bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Solitary fibrous tumor of the orbit
Authors: Gupta Sumiti , Verma Renuka , Sen Rajeev , Singh Ishwar , Marwah Nisha , Kohli Rachneet
Published: September 2015

Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is a rare spindle-cell neoplasm originating from the mesenchyme. It was originally thought to occur exclusively in the intrathoracic region but has been recently described in extrapleural sites including the orbit. SFT of the orbit is a rare lesion, which can be misdiagnosed as hemangiopericytoma, fibrous histiocytoma, meningioma, or neurofibroma. Immunohistochemistry plays an important role. We report an orbital SFT in a 39-year-old female presented with painless, progressive proptosis, and diminished vision in the right eye for the duration of 6 months. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated well-defined enhancing mass lesion. The patient underwent complete tumor removal through a right fronto-orbital approach, and a pathological diagnosis of the solitary fibrous tumor was made. Postoperatively, the patient was symptom-free. Clinical and pathological findings including immunohistochemistry are presented along with a brief discussion of literature.
Influence of Inclusions on Early Corrosion Development of Ultra-Low Carbon Bainitic Steel in NaCl Solution
Authors: Wei J. , Dong J.H. , Ke W. , He X.Y.
Published: September 2015

The early corrosion development of ultra-low carbon bainitic (ULCB) low alloy steel in NaCl solution was studied by ex situ imaging of corrosion morphology and in situ monitoring of microarea current density and potential, and the corrosion mechanism from initial localized corrosion to uniform corrosion was interpreted. The results indicate that the corrosion development of ULCB steel from initial localized corrosion around inclusions to the uniform corrosion on the whole steel surface is controlled by the galvanic couple effect between different phases resulting from their electrode potential difference in electrolyte solution. The early localized corrosion of steel matrix is initiated and accelerated by the galvanic couple effect between MnS inclusions and steel matrix to form the initial corrosion gaps and the circular corrosion spots around inclusions. The ohmic drop caused by solution resistance influences the acceleration effect of the galvanic couple. With the separation of inclusion from steel matrix, this galvanic couple effect becomes invalid, which results in the expansion from localized corrosion to uniform corrosion. The microgalvanic couple between martensite/residual austenite (M/A) islands and bainite ferrite also accelerates the anodic dissolution of bainite ferrite phase; however, its acceleration corrosion effect is much weaker than that caused by MnS inclusion.
No-tillage lessens soil CO2 emissions the most under arid and sandy soil conditions: results from a meta-analysis
Authors: Abdalla K. , Chivenge P. , Ciais P. , Chaplot V.
Published: September 2015

Abstract. The management of agroecosystems plays a crucial role in the global carbon cycle with soil tillage leading to known organic carbon redistributions within soils and changes in soil CO2 emissions. Yet, discrepancies exist on the impact of tillage on soil CO2 emissions and on the main soil and environmental controls. A meta-analysis was conducted using 46 peer-reviewed publications totaling 174 paired observations comparing CO2 emissions over entire seasons or years from tilled and untilled soils across different climates, crop types and soil conditions with the objective of quantifying tillage impact on CO2 emissions and assessing the main controls. On average, tilled soils emitted 21 % more CO2 than untilled soils, which corresponded to a significant difference at P < 0.05. The difference increased to 29 % in sandy soils from arid climates with low soil organic carbon content (SOCC < 1 %) and low soil moisture, but tillage had no impact on CO2 fluxes in clayey soils with high background SOCC (> 3 %). Finally, nitrogen fertilization and crop residue management had little effect on the CO2 responses of soils to no-tillage. These results suggest no-tillage is an effective mitigation measure of carbon dioxide losses from dry land soils. They emphasize the importance of including information on soil factors such as texture, aggregate stability and organic carbon content in global models of the carbon cycle.
Predicting biomass of hyperdiverse and structurally complex Central Amazon forests – a virtual approach using extensive field data
Authors: Magnabosco Marra D. , Higuchi N. , Trumbore S. E. , Ribeiro G. H. P. M. , dos Santos J. , Carneiro V. M. C. , Lima A. J. N. , Chambers J. Q. , Negrón-Juárez R. I. , Holzwarth F. , Reu B. , Wirth C.
Published: September 2015

