consumption CAPM (CCAPM)) and compares favorably with alternative macroeconomic models.
Socio-spatial aspects of ageing in an urban context: an example from three Czech Republic cities
Authors: GALČANOVÁ LUCIE , SÝKOROVÁ DANA
Published: March 2014

The purpose of this study is to examine how older people make sense of the changing urban environment – that is, how they experience, perceive and interpret their everyday interaction with its materiality, as well as their social ties, networks and relations. The results, based on seven focus groups and 37 individual in-depth interviews with older residents of the three most populous Czech cities, show how older people maintain the continuity of their activities, autonomy and independence within the limits of their personal resources in an active relationship with a changing urban environment and within the post-socialist context. The research supports the results of former studies that emphasise the ability of older adults to negotiate their position and actively cope with change while they age in place.
Est modus in rebus: a longitudinal study of intergenerational solidarity and Locus of Control
Authors: BORDONE VALERIA
Published: March 2014

This study challenges the persistent assumption behind research on intergenerational relationships, wondering: ‘can there be too much of a good thing’? The guiding hypothesis states that intergenerational solidarity, although beneficial for older parents' wellbeing at moderate levels, may be negatively associated with their individual sense of control at high levels. In contrast to previous studies, fixed-effects regression models on panel data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing control for selection in solidarity and changes in health. The analysis of 4,811 women and 3,847 men above the age of 50 also accounts for intergenerational conflict. Using multiple dimensions of intergenerational solidarity, our findings offer insight into the different roles of the various types of solidarity and can aid the design of formal and informal social support interventions.
A swarm optimization approach for solving workspace determination of parallel manipulators
Authors: Saputra V. B. , Ong S. K. , Nee A. Y. C.
Published: March 2014

This paper presents a novel method to determine the workspace of parallel manipulators using a variant of the Firefly Algorithm, which is one of the emerging techniques in swarm artificial intelligence. The workspace is defined as a set of all the coordinates in the search space that are accessible by the parallel manipulator end effector. The workspace formulation of the parallel manipulator considered in this paper has actuated and passive joint displacements which values are limited by their physical constraints. A special fitness function that discriminates between accessible and inaccessible coordinates is formulated based on the joint limitations. By finding these coordinates using the proposed Firefly Algorithm, the workspace of the manipulator can be constructed. The proposed method is an easy-to-implement alternative solution to the current numerical methods for workspace determination. The method consists of two stages of operation. The first stage maps the workspace to find the initial results with a space filling approach, in which a number of coordinates in the workspace are identified. The second stage refines the results with a boundary detection approach which focuses on the mapping of the boundaries of the workspace. The method is illustrated by its application to determine the 2D, 3D, and 6D workspaces of a Gough--Stewart Platform manipulator. Furthermore, the method is compared with a more rigorous interval analysis method in terms of computational cost and accuracy.
Leakage-proof nozzle design for RepRap community 3D printer
Authors: Kłodowski Adam , Eskelinen Harri , Semken Scott
Published: March 2014

The RepRap 3D printer development project is a fast growing, open-hardware initiative relying on the input of hobbyist designers. One of its key components is the printer nozzle. The performance and reliability deficiencies of currently available nozzle designs are common topics in the RepRap community, and our own experience with a RepRap 3D printer has identified a need for improvement in a few particular areas. We set out to eliminate melt leakage, improve thermal isolation, and develop a more effective method of nozzle assembly attachment. Here, we review the issues, describe design efforts, and report results.
Succession and environmental variation influence soil exploration potential by fine roots and mycorrhizal fungi in an Atlantic ecosystem in southern Brazil
Authors: Zangaro Waldemar , de Almeida Alves Ricardo , de Souza Priscila Bochi , Rostirola Leila Vergal , Lescano Luiz Eduardo Azevedo Marques , Rondina Artur Berbel Lírio , Nogueira Marco Antonio
Published: March 2014

