bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Subkilometer-Gridlength Ensemble for Representing Stable Boundary Layer Forecast Uncertainty over Complex Terrain
Authors: Wendoloski Eric B. , Stauffer David R. , Suarez Astrid
Published: April 2016

An ensemble prediction system featuring subkilometer horizontal grid spacing and high vertical resolution is used to quantify forecast uncertainty in the stable boundary layer (SBL). Diversity in initial conditions and/or planetary boundary layer/surface layer physics within the WRF Model provides ensembles with up to 12 members. WRF explicit ensemble data drive trajectory calculations and the Second-Order Closure Integrated Puff (SCIPUFF) model for hazard prediction. Explicit ensemble SCIPUFF forecasts are compared to single-member SCIPUFF forecasts leveraging WRF ensemble wind field uncertainty statistics. The performance of 1.3- and 0.4-km horizontal-gridlength ensemble configurations is evaluated for two case studies of differing flow regimes with respect to the Nittany Valley in central Pennsylvania where uncertainty in atmospheric transport and dispersion (ATD) is dependent on drainage flows and circulations related to trapped lee-wave activity.

Results demonstrate that a 12-member ensemble provides reasonable spread in ATD forecasts. Additionally, single-member SCIPUFF surface-dosage probability forecasts using the meteorological ensemble statistics generally reflect the pattern while encompassing the hazard area given by the explicit SCIPUFF ensemble, but at a reduced computational cost. Low-level wind and temperature forecasts given by the 12-member, 0.4-km ensemble are improved significantly over corresponding 1.3-km ensemble forecasts. In general, the 12-member, subkilometer-gridlength ensemble configuration reliably captures temperature and wind fluctuations related to drainage flows and trapped lee-wave activity that directly impact ATD. Localized data assimilation positively impacts overall probabilistic forecast skill when trapped lee waves are present, and drainage flow case results appear more dependent on model physics than initialization strategy.
Elevation of plasma-soluble HLA-G in childhood nephrotic syndrome is associated with IgE
Authors: Liu Yanqing , Lai Meimei , Lou Yunyan , Han Qiuyue , Yang Qing , Chen Minguang , Li Jingbo , Wang Huiyan , Yan Weihua , Zheng Xiaoqun
Published: April 2016

Background

Nephrotic syndrome is related to immune system dysfunction. Soluble human leukocyte antigen-G has been suggested to have an immunomodulatory role. Additionally, human leukocyte antigen-G expression may be influenced by the 14-base pair insertion/deletion polymorphism. However, this molecule has not been investigated in nephrotic syndrome.

Methods

Fifty-five children with nephrotic syndrome were enrolled: 24 primary nephrotic syndrome patients and 31 recurrent nephrotic syndrome patients. A group of 120 healthy subjects were included as reference controls. Additionally, 22 patients in nephrotic syndrome remission after treatments were also included. Both nephrotic syndrome patients and healthy subjects were genotyped for the 14-base pair insertion/deletion polymorphism. Plasma soluble human leukocyte antigen-G concentrations and serum immunoglobulin concentrations were determined.

Results

Nephrotic syndrome patients showed significantly higher levels of both soluble human leukocyte antigen-G and immunoglobulin E compared to normal controls. Nephrotic syndrome patients presented a higher frequency of the −14-base pair allele than did normal controls. Soluble human leukocyte antigen-G concentrations in remission patients were dramatically lower compared to in nephrotic syndrome patients. Moreover, soluble human leukocyte antigen-G and immunoglobulin E were moderately correlated in nephrotic syndrome patients.

Conclusions

The present study demonstrated that plasma soluble human leukocyte antigen-G concentrations were significantly elevated and that a relationship between serum total immunoglobulin E in nephrotic syndrome patients and the human leukocyte antigen-G −14-base pair allele may be a risk factor for nephrotic syndrome. These findings suggest that soluble human leukocyte antigen-G may be used as a monitoring marker for nephrotic syndrome patients' condition.
Serum microRNA-135a-5p as an auxiliary diagnostic biomarker for colorectal cancer
Authors: Wang Qinjun , Zhang Hongchun , Shen Xianjuan , Ju Shaoqing
Published: April 2016

Objective

The purpose of this study was to explore serum miR-135a-5p expression in colorectal cancer and examine the potential usefulness of this molecule as a biomarker for diagnosis in colorectal cancer.

Methods

Serum samples were collected from 60 patients with primary colorectal cancer, 40 patients with colorectal polyps and 50 healthy controls. Serum miR-135a-5p expression levels were detected by reverse transcription quantitative real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Serum carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen 199 concentrations were detected by MODULAR ANALYTICS E170.

Results

The relative expression level of serum miR-135a-5p in colorectal cancer patients, colorectal polyps patients and healthy controls was 2.451 (1.107, 4.413), 0.946 (0.401, 1.942) and 0.949 (0.194, 1.415), respectively, indicating that it was significantly higher in colorectal cancer patients than that in the other two groups ( U = 351.0, 313.0, both P < 0.001). Additionally, it was significantly correlated with different degrees of tumour differentiation ( U = 215.0, P = 0.029) and different tumour stages ( U = 202.0, P = 0.013). There was no significant correlation between the relative expression of serum miR-135a-5p and carcinoembryonic antigen ( r2 = 0.023, P = 0.293) or carbohydrate antigen 199 ( r2 = 0.067, P = 0.068) in colorectal cancer patients. Compared with colorectal polyps group, AUCROC of serum miR-135a-5p in colorectal cancer group was 0.832 with 95% CI 0.73–0.93; compared with healthy control group, AUCROC was 0.875 with 95% CI 0.80–0.95.

