bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Leaf aging of Amazonian canopy trees as revealed by spectral and physiochemical measurements
Authors: Chavana‐Bryant Cecilia , Malhi Yadvinder , Wu Jin , Asner Gregory P. , Anastasiou Athanasios , Enquist Brian J. , Cosio Caravasi Eric G. , Doughty Christopher E. , Saleska Scott R. , Martin Roberta E. , Gerard France F.
Published: February 2016

Leaf aging is a fundamental driver of changes in leaf traits, thereby regulating ecosystem processes and remotely sensed canopy dynamics.

We explore leaf reflectance as a tool to monitor leaf age and develop a spectra‐based partial least squares regression (PLSR) model to predict age using data from a phenological study of 1099 leaves from 12 lowland Amazonian canopy trees in southern Peru.

Results demonstrated monotonic decreases in leaf water (LWC) and phosphorus (Pmass) contents and an increase in leaf mass per unit area (LMA) with age across trees; leaf nitrogen (Nmass) and carbon (Cmass) contents showed monotonic but tree‐specific age responses. We observed large age‐related variation in leaf spectra across trees. A spectra‐based model was more accurate in predicting leaf age (R2 = 0.86; percent root mean square error (%RMSE) = 33) compared with trait‐based models using single (R2 = 0.07–0.73; %RMSE = 7–38) and multiple (R2 = 0.76; %RMSE = 28) predictors. Spectra‐ and trait‐based models established a physiochemical basis for the spectral age model. Vegetation indices (VIs) including the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), enhanced vegetation index 2 (EVI2), normalized difference water index (NDWI) and photosynthetic reflectance index (PRI) were all age‐dependent.

This study highlights the importance of leaf age as a mediator of leaf traits, provides evidence of age‐related leaf reflectance changes that have important impacts on VIs used to monitor canopy dynamics and productivity and proposes a new approach to predicting and monitoring leaf age with important implications for remote sensing.
Psychophysiology as a core strategy in RDoC
Authors: Miller Gregory A. , Rockstroh Brigitte S. , Hamilton Holly K. , Yee Cindy M.
Published: February 2016

The Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative of the National Institute of Mental Health shows great promise in providing guidance for research on mental illness but has prompted considerable controversy. Papers by Yancey, Venables, and Patrick and Kozak and Cuthbert illustrate and clarify a number of important features of RDoC. The present commentary evaluates the former paper in light of the latter paper and addresses several common misunderstandings about RDoC. The concept of endophenotypes and diverse psychophysiological approaches will likely be central in RDoC‐inspired research.
The error‐related negativity: A transdiagnostic marker of sustained threat?
Authors: Ladouceur Cecile D.
Published: February 2016

The creation of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) project has been the driving force behind the reconceptualization of the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders. In this commentary, I explore whether the error‐related negativity can be considered as a transdiagnostic marker of sustained threat based on findings from Weinberg, Meyer et al.'s (2016) study in relation to current findings in the literature. Potential alternative study designs, use of a multimodal approach to the assessment of a specific phenotype of clinical phenomenon, and the importance of integrating a neurodevelopmental perspective are also discussed.
Studies of auditory verbal hallucinations
Authors: Heckers Stephan
Published: February 2016

Neuroscientists have been exploring the mechanism of auditory verbal hallucinations. In this commentary, I review studies by Judy Ford, who employed a vocalization paradigm to test the hypothesis of impaired corollary discharge in psychotic patients who experience auditory verbal hallucinations. I highlight the strengths of this research program and reflect on the challenge of reducing a complex clinical feature to an abnormality of basic cognitive processes, such as language and memory.
Sustainability vs. Quality in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.) farming: are trade‐offs inevitable?
Authors: Matos Elisabete , Dias Jorge , Dinis Maria T. , Silva Tomé S.
Published: February 2016

European aquaculture industry should be at the forefront of sustainable development, providing healthy and safe food of the highest quality to the consumer, through an environmentally sound approach. The purpose of this review was to explore in what way the current drive for sustainability has affected what the consumer perceives as quality in fish, specifically in gilthead seabream, one of the most important farmed species in the Mediterranean. It focuses on nutritional aspects such as fish meal and fish oil replacement, quality tailoring through finishing strategies, the influence of different farming systems and the effect of slaughter stress on seabream quality. In general, fish meal and fish oil replacement with vegetable ingredients will result in changes in the fatty acid profile of the fillets, and consequently the potential health benefits seabream offers to the consumer. While organoleptic properties suffer little change, the impact of these ingredients on welfare has not been fully investigated. Further studies are also needed to evaluate the effect of land animal ingredients on seabream quality. In either case, although finishing strategies to restore essential fatty acids are not completely effective, seabream can still retain a high nutritional value. Information on the use of dietary supplements as finishing strategies is still extremely scarce. Regarding fish welfare, the high densities practised in intensive production systems pose concerns which warrant further research in this area. Furthermore, new alternatives for common harvesting and slaughter methods are needed to improve welfare, as traditional methods are clearly stressful.
Principles of Virus Uncoating: Cues and the Snooker Ball
Authors: Yamauchi Yohei , Greber Urs F.
Published: February 2016

Viruses are spherical or complex shaped carriers of proteins, nucleic acids and sometimes lipids and sugars. They are metastable and poised for structural changes. These features allow viruses to communicate with host cells during entry, and to release the viral genome, a process known as uncoating. Studies have shown that hundreds of host factors directly or indirectly support this process. The cell provides molecules that promote stepwise virus uncoating, and direct the virus to the site of replication. It acts akin to a snooker player who delivers accurate and timely shots (cues) to the ball (virus) to score. The viruses, on the other hand, trick (snooker) the host, hijack its homeostasis systems, and dampen innate immune responses directed against danger signals. In this review, we discuss how cellular cues, facilitators, and built‐in viral mechanisms promote uncoating. Cues come from receptors, enzymes and chemicals that act directly on the virus particle to alter its structure, trafficking and infectivity. Facilitators are defined as host factors that are involved in processes which indirectly enhance entry or uncoating. Unraveling the mechanisms of virus uncoating will continue to enhance understanding of cell functions, and help counteracting infections with chemicals and vaccines.
BI-IDEALS OF ORDERED SEMIGROUPS BASED ON THE INTERVAL-VALUED FUZZY POINT
Authors: Khan Hidayat Ullah , Sarmin Nor Haniza , Khan Asghar , Khan Faiz Muhammad
Published: February 2016

Interval-valued fuzzy set theory (advanced generalization of Zadeh's fuzzy sets) is a more generalized theory that can deal with real world problems more precisely than ordinary fuzzy set theory. In this paper, we introduce the notion of generalized quasi-coincident with () relation of an interval-valued fuzzy point with an interval-valued fuzzy set. In fact, this new concept is a more generalized form of quasi-coincident with relation of an interval-valued fuzzy point with an interval-valued fuzzy set. Applying this newly defined idea, the notion of an interval-valued -fuzzy bi-ideal is introduced. Moreover, some characterizations of interval-valued -fuzzy bi-ideals are described. It is shown that an interval-valued -fuzzy bi-ideal is an interval-valued fuzzy bi-ideal by imposing a condition on interval-valued fuzzy subset. Finally, the concept of implication-based interval-valued fuzzy bi-ideals, characterizations of an interval-valued fuzzy bi-ideal and an interval-valued -fuzzy bi-ideal are considered.
IMPROVING QUALITY OF SERVICE THROUGH ROAD SIDE BACK-BONE NETWORK IN VANET
Authors: Qureshi Kashif Naseer , Abdullah Abdul Hanan , Iqbal Saleem , Muhammad Zia
Published: February 2016

The vehicular ad hoc Networks (VANETs) are expected to support a large spectrum of traffic alert, dynamic route planning, file sharing, safety and infotainment applications to improve traffic management.  User satisfaction plus in time delivery of real-time messages is the most significant quality evaluation criterion for vehicular applications. High mobility and rapidly changing topologies always lead to intermittent quality of services, higher delay and packet dropping issues in network. To improve the quality of services for multi-hop and dynamic environment, different types of solutions have been proposed. The article introduces multi-protocol label switching based on roadside backbone network to provide widespread, scalable, high-speed, robust quality of services and improve network efficiency. The simulation results showed that proposed model improves data transmission and routing performance in terms of data delivery, throughput, end-to-end delay and achieve adequate utilization of resources.
PENILAIAN LALUAN PERKHIDMATAN BAS; ANTARA BILANGAN PENUMPANG MAKSIMUM ATAU KEPADATAN PENUMPANG PER LALUAN
Authors: Abdul Wahab Ruslawati , Borhan Muhamad Nazri , O.K. Rahmat Riza Atiq Abdullah
Published: February 2016

The main issue in Putrajaya’s bus services is related to time and cost. Optimal travel time require optimal routes and shortest distance. Minimizing travel time means minimizing operational cost. This paper reviews and evaluates the density of passengers and maximum number of passengers as parameters to obtain an optimum route. The mathematical model was utilized to analyze the passenger density with the improvements of the constraint to the number of passengers. The study based on data from intra-city bus services during off-peak hours. The main focus of this optimization is to compare the passenger density and the number of passengers as the parameters in decision making for bus routes. The result shows that the passenger density is better than the number passengers to assess bus routes.
REAL-TIME HAND DETECTION BY DEPTH IMAGES: A SURVEY
Authors: Karbasi Mostafa , Bhatti Zeeshan , Aghababaeyan Reza , Bilal Sara , Rad Abdolvahab Ehsani , Shah Asadullah , Waqas Ahmad
Published: February 2016

Human hand detection can enable human to communicate with a machine and interact without any external device. Human hands play an important role in different applications such as medical image processing, sign language translator, gesture recognition and augmented reality. A human hand has different length and breadth for male and female. So, it is a complex articulated object consisting many connected parts and joints. Traditional methods for hand detection and tracking used color and shape information from RGB camera. Using a depth camera for hand detection and tracking is a challenging and interesting domain in computer vision. Some research has shown that using depth data for hand detection can improve human computer interaction. Recently, researchers used depth data in different hand detection and tracking methods in real time application. This paper explains different types of methods which are used for human hand detection. Various techniques and methods are explored and analyzed in this survey to determine the shortfalls and future directions in the field of hand detection from depth data.
ASSESSMENT OF THE INFLUENCE OF CONTINUOUS AND INTERMITTENT IRRIGATION ON GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM PADDY RICE
Authors: C. O. Akinbile , O. R. Semowo , T. E. Babalola , C. M. Hasfalina
Published: February 2016

The impact of two water management practises on Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) emissions from paddy rice fields was investigated. New Rice for Africa (NERICA 2) lowland variety was planted under intermittent irrigation (II) and continuous flooding (CF) water management practises. Two closed gas chambers (GCs) were developed and used for gas sampling from paddy fields and measurement was done conventionally in all the four growing stages of rice. Gas Chromatograph (GH200-9) was used analysing GHGs such as Methane (CH4), Nitrous oxide (N2O), Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) and Oxygen (O2). Soil analyses were carried out to determine the presence of the following parameters viz: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), Manganese (Mn) and calcium (Ca). Others are Organic Carbon (OC), Moisture Content (MC), Iron (Fe), Chloride (Cl) and Electrical conductivity (EC) using standard laboratory procedures and ascertain effects of their availability on GHGs concentration levels. From the study, no appreciable CH4 emissions was detected during the four growing stages and under the two water management practises but other GHGs emitted were higher in CF compared with II. Soil nutrients such as N, OC, K and P also contributed considerably to emissions recorded on the two rice fields. The detection of H2S was also an indication that other gases apart from the common GHGs were present in rice fields. Although, CH4 was not detected, other GHGs emitted were more in CF when compared with II which suggested that II be encouraged as a mitigation strategy for reducing impacts of its emissions.
OPTIMAL SHAPES OF WEIRS FOR TRAPPING MIGRATORY FISH
Authors: Nakamichi Tadasuke , Unami Koichi , Fujihara Masayuki
Published: February 2016

Use of fishing weirs can be seen throughout the world to trap migratory fish in rivers. In rivers flowing into Lake Biwa, Shiga prefecture, Japan, a peculiar type of traditional fishing weir has been operated, targeting anadromous fish species such as Plecoglossus altivelis and Oncorhynchus masou rhodurus. That type of fishing weir has the advantage of catching fish alive, adding an extra value to the fish. Hence the structure of such a weir is considered to be historically optimized so that physiological damages to the fish are minimum. In this study, assuming that the horizontal shape is designed to minimize the traveling time of fish from any point along the downstream side of the weir to the gate of no return situated at the bank, as well as to minimize the size of structure, a mathematical problem is formulated in the framework of dynamic programming to determine the optimal shape. Geometric consideration results in the traveling time as a functional of the shape, whose slope of the tangent is dealt with as the control variable. The value function and the optimal control solve the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation, which represents the principle of optimality. The system of the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation is finally reduced to an ordinary differential equation with an initial condition. Some computational results are in good agreement with the actual shapes of the fishing weirs installed across the rivers flowing into Lake Biwa. This mathematical approach is also applicable to other problems such as optimal design of fish ladders.
An Experiment of Natural Circulation Flow and Heat Transfer With Supercritical Water in Parallel Channels
Authors: Chen Yuzhou , Yang Chunsheng , Zhao Minfu , Bi Keming , Du Kaiwen
Published: February 2016

An experiment of natural circulation of supercritical water in parallel channels was performed in bare tubes of inner diameter 7.98 mm and heated length 1.3 m, covering the ranges of pressure of 24.7–25.5 MPa, mass flux of 400–1000  kg/m2 s, and heat flux of up to 1.83  MW/m2. When the heat flux reached 1.12  MW/m2, the outlet water temperature jumped from 325°C to 360°C, associated with a decrease in the flow rate and an initiation of dynamic instability. When the heat flux exceeded 1.39  MW/m2, the flow instability was stronger, and the flow rate increased in one channel and decreased in another one. Until the heat flux reached 1.61  MW/m2, the outlet water temperatures of two channels reached the pseudocritical point, and the flow rates of two channels tended to close each other. The experiment with a single heated channel was also performed for comparison. The measurements on the heat-transfer coefficients (HTCs) were compared to the calculations by the Bishop et al., Jackson’s, and Mokry et al. correlations, showing different agreements within various conditions.
Dermatitis caused by metal allergy after coil embolization for unruptured cerebral aneurysm
Authors: Uwatoko Takeshi , Tsumoto Tomoyuki , Wada Naoko , Urabe Kazunori , Sanbongi Yoshiki , Tokunaga Sou , Tsurusaki Yuichirou , Okada Yasushi
Published: February 2016

We report a rare case of metal-induced dermatitis after coil embolization for cerebral aneurysm. A 51-year-old woman experienced a rash around the lips and neck 3 weeks after coil embolization. Judging from the clinical course and results of several patch tests, platinum coils were considered to have induced the dermatitis. Symptoms were relieved with administration of oral steroids. This represents the first report of metal-induced dermatitis after neuroendovascular treatment. The possibility of metal allergy was difficult to suspect preoperatively. However, early evaluation and referral are important when skin symptoms are observed postoperatively.
Takayasu's arteritis and primary antiphospholipid syndrome presenting as hypertensive urgency
Authors: Yang Andrew , Nayeemuddin Mohammed , Prasad Bhanu
Published: February 2016

A 33-year-old Caucasian man was admitted to the hospital with chest pain and hypertensive urgency. Physical examination revealed widespread arterial bruits and marked difference in blood pressure between the upper limbs. Vascular imaging showed widespread narrowing in multiple vascular territories. He met the established American College of Rheumatology criteria for Takayasu's arteritis. His resistant hypertension was considered to be a consequence of bilateral renal artery stenosis and he subsequently underwent sequential stenting of his renal arteries leading to improvement in blood pressure and reduction in the number of antihypertensive medications. Subsequent imaging revealed progression of aortic thrombus in the setting of an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and persistently elevated antiphospholipid antibodies fulfilling diagnostic criteria for primary antiphospholipid syndrome, requiring initiation of immunosuppression and anticoagulation.
Simultaneous occurrence of Hodgkin's disease and tubercular lymphadenitis in the same cervical lymph node: a rare presentation
Authors: Mahajan Kunal , Gupta Gunjan , Singh Davinder Pal , Mahajan Aditi
Published: February 2016

Concomitant presentation of tuberculosis (TB) and lymphoma is a rare entity. A primary malignancy such as Hodgkin's disease (HD) may cause suppression of the cell-mediated immunity, which predisposes to a concomitant TB infection. We report a case of an 18-year-old man, who presented with fever and was found to have pallor, generalised lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, ascites and pedal oedema. Ultrasound of the abdomen revealed enlarged lymph nodes in the para-aortic and peripancreatic region. On chest contrast-enhanced CT, calcified mediastinal lymph nodes were seen. A surgical biopsy of a cervical lymph node was performed, which revealed caseous necrosis surrounded by epithelioid cells along with diffuse nodal architectural effacement by large atypical lymphoid cells. Numerous Reed Sternberg cells were also seen. Immunohistochemistry confirmed diagnosis of Hodgkin's lymphoma. The same lymph node came out to be positive for mycobacterium TB on polymerised chain reaction. The patient was given antitubercular therapy concomitantly with chemotherapy for HD, and improved with treatment.
Thalidomide for the treatment of angiodysplasia in a patient with acute upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage
Authors: Bond Adam , Ahmed Waqar
Published: February 2016

Gastrointestinal (GI) angiodysplasia is an important and challenging cause of acute GI haemorrhage, particularly in the elderly. We present the case of an 83-year-old woman admitted with acute upper GI bleeding that was refractory to both endoscopic ablation with argon plasma coagulation and gastroduodenal artery embolisation. Administration of thalidomide 100 mg daily after failure of the above therapeutic procedures resulted in cessation of bleeding and avoided the need for further blood transfusion at 6-month follow-up.
An optimized node-disjoint multipath routing scheme in mobile ad hoc
Authors: Yu Yang , Liang Mangui , Liu Zhiyu
Published: February 2016

In mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), link failures are caused frequently because of node’s mobility and use of unreliable wireless channels for data transmission. Multipath routing strategy can cope with the problem of the traffic overloads while balancing the network resource consumption. In the paper, an optimized node-disjoint multipath routing (ONMR) protocol based on ad hoc on-demand vector (AODV) is proposed to establish effective multipath to enhance the network reliability and robustness. The scheme combines the characteristics of reverse AODV (R-AODV) strategy and on-demand node-disjoint multipath routing protocol to determine available node-disjoint routes with minimum routing control overhead. Meanwhile, it adds the backup routing strategy to make the process of data salvation more efficient in case of link failure. The results obtained through various simulations show the effectiveness of the proposed scheme in terms of route availability, control overhead and packet delivery ratio.
Vacuum polarization of planar charged fermions with Coulomb and Aharonov–Bohm potentials
Authors: Khalilov V. R. , Mamsurov I. V.
Published: February 2016

Vacuum polarization of charged massless fermions is investigated in the superposition of Coulomb and Aharonov–Bohm (AB) potentials in 2 + 1 dimensions. For this purpose, we construct the Green function of the two-dimensional Dirac equation with Coulomb and AB potentials (via the regular and irregular solutions of the radial Dirac equation) and then calculate the vacuum polarization charge density in the so-called subcritical and supercritical regimes. In the supercritical regime, the Green function has a discontinuity in the complex plane of “energy” due to the singularities on the negative energy axis; these singularities are situated on the unphysical sheet and related to the creation of infinitely many quasistationary fermionic states with negative energies. We expect that our results will be helpful in gaining deeper understanding of the fundamental problem of quantum electrodynamics which can be applied to the problems of charged impurity screening in graphene taking into consideration the electron spin.
Numerical investigations on reignition behavior of detonation diffraction
Authors: Wang Cheng , Han Wen-Hu , Bi Yong , Ding Jian-Xu
Published: February 2016

In this paper, by adopting a fifth-order weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) scheme with a third-order TVD Runge–Kutta time stepping method for two-dimensional reactive Euler equations, a parallel code is developed, and reignition behavior after a self-sustaining detonation from the tube into free space filled with H2/O2 mixtures is investigated. The numerical results show that the initial pressure has a great influence on the detonation cellular width, and that as the initial pressure increases, the cellular width gradually decreases and the cellular shape changes from irregular structure to regular structure, demonstrating the detonation instability to stability transition. When the initial pressure is larger than 1.2 atm, the detonation wave expands over the edge of the splitter plate, reignition can come into being because enough transverse waves collide with each other at the leading edge of the expanding front. When the initial pressure is 1.2 atm, hot spots appear on the front, and ignite the combustible gas near the hot spots after detonation diffraction. When the initial pressure is 1.0 atm, reignition fails. These findings hint that a critical initial pressure exists between 1.0–1.2 atm for direct reignition after detonation diffraction.
Plasmonic analog of electromagnetically-induced transparency of asymmetrical slots waveguide
Authors: Sun Lin , Wang Jicheng , Hu Zheng-Da , Wang Xiaosai , Chen Jing
Published: February 2016

In this paper, electromagnetically-induced transparency (EIT) phenomena have been investigated numerically in the plasmonic waveguides composed of unsymmetrical slot shaped metal–insulator–metal (MIM) structures. By the transmission line theory and Fabry–Perot model, the formation and evolution mechanisms of plasmon-induced transparency were exactly analyzed. The analysis showed that the peak of EIT-like transmission could be changed easily according to certain rules by adjusting the geometrical parameters of the slot structures, including the coupling distances and slot depths. We can find a new method to design nanoscale optical switch, devices in optical storage and optical computing.
Low frequency bottom reverberation in a Pekeris waveguide with Lambert’s rule
Authors: Ainslie Michael A. , Ellis Dale D. , Harrison Chris H.
Published: February 2016

The requirement by modern navies to predict sonar performance in shallow water, whether for use in research, planning or operations, led to an initiative for the validation of reverberation models in the form of two Reverberation Modeling Workshops at the University of Texas at Austin in November 2006 and May 2008 [J. S. Perkins and E. I. Thorsos, Update on the reverberation modeling workshops, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 126 (2009) 2208]. The problem considered here (Problem XI, from the 2006 workshop) requires the computation of reverberation versus time in a Pekeris waveguide with Lambert scattering from the seabed. Results from eigenray, normal mode and (hybrid) continuum methods are presented and compared for the time window 0.05[Formula: see text]s to 1000[Formula: see text]s after pulse transmission. Approximate analytical solutions are used to provide insight into the expected behavior of the reverberation and establish regimes of validity of numerical models. In situations where the regimes of validity of different methods coincide, the solutions of models applying these methods overlap. The overlapping solutions agree with each other within ±[Formula: see text]0.3[Formula: see text]dB. Their purpose is to provide a baseline against which future model improvements can be assessed and quantified.
Chemical Characteristics of High PM Episodes Occurring in Spring 2014, Seoul, Korea
Authors: Shin Hye Jung , Park Seung-Myung , Park Jong Sung , Song In Ho , Hong You Deog
Published: February 2016

This study was conducted for understanding of characteristics of two different high PM episodes occurred during the spring of 2014 in Seoul, Korea. Case 1 was the phenomenon by complex of long range transport and following domestic stagnation. Case 2 was caused by the Asian dust event. During high PM episodes, atmospheric condition became more acidic. The equivalent concentration ratio of nitrate to sulfate decreased to 0.75 and 0.95 in Case 1 and Case 2, respectively, implying that sulfate concentration increase was greater than nitrate concentration increase in high PM episode possibly caused by long range transport. In high PM episodes, SOR and NOR increased with steeper rate for NOR. Considering correlation between temperature and SOR, it was suggested that the homogeneous formation of sulfate was not active in the Korean Peninsula, especially in high PM episodic periods. On the other hand, heterogeneous sulfate formation reaction was dominant for high PM episodes. Considering NOR and its correlation with temperature and humidity, it was suggested that NO2oxidation was mainly caused by homogeneous oxidation in Case 1. For Case 2, heterogeneous oxidation mainly contributed to forming the nitrate due to the extremely high particle concentrations in Asian dust.
Species Richness, Community Organization, and Spatiotemporal Distribution of Earthworms in the Pineapple Agroecosystems of Tripura, India
Authors: Dey Animesh , Chaudhuri P. S.
Published: February 2016

The impact that plant communities may have on underground faunal diversity is unclear. Therefore, understanding the links between plants and organisms is of major interest. Earthworm population dynamics were studied in the pineapple agroecosystems of Tripura to evaluate the impact of monoculture plantation on earthworm communities. A total of thirteen earthworm species belonging to four families and five genera were collected from different sampling sites. Application of sample-based rarefaction curve and nonparametric richness estimators reveal 90–95% completeness of sampling. Earthworm community of pineapple agroecosystems was dominated by endogeic earthworms andDrawida assamensiswas the dominant species with respect to its density, biomass, and relative abundance. Vertical distribution of earthworms was greatly influenced by seasonal variations. Population density and biomass of earthworms peaked during monsoon and postmonsoon period, respectively. Overall density and biomass of earthworms were in increasing trend with an increase in plantation age and were highest in the 30–35-year-old plantation. Significant decrease in the Shannon diversity and evenness index and increase in Simpson’s dominance and spatial aggregation index with an increase in the age of pineapple plantation were recorded. Soil temperature and soil moisture were identified as the most potent regulators of earthworm distribution in the pineapple plantation.
Production Behavior of Fractured Horizontal Well in Closed Rectangular Shale Gas Reservoirs
Authors: Liu Qiguo , Li Ke , Wang Weihong , Hu Xiaohu , Liu Hua
Published: February 2016

This paper established a triple porosity physical model in rectangular closed reservoirs to understand the complex fluid flowing mechanism and production behavior of multifractured horizontal wells in shale gas reservoirs, which is more appropriate for practical situation compared with previous ones. According to the seepage theory considering adsorption and desorption process in stable state, the gas production rate of a well producing at constant wellbore pressure was obtained by utilizing the methods of Green’s and source function theory and superposition principle. Meanwhile, the volume of adsorbed gas (GL) and the number of hydraulic fractures (M) as well as permeabilities of matrix system (km) and microfractures (kf) were discussed in this paper as sensitive factors, which have significant influences on the production behavior of the wells. The bigger the value ofGLis, the larger the well production rate will be in the later flowing periods, and the differences of production rate with the increasing ofMare small, which manifest that there is an optimumMfor a given field. Therefore, the study in this paper is of significant importance to understand the dynamic production declining performance in shale gas reservoirs.
The Cost of Blindness in the Republic of Ireland 2010–2020
Authors: Green D. , Ducorroy G. , McElnea E. , Naughton A. , Skelly A. , O’Neill C. , Kenny D. , Keegan D.
Published: February 2016

Aims. To estimate the prevalence of blindness in the Republic of Ireland and the associated financial and total economic cost between 2010 and 2020.Methods. Estimates for the prevalence of blindness in the Republic of Ireland were based on blindness registration data from the National Council for the Blind of Ireland. Estimates for the financial and total economic cost of blindness were based on the sum of direct and indirect healthcare and nonhealthcare costs.Results. We estimate that there were 12,995 blind individuals in Ireland in 2010 and in 2020 there will be 17,997. We estimate that the financial and total economic costs of blindness in the Republic of Ireland in 2010 were€276.6 million and€809 million, respectively, and will increase in 2020 to€367 million and€1.1 billion, respectively.Conclusions. Here, ninety-eight percent of the cost of blindness is borne by the Departments of Social Protection and Finance and not by the Department of Health as might initially be expected. Cost of illness studies should play a role in public policy making as they help to quantify the indirect or “hidden” costs of disability and so help to reveal the true cost of illness.
Production Planning of a Failure-Prone Manufacturing System under Different Setup Scenarios
Authors: Kibouka Guy-Richard , Nganga-Kouya Donatien , Kenne Jean-Pierre , Songmene Victor , Polotski Vladimir
Published: February 2016

This paper presents a control problem for the optimization of the production and setup activities of an industrial system operating in an uncertain environment. This system is subject to random disturbances (breakdowns and repairs). These disturbances can engender stock shortages. The considered industrial system represents a well-known production context in industry and consists of a machine producing two types of products. In order to switch production from one product type to another, a time factor and a reconfiguration cost for the machine are associated with the setup activities. The parts production rates and the setup strategies are the decision variables which influence the inventory and the capacity of the system. The objective of the study is to find the production and setup policies which minimize the setup and inventory costs, as well as those associated with shortages. A modeling approach based on stochastic optimal control theory and a numerical algorithm used to solve the obtained optimality conditions are presented. The contribution of the paper, for industrial systems not studied in the literature, is illustrated through a numerical example and a comparative study.
Use of Aripiprazole Long Acting Injection in Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Authors: James Suneeta , Kapugama Chaya , Al-Uzri Mohammed
Published: February 2016

Background. Evidence for the efficacious use of second-generation antipsychotics for the treatment of negative symptoms in schizophrenia is scant.Case Presentation. We report the case of a 34-year-old female of Afro-Caribbean origin, who presented with prominent negative symptoms of schizophrenia and was successfully treated with aripiprazole long acting injection. Within a period of six to nine months, the patient returned to her premorbid level of functioning.Conclusion. Aripiprazole long acting injection promises benefits in the treatment of negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Further research needs to be conducted on the use of this drug.
An Innovative Cell Microincubator for Drug Discovery Based on 3D Silicon Structures
Authors: Aredia Francesca , Carpignano Francesca , Surdo Salvatore , Barillaro Giuseppe , Mazzini Giuliano , Scovassi Anna Ivana , Merlo Sabina
Published: February 2016

We recently employed three-dimensional (3D) silicon microstructures (SMSs) consisting in arrays of 3 μm-thick silicon walls separated by 50 μm-deep, 5 μm-wide gaps, as microincubators for monitoring the biomechanical properties of tumor cells. They were here applied to investigate the in vitro behavior of HT1080 human fibrosarcoma cells driven to apoptosis by the chemotherapeutic drug Bleomycin. Our results, obtained by fluorescence microscopy, demonstrated that HT1080 cells exhibited a great ability to colonize the narrow gaps. Remarkably, HT1080 cells grown on 3D-SMS, when treated with the DNA damaging agent Bleomycin under conditions leading to apoptosis, tended to shrink, reducing their volume and mimicking the normal behavior of apoptotic cells, and were prone to leave the gaps. Finally, we performed label-free detection of cells adherent to the vertical silicon wall, inside the gap of 3D-SMS, by exploiting optical low coherence reflectometry using infrared, low power radiation. This kind of approach may become a new tool for increasing automation in the drug discovery area. Our results open new perspectives in view of future applications of the 3D-SMS as the core element of a lab-on-a-chip suitable for screening the effect of new molecules potentially able to kill tumor cells.
The Tribological Property and Microstructure of Ni-Ti Coating Prepared by Electrodeposition and Heat Treatment
Authors: Sun Chufeng , Wang Yanbin , Su Qiong , Guo Zhiguang , Shi Lei
Published: February 2016

Ni-Ti coatings were fabricated by the electrodeposition in a Ni plating bath containing Ti power and heat treatment in nitrogen atmosphere. The surface morphology and microstructure of the Ni-Ti coating before and after heat treatment were analyzed by means of scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The friction and wear behaviors of two different coatings were evaluated on a ball-on-disk UMT-2MT test rig. It was found that the phase structure of Ni-Ti coating heated in nitrogen was much different from that of the as-deposited Ni-Ti coating. Namely, the new intermetallic compounds, including Ni3Ti, NiTi, and NiTi2, and TiN were detected in the coating after heat treatment by the XRD analysis and contributed to greatly increasing the hardness and tribological property of the Ni-Ti coating, owing to the strengthening effect of the hard intermetallic compounds and TiN phase. At the same time, a small amount of intermetallic compounds and TiN was transferred from the composite coating to the rubbing surface of the counterpart steel ball during the sliding, which also contributed to decreasing the friction coefficient and increasing the wear resistance.
Resident PW1
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Progenitor Cells Participate in Vascular Remodeling During Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Authors: Dierick France , Héry Tiphaine , Hoareau-Coudert Bénédicte , Mougenot Nathalie , Monceau Virginie , Claude Caroline , Crisan Mihaela , Besson Vanessa , Dorfmüller Peter , Marodon Gilles , Fadel Elie , Humbert Marc , Yaniz-Galende Elisa , Hulot Jean-Sébastien , Marazzi Giovanna , Sassoon David , Soubrier Florent , Nadaud Sophie
Published: February 2016

Rationale:

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is characterized by vascular remodeling and neomuscularization. PW1
+
progenitor cells can differentiate into smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in vitro.

Objective:

To determine the role of pulmonary PW1
+
progenitor cells in vascular remodeling characteristic of pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Methods and Results:

We investigated their contribution during chronic hypoxia–induced vascular remodeling in

Pw1
nLacZ+/−

mouse expressing β-galactosidase in PW1
+
cells and in differentiated cells derived from PW1
+
cells. PW1
+
progenitor cells are present in the perivascular zone in rodent and human control lungs. Using progenitor markers, 3 distinct myogenic PW1
+
cell populations were isolated from the mouse lung of which 2 were significantly increased after 4 days of chronic hypoxia. The number of proliferating pulmonary PW1
+
cells and the proportion of β-gal
+
vascular SMC were increased, indicating a recruitment of PW1
+
cells and their differentiation into vascular SMC during early chronic hypoxia–induced neomuscularization. CXCR4 inhibition using AMD3100 prevented PW1
+
cells differentiation into SMC but did not inhibit their proliferation. Bone marrow transplantation experiments showed that the newly formed β-gal
+
SMC were not derived from circulating bone marrow–derived PW1
+
progenitor cells, confirming a resident origin of the recruited PW1
+
cells. The number of pulmonary PW1
+
cells was also increased in rats after monocrotaline injection. In lung from pulmonary arterial hypertension patients, PW1-expressing cells were observed in large numbers in remodeled vascular structures.

Conclusions:

These results demonstrate the existence of a novel population of resident SMC progenitor cells expressing PW1 and participating in pulmonary hypertension–associated vascular remodeling.
Aristotle. Poetics. Editio maior of the Greek Text with Historical Introductions and Philological Commentaries, written by Tarán, L., Gutas, D.
Authors: Schrier Omert J.
Published: February 2016

The new edition of Aristotle’sPoeticsby Leonardo Tarán and Dimitri Gutas surpasses the work of their predecessors both in scope and in depth; it will be the standard text for many years to come. It does not put an end to all discussion of course. In this review instances are offered where the Greek, Syriac and/or Arabic text data can be interpreted in a different way, but in most cases one can only admire the solutions found by the editors.
‘Dissing’ the Δὶς ἐξαπατῶν
Authors: Barbiero Emilia A.
Published: February 2016

In this paper, I explore the extent of Plautus’ originality in the Bacchides by elucidating two of the comedy’s most vexed critical problems: the number of tricks in the Greek and Latin plays, and Chrysalus’ reference to a duplex facinus in vv. 640-641. Through a close, metatheatrical reading of the text, I propose a new explanation of these conundrums which, in turn, evinces the competitive stance Plautus’ comedy takes up towards its original. The Bacchides’ clever slave, I argue, vies with his Greek Doppelgänger in a metatextual agon of deception that self-referentially alludes to the dynamics of translation.
Pandharpur’s Wari
Authors: Pendharkar Smita S. , Parthasarathy D.
Published: February 2016

This paper examines the wari as a discursive terrain produced by the interface of folk and Hinduised cultures. We focus on socio-religious interactions and divergences as crucial sites for the production of a discourse on the economy of worship, devotion and social equality. Popularly understood as a procession to Pandharpur, wari is understood here as a social force mediating the transmission of ideas and practices through the interface of various publics. We interpret wari as a process generated through the reflexivity of productive castes interacting with Brahminical Hinduism, and the articulation of social ethics reflecting specific realities and aspirations of allied communities with an emphasis on worldly relationships. The wari’s grammar of devotion subverts abstract notions of the spiritual by embedding them in the local and everyday. Its emergence from regional counter-hegemonic agitations reflects the existential crises and agency of Maharashtra’s productive castes, and the instrumentality of local parlance in demystifying Brahminical representations of society. The term discursive comprises a vocabulary of devotion addressing cultural material alienation, social disparity, agency and the formation of intentional publics in constituting sites for social reform. This paper relies on field data and existing literature to consolidate its argument.
A shortening effect of KK-42 on the moult cycle of juvenile Macrobrachium nipponense (De Haan, 1849) (Decapoda, Palaemonidae)
Authors: Guan Jianyi , Lv Yanjie , Zhang Yu , Ning Qianji
Published: February 2016

The imidazole derivative KK-42 is frequently used as an insect growth regulator. However, the effect of KK-42 on prawn growth remains largely unknown. To explore the effect of KK-42 on the moult cycle of juvenileMacrobrachium nipponense(De Haan, 1849), 1.2-2.0 cm long prawns were collected from aquaculture grounds, and acclimated at 26 ± 1°C in running-water tanks for one week before the experiments. The prawns were soaked with KK-42 solution at a concentration of 1.95 × 10−4 mol/l (treatment group) or without KK-42 solution (control group) for 1 min. Thereafter, a part of the prawns was used to measure body growth rate and moult cycle, and the rest, being at intermoult stage (C) and premoult stage (D), were used to quantitatively analyse the mRNA level of the cuticular chitinase1 gene (Mnchi-1) and chitinase activity. The results showed that the average body weight of the treatment group was significantly higher than that of the controls. Meanwhile, the body growth rate increased more than 16% in the first two weeks after KK-42 treatment. The duration of the moulting period of the juvenile prawns was shortened by KK-42 treatment in the first two cycles among four consecutively-determined moult cycles, from 8.70 ± 1.07 and 9.81 ± 0.43 days to 6.93 ± 0.97 and 8.11 ± 1.20 days, respectively. The cuticularMnchi-1mRNA level as well as the chitinase activity at stage C showed an over 10- and 2-fold increase, respectively, after KK-42 treatment. However, at stage D, only amodestrise was observed at 12 h (). The results suggest that KK-42 can significantly up-regulate the cuticularMnchi-1gene expression and chitinase activity of the prawns at stage C, which may be one of the potential mechanisms of producing the KK-42-shortened moult cycle for juvenileM. nipponense.
The Instabilities and Multiscale Energetics Underlying the Mean–Interannual–Eddy Interactions in the Kuroshio Extension Region
Authors: Yang Yang , San Liang X.
Published: February 2016

Using a recently developed energetics diagnostic methodology, namely, the localized multiscale energy and vorticity analysis (MS-EVA), this study investigates the intricate nonlinear mutual interactions among the decadally modulating mean flow, the interannual fluctuations, and the transient eddies in the Kuroshio Extension region. It is found that the mean kinetic energy maximizes immediately east of the Izu–Ogasawara Ridge, while the transient eddy kinetic energy does not peak until 400 km away downstream. The interannual variabilities, which are dominated by a jet-trapped Rossby wave mode, provide an energy reservoir comparable to the other counterparts. In the upstream, strong localized barotropic and baroclinic transfers from the mean flow to the eddies are observed, whereas those from the interannual variabilities are not significant. Besides fueling the eddies, the unstable mean jet also releases energy to the interannual-scale processes. Between 144° and 154°E, both transfers from the mean flow and the interannual variabilities are important for the eddy development. Farther downstream, eddies are found to drive the mean flow on both the kinetic energy (KE) and available potential energy (APE) maps. They also provide KE to the interannual variabilities but obtain APE from the latter. The gained eddy APE is then converted to eddy KE through buoyancy conversion. Upscale energy transfers are observed in the northern and southern recirculation gyre (RG) regions. In these regions, the interannual–eddy interaction exhibits different scenarios: the eddies lose KE to the interannual processes in the northern RG region, while gaining KE in the southern RG region.