bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association of Maternal and Child Health Center (Posyandu) Availability with Child Weight Status in Indonesia: A National Study
Authors: Andriani Helen , Liao Chu-Yung , Kuo Hsien-Wen
Published: March 2016

Little is known about the childhood obesity prevention and treatment practices of Maternal and Child Health services (Posyandu) in Indonesia or in other countries. The present study aims to assess the association of the availability of Posyandu with overweight and obesity in children of different household wealth levels. This was a secondary analysis of data collected in the 2013 Riskesdas (or Basic Health Research) survey, a cross-sectional study, representative population-based data. Height and weight, the availability of Posyandu, and basic characteristics of the study population were collected from parents with children aged 0 to 5 years (n = 63,237). Non-availability of Posyandu significantly raised the odds of being obese (OR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.06–1.21) and did not show a significant relationship in the odds for overweight (OR = 0.99, 95% CI: 0.93–1.07). This relationship persisted after a full adjustment (OR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.07–1.25 and OR = 1.04, 95% CI: 0.96–1.13, respectively). There was effect modification by household wealth, which was stronger for obese children. The availability of Posyandu has a protective association with childhood obesity in Indonesia. Posyandu services are well placed to play an important role in obesity prevention and treatment in early life.
Dried Saliva Spots: A Robust Method for Detecting Streptococcus pneumoniae Carriage by PCR
Authors: Krone Cassandra , Oja Anna , Van de Groep Kirsten , Sanders Elisabeth , Bogaert Debby , Trzciński Krzysztof
Published: March 2016

The earliest studies in the late 19th century on Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) carriage used saliva as the primary specimen. However, interest in saliva declined after the sensitive mouse inoculation method was replaced by conventional culture, which made isolation of pneumococci from the highly polymicrobial oral cavity virtually impossible. Here, we tested the feasibility of using dried saliva spots (DSS) for studies on pneumococcal carriage. Saliva samples from children and pneumococcus-spiked saliva samples from healthy adults were applied to paper, dried, and stored, with and without desiccant, at temperatures ranging from −20 to 37 °C for up to 35 days. DNA extracted from DSS was tested with quantitative-PCR (qPCR) specifically for S. pneumoniae. When processed immediately after drying, the quantity of pneumococcal DNA detected in spiked DSS from adults matched the levels in freshly spiked raw saliva. Furthermore, pneumococcal DNA was stable in DSS stored with desiccant for up to one month over a broad range of temperatures. There were no differences in the results when spiking saliva with varied pneumococcal strains. The collection of saliva can be a particularly useful in surveillance studies conducted in remote settings, as it does not require trained personnel, and DSS are resilient to various transportation conditions.
Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Concise Review
Authors: Saultz Jennifer , Garzon Ramiro
Published: March 2016

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous clonal disorder characterized by immature myeloid cell proliferation and bone marrow failure. Cytogenetics and mutation testing remain a critical prognostic tool for post induction treatment. Despite rapid advances in the field including new drug targets and increased understanding of the biology, AML treatment remains unchanged for the past three decades with the majority of patients eventually relapsing and dying of the disease. Allogenic transplant remains the best chance for cure for patients with intermediate or high risk disease. In this review, we discuss the landmark genetic studies that have improved outcome prediction and novel therapies.
Atmospheric Layers in Response to the Propagation of Gravity Waves under Nonisothermal, Wind-shear, and Dissipative Conditions
Authors: Ma John
Published: March 2016

We study the atmospheric structure in response to the propagation of gravity waves under nonisothermal (nonzero vertical temperature gradient), wind-shear (nonzero vertical zonal/meridional wind speed gradients), and dissipative (nonzero molecular viscosity and thermal conduction) conditions. As an alternative to the “complex wave-frequency” model proposed by Vadas and Fritts, we employ the traditional “complex vertical wave-number” approach to solving an eighth-order complex polynomial dispersion equation. The empirical neutral atmospheric models of NRLMSISE-00 and HWM93 are employed to provide mean-field properties. In response to the propagation of gravity waves, the atmosphere is driven into three sandwich-like layers: the adiabatic layer (0–130 km), the dissipation layer (130–230 km) and the pseudo-adiabatic layer (above 230 km). In the lower layer, (extended-)Hines’ mode or ordinary dissipative wave modes exist, whereas viscous dissipation and thermal conduction fail to exert perceptible influences; in the middle layer, Hines’ mode ceases to exist, and both ordinary and extraordinary dissipative wave modes flourish; in the top layer, only extraordinary wave modes survive, and dissipations affect the real part of the vertical wavenumber ( m r ) substantially; however, they contribute little to the imaginary part, which is the vertical growth rate ( m i ). We also analyze the transition of Hines’ classical mode to ordinary dissipative wave modes, describe both the upward and downward modes of gravity waves and illustrate nonisothermal and wind-shear effects on the propagation of gravity waves of different modes.
Polyamide Fiber Reinforced Shotcrete for Tunnel Application
Authors: Jeon Joong , Kim WooSeok , Kim Gyu , Jeon Chan
Published: March 2016

