bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Visceral Adiposity Index and Lipid Accumulation Product Index: Two Alternate Body Indices to Identify Chronic Kidney Disease among the Rural Population in Northeast China
Authors: Dai Dongxue , Chang Ye , Chen Yintao , Chen Shuang , Yu Shasha , Guo Xiaofan , Sun Yingxian
Published: December 2016

We aimed to compare the relative strength of the association between anthropometric obesity indices and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Another objective was to examine whether the visceral adiposity index (VAI) and lipid accumulation product index (LAPI) can identify CKD in the rural population of China. There were 5168 males and 6024 females involved in this cross-sectional study, and 237 participants (2.12%) suffered from CKD. Obesity indices included body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), VAI and LAPI. VAI and LAPI were calculated with triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), BMI and WC. VAI = [WC/39.68 + (1.88 × BMI)] × (TG /1.03) × (1.31/ HDL) for males; VAI = [WC/36.58 + (1.89 × BMI)] × (TG/0.81) × (1.52/HDL) for females. LAPI = (WC-65) × TG for males, LAPI = (WC-58) × TG for females. CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of less than 60 mL/min per 1.73 m2. The prevalence of CKD increased across quartiles for WHtR, VAI and LAPI. A multivariate logistic regression analysis of the presence of CKD for the highest quartile vs. the lowest quartile of each anthropometric measure showed that the VAI was the best predictor of CKD in females (OR: 4.21, 95% CI: 2.09–8.47, p < 0.001). VAI showed the highest AUC for CKD (AUC: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.65–0.72) and LAPI came second (AUC: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.61–0.70) in females compared with BMI (both p-values < 0.001). However, compared with the traditional index of the BMI, the anthropometric measures VAI, LAPI, WC, and WHtR had no statistically significant capacity to predict CKD in males. Our results showed that both VAI and LAPI were significantly associated with CKD in the rural population of northeast China. Furthermore, VAI and LAPI were superior to BMI, WC and WHtR for predicting CKD only in females.
The Association of Hypertriglyceridemic Waist Phenotype with Chronic Kidney Disease and Its Sex Difference: A Cross-Sectional Study in an Urban Chinese Elderly Population
Authors: Zeng Jing , Liu Miao , Wu Lei , Wang Jianhua , Yang Shanshan , Wang Yiyan , Yao Yao , Jiang Bin , He Yao
Published: December 2016

Background: The primary objective of this study was to explore the association of hypertriglyceridemic waist (HTGW) phenotype with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and its sex difference in an urban Chinese elderly population. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, a total of 2102 participants aged 60–95 years were recruited and classified into four phenotypes: normal waist-normal triglyceride (NWNT), normal waist-elevated triglycerides (NWET), elevated waist-normal triglycerides (EWNT), and HTGW. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the associations of interest. Results: Total prevalence of CKD was 12.6%, and the CKD prevalence in participants with EWNT and HTGW was higher than with NWNT and NWET without regard to sex. Compared to NWNT phenotype, the adjusted OR for CKD was 1.95 (95% CI: 1.32–2.88) in HTGW groups. In contrast with the null findings (OR: 1.66; 95% CI: 0.94–2.94) in women after additional adjustment for diabetes and hypertension, the OR with HTGW remained strong (OR: 1.88; 95% CI: 1.04–3.39) in men. Similar findings appeared with the EWNT phenotype. Conclusions: The HTGW phenotype is positively associated with CKD among Chinese community elderly and may have a greater impact on men. More attention should be paid to the association between triglycerides and waist circumference in clinical practice and to the further identification this uncertain sex-related association.
Model Selection Test for the Heavy-Tailed Distributions under Censored Samples with Application in Financial Data
Authors: Panahi Hanieh
Published: December 2016

Numerous heavy-tailed distributions are used for modeling financial data and in problems related to the modeling of economics processes. These distributions have higher peaks and heavier tails than normal distributions. Moreover, in some situations, we cannot observe complete information about the data. Employing the efficient estimation method and then choosing the best model in this situation are very important. Thus, the purpose of this article is to propose a new interval for comparing the two heavy-tailed candidate models and examine its suitability in the financial data under complete and censored samples. This interval is equivalent to encapsulating the results of many hypotheses tests. A maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) is used for evaluating the parameters of the proposed heavy-tailed distribution. A real dataset representing the top 30 companies of the Tehran Stock Exchange indices is used to illustrate the derived results.
Transcriptome of Cultured Lung Fibroblasts in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: Meta-Analysis of Publically Available Microarray Datasets Reveals Repression of Inflammation and Immunity Pathways
Authors: Plantier Laurent , Renaud Hélène , Respaud Renaud , Marchand-Adam Sylvain , Crestani Bruno
Published: December 2016

Heritable profibrotic differentiation of lung fibroblasts is a key mechanism of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Its mechanisms are yet to be fully understood. In this study, individual data from four independent microarray studies comparing the transcriptome of fibroblasts cultured in vitro from normal (total n = 20) and IPF (total n = 20) human lung were compiled for meta-analysis following normalization to z-scores. One hundred and thirteen transcripts were upregulated and 115 were downregulated in IPF fibroblasts using the Significance Analysis of Microrrays algorithm with a false discovery rate of 5%. Downregulated genes were highly enriched for Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) functional classes related to inflammation and immunity such as Defense response to virus, Influenza A, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) mediated signaling pathway, interferon-inducible absent in melanoma2 (AIM2) inflammasome as well as Apoptosis. Although upregulated genes were not enriched for any functional class, select factors known to play key roles in lung fibrogenesis were overexpressed in IPF fibroblasts, most notably connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and serum response factor (SRF), supporting their role as drivers of IPF. The full data table is available as a supplement.
Genetic Variations Involved in Vitamin E Status
Authors: Borel Patrick , Desmarchelier Charles
Published: December 2016

