bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Knowledge and Innovations for farmers from Teaching Agriculture in Ugandan Primary Schools: A Study of Kumi Communities in the Teso Sub-Region
Authors: Epeju William Faustine
Published: January 2016

Kumi communities consist of Bukedea, Kumi and Ngora districts whose agriculture is increasingly complex with declining productivity because of population increase, climate change, low yielding technologies used & poor market access impacting negatively on yields and environment. More knowledge & innovations are needed by farmers. Teaching agriculture in primary schools raised hopes, hence the study. The design was exploratory. In-depth interviews, focus group discussions, questionnaires, documents and observations were used to collect data from 40 primary schools randomly selected. Of 2,069 respondents, 1,951 were head teachers, teachers and primary seven students & 118 were farmers including extension workers purposively selected.  Qualitative data were analysed using open coding & axial coding based on objectives and research questions. Agricultural productivity and its growth rate were found low caused by many factors. Education quality and innovations attained by farmers were not assuring for successful farming and rural living. Primary school agriculture was poorly conducted encountering implementation problems such as limited land, no funds, unfavourable weather and lack of improved inputs. Forty five percent (45%) of the students preferred farming as an occupation. The key innovations attained were literacy and numeracy important in the use of improved inputs; knowledge and skills for several farm operations including environmental management and good family living.   On ranking school completion rates and farm output of 16 sub-counties, Spearman Rank Order coefficient computed was positive (r = 0.421 with r2 = 0.1772, 18% at 0.05 α). Increased farm output was explained by 18% through completed primary education by farmers. Smallholder farms in Kumi for years may only be run commercially through intelligent and differentiated policies, addressing market access, jobs in non-farm economy and social transfers to improve welfare of the poor. Primary school agriculture through innovations attained by farmers enhances production thus the need for more investment in it.
Der demografische Wandel in Europa und die Folgen für Familien
Authors: Wittrahm Andreas
Published: January 2016

The Demographic Transformation of Europe and Its Impact on Families: Population structure is in transition throughout the European Union. With life expectancy rising and birth rates dropping in most countries, societies are increasingly ageing. As a result, the face of society is also changing: it is becoming progressively older. In addition to demographic changes, cultural changes can also be observed: not only is family size declining, but families are also started later, and motherhood and fatherhood are often detached from the formal establishment of a family. Family policy and social policy must take these changes into account in order to support families in practising mutual care and in their central functions as economic, educational and emotional communities.
Herausforderungen und Handlungsstrategien armer Familien im Kontext europäischen Strukturwandels
Authors: Staab Philipp
Published: January 2016

Challenges for Poor Families and Their Strategies for Action in the Context of the Structural Transformation of Europe: An intensification of social inequality can be observed in several countries of the European Union. As a result, poverty has become a key concept of the EU’s social policy agenda. Because of family members’ commitment to unconditional mutual solidarity, families are considered to be an important bulwark in the war on poverty. Poor families, however, are unable to fulfil such expectations. Their daily lives, as well as the family itself as an institution, are marked by pressures resulting from institutional transformations of labour markets and the welfare state. This contribution outlines the specific challenges that poor families face and describes three typical strategies of coping with poverty within the family. While routinisation and intensification strategies are only moderately successful in improving the family situation, seeking options is a strategy that opens up new opportunities, which also offers entry points for providing social aid and services.
Wirkungen der Familienpolitik auf die Fertilität in modernen Wohlfahrtsstaaten
Authors: Kirschner Helene
Published: January 2016

The Impact of Family Policy on Fertility in Modern Welfare States: Many European welfare states face far-reaching demographic challenges. Concerns about the future institutional stability of modern welfare states are especially heightened by low birth rates. This study examines the impact family policy measures, current regulations in welfare states and socio-cultural transformation have on the fertility rate of a given country. Findings suggest that family policy may have different effects in different contexts, for its impact on fertility depends, ultimately, on the particular social conditions of the given welfare state.
Feinfühligkeit, Selbstverstrauen, Orientierung : Erfahrungen und Reflexionen zur elterlichen Kompetenz in der Spätmoderne aus der Sicht der Erziehungsberatung
Authors: Bushuven Maria , Glar Paul , Hoffmanns Stefan
Published: January 2016

Empathy, Self-Confidence, Orientation: Parental Competence in Late Modernity from the Perspective of Educational Counselling in Germany: Experiences and Reflections: As an easily accessible service of youth and family protection, educational counselling has been available throughout Germany for over fifty years. Three social workers active in that field share on the basis of personal experience what they perceive as current pedagogical issues and problems stemming from a pluralistic, individualised environment that has lost its traditions. The authors encourage mothers and fathers not to resign to this open situation but to be present as parents and non-violently to confront their adolescent children with values, norms, their own expectations and desires. This can be most successful if parents can, from the beginning, develop a strong bond with their children even in difficult situations. The study is concluded with examples of preventive advising and counselling that enhances bonding.
Asilo y libertad religiosa. La postura del TJUE
Authors: Rodríguez Moya Almudena
Published: January 2016

Resumen.El proceso de integración europea representa un hito histórico: los países de una misma zona geográfica, previamente enemigos, deciden unirse para crear un futuro en común. Con un origen económico, los Tratados constitutivos de las Comunidades Europeas no contenían disposiciones relativas a los derechos fundamentales. Esto significa que, desde el principio, de su reconocimiento y garantía se encargará el  TJUE. La esfera religiosa, cuya regulación aún es incipiente, presenta problemas que necesitan una respuesta de la UE. El papel del Tribunal de Luxemburgo resulta cada vez más importante para el reconocimiento de los derechos humanos. La posición del TJUE en una cuestión de asilo nos acerca a su posición en materia de libertad religiosa para lo que estudiamos la sentencia del Tribunal de Justicia (Gran Sala) de 05 de septiembre 2012. Abstract.The process of European integration represented a historic milestone whereby countries in the same geographical area, previously enemies, chose to unite. Due to its economic origin, the founding treaties of the European Communities did not contain provisions relating to fundamental rights. This means that from the beginning its recognition and guarantee corresponded to the Court of Justice of the European Communities. The religious sphere, whose regulation is still nascent in terms of EU legislation, has come to adopt a clear interstate basis, presenting problems that need an EU response. The role of the Luxembourg Court will be increasingly important for the recognition of human rights. This can be seen in religious freedom recognition in the judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) 5 September 2012.
The Diorama Effect
Authors: Bowen1 Dore
Published: January 2016

The diorama on the rue Sanson in Paris (1822–39) created a blended image by rotating the auditorium between two tableaux, each painted back and front and illuminated with colored light to create a sense of animation. What I call the “diorama effect” is the way the diorama used projection and reflection—both literally and figuratively—to create the illusion of places and characters known to the audience while simultaneously dissolving these references, seemingly into thin air. The 1825 diorama, the example in this essay, featured a tableau by Charles-Marie Bouton depicting a view of Paris and its new gas meter, and a second tableau by Louis Daguerre presenting a colonnade that disappears. To understand the way that these tableaux participated in then-contemporary debates on gaslight each is read in relation to narratives from the time—notably, the program notes for the diorama, the popular fairy tale of Aladdin and the magic lamp, and public debates in which the gas lamp figures as a political symbol of insurrection or, conversely, as a romantic symbol of exoticism.
Déplacer l’index
Authors: Dryansky Larisa
Published: January 2016

Cet article s’attache à mettre au jour l’importance paradigmatique de la projection dans l’oeuvre de Dennis Oppenheim en montrant en quoi les images lumineuses flottantes conçues par l’artiste lui permettent d’opérer un travail de déplacement de la notion d’index et, plus généralement, de l’image-contact. L’idée centrale à cet égard est celle de transmission envisagée dans son rapport tant à la filiation qu’à l’émission (de lumière, d’énergie, etc.) ainsi qu’à la communication et à la théorie de l’information.
Probing Light: Projection Mapping, Architectural Surface, and the Politics of Luminous Abstraction
Authors: Korola Katerina
Published: January 2016

Over the last decade, 3D projection mapping has flourished around the world under the auspices of corporate publicity firms, arts organizations, and urban-branding initiatives. In the popular press, this work has been hailed at once as fulfilling the ambitions of expanded cinema (freeing the moving image from the screen) and as performative architecture (liberating architecture from stasis). However, this emphasis on the freedom of the moving image, on the one hand, and on movement itself, on the other, has caused neglect toward the way that such projections interact with their architectural support. Indeed, in its short history, projection mapping has already developed favoured idioms, whose repetition across the globe draws into question its site-specificity. Whereas unapologetically commercial projects have tended toward figurative motifs, projects aspiring to the artistic have tended to systematically favour the language of abstraction. This latter group is the concern of this essay, in which, drawing on the critical framework provided by earlier inter-war debates surrounding light architecture, the author investigates the potential and limitations of such luminous abstractions in engendering new forms of spatial experience. Do these high-tech projections encourage the spectator to engage with architecture in a new way, or do they instead efface their architectural setting beneath an ornamental visual spectacle?
The “Corporeality” of the Image in Walter Gropius’ Monumentale Kunst und Industriebau Lecture
Authors: Mejía Moreno Catalina
Published: January 2016

The introduction of a series of traded photographs of North and South American Silos into the discourse of modern architecture has been generally attributed to the German architect Walter Gropius when he published the photographs in the 1913 Jahrbuch des Deutschen Werkbundes. What remains overlooked is the photographs’ original dissemination platform: Gropius’ Monumentale Kunst und Industriebau Lichtbildervortrag [lantern slide lecture] from 1911. Based on a close reading of archival material – first the original lecture manuscript, which indicates that images and text were merged in performance, and then the photographic slides – this paper argues that the projector’s agency enables the foundation of these iconic buildings’ architectural criticism. Indeed such criticism actually takes place in the ephemeral space of the projection, rather than in the various printed media where it is usually located.
Le mur d’images au cinéma et à la télévision : mise en lumière d’un dispositif de projection mentale
Authors: Nussbaum Valentin
Published: January 2016

Le « mur d’images » – une paroi ou un panneau recouvert de données visuelles et textuelles – est devenu en l’espace de deux décennies un motif privilégié propre au petit et au grand écran permettant de projeter littéralement et métaphoriquement le travail d’enquête ou de résolution de problèmes. À la croisée de différentes cultures de visualisation, telles que les panneaux d’affichage, collages, cartes heuristiques, story-boards ou écrans d’ordinateurs, le dispositif sert d’écran sur lequel projeter le processus de réflexion mentale des protagonistes et constitue un outil de mise en abyme de la création cinématographique et télévisuelle.
The two sides of Tat
Authors: Barboric Matjaz , Fujinaga Koh
Published: January 2016

A virus protein called Tat plays a dual role in HIV infection by regulating the expression of genes belonging to the virus and genes belonging to the host cells.
Thermoelectric properties of single-wall carbon nanotube films: Effects of diameter and wet environment
Authors: Hayashi Daisuke , Ueda Tomohiro , Nakai Yusuke , Kyakuno Haruka , Miyata Yasumitsu , Yamamoto Takahiro , Saito Takeshi , Hata Kenji , Maniwa Yutaka
Published: January 2016

The Seebeck coefficient S and the electrical resistivity ρ of single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) films were investigated as a function of the SWCNT diameter and carrier concentration. The S and ρ significantly changed in humid environments through p-type carrier doping. Experiments, combined with theoretical simulations based on the non-equilibrium Green’s function theory, indicated that the power factor P can be increased threefold by the enrichment of semiconducting SWCNTs, but the nanotube diameter has little effect. The improvement of the film resistivity strongly enhances the film thermoelectric performance, manifested as increasing the value of P above 1200 µW/(m·K2).
Mining integrated semantic networks for drug repositioning opportunities
Authors: Mullen Joseph , Cockell Simon J. , Tipney Hannah , Woollard Peter M. , Wipat Anil
Published: January 2016

Current research and development approaches to drug discovery have become less fruitful and more costly. One alternative paradigm is that of drug repositioning. Many marketed examples of repositioned drugs have been identified through serendipitous or rational observations, highlighting the need for more systematic methodologies to tackle the problem. Systems level approaches have the potential to enable the development of novel methods to understand the action of therapeutic compounds, but requires an integrative approach to biological data. Integrated networks can facilitate systems level analyses by combining multiple sources of evidence to provide a rich description of drugs, their targets and their interactions. Classically, such networks can be mined manually where a skilled person is able to identify portions of the graph (semantic subgraphs) that are indicative of relationships between drugs and highlight possible repositioning opportunities. However, this approach is not scalable. Automated approaches are required to systematically mine integrated networks for these subgraphs and bring them to the attention of the user. We introduce a formal framework for the definition of integrated networks and their associated semantic subgraphs for drug interaction analysis and describe DReSMin, an algorithm for mining semantically-rich networks for occurrences of a given semantic subgraph. This algorithm allows instances of complex semantic subgraphs that contain data about putative drug repositioning opportunities to be identified in a computationally tractable fashion, scaling close to linearly with network data. We demonstrate the utility of our approach by mining an integrated drug interaction network built from 11 sources. This work identified and ranked 9,643,061 putative drug-target interactions, showing a strong correlation between highly scored associations and those supported by literature. We discuss the 20 top ranked associations in more detail, of which 14 are novel and 6 are supported by the literature. We also show that our approach better prioritizes known drug-target interactions, than other state-of-the art approaches for predicting such interactions.
Attitude, Self-Efficacy and Students’ Academic Performance in Mathematics
Authors: Alpacion Neryl Joy D. , Camañan Cristian T. , Gregorio Arlyn Jane L. , Panlaan Jun Mark R. , Tudy Randy A.
Published: January 2016

Mathematics is an interesting but a very challenging subject. Several studies reported different factors which lead to students’ poor performance in this subject. This study aimed to determine the influence of attitude and self-efficacy towards academic performance in Mathematics for Grade 8 students. It employed causal correlational research design. The findings revealed that the level of academic performance of the students was satisfactory. In terms of the level of attitude towards Mathematics subject, it is either positive or negative. As to the students’ self-efficacy, it is neither high nor low. No significant difference was found on the level of attitude and self-efficacy when grouped according to gender. It was also discovered that only attitude towards Mathematics manifested significant influence to academic performance. Students who have shown positive attitude towards the subject tend to perform well. Hence, performance in Mathematics can be improved by developing a positive attitude towards the subject. Parents, teachers and other stakeholders have the responsibility of helping the students in this aspect.   Keywords - Mathematics, self-efficacy, attitudes towards Mathematics, correlation study, Philippines
The role of USP1 autocleavage in DNA interstrand crosslink repair
Authors: Kim Mira , Kim Jung Min
Published: January 2016

The Fanconi anemia (FA) pathway regulates DNA interstrand crosslink (ICL) repair. A critical step in this pathway is mono‐ubiquitination of FANCD2 (FANCD2‐Ub). Deubiquitinase USP1 removes ubiquitin from FANCD2 resulting in inactivation of the FA pathway. USP1 is autocleaved and subsequently degraded for its down‐regulation. Here, we investigated the functional consequences of Usp1‐autocleavage defect. Usp1‐autocleavage mutant (Usp1GG/AA) corrected the level of Fancd2‐Ub similar to Usp1WT in Usp1−/−MEFs. However, Usp1GG/AA only partially rescued MMC sensitivity with defective Fancd2 foci formation and homologous recombination defect. Contrary to this, Usp1GG/AA was capable of recovering UV resistance of Usp1−/− MEFs to a similar extent with Usp1WT. Taken together, our findings suggest that Usp1 regulation by autocleavage is critical for Usp1 to exert its function in ICL repair.
Subduction of a buoyant plateau at the Manila Trench: Tomographic evidence and geodynamic implications
Authors: Fan Jianke , Zhao Dapeng , Dong Dongdong
Published: January 2016

We determined P‐wave tomographic images by inverting a large number of arrival‐time data from 2749 local earthquakes and 1462 teleseismic events, which are used to depict the three‐dimensional morphology of the subducted Eurasian Plate along the northern segment of the Manila Trench. Dramatic changes in the dip angle of the subducted Eurasian Plate are revealed from the north to the south, being consistent with the partial subduction of a buoyant plateau beneath the Luzon Arc. Slab tears may exist along the edges of the buoyant plateau within the subducted plate induced by the plateau subduction, and the subducted lithosphere may be absent at depths greater than 250 km at ∼19°N and ∼21°N. The subducted buoyant plateau is possibly oriented toward NW‐SE, and the subducted plate at ∼21°N is slightly steeper than that at ∼19°N. These results may explain why the western and eastern volcanic chains in the Luzon Arc are separated by ∼50 km at ∼18°N, whereas they converge into a single volcanic chain northward, which may be related to the oblique subduction along the Manila Trench caused by the northwestern movement of the Philippine Sea Plate. A low‐velocity zone is revealed at depths of 20–200 km beneath the Manila Accretionary Prism at ∼22°N, suggesting that the subduction along the Manila Trench may stop there and the collision develops northward. The Taiwan Orogeny may originate directly from the subduction of the buoyant plateau, because the initial time of the Taiwan Orogeny is coincident with that of the buoyant plateau subduction.
Feature‐based validation of the Lyon‐Fedder‐Mobarry magnetohydrodynamical model
Authors: Kleiber W. , Hendershott B. , Sain S. R. , Wiltberger M.
Published: January 2016

Field‐aligned currents (FACs) play an important role in the coupling between the ionosphere and magnetosphere. Numerical simulation of these phenomena is of increasing interest, but validation has been hampered by a lack of a formal framework to compare simulations to satellite‐derived products. We develop a statistical approach to compare FAC simulations from global magnetohydrodynamical models against satellite products. We introduce a robust algorithm that automatically detects and defines regions 1 and 2 FACs. In an example, currents derived from the Iridium satellites are compared against simulated currents from two resolutions of the Lyon‐Fedder‐Mobarry model on one solar event. We assess both average and structured discrepancies, the former being a level shift of the physical model away from the satellite product, while structural discrepancy refers to time‐varying, continuous differences. For this event, the lower resolution version of the Lyon‐Fedder‐Mobarry is shown to be a poor representation of the satellite‐derived FACs, while the higher resolution version substantially reduces discrepancy.
Dynamics of wind‐driven upwelling off the northeastern coast of Hainan Island
Authors: Lin Peigen , Cheng Peng , Gan Jianping , Hu Jianyu
Published: January 2016

Both observational and reanalysis sea surface temperature data reveal that upwelling occurs frequently off the northeastern coast of Hainan Island (downstream of the change in topography off Tongluo Cape), which cannot be attributed to the along‐shelf wind alone. To identify dynamics of the upwelling, we conduct a numerical experiment using an idealized topography that is simplified from the actual topography off the eastern and northeastern coasts of Hainan Island. The result indicates that the upwelling downstream of the change in topography is associated with onshore cross‐isobath transport. Analysis of the vertically integrated momentum balance shows that the upwelling‐linked onshore transport is primarily intensified by the along‐isobath barotropic pressure gradient force (PGT), but is weakened by the along‐isobath baroclinic pressure gradient force (PGC). The along‐isobath PGT is linked to the advection of relative vorticity, the bottom stress curl and the gradient of momentum flux in vorticity equation. On the other hand, the PGC‐related process is diagnosed by potential vorticity (PV) balance. Similar to the negative PV term from wind stress, the negative PV terms of the joint effect of baroclinicity and relief and the baroclinic bottom pressure torque weaken the upwelling‐linked onshore transport downstream of the change in topography. The onshore transport is enhanced by the positive PV from bottom stress. In addition, the cross‐isobath forces play an important role in upwelling intensification in the shallow nearshore region.
On the calculation of air‐sea fluxes of CO2 in the presence of temperature and salinity gradients
Authors: Woolf D. K. , Land P. E. , Shutler J. D. , Goddijn‐Murphy L. M. , Donlon C. J.
Published: January 2016

The presence of vertical temperature and salinity gradients in the upper ocean and the occurrence of variations in temperature and salinity on time scales from hours to many years complicate the calculation of the flux of carbon dioxide (CO2) across the sea surface. Temperature and salinity affect the interfacial concentration of aqueous CO2 primarily through their effect on solubility with lesser effects related to saturated vapor pressure and the relationship between fugacity and partial pressure. The effects of temperature and salinity profiles in the water column and changes in the aqueous concentration act primarily through the partitioning of the carbonate system. Climatological calculations of flux require attention to variability in the upper ocean and to the limited validity of assuming “constant chemistry” in transforming measurements to climatological values. Contrary to some recent analysis, it is shown that the effect on CO2 fluxes of a cool skin on the sea surface is large and ubiquitous. An opposing effect on calculated fluxes is related to the occurrence of warm layers near the surface; this effect can be locally large but will usually coincide with periods of low exchange. A salty skin and salinity anomalies in the upper ocean also affect CO2 flux calculations, though these haline effects are generally weaker than the thermal effects.
The costs of coping with poor water supply in rural Kenya
Authors: Cook Joseph , Kimuyu Peter , Whittington Dale
Published: January 2016

As the disease burden of poor access to water and sanitation declines around the world, the nonhealth benefits––mainly the time burden of water collection – will likely grow in importance in sector funding decisions and investment analyses. We measure the coping costs incurred by households in one area of rural Kenya. Sixty percent of the 387 households interviewed were collecting water outside the home, and household members were spending an average of 2–3 h doing so per day. We value these time costs using an individual‐level value of travel time estimate based on a stated preference experiment. We compare these results to estimates obtained assuming that the value of time saved is a fraction of unskilled wage rates. Coping cost estimates also include capital costs for storage and rainwater collection, money paid either to water vendors or at sources that charge volumetrically, costs of treating diarrhea cases, and expenditures on drinking water treatment (primarily boiling in our site). Median total coping costs per month are approximately US$20 per month, higher than average household water bills in many utilities in the United States, or 12% of reported monthly cash income. We estimate that coping costs are greater than 10% of income for over half of households in our sample. They are higher among larger and wealthier households, and households whose primary source is not at home. Even households with unprotected private wells or connections to an intermittent piped network spend money on water storage containers and on treating water they recognize as unsafe.
Clinical significance of long noncoding RNA SPRY4‐IT1 in melanoma patients
Authors: Liu Teng , Shen Song‐Ke , Xiong Jian‐Gui , Xu Yuan , Zhang Han‐Qi , Liu Hai‐Jun , Lu Zheng‐Gen
Published: January 2016

Long noncoding RNA SPRY4‐IT1 has been reported to promote melanoma cell growth and invasion, and to block apoptosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of SPRY4‐IT1 in patients with malignant melanoma. The relative expression levels of SPRY4‐IT1 were measured in plasma samples from 70 patients and 79 healthy controls by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. SPRY4‐IT1 expression is high in melanoma patients but low in healthy controls, and is closely associated with tumor site and tumor stage. Elevated SPRY4‐IT1 significantly reduces overall survival rates of patients and is considered as an independent prognostic factor in patients with melanoma. The prognostic nomogram shows a good prediction of the probability of 5‐year overall survival of patients with melanoma (c‐index: 0.72). The calibration curve for the probability of survival presents good agreement between actual outcomes and predictive consequences. In summary, SPRY4‐IT1 may be a potential prognostic marker and a potential therapeutic target.
Retracted: microRNA‐497 inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis by targeting YAP1 in human hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Lei , Yu Zhaoxiang , Xian Yao , Lin Xiaobo
Published: January 2016

microRNAs (miRNAs) function as oncogenes or tumor suppressors in human cancers by targeting mRNAs for degradation and/or translational repression. miR‐497 has been proposed as a tumor suppressive miRNA and its deregulation is observed in human cancers. However, the prognostic value of miR‐497 and its underlying molecular pathways involved in the initiation and development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are poorly investigated. In the present study, we found that the mean level of miR‐497 in HCC tissues was lower than that in adjacent nontumor tissues. Clinical data indicated that low expression of miR‐497 was prominently associated with adverse prognostic features of HCC including high serum alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) level, large tumor size, high Edmondson–Steiner grading and advanced tumor–node–metastasis (TNM) stage. Furthermore, miR‐497 was an independent prognostic factor for indicating both 5‐year overall survival and disease‐free survival of HCC patients. Gain‐ and loss‐of‐function studies showed that miR‐497 reduced cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in HCC cells. Yes‐associated protein 1 (YAP1) was identified as a direct target of miR‐497 in HCC. An inverse correlation between YAP1 and miR‐497 expression was observed in HCC tissues. Notably, YAP1 knockdown abrogated the effects of miR‐497 deletion on HCC cells with decreased cell proliferation and increased apoptosis. In conclusion, we report that miR‐497 is a potent prognostic indicator and may suppress tumor growth of HCC by targeting YAP1.
Structural connectivity analyses in motor recovery research after stroke
Authors: Koch Philipp , Schulz Robert , Hummel Friedhelm C.
Published: January 2016

Structural connectivity analyses by means of diffusion‐weighted imaging have substantially advanced the understanding of stroke‐related network alterations and their implications for motor recovery processes and residual motor function. Analyses of the corticospinal tract, alternate corticofugal pathways as well as intrahemispheric and interhemispheric corticocortical connections have not only been related to residual motor function in cross‐sectional studies, but have also been evaluated to predict functional recovery after stroke in longitudinal studies. This review will consist of an update on the available literature about structural connectivity analyses after ischemic motor stroke, followed by an outlook of possible future directions of research and applications.
Reduced Blood Coagulation on Roll‐to‐Roll, Shrink‐Induced Superhydrophobic Plastics
Authors: Nokes Jolie M. , Liedert Ralph , Kim Monica Y. , Siddiqui Ali , Chu Michael , Lee Eugene K. , Khine Michelle
Published: January 2016

The unique antiwetting properties of superhydrophobic (SH) surfaces prevent the adhesion of water and bodily fluids, including blood, urine, and saliva. While typical manufacturable approaches to create SH surfaces rely on chemical and structural modifications, such approaches are expensive, require postprocessing, and are often not biocompatible. By contrast, it is demonstrated that purely structural SH features are easily formed using high throughput roll‐to‐roll (R2R) manufacturing by shrinking a prestressed thermoplastic with a thin, stiff layer of silver and calcium. These features are subsequently embossed into any commercially available and Food and Drug Administration (FDA)‐approved plastic. The R2R SH surfaces have contact angles >150° and contact angle hysteresis <10°. Importantly, the surfaces minimize blood adhesion, leading to reduced blood coagulation without the need for anticoagulants. SH surfaces have >4200× reduction of blood residue area compared to the nonstructured controls of the same material. In addition, blood clotting is reduced >5× using whole blood directly from the patient. Furthermore, these surfaces can be easily configured into 3D shapes, as demonstrated with SH tubes. With the simple scale‐up production and the eliminated need for anticoagulants to prevent clotting, the proposed conformable SH surfaces can be impactful for a wide range of medical tools, including catheters and microfluidic channels.
Improving the Photoelectrochemical Performance of Hematite by Employing a High Surface Area Scaffold and Engineering Solid–Solid Interfaces
Authors: Chakthranont Pongkarn , Pinaud Blaise A. , Seitz Linsey C. , Forman Arnold J. , Jaramillo Thomas F.
Published: January 2016

Herein, a high surface area electrode (HSE) consisting of indium tin oxide (ITO) as a scaffold and ultrathin Ti‐doped hematite (α‐Fe2O3) as the absorber material is developed. The HSE exhibits sixfold improvement in photoactivity over an analogous photoelectrode with a flat morphology. Interfacial recombination due to dopant impurities and shunting resulting from a high pinhole density in the hematite layer limit the device performance. These limitations are mitigated by introducing a tin oxide barrier layer, which reduces recombination at the solid–solid interface and mitigates shunting. Employing the HSE with an appropriate barrier layer improves charge separation efficiency and catalytic activity compared to conventional planar devices. This strategy can potentially be extended to other light absorber materials whose performance is affected by charge transport limitations.
Mass and Charge Transfer Coenhanced Oxygen Evolution Behaviors in CoFe‐Layered Double Hydroxide Assembled on Graphene
Authors: Han Xiaotong , Yu Chang , Yang Juan , Zhao Changtai , Huang Huawei , Liu Zhibin , Ajayan Pulickel M. , Qiu Jieshan
Published: January 2016

The earth‐abundant electrocatalysts with high activity are highly desired and required for high‐efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, we report that 2D nanosheet‐shaped cobalt–iron‐layered double hydroxide (CoFe‐LDH) is a highly active and stable oxygen evolution catalyst. The Fe3+ is capable of tailoring the component ranging from hydroxides to LDH and broadening the interlayer space of as‐made 2D materials. Benefiting from the synergistic effects between Co and Fe species and the LDH‐layered structure, the shortened ion transport distance in the nanoscale dimension, and the broader interlayer space, an enhanced mass transfer behavior for OER is demonstrated. The as‐made CoFe‐LDH shows high electrocatalytic activity, which is superior to those of corresponding Co(OH)2 and the mixed phase samples of Co(OH)2 and FeOOH, as well as RuO2 and commercial Pt/C catalysts. Assembling CoFe‐LDH on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to configure the 2D sheet‐on‐sheet binary architectures (CoFe‐LDH/rGO) can further create well‐interconnected conductive networks within the electrode matrix, leading to the lowest overpotential of 325 mV at 10 mA cm−2. Collectively, such integrated characteristics with alternated components will endow the as‐made 2D‐structured catalysts with a potential and superb superiority as low‐cost earth‐abundance catalysts for water oxidation.
Going Beyond Lithium Hybrid Capacitors: Proposing a New High‐Performing Sodium Hybrid Capacitor System for Next‐Generation Hybrid Vehicles Made with Bio‐Inspired Activated Carbon
Authors: Thangavel Ranjith , Kaliyappan Karthikeyan , Kang Kisuk , Sun Xueliang , Lee Yun‐Sung
Published: January 2016

A novel sodium hybrid capacitor (NHC) is constructed with an intercalation‐type sodium material [carbon coated‐Na3V2(PO4)3, C‐NVP] and high surface area‐activated carbon derived from an eco‐friendly resource cinnamon sticks (CDCs) in an organic electrolyte. This novel NHC possesses a combination of high energy and high power density, along with remarkable electrochemical stability. In addition, the C‐NVP/CDC system outperforms present, well‐established lithium hybrid capacitor systems in all areas, and can thus be added to the list of candidates for future electric vehicles. A careful optimization of mass balance between electrode materials enables the C‐NVP/CDC cell to exhibit extraordinary capacitance performance. This novel NHC produces an energy density of 118 Wh kg−1 at a specific power of 95 W kg−1 and retains an energy density of 60 Wh kg−1 with high specific power of 850 W kg−1. Furthermore, a discharge capacitance of 53 F g−1 is obtained from the C‐NVP/CDC cell at a 1 mA cm−2 current density, along with 95% capacitance retention, even after 10 000 cycles. The sluggish kinetics of the Na ion battery system is successfully overcome by developing a stable, high‐performing NHC system.
An elastic analog model for controlling the impingement point position in confined impinging jets
Authors: Fonte Cláudio P. , Sultan M. Ashar , Santos Ricardo J. , Dias Madalena M. , Lopes José Carlos B.
Published: January 2016

Confined impinging jets (CIJs) are highly efficient mixers. The scales of mixing in CIJs are controlled by the opposed jets interaction. A mechanistic model is described here, which accurately predicts the impinging position of the opposed jets for a large range of flow rate ratios. The impinging point position is shown to impact the dynamic properties of the flow and the achieved mixing quality. The opposed jets kinetic energy ratio is shown to have a critical impact on mixing, similar to the Reynolds number. A mixing chamber design relation is proposed and verified for the opposed injectors diameters ratio,
, which enables to operate CIJs under optimum mixing conditions for large ranges of flow rate ratios, viscosity and density ratios between the opposed streams. Optimum
values have asymptotes for large and small Reynolds number depending on the process stoichiometry, viscosity, and density ratios of the opposed jet streams. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 62: 2200–2212, 2016
Detailed analysis of 26 cases of 1q partial duplication/triplication syndrome
Authors: Watanabe Satoshi , Shimizu Kenji , Ohashi Hirofumi , Kosaki Rika , Okamoto Nobuhiko , Shimojima Keiko , Yamamoto Toshiyuki , Chinen Yasutsugu , Mizuno Seiji , Dowa Yuri , Shiomi Natsuko , Toda Yoshihiro , Tashiro Katsuya , Shichijo Koichi , Minatozaki Kazunori , Aso Seijiro , Minagawa Kyoko , Hiraki Yoko , Shimokawa Osamu , Matsumoto Tadashi , Fukuda Masafumi , Moriuchi Hiroyuki , Yoshiura Koh‐ichiro , Kondoh Tatsuro
Published: January 2016

Partial 1q trisomy syndrome is a rare disorder. Because unbalanced chromosomal translocations often occur with 1q trisomy, it is difficult to determine whether patient symptoms are related to 1q trisomy or other chromosomal abnormalities. The present study evaluated genotype–phenotype correlations of 26 cases diagnosed with 1q partial trisomy syndrome. DNA microarray was used to investigate the duplication/triplication region of 16 cases. Although there was no overlapping region common to all 26 cases, the 1q41‐qter region was frequently involved. One case diagnosed as a pure interstitial trisomy of chromosome 1q by G‐banded karyotype analysis was instead found to be a pure partial tetrasomy by CytoScan® HD Array. In four 1q trisomy syndrome cases involving translocation, the translocated partner chromosome could not be detected by DNA microarray analyzes despite G‐banded karyotype analysis, because there were a limited number of probes available for the partner region. DNA microarray and G‐banded karyotyping techniques were therefore shown to be compensatory diagnostic tools that should be used by clinicians who suspect chromosomal abnormalities. It is important to continue recruiting affected patients and observe and monitor their symptoms to reveal genotype–phenotype correlations and to fully understand their prognosis and identify causal regions of symptoms. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Timing of endoscopic surgical decompression in traumatic optic neuropathy: a systematic review of the literature
Authors: Dhaliwal Sandeep S. , Sowerby Leigh J. , Rotenberg Brian W.
Published: January 2016

Background

Traumatic optic neuropathy (TON) represents a rare but devastating complication of closed head injuries. No accepted guidelines are available for medical and surgical management algorithms. A systematic review of the literature was performed to determine the optimal timing and candidacy for endoscopic surgical intervention.

Methods

A systematic review of multiple databases was performed including Medline‐Ovid, EMBASE, and PubMed. Data was extracted and patients stratified based on surgical delay from trauma (≤3 days, >3 days, ≤7 days, or >7 days) as well as preoperative and postoperative vision testing (no light perception [NLP]; light perception [LP]; hand motion [HM]; or finger counting [FC] or better).

Results

The literature review identified 24 studies meeting inclusion criteria. In the group of patients receiving surgery ≤3 days after the antecedent event, 57% (105/183) had visual improvement, whereas in the >7‐days group 51% (145/283) of patients improved. In those with NLP preoperatively, 41% (172/411) saw improvement, whereas those with LP (89%), HM (93%), or FC (85%) fared better.

Conclusion

The literature suggests that surgical intervention for TON is indicated despite delayed presentation, and is a better choice than no intervention at all. Patients with complete blindness on presentation (NLP) tend to have a poorer surgical outcome.
IMPACT OF CYCLICAL CHANGES IN TEMPERATURE ON CIRCADIAN CLOCK GENES EXPRESSION IN Bombyx BmN CELLS
Authors: Chu Feng , Qiu Jian‐Feng , Tao Hui , Li Xue , Shu Mei‐Ying , Liu Heng‐Jiang , SiMa Yanghu , Xu Shiqing
Published: January 2016

The physiology and metabolism of poikilothermic insects are under the control of environmental temperature. Temperature is the primary cue for the circadian rhythm. Reports on the timing mechanisms of temperature in lepidopterans are limited. This study used Bombyx mori BmN ovarian cells to investigate the effect of temperature on expression of the main circadian clock genes in a negative feedback loop. A 37°C, 30‐min high‐temperature stimulation induced transcription of the circadian clock genes Cry1, Cry2, Per, and Tim. The gene expression profiles showed rhythmic oscillations, with shortened oscillatory periods for Cry1 and altered oscillatory phases for Cry1 and Per. Cyclical increases in temperature of 2°C starting at 26°C, 5°C starting at 20 or 25°C, or 10°C starting at 20°C induced cyclical changes in expression and protein from the four circadian clock genes. Cyclical temperature changes with a difference of 10°C had the most influence. In conclusion, cyclical changes in temperature with differences from 2 to 10°C reset and synchronized the circadian clock of silkworm BmN cells. Transcription of the genes for and protein from Cry2 and Per showed a better reset and synchronization with cyclical temperature changes.
Late Quaternary hominin–bat (Chiroptera) interactions in the Asia‐Pacific
Authors: HAWKINS STUART , O'CONNOR SUE , KEALY SHIMONA
Published: January 2016

This paper reviews the zooarchaeological and historical evidence of insular bat hunting in the Asia‐Pacific, spanning the late Pleistocene to the ethnographic present. A sample of archaeofauna assemblages (n = 18) examined from both cave and open beach archaeological sites reveal a number of issues, which may have obscured archaeological interpretations. These include variability in identification protocols and taphonomic assessment of assemblages between sites and regions. Based on current evidence, it appears that bats were optimal dietary resources in areas where their abundance was concentrated on faunally depauperate islands. Islanders targeted large fruit bats and opportunistically exploited smaller bats either in caves or forest environments using simple technologies, and possibly as early as 74 kya by Homo floresiensis on Flores. Later Neolithic migrations into Remote Oceania during the late Holocene appear to have resulted in the greatest impacts on bat diversity due to hunting and landscape degradation. This pattern of rapid human impact is also likely to reflect differences in biogeography and higher archaeological visibility of colonising sites in Remote Oceania.
Conformational Transformations of (C12H25NH3+)(Pyridinesulfonate) in the Solid State
Authors: Funada Atsushi , Uchikawa Shota , Hoshino Norihisa , Takeda Takashi , Akutagawa Tomoyuki
Published: January 2016

The phase‐transition behaviors, crystal structures, and dielectric properties of four kinds of simple 1:1 organic salts of (C12H25NH3+)(benzenesulfonate) and (C12H25NH3+)(pyridine sulfonates) were examined from the viewpoint of intermolecular hydrogen‐bonding interactions and dynamic conformational transformation in molecular assemblies. Crystals of (C12H25NH3+)(benzenesulfonate) and (C12H25NH3+)(3‐pyridinesulfonate) were isostructural and solid–solid and solid–liquid‐crystal smectic A (SmA) phase transitions were observed. These two crystals formed rodlike cation–anion assemblies. However, the two salts, (C12H25NH3+)(2‐pyridinesulfonate) and (C12H25NH3+)(4‐pyridinesulfonate), formed largely bent L‐shaped cation–anion conformations. Interesting conformational transformations from rodlike to L‐shaped assemblies were observed in (C12H25NH3+)(2‐pyridinesulfonate) and (C12H25NH3+)(3‐pyridinesulfonate).
Geotechnische und geologische Aspekte für Tiefenlagerkonzepte mit der Option der Rückholung der radioaktiven Reststoffe
Authors: Stahlmann Joachim , Vargas Rocio Leon , Mintzlaff Volker
Published: January 2016

Die Rückholbarkeit von hoch radioaktiven, wärmeentwickelnden Reststoffen (HLW) aus einem Tiefenlager ist derzeit in Deutschland und international in der Diskussion. Der vorliegende Artikel beschäftigt sich mit den geotechnischen und geologischen Folgen der Auslegung eines Tiefenlagers mit der Option der Rückholung von HLW in Abhängigkeit der möglichen Wirtsgesteine. Im Folgenden werden die Eigenschaften der Wirtsgesteine Steinsalz, Ton, Tonstein und kristallines Hartgestein erläutert, die in Deutschland für eine Tiefenlagerung infrage kommen. Basierend auf diesen Eigenschaften werden generische Tiefenlagermodelle vorgestellt, die Rückholbarkeit und Monitoring über die Einlagerungsphase hinaus gewährleisten. Anhand dieser Modelle lässt sich ableiten, dass aufgrund des unterschiedlichen Spannungs‐Dehnungs‐Verhaltens der Wirtsgesteine ein Zielkonflikt zwischen einem bestmöglichen Einschluss der Abfälle und einer langfristigen Option der Rückholung besteht.

Geotechnical and geological aspects for repository concepts with retrievability of radioactive waste

The retrievability of heat‐producing high‐level radioactive waste (HAW) is on debate internationally as well as in Germany. This article deals with the geological and geotechnical consequences of the design of a repository with retrievability in different host rocks. The properties of rock salt, clay, shale and crystalline rock – potential host rocks for a repository with retrievability in Germany – will be presented. Based on these properties generic models of repositories with measurements for retrievability and monitoring will be also presented. With these models it can be derived that due the different stress‐deformation‐behavior there is a conflict of aims between the best possible closure of the waste and the option of retrieval.