bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Frequência de erros de prescrição en enfermaria de Psiquiatria de um Hospital Universitário
Authors: Cairo Leal Natália , Sávia Santos Silva Luana , De Araújo Costa Beisl Noblat Lúcia
Published: January 2017

Objetivo: Determinar a frequência de erros de prescrição na enfermaria de psiquiatria de um hospital universitário, estabelecer a taxa de erros de prescrição por tipo de erro de prescrição e os medicamentos mais frequentemente relacionados a erros de prescrição. Método: Estudo observacional do tipo transversal, por meio da coleta de dados em prontuário, compilados em um formulário padronizado com posterior análise descritiva. Resultados: Foi encontrada uma frequência de 35,9% de erros de prescrição por medicamento prescrito, sendo os erros de escrita os mais frequentes. Antipsicótico foi a classe terapêutica com maior quantidade de erros de prescrição sendo que, aproximadamente, 69% dos medicamentos envolvidos em erros de prescrição foram prescritos para uso 'se necessário'. Conclusão: Uma elevada frequência de erros de prescrição foi encontrada, corroborando com o relatado na literatura. Estudos que avaliam a causa dos erros de prescrição e as intervenções para reduzi-los ainda são necessários, principalmente na área de saúde mental.
Differential Impact of Chronic Hyperglycemia on Humoral Versus Cellular Primary Alloimmunity
Authors: Bishop Nicholas H. , Nelsen Michelle K. , Beard K. Scott , Coulombe Marilyne , Gill Ronald G.
Published: January 2017

Diabetes is prevalent among solid organ transplant recipients and is universal among islet transplant recipients. Whereas diabetes is often considered to result in an immune-compromised state, the impact of chronic hyperglycemia on host alloimmunity is not clear. Potential immune-modifying effects of obesity, autoimmunity, or diabetogenic agents like streptozotocin may confound understanding alloimmunity in experimental models of diabetes. Therefore, we sought to determine the role of chronic hyperglycemia due to insulinopenia on alloimmunity using the nonautoimmune, spontaneously diabetic H-2b–expressing C57BL/6 Ins2Akita mice (Akita). Akita mice harbor a mutated Ins2 allele that dominantly suppresses insulin secretion, resulting in lifelong diabetes. We used BALB/c donors (H-2d) to assess alloimmunization and islet transplantation outcomes in Akita recipients. Surprisingly, chronic hyperglycemia had little effect on primary T-cell reactivity after alloimmunization. Moreover, Akita mice readily rejected islet allografts, and chronic hyperglycemia had no impact on the magnitude or quality of intragraft T-cell responses. In contrast, allospecific IgM and IgG were significantly decreased in Akita mice after alloimmunization. Thus, whereas diabetes influences host immune defense, hyperglycemia itself does not cause generalized alloimmune impairment. Our data suggest that immune compromise in diabetes due to hyperglycemia may not apply to cellular rejection of transplants.
α-1 Antitrypsin Enhances Islet Engraftment by Suppression of Instant Blood-Mediated Inflammatory Reaction
Authors: Wang Jingjing , Sun Zhen , Gou Wenyu , Adams David B. , Cui Wanxing , Morgan Katherine A. , Strange Charlie , Wang Hongjun
Published: January 2017

Islet cell transplantation has limited effectiveness because of an instant blood-mediated inflammatory reaction (IBMIR) that occurs immediately after cell infusion and leads to dramatic β-cell death. In intraportal islet transplantation models using mouse and human islets, we demonstrated that α-1 antitrypsin (AAT; Prolastin-C), a serine protease inhibitor used for the treatment of AAT deficiency, inhibits IBMIR and cytokine-induced inflammation in islets. In mice, more diabetic recipients reached normoglycemia after intraportal islet transplantation when they were treated with AAT compared with mice treated with saline. AAT suppressed blood-mediated coagulation pathways by diminishing tissue factor production, reducing plasma thrombin-antithrombin complex levels and fibrinogen deposition on islet grafts, which correlated with less graft damage and apoptosis. AAT-treated mice showed reduced serum tumor necrosis factor-α levels, decreased lymphocytic infiltration, and decreased nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation compared with controls. The potent anti-inflammatory effect of AAT is possibly mediated by suppression of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) phosphorylation. Blocking JNK activation failed to further reduce cytokine-induced apoptosis in β-cells. Taken together, AAT significantly improves islet graft survival after intraportal islet transplantation by mitigation of coagulation in IBMIR and suppression of cytokine-induced JNK and NF-κB activation. AAT-based therapy has the potential to improve graft survival in human islet transplantation and other cellular therapies on the horizon.
Odontogenic myxofibroma- Report of a rare entity
Authors: Poudel P , Bajracharya B , Bhattacharya S , Bajracharya D , Singh S , Pokhrel P , Desar B
Published: January 2017

Odontogenic myxofibroma is a rare, benign tumor, which is considered to be the variant of odontogenic myxoma. It is locally infiltrative, aggressive and has high recurrence rate. Only 24 specific cases of myxofibroma have been reported since 1950 and only two cases have been reported with excessive calcifications till 2012. Here, we report a rare case of Odontogenic myxofibroma with calcifications in 53 years old female patient who presented with the chief complain of swelling. The final diagnosis of Odontogenic myxofibroma was established after histopathological and immunohistochemical examination.
Profiles of histopathological lesions of urinary bladder: A five years study
Authors: Shrestha EP , Karmacharya K
Published: January 2017

