bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diurnal periodicity of assimilate transport shapes resource allocation and whole‐plant carbon balance
Authors: Brauner Katrin , Birami Benjamin , Brauner Horst A. , Heyer Arnd G.
Published: March 2018

Whole‐plant carbon balance comprises diurnal fluctuations of photosynthetic carbon gain and respiratory losses, as well as partitioning of assimilates between phototrophic and heterotrophic organs. Because it is difficult to access, the root system is frequently neglected in growth models, or its metabolism is rated based on generalizations from other organs. Here, whole‐plant cuvettes were used for investigating total‐plant carbon exchange with the environment over full diurnal cycles. Dynamics of primary metabolism and diurnally resolved phloem exudation profiles, as proxy of assimilate transport, were combined to obtain a full picture of resource allocation. This uncovered a strong impact of periodicity of inter‐organ transport on the efficiency of carbon gain. While a sinusoidal fluctuation of the transport rate, with minor diel deflections, minimized respiratory losses in Arabidopsis wild‐type plants, triangular or rectangular patterns of transport, found in mutants defective in either starch or sucrose metabolism, increased root respiration at the end or beginning of the day, respectively. Power spectral density and cross‐correlation analysis revealed that only the rate of starch synthesis was strictly correlated to the rate of net photosynthesis in wild‐type, while in a sucrose‐phosphate synthase mutant (spsa1), this applied also to carboxylate synthesis, serving as an alternative carbon pool. In the starchless mutant of plastidial phospho‐gluco mutase (pgm), none of these rates, but concentrations of sucrose and glucose in the root, followed the pattern of photosynthesis, indicating direct transduction of shoot sugar levels to the root. The results demonstrate that starch metabolism alone is insufficient to buffer diurnal fluctuations of carbon exchange.
The CRISPR/Cas revolution reaches the RNA world: Cas13, a new Swiss Army knife for plant biologists
Authors: Wolter Felix , Puchta Holger
Published: March 2018

Application of the bacterial CRISPR/Cas systems to eukaryotes is revolutionizing biology. Cas9 and Cas12 (previously called Cpf1) are widely used as DNA nucleases for inducing site‐specific DNA breaks for different kinds of genome engineering applications, and in their mutated forms as DNA‐binding proteins to modify gene expression. Moreover, histone modifications, as well as cytosine methylation or base editing, were achieved with these systems in plants. Recently, with the discovery of the nuclease Cas13a (previously called C2c2), molecular biologists have obtained a system that enables sequence‐specific cleavage of single‐stranded RNA molecules. The latest experiments with this and also the alternative Cas13b system demonstrate that these proteins can be used in a similar manner in eukaryotes for RNA manipulation as Cas9 and Cas12 for DNA manipulations. The first application of Cas13a for post‐transcriptional regulation of gene expression in plants has been reported. Recent results show that the system is also applicable for combating viral infection in plants. As single‐stranded RNA viruses are by far the most abundant class of viruses in plants, the application of this system is of special promise for crops. More interesting applications are imminent for plant biologists, with nuclease dead versions of Cas13 enabling the ability to visualize RNA molecules in vivo, as well as to edit different kinds of RNA molecules at specific bases by deamination or to modify them by conjugation. Moreover, by combining DNA‐ and RNA‐directed systems, the most complex of changes in plant metabolism might be achievable.
Impact of delayed umbilical cord clamping on public cord blood donations: can we help future patients and benefit infant donors?
Authors: Ciubotariu Rodica , Scaradavou Andromachi , Ciubotariu Ilinca , Tarnawski Michal , Lloyd Sara , Albano Maria , Dobrila Ludy , Rubinstein Pablo , Grunebaum Amos
Published: March 2018

BACKGROUND

Cord blood (CB) is a widely accepted stem cell source and its clinical utilization depends, to a great extent, on its cell content. Birth‐to‐clamping (BTC) time of umbilical cord determines placental transfusion to the newborn, and the remaining blood that can be collected and banked. The 2017 Committee Opinion of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends a delay of “at least 30‐60 seconds” before clamping the cord for all newborns to ensure adequate iron stores. The impact of delayed cord clamping (DCC) on public CB banking can be substantial.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Cord blood units (CBUs) collected from 1210 mothers at one hospital were evaluated for total nucleated cells (TNCs) and weight/volume based on time to clamping. Bank staff recorded BTC time in seconds as reported by obstetricians; collections were performed ex utero. Immediate clamping was defined as BTC of less than 30 seconds, whereas DCC was defined as BTC of 30 seconds or more.

RESULTS

Cord clamping was immediate in 903 (75%) and delayed in 307 (25%) deliveries. Successful recovery (% clinical CBUs) decreased 10‐fold with DCC of more than 60 seconds (22% vs. 2.4%, p < 0.001). CBUs collected after DCC of more than 60 seconds had significantly lower TNC counts than those after DCC of less than 60 seconds (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, 38% to 46% of CBUs after DCC of more than 60 seconds had volume of less than 40 mL.

