bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Higher-than-present Medieval pine (Pinus sylvestris) treeline along the Swedish Scandes
Authors: Kullman Leif
Published: May 2015

The upper treeline of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) is renowned as a sensitive indicator of climate change and variability. By use of megafossil tree remains, preserved exposed on the ground surface, treeline shift over the past millennium was investigated at multiple sites along the Scandes in northern Sweden. Difference in thermal level between the present and the Medieval period, about AD 1000-1200, is a central, although controversial, aspect concerning the detection and attribution of anthropogenic climate warming. Radiocarbon-dated megafossil pines revealed that the treeline was consistently positioned as much as 115 m higher during the Medieval period than today (AD 2000-2010), after a century of warming and substantial treeline upshift. Drawing on the last-mentioned figure, and a lapse rate of 0.6oC/100 m, it may be inferred that Medieval summer temperatures were about 0.7 oC warmer than much of the past 100 years. Extensive pine mortality and treeline descent after the Medieval warming peak reflect substantially depressed temperatures during the Little Ice Age. Warmer-than-present conditions during the Medieval period concur with temperature reconstructions from different parts of northern Fennoscandia, northwestern Russia and Greenland. Modern warming has not been sufficient to restore Medieval treelines. Against this background, there is little reason to view further modest warming as unnatural.
"My Brother Paul" and Sister Carrie
Authors: O'Neill John P.
Published: May 2015

In 1909 Theodore Dreiser wrote a tribute to his brother Paul that was eventually published ten years later as one of the sketches in his volume Twelve Men.1 Paul, thirteen years Theodore's senior, and the eldest of the Dreiser children, had died in January 1906. At the turn of the century he was New York's most successful composer of popular songs, but four years later he was convinced that his life had been a failure. The small fortune he had acquired had by then vanished, spent lavishly or given away to numerous friends or acquaintances down on their luck but canny enough to cross Paul's path on his favorite walk up Broadway toward the Metropole Hotel. Paul's type of song, the floridly sentimental ballad then called the "sobber," had slipped from favor by the time of his death, replaced by the jaunty, knowing rhythms of ragtime.2 "My Gal Sal" was to win him a burst of posthumous glory and his "On the Banks of the Wabash" would later be enshrined as Indiana's state song; but a full two years before his death Paul had decided that he could no longer write hit songs, while quarrels with his former music publishing partners and a general ineptitude in business had deprived him of profits from earlier successes. Almost as though he had been a character in one of his own songs, Paul Dresser3 dropped from brilliant celebrity to oblivion in the nine years before his younger brother composed "My Brother Paul."
Not One of Us: The Immigrant Director in Hollywood
Authors: Petrie Graham
Published: May 2015

Thomas H. Pauly. An American Odyssey: Elia Kazan and American Culture. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1983. 282 + viii pp. John Russell Taylor. Strangers in Paradise: The Hollywood Émigrés, 1933-1950. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1983. 256 pp. In June 1922 an article in the magazine Photoplay contrasting the character- istics of American cinema with those of the German films that were enjoying a fashionable success at the time came to the conclusion that the primary differences were those of national temperament and outlook. The Germans, representing the extreme of European behavior as a whole, were characterized as morbid, sexually immoral, cynical, sadistic and pessimistic. Americans, in contrast, celebrated "the eternal destiny of splendid youth," "the glory of motherhood," "the square deal," "the equality of the sexes," "equal opportunities for all," and "laughter." Though the wording may be dated, the article reflects a belief that has underpinned the American cinema up to the present day: it is assumed to be wholesome, optimistic and positive in its outlook, designed primarily to entertain, but also concerned with celebrating the ideals and the superior moral values of the American people. The society in which these ideals and values are embodied may have its imperfections, but it comes manifestly closer to achieving the aims of justice, tolerance and genuine equality than any other. Beliefs of this kind were probably conveyed most openly and unselfconsciously during the heyday of the studio system from the mid-1920s to the mid-1950s, the main exception being the brief flourishing of the film noir in the post-1945 period (itself, significantly, primarily the product of a foreign sensibility). Now, after the interlude of the late 1960s and early 1970s that permitted cynicism, pessimism and sexual immorality to have their fling, the previous beliefs are clearly and aggressively resurgent in Hollywood once more, during the presidency of a former film star whose whole philosophy has been shaped by, and reflects, exactly these concepts.
"Through a Glass Darkly": Typology in Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon
Authors: Pocock Judy
Published: May 2015

In a 1981 interview, Morrison told Charles Ruas that "the Bible wasn't part of my reading, it was part of my life" (97). In her use of structure, language, and concepts~~~her use of metaphor, repetition, and reiteration~~~the Bible resonates throughout Toni Morrison's novel, Song of Solomon. Erich Auerbach describes the Bible as a text "fraught with background" (qtd. in Alter, "The Old Testament" 22); the Song of Solomon is a text fraught with the background of the Bible. Here, I concentrate on Morrison's use of biblical names. The novel's epigraph~~~"The fathers may soar and the children may know their names"~~~signals the central role names will play in the novel. Over and over again, characters and places are named, renamed, or misnamed, and more often than not, the Bible is at the centre of this process. The title of the novel and the names of almost all the women and some of the men come from the Bible. Each one of these names evokes complex biblical characters, allusions, metaphors, and narrative cycles that resonate back and forth throughout the text, and each name signals a parallel with, reversal of, or contradiction with a given biblical allusion.
Morphology of Manifest Destiny: The Justified Violence of John O'Sullivan, Hank Morgan, and George W. Bush
Authors: Youngberg Quentin
Published: May 2015