Abstract. Old-growth forests are subject to substantial changes in structure and species composition due to the intensification of human activities, gradual climate change and extreme weather events. Trees store ca. 90 % of the total AGB above-ground biomass in tropical forests and AGB estimation models are crucial for forest management and conservation. In the Central Amazon, predicting AGB at large spatial-scales is a challenging task due to the heterogeneity of successional stages, high tree species diversity and inherent variations in allometry and architecture. We parameterized generic AGB estimation models applicable across species and a wide range of structural and compositional variation related to species sorting into height layers as well as frequent natural disturbances. We used 727 trees from 101 genera and at least 135 species harvested in a contiguous forest near Manaus, Brazil. Sampling from this dataset we assembled six scenarios designed to span existing gradients in floristic composition and size distribution in order to select models that best predict AGB at the landscape-level across successional gradients. We found that good individual tree model fits do not necessarily translate into good predictions of AGB at the landscape level. When predicting AGB (dry mass) over scenarios using our different models and an available pantropical model, we observed systematic biases ranging from −31 % (pantropical) to +39 %, with RMSE root-mean-square error values of up to 130 Mg ha−1 (pantropical). Our first and second best models had both low mean biases (0.8 and 3.9 %, respectively) and RMSE (9.4 and 18.6 Mg ha−1) when applied over scenarios. Predicting biomass correctly at the landscape-level in complex tropical forests, especially allowing good performance at the margins of data availability for model parametrization, requires the inclusion of predictors related to species architecture. The model of interest should comprise the floristic composition and size-distribution variability of the target forest, implying that even generic global or pantropical biomass estimation models can lead to strong biases. Reliable biomass assessments for the Amazon basin still depend on the collection of destructive allometry data at the local/regional scale and forest inventories including species-specific attributes, which are often unavailable or estimated imprecisely in most regions.
Probabilistic precipitation and temperature downscaling of the Twentieth Century Reanalysis over France
Authors: Caillouet L. , Vidal J.-P. , Sauquet E. , Graff B.
Published: September 2015

Abstract. This work proposes a daily high-resolution probabilistic reconstruction of precipitation and temperature fields in France over the 1871–2012 period built on the NOAA Twentieth Century global extended atmospheric reanalysis (20CR). The objective is to fill in the spatial and temporal data gaps in surface observations in order to improve our knowledge on the local-scale climate variability from the late 19th century onwards. The SANDHY (Stepwise ANalogue Downscaling method for HYdrology) statistical downscaling method, initially developed for quantitative precipitation forecast, is used here to bridge the scale gap between large-scale 20CR predictors and local-scale predictands from the SAFRAN high-resolution near-surface reanalysis, available from 1958 onwards only. SANDHY provides a daily ensemble of 125 analogues dates over the 1871–2012 period for 608 climatically homogeneous zones paving France. Large precipitation biases in intermediary seasons are shown to occur in regions with high seasonal asymmetry like the Mediterranean. Moreover, winter and summer temperatures are respectively over- and under-estimated over the whole of France. Two analogue subselection methods are therefore developed with the aim of keeping unchanged the structure of the SANDHY method while reducing those seasonal biases. The calendar selection keeps the closest analogue dates in the year for each target date. The stepwise selection applies two new analogy steps based on similarity of the Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and the large-scale Two-metre Temperature (T2m). Comparisons to the SAFRAN reanalysis over 1959–2007 and to homogenized series over the whole 20th century show that biases in the interannual cycle of precipitation and temperature are reduced with both methods. The stepwise subselection moreover leads to a large improvement of interannual correlation and reduction of errors in seasonal temperature time series. When the calendar subselection is an easily applicable method suitable in a quantitative precipitation forecast context, the stepwise subselection method allows for potential season shifts and SST trends and is therefore better suited for climate reconstructions and climate change studies. The probabilistic downscaling of 20CR over the period 1871–2012 with the SANDHY probabilistic downscaling method combined with the stepwise subselection thus constitutes a perfect framework for assessing the recent observed meteorological events but also future events projected by climate change impact studies and putting them in a~historical perspective.
Simulating hydrology with an isotopic land surface model in western Siberia: what do we learn from water isotopes?
Authors: Guglielmo F. , Risi C. , Ottlé C. , Valdayskikh V. , Radchenko T. , Nekrasova O. , Cattani O. , Stukova O. , Jouzel J. , Zakharov V. , Dantec-Nédélec S. , Ogée J.
Published: September 2015

Abstract. Improvements in the evaluation of land surface models would translate into more reliable predictions of future climate changes, as significant uncertainties persist in the quantification and representation of the relative contributions of soil and vegetation to the water and energy cycles. In this paper, we investigate the usefulness of water stable isotopes in land surface models studying land surface processes. To achieve this, we implemented 18O and 2H and the computation of the oxygen (δ18O) and deuterium (δD) stable isotope composition of soil and leaf water pools in a~recent version of the land surface model ORCHIDEE. We performed point-wise simulations with this new model and evaluated its performance on vertical profiles of soil water isotope ratios measured in summer 2012 at four experimental sites located in a boreal region of the Artic zone of western Siberia. The model performed relatively well in simulating some features of the δ18O soil profiles, but poorly reproduced the d-excess profiles, at all four stations. The response of the simulated δ18O profiles to variations in key hydrological parameters revealed the importance of the choice of a correct infiltration pathway in ORCHIDEE. Our results show also that the strength of the evaporative enrichment signal plays a role in shaping the profiles, too and, therefore, the relevance of the vegetation and bare soil characterization. We investigated furthermore to which extent we are able to determine the relative contribution of the evaporation to the evapotranspiration. This study's results confirm that the use of water stable isotopes measurements helps constrain the representation of key land surface processes in land surface models.
A quantitative analysis to objectively appraise drought indicators and model drought impacts
Authors: Bachmair S. , Svensson C. , Hannaford J. , Barker L. J. , Stahl K.
Published: September 2015

