bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Business Strategy and Auditor Reporting
Authors: Chen Yu , Eshleman John Daniel , Soileau Jared S.
Published: September 2016

This study examines whether a firm's business strategy influences auditor reporting. We rely on the organizational literature to develop our prediction that firms utilizing the innovative “prospector” strategy will be more likely than firms utilizing the cost-leadership “defender” strategy to receive both going concern and material weakness opinions. Our empirical evidence supports this prediction. Specifically, we find that, among a sample of financially troubled firms, prospectors are significantly more likely than defenders to receive a going concern opinion. We then analyze a sample of clients who subsequently filed for bankruptcy and find that auditors are less likely to issue going concern opinions to prospector clients. This indicates that auditors commit more Type II errors when auditing prospector clients. We also find that prospectors are significantly more likely than defenders to receive a material weakness opinion. Taken together, the evidence suggests that business strategy is a significant determinant of both going concern and material weakness auditor reporting.

JEL Classifications: M41; M42; L10.

Data Availability: All data are available from public sources identified in the text.
Serum Fatty Acid Binding Protein 4 (FABP4) Predicts Pre-eclampsia in Women With Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Wotherspoon Amy C. , Young Ian S. , McCance David R. , Patterson Chris C. , Maresh Michael J.A. , Pearson Donald W.M. , Walker James D. , Holmes Valerie A.
Published: September 2016

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) and pre-eclampsia risk in women with type 1 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Serum FABP4 was measured in 710 women from the Diabetes and Pre-eclampsia Intervention Trial (DAPIT) in early pregnancy and in the second trimester (median 14 and 26 weeks’ gestation, respectively).

RESULTS

FABP4 was significantly elevated in early pregnancy (geometric mean 15.8 ng/mL [interquartile range 11.6–21.4] vs. 12.7 ng/mL [interquartile range 9.6–17]; P < 0.001) and the second trimester (18.8 ng/mL [interquartile range 13.6–25.8] vs. 14.6 ng/mL [interquartile range 10.8–19.7]; P < 0.001) in women in whom pre-eclampsia later developed. Elevated second-trimester FABP4 level was independently associated with pre-eclampsia (odds ratio 2.87 [95% CI 1.24–6.68], P = 0.03). The addition of FABP4 to established risk factors significantly improved net reclassification improvement at both time points and integrated discrimination improvement in the second trimester.

CONCLUSIONS

Increased second-trimester FABP4 independently predicted pre-eclampsia and significantly improved reclassification and discrimination. FABP4 shows potential as a novel biomarker for pre-eclampsia prediction in women with type 1 diabetes.
Do Top Dogs Rule in Middle School? Evidence on Bullying, Safety, and Belonging
Authors: Schwartz Amy Ellen , Stiefel Leanna , Rothbart Michah W.
Published: September 2016

Recent research finds that grade span affects academic achievement but only speculates about the mechanisms. In this study, we examine one commonly cited mechanism, the top dog/bottom dog phenomenon, which states that students at the top of a grade span (“top dogs”) have better experiences than those at the bottom (“bottom dogs”). Using an instrumental variables strategy introduced in Rockoff and Lockwood (2010) and a longitudinal data set containing student survey data for New York City public middle school students, we estimate the impact of top dog and bottom dog status on bullying, safety, belonging, and academic achievement. This article provides the first credibly causal evidence that top dog status improves the learning environment and academic achievement. We further find that the top dog effect is strongest in sixth grade and in schools with longer grade spans and that the top dog effect is not explained by new students to a school or student height.
A post publication review of "Toward principles of construct clarity: Exploring the usefulness of facet theory in guiding conceptualization"
Authors: Lim Weng Marc
Published: September 2016

A short post publication review of a recent AJIS paper.
3D Reconstruction and Uncertainty Modelling Using Fuzzy Logic of Archaeological Structures: Applied to the Temple of Diana in Nemi, Italy
Authors: Danielová Mariana , Kumke Holger , Peters Stefan
Published: September 2016

In the recent years, virtual 3D reconstructions of archaeological sites have gained large attention from various fields of science. Procedural modelling approaches have emerged as appropriate to model and visualize reconstructed ancient structures. The process of reconstructing historical building structures involves ambiguities and uncertainties. On an archaeological site, excavated and surveyed findings such as ruins, located in their original positions, provide reliable foundations for a 3D reconstruction. On the contrary, findings, such as debris of walls, roofs, columns, etc. are not less important, but implicate different levels of certainties for a 3D model, depending on the archaeological knowledge and interpretation. On one hand, this work provides a virtual 3D reconstructing of an ancient Roman temple named “Sanctuary of Diana” located in Nemi, Italy, in different levels of detail using a procedural modelling approach. On the other hand, we present a fuzzy logic approach to quantify and visualize the uncertainty of the temple reconstruction.
Resilience training, stories, and health
Authors: Salverson Julie
Published: September 2016

