bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analyzing runtime adaptability of collaboration patterns
Authors: Dorn Christoph , Taylor Richard N.
Published: November 2014

The recent two decades have witnessed the emergence of large‐scale, interaction‐intensive systems. A system's provided user‐centric communication and coordination mechanisms have a significant impact on its runtime management. Beyond a certain size, manual monitoring and management are no longer feasible. Hence, it is highly important for a system designer to becoming aware of the most suitable interaction mechanisms and their implications on system adaptability. Specifically, a system designer requires knowledge on what adaptation primitives are available, whether these are system‐driven or user‐driven, how long they will take, what impact do they have on collaboration state, and under what conditions they can be enacted. These aspects vary considerably across collaboration patterns.

In this paper, we investigate a collaboration structure's adaptability based on behavior, asynchrony, state, and execution context. We subsequently discuss seven distinctively different collaboration patterns in terms of those aspects. Based on a motivating scenario, we ultimately demonstrate how these patterns and insights into their inherent adaptability may guide design decision impact and trade‐off analysis. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Multi‐tenancy authorization models for collaborative cloud services
Authors: Tang Bo , Sandhu Ravi , Li Qi
Published: November 2014

The cloud service model intrinsically caters to multiple tenants, most obviously not only in public clouds but also in private clouds for large organizations. Currently, most cloud service providers isolate user activities and data within a single tenant boundary with no or minimum cross‐tenant interaction. It is anticipated that this situation will evolve soon to foster cross‐tenant collaboration supported by Authorization as a Service. At present, there is no widely accepted model for cross‐tenant authorization. Recently, Calero et al. informally presented a multi‐tenancy authorization system (MTAS), which extends the well‐known role‐based access control model by building trust relations among collaborating tenants. In this paper, we formalize this MTAS model and propose extensions for finer‐grained cross‐tenant trust. We also develop an administration model for MTAS. We demonstrate the utility and practical feasibility of MTAS by means of an example policy specification in extensible access control markup language. To further test the metrics of the model, we develop a prototype system and conduct experiments on it. The result shows that the prototype has 12‐ms policy decision overhead on average and is scalable. We anticipate that researchers will develop additional multi‐tenant authorization models before eventual consolidation and convergence to standard industry practice. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
JASAG: a gridification tool for agricultural simulation applications
Authors: Arroqui M. , Alvarez J. Rodriguez , Vazquez H. , Machado C. , Mateos C. , Zunino A.
Published: November 2014

The Grid Computing paradigm aims to create a ‘virtual’ and powerful single computer with many distributed resources to solve resource intensive problems. The term ‘gridification’ involves the process of transforming a conventional application to run in a Grid environment. In that sense, the more automatic this process is, the easier is for developers with low expertise in parallel and distributed computing to take advantage of these resources. To date, many semiautomatic gridifiers were built to support different gridification approaches and application code structures or anatomies. Furthermore, agricultural simulation applications have a particular common anatomy based on biophysical entities, such as animals, crops, and pastures, which are updated by actions, such as growing animals, growing crops, and growing pastures, along simulation execution. However, this anatomy is not fully supported by any of the existing gridifiers. Thus, this paper presents Agricultural Simulation Applications Gridifier (ASAG), a method for easy gridification of agricultural simulation applications, and its Java implementation, named Java ASAG (JASAG). The main design drivers of JASAG are middleware independence, separation of business logic and Grid behavior, and performance increase. An experimental evaluation showing the feasibility of the gridification method and its implementation is also reported, which resulted in speedups of up to 25 by using a real agricultural simulation application. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Platelet mean volume, distribution width, and count in type 2 diabetes, impaired fasting glucose, and metabolic syndrome: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Zaccardi Francesco , Rocca Bianca , Pitocco Dario , Tanese Luigi , Rizzi Alessandro , Ghirlanda Giovanni
Published: November 2014

Background

Platelet activation contributes to cardiovascular disease (CVD), the main complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and pre‐diabetic conditions. Mean platelet volume is an easy‐to‐measure platelet parameter that has been associated with CVD. We sought to assess mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width, and platelet count in T2DM, impaired fasting glucose (IFG), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and metabolic syndrome.

Methods

Web‐based literature search (PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science) of studies published in English through June 2014 was performed to select case–control and cross‐sectional studies that reported data on mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width, or platelet count in cases (subjects with T2DM, IFG, IGT, or metabolic syndrome) and noncases. Descriptive and quantitative information was extracted, and within‐study standardized mean difference was estimated from means and standard deviations. Standardized mean differences across studies were synthesized using a random random‐effects model, and subgroup analyses were performed on pre‐specified study‐level characteristics.

Results

Thirty‐nine studies were included. Compared with controls, mean platelet volume was significantly higher in T2DM (standardized mean difference, 95% confidence interval: 0.70, 0.50–0.91; N = 24 245), IFG (0.14, 0.02–0.26; N = 17 389) but not in metabolic syndrome (0.15, −0.24 to 0.55; N = 14 990). Platelet distribution width was wider in T2DM (0.93, 0.09–1.76; N = 471). Platelet count resulted higher in IFG (0.18, 0.12–0.24; N = 3960) and metabolic syndrome (0.39, 0.01–0.78; N = 4070). Only two studies included IGT.

Conclusions

Available data suggest that T2DM subjects tend to have higher mean platelet volume and platelet distribution width values, but nondifferent platelet count as compared with subjects without T2DM. Whether and how these morphometric changes contribute to CVD of T2DM or can be used as CVD biomarker awaits further investigation. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mechanism of Nitric Acid Reduction and Kinetic Modelling
Authors: Sicsic David , Balbaud‐Célérier Fanny , Tribollet Bernard
Published: November 2014

In France, the recycling of nuclear waste fuels involves the use of hot concentrated nitric acid. The understanding and prediction of the behaviour of the structural materials (mainly austenitic stainless steels) requires the determination and modelling of the nitric acid reduction process. Nitric acid is indirectly reduced by an autocatalytic mechanism depending on the cathodic overpotential and acid concentration. This mechanism has been widely studied. All the authors agree on its autocatalytic nature, characterized by the predominant role of the reduction products. It is also generally admitted that neither nitric acid nor the nitrate ion is the electroactive species. However, the nature of the electroactive species, the place where the catalytic species regenerates and the thermodynamic and kinetic behaviour of the reaction intermediates remain uncertain. The aim of this study was to clarify some of these uncertainties by performing an electrochemical investigation of the reduction of 4Mnitric acid at 40 °C at an inert electrode (platinum or gold). An inert electrode was chosen as the working electrode in a first step to avoid its oxidation and focus the research on the reduction mechanism. This experimental work enabled us to suggest a coherent sequence of electrochemical and chemical reactions. Kinetic modelling of this sequence was then carried out for a gold rotating disk electrode. A thermodynamic study at 25 °C allowed the composition of the liquid and gaseous phases of nitric acid solutions in the concentration range 0.5–22Mto be evaluated. The kinetics of the reduction of 4Mnitric acid was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry at an inert electrode at 40 °C. The coupling of chronoamperometry and FTIR spectroscopy in the gaseous phase led to the identification of the gaseous reduction products as a function of the cathodic overpotential. The results showed that the reduction process is autocatalytic for potentials between 0.6 and 1.15 V/NHE. The electroactive species may be regenerated at the surface of the electrode for lower potentials, otherwise this regeneration process occurs in solution by a homogeneous chemical reaction. When the potential is less than 0.6 V/NHE, the fast reduction of nitrogen oxide may lead to rupture of the autocatalytic cycle.
Structure and Microwave Dielectric Properties of Ultralow‐Temperature Cofirable BaV2O6 Ceramics
Authors: Neelakantan Unnimaya Avanoor , Kalathil Suresh Elattuvalappil , Ratheesh Ravendran
Published: November 2014

A new ultralow‐temperature‐sinterable BaV2O6 ceramic was prepared through a conventional solid‐state ceramic method. Thermogravimetric and differential‐scanning‐calorimetry analyses were performed to confirm the phase formation of BaV2O6. Phase purity and crystal structure of the ceramic material were studied by using X‐ray diffraction analysis and Raman spectroscopic studies. BaV2O6 crystallizes in an orthorhombic unit cell, and the calculated lattice parameters are a = 8.532 Å, b = 12.583 Å, and c = 7.554 Å. BaV2O6 ceramic was well sintered at 550 °C for 1 h and exhibited a dense microstructure with excellent microwave properties, for example, a dielectric constant of 11.2, a Qxf value of 42790 GHz, and a temperature coefficient of resonant frequency of 28.2 ppm/°C. The BaV2O6 ceramic exhibits a linear coefficient of thermal expansion of 10 ppm/°C in the range 30–350 °C. The BaV2O6 ceramic shows good chemical compatibility with Al electrodes, which makes it as a suitable candidate material for ULTCC technology.
[IrCp*(NCMe)2(PPh2Me)][PF6]2 as Catalyst for the Meyer–Schuster Rearrangement of Arylpropargylic Alcohols under Mild Conditions
Authors: Talavera María , Bravo Jorge , Gonsalvi Luca , Peruzzini Maurizio , Zuccaccia Cristiano , Bolaño Sandra
Published: November 2014

The novel iridium complex [IrCp*(NCMe)2(PPh2Me)][PF6]2 (I) efficiently catalyzed the Meyer–Schuster rearrangement of selected arylpropargylic alcohols into α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes under mild conditions and without the need of a co‐catalyst. A mechanism involving a (hydroxy)alkenylcarbene intermediate is proposed.
Superstable Palladium(0) Complex as an Air‐ and Thermostable Catalyst for Suzuki Coupling Reactions
Authors: Jakab Alexandra , Dalicsek Zoltán , Holczbauer Tamás , Hamza Andrea , Pápai Imre , Finta Zoltán , Timári Géza , Soós Tibor
Published: November 2014

An unprecedentedly thermo‐ and air‐stable Pd0 complex from readily available electron‐poor trifluoromethylated phosphine was serendipitously discovered. As detailed and comparative DFT calculations indicate, the stability of the complex is associated with unusually strong ligand–ligand noncovalent interactions. The unique stability and the presence of hydrophobic structural elements of the complex offer several practical advantages, which were exploited in catalytic Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reactions.
Attention allocation to ambiguous health/somatic threat cues
Authors: Schrooten M.G.S. , Vancleef L. , Vlaeyen J.W.S.
Published: November 2014

Background

An influential idea is that attentional bias to information related to pain or pain‐related negative affect underlies persistent pain problems. Such information is however often ambiguous. If ambiguous input is perceived as pain or threat related, attention to this stimulus would be enhanced compared with stimuli with no (dominant) pain‐/threat‐related meaning. Attentional bias to ambiguous stimuli related to somatic/health threat was expected to be more pronounced with higher levels of pain catastrophizing.

Methods

University students performed a spatial cueing task including four types of word cues that were combinations of word content (somatic/health threat vs. non‐threat), and word ambiguity (unambiguous vs. ambiguous), each presented for 500 or 750 ms. Attentional bias to somatic/health threat is reflected in larger cue validity effects for somatic/heath threat words than for non‐threat words.

Results

In the 500‐ms condition, cue validity effects were larger for threat than for non‐threat words in participants reporting low catastrophizing, but did not depend on word content in participants reporting higher catastrophizing. In the 750‐ms condition, cue validity effects did not depend on pain catastrophizing or word content. Cue validity effects did not significantly differ between unambiguous words and ambiguous homographs.

Conclusions

Low catastrophizers demonstrated attentional bias to threat content. Participants reporting higher catastrophizing showed overall enhanced attentional orienting. There was no evidence for differences in (biased) attention to unambiguous and ambiguous words. Further research is needed to determine attentional bias for ambiguous pain‐/threat‐related stimuli in the context of consistent attentional bias for unambiguous pain‐/threat‐related stimuli.
Use of high‐conductivity sample solution with sweeping‐micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography for trace‐level quantification of paliperidone in human plasma
Authors: Liu Hsiang‐Yin , Hwang Tzung‐Jeng , Tsai I‐Lin , Kuo Ching‐Hua
Published: November 2014

Paliperidone is a new antipsychotic drug with a relatively low therapeutic concentration of 20–60 ng/mL. We established an accurate and sensitive CE method for the determination of paliperidone concentrations in human plasma in this study. To minimize matrix effect caused by quantification errors, paliperidone was extracted from human plasma using Oasis HLB SPE cartridges with three‐step washing procedure. To achieve sensitive quantification of paliperidone in human plasma, a high‐conductivity sample solution with sweeping‐MEKC method was applied for analysis. The separation is performed in a BGE composed of 75 mM phosphoric acid, 100 mM SDS, 12% acetonitrile, and 15% tetrahydrofuran. Sample solution consisted of 10% methanol in 250 mM phosphoric acid and the conductivity ratio between sample matrix and BGE was 2.0 (γ, sample/BGE). The results showed it able to detect paliperidone in plasma samples at concentration as low as 10 ng/mL (S/N = 3) with a linear range between 20 and 200 ng/mL. Compared to the conventional MEKC method, the sensitivity enhancement factor of the developed sweeping‐MEKC method was 100. Intra‐ and interday precision of peak area ratios were less than 6.03%; the method accuracy was between 93.4 and 97.9%. This method was successfully applied to the analysis of plasma samples of patients undergoing paliperidone treatment.
An autoregressive model to describe fishing vessel movement and activity
Authors: Gloaguen P. , Mahévas S. , Rivot E. , Woillez M. , Guitton J. , Vermard Y. , Etienne M. P.
Published: November 2014

The understanding of the dynamics of fishing vessels is of great interest to characterize the spatial distribution of the fishing effort and to define sustainable fishing strategies. It is also a prerequisite for anticipating changes in fishermen's activity in reaction to management rules, economic context, or evolution of exploited resources. Analyzing the trajectories of individual vessels offers promising perspectives to describe the activity during fishing trips. A hidden Markov model with two behavioral states (steaming and fishing) is developed to infer the sequence of non‐observed fishing vessel behavior along the vessel trajectory based on Global Positioning System (GPS) records. Conditionally to the behavior, vessel velocity is modeled with an autoregressive process. The model parameters and the sequence of hidden behavioral states are estimated using an expectation–maximization algorithm, coupled with the Viterbi algorithm that captures the most credible joint sequence of hidden states. A simulation approach was performed to assess the influence of contrast between the model parameters and of the path length on the estimation performances. The model was then fitted to four original GPS tracks recorded with a time step of 15 min derived from volunteer fishing vessels operating in the Channel within the IFREMER RECOPESCA project. Results showed that the fishing activity performed influenced the estimates of the velocity process parameters. Results also suggested future inclusion of variables such as tide currents within the ecosystem approach of fisheries. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
SHM‐integrated bridge reliability estimation using multivariate stochastic processes
Authors: Ozer Ekin , Feng Maria Q. , Soyoz Serdar
Published: November 2014

Determination of response characteristics using probabilistic approaches is essential to deal with high level of load and resistance uncertainties in civil engineering structures. Multi‐span bridges present a significant problem regarding the varying nature of seismic loads on different bridge piers. With an emphasis on comparison of multi‐support excitation with the conventional uniform excitation, this paper aims at providing a framework to evaluate probabilistic seismic response and estimate reliability of bridges under multi‐support excitations simulated by multivariate stochastic processes. Moreover, the framework integrates the experimental data of a multi‐support seismic shaking table test of a multi‐span bridge structure as well as structural health monitoring (SHM) findings based on vibration measurements. The results demonstrate the importance of the multivariate stochastic processes, therefore, multi‐support excitation, on estimating seismic behavior of multi‐span bridges. Furthermore, this study proves the significance of structural parameter updating with respect to the evaluation of structural reliability. It is observed that the difference between the SHM‐integrated and the conventional reliability estimation results vary according to the change in bedrock conditions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Overall stability analysis of oversized steel‐framed buildings in a fire
Authors: Zhang Guowei , Zhu Guoqing , Yuan Guanglin , Li Qing
Published: November 2014

Our present paper summarizes the shortcomings in the current fire‐resistant design of oversized steel structures and proposes a method for overall stability analysis of steel structures in the event of fire. The Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) software platform–based large‐eddy simulation technology can accurately reflect the environment in a fire scenario and correctly predict the spatial–temporal change in the smoke temperature field within an oversized space. Adopting the FDS software and finite element structural analysis (ANSYS) coupling can fundamentally overcome the natural defect of adopting the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard curve (or other indoor homogeneous temperature increase curves) that substitutes a point for the overview of a field. They reflect the structural additional internal force and internal force redistribution incurred by the gradient temperature difference of the spatial–temporal changing nonhomogeneous temperature field and both theoretically and technically realize the analysis of structural heat transfer and mechanical properties in a natural fire. Furthermore, a modified model to predict the steel temperature curve in localized fire is also proposed. The localized fire in large spaces can be treated as a point fire source to evaluate the flame thermal radiation to steel members in the modified model. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The effect of high temperature on the residual mechanical performance of concrete made with recycled ceramic coarse aggregates
Authors: Martins David J. , Correia João R. , de Brito Jorge
Published: November 2014

This paper presents an experimental study on the residual mechanical properties of concrete with recycled ceramic coarse aggregate (RCCA) after exposure to elevated temperatures. Four concrete mixes were produced: a control concrete and three concrete mixes with replacement ratios of 20, 50 and 100% of natural aggregate (NA) by RCCA. The specimens were subjected to temperatures of 200, 400 and 600°C, for a period of 60 min. After cooling down to room temperature, the following concrete properties were evaluated: (i) compressive strength; (ii) splitting tensile strength; (iii) modulus of elasticity; (iv) ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV); and (v) water absorption by immersion. At ambient temperature, as expected, the replacement of NA by RCCA resulted in a performance reduction of concrete. After exposure to elevated temperature, in general, the results obtained indicated an improvement of the residual relative mechanical properties of the mixes with RCCA, particularly after exposure to 400 and 600°C. However, exposure to the highest temperature (600°C) tended to cause spalling in concrete mixes containing RCCA. Significant linear correlations were observed between the residual compressive strength of all concrete mixes and both the UPV and the water absorption by immersion. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Artificial viscosity: back to the basics
Authors: Mattsson Ann E. , Rider W. J.
Published: November 2014

In this paper, we take a different perspective on the derivation of artificial viscosity. Heretofore, the development of artificial viscosity has been based on the paper published in Journal of Applied Physics in 1950 authored by John von Neumann and Robert Richtmyer [1]. Earlier, in 1948, Richtmyer published a report at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory documenting the original concept [2]. This report was the true origin of shock capturing methods and contains several key ideas that are conceptually different than the 1950 journal article. Unfortunately, this report (LA‐671) was classified until 1993. This has resulted in two issues: the misattribution of the invention of artificial viscosity as primarily being the work of von Neumann and the loss of the structurally different ideas in the original report. We seek to right the record of history here and use the ideas contained in Richtmyer's report to good effect in deriving a new shock viscosity. The focus of previous development has been the Hugoniot curve describing the locus of states connected by a single shock wave. Here we follow a path more focused upon the Rayleigh line, which is strongly guided by Richtmyer's line of development of the original artificial viscosity formulation. We provide an implementation of the method resulting from this perspective and computational results for simple shock problems. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Factorial Study to Investigate the Purging Effect on the Performance of a Dead‐End Anode PEM Fuel Cell Stack
Authors: Sasmito A. P. , Ali M. I. , Shamim T.
Published: November 2014

This paper presents an experimental investigation of the effect of hydrogen purging time period and duration on the performance of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack with a dead‐end anode. The objective is to develop a better understanding of the interactions between the purging parameters and the cathode air‐stoichiometry. It employs a full factorial approach for three factors (purging period, purging duration and air‐stoichiometry) with two levels and three replications. The study is performed on a 300 cm2, 24‐cell PEM fuel cell stack with the rated power of 1.5 kW. The stack was operated with water cooling, fully humidified air and dry hydrogen at the ambient pressure. The results showed that the stack performance is significantly influenced by the interactions of the purging parameters and the cathode air‐stoichiometry. The least square model was utilized to determine the optimum values of these parameters with regard to the stack performance and hydrogen utilization. For the present stack, the optimum values of parameters were: purging period of 3 min, purging duration of 4 s and the cathode air‐stoichiometry of 200%.
Decay in Mechanical Properties of Catalyst Coated Membranes Subjected to Combined Chemical and Mechanical Membrane Degradation
Authors: Sadeghi Alavijeh A. , Goulet M.‐A. , Khorasany R. M. H. , Ghataurah J. , Lim C. , Lauritzen M. , Kjeang E. , Wang G. G. , Rajapakse R. K. N. D.
Published: November 2014

The mechanical stability of catalyst coated membranes (CCMs) is an important factor for the overall durability and lifetime of polymer electrolyte fuel cells. In this article, the evolution of the mechanical properties of degraded CCMs is comprehensively assessed. A combined chemical and mechanical accelerated stress test (AST) was applied to simulate field operation and rapidly generate partially degraded CCM samples for tensile and expansion experiments under both room and fuel cell conditions. The tensile results indicated significant reductions in ultimate tensile strength, toughness, and fracture strain as a function of AST cycles, accompanied by a mild increase in elastic modulus. The increased brittleness and reduced fracture toughness of the CCM, caused primarily by chemical membrane degradation, is expected to play an important role in the ultimate failure of the fuel cell. The expansion tests revealed a linear decay in hygrothermal expansion, similar in magnitude to the loss of mechanical strength. The decline in CCM sensitivity to environmental changes leads to non‐uniform swelling and contraction that may exacerbate local degradation. Interestingly, the hygrothermal expansion in the late stages of degradation coincided with the fracture strain, which correlates to in situ development of fractures in chemically weakened membranes.
Foreign Central Bank Activities in US Futures Markets
Authors: Fishe Raymond P. H. , Robe Michel A. , Smith Aaron D.
Published: November 2014

We analyze the daily positions of 31 foreign Central Banks in US interest rate futures markets between 2003 and 2011 for targeted hedging or informed profit‐making decisions. Central Bank positions before the financial crisis of 2007–2009 are consistent with hedging some underlying balance sheet exposure. During and after the crisis, the pattern suggests an attempt to enhance returns. In particular, Central Banks held and profited from directional positions in 5‐ and 10‐year T‐Note futures in a manner indicative of a non‐hedging strategy. We also examine whether Central Bank position changes are synchronized in the sense that they tend to occur simultaneously. We identify differences before and after the onset of the financial crisis: Euro‐linked Central Banks become more synchronized, whereas non‐European Central Banks show no significant change during the crisis. We document that Central Bank positions generally account for a small fraction of the overall size of the futures markets, so it is unlikely that these institutions' goal is to influence US interest rates. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 36:3–29, 2016
The functional connectivity of intralaminar thalamic nuclei in the human basal ganglia
Authors: Rodriguez‐Sabate Clara , Llanos Catalina , Morales Ingrid , Garcia‐Alvarez Roberto , Sabate Magdalena , Rodriguez Manuel
Published: November 2014

Projections of the centromedian‐parafasicularis neurons of the intralaminar thalamus are major inputs of the striatum. Their functional role in the activity of human basal ganglia (BG) is not well known. The aim of this work was to study the functional connectivity of intralaminar thalamic nuclei with other BG by using the correlations of the BOLD signal recorded during “resting” and a motor task. Intralaminar nuclei showed a marked functional connectivity with all the tested BG, which was observed during “resting” and did not change with the motor task. As regards the intralaminar nuclei, BG connectivity was much lower for the medial dorsal nucleus (a thalamic nucleus bordering the intralaminar nuclei) and for the default mode network (although intralaminar nuclei showed a negative correlation with the default mode network). After the “regression” of intralaminar nuclei activity (partial correlation), the functional connectivity of the caudate and putamen nuclei with other BG decreased (but not with the primary sensorimotor cortex). Present data provide evidence that intralaminar nuclei are not only critical for striatal activity but also for the global performance of human BG, an action involving subcortical BG loops more than cortico‐subcortical loops. The high correlation found between BG suggest that, similarly to that reported in other brain centers, the very‐slow frequency fluctuations are relevant for the functional activity of these centers. Hum Brain Mapp 36:1335–1347, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The integrated effects of climate and hydrologic uncertainty on future flood risk assessments
Authors: Steinschneider Scott , Wi Sungwook , Brown Casey
Published: November 2014

This work examines future flood risk within the context of integrated climate and hydrologic modelling uncertainty. The research questions investigated are (1) whether hydrologic uncertainties are a significant source of uncertainty relative to other sources such as climate variability and change and (2) whether a statistical characterization of uncertainty from a lumped, conceptual hydrologic model is sufficient to account for hydrologic uncertainties in the modelling process. To investigate these questions, an ensemble of climate simulations are propagated through hydrologic models and then through a reservoir simulation model to delimit the range of flood protection under a wide array of climate conditions. Uncertainty in mean climate changes and internal climate variability are framed using a risk‐based methodology and are explored using a stochastic weather generator. To account for hydrologic uncertainty, two hydrologic models are considered, a conceptual, lumped parameter model and a distributed, physically based model. In the conceptual model, parameter and residual error uncertainties are quantified and propagated through the analysis using a Bayesian modelling framework. The approach is demonstrated in a case study for the Coralville Dam on the Iowa River, where recent, intense flooding has raised questions about potential impacts of climate change on flood protection adequacy. Results indicate that the uncertainty surrounding future flood risk from hydrologic modelling and internal climate variability can be of the same order of magnitude as climate change. Furthermore, statistical uncertainty in the conceptual hydrological model can capture the primary structural differences that emerge in flood damage estimates between the two hydrologic models. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
CD20 alternative splicing isoform generates immunogenic CD4 helper T epitopes
Authors: Vauchy Charline , Gamonet Clementine , Ferrand Christophe , Daguindau Etienne , Galaine Jeanne , Beziaud Laurent , Chauchet Adrien , Henry Dunand Carole J. , Deschamps Marina , Rohrlich Pierre Simon , Borg Christophe , Adotevi Olivier , Godet Yann
Published: November 2014

Cancer‐specific splice variants gain significant interest as they generate neo‐antigens that could be targeted by immune cells. CD20, a membrane antigen broadly expressed in mature B cells and in B cell lymphomas, is subject to an alternative splicing named D393‐CD20 leading to loss of membrane expression of the spliced isoform. D393‐CD20 expression is detectable in transformed B cells and upregulated in various lymphoma B cells. In this study, we show that D393‐CD20 is translated in malignant B cells and that D393‐CD20 specific CD4 T cells producing IFN‐γ are present in B‐cell lymphoma patients. Then, we have investigated whether the 20mer D393‐CD20 peptide spanning the splicing site might be targeted by the immune system and we have shown that D393‐CD20‐specific CD4 Th1 clones could directly recognize malignant B cell lines and kill autologous lymphoma B cells indicating that D393‐CD20‐derived epitopes are naturally processed and presented on tumor cells. Finally, D393‐CD20 peptide‐based vaccination induced specific CD8 and CD4 T cell responses in HLA‐humanized transgenic mice suggesting the presentation of D393‐CD20 derived peptides on both HLA Class‐I and ‐II. These findings support further investigations on the potential use of D393‐CD20 directed specific immunotherapy in B cell malignancies.
Negative modulation of the epigenetic regulator, UHRF1, by thyroid hormone receptors suppresses liver cancer cell growth
Authors: Wu Sheng‐Ming , Cheng Wan‐Li , Liao Chia‐Jung , Chi Hsiang‐Cheng , Lin Yang‐Hsiang , Tseng Yi‐Hsin , Tsai Chung‐Ying , Chen Ching‐Ying , Lin Syuan‐Ling , Chen Wei‐Jan , Yeh Yung‐Hsin , Huang Chi‐Ying F. , Chen Ming‐Huang , Yeh Yi‐Chen , Lin Kwang‐Huei
Published: November 2014

The thyroid hormone, 3,3′,5‐triiodo‐l‐thyronine (T3), mediates several physiological processes, including embryonic development, cellular differentiation, metabolism and regulation of cell proliferation. Thyroid hormone (T3) and its receptor (TR) are involved in metabolism and growth. In addition to their developmental and metabolic functions, TRs play a tumor suppressor role, and therefore, their aberrant expression can lead to tumor transformation. Aberrant epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressor genes promotes cancer progression. The epigenetic regulator, Ubiquitin‐like with PHD and ring finger domains 1 (UHRF1), is overexpressed in various cancers. In our study, we demonstrated that T3 negatively regulates UHRF1 expression, both in vitro and in vivo. Our results further indicate that UHRF1 regulation by T3 is indirect and mediated by Sp1. Sp1‐binding elements of UHRF1 were identified at positions −664/−505 of the promoter region using the luciferase and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Notably, UHRF1 and Sp1 levels were elevated in subgroups of hepatocellular carcinoma patients and inversely correlated with TRα1 expression. Knockdown of UHRF1 expression should therefore provide a means to inhibit hepatoma cell proliferation. Expression of UHRF1 was downregulated by TRs, in turn, relieving silencing of the UHRF1 target gene, p21. Based on the collective findings, we propose that T3/TR signaling induces hepatoma cell growth inhibition via UHRF1 repression.
Thioautotrophic bacterial endosymbionts are degraded by enzymatic digestion during starvation: Case study of two lucinids Codakia orbicularis and C. orbiculata
Authors: König Sten , Le Guyader Hervé , Gros Olivier
Published: November 2014

The Caribbean bivalves Codakia orbicularis (Linné, 1758) and C. orbiculata (Montagu, 1808) live in seagrass beds of Thalassia testudinum and harbor intracellular sulfur‐oxidizing gamma‐proteobacteria. These bacterial symbionts fix CO2 via the Calvin Benson cycle and provide organic compounds to the bivalve. During experimentally induced starvation, no reduced sulfur compounds and no organic particle food are available; the symbionts could be considered as the sole nutrient source of the host bivalve. A previous study has shown that the intracellular bacterial population decreased considerably during starvation and that bacterial endosymbionts were not released by the bivalves. In this study, the activity of two lysosomal marker enzymes (acid phosphatase and arylsulfatase) was detected using cytochemical experiments coupled with energy‐dispersive X‐ray transmission electron microscopy during sulfide and organic particle starvation. The degradation of bacterial endosymbionts began after 2 weeks of starvation in C. orbiculata and after 3 weeks in C. orbicularis. Degradation processes seem to be continuous over several months and could be responsible for the disappearance of the bacterial endosymbionts within the gills during starvation. These data suggest that the host use symbionts as a nutrient source to survive a hunger crisis. The carbon transfer from the symbionts to the host could be flexible and could consist in transfer of organic matter, “milking,” under normal feeding conditions and digestion of the symbionts under starved conditions. Microsc. Res. Tech. 78:173–179, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Grade pending: Lessons for hospital quality reporting from the New York City restaurant sanitation inspection program
Authors: Ryan Andrew M. , Detsky Allan S.
Published: November 2014

Public quality reporting programs have been widely implemented in hospitals in an effort to improve quality and safety. One such program is Hospital Compare, Medicare's national quality reporting program for US hospitals. The New York City sanitary grade inspection program is a parallel effort for restaurants. The aims of Hospital Compare and the New York City sanitary inspection program are fundamentally similar: to address a common market failure resulting from consumers' lack of information on quality and safety. However, by displaying easily understandable information at the point of service, the New York City sanitary inspection program is better designed to encourage informed consumer decision making. We argue that this program holds important lessons for public quality reporting of US hospitals. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2015;10:116–119. © 2014 Society of Hospital Medicine
The masked educator‐innovative simulation in an Australian undergraduate Medical Sonography and Medical Imaging program
Authors: Reid‐Searl Kerry , Bowman Anita , McAllister Margaret , Cowling Cynthia , Spuur Kelly
Published: November 2014

Introduction

Clinical learning experiences for sonography and medical imaging students can sometimes involve the practice of technical procedures with less of a focus on developing communication skills with patients. Whilst patient‐based simulation scenarios have been widely reported in other health education programmes, there is a paucity of research in sonography and medical imaging.

The aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of Mask‐Ed™ (KRS Simulation) in the learning and teaching of clinical communication skills to undergraduate medical sonography and medical imaging students. Mask‐Ed™ (KRS Simulation) is a simulation technique where the educator is hidden behind wearable realistic silicone body props including masks.

Methods

Focus group interviews were conducted with 11 undergraduate medical sonography and medical imaging students at CQUniversity, Australia. The number of participants was limited to the size of the cohort of students enrolled in the course. Prior to these interviews participants were engaged in learning activities that featured the use of the Mask‐Ed™ (KRS Simulation) method. Thematic analysis was employed to explore how the introduction of Mask‐Ed™ (KRS Simulation) contributed to students' learning in relation to clinical communication skills.

Results

Key themes included: benefits of interacting with someone real rather than another student, learning made fun, awareness of empathy, therapeutic communication skills, engaged problem solving and purposeful reflection.

Conclusions

Mask‐Ed™ (KRS Simulation) combined with interactive sessions with an expert facilitator, contributed positively to students' learning in relation to clinical communication skills. Participants believed that interacting with someone real, as in the Mask‐Ed characters was beneficial. In addition to the learning being described as fun, participants gained an awareness of empathy, therapeutic communication skills, engaged problem solving and purposeful reflection.
A cross‐cultural examination of subordinates' perceptions of and reactions to abusive supervision
Authors: Vogel Ryan M. , Mitchell Marie S. , Tepper Bennett J. , Restubog Simon L. D. , Hu Changya , Hua Wei , Huang Jui‐Chieh
Published: November 2014

This manuscript explores cross‐cultural differences in reactions to perceived abusive supervision. Based on an integration of fairness heuristic theory with principles about cross‐cultural differences in the importance of hierarchical status, we theorize that subordinates from the Anglo culture perceive and react to abusive supervision more negatively than subordinates from the Confucian Asian culture. The predictions were tested within two field studies. Study 1 results show that culture moderated the direct effect of perceived abusive supervision on interpersonal justice and the indirect effects of perceived abusive supervision (via interpersonal justice) on subordinates' trust in the supervisor and work effort. The negative effects of perceived abusive supervision were stronger for subordinates within the Anglo versus the Confucian Asian culture; subordinates from Anglo culture compared with Confucian Asian culture perceived abusive supervision as less fair. Perceived abusive supervision indirectly and negatively influenced subordinates' trust in the supervisor and work effort. Study 2 replicated the findings from Study 1 and extended them to show culture (Anglo vs. Confucian culture) moderated the effects because it influences subordinates' power distance orientation. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Multi‐sensors study of precipitable water vapour over mainland China
Authors: Wong Man Sing , Jin Xiaomeng , Liu Zhizhao , Nichol Janet , Chan P. W.
Published: November 2014

Water vapour, an important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, is crucial for hydrological, atmospheric, and meteorological processes. This study first compared five precipitable water vapour (PWV) products from multi‐sensors including radiosonde, AERosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) sunphotometer, Global Positioning System (GPS) and MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and then characterized the spatial and temporal trends of PWV in mainland China. Intercomparison results indicate good agreements among PWV products with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.775 to 0.937. As for spatial analysis, 13 years of MODIS MOD05 products were investigated and the spatial distribution of PWV is closely correlated with the topography, e.g. latitude and altitude, in mainland China. A monotonically increasing annual trend was detected in some radiosonde sites in China between 1976 and 1999, but a decreasing trend was observed between 2000 and 2012. Analysis of the differences in PWV between weekdays and weekends indicated a marked weekend effect, suggesting the influence of anthropogenic activities. Diurnal variations in PWV were also studied from 1999 to 2009 using GPS data. A pronounced diurnal cycle of PWV was observed in most of the sites during summer and spring seasons.
Uncertainty in estimating reference evapotranspiration using remotely sensed and forecasted weather data under the climatic conditions of Southern Spain
Authors: Cruz‐Blanco María , Santos Cristina , Gavilán Pedro , Lorite Ignacio J.
Published: November 2014

In this study, a detailed spatial analysis of the reference evapotranspiration (ETo) estimates provided by the MAK‐Adv approach and the well‐known Penman‐Monteith equation (PM‐FAO56) has been carried out. MAK‐Adv approach considers a regionally calibrated Makkink equation based on a combination of remotely sensed solar radiation, Rs, provided by the Land Surface Analysis Satellite Applications Facility (LSA SAF), and numerical weather forecasts of near‐surface air temperature, T2m, provided by the European Centre for Medium‐range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). This analysis evaluated the performance of these approaches with data measured by 57 weather stations under different weather conditions within a semi‐arid region, Andalusia, located at Southern Spain, and determined the role of certain physical and climate variables, such as wind speed and sensible heat advection, on the quality of the ETo estimation.

For three years (2007–2009), daily Rs and T2m provided by LSA SAF and ECMWF were compared with measured data showing very good estimates, with RMSD equal to 1.47 W m−2 and 1.53 °C, respectively. Equally, ETo using MAK‐Adv approach with data provided by LSA SAF and ECMWF was compared with ETo provided by the PM‐FAO56 approach with measured data, obtaining RMSD = 0.69 mm, linear regression slope = 0.94, and R2 = 0.92. Although ETo estimates using both approaches were similar between them, the small differences in terms of estimation ETo were mainly correlated with the wind speed (u) and the advection index (Ia), depicting the critical role of these factors in the ETo estimations under semi‐arid conditions, and increasing the uncertainty in ETo estimation when wind speed and/or Ia are high.

The comparison of MAK‐Adv and PM‐FAO56 approaches has proved the usefulness in providing ETo values at a regional scale and detecting those areas where the ETo estimation had higher uncertainty, contributing to an improvement in water management.
Gendered Impact of Microcredit in Mali: An Evaluation by Propensity Score Matching
Authors: Koloma Yaya , Alia Hayyan
Published: November 2014

Microfinance in Mali has a positive impact on poverty alleviation in total and higher on female than on male beneficiaries.
Detection of otoacoustic emissions in chinchilla when the middle ear contains amniotic fluid
Authors: Akinpelu Olubunmi V. , Funnell W. Robert J. , Daniel Sam J.
Published: November 2014

Objectives/Hypothesis

Otoacoustic emissions have frequently been used for newborn hearing screening. However, they have low specificities and high referral rates. The presence of amniotic fluid in the middle ear is one reason for these problems. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of human amniotic fluid on otoacoustic emissions and on middle‐ear function.

Methods

Forty‐six chinchillas were randomly divided into eight groups based on the type (amniotic fluid or normal saline) and volume (0.5, 1, 1.5, 2 ml) of liquid introduced into the middle ear. Distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) and wideband reflectance (WBR) measurements were taken under inhalational anaesthesia before and after introduction of middle‐ear liquid. The differences in these measurements were subjected to statistical analyses.

Study Design

Prospective controlled animal study.

Results

Significant reductions of DPOAE levels and increases in WBR occurred across all frequencies when there was liquid in the middle ear, and the changes became greater for increased volumes of liquid. Changes in the noise level had important effects on the otoacoustic‐emission signal‐to‐noise ratio at the three lowest frequencies.

Conclusion

Both human amniotic fluid and saline in the chinchilla middle ear resulted in changes in otoacoustic‐emission detection patterns and WBR that may be relevant to newborn hearing screening.

Level of Evidence

N/A. Laryngoscope, 125:E138–E142, 2015