The gravest danger our Nation faces lies at the crossroads of radicalism and technology. ~~~George W. Bush It has been noted that Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court "portrays [two] supposed Utopias~~~the idyllic Camelot and the modern industrialized vision of the Yankee~~~as undesireable, unpleasant, and indeed truly dystopian" (Shanley and Stillman 274). The novel is, in fact, a narrative account of the violence that ensues when two absolutist world views come into conflict. The two absolute worlds in the book~~~represented by Camelot, on the one hand, and by Hank Morgan, on the other~~~form the basis for Twain's critique of self-assured sociopolitical visions in general and of the apparently inevitable violence perpetrated in the interest of that which is "natural" and that which is "good." The tension between the Catholic monarchy of Camelot and Hank Morgan's Protestant, New England progressivism adds an interesting dimen- sion to the Manichean structure identifiable in Twain's fiction. Notably, both sides of the dialectic are essentially the same. Although the medieval nobility's appeal to absolute authority is founded on a Divine Right, while Hank Morgan's appeal to authority is founded on the right of scientific superiority (itself a divine absolution of sorts), both appeals are justified on the basis of naturalizing the dominion of the appellant. The final result, at any rate, is that the justified powers (in Hank's case, in spite of to natural causes and democratic sentiment) arrogate to themselves the authority to enact unthinkable violence on those "others" relegated to inferiority. As David Sewell has insightfully commented, " [Democratic Boss and aristocratic King [come to be] allied against peasants" (148). In the contest of monological Utopian visions, it is the people, those pawns in the conflict between authoritarianisms, who ultimately lose.
The United Nations and Genocide Prevention: The Problem of Racial and Religious Bias
Authors: Travis Hannibal
Published: May 2015

Could racial or religious bias within the United Nations be hindering efforts to prevent and punish the crime of genocide? I answer this question by surveying the UN response to a variety of alleged genocides, ranging from Biafra starting in the late 1960s to Syria starting in 2012. In terms of quantitative analysis, this article explores whether the UN response to claims of genocide is proportionate to the scale of actual harm, using absolute death tolls and percentage reductions in the populations of specific minority groups to assess harm. It finds that voting blocs based on racial or religious identity may be warping the UN response to potential genocides, resulting in disproportionate attention across cases. In this regard, the Arab League, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Republic of Turkey appear to play important roles in shaping UN responses. In terms of qualitative analysis, the article surveys evidence that key actors at the United Nations may have been motivated by bias in framing collective responses to claims of genocide and other mass violence.
The Role of the Netherlands in the European Framework for an International Response on Darfur during its Presidency in 2004–2005
Authors: Grünfeld Fred , Vermeulen Wessel N.
Published: May 2015

In this article, we discuss the role of the Netherlands with respect to the Darfur crisis during 2003–2005. From the moment the crisis broke out, the Netherlands was active as a major donor and tried to facilitate political solutions. During the period January 2004–July 2005, it functioned as the (acting) presidency of the Council of the European Union and was therefore involved in creating a common EU position. We discuss how policy was made while observing internal (domestic) and external (international) influences. We conclude that the Netherlands was partially successful in establishing a more active EU position regarding Darfur. However, we also find evidence that, eventually, the EU has lagged behind the response of the UN Security Council, despite being a major donor to emergency relief and the African Union mission in Sudan.
The Genocide against the Ottoman Armenians: German Diplomatic Correspondence and Eyewitness Testimonies
Authors: Hofmann Tessa
Published: May 2015

This contribution documents and analyses the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire during 1915 and 1916 and is based mainly on the German diplomatic correspondence of the time, which is preserved at the Political Archives of the German Foreign Office, in Berlin. In the introduction, I refer to the Turkish nation state building process during 1912–1921 and its effects on the Christian populaces of the Ottoman Empire. In the second part, I focus on the various, apparently coordinated, measures directed against the Ottoman Armenians. A special subsection is dedicated to the clandestine intelligence organization Teşkilat-ı Mahsusa (Special Organization), which planned, implemented, and largely conducted the destruction of the Armenians in such a conspiratorial way that its activities escaped even the attention of Turkey’s most important military ally, Germany. The final part discusses Germany’s involvement in the destruction of Ottoman Armenians, Aramaic-speaking Christians, and Greek-Orthodox Christians against the background of 50 years of scholarship in history and genocide studies.
The Genocide of the Greeks of the Ottoman Empire, 1913–1923: A Comprehensive Overview
Authors: Meichanetsidis Vasileios Th.
Published: May 2015

