bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estimation of the Whitefly Bemisia tabaci Genome Size Based on k-mer and Flow Cytometric Analyses
Authors: Chen Wenbo , Hasegawa Daniel , Arumuganathan Kathiravetpillai , Simmons Alvin , Wintermantel William , Fei Zhangjun , Ling Kai-Shu
Published: July 2015

Whiteflies of the Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) cryptic species complex are among the most important agricultural insect pests in the world. These phloem-feeding insects can colonize over 1000 species of plants worldwide and inflict severe economic losses to crops, mainly through the transmission of pathogenic viruses. Surprisingly, there is very little genomic information about whiteflies. As a starting point to genome sequencing, we report a new estimation of the genome size of the B. tabaci B biotype or Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) population. Using an isogenic whitefly colony with over 6500 haploid male individuals for genomic DNA, three paired-end genomic libraries with insert sizes of ~300 bp, 500 bp and 1 Kb were constructed and sequenced on an Illumina HiSeq 2500 system. A total of ~50 billion base pairs of sequences were obtained from each library. K-mer analysis using these sequences revealed that the genome size of the whitefly was ~682.3 Mb. In addition, the flow cytometric analysis estimated the haploid genome size of the whitefly to be ~690 Mb. Considering the congruency between both estimation methods, we predict the haploid genome size of B. tabaci MEAM1 to be ~680–690 Mb. Our data provide a baseline for ongoing efforts to assemble and annotate the B. tabaci genome.
Regulating Gamete Donation in the U.S.: Ethical, Legal and Social Implications
Authors: Sabatello Maya
Published: July 2015

This article explores the practice of gamete donation in the U.S. having in mind the larger question of what do we as a society owe children born as a result (donor-conceived children). Do recipient-parents have a duty to tell their donor-conceived child about his/her genetic origins? Should the identity of the donor be disclosed or remain anonymous? Does the child have a right to know her conception story and to receive information, including identifying information, about the donor? Furthermore, if a donor-conceived child has a right to know, who has the duty to tell her/him about it? The Article underscores the ethical, legal and social dilemmas that arise, comparing and contrasting with international developments in this arena. It highlights the market-based and more specific medical justifications for regulating this field, explores the emerging so-called right of the child to know his/her genetic origins (“the right to know”), and considers the challenges such a right evokes to existing legal culture and principles of medical ethics in the U.S. as well as other broader societal implications of such a right.
Halophilic Archaea: Life with Desiccation, Radiation and Oligotrophy over Geological Times
Authors: Stan-Lotter Helga , Fendrihan Sergiu
Published: July 2015

Halophilic archaebacteria (Haloarchaea) can survive extreme desiccation, starvation and radiation, sometimes apparently for millions of years. Several of the strategies that are involved appear specific for Haloarchaea (for example, the formation of halomucin, survival in fluid inclusions of halite), and some are known from other prokaryotes (dwarfing of cells, reduction of ATP). Several newly-discovered haloarchaeal strategies that were inferred to possibly promote long-term survival—halomucin, polyploidy, usage of DNA as a phosphate storage polymer, production of spherical dormant stages—remain to be characterized in detail. More information on potential strategies is desirable, since evidence for the presence of halite on Mars and on several moons in the solar system increased interest in halophiles with respect to the search for extraterrestrial life. This review deals in particular with novel findings and hypotheses on haloarchaeal long-term survival.
Zeta Function Expression of Spin Partition Functions on Thermal AdS3
Authors: L.Williams Floyd
Published: July 2015

We find a Selberg zeta function expression of certain one-loop spin partition functions on three-dimensional thermal anti-de Sitter space. Of particular interest is the partition function of higher spin fermionic particles. We also set up, in the presence of spin, a Patterson-type formula involving the logarithmic derivative of zeta.
Pyrrolyl Squaraines–Fifty Golden Years
Authors: Lynch Daniel
Published: July 2015

Pyrrolyl squaraines, both dyes and polymers, were first reported in 1965 and since then a fascinating body of work has been produced investigating the chemistry of these interesting molecules. A major aspect of these molecules that makes them so appealing to those researchers who have contributed to this field over the last 50 years is their chemical versatility. In this review, subjects, such as the synthetic history, an understanding of the molecular structure, an overview of the optical properties, a discussion of both the electrical conduction properties, and magnetic properties, plus use of the particles of pyrrolyl squaraines, are presented. Furthermore, previously published results are not just presented; they are in certain cases collated and used to both highlight and explain important aspects of pyrrolyl squaraine chemistry.
Metabolic Analysis of Various Date Palm Fruit (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Cultivars from Saudi Arabia to Assess Their Nutritional Quality
Authors: Hamad Ismail , AbdElgawad Hamada , Al Jaouni Soad , Zinta Gaurav , Asard Han , Hassan Sherif , Hegab Momtaz , Hagagy Nashwa , Selim Samy
Published: July 2015

