bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fabrication of an Electrochemical E. coli Biosensor in Biowells Using Bimetallic Nanoparticle‐Labelled Antibodies
Authors: Eksi Haslet , Güzel Remziye , Güven Burcu , Boyaci Ismail Hakki , Solak Ali Osman
Published: November 2014

An electrochemical biosensor was developed for the determination of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in water. For this purpose, silver‐gold core‐shell (Ag@Au) bioconjugates and anti‐E. coli modified PS‐microwells were designed in a sandwich‐type format in order to obtain higher sensitivity and selectivity. Ag@Au bimetallic nanoparticles were synthesized by co‐reduction method. The core‐shell formation was analyzed by using UV‐Vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Biotin labeled anti‐E. coli antibodies were coupled with Ag@Au nanoparticles to form bioconjugates. The electrochemical immunosensor was prepared by immobilizing anti‐E. coli on polystyrene (PS)‐microwells via chemical bonding. These modified microwells were identified with X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy. E. coli was sandwiched between Ag@Au bioconjugates and anti‐E. coli on PS‐microwells at different concentrations. The relationship between the E. coli concentration and stripping current of gold ions (Au3+) were investigated by square wave anodic stripping voltammetry at pencil graphite electrode. The proposed method can provide some advantages such as lower detection limit and shorter detection time. The electrochemical response for the immunosensor was linear with the concentration of the E. coli in the range of 101 and 105 cfu/mL with a limit of detection 3 cfu/mL. The procedure maintains good sensitivity and repeatability and also offers utility in the fields of environmental monitoring and clinical diagnosis.
Where Would the EUR/CHF Exchange Rate be Without the SNB's Minimum Exchange Rate Policy?
Authors: Hanke Michael , Poulsen Rolf , Weissensteiner Alex
Published: November 2014

Since its announcement made on September 6, 2011, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) has been pursuing the goal of a minimum EUR/CHF exchange rate of 1.20, promising to intervene on currency markets to prevent the exchange rate from falling below this level. We use a compound option pricing approach to estimate the latent exchange rate that would prevail in the absence of the SNB's interventions, together with the market's confidence in the SNB's commitment to this policy. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 35:1103–1116, 2015
Monte Carlo Simulation of the Neurofilament Brush
Authors: Jeong SeongMin , Zhou Xin , Zhulina Ekaterina B. , Jho YongSeok
Published: November 2014

Grand canonical Monte Carlo (MC) simulations are performed to analyse conformations of projection domains in a neurofilament (NF) brush composed of three types of tails (L, M, and H) at different concentrations of added salt. The NF is modelled as a rigid, uniformly charged cylinder (backbone), surrounded by tethered, flexible polyampholytic chains with charge distributions and stoichiometry similar to those in natural NFs. We calculate the equilibrium trajectory for each projection; that is, the average distance of the amino acid residue from the surface of the backbone as a function of its ranking number. These trajectories demonstrate the tendency for projections to fold back and adopt loop‐like conformations at moderate solution salinities. We also perform extended analysis of MC data to identify metastable states of the system, and demonstrate representative snapshots of tail conformations in major metastable states.
A preliminary Study on the Improvement of the Ecological Corridor in Paddy Fields
Authors: Chen Rong‐Song , Wang Kuo‐Liang , Wu Chia‐Ying
Published: November 2014

The ecological engineering of rivers has been emphasized in recent years; however, scant attention has been focused on the ecological environments of paddy fields and irrigation canals. In this study, a paddy field in Yuanli Township, Miaoli County, Taiwan, was used as a test field. We improved the ecological corridor, ensuring the continuity of the irrigation canal and paddy field, thereby enabling a constant flow of water in the longitudinal section of the paddy field corridor to facilitate smooth upstream migration of fish. Fish could also migrate upstream in the lateral section of the paddy field. Subsequently, loach were used to assess the effect of an enhanced rock pile in a pool area of the simplified paddy fishway, and fish were allowed to migrate up and down the paddy field and irrigation canal. The results indicated that the difference in water levels (i.e. a bottleneck for creating an ecological corridor) was enhanced by the simplified paddy‐field fishway and enhanced rock pile. In addition, removing bottlenecks along the ecological corridor enabled fish and shrimp to migrate in the longitudinal and lateral directions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Simultaneously enhanced production and molecular weight of pullulan using a two‐stage agitation speed control strategy
Authors: Wang Dahui , Bian Juanjuan , Wei Gongyuan , Jiang Min , Dong Mingsheng
Published: November 2014

BACKGROUND

Pullulan with high molecular weight (Mw) is attractive for industrial application. Previous studies indicated that high yield and high Mw of pullulan cannot be simultaneously obtained under constant agitation speeds or constant dissolved oxygen levels during batch pullulan fermentation. In this study, a two‐stage agitation speed control strategy was developed to obtain pullulan with both high yield and high Mw.

