bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Reinforcing Poly(ethylene) with Cellulose Nanocrystals
Authors: Sapkota Janak , Jorfi Mehdi , Weder Christoph , Foster Earl Johan 
Published: September 2014

The fabrication of nanocomposites of low‐density polyethylene (LDPE), one of the world's most widely used polymers, and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), which represent the world's most abundant bio‐based nanofiller, is reported. While the hydrophobic polymer and the hydrophilic filler seem to be intrinsically incompatible, this article shows that it is possible to kinetically trap homogeneous nanocomposites by a templating approach. An organogel is first prepared by exchanging the solvent of an aqueous CNC dispersion against acetone, impregnating the resulting organogel, in which the CNCs form a percolating network with a hot LDPE solution in toluene, and compression‐molding the resulting materials into thin films. At a filler content of 7.6% v/v, the resulting materials display a three‐ to four‐fold increase in strength and stiffness compared with the neat LDPE, which confirms that the CNC network could be largely maintained. It is also possible to reprocess these nanocomposites and dilute them with LDPE using conventional melt‐processing techniques.
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Designing hyperbolic secant excitation pulses to reduce signal dropout in gradient‐echo echo‐planar imaging
Authors: Wastling Stephen J. , Barker Gareth J. 
Published: September 2014

PurposeTo design hyperbolic secant (HS) excitation pulses to reduce signal dropout in the orbitofrontal and inferior temporal regions in gradient‐echo echo‐planar imaging (GE‐EPI) for functional MRI (fMRI) applications.MethodsAn algorithm based on Bloch simulations optimizes the HS pulse parameters needed to give the desired signal response across the range of susceptibility gradients observed in the human head (approximately ±250 μT·m−1). The impact of the HS pulse on the signal, temporal signal‐to‐noise ratio, blood oxygen level–dependent (BOLD) sensitivity, and ability to detect resting state BOLD signal changes was assessed in six healthy male volunteers at 3T.ResultsThe optimized HS pulse (μ = 4.25, β = 3040 Hz, A0 = 12.3 μT, Δf = 4598 Hz) had a near uniform signal response for through‐plane susceptibility gradients in the range ±250 μT·m−1. Signal, temporal signal‐to‐noise ratio, BOLD sensitivity, and the detectability of resting state networks were all partially recovered in the orbitofrontal and inferior temporal regions; however, there were signal losses of up to 50% in regions of homogeneous field (and signal loss from in‐plane susceptibility gradients remained).ConclusionThe HS pulse reduced signal dropout and could be used to acquire task and resting state fMRI data without loss of spatial coverage or temporal resolution. Magn Reson Med 74:661–672, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Molecular dynamic studies on the impact of mutations on the structure, stability, and N‐terminal orientation of annexin A1: Implications for membrane aggregation
Authors: Simpkins Bradley , Donohue Matthew P. , Li Yumin 
Published: September 2014

ABSTRACTMultiple MD simulations were performed for the full‐length wild‐type A1, the full length A1 mutations S27E and S27A, as well as the N‐terminal peptide (AMVSEFLKQAWFIDNEEQEYIKTVKGS27KGGPGSAVSPYPTFN) of wild‐type A1 and mutations S27E and S27A. The MD simulation trajectories of about 350 ns were generated and analyzed to examine the changes of core domain calcium binding affinity, core domain and N‐terminal domain structures, and N‐terminal domain orientation. Our results indicated that S27A and S27E mutations caused little changes on the calcium‐binding affinity of the core domain of A1. However, the S27A mutation made the N‐terminal domain of A1 less helical, and made the N‐terminal domain migrate faster toward the core domain; these impacts on A1 are beneficial to the membrane aggregation process. On the contrary, the S27E mutation made the N‐terminal domain of A1 more stable, and hindered the migration to the core domain; these changes on A1 are antagonistic for the membrane aggregation process. Our results using MD simulations provide an atomistic explanation for experimental observations that the S27E mutant showed a higher calcium concentration requirement and lower maximal extent of aggregation, while the wild‐type and two mutants S27E and S27A required identical calcium concentrations for liposome binding. Proteins 2014; 82:3327–3334. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Characteristic polynomial assignment for plants with semialgebraic uncertainty: A robust diophantine equation approach
Authors: Cerone V. , Piga D. , Regruto D. 
Published: September 2014

