bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Static Compaction of Soils with Varying Clay Content
Authors: Zhemchuzhnikov Alexandr , Ghavami Khosrow , dal Toé Casagrande Michéle
Published: October 2015

The use of compressed earth blocks (CEBs) is widespread in the field of earth construction. They present better mechanical performance than adobe and the equipment for their production is simple. Laboratory testing of compressed earth blocks requires large amounts of material. There are variations of unconfined strength testing procedures such as testing halves of the blocks with layers of mortar between them or testing whole blocks in diverse directions. This complicates the interpretation of test results as the shape factor and mortar characteristics influence the results significantly. Static compaction test can be used to produce cylindrical samples representative of CEBs. The water content of soil used for the production of CEBs is often determined in standard Proctor test while experimental data indicate that the optimum moisture content for static and dynamic compaction is different. The present article addresses the behavior of four soil mixes with varying clay content compacted statically with a constant rate of strain. Static compaction curves were compared with those obtained in standard Proctor test. For all the soil mixes the static optimum moisture content was found to correspond to the start of consolidation. The compaction curve presented no wet side of optimum in contrast to Proctor test. The energy needed to achieve a desired density by static compaction was analyzed for soils with varying clay contents. Static compaction was found to be more efficient than dynamic for clayey soils. An increase in water content was observed to help achieving higher densities at low pressures, which can improve the performance of manual CEB presses.
Thermal Insulation Particleboards Made with Wastes from Wood and Tire Rubber
Authors: da Silva Bertolini Marilia , Christoforo André Luis , Rocco Lahr Francisco Antonio
Published: October 2015

The concept of sustainable buildings addresses the environmentally efficiency, with respect to energy consumption, by adopting products that offer thermal insulation. Moreover, use of wastes from different materials also contributes to obtain products for this application. The volume of wastes from timber industry and those from tires are an environmental problem. This study aimed to production and characterization of particleboards using wastes from wood and tire rubber with castor-oil polyurethane resin. Panels were produced containing only wood and also with addition of tire rubber. The properties determined were density, modulus of rupture (MOR) and modulus of elasticity (MOE) in bending, according to Brazilian Code NBR 14810-3 (2006), and thermal conductivity. Statistical analysis was conducted in physical and mechanical properties. Panels containing wood were classified as low density (0.55 g/cm³), while those with wood and tire rubber resulted in medium density (0.78 g/cm³). For mechanical properties, the addition of rubber resulted in increased of MOR and reduction for MOE. Superior performance for thermal conductivity was achieved for panels produced only with wood. However, samples with a mixture of wood and tire rubber also showed consistent thermal conductivity with similar products. Considering the results obtained, panels containing wood and tire rubber addition have potential for application as thermal insulation.
Influence of Ca-Doping on Structural, Magnetic and Dielectric Properties of Ba3Co2-xCaxFe24O41 Hexaferrite Powders
Authors: Solanki Neha , Jotania Rajshree B.
Published: October 2015

Influence of Ca substitution on structural, magnetic and dielectric properties of Ba3Co2-xCaxFe24O41(where x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0), prepared by Sol-Gel auto-combustion method, has been investigated in present studies. The obtained powder was sintered at 950 oC for 4 hrs. in the static air atmosphere. Structural analysis of Ca-doped Ba3Co2-xCaxFe24O41powders revealed pure Z-type hexaferrite phase at low temperature. The frequency dependent dielectric constant (Єʹ) and magnetic properties such as remanent magnetization (Mr), saturation magnetization (Ms) and coercivity (Hc) were studied. It is observed that coercivity increased gradually with increase in calcium content. The real dielectric constant (Єʹ) and dielectric loss tangent (tan δ) were studied in the frequency range of 20Hz to 2MHz. The dielectric parameters for all samples show normal dielectric behavior as observed in hexaferrites. Contents of Paper
Modification of the Magnetic Properties of Co2Y Hexaferrites by Divalent and Trivalent Metal Substitutions
Authors: Mahmood Sami H. , Zaqsaw Muna D. , Mohsen Osama E. , Awadallah Ahmad , Bsoul Ibrahim , Awawdeh Mufeed , Mohaidat Qassem I.
Published: October 2015

The present study is concerned with the fabrication and characterization of Me2Y substituted hexaferrites, Ba2Me2Fe12-xTxO22(Me = Co2+, Mg2+, and Cr2+, and T = Fe3+, and Ga3+). The samples were prepared by the conventional ball milling technique and sintering at 1200° C. The effect of the choices of Me and T ions on the structural and magnetic properties of the hexaferrites were investigated. XRD patterns, magnetic parameters, and Mössbauer spectra of the Co2Y were consistent with a single phase Y-type hexaferrite. However, the CoCr-Y sample was found to be dominated by the Y-type hexaferrite, and M-type and BaCrO4minority phases were observed in the XRD pattern of the sample. The small increase in saturation magnetization from about 34 emu/g up to 37.5 emu/g was therefore attributed to the development of the M-type phase. On the other hand, XRD pattern of the Cr2Y sample indicated the dominance of the M-type phase in this sample. The high coercivity (1445 Oe) of this sample is evidence of the transformation of the material from a typically soft magnetic material (Y-type) to a hard magnet (M-type). The Ga-substitution for Fe in Co2Y did not affect the saturation magnetization significantly, but the coercivity was reduced. However, the sample Ba2CoMgFe11GaO22exhibited a significant reduction of the saturation magnetization down to a value 26.6 emu/g, which could be due to the attenuation of the super-exchange interactions induced by the Mg2+substitution.
Tissue-Resident NK Cells Mediate Ischemic Kidney Injury and Are Not Depleted by Anti–Asialo-GM1 Antibody
Authors: Victorino Francisco , Sojka Dorothy K. , Brodsky Kelley S. , McNamee Eoin N. , Masterson Joanne C. , Homann Dirk , Yokoyama Wayne M. , Eltzschig Holger K. , Clambey Eric T.
Published: October 2015

