bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Mechanisms and Consequences of Interspecific Competition Among Plants
Authors: Aschehoug Erik T. , Brooker Rob , Atwater Daniel Z. , Maron John L. , Callaway Ragan M.
Published: August 2016

During the past 100 years, studies spanning thousands of taxa across almost all biomes have demonstrated that competition has powerful negative effects on the performance of individuals and can affect the composition of plant communities, the evolution of traits, and the functioning of whole ecosystems. In this review, we highlight new and important developments that have the potential to greatly improve our understanding of how plants compete and the consequences of competition from individuals to communities in the following major areas of research: (a) mechanisms of competition, (b) competitive effect and response, (c) direct and indirect effects of competition, (d) population-level effects of competition, (e) biogeographical differences in competition, and (f) conditionality of competition. Ecologists have discovered much about competition, but the mechanisms of competition and how competition affects the organization of communities in nature still require both theoretical and empirical exploration.
Evolution and Ecology of CRISPR
Authors: Westra Edze R. , Dowling Andrea J. , Broniewski Jenny M. , van Houte Stineke
Published: August 2016

CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)-Cas (CRISPR-associated) systems are prokaryotic adaptive immune systems that provide protection against infection by parasitic mobile genetic elements, such as viruses and plasmids. CRISPR-Cas systems are found in approximately half of all sequenced bacterial genomes and in nearly all archaeal genomes. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the evolutionary ecology of CRISPR-Cas systems, highlight their value as model systems to answer fundamental questions concerning host–parasite coevolution, and explain how CRISPR-Cas systems can be useful tools for scientists across virtually all disciplines.
Health Care Spending: Historical Trends and New Directions
Authors: Chen Alice , Goldman Dana
Published: August 2016

Over the past five decades, broad changes in the US health care system have dramatically influenced growth in health care expenditures. This review identifies the salient factors driving the growth of medical expenditures and how they influenced the trajectory of health economics research. We find that the research identified—and was strongly influenced by—four eras of expenditure growth: period 1, coverage expansion; period 2, experimentation with financial incentives; period 3, the managed care backlash; and period 4, a golden era of declining expenditure growth. We conclude by discussing some themes from this research suggesting optimism that, going forward, we can curb excess expenditure growth above GDP growth without harming population health.
Peatlands and Global Change: Response and Resilience
Authors: Page S.E. , Baird A.J.
Published: August 2016

Peatlands are wetland ecosystems that accumulate dead organic matter (i.e., peat) when plant litter production outpaces peat decay, usually under conditions of frequent or continuous waterlogging. Collectively, global peatlands store vast amounts of carbon (C), equaling if not exceeding the amount of C in the Earth's vegetation; they also encompass a remarkable diversity of forms, from the frozen palsa mires of the northern subarctic to the lush swamp forests of the tropics, each with their own characteristic range of fauna and flora. In this review we explain what peatlands are, how they form, and the contribution that peatland science can make to our understanding of global change. We explore the variety in formation, shape, vegetation type, and chemistry of peatlands across the globe and stress the fundamental features that are common to all peat-forming ecosystems. We consider the impacts that past, present, and future environmental changes, including anthropogenic disturbances, have had and will have on peatland systems, particularly in terms of their important roles in C storage and the provision of ecosystem services. The most widespread uses of peatlands today are for forestry and agriculture, both of which require drainage that results in globally significant emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas (GHG). Climatic drying and drainage also increase the risk of peat fires, which are a further source of GHG emissions [CO2 and methane (CH4)] to the atmosphere, as well as causing negative human health and socioeconomic impacts. We conclude our review by explaining the roles that paleoecological, experimental, and modeling studies can play in allowing us to build a more secure understanding of how peatlands function, how they will respond to future climate- and land-management-related disturbances, and how best we can improve their resilience in a changing world.
Rare Earths: Market Disruption, Innovation, and Global Supply Chains
Authors: Eggert Roderick , Wadia Cyrus , Anderson Corby , Bauer Diana , Fields Fletcher , Meinert Lawrence , Taylor Patrick
Published: August 2016

Rare earths, sometimes called the vitamins of modern materials, captured public attention when their prices increased more than tenfold in 2010 and 2011. As prices fell between 2011 and 2016, rare earths receded from public view, but less visibly, they became a major focus of innovative activity in companies, government laboratories, and universities. Geoscientists worked to better understand the resource base and improve our knowledge about mineral deposits that can be mines in the future. Process engineers carried out research that is making primary production and recycling more efficient. Materials scientists and engineers searched for substitutes that require fewer or no rare earths while providing properties comparable or superior to those of existing materials. As a result, even though global supply chains are not significantly different now than they were before the market disruption, the innovative activity motivated by the disruption will likely have far-reaching, if unpredictable, consequences for supply chains of rare earths in the future.
Decision Analysis for Management of Natural Hazards
Authors: Simpson Michael , James Rachel , Hall Jim W. , Borgomeo Edoardo , Ives Matthew C. , Almeida Susana , Kingsborough Ashley , Economou Theo , Stephenson David , Wagener Thorsten
Published: August 2016

