bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role of Macrophages in the Repair Process during the Tissue Migrating and Resident Helminth Infections
Authors: Faz-López Berenice , Morales-Montor Jorge , Terrazas Luis I.
Published: August 2016

The Th1/Th2/Th17 balance is a fundamental feature in the regulation of the inflammatory microenvironment during helminth infections, and an imbalance in this paradigm greatly contributes to inflammatory disorders. In some cases of helminthiasis, an initial Th1 response could occur during the early phases of infection (acute), followed by a Th2 response that prevails in chronic infections. During the late phase of infection, alternatively activated macrophages (AAMs) are important to counteract the inflammation caused by the Th1/Th17 response and larval migration, limiting damage and repairing the tissue affected. Macrophages are the archetype of phagocytic cells, with the primary role of pathogen destruction and antigen presentation. Nevertheless, other subtypes of macrophages have been described with important roles in tissue repair and immune regulation. These types of macrophages challenge the classical view of macrophages activated by an inflammatory response. The role of these subtypes of macrophages during helminthiasis is a controversial topic in immunoparasitology. Here, we analyze some of the studies regarding the role of AAMs in tissue repair during the tissue migration of helminths.
Differentiation and Molecular Properties of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived from Murine Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Derived on Gelatin or Collagen
Authors: Obara Chizuka , Takizawa Kazuya , Tomiyama Kenichi , Hazawa Masaharu , Saotome-Nakamura Ai , Gotoh Takaya , Yasuda Takeshi , Tajima Katsushi
Published: August 2016

The generation of induced‐pluripotential stem cells‐ (iPSCs‐) derived mesenchymal stem cells (iMSCs) is an attractive and promising approach for preparing large, uniform batches of applicable MSCs that can serve as an alternative cell source of primary MSCs. Appropriate culture surfaces may influence their growth and differentiation potentials during iMSC derivation. The present study compared molecular properties and differentiation potential of derived mouse iPS‐MSCs by deriving on gelatin or collagen‐coated surfaces. The cells were derived by a one‐step method and expressed CD73 and CD90, but CD105 was downregulated in iMSCs cultured only on gelatin‐coated plates with increasing numbers of passages. A pairwise scatter analysis revealed similar expression of MSC‐specific genes in iMSCs derived on gelatin and on collagen surfaces as well as in primary mouse bone marrow MSCs. Deriving iMSCs on gelatin and collagen dictated their osteogenic and adipose differentiation potentials, respectively. Derived iMSCs on gelatin upregulated Bmp2 and Lif prior to induction of osteogenic or adipose differentiation, while PPARγ was upregulated by deriving on collagen. Our results suggest that extracellular matrix components such as gelatin biases generated iMSC differentiation potential towards adipose or bone tissue in their derivation process via up‐ or downregulation of these master genes.
Separate DOD and DOA Estimation for Bistatic MIMO Radar
Authors: Li Lin , Chen Fangfang , Dai Jisheng
Published: August 2016

A novel MUSIC-type algorithm is derived in this paper for the direction of departure (DOD) and direction of arrival (DOA) estimation in a bistatic MIMO radar. Through rearranging the received signal matrix, we illustrate that the DOD and the DOA can be separately estimated. Compared with conventional MUSIC-type algorithms, the proposed separate MUSIC algorithm can avoid the interference between DOD and DOA estimations effectively. Therefore, it is expected to give a better angle estimation performance and have a much lower computational complexity. Meanwhile, we demonstrate that our method is also effective for coherent targets in MIMO radar. Simulation results verify the efficiency of the proposed method, particularly when the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is low and/or the number of snapshots is small.
Effects of Chronic Stress on Cognition in Male SAMP8 Mice
Authors: Wang Jinhua , Yuan Jie , Pang Jingjuan , Ma Jiang , Han Bing , Geng Yuan , Shen Li , Wang Hualong , Ma Qinying , Wang Yanyong , Wang Mingwei
Published: August 2016

Background/Aims: Chronic stress can lead to cognitive impairment. Senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) is a naturally occurring animal model that is useful for investigating the neurological mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease. Here we investigated the impact and mechanisms of chronic stress on cognition in male SAMP8 mice. Methods: Male 6-month- old SAMP8 and SAMR1 (senescence-accelerated mouse resistant 1) mice strains were randomly divided into 4 groups. Mice in the unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) groups were exposed to diverse stressors for 4 weeks. Then, these mice performed Morris water maze (MWM) test to assess the effect of UCMS on learning and memory. To explore the neurological mechanisms of UCMS on cognition in mice, we evaluated changes in the expression of postsynaptic density 95 (PSD95) and synaptophysin (SYN), which are essential proteins for synaptic plasticity. Five mice from each group were randomly chosen for reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blotting analysis of SYN and PSD95. Results: The Morris water maze experiment revealed that the cognitive ability of the SAMP8 mice decreased with brain aging, and that chronic stress aggravated this cognitive deficit. In addition, chronic stress decreased the mRNA and protein expression of SYN and PSD95 in the hippocampus of the SAMP8 mice; however, the SAMR1 mice were unaffected. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that decreased cognition and synaptic plasticity are related to aging. Moreover, we show that chronic stress aggravated this cognitive deficit and decreased SYN and PSD95 expression in the SAMP8 mice. Furthermore, the SAMP8 mice were more vulnerable to the detrimental effects of chronic stress on cognition than the SAMR1 mice. Our results suggest that the neurological mechanisms of chronic stress on cognition might be associated with a decrease in hippocampal SYN and PSD95 expression, which is critical for structural synaptic plasticity.
MiR-139-5p is Increased in the Peripheral Blood of Patients with Prostate Cancer
Authors: Pang Cheng , Liu Ming , Fang Weiwei , Guo Jun , Zhang Zhipeng , Wu Pengjie , Zhang Yaoguang , Wang Jianye
Published: August 2016

