bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CONTROLE DO POTENCIAL MATRICIAL DA ÁGUA NO SOLO POR MEIO DE LÓGICA FUZZY
Authors: Lima Francisco Marconi Cavalcati de , Silva Simplício Arnaud da , Filgueira Hamilcar José Almeida , Gomes Heber Pimentel
Published: January 2015

Neste trabalho apresenta-se o estudo teórico e experimental, de um sistema de controle inteligente fuzzy, para definir o momento de irrigação. Este sistema de controle mantém o potencial matricial de água, no solo, em níveis compatíveis com os requisitos de irrigação da cultura, por meio de dotações hídricas variáveis de acordo com a velocidade de rotação de um conjunto motor-bomba. O controle de velocidade de rotação do motor de acionamento da bomba (motor elétrico de indução trifásico) é feito por meio de um inversor de freqüência variável, comandado por um sinal elétrico de tensão contínua. Este sinal elétrico é fornecido por um computador, cujo valor depende das condições e características do solo. Com este sistema de controle é possível proporcionar maior produtividade às culturas, pois o solo estará sempre com a umidade ideal para o seu desenvolvimento vegetativo. A técnica utilizada é a do Controle e Modelagem Fuzzy fazendo uso do Método Mandani. Como o sistema de controle é baseado em regras lingüísticas, o mesmo pode ser adaptado com relativa facilidade a novas necessidades de manejo da água no solo, bastando, para isso, fazer ajustes somente em uma ou algumas de suas regras. Palavras Chave: controle inteligente, tensiômetro, dotações hídricas, inversor de frequência.  SOIL WATER MATRIX POTENTIAL CONTROL THROUGH FUZZY LOGIC  2 ABSTRACT This is a theoretical and experimental study in which Fuzzy Intelligent Control System is used to define the exact time of irrigation. This system keeps the soil water matrix potential at levels consistent with the irrigation requirements through water allocations, varying according to a motor-pump speed. The rotation speed control that drives the motor pump (three phase induction electric motor) is done through a variable frequency inverter, controlled by an electrical signal voltage provided by a computer, and it’s value changes according to the soil characteristics and it’s conditions. With this system it is possible to increase crop productivity as the ground is always with the ideal humidity for plant growth. The technique used was Control and Modeling Fuzzy utilizing the Mandani Method, since this system is based on linguistic rules, it can be easily adapted to new practical requirements by modifying some of its rules. Key Words: intelligent control, tensiometer, irrigation schedule, frequency inverter.
COEFICIENTES DE CULTURA PARA O TOMATEIRO IRRIGADO
Authors: De Santana Marcio José , Pereira Uander Da Costa , Beirigo José Daniel Cambraia , De Souza Stefany Silva , Campos Talita Mendes , Vieira Thiago Assumpção
Published: January 2015

1 RESUMO Um dos métodos de manejo da irrigação mais utilizado é o tanque classe A, necessitando dos valores dos coeficientes de cultura para cálculo da evapotranspiração. O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar os coeficientes de cultura (Kc) do tomateiro irrigado para a região de Uberaba, MG. Os dados do balanço de água no solo foram obtidos em uma área experimental com a cultura em tratamentos envolvendo níveis de reposição de água no solo (40%, 70%, 100%, 130%, 160% e 190% da lâmina necessária para elevar a umidade do solo para a condição equivalente à capacidade de campo). Os dados de tensão de água no solo foram coletados nas parcelas de 100% de reposição. A evapotranspiração de referência foi obtida pelo método do tanque classe A e a evapotranspiração da cultura por meio do balanço da água no solo. Concluiu-se que os valores de Kc para as fases inicial, desenvolvimento, intermediário, final e colheita foram, respectivamente, de 0,37; 0,72; 1,03; 1,10 e 0,75. UNITERMOS: Lycopersicon esculentum L., coeficiente de cultura, déficit hídrico.  SANTANA, M.J.; PEREIRA, U.C.; BEIRIGO, J.D.C.; SOUZA, S.S.; CAMPOS, T.M.;VIEIRA, T.A. CROP COEFFICIENT FOR IRRIGATED TOMATO  2 ABSTRACT One of the most utilized irrigation management methods is the class A Pan, which requires crop coefficients to estimate crop evapotranspiration. The objective of this work was to determine crop coefficients  (Kc) of irrigated tomato in the region of Uberaba, MG. Soil water balance data were obtained in an experimental area with the culture under six levels of soil water replacement (40%, 70%, 100%, 130%, 160% and 190% of the depth necessary to raise the soil moisture to the field capacity condition). The soil water tension data were collected in plots of 100% replacement. The reference evapotranspiration was obtained by the class A Pan method and culture evapotranspiration was obtained utilizing soil water balance. Kc values for the initial, development, intermediate, final, and harvest phases were respectively of  0.37; 0.72; 1.03; 1.10 and 0.75. KEY- WORDS: LycopersiconesculentumL., crop coefficient, water deficit.
Aristocratic house of farmers: the topos of the de re rustica in Sá de Miranda's verse epistles
Authors: Shibata Ricardo Hiroyuki
Published: January 2015

This paper analyses the Francisco de Sá de Miranda's verse epistles according to some historical boundaries. It is clear that Sá de Miranda's main reason lied on the defense of "time of memory", which must be preserved, against the Portuguese expansion and the present time. To do so, Sá de Miranda proposed some doctrinal aspects of "economics" (oeconomia), "house" (oikos) and related subjects, whose vitality was reactivated in the Renaissance, through the literary translation of the so called de re rustica (subject of farmers and peasants). From classical times to the Modern Age, the "house" (oikos) was not only a question of family administration and conservation of the real state, but also of agriculture and friendship bonds.
Using multispecies occupancy models to improve the characterization and understanding of metacommunity structure
Authors: Mihaljevic Joseph R. , Joseph Maxwell B. , Johnson Pieter T. J.
Published: January 2015

Two of the most prominent frameworks to develop in ecology over the past decade are metacommunity ecology, which seeks to characterize multispecies distributions across space, and occupancy modeling, which corrects for imperfect detection in an effort to better understand species occurrence patterns Although their goals are complementary, metacommunity theory and statistical occupancy modeling methods have developed independently. For instance, the elements of metacommunity structure (EMS) framework uses species occurrence data to classify metacommunity structure and link it to underlying environmental gradients. While the efficacy of this approach relies on the quality of the data, few studies have considered how imperfect detection, which is widespread in ecological surveys and the major focus of occupancy modeling, affects the outcome. We introduce a framework that integrates multispecies occupancy models with the current EMS framework, detection error‐corrected EMS (DECEMS). This method offers two distinct advantages. First, DECEMS reduces bias in characterizing metacommunity structure by using repeated surveys and occupancy models to disentangle species‐specific occupancy and detection probabilities, ultimately bringing metacommunity structure classification into a more probabilistic framework. Second, occupancy modeling allows estimation of species‐specific responses to environmental covariates, which will increase our ability to link species‐level effects to metacommunity‐wide patterns. After reviewing the EMS framework, we introduce a simple multispecies occupancy model and show how DECEMS can work in practice, highlighting that detection error often causes EMS to assign incorrect structures. To emphasize the broader applicability of this approach, we further illustrate that DECEMS can reduce the rate of structure misclassification by more than 20% in some cases, even proving useful when detection error rates are quite low (~10%). Integrating occupancy models and the EMS framework will lead to more accurate descriptions of metacommunity structure and to a greater understanding of the mechanisms by which different structures arise.
Bubbles: A review of their relationship to the
formation of thin films and porous materials
Authors: Kolasinski Kurt W.
Published: January 2015

Bubbles arise at the intersection of gases with
other phases. Their role in the formation and applications
of thin films and porous materials is complex. At times
they are to be avoided. In other cases they are essential to
the desired properties and outcomes. In many cases their
function, form and production are misunderstood or disregarded.
This review seeks to connect a diverse array of
technical and fundamental aspects of bubbles so as to facilitate
more control and understanding of their functions
and utility
In-situ audiometry
Authors: Durisala Naresh
Published: January 2015

Technology in the hearing aid industry is ever changing. One of the many features that may improve accuracy of hearing aid fittings and patients’ satisfaction is the inception of in-situ audiometry, which allows the clinician to measure hearing thresholds with a hearing aid in the patient's ear.

Objective:

The present study aimed to investigate the validity of in-situ audiometry measured with a behind-the-ear hearing aid coupled to a customized earmould relative to conventional thresholds measured using supra-aural head phones.

Study design:

A total of 24 ears from 15 participants with varying degrees of sensorineural hearing loss ranging from moderate to severe, were selected for the study. Pure tone hearing thresholds and real-ear-to-dial-differences were measured for both conventional and in-situ thresholds across 250 Hz to 6 kHz.

Results:

Slight but significant mean differences (p < 0.05, paired t-test) of 3.2 and 3.4dB between conventional and in-situ thresholds at 2000 and 6000 Hz were found before adding REDD corrections with in-situ thresholds yielding better (lower) thresholds. Except at 250 Hz in dB HL, individual threshold variability between conventional and in-situ threshold measurements was within or equal to ± 10dB for > 95% of ears before and after adding REDD corrections. Large inter-participant variation in measured ear canal SPL was noticed at 250, 500, 4000 and 6000 Hz when measured in-situ compared to headphones, which was attributed to differences in earmould vent sizes provided for different degrees of hearing loss at the low frequencies and probe placement in the high frequencies.

Conclusion:

Overall in-situ audiometry proved to be valid especially in individuals with symmetrical sensorineural hearing loss. Although there are statistically significant differences, they are within clinically accepted standards. Furthermore, thresholds measured in ear canal SPL will be more comparable as any changes in hearing threshold levels in either of the measurements will be reflected by an inverse change in measured ear canal SPL during REDD measurements.
Twelve-month results of a multicenter, blinded, pilot study of a novel peptide (B2A) in promoting lumbar spine fusion
Authors: Sardar Zeeshan , Alexander David , Oxner William , Plessis Stephan du , Yee Albert , Wai Eugene K. , Anderson D. Greg , Jarzem Peter
Published: January 2015

OBJECT

Failure of fusion after a transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) procedure is a challenging problem that can lead to ongoing low-back pain, dependence on pain medication, and inability to return to work. B2A is a synthetic peptide that has proven efficacy in achieving fusion in animal models and may have a better safety profile than bone morphogenetic protein. The authors undertook this study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of B2A peptide–enhanced ceramic granules (Prefix) in comparison with autogenous iliac crest bone graft (ICBG, control) in patients undergoing single-level TLIF.

METHODS

Twenty-four patients with single-level degenerative disorders of the lumbar spine at L2–S1 requiring TLIF were enrolled between 2009 and 2010. They were randomly assigned to 3 groups: a control group (treated with ICBG, n = 9), a Prefix 150 group (treated with Prefix 150 μg/cm3 granules, n = 8), and a Prefix 750 group (treated with Prefix 750 μg/cm3 granules, n = 7). Outcome measures included the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), visual analog pain scale, and radiographic fusion as assessed by CT and dynamic flexion/extension lumbar plain radiographs.

RESULTS

At 12 months after surgery, the radiographic fusion rate was 100% in the Prefix 750 group, 78% in the control group, and 50% in the Prefix 150 group, although the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.08). At 6 weeks the mean ODI score was 41.0 for the control group, 27.7 for the Prefix 750 group, and 32.2 for the Prefix 150 group, whereas at 12 months the mean ODI was 24.4 for control, 31.1 for Prefix 750, and 29.7 for Prefix 150 groups. Complications were evenly distributed among the groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Prefix appears to provide a safe alternative to autogenous ICBG. Prefix 750 appears to show superior radiographic fusion when compared with autograft at 12 months after TLIF, although no statistically significant difference was demonstrated in this small study. Prefix and control groups both appeared to demonstrate comparable improvements to ODI at 12 months.
Cost and quality of life outcome analysis of postoperative infections after subaxial dorsal cervical fusions
Authors: Kuhns Benjamin D. , Lubelski Daniel , Alvin Matthew D. , Taub Jason S. , McGirt Matthew J. , Benzel Edward C. , Mroz Thomas E.
Published: January 2015

OBJECT

Infections following spine surgery negatively affect patient quality of life (QOL) and impose a significant financial burden on the health care system. Postoperative wound infections occur at higher rates following dorsal cervical procedures than ventral procedures. Quantifying the health outcomes and costs associated with infections following dorsal cervical procedures may help to guide treatment strategies to minimize the deleterious consequences of these infections. Therefore, the goals of this study were to determine the cost and QOL outcomes affecting patients who developed deep wound infections following subaxial dorsal cervical spine fusions.

METHODS

The authors identified 22 (4.0%) of 551 patients undergoing dorsal cervical fusions who developed deep wound infections requiring surgical debridement. These patients were individually matched with control patients who did not develop infections. Health outcomes were assessed using the EQ-5D, Pain Disability Questionnaire (PDQ), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and visual analog scale (VAS). QOL outcome measures were collected preoperatively and after 6 and 12 months. Health resource utilization was recorded from patient electronic medical records over an average follow-up of 18 months. Direct costs were estimated using Medicare national payment amounts, and indirect costs were based on patients' missed workdays and income.

RESULTS

No significant differences in preoperative QOL scores were found between the 2 cohorts. At 6 months postsurgery, the noninfection cohort had significant pre- to postoperative improvement in EQ-5D (p = 0.02), whereas the infection cohort did not (p = 0.2). The noninfection cohort also had a significantly higher 6-month postoperative EQ-5D scores than the infection cohort (p = 0.04). At 1 year postsurgery, there was no significant difference in EQ-5D scores between the groups. Health care–associated costs for the infection cohort were significantly higher ($16,970 vs $7658; p < 0.0001). Indirect costs for the infection cohort and the noninfection cohort were $6495 and $2756, respectively (p = 0.03). Adjusted for inflation, the total costs for the infection cohort were $21,778 compared with $9159 for the noninfection cohort, reflecting an average cost of $12,619 associated with developing a postoperative deep wound infection (p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Dorsal cervical infections temporarily decrease patient QOL postoperatively, but with no long-term impact; they do, however, dramatically increase the cost of care. Knowledge of the financial burden of wound infections following dorsal cervical fusion may stimulate the development and use of improved prophylactic and therapeutic techniques to manage this serious complication.
Impact of resident involvement in neurosurgery: an analysis of 8748 patients from the 2011 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database
Authors: Lim Seokchun , Parsa Andrew T. , Kim Bobby D. , Rosenow Joshua M. , Kim John Y. S.
Published: January 2015

OBJECT

This study evaluates the impact of resident presence in the operating room on postoperative outcomes in neurosurgery.

METHODS

The authors retrospectively reviewed the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) and identified all cases treated in a neurosurgery service in 2011. Propensity scoring analysis and multiple logistic regression models were used to reduce patient bias and to assess independent effect of resident involvement.

RESULTS

Of the 8748 neurosurgery cases identified, residents were present in 4529 cases. Residents were more likely to be involved in complex procedures with longer operative duration. The multivariate analysis found that resident involvement was not a statistically significant factor for overall complications (OR 1.116, 95% CI 0.961–1.297), surgical complications (OR 1.132, 95% CI 0.825–1.554), medical complications (OR 1.146, 95% CI 0.979–1.343), reoperation (OR 1.250, 95% CI 0.984–1.589), mortality (OR 1.164, 95% CI 0.780–1.737), or unplanned readmission (OR 1.148, 95% CI 0.946–1.393).

CONCLUSIONS

In this multicenter study, the authors demonstrated that resident involvement in the operating room was not a significant factor for postoperative complications in neurosurgery service. This analysis also showed that much of the observed difference in postoperative complication rates was attributable to other confounding factors. This is a quality indicator for resident trainees and current medical education. Maintaining high standards in postgraduate training is imperative in enhancing patient care and reducing postoperative complications.
Aiming for a Better Public Realm: Gauging the Effectiveness of Design Control Methods in Wellington, New Zealand
Authors: Gjerde Morten , Vale Brenda
Published: January 2015

Design review aims to improve the quality of urban settings, principally by seeking to influence the design of individual buildings positively during the planning approval stages of development. Design review systems were first set up in New Zealand in the mid-1990s in Wellington. The aims of design review are laudable; even if the process is not set up to secure the best possible design outcome it should be able to prevent the worst outrages, so as to ensure a minimal visual quality of streetscapes. However, does design review really achieve what it sets out to do? After a brief summary of design review practices, this article considers whether current design control practices in Wellington are helping to foster well-liked urban streetscapes. Using the results from a recent case study, comparing the aesthetic preferences of the public to those of professionals who participate in design control, the article notes where preferences overlap and where they are different. In the process, the characteristics of buildings and streetscapes that are considered positive and negative are identified. The article goes on to speculate how design review could be made to work more effectively in Wellington.
Analyses of Heart Rate, Respiration and Cardiorespiratory Coupling in Patients with Schizophrenia
Authors: Schulz Steffen , Bär Karl-Jürgen , Voss Andreas
Published: January 2015

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder associated with a significantly increased cardiovascular mortality rate. However, the underlying mechanisms leading to this cardiovascular disease (CVD) are not fully known. Therefore, the objective of this study was to characterize the cardiorespiratory influence by investigating heart rate, respiration and the causal strength and direction of cardiorespiratory coupling (CRC), based mainly on entropy measures. We investigated 23 non-medicated patients with schizophrenia (SZ), comparing them to 23 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (CO). A significantly reduced complexity was found for the heart rate and a significantly increased complexity in respiration and CRC in SZ patients when compared to corresponding measurements from CO (p < 0.001). CRC analyses revealed a clear coupling, with a driver-responder relationship from respiration to heart rate in SZ patients. Moreover, a slight driver-responder relationship from heart rate to respiration could be recognized. These findings lead to the assumption that SZ should be considered to be a high-risk group for CVD. We hypothesize that the varying cardiorespiratory regulation contributes to the increased risk for cardiac mortality. Therefore, regular monitoring of the cardiorespiratory status of SZ is suggested to identify autonomic regulation impairment at an early stage—to develop timely and effective treatment and intervention strategies.
Multi-Electrode Resistivity Probe for Investigation of Local Temperature Inside Metal Shell Battery Cells via Resistivity: Experiments and Evaluation of Electrical Resistance Tomography
Authors: Hong Xiaobin , Li Nianzhi , Feng Jinheng , Kong Qingzhao , Liu Guixiong
Published: January 2015

Direct Current (DC) electrical resistivity is a material property that is sensitive to temperature changes. In this paper, the relationship between resistivity and local temperature inside steel shell battery cells (two commercial 10 Ah and 4.5 Ah lithium-ion cells) is innovatively studied by Electrical Resistance Tomography (ERT). The Schlumberger configuration in ERT is applied to divide the cell body into several blocks distributed in different levels, where the apparent resistivities are measured by multi-electrode surface probes. The investigated temperature ranges from −20 to 80 °C. Experimental results have shown that the resistivities mainly depend on temperature changes in each block of the two cells used and the function of the resistivity and temperature can be fitted to the ERT-measurement results in the logistical-plot. Subsequently, the dependence of resistivity on the state of charge (SOC) is investigated, and the SOC range of 70%–100% has a remarkable impact on the resistivity at low temperatures. The proposed approach under a thermal cool down regime is demonstrated to monitor the local transient temperature.
Sinomenine Hydrochloride Protects against Polymicrobial Sepsis via Autophagy
Authors: Jiang Yu , Gao Min , Wang Wenmei , Lang Yuejiao , Tong Zhongyi , Wang Kangkai , Zhang Huali , Chen Guangwen , Liu Meidong , Yao Yongming , Xiao Xianzhong
Published: January 2015

Sepsis, a systemic inflammatory response to infection, is the major cause of death in intensive care units (ICUs). The mortality rate of sepsis remains high even though the treatment and understanding of sepsis both continue to improve. Sinomenine (SIN) is a natural alkaloid extracted from Chinese medicinal plant Sinomenium acutum, and its hydrochloride salt (Sinomenine hydrochloride, SIN-HCl) is widely used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, its role in sepsis remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the role of SIN-HCl in sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) in BALB/c mice and the corresponding mechanism. SIN-HCl treatment improved the survival of BALB/c mice that were subjected to CLP and reduced multiple organ dysfunction and the release of systemic inflammatory mediators. Autophagy activities were examined using Western blotting. The results showed that CLP-induced autophagy was elevated, and SIN-HCl treatment further strengthened the autophagy activity. Autophagy blocker 3-methyladenine (3-MA) was used to investigate the mechanism of SIN-HCl in vitro. Autophagy activities were determined by examining the autophagosome formation, which was shown as microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3) puncta with green immunofluorescence. SIN-HCl reduced lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory cytokine release and increased autophagy in peritoneal macrophages (PM). 3-MA significantly decreased autophagosome formation induced by LPS and SIN-HCl. The decrease of inflammatory cytokines caused by SIN-HCl was partially aggravated by 3-MA treatment. Taken together, our results indicated that SIN-HCl could improve survival, reduce organ damage, and attenuate the release of inflammatory cytokines induced by CLP, at least in part through regulating autophagy activities.
Autophagy in DNA Damage Response
Authors: Czarny Piotr , Pawlowska Elzbieta , Bialkowska-Warzecha Jolanta , Kaarniranta Kai , Blasiak Janusz
Published: January 2015

DNA damage response (DDR) involves DNA repair, cell cycle regulation and apoptosis, but autophagy is also suggested to play a role in DDR. Autophagy can be activated in response to DNA-damaging agents, but the exact mechanism underlying this activation is not fully understood, although it is suggested that it involves the inhibition of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). mTORC1 represses autophagy via phosphorylation of the ULK1/2–Atg13–FIP200 complex thus preventing maturation of pre-autophagosomal structures. When DNA damage occurs, it is recognized by some proteins or their complexes, such as poly(ADP)ribose polymerase 1 (PARP-1), Mre11–Rad50–Nbs1 (MRN) complex or FOXO3, which activate repressors of mTORC1. SQSTM1/p62 is one of the proteins whose levels are regulated via autophagic degradation. Inhibition of autophagy by knockout of FIP200 results in upregulation of SQSTM1/p62, enhanced DNA damage and less efficient damage repair. Mitophagy, one form of autophagy involved in the selective degradation of mitochondria, may also play role in DDR. It degrades abnormal mitochondria and can either repress or activate apoptosis, but the exact mechanism remains unknown. There is a need to clarify the role of autophagy in DDR, as this process may possess several important biomedical applications, involving also cancer therapy.
Microwave-Assisted Synthesis and Antimicrobial Evaluation of Novel Spiroisoquinoline and Spiropyrido[4,3-d]pyrimidine Derivatives
Authors: Faty Rasha , Rashed Mohamed , Youssef Mohamed
Published: January 2015

Bromination of N-substituted homophthalimides and tetrahydropyrido[4,3-d]- pyrimidine-5,7-diones produces 4,4-dibromohomophthalimide and 8,8-dibromo-tetrahydropyrido[4,3-d]pyrimidine-5,7-dione derivatives, respectively, that can be used as precursors for spiro derivatives. The dibromo derivatives react with different binucleophilic reagents to produce several spiroisoquinoline and spirotetrahydropyrido[4,3-d]- pyrimidine-5,7-dione derivatives, respectively. Reaction of the dibromo derivatives with malononitrile produces dicyanomethylene derivatives which react with different binucleophiles to produce new spiro derivatives. All new compounds are prepared by using the usual chemical conditions and microwave assisted conditions. The latter conditions improved the reaction yields, reduced reaction times and ameliorated the effects on the surrounding environment as the reactions are carried out in closed systems. Structures of the newly synthesized compounds are proved using spectroscopic methods such as IR, MS, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR and elemental analyses. Some of the newly synthesized compounds were tested for their antimicrobial activities, whereby four of them showed moderate activities and the rest showed low or no activities towards the investigated species.
Chronic Prosopis Glandulosa Treatment Blunts Neutrophil Infiltration and Enhances Muscle Repair after Contusion Injury
Authors: George Cindy , Smith Carine , Isaacs Ashwin , Huisamen Barbara
Published: January 2015

The current treatment options for soft tissue injuries remain suboptimal and often result in delayed/incomplete recovery of damaged muscle. The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of oral Prosopis glandulosa treatment on inflammation and regeneration in skeletal muscle after contusion injury, in comparison to a conventional treatment. The gastrocnemius muscle of rats was subjected to mass-drop injury and muscle samples collected after 1-, 3 h, 1- and 7 days post-injury. Rats were treated with P. glandulosa (100 mg/kg/day) either for 8 weeks prior to injury (up until day 7 post-injury), only post-injury, or with topically applied diclofenac post-injury (0.57 mg/kg). Neutrophil (His48-positive) and macrophage (F4/80-positive) infiltration was assessed by means of immunohistochemistry. Indicators of muscle satellite cell proliferation (ADAM12) and regeneration (desmin) were used to evaluate muscle repair. Chronic P. glandulosa and diclofenac treatment (p < 0.0001) was associated with suppression of the neutrophil response to contusion injury, however only chronic P. glandulosa treatment facilitated more effective muscle recovery (increased ADAM12 (p < 0.05) and desmin (p < 0.001) expression), while diclofenac treatment had inhibitory effects on repair, despite effective inhibition of neutrophil response. Data indicates that P. glandulosa treatment results in more effective muscle repair after contusion.
Nighttime Light Derived Assessment of Regional Inequality of Socioeconomic Development in China
Authors: Zhou Yuke , Ma Ting , Zhou Chenghu , Xu Tao
Published: January 2015

Satellite-derived nighttime light (NTL) data have been extensively used as an efficient proxy measure for monitoring urbanization dynamics and socioeconomic activity. This is because remotely sensed NTL signals can be quantitatively connected to demographic and socioeconomic variables at regional and global scales. The recently composited cloud-free NTL imagery derived from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) aboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi-NPP) satellite provides spatially detailed observations of human settlements. We quantitatively estimated socioeconomic development inequalities across 30 provinces and municipalities in mainland China using VIIRS NTL data associated with both regional gross domestic product (GDP) and population census data. We quantitatively investigated relations between NTL, GDP, and population using a linear regression model. Our results suggest that NTL radiances have significant positive correlations with GDP and population at different levels. Several inequality coefficients, commonly used in economics, were derived from VIIRS NTL data and statistical data at multiple spatial scales. Compared with the statistical data, NTL-derived inequality coefficients enabled us to elicit more detailed information on differences in regional development at multiple levels. Our study of provinces and municipalities revealed that county-level inequality was more significant than city-level inequality. The results of population-weighted NTL inequality indicate an obvious regional disparity with NTL distribution being more unequal in China’s undeveloped western regions compared with more developed eastern regions. Our findings suggest that given the timely and spatially explicit advantages of VIIRS, NTL data are capable of providing comprehensive information regarding inequality at multiple levels, which is not possible through the use of traditional statistical sources.
Modeling and Mapping Soil Moisture of Plateau Pasture Using RADARSAT-2 Imagery
Authors: Chai Xun , Zhang Tingting , Shao Yun , Gong Huaze , Liu Long , Xie Kaixin
Published: January 2015

Accurate soil moisture retrieval of a large area in high resolution is significant for plateau pasture. The object of this paper is to investigate the estimation of volumetric soil moisture in vegetated areas of plateau pasture using fully polarimetric C-band RADARSAT-2 SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) images. Based on the water cloud model, Chen model, and Dubois model, we proposed two developed algorithms for soil moisture retrieval and validated their performance using experimental data. We eliminated the effect of vegetation cover by using the water cloud model and minimized the effect of soil surface roughness by solving the Dubois equations. Two experimental campaigns were conducted in the Qinghai Lake watershed, northeastern Tibetan Plateau in September 2012 and May 2013, respectively, with simultaneous satellite overpass. Compared with the developed Chen model, the predicted soil moisture given by the developed Dubois model agreed better with field measurements in terms of accuracy and stability. The RMSE, R2, and RPD value of the developed Dubois model were (5.4, 0.8, 1.6) and (3.05, 0.78, 1.74) for the two experiments, respectively. Validation results indicated that the developed Dubois model, needing a minimum of prior information, satisfied the requirement for soil moisture inversion in the study region.
Analytical Study of the Propagation of Fast Longitudinal Modes along wz-BN/AlN Thin Acoustic Waveguides
Authors: Caliendo Cinzia
Published: January 2015

The propagation of the fundamental symmetric Lamb mode S0 along wz-BN/AlN thin composite plates suitable for telecommunication and sensing applications is studied. The investigation of the acoustic field profile across the plate thickness revealed the presence of modes having longitudinal polarization, the Anisimkin Jr. plate modes (AMs), travelling at a phase velocity close to that of the wz-BN longitudinal bulk acoustic wave propagating in the same direction. The study of the S0 mode phase velocity and coupling coefficient (K2) dispersion curves, for different electrical boundary conditions, has shown that eight different coupling configurations are allowable that exhibit a K2 as high as about 4% and very high phase velocity (up to about 16,700 m/s). The effect of the thickness and material type of the metal floating electrode on the K2 dispersion curves has also been investigated, specifically addressing the design of an enhanced coupling device. The gravimetric sensitivity of the BN/AlN-based acoustic waveguides was then calculated for both the AMs and elliptically polarized S0 modes; the AM-based sensor velocity and attenuation shifts due to the viscosity of a surrounding liquid was theoretically predicted. The performed investigation suggests that wz-BN/AlN is a very promising substrate material suitable for developing GHz band devices with enhanced electroacoustic coupling efficiency and suitable for application in telecommunications and sensing fields.
Cyber-Physical Geographical Information Service-Enabled Control of Diverse In-Situ Sensors
Authors: Chen Nengcheng , Xiao Changjiang , Pu Fangling , Wang Xiaolei , Wang Chao , Wang Zhili , Gong Jianya
Published: January 2015

Realization of open online control of diverse in-situ sensors is a challenge. This paper proposes a Cyber-Physical Geographical Information Service-enabled method for control of diverse in-situ sensors, based on location-based instant sensing of sensors, which provides closed-loop feedbacks. The method adopts the concepts and technologies of newly developed cyber-physical systems (CPSs) to combine control with sensing, communication, and computation, takes advantage of geographical information service such as services provided by the Tianditu which is a basic geographic information service platform in China and Sensor Web services to establish geo-sensor applications, and builds well-designed human-machine interfaces (HMIs) to support online and open interactions between human beings and physical sensors through cyberspace. The method was tested with experiments carried out in two geographically distributed scientific experimental fields, Baoxie Sensor Web Experimental Field in Wuhan city and Yemaomian Landslide Monitoring Station in Three Gorges, with three typical sensors chosen as representatives using the prototype system Geospatial Sensor Web Common Service Platform. The results show that the proposed method is an open, online, closed-loop means of control.
Can the Comparisons of Feature Locations Explain the Difficulty in Discriminating Mirror-Reflected Pairs of Geometrical Figures from Disoriented Identical Pairs?
Authors: Kanbe Fumio
Published: January 2015

The present experiment investigates whether patterns of shifts of feature locations could affect the same/different decisions of simultaneously presented pairs of geometrical figures. A shift of locations was defined as the angular distance from the location of a feature in one figure to the location of the same feature in another figure. It was hypothesized that the difficulty in discriminating mirror-reflected (or axisymmetric) pairs from disoriented identical pairs was caused by complex shifting patterns inherent in axisymmetric pairs. According to the shifts of the locations of the four structural features, five pair types were prepared. They could be ordered from completely identical to completely different in their shifts: identical 0/4 pairs, non-identical 1/4 pairs, non-identical 2/4 pairs = axisymmetric 2/4 pairs and non-identical 4/4 pairs. The latencies for non-identical pairs decreased with the increase of difference in the shifts of feature locations, indicating that serial, self-terminating comparisons of the shifts were applied to the discrimination of non-identical pairs from identical pairs. However, the longer latencies in axisymmetric 2/4 pairs than in non-identical 2/4 pairs suggested that the difficulty for axisymmetric pairs was not caused by the complex shifting patterns, and the difficulty was not satisfactorily explained by the comparisons of feature locations.
AaeAP1 and AaeAP2: Novel Antimicrobial Peptides from the Venom of the Scorpion, Androctonus aeneas: Structural Characterisation, Molecular Cloning of Biosynthetic Precursor-Encoding cDNAs and Engineering of Analogues with Enhanced Antimicrobial and Anticancer Activities
Authors: Du Qiang , Hou Xiaojuan , Wang Lei , Zhang Yingqi , Xi Xinping , Wang Hui , Zhou Mei , Duan Jinao , Wei Minjie , Chen Tianbao , Shaw Chris
Published: January 2015

The main functions of the abundant polypeptide toxins present in scorpion venoms are the debilitation of arthropod prey or defence against predators. These effects are achieved mainly through the blocking of an array of ion channel types within the membranes of excitable cells. However, while these ion channel-blocking toxins are tightly-folded by multiple disulphide bridges between cysteine residues, there are additional groups of peptides in the venoms that are devoid of cysteine residues. These non-disulphide bridged peptides are the subject of much research interest, and among these are peptides that exhibit antimicrobial activity. Here, we describe two novel non-disulphide-bridged antimicrobial peptides that are present in the venom of the North African scorpion, Androctonus aeneas. The cDNAs encoding the biosynthetic precursors of both peptides were cloned from a venom-derived cDNA library using 3'- and 5'-RACE strategies. Both translated precursors contained open-reading frames of 74 amino acid residues, each encoding one copy of a putative novel nonadecapeptide, whose primary structures were FLFSLIPSVIAGLVSAIRN and FLFSLIPSAIAGLVSAIRN, respectively. Both peptides were C-terminally amidated. Synthetic versions of each natural peptide displayed broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities, but were devoid of antiproliferative activity against human cancer cell lines. However, synthetic analogues of each peptide, engineered for enhanced cationicity and amphipathicity, exhibited increases in antimicrobial potency and acquired antiproliferative activity against a range of human cancer cell lines. These data clearly illustrate the potential that natural peptide templates provide towards the design of synthetic analogues for therapeutic exploitation.
“Foodies” and Their Travel Preferences
Authors: Getz Donald , Robinson Richard N. S.
Published: January 2015

This articles examines the propensity of Australian food lovers, or “foodies,” to travel both domestically and internationally for food-related experiences. Data are analyzed from a survey of food lovers in Australia, profiling their characteristics, pertinent travel behavior,
desired experiences, trip and destination preferences, with special attention given to isolating characteristics and preferences of those who had already traveled for food-related experiences. In the conclusions we make recommendations for destinations seeking to develop food tourism, in effect
providing a demand-based planning and marketing approach. A principal conclusion is that they are highly involved with food, think of themselves as gourmets, and they desire a multifaceted holiday. Core experiences include consumption of authentic cuisine, learning about food/beverages and
gastronomic traditions, and socializing. These must be augmented through opportunities for broader cultural, natural, touring, and shopping experiences. Recommendations are made for extending this line of research and theory development.
Testing the SI × SC rule: Pollen–pistil interactions in interspecific crosses between members of the tomato clade (Solanum section Lycopersicon, Solanaceae)
Authors: Baek You Soon , Covey Paul A. , Petersen Jennifer J. , Chetelat Roger T. , McClure Bruce , Bedinger Patricia A.
Published: January 2015

• Premise of the study: Interspecific reproductive barriers (IRBs) act to ensure species integrity by preventing hybridization. Previous studies on interspecific crosses in the tomato clade have focused on the success of fruit and seed set. The SI × SC rule (SI species × SC species crosses are incompatible, but the reciprocal crosses are compatible) often applies to interspecific crosses. Because SI systems in the Solanaceae affect pollen tube growth, we focused on this process in a comprehensive study of interspecific crosses in the tomato clade to test whether the SI × SC rule was always followed.

• Methods: Pollen tube growth was assessed in reciprocal crosses between all 13 species of the tomato clade using fluorescence microscopy.

• Key results: In crosses between SC and SI species, pollen tube growth follows the SI × SC rule: interspecific pollen tube rejection occurs when SI species are pollinated by SC species, but in the reciprocal crosses (SC × SI), pollen tubes reach ovaries. However, pollen tube rejection occurred in some crosses between pairs of SC species, demonstrating that a fully functional SI system is not necessary for pollen tube rejection in interspecific crosses. Further, gradations in the strength of both pistil and pollen IRBs were revealed in interspecific crosses using SC populations of generally SI species.

• Conclusion: The SI × SC rule explains many of the compatibility relations in the tomato clade, but exceptions occur with more recently evolved SC species and accessions, revealing differences in strength of both pistil and pollen IRBs.
Le bassin atlantique : une nouvelle géopolitique des hydrocarbures entre les Amériques et l'Afrique
Authors: Augé Benjamin
Published: January 2015

Les États bordant l’océan Atlantique (Amérique du Nord et latine, Afrique et Europe) voient depuis quelques années leur relation en matière d’hydrocarbures se modifier en profondeur. L’exploitation intensive des gaz et pétrole de schiste aux États-Unis permet déjà de quasiment stopper toute dépendance pétrolière et gazière vis-à-vis des États du golfe de Guinée en Afrique. Certains de ces producteurs africains comme le Nigeria craignent que la relation politique et sécuritaire avec le gouvernement américain soit de ce fait bouleversée et que la relation bilatérale ne devienne qu’exclusivement économique. De ce fait, ce brut et gaz africains disponibles commencent à davantage trouver preneur en Europe et en Amérique Latine (ainsi que dans certains pays asiatiques comme l’Inde). Ces échanges en hydrocarbures créent de nouveaux réseaux et de nouvelles relations entre certains États de ces blocs qui se connaissaient peu auparavant. D’un point de vue géologique, l’ offshore des États côtiers de l’océan Atlantique, que nous appellerons bassin atlantique, ont de nombreuses similitudes : il y a plusieurs millions d’année ces continents ne formaient qu’un seul et même ensemble. Les compagnies l’ont compris et tentent leur chance de l’autre côté du bassin atlantique lorsqu’une découverte est faite du côté opposé. De nouvelles coopérations entre compagnies et entre États latino-américains et africains sont, ici aussi, en train de se constituer. De nouveaux acteurs vont ainsi entrer en compétition pour contrôler de nouvelles zones et entraîner une nouvelle géopolitique des hydrocarbures que nous nous proposons d’étudier.
Les relations pétrogazières UE-Russie et le débouché chinois. La géopolitique avant le commerce
Authors: Mongrenier Jean-Sylvestre
Published: January 2015

Le conflit géopolitique autour de l’Ukraine, les risques et menaces sur les exportations de gaz russe à destination de l’Europe et le récent contrat gazier sino-russe (Shanghai, le 20 mai 2014) appellent l’attention sur la relation triangulaire Russie-Europe-Asie. Les autorités européennes (UE) ont voulu dépolitiser la question énergétique mais les dirigeants russes font prévaloir une approche stratégique et géopolitique. En raison de ces interdépendances, Vladimir Poutine cherche à ouvrir de nouveaux débouchés en Asie, afin d’accroître sa latitude d’action en Europe. Si la diplomatie chinoise est d’abord motivée par les besoins énergétiques de son économie, Moscou privilégie la puissance et ses enjeux.
Israël-Palestine : une géopolitique de l'électricité
Authors: Amsellem David
Published: January 2015

Les enjeux géopolitiques de l’électricité au Proche-Orient sont rarement étudiés, pourtant cette énergie est au cœur de la rivalité qui oppose Israéliens et Palestiniens. L’État hébreu l’instrumentalise en effet comme outil de conquête et de contrôle territorial en Cisjordanie et dans la bande de Gaza, en favorisant l’installation de populations juives dans ces territoires. En outre, la très grande dépendance des Palestiniens vis-à-vis de la production et la fourniture d’électricité israéliennes offre à l’État hébreu de nouveaux moyens de pression économiques et militaires à l’encontre des Palestiniens. Pour autant, cette situation n’est pas sans danger pour Israël, car la dépendance électrique des Palestiniens comporte des risques sécuritaires et politiques qu’a su parfaitement utiliser le Hamas à Gaza. La dépendance électrique des Palestiniens, liée à leur absence d’autonomie politique, est un enjeu majeur.
Structures Perspective for Strength and Fatigue Prognosis in Composites with Manufacturing Irregularities
Authors: Seon Guillaume , Nikishkov Yuri , Makeev Andrew
Published: January 2015

Recent advances in understanding deformation and failure mechanisms of polymer–matrix composites used in rotor structures enable accurate and efficient measurement of material stiffness, strength, and fatigue characteristics based on testing small unidirectional laminate specimens.
Successful failure predictions provided increased confidence in the development of virtual test methods replacing some of the standard tests of multidirectional laminated composite materials with three-dimensional models accurately predicting deformation, damage topography, strength, and cycles
to failure. However, the remaining key questions are related to the ability of transitioning the material-scale virtual test information to larger composite structures. This work presents results of the feasibility assessment targeting the scaling of knowledge and methods acquired at the material
scale, to larger structural elements. In particular, manufacturing irregularities such as voids and fiber waviness are typical attributes of composite rotor structures. Therefore, a comprehensive structural analysis should be able to model such irregularities to predict structural strength
and fatigue behavior.