Fast-growing plant species are plentiful at the early stages of succession and possess roots with greater capacity for soil exploration than slow-growing plant species of late stages. Thus, the dynamics of fine-root production, morphological traits and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) infection intensity were assessed monthly over 1 y in the grassland, scrub, secondary and mature forests of the Atlantic Forest ecosystem, amounting to 13 consecutive samplings. Fine roots were sampled in three 100 × 100-m plots at each study site. Each plot was subdivided in five 20 × 100-m subplots and 15 soil samples were randomly taken from a depth of 0–5 cm in soil within each plot. The average of the fine-root dry mass increased from 1.39 mg cm−3 soil in the grassland to 3.37 mg cm−3 in the secondary forest; fine-root tip diameter varied from 146 μm in the grassland to 303 μm in the mature forest; tissue density from 0.24 g cm−3 root in the grassland to 0.30 g cm−3 in the mature forest and fine-root length was 4.52 cm cm−3 soil in the grassland and 6.48 cm cm−3 soil in the secondary forest. On the other hand, fine-root specific length decreased from 43.9 m g−1 root to 18.3 m g−1 root in the mature forest; incidence of root hairs was 67% in the grassland and 30% in the mature forest; the length of root hairs was 215 μm in the grassland and 112 μm in the mature forest; and the intensity of AMF infection decreased from 66% in the grassland to 17% in the mature forest. In addition to AMF infection, the environmental variation also affected dry mass production and morphological traits of fine roots. During the cool season, fine-root dry mass, fine-root length, incidence and length of root hairs and intensity of AMF infection decreased compared with the warm season. We verified that the potential for soil exploration, that expresses the capacity for nutrient acquisition via fine roots and AMF infection intensity, decreased during the cool season and with the advance of the successional groups. These results indicate that fine-root traits and intensity of AMF infection are influenced by the intrinsic nutrient requirements of the plant species in each ecological group.
Biogeochemical responses to nutrient, moisture and temperature manipulations of soil from Signy Island, South Orkney Islands in the Maritime Antarctic
Authors: Benhua Sun , Dennis P.G. , Laudicina V.A. , Ord V.J. , Rushton S.P. , O’Donnell A.G. , Newsham K.K. , Hopkins D.W.
Published: March 2014

We have investigated how the microbially-driven processes of carbon (C) mineralization (respiration) and nitrogen (N) mineralization/immobilization in a soil from the northern Maritime Antarctic respond to differences in water availability (20% and 80% water-holding capacity) and temperature (5°C and 15°C) in the presence and absence of different organic substrates (2 mg C as either glucose, glycine or tryptone soy broth (TSB) powder (a complex microbial growth medium)) in a controlled laboratory experiment over 175 days. Soil respiration and N mineralization/immobilization in the presence of a C-rich substrate (glucose) increased with increases in water and temperature. These factors were influential individually and had an additive effect when applied together. For the N-rich substrates (glycine and TSB), microbial responses to increased water or temperature alone were weak or not significant, but these factors interacted to give significantly positive increases when applied together. These data indicate that under the expected changes in environmental conditions in the Maritime Antarctic, where temperature and the availability of water and organic substrates will probably increase, soil microbial activity will lead to more rapid C and N cycling and have a positive feedback on these biogeochemical processes, particularly where or when these factors increase concurrently.
Tithe Series and Grain Production in Central Spain, 1700–1800
Authors: SANTIAGO-CABALLERO CARLOS
Published: March 2014

The following paper presents the original tithe series for the province of Guadalajara in central Spain. The new series contribute to recent debates on pre-modern economic growth, thus improving knowledge of a key region of Spain. The study includes analysis of the four main grains, wheat, barley, rye and oats, and the evolution of their production during the eighteenth century. The series complete previous estimates of grain production for New Castile and suggest that this was a period of growth. However, the increase was not a sustained process but one with intense imbalances, with production reaching its peak in the mid 1750s followed by a deep crisis and very weak recovery. Wheat was clearly the most important of the four grains in volume and especially in value. Its predominance was maintained thanks to a demand encouraged by the demographic growth that took place during the eighteenth century. The production of wheat was also the most stable, followed by barley, oats and rye, as might be expected given that the grain was usually cultivated in the most fertile lands. A comparison with other tithe series from the interior of Spain reveals similarities, such as the crisis of the 1760s, but also different recuperation trends. The findings indicate that Guadalajara followed a growth pattern characteristic of a traditional economy in the interior of Spain.
LONG VACATION PASTORALS: CLOUGH, TENNYSON, AND THE POETRY OF THE LIBERAL UNIVERSITY
Authors: Barton Anna
Published: March 2014

