bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Éditorial n°74 Déchets Sciences et Techniques
Authors: Gourdon Rémy
Published: September 2017

Dans la foulée du précédent, le numéro 74 est fidèle à la ligne éditoriale de la revue. Il publie en effet trois articles issus d’équipes du « Sud » (Haïti, Cameroun et Bénin) et deux articles provenant d’équipes du « Nord », en l’occurrence françaises. Certes, le distinguo « nord-sud » que je contribue ici à maintenir ne devrait avoir aucune justification, notamment dans le domaine scientifique dont le langage et les fondements sont universels. Mais dans la pratique et au quotidien, force est de constater que les travaux de recherche des collègues chercheurs et enseignants-chercheurs du « Sud » trouvent encore difficilement accès à la diffusion internationale à laquelle ils prétendent légitimement. C’est pourtant par cette diffusion que leur action trouvera la reconnaissance et les applications qu’elle mérite. Conduite avec souvent de nombreuses difficultés matérielles et financières, la recherche des collègues du « Sud » est nécessaire pour permettre le développement de solutions techniques et organisationnelles adaptées et durables dans le domaine de l’assainissement comme dans d’autres, pour nourrir l’innovation des acteurs locaux, pour capitaliser leur expérience unique qui trop souvent se perd faute d’avoir été décrite et diffusée alors qu’elle est potentiellement source de progrès, y compris pour les pays du « Nord » bien évidemment.La recherche en ingénierie environnementale a la spécificité de se construire en réponse à des questions réelles auxquelles nos sociétés sont confrontées et d’être résolument tournée vers l’action. Certaines de ces questions sont universelles à l’échelle de l’humanité, telles que le changement climatique et ses conséquences. D’autres sont davantage liées au contexte local. Il s’avère en tout état de cause que les solutions envisageables sont rarement uniques et que le succès de leur mise en œuvre dépend de la bonne prise en compte des conditions locales.La revue DST a l’ambition de contribuer à accroître l’échange et les retours d’expérience entre « Nord » et « Sud » de manière réciproque. Nous sommes convaincus que la recherche est source de progrès universel, sans pour autant prôner l’uniformité des solutions qu’elle contribue à développer. C’est en cultivant la diversité de nos approches que nous saurons trouver ensemble les solutions adaptées susceptibles d’être durables.Ainsi donc, pour continuer d’avancer dans cette direction, nous attendons vos contributions sous forme d’articles de recherche ou de retours d’expérience ! D’ici là, comme toujours, bonne lecture !
On the Freezing Time of Supercooled Drops in Developing Convective Clouds
Authors: Yang Jing , Wang Zhien , Heymsfield Andrew
Published: September 2017

Abstract. In this study, the particle size distributions (PSDs) measured in fresh developing maritime convective clouds sampled during the Ice in Clouds-Tropical (ICE-T) project are shown and compared with the PSDs modeled using a parcel model containing a spectral bin microphysics scheme. The observations suggest that the first ice in convective clouds is small. To interpret the observed ice PSDs, the freezing times and temperatures of supercooled drops are analyzed. The results indicate that the freezing time is longer for large drops than it is for small drops. Due to instrumental limitations, freezing drops cannot be identified until they exhibit obvious shape deformation. If the updraft is strong enough, large freezing drops can be carried upwards to a lower temperature than their nucleation temperature before obvious shape deformation occurs. In models, drop freezing is assumed to be instantaneous, which is not realistic; thus, the model yields a broader first ice PSD than is observed. This study allows us to interpret the observed ice PSDs in fresh developing convective clouds from the perspective of the freezing time of supercooled drops and notes the deficiency of instantaneous drop freezing in models. To better understand the mechanisms of drop freezing and ice initiation in convective clouds, more laboratory experiments and in situ measurements are needed in the future.
Measurement-model comparison of stabilized Criegee Intermediate and Highly Oxygenated Molecule production in the CLOUD chamber
Authors: Sarnela Nina , Jokinen Tuija , Duplissy Jonathan , Yan Chao , Nieminen Tuomo , Ehn Mikael , Schobesberger Siegfried , Heinritzi Martin , Ehrhart Sebastian , Lehtipalo Katrianne , Tröstl Jasmin , Simon Mario , Kürten Andreas , Leiminger Markus , Lawler Michael Joseph , Rissanen Matti P. , Bianchi Federico , Praplan Arnaud P. , Hakala Jani , Amorim Antonio , Gonin Marc , Hansel Armin , Kirkby Jasper , Dommen Josef , Curtius Joachim , Smith James , Petäjä Tuukka , Worsnop Douglas R. , Kulmala Markku , Donahue Neil M. , Sipilä Mikko
Published: September 2017

Abstract. Atmospheric oxidation is an important phenomenon, which produces large quantities of low-volatile compounds such as sulphuric acid and oxidised organic compounds. Such species may be involved in nucleation of particles and enhance their subsequent growth to reach the size of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). In this study, we investigate α-pinene, the most abundant monoterpene globally, and its oxidation products formed through the ozonolysis in the Cosmic Leaving OUtdoors Droplets (CLOUD) chamber at CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research). By scavenging hydroxyl radicals (OH) with hydrogen (H2), we were able to investigate the formation of Highly Oxygenated Molecules (HOM) purely driven by ozonolysis, and study the oxidation of sulphur dioxide (SO2) driven by stabilized Criegee Intermediates (sCI). We measured the concentrations of HOM and sulphuric acid with a chemical ionization atmospheric pressure interface time-of-flight (CI-APi-TOF) mass spectrometer and compared the measured concentrations with simulated concentrations calculated with a dynamic model. We found molar yields in the range of 3.5–6.5 % for the HOM formation and 22–32 % for the formation of stabilized Criegee Intermediates by fitting our model to the measured concentrations. The simulated time evolution of the ozonolysis products was in good agreement with measured concentrations except that in some of the experiments sulphuric acid formation was faster than simulated. The results shown here are consistent with the recently published yields for HOM formation from different laboratory experiments. Together with the sCI yields, these results help to understand atmospheric oxidation processes better and make the reaction parameters more comprehensive for broader use.
An improved Grassberger-Procaccia algorithm for analysis of
climate system complexity
Authors: Di Chongli , Wang Tiejun , Yang Xiaohua , Li Siliang
Published: September 2017

Abstract. Understanding the complexity of natural systems, such as climate systems, is critical for various research and application purposes. A range of techniques have been developed to quantify system complexity, among which Grassberger-Procaccia (G-P) algorithm has been mostly used. However, the use of this method is still not adaptive and relies heavily on subjective criteria. To this end, an improved G-P algorithm was proposed, which integrated the normal-based K-means clustering technique and Random Sample Consensus algorithm (RANSAC) for computing correlation dimensions. To test its effectiveness for computing correlation dimensions, the proposed algorithm was compared with traditional methods using the classical Lorenz and Henon chaotic systems. The results revealed that the new method outperformed traditional algorithms in computing correlation dimensions for both chaotic systems, demonstrating the improvement made by the new method. Based on the new algorithm, the complexity of precipitation and air temperature in the Haihe River Basin (HRB) in northeast China was further evaluated. The results showed that there existed considerable regional differences in the complexity of both climatic variables across the HRB. Specifically, precipitation was shown to become progressively more complex from the mountainous area in the northwest to the plain area in the southeast; whereas, the complexity of air temperature exhibited an opposite trend with less complexity in the plain area. Overall, the spatial patterns of the complexity of precipitation and air temperature reflected the influence of the dominant climate system in the region.
How Alexander von Humboldt's life story can inspire innovative soil research in developing countries
Authors: Bouma Johan
Published: September 2017

Abstract. The pioneering vision of Alexander von Humboldt of science and society of the early 1800s is still highly relevant today. His open mind and urge to make many measurements characterizing the interconnected web of life are crucial ingredients as we now face the worldwide challenge of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Case studies in the Philippines, Vietnam, Kenya, Niger, and Costa Rica demonstrate, in Alexander's spirit, interaction with stakeholders and attention to unique local conditions, applying modern measurement and modeling methods and allowing inter- and transdisciplinary research approaches. But relations between science and society are increasingly problematic, partly as a result of the information revolution and post-truth, fact-free thinking. Overly regulated and financially restricted scientific communities in so-called developed countries may stifle intellectual creativity. Researchers in developing countries are urged to leapfrog these problems in the spirit of Alexander von Humboldt as they further develop their scientific communities. Six suggestions to the science community are made with particular attention to soil science. (The Humboldt lecture, presented by the 2017 recipient of the Alexander von Humboldt lecture, Johan Bouma, can be accessed at http://client.cntv.at/egu2017/ml1.)
Home and Dwelling: Re-Examining Race and Identity Through Octavia Butler’s Kindred and Paul Beatty’s The Sellout
Authors: Astrada Scott
Published: September 2017

The question of how to exist, to dwell, within one’s physical and psychological home has become an urgent one in an increasingly globalized world. Yet the answer to this question has never been more fleeting. Lacking universal political or sociological narratives in what can be oversimplified as a post-colonial or post-modern milieu, reformulating the question of how one dwells within one’s home has become both relevant and essential. This essay explores a return to the question of how one dwells, not in pursuit of a theoretical harmonizing answer, but to reevaluate how the question is generally framed—a return to the foundation of how one exists, or more precisely, how a one exists. Through Martin Heidegger’s essay on dwelling and Michel Foucault’s understanding of history as power, my reading of two works of modern fiction captures the struggles of subjects attempting to define their place in the world. Examining how the protagonists of Octavia Butler’s Kindred and Paul Beatty’s The Selloutdwell within their homes provides much insight into how race, identity, and history impact dwelling in a global age.
“Interlocutor professor”: discursos de escrita e reescrita de professores em formação inicial
Authors: Beloti Adriana , Jung Neiva Maria
Published: September 2017

Este artigo tem como objetivo reconhecer concepções de escrita e de rees­crita de quinze professores em formação inicial, para compreendermos quais discursos esses interlocutores da pesquisa assumem em uma situação dia­lógica com a alteridade, no encontro da outra palavra com a palavra outra (CERUTTI-RIZZATTI; MOSSMANN; IRIGOITE, 2013). Para tanto, foram analisados dados de um questionário e intervenções desses professores em um texto escrito em situação de vestibular. Os conceitos de letramento ideológico (STREET, 2010a, 2014) e de dialogismo (BAKHTIN, 2003; BAKHTIN/VO­LOCHÍNOV, 2006) sustentam nossas análises que mostram ainda reafirmadas concepções de escrita e reescrita estruturais, com indícios de dialogismo, e uma constituição de identidade como “interlocutor professor” que pouco am­plia o encontro escolar da outra palavra com a palavra outra.
Environmental Characteristics and Water Quality of a Drainage Basin Impacted by Human Activities
Authors: Oliveira Josiani C. , Becegato Vitor R. , Barcarolli Indianara F. , Paulino Alexandre Tadeu , Becegato Valter A.
Published: September 2017

The aim of the present study was to determine the environmental characteristics and water quality of a drainage basin impacted by human activities in order to obtain quantitative information for helping the development of environmental management politics of soils, lakes, rivers and water resources. Physicochemical properties and concentrations of metals were determined in different water samples. Dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, color, ammonia, phosphorus, phenol, copper, silver, lead, cadmium and iron differed from levels considered acceptable by international regulations, indicating potential environmental pollution due to land occupation and the improper disposal of domestic, industrial and agricultural waste. The leaching of pollutants from the soil to bodies of water was also found. Total dissolved solids, salinity, suspended solids, nitrate, nitrite and zinc levels were lower than the limits imposed by international regulations, but have been increasing over time. Urbanization, industrialization and agricultural processes in drainage basins significantly affect the natural characteristics of the environment, leading to an increase in the concentrations of pollutants and a reduction in the quality of water, plants and soils. As pollutants in drainage basins generally enter into soils, rivers, lakes and ocean, it is necessary to obtain quantitative information about the human impacts in the water quality for developing environmental management politics aiming to preserve the water resources.
Stock Market Liquidity: Financially Constrained Firms and Share Repurchase
Authors: Nguyen Hazel Thu-Hien
Published: September 2017

Stock illiquidity raises the cost of share ownership to outside investors and increases firms’ cost of capital. This study substantiates that shares of financially constrained firms are significantly more illiquid than shares of similar but financially unconstrained firms. Acting as buyers of last resort for their own shares, share repurchases by financially constrained firms enhance stock liquidity, which alleviates the cost of external financing and underinvestment. Increased stock liquidity improves information efficiency, inducing higher value-added from incremental capital investments. Further, higher stock liquidity lowers stock volatility and allows financially constrained firms to issue equity.
A Comparative Analysis of Four-Factor Model and Three-Factor Model in the Nigerian Stock Market
Authors: Evbayiro-Osagie Esther Ikavbo , Osamwonyi Ifuero Osad
Published: September 2017

The study investigates if the three-factor model explains variation in expected returns of stocks on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); and also ascertains if the four-factor model explains the variation in expected returns of stocks on the NSE better than the three-factor model. The study use a sample size of 139 stocks with continuous trading on the NSE for the period January 2007 to December 2014 to construct 10 portfolios on the bases of size, value and returns. By means of multiple OLS regression analysis method with the aid of StataC13 software the analysis was done. The empirical analysis reveals that the three-factor model explains cross sectional variation in expected returns in the NSE. Also, the study shows that the size effect, value effect as well as momentum effect is present in the market. Comparing the four-factor model with three-factor model, shows that the four-factor model have better explanatory power than the three-factor model in explaining returns in the Market. It is recommended that equity investors, fund/portfolio managers and investment advisers should embed in their operational strategies the explanatory power of market beta, size and value as well as momentum on stock/portfolio returns to enable them build up trading strategies that minimize loss and maximize returns. Market regulators and policy makers should ensure appropriate measures are in place to improve market viability and liquidity in order to enhance the depth and breathe of the market.
Perception of Workload and its Relation to Perceived Teaching and Learning Environments among Finnish and Chinese University Students
Authors: Hernesniemi Elina , Raty Hannu , Kasanen Kati , Cheng Xuejiao , Hong Jianzhong , Kuittinen Matti
Published: September 2017

Earlier research has shown that an excessive workload has a substantial negative effect on students' well being. The present study examines how Finnish and Chinese university students' perceptions of workload are related to their perceptions of the teaching and learning environments (TLE). This is done in order to determine whether the perceived workload of students could be reduced by improving the quality of their TLE. Also the levels of experienced workload of Finnish and Chinese students are compared in this study. The group of participants consisted of 3035 Finnish students and 2309 Chinese students. Since this work is cross-cultural in nature, the adequacy of the level of structural equivalence of the research instrument was confirmed, and, when appropriate, the effect of different response styles on the results was taken into account. Both standard and robust statistical methods were used for the analyses. The results show that in both the Finnish and the Chinese groups the students' perceptions of their workload and TLE are significantly but rather weakly related. Furthermore, irrespectively of whether the response styles are accounted for or not, the results indicate that Chinese students perceive a heavier workload than do Finnish students.
Magonia pubescens (Sapindaceae) Seed Oil: Physical and Chemical Properties, Fatty Acid Profile and Biodiesel Production
Authors: Rocha Juliana Almeida , Menezes Elytania Veiga , Fonseca Francine Souza Alves , Brandão Murilo Malveira , Santos Kamylla Teixeira , Oliveira Dario Alves de , Melo Júnior Afrânio Farias de , Royo Vanessa De Andrade
Published: September 2017

Magonia pubescens is a tree species originally from the Brazilian Cerrado that bears fruit with winged seeds from which fixed oil can be extracted. This study aimed to analyze the physical and chemical properties of the oil extracted from these seeds and the biodiesel produced thereof. Methods from the Adolfo Lutz Institute, American Oil Chemists Society, and American Society for Testing and Materials were used. Seven fatty acids (oleic, arachidic, gadoleic, palmitic, palmitoleic, linoleic, and stearic acids) were found in the oil. Acidity level (1.119 mg KOH·g-1), iodine value (77.36 cg I2·g-1), saponification value (133.36 mg KOH·g-1), density (0.8796 g·cm-3), and refractive index (1.3348nD) were low when compared to the high peroxide value (26.14 meq·kg-1), viscosity (101.46 mm²·s-¹), and moisture (0.88%) of other oils and fats used for biodiesel production. Biodiesel showed density (0.8484 g·cm-3), viscosity (29.62 mm-2·s-1), acidity level (0.752 mg KOH·g-1), and saponification value (148.89 mg KOH·g-1).
Response of Growth and Yield Components of Sweet Pepper to Tow Different Kinds of Fertilizers under Green House Conditions in Jordan
Authors: Alhrout Hussein Hussein
Published: September 2017

Intensive agriculture is a farming system characterized by a lot use of input, causing a harm stress on the environment, as well as high price of inorganic fertilizers discouraged some farmers in Jordan to apply fertilizers to their crops. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of chicken manure and NPK on growth and yield of sweet pepper (Caspicum annum L.), A greenhouse experiment was conducted at Albalqa applied university research station in Jordan using randomized complete block design (RCBD) replicated four times. Three treatments were used using Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications: control (without fertilizer), chicken manure at the rate of 15 t/ha, and NPK (15:15:30) with trace elements at 100 Kg/ha. We evaluated plant height (cm), leaves number per plant, number of days to 50% flowering, fruit number per plant, fruit length, yield of fruit per plant (kg), and yield of fruit per hectare (t/ha). Treatments showed significant differences between. The NPK treatment gave the highest plant height (cm), leaves number per plant, fruits number per plant, yield of fruits per plant (kg), and yield of fruits per hectare (t/ha).
‘Supper with Berber’ – Hosts and Guests in the View of Ethnic Tourism. Anthropological Analysis of the Travel Agencies’ Offers
Authors: Cichoń Paulina
Published: September 2017

Purpose. Interpretative insight on contemporary tourist marketing in the context of ethnic tourism on the case study of the Berbers.

Method. Analyzing offers of both Polish and foreign travel agencies the author focus on the role and place of host and guest in tourist universe.

Findings. An analysis of internet tourist offers for „potential clients”, showed some tendencies in the ways of describing and presenting local worlds, projecting of the hosts-guests relationships. These tendencies are called: ethnicity as rhetoric, ethnicity as the element of landscape, ethnicity as an addition, ethnicity as an encounter.

Research and cnclusions limitations. The research findings are a kind of anthropological insight on the basis of the case study and do not form any theory or holistic description of the tourist universum. Conclusions are formulated in the light of postmodern paradigm.

Practical implications. The anthropological reflection on ethnic tourism in the context of the Berber can lead to critical view on dominating social institutions, not only describing the contemporariness but also influencing its character.

Research originality. Ethnic tourism in the context of the Berbers was not examined in the humanities in Poland.

Type of paper. A case study.
Foreign body in nasopharynx – case report
Authors: Kołodziejczyk Paulina , Sokołowski Jacek , Gotlib Tomasz , Morawski Robert , Niemczyk Kazimierz
Published: September 2017

Patients with foreign bodies in various locations often present to ENT emergency units. In the oropharynx, fishbone is the most common foreign body. In most cases, the foreign body cannot be found despite pain reported by the patient. The pain is due to injury to the oral mucosa and foreign body transition towards the gastrointestinal tract. If the foreign body is localized in an unusual location, diagnosis can be delayed. In such situations, diagnostic workup should be extended, which may include surgery.
Determination of Carotenoids in Infant, Pediatric, and Adult Nutritionals by HPLC with UV-Visible Detection: Single-Laboratory Validation, First Action 2017.04
Authors: Schimpf Karen J , Thompson Linda D , Pan Shang-Jing
Published: September 2017

This reversed-phase HPLC method uses C30 chromatography and UV-Vis spectroscopy to determine cis and trans isomers of lutein, β-carotene, and lycopene in infant, pediatric, and adult nutritionals. Samples are saponified with a mixture of potassium hydroxide, tetrahydrofuran, and methanol, and carotenoids are extracted from saponified samples with 75 + 25 hexane–methyl tertiary butyl ether (MtBE). After extraction, a portion of the organic layer is evaporated to dryness, and the residue is dissolved in 75 + 25 10% butylated hydroxytoluene in methanol–MtBE. Prepared samples are injected into a C30 HPLC column where cis and trans isomers of lutein, β-carotene, and lycopene are separated with a methanol–MtBE gradient and detected with UV-Vis spectroscopy at 445 nm. Total carotenoid concentrations are calculated by comparison of sample peak areas with the areas of trans carotenoid standards of known concentration. During a single-laboratory validation of this method, total lutein repeatability and intermediate precision ranged from 1.89 to 14.9 and 1.93 to 14.0%, respectively, in infant and adult nutritional matrixes with concentrations >1 μg/100 g. Total β-carotene repeatability and intermediate precision ranged from 1.81 to 6.77 and 3.07 to 16.2%, respectively, in infant and adult nutritional matrixes with concentrations >1 μg/100 g, and total lycopene repeatability and intermediate precision ranged from 3.01 to 6.37 and 4.29 to 10.3%, respectively, in infant and adult nutritional matrixes with concentrations >1 μg/100 g. Mean overspike recoveries ranged from 90.3 to 95.3, 89.3 to 108, and 97.3 to 109% for lutein, β-carotene, and lycopene, respectively. The method also demonstrated good linearity. For lutein, r averaged 0.99991 over a standard range of approximately 10–250 µg/L trans-lutein. with average calibration errors of <1%. For β-carotene and lycopene, r averaged 0.99993 and 0.9998 over standard ranges of approximately 25–500 and 5–100 µg/L with calibration errors of <1 and <1.5%, respectively. Lutein, β-carotene, and lycopene LOQs in ready-to-feed nutritionals were estimated to be 0.4, 0.1, and 0.3 µg/100 g, respectively. This method met AOAC Stakeholder Panel on Infant Formula and Adult Nutritionals Standard Method Performance Requirements and was approved as a First Action Official Method at the AOAC INTERNATIONAL 2017 midyear meeting.
DC Water Green Infrastructure Financing: Pay for Success Can Help Water Utilities Pursue Innovative Solutions
Authors: Appel Todd , Bezak Bethany , Lisle John
Published: September 2017

The DC Water program illustrates the potential of using the pay‐for‐success model to fund water authority initiatives.
Academic achievement associated with motor performance and sex in different subcultures
Authors: Nobre Francisco Salviano Sales , Bandeira Paulo Felipe Ribeiro , Valentini Nadia Cristina
Published: September 2017

Introduction: School and motor performances demonstrates achievements of children throughout childhood. Gender and the child's developmental context interfere with the differentiated trends of intensity and direction of school and motor performance.Objective: To analyze the association among school performance, motor performance, and the sex of children of different subculturesMethod: The study included 233 children aged 7 to 10 years, 127 boys (8.2 ± 0.92 years) and 106 girls (8.4 ± 0.85 years), from three different subcultures (semi-arid, mountainous, and coastal weather) of Northeast Brazil. Data were collected from the School Performance Test and the Test of Gross Motor Development-2. Descriptive statistics, comparisons, and multivariate multiple linear regressions were used for analysis.Results: It was found that school delays were prevalent in boys, and motor delays, specifically in object control skills, were prevalent in girls. Motor performance is positively associated with performance in writing, reading, and arithmetic, but this relationship is specific for each subculture.Conclusions: There was an association among school performance, motor performance, and the sex of children in different Northeastern subcultures, evidencing the influence of subcultures and gender on the children’s performance.
Prevalence and factors associated with functional dependency in homebound elderly people in Brazil
Authors: Pampolim Gracielle , Lourenço Christiane , Silva Vanezia Gonçalves da , Coelho Maria Carlota De Rezende , Sogame Luciana Carrupt Machado
Published: September 2017

Introduction: Population ageing is a worldwide reality that requires attention, and a concern for healthy and functional ageing is increasingly the focus of government policies and programmes.Objective: To identify the prevalence of homebound elderly people, and the influence of sociodemographic and economic characteristics on their functional dependency.Methods: Cross-sectional study with 178 homebound elderly people assisted by a family healthcare unit in Vitória, ES, Brazil. Functional independence was measured by the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and the sociodemographic and economic variables were collected by a questionnaire developed by the authors. Binary logistic regression was used to determine the influence of the sociodemographic and economic characteristics on the risk of being functionally dependent.Results: Forty-eight percent of the participants were functional dependents, 80% were female, 72% belonged to the fourth age, 74% were white, 63% were widowed, 78% had retired, 90% had children, 83% had a caregiver, 52% had low education and 40% had low income. Logistic regression indicated that having a caregiver increased by 40 times the chance of being functionally dependent (OR = 40.2; 95%CI 4.8–355.4) and having between one to eight years of education decreased the chance of functional dependency (OR = 0.2; 95%CI 0.04-0.9).Conclusions: The prevalence of functional dependency was very high in this sample, and since the presence of a caregiver was the strongest and significant predictor of functional dependency, we suggest that guidance and support should be offered to caregivers, followed   by a family healthcare strategy, to make consistent efforts with the objective of improving  functional recovery and independence of homebound elderly.
In rats fed high-energy diets, taste, rather than fat content, is the key factor increasing food intake: a comparison of a cafeteria and a lipid-supplemented standard diet
Authors: Oliva Laia , Aranda Tània , Caviola Giada , Fernández-Bernal Anna , Alemany Marià , Fernández-López José Antonio , Remesar Xavier
Published: September 2017

Background

Food selection and ingestion both in humans and rodents, often is a critical factor in determining excess energy intake and its related disorders.

Methods

Two different concepts of high-fat diets were tested for their obesogenic effects in rats; in both cases, lipids constituted about 40% of their energy intake. The main difference with controls fed standard lab chow, was, precisely, the lipid content. Cafeteria diets (K) were self-selected diets devised to be desirable to the rats, mainly because of its diverse mix of tastes, particularly salty and sweet. This diet was compared with another, more classical high-fat (HF) diet, devised not to be as tasty as K, and prepared by supplementing standard chow pellets with fat. We also analysed the influence of sex on the effects of the diets.

Results

K rats grew faster because of a high lipid, sugar and protein intake, especially the males, while females showed lower weight but higher proportion of body lipid. In contrast, the weight of HF groups were not different from controls. Individual nutrient’s intake were analysed, and we found that K rats ingested large amounts of both disaccharides and salt, with scant differences of other nutrients’ proportion between the three groups. The results suggest that the key differential factor of the diet eliciting excess energy intake was the massive presence of sweet and salty tasting food.

Conclusions

The significant presence of sugar and salt appears as a powerful inducer of excess food intake, more effective than a simple (albeit large) increase in the diet’s lipid content. These effects appeared already after a relatively short treatment. The differential effects of sex agree with their different hedonic and obesogenic response to diet.
Allele specific expression and methylation in the bumblebee,Bombus terrestris
Authors: Lonsdale Zoë , Lee Kate , Kiriakidu Maria , Amarasinghe Harindra , Nathanael Despina , O’Connor Catherine J. , Mallon Eamonn B.
Published: September 2017

The social hymenoptera are emerging as models for epigenetics. DNA methylation, the addition of a methyl group, is a common epigenetic marker. In mammals and flowering plants methylation affects allele specific expression. There is contradictory evidence for the role of methylation on allele specific expression in social insects. The aim of this paper is to investigate allele specific expression and monoallelic methylation in the bumblebee, Bombus terrestris. We found nineteen genes that were both monoallelically methylated and monoallelically expressed in a single bee. Fourteen of these genes express the hypermethylated allele, while the other five express the hypomethylated allele. We also searched for allele specific expression in twenty-nine published RNA-seq libraries. We found 555 loci with allele-specific expression. We discuss our results with reference to the functional role of methylation in gene expression in insects and in the as yet unquantified role of genetic cis effects in insect allele specific methylation and expression.
The role of polycarbonate monomer bisphenol-A in insulin resistance
Authors: Pjanic Milos
Published: September 2017

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a synthetic unit of polycarbonate polymers and epoxy resins, the types of plastics that could be found in essentially every human population and incorporated into almost every aspect of the modern human society. BPA polymers appear in a wide range of products, from liquid storages (plastic bottles, can and glass linings, water pipes and tanks) and food storages (plastics wraps and containers), to medical and dental devices. BPA polymers could be hydrolyzed spontaneously or in a photo- or temperature-catalyzed process, providing widespread environmental distribution and chronic exposure to the BPA monomer in contemporary human populations. Bisphenol A is also a xenoestrogen, an endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) that interferes with the endocrine system mimicking the effects of an estrogen and could potentially keep our endocrine system in a constant perturbation that parallels endocrine disruption arising during pregnancy, such as insulin resistance (IR). Gestational insulin resistance represents a natural biological phenomenon of higher insulin resistance in peripheral tissues of the pregnant females, when nutrients are increasingly being directed to the embryo instead of being stored in peripheral tissues. Gestational diabetes mellitus may appear in healthy non-diabetic females, due to gestational insulin resistance that leads to increased blood sugar levels and hyperinsulinemia (increased insulin production from the pancreatic beta cells). The hypothesis states that unnoticed and constant exposure to this environmental chemical might potentially lead to the formation of chronic low-level endocrine disruptive state that resembles gestational insulin resistance, which might contribute to the development of diabetes. The increasing body of evidence supports the major premises of this hypothesis, as exemplified by the numerous publications examining the association of BPA and insulin resistance, both epidemiological and mechanistic. However, to what extent BPA might contribute to the development of diabetes in the modern societies still remains unknown. In this review, I discuss the chemical properties of BPA and the sources of BPA contamination found in the environment and in human tissues. I provide an overview of mechanisms for the proposed role of bisphenol A in insulin resistance and diabetes, as well as other related diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases. I describe the transmission of BPA effects to the offspring and postulate that gender related differences might originate from differences in liver enzyme levels, such as UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, which is involved in BPA processing and its elimination from the organism. I discuss the molecular mechanisms of BPA action through nuclear and membrane-bound ER receptors, non-monotonic dose response, epigenetic modifications of the DNA and propose that chronic exposure to weak binders, such as BPA, may mimic the effects of strong binders, such as estrogens.
Genomic analysis ofPelements in natural populations ofDrosophila melanogaster
Authors: Bergman Casey M. , Han Shunhua , Nelson Michael G. , Bondarenko Vladyslav , Kozeretska Iryna
Published: September 2017

TheDrosophila melanogaster Ptransposable element provides one of the best cases of horizontal transfer of a mobile DNA sequence in eukaryotes. Invasion of natural populations by thePelement has led to a syndrome of phenotypes known as P-M hybrid dysgenesis that emerges when strains differing in theirPelement composition mate and produce offspring. Despite extensive research on many aspects ofPelement biology, many questions remain about the genomic basis of variation in P-M dysgenesis phenotypes across populations. Here we compare estimates of genomicPelement content with gonadal dysgenesis phenotypes for isofemale strains obtained from three worldwide populations ofD. melanogasterto illuminate the molecular basis of natural variation in cytotype status. We show thatPelement abundance estimated from genome sequences of isofemale strains is highly correlated across different bioinformatics approaches, but that abundance estimates are sensitive to method and filtering strategies as well as incomplete inbreeding of isofemale strains. We find thatPelement content varies significantly across populations, with strains from a North American population having fewerPelements but a higher proportion of full-length elements than strains from populations sampled in Europe or Africa. Despite these geographic differences inPelement abundance and structure, neither the number ofPelements nor the ratio of full-length to internally-truncated copies is strongly correlated with the degree of gonadal dysgenesis exhibited by an isofemale strain. Thus, variation inPelement abundance and structure across different populations does not necessarily lead to corresponding geographic differences in gonadal dysgenesis phenotypes. Finally, we confirm that population differences in the abundance and structure ofPelements that are observed from isofemale lines can also be observed in pool-seq samples from the same populations. Our work supports the view that genomicPelement content alone is not sufficient to explain variation in gonadal dysgenesis across strains ofD. melanogaster, and informs future efforts to decode the genomic basis of geographic and temporal differences inPelement induced phenotypes.
Long‐Lead Prediction of the 2015 Fire and Haze Episode in Indonesia
Authors: Shawki Dilshad , Field Robert D. , Tippett Michael K. , Saharjo Bambang Hero , Albar Israr , Atmoko Dwi , Voulgarakis Apostolos
Published: September 2017

We conducted a case study of National Centers for Environmental Prediction Climate Forecast System version 2 seasonal model forecast performance over Indonesia in predicting the dry conditions in 2015 that led to severe fire, in comparison to the non‐El Niño dry season conditions of 2016. Forecasts of the Drought Code (DC) component of Indonesia's Fire Danger Rating System were examined across the entire equatorial Asia region and for the primary burning regions within it. Our results show that early warning lead times of high observed DC in September and October 2015 varied considerably for different regions. High DC over Southern Kalimantan and Southern New Guinea were predicted with 180 day lead times, whereas Southern Sumatra had lead times of up to only 60 days, which we attribute to the absence in the forecasts of an eastward decrease in Indian Ocean sea surface temperatures. This case study provides the starting point for longer‐term evaluation of seasonal fire danger rating forecasts over Indonesia.
Climate Impacts of CALIPSO‐Guided Corrections to Black Carbon Aerosol Vertical Distributions in a Global Climate Model
Authors: Kovilakam Mahesh , Mahajan Salil , Saravanan R. , Chang Ping
Published: September 2017

We alleviate the bias in the tropospheric vertical distribution of black carbon aerosols (BC) in the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM4) using the Cloud‐Aerosol and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO)‐derived vertical profiles. A suite of sensitivity experiments are conducted with 1x, 5x, and 10x the present‐day model estimated BC concentration climatology, with (corrected, CC) and without (uncorrected, UC) CALIPSO‐corrected BC vertical distribution. The globally averaged top of the atmosphere radiative flux perturbation of CC experiments is ∼8–50% smaller compared to uncorrected (UC) BC experiments largely due to an increase in low‐level clouds. The global average surface temperature increases, the global average precipitation decreases, and the ITCZ moves northward with the increase in BC radiative forcing, irrespective of the vertical distribution of BC. Further, tropical expansion metrics for the poleward extent of the Northern Hemisphere Hadley cell (HC) indicate that simulated HC expansion is not sensitive to existing model biases in BC vertical distribution.
Two‐Branch Break‐up Systems by a Single Mantle Plume: Insights from Numerical Modeling
Authors: Beniest A. , Koptev A. , Leroy S. , Sassi W. , Guichet X.
Published: September 2017

Thermomechanical modeling of plume‐induced continental break‐up reveals that the initial location of a mantle anomaly relative to a lithosphere inhomogeneity has a major impact on the geometry and timing of a rift‐to‐spreading system. Models with a warmer Moho temperature are more likely to result in “plume‐centered” mode, where the rift and subsequent spreading axis grow directly above the plume. Models with weak far‐field forcing are inclined to develop a “structural‐inherited” mode, with lithosphere deformation localized at the lateral lithospheric boundary. Models of a third group cultivate two break‐up branches (both “plume‐centered” and “structural inherited”) that form consecutively with a few million years delay. With our experimental setup, this break‐up mode is sensitive to relatively small lateral variations of the initial anomaly position. We argue that one single mantle anomaly can be responsible for nonsimultaneous initiation and development of two rift‐to‐spreading systems in a lithosphere with a lateral strength contrast.
The Robust Relationship Between Extreme Precipitation and Convective Organization in Idealized Numerical Modeling Simulations
Authors: Bao Jiawei , Sherwood Steven C. , Colin Maxime , Dixit Vishal
Published: September 2017

The behavior of tropical extreme precipitation under changes in sea surface temperatures (SSTs) is investigated with the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) in three sets of idealized simulations: small‐domain tropical radiative‐convective equilibrium (RCE), quasi‐global “aquapatch”, and RCE with prescribed mean ascent from the tropical band in the aquapatch. We find that, across the variations introduced including SST, large‐scale circulation, domain size, horizontal resolution, and convective parameterization, the change in the degree of convective organization emerges as a robust mechanism affecting extreme precipitation. Higher ratios of change in extreme precipitation to change in mean surface water vapor are associated with increases in the degree of organization, while lower ratios correspond to decreases in the degree of organization. The spread of such changes is much larger in RCE than aquapatch tropics, suggesting that small RCE domains may be unreliable for assessing the temperature‐dependence of extreme precipitation or convective organization. When the degree of organization does not change, simulated extreme precipitation scales with surface water vapor. This slightly exceeds Clausius‐Clapeyron (CC) scaling, because the near‐surface air warms 10–25% faster than the SST in all experiments. Also for simulations analyzed here with convective parameterizations, there is an increasing trend of organization with SST.
Zimbardo Prison Experiment
Authors: Kemmelmeier Markus
Published: September 2017

Social psychologist Philip Zimbardo (b. 1933) conducted a well‐known prison study known as the Stanford Prison Experiment. Funded by the US Navy to investigate conflict in military prisons, Zimbardo and his graduate students, Craig Haney and W. Curtis Banks, rejected the idea that the personality characteristics of prisoners and guards in the prison system were primarily responsible for conflicts as they occurred in the prison system. Broadly consistent with Goffman's (1961) concept of a total institution, Zimbardo and his team identified individual anonymity and loss of identity as the most prominent characteristics of prisons, which Zimbardo's (1970) deindividuation theory linked to antisocial behavior. Without room for individual identities, Zimbardo and colleagues reasoned that the social roles of prisoner and guard would be the dominant influence on behavior and allow participants to behave in ways that would otherwise be unimaginable to them.
Controlled Layer Thinning and p‐Type Doping of WSe2 by Vapor XeF2
Authors: Zhang Rui , Drysdale Daniel , Koutsos Vasileios , Cheung Rebecca
Published: September 2017

This report presents a simple and efficient method of layer thinning and p‐type doping of WSe2 with vapor XeF2. With this approach, the surface roughness of thinned WSe2 can be controlled to below 0.7 nm at an etched depth of 100 nm. By selecting appropriate vapor XeF2 exposure times, 23‐layer and 109‐layer WSe2 can be thinned down to monolayer and bilayer, respectively. In addition, the etching rate of WSe2 exhibits a significant dependence on vapor XeF2 exposure pressure and thus can be tuned easily for thinning or patterning applications. From Raman, photoluminescence, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electrical characterization, a p‐doping effect of WSe2 induced by vapor XeF2 treatment is evident. Based on the surface composition analysis with XPS, the causes of the p‐doping effect can be attributed to the presence of substoichiometric WOx (x < 3) overlayer, trapped reaction product of WF6, and nonstoichiometric WSex (x > 2). Furthermore, the p‐doping level can be controlled by varying XeF2 exposure time. The thinning and p‐doping of WSe2 with vapor XeF2 have the advantages of easy scale‐up, high etching selectivity, excellent controllability, and compatibility with conventional complementary metal‐oxide‐semiconductor fabrication processes, which is promising for applications of building WSe2 devices with versatile functionalities.
One‐Pot Synthesis of Antimony‐Embedded Silicon Oxycarbide Materials for High‐Performance Sodium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Lee Yongho , Lee Kwan Young , Choi Wonchang
Published: September 2017

Sodium‐ion batteries have recently attracted intensive attention due to their natural abundance and low cost. Antimony is a desirable candidate for an anode material for sodium‐ion batteries due to its high theoretical capacity (660 mA h g−1). However, the utilization of alloy‐based anodes is still limited by their inherent huge volume changes and sluggish kinetics. The Sb‐embedded silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) composites are simply synthesized via a one‐pot pyrolysis process at 900 °C without any additives or surfactants, taking advantage of the superior self‐dispersion properties of antimony acetate powders in silicone oil. The structural and morphological characterizations confirm that Sb nanoparticles are homogeneously embedded into the amorphous SiOC matrix. The composite materials exhibit an initial desodiation capacity of around 510 mA h g−1 and maintained an excellent capacity retention above 97% after 250 cycles. The rate capability test reveals that the composites deliver capacity greater than 453 mA h g−1, even at the high current density of 20 C rate, owing to the free‐carbon domain of SiOC material. The electrochemical and postmortem analyses confirm that the SiOC matrix with a uniform distribution of Sb nanoparticles provides the mechanical strength without degradation in conductive characteristics, suppressing the agglomeration of Sb particles during the electrochemical reaction.