bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparing 3D foot scanning with conventional measurement methods
Authors: Lee Yu‐Chi , Lin Gloria , Wang Mao‐Jiun J
Published: October 2014

Background

Foot dimension information on different user groups is important for footwear design and clinical applications. Foot dimension data collected using different measurement methods presents accuracy problems. This study compared the precision and accuracy of the 3D foot scanning method with conventional foot dimension measurement methods including the digital caliper, ink footprint and digital footprint.

Methods

Six commonly used foot dimensions, i.e. foot length, ball of foot length, outside ball of foot length, foot breadth diagonal, foot breadth horizontal and heel breadth were measured from 130 males and females using four foot measurement methods. Two‐way ANOVA was performed to evaluate the sex and method effect on the measured foot dimensions. In addition, the mean absolute difference values and intra‐class correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used for precision and accuracy evaluation. The results were also compared with the ISO 20685 criteria.

Results

The participant's sex and the measurement method were found (p < 0.05) to exert significant effects on the measured six foot dimensions. The precision of the 3D scanning measurement method with mean absolute difference values between 0.73 to 1.50 mm showed the best performance among the four measurement methods. The 3D scanning measurements showed better measurement accuracy performance than the other methods (mean absolute difference was 0.6 to 4.3 mm), except for measuring outside ball of foot length and foot breadth horizontal. The ICCs for all six foot dimension measurements among the four measurement methods were within the 0.61 to 0.98 range.

Conclusions

Overall, the 3D foot scanner is recommended for collecting foot anthropometric data because it has relatively higher precision, accuracy and robustness. This finding suggests that when comparing foot anthropometric data among different references, it is important to consider the differences caused by the different measurement methods.
Safety and possible effects of low-intensity resistance training associated with partial blood flow restriction in polymyositis and dermatomyositis
Authors: Mattar Melina Andrade , Gualano Bruno , Perandini Luiz Augusto , Shinjo Samuel Katsuyuki , Lima Fernanda Rodrigues , Sá-Pinto Ana Lúcia , Roschel Hamilton
Published: October 2014

Introduction

Our aim was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a low-intensity resistance training program combined with partial blow flow restriction (BFR training) in a cohort of patients with polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM).

Methods

In total, 13 patients with PM and DM completed a 12-week twice a week low-intensity (that is, 30% one-repetition-maximum (1RM)) resistance exercise training program combined with partial blood flow restriction (BFR). Assessments of muscle strength, physical function, quadriceps cross sectional (CSA) area, health-related quality of life, and clinical and laboratory parameters were assessed at baseline and after the intervention.

Results

The BFR training program was effective in increasing the maximal dynamic strength in both the leg-press (19.6%, P <0.001) and knee-extension exercises (25.2% P <0.001), as well as in the timed-stands (15.1%, P <0.001) and timed-up-and-go test (-4.5%, P =0.002). Quadriceps CSA was also significantly increased after the intervention (4.57%, P =0.01). Similarly, all of the components of the Short Form-36 Health Survey, the Health Assessment Questionnaire scores, and the patient- and physician reported Visual Analogue Scale were significantly improved after training (P <0.05). Importantly, no clinical evidence or any other self-reported adverse event were found. Laboratory parameters (creatine kinase and aldolase) were also unchanged (P >0.05) after the intervention.

Conclusions

We demonstrated that a 12-week supervised low-intensity resistance training program associated with partial blood flow restriction may be safe and effective in improving muscle strength and function as well as muscle mass and health-related quality of life in patients with PM and DM.

Trial registration

Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01501019. Registered November 29, 2011.
Joint location of microseismic events in the presence of velocity uncertainty
Authors: Poliannikov Oleg V. , Prange Michael , Malcolm Alison E. , Djikpesse Hugues
Published: October 2014

The locations of seismic events are used to infer reservoir properties and to guide future production activity, as well as to determine and understand the stress field. Thus, locating seismic events with uncertainty quantification remains an important problem. Using Bayesian analysis, a joint probability density function of all event locations was constructed from prior information about picking errors in kinematic data and explicitly quantified velocity model uncertainty. Simultaneous location of all seismic events captured the absolute event locations and the relative locations of some events with respect to others, along with their associated uncertainties. We found that the influence of an uncertain velocity model on location uncertainty under many realistic scenarios can be significantly reduced by jointly locating events. Many quantities of interest that are estimated from multiple event locations, such as fault sizes and fracture spacing or orientation, can be better estimated in practice using the proposed approach.
Small-scale physical modeling of seismic-wave propagation using unconsolidated granular media
Authors: Bodet Ludovic , Dhemaied Amine , Martin Roland , Mourgues Régis , Rejiba Fayçal , Tournat Vincent
Published: October 2014

