bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Calcined sodium silicate as an efficient and benign heterogeneous catalyst for the transesterification of natural lecithin to L-α-glycerophosphocholine
Authors: Li Bin , Li Hongya , Zhang Xiaoli , Fan Pengjuan , Liu Lei , Li Binglin , Dong Wenbo , Zhao Binxia
Published: February 2018

Calcined sodium silicate could serve as an efficient and benign heterogeneous catalyst for the production of L-α-glycerophosphocholine from natural lecithin. The catalytic transesterification of natural lecithin by calcined sodium silicate proceeded to almost 100% conversion under the following conditions: sodium silicate amount of 6 wt%, reaction temperature of 65°C, lecithin concentration of 10.5 mmol/l, stirring intensity of 300 rpm, reaction time of 120 min. In addition, this catalyst could be separated completely by simple centrifugation and retained high activity after three re-uses. Compared to the previously reported catalysts, calcined sodium silicate, with the significantly important characteristics of non-toxicity and easy excretion from the human body, was beneficial to the benign production of L-α-glycerophosphocholine and its security as well as application in food and medicine fields.
High Rate Pulse Discharge of Lithium Battery in Electromagnetic Launch System
Authors: Long Xinlin , Lu Junyong , Wu Yiting , Wei Jingbo , Zhou Ren
Published: February 2018

Aimed at the miniaturization of the power-supply system for electromagnetic launch (EML) system, this paper deals with the problem of high rate pulse discharge of lithium batteries in the EML system. In order to reduce the number of batteries on series-parallel to increase the energy density, the factors such as safety, exotherm and life cycle must be taken into consideration, and there is need for optimization in terms of selection and design as well as discharge control of the battery. According to the power requirements of the EML system, the battery safety and discharge ability are important indexes in the aspect of selection and design, which refer to the design principle for selected batteries and the design scheme for raising their discharge ability under the precondition of discharge, and in the aspect of discharge control, the balancing-discharge control strategy is adopted to reduce the duration of high-rate discharge and the heat generation and extend the service life of batteries according to the EML operating conditions. Finally a test platform is established for verification.
Accurate Location of Evolving Faults on Transmission Lines Using Sparse Wide Area Measurements
Authors: Jiao Xiangqing , Liao Yuan
Published: February 2018

In electric power systems, not all fault conditions remain unchanged during faults. An evolving fault has one characteristic initially and changes to a different condition subsequently. Locating evolving faults is challenging due to the change in fault type shortly after the fault initiation. This paper presents a new approach for estimating the locations of evolving faults on transmission lines. By using sparse wide area voltage measurements, this method is able to accurately locate evolving faults without requiring measurements from either end of the faulted line. There is no need to detect whether a fault is an evolving fault or not. Fault type information is not a necessity either, and the change of fault phases does not affect the estimation accuracy. In addition, the algorithm is applicable to both single-circuit and double-circuit lines, and the transmission lines can be either transposed or untransposed. Distributed parameter line model is adopted to fully consider the shunt capacitances of the transmission lines. Electromagnetic Transient Program (EMTP) is employed to simulate transmission system, and quite accurate results have been achieved.
Intelligent Systems for Structural Damage Assessment
Authors: Vrochidou Eleni , Alvanitopoulos Petros-Fotios , Andreadis Ioannis , Elenas Anaxagoras
Published: February 2018

This research provides a comparative study of intelligent systems in structural damage assessment after the occurrence of an earthquake. Seismic response data of a reinforced concrete structure subjected to 100 different levels of seismic excitation are utilized to study the structural damage pattern described by a well-known damage index, the maximum inter-story drift ratio (MISDR). Through a time-frequency analysis of the accelerograms, a set of seismic features is extracted. The aim of this study is to analyze the performance of three different techniques for the set of the proposed seismic features: an artificial neural network (ANN), a Mamdani-type fuzzy inference system (FIS), and a Sugeno-type FIS. The performance of the models is evaluated in terms of the mean square error (MSE) between the actual calculated and estimated MISDR values derived from the proposed models. All models provide small MSE values. Yet, the ANN model reveals a slightly better performance.
Did Catalonia endure a (cultural) genocide?
Authors: Vilanova Francesc
Published: February 2018

During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), Spanish fascism developed its own repressive tools and resources against their enemies (Republicans, Socialists, Communists and Anarchists among others) in the same way other European fascisms did. The depth of the Spanish nationalism brought Franco’s repression against the Catalan society to the height of the processes of cultural and linguistic persecution in the same way that Nazism or Italian fascism had done in the territories they occupied during the years of World War II.
The Aberdeen Burgh Records of 1398–1531 and the Semantic Web
Authors: Havinga Anna D. , Wyner Adam Z.
Published: February 2018