In the opening passage ofA Room of One's Own, Virginia Woolf catches herself, and is subsequently caught out, in a moment of reflection on the banks of a river, within the grounds of a barely fictionalised “Oxbridge University”:

Here then was I (call me Mary Beton, Mary Seton, Mary Carmichael or by any name you please – it is not a matter of any importance) sitting on the banks of a river a week or two ago in fine October weather, lost in thought. That collar I have spoken of, women and fiction, the need of coming to some conclusion on a subject that raises all sorts of prejudices and passions, bowed my head to the ground. To the right and left bushes of some sort, golden and crimson, glowed with the colour, even it seemed burnt with the heat, of fire. On the further bank the willows wept in perpetual lamentation, their hair about their shoulders. The river reflected whatever it chose of sky and bridge and burning tree, and when the undergraduate had oared his boat through the reflections they closed again, completely, as if he had never been. There one might have sat the clock round lost in thought. (6–7)

In this fictional account of her trespass on university property, Woolf forges a close association between the environment in which she does her thinking and what she thinks, so that body, mind, and text are shown to be engaged in the same work. Her thoughts, she suggests, have a physical weight: they bow her head to the ground. The landscape bows with her so that a momentarily surreal vista of flaming leaves and long-haired trees is at once the place she is sitting and the space of her imagination, and the “reflections” through which the undergraduate oars take on a double meaning as the boat floats through her consciousness and back out again. The interruption of the beadle causes her to lose her train of thought: it is a fish that jumps and then disappears back into the river. This reverie, which rehearses the lecture's central argument concerning the material conditions required for gender equality, identifies the university as a case in point. Oxbridge is experienced by Woolf's fictional avatar as a place where intellectual freedom is achieved within a series of carefully regulated spaces, and her essay balances the attraction and acknowledged value of these exclusive spaces against the experience of her own exclusion. As so often in her work, the geography of Woolf's prose is haunted by the Victorians, whose lyric voices she can only half hear as she sits at a college window. Her essay therefore invites a return to nineteenth-century accounts of university life that pay attention to the material, or formal, delineations of the university.
THE GOVERNESS, HER BODY, AND THRESHOLDS INTHE ROMANCE OF LUST
Authors: Dau Duc
Published: March 2014

In his groundbreaking study ofVictorian pornography,The Other Victorians, Steven Marcus draws on passages fromThe Romance of Lust(1873–76) to elucidate his now-famous term, “pornotopia.” To Marcus's mind, this text, like other pornographic novels, has few, if any, redeeming features. While the literary novel fleshes out the lives of its characters, pornography dwells endlessly on fleshly relations, he argues. Pornography, in fact, tends towards utopian fantasy, towards pornotopia. “More than most utopias,” says Marcus, “pornography takes the injunction of its etymology literally – it may be said largely to exist at no place, and to take place in nowhere” (268). In a pornotopia, time is always bedtime (269), life begins not at birth but at the moment of sexual awakening (270), and relations between characters are merely juxtapositions of bodies, body parts, and organs (274). Introducing an orgy scene fromThe Romance of Lust, Marcus asserts, “[t]his novel comes as close as anything I know to being a pure pornotopia in the sense that almost every human consideration apart from sexuality is excluded from it” (274). Pornography's lack, that is, its apparent disconnection from realistic settings and human relations, is a consequence and sign of human deprivation. “Pornotopia could in fact only have been imagined by persons who have suffered extreme deprivation,” he holds, “and I do not by this mean sexual deprivation in the genital sense alone. . . . The insatiability depicted in it seems to me to be literal insatiability, and the orgies endlessly represented are the visions of permanently hungry men” (273). Thus, “[i]nside of every pornographer there is an infant screaming for the breast from which he has been torn” (274).
IDENTIFYING ANNE MOZLEY'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO THECHRISTIAN REMEMBRANCER: A COMPUTATIONAL STYLISTIC APPROACH
Authors: Antonia Alexis , Jordan Ellen
Published: March 2014