This article is derived from my participation in, and experiences at, the fifth annual War Horse Symposium in Alberta in September 2015. The creative arts offer tools for self-awareness and self-care to military personnel, their families, and other first responders. Resilience training engages participants in interpersonal and organizational reconnaissance through the language of theatre – the language of bodies analyzing experiences and stories. This work addresses physical flexibility, energy flow and mindfulness, peer support, action-based role-play, and the things people say to each other while witnessing what can't be put into words. It also describes an environment that activates pleasure, laughter, and play. Four elements promote self-knowledge, community connection, and healing in creative resilience training: witnessing and being witnessed, discovering narrative options for re-storying one's life, experiencing oneself beyond the definition of one's injury, and connecting with others in ways that build healthier brains. When we experience being respected, not shamed; listened to, not ignored; safe, not at risk; our neurological pathways change. Inter-subjectively, both participant and witness become changed neurologically and psychologically. War Horse Awareness Foundation founder Deanna Lennox says, “Creative resiliency training gets connected to their bodies and spirits.”
Effects of Peanut Stand Uniformity and Herbicide Regime on Weed Management and Yield
Authors: Johnson W. Carroll , Davis Jerry W.
Published: September 2016

Crop stand directly affects ability of any crop to compete with weeds. To capture this form of cultural weed control, final crop stands need to be uniform. Peanut stands are frequently non-uniform, despite the use of precision vacuum planters. Trials were conducted from 2009 through 2011 in Tifton, GA to determine the effect of non-uniform peanut stands on weed control, grade, and marketable peanut yield. Non-uniform peanut stands were established by modifying vacuum planter discs that created skips 18 cm wide and 36 cm wide at regular intervals and compared with peanut at a uniform stand. The weed control regimes chosen reflected differing degrees of residual weed control provided by flumioxazin or imazapic and addressed the need for residual weed control when peanut stands are non-uniform. Postemergence (POST) herbicides bentazon, paraquat, and 2,4-DB were chosen to test the theory that properly timed applications of non-residual herbicides will control weeds in skips without the need for preemergence (PRE) herbicides. There was no significant interaction between peanut stand uniformity and weed control regime for any parameter. Weed response to peanut stand was variable among species and inconsistent. Weed densities tended to be lower when the residual herbicides flumioxazin and/or imazapic were part of the herbicide regime. Peanut yields and percent total sound mature kernels were not affected by narrow (18 cm) skips, but were reduced two years out of three by wide (36 cm) skips. Peanut yields and grade were similar among weed control regimes that used PRE herbicides and POST herbicides with no residual weed control properties. These results indicate that weed control considerations are not a factor when peanut skips are <18 cm. The herbicide choices evaluated are capable of controlling weeds allowing peanut to compensate for non-uniform stands and not have yield reduction when skips are <18 cm.
A Patient with Dermatomyositis Developing Steroid Induced Myopathy: A Case Report
Authors: Akter Taslima , Karim Md Enamul , Das Partha Pratim , Biswas Sarmistha , Kabir AKM Humayon , Haque Mohammad Ahsanul , Chakraborty Ashim , Islam Md Ashraful
Published: September 2016

Dermatomyositis is not a very uncommon disease affecting skin and muscles. Some varieties have atypical presentations and early diagnosis is pivotal to the effective management as it has significant morbidity and mortality including malignancy. Corticosteroids and other immunosuppressive is the mainstay of treatment; however, it should also be aimed to reduce the complications of steroid therapy as there is a possibility of steroid induced myopathy where withdrawal of steroid with introduction of other immunosuppressive drug is promptly warranted. Here, we presented a 60 year old lady with dermatomyositis who developed steroid induced myopathy.J Dhaka Medical College, Vol. 24, No.2, October, 2015, Page 156-159
Painful Ophthalmoplegia of Right Eye in 40-Year-Old Female - Diagnosed As A Case of Tolosa-Hunt Syndrome
Authors: Salma Umma , Khan Nurul Amin , Sarker Mohammad Abdus Sattar , Nahar Shamsun , Ara Rowsan
Published: September 2016

Tolosa-Hunt Syndrome (THS) is a painful opthalmoplegia caused by nonspecific inflammation of cavernous sinus or superior orbital fissure. Here, we present a case of THS who presented with severe unilateral headache and opthalmoplegia, responded dramatically with systemic steroidJ Dhaka Medical College, Vol. 24, No.2, October, 2015, Page 160-162
‘Lines of Light’: Poetic Variations in Wordsworth, Byron, and Shelley
Authors: Sandy Mark
Published: September 2016

Recognising the importance of Wordsworth's sense of nascent light (elegised in his ‘Ode: Intimations of Immortality’), the essay traces how influential this idea was on later Romantic poetic treatments of light. Wordsworth's qualitative distinction between the ‘fountain light of all our day’ and the ‘light of common day’ reveals his alertness to the revelatory and blinding effects of light and establishes the terms of Byron's and Shelley's imaginative engagement with the transformative aspects of light in their depiction of Italian cityscapes and coastal scenes. This transformative quality of light, for Byron and Shelley, is inextricable from those utopian aspirations to recapture future edenic states, which are configured in terms that consign such future idylls to the irrecoverable past. Finally, Shelley's The Triumph of Life is read as avowing an apocalyptic, rather than transformative, light whose ‘severe excess’ is still reimagined in terms familiar to the reader of Wordsworth's ‘Ode’.
Coleridge, Isherwood and Hindu Light
Authors: Murray Chris
Published: September 2016