Vitamin E (VE) is the generic term for four tocopherols and four tocotrienols that exhibit the biological activity of α-tocopherol. VE status, which is usually estimated by measuring fasting blood VE concentration, is affected by numerous factors, such as dietary VE intake, VE absorption efficiency, and VE catabolism. Several of these factors are in turn modulated by genetic variations in genes encoding proteins involved in these factors. To identify these genetic variations, two strategies have been used: genome-wide association studies and candidate gene association studies. Each of these strategies has its advantages and its drawbacks, nevertheless they have allowed us to identify a list of single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with fasting blood VE concentration and α-tocopherol bioavailability. However, much work remains to be done to identify, and to replicate in different populations, all the single nucleotide polymorphisms involved, to assess the possible involvement of other kind of genetic variations, e.g., copy number variants and epigenetic modifications, in order to establish a reliable list of genetic variations that will allow us to predict the VE status of an individual by knowing their genotype in these genetic variations. Yet, the potential usefulness of this area of research is exciting with regard to personalized nutrition and for future clinical trials dedicated to assessing the biological effects of the various isoforms of VE.
Use of Micropatterned Thin Film Nitinol in Carotid Stents to Augment Embolic Protection
Authors: Shayan Mahdis , Jankowitz Brian , Shridhar Puneeth , Chun Youngjae
Published: December 2016

Stenting is an alternative to endarterectomy for the treatment of carotid artery stenosis. However, stenting is associated with a higher risk of procedural stroke secondary to distal thromboembolism. Hybrid stents with a micromesh layer have been proposed to address this complication. We developed a micropatterned thin film nitinol (M-TFN) covered stent designed to prevent thromboembolism during carotid intervention. This innovation may obviate the need or work synergistically with embolic protection devices. The proposed double layered stent is low-profile, thromboresistant, and covered with a M-TFN that can be fabricated with fenestrations of varying geometries and sizes. The M-TFN was created in multiple geometries, dimensions, and porosities by sputter deposition. The efficiency of various M-TFN to capture embolic particles was evaluated in different atherosclerotic carotid stenotic conditions through in vitro tests. The covered stent prevented emboli dislodgement in the range of 70%–96% during 30 min duration tests. In vitro vascular cell growth study results showed that endothelial cell elongation, alignment and growth behaviour silhouettes significantly enhance, specifically on the diamond-shape M-TFN, with the dimensions of 145 µm × 20 µm and a porosity of 32%. Future studies will require in vivo testing. Our results demonstrate that M-TFN has a promising potential for carotid artery stenting.
Ferrite Film Loaded Frequency Selective Metamaterials for Sub-GHz Applications
Authors: Gao Bo , Yuen Matthew , Ye Terry
Published: December 2016

Electromagnetic metamaterials are constructed with sub-wavelength structures that exhibit particular electromagnetic properties under a certain frequency range. Because the form-factor of the substructures has to be comparable to the wavelength of the operating frequency, few papers have discussed the metamaterials under GHz frequency. In this paper, we developed an innovative method to reduce the resonant frequency of metamaterals. By integrating the meta-structures with ferrite materials of higher permeability, the cell size of the meta-structure can be scaled down. This paper describes the methodology, design, and development of low-profile GHz ferrite loaded metamaterials. A ferrite film with a permeability of 20 could reduce the resonant frequency of metamaterials by up to 50%. A prototype has been fabricated and the measurement data align well with the simulation results. Because of the lowered operational frequency, the proposed ferrite loaded metamaterials offer more flexibility for various sub-GHz microwave applications, such as cloaks, absorbers, and frequency selective surfaces.
Modeling of Thermal Conductivity of CVI-Densified Composites at Fiber and Bundle Level
Authors: Guan Kang , Wu Jianqing , Cheng Laifei
Published: December 2016

The evolution of the thermal conductivities of the unidirectional, 2D woven and 3D braided composites during the CVI (chemical vapor infiltration) process have been numerically studied by the finite element method. The results show that the dual-scale pores play an important role in the thermal conduction of the CVI-densified composites. According to our results, two thermal conductivity models applicable for CVI process have been developed. The sensitivity analysis demonstrates the parameter with the most influence on the CVI-densified composites’ thermal conductivity is matrix cracking’s density, followed by volume fraction of the bundle and thermal conductance of the matrix cracks, finally by micro-porosity inside the bundles and macro-porosity between the bundles. The obtained results are well consistent with the reported data, thus our models could be useful for designing the processing and performance of the CVI-densified composites.
Algal Cell Factories: Approaches, Applications, and Potentials
Authors: Fu Weiqi , Chaiboonchoe Amphun , Khraiwesh Basel , Nelson David , Al-Khairy Dina , Mystikou Alexandra , Alzahmi Amnah , Salehi-Ashtiani Kourosh
Published: December 2016

With the advent of modern biotechnology, microorganisms from diverse lineages have been used to produce bio-based feedstocks and bioactive compounds. Many of these compounds are currently commodities of interest, in a variety of markets and their utility warrants investigation into improving their production through strain development. In this review, we address the issue of strain improvement in a group of organisms with strong potential to be productive “cell factories”: the photosynthetic microalgae. Microalgae are a diverse group of phytoplankton, involving polyphyletic lineage such as green algae and diatoms that are commonly used in the industry. The photosynthetic microalgae have been under intense investigation recently for their ability to produce commercial compounds using only light, CO2, and basic nutrients. However, their strain improvement is still a relatively recent area of work that is under development. Importantly, it is only through appropriate engineering methods that we may see the full biotechnological potential of microalgae come to fruition. Thus, in this review, we address past and present endeavors towards the aim of creating productive algal cell factories and describe possible advantageous future directions for the field.
Polysaccharides from Traditional Chinese Medicines: Extraction, Purification, Modification, and Biological Activity
Authors: Chen Yun , Yao Fangke , Ming Ke , Wang Deyun , Hu Yuanliang , Liu Jiaguo
Published: December 2016

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been used to treat diseases in China for thousands of years. TCM compositions are complex, using as their various sources plants, animals, fungi, and minerals. Polysaccharides are one of the active and important ingredients of TCMs. Polysaccharides from TCMs exhibit a wide range of biological activities in terms of immunity- modifying, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and anti-tumor properties. With their widespread biological activities, polysaccharides consistently attract scientist's interests, and the studies often concentrate on the extraction, purification, and biological activity of TCM polysaccharides. Currently, numerous studies have shown that the modification of polysaccharides can heighten or change the biological activities, which is a new angle of polysaccharide research. This review highlights the current knowledge of TCM polysaccharides, including their extraction, purification, modification, and biological activity, which will hopefully provide profound insights facilitating further research and development.
Plasma Processing with Fluorine Chemistry for Modification of Surfaces Wettability
Authors: Satulu Veronica , Ionita Maria , Vizireanu Sorin , Mitu Bogdana , Dinescu Gheorghe
Published: December 2016

Using plasma in conjunction with fluorinated compounds is widely encountered in material processing. We discuss several plasma techniques for surface fluorination: deposition of fluorocarbon thin films either by magnetron sputtering of polytetrafluoroethylene targets, or by plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition using tetrafluoroethane as a precursor, and modification of carbon nanowalls by plasma treatment in a sulphur hexafluoride environment. We showed that conformal fluorinated thin films can be obtained and, according to the initial surface properties, superhydrophobic surfaces can be achieved.
Antibiofilm Activity of Plant Polyphenols
Authors: Slobodníková Lívia , Fialová Silvia , Rendeková Katarína , Kováč Ján , Mučaji Pavel
Published: December 2016

In the history of human medicine, antibiotics represent epochal examples of medical progress. However, with an approaching antibiotic crisis due to the emergence and extensive spread of antimicrobial resistance among bacterial agents, as well as to increasing number of patients with chronic and recalcitrant bacterial biofilm-associated infections, the naturally occurring molecules may become new sources of antibacterial and antibiofilm drugs for clinical usage. Polyphenols represent a class of plant natural products which are important in plant defense against microbial pathogens. The main focus of the review is on the antibiofilm activities of phenolic compounds against bacteria which play an essential role in medical device biofilm-associated infections. The other, not negligible part of the review is devoted to polyphenols’ activity against bacterial agents that cause dental caries and periodontal disease.
Trends in Consumption of Solid Fats, Added Sugars, Sodium, Sugar-Sweetened Beverages, and Fruit from Fast Food Restaurants and by Fast Food Restaurant Type among US Children, 2003–2010
Authors: Rehm Colin , Drewnowski Adam
Published: December 2016

Energy intakes from fast food restaurants (FFRs) have declined among US children. Less is known about the corresponding trends for FFR-sourced solid fats, added sugars, and sodium, and food groups of interest, such as fruit and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). Using data from a single 24-h dietary recall among 12,378 children aged 4–19 years from four consecutive cycles of the nationally-representative National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2003–2010 a custom algorithm segmented FFRs into burger, pizza, sandwich, Mexican cuisine, chicken, Asian cuisine, fish restaurants, and coffee shops. There was a significant population-wide decline in FFR-sourced solid fats (−32 kcal/day, p-trend < 0.001), added sugars (−16 kcal/day; p-trend < 0.001), SSBs (−0.12 servings (12 fluid ounces or 355 mL)/day; p-trend < 0.001), and sodium (−166 mg/day; p-trend < 0.001). Declines were observed when restricted to fast food consumers alone. Sharp declines were observed for pizza restaurants; added sugars, solid fats, and SSBs declined significantly from burger restaurants. Fruit did not change for fast food restaurants overall. Temporal analyses of fast food consumption trends by restaurant type allow for more precise monitoring of the quality of children’s diets than can be obtained from analyses of menu offerings. Such analyses can inform public health interventions and policy measures.
Anti-Fatigue Effects of Small Molecule Oligopeptides Isolated from Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer in Mice
Authors: Bao Lei , Cai Xiaxia , Wang Junbo , Zhang Yuan , Sun Bin , Li Yong
Published: December 2016

Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer (ginseng) is an edible and medicinal Chinese herb, which is often used in Asian countries for physical fitness. Ginseng is reported to have a wide range of biological activity and pharmaceutical properties. There were more studies on ginsenosides and polysaccharides, but fewer studies on ginseng oligopeptides (GOP), which are small molecule oligopeptides isolated from ginseng. The present study was designed to evaluate the anti-fatigue effects of GOP in mice and explore the possible underlying mechanism. Mice were randomly divided into four experimental sets for the detection of different indicators. Each set of mice were then divided into four groups. The control group was administered distilled water, and three GOP intervention groups were administered 125, 250, and 500 mg/kg of body weight, respectively, of GOP by gavage each day. After 30 days of GOP treatment, it was observed that GOP could significantly increase the forced swimming time, enhance lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity and hepatic glycogen levels, and retard the accumulation of serum urea nitrogen (SUN) and blood lactic acid (BLA) in mice. GOP also markedly ameliorated fatigue-induced alterations of inoxidative stress biomarkers and antioxidant enzymes. Notably, GOP increased the mRNA expression of mitochondrial biogenesis factors and mitochondrial DNA content in skeletal muscles of mice. These results suggest that GOP possess anti-fatigue effects, which may be attributed to the inhibition of oxidative stress and the improvement of mitochondrial function in skeletal muscles. GOP could be a novel natural agent for relieving exercise fatigue.
Greedy Successive Anchorization for Localizing Machine Type Communication Devices
Authors: Imtiaz Ul Haq Mian , Kim Dongwoo
Published: December 2016

Localization of machine type communication (MTC) devices is essential for various types of location-based applications. In this paper, we investigate a distributed localization problem in noisy networks, where an estimated position of blind MTC machines (BMs) is obtained by using noisy measurements of distance between BM and anchor machines (AMs). We allow positioned BMs also to work as anchors that are referred to as virtual AMs (VAMs) in this paper. VAMs usually have greater position errors than (original) AMs, and, if used as anchors, the error propagates through the whole network. However, VAMs are necessary, especially when many BMs are distributed in a large area with an insufficient number of AMs. To overcome the error propagation, we propose a greedy successive anchorization process (GSAP). A round of GSAP consists of consecutive two steps. In the first step, a greedy selection of anchors among AMs and VAMs is done by which GSAP considers only those three anchors that possibly pertain to the localization accuracy. In the second step, each BM that can select three anchors in its neighbor determines its location with a proposed distributed localization algorithm. Iterative rounds of GSAP terminate when every BM in the network finds its location. To examine the performance of GSAP, a root mean square error (RMSE) metric is used and the corresponding Cramér–Rao lower bound (CRLB) is provided. By numerical investigation, RMSE performance of GSAP is shown to be better than existing localization methods with and without an anchor selection method and mostly close to the CRLB.
Refractive Index Sensing with D-Shaped Plastic Optical Fibers for Chemical and Biochemical Applications
Authors: Sequeira Filipa , Duarte Daniel , Bilro Lúcia , Rudnitskaya Alisa , Pesavento Maria , Zeni Luigi , Cennamo Nunzio
Published: December 2016

We report the optimization of the length of a D-shaped plastic optical fiber (POF) sensor for refractive index (RI) sensing from a numerical and experimental point of view. The sensing principle is based on total internal reflection (TIR). POFs with 1 mm in diameter were embedded in grooves, realized in planar supports with different lengths, and polished to remove the cladding and part of the core. All D-shaped POF sensors were tested using aqueous medium with different refractive indices (from 1.332 to 1.471) through intensity-based configuration. Results showed two different responses. Considering the refractive index (RI) range (1.33–1.39), the sensitivity and the resolution of the sensor were strongly dependent on the sensing region length. The highest sensitivity (resolution of 6.48 × 10−3 refractive index units, RIU) was obtained with 6 cm sensing length. In the RI range (1.41–1.47), the length of the sensing region was not a critical aspect to obtain the best resolution. These results enable the application of this optical platform for chemical and biochemical evanescent field sensing. The sensor production procedure is very simple, fast, and low-cost.
Assessing Wheat Frost Risk with the Support of GIS: An Approach Coupling a Growing Season Meteorological Index and a Hybrid Fuzzy Neural Network Model
Authors: Yue Yaojie , Zhou Yao , Wang Jing’ai , Ye Xinyue
Published: December 2016

Crop frost, one kind of agro-meteorological disaster, often causes significant loss to agriculture. Thus, evaluating the risk of wheat frost aids scientific response to such disasters, which will ultimately promote food security. Therefore, this paper aims to propose an integrated risk assessment model of wheat frost, based on meteorological data and a hybrid fuzzy neural network model, taking China as an example. With the support of a geographic information system (GIS), a comprehensive method was put forward. Firstly, threshold temperatures of wheat frost at three growth stages were proposed, referring to phenology in different wheat growing areas and the meteorological standard of Degree of Crop Frost Damage (QX/T 88-2008). Secondly, a vulnerability curve illustrating the relationship between frost hazard intensity and wheat yield loss was worked out using hybrid fuzzy neural network model. Finally, the wheat frost risk was assessed in China. Results show that our proposed threshold temperatures are more suitable than using 0 °C in revealing the spatial pattern of frost occurrence, and hybrid fuzzy neural network model can further improve the accuracy of the vulnerability curve of wheat subject to frost with limited historical hazard records. Both these advantages ensure the precision of wheat frost risk assessment. In China, frost widely distributes in 85.00% of the total winter wheat planting area, but mainly to the north of 35°N; the southern boundary of wheat frost has moved northward, potentially because of the warming climate. There is a significant trend that suggests high risk areas will enlarge and gradually expand to the south, with the risk levels increasing from a return period of 2 years to 20 years. Among all wheat frost risk levels, the regions with loss rate ranges from 35.00% to 45.00% account for the largest area proportion, ranging from 58.60% to 63.27%. We argue that for wheat and other frost-affected crops, it is necessary to take the risk level, physical exposure, and growth stages of crops into consideration together for frost disaster risk prevention planning.
Harmonized Collaborative Validation of Aflatoxins and Sterigmatocystin in White Rice and Sorghum by Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Ok Hyun , Tian Fei , Hong Eun , Paek Ockjin , Kim Sheen-Hee , Kim Dongsul , Chun Hyang
Published: December 2016

An interlaboratory study was performed in eight laboratories to validate a liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method for the simultaneous determination of aflatoxins and sterigmatocystin (STC) in white rice and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor). Fortified samples (at three different levels) of white rice and sorghum were extracted, purified through a solid-phase extraction (SPE) column, and then analyzed by LC/MS/MS. The apparent recoveries (ARs) ranged from 78.8% to 95.0% for aflatoxins and from 85.3% to 96.7% for STC. The relative standard deviations for repeatability (RSDr) and reproducibility (RSDR) of aflatoxins were in the ranges 7.9%–33.8% and 24.4%–81.0%, respectively. For STC, the RSDr ranged from 7.1% to 40.2% and the RSDR ranged from 28.1% to 99.2%. The Horwitz ratio values for the aflatoxins and STC ranged from 0.4 to 1.2 in white rice and from 0.3 to 1.0 in sorghum, respectively. These results validated this method for the simultaneous determination of aflatoxins and STC by LC/MS/MS after SPE column cleanup. The percentages of satisfactory Z-score values (|Z| ≤ 2) were the following: for white rice, 100% for aflatoxins and STC; for sorghum, 100%, except in data from two laboratories for STC (0.3 μg/kg). This validated that the LC/MS/MS method was successfully applied for the determination of aflatoxins and STC in 20 white rice and 20 sorghum samples sourced from Korean markets.
Impact of the Three Gorges Dam on the Hydrology and Ecology of the Yangtze River
Authors: Zhang Xiao , Dong Zengchuan , Gupta Hoshin , Wu Guangdong , Li Dayong
Published: December 2016

Construction and operation of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) has significantly altered the downstream hydrological regime along the Yangtze River, which has in turn affected the environment, biodiversity and morphological configuration, and human development. The ecological and environmental systems of the middle and lower Yangtze River have been affected adversely, with the ecosystems of Poyang Lake and its deltas being among the most damaged. Besides posing a potential threat to the survival of migrant birds and aquatic species, operation of the TGD has also affected the human population, particularly with respect to water and food security. Though the above mentioned effects have been studied in previous papers, a comprehensive discussion has never been conducted. This paper provides the first ever summary of the impacts of the TGD on the downstream reaches of the Yangtze River. The costs and benefits identified provide a constructive reference that can be used in decision-making for sustainable development of water resources in other nations, especially those in the developing world.
Groundwater Modeling in Support of Water Resources Management and Planning under Complex Climate, Regulatory, and Economic Stresses
Authors: Dogrul Emin , Brush Charles , Kadir Tariq
Published: December 2016

Groundwater is an important resource that meets part or all of the water demand in many developed basins. Since it is an integral part of the hydrologic cycle, management of groundwater resources must consider not only the management of surface flows but also the variability in climate. In addition, agricultural and urban activities both affect the availability of water resources and are affected by it. Arguably, the Central Valley of the State of California, USA, can be considered a basin where all stresses that can possibly affect the management of groundwater resources seem to have come together: a vibrant economy that depends on water, a relatively dry climate, a disparity between water demand and availability both in time and space, heavily managed stream flows that are susceptible to water quality issues and sea level rise, degradation of aquifer conditions due to over-pumping, and degradation of the environment with multiple species becoming endangered. Over the past fifteen years, the California Department of Water Resources has developed and maintained the Integrated Water Flow Model (IWFM) to aid in groundwater management and planning under complex, and often competing, requirements. This paper will describe features of IWFM as a generic modeling tool, and showcase several of its innovative applications within California.
Les ἁγεμαχηταί de la Lettre 148 de Synésios de Cyrène. Monde pastoral et associations d’artistes dans les campagnes de la Pentapole libyenne durant l’Antiquité tardive
Authors: Chevrollier François , Dobias-Lalou Catherine
Published: December 2016

Dans l’une de ses missives envoyées à son ami syrien Olympios (Lettre 148), Synésios de Cyrène, évêque de Ptolémaïs au début du Ve siècle de notre ère, mentionne un groupe désigné par l’appellation Ἁγεμαχηταί. Ceux-ci jouaient de la musique légère et composaient des chants bucoliques sur la vie quotidienne des campagnes cyrénéennes de l’Antiquité tardive. Cette étude postule que les Ἁγεμαχηταί étaient regroupés en une association privée d’artistes lyriques, certainement chrétienne, et qui prenait pour modèle un artiste éponyme appelé Hagémakhos, inconnu par ailleurs. Plusieurs inscriptions hellénistiques et impériales de Grèce continentale et d’Asie Mineure montrent que de telles associations, reprenant et commémorant le style des poètes du passé, jouissaient d’une renommée importante. Cet article resitue ensuite brièvement les Ἁγεμαχηταί dans le contexte de la poésie et de la vie culturelle de la Cyrénaïque tardo-antique. Dans une note complémentaire, C. Dobias-Lalou justifie du point de vue philologique, linguistique et stylistique le choix de la forme Ἁγέμαχος et de son dérivé.
Marcel d’Ancyre et les proverbes
Authors: Batllo Xavier
Published: December 2016

L’article étudie les raisons qui ont poussé Marcel d’Ancyre à faire appel à des proverbes profanes dans le cadre de son exégèse de Pr 8, 22. Ces citations de proverbes grecs, instructives d’un simple point de vue paroemiographique, lui permettent de remettre en cause la lecture supposée littérale de Pr 8, 22 faite par son opposant Astérius et de justifier sa propre application de ce passage scripturaire à l’Incarnation. Les principes herméneutiques de Marcel sont vivement critiqués par Eusèbe de Césarée, et une étude d’autres approches du livre des Proverbes ou de Pr 8, 22 par des auteurs contemporains permet de supposer que cette réfutation d’Eusèbe exerça une certaine influence. La place ambiguë de Marcel dans le conflit trinitaire du IVe siècle se voit alors confirmée sous l’angle de son exégèse.
Cretica II
Authors: Genevrois Gérard
Published: December 2016

L’article traite de quatre sujets tirés de l’étude lexicologique des inscriptions crétoises. 1. Dans les textes juridiques gortyniens du Ve s., le présent

φωνέω «déclarer (en justice) » forme avec l’aoriste ἔϝειπα un système supplétif

ad hoc complété par quelques formes empruntées à la racine * ϝρη-. 2. L’interprétation nouvelle d’une inscription hellénistique de Lébèna révèle l’exploitation de salines par le sanctuaire d’Asclépios placé sous la tutelle de Gortyne. 3. L’orthographe curieuse du nom du cyprès dans le texte des lamelles d’or «orphiques » découvertes à proximité d’Eleutherna pourrait fournir de précieuses indications sur la date de composition du prototype crétois de ce «guide pour l’au-delà » . 4. Dans la junctura ϝήμᾱ -ἀνπιδήμᾱ attestée au Ve s. à Gortyne, le témoignage d’Hésychius et un passage d’Homère suggèrent que le second terme se réfère non à des bijoux mais à des chaussures de cuir lacées autour des chevilles.
Offrandes funéraires à Thespies : les ἐνπορίδια « sacrifices par le feu » dans IThesp. 215
Authors: Déniz Alcorac Alonso
Published: December 2016

In this article I analyse a passage of a Thespian manumission (IThesp. 215, 3rd-2nd c. BCE), which has not been satisfactorily explained. First, the noun ἐνπορίδια is a Boeotian form corresponding to ἔμπυρα “ sacrifices by fire”, which the freed-man Soros would offer to his former masters, Ageas and Aristodama, as part of the cult of the dead. Second, I try to show that the expression παρ’ ἕτερον ἐνιαυτόν in the same document should not be interpreted with its standard meaning of ‘ every two years’, but rather as ‘ at one of the two anniversaries’ of the funerals of Ageas and Aristodama.
ENERGY BUDGET OF FORMING CLUMPS IN NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS OF COLLAPSING CLOUDS
Authors: Camacho Vianey , Vázquez-Semadeni Enrique , Ballesteros-Paredes Javier , Gómez Gilberto C. , Fall S. Michael , Mata-Chávez M. Dolores
Published: December 2016

We analyze the physical properties and energy balance of density enhancements in two SPH simulations of the formation, evolution, and collapse of giant molecular clouds. In the simulations, no feedback is included, so all motions are due either to the initial decaying turbulence or to gravitational contraction. We define clumps as connected regions above a series of density thresholds. The resulting full set of clumps follows the generalized energy equipartition relation,

, where

is the velocity dispersion, R is the “radius,” and Σ is the column density. We interpret this as a natural consequence of gravitational contraction at all scales rather than virial equilibrium. Nevertheless, clumps with low Σ tend to show a large scatter around equipartition. In more than half of the cases, this scatter is dominated by external turbulent compressions that assemble the clumps rather than by small-scale random motions that would disperse them. The other half does actually disperse. Moreover, clump sub-samples selected by means of different criteria exhibit different scalings. Sub-samples with narrow Σ ranges follow Larson-like relations, although characterized by their respective values of Σ. Finally, we find that (i) clumps lying in filaments tend to appear sub-virial, (ii) high-density cores (

cm3) that exhibit moderate kinetic energy excesses often contain sink (“stellar”) particles and the excess disappears when the stellar mass is taken into account in the energy balance, and (iii) cores with kinetic energy excess but no stellar particles are truly in a state of dispersal.
IBEX OBSERVATIONS OF SECONDARY INTERSTELLAR HELIUM AND OXYGEN DISTRIBUTIONS
Authors: Park Jeewoo , Kucharek Harald , Möbius Eberhard , Galli André , Kubiak Marzena A. , Bzowski Maciej , McComas David J.
Published: December 2016

In this study, we investigate the directional distributions of the secondary interstellar neutral (ISN) He and O populations at Earth's orbit. The secondary populations are created by charge exchange between ISN atoms and interstellar ions in the outer heliosheath. Using the IBEX-Lo He and O observations during the winter–spring seasons (early December to early June) in 2009–2011, we produced all-sky maps for He and O atoms with sputtering corrections. These sky maps include the directional distributions of the primary ISN gas and secondary populations. Our investigations reveal that the secondary He and O populations are observed in the ecliptic longitude range 160°–210°. The peak longitudes of the secondary He and O appear to be 14°–34° and 38°–43° away from the peak longitude of the primary interstellar gas flow, respectively. These results indicate that the secondary populations have lower bulk speeds relative to the Sun and their flow directions deviate from the primary gas flow. These results may indicate that one side of the outer heliosheath is thicker than the other side relative to the flow direction of the primary interstellar gas flow.
LEPTON ACCELERATION IN THE VICINITY OF THE EVENT HORIZON: HIGH-ENERGY AND VERY-HIGH-ENERGY EMISSIONS FROM ROTATING BLACK HOLES WITH VARIOUS MASSES
Authors: Hirotani Kouichi , Pu Hung-Yi , Lin Lupin Chun-Che , Chang Hsiang-Kuang , Inoue Makoto , Kong Albert K. H. , Matsushita Satoki , Tam Pak-Hin T.
Published: December 2016

We investigate the electrostatic acceleration of electrons and positrons in the vicinity of the event horizon, applying the pulsar outer-gap model to black hole (BH) magnetospheres. During a low accretion phase, the radiatively inefficient accretion flow (RIAF) cannot emit enough MeV photons that are needed to sustain the force-free magnetosphere via two-photon collisions. In such a charge-starved region (or a gap), an electric field arises along the magnetic field lines to accelerate electrons and positrons into ultra-relativistic energies. These relativistic leptons emit copious gamma rays via curvature and inverse-Compton (IC) processes. Some of such gamma rays collide with the submillimeter-IR photons emitted from the RIAF to materialize as pairs, which polarize to partially screen the original acceleration electric field. It is found that the gap gamma-ray luminosity increases with decreasing accretion rate. However, if the accretion rate decreases too much, the diminished RIAF soft photon field can no longer sustain a stationary pair production within the gap. As long as a stationary gap is formed, the magnetosphere becomes force-free outside the gap by the cascaded pairs, irrespective of the BH mass. If a nearby stellar-mass BH is in quiescence, or if a galactic intermediate-mass BH is in a very low accretion state, its curvature and IC emissions are found to be detectable with Fermi/LAT and imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACT). If a low-luminosity active galactic nucleus is located within about 30 Mpc, the IC emission from its supermassive BH is marginally detectable with IACT.
THE ROTATION OF THE SOLAR PHOTOSPHERIC MAGNETIC FIELD
Authors: Xu J. C. , Gao P. X.
Published: December 2016

The rotational characteristics of the solar photospheric magnetic field at four flux ranges are investigated together with the total flux of active regions (MFar) and quiet regions (MFqr). The first four ranges (MF1–4) are (1.5–2.9) × 1018, (2.9–32.0) × 1018, (3.20–4.27) × 1019, and (4.27–38.01) × 1019, respectively (the unit is Mx per element). Daily values of the flux data are extracted from magnetograms of the Michelson Doppler Imager on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. Lomb–Scargle periodograms show that only MF2, MF4, MFqr, and MFar exhibit rotational periods. The periods of the first three types of flux are very similar, i.e., 26.20, 26.23, and 26.24 days, respectively, while that of MFar is longer, 26.66 days. This indicates that active regions rotate more slowly than quiet regions on average, and strong magnetic fields tend to repress the surface rotation. Sinusoidal function fittings and cross-correlation analyses reveal that MFar leads MF2 and MF4 by 5 and 1 days, respectively. This is speculated to be related with the decaying of active regions. MF2 and MFar are negatively correlated, while both MF4 and MFqr are positively correlated with MFar. At the timescale of the solar activity cycle, MFar leads (negatively) MF2 by around one year (350 days), and leads MF4 by about 3 rotation periods (82 days). The relation between MF2 and MFar may be explained by the possibility that the former mainly comes from a higher latitude, or emerges from the subsurface shear layer. We conjecture that MF4 may partly come from the magnetic flux of active regions; this verifies previous results that were obtained with indirect solar magnetic indices.
THREE-DIMENSIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF EJECTA IN SUPERNOVA 1987A AT 10,000 DAYS
Authors: Larsson J. , Fransson C. , Spyromilio J. , Leibundgut B. , Challis P. , Chevalier R. A. , France K. , Jerkstrand A. , Kirshner R. P. , Lundqvist P. , Matsuura M. , McCray R. , Smith N. , Sollerman J. , Garnavich P. , Heng K. , Lawrence S. , Mattila S. , Migotto K. , Sonneborn G. , Taddia F. , Wheeler J. C.
Published: December 2016

Due to its proximity, SN 1987A offers a unique opportunity to directly observe the geometry of a stellar explosion as it unfolds. Here we present spectral and imaging observations of SN 1987A obtained ∼10,000 days after the explosion with HST/STIS and VLT/SINFONI at optical and near-infrared wavelengths. These observations allow us to produce the most detailed 3D map of Hα to date, the first 3D maps for [Ca ii]

, [O i]

, and Mg ii

, as well as new maps for [Si i]+[Fe ii]

and He i 2.058 μm. A comparison with previous observations shows that the [Si i]+[Fe ii] flux and morphology have not changed significantly during the past ten years, providing evidence that this line is powered by 44Ti. The time evolution of Hα shows that it is predominantly powered by X-rays from the ring, in agreement with previous findings. All lines that have sufficient signal show a similar large-scale 3D structure, with a north–south asymmetry that resembles a broken dipole. This structure correlates with early observations of asymmetries, showing that there is a global asymmetry that extends from the inner core to the outer envelope. On smaller scales, the two brightest lines, Hα and [Si i]+[Fe ii] 1.644 μm, show substructures at the level of ∼200–1000 km s–1and clear differences in their 3D geometries. We discuss these results in the context of explosion models and the properties of dust in the ejecta.
M31N 2008-12a—THE REMARKABLE RECURRENT NOVA IN M31: PANCHROMATIC OBSERVATIONS OF THE 2015 ERUPTION
Authors: Darnley M. J. , Henze M. , Bode M. F. , Hachisu I. , Hernanz M. , Hornoch K. , Hounsell R. , Kato M. , Ness J.-U. , Osborne J. P. , Page K. L. , Ribeiro V. A. R. M. , Rodríguez-Gil P. , Shafter A. W. , Shara M. M. , Steele I. A. , Williams S. C. , Arai A. , Arcavi I. , Barsukova E. A. , Boumis P. , Chen T. , Fabrika S. , Figueira J. , Gao X. , Gehrels N. , Godon P. , Goranskij V. P. , Harman D. J. , Hartmann D. H. , Hosseinzadeh G. , Horst J. Chuck , Itagaki K. , José J. , Kabashima F. , Kaur A. , Kawai N. , Kennea J. A. , Kiyota S. , Kučáková H. , Lau K. M. , Maehara H. , Naito H. , Nakajima K. , Nishiyama K. , O’Brien T. J. , Quimby R. , Sala G. , Sano Y. , Sion E. M. , Valeev A. F. , Watanabe F. , Watanabe M. , Williams B. F. , Xu Z.
Published: December 2016

The Andromeda Galaxy recurrent nova M31N 2008-12a had been observed in eruption 10 times, including yearly eruptions from 2008 to 2014. With a measured recurrence period of

days (we believe the true value to be half of this) and a white dwarf very close to the Chandrasekhar limit, M31N 2008-12a has become the leading pre-explosion supernova type Ia progenitor candidate. Following multi-wavelength follow-up observations of the 2013 and 2014 eruptions, we initiated a campaign to ensure early detection of the predicted 2015 eruption, which triggered ambitious ground- and space-based follow-up programs. In this paper we present the 2015 detection, visible to near-infrared photometry and visible spectroscopy, and ultraviolet and X-ray observations from the Swift observatory. The LCOGT 2 m (Hawaii) discovered the 2015 eruption, estimated to have commenced at August 28.28 ± 0.12 UT. The 2013–2015 eruptions are remarkably similar at all wavelengths. New early spectroscopic observations reveal short-lived emission from material with velocities ∼13,000 km s−1, possibly collimated outflows. Photometric and spectroscopic observations of the eruption provide strong evidence supporting a red giant donor. An apparently stochastic variability during the early supersoft X-ray phase was comparable in amplitude and duration to past eruptions, but the 2013 and 2015 eruptions show evidence of a brief flux dip during this phase. The multi-eruption Swift/XRT spectra show tentative evidence of high-ionization emission lines above a high-temperature continuum. Following Henze et al. (2015a), the updated recurrence period based on all known eruptions is

days, and we expect the next eruption of M31N 2008-12a to occur around 2016 mid-September.
ON THE MAGNETIC AND ENERGY CHARACTERISTICS OF RECURRENT HOMOLOGOUS JETS FROM AN EMERGING FLUX
Authors: Liu Jiajia , Wang Yuming , Erdélyi Robertus , Liu Rui , McIntosh Scott W. , Gou Tingyu , Chen Jun , Liu Kai , Liu Lijuan , Pan Zonghao
Published: December 2016

In this paper, we present the detailed analysis of recurrent homologous jets originating from an emerging negative magnetic flux at the edge of an active region. The observed jets show multithermal features. Their evolution shows high consistence with the characteristic parameters of the emerging flux, suggesting that with more free magnetic energy, the eruptions tend to be more violent, frequent, and blowout-like. The average temperature, average electron number density, and axial speed are found to be similar for different jets, indicating that they should have been formed by plasmas from similar origins. Statistical analysis of the jets and their footpoint region conditions reveals a strong positive relationship between the footpoint region total 131 Å intensity enhancement and jets’ length/width. Stronger linearly positive relationships also exist between the total intensity enhancement/thermal energy of the footpoint regions and jets’ mass/kinetic/thermal energy, with higher cross-correlation coefficients. All the above results together confirm the direct relationship between the magnetic reconnection and the jets and validate the important role of magnetic reconnection in transporting large amounts of free magnetic energy into jets. It is also suggested that there should be more free energy released during the magnetic reconnection of blowout than of standard jet events.
EXor OUTBURSTS FROM DISK AMPLIFICATION OF STELLAR MAGNETIC CYCLES
Authors: Armitage Philip J.
Published: December 2016

EXor outbursts—moderate-amplitude disk accretion events observed in Class I and Class II protostellar sources—have timescales and amplitudes that are consistent with the viscous accumulation and release of gas in the inner disk near the dead zone boundary. We suggest that outbursts are indirectly triggered by stellar dynamo cycles, via poloidal magnetic flux that diffuses radially outward through the disk. Interior to the dead zone the strength of the net field modulates the efficiency of angular momentum transport by the magnetorotational instability. In the dead zone changes in the polarity of the net field may lead to stronger outbursts because of the dominant role of the Hall effect in this region of the disk. At the level of simple estimates we show that changes to kG-strength stellar fields could stimulate disk outbursts on 0.1 au scales, though this optimistic conclusion depends upon the uncertain efficiency of net flux transport through the inner disk. The model predicts a close association between observational tracers of stellar magnetic activity and EXor events.