CONCLUSION

Our study indicates that DCC of 30 to 60 seconds has a small negative impact on collection of high‐TNC‐count CBUs. However, increasing BTC to more than 60 seconds decreases significantly both TNC content and volume, reducing drastically the chances of obtaining clinically useful CBUs.
AutomatedRBCexchange compared to manual exchange transfusion for children with sickle cell disease is cost‐effective and reduces iron overload
Authors: Dedeken Laurence , Lê Phu Quoc , Rozen Laurence , El Kenz Hanane , Huybrechts Sophie , Devalck Christine , Diallo Safiatou , Heijmans Catherine , Ferster Alina
Published: March 2018

BACKGROUND

Chronic transfusion in sickle cell disease (SCD) remains the gold standard therapy for stroke prevention and for patients with severe disease despite adequate hydroxyurea treatment. The aim of our study was to assess the safety and efficacy of automated red blood cell exchange (aRBX) in patients with SCD previously treated with manual exchange transfusion (MET). Costs related to transfusion and chelation overtime were evaluated.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Beginning in January 2012, children with SCD who weighed 30 kg or more on MET could switch to aRBX. Clinical, biological, and procedures' data, including costs, were recorded for the last 6 months on MET and compared to those after the first and the second year on aRBX.

RESULTS

Ten patients switched from MET to aRBX at a median age of 11.8 years. After the switch, median hemoglobin S (HbS) increased significantly (33.5% on MET compared to 45% on aRBX; p < 0.001) but remained in the target values for all patients. Median ferritin decreased significantly (663.3 µg/L on MET compared to 126.8 µg/L on aRBX; p < 0.001) and intervals between procedures were significantly longer. The requirements of red blood cells (RBCs)/kg/year were not different on MET (0.88 unit/kg/year) than during the second year on aRBX (1.07 unit/kg/year; p = NS). MET costs were similar compared to aRBX since chelation was stopped in previously treated patients.

CONCLUSION

Erythrocytapheresis reduces iron overload and allows a longer interval between procedures without a higher RBC requirement from the second year on aRBX. The cost did not increase as estimated in our Belgian Health Care System.
Restored response to ADP downstream of purinergic P2Y12 receptor in apheresis platelets after pathogen‐reducing xenon flash treatment
Authors: Abe Hideki , Abe Takaaki , Shiba Masayuki , Satake Masahiro
Published: March 2018

BACKGROUND

Our previous study revealed that pathogen‐reducing filtered xenon flash‐treated platelets (fXe‐PLTs) showed sustained aggregation in response to adenosine diphosphate (ADP), but apheresis‐collected PLTs (Aph‐PLTs) showed reversible aggregation.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Aph‐PLTs, fXe‐PLTs, and freshly prepared PLTs (PRP‐PLTs) from whole blood were used to investigate the following responses to ADP: concentration response and effects of ADP receptor antagonists on aggregation, the cytosolic calcium (Ca2+) flux downstream of P2Y1 receptor signaling, and phosphorylation of vasodilator‐stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) and signaling intermediate protein Akt downstream of the P2Y12 receptor.

RESULTS

The aggregation of Aph‐PLTs by ADP (10 µM) changed from reversible to sustained in an fXe flash dose‐dependent manner. The concentration‐response curve of Aph‐PLTs showed a fivefold higher 50% effective concentration compared with PRP‐PLTs, and fXe treatment decreased it to threefold. While the basal Ca2+ level was higher both in Aph‐ and fXe‐PLTs than in PRP‐PLTs, the increase of cytosolic Ca2+ by ADP remained unchanged in Aph‐ and PRP‐PLTs, but was slightly reduced in fXe‐PLTs. Although the forskolin‐induced VASP phosphorylation was significantly reduced in Aph‐PLTs, and partially restored by the fXe treatment, ADP stimulation attenuated this phosphorylation to an equivalent extent among the three PLT types. The ADP‐stimulated time‐dependent Akt phosphorylation was weak in Aph‐PLTs, whereas fXe‐PLTs and PRP‐PLTs showed a marked increase.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that the reversible aggregation of Aph‐PLTs is the consequence of insufficient Akt phosphorylation. The fXe treatment restores the increase of phosphorylated Akt, resulting in the sustained aggregation of fXe‐PLTs similar to those of PRP‐PLTs.
In vitro evaluation of di(2‐ethylhexyl)terephthalate–plasticized polyvinyl chloride blood bags for red blood cell storage in AS‐1 and PAGGSM additive solutions
Authors: Graminske Sharon , Puca Kathleen , Schmidt Anna , Brooks Scott , Boerner Amanda , Heldke Sybil , de Arruda Indig Monika , Brucks Mark , Kossor David
Published: March 2018

BACKGROUND

Di(2‐ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) makes polyvinyl chloride flexible for use in blood bags and stabilizes the red blood cell (RBC) membrane preventing excessive hemolysis. DEHP migrates into the blood product and rodent studies have suggested that DEHP exposure may be associated with adverse health effects albeit at high dosages. Although structurally and functionally similar to DEHP, di(2‐ethylhexyl)terephthalate (DEHT; or Eastman 168 SG [Eastman Chemical Company]) is metabolically distinct with a comprehensive and benign toxicology profile. This study evaluated RBC stability in DEHT‐plasticized bags with AS‐1 and PAGGSM compared to conventional DEHP‐plasticized bags with AS‐1.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Thirty‐six whole blood units were collected into CPD solution, leukoreduced, centrifuged, and divided into RBCs and plasma. To limit donor‐related variability, three ABO‐identical RBCs were mixed together and then divided equally and stored among the three different plasticizer and additive solution combinations. RBCs from 12 trios were analyzed for a standard panel of in vitro variables on Day 0 and after storage.