SummaryIn this paper, we address the problem of robust characteristic polynomial assignment for LTI systems whose parameters are assumed to belong to a semialgebraic uncertainty region. The objective is to design a dynamic fixed‐order controller in order to constrain the coefficients of the closed‐loop characteristic polynomial within prescribed intervals. First, necessary conditions on the plant parameters for the existence of a robust controller are reviewed, and it is shown that such conditions are satisfied if and only if a suitable Sylvester matrix is nonsingular for all possible values of the uncertain plant parameters. The problem of checking such a robust nonsingularity condition is formulated in terms of a nonconvex optimization problem. Then, the set of all feasible robust controllers is sought through the solution to a suitable robust diophantine equation. Convex relaxation techniques based on sum‐of‐square decomposition of positive polynomials are used to efficiently solve the formulated optimization problems by means of semidefinite programming. The presented approach provides a generalization of the results previously proposed in the literature on the problem of assigning the characteristic polynomial in the presence of plant parametric uncertainty. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Superficial Dorsal Vein Injury/Thrombosis Presenting as False Penile Fracture Requiring Dorsal Venous Ligation
Authors: Rafiei Arash , Hakky Tariq S. , Martinez Daniel , Parker Justin , Carrion Rafael 
Published: September 2014

Abstract

Introduction
Conditions mimicking penile fracture are extremely rare and have been seldom described.

Aim
To describe a patient with false penile fracture who presented with superficial dorsal vein injury/thrombosis managed with ligation.

Methods
A 33-year-old male presented with penile swelling and ecchymosis after intercourse. A penile ultrasound demonstrated a thrombosed superficial dorsal vein but also questionable fracture of the tunica albuginea. As the thrombus was expanding, he was emergently taken to the operating room for exploration and required only dorsal venous ligation.

Results
Postoperatively, patient's Sexual Health Inventory for Men score was 23, and he had no issues with erections or sexual intercourse.

Conclusion
Early exploration of patients with suspected penile fracture provides excellent results with maintenance of erectile function. Also, in the setting of dorsal vein thrombosis, ligation preserves the integrity of the penile tissues and avoids unnecessary complications from conservative management.
Literature Circles Go Digital
Authors: Bromley Karen , Faughnan Michelle , Ham Susan , Miller Melissa , Armstrong Traci , Crandall Cassandra , Garrison Julia , Marrone Nicholas 
Published: September 2014

AbstractThis article describes a literature circle of seven pre‐service teacher education students who read Al Capone Shines My Shoes (G. Choldenko, 2009). Students used the Internet to complete their roles, shared what they learned as they discussed the book, and then wrote about the digital experience. Four themes emerged from an analysis of the written responses with representative excerpts from these responses included. Implications and suggestions for using this kind of assignment with elementary age children are discussed.
Assessment of vulnerability to climate change using indicators: a meta‐analysis of the literature
Authors: Tonmoy Fahim N. , El‐Zein Abbas , Hinkel Jochen 
Published: September 2014

Climate change vulnerability assessment (CCVA) can inform adaptation policy and help in incorporating climate futures in planning. The literature on CCVA stems from a number of research paradigms (e.g., risk assessment, natural disaster management, and urban planning), therefore making it difficult to extract major directions and methodologies from this body of work. A large number of assessments are based, partly or totally, on indicators which bring up specific methodological problems and constraints. In this study, first, we discuss the most important methodological challenges facing indicator‐based vulnerability assessment (IBVA) based on a set of key conceptual papers in the field. Second, we conduct a meta‐analysis of a representative sample of peer‐reviewed IBVA studies, to identify how current research on IBVA is engaging with these challenges. We attempt to elicit major thematic and methodological trends in this corpus with specific focus on issues related to geographical and temporal scales, aggregation, and nonlinearity. We find that health of ecosystems and biodiversity (28%), freshwater quantity and quality (12%), and public health (10%) have attracted the highest number of studies. Less than a third of the papers in our sample give some consideration to uncertainty and nonlinearity. Assessments typically use aggregation methods that are based on the Multiple Attribute Utility Theory despite the fact that IBVA rarely satisfies the theoretical requirements of this approach. A small percentage of IBVA studies critically scrutinize prevalent assessment methodologies or attempt to develop new ones, despite the raised questions in key theoretical papers about its methodological aspects. WIREs Clim Change 2014, 5:775–792. doi: 10.1002/wcc.314This article is categorized under:

Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change > Values‐Based Approach to Vulnerability and Adaptation
Variation in vital‐rate sensitivity between populations of Texas horned lizards
Authors: Wolf Alexander J. , Hellgren Eric C. , Schauber Eric M. , Bogosian Victor , Kazmaier Richard T. , Ruthven Donald C. , Moody Raymond W. 
Published: September 2014

AbstractDemographic studies of imperiled populations can aid managers in planning conservation actions. However, applicability of findings for a single population across a species’ range is sometimes questionable. We conducted long‐term studies (8 and 9 years, respectively) of 2 populations of the lizard Phrynosoma cornutum separated by 1000 km within the historical distribution of the species. The sites were a 15‐ha urban wildlife reserve on Tinker Air Force Base (TAFB) in central Oklahoma and a 6000‐ha wildland site in southern Texas, the Chaparral Wildlife Management Area (CWMA). We predicted a trade‐off between the effect of adult survival and fecundity on population growth rate (λ), leading to population‐specific contributions of individual vital rates to λ and individualized strategies for conservation and management of this taxon. The CWMA population had lower adult survival and higher fecundity than TAFB. As predicted, there was a trade‐off in the effects of adult survival and fecundity on λ between the two sites; fecundity affected λ more at CWMA than at TAFB. However, adult survival had the smallest effect on λ in both populations. We found that recruitment in P. cornutum most affected λ at both sites, with hatchling survival having the strongest influence on λ. Management strategies focusing on hatchling survival would strongly benefit both populations. As a consequence, within the constraint of the need to more accurately estimate hatchling survival, managers across the range of species such as P. cornutum could adopt similar management priorities with respect to stage classes, despite intra‐population differences in population vital rates.
Developmental relations between sympathy, moral emotion attributions, moral reasoning, and social justice values from childhood to early adolescence
Authors: Daniel Ella , Dys Sebastian P. , Buchmann Marlis , Malti Tina 
Published: September 2014

ABSTRACTThis study examined the development of sympathy, moral emotion attributions (MEA), moral reasoning, and social justice values in a representative sample of Swiss children (N = 1273) at 6 years of age (Time 1), 9 years of age (Time 2), and 12 years of age (Time 3). Cross‐lagged panel analyses revealed that sympathy predicted subsequent increases in MEA and moral reasoning, but not vice versa. In addition, sympathy and moral reasoning at 6 and 9 years of age were associated with social justice values at 12 years of age. The results point to increased integration of affect and cognition in children's morality from middle childhood to early adolescence, as well as to the role of moral development in the emergence of social justice values.
Efficacy of Static Progressive Splinting in the Management of Metacarpophalangeal Joint Stiffness: A Pilot Clinical Trial
Authors: Wang Jun , Erlandsson Gard , Rui Yong-Jun , Li-Tsang Cecilia 
Published: September 2014

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of a static progressive metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint flexion splint in managing MCP joint stiffness in patients suffering from traumatized hands. Methods A total of 31 patients with stiff MCP joints (n = 116) were recruited for this prospective study. A static progressive MCP flexion splint was designed to manage the MCP joint stiffness of traumatized hands, which is a common problem after surgery. The values of the initial and final passive range of motion (PROM) and active range of motion (AROM) were compared. In addition, the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) scores before and after surgery were also compared. Spearman correlation matrix was used to determine the relationship of the DASH score with PROM and AROM separately. Results The PROM increased from 23.47 ± 16.26 degrees to 59.01 ± 14.75 degrees after treatment, and the difference between the initial and final PROM is 35.54 ± 16.92 degrees (t = 22.63, p < .001, df = 115). The AROM also significantly increased from 10.29 ± 10.67 degrees to 25.03 ± 18.25 degrees, with a mean difference of 14.74 ± 15.40 degrees (t = 10.31, p < .001, df = 115). The DASH score improved from 40.71 ± 13.22 to 24.26 ± 11.33 (t = 7.00, p < .001, df = 30), which indicates a significant negative correlation with the AROM of MCP joints following treatment. Conclusion The static progressive MCP flexion splint promotes both physical and functional outcomes. The increased AROM of the MCP joints improves the functional outcomes in patients with traumatized hands.
Socially responsible investing and stock performance: New empirical evidence for the US and European stock markets
Authors: Mollet Janick Christian , Ziegler Andreas 
Published: September 2014

