bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How diploidization turned a tetraploid into a pseudotriploid
Authors: Mandáková Terezie , Gloss Andrew D. , Whiteman Noah K. , Lysak Martin A.
Published: April 2016

PREMISE OF THE STUDY:

Despite being highly fertile and occupying a large geographic region, the North American heartleaf bittercress (Cardamine cordifolia; Brassicaceae) has a puzzling triploid‐like chromosome number (2n = 3x = 24). As most triploids are sterile, we embarked on a detailed analysis of the C. cordifolia genome to elucidate its origin and structure.

METHODS:

Mitotic and meiotic chromosome complement of C. cordifolia was analyzed by comparative chromosome painting using chromosome‐specific BAC contigs of Arabidopsis thaliana. Resulting chromosome patterns were documented by multicolor fluorescence microscopy and compared with known ancestral and extant Brassicaceae genomes.

KEY RESULTS:

We discovered that C. cordifolia is not a triploid hybrid but a diploidized tetraploid with the prevalence of regular, diploid‐like meiotic pairing. The ancestral tetraploid chromosome number (2n = 32) was reduced to a triploid‐like number (2n = 24) through four terminal chromosome translocations.

CONCLUSIONS:

The structure of the pseudotriploid C. cordifolia genome results from a stepwise diploidization process after whole‐genome duplication. We showed that translocation‐based descending dysploidy (from n = 16 to n = 12) was mediated by the formation of five new chromosomes. The genome of C. cordifolia represents the diploidization process in statu nascendi and provides valuable insights into mechanisms of postpolyploidy rediploidization in land plants. Our data further suggest that chromosome number alone does not need to be a reliable proxy of species’ evolutionary past and that the same chromosome number may originate either by polyploidization (hybridization) or due to descending dysploidy.
Asymmetric α-amination of 3-substituted oxindoles using chiral bifunctional phosphine catalysts
Authors: Jin Qiao-Wen , Chai Zhuo , Huang You-Ming , Zou Gang , Zhao Gang
Published: April 2016

A highly enantioselective α-amination of 3-substituted oxindoles with azodicarboxylates catalyzed by amino acids-derived chiral phosphine catalysts is reported. The corresponding products containing a tetrasubstituted carbon center attached to a nitrogen atom at the C-3 position of the oxindole were obtained in high yields and with up to 98% ee.
COMPARISON BETWEEN 2D AND 3D PARAMETERS OF 306 FRONT-SIDE HALO CMEs FROM 2009 TO 2013
Authors: Jang Soojeong , Moon Y.-J. , Kim R.-S. , Lee Harim , Cho K.-S.
Published: April 2016

We investigate 306 LASCO front-side halo (partial and full) CMEs from 2009 to 2013, which are well-observed by both the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and the Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO). These CMEs have two-dimensional (2D) parameters, such as speed, angular width, and propagation direction, from a single spacecraft (SOHO), as well as three-dimensional (3D) parameters from a multi-spacecraft (STEREO). These 2D CME parameters, which are based on plane-of-sky observations, are taken from the SOHO LASCO CME catalog and the NGDC flare catalog. We have determined their 3D CME parameters using the Stereoscopic CME analysis tool (StereoCAT) provided by the Community Coordinated Modeling Center at NASA. We compare 2D and 3D CME parameters, making this the most comprehensive statistical study on CME 3D parameters. As a result, we find that 2D speeds underestimate the 3D speed by about 20%. The 3D width ranges from 30° to 158°, values which are much smaller than the 2D widths with a mean value of 225°. We also find that the ratio between the 2D and 3D widths decreases with central meridian distance. The 3D propagation directions are similar to the flare locations, with a mean absolute difference of about 13°. The width-speed relationship in 3D is much stronger than that in 2D.
Deathcore, creativity, and scientific thinking
Authors: Angeler David , Sundstrom Shana , Allen Craig
Published: April 2016

Major scientific breakthroughs are generally the result of materializing creative ideas, the result of an inductive process that sometimes spontaneously and unexpectedly generates a link between thoughts and/or objects that did not exist before. Creativity is the cornerstone of scientific thinking, but scientists in academia are judged by metrics of quantification that often leave little room for creative thinking. In many scientific fields, reductionist approaches are rewarded and new ideas viewed skeptically. As a result, scientific inquiry is often confined to narrow but safe disciplinary ivory towers, effectively preventing profoundly creative explorations that could yield unexpected benefits.

This paper argues how apparently unrelated fields specifically music and belief systems can be combined in a provocative allegory to provide novel perspectives regarding patterns in nature, thereby potentially inspiring innovation in the natural, social and other sciences. The merger between basic human tensions such as those embodied by religion and music, for example the heavy metal genre of deathcore, may be perceived as controversial, challenging, and uncomfortable. However, it is an example of moving the thinking process out of unconsciously established comfort zones, through the connection of apparently unrelated entities. We argue that music, as an auditory art form, has the potential to enlighten and boost creative thinking in science. Metal, as a fast evolving and diversifying extreme form of musical art, may be particularly suitable to trigger surprising associations in scientific inquiry. This may pave the way for dealing with questions about what we don´t know that we don´t know in a fast-changing planet.
Interleukin 34 Upregulation Contributes to the Increment of MicroRNA 21 Expression through STAT3 Activation Associated with Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Yang Sisi , Jiang Shujun , Wang Yu , Tu Shenghao , Wang Zhigang , Chen Zhe
Published: April 2016

Objective.