Losses from natural hazards, including geophysical and hydrometeorological hazards, have been increasing worldwide. This review focuses on the process by which scientific evidence about natural hazards is applied to support decision making. Decision analysis typically involves estimating the probability of extreme events; assessing the potential impacts of those events from a variety of perspectives; and evaluating options to plan for, mitigate, or react to events. We consider issues that affect decisions made across a range of natural hazards, summarize decision methodologies, and provide examples of applications of decision analysis to the management of natural hazards. We conclude that there is potential for further exchange of ideas and experience between natural hazard research communities on decision analysis approaches. Broader application of decision methodologies to natural hazard management and evaluation of existing decision approaches can potentially lead to more efficient allocation of scarce resources and more efficient risk management.
The Clustering Instability in Rapid Granular and Gas-Solid Flows
Authors: Fullmer William D. , Hrenya Christine M.
Published: August 2016

Flows of solid particles are known to exhibit a clustering instability—dynamic microstructures characterized by a dense region of highly concentrated particles surrounded by a dilute region with relatively few particles—that has no counterpart in molecular fluids. Clustering is pervasive in rapid flows. Its presence impacts momentum, heat, and mass transfer, analogous to how turbulence affects single-phase flows. Yet predicting clustering is challenging, again analogous to the prediction of turbulent flows. In this review, we focus on three key areas: (a) state-of-the-art mathematical tools used to study clustering, with an emphasis on kinetic theory–based continuum models, which are critical to the prediction of the larger systems found in nature and industry, (b) mechanisms that give rise to clustering, most of which are explained via linear stability analyses of kinetic theory–based models, and (c) a critical review of validation studies of kinetic theory–based models to highlight the accuracies and limitations of such theories.
Voting and Elections: New Social Science Perspectives
Authors: Holden Richard
Published: August 2016

This article discusses recent developments in the study of voting and elections. How people end up voting in an election depends on (a) how effective voting power is distributed among voters and (b) the strategic interactions between voters and other interested parties. These are, in turn, affected by institutional arrangements, such as the composition of voting districts, campaign finance laws, and constitutional restrictions on vote dilution. In recent years, new social science–based approaches, both theoretical and empirical, from economists, political scientists, and legal scholars have shed new light on the democratic process.
Why Are There So Many Mastectomies in the United States?
Authors: Mamtani Anita , Morrow Monica
Published: August 2016

Breast-conserving therapy (BCT) and mastectomy result in equivalent long-term survival. Locoregional recurrence rates after BCT have decreased over time and are now similar to those after mastectomy. Contralateral breast cancer rates are declining as well owing to the widespread use of adjuvant systemic therapy. Despite these improved outcomes, increasing rates of bilateral mastectomy for unilateral cancer have been observed in the United States. Medical indications for mastectomy are well defined and present in a minority of patients, and women at increased risk for contralateral cancer are a small proportion of the breast cancer population. Evidence indicates that increasing use of mastectomy is a patient-driven trend that is most pronounced among younger, educated, and well-insured women, and reflects fear of recurrence and in some cases misunderstanding of future cancer risks. Although satisfaction levels are generally high among patients choosing contralateral prophylactic mastectomy, complications and procedure extent may be underestimated. Improved communication strategies are essential to facilitate this complex decision-making process.
The GenusTospovirus: Emerging Bunyaviruses that Threaten Food Security
Authors: Oliver J.E. , Whitfield A.E.
Published: August 2016

The genus Tospovirus is unique within the family Bunyaviridae in that it is made up of viruses that infect plants. Initially documented over 100 years ago, tospoviruses have become increasingly important worldwide since the 1980s due to the spread of the important insect vector Frankliniella occidentalis and the discovery of new viruses. As a result, tospoviruses are now recognized globally as emerging agricultural diseases. Tospoviruses and their vectors, thrips species in the order Thysanoptera, represent a major problem for agricultural and ornamental crops that must be managed to avoid devastating losses. In recent years, the number of recognized species in the genus has increased rapidly, and our knowledge of the molecular interactions of tospoviruses with their host plants and vectors has expanded. In this review, we present an overview of the genus Tospovirus with particular emphasis on new understandings of the molecular plant-virus and vector-virus interactions as well as relationships among genus members.
Unraveling the Mysterious Interactions Between Hepatitis C Virus RNA and Liver-Specific MicroRNA-122
Authors: Sarnow Peter , Sagan Selena M.
Published: August 2016

Many viruses encode or subvert cellular microRNAs (miRNAs) to aid in their gene expression, amplification strategies, or pathogenic signatures. miRNAs typically downregulate gene expression by binding to the 3′ untranslated region of their mRNA targets. As a result, target mRNAs are translationally repressed and subsequently deadenylated and degraded. Curiously, hepatitis C virus (HCV), a member of the Flaviviridae family, recruits two molecules of liver-specific microRNA-122 (miR-122) to the 5′ end of its genome. In contrast to the canonical activity of miRNAs, the interactions of miR-122 with the viral genome promote viral RNA accumulation in cultured cells and in animal models of HCV infection. Sequestration of miR-122 results in loss of viral RNA both in cell culture and in the livers of chronic HCV-infected patients. This review discusses the mechanisms by which miR-122 is thought to enhance viral RNA abundance and the consequences of miR-122–HCV interactions. We also describe preliminary findings from phase II clinical trials in patients treated with miR-122 antisense oligonucleotides.
Corollary Discharge and Oculomotor Proprioception: Cortical Mechanisms for Spatially Accurate Vision
Authors: Sun Linus D. , Goldberg Michael E.
Published: August 2016