Over the last thirty years thegrowing academic interest in both Victorian periodicals and women's issues in the nineteenth century has focussed interest on the women journalists who wrote for the serious quarterlies and monthlies published during this period. The part played by such writers as Harriet Martineau, Elizabeth Eastlake, and Frances Power Cobbe in the development of Victorian thought is now well known, while that of less prolific contributors is increasingly attracting scholarly attention. One of the authors gradually being rescued from oblivion is Anne Mozley (1809–1891), with her views on both contemporary literature and debates about the social position of women being seen as of interest.
An exploration and comparison of food and drink availability in homes in a sample of families of White and Pakistani origin within the UK
Authors: Bryant Maria , Sahota Pinki , Santorelli Gillian , Hill Andrew
Published: March 2014

Objective

Knowledge of the types and quantities of foods and drinks available in family homes supports the development of targeted intervention programmes for obesity prevention or management, or for overall diet improvement. In the UK, contemporary data on foods that are available within family homes are lacking. The present study aimed to explore home food and drink availability in UK homes.

Design

An exploratory study using researcher-conducted home food availability inventories, measuring all foods and drinks within the categories of fruits, vegetables, snack foods and beverages.

Setting

Bradford, a town in the north of the UK.

Subjects

Opportunistic sample of mixed ethnicity families with infants approximately 18 months old from the Born in Bradford birth cohort.

Results

All homes had at least one type of fruit, vegetable and snack available. Fresh fruits commonly available were oranges, bananas, apples, satsumas and grapes. Commonly available fresh vegetables included potatoes, cucumber, tomatoes and carrots. The single greatest non-fresh fruit available in homes was raisins. Non-fresh vegetables contributing the most were frozen mixed vegetables, tinned tomatoes and tinned peas. Ethnic differences were found for the availability of fresh fruits and sugar-sweetened beverages, which were both found in higher amounts in Pakistani homes compared with White homes.

Conclusions

These data contribute to international data on availability and provide an insight into food availability within family homes in the UK. They have also supported a needs assessment of the development of a culturally specific obesity prevention intervention in which fruits and vegetables and sugar-sweetened beverages are targeted.
Is obesity associated with iron status in the elderly? A case study from Sharpeville, South Africa
Authors: Oldewage-Theron Wilna H , Egal Abdulkadir A , Grobler Christa J
Published: March 2014

Objective

To investigate the relationship between poor Fe status and overweight or obesity in elderly respondents in South Africa.

Design

Cross-sectional, observational baseline survey.

Setting

Sharpeville, South Africa.

Subjects

A sample size calculation determined a representative sample of 104 randomly selected elderly (≥60 years) respondents. Measurements included weight, height, biochemical and haematological parameters. Measured BMI was used to categorise the respondents into normal weight, overweight and obese groups.

Results

The majority of the women were overweight (28·4 %) or obese (54·6 %); 58 % of the respondents had normal Fe status, 15 % were classified as Fe depleted, 9 % as Fe deficient and 13 % as Fe-deficient anaemic. Ten per cent of the respondents had low Hb levels with no other low Fe status parameters, and were thus anaemic due to other causes. A significant correlation (r= 0·318,P< 0·001) existed between BMI and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). hs-CRP was negatively correlated to serum Fe levels (r= −0·319,P< 0·001). No significant relationships existed between BMI and Fe status parameters.

Conclusions

A coexistence of obesity and poor Fe status were observed in these elderly respondents. The positive relationship between hs-CRP and BMI indicated chronic inflammation in the higher BMI groups. The negative relationship between hs-CRP and serum Fe indicated that lower serum Fe levels were related to the inflammation linked with higher BMI. A relationship between obesity-related chronic, low-grade inflammation and poor Fe status has been found in adults, but the significance of the current study is that this relationship was also confirmed for elderly persons.
Is Localized Infrared Spectroscopy Now Possible in the Electron Microscope?
Authors: Rez Peter
Published: March 2014

The recently developed in-column monochromators make it possible to record energy-c spectra with resolutions better than 30 meV from nanometer-sized regions. It should therefore in principle be possible to detect localized vibrational excitations. The scattering geometry in the electron microscope means that bond stretching in the specimen plane or longitudinal optic phonons dominate the scattering. Most promising for initial studies are vibrations with energies between 300 and 400 meV from hydrogen bonded to other atoms. Estimates of the scattering cross-sections on the basis of a simple model show that they are about the same as inner shell scattering cross-sections. Cross-sections also increase with charge transfer between the atoms, and theory incorporating realistic charge distributions shows that signal/noise is the only limitation to high-resolution imaging. Given the magnitude of the scattering cross-sections, minimizing the tail of the zero-loss peak is just as important as achieving a small-width at half-maximum. Improvements in both resolution and controlling the zero-loss tail will be necessary before it is practical to detect optic phonons in solids between 40 and 60 meV.
Caregiver burden in end-of-life care: Advanced cancer and final stage of dementia
Authors: Costa-Requena Gema , Espinosa Val MaCarmen , Cristòfol Ramon
Published: March 2014

Objective:

Considering two advanced illnesses, cancer and end-stage dementia, the aim of this study was to describe the symptoms of caregiver psychological distress and burden.