AbstractThis paper empirically examines the theoretically ambivalent relationship between socially responsible investing (SRI) and stock performance. It contributes to the existing literature by considering both the US and the entire European stock markets and by using consistent world‐wide corporate sustainability performance data. Our portfolio analysis from 1998 to 2009 is based on the common four‐factor model according to Carhart (1997), which comprises market return, size, value, and momentum factors. We show for the US and the European stock markets that SRI is associated with large‐sized firms. The insignificant abnormal stock returns for SRI in both regions are the main result of our paper. Therefore, our study supports the view that SRI stocks are correctly priced by market participants, although we cannot rule out that a corresponding mispricing has existed before the beginning of our observation period in 1998.
Business cycle, storage, and energy prices
Authors: Kucher Oleg , Kurov Alexander 
Published: September 2014

AbstractThis study examines the effect of the state of the economy and inventory on interest‐adjusted bases and expected returns for five energy commodities. We find that interest‐adjusted bases and returns have a business cycle pattern. Consistent with the theory of storage, demand shocks near business cycle peaks generate negative interest‐adjusted bases and positive returns. In recessions, the bases become positive, and the average returns are negative. Our regression results also show that the interest‐adjusted bases of energy commodities are counter‐cyclical and the expected returns are pro‐cyclical. For petroleum commodities, inventory has a significant effect on interest‐adjusted bases at low levels of inventory, whereas at high inventory levels the effect of inventory on the bases is weak. Finally, we find that the bases and economic conditions predict spot returns in energy commodity markets.
Sailors,Zielverkopers, and the Dutch East India Company: The maritime labour market in eighteenth-century Surat
Authors: NADRI GHULAM A. 
Published: September 2014

AbstractIn the second half of the eighteenth century, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) employed hundreds of Indian sailors in Surat in western India to man its ships plying the Asian waters. TheMoorse zeevarenden(Muslim sailors) performed a variety of tasks on board ships and in the port of Batavia, and made it possible for the Company to carry out its commercial ventures across the Indian Ocean. The relationship between the two, however, was rather complex and even contentious. Based on Dutch sources, this article investigates the political-economic contexts of this relationship, examines the structure and organization of the maritime labour market in Surat, and illuminates the role and significance ofzielverkopers(labour contractors) and of the local administration. The analysis of the social, economic, and familial aspects of the market and labour relations in Surat sheds light on pre-capitalist forms of labour recruitment and the institutional dynamics of the Indian labour market.
Research in foreign language education in Hungary (2006–2012)
Authors: Medgyes Péter , Nikolov Marianne 
Published: September 2014

In the past quarter century, Hungary has offered fertile ground for innovative developments in foreign language (FL) education. The appropriate, albeit disparaging, label applied to Hungary in the mid-1970s – ‘a land of foreign language illiterates’ (Köllő 1978: 6) – no longer applies. In the wake of the dramatic changes of 1989, the number of FL speakers rose quite rapidly. As a beneficial side-effect, applied linguistic and language education research, areas which used to be relegated to the lowest rung of the academic ladder, began to be recognised as legitimate fields of scientific inquiry, offering young researchers the opportunity to embark on an academic career. As a result, Hungarian authors are now regular contributors to distinguished journals, and researchers from Hungary are welcome speakers at international conferences.However, Hungarian authors often choose to publish their research studies in local journals and volumes which are not easily accessible to the international research community, especially if written in Hungarian. The aim of this review, therefore, is to give an overview of such studies to demonstrate the breadth and depth of recent research conducted in Hungary.
Metal and petroleum hydrocarbon contamination at Wilkes Station, East Antarctica
Authors: Fryirs Kirstie A. , Hafsteinsdóttir Erla G. , Stark Scott C. , Gore Damian B. 
Published: September 2014

AbstractThe management of sediment and water contamination from legacy waste is a significant problem in Antarctica. Although several reports have noted that there are contaminated sites at the abandoned Wilkes Station, a systematic attempt to assess the spatial scale of the problem has not been made, making development of clean-up or preservation programmes difficult. A contaminated site assessment for the old Wilkes Station and surrounds is presented in this paper. The Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council (ANZECC) sediment and water quality guidelines and background concentration levels (BCL) were used to assess the extent of contamination across Clark Peninsula. Of 67 sediment sites sampled, 72% were contaminated with at least one metal or metalloid, with values exceeding the ANZECC ISQG-High or 2 x BCL. Moreover, 19% were contaminated with four or more metals/metalloids. Of the 93 water samples collected, all but one was contaminated with at least one metal/metalloid concentration exceeding the guidelines, and 96% were contaminated with two or more metals/metalloids. For hydrocarbons in sediment and water, most samples were below quantitation limits. There is a complex pattern of contamination across Clark Peninsula that needs to be considered in future waste treatment, containment or removal operations, and for protection of heritage items.
Westgate Shootings: An Emergency Department Approach to a Mass-casualty Incident
Authors: Wachira Benjamin W. , Abdalla Ramadhani O. , Wallis Lee A. 
Published: September 2014

AbstractAt approximately 12:30 pm on Saturday September 21, 2013, armed assailants attacked the upscale Westgate shopping mall in the Westlands area of Nairobi, Kenya. Using the seven key Major Incident Medical Management and Support (MIMMS) principles, command, safety, communication, assessment, triage, treatment, and transport, the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi (AKUH,N) emergency department (ED) successfully coordinated the reception and care of all the casualties brought to the hospital.This report describes the AKUH,N ED response to the first civilian mass-casualty shooting incident in Kenya, with the hope of informing the development and implementation of mass-casualty emergency preparedness plans by other EDs and hospitals in Kenya, appropriate for the local health care system.WachiraBW, AbdallaRO, WallisLA. Westgate shootings: an emergency department approach to a mass-casualty incident. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2014;29(5):1-4.
Change in daily energy intake associated with pairwise compositional change in carbohydrate, fat and protein intake among US adults, 1999–2010
Authors: An Ruopeng , Burd Nicholas A 
Published: September 2014

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the change in daily energy intake associated with pairwise compositional change in carbohydrate, fat and protein intake among US adults stratified by sex, race/ethnicity and weight status.DesignLinear mixture model was performed to estimate the relationship between daily energy intake and macronutrient composition, adjusted for age and alcohol consumption, and accounting for survey design.SettingStudy sample from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999–2010 waves.SubjectsA total of 27 589 US adults aged 20 years and older were included in the study. Dietary macronutrient intake was calculated from 24 h dietary recall and BMI from objectively measured weight/height.ResultsAcross all population subgroups, substituting protein or carbohydrate for fat and substituting protein for carbohydrate were associated with decreased daily energy intake, with the largest effect resulting from substituting protein for fat. A 1 % increase in the percentage of energy from protein substituted for a 1 % decrease in the percentage of energy from fat was associated with a decrease in daily energy intake of 268·2 (95 % CI 169·0, 367·4) kJ, 289·5 (95 % CI 215·9, 363·2) kJ and 293·7 (95 % CI 210·0, 377·4) kJ among normal-weight (18·5≤BMI, kg/m2<25·0), overweight (25·0≤BMI, kg/m2<30·0) and obese (BMI≥30·0 kg/m2) men, and 177·4 (95 % CI 130·5, 224·3) kJ, 188·7 (95 % CI 139·3, 238·1) kJ and 204·2 (95 % CI 158·2, 250·2) kJ among normal-weight, overweight and obese women, respectively. The relationship between macronutrient composition and daily energy intake varied substantially across sex, race/ethnicity and weight status.ConclusionsPolicies promoting higher daily protein intake at the expense of lower fat intake could be effective in reducing total energy intake among US adults.