Abstract. Drought monitoring and early warning is an important measure to enhance resilience towards drought. While there are numerous operational systems using different drought indicators, there is no consensus on which indicator best represents drought impact occurrence for any given sector. Furthermore, thresholds are widely applied in these indicators but, to date, little empirical evidence exists as to which indicator thresholds trigger impacts on society, the economy, and ecosystems. The main obstacle for evaluating commonly used drought indicators is a lack of information on drought impacts. Our aim was therefore to exploit text-based data from the European Drought Impact report Inventory (EDII) to identify indicators which are meaningful for region-, sector-, and season-specific impact occurrence, and to empirically determine indicator thresholds. In addition, we tested the predictability of impact occurrence based on the best performing indicators. To achieve these aims we applied a correlation analysis and an ensemble regression tree approach ("random forest"), using Germany and the UK (the most data-rich countries in the EDII) as a testbed. As candidate indicators we chose two meteorological indicators (Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standardized Precipitation Evaporation Index (SPEI)) and two hydrological indicators. The analysis revealed that accumulation periods of SPI and SPEI best linked to impact occurrence are longer for the UK compared with Germany, but there is variability within each country, among impact categories and, to some degree, seasons. The median of regression tree splitting values, which we regard as estimates of thresholds of impact occurrence, was around −1 for SPI and SPEI in the UK; distinct differences between northern/northeastern vs. southern/central regions were found for Germany. Predictions with the ensemble regression tree approach yielded reasonable results for regions with good impact data coverage. The predictions also provided insights into the EDII, in particular highlighting drought events where missing impact reports reflect a lack of recording rather than true absence of impacts. Overall, the presented quantitative framework proved to be a useful tool for evaluating drought indicators, and to model impact occurrence. In summary, this study demonstrates the information gain for drought monitoring and early warning through impact data collection and analysis, and highlights the important role that quantitative analysis with impacts data can have in providing "ground truth" for drought indicators alongside more traditional stakeholder-led approaches.
Strain localization in ultramylonitic marbles by simultaneous activation of dislocation motion and grain boundary sliding (Syros, Greece)
Authors: Rogowitz A. , C. White J. , Grasemann B.
Published: September 2015

Abstract. Extreme strain localization occurred in the center of the cross-cutting element of a flanking structure in almost pure calcite marbles from Syros, Greece. At the maximum displacement of 120 cm along the cross-cutting element evidence of grain size sensitive deformation mechanisms can be found in the ultramylonitic marbles, which are characterized by (1) an extremely small grain size (∼3 μm), (2) grain boundary triple junctions with nearly 120° angles, (3) a weak crystallographic preferred orientation with very low texture index (J=1.4), (4) a random misorientation angle distribution curve and (5) the presence of small cavities. Using transmission electron microscopy a deformation sequence is observed comprising, first recrystallization by bulging resulting in the development of the fine-grained ultramylonite followed by the evolution of a high dislocation density (∼1013 m−2) with ongoing deformation of the fine-grained ultramylonite. The arrangement of dislocations in the extremely fine grain sized calcite differs from microstructures created by classical dislocation creep mediated by combined glide and thermally activated climb. Instead, it exhibits extensive glide and dislocation networks characteristic of recovery accommodated by cross-slip and network-assisted dislocation movement without formation of idealized subgrain walls. The enabling of grain boundary sliding to dislocation activity is deemed central to initiating and sustaining strain softening and is argued to be an important strain localization process in calcite rocks, even at high strain rate (10−9 s−1) and low temperature (300 °C).
Targeting of cell death and neuroinflammation with peptide-linked iron oxide nanoparticles and Gd-DTPA in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease
Authors: Sclavons Coralie , Boutry Sébastien , Laurent Sophie , Elst Luce Vander , Muller Robert N
Published: September 2015

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative disease and remains difficult to diagnose by conventional methods of early detection. It is characterized by the apoptotic loss of dopaminergic neurons (DN) and a neuroinflammation mainly located in the ventral midbrain (VM). The aim of this work is to study new vectorized contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) detection of PD injured areas by targeting apoptosis and inflammation. Two peptides selected by phage display were used for the experiments: R826 peptide, selected for its affinity for the phosphatidylserine (PS) exposed at the external surface of apoptotic cells, and 2C peptide, selected for its affinity for TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor alpha), one of the most abundant cytokines secreted during inflammation. These peptides were grafted to pegylated iron oxide nanoparticles (PEG-USPIO) and gadolinium-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) for in vitro and in vivo studies, respectively. PD was simulated on mice with the MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine) neurotoxin and its active metabolite MPP+ (1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium) for in vitro studies. The results showed that PEG-USPIO-R826 and PEG-USPIO-2C enabled the detection of apoptosis and inflammation, respectively, on MPP+-treated culture cells. PEG-USPIO-2C also allowed detection of inflammation on histological brain sections of MPTP-treated mice. The 2C peptide grafted to Gd-DTPA showed encouraging results in MRI detection of injured brain areas in MPTP-treated mice. These observations suggest that a targeting of damaged cells and injured areas by these new specific contrast agents occurs, offering a new tool for early diagnosis of neurodegenerative disorders like PD by MRI.
Effects of Dicto-Comp and Dictation on the Writing Skill of Female Adult Iranian EFL Learners
Authors: Adel Rahil , Hashemian Mahmood
Published: September 2015