Date palm is an important crop, especially in the hot-arid regions of the world. Date palm fruits have high nutritional and therapeutic value and possess significant antibacterial and antifungal properties. In this study, we performed bioactivity analyses and metabolic profiling of date fruits of 12 cultivars from Saudi Arabia to assess their nutritional value. Our results showed that the date extracts from different cultivars have different free radical scavenging and anti-lipid peroxidation activities. Moreover, the cultivars showed significant differences in their chemical composition, e.g., the phenolic content (10.4–22.1 mg/100 g DW), amino acids (37–108 μmol·g−1 FW) and minerals (237–969 mg/100 g DW). Principal component analysis (PCA) showed a clear separation of the cultivars into four different groups. The first group consisted of the Sokary, Nabtit Ali cultivars, the second group of Khlas Al Kharj, Khla Al Qassim, Mabroom, Khlas Al Ahsa, the third group of Khals Elshiokh, Nabot Saif, Khodry, and the fourth group consisted of Ajwa Al Madinah, Saffawy, Rashodia, cultivars. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) revealed clustering of date cultivars into two groups. The first cluster consisted of the Sokary, Rashodia and Nabtit Ali cultivars, and the second cluster contained all the other tested cultivars. These results indicate that date fruits have high nutritive value, and different cultivars have different chemical composition.
Glycoprotein Quality Control and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress
Authors: Wang Qian , Groenendyk Jody , Michalak Marek
Published: July 2015

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) supports many cellular processes and performs diverse functions, including protein synthesis, translocation across the membrane, integration into the membrane, folding, and posttranslational modifications including N-linked glycosylation; and regulation of Ca2+ homeostasis. In mammalian systems, the majority of proteins synthesized by the rough ER have N-linked glycans critical for protein maturation. The N-linked glycan is used as a quality control signal in the secretory protein pathway. A series of chaperones, folding enzymes, glucosidases, and carbohydrate transferases support glycoprotein synthesis and processing. Perturbation of ER-associated functions such as disturbed ER glycoprotein quality control, protein glycosylation and protein folding results in activation of an ER stress coping response. Collectively this ER stress coping response is termed the unfolded protein response (UPR), and occurs through the activation of complex cytoplasmic and nuclear signaling pathways. Cellular and ER homeostasis depends on balanced activity of the ER protein folding, quality control, and degradation pathways; as well as management of the ER stress coping response.
Discovery of 5-(5,5-Dimethylbutenolide-3-ethylidene)-2-amino-imidazolinone Derivatives as Fungicidal Agents
Authors: Tang Bo , Yang Mingyan , Zhao Yu , Kong Lingqing , Wang Weiwei , Wang Mingan
Published: July 2015

The novel fungicidal agents 5-(5,5-dimethylbutenolide-3-ethylidene)-2-amino-imidazolinone derivatives, were designed and synthesized in moderate to excellent yields in four steps by αa-hydroxyketone and diketene as raw materials and characterized by HR-ESI-MS and 1H-NMR. The preliminary bioassay showed that some of these compounds, such as 4a, 4e and 5g exhibit 94.9%, 92.8% and 81.4% inhibition rates against Sclerotinia scleotiorum at the concentration of 50 µg/mL, respectively. The EC50 values of compounds 4e and 4i were 4.14 and 3.27 µM against Alternaria Solani, and 5g had EC50 value of 3.23 µM against S. scleotiorum. Compounds 4d and 4g displayed 98.0% and 97.8% control of spore germination against Botrytis cinerea at the concentration of 100 µg/mL, respectively.
Black Beans, Fiber, and Antioxidant Capacity Pilot Study: Examination of Whole Foods vs. Functional Components on Postprandial Metabolic, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation in Adults with Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Reverri Elizabeth , Randolph Jody , Steinberg Francene , Kappagoda C. , Edirisinghe Indika , Burton-Freeman Britt
Published: July 2015

Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) contain bioactive components with functional properties that may modify cardiovascular risk. The aims of this pilot study were to evaluate the ability of black beans to attenuate postprandial metabolic, oxidative stress, and inflammatory responses and determine relative contribution of dietary fiber and antioxidant capacity of beans to the overall effect. In this randomized, controlled, crossover trial, 12 adults with metabolic syndrome (MetS) consumed one of three meals (black bean (BB), fiber matched (FM), and antioxidant capacity matched (AM)) on three occasions that included blood collection before (fasting) and five hours postprandially. Insulin was lower after the BB meal, compared to the FM or AM meals (p < 0.0001). A significant meal × time interaction was observed for plasma antioxidant capacity (p = 0.002) revealing differences over time: AM > BB > FM. Oxidized LDL (oxLDL) was not different by meal, although a trend for declining oxLDL was observed after the BB and AM meals at five hours compared to the FM meal. Triglycerides and interleukin-6 (IL-6) increased in response to meals (p < 0.0001). Inclusion of black beans with a typical Western-style meal attenuates postprandial insulin and moderately enhances postprandial antioxidant endpoints in adults with MetS, which could only be partly explained by fiber content and properties of antioxidant capacity.
Is It the Appropriate Time to Stop Applying Selenium Enriched Salt in Kashin-Beck Disease Areas in China?
Authors: Ning Yujie , Wang Xi , Wang Sen , Zhang Feng , Zhang Lianhe , Lei Yanxia , Guo Xiong
Published: July 2015

