bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Industrial Wastes and By‐products as Alternative Fuels in Cement Plants: Evaluation of an Industrial Symbiosis Option
Authors: Tsiliyannis Christos Aristeides
Published: September 2017

A ravenous fuel consumer, the cement industry may substitute fossil fuels by industrial wastes and by‐products, identifying the industry as a key example of industrial symbiosis (IS). Benefits from industrial waste alternative fuels (IWAFs) include safe disposal, fossil fuel cost savings, gate fees, and greenhouse gas credits. Poor IWAFs, (high moisture, ash and halogen content) bring higher gate fees, but lessen clinker production. Thermal rating and blower capacity constraints should be satisfied in such a case study of IS. Cement plants must comply with potentially tighter emission limits, compared to fossil fuel utilization, despite higher pollutant precursors in IWAFs. Emissions’ compliance, operational, and production implications are a few among several challenges when assessing multiple IWAF valorization as a symbiotic option from a systems’ perspective. A novel method is proposed to quantitatively assess critical trade‐offs. Species and energy transformations convey a rigorous picture of clinker level, kiln flue gas, and offgas volumes and lay the groundwork for screening, a priori selection, and process tuning. Necessary and sufficient compliance conditions and safety margins are presented in terms of process parameters and actual emissions’ data. Main challenges posed by high flue gas, high offgas volumes, high moisture, low heating value, increased nitrogen oxides emissions, and high halogen and metal content are quantified. As demonstrated in a case study of an actual 1.5 × 106 tonnes per annum clinker plant in this paper, concurrent use of several IWAFs may increase clinker production, while satisfying operational constraints and maintaining compliance. The method may serve for devising IWAF preparation, or tuning mechanisms expanding IWAF valorization.
On public opinion polls and voters' turnout
Authors: Klor Esteban F. , Winter Eyal
Published: September 2017

This paper studies the effects that the revelation of information on the electorate's preferences has on voters' turnout. The experimental data show that closeness in the division of preferences induces a significant increase in turnout. Moreover, for closely divided electorates (and only for these electorates), the provision of information significantly raises the participation of subjects supporting the slightly larger team relative to the smaller team. We show that the heterogeneous effect of information on the participation of subjects in different teams is driven by the subjects' (incorrect) beliefs of casting a pivotal vote. Simply put, subjects overestimate the probability of casting a pivotal vote when they belong to the team with a slight majority, and choose the strategy that maximizes their utility based on their inflated probability assessment. Empirical evidence on gubernatorial elections in the United States between 1990 and 2005 is consistent with our main experimental result. Namely, we observe that the difference in the actual vote tally between the party leading according to the polls and the other party is larger than the one predicted by the polls only in closely divided electorates. We provide a behavioral model that explains the main findings of our experimental and empirical analyses.
Insect Bite Hypersensitivity in Horses is Associated with Airway Hyperreactivity
Authors: Lanz S. , Brunner A. , Graubner C. , Marti E. , Gerber V.
Published: September 2017

Background

Genetic and epidemiologic evidence suggests that in horses, as in other species, different manifestations of hypersensitivity may occur together.

Hypothesis

Horses affected with insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) show airway hyperreactivity (AH) to inhaled histamine, even in the absence of overt clinical signs of equine asthma (EA).

Animals

Twenty‐two healthy controls (group C), 24 horses suffering fromIBHalone (groupIBH), and 23 horses suffering fromIBHandEA(groupIBH/EA).

Methods

The clinical histories were assessed using 2 standardized questionnaires, the Horse Owner Assessed Respiratory Signs Index (HOARSI), andIBHscoring. Horses were classified asEA‐affected if theirHOARSIwas >1 and asIBH‐affected ifIBHscore was >0. Confounding disorders were excluded by clinical examination. The arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) was measured and flowmetric plethysmography used to assess airway reactivity to increasing doses of inhaled histamine.

Results

The median histamine provocation concentration (PC) when ∆flowvalues increased by 35% (PC35) was significantly higher in group C (5.94 [1.11–26.33] mg/mL) compared to groupIBH(2.95 [0.23–10.13] mg/mL) and groupIBH/EA(2.03 [0.43–10.94] mg/mL;P < 0.01). ThePC50 andPC75 showed very similar differences between groups. Furthermore, PaO2was significantly lower in groupIBH(84 ± 8 mmHg) and groupIBH/EA(78 ± 11 mmHg) compared to group C (89 ± 6 mmHg;P < 0.01).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

IBHis associated withAHand decreased PaO2, even in the absence of overt respiratory clinical signs.
Effects of Oral Prednisone Administration on Serum Cystatin C in Dogs
Authors: Muñoz J. , Soblechero P. , Duque F.J. , Macías‐García B. , Ruiz P. , Zaragoza C. , Barrera R.
Published: September 2017

Background

Oral administration of glucocorticoid alters serum cystatin C (sCysC) concentration in humans.

Objective

To determine if oral administration of prednisone alters sCysC in dogs without pre‐existing renal disease.

Animals

Forty six dogs were included: 10 dogs diagnosed with steroid responsive meningitis arteritis (SRMA; group A), 20 dogs diagnosed of pituitary‐dependent hyperadrenocorticism (PDH; group B), and 16 healthy control dogs (group C).

Methods

Retrospective observational study. SRMA diagnosed dogs were administered prednisone 4 mg/kg/24 h PO 7 days, reducing the dose to 2 mg/kg/24 h 7 days before medication withdrawal. In group A, sampling was performed at days 0, 7, 14 and a final control at day 21. Blood and urine samples were collected in the 3 groups, and in group A, sampling was performed at all time points (days 1, 7, 14, and 21).

Results

In group A, sCysC was significantly higher at day 7 compared to the control group (0.4 ± 0.04 mg/L vs. 0.18 ± 0.03 mg/L mean ± SEM respectively P < 0.01); sCysC values decreased to basal at day 14 when the dose was decreased and after 1 week of withdrawal of prednisone (0.27 ± 0.03 mg/L for group A at day 14 and 0.15 ± 0.02 mg/L at day 21; P > 0.05). Dogs with PDH included in group B did not have significant differences in sCysC (0.22 ± 0.03 mg/L) compared to control (P > 0.05).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Oral administration of prednisone unlike altered endogenous glucocorticoid production, increases sCysC in dogs in a dose‐dependent fashion.
Are diversity trends in western Scandinavia influenced by post‐glacial dispersal limitation?
Authors: Felde Vivian A. , Grytnes John‐Arvid , Bjune Anne E. , Peglar Sylvia M. , Birks H. John B.
Published: September 2017

Questions

What are the latitudinal diversity patterns in Scandinavia over the last 8 ka? Have they been consistent over time? What are the long‐term diversity trends at different sites? Is there a consistent rate‐of‐change between sites?

Location

Thirty sites in Norway, two sites in north‐west Sweden.

Methods

Pollen data from these 32 lakes. The sites lie within six of the vegetation zones of Moen (1998). The data are used to estimate pollen diversity using Hill′s effective species numbers N0, N1 and N2. Diversity relationships in time and along latitude are assessed using ANCOVA. Linear regression is used to investigate site‐independent long‐term trends. Patterns in the regression slopes are investigated between vegetation zones and along the latitudinal gradient.

Results

The latitudinal pattern of decreasing diversity with increasing latitude existed over the last 8 ka, although for the number of effectively common (N1) and abundant (N2) pollen taxa the relationship was slightly weaker between 8–6 ka. Long‐term trends show that diversity increases at most sites over time. However, the magnitude and rate‐of‐change vary between sites. Highest rate‐of‐change in N0 over time is observed in southern sites, although the spatial relationship of rate‐of‐change is not statistically significant.

Conclusions

The constant increase in diversity over time may reflect additional taxa arriving and changes in abundances. Most sites change in the same direction, but at different rates and magnitudes. There is no clear spatial pattern in rate‐of‐change, and the general patterns of increasing diversity over time are consistent with the hypothesis of post‐glacial (Holocene) dispersal limitation. Drivers of these changes have not been rigorously investigated, but our results suggest that environmental and historical processes are not mutually exclusive. During the last 2–1 ka BP diversity patterns have probably been increasingly affected by human land use.
Indirect effects of an ecosystem engineer: how the Canadian beaver can drive the reproduction of saproxylic beetles
Authors: Mourant A. , Lecomte N. , Moreau G.
Published: September 2017

Environmental rearrangements by ecosystem engineers influence food‐web characteristics by altering resource accessibility/availability in the newly created habitat. However, the paucity of empirical studies on this indirect interaction has hindered the integration of ecosystem engineering and food‐web theory. Here, we investigated the effect of the Canadian beaver Castor canadensis on the activity, realized fecundity and ecosystem functions provided by saproxylic beetles by quantifying beetle emergence holes on woody debris within the Kouchibouguac National Park, New Brunswick, Canada. We tested the hypothesis that perturbation induced by beaver activity enhances the activity and realized fecundity of saproxylic beetles by modifying their habitat and resource accessibility. We used 16 sites identified as beaver modified, each paired with a control site <500 m away. At each site, we quantified insect emergence holes on snags at increasing distances from the watercourse. Our results suggest that engineered habitat patches enhance the activity and reproduction of saproxylic beetle species, small emergence holes from Scolytinae being only observed in abundance on small trees located close to the watercourse and large emergence holes from Cerambycidae being one third more abundant throughout beaver‐modified sites. The complementary relationship between the Canadian beaver and saproxylic beetles demonstrates the potential for conservation measures encapsulating all of these organisms.
Failing to tell friend from foe: A comment on Wijn et al. (2017)
Authors: Meijer Ewout H. , Verschuere Bruno , Merckelbach Harald
Published: September 2017

Behavioural observation programmes are becoming increasingly popular at transportation hubs, sporting events, and other large crowd gatherings. Premise of these programmes is that malicious intention can be accurately deduced from observable behaviour. In a recent article published in this journal, Wijn et al. (2017, Legal and Criminological Psychology, 22, 378–399.) conclude that environmental cues improve the correct detection of participants with malicious intent. This conclusion can and will be interpreted as support for behavioural observation programmes. In this comment, we argue that Wijn and colleagues draw a fundamentally wrong conclusion from their data. What their data show is that malicious intentions could not be detected in any of the conditions. Their findings can therefore not be conceptualized as evidence for behavioural observation programmes. Rather, they add to the growing critique voiced towards such programmes.
The Italian compassionate use of sofosbuvir in HCV patients waitlisted for liver transplantation: A national real‐life experience
Authors: Martini Silvia , Donato Maria Francesca , Mazzarelli Chiara , Rendina Maria , Visco‐Comandini Ubaldo , Filì Daniela , Gianstefani Alice , Fagiuoli Stefano , Melazzini Mario , Montilla Simona , Pani Luca , Petraglia Sandra , Russo Pierluigi , Trotta Maria Paola , Carrai Paola , Caraceni Paolo ,   the ITACOPS study group
Published: September 2017

Background & Aims

This study aimed to assess the real‐life clinical and virological outcomes of HCV waitlisted patients for liver transplantation (LT) who received sofosbuvir/ribavirin (SOF/R) within the Italian compassionate use program.

Methods

Clinical and virological data were collected in 224 patients with decompensated cirrhosis and/or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) receiving daily SOF/R until LT or up a maximum of 48 weeks.

Results

Of 100 transplanted patients, 51 were HCV‐RNA negative for >4 weeks before LT (SVR12: 88%) and 49 negative for <4 weeks or still viraemic at transplant: 34 patients continued treatment after LT (bridging therapy) (SVR12: 88%), while 15 stopped treatment (SVR12: 53%). 98 patients completed SOF/R without LT (SVR12: 73%). In patients with advanced decompensated cirrhosis (basal MELD ≥15 and/or C‐P ≥B8), a marked improvement of the scores occurred in about 50% of cases and almost 20% of decompensated patients without HCC reached a condition suitable for inactivation and delisting.

Conclusions

These real‐life data indicate that in waitlisted patients: (i) bridging antiviral therapy can be an option for patients still viraemic or negative <4 weeks at LT; and (ii) clinical improvement to a condition suitable for delisting can occur even in patients with advanced decompensated cirrhosis.
Clinical evaluation of the newly formatted lateral‐flow device for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis
Authors: Hoenigl Martin , Eigl Susanne , Heldt Sven , Duettmann Wiebke , Thornton Christopher , Prattes Juergen
Published: September 2017

The study evaluated the newly formatted Aspergillus‐specific lateral‐flow‐device (LFD), and compared its performance to the original prototype “old” LFD test using BALF samples from 28 patients (14 patients with probable/proven invasive pulmonary aspergillosis [IPA] and 14 patients with no evidence for IPA). A total of 10/14 (71%) of BALF samples from patients with probable/proven IPA resulted positive with the new LFD, including 8/9 with true‐positive and 2/5 with false‐negative results with the old LFD. All 14 samples from patients without IPA resulted negative with the new LFD; specificity of the new LFD was significantly improved compared to the old LFD.
MicroRNA‐326‐3p ameliorates high glucose and ox‐LDL‐IC‐ induced fibrotic injury in renal mesangial cells by targeting FcγRIII
Authors: Wang Yiting , Zhang Rui , Zhang Junlin , Liu Fang
Published: September 2017

Aim

The aim of the present study was to identify the regulatory relationship between miR‐326‐3p and FcγRIII, and to explore the involvement of miR‐326‐3p/FcγRIII/TGF‐β/Smad signalling pathway in fibrotic injury, which was induced by the high glucose (HG) and oxidized low density lipoprotein immune complex (ox‐LDL‐IC) in mouse glomerular mesangial cells (GMCs).

Methods

Dual‐luciferase reporter system and real time PCR (RT‐PCR) were used to identify FcγRIII as a target gene of miR‐326‐3p. Lentiviral transduction was used to construct different expression of miR‐326‐3p in GMCs, which were divided into three groups: miR‐326‐3p mimics group (miR‐326‐3p group), miR‐326‐3p inhibitor group (miR‐326‐3p‐inhibit group) and scramble control group (control group). Then, each group was stimulated by normal glucose (NG), HG, ox‐LDL‐IC and HG + ox‐LDL‐IC, respectively. RT‐PCR and western blot were used to measure the expressions of Col‐I, CTGF, α‐SMA, TGF‐β, Smad2/3 and pSmad2/3.