NK cells are innate lymphoid cells important for immune surveillance, identifying and responding to stress, infection, and/or transformation. Whereas conventional NK (cNK) cells circulate systemically, many NK cells reside in tissues where they appear to be poised to locally regulate tissue function. In the present study, we tested the contribution of tissue-resident NK (trNK) cells to tissue homeostasis by studying ischemic injury in the mouse kidney. Parabiosis experiments demonstrate that the kidney contains a significant fraction of trNK cells under homeostatic conditions. Kidney trNK cells developed independent of NFIL3 and T-bet, and they expressed a distinct cell surface phenotype as compared with cNK cells. Among these, trNK cells had reduced asialo-GM1 (AsGM1) expression relative to cNK cells, a phenotype observed in trNK cells across multiple organs and mouse strains. Strikingly, anti–AsGM1 Ab treatment, commonly used as an NK cell–depleting regimen, resulted in a robust and selective depletion of cNKs, leaving trNKs largely intact. Using this differential depletion, we tested the relative contribution of cNK and trNK cells in ischemic kidney injury. Whereas anti–NK1.1 Ab effectively depleted both trNK and cNK cells and protected against ischemic/reperfusion injury, anti–AsGM1 Ab preferentially depleted cNK cells and failed to protect against injury. These data demonstrate unanticipated specificity of anti–AsGM1 Ab depletion on NK cell subsets and reveal a new approach to study the contributions of cNK and trNK cells in vivo. In total, these data demonstrate that trNK cells play a key role in modulating local responses to ischemic tissue injury in the kidney and potentially other organs.
Two cases of COPD benefitting from therapy with roflumilast
Authors: Carraro Chiara Francesca
Published: October 2015

Two clinical cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) stage II patients are reported here. One case refers to a patient with hypoxemia associated to severe air flow limitation, chronic bronchitis and frequent exacerbation events. A significant improvement of patient’s conditions was observed after pharmacological treatment with roflumilast. The second case refers to a patient who refused to adhere to prescribed therapy but adhered to roflumilast therapy, eventually achieving a good response. Both cases highlight roflumilast’s efficacy in improving health conditions of COPD patients.
Significant gas-exchange improvements reported after roflumilast in two cases of severe COPD
Authors: Sposato Bruno
Published: October 2015

Two cases of 63-year-old men with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) associated with respiratory failure are presented. Both patients were treated with long acting bronchodilators, inhaled corticosteroids, theophylline, diuretics, long term oxygen therapy, and nocturnal non invasive mechanical ventilation, without achieving any improvement or control of the disease course. We observed a clinical and functional improvement in both patients when we added roflumilast to the pharmacological treatment schedule. In this context, gas exchange parameters were greatly improved, leading us to speculate on the possible mechanisms causing such improvements in these COPD patients.
The Health Department of Sicily “Regional recommendations for hospital discharge and communication with patients after admission due to a cardiologic event” Decree
Authors: Abrignani Maurizio Giuseppe , De Luca Giovanni , Gabriele Michele , Tourkmani Nidal
Published: October 2015

Mortality and rehospitalizations still remain high after discharge for an acute cardiologic event. In this context, hospital discharge represents a potential pitfall for heart disease patients. In the setting of care transitions, the discharge letter is the main instrument of communication between hospital and primary care. Communication, besides, is an integral part of high-quality, patient-centered interventions aimed at improving the discharge process. Inadequate information at discharge significantly affects the quality of treatment compliance and the adoption of lifestyle modifications for an effective secondary prevention. The Health Department of Sicily, in 2013, established a task force with the aim to elaborate “Regional recommendations for hospital discharge and communication with patients after admission due to a cardiologic event”, inviting to participate GICR-IACPR and many other scientific societies of cardiology and primary care, as discharge letter and communication are fundamental junctions of care transitions in cardiology. These recommendations have been published as a specific decree and contain: – a structured model of discharge letter, which includes all of the parameters characterizing patients at high clinical risk, high thrombotic risk and low risk according to the Consensus document ANMCO/GICR-IACPR/GISE; is thus possible to identify these patients, choosing consequently the most appropriate follow-up pathways. A particular attention has been given to the “Medication Reconciliation” and to the identification of therapeutic targets; – an educational Kit, with different forms on cardiac diseases, risk factors, drugs and lifestyle; – a check-list about information given to the patient and caregivers. The “Recommendations” represent, in conclusion, the practical realization of the fruitful cooperation between scientific societies and political-administrative institutions that has been realized in Sicily in the last years.
Using Delphi Technique and the P-Process model to assess health communication programmes in Nigeria
Authors: Onigbanjo-Williams Abimbola , Iwuagwu Stella
Published: October 2015