This study was an attempt to clarify and remind L2 learners/teachers of 2 kinds of writing: dicto-comp and dictation. We explored the effect of controlled writing on the accuracy of the writing of adult Iranian EFL learners. Prior to the study, the homogeneity of 30 adult EFL learners was checked through an OPT test. Thirty participants were assigned to 210 one-hour sessions: Group A via dicto-comp and Group B via dictation. Following this practice, the participants in both groups were asked to write texts as the posttest about similar topics to the one of the pretest. Results indicated that the participants working in the dictation wrote more accurately than those who wrote in dicto-comp format; however, but both dictation and dicto-comp had positive effects on the writing of the participants.
Media innovations: success and paradox. (Editorial Introduction)
Authors: Ess Charles Melvin
Published: September 2015

I review the four main articles constituting this issue, highlighting successes as well as tensions and conflicts uncovered across the articles in various efforts at innovation.  I conclude by noting how both individual articles and articles taken together reinforce, expand, and/or call into question larger patterns of media innovations as these have been articulated in previous issues of The Journal of Media Innovations.
An Audience Perspective on the 2nd Screen Phenomenon
Authors: De Meulenaere Jonas , Bleumers Lizzy , Van den Broeck Wendy
Published: September 2015

Second screen (2nd screen) applications are among the latest of the TV-industry’s innovations to retain the TV-viewer’s attention in a challenging multi-screen environment. These applications can be regarded as an extension of TV-content consumed on a TV-set towards lightweight portable devices such as tablets. Despite the numerous commercial instances available internationally and the existing literature on the topic from a technical perspective remains the audience side of this phenomenon underexposed. Moreover, in the case of Flanders, 2nd screen applications are thus far rather marginally commercially implemented. In this research, we aim to elicit what TV-viewers anticipations are regarding 2nd screen functionalities. By applying means-end theory and a laddering approach we were able to discern how these anticipations subsequently relate to the TV-show itself, the consequences for the viewing experience, as well as how 2nd screen is expected to fit within the viewer’s everyday life.
Designing the Amplifon. A locative sound medium to supplement DAB radio
Authors: Nyre Lars
Published: September 2015

Radio has always had communicative concern for its listeners. It is characterized by personal address, liveness and acoustic moods that reach audiences in a variety of listening situations. Radio's communicative concern should be available for all citizens, but in fact there is rather bad reception for DAB and FM in cities due to narrow streets and other physical interference, and in addition the prominent iPhone lacks both DAB- and FM-receivers. The design project reported here aims to increase sound media's communicative concern in urban settings by 1) replacing one-way FM and DAB with two-way mobile data, 2) replacing loudspeakers with headphones, and 3) replacing the temporal news agenda with one that is locative. The article reports on the theoretical basis, design methods and empirical findings of the Amplifon prototype.
The World's Need for Household Water Treatment
Authors: Berg Paul A.
Published: September 2015

A young man in Mumbai, India, fills a water jug at a public tap (above). It is often necessary to provide household water treatment for water collected from city systems, and boiling (left) is the most common method. Credit for above photo: Paul Prescott / Shutterstock.com.
North American Installed Water Treatment Ozone Systems
Authors: Thompson Craig M. , Drago Joseph A.
Published: September 2015

Increased use of ozone to treat drinking water in North America over the past two decades, along with improved capacity and efficiency of ozone systems, sets the stage for a look at the current state of the art.
The Eventual Premiere of Issipile: Porpora and the Palchetti War
Authors: Markstrom Kurt
Published: September 2015

“Where Porpora is concerned, misfortune is bound to ensue. Beware, in faith, of having anything to do with his company.” Metastasio’s damning indictment of Nicola Porpora in a letter published in his Opere (the offending passage omitted from Charles Burney’s English translation) is put into the context of the “Palchetti Wars” in Rome in 1732/33 and a court case against the impresario Francesco Cavanna of the Teatro della Dame. The court case was filed by a group of musicians, presumably led by Porpora, after the cancellation of the premiere of his Issipile during the spring of 1732 as a result of the closing of the theatres by the pope due to the controversy between the ambassadors of France and Austria over their boxes (palchetti) at the opera. In the court case between two of his old friends, Metastasio took the cause of the impresario over the composer because the case resulted in the bankruptcy of Cavanna and the closure of the della Dame. Although arrangements were made for the premiere of Porpora’s Issipile the following year at an alternate venue, the Teatro Pioli—which got around the theatrical ban by replacing its palchetti with a large balcony or palchettone, the della Dame, preserving its celebrated five tiers of palchetti—remained closed until 1738. This was probably part of the strategy of the directors of the delle Dame in dealing with the twists and turns of the palchetti controversy.
The Power of Stories: Canadian Music Scholarship’s Narratives and Counter-Narratives
Authors: Diamond Beverley
Published: September 2015