Results

FcγRIII was regulated negatively by miR‐326‐3p in GMCs under the condition of HG and ox‐LDL‐IC, which implied FcγRIII as a target gene of miR‐326‐3p. Furthermore, compared with normal glucose group, the expressions of Col‐I, CTGF, α‐SMA, TGF‐β and pSmad2/3 were higher under the condition of HG, ox‐LDL‐IC and HG + ox‐LDL‐IC (P < 0.05). In particular, miR‐326‐3p‐inhibit groups exhibited the most significant increase (P < 0.05), while miR‐326‐3p could attenuate the increase (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

FcγRIII was identified as a target gene of miR‐326‐3p. MiR‐326‐3p/FcγRIII/TGF‐β/Smad signaling pathway was investigated to be involved in the pathophysiology of renal fibrosis of DKD.
Klossowski and His Simulacra
Authors: McGinnis Darin S.
Published: September 2017

Pierre Klossowski's (1905–2001) career in philosophy is a brief but significant intervention into the manner in which the connections between desire, identity, and meaning are thought. Although Klossowski's influence on much of what is called French “post‐structuralism” or “post‐modernism” is frequently noted, Klossowski's development of the motif of the simulacrum is rarely traced in its proper context. Through readings of the texts of the Marquis de Sade, Georges Bataille, and Friedrich Nietzsche, as well as his own ruminations on the polytheism of the ancient Roman cult of Diana, Klossowski constructs a critique not only of the identity of the self but also of the supposed unity of reason and rational signs. Klossowski's critique demonstrates how meaningful discourse is produced from the basis of incommunicable affects, which project images in consciousness that, only then, are able to take the form of iterable simulacra. Our “gregarious” discourse in language is, thus, formed only indirectly from the affects and acquires its supposed unity only as it fails to express those affects.
Coordination of Autonomous Healthcare Entities: Emergency Response to Multiple Casualty Incidents
Authors: Mills Alex F. , Helm Jonathan E. , Jola‐Sanchez Andres F. , Tatikonda Mohan V. , Courtney Bobby A.
Published: September 2017

In recent years, many urban areas have established healthcare coalitions (HCCs) composed of autonomous (and often competing) hospitals, with the goal of improving emergency preparedness and response. We study the role of such coalitions in the specific context of response to multiple‐casualty incidents in an urban setting, where on‐scene responders must determine how to send casualties to medical facilities. A key function in incident response is multi‐agency coordination. When this coordination is provided by an HCC, responders can use richer information about hospital capacities to decide where to send casualties. Using bed availability data from an urban area and a suburban area in the United States, we analyze the response capability of healthcare infrastructures under different levels of coordination, and we develop a stress test to identify areas of weakness. We find that improved coordination efforts should focus on decision support using information about inpatient resources, especially in urban areas with high inter‐hospital variability in resource availability. We also find that coordination has the largest benefit in small incidents. This benefit is a new value proposition for HCCs, which were originally formed to improve preparedness for large disasters.
Invasive plant feedbacks promote alternative states in California vernal pools
Authors: Faist Akasha M. , Beals Stower C.
Published: September 2017

Invasive species have the potential to create positive feedbacks and push an ecosystem into an alternative state through a variety of mechanisms. Unless the drivers behind these feedbacks are understood, restoring a system to a more desirable state may not be possible. We used a long‐term vernal pool restoration project based out of Travis Airforce Base, Fairfield, CA, U.S.A. to examine natural pools dominated by either invasive or native plant communities, and restored pools predominately composed of invasive plants. We determined that plant community structure is drastically altered towards invasive grasses with the addition of a single centimeter of litter. In the absence of this litter layer, community structure was driven by a non‐native forb rather than native species. We also found that native plant‐dominated vernal pools have a longer inundation duration and are deeper compared to invasive‐dominated pools, regardless of construction status. These results suggest that once invasive grasses establish through lower inundation depths, their litter deposition can initiate a positive feedback to maintain an invasive alternative state. However, even after litter removal, non‐native forbs can replace the grasses causing a second alternative state still separate from the most desirable native dominated state. This study directly demonstrates that invasive species, and their positive feedbacks, may limit the success of ecological restoration. To effectively restore a system all constraints must be identified and removed before successful restoration can occur.
Job Flows, Worker Flows and Churning in South Africa
Authors: Kerr Andrew
Published: September 2017

How large are worker flows in a country where only 43% of the working age population are in employment? Rather surprisingly, the answer is that worker flows in South Africa are relatively large. In this paper, worker and job flows are estimated using anonymised IRP5 tax certificate data from the South African Revenue Service. The data used in this paper is from the 2011–2014 tax years and contains information on more than 12 million individuals and nearly 300,000 firms. The main finding of the paper is that worker flows are substantial, around 53% per year, or 58% when employers classified as engaged in “public administration” are excluded. One interpretation of this finding, as well as the patterns of separations and hires by firm growth rates, is that the labour market is not as rigid as had previously been thought. Worker flows are declining in firm size and in median earnings in the firm, they vary substantially by industry and are very low in the public sector. There is heterogeneity in worker experiences – while flows are high on average there are many workers that have very stable employment but those workers in the bottom quintile have worker flows more than three times those in the top quintile. Heterogeneity and persistence in worker flows and churning in firms are important – some firms have high levels of churning whilst others have much lower levels. Measurement error in the data about period employed from the IRP5 tax certificates is a concern but as far as can be ascertained this does not seem to be responsible for creating higher worker and job flows.
Objectivism, Hybridism, and Meaning in Life: Reply to Evers and van Smeden
Authors: Landau Iddo
Published: September 2017

In a recent article in this journal, Daan Evers and Gerlinde Emma van Smeden () defend Wolf's hybridism against objectivist counterexamples advanced by Metz, Smuts, and Bramble. They also offer their own new hybridism, which they take to be even less vulnerable to such counterexamples. In this paper, I argue that Evers and van Smeden's defense of their and Wolf's hybridizing from objectivist counterexamples is problematic and that they do not, in fact, succeed in meeting the challenge the objectivist counterexamples pose. Evers and van Smeden do not read the counterexamples charitably and, hence, are not coping with the strongest challenges the counterexamples have to offer. I conclude that Metz's, Smuts's and Bramble's objectivist counterexamples continue to pose serious challenges to hybridism, both in Wolf's and in Evers and van Smeden's versions.
Risk factors for football injuries in young players aged 7 to 12 years
Authors: Rössler R. , Junge A. , Chomiak J. , Němec K. , Dvorak J. , Lichtenstein E. , Faude O.
Published: September 2017

Football (soccer) is very popular among children. Little is known about risk factors for football injuries in children. The aim was to analyze potential injury risk factors in 7‐ to 12‐year‐old players. We collected prospective data in Switzerland and the Czech Republic over two seasons. Coaches reported exposure of players (in hours), absence, and injury data via an Internet‐based registration system. We analyzed time‐to‐injury data with extended Cox models accounting for correlations on team‐ and intra‐person levels. We analyzed injury risk in relation to age, sex, playing position, preferred foot, and regarding age‐independent body height, body mass, and BMI. Further, we analyzed injury risk in relation to playing surface. In total, 6038 player seasons with 395 295 hours of football exposure were recorded and 417 injuries occurred. Injury risk increased by 46% (Hazard Ratio 1.46 [1.35; 1.58]; P < .001) per year of life. Left‐footed players had a higher injury risk (Hazard Ratio 1.53 [1.07; 2.19]; P = .02) for training injuries compared to right‐footed players. Injury risk was increased in age‐adjusted taller players (higher percentile rank). Higher match‐training ratios were associated with a lower risk of match injuries. Injury risk was increased on artificial turf (Rate Ratio 1.39 [1.12; 1.73]; P < .001) and lower during indoor sessions (Rate Ratio 0.68 [0.52; 0.88]; P < .001) compared to natural grass. Age is known as a risk factor in older players and was confirmed to be a risk factor in children's football. Playing surface and leg dominance have also been discussed previously as risk factors. Differences in injury risks in relation to sex should be investigated in the future.
Benefit ‘Myths’? The Accuracy and Inaccuracy of Public Beliefs about the Benefits System
Authors: Geiger Ben Baumberg
Published: September 2017

There is a widespread assumption by academics and commentators that negative public attitudes to the benefits system are due to ‘myths’ held by the British public. However, there is little research on whether the public believe these ‘myths’, nor critical scrutiny of benefit ‘truths’. This article therefore investigates what British people believe about the benefits system, and the extent to which these beliefs can be regarded as correct. To do this, we use 46 measures from 18 datasets (including British Social Attitudes, the European Social Survey, Eurobarometer, and surveys by YouGov and Ipsos MORI made available for academic study for the first time), and compare these perceptions to true figures obtained from a variety of sources. We find that – against expectations – there are some areas where the public are (on average) relatively accurate (e.g. the share of the population who currently claim out‐of‐work benefits). Yet overall, our evidence shows that the British public have low levels of understanding of the benefits system, primarily in ways that seem likely to undermine public support. People wildly overestimate unemployment benefits compared to pensions, the value of unemployment benefits, and misperceive trends in claims. While it is difficult to know the true level of benefit fraud exactly, the public overestimate fraud compared to any reasonable figure. We conclude by discussing the implications for both understanding and changing attitudes towards benefits.
Zika virus RNA detection in asymptomatic blood donors during an outbreak in the northeast region of São Paulo State, Brazil, 2016
Authors: Slavov Svetoslav N. , Hespanhol Marta R. , Rodrigues Evandra S. , Levi José E. , Ubiali Eugênia M.A. , Covas Dimas T. , Kashima Simone
Published: September 2017

BACKGROUND

In 2015, there was a large Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak in Brazil. The proportion of asymptomatic infections is very high, and it is possible for transfusion‐transmitted ZIKV (TT‐ZIKV) infection to occur. The prevalence of asymptomatic ZIKV infection among Brazilian blood donors during this epidemic outbreak is unknown.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Plasma samples obtained between October 2015 and May 2016 from 1393 volunteer blood donors were tested for ZIKV RNA. The viral load was quantified using an in‐house standard curve. Additionally, positive ZIKV RNA samples were tested for anti‐ZIKV immunoglobulin (Ig)M and anti‐ZIKV IgG.

RESULTS

Of the 1393 blood samples, ZIKV RNA was detected in 37 (n = 37/1393; 2.7%). The median infection viral load detected was 7714 copies/mL (ranging from 135‐124,220 copies/mL). The majority of the positive samples (70.3%) exhibited a viral load of approximately 103 copies/mL. Six samples that were positive for ZIKV RNA were also positive for anti‐ZIKV IgM and IgG (n = 6/37; 13.5%).

CONCLUSION

This is the first study evaluating the prevalence of ZIKV RNA among Brazilian blood donors, which was relatively high and might lead to TT‐ZIKV infection. It is unclear whether the simultaneous presence of anti‐ZIKV IgM and IgG in RNA‐positive donations or the viral load influences transfusion transmission of the infection. This study also adds to the global understanding of ZIKV prevalence in blood donors during outbreaks and the transfusion impact of the infection.
Reliability and measurement error of digital planimetry for the measurement of chronic venous leg ulcers
Authors: Stacey Michael C. , Phillips Steven A. , Farrokhyar Forough , Swaine Jillian M.
Published: September 2017

Area measurements of a chronic wound are the gold standard outcome measure to determine if a wound is on a healing or nonhealing trajectory. The use of digital planimetry can provide increased accuracy in measuring wound area however it is important to know the reliability and measurement error of these devices when used by multiple assessors. The aim of this study is to determine the within rater, between rater, and standard error of measurement of a digital planimetry device. Wound area in 42 patients was measured weekly for 12 weeks by two different raters, with each rater measuring the wound 10 times per visit. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC 1,k) and standard error of measurement were calculated for both within and between raters using 10 and the first three repeated measures to determine if using less measurements was as reliable. The true change in wound area was calculated by dividing stander error of measurements by mean wound areas. Within rater reliability for raters 1 and 2 were 0.995 and 0.992 for 10 measurements, and 0.996 and 0.992 for 3 measurements per time point. Between rater reliability was 0.979 for 10 measurements and 0.996 for 3 measurements per time point. The within rater standard error of measurement for raters 1 and 2 was 0.98 cm2 and 1.28 cm2 for 10 measurements and 0.895 cm2 and 1.29 cm2 for 3 measurements at each time point. The standard error of measurement for between raters was 2.07 cm2 for 10 measurements and 2.25 cm2 for 3 measurements per time point. The true change in wound size varied from 6.4% for within one rater to 15.7% for across different raters. This study found that both within and between rater reliability of the digital planimetry device was very high for three measurements per time point.
New Analysis of Capital Flight from Saudi Arabia: The Relation with Long-Term Economic Performance
Authors: Almounsor Abdullah Hussein
Published: September 2017

This research provides new estimates of illicit capital flight from Saudi Arabia using the Residual methodology and accounts for the social opportunity cost of those unregulated funds in terms of forgone economic growth by utilizing the Incremental Capital-Output Ratio (ICOR) approach. The empirical findings reveal that over the period 1971-2015, capital flight from Saudi Arabia reached over 212 billion of 2010 USD, causing an annual average of 3.57 percent of wasted potential additional economic growth for the same period. When considering the median instead, an incremental 1.72 percent would have been added annually to the aggregate output growth in Saudi Arabia had capital flight not taken place with the observed pattern during the analysis period. The research concludes with important suggestions for extending this work and crucial remarks for policymakers to tackle unregulated cross-border capital flows and minimize the related consequences. Critical policy measures include coordination with trading partners and key investment destination for Saudi capital flows, as well as strengthening of the regulatory framework for cross-border financial transactions based on best international practices.
Leaving Office: The U.S. Senator’s Representation, Ideological Adoption, and Strategic Retirement
Authors: Choi Jangsup
Published: September 2017

This study focuses on the incumbent senator’s ideological congruence causing strategic retirement in the United States. The extent of ideological congruence between a senator and her constituency can be interpreted as the degree of electoral vulnerability. Senators out of steps with constituents are more likely than those toeing the line with constituents’ preferences to choose voluntary retirement over being risk losing the general election. This study finds that senators with legislative records of relatively ideological incongruence to her state ideology will be more likely to decide to retire strategically.
8th Grade Student’s Skill of Connecting Mathematics to Real Life
Authors: Altay Mesture Kayhan , Yalvaç Betül , Yeltekin Emel
Published: September 2017

The purpose of this study is to examine 8th grade students’ skills of connecting mathematics to real life. This study uses survey design since it aims to determine existing situations regarding to students’ skills of connecting mathematics to real life. The study sample consists of 176 students in total, who are studying at a state school in the Etimesgut district of Ankara in the second semester of 2016-2017 academic year. “Connecting mathematics to real life scale” which is developed by the researchers, used as the data collection tool of this study. In this scale, students are provided with real life situations and then asked to connect these situations with mathematical concepts. During the data analysis, the responses of students examined in detail and subsequently general categories (levels) which identify students’ mathematical connection skill, were created and consequently four levels of connecting (Level 1, 2, 3 and 4) were defined. Study findings are showed that, participating 8th grade students’ skill of connecting mathematics to real life is not in sufficient level. It is observed that, most of the students can only connect mathematics in real life with numbers and shapes.
Exercise training dose differentially alters muscle and heart capillary density and metabolic functions in an obese rat with metabolic syndrome
Authors: Machado Marcus Vinicius , Vieira Aline Bomfim , da Conceição Fabiana Gomes , Nascimento Alessandro Rodrigues , da Nóbrega Antonio Claudio Lucas , Tibirica Eduardo
Published: September 2017

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

Regular exercise is recommended as a non‐pharmacological approach for the prevention and treatment of metabolic syndrome. However, the impact of different combinations of intensity, duration and frequency of exercise on metabolic syndrome and microvascular density has not been reported.

What is the main finding and its importance?

We provide evidence on the impact of aerobic exercise dose on metabolic and microvascular alterations in an experimental model of metabolic syndrome induced by high‐fat diet. We found that the exercise frequency and duration were the main factors affecting anthropometric and metabolic parameters and microvascular density in the skeletal muscle. Exercise intensity was related only to microvascular density in the heart.

We evaluated the effect of the frequency, duration and intensity of exercise training on metabolic parameters and structural capillary density in obese rats with metabolic syndrome. Wistar–Kyoto rats were fed either a standard commercial diet (CON) or a high‐fat diet (HFD). Animals that received the HFD were randomly separated into either a sedentary (SED) group or eight different exercise groups that varied according to the frequency, duration and intensity of training. After 12 weeks of aerobic exercise training, the body composition, aerobic capacity, haemodynamic variables, metabolic parameters and capillary density in the heart and skeletal muscle were evaluated. All the exercise training groups showed reduced resting systolic blood pressure and heart rate and normalized fasting glucose. The minimal amount of exercise (90 min per week) produced little effect on metabolic syndrome parameters. A moderate amount of exercise (150 min per week) was required to reduce body weight and improve capillary density. However, only the high amount of exercise (300 min per week) significantly reduced the amount of body fat depots. The three‐way ANOVA showed a main effect of exercise frequency and duration for the improvement of metabolic syndrome and capillary density in skeletal muscle. Exercise intensity was a main factor in reversing microvascular rarefaction in the heart.
Thiol-ene click microcontact printing of gold nanoparticles onto silicon surfaces
Authors: Platnich Casey M. , Banerjee Abhinandan , Ozhukil Kollath Vinayaraj , Karan Kunal , Trudel Simon
Published: September 2017

We report a novel process to selectively pattern nanomaterials, specifically gold nanoparticles, onto a silicon surface through “click” chemistry, to consistently and efficiently join together small units through a quick and simple reaction. We employed the UV-initiated thiol-ene reaction, which is used in tandem with microcontact printing. Dithiol-capped nanoparticles were used as a printing ink and were grafted onto ene-terminated Si(100) wafers by pressing a nanoparticle-impregnated poly(dimethylsiloxane) stamp, while irradiating with ultraviolet light to activate a radical initiator. The resulting structures were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy.
Copula parameter estimation using Bayesian inference for pipe data analysis
Authors: Atique Farzana , Attoh-Okine Nii
Published: September 2017

Water main systems are aging and becoming a growing concern for maintenance. The structural deterioration of water mains is affected by different factors, such as pipe age, pipe material, soil condition, and pipe size, among others. Various methods of modeling have been used to predict the failure of water mains. Since pipe networks are underground and obtaining data on pipe conditions is very costly, statistical modeling has been widely used for pipe condition assessment. An emerging statistical method known as copula modeling is used here for pipe data analysis. The copula method is very useful in cases where marginals belong to different families of distributions. It is also useful for generating a large number of data points when it is difficult to obtain a data set, as is the case for pipe condition assessment, and where data sets have random variables belonging to non-Gaussian family distributions. Different copula families are applied here to model the dependency between the pipe age and repair age of pipes. The paper uses a Bayesian framework to estimate the parameter values in the copula model. This approach offers an additional option for estimating copula parameters for pipe data.
A case study of combined winter road snow plowing and de-icer spreading
Authors: Quirion-Blais Olivier , Langevin André , Trépanier Martin
Published: September 2017

In this article, we address a winter maintenance problem where the streets need to be plowed and gritted in a sequence that depends on the class of the road. The maintenance fleet includes vehicles equipped for plowing, some for spreading, and some for both at once. The objective is to complete the operations as rapidly as possible while considering street hierarchy, turn restrictions, heterogeneous speeds, and street–vehicle compatibility. An adaptive large neighborhood search framework is developed to solve the problem. Analysis of the results obtained can provide both a good basis for vehicle routing and help managers plan long-term policies and investments.
MexXY efflux pump overexpression and aminoglycoside resistance in cystic fibrosis isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from chronic infections
Authors: Singh Manu , Yau Yvonne C.W. , Wang Shirley , Waters Valerie , Kumar Ayush
Published: September 2017

In this study, we analyzed 15 multidrug-resistant cystic fibrosis isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from chronic lung infections for expression of 4 different multidrug efflux systems (MexAB–OprM, MexCD–OprJ, MexEF–OprN, and MexXY), using quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR. Overexpression of MexXY pump was observed in all of the isolates tested. Analysis of regulatory genes that control the expression of these 4 efflux pumps revealed a number of previously uncharacterized mutations. Our work shows that MexXY pump overexpression is common in cystic fibrosis isolates and could be contributing to their reduced aminoglycoside susceptibility. Further, we also identified novel mutations in the regulatory genes of the 4 abovementioned Resistance–Nodulation–Division superfamily pumps that may be involved in the overexpression of these pumps.
Plasmonics simulations including nonlocal effects using a boundary element method approach
Authors: Trügler Andreas , Hohenester Ulrich , García de Abajo F. Javier
Published: September 2017

Spatial nonlocality in the photonic response of metallic nanoparticles is actually known to produce near-field quenching and significant plasmon frequency shifts relative to local descriptions. As the control over size and morphology of fabricated nanostructures is truly reaching the nanometer scale, understanding and accounting for nonlocal phenomena is becoming increasingly important. Recent advances clearly point out the need to go beyond the local theory. We here present a general formalism for incorporating spatial dispersion effects through the hydrodynamic model and generalizations for arbitrary surface morphologies. Our method relies on the boundary element method, which we supplement with a nonlocal interaction potential. We provide numerical examples in excellent agreement with the literature for individual and paired gold nanospheres, and critically examine the accuracy of our approach. The present method involves marginal extra computational cost relative to local descriptions and facilitates the simulation of spatial dispersion effects in the photonic response of complex nanoplasmonic structures.
Cross Entropy Method Meets Local Search for Continuous Optimization Problems
Authors: Zhang Xin , Zhang Xiu
Published: September 2017

The effectiveness of cross entropy (CE) method has been investigated on both combinatorial and continuous optimization problems, though it lacks exploitative search to refine solutions. Hybrid with local search (LS) method can greatly improve the performance of evolutionary algorithm. This paper proposes a parameter-less framework combining CE with LS method. Four LS methods are chosen and four combination algorithms are obtained after combining them with the CE method. We first study the performance of the four combinations on a set of twenty eight mathematical functions including both unimodal and multimodal functions. CE hybrid with Powell’s method (CE-Pow) is identified as the most effective algorithm. Then the CE-Pow algorithm is applied to resolve proportional, integral, and derivative (PID) controller design problem and Lennard-Jones potential problem. Its performance has been verified by comparing with four state of the art evolutionary algorithms. Experimental results show that CE-Pow significantly outperforms other benchmark algorithms.
A New Approach to Noncooperative Games Under Uncertainty
Authors: Zhukovskiy Vladislav Iosifovich , Makarkina Tatiana Vladimirovna , Vysokos Maria Ivanovna
Published: September 2017

The novelty of the approach presented in this paper is that each player of a conflict seeks not only to increase his payoff, but also to reduce his risk, taking into account a possible realization of any uncertainty from a given admissible set. A new concept, the so-called strongly guaranteed Nash equilibrium in payoffs and risks, is introduced and its existence in mixed strategies is proved under standard constraints for noncooperative games, i.e., compact sets of players’ strategies and continuous payoff functions.
Covariant statistical mechanics of non-Hamiltonian systems
Authors: Hosseinzadeh Vahid , Nozari Kourosh
Published: September 2017

In this paper, using the elegant language of differential forms, we provide a covariant formulation of the equilibrium statistical mechanics of non-Hamiltonian systems. The key idea of the paper is to focus on the structure of phase space and its kinematical and dynamical roles. While in the case of Hamiltonian systems, the structure of the phase space is a symplectic structure (a nondegenerate closed two-form), we consider an almost symplectic structure for the more general case of non-Hamiltonian systems. An almost symplectic structure is a nondegenerate but not necessarily closed two-form structure. Consequently, the dynamics becomes non-Hamiltonian and based on the fact that the structure is nondegenerate, we can also define a volume element. With a well-defined volume in hand, we derive the Liouville equation and find an invariant statistical state. Recasting non-Hamiltonian systems in terms of the almost symplectic geometry has at least two advantages: the formalism is covariant and therefore does not depend on coordinates and there is no confusion in the determination of the natural volume element of the system. For clarification, we investigate the application of the formalism in two examples in which the underlying geometry of the phase space is locally conformal symplectic geometry.
Bistability theorem in a cancer model
Authors: Larsen Jens Christian
Published: September 2017

In this paper, I continue the study of the mathematical models presented in [J. C. Larsen, Models of cancer growth, J. Appl. Math. Comput. 53(1–2) (2015) 613–645] and [J. C. Larsen, The bistability theorem in a model of metastatic cancer, to appear in Appl. Math.]. I shall prove the bistability theorem for the ODE model from [Larsen, 2015]. It is a mass action kinetic system in the variables [Formula: see text] cancer, GF growth factor and GI growth inhibitor. This theorem says that for some values of the parameters, there exist two positive singular points [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] of the vector field. Here [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] is stable and [Formula: see text] is unstable, see Sec. 2. There is also a discrete model in [Larsen, 2015], it is a linear map ([Formula: see text]) on three-dimensional Euclidean vector space with variables [Formula: see text] where these variables have the same meaning as in the ODE model above. In [Larsen, 2015], I showed that one can sometimes find affine vector fields on three-dimensional Euclidean vector space whose time one map is [Formula: see text]. I shall also show this in the present paper in a more general setting than in [Larsen, 2015]. This enables me to find an expression for the rate of change of cancer growth on the coordinate hyperplane [Formula: see text] in Euclidean vector space. I also present an ODE model of cancer metastasis with variables [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] is primary cancer and [Formula: see text] is metastatic cancer and GF, GI are growth factors and growth inhibitors, respectively.