Conclusion

Serum miR-135a-5p expression in colorectal cancer patients was higher than that in patients with colorectal polyps and healthy controls, suggesting that serum miR-135a-5p may prove to be an important biomarker for auxiliary diagnosis of colorectal cancer.
The train as motif in Soweto poetry
Authors: Jones Megan
Published: April 2016

This article considers protest poetry written between 1961 and 1976. I argue that the Soweto poetry of the 1970s enabled activism that would change Johannesburg’s landscape, facilitating the racial mixing of inner city areas and eroding the segregationist policies that had defined the city from its beginnings. Concomitantly, the paper focuses on representations of the train as a site through which black localities were produced as resistance. Via close readings of poetry by Mbuyiseni Oswald Mtshali, Sipho Sepamla, and Mongane Wally Serote, I show how the train establishes Soweto as a “neighbourhood”, while also constructing a white “other” against which its identity is affirmed.
Teachers’ Professional Knowledge for Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Authors: König Johannes , Lammerding Sandra , Nold Günter , Rohde Andreas , Strauß Sarah , Tachtsoglou Sarantis
Published: April 2016

Despite an increasing research interest in subject-specific teacher knowledge, the scientific understanding regarding teachers’ professional knowledge for teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) is very limited. This study therefore applies standardized tests to directly assess content knowledge (CK), pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), and general pedagogical knowledge (GPK) of preservice teachers for TEFL in Germany from different programs and stages during initial teacher education (during their master’s studies at university and at the end of their induction phase). Structural analysis provides evidence that teacher knowledge with respect to TEFL is a multidimensional construct and PCK is closely related to both CK and GPK. Test scores vary across preservice teachers from different programs and stages, which adequately reflects differences in the learning opportunities they had during teacher education.
An Exploratory Study about Obese People’s Flight Experience
Authors: Poria Yaniv , Beal Jeremy
Published: April 2016

This qualitative study explores the flight experiences of obese people. The in-depth semistructured interviews ( n = 24) with self-identified obese people revealed that they confront difficulties and barriers that arise from their interaction with the physical environment. While these entail some inconvenience, it is mostly the interaction with the social environment that results in a sense of embarrassment and humiliation. The aforementioned have an adverse effect on the flight experience. The flight is perceived as a three-part experience—boarding, flight, and deplaning—affected by mediating factors such as the staff approach, participants’ appearance, and the flight attributes (e.g., short/long, direct/indirect). An important finding is that people’s body, and specifically their self-perception of it as stigmatized, play an important role in the contextualization of the travel experience. The article concludes with managerial implications and suggestions for future research.
The Neighborhood (vicus) of the Corinthian ekklēsia: Beyond Family-Based Descriptions of the First Urban Christ-Believers
Authors: Last Richard
Published: April 2016

It is commonplace to describe households as the primary social structures out of which the Jesus movement developed in its initial decades. However, the model of a Jesus movement originating from familial networks, and mostly set within domestic architecture, no longer accounts adequately for the data, and reﬂects contemporary Western cultural settings where religion is imagined as primarily located within the private setting. Taking the earliest population of Christ-believers in Corinth as a test case, this article pursues an alternative model, one that focuses on streets and neighborhoods as the basic social unit.
Fault diagnosis studies of face milling cutter using machine learning approach
Authors: Madhusudana CK , Budati S , Gangadhar N , Kumar H , Narendranath S
Published: April 2016

Successful automation of a machining process system requires an effective and efficient tool condition monitoring system to ensure high productivity, products of desired dimensions, and long machine tool life. As such the component’s processing quality and increased system reliability will be guaranteed. This paper presents a classification of healthy and faulty conditions of the face milling tool by using the Naïve Bayes technique. A set of descriptive statistical parameters is extracted from the vibration signals. The decision tree technique is used to select significant features out of all statistical extracted features. The selected features are fed to the Naïve Bayes algorithm. The output of the algorithm is used to study and classify the milling tool condition and it is found that the Naïve Bayes model is able to give 96.9% classification accuracy. Also the performances of the different classifiers are compared. Based on the results obtained, the Naïve Bayes technique can be recommended for online monitoring and fault diagnosis of the face milling tool.
Ketamine modulation of the haemodynamic response to spreading depolarization in the gyrencephalic swine brain
Authors: Sánchez-Porras Renán , Santos Edgar , Schöll Michael , Kunzmann Kevin , Stock Christian , Silos Humberto , Unterberg Andreas W , Sakowitz Oliver W
Published: April 2016

Spreading depolarization (SD) generates significant alterations in cerebral haemodynamics, which can have detrimental consequences on brain function and integrity. Ketamine has shown an important capacity to modulate SD; however, its impact on SD haemodynamic response is incompletely understood. We investigated the effect of two therapeutic ketamine dosages, a low-dose of 2 mg/kg/h and a high-dose of 4 mg/kg/h, on the haemodynamic response to SD in the gyrencephalic swine brain. Cerebral blood volume, pial arterial diameter and cerebral blood flow were assessed through intrinsic optical signal imaging and laser-Doppler flowmetry. Our findings indicate that frequent SDs caused a persistent increase in the baseline pial arterial diameter, which can lead to a diminished capacity to further dilate. Ketamine infused at a low-dose reduced the hyperemic/vasodilative response to SD; however, it did not alter the subsequent oligemic/vasoconstrictive response. This low-dose did not prevent the baseline diameter increase and the diminished dilative capacity. Only infusion of ketamine at a high-dose suppressed SD and the coupled haemodynamic response. Therefore, the haemodynamic response to SD can be modulated by continuous infusion of ketamine. However, its use in pathological models needs to be explored to corroborate its possible clinical benefit.
Identification of locally available structural material as co-substrate for organic waste composting in Tamil Nadu, India
Authors: Springer C , Heldt N
Published: April 2016

Owing to the lack in structural strength while composting certain kinds of organic wastes, 11 co-substrates were tested that are generally locally available in rural areas of northern Tamil Nadu, India. In addition to the classical composting parameters such as carbon/nitrogen ratio, moisture content, dry matter and organic dry matter, a compression test was conducted to evaluate the structural strength and the suitability as bulking agent for composting processes. Additionally, with respect to the climatic conditions in India, the water holding capacity was also evaluated.
The next generation material for lightweight railway car body structures: Magnesium alloys
Authors: Lee Woo Geun , Kim Jung-Seok , Sun Seung-Ju , Lim Jae-Yong
Published: April 2016

While magnesium alloys have the attractive attributes of low density, the application of the metal in transportation industries has been restricted by its low stiffness and strength. The aim of this study was to examine the possibility of lightweight railway car body construction using magnesium alloys from the structural and manufacturing perspectives. Extruded members, making up a car body, were designed employing a gradient-based optimization algorithm. And then, numerical simulations were conducted to confirm the structural performance of the newly designed car body. In addition, one of the designed members was extruded and joined with another via friction stir welding in order to verify its fabrication potential. The work demonstrated that, with just 85% of the weight of an aluminium car body currently in operation, a magnesium-based railway car body can be potentially constructed by extrusion followed by friction stir welding for the next generation rolling stocks; that is to say, the weight saving amount is 10% of the total bare frame weight, or 2% of its total rolling stock weight.
Health-related quality of life in systemic lupus erythematosus: a longitudinal study on the impact of problematic support and self-efficacy
Authors: Mazzoni D , Cicognani E , Prati G
Published: April 2016

Objectives: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease which can affect any organ in the body, reducing patients' health-related quality of life (HR-QOL). Psychosocial research on SLE is quite recent and is mostly based on qualitative and cross-sectional evidence. Some studies suggest that a protective role is played by perceived self-efficacy in the management of the disease, while a detrimental role is played by problematic social interactions. Methods: In a longitudinal study, we tested the independent contribution of self-efficacy and problematic social support, in predicting patients' HR-QOL after 11 months. An online questionnaire was completed by 162 participants with SLE, the second questionnaire after 11 months. Results: Controlling for corticosteroids and hydroxychloroquine use, self-efficacy in the management of the disease at Time 1 showed a significant and positive effect on HR-QOL at Time 2, while problematic social support (denying/uninformed) showed a negative effect. Conclusions: HR-QOL of SLE patients is influenced by self-efficacy in the management of the disease and problematic support. Specific attention should be paid to the quality of patients' social relationships and their perceived efficacy in the management of the disease in focused interventions as in daily clinical practice.
Lupus pneumonitis as the initial presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus: case series from a single institution
Authors: Wan S A , Teh C L , Jobli A T
Published: April 2016

Objective

The aim of this study was to examine the clinical features, treatment and outcome of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients in our centre who presented with lupus pneumonitis as the initial manifestation.

Methods

We performed a retrospective review of all patients who presented with lupus pneumonitis during the initial SLE manifestation from March 2006 to March 2015.

Results

There were a total of five patients in our study who presented with fever and cough as the main clinical features. All patients had pulmonary infiltrates on chest radiographs. High-resolution computed tomography, which was performed in two patients, showed ground glass opacities with patchy consolidations bilaterally. All patients received high-dose steroids, 80% received intravenous cyclophosphamide and 60% received intravenous immunoglobulin. Two patients died from severe lupus pneumonitis within 2 weeks of admission despite treatment with ventilation, steroids, cyclophosphamide and intravenous immunoglobulin.

