bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Peripheral neuropathy of a forelimb in horses: 27 cases (2000–2013)
Authors: Emond Anne-Laure , Bertoni Lélia , Seignour Maeva , Coudry Virginie , Denoix Jean-Marie
Published: November 2016

OBJECTIVE To describe the clinical features, diagnostic procedures, management, and outcome of horses with peripheral neuropathy of a forelimb.

DESIGN Retrospective case series.

ANIMALS 27 horses.

PROCEDURES Records from 2000 to 2013 were reviewed to identify horses with peripheral neuropathy of a forelimb. Horses were grouped as having predominant lesions of a suprascapular nerve, axillary nerve, or radial nerve (alone or in association with other brachial plexus nerves) on the basis of physical examination and diagnostic imaging findings. Treatments were primarily conservative. Signalment, history, lameness characteristics, diagnostic imaging features, case management, and outcomes were evaluated.

RESULTS Predominant lesions of a suprascapular nerve, axillary nerve, and radial nerve were identified in 11, 2, and 14 horses, respectively. Eight horses with predominant suprascapular nerve injury and 9 with injury to a radial nerve alone or in association with other nerves returned to their previous activity level or intended use after mean recovery periods of 9.3 and 13.3 months, respectively; 2 horses with a predominant axillary nerve injury had this outcome after a mean 3.5-month recovery period. Ultrasonography was useful for evaluation of muscle atrophy and other injuries during the initial examination (in 27 horses) and the rehabilitation period (in 7 horses).

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Most horses with peripheral neuropathy of a forelimb returned to athletic soundness following an adequate period of rest. Horses with lesions of a radial nerve alone or in association with other nerves typically required longer recovery times than did those with predominant injuries of a suprascapular nerve.
Peer Collaboration in an English/Chinese Bilingual Program in Western Canada
Authors: Sun Miao
Published: November 2016

Informed by current notions of dynamic bilingualism and the community of practice (C of P) framework, this study was designed as an ethnographic case study to explore peer collaboration in an English/Chinese bilingual program in a city in Western Canada. The main participants in the study were three Grade 5 English/Chinese bilingual students. The ethnographic data were collected for a whole academic year at school, in students’ homes, and at community events through participant observation; field notes from the observation; semi-structured interviews and open-ended conversations with children, teachers, the principal, and parents; audio- and videotaped student–student and student–teacher interactions; and literacy artefact collection and analysis. Four main kinds of peer collaboration in the forms of helping, practising, sharing, and respecting were identified as significant factors that support these bilingual students’ successful translingual practices and positive identities as language learners.
Targeting Tax Relief at Youth Employment
Authors: Webb Matthew D. , Sweetman Arthur , Warman Casey
Published: November 2016

Canada's Youth Hires program was a targeted employment subsidy that rebated employment insurance premiums to employers with net increases in insurable earnings for youths aged 18–24 years. Using a difference-in-differences approach, in each of two data sets statistically and economically significant employment impacts are observed. Most of the evidence suggests that the 2–2.4 weeks of increased employment resulted from an aggregate reduction in those not in the labour force, with at most a modest change in the unemployment rate. Many estimated effects are larger for men than for women. Notably, strong evidence of displacement (substitution away from slightly older non-subsidized workers) is not observed. However, there may be a small reduction in full-time schooling for the targeted group.
Connecting to the North American Grid: Time for Newfoundland to Discontinue Inefficient Price Regulation
Authors: Feehan James P.
Published: November 2016

The island of Newfoundland has an isolated electrical grid. In recent years, its regulated price of electricity has deviated substantially from marginal cost. This has led to economic inefficiency, causing significant welfare costs, higher electricity consumption, and excess reliance on thermal generation. In the next few years, substantial but costly hydroelectric capacity will be constructed, largely displacing reliance on thermal generation. In tandem with that new generation, subsea transmission facilities ending Newfoundland's isolation from the North American grid will be put in place. However, without a change in the governing legislation and the regulatory framework, economic efficiency will remain unattainable. Policy reforms that support efficient pricing and adapt the regulatory regime to the new circumstances are called for.
Arterial Progression Optimization Using OD-BAND: Case Study and Extensions
Authors: Arsava Tugba , Xie Yuanchang , Gartner Nathan H.
Published: November 2016

OD-BAND is a progression optimization model that can provide dedicated progression bands for major origin–destination (O-D) flows in an arterial network. The model is an extension of the well-known MAXBAND model and is solved by advanced mathematical programming optimization software. In this paper, the original OD-BAND model is extended in a number of important ways: ( a) the mathematical formulation is generalized to model all possible O-D flows in an arterial; ( b) phase sequence optimization is included for all intersections along the arterial; and ( c) the bandwidths are weighted by the number of street segments that they traverse and their traffic volumes. It is shown that this formulation can provide suitable progression bands for all major O-D flows, including both through bands and cross bands. Simulation results demonstrated that OD-BAND compared favorably with existing arterial traffic signal coordination models MAXBAND and MULTIBAND and could be used as a valuable tool in signal control software. In particular, this approach is most suitable for integrated traffic signal coordination and route guidance in an environment of connected vehicles in which connected vehicles and crowd-sourced data can be used to derive detailed and accurate O-D information. Progression bands can then be established for each major O-D flow, and route guidance can be provided to vehicles to travel within those bands with minimum delay and fuel consumption.
Analysis of Advanced Management of Curbside Parking
Authors: Chen Zhibin , Xu Zhengtian , Zangui Mahmood , Yin Yafeng
Published: November 2016