Laboratory physical modeling and laser-based experiments are frequently proposed to tackle theoretical and methodological issues related to seismic prospecting, e.g., when experimental validations of processing or inversion techniques are required. Lasers are mainly used to simulate typical field acquisition setups on homogeneous and consolidated materials assembled into laboratory-scale physical models (PMs) of various earth structures. We suggested the use of granular materials to study seismic-wave propagation in unconsolidated and porous media and target near-surface exploration and hydrogeologic applications. We designed and tested the reproducibility of an experimental procedure to build and probe PMs consisting of micrometric glass beads (GBs). A mechanical source and a laser-Doppler vibrometer were used to record small-scale seismic lines at the surface of three GBs models. When guided surface acoustic mode theory should prevail in such unconsolidated granular packed structure under gravity, we only considered elastic-wave propagation in stratified media to interpret recorded data. Thanks to basic seismic processing and inversion methods (first arrivals and dispersion analyses), we were able to correctly retrieve the gradients of pressure- and shear-wave velocities in our models. A 3D elastic finite difference simulation of the experiment offered, despite significant differences in terms of amplitudes, a supplementary validation of our approximation, as far as elastic properties of the medium were concerned.
The influence of grain shape and volume fraction of sheet silicates on elastic properties of aggregates: Biotite platelets in an isotropic matrix
Authors: Vasin Roman , Lebensohn Ricardo A. , Matthies Siegfried , Tomé Carlos N. , Wenk Hans-Rudolf
Published: October 2014

Elastic anisotropy of sheet-silicate-rich rocks such as shales and slates strongly depends on the orientation distribution of platelet-shaped minerals, as well as shape and orientation of pores. Bulk elastic anisotropy of the rock results in the anisotropy with respect to the propagation of elastic waves, and consequently, the fastest P-waves can travel with velocities exceeding the slowest velocities by a factor of two or even greater. An important factor is the sheet-silicate’s grain shapes. We approached a model system of biotite platelets in an isotropic matrix with different methods: A mean-field self-consistent method that considered ellipsoidal particles in an effective anisotropic matrix, and a full-field method based on fast Fourier transforms that considered the microstructure, the topology of the polycrystal, and local interactions. Both methods provided numerically very close results. Using these results, we predicted that the aggregate with more oblate grain shape (thinner platelets) was elastically more anisotropic than the material with grains of less oblate shape, but only for small volume fractions of oriented platelets. For large fractions of platelets, the opposite was true. This switchover in the elastic anisotropy depended on texture strength, platelet shape, and elastic properties of the isotropic matrix.
Accurate simulations of pure quasi-P-waves in complex anisotropic media
Authors: Xu Sheng , Zhou Hongbo
Published: October 2014

Reverse time migration (RTM) in complex anisotropic media requires calculation of the propagation of a single-mode wave, the quasi-P-wave. This was conventionally realized by solving a [Formula: see text] system of second-order partial differential equations. The implementation of this [Formula: see text] system required at least twice the computational resources as compared with the acoustic wave equation. The S-waves, an introduced auxiliary function in this system, were treated as artifacts in the RTM. Furthermore, the [Formula: see text] system suffered numerical stability problems at the places in which abrupt changes of symmetric axis of anisotropy exist, which brings more challenges to real data implementation. On the other hand, the Alkhalifah’s equation, which governs the pure quasi-P-wave propagation, was hard to solve because it was a pseudodifferential equation. We proposed a pure quasi-P-wave equation that can be easily implemented within current imaging framework. Our new equation was obtained by decomposing the original pseudodifferential operator into two numerical solvable operators: a differential operator and a scalar operator. The combination of these two operators yielded an accurate phase of quasi-P-wave propagation. Our solution was S-wave free and numerically stable for very complicated models. Because only one equation was required to resolve numerically, the new proposed scheme was more efficient than those conventional schemes that solve the [Formula: see text] second-order differential equations system. For tilted transverse isotropy (TTI) RTM implementation, the required increase of numerical cost was minimal, and we could expect at least a factor of two of improvement of efficiency. We showed the effectiveness and robustness of our method with numerical examples with simple and very complicated TTI models, the SEG Advanced Modeling (SEAM) model. Further extension of our approach to orthorhombic anisotropy or tilted orthorhombic anisotropy was straightforward.
Regional variations in the structure of the Permian Zechstein 3 intrasalt stringer in the northern Netherlands: 3D seismic interpretation and implications for salt tectonic evolution
Authors: Strozyk Frank , Urai Janos L. , van Gent Heijn , de Keijzer Martin , Kukla Peter A.
Published: October 2014

The late Permian Zechstein evaporites in the northern Netherlands were exceptionally well imaged in [Formula: see text] of prestack depth migration 3D seismic data. Seismic reflections of a 30–150-m-thick Zechstein 3 anhydrite-carbonate stringer, which was encased in thick layers of rock salt, provided an unparalleled, basin-scale view of the 3D internal structure of a giant salt basin. Seismic data were used to map the regional variation of the intrasalt stringer to analyze its role in deformation styles and salt flow as well as its interaction with the sub- and suprasalt sediments. From our interpretation of the stringer, the salt layers, and the encasing sediments, three regional structural stringer styles can be defined and were analyzed in the context of regional salt kinematics. Our results revealed that the current stringer initially formed a continuous sheet of anhydrite and carbonate, embedded in salt of varying thickness. After the onset of syndepositional gravitational gliding of some of the salt masses and passive salt diapirism triggered by differential loading in the Triassic in other areas, salt flow caused rupture and folding of the stringer on a wide range of scales. The thickness and deformation degree of the individual salt layers controlled the development of regionally distinctive styles of intrasalt structures. Although deformation of the salt and the embedded stringer stopped early on morphologic highs, the basinal areas experienced phases of later activation or reactivation of salt structures and sedimentary basins. This was especially the case during the Late Cretaceous to Early Tertiary plate tectonic reorganization in the Central European plate, causing three-dimensionally complex intrasalt structures observable today.
Ligand-Selective Signal Transduction by Two Endogenous GnRH Isoforms Involves Biased Activation of the Class I PI3K Catalytic Subunits p110β, p110γ, and p110δ in Pituitary Gonadotropes and Somatotropes
Authors: Pemberton Joshua G. , Stafford James L. , Chang John P.
Published: October 2014

In goldfish, 2 endogenous GnRH isoforms, GnRH2 and GnRH3, are released at the pituitary and directly stimulate LH and GH release using the same population of GnRH receptors (GnRHRs) but with GnRH-specific transduction mechanisms. Previously, we have shown that phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks) mediate GnRH2- and GnRH3-stimulated LH and GH release. Among the 3 classes of PI3Ks, class I PI3Ks are the best characterized and consist of 4 110-kDa catalytic isoforms (p110α, p110β, p110γ, and p110δ). Importantly, p110β and p110γ, but not p110α or p110δ, can be directly activated by the Gβγ heterodimer of Gαβγ protein complexes. In the present study, we examined the expression of class I PI3K isoforms and the effects of selective inhibitors of p110α, p110β, p110γ, and p110δ catalytic activity on basal, as well as acute, GnRH2- and GnRH3-stimulated LH and GH release responses using primary cultures of dispersed goldfish pituitary cells in column perifusion. Results demonstrate that p110γ and p110δ are involved in the control of basal LH and GH release, whereas p110α and p110β only regulate basal LH secretion. However, p110β and p110γ both participated in GnRH3- and GnRH2-stimulated GH release, whereas p110β and p110γ mediated GnRH2- and GnRH3-induced LH release responses, respectively. GnRH2- and GnRH3-stimulated LH release, as well as GnRH3-elicited GH release, also required p110δ. These results constitute the first evidence for the differential involvement of class I PI3K catalytic subunits in GnRH actions, in general, and suggest that GnRH2 and GnRH3 binding to GnRHRs can bias the activation of class I PI3K signaling to mediate hormone release responses in 2 distinct pituitary cell types. The involvement of both class IA and IB PI3Ks implicates Gβγ subunits, as well as other known regulators of class I PI3Ks, as important components of GnRHR-mediated responses that could influence GnRH-selective signaling in other cell types.
Live Thinking, or the Psychagogy of Michel Foucault
Authors: Cohen Ed
Published: October 2014

In his last years lecturing at the Collège de France, Michel Foucault repeatedly alighted on the figure of the psychagogue as an exemplar of “living philosophy.” The psychagogue, in contradistinction to his confrere the pedagogue, addresses the truth by addressing the soul, the psyche, truthfully. At the Greek inception of the politics-philosophy nexus, Foucault argues, psychagogy offered a tekhne for governing this conjoint truth practice and thereby affecting its decisions, even while remaining “nonpolitical.” By tracing some of Foucault’s ideas about the ways that truth, life, politics, and thinking coincide, this essay recasts the concerns about “Foucault’s politics” that have never ceased to vex his readers throughout the thirty years since his death and asks instead whether Foucault, given his recurrent interest, was implicitly proffering his own philosophical practice as a psychagogical one, as a lively practice through which both he and his auditors might be transformed; whether he saw his writing and teaching as an activity that performs a “necessary function with regard to politics,” even if it was not itself what some might call “properly political”; and if so, what this might mean for the way Foucault’s thinking about the tensions between politics and philosophy, between life and truth, can be read.
A Facile Approach to Prepare Bismuth Oxide Nanorods for Application in Optoelectronic Devices
Authors: Lv Xiaowei , Li Zijiong , Zhang Jiejie , Yang Baocheng
Published: October 2014

Phase-pure bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) nanorods with an average diameter of 75 nm were fabricated through a facile hydrothermal method for the first time. The UV–vis spectra suggest that the band gap of Bi2O3 nanorods is of a 0.03 eV red shift than the bulky Bi2O3. PL spectra demonstrate that the Bi2O3 nanorods show strong room temperature luminescence at 440 nm. Under UV-pulsed illumination, the photocurrent density of the Bi2O3 nanorod photoanode increases obviously with the applied potential, indicating potential applications in optoelectronic devices.
Blood Diamonds, Dirty Gold and Spatial Spill-overs Measuring Conflict Dynamics in West Africa
Authors: Balestri Sara , Maggioni Mario A.
Published: October 2014

Although conflict incidence is likely to be characterized by spatial dependence, the scientific literature on conflicts often neglects the issue thus, implicitly, assuming independence among observations. We argue that such assumption could lead to biased and inconsistent results and we provide an exemplary application to the case of the Mano River Region (MRR) in West Africa. Once we detected the existence of spatial dependence within the distribution of conflict incidence, we introduce spatial econometrics techniques in order to explore diffusion paths of violence within the region. We firstly project on a spatially disaggregated map, built as a regular grid, the conflict occurrence and several georeferenced determinants of civil conflicts. Then, we model spatial dependence through the introduction of spatial autoregressive terms on both dependent and independent variables (SAR and SD Models). Across several models, civil conflict is found steadily clustered in space with significant spill-over effects on contiguous locations. Among other determinants, natural resources – namely diamonds and gold – are confirmed as relevant drivers of conflict diffusion and show neighbouring effects since their location and proximity may affect conflict dynamics.
Aβ regulation-based multitarget strategy for drug discovery against Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Guo Xiaodan , Jiang Wei , Li Chenjing , Zhu Zhiyuan , Shen Xu
Published: October 2014

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressively neurodegenerative disease that eventually leads to the irreversible loss of neurons and intellectual abilities, including cognition and memory. AD has become the most common cause of dementia in aged people, and the ill-defined pathogenesis of AD is seriously impeding the current drug discovery against this disease. To date, there is still a lack of etiologically therapeutic drugs for AD, although some symptomatic treatments have been successfully developed. The β-amyloid (Aβ)-induced neurodegeneration is determined as the main pathogenesis of AD, and by targeting the regulation of Aβ in production inhibition or clearance promotion, many active agents have been designed potentially for AD treatment, but no drug has yet been approved in clinical use. Actually, AD has a complex pathogenic mechanism that involves multiple aberrant signaling genes and pathways, and the idea of ‘single target’ for anti-AD drug research is thus full of challenges. Recently, with a deep understanding of AD pathogeneses and the development of advanced pharmacological techniques, ‘multiple target’-based strategy has been widely applied for the drug discovery against this disease, and many promising results have been achieved. Here, we review the recent multitarget strategies for the drug discovery in the treatment of AD by focusing on the involvement of Aβ regulation.
E2F1 induces miR‐224/452 expression to drive EMT through TXNIP downregulation
Authors: Knoll Susanne , Fürst Katharina , Kowtharapu Bhavani , Schmitz Ulf , Marquardt Stephan , Wolkenhauer Olaf , Martin Hubert , Pützer Brigitte M
Published: October 2014

Malignant melanoma is highly lethal due to its aggressive invasive properties and metastatic dissemination. The transcription factor E2F1 is crucial for melanoma progression through poorly understood mechanisms. Here, we show that the miR‐224/miR‐452 cluster is significantly increased in advanced melanoma and invasive/metastatic cell lines that express high levels of E2F1. miR‐224/miR‐452 expression is directly activated by E2F1 through transactivation of the GABRE gene. Ectopic expression of miR‐224/miR‐452 in less aggressive cells induces EMT and cytoskeletal rearrangements and enhances migration/invasion. Conversely, miR‐224/miR‐452 depletion in metastatic cells induces the reversal of EMT, inhibition of motility, loss of the invasive phenotype and an absence of lung metastases in mice. We identify the metastasis suppressor TXNIP as new target of miR‐224/miR‐452 that induces feedback inhibition of E2F1 and show that miR‐224/452‐mediated downregulation of TXNIP is essential for E2F1‐induced EMT and invasion. The E2F1‐miR‐224/452‐TXNIP axis constitutes a molecular signature that predicts patient survival and may help to set novel therapies.
Sustratos de cobertura y suplementación del compost en cultivo de champiñón
Authors: Pardo‑Giménez Arturo , Figueirêdo Vinícius Reis de , Zied Diego Cunha , Pardo González José Emilio
Published: October 2014

El objetivo de este trabajo fue describir el comportamiento de la corteza de pino, de la fibra de coco y del sustrato postcultivo, como capas de cobertura, en el cultivo del champiñón (Agaricus bisporus). Tras la caracterización física, química y biológica de las capas de cobertura, se evaluaron los parámetros de producción cualitativos y cuantitativos, en un ciclo de cultivo de champiñón con cuatro floradas. La menor porosidad y capacidad de retención de agua del suelo mineral, sin aditivos, y la alta conductividad eléctrica del sustrato postcultivo del champiñón utilizado, asociado a la suplementación nutritiva, son los factores determinantes en el diferente comportamiento agronómico observado. Las mezclas de cobertura influenciaron el rendimiento y el número de champiñones, la eficiencia biológica, la tasa de producción y la precocidad. El mejor rendimiento total se obtuvo con la mezcla de suelo mineral y fibra de coco suplementado. Las capas de coberturas evaluadas pueden ser utilizadas comercialmente para la producción de champiñón.
Matéria orgânica leve do solo em sistema agroflorestal de corte e trituração sob manejo de capoeira
Authors: Rangel‑Vasconcelos Lívia Gabrig Turbay , Kato Osvaldo Ryohei , Vasconcelos Steel Silva
Published: October 2014

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os impactos do ciclo pousio‑cultivo sobre as frações leves da matéria orgânica do solo (MOS), em sistema agroflorestal sequencial de corte e trituração, com diferentes manejos de capoeira, na Amazônia Oriental. A amostragem foi realizada nas fases de pré‑pousio, pós‑pousio e pós‑cultivo de milho. Foram determinados os estoques de matéria orgânica leve livre (MOL‑L) e matéria orgânica leve oclusa (MOL‑O), carbono orgânico total (COT), nitrogênio total (NT) e estoques de C e N na MOL‑L e na MOL‑O. Não houve efeito do manejo da capoeira nas variáveis estudadas, exceto quanto ao NT a 30-50 cm e à MOL‑O a 10-20 cm de profundidade do solo. As frações da matéria orgânica leve foram afetadas pelas fases do sistema agroflorestal sequencial de corte e trituração. Os maiores estoques de C e N foram observados na MOL‑L, nos períodos pós‑pousio e pós‑cultivo. Embora os estoques de C e N totais do solo não tenham aumentado, o aumento da MOL‑L e de seus estoques de C e N indica melhoria e manutenção da qualidade do solo no sistema de corte e trituração da biomassa acumulada em 23 meses de pousio, mesmo após período de cultivo.
Clinical and Genetic Factors Related to Cancer-Induced Bone Pain and Bone Pain Relief
Authors: Scarpi Emanuela , Calistri Daniele , Klepstad Pål , Kaasa Stein , Skorpen Frank , Habberstad Ragnhild , Nanni Oriana , Amadori Dino , Maltoni Marco
Published: October 2014

Objective.

The study objective was to evaluate whether there are clinical or genetic differences between patients with cancer-induced bone pain (CIBP) and patients with non-CIBP, and, in the CIBP group, in those with good versus poor opioid response.

Materials and Methods.

A total of 2,294 adult patients with cancer who were receiving opioids for moderate or severe pain were included in the European Pharmacogenetic Opioid Study. Pain intensity and pain relief were measured using the Brief Pain Inventory. Linkage disequilibrium of 112 single nucleotide polymorphisms was evaluated in 25 candidate genes, and 43 haplotypes were assessed. Correlations among demographical factors, disease-related factors, genetic factors, CIBP, and pain relief were analyzed by logistic regression models corrected for multiple testing. Patients with bone metastases and bone/soft tissue pain were defined as having prevalent bone pain (CIBP population). This population was compared with patients who had other types of cancer pain (non-CIBP).

Results.

A total of 577 patients (26.2%) had CIBP, and 1,624 patients (73.8%) had non-CIBP. Patients with CIBP had more breakthrough cancer pain episodes (64.2% vs. 56.4%, p = .001), had significantly higher pain interference in “walking ability in the past 24 hours” (p < .0001), used more adjuvant drugs (84.1% vs. 78.3%, p = .003), and had a higher, albeit nonsignificant, median overall survival (3.8 vs. 2.9 months, p = .716) than patients with non-CIBP. None of the examined haplotypes exceeded p values corrected for multiple testing for the investigated outcomes.

Conclusion.

Patients with CIBP who were taking opioids had a clinical profile slightly different from that of the non-CIBP group. However, no specific genetic pattern emerged for CIBP versus non-CIBP or for responsive versus nonresponsive patients with CIBP.
El informe integrado: una propuesta de encaje para la información sobre capital humano
Authors: Saitua Ainhoa , Andicoechea Lorea , Albizu Eneka
Published: October 2014

La manera de informar de las empresas presenta algunos problemas (Lizcano, 2011), tanto en relación con la cantidad y complejidad de normas, como con la calidad de la información corporativa que divulga cada compañía. En concreto, en los informes anuales que emiten las empresas, la información obligatoria sobre el personal en las distintas jurisdicciones es, en general, reducida. Pero en la sociedad del conocimiento actual, las explicaciones verbales sobre el capital humano adquieren mayor importancia (Knauer, 2010; Gamerschlag y Moeller, 2011). En este contexto, la iniciativa Integrated Reporting pretende crear un marco de información para satisfacer las necesidades de un mundo más sostenible que incluya aspectos sociales junto con la información financiera, ambiental y de gobierno corporativo. Como principios de los informes integrados se especifica que la información debería ser: relevante, interconectada, homogénea, comparable, manejable, equilibrada, estratégica a corto plazo, medio y largo plazo, y verificable (IIRC, 2012).Según los escenarios planteados por el International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), la Asociación Española de Contabilidad y Administración de Empresas (AECA) sugiere que el engranaje ideal para introducir la información integrada es el Informe de gestión (AECA, 2012d) o el equivalente Management Commentary, siguiendo la terminología del International Accounting Standards Board (IASB, 2010). En este trabajo, se revisa la literatura sobre divulgación narrativa, en especial sobre recursos humanos, y una vez analizadas las recientes iniciativas normalizadoras, se elabora una propuesta acerca del posible encaje de la información sobre recursos humanos dentro del informe integrado.
Recruitment limitation of long‐lived conifers: implications for climate change responses
Authors: Kroiss Steve J. , HilleRisLambers Janneke
Published: October 2014

Seed availability and suitable microsites for germination are likely to severely constrain the responses of plant species to climate change, especially at and beyond range edges. For example, range shifts may be slow if seed availability is low at range edges due to low parent‐tree abundance or reduced fecundity. Even when seeds are available, climatic and biotic factors may further limit the availability of suitable microsites for recruitment. Unfortunately, the importance of seed and microsite limitation during range shifts remains unknown, since few studies have examined both factors simultaneously, particularly across species' ranges. To address this issue, we assessed seed availability and the factors influencing germination for six conifer species across a large environmental gradient encompassing their elevational ranges. Specifically, we assessed (1) how parent‐tree abundance influences annual seed availability; (2) how seed limitation varies across species' ranges; (3) how climatic and biotic factors affect germination; and (4) how seed and suitable microsite availability covary annually within and among species. We found that seed availability declined toward species' upper range edges for most species, primarily due to low parent‐tree abundance rather than declining fecundity. Range expansions are thus likely to be lagged with respect to climate change, as long generation times preclude rapid increases in tree density. Negative impacts of canopy cover on germination rates suggest range shifts will further be slowed by competition with existing vegetation. Moreover, years of high seed production were generally correlated among species, but not correlated with the availability of suitable microsites, implying that seedling competition and the interaction between seed and microsite limitation will further constrain recruitment. However, the nature of microsite limitation varied strongly between treeline and low‐elevation species due to differing responses to snowpack duration and competition, suggesting that treeline species may be quicker to shift their ranges in response to warming than low‐elevation species. In all, our results demonstrate that seed and microsite limitation will likely result in lagged responses to climate change but with differences among species leading to complex range shift dynamics.
Plant Growth Regulator and Soil Surfactants’ Effects on Saline and Deficit Irrigated Warm‐Season Grasses: II. Pigment Content and Superoxide Dismutase Activity
Authors: Schiavon Marco , Leinauer Bernd , Serena Matteo , Maier Bernd , Sallenave Rossana
Published: October 2014

Drought conditions on turf areas are frequent in the Southwest due to limited rainfall and a shortage of potable irrigation water. A study was conducted at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM during the summers of 2010 to 2012 to determine bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylonL.) cultivar Princess 77 and seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatumSwartz) cultivar Sea Spray treated with either a soil surfactant (Revolution [modified methyl capped block copolymer]) or a plant growth regulator (PGR) (Trinexapac‐ethyl [TE]; 4‐[cyclopropylhydroxymethylene]‐3,5‐dioxocyclohexanecarboxylic acid) response to drought stress. Plots were irrigated at 50% reference evapotranspiration with either saline (electrical conductivity [EC] = 02.3 dS m−1) or potable (0.6 dS m−1) water from either a sprinkler or subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) system. Chlorophyll a and b and carotenoids content and superoxide dismutase activity (SOD) in leaves and stolons were measured monthly to assess response to turf stress. Princess 77 plots treated with TE showed the highest chlorophyll and carotenoids content (15.7 and 6.0 µg g−1fresh weight [FW], respectively) and greatest SOD activity in leaves (37.7 units mg−1proteins). Both grasses under SDI had higher pigment content at the end of the study than sprinkler‐irrigated grasses, suggesting that SDI may be more effective than sprinkler under deficit evapotranspiration (ET) replacement conditions. Only a weak correlation was found between chlorophyll content and either Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) or visual ratings.
Lodging‐Related Stalk Characteristics of Maize Varieties in China since the 1950s
Authors: Ma Daling , Xie Ruizhi , Liu Xin , Niu Xingkui , Hou Peng , Wang Keru , Lu Yanli , Li Shaokun
Published: October 2014

Stalk lodging often limits maize (Zea mays L.) grain yield potential and also causes difficulties in harvest operations. Stalk characteristics [e.g., plant height, ear height, and rind puncture strength (RPS)] have close relationships with stalk lodging in maize. The objectives of this 2‐yr field study were to (i) report the changes in stalk lodging in maize cultivars that were widely grown in China since the 1950s, (ii) examine the stalk morphological and mechanical properties of maize within this timeframe, and (iii) assess the stalk lodging and grain yield of maize populations as related to changes in their stalk traits. The results showed that stalk lodging decreased significantly with the year of maize cultivar release. There was marked genotypic variation in lodging‐related morphological and mechanical traits. The grain yield, dry matter accumulation (DMA), harvest index (HI), length of the 13th and 14th internodes, RPS of the fourth internode, and bending strength of the first internode all significantly increased in more modern cultivars. Length of the fourth and fifth internodes clearly decreased with improved maize cultivars. Among these traits, DMA, HI, and the length of fifth and 13th internodes were closely related to lodging resistance. As a result of stepwise regression analysis, stalk lodging was determined to be partially affected by variability in ear height or ear ratio. There were no significant correlations between stalk mechanical traits and stalk lodging. Our results indicated that improving the lodging resistance of maize cultivars was not accomplished by intentionally selecting these characteristics in China.
Is local hypoperfusion the reason for transient neurological deficits after STA-MCA bypass for moyamoya disease?
Authors: Mukerji Nitin , Cook Douglas J. , Steinberg Gary K.
Published: October 2014

OBJECT

Hyperperfusion is believed to be the cause of transient neurological events (TNEs) in patients with moyamoya disease (MMD) who have undergone an extracranial-to-intracranial (EC-IC) bypass between the superficial temporal artery (STA) and the middle cerebral artery (MCA). The objective of this study was to evaluate this possibility by analyzing cerebral blood flow (CBF) data obtained with thermal diffusion probes used at the authors' center.

METHODS

The authors examined postoperative cerebral perfusion in 31 patients with MMD who underwent a direct EC-IC STA-MCA bypass. A Hemedex Q500 flow probe was placed in the frontal lobe adjacent to the bypass and connected to a Bowman cerebral perfusion monitor, and CBF data were statistically analyzed using JMP 8.0.2 software. Seven patients experienced a TNE after surgery in the left hemisphere (that is, after left-sided surgery), manifesting as dysphasia approximately 24 hours postoperatively and which had improved by 48 hours. No TNEs were observed after right-sided surgeries. Operative and postoperative CBFs in the left side with the TNE were compared with those in the left side with no TNE and on the right side.