This paper provides an overview of two text analytic projects on the Aberdeen burgh records, which are legal records of the city of Aberdeen, Scotland. These records contain detailed information about a range of activities in the city and their legal treatment. The projects cover the periods 1398–1511 (Law in the Aberdeen Council Registers project – LACR) and 1530–1531 (A Text Analytic Approach to Rural and Urban Legal Histories project – TAHL). The completed TAHL project annotated a selected corpus with rich semantic information for the purpose of facilitating historical research by querying and extracting data from across the corpus. The LACR project, which is ongoing, focuses on transcribing the first eight volumes of the Aberdeen burgh records (1398–1511) into the Text Encoding Initiative’s standard, thus making the text machinereadable. This project lays the foundation for further analysis and enrichment of the corpus.
Induction of labor in twin gestation: can we predict success?
Authors: Razavi Armin S. , Chasen Stephen T. , Chambers Fiona , Kalish Robin B.
Published: February 2018

Objective:

To identify factors associated with a successful induction of labor in twin pregnancies and associated maternal morbidity.

Study design:

This was a retrospective review of twin pregnancies ≥24 weeks’ gestation undergoing labor induction from 2011 to 2016. The primary outcome was a successful induction of labor. The secondary outcome was a composite of maternal morbidity, including ≥1 of the following: estimated blood loss (EBL) >1500 ml, blood transfusion, hysterectomy, intensive care unit (ICU) admission or maternal death.

Results:

Of 104 twin pregnancies undergoing labor induction, 64 (61.5%) had a vaginal delivery of both twins. Multiparity [odds ratio (OR) 12.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.9–38.8, P≤0.005] and maternal age <35 years (OR 2.33, 95% CI 1.1–5.2, P=0.038) were independently associated with vaginal delivery. The overall rate of composite maternal morbidity was 7.7%. Cesarean delivery (CD) was associated with an increased rate of composite maternal morbidity compared to the successful induction group (17.5% vs. 1.6%, P≤0.005). An EBL >1500 ml, uterine atony and the use of ≥1 uterotonic agent were more frequent in the CD group.

Conclusions:

Multiparous women and those <35 years of age were more likely to have a vaginal delivery. Maternal morbidity is increased in women who required a CD after labor induction compared to those who achieved a vaginal delivery.
Efficacy of three different regimens in recovery of bowel function following elective cesarean section: a randomized trial
Authors: Ahmed Magdy Refaat , Sayed Ahmed Waleed Ali , Khamess Rasha Elsayed , Youwakim Manar S. , EL-Nahas Khaled Mohamed
Published: February 2018

Aim:

To compare the efficacy of three postoperative feeding regimens on bowel function recovery after term elective cesarean section (CS).

Methods:

Women recruited for this randomized trial were allocated into three groups. Women in group (A) were instructed to chew sugarless gum for 10 min every 2 h after surgery. Group (B) mothers received IV fluids for 6 h followed by sipping fruit juices sweetened with honey. Group (C) had oral intake of clear fluids after passage of flatus and regular diet with the passage of bowel movement. The main outcome measures were the timing of first return to bowel movement and initiation of regular diet.

Results:

The mean times to first hearing of bowel sounds, to first flatus passage and to first defecation were significantly lower in group A (10, 17.5 and 28.1 h, respectively) compared to groups B and C [15.1, 24.9 and 36 h (B) and 21.6, 38.8 and 49.4 h (C)]. Initiation of regular diet was significantly earlier in group A compared to groups B and C (21 vs. 27.5 and 40.3 h, respectively).

Conclusion:

Chewing gum appears to be more advantageous than early or traditional feeding regimens after term elective CS resulting in rapid recovery of bowel function.
Is the Appropriateness of Emotions Culture-Dependent? The Relevance of Social Meaning
Authors: Welpinghus Anna
Published: February 2018

This paper contributes to the question to what extent the socio-cultural context is relevant for the appropriateness of emotions, while appropriateness of an emotion means that the emotion entails a correct, or adequate, evaluation of its object. In a first step, two adequacy conditions for theories of emotions are developed: the first condition ensures that the socio-cultural context is not neglected: theories must allow for the fact that appropriateness often depends on the social meaning of the emotion’s particular object. The second condition rules out implausible forms of cultural determinism. In a second step, an account that meets both conditions is presented: the Acceptance within Social Context account.
How not to Appease Athena: A Reconsideration of Xerxes' Purported Visit to the Troad (Hdt. 7.42–43)
Authors: van Rookhuijzen Jan Zacharias
Published: February 2018

This article investigates the topography in Herodotus' account of Xerxes' visit to the Troad in 480 BC, which consists of Mount Ida, the Scamander river, the temple of Athena Ilias at Troy and the tumuli in the surrounding landscape. It suggests that this episode, rather than taking us back to historical events of 480 BC, may (partly) be a product of Greek imagination in the ca. fifty years between Xerxes' invasion of Greece and the publication of the „Histories“, with the landscape of the Troad functioning as a catalyst. To this end, the article traces the Iliadic associations of these places, exposes several topographical problems, and explains how the stories frame Xerxes' visit as hubristic. While the article is not concerned with the historicity of the episode per se, it suggests that this historicity cannot automatically be accepted, as has hitherto generally been done.
Civil Strife, Power and Authority in the Judicial Sphere: A Case Study from Roman Palestine
Authors: Czajkowski Kimberley
Published: February 2018

