bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research Note—Are Online Labor Markets Spot Markets for Tasks? A Field Experiment on the Behavioral Response to Wage Cuts
Authors: Chen Daniel L. , Horton John J.
Published: May 2016

In some online labor markets, workers are paid by the task, choose what tasks to work on, and have little or no interaction with their (usually anonymous) buyer/employer. These markets look like true spot markets for tasks rather than markets for employment. Despite appearances, we find via a field experiment that workers act more like parties to an employment contract: workers quickly form wage reference points and react negatively to proposed wage cuts by quitting. However, they can be mollified with “reasonable” justifications for why wages are being cut, highlighting the importance of fairness considerations in their decision making. We find some evidence that “unreasonable” justifications for wage cuts reduce subsequent work quality. We also find that not explicitly presenting the worker with a decision about continuing to work eliminates “quits,” with no apparent reduction in work quality. One interpretation for this finding is that workers have a strong expectation that they are party to a quasi-employment relationship where terms are not changed, and the default behavior is to continue working.
Distributed Algorithms for Aggregative Games on Graphs
Authors: Koshal Jayash , Nedić Angelia , Shanbhag Uday V.
Published: May 2016

We consider a class of Nash games, termed as aggregative games, being played over a networked system. In an aggregative game, a player’s objective is a function of the aggregate of all the players’ decisions. Every player maintains an estimate of this aggregate, and the players exchange this information with their local neighbors over a connected network. We study distributed synchronous and asynchronous algorithms for information exchange and equilibrium computation over such a network. Under standard conditions, we establish the almost-sure convergence of the obtained sequences to the equilibrium point. We also consider extensions of our schemes to aggregative games where the players’ objectives are coupled through a more general form of aggregate function. Finally, we present numerical results that demonstrate the performance of the proposed schemes.
The One-Dimensional Dynamic Dispatch Waves Problem
Authors: Klapp Mathias A. , Erera Alan L. , Toriello Alejandro
Published: May 2016

We study same-day delivery systems by formulating the dynamic dispatch waves problem (DDWP), which models a depot where delivery requests arrive dynamically throughout a service day. At any dispatch epoch (wave), the information available to the decision maker is (1) a set of known, open requests that remain unfulfilled, and (2) a set of potential requests that may arrive later in the service day. At each wave, the decision maker decides whether or not to dispatch a vehicle, and if so, which subset of open requests to serve, with the objective of minimizing expected vehicle operating costs and penalties for unserved requests. We consider the DDWP with a single delivery vehicle and request destinations on a line, where vehicle operating times and costs depend only on the distance between points. We propose an efficient dynamic programming approach for the deterministic variant, and leverage it to design an optimal a priori policy with predetermined routes for the stochastic case. We then show that fully dynamic policies may perform arbitrarily better than a priori ones, and propose heuristics and dual bounds for this case.

The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/trsc.2016.0682 .
Verification hybrid control of a wheeled mobile robot and
manipulator
Authors: Muszynska Magdalena , Burghardt Andrzej , Kurc Krzysztof , Szybicki Dariusz
Published: May 2016

In this article, innovative approaches to realization
of the wheeled mobile robots and manipulator
tracking are presented. Conceptions include application
of the neural-fuzzy systems to compensation of the controlled
system’s nonlinearities in the tracking control task.
Proposed control algorithms work on-line, contain structure,
that adapt to the changeable work conditions of the
controlled systems, and do not require the preliminary
learning. The algorithm was verification on the real object
which was a Scorbot - ER 4pc robotic manipulator and a
Pioneer - 2DX mobile robot.
Common best proximity pairs in strictly convex Banach spaces
Authors: Gabeleh Moosa
Published: May 2016

A mapping

T
:

A
∪
B

→

A
∪
B

{T\colon A\cup B\to A\cup B}

such that

T
⁢

(
A
)

⊆
A

{T(A)\subseteq A}

and

T
⁢

(
B
)

⊆
B

{T(B)\subseteq B}

is called a noncyclic mapping, where A and B are two nonempty subsets of a Banach space X.
A best proximity pair

(
p
,
q
)

∈

A
×
B

{(p,q)\in A\times B}

for such a mapping T is a point such that

p
=

T
⁢
p

,

q
=

T
⁢
q

{p=Tp,q=Tq}

and

∥

p
-
q

∥

=

dist
⁡

(
A
,
B
)

{\|p-q\|=\operatorname{dist}(A,B)}

. In the current paper, we establish some existence results of best proximity pairs in strictly convex Banach spaces. The presented theorems improve and extend some recent results in the literature. We also obtain a generalized version of Markov–Kakutani’s theorem for best proximity pairs in a strictly convex Banach space setting.
The deal.II Library, Version 8.4
Authors: Bangerth Wolfgang , Davydov Denis , Heister Timo , Heltai Luca , Kanschat Guido , Kronbichler Martin , Maier Matthias , Turcksin Bruno , Wells David
Published: May 2016

This paper provides an overview of the new features of the finite element library deal.II version 8.4.
What Makes Law to Change Behavior? An Experimental Study
Authors: Romaniuc Rustam
Published: May 2016