This essay explores light, as conceived in Hinduism, as an intellectual tool used to mediate the contrary impulses of body and soul. Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Christopher Isherwood addressed this philosophical quandary by reference to the light-based cosmology of Bhagavad Gita. They did so by opposite means: Coleridge's search for the Hindu light was primarily based on reading, while Isherwood adopted self-cultivation practices. In ‘Dejection: An Ode’, the Indian idea of light allows Coleridge to imagine the resolution of his love for Sara Hutchinson. By contrast, Isherwood devoted himself to the Hindu light physically by involvement with a meditation centre, as documented in his memoir, My Guru and His Disciple. Like Coleridge, Isherwood suffered reputational damage for his metaphysical interests, and was deemed an unfulfilled talent. Yet W. H. Auden's ambivalent responses to Isherwood indicate his belief that the western literary canon might be enriched as a result of such esoteric experience.
Emily Brontë's Darkling Tales
Authors: Wootton Sarah
Published: September 2016

This essay examines light and dark as coalescing and contradictory ‘opposites’ in Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. The resonant interplay of light and dark in the novel, as captured and reworked to startling effect in Rosalind Whitman's series of etchings Black and White in Wuthering Heights, is conceived in the shadow of Romanticism. Subjecting Romantic ideals and anxieties to the pressure of Victorian prose darkens, if not quite eclipses, Keats's ‘truth of Imagination’, and thereby situates the novel at an interpretative crossroads. Wuthering Heights is poised on a literary fault-line, as an heir to the Romantic tradition that simultaneously heralds the advent of Modernism. As readers of Emily Brontë’s novel, we, like the gaunt thorns and stunted firs that cling to the landscape surrounding the Heights, are hardened by the inhospitable terrain of the text and yearn for the light amidst a dense and disorientating post-Romantic darkness.
Lux Perpetua: The Poetry of Seamus Heaney, from Door into the Dark to Electric Light
Authors: Regan Stephen
Published: September 2016

Light shines perpetually in Seamus Heaney's poetry. It has its first glimmerings in poems conceived in darkness and brought into luminous being. The interplay of darkness and light becomes the prevailing metaphor in a poetry of memory and perception, especially in the books published in the 1960s. In the 1970s and 1980s, writing in a subdued light becomes a necessary condition in a tense and sometimes turbulent political climate. A more equable light shines in the work composed in the 1990s, enabling a poetry of meditation and spiritual scrutiny, of quiet celebration and elegy. In later poems, light is cast on a host of theological and eschatological mysteries, and inspires a visionary apprehension of final things. All of these processes of light, from the glimmerings of poetic imagination in the moment of composition to the equation of light with political freedom and philosophical understanding, are validated for Heaney by their profound significance and appeal in Romantic poetry and poetics.
How inflection class systems work: On the informativity of implicative structure
Authors: Sims Andrea D. , Parker Jeff
Published: September 2016

The complexity of an inflection class system can be defined as the average extent to which elements in the system inhibit motivated inferences about the realization of lexemes’ paradigm cells. Research shows that systems tend to exhibit relatively low complexity in this sense. However, relatively little work has explored how structural and distributional aspects of the inflectional system produce this outcome. In this paper we use the tools of information theory to do so. We explore a set of nine languages that have robust inflection class systems: Palantla Chinantec, French, Modern Greek, Icelandic, Kadiwéu, Nuer, Russian, Seri, and Võro. The data show that the extent to which implicative paradigmatic structure does work to minimize the complexity of the system differs significantly. In fact, the nine languages fall into three graph types based on their implicative structure. Moreover, low type frequency classes disproportionately contribute to the complexity of inflectional systems, but we hypothesize that their freedom to detract in this way may depend on the extent to which implicative structure is systemically important. We thus propose that the amount of ‘work’ done by implicative relations in structuring inflection classes should be considered a typological parameter.
Projecting Future Change in Growing Degree Days for Winter Wheat
Authors: Ruiz Castillo Natalie , Gaitán Ospina Carlos
Published: September 2016

Southwest Oklahoma is one of the most productive regions in the Great Plains (USA) where winter wheat is produced. To assess the effect of climate change on the growing degree days (GDD) available for winter wheat production, we selected from the CMIP5 archive, two of the best performing Global Climate Models (GCMs) for the region (MIROC5 and CCSM4) to project the future change in GDD under the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 8.5 and 4.5 future trajectories for greenhouse gas concentrations. Two quantile mapping methods were applied to both GCMs to obtain local scale projections. The local scale outputs were applied to a GDD formula to show the GDD changes between the historical period (1961–2004) and the future period (2006–2098) in terms of mean differences. The results show that at the end of the 2098 growing season, the increase in GDD is expected to be between 440 °C and 1300 °C, for RCP 4.5, and between 700 °C and 1350 °C for RCP 8.5. This increase in GDD might cause a decrease in the number of days required to reach crop maturity, as all the GCM/statistical post-processing combinations showed a decreasing trend of those timings during the 21st century. Furthermore, we conclude, that when looking at the influence of the selected GCMs and the quantile mapping methods on the GDD calculation, the GCMs differences originated from the significant spatial and temporal variations of GDD over the region and not the statistical methods tested.
Reconsultation and Antimicrobial Treatment of Urinary Tract Infection in Male and Female Patients in General Practice
Authors: Tandan Meera , Duane Sinead , Cormican Martin , Murphy Andrew , Vellinga Akke
Published: September 2016

