bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
List of harmful birds in Costa Rica : the other side of the coin
Authors: Acosta- Chaves Víctor , Monge Otto
Published: March 2017

We consider that some bird species categorized as “harmful” by Monge in his “Updated list of harmful birds of Costa Rica (2012)” should not be in the list. Birds should not be considered “harmful”, “pest” or “potential pest” in Costa Rica just because they were so inother latitudes. We argue that the list should be reevaluated to avoid an unnecessarily negative perception of birds.
Diet of the gecko Hemidactylus frenatus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) in Coco’s Island National Park, Costa Rica
Authors: Villegas-Retana Sergio A , Picado-Rossi Adriana , Durán-Apuy Alejandro
Published: March 2017

The common house gecko, Hemidactylus frenatus, is a native of Indonesia that has rapidly colonized new environments. Normally it is found in human constructions, but it can also invade natural environments and is causing the displacement and extinction of some native lizards, mostly in oceanic islands. In the Pacific reserve of Isla del Coco (Costa Rica) we captured nine specimens with sticky traps and direct capture. Theridium spp. accounted for 54% of its stomach contents (25,7% were unidentified remains and 18,8% Hymenoptera).
Evidencia fotográfica de especies desconocidas de onicóforos (Onychophora: Peripatidae) de Costa Rica
Authors: Barquero-González José Pablo , Acosta-Chaves Víctor J. , Sotela María Laura , Villalobos Brenes Federico , Morera-Brenes Bernal
Published: March 2017

Los onicóforos son animales difíciles de encontrar e identificar a nivel de especie en condiciones de campo. En la actualidad hay siete especies descritas en Costa Rica, y existe la necesidad de una adecuada revisión taxonómica. Sin embargo la tecnología permite la documentación de especies raras e incluso no descritas. Compilamos fotografías donadas e imágenes que se encuentran en línea y logramos identificar 18 especies nuevas para Costa Rica (basados en las características taxonómicas y distribución geográfica). Adicionalmente presentamos información de relevancia científica sobre las mismas. A pesar de que no se puede hacer una descripción formal de la especie solo con las fotografías, la información que nos brinda permite conocer nuevas localidades para investigaciones futuras. Nuestro objetivo es preservar esta información y sensibilizar a los estudiantes de biología y fotógrafos de la naturaleza, sobre la trascendencia de cada hallazgo de un onicóforo. Estos hallazgos con frecuencia dan lugar a descubrimientos de nuevas especies.
Nota Hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) en el bosque seco del Parque Nacional Diría, Costa Rica
Authors: Gutiérrez-Martínez Pablo R. , Arauz Naranjo Daniel
Published: March 2017

Las hormigas son un componente importante en la biodiversidad terrestre. Se ha sugerido que con un aumento en la complejidad del sistema se aumenta la diversidad de especies de hormigas y que algunas de estas podrían ser indicadoras. Capturamos 1 022 hormigas distribuidas en 46 especies y 7 subfamilias. Los resultados sugieren que algunas especies de hormigas podrían utilizarse como indicadores de perturbaciones al ecosistema de la región.
Distribución y primer reporte del pez Lagocephalus inermis (Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae) en Digha, North-east Coast of India
Authors: Kali Mahapatra Bijay , Pradhan Alakesh
Published: March 2017

Este es el primer informe de la presencia del pez Lagocephalus inermis (Temminck y Schlegel, 1850) en Digha, India, extendiendo su distribución a la costa oriental del país. Ya hay registros de esta especie en la costa sur-oriental y la costa occidental de la India. Describimos en detalle el espécimen, con una longitud estándar 196 mm y capturado en Digha.
Evaluación de la generación de residuos sólidos ordinarios del cantón de Belén en el período 2005-2015
Authors: Salazar-Acuña Esteban
Published: March 2017

La gestión de los residuos sólidos urbanos es un problema grave en la mayoría de los países en desarrollo y es esencial que los gobiernos locales tengan información confiable para tomar decisiones pertinentes. Analicé la generación total de residuos, la generación de residuos valorizables, la generación de residuos no valorizables y la generación de residuos orgánicos en Belén, Heredia, Costa Rica entre el 2005 y 2015. Encontré diferencias significativas entre los períodos 2005-2010 y 2010-2015 (p<.0001), asociados al crecimiento demográfico. La diversidad de alternativas en la recolección de residuos parecen tener más residuos generados (p<.0001). La generación de CH4 en el período de estudio fue de 52 759,85 Mg de CO2e. El gobierno local debe concentrarse en la gestión de los residuos orgánicos y residuos valorizables. La evaluación de información confiable y grandes escalas temporales es fundamental para lograr una gestión de residuos sólidos exitosa.
COMUNICACIÓN Morfometría foliar y clorofila de Piper reticulatum (Piperaceae) en luz y sombra en la Estación Biológica La Selva, Costa Rica
Authors: Villegas-Retana Sergio A. , Chavarría-Soto María
Published: March 2017

