bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Screening and Identification of the Metabolites in Rat Plasma and Urine after Oral Administration of Areca catechu L. Nut Extract by Ultra-High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Linear Ion Trap–Orbitrap Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Li Lulu , Luo Zhiqiang , Liu Yang , Wang Hao , Liu Aoxue , Yu Guohua , Li Mengwei , Yang Ruirui , Chen Xinjing , Zhu Jialian , Zhao Baosheng
Published: June 2017

Areca catechu L. nut, a well-known toxic traditional herbal medicine, has been widely used to treat various diseases in China and many other Asian countries for centuries. However, to date the in vivo absorption and metabolism of its multiple bioactive or toxic components still remain unclear. In this study, liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry was used to analyze the major components and their metabolites in rat plasma and urine after oral administration of Areca catechu L. nut extract (ACNE). A total of 12 compounds, including 6 alkaloids, 3 tannins and 3 amino acids, were confirmed or tentatively identified from ACNE. In vivo, 40 constituents, including 8 prototypes and 32 metabolites were identified in rat plasma and urine samples. In summary, this study showed an insight into the metabolism of ACNE in vivo, which may provide helpful chemical information for better understanding of the toxicological and pharmacological profiles of ACNE.
Antibacterial Effect of a 4x Cu-TiO2 Coating Simulating Acute Periprosthetic Infection—An Animal Model
Authors: Mauerer Andreas , Stenglein Stefanie , Schulz-Drost Stefan , Schoerner Christoph , Taylor Dominic , Krinner Sebastian , Heidenau Frank , Adler Werner , Forst Raimund
Published: June 2017

The purpose of our study was to investigate the antibacterial effect of a spacer (Ti6Al4V) coated with 4x Cu-TiO2 in an animal model simulating an acute periprosthetic infection by Staphylococcus aureus. Ti6Al4 bolts contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus were implanted into the femoral condyle of rabbits (n = 36) divided into 3 groups. After one week in group 1 (control) the bolts were removed without any replacement. In group2 Ti6Al4V bolts with a 4x Cu-TiO2 coating and in group 3 beads of a gentamicin-PMMA chain were imbedded into the borehole. Microbiological investigation was performed at the primary surgery, at the revision surgery and after scarification of the rabbits 3 weeks after the first surgery. Blood tests were conducted weekly. The initial overall infection rate was 88.9%. In group 2 and 3 a significant decrease of the infection rate was shown in contrast to the control group. The C-reactive protein (CRP) levels declined one week after the first surgery except in the control group where the CRP level even increased. This is the first in vivo study that demonstrated the antibacterial effects of a fourfold Cu-TiO2 coating. For the future, the coating investigated could be a promising option in the treatment of implant-associated infections.
The Investigation of Electrochemistry Behaviors of Tyrosinase Based on Directly-Electrodeposited Grapheneon Choline-Gold Nanoparticles
Authors: He Yaping , Yang Xiaohui , Han Quan , Zheng Jianbin
Published: June 2017

A novel catechol (CA) biosensor was developed by embedding tyrosinase (Tyr) onto in situ electrochemical reduction graphene (EGR) on choline-functionalized gold nanoparticle (AuNPs-Ch) film. The results of UV-Vis spectra indicated that Tyr retained its original structure in the film, and an electrochemical investigation of the biosensor showed a pair of well-defined, quasi-reversible redox peaks with Epa = −0.0744 V and Epc = −0.114 V (vs. SCE) in 0.1 M, pH 7.0 sodium phosphate-buffered saline at a scan rate of 100 mV/s. The transfer rate constant ks is 0.66 s−1. The Tyr-EGR/AuNPs-Ch showed a good electrochemical catalytic response for the reduction of CA, with the linear range from 0.2 to 270 μM and a detection limit of 0.1 μM (S/N = 3). The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant was estimated to be 109 μM.
Characterisation of the Chemical Composition and Structural Features of Novel Antimicrobial Nanoparticles
Authors: Cheong Yuen-Ki , Calvo-Castro Jesus , Ciric Lena , Edirisinghe Mohan , Cloutman-Green Elaine , Illangakoon Upulitha , Kang Qiang , Mahalingam Suntharavathanan , Matharu Rupy , Wilson Rory , Ren Guogang
Published: June 2017

Three antimicrobial nanoparticle types (AMNP0, AMNP1, and AMNP2) produced using the TesimaTM thermal plasma technology were investigated and their compositions were determined using a combination of analytical methods. Scanning electron micrographs provided the morphology of these particles with observed sizes ranging from 10 to 50 nm, whilst FTIR spectra confirmed the absence of polar bonds and organic impurities, and strong Raman active vibrational bands at ca. 1604 and 1311 cm−1 ascribed to C–C vibrational motions were observed. Carbon signals that resonated at δC 126 ppm in the solid state NMR spectra confirmed that sp2 hybridised carbons were present in high concentration in two of the nanoparticle types (AMNP1 and AMNP2). X-ray powder diffraction suggested that AMNP0 contains single phase Tungsten carbide (WC) in a high state of purity and multiple phases of WC/WC1-x were identified in both AMNP1 and AMNP2. Finally, X-ray photoelectron spectral (XPS) analyses revealed and quantified the elemental ratios in these composite formulations.
A Short-Term Biological Indicator for Long-Term Kidney Damage after Radionuclide Therapy in Mice
Authors: Pellegrini Giovanni , Siwowska Klaudia , Haller Stephanie , Antoine Daniel , Schibli Roger , Kipar Anja , Müller Cristina
Published: June 2017

Folate receptor (FR)-targeted radionuclide therapy using folate radioconjugates is of interest due to the expression of the FR in a variety of tumor types. The high renal accumulation of radiofolates presents, however, a risk of radionephropathy. A potential option to address this challenge would be to use radioprotectants, such as amifostine. Methods for early detection of kidney damage that—in this case—cannot be predicted based on dose estimations, would facilitate the development of novel therapies. The aim of this study was, therefore, to assess potentially changing levels of plasma and urine biomarkers and to determine DNA damage at an early stage after radiofolate application. The identification of an early indicator for renal damage in mice would be useful since histological changes become apparent only several months after treatment. Mice were injected with different quantities of 177Lu-folate (10 MBq, 20 MBq and 30 MBq), resulting in mean absorbed kidney doses of ~23 Gy, ~46 Gy and ~69 Gy, respectively, followed by euthanasia two weeks (>85% of the mean renal radiation dose absorbed) or three months later. Whereas all investigated biomarkers remained unchanged, the number of γ-H2AX-positive nuclei in the renal cortex showed an evident dose-dependent increase as compared to control values two weeks after treatment. Comparison with the extent of kidney injury determined by histological changes five to eight months after administration of the same 177Lu-folate activities suggested that the quantitative assessment of double-strand breaks can be used as a biological indicator for long-term radiation effects in the kidneys. This method may, thus, enable faster assessment of radiopharmaceuticals and protective measures by preventing logistically challenging long-term investigations to detect kidney damage.
On-Ground Retracking to Correct Distorted Waveform in Spaceborne Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry
Authors: Wang Feng , Yang Dongkai , Li Weiqiang , Yang Wei
Published: June 2017

Spaceborne Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry (GNSS-R) has been the research focus of Earth observation because of its unique advantages; however, there are still many challenges to be resolved. The reduction of the impact of the satellite motion on the GNSS-R waveform is the one of key technologies for spaceborne GNSS-R. The proposed delay retracking methods in existing literatures require too many instrument resources and too much priori information to refresh correlation window on each coherent integration time period. This paper aims to propose an on-ground alternative in which less frequency tracking refresh on board is needed. The model of dynamic delay waveform, which is expressed as the convolution of the pure waveform and the point spread function, are described. Based on this, the new methodology, which utilizes the least squares fitting to make the residual error between the dynamic model and measured waveform minimum, is employed to reconstruct the pure waveform. The validity of proposed method is verified using UK-DMC, UK-TDS-1 and simulated data. Moreover, the performances of sea surface height and wind speed retrieval using retracked and non-retracked waveforms are compared. The results show that (1) the MSEs between aligned and retracked waveform reduce to 0.026 and 0.044 from 0.110 and 0.156 between aligned and non-retracked waveform with the TRP of 1 s and 3 s for UK-DMC data, and for UK-TDS-1 data, the MSEs decrease from 161.02 and 227.34 to 70.10 and 61.80; (2) the standard deviation of sea surface height using retracked waveform is lower 5 times than the one using non-retracked waveform; (3) the retracked waveform could lead to a better measurement performance in wind speed retrieval. Finally, the relationship between the performance of retracking and Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) is analyzed. The results show that when the SNR of the waveform is lower than 3 dB, the retrieval accuracies rapidly become worse.
An Efficient User Authentication and User Anonymity Scheme with Provably Security for IoT-Based Medical Care System
Authors: Li Chun-Ta , Wu Tsu-Yang , Chen Chin-Ling , Lee Cheng-Chi , Chen Chien-Ming
Published: June 2017

In recent years, with the increase in degenerative diseases and the aging population in advanced countries, demands for medical care of older or solitary people have increased continually in hospitals and healthcare institutions. Applying wireless sensor networks for the IoT-based telemedicine system enables doctors, caregivers or families to monitor patients’ physiological conditions at anytime and anyplace according to the acquired information. However, transmitting physiological data through the Internet concerns the personal privacy of patients. Therefore, before users can access medical care services in IoT-based medical care system, they must be authenticated. Typically, user authentication and data encryption are most critical for securing network communications over a public channel between two or more participants. In 2016, Liu and Chung proposed a bilinear pairing-based password authentication scheme for wireless healthcare sensor networks. They claimed their authentication scheme cannot only secure sensor data transmission, but also resist various well-known security attacks. In this paper, we demonstrate that Liu–Chung’s scheme has some security weaknesses, and we further present an improved secure authentication and data encryption scheme for the IoT-based medical care system, which can provide user anonymity and prevent the security threats of replay and password/sensed data disclosure attacks. Moreover, we modify the authentication process to reduce redundancy in protocol design, and the proposed scheme is more efficient in performance compared with previous related schemes. Finally, the proposed scheme is provably secure in the random oracle model under ECDHP.
Probing the Interaction of Dielectric Nanoparticles with Supported Lipid Membrane Coatings on Nanoplasmonic Arrays
Authors: Ferhan Abdul , Ma Gamaliel , Jackman Joshua , Sut Tun , Park Jae , Cho Nam-Joon
Published: June 2017

The integration of supported lipid membranes with surface-based nanoplasmonic arrays provides a powerful sensing approach to investigate biointerfacial phenomena at membrane interfaces. While a growing number of lipid vesicles, protein, and nucleic acid systems have been explored with nanoplasmonic sensors, there has been only very limited investigation of the interactions between solution-phase nanomaterials and supported lipid membranes. Herein, we established a surface-based localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) sensing platform for probing the interaction of dielectric nanoparticles with supported lipid bilayer (SLB)-coated, plasmonic nanodisk arrays. A key emphasis was placed on controlling membrane functionality by tuning the membrane surface charge vis-à-vis lipid composition. The optical sensing properties of the bare and SLB-coated sensor surfaces were quantitatively compared, and provided an experimental approach to evaluate nanoparticle–membrane interactions across different SLB platforms. While the interaction of negatively-charged silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) with a zwitterionic SLB resulted in monotonic adsorption, a stronger interaction with a positively-charged SLB resulted in adsorption and lipid transfer from the SLB to the SiNP surface, in turn influencing the LSPR measurement responses based on the changing spatial proximity of transferred lipids relative to the sensor surface. Precoating SiNPs with bovine serum albumin (BSA) suppressed lipid transfer, resulting in monotonic adsorption onto both zwitterionic and positively-charged SLBs. Collectively, our findings contribute a quantitative understanding of how supported lipid membrane coatings influence the sensing performance of nanoplasmonic arrays, and demonstrate how the high surface sensitivity of nanoplasmonic sensors is well-suited for detecting the complex interactions between nanoparticles and lipid membranes.
Quantitative Research on Regional Ecological Compensation from the Perspective of Carbon-Neutral: The Case of Hunan Province, China
Authors: Yu Guanghui , Liu Di , Liao Xiuying , Wang Ting , Tian Qianjin , Liao Yan
Published: June 2017

The reduction in CO2 emissions is very important, as highlighted by the issue of global climate warming. As a developing country, China has great differences in regional economic development, which makes it necessary to implement the ecological compensation of regional carbon emissions to coordinate the relationship between regional economic development and environmental protection. Using the ecological system in Hunan Province, China as the research object, this study analyzed and calculated the carbon emissions and carbon sequestration across different industries and different regions of Hunan using ArcGIS and theoretical model calculation methods. Quantitative research on region ecological compensation was undertaken by establishing the ecological compensation coefficient and ecological compensation model based on the carbon-neutral principal. The results showed that there were significant differences in carbon sources and carbon sequestration in the different cities. Out of all the cities investigated, Changsha had the highest carbon emissions and Huaihua had the largest carbon sequestration. In terms of per capita, Xiangtan had the highest carbon emissions and Zhangjiajie had the largest carbon sequestration. Through the quantification of carbon compensation in the cities of Hunan, we found that Changsha, Zhuzhou, Xiangtan, Hengyang, Yueyang, and Loudi were in a state of ecological deficit, and should pay an amount of ecological compensation, respectively. Meanwhile, the other eight cities (Shaoyang, Changde, Zhangjiajie, Yiyang, Chenzhou, Yongzhou, Huaihua, and Xiangxi) were in a state of ecological surplus; they could receive some ecological compensation, respectively. Our results will provide a reference for areal carbon trading and ecological compensation mechanisms as significant instruments and measures to realize payment for environmental resource services.
A Study on a JWT-Based User Authentication and API Assessment Scheme Using IMEI in a Smart Home Environment
Authors: Hong Namsu , Kim Mansik , Jun Moon-Seog , Kang Jungho
Published: June 2017

The development of information and communication technology (ICT) has opened the era of the Internet of Things (IoT), in which many devices can connect to the Internet to communicate. Recently, various technologies, such as smart grids, connected cars, and smart farms, have emerged based on IoT, and there is also the smart home, which is the fastest growing market. The smart home is where devices installed for various purposes connect to each other through the Internet so that users can use the service anytime and anywhere. However, while the smart home provides convenience to users, recently the smart home has been exposed to various security threats, such as vulnerability of session/cookies and the use of vulnerable OAuth. In addition, attacks on smart homes by hackers using these vulnerabilities are also increasing. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a user authentication method using the JSON Web Token (JWT) and International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) in the smart home, and solved the problem of unauthorized smart home device registration of hackers by the application of IMEI and JWT technology.
Modulation of Human β-Defensin-1 Production by Viruses
Authors: Ryan Lisa , Diamond Gill
Published: June 2017

While initially identified as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial peptide, constitutively expressed in epithelia, human β-defensin (hBD)-1 is now recognized to have a more complex pattern of expression of its gene, DEFB1, as well as activities that extend beyond direct antimicrobial. These observations suggest a complex role for hBD-1 in the host defense against viral infections, as evidenced by its expression in cells involved in viral defense, and its gene regulation in response to viral challenge. This regulation is observed both in vitro and in vivo in humans, as well as with the murine homolog, mBD-1. While numerous reviews have summarized the existing literature on β-defensin gene expression and activity, here we provide a focused review of relevant studies on the virus-mediated regulation of hBD-1 and how this regulation can provide a crucial aspect of the innate immune defense against viral infection.
Garlic Organosulfur Compounds Reduce Inflammation and Oxidative Stress during Dengue Virus Infection
Authors: Hall Alex , Troupin Andrea , Londono-Renteria Berlin , Colpitts Tonya
Published: June 2017

Dengue virus (DENV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that causes significant global human disease and mortality. One approach to develop treatments for DENV infection and the prevention of severe disease is through investigation of natural medicines. Inflammation plays both beneficial and harmful roles during DENV infection. Studies have proposed that the oxidative stress response may be one mechanism responsible for triggering inflammation during DENV infection. Thus, blocking the oxidative stress response could reduce inflammation and the development of severe disease. Garlic has been shown to both reduce inflammation and affect the oxidative stress response. Here, we show that the garlic active compounds diallyl disulfide (DADS), diallyl sulfide (DAS) and alliin reduced inflammation during DENV infection and show that this reduction is due to the effects on the oxidative stress response. These results suggest that garlic could be used as an alternative treatment for DENV infection and for the prevention of severe disease development.
Modeling information flow in the supply chain of structural steel components
Authors: AKCAY Emre Caner , ERGAN Semiha , ARDITI David
Published: June 2017

Accessing the required information in the supply chain of structural steel components is critical for minimiz­ing costly reworks and delays. This paper identifies the information items generated in the different phases of the supply chain related to structural steel components and formalizes the process of producing and using this information. Precise details about different features of the components (e.g., their geometry and weight, connection details, cutting/bending/ punching requirements, and the type and grade of the material) are set in the various tasks performed in the different phases of the supply chain. Regardless of whether one uses paper-based systems or advanced technologies such as smart tags and radio-frequency identification (RFID), a better understanding is achieved of the processes through which a structural steel component passes. The results of this research can be used to streamline the information flow in the supply chain of structural steel components, regardless of the type of tracking technology used, hence reducing delays and reworks.
The Survey of Lines in M31 (SLIM): The Drivers of the [C ii]/TIR Variation
Authors: Kapala Maria J. , Groves Brent , Sandstrom Karin , Jarrett Thomas , Cunha Elisabete da , Croxall Kevin , Dalcanton Julianne , Draine Bruce , Glover Simon , Schinnerer Eva
Published: June 2017

The ratio of the [C ii]

emission line over the total infrared emission (TIR) is often used as a proxy for the photoelectric (PE) heating efficiency (

) of the far-ultraviolet (FUV) photons absorbed by dust in the interstellar medium. In the nearby galaxy M31, we measure a strong radial variation of [C ii]/TIR that we rule out as being due to an intrinsic variation in

. [C ii]/TIR fails as a proxy for

, because the TIR measures all dust heating, not just the contribution from FUV photons capable of ejecting electrons from dust grains. Using extensive multi-wavelength coverage from the FUV to far-infrared, we infer the attenuated FUV emission (

), and the total attenuated flux (

). We find [C ii]/TIR to be strongly correlated with

/

, indicating that, in M31 at least, one of the dominant drivers for [C ii]/TIR variation is the relative hardness of the absorbed stellar radiation field. We define

, [C ii]/

which should be more closely related to the actual PE efficiency, which we find to be essentially constant (

) in all explored fields in M31. This suggests that part of the observed variation of [C ii]/TIR in other galaxies is likely due to a change in the relative hardness of the absorbed stellar radiation field, caused by a combination of variations in the stellar population, dust opacity, and galaxy metallicity, though PE efficiency may also vary across a wider range of environments.
Pseudo-automatic Determination of Coronal Mass Ejections’ Kinematics in 3D
Authors: Braga Carlos Roberto , Dal Lago Alisson , Echer Ezequiel , Stenborg Guillermo , Souza de Mendonça Rafael Rodrigues
Published: June 2017

Coronal mass ejection (CME) events are among the main drivers of geomagnetic disturbances, and hence play a central role in the Sun–Earth system. Their monitoring and, in particular, the determination of their speed and direction of propagation are key issues for the forecasting of space weather near to Earth. We have implemented a method to track CME events in three dimensions by combining triangulation and tie-pointing analysis with a supervised computer vision algorithm. This novel approach does not rely on any geometric constraint, and eliminates the need for visual identification of the CME boundaries. We applied our method to 17 CME events observed simultaneously by the twin Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) COR2 coronagraph imagers from 2008 December to 2011 November in order to obtain their 3D kinematical characterization (i.e., the velocity vector) along with their morphological properties. About ten of these events have already been analyzed using other methodologies. In these cases, we carried out a thorough comparison with our results and found that, in spite of the different nature and spatial coverage range of the other methods with respect to CORSET3D, the majority of the results agree. We found, however, that three events exhibited discrepancies in the magnitude of the velocity vector, four in the longitudinal direction of propagation, and in only one case was there a discrepancy in latitude. The discrepancies appeared in those cases where quasi-simultaneous, quasi-co-located events were observed in the coronagraphs’ fields of view.
Joining X-Ray to Lensing: An Accurate Combined Analysis of MACS J0416.1–2403
Authors: Bonamigo M. , Grillo C. , Ettori S. , Caminha G. B. , Rosati P. , Mercurio A. , Annunziatella M. , Balestra I. , Lombardi M.
Published: June 2017

We present a novel approach for a combined analysis of X-ray and gravitational lensing data and apply this technique to the merging galaxy cluster MACS J0416.1–2403. The method exploits the information on the intracluster gas distribution that comes from a fit of the X-ray surface brightness and then includes the hot gas as a fixed mass component in the strong-lensing analysis. With our new technique, we can separate the collisional from the collision-less diffuse mass components, thus obtaining a more accurate reconstruction of the dark matter distribution in the core of a cluster. We introduce an analytical description of the X-ray emission coming from a set of dual pseudo-isothermal elliptical mass distributions, which can be directly used in most lensing softwares. By combining Chandra observations with Hubble Frontier Fields imaging and Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer spectroscopy in MACS J0416.1–2403, we measure a projected gas-to-total mass fraction of approximately 10% at 350 kpc from the cluster center. Compared to the results of a more traditional cluster mass model (diffuse halos plus member galaxies), we find a significant difference in the cumulative projected mass profile of the dark matter component and that the dark matter over total mass fraction is almost constant, out to more than 350 kpc. In the coming era of large surveys, these results show the need of multiprobe analyses for detailed dark matter studies in galaxy clusters.
Baroclinic Instability in the Solar Tachocline for Continuous Vertical Profiles of Rotation, Effective Gravity, and Toroidal Field
Authors: Gilman Peter A.
Published: June 2017

We present results from an MHD model for baroclinic instability in the solar tachocline that includes rotation, effective gravity, and toroidal field that vary continuously with height. We solve the perturbation equations using a shooting method. Without toroidal fields but with an effective gravity declining linearly from a maximum at the bottom to much smaller values at the top, we find instability at all latitudes except at the poles, at the equator, and where the vertical rotation gradient vanishes (32.°3) for longitude wavenumbers m from 1 to >10. High latitudes are much more unstable than low latitudes, but both have e-folding times that are much shorter than a sunspot cycle. The higher the m and the steeper the decline in effective gravity, the closer the unstable mode peak to the top boundary, where the energy available to drive instability is greatest. The effect of the toroidal field is always stabilizing, shrinking the latitude ranges of instability as the toroidal field is increased. The larger the toroidal field, the smaller the longitudinal wavenumber of the most unstable disturbance. All latitudes become stable for a toroidal field exceeding about 4 kG. The results imply that baroclinic instability should occur in the tachocline at latitudes where the toroidal field is weak or is changing sign, but not where the field is strong.
Diagnosis of Rising Damp and other Kinds of Moisture in Building Components Using Non-Destructive Techniques
Authors: Barreira E. , Delgado J.M.P.Q.
Published: June 2017

Moisture is one of the most deteriorating factors of building components. Moisture may have different sources: it can result from wind-driven rain infiltrations through cracks in the building envelope, it can be due to rising damp from the ground, it may be caused by surface condensations, etc. To avoid severe degradation, it is very important to detect moisture in an earlier stage, i.e., before significant visible signs occur, and to trace the leak through the building elements. Using non-destructive technics is very important, especially when the building is occupied, as further work is avoid during the assessment.
In this work, firstly, it was analysed the applicability of infrared thermography, a non-destructive technique (NDT), to assess moisture in building components. Thermograms were obtained from moist areas, caused by different sources (infiltrations and rising damp), existing in occupied buildings. Simultaneously, a moisture detector was also used in the same areas to evaluate, qualitatively, the moisture content of the components under study. The comparison between the two methods showed a good accordance of the results and proved that infrared thermography it is a very useful NDT to detect moisture in an earlier stage. However, some cautions must be taken into account when analysing the results, as thermography also detects other kind of defects that cause temperature differences in the surface of the component.
Secondly, In this work it was analysed the applicability of infrared thermography, a NDT, to assess moisture in building walls caused by rising damp. Laboratory tests were carried out on a full-scale model, consisting on a limestone wall with about 2.00 x 1.80 x 0.20 m3, which was partially immersed in water. Thermograms were taken before the immersion started and during the absorption period of about 3 weeks. Simultaneously, a moisture detector was also used to evaluate qualitatively the moisture content of the wall.
The comparison between the two testing methods showed a good agreement in the results and proved that infrared thermography can be very useful to detect moisture caused by rising damp in an earlier stage.
Viscosity Controlled Interdiffusion in Nitriding
Authors: Tkacz-Śmiech Katarzyna , Bożek Bogusław , Sapa Lucjan , Danielewski Marek
Published: June 2017

This works presents new approach to model formation of expanded austenite (S-phase) during nitriding in plasma conditions. Diffusion saturation of the substrate (iron or austenite steel) is treated as interdiffusion of nitrogen and iron that involves stresses and plastic deformation and is based on the Darken scheme.
It is argued that S-phase growing at nitriding behaves as elasto-viscous Maxwell solid. During the process, in the nitride zone, the dynamic pressure appears, which is related to Darken drift and depends on metal viscosity. Basic equations are formulated and discussed. The formula for drift is derived. Exemplary results, i.e. concentration profiles, dynamic pressure and dilatation of the sample during the process, are presented. Concentration profiles confirm existence of characteristic plateau like zone in the surface adjacent zone.
Caveolin-1 Influences LFA-1 Redistribution upon TCR Stimulation in CD8 T Cells
Authors: Borger Jessica G. , Morrison Vicky L. , Filby Andrew , Garcia Celine , Uotila Liisa M. , Simbari Fabio , Fagerholm Susanna C. , Zamoyska Rose
Published: June 2017

TCR stimulation by peptide–MHC complexes on APCs requires precise reorganization of molecules into the area of cellular contact to form an immunological synapse from where T cell signaling is initiated. Caveolin (Cav)1, a widely expressed transmembrane protein, is involved in the regulation of membrane composition, cellular polarity and trafficking, and the organization of signal transduction pathways. The presence of Cav1 protein in T cells was identified only recently, and its function in this context is not well understood. We show that Cav1-knockout CD8 T cells have a reduction in membrane cholesterol and sphingomyelin, and upon TCR triggering they exhibit altered morphology and polarity, with reduced effector function compared with Cav1 wild-type CD8 T cells. In particular, redistribution of the β2 integrin LFA-1 to the immunological synapse is compromised in Cav1-knockout T cells, as is the ability of LFA-1 to form high-avidity interactions with ICAM-1. Our results identify a role for Cav1 in membrane organization and β2 integrin function in primary CD8 T cells.
God as burden: A theological reflection on art, death and God in the work of Joost Zwagerman
Authors: Brouwer Rein
Published: June 2017

In one of his essays on art, Dutch author and essayist Joost Zwagerman (1963–2015) reflects onthe work of (Dutch) South African artist Marlene Dumas (1953). Zwagerman addresses inparticular Dumas’ My Mother Before She Became My Mother (2010), painted 3 years after hermother died. In his reflections, Zwagerman proposes an interpretation of Dumas’ work. Hesuggests that Dumas, in her art, does not accept the omnipotence of death. Maybe againstbetter judgement, but Dumas keeps creating images that not only illustrate the desire formeaning but also embody this desire. The image and the desire for meaning merge in Dumas’paintings. The painting itself becomes an autonomous ‘desire machine’, according toZwagerman. In this article, a (practical) theological reading of Zwagerman’s own posthumouslypublished volume of poetry, ‘Wakend over God’ (2016), is presented, with a specific interest inart, death and God. The sacramental hermeneutics of Richard Kearney and the theopoetics ofJohn Caputo are brought into the conversation to elicit the dimensions of faith and religion inZwagerman’s own ‘desire machine’.
Ekedahl-Oort Strata for Good Reductions of Shimura Varieties of Hodge Type
Authors: Zhang Chao
Published: June 2017

For a Shimura variety of Hodge type with hyperspecial level structure at a primep, Vasiu and Kisin constructed a smooth integral model (namely the integral canonical model) uniquely determined by a certain extension property. We define and study the Ekedahl-Oort stratifications on the special fibers of those integral canonical models whenp> 2. This generalizes Ekedahl-Oort stratifications defined and studied by Oort on moduli spaces of principally polarized abelian varieties and those defined and studied by Moonen, Wedhorn, and Viehmann on good reductions of Shimura varieties of PEL type. We show that the Ekedahl-Oort strata are parameterized by certain elementswin the Weyl group of the reductive group in the Shimura datum. We prove that the stratum corresponding towis smooth of dimensionl(w) (i.e., the length ofw) if it is non-empty. We also determine the closure of each stratum.
Spatial equidistribution of combinatorial number schemes
Authors: Greinecker Florian
Published: June 2017

In this paper we use a
generalized Lucas type congruence
for certain combinatorial number schemes to define IFS.We show some distribution properties of these fractals. As an application we prove that the binomial coefficients, the Stirling numbers of the first and second kind as well as the multinomial coefficients are spatially equidistributed in the nonzero residue classes modulo a prime

p

.
Quantization and centroidal Voronoi tessellations for probability measures on dyadic Cantor sets
Authors: Roychowdhury Mrinal Kanti
Published: June 2017

Quantization of a probability distribution is the process of estimating a given probability by a discrete probability that assumes only a finite number of levels in its support. Centroidal Voronoi tessellations (CVT) are Voronoi tessellations of a region such that the generating points of the tessellations are also the centroids of the corresponding Voronoi regions. In this paper, we investigate the optimal quantization and the centroidal Voronoi tessellations with

n

generators for a Borel probability measure

P

on

\mathbb R

supported by a dyadic Cantor set generated by two self-similar mappings with similarity ratios

r

, where

0 < r \leq \frac{5-\sqrt{17}}2

.
Uniform dimension results for fractional Brownian motion
Authors: Balka Richárd , Peres Yuval
Published: June 2017

Kaufman's dimension doubling theorem states that for a planar Brownian motion

\{\mathbf{B}(t): t \in [0,1]\}

we have

\mathbb P(\dim \mathbf{B}(A)=2\dim A \textrm{ for all } A\subset [0,1])=1,

where

\dim

may denote both Hausdorff dimension

\dim_H

and packing dimension

\dim_P

. The main goal of the paper is to prove similar uniform dimension results in the one-dimensional case. Let

0 < \alpha < 1

and let

\{B(t): t \in [0,1]\}

be a fractional Brownian motion of Hurst index

\alpha

. For a deterministic set

D\subset [0,1]

consider the following statements:

(A)

\mathbb P(\dim_H B(A)=(1/\alpha) \dim_H A \textrm{ for all } A\subset D)=1

,

(B)

\mathbb P(\dim_P B(A)=(1/\alpha) \dim_P A \textrm{ for all } A\subset D)=1

,

(C)

\mathbb P(\dim_P B(A)\geq (1/\alpha) \dim_H A \textrm{ for all } A\subset D)=1

.

We introduce a new concept of dimension, the modified Assouad dimension, denoted by

\dim_{MA}

. We prove that

\dim_{MA} D\leq \alpha

implies (A), which enables us to reprove a restriction theorem of Angel, Balka, Máthé, and Peres. We show that if

D

is self-similar then (A) is equivalent to

\dim_{MA} D\leq \alpha

. Furthermore, if

D

is a set defined by digit restrictions then (A) holds if and only if

\dim_{MA} D \leq \alpha

or

\dim_H D=0

. The characterization of (A) remains open in general. We prove that

\dim_{MA} D\leq \alpha

implies (B) and they are equivalent provided that

D

is analytic. Let

D

be compact, we show that (C) is equivalent to

\dim_H D\leq \alpha

. This implies that if

\dim_H D\leq \alpha

and

\Gamma_D=\{E\subset B(D)\colon \dim_H E=\dim_P E\}

, then

\mathbb P(\dim_H (B^{-1}(E)\cap D)=\alpha \dim_H E \textrm{ for all } E\in \Gamma_D)=1.

In particular, all level sets of

B|_{D}

have Hausdorff dimension zero almost surely.
Historia de la educación lingüística y literaria
Authors: Núñez Molina Gabriel
Published: June 2017

Reseña de la obra Historia de la educación lingüística y literaria
Critical Evaluation of Environmental, Social and Governance Disclosures of Malaysian Property and Construction Companies
Authors: Siew Renard Yung Jhien
Published: June 2017

There is an increasing demand from stakeholders for higher transparency on environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosures. Yet not much is known about the state of sustainability reporting in Malaysia especially in the property and construction industry. This paper aims to fill this gap accordingly. Content analysis of corporate websites, sustainability and annual reports was adopted as the main methodology in this study. Findings show that corporate governance indicators are most reported by Malaysian construction companies compared to other environmental or social indicators. It was also found that details on actual health and safety performance of these companies and the initiatives implemented were largely absent from their reporting. Given the increasing number of rating tools in the capital markets which serve to rank and file companies based on their sustainability disclosures and performance such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) and FTSE4Good Index, it is questionable as to how reliable this can be done for the Malaysian property and construction market. The paper will be useful to construction management practitioners and ESG analysts with a focus on Asian markets.
Effect of mid-term drought on Quercus pubescens BVOCs' emission seasonality and their dependency on light and/or temperature
Authors: Saunier Amélie , Ormeño Elena , Boissard Christophe , Wortham Henri , Temime-Roussel Brice , Lecareux Caroline , Armengaud Alexandre , Fernandez Catherine
Published: June 2017

Abstract. Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) emitted by plants represent a large source of carbon compounds released into the atmosphere, where they account for precursors of tropospheric ozone and secondary organic aerosols. Being directly involved in air pollution and indirectly in climate change, understanding what factors drive BVOC emissions is a prerequisite for modeling their emissions and predict air pollution. The main algorithms currently used to model BVOC emissions are mainly light and/or temperature dependent. Additional factors such as seasonality and drought also influence isoprene emissions, especially in the Mediterranean region, which is characterized by a rather long drought period in summer. These factors are increasingly included in models but only for the principal studied BVOC, namely isoprene, but there are still some discrepancies in estimations of emissions. In this study, the main BVOCs emitted by Quercus pubescens – isoprene, methanol, acetone, acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, MACR, MVK and ISOPOOH (these three last compounds detected under the same m∕z) – were monitored with a PTR-ToF-MS over an entire seasonal cycle during both in situ natural and amplified drought, which is expected with climate change. Amplified drought impacted all studied BVOCs by reducing emissions in spring and summer while increasing emissions in autumn. All six BVOCs monitored showed daytime light and temperature dependencies while three BVOCs (methanol, acetone and formaldehyde) also showed emissions during the night despite the absence of light under constant temperature. Moreover, methanol and acetaldehyde burst in the early morning and formaldehyde deposition and uptake were also punctually observed, which were not assessed by the classical temperature and light models.
The importance of radiation for semiempirical water-use efficiency models
Authors: Boese Sven , Jung Martin , Carvalhais Nuno , Reichstein Markus
Published: June 2017

Abstract. Water-use efficiency (WUE) is a fundamental property for the coupling of carbon and water cycles in plants and ecosystems. Existing model formulations predicting this variable differ in the type of response of WUE to the atmospheric vapor pressure deficit of water (VPD). We tested a representative WUE model on the ecosystem scale at 110 eddy covariance sites of the FLUXNET initiative by predicting evapotranspiration (ET) based on gross primary productivity (GPP) and VPD. We found that introducing an intercept term in the formulation increases model performance considerably, indicating that an additional factor needs to be considered. We demonstrate that this intercept term varies seasonally and we subsequently associate it with radiation. Replacing the constant intercept term with a linear function of global radiation was found to further improve model predictions of ET. Our new semiempirical ecosystem WUE formulation indicates that, averaged over all sites, this radiation term accounts for up to half (39–47 %) of transpiration. These empirical findings challenge the current understanding of water-use efficiency on the ecosystem scale.
Quantifying uncertainties of permafrost carbon–climate feedbacks
Authors: Burke Eleanor J. , Ekici Altug , Huang Ye , Chadburn Sarah E. , Huntingford Chris , Ciais Philippe , Friedlingstein Pierre , Peng Shushi , Krinner Gerhard
Published: June 2017

Abstract. The land surface models JULES (Joint UK Land Environment Simulator, two versions) and ORCHIDEE-MICT (Organizing Carbon and Hydrology in Dynamic Ecosystems), each with a revised representation of permafrost carbon, were coupled to the Integrated Model Of Global Effects of climatic aNomalies (IMOGEN) intermediate-complexity climate and ocean carbon uptake model. IMOGEN calculates atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and local monthly surface climate for a given emission scenario with the land–atmosphere CO2 flux exchange from either JULES or ORCHIDEE-MICT. These simulations include feedbacks associated with permafrost carbon changes in a warming world. Both IMOGEN–JULES and IMOGEN–ORCHIDEE-MICT were forced by historical and three alternative future-CO2-emission scenarios. Those simulations were performed for different climate sensitivities and regional climate change patterns based on 22 different Earth system models (ESMs) used for CMIP3 (phase 3 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project), allowing us to explore climate uncertainties in the context of permafrost carbon–climate feedbacks. Three future emission scenarios consistent with three representative concentration pathways were used: RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. Paired simulations with and without frozen carbon processes were required to quantify the impact of the permafrost carbon feedback on climate change. The additional warming from the permafrost carbon feedback is between 0.2 and 12 % of the change in the global mean temperature (ΔT) by the year 2100 and 0.5 and 17 % of ΔT by 2300, with these ranges reflecting differences in land surface models, climate models and emissions pathway. As a percentage of ΔT, the permafrost carbon feedback has a greater impact on the low-emissions scenario (RCP2.6) than on the higher-emissions scenarios, suggesting that permafrost carbon should be taken into account when evaluating scenarios of heavy mitigation and stabilization. Structural differences between the land surface models (particularly the representation of the soil carbon decomposition) are found to be a larger source of uncertainties than differences in the climate response. Inertia in the permafrost carbon system means that the permafrost carbon response depends on the temporal trajectory of warming as well as the absolute amount of warming. We propose a new policy-relevant metric – the frozen carbon residence time (FCRt) in years – that can be derived from these complex land surface models and used to quantify the permafrost carbon response given any pathway of global temperature change.
A novel 2-DOF planar translational mechanism composed by scissor-like elements
Authors: Yang Yi , Tian Yaping , Peng Yan , Pu Huayan
Published: June 2017

Abstract. The kinematic chain comprised by SLEs (scissor-like elements) has a wide range of motion, which provides a benefit for the mechanism design. A family of SLE-Pa (SLE-parallel) legs which consist of two identical SLE limbs are proposed in this paper. The mobility and kinematics are discussed for three kinds of SLE-Pa legs which are distinguished by the different positions of the middle links in legs. Through assembling these SLE-Pa legs, a novel 2-DOF planar translational mechanism is developed and its work space is studied. For the purpose of adding the recovery function, the elastic elements are installed for this mechanism. The stiffness synthesis of the mechanism is investigated for the various elastic elements and their positions. The approximation of the stiffness coefficient is also derived. Further, this kind of mechanism is applied for the design of the passive docking device. The docking procedure is simulated by Adams, and the prototype of one SLE-Pa leg is presented at the end.