Background: Emerging evidence suggested that microRNAs (miRNAs) play a causal role in cancer tumorigenesis. Aberrant expression of miRNA (miR)-139-5p has been observed in various types of cancers. The present study evaluated the relationship between miR-139-5p expression levels and prostate cancer (PCa), to assess the feasibility of using peripheral blood miR-139-5p as a potential non-invasive biomarker for PCa. Methods: Total RNA was extracted from peripheral whole blood samples from 45 PCa patients, 45 benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients and 50 healthy controls (HC). The expression of miR-139-5p was assessed by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results: MiR-139-5p in peripheral blood was significantly higher in PCa patients than in patients with BPH and HC individuals (P<0.001). Higher miR-139-5p expression was observed to be associated with certain clinicopathological parameters, including PSA>20ng/ml (P<0.05), pathological tumor stage 3/4 (P<0.05) and Gleason score >7 (P<0.01). A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed that miR-139-5p distinguished PCa patients from BPH patients [area under the curve (AUC), 0.936; 95% CI, 0.878-0.993; P<0.001]. Conclusions: Peripheral blood miR-139-5p may be utilized as a potential novel non-invasive biomarker for PCa screening.
Role of Technology for the Management of AKI in Critically Ill Patients: From Adoptive Technology to Precision Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy
Authors: Cerdá J. , Baldwin I. , Honore P.M. , Villa G. , Kellum John A. , Ronco Claudio ,   on behalf of the ADQI Consensus Group
Published: August 2016

This paper reports on the continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) technology group recommendations and research proposals developed during the 17th Acute Dialysis Quality Initiative Meeting in Asiago, Italy. The group was tasked to address questions related to the impact of technology on acute kidney injury management. We discuss technological aspects of the decision to initiate CRRT and the components of the treatment prescription and delivery, the integration of information technology (IT) on overall patient management, the incorporation of CRRT into other ‘non-renal' extracorporeal technologies such as ECMO and ECCO2R and the use of sorbents in sepsis and propose new areas for future research. Instead of reviewing current knowledge, the group focused on developing a renovated research agenda that reflects current and future technological advances, centered on innovations in new equipment, membranes and IT that will permit the integration of patient care and decision-making processes for years to come.
Polyphosphate delays fibrin polymerisation and alters the mechanical properties of the fibrin network
Authors: Whyte Claire S. , Chernysh Irina N. , Domingues Marco M. , Connell Simon , Weisel John W. , Ariens Robert A. S. , Mutch Nicola J.
Published: August 2016

Polyphosphate (polyP) binds to fibrin(ogen) and alters fibrin structure, generating a heterogeneous network composed of ‘knots’ interspersed by large pores. Here we show platelet-derived polyP elicits similar structural changes in fibrin and examine the mechanism by which polyP alters fibrin structure. Polymerisation of fibrinogen with thrombin and CaCl2 was studied using spinning disk confocal (SDC) microscopy. PolyP delayed fibrin polymerisation generating shorter protofibrils emanating from a nucleus-type structure. Consistent with this, cascade blue-polyP accumulated in fibrin ‘knots’. Protofibril formation was visualized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) ± polyP. In the presence of polyP abundant monomers of longer length were visualised by AFM, suggesting that polyP binds to monomeric fibrin. Shorter oligomers form in the presence of polyP, consistent with the stunted protofibrils visualised by SDC microscopy. We examined whether these structural changes induced by polyP alter fibrin’s viscoelastic properties by rheometry. PolyP reduced the stiffness (G’) and ability of the fibrin network to deform plastically G”, but to different extents. Consequently, the relative plastic component (loss tangent (G”/G’)) was 61 % higher implying that networks containing polyP are less stiff and more plastic. Local rheological measurements, performed using magnetic tweezers, indicate that the fibrin dense knots are stiffer and more plastic, reflecting the heterogeneity of the network. Our data show that polyP impedes fibrin polymerisation, stunting protofibril growth producing ‘knotted’ regions, which are rich in fibrin and polyP. Consequently, the mechanical properties of the fibrin network are altered resulting in clots with overall reduced stiffness and increased ability to deform plastically.

Supplementary Material to this article is available online at www.thrombosis-online.com.
Late‐Onset Asthma Predicts Cardiovascular Disease Events: The Wisconsin Sleep Cohort
Authors: Tattersall Matthew C. , Barnet Jodi H. , Korcarz Claudia E. , Hagen Erika W. , Peppard Paul E. , Stein James H.
Published: August 2016

Background

Asthma is a heterogeneous syndrome with different clinical subtypes that is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). We hypothesized that the late‐onset subtype of asthma is associated with a higher risk of incident CVD.

Methods and Results

Participants from the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort free of CVD at baseline were followed for a mean (SD) of 13.9 (5.9) years for development of CVD (myocardial infarction, angina, stroke, coronary revascularization, heart failure, or CVD death). Late‐onset asthma was defined as physician‐diagnosed asthma at age ≥18 years. Multivariable Cox regression models adjusted for age, sex, and CVD risk factors were used to assess associations of late‐onset asthma and incident CVD. The 1269 participants were 47.3 (8.0) years old; 166 participants had asthma (111 late‐onset, 55 early‐onset). Participants with late‐onset asthma compared to nonasthmatics were more likely to be female (67% versus 44%) and to have a higher body‐mass index (32.2 versus 29.4 kg/m
2
) (
P
<0.05). Mean age of asthma diagnosis in the late‐onset group was 39.5 (9.6) years versus 8.9 (5.7) years in the early‐onset group (
P
<0.0001). Late‐onset asthmatics had a higher adjusted risk of incident CVD than nonasthmatics (hazard ratio 1.57, 95% CI 1.01–2.45,
P
=0.045). There was no interaction between body‐mass index and age of asthma diagnosis on incident CVD (
P
=0.83).

Conclusions

In a large cohort study of adults followed prospectively for over a decade, late‐onset asthmatics had an increased risk of incident CVD events that persisted after adjustment for age, sex, and CVD risk factors.
“I liked the town no better at our second interview”: A New Emerson Letter from Charleston in 1827
Authors: Myerson Joel , Weisenburg Michael C.
Published: August 2016

The article prints a previously unpublished four-page letter that Emerson wrote in 1827, which details his impressions of Charleston, especially its religious and cultural institutions, during his visits there. The authors have mined Charleston newspapers and unpublished Emerson family correspondence to contextualize the letter as it sheds new light on Emerson's earliest southern sojourn.
Empirical Study of Insider Witnesses’ Assessments at the International Criminal Court
Authors: Chlevickaite Gabriele , Hola Barbora
Published: August 2016

Insider witnesses play an indispensable role in many international criminal cases. Despite often being essential for linkage evidence, the use of insider witnesses comes with a set of special concerns regarding their credibility, in turn casting doubt on the reliability of their evidence. This explorative empirical study aims to fill the gap in the scholarship and presents an analysis of credibility and reliability assessments of insider witnesses at the International Criminal Court (icc). It critically evaluates the use of such testimony to see if, how, and which factors relating to credibility and reliability affect the probative value of the evidence provided. The findings indicate that the icc judges put a lot of emphasis on factors such as consistency or detail of testimonies, while factors such as potential bias or questionable motivation of the witness surprisingly do not figure as prominently in ascribing probative value to evidence.
To Bury a Situation Alive – A Critical Reading of the icc Prosecutor’s Statement on the isis Situation
Authors: Zakerhossein Mohammad Hadi
Published: August 2016

isis has committed unfathomable atrocities in Syria and Iraq. The icc has been called to take action in order to deal with the impunity protecting isis criminals. Nonetheless, the Prosecutor is not inclined to exercise the Court’s jurisdiction over isis. In 2015, the Prosecutor issued a clarifying statement on the situation of isis in Iraq and Syria. She stated that although the crimes committed by isis fell within the jurisdiction of the Court, it lacked a jurisdictional basis to open the preliminary examination. Nevertheless, it seems that there are some contradictory signs with the Prosecutor’s decision in the law, policy and practice of the Court. The present article is a critical reading of the Prosecutor’s decision. The first part describes the content of the Prosecutor’s statement. The second part criticizes the statement from procedural, substantive and purposive aspects. Finally, it introduces a legal way for reviewing the Prosecutor’s decision.
Review of amphipods of the Melita group (Amphipoda: Melitidae) from the coastal waters of Sakhalin Island (Far East of Russia). III. Genera Abludomelita Karaman, 1981 and Melita Leach, 1814
Authors: LABAY VJACHESLAV S.
Published: August 2016

The taxonomic analysis of Melita group is performed. The revision of the genus Melita Leach, 1814 was held on the basis of analysis of morphological characters. Cladistic analysis of morphological relationships within genera Abludomelita and Melita is performed. Status of the genus Paraniphargus Tattersall, 1925 restored. New genera Barnardomelita gen. nov. and Ledoyeromelita gen. nov. are described and removed from the composition of the genus Melita. A review of Melita group (fam. Melitidae) from the shelf of Sakhalin Island based on all literature and own data is provided. Based on new material, two new species of the genus Abludomelita Karaman, 1981 are described: A. klitinii sp. nov. and A. okhotensis sp. nov. from the shelf of Sakhalin Island. Megamoera aequidentatum Labay, 2013 is transferred to the genus Abludomelita as A. rotundactyla (Ren, 2012) on the basis of additional morphological description of male. The new subspecies Melita shimizui sakhalinensis ssp. nov. is described from estuaries of Sakhalin Island. The keys to the world species of genera Abludomelita and Melita are provided.
Diversity of Scydmaeninae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) in Upper Eocene Rovno amber
Authors: JAŁOSZYŃSKI PAWEŁ , PERKOVSKY EVGENY
Published: August 2016