This study intends to establish the mechanical properties of polyamide fiber reinforced shotcrete (PAFRS) in terms of compressive and flexural strengths, in accordance with ASTM C1609/C1609M-12. The mechanical properties identified the influence of polyamide fiber content on the PAFRS strength. This study evaluated the toughness of PAFRS and proposed additional toughness level criteria to better represent organic fiber performance. In addition, the fiber rebounding rate and PAFRS performance in tunneling application were evaluated based on a tunnel application in Korea. PAFRS with 0.6%~0.8% volume content in tunneling shotcrete could significantly improve flexural ductility, toughness, and ultimate load capacity. Fiber rebounding tests exhibited a low rebounding rate (8.5%) and low fiber drop (63.5%). Therefore, PAFRS applied to a tunnel exhibited stability and constructability.
Eutypenoids A–C: Novel Pimarane Diterpenoids from the Arctic Fungus Eutypella sp. D-1
Authors: Zhang Liu-Qiang , Chen Xiao-Chong , Chen Zhao-Qiang , Wang Gui-Min , Zhu Shi-Guo , Yang Yi-Fu , Chen Kai-Xian , Liu Xiao-Yu , Li Yi-Ming
Published: March 2016

Eutypenoids A–C (1–3), pimarane diterpenoid alkaloid and two ring A rearranged pimarane diterpenoids, were isolated from the culture of Eutypella sp. D-1 obtained from high-latitude soil of the Arctic. Their structures, including absolute configurations, were authenticated on the basis of the mass spectroscopy (MS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-ray crystallography, and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) analysis. The immunosuppressive effects of eutypenoids A–C (1–3) were studied using a ConA-induced splenocyte proliferation model, which suggested that 2 exhibited potent immunosuppressive activities.
Sirt1 Is Required for Resveratrol-Mediated Chemopreventive Effects in Colorectal Cancer Cells
Authors: Buhrmann Constanze , Shayan Parviz , Popper Bastian , Goel Ajay , Shakibaei Mehdi
Published: March 2016

Sirt1 is a NAD+-dependent protein-modifying enzyme involved in regulating gene expression, DNA damage repair, metabolism and survival, as well as acts as an important subcellular target of resveratrol. The complex mechanisms underlying Sirt1 signaling during carcinogenesis remain controversial, as it can serve both as a tumor promoter and suppressor. Whether resveratrol-mediated chemopreventive effects are mediated via Sirt1 in CRC growth and metastasis remains unclear; which was the subject of this study. We found that resveratrol suppressed proliferation and invasion of two different human CRC cells in a dose-dependent manner, and interestingly, this was accompanied with a significant decrease in Ki-67 expression. By transient transfection of CRC cells with Sirt1-ASO, we demonstrated that the anti-tumor effects of resveratrol on cells was abolished, suggesting the essential role of this enzyme in the resveratrol signaling pathway. Moreover, resveratrol downregulated nuclear localization of NF-κB, NF-κB phosphorylation and its acetylation, causing attenuation of NF-κB-regulated gene products (MMP-9, CXCR4) involved in tumor-invasion and metastasis. Finally, Sirt1 was found to interact directly with NF-κB, and resveratrol did not suppress Sirt1-ASO-induced NF-κB phosphorylation, acetylation and NF-κB-regulated gene products. Overall, our results demonstrate that resveratrol can suppress tumorigenesis, at least in part by targeting Sirt1 and suppression of NF-κB activation.
Automated Archiving of Archaeological Aerial Images
Authors: Doneus Michael , Wieser Martin , Verhoeven Geert , Karel Wilfried , Fera Martin , Pfeifer Norbert
Published: March 2016

The main purpose of any aerial photo archive is to allow quick access to images based on content and location. Therefore, next to a description of technical parameters and depicted content, georeferencing of every image is of vital importance. This can be done either by identifying the main photographed object (georeferencing of the image content) or by mapping the center point and/or the outline of the image footprint. The paper proposes a new image archiving workflow. The new pipeline is based on the parameters that are logged by a commercial, but cost-effective GNSS/IMU solution and processed with in-house-developed software. Together, these components allow one to automatically geolocate and rectify the (oblique) aerial images (by a simple planar rectification using the exterior orientation parameters) and to retrieve their footprints with reasonable accuracy, which is automatically stored as a vector file. The data of three test flights were used to determine the accuracy of the device, which turned out to be better than 1° for roll and pitch (mean between 0.0 and 0.21 with a standard deviation of 0.17–0.46) and better than 2.5° for yaw angles (mean between 0.0 and −0.14 with a standard deviation of 0.58–0.94). This turned out to be sufficient to enable a fast and almost automatic GIS-based archiving of all of the imagery.
Absolute Orientation Based on Distance Kernel Functions
Authors: Sun Yanbiao , Zhao Liang , Zhou Guoqing , Yan Lei
Published: March 2016

The classical absolute orientation method is capable of transforming tie points (TPs) from a local coordinate system to a global (geodetic) coordinate system. The method is based only on a unique set of similarity transformation parameters estimated by minimizing the total difference between all ground control points (GCPs) and the fitted points. Nevertheless, it often yields a transformation with poor accuracy, especially in large-scale study cases. To address this problem, this study proposes a novel absolute orientation method based on distance kernel functions, in which various sets of similarity transformation parameters instead of only one set are calculated. When estimating the similarity transformation parameters for TPs using the iterative solution of a non-linear least squares problem, we assigned larger weighting matrices for the GCPs for which the distances from the point are short. The weighting matrices can be evaluated using the distance kernel function as a function of the distances between the GCPs and the TPs. Furthermore, we used the exponential function and the Gaussian function to describe distance kernel functions in this study. To validate and verify the proposed method, six synthetic and two real datasets were tested. The accuracy was significantly improved by the proposed method when compared to the classical method, although a higher computational complexity is experienced.
Robot Guidance Using Machine Vision Techniques in Industrial Environments: A Comparative Review
Authors: Pérez Luis , Rodríguez Íñigo , Rodríguez Nuria , Usamentiaga Rubén , García Daniel
Published: March 2016