Background: Neoplastic and non-neoplastic urinary bladder lesions are the main reasons for morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Amongst these, urothelial carcinoma is a common primary tumor of urinary bladder (90%). The objective of this study is to determine the profile of various urothelial lesions received in Army Hospital within 5 years of period.Materials and methods: Five years retrospective study of cystoscopic biopsies and radical cystectomy specimens were carried out in Department of Pathology, Army hospital.Results: Out of 53 cystoscopic biopsies and radical cystectomy specimens, 42 were neoplastic and 11 were non neoplastic lesions. Thirty six urothelial carcinomas were observed out of which 20 were high grade urothelial carcinoma and 16 were low grade. Out of 20 high grade urothelial carcinoma, 17 had muscle invasion and 3 had invasion upto lamina propria. Of 16 low grade urothelial carcinoma, 12 were noninvasive, 2 had invasion upto lamina propria and 2 had muscle invasion. Papilloma was the commonest benign lesions found (7.1%) followed by papillary urothelial neoplasms of low malignant potential (PUNLMP) (2.4%) and hemangioma (2.4%).Conclusion: This article have highlighted upon the importance of histopathological study in evaluating urinary bladder lesions. Also, it has helped in determining that neoplastic lesions were more common than non-neoplastic lesions as seen in our study. A great majority of neoplastic lesions were of urothelial origin. Cystoscopic studies and biopsies help in early detection of bladder neoplasms and they form the mainstay of the diagnosis and follow up.
Magnetic properties and eddy current losses in Fe-based soft magnetic composites
Authors: Xiao Ling , Li Ming , Cheng Wenjie , Fan Hongwei , Liu Gang , Sun Yanhua
Published: January 2017

In this paper, a new numerical method based on the finite element method (FEM) is presented to analyze magnetic properties and eddy current losses in Fe-based soft magnetic composites (SMCs) from viewpoints of nonlinear theory. In this method, SMCs are assumed to be composed of homogeneous ferromagnetic particles (circular, hexagon) and insulating layer with periodicity. The results show that the effective permeabilities in the models with pores and defects are more than that with pores only. By reducing the coating thickness, the eddy current loss was greatly suppressed and the permeability improves largely. The calculation results in hexagon model are consistent with the experimental value which can be used to design the optimum prescription and parameters before the experiment.
Effects of the pole-slot combination on the PMSM of an integrated motor propulsor for an unmanned underwater vehicle considering its electric performance, noise and vibration
Authors: Hong Do-Kwan , Joo Dae-Suk , Lee Ji-Young , Woo Byung-Chul
Published: January 2017

The integrated motor propulsor (IMP) is a new unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) propulsion apparatus. The IMP consists of a rim-driven motor, a fluid hydrodynamic bearing, and a propulsor. KERI (Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute) is developing a surface permanent magnet (SPM) type of synchronous motor and a PWM-driven inverter. This system operates at a power density of 50HP (37 kW) at 1,000 rpm and is intended to fit the IMP system. The optimum design of the PMSM for the IMP has been developed successfully considering the pole-slot combination, electric performance, and the noise and vibration characteristics using multi-physics analyses and statistical design of experiments (DOE). A back-to-back performance test rig was proposed and considered for operation in a water tank. The acoustic field in a water tank of an optimum model was compared with that in an air condition considering the FSI (fluid structure interaction) dynamics.
High Electrocatalytic Performance of CuCoNi@CNTs Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode towards Methanol Oxidation in Alkaline Medium
Authors: Hamza Amina , El-Refaei Sayed , Elzatahry Ahmed , Abdullah Aboubakr
Published: January 2017

A novel non-precious multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs)—supported metal oxide electrocatalyst was developed for methanol electrooxidation in alkaline medium. The catalyst was fabricated by simultaneous electrodeposition of copper-cobalt-nickel ternary nanostructures (CuCoNi) on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with CNTs. The proposed electrode was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The electrochemical behavior and the electrocatalytic performance of the suggested electrode towards the oxidation of methanol were evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), and chronoamperometry (CA) in alkaline medium. Several parameters were investigated, e.g., deposition time, potential scan rate, etc. Compared to Cu, Co, or Ni mono electrocatalysts, the electrode based on ternary-metals exhibited superior electrocatalytic activity and stability towards methanol electrooxidation. For instance, CuCoNi@CNTs/GCE has shown at least 2.5 times electrocatalytic activity and stability compared to the mono eletrocatalysts. Moreover, the present study found that the optimized loading level is 1500 s of simultaneous electrodeposition. At this loading level, it was found that the relation between the Ip/ν1/2 function and scan rate gives the characteristic features of a catalytic process. The enhanced activity and stability of CuCoNi@CNTs/GCE was attributed to (i) a synergism between three metal oxides coexisting in the same structure; (ii) the presence of CNTs as a support for the metal oxides, that offers high surface area for the deposited tertiary alloy and suppresses the aggregation and sintering of the metals oxide with time; as well as (iii) the increase of the conductivity of the deposited semiconducting metal oxides.
A Modified Bio-Ecological Process for Rural Wastewater Treatment
Authors: Abbasi Haq , Xu Feng , Lu Xiwu
Published: January 2017