Current antimicrobial prescribing guidelines indicate that male and female patients with urinary tract infections (UTIs) should be treated with same antimicrobials but for different durations. The aim of this study was to explore the differences in reconsultations and antimicrobial prescribing for UTI for both males and females. A total of 2557 adult suspected UTI patients participating in the Supporting the Improvement and Management of Prescribing for urinary tract infection (SIMPle) study from 30 general practices were analyzed. An antimicrobial was prescribed significantly more often to females (77%) than males (63%). Nitrofurantoin was prescribed more often for females and less often for males (58% vs. 41%), while fluoroquinolones were more often prescribed for males (11% vs. 3%). Overall, reconsultation was 1.4 times higher in females, and if the antimicrobial prescribed was not the recommended first-line (nitrofurantoin), reconsultation after empirical prescribing was significantly higher. However, the reconsultation was similar for males and females if the antimicrobial prescribed was first-line. When a urine culture was obtained, a positive culture was the most important predictor of reconsultation (Odds ratio 1.8 (95% CI 1.3–2.5)). This suggests, when prescribing empirically, that male and female UTI patients should initially be treated with first-line antimicrobials (nitrofurantoin) with different durations (50–100 mg four times daily for three days in females and seven days for males). However, the consideration of a culture test before prescribing antimicrobials may improve outcomes.
ELF Electromagnetic Waves from Lightning: The Schumann Resonances
Authors: Price Colin
Published: September 2016

Lightning produces electromagnetic fields and waves in all frequency ranges. In the extremely low frequency (ELF) range below 100 Hz, the global Schumann Resonances (SR) are excited at frequencies of 8 Hz, 14 Hz, 20 Hz, etc. This review is aimed at the reader generally unfamiliar with the Schumann Resonances. First some historical context to SR research is given, followed by some theoretical background and examples of the extensive use of Schumann resonances in a variety of lightning-related studies in recent years, ranging from estimates of the spatial and temporal variations in global lighting activity, connections to global climate change, transient luminous events and extraterrestrial lightning. Both theoretical and experimental results of the global resonance phenomenon are presented. It is our hope that this review will increase the interest in SR among researchers previously unfamiliar with this phenomenon.
An Abraded Surface of Doxorubicin-Loaded Surfactant-Containing Drug Delivery Systems Effectively Reduces the Survival of Carcinoma Cells
Authors: Schmidt Christian , Yokaichiya Fabiano , Doğangüzel Nurdan , Dias Franco Margareth , Cavalcanti Leide , Brown Mark , Alkschbirs Melissa , De Araujo Daniele , Kumpugdee-Vollrath Mont , Storsberg Joachim
Published: September 2016

An effective antitumor remedy is yet to be developed. All previous approaches for a targeted delivery of anticancer medicine have relied on trial and error. The goal of this study was to use structural insights gained from the study of delivery systems and malignant cells to provide for a systematic approach to the development of next-generation drugs. We used doxorubicin (Dox) liposomal formulations. We assayed for cytotoxicity via the electrical current exclusion method. Dialysis of the samples yielded information about their drug release profiles. Information about the surface of the delivery systems was obtained through synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements. SAXS measurements revealed that Dox-loading yielded an abraded surface of our Dox liposomal formulation containing soybean oil, which also correlated with an effective reduction of the survival of carcinoma cells. Furthermore, a dialysis assay revealed that a higher burst of Dox was released from soybean oil-containing preparations within the first five hours. We conclude from our results that an abraded surface of Dox-loaded drug delivery system increases their efficacy. The apparent match between surface geometry of drug delivery systems and target cells is suggested as a steppingstone for refined development of drug delivery systems. This is the first study to provide a systematic approach to developing next-generation drug carrier systems using structural insights to guide the development of next-generation drug delivery systems with increased efficacy and reduced side effects.
Thin Films for Advanced Glazing Applications
Authors: Anderson Ann-Louise , Chen Shuqun , Romero Luz , Top Işıl , Binions Russell
Published: September 2016

Functional thin films provide many opportunities for advanced glazing systems. This can be achieved by adding additional functionalities such as self-cleaning or power generation, or alternately by providing energy demand reduction through the management or modulation of solar heat gain or blackbody radiation using spectrally selective films or chromogenic materials. Self-cleaning materials have been generating increasing interest for the past two decades. They may be based on hydrophobic or hydrophilic systems and are often inspired by nature, for example hydrophobic systems based on mimicking the lotus leaf. These materials help to maintain the aesthetic properties of the building, help to maintain a comfortable working environment and in the case of photocatalytic materials, may provide external pollutant remediation. Power generation through window coatings is a relatively new idea and is based around the use of semi-transparent solar cells as windows. In this fashion, energy can be generated whilst also absorbing some solar heat. There is also the possibility, in the case of dye sensitized solar cells, to tune the coloration of the window that provides unheralded external aesthetic possibilities. Materials and coatings for energy demand reduction is highly desirable in an increasingly energy intensive world. We discuss new developments with low emissivity coatings as the need to replace scarce indium becomes more apparent. We go on to discuss thermochromic systems based on vanadium dioxide films. Such systems are dynamic in nature and present a more sophisticated and potentially more beneficial approach to reducing energy demand than static systems such as low emissivity and solar control coatings. The ability to be able to tune some of the material parameters in order to optimize the film performance for a given climate provides exciting opportunities for future technologies. In this article, we review recent progress and challenges in these areas and provide a perspective for future trends and developments.
Catalytic Upgrading of Biomass-Derived Furfuryl Alcohol to Butyl Levulinate Biofuel over Common Metal Salts
Authors: Peng Lincai , Tao Ruili , Wu Yu
Published: September 2016