Strategic health communication is an integral part of the programmes and development that influence decisions regarding health. Health communication is often integrated into public health interventions to improve programme outcomes. Despite the massive donor funding for public health programmes in Nigeria, there is limited information on the current status of health communication programmes. This study aims to identify the knowledge gaps, describe the future direction and highlight recommendations for strengthening health communication programmes in Nigeria. Using a purposive sampling methodology, the online study used a two-staged Delphi Technique and the P-Process model to collect data from key stakeholders. Stakeholders included donors, government, civil society organisations, research institutions, education and training institutions, and communities. Descriptive analysis was done using SPSS. Capacity-building gaps were identified and a conceptual framework was developed. These gaps included: the low technical capacity of stakeholders in health communication, limited resources for organisations to implement activities, the lack of a strategic framework to guide the implementation of health communication programmes, and minimal collaboration with stakeholders. These findings provided an insight into the current state of health communication programmes, which is mainly at the programme activity level. In this study, the findings highlighted a critical need to develop and strengthen health communication programmes in Nigeria with a view to improving performance and health outcomes and optimising healthservice delivery in the country.
Editorial
Authors: Berhane Edna , Selvaggio Mary Pat
Published: October 2015

No abstract available.
The views of intensive care nurses regarding short-term deployment
Authors: Matlakala Mokgadi C.
Published: October 2015

Background: Short-term deployment of nurses is usually used within the hospital units in order to ‘balance the numbers’ or to cover the shortage of staff in the different units. Often nurses in the intensive care unit (ICU) are sent to go and assist in other units, where there is not enough nursing staff or when their own unit is not busy.Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore the views of the ICU nurses regarding short-term deployment to other units.Method: A qualitative design was used, following interpretivism. The study was conducted in the ICUs of two hospitals in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Data were collected through focus group interviews with a purposive sample of registered nurses working in the selected ICUs, transcribed verbatim and analysed using open coding.Results: The participants shared a similar view that deployment to other units should be based on a formal agreement, with policies and procedures. Consultation and negotiation are recommended prior to deployment of staff. Management should recognise and acknowledge expertise of ICU nurses in their own speciality area.Conclusion: The findings call for redesign of a deployment policy that will suit nurses from the speciality areas such as ICU.
Molecular Assay and Genotyping of Hepatitis C Virus among Infected Egyptian and Saudi Arabian Patients
Authors: Farag Mohamed M.S. , Sofy Ahmed R. , Mousa Adel A. , Ahmed Mohamed A. , Alganzory Mohamed R.
Published: October 2015

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major health problem recognized globally. HCV is a common cause of liver fibrosis that may lead to liver cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of HCV infection and genotyping among Egyptian and Saudi Arabian chronic patients using different molecular techniques. HCV RNA viral load was assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technology. For HCV genotyping, RT-PCR hybridization fluorescence-based method and reverse hybridization line probe assay (INNO-LiPA) were used. A total of 40 anti-HCV-positive patients with chronic hepatitis C were examined for HCV RNA, genotyping, and different laboratory investigations. In the present study, HCV genotypes 4, mixed 4.1b, and 1 were detected in patients of both countries, while genotype 2 was only detected in Saudi Arabian patients. Genotyping methods for HCV showed no difference in the classification at the genotype level. With regard to HCV subtypes, INNO-LiPA assay was a reliable test in HCV genotyping for the detection of major genotypes and subtypes, while RT-PCR-based assay was a good test at the genotype level only. HCV genotype 4 was found to be the predominant genotype among Egyptian and Saudi Arabian chronic patients. In conclusion, data analysis for detecting and genotyping HCV was an important factor for understanding the epidemiology and treatment strategies of HCV among Egyptian and Saudi Arabian chronic patients.
Transmissie, emergentie en fading foundations
Authors: Peijnenburg Jeanne
Published: October 2015

A great deal of Anglo-Saxon epistemology is marked by the controversy between foundationalists and anti-foundationalists. The key question is as to how propositions, or beliefs in propositions, are to be justified. Is our body of knowledge sustained by basic beliefs, as foundationalists claim? Or are there no basic beliefs, and is there only mutual support between the elements of the structure, as the anti-foundationalists maintain?

The matter is made especially difficult by the fact that no-one knows what precisely epistemic justification is. Foundationalists appear to see justification in terms of transmission: when a proposition justifies another proposition a property is transferred from the one to the other lock, stock and barrel. Anti-foundationalists on the other hand think in terms of emergence: epistemic justification is brought about gradually within a network of propositions as a whole. While transmission can at least be elucidated by a comparison with deductive reasoning, emergence is more difficult to explicate. That is one of the reasons why anti-foundationalist positions are so hard to develop.

In this article I show how epistemic justification can emerge in a network of propositions that support one another. I do this by means of a debate that at first sight seems not to have anything to do with the matter, namely the disagreement between the American logician and epistemologist Clarence Irving Lewis and the German-American philosopher of science Hans Reichenbach. This will enable us to establish the phenomenon of fading foundations, which will then yield a mechanism for the emergence of justification.
Socio-environmental cooperation and conflict? A discursive understanding and its application to the case of Israel and Palestine
Authors: Ide T. , Fröhlich C.
Published: October 2015

Abstract. The existing literature faces difficulties when accounting for the simultaneity of socio-environmental conflict and cooperation. We suggest that this puzzle can be solved by more recent constructivist works, which argue that conflictive or cooperative behavior is driven by discursively constructed interests, identities and situation assessments. Based on a literature review and field interviews, we analyze and compare the dominant water discourses in Israel and Palestine with the discourse dominant among the activists of a water cooperation project between communities from Israel and the West Bank. Our main result is that discourses are indeed crucial for understanding water-related conflict and cooperation. This finding highlights the relevance of constructivist approaches in the study of socio-environmental conflict and cooperation as well as of practices of bottom-up discursive conflict transformation.
Long-run evolution of the global economy – Part 2: Hindcasts of innovation and growth
Authors: Garrett T. J.
Published: October 2015

Abstract. Long-range climate forecasts use integrated assessment models to link the global economy to greenhouse gas emissions. This paper evaluates an alternative economic framework outlined in part 1 of this study (Garrett, 2014) that approaches the global economy using purely physical principles rather than explicitly resolved societal dynamics. If this model is initialized with economic data from the 1950s, it yields hindcasts for how fast global economic production and energy consumption grew between 2000 and 2010 with skill scores > 90 % relative to a model of persistence in trends. The model appears to attain high skill partly because there was a strong impulse of discovery of fossil fuel energy reserves in the mid-twentieth century that helped civilization to grow rapidly as a deterministic physical response. Forecasting the coming century may prove more of a challenge because the effect of the energy impulse appears to have nearly run its course. Nonetheless, an understanding of the external forces that drive civilization may help development of constrained futures for the coupled evolution of civilization and climate during the Anthropocene.
Reduced fine sediment flux in response to the managed diversion of an upland river channel
Authors: Perks M. T. , Warburton J.
Published: October 2015

Abstract. This paper describes the implementation of a novel mitigation approach and subsequent adaptive management, designed to reduce the transfer of fine sediment in Glaisdale Beck; a small upland catchment in the UK. Hydro-meteorological and suspended sediment datasets are collected over a two year period spanning pre- and post-diversion periods in order to assess the impact of the channel reconfiguration scheme on the fluvial suspended sediment dynamics. Analysis of the river response demonstrates that the fluvial sediment system has become more restrictive with reduced fine sediment transfer. This is characterised by reductions in flow-weighted mean suspended sediment concentrations from 77.93 mg L−1 prior to mitigation, to 74.36 mg L−1 following the diversion. A Mann–Whitney U test found statistically significant differences (p < 0.001) between the pre- and post-monitoring median SSCs. Whilst application of one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) on the coefficients of sediment rating curves developed before and after the diversion found statistically significant differences (p < 0.001), with both Log a and b coefficients becoming smaller following the diversion. Non-parametric analysis indicates a reduction in residuals through time (p < 0.001), with the developed LOWESS model over-predicting sediment concentrations as the channel stabilises. However, the channel is continuing to adjust to the reconfigured morphology, with evidence of a headward propagating knickpoint which has migrated 120 m at an exponentially decreasing rate over the last 7 years since diversion. The study demonstrates that channel reconfiguration can be effective in mitigating fine sediment flux in upland streams but the full value of this may take many years to achieve whilst the fluvial system, slowly readjusts.
Analysis of the impact of inhomogeneous emissions in the Operational Street Pollution Model (OSPM)
Authors: Ottosen T.-B. , Kakosimos K. E. , Johansson C. , Hertel O. , Brandt J. , Skov H. , Berkowicz R. , Ellermann T. , Jensen S. S. , Ketzel M.
Published: October 2015

Abstract. Semi-parameterized street canyon models, as e.g. the Operational Street Pollution Model (OSPM®), have been frequently applied for the last two decades to analyse levels and consequences of air pollution in streets. These models are popular due to their speed and low input requirements. One often-used simplification is the assumption that emissions are homogeneously distributed in the entire length and width of the street canyon. It is thus the aim of the present study to analyse the impact of this assumption by implementing an inhomogeneous emission geometry scheme in OSPM. The homogeneous and the inhomogeneous emission geometry schemes are validated against two real-world cases: Hornsgatan, Stockholm, a sloping street canyon; and Jagtvej, Copenhagen; where the morning rush hour has more traffic on one lane compared to the other. The two cases are supplemented with a theoretical calculation of the impact of street aspect (height / width) ratio and emission inhomogeneity on the concentrations resulting from inhomogeneous emissions. The results show an improved performance for the inhomogeneous emission geometry over the homogeneous emission geometry. Moreover, it is shown that the impact of inhomogeneous emissions is largest for near-parallel wind directions and for high aspect ratio canyons. The results from the real-world cases are however confounded by challenges estimating the emissions accurately.
Earth System Chemistry Integrated Modelling (ESCiMo) with the Modular Earth Submodel System (MESSy, version 2.51)
Authors: Jöckel P. , Tost H. , Pozzer A. , Kunze M. , Kirner O. , Brenninkmeijer C. A. M. , Brinkop S. , Cai D. S. , Dyroff C. , Eckstein J. , Frank F. , Garny H. , Gottschaldt K.-D. , Graf P. , Grewe V. , Kerkweg A. , Kern B. , Matthes S. , Mertens M. , Meul S. , Neumaier M. , Nützel M. , Oberländer-Hayn S. , Ruhnke R. , Runde T. , Sander R. , Scharffe D. , Zahn A.
Published: October 2015

Abstract. With version 2.51 of the ECHAM/MESSy Atmospheric Chemistry (EMAC) model three types of reference simulations as recommended by the Chemistry-Climate Model Initiative (CCMI) have been performed: hindcast simulations (1950–2011), hindcast simulations with specified dynamics (1978–2013), i.e., nudged towards ERA-Interim reanalysis data, and combined hindcast and projection simulations (1950–2100). The manuscript summarises the updates of the model system and details the different model setups used, including the on-line calculated diagnostics. Simulations have been performed with two different nudging setups, with and without interactive tropospheric aerosol, and with and without a coupled ocean model. Two different vertical resolutions have been applied. The on-line calculated sources and sinks of reactive species are quantified and a first evaluation of the simulation results from a global perspective is provided as a quality check of the data. The focus is on the inter-comparison of the different model setups. The simulation data will become publicly available via CCMI and the CERA database of the German Climate Computing Centre (DKRZ). This manuscript is intended to serve as an extensive reference for further analyses of the ESCiMo simulations.
Quantification and analysis of geomorphic processes on a recultivated iron ore mine on the Italian island Elba using long-time ground-based LIDAR and photogrammetric data by an UAV
Authors: Haas F. , Hilger L. , Neugirg F. , Umstädter K. , Breitung C. , Fischer P. , Hilger P. , Heckmann T. , Dusik J. , Kaiser A. , Schmidt J. , Della Seta M. , Rosenkranz R. , Becht M.
Published: October 2015

Abstract. This study aims on the quantification and analysis of geomorphic processes on the barely vegetated slopes of a recultivated iron ore mine on the Italian island Elba using Terrestrial Lasercanning (TLS) and digital photogrammetry by UAV photographs over a period of 5 1/2 years. Beside this the study tried to work out the potential and the limitations of both methods to detect surface changes by geomorphic process dynamic within a natural environment. Both, UAV and TLS show the pattern of the erosion and accumulation processes on the investigated slope quite well, but the calculated amounts differ clearly between the methods. The reasons for these differences could be found in the different accuracies (variable level of detections) of the methods and the different viewing geometries. Both effects have an impact on the detectable process dynamic over different time scales on the slope and their calculated amounts, which in both cases can lead to an underestimation of erosion and accumulation by fluvial processes.
Effects of lateral processes on the seasonal water stratification of the Gulf of Finland: 3-D NEMO-based model study
Authors: Vankevich R. E. , Sofina E. V. , Eremina T. E. , Ryabchenko A. V. , Molchanov M. S. , Isaev A. V.
Published: October 2015

Abstract. This paper tries to fill the gaps in knowledge of processes affecting the seasonal water stratification in the Gulf of Finland (GOF). We used state-of-the-art modeling framework NEMO aimed for oceanographic research, operational oceanography, seasonal forecasting and climate studies to build an eddy resolving model of the GOF. To evaluate the model skill and performance two different solutions where obtained on 0.5 km eddy resolving and commonly used 2 km grids for one year simulation. We also explore the efficacy of nonhydrostatic effect (convection) parameterizations available in NEMO for coastal application. It is found that the solutions resolving sub-mesoscales have a more complex mixed layer structure in the regions of GOF directly affected by the upwelling/downwelling and intrusions from the open Baltic Sea. Presented model estimations of the upper mixed layer depth are in a good agreement with in situ CTD data. A number of model sensitivity tests to the vertical mixing parameterization confirm the model robustness.
Optical Imaging Method for Determining Symptoms Severity of Cassava Mosaic Disease
Authors: Anderson Benjamin , Jojo Eghan Moses , Asare-Bediako Elvis , Kingsley Buah-Bassuah Paul
Published: October 2015

Cassava mosaic disease (CMD) is a major constraint to cassava production in cassava growing regions. Severity of CMD symptoms on cassava leaves is usually assessed visually using an arbitrary scale, which is semi-qualitative, and does not represent the actual surface area of diseased leaf. The objective of this study was to develop a quantitative method of assessing the severity of CMD. A combination of polarimeteric digital colour images, L*a*b* colour model and K-means clustering algorithm were used to determine the areas of CMD symptoms and healthy areas on leaves. The severity of CMD on a leaf is determined by computing the percentage of the CMD symptomatic area to the total leaf area. The analysis provides relatively fast and accurate classification of Cassava mosaic diseased leaves. The proposed method will enable plant scientists to obtain accurate and reliable data, forming the basis for better decision making.
Single-molecule imaging of telomerase reverse transcriptase in human telomerase holoenzyme and minimal RNP complexes
Authors: Wu Robert Alexander , Dagdas Yavuz S , Yilmaz S Tunc , Yildiz Ahmet , Collins Kathleen
Published: October 2015

Telomerase synthesizes chromosome-capping telomeric repeats using an active site in telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and an integral RNA subunit template. The fundamental question of whether human telomerase catalytic activity requires cooperation across two TERT subunits remains under debate. In this study, we describe new approaches of subunit labeling for single-molecule imaging, applied to determine the TERT content of complexes assembled in cells or cell extract. Surprisingly, telomerase reconstitutions yielded heterogeneous DNA-bound TERT monomer and dimer complexes in relative amounts that varied with assembly and purification method. Among the complexes, cellular holoenzyme and minimal recombinant enzyme monomeric for TERT had catalytic activity. Dimerization was suppressed by removing a TERT domain linker with atypical sequence bias, which did not inhibit cellular or minimal enzyme assembly or activity. Overall, this work defines human telomerase DNA binding and synthesis properties at single-molecule level and establishes conserved telomerase subunit architecture from single-celled organisms to humans.
Expression of temperature-sensitive ion channel TRPM8 in sperm cells correlates with vertebrate evolution
Authors: Majhi Rakesh Kumar , Saha Somdatta , Kumar Ashutosh , Ghosh Arijit , Swain Nirlipta , Goswami Luna , Mohapatra Pratyush , Maity Apratim , Kumar Sahoo Vivek , Kumar Abhishek , Goswami Chandan
Published: October 2015

Transient Receptor Potential cation channel, subfamily Melastatin, member 8 (TRPM8) is involved in detection of cold temperature, different noxious compounds and in execution of thermo- as well as chemo-sensitive responses at cellular levels. Here we explored the molecular evolution of TRPM8 by analyzing sequences from various species. We elucidate that several regions of TRPM8 had different levels of selection pressure but the 4th–5th transmembrane regions remain highly conserved. Analysis of synteny suggests that since vertebrate origin, TRPM8 gene is linked with SPP2, a bone morphogen. TRPM8, especially the N-terminal region of it, seems to be highly variable in human population. We found 16,656 TRPM8 variants in 1092 human genomes with top variations being SNPs, insertions and deletions. A total of 692 missense mutations are also mapped to human TRPM8 protein of which 509 seem to be delateroiours in nature as supported by Polyphen V2, SIFT and Grantham deviation score. Using a highly specific antibody, we demonstrate that TRPM8 is expressed endogenously in the testis of rat and sperm cells of different vertebrates ranging from fish to higher mammals. We hypothesize that TRPM8 had emerged during vertebrate evolution (ca 450 MYA). We propose that expression of TRPM8 in sperm cell and its role in regulating sperm function are important factors that have guided its molecular evolution, and that these understandings may have medical importance.
Six simple questions to detect malnutrition or malnutrition risk in elderly women
Authors: Gutiérrez-Gómez Tranquilina , Cortés Ernesto , Palazón-Bru Antonio , Peñarrieta-de Córdova Isabel , Gil-Guillén Vicente Francisco , Ferrer-Diego Rosa María
Published: October 2015

Of the numerous instruments available to detect nutritional risk, the most widely used is the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), but it takes 15–20 min to complete and its systematic administration in primary care units is not feasible in practice. We developed a tool to evaluate malnutrition risk that can be completed more rapidly using just clinical variables. Between 2008 and 2013, we conducted a cross-sectional study of 418 women aged ≥60 years from Mexico. Our outcome was positive MNA and our secondary variables included were: physical activity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, educational level, dentition, psychological problems, living arrangements, history of falls, age and the number of tablets taken daily. The sample was divided randomly into two groups: construction and validation. Construction: a risk table was constructed to estimate the likelihood of the outcome, and risk groups were formed. Validation: the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was calculated and we compared the expected and the observed outcomes. The following risk factors were identified: physical activity, hypertension, diabetes, dentition, psychological problems and living with the family. The AUC was 0.77 (95% CI [0.68–0.86],p< 0.001). No differences were found between the expected and the observed outcomes (p= 0.902). This study presents a new malnutrition screening test for use in elderly women. The test is based on six very simple, quick and easy-to-evaluate questions, enabling the MNA to be reserved for confirmation. However, it should be used with caution until validation studies have been performed in other geographical areas.
Investigating the Origin of Seismic Swarms
Authors: Govoni Aladino , Passarelli Luigi , Braun Thomas , Maccaferri Francesco , Moretti Milena , Lucente Francesco Pio , Rivalta Eleonora , Cesca Simone , Hainzl Sebastian , Woith Heiko , De Gori Pasquale , Dahm Torsten , Chiarabba Claudio , Margheriti Lucia
Published: October 2015

According to the U.S. Geological Survey's Earthquake Hazards Program, a seismic swarm is “a localized surge of earthquakes, with no one shock being conspicuously larger than all other shocks of the swarm. They might occur in a variety of geologic environments and are not known to be indicative of any change in the long‐term seismic risk of the region in which they occur” (http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Glossary/Seismicity/description_earthquakes.html).
Mechanism could explain rapid, dramatic, cyclic Arctic warming
Authors: Schultz Colin
Published: October 2015

Multiple times in the Earth's past, the air over Greenland has warmed by 10°C or more in just a few decades before resetting over centuries. First discovered in the 1990s, these so‐called Dansgaard‐Oeschger (D‐O) events are spurred by an unknown cause. Dokken et al. propose that D‐O events are driven by cyclic interactions between sea ice and ocean circulation patterns in Nordic seas.
A Two‐Speed Landscape: The Reforestation of the Thames Estuary
Authors: Noonan Tom
Published: October 2015

Tom Noonan describes how, for this award‐winning project, he took up the pen and developed a hybrid drawing technique that exploited the benefits of both the analogue and the digital ‐ characterised by the tactility of the hand and the precision of the computer. He explains that a preoccupation with representation was further ‘reflected and supported by the programme, narrative and language of the architecture’.
Augmented Landscapes and Delicate Machinery
Authors: Smout Mark , Allen Laura
Published: October 2015

Mark Smout and Laura Allen of Smout Allen describe how for them drawing is instrumental, enabling them to pursue preliminary investigations that establish ‘a speculative method with which to examine the dynamic force of environmental and architectural processes’. This is illustrated by their Wet Lands: Architectural Waterscapes and Soft Infrastructures research project for London's Thames Estuary.
London Short Stories: Drawing Narratives
Authors: Lim CJ
Published: October 2015

Professor at the Bartlett School of Architecture (UCL) and a successful practitioner, CJ Lim has won international awards for his exquisite drawings, including the esteemed Royal Academy of Arts Grand Architecture Prize. Here CJ extols the virtue of narrative and signified meaning in buildings and describes his project London Short Stories that employs ‘real and imaginary sites as springboards for the imagination’. Often ‘immoral, licentious, anarchical and unscientific’, the short stories, which are three‐dimensional creations constructed out of paper, are from ‘an aesthetic point of view, glorious, ravishing and a pleasure to behold’.
Could Architectural Drawings Save Us From Philosophical Bankruptcy?
Authors: Yendo Mas
Published: October 2015

The work of New‐York based architect Mas Yendo explores the intersection of human experience with architecture and technology. Here he describes how at a time of ‘philosophical bankruptcy’ and ‘psychological wilderness’, the creative enterprise of drawing can provide a means of objectifying and exploring personal experiences and overcoming the current economic and political crises.
Emerging Technologies and Drawings: The Futures of Images in Architectural Design
Authors: Garcia Mark
Published: October 2015

Mark Garcia, Senior Lecturer in History and Theory in the Department of Architecture, University of Greenwich, explores the technologically mediated future of drawings in architecture ‘without hands’. He highlights how multiple technological innovations are putting us on the brink of an exploding spectrum of possibilities for the image, and looks at three distinct areas of potential: new media and materials; emerging and future technologies; and theory embodied in fiction and art.
AVATAR: Nothing is Impossible
Authors: Spiller Neil
Published: October 2015

The AVATAR (Advanced Virtual and Technological Architectural Research) Group, now based at the University of Greenwich, conducts research into advanced technologies such as virtuality and biotechnology. Here, Guest‐Editor Neil Spiller, the group's founding director, explains why AVATAR has come to regard the reworking of ‘the notion and content of the architectural drawing’ as integral to the group's explorations.
A Dissolution‐Regeneration Route to Synthesize Blue Tungsten Oxide Flowers and their Applications in Photocatalysis and Gas Sensing
Authors: Song Xiang‐Ning , Wang Chu‐Ya , Wang Wei‐Kang , Zhang Xing , Hou Nan‐Nan , Yu Han‐Qing
Published: October 2015

Tungsten oxide (WO3) has unique physicochemical properties. Although various synthetic methods have been proposed to fabricate tungsten oxide with different morphologies, methods of tailoring the tungsten oxide nanostructure toward new morphologies are still needed. In this work, a self‐assembled WO3·0.33H2O nanoflower is synthesized using a dissolution and regeneration method. In such a two‐step synthetic process, temperature, solvent, and reaction times are found to be the main parameters affecting the morphology of WO3·0.33H2O. The synthesized WO3·0.33H2O nanoflower exhibits a localized surface plasmon resonance effect and a high photocatalytic activity, which can be explained by the doping of W5+ and its morphology. Furthermore, this WO3·0.33H2O nanoflower can also be used as a gas sensor and has good selectivity and linearity towards acetone vapor in the range of 50–500 ppm.
Experimental study on the solvent regeneration of a CO2‐loaded MEA solution using single and hybrid solid acid catalysts
Authors: Liang Zhiwu , Idem Raphael , Tontiwachwuthikul Paitoon , Yu Fanghui , Liu Helei , Rongwong Wichitpan
Published: October 2015

The performance of a hybrid solid acid catalyst consisting of a physical mixture of γ‐Al2O3 and H‐ZSM‐5 in terms of the rate and heat duty for solvent regeneration (i.e., CO2 stripping) of a CO2‐rich MEA solution was compared with the individual performance of γ‐Al2O3, H‐ZSM‐5, and H‐Y solid acid catalysts using MEA (2–7 mol/L), with initial CO2 loading of 0.5 mol CO2/mol MEA at 378 K. It was observed that any catalyst significantly decreased the energy required for CO2 regeneration. The performance of the catalysts investigated ranked as follows: γ‐Al2O3/H‐ZSM‐5 = 2/1 > γ‐Al2O3 > H‐ZSM‐5 > H‐Y if the process is in the lean CO2 loading region whereas it was H‐ZSM‐5 > γ‐Al2O3/H‐ZSM‐5 = 2/1 > γ‐Al2O3 > H‐Y if the process is in the rich CO2 loading region. These results highlight the joint dependence on Brønsted/Lewis acidity and mesopore surface area of heat duty for solvent regeneration. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 62: 753–765, 2016
Precise digit use increases the expression of handedness in Colombian spider monkeys (Ateles fusciceps rufiventris)
Authors: Nelson Eliza L. , Boeving Emily R.
Published: October 2015

Decades of research on the hand use patterns of nonhuman primates can be aptly summarized by the following phrase: measurement matters. There is a general consensus that simple reaching is a poor indicator of handedness in most species, while tasks that constrain how the hands are used elicit individual, and in some cases, population‐level biases. The TUBE task has become a popular measure of handedness, although there is variability in its administration across studies. The goal of this study was to investigate whether TUBE performance is affected by tube diameter, with the hypothesis that decreasing tube diameter would increase task complexity, and therefore the expression of handedness. We predicted that hand preference strength, but not direction, would be affected by tube diameter. We administered the TUBE task using a 1.3 cm tube to Colombian spider monkeys, and compared their performance to a previous study using a larger 2.5 cm diameter tube. Hand preference strength increased significantly on the smaller diameter tube. Hand preference direction was not affected. Notably, spider monkeys performed the TUBE task using a single digit, despite the longstanding view that this species has poor dexterity. We encourage investigators who use the TUBE task to carefully consider the diameter of the tube used in testing, and to report digit use consistently across studies. In addition, we recommend that researchers who cannot use the TUBE task try to incorporate the key features from this task into their own species appropriate measures: bimanual coordination and precise digit use. Am. J. Primatol. 77:1253–1262, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
General Olefin Synthesis by the Palladium‐Catalyzed Heck Reaction of Amides: Sterically Controlled Chemoselective NC Activation
Authors: Meng Guangrong , Szostak Michal
Published: October 2015

Metal‐catalyzed reactions of amides proceeding via metal insertion into the NCO bond are severely underdeveloped due to resonance stabilization of the amide bond. Herein we report the first Heck reaction of amides proceeding via highly chemoselective NCO cleavage catalyzed by Pd0 utilizing amide bond ground‐state destabilization. Conceptually, this transformation provides access to a myriad of metal‐catalyzed transformations of amides via metal insertion/decarbonylation.
‘I Will Not Leave My Baby Behind’: A Cook Island Māori Family's Experience of New Zealand Māori Traditional Healing
Authors: NiaNia Wiremu , Tere  , Bush Allister , Epston David
Published: October 2015

Traditional healers in many parts of the world have used family focused understandings and interventions well before the emergence of western family therapy theory and practice. This paper gives a detailed account of New Zealand Māori traditional healing work with a Cook Island Māori family in which the eldest daughter was in considerable distress as were her family, who believed that she had become maki tūpāpaku (possessed). This account is told from the perspectives of the child psychiatrist, the traditional healer and the mother of the family. While the intervention bears a superficial resemblance to western family therapy approaches, the theoretical foundation reflects the traditional healer's New Zealand Māori world views in which spiritual understandings are paramount, and concepts of mana, tapu and mauri guide him in the family healing process. The single session described here can be viewed as an indigenous family therapy intervention involving six generations of family members, both living and deceased, in the one room. Conclusions: Indigenous communities have called for traditional healers to be employed alongside child mental health workers and family therapists who work with their communities. Close and sincere collaboration between an indigenous traditional healer and a health professional can offer a family in distress healing possibilities that may not be available to them in conventional child mental health or other family therapy settings.
The Relationship Between Family Mealtime Interactions and Eating Disorder in Childhood and Adolescence: A Systematic Review
Authors: Godfrey Kate , Rhodes Paul , Hunt Caroline
Published: October 2015

During childhood and adolescence, family meal frequency has been found to have an inverse relationship with disordered eating behaviour. Also, family interactional patterns differ in families where there is a child with and without an eating disorder. This paper examines the relationship between family mealtime interactions during childhood and adolescence and eating disorder behaviour through a systematic review of the literature. The method was an asystematic electronic search of PsycInfo, Medline and Web of Knowledge undertaken in April 2012. Ten studies demonstrated a significant relationship between family mealtime interactions and disordered eating behaviour. Families where there is a child with an eating disorder display less positive interactions during mealtimes. While the findings can be linked to family based treatment for anorexia nervosa there is a need for prospective research in this area.