bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of NASD Rule 2711 and NYSE Rule 472 on Analyst Behavior: The Strategic Timing of Recommendations Issued on Weekends
Authors: Dong Yi , Hu Nan
Published: May 2016

Amendments to NASD Rule 2711 and NYSE Rule 472, enacted in May 2002, mandate that sell‐side analysts disclose the distribution of their security recommendations by buy, hold and sell category. This regulation enhances the transparency of analysts’ information and mitigates the long‐recognized optimistic bias in their recommendations. However, we find that analysts are more likely to issue sell recommendations or downgrade revisions on weekends when investors have limited attention after these rule changes. This pattern is more pronounced for prestigious analysts, who are more likely to influence stock prices. Market reaction tests reveal an incomplete immediate response and a greater drift to unfavorable recommendations issued on weekends. Finally, analysts who are more likely to release unfavorable recommendations on weekends exhibit higher future forecast accuracy. Our findings suggest that, while these regulatory changes effectively reduce analysts’ optimistic bias, they are also associated with an increased prevalence of a different form of distortion in the capital market.
Genetic divergence and isolation by thermal environment in geothermal populations of an aquatic invertebrate
Authors: Johansson M. P. , Quintela M. , Laurila A.
Published: May 2016

Temperature is one of the most influential forces of natural selection impacting all biological levels. In the face of increasing global temperatures, studies over small geographic scales allowing investigations on the effects of gene flow are of great value for understanding thermal adaptation. Here, we investigated genetic population structure in the freshwater gastropod Radix balthica originating from contrasting thermal habitats in three areas of geothermal activity in Iceland. Snails from 32 sites were genotyped at 208 AFLP loci. Five AFLPs were identified as putatively under divergent selection in Lake Mývatn, a geothermal lake with an almost 20 °C difference in mean temperature across a distance of a few kilometres. In four of these loci, variation across all study populations was correlated with temperature. We found significant population structure in neutral markers both within and between the areas. Cluster analysis using neutral markers classified the sites mainly by geography, whereas analyses using markers under selection differentiated the sites based on temperature. Isolation by distance was stronger in the neutral than in the outlier loci. Pairwise differences based on outlier FST were significantly correlated with temperature at different spatial scales, even after correcting for geographic distance or neutral pairwise FST differences. In general, genetic variation decreased with increasing environmental temperature, possibly suggesting that natural selection had reduced the genetic diversity in the warm origin sites. Our results emphasize the influence of environmental temperature on the genetic structure of populations and suggest local thermal adaptation in these geothermal habitats.
Coeliac disease and the gluten‐free diet: a review of the burdens; factors associated with adherence and impact on health‐related quality of life, with specific focus on adolescence
Authors: White L. E. , Bannerman E. , Gillett P. M.
Published: May 2016

Adherence and non‐adherence to a gluten‐free diet (GFD) may impact negatively on health‐related quality of life (HRQoL). Understanding the factors that influence compliance could help inform management and also guide support. With a particular focus on adolescence, this narrative review critiques current literature on the burdens associated with following a GFD and the factors associated with adherence. Studies highlight a variety of burdens faced by individuals with coeliac disease, including the cost, access and availability of gluten‐free (GF) foods, as well as the dilemmas experienced when eating out, travelling and socialising with friends. A number of studies report that adolescents face stigmatisation and feel isolated in social situations and at school. Additional burdens that are highlighted are a lack of knowledge regarding CD and GFD difficulties in interpreting food labels, as well as dissatisfaction with the organoleptic properties of GF foods. Factors associated with poor adherence in adolescence include older age, an absence of immediate symptoms, difficulties eating out and poor palatability of GF foods. Conversely, better emotional support and stronger organisation skills have been associated with superior adherence. Significant associations have been reported between HRQoL measures and adherence, although the findings are inconsistent. Limitations in research methodologies exist and data are restricted to just a few countries. Further research specific to adolescence is required to identify independent predictors of adherence.
A Hybrid Approach for Assessing the Multi‐Scale Impacts of Urban Resource Use: Transportation in Phoenix, Arizona
Authors: Clark Susan Spierre , Chester Mikhail V.
Published: May 2016

Life cycle assessment (LCA) and urban metabolism (UM) are popular approaches for urban system environmental assessment. However, both approaches have challenges when used across spatial scales. LCA tends to decompose systemic information into micro‐level functional units that mask complexity and purpose, whereas UM typically equates aggregated material and energy flows with impacts and is not ideal for revealing the mechanisms or alternatives available to reduce systemic environmental risks. This study explores the value of integrating UM with LCA, using vehicle transportation in the Phoenix metropolitan area as an illustrative case study. Where other studies have focused on the use of LCA providing upstream supply‐chain impacts for UM, we assert that the broader value of the integrated approach is in (1) the ability to cross scales (from micro to macro) in environmental assessment and (2) establishing an analysis that captures function and complexity in urban systems. The results for Phoenix show the complexity in resource supply chains and critical infrastructure services, how impacts accrue well beyond geopolitical boundaries where activities occur, and potential system vulnerabilities.
Biochemical and electrophysiological characterization of N‐glycans on NMDA receptor subunits
Authors: Kaniakova Martina , Lichnerova Katarina , Skrenkova Kristyna , Vyklicky Ladislav , Horak Martin
Published: May 2016