Method:

In this cross-sectional study, regression analyses were calculated to explain the influence of psychological distress in caregiver burden. A t test was employed to compare differences between the symptoms of caregiver burden.

Results:

The percentage of psychological distress was similar between caregivers of cancer patients (77.6%) and caregivers of dementia patients (72.4%). In the regression analysis, cancer caregiver distress accounted for 27.9% of the variance in symptoms of burden, while dementia caregiver distress accounted for 24.4% of the variance in symptoms of burden. No significant differences were revealed when comparing caregiver burden symptoms between caregivers of the two advanced illnesses (t = 0.06; p = 0.94).

Significance of Results:

In end-of-life care for patients with dementia, due to significant levels of caregiver distress and burden symptoms, there is a need to support caregivers in the same way as is done for caregivers of cancer patients.
Adult offspring of high-fat diet-fed dams can have normal glucose tolerance and body composition
Authors: Platt K. M. , Charnigo R. J. , Pearson K. J.
Published: March 2014

Maternal high-fat diet consumption and obesity have been shown to program long-term obesity and lead to impaired glucose tolerance in offspring. Many rodent studies, however, use non-purified, cereal-based diets as the control for purified high-fat diets. In this study, primiparous ICR mice were fed purified control diet (10–11 kcal% from fat of lard or butter origin) and lard (45 or 60 kcal% fat) or butter (32 or 60 kcal% fat)-based high-fat diets for 4 weeks before mating, throughout pregnancy, and for 2 weeks of nursing. Before mating, female mice fed the 32 and 60% butter-based high-fat diets exhibited impaired glucose tolerance but those females fed the lard-based diets showed normal glucose disposal following a glucose challenge. High-fat diet consumption by female mice of all groups decreased lean to fat mass ratios during the 4th week of diet treatment compared with those mice consuming the 10–11% fat diets. All females were bred to male mice and pregnancy and offspring outcomes were monitored. The body weight of pups born to 45% lard-fed dams was significantly increased before weaning, but only female offspring born to 32% butter-fed dams exhibited long-term body weight increases. Offspring glucose tolerance and body composition were measured for at least 1 year. Minimal, if any, differences were observed in the offspring parameters. These results suggest that many variables should be considered when designing future high-fat diet feeding and maternal obesity studies in mice.
Methodology of a combined approach: analytical techniques to identify the technology and raw materials used in thin-walled pottery from Herculaneum and Pompeii
Authors: Giannossa L. C. , Acquaviva M. , De Benedetto G. E. , Acquafredda P. , Laviano R. , Mangone A.
Published: March 2014

This study focuses on defining compositional and structural characteristics of ceramic bodies and surfaces of thin-walled pottery (2ndcent. BC–3rdcent. AD) in the Vesuvian area.
Fragmentation and exfoliation of 2-dimensional materials: a statistical approach
Authors: Kouroupis-Agalou Konstantinos , Liscio Andrea , Treossi Emanuele , Ortolani Luca , Morandi Vittorio , Pugno Nicola Maria , Palermo Vincenzo
Published: March 2014

We used automatized image processing of AFM data to measure, one by one, the exact shape and size of thousands of nanosheets obtained by exfoliation of a 2D-material, boron nitride.
Optical properties of PbS nanocrystal quantum dots at ambient and elevated pressure
Authors: Bian Kaifu , Richards Benjamin T. , Yang Hanqing , Bassett William , Wise Frank W. , Wang Zhongwu , Hanrath Tobias
Published: March 2014