A classic problem in psychology is understanding how the brain creates a stable and accurate representation of space for perception and action despite a constantly moving eye. Two mechanisms have been proposed to solve this problem: Herman von Helmholtz's idea that the brain uses a corollary discharge of the motor command that moves the eye to adjust the visual representation, and Sir Charles Sherrington's idea that the brain measures eye position to calculate a spatial representation. Here, we discuss the cognitive, neuropsychological, and physiological mechanisms that support each of these ideas. We propose that both are correct: A rapid corollary discharge signal remaps the visual representation before an impending saccade, computing accurate movement vectors; and an oculomotor proprioceptive signal enables the brain to construct a more accurate craniotopic representation of space that develops slowly after the saccade.
Evaluation of Risk Factors for Antibiotic Resistance in Patients with Nosocomial Infections Caused byPseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Sonmezer Meliha Cagla , Ertem Gunay , Erdinc Fatma Sebnem , Kaya Kilic Esra , Tulek Necla , Adiloglu Ali , Hatipoglu Cigdem
Published: August 2016

Background.Pseudomonas aeruginosa(P. aeruginosa) is resistant to various antibiotics and can cause serious nosocomial infections with high morbidity and mortality. In this clinical study, we investigated the risk factors in patients who were diagnosed withP. aeruginosa-related nosocomial infection.Methods. A retrospective case control study including patients withP. aeruginosa-related nosocomial infection. Patients who were resistant to any of the six antibiotics (imipenem, meropenem, piperacillin-tazobactam, ciprofloxacin, amikacin, and ceftazidime) constituted the study group.Results. One hundred and twenty isolates were isolated. Various risk factors were detected for each antibiotic in the univariate analysis. In the multivariate analysis, previous cefazolin use was found as an independent risk factor for the development of imipenem resistance (OR = 3.33; CI 95% [1.11–10.0];p= 0.03), whereas previous cerebrovascular attack (OR = 3.57; CI 95% [1.31–9.76];p= 0.01) and previous meropenem use (OR = 4.13; CI 95% [1.21–14.07];p= 0.02) were independent factors for the development of meropenem resistance. For the development of resistance to ciprofloxacin, hospitalization in the neurology intensive care unit (OR = 4.24; CI 95% [1.5–11.98];p= 0.006) and mechanical ventilator application (OR = 11.7; CI 95% [2.24–61.45];p= 0.004) were independent risk factors.Conclusion. The meticulous application of contact measures can decrease the rate of nosocomial infections.
Differences in miRNA and mRNA Profile of Papillary Thyroid Cancer Variants
Authors: Stokowy Tomasz , Gawel Danuta , Wojtas Bartosz
Published: August 2016

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) can be divided into classical variant of PTC (cPTC), follicular variant of PTC (fvPTC), and tall cell variant (tcPTC). These variants differ in their histopathology and cytology; however, their molecular background is not clearly understood. Our results shed some new light on papillary thyroid cancer biology as new direct miRNA-gene regulations are discovered. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) 466 thyroid cancer samples were studied in parallel datasets to discover potential miRNA-mRNA regulations. Additionally, miRNAs and genes differentiating PTC variants (cPTC, fvPTC, and tcPTC) were indicated. Putative miRNA regulatory pairs were discovered: hsa-miR-146b-5p with PHKB and IRAK1, hsa-miR-874-3p with ITGB4 characteristic for classic PTC samples, and hsa-miR-152-3p with TGFA characteristic for follicular variant PTC samples. MiRNA-mRNA regulations discovery opens a new perspective in understanding of PTC biology. Furthermore, our successful pipeline of miRNA-mRNA regulatory pathways discovery could serve as a universal tool to find new miRNA-mRNA regulations, also in different datasets.
A Novel Fuzzy Sliding-Mode Control for Discrete-Time Uncertain System
Authors: Yan T. H. , Wu B. , He B. , Li W. H. , Wang R. B.
Published: August 2016

This paper considers the sliding-mode control problem for discrete-time uncertain systems. It begins by presenting a discrete variable speed reaching law and a discrete-time sliding-mode controller (DSMC) designed using the proposed reaching law, followed by an analysis of their stability and dynamic performance. A sliding-mode controller with simple fuzzy logic is then proposed to further strengthen the dynamic performance of the proposed sliding-mode controller. Finally, the presented DSMC and the DSMC with fuzzy control for adjusting the parameters in this paper are compared with one of the previous proposed classic DSMC systems. The results of this simulation show that the DSMC presented here can suppress chatter and ensure good dynamic performances when fuzzy logic is used to tune the parameters.
Ultrasonic Extraction of Oil fromCaesalpinia spinosa(Tara) Seeds
Authors: Li Zhan-jun , Yang Feng-jian , Yang Lei , Zu Yuan-Gang
Published: August 2016