We aimed to identify significant factors of selenium (Se) nutrition of children in Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) endemic areas and non-KBD area in Shaanxi Province for providing evidence of whether it is the time to stop applying Se-enriched salt in KBD areas. A cross-sectional study contained 368 stratified randomly selected children aged 4–14 years was conducted with 24-h retrospective questionnaire based on a pre-investigation. Food and hair samples were collected and had Se contents determined with hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry. Average hair Se content of 349.0 ± 60.2 ng/g in KBD-endemic counties was significantly lower than 374.1 ± 47.0 ng/g in non-KBD counties. It was significantly higher in the male children (365.2 ± 52.3 ng/g) than in the female (345.0 ± 62.2 ng/g, p = 0.002) and significantly higher in the 4.0–6.9 years group (375.2 ± 58.9 ng/g) than the 7.0–14.0 years group (347.0 ± 56.1 ng/g, p < 0.01). Gender, living area, Se intake without supplements, Se-enriched salt, oil source and protein intake were identified as significant factors of hair Se contents. Cereals, meat and milk were commonly included as significant food categories that mainly contributed to Se intake without supplement of the whole population. Balanced dietary structure without Se supplement could effectively enhance and maintain children’s Se nutrition. It may be the time to stop applying Se-enriched salt in KBD areas in Shaanxi Province.
Assessment of Pre-Pregnancy Dietary Intake with a Food Frequency Questionnaire in Alberta Women
Authors: Ramage Stephanie , McCargar Linda , Berglund Casey , Harber Vicki , Bell Rhonda , Team The
Published: July 2015

Purpose: Pre-pregnancy is an under-examined and potentially important time to optimize dietary intake to support fetal growth and development as well as maternal health. The purpose of the study was to determine the extent to which dietary intake reported by non-pregnant women is similar to pre-pregnancy dietary intake reported by pregnant women using the same assessment tool. Methods: The self-administered, semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was adapted from the Canadian version of the Diet History Questionnaire, originally developed by the National Cancer Institute in the United States. Pregnant women (n = 98) completed the FFQ which assessed dietary intake for the year prior to pregnancy. Non-pregnant women (n = 103) completed the same FFQ which assessed dietary intake for the previous year. Energy, macronutrients, and key micronutrients: long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, folate, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, calcium, vitamin D and iron were examined. Results: Dietary intake between groups; reported with the FFQ; was similar except for saturated fat; trans fat; calcium; and alcohol. Pregnant women reported significantly higher intakes of saturated fat; trans fat; and calcium and lower intake of alcohol in the year prior to pregnancy compared to non-pregnant women who reported intake in the previous year. Conclusions: Despite limitations; a FFQ may be used to assist with retrospective assessment of pre-pregnancy dietary intake.
Do not Lose Your Students in Large Lectures: A Five-Step Paper-Based Model to Foster Students’ Participation
Authors: Aburahma Mona
Published: July 2015

Like most of the pharmacy colleges in developing countries with high population growth, public pharmacy colleges in Egypt are experiencing a significant increase in students’ enrollment annually due to the large youth population, accompanied with the keenness of students to join pharmacy colleges as a step to a better future career. In this context, large lectures represent a popular approach for teaching the students as economic and logistic constraints prevent splitting them into smaller groups. Nevertheless, the impact of large lectures in relation to student learning has been widely questioned due to their educational limitations, which are related to the passive role the students maintain in lectures. Despite the reported feebleness underlying large lectures and lecturing in general, large lectures will likely continue to be taught in the same format in these countries. Accordingly, to soften the negative impacts of large lectures, this article describes a simple and feasible 5-step paper-based model to transform lectures from a passive information delivery space into an active learning environment. This model mainly suits educational establishments with financial constraints, nevertheless, it can be applied in lectures presented in any educational environment to improve active participation of students. The components and the expected advantages of employing the 5-step paper-based model in large lectures as well as its limitations and ways to overcome them are presented briefly. The impact of applying this model on students’ engagement and learning is currently being investigated.
Quantum Dot/Liquid Crystal Nanocomposites in Photonic Devices
Authors: Rodarte Andrea , Cisneros Fredy , Hein Jason , Ghosh Sayantani , Hirst Linda
Published: July 2015

Quantum dot/liquid crystal nano-composites are promising new materials for a variety of applications in energy harvesting, displays and photonics including the liquid crystal laser. To realize many applications, however, we need to control and stabilize nano-particle dispersion in different liquid crystal host phases and understand how the particles behave in an anisotropic fluid. An ideal system will allow for the controlled assembly of either well-defined nano-particle clusters or a uniform particle distribution. In this paper, we investigate mesogen-functionalized quantum dots for dispersion in cholesteric liquid crystal. These nanoparticles are known to assemble into dense stable packings in the nematic phase, and such structures, when localized in the liquid crystal defects, can potentially enhance the coupling between particles and a cholesteric cavity. Controlling the dispersion and assembly of quantum dots using mesogenic surface ligands, we demonstrate how resonant fluid photonic cavities can result from the co-assembly of luminescent nanoparticles in the presence of cholesteric liquid crystalline ordering.
Instrumental Values as Predictors of Religious Experience in the Lives of Students of Pedagogy and of Philosophy
Authors: Głaz Stanisław
Published: July 2015

