bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Problems of Research on Generations in Psychology
Authors: Sivrikova N.V.
Published: July 2015

Modern psychology faces many tasks that require the study of social psychological characteristics of representatives of different generations. However, there still is no single, unified concept of generations in the psy¬chological science, which makes research into the subject even more difficult. Basing on a review of Russian and foreign works, the author describes the following three problems of research on generations in modern psychology: 1) The problem of defining the very concept of 'generation'; 2) The problem of defining quantitative and qualitative characteristics of 'generation'; 3) The problem of differentiating between generations. Creating a complex social psychological concept in which a generation would be considered a relatively independent social community of individuals united by common cultural-historical location and common experience may contribute to eliminating these problems. The author argues that generations functioning in society should be differentiated on the basis of the following criteria: historical era, age, family role and identification with one or another generation.
On the Concept of Zero Meaning of Text
Authors: Nikitina E.S.
Published: July 2015

In the semiotic tradition text is considered a sign with its own content. This content is shaped by three meanings within three spaces of sign: semantic, syntactic and pragmatic. It is crucial that text is heterogeneous from the point of view of meaning organization. Three spaces or three spheres of experience integrated within text - existential, rational and communicative - focus upon themselves the narrative, typological and paralogical meanings of text. These meanings constitute the true 'pattern' of text. The world of text is the one created, arranged and thought over in great details. The first layer is the level of the plot of existence. And since text is, by definition, an intertextual determinacy, in communication this level of meaning acts as the initial, or zero, meaning in the process of understanding text. However, understanding content only begins at this point, con¬tinuing through the typological level and, further on, through interpretational practices, finally reaching the paralogical subtleties of understanding. Text is a reality oriented at being understood. And it is the very struc¬ture of meaning of text that shapes the technologies of understanding. One can and must be taught to understand. The paper addresses the concept of zero meaning as the initial, existential layer of meanings that form the subjectness of text.
Thought Evolution
Authors: Shadrikov V.D.
Published: July 2015

The thought evolution is studied by historical reconstruction method that is based on the propositions of the theory of cultural-historical determination of the psyche development, and the data of the morphological analysis and child development, and the conception of the psyche neuroontogenesis. The grounds for advisability of protothinking are presented. The protothinking is understood as the use of objective thought in cases of awareness absence. It is shown that protothinking is a form of transition from animal thinking to human speech. The particular attention is paid to the process of the word producing and thought generation in that process. The conditions of word producing as cooccurring acoustic pattern served for though expression are discussed. It is emphasized that a word is produced by a particular person. The historical development of the language and the specificity of this development are pointed out.
Evaporative Weathering of Diluted Bitumen Films
Authors: Yarranton Harvey , Motahhari Hamad Reza , Schoeggl Florian , Zhou John (Zhihong)
Published: July 2015

One of the issues for the pipeline transportation of diluted bitumen (dilbit) is the fate and behaviour of the dilbit if it is spilled in freshwater systems; in particular, the evaporation rate and the change in physical properties of the film after evaporation and exposure to water (weathering). In this study, the evaporative weathering of dilbit Cold Lake Winter Blend (CLWB) and light crude oil Alberta Sweet Blend (ASB) films were compared. Evaporation rates were measured for films on glass over time (up to 30 days) at different air-flow rates and at temperatures of 5, 15, and 25C. The solvent content, density, and viscosity of the films were measured after different weathering times. A second set of tests at 15C was performed on both dilbit and light-crudeoil films on water. As expected, the mass-transfer rate increased with increasing temperature and decreasing film thickness in all cases. The evaporation of the dilbit was found to be limited by the diffusion rate of the lighter components through the film while that of the light crude oil was limited by convective mass transfer to the air above. The density and viscosity of both the CLWB and ASB films correlated to the amount of evaporated material at all conditions examined, including different film thicknesses, temperatures, and air-flow rates. It appears that the volatile components evaporate in the same order at any conditions; therefore, film composition, density, and viscosity are only functions of the amount evaporated. The evaporation rates, density, and viscosity of CLWB and ASB films weathered over water were identical to those corresponding films weathered on glass, within the error of the measurements; that is, contact with still water had no effect on weathering.
A comparative research on job satisfaction and HRM practices: Empirical investigation of few commercial bank employees in Bangladesh.
Authors: Ahmed Riaz Uddin
Published: July 2015

This research study was focused on the effect of HRM practices namely recruitment & selection, training & development, salary & benefits, job security, reward and supervisory role on job satisfaction of few commercial bank employees of Bangladesh. A sample of 50 respondents were selected randomly from ONE Bank Ltd, The City Bank Ltd, ICB Islamic bank Ltd, Prime Bank Ltd and Eastern Bank Ltd using purposive sampling method. A survey was carried out with a self-designed structured closed ended questionnaire with five point Likert scale and the data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression. The findings revealed that recruitment & selection, training & development, salary & benefits and reward have positive effect on employees’ job satisfaction whereas supervisory role and job security have adverse effect. It was recommended to the authorities of said banks that they should emphasize more on these two HRM practices to ensure sustainable growth and development of their organization.
WORK CONTENT IN THE NIGERIAN CIVIL SERVICE AND ITS IMPLICATION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Authors: Justine Igbokwe-Ibeto Chinyeaka , Okere Sam-Okere Justina
Published: July 2015

Civil service is the major instrument through which government; federal, state or local manage development. However, Nigerian civil service has for long been engulfed with poor service delivery. Reforms in the civil service have often centered on structure and deemphasized work content. Specifically, attention is paid to the powers of officials, inter-unit conflict, and delegation of authority, training and accountability. Regardless of emphasis on these factors, work in the civil service remains dull, slow, and monotonous, and a high degree of employee idleness is nothing to write home about. Within the framework of labour productivity theory and using primary data collected from highly-skilled professionals in three states of South-East Nigeria. The paper concludes that the conspicuous lack of activity among many civil service employees’ is primarily a function of low work content in service occasioned by overstaffing. To achieve sustainable development in Nigeria, job enrichment and decongestion of the civil service by alternative employment (DAE) is therefore recommended.

 
Be Green and You are Branded: Case of Small to Medium Enterprises in Zimbabwe Tourism Sector
Authors: Chigora Farai , Zvavahera Promise
Published: July 2015

This study explored the effect of green management in sustainable development in the branding of Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism sector in Zimbabwe. The study focusedon businesses in the accommodation, travel and resorts areas of the tourism industry in Zimbabwe. The study used both quantitative and qualitative research design whereby data was extracted from the respondents using questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Thekey respondents to the study were managers and employees in the accommodation, travel sectors. The results of the study showed that SMEs in the Zimbabwean tourism industry do not appreciate the impact of green management as a branding tool. The findings indicated that most of the respondents were not aware on what of what green management is all about. Afew managers appreciated the concept and concurred that green management in deed was being practised by large corporations the world over. It was concluded that having green and eco-labels displayed on business premises, letterheads and other business exchange would improve their branding and identity to the world. The study recommended that the operators in the accommodation, travel and resorts should adopt green and eco-certification programs so as to attract the modern enlightened tourist who is green and eco-sensitive.
Filaments on the Western Iberian Margin: A modeling study
Authors: Cordeiro Nuno G. F. , Nolasco Rita , Cordeiro‐Pires Ana , Barton Eric D. , Dubert Jesus
Published: July 2015

Coastal upwelling filaments off the Western Iberian Margin, detected in AVHRR satellite imagery and in a realistic ROMS simulation of sea surface temperature, were studied in the upwelling seasons (May–October) of 2001–2010. Sea surface temperature data were retrieved from AVHRR satellite imagery and from a realistic ROMS numerical simulation. The development and variability of the observed filaments were characterized and analyzed during each upwelling season of the 10 year period. Filaments were generally found anchored to the main bathymetric and coastal features but off the more regular northern coast of the Western Iberian Margin their locations were more variable. The results from the modeling analysis reproduced well the general features of filament development. Moreover results of model and observation showed very similar characteristics as those found in the earlier study of Haynes et al. (1993). The model output was used to relate filament patterns, eddy activity, and wind forcing. There was a clear relation between upwelling‐favorable wind strength and number and length of filaments, although the relation was weaker in the north of the region. Model filaments were clearly related to eddies only during periods of weak winds. The filament detection method was also applied to a climatologically forced ROMS simulation, which reproduced only gross features of the observed and interannually forced model filament development. This suggests that direct wind forcing and its spatial structure are highly important.
Contribution of transpiration and evaporation to precipitation: An ET‐Tagging study for the Poyang Lake region in Southeast China
Authors: Wei Jianhui , Knoche Hans Richard , Kunstmann Harald
Published: July 2015

In this study, a regional climate model‐based evapotranspiration tagging (ET‐Tagging) algorithm has been applied for the first time over Southeast China. Fifteen month simulations (October 2004 to December 2005) were performed to investigate where and to which extent the tagged evapotranspired water from the Poyang Lake region returns to the land surface as precipitation. The contributions of direct evaporation and transpiration were estimated separately using an extended ET‐Tagging partitioning algorithm. In 2005, the contribution of moisture originating from the Poyang Lake region to the local annual precipitation in Southeast China reaches a value of up to 1.2%. A maximum contribution of 6% is found near the Poyang Lake region in August. In 2005, 69% of total tagged precipitation originates from direct evaporation of water whereas 31% from transpiration. In winter, precipitation originating from transpired moisture only accounts for around 10% of the total tagged precipitation, but in the summer season the contribution of transpiration increases up to 50%. To explore the source‐target relations under consideration of the respective precipitation regime, we introduce source‐specific precipitation efficiencies. For the period under investigation, the efficiency for direct evaporation generally dominates, except during the comparatively dry August and in the winter months. Our study shows that the location and the magnitude of tagged precipitation show large spatial and temporal variations. The comprehensive interactions between land surface characteristics and synoptic weather conditions control the annual cycle of the individual contributions to precipitation, emphasizing the important impacts of vegetation cover and land use on the atmospheric hydrological cycle.
Spectral parameters estimation in precipitation for 50 MHz band atmospheric radars
Authors: Gan Tong , Yamamoto Masayuki K. , Hashiguchi Hiroyuki , Okamoto Hajime , Yamamoto Mamoru
Published: July 2015