Oil extracted from the seeds ofCaesalpinia spinosa(common name: tara) can be used in a number of applications. In the present study, tara seed oil was obtained by ultrasonic extraction. The effects of different solvents, particle sizes in the ground seed samples, extraction times, ultrasonication powers, extraction temperatures, and liquid–solid ratios on the yield of tara seed oil were investigated. The yield from the ultrasonic extraction was compared with that from traditional Soxhlet extraction. The results showed that ultrasonic extraction could be completed in a shorter time with reduced solvent consumption. The yield of tara seed oil increased with increasing ultrasonication power and extraction temperature. Gas chromatography was used to analyze the fatty acid compositions of the oils extracted by the two methods. The fatty acid compositions of the oils from both extraction methods were similar, which indicates that ultrasonic extraction is a viable alternative means of extraction. It is a rapid, efficient, and simple method for production of lipids from tara seeds.
Nutritional Status and Intestinal Parasite in School Age Children: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Feleke Berhanu Elfu
Published: August 2016

Background. The objectives of this study were to determine the burden of underweight and intestinal parasitic infection in the urban and rural elementary school children.Methods. A comparative cross-sectional study design was conducted. Binary logistic regression was used to identify the determinants of malnutrition or intestinal parasites. Two independent samples’t-test was used to identify the effect of malnutrition on school performance or hemoglobin level.Results. A total of 2372 students were included. Quarters (24.8%) of school children were underweight. Underweight was associated with sex [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 0.61; 95% CI = 0.47–0.78], age [AOR = 0.21; 95% CI = 0.16–0.28], intestinal parasitic infection [AOR 2.67; 95% CI = 2–3.55], and family size [AOR 23; 95% CI = 17.67–30.02]. The prevalence of intestinal parasite among school children was 61.7% [95% CI = 60%–64%]. Shoe wearing practice [AOR 0.71; 95% CI = 0.58–0.87], personal hygiene [AOR 0.8; 95% CI = 0.65–0.99], availability of latrine [AOR 0.34; 95% CI = 0.27–0.44], age [AOR 0.58; 95% CI = 0.48–0.7], habit of eating raw vegetables [AOR 3.71; 95% CI = 3.01–4.46], and family size [AOR 1.96; 95% CI = 1.57–2.45] were the predictors of intestinal parasitic infection.
The Distribution-Free Newsboy Problem with Multiple Discounts and Upgrades
Authors: Moon Ilkyeong , Yoo Dong Kyoon , Saha Subrata
Published: August 2016

Most papers on the newsboy problem assume that excess inventory is either sold after discount or discarded. In the real world, overstocks are handled with multiple discounts, upgrades, or a combination of these measures. For example, a seller may offer a series of progressively increasing discounts for units that remain on the shelf, or the seller may use incrementally applied innovations aimed at stimulating greater product sophistication. Moreover, the normal distribution does not provide better protection than other distributions with the same mean and variance. In this paper, we find the differences between normal distribution approaches and distribution-free approaches in four scenarios with mean and variance of demand as the only available data to decision-makers. First, we solve the newsboy problem by considering multiple discounts. Second, we formulate and solve the newsboy problem by considering multiple upgrades. Third, we formulate and solve a mixed newsboy problem characterized with multiple discounts and upgrades. Finally, we extend the model to solve a multiproduct newsboy problem with a storage or a budget constraint and develop an algorithm to find the solutions of the models. Concavity of the models is proved analytically. Extensive computational experiments are presented to verify the robustness of the distribution-free approach. The results show that the distribution-free approach is robust.
Neurogenic Bladder Repair Using Autologous Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Mahajan Pradeep V. , Subramanian Swetha , Danke Amit , Kumar Anand
Published: August 2016

The normal function of the urinary bladder is to store and expel urine in a coordinated, controlled fashion, the activity of which is regulated by the central and peripheral nervous systems. Neurogenic bladder is a term applied to a malfunctioning urinary bladder due to neurologic dysfunction or insult emanating from internal or external trauma, disease, or injury. This report describes a case of neurogenic bladder following laminectomy procedure and long-standing diabetes mellitus with neuropathy treated with autologous cellular therapy. The differentiation potential and paracrine effects of mesenchymal stem cells on bladder function have been highlighted.
Standardization of Alternative Methods for Nanogenotoxicity Testing inDrosophila melanogasterUsing Iron Nanoparticles: A Promising Link to Nanodosimetry
Authors: Parvathi Venkatachalam Deepa , Rajagopal Kalyanaraman , Sumitha Ravindran
Published: August 2016