This article seeks to demonstrate the existence of a relationship between instrumental values and religious experience—in this instance, the experiences of God’s presence and of God’s absence in the lives of Polish students of pedagogy and of philosophy. The methods applied involved making use of the Scale of Religious Experience (SRE) of Głaz and the Rokeach Value Survey (RVS). The study was conducted in Krakow. The subjects included male students of pedagogy and of philosophy. It emerges that, compared to philosophy students, pedagogy students seem to have a higher level of religious experience of God’s presence and also prefer different instrumental values. There is a significant relationship between instrumental values and religious experience of God’s presence and God’s absence in the lives of students of pedagogy and of philosophy.
Distance-Constraint k-Nearest Neighbor Searching in Mobile Sensor Networks
Authors: Han Yongkoo , Park Kisung , Hong Jihye , Ulamin Noor , Lee Young-Koo
Published: July 2015

The κ -Nearest Neighbors ( κNN) query is an important spatial query in mobile sensor networks. In this work we extend κNN to include a distance constraint, calling it a l-distant κ-nearest-neighbors ( l-κNN) query, which finds the κ sensor nodes nearest to a query point that are also at or greater distance from each other. The query results indicate the objects nearest to the area of interest that are scattered from each other by at least distance l. The l-κNN query can be used in most κNN applications for the case of well distributed query results. To process an l-κNN query, we must discover all sets of κNN sensor nodes and then find all pairs of sensor nodes in each set that are separated by at least a distance l. Given the limited battery and computing power of sensor nodes, this l-κNN query processing is problematically expensive in terms of energy consumption. In this paper, we propose a greedy approach for l-κNN query processing in mobile sensor networks. The key idea of the proposed approach is to divide the search space into subspaces whose all sides are l. By selecting κ sensor nodes from the other subspaces near the query point, we guarantee accurate query results for l-κNN. In our experiments, we show that the proposed method exhibits superior performance compared with a post-processing based method using the κNN query in terms of energy efficiency, query latency, and accuracy.
Sol-Gel Material-Enabled Electro-Optic Polymer Modulators
Authors: Himmelhuber Roland , Norwood Robert , Enami Yasufumi , Peyghambarian Nasser
Published: July 2015

Sol-gels are an important material class, as they provide easy modification of material properties, good processability and are easy to synthesize. In general, an electro-optic (EO) modulator transforms an electrical signal into an optical signal. The incoming electrical signal is most commonly information encoded in a voltage change. This voltage change is then transformed into either a phase change or an intensity change in the light signal. The less voltage needed to drive the modulator and the lower the optical loss, the higher the link gain and, therefore, the better the performance of the modulator. In this review, we will show how sol-gels can be used to enhance the performance of electro-optic modulators by allowing for designs with low optical loss, increased poling efficiency and manipulation of the electric field used for driving the modulator. The optical loss is influenced by the propagation loss in the device, as well as the losses occurring during fiber coupling in and out of the device. In both cases, the use of sol-gel materials can be beneficial due to the wide range of available refractive indices and low optical attenuation. The influence of material properties and synthesis conditions on the device performance will be discussed.
The Different Sensitive Behaviors of a Hydrogen-Bond Acidic Polymer-Coated SAW Sensor for Chemical Warfare Agents and Their Simulants
Authors: Long Yin , Wang Yang , Du Xiaosong , Cheng Luhua , Wu Penglin , Jiang Yadong
Published: July 2015

A linear hydrogen-bond acidic (HBA) linear functionalized polymer (PLF), was deposited onto a bare surface acoustic wave (SAW) device to fabricate a chemical sensor. Real-time responses of the sensor to a series of compounds including sarin (GB), dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), mustard gas (HD), chloroethyl ethyl sulphide (2-CEES), 1,5-dichloropentane (DCP) and some organic solvents were studied. The results show that the sensor is highly sensitive to GB and DMMP, and has low sensitivity to HD and DCP, as expected. However, the sensor possesses an unexpected high sensitivity toward 2-CEES. This good sensing performance can’t be solely or mainly attributed to the dipole-dipole interaction since the sensor is not sensitive to some high polarity solvents. We believe the lone pair electrons around the sulphur atom of 2-CEES provide an electron-rich site, which facilitates the formation of hydrogen bonding between PLF and 2-CEES. On the contrary, the electron cloud on the sulphur atom of the HD molecule is offset or depleted by its two neighbouring strong electron-withdrawing groups, hence, hydrogen bonding can hardly be formed.
An Accurate Calibration Method Based on Velocity in a Rotational Inertial Navigation System
Authors: Zhang Qian , Wang Lei , Liu Zengjun , Feng Peide
Published: July 2015

Rotation modulation is an effective method to enhance the accuracy of an inertial navigation system (INS) by modulating the gyroscope drifts and accelerometer bias errors into periodically varying components. The typical RINS drives the inertial measurement unit (IMU) rotation along the vertical axis and the horizontal sensors’ errors are modulated, however, the azimuth angle error is closely related to vertical gyro drift, and the vertical gyro drift also should be modulated effectively. In this paper, a new rotation strategy in a dual-axis rotational INS (RINS) is proposed and the drifts of three gyros could be modulated, respectively. Experimental results from a real dual-axis RINS demonstrate that the maximum azimuth angle error is decreased from 0.04° to less than 0.01° during 1 h. Most importantly, the changing of rotation strategy leads to some additional errors in the velocity which is unacceptable in a high-precision INS. Then the paper studies the basic reason underlying horizontal velocity errors in detail and a relevant new calibration method is designed. Experimental results show that after calibration and compensation, the fluctuation and stages in the velocity curve disappear and velocity precision is improved.
The Struggles of Solidarity: Chicana/o-Mexican Networks, 1960s–1970s
Authors: Martinez Nydia
Published: July 2015

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, members of the Chicana/o Movement reached across class, borders, and ideologies to proclaim a political solidarity with the Mexican Left. Both, Chicana/os and Mexican activists expressed a narrative of political solidarity that encompassed a perceived shared experience of oppression and struggles for liberation. I contend, however, that both groups saw the source of their oppression and forms of resistance through different lenses. Chicana/o activists identified racism, discrimination, and cultural erasure with oppression, and they retrofit Mexican nationalism with political radicalism. In contrast, Mexican activists celebrated Marxist ideologies as radical political resistance against an increasing authoritarian government and associated Mexican nationalism with state repression and political manipulation.
An Overview of Bortezomib-Induced Neurotoxicity
Authors: Meregalli Cristina
Published: July 2015

The boronic acid dipeptide bortezomib, able to induce tumor cell death by degradation of key proteins, is the first proteasome inhibitor drug to enter clinical practice. It is employed as first-line treatment in relapsed or resistant multiple myeloma (MM) patients. However, bortezomib often induces a dose-limiting toxicity in the form of painful sensory neuropathy, which can mainly be reduced by subcutaneous administration or dose modification. In this review we focus on the current understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of bortezomib-induced neuropathy to allow further studies in animal models and humans, including analysis of clinical and pharmacogenetic aspects, to optimize the treatment regimens.
Activities and Effects of Ergot Alkaloids on Livestock Physiology and Production
Authors: Klotz James
Published: July 2015

Consumption of feedstuffs contaminated with ergot alkaloids has a broad impact on many different physiological mechanisms that alters the homeostasis of livestock. This change in homeostasis causes an increased sensitivity in livestock to perturbations in the ambient environment, resulting in an increased sensitivity to such stressors. This ultimately results in large financial losses in the form of production losses to livestock producers around the world. This review will focus on the underlying physiological mechanisms that are affected by ergot alkaloids that lead to decreases in livestock production.
BnSGS3 Has Differential Effects on the Accumulation of CMV, ORMV and TuMV in Oilseed Rape
Authors: Chen Quan , Wang Jie , Hou Mingsheng , Liu Shengyi , Huang Junyan , Cai Li
Published: July 2015

Virus diseases greatly affect oilseed rape (Brassica napus) production. Investigating antiviral genes may lead to the development of disease-resistant varieties of oilseed rape. In this study, we examined the effects of the suppressor of gene silencing 3 in Brassica napus (BnSGS3, a putative antiviral gene) with different genus viruses by constructing BnSGS3-overexpressing (BnSGS3-Ov) and BnSGS3-silenced (BnSGS3-Si) oilseed rape (cv. Zhongshuang No. 6) plants. These three viruses are Oilseed rape mosaic virus (ORMV), Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). The native BnSGS3 expressed in all examined tissues with the highest expression in siliques. All three viruses induced BnSGS3 expression, but ORMV induced a dramatic increase in the BnSGS3-Ov plants, followed by TuMV and CMV. Upon inoculation with three different viruses, transcript abundance of BnSGS3 gene follows: BnSGS3-Ov > non-transgenic plants > BnSGS3-Si. The accumulation quantities of ORMV and TuMV exhibited a similar trend. However, CMV accumulation showed an opposite trend where virus accumulations were negatively correlated with BnSGS3 expression. The results suggest that BnSGS3 selectively inhibits CMV accumulation but promotes ORMV and TuMV accumulation. BnSGS3 should be used in different ways (up- and down-regulation) for breeding virus-resistant oilseed rape varieties.
Urban Evolution: The Role of Water
Authors: Kaushal Sujay , McDowell William , Wollheim Wilfred , Johnson Tamara , Mayer Paul , Belt Kenneth , Pennino Michael
Published: July 2015

The structure, function, and services of urban ecosystems evolve over time scales from seconds to centuries as Earth’s population grows, infrastructure ages, and sociopolitical values alter them. In order to systematically study changes over time, the concept of “urban evolution” was proposed. It allows urban planning, management, and restoration to move beyond reactive management to predictive management based on past observations of consistent patterns. Here, we define and review a glossary of core concepts for studying urban evolution, which includes the mechanisms of urban selective pressure and urban adaptation. Urban selective pressure is an environmental or societal driver contributing to urban adaptation. Urban adaptation is the sequential process by which an urban structure, function, or services becomes more fitted to its changing environment or human choices. The role of water is vital to driving urban evolution as demonstrated by historical changes in drainage, sewage flows, hydrologic pulses, and long-term chemistry. In the current paper, we show how hydrologic traits evolve across successive generations of urban ecosystems via shifts in selective pressures and adaptations over time. We explore multiple empirical examples including evolving: (1) urban drainage from stream burial to stormwater management; (2) sewage flows and water quality in response to wastewater treatment; (3) amplification of hydrologic pulses due to the interaction between urbanization and climate variability; and (4) salinization and alkalinization of fresh water due to human inputs and accelerated weathering. Finally, we propose a new conceptual model for the evolution of urban waters from the Industrial Revolution to the present day based on empirical trends and historical information. Ultimately, we propose that water itself is a critical driver of urban evolution that forces urban adaptation, which transforms the structure, function, and services of urban landscapes, waterways, and civilizations over time.
Uncertainty in Various Habitat Suitability Models and Its Impact on Habitat Suitability Estimates for Fish
Authors: Lin Yu-Pin , Lin Wei-Chih , Wu Wei-Yao
Published: July 2015

Species distribution models (SDMs) are extensively used to project habitat suitability of species in stream ecological studies. Owing to complex sources of uncertainty, such models may yield projections with varying degrees of uncertainty. To better understand projected spatial distributions and the variability between habitat suitability projections, this study uses five SDMs that are based on the outputs of a two-dimensional hydraulic model to project the suitability of habitats and to evaluate the degree of variability originating from both differing model types and the split-sample procedure. The habitat suitability index (HSI) of each species is based on two stream flow variables, including current velocity (V), water depth (D), as well as the heterogeneity of these flow conditions as quantified by the information entropy of V and D. The six SDM approaches used to project fish abundance, as represented by HSI, included two stochastic models: the generalized linear model (GLM) and the generalized additive model (GAM); as well as three machine learning models: the support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF) and the artificial neural network (ANN), and an ensemble model (where the latter is the average of the preceding five models). The target species Sicyopterus japonicas was found to prefer habitats with high current velocities. The relationship between mesohabitat diversity and fish abundance was indicated by the trends in information entropy and weighted usable area (WUA) over the study area. This study proposes a method for quantifying habitat suitability, and for assessing the uncertainties in HSI and WUA that are introduced by the various SDMs and samples. This study also demonstrated both the merits of the ensemble modeling approach and the necessity of addressing model uncertainty.
One-pot odourless synthesis of thioesters via in situ generation of thiobenzoic acids using benzoic anhydrides and thiourea
Authors: Abbasi Mohammad , Khalifeh Reza
Published: July 2015

An efficient and odourless procedure for a one-pot synthesis of thioesters by the reaction of benzoic anhydrides, thiourea and various organic halides (primary, allylic, and benzylic) or structurally diverse, electron-deficient alkenes (ketones, esters, and nitriles) in the presence of Et3N has been developed. In this method, thiobenzoic acids were in situ generated from the reaction of thiourea with benzoic anhydrides, which were subjected to conjugate addition with electron-deficient alkenes or a nucleophilic displacement reaction with alkyl halides.
Efficacy of Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate to Prevent Vertical Transmission in Mothers with Lamivudine-Resistant HBV
Authors: Wang Jing , Liu Jinfeng , Qi Caijing , Yan Taotao , Cao Furong , Jin Li , He Yingli , Yang Yuan , Zhang Shulin , Chen Tianyan , Zhao Yingren
Published: July 2015

Background

In China, women with chronic HBV infection and who are of childbearing age receive lamivudine at an early age. Thus, viral resistance becomes a challenge for intervention to prevent mother-to-infant transmission. We prospectively assessed the efficacy of tenofovir in pregnant women with lamivudine-resistant HBV.

Methods

Chronic HBV-infected mothers resistant to lamivudine were enrolled. Tenofovir was administrated at gestation weeks 24 or 28. Virological and biochemical parameters were assessed. All infants received combined immunoprophylaxis and were followed for 1 year.

Results

Of the 48 mothers enrolled, 21 started tenofovir therapy at gestation week 24 and 27 started at week 28. Tenofovir resulted in an HBV DNA decline of 5.23 ±1.68 log10 IU/ml at delivery. The group starting therapy at week 24 exhibited a more rapid viral inhibition ( P<0.001) and more significant HBV DNA load decline (5.89 ±1.66 versus 4.72 ±1.55; P=0.019) than the group starting at week 28. At delivery, all mothers had a viral titre <106 IU/ml, 76.2% from the week 24 starting group displayed virus <104 IU/ml, and 52.4% showed undetectable virus at delivery, much higher than the week 28 starting group (29.6%), although there was no statistically significant difference in viral levels at delivery between the two groups. Congenital abnormalities and neonatal growth were comparable to the normal population. No case of perinatal transmission was diagnosed.

Conclusions

This investigation clarifies the efficacy of tenofovir for reducing vertical transmission of HBV in mothers with lamivudine-resistant HBV and demonstrates that tenofovir is well-tolerated in the second and third trimesters.
Displaying bias in sampling effort of data accessed from biodiversity databases using ignorance maps
Authors: Ruete Alejandro
Published: July 2015

Open-access biodiversity databases including mainly citizen science data make temporally and spatially extensive species’ observation data available to a wide range of users. Such data have limitations however, which include: sampling bias in favour of recorder distribution, lack of survey effort assessment, and lack of coverage of the distribution of all organisms. These limitations are not always recorded, while any technical assessment or scientific research based on such data should include an evaluation of the uncertainty of its source data and researchers should acknowledge this information in their analysis. The here proposed maps of ignorance are a critical and easy way to implement a tool to not only visually explore the quality of the data, but also to filter out unreliable results.

