bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dry Utica Proppant and Frac Fluid Design Optimization
Authors: Yuyi Joseph , Blake Austin , Wyatt John , Dalton Josh , Belyadi Hoss , VanGilder Criss , Roth Benjamin
Published: September 2016

The Dry Utica play is an exciting unconventional gas development currently unfolding in the Appalachian Basin. Published results for several wells exceed an average Initial Production (IP) rate of 60 MMcf/day. However, complexities in the reservoir can make the developmental learning curve steep. Challenges include true vertical depths (TVDs) of 9,000 to 13,500 feet, pore pressures of 0.8 to 0.99 psi/ft, and bottom hole temperatures of up to 240 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, the reservoir has high stresses, high closure pressures, complex and varying mineralogies. Among the greatest challenges in Dry Utica field development is cost effective proppant and frac fluid design and selection. In order to achieve an adequate return on investment: Proppant design has to be optimized to withstand high pore and closure pressures and overall high stresses, but also be cost effective.Frac fluid design has to be compatible with varying mineralogies to avoid a steep decrease in fracture conductivity.

This paper discusses field testing of proppant design and selection and how cost, geological, reservoir, and rock properties affect the completion design and well production. The paper will also review frac fluid design used for proppant transportation and placement, and potential issues with formation mineralogies, as well as mitigation. Field case histories with managed production draw down and how that can affect proppant inside a fracture will also be reviewed.
Assessment of organic micropollutants occurrence in treated wastewater using heat shock protein 47 stress responses in Chinese hamster ovary cells and GC/MS-based non-target screening
Authors: Etteieb Selma , Kawachi Atsushi , Han Junkyu , Elayni Foued , Tarhouni Jamila , Isoda Hiroko
Published: September 2016

Combining bioassays and analytical chemistry screening is a powerful approach to assess organic micropollutants which are the main contributors to toxic potential in complex mixtures of treated wastewater (TWW). The aim of this study was to perform a comprehensive toxicity assessment of treated effluents using stress response bioassays and then to assess the occurrence of the organic micropollutants which were responsible for this biological response using gas chromatography coupled with a mass spectrometry detector (GC/MS). Results showed that TWW samples induced significant stress response on Chinese hamster ovary cells, stably transfected with heat shock protein 47 promoter, at 0.1%, 1%, 5% and 10% concentrations. The organic chemical compounds responsible for stress response potential were identified at different percentage values using non-target chemical screening. Of the compounds detected in TWW1 and TWW4, 55.09% and 74.5% respectively, fell within the class of aliphatic hydrocarbons. Aliphatic hydrocarbons were also present in TWW3 at 26.46% whereas 11.96% corresponded to 6-acetyl-1,1,2,4,4,7-hexamethyltetralin and 16.08% to triethoxysilane. Moreover, 76.73% of TWW2 was recorded as decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5) and 17.44% as n-hexadecanoic acid.
Conteo de plaquetas en sujetos sanos tratados con antiagregantes plaquetarios
Authors: González-Rincón Maczy , Arteaga-Vizcaino Melvis , Ruíz Ana , Briceño Olga , Quintero Maribel , Quintero Jesús , Urdaneta José Ramón
Published: September 2016

Se evaluó el recuento plaquetario en sangre periférica de sujetos sanos tratados con antiagregantes plaquetarios. Se analizaron 20 sujetos. Se distribuyeron en dos grupos: A: 10 sujetos que recibieron Aspirina (100 mg) y B: 10 con Clopidogrel (75 mg) por 7 días. Se les realizó recuento plaquetario en sangre periférica y en PRP. Encontrándose un conteo de plaquetas antes del tratamiento con antiagregantes en sangre periférica de 258,6 ± 54,46 x 109 l7 días después de 254 ± 41,86 x 109 l (Aspirina), 285,4±70,92 y 196,5±37,90 x 109 l (Clopidogrel) respectivamente. En el PRP de los sujetos antes de recibir Aspirina fue 486,5 ± 129,54 x 109 l y después 449,2 ± 85,51 x 109 l; antes de la ingestión de Clopidogrel fue 565,2 ± 150,41 y 592,9 ± 203,46 x 109 l después del tratamiento.Se encontraron diferencias significativas solo para el conteo plaquetario en el grupo del Clopidogrel (p< 0.05). Se observó una disminución significativa del conteo plaquetario en sangre periférica posterior a la administración del Clopidogrel, posiblemente como consecuencia del mecanismo farmacológico del mismo. Son necesarios más estudios para evaluar un mayor número de individuos y medir mejor el efecto de los antiplaquetarios
Diagnóstico diferencial de lesiones cerebrales con realce en anillo en tomografía computarizada y resonancia magnética
Authors: Aljure Vicente de Jesús , Pulido-Arias Edder Armando , Rodríguez-Monroy Jeffer Alexander , Rodríguez-Mateus María Natalia , Ramos-Hernández Jhon Alejandro
Published: September 2016