We investigated pressure-dependent changes in the optical properties of PbS nanocrystal quantum dots (NQD) by combining X-ray scattering and optical absorption spectroscopy in a diamond anvil cell.
A long-life lithium-ion battery with a highly porous TiNb2O7 anode for large-scale electrical energy storage
Authors: Guo Bingkun , Yu Xiqian , Sun Xiao-Guang , Chi Miaofang , Qiao Zhen-An , Liu Jue , Hu Yong-Sheng , Yang Xiao-Qing , Goodenough John B. , Dai Sheng
Published: March 2014

A TiNb2O7 material with a nanoporous structure was prepared by a facile approach and can be used as an anode with excellent rate and cycling performance for long-life stationary lithium-ion batteries.
NaYF4:Yb,Tm nanocrystals and TiO2 inverse opal composite films: a novel device for upconversion enhancement and solid-based sensing of avidin
Authors: Xu Sai , Xu Wen , Wang Yunfeng , Zhang Shuang , Zhu Yongsheng , Tao Li , Xia Lei , Zhou Pingwei , Song Hongwei
Published: March 2014

The TiO2/NaYF4:Yb,Tm composite film represents an excellent long-time photostable upconversion sensor for the detection of avidin.
Highly graphitized nitrogen-doped porous carbon nanopolyhedra derived from ZIF-8 nanocrystals as efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reactions
Authors: Zhang Linjie , Su Zixue , Jiang Feilong , Yang Lingling , Qian Jinjie , Zhou Youfu , Li Wenmu , Hong Maochun
Published: March 2014

Nitrogen-doped graphitic porous carbon nanopolyhedra synthesized by direct carbonization of ZIF-8 nanocrystals exhibited highly efficient oxygen reduction in alkaline media.
Statistical modelling of a non‐linear high‐power amplifier with memory in multi‐input–multi‐output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing systems
Authors: Hemesi Hossein , Abdipour Abdolali , Mohammadi Abbas
Published: March 2014

A simple and accurate statistical model (SASM) for a high‐power amplifier (HPA) with memory in multi‐input multi‐output (MIMO) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems is proposed. This model is statistically equivalent to the more complex generalised memory polynomial (GMP) model, which is one of the most accurate models. The HPA distortion is modelled using stationary white Gaussian noise sources that pass through finite impulse response (FIR) filters. The filter coefficients and the variance of noise sources are derived analytically from the GMP model parameters by spectral decomposition of the GMP noise power spectrum. The number of FIR filters is equal to the memory length of the GMP model. The HPA effect on the OFDM signal, considered as frequency‐dependent attenuation coefficients, is modelled using another FIR filter. These FIR filters with small lengths make the model computationally inexpensive and mathematically tractable. The main characteristics of this model are identical bit error rate (BER) and error vector magnitude of subcarriers with those in the GMP model. The proposed model is the simplest representation of a HPA with memory effects. An excellent agreement between the simulation results of the SASM and GMP model is observed. This verifies the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method.
The Development of Trade Fair Ecologies in China: Case Studies from Chengdu and Shanghai
Authors: Bathelt Harald , Zeng Gang
Published: March 2014

Despite China's rapid economic growth and embedding into global value chains, not much is known about the primary places where buyers and sellers from China and abroad meet, do business, and circulate information and knowledge: That is, the national/international trade fairs in the country. Previous reports suggest that the number and size of such events in China is growing and that the trade fair business is in the process of catching up. Under these circumstances, trade fairs may develop into import or export events, where buyers and sellers engage in transactions, or into temporary clusters, where they exchange knowledge for industrial upgrading and innovation. In this context this paper explores the interaction and communication patterns of firms at Chinese trade fairs and investigates whether these events are similar to those in Europe and North America. The analysis involves systematic comparison of the communication and interaction practices at three national/international trade fairs in Shanghai and Chengdu, based on a total of 102 semistructured interviews.
Plasmalemma localisation of DOUBLE HYBRID PROLINE-RICH PROTEIN 1 and its function in systemic acquired resistance of Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Li Ben-Chang , Zhang Chen , Chai Qiu-Xia , Han Yao-Yao , Wang Xiao-Yan , Liu Meng-Xin , Feng Huan , Xu Zi-Qin
Published: March 2014