I present simple algorithms to display ignorance maps as a tool to report the spatial distribution of the bias and lack of sampling effort across a study region. Ignorance scores are expressed solely based on raw data in order to rely on the fewest assumptions possible. Therefore there is no prediction or estimation involved. The rationale is based on the assumption that it is appropriate to use species groups as a surrogate for sampling effort because it is likely that an entire group of species observed by similar methods will share similar bias. Simple algorithms are then used to transform raw data into ignorance scores scaled 0-1 that are easily comparable and scalable. Because of the need to perform calculations over big datasets, simplicity is crucial for web-based implementations on infrastructures for biodiversity information.

With these algorithms, any infrastructure for biodiversity information can offer a quality report of the observations accessed through them. Users can specify a reference taxonomic group and a time frame according to the research question. The potential of this tool lies in the simplicity of its algorithms and in the lack of assumptions made about the bias distribution, giving the user the freedom to tailor analyses to their specific needs.
Security Issues in Cloud Computing
Authors: Patel Subhash Chandra , Singh R.S. , Jaiswal Sumit
Published: July 2015

Cloud computing is a computing style in which scalable and flexible IT functionalities are delivered as a service to external customers using Internet technologies. As cloud computing continues to gain more momentum in the IT industry, more issues and challenges are being reported by academics and practitioners. Cloud computing is not a revolutionary idea; Instead, it is an evolutionary concept that integrates various existing technologies to offer a useful new IT provisioning tool. In this chapter, security risks are discussed on adoption to cloud computing, the risks related to privacy, trust, control, data ownership, data location, audits and reviews, business continuity and disaster recovery, legal, regulatory and compliance, security policy and emerging security threats and attacks.
Secure Architecture for Cloud Environment
Authors: Munir Kashif , Palaniappan Sellapan
Published: July 2015

Cloud computing is set of resources and services offered through the internet. Cloud services are delivered from data centers located throughout the world. Enterprises are rapidly adopting cloud services for their businesses, measures need to be developed so that organizations can be assured of security in their businesses and can choose a suitable vendor for their computing needs. In this chapter we identify the most vulnerable security threats/attacks in cloud computing, which will enable both end users and vendors to know about the key security threats associated with cloud computing and propose relevant solution directives to strengthen security in the cloud environment. This chapter also discusses secure cloud architecture for organizations to strengthen the security.
Data Security Issues and Solutions in Cloud Computing
Authors: Majumder Abhishek , Roy Sudipta , Biswas Satarupa
Published: July 2015

Cloud is considered as future of Information Technology. User can utilized the cloud on pay-as-you use basis. But many organizations are stringent about the adoption of cloud computing due to their concern regarding the security of the stored data. Therefore, issues related to security of data in the cloud have become very vital. Data security involves encrypting the data and ensuring that suitable policies are imposed for sharing those data. There are several data security issues which need to be addressed. These issues are: data integrity, data intrusion, service availability, confidentiality and non-repudiation. Many schemes have been proposed for ensuring data security in cloud environment. But the existing schemes lag in fulfilling all these data security issues. In this chapter, a new Third Party Auditor based scheme has been proposed for secured storage and retrieval of client's data to and from the cloud service provider. The scheme has been analysed and compared with some of the existing schemes with respect to the security issues. From the analysis and comparison it can be observed that the proposed scheme performs better than the existing schemes.
Reliability, Fault Tolerance, and Quality-of-Service in Cloud Computing
Authors: Shukla Piyush Kumar , Singh Gaurav
Published: July 2015

In this chapter we are focusing on reliability, fault tolerance and quality of service in cloud computing. The flexible and scalable property of dynamically fetching and relinquishing computing resources in a cost-effective and device-independent manner with minimal management effort or service provider interaction the demand for Cloud computing paradigm has increased dramatically in last few years. Though lots of enhancement took place, cloud computing paradigm is still subject to a large number of system failures. As a result, there is an increasing concern among community regarding the reliability and availability of Cloud computing services. Dynamically provisioning of resources allows cloud computing environment to meet casually varying resource and service requirements of cloud customer applications. Quality of Service (QoS) plays an important role in the affective allocation of resources and has been widely investigated in the Cloud Computing paradigm.
The trilobite fauna of the silurian attawapiskat formation, northern Ontario and northern Manitoba
Authors: Norford B S
Published: July 2015

Seventeen taxa are described from the biohermal and related limestones of the Attawapiskat Formation developed on the flanks of the Cape Henrietta Maria Arch. A new proetid genus, Winiskia, is proposed as are the new species Chiozoon umisk, Stenopareia? julli,
and Winiskia perryi. The trilobites indicate late Llandovery or early Wenlock age for the Attawapiskat on both flanks of the arch; conodonts and corals from core from a well on the north flank imply late Llandovery for the bulk of the formation but the upper beds are not
dated
Contributions to canadian paleontology
Authors: Kennedy M
Published: July 2015

