bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Auditory display of seismic data: On the use of experts' categorizations and verbal descriptions as heuristics for geoscience
Authors: Paté Arthur , Boschi Lapo , Dubois Danièle , Le Carrou Jean-Loïc , Holtzman Benjamin
Published: March 2017

Auditory display can complement visual representations in order to better interpret scientific data. A previous article showed that the free categorization of “audified seismic signals” operated by listeners can be explained by various geophysical parameters. The present article confirms this result and shows that cognitive representations of listeners can be used as heuristics for the characterization of seismic signals. Free sorting tests are conducted with audified seismic signals, with the earthquake/seismometer relative location, playback audification speed, and earthquake magnitude as controlled variables. The analysis is built on partitions (categories) and verbal comments (categorization criteria). Participants from different backgrounds (acousticians or geoscientists) are contrasted in order to investigate the role of the participants' expertise. Sounds resulting from different earthquake/station distances or azimuths, crustal structure and topography along the path of the seismic wave, earthquake magnitude, are found to (a) be sorted into different categories, (b) elicit different verbal descriptions mainly focused on the perceived number of events, frequency content, and background noise level. Building on these perceptual results, acoustic descriptors are computed and geophysical interpretations are proposed in order to match the verbal descriptions. Another result is the robustness of the categories with respect to the audification speed factor.
The Retweet as a Function of Electronic Word-of-Mouth Marketing: A Study of Athlete Endorsement Activity on Twitter
Authors: Cork B. Colin , Eddy Terry
Published: March 2017

The purpose of this study was to examine endorsement-related tweets from athletes and determine which characteristics of those tweets could increase the degree of electronic word-of-mouth marketing (eWOM) generated by the message. Previous literature has suggested that the retweet function in Twitter is a form of eWOM. Through the lens of eWOM, the concepts of vividness, interactivity, and congruence are used to understand what tweet characteristics generate the most retweets. A sample of professional-athlete endorsement and sponsored tweets (n = 669) was used and coded based on frameworks adapted from previous studies. Results indicated that the interaction between levels of high vividness and high interactivity generated the highest frequency of retweets. Reported findings could inform athletes and/or brand managers in ways to increase the eWOM of sponsored messages on Twitter.
Regulation of Sporangium Formation by BldD in the Rare Actinomycete Actinoplanes missouriensis
Authors: Mouri Yoshihiro , Konishi Kenji , Fujita Azusa , Tezuka Takeaki , Ohnishi Yasuo
Published: March 2017

The rare actinomycete
Actinoplanes missouriensis
forms sporangia, including hundreds of flagellated spores that start swimming as zoospores after their release. Under conditions suitable for vegetative growth, zoospores stop swimming and germinate. A comparative proteome analysis between zoospores and germinating cells identified 15 proteins that were produced in larger amounts in germinating cells. They include an orthologue of BldD (herein named AmBldD [BldD of
A. missouriensis
]), which is a transcriptional regulator involved in morphological development and secondary metabolism in
Streptomyces
. AmBldD was detected in mycelia during vegetative growth but was barely detected in mycelia during the sporangium-forming phase, in spite of the constant transcription of
AmbldD
throughout growth. An
AmbldD
mutant started to form sporangia much earlier than the wild-type strain, and the resulting sporangia were morphologically abnormal. Recombinant AmBldD bound a palindromic sequence, the AmBldD box, located upstream from
AmbldD
. 3′,5′-Cyclic di-GMP significantly enhanced the
in vitro
DNA-binding ability of AmBldD. A chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing analysis and an
in silico
search for AmBldD boxes revealed that AmBldD bound 346 genomic loci that contained the 19-bp inverted repeat 5′-NN(G/A)TNACN(C/G)N(G/C)NGTNA(C/T)NN-3′ as the consensus AmBldD-binding sequence. The transcriptional analysis of 27 selected AmBldD target gene candidates indicated that AmBldD should repress 12 of the 27 genes, including
bldM
,
ssgB
,
whiD
,
ddbA
, and
wblA
orthologues. These genes are involved in morphological development in
Streptomyces coelicolor
A3(2). Thus, AmBldD is a global transcriptional regulator that seems to repress the transcription of tens of genes during vegetative growth, some of which are likely to be required for sporangium formation.

IMPORTANCE
The rare actinomycete
Actinoplanes missouriensis
undergoes complex morphological differentiation, including sporangium formation. However, almost no molecular biological studies have been conducted on this bacterium. BldD is a key global regulator involved in the morphological development of streptomycetes. BldD orthologues are highly conserved among sporulating actinomycetes, but no BldD orthologues, except one in
Saccharopolyspora erythraea
, have been studied outside the streptomycetes. Here, it was revealed that the BldD orthologue AmBldD is essential for normal developmental processes in
A. missouriensis
. The AmBldD regulon seems to be different from the BldD regulon in
Streptomyces coelicolor
A3(2), but they share four genes that are involved in morphological differentiation in
S. coelicolor
A3(2).
Fungal malignant otitis externa
Authors: Bowles Philippe Frederick , Perkins Victoria , Schechter Eyal
Published: March 2017

An 89-year-old man presented to the outpatient clinic with a 2-month history of persistent unilateral left-sided otalgia, otorrhoea and reduced hearing despite oral and topical antibiotics. Treatment was protracted, requiring a 4-month hospital admission for intravenous antifungal medication as well as 3 further months of oral antifungal treatment. We describe the clinical presentation, complications and treatment of this potentially fatal condition in the context of an unusual, and easily missed, causative organism.
Comparison of the prognostic values of inflammation markers in patients with acute pancreatitis: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Li Yuanyuan , Zhao Ying , Feng Limin , Guo Renyong
Published: March 2017

Objectives

Inflammation-based prognostic markers (neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR), prognostic nutritional index (PNI), red cell distribution width (RDW) and lymphocyte–monocyte ratio (LMR)) are associated with overall survival in some diseases. This study assessed their prognostic value in mortality and severity in acute pancreatitis (AP).

Design

A retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Patients with AP were recruited from the emergency department at our hospital.

Participants

A total of 359 patients with AP (31 non-survivors) were enrolled.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Mortality and severity of AP were the primary and secondary outcome measures, respectively. Biochemistry and haematology results of the first test after admission were collected. Independent relationships between severe AP (SAP) and markers were assessed using multivariate logistic regression models. Mortality prediction ability was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Overall survival was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method, with differences compared using the log-rank test. Independent relationships between mortality and each predictor were estimated using the Cox proportional hazard models.

Results

Compared with survivors of AP, non-survivors had higher RDW (p<0.001), higher NLR (p<0.001), lower LMR (p<0.001) and lower PNI (p<0.001) at baseline. C reactive protein (CRP; OR=8.251, p<0.001), RDW (OR=2.533, p=0.003) and PNI (OR=7.753, p<0.001) were independently associated with the occurrence of SAP. For predicting mortality, NLR had the largest area under the ROC curve (0.804, p<0.001), with a 16.64 cut-off value, 82.4% sensitivity and 75.6% specificity. RDW was a reliable marker for excluding death owing to its lowest negative likelihood ratio (0.11). NLR (HR=4.726, p=0.004), CRP (HR=3.503, p=0.003), RDW (HR=3.139, p=0.013) and PNI (HR=2.641, p=0.011) were independently associated with mortality of AP.

Conclusions

NLR was the most powerful marker of overall survival in this patient series.
Influence of Sound Speed Profile on Source Localization at Different Depths
Authors: Su L. , Ma L. , Guo S. M.
Published: March 2017

The effect of sound speed profile (SSP) mismatch on source localization in shallow-water waveguides with a typical negative gradient (or thermocline) is studied numerically and experimentally. The results are interpreted using a normal mode model and a ray model. It is found that a matched-field processor is insensitive to SSP mismatch for sources above the thermocline. In addition, the sensitivity of the processor to SSP mismatch increases with the depth of sources above the thermocline.
In Situ Fabrication of TiO2/Bi3.64Mo0.36O6.55Nanocomposite with High Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalytic Efficiency
Authors: Yang Zhiyuan , Wang Junjie , Chen Lu , Liang Mengjun , Xu Yulin , Zou Chentao , Liu Xiaoxia , Yang Shuijin
Published: March 2017

In this work, we developed a simple hydrothermal method toward the fabrication of TiO2/Bi[Formula: see text]Mo[Formula: see text]O[Formula: see text] heterostructure, which had superior photocatalytic performance for degrading of RhB under visible light irradiation. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and photoelectrochemical measurements. The optimal composite with 15[Formula: see text]wt.% TiO2/Bi[Formula: see text]Mo[Formula: see text]O[Formula: see text] (TBMO3) exhibits a much higher photocatalytic activity than that of Bi[Formula: see text]Mo[Formula: see text]O[Formula: see text] and P25 by degradation of RhB under visible light irradiation within 20[Formula: see text]min. The enhanced performance of TBMO3 is predominantly attributed to the synergistic effect both in the higher surface area and the improved separation of photogenerated charge carriers between the two semiconductors. Recycling experiments indicated that TiO2/Bi[Formula: see text]Mo[Formula: see text]O[Formula: see text] photocatalysts had excellent cycle performance and stability. The photocatalytic mechanism of nanocomposite photocatalysts was proposed, which is confirmed by the active species trapping experiments and photoluminescence tests.
All-dielectric metamaterial frequency selective surface based on spatial arrangement ceramic resonators
Authors: Li Liyang , Wang Jun , Feng Mingde , Ma Hua , Wang Jiafu , Du Hongliang , Qu Shaobo
Published: March 2017

In this paper, we demonstrate a method of designing all-dielectric metamaterial frequency selective surface (FSS) with ceramic resonators in spatial arrangement. Compared with the traditional way, spatial arrangement provides a flexible way to handle the permutation and combination of different ceramic resonators. With this method, the resonance response can be adjusted easily to achieve pass/stop band effects. As an example, a stop band spatial arrangement all-dielectric metamaterial FSS is designed. Its working band is in 11.65–12.23[Formula: see text]GHz. By adjusting permittivity and geometrical parameters of ceramic resonators, we can easily modulate the resonances, band pass or band stop characteristic, as well as the working band.
Provision-After-Wait with Common Preferences
Authors: Chan Hau , Chen Jing , Srinivasan Gowtham
Published: March 2017

In this article, we study the Provision-after-Wait problem in healthcare (Braverman, Chen, and Kannan, 2016). In this setting, patients seek a medical procedure that can be performed by different hospitals of different costs. Each patient has a value for each hospital and a budget-constrained government/planner pays for the expenses of the patients. Patients are free to choose hospitals, but the planner controls how much money each hospital gets paid and thus how many patients each hospital can serve (in one budget period, say, one month or one year). Waiting times are used in order to balance the patients’ demand, and the planner’s goal is to find a stable assignment that maximizes the social welfare while keeping the expenses within the budget. It has been shown that the optimal stable assignment is NP-hard to compute, and, beyond this, little is known about the complexity of the Provision-after-Wait problem.

We start by showing that this problem is in fact strongly NP-hard, and thus does not have a Fully Polynomial-Time Approximation Scheme (FPTAS). We then focus on the
common preference
setting, where the patients have the same ranking over the hospitals. Even when the patients perceive the hospitals’ values to them based on the same quality measurement—referred to as
proportional preferences
, which has been widely studied in resource allocation—the problem is still NP-hard. However, in a more general setting where the patients are ordered according to the differences of their values between consecutive hospitals, we construct an FPTAS for it. To develop our results, we characterize the structure of optimal stable assignments and their social welfare, and we consider a new combinatorial optimization problem that may be of independent interest, the
ordered Knapsack
problem.

Optimal stable assignments are deterministic and ex-post individually rational for patients. The downside is that waiting times are dead-loss to patients and may burn a lot of social welfare. If randomness is allowed, then the planner can use lotteries as a rationing tool: The hope is that they reduce the patients’ waiting times, although they are interim individually rational instead of ex-post. Previous study has only considered lotteries for two hospitals. In our setting, for arbitrary number of hospitals, we characterize the structure of the optimal lottery scheme and conditions under which using lotteries generates better (expected) social welfare than using waiting times.
Complex Additive Geometric Multilevel Solvers for Helmholtz Equations on Spacetrees
Authors: Reps Bram , Weinzierl Tobias
Published: March 2017

We introduce a family of implementations of low-order, additive, geometric multilevel solvers for systems of Helmholtz equations arising from Schrödinger equations. Both grid spacing and arithmetics may comprise complex numbers, and we thus can apply complex scaling to the indefinite Helmholtz operator. Our implementations are based on the notion of a spacetree and work exclusively with a finite number of precomputed local element matrices. They are globally matrix-free.

Combining various relaxation factors with two grid transfer operators allows us to switch from additive multigrid over a hierarchical basis method into a Bramble-Pasciak-Xu (BPX)-type solver, with several multiscale smoothing variants within one code base. Pipelining allows us to realize full approximation storage (FAS) within the additive environment where, amortized, each grid vertex carrying degrees of freedom is read/written only once per iteration. The codes realize a single-touch policy. Among the features facilitated by matrix-free FAS is arbitrary dynamic mesh refinement (AMR) for all solver variants. AMR as an enabler for full multigrid (FMG) cycling—the grid unfolds throughout the computation—allows us to reduce the cost per unknown.

The present work primary contributes toward software realization and design questions. Our experiments show that the consolidation of single-touch FAS, dynamic AMR, and vectorization-friendly, complex scaled, matrix-free FMG cycles delivers a mature implementation blueprint for solvers of Helmholtz equations in general. For this blueprint, we put particular emphasis on a strict implementation formalism as well as some implementation correctness proofs.
User value and usability in technical communication
Authors: Acharya Keshab R.
Published: March 2017

This entry defines value from users' perspectives and discusses the need to consider "user value" as an important framework for enhancing product usability in technical communication. Arguing it is essential to involve users in the process of product design, the paper emphasizes the need to recognize users as value co-creators. To further enhance and extend the study of usability, this article proposes a value proposition approach to design and notes such an approach can help communication designers effectively design, test, and deliver materials end users want and value.
Primary Small Bowel GIST Presenting as a Life-Threatening Emergency: A Report of Two Cases
Authors: Khuri Safi , Gilshtein Hayim , Darawshy Abd-alkarim , Bahouth Hany , Kluger Yoram
Published: March 2017

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is a rare stromal neoplasm, which represents the most common mesenchymal tumor of the gastrointestinal tract. It is characterized by indolent clinical symptoms, although it can present as a life-threatening emergency. Herein, we present two cases of primary small bowel GIST treated at our department. A 68-year-old female patient presented to our emergency department with a diffuse abdominal pain of acute onset. Imaging studies revealed a mass at proximal jejunum, with a nearby free air and fluid. At surgery, a mass of 9 cm was found at proximal jejunum, 3 cm distal to the treitz ligament, with perforation on the lateral wall of the mass. En bloc resection was performed. Pathology report was positive for gastrointestinal stromal tumor. A 70-year-old male patient presented to our emergency department with 3 days of dark tarry stool and few hours of hematochezia. Computed tomography angiography revealed a mass at the pelvis, with calcifications, attached to the distal ileum, with intraluminal blush of intravenous iodine. At surgery, a mass of 8 cm at the distal ileum was found. Resection of the mass along with a 20 cm of ileum was completed. Histopathology report was positive for malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumor.
Distribution of Mast Cells and Locations, Depths, and Sizes of the Putative Acupoints CV 8 and KI 16
Authors: Jung Sharon Jiyoon , Song Haim , Kim Yu Yeon , Kim Jungdae , Kim Sungchul , Song Yoon-Kyu , Soh Kwang-Sup
Published: March 2017

The anatomical locations and sizes of acupuncture points (APs) are identified in traditional Chinese medicine by using the cun measurement method. More precise knowledge of those locations and sizes to submillimeter precision, along with their cytological characterizations, would provide significant contributions both to scientific investigations and to precise control of the practice of acupuncture. Over recent decades, researchers have come to realize that APs in the skin of rats and humans have more mast cells (MCs) than neighboring nonacupoints. In this work, the distribution of MCs in the ventral skin of mice was studied so that it could be used to infer the locations, depths from the epidermis, and sizes of three putative APs. The umbilicus was taken as the reference point, and a transversal cross section through it was studied. The harvested skins from 8‐week‐old mice were stained with toluidine blue, and the MCs were recognized by their red‐purple stains and their metachromatic granules. The three putative APs, CV 8 and the left and the right KI 16 APs, were identified based on their high densities of MCs. These findings also imply that acupuncture may stimulate, through MCs, an immune response to allergic inflammation.
Joint Antenna Selection and Precoding Optimization for Small-Cell Network with Minimum Power Consumption
Authors: Sun Qiang , Wang Xin , Wang Jue , Xu Chen
Published: March 2017

We focus on the power consumption problem for a downlink multiuser small-cell network (SCN) considering both the quality of service (QoS) and power constraints. First based on a practical power consumption model taking into account both the dynamic transmit power and static circuit power, we formulate and then transform the power consumption optimization problem into a convex problem by using semidefinite relaxation (SDR) technique and obtain the optimal solution by the CVX tool. We further note that the SDR-based solution becomes infeasible for realistic implementation due to its heavy backhaul burden and computational complexity. To this end, we propose an alternative suboptimal algorithm which has low implementation overhead and complexity, based on minimum mean square error (MMSE) precoding. Furthermore, we propose a distributed correlation-based antenna selection (DCAS) algorithm combining with our optimization algorithms to reduce the static circuit power consumption for the SCN. Finally, simulation results demonstrate that our proposed suboptimal algorithm is very effective on power consumption minimization, with significantly reduced backhaul burden and computational complexity. Moreover, we show that our optimization algorithms with DCAS have less power consumption than the other benchmark algorithms.
A Density Peak-Based Clustering Approach for Fault Diagnosis of Photovoltaic Arrays
Authors: Lin Peijie , Lin Yaohai , Chen Zhicong , Wu Lijun , Chen Lingchen , Cheng Shuying
Published: March 2017

Fault diagnosis of photovoltaic (PV) arrays plays a significant role in safe and reliable operation of PV systems. In this paper, the distribution of the PV systems’ daily operating data under different operating conditions is analyzed. The results show that the data distribution features significant nonspherical clustering, the cluster center has a relatively large distance from any points with a higher local density, and the cluster number cannot be predetermined. Based on these features, a density peak-based clustering approach is then proposed to automatically cluster the PV data. And then, a set of labeled data with various conditions are employed to compute the minimum distance vector between each cluster and the reference data. According to the distance vector, the clusters can be identified and categorized into various conditions and/or faults. Simulation results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method in the diagnosis of certain faults occurring in a PV array. Moreover, a 1.8 kW grid-connected PV system with6×3 PVarray is established and experimentally tested to investigate the performance of the developed method.
A Bee Evolutionary Guiding Nondominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II for Multiobjective Flexible Job-Shop Scheduling
Authors: Deng Qianwang , Gong Guiliang , Gong Xuran , Zhang Like , Liu Wei , Ren Qinghua
Published: March 2017

Flexible job-shop scheduling problem (FJSP) is an NP-hard puzzle which inherits the job-shop scheduling problem (JSP) characteristics. This paper presents a bee evolutionary guiding nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II (BEG-NSGA-II) for multiobjective FJSP (MO-FJSP) with the objectives to minimize the maximal completion time, the workload of the most loaded machine, and the total workload of all machines. It adopts a two-stage optimization mechanism during the optimizing process. In the first stage, the NSGA-II algorithm withTiteration times is first used to obtain the initial populationN, in which a bee evolutionary guiding scheme is presented to exploit the solution space extensively. In the second stage, the NSGA-II algorithm withGENiteration times is used again to obtain the Pareto-optimal solutions. In order to enhance the searching ability and avoid the premature convergence, an updating mechanism is employed in this stage. More specifically, its population consists of three parts, and each of them changes with the iteration times. What is more, numerical simulations are carried out which are based on some published benchmark instances. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed BEG-NSGA-II algorithm is shown by comparing the experimental results and the results of some well-known algorithms already existed.
Growth of MWCNTs on Flexible Stainless Steels without Additional Catalysts
Authors: Pakdee Udomdej , Chiangga Surasak , Suwannatus Suchat , Limsuwan Pichet
Published: March 2017

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were synthesized on austenitic stainless steel foils (Type 304) using a home-built thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) under atmospheric pressure of hydrogen (H2) and acetylene (C2H2). During the growth, the stainless steel substrates were heated at different temperatures of 600, 700, 800, and 900°C. It was found that MWCNTs were grown on the stainless steel substrates heated at 600, 700, and 800°C while amorphous carbon film was grown at 900°C. The diameters of MWCNTs, as identified by scanning electron microscope (SEM) images together with ImageJ software program, were found to be 67.7, 43.0, and 33.1 nm, respectively. The crystallinity of MWCNTs was investigated by an X-ray diffractometer. The number of graphitic walled layers and the inner diameter of MWCNTs were investigated using a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The occurrence of Fe3O4 nanoparticles associated with carbon element can be used to reveal the behavior of Fe in stainless steel as catalyst. Raman spectroscopy was used to confirm the growth and quality of MWCNTs. The results obtained in this work showed that the optimum heated stainless steel substrate temperature for the growth of effective MWCNTs is 700°C. Chemical states of MWCNTs were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) using synchrotron light.
An 18-Month-Old Child with Infantile Pompe Disease: Oral Signs
Authors: Ceyhan Derya , Gucyetmez Topal Burcu
Published: March 2017

We aim to create an information platform by contributing orodental findings of Pompe disease to literature. An 18-month-old male patient with Pompe disease was referred to our clinic due to swelling of the gums. In first dental examination, a nonfluctuant, normal gingiva colored swelling at the right anterior region of maxilla was detected. His parents were recommended to perform finger massage to the region. Six months later, 51, 52, 62, and 74 numbered teeth had erupted, there was a fusion between 51 and 52 numbered teeth, 84 numbered tooth was seen to be erupted, and a swelling at the site of this tooth, similar to previous one, was present. Finger massage was recommended for this area as well, and the swelling was found to have decreased at the follow-up, one week later. Tooth eruption problems and developmental dental abnormalities should be included in the signs for Pompe disease.
Application of Probabilistic and Nonprobabilistic Hybrid Reliability Analysis Based on Dynamic Substructural Extremum Response Surface Decoupling Method for a Blisk of the Aeroengine
Authors: Bai Bin , Zhang Wei , Li Botong , Li Chao , Bai Guangchen
Published: March 2017

For the nondeterministic factors of an aeroengine blisk, including both factors with sufficient and insufficient statistical data, based on the dynamic substructural method of determinate analysis, the extremum response surface method of probabilistic analysis, and the interval method of nonprobabilistic analysis, a methodology called the probabilistic and nonprobabilistic hybrid reliability analysis based on dynamic substructural extremum response surface decoupling method (P-NP-HRA-DS-ERSDM) is proposed. The model includes random variables and interval variables to determine the interval failure probability and the interval reliability index. The extremum response surface function and its flow chart of mixed reliability analysis are given. The interval analysis is embedded in the most likely failure point in the iterative process. The probabilistic analysis and nonprobabilistic analysis are investigated alternately. Tuned and mistuned blisks are studied in a complicated environment, and the results are compared with the Monte Carlo method (MCM) and the multilevel nested algorithm (MLNA) to verify that the hybrid model can better handle reliability problems concurrently containing random variables and interval variables; meanwhile, it manifests that the computational efficiency of this method is superior and more reasonable for analysing and designing a mistuned blisk. Therefore, this methodology has very important practical significance.
Study and Development of a Complete System for Recovery, Recycle, and Disposal of Refrigerant Gas from Existent Plants
Authors: Genta Corrado , Marotta Carmine , Migliardini Fortunato
Published: March 2017

The increasing attention of international community towards ozone depletion control and global warming issues has encouraged the development of strategies for emission reduction of fluoridate refrigerant gases. In this context innovative industrial plants able to recover, recycle, and dispose the refrigerant gases need to be developed. In this paper the different phases of design, realization, and characterization of a complete plant for used refrigerant gas recovery are described. The analysis of the pollutants present in the refrigerant stream has supported the design and realization of equipment able to control these emissions and to restore the concentration levels compatible with AHRI standards.
Genome-Wide Identification and Analysis of the Type-B Authentic Response Regulator Gene Family in Peach (Prunus persica)
Authors: Zeng Jingjue , Zhu Xudong , Haider Muhammad S. , Wang Xicheng , Zhang Cheng , Wang Chen
Published: March 2017

The type-B authentic response regulator (ARR-B) family members serve as DNA-binding transcriptional regulators, whose activities are probably regulated by phosphorylation/dephosphorylation, resulting in the rapid induction of type-A ARR genes. Type-B ARRs are believed to be involved in many biological processes, including cytokinin signaling, plant growth, and stress responses through a chaperone or by isomerization of proline residues during protein folding. The public availability of complete peach genome sequences allows the identification of 23 ARR-B genes by HMMER and blast analysis. Scaffold locations of these genes in the peach genome were determined, and the protein domain and motif organization of peach type-B ARRs were analyzed. The phylogenetic relationships between peach type-B ARRs were also assessed. The expression profiles of peach ARR-B genes revealed that most of the type-B ARRs showed high expression levels in tissues undergoing rapid cell division and may engage more cytokinins, like half-opened flowers, fruits at expansion stages, and young leaves. These findings not only contribute to a better understanding of the complex regulation of the peach ARR-B gene family, but also provide valuable information for future research in peach functional genomics.
Re-Thinking Elective Single Embryo Transfer: Increased Risk of Monochorionic Twinning - A Systematic Review
Authors: Dziadosz Margaret , Evans Mark I.
Published: March 2017

Background/Objectives: Multiple pregnancies have tripled in the United States over the past 3 decades. Attributed to increasing maternal age at delivery but more so assisted reproductive technological advances, an effort has been made to decrease twinning through elective single embryo transfer. We sought to review and evaluate risks of monochorionic twinning as a predictable consequence of increasing utilization of elective single embryo transfer on perinatal outcomes. Primary outcomes included twinning rates, fetal anomalies, growth, preterm birth, and mortality. Secondary outcomes included neurological and pulmonary disability, intrauterine growth restriction, and congenital cardiac anomalies and twin-twin transfusion syndrome. Data sources: PubMed and Embase. Results: A total of 106 studies identified by systematic search met the inclusion criteria. The trend for lower numbers of embryos transferred has inadvertently led to an increase in monochorionic twinning. This is associated with worse outcomes compared to dichorionic twinning and singleton gestations for all outcomes studied. Discussion: Of great concern for monochorionic twins is the risk profile of significant morbidity and mortality. Transfer of 2 embryos should be considered to avoid higher risks inherent to the shared placental phenomena related to monochorionic twins.
Influence of Feeding Types during the First Months of Life on Calciuria Levels in Healthy Infants: A Secondary Analysis from a Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Ferré Natalia , Rubio-Torrents Carmen , Luque Veronica , Closa-Monasterolo Ricardo , Grote Veit , Koletzko Berthold , Socha Piotr , Gruszfeld Dariusz , Langhendries Jean Paul , Sengier Anne , Verduci Elvira , Escribano Joaquin ,   for the European Childhood Obesity Project Group
Published: March 2017

Background/Aims: Dietary factors can modify calciuria. We aim to investigate urinary calcium excretion in healthy infants according to their protein. Methods: Secondary data analysis from a randomized clinical trial where healthy term infants were randomized after birth to a higher (HP) or lower (LP) protein content formula that was consumed until age 1 year. A non-randomized group of breastfed (BF) infants was used for reference. Anthropometry, dietary intakes and calciuria (calcium/creatinine ratios) from spot urine samples were assessed at ages 3 and 6 months. At 6 months, the kidney volumes were assessed using ultrasonography, and the serum urea and creatinine levels were determined. Results: BF infants showed the highest calciuria levels, followed by the HP and the LP groups (p < 0.001 for all comparisons). Either protein intakes or formula types modulated the calciuria in linear regression models adjusted for other influencing dietary factors. The usual cut-off values classified 37.8% (BF), 16.8% (HP) and 4.9% (LP) of the infants as hypercalciuric. Conclusions: Feeding types during the first months of life affect calciuria, with BF infants presenting the highest levels. We propose new cut-off values, based on feeding types, to prevent the overestimation in hypercalciuria diagnoses among BF infants.
Synergistic Interaction of Hypertension and Diabetes in Promoting Kidney Injury and the Role of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress
Authors: Wang Zhen , do Carmo Jussara M. , Aberdein Nicola , Zhou Xinchun , Williams Jan M. , da Silva Alexandre A. , Hall John E.
Published: March 2017

Diabetes mellitus and hypertension are major risk factors for chronic kidney injury, together accounting for >70% of end-stage renal disease. In this study, we assessed interactions of hypertension and diabetes mellitus in causing kidney dysfunction and injury and the role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Hypertension was induced by aorta constriction (AC) between the renal arteries in 6-month-old male Goto-Kakizaki (GK) type 2 diabetic and control Wistar rats. Fasting plasma glucose averaged 162±11 and 87±2 mg/dL in GK and Wistar rats, respectively. AC produced hypertension in the right kidney (above AC) and near normal blood pressure in the left kidney (below AC), with both kidneys exposed to the same levels of glucose, circulating hormones, and neural influences. After 8 weeks of AC, blood pressure above the AC (and in the right kidney) increased from 109±1 to 152±5 mm Hg in GK rats and from 106±4 to 141±5 mm Hg in Wistar rats. The diabetic-hypertensive right kidneys in GK–AC rats had much greater increases in albumin excretion and histological injury compared with left kidneys (diabetes mellitus only) of GK rats or right kidneys (hypertension only) of Wistar–AC rats. Marked increases in ER stress and oxidative stress indicators were observed in diabetic-hypertensive kidneys of GK–AC rats. Inhibition of ER stress with tauroursodeoxycholic acid for 6 weeks reduced blood pressure (135±4 versus 151±4 mm Hg), albumin excretion, ER and oxidative stress, and glomerular injury, while increasing glomerular filtration rate in hypertensive-diabetic kidneys. These results suggest that diabetes mellitus and hypertension interact synergistically to promote kidney dysfunction and injury via ER stress.
Distinctive Risk Factors and Phenotype of Younger Patients With Resistant Hypertension
Authors: Ghazi Lama , Oparil Suzanne , Calhoun David A. , Lin Chee Paul , Dudenbostel Tanja
Published: March 2017

Resistant hypertension, defined as blood pressure >140/90 mm Hg despite using ≥3 antihypertensive medications, is a well-recognized clinical entity. Patients with resistant hypertension are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease compared with those with more easily controlled hypertension. Coronary heart disease mortality rates of younger adults are stagnating or on the rise. The purpose of our study was to characterize the phenotype and risk factors of younger patients with resistant hypertension, given the dearth of data on cardiovascular risk profile in this cohort. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis with predefined age groups of a large, ethnically diverse cohort of 2170 patients referred to the Hypertension Clinic at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Patients (n=2068) met the inclusion criteria and were classified by age groups, that is, ≤40 years (12.7% of total cohort), 41 to 55 years (32.1%), 56 to 70 years (36.1%), and ≥71 years (19.1%). Patients aged ≤40 years compared with those aged ≥71 years had significantly earlier onset of hypertension (24.7±7.4 versus 55.0±14.1 years;
P
<0.0001), higher rates of obesity (53.4% versus 26.9%;
P
<0.0001), and significantly higher levels of plasma aldosterone (11.3±9.8 versus 8.9±7.4 ng/dL;
P
=0.005), plasma renin activity (4.9±10.2 versus 2.5±5.0 ng/mL per hour;
P
=0.001), 24-hour urinary aldosterone (13.4±10.0 versus 8.2±6.2 µg/24 h;
P
<0.0001), and sodium excretion (195.9±92.0 versus 146.8±67.1 mEq/24 h;
P
<0.0001). Among patients with resistant hypertension, younger individuals have a distinct phenotype characterized by overlapping risk factors and comorbidities, including obesity, high aldosterone, and high dietary sodium intake compared with elderly.
Hypoxia-Induced Mitogenic Factor Acts as a Nonclassical Ligand of Calcium-Sensing Receptor, Therapeutically Exploitable for Intermittent Hypoxia-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension
Authors: Zeng Xianqin , Zhu Liping , Xiao Rui , Liu Bingxun , Sun Mengxiang , Liu Fangbo , Hao Qiang , Lu Yankai , Zhang Jiwei , Li Jiansha , Wang Tao , Wei Xiang , Hu Qinghua
Published: March 2017

Hypoxia-induced mitogenic factor (HIMF) is an inflammatory cytokine playing important role(s) in the development of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. The molecular target mediating HIMF-stimulated downstream events remains unclear. The coimmunoprecipitation screen identified extracellular calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) as the binding partner for HIMF in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells. The yeast 2-hybrid assay then revealed the binding of HIMF to the intracellular, not the extracellular, domain of extracellular CaSR. The binding of HIMF enhanced the activity of extracellular CaSR and mediated hypoxia-evoked proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth cells and the development of pulmonary vascular remodeling and pulmonary hypertension, all of which was specifically attenuated by a synthesized membrane-permeable peptide flanking the core amino acids of the intracellular binding domain of extracellular CaSR. Thus, HIMF induces pulmonary hypertension as a nonclassical ligand of extracellular CaSR, and the binding motif of extracellular CaSR can be therapeutically exploitable.
Long-Term Effects of Ambient PM
2.5
on Hypertension and Blood Pressure and Attributable Risk Among Older Chinese Adults
Authors: Lin Hualiang , Guo Yanfei , Zheng Yang , Di Qian , Liu Tao , Xiao Jianpeng , Li Xing , Zeng Weilin , Cummings-Vaughn Lenise A. , Howard Steven W. , Vaughn Michael G. , Qian Zhengmin (Min) , Ma Wenjun , Wu Fan
Published: March 2017

Long-term exposure to ambient fine particulate pollution (PM
2.5
) has been associated with cardiovascular diseases. Hypertension, a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, has also been hypothesized to be linked to PM
2.5
. However, epidemiological evidence has been mixed. We examined long-term association between ambient PM
2.5
and hypertension and blood pressure. We interviewed 12 665 participants aged 50 years and older and measured their blood pressures. Annual average PM
2.5
concentrations were estimated for each community using satellite data. We applied 2-level logistic regression models to examine the associations and estimated hypertension burden attributable to ambient PM
2.5
. For each 10 μg/m
3
increase in ambient PM
2.5
, the adjusted odds ratio of hypertension was 1.14 (95% confidence interval, 1.07–1.22). Stratified analyses found that overweight and obesity could enhance the association, and consumption of fruit was associated with lower risk. We further estimated that 11.75% (95% confidence interval, 5.82%–18.53%) of the hypertension cases (corresponding to 914, 95% confidence interval, 453–1442 cases) could be attributable to ambient PM
2.5
in the study population. Findings suggest that long-term exposure to ambient PM
2.5
might be an important risk factor of hypertension and is responsible for significant hypertension burden in adults in China. A higher consumption of fruit may mitigate, whereas overweight and obesity could enhance this effect.
A Dialogue with Jouni-Matti Kuukkanen
Authors: Ankersmit Frank
Published: March 2017

The discussion of Kuukkanen’s bookPostnarrativist Philosophy of Historiography(2015) is presented here in the form of a dialogue. The dialogue addresses the following five issues: 1) the kind of claims typically made in- and by the historical text, 2) narrativism and historical representation, 3) representational holism, 4) representationalism and non-representationalism and 5) the role of argument in historical writing. While agreement is within reach for the two participants in the dialogue in case of the two first issues, opinions begin to diverge with the third one. Disagreement boils down to the hierarchy between representation and argument: is representation the master that argument has to serve, or has representation nothing to add to what argument can and will give us?
Moving Deeper into Rational Pragmatism
Authors: Kuukkanen Jouni-Matti
Published: March 2017

This essay is a response to four reviewers of my book Postnarrativist Philosophy of Historiography and to one detailed assessment of holism as studied in the book. I will focus on the following themes discussed by the reviewers: the debt to narrativism, representation and aboutness, truth, holism, internalism and externalism, argument, narrativity and rational pragmatism. In light of their critiques, I attempt to develop my non-representationalist account of historiography and move deeper into rational pragmatism.
Leibniz and the Philosophical Criticism of Historiography
Authors: Fairbrother Daniel
Published: March 2017

I begin here by discussing the role of Leibniz in historical thought, particularly in Frank Ankersmit’s representationalist philosophy of historiography. I then discuss Jouni-Matti Kuukkanen’s recent criticism of Ankersmit’s commitment to holism about the semantics of historiography. I argue that the criticism fails because Kuukkanen is not sufficiently sensitive to the Leibnizian foundation of Ankersmit’s holism. Ankersmit can absorb Kuukkanen’s criticisms into his Leibnizism. I conclude by suggesting that the philosophy of historiography needs to be connected to substantial projects in the philosophical criticism of historiography.
Spirit, Soul and Body in Nag Hammadi Literature: Distinguishing Anthropological Schemes in Valentinian, Sethian, Hermetic and Thomasine Texts
Authors: Roig Lanzillotta Lautaro
Published: March 2017

A close analysis of the views on man in the Nag Hammadi texts reflects that the tripartite pattern distinguishing three elements in the human being (intellect or spirit, soul and body), even if majoritarian, is not the only one at work in the corpus: there is also a group of texts reflecting rather a bipartite scheme discriminating between soul and body only. Irrelevant though it may seem, this difference is seminal, since it not only implies a different psychology, or theory of the soul, but also a different cosmology, which in its turn also involves a dissimilar soteriology or theory concerning man’s salvation. The present study, the first in a series of five, provides a first and general approach that intends to establish the existence of these two differentiated anthropological patterns in the Nag Hammadi corpus. Following studies will offer a more detailed and separate analysis of the textual evidence, assessing the anthropological frameworks behind the different textual groups allegedly found in the corpus, namely the Valentinian, Sethian, Hermetic and Thomasine texts.
“ ‘Knowledge is Truth’: A Course in Miracles as Neo-Gnostic Scripture”
Authors: Joseph Simon J.
Published: March 2017

A Course in Miracles represents a modern-day neo-gnostic scripture that reflects significant trends in contemporary Western religiosity, especially the quest for alternative forms of esoteric “spiritual” knowledge and experience in a nominally Christian or post-Christian Western world. While this text has largely been ignored or marginalized in mainstream scholarship, a critical evaluation of the Course, its editing, reception, and contemporary interpretation not only represents a fascinating case study in how “texts” become invested with “scriptural” authority, but illustrates how the Course’s claims about Jesus and God exemplify the gnosticizing trajectories in the contemporary New Age movement.
Two new species of Allophrys Förster from the Oriental Region (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Tersilochinae)
Authors: YUE QI , RESHCHIKOV ALEXEY , ANG YUCHEN , XU ZAI-FU , PANG HONG
Published: March 2017

Two species of Allophrys Förster are described from the Oriental region, A. cantonensis Reshchikov& Yue, sp. nov., collected from Guangdong, China and A. falcatus Reshchikov,  sp. nov. from Davao, Philippines. This is first record of the genus from China. A key to the Oriental species of the genus is provided.
Cyphocharax boiadeiro, a new species from the upper rio Araguaia, Amazon basin, Brazil (Characiformes: Curimatidae)
Authors: MELO BRUNO F.
Published: March 2017

Cyphocharax boiadeiro, new species, is described from the upper rio Araguaia, a tributary of the Amazon basin in central Brazil. The new species is readily distinguished from its congeners by the presence of a distinct longitudinal dark stripe from supracleithrum to the caudal peduncle and by a combination of morphometric, meristic, and pigmentation features. Morphological characters supporting putative subunits of Cyphocharax are also discussed.
A stonefly species extinct in Europe (Taeniopteryx araneoides Klapalek, 1902, Taeniopterygidae, Plecoptera) is thriving in the Irtysh River in West Siberia and North Kazakhstan
Authors: KOSTERIN OLEG E. , AKIMBEKOVA NAZYMGUL , DUBATOLOV VLADIMIR V. , SIVEC IGNAC
Published: March 2017

Taeniopteryx araneoides Klápalek, 1902, a stonefly species with brachypterous males, known historically from the Danube, Elbe, and Dniester rivers, but considered to be extinct at least in Europe for more than a century. This species has also been doubtfully reported from Krasnoyarsk, Central Siberia. However, we report this species to be still thriving in the Irtysh River at the cities of Omsk (West Siberia, Russia) and Pavlodar (North Kazakhstan). The occurrence of this species reported least fifty years ago from the Yenisey River at Krasnoyarsk, Russia is considered possible. Unlike the widespread Palaearctic T. nebulosa (Linnaeus, 1758) that occurs in a broad range of stream types, T. araneoides is a potomon species, apparently confined to large rivers. In this habitat, it appears vulnerable to anthropogenic impacts and may be unable to compete with T. nebulosa. The construction of dams and reservoirs has apparently extirpated T. araneoides from most of its former geographical range.
Two new species of Jogocerus Viraktamath (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Idiocerinae) from China
Authors: XUE QINGQUAN , ZHANG YALIN
Published: March 2017

Two new species, Jogocerus concavus sp. nov. and J. viraktamathi sp. nov. are described and illustrated. The genus Jogocerus is redescribed together with a checklist and key to species for the separation of males.