bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Accelerated Window Work Method Using Vertical Formwork for Tall Residential Building Construction
Authors: Kim Taehoon , Lim Hyunsu , Kim Chang-Won , Lee Dongmin , Cho Hunhee , Kang Kyung-In
Published: February 2018

In tall residential building construction, there is a process gap between the window work and the structural work. This process gap extends the total period of the project and increases its cost. In addition, as this process gap increases external exposure to noise and dust, it negatively affects the environment of a site and often causes civil complaints. This paper introduces a new window work process called the accelerated window work (AWW) method, which minimizes the process gap and can reduce construction cost and duration and the number of civil complaints. We provide technical details and management elements of the AWW method with a case study that demonstrates the reductions in construction costs and duration compared with the conventional method. This work contributes to the body of knowledge in window work in tall buildings by introducing and validating a new window work method and process. The proposed method will be useful for practitioners who are under short-term constraints.
Technology and Occupations in Business Cycles
Authors: Cirillo Valeria , Pianta Mario , Nascia Leopoldo
Published: February 2018

Building on studies on the impact of the Great Recession on the occupational and skill structure of employment, this article investigates developments over the last business cycle (2002–2007 and 2007–2011) in 36 manufacturing and service industries of five major European countries (Germany, France, Spain, Italy and United Kingdom). We analyse how technology, education and wages have shaped the evolution of four professional groups—Managers, Clerks, Craft and Manual workers—defined on the basis of ISCO classes. During the upswing in manufacturing industries all professional groups except managers have experienced job losses, while new jobs in services have followed a pattern of growing occupational polarization. Demand growth has a general positive effect across all occupations; new products lead to job creation in the group of managers only; wage increases slow down job creation except in the lowest occupational group. During the downswing, large job losses are concentrated in the lowest occupations and most relationships—including the role of demand and wages—break down; product innovation loses its positive impact on jobs while new processes drive restructuring and job destruction across all professional groups.
Population Agglomeration and Residential Energy Consumption: Evidence from Japan
Authors: Otsuka Akihiro
Published: February 2018

In the Japanese economy facing environmental restrictions, both the control of greenhouse gas emissions and the boost of regional economic growth are important policy issues. In this context, this study employs econometric methods to investigate whether population agglomeration, which is a potential source of economic growth, contributes to the reduction of energy consumption in the residential sector. The results of the analysis highlight that population agglomeration affects savings in energy consumption. Specifically, over the considered observation period, population agglomeration has saved energy consumption in large metropolitan areas. In contrast, in rural areas, population dispersion has had the opposite effect.
Mitigating Toxic Planktonic Cyanobacterial Blooms in Aquatic Ecosystems Facing Increasing Anthropogenic and Climatic Pressures
Authors: Paerl Hans
Published: February 2018

Toxic planktonic cyanobacterial blooms are a pressing environmental and human health problem. Blooms are expanding globally and threatening sustainability of our aquatic resources. Anthropogenic nutrient enrichment and hydrological modifications, including water diversions and reservoir construction, are major drivers of bloom expansion. Climatic change, i.e., warming, more extreme rainfall events, and droughts, act synergistically with human drivers to exacerbate the problem. Bloom mitigation steps, which are the focus of this review, must consider these dynamic interactive factors in order to be successful in the short- and long-term. Furthermore, these steps must be applicable along the freshwater to marine continuum connecting streams, lakes, rivers, estuarine, and coastal waters. There is an array of physical, chemical, and biological approaches, including flushing, mixing, dredging, application of algaecides, precipitating phosphorus, and selective grazing, that may arrest and reduce bloom intensities in the short-term. However, to ensure long term, sustainable success, targeting reductions of both nitrogen and phosphorus inputs should accompany these approaches along the continuum. Lastly, these strategies should accommodate climatic variability and change, which will likely modulate and alter nutrient-bloom thresholds.
On Cooling of Neutron Stars with a Stiff Equation of State Including Hyperons
Authors: Grigorian Hovik , Kolomeitsev Evgeni , Maslov Konstantin , Voskresensky Dmitry
Published: February 2018

Exploiting a stiff equation of state of the relativistic mean-field model MKVORH ϕ with σ -scaled hadron effective masses and couplings, including hyperons, we demonstrate that the existing neutron-star cooling data can be appropriately described within “the nuclear medium cooling scenario” under the assumption that different sources have different masses.
The Regulation of Translation in Alphavirus-Infected Cells
Authors: Carrasco Luis , Sanz Miguel , González-Almela Esther
Published: February 2018