Trilobites from the lower 45 m of the Boothia Felix Formation in the central part of the Boothia Peninsula represent a fauna of the Crepicephalus Zone of medial Dresbachian (Late Cambrian) age. Th is is the first description of La te Cambrian trilobites from the
Arct ic Is lands. The fauna includes: Crepicephalus sp., Terranovella dorsalis (Hall), Densonella intermedia n. sp. and Hyolithes sp.
Biostratigraphy and paleontology of middle-upper devonian boundary beds, Gypsum Cliffs area, northeastern Alberta
Authors: Norris A W , Uyeno T T
Published: July 2015

Three Devonian rock units outcrop at Gypsum Cliffs comprising, in ascending sequence: gypsum of the Fort Vermilion Formation; limestone and dolomitic limestone, commonly brecciated, of the Slave Point Formation; and calcareous shale with thin intercalated
limestone beds of the Peace Point Member of the Waterways Formation preserved in sinkholes and erosional cavities in the Slave Point Formation. The Fort Vermilion is unfossiliferous but occurs above the highest level of Stringocephalus in western Canada. The Slave Point contains a meagre megafauna
characterized by Emanuella vernilis Crickmay in the lower part and Desquamatia (Independatrypa) sp. cf. D. (I.) independensis (Webster) in the upper beds. The latter megafauna is associated with a conoclont fauna of low diversity comprising Polygnathus brevilaminus Branson and Mehl, lcriodus
subterminus Youngquist, and possibly Ozarkodina semialternans (Wirth), which is interpreted as a shallow water biofacies of the Schmidtognathus hermanni - Polygnathus cristatus Zone. The Peace Point beds contain a rich brachiopod fauna including Ladogioides pax McLaren, Platyterorhynchus russelli
(McLaren), Tecnocyrtina billingsi (Meek) and Eleutherokomma impennis Crickmay as its more diagnostic forms. Associated conodonts are moderately abundant and belong to the Pandorinellina insita fauna which is probably assignable to the Lowermost Polygnathus asymmetricus Zone. The base of this zone
has commonly been accepted as the base of the Upper Devonian in western Canada. New brachiopod taxa from the Peace Point Member comprise Platyterorhynchus russeli new form A, Desquamatia (Variatrypa) klukasi n. sp., and Pseudoatrypa devoniana boyeri n. ssp.
Zonation and correlation of middle boreal bathonian to lower callovian (jurassic) ammonites, Salmon Cache Canyon, Porcupine River, northern Yukon
Authors: Poulton T P
Published: July 2015

The Middle Bathonian through Lower Callovian ammonites from the Salmon Cache Canyon section on Porcupine River are dominantly Boreal, represented by an upward succession of Arctocephalites, Arcticoceras and Cadoceras species. They are very similar to equivalent
faunas in northern Alaska, East Greenland and northern Siberia, but differ at the species level, so that a new zonation for northern mainland Canada is proposed. In upward succession, the zones are: spathi, porcupinensis, amundseni, frami, harlandi, ishmae (from East Greenland; restricted),
barnstoni, and bodylevskyi. Correlations with the Boreal zonations elsewhere are suggested. Additionally, a small proportion of Pacific and cosmopolitan ammonites in the collections permit further refinement of the correlation of the Boreal with the Pacific and ultimately with the Northwest European
standard zonation. The Boreal BathonianCallovian boundary is placed in the interval between the barnstoni and bodylevskyi Zones. One new genus is proposed - Loucheuxia, of subfamily Eurycephalitinae. New species erected are Arctocephalites spathi, A. porcupinensis, A. praeishmae, A. amundseni, A.
frami, A.(?) belli, Loucheuxia bartletti, and Oxycerites birkelundi.
Een herdersknaap: een gedicht van Jan van het Kruis – kritisch bekeken
Authors: Waaijman Kees
Published: July 2015

A shepherd-boy: A poem by Saint John of the Cross – critical meaning. A shepherd-boy, written by Saint John of the Cross around 1584, is a pastoral poem, a common and widespread genre at the time. Although the poet could have drawn from various sources, direct borrowing does not appear to have been the case. The poem has five stanzas, each consisting of four lines, with eleven syllables per line (a cuartet, with enclosing rhyme: abba). In the superscription the poem is described as a song a lo divino, a poetic transposition that transforms a profane text ‘towards the divine’, within a Christian-religious framework. A shepherd-boy places itself within this poetic tradition, but in a unique way, because his transposition is not prompted by catechetical interests, but opts for a mystical perspective.
Cysticercosis with an Orbital Tropism in Twins
Authors: Lee Bradford W. , Kumar Usha R. , Lin Jonathan H. , Amaro Deirdre E. , Kikkawa Don O. , Alameddine Ramzi M. , Lowe Maureen C. , Hilger Peter A. , Vinetz Joseph M. , Korn Bobby S.
Published: July 2015

Two fraternal twin sisters developed cysticercosis localizing to the right lateral orbit over the same period after a presumed common-source exposure in China. This case demonstrates that cysticercosis can be related to travel. Similar temporal and spatial occurrences of these infections suggest a genetic tropism of the infecting organism in these twins.