This paper analyzes drivers’ search behavior for parking in a stylized setting where an attraction (destination) is located on a long one-way street and on-street parking spaces are scattered around the destination; drivers are assumed to find a parking space that minimizes their walking time to the destination. Analytical models were established to describe the search outcomes and compare the impacts of parking information and reservation services. An agent-based simulation experiment was then conducted to verify the results drawn from the analytical models. Results show that, compared with the status quo, the reservation service can improve the performance of the parking system, while providing information may not. The former is proved to be a better policy than the latter for the parking competition setting and search behaviors considered in this paper.
Cocaine promotes primary human astrocyte proliferation via JNK-dependent up-regulation of cyclin A2
Authors: Lee Chun-Ting , Boeshore Kristen L. , Wu Chun , Becker Kevin G. , Errico Stacie L. , Mash Deborah C. , Freed William J.
Published: November 2016

Purpose: Astrocytes perform a plethora of important functions in the central nervous system (CNS) and are involved in cocaine-evoked synaptic plasticity. Previously, we showed that while cocaine decreased cyclin A2 expression in primary human neural progenitor cells, it increased cyclin A2 expression in human astrocytes. Since cyclin A2 is an essential regulator of the cell cycle, the aim of the present study is to clarify the effect of cocaine on proliferation of human astrocytes and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Methods: Primary human astrocytes were treated with either 1, 10, or 100 μM cocaine for 48 hr, and cell proliferation was measured using the CyQUANT cell proliferation assay. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms through which cocaine affects the proliferation of astrocytes, we analyzed gene expression profiles in cocaine-treated primary human astrocytes using a human focused cDNA array. Gene ontology/pathway enrichment analysis, STRING protein-protein interaction analysis, RT-qPCR, and western blotting were used to identify signal transduction pathways that are involved in cocaine-induced astrocyte dysfunction.

Results: Cocaine at 10 and 100 μM significantly increased human astrocyte proliferation. Gene expression profiling revealed the JNK MAP kinase pathway as a driver of cell proliferation affected by cocaine in human astrocytes. Further experiments showed that cocaine-induced JNK activation induced up-regulation of cyclin A2, leading to enhanced proliferation of human astrocytes.

Conclusion: Cocaine-induced abnormal increases in the number of astrocytes may cause disruption in neuron-glia signaling and contribute to synaptic impairment in the CNS. Understanding the mechanisms of cocaine’s effects on human astrocytes may help to reveal the involvement of glial cells in addictive behaviors.
Singular value decomposition-based 2D image reconstruction for computed tomography
Authors: Liu Rui , He Lu , Luo Yan , Yu Hengyong
Published: November 2016

Singular value decomposition (SVD)-based 2D image reconstruction methods are developed and evaluated for a broad class of inverse problems for which there are no analytical solutions. The proposed methods are fast and accurate for reconstructing images in a non-iterative fashion. The multi-resolution strategy is adopted to reduce the size of the system matrix to reconstruct large images using limited memory capacity. A modified high-contrast Shepp-Logan phantom, a low-contrast FORBILD head phantom, and a physical phantom are employed to evaluate the proposed methods with different system configurations. The results show that the SVD methods can accurately reconstruct images from standard scan and interior scan projections and that they outperform other benchmark methods. The general SVD method outperforms the other SVD methods. The truncated SVD and Tikhonov regularized SVD methods accurately reconstruct a region-of-interest (ROI) from an internal scan with a known sub-region inside the ROI. Furthermore, the SVD methods are much faster and more flexible than the benchmark algorithms, especially in the ROI reconstructions in our experiments.
Experience of Radical Radiotherapy for Patients with Stages I-III Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Glottic Larynx
Authors: Haque Md Nizamul , Mostafa Sk Golam , Chowdhury Qamruzzaman , Uddin Mokles , Hussain Syed Akram , Hasan Dewan Mahmud
Published: November 2016

This study was carried out from May 2012 to April 2013, on short term effects of Radical Radiotherapy for patients with Stages I-III squamous cell carcinoma of the glottic larynx at National Institute of Cancer Research and hospital, Mohakhali, Dhaka. A total of 50 biopsy proved squamous cell carcinoma of the glottis larynx were treated with radical Radiotherapy, total dose of which was 66Gy in 33 fractions over 7 weeks, conventionally fractionated with 200 cGy per fraction, one fraction per day and 5 fractions per week, using the machine 6 MV LINAC. The main outcome variables of the study were toxicities and clinical outcome of the patients. The peak age incidence was found in the age group of 51-60 years (56%). Among 50 patients, there were 82% males and 18% females and male to female ratio was 4.6:1. There were 86% found smokers and rests of the 14% patients were non smoker. Treatment related haematological and non-haematological acute and delayed toxicities were studied. Mucosities 28% (grade-II), skin reaction 78% (grade-II), anaemia 52% (grade-II), dysphagia 70% were the most common acute toxicities where as xerostomia 16% was the delayed side effect. With this treatment protocol, 86% patients responded completely.Faridpur Med. Coll. J. Jul 2015;10(2): 63-67
Feeding Propensity and Cannibalism of Micraspis Discolor (Fab.) to Different Prey Species (Aphis craccivora and Nilaparbata lugens) under Laboratory
Authors: Islam MZ , Labani SA , Khan AB
Published: November 2016

Feeding propensity and cannibalism of Micraspis discolor (Fab.) to different prey species (bean aphids and brown plant hopper ) was studied in the laboratory of the Department of Entomology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, during January, 2007 to April, 2007. It was found that the highest pre-oviposition period was to 5.6±0.54 days when BPH were used and this period was lowest, 4.6±0.54 days using bean aphid. The oviposition period was maximum 40.20±1.78 days using bean aphid and minimum 29.00± 2.00 days were found using BPH. Maximum number of eggs 216.00±16.58 was laid when fed on bean aphid. The hatching percent was highest 88.71% using bean aphid and hatching percent was lowest 85.34% when fed on BPH. Incubation period varied from 2.40±0.54 to 3.80±0.44 days using different foods. However, the larvae passed through four larval instars and highest larval period was 10.00 ± 0.70 when BPH were used as food and lowest was 8.40 days feeding on bean aphid. Pupal period was 3.00±0.00 & 3.80±0.44 days when bean aphid & BPH were supplied as food. The average longevity of female was 38.60±3.78 and 31.40±2.96 days and that of male was 32.00±2.91 & 26.00±0.91 days when feeding on bean aphid and BPH respectively. It was significant at 1% level. The sex ratio of male and female was found (0.78:1.00) using different foods and these were not significant at 1% level. By this experiment, It was observed that feeding propensity of Micraspis discolor to different prey species during the total life cycle was as follows: bean aphid > BPH. It was also found that M. discolor had cannibalistic behavior and this was significant at 1% level.J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 9(1): 81-85 2016
Noise Pollution at Health Care Centers in Mymensingh City of Bangladesh
Authors: Islam MA , Rahman MS , Roy B , Hossen MAM
Published: November 2016

The study was conducted at the health care centers in Mymensingh city of Bangladesh during the period from March 2015 to November 2015 to find out the level of noise pollution and its severity to the associated health effects. In the study, time-weighted average noise levels were measured at indoor and outdoor of three hospitals namely Mymensingh Medical College and Hospital, Rajdhani Hospital (Pvt.) Limited and Shawdesh Hospital (Pvt.) Limited and two clinics such as Popular Diagnostic Centre Ltd, Safeway Diagnostic Centre Ltd. of Mymensingh city. The highest noise level was found in Mymensingh Medical College and Hospital and the lowest level was found in Shawdesh Hospital (Pvt.) Limited, Sarda Gosh Road. All of these noise levels were exceeded the acceptable limit of 45 dB set by the Department of Environment (DoE), Government of Bangladesh. Simultaneously a survey study was conducted with doctors, students, nurse/staff and patients. Most of the common problems occurred from noise pollution were identified as conversation, headache, hearing problems, and increased heartbeat. To resolve the problem 28% of the respondents suggested for sound harriers, 25% suggested for awareness of doctors, 22% suggested for awareness of visitors, 13% suggested for controlling visitors and 4% suggested for banning of hydraulic horn. However, the role of NGOs, researchers and professionals, media and concerned individuals is significant in minimizing the environmental hazards of noise pollution.J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 9(1): 87-90 2016
Comparison of Performance between Organic Farming and Traditional Farming of Freshwater Prawn in Respect of Production and Economics
Authors: Haque MR , Nahar N , Pervin R , Samad MA
Published: November 2016

An experiment was conducted to compare the performance between traditional farming and organic farming of freshwater prawn in respect of production and economics. The experiment had two treatments, namely: Traditional (TT) and Organic (TO) with same stocking density (20000 juveniles ha-1) in triplicate. In treatment TO, formulated feed with locally available ingredients were used, and maize flour and bamboo branches were provided for maintaining C:N ratio to 20 and for developing periphyton, respectively. In treatment TT, only commercially available prawn feed was applied. No fertilizers or other types of chemicals or antibiotics were used in both treatments. There were no significant differences (P?0.05) of different water quality parameters between both treatments. Weight gain and specific growth rate (% body weight day-1) of prawn was significantly higher (P<0.05) in TO than TT treatment. Survival rate and feed conversion ratio of prawn did not vary significantly between both treatments. Highest total yield was obtained from TO treatment (511.41 kg ha-1 90 d-1) compared to TT treatment (426.57 kg ha-1 90 d-1). Net yield was also significantly higher in treatment TO (428.32 kg ha-1 90 d-1) than TT (347.77 kg ha-1 90-1). Although there was no significant difference in benefit-cost ratio between both treatments, totalreturn was significantly higher in TO than TT treatment.J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 9(1): 109-116 2016
Investigation of the Household Waste Generation and Wastewater Management Techniques in Bogra Municipal Area
Authors: Rahman MS , Hasan AKMM , Rahman M , Meghla NT , Islam MA
Published: November 2016

The study was conducted to investigate the household waste generation and wastewater management phenomena in the Bogra municipal area during the period from October 2014 to April 2015, One hundred respondents from 7 wards of Bogra municipality were interviewed to carry out the study. The study investigated that the awareness level of the respondents increases with higher education and they indicated the crude disposal of municipal solid waste as the source of health hazards and environmental pollution. Result of the study showed that pH was slightly acidic, the concentration of sodium (Na) and sulfur (S) exceeded than desired level where nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) were within the effluent standard limit set by DoE. As the quality of wastewater was not satisfactory, it is necessary to explore possible treatment requirements before discharge to the natural stream. Bogra municipal authority should improve municipal waste collection and disposal system to maintain sound environment of the area. Various NGOs and local clubs should also take steps to keep the environment clean.J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 9(1): 123-126 2016
Farmers Perception and Agricultural Adaptation of Climate Change in Drought Prone Areas of Bangladesh
Authors: Islam MN , Hossen MS
Published: November 2016

The study was conducted at the selected areas of Bangladesh (Ishwardi and Lalpur upazila). It consisted of 80 randomly selected farmers through an interview schedule to identify the respondent's perception and their agricultural adaptation to climate change. The findings of the study indicate that the farmer?s perception about climate change was reasonable for the majority of farmers; majority of (47.5%) farmers claimed that annual precipitation was decreased, 57.5% farmers claimed that summer season temperature was increased, 48.75% farmers claimed that winter season temperature was decreased and 51.25% farmers claimed that yearly mean temperature was increased. However, 38.75% farmers said that the intensity of drought was increased and 58.75% farmers said that the intensity of hotness in summer season was increased. The finding of the study indicates that 70% of the farmers had medium agricultural adaptation capability compare to 23.75% farmers had low and 6.25% farmers had high agricultural adaptation capability. Education, farm size, annual income, credit received, cosmopoliteness had significant relationship with their agricultural adaptation to climate change.J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 9(1): 147-150 2016
Sir William Keith of Delny: courtier, ambassador and agent of noble power
Authors: Kerr-Peterson Miles
Published: November 2016

Sir William Keith of Delny was the illegitimate son of a Buchan laird, who rose through the young King James VI's chamber to become Master of the Wardrobe. He also served as ambassador for James to various countries, most remarkably in the failed mission to save Mary Queen of Scots from English execution. This article explores the nature of James's reliance on lesser men as courtiers, in his trust in individuals to deliver his sentiments and how his favour could be won, lost and regained. It also explores the same dynamics in the relationship between William and his kinsman superior, George Keith, fourth earl Marischal. William is shown to be one of Jacobean Scotland's great intermediaries, between earl and king, king and courtiers, king and foreign governments.
Biomass Residues to Renewable Energy: A Life Cycle Perspective Applied at a Local Scale
Authors: Neri Esmeralda , Cespi Daniele , Setti Leonardo , Gombi Erica , Bernardi Elena , Vassura Ivano , Passarini Fabrizio
Published: November 2016

Italy, like every country member of the European Union (EU), will have to achieve the objectives required by the Energy Roadmap 2050. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the environmental impacts of residue recovery arising from the management of public and private green feedstocks, activity of the cooperative “Green City” in the Bologna district, and usage in a centralized heating system to produce thermal energy for public buildings. Results, obtained using the ReCipe impact assessment method, are compared with scores achieved by a traditional methane boiler. The study shows some advantages of the biomass-based system in terms of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions and consumption of non-renewable fuels, which affect climate change (−41%) and fossil resources depletion (−40%), compared to the use of natural gas (NG). Moreover, scores from network analysis denote the great contribution of feedstock transportation (98% of the cumulative impact). The main reason is attributable to all requirements to cover distances, in particular due to stages involved in the fuel supply chains. Therefore, it is clear that greater environmental benefits could be achieved by reducing supply transport distances or using more sustainable engines.
MiRNAs and miRNA Polymorphisms Modify Drug Response
Authors: Li Mu-Peng , Hu Yao-Dong , Hu Xiao-Lei , Zhang Yan-Jiao , Yang Yong-Long , Jiang Chun , Tang Jie , Chen Xiao-Ping
Published: November 2016

Differences in expression of drug response-related genes contribute to inter-individual variation in drugs’ biological effects. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs emerging as new players in epigenetic regulation of gene expression at post-transcriptional level. MiRNAs regulate the expression of genes involved in drug metabolism, drug transportation, drug targets and downstream signal molecules directly or indirectly. MiRNA polymorphisms, the genetic variations affecting miRNA expression and/or miRNA-mRNA interaction, provide a new insight into the understanding of inter-individual difference in drug response. Here, we provide an overview of the recent progress in miRNAs mediated regulation of biotransformation enzymes, drug transporters, and nuclear receptors. We also describe the implications of miRNA polymorphisms in cancer chemotherapy response.
Ambient Air Pollution, Meteorological Factors and Outpatient Visits for Eczema in Shanghai, China: A Time-Series Analysis
Authors: Li Qiao , Yang Yingying , Chen Renjie , Kan Haidong , Song Weimin , Tan Jianguo , Xu Feng , Xu Jinhua
Published: November 2016

Environmental irritants are important risk factors for skin diseases, but little is known about the influence of environmental factors on eczema incidence. In this time-series study, our objective was to examine the associations of environmental factors with outpatient visits for eczema. Daily outpatient visits between 2007 and 2011 (1826 days) were collected from Huashan Hospital in Shanghai, China. We used an overdispersed generalized additive model to investigate the short-term association between environmental factors and outpatient visits for eczema. Daily outpatient visits for eczema were significantly associated with air pollution and meteorological factors. For example, a 10 μg/m3 increase of 7-day (lag 06) average concentrations of PM10 (particulate matter no greater than 10 microns), SO2, NO2 was associated with 0.81% (95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.39%, 1.22%), 2.22% (95% CI: 1.27%, 3.16%) and 2.31% (95% CI: 1.17%, 3.45%) increase in outpatient visits for eczema, respectively. A 10 °C elevation of temperature on lag 0 day were associated with 8.44% (95% CI: 4.66%, 12.22%) increase in eczema visits, whereas 10 unit decrease of 7-day average relative humidity were associated with 10.86% (95% CI: 8.83%, 12.89%) increase in eczema visits. This study provided clear evidence of ambient air pollution, high temperature and low relative humidity on increasing the incidence of eczema in Shanghai, China.
Tapirira guianensis Aubl. Extracts Inhibit Proliferation and Migration of Oral Cancer Cells Lines
Authors: Silva-Oliveira Renato , Lopes Gabriela , Camargos Luiz , Ribeiro Ana , Santos Fábio , Severino Richele , Severino Vanessa , Terezan Ana , Thomé Ralph , Santos Hélio , Reis Rui , Ribeiro Rosy
Published: November 2016

Cancer of the head and neck is a group of upper aerodigestive tract neoplasms in which aggressive treatments may cause harmful side effects to the patient. In the last decade, investigations on natural compounds have been particularly successful in the field of anticancer drug research. Our aim is to evaluate the antitumor effect of Tapirira guianensis Aubl. extracts on a panel of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines. Analysis of secondary metabolites classes in fractions of T. guianensis was performed using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). Mutagenicity effect was evaluated by Ames mutagenicity assay. The cytotoxic effect, and migration and invasion inhibition were measured. Additionally, the expression level of apoptosis-related molecules (PARP, Caspases 3, and Fas) and MMP-2 was detected using Western blot. Heterogeneous cytotoxicity response was observed for all fractions, which showed migration inhibition, reduced matrix degradation, and decreased cell invasion ability. Expression levels of MMP-2 decreased in all fractions, and particularly in the hexane fraction. Furthermore, overexpression of FAS and caspase-3, and increase of cleaved PARP indicates possible apoptosis extrinsic pathway activation. Antiproliferative activity of T. guianensis extract in HNSCC cells lines suggests the possibility of developing an anticancer agent or an additive with synergic activities associated with conventional anticancer therapy.
Synthesis and In Vitro Anti Leishmania amazonensis Biological Screening of Morita-Baylis-Hillman Adducts Prepared from Eugenol, Thymol and Carvacrol
Authors: Xavier Francisco , Rodrigues Klinger , De Oliveira Ramon , Lima Junior Claudio , Rocha Juliana , Keesen Tatjana , De Oliveira Marcia , Silva Fábio , Vasconcellos Mário
Published: November 2016

Leishmaniasis represents a series of severe neglected tropical diseases caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania and is widely distributed around the world. Here, we present the syntheses of Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts (MBHAs) prepared from eugenol, thymol and carvacrol, and their bioevaluation against promastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis. The new MBHAs are prepared in two steps from essential oils in moderate to good yields and present IC50 values in the range of 22.30–4.71 μM. Moreover, the selectivity index to the most potent compound is very high (SIrb > 84.92), far better than that of Glucantime® (SIrb 1.39) and amphotericin B (SIrb = 22.34). Conformational analysis were carried out at the M062X//6-31+G(d,p) level of theory to corroborate a hypothesis about the nitroaromatic bioreduction mechanism.
Synthesis and Pharmacological Evaluation of Novel Pleuromutilin Derivatives with Substituted Benzimidazole Moieties
Authors: Ai Xin , Pu Xiuying , Yi Yunpeng , Liu Yu , Xu Shuijin , Liang Jianping , Shang Ruofeng
Published: November 2016

A series of novel pleuromutilin derivatives with substituted benzimidazole moieties were designed and synthesized from pleuromutilin and 5-amino-2-mercaptobenzimidazole through sequential reactions. All the newly synthesized compounds were characterized by IR, NMR, and HRMS. Each of the derivatives was evaluated in vitro for their antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and five Gram (+) inoculums. 14-O-((5-amino-benzimidazole-2-yl) thioacetyl) mutilin (3) was the most active compound and showed highest antibacterial activities. Furthermore, we evaluated the inhibition activities of compound 3 on short-term S. aureus and MRSA growth and cytochrome P450 (CYP). The bioassay results indicate that compound 3 could be considered potential antibacterial agents but with intermediate inhibition of CYP3A4.
Structural Characterization of Flavonoid Glycoconjugates and Their Derivatives with Mass Spectrometric Techniques
Authors: Kachlicki Piotr , Piasecka Anna , Stobiecki Maciej , Marczak Łukasz
Published: November 2016

Mass spectrometry is currently one of the most versatile and sensitive instrumental methods applied to structural characterization of plant secondary metabolite mixtures isolated from biological material including flavonoid glycoconjugates. Resolution of the applied mass spectrometers plays an important role in structural studies of mixtures of the target compounds isolated from biological material. High-resolution analyzers allow obtaining information about elemental composition of the analyzed compounds. Application of various mass spectrometric techniques, including different systems of ionization, analysis of both positive and negative ions of flavonoids, fragmentation of the protonated/deprotonated molecules and in some cases addition of metal ions to the studied compounds before ionization and fragmentation, may improve structural characterization of natural products. In our review we present different strategies allowing structural characterization of positional isomers and isobaric compounds existing in class of flavonoid glycoconjugates and their derivatives, which are synthetized in plants and are important components of the human food and drugs as well as animal feed.
Regionalization of Uncovered Agricultural Soils Based on Organic Carbon and Soil Texture Estimations
Authors: Kanning Martin , Siegmann Bastian , Jarmer Thomas
Published: November 2016

The determination of soil texture and organic carbon across agricultural areas provides important information to derive soil condition. Precise digital soil maps can help to till agricultural fields with more accuracy, greater cost-efficiency and better environmental protection. In the present study, the laboratory analysis of sand, silt, clay and soil organic carbon (SOC) content was combined with hyperspectral image data to estimate the distribution of soil texture and SOC across an agricultural area. The aim was to identify regions with similar soil properties and derive uniform soil regions based on this information. Soil parameter data and corresponding laboratory spectra were used to calibrate cross-validated (leave-one-out) partial least squares regression (PLSR) models, resulting in robust models for sand (R2 = 0.77, root-mean-square error (RMSE) = 5.37) and SOC (R2 = 0.89, RMSE = 0.27), as well as moderate models for silt (R2 = 0.62, RMSE = 5.46) and clay (R2 = 0.53, RMSE = 2.39). The regression models were applied to Airborne Imaging Spectrometer for Applications DUAL (aisaDUAL) hyperspectral image data to spatially estimate the concentration of these parameters. Afterwards, a decision tree, based on the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) soil texture classification scheme, was developed to determine the soil texture for each pixel of the hyperspectral airborne data. These soil texture regions were further refined with the spatial SOC estimations. The developed method is useful to identify spatial regions with similar soil properties, which can provide a vital information source for an adapted treatment of agricultural fields in terms of the necessary amount of fertilizers or water. The approach can also be adapted to wider regions with a larger sample size to create detailed digital soil maps (DSMs). Further, the presented method should be applied to future hyperspectral satellite missions like Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program (EnMap) and Hyperspectral Infrared Imager (HyspIRI) to cover larger areas in shorter time intervals. Updated DSMs on a regular basis could particularly support precision farming aspects.
Useful access to enantiomerically pure protected inositols from carbohydrates: the aldohexos-5-uloses route
Authors: D’Andrea Felicia , Catelani Giorgio , Guazzelli Lorenzo , Pistarà Venerando
Published: November 2016

The intramolecular aldol condensation of aldohexos-5-ulose derivatives of the D-xylo and L-ribo stereoseries has been studied. Only one of the four possible inososes was isolated from both stereoseries in reasonable yields (30–38%). The results obtained, together with the previous findings for the L-arabino and L-lyxo stereoseries, allowed for the rationalisation of a mechanism of the reaction based on open-transition-state models and electron-withdrawing inductive effects. Complementary reductions of the intermediate inososes were possible by changing the reaction conditions, and two isomeric inositol derivatives were obtained with complete stereoselection from each inosose. The presented approach permits us to control the configuration of three out of the six stereocentres of the inositol frame and gives access to seven of the nine inositols. Noteworthy, for the D-xylo derivative, the two-step sequence (condensation followed by reduction with NaBH(OAc)3) represents the biomimetic synthesis of myo-inositol. Furthermore, the sugar-based pathway leads directly to enantiomerically pure selectively protected inositols and does not require any desymmetrisation procedure which is needed when myo-inositol and other achiral precursors are employed as starting materials. As an example of application of the method, the indirect selective protection of secondary inositols’ hydroxy functions, by placing specific protecting groups on the aldohexos-5-ulose precursor has been presented.
A cross-categorial definite determiner: Evidence from Ga (Kwa)
Authors: Renans Agata
Published: November 2016

This paper contributes to the growing body of evidence that in a cross-linguistic perspective there are definite descriptions of categories other than NPs. Based on novel data from Ga, an under-researched language spoken in Ghana, the paper argues that the definite determiner lE marks overtly familiarity and uniqueness in both the nominal and the verbal domain. When lE attaches to the VP, it marks an event as definite. The paper shows that definiteness in the verbal domain not only exists but also has the same properties as in the nominal domain, pointing to further parallelism between both.
Reasoning with Partial Orders: Restrictions on Ignorance Inferences of Superlative Modifiers
Authors: Mendia Jon Ander
Published: November 2016

The present study is concerned with Ignorance Inferences associated with Superlative Modifiers (SMs) like at least and at most. Experimental evidence will be presented showing that the Ignorance Inferences associated with SMs depend on their associate: when the associate of an SM is a totally ordered set (e.g. a numeral), the exhaustive interpretation of the prejacent must necessarily constitute an epistemic possibility for the speaker. However, when the associate of the SM is partially ordered, the exhaustive interpretation of the prejacent can, but need not constitute an epistemic possibility for the speaker.
Three Types of Indefinites in Persian: Simple, Complex, and Antidefinite
Authors: Jasbi Masoud
Published: November 2016

This paper investigates three indefinite constructions in Persian: simple (ye-NP), complex (ye-NP-i), and antidefinite (NP-i). It shows that simple indefinites with the determiner ye carry an at-issue existence implication (|NP| ≥ 1), similar to their English counterpart with the indefinite determiner a(n). Complex indefinites with both ye and -i introduce an antisingleton implication (|NP| > 1), similar to Spanish indefinites with algún. Antidefinites with only the clitic -i are a novel category which trigger a projective non-uniqueness implication (|NP| ̸= 1). The paper provides a compositional account in which the antisingleton implication of complex indefinites is derived from the existence implication of the determiner "ye" and the non-uniqueness implication of the clitic "-i". The predictions of this account as well as the pragmatic effects of complex indefinites such as ignorance, indifference, free choice, and domain widening implications are discussed.
Fragment answers and double negation in strict negative concord languages
Authors: Fălăuș Anamaria , Nicolae Andreea
Published: November 2016

This paper revisits the phenomenon of negative concord (NC) as an instance of polarity sensitivity. We shed light on a new set of data regarding n-words as fragment answers to negative questions and show that we find unexpected double negation (DN) readings for fragment n-words in view of their behavior in non-elliptical constructions. To account for this pattern, we offer an updated version of the hypothesis that n-words are strong NPIs, making use of an alternative and exhaustification approach. We argue that the difference between n-words and other NPIs should be seen as the result of two parameters: (i) whether reconstruction of the polarity item is allowed, and (ii) whether the polarity item has the ability to license a covert negation operator. The result is an explanatory account of NC and DN readings in both non-elliptical and elliptical environments, which allows for an easier integration of n-words in the broader typology of polarity sensitive items.
Reasoning about definiteness in a language without articles
Authors: Collins James N.
Published: November 2016

Most theories of implicature make reference to a notion of alternatives. Interlocutors reason about what the speaker could have said. In this paper, I investigate the structure of these alternatives. In particular, I ask how these alternative utterances are constrained by the interlocutors' grammar. I argue that in order to derive certain implicatures, alternative utterances must be analyzed like actual utterances, as fully compositional structures appropriately generated by the grammar. The data supporting this position come from implicatures generated by indefinite bare noun phrases in Tagalog. I show that Tagalog indefinites give rise to non-uniqueness implicatures via competition with definites, as in English. However, unlike English, definite and indefinite interpretations of Tagalog NPs are not signalled by dedicated articles, but by verbal affixes. Therefore, in order to generate the observed implicatures, pragmatic competition must take into consideration the NP's broader syntactic context. Supporting the view that implicature calculation is sensitive to the morphosyntactic structure of alternative utterances, I show that in cases where the alternative is not grammatically well-formed, the implicature does not arise. These data provide evidence that only grammatically well-formed structures are able to enter into pragmatic competition.
Presupposition projection from the scope of None: Universal, existential, or both?
Authors: Zehr Jérémy , Bill Cory , Lyn Tieu , Jacopo Romoli , Florian Schwarz
Published: November 2016

The nature of presupposition projection from the scope of quantificational expressions, particularly negative ones, continues to be both theoretically and empirically controversial. We experimentally investigate the interpretation of sentences like None of the bears won the race, which could in principle be associated with three projection options, giving rise to: an existential reading, on which at least one of the bears participated and none won; a universal reading, on which all of the bears participated and none won; and a presuppositionless reading on which none of the bears both participated and won. We used a covered box task to investigate English-speaking adults’ and children’s interpretations of such sentences. The results from the adult participants provide empirical evidence for all three readings; the results from the child participants, however, reveal no evidence for the existential reading. We discuss our results in light of competing theoretical accounts, focusing on options for reconciling the theories with the experimental data from both adults and children.
HOST GALAXY IDENTIFICATION FOR SUPERNOVA SURVEYS
Authors: Gupta Ravi R. , Kuhlmann Steve , Kovacs Eve , Spinka Harold , Kessler Richard , Goldstein Daniel A. , Liotine Camille , Pomian Katarzyna , D’Andrea Chris B. , Sullivan Mark , Carretero Jorge , Castander Francisco J. , Nichol Robert C. , Finley David A. , Fischer John A. , Foley Ryan J. , Kim Alex G. , Papadopoulos Andreas , Sako Masao , Scolnic Daniel M. , Smith Mathew , Tucker Brad E. , Uddin Syed , Wolf Rachel C. , Yuan Fang , Abbott Tim M. C. , Abdalla Filipe B. , Benoit-Lévy Aurélien , Bertin Emmanuel , Brooks David , Rosell Aurelio Carnero , Kind Matias Carrasco , Cunha Carlos E. , Costa Luiz N. da , Desai Shantanu , Doel Peter , Eifler Tim F. , Evrard August E. , Flaugher Brenna , Fosalba Pablo , Gaztañaga Enrique , Gruen Daniel , Gruendl Robert , James David J. , Kuehn Kyler , Kuropatkin Nikolay , Maia Marcio A. G. , Marshall Jennifer L. , Miquel Ramon , Plazas Andrés A. , Romer A. Kathy , Sánchez Eusebio , Schubnell Michael , Sevilla-Noarbe Ignacio , Sobreira Flávia , Suchyta Eric , Swanson Molly E. C. , Tarle Gregory , Walker Alistair R. , Wester William
Published: November 2016

Host galaxy identification is a crucial step for modern supernova (SN) surveys such as the Dark Energy Survey and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, which will discover SNe by the thousands. Spectroscopic resources are limited, and so in the absence of real-time SN spectra these surveys must rely on host galaxy spectra to obtain accurate redshifts for the Hubble diagram and to improve photometric classification of SNe. In addition, SN luminosities are known to correlate with host-galaxy properties. Therefore, reliable identification of host galaxies is essential for cosmology and SN science. We simulate SN events and their locations within their host galaxies to develop and test methods for matching SNe to their hosts. We use both real and simulated galaxy catalog data from the Advanced Camera for Surveys General Catalog and MICECATv2.0, respectively. We also incorporate “hostless” SNe residing in undetected faint hosts into our analysis, with an assumed hostless rate of 5%. Our fully automated algorithm is run on catalog data and matches SNe to their hosts with 91% accuracy. We find that including a machine learning component, run after the initial matching algorithm, improves the accuracy (purity) of the matching to 97% with a 2% cost in efficiency (true positive rate). Although the exact results are dependent on the details of the survey and the galaxy catalogs used, the method of identifying host galaxies we outline here can be applied to any transient survey.
A SEARCH FOR VERY HIGH ENERGY GAMMA RAYS FROM THE MISSING LINK BINARY PULSAR J1023+0038 WITH VERITAS
Authors: Aliu E. , Archambault S. , Archer A. , Benbow W. , Bird R. , Biteau J. , Buchovecky M. , Buckley J. H. , Bugaev V. , Byrum K. , Cardenzana J. V , Cerruti M. , Chen X. , Ciupik L. , Connolly M. P. , Cui W. , Dickinson H. J. , Eisch J. D. , Falcone A. , Feng Q. , Finley J. P. , Fleischhack H. , Flinders A. , Fortin P. , Fortson L. , Furniss A. , Gillanders G. H. , Griffin S. , Grube J. , Gyuk G. , Hütten M. , Håkansson N. , Holder J. , Humensky T. B. , Johnson C. A. , Kaaret P. , Kar P. , Kelley-Hoskins N. , Kertzman M. , Kieda D. , Krause M. , Lang M. J. , Loo A. , Maier G. , McArthur S. , McCann A. , Meagher K. , Moriarty P. , Mukherjee R. , Nguyen T. , Nieto D. , Bhróithe A. O’Faoláin de , Ong R. A. , Otte A. N. , Pandel D. , Park N. , Pelassa V. , Petrashyk A. , Pohl M. , Popkow A. , Pueschel E. , Quinn J. , Ragan K. , Reynolds P. T. , Richards G. T. , Roache E. , Rulten C. , Santander M. , Sembroski G. H. , Shahinyan K. , Smith A. W. , Staszak D. , Telezhinsky I. , Tucci J. V. , Tyler J. , Varlotta A. , Vincent S. , Wakely S. P. , Weiner O. M. , Weinstein A. , Wilhelm A. , Williams D. A. , Zitzer B. , Chernyakova M. , Roberts M. S. E.
Published: November 2016

The binary millisecond radio pulsar PSR J1023+0038 exhibits many characteristics similar to the gamma-ray binary system PSR B1259–63/LS 2883, making it an ideal candidate for the study of high-energy nonthermal emission. It has been the subject of multiwavelength campaigns following the disappearance of the pulsed radio emission in 2013 June, which revealed the appearance of an accretion disk around the neutron star. We present the results of very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray observations carried out by the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System before and after this change of state. Searches for steady and pulsed emission of both data sets yield no significant gamma-ray signal above 100 GeV, and upper limits are given for both a steady and pulsed gamma-ray flux. These upper limits are used to constrain the magnetic field strength in the shock region of the PSR J1023+0038 system. Assuming that VHE gamma rays are produced via an inverse Compton mechanism in the shock region, we constrain the shock magnetic field to be greater than ∼2 G before the disappearance of the radio pulsar and greater than ∼10 G afterward.
SIMULATIONS OF LATERAL TRANSPORT AND DROPOUT STRUCTURE OF ENERGETIC PARTICLES FROM IMPULSIVE SOLAR FLARES
Authors: Tooprakai P. , Seripienlert A. , Ruffolo D. , Chuychai P. , Matthaeus W. H.
Published: November 2016

We simulate trajectories of energetic particles from impulsive solar flares for 2D+slab models of magnetic turbulence in spherical geometry to study dropout features, i.e., sharp, repeated changes in the particle density. Among random-phase realizations of two-dimensional (2D) turbulence, a spherical harmonic expansion can generate homogeneous turbulence over a sphere, but a 2D fast Fourier transform (FFT) locally mapped onto the lateral coordinates in the region of interest is much faster computationally, and we show that the results are qualitatively similar. We then use the 2D FFT field as input to a 2D MHD simulation, which dynamically generates realistic features of turbulence such as coherent structures. The magnetic field lines and particles spread non-diffusively (ballistically) to a patchy distribution reaching up to 25° from the injection longitude and latitude at r ∼ 1 au. This dropout pattern in field line trajectories has sharper features in the case of the more realistic 2D MHD model, in better qualitative agreement with observations. The initial dropout pattern in particle trajectories is relatively insensitive to particle energy, though the energy affects the pattern’s evolution with time. We make predictions for future observations of solar particles near the Sun (e.g., at 0.25 au), for which we expect a sharp pulse of outgoing particles along the dropout pattern, followed by backscattering that first remains close to the dropout pattern and later exhibits cross-field transport to a distribution that is more diffusive, yet mostly contained within the dropout pattern found at greater distances.