Sindbis virus (SINV) contains an RNA genome of positive polarity with two open reading frames (ORFs). The first ORF is translated from the genomic RNA (gRNA), rendering the viral non-structural proteins, whereas the second ORF is translated from a subgenomic mRNA (sgRNA), which directs the synthesis of viral structural proteins. SINV infection strongly inhibits host cell translation through a variety of different mechanisms, including the phosphorylation of the eukaryotic initiation factor eIF2α and the redistribution of cellular proteins from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. A number of motifs have been identified in SINV sgRNA, including a hairpin downstream of the AUG initiation codon, which is involved in the translatability of the viral sgRNA when eIF2 is inactivated. Moreover, a 3′-UTR motif containing three stem-loop structures is involved in the enhancement of translation in insect cells, but not in mammalian cells. Accordingly, SINV sgRNA has evolved several structures to efficiently compete for the cellular translational machinery. Mechanistically, sgRNA translation involves scanning of the 5′-UTR following a non-canonical mode and without the requirement for several initiation factors. Indeed, sgRNA-directed polypeptide synthesis occurs even after eIF4G cleavage or inactivation of eIF4A by selective inhibitors. Remarkably, eIF2α phosphorylation does not hamper sgRNA translation during the late phase of SINV infection. SINV sgRNA thus constitutes a unique model of a capped viral mRNA that is efficiently translated in the absence of several canonical initiation factors. The present review will mainly focus in the non-canonical mechanism of translation of SINV sgRNA.
Comparison of Bootstrap Confidence Intervals Using Monte Carlo Simulations
Authors: Flowers-Cano Roberto , Ortiz-Gómez Ruperto , León-Jiménez Jesús , López Rivera Raúl , Perera Cruz Luis
Published: February 2018

Design of hydraulic works requires the estimation of design hydrological events by statistical inference from a probability distribution. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we compared coverage of confidence intervals constructed with four bootstrap techniques: percentile bootstrap (BP), bias-corrected bootstrap (BC), accelerated bias-corrected bootstrap (BCA) and a modified version of the standard bootstrap (MSB). Different simulation scenarios were analyzed. In some cases, the mother distribution function was fit to the random samples that were generated. In other cases, a distribution function different to the mother distribution was fit to the samples. When the fitted distribution had three parameters, and was the same as the mother distribution, the intervals constructed with the four techniques had acceptable coverage. However, the bootstrap techniques failed in several of the cases in which the fitted distribution had two parameters.
A Case Study of Preliminary Cost-Benefit Analysis of Building Levees to Mitigate the Joint Effects of Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge
Authors: Peng Binbin , Song Jie
Published: February 2018

Sea-level rise (SLR) will magnify the impacts of storm surge; the resulting severe flooding and inundation can cause huge damage to coastal communities. Community leaders are considering implementing adaptation strategies, typically hard engineering projects, to protect coastal assets and resources. It is important to understand the costs and benefits of the proposed project before any decision is made. To mitigate the flooding impact of joint effects of storm surge and SLR, building levee segments is chosen to be a corresponding adaptation strategy to protect the real estate assets in the study area—the City of Miami, FL, USA. This paper uses the classic Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) to assess the cost efficiency and proposes corresponding improvements in the benefit estimation, by estimating the avoided damages of implementing levee projects. Results show that the city will benefit from implementing levee projects along the Miami River in both a one-time 10 year storm event with SLR and cumulative long-term damage scenarios. This study also suggests that conducting CBA is a critical process before making coastal adaptation planning investment. A more meaningful result of cost effectiveness is estimated by accounting for the appreciation and time value. In addition, a sensitivity analysis is conducted to verify how the choice of discount rate influences the result. Uncertain factors including the rate of SLR, storm intensification, land use changes, and real estate appreciation are further analyzed.
Agricultural Water Use Sustainability Assessment in the Tarim River Basin under Climatic Risks
Authors: Zhang Jun , Bai Minghao , Zhou Shenbei , Zhao Min
Published: February 2018

Proper agricultural water management in arid regions is the key to tackling climatic risks. However, an effective assessment of the current response to climate change in agricultural water use is the precondition for a group adaptation strategy. The paper, taking the Tarim River basin (TRB) as an example, aims to examine the agricultural water use sustainability of water resource increase caused by climatic variability. In order to describe the response result, groundwater change has been estimated based on the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS)–Noah land surface model (NOAH) data. In order to better understand the relationship between water resource increase and agricultural water consumption, an agricultural water stress index has been established. Agricultural water stress has been in a severe state during the whole period, although it alleviated somewhat in the mid–late period. This paper illustrates that an increase in water supply could not satisfy agricultural production expansion. Thus, seasonal groundwater loss and a regional water shortage occurred. Particularly in 2008 and 2009, the sharp shortage of water supply in the Tarim River basin directly led to a serious groundwater drop by nearly 20 mm from the end of 2009 to early 2010. At the same time, a regional water shortage led to water scarcity for the whole basin, because the water consumption, which was mainly distributed around Source Rivers, resulted in break-off discharge in the mainstream. Therefore, current agricultural development in the Tarim River basin is unsustainable in the context of water supply under climatic risks. Under the control of irrigation, spatial and temporal water allocation optimization is the key to the sustainable management of the basin.
Urban Estuarine Beaches and Urban Water Cycle Seepage: The Influence of Temporal Scales
Authors: Costa-Dias Sérgia , Machado Ana , Teixeira Catarina , Bordalo Adriano
Published: February 2018