In the factory of the future, most of the operations will be done by autonomous robots that need visual feedback to move around the working space avoiding obstacles, to work collaboratively with humans, to identify and locate the working parts, to complete the information provided by other sensors to improve their positioning accuracy, etc. Different vision techniques, such as photogrammetry, stereo vision, structured light, time of flight and laser triangulation, among others, are widely used for inspection and quality control processes in the industry and now for robot guidance. Choosing which type of vision system to use is highly dependent on the parts that need to be located or measured. Thus, in this paper a comparative review of different machine vision techniques for robot guidance is presented. This work analyzes accuracy, range and weight of the sensors, safety, processing time and environmental influences. Researchers and developers can take it as a background information for their future works.
Sustainability and Competitiveness of Romanian Farms through Organic Agriculture
Authors: Aceleanu Mirela
Published: March 2016

Currently, the development of any sector involves respecting the principles of sustainability, which means economic, social and environmental development. Moreover, organic farming is a very important field for ensuring sustainable development. Romania has great potential for the development of organic agriculture, especially due to the large number of available farmland and reduced use of fertilizers and other chemicals. However, the development of organic farming in Romania is in an early stage, due to the numerous problems that Romanian agriculture is still facing. Concern for the environment should be reflected at the level of production processes and consumption. As market demand influences and stimulates production, we can ask the question to what extent stimulating the consumption of organic products through green marketing can boost organic agriculture development and competitiveness of Romanian farms. Using several methods of research, such as analysis, synthesis, comparison, statistical methods and by calling on studies, reports and data series on organic farming in the EU and Romania, this paper highlights Romania's position in terms of the level of development of organic agriculture and recommends several ways to improve the outcomes obtained by Romania in the field. Moreover, based on regression equations, the trend of convergence of Romanian organic agriculture development in relation to the EU countries is analysed. The paper demonstrates that one of the measures that can be taken by Romanian farms is green marketing strategy development that can stimulate both consumption and production of organic products. Therefore, with increasing interest in the development of organic agriculture in Romania, green marketing can play an increasingly important role in promoting the benefits of consuming organic products, thus contributing to business development of organic products as well as to the development of Romanian agriculture. Promoting organic agriculture through the use of green marketing techniques is useful for improving human, environmental and economic health, in the context of sustainable development.
Efficient Co-Replication of Defective Novirhabdovirus
Authors: Rouxel Ronan , Mérour Emilie , Biacchesi Stéphane , Brémont Michel
Published: March 2016

We have generated defective Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Viruses (VHSV) which express either the green fluorescent protein (GFP) or a far-red fluorescent protein (mKate) by replacing the genes encoding the nucleoprotein N or the polymerase-associated P protein. To recover viable defective viruses, rVHSV-ΔN-Red and rVHSV-ΔP-Green, fish cells were co-transfected with both deleted cDNA VHSV genomes, together with plasmids expressing N, P and L of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. After one passage of the transfected cell supernatant, red and green cell foci were observed. Viral titer reached 107 PFU/mL after three passages. Infected cells were always red and green with the very rare event of single red or green cell foci appearing. To clarify our understanding of how such defective viruses could be so efficiently propagated, we investigated whether (i) a recombination event between both defective genomes had occurred, (ii) whether both genomes were co-encapsidated in a single viral particle, and (iii) whether both defective viruses were always replicated together through a complementation phenomenon or even as conglomerate. To address these hypotheses, genome and viral particles have been fully characterized and, thus, allowing us to conclude that rVHSV-ΔN-Red and rVHSV-ΔP-Green are independent viral particles which could propagate only by simultaneously infecting the same cells.
Implementation of Forestry Best Management Practices on Biomass and Conventional Harvesting Operations in Virginia
Authors: Barrett Scott , Aust Wallace , Bolding Michael , Lakel William , Munsell John
Published: March 2016

Logging residues are often utilized as a Best Management Practice (BMP) for stabilizing bare soil on forest harvesting operations. As utilization of woody biomass increases, concern has developed regarding availability of residues for implementing BMPs. The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) inspects all logging operations in Virginia and randomly selects a portion of harvests for more intensive audits. The VDOF BMP audit process intensively evaluates implementation of BMPs in seven categories (84 specific BMPs) on 240 sites per year. This research analyzed three years of audit data (2010–2012) to quantify differences in BMP implementation between biomass and conventional harvesting operations. Among 720 audited tracts, 97 were biomass harvests, with 88 occurring in the Piedmont region. Only the streamside management zone (SMZ) category had significant implementation percentage differences between biomass (83.1%) and conventional harvests (91.4%) (p = 0.0007) in the Piedmont. Specific areas where biomass harvesting operations had lower implementation were generally not related to a lack of residues available for implementing BMPs, but rather were from a lack of appropriate SMZs, overharvesting within SMZs, or inadequate construction of roads, skid trails, and stream crossings. Existing BMP recommendations already address these areas and better implementation would have negated these issues.
Religieux architectes en Cambrésis aux XVIIème et XVIIIème siècles
Authors: Machelart F.
Published: March 2016

De régionale architekten zijn weinig bekend en dat geldt nog meer voor de religieuzen. Een onderzoek heeft enkele namen uit de vergeethoek gehaald in de streek van Kamerrijk. Zo heeft de jezuiet Jean du Blocq een deel van het kollege en het plan van hun kerk in Kamerrijk op zijn naam, ook nog het bisschoppelijk paleis, het huis van O.L. Vrouw en de kerk van Saint-André du Cateau. Jérôme Milot, de pastoor van Saint-Aubert heeft het transept van zijn kerk gebouwd, het klooster en verder de plannen getekend voor de St. Vaastkerk te Kamerrijk.

Joseph Dambrinne, de pastoor van Saint-Sépulcre, heeft zijn eigen abdij hele- maal opnieuw opgebouwd en daarbij de abdijkerk die nu de kathedraal van Kamerrijk is. De jezuitenbroeder Pierre Parent heeft lang aan het kollege te Kamerrijk gewerkt, heeft de tribune voor de zangers in de kerk gebouwd en het koor van de St. Gérykerk ingericht. Broeder Louis, een ontschoeide Karmelijn, heeft in zijn klooster te Kamerrijk gewerkt, in het St. Lazarehos- pitaal en op verschillende werven in het Henegouwse.
Le néo-classicisme dans les collections de dessins français du Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lille
Authors: Scottez Annie
Published: March 2016

Dit vormt een verwaarloosd aspekt van het prentenkabinet van het museum te Rijsel. Het gaat om een zeventigtal tekeningen, naast die van David, Prud'hon, Ingres en Wicar. Deze tekeningen laten toe de evolutie van het neo-klassicisme te volgen en illustreren ook de kwaliteiten van de onderscheiden kunstenaars.

De werken van Gibelin, Boichot, F. de la Rue kondigen het begin van het neo- klassicisme reeds aan maar blijven toch beinvloed door de sierlijke en frivole stijl van Boucher en Fragonard. De composities van Peyron, Regnault, Drouais, Lethière en Leberbier en Moitte behoren veeleer tot de zuivere richting in de stijl en staan dicht bij het werk van David. Een mooie reeks van 17 tekeningen, illustraties van de Enéide, van Girodet, en werken van Gros, Guérin en Gérard kondigen reeds het romantisme aan. In het werk van sommige kunstenaars uit het begin van de XlXde eeuw ziet men hoe het neo-klassicisme overgaat in een académisme ; het gaat hier om A. de Pujol, Grohain en Court.
Les grands travaux de Vaucelles au XVIIIe siècle
Authors: Machelart Félicien
Published: March 2016

De Cistercijnerabdij te Vaucelles werd in de loop van de XVIIIe eeuw grondig herbouwd. Het enige gebouw dat er na de Revolutie nog van overbleef, werd in 1917, verwoest. Vêle vragen i.v.m. de omvang van de nieuwbouw, de functie van het verwoeste gebouw en het uitzicht van de beroemde bibliotheek blijven onopgelost. Men kan uit de zeldzame, bewaarde dokumenten het begin van een antwoord halen, door de namen van de betrokken architecten te preciseren : dom Jean de Chavannes en Thomas Joseph Gombert.
Contribution à l'étude de l'œuvre de l'architecte liégeois Barthélémy Digneffe (1724-1784)
Authors: Bouchat Marc
Published: March 2016

The little knowledge we have of the Liège architect Barthélémy Digneffe (Liège 1724-1784) proceeds mostly from an article by J. N. Bassenge, published in the Gazette de Liège in 1806. A confrontation between his statements and the sources seemed to us then to be absolutely necessary before any stylistic study of his work. This confrontation resulted in the confirmation that three « works » quoted by Bassenge as being Digneffe' s (Spa's Redoute, plans for Liège, Her- kenrode) were actually his ; as regard the others one can only speak of likely- hood. Moreover, certain factors may lead to a relative depreciation of the architect's intervention (part played by the customer, construction cost requisites...). Finally, the lack of sources or their sketchiness compels us to remain careful in the assesment of the quality of Barthélémy Digneffe 's intervention : architect or contractor ?
La fortification de terre et son influence sur le développement urbain de quelques villes des Pays-Bas méridionaux
Authors: De Meulemeester Jan
Published: March 2016

Plusieurs villes des Pays-Bas méridionaux se sont développées à partir de fortifications de terre. Cet article présente les premiers résultats d'une recherche archéologique sur la fortification de terre en milieu urbain, menée à partir d'une étude des plans de villes au XVIe siècle dans l'atlas de Jacob van Deventer.

Deux types de fortifications de terre sont considérés : les enceintes circulaires, remontant à l'époque carolingienne et la motte centrale, datant des XIe-XIIe siècles. En relation étroite avec ces fortifications, le schéma de localisation des premiers marchés et des églises primitives, déterminantes de l'évolution urbaine, est étudié. La région étudiée couvre l'Artois et la Flandre et inclut quelques exemples brabançons.
Caractéristiques des monuments sculptés du haut Moyen Age dans le nord de la Gaule
Authors: Flèche-Mourgues Marie Pascale
Published: March 2016

The sculptures inventoried in the north of Gaul date mostly back to Merovingian times and belong to the funerary type. The rarity of the architectural sculptures that have been found doesn't allow any overall synthesis for the time being. The sculpted monuments provide us mostly with information about the regional burial modes : the superstructures (steles, framing slabs, crosses) and the actual graves (sarcophagi, tomb-stones). A typological and chronological classification has been established by taking into account the shape and the usually carved ornamentation. The steles, produced and delivered locally, can be organized into a «Picard» group and a «Vexin» group. The limestone sarcophagi of the Aisne and the Oise departments belong to a more widespread production but can be locally distinguished by their decorative patterns.
Recherches archéologiques à Bavay, XII
Authors: Hanoune Roger , Muller Arthur
Published: March 2016

De opgravingscampagne van 1991 in de noordoostelijke hoek van het forum te Bavay heeft tot een juister inzicht geleid van de drie opeenvolgende stadia van het gebouw. Van het oudste, de zogenaamde «gele» basiliek kent men nu de structuur van de kleine zijden — met een even lange galerij als aan de oostkant, maar zonder zalen — en de diepte van de oostelijke vleugel, tenminste in het middengedeejte. De daaropvolgende gebouwen, de «roze» basiliek (waarin men nu twee bouwfazen onderscheidt) en de «driekleurige» heben gemeen de integratie van drie zalen in de kleine zijden aan noord — en zuidkant en de beperkte breedte van de oostelijke zalen. Het is nu zeker dat er in die twee fazen geen reeks van dertien identieke kamers was, zoals die op aile gepubliceerde plattegronden nog getoond wordt, maar een drie-ledige structuur met een middendeel (dat nu nog onder de moderne straat ligt) tussen twee minder lange stukken.
A propos d'une crosse en émaux de Limoges du XIIIe siècle découverte à Andres (Pas-de-Calais)
Authors: Derœux Didier , François Geneviève
Published: March 2016

Een koperen schaal in champlevé email met goudversiering typisch voor Limoges in de XIIde eeuw werd in 1989 ontdekt te Andres op de oppervlakte van een veld op de site van de vroegere Benediktijne-rabdij Saint-Sauveur en Sainte-Rotrude. Het stuk wordt onderzocht op technisch en stylistisch gebied en gesitueerd in de productie van Limoges. Daarna is er aandacht voor de archeologische context, die men kan reconstitueren kank zij een proefopgraving in 1982 en een betere studie van oudere vondsten. Er wordt getracht te bepalen wanneer het stuk juist begraven werd vooraleer een interpratie voor te stellen en een reeks argumenten om te bepalen voor wie het stukk bestemd was.
Une limite au libéralisme intégral ? Ententes et cartels dans le monde au XIXe et dans le premier tiers du XXe siècle
Authors: Hardy-Hémery Odette
Published: March 2016

une fonction restrictive : limiter la concurrence, mais peuvent procurer des ressources supplémentaires : organisation pour prendre pied à l'exportation, mise en commun de la recherche, levée de capitaux, rôle de groupe de pression. Les ententes ne contredisent pas forcément le libéralisme mais peuvent le consolider.
Early breast cancer screening using iron/iron oxide-based nanoplatforms with sub-femtomolar limits of detection
Authors: Udukala Dinusha N , Wang Hongwang , Wendel Sebastian O , Malalasekera Aruni P , Samarakoon Thilani N , Yapa Asanka S , Abayaweera Gayani , Basel Matthew T , Maynez Pamela , Ortega Raquel , Toledo Yubisela , Bossmann Leonie , Robinson Colette , Janik Katharine E , Koper Olga B , Li Ping , Motamedi Massoud , Higgins Daniel A , Gadbury Gary , Zhu Gaohong , Troyer Deryl L , Bossmann Stefan H
Published: March 2016

Proteases, including matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), tissue serine proteases, and cathepsins (CTS) exhibit numerous functions in tumor biology. Solid tumors are characterized by changes in protease expression levels by tumor and surrounding tissue. Therefore, monitoring protease levels in tissue samples and liquid biopsies is a vital strategy for early cancer detection. Water-dispersable Fe/Fe3O4-core/shell based nanoplatforms for protease detection are capable of detecting protease activity down to sub-femtomolar limits of detection. They feature one dye (tetrakis(carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (TCPP)) that is tethered to the central nanoparticle by means of a protease-cleavable consensus sequence and a second dye (Cy 5.5) that is directly linked. Based on the protease activities of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), MMPs 1, 2, 3, 7, 9, and 13, as well as CTS B and L, human breast cancer can be detected at stage I by means of a simple serum test. By monitoring CTS B and L stage 0 detection may be achieved. This initial study, comprised of 46 breast cancer patients and 20 apparently healthy human subjects, demonstrates the feasibility of protease-activity-based liquid biopsies for early cancer diagnosis.
Cupreines and cupreidines: an established class of bifunctional cinchona organocatalysts
Authors: Bryant Laura A , Fanelli Rossana , Cobb Alexander J A
Published: March 2016

Cinchona alkaloids with a free 6'-OH functionality are being increasingly used within asymmetric organocatalysis. This fascinating class of bifunctional catalyst offers a genuine alternative to the more commonly used thiourea systems and because of the different spacing between the functional groups, can control enantioselectivity where other organocatalysts have failed. In the main, this review covers the highlights from the last five years and attempts to show the diversity of reactions that these systems can control. It is hoped that chemists developing asymmetric methodologies will see the value in adding these easily accessible, but underused organocatalysts to their screens.
ON DETECTING HALO ASSEMBLY BIAS WITH GALAXY POPULATIONS
Authors: Lin Yen-Ting , Mandelbaum Rachel , Huang Yun-Hsin , Huang Hung-Jin , Dalal Neal , Diemer Benedikt , Jian Hung-Yu , Kravtsov Andrey
Published: March 2016

The fact that the clustering of dark matter halos depends not only on their mass, but also the formation epoch is a prominent, albeit subtle, feature of the cold dark matter structure formation theory and is known as assembly bias. At low-mass scales (

), early-forming halos are predicted to be more strongly clustered than the late-forming ones. In this study, we aim to robustly detect the signature of assembly bias observationally, making use of formation time indicators of central galaxies in low-mass halos as a proxy for the halo formation history. Weak gravitational lensing is employed to ensure our early- and late-forming halo samples have similar masses, and are free of contamination of satellites from more massive halos. For the two formation time indicators used (resolved star formation history and current specific star formation rate), we do not find convincing evidence of assembly bias. For a pair of early- and late-forming galaxy samples with mean mass

, the relative bias is 1.00 ± 0.12. We attribute the lack of detection to the possibilities that either the current measurements of these indicators are too noisy, or they do not correlate well with the halo formation history. Alternative proxies for the halo formation history that should perform better are suggested for future studies.
APPLICATION OF STOCHASTIC MODELING TO ANALYSIS OF PHOTOMETRIC REVERBERATION MAPPING DATA
Authors: Zu Ying , Kochanek C. S. , Kozłowski Szymon , Peterson B. M.
Published: March 2016

We use both simulated and real quasar light curves to explore modeling photometric reverberation-mapping (RM) data as a stochastic process. We do this using modifications to our previously developed RM method based on modeling quasar variability as a damped random walk. We consider the feasibility of one- and two-band photometric RM and compare the results with those from spectroscopic RM. We find that our method for two-band photometric RM can be competitive with spectroscopic RM only for strong (large equivalent width) lines like Hα and Hβ, and that the one-band method is also feasible but requires very high precision photometry. We fail to robustly detect Hα lags in single-band quasar light curves from OGLE-III and OGLE-IV despite the outstanding cadence and time span of the data, on account of photometric uncertainties in the range 0.02–0.04 mag. Simulations suggest that success could be achieved if the photometric uncertainties were of order 0.01 mag. Single-band RM for all lines and two-band RM for lower equivalent width lines are likely only feasible for statistical estimates of mean lags for large samples of active galactic nuclei of similar properties (e.g., luminosity) rather than for individual quasars. Our approach is directly applicable to the time-domain programs within ongoing and future wide-field imaging surveys and could provide robust lag measurements for an unprecedented number of systems.
LOFAR FACET CALIBRATION
Authors: Weeren R. J. van , Williams W. L. , Hardcastle M. J. , Shimwell T. W. , Rafferty D. A. , Sabater J. , Heald G. , Sridhar S. S. , Dijkema T. J. , Brunetti G. , Brüggen M. , Andrade-Santos F. , Ogrean G. A. , Röttgering H. J. A. , Dawson W. A. , Forman W. R. , Gasperin F. de , Jones C. , Miley G. K. , Rudnick L. , Sarazin C. L. , Bonafede A. , Best P. N. , Bîrzan L. , Cassano R. , Chyży K. T. , Croston J. H. , Ensslin T. , Ferrari C. , Hoeft M. , Horellou C. , Jarvis M. J. , Kraft R. P. , Mevius M. , Intema H. T. , Murray S. S. , Orrú E. , Pizzo R. , Simionescu A. , Stroe A. , Tol S. van der , White G. J.
Published: March 2016

LOFAR, the Low-Frequency Array, is a powerful new radio telescope operating between 10 and 240 MHz. LOFAR allows detailed sensitive high-resolution studies of the low-frequency radio sky. At the same time LOFAR also provides excellent short baseline coverage to map diffuse extended emission. However, producing high-quality deep images is challenging due to the presence of direction-dependent calibration errors, caused by imperfect knowledge of the station beam shapes and the ionosphere. Furthermore, the large data volume and presence of station clock errors present additional difficulties. In this paper we present a new calibration scheme, which we name facet calibration, to obtain deep high-resolution LOFAR High Band Antenna images using the Dutch part of the array. This scheme solves and corrects the direction-dependent errors in a number of facets that cover the observed field of view. Facet calibration provides close to thermal noise limited images for a typical 8 hr observing run at

∼
5
″

resolution, meeting the specifications of the LOFAR Tier-1 northern survey.
Redescription of the little-known grasshopper Willemsella (Acrididae, Hemiacridinae) from Peninsular Malaysia
Authors: Tan Ming Kai , Kamaruddin Khairul
Published: March 2016

Catantopinae is a huge subfamily and is in need of a major revision. We contribute to the taxonomy of the subfamily by reviewing one poorly known genus, Willemsella Miller, 1934. This is a monotypic genus so far found only in Peninsular Malaysia.