The remarkable advancement of nanotechnology has triggered enormous production of metal nanoparticles and nanomaterials for diverse applications in clinical diagnostics and biomedical research. Nanotechnology has facilitated understanding and analysing nanotoxicology in a holistic approach. Iron nanoparticles have been of special interest in recent research owing to their dynamic, paramagnetic, and catalytic properties. Research studies (in vitromodel) have demonstrated the lack of toxicity in nanoiron. The present study design involvesin vivotoxicity assessment of nanoiron at specific concentrations of 0.1 mM, 1 mM, 5 mM, and 10 mM inDrosophila. DNA fragmentation assay in exposed and F1 population showed first-line toxicity to flies. Viability and reproductive ability were assessed at 24-hour and 48-hour intervals and thus indicated no statistical significance between the exposed and control groups. The wing spot assay has expressed transparent lack of toxicity in the studied concentrations of nanoiron. Protein profiling has demonstrated that the protein profiles have been intact in the larvae which confirm lack of toxicity of nanoiron. This leads to concluding that nanoiron at the defined concentrations is neither genotoxic nor mutagenic.
Wind Speed Inversion in High Frequency Radar Based on Neural Network
Authors: Zeng Yuming , Zhou Hao , Roarty Hugh , Wen Biyang
Published: August 2016

Wind speed is an important sea surface dynamic parameter which influences a wide variety of oceanic applications. Wave height and wind direction can be extracted from high frequency radar echo spectra with a relatively high accuracy, while the estimation of wind speed is still a challenge. This paper describes an artificial neural network based method to estimate the wind speed in HF radar which can be trained to store the specific but unknown wind-wave relationship by the historical buoy data sets. The method is validated by one-month-long data of SeaSonde radar, the correlation coefficient between the radar estimates and the buoy records is 0.68, and the root mean square error is 1.7 m/s. This method also performs well in a rather wide range of time and space (2 years around and 360 km away). This result shows that the ANN is an efficient tool to help make the wind speed an operational product of the HF radar.
Cadmium Sulfide Thin Films Deposited onto MWCNT/Polysulfone Substrates by Chemical Bath Deposition
Authors: Moreno M. , Alonzo-Medina G. M. , Oliva A. I. , Oliva-Avilés A. I.
Published: August 2016

Cadmium sulfide (CdS) thin films were deposited by chemical bath deposition (CBD) onto polymeric composites with electric field-aligned multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). MWCNT/polysulfone composites were prepared by dispersing low concentrations of MWCNTs within dissolved polysulfone (PSF). An alternating current electric field was “in situ” applied to align the MWCNTs within the dissolved polymer along the field direction until the solvent was evaporated. 80 μm thick solid MWCNT/PSF composites with an electrical conductivity 13 orders of magnitude higher than the conductivity of the neat PSF were obtained. The MWCNT/PSF composites were subsequently used as flexible substrates for the deposition of CdS thin films by CBD. Transparent and adherent CdS thin films with an average thickness of 475 nm were obtained. The values of the energy band gap, average grain size, rms roughness, crystalline structure, and preferential orientation of the CdS films deposited onto the polymeric substrate were very similar to the corresponding values of the CdS deposited onto glass (conventional substrate). These results show that the MWCNT/PSF composites with electric field-tailored MWCNTs represent a suitable option to be used as flexible conducting substrate for CdS thin films, which represents an important step towards the developing of flexible systems for photovoltaic applications.
Management of Ankyloglossia and Breastfeeding Difficulties in the Newborn: Breastfeeding Sessions, Myofunctional Therapy, and Frenotomy
Authors: Ferrés-Amat Elvira , Pastor-Vera Tomasa , Rodríguez-Alessi Paula , Ferrés-Amat Eduard , Mareque-Bueno Javier , Ferrés-Padró Eduard
Published: August 2016

The problems of suction in newborns give rise to multiple consequences for both the mother and the newborn. The objective of this paper is to present a case of ankyloglossia (“tongue-tie”) and the suction problems that were treated by a multidisciplinary team. The subject is a 17-day-old male patient, with ankyloglossia and suction problems during breastfeeding (pain in the breastfeeding mother, poor weight gain, and long breastfeeds). The patient followed the circuit established in our centre between the services of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Breastfeeding and Speech Therapy and Orofacial Rehabilitation (CELERE). The evolution following the breastfeeding sessions, the myofunctional stimulation, and the lingual frenotomy was very favourable, thereby solving the suction problems that the newborn presented. All our patients receive breastfeeding sessions and myofunctional therapy as treatment. We know that a frenotomy is not always necessary and we believe that the stimulation of sucking before and after the surgical intervention is important in order to improve the final result.
A Game of Two Elderly Care Facilities: Competition, Mothballing Options, and Policy Implications
Authors: Wang Congcong , Zhao Yingxue , Chen Rongda
Published: August 2016

This article develops a model to investigate the entry strategies of private investors to the elderly care service market, with the purpose of explaining the reasons behind dilemma of low signing rate plaguing China’s Public-Private Partnership projects. We focus on the competition between two private investors with or without mothballing options under price uncertainty. After the derivation of equilibria of entry strategies, we employ numerical examples to analyze the dependencies of entry thresholds on market parameters, cost parameters, subsidy, and possession of mothballing option. Conclusions are drawn and some policy implications are given with the intention to alleviate the problem of low signing rate.
Global Dynamics of a Compressor Blade with Resonances
Authors: Bian Xiaoxia , Chen Fangqi , An Fengxian
Published: August 2016

