bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Natural history publications arising from Theodore Cantor's visit to Chusan, China, in 1840
Authors: Turner I. M.
Published: April 2016

In 1840, Theodore Edward Cantor, nephew of Nathaniel Wallich, served as an assistant surgeon with the British forces on an expedition to China during the First Opium War. Cantor, a keen naturalist, was requested to use the opportunity to collect natural history specimens for the East India Company. Despite only spending four months on Chusan (Zhoushan), Cantor managed to amass a considerable number of specimens on the voyage and during the time in China. Cantor sought assistance from William Griffith with the identification of the plants, Edward Blyth with the birds, William Benson with the molluscs and Frederick Hope with the insects. Cantor published an account of Chusan and its fauna in Annals and magazine of natural history in 1842, but he also submitted the work to the Asiatic Society of Bengal to be published in Asiatick researches with many coloured plates and a chapter on the plants by William Griffith. The cost and slow progress with producing the plates contributed to the demise of Asiatick researches and the failure to publish the Chusan report as intended. William Griffith's paper on the botany was issued in a small number of preprints paginated either from 1 or from 33 in late 1844 or very early 1845. Sets of the twelve hand-coloured lithograph plates that were completed were issued with proof copies of pp 1–32 representing the introductory material written by Cantor as Zoology of Chusan, probably in 1847.
Natural history books in the library of Dr Richard Richardson
Authors: Edgington John
Published: April 2016

During the first decades of the eighteenth century the wealthy Yorkshire naturalist Richard Richardson acquired a large library, particularly strong in natural history, medicine and antiquarianism. Virtually all the natural history component was dispersed before the library was catalogued, so its contents have been unknown. Richardson's unpublished correspondence with Sir Hans Sloane and William Sherard contains many references to his books and shows that they and other leading naturalists were the source of most of them, by donation and purchase. Of about 700 books in natural history that he possessed, 425 have been identified; an Appendix lists 300 of the more significant titles. Comparison is made with other natural history libraries, and the eventual fate of Richardson's is discussed.
Life and work of Margaret Gatty (1809–1873), with particular reference to British sea-weeds (1863)
Authors: Bryant J. A. , Plaisier H. , Irvine L. M. , McLean A. , Jones M. , Spencer Jones M. E.
Published: April 2016

Mrs Margaret Gatty took up beachcombing, especially collecting and identifying seaweeds, in middle age and improved her expertise through correspondence with some of the most prominent scientists of the day. In particular, she formed an important relationship with William Henry Harvey, which was of benefit to them both. Mrs Gatty's major publication, British sea-weeds, demonstrates her powers of observation and interpretation. A new study of her correspondence has clarified a link between British sea-weeds and two works by Harvey, Phycologia britannica and The atlas of British seaweeds, as well as the status of an unpublished work Mrs Gatty called her “Horn-book of phycology”.
Informal learning processes of migrants in the civil society: a transnational perspective
Authors: Alenius Pauliina
Published: April 2016

The aim of the article is to examine the informal learning processes of migrants particularly in relation to their social engagements in associations, informal groups and transnational networks in the Estonia-Finland space. The theoretical framework relates to socio-cultural, situated learning tradition as well as transnational migration studies. In educational research, transnational perspectives are still relatively new and little explored. The research data (98 interviews) were analysed following theoryguided content analysis. Diverse learning trajectories in relation to the informants’ associational engagement were identified. Engagement in various social groups in transnational environments had widened the informants’ perspectives and understanding, enabling them to explore differences in societal conceptions and practices. Some of the informants had been acting as transnational brokers, conveying conceptions and practices between communities across national borders. There is a need to examine migrants’ learning trajectories in relation to their social engagements not only in the country of settlement but also in transnational spaces.
Book review: Writing for peer reviewed journals-strategies for getting published.
Authors: Wildemeersch Danny
Published: April 2016

By Pat Thomson and Barbara Kamler. (Eds.). (London and New York: Routledge, 2013). 190 pp., ISBN 978-0415809313
Book review: Adult education policy and the European Union-theoretical and methodological
Authors: Rubenson Kjell
Published: April 2016

By Marcella Milana and John Holford. (Eds.). (Rotterdam: Sense Publisher, 2014). 194 pp., ISBN (open access e-book): 9789462095489
Book review: Learning across generations in Europe
Authors: Tøsse Sigvart
Published: April 2016

By Berhard Schmidt-Hertha, Sabina Jelenc Krasovec, and Marvin Formosa (Eds.) (Rotterdam: Sense Publishers, 2015). 215 pp. ISBN 978-94-6209-900-5
Differentiation of Crohn’s Disease-Associated Isolates from Other Pathogenic Escherichia coli by Fimbrial Adhesion under Shear Force
Authors: Szunerits Sabine , Zagorodko Oleksandr , Cogez Virginie , Dumych Tetiana , Chalopin Thibaut , Alvarez Dorta Dimitri , Sivignon Adeline , Barnich Nicolas , Harduin-Lepers Anne , Larroulet Iban , Yanguas Serrano Aritz , Siriwardena Aloysius , Pesquera Amaia , Zurutuza Amaia , Gouin Sébastien , Boukherroub Rabah , Bouckaert Julie
Published: April 2016

Shear force exerted on uropathogenic Escherichia coli adhering to surfaces makes type-1 fimbriae stretch out like springs to catch on to mannosidic receptors. This mechanism is initiated by a disruption of the quaternary interactions between the lectin and the pilin of the two-domain FimH adhesin and transduces allosterically to the mannose-binding pocket of FimH to increase its affinity. Mannose-specific adhesion of 14 E. coli pathovars was measured under flow, using surface plasmon resonance detection on functionalized graphene-coated gold interfaces. Increasing the shear had important differential consequences on bacterial adhesion. Adherent-invasive E. coli, isolated from the feces and biopsies of Crohn’s disease patients, consistently changed their adhesion behavior less under shear and displayed lower SPR signals, compared to E. coli opportunistically infecting the urinary tract, intestines or loci of knee and hip prostheses. We exemplified this further with the extreme behaviors of the reference strains UTI89 and LF82. Whereas their FimA major pilins have identical sequences, FimH of LF82 E. coli is marked by the Thr158Pro mutation. Positioned in the inter-domain region known to carry hot spots of mutations in E. coli pathotypes, residue 158 is indicated to play a structural role in the allosteric regulation of type-1 fimbriae-mediated bacterial adhesion.
Trying on tRNA for Size: RNase P and the T-box Riboswitch as Molecular Rulers
Authors: Zhang Jinwei , Ferré-DAmaré Adrian
Published: April 2016

Length determination is a fundamental problem in biology and chemistry. Numerous proteins measure distances on linear biopolymers to exert effects with remarkable spatial precision. Recently, ruler-like devices made of noncoding RNAs have been structurally and biochemically characterized. Two prominent examples are the RNase P ribozyme and the T-box riboswitch. Both act as molecular calipers. The two RNAs clamp onto the elbow of tRNA (or pre-tRNA) and make distance measurements orthogonal to each other. Here, we compare and contrast the molecular ruler characteristics of these RNAs. RNase P appears pre-configured to measure a fixed distance on pre-tRNA to ensure the fidelity of its maturation. RNase P is a multiple-turnover ribozyme, and its rigid structure efficiently selects pre-tRNAs, cleaves, and releases them. In contrast, the T-box is flexible and segmented, an architecture that adapts to the intrinsically flexible tRNA. The tripartite T-box inspects the overall shape, anticodon sequence, and aminoacylation status of an incoming tRNA while it folds co-transcriptionally, leading to a singular, conditional genetic switching event. The elucidation of the structures and mechanisms of action of these two RNA molecular rulers may augur the discovery of new RNA measuring devices in noncoding and viral transcriptomes, and inform the design of artificial RNA rulers.
Family Structures, Relationships, and Housing Recovery Decisions after Hurricane Sandy
Authors: Nejat Ali , Cong Zhen , Liang Daan
Published: April 2016

Understanding of the recovery phase of a disaster cycle is still in its infancy. Recent major disasters such as Hurricane Sandy have revealed the inability of existing policies and planning to promptly restore infrastructure, residential properties, and commercial activities in affected communities. In this setting, a thorough grasp of housing recovery decisions can lead to effective post-disaster planning by policyholders and public officials. The objective of this research is to integrate vignette and survey design to study how family bonds affected rebuilding/relocating decisions after Hurricane Sandy. Multinomial logistic regression was used to investigate respondents’ family structures before Sandy and explore whether their relationships with family members changed after Sandy. The study also explores the effect of the aforementioned relationship and its changes on households’ plans to either rebuild/repair their homes or relocate. These results were compared to another multinomial logistic regression which was applied to examine the impact of familial bonds on respondents’ suggestions to a vignette family concerning rebuilding and relocating after a hurricane similar to Sandy. Results indicate that respondents who lived with family members before Sandy were less likely to plan for relocating than those who lived alone. A more detailed examination shows that this effect was driven by those who improved their relationships with family members; those who did not improve their family relationships were not significantly different from those who lived alone, when it came to rebuilding/relocation planning. Those who improved their relationships with family members were also less likely to suggest that the vignette family relocate. This study supports the general hypothesis that family bonds reduce the desire to relocate, and provides empirical evidence that family mechanisms are important for the rebuilding/relocating decision-making process.
High Performance of Alkaline Anion-Exchange Membranes Based on Chitosan/Poly (vinyl) Alcohol Doped with Graphene Oxide for the Electrooxidation of Primary Alcohols
Authors: García-Cruz Leticia , Casado-Coterillo Clara , Irabien Ángel , Montiel Vicente , Iniesta Jesus
Published: April 2016

Mixed matrix membranes (MMM) based on chitosan (CS) and poly (vinyl) alcohol (PVA) with a 50:50 w/w ratio doped with graphene oxide (GO) are prepared by solution casting and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), water uptake, alcohol permeability, ion exchange capacity (IEC) and OH− conductivity measurements. The SEM analysis revealed a dense MMM where the GO nanosheets were well dispersed over the entire polymer matrix. The incorporation of GO increased considerably the thermal stability of the CS:PVA membrane. The GO-based MMM exhibited a low conductivity of 0.19 mS·cm−1 in part because the GO sheets did not change the crystallinity of the CS:PVA matrix. The reinforced structure created by the hydrogen bonds between the GO filler and the CS:PVA matrix resulted to be a good physical barrier for alcohol permeability, achieving a coefficient of diffusion of 3.38 × 10−7 and 2.43 × 10−7 cm2·s−1 after 60 and 120 min, respectively, thus avoiding additional alcohol crossover. Finally, the electrochemical performance of the GO-based MMM in the electrooxidation of propargyl alcohol was investigated in a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Electrochemical Reactor (PEMER) under alkaline conditions, through the polarization curve and the electrolysis reactions, showing a performance comparable to anion-exchange commercial membranes.
Balanced Permutations Even–Mansour Ciphers
Authors: Gilboa Shoni , Gueron Shay , Nandi Mridul
Published: April 2016

The r-rounds Even–Mansour block cipher is a generalization of the well known Even–Mansour block cipher to r iterations. Attacks on this construction were described by Nikolić et al. and Dinur et al. for r = 2 , 3 . These attacks are only marginally better than brute force but are based on an interesting observation (due to Nikolić et al.): for a “typical” permutation P, the distribution of P ( x ) ⊕ x is not uniform. This naturally raises the following question. Let us call permutations for which the distribution of P ( x ) ⊕ x is uniformly “balanced” — is there a sufficiently large family of balanced permutations, and what is the security of the resulting Even–Mansour block cipher? We show how to generate families of balanced permutations from the Luby–Rackoff construction and use them to define a 2 n -bit block cipher from the 2-round Even–Mansour scheme. We prove that this cipher is indistinguishable from a random permutation of { 0 , 1 } 2 n , for any adversary who has oracle access to the public permutations and to an encryption/decryption oracle, as long as the number of queries is o ( 2 n / 2 ) . As a practical example, we discuss the properties and the performance of a 256-bit block cipher that is based on our construction, and uses the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), with a fixed key, as the public permutation.
PRINCEPS: A Computer-Based Approach to the Structural Description and Recognition of Trends within Structural Databases, and Its Application to the Ce-Ni-Si System
Authors: Guo Yiming , Fredrickson Daniel
Published: April 2016

Intermetallic crystal structures offer an enormous structural diversity, with an endless array of structural motifs whose connection to stability and physical properties are often mysterious. Making sense of the often complex crystal structures that arise here, developing a clear structural description, and identifying connections to other phases can be laborious and require an encyclopedic knowledge of structure types. In this Article, we present PRINCEPS, an algorithm based on a new coordination environment projection scheme that facilitates the structural analysis and comparison of such crystal structures. We demonstrate the potential of this approach by applying it to the complex Ce-Ni-Si ternary system, whose 17 binary and 21 ternary phases would present a daunting challenge to one seeking to understand the system by manual inspection (but has nonetheless been well-described through the heroic efforts of previous researchers). With the help of PRINCEPS, most of the ternary phases in this system can be rationalized as intergrowths of simple structural fragments, and grouped into a handful of structural series (with some outliers). These results illustrate how the PRINCEPS approach can be used to organize a vast collection of crystal structures into structurally meaningful families, and guide the description of complex atomic arrangements.
Widening Participation in Higher Education
Authors: Vignoles Anna , Murray Neil
Published: April 2016

Higher education (HE) has the potential to be transformative: for individuals, local communities and for the wider society.[...]
Low-Molecular-Weight Gelators as Base Materials for Ointments
Authors: Ohsedo Yutaka
Published: April 2016

Ointments have been widely used as an efficient means of transdermal drug application for centuries. In order to create ointments suitable for various new medicinal drugs, the creation of ointment base materials, such as gels, has attracted much research attention in this decade. On the other hand, the chemical tuning of low-molecular-weight gelators (LMWGs) has been increasingly studied for two decades because LMWGs can be tailored for different purposes by molecular design and modification. In this review, several series of studies related to the creation of ointment base materials with enhanced properties using existing and newly-created LMWGs are summarized.
Optimum Installation of Sorptive Building Materials Using Contribution Ratio of Pollution Source for Improvement of Indoor Air Quality
Authors: Park Seonghyun , Seo Janghoo
Published: April 2016

Reinforcing the insulation and airtightness of buildings and the use of building materials containing new chemical substances have caused indoor air quality problems. Use of sorptive building materials along with removal of pollutants, constant ventilation, bake-out, etc. are gaining attention in Korea and Japan as methods for improving such indoor air quality problems. On the other hand, sorptive building materials are considered a passive method of reducing the concentration of pollutants, and their application should be reviewed in the early stages. Thus, in this research, activated carbon was prepared as a sorptive building material. Then, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was conducted, and a method for optimal installation of sorptive building materials was derived according to the indoor environment using the contribution ratio of pollution source (CRP) index. The results show that a method for optimal installation of sorptive building materials can be derived by predicting the contribution ratio of pollutant sources according to the CRP index.
Correlates of Insufficient Physical Activity among Junior High School Students: A Cross-Sectional Study in Xi’an, China
Authors: Wang Xiaoqin , Hui Zhaozhao , Terry Paul , Ma Mei , Cheng Li , Deng Fu , Gu Wei , Zhang Bin
Published: April 2016

Background: Physical activity plays an important role in individual health at all stages of life. However, evidence is lacking regarding the level of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and the related factors to insufficient physical activity (IPA). Methods: A sample of 1060 students aged 12–15 years from nine public junior high schools in China were invited to participate in this study. Physical activity was assessed by a modified version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to assess the factors associated with IPA. Results: 30.1% boys and 43.0% girls in our sample did not engage in sufficient physical activity. Obesity (OR = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.5–2.9) and high socioeconomic status (SES) (OR = 2.4, 95% CI: 1.3–4.8) were positively associated with IPA, whereas male sex (OR = 0.7, 95% CI: 0.5–0.9), underweight status (OR = 0.5, 95% CI: 0.3–0.7), and high family support level for physical activity (OR = 0.7, 95% CI: 0.6–0.9) showed inverse associations. Age was not associated with IPA. Conclusions: IPA appears to be a considerable problem in this sample of Chinese youth. Effective interventions to increase physical activity are needed and may include improving family support level for physical activity, especially for girls, the obese and those with high SES.
High Salt Diet Affects Renal Sodium Excretion and ERRα Expression
Authors: Wang Dan , Wang Yang , Liu Fu-Qiang , Yuan Zu-Yi , Mu Jian-Jun
Published: April 2016

Kidneys regulate the balance of water and sodium and therefore are related to blood pressure. It is unclear whether estrogen-related receptor α (ERRα), an orphan nuclear receptor and transcription factor highly expressed in kidneys, affects the reabsorption of water and sodium. The aim of this study was to determine whether changes in the expressions of ERRα, Na+/K+-ATPase and epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) proteins affected the reabsorption of water and sodium in kidneys of Dahl salt-sensitive (DS) rats. SS.13BN rats, 98% homologous to the DS rats, were used as a normotensive control group. The 24 h urinary sodium excretion of the DS and SS.13BN rats increased after the 6-week high salt diet intervention, while sodium excretion was increased in DS rats with daidzein (agonist of ERRα) treatment. ERRα expression was decreased, while β- and γ-ENaC mRNA expressions were increased upon high sodium diet treatment in the DS rats. In the chromatin immunoprecipitation (CHIP) assay, positive PCR signals were obtained in samples treated with anti-ERRα antibody. The transcriptional activity of ERRα was decreased upon high salt diet intervention. ERRα reduced the expressions of β- and γ-ENaC by binding to the ENaC promoter, thereby increased Na+ reabsorption. Therefore, ERRα might be one of the factors causing salt-sensitive hypertension.
RORC2 Genetic Variants and Serum Levels in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Paradowska-Gorycka Agnieszka , Stypinska Barbara , Pawlik Andrzej , Romanowska-Prochnicka Katarzyna , Haladyj Ewa , Manczak Malgorzata , Olesinska Marzena
Published: April 2016

Background: In the present study, we aimed to evaluate whether polymorphisms within the RORc2 gene are involved in the risk and severity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: 591 RA patients and 341 healthy individuals were examined for RORc2 gene polymorphisms. Serum retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor C (RORc) levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: The rs9826 A/G, rs12045886 T/C and rs9017 G/A RORc2 gene SNPs show no significant differences in the proportion of cases and control. Overall, rs9826 and rs9017 were in high linkage disequilibrium (LD) with D’ = 0.952 and r2 = 0.874, except rs9826 and rs12045886; and rs12045886 and rs9017 in weak LD. The genotype–phenotype analysis showed a significant association between RORc2 rs9826 A/G and rs9017 G/A single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and median of C-reactive protein (CRP). Serum RORc levels was higher in RA patients with rs9826AA, rs12045886TT and -TC, and rs9017AA genotypes compared to healthy subjects with the same genotypes (p = 0.02, p = 0.04 and p = 0.01, respectively). Moreover, the median of RORc protein level was higher in RA patients with number of swollen joints bigger then 3 (p = 0.04) and with Health Assessment Questionnaires (HAQ) score bigger then 1.5 (0.049). Conclusions: Current findings indicated that the RORc2 genetic polymorphism and the RORc2 protein level may be associated with severity of RA in the Polish population.
Evaluation of Electrolytes Imbalance and Dyslipidemia in Diabetic Patients
Authors: Hasona Nabil , Elasbali Abdulbaset
Published: April 2016

Electrolytes and Lipids have always played significant roles, and changes in their concentrations gives good indications of disease progression in a number of non-communicable diseases. Diabetes mellitus is the most common metabolic disorder in the community. Diabetics may suffer from electrolyte disorders due to complications of diabetes mellitus and the medication they receive. Serum glucose, electrolytes (Na+, K+, Cl− and Ca++), and lipid profiles (total cholesterol, triglyceride, and HDL-c) were determined in 100 diabetics and in non-diabetic subjects. All the diabetic patients had a significant (p < 0.001) increase in glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, chloride and calcium levels. There was significant (p < 0.001) decrease in the serum levels of Na+ and K+ in all diabetics. It was concluded that differences in lipids and electrolytes found in diabetics may have great potential as a diagnostic tool in clinical practice and have a significant effect upon the risk of contracting many diseases.
Two Additional New Compounds from the Marine-Derived Fungus Pseudallescheria ellipsoidea F42-3
Authors: Wang Kun-Teng , Xu Meng-Yang , Liu Wei , Li Hou-Jin , Xu Jun , Yang De-Po , Lan Wen-Jian , Wang Lai-You
Published: April 2016

Two additional new compounds, pseudellone D (1) and (5S,6S)-dihydroxylasiodiplodin (3), along with the two known compounds lasiodipline F (2), (5S)-hydroxylasiodiplodin (4) were isolated from the marine-derived fungus Pseudallescheria ellipsoidea F42-3 associated with the soft coral Lobophytum crassum. Their structures, including absolute configurations, were elucidated on the basis of the corresponding spectroscopic data and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra.
Nickel Decorated on Phosphorous-Doped Carbon Nitride as an Efficient Photocatalyst for Reduction of Nitrobenzenes
Authors: Kumar Anurag , Kumar Pawan , Joshi Chetan , Manchanda Manvi , Boukherroub Rabah , Jain Suman
Published: April 2016

Nickel nanoparticle-decorated phosphorous-doped graphitic carbon nitride (Ni@g-PC3N4) was synthesized and used as an efficient photoactive catalyst for the reduction of various nitrobenzenes under visible light irradiation. Hydrazine monohydrate was used as the source of protons and electrons for the intended reaction. The developed photocatalyst was found to be highly active and afforded excellent product yields under mild experimental conditions. In addition, the photocatalyst could easily be recovered and reused for several runs without any detectable leaching during the reaction.
Vitamin D Deficiency is Associated with Overweight and/or Obesity among Schoolchildren in Central Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Wakayo Tolassa , Whiting Susan , Belachew Tefera
Published: April 2016

Childhood and adolescent obesity is an international public health problem leading to an increased risk of adulthood obesity, mortality and morbidity. Its prevalence is increasing in low-income populations, and we hypothesized it may be associated with vitamin D deficiency. Low vitamin D status is a worldwide public health issue including in Ethiopia; however, no one has examined overweight/obesity in Ethiopian schoolchildren with regard to vitamin D status. The Analyses of a data set from a school-based cross-sectional study conducted in Adama Town (n = 89) and in rural Adama Woreda (n = 85) was carried out to determine vitamin D deficiency and its association with overweight and/or obesity. Data on a total of 174 schoolchildren aged 11–18 years was used for these analyses. The overall prevalence of overweight and/or obesity was 10.3%, with 8.5% overweight and 2.3% obese; the prevalence of underweight was 19%. In the multivariable logistic regression model, vitamin D deficiency, being in the higher age group, female sex and urban residence of students, their mothers’ occupation of being employed and their households’ high and middle socioeconomic status were significantly associated with overweight and/or obesity. We concluded that vitamin D deficiency is an independent predictor significantly associated with overweight and/or obesity among schoolchildren from rural and urban settings in Ethiopia. The results imply the need for behavior change communications on the importance of exposure to sunlight to produce adequate vitamin D to curb this emerging health problem of overweight/obesity following economic growth and globalization in Ethiopia. As this study only highlighted the association, prospective studies and randomized controlled trials are required to establish causality.
Characteristics of U.S. Adults with Usual Daily Folic Acid Intake above the Tolerable Upper Intake Level: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2003–2010
Authors: Orozco Angela , Yeung Lorraine , Guo Jing , Carriquiry Alicia , Berry Robert
Published: April 2016

The Food and Drug Administration mandated that by 1998, all enriched cereal grain products (ECGP) be fortified with folic acid in order to prevent the occurrence of neural tube defects. The Institute of Medicine established the tolerable upper intake level (UL) for folic acid (1000 µg/day for adults) in 1998. We characterized U.S. adults with usual daily folic acid intake exceeding the UL. Using NHANES 2003–2010 data, we estimated the percentage of 18,321 non-pregnant adults with usual daily folic acid intake exceeding the UL, and among them, we calculated the weighted percentage by sex, age, race/ethnicity, sources of folic acid intake, supplement use and median usual daily folic acid intakes. Overall, 2.7% (standard error 0.6%) of participants had usual daily intake exceeding the UL for folic acid; 62.2% were women; 86.3% were non-Hispanic whites; and 98.5% took supplements containing folic acid. When stratified by sex and age groups among those with usual daily folic acid intake exceeding the UL, 20.8% were women aged 19–39 years. Those with usual daily intake exceeding the folic acid UL were more likely to be female, non-Hispanic white, supplement users or to have at least one chronic medical condition compared to those not exceeding the folic acid UL. Among those with usual daily folic acid intake exceeding the UL who also took supplements, 86.6% took on average >400 µg of folic acid/day from supplements. Everyone with usual daily folic acid intake exceeding the UL consumed folic acid from multiple sources. No one in our study population had usual daily folic acid intake exceeding the UL through consumption of mandatorily-fortified enriched cereal grain products alone. Voluntary consumption of supplements containing folic acid is the main factor associated with usual daily intake exceeding the folic acid UL.
TTEO (Things Talk to Each Other): Programming Smart Spaces Based on IoT Systems
Authors: Yun Jaeseok , Ahn Il-Yeup , Choi Sung-Chan , Kim Jaeho
Published: April 2016

The Internet of Things allows things in the world to be connected to each other and enables them to automate daily tasks without human intervention, eventually building smart spaces. This article demonstrates a prototype service based on the Internet of Things, TTEO (Things Talk to Each Other). We present the full details on the system architecture and the software platforms for IoT servers and devices, called Mobius and &Cube, respectively, complying with the globally-applicable IoT standards, oneM2M, a unique identification scheme for a huge number of IoT devices, and service scenarios with an intuitive smartphone app. We hope that our approach will help developers and lead users for IoT devices and application services to establish an emerging IoT ecosystem, just like the ecosystem for smartphones and mobile applications.
Recent NDVI-Based Variation in Growth of Boreal Intact Forest Landscapes and Its Correlation with Climatic Variables
Authors: Jin Jiaxin , Wang Ying , Jiang Hong , Cheng Min
Published: April 2016

Intact Forest Landscape (IFL) is of great value in protecting biodiversity and supporting core ecological processes. It is important to analyze the spatial variation in the growth dynamics of IFL. This study analyzed the change of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) during the growing season (April–October) for boreal (45° N–70° N) IFLs and the correlation with climatic variables over the period of 2000–2013. Our results show 85.5% of boreal IFLs did not show a significant change in the NDVI after 2000, and only 10.2% and 4.3% exhibited a statistically significant increase (greening) or decrease (browning) in NDVI, respectively. About 60.9% of the greening boreal IFLs showed that an increasing NDVI was significantly correlated to climatic variables, especially an increasing growing season temperature (over 47.0%). For browning boreal IFLs, a decrease in temperature or an increase in dormancy period precipitation could be the prime reason for a significant decrease in the NDVI. However, about 64.6% of the browning boreal IFLs were insensitive to any of the climatic variables, indicating other factors, such as fire, had caused the browning. Although it did not show a significant trend, the NDVI of 51.3% of no-change boreal IFLs significantly correlated to climatic variables, especially growing season temperatures (over 37.6%).
Sustainable Leadership Practices Driving Financial Performance: Empirical Evidence from Thai SMEs
Authors: Suriyankietkaew Suparak , Avery Gayle
Published: April 2016

Many managers and researchers alike are asking: What does an enterprise need to do to generate a proper balance between economic, social, and ecological objectives while gaining superior corporate financial performance, resilience, and sustainability? Several leadership concepts for enhancing organizational sustainability have emerged in recent years, but none provides an integrative approach, with the exception of Sustainable Leadership (SL). However, empirical research examining the effects of various SL practices on financial performance and other business outcomes is lacking. This article addresses this gap by empirically investigating the relationships between 23 SL practices and financial performance. Using a cross-sectional survey, data stem from 439 managers in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Thailand. Of the 23 SL practices in SL, 16 were significantly associated with corporate financial performance. Four SL practices, in particular—amicable labor relations, valuing employees, social responsibility, plus strong and shared vision—were significant drivers, and positive predictors, of enhanced long-term firm performance. Lastly, implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.
Mechanisms that Determine the Differential Stability of Stx+ and Stx− Lysogens
Authors: Colon Michael , Chakraborty Dolonchapa , Pevzner Yonatan , Koudelka Gerald
Published: April 2016

Phages 933W, BAA2326, 434, and λ are evolutionarily-related temperate lambdoid phages that infect Escherichia coli. Although these are highly-similar phages, BAA2326 and 933W naturally encode Shiga toxin 2 (Stx+), but phage 434 and λ do not (Stx−). Previous reports suggest that the 933W Stx+ prophage forms less stable lysogens in E. coli than does the Stx− prophages λ, P22, and 434. The higher spontaneous induction frequency of the Stx+ prophage may be correlated with both virulence and dispersion of the Stx2-encoding phage. Here, we examined the hypothesis that lysogen instability is a common feature of Stx+ prophages. We found in both the absence and presence of prophage inducers (DNA damaging agents, salts), the Stx+ prophages induce at higher frequencies than do Stx− prophages. The observed instability of Stx+ prophages does not appear to be the result of any differences in phage development properties between Stx+ and Stx− phages. Our results indicate that differential stability of Stx+ and Stx− prophages results from both RecA-dependent and RecA-independent effects on the intracellular concentration of the respective cI repressors.
Effects of Irrigation with Saline Water on Crop Growth and Yield in Greenhouse Cultivation
Authors: Kim Hakkwan , Jeong Hanseok , Jeon Jihye , Bae Seungjong
Published: April 2016

Since the salinity of irrigation water is a critical constraint to the production of certain vegetable crops, salinity has been considered as one of the most important factors of irrigation water. The objective of this study was to investigate the response of lettuce and Chinese cabbage to various salinity levels of irrigation water in greenhouse cultivation. A pot experiment was conducted with different salinities under a glasshouse condition in Korea. A completely randomized experimental design was used with three replications. The analysis results of crop growth and yield of lettuce and Chinese cabbage indicated that the factors that were more significantly affected by saline irrigation water were crop yields rather than crop components such as number of leaves, leaf length, and leaf width. In this study, the point of salt concentration during an increase in salinity levels of irrigation water (ECw) at which yield starts to decline was determined to be 0.9 and 1.5 dS/m for lettuce and Chinese cabbage, respectively. Furthermore, the present study demonstrated that the continuous irrigation of saline water under greenhouse conditions could lead to a significant increase in electric conductivity (ECe) level and Na+ concentration in soil, as well as Na+ concentration in leaves of crops.
Variability of Bed Drag on Cohesive Beds under Wave Action
Authors: Safak Ilgar
Published: April 2016

Drag force at the bed acting on water flow is a major control on water circulation and sediment transport. Bed drag has been thoroughly studied in sandy waters, but less so in muddy coastal waters. The variation of bed drag on a muddy shelf is investigated here using field observations of currents, waves, and sediment concentration collected during moderate wind and wave events. To estimate bottom shear stress and the bed drag coefficient, an indirect empirical method of logarithmic fitting to current velocity profiles (log-law), a bottom boundary layer model for combined wave-current flow, and a direct method that uses turbulent fluctuations of velocity are used. The overestimation by the log-law is significantly reduced by taking turbulence suppression due to sediment-induced stratification into account. The best agreement between the model and the direct estimates is obtained by using a hydraulic roughness of 10 - 4 m in the model. Direct estimate of bed drag on the muddy bed is found to have a decreasing trend with increasing current speed, and is estimated to be around 0.0025 in conditions where wave-induced flow is relatively weak. Bed drag shows an increase (up to fourfold) with increasing wave energy. These findings can be used to test the bed drag parameterizations in hydrodynamic and sediment transport models and the skills of these models in predicting flows in muddy environments.
Low-dose Spironolactone: Treatment for Osteoarthritis-related Knee Effusion. A Prospective Clinical and Sonographic-based Study
Authors: Elsaman Ahmed M. , Radwan Ahmed R. , Mohammed Walaa I. , Ohrndorf Sarah
Published: April 2016

Objective.

To evaluate the effectiveness of spironolactone as a treatment for osteoarthritis (OA)-related knee effusion in comparison to ibuprofen, cold compresses, and placebo.

Methods.

This study was carried out on 200 patients, aged 40 years or older, attending the outpatient clinic of the Rheumatology Department of Sohag University Hospital with unilateral knee effusion related to OA based on clinical examination, musculoskeletal ultrasonography (US), and synovial fluid analysis. In group 1, 50 patients received spironolactone 25 mg daily for 2 weeks; in group 2, 50 patients took ibuprofen 1200 mg daily for 2 weeks; in group 3, 50 patients used cold compresses 2 times daily for 2 weeks; and in group 4, 50 patients received placebo for the same duration. Fluid > 4 mm was considered as effusion. Decrease in fluid to reach below 4-mm thickness was considered complete improvement, and any decrease that did not reach below 4 mm thickness was considered partial improvement.

Results.

The mean age of the participants was 51.2 ± 8.1 years. The mean duration of effusion was 16.5 ± 3.6 days. In group 1, 66% had complete improvement, 20% partial improvement, and 14% no response. In group 2, 24% had complete improvement, 12% partial improvement, and 64% no response. In group 3, 28% had complete improvement, 14% partial improvement, and 58% no response. In group 4, only 6% had complete improvement, 10% partial improvement, and 84% no response.

Conclusion.

Low-dose spironolactone is a safe and effective medical treatment for OA-related knee effusion.
Incidental Anterior Cruciate Ligament Calcification: Case Report
Authors: Hayashi Hisami , Fischer Hans
Published: April 2016

The calcification of knee ligaments is a finding noted only in a handful of case reports. The finding of an anterior cruciate ligament calcification has been reported once in the literature. Comparable studies involving the posterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament and an ossicle within the anterior cruciate ligament are likewise discussed in reports of symptomatic patients. We report a case of incidentally discovered anterior cruciate ligament calcification. We discuss the likely etiology and clinical implications of this finding.
A Rare Triad of Giant Occipital Encephalocele with Lipomyelomeningocele, Tetralogy of Fallot, and Situs Inversus
Authors: Franco Arie , Jo Stephanie Youngyoon , Mehta Amar Singh , Pandya Dave Jyoti , Yang Carina Wei-Yee
Published: April 2016

Giant encephalocele is an uncommon congenital anomaly with very few published reports available in the English literature. Tetralogy of Fallot associated with situs inversus is also infrequently reported. To our knowledge there are no published reports of an association between giant encephalocele and Tetralogy of Fallot. The additional finding of situs inversus results in a rare pathologic triad, not heretofore described.
René Maran contra Maurice Delafosse
Authors: Geneste Elsa
Published: April 2016

O contexto pós-Primeira Guerra Mundial é um momento especial de atualização da questão negra no debate público ocorrido entre a França colonial e os Estados Unidos segregacionista. Dos dois lados do Atlântico, os atores envolvidos nessas trocas recorrem, para defender seu ponto de vista, a uma comparação entre o destino dos descendentes de escravos africanos em solo norte-americano e o dos autóctones da África Ocidental e Oriental Francesa. Este capítulo tem por objetivo esclarecer o significado histórico dessa comparação a partir da análise das publicações de dois intelectuais franceses, atores cruciais nessas discussões durante a década de 1920: o escritor René Maran e o etnógrafo Maurice Delafosse. De fato, levantamos a hipótese de que a confrontação desses modos de comparação permite evidenciar a convivência de duas ideias republicanas contraditórias, sem dúvida possibilitadas pelas condições históricas, até agora analisadas de modo superficial pelo historiador.
De l’obscurité à la reconnaissance
Authors: Coelho Frederico Oliveira
Published: April 2016

En septembre 2009, un incendie se déclare au siège du Projet HO (Hélio Oiticica), espace qui abrite à Rio de Janeiro la collection de l’artiste plasticien carioca Hélio Oiticica (1937-1980). Dans un premier temps, les responsables et les experts estiment que la perte s’élève à plusieurs millions de dollars (certains parlent même de centaines de millions). Les chiffres vont toutefois bientôt être revus à la baisse : il s’avère en effet que l’essentiel de la collection est préservé. À l’époque, le site internet Canal Contemporâneo, consacré à l’art brésilien, répertorie plus d’une douzaine de liens nationaux et internationaux donnant accès aux écrits critiques rédiges après l’incendie et portant sur ses conséquences. Un des aspects de ce tragique événement attire particulièrement l’attention du milieu artistique et des spécialistes de l’œuvre d’Oiticica. Même si les médias s’intéressent à la destruction d’une grande collection d’art contemporain brésilien (et en profitent pour dénoncer les failles dans la politique publique de conservation de ces œuvres), ce sont avant tout les dommages financiers qui retiennent leur attention. Il est clair que la valorisation actuelle de l’œuvre de Hélio Oiticica incite les journaux à insister sur l’aspect pécuniaire de l’événement.À partir de ce constat, ce chapitre tente de comprendre à quel moment l’œuvre d’un artiste radical et transgressif comme Hélio Oiticica est prise en otage par le discours conservateur associé aux prix du marché et acquiert le statut de patrimoine. Cette interrogation se justifie dans la mesure où ce n’est qu’après la mort de l’artiste que son œuvre prend une valeur phénoménale.
Lasar Segall, peintre brésilien
Authors: Pinheiro Filho Fernando Antonio
Published: April 2016

Le parcours de l’artiste lituanien Lasar Segall (1891-1957), qui s’installe au Brésil en 1923, constitue un cas intéressant pour aborder certains aspects centraux de la question de la nationalité dans les arts. Ce chapitre cherche à comprendre les conditions de son adaptation à l’environnement brésilien des arts, dans les années 1920 et 1930, et montre dans quelle mesure il est possible de prétendre que Segall est devenu un artiste brésilien. Le noyau de l’argumentation renvoie aux conditions d’insertion de son œuvre dans le domaine des arts plastiques au Brésil, compte tenu de la position qu’il occupe dans le jeu d’interdépendances auquel il participe et qui se traduit principalement par la relation qu’il noue avec le modernisme de São Paulo et avec son principal représentant, Mário de Andrade. À la manière de Benedict Anderson, la nation moderne est ici appréhendée comme un collectif d’individus dont les liens reposent sur le partage de représentations, d’idéologies, de croyances et de sentiments – sur le plan très réel de ce qui est imaginé. Une certaine homogénéité des rapports horizontaux parvient ainsi à s’établir sur le long terme entre ces individus, sur la base d’un fonds culturel qui forme une représentation de la nationalité. S’y ajoute le socle matériel et institutionnel d’une histoire politique de l’expérience commune, qui peut être considérée comme la construction d’une mémoire. Dans ce contexte, la carrière artistique de Segall au Brésil se caractérise par la fusion de l’expressionnisme allemand et du modernisme de São Paulo. Cet alliage s’accompagne d’une revitalisation des codes distinctifs des différentes fractions de l’élite à laquelle l’artiste est rattaché. Dans un même mouvement, il contribue à conférer au courant moderniste le pouvoir de renouveler l’ordre symbolique qui sous-tend le sens de la nationalité.
L’art sous l’angle du genre
Authors: Buscatto Marie
Published: April 2016

Les recherches pionnières de la sociologie des arts ne s’intéressent guère aux dimensions genrées de l’activité artistique. Que soient étudiés les modes de réception des œuvres, les manières dont se construit l’activité artistique ou les processus sociaux de reconnaissance des artistes et de leurs œuvres, l’analyse des rapports sociaux de sexe est absente des premières recherches empiriques menées en sociologie de l’art. Le caractère genré des sociabilités, des réceptions et des pratiques est certes évoqué, aussi bien à travers les grandes enquêtes statistiques relatives à la participation sexuée des publics que grâce aux recherches portant sur les différents champs, amateurs et professionnels, de la production artistique et culturelle. Mais le sens à donner aux différences sexuées, tout comme les manières dont elles influencent en retour les fonctionnements artistiques, n’ont que récemment fait l’objet d’analyses systématiques.Depuis le début des années 1980, le genre est en effet devenu une catégorie d’analyse à part entière de la sociologie française des arts. Qu’il s’agisse de saisir les liens réciproques entre sexe social et sexe biologique ou les processus genrés de performance qui organisent les pratiques sociales et contribuent à la formation des identités, les rapports sociaux se produisent à l’intersection du genre, de la classe sociale ou de l’« ethnicité ». Ont ainsi été mises au jour les manières dont se produisent et se perpétuent des différences sexuées dans le domaine artistique ainsi que les possibilités dont les sujets disposent pour déstabiliser, transformer, transgresser, les limites d’action sexuée.Ce chapitre vise à rendre compte des dernières avancées de la sociologie française des arts sous l’angle du genre. Au regard de la littérature anglophone disponible sur le sujet, les travaux français se distinguent non seulement par la forte production de recherches sur cette thématique dans les divers mondes de l’art – cirque, musique, cinéma, littérature, théâtre, danse, arts plastiques ou télévision –, mais surtout par leur capacité stimulante à enrichir l’analyse sociologique dans le domaine des arts. Dans un premier temps sont ainsi abordées les manières dont l’approche genrée des arts révèle la forte normativité des univers artistiques, à rebours d’une idéologie avant-gardiste faisant de l’art un espace évident de transgression des normes sociales. Dans un deuxième temps sont regardés ces moments, marginaux certes, mais réels et fort visibles, où l’art devient un lieu de transgression de l’ordre social genré. Sont notamment décrites et analysées les raisons sociales qui sous-tendent ces démarches artistiques qui dépassent les résistances rencontrées sur le chemin de la création artistique ou des pratiques culturelles… En conclusion est ainsi abordée la forte originalité de l’approche des arts par le genre en France, ainsi que sa grande capacité à renouveler la sociologie des arts au niveau international.