RESULTS

Batch pullulan production at various constant agitation speeds ranging from 200 to 600 rpm was carried out in a 5 L stirred tank fermentor. Based on kinetic analysis of batch processes, activity assays of the enzymes associated with pullulan biosynthesis and biodegradation, and intracellular energy supply under different constant agitation speeds, a two‐stage control strategy that shifted the agitation speed from 500 to 400 rpm at 18 h proved to effectively achieve simultaneous high yield of high Mw pullulan.

CONCLUSION

A maximum pullulan concentration of 27.4 g L−1 and final Mw of 3.09 × 106 Da were obtained using the two‐stage agitation speed control strategy, which were both greatly improved compared with those obtained at constant agitation speeds. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
A Calderón‐preconditioned single source combined field integral equation for analysis of bi‐isotropic object
Authors: Shi Yan , Tian Cheng‐Yi , Liang Chang‐Hong
Published: November 2014

In this paper, a Calderón‐preconditoned single source combined field integral equation (SSCFIE) has been developed to analyze electromagnetic scattering from bi‐isotropic objects. The field decomposition method is adopted to split the homogeneous bi‐isotropic media into two uncoupled isotropic media instead of direct calculation of complicated Green's function in bi‐isotropic material. Unlike dual source integral equation, the Calderón‐preconditioned single source electric and magnetic integral equations in the presence of bi‐isotropic media are constructed and combined to make the proposed algorithm free from dense mesh breakdown and spurious resonance. Numerical results show good performance of the proposed algorithm. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Detection of fraudulent addition of bovine whey in water buffalo ricotta cheese by isoelectric focusing
Authors: Fuselli Fabio , Deluca Anna , Montepeloso Emanuela A , Ibba Giulia , Tidona Flavio , Longo Lucia , Marianella Rosa M
Published: November 2014

BACKGROUND

Prevention of food fraud in the dairy field is a difficult issue for researchers, industries and policy makers, both for commercial and health reasons. Currently, no analytical method allows detection of the addition of bovine whey to water buffalo ricotta, so this fraudulent practice cannot be prevented. The authors' aim was to develop such a method.

RESULTS

The conditions for extraction and purification of denatured ricotta whey proteins, which are unfolded and coagulated by heating during the production process, were optimized. The optimal composition of the polyacrylamide gel (pH range, type and concentration of chemical separator) was first evaluated and then the best conditions to perform the separation by isoelectric focusing were established. The performance of the method (precision, selectivity, robustness, sensibility) was determined.

CONCLUSIONS

The method was shown to be reliable and robust for detection of the presence of bovine whey added to water buffalo Ricotta at percentages above 5% (v/v). The results suggest that the differences observed between bovine and water buffalo electrophoretic profiles are due to bovine β‐lactoglobulin isoform A, which is never detected in water buffalo samples. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Study of the effect of nanosized carbon black on flammability and mechanical properties of poly(butylene succinate)
Authors: Chen Qing , Wen Xin , Chen Hao , Qi Yanlong , Gong Jiang , Yang Hongfan , Li Yunhui , Tang Tao
Published: November 2014

Biodegradable poly(butylene succinate)/nanosized carbon black (PBS/CB) nanocomposites were prepared by melt compounding to investigate the effect of CB on flammability and mechanical properties of PBS. In the nanocomposites, CB displayed some positive effect on improving the flame retardancy of PBS, mainly on the decrease of peak of heat release rate, the increase of limited oxygen index value, and the inhibition of melt dripping. It was contributed to the formation of a good carbon layer during combustion and of a network structure in the PBS matrix. Moreover, a good balance on mechanical performances of PBS/CB nanocomposites was achieved with enhanced stiffness and high toughness, which was ascribed to the compatibilization of PBS‐g‐MA, leading to a good dispersion of nanofillers and strong matrix‐nanoparticle interaction. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Intrinsic disorder mediates hepatitis C virus core–host cell protein interactions
Authors: Dolan Patrick T. , Roth Andrew P. , Xue Bin , Sun Ren , Dunker A. Keith , Uversky Vladimir N. , LaCount Douglas J.
Published: November 2014

Viral proteins bind to numerous cellular and viral proteins throughout the infection cycle. However, the mechanisms by which viral proteins interact with such large numbers of factors remain unknown. Cellular proteins that interact with multiple, distinct partners often do so through short sequences known as molecular recognition features (MoRFs) embedded within intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs). In this study, we report the first evidence that MoRFs in viral proteins play a similar role in targeting the host cell. Using a combination of evolutionary modeling, protein–protein interaction analyses and forward genetic screening, we systematically investigated two computationally predicted MoRFs within the N‐terminal IDR of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) Core protein. Sequence analysis of the MoRFs showed their conservation across all HCV genotypes and the canine and equine Hepaciviruses. Phylogenetic modeling indicated that the Core MoRFs are under stronger purifying selection than the surrounding sequence, suggesting that these modules have a biological function. Using the yeast two‐hybrid assay, we identified three cellular binding partners for each HCV Core MoRF, including two previously characterized cellular targets of HCV Core (DDX3X and NPM1). Random and site‐directed mutagenesis demonstrated that the predicted MoRF regions were required for binding to the cellular proteins, but that different residues within each MoRF were critical for binding to different partners. This study demonstrated that viruses may use intrinsic disorder to target multiple cellular proteins with the same amino acid sequence and provides a framework for characterizing the binding partners of other disordered regions in viral and cellular proteomes.
Aldehyde modification and alum coadjuvancy enhance anti‐TNF‐α autovaccination and mitigate arthritis in rat
Authors: Bavoso Alfonso , Ostuni Angela , De Vendel Jolanda , Bracalello Angelo , Shcheglova Tatiana , Makker Sudesh , Tramontano Alfonso
Published: November 2014