Conclusions

Acute lupus pneumonitis is an uncommon presentation of SLE. Mortality in this case series is 40%.
Don’t forget the legal framework
Authors: Wale Jeffrey I.
Published: April 2016

If the central purpose of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is to deliver improved reproductive autonomy – by facilitating enhanced choice between the continuation and termination of pregnancy – any public-funded regime ought to be compatible with the legal grounds for decision-making in this context. It is problematic for a State to facilitate access to information that would or is likely to result in legal dilemmas and conceptual issues for those using these tests. Public-funded testing should not be available for purposes that would be or are likely to be ‘incompatible’ with any framework for lawful abortion. In England and Wales, those incompatible purposes currently include the identification of (1) gender in the absence of other genetic factors and (2) specific abnormality that is unlikely to yield serious disability at birth. Consequently, expansion of the NIPT regime to include these purposes should entail changes in the legal framework for abortion.
Presser – the forgotten story
Authors: Kasinathan John , Le Joey , Barker Anthony , Sharp Gillian
Published: April 2016

Objective:

Regina v Presser [1958] VR 45, is the most seminal case regarding fitness to plead for accused persons in Australia and New Zealand. It is not widely understood that Presser was a 14-year-old boy with intellectual disability. We aim to describe a clearer narrative regarding Edward John Presser.

Method:

Review of attainable newspaper reports framed within an historical context of fitness and relevant case law.

Results:

Presser’s narrative is described in greater detail than previously understood by clinicians and lawyers. Ramifications for fitness assessment are discussed including doli incapax and human rights considerations.

Conclusions:

The Presser criteria are widely applied; however, the case involved a 14-year-old boy with intellectual disability. Greater awareness of Presser’s narrative assists clinicians providing expert evidence regarding fitness to plead for adolescents and persons with intellectual disability.
Single Female Breast Cancer Patients’ Perspectives on Intimate Relationships
Authors: Ginter Amanda Christine , Braun Bonnie
Published: April 2016

This qualitative study examined how female breast cancer patients without partners conceptualized their relationship status. Qualitative data were collected from 20 participants who did not have partners during diagnosis and treatment. Phenomenology informed the methodology and thematic analysis. Breast cancer patients without partners discussed how they made meaning of their relationship status within the context of their cancer experience and barriers they faced dating post-diagnosis or treatment. Oncology care providers, public health professionals, and family scientists can use the study results to better understand the specific concerns and experiences of breast cancer patients without partners. Additional implications of these findings for patients, practice, and research are discussed.
Management of Hepatic Encephalopathy
Authors: Jawaro Tara , Yang Anna , Dixit Deepali , Bridgeman Mary Barna
Published: April 2016

Objective: To review the management of hepatic encephalopathy (HE), including lifestyle modifying strategies and pharmacological interventions. Data Sources: A literature search of PubMed through March 2016 was conducted utilizing the keywords hepatic encephalopathy, ammonia, and cirrhosis. All published articles evaluating treatments for HE were considered. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Available English-language data from reviews, abstracts, presentations, and clinical trials of the treatment of HE in humans were reviewed; relevant clinical data were selected and included. Data Synthesis: HE is a prevalent complication of portal hypertension and cirrhosis that results in altered mental status and neuropsychiatric impairment. Although the pathogenesis has not been elucidated, numerous treatment options exist. This review will explore the role of dietary interventions and supplements, including use of zinc, acetyl-l-carnitine, and probiotics, in the management of HE. Additionally, the use of various ammonia-lowering agents will be evaluated. The nonabsorbable disaccharides represent first-line therapies for the management and prophylaxis of HE; rifaximin use has been demonstrated to be effective for both treatment and prophylaxis of HE symptoms, with use relegated to those patients who fail to respond to or tolerate the nonabsorbable disaccharides. In light of toxicities associated with the use of neomycin and metronidazole, recent guidelines recommend both as alternatives for the treatment of HE, with the use of vancomycin discouraged. Conclusion: Although numerous treatment options are available, management of HE remains a clinical challenge. Additional research is needed to explore the pathogenesis and better understand the role of pharmacotherapy in managing this condition.
Psychometrically Informed Approach to Integration of Multiple Informant Ratings in Adult ADHD in a Community-Recruited Sample
Authors: Martel Michelle M. , Nigg Joel T. , Schimmack Ulrich
Published: April 2016

Although Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–Fifth edition requires that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms are apparent across settings, assessed by multiple informants, there remains no standardized approach to integration of multiple sources in adult ADHD diagnosis. The goal of the study was to evaluate informant effects on adult ADHD symptom ratings. Participants were 406 adults, ages 18 to 37, and identified second reporters, recruited from the community, and completing a comprehensive diagnostic and cognitive assessment, including a clinician-administered diagnostic interview and self- and other-report questionnaires of ADHD symptoms. Structural equation modeling indicated good fit for a trifactor model of ADHD, including general ADHD, specific inattention and hyperactivity–impulsivity, and self- and other-perspective factors. Yet there were a number of symptoms on the specific hyperactive–impulsive and self-factors that exhibited nonsignificant loadings. Significant differential item functioning across self-ratings and informant ratings was also noted. The external validation indices of laboratory executive function and diagnostic team-rated impairment was significantly correlated with the specific inattentive factor. While executive function was marginally significantly correlated with the other perspective factor, impairment was associated with the self-perspective factor. Overall, inattentive symptoms may be more sensitive measures of adult ADHD, and other and self-ratings may provide different information in relation to external criteria.
Criteria and Concurrent Validity of DIVA 2.0: A Semi-Structured Diagnostic Interview for Adult ADHD
Authors: Ramos-Quiroga Josep Antoni , Nasillo Viviana , Richarte Vanesa , Corrales Montserrat , Palma Felipe , Ibáñez Pol , Michelsen Marieke , Van de Glind Geurt , Casas Miquel , Kooij J. J. Sandra
Published: April 2016

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess for the first time the criterion validity of the semi-structured Diagnostic Interview for ADHD in adults (DIVA 2.0), and its concurrent validity in comparison with the Conners’ Adult ADHD Diagnostic Interview for DSM-IV (CAADID) and other ADHD severity scales, following the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV) criteria. Method: A transversal study was performed on 40 out-patients with ADHD to check the criteria and concurrent validity of the DIVA 2.0 compared with the CAADID. Results: The DIVA 2.0 interview showed a diagnostic accuracy of 100% when compared with the diagnoses obtained with the CAADID interview. The concurrent validity demonstrated good correlations with three self-reported rating scales: the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS; r = .544, p < .0001), the ADHD-Rating Scale ( r = .720, p < .0001), and Sheehan’s Dysfunction Inventory ( r = .674, p < .0001). Conclusion: The DIVA 2.0 is a reliable tool for assessing and diagnosing Adult ADHD and is the only one that offers free online access for clinical and research purposes.
Potential effects of high plasma to red blood cell ratio transfusion in pediatric trauma
Authors: Hwu Ruth S , Keller Martin S , Spinella Philip C , Baker David , Tao Yu , Leonard Julie C
Published: April 2016

Objective

High ratio of plasma to red blood cells during massive transfusion is associated with improved survival of traumatic injuries in adults, but this has not been demonstrated in children. Our objective was to compare the outcome of children who received high (≥1:2) versus low (<1:2) plasma: red blood cells (P:R) ratios at 24 h from injury.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective chart review of children <18 years of age who presented to the emergency department over a 7-year period and received massive transfusion (≥40 ml/kg red blood cells or ≥80 ml/kg total blood products in 24 h). Our primary outcome of interest was in-hospital mortality.

Results

We identified 38 children who received massive transfusion. There was no significant difference in in-hospital mortality (45.8% vs. 64.3%) between the high (n = 24, median ratio 1:1.1) and low P:R ratio (n = 14, median 1:3.2) groups. In subset analyses, there was reduced mortality for high P:R patients with BIG score ≥24 (69.2% vs. 100%) and those taken to the operating room within 6 h of arrival (21.4% vs. 60.0%), respectively ( p < 0.05). There was a trend for improved survival in high P:R patients without severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) (0% vs. 40.0%).

Conclusions

This study suggests that high P:R transfusion may improve in-hospital survival of injured children at high risk of mortality and in children without severe TBI, supporting the need for large, multi-center studies.
Enzyme-responsive polymer hydrogels for therapeutic delivery
Authors: Chandrawati Rona
Published: April 2016

Enzymes play a central role in a spectrum of fundamental physiological processes and their altered expression level has been associated with many diseases and pathological disorders. Enzymes therefore can be exploited as a pristine biological trigger to tune material responses and to achieve controlled release of biomolecules at desired sites. This mini-review highlights enzyme-responsive polymer hydrogels for therapeutic delivery applications developed within the last five years, focusing on protease- and glycosidase-based catalyzed reactions. Strategies employed to produce responsive materials are described. Successful applications for controlled drug delivery are highlighted, and finally, future opportunities and challenges are presented.
An improved recursive least square–based adaptive input shaping for zero residual vibration control of flexible system
Authors: Chu Zhongyi , Hu Jun
Published: April 2016

In this article, a promoted method of adaptive input shaping based on recursive least square with forgetting factor is proposed to achieve zero residual vibration of time-varying flexible systems. First, the zero residual vibration condition of the flexible system is reviewed. Then, the mathematical analysis of recursive least square–based adaptive input shaping is presented; it can be seen that the traditional recursive least square method could calculate the least square solution with all historical I/O data. That is to say, with the increase in time and larger amount of I/O data, the current data could hardly affect the results of the updated input shapers’ coefficients; thus, the problems of insufficient adaptability and noise accumulation occur. So, a forgetting factor is introduced in the recursive calculation to give less calculation weight on historical data and improve the sensitivity of the current data; thus, the above-mentioned problem could be significantly avoided. At last, the verification experiments of adaptive input shaping are implemented on a two-link flexible manipulator, which is a classical flexible system with severely time-varying dynamics; the results validate the effectiveness of the improved adaptive input-shaping method for the vibration control of these flexible systems.
Simple method to the dynamic modeling of industrial robot subject to constraint
Authors: Liu Jia , Liu Rong
Published: April 2016

It is a common movement type in industrial production for the end-effector of industrial robot executing tasks according to desired track. High nonlinearity and coupling are shown from the dynamic characteristic of industrial robot because of the constrained relationship brought by desired task. Therefore, it is difficult to establish dynamical equation with traditional Lagrange equation. Aiming at the dynamics modeling of industrial robot subject to constraint, the additional torque and dynamical equation of industrial robot subject to some desired trajectory is acquired based on the famous Udwadia–Kalaba equation in analytical mechanics field. The simple approach overcomes the disadvantage of obtaining dynamical equation from traditional Lagrange equation by Lagrange multiplier. But the numerical results obtained by integrating the constrained dynamic equation yield the errors. A numerical algorithm is proposed to reduce the errors by modifying the derived dynamic equation. The simulation results prove that the modified algorithm can be more precisely utilized in dynamics modeling of industrial robot subject to constraint.
#TheDress: The Role of Illumination Information and Individual Differences in the Psychophysics of Perceiving White–Blue Ambiguities
Authors: Hesslinger Vera M. , Carbon Claus-Christian
Published: April 2016

In early 2015, a public debate about a perceptual phenomenon that impressively demonstrated the subjective nature of human perception was running round the globe: the debate about #TheDress, a poorly lit photograph of a lace dress that was perceived as white–gold by some, but as blue–black by others. In the present research ( N = 48), we found that the perceptual difference between white–gold perceivers ( n1 = 24, 12 women, Mage = 25.4 years) and blue–black perceivers ( n2 = 24, 12 women, Mage = 24.3 years) decreased significantly when the illumination information provided by the original digital photo was reduced by means of image scrambling (Experiment 1). This indicates that the illumination information is one potentially important factor contributing to the color ambiguity of #TheDress—possibly by amplification of a slight principal difference in psychophysics of color perception which the two observer groups showed for abstract uniformly colored fields displaying a white–blue ambiguity (Experiment 2).
Canutite, NaMn3[AsO4][AsO3(OH)]2, a new protonated alluaudite-group mineral from the Torrecillas mine, Iquique Province, Chile
Authors: Kampf A. R. , Mills S. J. , Hatert F. , Nash B. P. , Dini M. , Molina Donoso A. A.
Published: April 2016

The new mineral canutite (IMA2013-070), NaMn3[AsO4][AsO3(OH)]2, was found at two different locations at the Torrecillas mine, Salar Grande, Iquique Province, Chile, where it occurs as a secondary alteration phase in association with anhydrite, halite, lavendulan, magnesiokoritnigite, pyrite, quartz and scorodite. Canutite is reddish brown in colour. It forms as prisms elongated on [20] and exhibiting the forms {010}, {100}, {10}, {201} and {102}, or as tablets flattened on {102} and exhibiting the forms {102} and {110}. Crystals are transparent with a vitreous lustre. The mineral has a pale tan streak, Mohs hardness of 2½, brittle tenacity, splintery fracture and two perfect cleavages, on {010} and {101}. The calculated density is 4.112 g cm−3. Optically, canutite is biaxial (+) with α = 1.712(3), β = 1.725(3) and γ = 1.756(3) (measured in white light). The measured 2V is 65.6(4)°, the dispersion is r < v (slight), the optical orientation is Z = b; X ^ a = 18° in obtuse β and pleochroism is imperceptible. The mineral is slowly soluble in cold, dilute HCl. The empirical formula (for tabular crystals from near the mineshaft), determined from electron - microprobe analyses, is (Na1.05Mn2.64Mg0.34Cu0.14Co0.03)∑4.20As3O12H1.62. Canutite is monoclinic, C2/c, a = 12.3282(4), b = 12.6039(5), c = 6.8814(5) Å, β = 113.480(8)°, V = 980.72(10) Å3 and Z = 4. The eight strongest X-ray powder diffraction lines are [dobs Å(I)(hkl)]: 6.33(34)(020), 4.12(26)(21), 3.608(29)(310,31), 3.296(57)(12), 3.150(28)(002,131), 2.819(42)(400,041,330), 2.740(100)(240,02,112) and 1.5364(31)(multiple). The structure, refined to R1 = 2.33% for 1089 Fo > 4σF reflections, shows canutite to be isostructural with protonated members of the alluaudite group.
Balićžunićite, Bi2O(SO4)2, a new fumarole mineral from La Fossa crater, Vulcano, Aeolian Islands, Italy
Authors: Pinto D. , Garavelli A. , Mitolo D.
Published: April 2016

Balićžunićite, ideally Bi2O(SO4)2, is a new mineral found as a high-temperature fumarole sublimate (T = 600°C) at La Fossa crater, Vulcano, Aeolian Islands, Italy. It occurs as aggregates of mm-sized prismatic and elongated crystals (∼50 μm across and up to 200 μm long) associated with anglesite, leguernite, one other potentially new Bi-oxysulfate mineral, lillianite, galenobismutite, bismoclite, Cd-rich sphalerite, wurtzite, pyrite and pyrrhotite. Balićžunićite is colourless to white or pale brown, transparent and non-fluorescent. It has a vitreous lustre and a white streak. Electron microprobe analysis gives the following average chemical composition (wt.%): Bi2O3 68.68 and SO3 23.73, total 92.41. The empirical chemical formula, calculated on the basis of 9 anions p.f.u., is Bi1.99S2O9. The calculated density is 5.911 g/cm3.

Balićžunićite is triclinic, space group P, with a 6.7386(3), b 11.1844(5), c 14.1754(7) Å, α 80.082(2)°, β 88.462(2)°, γ 89.517(2)°, V = 1052.01(8) Å3 and Z = 6. The six strongest reflections in the X-ray powder-diffraction data [d in Å(I) (hkl)] are: 3.146 (100) (033), 3.486 (21) (004), 3.409 (12) (01), 3.366 (7) (200), 5.562 (4) (11), 5.433 (4) (111). Balićžunićite is the natural analogue of the stable low-temperature a form of synthetic Bi2O(SO4)2. The name is in honour of Tonci Balić-Žunić(born 1952), Professor of Mineralogy at the Natural History Museum of the University of Cophenagen. Both the mineral and the mineral name have been approved by the IMA-CNMNC Commission (IMA2012-098).
A randomised, open-label study of umeclidiniumversusglycopyrronium in patients with COPD
Authors: Rheault Tara , Khindri Sanjeev , Vahdati-Bolouri Mitra , Church Alison , Fahy William A.
Published: April 2016

This study compared the efficacy and safety of once-daily umeclidinium 62.5 µg with once-daily glycopyrronium 50 µg in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

This was a 12-week, multicentre, randomised, open-label, parallel-group study (Clinicaltrials.gov:NCT02236611). Patients were randomised 1:1 to umeclidinium 62.5 µg or glycopyrronium 50 µg administeredviaEllipta or Breezhaler dry powder inhaler, respectively. The primary endpoint was trough forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) at day 85 in the per-protocol population. Other endpoints included: weighted mean FEV1over 0–24 h and patient-reported outcomes (transition dyspnoea index score and St George's Respiratory Questionnaire total score). Adverse events were also assessed.

A total of 1037 patients were randomised to treatment. Umeclidinium was non-inferior (margin: −50 mL) to glycopyrronium (trough FEV1at day 85 treatment difference: 24 mL, 95% confidence intervals: −5–54). Improvements in other endpoints were similar between treatments. Adverse event incidences were similar for umeclidinium (37%) and glycopyrronium (36%).

Once-daily umeclidinium was non-inferior to once-daily glycopyrronium in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in trough FEV1at day 85. Patient-reported outcomes and safety profiles were similar for both treatments.
The hepatocyte growth factor-expressing character is required for mesenchymal stem cells to protect the lung injured by lipopolysaccharide in vivo
Authors: Hu Shuling , Li Jinze , Xu Xiuping , Liu Airan , He Hongli , Xu Jingyuan , Chen Qihong , Liu Songqiao , Liu Ling , Qiu Haibo , Yang Yi
Published: April 2016

Background

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening condition in critically ill patients. Recently, we have found that mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) improved the permeability of human lung microvascular endothelial cells by secreting hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in vitro. However, the properties and functions of MSC may change under complex circumstances in vivo. Here, we sought to determine the role of the HGF-expressing character of MSC in the therapeutic effects of MSC on ARDS in vivo.

Methods

MSC with HGF gene knockdown (MSC-ShHGF) were constructed using lentiviral transduction. The HGF mRNA and protein levels in MSC-ShHGF were detected using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting analysis, respectively. HGF levels in the MSC culture medium were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Rats with ARDS induced by lipopolysaccharide received MSC infusion via the tail vein. After 1, 6, and 24 h, rats were sacrificed. MSC retention in the lung was assessed by immunohistochemical assay. The lung wet weight to body weight ratio (LWW/BW) and Evans blue dye extravasation were obtained to reflect lung permeability. The VE-cadherin was detected with inmmunofluorescence, and the lung endothelial cell apoptosis was assessed by TUNEL assay. The severity of lung injury was evaluated using histopathology. The cytokines and HGF levels in the lung were measured by ELISA.

Results

MSC-ShHGF with markedly lower HGF expression were successfully constructed. Treatment with MSC or MSC carrying green fluorescent protein (MSC-GFP) maintained HGF expression at relatively high levels in the lung at 24 h. MSC or MSC-GFP decreased the LWW/BW and the Evans Blue Dye extravasation, protected adherens junction VE-cadherin, and reduced the lung endothelial cell apoptosis. Furthermore, MSC or MSC-GFP reduced the inflammation and alleviated lung injury based on histopathology. However, HGF gene knockdown significantly decreased the HGF levels without any changes in the MSC retention in the lung, and diminished the protective effects of MSC on the injured lung, indicating the therapeutic effects of MSC on ARDS were partly associated with the HGF-expressing character of MSC.

Conclusions

MSC restores lung permeability and lung injury in part by maintaining HGF levels in the lung and the HGF-expressing character is required for MSC to protect the injured lung.
Using the Courts to Shape Medicaid Policy: Olmstead V. L.c. by Zimring and Its Community Integration Legacy
Authors: Rosenbaum Sara
Published: April 2016

In Olmstead v. L.C. by Zimring, the United States Supreme Court addressed the relationship between the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a landmark in US civil rights law, and the Medicaid program. Olmstead holds that qualified individuals with disabilities who are protected by the ADA have the right to receive publicly funded services in community-integrated treatment settings and that medically unnecessary institutionalization violates the ADA. But the Court had to wrestle with the extent to which the ADA requires state Medicaid programs to make deep and structural reforms in how long-term care services are organized, financed, and delivered. From a strictly legal perspective, Olmstead's impact has been limited by the fact that the ADA does not require fundamental alterations in public programs. Despite this fact, Olmstead remains a watershed decision in US disability law that has helped spur transformational changes in how Medicaid addresses community-based long-term care.
FRIENDSHIP AND POLITICS IN RUSSIA
Authors: Kharkhordin Oleg
Published: April 2016

In the context of a symposium on enmity, this article—the product of extensive research done by a group of colleagues in St. Petersburg—concerns characteristic types of friendship in Russia. The author distinguishes in particular between instrumental political friendship, which Russians tend to scorn, and the intensely emotional and intimate sort of friendship, usually shared in a group rather than a dyad, that Russians consider uniquely their own. Both types, however, have long histories in Russia, which this article undertakes to trace. Intimate friendship appears to be an overlay of attitudes and characteristics, originating in the age of sensibility, onto medieval notions about friendship in Christ. An argument is made for a more general acceptance by Russians of instrumental friendship, since even friendship in Christ can be shown to depend extensively on things held in common. The essay argues too, however, for bringing some of the peculiarities, especially the linguistic peculiarities, of intimate friendship to Russian political friendship, in both domestic and international contexts.
PAPUAN PEACE
Authors: Perl Jeffrey M.
Published: April 2016

This essay review is focused on Andrew Strathern and Pamela J. Stewart's book Peace-Making and the Imagination: Papua New Guinea Perspectives but also discusses in some detail other ethnographic and historical works. The reviewer finds that, in every case of peacemaking in Papua New Guinea that Strathern and Stewart consider, the exodus from one conflict proves to be the genesis of another, and he concludes that the insuperable question posed by their study is whether any peace ever transcends the war that it supposedly concludes. The reviewer also finds that, unobtrusively, Strathern and Stewart offer transcultural wisdom about conflict resolution, and he lists seven exemplary instances. To this list, he adds a few more of his own, drawn from his reading of works by the ethnographer Rupert Stasch and the historians Rogers Brubaker and Tara Zahra. This set of principles, which is commended to the improbable attention of students of diplomacy, is founded on belief that imagination, rather than instrumental reason, and ritual action, rather than negotiation, are the best means of achieving peace.
Histone lysine crotonylation during acute kidney injury in mice
Authors: Ruiz-Andres Olga , Sanchez-Niño Maria Dolores , Cannata-Ortiz Pablo , Ruiz-Ortega Marta , Egido Jesus , Ortiz Alberto , Sanz Ana Belen
Published: April 2016

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a potentially lethal condition for which no therapy is available beyond replacement of renal function. Post-translational histone modifications modulate gene expression and kidney injury. Histone crotonylation is a recently described post-translational modification. We hypothesized that histone crotonylation might modulate kidney injury. Histone crotonylation was studied in cultured murine proximal tubular cells and in kidneys from mice with AKI induced by folic acid or cisplatin. Histone lysine crotonylation was observed in tubular cells from healthy murine and human kidney tissue. Kidney tissue histone crotonylation increased during AKI. This was reproduced by exposure to the protein TWEAK in cultured tubular cells. Specifically, ChIP-seq revealed enrichment of histone crotonylation at the genes encoding the mitochondrial biogenesis regulator PGC-1α and the sirtuin-3 decrotonylase in both TWEAK-stimulated tubular cells and in AKI kidney tissue. To assess the role of crotonylation in kidney injury, crotonate was used to increase histone crotonylation in cultured tubular cells or in the kidneys in vivo. Crotonate increased the expression of PGC-1α and sirtuin-3, and decreased CCL2 expression in cultured tubular cells and healthy kidneys. Systemic crotonate administration protected from experimental AKI, preventing the decrease in renal function and in kidney PGC-1α and sirtuin-3 levels as well as the increase in CCL2 expression. For the first time, we have identified factors such as cell stress and crotonate availability that increase histone crotonylation in vivo. Overall, increasing histone crotonylation might have a beneficial effect on AKI. This is the first observation of the in vivo potential of the therapeutic manipulation of histone crotonylation in a disease state.
Banks and Insurance Companies: Necessity of Development of Partnership Relations under Conditions of Economic Crisis
Authors: Бондаренко  , Bondarenko T. , Исаева  , Isaeva E.
Published: April 2016

Th e article is devoted to the actual problems of analysis of partnership relations between insurance company and

banks in aid of reduction of bank risks and searching the ways for further development and improving the mechanisms

of their cooperation.
Development History of State and Non-State Higher Education Institutions in Russia
Authors: Лосева  , Loseva N. , Петрова  , Petrova N.
Published: April 2016

Th e article discusses the history of the development of higher education institutions in Russia, public and private

schools, institutions, universities, socio-economic conditions of their creation and development, industry focus, the need

to operate in public education, education and culture.
Return Smoothing, Liquidity Costs, and Investor Flows: Evidence from a Separate Account Platform
Authors: Cao Charles , Farnsworth Grant , Liang Bing , Lo Andrew W.
Published: April 2016

We use a new hedge fund data set from a separate account platform to examine (1) how much of hedge fund return smoothing is due to main fund–specific factors, such as managerial reporting discretion and (2) the costs of removing hedge fund share restrictions. These accounts trade pari passu with matching hedge funds but feature third-party reporting and permissive share restrictions. We use these properties to estimate that 33% of reported smoothing is due to managerial reporting methods. The platform’s fund-level liquidity is associated with a 1.7% performance reduction on an annual basis. Investor flows chase monthly past performance on the platform but not in the associated funds.

This paper was accepted by Neng Wang, finance.