Among nearly 1270 inclusions of Coleoptera found in Upper Eocene Rovno amber, 69 were identified as ant-like stone beetles (Scydmaeninae); 34 were possible to unambiguously determine to the tribal level and were studied in detail. Rovnoleptochromus ableptonoides gen. & sp. n. (Mastigitae: Clidicini), Vertheia quadrisetosa gen. & sp. n. (Cephenniitae: Eutheiini), Cephennomicrus giganteus sp. n. (Cephenniitae: Cephenniini), Glaesoconnus unicus gen. & sp. n. (Scydmaenitae: Glandulariini), Rovnoscydmus frontalis gen. & sp. n. (Scydmaenitae: Glandulariini; type species of Rovnoscydmus), Rovnoscydmus microscopicus sp. n., Euconnus (incertae sedis, near Cladoconnus) palaeogenus sp. n. (Scydmaenitae: Glandulariini), and Stenichnus (s. str.) proavus sp. n. (Scydmaenitae: Glandulariini) are described. Additionally, specimens representing one undescribed species of Vertheia, one of Cephennodes, five of Cephennomicrus, one of Euconnus, one of Microscydmus are recorded, and nine specimens representing an unknown number of species of Rovnoscydmus (and two putative Rovnoscydmus), one Euconnus (and one putative Euconnus), two putative Microscydmus and one putative Scydmoraphes were found in the studied material. The composition of Scydmaeninae fauna in Rovno amber is discussed in the context of ecological preferences and distribution of extant taxa. It is concluded that subtropical and tropical taxa were present in the region where Rovno amber has formed, most notably the second genus and species of the extant tribe Clidicini known from the Eocene of Europe, and six species of the extant genus Cephennomicrus, for the first time found in the fossil record. An annotated catalog of nominal species of Scydmaeninae known in the fossil record is given.
Numerical Weather Forecasts at Kilometer Scale in the French Alps: Evaluation and Application for Snowpack Modeling
Authors: Vionnet Vincent , Dombrowski-Etchevers Ingrid , Lafaysse Matthieu , Quéno Louis , Seity Yann , Bazile Eric
Published: August 2016

Numerical weather prediction (NWP) systems operating at kilometer scale in mountainous terrain offer appealing prospects for forecasting the state of snowpack in support of avalanche hazard warning, water resources assessment, and flood forecasting. In this study, daily forecasts of the NWP system Applications of Research to Operations at Mesoscale (AROME) at 2.5-km grid spacing over the French Alps were considered for four consecutive winters (from 2010/11 to 2013/14). AROME forecasts were first evaluated against ground-based measurements of air temperature, humidity, wind speed, incoming radiation, and precipitation. This evaluation shows a cold bias at high altitude partially related to an underestimation of cloud cover influencing incoming radiative fluxes. AROME seasonal snowfall was also compared against output from the Système d’Analyse Fournissant des Renseignements Atmosphériques à la Neige (SAFRAN) specially developed for alpine terrain. This comparison reveals that there are regions of significant difference between the two, especially at high elevation, and possible causes for these differences are discussed. Finally, AROME forecasts and SAFRAN reanalysis have been used to drive the snowpack model Surface Externalisée (SURFEX)/Crocus (SC) and to simulate the snowpack evolution over a 2.5-km grid covering the French Alps during four winters. When evaluated at the experimental site of Col de Porte, both simulations show good agreement with measurements of snow depth and snow water equivalent. At the scale of the French Alps, AROME-SC exhibits an overall positive bias, with the largest positive bias found in the northern and central French Alps. This study constitutes the first step toward the development of a distributed snowpack forecasting system using AROME.
Microphysics Regime Impacts on the Relationship between Orographic Rain and Orographic Forcing in the Coastal Mountains of Northern California
Authors: Kingsmill David E. , Neiman Paul J. , White Allen B.
Published: August 2016

This study examines the impact of microphysics regime on the relationship between orographic forcing and orographic rain in the coastal mountains of Northern California using >4000 h of data from profiling Doppler radars, rain gauges, and a GPS receiver collected over 10 cool seasons. Orographic forcing is documented by hourly upslope flow, integrated water vapor (IWV), and IWV flux observed along the coast at Bodega Bay (BBY; 15 m MSL). Microphysics regime is inferred in the coastal mountains at Cazadero (CZC; 478 m MSL), where hourly periods of brightband (BB) and nonbrightband (NBB) rain are designated. BB rain is associated with a microphysics regime dominated by the seeder–feeder process while NBB rain is associated with a microphysics regime dominated by the warm-rain process. Mean BBY upslope flow, IWV, and IWV flux are ~16%, ~5%, and ~19% larger, respectively, for NBB rain compared to BB rain, while mean CZC rain rate is ~33% larger for BB rain compared to NBB rain. The orographic enhancement ratio of CZC to BBY rain rate is 3.7 during NBB rain and 2.7 during BB rain. Rain rate at CZC increases as orographic forcing at BBY increases. For a given amount of BBY orographic forcing, mean CZC rain rates are larger for BB rain compared to NBB rain. Correlation coefficients associated with the relationship between CZC rain rate and BBY orographic forcing are smaller for NBB rain relative to BB rain, but these differences are not statistically significant.
Ethylene Glycol – Polyethylene Glycol (EG-PEG) Mixtures: Infrared Spectra Wavelet Cross-Correlation Analysis
Authors: Caccamo Maria Teresa , Magazù Salvatore
Published: August 2016

Infrared spectra were collected on mixtures of ethylene glycol (EG) and polyethylene glycol 600 (PEG600) as a function of weight fraction from pure EG to pure PEG600. In this paper, it will be shown that while the OH vibrational contribution drastically reduces its center frequency from 3450 cm−1 to 3300 cm−1 in the weight fraction range 0–25%, the displacement of the mixture spectral features of the mixtures from ideal behavior, i.e., in the absence of interaction, shows the presence of a non-ideal mixing process. Furthermore, wavelet cross-correlation analysis of the registered pairs of spectra and of the intramolecular O–H stretching contributions reveals how the addition of a small amount of pure EG to PEG600 dramatically influences the structural properties of the polymeric matrix, owing to an increase the intermolecular connectivity. In particular, the wavelet cross-correlation parameters, evaluated between each pair of the registered data as a function of weight fraction, in a linear–logarithmic plot, reveals an inflection point for a weight fraction of about 25% of EG, which confirms that, within the three-dimensional networks of hydrogen-bonded EG-PEG600 molecules, a key role is played by EG in determining an increase in the hydrogen-bond network density.
MMP20 Proteolysis of Native Amelogenin Regulates Mineralization In Vitro
Authors: Kwak S.Y. , Yamakoshi Y. , Simmer J.P. , Margolis H.C.
Published: August 2016

Recent studies have shown that native phosphorylated full-length porcine amelogenin (P173) and its predominant cleavage product (P148) can inhibit spontaneous calcium phosphate formation in vitro by stabilizing an amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) precursor phase. Since full-length amelogenin undergoes proteolysis by matrix metalloproteinase 20 (MMP20, enamelysin) soon after secretion, the present study was conducted to assess the effect of amelogenin proteolysis on calcium phosphate formation. Calcium and phosphate were sequentially added to protein solutions without and with added MMP20 (ratio = 200:1) under physiological-like conditions of ionic strength (163 mM) in 50 mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.4) at 37 °C. Protein degradation with time was assessed by gel-electrophoresis, and mineral products formed were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). MMP20 was found to cleave P173 to primarily generate P148, along with P162, P46-148, and P63/64-148. In sharp contrast, MMP20 did not cleave P148. In addition, the formation of well-aligned bundles of enamel-like hydroxyapatite (HA) crystals was promoted in the presence of P173 with added MMP20, while only ACP particles were seen in the absence of MMP20. Although P148 was found to have a somewhat lower capacity to stabilize ACP and prevent HA formation compared with P173 in the absence of MMP20, essentially no HA formation was observed in the presence of somewhat higher concentrations of P148 regardless of MMP20 addition, due to the lack of observed protein proteolysis. Present findings suggest that ACP transformation to ordered arrays of enamel crystals may be regulated in part by the proteolysis of full-length native amelogenin, while the predominant amelogenin degradation product in developing enamel (e.g., P148) primarily serves to prevent uncontrolled mineral formation during the secretory stage of amelogenesis.
Development of a Cavity Disinfectant Containing Antibacterial Monomer MDPB
Authors: Hirose N. , Kitagawa R. , Kitagawa H. , Maezono H. , Mine A. , Hayashi M. , Haapasalo M. , Imazato S.
Published: August 2016

An experimental cavity disinfectant (ACC) that is intended to be used for various direct and indirect restorations was prepared by adding an antibacterial monomer 12-methacryloyloxydodecylpyridinum bromide (MDPB) at 5% into 80% ethanol. The antibacterial effectiveness of ACC and its influences on the bonding abilities of resin cements were investigated. To examine the antibacterial activity of unpolymerized MDPB, the minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations (MIC and MBC) were determined for Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus casei, Actinomyces naeslundii, Parvimonas micra, Enterococcus faecalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Porphyromonas gingivalis. Antibacterial activities of ACC and the commercial cavity disinfectant containing 2% chlorhexidine and ethanol (CPS) were evaluated by agar disk diffusion tests through 7 bacterial species and by MIC and MBC measurement for S. mutans. The effects of ACC and CPS to kill bacteria in dentinal tubules were compared with an S. mutans–infected dentin model. Shear bond strength tests were used to examine the influences of ACC on the dentin-bonding abilities of a self-adhesive resin cement and a dual-cure resin cement used with a primer. Unpolymerized MDPB showed strong antibacterial activity against 7 oral bacteria. ACC produced inhibition zones against all bacterial species similar to CPS. For ACC and CPS, the MIC value for S. mutans was identical, and the MBC was similar with only a 1-step dilution difference (1:2). Treatment of infected dentin with ACC resulted in significantly greater bactericidal effects than CPS ( P < 0.05, analysis of variance and Tukey’s honest significant difference test). ACC showed no negative influences on the bonding abilities to dentin for both resin cements, while CPS reduced the bond strength of the self-adhesive resin cement ( P < 0.05). This study clarified that the experimental cavity disinfectant containing 5% MDPB is more effective in vitro than the commercially available chlorhexidine solution to eradicate bacteria in dentin, without causing any adverse influences on the bonding abilities of resinous luting cements.
Tourist Choice Processing: Evaluating Decision Rules and Methods of Their Measurement
Authors: Li Chunxiao , McCabe Scott , Song Haiyan
Published: August 2016

A detailed understanding of decision rules is essential in order to better explain consumption behavior, yet the variety of decision rules used have been somewhat neglected in tourism research. This study adopts an innovative method, greedoid analysis, to estimate a noncompensatory type of decision rule known as lexicographic by aspect (LBA). It is quite different from the weighted additive (WADD) model commonly assumed in tourism studies. By utilizing an experimental research design, this study enables the evaluation of the two types of decision rules regarding their predictive and explanatory power. Additionally, we introduce a novel evaluation indicator (“cost”), which allows further investigation of the heterogeneity in the use of decision rules. The results suggest that although the out-of-sample accuracy is lower, the LBA model has a better explanatory performance on respondents’ preference order. Moreover, the different perspective provided by the LBA model is useful for obtaining managerial implications.
The Effects of Alcohol and Cigarette Consumption on Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in Rural African Americans
Authors: Obasi Ezemenari M. , Tackett Jennifer L. , Shirtcliff Elizabeth A. , Cavanagh Lucia
Published: August 2016

Objective: Rurally situated African Americans suffer from stress and drug-related health disparities. Unfortunately, research on potential mechanisms that underlie this public health problem have received limited focus in the scientific literature. This study investigated the physiological impact of nicotine and alcohol use on dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) functioning, a biomarker previously linked to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal functioning. Method: A rural sample of African American emerging adults ( n = 84) completed a battery of assessments and provided six samples of salivary DHEA at wakeup, 30 minutes postwakeup, 90 minutes postwakeup, 3:00 p.m., 3:30 p.m., and 4:30 p.m. Results: Participants had more DHEA on waking as a function of smoking greater number of cigarettes throughout the day. Although this effect was not replicated with increased levels of alcohol consumption, the interaction between cigarette and alcohol use was associated with increased levels of DHEA on waking. Conclusion: While use of a single substance (i.e., cigarettes) was related to higher DHEA and greater hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activation, the addition of a second substance (i.e., alcohol) shifted the individual toward the hyperactive arousal profile common within chronically stressed or challenged populations. These findings support the need to further investigate the relationship between polysubstance use and physiological functioning that may be linked to known health disparities in the African American community.
Depositional system and hydrocarbon accumulation in Gubei slope zone, Zhanhua Depression, Bohai Bay Basin, eastern China
Authors: Guo Ling , Jia Chaochao , Konhauser Kurt O
Published: August 2016

The Zhanhua Depression is a hydrocarbon-rich, fault-generated depression in Bohai Bay Basin, eastern China. Gubei slope zone, located in eastern Zhanhua Depression, is an important oil production region. Drilling cores, logging data, and 3D seismic data were used to identify several depositional system infilling the slope zone, including braided-delta, sublacustrine fans, and deep/semi-deep lake fine-grained deposits and turbidite, all of which are associated with a lacustrine succession belonging to the 3rd member of Shahejie Formation (Es3). Sedimentary rock of Es3 are composed of mudstone, silty mudstone, fine sandstone, coarse sandstones, and conglomeratic sandstones with various structures including massive bedding, parallel bedding, scour-fill structures, graded bedding, and deformed structures. Sandstone distributed in braided-delta front subfacies, lacustrine fans and some turbidite are favorable reservoir facies. Fault system was an important hydrocarbon migration pathway and sometimes a sealing geologic unit, which played an important role in the formation of commercial oil reservoirs in Gubei slope zone. The commercial oil reservoir is dominantly distributed in ridge-like structures in Gubei slope zone, which give an inspiration that ridge-like structure was probably a very favorable area for hydrocarbon exploration in continental basin slope zone.
Capital Asset Pricing Model: Should We Stop Using It?
Authors: Ansari Valeed A
Published: August 2016

The Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) predicts that expected returns on securities are a positive linear function of their market ß s (betas) and market ß is adequate to describe the cross-section of expected returns. There is a controversy regarding the empirical validity of CAPM. This article reviews the content and scope of the model, examines the issues in the controversy, and provides an empirical assessment of the model in India. It notes that the evidence is not sufficient to drop the use of CAPM; one must, however, recognize and understand its limitations.
Environmental Shifts, Functional Level Emphasis, and Performance: A Study in the Early Phase of Liberalization
Authors: Kaul Vijay Kumar
Published: August 2016

A shift is taking place in the Indian economy and the environment is becoming more competitive. To survive and grow in such an environment, Indian firms need to change their strategic posture. This paper aims at investigating as to how Indian firms have responded to such changes. The result of the study shows that the firms have realized that the Indian environment is becoming more competitive and turbulent. Firms have also been changing their strategies to be competitive. Among the various strategies identified, a holistic strategy followed by the firms has been found to perform better in all environmental settings. The paper outlines the implications of results for the firms.
Global Boom, Infrastructural Investment in Emerging Countries, and the Role of Multinational Corporations
Authors: Bishnoi Rahul
Published: August 2016

Infrastructure deficiencies in emerging countries mean potential investment opportunities. In this note, Rahul Bishnoi examines the nature of opportunities in this sector and discusses the role multinationals can play.
Konkan Railway Corporation Limited
Authors: Banerjee Bibek , Raghuram G , Rangaraj Narayan
Published: August 2016

Mr Rajaram, Managing Director of Konkan Railway Corporation (KRC), is concerned about the mounting debt burden of KRC. He is in the process of formulating an overall marketing strategy for KRC in the freight sector, in order to break even. He is also considering the appropriate marketing organization to serve the target market(s).

Readers are invited to send their responses on the case to Vikalpa office.
Social Anxiety and Socioemotional Functioning During Early Adolescence: The Mediating Role of Best Friend Emotion Socialization
Authors: Borowski Sarah K. , Zeman Janice , Braunstein Kara
Published: August 2016

Best friend expected emotion socialization responses were examined as a potential explanation for the link between social anxiety and youths’ friendship quality and dysfunctional emotion regulation (ER). A community sample of 202 young adolescents ([Formula: see text]age = 12.66; 52.5% girls, 75.7% White) within 101 same-sex, reciprocated best friend dyads completed measures of social anxiety, friendship quality, dysfunctional ER, and how they expected their friend to respond to their negative emotions. Social anxiety was related to lower expectations of support (i.e., reward, override) responses from friends, and for boys, to greater expectations of unsupportive (i.e., neglect, aggression) responses from friends. Lower expected support responses mediated the relation between social anxiety and socioemotional functioning for girls. For boys, greater expectations of unsupportive responses mediated the relation between social anxiety and socioemotional functioning. Findings indicate that social anxiety may disrupt emotion socialization processes within adolescent friendships with implications for youth socioemotional functioning.
On the global city map, but not in command? Probing Manila’s position in the world city network
Authors: Kleibert Jana
Published: August 2016

The changing geography of service employment and the relocation of back-office service tasks to developing economies present a challenge to contemporary world city network research and methodology, as cost-driven offshoring may wrongly suggest a city’s increased importance in global city rankings. In particular, financial service firms, but also management consultancies, law firms, and other advanced producer service firms have offshored tasks abroad. These firms’ offices are attributed a vital role in the world city network literature and form the basis for world city rankings using the interlocking network model. Based on empirical research on advanced producer service firms in Metro Manila, the Philippines, this paper argues that the existence of linkages and the appearance ‘on the map’ of dominant economic flows does not automatically lead to an increased command and control position of Manila. Instead, the attraction of lower-end services leads to Manila’s dependent articulation into global service production networks. The findings challenge the key assumptions about ‘command functions’ and ‘strategic role’ of global cities that underpin the global city rankings. The paper critiques current conceptualisations of command and control in global urban network theory in the light of changing intra-firm divisions of labour in advanced producer service firms, and stresses the importance of qualitative research.
News photos of scientists skew race but not gender
Authors: Kim Hwalbin , Kim Sei-Hill , Frear Christopher , Oh Sang-Hwa
Published: August 2016

This analysis of the photographs of scientists published in The Science Times, the weekly science section of The New York Times, shows the actual gender distribution among U.S. scientists was accurately represented in the newspaper. A race gap, however, still exists, with non-white scientists being significantly underrepresented. The analysis of visual framing indicates The Science Times portrays scientists as expert professionals.
A nature inspired optimal control of pneumatic-driven parallel robot platform
Authors: Pršić Dragan , Nedić Novak , Stojanović Vladimir
Published: August 2016

Woodworking industry is increasingly characterized by processing complex spatial forms with high accuracy and high speeds. The use of parallel robot platforms with six degrees of freedom gains more significance. Due to stricter requirements regarding energy consumption, easy maintenance and environmental safety, parallel platforms with pneumatic drives become more and more interesting. However, the high precision tracking control of such systems represents a serious challenge for designers. The reason is found in complex dynamics of the mechanical system and strong nonlinearity of the pneumatic system. This paper presents an optimal control design for a pneumatically driven parallel robot platform. The Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) algorithm with feedback linearization is used for control. The parameter search method is based on a firefly algorithm due to the empirical evidence of its superiority in solving various nonconvex problems. The simulation results show that the proposed optimal tuned cascade control is effective and efficient. These results clearly demonstrate that the proposed control techniques exhibit significant performance improvement over classical and widely used control techniques.
Towards the ranking of airborne particle emissions from car brakes – a system approach
Authors: Perricone Guido , Alemani Mattia , Metinöz Ibrahim , Matějka Vlastimil , Wahlström Jens , Olofsson Ulf
Published: August 2016

Airborne particulate matter emitted from motor vehicle brakes is a contributor to urban air quality. Therefore, a method to rank brake pairs (pads and rotors) with respect to their particle emission factors in a reliable way is needed to develop a low-emission disc brake. A novel inertial disc brake dynamometer designed for brake particle emission studies, a modified SAE J 2707 cycle, an electrical low-pressure cascade impactor and a filter are used to test five different pad materials against cast-iron rotors. By changing only the pad materials, it is shown that the differences between the mass emission factor and the number emission factor of the the worst brake pair and those of the best brake pair decreases by more than four times and 19 times respectively. Furthermore, the results show that the material combination ranked the best in terms of the mass emission factor is ranked the worst in terms of the number emission factor. The results reveal that this combination of a test stand, a test cycle and particle instruments can discriminate between different brake pair materials in a reliable way in the case of the mass emission factors while more research has to be carried out in the case of the number emission factors.
The impact on clinical practice of the 2015 reforms to the New South Wales Mental Health Act
Authors: Ryan Christopher James , Callaghan Sascha
Published: August 2016

Objectives:

The Mental Health Act 2007 (NSW) ( MHA) was recently reformed in light of the recovery movement and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We analyse the changes and describe the impact that these reforms should have upon clinical practice.

Conclusions:

The principles of care and treatment added to the MHA place a strong onus on clinicians to monitor patients’ decision-making capacity, institute a supported decision-making model and obtain consent to any treatment proposed. Patients competently refusing treatment should only be subject to involuntary treatment in extraordinary circumstances. Even when patients incompetently refuse treatment, clinicians must make every effort reasonably practicable to tailor management plans to take account of any views and preferences expressed by them or made known via friends, family or advance statements.
Geometry Classrooms With Simulation/Games. Research Results and Future Developments
Authors: Piu Angela , Fregola Cesare , Barbieri Barbara
Published: August 2016

Background. As revealed by national surveys and comparisons with other countries, Italian students may have difficulties in learning mathematical content, and geometry in particular.

Aim. This research aimed at ascertaining if, with respect to traditional methods, the structural characteristics of simulation games designed on the basis of specific theoretical and methodological choices can: (a) facilitate comprehension and improve the retention of geometric concepts; (b) increase pupils’ motivation to learn geometry; (c) affect perceived social and scholastic self-efficacy.

Method. This mixed method research included an experimental and a control group and a qualitative analysis of an open-ended examination.

Results. Our research with Y4 primary pupils (n=104) indicates that students who learned geometrical concepts via the simulation game had a higher level of both content retention and level of abstraction compared with those in the control group.

Conclusions. The results of this study highlight the didactic effectiveness of simulation games with reference to the cognitive aspects of the learning process and indicate the need to develop design models for geometry-based simulations.
Best Practice in Provider/Parent Interaction
Authors: Davies Betty , Steele Rose , Krueger Guenther , Albersheim Susan , Baird Jennifer , Bifirie Michelle , Cadell Susan , Doane Gweneth , Garga Deepshikha , Siden Harold , Strahlendorf Caron , Zhao Yuan
Published: August 2016

In this 3-year prospective grounded theory study in three pediatric settings, we aimed to develop a conceptualization of best practice health care providers (BPHCPs) in interaction with parents of children with complex, chronic, life-threatening conditions. Analysis of semistructured interviews with 34 parents and 80 health care professionals (HCPs) and 88 observation periods of HCP/parent interactions indicated that BPHCPs shared a broad worldview; values of equity, family-centered care, and integrity; and a commitment to authentic engagement. BPHCPs engaged in direct care activities, in connecting behaviors, and in exquisitely attuning to particularities of the situation in the moment, resulting in positive outcomes for parents and HCPs. By focusing on what HCPs do well, findings showed that not only is it possible for HCPs to practice in this way, but those who do so are also recognized as being the best at what they do. We provide recommendations for practice and initial and ongoing professional education.
Designing a graphics processing unit accelerated petaflop capable lattice Boltzmann solver: Read aligned data layouts and asynchronous communication
Authors: Robertsén Fredrik , Westerholm Jan , Mattila Keijo
Published: August 2016

The lattice Boltzmann method is a well-established numerical approach for complex fluid flow simulations. Recently, general-purpose graphics processing units (GPUs) have become available as high-performance computing resources at large scale. We report on designing and implementing a lattice Boltzmann solver for multi-GPU systems that achieves 1.79 PFLOPS performance on 16,384 GPUs. To achieve this performance, we introduce a GPU compatible version of the so-called bundle data layout and eliminate the halo sites in order to improve data access alignment. Furthermore, we make use of the possibility to overlap data transfer between the host central processing unit and the device GPU with computing on the GPU. As a benchmark case, we simulate flow in porous media and measure both strong and weak scaling performance with the emphasis being on large-scale simulations using realistic input data.
High trans but not saturated fat beverage causes an acute reduction in postprandial vascular endothelial function but not arterial stiffness in humans
Authors: Lane-Cordova Abbi D , Witmer Jordan R , Dubishar Kaitlyn , DuBose Lyndsey E , Chenard Catherine A , Siefers Kyle J , Myers Janie E , Points Lauren J , Pierce Gary L
Published: August 2016

A diet high in trans-fatty acids (TFAs) is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than a diet high in saturated fatty acids (SFAs), but the mechanisms remain unclear. We hypothesized that a beverage high in TFAs would cause a larger reduction in postprandial endothelial function and an increase in arterial stiffness, in part from greater reductions in insulin sensitivity, compared with a beverage high in SFAs. Eleven healthy adults (aged 47±5 years) ingested a warm test beverage (520 kcal, 56 g total fat, 5 g carbohydrate, 1 g protein) high in either TFAs or SFAs in a randomized cross-over study. Ingestion of the beverage high in TFAs ( p<0.01) but not high in SFAs ( p=0.49) decreased endothelial function (brachial artery flow-mediated dilation, mmΔ) at 3–4 hours ( p<0.01 for time; p=0.034 for interaction), but did not alter aortic stiffness or carotid β-stiffness. The homeostasis model of insulin resistance (interaction p=0.062) tended to decrease after SFAs but not TFAs. A beverage high in TFAs but not SFAs results in a postprandial reduction in endothelial function and a trend for decreased insulin sensitivity, potentially explaining the higher risk of CVD with a diet high in TFAs.