RESULTS

No individual bag on Day 42 exceeded the US 1.0% hemolysis criteria. While hemolysis during storage was higher in the DEHT bags, the PAGGSM RBCs were close to the control RBCs (0.38% vs. 0.32%, respectively). ATP retention was higher than 70% and potassium levels were similar regardless of plasticizer. Additional RBC variables exhibited some significant differences but were not viewed as clinically important.

CONCLUSION

DEHT/PAGGSM provides similar hemolysis protection to that of DEHP/AS‐1. Although hemolysis values with DEHT and AS‐1 are higher than that of DEHP, DEHT is a potential DEHP alternative.
Pathological features of intestinal T‐cell lymphoma in Shiba dogs in Japan
Authors: Matsumoto I. , Uchida K. , Nakashima K. , Goto‐Koshino Y. , Chambers J. K. , Tsujimoto H. , Nakayama H.
Published: March 2018

Intestinal T‐cell lymphoma is being more frequently diagnosed in dogs owing to the wide availability of endoscopy and clonality analysis in veterinary medicine. However, no epidemiological study on intestinal T‐cell lymphoma has been previously performed, and hence, information about dog breed, age and sex distributions of intestinal T‐cell lymphoma has largely remained unclear. In this study, breed predisposition to canine intestinal T‐cell lymphoma was determined by calculating odds ratios and 95% confidential intervals. Of the 43 breeds identified, 7 appeared to have an increased risk of developing intestinal T‐cell lymphoma, including Shiba dogs, German shepherds, Cairn terriers, Boston terriers, Papillons, Pugs and Maltese. Immunohistochemistry of representative Shiba cases revealed ubiquitous cytotoxic immunophenotype in both large and small cell lymphomas. Interestingly, CD20 co‐expression was observed in 11% of cases. It could potentially be aberrant expression of CD20 or neoplastic transformation of a normal subset of CD20‐positive T‐cells. A comparison of mean age between representative breeds revealed that Shiba dogs were slightly younger than Miniature Dachshunds (P < .05). However, there was no difference in survival between the 2 breeds. As Shiba dogs are predisposed to chronic enteropathy, there may be underlying inflammatory process contributing to lymphomagenesis of intestinal T‐cell lymphoma in this breed. Our findings provide insights into the underlying pathogenesis of breed‐specific canine intestinal T‐cell lymphoma.
Evaluation of information presented within soft tissue sarcoma histopathology reports in the United States: 2012‐2015
Authors: Livaccari A. M. , Selmic L. E. , Reagan J. K. , Driskell E. A. , Cray M. T. , Lamoureux L. M. , Garrett L. D.
Published: March 2018

Despite the existence of the American College of Veterinary Pathology guidelines for tumour biopsy specimens, anecdotally the authors' have seen inconsistency of reporting of information on the pathology report for canine soft tissue sarcomas (STSs). If crucial aspects are not reported this can result in slower or impeded patient care. This retrospective study evaluated 255 STS histopathology reports submitted from across the United States. Reports were evaluated by a single observer to assess for information contained in 5 main categories: patient history and signalment, gross and microscopic description, grading, histologic margins and the comments section. Inclusion criteria for histopathology reports included a final diagnosis of STS, having a microscopic description and resulting from the initial surgical resection. The majority of the reports stated the patient signalment (91.2%) and clinical history (90.8%). However, only 64.8% of the reports had a gross description of the specimen. Histologic margin description was present in 229 reports (91.6%), however, only 149 reports (59.6%) stated an objective measurement of these margins. Histologic classification was stated in 50.0% of the reports, while grade was given on 97.2% of the reports. Variability in histopathologic reporting including histologic margin description for resected canine STS was identified. Given surgical treatment is the mainstay for STS and histopathological assessment plays an important role in determination of whether additional surgery, radiation or chemotherapy is needed. Standardization or checklists like the American College of Pathology utilize may be helpful to ensure histopathologic characteristics are reported that may guide further treatment recommendations.
Identification of VIM‐2 metallo‐β‐lactamase‐producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from dogs with pyoderma and otitis in Korea
Authors: Hyun Jae‐Eun , Chung Tae‐Ho , Hwang Cheol‐Yong
Published: March 2018

Background

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a challenging pathogen cultured from cases of acute and chronic canine otitis and sometimes in cases of deep pyoderma. The spread of antimicrobial resistance, especially carbapenem resistance, is a serious therapeutic challenge worldwide.

Hypothesis/Objectives

To investigate the identification and characterization of resistant P. aeruginosa clinical canine isolates.

Materials

Clinical isolates (n = 80) were collected from dogs with pyoderma (n = 18) and otitis (n = 62) in Korea.

Methods

Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined using agar dilution and using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines for recording susceptibility for human Pseudomonas isolates; genetic relatedness of isolates was investigated by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and SpeI macrorestriction analysis. The class 1 integrons were amplified and sequenced using primer walking.