La tomografía computarizada y la resonancia magnética nuclear son técnicas imagenológicas de diagnóstico médico que ofrecen información excelente de diferentes procesos infecciosos, traumáticos o tumorales de cualquier parte del cuerpo humano. Con ellos se permitió la identificación de innumerables patologías y patrones característicos de las mismas, siendo una de ellas, el realce en anillo en el Sistema Nervioso Central. Numerosas patologías presentan este patrón imagenológico: Glioblastoma multiforme, síndromes desmielinizantes, metástasis, abscesos cerebrales, toxoplasmosis cerebral, neurocisticercosis, linfomas, entre otros. El objetivo del presente artículo es brindar una revisión general de las patologías más frecuentes en los servicios de imagenología, permitiendo su correlación con las características clínicas y brindando una ayuda al clínico que para establecer un diagnóstico adecuado.
Descentralización y recentralización educativa en una perspectiva comparada de tres países federales latinoamericanos
Authors: Malgouyres François
Published: September 2016

Con el fin de analizar los fenómenos de centralización y descentralización en la educación, este texto realiza una comparación internacional sobre el continente latinoamericano. Se estudiarán primero las razones que llevaron a los Estados a descentralizar o a desconcentrar la educación. Nuestro estudio se enfocará en los países de México, Brasil y Argentina. Los tres son federaciones, pero sus historias y realidades sociales y económicas son distintas. Tras distinguir los movimientos de descentralización y desconcentración que condicionan unas lógicas específicas de regulación de las políticas en educación, analizaremos los procesos de recentralización.
Quality of life of treated opiate addicts in the methadone maintenance program and those treated with buprenorphine
Authors: Marinkovic Mirjana , Djordjevic-Jovanovic Lidija , Miljkovic Snezana , Milojkovic Bobana , Janjic Vladimir
Published: September 2016

Background/Aim. Although the characteristics of the treatment are the most researched determinants of quality of life of opiate addicts, it is indisputable that there is a certain influence of the characteristics of addicts and addiction, too. The aim of this study was to determine which addicts characteristics, as well as the characteristics of the addiction and treatment have predicative influence on the quality of life of the opiate addicts treated in the methadone maintenance program and those treated with buprenorphine. Methods. The epidemiological cross-sectional study was carried out in 2013 at the Clinical Center Nis, on a total of 64 opiate addicts, both sexes, aged 18 and older (32 addicts in the methadone program, chosen by random selection, and 32 addicts treated with buprenorphine, matched by sex and age). Necessary data were collected in a ?face to face? interview with the examinees, based on the autonomous kind of a questionnaire, together with the use of the standardized World Health Organization (WHO) instruments: for health status, for the level of severity of addiction and for the quality of life measuring) based on which the health index (EQ-5D), Addiction Severity Index (ASI) and the quality of life index (WHOQOL-BREF) were calculated. The data were described by the methods of descriptive statistics, while the differences between groups were analyzed by applying ?2 and t-test. Multiple regressions were used to determine the predictors. Results. The addicts in the methadone program showed much worse perception of quality of life than those treated in another way, although, according to the values of quality of life, they did not differ significantly. The most numerous predictors of the level of quality of life were health characteristics, characteristics of the socioeconomic position of the examinees, as well as different consequences of addiction. The influence of treatment was less noticeable. Participating in the methadone program had predicative influence on perception and the level of quality of life of the addicts in mental area and that of the environment. The influence of the characteristics of methadone treatment in physical and social area was insignificant. Conclusion. Variations in the perception and level of the quality of life of opiate addicts in different areas cannot be explained using only one predictor. The number of determining variables is large, and its impact complex.
Oral health-related quality of life of institutionalized elderly in Serbia
Authors: Petrovic Milos , Stancic Ivica , Popovac Aleksandra , Vasovic Miroslav
Published: September 2016

Background/Aim. Elderly residents in nursing homes have a great risk of periodontal and tooth diseases. Improving oral health can also improve residents? general health and quality of life. The objective of our study was to investigate oral health related quality of life of institutionalized elderly in Serbia using Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI). Methods. The Serbian version of the GOHAI questionnaire was developed in accordance with the recommended backward- forward method. A total of 301 participants completed the Serbian version of the GOHAI questionnaire. The questionnaire sought information about sociodemographic characteristics and self-reported perception of general and oral health. Clinical examination included assessment of periodontal and dental status. Reliability, internal consistency, and concurrent and convergent validity of GOHAI scores were examined. Results. There were 197 female and 104 male participants with the average age of 78.6 (SD ? 7.8) and average time spent in nursing home 4.9 (SD ? 4.7) years. The average score of the GOHAI was 48.4 (SD ? 8.4). Low GOHAI scores were associated with perceptions of poor oral and general health. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the Serbian version of GOHAI was 0.79. This instrument showed a high level of internal consistency and homogeneity between questions. The respondents who perceived that they needed dental treatment at the time had significantly lower GOHAI scores. A total of 48.5% of the participants reported ?always? having difficulties when chewing. On the other hand, a small number of participants (0.3%) used medications ?always? to relieve dental pain. Conclusion. The Serbian version of the GOHAI showed acceptable reliability and validity. The GOHAI final score was considered low, indicating low oral health self-perception by the institutionalized elderly in Serbia.
Effects of combined special education treatment and occupational therapy on upper extremities motor skills in adult patients with hemiplegia
Authors: Savkovic Nada
Published: September 2016

Background/Aim. Stroke is the most common single cause of severe and multiple physical disabilities, and rehabilitation that reduces functional deficits is the most effective treatment. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of special education treatment as a supplement to occupational therapy on upper extremities motor skills in adult patients with post stroke hemiplegia. Methods. Standard education tests for motor function evaluation of the upper extremities: O`Connor, Ring and Hand grip test, were applied on a sample of 64 patients who were in the process of rehabilitation in the Clinic for Rehabilitation ?Dr. Miroslav Zotovic? in Belgrade. After the evaluation, all the participants were included in occupational therapy and divided in two intervention groups per 32 subjects each. The patients from the first experimental group received individually dosed special education treatment which was performed for at least 12 weeks as a supplement together with occupational therapy, while patients from the second experimental group were only in the process of occupational therapy without special education treatment. At the end of the study the same tests were used to re-evaluate the level of motor abilities of the patients in both groups. Results.The patients from the first experimental group with individually dosed special education treatment as a supplement showed significantly better scores after applying the treatment in all tested variables ? explosive, static and dynamic muscular strength grip fist, as well as oculomotor skills at the level of the elbow and shoulder for both healthy and paretic hand. Conclusion. On the basis of the obtained results, it can be concluded that special education treatment added to occupational therapy lead to better performing of upper extremities motor skills and that it can be a good supplement to conventional occupational therapy methods and techniques.
Expression of p63 as predictive and prognostic factor in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer
Authors: Cvetkovic Gordana , Plavec Goran , Tatomirovic Zeljka , Jovic Milena , Loncarevic Olivera , Trifunovic Zoran , Vukovic Jelena , Stojsavljevic Marko , Milic Gordana
Published: September 2016

Background/Aim. Serbia belongs to the group of countries with a high lung cancer incidence and mortality rate. p63 gene plays an important role in development of lung cancer and immunohistochemical expression of p63 is considered to be a reliable marker for squamous histology. The results of some in vitro studies show a significant association of p63 expression and cisplatin chemoresistance. The aim of this study was to estimate the significance of p63 expression as predictive and prognostic factor in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods. Expression of p63 in 85 NSCLC (stages III, and IV) was investigated by the use of immunohistochemistry. Four weeks after the completion of 2 cycles of platinum-based doublet chemotherapy all the patients were evaluated based on the treatment response. Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank tests were used for overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) calcultations. Results. The expression of p63 was present in 49.4% of the patients out of whom 38.8% were with positive expression (p63+) and 10.6% of the patients were with weak expression (p63+-). Positive expression of p63 was seen in 93.9% of squamous cell carcinomas (SQCC), 5% of adenocarcinomas (AC), and in no patient with not otherwise specified (NOS) NSCLC. Weak expression of p63 was found in 12.5% of AC, 25% of NOS and only in 3% of SQCC. Analysis of the impact of the presence of p63 expression on the initial response to chemotherapy showed no statistical significance. The patients with weak p63 expression had a significantly shorter OS than the patients with no p63 expression (p = 0.049), and the tendency of shorter OS than the patients with p63 expression (p = 0.068). Conclusion. This study shows that p63 expression has no predictive significance for tumor response to initial chemotherapy regimen gemcitabine/ cisplatin or paclitaxel/cisplatin observed in advanced NSCLC. Weak expression of p63 have a negative prognostic effect in stage III and IV NSCLC.
Vocational Education and Training Graduates: Challenges in Practical Skills to the Job Market
Authors: Shrestha Basanti Roshan Pradhan
Published: September 2016

The purpose of this study is to describe the challenges facing vocational education and training graduates to the job market. Many studies and research has been done to identify the causes of the problem that vocational graduates are facing after they employed in the job market. But still problems are existing in job market as vocational graduates are facing difficulties to transfer their learning. Hence, it challenges the vocational Education and training system. Therefore, this study also focused on the possible interventions to solve the existing problems that vocational graduates and job markets have been facing. The gap and weak linkage between vocational training providers and job market challenges curriculum design and performance in job. So, Competency based training based curriculum design improve the quality of instruction through experienced instructors and training providers are the possible intervention to fill the gap.Int. J. Soc. Sc. Manage. Vol. 3, Issue-3: 141-145
Surgical outcomes of Majewski osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism Type II with intracranial vascular anomalies
Authors: Teo Mario , Johnson Jeremiah N. , Bell-Stephens Teresa E. , Marks Michael P. , Do Huy M. , Dodd Robert L. , Bober Michael B. , Steinberg Gary K.
Published: September 2016

OBJECTIVE

Majewski osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism Type II (MOPD II) is a rare genetic disorder. Features of it include extremely small stature, severe microcephaly, and normal or near-normal intelligence. Previous studies have found that more than 50% of patients with MOPD II have intracranial vascular anomalies, but few successful surgical revascularization or aneurysm-clipping cases have been reported because of the diminutive arteries and narrow surgical corridors in these patients. Here, the authors report on a large series of patients with MOPD II who underwent surgery for an intracranial vascular anomaly.

METHODS

In conjunction with an approved prospective registry of patients with MOPD II, a prospectively collected institutional surgical database of children with MOPD II and intracranial vascular anomalies who underwent surgery was analyzed retrospectively to establish long-term outcomes.

RESULTS

Ten patients with MOPD II underwent surgery between 2005 and 2012; 5 patients had moyamoya disease (MMD), 2 had intracranial aneurysms, and 3 had both MMD and aneurysms. Patients presented with transient ischemic attack (TIA) (n = 2), ischemic stroke (n = 2), intraparenchymal hemorrhage from MMD (n = 1), and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (n = 1), and 4 were diagnosed on screening. The mean age of the 8 patients with MMD, all of whom underwent extracranial-intracranial revascularization (14 indirect, 1 direct) was 9 years (range 1–17 years). The mean age of the 5 patients with aneurysms was 15.5 years (range 9–18 years). Two patients experienced postoperative complications (1 transient weakness after clipping, 1 femoral thrombosis that required surgical repair). During a mean follow-up of 5.9 years (range 3–10 years), 3 patients died (1 of subarachnoid hemorrhage, 1 of myocardial infarct, and 1 of respiratory failure), and 1 patient had continued TIAs. All of the surviving patients recovered to their neurological baseline.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with MMD presented at a younger age than those in whom aneurysms were more prevalent. Microneurosurgery with either intracranial bypass or aneurysm clipping is extremely challenging but feasible at expert centers in patients with MOPD II, and good long-term outcomes are possible.
The Making of Heritages among Nomadic, Pastoral Peoples in Muslim Societies
Authors: Ben Hounet Yazid , Brisebarre Anne-Marie , Guinand Sandra
Published: September 2016

This special issue inquires into the changes under way among nomadic, pastoral peoples in Muslim societies that are concurrent with the construction of a heritage, whether from their culture's material or immaterial aspects (Bortolotto 2011) or through 'protected areas' or 'conservation sites'. The five articles herein focus on nomadic, pastoral groups in several areas in the Muslim world, ranging from North Africa to central Asia. They span two areas of study: how nomadic, pastoral societies cope with social changes and public policies (Bonte and Ben Hounet 2009, Sternberg and Chatty 2013); and how 'heritages' are made from traditional practices and objects. This special issue has come out of a roundtable organised in March 2014 by the team working on the comparative anthropology of Muslim societies and cultures (Laboratory of Social Anthropology, Collège de France, Paris). By limiting the scope to Muslim societies, a reasoned and reasonable comparison can be proposed within a vast, diversified sociocultural zone. Furthermore, the part played by a religious identity in heritage-making among nomadic, pastoral peoples can be brought to light.
The Ambiguities of The Kazakhs' Nomadic Heritage
Authors: Ferret Carole
Published: September 2016

Abstract

1

Presenting themselves as the heirs of the steppe nomads, the Kazakhs have, since the independence of Kazakhstan in 1991, emphasised their nomadic inheritance as the basis of their identity. Nonetheless, for all that they reclaim this heritage, they remain influenced by negative representations of nomads, and, having difficulty in combining pastoralism and modernity, they proclaim themselves at the same time founders of cities, inventors of writing and creators of state, in a quest for ancestral grounding which they share with other Central Asian republics. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, debates upon sedentarisation showed all the ambivalence of the Russian and Kazakh positions on the topic. Following independence, the 'patrimonialisation' of nomadism focused upon some ancillary emblems, such as the yurt or the horse, neglecting the essential feature, residential mobility, and, in ignoring actual nomadic practices, it definitively relegated nomadism to the past. Ethnography, conceived as a historical discipline consistently built on an evolutionist paradigm, described Kazakh pastoralism as relevant to a temporal elsewhere (before the 1917 revolution) or a geographical one (beyond the borders of Kazakhstan), and it showed little interest in the actual realities of mobile pastoralism, despite it being practiced by a small part of the population.
The Wa
c
da of Sid Ahmad Majdūb and of Sidi Yahia: The Intangible Heritage and the Semi-Nomadic Tribes of the Algerian West
Authors: Ben Hounet Yazid , Guinand Sandra
Published: September 2016

This article focuses on two feasts traditionally linked to the pastoral and nomadic world of the Algerian West: the wa
c
da of Sid Ahmad Majdūb (daïra of Asla) and that of Sidi Yahia (daïra Sebdu). Organised in honour of local saints, these events reflect at once the vicissitudes of the rural world of the high Algerian steppes, the transformations of identity and the local socio-political relations as well as the effects of the heritage enhancement policies of the local culture. Nomadic and pastoral populations, in Algeria and elsewhere, are increasingly confronted with various heritage enhancement processes initiated by the political authorities in the wake of international recommendations. Using these two examples, we wish in particular to illustrate the idea that the pastoral and nomadic populations both use and preserve heritage-oriented actions.
An autotuning respiration compensation system based on ultrasound image tracking
Authors: Kuo Chia-Chun , Chuang Ho-Chiao , Teng Kuan-Ting , Hsu Hsiao-Yu , Tien Der-Chi , Wu Chih-Jen , Jeng Shiu-Chen , Chiou Jeng-Fong
Published: September 2016

The purpose of this study was to develop an ultrasound image tracking algorithm (UITA) for extracting the exact displacement of internal organs caused by respiratory motion. The program can track organ displacements in real time, and analyze the displacement signals associated with organ displacements via a respiration compensating system (RCS). The ultrasound imaging system is noninvasive and has a high spatial resolution and a high frame rate (around 32 frames/s), which reduces the radiation doses that patients receive during computed tomography and X-ray observations. This allows for the continuous noninvasive observation and compensation of organ displacements simultaneously during a radiation therapy session.

This study designed a UITA for tracking the motion of a specific target, such as the human diaphragm. Simulated diaphragm motion driven by a respiration simulation system was observed with an ultrasound imaging system, and then the induced diaphragm displacements were calculated by our proposed UITA. These signals were used to adjust the gain of the RCS so that the amplitudes of the compensation signals were close to the target movements. The inclination angle of the ultrasound probe with respect to the surface of the abdomen affects the results of ultrasound image displacement tracking. Therefore, the displacement of the phantom was verified by a LINAC with different inclination-angle settings of the ultrasound probe. The experimental results indicate that the best inclination angle of the ultrasound probe is 40 degrees, since this results in the target displacement of the ultrasound images being close to the actual target motion. The displacement signals of the tracking phantom and the opposing displacement signals created by the RCS were compared to assess the positioning accuracy of our proposed ultrasound image tracking technique combined with the RCS.

When the ultrasound probe was inclined by 40 degrees in simulated respiration experiments using sine waves, the correlation between the target displacement on the ultrasound images and the actual target displacement was around 97%, and all of the compensation rates exceeded 94% after activating the RCS. Furthermore, the diaphragm movements on the ultrasound images of three patients could be captured by our image tracking technique. The test results show that our algorithm could achieve precise point locking and tracking functions on the diaphragm. This study has demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed ultrasound image tracking technique combined with the RCS for compensating for organ displacements caused by respiratory motion.

This study has shown that the proposed ultrasound image tracking technique combined with the RCS can provide real-time compensation of respiratory motion during radiation therapy, without increasing the overall treatment time. In addition, the system has modest space requirements and is easy to operate.
Investigating evaluation and news values in news items that are shared through social media
Authors: Bednarek Monika
Published: September 2016

The sharing of news through social media platforms is now a significant part of mainstream online media use and is an increasingly important consideration in journalism practice and production. This paper analyses the linguistic characteristics of online news sharing on Facebook, with a focus on evaluation and news values in a corpus of the 100 ‘most shared’ news items from ‘heritage’ English-language news media organisations. Analyses combine corpus linguistic techniques (semantic tagging, frequency analysis, concordancing) with manual, computer-aided annotation. The main focus is on discursive news values analysis (DNVA), which examines how news values are established through semiotic resources, enabling new empirical insights into shared news and adding a specific linguistic focus to the emerging literature on news sharing. Results suggest that all ‘traditional’ news values appear to be construed in the shared news corpus and that there is variety in terms of the items that are widely shared. At the same time, the news values of Eliteness, Superlativeness, Unexpectedness, Negativity and Timeliness seem especially important in the corpus. The findings also indicate that ‘unexpected’ and ‘affective’ news items may be shared more, and that Negativity is a more important news value than Positivity.
Van Der Waals Heterostructures between Small Organic Molecules and Layered Substrates
Authors: Huang Han , Huang Yingbao , Wang Shitan , Zhu Menglong , Xie Haipeng , Zhang Lei , Zheng Xiaoming , Xie Qiliang , Niu Dongmei , Gao Yongli
Published: September 2016

Two dimensional atomic crystals, like grapheme (G) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), exhibit great interest in electronic and optoelectronic applications. The excellent physical properties, such as transparency, semiconductivity, and flexibility, make them compatible with current organic electronics. Here, we review recent progress in the understanding of the interfaces of van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures between small organic molecules (pentacene, copper phthalocyanine (CuPc), perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA), and dioctylbenzothienobenzothiophene (C8-BTBT)) and layered substrates (G, MoS2 and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN)). The influences of the underlying layered substrates on the molecular arrangement, electronic and vibrational properties will be addressed.
The Influence of Mobility Rate on Spiral Waves in Spatial Rock-Paper-Scissors Games
Authors: Mobilia Mauro , Rucklidge Alastair , Szczesny Bartosz
Published: September 2016

We consider a two-dimensional model of three species in rock-paper-scissors competition and study the self-organisation of the population into fascinating spiraling patterns. Within our individual-based metapopulation formulation, the population composition changes due to cyclic dominance (dominance-removal and dominance-replacement), mutations, and pair-exchange of neighboring individuals. Here, we study the influence of mobility on the emerging patterns and investigate when the pair-exchange rate is responsible for spiral waves to become elusive in stochastic lattice simulations. In particular, we show that the spiral waves predicted by the system’s deterministic partial equations are found in lattice simulations only within a finite range of the mobility rate. We also report that in the absence of mutations and dominance-replacement, the resulting spiraling patterns are subject to convective instability and far-field breakup at low mobility rate. Possible applications of these resolution and far-field breakup phenomena are discussed.
Glycerin-Induced Conformational Changes in Bombyx mori Silk Fibroin Film Monitored by 13C CP/MAS NMR and 1H DQMAS NMR
Authors: Asakura Tetsuo , Endo Masanori , Hirayama Misaki , Arai Hiroki , Aoki Akihiro , Tasei Yugo
Published: September 2016

In order to improve the stiff and brittle characteristics of pure Bombyx mori (B. mori) silk fibroin (SF) film in the dry state, glycerin (Glyc) has been used as a plasticizer. However, there have been very limited studies on the structural characterization of the Glyc-blended SF film. In this study, 13C Cross Polarization/Magic Angle Spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (CP/MAS NMR) was used to monitor the conformational changes in the films by changing the Glyc concentration. The presence of only 5 wt % Glyc in the film induced a significant conformational change in SF where Silk I* (repeated type II β-turn and no α-helix) newly appeared. Upon further increase in Glyc concentration, the percentage of Silk I* increased linearly up to 9 wt % Glyc and then tended to be almost constant (30%). This value (30%) was the same as the fraction of Ala residue within the Silk I* form out of all Ala residues of SF present in B. mori mature silkworm. The 1H DQMAS NMR spectra of Glyc-blended SF films confirmed the appearance of Silk I* in the Glyc-blended SF film. A structural model of Glyc-SF complex including the Silk I* form was proposed with the guidance of the Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation using 1H–1H distance constraints obtained from the 1H Double-Quantum Magic Angle Spinning (DQMAS) NMR spectra.
A MicroRNA that Regulates TLR-Mediated Fibrosis
Authors: Duffy Laura , O’Reilly Steven
Published: September 2016

Hepatic damage can be caused by an array of factors which, if sustained, can lead to hepatic ﬁbrosis.[...]
Early Prediction of Therapy Response to Abiraterone Acetate Using PSA Subforms in Patients with Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer
Authors: Schlack Katrin , Krabbe Laura-Maria , Fobker Manfred , Schrader Andres , Semjonow Axel , Boegemann Martin
Published: September 2016

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic ability of early changes of total prostate specific antigen (tPSA), free PSA (fPSA), [−2]proPSA and the Prostate Health Index (PHI) following initiation of Abiraterone-therapy in men with castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). In 25 patients, PSA-subforms were analyzed before and at 8–12 weeks under therapy as prognosticators of progression-free-survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Comparing patients with a PFS < vs. ≥12 months by using Mann–Whitney–Wilcoxon Tests, the relative-median-change of tPSA (−0.1% vs. −86.8%; p = 0.02), fPSA (12.1% vs. −55.3%; p = 0.03) and [−2]proPSA (8.1% vs. −59.3%; p = 0.05) differed significantly. For men with ≤ vs. >15 months of OS there was a non-significant trend for a difference in the relative-median-change of fPSA (17.0% vs. −46.3%; p = 0.06). In Kaplan–Meier analyses, declining fPSA and [−2]proPSA were associated with a longer median PFS (13 months, 95% confidence interval (CI): 9.6–16.4 vs. 10 months, 95% CI: 3.5–16.5; p = 0.11), respectively. Correspondingly, decreasing fPSA and [−2]proPSA values indicated an OS of 32 months (95% CI: not reached (NR)) compared to 21 months in men with rising values (95% CI: 7.7–34.3; p = 0.14), respectively. We concluded that the addition of fPSA- and [−2]proPSA-changes to tPSA-information might be further studied as potential markers of early Abiraterone response in mCRPC patients.
Automatic Gleason Grading of Prostate Cancer Using Shearlet Transform and Multiple Kernel Learning
Authors: Rezaeilouyeh Hadi , Mahoor Mohammad
Published: September 2016

The Gleason grading system is generally used for histological grading of prostate cancer. In this paper, we first introduce using the Shearlet transform and its coefficients as texture features for automatic Gleason grading. The Shearlet transform is a mathematical tool defined based on affine systems and can analyze signals at various orientations and scales and detect singularities, such as image edges. These properties make the Shearlet transform more suitable for Gleason grading compared to the other transform-based feature extraction methods, such as Fourier transform, wavelet transform, etc. We also extract color channel histograms and morphological features. These features are the essential building blocks of what pathologists consider when they perform Gleason grading. Then, we use the multiple kernel learning (MKL) algorithm for fusing all three different types of extracted features. We use support vector machines (SVM) equipped with MKL for the classification of prostate slides with different Gleason grades. Using the proposed method, we achieved high classification accuracy in a dataset containing 100 prostate cancer sample images of Gleason Grades 2–5.
Compact Holographic Projection Display Using Liquid-Crystal-on-Silicon Spatial Light Modulator
Authors: Hsu Wei-Feng , Weng Ming-Hong
Published: September 2016

This paper presents a holographic projection display in which a phase-only spatial light modulator (SLM) performs three functions: beam shaping, image display, and speckle reduction. The functions of beam shaping and image display are performed by dividing the SLM window into four sub-windows loaded with different diffractive phase elements (DPEs). The DPEs are calculated using a modified iterative Fourier transform algorithm (IFTA). The function of speckle reduction is performed using temporal integration of display images containing speckles. The speckle contrast ratio of the display image is 0.39 due to the integration of eight speckled images. The system can be extended to display full-color images also by using temporal addition of elementary color images. Because the system configuration needs only an SLM, a Fourier transform lens, and two mirrors, the system volume is very small, becoming a potential candidate for micro projectors.
Comparative Skeletal Muscle Proteomics Using Two-Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis
Authors: Murphy Sandra , Dowling Paul , Ohlendieck Kay
Published: September 2016

The pioneering work by Patrick H. O’Farrell established two-dimensional gel electrophoresis as one of the most important high-resolution protein separation techniques of modern biochemistry (Journal of Biological Chemistry 1975, 250, 4007–4021). The application of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis has played a key role in the systematic identification and detailed characterization of the protein constituents of skeletal muscles. Protein changes during myogenesis, muscle maturation, fibre type specification, physiological muscle adaptations and natural muscle aging were studied in depth by the original O’Farrell method or slightly modified gel electrophoretic techniques. Over the last 40 years, the combined usage of isoelectric focusing in the first dimension and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide slab gel electrophoresis in the second dimension has been successfully employed in several hundred published studies on gel-based skeletal muscle biochemistry. This review focuses on normal and physiologically challenged skeletal muscle tissues and outlines key findings from mass spectrometry-based muscle proteomics, which was instrumental in the identification of several thousand individual protein isoforms following gel electrophoretic separation. These muscle-associated protein species belong to the diverse group of regulatory and contractile proteins of the acto-myosin apparatus that forms the sarcomere, cytoskeletal proteins, metabolic enzymes and transporters, signaling proteins, ion-handling proteins, molecular chaperones and extracellular matrix proteins.
Reconstruction of MODIS Spectral Reflectance under Cloudy-Sky Condition
Authors: Gao Bo , Gong Huili , Wang Tianxing , Jia Li
Published: September 2016

Clouds usually cause invalid observations for sensors aboard satellites, which corrupts the spatio-temporal continuity of land surface parameters retrieved from remote sensing data (e.g., MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data) and prevents the fusing of multi-source remote sensing data in the field of quantitative remote sensing. Based on the requirements of spatio-temporal continuity and the necessity of methods to restore bad pixels, primarily resulting from image processing, this study developed a novel method to derive the spectral reflectance for MODIS band of cloudy pixels in the visual–near infrared (VIS–NIR) spectral channel based on the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) and multi-spatio-temporal observations. The proposed method first constructs the spatial distribution of land surface reflectance based on the corresponding BRDF and the solar-viewing geometry; then, a geographically weighted regression (GWR) is introduced to individually derive the spectral surface reflectance for MODIS band of cloudy pixels. A validation of the proposed method shows that a total root-mean-square error (RMSE) of less than 6% and a total R2 of more than 90% are detected, which indicates considerably better precision than those exhibited by other existing methods. Further validation of the retrieved white-sky albedo based on the spectral reflectance for MODIS band of cloudy pixels confirms an RMSE of 3.6% and a bias of 2.2%, demonstrating very high accuracy of the proposed method.
Reactive Spark Plasma Sintering and Mechanical Properties of Zirconium Diboride–Titanium Diboride Ultrahigh Temperature Ceramic Solid Solutions
Authors: S. Karthiselva , Bakshi Srinivasa
Published: September 2016

Ultrahigh temperature ceramics (UHTCs) such as diborides of zirconium, hafnium tantalum and their composites are considered to be the candidate materials for thermal protection systems of hypersonic vehicles due to their exceptional combination of physical, chemical and mechanical properties. A composite of ZrB2-TiB2 is expected to have better properties. In this study, an attempt has been made to fabricate ZrB2-TiB2 ceramics using mechanically activated elemental powders followed by reactive spark plasma sintering (RSPS) at 1400 °C. Microstructure and phase analysis was carried out using X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and electron microscopy to understand microstructure evolution. Fracture toughness and hardness were evaluated using indentation methods. Nanoindentation was used to measure elastic modulus. Compressive strength of the composites has been reported.
Study of sharp injuries and blood splash exposures among healthcare workers in a tertiary hospital in Bangalore
Authors: Pradeep Shalini Sivananjiah , Raghu Suman Gadicherla , G Prathab A , Rudresh Banashankari G , Kunnavil Radhika
Published: September 2016

The working environment of healthcare workers (HCW) exposes them to sharp injuries. This communication attempts to examine the injury registers, incidence of sharps injuries and blood splash exposures, and the post-exposure prophylaxis status of employees in a tertiary care hospital. Analysis included records form 54 locations of two units of a tertiary hospital attached to a Medical College. Maintenance of the injury register overall was highly satisfactory in both units. Two hundred and nine injuries were recorded from both units of the hospital. The majority of injuries (60.5%) occurred in the age group of 20-30 years with 70% among females. Waste handlers were at increased risk during waste management procedures. Thirty two percent of sharps injury injuries occurred in wards. Of the ward nursing staff, 25.3% received sharps injuries. Post-exposure prophylaxis for Hepatitis B (primary dose) was given to 25 HCWs; 11 received booster doses. The basic regimen for HIV post-exposure prophylaxis was given to 4 HCWs. Awareness about records maintenance, regular documentation, awareness and training, and implementation of appropriate preventive measures can reduce the incidence of injuries. Key words: Sharps, injury register, Health care workers (HCW),Post exposure prophylaxis (PEP)
Varioloid A, a new indolyl-6,10b-dihydro-5aH-[1]benzofuro[2,3-b]indole derivative from the marine alga-derived endophytic fungus Paecilomyces variotii EN-291
Authors: Zhang Peng , Li Xiao-Ming , Mao Xin-Xin , Mándi Attila , Kurtán Tibor , Wang Bin-Gui
Published: September 2016

A new indolyl-6,10b-dihydro-5aH-[1]benzofuro[2,3-b]indole derivative, varioloid A (1), was isolated from the marine alga-derived endophytic fungus Paecilomyces variotii EN-291. Its structure was elucidated on the basis of extensive analysis of 1D and 2D NMR data and the absolute configuration was determined by time-dependent density functional theory-electronic circular dichroism (TDDFT-ECD) calculations. A similar compound, whose planar structure was previously described but the relative and absolute configurations and 13C NMR data were not reported, was also identified and was tentatively named as varioloid B (2). Both compounds 1 and 2 exhibited cytotoxicity against A549, HCT116, and HepG2 cell lines, with IC50 values ranging from 2.6 to 8.2 µg/mL.
X-RAY SPECTRAL AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF A ULX IN NGC 4258 (M106)
Authors: Avdan H. , Avdan S. , Akyuz A. , Balman S. , Aksaker N. , Oralhan I. Akkaya
Published: September 2016

We study the X-ray and optical properties of the ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) X-6 in the nearby galaxy NGC 4258 (M106) based on the archival XMM-Newton, Chandra, Swift, and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations. The source has a peak luminosity of L
X ∼ 2 × 1039 erg s−1 in the XMM-Newton observation of 2004 June. Consideration of the hardness ratios and the spectral model parameters shows that the source seems to exhibit possible spectral variations throughout the X-ray observations. In the images from the HST/Advanced Camera for Surveys, three optical sources have been identified as counterpart candidates within the 1σ error radius of 0.″3. The brightest one has an absolute magnitude of M

V
 ≈ −7.0 and shows extended structure. The remaining two sources have absolute magnitudes of M

V
 ≈ −5.8 and −5.3. The possible spectral types of the candidates from brightest to dimmest were determined as B6–A5, B0–A7, and B2–A3. The counterparts of the X-ray source possibly belong to a young star cluster. Neither the standard disk model nor the slim disk model provides firm evidence to determine the spectral characteristics of ULX X-6. We argue that the mass of the compact object lies in the range 10–15 M
☉, indicating that the compact source is most likely a stellar-mass black hole.
SPECTRAL PROPERTIES OF LARGE GRADUAL SOLAR ENERGETIC PARTICLE EVENTS. II. SYSTEMATIC Q/M DEPENDENCE OF HEAVY ION SPECTRAL BREAKS
Authors: Desai M. I. , Mason G. M. , Dayeh M. A. , Ebert R. W. , McComas D. J. , Li G. , Cohen C. M. S. , Mewaldt R. A. , Schwadron N. A. , Smith C. W.
Published: September 2016

We fit ∼0.1–500 MeV nucleon−1 H–Fe spectra in 46 large solar energetic particle (SEP) events with the double power-law Band function to obtain a normalization constant, low- and high-energy parameters γ
a and γ
b, and break energy E
B, and derive the low-energy spectral slope γ
1. We find that: (1) γ
a, γ
1, and γ
b are species-independent and the spectra steepen with increasing energy; (2) E
B decreases systematically with decreasing Q/M scaling as (Q/M)
α
; (3) α varies between ∼0.2–3 and is well correlated with the ∼0.16–0.23 MeV nucleon−1 Fe/O; (4) in most events, α < 1.4, γ
b–γ
a > 3, and O E
B increases with γ
b–γ
a; and (5) in many extreme events (associated with faster coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and GLEs), Fe/O and 3He/4He ratios are enriched, α ≥ 1.4, γ
b–γ
a < 3, and E
B decreases with γ
b–γ
a. The species-independence of γ
a, γ
1, and γ
b and the Q/M dependence of E
B within an event and the α values suggest that double power-law SEP spectra occur due to diffusive acceleration by near-Sun CME shocks rather than scattering in interplanetary turbulence. Using γ
1, we infer that the average compression ratio for 33 near-Sun CME shocks is 2.49 ± 0.08. In most events, the Q/M dependence of E
B is consistent with the equal diffusion coefficient condition and the variability in α is driven by differences in the near-shock wave intensity spectra, which are flatter than the Kolmogorov turbulence spectrum but weaker than the spectra for extreme events. In contrast, in extreme events, enhanced wave power enables faster CME shocks to accelerate impulsive suprathermal ions more efficiently than ambient coronal ions.
SPECTROSCOPIC MEASUREMENTS OF THE FAR-ULTRAVIOLET DUST ATTENUATION CURVE AT z ∼ 3*
Authors: Reddy Naveen A. , Steidel Charles C. , Pettini Max , Bogosavljević Milan
Published: September 2016

We present the first spectroscopic measurements of the shape of the far-ultraviolet (far-UV;

Å) dust attenuation curve at high redshift (

). Our analysis employs rest-frame UV spectra of 933 galaxies at

, 121 of which have very deep spectroscopic observations (

hr) at

, with the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrograph on the Keck Telescope. By using an iterative approach in which we calculate the ratios of composite spectra in different bins of continuum color excess,

, we derive a dust curve that implies a lower attenuation in the far-UV for a given

than those obtained with standard attenuation curves. We demonstrate that the UV composite spectra of

galaxies can be modeled well by assuming our new attenuation curve, a high covering fraction of H i, and absorption from the Lyman–Werner bands of

with a small (

) covering fraction. The low covering fraction of

relative to that of the

and dust suggests that most of the dust in the ISM of typical galaxies at

is unrelated to the catalysis of

, and is associated with other phases of the ISM (i.e., the ionized and neutral gas). The far-UV dust curve implies a factor of

lower dust attenuation of Lyman continuum (ionizing) photons relative to those inferred from the most commonly assumed attenuation curves for L* galaxies at

. Our results may be utilized to assess the degree to which ionizing photons are attenuated in H ii regions or, more generally, in the ionized or low column density (

cm−2) neutral ISM of high-redshift galaxies.