RESULTS

A detailed analysis of 64,980 minute-by-minute flow observations showed that the initial postbypass CBF was higher on the left side where the TNEs occurred. This CBF increase was followed by a widely fluctuating pattern and a statistically significant and sharp drop in perfusion (p < 0.001, mean difference of CBF between groups, paired t-test) associated with a TNE not observed in the other 2 groups.

CONCLUSIONS

On the basis of the authors' initial observations, an early-onset altered pattern of CBF was identified. These findings suggest local hypoperfusion as the cause of the TNEs. This hypoperfusion may originate from competing blood flows resulting from impaired cerebral autoregulation and a fluctuating flow in cerebral microcirculation.
Fetal ovarian cyst mimicking a CSF pseudocyst in the setting of shunt failure
Authors: Calayag Mark , Malone Christian Cantillano , Drake Brian , Chavhan Govind , Rutka James T.
Published: October 2014

Fetal ovarian cysts are common congenital lesions encountered in the neonatal population. These cysts are typically benign and rarely require any invasive intervention. Abdominal pseudocyst formation as a result of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt is a relatively infrequent occurrence and is similarly an uncommon cause of shunt failure. The authors present the case of a 4-month-old girl with shunted hydrocephalus who presented with shunt failure from a suspected abdominal pseudocyst that was found to be a fetal ovarian cyst.
RADIX: a minimal-resources rapid-access drilling system
Authors: Schwander J. , Marending S. , Stocker T.F. , Fischer H.
Published: October 2014

Determining the expected age at a potential ice-core drilling site on a polar ice sheet generally depends on a combination of information from remote-sensing methods, estimates of current accumulation and modelling. This poses irreducible uncertainties in retrieving an undisturbed ice core of the desired age. Although recently perfected radar techniques will improve the picture of the ice sheet below future drilling sites, rapid prospective drillings could further increase the success of deep drilling projects. Here we design and explore a drilling system for a minimum-size rapid-access hole. The advantages of a small hole are the low demand for drilling fluid, low overall weight of the equipment, fast installing and de-installing and low costs. We show that, in theory, drilling of a 20 mm hole to a depth of 3000 m is possible in ∼4 days. First concepts have been realized and verified in the field. Both the drill cuttings and the hole itself can be used to characterize the properties of the ice sheet and its potential to provide a trustworthy palaeo-record. A candidate drilling site could be explored in ∼2 weeks, which would enable the characterization of several sites in one summer season.
Emodin Ameliorates LPS-Induced Acute Lung Injury, Involving the Inactivation of NF-κB in Mice
Authors: Xiao Min , Zhu Tao , Zhang Wei , Wang Tao , Shen Yong-Chun , Wan Qiong-Fang , Wen Fu-Qiang
Published: October 2014

Acute lung injury (ALI) and its severe manifestation of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are well-known illnesses. Uncontrolled and self-amplified pulmonary inflammation lies at the center of the pathology of this disease. Emodin, the bio-active coxund of herb Radix rhizoma Rhei, shows potent anti-inflammatory properties through inactivation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of emodin on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI in mice, and its potential bio-mechanism. In our study, BALB/c mice were stimulated with LPS to induce ALI. After 72 h of LPS stimulation, pulmonary pathological changes, lung injury scores, pulmonary edema, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, total cells, neutrophils, macrophages, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and MCP-1 and E-selectin expression were notably attenuated by emodin in mice. Meanwhile, our data also revealed that emodin significantly inhibited the LPS-enhanced the phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 and NF-κB p65 DNA binding activity in lung. Our data indicates that emodin potently inhibits LPS-induced pulmonary inflammation, pulmonary edema and MCP-1 and E-selectin expression, and that these effects were very likely mediated by inactivation of NF-κB in mice. These results suggest a therapeutic potential of emodin as an anti-inflammatory agent for ALI/ARDS treatment.
Improved Release and Metabolism of Flavonoids by Steered Fermentation Processes: A Review
Authors: Huynh Nguyen , Van Camp John , Smagghe Guy , Raes Katleen
Published: October 2014

This paper provides an overview on steered fermentation processes to release phenolic compounds from plant-based matrices, as well as on their potential application to convert phenolic compounds into unique metabolites. The ability of fermentation to improve the yield and to change the profile of phenolic compounds is mainly due to the release of bound phenolic compounds, as a consequence of the degradation of the cell wall structure by microbial enzymes produced during fermentation. Moreover, the microbial metabolism of phenolic compounds results in a large array of new metabolites through different bioconversion pathways such as glycosylation, deglycosylation, ring cleavage, methylation, glucuronidation and sulfate conjugation, depending on the microbial strains and substrates used. A whole range of metabolites is produced, however metabolic pathways related to the formation and bioactivities, and often quantification of the metabolites are highly underinvestigated. This strategy could have potential to produce extracts with a high-added value from plant-based matrices.
Association Study Identifying a New Susceptibility Gene (AUTS2) for Schizophrenia
Authors: Zhang Bao , Xu Yue-Hong , Wei Shu-Guang , Zhang Hong-Bo , Fu Dong-Ke , Feng Zu-Fei , Guan Fang-Lin , Zhu Yong-Sheng , Li Sheng-Bin
Published: October 2014

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a severe and debilitating mental disorder, and the specific genetic factors that underlie the risk for SCZ remain elusive. The autism susceptibility candidate 2 (AUTS2) gene has been reported to be associated with autism, suicide, alcohol consumption, and heroin dependence. We hypothesized that AUTS2 might be associated with SCZ. In the present study, three polymorphisms (rs6943555, rs7459368, and rs9886351) in the AUTS2 gene were genotyped in 410 patients with SCZ and 435 controls using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and forced PCR-RFLP methods. We detected an association between SCZ and the rs6943555 genotype distribution (odds ratio (OR) = 1.363, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.848–2.191, p = 0.001). The association remained significant after adjusting for gender, and a significant effect (p = 0.001) was observed among the females. In the present study, rs6943555 was determined to be associated with female SCZ. Our results confirm previous reports which have suggested that rs6943555 might elucidate the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and play an important role in its etiology.
Electromagnetic Micromotors—Design, Fabrication and Applications
Authors: Büttgenbach Stephanus
Published: October 2014

Microactuators have become essential elements of microelectromechanical systems, for example, for positioning purposes and for fluid-handling tasks in microfluidic systems. UV depth lithography and other new micromachining technologies, which have been developed since the 1990s, have initiated extensive investigations of electromagnetic microactuators, which are characterized by high forces, large deflections, low driving voltages resulting from low input impedances and robustness under harsh environments. This paper reviews the comprehensive research on the design, fabrication and application of electromagnetic micromotors performed in our laboratory over the past years.
Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager Design, Characterization and Performance
Authors: Knight Edward , Kvaran Geir
Published: October 2014

The Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat-8 represents a generational change from heritage Landsat instruments in its design, while it maintains data continuity with the 40+ year Landsat data archive. It preserves the 30-m ground sample distance, 185-km swath width and VIS/NIR/SWIR spectral bands. Furthermore, data continuity resulted from extensive pre-launch and on-orbit calibration and characterization campaigns. This paper presents an overview of the OLI design, the pre-launch characterization results and the on-orbit performance.
Videosensor for the Detection of Unsafe Driving Behavior in the Proximity of Black Spots
Authors: Fuentes Andres , Fuentes Ricardo , Cabello Enrique , Conde Cristina , Martin Isaac
Published: October 2014

This paper discusses the overall design and implementation of a video sensor for the detection of risky behaviors of car drivers near previously identified and georeferenced black spots. The main goal is to provide the driver with a visual audio alert that informs of the proximity of an area of high incidence of highway accidents only if their driving behavior could result in a risky situation. It proposes a video sensor for detecting and supervising driver behavior, its main objective being manual distractions, so hand driver supervision is performed. A GPS signal is also considered, the GPS information is compared with a database of global positioning Black Spots to determine the relative proximity of a risky area. The outputs of the video sensor and GPS sensor are combined to evaluate a possible risky behavior. The results are promising in terms of risk analysis in order to be validated for use in the context of the automotive industry as future work.
Yahoo! Answers as a Space for Informal Language Learning
Authors: Dettori Giuliana , Torsani Simone
Published: October 2014

Online social spaces, where users can exchange information, opinions and resources, have achieved wide popularity and are gaining attention in many research fields, including education. Their actual potential support to learning, however, still requires investigation, especially because portals can widely differ as concerns purpose and internal structure. This paper aims to contribute in this respect, by concentrating on question answering, a kind of social space not yet widely discussed in education. We analyzed a small corpus of posts from the Languages section of Yahoo! Answers Italy, checking if the questions reveal some inclination to learning or just the desire to obtain a service and if the answers provided by the community members can be considered as reliable sources of knowledge. Our analysis highlights the presence of a variety of question/answer types, from mere information exchange or help for task completion, up to language-related questions prompting valuable short lessons. The quality of answers may widely vary as concerns pertinence, correctness and richness of supporting elements. We found a high number of purely task-oriented questions and answers, but also a higher number of learning-oriented questions and correct, informative answers. This suggests that this kind of social space actually has valuable potential for informal learning.
Rock'n'roll ou 2 minutes 35 de bonheur
Authors: Damien Robert
Published: October 2014

Bloc contre bloc et tout est figé. Corps contre corps et tout est libéré.
Un temps pour croître, un temps pour décliner
Authors: Abel Olivier
Published: October 2014

Bachelard, Spinoza, Ricœur : trois temps forts, trois variations sur le rythme.
Mineurs isolés : étrangers jusqu'à l'os
Authors: Lormier Clémence , Bouix Anita
Published: October 2014

Pour être pris en charge par l’aide sociale à l’enfance, les étrangers doivent prouver être mineurs et isolés. Ces dernières années, les expertises médicales visant à déterminer leur âge se multiplient. Or, ce type de test est tellement sujet à caution que ne peut que s’interroger sur les raisons d’une telle inflation dont la première conséquence est d’écarter davantage de mineurs du dispositif de protection.
Majeurs, mais toujours isolés
Authors: Capelier Flore
Published: October 2014

L’avenir des mineurs étrangers isolés une fois devenus majeurs est rarement interrogé. Pourtant, si des dispositions existent pour que des jeunes en difficulté continuent de bénéficier d’une protection au-delà de leur majorité, elles sont inégalement appliquées s’agissant des ex-MIE. Toute la question est alors de savoir si l’aide aux jeunes majeurs est un droit ou une aide facultative des départements.