Rediscovery and new locality records of the species was reported here. The species is redescribed in accordance to modern criteria of taxonomy. Male phallic complex is also described for the first time. The subfamily position of the species is also verified and is more correctly placed under Hemiacridinae.
The Genus Criodion (Audinet-Serville, 1833) (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae): First Record for Panama
Authors: Lanuza-Garay Alfredo , Herrera David , Marin Margarita , Santos Murgas Alonso
Published: March 2016

The Cerambycidae are one of the largest beetle families. Cerambycid beetles are found on all continents, but the tropics are extremely rich in this species. The genus Criodion (Audinet-Serville, 1833) includes 13 species in the Neotropical Region, two of which occur in Central America. Panama has a high biodiversity, yet a small number of sites have been extensively studied. In this contribution, new distributional data are given for C. cinereum (Olivier, 1795) and C. tuberculatum Gahan, 1892.

Two species of the genus Criodion (Audinet-Serville, 1833) are recorded for first time in Panama, Criodion cinereum (Olivier, 1795) and Criodion tuberculatum Gahan, 1892. Relevant details are presented for each species.
Statics Analysis and Design of the 6-DOF Lower Limb Bionic Leg
Authors: Chen Li Wen , Cui Bing Yan , Wang Zhi Jun , Meng Ling Chao , Li Zhan Xian
Published: March 2016

In order to improve ability of walking and crossing the barriers , increase the carrying capacity, and enhance its popularity and adaptability, a novel lower limb bionic leg is presented based on 3-UPS parallel mechanism, which has the characteristics of movement flexible and strong adaptability. It is very important analysis to statics of lower limb bionic leg. Firstly, statics equation of the lower limb bionic leg of driving force and output force is established based on virtual work principle. Secondly, static performance evaluation index is defined and the evaluation index distribution map is drawn. The relationship between the structure parameters and the static performance evaluation indexes is analyzed, obtained the influence of structure parameters on the static performance evaluation index, and a set of reasonable structural parameters is selected. The circum-radius of moving platform is 50mm, the circum-radius of the static platform is 150mm, the moving platform angle and static platform angle are equal to 60°, the lower limb bionic leg has the best load carrying capacity. Thirdly, the lower limb bionic leg is designed based on statics analysis and structure parameters optimization. Analysis results show that the lower limb bionic leg has good static transmission performance at the initial position, and the static transmission performance decreases with increasing turning workspace. The static transmission performance decreases with z axle displacement increasing. The analysis results laid a foundation for further analysis and research of the lower limb bionic leg.
Influence of Temperature on the Morphology and Grain Size of Cupric Oxide (CuO) Nanostructures via Solvothermal Method
Authors: Khan M.A. , Mahmood Hasan , Ahmed Raja Naveed , Khan Ayaz Arif , Mahboobullah  , Iqbal Tariq , Ishaque Asma , Mofeed Rizwana
Published: March 2016

Cupric oxide (CuO) nanostructures have been synthesized successfully through solvothermal chemical route. The influence of temperature on the morphology and the grain size of CuO have been investigated. Phase analysis of synthesized CuO has also been carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD). XRD peaks showed the monoclinic crystalline phase of CuO nanostructures. The morphology of CuO has been studied by using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). SEM images showed the rod-like and sheet-like morphology of CuO. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy has been employed to study the vibrational modes. The FTIR spectra confirmed the stretching vibrations of Cu-O bond. In addition, UV-visible absorption spectra have been implemented to estimate the energy bandgap of the synthesized CuO nanostructures. The energy bandgap of as prepared CuO nanostructures was estimated between 2.0 eV to 2.52 eV. The grain size was found to be increasing with the rise in temperature. The increase in grain size with increasing temperatures causes the reduction in the bandgap, which is attributed to the quantum confinement effect at smaller particle size.
Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Cyanobacteria and Evaluation of their Photocatalytic and Antimicrobial Activity
Authors: San Keskin Nalan Oya , Koçberber Kılıç Nur , Dönmez Gönül , Tekinay Turgay
Published: March 2016

Nowadays, green and efficient synthetic strategies have been gaining great interest for the synthesis of nanoparticles. In this study, the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles and its photocatalytic activity for photodegradation of organic dye and antimicrobial property was studied. The initial syntheses of Ag nanoparticles were characterized by UV–Vis spectrophotometer and showed the surface plasmon resonance band at 430-450 nm. Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) study showed evidence that proteins are possible reducing agents. The structure of AgNPs was determined by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). SEM and TEM studies revealed the synthesized AgNPs to be spherical. The AgNPs exhibited photocatalytic activity for photodegradation of organic dye such as Methylene Blue. Approximately 18% degradations of methylene blue within 4 h was observed with biosynthesized Ag nanoparticles in the photocatalytic degradation process.
Antimicrobial Activity of O-Carboxymethyl Chitosan Nanofibers Containing Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized by Green Method
Authors: Ezzat Metwally , Ghanim Mohammed , Nageh Hassan , Hassanin Ahmed H. , Abdel-Moneim Ahmed
Published: March 2016

