bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Review of Antioxidant Peptides Derived from Meat Muscle and By-Products
Authors: Liu Rui , Xing Lujuan , Fu Qingquan , Zhou Guang-hong , Zhang Wan-gang
Published: September 2016

Antioxidant peptides are gradually being accepted as food ingredients, supplemented in functional food and nutraceuticals, to positively regulate oxidative stress in the human body against lipid and protein oxidation. Meat muscle and meat by-products are rich sources of proteins and can be regarded as good materials for the production of bioactive peptides by use of enzymatic hydrolysis or direct solvent extraction. In recent years, there has been a growing number of studies conducted to characterize antioxidant peptides or hydrolysates derived from meat muscle and by-products as well as processed meat products, including dry-cured hams. Antioxidant peptides obtained from animal sources could exert not only nutritional value but also bioavailability to benefit human health. This paper reviews the antioxidant peptides or protein hydrolysates identified in muscle protein and by-products. We focus on the procedure for the generation of peptides with antioxidant capacity including the acquisition of crude peptides, the assessment of antioxidant activity, and the purification and identification of the active fraction. It remains critical to perform validation experiments with a cell model, animal model or clinical trial to eliminate safety concerns before final application in the food system. In addition, some of the common characteristics on structure-activity relationship are also reviewed based on the identified antioxidant peptides.
What Can We Learn in Electrocatalysis, from Nanoparticulated Precious and/or Non-Precious Catalytic Centers Interacting with Their Support?
Authors: Mora-Hernández Juan , Luo Yun , Alonso-Vante Nicolas
Published: September 2016

This review is devoted to discussing the state of the art in the relevant aspects of the synthesis of novel precious and non-precious electrocatalysts. It covers the production of Pt- and Pd-based electrocatalysts synthesized by the carbonyl chemical route, the synthesis description for the preparation of the most catalytically active transition metal chalcogenides, then the employment of free-surfactants synthesis routes to produce non-precious electrocatalysts. A compilation of the best precious electrocatalysts to perform the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) is described; a section is devoted to the synthesis and electrocatalytic evaluation of non-precious materials which can be used to perform the HOR in alkaline medium. Apropos the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), the synthesis and modification of the supports is also discussed as well, aiming at describing the state of the art to improve kinetics of low temperature fuel cell reactions via the hybridization process of the catalytic center with a variety of carbon-based, and ceramic-carbon supports. Last, but not least, the review covers the experimental half-cells results in a micro-fuel cell platform obtained in our laboratory, and by other workers, analyzing the history of the first micro-fuel cell systems and their tailoring throughout the time bestowing to the design and operating conditions.
The Differential Entropy of the Joint Distribution of Eigenvalues of Random Density Matrices
Authors: Luo Laizhen , Wang Jiamei , Zhang Lin , Zhang Shifang
Published: September 2016

We derive exactly the differential entropy of the joint distribution of eigenvalues of Wishart matrices. Based on this result, we calculate the differential entropy of the joint distribution of eigenvalues of random mixed quantum states, which is induced by taking the partial trace over the environment of Haar-distributed bipartite pure states. Then, we investigate the differential entropy of the joint distribution of diagonal entries of random mixed quantum states. Finally, we investigate the relative entropy between these two kinds of distributions.
DagTM: An Energy-Efficient Threads Grouping Mapping for Many-Core Systems Based on Data Affinity
Authors: Ju Tao , Dong Xiaoshe , Chen Heng , Zhang Xingjun
Published: September 2016

Many-core processors are becoming mainstream computing platforms nowadays. How to map the application threads to specific processing cores and exploit the abundant hardware parallelism of a many-core processor efficiently has become a pressing need. This work proposes a data affinity based threads grouping mapping strategy Data Affinity Grouping based Thread Mapping (DagTM), which categorizes threads into different groups according to their data affinity and the hardware architecture feature of many-core processors. After that, the thread groups are mapped to the specific processing cores to be energy efficiently executed. More specifically, first, the intra-thread data locality is analyzed by computing the data reuse distance, and the inter-thread data affinity is quantified by affinity matrix. Second, the threads are categorized into different groups via affinity subtree spanning algorithm. Finally, the thread groups are assigned to different processing cores through static binding. DagTM is able to reduce conflicts of the shared memory access and additional data transmission, increase utilization of the computing resources, and reduce entire system energy consumption. Experimental results show that DagTM obtains a nearly 14% improvement in computing performance, and a nearly 10% reduction in energy consumption compared with the traditional thread mapping mechanism under the condition of not introducing additional runtime overhead.
Effects of Rational-Emotive Hospice Care Therapy on Problematic Assumptions, Death Anxiety, and Psychological Distress in a Sample of Cancer Patients and Their Family Caregivers in Nigeria
Authors: Onyechi Kay , Onuigbo Liziana , Eseadi Chiedu , Ikechukwu-Ilomuanya Amaka , Nwaubani Okechukwu , Umoke Prince , Agu Fedinand , Otu Mkpoikanke , Utoh-Ofong Anthonia
Published: September 2016

This study was a preliminary investigation that aimed to examine the effects of rational emotive hospice care therapy (REHCT) on problematic assumptions, death anxiety, and psychological distress in a sample of cancer patients and their family caregivers in Nigeria. The study adopted a pre-posttest randomized control group design. Participants were community-dwelling cancer patients (n = 32) and their family caregivers (n = 52). The treatment process consisted of 10 weeks of full intervention and 4 weeks of follow-up meetings that marked the end of intervention. The study used repeated-measures analysis of variance for data analysis. The findings revealed significant effects of a REHCT intervention program on problematic assumptions, death anxiety, and psychological distress reduction among the cancer patients and their family caregivers at the end of the intervention. The improvements were also maintained at follow-up meetings in the treatment group compared with the control group who received the usual care and conventional counseling. The researchers have been able to show that REHCT intervention is more effective than a control therapy for cancer patients’ care, education, and counseling in the Nigerian context.
Impact of Heat Wave Definitions on the Added Effect of Heat Waves on Cardiovascular Mortality in Beijing, China
Authors: Dong Wentan , Zeng Qiang , Ma Yue , Li Guoxing , Pan Xiaochuan
Published: September 2016

Heat waves are associated with increased mortality, however, few studies have examined the added effect of heat waves. Moreover, there is limited evidence for the influence of different heat wave definitions (HWs) on cardiovascular mortality in Beijing, the capital of China. The aim of this study was to find the best HW definitions for cardiovascular mortality, and we examined the effect modification by an individual characteristic on cardiovascular mortality in Beijing, a typical northern city in China. We applied a Poisson generalized additive approach to estimate the differences in cardiovascular mortality during heat waves (using 12 HWs) compared with non-heat-wave days in Beijing from 2006 to 2009. We also validated the model fit by checking the residuals to ensure that the autocorrelation was successfully removed. In addition, the effect modifications by individual characteristics were explored in different HWs. Our results showed that the associations between heat waves and cardiovascular mortality differed from different HWs. HWs using the 93th percentile of the daily average temperature (27.7 °C) and a duration ≥5 days had the greatest risk, with an increase of 18% (95% confidence interval (CI): 6%, 31%) in the overall population, 24% (95% CI: 10%, 39%) in an older group (ages ≥65 years), and 22% (95% CI: 3%, 44%) in a female group. The added effect of heat waves was apparent after 5 consecutive heat wave days for the overall population and the older group. Females and the elderly were at higher risk than males and younger subjects (ages <65 years). Our findings suggest that heat wave definitions play a significant role in the relationship between heat wave and cardiovascular mortality. Using a suitable definition may have implications for designing local heat early warning systems and protecting the susceptible populations during heat waves.
Recent Advances in Antimicrobial Polymers: A Mini-Review
Authors: Huang Keng-Shiang , Yang Chih-Hui , Huang Shu-Ling , Chen Cheng-You , Lu Yuan-Yi , Lin Yung-Sheng
Published: September 2016

Human safety and well-being is threatened by microbes causing numerous infectious diseases resulting in a large number of deaths every year. Despite substantial progress in antimicrobial drugs, many infectious diseases remain difficult to treat. Antimicrobial polymers offer a promising antimicrobial strategy for fighting pathogens and have received considerable attention in both academic and industrial research. This mini-review presents the advances made in antimicrobial polymers since 2013. Antimicrobial mechanisms exhibiting either passive or active action and polymer material types containing bound or leaching antimicrobials are introduced. This article also addresses the applications of these antimicrobial polymers in the medical, food, and textile industries.
Pre-Analytical Considerations for Successful Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS): Challenges and Opportunities for Formalin-Fixed and Paraffin-Embedded Tumor Tissue (FFPE) Samples
Authors: Arreaza Gladys , Qiu Ping , Pang Ling , Albright Andrew , Hong Lewis , Marton Matthew , Levitan Diane
Published: September 2016

In cancer drug discovery, it is important to investigate the genetic determinants of response or resistance to cancer therapy as well as factors that contribute to adverse events in the course of clinical trials. Despite the emergence of new technologies and the ability to measure more diverse analytes (e.g., circulating tumor cell (CTC), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), etc.), tumor tissue is still the most common and reliable source for biomarker investigation. Because of its worldwide use and ability to preserve samples for many decades at ambient temperature, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor tissue (FFPE) is likely to be the preferred choice for tissue preservation in clinical practice for the foreseeable future. Multiple analyses are routinely performed on the same FFPE samples (such as Immunohistochemistry (IHC), in situ hybridization, RNAseq, DNAseq, TILseq, Methyl-Seq, etc.). Thus, specimen prioritization and optimization of the isolation of analytes is critical to ensure successful completion of each assay. FFPE is notorious for producing suboptimal DNA quality and low DNA yield. However, commercial vendors tend to request higher DNA sample mass than what is actually required for downstream assays, which restricts the breadth of biomarker work that can be performed. We evaluated multiple genomics service laboratories to assess the current state of NGS pre-analytical processing of FFPE. Significant differences in pre-analytical capabilities were observed. Key aspects are highlighted and recommendations are made to improve the current practice in translational research.
Alterations in Serum Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Eicosanoids in Patients with Mild to Moderate Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Authors: Titz Bjoern , Luettich Karsta , Leroy Patrice , Boue Stephanie , Vuillaume Gregory , Vihervaara Terhi , Ekroos Kim , Martin Florian , Peitsch Manuel , Hoeng Julia
Published: September 2016

Smoking is a major risk factor for several diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To better understand the systemic effects of cigarette smoke exposure and mild to moderate COPD—and to support future biomarker development—we profiled the serum lipidomes of healthy smokers, smokers with mild to moderate COPD (GOLD stages 1 and 2), former smokers, and never-smokers (n = 40 per group) (ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT01780298). Serum lipidome profiling was conducted with untargeted and targeted mass spectrometry-based lipidomics. Guided by weighted lipid co-expression network analysis, we identified three main trends comparing smokers, especially those with COPD, with non-smokers: a general increase in glycero(phospho)lipids, including triglycerols; changes in fatty acid desaturation (decrease in ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and an increase in monounsaturated fatty acids); and an imbalance in eicosanoids (increase in 11,12- and 14,15-DHETs (dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acids), and a decrease in 9- and 13-HODEs (hydroxyoctadecadienoic acids)). The lipidome profiles supported classification of study subjects as smokers or non-smokers, but were not sufficient to distinguish between smokers with and without COPD. Overall, our study yielded further insights into the complex interplay between smoke exposure, lung disease, and systemic alterations in serum lipid profiles.
Cancer Cell Fusion: Mechanisms Slowly Unravel
Authors: Noubissi Felicite , Ogle Brenda
Published: September 2016

Although molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways driving invasion and metastasis have been studied for many years, the origin of the population of metastatic cells within the primary tumor is still not well understood. About a century ago, Aichel proposed that cancer cell fusion was a mechanism of cancer metastasis. This hypothesis gained some support over the years, and recently became the focus of many studies that revealed increasing evidence pointing to the possibility that cancer cell fusion probably gives rise to the metastatic phenotype by generating widespread genetic and epigenetic diversity, leading to the emergence of critical populations needed to evolve resistance to the treatment and development of metastasis. In this review, we will discuss the clinical relevance of cancer cell fusion, describe emerging mechanisms of cancer cell fusion, address why inhibiting cancer cell fusion could represent a critical line of attack to limit drug resistance and to prevent metastasis, and suggest one new modality for doing so.
Advances in the Microbiome: Applications to Clostridium difficile Infection
Authors: Culligan Eamonn , Sleator Roy
Published: September 2016

Clostridium difficile is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, causing over 400,000 infections and approximately 29,000 deaths in the United States alone each year. C. difficile is the most common cause of nosocomial diarrhoea in the developed world, and, in recent years, the emergence of hyper-virulent (mainly ribotypes 027 and 078, sometimes characterised by increased toxin production), epidemic strains and an increase in the number of community-acquired infections has caused further concern. Antibiotic therapy with metronidazole, vancomycin or fidaxomicin is the primary treatment for C. difficile infection (CDI). However, CDI is unique, in that, antibiotic use is also a major risk factor for acquiring CDI or recurrent CDI due to disruption of the normal gut microbiota. Therefore, there is an urgent need for alternative, non-antibiotic therapeutics to treat or prevent CDI. Here, we review a number of such potential treatments which have emerged from advances in the field of microbiome research.
China’s Rare Earths Supply Forecast in 2025: A Dynamic Computable General Equilibrium Analysis
Authors: Ge Jianping , Lei Yalin , Zhao Lianrong
Published: September 2016

The supply of rare earths in China has been the focus of significant attention in recent years. Due to changes in regulatory policies and the development of strategic emerging industries, it is critical to investigate the scenario of rare earth supplies in 2025. To address this question, this paper constructed a dynamic computable equilibrium (DCGE) model to forecast the production, domestic supply, and export of China’s rare earths in 2025. Based on our analysis, production will increase by 10.8%–12.6% and achieve 116,335–118,260 tons of rare-earth oxide (REO) in 2025, based on recent extraction control during 2011–2016. Moreover, domestic supply and export will be 75,081–76,800 tons REO and 38,797–39,400 tons REO, respectively. The technological improvements on substitution and recycling will significantly decrease the supply and mining activities of rare earths. From a policy perspective, we found that the elimination of export regulations, including export quotas and export taxes, does have a negative impact on China’s future domestic supply of rare earths. The policy conflicts between the increase in investment in strategic emerging industries, and the increase in resource and environmental taxes on rare earths will also affect China’s rare earths supply in the future.
Maternal Dietary Patterns and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in a Multi-Ethnic Asian Cohort: The GUSTO Study
Authors: De Seymour Jamie , Chia Airu , Colega Marjorelee , Jones Beatrix , McKenzie Elizabeth , Shirong Cai , Godfrey Keith , Kwek Kenneth , Saw Seang-Mei , Conlon Cathryn , Chong Yap-Seng , Baker Philip , Chong Mary
Published: September 2016

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is associated with an increased risk of perinatal morbidity and long term health issues for both the mother and offspring. Previous research has demonstrated associations between maternal diet and GDM development, but evidence in Asian populations is limited. The objective of our study was to examine the cross-sectional relationship between maternal dietary patterns during pregnancy and the risk of GDM in a multi-ethnic Asian cohort. Maternal diet was ascertained using 24-h dietary recalls from participants in the Growing up in Singapore towards healthy outcomes (GUSTO) study—a prospective mother-offspring cohort, and GDM was diagnosed according to 1999 World Health Organisation guidelines. Dietary patterns were identified using factor analysis, and multivariate regression analyses performed to assess the association with GDM. Of 909 participants, 17.6% were diagnosed with GDM. Three dietary patterns were identified: a vegetable-fruit-rice-based-diet, a seafood-noodle-based-diet and a pasta-cheese-processed-meat-diet. After adjusting for confounding variables, the seafood-noodle-based-diet was associated with a lower likelihood of GDM (Odds Ratio (95% Confidence Interval)) = 0.74 (0.59, 0.93). The dietary pattern found to be associated with GDM in our study was substantially different to those reported previously in Western populations.
An Inter-Comparison of Techniques for Determining Velocities of Maritime Arctic Glaciers, Svalbard, Using Radarsat-2 Wide Fine Mode Data
Authors: Schellenberger Thomas , Van Wychen Wesley , Copland Luke , Kääb Andreas , Gray Laurence
Published: September 2016

Glacier dynamics play an important role in the mass balance of many glaciers, ice caps and ice sheets. In this study we exploit Radarsat-2 (RS-2) Wide Fine (WF) data to determine the surface speed of Svalbard glaciers in the winters of 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 using Synthetic Aperture RADAR (SAR) offset and speckle tracking. The RS-2 WF mode combines the advantages of the large spatial coverage of the Wide mode (150 × 150 km) and the high pixel resolution (9 m) of the Fine mode and thus has a major potential for glacier velocity monitoring from space through offset and speckle tracking. Faster flowing glaciers (1.95 m·d−1–2.55 m·d−1) that are studied in detail are Nathorstbreen, Kronebreen, Kongsbreen and Monacobreen. Using our Radarsat-2 WF dataset, we compare the performance of two SAR tracking algorithms, namely the GAMMA Remote Sensing Software and a custom written MATLAB script (GRAY method) that has primarily been used in the Canadian Arctic. Both algorithms provide comparable results, especially for the faster flowing glaciers and the termini of slower tidewater glaciers. A comparison of the WF data to RS-2 Ultrafine and Wide mode data reveals the superiority of RS-2 WF data over the Wide mode data.
A Novel Passive Wireless Sensor for Concrete Humidity Monitoring
Authors: Zhou Shuangxi , Deng Fangming , Yu Lehua , Li Bing , Wu Xiang , Yin Baiqiang
Published: September 2016

This paper presents a passive wireless humidity sensor for concrete monitoring. After discussing the transmission of electromagnetic wave in concrete, a novel architecture of wireless humidity sensor, based on Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, is proposed for low-power application. The humidity sensor utilizes the top metal layer to form the interdigitated electrodes, which were then filled with polyimide as the humidity sensing layer. The sensor interface converts the humidity capacitance into a digital signal in the frequency domain. A two-stage rectifier adopts a dynamic bias-voltage generator to boost the effective gate-source voltage of the switches in differential-drive architecture. The clock generator employs a novel structure to reduce the internal voltage swing. The measurement results show that our proposed wireless humidity can achieve a high linearity with a normalized sensitivity of 0.55% %RH at 20 °C. Despite the high losses of concrete, the proposed wireless humidity sensor achieves reliable communication performances in passive mode. The maximum operating distance is 0.52 m when the proposed wireless sensor is embedded into the concrete at the depth of 8 cm. The measured results are highly consistent with the results measured by traditional methods.
Underdetermined DOA Estimation Using MVDR-Weighted LASSO
Authors: Salama Amgad , Ahmad M. , Swamy M.
Published: September 2016

The direction of arrival (DOA) estimation problem is formulated in a compressive sensing (CS) framework, and an extended array aperture is presented to increase the number of degrees of freedom of the array. The ordinary least square adaptable least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (OLS A-LASSO) is applied for the first time for DOA estimation. Furthermore, a new LASSO algorithm, the minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) A-LASSO, which solves the DOA problem in the CS framework, is presented. The proposed algorithm does not depend on the singular value decomposition nor on the orthogonality of the signal and the noise subspaces. Hence, the DOA estimation can be done without a priori knowledge of the number of sources. The proposed algorithm can estimate up to ( ( M 2 − 2 ) / 2 + M − 1 ) / 2 sources using M sensors without any constraints or assumptions about the nature of the signal sources. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm exhibits performance that is superior compared to that of the classical DOA estimation methods, especially for low signal to noise ratios (SNR), spatially-closed sources and coherent scenarios.
Design and Implementation of Sound Searching Robots in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Han Lianfu , Shen Zhengguang , Fu Changfeng , Liu Chao
Published: September 2016

A sound target-searching robot system which includes a 4-channel microphone array for sound collection, magneto-resistive sensor for declination measurement, and a wireless sensor networks (WSN) for exchanging information is described. It has an embedded sound signal enhancement, recognition and location method, and a sound searching strategy based on a digital signal processor (DSP). As the wireless network nodes, three robots comprise the WSN a personal computer (PC) in order to search the three different sound targets in task-oriented collaboration. The improved spectral subtraction method is used for noise reduction. As the feature of audio signal, Mel-frequency cepstral coefficient (MFCC) is extracted. Based on the K-nearest neighbor classification method, we match the trained feature template to recognize sound signal type. This paper utilizes the improved generalized cross correlation method to estimate time delay of arrival (TDOA), and then employs spherical-interpolation for sound location according to the TDOA and the geometrical position of the microphone array. A new mapping has been proposed to direct the motor to search sound targets flexibly. As the sink node, the PC receives and displays the result processed in the WSN, and it also has the ultimate power to make decision on the received results in order to improve their accuracy. The experiment results show that the designed three-robot system implements sound target searching function without collisions and performs well.
Assessing the Sustainability Performance of Organic Farms in Denmark
Authors: De Olde Evelien , Oudshoorn Frank , Bokkers Eddie , Stubsgaard Anke , Sørensen Claus , De Boer Imke
Published: September 2016

The growth of organic agriculture in Denmark raises the interest of both producers and consumers in the sustainability performance of organic production. The aim of this study was to examine the sustainability performance of farms in four agricultural sectors (vegetable, dairy, pig and poultry) using the sustainability assessment tool RISE 2.0. Thirty seven organic farms were assessed on 10 themes, including 51 subthemes. For one theme (water use) and 17 subthemes, a difference between sectors was found. Using the thresholds of RISE, the vegetable, dairy and pig sector performed positively for seven themes and the poultry sector for eight themes. The performance on the nutrient flows and energy and climate themes, however, was critical for all sectors. Moreover, the performance on the economic viability theme was critical for vegetable, dairy and pig farms. The development of a tool, including decisions, such as the selection of themes and indicators, reference values, weights and aggregation methods, influences the assessment results. This emphasizes the need for transparency and reflection on decisions made in sustainability assessment tools. The results of RISE present a starting point to discuss sustainability at the farm-level and contribute to an increase in awareness and learning about sustainability.
The Influence of Multiple Specializations on Economic Performance in U.S. Metropolitan Areas
Authors: Hong Saheum , Xiao Yu
Published: September 2016

Scholars have recently been debating how economic structure affects regional economic performance. Regional economic structure typically indicates how the industries in regions are organized. The attribute of industrial organization in regions is typically measured by how the employment in a region is distributed among various sectors. If the employment in a region is highly concentrated on a limited number of sectors, that region is industrially specialized. On the contrary, when the employment is more evenly distributed among various industries, that region is highly diversified in its industrial organization. In this context, some researchers recognized that diversity and specialization are not opposite concepts. Instead, they can coexist, for example in the form of diversified specializations. In this study, this body of literature was extended by formulating an indicator to measure the extent of multiple specializations in regional economies and by examining the effect of multiple specializations on regional economic performance. Empirical analysis showed that specializing in multiple industrial pursuits helped regions to achieve both faster and more stable economic growth.
Zebra Alphaherpesviruses (EHV-1 and EHV-9): Genetic Diversity, Latency and Co-Infections
Authors: Abdelgawad Azza , Damiani Armando , Ho Simon , Strauss Günter , Szentiks Claudia , East Marion , Osterrieder Nikolaus , Greenwood Alex
Published: September 2016

Alphaherpesviruses are highly prevalent in equine populations and co-infections with more than one of these viruses’ strains frequently diagnosed. Lytic replication and latency with subsequent reactivation, along with new episodes of disease, can be influenced by genetic diversity generated by spontaneous mutation and recombination. Latency enhances virus survival by providing an epidemiological strategy for long-term maintenance of divergent strains in animal populations. The alphaherpesviruses equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) and 9 (EHV-9) have recently been shown to cross species barriers, including a recombinant EHV-1 observed in fatal infections of a polar bear and Asian rhinoceros. Little is known about the latency and genetic diversity of EHV-1 and EHV-9, especially among zoo and wild equids. Here, we report evidence of limited genetic diversity in EHV-9 in zebras, whereas there is substantial genetic variability in EHV-1. We demonstrate that zebras can be lytically and latently infected with both viruses concurrently. Such a co-occurrence of infection in zebras suggests that even relatively slow-evolving viruses such as equine herpesviruses have the potential to diversify rapidly by recombination. This has potential consequences for the diagnosis of these viruses and their management in wild and captive equid populations.
Multiple Changes in the Hydrologic Regime of the Yangtze River and the Possible Impact of Reservoirs
Authors: Huang Feng , Zhang Nan , Ma Xirong , Zhao Dayong , Guo Lidan , Ren Li , Wu Yao , Xia Ziqiang
Published: September 2016

This paper investigates hydrologic changes in the Yangtze River using long-term daily stream flow records (1955–2013) collected from four flow gauging stations located from the upper to the lower reaches of the river. The hydrologic regime is quantified using the Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration, which statistically characterize hydrologic variation within each year. Scanning t-test is applied to analyze multiple changes in the hydrologic regime at different time scales. Then, coherency analysis is applied to identify common changes among different hydrologic indicators and across different reaches of the Yangtze River. The results point to various change patterns in the five components of hydrologic regime, including the magnitude of monthly water conditions, magnitude and duration of annual extreme water conditions, timing of annual extreme water conditions, frequency and duration of high and low pulses, and rate and frequency of water condition changes. The 32 hydrologic indicators feature multiple temporal-scale changes. Spatial variations can be observed in the hydrologic changes of the upper, middle, and lower reaches of the river. Common changes in different reaches consist of hydrologic indicators including the monthly flow in October and the low-flow indicators. The monthly flow in October is dominated by decreasing trends, while the monthly flows between January and March, the annual minimum 1/3/7/30/90-day flows, and the base flow index are characterized by increasing trends. Low pulse duration and total days of low pulses feature downward trends. The coherency analysis reveals significant relationships between the monthly flow in October and the low-flow indicators, indicating that reservoir regulation is an important factor behind the hydrologic changes.
Contributions of Climate Variability and Human Activities to Runoff Changes in the Upper Catchment of the Red River Basin, China
Authors: Li Yungang , He Daming , Li Xue , Zhang Yueyuan , Yang Liyan
Published: September 2016

Quantifying the effects of climate variability and human activities on runoff changes will contribute to regional water resource planning and management. This study aims to separate the effects of climate variability and human activities on runoff changes in the upper catchment of the Red River Basin in China. The Mann–Kendall test and Pettitt’s test methods were applied to identify the trends and change points of the hydro-meteorological variables. The hydrological sensitivity, climate elasticity and hydrological simulation methods were adopted to estimate the contributions of climate variability and human activities to runoff changes. Results showed that annual runoff significantly decreased by 1.57 mm/year during the period of 1961–2012. A change point in annual runoff coefficient occurred in 2002. Accordingly, the annual runoff series were divided into the baseline period (1961–2002) and the impacted period (2003–2012). Mean annual runoff of the impacted period decreased by 29.13% compared with the baseline period. Similar estimates of the contributions of climate variability and human activities were obtained by the three different methods. Climate variability was estimated to be responsible for 69%–71% of the reduction in annual runoff, and human activities accounted for 29%–31%. Climate variability was the main driving factor for runoff decrease in the catchment.
Water Budget Analysis in Arid Regions, Application to the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Gonzalez Rocio , Ouarda Taha , Marpu Prashanth , Allam Mariam , Eltahir Elfatih , Pearson Simon
Published: September 2016

Population growth and economic development have impacted the capacity of water resources to meet demands in a number of arid countries. This study focuses on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where low rainfall, high rate of growth and agricultural development are resulting in a dramatic depletion of groundwater resources and an increased dependence on desalination. A water budget for the region was developed. It represents the variations in groundwater storage as a balance of total precipitation, desalinated water and evapotranspiration. The components of the water budget are obtained from ground observations, documented information, models and remote sensing data, using Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites to estimate changes in groundwater storage and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellites and Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) data to obtain precipitation and soil moisture respectively. Results show a negative trend of 0.5 cm/year in groundwater levels corresponding to an average decrease of 0.86 km3/year during the study period (2003 to 2012). This negative trend indicates that the aquifers are not being recharged fast enough to compensate for human withdrawals. Most of the precipitation was found to be lost through evapotranspiration. A discussion of the current water budget components is presented and propositions are made for a sustainable use of water resources in the UAE, including a more efficient use of recycled water. This analysis is applicable to other Gulf countries and it can help to determine the optimal allocation of water resources to optimize agricultural productivity.
Thiophene-forming one-pot synthesis of three thienyl-bridged oligophenothiazines and their electronic properties
Authors: Urselmann Dominik , Deilhof Konstantin , Mayer Bernhard , Müller Thomas J J
Published: September 2016

The pseudo five-component Sonogashira–Glaser cyclization synthesis of symmetrically 2,5-diaryl-substituted thiophenes is excellently suited to access thienyl-bridged oligophenothiazines in a one-pot fashion. Three thienyl-bridged systems were intensively studied by UV–vis and fluorescence spectroscopy as well as by cyclic voltammetry. The oxidation proceeds with lower oxidation potentials and consistently reversible oxidations can be identified. The Stokes shifts are large and substantial fluorescence quantum yields can be measured. Computational chemistry indicates lowest energy conformers with sigmoidal and helical structure, similar to oligophenothiazines. TD-DFT and even semiempirical ZINDO calculations reproduce the trends of longest wavelengths absorption bands and allow the assignment of these transitions to possess largely charge-transfer character from the adjacent phenothiazinyl moieties to the central thienyl unit.
A NUMERICAL STUDY ON THE DIFFERENCE SOLUTION OF SINGULARLY PERTURBED SEMILINEAR PROBLEM WITH INTEGRAL BOUNDARY CONDITION
Authors: Cakir Musa
Published: September 2016

The present study is concerned with the numerical solution, using finite difference method on a piecewise uniform mesh (Shishkin type mesh) for a singularly perturbed semilinear boundary value problem with integral boundary condition. First we discuss the nature of the continuous solution of singularly perturbed differential problem before presenting method for its numerical solution. The numerical method is constructed on piecewise uniform Shishkin type mesh. We show that the method is first-order convergent in the discrete maximum norm, independently of singular perturbation parameter except for a logarithmic factor. We give effective iterative algorithm for solving the nonlinear difference problem. Numerical results which support the given estimates are presented.
PARAMETRIC COMPLEXITY REDUCTION OF DISCRETE-TIME LINEAR SYSTEMS HAVING A SLOW INITIAL ONSET OR DELAY
Authors: Krifa Abdelkader , Bouzrara Kais
Published: September 2016

This paper is concerned with an optimal expansion of linear discrete time systems on Meixner functions. Many orthogonal functions have been widely used to reduce the model parameter number such as Laguerre functions, Kautz functions and orthogonal basis functions. However, when the system has a slow initial onset or delay, Meixner functions, which have a slow start, are more suitable in terms of providing a more accurate approximation to the system. The optimal approximation of Meixner model is ensured once the pole characterizing the Meixner functions is set to its optimal value. In this paper, a new recursive representation of Meixner model is proposed. Further we propose, from input/output measurements, an iterative pole optimization algorithm of the Meixner pole functions. The method consists in applying the Newton-Raphson’s technique in which their elements are expressed analytically by using the derivative of the Meixner functions. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed optimal modeling method.
CONSTRAINING WARM DARK MATTER MASS WITH COSMIC REIONIZATION AND GRAVITATIONAL WAVES
Authors: Tan Wei-Wei , Wang F. Y. , Cheng K. S.
Published: September 2016

We constrain the warm dark matter (WDM) particle mass with observations of cosmic reionization and CMB optical depth. We suggest that the gravitational waves (GWs) from stellar-mass black holes (BHs) could give a further constraint on WDM particle mass for future observations. The star formation rates (SFRs) of Population I/II (Pop I/II) and Population III (Pop III) stars are also derived. If the metallicity of the universe is enriched beyond the critical value of

, the star formation shifts from Pop III to Pop I/II stars. Our results show that the SFRs are quite dependent on the WDM particle mass, especially at high redshifts. Combined with the reionization history and CMB optical depth derived from the recent Planck mission, we find that the current data require the WDM particle mass to be in a narrow range of

. Furthermore, we suggest that the stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB) produced by stellar BHs could give a further constraint on the WDM particle mass for future observations. For

, with Salpeter (Chabrier) initial mass function (IMF), the SGWB from Pop I/II BHs has a peak amplitude of

at

, while the GW radiation at

Hz is seriously suppressed. For

, the SGWB peak amplitude is the same as that for

, but a little lower at low frequencies. Therefore, it is hard to constrain the WDM particle mass by the SGWB from Pop I/II BHs. To assess the detectability of the GW signal, we also calculate the signal-to-noise ratios (S/N), which are

and

for

and

for the Einstein Telescope with Salpeter (Chabrier) IMF, respectively. The SGWB from Pop III BHs is very dependent on the WDM particle mass, the GW strength could be an order of magnitude different, and the frequency band could be two times different for

and

. Moreover, the SGWB from Pop III BHs with

could be detected by the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna for one year of observation, but it cannot be detected for those with

.
TRACING THE LOWEST PROPELLER LINE IN MAGELLANIC HIGH-MASS X-RAY BINARIES
Authors: Christodoulou Dimitris M. , Laycock Silas G. T. , Yang Jun , Fingerman Samuel
Published: September 2016

We have combined the published observations of high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB) pulsars in the Magellanic Clouds with a new processing of the complete archival data sets from the XMM-Newton and Chandra observatories in an attempt to trace the lowest propeller line below which accretion to polar caps is inhibited by the centrifugal force and the pulsations from the most weakly magnetized pulsars cease. Previously published data reveal that some of the faster-spinning pulsars with spin periods of P

S
 < 12 s, detected at relatively low X-ray luminosities L

X
, appear to define such a line in the P

S
–L

X
diagram, characterized by a magnetic moment of μ = 3 × 1029 G cm3. This value implies the presence of surface magnetic fields of B ≥ 3 × 1011 G in the compact objects of this class. Only a few quiescent HMXBs are found below the propeller line: LXP4.40 and SXP4.78, for which XMM-Newton and Chandra null detections respectively placed firm upper limits on their X-ray fluxes in deep quiescence; and A0538-66, for which many sub-Eddington detections have never measured any pulsations. On the other hand, the data from the XMM-Newton and Chandra archives show clearly that, during routine observation cycles, several sources have been detected below the propeller line in extremely faint, nonpulsating states that can be understood as the result of weak magnetospheric emission when accretion to the poles is centrifugally stalled or severely diminished. We also pay attention to the anomalous X-ray pulsar CXOU J010043.1-721134 that was reported in HMXB surveys. Its pulsations and locations near and above the propeller line indicate that this pulsar could be accreting from a fossil disk.
A SURVEY OF LUMINOUS HIGH-REDSHIFT QUASARS WITH SDSS AND WISE. II. THE BRIGHT END OF THE QUASAR LUMINOSITY FUNCTION AT z ∼ 5
Authors: Yang Jinyi , Wang Feige , Wu Xue-Bing , Fan Xiaohui , McGreer Ian D. , Bian Fuyan , Yi Weimin , Yang Qian , Ai Yanli , Dong Xiaoyi , Zuo Wenwen , Green Richard , Jiang Linhua , Wang Shu , Wang Ran , Yue Minghao
Published: September 2016

This is the second paper in a series on a new luminous z ∼ 5 quasar survey using optical and near-infrared colors. Here we present a new determination of the bright end of the quasar luminosity function (QLF) at z ∼ 5. Combining our 45 new quasars with previously known quasars that satisfy our selections, we construct the largest uniform luminous z ∼ 5 quasar sample to date, with 99 quasars in the range of 4.7 ≤ z < 5.4 and −29 < M
1450 ≤ −26.8, within the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) footprint. We use a modified 1/V
a method including flux limit correction to derive a binned QLF, and we model the parametric QLF using maximum likelihood estimation. With the faint-end slope of the QLF fixed as α = −2.03 from previous deeper samples, the best fit of our QLF gives a flatter bright end slope β = −3.58 ± 0.24 and a fainter break magnitude

 = −26.98 ± 0.23 than previous studies at similar redshift. Combined with previous work at lower and higher redshifts, our result is consistent with a luminosity evolution and density evolution model. Using the best-fit QLF, the contribution of quasars to the ionizing background at z ∼ 5 is found to be 18%–45% with a clumping factor C of 2–5. Our sample suggests an evolution of radio loud fraction with optical luminosity but no obvious evolution with redshift.
SPATIALLY OFFSET ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI. I. SELECTION AND SPECTROSCOPIC PROPERTIES
Authors: Barrows R. Scott , Comerford Julia M. , Greene Jenny E. , Pooley David
Published: September 2016

We present a sample of 18 optically selected and X-ray-detected spatially offset active galactic nuclei (AGNs) from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). In nine systems, the X-ray active galactic nucleus (AGN) is spatially offset from the galactic stellar core that is located within the 3″ diameter SDSS spectroscopic fiber. In 11 systems, the X-ray AGN is spatially offset from a stellar core that is located outside the fiber, with an overlap of two. To build the sample, we cross-matched Type II AGNs selected from the SDSS galaxy catalog with archival Chandra imaging and employed our custom astrometric and registration procedure. The projected angular (physical) offsets span a range of 0.″6 (0.8 kpc) to 17.″4 (19.4 kpc), with a median value of 2.″7 (4.6 kpc). The offset nature of an AGN is an unambiguous signature of a galaxy merger, and these systems can be used to study the properties of AGNs in galaxy mergers without the biases introduced by morphological merger selection techniques. In this paper (Paper I), we use our sample to assess the kinematics of AGN photoionized gas in galaxy mergers. We find that spectroscopic offset AGN selection may be up to

% incomplete due to small projected velocity offsets. We also find that the magnitude of the velocity offsets are generally larger than expected if our spatial selection introduces a bias toward face-on orbits, suggesting the presence of complex kinematics in the emission line gas of AGNs in galaxy mergers.
Integrating enabling contexts and ambidexterity to create Intellectual Capital faculty’s competencies on undergraduate Business Management programs
Authors: Rezende José , Torres Adriana , Nicolini Alexandre , Correia Alexandre , Bernardes Rui
Published: September 2016

Purpose: This study aims to discuss a framework to promote ambidexterity through an intentional managed enabling context in order to develop university lecturers’ competencies and, at last, to improve students’ skills.Design/methodology/approach: A descriptive case study was performed based on literature review and the data collection was done through documentary and field participative research with the PACT working group. The paper reports the stage and maturity of the High Commonality of Themes Project (PACT) on a private Brazilian university in Rio de Janeiro. Consequently, since the faculty shares more qualified knowledge and the syllabus could be realigned without losing epistemological identity, the subjects expect that the students learning process performs on market demanded pragmatic and practical skills.Findings: Findings indicate PACT as a kind of improvement, since it makes possible, balancing Refined Interpolation with Disciplined Extrapolation, to promote the ambidextrous learning through an enabling context, thus allowing specialized lecturers to improve competencies in their core area.Research limitations/implications: As a case study, findings could not be widespread and limitations are related to the initial stages of the PACT implementation.Originality/value: The value and originality of the ambidexterity approach refer to the possibilities it could overlap the bottlenecks that faculty performance generates to students learning effectiveness: non-adherence by the faculty to the discipline they teach (Human Capital); way lecturers interact among courses and one another (Social/Relationship Capital); and development and practicality of the educational guidelines of the course – PPC (Structural Capital).