Temperate estuarine beaches are an asset to coastal cities. Being located within the transition zone where the river meets the sea can provide several environmental benefits such as warm water temperature during the summer, flat waters, protection from coastal upwelling-induced morning fog, as well as additional recreational and cultural values. In this study we address a major question—can the urban water cycle impair the water quality dynamics during a bathing season in a temperate Atlantic estuary (Douro, Northwest Portugal)? Water quality was assessed according to the EU legal criteria at different time scales. No daily, weekly, or monthly patterns for microbiological descriptors were found, which rather followed the hourly tidal dynamics. Quality decreased during high tide, affecting potentially 800+ beach-users during mid-summer weekends (4 m2 per person). Low water quality was transported upstream from highly populated urban areas. Therefore, the understanding of the dynamics of estuarine systems is essential to adapt the standard official approach, and the obtained results can be used to draw policy recommendations to improve the sampling strategy, aiming for more accurate assessment of the water quality to reduce the risk hazard of estuarine beaches.
Decline of N and P Uptake in the Inner Protection Zone of a Terminal Reservoir during Inter-Basin Water Transfers
Authors: Yang Shengtian , Bai Juan , Zhao Changsen , Lou Hezhen , Wang Zhiwei , Guan Yabing , Zhang Yichi , Zhang Chunbin , Yu Xinyi
Published: February 2018

Inter-basin water transfer projects are designed to relieve water scarcity around the world. However, ecological problems relating to reductions in protection zone functions can occur during inter-basin transfers. This paper uses the largest inter-basin water transfer project in the world, namely, the South-to-North Water Transfer Project (SNWTP) in China, as an example to analyze the variation of Miyun Reservoir’s inner protection zone functions when water is transferred. Specifically, a riparian model (RIPAM) coupled with remote sensing data were used to calculate the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) losses due to plant uptake, and these results were validated by in situ survey data. Then, correlations between water levels and N and P removal were analyzed. The results show that water table disturbances resulting from elevated water levels strongly influence the growth of plants and have obvious negative impacts on N and P removal in the inner protection zone. With the implementation of the middle route of the SNWTP, the water level of Miyun will rise to 150 m in 2020, and subsequently, the total net primary productivity (NPP) could decline by more than 40.90% from the level in 2015, while the N and P uptake could decline by more than 53.03% and 43.49%, respectively, from the levels in 2015, according to the modeling results. This will lead to declines in the inner protection zone’s defense effectiveness for N and P interception and increases in risks to the security of water resources. The results of this study provide useful knowledge for managing the defense function of the terminal reservoir’s inner protection zone and for ensuring that water quality is maintained during the diversion process.
Return Level Estimation of Extreme Rainfall over the Iberian Peninsula: Comparison of Methods
Authors: Acero Francisco , Parey Sylvie , García José , Dacunha-Castelle Didier
Published: February 2018

Different ways to estimate future return levels (RLs) for extreme rainfall, based on extreme value theory (EVT), are described and applied to the Iberian Peninsula (IP). The study was done for an ensemble of high quality rainfall time series observed in the IP during the period 1961–2010. Two approaches, peaks-over-threshold (POT) and block maxima (BM) with the generalized extreme value (GEV) distribution, were compared in order to identify which is the more appropriate for the estimation of RLs. For the first approach, which identifies trends in the parameters of the asymptotic distributions of extremes, both all-days and rainy-days-only datasets were considered because a major fraction of values of daily rainfall over the IP is zero. For the second approach, rainy-days-only data were considered showing how the mean, variance and number of rainy days evolve. The 20-year RLs expected for 2020 were estimated using these methods for three seasons: autumn, spring and winter. The GEV is less reliable than the POT because fixed blocks lead to the selection of non-extreme values. Future RLs obtained with the POT are greater than those estimated with the GEV, mainly because some gauges show significant positive trends for the number of rainy days. Autumn, rather than winter, is currently the season with the heaviest rainfall for some regions.
Les spécificités des politiques de l’adolescence. Réflexions à partir d’une revue de littérature
Authors: Boulin Audrey
Published: February 2018

The particularities of policies involving adolescents. Thoughts from a literary review.

Public policies in France very rarely use the word “ adolescent”. However, this section of the population is targeted by various public policies, mainly those involving young people and families. This article is intended to explore public policies on adolescents that may have particular features compared with youth policies. Based on an overview of studies from various disciplines (sociology, history, education sciences, political science etc.), the view of adolescence conveyed by these public policies is challenged. Which adolescents are targeted and what measures are used ? In youth policies as in family policies, adolescents are not often seen as autonomous individuals, which applies all the more to “ problem adolescents” who are the favoured targets of the measure put in place.
Socialisation adolescente et usages des médias sociaux : la question du genre
Authors: Balleys Claire
Published: February 2018

Cet article propose une réflexion sur la socialisation adolescente contemporaine, en intégrant et en articulant deux dimensions du processus : l’identité de genre et les usages des médias sociaux. À partir des résultats de différentes enquêtes sociologiques francophones et anglo-saxonnes, l’objectif est d’expliquer en quoi les usages adolescents des médias sociaux renseignent sur les rapports sociaux de sexe à l’adolescence et des modes de socialisation aux appartenances de genre. L’article suit deux étapes : en premier lieu, il propose un cadrage sur le contexte dans lequel s’inscrit aujourd’hui la construction identitaire adolescente, afin d’offrir au lecteur des clés d’appréhension et de compréhension des enjeux de la construction identitaire juvénile aujourd’hui, entre anciennes et nouvelles réalités sociales. Ensuite, il invite le lecteur à pénétrer au coeur des pratiques adolescentes de mise en scène et de négociation des identités de genre en ligne, le but étant de montrer par quels processus la question du genre est saisie comme dimension intégratrice du soi à l’adolescence, au sein de niches identitaires toujours plus exclusives, bien que multiples.
L’instabilité des économies de marché
Authors: Portier Franck
Published: February 2018

L’approche moderne des fluctuations macroéconomiques considère que l’économie est fondamentalement stable, fluctuant autour d’un état stationnaire sous l’effet de chocs exogènes. Cet article présente quelques réflexions et pistes de recherche pour une approche différente dans laquelle l’économie décentralisée de marché peut se révéler fondamentalement instable et fluctuer ainsi de manière endogène et exogène. Ces pistes de recherche permettent de penser différemment les politiques macroéconomiques de stabilisation.
Sur les modèles macroéconomiques
Authors: Blanchard Olivier
Published: February 2018

Les modèles DSGE occupent une place prépondérante au sein de la macroéconomie et sont appelés à jouer un rôle central dans le futur de ce champ. Cependant, il est nécessaire de se rappeler qu’ils ne sont qu’une catégorie de modèles parmi d’autres. Il faut ainsi continuer à développer diverses classes de modèles, mais aussi les faire interagir. Il est important de mettre fin à l’impérialisme naissant des DSGE et de continuer à exploiter d’autres méthodes de modélisation. D’une part, ces modèles ne sont pas faits pour répondre à tous les enjeux posés par la macroéconomie. D’autre part, le champ scientifique travaillant sur ce type de modélisation a tout à gagner à sortir de son isolement et à s’enrichir de ce que le reste de la macroéconomie peut apporter, notamment pour tenter de surmonter leurs multiples limites. Si ces remarques semblent triviales ou évidentes, ces questions sont loin de faire consensus aujourd’hui et sont l’objet d’une véritable guerre de religion parmi les membres de notre profession.
Analysis of Accommodative Performance of a New Accommodative Intraocular Lens
Authors: Alió Jorge L. , Simonov Aleksey N. , Romero Daniel , Angelov Alexander , Angelov Yavor , van Lawick Willem , Rombach Michiel C.
Published: February 2018

PURPOSE:

To compare objective and subjective accommodation and visual acuities with a new accommodative intraocular lens (IOL) (Lumina; AkkoLens Clinical BV, Rijswijk, The Netherlands) with a monofocal IOL and young phakic eyes.

METHODS:

In this prospective, randomized controlled clinical investigation, patients aged 51 to 85 years with symptomatic cataract were enrolled in the study. A total of 25 eyes were implanted with the accommodative IOL and 18 eyes received the monofocal Acrysof SA60AT IOL (Alcon Laboratories, Inc., Fort Worth, TX). Each group included 4 bilateral patients. An additional 20 phakic eyes of young patients aged 19 to 29 years were used to assess the restoration of accommodation. Subjective and objective accommodative amplitudes were evaluated by defocus curves and the WAM-5500 open-field Auto Ref/Keratometer (Grand Seiko, Tokyo, Japan), respectively.

RESULTS:

The 1-year postoperative examination showed significantly better visual acuities with the accommodative IOL compared to the monofocal IOL, over a defocus range of −0.50 to −5.00 diopters (D) (
P
< 10
−5
), and revealed more than 50% of the visual acuities of the young phakic eyes at up to −3.50 D defocus. The depth of focus of the accommodative group exceeded that of the monofocal group by 2.52 ± 0.03 D in a visual acuity range of 0.3 to 0.8 (decimal) (20/63 to 20/25 Snellen). Compared with the monofocal IOL, the accommodative IOL resulted in a similar uncorrected distance visual acuity of 0.99 ± 0.12 (20/20 Snellen) (
P
> .79) and a significantly better uncorrected near visual acuity of 0.91 ± 0.11 (20/22 Snellen) (
P
< 2.7 × 10
−6
). A significant correlation of 0.51 (
P
< 1.3 × 10
−7
) was found between the objective and subjective accommodative amplitudes with the accommodative IOL.

CONCLUSIONS:

Eyes implanted with the accommodative IOL showed similar amounts of objective and subjective accommodation.

[
J Refract Surg.
2018;34(2):78–83.]
Population structure and impact of recurrent selection on popcorn using EST-SSR markers
Authors: Guimarães Amanda Gonçalves , Amaral Júnior Antônio Teixeira do , Almeida Filho Janeo Eustáquio de , Pena Guilherme Ferreira , Vittorazzi Cássio , Pereira Messias Gonzaga
Published: February 2018

The success of any recurrent selection program depends on the genetic variability of the evaluated population, which is used to refer to the diversity of existing alleles at many genetic loci. Thus, the goal of the present study was to investigate the impact of recurrent selection across nine cycles of a UENF-14 popcorn population through the analysis of genetic diversity and structure using microsatellite markers (EST-SSRs). Genomic DNA was extracted from young leaves of 25 individuals from each cycle (C0, C1 C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, and C8), totaling 225 samples from the UENF-14 population. Fifty EST-SSR markers were used for the analysis of genetic diversity across the recurrent selection cycles, 16 of which were polymorphic. Thirty-four alleles were detected, with an average of 2.13 alleles per locus. Throughout all the recurrent selection cycles, there was a reduction in heterozygosity and an increase in inbreeding. The population structure showed a sharing of alleles, inferring that some may be directly related to the main selection characteristics.
Consumer insight into the monosodium glutamate
Authors: Marques Caroline , Reis Amália , Moura Cristiane , Bonadimann Fátima Soares , Mitterer-Daltoé Marina Leite
Published: February 2018

The fifth basic taste called ‘umami’ was recently recognized by studies related to monosodium glutamate (MSG), and this has attracted attention for enhancing the flavor of foods and because it contains only one-third the sodium of table salt, being an important option for reducing sodium intake by the population. This study evaluated the holistic perception of consumers about the MSG through the modern sensory techniques Word Association and Cata (Check All That Apply). Also a paired comparison was applied to define the consumers’ gustatory perception. Two stimuli were applied on Word Association, one using the trademark Sazón/Ajinomoto and another containing only monosodium glutamate. In general, consumers associated MSG with salt, seasoning, meal and tasty. Age and stimuli caused different effects on the associations. Health-related terms were more related to older consumers. Cata results revealed the knowledge and consumption habits regarding MSG 79% of consumers perceived the umami flavor on the paired comparison.
High Mutation Frequency of the PIGA Gene in T Cells Results in Reconstitution of GPI Anchor−/CD52− T Cells That Can Give Early Immune Protection after Alemtuzumab-Based T Cell–Depleted Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation
Authors: Loeff Floris C. , Falkenburg J. H. Frederik , Hageman Lois , Huisman Wesley , Veld Sabrina A. J. , van Egmond H. M. Esther , van de Meent Marian , von dem Borne Peter A. , Veelken Hendrik , Halkes Constantijn J. M. , Jedema Inge
Published: February 2018

Alemtuzumab (ALM) is used for T cell depletion in the context of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) to prevent acute graft-versus-host disease and graft rejection. Following ALM-based T cell–depleted alloSCT, relatively rapid recovery of circulating T cells has been described, including T cells that lack membrane expression of the GPI-anchored ALM target Ag CD52. We show, in a cohort of 89 human recipients of an ALM-based T cell–depleted alloSCT graft, that early lymphocyte reconstitution always coincided with the presence of large populations of T cells lacking CD52 membrane expression. In contrast, loss of CD52 expression was not overt within B cells or NK cells. We show that loss of CD52 expression from the T cell membrane resulted from loss of GPI anchor expression caused by a highly polyclonal mutational landscape in the PIGA gene. This polyclonal mutational landscape in the PIGA gene was also found in CD52− T cells present at a low frequency in peripheral blood of healthy donors. Finally, we demonstrate that the GPI−/CD52− T cell populations that arise after ALM-based T cell–depleted alloSCT contain functional T cells directed against multiple viral targets that can play an important role in immune protection early after ALM-based T cell–depleted transplantation.
Differential Expression of PU.1 and Key T Lineage Transcription Factors Distinguishes Fetal and Adult T Cell Development
Authors: Montecino-Rodriguez Encarnacion , Casero David , Fice Michael , Le Jonathan , Dorshkind Kenneth
Published: February 2018

The PU.1 transcription factor plays a critical role in the regulation of T cell development, so a report that it is dispensable for fetal thymopoiesis is puzzling. To understand this paradox, we examined the requirement for PU.1, encoded by Spi1, during fetal, neonatal, and adult thymopoiesis in a PU.1 hypomorphic mouse generated by deletion of the Spi1 14-kb upstream regulatory element and by analysis of patterns of gene expression in fetal and adult T cell progenitors. Our data demonstrate that the initiation of thymopoiesis during early gestation is less dependent on PU.1 compared with T cell differentiation in adults and that fetal T cell progenitors express lower levels of Spi1 compared with their adult counterparts. We also show that expression of the core network of T lineage transcription factors regulated by PU.1 differs in fetal and adult T cell progenitors. In particular, PU.1-regulated genes that promote T cell differentiation are differentially expressed in fetal versus adult early T lineage progenitors. These results indicate that the transcriptional differences between the fetal and adult T cell developmental programs are driven in part by differential levels of PU.1 expression and that this likely underlies the differences in the properties of fetal and adult T cell progenitors.
CCR8 Expression Defines Tissue-Resident Memory T Cells in Human Skin
Authors: McCully Michelle L. , Ladell Kristin , Andrews Robert , Jones Rhiannon E. , Miners Kelly L. , Roger Laureline , Baird Duncan M. , Cameron Mark J. , Jessop Zita M. , Whitaker Iain S. , Davies Eleri L. , Price David A. , Moser Bernhard
Published: February 2018

Human skin harbors two major T cell compartments of equal size that are distinguished by expression of the chemokine receptor CCR8. In vitro studies have demonstrated that CCR8 expression is regulated by TCR engagement and the skin tissue microenvironment. To extend these observations, we examined the relationship between CCR8+ and CCR8− skin T cells in vivo. Phenotypic, functional, and transcriptomic analyses revealed that CCR8+ skin T cells bear all the hallmarks of resident memory T cells, including homeostatic proliferation in response to IL-7 and IL-15, surface expression of tissue localization (CD103) and retention (CD69) markers, low levels of inhibitory receptors (programmed cell death protein 1, Tim-3, LAG-3), and a lack of senescence markers (CD57, killer cell lectin-like receptor subfamily G member 1). In contrast, CCR8− skin T cells are heterogeneous and comprise variable numbers of exhausted (programmed cell death protein 1+), senescent (CD57+, killer cell lectin-like receptor subfamily G member 1+), and effector (T-bethi, Eomeshi) T cells. Importantly, conventional and high-throughput sequencing of expressed TCR β-chain (TRB) gene rearrangements showed that these CCR8-defined populations are clonotypically distinct, suggesting unique ontogenies in response to separate antigenic challenges and/or stimulatory conditions. Moreover, CCR8+ and CCR8− skin T cells were phenotypically stable in vitro and displayed similar levels of telomere erosion, further supporting the likelihood of a nonlinear differentiation pathway. On the basis of these results, we propose that long-lived memory T cells in human skin can be defined by the expression of CCR8.
The earthworm Dendrobaena veneta (Annelida): A new experimental-organism for photobiomodulation and wound healing
Authors: Amaroli Andrea , Ferrando Sara , Pozzolini Marina , Gallus Lorenzo , Parker Steven , Benedicenti Stefano
Published: February 2018

Photobiomodulation (PBM) is a manipulation of cellular behavior using non-ablative low intensity light sources. This manipulation triggers a cascade of metabolic effects and physiological changes resulting in improved tissue repair, of benefit in the treatment of tissue injury, degenerative or autoimmune diseases. PBM has witnessed an exponential increase in both clinical instrument technology and applications. It is therefore of benefit to find reliable experimental models to test the burgeoning laser technology for medical applications. In our work, we proposed the earthworm Dendrobaena veneta for the study of non-ablative laser-light effects on wound healing. In our preliminary work, D. veneta has been shown to be positively affected by PBM. New tests using D. veneta were set up to evaluate the effectiveness of a chosen 808 nm-64 J/cm2–1W-CW laser therapy using the AB2799 hand-piece with flat-top bean profile, on the wound healing process of the earthworm. Effective outcome was assimilated through examining the macroscopic, histological, and molecular changes on the irradiated posterior-segment of excised-earthworms with respect to controls. Three successive treatments, one every 24 hours, were concluded as sufficient to promote the wound healing, by effects on muscular and blood vessel contraction, decrement of bacteria load, reduction of inflammatory processes and tissue degeneration. D. veneta was demonstrated to be a reliable experimental organism that meets well the 3Rs principles and the National Science Foundation statement. Through their genetic and evolutionary peculiarity, comparable to those of scientifically accredited models, D. veneta allows the effect of laser therapies by multidisciplinary methods, at various degree of complexity and costs to be investigated.
Noncommutative Riesz transforms – dimension free bounds and Fourier multipliers
Authors: Junge Marius , Mei Tao , Parcet Javier
Published: February 2018

We obtain dimension free estimates for noncommutative Riesz transforms associated to conditionally negative length functions on group von Neumann algebras. This includes Poisson semigroups, beyond Bakry’s results in the commutative setting. Our proof is inspired by Pisier’s method and a new Khintchine inequality for crossed products. New estimates include Riesz transforms associated to fractional laplacians in

\mathbb R^n

(where Meyer’s conjecture fails) or to the word length of free groups. Lust-Piquard’s work for discrete laplacians on LCA groups is also generalized in several ways. In the context of Fourier multipliers, we will prove that Hörmander–Mikhlin multipliers are Littlewood-Paley averages of our Riesz transforms. This is highly surprising in the Euclidean and (most notably) noncommutative settings. As application we provide new Sobolev/Besov type smoothness conditions. The Sobolev-type condition we give refines the classical one and yields dimension free constants. Our results hold for arbitrary unimodular groups.
Defining and classifying TQFTs via surgery
Authors: Juhász András
Published: February 2018

We give a presentation of the

n

-dimensional oriented cobordism category

\mathbf {Cob}_n

with generators corresponding to diffeomorphisms and surgeries along framed spheres, and a complete set of relations. Hence, given a functor

F

from the category of smooth oriented manifolds and diffeomorphisms to an arbitrary category

C

, and morphisms induced by surgeries along framed spheres, we obtain a necessary and sufficient set of relations these have to satisfy to extend to a functor from

\mathbf {Cob}_n

to

C

. If

C

is symmetric and monoidal, then we also characterize when the extension is a TQFT.

This framework is well-suited to defining natural cobordism maps in Heegaard Floer homology. It also allows us to give a short proof of the classical correspondence between (1+1)-dimensional TQFTs and commutative Frobenius algebras. Finally, we use it to classify (2+1)-dimensional TQFTs in terms of J-algebras, a new algebraic structure that consists of a split graded involutive nearly Frobenius algebra endowed with a certain mapping class group representation. This solves a long-standing open problem. As a corollary, we obtain a structure theorem for (2+1)-dimensional TQFTs that assign a vector space of the same dimension to every connected surface. We also note that there are

2^{2^{\omega}}

nonequivalent lax monoidal TQFTs over

\mathbb C

that do not extend to (1+1+1)-dimensional ones.
Development of a coupled dispersive liquid-liquid micro-extraction with supported liquid phase micro-extraction for triclosan determination in wastewater
Authors: Letseka Thabiso , George Mosotho J
Published: February 2018

As attention is drawn towards the monitoring of the so-called emerging pollutants, some common household chemicals are not well researched. Household antimicrobials can also present wastewater treatment challenges if not taken cognisance of. Herein we report the application of a recently reported coupled dispersive liquid-liquid micro-extraction (DLLME) with supported liquid phase micro-extraction (LPME) for the extraction of triclosan from wastewater. A univariate approach was used to investigate various parameters amenable to DLLME while no attempt was made to optimise the LPME, achieving the following optimum conditions: 25 μL of a 1:1 toluene-chloroform mixture with 10% sodium chloride into 1 mL aqueous triclosan solutions and extraction time of 15 min achieving an enrichment efficiency 167 times the reference solution prepared with distilled water, good linearity (R2 = 0.9946) with the estimated limit of detection at 0.013 μg/mL and good repeatability (%RSD ≤ 10). The method showed considerable ruggedness with a similar linearity (R2 = 0.9957) and repeatability (%RSD < 10), with only the limit of detection being compromised (0.31 μg/mL) when applied to a wastewater sample using a matrix-matched standard addition approach. Although the GC-FID method detected triclosan in the wastewater sample, the results were negated by those from the GC-MS; as such it therefore could not be concluded with confidence whether the water contained any triclosan or not. However, the results demonstrated the potential of this method in determination of triclosan in water-based samples when the extraction was coupled to a more rugged system such as a GC-MS.
An updated water balance for the Grootfontein aquifer near Mahikeng
Authors: Cobbing JE
Published: February 2018

The Grootfontein Aquifer, part of the important North West dolomite aquifers, supplies about 20% of Mahikeng’s domestic water needs. Over-abstraction caused the large natural spring draining the aquifer to disappear in 1981, and groundwater levels have since fallen nearly 30 m in the vicinity of the former spring. Analysis of water levels and a water balance using recent assessments of groundwater abstractions confirm past work describing the hydrogeological functioning of the aquifer, and suggest that current abstractions need to fall by between 19 and 36 ML/day (7 and 13 Mm3/a) to bring the aquifer back into longterm balance. Continued over-abstraction at Grootfontein implies increasing risk to Mahikeng’s water supply, and illuminates the larger challenge of ensuring groundwater use in the North West dolomites that is sustainable and in the public interest.
Case study modelling for an ettringite treatment process
Authors: Germishuizen C , Franzsen S , Grobler H , Simate GS , Sheridan CM
Published: February 2018

Several technologies have been developed to treat acid mine drainage (AMD) and attention is shifting towards the removal of sulphate. The formation of ettringite, a hydrous calcium aluminium sulphate mineral, is an option to treat AMD and can reduce the sulphate concentration to well below the discharge specifications. The process modelled in this study includes the formation of ettringite and the recovery of gibbsite through the decomposition of recycled ettringite. The modelling of this process was done using PHREEQC and the results presented in this paper are based on the outcome of different case studies that investigated how the process is affected by a change in parameters. These include, changing the feed water pH, altering the split fractions in the hydrocyclone for the gibbsite recovery and varying the pH for ettringite formation.
Effect of sodium adsorption ratio and electric conductivity of the applied water on infiltration in a sandy-loam soil
Authors: Aboukarima Abdulwahed M , Al-Sulaiman Mohammed A , El Marazky Mohamed SA
Published: February 2018

Infiltration measurements using a double-ring infiltrometer were conducted on a sandy-loam soil located in Saudi Arabia. The measurements were performed for an undisturbed soil. The effect of sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) and electric conductivity (EC) of the applied water on infiltration rate was examined. The infiltration rate at the initial time was high, in the order 305 > 240 > 137 > 104 > 65 mm/h for SAR of 3.34, 3.52, 4.14, 4.18, and 7.60, respectively. The results showed that 180 min after the initial time of measurement in the sandy-loam soil, the final infiltration rates were in the range of 21.1–44.0 mm/h for the different qualities of water considered in this study, with an average value of 33.8 mm/h. Hence, the infiltration rate is sensitive to the SAR of the applied water. The final infiltration rate (IRf) and the final cumulative infiltration depth (Zf) after 180 min could be predicted using the following equations:IRf (mm/h) = 49.399 + 6.691 × EC (dS/m) – 6.740 × SAR (—) R2 = 0.939Zf (mm) = 148.198 + 20.074 × EC (dS/m) – 20.221 × SAR (—) R2 = 0.9387
Distribution of primary and secondary currents in sine-generated bends
Authors: He Li
Published: February 2018

The secondary circulation in a meandering channel redistributes the velocity over the bend. However, the shift of primary flow by secondary currents is not quantitatively understood, due to the difficulty in isolating the role of curvature-driven secondary flow from that of topography-driven secondary flow in bed-deformed meanders. The influences of curvature-driven and topography-driven secondary currents on the redistribution of primary flow in sine-generated meandering channels were examined by CCHE2D. The model is calibrated using data measured in two sets of laboratory experiments including flat-bed flow and mobile-bed flow. Analysis indicated that topography-induced current mainly contributes to the redistribution of primary flow from inner to outer bank in the curved channels, rather than the secondary flow driven by curvature.
Nanoparticle growth by particle-phase chemistry
Authors: Apsokardu Michael J. , Johnston Murray V.
Published: February 2018

Abstract. The ability of particle-phase chemistry to alter the molecular composition
and enhance the growth rate of nanoparticles in the 2–100 nm diameter range
is investigated through the use of a kinetic growth model. The molecular components
included are sulfuric acid, ammonia, water, a non-volatile organic compound,
and a semi-volatile organic compound. Molecular composition and growth rate
are compared for particles that grow by partitioning alone vs. those that
grow by a combination of partitioning and an accretion reaction in the
particle phase between two organic molecules. Particle-phase chemistry causes
a change in molecular composition that is particle diameter dependent, and
when the reaction involves semi-volatile molecules, the particles grow faster
than by partitioning alone. These effects are most pronounced for particles
larger than about 20 nm in diameter. The modeling results provide a
fundamental basis for understanding recent experimental measurements of the
molecular composition of secondary organic aerosol showing that accretion
reaction product formation increases linearly with increasing aerosol
volume-to-surface-area. They also allow initial estimates of the reaction
rate constants for these systems. For secondary aerosol produced by either OH
oxidation of the cyclic dimethylsiloxane (D5) or ozonolysis of β-pinene, oligomerization rate constants on the order of 10−3 to
10−1 M−1 s−1 are needed to explain the experimental results.
These values are consistent with previously measured rate constants for
reactions of hydroperoxides and/or peroxyacids in the condensed phase.
Formation of highly oxygenated organic molecules from aromatic compounds
Authors: Molteni Ugo , Bianchi Federico , Klein Felix , El Haddad Imad , Frege Carla , Rossi Michel J. , Dommen Josef , Baltensperger Urs
Published: February 2018

Abstract. Anthropogenic volatile organic compounds (AVOCs) often dominate the urban atmosphere and consist to a large degree of aromatic hydrocarbons (ArHCs), such as benzene, toluene, xylenes, and trimethylbenzenes, e.g., from the handling and combustion of fuels. These compounds are important precursors for the formation of secondary organic aerosol. Here we show that the oxidation of aromatics with OH leads to a subsequent autoxidation chain reaction forming highly oxygenated molecules (HOMs) with an O : C ratio of up to 1.09. This is exemplified for five single-ring ArHCs (benzene, toluene, o-/m-/p-xylene, mesitylene (1,3,5-trimethylbenzene) and ethylbenzene), as well as two conjugated polycyclic ArHCs (naphthalene and biphenyl). We report the elemental composition of the HOMs and show the differences in the oxidation patterns of these ArHCs. A potential pathway for the formation of these HOMs from aromatics is presented and discussed. We hypothesize that AVOCs may contribute substantially to new particle formation events that have been detected in urban areas.
Virus-mediated transfer of nitrogen from heterotrophic bacteria to phytoplankton
Authors: Shelford Emma J. , Suttle Curtis A.
Published: February 2018

Abstract. Lytic infection of bacteria by viruses releases nutrients during cell lysis
and stimulates the growth of primary producers, but the path by which these
nutrients flow from lysates to primary producers has not been traced. This
study examines the remineralisation of nitrogen (N) from Vibrio lysates by heterotrophic bacterioplankton and its transfer to primary
producers. In laboratory trials, Vibrio sp. strain PWH3a was
infected with a lytic virus (PWH3a-P1) and the resulting 36.0 µmol L−1 of dissolved organic N (DON) in the lysate was added to cultures
containing cyanobacteria (Synechococcus sp. strain DC2) and a
natural bacterial assemblage. Based on the increase in cyanobacteria, 74 %
(26.5 µmol L−1 N) of the DON in the lysate was remineralised and
taken up. Lysate from Vibrio sp. strain PWH3a labeled with
15NH4+ was also added to seawater containing natural microbial
communities, and in four field experiments, stable isotope analysis indicated
that the uptake of 15N was 0.09 to 0.70 µmol N µg−1 of
chlorophyll a. The results from these experiments demonstrate that DON from
lysate can be efficiently remineralised and transferred to phytoplankton, and
they provide further evidence that the viral shunt is an important link in
nitrogen recycling in aquatic systems.
A global approach to estimate irrigated areas – a comparison between different data and statistics
Authors: Meier Jonas , Zabel Florian , Mauser Wolfram
Published: February 2018

Abstract. Agriculture is the largest global consumer of water.
Irrigated areas constitute 40 % of the total area used for agricultural production (FAO, 2014a)
Information on their spatial distribution is highly relevant for regional
water management and food security. Spatial information on irrigation is
highly important for policy and decision makers, who are facing the
transition towards more efficient sustainable agriculture. However, the
mapping of irrigated areas still represents a challenge for land use
classifications, and existing global data sets differ strongly in their
results. The following study tests an existing irrigation map based on
statistics and extends the irrigated area using ancillary data. The approach
processes and analyzes multi-temporal normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) SPOT-VGT data and agricultural
suitability data – both at a spatial resolution of 30 arcsec – incrementally
in a multiple decision tree. It covers the period from 1999 to 2012. The
results globally show a 18 % larger irrigated area than existing
approaches based on statistical data. The largest differences compared to
the official national statistics are found in Asia and particularly in China
and India. The additional areas are mainly identified within already known
irrigated regions where irrigation is more dense than previously estimated.
The validation with global and regional products shows the large divergence
of existing data sets with respect to size and distribution of irrigated
areas caused by spatial resolution, the considered time period and the input
data and assumption made.