bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In Vitro Studies on a Microfluidic Sensor with Embedded Obstacles Using New Antibacterial Synthetic Compounds (1-TDPPO) Mixed Prop-2-en-1-one with Difluoro Phenyl
Authors: Roh Changhyun , Lee Jaewoong , Kinger Mayank , Kang Chankyu
Published: April 2017

This paper describes the use of an analytical microfluidic sensor for accelerating chemo-repellent response and strong anti-bacterial 1-(Thien-2-yl)-3-(2, 6-difluoro phenyl) prop-2-en-1-one (1-TDPPO). The chemically-synthesized antimicrobial agent, which included prop-2-en-1-one and difluoro phenyl groups, was moving through an optically transparent polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic sensor with circular obstacles arranged evenly. The response, growth and distribution of fluorescent labeling Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 against the antimicrobial agent were monitored by confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM). The microfluidic sensor along with 1-TDPPOin this study exhibits the following advantages: (i) Real-time chemo-repellent responses of cell dynamics; (ii) Rapid eradication of biofilm by embedded obstacles and powerful antibacterial agents, which significantly reduce the response time compared to classical methods; (iii) Minimal consumption of cells and antimicrobial agents; and (iv) Simplifying the process of the normalization of the fluorescence intensity and monitoring of biofilm by captured images and datasets.
Synergetic Resonance Matching of a Microphone and a Photoacoustic Cell
Authors: Sim Joo , Ahn Chang-Geun , Huh Chul , Chung Kwang , Jeong Eun-Ju , Kim Bong
Published: April 2017

We propose an approach to match the resonant characteristics of a photoacoustic cell with that of a microphone in order to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio in the photoacoustic sensor system. The synergetic resonance matching of a photoacoustic cell and a microphone was achieved by observing that photoacoustic cell resonance is merged with microphone resonance, in addition to conducting numerical and analytical simulations. Using this approach, we show that the signal-to-noise ratio was increased 3.5-fold from the optimized to non-optimized cell in the photoacoustic spectroscopy system. The present work is expected to have a broad impact on a number of applications, from improving weak photoacoustic signals in photoacoustic spectroscopy to ameliorating various sensors that use acoustic resonant filters.
A High Spatial Resolution Depth Sensing Method Based on Binocular Structured Light
Authors: Yao Huimin , Ge Chenyang , Xue Jianru , Zheng Nanning
Published: April 2017

Depth information has been used in many fields because of its low cost and easy availability, since the Microsoft Kinect was released. However, the Kinect and Kinect-like RGB-D sensors show limited performance in certain applications and place high demands on accuracy and robustness of depth information. In this paper, we propose a depth sensing system that contains a laser projector similar to that used in the Kinect, and two infrared cameras located on both sides of the laser projector, to obtain higher spatial resolution depth information. We apply the block-matching algorithm to estimate the disparity. To improve the spatial resolution, we reduce the size of matching blocks, but smaller matching blocks generate lower matching precision. To address this problem, we combine two matching modes (binocular mode and monocular mode) in the disparity estimation process. Experimental results show that our method can obtain higher spatial resolution depth without loss of the quality of the range image, compared with the Kinect. Furthermore, our algorithm is implemented on a low-cost hardware platform, and the system can support the resolution of 1280 × 960, and up to a speed of 60 frames per second, for depth image sequences.
Estimation of Antenna Pose in the Earth Frame Using Camera and IMU Data from Mobile Phones
Authors: Wang Zhen , Jin Bingwen , Geng Weidong
Published: April 2017

The poses of base station antennas play an important role in cellular network optimization. Existing methods of pose estimation are based on physical measurements performed either by tower climbers or using additional sensors attached to antennas. In this paper, we present a novel non-contact method of antenna pose measurement based on multi-view images of the antenna and inertial measurement unit (IMU) data captured by a mobile phone. Given a known 3D model of the antenna, we first estimate the antenna pose relative to the phone camera from the multi-view images and then employ the corresponding IMU data to transform the pose from the camera coordinate frame into the Earth coordinate frame. To enhance the resulting accuracy, we improve existing camera-IMU calibration models by introducing additional degrees of freedom between the IMU sensors and defining a new error metric based on both the downtilt and azimuth angles, instead of a unified rotational error metric, to refine the calibration. In comparison with existing camera-IMU calibration methods, our method achieves an improvement in azimuth accuracy of approximately 1.0 degree on average while maintaining the same level of downtilt accuracy. For the pose estimation in the camera coordinate frame, we propose an automatic method of initializing the optimization solver and generating bounding constraints on the resulting pose to achieve better accuracy. With this initialization, state-of-the-art visual pose estimation methods yield satisfactory results in more than 75% of cases when plugged into our pipeline, and our solution, which takes advantage of the constraints, achieves even lower estimation errors on the downtilt and azimuth angles, both on average (0.13 and 0.3 degrees lower, respectively) and in the worst case (0.15 and 7.3 degrees lower, respectively), according to an evaluation conducted on a dataset consisting of 65 groups of data. We show that both of our enhancements contribute to the performance improvement offered by the proposed estimation pipeline, which achieves downtilt and azimuth accuracies of respectively 0.47 and 5.6 degrees on average and 1.38 and 12.0 degrees in the worst case, thereby satisfying the accuracy requirements for network optimization in the telecommunication industry.
Dynamic Synchronous Capture Algorithm for an Electromagnetic Flowmeter
Authors: Fanjiang Yong-Yi , Lu Shih-Wei
Published: April 2017

This paper proposes a dynamic synchronous capture (DSC) algorithm to calculate the flow rate for an electromagnetic flowmeter. The characteristics of the DSC algorithm can accurately calculate the flow rate signal and efficiently convert an analog signal to upgrade the execution performance of a microcontroller unit (MCU). Furthermore, it can reduce interference from abnormal noise. It is extremely steady and independent of fluctuations in the flow measurement. Moreover, it can calculate the current flow rate signal immediately (m/s). The DSC algorithm can be applied to the current general MCU firmware platform without using DSP (Digital Signal Processing) or a high-speed and high-end MCU platform, and signal amplification by hardware reduces the demand for ADC accuracy, which reduces the cost.
Hazards in Motion: Development of Mobile Geofences for Use in Logging Safety
Authors: Zimbelman Eloise , Keefe Robert , Strand Eva , Kolden Crystal , Wempe Ann
Published: April 2017

Logging is one of the most hazardous occupations in the United States. Real-time positioning that uses global navigation satellite system (GNSS) technology paired with radio frequency transmission (GNSS-RF) has the potential to reduce fatal and non-fatal accidents on logging operations through the use of geofences that define safe work areas. Until recently, most geofences have been static boundaries. The aim of this study was to evaluate factors affecting mobile geofence accuracy in order to determine whether virtual safety zones around moving ground workers or equipment are a viable option for improving situational awareness on active timber sales. We evaluated the effects of walking pace, transmission interval, geofence radius, and intersection angle on geofence alert delay using a replicated field experiment. Simulation was then used to validate field results and calculate the proportion of GNSS error bearings resulting in early alerts. The interaction of geofence radius and intersection angle affected safety geofence alert delay in the field experiment. The most inaccurate alerts were negative, representing early warning. The magnitude of this effect was largest at the greatest intersection angles. Simulation analysis supported these field results and also showed that larger GNSS error corresponded to greater variability in alert delay. Increasing intersection angle resulted in a larger proportion of directional GNSS error that triggered incorrect, early warnings. Because the accuracy of geofence alerts varied greatly depending on GNSS error and angle of approach, geofencing for occupational safety is most appropriate for general situational awareness unless real-time correction methods to improve accuracy or higher quality GNSS-RF transponders are used.
Modeling Infrared Signal Reflections to Characterize Indoor Multipath Propagation
Authors: De-La-Llana-Calvo Álvaro , Lázaro-Galilea José , Gardel-Vicente Alfredo , Rodríguez-Navarro David , Bravo-Muñoz Ignacio , Tsirigotis Georgios , Iglesias-Miguel Juan
Published: April 2017

In this paper, we propose a model to characterize Infrared (IR) signal reflections on any kind of surface material, together with a simplified procedure to compute the model parameters. The model works within the framework of Local Positioning Systems (LPS) based on IR signals (IR-LPS) to evaluate the behavior of transmitted signal Multipaths (MP), which are the main cause of error in IR-LPS, and makes several contributions to mitigation methods. Current methods are based on physics, optics, geometry and empirical methods, but these do not meet our requirements because of the need to apply several different restrictions and employ complex tools. We propose a simplified model based on only two reflection components, together with a method for determining the model parameters based on 12 empirical measurements that are easily performed in the real environment where the IR-LPS is being applied. Our experimental results show that the model provides a comprehensive solution to the real behavior of IR MP, yielding small errors when comparing real and modeled data (the mean error ranges from 1% to 4% depending on the environment surface materials). Other state-of-the-art methods yielded mean errors ranging from 15% to 40% in test measurements.
Autonomous Car Parking System through a Cooperative Vehicular Positioning Network
Authors: Correa Alejandro , Boquet Guillem , Morell Antoni , Lopez Vicario Jose
Published: April 2017

The increasing development of the automotive industry towards a fully autonomous car has motivated the design of new value-added services in Vehicular Sensor Networks (VSNs). Within the context of VSNs, the autonomous car, with an increasing number of on-board sensors, is a mobile node that exchanges sensed and state information within the VSN. Among all the value added services for VSNs, the design of new intelligent parking management architectures where the autonomous car will coexist with traditional cars is mandatory in order to profit from all the opportunities associated with the increasing intelligence of the new generation of cars. In this work, we design a new smart parking system on top of a VSN that takes into account the heterogeneity of cars and provides guidance to the best parking place for the autonomous car based on a collaborative approach that searches for the common good of all of them measured by the accessibility rate, which is the ratio of the free parking places accessible for an autonomous car. Then, we simulate a real parking lot and the results show that the performance of our system is close to the optimum considering different communication ranges and penetration rates for the autonomous car.
Development of a New, High Sensitivity 2000 kg Mechanical Balance
Authors: Wang Jian
Published: April 2017

Mass measurement of more than 500 kg on an electronic mass comparator has no better repeatability and linearity of measurement for meeting the calibration requirement of over class F1 weights from pharmacy and power generation plants. For this purpose, a new 2000 kg mechanical balance was developed by the National Institute of Metrology (NIM). The advantages of measurement of more than 500 kg on a new 2000 kg mechanical balance are introduced in the paper. In order to obtain high measurement uncertainty, four vertical forces of two sides of beam are measured and used as reference for adjustment of the beam position. Laser displacement sensors in the indication system are more effective for decreasing reading errors caused by human vision. To improve the repeatability and sensitivity of the equipment, a synchronous lifting control is designed for synchronously lifting the beam ends along the vertical direction. A counterweight selection system is developed to get any combination of weights in a limited space. The sensitivity of the new mechanical balance for 2000 kg is more than 1.7 parts in 10−4 rad/g. The extended uncertainties for the mechanical balance of 500 kg, 1000 kg and 2000 kg are 0.47 g, 1.8 g and 3.5 g respectively.
Carbon-Based Nanomaterials Functionalized with Ionic Liquids for Microextraction in Sample Preparation
Authors: Chatzimitakos Theodoros , Stalikas Constantine
Published: April 2017

A large number of carbon-based nanomaterials has been investigated as sorbents in sample preparation, including fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, nanofibers, nanohorns and graphene, as well as their functionalized forms. Taking into account their properties, carbon-based nanomaterials have found a wide range of applications in different sample preparation techniques. Ionic liquids, as an alternative to environmentally-harmful ordinary organic solvents, have attracted extensive attention and gained popularity in analytical chemistry covering different fields like chromatography, electrochemistry and (micro)extraction. Some of the properties of ionic liquids, including polarity, hydrophobicity and viscosity, can be tuned by the proper selection of the building cations and anions. Their tunable nature allows the synthesis of tailor-made solvents for different applications. This review provides a snapshot of the most important features and applications of different carbon-based nanomaterials functionalized with ionic liquids for sample preparation. Emphasis is placed on the description of the different works that have provided interesting results for the use of graphene and carbon nanotubes, in this analytical field.
Shared Participatory Research Principles and Methodologies: Perspectives from the USA and Brazil—45 Years after Paulo Freire’s “Pedagogy of the Oppressed”
Authors: Wallerstein Nina , Giatti Leandro , Bógus Cláudia , Akerman Marco , Jacobi Pedro , De Toledo Renata , Mendes Rosilda , Acioli Sonia , Bluehorse-Anderson Margaret , Frazier Shelley , Jones Marita
Published: April 2017

The trajectory of participation in health research by community social actors worldwide has been built on a history of community participation from the Ottawa Charter Health Promotion call for community mobilization, to the emancipatory educational philosophy of Paulo Freire, to social movements and organizing for health and social justice. This paper builds on this history to expand our global knowledge about community participation in research through a dialogue between experiences and contexts in two prominent countries in this approach; the United States and Brazil. We first focus on differences in political and scientific contexts, financing, and academic perspectives and then present how, despite these differences, similarities exist in values and collaborative methodologies aimed at engaging community partners in democratizing science and knowledge construction. We present three case studies, one from the U.S. and two from Brazil, which illustrate similar multi-level processes using participatory research tools and Freirian dialogue to contribute to social mobilization, community empowerment, and the transformation of inequitable societal conditions. Despite different processes of evolution, we observed a convergence of participatory health research strategies and values that can transform science in our commitment to reduce health and social inequities and improve community wellbeing.
A Cointegration Analysis of Real GDP and CO2 Emissions in Transitional Countries
Authors: Mitić Petar , Munitlak Ivanović Olja , Zdravković Aleksandar
Published: April 2017

This paper analyses the relationship between real GDP and CO2 emissions for 17 transitional economies based on a series of annual data from 1997 to 2014. The analysis was conducted using Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) (DOLS) and Fully Modified OLS (FMOLS) approaches. The results clearly suggest the existence of a statistically significant long-run cointegrating relationship between CO2 emissions and real GDP. A 1% change in GDP leads to around a 0.35% change of CO2 emission on average for the considered group of countries. Close values of long-run coefficients for all estimations confirm the robustness of the estimated results. The authors state that transitional economies need to follow global policy incentives, and try to implement new mechanisms and instruments for the purpose of reducing CO2 emissions, such as environmental taxes, emissions-trading schemes, and carbon capture and storage, if they want to achieve future CO2 emission reductions, while attaining economic growth.
Analysis of the Dynamic Evolutionary Behavior of American Heating Oil Spot and Futures Price Fluctuation Networks
Authors: Chen Huan , Tian Lixin , Wang Minggang , Zhen Zaili
Published: April 2017

Heating oil is an extremely important heating fuel to consumers in northeastern United States. This paper studies the fluctuations law and dynamic behavior of heating oil spot and futures prices by setting up their complex network models based on the data of America in recent 30 years. Firstly, modes are defined by the method of coarse graining, the spot price fluctuation network of heating oil (HSPFN) and its futures price fluctuation network (HFPFN) in different periods are established to analyze the transformation characteristics between the modes. Secondly, several indicators are investigated: average path length, node strength and strength distribution, betweeness, etc. In addition, a function is established to measure and analyze the network similarity. The results show the cumulative time of new nodes appearing in either spot or futures price network is not random but exhibits a growth trend of straight line. Meanwhile, the power law distributions of spot and futures price fluctuations in different periods present regularity and complexity. Moreover, these prices are strongly correlated in stable fluctuation period but weak in the phase of sharp fluctuation. Finally, the time distribution characteristics of important modes in the networks and the evolution results of the topological properties mentioned above are obtained.
Spatial and Temporal Variations in the Ecological Footprints in Northwest China from 2005 to 2014
Authors: Yin Yunhe , Han Xiang , Wu Shaohong
Published: April 2017

Global change is becoming increasingly evident, and human activities are also causing severe damage to natural resources and the environment. Therefore, it is increasingly important to study regional sustainability in order to guide human decisions and actions. The ecological footprint is a useful indicator with which to quantify the pressures imposed by humans on natural resources and regional capacities for sustainable development. This paper analyzed the variations in the ecological footprints and capacity for regional development of five provinces in Northwest China in 2005–2014, based on the Wackernagel ecological footprint method, using the standard measurement of the national hectare. The ecological footprints of the five provinces were quite different, mainly because of the differences in arable land and fossil energy resources. The average ecological footprint in Shanxi was relatively high over the study period, at 22,549.86 thousand NHA, which had the greatest demand for natural resources, whereas that of Qinghai was relatively low, at 4163.20 thousand NHA. The ecological footprint in Northwest China increased from 57,770.19 thousand NHA in 2005 to 96,501.66 thousand NHA in 2014, predominantly attributed to the growth of the fossil energy ecological footprint (coal accounted for 72.88%, crude oil accounted for 14.97%, and coke accounted for 6.67%). The changes in the ecological footprint per 10,000 CNY gross domestic product, the ecological footprint diversity index, and the development capacity index in the study period revealed an increase in the comprehensive development capacity in this region, which should improve the regional capacity for sustainable development, but the stability of the eco-economic systems in Shanxi, Ningxia, and Xinjiang require improvement. This analysis provides the reference information for the construction of an ecologically viable civilization in Northwest China and the scientific foundation for the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Assessment of the Antimicrobial Activity and the Entomocidal Potential of Bacillus thuringiensis Isolates from Algeria
Authors: Djenane Zahia , Nateche Farida , Amziane Meriam , Gomis-Cebolla Joaquín , El-Aichar Fairouz , Khorf Hassiba , Ferré Juan
Published: April 2017

This work represents the first initiative to analyze the distribution of B. thuringiensis in Algeria and to evaluate the biological potential of the isolates. A total of 157 isolates were recovered, with at least one isolate in 94.4% of the samples. The highest Bt index was found in samples from rhizospheric soil (0.48) and from the Mediterranean area (0.44). Most isolates showed antifungal activity (98.5%), in contrast to the few that had antibacterial activity (29.9%). A high genetic diversity was made evident by the finding of many different crystal shapes and various combinations of shapes within a single isolate (in 58.4% of the isolates). Also, over 50% of the isolates harbored cry1, cry2, or cry9 genes, and 69.3% contained a vip3 gene. A good correlation between the presence of chitinase genes and antifungal activity was observed. More than half of the isolates with a broad spectrum of antifungal activity harbored both endochitinase and exochitinase genes. Interestingly, 15 isolates contained the two chitinase genes and all of the above cry family genes, with some of them harboring a vip3 gene as well. The combination of this large number of genes coding for entomopathogenic proteins suggests a putative wide range of entomotoxic activity.
Modeling Determinants of Urban Growth in Conakry, Guinea: A Spatial Logistic Approach
Authors: Traore Arafan , Watanabe Teiji
Published: April 2017

The main objective of the present study was to integrate a logistic regression model (LRM), a geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) techniques to analyze and quantify urban growth patterns and investigate the relationship between urban growth and various driving forces. Landsat images from 1986, 2000, and 2016 derived from the TM, ETM+, and OLI sensors respectively were used to simulate an urban growth probability map for Conakry. To better explain the effects of the drivers on the urban growth processes in the study area, variables for two groups of drivers were considered: socioeconomic proximity and physical topography. The results of the LRM using IDRISI Selva indicated that the variables elevation (β7 = 1.76) and distance to major roads (β4 = 0.67) resulted in models with the best fit and the highest regression coefficients. These results indicate a high probability of urban growth in areas with high elevation and near major roads. The validation of the model was conducted using the relative operating characteristic (ROC) method; which result exhibited high accuracy of 0.89 between the simulated urban growth probability map and the actual one. A land use/land cover (LULC) change analysis showed that the urban area had undergone continuous growth over the study period resulting in an extent of 143.5 km2 for the urban area class in 2016.
HBV DNA Integration: Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Implications
Authors: Tu Thomas , Budzinska Magdalena , Shackel Nicholas , Urban Stephan
Published: April 2017

Chronic infection with the Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is a major cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality. One peculiar observation in cells infected with HBV (or with closely‑related animal hepadnaviruses) is the presence of viral DNA integration in the host cell genome, despite this form being a replicative dead-end for the virus. The frequent finding of somatic integration of viral DNA suggests an evolutionary benefit for the virus; however, the mechanism of integration, its functions, and the clinical implications remain unknown. Here we review the current body of knowledge of HBV DNA integration, with particular focus on the molecular mechanisms and its clinical implications (including the possible consequences of replication-independent antigen expression and its possible role in hepatocellular carcinoma). HBV DNA integration is likely to influence HBV replication, persistence, and pathogenesis, and so deserves greater attention in future studies.
Single-Round Infectious Particle Antiviral Screening Assays for the Japanese Encephalitis Virus
Authors: Lu Chien-Yi , Hour Mann-Jen , Wang Ching-Ying , Huang Su-Hua , Mu Wen-Xiang , Chang Yu-Chun , Lin Cheng-Wen
Published: April 2017

Japanese Encephalitis virus (JEV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus with a positive-sense single-stranded RNA genome that contains a big open reading frame (ORF) flanked by 5′- and 3′- untranslated regions (UTRs). Nearly 30,000 JE cases with 10,000 deaths are still annually reported in East Asia. Although the JEV genotype III vaccine has been licensed, it elicits a lower protection against other genotypes. Moreover, no effective treatment for a JE case is developed. This study constructed a pBR322-based and cytomegaloviruses (CMV) promoter-driven JEV replicon for the production of JEV single-round infectious particles (SRIPs) in a packaging cell line expressing viral structural proteins. Genetic instability of JEV genome cDNA in the pBR322 plasmid was associated with the prokaryotic promoter at 5′ end of the JEV genome that triggers the expression of the structural proteins in E. coli. JEV structural proteins were toxic E. coli, thus the encoding region for structural proteins was replaced by a reporter gene (enhanced green fluorescent protein, EGFP) that was in-frame fused with the first eight amino acids of the C protein at N-terminus and the foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) 2A peptide at C-terminus in a pBR322-based JEV-EGFP replicon. JEV-EGFP SRIPs generated from JEV-EGFP replicon-transfected packaging cells displayed the infectivity with cytopathic effect induction, self-replication of viral genomes, and the expression of EGFP and viral proteins. Moreover, the combination of JEV-EGFP SRIP plus flow cytometry was used to determine the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of antiviral agents according to fluorescent intensity and positivity of SRIP-infected packaging cells post treatment. MJ-47, a quinazolinone derivative, significantly inhibited JEV-induced cytopathic effect, reducing the replication and expression of JEV-EGFP replicon in vitro. The IC50 value of 6.28 µM for MJ-47 against JEV was determined by the assay of JEV-EGFP SRIP infection in packaging cells plus flow cytometry that was more sensitive, effective, and efficient compared to the traditional plaque assay. Therefore, the system of JEV-EGFP SRIPs plus flow cytometry was a rapid and reliable platform for screening antiviral agents and evaluating antiviral potency.
Protein-Coding Genes’ Retrocopies and Their Functions
Authors: Kubiak Magdalena Regina , Makałowska Izabela
Published: April 2017

Transposable elements, often considered to be not important for survival, significantly contribute to the evolution of transcriptomes, promoters, and proteomes. Reverse transcriptase, encoded by some transposable elements, can be used in trans to produce a DNA copy of any RNA molecule in the cell. The retrotransposition of protein-coding genes requires the presence of reverse transcriptase, which could be delivered by either non-long terminal repeat (non-LTR) or LTR transposons. The majority of these copies are in a state of “relaxed” selection and remain “dormant” because they are lacking regulatory regions; however, many become functional. In the course of evolution, they may undergo subfunctionalization, neofunctionalization, or replace their progenitors. Functional retrocopies (retrogenes) can encode proteins, novel or similar to those encoded by their progenitors, can be used as alternative exons or create chimeric transcripts, and can also be involved in transcriptional interference and participate in the epigenetic regulation of parental gene expression. They can also act in trans as natural antisense transcripts, microRNA (miRNA) sponges, or a source of various small RNAs. Moreover, many retrocopies of protein-coding genes are linked to human diseases, especially various types of cancer.
Animal Models of Cancer-Associated Hypercalcemia
Authors: Kohart Nicole , Elshafae Said , Breitbach Justin , Rosol Thomas
Published: April 2017

Cancer-associated hypercalcemia (CAH) is a frequently-occurring paraneoplastic syndrome that contributes to substantial patient morbidity and occurs in both humans and animals. Patients with CAH are often characterized by markedly elevated serum calcium concentrations that result in a range of clinical symptoms involving the nervous, gastrointestinal and urinary systems. CAH is caused by two principle mechanisms; humorally-mediated and/or through local osteolytic bone metastasis resulting in excessive calcium release from resorbed bone. Humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy (HHM) is the most common mechanism and is due to the production and release of tumor-associated cytokines and humoral factors, such as parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP), that act at distant sites to increase serum calcium concentrations. Local osteolytic hypercalcemia (LOH) occurs when primary or metastatic bone tumors act locally by releasing factors that stimulate osteoclast activity and bone resorption. LOH is a less frequent cause of CAH and in some cases can induce hypercalcemia in concert with HHM. Rarely, ectopic production of parathyroid hormone has been described. PTHrP-mediated hypercalcemia is the most common mechanism of CAH in human and canine malignancies and is recognized in other domestic species. Spontaneous and experimentally-induced animal models have been developed to study the mechanisms of CAH. These models have been essential for the evaluation of novel approaches and adjuvant therapies to manage CAH. This review will highlight the comparative aspects of CAH in humans and animals with a discussion of the available animal models used to study the pathogenesis of this important clinical syndrome.
Minimising Stress for Patients in the Veterinary Hospital: Why It Is Important and What Can Be Done about It
Authors: Lloyd Janice
Published: April 2017

Minimising stress for patients should always be a priority in the veterinary hospital. However, this is often overlooked. While a “no stress” environment is not possible, understanding how to create a “low stress” (sometimes called “fear-free”) environment and how to handle animals in a less stressful manner benefits patients, staff and the hospital alike. Many veterinary practitioners believe creating a low stress environment is too hard and too time consuming, but this need not be the case. With some simple approaches, minimising patient, and hence staff, stress is achievable in all veterinary practices. This article provides a background on why minimising stress is important and outlines some practical steps that can be taken by staff to minimise stress for presenting and hospitalised patients. Useful resources on recognising signs of stress in dogs and cats, handling, restraint, behaviour modification, medications, and hospital design are provided.
Onomástica personal de los francos de Estella (1090-1222)
Authors: Cierbide Martinena Ricardo
Published: April 2017

L'article étudie l'onomastique des Francos établis aux XIe -XIIe siècles à Estella (Navarre, Espagne). Ces colons, provenant pour la plupart du Midi, portaient des noms et des habitudes onomastiques méconnus dans le Nord de l'Espagne.
La institución del caput mansi en Francia y la Península Ibérica
Authors: Santano Moreno Julián
Published: April 2017

L 'article porte sur l'expression caput mansi attestée depuis le DC siècle. On a cherché à établir sa distribution géographique précise — Nord de la France, Occitanie, Catalogne, Aragon — , son sémantisme, sa formation linguistique en latin et ses dérivés en français, occitan, catalan et aragonais.
Onomástica y demografía. Apuntes metodológicos
Authors: Carretero Melo Antonio
Published: April 2017

L'Onomastique peut bien aider la Démographie. En voici trois exemples méthodologiques pour l'Époque Moderne. A défaut de registres mortuaires des petits enfants, on peut parvenir à étudier leur mortalité par le biais des prénoms conférés à leur fratrie. D'autre part, les prénoms peuvent indiquer l 'origine géographique de leurs porteurs : voisinage ou migration.
El latinismo en antropónimos españoles
Authors: García Gallarín Consuelo
Published: April 2017

La tendance d'écrire les noms propres en latin s 'observe dans les sources historiques espagnoles. Dans la documentation primitive, des noms personnels sont latinisés et s 'intègrent dans des formules (Antonius Gomez, Antonius notarius ; Johannes, episcopus Burgensis) ; ces formules sont conventionnelles, qui signalent des personnes d'un certain rang, ou spécifient la provenance du désigné avec les gentilices en latin, parce qu 'ils ne sont pas connus en castillan.

Pendant la période qui succède au Moyen Âge, cette pratique traditionnelle subsiste (Antonius, doctor) ; l'influence humanistique la fait perdurer ; par contre, il n'y a pas trace de nouveaux latinismes dans les corpus actuels des noms de famille délexicaux : le répertoire d'origine savant procède de mots enracinés dans la documentation médiévale (Nuncio, Notario, Preciado, Doctor, Sutil,) ; nous ne trouvons pas de données dérivées de la rénovation et de I' ampliation du lexique savant de la langue espagnole (XVe -XVIIe s.) dans le corpus actuel de noms de famille.
A Novel CXCR4 Antagonist CX549 Induces Neuroprotection in Stroke Brain
Authors: Wu Kuo-Jen , Yu Seong-Jin , Shia Kak-Shan , Wu Chien-Huang , Song Jen-Shin , Kuan Hsuan-Hao , Yeh Kai-Chia , Chen Chiung-Tong , Bae Eunkyune , Wang Yun
Published: April 2017

C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) is a receptor for a pleiotropic chemokine CXCL12. Previous studies have shown that the acute administration of the CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100 reduced neuroinflammation in stroke brain and mobilized bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). The purpose of this study was to characterize the neuroprotective and neurotrophic effect of a novel CXCR4 antagonist CX549. We demonstrated that CX549 had a higher affinity for CXCR4 and was more potent than AMD3100 to inhibit CXCL12-mediated chemotaxis in culture. CX549 effectively reduced the activation of microglia and improved neuronal survival after injury in neuron/microglia cocultures. Early poststroke treatment with CX549 significantly improved behavioral function, reduced brain infarction, and suppressed the expression of inflammatory markers. Compared to AMD3100, CX549 has a higher affinity for CXCR4, is more efficient to mobilize HSCs for transplantation, and induces behavioral improvement. Our data support that CX549 is a potent anti-inflammatory agent, is neuroprotective against ischemic brain injury, and may have clinical implications for the treatment of stroke.
Examining the Effects of Perceived Quality, Value, Satisfaction, and Destination Loyalty in Shiogama, Japan
Authors: Matsuoka Kohsuke , Hallak Rob , Murayama Takatoshi , Akiike Atsushi
Published: April 2017

This study examines the relationships between perceived quality, value, visitor satisfaction, and loyalty in a new context—Shiogama, Japan—a seaside town with a population of 55,000 residents that is famous for its cultural attractions and attracts over 2 million visitors
per annum. Drawing on theories from tourism, marketing, and destination management, we hypothesize that perceived quality of destination attributes, as well perceived value of the experience, will have a direct positive effect on tourist satisfaction. Tourist satisfaction is hypothesized to
be a direct driver of loyalty to the destination. The research also examines the extent to which the origin of the domestic tourist moderates the relationships between perceived quality, perceived value, and satisfaction. A research questionnaire was used to collect responses from 436 visitors
to Shiogama's tourist attractions in 2015. Perceived quality was operationalized to capture the unique attributes of Shiogama. Results of the exploratory factor analysis and multiple regression analysis found that the perceived quality of Shiogama's attributes, including the city's local restaurants,
atmosphere, and souvenirs, have a significant positive effect on visitor satisfaction. Perceived value of the destination, measured through visitors' perceptions of costs and benefit of the travel experience, was also significantly and positively related to satisfaction. Visitor satisfaction
was significantly and positively related to destination loyalty, validating previous research on the predictors of destination loyalty. We found that visitors to Shiogama from different regions of Japan engaged in different activities and attractions, highlighting the heterogeneity of Shiogama's
inbound domestic market segments. The study presents new insights on the operationalization of perceived quality and the predictors of tourist satisfaction and loyalty toward a destination. The findings are also relevant to industry practitioners and destination managers as they seek to understand
the heterogeneous needs and behaviors of their inbound market segments.
Generalized velocity–density model based on microscopic traffic simulation
Authors: Derbel Oussama , Péter Tamás , Mourllion Benjamin , Basset Michel
Published: April 2017

In case of the Intelligent Driver Model (IDM) the actual Velocity–Density law V(D) applied by this dynamic system is not defined, only the dynamic behaviour of the vehicles/drivers is determined. Therefore, the logical question is whether the related investigations enhance an existing and known law or reveal a new connection. Specifically, which function class/type is enhanced by the IDM? The publication presents a model analysis, the goal of which was the exploration of a feature of the IDM, which, as yet, ‘remained hidden’. The theoretical model results are useful, this analysis important in the practice in the field of hybrid control as well. The transfer of the IDM groups through large-scale networks has special practical significance. For example, in convoys, groups of special vehicle, safety measures with delegations. In this case, the large-scale network traffic characteristics and the IDM traffic characteristics should be taken into account simultaneously. Important characteristics are the speed–density laws. In case of effective modelling of large networks macroscopic models are used, however the IDMs are microscopic. With careful modelling, we cannot be in contradiction with the application of speed–density law, where there IDM convoy passes. Therefore, in terms of practical applications, it is important to recognize what kind of speed–density law is applied by the IDM convoys in traffic. Therefore, in our case the goal was not the validation of the model, but the exploration of a further feature of the validated model. The separate validation of the model was not necessary, since many validated applications for this model have been demonstrated in practice. In our calculations, also the applied model parameter values remained in the range of the model parameters used in the literature. This paper presents a new approach for Velocity–Density Model (VDM) synthesis. It consists in modelling separately each of the density and the velocity (macroscopic parameter). From this study, safety time headway (microscopic parameter) can be identified from macroscopic data by mean of interpolation method in the developed map of velocity–density. By combining the density and the velocity models, a generalized new VDM is developed. It is shown that from this one, some literature VDMs, as well as their properties, can be derived by fixing some of its parameters.
An Estimation of the Star Formation Rate in the Perseus Complex
Authors: Mercimek Seyma , Myers Philip C. , Lee Katherine I. , Sadavoy Sarah I.
Published: April 2017

We present the results of our investigation of the star-forming potential in the Perseus star-forming complex. We build on previous starless core, protostellar core, and young stellar object (YSO) catalogs from Spitzer (3.6–70 μm), Herschel (70–500 μm), and SCUBA (850 μm) observations in the literature. We place the cores and YSOs within seven star-forming clumps based on column densities greater than

cm−2. We calculate the mean density and free-fall time for 69 starless cores as ∼5.55

g cm−3 and ∼0.1 Myr, respectively, and we estimate the star formation rate for the near future as ∼150 M
⊙ Myr−1. According to Bonnor–Ebert stability analysis, we find that majority of starless cores in Perseus are unstable. Broadly, these cores can collapse to form the next generation of stars. We found a relation between starless cores and YSOs, where the numbers of young protostars (Class 0 + Class I) are similar to the numbers of starless cores. This similarity, which shows a one-to-one relation, suggests that these starless cores may form the next generation of stars with approximately the same formation rate as the current generation, as identified by the Class 0 and Class I protostars. It follows that if such a relation between starless cores and any YSO stage exists, the SFR values of these two populations must be nearly constant. In brief, we propose that this one-to-one relation is an important factor in better understanding the star formation process within a cloud.
ZFIRE: The Evolution of the Stellar Mass Tully–Fisher Relation to Redshift ∼2.2
Authors: Straatman Caroline M. S. , Glazebrook Karl , Kacprzak Glenn G. , Labbé Ivo , Nanayakkara Themiya , Alcorn Leo , Cowley Michael , Kewley Lisa J. , Spitler Lee R. , Tran Kim-Vy H. , Yuan Tiantian
Published: April 2017

Using observations made with MOSFIRE on Keck I as part of the ZFIRE survey, we present the stellar mass Tully–Fisher relation at

. The sample was drawn from a stellar-mass-limited,

-band-selected catalog from ZFOURGE over the CANDELS area in the COSMOS field. We model the shear of the Hα emission line to derive rotational velocities at

the scale radius of an exponential disk (

). We correct for the blurring effect of a 2D point-spread function (PSF) and the fact that the MOSFIRE PSF is better approximated by a Moffat than a Gaussian, which is more typically assumed for natural seeing. We find for the Tully–Fisher relation at

that

+(0.193 ± 0.108)

and infer an evolution of the zero-point of

or

compared to z = 0 when adopting a fixed slope of 0.29 or 1/4.5, respectively. We also derive the alternative kinematic estimator

, with a best-fit relation

 

 

, and infer an evolution of

compared to

if we adopt a fixed slope. We investigate and review various systematics, such as PSF effects, projection effects, systematics related to stellar mass derivation, selection biases, and slope. We find that discrepancies between the various literature values are reduced when taking these into account. Our observations correspond well with the gradual evolution predicted by semianalytic models.
Constraining the Age of a Magnetar Possibly Associated with FRB 121102
Authors: Cao Xiao-Feng , Yu Yun-Wei , Dai Zi-Gao
Published: April 2017

The similarity of the host galaxy of FRB 121102 with those of long gamma-ray bursts and Type I superluminous supernovae suggests that this fast radio burst (FRB) could be associated with a young magnetar. By assuming the FRB emission is produced within the magnetosphere, we derive a lower limit on the age of the magnetar, after which GHz emission is able to escape freely from the dense relativistic wind of the magnetar. Another lower limit is obtained by requiring the dispersion measure contributed by the electron/positron pair wind to be consistent with the observations of the host galaxy. Furthermore, we also derive some upper limits on the magnetar age with discussions on possible energy sources of the FRB emission and the recently discovered persistent radio counterpart. As a result, some constraints on model parameters are addressed by reconciling the lower limits with the possible upper limits that are derived with an assumption of the rotational energy source.
Antiviral Activity of Nobiletin against Chikungunya virus in vitro
Authors: Lin Shih-Chao , Chen Mei-Chun , Li Shiming , Lin Chi-Chen , Wang Tony T
Published: April 2017

Background

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), a highly contagious re-emerging virus, is transmitted by infected mosquitoes. CHIKV is prevalent in tropical countries and is continuing to creep farther north into temperate areas. CHIKV is responsible for induction of chikungunya fever (CF) and severe joint stiffness with the capability of developing into bilateral and systemic arthralgia or even encephalitis. Despite the high morbidity rate, no approved antiviral drug is available. Therefore, an anti-CHIKV therapy is necessary to control this disease. In this study, we screened four flavonoids for anti-CHIKV activities: nobiletin, phlorizin, resveratrol and oxyresveratrol.

Methods

We performed MTT, Viral ToxGloTM and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays to assess the viability of CHIKV-infected host cells. Plaque assay and immunofluorescent assay were utilized to evaluate the levels of viral production in quantification and qualification, respectively.

Results

We first confirmed that nobiletin can maintain the cellular survival of infected cells without inducing significant toxicity to host cells. Nobiletin suppressed virus-induced cell death and viral production. Also, the antiviral efficacy of nobiletin can last for at least 48 h during infection. More importantly, nobiletin inhibited CHIKV infection during the translation/replication stages and viral entry, making nobiletin a potential clinical antiviral agent in prophylaxis and post-exposure treatment.

Conclusions

In this study, our results provided a strategy to develop anti-chikungunya agents by utilizing natural compounds. Also, we believe that nobiletin can be a potential antiviral agent against CHIKV infection worthy of being further investigated as a remedial candidate in vivo.
DNA barcoding the fishes of Lizard Island (Great Barrier Reef)
Authors: Steinke Dirk , deWaard Jeremy , Gomon Martin , Johnson Jeffrey , Larson Helen , Lucanus Oliver , Moore Glenn , Reader Sally , Ward Robert
Published: April 2017

To date the global initiative to barcode all fishes, FISH-BOL, has delivered barcodes for approximately 14,400 of the 30,000 fish species; there is still much to do to attain its ultimate goal of barcoding all the world’s fishes. One strategy to overcome local gaps is to initiate short but intensive efforts to collect and barcode as many species as possible from a small region – a barcode ‘blitz’. This study highlights one such event, for the marine waters around Lizard island in the Great Barrier Reef (Queensland, Australia). Barcode records were obtained from 983 fishes collected over a two-week period. The resulting dataset comprised 358 named species and another 13 species that presently can only be reliably identified to genus level. Overall, this short expedition provided DNA barcodes for 13% of all marine fish species known to occur in Queensland.