Fifty megahertz band atmospheric radars (ARs) can detect clear air echoes and hydrometeor echoes simultaneously. However, in order to calculate spectral parameters (i.e., echo power, Doppler velocity, and spectrum width) of the clear air echo accurately, the clear air echo must be separated from the hydrometeor echo well. In this study, we propose methods (top method and two‐echo method) for calculating the spectral parameters in precipitation region. The top method is used when raindrops or solid hydrometeors with small echo intensities exist. The top method sets an echo cut level by using the peak intensity of the clear air echo. The echo cut level is used for separating clear air echoes from hydrometeor echoes. The two‐echo method is used when solid hydrometeors with large echo intensities exist. The two‐echo method sets the echo cut level by using the local minimum of echo intensity between the clear air echo and the hydrometeor echo. Measurement results obtained by the vertical beam of the middle and upper atmosphere radar during a precipitation event on 26 October 2009 were used for evaluating the performance of the top and two‐echo methods. The echo cut levels of the top and two‐echo methods were determined from numerical simulation. The measurement results demonstrate that the top and two‐echo methods are useful for reducing errors of spectral parameters.
Relationship between slab dip and topography segmentation in an oblique subduction zone: Insights from numerical modeling
Authors: Cerpa Nestor G. , Araya Rodolfo , Gerbault Muriel , Hassani Riad
Published: July 2015

Slab dip controls the state of stress in an overriding plate and affects mountain building. Analog and numerical models have shown variations in tectonic regime induced by slab folding over the 660 km depth discontinuity zone in orthogonal convergence. Here using a three‐dimensional model of oblique subduction (30°) and accounting for free top surfaces, we show how slab folding generates an along‐strike slab dip segmentation, inducing variations in topography of the overriding plate. When the subducting plate begins to curve forward, the elevation height rises inland and varies along the trench from 5 km to 2 km. The Andes are a suitable natural zone to compare our results with because of its linear margin and well‐constrained plates kinematics. Thus, we provide a new explanation to the general decrease in elevation from the central to southern Andes, which still remains to be combined with other 3‐D mechanisms to explain the actual Andean topography.
Controls on 231Pa and 230Th in the Arctic Ocean
Authors: Luo Yiming , Lippold Jörg
Published: July 2015

The distributions of 230Th and 231Pa in the Arctic Ocean are not well understood. In order to examine the Arctic 231Pa/230Th system and therefore to shed light on the future use of Arctic sedimentary 231Pa/230Th, we developed a 2‐D scavenging model modified from an Atlantic model. Tuned with reasonable parameters that are consistent with Eurasian Basin geographic settings, the model can reproduce most of the features of the 230Th and 231Pa water column profiles as well as the sedimentary 231Pa/230Th distribution patterns and suggests that the sedimentary 231Pa/230Th in the Eurasian Basin is mainly controlled by the deep water circulation. In our attempt to reproduce the sedimentary 231Pa/230Th patterns during the last glacial, we found that circulation strength in the Eurasian Basin at shallower depths may have been stronger than today.
Storm‐to‐storm main phase repeatability of the local time variation of disturbed low‐latitude vertical ion drifts
Authors: Huang Chao‐Song
Published: July 2015

Penetration electric field can be very strong during magnetic storms. However, the variation of penetration electric field with local time (LT) has not been well understood. The Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) satellite measures the plasma drift/electric field over all local times within ~100 min. In this paper, we present the first nearly simultaneous observations of the dependence of penetration electric field on local time. The meridional ion drift measured by C/NOFS during the main phase of five magnetic storms in 2012 is analyzed. The storm time ion drift shows a large enhancement around 1900 LT, a relatively small enhancement during daytime, and a deep decrease in the postmidnight sector with a peak around 0500 LT. The observed storm time variation of the meridional ion drift with local time represents the variation of the penetration electric field. The averaged ion drifts are in remarkable agreement with recent simulations.
Applying a curl‐B technique to Swarm vector data to estimate nighttime F region current intensities
Authors: Tozzi Roberta , Pezzopane Michael , De Michelis Paola , Piersanti Mirko
Published: July 2015

The innovative geometry of European Space Agency Swarm constellation opens the way for new investigations based on magnetic data. Since the knowledge of a vector field on two spherical surfaces allows calculating its curl, we propose a new technique to estimate the curl of the ionospheric magnetic field measured by Swarm satellites A and B, orbiting the Earth at two different altitudes from March to September 2014. Using this technique, we mapped the amplitude of the radial, meridional, and zonal components and of total intensity of the ionospheric current density at the satellite's altitudes, i.e., the F region of the ionosphere, during two local nighttime intervals: before and after midnight. Most of the obtained results are consistent with some of the known features of nighttime F region currents; others need further investigation. The proposed technique could contribute in selecting magnetic data with minimum contamination from nighttime F region electric currents for magnetic modeling purposes.
Elve doublets and compact intracloud discharges
Authors: Marshall R. A. , da Silva C. L. , Pasko V. P.
Published: July 2015

We present evidence of ionospheric optical signatures of lightning, known as elves, which sometimes occur in pairs separated in time by ∼80–160 μs. We demonstrate that these “elve doublets” are the ionospheric signature of compact intracloud discharges (CIDs), which are extremely powerful, compact discharges that are thought to occur near the tops of thunderclouds. In this paper, using simple geometric calculations and full electromagnetic simulations, we show that CIDs from altitudes 14–22 km explain the time delay observed in elve doublets, consistent with typical CID altitudes. Furthermore, we show that the relative brightness of the first and second elves in the doublet is likely related to the orientation of the CID, and angles of 5°– 20° with respect to the vertical are consistent with the observed brightness ratios.
HCFC‐133a (CF3CH2Cl): OH rate coefficient, UV and infrared absorption spectra, and atmospheric implications
Authors: McGillen Max R. , Bernard François , Fleming Eric L. , Burkholder James B.
Published: July 2015

HCFC‐133a (CF3CH2Cl), an ozone‐depleting substance, is primarily removed from the atmosphere by gas‐phase reaction with OH radicals and by UV photolysis. The rate coefficient, k, for the OH + HCFC‐133a reaction was measured between 233 and 379 K and is given by k(T) = (9.32 ± 0.8) × 10−13 exp(−(1296 ± 28)/T), where k(296 K) was measured to be (1.10 ± 0.02) × 10−14 (cm3 molecule−1 s−1) (2σ precision uncertainty). The HCFC‐133a UV absorption spectrum was measured between 184.95 and 240 nm at 213–323 K, and a spectrum parameterization is presented. The HCFC‐133a atmospheric loss processes, lifetime, ozone depletion potential, and uncertainties were evaluated using a 2‐D atmospheric model. The global annually averaged steady state lifetime and ozone depletion potential (ODP) were determined to be 4.45 (4.04–4.90) years and 0.017 (±0.001), respectively, where the ranges are based solely on the 2σ uncertainty in the kinetic and photochemical parameters. The infrared absorption spectrum of HCFC‐133a was measured, and its global warming potential was determined to be 380 on the 100 year time horizon.
The interaction between gravity waves and solar tides: Results from 4‐D ray tracing coupled to a linear tidal model
Authors: Ribstein B. , Achatz U. , Senf F.
Published: July 2015

The interaction between solar tides (STs) and gravity waves (GWs) is studied via the coupling of a three‐dimensional ray tracer model and a linear tidal model. The ray tracer model describes GW dynamics on a spatially and time‐dependent background formed by a monthly mean climatology and STs. It does not suffer from typical simplifications of conventional GW parameterizations where horizontal GW propagation and the effects of horizontal background gradients on GW dynamics are neglected. The ray tracer model uses a variant of Wentzel‐Kramers‐Brillouin (WKB) theory where a spectral description in position wave number space is helping to avoid numerical instabilities otherwise likely to occur in caustic‐like situations. The tidal model has been obtained by linearization of the primitive equations about a monthly mean, allowing for stationary planetary waves. The communication between ray tracer model and tidal model is facilitated using latitude‐ and altitude‐dependent coefficients, named Rayleigh friction and Newtonian relaxation, and obtained from regressing GW momentum and buoyancy fluxes against the STs and their tendencies. These coefficients are calculated by the ray tracer model and then implemented into the tidal model. An iterative procedure updates successively the GW fields and the tidal fields until convergence is reached. Notwithstanding the simplicity of the employed GW source, many aspects of observed tidal dynamics are reproduced. It is shown that the conventional “single‐column” approximation leads to significantly overestimated GW fluxes and hence underestimated ST amplitudes, pointing at a sensitive issue of GW parameterizations in general.
Numerical simulations of extratropical tropopause‐penetrating convection: Sensitivities to grid resolution
Authors: Homeyer Cameron R.
Published: July 2015

Deep extratropical convection that penetrates and overshoots the altitude of the tropopause has important implications both for chemistry‐climate interactions through stratosphere‐troposphere exchange and for hazardous weather at the Earth's surface. In this study, the sensitivity of tropopause structure and cross‐tropopause transport to the choice of numerical model resolution in simulations with explicitly resolved convection (i.e., no convective parameterization) is examined. For an observed case of overshooting convection, the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting (ARW‐WRF) model is run for all possible combinations of three horizontal (3 km, 1 km, and 333.33 m) and vertical (600 m, 300 m, and 150 m) grid resolutions. Although ARW‐WRF is successful in producing tropopause‐penetrating convection in each case, the depth of overshooting and cross‐tropopause transport are found to increase with refinement in the horizontal dimension and decrease with refinement in the vertical dimension. These results are related to changes in storm intensity and the sharpness of the tropopause, where the former is found to increase with refinement in the horizontal dimension and the latter is found to increase with refinement in the vertical dimension. Comparisons of simulated storm altitudes with those observed from ground‐based radar reveal large positive biases in simulations where the horizontal resolution is fine and the vertical resolution is coarse.
Toxicological screening of human plasma by on‐line SPE‐HPLC‐DAD: identification and quantification of acidic and neutral drugs
Authors: Mut Ludmila , Grobosch Thomas , Binscheck‐Domaß Torsten , Frenzel Wolfgang
Published: July 2015

A multi‐analyte screening method for the quantification of 50 acidic/neutral drugs in human plasma based on on‐line solid‐phase extraction (SPE)–HPLC with photodiode array detection (DAD) was developed, validated and applied for clinical investigation. Acetone and methanol for protein precipitation, three different SPE materials (two electro‐neutral, one strong anion‐exchange, one weak cation‐exchange) for on‐line extraction, five HPLC‐columns [one C18 (GeminiNX), two phenyl‐hexyl (Gemini C6‐Phenyl, Kinetex Phenyl‐Hexyl) and two pentafluorophenyl (LunaPFP(2), KinetexPFP)] for analytical separation were tested. For sample pre‐treatment, acetone in the ratio 1:2 (plasma:acetone) showed a better baseline and fewer matrix peaks in the chromatogram than methanol. Only the strong anion‐exchanger SPE cartridge (StrataX‐A, pH 6) allowed the extraction of salicylic acid. Analytical separation was carried out on a Gemini C6‐Phenyl column (150 × 4.6 mm, 3 µm) using gradient elution with acetonitrile–water 90:10 (v/v) and phosphate buffer (pH 2.3). Linear calibration curves with correlation coefficients r ≥ 0.9950/0.9910 were obtained for 46/four analytes. Additionally, this method allows the quantification of 23 analytes for therapeutic drug monitoring. Limits of quantitation ranged from 0.1 (amobarbital) to 23 mg/L (salicylic acid). Inter‐/intra‐day precisions of quality control samples (low/high) were better than 13% and accuracy (bias) ranged from −14 to 10%. A computer‐assisted database was created for automated detection of 223 analytes of toxicological interests. Four cases of multi‐drug intoxications are presented. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Approximate resolution of asynchronous conflicts among sequential collaborations in dynamic virtual environments
Authors: Lee Jun , Lim Mingyu , Park SungJun , Kim HyungSeok , Ko Heedong , Kim Jee‐In
Published: July 2015

Asynchronous collaboration for a networked virtual environment (NVE) has emerged as a promising area in collaborative computer‐aided design applications. The concept of asynchronous collaboration is a sequential collaboration of temporal processes in an NVE where the participants are not required to be present at the time of the collaboration. Conflicts in asynchronous collaboration occur because the preceding task of a participant can influence the output of the ensuing task of another participant. The conflicted tasks must be modified manually. However, it requires considerable time and effort to resolve conflicts in a sequential collaboration. In this paper, we present an asynchronous collaborative framework that converts the conflict states of the shared objects into approximately resolved states. We develop a novel approximate resolution algorithm using a task‐based modeling mechanism to resolve the asynchronous conflicts with their corresponding tasks. Moreover, we propose a visual relation editor for convenient management. The participants can set flexible relations among shared objects using the proposed visual editor. The proposed approximate resolution approach can significantly reduce the average resolution time and the number of required manual task resolutions in a virtual environment compared to a manual resolution approach. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Administration of IκB‐kinase inhibitor PS1145 enhances apoptosis in DMBA‐induced tumor in male Wistar rats
Authors: Rajmani R. S. , Gandham Ravi Kumar , Gupta Shishir Kumar , Sahoo Aditya P. , Singh Prafull Kumar , Saxena Shikha , Kumar Rajiv , Chaturvedi Uttara , Tiwari Ashok K.
Published: July 2015

Nuclear factor kappa‐B (NF‐κB), a key anti‐apoptotic factor, plays a critical role in tumor cell growth, metastasis, and angiogenesis. The transcriptional activity of NF‐κB is normally suppressed in the cytoplasm due to its association with a natural inhibitor molecule IκB. Phosphorylation of the IκB at Ser 32 and Ser 36 by the IκB kinase complex (IKK) marks the degradation of the molecule by 26S proteasome. As NF‐κB is constitutively activated in most of the tumor cells, inhibition of the activities of IKK may significantly sensitize the tumor cells to apoptosis. In the present study, we investigated the effect of IκB kinase‐specific blocker PS1145 on DMBA‐induced skin tumor of male Wistar rats. We examined the apoptotic effect of PS1145 on DMBA‐induced tumor by various histopathological and molecular techniques. Our results demonstrate the significant expression of major pro‐apoptotic genes like caspases 2, 3, 8, 9, and p53 in PS1145‐treated tumor bearing group at mRNA levels as well as significant (P < 0.05) down regulation in the expression levels of NF‐κB and VEGF, the major pro‐inflammatory and pro‐angiogenic factors, respectively. The histopathological examination showed that the tumor progression, mitotic, AgNOR, and PCNA indices were significantly reduced in PS1145 treatment groups as compared to PBS control on day 28 of post‐treatment. Furthermore, significant increase in TUNEL positive nuclei and observation of peculiar apoptotic nuclei in transmission electron microscopy were seen in PS1145 treatment group. We conclude that intravenous application of PS1145 promotes direct apoptosis in DMBA‐induced skin tumor in male Wistar rats by blocking NF‐κB and VEGF activities.
Howell‐Jolly bodies on peripheral smear leading to the diagnosis of congenital hyposplenism in a patient with septic shock
Authors: Mathew Hannah , Dittus Christopher , Malek Anita , Negroiu Andreea
Published: July 2015

Key Clinical Message

We present a case of isolated congenital hyposplenism that was discovered after the peripheral smear revealed Howell‐Jolly bodies. This case serves as the basis for a review of hyposplenism for the general practitioner.
Stable incorporation of α‐smooth muscle actin into stress fibers is dependent on specific tropomyosin isoforms
Authors: Prunotto Marco , Bruschi Maurizio , Gunning Peter , Gabbiani Giulio , Weibel Franziska , Ghiggeri Gian Marco , Petretto Andrea , Scaloni Andrea , Bonello Teresa , Schevzov Galina , Alieva Irina , Bochaton‐Piallat Marie‐Luce , Candiano Giovanni , Dugina Vera , Chaponnier Christine
Published: July 2015

α‐Smooth Muscle Actin (α‐SMA), a widely characterized cytoskeletal protein, represents the hallmark of myofibroblast differentiation. Transforming growth factorβ1 (TGFβ1) stimulates α‐SMA expression and incorporation into stress fibers, thus providing an increased myofibroblast contractile force that participates in tissue remodeling. We have addressed the molecular mechanism by which α‐SMA is stably incorporated into stress fibers in human myofibroblasts following exposure to TGFβ1. The unique N‐terminal sequence AcEEED, which is critical for α‐SMA incorporation into stress fibers, was used to screen for AcEEED binding proteins. Tropomyosins were identified as candidate binding proteins. We find that after TGFβ1 treatment elevated levels of the Tpm1.6/7 isoforms, and to a lesser extent Tpm2.1, precede the increase in α‐SMA. RNA interference experiments demonstrate that α‐SMA fails to stably incorporate into stress fibers of TGFβ1 treated fibroblasts depleted of Tpm1.6/7, but not other tropomyosins. This does not appear to be due to exclusive interactions between α‐SMA and just the Tpm1.6/7 isoforms. We propose that an additional AcEEED binding factor may be required to generate α‐SMA filaments containing just Tpm1.6/7 which result in stable incorporation of the resulting filaments into stress fibers. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Versatile lightweight key distribution for big data privacy in vehicular ad hoc networks
Authors: Qin Bo , Wang Linxiao , Wang Yujue , Wu Qianhong , Shi Wenchang , Liang Bin
Published: July 2015

Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) continually produce large scale of data shared among vehicles nearby to improve driving experience and safety. The vehicular communications contain a large amount of private information. It is well known that group key management is a fundamental cryptographic primitive for providing secure group communication. Although many proposals with regard to group key management have been introduced, they cannot well support secure subgroup and intergroup communications in VANETs. In this paper, we exploit the specific features of vehicular communications and propose two group key distribution schemes providing efficient solutions to these two problems. Our schemes do not require interaction between users. Storage and computation analyses show that compared with existing schemes, our proposals are more efficient and versatile. Based on these basic schemes, we present extensions for multipartite groups, by which the efficiency is greatly improved in this scenario. We also provide the extensions for two‐level multipartite groups, which enable fine‐grained real‐world applications. The experimental results confirm that our group key distribution schemes are practical in security, computation, and communication. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Using sutures to attach miniature tracking tags to small bats for multimonth movement and behavioral studies
Authors: Castle Kevin T. , Weller Theodore J. , Cryan Paul M. , Hein Cris D. , Schirmacher Michael R.
Published: July 2015

Determining the detailed movements of individual animals often requires them to carry tracking devices, but tracking broad‐scale movement of small bats (<30 g) has been limited by transmitter technology and long‐term attachment methods. This limitation inhibits our understanding of bat dispersal and migration, particularly in the context of emerging conservation issues such as fatalities at wind turbines and diseases. We tested a novel method of attaching lightweight global positioning system (GPS) tags and geolocating data loggers to small bats. We used monofilament, synthetic, absorbable sutures to secure GPS tags and data loggers to the skin of anesthetized big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) in Colorado and hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus) in California. GPS tags and data loggers were sutured to 17 bats in this study. Three tagged bats were recaptured 7 months after initial deployment, with tags still attached; none of these bats showed ill effects from the tag. No severe injuries were apparent upon recapture of 6 additional bats that carried tags up to 26 days after attachment; however, one of the bats exhibited skin chafing. Use of absorbable sutures to affix small tracking devices seems to be a safe, effective method for studying movements of bats over multiple months, although additional testing is warranted. This new attachment method has the potential to quickly advance our understanding of small bats, particularly as more sophisticated miniature tracking devices (e.g., satellite tags) become available.
New hybrid Cartesian cut cell/enriched multipoint flux approximation approach for modelling and quantification of structural uncertainties in petroleum reservoirs
Authors: Ahmadi Mohammad , Christie Mike , Gerritsen Margot , Bazargan Hamid
Published: July 2015

Efficient and profitable oil production is subject to make reliable predictions about reservoir performance. However, restricted knowledge about reservoir rock and fluid properties and its geometrical structure calls for history matching in which the reservoir model is calibrated to emulate the field observed history. Such an inverse problem yields multiple history‐matched models, which might result in different predictions of reservoir performance. Uncertainty quantification narrows down the model uncertainties and boosts the model reliability for the forecasts of future reservoir behaviour. Conventional approaches of uncertainty quantification ignore large‐scale uncertainties related to reservoir structure, while structural uncertainties can influence the reservoir forecasts more significantly compared with petrophysical uncertainty.

Quantification of structural uncertainty has been usually considered impracticable because of the need for global regridding at each step of history matching process. To resolve this obstacle, we develop an efficient methodology based on Cartesian cut cell method that decouples the model from its representation onto the grid and allows uncertain structures to be varied as a part of history matching process. Reduced numerical accuracy due to cell degeneracies in the vicinity of geological structures is adequately compensated with an enhanced scheme of a class of locally conservative flux continuous methods (extended enriched multipoint flux approximation method or extended EMPFA).

The robustness and consistency of the proposed hybrid Cartesian cut cell/extended EMPFA approach are demonstrated in terms of true representation of geological structures influence on flow behaviour. Significant improvements in the quality of reservoir recovery forecasts and reservoir volume estimation are presented for synthetic model of uncertain structures. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Recombinant HBV vaccine enhances the rate of sustained virological response when early initiated after anti‐HCV combination therapy
Authors: Hanafy Amr Shaaban , Farag Alaa Ahmad , Hassanin Hassan Mahmoud , Hassaneen Ahmad Mahmoud
Published: July 2015

The overall SVR rate for chronic hepatitis C genotype 4 using the Standard of care is 54.3%. HBV infection can be prevented by the administration of effective and safe vaccine. Evaluation of the vaccination‐induced anti‐HBs response rates in a cohort of HCV Egyptian patients after being exposed to antiviral combination therapy and the magnitude of its effect on the rate of SVR through its putative role in induction of crossed immunity. (A) 500 HCV patients who had completed the course of antiviral therapy and achieved ETR were retrospectively analyzed and received 20 μg of recombinant DNA vaccine for hepatitis B at time intervals (0, 1, and 4 months). The first dose of the vaccine was initiated one month post treatment. (B) Laboratory analysis: Included routine preliminary investigations to anti viral therapy and specific investigations as determination of anti‐HBs antibodies 2 months following the third dose of vaccine. 433 patients showed protective response (86.6%), 67 patients were non‐responders (13.4%) (P = 0.003). Adding HBV vaccine 1 month post‐treatment increased SVR (400 patients, 80%) (χ2 = 40.3, P = 0.000). Diabetes affect response to HBV vaccine (P = 0.0001). Adding HBV vaccine to the post treatment care of patients with HCV after termination of antiviral therapy gain two benefits; protection from HBV and significant increase in rates of SVR. J. Med. Virol. 88:86–93, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Occurrence, genotypic characterization, and patterns of shedding of human polyomavirus JCPyV and BKPyV in urine samples of healthy individuals in São Paulo, Brazil
Authors: Urbano Paulo Roberto Palma , Oliveira Renato Reis , Romano Camila Malta , Pannuti Claudio Sergio , Fink Maria Cristina Domingues da Silva
Published: July 2015

The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, genotypic characterization, and determination of the patterns of shedding of human polyomavirus JC (JCPyV) and BK (BKPyV) in consecutive urine samples collected from healthy adults. Urine samples collected monthly over a 6 month period were screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with two sets of primers complementary to the VP1 protein region specific for the JCPyV or BKPyV genome. The viral load of JCPyV and BKPyV in positive samples was determined by quantitative real time PCR. Seventy‐one healthy individuals (ages between 18 and 65) were included in the study. Polyomavirus DNA urinary shedding was identified in 44 (62%) of the 71 individuals evaluated: BKPyV only in 16 (22.5%); JCPyV only in 19 (26.7%); and both in 9 (12.7%). Among the 28 individuals shedding JCPyV, the shedding was nearly continuous in 13 (46.4%) and sporadic in 15 (53.6%), whereas all BKPyV shedding was sporadic. A total of 45 (19 BKPyV and 26 JCPyV) strains were identified. Of the BKPyV strains, individuals were observed that excreted all genotypes except genotype 3 and the JCPyV strains, excretion of 5 different genotypes. Evaluating the age of individuals who excrete JCPyV and BKPyV, mostly are young adults, with a slight increase with increasing age and observing the viral load can not draw any parallel between the increase or decrease of age or excreted genotype as there was a wide variation both in the excretion of BKPyV and JCPyV. The high occurrence of isolated or simultaneous urinary shedding of JCPyV and BKPyV in healthy individuals merits further study. J. Med. Virol. 88:153–158, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Interleukin‐28B polymorphisms and interferon gamma inducible protein‐10 serum levels in seronegative occult hepatitis C virus infection
Authors: Bartolomé Javier , Castillo Inmaculada , Quiroga Juan Antonio , Carreño Vicente
Published: July 2015

Polymorphisms upstream interleukin (IL)‐28B gene and serum levels of interferon gamma inducible protein‐10 (IP‐10) are associated with spontaneous and treatment‐induced hepatitis C virus (HCV) clearance. Patients with seronegative occult HCV infection are anti‐HCV and serum HCV‐RNA negative but have viral RNA in liver and abnormal values of liver enzymes. We examined if the rs12979860 polymorphism of IL‐28B and serum IP‐10 levels differ between chronic and seronegative occult CV infection. IL‐28B polymorphism was determined with allele specific TaqMan probes in total DNA isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells and IP‐10 by an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay in serum from 99 patients with seronegative occult HCV infection and 130 untreated patients with chronic hepatitis C. IL‐28B genotypes were also determined in 54 healthy volunteers. Prevalence of the IL‐28B CC genotype was significantly higher in seronegative occult HCV infection (52/99; 52.5%) than in chronic hepatitis C (32/130; 24.6%, P < 0.0001) or healthy controls (19/54: 32.5%, P = 0.039). Among patients with seronegative occult HCV infection, HCV‐RNA load in liver was significantly lower in those with the IL‐28B CC genotype than in those with CT + TT genotypes (2.8 × 105 ± 5.8 × 104 vs. 4.1 × 105 ± 5.9 × 104 copies/μg of total RNA respectively; P = 0.023). Mean serum IP‐10 levels were significantly lower in patients with seronegative occult HCV infection than in patients with chronic hepatitis C (160.8 ± 17.9 vs. 288.7 ± 13.3 pg/ml respectively; P < 0.0001). These findings suggest that the host immune response plays an important role in seronegative occult HCV infection in comparison with chronic hepatitis C. J. Med. Virol. 88:268–274, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Implications of spring water levels on the production of American white pelicans nesting at marsh lake, Minnesota
Authors: Dimatteo Jon J. (Jeff) , Wollenberg John E. , Clark Mark E.
Published: July 2015

We investigated the relationship between spring water levels and production of American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) nesting colonially at Marsh Lake in southwest Minnesota during 2003–2012. We obtained estimates of pelican nest and chick numbers from aerial photographs to determine population levels. We used historical streamflow data to characterize April water conditions, a period when nest‐site selection typically occurs. Pelicans used 4 islands and 1 peninsula for nesting, ranging from relatively high‐elevation sites connected to or near the mainland to more distant low‐elevation sites in the middle of the lake. The number and proportion of nests on high‐elevation sites are positively related to discharge in the Upper Minnesota River during April. In years when high water inundates low‐elevation sites during pelican nest‐site selection, pelican nests were located on the high‐elevation locations near or connected to the mainland. Over 90% of the variation in the number of nests on high‐elevation sites is related to the mean daily discharge in the Upper Minnesota River during April. In addition, the proportion of nests on high‐elevation sites also increases as mean daily discharge during April increases. However, chick production was negatively related to discharge during April. More than 84% of the variation in the number of near‐fledged chicks produced per nest was related to mean daily discharge during April. Although high‐elevation sites in close proximity to the mainland offered nesting pelicans refuge from high water levels, they also expose American white pelican nests to greater predator risk. Nest camera monitoring indicated that high‐elevation sites exhibited significantly higher predator activity than low‐elevation sites, and experienced lower nest success (i.e., probability that at least 1 egg from the nest hatched). Proposed changes in the management of Marsh Lake call for the installation of a water control structure at the Marsh Lake dam that will allow for active management of lake levels. Our study provides managers with models for predicting impacts of water levels on American white pelican production. © 2015 The Wildlife Society.