Las plantas tropicales presentan gran variedad en su morfología y fisiología para captar luz dentro del bosque. Piper reticulatum es un pequeño árbol con la capacidad vivir en condicionesde luz y sombra. En este trabajo se comparó algunos parámetros foliares en condicionesde luz y sombra en P. reticulatum. Se tomaron 50 hojas maduras al azar de diferentes individuos, 25 por cada tipo de hábitat, a cada una se le determinó el área foliar específica, grosor, forma de la hoja y cantidad de clorofila. Se determinó que existe diferencia significativa entre las plantas a la luz y a la sombra en el área foliar específica, grosor, forma y cantidad de clorofila de la hoja. Las plantas a la luz presentaron valores más altos en la forma de la hoja y grosor y las plantas a la sombra presentaron valores más altos de área foliar específica y clorofila. Los resultados indican que P. reticulatum presenta una gran plasticidad en cuanto a la forma de las hojas lo cual mejora su rendimiento y le permite competir mejor con otras especies.
Diabetes mellitus and obesity as a result of a disrupted homeostatic microbiome. New data on etiopathogenesis of diabetes mellitus
Authors: Nikolic Dragan
Published: March 2017

nema
Fat-Specific Sirt6 Ablation Sensitizes Mice to High-Fat Diet–Induced Obesity and Insulin Resistance by Inhibiting Lipolysis
Authors: Kuang Jiangying , Zhang Yuwei , Liu Qinhui , Shen Jing , Pu Shiyun , Cheng Shihai , Chen Lei , Li Hong , Wu Tong , Li Rui , Li Yanping , Zou Min , Zhang Zhiyong , Jiang Wei , Xu Guoheng , Qu Aijuan , Xie Wen , He Jinhan
Published: March 2017

Sirt6 is an NAD+-dependent deacetylase that is involved in the control of energy metabolism. However, the tissue-specific function of Sirt6 in the adipose tissue remains unknown. In this study, we showed that fat-specific Sirt6 knockout (FKO) sensitized mice to high-fat diet–induced obesity, which was attributed to adipocyte hypertrophy rather than adipocyte hyperplasia. The adipocyte hypertrophy in FKO mice likely resulted from compromised lipolytic activity as an outcome of decreased expression of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL), a key lipolytic enzyme. The suppression of ATGL in FKO mice was accounted for by the increased phosphorylation and acetylation of FoxO1, which compromises the transcriptional activity of this positive regulator of ATGL. Fat-specific Sirt6 KO also increased inflammation in the adipose tissue, which may have contributed to insulin resistance in high-fat diet–fed FKO mice. We also observed that in obese patients, the expression of Sirt6 expression is reduced, which is associated with a reduction of ATGL expression. Our results suggest Sirt6 as an attractive therapeutic target for treating obesity and obesity-related metabolic disorders.
AN ANALYSIS OF PHONEMIC AND GRAPHEMIC CHANGES OF ENGLISH LOANWORDS IN BAHASA INDONESIA APPEARING IN MAGAZINE ENTITLED “CHIP”
Authors: Juliawan M.D.
Published: March 2017

This research aimed to describe the phonemic and graphemic changes of English loanwords in Bahasa Indonesia appearing in magazine entitled ‘CHIP’. The subjects of this research were the writers/editors of each articles of CHIP magazine. The objects of this research were English loanwords in Indonesian appearing in CHIP magazine ranging from 2013 to 2015 edition plus with the special edition of CHIP. The data were collected by reading and giving a mark to each borrowing words found or spotted in technology magazine (CHIP) through the process of reading. This study was a descriptive qualitative research which applying interactive data anaylisis model in analyzing the collected data. The results of this study show there are 12 processes of phonemic changes specifically for consonants. There are 8 processes of phoneme shift, 2 processes of phoneme split, and 2 processes of apocope. There are 10 phonemic changes of vowel: 1 process of phoneme split, 2 processes of phoneme shift, 2 processes of phoneme merger and 5 processes of paragoge. There are two types of graphemic changes found, namely pure phonological adaptation and syllabic adaptation. In the syllabic adaptation process, there are four processes of graphemic change, namely (1) double consonants become single consonant, (2) double vowels become single vowel, (3) monosyllable become disyllable, and (4) consonant inhibitory at the end of consonant clusters is disappear.
Trazos y pinceladas: la condensación literaria como principio de construcción en “Ambystoma trigrinum” de Salvador Elizondo
Authors: Hurtado Berenice Romano
Published: March 2017

En este artículo se trabaja un cuento del escritor mexicano Salvador Elizondo para subrayar la importancia de la elipsis y la condensación literarias como recursos fundamentales de su escritura. Como una forma de subrayar los temas de la transformación y la reiteración en sus textos, se hace una analogía con algunas obras del artista plástico M. C. Escher.
Alberto Chimal’s “El señor Perdurabo”: a Poetics of the Persistence
Authors: Piña Claudia L. Gutiérrez
Published: March 2017

Mexican writer Alberto Chimal finds in creative imagination a possibility of restitution of man with his voice and his world, in the context of a generational spirit of disenchantment. This restitution, however, is not given in the way of a happy communion, but a struggle, a gesture of persistence and resistance. If this is the gesture that holds the literary exercise of Alberto Chimal, “Mr. Perdurabo” (2011) is the text where these premises find a space of symbolic representation, under the code of autobiographical writing.
The association of household food security, household characteristics and school environment with obesity status among off-reserve First Nations and Métis children and youth in Canada: results from the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey
Authors: Bhawra Jasmin , Cooke Martin , Guo Yanling , Wilk Piotr
Published: March 2017

Introduction

Indigenous children are twice as likely to be classified as obese and three times as likely to experience household food insecurity when compared with non-Indigenous Canadian children. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between food insecurity and weight status among Métis and off-reserve First Nations children and youth across Canada.

Methods

We obtained data on children and youth aged 6 to 17 years (n = 6900) from the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey. We tested bivariate relationships using Pearson chi-square tests and used nested binary logistic regressions to examine the food insecurity−weight status relationship, after controlling for geography, household and school characteristics and cultural factors.

Results

Approximately 22% of Métis and First Nations children and youth were overweight, and 15% were classified as obese. Over 80% of the sample was reported as food secure, 9% experienced low food security and 7% were severely food insecure. Off-reserve Indigenous children and youth from households with very low food security were at higher risk of overweight or obese status; however, this excess risk was not independent of household socioeconomic status, and was reduced by controlling for household income, adjusted for household size. Negative school environment was also a significant predictor of obesity risk, independent of demographic, household and geographic factors.

Conclusion

Both food insecurity and obesity were prevalent among the Indigenous groups studied, and our results suggest that a large proportion of children and youth who are food insecure are also overweight or obese. This study reinforces the importance of including social determinants of health, such as income, school environment and geography, in programs or policies targeting child obesity.
For the history of the historiography of sciences
Authors: Condé Mauro L. , Salomon Marlon
Published: March 2017

Editor's Foreword (December 2016)
Emergence of a novel subclade of influenza A(H3N2) virus in London, December 2016 to January 2017
Authors: Harvala Heli , Frampton Dan , Grant Paul , Raffle Jade , Ferns Ruth Bridget , Kozlakidis Zisis , Kellam Paul , Pillay Deenan , Hayward Andrew , Nastouli Eleni ,   For the ICONIC Consortium
Published: March 2017

We report the molecular investigations of a large influenza A(H3N2) outbreak, in a season characterised by sharp increase in influenza admissions since December 2016. Analysis of haemagglutinin (HA) sequences demonstrated co-circulation of multiple clades (3C.3a, 3C.2a and 3C.2a1). Most variants fell into a novel subclade (proposed as 3C.2a2); they possessed four unique amino acid substitutions in the HA protein and loss of a potential glycosylation site. These changes potentially modify the H3N2 strain antigenicity.
Twenty years and counting: epidemiology of an outbreak of isoniazid-resistant tuberculosis in England and Wales, 1995 to 2014
Authors: Smith Catherine M , Trienekens Suzan C M , Anderson Charlotte , Lalor Maeve K , Brown Tim , Story Alistair , Fry Hannah , Hayward Andrew C , Maguire Helen
Published: March 2017

An outbreak of isoniazid-resistant tuberculosis first identified in London has now been ongoing for 20 years, making it the largest drug-resistant outbreak of tuberculosis documented to date worldwide. We identified culture-confirmed cases with indistinguishable molecular strain types and extracted demographic, clinical, microbiological and social risk factor data from surveillance systems. We summarised changes over time and used kernel-density estimation and k-function analysis to assess geographic clustering. From 1995 to 2014, 508 cases were reported, with a declining trend in recent years. Overall, 70% were male (n = 360), 60% born in the United Kingdom (n = 306), 39% white (n = 199), and 26% black Caribbean (n = 134). Median age increased from 25 years in the first 5 years to 42 in the last 5. Approximately two thirds of cases reported social risk factors: 45% drug use (n = 227), 37% prison link (n = 189), 25% homelessness (n = 125) and 13% alcohol dependence (n = 64). Treatment was completed at 12 months by 52% of cases (n = 206), and was significantly lower for those with social risk factors (p < 0.05), but increased over time for all patients (p < 0.05). The outbreak remained focused in north London throughout. Control of this outbreak requires continued efforts to prevent and treat further active cases through targeted screening and enhanced case management.
High-pressure behavior of the Fe–S system and composition of the Earth’s inner core
Authors: Bazhanova Z G , Roizen V V , Oganov A R
Published: March 2017

Using the evolutionary crystal structure prediction algorithm USPEX, we identify the compositions and crystal structures of thermodynamically stable compounds in the Fe–S system at pressures in the range of 100–400 GPa. We find that at pressures in the Earth’s solid inner core (330–364 GPa) two compounds are stable—Fe2S and FeS. In equilibrium with iron, only Fe2S can exist in the inner core. Using the equation of state of Fe2S, we find that, in order to reproduce the density of the inner core by adding sulfur alone, 10.6–13.7 mol.% (6.4–8.4 wt.%) sulfur is needed. An analogous calculation for silicon (where the only stable compound at inner core pressures is FeSi) reproduces the density of the inner core with 9.0–11.8 mol.% (4.8–6.3 wt.%) silicon. In both cases, a virtually identical mean atomic mass in the range of 52.6–53.3 results for the inner core, which is much higher than inferred for the inner core from Birch’s law. In the case of oxygen (allowing for the equilibrium coexistence of suboxide Fe2O with iron under core conditions), the inner core density can be explained by the oxygen content of 13.2–17.2 mol.% (4.2–5.6 wt.%), which corresponds to between 49.0 and 50.6. Combining our results and previous work, we arrive at four preferred compositional models of the Earth’s inner core (in mol.%): (i) 86% (Fe+Ni)+14% C; (ii) 84% (Fe+Ni)+16% O; (iii) 84% (Fe+Ni)+7% S+9% H; (iv) 85% (Fe+Ni)+6% Si+9% H.
Dynamic Response of a Simplified Turbine Blade Model with Under-Platform Dry Friction Dampers Considering Normal Load Variation
Authors: He Bingbing , Ouyang Huajiang , Ren Xingmin , He Shangwen
Published: March 2017

Dry friction dampers are widely used to reduce vibration. The forced vibration response of a simplified turbine blade with a new kind of under-platform dry friction dampers is studied in this paper. The model consists of a clamped blade as two rigidly connected beams and two dampers in the form of masses which are allowed to slide along the blade platform in the horizontal direction and vibrate with the blade platform in the vertical direction. The horizontal and vertical vibrations of the two dampers, and the horizontal and transverse platform vibrations are coupled by friction at the contact interfaces which is assumed to follow the classical discontinuous Coulomb’s law of friction. The vertical motion of the dampers leads to time-varying contact forces and can cause horizontal stick-slip motion between the contact surfaces. Due to the relative horizontal motion between the dampers and the blade platform, the vertical contact forces and the resultant friction forces act as moving loads. The Finite Element (FE) method and Modal Superposition (MS) method are applied to solve the dynamic response, together with an algorithm that can capture nonsmooth transitions from stick to slip and slip to stick. Quasi-periodic vibration is found even under harmonic excitation.
Enhanced Radiation Therapy of Gold Nanoparticles in Liver Cancer
Authors: Guo Meili , Sun Yuanming , Zhang Xiao-Dong
Published: March 2017

Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) were widely used in X-ray imaging and radiation therapy due to strong photoelectric effects and secondary electrons under high energy irradiation. As liver cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer, the use of GNPs could enhance liver cancer radiotherapy. We synthesized polyethylene glycol (PEG)-coated GNPs of two different sizes by chemical reduction reaction. Blood stability, cellular uptake, cytotoxicity and radiation therapy were investigated. A 3–5 nm red shift of SPR caused by interactions between PEG-coated GNPs and plasma indicated their good stability. Cellular uptake assay showed that PEG-coated GNPs would enhance an appreciable uptake. GNPs preferred to combine with blood proteins, and thus induced the formation of 30–50 nm Au-protein corona. GNPs were endocytosed by cytoplasmic vesicles, localized in intracellular region, and presented concentration dependent cell viability. Clonogenic assay illustrated that the PEG-coated GNPs could sensitize two liver cancer cell lines to irradiation.
Full-Field Optical Coherence Tomography as a Diagnosis Tool: Recent Progress with Multimodal Imaging
Authors: Thouvenin Olivier , Apelian Clement , Nahas Amir , Fink Mathias , Boccara Claude
Published: March 2017

Full-field optical coherence tomography (FF-OCT) is a variant of OCT that is able to register 2D en face views of scattering samples at a given depth. Thanks to its superior resolution, it can quickly reveal information similar to histology without the need to physically section the sample. Sensitivity and specificity levels of diagnosis performed with FF-OCT are 80% to 95% of the equivalent histological diagnosis performances and could therefore benefit from improvement. Therefore, multimodal systems have been designed to increase the diagnostic performance of FF-OCT. In this paper, we will discuss which contrasts can be measured with such multimodal systems in the context of ex vivo biological tissue examination. We will particularly emphasize three multimodal combinations to measure the tissue mechanics, dynamics, and molecular content respectively.
Development of a Prolonged-Release Drug Delivery System with Magnolol Loaded in Amino-Functionalized Mesoporous Silica
Authors: Stefanache Alina , Ignat Maria , Peptu Catalina , Diaconu Alina , Stoleriu Iulian , Ochiuz Lacramioara
Published: March 2017

Magnolol (MG) is a small-molecule neolignan polyphenolic compound isolated from the genus Magnolia. The anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-diabetic, anti-tumorgenic, anti-neurodegenerative, anti-depressant and anti-microbial properties of MG are well documented in recent literature. These fascinating multiple biological activities of MG encourage research about the development of new delivery and administration approaches able to maximize its potential benefits. This study describes the amino-functionalization of the SBA-15 (Santa Barbara Amorphous) mesoporous matrix by post-synthesis grafting using APTES (3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane) and the characterization of amino-functionalized mesoporous silica SBA-15 loaded with MG in order to achieve modified drug delivery systems. The amino-functionalization of silica SBA-15 was carried out by grafting by refluxing in dry toluene. The powders obtained were characterized texturally by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis measurements and morphologically by scanning electron microscopy. MG loading degree in the nanoporous matrix was determined by the HPLC method at λ = 290 nm. Results showed that by grafting the amino groups in the silica SBA-15, we obtained amino-functionalized silica SBA-15 with an ordered structure, with specific surfaces and pore sizes that differ from the original matrix, which was reflected in the amount of MG immobilized and release kinetics profile.
Damage Analysis and Evaluation of Light Steel Structures Exposed to Wind Hazards
Authors: Yang Na , Bai Fan
Published: March 2017

Compared to hot-rolled steel structures, cold-formed steel structures are susceptible to extreme winds because of the light weight of the building and its components. Many modern cold-formed steel structures have sustained significant structural damage ranging from loss of cladding to complete collapse in recent cyclones. This article first provides some real damage cases for light steel structures induced by the high winds. After that, the paper reviews research on the damage analysis and evaluation of light steel structures caused by strong winds, which include connection failure, fatigue failure, purlin buckling, and primary frame component instability problems. Moreover, this review will mention some applications of structure damage assessment methods in this area, such as vulnerability analysis and performance-based theory, etc.
High Bacterial Agglutination Activity in a Single-CRD C-Type Lectin from Spodoptera exigua (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Authors: Gasmi Leila , Ferré Juan , Herrero Salvador
Published: March 2017

Lectins are carbohydrate-interacting proteins that play a pivotal role in multiple physiological and developmental aspects of all organisms. They can specifically interact with different bacterial and viral pathogens through carbohydrate-recognition domains (CRD). In addition, lectins are also of biotechnological interest because of their potential use as biosensors for capturing and identifying bacterial species. In this work, three C-type lectins from the Lepidoptera Spodoptera exigua were produced as recombinant proteins and their bacterial agglutination properties were characterized. The lowest protein concentration producing bacterial agglutination against a panel of different Gram+ and Gram− as well as their carbohydrate binding specificities was determined for the three lectins. One of these lectins, BLL2, was able to agglutinate cells from a broad range of bacterial species at an extremely low concentration, becoming a very interesting protein to be used as a biosensor or for other biotechnological applications involving bacterial capture.
Cancer Communication and Family Caregiver Quality of Life
Authors: Wittenberg Elaine , Borneman Tami , Koczywas Marianna , Del Ferraro Catherine , Ferrell Betty
Published: March 2017

Family caregivers have enormous communication responsibilities tied to caregiving, such as sharing the patient’s medical history with providers, relaying diagnosis and prognosis to other family members, and making decisions about care with the patient. While caregiver stress and burden has been widely documented in the caregiving literature, little is known about how communication burden, real or perceived communication challenges, impacts caregiver quality of life. In family caregiving, the City of Hope (COH) Quality of Life model proposes that the caregiving experience is reciprocal to the patient experience, impacting physical, social, psychological, and spiritual quality of life. We used data from a pilot study testing a communication coaching call intervention with family caregivers of lung cancer patients to analyze caregiver reported communication burden and quality of life. We found variances in each quality of life domain, suggesting that caregiver interventions should range from self-care skill building for physical care to psycho-educational interventions that support caregiver coping and communication skill building. These findings demonstrate the importance of caregiver assessment and attention to communication burden in quality cancer care.
Photodynamic Detection of Peritoneal Metastases Using 5-Aminolevulinic Acid (ALA)
Authors: Yonemura Yutaka , Endo Yoshio , Canbay Emel , Liu Yang , Ishibashi Haruaki , Mizumoto Akiyoshi , Hirano Masamitu , Imazato Yuuki , Takao Nobuyuki , Ichinose Masumi , Noguchi Kousuke , Li Yan , Wakama Satoshi , Yamada Kazuhiro , Hatano Koutarou , Shintani Hiroshi , Yoshitake Hiroyuki , Ogura Shun-ichiro
Published: March 2017

In the past, peritoneal metastasis (PM) was considered as a terminal stage of cancer. From the early 1990s, however, a new comprehensive treatment consisting of cytoreductive surgery and perioperative chemotherapy has been established to improve long-term survival for selected patients with PM. Among prognostic indicators after the treatment, completeness of cytoreduction is the most independent predictors of survival. However, peritoneal recurrence is a main cause of recurrence, even after complete cytoreduction. As a cause of peritoneal recurrence, small PM may be overlooked at the time of cytoreductive surgery (CRS), therefore, development of a new method to detect small PM is desired. Recently, photodynamic diagnosis (PDD) was developed for detection of PM. The objectives of this review were to evaluate whether PDD using 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) could improve detection of small PM.
Learning Economics and Attitudes to Market Solutions to Environmental Problems
Authors: Harring Niklas , Davies Peter , Lundholm Cecilia
Published: March 2017

Climate change challenges governments to reduce emissions, and to gain support for such actions from their citizens. This can be in the form of taxation or legislation, or other forms of government interventions. In previous research, several instruments have been developed to capture attitudes towards the roles of markets and governments in the economy. Some of these instruments have assumed that respondents will have the same attitude towards the role of markets and governments, regardless of the context (e.g., welfare, environment, health) or the form of government intervention (law, taxation, subsidy, spending etc.). However, these studies have not examined attitudes towards, or belief in, the efficacy of government intervention in markets, through microeconomic policies on taxation (e.g., duties levied on particular products) or subsidies. This paper reports on the results of taking such a specific focus, that is, investigating economics students’ knowledge of, and attitudes towards, government interventions in markets, specifically addressing the problem of climate change. We make use of unique, two-wave longitudinal data from Swedish university students. The data were collected during their initial semester at the university. The first data collection was performed at the beginning of the semester, August/September 2014, and the second wave of data collection was performed in December/January 2014/2015, at the end of the semester. We were able to match 414 students between the first and second survey. The results show that students of economics change their policy attitudes and become more knowledgeable in economics. After one semester, they are more likely to think of economic instruments/incentives (taxes and subsidies) as good and efficient policy instruments, and less likely to think that other instruments (regulation and information) are good and efficient policy instruments. However, further analyses show that knowledgeable students do not have different attitudes toward environmental policy instruments, compared to students who do not answer the questions correctly. Hence, there seems to be some other factor affecting students in economics during their first semester, that changes their attitudes towards environmental policy instruments.
Isolated DC-DC Converter for Bidirectional Power Flow Controlling with Soft-Switching Feature and High Step-Up/Down Voltage Conversion
Authors: Shen Chih-Lung , Shen You-Sheng , Tsai Cheng-Tao
Published: March 2017

In this paper, a novel isolated bidirectional DC-DC converter is proposed, which is able to accomplish high step-up/down voltage conversion. Therefore, it is suitable for hybrid electric vehicle, fuel cell vehicle, energy backup system, and grid-system applications. The proposed converter incorporates a coupled inductor to behave forward-and-flyback energy conversion for high voltage ratio and provide galvanic isolation. The energy stored in the leakage inductor of the coupled inductor can be recycled without the use of additional snubber mechanism or clamped circuit. No matter in step-up or step-down mode, all power switches can operate with soft switching. Moreover, there is a inherit feature that metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) with smaller on-state resistance can be adopted because of lower voltage endurance at primary side. Operation principle, voltage ratio derivation, and inductor design are thoroughly described in this paper. In addition, a 1-kW prototype is implemented to validate the feasibility and correctness of the converter. Experimental results indicate that the peak efficiencies in step-up and step-down modes can be up to 95.4% and 93.6%, respectively.
A Novel Therapy for People Who Attempt Suicide and Why We Need New Models of Suicide
Authors: Michel Konrad , Valach Ladislav , Gysin-Maillart Anja
Published: March 2017

This paper presents a model of suicidal behaviour based on suicide as a goal-directed action, and its implications. An action theoretical model has guided the authors in the development of a brief therapy for individuals who attempt suicide (ASSIP—Attempted Suicide Short Intervention Program). Key elements are an early therapeutic alliance, narrative interviewing, psychoeducation, a joint case conceptualization, safety planning, and regular letters over 24 months. In a randomized controlled trial, ASSIP was highly effective in reducing the risk of suicide reattempts. The therapeutic elements in this treatment are described and possible implications for future directions in clinical suicide prevention discussed.
Detection of Low Adherence in Rural Tuberculosis Patients in China: Application of Morisky Medication Adherence Scale
Authors: Xu Minlan , Markström Urban , Lyu Juncheng , Xu Lingzhong
Published: March 2017

The detection and analysis of cases of low medication adherence is important for helping to control tuberculosis (TB). The purpose of this study was to detect low adherence in rural TB patients by using the eight-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale of Chinese version (C-MMAS-8) and to further analyze the adherence-related variables. A total of 358 rural TB patients recruited through multi-stage randomized sampling participated in the survey. Data were collected by the use of interviewer-led questionnaires. First, the reliability and validity of the C-MMAS-8 were determined. Second, the adherence level was assessed, and factors related to low adherence were analyzed by using Pearson’s chi-square test and then in multiple logistic regression model. Finally, the prediction of the logistic model was assessed with Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves. The C-MMAS-8 could be used to detect low adherence in TB patients with good reliability and validity. By using the referred cutoff points of MMAS-8, it was found that more than one-third of the participants had low medication adherence. Further analysis revealed the variables of being older, a longer treatment time, and being depressive were significantly related to low adherence. The ROC of the model was assessed as good using the cutoff point. We conclude that appropriately tailored strategies are needed for health-care providers to help rural TB patients cope with low medication adherence.
The Empirical Relationship between Mining Industry Development and Environmental Pollution in China
Authors: Li Gerui , Lei Yalin , Ge Jianping , Wu Sanmang
Published: March 2017

This study uses a vector autoregression (VAR) model to analyze changes in pollutants among different mining industries and related policy in China from 2001 to 2014. The results show that: (1) because the pertinence of standards for mining waste water and waste gas emissions are not strong and because the maximum permissible discharge pollutant concentrations in these standards are too high, ammonia nitrogen and industrial sulfur dioxide discharges increased in most mining industries; (2) chemical oxygen demand was taken as an indicator of sewage treatment in environmental protection plans; hence, the chemical oxygen demand discharge decreased in all mining industries; (3) tax reduction policies, which are only implemented in coal mining and washing and extraction of petroleum and natural gas, decreased the industrial solid waste discharge in these two mining industries.
From General Aberrant Alternative Splicing in Cancers and Its Therapeutic Application to the Discovery of an Oncogenic DMTF1 Isoform
Authors: Tian Na , Li Jialiang , Shi Jinming , Sui Guangchao
Published: March 2017

Alternative pre-mRNA splicing is a crucial process that allows the generation of diversified RNA and protein products from a multi-exon gene. In tumor cells, this mechanism can facilitate cancer development and progression through both creating oncogenic isoforms and reducing the expression of normal or controllable protein species. We recently demonstrated that an alternative cyclin D-binding myb-like transcription factor 1 (DMTF1) pre-mRNA splicing isoform, DMTF1β, is increasingly expressed in breast cancer and promotes mammary tumorigenesis in a transgenic mouse model. Aberrant pre-mRNA splicing is a typical event occurring for many cancer-related functional proteins. In this review, we introduce general aberrant pre-mRNA splicing in cancers and discuss its therapeutic application using our recent discovery of the oncogenic DMTF1 isoform as an example. We also summarize new insights in designing novel targeting strategies of cancer therapies based on the understanding of deregulated pre-mRNA splicing mechanisms.
The CpG Dinucleotide Adjacent to a κB Site Affects NF-κB Function through Its Methylation
Authors: Wang Tao , Li Jinge , Ding Ke , Zhang Li , Che Qiuru , Sun Xiuming , Dai Yumeng , Sun Wei , Bao Meiying , Wang Xiaochun , Yang Liquan , Li Zhiwei
Published: March 2017

NF-κB is an important transcription factor that plays critical roles in cell survival, proliferation, inflammation, and cancers. Although the majority of experimentally identified functional NF-κB binding sites (κB sites) match the consensus sequence, there are plenty of non-functional NF-κB consensus sequences in the genome. We analyzed the surrounding sequences of the known κB sites that perfectly match the GGGRNNYYCC consensus sequence and identified the nucleotide at the -1 position of κB sites as a key contributor to the binding of the κB sites by NF-κB. We demonstrated that a cytosine at the -1 position of a κB site (-1C) could be methylated, which thereafter impaired NF-κB binding and/or function. In addition, all -1C κB sites are located in CpG islands and are conserved during evolution only when they are within CpG islands. Interestingly, when there are multiple NF-κB binding possibilities, methylation of -1C might increase NF-κB binding. Our finding suggests that a single nucleotide at the -1 position of a κB site could be a critical factor in NF-κB functioning and could be exploited as an additional manner to regulate the expression of NF-κB target genes.
Exosomes: From Garbage Bins to Promising Therapeutic Targets
Authors: H. Rashed Mohammed , Bayraktar Emine , K. Helal Gouda , Abd-Ellah Mohamed , Amero Paola , Chavez-Reyes Arturo , Rodriguez-Aguayo Cristian
Published: March 2017

Intercellular communication via cell-released vesicles is a very important process for both normal and tumor cells. Cell communication may involve exosomes, small vesicles of endocytic origin that are released by all types of cells and are found in abundance in body fluids, including blood, saliva, urine, and breast milk. Exosomes have been shown to carry lipids, proteins, mRNAs, non-coding RNAs, and even DNA out of cells. They are more than simply molecular garbage bins, however, in that the molecules they carry can be taken up by other cells. Thus, exosomes transfer biological information to neighboring cells and through this cell-to-cell communication are involved not only in physiological functions such as cell-to-cell communication, but also in the pathogenesis of some diseases, including tumors and neurodegenerative conditions. Our increasing understanding of why cells release exosomes and their role in intercellular communication has revealed the very complex and sophisticated contribution of exosomes to health and disease. The aim of this review is to reveal the emerging roles of exosomes in normal and pathological conditions and describe the controversial biological role of exosomes, as it is now understood, in carcinogenesis. We also summarize what is known about exosome biogenesis, composition, functions, and pathways and discuss the potential clinical applications of exosomes, especially as biomarkers and novel therapeutic agents.
Candida glabrata Biofilms: How Far Have We Come?
Authors: Rodrigues Célia , Rodrigues Maria , Silva Sónia , Henriques Mariana
Published: March 2017

Infections caused by Candida species have been increasing in the last decades and can result in local or systemic infections, with high morbidity and mortality. After Candida albicans, Candida glabrata is one of the most prevalent pathogenic fungi in humans. In addition to the high antifungal drugs resistance and inability to form hyphae or secret hydrolases, C. glabrata retain many virulence factors that contribute to its extreme aggressiveness and result in a low therapeutic response and serious recurrent candidiasis, particularly biofilm formation ability. For their extraordinary organization, especially regarding the complex structure of the matrix, biofilms are very resistant to antifungal treatments. Thus, new approaches to the treatment of C. glabrata’s biofilms are emerging. In this article, the knowledge available on C. glabrata’s resistance will be highlighted, with a special focus on biofilms, as well as new therapeutic alternatives to control them.
Identifying Employment Subcenters: The Method of Exponentially Declining Cutoffs
Authors: Ban Jifei , Arnott Richard , Macdonald Jacob
Published: March 2017

The standard method of identifying subcenters is due to Giuliano and Small. While simple, robust and easy to apply, because it uses absolute employment density and employment cutoffs, it identiﬁes “too few” subcenters at the metropolitan periphery. This paper presents a straight forward modiﬁcation to this method aimed at remedying this weakness. The modiﬁcation entails using cutoffs that decline exponentially with distance from the metropolitan center, thereby giving consideration to the employment density of a location relative to that of its locality. In urban studies, there is a long history of estimating employment density “gradients”, the exponential rate at which employment density declines with distance from the metropolitan center. These density gradients differ substantially across metropolitan areas and across time for a particular metropolitan area. Applying our method to Los Angeles, Calgary and Paris, we have found that using cutoffs that decline exponentially at one-half the estimated density gradients achieves an appealing balance between subcenters identiﬁed close to the metropolitan center and those identiﬁed at the metropolitan periphery. Many other methods of subcenter identiﬁcation have been proposed that use sophisticated econometric procedures. Our method should appeal to practitioners who are looking for a simple method to apply.
Mechanical Properties of ZTO, ITO, and a-Si:H Multilayer Films for Flexible Thin Film Solar Cells
Authors: Hengst Claudia , Menzel Siegfried , Rane Gayatri , Smirnov Vladimir , Wilken Karen , Leszczynska Barbara , Fischer Dustin , Prager Nicole
Published: March 2017

The behavior of bi- and trilayer coating systems for flexible a-Si:H based solar cells consisting of a barrier, an electrode, and an absorption layer is studied under mechanical load. First, the film morphology, stress, Young’s modulus, and crack onset strain (COS) were analyzed for single film coatings of various thickness on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates. In order to demonstrate the role of the microstructure of a single film on the mechanical behavior of the whole multilayer coating, two sets of InSnOx (indium tin oxide, ITO) conductive coatings were prepared. Whereas a characteristic grain–subgrain structure was observed in ITO-1 films, grain growth was suppressed in ITO-2 films. ITO-1 bilayer coatings showed two-step failure under tensile load with cracks propagating along the ITO-1/a-Si:H-interface, whereas channeling cracks in comparable bi- and trilayers based on amorphous ITO-2 run through all constituent layers. A two-step failure is preferable from an application point of view, as it may lead to only a degradation of the performance instead of the ultimate failure of the device. Hence, the results demonstrate the importance of a fine-tuning of film microstructure not only for excellent electrical properties, but also for a high mechanical performance of flexible devices (e.g., a-Si:H based solar cells) during fabrication in a roll-to-roll process or under service.
Effect of Solidification Behavior on Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of Ni-Cr-Fe Superalloy Investment Casting
Authors: Kang Maodong , Wang Jun , Gao Haiyan , Han Yanfeng , Wang Guoxiang , He Shuxian
Published: March 2017

The effect of solidification behavior on the microstructures and mechanical properties of Ni-Cr-Fe superalloy investment casting is given. Metallographic and image analysis have been used to quantitatively examine the microstructures’ evolution. For the parts with the thickness of 3 mm and 24 mm, the volume fraction and maximum equivalent radius of the Laves phase increases from 0.3% to 1.2%, from 11.7 μm to 23.4 μm, respectively. Meanwhile, the volume fraction and maximum equivalent radius of carbides increase from 0.3% to 0.5%, from 8.1 μm to 9.9 μm, respectively. In addition, the volume fraction of microporosity increases from 0.3% to 2.7%. As a result, the ultimate tensile strength is reduced from 1125.5 MPa to 820.9 MPa, the elongation from 13.3% to 7.7%, and the quality index from 1294.2 MPa to 954.0 MPa, respectively. A typical brittle fracture is observed on the tensile fracture. As the cooling rate decreases, the microstructures become coarser.
Wettability and Contact Time on a Biomimetic Superhydrophobic Surface
Authors: Liang Yunhong , Peng Jian , Li Xiujuan , Huang Jubin , Qiu Rongxian , Zhang Zhihui , Ren Luquan
Published: March 2017

Inspired by the array microstructure of natural superhydrophobic surfaces (lotus leaf and cicada wing), an array microstructure was successfully constructed by high speed wire electrical discharge machining (HS-WEDM) on the surfaces of a 7075 aluminum alloy without any chemical treatment. The artificial surfaces had a high apparent contact angle of 153° ± 1° with a contact angle hysteresis less than 5° and showed a good superhydrophobic property. Wettability, contact time, and the corresponding superhydrophobic mechanism of artificial superhydrophobic surface were investigated. The results indicated that the micro-scale array microstructure was an important factor for the superhydrophobic surface, while different array microstructures exhibited different effects on the wettability and contact time of the artificial superhydrophobic surface. The length (L), interval (S), and height (H) of the array microstructure are the main influential factors on the wettability and contact time. The order of importance of these factors is H > S > L for increasing the apparent contact angle and reducing the contact time. The method, using HS-WEDM to fabricate superhydrophobic surface, is simple, low-cost, and environmentally friendly and can easily control the wettability and contact time on the artificial surfaces by changing the array microstructure.
Purification and Identification of Antioxidant Peptides from Protein Hydrolysate of Scalloped Hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) Cartilage
Authors: Li Xue-Rong , Chi Chang-Feng , Li Li , Wang Bin
Published: March 2017

The aim of this study was to purify and identify peptides with antioxidant properties from protein hydrolysate of scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) cartilage. Cartilaginous proteins of the scalloped hammerhead were extracted by guanidine hydrochloride, and three antioxidant peptides, named enzymolysis peptide of scalloped hammerhead cartilage A (SCPE-A), SCPE-B and SCPE-C, were subsequently isolated from the hydrolysate of the cartilaginous proteins using ultrafiltration and chromatography. The amino acid sequences of SCPE-A, SCPE-B and SCPE-C were identified as Gly-Pro-Glu (GPE), Gly-Ala-Arg-Gly-Pro-Gln (GARGPQ), and Gly-Phe-Thr-Gly-Pro-Pro-Gly-Phe-Asn-Gly (GFTGPPGFNG), with molecular weights of 301.30 Da, 584.64 Da and 950.03 Da, respectively. As per in vitro activity testing, SCPE-A, SCPE-B and SCPE-C exhibited strong scavenging activities on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals (DPPH•) (half elimination ratio (EC50) 2.43, 2.66 and 1.99 mg/mL), hydroxyl radicals (HO•) (EC50 0.28, 0.21 and 0.15 mg/mL), 2,2′-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid radicals (ABTS+•) (EC50 0.24, 0.18 and 0.29 mg/mL), and superoxide anion radicals ( O 2 − •) (EC50 0.10, 0.14 and 0.11 mg/mL). In addition, SCPE-A showed inhibition activity similar to butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) in lipid peroxidation in a linoleic acid model system. The amino acid residues of Gly, Pro and Phe could positively influence the antioxidant activities of GPE, GARGPQ and GFTGPPGFNG. These results suggested that GPE, GARGPQ and GFTGPPGFNG might serve as potential antioxidants and be used as food additives and functional foods.