In mammals, excitatory synapses contain two major types of ionotropic glutamate receptors: α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolepropionic acid receptors and N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate receptors (NMDARs). Both receptor types are comprised of several subunits that are post‐translationally modified by N‐glycosylation. However, the precise N‐glycans that are attached to these receptor types are largely unknown. Here, we used biochemistry to confirm that native NMDARs are extensively N‐glycosylated; moreover, we found that the NMDAR GluN2B subunit differs from GluN1 subunits with respect to endoglycosidase H sensitivity. Next, we used a complete panel of lectins to determine the glycan composition of NMDARs in both cerebellar tissue and cultured cerebellar granule cells. Our experiments identified 23 lectins that pulled down both the GluN1 and GluN2B NMDAR subunits. We then performed an electrophysiological analysis using representative lectins and found that pre‐incubating cerebellar granule cells with the AAL, WGA, or ConA alters the receptor's biophysical properties; this lectin‐mediated effect was eliminated when the cells were deglycosylated with peptide‐N‐glycosidase F. Similar lectin‐mediated effects were observed using HEK293 cells that express recombinant GluN1/GluN2B receptors. Finally, using mutant recombinant GluN subunits expressed in HEK293 cells, we found that 11 out of 12 predicted N‐glycosylation sites in GluN1 and 7 out of 7 N‐glycosylation sites in GluN2B are occupied by N‐glycans. These data provide new insight into the role that N‐glycosylation plays in regulating the function of NMDA receptors in the central nervous system. All animal experiments were performed in accordance with relevant institutional ethics guidelines and regulations with respect to protecting animal welfare.

image

We examined the N‐glycan composition of NMDA receptors (NMDARs) using deglycosylating enzymes, lectin‐based biochemistry, and electrophysiology. Our results revealed that cerebellar NMDARs associate with 23 different lectins that have unique specificities for glycan structures. Furthermore, we found that 11 out of 12 predicted N‐glycosylation sites in GluN1 and 7 out of 7 N‐glycosylation sites in GluN2B are occupied by N‐glycans. These data shed light on the glycan composition of NMDARs, revealing potential targets for the development of novel therapeutic approaches.
Capital Investment, Innovative Capacity, and Stock Returns
Authors: KUMAR PRAVEEN , LI DONGMEI
Published: May 2016

We study the dynamic implications of capital investment in innovative capacity (IC) on future stock returns, investment, and profitability by modeling the unique effects of IC investment on uncertain option generation/exercise and postexercise revenue. The model highlights the diverse effects of IC investment on expected returns in different postinvestment regimes and yields the novel prediction that, under the neoclassical assumption of nonincreasing revenue returns, IC investment is positively related to subsequent cumulative stock returns with a lag. The model also predicts a positive effect of IC investment on future investment and profitability. We find strong empirical support for these predictions.
Selective intestinal decontamination with norfloxacin enhances a regulatory T cell‐mediated inflammatory control mechanism in cirrhosis
Authors: Juanola Oriol , Gómez‐Hurtado Isabel , Zapater Pedro , Moratalla Alba , Caparrós Esther , Piñero Paula , González‐Navajas José M. , Giménez Paula , Such José , Francés Rubén
Published: May 2016

Background & Aims

Norfloxacin exerts immunomodulatory effects in cirrhosis beyond its bactericidal activity. We aimed at identifying the role of regulatory T (Treg) cells in the norfloxacin mechanism that compensates the inflammatory environment in cirrhosis.

Patients & Methods

Consecutively admitted patients with cirrhosis and ascitic fluid (AF) with: spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP), non‐infected AF, and norfloxacin as secondary SBP prophylaxis (SID group). Tregs were defined by flow‐cytometry as CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ cells. Dendritic cells (DCs) were purified for co‐stimulatory signalling evaluation and norfloxacin and IL‐10 levels were measured in serum. Wildtype and recombination activating gene 1 (Rag1)‐deficient mice with CCl4‐induced cirrhosis were used for adoptive‐transfer experiments using naïve CD4+ T cells and Tregs.

Results

Eighty‐four patients were included. Treg percentage was significantly increased in SID patients compared with SBP or non‐infected AF patients. A positive correlation was observed between Tregs and serum norfloxacin and IL‐10 levels. DCs from SID patients showed a significantly decreased expression of CD80 and CD86 compared with SBP and non‐infected AF patients and correlated with norfloxacin levels. Modulation of co‐stimulatory signalling by norfloxacin was not detected in Rag1‐deficient mice and Rag1‐deficient mice reconstituted with naïve T‐cells. However, reconstitution with naïve T‐cells and Tregs was associated with significantly downregulated CD80 and CD86 expression in the presence of norfloxacin. Norfloxacin immunomodulatory effect on IL‐2 and IFN‐gamma reduction and on the increase of IL‐10 was significantly achieved only when the Tregs were restored in Rag1‐deficient mice.

Conclusions

These results provide a plausible mechanism for the immunomodulatory effects of norfloxacin in cirrhosis beyond its bactericidal effect.
Three‐dimensional organotypic culture of human salivary glands: the slice culture model
Authors: Su X , Fang D , Liu Y , Ramamoorthi M , Zeitouni A , Chen W , Tran SD
Published: May 2016

Objective

A challenge in studying human salivary glands is to maintain the cells ex vivo in their three‐dimensional (3D) morphology with an intact native extracellular matrix (ECM) environment. This paper established a human salivary 3D organotypic slice culture model that could maintain its physiological functions as well as allowing a direct visualization of the cells.

Methods

Human salivary biopsies from six patients were embedded in agarose and submerged in cold buffer for thin (50 μm) sectioning using a vibratome. ‘Salivary slices’ were mechanically supported by a porous membrane insert that allowed an air–liquid interface and cultured in serum‐free culture media. Cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis, physiological functions, and gene expression were assessed during 14 days of culture.

Results

Human salivary slices maintained cell survival (70–40%) and proliferation (6–17%) for 14 days ex vivo. The protein secretory (amylase) function decreased, but fluid (intracellular calcium mobilization) function was maintained. Acinar, ductal, and myoepithelial cell populations survived and maintained their 3D organization within the slice culture model.

Conclusion

The human salivary slice culture model kept cells alive ex vivo for 14 days as well as maintaining their 3D morphology and physiological functions.
The STBUR questionnaire for identifying children at risk for sleep‐disordered breathing and postoperative opioid‐related adverse events
Authors: Tait Alan R. , Bickham Rebecca , O'Brien Louise M. , Quinlan Megan , Voepel‐Lewis Terri
Published: May 2016

Background

Children with symptoms of sleep‐disordered breathing (SDB) appear to be at risk for perioperative respiratory events (PRAE). Furthermore, these children may be more sensitive to the respiratory‐depressant effects of opioids compared with children without SDB.

Aims

The aim of this prospective observational study was to confirm that otherwise healthy children with symptoms of SDB are at greater risk for PRAE compared with children with no symptoms and to determine if these children are also at increased risk for postoperative opioid‐related adverse events (ORAE).

Methods

Six hundred and seventy‐eight parents of children scheduled for surgery completed the Snoring, Trouble Breathing, and Un‐Refreshed (STBUR) questionnaire preoperatively. Data regarding the incidence of PRAE were collected prospectively. Postoperative pulse oximetry desaturation alarm events were downloaded from the institutional secondary alarm notification system.

Results

Children with symptoms of SDB per STBUR (≥3 symptoms) had a two‐fold increased likelihood of PRAE compared with children without SDB (52.8% vs 27.9% respectively, LR+ = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.60–2.49, P = 0.0001). A subset analysis of children undergoing airway procedures requiring hospital admittance (n = 179) showed that those with SDB were given the same postoperative opioid doses as children without SDB. However, children with SDB symptoms generated a greater number of postoperative oxygen desaturation alarms (14.14 ± 29.3 vs 7.12 ± 13.2, mean difference = 7.02, 95% CI = 0.39–13.64, P = 0.038) and more frequently required escalation of care (15.3% vs 7.1%, LR+ = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.22–2.16, P = 0.001) compared with children with no SDB symptoms.

Conclusions

Children presenting for surgery with SDB symptoms are at increased risk for PRAE. Children undergoing airway‐related procedures also appear to be at increased risk for ORAE. Furthermore, regardless of the preoperative assessment of risk using the STBUR questionnaire, children received the same doses of opioids postoperatively. Given the increased incidence of postoperative oxygen desaturations among children with SDB symptoms, it would seem prudent to consider titration of opioid doses according to identified risk.
Mediating Indigeneity: Public Space and the Making of Political Identity in Andean Peru
Authors: Hirsch Eric
Published: May 2016

This article investigates the relationship between political identity and public space in the communities of the Colca Valley, in Peru's rural Andes, by examining two moments in which the built environment became a medium for formatting and engaging a local indigeneity. The first is the colonial invasion, during which the reducción plan condensed and dispersed “unruly” native subjects around a public square and a church. The second is the contemporary moment, in which that same space is used to stage audits, evaluations, and competitions in the context of a development paradigm shifting from service provision to investing in indigeneity by financing the promotion of entrepreneurial and agricultural practices that organizations classify as typically indigenous. This article offers two arguments: (1) in the colonial era, notions of indigenous identity configured efforts to improve and regulate daily life—or, to achieve development; and (2) through changing historical contexts, the built environment is used as a medium for defining Colcan indigeneity, deploying it to generate strategic knowledge and regulatory force, and investing it with the potential for various kinds of salvation. This approach suggests that transnational paradigms do not simply “touch down,” but also, adjust and push existing dynamics through the local media at their disposal.
γ‐Aminobutyric acid addition alleviates ammonium toxicity by limiting ammonium accumulation in rice (Oryza sativa) seedlings
Authors: Ma Xiaoling , Zhu Changhua , Yang Na , Gan Lijun , Xia Kai
Published: May 2016