The use of mild laws to affect people’s behavior is pervasive – from environmental regulation to tort law – but little is known about how the law changes human behavior and social outcomes when it uses non-deterrent monetary incentives. We find that when low monetary incentives are framed so as to indicate what is group desirable behavior, people behave more cooperatively in a public goods game than when no-incentives exist. However, we find that the effect is transitory. Surprisingly, the effect is long lasting when low monetary incentives are presented as payments for some neutral behavior – that is, when the fine is presented as a mere price change. Our findings suggest that the indication of what is group desirable behavior makes salient the conflict between people’s normative expectations and what others effectively do. This undermines conditional cooperators’ own motivation to contribute to public goods. Neutrally framed price-incentives have a long lasting positive effect on contribution decisions because it does not indicate what one should do and thus avoids the conflict with what others effectively do.
The loss of the Old Spanish –udo participle as seen in the Alfonso X corpus
Authors: Hart Sarah
Published: May 2016

The –udo past participle, once common for second conjugation verbs in Castilian Spanish, disappeared completely by the fifteenth century, having been replaced by the –ido participle form of the third conjugation. In this study, I consider several of the factors proposed to have contributed to the sudden disuse of –udo by analyzing participle use in a corpus from the thirteenth century, which coincided with the height of the variation between the old form in –udo and the new one in –ido. Through the use of this corpus, titled Prose Works of Alfonso X el Sabio (Gago Jover 2011, Prose works of Alfonso X el Sabio, Digital library of Old Spanish texts. Hispanic Seminary of Medieval Studies. Retrieved from http://www.hispanicseminary.org/t&c/ac/index-en.htm, accessed 29 September 2012), I show that not all verbs of this time period were affected by the change in the same way. That is to say that certain verbs significantly favored either the form in –udo or that in –ido within these texts. I also analyze patterns of participle use within each text of the corpus demonstrating that certain texts showed significantly more –udo forms while others showed significantly more –ido ones. I conclude this study by showing that within a group of linguistically similar texts, stronger relationships between verb type and participle use appear.
Subject-verb order variation with unaccusative verbs of change of location in Mexico and Southern Arizona
Authors: Llompart Miquel
Published: May 2016

The subjects of unaccusative verbs of change of location (e. g.,llegar, venir) may appear in pre-verbal and post-verbal position. However, most syntactic accounts of word order in Spanish suggest that VS is the canonical order for these verbs. This claim has been supported by some experimental data, but further insight on the mechanisms underlying this particular instance of variation can still be gained from its study from a variationist, corpus-based perspective. We investigate the SV-VS alternation in the spontaneous oral discourse of two populations, monolingual Spanish speakers from Mexico City and Spanish-English bilingual speakers from Southern Arizona. Multivariate analyses reveal that the informative load of the subject, the animacy of the subject, verbal tense and aspect, and the presence or absence of an initial modifier, in this order, condition word order selection. The results also show that bilingual speakers from Southern Arizona are less flexible than monolinguals speakers in assigning word order to unaccusative verbs of change of location when the subject does not introduce new information, favoring SV almost categorically. A possible cause for this dissimilar behavior is the influence of English, where unaccusative verbs tend to appear pre-verbally, on the Spanish of these bilinguals.
Plicosepalin A, a new antioxidant catechin–gallic acid derivative of inositol from the mistletoe Plicosepalus curviflorus
Authors: Badr Jihan M. , Ibrahim Sabrin R.M. , Abou-Hussein Dina R.
Published: May 2016

Phytochemical investigation of the semi-parasitic plant, Plicosepalus curviflorus (Loranthaceae) growing in Saudi Arabia resulted in the isolation of a new catechin–gallic acid derivative of inositol, plicosepalin A (1) [(+) catechin-4′-O-(1″-O-galloyl-5″-O-methyl)-myo-inositol], along with seven known compounds: methyl gallate (2), catechin (3), quercetin (4), gallic acid (5), lupeol (6), β-sitosterol (7), and ursolic acid (8). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analyses, including HRESIMS, ESIMS, 1H and 13C NMR, HSQC, and HMBC, as well as comparison with reported data. The antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of 1 were evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and the disc diffusion assay, respectively. Compound 1 exhibited potent free radical scavenging activity with an IC50 value of 9.0 ± 0.27 μM. Moreover, significant activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis were recorded.
Rapid Antigen Testing for Trichomoniasis in an Emergency Department
Authors: Postenrieder Nikki R. , Reed Jennifer L. , Hesse Elizabeth , Kahn Jessica A. , Ding Lili , Gaydos Charlotte A. , Rompalo Anne , Widdice Lea E.
Published: May 2016

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

Trichomoniasis is a prevalent cause of vaginitis among adolescents that increases the risk of acquiring other sexually transmitted diseases and of negative pregnancy outcomes. Treatment of trichomoniasis is therefore essential for improving sexual and reproductive health outcomes. A timely, sensitive diagnostic test for T vaginalis may increase the accuracy of clinician’s treatment decisions, resulting in more infected women receiving treatment and fewer uninfected women receiving treatment.

METHODS:

This study was a retrospective observational assessment of electronic medical records before and after point-of-care (POC) implementation of the rapid antigen test. Records were collected from women aged 14 to 20 years who received a T vaginalis test in the emergency department during either study period. The main outcome measures were rates of accurate treatment, inaccurate treatment, and missed treatment of trichomoniasis in each study period.

RESULTS:

Overall rates of accurate treatment increased from 78.7% pre-POC to 87.7% post-POC (P = .02). Specifically, rates of not treating uninfected women increased from 61.4% pre-POC to 70.4% post-POC (P = .06), and rates of treating infected women were the same pre-POC (17.3%) and post-POC (17.3%; P = .99). Rates of inaccurate treatment decreased from 23.1% pre-POC to 13.1% post-POC (P = .02). Changes in missed treatment rates (14.0% pre-POC; 8.8% post-POC; P = .73) were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS:

POC testing can improve clinical care by decreasing the use of antibiotics in uninfected women. The results of this study support the use of a T vaginalis rapid antigen POC test for adolescents presenting to the emergency department.
Choice of Intracoronary Imaging: When to Use Intravascular Ultrasound or Optical Coherence Tomography
Authors: Koganti Sudheer ,   Barts, Heart Centre,   University College London Institute of Cardiovascular Science,   Royal Free Hospital, London, UK, Kotecha Tushar , Rakhit Roby D
Published: May 2016

Intracoronary imaging has the capability of accurately measuring vessel and stenosis dimensions, assessing vessel integrity, characterising lesion morphology and guiding optimal percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Coronary angiography used to detect and assess coronary stenosis severity has limitations. The 2D nature of fluoroscopic imaging provides lumen profile only and the assessment of coronary stenosis by visual estimation is subjective and prone to error. Performing PCI based on coronary angiography alone is inadequate for determining key metrics of the vessel such as dimension, extent of disease, and plaque distribution and composition. The advent of intracoronary imaging has offset the limitations of angiography and has shifted the paradigm to allow a detailed, objective appreciation of disease extent and morphology, vessel diameter, stent size and deployment and healing after PCI. It has become an essential tool in complex PCI, including rotational atherectomy, in follow-up of novel drug-eluting stent platforms and understanding the pathophysiology of stent failure after PCI (e.g. following stent thrombosis or in-stent restenosis). In this review we look at the two currently available and commonly used intracoronary imaging tools – intravascular ultrasound and optical coherence tomography – and the merits of each.
Theology and An-Archy: Deep Incarnation Christology following Emmanuel Lévinas and the New Materialism
Authors: Eaton Matthew
Published: May 2016

In this article, I explore deep incarnation Christology. I posit that many of these christological models offered today, while a welcome development in theology, are grounded in metaphysical anthropocentrism. Insofar as such theologies normalize the human and ground theology within a humanist, conceptualist horizon, the idea of divine infinity is circumscribed, and the human becomes divinized and self-positioned as a transcendent species. Likewise, such a framework, identifying God within strict, dogmatic boundaries, posits divinity as the alter ego of the human. To the contrary, I suggest that theology cannot be grounded within human intentionality. Although theology unfolds in representational thought, it is grounded instead in passivity, revealed outside of the subject's time, in an an-archic past and a pure future, wherein divinity is encountered within but ultimately beyond human corporeity in affective encounters with cosmos and Earth. As such, the idea of infinity is grounded in a time and space beyond the beginning of human consciousness. Such a model invites us to consider a God who comes to mind from beyond an impassable chasm, and thus irreducible to the human imagination. Thus, while this article embraces the idea of deep incarnation, it reimagines the doctrine along lines that are different from what is prominent today.
Are There Stages of Meaning in African Theology?
Authors: Orji Cyril
Published: May 2016

Lonergan speaks of three stages of meaning, but John Dadosky argued that there is a fourth implied, which Lonergan did not fully develop. Building on this ideal construct of the stages developed by Lonergan—with one further fleshed out by Dadosky—and applying it to the study of African theology, this article offers insight into the evolution of phases of African theology with a view to determining whether African theology has reached a fourth stage of meaning.
Comparison of clipping and coiling in elderly patients with unruptured cerebral aneurysms
Authors: Bekelis Kimon , Gottlieb Daniel J. , Su Yin , O'Malley A. James , Labropoulos Nicos , Goodney Philip , Lawton Michael T. , MacKenzie Todd A.
Published: May 2016

OBJECTIVE

The comparative effectiveness of the 2 treatment options—surgical clipping and endovascular coiling—for unruptured cerebral aneurysms remains an issue of debate and has not been studied in clinical trials. The authors investigated the association between treatment method for unruptured cerebral aneurysms and outcomes in elderly patients.

METHODS

The authors performed a cohort study of 100% of Medicare fee-for-service claims data for elderly patients who had treatment for unruptured cerebral aneurysms between 2007 and 2012. To control for measured confounding, the authors used propensity score conditioning and inverse probability weighting with mixed effects to account for clustering at the level of the hospital referral region (HRR). An instrumental variable (regional rates of coiling) analysis was used to control for unmeasured confounding and to create pseudo-randomization on the treatment method.

RESULTS

During the study period, 8705 patients underwent treatment for unruptured cerebral aneurysms and met the study inclusion criteria. Of these patients, 2585 (29.7%) had surgical clipping and 6120 (70.3%) had endovascular coiling. Instrumental variable analysis demonstrated no difference between coiling and clipping in 1-year postoperative mortality (OR 1.25, 95% CI 0.68–2.31) or 90-day readmission rate (OR 1.04, 95% CI 0.66–1.62). However, clipping was associated with a greater likelihood of discharge to rehabilitation (OR 6.39, 95% CI 3.85–10.59) and 3.6 days longer length of stay (LOS; 95% CI 2.90–4.71). The same associations were present in propensity score–adjusted and inverse probability–weighted models.

CONCLUSIONS

In a cohort of Medicare patients, there was no difference in mortality and the readmission rate between clipping and coiling of unruptured cerebral aneurysms. Clipping was associated with a higher rate of discharge to a rehabilitation facility and a longer LOS.
Early diffusion-weighted MRI lesions after treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms: a prospective study
Authors: Platz Johannes , Wagner Marlies , Güresir Erdem , You Se-Jong , Konczalla Juergen , de Rochemont Richard du Mesnil , Berkefeld Joachim , Seifert Volker
Published: May 2016

OBJECTIVE

Diffusion-weighted MRI was used to assess periprocedural lesion load after repair of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIA) by microsurgical clipping (MC) and endovascular coiling (EC).

METHODS

Patients with UIA were assigned to undergo MC or EC according to interdisciplinary consensus and underwent diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) 1 day before and 1 day after aneurysm treatment. Newly detected lesions by DWI after treatment were the primary end point of this prospective study. Lesions detected by DWI were categorized as follows: A) 1–3 DWI spots < 10 mm, B) > 3 DWI spots < 10 mm, C) single DWI lesion > 10 mm, or D) DWI lesion related to surgical access.

RESULTS

Between 2010 and 2014, 99 cases were included. Sixty-two UIA were treated by MC and 37 by EC. There were no significant differences between groups in age, sex, aneurysm size, occurrence of multiple aneurysms in 1 patient, or presence of lesions detected by DWI before treatment. Aneurysms treated by EC were significantly more often located in the posterior circulation (p < 0.001). Diffusion-weighted MRI detected new lesions in 27 (43.5%) and 20 (54.1%) patients after MC and EC, respectively (not significant). The pattern of lesions detected by DWI varied significantly between groups (p < 0.001). Microembolic lesions (A and B) found on DWI were detected more frequently after EC (A, 14 cases; B, 5 cases) than after MC (A, 5 cases), whereas C and D were rare after EC (C, 1 case) and occurred more often after MC (C, 12 cases and D, 10 cases). No procedure-related unfavorable outcomes were detected.

CONCLUSIONS

According to the specific techniques, lesion patterns differ between MC and EC, whereas the frequency of new lesions found on DWI is similar after occlusion of UIA. In general, the lesion load was low in both groups, and lesions were clinically silent.

Clinical trial registration no.: NCT01490463 (clinicaltrials.gov)
Cortical plasticity catalyzed by prehabilitation enables extensive resection of brain tumors in eloquent areas
Authors: Rivera-Rivera Paola A. , Rios-Lago Marcos , Sanchez-Casarrubios Sandra , Salazar Osman , Yus Miguel , González-Hidalgo Mercedes , Sanz Ana , Avecillas-Chasin Josué , Alvarez-Linera Juan , Pascual-Leone Alvaro , Oliviero Antonio , Barcia Juan A.
Published: May 2016

OBJECTIVE

The extent of resection is the most important prognostic factor following brain glioma surgery. However, eloquent areas within tumors limit the extent of resection and, thus, critically affect outcomes. The authors hypothesized that presurgical suppression of the eloquent areas within a tumor by continuous cortical electrical stimulation, coupled with appropriate behavioral training (“prehabilitation”), would induce plastic reorganization and enable a more extensive resection.

METHODS

The authors report on 5 patients harboring gliomas involving eloquent brain areas within tumors as identified on intraoperative stimulation mapping. A grid of electrodes was placed over the residual tumor, and continuous cortical electrical stimulation was targeted to the functional areas. The stimulation intensity was adjusted daily to provoke a mild functional impairment while the function was intensively trained.

RESULTS

The stimulation intensity required to impair function increased progressively in all patients, and all underwent another operation a mean of 33.6 days later (range 27–37 days), when the maximal stimulation voltage in all active contacts induced no functional deficit. In all cases, a substantially more extensive resection of the tumor was possible. Intraoperative mapping and functional MRI demonstrated a plastic reorganization, and most previously demonstrated eloquent areas within the tumor were silent, while there was new functional activation of brain areas in the same region or toward the contralateral hemisphere.

CONCLUSIONS

Prehabilitation with continuous cortical electrical stimulation and appropriate behavioral training prior to surgery in patients with WHO Grade II and III gliomas affecting eloquent areas accelerate plastic changes. This can help maximize tumor resection and, thus, improve survival while maintaining function.
Primary versus revision transsphenoidal resection for nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenomas: matched cohort study
Authors: Przybylowski Colin J. , Dallapiazza Robert F. , Williams Brian J. , Pomeraniec I. Jonathan , Xu Zhiyuan , Payne Spencer C. , Laws Edward R. , Jane John A.
Published: May 2016

OBJECTIVE

The object of this study was to compare the outcomes of primary and revision transsphenoidal resection (TSR) of nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenomas (NFPMAs) using endoscopic methods.

METHODS

The authors retrospectively reviewed the records of 287 consecutive patients who had undergone endoscopic endonasal TSR for NFPMAs at their institution in the period from 2005 to 2011. Fifty patients who had undergone revision TSR were retrospectively matched for age, sex, and duration of follow-up to 46 patients who had undergone primary TSR. Medical and surgical complications were documented, and Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to assess rates of radiological progression-free survival (PFS).

RESULTS

The median follow-up periods were 45 and 46 months for the primary and revision TSR groups, respectively. There were no significant differences between the primary and revision groups in rates of new neurological deficit (0 in each), vascular injury (2% vs 0), postoperative CSF leak (6% vs 2%), transient diabetes insipidus (DI; 15% vs 12%), chronic DI (2% vs 2%), chronic sinusitis (4% vs 6%), meningitis (2% vs 2%), epistaxis (7% vs 0), or suprasellar hematoma formation (0 vs 2%). However, patients who underwent primary TSR had significantly higher rates of syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH; 17% vs 4%, p = 0.04). Patients who underwent primary operations also had significantly higher rates of gross-total resection (GTR; 63% vs 28%, p < 0.01) and significantly lower rates of adjuvant radiotherapy (13% vs 42%, p < 0.01). Radiological PFS rates were similar at 2 years (98% vs 96%) and 5 years (87% vs 80%, p = 0.668, log-rank test).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients who underwent primary TSR of NFPMAs experienced higher rates of SIADH than those who underwent revision TSR. Patients who underwent revision TSR were less likely to have GTR of their tumor, although they still had a PFS rate similar to that in patients who underwent primary TSR. This finding may be attributable to an increased rate of adjuvant radiation treatment to subtotally resected tumors in the revision TSR group.
A State Recognition Approach for Complex Equipment Based on a Fuzzy Probabilistic Neural Network
Authors: Xu Jing , Wang Zhongbin , Tan Chao , Liu Xinhua
Published: May 2016

Due to the traditional state recognition approaches for complex electromechanical equipment having had the disadvantages of excessive reliance on complete expert knowledge and insufficient training sets, real-time state identification system was always difficult to be established. The running efficiency cannot be guaranteed and the fault rate cannot be reduced fundamentally especially in some extreme working conditions. To solve these problems, an online state recognition method for complex equipment based on a fuzzy probabilistic neural network (FPNN) was proposed in this paper. The fuzzy rule base for complex equipment was established and a multi-level state space model was constructed. Moreover, a probabilistic neural network (PNN) was applied in state recognition, and the fuzzy functions and quantification matrix were presented. The flowchart of proposed approach was designed. Finally, a simulation example of shearer state recognition and the industrial application with an accuracy of 90.91% were provided and the proposed approach was feasible and efficient.
What Exactly is the Nusselt Number in Convective Heat Transfer Problems and are There Alternatives?
Authors: Herwig Heinz
Published: May 2016

The often used Nusselt number is critically questioned with respect to its physical meaning. Based on a rigorous dimensional analysis, alternative assessment numbers are found that in a systematic way separately account for the quantitative and qualitative aspect of a heat transfer process. The qualitative aspect is related to the entropy generated in the temperature field of a real, irreversible heat transfer. The irreversibility can be quantified by referring it to the so-called entropic potential of the energy involved in the transfer process.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2016 Best Paper Award
Authors:   International Journal of Molecular Sciences Editorial Office
Published: May 2016

The Editors of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences have established the Best Paper Award to recognize the most outstanding articles published in the areas of molecular biology, molecular physics and chemistry that have been published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.[...]
Anti-Inflammatory Oleanolic Triterpenes from Chinese Acorns
Authors: Huang Jie , Wang Yihai , Li Chuan , Wang Xinluan , He Xiangjiu
Published: May 2016

Acorns play an important role in human history and are a source of food and recipes for many cultures around the world. In this study, eleven oleanolic triterpenes, one of which was novel, were isolated from Chinese acorns (Quercus serrata var. brevipetiolata). The chemical structure of the novel triterpene, which was identified as 2α,3β,19α-trihydroxy-24-oxo-olean-12-en-28-oic acid (1), was established based on the interpretation of chemical and spectroscopic analyses, including IR, HR-ESI-MS, and NMR experiments (1H, 13C NMR, DEPT, 1H-1H COSY, HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY). All isolated compounds were tested for their inhibitory effects on LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Compared with the positive control drug indomethacin (IC50 = 47.4 μM), compounds 1, 3, 6 and 8 exhibited remarkable anti-inflammatory activities with IC50 values of 5.4, 7.8, 4.0 and 8.9 μM, respectively. Besides, compounds 2, 4, 7 and 9 also showed moderate anti-inflammatory activities with IC50 values of 10.1, 13.0, 20.1 and 17.2 μM, respectively. Furthermore, Compound 1 could inhibit TNF-α-induced IL-6 and IL-8 production in MH7A cells.
Thermal Conductivity of Epoxy Resin Composites Filled with Combustion Synthesized h-BN Particles
Authors: Chung Shyan-Lung , Lin Jeng-Shung
Published: May 2016

The thermal conductivity of epoxy resin composites filled with combustion-synthesized hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) particles was investigated. The mixing of the composite constituents was carried out by either a dry method (involving no use of solvent) for low filler loadings or a solvent method (using acetone as solvent) for higher filler loadings. It was found that surface treatment of the h-BN particles using the silane 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) increases the thermal conductivity of the resultant composites in a lesser amount compared to the values reported by other studies. This was explained by the fact that the combustion synthesized h-BN particles contain less –OH or active sites on the surface, thus adsorbing less amounts of GPTMS. However, the thermal conductivity of the composites filled with the combustion synthesized h-BN was found to be comparable to that with commercially available h-BN reported in other studies. The thermal conductivity of the composites was found to be higher when larger h-BN particles were used. The thermal conductivity was also found to increase with increasing filler content to a maximum and then begin to decrease with further increases in this content. In addition to the effect of higher porosity at higher filler contents, more horizontally oriented h-BN particles formed at higher filler loadings (perhaps due to pressing during formation of the composites) were suggested to be a factor causing this decrease of the thermal conductivity. The measured thermal conductivities were compared to theoretical predictions based on the Nielsen and Lewis theory. The theoretical predictions were found to be lower than the experimental values at low filler contents (< 60 vol %) and became increasing higher than the experimental values at high filler contents (> 60 vol %).
Evaluating Crossbred Red Rice Variants for Postprandial Glucometabolic Responses: A Comparison with Commercial Varieties
Authors: Se Chee-Hee , Chuah Khun-Aik , Mishra Ankitta , Wickneswari Ratnam , Karupaiah Tilakavati
Published: May 2016

Consumption of white rice predisposes some Asian populations to increased risk of type 2 diabetes. We compared the postprandial glucometabolic responses to three newly-developed crossbred red rice variants (UKMRC9, UKMRC10, UKMRC11) against three selected commercial rice types (Thai red, Basmati white, Jasmine white) using 50-g carbohydrate equivalents provided to 12 normoglycaemic adults in a crossover design. Venous blood was drawn fasted and postprandially for three hours. Glycaemic (GI) and insulin (II) indices, incremental areas-under-the-curves for glucose and insulin (IAUCins), indices of insulin sensitivity and secretion, lactate and peptide hormones (motilin, neuropeptide-Y, orexin-A) were analyzed. The lowest to highest trends for GI and II were similar i.e., UKMRC9 < Basmati < Thai red < UKMRC10 < UKMRC11 < Jasmine. Postprandial insulinaemia and IAUCins of only UKMRC9 were significantly the lowest compared to Jasmine. Crude protein and fiber content correlated negatively with the GI values of the test rice. Although peptide hormones were not associated with GI and II characteristics of test rice, early and late phases of prandial neuropeptide-Y changes were negatively correlated with postprandial insulinaemia. This study indicated that only UKMRC9 among the new rice crossbreeds could serve as an alternative cereal option to improve diet quality of Asians with its lowest glycaemic and insulinaemic burden.
Production of the Japan 30-m Land Cover Map of 2013–2015 Using a Random Forests-Based Feature Optimization Approach
Authors: Sharma Ram , Tateishi Ryutaro , Hara Keitarou , Iizuka Kotaro
Published: May 2016

Achieving more timely, accurate and transparent information on the distribution and dynamics of the world’s land cover is essential to understanding the fundamental characteristics, processes and threats associated with human-nature-climate interactions. Higher resolution (~30–50 m) land cover mapping is expected to advance the understanding of the multi-dimensional interactions of the human-nature-climate system with the potentiality of representing most of the biophysical processes and characteristics of the land surface. However, mapping at 30-m resolution is complicated with existing manual techniques, due to the laborious procedures involved with the analysis and interpretation of huge volumes of satellite data. To cope with this problem, an automated technique was explored for the production of a high resolution land cover map at a national scale. The automated technique consists of the construction of a reference library by the optimum combination of the spectral, textural and topographic features and predicting the results using the optimum random forests model. The feature-rich reference library-driven automated technique was used to produce the Japan 30-m resolution land cover (JpLC-30) map of 2013–2015. The JpLC-30 map consists of seven major land cover types: water bodies, deciduous forests, evergreen forests, croplands, bare lands, built-up areas and herbaceous. The resultant JpLC-30 map was compared to the existing 50-m resolution JAXA High Resolution Land-Use and Land-Cover (JHR LULC) map with reference to Google Earth™ images. The JpLC-30 map provides more accurate and up-to-date land cover information than the JHR LULC map. This research recommends an effective utilization of the spectral, textural and topographic information to increase the accuracy of automated land cover mapping.
Whole-Body Human Inverse Dynamics with Distributed Micro-Accelerometers, Gyros and Force Sensing
Authors: Latella Claudia , Kuppuswamy Naveen , Romano Francesco , Traversaro Silvio , Nori Francesco
Published: May 2016

Human motion tracking is a powerful tool used in a large range of applications that require human movement analysis. Although it is a well-established technique, its main limitation is the lack of estimation of real-time kinetics information such as forces and torques during the motion capture. In this paper, we present a novel approach for a human soft wearable force tracking for the simultaneous estimation of whole-body forces along with the motion. The early stage of our framework encompasses traditional passive marker based methods, inertial and contact force sensor modalities and harnesses a probabilistic computational technique for estimating dynamic quantities, originally proposed in the domain of humanoid robot control. We present experimental analysis on subjects performing a two degrees-of-freedom bowing task, and we estimate the motion and kinetics quantities. The results demonstrate the validity of the proposed method. We discuss the possible use of this technique in the design of a novel soft wearable force tracking device and its potential applications.
Porcine Circovirus Type 2 Activates CaMMKβ to Initiate Autophagy in PK-15 Cells by Increasing Cytosolic Calcium
Authors: Gu Yuanxing , Qi Baozhu , Zhou Yingshan , Jiang Xiaowu , Zhang Xian , Li Xiaoliang , Fang Weihuan
Published: May 2016

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) induces autophagy via the 5′ adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/tuberous sclerosis complex 2 (TSC2)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway in pig kidney PK-15 cells. However, the underlying mechanisms of AMPK activation in autophagy induction remain unknown. With specific inhibitors and RNA interference (RNAi), we show that PCV2 infection upregulated calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase-beta (CaMKKβ) by increasing cytosolic Ca2+ via inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R). Elevation of cytosolic calcium ion (Ca2+) did not seem to involve inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) release from phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) by phosphoinositide phospholipase C-gamma (PLC-γ). CaMKKβ then activated both AMPK and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase I (CaMKI). PCV2 employed CaMKI and Trp-Asp (WD) repeat domain phosphoinositide-interacting protein 1 (WIPI1) as another pathway additional to AMPK signaling in autophagy initiation. Our findings could help better understanding of the signaling pathways of autophagy induction as part of PCV2 pathogenesis. Further research is warranted to study if PCV2 interacts directly with IP3R or indirectly with the molecules that antagonize IP3R activity responsible for increased cytosolic Ca2+ both in PK-15 cells and PCV2-targeted primary cells from pigs.
SOLAR CYCLE 25: ANOTHER MODERATE CYCLE?
Authors: Cameron R. H. , Jiang J. , Schüssler M.
Published: May 2016

Surface flux transport simulations for the descending phase of Cycle 24 using random sources (emerging bipolar magnetic regions) with empirically determined scatter of their properties provide a prediction of the axial dipole moment during the upcoming activity minimum together with a realistic uncertainty range. The expectation value for the dipole moment around 2020 (2.5 ± 1.1 G) is comparable to that observed at the end of Cycle 23 (about 2 G). The empirical correlation between the dipole moment during solar minimum and the strength of the subsequent cycle thus suggests that Cycle 25 will be of moderate amplitude, not much higher than that of the current cycle. However, the intrinsic uncertainty of such predictions resulting from the random scatter of the source properties is considerable and fundamentally limits the reliability with which such predictions can be made before activity minimum is reached.
Forensic mental health services: Current service provision and planning for a prison mental health service in the Eastern Cape
Authors: Sukeri Kiran , A. Betancourt Orlando , Emsley Robin , Nagdee Mohammed , Erlacher Helmut
Published: May 2016

Objectives: No research data exists on forensic psychiatric service provision in the Eastern Cape, Republic of South Africa. The objective of this research was to assess current forensic psychiatric service provision and utilisation rates at Fort England Hospital. This is important in improving and strengthening the service. A related objective was to develop a model for a provincial prison mental health service.
Methodology: This study is a situational analysis of an existing forensic psychiatric service in the Eastern Cape. The design of the study was cross sectional. An audit questionnaire was utilised to collate quantitative data, which was submitted to Fort England Hospital, Grahamstown. A proposed prison mental health service was developed utilising prevalence rates of mental illness among prisoners to calculate bed and staff requirements for an ambulatory and in-patient service.

Results: During the study period a total of 403 remand detainees were admitted to the forensic psychiatry division of Fort England Hospital. The average length of stay was 494 days and the bed utilisation rate was determined at 203.54%. We estimate that to provide a provincial prison mental health service to treat psychotic illnesses and major depression the province requires a 52 bedded facility and a total staff complement of approximately 31.

Conclusions: Forensic psychiatric services include the assessment, management and treatment of mentally disordered persons in conflict with the law and prisoners requiring psychiatric assessments. The Eastern Cape Province does not have plans or policies to assess and manage mentally ill offenders, resulting in an increased load on available services. We recommend that an inter-departmental task team, which includes Health, Justice and Constitutional Development and Correctional Services, should be established in the province, to develop a strategy to assist in the development of an effective and efficient forensic psychiatric service. This should be driven by the provincial Department of Health.
Depression in the South African workplace
Authors: Stander Marthinus P. , Bergh Margreet , Miller-Janson Helen Elizabeth , De Beer Janetta C. , Korb Frans A.
Published: May 2016

Depression is a common psychiatric disorder and can be costly, having a significant impact on the individual and employers. The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) in partnership with HEXOR, with the support of Lundbeck, undertook research into depression in the workplace, because South African information is not available on this topic. It provides insight into the prevalence of depression within the workplace in South Africa, as well as the impact of depression on the employees and employers in terms of sick leave and levels of productivity, especially when the symptoms include cognitive impairment. It is apparent that stigma plays a pivotal role in the reasons for non-disclosure to employers. It further highlights the magnitude of awareness, early detection and the provision of a holistic support system within the work environment, free from bias, to ensure that optimum benefit can be achieved for both employer and employee.
Genetic and family counselling for schizophrenia: Where do we stand now?
Authors: Roos Johannes L.
Published: May 2016

Background: Recent genetic findings have led to profound changes in genetic and family counselling for schizophrenia patients and their families.

Objectives: The article gives an overview of the present knowledge regarding the genetic and family counselling for schizophrenia.

Method: Literature searches were performed on the MEDLINE database (2011–2015) and African Healthline. A current alert service which provides the most recent literature on the topic on a monthly basis was also used in the study. A clinical case example is presented as is experienced in daily psychiatric practice.

Results: Genetic risk communication has become the responsibility of the multiprofessional treatment team, moving away from specialists in the field. The treatment team provides information on a daily basis regarding risk predictors in the management of schizophrenia, including risk of relapse, suicide and comorbid substance use. Although genetic information is unique and has implications for blood relatives, genetic risk factors only rarely provide information that is inherently different from that provided by other risk predictors commonly used in healthcare. The common variant common disease and rare variant common disease models as contrasting hypothesis of the genetics of schizophrenia are discussed and debated. An example of a family counselled is given and the place of commercial companies that offer directly to the consumer affordable personal DNA testing for psychiatric illness is discussed. Ethical issues without resolution regarding genetic counselling of schizophrenia are debated.

Conclusions: Recent genetic findings must lead to profound changes in genetic and family counselling in schizophrenia. Exposed attributable risk has immediate effects on genetic counselling of schizophrenia. Psychiatric risk counselling has thus changed from risk estimates based on family history to estimates based on test results in specific individuals.
Effect of Vitamin B12 and folic acid supplementation on neuropsychiatric symptoms and immune response in HIV-positive patients
Authors: Adhikari Prabha M. , Chowta Mukta N. , Ramapuram John T. , Rao Satish B. , Udupa Karthik , Acharya Sahana D.
Published: May 2016

Background: Micronutrients such as B12 and folic acid deficiencies are found in higher number in HIV-infected patients. Objective: We conducted a study to examine the effect of Vitamin B12 and folic acid supplementation on neuropsychiatric manifestations, CD4 count, and anthropometric measurements in HIV-positive patients. Materials and Methods: Three different groups of HIV patients, namely, HIV patients with tuberculosis, HIV patients with neuropsychiatric manifestations, and asymptomatic HIV patients with 50 patients in each group were included in the study. Baseline and follow-up CD4 count, anthropometric measurements, neuropsychiatric assessments, Vitamin B12, and folic acid estimation were done. Results: The prevalence of folic acid deficiency was 27.1% in Group I, 31.9% in Group II, and 23.4% in Group III. The prevalence of Vitamin B12 deficiency was 8.16% in Group I, 6.12% in Group II, and 4.16% in Group III. HIV patients with neuropsychiatric manifestations were noted to have the lowest mean mini–mental score. After the supplementation of vitamins, anthropometric measurements, MMSE as well as Hamilton depression scores, improved in all the three groups whereas Hamilton anxiety scores improved only in Group III. The CD4 count also improved in Groups I and II after the supplementation of vitamins. Conclusion: Folic acid deficiency was highest among neuropsychiatric patients. The majority of people who had a folic acid deficiency have shown improvement in their neuropsychiatric assessment scores as well as CD4 count after its supplementation.
Modeling long-term, large-scale sediment storage using a simple sediment budget approach
Authors: Naipal Victoria , Reick Christian , Van Oost Kristof , Hoffmann Thomas , Pongratz Julia
Published: May 2016

Abstract. Currently, the anthropogenic perturbation of the biogeochemical cycles remains unquantified due to the poor representation of lateral fluxes of carbon and nutrients in Earth system models (ESMs). This lateral transport of carbon and nutrients between terrestrial ecosystems is strongly affected by accelerated soil erosion rates. However, the quantification of global soil erosion by rainfall and runoff, and the resulting redistribution is missing. This study aims at developing new tools and methods to estimate global soil erosion and redistribution by presenting and evaluating a new large-scale coarse-resolution sediment budget model that is compatible with ESMs. This model can simulate spatial patterns and long-term trends of soil redistribution in floodplains and on hillslopes, resulting from external forces such as climate and land use change. We applied the model to the Rhine catchment using climate and land cover data from the Max Planck Institute Earth System Model (MPI-ESM) for the last millennium (here AD 850–2005). Validation is done using observed Holocene sediment storage data and observed scaling between sediment storage and catchment area. We find that the model reproduces the spatial distribution of floodplain sediment storage and the scaling behavior for floodplains and hillslopes as found in observations. After analyzing the dependence of the scaling behavior on the main parameters of the model, we argue that the scaling is an emergent feature of the model and mainly dependent on the underlying topography. Furthermore, we find that land use change is the main contributor to the change in sediment storage in the Rhine catchment during the last millennium. Land use change also explains most of the temporal variability in sediment storage in floodplains and on hillslopes.