Experimental vaccination to induce antibodies (Abs) capable of cytokine antagonism shows promise as a novel immunotherapy for chronic inflammatory disease. We prepared a hybrid antigen consisting of residues 141–235 of rat TNF‐α fused to the C‐terminus of glutathione‐S‐transferase (GST), chemically modified to incorporate aldehyde residues, for development of an auto‐vaccine eliciting anti‐rTNF‐α Abs. In rat immunization the soluble aldehyde‐modified fusion protein did not generate observable Ab responses. By contrast, vaccination with the aldehyde‐modified fusion protein adsorbed on alum induced anti‐TNF‐α autoAbs with high titer and neutralizing activity. Induction of adjuvant arthritis in rats pre‐immunized with unmodified fusion protein or a control protein in alum resulted in severe inflammation and joint damage, whereas the disease induced in rats immunized with the aldehyde‐bearing fusion protein in alum was markedly attenuated. Similar results were obtained in a collagen‐induced rat arthritis model. Anti‐collagen II IgG Ab titers did not deviate significantly in groups pre‐immunized with modified fusion protein and control protein, suggesting that anti‐TNF vaccination did not skew the immune response related to disease induction. This study demonstrates synergy between particulate alum and protein bound carbonyl residues for enhancement of protein immunogenicity. The antigen‐specific co‐adjuvant system could prove advantageous for breaking tolerance in emerging auto‐vaccination therapies targeting inflammatory cytokines as well as for enhancing a broader category of subunit vaccines. Aldehyde adduction introduces a minimal modification which, together with the established use of alum as a safe adjuvant for human use, could be favorable for further vaccine development. Copyright © 2014 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Proposition of a New Severity Analysis Based on ‘Shake’ Detection: Example of the Vatry Airport Tarmac
Authors: Huart Victor , Candore Jean‐Charles , Nolot Jean‐Baptiste , Krajka Nicolas , Pellot Jérôme , Odof Serge , Erre Damien
Published: November 2014

In packaging science, the study of transport is important in determining the viability of a package/product pair. Many load breaks occur (e.g. handling and storage) along a supply chain. Transport also generates various physical stresses (e.g. shocks, shakes and vibrations). These physical phenomena can be recorded using a variety of customized sensors (e.g. tri‐axial accelerometers, temperature sensors and pressure sensors). This study focuses on a transport phase that has not been studied in depth to date. Transportation operations on tarmacs include many handling and transportation machines, which are characterized by typical constraints that are often more stringent than airlift phase constraints. For comparison, acceleration distributions were estimated and analysed for the tarmac phase and road phase. Severity indicators were calculated based on existing methods. The second part of this study addresses the study of shakes. The shake distributions at 90 and 95% were another indicator of the shakes' severity and probability of occurrence. These elements allow us to characterize the impact of the tarmac area during air transport.
A seasonal and diurnal climatology of precipitation organization in the southeastern United States
Authors: Rickenbach Thomas M. , Nieto‐Ferreira Rosana , Zarzar Christopher , Nelson Brian
Published: November 2014

This article describes results from a new four‐year (2009–2012) radar‐based precipitation climatology for the southeastern United States (SE USA). The climatology shows that a size‐based classification between mesoscale precipitation features (MPF) and isolated precipitation reveals distinct seasonal and diurnal variability of precipitation. On average, from 70 to 90% of precipitation is associated with MPF, generally less in the summertime and in southern coastal regions. MPF precipitation has a relatively small seasonal cycle except in Florida and the warm offshore waters of the Gulf Stream. In contrast, isolated precipitation has a dramatic seasonal cycle that outlines the SE USA coastline whereas the MPF precipitation does not, consistent with a thermodynamic mechanism for onshore isolated storms in coastal regions. In summer, the isolated precipitation preferentially forms offshore at night, and dramatically ‘flips’ inland by early afternoon. In contrast, MPF precipitation has no clear diurnal variations except in the southern coastal region in the summer, likely associated with sea breeze convection organized on the mesoscale. These results suggest that the MPF versus isolated precipitation system framework provides a useful basis for future studies of large‐scale and local controls on precipitation and resulting implications for long‐range predictability of precipitation.
Establishing Parameters for Identification of Vulnerable Occupations in a Disaster Scenario in Gujarat, India
Authors: Srivastava Nitin , Shaw Rajib
Published: November 2014

Natural disasters in developing countries have direct and indirect economic effects, which impact the persons from all economic strata. While some can recover, many are left stranded in the aftermath of the disaster, deprived of earning opportunities. An effectual policy targeting this population, mostly engaged in low‐income jobs or the informal sector of the economy, can be formulated only if the impact on these occupations can be competently computed. This paper establishes parameters to identify vulnerable occupations and gives direction to devise the strategy for “occupational resilience.” The paper also shares the results of a preliminary study conducted in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, involving 40 disaster hit communities; victims of urban floods in the last decade, spatially distributed over urban, peri‐urban and rural areas and validates the previously laid parameters at the field level. It also gives an insight into the communities' survival strategies and the issues that link the employment and urban‐rural linkage elements to the disaster.
A selection of distinguished papers from the 19th Working Conference on Reverse Engineering 2012
Authors: Oliveto Rocco , Poshyvanyk Denys
Published: November 2014

This special issue contains a selection of distinguished papers from the 19th Working Conference on Reverse Engineering, held in Kingston, Ontario, Canada on October 15th–18th, 2012. The papers address a variety of topics related to reverse engineering, namely the analysis of execution traces, development of fast and efficient forward static slicing techniques, and mining of software repositories aiming at deriving novel patterns related to reverse engineering activities, such as the migration in Java libraries and the analysis of effects of file editing patterns on source code quality. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Value of Preparation in a Systems Engineering Masters Module: A Longitudinal Case Study
Authors: Benade Siebert , Callaghan Ronel
Published: November 2014

This research emanates from a systems‐oriented process of investigation into the educational approach of masters in engineering management programmes in order to find ways to improve student through‐put rate and the quality of learning. The document describes the educational process, with specific emphasis on student preparedness, including the value and impact of a pivotal preparation test. This process is guided by constructive alignment; learning cycles through interactive blended teaching; and a focus on student learning. A longitudinal descriptive case study of the programmes was undertaken, focusing on a systems engineering module, which is integral to all masters programmes. The case is described with regard to its context; the educational process and teaching approach; and an educational and statistical analysis of the preparation test.

The main contribution of the paper is the resulting structured, holistic, and integrated education process, designed to address the challenges, including a specific focus on student preparation and the pivotal preparation test. A clear link was established between student preparedness and the subsequent levels of teaching and learning. The preparation test was found to be on the relevant cognitive level; a predictor of course success; influencing positively the motivation of students; as well as impacting on the adaptation of the educational process. The use of the adapted Bloom's taxonomy to evaluate cognitive levels of an intervention; the application of learning cycles and constructive alignment; as well as the impact of a preparation test, can significantly enhance the quality of the education process and consequently, student through‐put rates.
If There Were No Numbers, What Would You Think?
Authors: Donaldson Thomas Mark Eden ,   Philosophy Documentation Center
Published: November 2014

Hartry Field has argued that mathematical realism is epistemologically problematic, because the realist is unable to explain the supposed reliability of our mathematical beliefs. In some of his discussions of this point, Field backs up his argument by saying that our purely mathematical beliefs do not ‘counterfactually depend on the facts’. I argue that counterfactual dependence is irrelevant in this context; it does nothing to bolster Field’s argument.
An efficient tabu search for cell planning problem in mobile communication
Authors: Lin Chun‐Hung Richard , Liao Hung‐Jen , Lin Ying‐Chih , Liu Jain‐Shing , Huang Yu‐Hsiu
Published: November 2014

During the past decades, mobile communication is in the vigorous development, where the cell planning problem (CPP) is one of impressive research issues. CPP has been proved to be NP‐Complete, and many works develop intelligent heuristic search strategies to solve it. Among many factors to affect the cell planning, the major one is the signaling cost, where the location management is critical to the cost. In this paper, we focus on how to tackle CPP such that the signaling cost can be minimized. We adopt a meta‐heuristic iterative search algorithm, Tabu Search (TS), to deal with the cell planning issue for the base station and propose novel designs to improve the TS capability, including initialization and neighbor swap strategy. The simulation results reveal that our TS outperforms traditional TS, genetic algorithms, and several previous works in CPP. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
MANCL: a multi‐anchor nodes collaborative localization algorithm for underwater acoustic sensor networks
Authors: Han Guangjie , Zhang Chenyu , Liu Tongqing , Shu Lei
Published: November 2014

Localization is an essential and major issue for underwater acoustic sensor networks (UASNs). Almost all the applications in UASNs are closely related to the locations of sensors. In this paper, we propose a multi‐anchor nodes collaborative localization (MANCL) algorithm, a three‐dimensional (3D) localization scheme using anchor nodes and upgrade anchor nodes within two hops for UASNs. The MANCL algorithm divides the whole localization process into four sub‐processes: unknown node localization process, iterative location estimation process, improved 3D Euclidean distance estimation process, and 3D DV‐hop distance estimation process based on two‐hop anchor nodes. In the third sub‐process, we propose a communication mechanism and a vote mechanism to determine the temporary coordinates of unknown nodes. In the fourth sub‐process, we use two‐hop anchor nodes to help localize unknown nodes. We also evaluate and compare the proposed algorithm with a large‐scale localization algorithm through simulations. Results show that the proposed MANCL algorithm can perform better with regard to localization ratio, average localization error, and energy consumption in UASNs. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Silver(I) Iodide Complex of a Tellurophosphorane
Authors: Nordheider Andreas , Slawin Alexandra M. Z. , Woollins J. Derek , Chivers Tristram
Published: November 2014

The formation and structural characterization of the first coordination complex of the tellurophosphorane [tBu(H)NP(μ‐NtBu)2P(Te)N(H)tBu] are presented. The silver(I) iodide complex {(I)Ag[tBu(H)NP(μ‐NtBu)2P(Te)N(H)tBu]3} (2) was isolated from the reaction of [Li(TMEDA)]2[tBuN(Te)P(μ‐NtBu)2P(Te)NtBu)] (1) with AgI in toluene and characterized by X‐ray analysis and multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. Complex 2 is comprised of three tellurophosphorane ligands coordinated to AgI in a distorted tetrahedral arrangement [102.90(3)–114.51(5)o]. The P=Te bond lengths of 2.3883(13)–2.4043(17) Å in 2 are slightly elongated compared to those in the free ligand.
Formation of Coordination Polymers and Complexes at Room Temperature from Thiazole and Lanthanide‐trichlorides
Authors: Dannenbauer Nicole , Constantinidis Philipp , Fischer Ingo , Müller‐Buschbaum Klaus
Published: November 2014

Seven lanthanide containing strand‐like coordination polymers and dimeric complexes were obtained in a reversible reaction from 1, 3‐thiazole (thz) and LnCl3 (Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd). The reactions do not require activation and render coordination polymers accessible at room temperature, already. The product constitutions depend on the lanthanide and the thiazole‐to‐halide ratio. For lanthanum and cerium formation of the coordination polymers 1∞[LnCl3(thz)3]·thz as well as dimeric complexes [Ln2Cl6(thz)8]·3thz were observed. For praseodymium and neodymium dimeric complexes were observed with and without non‐coordinating thz. Upon heating, the compounds release thiazole under re‐formation of LnCl3, the formation reaction thus being a thermally reversible reaction. Compounds and conversion processes were characterized by temperature dependent X‐ray powder and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, in‐situ temperature dependent gas phase IR spectroscopy, DTA/TG, and elemental analysis.
Finding Economies of Scale and Coordination of Care along the Continuum to Achieve True System Integration
Authors: Davies Maura
Published: November 2014

Is it time to reduce hospitals and replace them with digitally enabled distributed specialty service delivery channels that focus on ambulatory care, urgent care, and patient reactivation? Is delivery system integration immaterial if care is standardized and supported by integrated information systems? Maybe Lean methodology needs to be applied across the entire delivery systems, not just within its component functions and processes. Comments are offered on each of these perspectives.
Provincial and Regional Accountability for Performance is Critical in Non-Integrated Health Systems
Authors: Sherar Michael
Published: November 2014

Clinical integration based on care paths and clinical information at the patient level is critical to ensure quality care. Moreover, effective clinical integration can occur in non-integrated health delivery systems. However, one of the challenges of a lack of integration at the system level is that no one organization or provider is responsible for an individual patient's journey. For the benefits of local clinical integration to be realized, clear accountability for performance at the regional and provincial level must be established.
Do We Adapt So Slowly That the Public Loses the Privilege of Running its Own System?
Authors: Goodfellow Colin
Published: November 2014

There is a soft consensus on what the health system's characteristics should be, the firmer view on the recurring barriers to change, and how all of this, save for the digital backbone element, could have been written 30 years ago. It is this chronic system stasis when change is urgently needed that casts doubt on the public administration of health services.
Mineralogy and geochemistry of clay fractions from different saprolites, Egypt: implications for the source of sedimentary kaolin deposits
Authors: Baioumy Hassan M.
Published: November 2014

The clay fractions of saprolites from granites, basalt, and schists in Egypt were subjected to mineralogical and geochemical investigations to examine the effect of source rock on the composition of the saprolites and the possibilities of these saprolites as a source of the nearby sedimentary kaolin deposits. The clay fractions of the studied saprolites show mineralogical and geochemical variations. Saprolites from the granites consist of kaolinite, while saprolites from the basalts are composed entirely of smectite. Schists-derived saprolites are composed of kaolinite in some cases and of a mixture of kaolinite, illite, and chlorite in the other. Saprolite from the basalt is characterized by relatively higher contents of TiO2 and Ni compared to the saprolites from granites. Saprolites from granites have higher contents of Ba, Li, Pb, Sr, Th, Y, and Zr compared to those of the saprolites from the basalts and schists. Saprolites from different schists show variations in the distributions of many constituents, such as TiO2, Cr, Ni, Ba, Y, and Zr. Although chondrite-normalized rare earth elements (REE) patterns are characterized by relative enrichments in the light rare earth elements (LREE) compared to the heavy rare earth elements (HREE) in all saprolites, granitic saprolites show negative Eu anomalies, while saprolite from basalt has no Eu anomaly. REE patterns of the saprolites from schists exhibit slight positive Ce anomalies and slight to moderate negative Eu anomalies. Weathering of saprolites from the basalt and metasediments is classified as the bisiallitization type, while weathering of saprolite from the granite is allitization type. Saprolites from schists vary from the bisiallitization (Aswan and Abu Natash) and allitization (Khaboba) types. Saprolites from the Khaboba schist can be considered the possible source of the Carboniferous kaolin deposits in the Hasber and Khaboba areas of Sinai, based on the similarity in the mineralogy and geochemistry of major, trace, and REE between the saprolites and the deposits. On the other hand, Carboniferous sedimentary kaolin deposits in the Abu Natash area, as well as the Cretaceous kaolin deposits in all areas of Sinai, might have been derived from the nearby schist saprolites, based on the similarity in the mineralogy and geochemistry between the saprolites and the kaolin deposits. Granites from the Arabian-Nubian Shield (ANS) and East Sahara Craton (ESC) are the possible sources of the pisolitic and plastic kaolin deposits in the Kalabsha area (Aswan), as indicated by the similarity in the mineralogy and geochemistry of the granitic saprolites and the kaolin deposits.
Isidore's Etymologiae at the school of Canterbury
Authors: Porter David W.
Published: November 2014

This article demonstrates that some 180 of the 2,400 text glosses in the ‘Leiden Glossary’ derive from an epitome of the Etymologiae. A reconstruction of this lost source shows that it consisted of abbreviated entries from all twenty of Isidore's books, with selected books heavily glossed in Old English. Mirroring the encyclopedic scope of the Etymologiae, this seventh-century epitome was extensively excerpted by glossary-compilers and gave thousands of English words their first written form.
The audience for Old English texts: Ælfric, rhetoric and ‘the edification of the simple’
Authors: Gittos Helen
Published: November 2014

There is a persistent view that Old English texts were mostly written to be read or heard by people with no knowledge of Latin, or little understanding of it, especially the laity. This is not surprising because it is what the texts themselves tend to say. In this article I argue that these statements about audience reflect two rhetorical devices and should not be understood literally. This has implications for our understanding of the reasons why writers chose to use Old English and their attitudes towards translation of various kinds into the vernacular.
Kings and books in Anglo-Saxon England
Authors: Pratt David
Published: November 2014

This article examines the evidence for books associated with kings in Anglo-Saxon England, making the case for the ninth century as the key period of change. A wide variety of books were probably present in the household of later Anglo-Saxon kings. There was a degree of connection between the gift of books by kings and practices of ownership. The donation of gospel-books to favoured churches played a distinctive role, emphasizing the king's position in ecclesiastical leadership. In a number of cases, gospel-books associated with kings subsequently acted as a repository for documents, entered in blank spaces or additional leaves by scribes at the recipient church. Certain aspects of this practice strengthen the case for identifying two late Anglo-Saxon gospel-books as royal gifts. Books given by kings had a numinous quality arising from their royal associations. The possible strategies underpinning the dissemination of this ‘royal’ culture are explored.
Ammonium, nitrate and glycine uptake of six Ecuadorian tropical montane forest tree species: anin situpot experiment with saplings
Authors: Wittich Bärbel , Homeier Jürgen , Leuschner Christoph
Published: November 2014

Not much is known about the nitrogen (N) uptake capacity and N-form preference of tropical trees. In a replicated labelling experiment with15N-ammonium,15N-nitrate and dual-labelled glycine applied to saplings of six tree species from southern Ecuadorian montane forests, we tested the hypotheses that (1) the saplings of tropical trees are capable of using organic N even though they are forming arbuscular mycorrhizas, and (2) with increasing altitude, tree saplings increasingly prefer ammonium and glycine over nitrate due to reduced nitrification and growing humus accumulation. Three- to 5-y-old saplings of two species each from 1000, 2000 and 3000 m asl were grown in pots inside the forest at their origin and labelled with non-fertilizing amounts of the three N forms;15N enrichment was detected 5 days after labelling in fine roots, coarse roots, shoots and leaves. The six species differed with respect to their N-form preference, but neither the abundance of ammonium and nitrate in the soil nor altitude (1000–3000 m asl) seemed to influence the preference. Two species (those with highest growth rate) preferred NH4+over NO3−, while the other four species took up NO3−and NH4+at similar rates when both N forms were equally available. After13C-glycine addition,13C was significantly accumulated in the biomass of three species (all species with exclusively AM symbionts) but a convincing proof of the uptake of intact glycine molecules by these tropical montane forest trees was not obtained.
Crowd Behavior at Mass Gatherings: A Literature Review
Authors: Zeitz Kathryn M. , Tan Heather M. , Grief M , Couns PC , Zeitz Christopher J.
Published: November 2014

Gaining an understanding of crowd behavior is important in supporting timely and appropriate crowd management principles in the planning and provision of emergency services at mass gatherings. This paper provides a review of the current understanding of the psychological factors of a crowd within the psychosocial domain as they apply to mass-gathering settings.

It can be concluded from this review that there is a large theory-practice gap in relation to crowd psychology and the mass-gathering setting. The literature has highlighted two important elements of crowd behavior—there must be a “seed” and people must engage. Understanding these behaviors may provide opportunities to change crowd behavior outcomes.
Stigma and its impact on help-seeking for mental disorders: what do we know?
Authors: Schomerus Georg , Angermeyer Matthias C.
Published: November 2014

Aims – Many people suffering from serious mental illness do not seek appropriate medical help. The stigma of mental illness has often been considered a potential cause for reluctance in seeking help. We review recent evidence on this topic. Methods – Narrative review of the recent literature on stigma and helpseeking for psychiatric disorders. Results – There is proof of a particular stigma attached to seeking help for a mental problem. Anticipated individual discrimination and discrimination qua self-stigmatisation are associated with a reduced readiness to seek professional help for mental disorders. Intervention studies show that destigmatisation may lead to increased readiness to seek professional help, but other aspects like knowledge about mental diseases seem to be at least as important. The belief that seeking help for a mental health problem is actually helpful has been shown to be at the core of help-seeking intentions and thus offers a promising target for information programmes. Population based time-trend studies show that public attitudes towards help-seeking have improved over the last decade. Discussion – The relationship between help-seeking intentions and actual help-seeking needs further exploration. While many studies have been able to relate attitudes to intentions, predicting actual help-seeking has proved more difficult.

Declaration of Interest: None.
How does water mean?
Authors: Alberti Ben
Published: November 2014

The St Anthony's Day procession was caught in a bitter, driving rainstorm, accompanied by thunder and lightning. We elected to carry on to the church, despite the weather and the sense of threat. By the time we reached our destination we were soaked through. Locals were happy for the rain and all it implied, students and faculty to have shared the powerful experience which appeared to close an affective gap with our hosts.
Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor Attenuates Delayed tPA-Induced Hemorrhagic Transformation in Ischemic Stroke Rats by Enhancing Angiogenesis and Vasculogenesis
Authors: dela Peña Ike C , Yoo Arum , Tajiri Naoki , Acosta Sandra A , Ji Xunming , Kaneko Yuji , Borlongan Cesar V
Published: November 2014

Treatment with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) beyond the therapeutic time window (>4.5 hours post stroke) may produce hemorrhagic transformation (HT). Strategies that could extend the narrow time window of tPA will benefit a significant number of stroke patients. Male Sprague—Dawley rats underwent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) and given vehicle, tPA (10 mg/kg), or tPA and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF, 300 μg/kg), at 6 hours after MCAo. Twenty-four hours post treatment, G-CSF+tPA-treated stroke rats displayed 25% improvement in neurological functions and 38.9% reduction of hemorrhage, with Western blots showing 1.9- and 1.2-fold increments in Ang-2 expression in the ischemic cortex and striatum, respectively, and 3-fold increase in phosphorylated endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression in the ipsilateral cortex relative to tPA-treated rats. Immunohistochemistry also showed 2- and 2.8-fold increase in von-Willebrand expression, 3.2- and 2.2-fold increased CD34+ expression, and 4- and 13-fold upregulation of VEGFR-2 expression in the ischemic cortex and striatum, respectively, in G-CSF+tPA-treated stroke rats relative to tPA-treated subjects. Altogether, these findings indicate that G-CSF attenuated delayed tPA-induced HT likely via the enhancement of angiogenesis and vasculogenesis. The use of G-CSF to protect the vasculature may improve the clinical outcome of tPA even outside the currently indicated therapeutic window for ischemic stroke.
Non-additivity of molecule-surface van der Waals potentials from force measurements
Authors: Wagner Christian , Fournier Norman , Ruiz Victor G. , Li Chen , Müllen Klaus , Rohlfing Michael , Tkatchenko Alexandre , Temirov Ruslan , Tautz F. Stefan
Published: November 2014

Van der Waals (vdW) forces act ubiquitously in condensed matter. Despite being weak on an atomic level, they substantially influence molecular and biological systems due to their long range and system-size scaling. The difficulty to isolate and measure vdW forces on a single-molecule level causes our present understanding to be strongly theory based. Here we show measurements of the attractive potential between differently sized organic molecules and a metal surface using an atomic force microscope. Our choice of molecules and the large molecule-surface separation cause this attraction to be purely of vdW type. The experiment allows testing the asymptotic vdW force law and its validity range. We find a superlinear growth of the vdW attraction with molecular size, originating from the increased deconfinement of electrons in the molecules. Because such non-additive vdW contributions are not accounted for in most first-principles or empirical calculations, we suggest further development in that direction.
DNA methylation signatures link prenatal famine exposure to growth and metabolism
Authors: Tobi Elmar W. , Goeman Jelle J. , Monajemi Ramin , Gu Hongcang , Putter Hein , Zhang Yanju , Slieker Roderick C. , Stok Arthur P. , Thijssen Peter E. , Müller Fabian , van Zwet Erik W. , Bock Christoph , Meissner Alexander , Lumey L. H. , Eline Slagboom P. , Heijmans Bastiaan T.
Published: November 2014

Periconceptional diet may persistently influence DNA methylation levels with phenotypic consequences. However, a comprehensive assessment of the characteristics of prenatal malnutrition-associated differentially methylated regions (P-DMRs) is lacking in humans. Here we report on a genome-scale analysis of differential DNA methylation in whole blood after periconceptional exposure to famine during the Dutch Hunger Winter. We show that P-DMRs preferentially occur at regulatory regions, are characterized by intermediate levels of DNA methylation and map to genes enriched for differential expression during early development. Validation and further exploratory analysis of six P-DMRs highlight the critical role of gestational timing. Interestingly, differential methylation of the P-DMRs extends along pathways related to growth and metabolism. P-DMRs located in INSR and CPT1A have enhancer activity in vitro and differential methylation is associated with birth weight and serum LDL cholesterol. Epigenetic modulation of pathways by prenatal malnutrition may promote an adverse metabolic phenotype in later life.
Community-integrated omics links dominance of a microbial generalist to fine-tuned resource usage
Authors: Muller Emilie E. L. , Pinel Nicolás , Laczny Cédric C. , Hoopmann Michael R. , Narayanasamy Shaman , Lebrun Laura A. , Roume Hugo , Lin Jake , May Patrick , Hicks Nathan D. , Heintz-Buschart Anna , Wampach Linda , Liu Cindy M. , Price Lance B. , Gillece John D. , Guignard Cédric , Schupp James M. , Vlassis Nikos , Baliga Nitin S. , Moritz Robert L. , Keim Paul S. , Wilmes Paul
Published: November 2014

Microbial communities are complex and dynamic systems that are primarily structured according to their members’ ecological niches. To investigate how niche breadth (generalist versus specialist lifestyle strategies) relates to ecological success, we develop and apply an integrative workflow for the multi-omic analysis of oleaginous mixed microbial communities from a biological wastewater treatment plant. Time- and space-resolved coupled metabolomic and taxonomic analyses demonstrate that the community-wide lipid accumulation phenotype is associated with the dominance of the generalist bacterium Candidatus Microthrix spp. By integrating population-level genomic reconstructions (reflecting fundamental niches) with transcriptomic and proteomic data (realised niches), we identify finely tuned gene expression governing resource usage by Candidatus Microthrix parvicella over time. Moreover, our results indicate that the fluctuating environmental conditions constrain the accumulation of genetic variation in Candidatus Microthrix parvicella likely due to fitness trade-offs. Based on our observations, niche breadth has to be considered as an important factor for understanding the evolutionary processes governing (microbial) population sizes and structures in situ.
Contrasting benefits of different artemisinin combination therapies as first-line malaria treatments using model-based cost-effectiveness analysis
Authors: Okell Lucy C. , Cairns Matthew , Griffin Jamie T. , Ferguson Neil M. , Tarning Joel , Jagoe George , Hugo Pierre , Baker Mark , D’Alessandro Umberto , Bousema Teun , Ubben David , Ghani Azra C.
Published: November 2014

There are currently several recommended drug regimens for uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Africa. Each has different properties that determine its impact on disease burden. Two major antimalarial policy options are artemether–lumefantrine (AL) and dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine (DHA–PQP). Clinical trial data show that DHA–PQP provides longer protection against reinfection, while AL is better at reducing patient infectiousness. Here we incorporate pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic factors, transmission-reducing effects and cost into a mathematical model and simulate malaria transmission and treatment in Africa, using geographically explicit data on transmission intensity and seasonality, population density, treatment access and outpatient costs. DHA–PQP has a modestly higher estimated impact than AL in 64% of the population at risk. Given current higher cost estimates for DHA–PQP, there is a slightly greater cost per case averted, except in areas with high, seasonally varying transmission where the impact is particularly large. We find that a locally optimized treatment policy can be highly cost effective for reducing clinical malaria burden.
A Mechanistic Systems Pharmacology Model for Prediction of LDL Cholesterol Lowering by PCSK9 Antagonism in Human Dyslipidemic Populations
Authors: Gadkar K , Budha N , Baruch A , Davis J D , Fielder P , Ramanujan S
Published: November 2014

PCSK9 is a promising target for the treatment of hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular disease. A Quantitative Systems Pharmacology model of the mechanisms of action of statin and anti‐PCSK9 therapies was developed to predict low density lipoprotein (LDL) changes in response to anti‐PCSK9 mAb for different treatment protocols and patient subpopulations. Mechanistic interactions and cross‐regulation of LDL, LDL receptor, and PCSK9 were modeled, and numerous virtual subjects were developed and validated against clinical data. Simulations predict a slightly greater maximum percent reduction in LDL cholesterol (LDLc) when anti‐PCSK9 is administered on statin background therapy compared to as a monotherapy. The difference results primarily from higher PCSK9 levels in patients on statin background. However, higher PCSK9 levels are also predicted to increase clearance of anti‐PCSK9, resulting in a faster rebound of LDLc. Simulations of subjects with impaired LDL receptor (LDLR) function predict compromised anti‐PCSK9 responses in patients such as homozygous familial hypercholesterolemics, whose functional LDLR is below 10% of normal.

CPT Pharmacometrics Syst. Pharmacol. (2014) 3, e149; doi:10.1038/psp.2014.47; published online 26 November 2014