Excessive use of nitrogen (N) fertilizer has increased ammonium (NH4+) accumulation in many paddy soils to levels that reduce rice vegetative biomass and yield. Based on studies of NH4+ toxicity in rice (Oryza sativa, Nanjing 44) seedlings cultured in agar medium, we found that NH4+ concentrations above 0.75 mM inhibited the growth of rice and caused NH4+ accumulation in both shoots and roots. Use of excessive NH4+ also induced rhizosphere acidification and inhibited the absorption of K, Ca, Mg, Fe and Zn in rice seedlings. Under excessive NH4+ conditions, exogenous γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) treatment limited NH4+ accumulation in rice seedlings, reduced NH4+ toxicity symptoms and promoted plant growth. GABA addition also reduced rhizosphere acidification and alleviated the inhibition of Ca, Mg, Fe and Zn absorption caused by excessive NH4+. Furthermore, we found that the activity of glutamine synthetase/NADH‐glutamate synthase (GS; EC 6.3.1.2/NADH‐GOGAT; EC1.4.1.14) in root increased gradually as the NH4+ concentration increased. However, when the concentration of NH4+ is more than 3 mM, GABA treatment inhibited NH4+‐induced increases in GS/NADH‐GOGAT activity. The inhibition of ammonium assimilation may restore the elongation of seminal rice roots repressed by high NH4+. These results suggest that mitigation of ammonium accumulation and assimilation is essential for GABA‐dependent alleviation of ammonium toxicity in rice seedlings.
Fiscal Uncertainty and Currency Crises
Authors: Gumus Inci
Published: May 2016

Fiscal deficits have been put forward as the main factor in the occurrence of currency crises by the first‐generation currency crisis models. While most papers within this framework consider a fiscal deficit that occurs with certainty, in reality an increase in the government's fiscal burden may be an uncertain outcome. This paper introduces a model where there is uncertainty about the occurrence of a fiscal deficit for a finite number of periods, and studies the effects of such uncertainty on the evolution of currency crises. If the fiscal deficit materializes, the government has to abandon the fixed exchange rate regime, as in the standard case. However, the paper shows that the peg becomes unsustainable even if the fiscal deficit never materializes. Therefore, a speculative attack occurs and the fixed exchange rate regime collapses with the mere possibility of a deficit, independently of whether this outcome actually occurs or not.
Institutional Determinants of Financial Development in MENA countries
Authors: Cherif Mondher , Dreger Christian
Published: May 2016

Developed and well regulated financial markets are usually seen as a precondition for an efficient allocation of resources and can foster long term economic growth. This paper explores the institutional determinants for financial development in the countries of the Middle East and North African (MENA) region. Institutional conditions are from the International Country Risk Guide. Panel‐econometric techniques are applied to assess the development in the banking sector and the stock market. As a main finding, institutional conditions are important in both financial segments, even after controlling for standard macroeconomic determinants and fixed effects. For the banking sector, corruption seems to be most decisive. For the stock market, the impact of corruption and law and order appear to be relevant. While per capita income and inflation do not seem to play a vital role, openness to foreign trade is quite important for all areas of financial development. Hence, overall, faster real economic integration is of key policy priority to improve financial development as a condition for higher GDP growth. Better law and enforcement practices and anti‐corruption policies are strategies to accompany this process.
Why are rods more sensitive than cones?
Authors: Ingram Norianne T. , Sampath Alapakkam P. , Fain Gordon L.
Published: May 2016

One hundred and fifty years ago Max Schultze first proposed the duplex theory of vision, that vertebrate eyes have two types of photoreceptor cells with differing sensitivity: rods for dim light and cones for bright light and colour detection. We now know that this division is fundamental not only to the photoreceptors themselves but to the whole of retinal and visual processing. But why are rods more sensitive, and how did the duplex retina first evolve? Cells resembling cones are very old, first appearing among cnidarians; the emergence of rods was a key step in the evolution of the vertebrate eye. Many transduction proteins have different isoforms in rods and cones, and others are expressed at different levels. Moreover rods and cones have a different anatomy, with only rods containing membranous discs enclosed by the plasma membrane. These differences must be responsible for the difference in absolute sensitivity, but which are essential? Recent research particularly expressing cone proteins in rods or changing the level of expression seem to show that many of the molecular differences in the activation and decay of the response may have each made a small contribution as evolution proceeded stepwise with incremental increases in sensitivity. Rod outer‐segment discs were not essential and developed after single‐photon detection. These experiments collectively provide a new understanding of the two kinds of photoreceptors and help to explain how gene duplication and the formation of rod‐specific proteins produced the duplex retina, which has remained remarkably constant in physiology from amphibians to man.

image
Short-term annoyance reactions to stationary and time-varying wind turbine and road traffic noise: A laboratory study
Authors: Schäffer Beat , Schlittmeier Sabine J. , Pieren Reto , Heutschi Kurt , Brink Mark , Graf Ralf , Hellbrück Jürgen
Published: May 2016

Current literature suggests that wind turbine noise is more annoying than transportation noise. To date, however, it is not known which acoustic characteristics of wind turbines alone, i.e., without effect modifiers such as visibility, are associated with annoyance. The objective of this study was therefore to investigate and compare the short-term noise annoyance reactions to wind turbines and road traffic in controlled laboratory listening tests. A set of acoustic scenarios was created which, combined with the factorial design of the listening tests, allowed separating the individual associations of three acoustic characteristics with annoyance, namely, source type (wind turbine, road traffic), A-weighted sound pressure level, and amplitude modulation (without, periodic, random). Sixty participants rated their annoyance to the sounds. At the same A-weighted sound pressure level, wind turbine noise was found to be associated with higher annoyance than road traffic noise, particularly with amplitude modulation. The increased annoyance to amplitude modulation of wind turbines is not related to its periodicity, but seems to depend on the modulation frequency range. The study discloses a direct link of different acoustic characteristics to annoyance, yet the generalizability to long-term exposure in the field still needs to be verified.
Pharmacokinetics and Safety of Tenofovir Alafenamide in HIV-Uninfected Subjects with Severe Renal Impairment
Authors: Custodio Joseph M. , Fordyce Marshall , Garner William , Vimal Mona , Ling Kah Hiing J. , Kearney Brian P. , Ramanathan Srinivasan
Published: May 2016

Tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) is an oral prodrug of tenofovir (TFV) that has greater stability in plasma than TFV disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and circulates as intact TAF, resulting in the direct and higher lymphatic loading of and exposure to TFV diphosphate, the active moiety. Unlike TFV, TAF is minimally eliminated in urine. The pharmacokinetics (PK) of TAF and TFV in HIV-uninfected subjects with severe renal impairment and matched healthy controls were evaluated. Subjects with severe renal impairment (RI; estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR], 15 to 29 ml/min) and controls (eGFR, ≥90 ml/min) matched for age, gender, and body mass index received a single dose of TAF at 25 mg. Blood and urine samples for TAF and TFV PK determinations were collected over 7 days postdosing, and subjects were followed up at 14 days. A total of 14 renally impaired subjects and 13 control subjects enrolled and completed the study. The TAF maximum observed concentration in plasma (
C
max
) and the area under the concentration-versus-time curve (AUC) extrapolated to infinite time (AUC
inf
) were 79% and 92% higher, respectively, in subjects with severe RI than the controls, primarily due to higher absorption. The TFV
C
max
and AUC
inf
were 2.8-fold and 5.7-fold higher, respectively, in subjects with severe RI than the controls. In subjects with severe RI, TAF at 25 mg provided a TFV AUC 10 to 40% lower than that from historical TDF-based TFV exposures in subjects with normal renal function. There were no discontinuations due to adverse events. In subjects with severe RI receiving TAF at 25 mg, TAF exposures were higher than those for the controls; these differences are unlikely to be clinically meaningful. TFV exposures were higher than those for the controls but lower than the exposures in nonrenally impaired subjects on TDF-based regimens.
In Vitro
Synergism between Azithromycin or Terbinafine and Topical Antimicrobial Agents against Pythium insidiosum
Authors: Itaqui Sabrina R. , Verdi Camila M. , Tondolo Juliana S. M. , da Luz Thaisa S. , Alves Sydney H. , Santurio Janio M. , Loreto Érico S.
Published: May 2016

We describe here
in vitro
activity for the combination of azithromycin or terbinafine and benzalkonium, cetrimide, cetylpyridinium, mupirocin, triclosan, or potassium permanganate. With the exception of potassium permanganate, the remaining antimicrobial drugs were active and had an MIC
90
between 2 and 32 μg∕ml. The greatest synergism was observed for the combination of terbinafine and cetrimide (71.4%).
In vivo
experimental evaluations will clarify the potential of these drugs for the topical treatment of lesions caused by
Pythium insidiosum
.
Simultaneous Determination of Eight β-Lactam Antibiotics, Amoxicillin, Cefazolin, Cefepime, Cefotaxime, Ceftazidime, Cloxacillin, Oxacillin, and Piperacillin, in Human Plasma by Using Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Ultraviolet Detection
Authors: Legrand Tiphaine , Vodovar Dominique , Tournier Nicolas , Khoudour Nihel , Hulin Anne
Published: May 2016

A simple and rapid ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) method using UV detection was developed for the simultaneous determination of eight β-lactam antibiotics in human plasma, including four penicillins, amoxicillin (AMX), cloxacillin (CLX), oxacillin (OXA), and piperacillin (PIP), and four cephalosporins, cefazolin (CFZ), cefepime (FEP), cefotaxime (CTX), and ceftazidime (CAZ). One hundred-microliter samples were spiked with thiopental as an internal standard, and proteins were precipitated by acetonitrile containing 0.1% formic acid. Separation was achieved on a pentafluorophenyl (PFP) column with a mobile phase composed of phosphoric acid (10 mM) and acetonitrile in gradient elution mode at a flow rate of 500 μl/min. Detection was performed at 230 nm for AMX, CLX, OXA, and PIP and 260 nm for CFZ, FEP, CTX, and CAZ. The total analysis time did not exceed 13 min. The method was found to be linear at concentrations ranging from 2 to 100 mg/liter for each compound, and all validation parameters fulfilled international requirements. Between- and within-run accuracy errors ranged from −5.2% to 11.4%, and precision was lower than 14.2%. This simple method requires small-volume samples and can easily be implemented in most clinical laboratories to promote the therapeutic drug monitoring of β-lactam antibiotics. The simultaneous determination of several antibiotics considerably reduces the time to results for clinicians, which may improve treatment efficiency, especially in critically ill patients.
Cefazolin versus Nafcillin for Methicillin-Sensitive Staphylococcus aureus Bloodstream Infection in a California Tertiary Medical Center
Authors: Pollett S. , Baxi S. M. , Rutherford G. W. , Doernberg S. B. , Bacchetti P. , Chambers H. F.
Published: May 2016

Recent observational studies have suggested possible reductions in mortality in patients receiving cefazolin versus antistaphylococcal penicillins. We examined 90-day mortality in patients receiving cefazolin compared to nafcillin for methicillin-susceptible
Staphylococcus aureu
s (MSSA) bloodstream infection (BSI). We identified persons with MSSA BSI admitted to San Francisco General Hospital from January 2008 to July 2013 through a hospital-wide infection surveillance system and confirmed 90-day mortality using U.S. national vital registries. We included persons receiving cefazolin or nafcillin as the predominant intravenous antimicrobial agent; all participants received inpatient Infectious Diseases service consultation. We estimated the association between receipt of cefazolin and 90-day risk of death by multivariate logistic regression, including a propensity score for receiving cefazolin as the second predictor. Of 230 MSSA BSI cases, 30 received nafcillin and 70 received cefazolin as the predominant antimicrobial; 10 died within 90 days, 5 from each group. Unadjusted analysis showed substantial but not statistically significant reduced odds of death in those receiving cefazolin (odds ratio, 0.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.10 to 1.44). Multivariate analysis with propensity scores found a similar adjusted odds ratio (0.40; 95% CI, 0.09 to 1.74;
P
= 0.22). We found a large reduction in 90-day mortality in those receiving cefazolin compared to nafcillin for MSSA BSI, but this finding was not statistically significant. The magnitude of effect seen in this and other studies justifies further study.
Imidazo[1,2-
a
]Pyridine-3-Carboxamides Are Active Antimicrobial Agents against Mycobacterium avium Infection
In Vivo
Authors: Moraski Garrett C. , Cheng Yong , Cho Sanghyun , Cramer Jeffrey W. , Godfrey Alexander , Masquelin Thierry , Franzblau Scott G. , Miller Marvin J. , Schorey Jeffery
Published: May 2016

A panel of six imidazo[1,2-
a
]pyridine-3-carboxamides (IAPs) were shown to have low-micromolar activity against
Mycobacterium avium
strains. Compound ND-10885 (compound 2) showed significant activity in the lung, spleen, and liver in a mouse
M. avium
infection model. A combined regimen consisting of ND-10885 (compound 2) and rifampin was additive in its anti-
M. avium
activity in the lung. Our data indicate that IAPs represent a new class of antibiotics that are active against
M. avium
and could potentially serve as an effective addition to a combined treatment regimen.
A climate change adaptive dynamic programming approach to optimize eucalypt stand management scheduling: a Portuguese application
Authors: Ferreira L. , Constantino M. , Borges J.G. , Garcia-Gonzalo J. , Barreiro S.
Published: May 2016

The aim of this paper is to present approaches to optimize stand-level, short-rotation coppice management planning, taking into account uncertainty in stand growth due to climate change. The focus is on addressing growth uncertainty through a range of climate scenarios so that an adaptive capacity may be possible and the vulnerability of the stand to climate change may be reduced. The optimization encompasses finding both the harvest age in each cycle and the number of coppice cycles within a full rotation that maximize net present revenue. The innovation lies in the combination of the process-based model (Glob3PG) with two dynamic programming (DP) approaches. The former is able to project growth of eucalypt stands under climate change scenarios. The innovative approaches are thus influential to define the management policy (e.g., stool thinning, number of coppice cycles, and cycle length) that maximizes net present revenue taking into account uncertainty in forest growth due to climate change. In both approaches, the state of the system is defined by the number of years since plantation, whereas DP stages are defined by the cumulative number of harvests. The first approach proposes the optimal policy under each climate change scenario at each state. The second approach addresses further situations when the climate scenario is unknown at the beginning of the planning horizon. Both help address uncertainty in an adaptive framework, as a set of readily available options is proposed for each scenario. Results of an application to a typical Eucalyptus globulus Labill. stand in central Portugal are discussed.
Welfare impacts of the 2006 United States – Canada Softwood Lumber Agreement
Authors: Parajuli Rajan , Zhang Daowei
Published: May 2016

In this paper, we evaluate the market and welfare effects of the 2006 United States (U.S.) – Canada Softwood Lumber Agreement (SLA 2006) based on a U.S. import demand model for Canadian softwood lumber. We find that SLA 2006 reduces the U.S. lumber imports from Canada by 7.78% in the months when export taxes took effect. The welfare analysis based on a partial equilibrium framework shows that U.S. lumber producers gained $1.6 billion and U.S. consumers lost $2.3 billion in 9 years under SLA 2006.
Electronically-Tunable Current-Mode Biquad Design Using MO-OTAs
Authors: Kircay Ali , Borekci Selim
Published: May 2016

In this paper, electronically-tunable, current-mode biquad is proposed by using multiple-output operational transconductance amplifiers (MO-OTAs). The proposed circuit has one input and two outputs. Without changing the circuit topology, low-pass (LP), and band-pass (BP) responses can be realized. The filter is realized by using two MO-OTAs, a single-output OTA (SO-OTA), a two-output OTA and two grounded capacitors. The biquad is designed based on first-order LP filter or lossy integrator blocks. The feedback block is applied to the filter circuit in order to obtain high quality factor values greater than 1/2. The center frequency and the quality factor of the LP and BP filters can be electronically tuned by DC current of OTAs. The total power dissipation of the proposed biquad is approximately 10[Formula: see text]mW at [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]V supplied voltage. The theoretical analysis is also confirmed with SPICE simulations.
EFFECT OF TRAFFIC DEMAND VARIATION ON ROAD NETWORK RESILIENCE
Authors: PATIL GOPAL R. , BHAVATHRATHAN B. K.
Published: May 2016

Certain capacity degradation levels increase travel times on road networks, while traffic demand remains met. Resilience of a road network is higher, if it can take-in higher levels of degradation without leaving any part of the demand unmet. It is important for planners to quantify this, and it can be obtained as the output of an optimization problem. The resultant measure of resilience is demand-specific. To generalize the resilience measure, its sensitivity to change in demand should be studied. We observe that irrespective of the difference in network size or network topology, resilience decreases with increase in demand. We perform computational experiments on different network topologies to investigate the relationship between network resilience and traffic demand. Based on this, we introduce the area under the demand-resilience curve as a generalized index of resilience (GIR). We compare the GIR with traditional network indicators and find that it is in certain ways, better.
Design and Simulation of a Cable-Driven Vertebra-Based Humanoid Torso
Authors: Cafolla Daniele , Ceccarelli Marco
Published: May 2016

Artificial torso is a fundamental part of humanoid robots with special features for mimicking human performance. In this paper, a novel torso design is presented with cable-driven vertebra-based solution, as inspired by human anatomy. Whereas the anatomy of the human torso and their joints are indeed very complex, a formulation for basic functioning of the humanoid torso has been developed. The structure is introduced by describing its main characteristics and performance starting from its kinematics up to design constrains. The design is presented with numerical results of dynamic simulation and FEM analysis with the aim of testing the feasibility of the proposed solution and characterizing its operation performance.
Algorithm 961
Authors: Benner Peter , Sima Vasile , Voigt Matthias
Published: May 2016

Skew-Hamiltonian/Hamiltonian matrix pencils λ S — H appear in many applications, including linear-quadratic optimal control problems, H
∞
-optimization, certain multibody systems, and many other areas in applied mathematics, physics, and chemistry. In these applications it is necessary to compute certain eigenvalues and/or corresponding deflating subspaces of these matrix pencils. Recently developed methods exploit and preserve the skew-Hamiltonian/Hamiltonian structure and hence increase the reliability, accuracy, and performance of the computations. In this article, we describe the corresponding algorithms which have been implemented in the style of subroutines of the Subroutine Library in Control Theory (SLICOT). Furthermore, we address some of their applications. We describe variants for real and complex problems, as well as implementation details and perform numerical tests using real-world examples to demonstrate the superiority of the new algorithms compared to standard methods.
Correlation-Aware Probabilistic Timing Analysis for the Dynamic Segment of FlexRay
Authors: Tanasa Bogdan , Bordoloi Unmesh D. , Eles Petru , Peng Zebo
Published: May 2016

We propose an analytical framework for probabilistic timing analysis of the event-triggered Dynamic segment of the FlexRay communication protocol. Specifically, our framework computes the Deadline Miss Ratio of each message. The core problem is formulated as a Mixed Integer Linear Program (MILP). Given the intractability of the problem, we also propose several techniques that help to mitigate the running times of our tool. This includes the re-engineering of the problem to run it on GPUs as well as reformulating the MILP itself.

Most importantly, we also show how our framework can handle correlations between the queuing events of messages. This is challenging because one cannot apply the convolution operator in the same way as in the case of independent queuing events.
Accurate Prediction of Available Battery Time for Mobile Applications
Authors: Kim Dongwon , Chon Yohan , Jung Wonwoo , Kim Yungeun , Cha Hojung
Published: May 2016

Energy consumption in mobile devices is an important issue for both system developers and users. Users are aware of the battery-related information of their mobile devices and tend to take appropriate actions to increase the battery life. In this article, we propose a framework that accurately estimates the remaining battery time of applications at runtime. The framework profiles the power behavior of applications tied with activated hardware components and estimates the remaining battery budget utilizing the battery-related data provided by the device. The experiments validate that our method predicts the remaining battery time for applications with approximately 93% of accuracy.
Evaluation and Improvements of Runtime Monitoring Methods for Real-Time Event Streams
Authors: Hu Biao , Huang Kai , Chen Gang , Cheng Long , Knoll Alois
Published: May 2016

Runtime monitoring is of great importance as a safeguard to guarantee the correctness of system runtime behaviors. Two state-of-the-art methods, dynamic counters and
l
-repetitive function, were recently developed to tackle the runtime monitoring for real-time systems. While both are reported to be efficient in monitoring arbitrary events, the monitoring performance between them has not yet been evaluated. This article evaluates both methods in depth, to identify their strengths and weaknesses. New methods are proposed to efficiently monitor the many-to-one connections that are abstracted as AND and OR components on multiple inputs. Representative scenarios are used as our case studies to quantitatively demonstrate the evaluations. Both methods are implemented in hardware F
pga
. The timing overhead and resource usages of implementing the two methods are evaluated.
Parallelizing Industrial Hard Real-Time Applications for the parMERASA Multicore
Authors: Ungerer Theo , Bradatsch Christian , Frieb Martin , Kluge Florian , Mische Jörg , Stegmeier Alexander , Jahr Ralf , Gerdes Mike , Zaykov Pavel , Matusova Lucie , Li Zai Jian Jia , Petrov Zlatko , Böddeker Bert , Kehr Sebastian , Regler Hans , Hugl Andreas , Rochange Christine , Ozaktas Haluk , Cassé Hugues , Bonenfant Armelle , Sainrat Pascal , Lay Nick , George David , Broster Ian , Quiñones Eduardo , Panic Milos , Abella Jaume , Hernandez Carles , Cazorla Francisco , Uhrig Sascha , Rohde Mathias , Pyka Arthur
Published: May 2016

The EC project parMERASA (Multicore Execution of Parallelized Hard Real-Time Applications Supporting Analyzability) investigated timing-analyzable parallel hard real-time applications running on a predictable multicore processor. A pattern-supported parallelization approach was developed to ease sequential to parallel program transformation based on parallel design patterns that are timing analyzable. The parallelization approach was applied to parallelize the following industrial hard real-time programs: 3D path planning and stereo navigation algorithms (Honeywell International s.r.o.), control algorithm for a dynamic compaction machine (BAUER Maschinen GmbH), and a diesel engine management system (DENSO AUTOMOTIVE Deutschland GmbH). This article focuses on the parallelization approach, experiences during parallelization with the applications, and quantitative results reached by simulation, by static WCET analysis with the OTAWA tool, and by measurement-based WCET analysis with the RapiTime tool.
Space-Time Correlations and Dynamic Coupling in Turbulent Flows
Authors: He Guowei , Jin Guodong , Yang Yue
Published: May 2016

Space-time correlation is a staple method for investigating the dynamic coupling of spatial and temporal scales of motion in turbulent flows. In this article, we review the space-time correlation models in both the Eulerian and Lagrangian frames of reference, which include the random sweeping and local straining models for isotropic and homogeneous turbulence, Taylor's frozen-flow model and the elliptic approximation model for turbulent shear flows, and the linear-wave propagation model and swept-wave model for compressible turbulence. We then focus on how space-time correlations are used to develop time-accurate turbulence models for the large-eddy simulation of turbulence-generated noise and particle-laden turbulence. We briefly discuss their applications to two-point closures for Kolmogorov's universal scaling of energy spectra and to the reconstruction of space-time energy spectra from a subset of spatial and temporal signals in experimental measurements. Finally, we summarize the current understanding of space-time correlations and conclude with future issues for the field.
Genomic Analysis of the Emergence, Evolution, and Spread of Human Respiratory RNA Viruses
Authors: Lam Tommy T.-Y. , Zhu Huachen , Guan Yi , Holmes Edward C.
Published: May 2016

The emergence and reemergence of rapidly evolving RNA viruses—particularly those responsible for respiratory diseases, such as influenza viruses and coronaviruses—pose a significant threat to global health, including the potential of major pandemics. Importantly, recent advances in high-throughput genome sequencing enable researchers to reveal the genomic diversity of these viral pathogens at much lower cost and with much greater precision than they could before. In particular, the genome sequence data generated allow inferences to be made on the molecular basis of viral emergence, evolution, and spread in human populations in real time. In this review, we introduce recent computational methods that analyze viral genomic data, particularly in combination with metadata such as sampling time, geographic location, and virulence. We then outline the insights these analyses have provided into the fundamental patterns and processes of evolution and emergence in human respiratory RNA viruses, as well as the major challenges in such genomic analyses.
Charge Transfer Dynamics from Photoexcited Semiconductor Quantum Dots
Authors: Zhu Haiming , Yang Ye , Wu Kaifeng , Lian Tianquan
Published: May 2016

Understanding photoinduced charge transfer from nanomaterials is essential to the many applications of these materials. This review summarizes recent progress in understanding charge transfer from quantum dots (QDs), an ideal model system for investigating fundamental charge transfer properties of low-dimensional quantum-confined nanomaterials. We first discuss charge transfer from QDs to weakly coupled acceptors within the framework of Marcus nonadiabatic electron transfer (ET) theory, focusing on the dependence of ET rates on reorganization energy, electronic coupling, and driving force. Because of the strong electron–hole interaction, we show that ET from QDs should be described by the Auger-assisted ET model, which is significantly different from ET between molecules or from bulk semiconductor electrodes. For strongly quantum-confined QDs on semiconductor surfaces, the coupling can fall within the strong coupling limit, in which case the donor–acceptor interaction and ET properties can be described by the Newns–Anderson model of chemisorption. We also briefly discuss recent progress in controlling charge transfer properties in quantum-confined nanoheterostructures through wavefunction engineering and multiple exciton dissociation. Finally, we identify a few key areas for further research.