New green synthesis of Ag-nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) using O-Carboxymethyl Chitosan (O-CMCs) as stabilizing agent and ascorbic acid as reducing agent was achieved. The reaction was carried out in an autoclave at a pressure of 0.12 MPa and a temperature of 120°C at varying concentrations of solution precursors and different reaction times. The size, shape and structure of Ag-NPs were measured using transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), FT-IR and UV spectrophotometers. The Ag-NPs stabilized in O-CMCs were blended with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) polymer solution and then electrospun to produce wound dressing nanofibers with high antibacterial activity. The morphological study of O-CMCs/ PVA/Ag-NPs nanofiber membranes was characterized using SEM. Finally, the release behavior of Ag-NPs from these nanofibers was examined and the antibacterial activity was measured against some skin pathogenic bacteria and fungi using the agar diffusion method. The newly developed membranes show a unique antibacterial activity against the tested strains and were presented as promising active wound dressing materials in medical applications.
Synthesis of Long Gold Nanorods as an Efficient Photothermal Agent in the Second Near-Infrared Window
Authors: Zhou Rui , Wu Zheng Wei , Sun Zhan Hui , Su Xiao Fei
Published: March 2016

To date, intensive efforts have been devoted in the synthesis of various nanomaterials as photothermal agent in the first near-infrared (NIR) window (650-950 nm). Although the NIR-II window (1000-1350 nm) is recognized to offer more efficient tissue penetration and higher permissible exposure to excitation light, the corresponding photothermal agents have been scant. Here, we report a binary surfactant seeded growth method for high yield synthesis of long AuNRs (LAuNRs) as an efficient NIR-II photothermal agent. The as-synthesized LAuNRs with aspect ratio of 6.7 shows strong surface plasmon resonance band at 1064 nm, and demonstrates high photothermal conversion efficiency and excellent photothermal stability. When the AuNRs aqueous dispersion is covered with a 6 mm thick pork tissue as a model of biological tissues, its temperature can still be increased by 13.1 °C under a 1064 nm 1.0 W/cm2 laser irradiation. These results demonstrate the promising potential of the LAuNRs as an efficient photothermal agent in the NIR-II window.
Characterization of Epoxy Composites with TiO2 Additives and E-Glass Fibers as Reinforcement Agent
Authors: Nallusamy S.
Published: March 2016

Nanotechnology has become one of the best ever growing technology in scientific and engineering disciplines. Various investigations on nanoparticles have been carried out by many research scholars in the earlier decades. This research work investigates the effect of hybrid e-glass reinforced fiber with epoxy nanocomposite. The nanocomposite laminates were prepared by hand layup technique by varying percentages of Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles of 0, 1, 2 and 3% respectively. The nano additives are added to improve the strength, from wear out resistance and hardness of the polymer composite. The nanocomposite laminates thus prepared are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) tests. The XRD test revealed that the nanoparticles are well typified and a fully intercalated structure was obtained. By using SEM the fracture failures and matrix cracks on the surfaces of the laminates were investigated. The flexural properties of the glass fiber reinforced plastics improved with the addition of nano TiO2 filler particles. At 3 wt % of TiO2 the flexural strength of 203.36 Mpa was attained. Good interfacial bonding between the fiber and epoxy was the main reason for achieving better flexural properties.
The influence of family and non-family stakeholders on Family Business success
Authors: Farrington Shelley , Venter Elmarie , Boshoff Christo
Published: March 2016

The greatest threats to the growth, success and survival of a family business are primarily issues related to family relationships. The involvement of non-family members has also shown to present many threats as well as opportunities for the family business. Because of the increasing number of sibling teams among family businesses this article focuses on the impact of family and non-family members’ involvement on the success of sibling-owned family businesses. Key stakeholders identified as influencing a Sibling Partnership are parents, non-active sibling shareholders, spouses, and non-family members. The primary objectives of this article are thus to evaluate the impact of the stakeholders identified on the success of a Sibling Partnership, by subjecting these relationships to empirical testing, and making recommendations to successfully manage relationships in family businesses. A structured questionnaire was made available to 1 323 sibling partner respondents. The respondents were identified by means of a convenience snowball sampling technique, and the data collected from 371 usable questionnaires was subjected to various statistical analyses. The empirical findings of this study show that both past and present Parental involvement, as well as the involvement of other family members and Non-family employees in the sibling-owned family businesses, significantly impact on its success.

Keywords and phrases: Family business, Sibling Partnership, family team, family relationships, spouses, non-active shareholders, stakeholders
The influence of gender and ethnicity on the perceptions of an Entrepreneurial career in the South African context
Authors: Farrington Shelley , Gray Beverley , Sharp Gary
Published: March 2016

In South Africa men are more likely than women to undertake entrepreneurial activity. Similarly, White South Africans are more likely to start new business ventures than other ethnic groups. In order to establish why women and certain ethnic groups are less inclined to undertake entrepreneurial activities, the primary objective of this study was to establish whether the perceptions of desirability that some groups have of an entrepreneurial career differ from those of others. Respondents were identified by means of convenience and judgemental sampling. In total, 739 usable questionnaires were returned. The validity and reliability of the measuring instrument was assessed by means of an exploratory factor analysis and Cronbach-alpha coefficients. T-test statistics were undertaken to establish significant differences. The results show that female small business owners perceive that self-employment will allow them more Flexibility and Autonomy than do their male counterparts, whereas male students perceive that self-employment will allow them more Time than do female students. Black small business owners and Black student respondents scored higher mean scores than White respondents for the majority of work values investigated in this study. This seems to suggest that Black respondents perceive an entrepreneurial career more positively than White respondents do, despite White South Africans being more likely to start entrepreneurial ventures than Black South Africans.

KEYWORDS: Entrepreneurial career, small business enterprises, career perceptions, work values, gender, ethnicity