bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Extreme weather events and plant–plant interactions: shifts between competition and facilitation among grassland species in the face of drought and heavy rainfall
Authors: Grant Kerstin , Kreyling Juergen , Heilmeier Hermann , Beierkuhnlein Carl , Jentsch Anke 
Published: August 2014

AbstractBiotic interactions play an important role in ecosystem function and structure in the face of global climate change. We tested how plant–plant interactions, namely competition and facilitation among grassland species, respond to extreme drought and heavy rainfall events. We also examined how the functional composition (grasses, forbs, legumes) of grassland communities influenced the competition intensity for grass species when facing extreme events. We exposed experimental grassland communities of different functional compositions to either an extreme single drought event or to a prolonged heavy rainfall event. Relative neighbour effect, relative crowding and interaction strength were calculated for five widespread European grassland species to quantify competition. Single climatic extremes caused species specific shifts in plant–plant interactions from facilitation to competition or vice versa but the nature of the shifts varied depending on the community composition. Facilitation by neighbouring plants was observed for Arrhenatherum elatius when subjected to drought. Contrarily, the facilitative effect of neighbours on Lotus corniculatus was transformed into competition. Heavy rainfall increased the competitive effect of neighbours on Holcus lanatus and Lotus corniculatus in communities composed of three functional groups. Competitive pressure on Geranium pratense and Plantago lanceolata was not affected by extreme weather events. Neither heavy rainfall nor extreme drought altered the overall productivity of the grassland communities. The complementary responses in competition intensity experienced by grassland species under drought suggest biotic interactions as one stabilizing mechanism for overall community performance. Understanding competitive dynamics under fluctuating resources is important for assessing plant community shifts and degree of stability of ecosystem functions.
Younger age and female sex predict a better therapeutic response in HBeAg‐positive chronic hepatitis B patients to entecavir therapy
Authors: Su Wei‐Chih , Hsieh Tsung‐Cheng , Hsieh Tsai‐Yuan , Tseng Kuo‐Chih , Peng Cheng‐Yuan , Lin Chih‐Lin , Su Tung‐Hung , Hsiao Tsung‐Hsien , Tseng Tai‐Chung , Lin Hans Hsienhong , Wang Chia‐Chi , Kao Jia‐Horng 
Published: August 2014

SummaryBackgroundClinical trials and real‐world data confirm the efficacy of entecavir treatment for chronic hepatitis B (CHB); however, the factors associated with a favorable response remain unknown.MethodsIn a retrospective multicenter study, 132 treatment‐naïve hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)‐positive CHB patients (71% male; median age, 40.2 years) received entecavir therapy for >2 years. At baseline, 15% of these patients had cirrhosis. The primary endpoint was HBeAg loss at 2 years of entecavir treatment.ResultsThe rates of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) normalization at treatment Year 1 and Year 2 were 86% and 88%, respectively. The cumulative rate of HBeAg loss at treatment Year 1 and Year 2 were 17% and 33.3%, respectively. The rates of undetectable levels of serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) at treatment Year 1 and Year 2 were 64% and 80.8%, respectively. In univariate analysis, HBeAg loss at 2 years was associated with a young age (≤35 years; p = 0.007) and a high baseline ALT level (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis after adjusting for age, sex, and ALT level [>5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN)] showed that a young age (odds ratio, 2.66; 95% confidence interval, 1.2–5.92) and male sex (odds ratio, 0.36; 95% confidence interval, 0.16–0.83) were independent factors associated with HBeAg loss at 2 years of therapy.ConclusionTwo‐year entecavir therapy has good biochemical and virologic responses; however, the rate of HBeAg loss is modest in HBeAg‐positive CHB patients. A young age (i.e., ≤35 years) and female sex were also associated with a better serologic response.
Distinction between the Youngest Toba Tuff and Oldest Toba Tuff from northern Sumatra based on the area density of spontaneous fission tracks in their glass shards
Authors: Westgate John A. , Pearce Nicholas J.G. , Gatti Emma , Achyuthan Hema 
Published: August 2014

AbstractDetermination of the area density of spontaneous fission tracks (ρs) in glass shards of Toba tephra is a reliable way to distinguish between the Youngest Toba Tuff (YTT) and the Oldest Toba Tuff (OTT). The ρsvalues for YTT, uncorrected for partial track fading, range from 70 to 181 tracks/cm2with a weighted mean of 108 ± 5 tracks/cm2, based on 15 samples. Corrected ρsvalues for YTT are in the range of 77–140 tracks/cm2with a weighted mean of 113 ± 8 tracks/cm2, within the range of uncorrected ρsvalues. No significant difference in ρsexists between YTT samples collected from marine and continental depositional settings. The uncorrected ρsfor OTT is 1567 ± 114 tracks/cm2so that confusion with YTT is unlikely.The ρsvalues of the Toba tephra at Bori, Morgaon, and Gandhigram in northwestern India indicate a YTT identity, in agreement with geochemical data on their glass shards, the presence of multiple glass populations, and a glass fission-track age determination. Therefore, the view of others that OTT is present at these sites – and thereby indicates an early Pleistocene age for the associated Acheulean artifacts – is incorrect.
IN THE SHADOW OF “PROPHETIC LEGISLATION”: THE VENTURE OF PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY AFTER AVICENNA
Authors: Kaya M. Cüneyt 
Published: August 2014

AbstractThe article aims to demonstrate that Avicenna's (d. 428/1037) centrality in Islamic intellectual history is not restricted to the branches of theoretical philosophy; rather, he also has had a deep and strong influence on the conception of practical philosophy until modern times. I will discuss the impact of Avicenna's view of practical philosophy by analyzing his different classifications of practical philosophy throughout his career and the factors behind his disregard for practical philosophy in his philosophicalsummason the basis of his view of the relationship between philosophy andšarīʿa. To demonstrate my argument regarding Avicenna's influence on the conception of practical philosophy in Islamic tradition, I will refer to major works on the classification of sciences, and the commentaries (šurūḥ) and glosses (ḥāwāšī) on the two most important and widely circulated philosophicalsummasin the post-Avicennan philosophy, which are al-Abharī's (d. 663/1264)Hidāyat al-ḥikmaand al-Kātibī's (d. 675/1276)Ḥikmat al-ʿayn.
Lexical and Phonological Processing in Visual Word Recognition by Stuttering Children: Evidence from Spanish
Authors: Álvarez Carlos J. , Hernández-Jaramillo Janeth , Hernández-Cabrera Juan A. 
Published: August 2014

AbstractA number of studies have pointed out that stuttering-like disfluencies could be the result of failures in central and linguistic processing. The goal of the present paper is to analyze if stuttering implies deficits in the lexical and phonological processing in visual word recognition. This study compares the performance of 28 children with and without stuttering in a standard lexical decision task in a transparent orthography: Spanish. Word frequency and syllable frequency were manipulated in the experimental words. Stutterers were found to be considerably slower (in their correct responses) and produced more errors than the non- stutterers (χ(1) = 36.63, p < .001, η2 = .60). There was also a facilitation effect of syllable frequency, restricted to low frequency words and only in the stutterers group (t1(10) = 3.67, p < .005; t2(36) = 3.10, p < .001). These outcomes appear to suggest that the decoding process of stutterers exhibits a deficit in the interface between the phonological-syllabic level and the word level.
Large Area Stress Distribution in Crystalline Materials Calculated from Lattice Deformation Identified by Electron Backscatter Diffraction
Authors: Shao Yongliang , Zhang Lei , Hao Xiaopeng , Wu Yongzhong , Dai Yuanbin , Tian Yuan , Huo Qin 
Published: August 2014

AbstractWe report a method to obtain the stress of crystalline materials directly from lattice deformation by Hooke's law. The lattice deformation was calculated using the crystallographic orientations obtained from electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technology. The stress distribution over a large area was obtained efficiently and accurately using this method. Wurtzite structure gallium nitride (GaN) crystal was used as the example of a hexagonal crystal system. With this method, the stress distribution of a GaN crystal was obtained. Raman spectroscopy was used to verify the stress distribution. The cause of the stress distribution found in the GaN crystal was discussed from theoretical analysis and EBSD data. Other properties related to lattice deformation, such as piezoelectricity, can also be analyzed by this novel approach based on EBSD data.
Use of the ADOS for Assessing Spontaneous Expressive Language in Young Children With ASD: A Comparison of Sampling Contexts
Authors: Kover Sara T. , Davidson Meghan M. , Sindberg Heidi A. , Weismer Susan Ellis 
Published: August 2014

Purpose
The current study compared the spontaneous expressive language of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) across multiple language sampling contexts: the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS; Lord, Rutter, DiLavore, & Risi, 1999) and play with an examiner or parent.

Method

Participants were children with ASD (
n
= 63; 55 boys) with a mean age of 45 months (
SD
= 3.94, range = 37–53). The number of utterances produced; percentage of intelligible utterances; number of different words; mean length of utterance; and the number of requests, comments, and instances of turn-taking were calculated for the ADOS, examiner–child play, and parent–child play. Children were categorized into Tager-Flusberg et al.'s (2009) developmental language phases for each context.

Results
Effects of sampling context were identified for all variables examined. The ADOS resulted in fewer utterances and lower structural and pragmatic language performance than examiner–child play and/or parent–child play. Categorization of children into language phases differed across contexts.

Conclusions
Use of the ADOS as a language sampling context may lead to underestimating the abilities of young children with ASD relative to play with an examiner or parent. Researchers and clinicians should be aware of context effects, particularly for assessments designed to observe autism symptoms.
Two-axis control of a singlet–triplet qubit with an integrated micromagnet
Authors: Wu Xian , Ward D. R. , Prance J. R. , Kim Dohun , Gamble John King , Mohr R. T. , Shi Zhan , Savage D. E. , Lagally M. G. , Friesen Mark , Coppersmith S. N. , Eriksson M. A. 
Published: August 2014

Significance
Qubits, the quantum-mechanical analog of classical bits, are the fundamental building blocks of quantum computers, which have the potential to solve some problems that are intractable using classical computation. This paper reports the fabrication and operation of a qubit in a double-quantum dot in a silicon/silicon–germanium (Si/SiGe) heterostructure in which the qubit states are singlet and triplet states of two electrons. The significant advance over previous work is that a proximal micromagnet is used to create a large local magnetic field difference between the two sides of the quantum dot, which increases the manipulability significantly without introducing measurable noise.
Aspect in L2 English
Authors: Snape Neal , Matthews John , Hirakawa Makiko , Hirakawa Yahiro , Hosoi Hironobu 
Published: August 2014

Our study reports on data collected on three separate occasions over a period of 12 months from four Japanese child returnees who had lived in the U.S. between 8 and 12 years before returning to Japan. Their English proficiency was assessed by TOEIC and C-test scores, and they were each asked to complete an Acceptability Judgment Task (AJT). Results show very little change across Test sessions 1, 2 and 3. Initially, we expected to find differences over the course of 12 months as the returnees’ exposure and daily use of English decreased since returning to Japan. Some slight L2 attrition of English was found in the domain of aspect for one returnee. We believe our results overall indicate that rather than L2 language loss, the returnees have managed to maintain their competence in the L2 aspectual domain.
Deep spectroscopic luminosity function of Abell 85: no evidence for a steep upturn of the faint-end slope
Authors: Agulli I. , Aguerri J. A. L. , Sánchez-Janssen R. , Barrena R. , Diaferio A. , Serra A. L. , Méndez-Abreu J. 
Published: August 2014

Abstract
We present a new deep determination of the spectroscopic luminosity function (LF) within the virial radius of the nearby and massive Abell 85 (A85) cluster down to the dwarf regime (M* + 6) using Very Large Telescope/Visible Multi-Object Spectrograph (VLT/VIMOS) spectra for ∼2000 galaxies with mr ≤ 21 mag and 〈μe,r〉 ≤ 24 mag arcsec−2. The resulting LF from 438 cluster members is best modelled by a double Schechter function due to the presence of a statistically significant upturn at the faint end. The amplitude of this upturn ($\alpha _{{\rm f}} = -1.58^{+0.19}_{-0.15}$), however, is much smaller than that of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) composite photometric cluster LF by Popesso et al., αf ∼ −2. The faint-end slope of the LF in A85 is consistent, within the uncertainties, with that of the field. The red galaxy population dominates the LF at low luminosities, and is the main factor responsible for the upturn. The fact that the slopes of the spectroscopic LFs in the field and in a cluster as massive as A85 are similar suggests that the cluster environment does not play a major role in determining the abundance of low-mass galaxies.
Sudden end of X-ray outbursts around periastron of Circinus X-1 observed with MAXI
Authors: Asai Kazumi , Mihara Tatehiro , Matsuoka Masaru , Sugizaki Mutsumi , Nakahira Satoshi , Negoro Hitoshi , Nakajima Motoki , Okazaki Atsuo T. 
Published: August 2014

Abstract
MAXI/GSC (Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image/Gas Slit Camera) observed 21 outbursts from Circinus X-1 between 2009 August and 2013 December. Although 14 outbursts showed ordinary gradual decays, in seven others we found a sudden drop in luminosity on a time scale of a few hours around the periastron, and then the outbursts terminated. These sudden drops started at the estimated luminosity of a few times 1037 erg s−1 and their luminosities dropped to ≲3 × 1036 erg s−1. We offer three interpretations of the sharp luminosity decrease: (1) the end of the outburst during its dip, (2) the propeller effect, and (3) the stripping effect by the stellar wind of the companion star. It is difficult to explain the phenomenon by any of these interpretations alone. The interpretation of (1) is possible for only two outbursts on the assumption of rapid decay. The propeller effect (2) is expected to occur at a constant luminosity, which is incompatible with the observed facts. In the stripping effect (3), the ram pressure of a typical stellar wind is not sufficient to blow most of the accretion disk off. In this paper, we discuss the possibility of a modified stripping effect by assuming other additional conditions such as wind clumping and disk instability.
A New Entrance Technique for C2 Pedicle Screw Placement and the Use in Patients With Atlantoaxial Instability
Authors: Liu Jia-Ming , Jiang Jian , Liu Zhi-Li , Long Xin-Hua , Chen Wen-Zhao , Zhou Yang , Gao Song , He Lai-Chang , Huang Shan-Hu 
Published: August 2014

Study Design:
A prospective study and a technique note.

Objectives:
To introduce a new entrance technique for C2 pedicle screw placement and to measure the related linear and angular parameters about the entrance point on computed tomography (CT) images. The safety of this technique for patients with atlantoaxial instability was also evaluated.

Background Data:
Although earlier studies have introduced different methods for C2 pedicle screw placement, the entry points and the angular parameters may be variable. Few studies have established a fixed entry point on the basis of the anatomic structure of C2 for pedicle screw placement.

Methods:
A total of 60 dry C2 vertebrae were obtained for anatomic measurement in the study. The posterior bilateral nutrient foramens of C2 lamina were selected as the entry points for pedicle screw placement. The foramens were marked with needles and then the vertebrae underwent CT scan. The axial and sagittal planes of C2 pedicles were harvested and 4 linear and 2 angular parameters about the entry point were determined. After that, we used the entrance technique on 31 patients with atlantoaxial instability in a prospective study. CT of the cervical spine was performed to evaluate the safety of the entrance technique.

Results:
The nutrient foramens exist in 97% of the left lamina and 93% of the right lamina of the C2 vertebra. The overall mean distance from the entry point (nutrient foramen) to the superior border of lamina (PSD), to the inferior border of lamina (PID), to the medial border of the pedicle (PMD), and the length of pedicle screw trajectory (PL, transit the pedicle center) were 3.32±0.63, 8.33±1.21, 6.85±1.00, and 24.47±1.51, respectively. The averaged transverse angle (α) on the axial plane and the superior angle (β) on the sagittal plane were 19.83±3.83 and 30.12±6.02 degrees, respectively. Then, 31 patients underwent bilateral C2 pedicle screw fixation without screw violation into the spinal canal or vertebral artery injury by the new entrance technique. The overall mean angles α and β and the length of the pedicle screw were 17.52±3.81 and 34.29±4.18 degrees and 25.85±2.06 mm, respectively. No statistical differences were found in these 3 parameters between the dry C2 vertebrae and the C2 vertebrae of patients who underwent the surgery (P>0.05).

Conclusions:
Using the posterior bilateral nutrient foramens of the C2 lamina as the entry point is a helpful intraoperative landmark for C2 pedicle screw placement.
The British Regulatory State under the Coalition Government: Volatile Stability Continued
Authors: LODGE MARTIN 
Published: August 2014

AbstractWhat have been the effects of coalition government on the British regulatory state? This article argues that the politics of regulation have been largely about a continuation of existing patterns, namely volatile stability rather than more far‐reaching change. The British regulatory state continues to be defined by boundary conflicts between the world of ‘politics’ and ‘regulation’, by conflicting calls for centralisation and decentralised autonomy, and by tensions between the wish to ‘reduce’ regulation and the realisation of inherent complexities.
‘And What Good Came of it at Last?’ Press–Politician Relations Post‐Leveson
Authors: BARNETT STEVEN , TOWNEND JUDITH 
Published: August 2014

AbstractJames Margach famously argued that Prime Ministers from Lloyd George to Callaghan had been intent on exploiting the media in their determination to centralise power. From Margaret Thatcher onwards, however, there is a strong argument that the power relationship has been reversed, and that the Leveson Inquiry—set up in the wake of the phone hacking scandal—exposed a political class which had become deeply fearful of the power and influence of the national press. Citing evidence to Leveson and subsequent recommendations by the inquiry, this article presents two case studies—on data protection and on media ownership—where the public interest clearly demanded political intervention, which would be inconvenient for the major publishers. And yet, despite recommendations by Lord Justice Leveson and despite clear support from leading politicians of all parties, there has been virtually no policy progress in either case. While the Leveson Inquiry was billed as a watershed in press–politician relations and an opportunity to counteract decades of unhealthy press power, political inertia in these two areas suggests that very little has changed.
Men, maternity and moral residue: negotiating the moral demands of the transition to first time fatherhood
Authors: Ives Jonathan 
Published: August 2014

AbstractThis article discusses men's transition to first time fatherhood, with a focus on the way they recognise various in‐tension moral demands and negotiate an appropriate role for themselves. The findings are taken from a longitudinal study, drawing on elements of grounded theory, comprising a series of face‐to‐face and telephone interviews with 11 men over a 9‐month period from the 12th week of pregnancy to 8 weeks after the birth. The analysis focuses on men's feelings and experience of exclusion and participation, and their response and reaction to that experience. The findings present two descriptive themes, ‘on the inside looking in’ and ‘present but not participating’, followed by third theme ‘deference and support: a moral response’ that exposes the dilemmatic nature of men's experience and explains the participants’ apparent acceptance of being less involved. The discussion explores the concept of moral residue, arguing that while deference and support may be an appropriate role for fathers in the perinatal period it may also be a compromise that leads to feelings of uncertainty and frustration, which is a consequence of being in a genuinely dilemmatic situation.
IFN‐γ CA microsatellite polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to respiratory syncytial virus Infection and severity
Authors: Huang Jianfeng , Zhang Mingzhi , Zhang Xiaobo , Lu Aizhen , Wang Libo , Chen Chao 
Published: August 2014

AbstractAimIFN‐γ, an essential cytokine in the viral cell‐mediated immune response, has been associated with the pathogenesis of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis and to the severity of the infection. The aim of this study was to investigate whether IFN‐γ CA microsatellite (rs3138557) polymorphism was associated with susceptibility to RSV in Chinese Han children and with the severity of the infection.MethodsThe IFN‐γ CA microsatellite was tested in 218 RSV bronchiolitis inpatients and 303 healthy controls, and the severity of the RSV bronchiolitis was evaluated using a standardised respiratory scoring system.ResultsThe frequencies of CA12+/CA12+, CA12+/CA12− and CA12−/CA12− in the 218 RSV bronchiolitis patients and 303 controls were approximately 11% versus 19%, 55% versus 53% and 34% versus 28%, respectively. The gene polymorphism of IFN‐γ CA repeats between the two groups was statistically different. The clinical respiratory scores of RSV bronchiolitis cases with CA12+/CA12+ and CA12+/CA12− were 2.84 ± 0.40 (SD) and 2.95 ± 0.44 (SD), respectively, and these were significantly lower than the 3.1 ± 0.36 (SD) score for those with CA12−/CA12−.ConclusionIFN‐γ CA microsatellite polymorphism was associated with the susceptibility of Chinese Han children to RSV and the severity of the infection.
Dissatisfied Union Workers: Sorting Revisited
Authors: Green Colin P. , Heywood John S. 
Published: August 2014

AbstractA substantial literature argues that the reported job dissatisfaction of union members is spurious. It reflects either the sorting of dissatisfied workers into union membership or the sorting of union recognition into worse jobs. We contribute by presenting the first panel data estimates that hold constant first worker fixed effects and then worker in job fixed effects. The estimates demonstrate that covered union members typically report greater dissatisfaction even when accounting for sorting in both dimensions. At the same time, cross‐sectional evidence of less satisfied covered non‐members and uncovered members vanishes when accounting for sorting.