bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Seismology-based early identification of dam-formation landquake events
Authors: Chao Wei-An , Zhao Li , Chen Su-Chin , Wu Yih-Min , Chen Chi-Hsuan , Huang Hsin-Hua
Published: January 2016

Flooding resulting from the bursting of dams formed by landquake events such as rock avalanches, landslides and debris flows can lead to serious bank erosion and inundation of populated areas near rivers. Seismic waves can be generated by landquake events which can be described as time-dependent forces (unloading/reloading cycles) acting on the Earth. In this study, we conduct inversions of long-period (LP, period ≥20 s) waveforms for the landquake force histories (LFHs) of ten events, which provide quantitative characterization of the initiation, propagation and termination stages of the slope failures. When the results obtained from LP waveforms are analyzed together with high-frequency (HF, 1–3 Hz) seismic signals, we find a relatively strong late-arriving seismic phase (dubbed Dam-forming phase or D-phase) recorded clearly in the HF waveforms at the closest stations, which potentially marks the time when the collapsed masses sliding into river and perhaps even impacting the topographic barrier on the opposite bank. Consequently, our approach to analyzing the LP and HF waveforms developed in this study has a high potential for identifying five dam-forming landquake events (DFLEs) in near real-time using broadband seismic records, which can provide timely warnings of the impending floods to downstream residents.
Comparative study of silica-supported copper catalysts prepared by different methods: formation and transition of copper phyllosilicate
Authors: Dong Xiaohuan , Ma Xiangang , Xu Hengyong , Ge Qingjie
Published: January 2016

Copper phyllosilicate turned into Cu0 rather than Cu+ after calcination and reduction.
Immobilization of a rhodium catalyst using a diphosphine-functionalized ionic liquid in RTIL for the efficient and recyclable biphasic hydroformylation of 1-octene
Authors: Li Yong-Qi , Liu Huan , Wang Peng , Yang Da , Zhao Xiao-Li , Liu Ye
Published: January 2016

A highly efficient and stable Rh–P catalytic system in the RTIL of [PEmim]BF4 was developed for the biphasic hydroformylation of 1-octene by using the diphosphine-functionalized ionic liquid (FIL) of 2. While 2-Rh(acac)(CO)2 was immobilized in [PEmim]BF4 (solvent), a typical biphasic catalysis was fulfilled with advantages of facile separation and recycling ability – 9 runs without any loss of activity. It was found that not only the acquired π-acceptor character of 2, but also the synergetic role of the piperidyl group in [PEmim]BF4 as an N-containing donor, cooperatively contributed to the efficient hydroformylation due to the facilitated formation and stability of the Rh-H active species (ν 2045 cm−1). This was supported by the in situ high-pressure FT-IR spectral analysis.
Biofuels, vehicle emissions, and urban air quality
Authors: Wallington Timothy J. , Anderson James E. , Kurtz Eric M. , Tennison Paul J.
Published: January 2016

Increased biofuel content in automotive fuels impacts vehicle tailpipe emissions via two mechanisms: fuel chemistry and engine calibration. Fuel chemistry effects are generally well recognized, while engine calibration effects are not. It is important that investigations of the impact of biofuels on vehicle emissions consider the impact of engine calibration effects and are conducted using vehicles designed to operate using such fuels. We report the results of emission measurements from a Ford F-350 fueled with either fossil diesel or a biodiesel surrogate (butyl nonanoate) and demonstrate the critical influence of engine calibration on NOx emissions. Using the production calibration the emissions of NOx were higher with the biodiesel fuel. Using an adjusted calibration (maintaining equivalent exhaust oxygen concentration to that of the fossil diesel at the same conditions by adjusting injected fuel quantities) the emissions of NOx were unchanged, or lower, with biodiesel fuel. For ethanol, a review of the literature data addressing the impact of ethanol blend levels (E0–E85) on emissions from gasoline light-duty vehicles in the U.S. is presented. The available data suggest that emissions of NOx, non-methane hydrocarbons, particulate matter (PM), and mobile source air toxics (compounds known, or suspected, to cause serious health impacts) from modern gasoline and diesel vehicles are not adversely affected by increased biofuel content over the range for which the vehicles are designed to operate. Future increases in biofuel content when accomplished in concert with changes in engine design and calibration for new vehicles should not result in problematic increases in emissions impacting urban air quality and may in fact facilitate future required emissions reductions. A systems perspective (fuel and vehicle) is needed to fully understand, and optimize, the benefits of biofuels when blended into gasoline and diesel.
LA-ICP-MS imaging in multicellular tumor spheroids – a novel tool in the preclinical development of metal-based anticancer drugs
Authors: Theiner Sarah , Schreiber-Brynzak Ekaterina , Jakupec Michael A , Galanski Mathea S , Koellensperger Gunda , Keppler Bernhard K
Published: January 2016

A novel application of advanced elemental imaging offers cutting edge in vitro assays with more predictive power on the efficacy of anticancer drugs in preclinical development compared to two dimensional cell culture models. We propose LA-ICP-MS analysis of multicellular spheroids, which are increasingly being used as three dimensional (3D) models of tumors, for improving the in vitro evaluation of anticancer metallodrugs. The presented strategy is very well suited for screening drug–tumor penetration, a key issue for drug efficacy. A major advantage of tumor spheroid models is that they enable us to create a tissue-like structure and function. With respect to 2D culture on the one hand and in vivo models on the other, multicellular spheroids thus show intermediate complexity, still allowing high repeatability and adequate through-put for drug research. This strongly argues for the use of spheroids as bridging models in preclinical anticancer drug development. Probing the lateral platinum distribution within these tumor models allows visualizing the penetration depth and targeting of platinum-based complexes. In the present study, we show for the first time that spatially-resolved metal accumulation in tumor spheroids upon treatment with platinum compounds can be appropriately assessed. The optimized LA-ICP-MS setup allowed discerning the platinum localization in different regions of the tumor spheroids upon compound treatment at biologically relevant (low micromolar) concentrations. Predominant platinum accumulation was observed at the periphery as well as in the center of the spheroids. This corresponds to the proliferating outermost layers of cells and the necrotic core, respectively, indicating enhanced platinum sequestration in these regions.
Phonon transport at the interfaces of vertically stacked graphene and hexagonal boron nitride heterostructures
Authors: Yan Zhequan , Chen Liang , Yoon Mina , Kumar Satish
Published: January 2016

h-BN/graphene/h-BN sandwiched systems exhibit distinct stacking-dependent phonon transport features. We provide a new analysis method to understand the physical mechanism of phonon–phonon coupling and the phonon modes’ contributions to the thermal boundary conductance at SLG/h-BN interfaces.
Macroscopic fibres of CNTs as electrodes for multifunctional electric double layer capacitors: from quantum capacitance to device performance
Authors: Senokos E. , Reguero V. , Palma J. , Vilatela J. J. , Marcilla Rebeca
Published: January 2016

Large planar EDLC of strong CNT fibres and ionic liquids with high power and energy densities, exhibiting CNT quantum capacitance.
Addition of 4-(cyclohex-1-en-1-yl)morpholine on 3-nitroindole: an unprecedented dearomatizing process
Authors: Andreini Manuel , Chapellas Fabien , Diab Sonia , Pasturaud Karine , Piettre Serge R. , Legros Julien , Chataigner Isabelle
Published: January 2016

Nucleophilic enamine2aadd spontaneously on nitroindole1to form a dearomatized formal ene adduct3a.
Controlled/living polymerization towards functional poly(p-phenylene vinylene) materials
Authors: Zaquen N. , Lutsen L. , Vanderzande D. , Junkers T.
Published: January 2016

Poly(p-phenylene vinylene)s (PPVs) are an important class of highly fluorescent polymeric semiconductor materials.
Electrochemical fabrication of one-dimensional porphyrinic wires on electrodes
Authors: Mustafar Suzaliza , Wu Kuo-Hui , Toyoda Ryojun , Takada Kenji , Maeda Hiroaki , Miyachi Mariko , Sakamoto Ryota , Nishihara Hiroshi
Published: January 2016

[5,15-Di(4-aminophenyl)-10,20-diphenylporphyrinato]zinc(ii) was found to electropolymerize on electrodes such as glassy carbon (GC), indium tin oxide (ITO), and tin oxide, to form a redox-active, stable, and reproducible π-conjugated polymer.
Glucose oxidase stabilized fluorescent gold nanoparticles as an ideal sensor matrix for dual mode sensing of glucose
Authors: Muthurasu A. , Ganesh V.
Published: January 2016

A simple, facile and green route for the preparation of glucose oxidase stabilized simple Au NPs and fluorescent Au NPs for the dual mode bio-sensing application of glucose using colourimetric and electrochemical methods is demonstrated.
Phase evolution and crystal growth of VO2nanostructures under hydrothermal reactions
Authors: Yu Weilai , Li Shuai , Huang Chi
Published: January 2016

The phase evolution and crystal growth of VO2nanostructures under hydrothermal conditions was comprehensively investigated and the feasibility of the Ostwald's step rules towards VO2polymorph evolution was for the first time demonstrated.
Catalytic oxidation of nitric oxide (NO) with carbonaceous materials
Authors: Shen Yafei , Ge Xinlei , Chen Mindong
Published: January 2016

This paper reviewed recent progress in catalytic oxidation of nitric oxide (NO) over various carbonaceous materials, such as activated carbon, carbon nanofibers with the aim of NO abatement.
New transient receptor potential TRPV1, TRPM8 and TRPA1 channel antagonists from a single linear β,γ-diamino ester scaffold
Authors: Pérez-Faginas Paula , Teresa Aranda M. , Torre-Martínez Roberto de la , Quirce Susana , Fernández-Carvajal Asia , Ferrer-Montiel Antonio , González-Muñiz Rosario
Published: January 2016

Incorporation of minor changes in the structure of a single β,γ-diaminoester linear scaffold resulted in selective hits for TRPV1, TRPM8 and TRPA1 blockade, as well as some dual antagonists.​
Ultrahigh-throughput generation and characterization of cellular aggregates in laser-ablated microwells of poly(dimethylsiloxane)
Authors: Albritton Jacob L. , Roybal Jonathon D. , Paulsen Samantha J. , Calafat Nicholas J. , Flores-Zaher Jose A. , Farach-Carson Mary C. , Gibbons Don L. , Miller Jordan S.
Published: January 2016

We modified a CO2 laser cutter to rapidly ablate PDMS and form conical microwells with customizable dimensions, which can serve to easily aggregate cells into uniform shapes in ultrahigh-throughput supply.
Design and synthesis of potent N-phenylpyrimidine derivatives for the treatment of skin cancer
Authors: Chaube Udit J. , Vyas Vivek K. , Bhatt Hardik G.
Published: January 2016

The development of novel synthetic compounds for the treatment of skin cancer is much needed, as there is a sudden rise in the incidence of skin cancer throughout the world and the available chemotherapy is facing problems of resistance.
Polynomial matrix approach to tracking control of non‐linear systems
Authors: Sato Kazuhiro
Published: January 2016

To characterise complete controllability of a time‐varying linearised error system of a given non‐linear system, this study focuses the attention on hyper‐regularity of a polynomial matrix derived from the non‐linear system and introduces the concept called controllable trajectory. It is shown that if a polynomial matrix derived from a given non‐linear system is hyper‐regular, then every linearised system along any controllable trajectory is completely controllable. Through a non‐holonomic mobile robot example, it is demonstrated that if a polynomial matrix derived from a given non‐linear system is hyper‐regular, and if a reference trajectory is the state part of a periodic controllable trajectory, a trajectory tracking control is achieved by a two‐degree‐of‐freedom controller design method.
Controllability of time‐delay fractional systems with and without constraints
Authors: Sikora Beata
Published: January 2016

This study presents time‐delay linear fractional systems with multiple delays in control. The formula for a solution of the discussed systems is presented and derived with the use of the Laplace transform. The definitions of controllability for time‐delay fractional systems with and without constraints are introduced. Constraints are imposed on control values. New criteria for relative controllability and relative U‐controllability for fractional systems with delays in control are established and proved. The obtained results are illustrated with numerical examples.
Frequency regulation in a wind–diesel powered microgrid using flywheels and fuel cells
Authors: Vidyanandan K.V. , Senroy Nilanjan
Published: January 2016

This study presents a control strategy for the frequency regulation in a wind–diesel powered microgrid. With wind as a major energy resource, ensuring reliability and quality of power supplied in the system is a great challenge. To reduce the adverse effects caused by wind's variability, intermittency and uncertainty on the system frequency and improve the performance of diesel generator (DG), a solution is explored that involves the use of two different energy storage technologies. A test system is proposed consisting of a wind farm and a DG, supplemented by hydrogen storage with fuel cell (FC) as a long‐term and a flywheel (FW) as a short‐term energy storage. During low demand or high wind periods, the surplus energy generated is stored as kinetic energy in the FW and as hydrogen gas after water electrolysis. During periods of low wind speed or increased demand, the FW supplies energy by shedding its rotor speed and hydrogen is converted into electricity through the FC. The effectiveness of adding a short‐term and a long‐term energy storage in enhancing the robustness of wind–diesel system is demonstrated in this study.
V‐band Bull's eye antenna for multiple discretely steerable beams
Authors: Vourch Clement J. , Drysdale Timothy D.
Published: January 2016

The authors present a new approach to designing V‐band Bull's eye antennas so as to produce multiple beams, which are either fixed or discretely steerable. Bull's eye antennas comprise concentric rings around a subwavelength aperture. Beam deflection is accomplished by adjusting the effective spacing of the rings, which they explain in terms of the coupling angle to free space and surface waves. They show that multiple beams can be obtained from a single antenna, with the deflection of each beam being controlled independently by the relevant portion of the ring pattern. They demonstrate the principle through rigorous full‐wave simulations of two‐beam antennas with symmetrical and asymmetrical shifts, and give experimental results for a prototype milled in aluminium, with two separate fixed beams each deflected 16° to either side of the broadside. They also propose means to obtain up to six different beam arrangements during operation by mechanically rotating a plate containing a special six‐sector ring pattern. Their simulated example gives three patterns, a single broadside beam or two beams each deflected by 8° or 15°. The radiation efficiency of the antenna is 97% and the gain of a single undeflected beam is 18.1 dBi.
Mammalian target of rapamycin/eukaryotic initiation factor 4F pathway regulates follicle growth and development of theca cells in mice
Authors: Zhang Chao , Liu Xiao-Ran , Cao Yong-Chun , Tian Jin-Ling , Zhen Di , Luo Xiao-Fei , Wang Xin-Mei , Tian Jian-Hui , Gao Jian-Ming
Published: January 2016

The aim of the present study was to clarify the roles of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signalling pathway in follicular growth and development of thecal cells. Using in vivo-grown and in vitro-cultured ovaries, histological changes were evaluated using haematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from 0 day post partum (d.p.p.) to 8 d.p.p. ovaries were screened by microarray and verified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Forty-two DEGs related to cell proliferation and differentiation were screened out, with most DEGs being related to the to mTOR signalling pathway. Then, 3 d.p.p. ovaries were retrieved and used to verify the role of mTOR signalling in follicle and thecal cell development using its activators (Ras homologue enriched in brain (Rheb) and GTP) and inhibitor (rapamycin). The development of follicles and thecal cells was significantly impaired in ovaries cultured in vitro Day 3 to Day 8. In in vitro-cultured ovaries, Rheb and GTP (is 100 ng mL–1 Rheb and 500 ng mL–1 GTP for 48 h) significantly increased follicle diameter, the percentage of primary and secondary follicles and the umber of thecal cells, and upregulated expression of mTOR, phosphorylated eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 (4EBP1), eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4F and cytochrome P450, family 17, subfamily A, polypeptide 1 (CYP17A1). Rapamycin (10 nM rapamycin for 24 h) had opposite effects to those of Rheb and GTP, and partly abrogated (significant) the effects of Rheb and GTP when added to the culture in combination with these drugs. Thus, mTOR signalling plays an important role in follicle growth and thecal cell development.
Myosin-dependent remodeling of adherens junctions protects junctions from Snail-dependent disassembly
Authors: Weng Mo , Wieschaus Eric
Published: January 2016

Although Snail is essential for disassembly of adherens junctions during epithelial–mesenchymal transitions (EMTs), loss of adherens junctions in Drosophila melanogaster gastrula is delayed until mesoderm is internalized, despite the early expression of Snail in that primordium. By combining live imaging and quantitative image analysis, we track the behavior of E-cadherin–rich junction clusters, demonstrating that in the early stages of gastrulation most subapical clusters in mesoderm not only persist, but move apically and enhance in density and total intensity. All three phenomena depend on myosin II and are temporally correlated with the pulses of actomyosin accumulation that drive initial cell shape changes during gastrulation. When contractile myosin is absent, the normal Snail expression in mesoderm, or ectopic Snail expression in ectoderm, is sufficient to drive early disassembly of junctions. In both cases, junctional disassembly can be blocked by simultaneous induction of myosin contractility. Our findings provide in vivo evidence for mechanosensitivity of cell–cell junctions and imply that myosin-mediated tension can prevent Snail-driven EMT.
Measuring distances between TRPV1 and the plasma membrane using a noncanonical amino acid and transition metal ion FRET
Authors: Zagotta William N. , Gordon Moshe T. , Senning Eric N. , Munari Mika A. , Gordon Sharona E.
Published: January 2016

Despite recent advances, the structure and dynamics of membrane proteins in cell membranes remain elusive. We implemented transition metal ion fluorescence resonance energy transfer (tmFRET) to measure distances between sites on the N-terminal ankyrin repeat domains (ARDs) of the pain-transducing ion channel TRPV1 and the intracellular surface of the plasma membrane. To preserve the native context, we used unroofed cells, and to specifically label sites in TRPV1, we incorporated a fluorescent, noncanonical amino acid, L-ANAP. A metal chelating lipid was used to decorate the plasma membrane with high-density/high-affinity metal-binding sites. The fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) efficiencies between L-ANAP in TRPV1 and Co2+ bound to the plasma membrane were consistent with the arrangement of the ARDs in recent cryoelectron microscopy structures of TRPV1. No change in tmFRET was observed with the TRPV1 agonist capsaicin. These results demonstrate the power of tmFRET for measuring structure and rearrangements of membrane proteins relative to the cell membrane.
Coalition logic with individual, distributed and common knowledge1
Authors: Ågotnes Thomas , Alechina Natasha
Published: January 2016

Coalition logic is currently one of the most popular logics for multi-agent systems. While logics combining coalitional and epistemic operators have received considerable attention, completeness results for epistemic extensions of coalition logic have so far been missing. In this paper we provide several such results and proofs. We prove completeness for epistemic coalition logic with common knowledge, with distributed knowledge, and with both common and distributed knowledge, respectively. Furthermore, we completely characterise the complexity of the satisfiability problem for each of the three logics. We also study logics with interaction axioms connecting coalitional ability and knowledge.
Etiology of Cellulitis and Clinical Prediction of Streptococcal Disease: A Prospective Study
Authors: Bruun Trond , Oppegaard Oddvar , Kittang Bård R. , Mylvaganam Haima , Langeland Nina , Skrede Steinar
Published: January 2016

Background.  The importance of bacteria other than group A streptococci (GAS) in different clinical presentations of cellulitis is unclear, commonly leading to treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics. The aim of this study was to describe the etiological and clinical spectrum of cellulitis and identify clinical features predicting streptococcal etiology.

Methods.  We prospectively enrolled 216 patients hospitalized with cellulitis. Clinical details were registered. Bacterial culture was performed from blood, cutaneous or subcutaneous tissue, and/or swabs from skin lesions. Paired serum samples were analyzed for anti-streptolysin O and anti-deoxyribonuclease B antibodies.

Results.  Serology or blood or tissue culture confirmed β-hemolytic streptococcal (BHS) etiology in 72% (146 of 203) of cases. An additional 13% (27 of 203) of cases had probable BHS infection, indicated by penicillin response or BHS cultured from skin swabs. β-hemolytic streptococcal etiology was predominant in all clinical subgroups, including patients without sharply demarcated erythema. β-hemolytic group C or G streptococci (GCS/GGS) were more commonly isolated than GAS (36 vs 22 cases). This predominance was found in the lower extremity infections. Group C or G streptococci in swabs were associated with seropositivity just as often as GAS. Staphylococcus aureus was cultured from swabs as a single pathogen in 24 cases, 14 (64%) of which had confirmed BHS etiology. Individual BHS-associated clinical characteristics increased the likelihood of confirmed BHS disease only slightly; positive likelihood ratios did not exceed 2.1.

Conclusions.  β-hemolytic streptococci were the dominating cause of cellulitis in all clinical subgroups and among cases with S aureus in cutaneous swabs. Group C or G streptococci were more frequently detected than GAS. No single clinical feature substantially increased the probability of confirmed BHS etiology.
Using Computer Vision and Depth Sensing to Measure Healthcare Worker-Patient Contacts and Personal Protective Equipment Adherence Within Hospital Rooms
Authors: Chen Junyang , Cremer James F. , Zarei Kasra , Segre Alberto M. , Polgreen Philip M.
Published: January 2016

Background.  We determined the feasibility of using computer vision and depth sensing to detect healthcare worker (HCW)-patient contacts to estimate both hand hygiene (HH) opportunities and personal protective equipment (PPE) adherence.

Methods.  We used multiple Microsoft Kinects to track the 3-dimensional movement of HCWs and their hands within hospital rooms. We applied computer vision techniques to recognize and determine the position of fiducial markers attached to the patient's bed to determine the location of the HCW's hands with respect to the bed.

To measure our system's ability to detect HCW-patient contacts, we counted each time a HCW's hands entered a virtual rectangular box aligned with a patient bed. To measure PPE adherence, we identified the hands, torso, and face of each HCW on room entry, determined the color of each body area, and compared it with the color of gloves, gowns, and face masks. We independently examined a ground truth video recording and compared it with our system's results.

Results.  Overall, for touch detection, the sensitivity was 99.7%, with a positive predictive value of 98.7%. For gowned entrances, sensitivity was 100.0% and specificity was 98.15%. For masked entrances, sensitivity was 100.0% and specificity was 98.75%; for gloved entrances, the sensitivity was 86.21% and specificity was 98.28%.

Conclusions.  Using computer vision and depth sensing, we can estimate potential HH opportunities at the bedside and also estimate adherence to PPE. Our fine-grained estimates of how and how often HCWs interact directly with patients can inform a wide range of patient-safety research.
Extracorporeal Carbon Dioxide Removal Enhanced by Lactic Acid Infusion in Spontaneously Breathing Conscious Sheep
Authors: Scaravilli Vittorio , Kreyer Stefan , Belenkiy Slava , Linden Katharina , Zanella Alberto , Li Yansong , Dubick Michael A. , Cancio Leopoldo C. , Pesenti Antonio , Batchinsky Andriy I.
Published: January 2016

AbstractAbstract

In a study of six spontaneously breathing conscious sheep connected to a minimally invasive circuit, extracorporeal blood acidification with lactic acid (acid load carbon dioxide removal) increased extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal by 50% compared with standard extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal. Although lactic acid infusion increased overall energy expenditure, feasibility safety and efficiency of acid load carbon dioxide removal were proved.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

Background

The authors studied the effects on membrane lung carbon dioxide extraction (VCO2ML), spontaneous ventilation, and energy expenditure (EE) of an innovative extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCO2R) technique enhanced by acidification (acid load carbon dioxide removal [ALCO2R]) via lactic acid.

Methods

Six spontaneously breathing healthy ewes were connected to an extracorporeal circuit with blood flow 250 ml/min and gas flow 10 l/min. Sheep underwent two randomly ordered experimental sequences, each consisting of two 12-h alternating phases of ALCO2R and ECCO2R. During ALCO2R, lactic acid (1.5 mEq/min) was infused before the membrane lung. Caloric intake was not controlled, and animals were freely fed. VCO2ML, natural lung carbon dioxide extraction, total carbon dioxide production, and minute ventilation were recorded. Oxygen consumption and EE were calculated.

Results

ALCO2R enhanced VCO2ML by 48% relative to ECCO2R (55.3 ± 3.1 vs. 37.2 ± 3.2 ml/min; P less than 0.001). During ALCO2R, minute ventilation and natural lung carbon dioxide extraction were not affected (7.88 ± 2.00 vs. 7.51 ± 1.89 l/min, P = 0.146; 167.9 ± 41.6 vs. 159.6 ± 51.8 ml/min, P = 0.063), whereas total carbon dioxide production, oxygen consumption, and EE rose by 12% each (223.53 ± 42.68 vs. 196.64 ± 50.92 ml/min, 215.3 ± 96.9 vs. 189.1 ± 89.0 ml/min, 67.5 ± 24.0 vs. 60.3 ± 20.1 kcal/h; P less than 0.001).

Conclusions

ALCO2R was effective in enhancing VCO2ML. However, lactic acid caused a rise in EE that made ALCO2R no different from standard ECCO2R with respect to ventilation. The authors suggest coupling lactic acid–enhanced ALCO2R with active measures to control metabolism.
Do Adolescents With Higher Knowledge of HIV Have Lower Sexual Risk Behaviors?
Authors: Hoehn Erin F. , FitzGerald Michael R. , Bhatt Seema R. , Robinson Venita M. , Lippe Joyce E. , Reed Jennifer L.
Published: January 2016

Objectives

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States, and adolescents account for a disproportionate number of new cases. We aimed to assess knowledge of HIV in relation to sexual risk behaviors among adolescents seeking care in our pediatric emergency department and to assess sources of HIV knowledge among this population.

Methods

Adolescents aged 14 to 21 years who presented to the pediatric emergency department participated in a questionnaire assessing HIV knowledge, sexual risk behaviors, and sources of HIV knowledge. For purposes of statistical analysis, patients were divided into a high-score (greater than or equal to the median score) or low-score (less than the median score) group based on the HIV-Knowledge Questionnaire 18 portion of the survey.

Results

A total of 240 adolescents were enrolled. Of those, 112 patients scored higher than or equal to the median HIV-Knowledge Questionnaire 18 score of 11. High-scoring knowledge was independently associated with patients 18 years or older (P = 0.001), any lifetime sexual activity (odds ratio [OR], 2.18; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30–3.67; P = 0.003), previous testing for HIV (OR, 2.40; 95% CI, 1.40–4.11; P = 0.002), and an “expert” source (school-based or medical professionals) as their primary source of knowledge (OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.05–3.41; P = 0.034). Age of first sexual encounter, number of partners, and condom use were not significantly associated with knowledge score.

Conclusions

Education from “expert” sources is important in providing adolescents with accurate information. However, education alone is unlikely to change sexual practices. A more comprehensive approach to HIV prevention is needed to decrease HIV transmission among this patient population.
Enhanced Stomatal Conductance by a Spontaneous Arabidopsis Tetraploid, Me-0, Results from Increased Stomatal Size and Greater Stomatal Aperture
Authors: Monda Keina , Araki Hiromitsu , Kuhara Satoru , Ishigaki Genki , Akashi Ryo , Negi Juntaro , Kojima Mikiko , Sakakibara Hitoshi , Takahashi Sho , Hashimoto-Sugimoto Mimi , Goto Nobuharu , Iba Koh
Published: January 2016

The rate of gas exchange in plants is regulated mainly by stomatal size and density. Generally, higher densities of smaller stomata are advantageous for gas exchange; however, it is unclear what the effect of an extraordinary change in stomatal size might have on a plant’s gas-exchange capacity. We investigated the stomatal responses to CO2 concentration changes among 374 Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) ecotypes and discovered that Mechtshausen (Me-0), a natural tetraploid ecotype, has significantly larger stomata and can achieve a high stomatal conductance. We surmised that the cause of the increased stomatal conductance is tetraploidization; however, the stomatal conductance of another tetraploid accession, tetraploid Columbia (Col), was not as high as that in Me-0. One difference between these two accessions was the size of their stomatal apertures. Analyses of abscisic acid sensitivity, ion balance, and gene expression profiles suggested that physiological or genetic factors restrict the stomatal opening in tetraploid Col but not in Me-0. Our results show that Me-0 overcomes the handicap of stomatal opening that is typical for tetraploids and achieves higher stomatal conductance compared with the closely related tetraploid Col on account of larger stomatal apertures. This study provides evidence for whether larger stomatal size in tetraploids of higher plants can improve stomatal conductance.
Attribution of symbolic brand meaning: the interplay of consumers, brands and reference groups
Authors: Hammerl Manfred , Dorner Florian , Foscht Thomas , Brandstätter Marion
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the role played by both, self-brand connection and reference groups, in attributing symbolic meaning to a brand. Current studies focus either on the influence of reference groups or on the role of self-brand connection. We demonstrate that both interact in attributing symbolic meaning. To explain interactions between the consumer, the brand and the reference groups, we draw on Heider’s balance theory.

Design/methodology/approach

– A questionnaire was developed which included scales on self-brand connection, reference group belonging and symbolic brand meaning. Data were collected through an online survey and analyzed with factor analyses, analyses of variance and correlation analyses.

Findings

– Our findings suggest that consumers may alter their beliefs about a brand depending on both, their self-brand connection and the influence of reference groups. If a consumer feels a strong connection with a brand and this brand is used by a dissociative reference group, the consumer will not attribute high symbolic meaning to that brand. The same is valid if the consumer’s in-group uses a brand which the consumer does not feel connected to.

Originality/value

– The present study introduces Heider’s balance theory to the fields of reference group research and self-brand connection research. Balance theory has proved to be a valuable framework for analyzing the relationships of consumers, their brands and their reference groups in the context of attributing symbolic brand meaning. Building on these insights, researchers and practitioners may better understand the emergence of symbolic brand meaning hereafter.
Linking structure and function in food webs: maximization of different ecological functions generates distinct food web structures
Authors: Yen Jian D. L. , Cabral Reniel B. , Cantor Mauricio , Hatton Ian , Kortsch Susanne , Patrício Joana , Yamamichi Masato
Published: January 2016

Trophic interactions are central to ecosystem functioning, but the link between food web structure and ecosystem functioning remains obscure. Regularities (i.e. consistent patterns) in food web structure suggest the possibility of regularities in ecosystem functioning, which might be used to relate structure to function.

We introduce a novel, genetic algorithm approach to simulate food webs with maximized throughput (a proxy for ecosystem functioning) and compare the structure of these simulated food webs to real empirical food webs using common metrics of food web structure. We repeat this analysis using robustness to secondary extinctions (a proxy for ecosystem resilience) instead of throughput to determine the relative contributions of ecosystem functioning and ecosystem resilience to food web structure.

Simulated food webs that maximized robustness were similar to real food webs when connectance (i.e. levels of interaction across the food web) was high, but this result did not extend to food webs with low connectance. Simulated food webs that maximized throughput or a combination of throughput and robustness were not similar to any real food webs.

Simulated maximum‐throughput food webs differed markedly from maximum‐robustness food webs, which suggests that maximizing different ecological functions can generate distinct food web structures. Based on our results, food web structure would appear to have a stronger relationship with ecosystem resilience than with ecosystem throughput.

Our genetic algorithm approach is general and is well suited to large, realistically complex food webs. Genetic algorithms can incorporate constraints on structure and can generate outputs that can be compared directly to empirical data. Our method can be used to explore a range of maximization or minimization hypotheses, providing new perspectives on the links between structure and function in ecological systems.
Microclimate and habitat heterogeneity as the major drivers of beetle diversity in dead wood
Authors: Seibold Sebastian , Bässler Claus , Brandl Roland , Büche Boris , Szallies Alexander , Thorn Simon , Ulyshen Michael D. , Müller Jörg
Published: January 2016

Resource availability and habitat heterogeneity are principle drivers of biodiversity, but their individual roles often remain unclear since both factors are usually correlated. The biodiversity of species dependent on dead wood could be driven by either resource availability represented by dead‐wood amount or habitat heterogeneity characterized by dead‐wood diversity or both. Understanding their roles is crucial for improving evidence‐based conservation strategies for saproxylic species in managed forests.

To disentangle the effects of dead‐wood amount and dead‐wood diversity on biodiversity relative to canopy openness (microclimate), we experimentally exposed different amounts of logs and branches of two different tree species representing a gradient of dead‐wood diversity in 190 sunny and shady forest plots. During the 3 years after exposing dead wood, we sampled saproxylic beetles, which are together with fungi the most diverse and important taxonomic group involved in decomposition of wood.

The composition of saproxylic beetle assemblages differed clearly between shady and sunny forest plots, with higher richness in sunny plots. Both dead‐wood amount and dead‐wood diversity positively and independently affected species richness of saproxylic beetles, but these effects were mediated by canopy openness. In sunny forest, species richness increased with increasing amount of dead wood, whereas in shady forest, dead‐wood diversity was the prevailing factor.

The stepwise analysis of abundance and species richness, however, indicated that effects of both factors supported only the habitat‐heterogeneity hypothesis, as the positive effect of high amounts of dead wood could be explained by cryptic variability of dead‐wood quality within single objects.

Synthesis and applications. As canopy openness and habitat heterogeneity seem to be the major drivers of saproxylic beetle diversity in temperate forests, we recommend that managers aim to increase the heterogeneity of dead‐wood substrates under both sunny and shady forest conditions. Intentional opening of the canopy should be considered in anthropogenically homogenized, dense forests. Specifically in temperate mixed montane forests, dead wood should be provided in the form of large logs in sunny habitats and a high diversity of different dead‐wood substrates should be retained or created in shady forests.
Modest enhancements to conventional grassland diversity improve the provision of pollination services
Authors: Orford Katherine A. , Murray Phil J. , Vaughan Ian P. , Memmott Jane
Published: January 2016

Grassland for livestock production is a major form of land use throughout Europe and its intensive management threatens biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in agricultural landscapes. Modest increases to conventional grassland biodiversity could have considerable positive impacts on the provision of ecosystem services, such as pollination, to surrounding habitats.

Using a field‐scale experiment in which grassland seed mixes and sward management were manipulated, complemented by surveys on working farms and phytometer experiments, the impact of conventional grassland diversity and management on the functional diversity and ecosystem service provision of pollinator communities were investigated.

Increasing plant richness, by the addition of both legumes and forbs, was associated with significant enhancements in the functional diversity of grassland pollinator communities. This was associated with increased temporal stability of flower–visitor interactions at the community level. Visitation networks revealed pasture species Taraxacum sp. (Wigg.) (dandelion) and Cirsium arvense (Scop.) (creeping thistle) to have the highest pollinator visitation frequency and richness. Cichorium intybus (L.) (chichory) was highlighted as an important species having both high pollinator visitation and desirable agronomic properties.

Increased sward richness was associated with an increase in the pollination of two phytometer species; Fragaria × ananassa (strawberry) and Silene dioica (red campion), but not Vicia faba (broad bean). Enhanced functional diversity, richness and abundance of the pollinator communities associated with more diverse neighbouring pastures were found to be potential mechanisms for improved pollination.

Synthesis and applications. A modest increase in conventional grassland plant diversity with legumes and forbs, achievable with the expertise and resources available to most grassland farmers, could enhance pollinator functional diversity, richness and abundance. Moreover, our results suggest that this could improve pollination services and consequently surrounding crop yields (e.g. strawberry) and wildflower reproduction in agro‐ecosystems.
Beyond climate: convergence in fast evolving sclerophylls in Cape and Australian Rhamnaceae predates the mediterranean climate
Authors: Onstein Renske E. , Linder H. Peter
Published: January 2016

Morphological convergence in mediterranean‐type ecosystems (MTEs) has long been interpreted as adaptation to climatic similarities among the five MTEs of the world. Here, we challenge this model using the globally distributed Rhamnaceae.

We collected functional trait data (specific leaf area, leaf area, spinescence, leaf phenology, growth form and leaf margin type) and biome data to test for trait convergence in MTEs, for models of trait evolution and ancestral state reconstruction and for the effect of traits on speciation and extinction rates, using a phylogenetic framework.

We show that leaf functional traits evolve to three optima, which correspond to (i) the edaphically specialized Australian and Cape MTEs (AC), (ii) the mediterranean‐type climates, but edaphically normal Chile, California and Mediterranean Basin (CCM) and (iii) the non‐mediterranean habitats. We find that Rhamnaceae in CCM are predominantly characterized by non‐sclerophylly, the ancestral state in Rhamnaceae, and Rhamnaceae in AC by sclerophylly. These leaf character syndromes have evolved prior to mediterranean climates in MTEs, thereby failing to be adaptive to this selective regime. However, sclerophylly evolved contemporaneously with the transitions to AC and may therefore be an adaptation to nutrient‐poor soils.

The evolution of sclerophylly has contributed to increased diversification rates of Pomaderreae in Australia and Phyliceae in the Cape, by reducing extinction rates and thereby facilitating evolutionary persistence. The historical relatively stable conditions in AC are consistent with this persistence hypothesis.

Synthesis. In this study, we integrate the fields of macroevolution and ecology and show that low extinction rates may not only account for the ecological, but also for the floristic dominance of sclerophylly in the hyperdiverse Australian and Cape mediterranean‐type ecosystems.
‘It's Not Going to be Suburban, It's Going to be All Urban’: Assembling Post‐suburbia in the Toronto and Chicago Regions
Authors: Keil Roger , Addie Jean‐Paul D.
Published: January 2016

Urban and suburban politics are increasingly intertwined in regions that aspire to be global. Powerful actors in the Chicago and Toronto regions have mobilized regional space to brand rescaled images of the urban experience, but questions remain as to who constructs and who can access the benefits of these revised spatial identities. Local political interests have tended to be obfuscated in the regional milieu, most problematically in the spaces between the gentrified inner cities, privileged growth nodes, and the glamorized suburban subdivisions and exurban spaces beyond the city limits. This article analyses how socio‐spatial changes in post‐suburbanizing urban fringes contribute to the way regions are being reconfigured and reimagined. Guided by current debates at the intersection of assemblage theory and critical urban political economy, our analysis demonstrates how socio‐technical infrastructures, policy mobilities and political economic relations are spatially aligned, sustained and dissolved in splintering North American agglomerations. Particular attention is paid to issues of urban transportation and connectivity in uncovering multifaceted modes of suburbanism that now underlie the monistic imagery of the globalized region. Emergent regionalized topologies and territoriality blur conventional understandings of city–suburban dichotomies in extended urban areas that are now characterized by polycentric post‐suburban constellations. In terms of their substance and functionality, ‘real existing' regions are currently re‐territorialized as complex assemblages that are embedded in a neoliberalizing political economy whose politics and identities are only beginning to be revealed.
‘We Live on Estimates': Everyday Practices of Prepaid Electricity and the Urban Condition in Maputo, Mozambique
Authors: Baptista Idalina
Published: January 2016

This article examines the transition to prepaid electricity happening in Maputo, Mozambique, in order to reflect on the contemporary geographies of urban energy infrastructure and urbanization in sub‐Saharan Africa and other cities of the South. The article draws on fieldwork and archival research conducted in 2013 and 2014, arguing that prepayment constitutes a productive juncture in the urban experience of electricity infrastructure in Maputo's postcolonial moment, not merely a neutral technology or a disciplining technique of government (as argued by some scholarship). The article examines the multiple rationalities implicated in the use of the electricity infrastructure via prepayment and the organization of urban life it engenders (and of which it is also a product) by focusing on the everyday practices surrounding prepaid electricity of urban dwellers in neighbourhoods where the ‘modern infrastructural ideal' may never be fully realized. As a result, it contributes to an understanding of the experience of urban energy in cities where ‘slum urbanism', uncertainty and provisionality are dominant aspects of the urban condition.
Disrupted Infrastructures: An Urban Political Ecology of Interrupted Electricity in Accra
Authors: Silver Jonathan
Published: January 2016

Cities in the global South are often considered to be in the midst of infrastructural breakdown, and characterized as either lacking networked services or as suffering from ongoing disruption and sometimes failure. This article focuses on the electricity network of Accra to examine the series of socio‐natural processes that produce this ongoing disruption and to explore the power relations of networked systems in the city. It focuses on the production of disruption through the analytical lens of urban political ecology, in order to show how such a framework can be utilized to interrogate energy geographies. The article begins by describing what happens when the lights go out and the flow of electricity is interrupted across Accra in order to connect a series of socio‐natural processes that contribute to the ongoing network disruption and interruption. The article establishes the effect of historical infrastructural governance, greenhouse gas emissions, flows of international capital, water and drought in northern Ghana, as well as urban sprawl, slum urbanism and rising energy demand in the city, to illustrate the fundamentally unequal and politicized socio‐natures of these disrupted infrastructural processes.
Development of a novel milk‐based fermented product fortified with wheat germ
Authors: Seleet Faten L , Assem Fayza M , Abd El‐Gawad Mona A M , Dabiza Nadia M , Abd El‐Salam Mohamed H
Published: January 2016

Wheat germ (WG) was mixed with water (1:5), heated (85 °C/15 min), cooled and used to replace 0, 20, 30 and 40% (w/w) of standardised cow's milk (3% fat), supplemented with 2%(w/w) skim milk powder. Yoghurt‐like fermented products were prepared from the different formulations, stored at 7 ± 2 °C for 15 days, and analysed for chemical composition, pH, microbiological quality, texture profile (TPA), viscosity, syneresis and sensory properties. The addition of WG slurry enhanced acid development during fermentation and increased the viscosity of the fermented products. Nutritious milk‐based fermented products of acceptable composition and quality could be prepared from formulations containing 20% (w/w) WG slurry.