The protein encoded by AtDHyPRP1 (DOUBLE HYBRID PROLINE-RICH PROTEIN 1) contains two tandem PRD-8CMs (proline-rich domain-eight cysteine motif) and represents a new type of HyPRPs (hybrid proline-rich proteins). Confocal microscopy to transgenic Arabidopsis plants revealed that AtDHyPRP1-GFP was localised to plasmalemma, especially plasmodesmata. AtDHyPRP1 mainly expressed in leaf tissues and could be induced by salicylic acid, methyl jasmonate, virulent Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pst DC3000) and avirulent P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000 harbouring avrRPM1 (Pst avrRPM1), suggesting it is involved in defence response of Arabidopsis thaliana (L. Heynh.). After treatments with bacterial suspension of virulent Pst DC3000 or conidial suspension of Botrytis cinerea, AtDHyPRP1 overexpressing lines exhibited enhanced resistance, whereas AtDHyPRP1 RNA interference lines became more susceptible to the pathogens with obvious chlorosis or necrosis phenotypes. In systemic acquired resistance (SAR) analyses, distal leaves were challenged with virulent Pst DC3000 after inoculation of the primary leaves with avirulent Pst avrRPM1 (AV) or MgSO4 (MV). Compared with MV, the infection symptoms in systemic leaves of wild-type plants and AtDHyPRP1 overexpressing lines were significantly alleviated in AV treatment, whereas the systemic leaves of AtDHyPRP1 RNAi lines were vulnerable to Pst DC3000, indicating AtDHyPRP1 was functionally associated with SAR.
Testing the effectiveness of surveying techniques in determining bat community composition within woodland
Authors: Lintott Paul R. , Fuentes-Montemayor Elisa , Goulson Dave , Park Kirsty J.
Published: March 2014

Context Determining the biodiversity of an area is essential for making targeted conservation decisions. Undertaking surveys to confirm species presence or to estimate population sizes can be difficult, particularly for elusive species. Bats are able to detect and avoid traps, making it difficult to quantify abundance. Although acoustic surveys using bat detectors are often used as a surrogate for relative abundance, the implicit assumption that there is a positive correlation between activity levels and abundance is rarely tested. Aims We assessed the effectiveness of surveying techniques (i.e. trapping and acoustic monitoring) for detecting species presence and tested the strength of collinearity among methods. In addition, we tested whether the use of an acoustic lure (a bat-call synthesiser) increased bat-capture rate and therefore species detectability. Methods Surveying was carried out over 3 years in central Scotland (UK), in 68 woodlands within predominantly agricultural or urban landscapes. Key results There was a significant positive relationship between bat activity recorded on ultrasonic detectors and the relative abundance of Pipistrellus pygmaeus and P. pipistrellus, but not those in the genus Myotis. In general, acoustic monitoring was more effective than trapping at determining species presence; however, to ensure rarer or quiet species are recorded, a complementary approach is required. Broadcasting four different types of echolocation call resulted in a 2–12-fold increase in trapping success across four species of insectivorous bat found in the study region. Whereas lure effectiveness remained unchanged for female P. pygmaeus over time, there was a marked increase in the number of males captured using the lure throughout the summer (May to September). Conclusions In the present study, we have demonstrated a variety of ways to increase surveying efficiency, which can maximise the knowledge of diversity in an area, minimise wildlife disturbance, and enhance surveying effectiveness. Implications Increasing surveying efficiency can improve the accuracy of targeted conservation decisions.
Testing aptitude for interpreting
Authors: Russo Mariachiara
Published: March 2014

This longitudinal study on the predictive value of ‘simultaneous’ Italian-to-Italian oral paraphrasing as an aptitude test for interpreting was conducted on 64 conference interpreting students at the University of Bologna (Forlì). All students completed their course with Italian as their ‘A’ language, having passed the entrance examination (which included a paraphrase test, recorded for evaluation) during the period 2004–2006. Using paraphrase as a pre-interpreting aptitude test in a smaller sample, Russo and Pippa (2004) found a significant correlation between course outcome measures (average interpreting exam mark and number of exam sessions needed to pass all interpreting exams) and two of the evaluation parameters for paraphrasing: ‘synonymic substitution’ (use of synonyms and equivalent expressions) and ‘loss of coherence’. The present study examined whether, in a different setting, these two parameters and the students’ actual admission test mark for paraphrase/recall testing correlated with the same outcome measures. Ability to use synonyms showed the highest validity in relation to the number of interpreting exam sessions, correctly classifying 48 out of 64 students (75%) as ‘slow’ (> 6 sessions: test sensitivity = 80%) or ‘fast’ (≤ 6 sessions: test specificity = 71%). Results thus indicate that an oral ‘real time’ paraphrasing test can help identify such prerequisites of effective interpreting as mental flexibility and expressive ability.
Putting interpreting admissions exams to the test
Authors: Chabasse Catherine , Kader Stephanie
Published: March 2014