Levulinate ester has been identified as a promising renewable fuel additive and platform chemical. Here, the use of a wide range of common metal salts as acid catalysts for catalytic upgrading of biomass-derived furfuryl alcohol to butyl levulinate was explored by conventional heating. Both alkali and alkaline earth metal chlorides did not lead effectively to the conversion of furfuryl alcohol, while several transition metal chlorides (CrCl3, FeCl3, and CuCl2) and AlCl3 exhibited catalytic activity for the synthesis of butyl levulinate. For their sulfates (Cr(III), Fe(III), Cu(II), and Al(III)), the catalytic activity was low. The reaction performance was correlated with the Brønsted acidity of the reaction system derived from the hydrolysis/alcoholysis of cations, but was more dependent on the Lewis acidity from the metal salts. Among these investigated metal salts, CuCl2 was found to be uniquely effective, leading to the conversion of furfuryl alcohol to butyl levulinate with an optimized yield of 95%. Moreover, CuCl2 could be recovered efficiently from the resulting reaction mixture and remained with almost unchanged catalytic activity in multiple recycling runs.
Entropy Minimizing Curves with Application to Flight Path Design and Clustering
Authors: Puechmorel Stéphane , Nicol Florence
Published: September 2016

Air traffic management (ATM) aims at providing companies with a safe and ideally optimal aircraft trajectory planning. Air traffic controllers act on flight paths in such a way that no pair of aircraft come closer than the regulatory separation norms. With the increase of traffic, it is expected that the system will reach its limits in the near future: a paradigm change in ATM is planned with the introduction of trajectory-based operations. In this context, sets of well-separated flight paths are computed in advance, tremendously reducing the number of unsafe situations that must be dealt with by controllers. Unfortunately, automated tools used to generate such planning generally issue trajectories not complying with operational practices or even flight dynamics. In this paper, a means of producing realistic air routes from the output of an automated trajectory design tool is investigated. For that purpose, the entropy of a system of curves is first defined, and a mean of iteratively minimizing it is presented. The resulting curves form a route network that is suitable for use in a semi-automated ATM system with human in the loop. The tool introduced in this work is quite versatile and may be applied also to unsupervised classification of curves: an example is given for French traffic.
A Robust Automated Cataract Detection Algorithm Using Diagnostic Opinion Based Parameter Thresholding for Telemedicine Application
Authors: Pathak Shashwat , Kumar Basant
Published: September 2016

This paper proposes and evaluates an algorithm to automatically detect the cataracts from color images in adult human subjects. Currently, methods available for cataract detection are based on the use of either fundus camera or Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera; both are very expensive. The main motive behind this work is to develop an inexpensive, robust and convenient algorithm which in conjugation with suitable devices will be able to diagnose the presence of cataract from the true color images of an eye. An algorithm is proposed for cataract screening based on texture features: uniformity, intensity and standard deviation. These features are first computed and mapped with diagnostic opinion by the eye expert to define the basic threshold of screening system and later tested on real subjects in an eye clinic. Finally, a tele-ophthamology model using our proposed system has been suggested, which confirms the telemedicine application of the proposed system.
Monitoring and Analyzing of Circadian and Ultradian Locomotor Activity Based on Raspberry-Pi
Authors: Pasquali Vittorio , Gualtieri Riccardo , D’Alessandro Giuseppe , Granberg Maria , Hazlerigg David , Cagnetti Marco , Leccese Fabio
Published: September 2016

A new device based on the Raspberry-Pi to monitor the locomotion of Arctic marine invertebrates and to analyze chronobiologic data has been made, tested and deployed. The device uses infrared sensors to monitor and record the locomotor activity of the animals, which is later analyzed. The software package consists of two separate scripts: the first designed to manage the acquisition and the evolution of the experiment, the second designed to generate actograms and perform various analyses to detect periodicity in the data (e.g., Fourier power spectra, chi-squared periodograms, and Lomb–Scargle periodograms). The data acquisition hardware and the software has been previously tested during an Arctic mission with an arctic marine invertebrate.
Analytical Modeling of Wind Farms: A New Approach for Power Prediction
Authors: Niayifar Amin , Porté-Agel Fernando
Published: September 2016

Wind farm power production is known to be strongly affected by turbine wake effects. The purpose of this study is to develop and test a new analytical model for the prediction of wind turbine wakes and the associated power losses in wind farms. The new model is an extension of the one recently proposed by Bastankhah and Porté-Agel for the wake of stand-alone wind turbines. It satisfies the conservation of mass and momentum and assumes a self-similar Gaussian shape of the velocity deficit. The local wake growth rate is estimated based on the local streamwise turbulence intensity. Superposition of velocity deficits is used to model the interaction of the multiple wakes. Furthermore, the power production from the wind turbines is calculated using the power curve. The performance of the new analytical wind farm model is validated against power measurements and large-eddy simulation (LES) data from the Horns Rev wind farm for a wide range of wind directions, corresponding to a variety of full-wake and partial-wake conditions. A reasonable agreement is found between the proposed analytical model, LES data, and power measurements. Compared with a commonly used wind farm wake model, the new model shows a significant improvement in the prediction of wind farm power.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Swimming Pool Water: Evidences and Perspectives for a New Control Strategy
Authors: Guida Marco , Di Onofrio Valeria , Gallè Francesca , Gesuele Renato , Valeriani Federica , Liguori Renato , Romano Spica Vincenzo , Liguori Giorgio
Published: September 2016

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is frequently isolated in swimming pool settings. Nine recreational and rehabilitative swimming pools were monitored according to the local legislation. The presence of P. aeruginosa was correlated to chlorine concentration. The ability of the isolates to form a biofilm on plastic materials was also investigated. In 59.5% of the samples, microbial contamination exceeded the threshold values. P. aeruginosa was isolated in 50.8% of these samples. The presence of P. aeruginosa was not correlated with free or total chlorine amount (R2 < 0.1). All the isolates were moderate- to strong-forming biofilm (Optical Density O.D.570 range 0.7–1.2). To control biofilm formation and P. aeruginosa colonization, Quantum FreeBioEnergy© (QFBE, FreeBioEnergy, Brisighella, Italy), has been applied with encouraging preliminary results. It is a new, promising control strategy based on the change of an electromagnetic field which is responsible for the proliferation of some microorganisms involved in biofilm formation, such as P. aeruginosa.
Identification of Reference Genes for RT-qPCR Data Normalization in Cannabis sativa Stem Tissues
Authors: Mangeot-Peter Lauralie , Legay Sylvain , Hausman Jean-Francois , Esposito Sergio , Guerriero Gea
Published: September 2016

Gene expression profiling via quantitative real-time PCR is a robust technique widely used in the life sciences to compare gene expression patterns in, e.g., different tissues, growth conditions, or after specific treatments. In the field of plant science, real-time PCR is the gold standard to study the dynamics of gene expression and is used to validate the results generated with high throughput techniques, e.g., RNA-Seq. An accurate relative quantification of gene expression relies on the identification of appropriate reference genes, that need to be determined for each experimental set-up used and plant tissue studied. Here, we identify suitable reference genes for expression profiling in stems of textile hemp (Cannabis sativa L.), whose tissues (isolated bast fibres and core) are characterized by remarkable differences in cell wall composition. We additionally validate the reference genes by analysing the expression of putative candidates involved in the non-oxidative phase of the pentose phosphate pathway and in the first step of the shikimate pathway. The goal is to describe the possible regulation pattern of some genes involved in the provision of the precursors needed for lignin biosynthesis in the different hemp stem tissues. The results here shown are useful to design future studies focused on gene expression analyses in hemp.
Rosacea: Molecular Mechanisms and Management of a Chronic Cutaneous Inflammatory Condition
Authors: Woo Yu , Lim Ji , Cho Dae , Park Hyun
Published: September 2016

Rosacea is a chronic cutaneous inflammatory disease that affects the facial skin. Clinically, rosacea can be categorized into papulopustular, erythematotelangiectatic, ocular, and phymatous rosacea. However, the phenotypic presentations of rosacea are more heterogeneous. Although the pathophysiology of rosacea remains to be elucidated, immunologic alterations and neurovascular dysregulation are thought to have important roles in initiating and strengthening the clinical manifestations of rosacea. In this article, we present the possible molecular mechanisms of rosacea based on recent laboratory and clinical studies. We describe the genetic predisposition for rosacea along with its associated diseases, triggering factors, and suggested management options in detail based on the underlying molecular biology. Understanding the molecular pathomechanisms of rosacea will likely aid toward better comprehending its complex pathogenesis.
Synthesis and Characterization of Nanodiamond Reinforced Chitosan for Bone Tissue Engineering
Authors: Sun Yu , Yang Qiaoqin , Wang Haidong
Published: September 2016

Multifunctional tissue scaffold material nanodiamond (ND)/chitosan (CS) composites with different diamond concentrations from 1 wt % to 5 wt % were synthesized through a solution casting method. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and nanoindentation. Compared with pristine CS, the addition of ND resulted in a significant improvement of mechanical properties, including a 239%, 276%, 321%, 333%, and 343% increase in Young’s modulus and a 68%, 96%, 114%, 118%, and 127% increase in hardness when the ND amount was 1 wt %, 2 wt %, 3 wt %, 4 wt %, and 5 wt %, respectively. The strong interaction between ND surface groups and the chitosan matrix plays an important role in improving mechanical properties.
Effects of the CO2 Guest Molecule on the sI Clathrate Hydrate Structure
Authors: Izquierdo-Ruiz Fernando , Otero-de-la-Roza Alberto , Contreras-García Julia , Prieto-Ballesteros Olga , Recio Jose
Published: September 2016

This paper analyzes the structural, energetic and mechanical properties of carbon dioxide hydrate clathrates calculated using finite cluster and periodic ab initio density-functional theory methodologies. Intermolecular interactions are described by the exchange-hole dipole moment method. The stability, gas saturation energetics, guest–host interactions, cage deformations, vibrational frequencies, and equation of state parameters for the low-pressure sI cubic phase of the CO2@H2O clathrate hydrate are presented. Our results reveal that: (i) the gas saturation process energetically favors complete filling; (ii) carbon dioxide molecules prefer to occupy the larger of the two cages in the sI structure; (iii) blue shifts occur in both the symmetric and antisymmetric stretching frequencies of CO2 upon encapsulation; and (iv) free rotation of guest molecules is restricted to a plane parallel to the hexagonal faces of the large cages. In addition, we calculate the librational frequency of the hindered rotation of the guest molecule in the plane perpendicular to the hexagonal faces. Our calculated spectroscopic data can be used as signatures for the detection of clathrate hydrates in planetary environments.
Glass-Forming Ability and Early Crystallization Kinetics of Novel Cu-Zr-Al-Co Bulk Metallic Glasses
Authors: Han Xiaoliang , Qin Yusheng , Qin Kai , Li Xuelian , Wang Shenghai , Mi Jun , Song Kaikai , Wang Li
Published: September 2016

In recent years, CuZr-based bulk metallic glass (BMG) composites ductilized by a shape memory B2 CuZr phase have attracted great attention owing to their outstanding mechanical properties. However, the B2 CuZr phase for most CuZr-based glass-forming compositions is only stable at very high temperatures, leading to the uncontrollable formation of B2 crystals during quenching. In this work, by introducing Co (i.e., 4, 5, and 6 at. %) and 10 at. % Al into CuZr-based alloys, the relatively good glass-forming ability (GFA) of CuZr-based alloys still can be achieved. Meanwhile, the B2 phase can be successfully stabilized to lower temperatures than the final temperatures of crystallization upon heating CuZr-based BMGs. Unlike previous reported CuZr-based BMGs, the primary crystallization products upon heating are mainly B2 CuZr crystals but not CuZr2 and Cu10Zr7 crystals. Furthermore, the primary precipitates during solidification are still dominated by B2 crystals, whose percolation threshold is detected to lie between 10 ± 2 vol. % and 31 ± 2 vol. %. The crystallization kinetics underlying the precipitation of B2 crystals was also investigated. Our results show that the present glass-forming composites are promising candidates for the fabrication of ductile CuZr-based BMG composites.
HSCCC Separation of the Two Iridoid Glycosides and Three Phenolic Compounds from Veronica ciliata and Their in Vitro Antioxidant and Anti-Hepatocarcinoma Activities
Authors: Lu Qiuxia , Sun Yiran , Shu Yueyue , Tan Shancai , Yin Li , Guo Yiran , Tang Lin
Published: September 2016

Five main compounds, including two iridoid glycosides (catalposide, verproside) and three phenolic compounds (luteolin, 4-hydroxy benzoic acid, 3,4-dihydroxy benzoic acid), were separated and prepared from the crude extract of Veronica ciliata by high-speed countercurrent chromatography. n-Hexane/n-butanol/water (1.5:5:5, v/v/v) was used for the separation of catalposide and verproside. n-Hexane/n-butanol/water (3:2:5, v/v/v) was used for the separation of luteolin, 4-hydroxy benzoic acid and 3,4-dihydroxy benzoic acid. The head-to-tail elution mode was used with a flow rate of 5.0 mL/min and a rotary speed of 800 rpm. Finally, a total of 1.28 mg luteolin, 6 mg 4-hydroxy benzoic acid, 2 mg 3,4-dihydroxy benzoic acid, 2 mg verproside and 10 mg catalposide with purities of 98%, 99.1%, 99.5%, 99.8% and 99%, respectively, were obtained from 200 mg of crude extract. In addition, their structure was identified using MS, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the separation and purification of iridoid glycosides and phenolic compounds from V. ciliata by high-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC). Among these compounds, luteolin, 4-hydroxy benzoic acid and 3,4-dihydroxy benzoic acid were separated from V. ciliata Fisch. for the first time. The results of the antioxidant activity show that protocatechuic acid and luteolin have strong antioxidant activity compared to 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol (BHT) and vitamin C (Vc). Five compounds also exhibited strong anti-hepatocarcinoma activities.
Osimertinib (AZD9291), a Mutant-Selective EGFR Inhibitor, Reverses ABCB1-Mediated Drug Resistance in Cancer Cells
Authors: Zhang Xiao-Yu , Zhang Yun-Kai , Wang Yi-Jun , Gupta Pranav , Zeng Leli , Xu Megan , Wang Xiu-Qi , Yang Dong-Hua , Chen Zhe-Sheng
Published: September 2016

In recent years, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have been shown capable of inhibiting the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter-mediated multidrug resistance (MDR). In this study, we determine whether osimertinib, a novel selective, irreversible EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) TKI, could reverse ABC transporter-mediated MDR. The results showed that, at non-toxic concentrations, osimertinib significantly sensitized both ABCB1-transfected and drug-selected cell lines to substrate anticancer drugs colchicine, paclitaxel, and vincristine. Osimertinib significantly increased the accumulation of [3H]-paclitaxel in ABCB1 overexpressing cells by blocking the efflux function of ABCB1 transporter. In contrast, no significant alteration in the expression levels and localization pattern of ABCB1 was observed when ABCB1 overexpressing cells were exposed to 0.3 µM osimertinib for 72 h. In addition, ATPase assay showed osimertinib stimulated ABCB1 ATPase activity. Molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulations showed osimertinib has strong and stable interactions at the transmembrane domain of human homology ABCB1. Taken together, our findings suggest that osimertinib, a clinically-approved third-generation EGFR TKI, can reverse ABCB1-mediated MDR, which supports the combination therapy with osimertinib and ABCB1 substrates may potentially be a novel therapeutic stategy in ABCB1-positive drug resistant cancers.
Calorie Restricted High Protein Diets Downregulate Lipogenesis and Lower Intrahepatic Triglyceride Concentrations in Male Rats
Authors: Margolis Lee , Rivas Donato , Ezzyat Yassine , Gaffney-Stomberg Erin , Young Andrew , McClung James , Fielding Roger , Pasiakos Stefan
Published: September 2016

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the influence of calorie restriction (CR) alone, higher-protein/lower-carbohydrate intake alone, and combined CR higher-protein/lower-carbohydrate intake on glucose homeostasis, hepatic de novo lipogenesis (DNL), and intrahepatic triglycerides. Twelve-week old male Sprague Dawley rats consumed ad libitum (AL) or CR (40% restriction), adequate (10%), or high (32%) protein (PRO) milk-based diets for 16 weeks. Metabolic profiles were assessed in serum, and intrahepatic triglyceride concentrations and molecular markers of de novo lipogenesis were determined in liver. Independent of calorie intake, 32% PRO tended to result in lower homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) values compared to 10% PRO, while insulin and homeostatic model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA-β) values were lower in CR than AL, regardless of protein intake. Intrahepatic triglyceride concentrations were 27.4 ± 4.5 and 11.7 ± 4.5 µmol·g−1 lower (p < 0.05) in CR and 32% PRO compared to AL and 10% PRO, respectively. Gene expression of fatty acid synthase (FASN), stearoyl-CoA destaurase-1 (SCD1) and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase, isozyme 4 (PDK4) were 45% ± 1%, 23% ± 1%, and 57% ± 1% lower (p < 0.05), respectively, in CR than AL, regardless of protein intake. Total protein of FASN and SCD were 50% ± 1% and 26% ± 1% lower (p < 0.05) in 32% PRO compared to 10% PRO, independent of calorie intake. Results from this investigation provide evidence that the metabolic health benefits associated with CR—specifically reduction in intrahepatic triglyceride content—may be enhanced by consuming a higher-protein/lower-carbohydrate diet.
Modification of Thermal and Mechanical Properties of PEG-PPG-PEG Copolymer (F127) with MA-POSS
Authors: Dou Qingqing , Abdul Karim Anis , Loh Xian
Published: September 2016

Pluronic F127 exhibits thermogelling behaviour at 20–30 °C via a micelle packing mechanism. Disruption of the micelle packing increases the sol-gel temperature, but results in the decrease of modulus. Herein, we reported a method to modify F127 with polyhedral oligosilsesquioxane (POSS) to impart a higher gelling temperature without yielding the property and strength of the thermogel. The thermal degradation temperature was enhanced to 15 °C after POSS incorporation and the gelling temperature shifted 10 °C higher, without sacrificing the modulus of the gel. Rheological studies supported the claim that the gel property was reinforced after POSS incorporation. F127-POSS copolymer matrix stored more energy from POSS reinforcement, which saw larger Lissajous curve areas before the collapse of the microstructure for the same amount of stress applied. These results indicated that modification with POSS would raise the sol-gel transition temperature without sacrificing the modulus of the gel.
Assessment of Carbon Flux and Soil Moisture in Wetlands Applying Sentinel-1 Data
Authors: Dabrowska-Zielinska Katarzyna , Budzynska Maria , Tomaszewska Monika , Malinska Alicja , Gatkowska Martyna , Bartold Maciej , Malek Iwona
Published: September 2016

The objectives of the study were to determine the spatial rate of CO2 flux (Net Ecosystem Exchange) and soil moisture in a wetland ecosystem applying Sentinel-1 IW (Interferometric Wide) data of VH (Vertical Transmit/Horizontal Receive—cross polarization) and VV (Vertical Transmit/Vertical Receive—like polarization) polarization. In-situ measurements of carbon flux, soil moisture, and LAI (Leaf Area Index) were carried out over the Biebrza Wetland in north-eastern Poland. The impact of soil moisture and LAI on backscattering coefficient (σ°) calculated from Sentinel-1 data showed that LAI dominates the influence on σ° when soil moisture is low. The models for soil moisture have been derived for wetland vegetation habitat types applying VH polarization (R2 = 0.70 to 0.76). The vegetation habitats: reeds, sedge-moss, sedges, grass-herbs, and grass were classified using combined one Landsat 8 OLI (Operational Land Imager) and three TerraSAR-X (TSX) ScanSAR VV data. The model for the assessment of Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) has been developed based on the assumption that soil moisture and biomass represented by LAI have an influence on it. The σ° VH and σ° VV describe soil moisture and LAI, and have been the input to the NEE model. The model, created for classified habitats, is as follows: NEE = f (σ° Sentinel-1 VH, σ° Sentinel-1 VV). Reasonably good predictions of NEE have been achieved for classified habitats (R2 = 0.51 to 0.58). The developed model has been used for mapping spatial and temporal distribution of NEE over Biebrza wetland habitat types. Eventually, emissions of CO2 to the atmosphere (NEE positive) has been noted when soil moisture (SM) and biomass were low. This study demonstrates the importance of the capability of Sentinel-1 microwave data to calculate soil moisture and estimate NEE with all-weather acquisition conditions, offering an important advantage for frequent wetlands monitoring.