Limited water resources and ensuring access to clean water are critical environmental challenges, especially for the developing world. In particular, rural domestic wastewater has become a significant source for the pollution of freshwater bodies. A modified bio-ecological A2O-wetland system for rural wastewater treatment consisting of a biological unit (anaerobic baffled reactor, anoxic tank and oxic unit, A2O) and an ecological unit (horizontal flow constructed wetland) was developed, and key performance indicators were identified. The bio-ecological treatment system showed high removal efficiency for pollutants, successfully achieving 91%, 85%, 78%, and 92% removal efficiencies for chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonium (NH4–N), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP), respectively. The concentrations of pollutants in the effluent from the system were lower than the Class 1 A regulated values of the Chinese National Standard GB18918-2002. The system offered high removal efficiency, simple operation, and low energy consumption. The A2O-wetland is a good alternative for rural wastewater treatment systems.
Online Monitoring of Laser-Generated XUV Radiation Spectra by Surface Reflectivity Measurements with Particle Detectors
Authors: Hoffmann Andreas , Egelkamp Christian , Winters Danyal , Kühl Thomas , Spielmann Christian
Published: January 2017

In this contribution, we present a wavelength-sensitive method for the detection of extreme ultraviolet (XUV) photon energies between 30 eV and 120 eV. The method is based on 45° reflectivity from either a cesium iodide-coated or an uncoated metal surface, which directs the XUV beam onto an electron or ion detector and its signal is used to monitor the XUV beam. The benefits of our approach are a spectrally sensitive diagnosis of the XUV radiation at the interaction place of time-resolved XUV experiments and the detection of infrared leak light though metal filters in high-harmonic generation (HHG) experiments. Both features were tested using spectrally shaped XUV pulses from HHG in a capillary, and we have achieved excellent agreement with XUV spectrometer measurements and reflectivity calculations. Our obtained results are of interest for time-resolved XUV experiments presenting an additional diagnostic directly in the interaction region and for small footprint XUV beamline diagnostics.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Cancers in 2016
Authors:   Cancers Editorial Office
Published: January 2017

The editors of Cancers would like to express their sincere gratitude to the following reviewers for assessing manuscripts in 2016.[...]
Hydrochlorination of Acetylene Catalyzed by an Activated Carbon-Supported Ammonium Hexachlororuthenate Complex
Authors: Gu Junjie , Gao Yumiao , Zhang Jinli , Li Wei , Dong Yanzhao , Han You
Published: January 2017

Ammonium hexachlororuthenate ((NH4)2RuCl6) complex was used as a catalyst precursor and coconut activated carbon (AC) was used as the support in the preparation process of the Ru-based catalyst. (NH4)2RuCl6/AC catalyst was prepared via an incipient wetness impregnation method and assessed in an acetylene hydrochlorination reaction. Meanwhile, the (NH4)2RuCl6/AC catalyst was analyzed with low-temperature N2 adsorption/desorption, thermogravimetry (TG), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), temperature programmed reduction (TPR), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), and temperature programmed desorption (TPD) techniques. Catalytic performance test results show that the (NH4)2RuCl6/AC catalyst exhibits a superior catalytic activity with the highest acetylene conversion of 90.5% under the conditions of 170 °C and an acetylene gas hourly space velocity of 180 h−1. The characterization results illustrate that the presence of the NH4+ cation can inhibit coke deposition as well as the agglomeration of ruthenium particles, and it can also enhance the adsorption ability for reactant HCl, hence improving the catalytic activity and stability.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Coatings in 2016
Authors:   Coatings Editorial Office
Published: January 2017

The editors of Coatings would like to express their sincere gratitude to the following reviewers for assessing manuscripts in 2016.[...]
An Optimal Augmented Monotonic Tracking Controller for Aircraft Engines with Output Constraints
Authors: Qin Jiakun , Huang Jinquan , Pan Muxuan
Published: January 2017

This paper proposes a novel min-max control scheme for aircraft engines, with the aim of transferring a set of regulated outputs between two set-points, while ensuring a set of auxiliary outputs remain within prescribed constraints. In view of this, an optimal augmented monotonic tracking controller (OAMTC) is proposed, by considering a linear plant with input integration, to enhance the ability of the control system to reject uncertainty in system parameters and ensure no crossing limits. The key idea is to use the eigenvalue and eigenvector placement method and genetic algorithms to shape the output responses. The approach is validated by numerical simulation. The results show that the designed OAMTC controller can achieve a satisfactory dynamic and steady performance and keep the auxiliary outputs within constraints in the transient regime.
A Mixed Logical Dynamical-Model Predictive Control (MLD-MPC) Energy Management Control Strategy for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs)
Authors: Lian Jing , Liu Shuang , Li Linhui , Liu Xuanzuo , Zhou Yafu , Yang Fan , Yuan Lushan
Published: January 2017

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) can be considered as a hybrid system (HS) which includes the continuous state variable, discrete event, and operation constraint. Thus, a model predictive control (MPC) strategy for PHEVs based on the mixed logical dynamical (MLD) model and short-term vehicle speed prediction is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the mathematical model of the controlled PHEV is set-up to evaluate the energy consumption using the linearized models of core power components. Then, based on the recognition of driving intention and the past vehicle speed data, a nonlinear auto-regressive (NAR) neural network structure is designed to predict the vehicle speed for known driving profiles of city buses and the predicted vehicle speed is used to calculate the total required torque. Next, a MLD model is established with appropriate constraints for six possible driving modes. By solving the objective function with the Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) algorithm, the optimal motor torque and the corresponding driving mode sequence within the speed prediction horizon can be obtained. Finally, the proposed energy control strategy shows substantial improvement in fuel economy in the simulation results.
Ensemble Prediction Model with Expert Selection for Electricity Price Forecasting
Authors: Neupane Bijay , Woon Wei , Aung Zeyar
Published: January 2017

Forecasting of electricity prices is important in deregulated electricity markets for all of the stakeholders: energy wholesalers, traders, retailers and consumers. Electricity price forecasting is an inherently difficult problem due to its special characteristic of dynamicity and non-stationarity. In this paper, we present a robust price forecasting mechanism that shows resilience towards the aggregate demand response effect and provides highly accurate forecasted electricity prices to the stakeholders in a dynamic environment. We employ an ensemble prediction model in which a group of different algorithms participates in forecasting 1-h ahead the price for each hour of a day. We propose two different strategies, namely, the Fixed Weight Method (FWM) and the Varying Weight Method (VWM), for selecting each hour’s expert algorithm from the set of participating algorithms. In addition, we utilize a carefully engineered set of features selected from a pool of features extracted from the past electricity price data, weather data and calendar data. The proposed ensemble model offers better results than the Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) method, the Pattern Sequence-based Forecasting (PSF) method and our previous work using Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) alone on the datasets for New York, Australian and Spanish electricity markets.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Insects in 2016
Authors:   Editorial Office
Published: January 2017

The editors of Insects would like to express their sincere gratitude to the following reviewers for assessing manuscripts in 2016.[...]
Analysis of Vegetation Phytosociological Characteristics and Soil Physico-Chemical Conditions in Harishin Rangelands of Eastern Ethiopia
Authors: Hailu Haftay
Published: January 2017

The objective of this study is to analyse the phytodiversity, distribution, herb biomass and physico-chemical conditions of the vegetation system in the context of communal continuous open grazing and enclosed grazing management practices in the Harishin rangelands of Eastern Ethiopia. A total of 58 herbaceous species and 11 woody species were recorded in the study area. Analysis of Importance Value Index for two management practices was represented by different combinations of species with varied dominance. The herbs’ diversity–dominance curve revealed a lognormal distribution in both managements practices. The overview of distribution patterns for most of the species layer showed contiguous growth and a clumped distribution pattern. Species diversity, richness, herb biomass, basal cover and soil physico-chemical attributes showed a distinct separation in relation to grazing management practices. Based on the findings, one can conclude that the establishment of enclosures has a positive impact in restoring rangeland vegetation diversity, distribution, in increasing herb productivity and in boosting soil fertility.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Land in 2016
Authors:   Land Editorial Office
Published: January 2017

The editors of Land would like to express their sincere gratitude to the following reviewers for assessing manuscripts in 2016.[...]
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Lubricants in 2016
Authors:   Lubricants Editorial Office
Published: January 2017

The editors of Lubricants would like to express their sincere gratitude to the following reviewers for assessing manuscripts in 2016.[...]
Validation of a Dish-Based Semiquantitative Food Questionnaire in Rural Bangladesh
Authors: Lin Pi-I. , Bromage Sabri , Mostofa Md. , Allen Joseph , Oken Emily , Kile Molly , Christiani David
Published: January 2017

A locally validated tool was needed to evaluate long-term dietary intake in rural Bangladesh. We assessed the validity of a 42-item dish-based semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) using two 3-day food diaries (FDs). We selected a random subset of 47 families (190 participants) from a longitudinal arsenic biomonitoring study in Bangladesh to administer the FFQ. Two 3-day FDs were completed by the female head of the households and we used an adult male equivalent method to estimate the FD for the other participants. Food and nutrient intakes measured by FFQ and FD were compared using Pearson’s and Spearman’s correlation, paired t-test, percent difference, cross-classification, weighted Kappa, and Bland–Altman analysis. Results showed good validity for total energy intake (paired t-test, p < 0.05; percent difference <10%), with no presence of proportional bias (Bland–Altman correlation, p > 0.05). After energy-adjustment and de-attenuation for within-person variation, macronutrient intakes had excellent correlations ranging from 0.55 to 0.70. Validity for micronutrients was mixed. High intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were found for most nutrients between the two seasons, except vitamin A. This dish-based FFQ provided adequate validity to assess and rank long-term dietary intake in rural Bangladesh for most food groups and nutrients, and should be useful for studying dietary-disease relationships.
Splenic Immune Response Is Down-Regulated in C57BL/6J Mice Fed Eicosapentaenoic Acid and Docosahexaenoic Acid Enriched High Fat Diet
Authors: Soni Nikul , Ross Alastair , Scheers Nathalie , Savolainen Otto , Nookaew Intawat , Gabrielsson Britt , Sandberg Ann-Sofie
Published: January 2017

Dietary n-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are associated with reduction of inflammation, although the mechanisms are poorly understood, especially how the spleen, as a secondary lymphoid organ, is involved. To investigate the effects of EPA and DHA on spleen gene expression, male C57BL/6J mice were fed high fat diets (HFD) differing in fatty acid composition, either based on corn oil (HFD-CO), or CO enriched with 2 g/100 g EPA and DHA (HFD-ED), for eight weeks. Spleen tissue was analyzed using transcriptomics and for fatty acids profiling. Biological processes (BPs) related to the immune response, including T-cell receptor signaling pathway, T-cell differentiation and co-stimulation, myeloid dendritic cell differentiation, antigen presentation and processing, and the toll like receptor pathway were downregulated by HFD-ED compared with control and HFD-CO. These findings were supported by the down-regulation of NF-κB in HFD-ED compared with HFD-CO fed mice. Lower phospholipid arachidonic acid levels in HFD-ED compared with HFD-CO, and control mice suggest attenuation of pathways via prostaglandins and leukotrienes. The HFD-ED also upregulated BPs related to erythropoiesis and hematopoiesis compared with control and HFD-CO fed mice. Our findings suggest that EPA and DHA down-regulate the splenic immune response induced by HFD-CO, supporting earlier work that the spleen is a target organ for the anti-inflammatory effects of these n-3 fatty acids.
The n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Supplementation Improved the Cognitive Function in the Chinese Elderly with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Bo Yacong , Zhang Xueyuan , Wang Youli , You Jie , Cui Han , Zhu Yiwei , Pang Wei , Liu Wei , Jiang Yugang , Lu Quanjun
Published: January 2017

Objective: Intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) may protect against mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, there is still a lack of the n-3 PUFAs intervention in the elderly with MCI in China. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of n-3 PUFA supplementation on cognitive function in the Chinese elderly with MCI. Methods: Eighty six MCI individuals aged 60 years or older were randomly assigned to receive either n-3 PUFAs (480 mg DHA and 720 mg EPA per day, n = 44) or placebo (olive oil, n = 42) capsules. The changes of cognitive functions were assessed using Basic Cognitive Aptitude Tests (BCAT). Results: The mean age of participants was 71 years old, and 59% of the participants were men. n-3 PUFA supplementation was associated with improved total BCAT scores, perceptual speed, space imagery efficiency, and working memory (p < 0.01), but not with mental arithmetic efficiency or recognition memory (p > 0.05). Subgroup analysis by sex showed that n-3 PUFAs significantly improved perceptual speed (p = 0.001), space imagery efficiency (p = 0.013), working memory (p = 0.018), and total BCAT scores (p = 0.000) in males. However, in females, the significant beneficial effects can only be observed in perceptual speed (p = 0.027), space imagery efficiency (p = 0.006), and total BCAT scores (p = 0.015)—not working memory (p = 0.113). Conclusion: n-3 PUFAs can improve cognitive function in people with MCI. Further studies with different fish oil dosages, longer intervention periods, and larger sample sizes should be investigated before definite recommendations can be made.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Pharmaceuticals in 2016
Authors:   Pharmaceuticals Editorial Office
Published: January 2017

The editors of Pharmaceuticals would like to express their sincere gratitude to the following reviewers for assessing manuscripts in 2016.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Philosophies in 2016
Authors:   Philosophies Editorial Office
Published: January 2017

The editors of Philosophies would like to express their sincere gratitude to the following reviewers for assessing manuscripts in 2016.[...]
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Photonics in 2016
Authors:   Photonics Editorial Office
Published: January 2017

The editors of Photonics would like to express their sincere gratitude to the following reviewers for assessing manuscripts in 2016.[...]
Modeling and Partitioning of Regional Evapotranspiration Using a Satellite-Driven Water-Carbon Coupling Model
Authors: Hu Zhongmin , Wu Genan , Zhang Liangxia , Li Shenggong , Zhu Xianjin , Zheng Han , Zhang Leiming , Sun Xiaomin , Yu Guirui
Published: January 2017

The modeling and partitioning of regional evapotranspiration (ET) are key issues in global hydrological and ecological research. We incorporated a stomatal conductance model and a light-use efficiency-based gross primary productivity (GPP) model into the Shuttleworth–Wallace model to develop a simplified carbon-water coupling model, SWH, for estimating ET using meteorological and remote sensing data. To enable regional application of the SWH model, we optimized key parameters with measurements from global eddy covariance (EC) tower sites. In addition, we estimated soil water content with the principle of the bucket system. The model prediction of ET agreed well with the estimates obtained with the EC measurements, with an average R2 of 0.77 and a root mean square error of 0.72 mm·day−1. The model performance was generally better for woody ecosystems than herbaceous ecosystems. Finally, the spatial patterns of ET and relevant model outputs (i.e., GPP, water-use efficiency and the ratio of soil water evaporation to ET) in China with the model simulations were assessed.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Social Sciences in 2016
Authors:   Editorial Office
Published: January 2017

The editors of Social Sciences would like to express their sincere gratitude to the following reviewers for assessing manuscripts in 2016.[...]
Agroecology and Ecological Intensification. A Discussion from a Metabolic Point of View
Authors: González de Molina Manuel , Guzmán Casado Gloria
Published: January 2017

This paper documents the origin and conceptual ambiguity of the terms Sustainable, Ecological and Agroecological Intensification. It defines the concept of Ecological Intensification from an agroecological perspective, and examines in energy terms whether it may be sustainable. To illustrate the theory, we apply Land Cost of Sustainable Agriculture (LACAS) methodology to Spanish agriculture, which is representative of Mediterranean agroclimatic conditions. As a result, we demonstrate the impossibility of generalizing an extensive Organic Farming (OF) scenario under the techniques currently used by organic farmers. This is due to the fact that it would bring about a reduction of 13% in agricultural production. Which necessarily means that OF has to be intensified under agroecological criteria. This option is also explored in two scenarios. As a result, we show that it is possible to compensate the yield gap between OF and conventional agriculture by implementing low-entropy internal loop strategies which reduce the land cost of generating the necessary nitrogen flows. However, these cannot exceed the limits established by the structure of Spanish territory. That is, agroecological intensification cannot be prolonged indefinitely over time since it is limited by the land available.
The Sulfur Metabolite Lanthionine: Evidence for a Role as a Novel Uremic Toxin
Authors: Perna Alessandra , Zacchia Miriam , Trepiccione Francesco , Ingrosso Diego
Published: January 2017

Lanthionine is a nonproteinogenic amino acid, composed of two alanine residues that are crosslinked on their β-carbon atoms by a thioether linkage. It is biosynthesized from the condensation of two cysteine molecules, while the related compound homolanthionine is formed from the condensation of two homocysteine molecules. The reactions can be carried out by either cystathionine-β-synthase (CBS) or cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE) independently, in the alternate reactions of the transsulfuration pathway devoted to hydrogen sulfide biosynthesis. Low plasma total hydrogen sulfide levels, probably due to reduced CSE expression, are present in uremia, while homolanthionine and lanthionine accumulate in blood, the latter several fold. Uremic patients display a derangement of sulfur amino acid metabolism with a high prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia. Uremia is associated with a high cardiovascular mortality, the causes of which are still not completely explained, but are related to uremic toxicity, due to the accumulation of retention products. Lanthionine inhibits hydrogen sulfide production in hepatoma cells, possibly through CBS inhibition, thus providing some basis for the biochemical mechanism, which may significantly contribute to alterations of metabolism sulfur compounds in these subjects (e.g., high homocysteine and low hydrogen sulfide). We therefore suggest that lanthionine is a novel uremic toxin.
A Point Mutation in a Herpesvirus Co-Determines Neuropathogenicity and Viral Shedding
Authors: Franz Mathias , Goodman Laura , Van de Walle Gerlinde , Osterrieder Nikolaus , Greenwood Alex
Published: January 2017

A point mutation in the DNA polymerase gene in equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) is one determinant for the development of neurological disease in horses. Three recently conducted infection experiments using domestic horses and ponies failed to detect statistically significant differences in viral shedding between the neuropathogenic and non-neuropathogenic variants. These results were interpreted as suggesting the absence of a consistent selective advantage of the neuropathogenic variant and therefore appeared to be inconsistent with a systematic increase in the prevalence of neuropathogenic strains. To overcome potential problems of low statistical power related to small group sizes in these infection experiments, we integrated raw data from all three experiments into a single statistical analysis. The results of this combined analysis showed that infection with the neuropathogenic EHV-1 variant led to a statistically significant increase in viral shedding. This finding is consistent with the idea that neuropathogenic strains could have a selective advantage and are therefore systematically increasing in prevalence in domestic horse populations. However, further studies are required to determine whether a selective advantage indeed exists for neuropathogenic strains.
The Europe 2020 project bond initiative: an alternative to finance infrastructure in Europe
Authors: VASSALLO José Manuel , RANGEL Thais , BAEZA María de los Ángeles , BUENO Paola Carolina
Published: January 2017

The economic and financial crisis that struck Europe over the last few years has imposed much stricter capital and liquidity requirements for commercial banks thereby reducing their ability to provide funding to infrastructure projects. To circumvent this problem the European Union has promoted the Europe 2020 Project Bond Initiative (PBI) aimed at using European funds for credit enhancement to increase the appetite of institutional investors – such as pension funds and insurance companies – to boost large-scale infrastructure financing. In this paper we describe the specific constraints and attractiveness of the PBI within Europe using the SWOT methodology to analyse the information coming from both pilot case studies and the responses that institutional investors and other stakeholders provided to the EC public consultation about the PBI. On the basis of this information we found that even though the initiative may contribute to facilitate infrastructure financing in Europe, there are still some challenges to be addressed for its right implementation.
CHANDRA CHARACTERIZATION OF X-RAY EMISSION IN THE YOUNG F-STAR BINARY SYSTEM HD 113766
Authors: Lisse C. M. , Christian D. J. , Wolk S. J. , Günther H. M. , Chen C. H. , Grady C. A.
Published: January 2017

Using Chandra, we have obtained imaging X-ray spectroscopy of the 10–16 Myr old F-star binary HD 113766. We individually resolve the 1.″4 separation binary components for the first time in the X-ray and find a total 0.3–2.0 keV luminosity of 2.2 × 1029 erg s−1, consistent with previous RASS estimates. We find emission from the easternmost, infrared-bright, dusty member HD 113766A to be only ∼10% that of the western, infrared-faint member HD 113766B. There is no evidence for a 3rd late-type stellar or substellar member of HD 113766 with L
x > 6 × 1025 erg s−1 within 2′ of the binary pair. The ratio of the two stars’ X-ray luminosity is consistent with their assignments as F2V and F6V by Pecaut et al. The emission is soft for both stars, kT
Apec = 0.30–0.50 keV, suggesting X-rays produced by stellar rotation and/or convection in young dynamos, but not accretion or outflow shocks, which we rule out. A possible 2.8 ± 0.15 (2σ) hr modulation in the HD 113766B X-ray emission is seen, but at very low confidence and of unknown provenance. Stellar wind drag models corresponding to L
x ∼ 2 × 1029 erg s−1 argue for a 1 mm dust particle lifetime around HD 113766B of only ∼90,0000 years, suggesting that dust around HD 113766B is quickly removed, whereas 1 mm sized dust around HD 113766A can survive for >1.5 × 106 years. At 1028–1029 erg s−1 X-ray luminosity, astrobiologically important effects, like dust warming and X-ray photolytic organic synthesis, are likely for any circumstellar material in the HD 113766 systems.
ANATOMY OF DEPLETED INTERPLANETARY CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS
Authors: Kocher M. , Lepri S. T. , Landi E. , Zhao L. , Manchester W. B.
Published: January 2017

We report a subset of interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) containing distinct periods of anomalous heavy-ion charge state composition and peculiar ion thermal properties measured by ACE/SWICS from 1998 to 2011. We label them “depleted ICMEs,” identified by the presence of intervals where C6+/C5+ and O7+/O6+ depart from the direct correlation expected after their freeze-in heights. These anomalous intervals within the depleted ICMEs are referred to as “Depletion Regions.” We find that a depleted ICME would be indistinguishable from all other ICMEs in the absence of the Depletion Region, which has the defining property of significantly low abundances of fully charged species of helium, carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen. Similar anomalies in the slow solar wind were discussed by Zhao et al. We explore two possibilities for the source of the Depletion Region associated with magnetic reconnection in the tail of a CME, using CME simulations of the evolution of two Earth-bound CMEs described by Manchester et al.
THE LONG-TERM CENTIMETER VARIABILITY OF ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI: A NEW RELATION BETWEEN VARIABILITY TIMESCALE AND ACCRETION RATE*
Authors: Park Jongho , Trippe Sascha
Published: January 2017

We study the long-term (

years) radio variability of 43 radio-bright active galactic nuclei (AGNs) by exploiting the database of the University of Michigan Radio Astronomy Observatory monitoring program. We model the periodograms (temporal power spectra) of the observed light curves as simple power-law noise (red noise, spectral power

) using Monte Carlo simulations, taking into account windowing effects (red-noise leak, aliasing). The power spectra of 39 (out of 43) sources are in good agreement with the models, yielding a range in power spectral index (β) from ≈1 to ≈3. We fit a Gaussian function to each flare in a given light curve to obtain the flare duration. We discover a correlation between β and the median duration of the flares. We use the derivative of a light curve to obtain a characteristic variability timescale, which does not depend on the assumed functional form of the flares, incomplete fitting, and so on. We find that, once the effects of relativistic Doppler boosting are corrected for, the variability timescales of our sources are proportional to the accretion rate to the power of 0.25 ± 0.03 over five orders of magnitude in accretion rate, regardless of source type. We further find that modeling the periodograms of four of our sources requires the assumption of broken power-law spectra. From simulating light curves as superpositions of exponential flares, we conclude that strong overlap of flares leads to featureless simple power-law periodograms of AGNs at radio wavelengths in most cases.
A SPECTACULAR BOW SHOCK IN THE 11 keV GALAXY CLUSTER AROUND 3C 438
Authors: Emery Deanna L. , Bogdán Ákos , Kraft Ralph P. , Andrade-Santos Felipe , Forman William R. , Hardcastle Martin J. , Jones Christine
Published: January 2017

We present results of deep 153 ks Chandra observations of the hot, 11 keV, galaxy cluster associated with the radio galaxy 3C 438. By mapping the morphology of the hot gas and analyzing its surface brightness and temperature distributions, we demonstrate the presence of a merger bow shock. We identify the presence of two jumps in surface brightness and in density located at ∼400 and ∼800 kpc from the cluster’s core. At the position of the inner jump, we detect a density jump by a factor of 2.3 ± 0.2, while at the location of the outer jump, we detect a density drop by a factor of 3.5 ± 0.7. Combining this with the temperature distribution within the cluster, we establish that the pressure of the hot gas is continuous at the 400 kpc jump, while there is a pressure change by a factor of 6.2 ± 2.8 at the 800 kpc jump. From the magnitude of the outer pressure discontinuity, using the Rankine–Hugoniot jump conditions, we determine that the sub-cluster is moving at M = 2.3 ± 0.5, or approximately 2600 ± 565 km s−1, through the surrounding intracluster medium, creating the conditions for a bow shock. Based on these findings, we conclude that the pressure discontinuity is likely the result of an ongoing major merger between two massive clusters. Since few observations of bow shocks in clusters have been made, this detection can contribute to the study of the dynamics of cluster mergers, which offers insight into how the most massive clusters may have formed.
Sustainability of Family Business Entrepreneurships in the Middle East
Authors: Maamari Bassem E. , Jannoun Ahmad M.
Published: January 2017

The sustainability of family businesses with their integral component of entrepreneurial venturing are the result of decades of developmental processes. The role that these family businesses play in any economy can only be described as massive. Therefore, understanding the factors that affect or play a role in the success and continuity of these firms is important, and assessing the level and role of corporate governance in this perspective remains a challenge. The interplay of systems, leadership, accountability, transparency and remuneration, is proving to play a role in family business sustainability.
Making Innovation Development Policies Work for MENA
Authors: Isik Mehtap
Published: January 2017

This chapter analyzes the Middle Eastern North African economies' growth prospects and investigates the role of entrepreneurial activities in achieving sustainable economic growth and social development. It explores the existing macroeconomic, political and social characteristics of the region and brings the different literatures together to understand the policy implications of theory and practices. The chapter shows that entrepreneurial activities can cure a lot of problem in the region as long as supported by the central authorities, and the region has a strong potential to be used by the entrepreneurs.
Critical Review of Entrepreneurship in Oman
Authors: Baporikar Neeta
Published: January 2017

Entrepreneurship has assumed super importance for accelerating economic growth both in developed and developing countries. It promotes capital formation and creates wealth in country. It is hope and dreams of millions of individuals around the world. It reduces unemployment and poverty and it is a pathway to prosper. The word entrepreneur is of French origin and literally means the person that takes between – the middlemen; in a more free translation, the individual who pursues a commercial activity. In spite of various studies, defining entrepreneurship is still a major dispute among researchers and the word entrepreneur still has no common meaning among the academic community. So, espousing a very broad definition for entrepreneurship that incorporates business owners and self-employed individuals and adopting a grounded theory approach with in depth literature review of published documents and data, the core of this chapter is to review critically entrepreneurship in the Middle East with specific focus on Oman.
Agency Problem Types From a Corporate Governance Perspective
Authors: El-Jor Nazih Khalil
Published: January 2017

Corporate Governance systems adequately address problems related to accountability and transparency in developed countries. However, in emerging economies these systems are susceptible to exploitation by self-interest-minded individuals entrusted in managing the organization in some cases, by majority shareholders in other cases and at times by third parties from outside the organization. This exploitation falls under the concept of Agency Theory which emerges as a matter of concern that should be dealt with by Corporate Governance systems. Under the Agency Theory, the author classifies the Agency related problems into three types; “Type One”, “Type Two” and “Type Three”. All three types emanate from the separation of ownership and decision making complemented by the natural reality of self-interest requiring thus internal mechanisms of control in order to mitigate the Agency problems along with all Agency related costs. The paper then deals with such mechanisms.
Social and Civic Entrepreneurship in Lebanon and the Middle East
Authors: Chukri Salaheddine M.
Published: January 2017

The Middle East has acknowledged the importance and need of entrepreneurial activities which would flourish the economy and open new opportunities for employment. Providing employment to a young and growing population is the major challenge faced by countries in the MENA (Middle East and North America) region. Everywhere in the world, it is small firms that contribute most to job creation. Their ability to thrive and generate jobs is a function of the environment in which they operate and their capacity to deal with continuous change and build assets for the future. Hence firm competitiveness is high on the development agenda. In today's global environment, firms rather than nations have become the engine of growth, and competitiveness is the key for firms to survive.
Copying, Branding, and the Ethical Implications of Rights in Immaterial Cultural Goods
Authors: Röschenthaler Ute M.
Published: January 2017

Laws and regulations are important instruments for governing the relationships between people. In recent years, however, scholars have noted a growing judicialization, which concerns particularly immaterial cultural goods that are turned into intellectual and cultural properties. This chapter explores the implications of these regulations for the different actors involved, their moral responsibility and economic practices in the domains of branding and copying with examples of immaterial cultural goods from different African countries and from Austria. It argues that legal regulations that govern the use of immaterial cultural goods form part of the capitalist system. These regulations may be good for some and a hindrance for others. Piracy might damage the investments of an entrepreneur or artist in a brand or art work but might also help to secure the livelihood of other people and enhance the renown of products. Hence, it is important to analyze the perspectives and interests of individuals that are related to these economically important and ethically relevant activities.