This article is a reflection on how narratives of Canadian music scholarship have shifted since the late 1980s, generally moving toward an array of “diversity narratives.” It questions how government policy, academic institution building, increased interdisciplinarity, new configurations of individual and collective experience, and new regional or nationalist discourses have played a role in this shift. It suggests that Canadians may be particularly well poised to lead in the study of how multiple narratives and “sovereign aesthetics” can coexist.
Levels and Potential Sources of Heavy Metals in Major Irrigated Rice Areas of the Philippines
Authors: Magahud Jehru C. , Badayos Rodrigo B. , Sanchez Pearl B. , Sta. Cruz Pompe C.
Published: September 2015

Industrialization, urbanization and intensive use of farm inputs can pollute agricultural areas. The study was then conducted to assess the levels of chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), molybdenum (Mo), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb) in the country’s major rice areas. The study also determined the contributions of soil properties, land uses, irrigation water, and farm inputs to the metal levels. Strategic collections of soil, plant and water samples in the country’s major soil series planted to rice, analyses of samples using x-ray fluorescence or atomic absorption spectroscopy, and farmer interviews were done. Metal levels were very high in Zambales and Negros Occidental soils due to deposition or use of metal-enriched mine tailings and irrigation water. Soil metal concentrations in Zambales far exceeded the intervention values of 180 mg/kg for Cr and 100 mg/kg for Ni. Soil metal levels in Negros Occidental exceeded the intervention value of 190 mg/kg for Cu and Mo. Rice plants in Negros Occidental exceeded the toxic levels of 30 mg/kg for Cu and 10-50 mg/kg for Mo due to the very high soil Cu and Mo concentrations in the area. Molybdenum concentrations of rice plants in Sultan Kudarat and Camarines Sur exceeded the toxic level due to the high amounts of foliar chemicals applied at >66 sprayer loads per year. The study implies that rice areas deposited with mine wastes have high heavy metal levels, and foliar chemicals can increase metal levels in rice.   Keywords - Environmental toxicology, heavy metals, heavy metal sources, rice soils, Philippines
Growth and Yield Responses of NSIC Rc11 and Inipot-Ibon to Different Nitrogen Rates under Upland Condition
Authors: Quimbo Michelle C. , Mamaril Cezar P.
Published: September 2015

Two consecutive upland rice wet season croppings (2012-2013) were conducted in Lipa clay loam soil at Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines. This was done to determine which among NSIC Rc11 (modern variety) and Inipot-Ibon (traditional variety) applied with six fertilizer rates [kg/ha of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K)] with increasing N levels: control (zero fertilizer), 0-0-30, 20-30-30, 40-30-30, 60-30-30, and 80-30-30, will improve plant growth, yield, and profit. NSIC Rc11 was more productive with comparative average grain yields of 2.42-4.70 t/ha compared to Inipot-Ibon with only 1.40-2.20 t/ha during the two cropping seasons. This was due to the higher harvest index, tiller, panicle production, and return on investment (ROI) of NSIC Rc11 compared to Inipot-Ibon. Application of 20-80 kg/ha N plus 30 kg of both P and K significantly increased the grain and straw yields of  NSIC Rc11 but not Inipot-Ibon having no significant response to fertilizer application. Highest ROI, though, was observed from the application of 60-30-30 kg/ha NPK to NSIC Rc11. The economic benefit from producing upland rice was very low due to the high cost of production from land preparation and maintenance costs (i.e. herbicides and pesticides application, contract labor for manual weeding).     Keywords - itrogen rate, upland rice, yield performance, return on investment, experimental design, Philippines
Phenotypic Characterization of Native Chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) in Eastern Samar, Philippines
Authors: Picardal Jay P. , Afable Felix A. , Lagman Ma. Carmen A. , Campoto Edmundo A. , Palada Eva P. , Valdez Jr. Marcos B.
Published: September 2015

The study characterized native chickens based on phenotypic traits, measuring 13 morphometric and describing 7 discrete characters of 228 randomly-selected native chickens from three arbitrary districts (North District [ND], Central District [CD] and South District [SD]) in the province of Eastern Samar. Results show that significant difference was observed in drumstick length and beak length (p<0.05) across districts but most of the morphometric traits were dominant in chickens of CD. Although there were more than 2 traits observed for each of the 7 discrete characters, traditional chickens from both sexes across districts were found to have R/W earlobe, white skin, gray shank, single comb, red wattles and yellow / orange iris coloration. Sexual dimorphism was only observed in plumage color, having mahogany red and brown as dominant plumage colors in roosters and hens, respectively. Based on the morphometric data, discriminant analysis revealed that 52%, 47% and 73% of traditional chickens from ND, CD and SD were classified as member of their respective localities, respectively while dendrogram showed that most native chickens from neighboring municipalities under each district clustered together. The study concluded that there is a considerable variation in the phenotypic characters of native chickens in the province of Eastern Samar. Keywords - Phenotypic characterization, native chickens and traditional chickens, Eastern Samar, Philippines
Energy Management: Optimization Strategy
Authors: Zhu Frank Xin X.
Published: September 2015

The goal of energy management is to control energy usage in the most efficient manner in order to make chemical processes more economic and efficient and less polluting. To achieve these goals, energy use must be optimized with the same rigor as production yields and safety issues are managed.