This article refers to the 1913–1923 genocide of the Greeks of the Ottoman Empire and aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the overall genocidal process. On the one hand, it offers an ideological, social, and political background and framework for understanding that process; on the other hand, it documents and analyzes the various empirical aspects and data, providing ample examples of genocidal acts. The paper aims at providing an understanding of the genocide and a sense of the Ottoman projects of destruction that included Armenians, Assyrians/Arameans and Greeks—and other, less-known ethnic groups—in an attempt at a total restructuring of Ottoman society and the creation of a Turkish Muslim national state.
Cognitive performance improvement in Canadian Armed Forces personnel during deployment
Authors: Makhani Asad , Akbaryan Farzad , Cernak Ibolja
Published: May 2015

Introduction: Chronic stress can decrease resilience and diminish cognitive adaptability; thus, operational stressors related to military deployment can pose significant risks to cognitive functioning. Numerous studies have aimed to assess the effects of deployment on cognitive functioning on the basis of cognitive performance measures administered before and after deployment. However, to the best of our knowledge, no studies have measured neurocognitive performance of military personnel while they were deployed to a combat zone. Methods: Canadian Armed Forces military troops ( N = 85) were tested during pre-deployment training and during deployment in Afghanistan. At both time points, the participants completed a detailed demographic form and performed touch-screen neurocognitive tests using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). The CANTAB measurements included executive function (Attention Switching Task [AST] and Spatial Working Memory [SWM] test), decision making and response control (Stop Signal Task [SST]), and attention (Reaction Time [RTI] test). Two-tailed, paired t-tests were used to compare pre-deployment and deployment CANTAB results. Results: On average, all participants significantly improved their performance on all neurocognitive tests during deployment compared with pre-deployment. At both pre-deployment and deployment time points, the participants demonstrated excellent performance on the AST and RTI test and less-than-optimal performance on the SWM test and SST. Discussion: The influence of training, social factors, and emotional status, among many others, on cognitive adaptability should be taken into account to fully understand soldiers’ capability to improve and maintain high cognitive functioning during deployment.
Military ethics and well-being: a soldier’s journey
Authors: Bélanger Stéphanie A. H.
Published: May 2015

In light of emerging research on moral injuries, this article explores the impact of soldiers’ indoctrination on their identity after they have lived through the experience of war. The injuries that soldiers live and witness can act as a source of motivation to carry on in intensive combat, but are often internalized indefinitely, even after their return to the regiment. A discourse analysis will demonstrate the process by which the actors are able to overcome the moral combat and will discuss the conditions that are essential to efficient healing. Ultimately this article aims to illustrate how soldiers can free themselves from the reflexes and, more importantly, from the moral values that kept them alive on the battlefield but that are in contradiction with the moral values of the society in which they are trying to reintegrate themselves.
An Optimization Clustering Algorithm Based on Texture Feature Fusion for Color Image Segmentation
Authors: Wang Gaihua , Liu Yang , Xiong Caiquan
Published: May 2015

We introduce a multi-feature optimization clustering algorithm for color image segmentation. The local binary pattern, the mean of the min-max difference, and the color components are combined as feature vectors to describe the magnitude change of grey value and the contrastive information of neighbor pixels. In clustering stage, it gets the initial clustering center and avoids getting into local optimization by adding mutation operator of genetic algorithm to particle swarm optimization. Compared with well-known methods, the proposed method has an overall better segmentation performance and can segment image more accurately by evaluating the ratio of misclassification.
The HSP90 Inhibitor Ganetespib Radiosensitizes Human Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells
Authors: Gomez-Casal Roberto , Bhattacharya Chitralekha , Epperly Michael , Basse Per , Wang Hong , Wang Xinhui , Proia David , Greenberger Joel , Socinski Mark , Levina Vera
Published: May 2015

The molecular chaperone HSP90 is involved in stabilization and function of multiple client proteins, many of which represent important oncogenic drivers in NSCLC. Utilization of HSP90 inhibitors as radiosensitizing agents is a promising approach. The antitumor activity of ganetespib, HSP90 inhibitor, was evaluated in human lung adenocarcinoma (AC) cells for its ability to potentiate the effects of IR treatment in both in vitro and in vivo. The cytotoxic effects of ganetespib included; G2/M cell cycle arrest, inhibition of DNA repair, apoptosis induction, and promotion of senescence. All of these antitumor effects were both concentration- and time-dependent. Both pretreatment and post-radiation treatment with ganetespib at low nanomolar concentrations induced radiosensitization in lung AC cells in vitro. Ganetespib may impart radiosensitization through multiple mechanisms: such as down regulation of the PI3K/Akt pathway; diminished DNA repair capacity and promotion of cellular senescence. In vivo, ganetespib reduced growth of T2821 tumor xenografts in mice and sensitized tumors to IR. Tumor irradiation led to dramatic upregulation of β-catenin expression in tumor tissues, an effect that was mitigated in T2821 xenografts when ganetespib was combined with IR treatments. These data highlight the promise of combining ganetespib with IR therapies in the treatment of AC lung tumors.
Engineering-Based Thermal CFD Simulations on Massive Parallel Systems
Authors: Frisch Jérôme , Mundani Ralf-Peter , Rank Ernst , Van Treeck Christoph
Published: May 2015

The development of parallel Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) codes is a challenging task that entails efficient parallelization concepts and strategies in order to achieve good scalability values when running those codes on modern supercomputers with several thousands to millions of cores. In this paper, we present a hierarchical data structure for massive parallel computations that supports the coupling of a Navier–Stokes-based fluid flow code with the Boussinesq approximation in order to address complex thermal scenarios for energy-related assessments. The newly designed data structure is specifically designed with the idea of interactive data exploration and visualization during runtime of the simulation code; a major shortcoming of traditional high-performance computing (HPC) simulation codes. We further show and discuss speed-up values obtained on one of Germany’s top-ranked supercomputers with up to 140,000 processes and present simulation results for different engineering-based thermal problems.
The Smart City and the Green Economy in Europe: A Critical Approach
Authors: Ferrara Rosario
Published: May 2015

It is shown in this article that the current European legislation makes the future progress of smart cities critically dependent on the advancement of the green economy and consequently on the further development of energy efficiency and of renewable energy sources. However, the lack of a clear legal framework capable of transforming the current pledges into binding rules at national level can jeopardize the establishment of a more direct and profitable link between the extensive European legislation on energy and environment, and the harmonious and efficient development of smart cities in Europe.
Systematic Methods for Working Fluid Selection and the Design, Integration and Control of Organic Rankine Cycles—A Review
Authors: Linke Patrick , Papadopoulos Athanasios , Seferlis Panos
Published: May 2015

Efficient power generation from low to medium grade heat is an important challenge to be addressed to ensure a sustainable energy future. Organic Rankine Cycles (ORCs) constitute an important enabling technology and their research and development has emerged as a very active research field over the past decade. Particular focus areas include working fluid selection and cycle design to achieve efficient heat to power conversions for diverse hot fluid streams associated with geothermal, solar or waste heat sources. Recently, a number of approaches have been developed that address the systematic selection of efficient working fluids as well as the design, integration and control of ORCs. This paper presents a review of emerging approaches with a particular emphasis on computer-aided design methods.
Molecular Tools for the Selective Detection of Nine Diatom Species Biomarkers of Various Water Quality Levels
Authors: Cimarelli Lucia , Singh Kumar , Mai Nguyen , Dhar Bidhan , Brandi Anna , Brandi Letizia , Spurio Roberto
Published: May 2015

Our understanding of the composition of diatom communities and their response to environmental changes is currently limited by laborious taxonomic identification procedures. Advances in molecular technologies are expected to contribute more efficient, robust and sensitive tools for the detection of these ecologically relevant microorganisms. There is a need to explore and test phylogenetic markers as an alternative to the use of rRNA genes, whose limited sequence divergence does not allow the accurate discrimination of diatoms at the species level. In this work, nine diatom species belonging to eight genera, isolated from epylithic environmental samples collected in central Italy, were chosen to implement a panel of diatoms covering the full range of ecological status of freshwaters. The procedure described in this work relies on the PCR amplification of specific regions in two conserved diatom genes, elongation factor 1-a (eEF1-a) and silicic acid transporter (SIT), as a first step to narrow down the complexity of the targets, followed by microarray hybridization experiments. Oligonucleotide probes with the potential to discriminate closely related species were designed taking into account the genetic polymorphisms found in target genes. These probes were tested, refined and validated on a small-scale prototype DNA chip. Overall, we obtained 17 highly specific probes targeting eEF1-a and SIT, along with 19 probes having lower discriminatory power recognizing at the same time two or three species. This basic array was validated in a laboratory setting and is ready for tests with crude environmental samples eventually to be scaled-up to include a larger panel of diatoms. Its possible use for the simultaneous detection of diatoms selected from the classes of water quality identified by the European Water Framework Directive is discussed.
Do Neighborhood Characteristics in Amsterdam Influence Adiposity at Preschool Age?
Authors: Hrudey E. , Kunst Anton , Stronks Karien , Vrijkotte Tanja
Published: May 2015

Background: Neighborhood characteristics may contribute to adiposity in young children, but results in the current literature are inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate whether objective (socioeconomic status (SES)) and subjective (perceived safety, satisfaction with green spaces and perceived physical disorder) neighborhood characteristics directly influence child adiposity (as measured by BMI, percent body fat (%BF) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR)). Methods: Data on child BMI, %BF and WHtR were obtained from the Amsterdam Born Children and their Development cohort at 5–6 years of age. Three thousand four hundred and sixty nine (3469) children were included in the analyses. Mixed models, using random intercepts for postal code area to account for neighborhood clustering effects, were used to analyze the relationships of interest. Results: Associations were observed for both perceived safety and neighborhood SES with %BF after adjustment for maternal education and ethnicity. All relationships were eliminated with the inclusion of individual covariates and parental BMI into the models. Conclusions: In general, child adiposity at age 5–6 years was not independently associated with neighborhood characteristics, although a small relationship between child %BF and both neighborhood SES and perceived safety cannot be ruled out. At this young age, familial and individual factors probably play a more important role in influencing child adiposity than neighborhood characteristics.
Effects of Simulated Heat Waves with Strong Sudden Cooling Weather on ApoE Knockout Mice
Authors: Zhang Shuyu , Kuang Zhengzhong , Zhang Xiakun
Published: May 2015

This study analyzes the mechanism of influence of heat waves with strong sudden cooling on cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in ApoE−/− mice. The process of heat waves with strong sudden cooling was simulated with a TEM1880 meteorological-environment simulation chamber according to the data obtained at 5 a.m. of 19 June 2006 to 11 p.m. of 22 June 2006. Forty-eight ApoE−/− mice were divided into six blocks based on their weight. Two mice from each block were randomly assigned to control, heat wave, temperature drop, and rewarming temperature groups. The experimental groups were transferred into the climate simulator chamber for exposure to the simulated heat wave process with strong sudden temperature drop. After 55, 59, and 75 h of exposure, the experimental groups were successively removed from the chamber to monitor physiological indicators. Blood samples were collected by decollation, and the hearts were harvested in all groups. The levels of heat stress factors (HSP60, SOD, TNF, sICAM-1, HIF-1α), cold stress factors (NE, EPI), vasoconstrictor factors (ANGII, ET-1, NO), and four items of blood lipid (TC, TG, HDL-C, and LDL-C) were measured in each ApoE−/− mouse. Results showed that the heat waves increased the levels of heat stress factors except SOD decreased, and decreased the levels of vasoconstrictor factors and blood lipid factors except TC increased. The strong sudden temperature drop in the heat wave process increased the levels of cold stress factors, vasoconstrictor factors and four blood lipid items (except the level of HDL-C which decreased) and decreased the levels of heat stress factors (except the level of SOD which increased). The analysis showed that heat waves could enhance atherosclerosis of ApoE−/− mice. The strong sudden temperature drop during the heat wave process increased the plasma concentrations of NE and ANGII, which indicates SNS activation, and resulted in increased blood pressure. NE and ANGII are vasoconstrictors involved in systemic vasoconstriction especially in the superficial areas of the body and conducive to increased blood pressure. The increase in the blood lipid levels of TG, LDL-C, TC, and LDL-C/HDL-C further aggravated CVD. This paper explored the influence mechanism of the heat waves with sudden cooling on CVD in ApoE−/− mice.
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Dagang Oilfield (China): Distribution, Sources, and Risk Assessment
Authors: Jiao Haihua , Rui Xiaoping , Wu Shanghua , Bai Zhihui , Zhuang Xuliang , Huang Zhanbin
Published: May 2015

The levels of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated in 27 upper layer (0–25 cm) soil samples collected from the Dagang Oilfield (China) in April 2013 to estimate their distribution, possible sources, and potential risks posed. The total concentrations of PAHs (∑PAHs) varied between 103.6 µg·kg−1 and 5872 µg·kg−1, with a mean concentration of 919.8 µg·kg−1; increased concentrations were noted along a gradient from arable desert soil (mean 343.5 µg·kg−1), to oil well areas (mean of 627.3 µg·kg−1), to urban and residential zones (mean of 1856 µg·kg−1). Diagnostic ratios showed diverse source of PAHs, including petroleum, liquid fossil fuels, and biomass combustion sources. Combustion sources were most significant for PAHs in arable desert soils and residential zones, while petroleum sources were a significant source of PAHs in oilfield areas. Based ontheir carcinogenity, PAHs were classified as carcinogenic (B) or not classified/non-carcinogenic (NB). The total concentrations of carcinogenic PAHs (∑BPAHs) varied from 13.3 µg·kg−1 to 4397 µg·kg−1 across all samples, with a mean concentration of 594.4 µg·kg−1. The results suggest that oilfield soil is subject to a certain level of ecological environment risk.
Development of a Quantitative Methodology to Assess the Impacts of Urban Transport Interventions and Related Noise on Well-Being
Authors: Braubach Matthias , Tobollik Myriam , Mudu Pierpaolo , Hiscock Rosemary , Chapizanis Dimitris , Sarigiannis Denis , Keuken Menno , Perez Laura , Martuzzi Marco
Published: May 2015

Well-being impact assessments of urban interventions are a difficult challenge, as there is no agreed methodology and scarce evidence on the relationship between environmental conditions and well-being. The European Union (EU) project “Urban Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in China and Europe” (URGENCHE) explored a methodological approach to assess traffic noise-related well-being impacts of transport interventions in three European cities (Basel, Rotterdam and Thessaloniki) linking modeled traffic noise reduction effects with survey data indicating noise-well-being associations. Local noise models showed a reduction of high traffic noise levels in all cities as a result of different urban interventions. Survey data indicated that perception of high noise levels was associated with lower probability of well-being. Connecting the local noise exposure profiles with the noise-well-being associations suggests that the urban transport interventions may have a marginal but positive effect on population well-being. This paper also provides insight into the methodological challenges of well-being assessments and highlights the range of limitations arising from the current lack of reliable evidence on environmental conditions and well-being. Due to these limitations, the results should be interpreted with caution.
In Search of an Integrative Measure of Functioning
Authors: Madden Rosamond , Glozier Nick , Fortune Nicola , Dyson Maree , Gilroy John , Bundy Anita , Llewellyn Gwynnyth , Salvador-Carulla Luis , Lukersmith Sue , Mpofu Elias , Madden Richard
Published: May 2015

International trends towards people-centred, integrative care and support require any measurement of functioning and disability to meet multiple aims. The information requirements of two major Australian programs for disability and rehabilitation are outlined, and the findings of two searches for suitable measures of functioning and disability are analysed. Over 30 current measures of functioning were evaluated in each search. Neither search found a generic measure of functioning suitable for these multibillion dollar programs, relevant to a wide range of people with a variety of health conditions and functioning experiences, and capable of indicating support needs, associated costs, progress and outcomes. This unsuccessful outcome has implications internationally for policy-relevant information for disability, rehabilitation and related programs. The paper outlines the features of an Integrative Measure of Functioning (IMF) based on the concepts of functioning and environmental factors in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). An IMF would be applicable across a variety of health conditions, settings and purposes, ranging from individual assessment to public health. An IMF could deliver person-centred, policy-relevant information for a range of programs, promoting harmonised language and measurement and supporting international trends in human services and public health.
Are MTHFR C677T and MTRR A66G Polymorphisms Associated with Overweight/Obesity Risk? From a Case-Control to a Meta-Analysis of 30,327 Subjects
Authors: Fan Shu-Jun , Yang Bo-Yi , Zhi Xue-Yuan , He Miao , Wang Da , Wang Yan-Xun , Wang Yi-Nuo , Wei Jian , Zheng Quan-Mei , Sun Gui-Fan
Published: May 2015

Several studies have examined the associations of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T and methionine synthase reductase (MTRR) A66G polymorphisms with being overweight/obesity. However, the results are still controversial. We therefore conducted a case-control study (517 cases and 741 controls) in a Chinese Han population and then performed a meta-analysis by combining previous studies (5431 cases and 24,896 controls). In our case-control study, the MTHFR C677T polymorphism was not significantly associated with being overweight/obesity when examining homozygous codominant, heterozygous codominant, dominant, recessive and allelic genetic models. The following meta-analysis confirmed our case-control results. Heterogeneity was minimal in the overall analysis, and sensitivity analyses and publication bias tests indicated that the meta-analytic results were reliable. Similarly, both the case-control study and meta-analysis found no significant association between the MTRR A66G polymorphism and being overweight/obesity. However, sensitivity analyses showed that the associations between the MTRR A66G polymorphism and being overweight/obesity became significant in the dominant, heterozygous codominant and allelic models after excluding our case-control study. The results from our case-control study and meta-analysis suggest that both of the two polymorphisms are not associated with being overweight/obesity. Further large-scale population-based studies, especially for the MTRR A66G polymorphism, are still needed to confirm or refute our findings.
Exposure of Tumor-Associated Macrophages to Apoptotic MCF-7 Cells Promotes Breast Cancer Growth and Metastasis
Authors: Zhou Na , Zhang Yizhuang , Zhang Xuehui , Lei Zhen , Hu Ruobi , Li Hui , Mao Yiqing , Wang Xi , Irwin David , Niu Gang , Tan Huanran
Published: May 2015

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) have been found to be associated with the progression and metastasis of breast cancer. To clarify the mechanisms underlying the crosstalk between TAMs and cancer stem cells (CSCs) in breast cancer recurrence and metastasis, we used a co-culture model of macrophages and apoptotic human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 cells to investigate the effects of TAMs on MCF-7 in vitro and in vivo. Macrophages co-cultured with apoptotic MCF-7 had increased tumor growth and metastatic ability in a nude mouse transplantation assay. The macrophages exposed to apoptotic cells also induce an increase in the proportion of CD44+/CD24− cancer stem-like cells, as well as their proliferative ability accompanied with an increase in mucin1 (MUC1) expression. During this process, macrophages secreted increased amounts of interleukin 6 (IL-6) leading to increased phosphorylation of signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3), which likely explains the increased transcription of STAT3 target genes such as TGF-β1 and HIF-1α. Our results indicate that when cancer cells endure chemotherapy induced apoptosis, macrophages in their microenvironment can then activate cancer stem cells to promote cancer growth and metastasis by secreting IL-6, which activates STAT3 phosphorylation to regulate the transcription of its downstream target genes.
Raman Microscopic Analysis of Internal Stress in Boron-Doped Diamond
Authors: Bennet Kevin , Lee Kendall , Tomshine Jonathan , Sundin Emma , Kruchowski James , Durrer William , Manciu Bianca , Kouzani Abbas , Manciu Felicia
Published: May 2015

Analysis of the induced stress on undoped and boron-doped diamond (BDD) thin films by confocal Raman microscopy is performed in this study to investigate its correlation with sample chemical composition and the substrate used during fabrication. Knowledge of this nature is very important to the issue of long-term stability of BDD coated neurosurgical electrodes that will be used in fast-scan cyclic voltammetry, as potential occurrence of film delaminations and dislocations during their surgical implantation can have unwanted consequences for the reliability of BDD-based biosensing electrodes. To achieve a more uniform deposition of the films on cylindrically-shaped tungsten rods, substrate rotation was employed in a custom-built chemical vapor deposition reactor. In addition to visibly preferential boron incorporation into the diamond lattice and columnar growth, the results also reveal a direct correlation between regions of pure diamond and enhanced stress. Definite stress release throughout entire film thicknesses was found in the current Raman mapping images for higher amounts of boron addition. There is also a possible contribution to the high values of compressive stress from sp2 type carbon impurities, besides that of the expected lattice mismatch between film and substrate.
Nanomaterials-Based Fluorimetric Methods for MicroRNAs Detection
Authors: La Ming , Liu Lin , Zhou Bin-Bin
Published: May 2015

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small endogenous non-coding RNAs of ~22 nucleotides that play important functions in the regulation of many biological processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation, and death. Since their expression has been in close association with the development of many diseases, recently, miRNAs have been regarded as clinically important biomarkers and drug discovery targets. However, because of the short length, high sequence similarity and low abundance of miRNAs in vivo, it is difficult to realize the sensitive and selective detection of miRNAs with conventional methods. In line with the rapid development of nanotechnology, nanomaterials have attracted great attention and have been intensively studied in biological analysis due to their unique chemical, physical and size properties. In particular, fluorimetric methodologies in combination with nanotechnology are especially rapid, sensitive and efficient. The aim of this review is to provide insight into nanomaterials-based fluorimetric methods for the detection of miRNAs, including metal nanomaterials, quantum dots (QDs), graphene oxide (GO) and silicon nanoparticles.
Dissolution and Precipitation Behaviour during Continuous Heating of Al–Mg–Si Alloys in a Wide Range of Heating Rates
Authors: Osten Julia , Milkereit Benjamin , Schick Christoph , Kessler Olaf
Published: May 2015

In the present study, the dissolution and precipitation behaviour of four different aluminium alloys (EN AW-6005A, EN AW-6082, EN AW-6016, and EN AW-6181) in four different initial heat treatment conditions (T4, T6, overaged, and soft annealed) was investigated during heating in a wide dynamic range. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to record heating curves between 20 and 600 °C. Heating rates were studied from 0.01 K/s to 5 K/s. We paid particular attention to control baseline stability, generating flat baselines and allowing accurate quantitative evaluation of the resulting DSC curves. As the heating rate increases, the individual dissolution and precipitation reactions shift to higher temperatures. The reactions during heating are significantly superimposed and partially run simultaneously. In addition, precipitation and dissolution reactions are increasingly suppressed as the heating rate increases, whereby exothermic precipitation reactions are suppressed earlier than endothermic dissolution reactions. Integrating the heating curves allowed the enthalpy levels of the different initial microstructural conditions to be quantified. Referring to time–temperature–austenitisation diagrams for steels, continuous heating dissolution diagrams for aluminium alloys were constructed to summarise the results in graphical form. These diagrams may support process optimisation in heat treatment shops.
Effect of Beverages on Viscoelastic Properties of Resin-Based Dental Composites
Authors: Kaleem Muhammad , Khan Abdul , Rehman Ihtesham , Wong Ferranti
Published: May 2015

The viscoelastic properties of three commercially available resin-based composites (Filtek™ P60, Filtek™ Supreme, and Filtek™ Z250; 3M ESPE, Bracknell, UK) were measured to determine the effect of beverages on their storage moduli and damping ratios. Rectangular samples of the three hybrid composites were immersed in three beverages at 37 °C for 1, 7, 30, and 60 days. At each time interval, these samples were subjected to three-point bend tests in temperature mode using a Perkin Elmer DMA7 Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer (Perkin Elmer Corp., Waltham, MA, USA) to measure the storage modulus and damping ratio. The immersion time had significant influence on the viscoelastic property of composites and it was found that generally for all samples the storage modulus was reduced, whereas damping values increased with immersion time. The viscoelastic behavior of tested materials seems to be related to the pH environment, hydrophilicity and the chemical composition of composites.
Implicit Fractional Differential Equations via the Liouville–Caputo Derivative
Authors: Nieto Juan , Ouahab Abelghani , Venktesh Venktesh
Published: May 2015

We study an initial value problem for an implicit fractional differential equation with the Liouville–Caputo fractional derivative. By using fixed point theory and an approximation method, we obtain some existence and uniqueness results.
A Comparison of In-House Real-Time LAMP Assays with a Commercial Assay for the Detection of Pathogenic Bacteria
Authors: Wang Deguo , Wang Yongzhen , Xiao Fugang , Guo Weiyun , Zhang Yongqing , Wang Aiping , Liu Yanhong
Published: May 2015

Molecular detection of bacterial pathogens based on LAMP methods is a faster and simpler approach than conventional culture methods. Although different LAMP-based methods for pathogenic bacterial detection are available, a systematic comparison of these different LAMP assays has not been performed. In this paper, we compared 12 in-house real-time LAMP assays with a commercialized kit (Isothermal Master Mix) for the detection of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli O157, E. coli O26, E. coli O45, E. coli O103, E. coli O111, E. coli O121, E. coli O145 and Streptococcus agalactiae. False-positive results were observed in all 12 in-house real-time LAMP assays, while all the negative controls of Isothermal Master Mix remained negative after amplification. The detection limit of Isothermal Master Mix for Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli O157, E. coli O26, E. coli O45, E. coli O103, E. coli O111, E. coli O121 and Streptococcus agalactiae was 1 pg, whereas the sensitivity of the commercialized kit for E. coli O145 was 100 pg. In conclusion, the 12 in-house real-time LAMP assays were impractical to use, while the commercialized kit Isothermal Master Mix was useful for the detection of most bacterial pathogens.
The Contribution of Fortified Ready-to-Eat Cereal to Vitamin and Mineral Intake in the U.S. Population, NHANES 2007–2010
Authors: Fulgoni Victor , Buckley Rita
Published: May 2015

Micronutrients play a pivotal role in achieving and maintaining optimum health across all life stages. Much of the U.S. population fails to meet Estimated Average Requirements (EARs) for key nutrients. This analysis aims to assess the contribution of fortified ready-to-eat cereals (RTEC) to micronutrient intake for U.S. residents aged 2–18, 19–99, and 2–99 years of age according to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007–2010 data. We used the National Cancer Institute (NCI) method to assess usual intake of 21 micronutrients and the percentage of the population under EARs and above Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL). Without fortification of RTECs, the percentage of those aged 2–18 years that were below EARs increased by 155, 163, 113, and 35% for niacin, iron, thiamin, and vitamin A, respectively. For vitamins B6 and zinc, the respective numbers were 118% and 60%. Adults aged 19–99 and 2–99 had lower percentages but similar outcomes. RTECs are associated with improved nutrient adequacy and do not widely affect prevalence above the UL. The data indicate that large proportions of the population fail to achieve micronutrient sufficiency without fortification, and that its use can help Americans reach national nutrient intake goals.
Using RapidEye and MODIS Data Fusion to Monitor Vegetation Dynamics in Semi-Arid Rangelands in South Africa
Authors: Tewes Andreas , Thonfeld Frank , Schmidt Michael , Oomen Roelof , Zhu Xiaolin , Dubovyk Olena , Menz Gunter , Schellberg Jürgen
Published: May 2015

Image time series of high temporal and spatial resolution capture land surface dynamics of heterogeneous landscapes. We applied the ESTARFM (Enhanced Spatial and Temporal Adaptive Reflectance Fusion Model) algorithm to multi-spectral images covering two semi-arid heterogeneous rangeland study sites located in South Africa. MODIS 250 m resolution and RapidEye 5 m resolution images were fused to produce synthetic RapidEye images, from June 2011 to July 2012. We evaluated the performance of the algorithm by comparing predicted surface reflectance values to real RapidEye images. Our results show that ESTARFM predictions are accurate, with a coefficient of determination for the red band 0.80 < R2 < 0.92, and for the near-infrared band 0.83 < R2 < 0.93, a mean relative bias between 6% and 12% for the red band and 4% to 9% in the near-infrared band. Heterogeneous vegetation at sub-MODIS resolution is captured adequately: A comparison of NDVI time series derived from RapidEye and ESTARFM data shows that the characteristic phenological dynamics of different vegetation types are reproduced well. We conclude that the ESTARFM algorithm allows us to produce synthetic remote sensing images at high spatial combined with high temporal resolution and so provides valuable information on vegetation dynamics in semi-arid, heterogeneous rangeland landscapes.
Adjusted Spectral Matched Filter for Target Detection in Hyperspectral Imagery
Authors: Gao Lianru , Yang Bin , Du Qian , Zhang Bing
Published: May 2015

Supervised target detection and anomaly detection are widely used in various applications, depending upon the availability of target spectral signature. Basically, they are based on a similar linear process, which makes them highly correlated. In this paper, we propose a novel adjusted spectral matched filter (ASMF) for hyperspectral target detection, which aims to effectively improve target detection performance with anomaly detection output. Specifically, a typical case is presented by using the Reed-Xiaoli (RX) anomaly detector to adjust the output of supervised constrained energy minimization (CEM) detector. The adjustment is appropriately controlled by a weighting parameter in different detection scenarios. Experiments were implemented by using both synthetic and real hyperspectral datasets. Compared to the traditional single detection method (e.g., CEM), the experimental results demonstrate that the proposed ASMF can effectively improve its performance by utilizing the result from an anomaly detector (e.g., RX), particularly in situations with a complex background or strong anomalies.