This paper examines Josephus' account of a judicial incident that occurred in around 62 C.E., which involved both Judaean elites and the Roman imperial powers. While traditional readings of the passage have focussed on mining it for information about the nature of the Judaean council that is often referred to as the „sanhedrin“, it is here argued that this report sheds light on several other key issues related to the operation of law within the region: indigenous perspectives on loci of authority within a judicial context, the importance of judicial power within broader societal conflicts, and the role of Judaean-Roman interactions in maintaining and redefining jurisdictional boundaries. It thus constitutes a valuable testimony for understanding the operation of law in this particular part of the Roman Empire.
Positive polarity predicates
Authors: Hoeksema Jack
Published: February 2018

This paper presents Dutch and English predicates that behave as positive polarity items and provides a partial, semantically-grounded classification of this group of PPIs. The items are studied from the perspective of anti-licensing behavior (by negation, either locally or long-distance, in questions, and by weakly negative quantifiers such aslittleandfew). Predicates, unlike quantifiers, do not have wide scope readings (which allow quantificational PPIs such assomebodyto appear in the syntactic scope of negation). Using a mixture of corpus data and introspective judgments, we show that anti-licensing among PPIs is not uniform (mirroring earlier results on NPIs which likewise show considerable variation). Rescuing contexts are likewise shown to differ among PPIs. Some of the PPI predicates show complex interaction with illocutionary force (especially mandative force), and others with differences between presupposed and asserted propositions. High degree predicates, finally, point toward the existence of connections between the marking of degree and positive polarity. PPI status is argued to be the result of a complex interaction between the effects of negation and other nonveridical operators, and other semantic factors, which differ among subclasses of PPIs. Anti-licensing by weak negation correlates fairly well with anti-licensing by long-distance negation, a finding which is (partly) in line with a recent proposal by Spector (2014, Global positive polarity items and obligatory exhaustivity.Semantics and Pragmatics7(11). 1–61) concerning global PPIs. However, we find there to be more variation among the PPIs studied here than the classification of Spector (2014) or any binary classification stipulates.
Positive polarity indefinites? On how (not) to identify them: An exhaustification-based perspective
Authors: Fălăuș Anamaria
Published: February 2018

This paper discusses a class of so-called “marked” or “modal” indefinites in Romance, (e.g., Romanian un NP oarecare, Italian un NP qualunque, French quelque N), which have been shown to display the locality, shielding and rescuing effects familiar from the study of positive polarity items (PPIs) like someone (e.g., Săvescu-Ciucivara 2007, Oarecare indefinites are not just any indefinites. In Gabriela Alboiu, Andrei Avram, Larisa Avram & Daniela Isac (eds.), Pitar Moș: A building with a view: Papers in honour of Alexandra Cornilescu, 205–225. Bucharest: Editura Universității din București; Jayez and Tovena 2007, Evidentiality and determination. In Atle Grønn (ed.), Proceedings of Sinn und Bedeutung 12, 271–286. Oslo: Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages, University of Oslo; Chierchia 2013, Logic in grammar. Oxford: Oxford University Press). Taking Romanian as a case study, I show that in positive contexts, these indefinites exhibit properties (obligatory non-specificity, free choice inferences) that set them apart from someone-PPIs and make them very similar to free choice indefinites. Adopting the framework in Chierchia (2013), we account for the interpretation of indefinites like un NP oarecare by assuming they activate scalar and domain alternatives. The computation of these alternatives is argued to be responsible for the observed interpretation and interaction with negation (as well as other positive polarity features). The proposed account emphasizes the connection between free choice and positive polarity and suggests that positive polarity behavior stems from more than one source.
A topological approach for protein
classification
Authors: Cang Zixuan , Mu Lin , Wu Kedi , Opron Kristopher , Xia Kelin , Wei Guo-Wei
Published: February 2018

Protein function and dynamics are closely related to its sequence and structure.However, prediction
of protein function and dynamics from its sequence and structure is still a fundamental challenge in molecular
biology. Protein classification, which is typically done through measuring the similarity between proteins
based on protein sequence or physical information, serves as a crucial step toward the understanding of protein
function and dynamics. Persistent homology is a new branch of algebraic topology that has found its
success in the topological data analysis in a variety of disciplines, including molecular biology. The present
work explores the potential of using persistent homology as an independent tool for protein classification. To
this end, we propose a molecular topological fingerprint based support vector machine (MTF-SVM) classifier.
Specifically,we construct machine learning feature vectors solely fromprotein topological fingerprints,which
are topological invariants generated during the filtration process. To validate the presentMTF-SVMapproach,
we consider four types of problems. First, we study protein-drug binding by using the M2 channel protein of
influenza A virus. We achieve 96% accuracy in discriminating drug bound and unbound M2 channels. Secondly,
we examine the use of MTF-SVM for the classification of hemoglobin molecules in their relaxed and
taut forms and obtain about 80% accuracy. Thirdly, the identification of all alpha, all beta, and alpha-beta
protein domains is carried out using 900 proteins.We have found a 85% success in this identification. Finally,
we apply the present technique to 55 classification tasks of protein superfamilies over 1357 samples and 246
tasks over 11944 samples. Average accuracies of 82% and 73% are attained. The present study establishes
computational topology as an independent and effective alternative for protein classification.
Role of Dispersion Attraction in Differential
Geometry Based Nonpolar Solvation Models
Authors: Chen Zhan
Published: February 2018

Differential geometry (DG) based solvation models have shown their great success in solvation analysis
by avoiding the use of ad hoc surface definitions, coupling the polar and nonpolar free energies, and
generating solvent-solute boundary in a physically self-consistent fashion. Parameter optimization is a key
factor for their accuracy, predictive ability of solvation free energies, and other applications. Recently, a series
of efforts have been made to improve the parameterization of these new implicit solvent models. In thiswork,
we aim at studying the role of dispersion attraction in the parameterization of our DG based solvation models.
To this end, we first investigate the necessity of van derWaals (vdW) dispersion interactions in the model
and then carry out systematic parameterization for the model in the absence of electrostatic interactions.
In particular, we explore how the changes in Lennard-Jones (L-J) potential expression, its decomposition
scheme, and choices of some fixed parameter values affect the optimal values of other parameters as well as
the overall modeling error. Our study on nonpolar solvation analysis offers insights into the parameterization
of nonpolar components for the full DG based models by eliminating uncertainties from the electrostatic polar
component. Therefore, it can be regarded as a step towards better parameterization for the full DG based
model.
Molnar on Truthmakers for Negative Truths
Authors: Kürbis Nils
Published: February 2018

Molnar argues that the problem of truthmakers for negative truths arises because we tend to accept four metaphysical principles that entail that all negative truths have positive truthmakers. This conclusion, however, already follows from only three of Molnar´s metaphysical principles. One purpose of this note is to set the record straight. I provide an alternative reading of two of Molnar´s principles on which they are all needed to derive the desired conclusion. Furthermore, according to Molnar, the four principles may be inconsistent. By themselves, however, they are not. The other purpose of this note is to propose some plausible further principles that, when added to the four metaphysical theses, entail a contradiction.
Crystal structure of camptothecin, C20H16N2O4
Authors: Tan Zhuo-Jie , Wang Yun-Bo , Yang Quan-Nu , Li Yao-Lan , Wang Guo-Cai , Ouyang Yong-Zhong , Li Guo-Qiang
Published: February 2018

C20H16N2O4, monoclinic, P21 (no. 4), a = 8.0094(5) Å, b = 6.7689(3) Å, c = 29.577(2) Å, β = 95.809(6)°, V =1595.27(16) Å3, Z = 4, R
gt(F) = 0.0457, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.1209, T = 293 K.
Application of gamma radiation and physicochemical treatment to improve the bioactive properties of chitosan extracted from shrimp shell
Authors: Aktar Jesmin , Hasan Zahid , Afroz Tahmina , Harun-or-Rashid  , Pramanik Kamruzzaman
Published: February 2018

The aim of this study is to exploit a suitable chitosan extraction method from the chitin of indigenous shrimp shells by employing different physicochemical treatments and to improve different bioactive properties of this extracted chitosan (CS) by applying gamma radiation. Chitin was prepared from shrimp shell by pretreatment (deproteination, demineralization and oxidation). Chitosan was extracted from chitin by eight different methods varying different physicochemical parameters (reagent concentration, temperature and time) and assessed with respect to the degree of deacetylation, requirement of time and reagents. The method where chitin was repeatedly treated with 121°C for 30 min with 20 M NaOH, produced the highest degree of deacetylation (DD) value (92%) as measured by potentiometric titration, with the least consumption of time and chemicals, and thus, selected as the best suitable extraction method. For further quality improvement, chitosan with highest DD value was irradiated with different doses (i.e., 5, 10, 15, 20 and 50 kGy) of gamma radiation from cobalt-60 gamma irradiator. As the radiation dose was increased, the molecular weight of the wet irradiated chitosan, as measured by the viscosimetric method, decreased from 1.16 × 105 to 1.786 × 103, 1.518 × 103, 1.134 × 103, 1.046 × 103 and 8.23 × 102 dalton, respectively. The radiation treatment of chitosan samples increased the antimicrobial activity significantly in concentration dependent manner on both gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria, as determined by the well-diffusion method. Four to five percent wet chitosan treated with a radiation dose range of 5.0–10.0 kGy rendered the highest antimicrobial activity with least energy and time consumption. Solubility, water binding capacity (WBC) and fat binding capacity (FBC) also improved due to irradiation of chitosan.
Radiation activities and application of ionizing radiation on cultural heritage at ENEA Calliope gamma facility (Casaccia R.C., Rome, Italy)
Authors: Baccaro Stefania , Cemmi Alessia
Published: February 2018