Interleukin 34 (IL-34) and microRNA 21 (miR-21) were found to be involved in the pathological process of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but the details were unclear. In this study, we aimed to clarify the relationship between IL-34 and miR-21 in RA.

Methods.

IL-34 concentrations in serum and synovial fluid (SF) of patients with RA were measured by ELISA. Fibroblast-like synovial cells (FLS) were cultured for evaluation of STAT3 activation, miR-21, and Bax/Bcl-2 expression by Western blot and real-time PCR. Correlations were analyzed between clinical features and detectable variables including SF IL-34 levels and miR-21 expression.

Results.

SF IL-34 levels were significantly higher in patients with RA who had a high 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28 ≥ 3.2) than in those with a lower DAS28 (DAS28 < 3.2). DAS28 scores and miR-21 expression in FLS had a significant positive correlation with the SF IL-34 levels. In addition, IL-34 stimulation strengthened the activation of p-STAT3, resulting in the increment of miR-21 expression. Inhibiting of miR-21 expression contributed to decreased Bcl-2/Bax ratio, suggesting that miR-21 was involved in the resistance to apoptosis. With the blocking of the colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF1R), decreased protein expressions including CSF1R, p-STAT3/STAT3, and Bcl-2/Bax were shown, suggesting that CSF1R participated in the biological functions of IL-34 in RA.

Conclusion.

The IL-34/STAT3/miR-21 pathway is crucial for the survival of synovial fibroblasts in RA, which might be candidate therapeutic targets for RA treatment.
Incidence and Prevalence of Rheumatoid Arthritis in a Health Management Organization in Argentina: A 15-year Study
Authors: Di Wai Tan , Vergara Facundo , Bertiller Emmanuel , Gallardo Maria de los Angeles , Gandino Ignacio , Scolnik Marina , Martinez Maximiliano J. , Schpilberg Mónica G. , Rosa Javier , Soriano Enrique R.
Published: April 2016

Objective.

To estimate incidence and prevalence rates of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the city of Buenos Aires (CABA), Argentina, using data from a university hospital–based health management organization.

Methods.

Global, age-specific, and sex-specific incidence and prevalence rates were calculated for members of the Hospital Italiano Medical Care Program (HIMCP), age ≥ 18 years. Incidence study followed members with continuous affiliation ≥ 1 year from January 2000 to January 2015 until he/she voluntarily left the HIMCP, RA was diagnosed, death, or study finalization. Cases from the Rheumatology Section database, electronic medical records, laboratory database, and pharmacy database were filtered with the 2010 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism criteria. Prevalence was calculated on January 1, 2015, and standardized for CABA. Capture-recapture (C-RC) analysis estimated true population sizes.

Results.

In the study period, incidence rates (cases per 100,000 person-yrs) were 18.5 (95% CI 16.7–20.4) overall, 25.2 (95% CI 22.4–28.0) for women, and 8.8 (95% CI 6.8–10.8) for men. Prevalence rates (percentage of RA cases in the sample population) were 0.329 (95% CI 0.298–0.359) overall, 0.464 (95% CI 0.417–0.510) for women, and 0.123 (95% CI 0.093–0.152) for men. Standardized CABA prevalence rate was 0.300 (95% CI 0.292–0.307). C-RC adjusted rates were almost the same as unadjusted rates.

Conclusion.

This study’s incidence and prevalence rates are in the lower range of the rates found around the world. Our female to male prevalence ratio was 4:1. Our peak incidence age was in the sixth and seventh decades for both sexes.
Chansons de France, chansons de l’immigration maghrébine
Authors: Gaulier Armelle
Published: April 2016

En France, l’élection présidentielle de 2007 est remportée par Nicolas Sarkozy. Sa campagne avait pour thème principal l’identité nationale, utilisé pour aborder la « problématique » de l’immigration. Les chanteurs Mouss et Hakim (Zebda, Motivés) sortent, en octobre de la même année, un album intitulé Origines contrôlées , reprenant le répertoire de la chanson maghrébine de l’exil. Écrites entre la France et l’Algérie, dans l’immédiat après-guerre et jusqu’en 1980, ces chansons, composées par des immigrés maghrébins, sont de véritables chroniques de leur difficile vie quotidienne. Cet article interroge la revendication de cet héritage culturel de l’immigration dans le contexte politique particulier de l’élection de 2007. Autrement dit, en quoi la musique peut-elle faire mémoire ?
Des artistes engagés au Burkina Faso
Authors: Cuomo Anna
Published: April 2016

