bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improved Dietary Guidelines for Vitamin D: Application of Individual Participant Data (IPD)-Level Meta-Regression Analyses
Authors: Cashman Kevin , Ritz Christian , Kiely Mairead ,   ODIN Collaborators
Published: May 2017

Dietary Reference Values (DRVs) for vitamin D have a key role in the prevention of vitamin D deficiency. However, despite adopting similar risk assessment protocols, estimates from authoritative agencies over the last 6 years have been diverse. This may have arisen from diverse approaches to data analysis. Modelling strategies for pooling of individual subject data from cognate vitamin D randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are likely to provide the most appropriate DRV estimates. Thus, the objective of the present work was to undertake the first-ever individual participant data (IPD)-level meta-regression, which is increasingly recognized as best practice, from seven winter-based RCTs (with 882 participants ranging in age from 4 to 90 years) of the vitamin D intake–serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) dose-response. Our IPD-derived estimates of vitamin D intakes required to maintain 97.5% of 25(OH)D concentrations >25, 30, and 50 nmol/L across the population are 10, 13, and 26 µg/day, respectively. In contrast, standard meta-regression analyses with aggregate data (as used by several agencies in recent years) from the same RCTs estimated that a vitamin D intake requirement of 14 µg/day would maintain 97.5% of 25(OH)D >50 nmol/L. These first IPD-derived estimates offer improved dietary recommendations for vitamin D because the underpinning modeling captures the between-person variability in response of serum 25(OH)D to vitamin D intake.
Synthesis and Functionalization of Periodic Copolymers
Authors: Kubatzki Falk , Al-Shok Lucas , Ten Brummelhuis Niels
Published: May 2017

For the copolymerization of non-conjugated olefins and maleimides, it is known that under certain conditions periodic ABA monomer sequences are formed. In this work, such a copolymerization is used to create polymers which have defined (periodic) monomer sequences and can be functionalized after polymerization. The copolymerization of pentafluorophenol (PFP) active esters of 4-pentenoic acid and perillic acid with N-phenyl maleimide (PhMI) was studied in 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) and 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-phenyl-2-propanol (HFPP). In DCE and for the copolymerization of the PFP ester of 4-pentenoic acid and PhMI in HFPP, polymers were formed where the active esters were separated by at least one PhMI unit. The average number of separating PhMI units can be controlled by varying the feed ratio of the monomers. For the copolymerization of the PFP ester of perillic acid in HFPP, a preference for the formation of periodic copolymers was observed, where active esters were preferably separated from each other by a maximum of two PhMI moieties. Therefore, the copolymerization of said active ester containing monomers with PhMI provides a platform to create polymers in which reactive moieties are distributed along the polymer chain in different fashions. The active esters in the non-conjugated vinyl monomers could be used in a post-polymerization functionalization step to create functionalized polymers with defined monomer sequences in a modular way.
A High-Performance Soy Protein Isolate-Based Nanocomposite Film Modified with Microcrystalline Cellulose and Cu and Zn Nanoclusters
Authors: Li Kuang , Jin Shicun , Chen Hui , He Jing , Li Jianzhang
Published: May 2017

Soy protein isolate (SPI)-based materials are abundant, biocompatible, renewable, and biodegradable. In order to improve the tensile strength (TS) of SPI films, we prepared a novel composite film modified with microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and metal nanoclusters (NCs) in this study. The effects of the modification of MCC on the properties of SPI-Cu NCs and SPI-Zn NCs films were investigated. Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy analyses and X-ray diffraction patterns characterized the strong interactions and reduction of the crystalline structure of the composite films. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed the enhanced cross-linked and entangled structure of modified films. Compared with an untreated SPI film, the tensile strength of the SPI-MCC-Cu and SPI-MCC-Zn films increased from 2.91 to 13.95 and 6.52 MPa, respectively. Moreover, the results also indicated their favorable water resistance with a higher water contact angle. Meanwhile, the composite films exhibited increased initial degradation temperatures, demonstrating their higher thermostability. The results suggested that MCC could effectively improve the performance of SPI-NCs films, which would provide a novel preparation method for environmentally friendly SPI-based films in the applications of packaging materials.
Design of Cross-Linked Starch Nanocapsules for Enzyme-Triggered Release of Hydrophilic Compounds
Authors: Steinmacher Fernanda , Baier Grit , Musyanovych Anna , Landfester Katharina , Araújo Pedro , Sayer Claudia
Published: May 2017

Cross-linked starch nanocapsules (NCs) were synthesized by interfacial polymerization carried out using the inverse mini-emulsion technique. 2,4-toluene diisocyanate (TDI) was used as the cross-linker. The influence of TDI concentrations on the polymeric shell, particle size, and encapsulation efficiency of a hydrophilic dye, sulforhodamine 101 (SR 101), was investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and fluorescence measurements, respectively. The final NC morphology was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. The leakage of SR 101 through the shell of NCs was monitored at 37 °C for seven days, and afterwards the NCs were redispersed in water. Depending on cross-linker content, permeable and impermeable NCs shell could be designed. Enzyme-triggered release of SR 101 through impermeable NC shells was investigated using UV spectroscopy with different α-amylase concentrations. Impermeable NCs shell were able to release their cargo upon addition of amylase, being suitable for a drug delivery system of hydrophilic compounds.
Awe and Artifacts: Religious and Scientific Endeavor
Authors: Untea Ionut
Published: May 2017

The article takes as its point of departure the reflections of Henry Adams and Jacques Ellul on the possible gradual replacement of objects used in religious worship with objects used in technological worship, and advances the hypothesis that such a substitution is unlikely. Using information from psychology, history of religions, and history of science, the perspective proposed is that of a parallel historical analogous development of both religious and scientific attitudes of awe by the use of artifacts carrying two functions: firstly, to coagulate social participation around questions dealing with humanity’s destiny and interpersonal relationships across communities, and secondly to offer cultural coherence through a communal sense of social stability, comfort, and security. I argue that, though animated by attitudes of awe (“awefull”), both leading scientists and religious founders have encountered the difficulty in representing and introducing this awe to the large public via “awesome” artifacts. The failure to represent coherently the initial awe via artifacts may give rise to “anomalous awefullness”: intolerance, persecutions, global conflicts.
Flexible Fusion Structure-Based Performance Optimization Learning for Multisensor Target Tracking
Authors: Ge Quanbo , Wei Zhongliang , Cheng Tianfa , Chen Shaodong , Wang Xiangfeng
Published: May 2017

Compared with the fixed fusion structure, the flexible fusion structure with mixed fusion methods has better adjustment performance for the complex air task network systems, and it can effectively help the system to achieve the goal under the given constraints. Because of the time-varying situation of the task network system induced by moving nodes and non-cooperative target, and limitations such as communication bandwidth and measurement distance, it is necessary to dynamically adjust the system fusion structure including sensors and fusion methods in a given adjustment period. Aiming at this, this paper studies the design of a flexible fusion algorithm by using an optimization learning technology. The purpose is to dynamically determine the sensors’ numbers and the associated sensors to take part in the centralized and distributed fusion processes, respectively, herein termed sensor subsets selection. Firstly, two system performance indexes are introduced. Especially, the survivability index is presented and defined. Secondly, based on the two indexes and considering other conditions such as communication bandwidth and measurement distance, optimization models for both single target tracking and multi-target tracking are established. Correspondingly, solution steps are given for the two optimization models in detail. Simulation examples are demonstrated to validate the proposed algorithms.
Low-Latency and Energy-Efficient Data Preservation Mechanism in Low-Duty-Cycle Sensor Networks
Authors: Jiang Chan , Li Tao-Shen , Liang Jun-Bin , Wu Heng
Published: May 2017

Similar to traditional wireless sensor networks (WSN), the nodes only have limited memory and energy in low-duty-cycle sensor networks (LDC-WSN). However, different from WSN, the nodes in LDC-WSN often sleep most of their time to preserve their energies. The sleeping feature causes serious data transmission delay. However, each source node that has sensed data needs to quickly disseminate its data to other nodes in the network for redundant storage. Otherwise, data would be lost due to its source node possibly being destroyed by outer forces in a harsh environment. The quick dissemination requirement produces a contradiction with the sleeping delay in the network. How to quickly disseminate all the source data to all the nodes with limited memory in the network for effective preservation is a challenging issue. In this paper, a low-latency and energy-efficient data preservation mechanism in LDC-WSN is proposed. The mechanism is totally distributed. The data can be disseminated to the network with low latency by using a revised probabilistic broadcasting mechanism, and then stored by the nodes with LT (Luby Transform) codes, which are a famous rateless erasure code. After the process of data dissemination and storage completes, some nodes may die due to being destroyed by outer forces. If a mobile sink enters the network at any time and from any place to collect the data, it can recover all of the source data by visiting a small portion of survived nodes in the network. Theoretical analyses and simulation results show that our mechanism outperforms existing mechanisms in the performances of data dissemination delay and energy efficiency.
A Generalized Chirp-Scaling Algorithm for Geosynchronous Orbit SAR Staring Observations
Authors: Li Caipin , He Mingyi
Published: May 2017

Geosynchronous Orbit Synthetic Aperture Radar (GEO SAR) has recently received increasing attention due to its ability of performing staring observations of ground targets. However, GEO SAR staring observation has an ultra-long integration time that conventional frequency domain algorithms cannot handle because of the inaccurately assumed slant range model and existing azimuth aliasing. To overcome this problem, this paper proposes an improved chirp-scaling algorithm that uses a fifth-order slant range model where considering the impact of the “stop and go” assumption to overcome the inaccuracy of the conventional slant model and a two-step processing method to remove azimuth aliasing. Furthermore, the expression of two-dimensional spectrum is deduced based on a series of reversion methods, leading to an improved chirp-scaling algorithm including a high-order-phase coupling function compensation, range and azimuth compression. The important innovations of this algorithm are implementation of a fifth-order order slant range model and removal of azimuth aliasing for GEO SAR staring observations. A simulation of an L-band GEO SAR with 1800 s integration time is used to demonstrate the validity and accuracy of this algorithm.
A Dual Conductance Sensor for Simultaneous Measurement of Void Fraction and Structure Velocity of Downward Two-Phase Flow in a Slightly Inclined Pipe
Authors: Lee Yeon-Gun , Won Woo-Youn , Lee Bo-An , Kim Sin
Published: May 2017

In this study, a new and improved electrical conductance sensor is proposed for application not only to a horizontal pipe, but also an inclined one. The conductance sensor was designed to have a dual layer, each consisting of a three-electrode set to obtain two instantaneous conductance signals in turns, so that the area-averaged void fraction and structure velocity could be measured simultaneously. The optimum configuration of the electrodes was determined through numerical analysis, and the calibration curves for stratified and annular flow were obtained through a series of static experiments. The fabricated conductance sensor was applied to a 45 mm inner diameter U-shaped downward inclined pipe with an inclination angle of 3° under adiabatic air-water flow conditions. In the tests, the superficial velocities ranged from 0.1 to 3.0 m/s for water and from 0.1 to 18 m/s for air. The obtained mean void fraction and the structure velocity from the conductance sensor were validated against the measurement by the wire-mesh sensor and the cross-correlation technique for the visualized images, respectively. The results of the flow regime classification and the corresponding time series of the void fraction at a variety of flow velocities were also discussed.
Electrical Properties of Cement-Based Composites with Carbon Nanotubes, Graphene, and Graphite Nanofibers
Authors: Yoo Doo-Yeol , You Ilhwan , Lee Seung-Jung
Published: May 2017

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of the carbon-based nanomaterial type on the electrical properties of cement paste. Three different nanomaterials, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), graphite nanofibers (GNFs), and graphene (G), were incorporated into the cement paste at a volume fraction of 1%. The self-sensing capacity of the cement composites was also investigated by comparing the compressive stress/strain behaviors by evaluating the fractional change of resistivity (FCR). The electrical resistivity of the plain cement paste was slightly reduced by adding 1 vol % GNFs and G, whereas a significant decrease of the resistivity was achieved by adding 1 vol % MWCNTs. At an identical volume fraction of 1%, the composites with MWCNTs provided the best self-sensing capacity with insignificant noise, followed by the composites containing GNFs and G. Therefore, the addition of MWCNTs was considered to be the most effective to improve the self-sensing capacity of the cement paste. Finally, the composites with 1 vol % MWCNTs exhibited a gauge factor of 113.2, which is much higher than commercially available strain gauges.
Improvement of the Measurement Range and Temperature Characteristics of a Load Sensor Using a Quartz Crystal Resonator with All Crystal Layer Components
Authors: Murozaki Yuichi , Sakuma Shinya , Arai Fumihito
Published: May 2017

Monitoring multiple biosignals, such as heart rate, respiration cycle, and weight transitions, contributes to the health management of individuals. Specifically, it is possible to measure multiple biosignals using load information obtained through contact with the environment, such as a chair and bed, in daily use. A wide-range load sensor is essential since load information contains multiple biosignals with various load ranges. In this study, a load sensor is presented by using a quartz crystal resonator (QCR) with a wide measurement range of 1.5 × 106 (0.4 mN to 600 N), and its temperature characteristic of load is improved to −7 Hz/°C (−18 mN/°C). In order to improve the measurement range of the load, a design method of this sensor is proposed by restraining the buckling of QCR and by using a thinner QCR. The proposed sensor allows a higher allowable load with high sensitivity. The load sensor mainly consists of three layers, namely a QCR layer and two holding layers. As opposed to the conventional holding layer composed of silicon, quartz crystal is utilized for the holding layers to improve the temperature characteristic of the load sensor. In the study, multiple biosignals, such as weight and pulse, are detected by using a fabricated sensor.
Joint Smoothed l0-Norm DOA Estimation Algorithm for Multiple Measurement Vectors in MIMO Radar
Authors: Liu Jing , Zhou Weidong , Juwono Filbert
Published: May 2017

Direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation is usually confronted with a multiple measurement vector (MMV) case. In this paper, a novel fast sparse DOA estimation algorithm, named the joint smoothed l 0 -norm algorithm, is proposed for multiple measurement vectors in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar. To eliminate the white or colored Gaussian noises, the new method first obtains a low-complexity high-order cumulants based data matrix. Then, the proposed algorithm designs a joint smoothed function tailored for the MMV case, based on which joint smoothed l 0 -norm sparse representation framework is constructed. Finally, for the MMV-based joint smoothed function, the corresponding gradient-based sparse signal reconstruction is designed, thus the DOA estimation can be achieved. The proposed method is a fast sparse representation algorithm, which can solve the MMV problem and perform well for both white and colored Gaussian noises. The proposed joint algorithm is about two orders of magnitude faster than the l 1 -norm minimization based methods, such as l 1 -SVD (singular value decomposition), RV (real-valued) l 1 -SVD and RV l 1 -SRACV (sparse representation array covariance vectors), and achieves better DOA estimation performance.
An Empirical Exploration, Typology, and Definition of Corporate Sustainability
Authors: Bergman Manfred , Bergman Zinette , Berger Lena
Published: May 2017

The relationship between business and society is evolving. On the one hand, social, environmental, and long-term economic issues subsumed under the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are inspiring intergovernmental organizations, governments, NGOs, NPOs, foundations, and civic society to legislate and regulate corporate behavior toward a greater concern for the wellbeing of groups, regions, or entire societies. On the other, a growing trend toward protectionism, nationalism, and populism may be the consequence or expression of a dissatisfaction with the perceived dissociation of the private sector from society. As a form of self-regulation, corporate responsibility deals with the complex responsibilities businesses have toward society. However, it tends to be hampered by an emphasis on theology and philosophy-based business ethics, which are difficult to integrate into day-to-day business operations or to translate between national or corporate cultures. In this article, we argue that corporate sustainability could be a more useful concept to help improve on how government, the private sector, and academia understand the links between business and society, and how to translate the interdependence between business and society from one culture to another. For this purpose, we empirically analyzed the relevant academic literature on corporate sustainability, using Content Configuration Analysis. Our analyses revealed three conceptual types and nine subtypes of corporate sustainability. Based on their assessment, we suggest conceptual preferences and a definition of corporate sustainability, which fulfil criteria that may render the concept more useful to global political and socioeconomic negotiations among stakeholder groups for the long-term benefit of business and society.
Towards Water Sensitive Cities in the Colorado River Basin: A Comparative Historical Analysis to Inform Future Urban Water Sustainability Transitions
Authors: Sullivan Abigail , White Dave , Larson Kelli , Wutich Amber
Published: May 2017

Many population centers in the American West rely on water from the Colorado River Basin, which has faced shortages in recent years that are anticipated to be exacerbated by climate change. Shortages to urban water supplies related to climate change will not be limited to cities dependent on the Colorado River. Considering this, addressing sustainable water governance is timely and critical for cities, states, and regions facing supply shortages and pollution problems. Engaging in sustainability transitions of these hydro-social systems will increase the ability of such systems to meet the water needs of urban communities. In this paper, we identify historical transitions in water governance and examine their context for three sites in the Colorado River Basin (Denver, Colorado, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Phoenix, Arizona) to provide insight for intentional transitions towards sustainable, or “water sensitive” cities. The comparative historical approach employed allows us to more fully understand differences in present-day water governance decisions between the sites, identify past catalysts for transitions, and recognize emerging patterns and opportunities that may impact current and future water governance in the Colorado River Basin and beyond.
The Impact of Institutional Pressures on Green Supply Chain Management and Firm Performance: Top Management Roles and Social Capital
Authors: Chu Soh , Yang Hongsuk , Lee Mansokku , Park Sangwook
Published: May 2017

This study investigates the impact of three institutional pressures, namely government, customer, and competitor pressures, on the environmental and operational performance of firms. These three institutional pressures are examined by implementing green supply chain management, considering the role of top management and studying social capital between buyers and suppliers in the supply chain. Data were collected through an electronic mail survey from buyer firms in the manufacturing industry in Korea. With 241 complete and usable responses, we used structural equation modeling to test our hypotheses. Our findings revealed that the majority of our hypotheses were supported, which is in line with the existing literature. However, the impact of coercive pressure on top management support and the impact of structural social capital on performance were found to be insignificant. The major contribution of our study is that it broadens the framework of green supply chain management (GSCM) by integrating major and recent constructs in the GSCM theory, while also providing instructive managerial implications through empirical evidence.
Urban Plan and Water Infrastructures Planning: A Methodology Based on Spatial ANP
Authors: Grimaldi Michele , Pellecchia Vincenzo , Fasolino Isidoro
Published: May 2017

Cities are exploding, occupying rural territory in dispersed and fragmented ways. A consequence of this phenomenon is that the demand for utilities includes more and more extensive territories. Among them, fulfilling the demand for services related to integrated water service presents many difficulties. The economic costs needed to meet service demand and the environmental costs associated with its non-fulfilment are inversely proportional to the population needing service in rural areas, since that population is distributed across a low-density gradient. Infrastructure planning, within the area of competence, generally follows a policy of economic sustainability, fixing a service coverage threshold in terms of a “sufficient” concentration of population and economic activity (91/271/CEE). This threshold, homogenous within the territorial limits of a water infrastructure plan, creates uncertainty in the planning of investments, which are not sized on the actual, appropriately spatialized, demand for service. Careful prediction of the location of infrastructure investments would guarantee not only economic savings but also reduce the environmental costs generated by the lack of utilities. Therefore, is necessary to create a link between water infrastructure planning and urban planning, which is responsible for the future spatial distribution of service demand. In this study, the relationships between the instruments of regulation and planning are compared by a multi-criteria spatial analysis network (analytic network process (ANP)). This method, tested on a sample of a city in southern Italy, allows us to optimize the design and location of the investment needed to meet the service criteria, looking at the actual efficiency of the networks. The result of this application is a suitability map that allows us to validate the criteria for defining urban transformations.
Mobile Healthcare Applications and Gamification for Sustained Health Maintenance
Authors: Lee Changjun , Lee Kyoungsun , Lee Daeho
Published: May 2017

This paper examines how gamification affects user intention to use mobile healthcare applications (mHealth) and how the effect of gamification works differently according to health status, age, and gender. We use data from a mobile survey conducted by a Korean representative survey agency. We estimate the effect of gamification on user intention to use mobile healthcare applications based on a structural equation model and examine the moderating effects of self-reported health status, age, and gender. We find that gamification is effective in increasing user intention to use mHealth, especially in the healthy and younger groups. These findings suggest that mHealth, with the gamification factor, would encourage healthy (but lack exercise) people as well as unhealthy people to maintain their health status, and thus the mHealth developers need to consider the gamification factor when they develop mHealth services for healthy people.
Seasonal Variation in Flocculation Potential of River Water: Roles of the Organic Matter Pool
Authors: Lee Byung , Hur Jin , Toorman Erik
Published: May 2017

Organic matter in the water environment can enhance either flocculation or stabilization and, thus, controls the fate and transportation of cohesive sediments and causes seasonal variation in the turbidity of river water, determining floc morphology and settling velocity. The aim of this study was to elucidate the way that biological factors change the organic matter composition and enhances either flocculation or stabilization in different seasons. Jar test experiments were performed using a mixture of standard kaolinite and the filtered river water samples collected (bi-)weekly or monthly from April to December 2015 upstream a constructed weir in Nakdong River, to estimate the flocculation potential of the seasonal river water samples. Chlorophyll-a concentration, algae number concentration, and the fluorescence characteristics of organic matter were used to represent the biological factors. Our results revealed that flocculation potential depended not only on the algal population dynamics, but also the origins (or chemical composition) of organic matter in the river water. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), as algal organic matter, enhanced flocculation, while humic substances (HS), as terrestrial organic matter, enhanced stabilization, rather than flocculation. Since flocculation potential reached its maximum around the peaks of algal population, algae-produced EPS likely enhanced flocculation by binding sediment particles in the flocs. This observation supports previous findings of seasonal variation in EPS production and EPS-mediated flocculation. However, when HS was transported from the surrounding basin by a heavy rainfall event, cohesive sediments tended to be rather stabilized. Supplementary flocculation potential tests, which were performed with artificial water containing refined EPS and HS, also showed the opposing effects of EPS and HS.
Application of a simplified method of chloroplast enrichment to small amounts of tissue for chloroplast genome sequencing
Authors: Sakaguchi Shota , Ueno Saneyoshi , Tsumura Yoshihiko , Setoguchi Hiroaki , Ito Motomi , Hattori Chie , Nozoe Shogo , Takahashi Daiki , Nakamasu Riku , Sakagami Taishi , Lannuzel Guillaume , Fogliani Bruno , Wulff Adrien S. , L'Huillier Laurent , Isagi Yuji
Published: May 2017

Premise of the study:

High‐throughput sequencing of genomic DNA can recover complete chloroplast genome sequences, but the sequence data are usually dominated by sequences from nuclear/mitochondrial genomes. To overcome this deficiency, a simple enrichment method for chloroplast DNA from small amounts of plant tissue was tested for eight plant species including a gymnosperm and various angiosperms.

Methods:

Chloroplasts were enriched using a high‐salt isolation buffer without any step gradient procedures, and enriched chloroplast DNA was sequenced by multiplexed high‐throughput sequencing.

Results:

Using this simple method, significant enrichment of chloroplast DNA‐derived reads was attained, allowing deep sequencing of chloroplast genomes. As an example, the chloroplast genome of the conifer Callitris sulcata was assembled, from which polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated successfully.

Discussion:

This chloroplast enrichment method from small amounts of plant tissue will be particularly useful for studies that use sequencers with relatively small throughput and that cannot use large amounts of tissue (e.g., for endangered species).
The Dynamical History of Chariklo and Its Rings
Authors: Wood Jeremy , Horner Jonti , Hinse Tobias C. , Marsden Stephen C.
Published: May 2017

Chariklo is the only small solar system body confirmed to have rings. Given the instability of its orbit, the presence of rings is surprising, and their origin remains poorly understood. In this work, we study the dynamical history of the Chariklo system by integrating almost 36,000 Chariklo clones backward in time for 1 Gyr under the influence of the Sun and the four giant planets. By recording all close encounters between the clones and planets, we investigate the likelihood that Chariklo’s rings could have survived since its capture to the Centaur population. Our results reveal that Chariklo’s orbit occupies a region of stable chaos, resulting in its orbit being marginally more stable than those of the other Centaurs. Despite this, we find that it was most likely captured to the Centaur population within the last 20 Myr, and that its orbital evolution has been continually punctuated by regular close encounters with the giant planets. The great majority (>99%) of those encounters within 1 Hill radius of the planet have only a small effect on the rings. We conclude that close encounters with giant planets have not had a significant effect on the ring structure. Encounters within the Roche limit of the giant planets are rare, making ring creation through tidal disruption unlikely.
A Potential Recoiling Supermassive Black Hole, CXO J101527.2+625911
Authors: Kim D.-C. , Yoon Ilsang , Privon G. C. , Evans A. S. , Harvey D. , Stierwalt S. , Kim Ji Hoon
Published: May 2017

We have carried out a systematic search for recoiling supermassive black holes (rSMBH) using the Chandra Source and SDSS Cross-Match Catalog. From the survey, we have detected a potential rSMBH, CXO J101527.2+625911, at z = 0.3504. The source CXO J101527.2+625911 has a spatially offset (1.26 ± 0.05 kpc) active SMBH and kinematically offset broad emission lines (175 ± 25 km s−1 relative to the systemic velocity). The observed spatial and velocity offsets suggest that this galaxy could be an rSMBH, but we have also considered the possibility of a dual SMBH scenario. The column density toward the galaxy center was found to be Compton thin, but no X-ray source was detected. The non-detection of the X-ray source in the nucleus suggests that either there is no obscured actively accreting SMBH or that there exists an SMBH, but it has a low accretion rate (i.e., a low-luminosity AGN (LLAGN)). The possibility of the LLAGN was investigated and found to be unlikely based on the Hα luminosity, radio power, and kinematic arguments. This, along with the null detection of an X-ray source in the nucleus, supports our hypothesis that CXO J101527.2+625911 is an rSMBH. Our GALFIT analysis shows the host galaxy to be a bulge-dominated elliptical. The weak morphological disturbance and small spatial and velocity offsets suggest that CXO J101527.2+625911 could be in the final stage of a merging process and about to turn into a normal elliptical galaxy.
On the Origin of Sub-subgiant Stars. I. Demographics
Authors: Geller Aaron M. , Leiner Emily M. , Bellini Andrea , Gleisinger Robert , Haggard Daryl , Kamann Sebastian , Leigh Nathan W. C. , Mathieu Robert D. , Sills Alison , Watkins Laura L. , Zurek David
Published: May 2017

Sub-subgiants are stars that are observed to be redder than normal main-sequence stars and fainter than normal subgiant (and giant) stars in an optical color–magnitude diagram (CMD). The red straggler stars, which lie redward of the red giant branch, may be related and are often grouped together with the sub-subgiants in the literature. These stars defy our standard theory of single-star evolution and are important tests for binary evolution and stellar collision models. In total, we identify 65 sub-subgiants (SSG) and red stragglers (RS) in 16 open and globular star clusters from the literature; 50 of these, including 43 sub-subgiants, pass our strict membership selection criteria (though the remaining sources may also be cluster members). In addition to their unique location on the CMD, we find that at least 58% (25/43) of sub-subgiants in this sample are X-ray sources with typical 0.5–2.5 keV luminosities of order 1030–1031 erg s−1. Their X-ray luminosities and optical–to–X-ray flux ratios are similar to those of RS CVn active binaries. At least 65% (28/43) of the sub-subgiants in our sample are variables, 21 of which are known to be radial-velocity binaries. Typical variability periods are ≲15 days. At least 33% (14/43) of the sub-subgiants are Hα emitters. These observational demographics provide strong evidence that binarity is important for sub-subgiant formation. Finally, we find that the number of sub-subgiants per unit mass increases toward lower-mass clusters, such that the open clusters in our sample have the highest specific frequencies of sub-subgiants.
Descattering of Giant Pulses in PSR B1957+20
Authors: Main Robert , Kerkwijk Marten van , Pen Ue-Li , Mahajan Nikhil , Vanderlinde Keith
Published: May 2017

The interstellar medium scatters radio waves, which causes pulsars to scintillate. For intrinsically short bursts of emission, the observed signal should be a direct measurement of the impulse response function. We show that this is indeed the case for giant pulses from PSR B1957+20: from baseband observations at 327 MHz, we demonstrate that the observed voltages of a bright pulse allow one to coherently descatter nearby pulses. We find that while the scattering timescale is

, the power in the descattered pulses is concentrated within a span almost two orders of magnitude shorter, of

. This sets an upper limit to the intrinsic duration of the giant pulses. We verify that the response inferred from the giant pulses is consistent with the scintillation pattern obtained by folding the regular pulsed emission, and that it decorrelates on the same timescale, of 

. In principle, with large sets of giant pulses, it should be possible to constrain the structure of the scattering screen much more directly than with other current techniques, such as holography on the dynamic spectrum and cyclic spectroscopy.
On the Assembly Rate of Highly Eccentric Binary Black Hole Mergers
Authors: Samsing Johan , Ramirez-Ruiz Enrico
Published: May 2017

In this Letter we calculate the fraction of highly eccentric binary black hole (BBH) mergers resulting from binary-single interactions. Using an N-body code that includes post-Newtonian correction terms, we show that

of all BBH mergers resulting from this channel will have an eccentricity

when coming into the LIGO frequency band. As the majority of BBH mergers forming in globular clusters are assembled through three-body encounters, we suggest that such interactions are likely to dominate the population of high-eccentricity BBH mergers detectable by LIGO. The relative frequency of highly eccentric events could eventually help to constrain the astrophysical origin of BBH mergers.
Magnetic Nulls and Super-radial Expansion in the Solar Corona
Authors: Gibson Sarah E. , Dalmasse Kevin , Rachmeler Laurel A. , Rosa Marc L. De , Tomczyk Steven , Toma Giuliana de , Burkepile Joan , Galloy Michael
Published: May 2017

Magnetic fields in the Sun’s outer atmosphere—the corona—control both solar-wind acceleration and the dynamics of solar eruptions. We present the first clear observational evidence of coronal magnetic nulls in off-limb linearly polarized observations of pseudostreamers, taken by the Coronal Multichannel Polarimeter (CoMP) telescope. These nulls represent regions where magnetic reconnection is likely to act as a catalyst for solar activity. CoMP linear-polarization observations also provide an independent, coronal proxy for magnetic expansion into the solar wind, a quantity often used to parameterize and predict the solar wind speed at Earth. We introduce a new method for explicitly calculating expansion factors from CoMP coronal linear-polarization observations, which does not require photospheric extrapolations. We conclude that linearly polarized light is a powerful new diagnostic of critical coronal magnetic topologies and the expanding magnetic flux tubes that channel the solar wind.
Refletindo o cotidiano escolar: do ser professor à relação com o saber
Authors: Mendes Thamiris Christine , Baccon Ana Lúcia Pereira
Published: May 2017

O presente artigo tem como objetivo identificar as concepções do que é ser professor, buscando associar esse sentimento à relação com o saber, de acordo com o esquema proposto por Charlot. Tais relações podem revelar como os sujeitos consideram sua inserção e seu papel no mundo à sua volta, ou seja, o sujeito existe no mundo para poder transformá-lo, ou existe para o outro para poder ajudá-lo a transformar o mundo, ou, finalmente, o sujeito existe para si mesmo para transformar o mundo. Trata-se de uma abordagem de pesquisa qualitativa, em que os dados empíricos foram coletados por meio de questionário, aplicados a uma amostra de 160 docentes da rede pública estadual de ensino do Paraná. Como procedimento de análise dos dados foi utilizada a análise textual discursiva, a qual permitiu apontar que, com respeito à relação com o saber, os docentes pesquisados ocupam duas posições:  a social objetiva e a social subjetiva, dito de outro modo, para os sujeitos da presente pesquisa o sentimento de ser professor é fortemente constituído a partir de sua relação com mundo e com o outro, sendo menos significativas suas relações consigo mesmos. Os resultados nos permitem concluir que, para os sujeitos da pesquisa,  a busca pela docência está atrelada ao desejo de fazer algo pelo outro e pelo mundo, e que estes se sentem satisfeitos quando são reconhecidos profissionalmente.
Supervisão e Colaboração: contributos para uma relação
Authors: Pedras Sandra , Seabra Filipa
Published: May 2017

Atualmente, a educação exige uma supervisão focalizada em apoiar, organizar e ajustar metodologias e estratégias de ensino, cabendo ao supervisor o papel de orientar e ao professor, o papel de instruir-se e ajustar as suas práticas letivas às necessidades educativas com que se depara diariamente. Desta forma é essencial especificar o conceito de supervisão no contexto português, quer num sentido mais lato, quer num sentido mais específico, nomeadamente no que concerne à supervisão do pessoal docente, para compreender a sua importância no seio da colaboração entre os professores, como forma de análise das práticas pedagógicas realizadas, quer ao nível individual, quer com o apoio de supervisores qualificados para o efeito. Ao mesmo tempo, são frequentes os apelos a que os professores, habituados a um trabalho autónomo e individual, adequem as suas estratégias pedagógicas, particularmente no que diz respeito à qualidade das relações de comunicação e de colaboração entre si. É, por isso, fundamental que os profissionais da educação diligenciem as suas práticas profissionais de acordo com as necessidades dos alunos, através do diálogo e da partilha. Através destas ações, poderá existir uma evolução no processo de ensino-aprendizagem que preconiza o sucesso dos discentes (Alarcão; Canha, 2013; Vieira, 2012). No presente artigo exploramos os conceitos de supervisão e de colaboração, avançando uma análise das relações entre os conceitos, nomeadamente apontando subsídios sobre a supervisão colaborativa e sobre a supervisão das relações de colaboração.
Sleep Disorders and Dementia: From Basic Mechanisms to Clinical Decisions
Authors: Karageorgiou Elissaios , Walsh Christine M. , Yaffe Kristine , Neylan Thomas C. , Miller Bruce L.
Published: May 2017

A growing body of evidence shows the bidirectional relationship between sleep disorders and dementia. Sleep disorders often precede cognitive impairment by many years, in keeping with evidence that certain degenerative diseases originate from the brainstem and hypothalamus. Such selective vulnerability is associated with sleep fragmentation, daytime napping, sleep phase disorders, insufficient or excessive sleep duration, and sleep-disordered breathing. However, recent research indicates that sleep disorders accentuate neuropathology, such as decreased slow-wave sleep (SWS) promoting amyloid aggregation. This bidirectional relationship makes for a self-promoting feedback loop that accelerates both processes, highlighting the need for early interventions in elderly patients without dementia. Behavioral interventions, such as sleep hygiene, daytime exercise, and avoidance of alcohol and coffee after a certain time of day, are important first steps. Equally important are interventions that promote sleep consolidation, enhance SWS, or correct sleep-disordered breathing. Finally, optimizing medication timing, such as daytime-only use of cholinesterase inhibitors, can improve sleep and memory consolidation.

[
Psychiatr Ann
. 2017;47(5):227–238.]
The Use of Intraoperative Sensors Significantly Increases the Patient-Reported Rate of Improvement in Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty
Authors: Chow James C. , Breslauer Leigh
Published: May 2017

Albeit multifactorial, patient satisfaction is predominantly driven by postoperative pain and function. Unfortunately, approximately 20% of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) recipients are dissatisfied with the outcome of their surgery. Objective balancing of the soft tissue envelope may contribute to significant decrease in pain and increase in function when compared with traditional subjective methods. In an effort to confirm this, a cohort of manual TKA patient outcomes was compared with sensor-assisted TKA outcomes. One hundred fourteen patients (57 manual, 57 sensor assisted) received primary TKA. Both cohorts were matched for confounding variables. The dependent variables in this study were 6-month patient-reported outcome measures, including Knee Society Score and Oxford Knee Score. The range of motion and incidence of arthrofibrosis were also captured for both cohorts. The rate of improvement of all patient-reported outcome scores and subscores and range of motion was significantly higher in the sensor-assisted cohort. The rate of arthrofibrosis was lower in the sensor-assisted cohort but not statistically significant. The authors rejected the null hypothesis and concluded that the rate of improvement in objective, patient-reported outcome measures was higher in the sensor-assisted cohort than the manual cohort from preoperatively to 6 months postoperatively. [Orthopedics.2017; 40(4):e648–e651.]
An Assessment of the Safety of an Orthopedic Specialty Hospital: A 5-Year Experience
Authors: Padegimas Eric M. , Ramsey Matthew L. , Austin Matthew , Parvizi Javad , Williams Gerald R. , Doyle Kelly , West Michael E. , Rothman Richard H. , Vaccaro Alexander R. , Namdari Surena
Published: May 2017

One of the goals of orthopedic specialty hospitals is to provide safe and efficient care to medically optimized patients. The authors' orthopedic specialty hospital is a physician-owned, 24-bed facility that accommodates a multispecialty orthopedic practice in the areas of spine, hip and knee arthroplasty, shoulder and elbow, sports, foot and ankle, and hand surgery. The purpose of this study was to examine the first 5 years of an institutional experience with an orthopedic specialty hospital and to determine if any procedures were at increased risk of postoperative transfer. When higher-level emergency treatment was required, patients were appropriately and expeditiously transferred and treated at an acute care facility. Length of stay compared favorably with that in traditional acute care hospitals. The specialty hospital may be an appropriate model for delivery of care to medically screened patients in the United States. [
Orthopedics.
2017; 40(4):223–229.]
Innate Control of Adaptive Immunity: Beyond the Three-Signal Paradigm
Authors: Jain Aakanksha , Pasare Chandrashekhar
Published: May 2017

Activation of cells in the adaptive immune system is a highly orchestrated process dictated by multiples cues from the innate immune system. Although the fundamental principles of innate control of adaptive immunity are well established, it is not fully understood how innate cells integrate qualitative pathogenic information to generate tailored protective adaptive immune responses. In this review, we discuss complexities involved in the innate control of adaptive immunity that extend beyond TCR engagement, costimulation, and priming cytokine production but are critical for the generation of protective T cell immunity.
La lucha contra la brecha salarial de género en el Derecho social europeo
Authors: Jimena Quesada Luis
Published: May 2017

Adoptando como premisa que la igualdad salarial de trabajadoras y trabajadores forma parte integrante de los fundamentos del Derecho social europeo (como principio esencial y como derecho fundamental), el presente artículo reflexiona sobre dos importantes desafíos para afrontar la brecha salarial de género: de un lado, el papel de los interlocutores sociales y de las organizaciones pertinentes de la sociedad civil en las negociaciones salariales; y, de otro lado, la extensión del elemento válido de comparación más allá del ámbito de la misma empresa, con objeto de facilitar la función protectora de los órganos jurisdiccionales nacionales (además de otros elementos como la apreciación del peso de las estadísticas o la articulación de la carga de la prueba). El autor concluye que en ambos casos se revelan esenciales las sinergias entre la Unión Europea (en particular, la jurisprudencia clásica del Tribunal de Justicia) y el Consejo de Europa (especialmente, la jurisprudencia innovadora del Comité Europeo de Derechos Sociales).
Recomendaciones para la incorporación de la perspectiva de género en el planeamiento urbano
Authors: Álvarez Isidro Eva María , Gómez Alfonso Carlos José
Published: May 2017

Con frecuencia, el personal técnico y el político de las administraciones encuentran dificultad para la incorporación de la perspectiva de género al planeamiento urbano ya que, por lo general, imaginan que pueda consistir en un elenco de soluciones a aplicar a posteriori. Es por ello, que es necesario una labor de difusión e información de los conceptos y nociones a manejar y una toma de posición decidida a la hora de la provisión de los datos y mecanismos que permitan la extensión de su aplicación de manera constatable, eficaz y exigible.
Diseñar desde la empatía: Avanti-Avanti Studio
Authors: Lleonart García Melani
Published: May 2017

Entrevista a Alex Dobaño, fundador y director creativo de Avanti-Avanti, estudio creativo especializado en el desarrollo de estrategias creativas de comunicación y diseño para todos. Gracias al desarrollo e implantación de su metodología de trabajo centrada en el Design for All Thinking, consiguen que las marcas o empresas conecten con un público más amplio, cumpliendo además con las normativas sobre comunicación accesible para personas con distintas habilidades sensoriales.