Since the 1980s, research and qualification activities are being carried out at the 60Co gamma Calliope plant, a pool-type irradiation facility located at the Research Centre ENEA-Casaccia (Rome, Italy). The Calliope facility is deeply involved in radiation processing research and on the evaluation and characterization of the effects induced by gamma radiation on materials for different applications (crystals, glasses, optical fibres, polymers and biological systems) and on devices to be used in hostile radiation environment such as nuclear plants, aerospace and high energy physics experiments. All the activities are carried out in the framework of international projects and collaboration with industries and research institutions. In the present work, particular attention will be paid to the cultural heritage activities performed at the Calliope facility, focused on two different aspects: (a) conservation and preservation by bio-deteriogen eradication in archived materials, and (b) consolidation and protection by degraded wooden and stone porous artefacts consolidation.
Polypropylene/polyethylene two-layered by one-step rotational molding
Authors: Jansri Ektinai , O-Charoen Narongchai
Published: February 2018

At present, a two-layered product can be molded through various processes. The rotational molding process is a thermoplastics process that can produce products with a two-layered structure; however, it requires special equipment or additional steps in the processing, which make the processing more complex. However, previous research has shown that, through the use of materials with different particle sizes and melting points, two-layered products can also be molded. Thus, this research uses an axial powder flow apparatus to determine the possibility of a two-layered molding between polypropylene (PP) and linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE). The differences in the particle shapes of a PP homopolymer and copolymer have been considered. The particle sizes of both PPs were determined to be larger than that of LLDPE, and were mixed in a ratio of 50:50 (%wt) using a dry blending method. The results of this experiment show that the two-layered molding of PP and LLDPE using an uncomplicated technique for rotational molding has a high probability of success.
Cracking ShadowCrypt: Exploring the Limitations of Secure I/O Systems in Internet Browsers
Authors: Freyberger Michael , He Warren , Akhawe Devdatta , Mazurek Michelle L. , Mittal Prateek
Published: February 2018

An important line of privacy research is investigating the design of systems for secure input and output (I/O) within Internet browsers. These systems would allow for users’ information to be encrypted and decrypted by the browser, and the specific web applications will only have access to the users’ information in encrypted form. The state-of-the-art approach for a secure I/O system within Internet browsers is a system called ShadowCrypt created by UC Berkeley researchers [23]. This paper will explore the limitations of ShadowCrypt in order to provide a foundation for the general principles that must be followed when designing a secure I/O system within Internet browsers. First, we developed a comprehensive UI attack that cannot be mitigated with popular UI defenses, and tested the efficacy of the attack through a user study administered on Amazon Mechanical Turk. Only 1 of the 59 participants who were under attack successfully noticed the UI attack, which validates the stealthiness of the attack. Second, we present multiple attack vectors against Shadow-Crypt that do not rely upon UI deception. These attack vectors expose the privacy weaknesses of Shadow DOM—the key browser primitive leveraged by ShadowCrypt. Finally, we present a sketch of potential countermeasures that can enable the design of future secure I/O systems within Internet browsers.
Touch and You’re Trapp(ck)ed: Quantifying the Uniqueness of Touch Gestures for Tracking
Authors: Masood Rahat , Zhao Benjamin Zi Hao , Asghar Hassan Jameel , Kaafar Mohamed Ali
Published: February 2018

We argue that touch-based gestures on touch-screen devices enable the threat of a form of persistent and ubiquitous tracking which we call touch-based tracking. Touch-based tracking goes beyond the tracking of virtual identities and has the potential for cross-device tracking as well as identifying multiple users using the same device. We demonstrate the likelihood of touch-based tracking by focusing on touch gestures widely used to interact with touch devices such as swipes and taps.. Our objective is to quantify and measure the information carried by touch-based gestures which may lead to tracking users. For this purpose, we develop an information theoretic method that measures the amount of information about users leaked by gestures when modelled as feature vectors. Our methodology allows us to evaluate the information leaked by individual features of gestures, samples of gestures, as well as samples of combinations of gestures. Through our purpose-built app, called TouchTrack, we gather gesture samples from 89 users, and demonstrate that touch gestures contain sufficient information to uniquely identify and track users. Our results show that writing samples (on a touch pad) can reveal 73.7% of information (when measured in bits), and left swipes can reveal up to 68.6% of information. Combining different combinations of gestures results in higher uniqueness, with the combination of keystrokes, swipes and writing revealing up to 98.5% of information about users. We further show that, through our methodology, we can correctly re-identify returning users with a success rate of more than 90%.
Invertebrate communities of the High Arctic ponds in Hornsund
Authors: Luoto Tomi P. , Oksman Mimmi , Ojala Antti E.K.
Published: February 2018

How environmental conditions influence current distributions of organisms at the local scale in sensitive High Arctic freshwaters is essential to understand in order to better comprehend the cascading consequences of the ongoing climate change. This knowledge is also important background data for paleolimnological assessments of long-term limnoecological changes and in describing the range of environmental variability. We sampled five limnologically different freshwater sites from the Fuglebergsletta marine terrace in Hornsund, southern Svalbard, for aquatic invertebrates. Invertebrate communities were tested against non-climatic environmental drivers as limnological and catchment variables. A clear separation in the communities between the sites was observed. The largest and deepest lake was characterized by a diverse Chironomidae community but Cladocera were absent. In a pond with marine influence, crustaceans, such as Ostracoda, Amphipoda, and calanoid Copepoda were the most abundant invertebrates. Two nutrient-rich ponds were dominated by a chironomid,Orthocladius consobrinus, whereas themost eutrophic pond was dominated by the cladoceranDaphnia pulex, suggesting decreasing diversity along with the trophic status. Overall, nutrient related variables appeared to have an important influence on the invertebrate community composition and diversity, the trophic state of the sites being linked with their exposure to geese guano. Other segregating variables included water color, presence/absence of fish, abundance of aquatic vegetation and lake depth. These results suggest that since most of these variables are climate-driven at a larger scale, the impacts of the ongoing climate change will have cumulative effects on aquatic ecosystems.
Comparison of acoustical and optical zooplankton measurements using an acoustic scattering model: A case study from the Arctic frontal zone
Authors: Szczucka Joanna , Trudnowska Emilia , Hoppe Łukasz , Błachowiak-Samołyk Katarzyna
Published: February 2018

High-frequency acoustic measurements supplemented by a modern optical method, Laser Optical Plankton Counter (LOPC), allowed us to perform a comparative analysis through the application of a mathematical model. We have studied the correspondence between measured and modelled echoes from zooplankton aggregations consisted mainly of two Calanus species. Data were collected from the upper 50 m water layer within the hydrographical frontal zone on the West Spitsbergen Shelf. The application of a “high-pass” model of sound scattering by fluid-like particles to the distribution of zooplankton sizes measured by LOPC resulted mostly in very good agreement between the measured (420 kHz BioSonics) and modelled values, except for cases with very low zooplankton abundance or with occurrence of stronger scatterers (e.g. macrozooplankton, fish). An acoustic model validated for the elastic parameters of zooplankton confirmed that particles smaller than 1mmin diameter, although highly abundant, did not contribute significantly to the sound scattering process at a frequency of 420 kHz. The implementation of diverse complementary methods has great potential to obtain high spatial and temporal resolution in zooplankton distribution studies; however, their compatibility has to be tested first.
Close contacts at the interface: Experimental-computational synergies for solving complexity problems
Authors: Torras Juan , Zanuy David , Bertran Oscar , Alemán Carlos , Puiggalí Jordi , Turón Pau , Revilla-López Guillem
Published: February 2018

The study of material science has been long devoted to the disentanglement of bulk structures which mainly entails finding the inner structure of materials. That structure is accountable for a major portion of materials’ properties. Yet, as our knowledge of these “backbones” enlarged so did the interest for the materials’ boundaries properties which means the properties at the frontier with the surrounding environment that is called interface. The interface is thus to be understood as the sum of the material’s surface plus the surrounding environment be it in solid, liquid or gas phase. The study of phenomena at this interface requires both the use of experimental and theoretical techniques and, above all, a wise combination of them in order to shed light over the most intimate details at atomic, molecular and mesostructure levels. Here, we report several cases to be used as proof of concept of the results achieved when studying interface phenomena by combining a myriad of experimental and theoretical tools to overcome the usual limitation regardind  atomic detail, size and time scales and systems of complex composition. Real world examples of the combined experimental-theoretical work and new tools, software, is offered to the readers.
G protein-coupled receptor-receptor interactions give integrative dynamics to intercellular communication
Authors: Guidolin Diego , Marcoli Manuela , Tortorella Cinzia , Maura Guido , Agnati Luigi F.
Published: February 2018

The proposal of receptor-receptor interactions (RRIs) in the early 1980s broadened the view on the role of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) in the dynamics of the intercellular communication. RRIs, indeed, allow GPCR to operate not only as monomers but also as receptor complexes, in which the integration of the incoming signals depends on the number, spatial arrangement, and order of activation of the protomers forming the complex. The main biochemical mechanisms controlling the functional interplay of GPCR in the receptor complexes are direct allosteric interactions between protomer domains. The formation of these macromolecular assemblies has several physiologic implications in terms of the modulation of the signaling pathways and interaction with other membrane proteins. It also impacts on the emerging field of connectomics, as it contributes to set and tune the synaptic strength. Furthermore, recent evidence suggests that the transfer of GPCR and GPCR complexes between cells via the exosome pathway could enable the target cells to recognize/decode transmitters and/or modulators for which they did not express the pertinent receptors. Thus, this process may also open the possibility of a new type of redeployment of neural circuits. The fundamental aspects of GPCR complex formation and function are the focus of the present review article.
Biomarkers for detection, prognosis and therapeutic assessment of neurological disorders
Authors: Singh Sarita , Gupta Sunil Kumar , Seth Prahlad Kishore
Published: February 2018

Neurological disorders have aroused a significant concern among the health scientists globally, as diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and dementia lead to disability and people have to live with them throughout the life. Recent evidence suggests that a number of environmental chemicals such as pesticides (paraquat) and metals (lead and aluminum) are also the cause of these diseases and other neurological disorders. Biomarkers can help in detecting the disorder at the preclinical stage, progression of the disease and key metabolomic alterations permitting identification of potential targets for intervention. A number of biomarkers have been proposed for some neurological disorders based on laboratory and clinical studies.In silicoapproaches have also been used by some investigators. Yet the ideal biomarker, which can help in early detection and follow-up on treatment and identifying the susceptible populations, is not available. An attempt has therefore been made to review the recent advancements ofin silicoapproaches for discovery of biomarkers and their validation.In silicotechniques implemented with multi-omics approaches have potential to provide a fast and accurate approach to identify novel biomarkers.
Police Incentives, Policy Spillovers, and the Enforcement of Drug Crimes
Authors: DeAngelo Gregory J. , Gittings R. Kaj , Ross Amanda
Published: February 2018

We consider the impact of a low priority initiative adopted in specific jurisdictions within Los Angeles (LA) County on police behavior. Low priority initiatives instruct police to make the enforcement of low level marijuana possession offenses their “lowest priority.” Using detailed data from the LA County Sheriff’s Department, a difference-in-differences strategy suggests that the mandate resulted in fewer arrests for misdemeanor marijuana possession in adopting areas relative to non-adopting. However, the lower relative reduction in marijuana arrests appears to be driven by an increase in misdemeanor marijuana arrests in nearby areas not affected by the mandate rather than a reduction in adopting areas. We interpret this result as suggestive evidence of policy spillovers from the low priority initiative.
Practical implementation of extended Kalman filtering in chemical systems with sparse measurements
Authors: Kulikov Gennady Yu. , Kulikova Maria V.
Published: February 2018

Chemical systems are often characterized by a number of peculiar properties that create serious challenges to state estimator algorithms. They may include hard nonlinear dynamics, states subject to some constraints arising from a physical nature of the process (for example, all chemical concentrations must be nonnegative), and so on. The classical Extended Kalman Filter (EKF), which is considered to be the most popular state estimator in practice, is shown to be ineffective in chemical systems with infrequent measurements. In this paper, we discuss a recently designed version of the EKF method, which is grounded in a high-order Ordinary Differential Equation (ODE) solver with automatic global error control. The implemented global error control boosts the quality of state estimation in chemical engineering and allows this newly built version of the EKF to be an accurate and efficient state estimator in chemical systems with both short and long waiting times (i.e., with frequent and infrequent measurements). So chemical systems with variable sampling periods are algorithmically admitted and can be treated as well.
Ensemble survival tree models to reveal pairwise interactions of variables with time-to-events outcomes in low-dimensional setting
Authors: Dazard Jean-Eudes , Ishwaran Hemant , Mehlotra Rajeev , Weinberg Aaron , Zimmerman Peter
Published: February 2018

Unraveling interactions among variables such as genetic, clinical, demographic and environmental factors is essential to understand the development of common and complex diseases. To increase the power to detect such variables interactions associated with clinical time-to-events outcomes, we borrowed established concepts from random survival forest (RSF) models. We introduce a novel RSF-based pairwise interaction estimator and derive a randomization method with bootstrap confidence intervals for inferring interaction significance. Using various linear and nonlinear time-to-events survival models in simulation studies, we first show the efficiency of our approach: true pairwise interaction-effects between variables are uncovered, while they may not be accompanied with their corresponding main-effects, and may not be detected by standard semi-parametric regression modeling and test statistics used in survival analysis. Moreover, using a RSF-based cross-validation scheme for generating prediction estimators, we show that informative predictors may be inferred. We applied our approach to an HIV cohort study recording key host gene polymorphisms and their association with HIV change of tropism or AIDS progression. Altogether, this shows how linear or nonlinear pairwise statistical interactions of variables may be efficiently detected with a predictive value in observational studies with time-to-event outcomes.
Application of Terrestrial Laser Scanner with an Integrated Thermal Camera in Non-Destructive Evaluation of Concrete Surface of Hydrotechnical Objects
Authors: Kowalska Maria , Zaczek-Peplinska Janina
Published: February 2018

The authors present possible applications of thermal data as an additional source of information on an object’s behaviour during the technical assessment of the condition of a concrete surface. For the study one of the most recent propositions introduced by Zoller + Fröhlich company was used, which is an integration of a thermal camera with a terrestrial laser scanner. This solution enables an acquisition of geometric and spectral data on the surveyed object and also provides information on the surface’s temperature in the selected points. A section of the dam’s downstream concrete wall was selected as the subject of the study for which a number of scans were carried out and a number of thermal images were taken at different times of the day. The obtained thermal data was confronted with the acquired spectral information for the specified points. This made it possible to carry out broader analysis of the surface and an inspection of the revealed fissure. The thermal analysis of said fissure indicated that the temperature changes within it are slower, which may affect the way the concrete works and may require further elaboration by the appropriate experts. Through the integration of a thermal camera with a terrestrial laser scanner one can not only analyse changes of temperature in the discretely selected points but on the whole surface as well. Moreover, it is also possible to accurately determine the range and the area of the change affecting the surface. The authors note the limitations of the presented solution like, inter alia, the resolution of the thermal camera.
Esophageal Mobilization in the Treatment of Short Esophagus
Authors: Canovic Dragan , Milosevic Bojan , Lazic Dejan , Cvetkovic Aleksandar , Spasic Marko , Stojanovic Bojan , Mitrovic Slobodanka , Pavlovic Mladen
Published: February 2018

Short esophagus is well known complication of a long term gastroesophageal disease. There are several ways to solve this problem intraoperatively. One of the first steps is extensive esophageal mobilisation. In this review we emphasize different approaches and types of this procedure, with their advantages and disadvantages.
Olfactory and imaging features in atypical Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Huihong Zhang , Pan Wang , Chunfeng Zhang , Yan Wang , Hui Zhang , Li Cai , Yuying Zhou
Published: February 2018

Objectives

Cognition and speech disorders are the most common symptoms of dementia in neurodegenerative disease. Here, we present a detailed clinical evaluation of a case of logopenic variant of primary progressive aphasia (lv-PPA), an atypical form of Alzheimer disease (AD), including cognitive testing over time, brain imaging, electrophysiology, and tests of olfactory function.

Case report

We present the case of a 58-year-old man suffering from progressive language difficulties who was finally diagnosed with lv-PPA. Clinical data included neuropsychological examinations, electrophysiology tests, neuroimaging, biomarkers, olfactory tests, and olfactory functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Results and Discussion

The patient suffered from language disorders, including stumbling speech and forgetting appropriate words and how to pronounce some words. This had started 2 years earlier, and he had begun to deteriorate in recent months. In addition to his speech disorder, scores on the Mini Mental State Examination and Montreal cognitive assessment indicated that his cognition was affected. Structural imaging revealed no obvious hippocampal atrophy (score of 1), and molecular imaging showed hypometabolism and amyloid deposits in the temporal parietal region. The patient also presented with olfactory impairment. Although his odour detection threshold was normal, his cognitive threshold for scent recognition was significantly increased. Olfactory fMRI showed that activation of the whole brain and primary olfactory cortex was rare.

Conclusion

This case provides evidence suggesting that lv-PPA is an atypical form of AD, with symptoms including speech disorders and impaired cognition. This patient with lv-PPA presented with olfactory impairment.
Cloning and expression analysis of cDNAs encoding ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase large and small subunits from hulless barley (Hordeum vulgare L. var. nudum)
Authors: Li Dongmei , Yang Zhimin , Liu Xinchun , Song Zhen , Feng Zongyun , He Yang
Published: February 2018

As an important plateau cereal crop, hulless barley is the principal food for the Tibetan people in China. ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) is considered as the key enzyme for starch biosynthesis in plants. In this study, cDNAs encoding the small subunit (SSU I) and large subunit (LSU I) of AGPase were isolated from hulless barley. The results showed that SSU I and LSU I were 1438 and 1786 bp in length with a complete open reading frame (ORF) of 1419 and 1572 bp. The ORF-encoded polypeptides of 472 and 523 amino acids were having calculated molecular masses of 52.01 and 58.23 kDa, and the pI values were 5.59 and 6.30. In addition, phylogenetic analysis showed that SSU I and LSU I had the same phylogenetic trends with some species. Furthermore, expression levels in different growth periods and tissues of two hulless barley varieties were analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Gene expression levels of SSU I and LSU I were consistent with the total starch accumulation rate in endosperm. In conclusion, our data confirmed that SSU I and LSU I played an important role in hulless barley starch synthesis.
„Nehmt auf euch mein Joch und lernt von mir!“ (Mt 11,29). Mt 11,28–30 und die christologische Dimension der matthäischen Ethik
Authors: Konradt Matthias
Published: February 2018

An analysis of the Christological dimension of Matthean ethics that discusses only Jesus’ attitude towards the Torah, which has taken centre stage in recent Matthean research, is insufficient, as Jesus’s ethical instruction does not consist only in Torah-related teaching. Moreover, Jesus himself functions as a paradigm for his disciples’ conduct. In this connection, Matt 11,28–30 bears paradigmatic significance. This text presents Jesus not as personified Wisdom, but as the humble messianic king who invites the people to take shelter under his gentle rule. Alongside Jesus’ instruction itself, the admonition to learn from him also includes the mimetic aspect of following his example. Furthermore, an adequate analysis of Matthean ethics must take into account that the development of ethically relevant elements is interwoven in the narrative development of the Jesus story and correlated with the thematic shifts in that narrative. Matt 11,28–30 is an important building block in the macrostructure of this narrative dynamic.