With increasing numbers of students wishing to become conference interpreters, but limited capacities in most university degree programs, accurate admission testing is an important means of predicting an applicant’s chances of completing the program successfully. This article focuses on three aptitude tests for simultaneous interpretation: Pöchhacker’s SynCloze test; Chabasse’s cognitive shadowing test; and Timarová’s personalized cloze test. The test battery was administered at the start of the 2009/2010 academic year to students beginning the two-year Master’s program in conference interpreting (MA KD) at Germersheim. Correlations between test performance and subsequent exam grades at the end of the second semester were examined for all three tests. Given the large number of applicants each year, practical feasibility of the tests was taken into consideration with a view to scheduling the format and content of the entrance exam for the 2012/2013 academic year. In this perspective, cognitive shadowing was identified as the most useful test under the existing time constraints.
Citizenship(s), belonging and xenophobia
Authors: Viteri Maria Amelia
Published: March 2014

This article uses a linguistic anthropological approach to map and analyze the relationship between constructions of gayness vis-à-vis xenophobia and media discourses around it. This article is part of a broader research study that looks at the life strategies of the Ecuadorian Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community in New York City in the face of exclusion resulting in xenophobia. This community’s Ecuador-New York trajectory is marked not only by their identities as immigrants but also by other forms of diversity — race, class, ethnicity, migrant status and citizenship. The story of Renato, one of the Ecuadorian gay men interviewed is used as a backdrop to flesh out how language “acts” within this particular situated context.
Poetry translators and regional vernacular voice
Authors: Jones Francis R.
Published: March 2014

This study investigates how poetry translators tackle source regional voice within their wider approach to poetic text. It analyses eleven translators’ ‘outputs’ of Scots and English translations from Giuseppe Belli’s 19th-century regionallanguage sonnets, which are set in working-class Rome. Each output was coded for voice (space, community, tenor marking), text-world space, and poetic form (rhyme, rhythm), then analysed quantitatively and qualitatively; translator interviews and translators’ written commentaries provided extra data. Translators ranged along a spectrum (apparently genre-specific) between two extremes: (1) ‘relocalising’ voice into target regional language/dialect with similar workingclass and informal features to Belli’s originals, whilst relocalising place and person names to target-country analogies, and recreating rhyme and rhythm; (2) translating into standard (supra-regional, literary/educated, neutral-toformal) English, whilst preserving Belli’s Roman setting, but replacing rhyme and rhythm by free verse. This reflects a spectrum between two priorities: (1) creatively conveying poetic texture; (2) replicating surface semantics.
Measuring translation difficulty
Authors: Sun Sanjun , Shreve Gregory M.
Published: March 2014

The purpose of this study was to find a method to measure difficulty in a translation task. Readability formulas have been suggested to be a useful tool and yet this needs to be empirically tested. In this study, NASA Task Load Index, a multidimensional scale for measuring mental workload, was used to assess the level of translation difficulty for the translator. It was found that a text’s readability only partially accounts for its translation difficulty level. Translation quality score was found to be an unreliable indicator of translation difficulty level, while time-on-task was significantly, but weakly, related to translation difficulty level. A formula was developed to predict a text’s translation difficulty level for a translator by using the translator’s pre-translation rating.
Revisiting the Iranian Crisis of 1946: How Much More Do We Know?
Authors: Fawcett Louise
Published: March 2014

The Iranian crisis of 1946 occupies a significant place in the early history of the Cold War. While this fact has been increasingly acknowledged by scholars, there remain aspects of the crisis, in particular the motivations of the major actors involved, which demand further exploration. This article reconsiders the roles of early Cold War actors, including the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union and Iran itself in the Azerbaijan crisis and offers a synthesis of different perspectives. In revisiting the crisis it draws upon Cold War and post-Cold War literature including recently available archival material. It aims to combine contributions from International Relations, the Cold War and Iranian history to offer a balanced and integrated narrative of events.