The global bifurcations and chaotic dynamics of a thin-walled compressor blade for the resonant case of 2 : 1 internal resonance and primary resonance are investigated. With the aid of the normal theory, the desired form associated with a double zero and a pair of pure imaginary eigenvalues for the global perturbation method is obtained. Based on the simpler form, the method developed by Kovacic and Wiggins is used to find the existence of a Shilnikov-type homoclinic orbit. The results obtained here indicate that the orbit homoclinic to certain invariant sets for the resonance case which may lead to chaos in the sense of Smale horseshoes for the system. The chaotic motions of the rotating compressor blade are also found by using numerical simulation.
Mandibular Fractures Admitted to the Emergency Department: Data Analysis from a Swiss Level One Trauma Centre
Authors: Yildirgan Kemal , Zahir Edris , Sharafi Siamak , Ahmad Sufian , Schaller Benoit , Ricklin Meret E. , Exadaktylos Aristomenis K.
Published: August 2016

Mandibular fracture is a common occurrence in emergency medicine and belongs to the most frequent facial fractures. Historically road traffic injuries (RTIs) have played a prominent role as a cause for mandibular fractures. We extracted data from all patients between August 2012 and February 2015 with “lower jaw fracture” or “mandibular fracture” from the routine database from the emergency department. We conducted a descriptive analysis at a Swiss level one trauma centre. 144 patients were admitted with suspected mandibular fractures. The majority underwent CT diagnostic (83%). In 7% suspected mandibular fracture was not confirmed. More than half of all patients suffered two or more fractures. The fractures were median or paramedian in 77/144 patients (53%) and in other parts (corpus, mandibular angle, ramus mandibularis, collum, and temporomandibular joint) in 100/144 (69%). Male to female ratio was 3 : 1 up to 59 years of age; 69% were younger than 40 years. 72% of all patients presented during daytime, 69% had to be hospitalized, and 31% could be discharged from the ED after treatment. Most fractures were due to fall (44%), followed by interpersonal violence (25%) and sport activities (12%). Falls were a dominant cause of fracture in all age groups while violence and sport activities were common only in younger patients. Comparisons to other studies were difficult due to lack of standardization of causes contributing to the injuries. In the observed time period and setting RTIs have played a minor role compared to falls, interpersonal violence, and sports. In the future, standardized documentation as well as categorization of causes for analytic purposes is urgently needed to facilitate international comparison of studies.
Decentralized Robust Adaptive Output Feedback Stabilization for Interconnected Nonlinear Systems with Uncertainties
Authors: Yang Qiang , Zhu Ming , Jiang Tao , He Jin , Yuan Jianying , Han Jianda
Published: August 2016

Based on adaptive nonlinear damping, a novel decentralized robust adaptive output feedback stabilization comprising a decentralized robust adaptive output feedback controller and a decentralized robust adaptive observer is proposed for a large-scale interconnected nonlinear system with general uncertainties, such as unknown nonlinear parameters, bounded disturbances, unknown nonlinearities, unmodeled dynamics, and unknown interconnections, which are nonlinear function of not only states and outputs but also unmodeled dynamics coming from other subsystems. In each subsystem, the proposed stabilization only has two adaptive parameters, and it is not needed to generate an additional dynamic signal or estimate the unknown parameters. Under certain assumptions, the proposed scheme guarantees that all the dynamic signals in the interconnected nonlinear system are bounded. Furthermore, the system states and estimate errors can approach arbitrarily small values by choosing the design parameters appropriately large. Finally, simulation results illustrated the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Long-Span Wooden Structural Floors with Self-Tensioning System: Performance under Asymmetrical Loads
Authors: Estévez-Cimadevila J. , Otero-Chans D. , Martín-Gutiérrez E. , Suárez-Riestra F.
Published: August 2016

This study analyzes the performance of wooden structural floors equipped with the self-tensioning system patented by the authors, consisting of a force multiplying mechanism connected to a self-tensioning tendon, which is activated automatically when the load is applied to the structural element. The paper describes the system’s difficulties when the structural floor is subjected to asymmetrical loads. The proposed solution consists of anchoring the tendon by an adhesive connection in the central part of the piece yielding a favorable redistribution of the bending moments and an effective performance in terms of deformations. The comparative study focuses onπ-shape cross section pieces with spans of 12 m and 15 m, using sections without prestressing and with initial prestressing and self-tensioning system.
Photocatalytic and Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting on TiO2via Photosensitization
Authors: Kochuveedu Saji Thomas
Published: August 2016

The search for an alternative to replace conventional fuel has been going on for years due to the limited storage of fossil fuel and excess CO2emission from the fuel. Using H2as fuel has gained wide attention recently, as well as consequently splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen. Seminal semiconductors such as TiO2and ZnO have their position of CB and VB in alignment with water reduction and oxidation potential, respectively, but their wide bandgap allows them to absorb only UV light of the solar spectrum. Combining narrow bandgap semiconductors or other visible light active sensitizers with TiO2/ZnO is a facile route to exploit the visible light region of the solar spectrum. In this review, I make an attempt to summarize the various photosensitizers used in combination with TiO2for water splitting with recent reports as examples.
Unintended Pregnancy in Ethiopia: Community Based Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Getu Melese Kidest , Gebrie Mignote Hailu , Berta Badi Martha , Fekadu Mersha Wubalem
Published: August 2016

Introduction. Unintended pregnancy is defined as a pregnancy which is a sum of mistimed pregnancy (pregnancy wanted at a later time) and unwanted pregnancy (pregnancy which is not wanted at all). Unintended pregnancy is a global public health problem and its sequels are major causes for maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality with its effect to maternal metal illness as well.Objective. To determine the prevalence and associated factors of unintended pregnancy in Debre Birhan town, northeast of Ethiopia, in 2014.Method. Community based cross-sectional study and questionnaire developed from Ethiopian demographic health survey 2011. Participants were 690 currently pregnant mothers. Association of unintended pregnancy with factors was measured with bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions.Result. In this study unintended pregnancy is found to be 23.5%. Being formerly married and never married, distance to the nearest health facility>80 minutes, gravidity>5, 1-2 parity, and partner disagreement on desired number of children are the variables significantly associated with unintended pregnancy.Conclusion. Significant proportion of unintended pregnancy is found in the study area. To minimize unintended pregnancy concerned bodies should work on the identified factors, so we can minimize maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality and keep the health of the family specifically and country in general.
Baseline Body Composition in Prepubertal Short Stature Children with Severe and Moderate Growth Hormone Deficiency
Authors: Matusik Pawel , Klesiewicz Marta , Klos Karolina , Stasiulewicz Martyna , Barylak Aleksandra , Nazarkiewicz Patrycja , Malecka-Tendera Ewa
Published: August 2016

Objective.To compare body composition parameters in short children with severe versus moderate and no growth hormone deficiency (GHD).Design and Method.61 children (40 boys) were studied. Height SDS, BMIZ-score, waist/height ratio (W/HtR), and body composition parameters (BIA) as fat tissue (FAT%), fat-free mass (FFM%), predicted muscle mass (PMM%), and total body water (TBW%) were evaluated. GH secretion in the overnight profile and two stimulation tests and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) level were measured.Results.Overall, in 16 (26%) moderate (7.0 > peak GH < 10 ng/mL) and in 11 (18%) severe (GH ≤ 7.0 ng/mL) GHD was diagnosed. In children with sGHD BMIZ-score, W/HtR and FAT% were significantly higher, while FFM%, PMM%, and TBW% were significantly lower versus mGHD and versus noGHD subgroups. No significant differences between mGHD and noGHD were found. There were no differences in height SDS and IGF-1 SDS between evaluated subgroups. Night GH peak level correlated significantly with FAT%, FFM%, PMM%, and TBW%, (p<0.05) in the entire group.Conclusions.Only sGHD is associated with significant impairment of body composition. Body composition analysis may be a useful tool in distinguishing between its severe and moderate form of GHD.
A Modified MinMaxk-Means Algorithm Based on PSO
Authors: Wang Xiaoyan , Bai Yanping
Published: August 2016

The MinMaxk-means algorithm is widely used to tackle the effect of bad initialization by minimizing the maximum intraclustering errors. Two parameters, including the exponent parameter and memory parameter, are involved in the executive process. Since different parameters have different clustering errors, it is crucial to choose appropriate parameters. In the original algorithm, a practical framework is given. Such framework extends the MinMaxk-means to automatically adapt the exponent parameter to the data set. It has been believed that if the maximum exponent parameter has been set, then the programme can reach the lowest intraclustering errors. However, our experiments show that this is not always correct. In this paper, we modified the MinMaxk-means algorithm by PSO to determine the proper values of parameters which can subject the algorithm to attain the lowest clustering errors. The proposed clustering method is tested on some favorite data sets in several different initial situations and is compared to thek-means algorithm and the original MinMaxk-means algorithm. The experimental results indicate that our proposed algorithm can reach the lowest clustering errors automatically.
Characterization and Prediction of Protein Flexibility Based on Structural Alphabets
Authors: Dong Qiwen , Wang Kai , Liu Bin , Liu Xuan
Published: August 2016

Motivation.To assist efforts in determining and exploring the functional properties of proteins, it is desirable to characterize and predict protein flexibilities.Results.In this study, the conformational entropy is used as an indicator of the protein flexibility. We first explore whether the conformational change can capture the protein flexibility. The well-defined decoy structures are converted into one-dimensional series of letters from a structural alphabet. Four different structure alphabets, including the secondary structure in 3-class and 8-class, the PB structure alphabet (16-letter), and the DW structure alphabet (28-letter), are investigated. The conformational entropy is then calculated from the structure alphabet letters. Some of the proteins show high correlation between the conformation entropy and the protein flexibility. We then predict the protein flexibility from basic amino acid sequence. The local structures are predicted by the dual-layer model and the conformational entropy of the predicted class distribution is then calculated. The results show that the conformational entropy is a good indicator of the protein flexibility, but false positives remain a problem. The DW structure alphabet performs the best, which means that more subtle local structures can be captured by large number of structure alphabet letters. Overall this study provides a simple and efficient method for the characterization and prediction of the protein flexibility.
Dynamic Tracking of Injected Mesenchymal Stem Cells after Myocardial Infarction in Rats: A Serial 7T MRI Study
Authors: Chen Xiuyu , Lu Minjie , Ma Ning , Yin Gang , Cui Chen , Zhao Shihua
Published: August 2016

Purpose. To track the fate of micron‐sized particles of iron oxide (MPIO) labeled mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in vivo in a rat myocardial infarction model using 7T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. Materials and Methods. Male MSCs (2 × 106/50 μL) dual‐labeled with MPIO and CM‐DiI were injected into the infarct periphery 7 days after myocardial infarction (MI). The control group received cell‐free media injection. The temporal stem cell location, signal intensity, and cardiac function were dynamically assessed using a 7T MRI at 24 h before transplantation (baseline), 3 days, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks after transplantation, respectively. Results. MR hypointensities caused by MPIOs were observed on T2⁎‐weighted images at all time points after MSCs injection. Cine‐MRI showed that MSCs moderated progressive left ventricular remodeling. Double staining for iron and CD68 revealed that most of the iron‐positive cells were CD68‐positive macrophages. Real‐time PCR for rat SRY gene showed the number of survival MSCs considerably decreased after transplantation. MSC‐treated hearts had significantly increased capillary density in peri‐infarct region and lower cardiomyocytes apoptosis and fibrosis formation. Conclusions. Iron particles are not a reliable marker for in vivo tracking the long‐term fate of MSCs engraftment. Despite of poor cell retention, MSCs moderate left ventricular remodeling after MI.
The Analysis of Vertical Transaction Behavior and Performance Based on Automobile Brand Trust in Supply Chain
Authors: Zhou Guanglan , Fei Yulian , Hu Jun
Published: August 2016

The nontrust behaviors among the automobile supply chain members lead to a trust crisis situation. Under such circumstances, this paper studies the mutual influences of trust, enterprise behavior, and transaction performance on the independent brand automobile supply chain. The business behavior concept which consists of information sharing, joint action, and specific asset investment is proposed. Then, the paper tests the reliability and validity of the collected data through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Through empirical test and analysis on mutual relationship among vertical transaction enterprise behaviors, trust, and transaction performance, the vertical transaction enterprise behaviors can be regulated, so as to improve the efficiency of independent brand automobile supply chain.
The Classification of Synoptic-Scale Eddies at 850 hPa over the North Pacific in Wintertime
Authors: Xia Linlin , Tan Yanke , Li Chongyin , Cheng Cheng
Published: August 2016

Empirical orthogonal function (EOF) is applied to the study of the synoptic-scale eddies at 850 hPa over the North Pacific in winter from 1948 to 2010. The western developing pattern synoptic-scale eddies (WSE) and the eastern developing pattern synoptic-scale eddies (ESE) are extracted from the first four leading modes of EOF analysis of high-pass filtered geopotential height. The results show the following: (1) The WSE and the ESE both take the form of a wave train propagating eastward. The WSE reach their largest amplitude around the dateline in the North Pacific, while the largest amplitude of ESE occurs in the northeast Pacific. (2) The WSE and ESE are the most important modes of the synoptic-scale eddies at 850 hPa over the North Pacific, which correspond to the two max value centers of the storm track. (3) In addition to geopotential height, the WSE and the ESE also leave their wave-like footprints in the temperature, meridional wind, and vertical velocity fields, which assume typical baroclinic wave features. (4) The WSE and the ESE have an intrinsic time scale of four days and experience a “midwinter suppression” corresponding to the midwinter suppression of storm tracks.
Exendin-4 Promotes Survival of Mouse Pancreaticβ-Cell Line in Lipotoxic Conditions, through the Extracellular Signal-Related Kinase 1/2 Pathway
Authors: Gu Jianqiu , Wei Qian , Zheng Hongzhi , Meng Xin , Zhang Jin , Wang Difei
Published: August 2016

Type 2 diabetes is a heterogeneous disorder that develops as a result of relatively inappropriate insulin secretion and insulin resistance. Increased levels of free fatty acids (FFAs) are one of the important factors for the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes and contribute to defectiveβ-cell proliferation and increasedβ-cell apoptosis. Recently, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists have been shown to possess an antiapoptotic effect, by increasingβ-cell mass and improvingβ-cell function. However, their effects onβ-cells in vitro against lipotoxicity have not been elucidated completely. In this study, we investigated whether the GLP-1 receptor agonist exendin-4 displays prosurvival effects in pancreaticβ-cells exposed to chronic elevated FFAs. Results showed that exendin-4 inhibited apoptosis induced by palmitate in MIN6 cells. After 24 h of incubation, exendin-4 caused rapid activation of extracellular signal-related kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) under lipotoxic conditions. The ERK1/2 inhibitor PD98059 blocked the antilipotoxic effect of exendin-4 on MIN6 cells. Exendin-4 also inhibited the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis. This inhibition is associated with upregulation of BCL-2. Our findings suggested that exendin-4 may exert cytoprotective effects through activation of ERK1/2 and inhibition of the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway.