bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of seven Canadian rivers in relation to stages in oil sands industrial development, 1972–2010
Authors: Alexander A.C. , Chambers P.A.
Published: July 2016

We compiled a 38 year dataset (1972 to 2010) to evaluate changes in water chemistry over time in relation to oil sands mining activities. We examined patterns in three focal elements (dissolved selenium, dissolved arsenic, total vanadium) at 96 sites along seven tributaries of the Athabasca and Clearwater Rivers. Concentrations of the three focal elements did not differ between sites sampled upstream versus downstream of future development, between sites upstream versus downstream of the primary bitumen-bearing geologic formation, or at an upstream site over a 33 year period on the Muskeg River (1976–2009). Hence, longitudinal patterns observed in water chemistry following mine development cannot be attributed to natural background variation. In contrast, concentrations and loads of the three focal elements were greater post-development compared to reference values (p ≤ 0.01), and were typically greatest during the early exploration and land clearing stage of mine development (p < 0.01). Positive correlations between our three focal elements and 17 other variables either associated with bitumen or considered priority pollutants (r ≥ 0.13, p ≤ 0.04) suggest that the historical impacts of oil sands development on water quality extend beyond our three focal parameters. These results indicate that erosion and subsequent runoff associated with land clearing, construction, and early operational activities have affected water quality in the oil sands region.
Offline Signature Verification Using Local Features and Decision Trees
Authors: Hu Juan , Guo Zhenhua , Fan Zhenyin , Chen Youbin
Published: July 2016

The most difficult problem of offline signature verification (SV) is that a signature is merely a static image missing a lot of the dynamic information associated with it. In this paper, three separate pseudo-dynamic features based on the gray level: gradient based local binary pattern (GLBP), statistical features of gray level co-occurrence matrix (SGLCM), simplified histogram of oriented gradients (SHOG) are proposed for writer-independent offline SV. These gray-level features can convey both texture information and the relative structural relationship of signature strokes. In addition, our experiments prove that the proposed features contain complementary information. Using random forests (RFs) as classifier, a fusion of the proposed features could achieve 7.42% and 0.08% average error rate (AER) for GPDS-253 and CEDAR datasets, respectively, which show the effectiveness of the proposed system. The implication of this paper is that part dynamic information could be extracted from a static gray level image.
Inertial Effect on RC Beam Subjected to Impact Loads
Authors: Guo Jinlong , Cai Jian , Chen Wensu
Published: July 2016

A simply supported reinforced concrete (RC) beam only experiences sagging moment under static loads while it might experience both sagging and hogging moments under impact loads due to the inertial effect. In order to investigate inertial effect on the impact behavior of RC beam, a numerical model is developed by using the finite element code LS-DYNA. The strain rate effect of the material is considered in the numerical model. The numerical model is calibrated with the testing results of drop weight impact on RC beams available in the literature. The numerical results show that the prediction is better than some other researchers’ predictions in terms of peak impact force and peak deformation. In addition, inertial effect is quantitatively evaluated by the peak impact force and the peak hogging moment. The relationship between the peak hogging moment and the peak impact force of the beam is investigated by conducting parametric studies with regard to various net spans, impact masses and impact velocities. The empirical formulae are then proposed to predict the peak impact force and the peak hogging moment. The predications by the proposed empirical formulae are compared with the testing results and the predicted results by other formulae available in the literatures.
Effect of Spike-Timing-Dependent Plasticity on Intrinsic Coherence Resonance in Newman–Watts Stochastic Hodgkin–Huxley Neuronal Networks
Authors: Xie Huijuan , Gong Yubing , Wang Qi
Published: July 2016

In this paper, we numerically study the effect of spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) on coherence resonance (CR) induced by channel noise in adaptive Newman–Watts stochastic Hodgkin–Huxley neuron networks. It is found that STDP can either enhance or suppress the intrinsic CR when the adjusting rate of STDP decreases or increases. STDP can alter the effects of network randomness and network size on the intrinsic CR. Under STDP, for electrical coupling there are optimal network randomness and network size by which the intrinsic CR becomes strongest, however, for chemical coupling the intrinsic CR is always enhanced as network randomness or network size increases, which are different from the results for fixed coupling. These results show that the intrinsic CR of the neuronal networks can be either enhanced or suppressed by STDP, and there are optimal network randomness and network size by which the intrinsic CR becomes strongest. These findings could provide a new insight into the role of STDP for the information processing and transmission in neural systems.
The Need for Adding Judgment in Bayesian Prediction
Authors: Saaty Thomas L. , Zhang Lei
Published: July 2016

There are many examples of successful application of the famous Bayes’ theorem to forecast the outcome of causes or influences of events. However, there are also many examples of failures of just using probabilities and statistics without also using judgments in each particular application. This is particularly true in medical diagnoses and in sports. The extension we proposed found a way to calculate probabilities combining logical inference of data and judgment. This research extends the use of Bayes’ theorem by incorporating judgments within the framework of the frequently used decision theory, the analytic network process (ANP) and illustrates its use with an application.
Smart cities
Authors: Khatoun Rida , Zeadally Sherali
Published: July 2016

The aim is to improve cities' management of natural and municipal resources and in turn the quality of life of their citizens.
Path Selection for Real-Time Communication on Priority-Aware NoCs
Authors: Kashif Hany , Patel Hiren , Fischmeister Sebastian
Published: July 2016

This work investigates selecting paths for communication flows when deploying a hard real-time application on a chip-multiprocessor system. This chip-multiprocessor system uses a priority-aware real-time network-on-chip interconnect between the processors. Given a mapping of the computation tasks onto the chip-multiprocessor, the problem we address in this work is to discover paths the communication flows take such that hard real-time deadlines of flows are met. Furthermore, we must ensure that deadlines are met even in the presence of direct and indirect interference from other flows sharing network links on the path. To achieve this, our algorithm utilizes a stage-level analysis for real-time communication to determine the impact of a network link being used by a flow, and its effect on other flows sharing the link. The path selection algorithm uses heuristics such as selecting links with least interference, and considering lower-priority flows when dedicating links to paths of higher-priority flows since an optimal one is intractable. The algorithm also considers constraints on the number of virtual channels at each router port in the network. The statistically significant experimental results show an improvement in schedulability by 5% and 12% over existing path selection algorithms such as Minimum Interference Routing and Widest Shortest Path algorithms, respectively. We also present a set-top box case study to further illustrate the benefits of using the proposed algorithm.
Skills for success at different stages of an IT professional's career
Authors: Kappelman Leon , Jones Mary C. , Johnson Vess , McLean Ephraim R. , Boonme Kittipong
Published: July 2016

The skills and knowledge that earn promotions are not always enough to ensure success in the new position.
A Seed-Based Method for Generating Chinese Confusion Sets
Authors: Liu Liangliang , Cao Cungen
Published: July 2016

In natural language, people often misuse a word (called a “confused word”) in place of other words (called “confusing words”). In misspelling corrections, many approaches to finding and correcting misspelling errors are based on a simple notion called a “confusion set.” The confusion set of a confused word consists of confusing words. In this article, we propose a new method of building Chinese character confusion sets.

Our method is composed of two major phases. In the first phase, we build a list of seed confusion sets for each Chinese character, which is based on measuring similarity in character pinyin or similarity in character shape. In this phase, all confusion sets are constructed manually, and the confusion sets are organized into a graph, called a “seed confusion graph” (SCG), in which vertices denote characters and edges are pairs of characters in the form (confused character, confusing character).

In the second phase, we extend the SCG by acquiring more pairs of (confused character, confusing character) from a large Chinese corpus. For this, we use several word patterns (or patterns) to generate new confusion pairs and then verify the pairs before adding them into a SCG. Comprehensive experiments show that our method of extending confusion sets is effective. Also, we shall use the confusion sets in Chinese misspelling corrections to show the utility of our method.
Boosting Neural POS Tagger for Farsi Using Morphological Information
Authors: Passban Peyman , Liu Qun , Way Andy
Published: July 2016

Farsi (Persian) is a low-resource language that suffers from the data sparsity problem and a lack of efficient processing tools. Due to their broad application in natural language processing tasks, part-of-speech (POS) taggers are one of those important tools that should be considered in this respect. Despite recent work on Farsi tagging, there is still room for improvement. The best reported accuracy so far is 96%, which in special cases can rise to 96.9%. The main problem with existing taggers is their inefficiency in coping with out-of-vocabulary (OOV) words. Addressing both problems of accuracy and OOV words, we developed a neural network-based POS tagger (NPT) that performs efficiently on Farsi. Despite using less data, NPT provides better results in comparison to state-of-the-art systems. Our proposed tagger performs with an accuracy of 97.4%, with performance highly influenced by morphological features. We carry out a shallow morphological analysis and show considerable improvement over the baseline configuration.
Latent Time-Series Motifs
Authors: Grabocka Josif , Schilling Nicolas , Schmidt-Thieme Lars
Published: July 2016

Motifs are the most repetitive/frequent patterns of a time-series. The discovery of motifs is crucial for practitioners in order to understand and interpret the phenomena occurring in sequential data. Currently, motifs are searched among series sub-sequences, aiming at selecting the most frequently occurring ones. Search-based methods, which try out series sub-sequence as motif candidates, are currently believed to be the best methods in finding the most frequent patterns.

However, this paper proposes an entirely new perspective in finding motifs. We demonstrate that searching is non-optimal since the domain of motifs is restricted, and instead we propose a principled optimization approach able to find optimal motifs. We treat the occurrence frequency as a function and time-series motifs as its parameters, therefore we
learn
the optimal motifs that maximize the frequency function. In contrast to searching, our method is able to discover the most repetitive patterns (hence optimal), even in cases where they do not explicitly occur as sub-sequences. Experiments on several real-life time-series datasets show that the motifs found by our method are highly more frequent than the ones found through searching, for exactly the same distance threshold.
Cigarette smoke causes acute airway disease and exacerbates chronic obstructive lung disease in neonatal mice
Authors: Jia Jie , Conlon Thomas M. , Ballester Lopez Carolina , Seimetz Michael , Bednorz Mariola , Zhou-Suckow Zhe , Weissmann Norbert , Eickelberg Oliver , Mall Marcus A. , Yildirim Ali Önder
Published: July 2016

Epidemiological evidence demonstrates a strong link between postnatal cigarette smoke (CS) exposure and increased respiratory morbidity in young children. However, how CS induces early onset airway disease in young children, and how it interacts with endogenous risk factors, remains poorly understood. We, therefore, exposed 10-day-old neonatal wild-type and β-epithelial sodium ion channel (β-ENaC)-transgenic mice with cystic fibrosis-like lung disease to CS for 4 days. Neonatal wild-type mice exposed to CS demonstrated increased numbers of macrophages and neutrophils in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), which was accompanied by increased levels of Mmp12 and Cxcl1. BALF from β-ENaC-transgenic mice contained greater numbers of macrophages, which did not increase following acute CS exposure; however, there was significant increase in airway neutrophilia compared with filtered air transgenic and CS-exposed wild-type controls. Interestingly, wild-type and β-ENaC-transgenic mice demonstrated epithelial airway and vascular remodeling following CS exposure. Morphometric analysis of lung sections revealed that CS exposure caused increased mucus accumulation in the airway lumen of neonatal β-ENaC-transgenic mice compared with wild-type controls, which was accompanied by an increase in the number of goblet cells and Muc5ac upregulation. We conclude that short-term CS exposure 1) induces acute airway disease with airway epithelial and vascular remodeling in neonatal wild-type mice; and 2) exacerbates airway inflammation, mucus hypersecretion, and mucus plugging in neonatal β-ENaC-transgenic mice with chronic lung disease. Our results in neonatal mice suggest that young children may be highly susceptible to develop airway disease in response to tobacco smoke exposure, and that adverse effects may be aggravated in children with underlying chronic lung diseases.
Regional tidal lung strain in mechanically ventilated normal lungs
Authors: Paula Luis Felipe , Wellman Tyler J. , Winkler Tilo , Spieth Peter M. , Güldner Andreas , Venegas Jose G. , Gama de Abreu Marcelo , Carvalho Alysson R. , Vidal Melo Marcos F.
Published: July 2016

Parenchymal strain is a key determinant of lung injury produced by mechanical ventilation. However, imaging estimates of volumetric tidal strain (ε = regional tidal volume/reference volume) present substantial conceptual differences in reference volume computation and consideration of tidally recruited lung. We compared current and new methods to estimate tidal volumetric strains with computed tomography, and quantified the effect of tidal volume (VT) and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) on strain estimates. Eight supine pigs were ventilated with VT= 6 and 12 ml/kg and PEEP = 0, 6, and 12 cmH2O. End-expiratory and end-inspiratory scans were analyzed in eight regions of interest along the ventral-dorsal axis. Regional reference volumes were computed at end-expiration (with/without correction of regional VTfor intratidal recruitment) and at resting lung volume (PEEP = 0) corrected for intratidal and PEEP-derived recruitment. All strain estimates demonstrated vertical heterogeneity with the largest tidal strains in middependent regions ( P < 0.01). Maximal strains for distinct estimates occurred at different lung regions and were differently affected by VT-PEEP conditions. Values consistent with lung injury and inflammation were reached regionally, even when global measurements were below critical levels. Strains increased with VTand were larger in middependent than in nondependent lung regions. PEEP reduced tidal-strain estimates referenced to end-expiratory lung volumes, although it did not affect strains referenced to resting lung volume. These estimates of tidal strains in normal lungs point to middependent lung regions as those at risk for ventilator-induced lung injury. The different conditions and topography at which maximal strain estimates occur allow for testing the importance of each estimate for lung injury.
Modeling eye-head gaze shifts in multiple contexts without motor planning
Authors: Haji-Abolhassani Iman , Guitton Daniel , Galiana Henrietta L.
Published: July 2016

During gaze shifts, the eyes and head collaborate to rapidly capture a target (saccade) and fixate it. Accordingly, models of gaze shift control should embed both saccadic and fixation modes and a mechanism for switching between them. We demonstrate a model in which the eye and head platforms are driven by a shared gaze error signal. To limit the number of free parameters, we implement a model reduction approach in which steady-state cerebellar effects at each of their projection sites are lumped with the parameter of that site. The model topology is consistent with anatomy and neurophysiology, and can replicate eye-head responses observed in multiple experimental contexts: 1) observed gaze characteristics across species and subjects can emerge from this structure with minor parametric changes; 2) gaze can move to a goal while in the fixation mode; 3) ocular compensation for head perturbations during saccades could rely on vestibular-only cells in the vestibular nuclei with postulated projections to burst neurons; 4) two nonlinearities suffice, i.e., the experimentally-determined mapping of tectoreticular cells onto brain stem targets and the increased recruitment of the head for larger target eccentricities; 5) the effects of initial conditions on eye/head trajectories are due to neural circuit dynamics, not planning; and 6) “compensatory” ocular slow phases exist even after semicircular canal plugging, because of interconnections linking eye-head circuits. Our model structure also simulates classical vestibulo-ocular reflex and pursuit nystagmus, and provides novel neural circuit and behavioral predictions, notably that both eye-head coordination and segmental limb coordination are possible without trajectory planning.
Early steatohepatitis in hyperlipidemic mice with endothelial-specific gain of TRPC3 function precedes changes in aortic atherosclerosis
Authors: Smedlund Kathryn , Dube Prabhatachandra , Vazquez Guillermo
Published: July 2016

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its more advanced form nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are the most common chronic liver diseases in developed countries. Moreover, NAFLD and NASH are considerable risk factors for atherosclerosis, the most frequent vascular pathology in these and other metabolic diseases. Despite this strong connection, current knowledge of the relationship between NAFLD/NASH and atherosclerosis is scarce. Recently, we studied hyperlipidemic Apoe knockout mice with endothelial-specific gain of transient receptor potential canonical 3 channel function (TgESTRPC3/ApoeKO) and found that these animals had increased burden of advanced aortic atherosclerosis (16 wk on high-fat diet) compared with nontransgenic ApoeKO littermate controls (non-Tg/ApoeKO), whereas early lesions (10 wk on high-fat diet) were not different. Here, we report that at the early stage when differences in aortic atherosclerosis are not yet manifest, the livers of TgESTRPC3/ApoeKO mice show steatosis, fibrosis, and altered hepatic enzymes compared with non-Tg/ApoeKO animals. Because differences in liver pathology were noticeable long before differences in atherosclerosis were evident, our studies suggest that TRPC3-related endothelial mechanisms that promote steatohepatitis may also contribute to atherosclerosis progression. In vitro, downregulation of TRPC3 in liver sinusoid endothelial cells reduces their susceptibility to endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptosis, suggesting that a proapoptotic effect of TRPC3 may add to other fibrogenic factors in vivo. These novel findings show a positive association between augmented expression of an endothelial TRPC channel, development of early steatohepatitis, and atherosclerotic burden in a hyperlipidemic mouse model of NAFLD fed conventional Western-type diet.
Properties of skeletal muscle in the teleost Sternopygus macrurus are unaffected by short-term electrical inactivity
Authors: Güth Robert , Chaidez Alexander , Samanta Manoj P. , Unguez Graciela A.
Published: July 2016

Skeletal muscle is distinguished from other tissues on the basis of its shape, biochemistry, and physiological function. Based on mammalian studies, fiber size, fiber types, and gene expression profiles are regulated, in part, by the electrical activity exerted by the nervous system. To address whether similar adaptations to changes in electrical activity in skeletal muscle occur in teleosts, we studied these phenotypic properties of ventral muscle in the electric fish Sternopygus macrurus following 2 and 5 days of electrical inactivation by spinal transection. Our data show that morphological and biochemical properties of skeletal muscle remained largely unchanged after these treatments. Specifically, the distribution of type I and type II muscle fibers and the cross-sectional areas of these fiber types observed in control fish remained unaltered after each spinal transection survival period. This response to electrical inactivation was generally reflected at the transcript level in real-time PCR and RNA-seq data by showing little effect on the transcript levels of genes associated with muscle fiber type differentiation and plasticity, the sarcomere complex, and pathways implicated in the regulation of muscle fiber size. Data from this first study characterizing the acute influence of neural activity on muscle mass and sarcomere gene expression in a teleost are discussed in the context of comparative studies in mammalian model systems and vertebrate species from different lineages.
Transcription Factor MafB Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Proliferation through Up-Regulation of Cyclin D1
Authors: Yu Hao , Jiang Hong-lei , Xu Dong , Jin Jun-zhe , Zhao Zhe-ming , Ma Yan-dong , Liang Jian
Published: July 2016

Background/Aims: MafB, a member of the Maf transcription factor family, plays a key role in the regulation of pancreatic alpha and beta cell differentiation. However, its function in the control of cancer cell proliferation remains unknown. Methods: The mRNA and protein expression levels of MafB in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and adjacent non-tumor normal specimens were determined by real-time RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. Report assay was performed to determine whether the regulation of Cyclin D1 by MafB is at the transcriptional level. The binding of MafB to the Cyclin D1 promoter was determined by Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. To determine the potential oncogenic effects of MafB in vivo, HepG2 cells transfected with adenovirus containing empty vector or MafB were injected subcutaneously to the skin under the front legs of the nude mice. Results: In the current study, we showed that MafB was markedly up-regulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and cells. Enforced overexpression of MafB enhanced, while its deficiency inhibited HCC cell proliferation. Mechanistically, Cyclin D1, an important regulator of cell cycle progression, was identified as a direct transcriptional target of MafB. Consistently, knockdown of Cyclin D1 largely attenuated the proliferative roles of MafB in HCC cells. Importantly, MafB overexpression significantly promoted cancer cell growth in mice. Conclusions: Collectively, our results identified a novel HCC regulatory pathway involving MafB and Cyclin D1, the dysfunction of which drives proliferative character in HCC.
Using High-Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Estimate Distensibility of the Middle Cerebral Artery
Authors: Warnert Esther A.H. , Verbree Jasper , Wise Richard G. , van Osch Matthias J.P.
Published: July 2016

Background: Although cerebral arterial stiffness may be an important marker for cerebrovascular health, there is not yet a measurement that accurately reflects the distensibility of major intracranial arteries. Herein, we aim to noninvasively measure distension of the human middle cerebral artery (MCA). Methods: Ten healthy volunteers (age: 30.3 ± 10.8 years) underwent ultra-high-field (7-tesla) MRI scanning. Time-of-flight angiography and phase-contrast flow imaging were used to locate the M1 segment of the MCA and to determine the occurrence of systole and diastole. High-resolution cross-sectional cardiac triggered T2-weighted images of the M1 segment of the MCA were acquired in systole and diastole. Results: The average distension of the MCA area from diastole to systole was 2.58% (range: 0.08%-6.48%). There was no significant correlation between MCA distension and the pulsatility index, calculated from the phase-contrast flow velocity profiles. Conclusion: These results lead to the first noninvasive image-based estimation of distensibility of the MCA (approx. 5.8 × 10-4 mm Hg-1) and demonstrate that ultra-high-field MRI could be a promising tool for investigating distensibility of intracranial arteries in relation to cerebrovascular pathology.
First Description of the Karyotype and Sex Chromosomes in the Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis)
Authors: Johnson Pokorná Martina , Altmanová Marie , Rovatsos Michail , Velenský Petr , Vodička Roman , Rehák Ivan , Kratochvíl Lukáš
Published: July 2016

The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is the largest lizard in the world. Surprisingly, it has not yet been cytogenetically examined. Here, we present the very first description of its karyotype and sex chromosomes. The karyotype consists of 2n = 40 chromosomes, 16 macrochromosomes and 24 microchromosomes. Although the chromosome number is constant for all species of monitor lizards (family Varanidae) with the currently reported karyotype, variability in the morphology of the macrochromosomes has been previously documented within the group. We uncovered highly differentiated ZZ/ZW sex microchromosomes with a heterochromatic W chromosome in the Komodo dragon. Sex chromosomes have so far only been described in a few species of varanids including V. varius, the sister species to Komodo dragon, whose W chromosome is notably larger than that of the Komodo dragon. Accumulations of several microsatellite sequences in the W chromosome have recently been detected in 3 species of monitor lizards; however, these accumulations are absent from the W chromosome of the Komodo dragon. In conclusion, although varanids are rather conservative in karyotypes, their W chromosomes exhibit substantial variability at the sequence level, adding further evidence that degenerated sex chromosomes may represent the most dynamic genome part.
LRRK2, GBA and SMPD1 Founder Mutations and Parkinson's Disease in Ashkenazi Jews
Authors: Dagan Efrat , Schlesinger Ilana , Kurolap Alina , Ayoub Mareemar , Nassar Maria , Peretz-Aharon Judith , Gershoni-Baruch Ruth
Published: July 2016

Background/Aim: Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with mutations in LRRK2, GBA, and SMPD1 genes. We describe the clinical characteristics of PD patients related to their carrier status of the Ashkenazi founder mutations in the aforementioned genes. Methods: Ashkenazi PD patients (n = 270) were recruited following informed consent, and tested for the founder Ashkenazi mutations in the above genes. Clinical characteristics were compared between carriers and noncarriers. Homozygotes for mutations in GBA or LRRK2, and those who carried mutations in two causative genes were excluded from the analysis. Results: Five (1.85%), 54 (20%), and 22 (8.1%) PD patients carried mutations in SMPD1, GBA or LRRK2, respectively. By post hoc Bonferroni analysis, GBA carriers were singled at a significantly earlier age at diagnosis compared to noncarriers (58.06 ± 10.84 and 62.65 ± 10.86 years, respectively; p = 0.036), and due to bilateral manifestation at diagnosis compared to all other PD groups (n = 8, 15.7% compared to n = 2, 1.1%, respectively; p < 0.001). Other clinical manifestations were comparable between groups. Conclusion: Although only GBA mutation carriers, compared to noncarriers, reached statistical significance regarding age at diagnosis, it appears that LRRK2 and SMPD1 mutation carriers may reach significance with larger group numbers.
Postsynaptic α
1
-Adrenergic Vasoconstriction Is Impaired in Young Patients With Vasovagal Syncope and Is Corrected by Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibition
Authors: Stewart Julian M. , Suggs Melissa , Merchant Sana , Sutton Richard , Terilli Courtney , Visintainer Paul , Medow Marvin S.
Published: July 2016

Background—

Syncope is a sudden transient loss of consciousness and postural tone with spontaneous recovery; the most common form is vasovagal syncope (VVS). During VVS, gravitational pooling excessively reduces central blood volume and cardiac output. In VVS, as in hemorrhage, impaired adrenergic vasoconstriction and venoconstriction result in hypotension. We hypothesized that impaired adrenergic responsiveness because of excess nitric oxide can be reversed by reducing nitric oxide.

Methods and Results—

We recorded cardiopulmonary dynamics in supine syncope patients and healthy volunteers (aged 15–27 years) challenged with a dose–response using the α
1
-agonist phenylephrine (PE), with and without the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N
G
-monomethyl-
L
-arginine, monoacetate salt (L-NMMA). Systolic and diastolic pressures among control and VVS were the same, although they increased after L-NMMA and saline+PE (volume and pressor control for L-NMMA). Heart rate was significantly reduced by L-NMMA (
P
<0.05) for control and VVS compared with baseline, but there was no significant difference in heart rate between L-NMMA and saline+PE. Cardiac output and splanchnic blood flow were reduced by L-NMMA for control and VVS (
P
<0.05) compared with baseline, while total peripheral resistance increased (
P
<0.05). PE dose–response for splanchnic flow and resistance were blunted for VVS compared with control after saline+PE, but enhanced after L-NMMA (
P
<0.001). Postsynaptic α
1
-adrenergic vasoconstrictive impairment was greatest in the splanchnic vasculature, and splanchnic blood flow was unaffected by PE. Forearm and calf α
1
-adrenergic vasoconstriction were unimpaired in VVS and unaffected by L-NMMA.

Conclusions—

Impaired postsynaptic α
1
-adrenergic vasoconstriction in young adults with VVS can be corrected by nitric oxide synthase inhibition, demonstrated with our use of L-NMMA.
Long‐Term Impact of Right Ventricular Pacing on Left Ventricular Systolic Function in Pacemaker Recipients With Preserved Ejection Fraction: Results From a Large Single‐Center Registry
Authors: Ebert Micaela , Jander Nikolaus , Minners Jan , Blum Thomas , Doering Michael , Bollmann Andreas , Hindricks Gerhard , Arentz Thomas , Kalusche Dietrich , Richter Sergio
Published: July 2016

Background

There is limited evidence of long‐term impact of right ventricular pacing on left ventricular (
LV
) systolic function in pacemaker recipients with preserved
LV
ejection fraction (
LVEF
). The objective of the study was to evaluate the outcome and echocardiographic course of baseline preserved
LVEF
in a large cohort of pacemaker recipients with respect to pacing indication and degree of right ventricular pacing.

Methods and Results

We enrolled 991 patients (73±10 years, 54% male) with baseline normal (>55%)
LVEF
(n=791) or mildly reduced (41–55%)
LVEF
(n=200) who had paired echocardiographic data on
LV
systolic function recorded at implantation and last follow‐up. According to pacing indication, patients were divided into atrioventricular block group A (n=500) and sinus node disease group B (n=491). Main outcome measures were all‐cause mortality and deterioration of
LV
function ≥2
LVEF
categories at last follow‐up. Patients were followed for an average of 44 months. Death from any cause occurred in 166 (17%), and deterioration of
LV
function ≥2
LVEF
categories in 56 (6%) patients. There was no significant difference in outcome between group A and group B either in patients with normal
LVEF
or in those with mildly reduced
LVEF
. Mean percentage of right ventricular pacing was not predictive of outcome.

Conclusions

In a large cohort of pacemaker recipients with predominantly normal
LVEF
, clinically relevant
LV
dysfunction develops rather infrequently. No significant difference in all‐cause mortality and development of severe
LV
dysfunction is observed between patients with atrioventricular block and sinus node disease. Accordingly, de novo biventricular pacing cannot be recommended for patients with preserved
LVEF
.
Transactionism, Dominionism, and Moral Exceptionalism in Animal Ethics
Authors: Ruetenik Tadd
Published: July 2016

I advocate an animal ethics view of moral exceptionalism, which can serve as an alternative to what I call transactionism and dominionism. In transactionism, there is stress upon the mutually defining relationships between human and nonhuman animals. In dominionism, there is a belief that humans are fundamentally different from animals and yet are duty-bound to take care of them – at least to some extent. Moral exceptionalism is based on a recognition that humans have a tendency to kill animals while still being friends with them, or kill animals because they believe animals have less moral worth. Appropriate respect for animals, as well as any kind of superiority over them, means that humans have exceptional duties toward the preservation of life, duties which many animals cannot themselves follow. Moral exceptionalism agrees with a pragmatist understanding of the interconnectedness of humans and nonhumans – one promoted by recent authors such as Erin McKenna and Cynthia Willett – but simply holds humans to a higher moral standard with regard to the act of killing.
Passiflora splendida and P. quinonesiae, two new species of Passiflora supersection Tacsonia (Passifloraceae) from the Colombian Andes
Authors: BONILLA MORALES MIGUEL MACGAYVER , AGUIRRE-MORALES ADRIANA CAROLINA , CAETANO CREUCÍ MARÍA
Published: July 2016

Two new species, Passiflora splendida and P. quinonesiae of the section Colombiana from the Andes of Cundinamarca Department (Colombia Eastern Cordillera) are described and illustrated. Passiflora splendida is morphologically similar to P. cremastantha of the series Leptomischae, but can be distinguished by its linear stipules, petioles up to 1.8 cm long, lance-ovate leaves (6–8.5 × 2.5–3.3 cm), flowers with a diameter of 9–11 cm long, sepals and petals with intermediate disposition, both longer than the floral tube, floral tube of 3.2–4.5 cm long and fusiform ovary. Passiflora quinonesiae is similar to the species of series Colombianae, most closely related to P. cuatrecasasii and P. lanata. It differs from P. cuatrecasasii by its terete stem, size of the leaves 4.4–15 × 10.3 cm, elliptic bracts and floral tube 5.2–6 cm long. It differs from P. lanata by its ovate leaves, bracts halfway down the floral tube, elliptical sepals and petals, and elliptical ovary. In addition, a taxonomic key to section Colombiana ser. Colombianae and Leptomischae for Colombia is included and information about the ecology, distribution, and conservation status of P. splendida and P. quinonesiae are discussed.
Explosive Ice Multiplication Induced by Multiplicative-Noise Fluctuation of Mechanical Breakup in Ice–Ice Collisions
Authors: Yano Jun-Ichi , Phillips Vaughan T. J.
Published: July 2016

The number of ice fragments generated by breakup of large graupel in collisions with small graupel fluctuates randomly owing to fluctuations in relative sizes and densities of colliding graupel particles and the stochastic nature of fracture propagation. This paper investigates the impact of the stochasticity of breakup on ice multiplication.

When both the rate of generation of primary ice and the initial number concentration of ice crystals are low, the system most likely loses all the initial ice and graupel owing to a lack of sustaining sources. Even randomness does not change this mean evolution of the system in its phase space. However, a fluctuation of ice breakup number gives a small but finite chance that substantial ice crystal fragments are generated by breakup of large graupel. That, in turn, generates more large graupel. This multiplicative process due to fluctuations potentially leads to a small but finite chance of explosive growth of ice number. A rigorous stochastic analysis demonstrates this point quantitatively.

The randomness considered here belongs to a particular category called “multiplicative” noise, because the noise amplitude is proportional to a given physical state. To contrast the multiplicative-noise nature of ice breakup with a standard “additive” noise process, fluctuation of the primary ice generation rate is also considered as an example of the latter. These processes are examined by taking the Fokker–Planck equation that explicitly describes the evolution of the probability distribution with time. As an important conclusion, stability in the phase space of the cloud microphysical system of breakup in ice–ice collisions is substantially altered by the multiplicative noise.
A Double-Edged Sword? Predicting Consumers’ Attitudes Toward and Sharing Intention of Native Advertising on Social Media
Authors: Lee Joonghwa , Kim Soojung , Ham Chang-Dae
Published: July 2016

Despite the increasing popularity and advantage of native advertising on social media, advertisers are concerned about the possibility of native ads misleading consumers, resulting in boomerang effects. This study attempts to address this concern by comparing the predictive role of native ad nonintrusiveness with that of native ad manipulativeness in consumers’ attitude toward and sharing intention of native advertising. Findings from an online survey of 550 U.S. adult consumers showed that native ad nonintrusiveness was positively related to attitude toward and sharing intention of native advertising, whereas native ad manipulativeness was not. Consumers’ ad skepticism and persuasion knowledge were negatively related to attitude toward and sharing intention of native advertising; but persuasion knowledge became nonsignificant when native ad nonintrusiveness and manipulativeness were included in regression models. Additionally, those with stronger information-seeking motivation showed more positive attitudinal and behavioral responses. This study advances the knowledge of native advertising by examining the possibility of its being a double-edged sword. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Union–Management Partnerships, Teacher Collaboration, and Student Performance
Authors: Rubinstein Saul A. , McCarthy John E.
Published: July 2016

Using data from surveys, interviews, and student performance, the authors examine collaborative union–management partnerships between local union representatives, teachers, and school administrators working together in innovative ways to improve teaching quality and student performance. Based on data from 27 schools in a southern California school district, the authors find that the strength of formal union–management partnerships is a significant predictor of greater growth in student performance over time, and that this relationship is mediated by stronger educator collaboration at the school level, after controlling for poverty. The findings suggest that student performance can be significantly improved by institutional union–management partnerships and the increased school-level collaboration that results from them.
Postsynaptic density protein transcripts are differentially modulated by minocycline alone or in add-on to haloperidol: Implications for treatment resistant schizophrenia
Authors: Buonaguro Elisabetta F , Tomasetti Carmine , Chiodini Paolo , Marmo Federica , Latte Gianmarco , Rossi Rodolfo , Avvisati Livia , Iasevoli Felice , de Bartolomeis Andrea
Published: July 2016

In this study, we investigated whether minocycline, a second-generation tetracycline proposed as an add-on to antipsychotics in treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS), may affect the expression of Homer and Arc postsynaptic density (PSD) transcripts, implicated in synaptic regulation. Minocycline was administered alone or with haloperidol in rats exposed or not to ketamine, mimicking acute glutamatergic psychosis or naturalistic conditions, respectively. Arc expression was significantly reduced by minocycline compared with controls. Minocycline in combination with haloperidol also significantly reduced Arc expression compared with both controls and haloperidol alone. Moreover, haloperidol/minocycline combination significantly affected Arc expression in cortical regions, while haloperidol alone was ineffective on cortical gene expression. These results suggest that minocycline may strongly affect the expression of Arc as mediated by haloperidol, both in terms of quantitative levels and of topography of haloperidol-related expression. It is noteworthy that no significant pre-treatment effect was found, suggesting that pre-exposure to ketamine did not grossly affect gene expression. Minocycline was not found to significantly affect haloperidol-related Homer1a expression. No significant changes in Homer1b/c expression were observed. These results are consistent with previous observations that minocycline may modulate postsynaptic glutamatergic transmission, affecting distinct downstream pathways initiated by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor modulation, i.e. Arc-mediated but not Homer1a-mediated pathways.
Predicting tumor recurrence in patients with cervical carcinoma treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy: value of quantitative histogram analysis on diffusion-weighted MR images
Authors: Erbay Gurcan , Onal Cem , Karadeli Elif , Guler Ozan C , Arica Sami , Koc Zafer
Published: July 2016

Background

Further research is required for evaluating the use of ADC histogram analysis in more advanced stages of cervical cancer treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT).

Purpose

To investigate the utility of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) histogram derived from diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance images in cervical cancer patients treated with definitive CRT.

Material and Methods

The clinical and radiological data of 50 patients with histologically proven cervical squamous cell carcinoma treated with definitive CRT were retrospectively analyzed. The impact of clinicopathological factors and ADC histogram parameters on prognostic factors and treatment outcomes was assessed.

Results

The mean and median ADC values for the cohort were 1.043 ± 0.135 × 10−3 mm2/s and 1.018 × 10−3 mm2/s (range, 0.787–1.443 × 10−3 mm2/s). The mean ADC was significantly lower for patients with advanced stage (≥IIB) or lymph node metastasis compared with patients with stage <IIB or no lymph node metastasis. The mean ADC, 75th percentile ADC (ADC75), 90th percentile ADC (ADC90), and 95th percentile ADC (ADC95) were significantly lower in patients with tumor recurrence compared with patients without recurrence. In multivariate analysis, tumor size, ADC75 and ADC95 were independent prognostic factors for both overall survival and disease-free survival.

Conclusion

ADC histogram parameters could be markers for disease recurrence and for predicting survival outcomes. ADC75, ADC90, and ADC95 of the primary tumor were significant predictors of disease recurrence in cervical cancer patients treated with definitive CRT.
The UK waste input–output table: Linking waste generation to the UK economy
Authors: Salemdeeb Ramy , Al-Tabbaa Abir , Reynolds Christian
Published: July 2016

In order to achieve a circular economy, there must be a greater understanding of the links between economic activity and waste generation. This study introduces the first version of the UK waste input–output table that could be used to quantify both direct and indirect waste arisings across the supply chain. The proposed waste input–output table features 21 industrial sectors and 34 waste types and is for the 2010 time-period. Using the waste input–output table, the study results quantitatively confirm that sectors with a long supply chain (i.e. manufacturing and services sectors) have higher indirect waste generation rates compared with industrial primary sectors (e.g. mining and quarrying) and sectors with a shorter supply chain (e.g. construction). Results also reveal that the construction, mining and quarrying sectors have the highest waste generation rates, 742 and 694 tonne per £1m of final demand, respectively. Owing to the aggregated format of the first version of the waste input–output, the model does not address the relationship between waste generation and recycling activities. Therefore, an updated version of the waste input–output table is expected be developed considering this issue. Consequently, the expanded model would lead to a better understanding of waste and resource flows in the supply chain.
Sexting Coercion as a Component of Intimate Partner Polyvictimization
Authors: Ross Jody M. , Drouin Michelle , Coupe Amanda
Published: July 2016

We examined the role of sexting coercion as a component of the intimate partner abuse (IPA) construct among young adults to determine whether sexting coercion would emerge alongside other forms of partner aggression as a cumulative risk factor for psychological, sexual, and attachment problems. In a sample of 885 undergraduates (301 men and 584 women), 40% had experienced some type of coercion. Although there was some overlap between sexual coercion and sexting coercion (21% of participants had experienced both), some individuals had experienced only sexting coercion (8%) and some only sexual coercion (11%). Women were more likely than men to be coerced into sexting. Both sexting coercion and sexual coercion were significantly and independently related to negative mental health symptoms, sexual problems, and attachment dysfunction, and, notably, sexting coercion was found to be a cumulative risk factor for nearly all of these negative effects. These data support the idea that digital sexual victimization is a new component of IPA polyvictimization, potentially increasing the negative effects experienced by victims of multiple forms of partner aggression.
Metallization and APPJ treatment of bismaleimide
Authors: Bhattacharyya A.S. , Kumar S. , Sharma A. , Kumar D. , Patel S.B. , Paul D. , Dutta P.P. , Bhattacharjee G.
Published: July 2016

Bismaleimide (BMI) resins are a new breed of thermosetting resins used mainly for high-temperature applications and have major usage in aerospace. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) studies have shown signatures of imide, C–N–C stretching, maleimide, and N–H stretching. These BMI polymer coatings were deposited on aluminum (Al) and mild steel substrates by sprinkling powers followed by baking. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetric studies showed the degradation temperature of these polymers around 370°C. Al coatings were deposited on BMI that is previously deposited on Al and mild steel to make a metal–BMI–metal trilayer. These trilayers can solve the problem charging of the aircraft bodies at high altitudes. Atomic force microscopy was done to determine the morphology of the surface. Roughness and thickness measurements of the BMI coatings were carried out by a surface profilometer. Vickers microhardness tests showed an increase in the hardness of the metal–BMI–metal trilayer. FTIR spectrum showed signatures of imides, C–N–C stretching, maleimide, and N–H stretching in BMI. Peak broadening indicates the release of the stress during thermal treatment of the coating. The coating is subject to variable Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet (APPJ) conditions, which improves the properties at high temperature. X-ray diffraction studies showed a hint of crystallinity on APPJ treatment.