L’article aborde différentes circulations de rappeurs burkinabé au sein de mondes culturels et militants, locaux comme globaux. Il cherche à comprendre de quelle manière la catégorie d’« artiste engagé » peut constituer à la fois une ouverture vers d’autres réseaux, mais aussi une forme d’enfermement conduisant ces artistes à la contourner pour s’en émanciper. Les artistes contemporains étudiés mettent en place différentes stratégies de contournement au sein de leur carrière musicale, laissant entrevoir des appartenances sociales multiples allant d’une certaine élite économique et culturelle à des milieux plus populaires. Ces ruptures correspondent à une volonté de s’extraire d’un milieu dans lequel ils ont été catégorisés, et une ambition d’avancer vers une reconnaissance plus large.
Kaizen en contexte Lean : la santé des opérateurs mise à mal
Authors: Badets Patrick , Pilnière Véronique , Merlo Christophe
Published: April 2016

Le Kaizen est une méthode de résolution de problèmes qui requiert la participation des opérateurs de production. Si elle permet d’obtenir des résultats opérationnels, force est de constater qu’à moyen-long terme, les résultats s’amenuisent, notamment en raison d’un impact sur la santé des opérateurs. Dans cet article, nous nous intéresserons aux limites de la pratique du Kaizen qui peuvent, en partie, contribuer aux mauvais résultats constatés. Dans les limites, nous évoquons l’utilisation des indicateurs de production au cours des réunions Kaizen , notamment concernant le choix des indicateurs et l’analyse qui en ressort. De notre point de vue, cette pratique ne permet pas une analyse pertinente des problèmes remontés par les opérateurs. En piste de réflexion, il nous semble que les limites du Kaizen relèvent d’une question plus large d’ordre socio-cognitif. En effet, l’approche sous-tendue par le Kaizen renvoie à des représentations dans lesquelles l’Homme est envisagé comme passif, ce qui ne rend pas compte de la complexité du travail réalisé par les opérateurs. Ainsi, l’approche considérant l’Homme comme actif nous semble plus appropriée.
Au cœur de la complexité des organisations de santé : le cadre de santé, pivot de l’organisation
Authors: Franchistéguy-Couloume Isabelle
Published: April 2016

En recherche permanente d’efficacité et d’efficience, le secteur de la santé est souvent considéré comme un secteur d’activité complexe pour de nombreuses raisons. De multiples logiques managériales sont en œuvre dans un contexte où le facteur humain accentue la difficile rationalisation de l’activité. Grandement bouleversées par les évolutions technologiques, scientifiques et la nécessité de maîtriser les dépenses, les organisations de santé sont obligées de mettre en place de nouvelles modalités d’organisation. La fonction de cadre de santé déjà au carrefour des différentes logiques professionnelles voit son rôle de pivot de l’organisation renforcé. Les contours de cette fonction sont profondément modifiés. À partir d’une étude de cas, nous avons cherché à identifier et analyser les mutations de la fonction de cadre de santé. L’objectif de cet article est de faire le point sur les mutations en cours dans la définition de la fonction de cadre de santé, mais aussi de proposer des clés de lecture à l’attention des cadres de santé pour faciliter l’évolution des organisations de santé dans leur ensemble.
Craniosynostosis: current conceptions and misconceptions
Authors: Fonteles Cristiane Sá Roriz , Finnell Richard H. , George Timothy M. , Harshbarger Raymond J.
Published: April 2016

Cranial bones articulate in areas called sutures that must remain patent until skull growth is complete. Craniosynostosis is the condition that results from premature closure of one or more of the cranial vault sutures, generating facial deformities and more importantly, skull growth restrictions with the ability to severely affect brain growth. Typically, craniosynostosis can be expressed as an isolated event, or as part of syndromic phenotypes. Multiple signaling mechanisms interact during developmental stages to ensure proper and timely suture fusion. Clinical outcome is often a product of craniosynostosis subtypes, number of affected sutures and timing of premature suture fusion. The present work aimed to review the different aspects involved in the establishment of craniosynostosis, providing a close view of the cellular, molecular and genetic background of these malformations.
Societal Influence on the Cognitive Aspects of Entrepreneurship
Authors: Baporikar Neeta
Published: April 2016

Social history in last century has witnessed a transformation not experienced in any period before. How people are affected - what sort of characteristics individuals have – how they try to handle situation is multi-perspective. Understanding inter-societal and interpersonal relationship systems that are based on fluctuation and competition issues have been studied thoroughly. But, the role of entrepreneurship in dealing with competition has drawn researchers' extensive interest of late. Entrepreneurship is associated with the fields of administration, business, management and economics. However, in reality it is multi and interdisciplinary, with psychology having a bearing on the growth of entrepreneurship concept as is used with the broader meaning today. Through grounded research and content analysis, the core of this paper is to sketch out and understand how societal influence affects the cognitive aspects of entrepreneurship.
Mediating Social Media's Ambivalences in the Context of Informational Capitalism
Authors: Briziarelli Marco , Karikari Eric
Published: April 2016