The article offers theory and tested and proven methods to use energy efficiently in process plants, while meeting all production goals under process and equipment constraints, which are expected to lead to significant returns on capital. The article provides guidelines on choosing and implementing approaches to address specific process conditions and production needs of process plants.
Observations of the ionospheric impact of M‐class solar flares on local and hemispheric scales
Authors: Helmboldt J. F. , Kassim N. E. , Teare S. W.
Published: September 2015

The ionospheric impact of a series of M‐class solar flares that occurred on 12 March 2015 is described. A combination of data sets from GPS receivers and two different colocated radio telescopes, the very large array (VLA) and the long wavelength array (LWA), was used to detect and characterize flare‐induced irregularities. The data demonstrate that each flare causes a rapid step‐like increase in total electron content (TEC) of about 0.2 total electron content units (TECU), 1 TECU = 1016 el m−2. The rise times of these steps are on the order of 1–3 min. The GPS data show signs of traveling ionospheric disturbances likely associated with gravity waves whose magnitudes were temporarily enhanced by the impact of two of the flares. Increased activity within the horizontal TEC gradients observed with the VLA was apparent for several minutes following the flare X‐ray peak. The properties of these VLA‐detected disturbances are strongly indicative of field‐aligned irregularities within the plasmasphere. They initially form at two altitudes, approximately 2600 and 5600 km. Those that form higher quickly disappear, whereas those that form lower appear to descend over a period of ∼7 min to an altitude of roughly 1450 km before disappearing. LWA observations of ionospheric reflections of the HF radio station WWV show a significant and brief (∼few minutes) Doppler frequency disturbance near the onset of TEC enhancement, followed by a ∼5 min drop in received power, indicating increased ionization in the D region.
Agonism and dominance in female blue monkeys
Authors: Klass Keren , Cords Marina
Published: September 2015

Agonistic behavior features prominently in hypotheses that explain how social variation relates to ecological factors and phylogenetic constraints. Dominance systems vary along axes of despotism, tolerance, and nepotism, and comparative studies examine cross‐species patterns in these classifications. To contribute to such studies, we present a comprehensive picture of agonistic behavior and dominance relationships in wild female blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis), an arboreal guenon, with data from 9 groups spanning 18 years. We assessed where blue monkeys fall along despotic, tolerant, and nepotistic spectra, how their dominance system compares to other primates, primarily cercopithecines, and whether their agonistic behavior matches socioecological model predictions. Blue monkeys showed low rates of mainly low‐intensity agonism and little counter‐aggression. Rates increased with rank and group size. Dominance asymmetry varied at different organizational levels, being more pronounced at the level of interactions than dyad or group. Hierarchies were quite stable, had moderate‐to‐high linearity and directional consistency and moderate steepness. There was clear maternal rank inheritance, but inconsistent adherence to Kawamura's rules. There was little between‐group variation, although hierarchy metrics showed considerable variation across group‐years. Overall, blue monkeys have moderately despotic, moderately tolerant, and nepotistic dominance hierarchies. They resemble other cercopithecines in having significantly linear and steep hierarchies with a generally stable, matriline‐based structure, suggesting a phylogenetic basis to this aspect of their social system. Blue monkeys most closely match Sterck et al.'s [1997] Resident–Nepotistic–Tolerant dominance category, although they do not fully conform to predictions of any one socioecological model. Our results suggest that socioecological models might better predict variation within than across clades, thereby incorporating both ecological variables and phylogenetic constraints. Our findings also highlight the need for clearer definitions of socioecologically relevant dominance categories, which would ideally derive from quantitative measures of dominance behavior. Intraspecific and methodological variation may, however, be a challenge. Am. J. Primatol. 77:1299–1315, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Screening and Engineering the Synthetic Potential of Carboxylating Reductases from Central Metabolism and Polyketide Biosynthesis
Authors: Peter Dominik M. , Schada von Borzyskowski Lennart , Kiefer Patrick , Christen Philipp , Vorholt Julia A. , Erb Tobias J.
Published: September 2015