Results

Most isolates were susceptible to colistin (97.5%), polymyxin B (96.3%), ciprofloxacin (81.3%) and meropenem (80.0%); whereas resistance to aztreonam (80%), piperacillin (52.5%), piperacillin/tazobactam (41.3%) and cefepime (37.5%) was high; 12 carbapenem‐nonsusceptible isolates (15%) were detected. MLST revealed 45 different sequence types (STs) and macrorestriction analysis detected 55 distinct pulsotypes (PTs), which were divided into 25 clonal groups. Among carbapenem‐nonsusceptible isolates, 10 (83.3%) were VIM‐2‐producing strains. Nine VIM‐2‐producing isolates were identified as ST1047 and harboured the same 2.8 kb class 1 integron. One remaining isolate was ST1203 with 2.1 kb class 1 integron.

Conclusions and clinical importance

This study demonstrated the diversity of the phenotype and genotype of clinical P. aeruginosa isolates from dogs with pyoderma and otitis. The identification of VIM‐2‐producing P. aeruginosa in dogs is alarming and warrants further surveillance.
Physiological stress response patterns during a blood donation
Authors: Hoogerwerf M. D. , Veldhuizen I. J. T. , Tarvainen M. P. , Merz E.‐M. , Huis in ‘t Veld E. M. J. , de Kort W. L. A. M. , Sluiter J. K. , Frings‐Dresen M. H. W.
Published: March 2018

Background

Donating blood is associated with increased psychological stress. This study investigates whether a blood donation induces physiological stress and if response patterns differ by gender, donation experience and non‐acute stress.

Study design and methods

In 372 donors, physiological stress [blood pressure, pulse rate, pulse rate variability (PRV)] was measured at seven moments during routine donation. PRV was assessed using time domain [root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD)] and frequency domain [high frequency (HF) and low frequency (LF) power] parameters. Non‐acute stress was assessed by questionnaire. Shape and significance of time course patterns were assessed by fitting multilevel models for each stress measure and comparing men and women, first‐time and experienced donors, and donors with high and low levels of non‐acute stress.

Results

Significant response patterns were found for all stress measures, where levels of systolic blood pressure (F(1,1315) = 24·2, P < 0·001), RMSSD (F(1,1315) = 24·2, P < 0·001), LF (F(1,1627) = 14·1, P < 0·001) and HF (F(1,1624) = 34·0, P < 0·001) increased towards needle insertion and then decreased to values lower than when arriving at the donation centre. Diastolic blood pressure (F(1,1326) = 50·9, P < 0·001) increased and pulse rate (F(1,1393) = 507·4, P < 0·001) showed a U‐shaped curve. Significant group effects were found, that is, higher systolic blood pressure/pulse rate in women; higher pulse rate in first‐time donors; higher RMSSD at arrival and from screening until leaving in first‐time donors; and higher LF and HF in first‐time donors.

Conclusion

This study shows an increase in physiological stress related to needle insertion, followed by a decrease when leaving the donation centre. Some group effects were also found.
Antimicrobial‐resistantEnterobacteriaceaerecovered from companion animal and livestock environments
Authors: Adams R. J. , Kim S. S. , Mollenkopf D. F. , Mathys D. A. , Schuenemann G. M. , Daniels J. B. , Wittum T. E.
Published: March 2018

Antimicrobial‐resistant bacteria represent an important concern impacting both veterinary medicine and public health. The rising prevalence of extended‐spectrum beta‐lactamase (ESBL), AmpC beta‐lactamase, carbapenemase (CRE) and fluoroquinolone‐resistantEnterobacteriaceaecontinually decreases the efficiency of clinically important antibiotics. Moreover, the potential for zoonotic transmission of antibiotic‐resistant enteric bacteria increases the risk to public health. Our objective was to estimate the prevalence of specific antibiotic‐resistant bacteria on human contact surfaces in various animal environments. Environmental surface samples were collected from companion animal shelters, private equine facilities, dairy farms, livestock auction markets and livestock areas of county fairs using electrostatic cloths. Samples were screened forEnterobacteriaceaeexpressing AmpC, ESBL, CRE or fluoroquinolone resistance using selective media. Livestock auction markets and county fairs had higher levels of bacteria expressing both cephalosporin and fluoroquinolone resistance than did equine, dairy, and companion animal environments. Equine facilities harboured more bacteria expressing cephalosporin resistance than companion animal shelters, but less fluoroquinolone resistance. The regular use of extended‐spectrum cephalosporins in livestock populations could account for the increased levels of cephalosporin resistance in livestock environments compared to companion animal and equine facilities. Human surfaces, as well as shared human and animal surfaces, were contaminated with resistant bacteria regardless of species environment. Detecting these bacteria on common human contact surfaces suggests that the environment can serve as a reservoir for the zoonotic transmission of antibiotic‐resistant bacteria and resistance genes. Identifying interventions to lower the prevalence of antibiotic‐resistant bacteria in animal environments will protect both animal and public health.
Adult Beginner Instrumentalists’ Practice, Self-Regulation, and Self-Efficacy: A Pilot Study
Authors: Ritchie Laura , Kearney Phil
Published: March 2018

The self-regulation of practice behaviour has repeatedly been shown to distinguish between novice and expert performers, however interventions designed to encourage self-regulation by novice musicians have shown limited effectiveness. Guided by successful research in sporting contexts, the present study investigated the behaviours of beginner (novice) adult musicians’ self-regulated learning, self-efficacy for learning, and practice. Participants undertook a semester of music lessons learning string instruments. Half of the group completed a self-regulation worksheet alongside practicing whereas the others listened to various pieces of music and were not instructed to implement any specific structure to their practice outside the lesson. The results showed that although the intervention was successful in promoting self-regulatory behaviours, the worksheet element had no impact on self-efficacy for learning and was not recognised by participants as directly influencing their learning. Future research should consider the directed use of the worksheet, and other practice aids in interventions and the research designs used to evaluate the effectiveness of such behaviours.
Mathematics Anxiety of Ninth Grade Students
Authors: Yavuz Güneş
Published: March 2018

Human beings have been using mathematics since they got familiar with the environment they lived in. Because of this reason, the emphasis of necessity of mathematics education for schools with various levels in different countries has undoubtedly been agreed upon. Mathematics anxiety is a problem for many people. Mathematics anxiety is one of the subjects that have attracted interest of training psychologists and mathematics teachers. It can have detrimental effects for high school students including feelings of nervous tension, fear of rejection, and stress. Mathematics anxiety is intense emotional feelings of anxiety that people have about their ability to understand and perform mathematics. While mathematics anxiety may be perceived as an excuse for poor mathematics performance, it can be a valid, justifiable excuse as well. This study examined the mathematics anxiety levels and changes in mathematics anxiety levels with respect to gender, whether students had prior special tutoring, mathematics achievement level and parental education level of high school ninth grade students in İzmir. The sample included 250 ninth grade students. The data were collected using the “Mathematics anxiety scale” developed by Erol (1989). The scale aimed at measuring students’ anxiety towards mathematics. In addition, an individual information form was developed by the researcher to collect demographic data. The data obtained from this study were evaluated using SPSS version 11.0 statistical programme and t-test and ANOVA statistics were calculated. The results show that; mathematics achievement level and parental education level is statistically significant. Mathematics anxiety scores do not exhibit statistically significant difference according to gender and students prior special tutoring.
Athletes’ Perception of Coaches’ Behavior and Skills About Their Sport
Authors: Üzüm Hanifi
Published: March 2018

This study examined the perception of athletes’ about their coaches’ behavior and skills in terms of knowledge and skills, fairness and coaches’ characteristic features. The research was conducted by using relational survey method. The subjects of the study were 95 females and 180 males from diffrent sports. Both team sports athletes such as football, volleyball, basketball, handball and individual sports such as karate, taekwondo, wrestling, kickboxing voluntarily involved ın the study.Perceived Coach Attitudes and Behaviours Scale (PCABS) which was developed by Uzum et al. (2018) was used to asses percevied coaches’ knowledge and skills, fairness and characteristic features by athletes. The scale was composed of 24 items and 3 sub-dimensions (Characteristic Features, Skills and Knowledge, Fairness). Uzum et al. (2018) reported the internal consistency for subscales of PCABS ranging from .56 and .88. For the purpose of this study the reliability of two sub-scales of the PCABS was examined using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (α=.83 for knowledge and skills; α=.81for characteristic features of coaches. The data was analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Tukey’s Post-Hoc Analysis and Pearson Correlation analysis. The level of significance for the study was set at p<.05.The results of the study showed that the sub-dimension of characteristic features of coaches had the highest mean avarage. There were statistically significant differences between male athletes and female athletes in both dimensions of characteristic features of coaches and knowledge and skills (p<.05). Further analysis indicated that females scored higher than males in both dimensions. With regard to the level of coaching either professional or amateur, perception of characteristic features of coaches had higer scores in professional level than amateur (p<.05). Moreover, correlational analysis revealed that there was negatively significant correlation between age of the coaches and knowledge and skills dimension (r= -0.13). On the other hand, the variables such as age of athletes, year of sports performance, level of education, type of sports and the coachs’ gender, marital status, education level of coaches, amount of time spent with the athlete did not show any significant relationship (p>.05).
A Literary Genre in Value Education in History Courses: Poems
Authors: Öztaş Sezai
Published: March 2018

One of the objectives of education in schools is to acquire values. In this sense, history courses are among the important courses in which students can acquire values. Students can acquire values such as justice, peace, honesty, empathy, tolerance, human rights, respect, love, responsibility, charity, patriotism, etc. through history courses. There are many materials in history courses that support value education and that can be used in value education. One of these materials is poetry. It is possible to detect the historical events of the period they were written and the values of society. From this perspective, it is important to use poems in value education in history education. Different learning environments will be granted for students through the use of poetry in value education in history courses. Furthermore, the use of such different materials in the acquisition of values in history lessons will enable further internalization of values. In this study, the fact that value education could be carried out via the use of poetry in history courses was tried to be explained. With this purpose in mind, a theoretical framework for the relation between values and poetry was aimed to be put forward and how poetry could be used in value education in history courses was tried to be explained.
Humanizing the mouse immune system to study splanchnic organ inflammation
Authors: McDaniel Mims Brianyell , Grisham Matthew B.
Published: March 2018

It is well known that alterations in splanchnic organ perfusion and/or immune regulation may produce inflammatory tissue injury similar to that observed in several human disorders such as ischaemia and reperfusion injury, food allergies, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease and graft‐versus‐host disease. Mouse models have been tremendously important in defining the roles of the circulation, leukocyte trafficking, inflammatory mediator generation, immune regulation and the intestinal microbiota in the pathogenesis of acute and chronic inflammation. However, few of the promising interventions or therapeutics reported in mouse models of inflammatory diseases have been translated to clinically effective treatments in patients. There is growing concern that because of the significant differences that exist between the murine and human immune systems, mouse models may not adequately recapitulate the immuno‐pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases. This inconvenient reality has prompted a number of investigators to undertake a series of studies to humanize the murine immune system via adoptive transfer of human lymphoid or progenitor cells into a new generation of immuno‐deficient recipients. In this review, we summarize the recent advances that have been made in the development of humanized mice and describe how these mouse models are being used to study the pathophysiology of splanchnic organ inflammation. In addition, we discuss the limitations of the different approaches and present potential solutions for the continued improvement of these important animal models.

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Predator–prey dynamics mediate long-term production trends of cisco (Coregonus artedi) in a northern Wisconsin lake
Authors: Parks Timothy P. , Rypel Andrew L.
Published: March 2018

We quantified production, biomass, and production to biomass (P/B) ratios for cisco (Coregonus artedi) in Trout Lake, Wisconsin, USA (2001–2015). Across all years, annual production, biomass, and P/B were variable ranging 0.6–30.2 kg·ha−1·year−1, 1.2–39.7 kg·ha−1, and 0.4–0.9·year−1, respectively. Cisco production exhibited obvious decline. However, neither biomass nor P/B changed significantly over time. Long-term patterns of environmental conditions remained unchanged during the study and were unrelated to cisco production. However, lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) relative abundance showed a strong inverse relationship with cisco production and biomass. Intense lake trout stocking has occurred in this lake over time to conserve a genetically unique strain of the species. These management efforts may have had the unintended consequence of amplifying top-down predation on cisco. Since cisco P/B has gone largely unchanged, cisco production would be predicted to rebound quickly to adaptive reductions in lake trout stocking. Further increases in lake trout numbers could place both populations at risk of collapse. This study provides an example of a fisheries production approach for understanding and conserving cold-water fisheries, especially in lakes dominated by ciscoes.
Lifetime Distribution and Reliability Analysis of High-Power LED Assembly of Street Light Under Thermal Environments
Authors: Hsu Yao , Wang Cheng-Hua , Wu Wen-Fang
Published: March 2018

High-power light emitting diodes (HPLEDs) have been applied extensively in lighting industry. This study proposes a procedure for analyzing the reliability of a typical HPLED assembly of street light under thermal environments. The junction temperature of a single package component under a canonical thermal environment is found through finite element analysis. The lifetime of the package component is then estimated with the help of the life prediction rule after the junction temperature is obtained. To reflect real situation, the uncertainty of thermal environments is further considered by assuming that the mixed convection heat transfer coefficient is a random variable. To simplify the analysis of the assembly, the circuit configuration of the assembly is addressed and discussed from the viewpoint of a system and its components. It is found that uncertainty of thermal environments does make the lifetime distributions more dispersed. With regard to the reliability, the assembly degrades faster than that of its package components; however, the reliability distribution of assembly is more concentrated than that of its package components. The results of this study can provide information for a street-light engineer to plan a maintenance strategy in advance.
Reliability Analysis of DKNCP Systems with a Mixture of Degrading Components Subjected to Different Types of Shocks
Authors: Ranjkesh Somayeh Hamed , Hamadani Ali Zeinal
Published: March 2018

This paper attempts to model the reliability of dynamic k-out-of-n systems with component partnership (DKNCP) in which a mixture of deteriorating components and multiple types of shocks are inflicted on the system. Previous studies were merely focused on the DKNCP systems affected by one type of shock that influenced all its components. In practice, however, shocks do not necessarily affect all the components. Hence, shocks may be classified based on their magnitude, specifications, and the components they affect. In this paper, random shocks are classified into distinct sets based on the components affected. DKNCP or adaptive KNCP is a new redundancy system that can be applied when a specific number of high-performance components is required which cannot be replaced by lower-performance components even if the number of these components is high. In a DKNCP system, the components contribute to the system operation in different ways and can make partnership groups for the system to survive when a component failure occurs. Also, we consider two failure mechanisms: accumulating degradation and random shocks. Two types of random shocks are also considered in the model: critical shocks, that cause instantaneous component failure, and non-critical ones, that increase natural degradation by a random amount.
System Reliability Estimation for a Manufacturing Network with Joint Buffers
Authors: Chang Ping-Chen , Wu Chia-Chun , Lee Chin-Tan
Published: March 2018

This paper develops a Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) approach to estimate the performance of a multistate manufacturing network (MMN) with joint buffers. In the MMN, products are allowed to be produced by two production lines with the same function to satisfy demand. A performance index, system reliability, is applied to estimate the probability that all workstations provide sufficient capacity to satisfy a specified demand and buffers possess adequate storage. The joint buffers with finite storage are considered in the MMN. That is, extra work-in-process output from different production lines can be stored in the same buffer. An MCS algorithm is proposed to generate the capacity state and to check the storage usage of buffers to evaluate whether the demand can be satisfied or not. System reliability of the MMN is estimated through this MCS algorithm. Besides, performability for demand pairs assigned to production lines can be obtained. A practical example of touch panel manufacturing system is used to demonstrate the applicability of the MCS approach. Experimental result shows that system reliability is overestimated when buffer storage is assumed to be infinite. Moreover, joint buffer for an MMN is more reliable than buffers are installed separately in different production lines.
Reliability and Importance Measures for Combined m-Consecutive-k-Out-of-n: F and Consecutive-kb-Out-of-n: F Systems with Non-Homogeneous Markov-Dependent Components
Authors: Boushaba Mahmoud , Benyahia Azzedine
Published: March 2018

A Combined [Formula: see text]-Consecutive-[Formula: see text]-out-of-[Formula: see text] and Consecutive-[Formula: see text]-out-of-[Formula: see text]: F System consists of [Formula: see text] components ordered in a line such that the system fails iff there exist at least [Formula: see text] consecutive failed components, or at least [Formula: see text] nonoverlapping runs of [Formula: see text] consecutive failed components, where [Formula: see text]. This system was been introduced by Mohan et al. [P. Mohan, M. Agrawal and K. Sen, Combined [Formula: see text]-consecutive-[Formula: see text]-out-of-[Formula: see text]: F and consecutive-[Formula: see text]-out-of-[Formula: see text]: F systems, IEEE Trans. Reliab. 58 (2009) 328–337] where they propose an algorithm to evaluate system reliability by using the (GERT) technique, in the independent case. In this paper, we propose a new formula of the reliability of this system for nonhomogeneous Markov-dependent components. For a Combined [Formula: see text]-Consecutive-[Formula: see text]-out-of-[Formula: see text] and Consecutive-[Formula: see text]-out-of-[Formula: see text]: F System with nonhomogeneous Markov-dependent components, we derive closed-form formulas for the marginal reliability importance measure of a single component, and the joint reliability importance measure of two or more than two components using probability generating function (pgf) and conditional pgf methods.
CONDITIONAL-MEAN HEDGING UNDER TRANSACTION COSTS IN GAUSSIAN MODELS
Authors: SOTTINEN TOMMI , VIITASAARI LAURI
Published: March 2018

We consider so-called regular invertible Gaussian Volterra processes and derive a formula for their prediction laws. Examples of such processes include the fractional Brownian motions and the mixed fractional Brownian motions. As an application, we consider conditional-mean hedging under transaction costs in Black–Scholes type pricing models where the Brownian motion is replaced with a more general regular invertible Gaussian Volterra process.
Vibrations of a Multi-Span Beam Structure Carrying Many Moving Oscillators
Authors: Yang Bingen , Gao Hao , Liu Shibing
Published: March 2018

A beam structure carrying multiple moving oscillators is a mathematical model for various engineering applications, including rapid transit systems. With many moving oscillators having different speeds and varying inter-distances, the number of oscillators on the structure is time-varying, which inevitably complicates the beam–oscillator interactions. Consequently, the order of a mathematical model for the coupled beam–oscillator system changes with time, with many possibilities. Because of this, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for a conventional method to determine the dynamic response of a beam structure carrying many moving oscillators. In the literature, previous investigations have been limited to a beam structure with only one moving oscillator, which may not totally capture the physical behaviors of a structure with many moving oscillators, as seen in certain engineering applications. Developed in this work is a new semi-analytical method that can systematically handle arbitrarily many moving oscillators in both modeling and solution. In the development, an extended solution domain (ESD) is defined and based on the ESD a generalized assumed-mode method is devised. This modeling method completely resolves the issue of changing order in mathematical modeling. Because the proposed method makes use of the exact eigenfunctions of the beam structure (instead of traditional admissible functions), it renders determination of the dynamic response of a coupled beam–oscillator system highly accurate and efficient. The proposed method is demonstrated in several numerical examples. Furthermore, in a benchmark problem, it is shown that for the same accuracy in computation, the elapsed computation time used by the proposed method is just 3.3% of the time required by the finite element method.
Seismic Performance Assessment of RC Frame Structures Subjected to Far-Field and Near-Field Ground Motions Considering Strain Rate Effect
Authors: Li Rou-Han , Li Hong-Nan , Li Chao
Published: March 2018

This paper investigates the influence of strain rate effect on the seismic performance of Reinforced concrete (RC) frame structures subjected to far-field and near-field ground motions. An approach for the nonlinear dynamic analysis of RC frame structures considering the strain-rate sensitivity of concrete and reinforcing steel materials is proposed and its effectiveness is validated by the experimental data of RC columns under dynamic loadings. A non-dimensional index is put forward to reveal the regularities of strain rate under different types of ground motions with various intensity levels. The influences of strain rate effect and input ground motion on the seismic performance of the exemplar RC frame are studied by comparing the seismic responses and fragilities of rate-dependent structural models with those of rate-independent ones. Numerical results indicate that the strain rates in structural members increase with the ground motion intensity and the strain rates induced by the near-field pulse-like earthquakes are higher than those by the far-field and near-field non-pulse-like earthquakes. The global response, critical member response, local damage and seismic fragility are all influenced by the strain rate effect, especially under the near-field pulse-like ground motions. Neglecting the influences of strain rate effect, variations in strain rates of different structural members and inputs of pulse-like ground motions may lead to erroneous seismic performance assessments of RC frame structures.
Multiperiod Fuzzy Portfolio Selection Optimization Model Based on Possibility Theory
Authors: Liu Yong-Jun , Zhang Wei-Guo
Published: March 2018

Using the central value operator and the semi-dispersion measure of fuzzy number, this paper proposes the definitions of the lower and upper semi-variances. A general multiperiod fuzzy portfolio optimization model with return demand on the portfolio at each period is proposed with the objectives of maximizing both terminal wealth and the cumulative diversification degree of portfolios over the whole investment horizon, and minimizing terminal risk. A fuzzy multiobjective nonlinear programming technique is applied to convert the proposed model into a single-objective model. A genetic algorithm (GA) is given to solve it. Besides, a numerical example is given to illustrate the application of the proposed model and the effectiveness of the designed algorithm.
Open set face recognition with deep transfer learning and extreme value statistics
Authors: Xie Hao , Du Yunyan , Yu Huapeng , Chang Yongxin , Xu Zhiyong , Tang Yuanyan
Published: March 2018

Deep face recognition model learned on big dataset surpasses humans on difficult unconstrained face dataset. But open set face recognition, i.e. robust to both variations and unknown faces, is still a big challenge. In this paper, we propose a robust open set face recognition approach with deep transfer learning and extreme value statistics. First, we demonstrate that transferring the feature representations of a pre-trained deep face model to specific tasks is an efficient and effective approach for face recognition on small datasets. We learn both higher layer representations and the final linear multi-class SVMs with transferred features. Second, we propose a novel approach for unknown people recognition with extreme value statistics. Different from traditional distribution fitting, our approach only makes use of a simple statistical quantity — standard deviation of tail data. Empirical evidence shows that standard deviation of the tail of multi-class SVMs recognition scores is efficient and robust for unknown people recognition. Finally, we also empirically explore an important open problem — attributes and transferability of different layer features of the deep model. We argue that lower layer features are both local and general, while higher layer ones are both global and specific which embrace both intra-class invariance and inter-class discrimination. The results of unsupervised feature visualization and supervised face identification strongly support our view.
Gram matrix associated to controlled frames
Authors: Osgooei E. , Rahimi A.
Published: March 2018

Controlled frames have been recently introduced in Hilbert spaces to improve the numerical efficiency of interactive algorithms for inverting the frame operator. In this paper, unlike the cross-Gram matrix of two different sequences which is not always a diagnostic tool, we define the controlled-Gram matrix of a sequence as a practical implement to diagnose that a given sequence is a controlled Bessel, frame or Riesz basis. Also, we discuss the cases that the operator associated to controlled Gram matrix will be bounded, invertible, Hilbert–Schmidt or a trace-class operator. Similar to standard frames, we present an explicit structure for controlled Riesz bases and show that every [Formula: see text]-controlled Riesz basis [Formula: see text] is in the form [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is a bijective operator on [Formula: see text]. Furthermore, we propose an equivalent accessible condition to the sequence [Formula: see text] being a [Formula: see text]-controlled Riesz basis.
Synthesis of feather-like CeO2 microstructures and enzymatic electrochemical catalysis for trichloroacetic acid
Authors: Xiao Xin , Zhang Dong En , Zhang Fan , Gong Jun Yan , Zhang Xiao Bo , Wang Yi Hui , Ma Juan Juan , Tong Zhi Wei
Published: March 2018

Novel feather-like CeO2 microstructures were achieved by a thermal decomposition approach of Ce(OH)CO3 precursor. The Ce(OH)CO3 was obtained from a solvothermal method employing Ce(NO3)3.6H2O with C6H[Formula: see text]N4 and C[Formula: see text]H[Formula: see text](CH3)3NBr (CTAB) at 190[Formula: see text]C in a water–PEG-200 mixed solution. The feather-like CeO2 dendrite was obtained by thermal conversion of the feather-like Ce(OH)CO3 at 650[Formula: see text]C in air. A reasonable growth mechanism was proposed with the soft-template effect of PEG-200. The electrochemical behavior and enzyme activity of myoglobin (Mb) immobilized on CeO2–Nafion modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) are demonstrated by cyclic voltammetric measurements. The results indicate that CeO2 can obviously promote the direct electron transfer between the Mb redox centers and the electrode. The Mb on CeO2–Nafion behaves as an elegant performance on the electrochemical reduction of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) from 0.32[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]M to 2.28[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]M. The detection limit is estimated to be 0.08[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]M.
Synthesis of nanosphere-like LiCoPO4 with excellent electrochemical performance via micro reactor assisted co-precipitation method
Authors: Zhao Huifang , Yu Yong , Wang Guojing , Chen Yunchao , Liu Xiaomin , Yang Hui
Published: March 2018

Li3PO4 and Co3(PO[Formula: see text]8H2O precursors, precipitated within a micro reactor using ethyl alcohol as anti-solvent, are sintered to form nanosphere-like LiCoPO4. Even without carbon coating, the resulting sample with 2.1[Formula: see text]wt.% Li3PO4 existence presents surprisingly high initial discharge capacity (up to 164[Formula: see text]mAh/g and 787[Formula: see text]Wh/kg at 0.1C) and superior high rate performance (117[Formula: see text]mAh/g and 561[Formula: see text]Wh/kg at 5C).