This essay explores the dialectics of media, by considering the socially reproductive and transformative function of social media from a political economic perspective. The authors claim that while media have consistently generated aspirations and fear of social change, their powerful capability of shaping societies depend on the historically specific social relations in which media operate. They engage such an argument by examining how the productive relations that support user generated content practices such as the ones of Facebook users affect social media in their capability to reproduce and transform existing social contexts. In the end, the authors maintain that the most prominent mediation of social media consists of the ambivalent nature of current capitalist mode of production: a contest in which exploitative/emancipatory as well as reproductive/transformative aspects are articulated by liberal ideology.
Women in Development Mobilize Grassroots Enterprises to Reduce Household Poverty
Authors: Semali Ladislaus M.
Published: April 2016

This study examines the roles African women played in reducing household poverty through local enterprises that resulted in feeding their families, sending their children to school and contributing to community development. Their determination was to implement and invest in self-help enterprises in order to counter the incidence of household poverty and eventually bring about social change. A literature review section distinguishes theoretical from empirical approaches to study poverty and leads this study to some important conclusions. The results paint a picture that explains a world in which women live in poverty as they face gross inequalities and injustices from birth to death—from poor education, poor nutrition, vulnerable and low-pay employment, and acts of discrimination that women are likely to suffer throughout their entire life.
Using the Balanced Scorecard Approach to Appraise the Performance of Cloud Computing
Authors: Udoh Emmanuel , Patterson Beth
Published: April 2016

Cloud computing and the Internet of Things (IoT) are currently the two dominant Internet technologies, but cloud computing embodies the maturity of the computing field with its clear path to software generation, transmission, distribution and control. The growth and popularity of cloud-virtualized resources (infrastructure, platform and software), have been accompanied with an increase in cloud performance evaluation that could be used for decision-making. As reported in the literature, most of the evaluations and simulations tend to be one-dimensional that focus on easily measurable criteria such as load balancing and response time. This preliminary paper presents a more holistic approach using the technique of balanced scorecard that analyses cloud computing with respect to finance, customer, internal processes, and learning and growth perspectives. A critical analysis shows that cost reduction is not enough to cause a customer to embrace cloud computing. Other factors such as value proposition, internal and growth perspectives also play a role.
Vision Based Localization for Multiple Mobile Robots Using Low-cost Vision Sensor
Authors: Lee Seokju , Tewolde Girma , Lim Jongil , Kwon Jaerock
Published: April 2016

This paper presents an efficient approach for a vision based localization of multiple mobile robots in an indoor environment by using a low cost vision sensor. The proposed vision sensor system that uses a single camera mounted over the mobile robots field takes advantages of small size, low energy consumption, and high flexibility to play an important role in the field of robotics. The nRF24L01 RF transceiver is connected to the vision system to enable wireless communication with multiple devices through 6 different data pipes. The downward-facing camera provides excellent performance that has the ability to identify a number of objects based on color codes, which form colored landmarks that provide mobile robots with useful image information for localization in the image view, which is then transformed to real world coordinates. Experimental results are given to show that the proposed method can obtain good localization performance in multi-mobile robots setting.
Securing Mobile Ad Hoc Networks
Authors: Kumar Sunil , Dutta Kamlesh
Published: April 2016

The flexibility and openness of mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) make them attractive for various types of applications such as military communication, emergency search and rescue operations, disaster recovery, battlefields, communication between moving vehicles (VANET etc. However, MANETs are highly susceptible to various security threats due to their inherent characteristics that can adversely affect their performance. In order to provide secure communication in mobile ad hoc networks, it is required to understand various possible attacks at different layers of the communication protocol stack. The intent of this paper is to provide structured and comprehensive study of prominent security attacks reported in the literature for mobile ad hoc networks. In addition, we also discuss various well-known reactive and proactive security solutions proposed in literature to prevent those attacks in MANETs. Finally, the paper is concluded with a brief discussion on future direction of research in MANETs.
Ownership of Collaborative Works in the Cloud
Authors: Phelps Marilyn , Jennex Murray E.
Published: April 2016

Increased usage of cloud storage and other networking technologies in knowledge management (KM) systems leave companies vulnerable to loss of proprietary rights as intellectual property law struggles to keep up with these advances. This paper reviews the current legal environment surrounding cloud and collaborative KM, discusses the implications for KM, and makes recommendations for how gaps between legal protection for intellectual property and KM can be overcome/corrected. Additionally, the paper explores how aware KM personnel are of this risk and proposes a further study using the who owns it game.
The Compensation Benefit of ITIL® Skills and Certifications
Authors: Galup Stuart Diaz , Dattero Ronald , Quan Jing
Published: April 2016

Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) is a quality management approach for managing IT services that meet business needs. The most broadly accepted ITSM framework is ITIL® (Mann, 2012) and its adoption by organizations across the globe has grown over the past decade. A study conducted by Forrester and itSMF (2013) found that IT service providers that employ ITIL® enjoy better service quality and higher operational productivity as well as cost savings. Therefore, IT professionals with ITIL® knowledge and skills are likely valuable to organizations and earn a higher wage than their peers. This paper investigates whether or not there are salary benefits for IT professionals that possess ITIL® knowledge and skill and what are the estimated benefits, if any. Using a human capital model and employing data from an on-line survey of a large set of IT professionals (16,632 responses) conducted at the end of 2013 this benefit is confirmed and quantified.
Diffusion Modeling Based on Customer's Review and Product Satisfaction
Authors: Anand Adarsh , Singh Ompal , Aggarwal Richie , Aggrawal Deepti
Published: April 2016

The purpose of this paper is to determine the internal/external factors that lead to fluctuation in marketplace. Before introducing new products in the market, organization needs proper understanding of the market which can be realized through sound mathematical modeling and scientific decision making tools. The objective is as follows: market size is determined by the number of customers a product is flanked by; therefore, it becomes critical to understand satisfaction of demanders as one of the metric for measuring performance of the product. In this paper, the authors have discussed how the adoption takes place in accordance with the market fluctuation. For this purpose, they have developed four different methodical frameworks to help the management to estimate sales due to varying behaviour of market (as per reviews about the product). Analysis and validation has been done on two different real life datasets. Weighted Criteria Value Approach (WCVA) has been applied to rank the models by using several goodness of fit collectively.
FPGA Implementation of Fast and Efficient CODEC for H.264/AVC Real Time Video Applications
Authors: Ismail Yasser
Published: April 2016

Low power networks are considered nowadays as a fundamental environment for connecting and communicating various “things.” Such connected things form the hot topic Internet-of-Things (IoT) that emphasizes on better and smarter interconnected world. The two main important issues raised in the IoT are the transmitted bit-rate and the device processing capability limitations. In this paper, a smart Skipping Motion Estimation threshold (TSME) is implemented and elaborated to match the processing capabilities of the IoT devices. The proposed threshold aims to achieve a great reduction in the computations of the Motion Estimation (ME) process with acceptable bit-rate and high speed that are suitable for real time video applications. Simulation results show that there is great reductions in the computations represented by the Motion Estimation Time Saving percentage (METS%) up to 51% and 49% in case of using average and median functions, respectively. Implementation results of the proposed threshold unit on an FPGA show low cost hardware with a maximum hardware frequency of 379.140MHz.
The BeatHealth Project
Authors: Timoney Joseph , O'Leary Sean , Czesak Dawid , Lazzarini Victor , Conway Eoghan E. , Ward Tomas E. , Villing Rudi C.
Published: April 2016

This work will elaborate on the new EU Beathealth project: an initiative to create an intelligent technical architecture capable of delivering embodied, flexible, and efficient rhythmical stimulation adapted to individuals' motor performance and skills for the purpose of enhancing/recovering movement activity. It will then explain how it can exemplify the principles of Ubiquitous Music and how knowledge from this field can suggest creativity-driven social enhancements. Case Studies will be presented to illustrate potential applications and additionally a short discussion on suitable theoretical guidelines will be made.
Prototyping of Ubiquitous Music Ecosystems
Authors: Lazzarini Victor , Keller Damián , Pimenta Marcelo Soares
Published: April 2016

This paper focuses on the prototyping stage of the design cycle of ubiquitous music ecosystems. The authors present three case studies of prototype deployments for creative musical activities. The first case exemplifies a ubimus system for synchronous musical interaction using a hybrid Java-JavaScript development platform, mow3s-ecolab. The second case study makes use of the HTML5 Web Audio library to implement a loop-based sequencer. The third prototype—a sine-wave oscillator—provides an example of using the Chromium open-source sand-boxing technology Portable Native Client (PNaCl) platform for audio programming on the web. This new approach involved porting the Csound language and audio engine to the PNaCl web technology. The PNaCl Csound environment provides programming tools for ubiquitous audio applications that go beyond theWeb Audio framework. The limitations and advantages of the three approaches proposed—the hybrid Java/JavaScript environment, the HTML5 audio library and the PNaCl Csound infrastructure—are discussed in the context of rapid prototyping of ubimus ecosystems.
Elements and Materials Improve the FDM Products: A Review
Authors: Salem Bala Abduladim , bin Wahab Saidin , binti Ahmad Mazatusziha
Published: April 2016

This work aims to provide a review of available published literature that explores the opportunities to improve the quality of fused deposit modelling (FDM) products, particularly in medical applications. The paper presents details concerning the basis of the technology, process parameter settings and their responses, and reviews the properties of common FDM engineering/bio-materials and the available methods applied for improving their performance. Based on the researches which have been reviewed, FDM technology works within a complex environment from process parameters. Thus, it can achieve good results only with the proper settings for these parameters according to the properties of the material used. Improving the polymers is essentially based on the correct selection of additive materials, which can particularly enhance the key property/properties in the matrix material. This review provides a brief insight into FDM technology, provides an idea of the process parameter settings, the available materials and ways of modifying their properties to consequently improve the quality of FDM products.
Evaluation of Permanent Deformation of BRA Modified Asphalt Paving Mixtures Based on Dynamic Creep Test Analysis
Authors: Karami Muhammad , Nega Ainalem , Mosadegh Ahdyeh , Nikraz Hamid
Published: April 2016

The main objective this study is to evaluate the permanent deformation of buton rock asphalt (BRA) modified asphalt paving mixtures using dynamic creep test so that long term deformation behavior of asphalt mixtures can be characterized. The dynamic creep test was conducted on unmodified and BRA modified asphalt mixture using UTM25 machine. Asphalt cement of C170 from a regional supplier in Western Australia was used as the base asphalt binder for unmodified asphalt mixture; and BRA modified asphalt mixtures were made by substituting the base asphalt with 10, 20, and 30% (by weight of total asphalt binder) natural binder continuing granular BRA modified binder. The granular (pellets) BRA modified binder with a diameter of 7-10 mm was produced and extracted according the Australia Standard. Crushed granite was taken from a local quarry of the region; and dense graded for both unmodified and BRA modified asphalt mixture with the nominal size of 10 mm was used. The results of this analysis showed that BRA modified had a good performance as compared with unmodified asphalt mixtures, and increase in the content modified binder to 10%, 20%, and 30% resulted in decrease of the total permanent strain.
HLA-G expression and role in advanced-stage classical Hodgkin lymphoma
Authors: Caocci G. , Greco M. , Fanni D. , Senes G. , Littera R. , Lai S. , Risso P. , Carcassi C. , Faa G. , La Nasa G.
Published: April 2016

Non-classical human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-G class I molecules have an important role in tumor immune escape mechanisms. We investigated HLA-G expression in lymphonode biopsies taken from 8 controls and 20 patients with advanced-stage classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL), in relationship to clinical outcomes and the HLA-G 14-basepair (14-bp) deletion-insertion (del-ins) polymorphism. Lymphnode tissue sections were stained using a specific murine monoclonal HLA-G antibody. HLA-G protein expression was higher in cHL patients than controls. In the group ofÂ PET-2 positive (positron emission tomography carried out after 2 cycles of standard chemotherapy) patients with a 2-year progression-free survival rate (PFS) of 40%, we observed high HLA-G protein expression withinÂ the tumorÂ microenvironmentÂ with low expression on Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells. Conversely, PET-2 negative patients with a PFS of 86% had higher HLA-G protein expression levels on HRS cells compared to the microenvironment. Lower expression on HRS cells was significantly associated with the HLA-G 14-bp ins/ins genotype. These preliminary data suggestÂ that the immunohistochemical pattern of HLA-G protein expression may represent a useful tool for a tailored therapy in patients with cHL, based on the modulation of HLA-G expression in relation to achievement of negative PET-2.These preliminary data suggestÂ that the immunohistochemical pattern of HLA-G protein expression may represent a useful tool for a tailored therapy in patients with cHL, based on the modulation of HLA-G expression in relation to achievement of negative PET-2.
An update on newer monoclonal antibodies in lymphoma therapy
Authors: Kadavakolan Subhashini Archana , Puri Sonam , Sahay Sandeep , Joshi Jitesh
Published: April 2016

In 2014, an estimated 9.4% of all new cancers in the US were accounted to hematological cancers. Most of these cancers have a B-cell origin and on the cell surface express antigen CD20-known to restrict B-cells. Considering the intrinsic immune status of the patients receiving chemotherapy, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are designed to provide active or passive immunotherapy. Clinical success of rituximab-anti-CD20 mAb in the treatment of lymphoma has led to the development of newer generations of mAb to increase the anti-tumor activity. Hence, recent advances in lymphoma therapy are being built on the conventional prototype of anti-CD20 mAb-rituximab. Our review is an update on the advances in lymphoma therapy using mAb against CD20 including the second generation-ofatumumab, veltuzumab, ocrelizumab, and the third-generation mAbs-ocaratuzumab and obinutuzumab.
Haploidentical stem cell transplant: Established treatment, expanding horizons
Authors: Aggarwal Mukul , Agrawal Narendra , Ahmad Rayaz , Bhurani Dinesh
Published: April 2016

Haploidentical stem cell transplantation offers an oppurtunity for transplant for almost all patients for whom transplant is indicated. Traditionally, it is associated with higher incidence of graft failure, graft vs host disease and non relapse mortality as compared to matched donor transplant. However, recent advances in the field have tried to mitigate these issues and offer haploidentical transplant as a safe and viable option. In this review, we shall discuss the basics of haploidentical transplantation, how to choose the best donor amongst various haploidentical donors available and understand the various recent advances in the field of haploidentical transplantation and how they addressed the problems associated with it and make it a feasible alternative to matched sibling or unrelated transplant in various diseases.
Myelodysplastic syndromes: Where do we stand?
Authors: Sood Nitin , Chugh Bhuvan , Singhal Esha , Sachdev Ritesh , Goel Shalini , Smeeta Gajendra
Published: April 2016

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are fairly common hematological disorder of elderly. They are a group of clonal malignant hematopoietic stem cell disorders characterized by dysplastic morphology, variable cytopenia and a variable threat of transformation to AML. These dysplastic changes are a result of chromosomal abnormalities and somatic mutations. MDS is the most common myeloid neoplasm of the older adults with median age at diagnosis being 72 years and an average incidence rate of 0.2 per 100,000 people per year. MDS is diagnosed and classified according to the WHO 2008 classification system, which utilizes peripheral blood and bone marrow findings. Other essential investigations include flow cytometry, genetic profile and chromosomal analysis. Various prognostic scoring system have been developed which help guide the treatment. Treatment of complications associated with MDS also forms an essential component of the management of this disease.
Initial growth and tolerance of melon cultivars under salt stress
Authors: Araujo Erbia Bressia Gonçalves , Sá Francisco Vanies da Silva , Oliveira Fernanda Andrade de , Souto Lauter Silva , Paiva Emanoela Pereira de , Silva Maria Kaline do Nascimento , Mesquita Evandro Franklin de , Brito Marcos Eric Barbosa
Published: April 2016

The melon crop is normally developed in semiarid regions, where water resources are limited. This scarcity of water is a strong stressor on the crops, and requires the supplementation of existing water supplies with poor quality water, especially saline water. This can impede the growth and production of plants; however, the use of tolerant genotypes may minimize this problem. Thus, a greenhouse experiment was developed at the Federal University of Campina Grande - UFCG, Pombal Campus, Paraiba State, Brazil, in order to study the emergence, initial growth, and tolerance of melon cultivars irrigated with waters of different salt content. We studied three melon cultivars (Gaúcho Redondo, Gaúcho Casca de Carvalho and Halles Best Jumbo) irrigated with five levels of saline water (0.6; 1.2; 1.8; 2.4; and 3.0 dS m-1), arranged in a 3 x 5 factorial scheme, with the treatments distributed in a randomized block design with four replications. The plants seeds were monitored for 30 days after sowing, and at 30 days the growth and salinity tolerance index was evaluated. Cultivar Halles Best Jumbo was the most tolerant to saline water during initial stage of growth, while the Gaucho Redondo was more sensitive to salinity. It was found that saline waters up to 1.8 dS m-1 were suitable for irrigation of melon plants round Gaucho and waters up to 2.4 dS m-1 could be used for irrigation of Gaucho Casca de Carvalho and Halles Best Jumbo crops during the initial growth phase.
Life cycle assessment of four potable water treatment plants in northeastern Colombia
Authors: Ortíz Rodriguez Oscar Orlando , Villamizar-Gallardo Raquel Amanda , García Rafael Guilhermo
Published: April 2016

There is currently great concern about the processes that directly or indirectly contribute to the potential for global warming, such as stratospheric ozone depletion or acidification. In this context, and provided that treated water is a basic public utility in urban centers around the world as well as in some rural areas, its impact on the environment is of great interest. Therefore, this study applied the environmental methodology of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to evaluate the environmental loads of four potable water treatment plants (PWTPs) located in northeastern Colombia following the international guidelines delineated in ISO 14040. The different stages of the drinking water process were thoroughly assessed, from the catchment point through pumping to the distribution network. The functional unit was defined as 1 m3 of drinking water produced at the plant. The data were analyzed through the database Ecoinvent v.3.01, and modeled and processed in the software LCA-Data Manager. The results showed that in plants PLA-CA and PLA-PO, the flocculation process has the highest environmental load, which is mostly attributable to the coagulant agent, with a range between 47-73% of the total impact. In plants PLA-TON and PLA-BOS, electricity consumption was identified as the greatest impact source, with percentages ranging from 67 to 85%. Treatment processes and techniques, bioclimatic conditions and culturally driven consumption behavior varied from region to region. Furthermore, changes in treatment processes and techniques are likely to affect the environment during all stages of a plant’s operational cycle.
Advances in wastewater nitrogen removal by biological processes: state of the art review
Authors: Capodaglio Andrea G. , Hlavínek Petr , Raboni Massimo
Published: April 2016

The paper summarizes the state-of-the-art of the most recent advances in biological nitrogen removal, including process design criteria and technological innovations. With reference to the Modified Ludzck Ettinger (MLE) process (pre-denitrification and nitrification in the activated sludge process), the most common nitrogen removal process used nowadays, a new design equation for the denitrification reactor based on specific denitrification rate (SDNR) has been proposed. In addition, factors influencing SDNR (DO in the anoxic reactor; hydrodynamic behavior) are analyzed, and technological solutions are proposed. Concerning technological advances, the paper presents a summary of various “deammonification” processes, better known by their patent names like ANAMMOX®, DEMON®, CANON®, ANITA® and others. These processes have already found applications in the treatment of high-strength wastewater such as digested sludge liquor and landfill leachate. Among other emerging denitrification technologies, consideration is given to the Membrane Biofilm Reactors (MBfRs) that can be operated both in oxidation and reduction mode.
The effects on Amazon floodplains of the dynamics between the water and land
Authors: Silva Sandra Helena , Noda Sandra Nascimento
Published: April 2016

Waters and lands in the Amazon, especially near the Solimões/Amazonas Rivers, are very dynamic, recreating the landscapes along the rivers’ paths. The waters transport and deposit eroded materials, causing changes in the lifestyles of the meadow’s residents. In addition to this, there are the recent climatic changes caused by the El Niño phenomenon, intensifying the meadows’ transformations. This research explored the quantitative and qualitative values of knowledge of local people in order to understand the environment in which they live. With an understanding of the islands’ environmental system and the perceptions of seventeen female farmers of the amazon meadow, coupled with appropriate theory and methods, it was possible to explore and execute this research. Valha-me-Deus and Chaves, both in the county of Jurupis, PA, were the islands chosen for the study. The goal of the study was to characterize the dynamics of the waters and lands of the Amazon River together with the re-creation of the river islands and the effects of climate change over the floodplains. The data show meaningful changes in the studied environmental systems, resulting in irreversible losses in the cultivation of food crops such as papaya, cocoa, manioc and bananas, especially after the intense river flooding of 2009.
Effectiveness of ceramic filters in capturing Giardia duodenalis cysts in experimentally contaminated water
Authors: Da Costa Sobrinho Larissa Imaculada , Da Silva Coelho Francine Alves , Gonçalves Coelho Matheus Diniz
Published: April 2016

Giardia duodenalis is the main water-transmitted protozoan in developing countries. This study evaluated the effectiveness of ceramic filters in capturing G. duodenalis cysts and verified the porosity size needed to remove cysts from contaminated water. The study was conducted in the Laboratory of Parasitology at the University of Taubaté, where each filter unit was made by joining two Pet gallons, latex hose and a ceramic filter. Two porosity sizes were selected: 0.5-1.0 μm and 5-15 μm with or without activated carbon, and the assays were run in triplicate. Approximately 60 μL (53 cysts) of G. duodenalis cysts were placed in 2 liters of distilled water. After the preparation of the contaminated water, this solution was run through the filter until the completely filtered. Afterwards, the filtrate was processed according to the methodology described by De Faria (2006), in order to concentrate parasitic elements. The results were statistically evaluated using ANOVA and Tukey tests, showing that the 0.5- 1,0 μm porosity filter candles (with and without activated carbon) were able to retain 100% of cysts of G. duodenalis. This is a result significantly superior to the results obtained in the control group (p
Advanced oxidation processes: a review regarding the fundamentals and applications in wastewater treatment and industrial wastewater
Authors: De Araújo Karla Santos , Antonelli Raissa , Gaydeczka Beatriz , Granato Ana Claudia , Malpass Geoffroy Roger Pointer
Published: April 2016

Contamination of water by toxic and/or recalcitrant species has great environmental impacts. In this context, Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) - technologies that principally use the hydroxyl radical (HO●) for oxidation - have emerged as promising alternatives in treating urban and industrial wastewaters. This study reviewed the literature on POAs and presented data regarding the efficiency of these processes in pollutant degradation, comparing the theoretical reasoning and its industrial applications. The fundamentals and major applications of AOPs (chemical, photochemical, electrochemical, sonochemical and ozone-based processes), as well as their advantages and disadvantages, are described in this review. AOPs have been considered an effective alternative from a technical, economic and environmental viewpoint for the degradation of pollutants in effluents and industrial wastewater, despite having limitations such as high cost of available energy sources, development of new low-cost catalytic materials and construction of full-scale reactors. It is greatly important to the industrial application of AOPs to optimize the effectiveness of these factors.
Testing Bi-orderability of Knot Groups
Authors: Clay Adam , Desmarais Colin , Naylor Patrick
Published: April 2016

We investigate the bi-orderability of two-bridge knot groups and the groups of knots with 12 or fewer crossings by applying recent theorems of Chiswell, Glass and Wilson. Amongst all knots with 12 or fewer crossings (of which there are 2977), previous theorems were only able to determine bi-orderability of 499 of the corresponding knot groups. With our methods we are able to deal with 191 more.
Microwave signatures of ice hydrometeors from ground-based observations above Summit, Greenland
Authors: Pettersen Claire , Bennartz Ralf , Kulie Mark S. , Merrelli Aronne J. , Shupe Matthew D. , Turner David D.
Published: April 2016

Abstract. Multi-instrument, ground-based measurements provide unique and comprehensive data sets of the atmosphere for a specific location over long periods of time and resulting data compliment past and existing global satellite observations. This paper explores the effect of ice hydrometeors on ground-based, high-frequency passive microwave measurements and attempts to isolate an ice signature for summer seasons at Summit, Greenland, from 2010 to 2013. Data from a combination of passive microwave, cloud radar, radiosonde, and ceilometer were examined to isolate the ice signature at microwave wavelengths. By limiting the study to a cloud liquid water path of 40 g m−2 or less, the cloud radar can identify cases where the precipitation was dominated by ice. These cases were examined using liquid water and gas microwave absorption models, and brightness temperatures were calculated for the high-frequency microwave channels: 90, 150, and 225 GHz. By comparing the measured brightness temperatures from the microwave radiometers and the calculated brightness temperature using only gas and liquid contributions, any residual brightness temperature difference is due to emission and scattering of microwave radiation from the ice hydrometeors in the column. The ice signature in the 90, 150, and 225 GHz channels for the Summit Station summer months was isolated. This measured ice signature was then compared to an equivalent brightness temperature difference calculated with a radiative transfer model including microwave single-scattering properties for several ice habits. Initial model results compare well against the 4 years of summer season isolated ice signature in the high-frequency microwave channels.