Carboxylating enoyl‐thioester reductases (ECRs) are a recently discovered class of enzymes. They catalyze the highly efficient addition of CO2 to the double bond of α,β‐unsaturated CoA‐thioesters and serve two biological functions. In primary metabolism of many bacteria they produce ethylmalonyl‐CoA during assimilation of the central metabolite acetyl‐CoA. In secondary metabolism they provide distinct α‐carboxyl‐acyl‐thioesters to vary the backbone of numerous polyketide natural products. Different ECRs were systematically assessed with a diverse library of potential substrates. We identified three active site residues that distinguish ECRs restricted to C4 and C5‐enoyl‐CoAs from highly promiscuous ECRs and successfully engineered a selected ECR as proof‐of‐principle. This study defines the molecular basis of ECR reactivity, allowing for predicting and manipulating a key reaction in natural product diversification.
Epoxidized natural rubber toughened poly(lactic acid)/halloysite nanocomposites with high activation energy of water diffusion
Authors: Tham Wei Ling , Poh Beng Teik , Mohd Ishak Zainal Arifin , Chow Wen Shyang
Published: September 2015

Poly(lactic acid)/halloysite nanotube (PLA/HNT) nanocomposites were prepared using melt compounding followed by compression molding. Epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) was used to toughen the PLA nanocomposites. The properties of PLA/HNT nanocomposites were characterized by impact tests, thermal analysis (DSC), morphological analysis (FESEM, TEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Water absorption tests were performed at three immersion temperature (30, 40, 50°C). The maximum water absorption (Mm), diffusion coefficient (D), and the activation energy of water diffusion (Ea) were determined. The impact strength of PLA/HNT6 nanocomposites was increased significantly to ∼296% by the addition of 15 wt % ENR. The incorporation of HNT and ENR increase its nucleation effect and assist in the crystallization process of PLA. The HNT has good affinity with PLA and ENR, which was revealed by TEM and FTIR. The Mm of PLA was increased in the presence of HNT and ENR. Nevertheless, the D value and the Ea of the PLA nanocomposites were found to be affected by the HNT and ENR contents. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 42850.
Conversion of expanded polystyrene waste to nanoparticles via nanoprecipitation
Authors: Rajeev Ashna , Erapalapati Venkataramana , Madhavan Nandita , Basavaraj Madivala G.
Published: September 2015

The conversion of polymeric waste into useful, value added material is considered as an efficient method for polymeric waste management because of the environmental issues caused by such materials. This work proposes a simple, cost‐effective strategy for the conversion of expanded polystyrene waste into polystyrene nanoparticles via nanoprecipitation. In this method, expanded polystyrene is dissolved in a suitable solvent for example, tetrahydrofuran and added to a nonsolvent, such as water, to precipitate polystyrene nanoparticles of diameter less than 500 nm. The study also investigates the influence of various process parameters such as, initial concentration of expanded polystyrene, the speed of stirring, the solvent to water volume ratio and the solvent type used for nanoprecipitation, on the size and polydispersity of the precipitated PS nanoparticles. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 42904.
Multi‐Fluorinated Azido Coumarins for Rapid and Selective Detection of Biological H2S in Living Cells
Authors: Zhu Zhentao , Li Yanyan , Wei Chao , Wen Xin , Xi Zhen , Yi Long
Published: September 2015

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an endogenously produced gaseous signaling molecule with multiple biological functions. In order to visualize the endogenous in situ production of H2S in living cells in real time, here we developed multi‐fluorinated azido coumarins as fluorescent probes for the rapid and selective detection of biological H2S. Kinetic studies indicated that an increase in fluorine substitution leads to an increased rate of H2S‐mediated reduction reaction, which is also supported by our theoretical calculations. To our delight, tetra‐fluorinated coumarin 1 could react with H2S fast (t1/2≈1 min) and selectively, which could be further used for continuous enzymatic assays and for visualization of intracellular H2S. Bioimaging results obtained with 1 revealed that d‐Cys could induce a higher level of endogenous H2S production than l‐Cys in a time‐dependent manner in living cell.
Transglycosidase‐like activity of Mucor hiemalis endoglycosidase mutants enabling the synthesis of glycoconjugates using a natural glycan donor
Authors: Sakaguchi Kouta , Katoh Toshihiko , Yamamoto Kenji
Published: September 2015

Glycan conversion of glycoprotein via the transglycosylation activity of endo‐β‐N‐acetylglucosaminidase is a promising chemoenzymatic technology for the production of glycoproteins including bio‐medicines with a homogeneous glycoform. Although Endo‐M is a key enzyme in this process, its product undergoes rehydrolysis, which leads to a lower yield, and limits the practical application of this enzyme. We developed several Endo‐M mutant enzymes including N175Q with glycosynthase‐like activity and/or transglycosidase‐like activity. We found that the Endo‐M N175H mutant showed glycosynthase‐like activity comparable to N175Q as well as transglycosidase‐like activity superior to N175Q. Using a natural sialylglycopeptide as a donor substrate, N175H readily transferred the sialo‐glycan onto an N‐acetylglucosamine residue attached to bovine ribonuclease B (RNase B), yielding a nonnative sialoglycosylated RNase B. These results demonstrate that use of Endo‐M N175H is an alternative glycoengineering technique, which provides a relatively high yield of transglycosylation product and avoids the laborious synthesis of a sugar oxazoline as a donor substrate.
Meta‐analytic Investigations of the Relation Between Intuition and Analysis
Authors: Wang Yi , Highhouse Scott , Lake Christopher J. , Petersen Nicole L. , Rada Thaddeus B.
Published: September 2015

Over 50 years of research on cognitive style has converged on the importance of individual differences in use of intuition and analysis. This program of research is characterized, however, by two incompatible perspectives about the relation between intuition and analysis. The distinction concerns whether intuition and analysis are opposite poles of a single dimension or whether they are orthogonal constructs. Two studies report meta‐analytic investigations of the relation between intuition and analysis. A meta‐analysis of the existing research base (k = 80;n = 27 501) showed that intuition and analysis are uncorrelated. A second meta‐analysis of combinations of subscales from different cognitive style measures (n = 511) supported the results of the first meta‐analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis also supported the existence of two uncorrelated constructs. Overall, the findings support the view that intuition and analysis are independent constructs, rather than opposite ends of a bipolar continuum. In addition, the findings suggest measures of analysis or rationality are not interchangeable. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ultra sensitive firefly luciferase‐based protein‐protein interaction assay (FlimPIA) attained by hinge region engineering and optimized reaction conditions
Authors: Kurihara Makoto , Ohmuro‐Matsuyama Yuki , Ayabe Keiichi , Yamashita Takahiro , Yamaji Hideki , Ueda Hiroshi
Published: September 2015

Detecting and assaying protein‐protein interactions are significant research procedures in biology and biotechnology. We recently reported a novel assay to detect protein‐protein interaction, i.e. firefly luminescent intermediate‐based protein‐protein interaction assay (FlimPIA) using two mutant firefly luciferases (Flucs), which complement each other's deficient half reaction. This assay detects neighboring of two mutant Flucs, namely, a ”Donor“ that catalyzes the adenylation of firefly luciferin to produce a luciferyl‐adenylate intermediate, and an ”Acceptor“ that catalyzes the subsequent light emitting reaction. However, its rather high background signal, derived from the remaining adenylation activity of the Acceptor, has limited its usefulness. To reduce this background signal, we introduced a mutation (R437K) into the hinge region of the Acceptor, while maintaining the oxidative activity. Interestingly, the signal/background (S/B) ratio of the assay was markedly improved by the addition of coenzyme A and reduction of the ATP concentration, probably due to reduced inhibition by dehydroluciferyl‐adenylate formed during the catalysis and an increased ATP‐based Km value of the Acceptor, respectively. As a result, a significantly improved maximal S/B ratio from 2.5 to ∼40 was attained, which promises wider use of the assay in in vitro diagnostics, drug discovery, and expanding our knowledge of various biological phenomena.
Cell‐free protein synthesis of a cytotoxic cancer therapeutic: Onconase production and a just‐add‐water cell‐free system
Authors: Salehi Amin S. M. , Smith Mark Thomas , Bennett Anthony M. , Williams Jacob B. , Pitt William G. , Bundy Bradley C.
Published: September 2015

Biotherapeutics have many promising applications, such as anti‐cancer treatments, immune suppression, and vaccines. However, due to their biological nature, some biotherapeutics can be challenging to rapidly express and screen for activity through traditional recombinant methods. For example, difficult‐to‐express proteins may be cytotoxic or form inclusion bodies during expression, increasing the time, labor, and difficulty of purification and downstream characterization. One potential pathway to simplify the expression and screening of such therapeutics is to utilize cell‐free protein synthesis. Cell‐free systems offer a compelling alternative to in vivo production, due to their open and malleable reaction environments. In this work, we demonstrate the use of cell‐free systems for the expression and direct screening of the difficult‐to‐express cytotoxic protein onconase. Using cell‐free systems, onconase can be rapidly expressed in soluble, active form. Furthermore, the open nature of the reaction environment allows for direct and immediate downstream characterization without the need of purification. Also, we report the ability of a ”just‐add‐water“ lyophilized cell‐fee system to produce onconase. This lyophilized system remains viable after being stored above freezing for up to one year. The beneficial features of these cell‐free systems make them compelling candidates for future biotherapeutic screening and production.
Circular Business Model Innovation: Inherent Uncertainties
Authors: Linder Marcus , Williander Mats
Published: September 2015

Circular business models based on remanufacturing and reuse promise significant cost savings as well as radical reductions in environmental impact. Variants of such business models have been suggested for decades, and there are notable success stories such as the Xerox product–service offering based on photocopiers that are remanufactured. Still, we are not seeing widespread adoption in industry. This paper examines causes for reluctance. Drawing on a hypothesis‐testing framework of business model innovation, we show that circular business models imply significant challenges to proactive uncertainty reduction for the entrepreneur. Moreover, we show that many product–service system variants that facilitate return flow control in circular business models further aggravate the potential negative effects of failed uncertainty reduction because of increased capital commitments. Through a longitudinal action research study we also provide a counterexample to many of the challenges identified in previous studies, which could be overcome in the studied case. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment