bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring the Problems of Teaching Translation Theories and Practice at Saudi Universities: A Case Study of Jazan University in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Mubarak Amin Ali Al
Published: March 2017

The current study deals with the problems of teaching translation from the following perspectives: the significance of translation teaching, the history of translation teaching, teaching materials and teaching methods. The researcher specifically focuses on discovering the problems faced by teachers at the University of Jazan in Saudi Arabia in teaching translation theories and practice. The researcher used a descriptive method in this study to determine the problems faced by teachers in teaching translation. The researcher also distributed a questionnaire to investigate the problems the teachers encountered when teaching translation theories and practice and the questionnaire contained 12 questions. This research did not only reveal the problematic issues encountered but also proposed some practical measures to remedy them. The findings and suggestions would facilitate teachers and relevant authorities to improve the translation teaching methodology in Jazan Universityand the result must not be generalized.
The Effect of Cognitive Dissonance on External Information Search and Consumer Complaint Responses
Authors: Demirgunes Banu Kulter , Avcilar Mutlu Yuksel
Published: March 2017

The cost of influencing a new customer rapidly increases and exceeds the cost of retaining existing customer. Thus, companies tend to be more concerned with customer retention. Keeping their current market share is one of the important tasks for companies. Understanding why customers complain and switch from one company to another help companies to retain their customers. One of the reasons consumers engage in negative responses can result from dissonance experienced after purchase. The concept cognitive dissonance has been studied widely in the literature of consumer behavior. However, there are few studies discussing the relation between cognitive dissonance (its dimensions) and consumers’ complaint responses. This study adopts the 22-item scale of Sweeney et al. (2000) in order to evaluate consumers’ level of cognitive dissonance after purchasing a smartphone. This study offers three dimensions of cognitive dissonance –emotion, wisdom of purchase and concern over deal- as the predictors of external information search and consumer complaint responses. This study tests whether cognitive dissonance has significant effects on consumers’ search for external information, and in turn, on consumers’ complaint and switching intention. The empirical analysis was carried out based on the data gathered by 400 smartphone users, living in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. The survey result was analyzed by using Partial Least Squares (PLS-PM) analysis method. The results reveal that when consumers feel emotional and rational inconsistencies after smartphone purchasing, they need information from external sources (such as asking friends, relatives, other stores), and this information search behavior leads to negative consumer responses as complaint and switching intention.
Improving the Curriculum with Ethics: Gaps between Perceived Ethical Challenges of Practitioners and Educators
Authors: Dolezel Diane M. , Morrison Eileen E.
Published: March 2017

Health information management (HIM) professionals must address ethical challenges in their role as guardians ofpatients’ personal information and organizations’ proprietary information. Because of this need, HIM educatorsstrive prepare their students to address these challenges. Unfortunately, little evidence exists about specific areas ofapplied ethics that should be part of the HIM curriculum. The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine theethical issues relevant to the current practice in Health Information Management. In particular, the study aimed todetermine if the perceptions of HIM educators and practitioners regarding HIM workplace ethical issues wereconsistent, and to identify gaps in perceptions. The researchers distributed a survey to HIM educators and HIMpractitioners, 12 educators and 25 practitioners completed their surveys. Thematic content analysis indicated adivergence of themes among these groups. Overall, educators' responses reflected general knowledge areas whereaspractitioners’ comments were more specific in terms of ethics concerns. The study findings indicated a gap inperceptions signalling a need for increased communication regarding applied ethics in HIM practice so thatcurriculums could reflect both theory and application.
Deregulation and Investment in Generation Capacity: Evidence from Nuclear Power Uprates in the United States
Authors: Lei Zhen , Tsai Chen-Hao , Kleit Andrew N.
Published: March 2017

Nuclear power uprates are investments in generation capacity that enable reactors to operate beyond their original power limit. We find that owners of deregulated reactors are more likely to make investment in power uprates. Moreover, after deregulation owners of boiling water reactors are more likely to choose Extended Power Uprates (EPUs) that could add up to 20 percent of the original power, but owners of pressurized water reactors, another type of reactors for which EPUs are more technically challenging, tend to select other types of uprates that add -less of reactor power. Deregulation incentivizes reactor owners to pursue profitable investments and propels them to make careful investment decisions more consistent with the technological nature of their plants.
De herziene Corporate Governance Code: van reikwijdte tot responstijd
Authors: van den Nieuwenhuijzen M.C.A.
Published: March 2017

De herziene Corporate Governance Code: van reikwijdte tot responstijd

De herziene Corporate Governance Code omvat een veelheid aan onderwerpen, waarvan in deze bijdrage de volgende de revue zullen passeren: de reikwijdte, kleinere beursfondsen, de ‘pas toe of leg uit’-regel en de algemene vergadering.
Francophone ou acadien : indécision identitaire au Nouveau-Brunswick et en Nouvelle-Écosse 1968–1973
Authors: Poplyansky Michael
Published: March 2017

La fin des années 1960 et le début des années 1970 marquent un changement discursif important pour les minorités franco-canadiennes. Plutôt que d’utiliser les appellations historiques de « Canadien français » ou d’« Acadien », elles commencent à s’identifier simplement comme « francophone ». En se penchant sur les débats entourant la fondation de la Société des Acadiens du Nouveau-Brunswick et la Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse, cet article cherche à expliquer le bref attrait qu’exerça le vocable « francophone » en Acadie. L’article l’attribue à un désir d’inclusion par rapport aux individus n’ayant pas de lien généalogique avec la Déportation et à une volonté de se solidariser avec la lutte autonomiste des Québécois. Pourtant, l’article conclut que l’engouement pour le terme « francophone » n’a pas duré en Acadie, notamment à cause de la résistance populaire et de l’impraticabilité de toute tentative de « fusion » entre les peuples acadien et québécois.
Competition between Tropomyosin, Fimbrin, and ADF/Cofilin drives their sorting to distinct actin filament networks
Authors: Christensen Jenna R , Hocky Glen M , Homa Kaitlin E , Morganthaler Alisha N , Hitchcock-DeGregori Sarah E , Voth Gregory A , Kovar David R
Published: March 2017

The fission yeast actin cytoskeleton is an ideal, simplified system to investigate fundamental mechanisms behind cellular self-organization. By focusing on the stabilizing protein tropomyosin Cdc8, bundling protein fimbrin Fim1, and severing protein coffin Adf1, we examined how their pairwise and collective interactions with actin filaments regulate their activity and segregation to functionally diverse F-actin networks. Utilizing multi-color TIRF microscopy of in vitro reconstituted F-actin networks, we observed and characterized two distinct Cdc8 cables loading and spreading cooperatively on individual actin filaments. Furthermore, Cdc8, Fim1, and Adf1 all compete for association with F-actin by different mechanisms, and their cooperative association with actin filaments affects their ability to compete. Finally, competition between Fim1 and Adf1 for F-actin synergizes their activities, promoting rapid displacement of Cdc8 from a dense F-actin network. Our findings reveal that competitive and cooperative interactions between actin binding proteins help define their associations with different F-actin networks.
Writing matters in leadership practice
Authors: Thomas Louise M , Reinertsen Anne B
Published: March 2017

This is an attempt to rethink, ultimately forethink, leadership as a collaborative process of writing and what we think leadership might look like in the 21st century. We try to move beyond leadership taking into account complex relations that shape emergent processes of organizing and change. It is a move away from ideas of individual agency and control. Traditional concepts of hierarchy, selective application, linearity and rationality are no longer appropriate. We offer different shades and elaborations. None are complete or finished. The authority of the reader and audience is pivotal. Through multiple engagements with writing we hope to offer glimpses of powerful leadership.
Editorial
Authors: Andersen Camilla Eline , Osgood Jayne , Otterstad Ann Merete
Published: March 2017

The first issue of Reconceptualizing Educational Research Methodology in 2016 offers three experimental pieces that hold the potential to produce monstrous entanglements when encountered by the reader/listener/viewer/: the in-betweener. We invite you to be open to the possibilities that the contributors to this issue have created through their experimental work. Each piece seeks to stretch what might be understood as data, as research, and as method.
Spatially and temporally regulating translation via mRNA‐binding proteins in cellular and neuronal function
Authors: Donlin‐Asp Paul G. , Rossoll Wilfried , Bassell Gary J.
Published: March 2017

Coordinated regulation of mRNA localization and local translation are essential steps in cellular asymmetry and function. It is increasingly evident that mRNA‐binding proteins play critical functions in controlling the fate of mRNA, including when and where translation occurs. In this review, we discuss the robust and complex roles that mRNA‐binding proteins play in the regulation of local translation that impact cellular function in vertebrates. First, we discuss the role of local translation in cellular polarity and possible links to vertebrate development and patterning. Next, we discuss the expanding role for local protein synthesis in neuronal development and function, with special focus on how a number of neurological diseases have given us insight into the importance of translational regulation. Finally, we discuss the ever‐increasing set of tools to study regulated translation and how these tools will be vital in pushing forward and addressing the outstanding questions in the field.
Sensitivity of land use change emission estimates to historical land use and land cover mapping
Authors: Peng Shushi , Ciais Philippe , Maignan Fabienne , Li Wei , Chang Jinfeng , Wang Tao , Yue Chao
Published: March 2017

The carbon emissions from land use and land cover change (ELUC) are an important anthropogenic component of the global carbon budget. Yet these emissions have a large uncertainty. Uncertainty in historical land use and land cover change (LULCC) maps and their implementation in global vegetation models is one of the key sources of the spread of ELUC calculated by global vegetation models. In this study, we used the Organizing Carbon and Hydrology in Dynamic Ecosystems terrestrial biosphere model to investigate how the different transition rules to define the priority of conversion from natural vegetation to agricultural land affect the historical reconstruction of plant functional types (PFTs) and ELUC. First, we reconstructed 10 sets of historical PFT maps using different transition rules and two methods. Then, we calculated ELUC from these 10 different historical PFT maps and an additional published PFT reconstruction, using the difference between two sets of simulations (with and without LULCC). The total area of forest loss is highly correlated with the total simulated ELUC (R2 = 0.83, P < 0.001) across the reconstructed PFT maps, which indicates that the choice of transition rules is a critical (and often overlooked) decision affecting the simulated ELUC. In addition to the choice of a transition rule, the initial land cover map and the reconstruction method for the reconstruction of historical PFT maps have an important impact on the resultant estimates of ELUC.
A statistical survey of electrostatic electron cyclotron harmonic waves based on THEMIS FFF wave data
Authors: Ni Binbin , Gu Xudong , Fu Song , Xiang Zheng , Lou Yuequn
Published: March 2017

Based on the high‐resolution FFF wave spectral data obtained from the three innermost Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms spacecraft, electrostatic electron cyclotron harmonic (ECH) emissions are identified, using automatic selection criteria, for the period from May 2010 to December 2015. A statistical analysis of wave spectral intensity, peak wave frequency, and wave occurrence rate is performed for the first harmonic ECH waves that are predominantly strongest among all harmonic bands, in terms of dependence on L shell, magnetic local time (MLT), magnetic latitude, and the level of geomagnetic activity. Our results indicate that ECH emissions are preferentially a nightside phenomenon primarily confined to the MLT interval of 21–06 and that the most intense ECH waves are commonly present at L = 5–9 and MLT = 23–03 within 3° of the magnetic equator. As the geomagnetic activity intensifies, averaged nightside ECH wave amplitude can increase from a few tenth mV/m to well above 1 mV/m. The presence of >0.1 mV/m ECH emissions extends from L < 10 to L > ~12 with a broad MLT coverage from the evening to postdawnside at the occurrence rate above 20% for the equatorial emissions and at a rate up to ~7% for higher‐latitude waves. Overall, the average peak wave frequency of the first harmonic ECH waves is located ~1.5 fce (where fce is the electron gyrofrequency) for L < 10 and becomes smaller at higher L shells. It also exhibits a tendency to shift to lower frequencies with increasing geomagnetic activity level. By finalizing a numeric table that gives the statistically average values of wave amplitude and peak wave frequency for different ranges of L shell, MLT, and geomagnetic activity level, our detailed investigation provides an improved statistical model of ECH wave global distribution in the Earth's inner and outer magnetosphere, which can be readily adopted as critical inputs in diffusion codes to evaluate the rates of ECH wave‐driven pitch angle scattering and to determine the precise contributions of ECH waves to the plasma sheet electron dynamics and diffuse auroral electron precipitation.
A simulation study of seasonal variations in the thermospheric upward propagation of migrating terdiurnal tide
Authors: Ruan Haibing , Wang Wenbin , Dou Xiankang , Yue Jia , Du Jian , Lei Jiuhou
Published: March 2017

In this study, the Thermosphere Ionosphere Electrodynamics Global Circulation Model and the extended Canadian Middle Atmosphere Model are utilized to investigate the seasonal variations of the upward propagation of the migrating terdiurnal tide from the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT). Three main conclusions are drawn from a series of controlled simulations: (1) The background thermospheric zonal and meridional winds and neutral temperature can affect the upward propagation of the terdiurnal tide. (2) The background zonal winds can play an important role in the variation of the vertical advection and adiabatic cooling/heating, especially in the low thermosphere, and as a consequence, the upward propagation of the terdiurnal tide is modulated. (3) The terdiurnal tide in the MLT has influences not only on the latitudinal distributions and magnitudes of the terdiurnal tide in the upper thermosphere but also on the effect of the background winds on the upward propagation of the terdiurnal tide.
A micromechanical model of rate and state friction: 2. Effect of shear and normal stress changes
Authors: Molinari A. , Perfettini H.
Published: March 2017

In this paper we analyze the influence of shear and normal stress changes on frictional properties. This problem is fundamental as, for instance, sudden stress changes are naturally induced on active faults by nearby earthquakes. As any stress changes can be seen as resulting from a succession of infinitesimal stress steps, the role of sudden stress changes is crucial to our understanding of fault dynamics. Laboratory experiments carried out by Linker and Dieterich (1992) and Nagata et al. (2012), considering steps in normal and shear stress, respectively, show an instantaneous response of the state variable (a proxy for the evolution of contact surface in our model) to a sudden stress change. We interpret this response as being due to an (instantaneous) elastic response of the plastic and elastic contacts. We assume that the anelastic response of the plastic contacts is frozen during sudden stress changes. The contacts, which were driven by plasticity before the stress change, are elastically accommodated during the sudden variation of the load. On the contrary, when the loading is slowly varying, elastic deformation of plastic contacts can be neglected. Our model is able to explain the evolution law for the state variable reported by Linker and Dieterich (1992).
Development of a Water and Enthalpy Budget‐based Glacier mass balance Model (WEB‐GM) and its preliminary validation
Authors: Ding Baohong , Yang Kun , Yang Wei , He Xiaobo , Chen Yingying , Lazhu  , Guo Xiaofeng , Wang Lei , Wu Hui , Yao Tandong
Published: March 2017

This paper presents a new water and energy budget‐based glacier mass balance model. Enthalpy, rather than temperature, is used in the energy balance equations to simplify the computation of the energy transfers through the water phase change and the movement of liquid water in the snow. A new parameterization for albedo estimation and state‐of‐the‐art parameterization schemes for rainfall/snowfall type identification and surface turbulent heat flux calculations are implemented in the model. This model was driven with meteorological data and evaluated using mass balance and turbulent flux data collected during a field experiment implemented in the ablation zone of the Parlung No. 4 Glacier on the Southeast Tibetan Plateau during 2009 and 2015–2016. The evaluation shows that the model can reproduce the observed glacier ablation depth, surface albedo, surface temperature, sensible heat flux, and latent heat flux with high accuracy. Comparing with a traditional energy budget‐based glacier mass balance model, this enthalpy‐based model shows a superior capacity in simulation accuracy. Therefore, this model can reasonably simulate the energy budget and mass balance of glacier melting in this region and be used as a component of land surface models and hydrological models.
Potential effects of landscape change on water supplies in the presence of reservoir storage
Authors: Guswa Andrew J. , Hamel Perrine , Dennedy‐Frank P. James
Published: March 2017

This work presents a set of methods to evaluate the potential effects of landscape changes on water supplies. Potential impacts are a function of the seasonality of precipitation, losses of water to evapotranspiration and deep recharge, the flow‐regulating ability of watersheds, and the availability of reservoir storage. For a given reservoir capacity, simple reservoir simulations with daily precipitation and streamflow enable the determination of the maximum steady supply of water for both the existing watershed and a hypothetical counter‐factual that has neither flow‐regulating benefits nor any losses. These two supply values, representing land use end‐members, create an envelope that defines the water‐supply service and bounds the effect of landscape change on water supply. These bounds can be used to discriminate between water supplies that may be vulnerable to landscape change and those that are unlikely to be affected. Two indices of the water‐supply service exhibit substantial variability across 593 watersheds in the continental United States. Rcross, the reservoir capacity at which landscape change is unlikely to have any detrimental effect on water supply has an interquartile range of 0.14–4% of mean‐annual‐streamflow. Steep, forested watersheds with seasonal climates tend to have greater service values, and the indices of water‐supply service are positively correlated with runoff ratios during the months with lowest flows.
Gas bubble size estimation in peat soils from EM wave scattering observed with ground penetrating radar
Authors: Terry Neil , Slater Lee
Published: March 2017

The size of biogenic gas bubbles in peatlands is believed to regulate ebullition of carbon gases to the atmosphere. The measurement of electromagnetic (EM) wave travel times using ground penetrating radar (GPR) is a proven field‐scale method for indirect estimation of volumetric gas content. However, there is also the possibility that information on the size of the gas bubbles can be determined from the analysis of the spectral content of GPR signals as scattering attenuation possesses a frequency dependence for bubbles smaller than the EM wavelength (Rayleigh‐type scattering). Theoretical modeling shows that GPR data acquired with typical antenna frequencies are likely to be affected by bubble size in peat soils. Analysis of GPR data from two recent studies on peat monoliths where biogenic gas production was documented produced results consistent with the model predictions. Using the approach, zero offset cross‐borehole GPR data in a northern peatland suggest that large bubble clusters (i.e., 0.05 m radius) occur in peat. These findings broaden the utility of GPR for providing information on biogenic gas dynamics in peatlands.
Intracellularly Disintegratable Polysulfoniums for Efficient Gene Delivery
Authors: Zhu Dingcheng , Yan Huijie , Liu Xin , Xiang Jiajia , Zhou Zhuxian , Tang Jianbin , Liu Xiangrui , Shen Youqing
Published: March 2017

Amine‐based cationic polymers have been extensively explored as nonviral carriers for gene delivery, but inefficient intracellular unpacking of polymer/DNA complexes (polyplexes) to release plasmids is still a key limiting step to high transfection efficiency. Furthermore, the amine‐resulting cationic charges in the polymer chains, and even their degraded fragments, inherently interfere with transgene expression. A cationic polymer capable of converting to uncharged fragments once inside cells would not only quickly release the DNA, but also not interfere with the gene transcription process for efficient gene expression and low toxicity. A new class of polysulfoniums that can degrade into neutral thioether fragments triggered by reactive oxygen species (ROS) is reported. The polysulfoniums condense DNA into nanosized polyplexes, which can be quickly internalized and efficiently escape from endo/lysosomes. In cancer cells, the oxidation of the boronic acid/ester by the elevated ROS levels triggers polysulfonium to break down into neutral thioether fragments, efficiently releasing DNA for gene expression. More importantly, the polyplexes have excellent serum resistance; in vivo, they efficiently deliver the suicide gene pTRAIL to intraperitoneal tumors eliciting effective anticancer activity.
Anisotropic MoS2 Nanosheets Grown on Self‐Organized Nanopatterned Substrates
Authors: Martella Christian , Mennucci Carlo , Cinquanta Eugenio , Lamperti Alessio , Cappelluti Emmanuele , Buatier de Mongeot Francesco , Molle Alessandro
Published: March 2017

Manipulating the anisotropy in 2D nanosheets is a promising way to tune or trigger functional properties at the nanoscale. Here, a novel approach is presented to introduce a one‐directional anisotropy in MoS2 nanosheets via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) onto rippled patterns prepared on ion‐sputtered SiO2/Si substrates. The optoelectronic properties of MoS2 are dramatically affected by the rippled MoS2 morphology both at the macro‐ and the nanoscale. In particular, strongly anisotropic phonon modes are observed depending on the polarization orientation with respect to the ripple axis. Moreover, the rippled morphology induces localization of strain and charge doping at the nanoscale, thus causing substantial redshifts of the phonon mode frequencies and a topography‐dependent modulation of the MoS2 workfunction, respectively. This study paves the way to a controllable tuning of the anisotropy via substrate pattern engineering in CVD‐grown 2D nanosheets.
New Mo6Te6 Sub‐Nanometer‐Diameter Nanowire Phase from 2H‐MoTe2
Authors: Zhu Hui , Wang Qingxiao , Zhang Chenxi , Addou Rafik , Cho Kyeongjae , Wallace Robert M. , Kim Moon J.
Published: March 2017

A novel phase transition, from multilayered 2H‐MoTe2 to a parallel bundle of sub‐nanometer‐diameter metallic Mo6Te6 nanowires (NWs) driven by catalyzer‐free thermal‐activation (400–500 °C) under vacuum, is demonstrated. The NWs form along the 〈11–20〉 2H‐MoTe2 crystallographic directions with lengths in the micrometer range. The metallic NWs can act as an efficient hole injection layer on top of 2H‐MoTe2 due to favorable band‐alignment. In particular, an atomically sharp MoTe2/Mo6Te6 interface and van der Waals gap with the 2H layers are preserved. The work highlights an alternative pathway for forming a new transition metal dichalcogenide phase and will enable future exploration of its intrinsic transportation properties.
Full‐Color Tunable Circularly Polarized Luminescent Nanoassemblies of Achiral AIEgens in Confined Chiral Nanotubes
Authors: Han Jianlei , You Jing , Li Xianggao , Duan Pengfei , Liu Minghua
Published: March 2017

Circularly polarized luminescent (CPL) materials are currently attracting great interest. While a chiral building is usually necessary in order to obtain CPL materials, here, this study proposes a general approach for fabricating 1D circularly polarized luminescent nanoassemblies from achiral aromatic molecules or aggregation‐induced emissive compounds (AIEgens). It is found that a C3 symmetric chiral gelator can individually form hexagonal nanotube structures and encapsulate the guest molecules. When achiral AIEgens are encapsulated into the confined nanotubes via organogelation, the AIEgens will emit circularly polarized luminescence. Further, the direction of the CPL could be controlled by the supramolecular chirality of the nanotube. Remarkably, the approach is universal and various kinds of the AIEgens can be doped to show such property, providing a full‐color‐tunable circularly polarized luminescence.
A new qualitative trend analysis algorithm based on global polynomial fit
Authors: Zhou Bo , Ye Hao , Zhang Haifeng , Li Mingliang
Published: March 2017

Qualitative trend analysis (QTA) is an effective tool for process data analysis, the applications of which can be found in a variety of fields, such as process monitoring, fault diagnosis, and data mining. Reliable and accurate trend extraction of sensor data is the first and indispensable step in QTA. In this article, a new trend extraction algorithm is developed that is based on global optimization of the polynomial fit of the process data. Different from most existing works, this newly proposed algorithm solves the trend extraction task by simultaneously and globally estimating the episode number, the boundary time points of the episode, and the fitted polynomial coefficients, which shows improved performance over other nonglobally optimal trend extraction algorithms and requires less a priori knowledge than the existing globally optimal trend algorithms. The effectiveness of the algorithm is illustrated by testing on a variety of simulation and real blast furnace data. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 3374–3383, 2017
Factors predicting survival in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients developing Richter syndrome transformation into Hodgkin lymphoma
Authors: Mauro Francesca Romana , Galieni Piero , Tedeschi Alessandra , Laurenti Luca , Del Poeta Giovanni , Reda Gianluigi , Motta Marina , Gozzetti Alessandro , Murru Roberta , Caputo Maria Denise , Campanelli Melissa , Frustaci Anna Maria , Innocenti Idanna , Raponi Sara , Guarini Anna , Morabito Fortunato , Foà Robin , Gentile Massimo
Published: March 2017

We hereby report the clinical and biologic features of 33 of 4680 (0.7%) patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), managed at 10 Italian centers, who developed Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), a rare variant of Richter syndrome. The median age at CLL and at HL diagnosis were 61 years (range 41‐80) and 70 years (range 46‐82), respectively, with a median interval from CLL to the diagnosis of HL of 90 months (range 0‐258). In 3 cases, CLL and HL were diagnosed simultaneously. Hl was characterized by advanced stage in 79% of cases, International Prognostic Score (IPS) ≥4 in 50%, extranodal involvement in 39%, B symptoms in 70%. Prior treatment for CLL had been received by 82% of patients and included fludarabine in 67%. Coexistence of CLL and HL was detected in the same bioptic tissue in 87% of cases. The most common administered treatment was the ABVD regimen given to 22 patients (66.6%). The complete response (CR) rate after ABVD was 68%, and was influenced by the IPS (P = .03) and interval from the last CLL treatment (P = .057). Survival from HL was also influenced by the IPS (P = .006) and time from the last CLL treatment (P = .047). The achievement of CR with ABVD was the only significant and independent factor predicting survival (P = .037). Taken together, our results show that the IPS and the interval from the prior CLL treatment influence the likelihood of achieving CR after ABVD, which is the most important factor predicting survival of patients with CLL developing HL.
Quantum speedup via engineering multiple environments
Authors: Mo Minglun , Wang Jing , Wu Yunan
Published: March 2017

Evolution speed of an open quantum system is vividly influenced by the structure of environments. The strong system‐environment coupling is found to be able to accelerate quantum evolution. In this work, we propose a different method of governing the quantum speedup via engineering multiple environments. It is shown that, with a judicious choice of the number of coupling environments, the quantum speedup of an open system can be achieved even under weak system‐environment coupling conditions. The mechanism for the speedup is due to the switch between Markovian and non‐Markovian regions by manipulating the number of the surrounding environments. In addition, we verify the above phenomena by using quantum dots embedded in a planar photonic crystal under current technologies. These results provide a new degree of freedoms to accelerate quantum evolution of open systems. The strong system‐environment coupling can speed up the quantum evolution process. This work shows that, via engineering multiple environments, one can speed up the evolution process even under weak coupling conditions.
Elevated C‐X‐C motif ligand 13 and B‐cell‐activating factor levels in neuromyelitis optica during remission
Authors: Wang Su , Yang Tao , Wan Jianglong , Zhang Yongchao , Fan Yongping
Published: March 2017

Background

Discovery of specific antibodies against astrocytic water channel aquaporin‐4 (AQP4), which is produced by plasma cells, in the serum of neuromyelitis optica (NMO) confirmed the pathogenic role of B cells in NMO. C‐X‐C motif ligand 13 (CXCL13) and B‐cell‐activating factor (BAFF) are two crucial factors for antibody production. Relevant studies have focused on the acute phase of NMO. However, CXCL13 and BAFF levels during remission, remain to be elucidated.

Objective

To evaluate serum levels of CXCL13 and BAFF in NMO and multiple sclerosis (MS) patients during remission and explore their correlation with immunosuppressive agents and clinical features in NMO.

Methods

Serum CXCL13 and BAFF were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in NMO patients, MS patients, and controls.

Results

Serum CXCL13 levels of NMO patients (n = 24) were significantly higher than those of controls (n = 22) (p = .001), but CXCL13 levels of MS patients (n = 20) and controls (n = 22) did not differ significantly (p = .279). Although the three groups showed no differences in serum BAFF levels, serum BAFF levels of NMO patients without immunosuppressive treatment (n = 8) were significantly elevated compared with those of NMO patients with immunosuppressive therapy (n = 16) (p = .003) and controls (n = 22) (p = .024). In NMO patients, CXCL13 levels were correlated with onset age (p = .026) and duration to the last relapse (p = .003).

Conclusion

During remission, serum CXCL13 and BAFF levels have not decreased to normal in NMO patients, and B‐cell‐related autoimmune response persists. Immunosuppressive therapy decreased serum BAFF levels, but did not affect CXCL13 expression.
A Highly Efficient Co3O4 Nanoparticle‐Incorporated Mesoporous Beta Composite as a Synergistic Catalyst for Oxygen Reduction
Authors: Zhou Jinling , Ge Tongguang , Cui Xiangzhi , Lv Jian , Guo Hangle , Hua Zile , Shi Jianlin
Published: March 2017

Cost‐efficient and high‐performance oxygen reduction electrocatalysts are widely pursued to boost the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) for renewable‐energy technology applications. Here, a novel precious‐metal‐free cathode catalyst, Co3O4 nanoparticle‐incorporated mesoporous Beta zeolite, was first synthesized by using a facile steam‐assisted crystallization (SAC) and hydrothermal approach. Owning to the synergetic catalytic effects between the Co3O4 nanoparticles and the mesoporous Beta matrix, the resulting Co3O4/m‐Beta nanocomposites catalyst showed comparable ORR electrochemical catalytic activity to the benchmark 20 wt% Pt/C catalyst with a high onset potential of 0.88 V, and much higher methanol tolerance with a negligible negative shift of the peak potential and excellent electrochemical stability in alkaline media. The relatively higher surface Co2+ concentration and the abundant Brønsted acid sites facilitate the ORR process, mainly through a 4e− pathway, which makes the Co3O4/m‐Beta nanocomposite a favorable candidate for improving energy storage and conversion efficiencies in fuel cells.
Controlling the Hydrolysis and Loss of Nitrogen Fertilizer (Urea) by using a Nanocomposite Favors Plant Growth
Authors: Zhou Linglin , Zhao Pan , Chi Yu , Wang Dongfang , Wang Pan , Liu Ning , Cai Dongqing , Wu Zhengyan , Zhong Naiqin
Published: March 2017

Urea tends to be hydrolyzed by urease and then migrate into the environment, which results in a low utilization efficiency and severe environmental contamination. To solve this problem, a network‐structured nanocomposite (sodium humate–attapulgite–polyacrylamide) was fabricated and used as an excellent fertilizer synergist (FS) that could effectively inhibit the hydrolysis, reduce the loss, and enhance the utilization efficiency of nitrogen. Additionally, the FS exerted significant positive effects on the expression of several nitrogen‐uptake‐related genes, ion flux in maize roots, the growth of crops, and the organic matter in soil. The FS could modify the microbial community in the soil and increase the number of bacteria involved in nitrogen metabolism, organic matter degradation, the iron cycle, and photosynthesis. Importantly, this technology displayed a high biosafety and has a great potential to reduce nonpoint agricultural pollution. Therefore, this work provides a promising approach to manage nitrogen and to promote the sustainable development of agriculture and the environment.
Predicting coastal algal blooms in southern California
Authors: McGowan John A. , Deyle Ethan R. , Ye Hao , Carter Melissa L. , Perretti Charles T. , Seger Kerri D. , de Verneil Alain , Sugihara George
Published: March 2017

The irregular appearance of planktonic algae blooms off the coast of southern California has been a source of wonder for over a century. Although large algal blooms can have significant negative impacts on ecosystems and human health, a predictive understanding of these events has eluded science, and many have come to regard them as ultimately random phenomena. However, the highly nonlinear nature of ecological dynamics can give the appearance of randomness and stress traditional methods—such as model fitting or analysis of variance—to the point of breaking. The intractability of this problem from a classical linear standpoint can thus give the impression that algal blooms are fundamentally unpredictable. Here, we use an exceptional time series study of coastal phytoplankton dynamics at La Jolla, CA, with an equation‐free modeling approach, to show that these phenomena are not random, but can be understood as nonlinear population dynamics forced by external stochastic drivers (so‐called “stochastic chaos”). The combination of this modeling approach with an extensive dataset allows us to not only describe historical behavior and clarify existing hypotheses about the mechanisms, but also make out‐of‐sample predictions of recent algal blooms at La Jolla that were not included in the model development.
Interaction between stress induced by competition, predation, and an insecticide on the response of aquatic invertebrates
Authors: Van den Brink Paul J. , Klein Sylvan L. , Rico Andreu
Published: March 2017

The present study investigated the effects of species interactions like competition and (intraguild) predation on the sensitivity of aquatic organisms to the insecticide chlorpyrifos. In the first experiment, combined effects of chlorpyrifos and different levels of intraspecific and interspecific interaction were assessed on Gammarus pulex survival using Asellus aquaticus as an interacting species. Intraspecific and interspecific interactions increased the time to extinction of G. pulex up to a factor of 2, most likely because of the cannibalistic nature of G. pulex and its intraguild predation on A. aquaticus under stress conditions. In the second experiment, combined effects of chlorpyrifos and intraspecific and interspecific interaction were assessed on Daphnia pulex abundance using Brachionus calyciflorus as a competing species and Chaoborus sp. larvae as a predator. Intraspecific and interspecific interactions significantly affected the D. pulex population structure, but they did not influence the total population size. Predation decimated D. pulex abundance; however, interacting effects of predation and chlorpyrifos exposure were less noticeable at high exposure concentrations because of the reduced predatory efficiency of Chaoborus sp. larvae. The present study shows that species interactions do not always increase the vulnerability of aquatic populations to chemical stress and that some interactions (e.g., cannibalism and intraguild predation) or reduced predator grazing pressure can alleviate competition and predation stress on population-level insecticide effects under food-limiting conditions. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:2485–2492. © 2017 SETAC
Ethanol exposure inhibits hepatocyte lipophagy by inactivating the small guanosine triphosphatase Rab7
Authors: Schulze Ryan J. , Rasineni Karuna , Weller Shaun G. , Schott Micah B. , Schroeder Barbara , Casey Carol A. , McNiven Mark A.
Published: March 2017

Alcohol consumption is a well‐established risk factor for the onset and progression of fatty liver disease. An estimated 90% of heavy drinkers are thought to develop significant liver steatosis. For these reasons, an increased understanding of the molecular basis for alcohol‐induced hepatic steatosis is important. It has become clear that autophagy, a catabolic process of intracellular degradation and recycling, plays a key role in hepatic lipid metabolism. We have shown that Rab7, a small guanosine triphosphatase known to regulate membrane trafficking, acts as a key orchestrator of hepatocellular lipophagy, a selective form of autophagy in which lipid droplets (LDs) are specifically targeted for turnover by the autophagic machinery. Nutrient starvation results in Rab7 activation on the surface of the LD and lysosomal compartments, resulting in the mobilization of triglycerides stored within the LDs for energy production. Here, we examine whether the steatotic effects of alcohol exposure are a result of perturbations to the Rab7‐mediated lipophagic pathway. Rats chronically fed an ethanol‐containing diet accumulated significantly higher levels of fat in their hepatocytes. Interestingly, hepatocytes isolated from these ethanol‐fed rats contained juxtanuclear lysosomes that exhibited impaired motility. These changes are similar to those we observed in Rab7‐depleted hepatocytes. Consistent with these defects in the lysosomal compartment, we observed a marked 80% reduction in Rab7 activity in cultured hepatocytes as well as a complete block in starvation‐induced Rab7 activation in primary hepatocytes isolated from chronic ethanol‐fed animals.Conclusion: A mechanism is supported whereby ethanol exposure inhibits Rab7 activity, resulting in the impaired transport, targeting, and fusion of the autophagic machinery with LDs, leading to an accumulation of hepatocellular lipids and hepatic steatosis. (Hepatology Communications2017;1:140‐152)
Knockdown of Long Non‐Coding RNA‐ZFAS1 Protects Cardiomyocytes Against Acute Myocardial Infarction Via Anti‐Apoptosis by Regulating miR‐150/CRP
Authors: Wu Tao , Wu Dan , Wu Qinghua , Zou Bing , Huang Xiao , Cheng Xiaoshu , Wu Yanqing , Hong Kui , Li Ping , Yang Renqiang , Li Yunde , Cheng Yingzhang
Published: March 2017

ZFAS1 is one of cardiac‐specific or cardiac‐related lncRNAs. This study was to explore the functional involvement of ZFAS1 and its regulatory role in AMI. In this study, the models of AMI rat and myocardial cell cultured under hypoxia were made. The expression of ZFAS1 and miR‐150 of myocardial infarction tissue or cardiac myocytes was determined by quantitative real time PCR. The regulatory role of ZFAS1 on miR‐150 was examined by RNA pull down assay. The effect of miR‐150 or ZFAS1 expression on cell viability was analyzed by MTT assay. The relative expression of ZFAS1 in the myocardium infracted zone and border zone was significantly upregulated at 1–48 h of AMI rats, but it downregulated at 1 week and 2 weeks; miR‐150 was significantly downregulated at AMI‐1–48 h and upregulated at 1 and 2 weeks after model establishment. The result of RNA pull down assay indicated that ZFAS1 could interact directly with miR‐150. C‐reactive protein (CRP) was regulated by ZFAS1/miR‐150 axis and negatively targeted by miR‐150. Hypoxia caused the decrease of cell viability and the upregulation of CRP at mRNA and protein levels; whereas this upregulation could be attenuated by miR‐150 mimic or si‐ZFAS1 in H9C2 cells and cardiomyocytes. Knockdown of ZFAS1 or miR‐150 overexpression effectively relieved AMI‐induced myocardial infarction in AMI‐1 week rats. The ZFAS1/miR‐150 axis was involved in the molecular mechanism of AMI induced cardiomyocytes apoptosis via regulating CRP. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 3281–3289, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Regulation of Uterine Proinflammatory Gene Expression during Pregnancy in the Live‐Bearing Lizard, Pseudemoia entrecasteauxii
Authors: Hendrawan Kevin , Whittington Camilla M , Brandley Matthew C , Belov Katherine , Thompson Michael B
Published: March 2017

The evolutionary transition from egg‐laying to live‐bearing in amniote vertebrates (reptiles and mammals) requires the development of a closer association between the maternal and embryonic tissue to facilitate gas and nutrient exchange with the embryo. Because the embryo is an allograft to the father and mother, it could be considered foreign by the maternal immune system and thus be immunologically rejected during pregnancy. In eutherian (“placental”) mammals, the proinflammatory genes interleukin 1B (IL1B), tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily 1A (TNFRSF1A) are tightly regulated in the pregnant uterus to prevent embryonic rejection. We tested whether inflammation is similarly regulated in pregnant viviparous reptiles by comparing the expression of IL1B, TNF, and TNFRSF1A in the pregnant and nonpregnant uterus of the viviparous lizard, Pseudemoia entrecasteauxii. We found statistically significant support for the downregulation of pregnant uterine TNF mRNA expression in P. entrecasteauxii, but no statistically significant changes in mRNA expression of TNFRSF1A or IL1B between pregnant and nonpregnant uteri. Although these genes are apparently not regulated at the transcriptional level, our immunofluorescence microscopy analyses nonetheless demonstrate that the IL1B proteins are stored intracellularly during pregnancy, possibly resulting in inhibition of inflammatory response. We therefore conclude that processes of both transcriptional (TNF) and posttranslational (IL1B) gene regulation may reduce inflammation in the pregnant uterus of this viviparous reptile. Our study is important because it demonstrates that regulating the maternal immune system to prevent embryonic rejection may be important in reptilian pregnancy as it is in mammalian pregnancy.
Artisanal Sonoran cheese (Cocido cheese): an exploration of its production process, chemical composition and microbiological quality
Authors: Cuevas‐González Paúl F , Heredia‐Castro Priscilia Y , Méndez‐Romero José I , Hernández‐Mendoza Adrián , Reyes‐Díaz Ricardo , Vallejo‐Cordoba Belinda , González‐Córdova Aarón F
Published: March 2017

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to explore and document the production process of artisanal Cocido cheese and to determine its chemical composition and microbiological quality, considering samples from six dairies and four retailers.

RESULTS

Cocido cheese is a semi‐hard (506–555 g kg−1 of moisture), medium fat (178.3–219.1 g kg−1), pasta filata‐type cheese made from raw whole cow's milk. The production process is not standardized and therefore the chemical and microbiological components of the sampled cheeses varied. Indicator microorganisms significantly decreased (P < 0.05) during the processing of Cocido cheese. Salmonella spp. were not found during the production process, and both Listeria monocytogenes and staphylococcal enterotoxin were absent in the final cheeses.

CONCLUSION

This study provides more information on one of the most popular artisanal cheeses with high cultural value and economic impact in northwestern Mexico. In view of the foregoing, good manufacturing practices need to be implemented for the manufacture of Cocido cheese. Also, it is of utmost importance to make sure that the heat treatment applied for cooking the curd ensures a phosphatase‐negative test, otherwise it would be necessary to pasteurize milk. Nevertheless, since Cocido cheese is a non‐ripened, high‐moisture product, it is a highly perishable product that could present a health risk if not properly handled. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry