bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Environmental Risks Associated with Booster Biocides Leaching from Spent Anti‐Fouling Paint Particles in Coastal Environments
Authors: Hasan Chowdhury K. , Turner Andrew , Readman James , Frickers Trish
Published: December 2014

Boat maintenance facilities in coastal areas contribute a significant amount of antifouling paint particles (APP) to coastal environments. Very few studies have concentrated on the leaching of booster biocides embedded in old paint particles. Therefore, this study attempted to assess the leaching of Dichlofluanid and Irgarol 1051 from APP collected from Mayflower Marina in southwest England. They were analyzed by GC‐MS. A leaching experiment revealed that a considerable amount of Dichlofluanid (ca. 24 μg/L) leached from 0.4 g/L of APP after the first hour, followed by a marked decline in the amount measured in the water over time, almost degrading after 24 h in seawater, affording less of an environmental threat to non‐target organisms. Conversely, Irgarol 1051 appeared to be persistent and continuously leached from the 0.4 g/L of APP even after 10 days, yielding a concentration of 0.61 μg/L in seawater, potentially posing a significant threat to the aquatic environment through leaching from APP.
Using part-of-speech tags as deep-syntax indicators in determining short-text semantic similarity
Authors: Batanovic Vuk , Bojic Dragan
Published: December 2014

This paper presents POST STSS, a method of determining short-text semantic
similarity in which part-of-speech tags are used as indicators of the deeper
syntactic information usually extracted by more advanced tools like parsers
and semantic role labelers. Our model employs a part-of-speech weighting
scheme and is based on a statistical bag-of-words approach. It does not
require either hand-crafted knowledge bases or advanced syntactic tools,
which makes it easily applicable to languages with limited natural language
processing resources. By using a paraphrase recognition test, we demonstrate
that our system achieves a higher accuracy than all existing statistical
similarity algorithms and solutions of a more structural kind.
Security in cloud computing: A mapping study
Authors: Cruz Zapata , Fernández-Alemán José , Toval Ambrosio
Published: December 2014

A number of cloud applications are currently widely used. However, one of the
main reasons for the slowing down in the growth of cloud computing is that of
security. Even though some research has been done in the security field, it
is necessary to assess the current state of research and practice. This paper
aims for the study of the existing research about security in cloud computing
to analyze the state of art and to identify future directions. The method
selected to investigate the security in cloud computing is a systematic
mapping study. A total of 344 papers were selected and classified by security
goal, research type and contribution type. The main security specific issues
extracted are data protection (30.29%), access management (20.14%), software
isolation (16.7%), availability (16%), trust (13.6%) and governance (3.27%).
Our results demonstrate that cloud computing seems to be a promising area for
security research and evaluation.
PCSK7 Genotype Modifies Effect of a Weight-Loss Diet on 2-Year Changes of Insulin Resistance: The POUNDS LOST Trial
Authors: Huang Tao , Huang Jinyan , Qi Qibin , Li Yanping , Bray George A. , Rood Jennifer , Sacks Frank M. , Qi Lu
Published: December 2014

OBJECTIVE

A common variant rs236918 in the PCSK7 gene has the strongest association with iron homeostasis and is related to insulin resistance. Dietary carbohydrate (CHO) modulates the genetic effect on insulin resistance. We examined whether 2-year weight-loss diets modify the effect of PCSK7 genetic variants on changes in fasting insulin levels and insulin resistance in a randomized, controlled trial.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Data were analyzed in the Preventing Overweight Using Novel Dietary Strategies (POUNDS LOST) trial, which is a randomized, controlled 2-year weight-loss trial using diets that differed in macronutrient proportions. PCSK7 rs236918 was genotyped in 730 overweight or obese adults (80% whites) in this trial. We assessed the progression in fasting insulin and glucose levels, and insulin resistance by genotypes.

RESULTS

During the 6-month weight-loss phase, the PCSK7 rs236918 G allele was significantly associated with greater decreases in fasting insulin levels in the high–dietary CHO group (P for interaction = 0.04), while the interaction for changes in HOMA-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (P for interaction = 0.06) did not reach significant levels in white subjects. The G allele was significantly associated with a greater decrease in fasting insulin levels and HOMA-IR in response to high dietary CHO levels (P = 0.02 and P = 0.03, respectively). From 6 months to 2 years (weight-regain phase), the interactions became attenuated due to the regaining of weight (P for interactions = 0.08 and 0.06, respectively). In addition, we observed similar and even stronger results in the whole-study samples from the trial.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that PCSK7 genotypes may interact with dietary CHO intake on changes in insulin sensitivity in the white Americans.
Impact of HbA1c, Followed From Onset of Type 1 Diabetes, on the Development of Severe Retinopathy and Nephropathy: The VISS Study (Vascular Diabetic Complications in Southeast Sweden)
Authors: Nordwall Maria , Abrahamsson Mariann , Dhir Meryl , Fredrikson Mats , Ludvigsson Johnny , Arnqvist Hans J.
Published: December 2014

OBJECTIVE

HbA1c is strongly related to the development of diabetes complications, but it is still controversial which HbA1c level to strive for in the treatment of type 1 diabetes. The aim of the current study was to evaluate HbA1c, followed from diagnosis, as a predictor of severe microvascular complications and to formulate HbA1c target levels for treatment.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A longitudinal observation study followed an unselected population of 451 patients diagnosed with type 1 diabetes during 1983–1987 before the age of 35 years in a region of Southeast Sweden. Retinopathy was evaluated by fundus photography and nephropathy data collected from medical records. HbA1c was measured starting from diagnosis and during the whole follow-up period of 20–24 years. Long-term weighted mean HbA1c was then calculated. Complications were analyzed in relation to HbA1c levels.

RESULTS

The incidence of proliferative retinopathy and persistent macroalbuminuria increased sharply and occurred earlier with increasing long-term mean HbA1c. None of the 451 patients developed proliferative retinopathy or persistent macroalbuminuria below long-term weighted mean HbA1c 7.6% (60 mmol/mol); 51% of the patients with long-term mean HbA1c above 9.5% (80 mmol/mol) developed proliferative retinopathy and 23% persistent macroalbuminuria.

CONCLUSIONS

Long-term weighted mean HbA1c, measured from diagnosis, is closely associated with the development of severe complications in type 1 diabetes. Keeping HbA1c below 7.6% (60 mmol/mol) as a treatment target seems to prevent proliferative retinopathy and persistent macroalbuminuria for up to 20 years.
The Metabolic Profile of Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy Is Associated With Impaired Glucose Tolerance, Dyslipidemia, and Increased Fetal Growth
Authors: Martineau Marcus G. , Raker Christina , Dixon Peter H. , Chambers Jenny , Machirori Mavis , King Nicole M. , Hooks Melissa L. , Manoharan Ramya , Chen Kenneth , Powrie Raymond , Williamson Catherine
Published: December 2014

OBJECTIVE

Quantification of changes in glucose and lipid concentrations in women with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) and uncomplicated pregnancy and study of their influence on fetal growth.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A prospective study comparing metabolic outcomes in cholestastic and uncomplicated singleton pregnancies was undertaken at two university hospitals in the U.K. and U.S. from 2011–2014. A total of 26 women with ICP and 27 control pregnancies with no prior history of gestational diabetes mellitus were recruited from outpatient antenatal services and followed until delivery. Alterations in glucose, incretins, cholesterol, and triglycerides were studied using a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system and/or a standard glucose tolerance test (GTT) in conjunction with GLP-1 and a fasting lipid profile. Fetal growth was quantified using adjusted birth centiles.

RESULTS

Maternal blood glucose concentrations were significantly increased in ICP during ambulatory CGM (P < 0.005) and following a GTT (P < 0.005). ICP is characterized by increased fasting triglycerides (P < 0.005) and reduced HDL cholesterol (P < 0.005), similar to changes observed in metabolic syndrome. The offspring of mothers with ICP had significantly larger customized birth weight centiles, adjusted for ethnicity, sex, and gestational age (P < 0.005).

CONCLUSIONS

ICP is associated with impaired glucose tolerance, dyslipidemia, and increased fetal growth. These findings may have implications regarding the future health of affected offspring.
New Localities of Rare Liverworts in the Central Poland
Authors: Staniaszek-Kik Monika
Published: December 2014

The present study reports new localities of four liverwort species, i.e., Fossombronia foveolata Lindb., Gymnocolea inflata (Huds.) Dumort., Leiomylia anomala (Hook.) J.J. Engel & Braggins and Odontoschisma denudatum (Mart.) Dumort., found in Central Poland. The new sites are situated in peat bog habitats and swamp forest in the depression cone of lignite opencast mine near Bełchatów in Central Poland. All of the reported species are very rare and have only few localities in Central Poland.
Bryophytes of Jizerskohorské Bučiny National Nature Reserve (Jizerské Hory Mts, Czech Republic)
Authors: Plášek Vítězslav
Published: December 2014

Bryological research in Jizerskohorské bučiny National Nature Reserve was carried out in 2013. A total of 119 bryophytes were recorded on the studied area. A list of all recorded taxa, their threat status and short comments are given.
Greater arousal in response to expansive female pubic hair is linked to more positive reactions to female sterility among heterosexual men
Authors: Burris Christopher T. , Munteanu Armand R.
Published: December 2014

Because testosterone increases body hair growth and infertility in women, greater pubic hair expanse could function as a visual heuristic of female infertility for men. Heterosexual male Canadian undergraduate students (N=63) completed a measure of sociosexuality, rated their reactions to their own/a female partner's hypothetical sterility, and reported their arousal in response to a range of female pubic hair expanses (from completely bare to extending beyond the pubic mound). As hypothesized, although the absence of pubic hair was rated as most arousing overall (especially among higher sociosexuality scorers), men's greater comfort with a female partner's sterility predicted greater arousal in response to the most expansive female pubic hair patterns. Thus, along with breast size and waist-to-hip ratio, pubic hair expanse may be a secondary sex characteristic that can function as a visual heuristic of female (in)fertility among heterosexual men.
Bus Drivers’ Responses to Real-Time Schedule Adherence and the Effects on Transit Reliability
Authors: Ji Yuxiong , He Lihang , Zhang H. Michael
Published: December 2014

Bus drivers have responded positively toward real-time bus information in various surveys. However, empirical studies on their actual responses are limited. On the basis of actual automatic vehicle location data, this study quantified bus drivers’ responses to real-time schedule adherence and their effects on transit reliability. Bus trips that were ahead of and behind schedule were analyzed separately at timepoint stops, regular stops, and along the roadways between stops. Results revealed that bus drivers would use real-time information to keep on schedule. Early buses were found to be more likely to make adjustments in response to information than were late buses along the roadways. Moreover, bus drivers’ responses to real-time information was found to improve transit reliability: 50% of the improvement was the result of drivers’ responses to schedule adherence at timepoint stops and 50% was the result mainly of drivers’ responses to schedule adherence along the roadways. The likelihood that drivers would make adjustments at regular stops to adhere to schedule was low.
Special Assessment District's Ability to Fund Transit
Authors: Mathur Shishir
Published: December 2014

This paper reviews four transit projects funded by using special assessment districts (SADs) across the United States. The paper examines the SAD revenue yield and stability and focuses on the actions taken by public agencies to enhance them; this examination results in three important findings. First, SAD revenues are highly stable and can be expected to generate large sums of money. However, as a proportion of project cost, such revenues might fund a small portion of capital-intensive transit projects such as heavy rail. Second, SAD revenues typically do not accrue up front because property owners have the option to pay the fee over time. Therefore, public agencies must rely on other funding sources (usually assessment fee-backed bonds) to address this revenue-expenditure mismatch. Finally, to ensure that assessment revenues do not decline in real dollars when paid over time, public agencies charge property owners interest, usually on the basis of the interest paid to service the assessment-backed bonds. Public agencies can take the following steps to enhance SADs’ revenue yield and stability. First, try to capture as large a portion of the property value increase as is politically feasible. Second, use SADs to demonstrate local community support for a transit project, thereby leveraging state and federal funds. Third, minimize the number of properties exempt from paying assessments. Fourth, minimize real estate market risks to SAD revenues by formulating a revenue calculation methodology based on factors other than or in addition to property value, such as a parcel's street frontage and size and a property's building area. In addition, the assessment fee could be a proportion of the property's previously assessed value or a proportion of a fixed property value increment. Fifth, ensure full payment of fees.
Effects of Transit Real-Time Information Usage Strategies
Authors: Fonzone Achille , Schmöcker Jan-Dirk
Published: December 2014

Real-time information (RTI) is becoming increasingly available to transit travelers. This paper discusses the effects of RTI access available before the start of a journey in relation to line loads as well as passenger benefits. That RTI access can affect the choice of departure time and stop as well as the route choice is considered. Two types of travelers with access to RTI are distinguished: travelers who want to arrive at their destinations as soon as possible and passengers who prefer to stay slightly longer at their current locations if doing so can reduce their travel time. For illustration, a network with irregular service arrivals is used and the optimal strategy approach of Spiess and Florian is used as a benchmark for passengers without RTI access. As expected, results showed that travelers without RTI access travel longer but also that particular combinations of traveler strategy and RTI provision lead to counterintuitive effects. Results further illustrated that the two RTI access strategies that travelers use can lead to significant differences in loads. Implications for demand management are discussed.
Development, Field Testing, and Implementation of Improved Bridge Parapet Designs
Authors: Kalabon Amy , Hedges Lauren , Delatte Norbert
Published: December 2014

Premature cracking of concrete bridge parapets is a potentially complex problem, with several possible causes. The objectives of this study were to determine the reasons for uncontrolled concrete bridge parapet cracking and to provide recommendations to the Ohio Department of Transportation to prevent such cracking in the future. Potential factors examined in this study included properties of the concrete mixtures used, construction methods, joint details, composite structural action, and durability of the concrete and reinforcement. A total of 22 test bridge parapets were or will be constructed as part of this project to evaluate different approaches to address premature bridge parapet cracking. Both the use of polypropylene fibers and deep saw cuts through glass fiber–reinforced polymer (GFRP) reinforcement provided positive results for preventing early-age cracking. The use of fibers prevented the occurrence of any shrinkage or temperature cracking even though the control joints did not appear to function as designed in early observations. Performing a deeper saw cut of 3½ in. (89 mm) and cutting through the horizontal GFRP reinforcement allowed the control joints to crack easily, mitigating cracking elsewhere on the parapet. The most optimal design of a bridge parapet thus far seems to be including GFRP rebar as the horizontal reinforcement in the parapet to make a deeper saw cut for the control joints. At this point, none of the cracks between joints that were observed during the previous forensic study have been found on these new bridges.
Performance of Portland Limestone Cements
Authors: Barrett Timothy J. , Sun Hongfang , Nantung Tommy , Weiss W. Jason
Published: December 2014

Portland limestone cements (PLCs) have recently been approved as a part of the ASTM C595/AASHTO M240 specifications. These cements are designed to enable more sustainable concrete production by replacing up to 15% of the clinker with interground limestone particles. The PLCs represent a potential method to reduce the carbon dioxide embodied in built infrastructure and extend the life of limestone quarries. This paper presents a comparison of the performance of three commercially available PLCs meeting the ASTM C595/AASHTO M240 specifications and three ordinary portland cements (OPCs) made from the same cement clinkers. An additional OPC was blended with limestone that had two mean particle sizes. One OPC and PLC were used with a Class C fly ash. Each of these cementitious systems was used to produce typical concrete paving mixtures with the performance of these materials being quantified through a series of standardized tests. The results of the study show that the mechanical properties of PLCs have negligible changes as they relate to design practices and implementation. The early-age volume changes of a PLC ground to levels consistent with achieving similar 28-day strengths were shown to be similar to that of the corresponding OPC, whereas PLCs that were ground significantly finer might lead to increased early-age shrinkage. The transport properties show behavior that is ±30% of the conventional OPC, whereas the results for PLC systems containing fly ash show a synergistic effect with improved performance. The overall results of this study show that PLCs conforming to ASTM C595/AASHTO M240 could achieve similar performance as the OPC they would replace.
Fracture Properties of Roller-Compacted Concrete with Virgin and Recycled Aggregates
Authors: Ferrebee Eric C. , Brand Alexander S. , Kachwalla Abbas S. , Roesler Jeffery R. , Gancarz Daniel J. , Pforr James E.
Published: December 2014

Roller-compacted concrete (RCC) pavement has renewed interest among designers as a sustainable pavement option with the potential to lower total cement content, incorporate recycled aggregates, reduce road closure time, and decrease total project costs. One main design challenge is whether RCC can achieve the same performance life as conventional portland cement concrete (PCC) pavement with similar slab thickness. This research investigated the strength and fracture properties of RCC containing virgin aggregates and fractionated reclaimed asphalt pavement (FRAP) relative to conventional PCC to address this design challenge. The compressive and split tensile strengths of the RCC mixes showed similar strengths to the same constituents in PCC. RCC containing FRAP had lower strengths than did RCC with virgin aggregates. The critical stress intensity factor and the initial and total fracture energies were not statistically different between the RCC mixes containing virgin and FRAP aggregates. Overall, the RCC fracture properties were found to be significantly higher than those of conventional PCC. At lower stress ratios, RCC fatigue data from laboratory beam tests predict lower fatigue life relative to PCC; this result translates to a thicker RCC pavement. Large-scale testing has shown that the flexural capacity of PCC slabs is strongly related to the concrete fracture properties despite differences in beam flexural strength. Because these RCC fracture properties were shown to be higher than similar constituents used in conventional paving concrete, RCC designs could employ similar PCC fatigue curves for certain conditions, such as when the RCC fracture properties are equivalent to or greater than those of conventional PCC.
History, Historiography, and Be(com)ing on the Move
Authors: Steele M. William , Lin Weiqiang
Published: December 2014

If we now live in the “Asian Century,” what and how are we to think about the seeming incongruence of the traditional rickshaw and the high-speed shinkansen? What is the historical context behind the growing and sometimes alarming statistics of Asian motoring, both their production and use? How do we explain the explosion of mobilities, both local and global, in and about Asia? Amid this evident desire to be on the move, the articles in this Special Section begin to tackle some of these questions, by means of exploring three different iterations of organized transport in East and Southeast Asia in the last century. In the process, they seek to provide some answers (and pose further questions) to the conduits through which historical Asia moved, why it did so in the way it did, and whether there was anything qualitatively different in the way Asia embraced its potential to move.
LIVE Singapore! The Urban Data Collider
Authors: Ratti Carlo , Claudel Matthew
Published: December 2014

The world is urbanizing at an unprecedented rate, and its cities are transformed by technology and distributed computing. With every photograph, Twitter post, public transit ride, and credit card swipe, we leave digital traces in physical space. The enormous quantity of information, or Urban Big Data, that humanity generates each day is beginning to off er new possibilities for research, design, and systems optimization on the city scale, but the first step toward our urban future is finding new ways of understanding and visualizing Big Data—revealing invisible dimensions of the city.
A functional regression model for predicting optical depth and estimating attenuation coefficients in sea-ice covers near Resolute Passage, Canada
Authors: Mcdonald Shaun , Koulis Theodoro , Ehn Jens , Campbell Karley , Gosselin Michel , Mundy C.J.
Published: December 2014

The spectral dependence of natural light transmittance on ice algae concentration and snow depth in Arctic sea ice provides the potential to study the changing bottom-ice ecosystem using optical relationships. In this paper, we consider the use of functional data analysis techniques to describe such relationships. Specifically, we created a functional regression model describing spectral optical depth as a function of chlorophyll a concentration, snow depth and ice thickness. Measurements of the aforementioned covariates and surface and transmitted spectral irradiance were collected on landfast first-year sea ice in the High Arctic near Resolute Passage, Canada, during the spring of 2011 and used as model input. The derived model explains 75–84.5% of the variation in the observed spectral optical depth curves. No prior assumptions of snow/sea-ice optical properties are required in the application of this technique, as the model estimates the attenuation coefficients of each covariate using only the measurements mentioned above. The quality and simplicity of the model highlight the potential of functional data analysis to study the Arctic marine ecosystem.
Sea-ice freeboard retrieval using digital photon-counting laser altimetry
Authors: Farrell Sinéad L. , Brunt Kelly M. , Ruth Julia M. , Kuhn John M. , Connor Laurence N. , Walsh Kaitlin M.
Published: December 2014

Airborne and spaceborne altimeters provide measurements of sea-ice elevation, from which sea-ice freeboard and thickness may be derived. Observations of the Arctic ice pack by satellite altimeters indicate a significant decline in ice thickness, and volume, over the last decade. NASA’s Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) is a next-generation laser altimeter designed to continue key sea-ice observations through the end of this decade. An airborne simulator for ICESat-2, the Multiple Altimeter Beam Experimental Lidar (MABEL), has been deployed to gather pre-launch data for mission development. We present an analysis of MABEL data gathered over sea ice in the Greenland Sea and assess the capabilities of photon-counting techniques for sea-ice freeboard retrieval. We compare freeboard estimates in the marginal ice zone derived from MABEL photon-counting data with coincident data collected by a conventional airborne laser altimeter. We find that freeboard estimates agree to within 0.03 m in the areas where sea-ice floes were interspersed with wide leads, and to within 0.07 m elsewhere. MABEL data may also be used to infer sea-ice thickness, and when compared with coincident but independent ice thickness estimates, MABEL ice thicknesses agreed to within 0.65 m or better.
Towards an estimation of sub-sea-ice platelet-layer volume with multi-frequency electromagnetic induction sounding
Authors: Hunkeler Priska A. , Hendricks Stefan , Hoppmann Mario , Paul Stephan , Gerdes Rüdiger
Published: December 2014

Ice-platelet clusters modify the heat and mass balance of sea ice near Antarctic ice shelves and provide a unique habitat for ice-associated organisms. The amount and distribution of these ice crystals below the solid sea ice provide insight into melt rates and circulation regimes in the ice-shelf cavities, which are difficult to observe directly. However, little is known about the circum-Antarctic volume of the sub-sea-ice platelet layer, because observations have mostly been limited to point measurements. In this study, we present a new application of multi-frequency electromagnetic (EM) induction sounding to quantify platelet-layer properties. Combining in situ data with the theoretical response yields a bulk platelet-layer conductivity of 1154 ± 271 mS m–1 and ice-volume fractions of 0.29-0.43. Calibration routines and uncertainties are discussed in detail to facilitate future studies. Our results suggest that multi-frequency EM induction sounding is a promising method to efficiently map platelet-layer volume on a larger scale than has previously been feasible.
Weight, Density and Space in the Norwegian Reindeer Crisis–Notes Towards a Critique
Authors: Reinert Hugo
Published: December 2014

For decades now, the dominant narrative about indigenous reindeer pastoralism in northern Norway has been that there is a crisis of excess: an oversized reindeer population, poorly held in check by poorly governed herders, is overgrazing the tundra, degrading the pasture grounds, spilling over into urban spaces and precipitating moral crises by starving to death “out there,” on the tundra. Set against the background of this ongoing crisis, the present paper focuses on a set of particularly dense conceptual intersections that cluster around the notion of weight , and the manner in which weight functions both as a crisis indicator and a metric for assessment in contemporary Norwegian pastoral governance. Tracing the work and structure of the weight concept as applied to reindeer–against a dominant government narrative that parses numerical indicators as neutral, objective and apolitical–the paper outlines some of the erasures that the weight metric simultaneously carries out and occludes. The aim of the exercise is to specify and critically reframe certain core issues in the current management of Norwegian pastoralism, by problematising the supposedly neutral, scientific operation of quantitative metrics and assessment practices.
A Mechanistic Approach to Cross-Domain Perceptual Narrowing in the First Year of Life
Authors: Hadley Hillary , Rost Gwyneth , Fava Eswen , Scott Lisa
Published: December 2014

Language and face processing develop in similar ways during the first year of life. Early in the first year of life, infants demonstrate broad abilities for discriminating among faces and speech. These discrimination abilities then become tuned to frequently experienced groups of people or languages. This process of perceptual development occurs between approximately 6 and 12 months of age and is largely shaped by experience. However, the mechanisms underlying perceptual development during this time, and whether they are shared across domains, remain largely unknown. Here, we highlight research findings across domains and propose a top-down/bottom-up processing approach as a guide for future research. It is hypothesized that perceptual narrowing and tuning in development is the result of a shift from primarily bottom-up processing to a combination of bottom-up and top-down influences. In addition, we propose word learning as an important top-down factor that shapes tuning in both the speech and face domains, leading to similar observed developmental trajectories across modalities. Importantly, we suggest that perceptual narrowing/tuning is the result of multiple interacting factors and not explained by the development of a single mechanism.
Met in Urological Cancers
Authors: Miyata Yasuyoshi , Asai Akihiro , Mitsunari Kensuke , Matsuo Tomohiro , Ohba Kojiro , Mochizuki Yasushi , Sakai Hideki
Published: December 2014

Met is a tyrosine kinase receptor that is considered to be a proto-oncogene. The hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)-Met signaling system plays an important role in tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis in many types of malignancies. Furthermore, Met expression has been reported to be a useful predictive biomarker for disease progression and patient survival in these malignancies. Many studies have focused on the clinical significance and prognostic role of Met in urological cancers, including prostate cancer (PCa), renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and urothelial cancer. Several preclinical studies and clinical trials are in progress. In this review, the current understanding of the pathological role of Met in cancer cell lines, its clinical significance in cancer tissues, and its predictive value in patients with urological cancers are summarized. In particular, Met-related malignant behavior in castration-resistant PCa and the different pathological roles Met plays in papillary RCC and other histological types of RCC are the subjects of focus. In addition, the pathological significance of phosphorylated Met in these cancers is shown. In recent years, Met has been recognized as a potential therapeutic target in various types of cancer; therapeutic strategies used by Met-targeted agents in urological cancers are summarized in this review.
Tree Root System Characterization and Volume Estimation by Terrestrial Laser Scanning and Quantitative Structure Modeling
Authors: Smith Aaron , Astrup Rasmus , Raumonen Pasi , Liski Jari , Krooks Anssi , Kaasalainen Sanna , Åkerblom Markku , Kaasalainen Mikko
Published: December 2014

The accurate characterization of three-dimensional (3D) root architecture, volume, and biomass is important for a wide variety of applications in forest ecology and to better understand tree and soil stability. Technological advancements have led to increasingly more digitized and automated procedures, which have been used to more accurately and quickly describe the 3D structure of root systems. Terrestrial laser scanners (TLS) have successfully been used to describe aboveground structures of individual trees and stand structure, but have only recently been applied to the 3D characterization of whole root systems. In this study, 13 recently harvested Norway spruce root systems were mechanically pulled from the soil, cleaned, and their volumes were measured by displacement. The root systems were suspended, scanned with TLS from three different angles, and the root surfaces from the co-registered point clouds were modeled with the 3D Quantitative Structure Model to determine root architecture and volume. The modeling procedure facilitated the rapid derivation of root volume, diameters, break point diameters, linear root length, cumulative percentages, and root fraction counts. The modeled root systems underestimated root system volume by 4.4%. The modeling procedure is widely applicable and easily adapted to derive other important topological and volumetric root variables.
Difference in Health Inequity between Two Population Groups due to a Social Determinant of Health
Authors: Moonesinghe Ramal , Bouye Karen , Penman-Aguilar Ana
Published: December 2014

The World Health Organization defines social determinants of health as “complex, integrated, and overlapping social structures and economic systems” that are responsible for most health inequities. Similar to the individual-level risk factors such as behavioral and biological risk factors that influence disease, we consider social determinants of health such as the distribution of income, wealth, influence and power as risk factors for risk of disease. We operationally define health inequity in a disease within a population due to a risk factor that is unfair and avoidable as the difference between the disease outcome with and without the risk factor in the population. We derive expressions for difference in health inequity between two populations due to a risk factor that is unfair and avoidable for a given disease. The difference in heath inequity between two population groups due to a risk factor increases with increasing difference in relative risks and the difference in prevalence of the risk factor in the two populations. The difference in health inequity could be larger than the difference in health outcomes between the two populations in some situations. Compared to health disparities which are typically measured and monitored using absolute or relative disparities of health outcomes, the methods presented in this manuscript provide a different, yet complementary, picture because they parse out the contributions of unfair and avoidable risk factors.
Health Care Facilities Resilient to Climate Change Impacts
Authors: Paterson Jaclyn , Berry Peter , Ebi Kristie , Varangu Linda
Published: December 2014

Climate change will increase the frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events and create risks that will impact health care facilities. Health care facilities will need to assess climate change risks and adopt adaptive management strategies to be resilient, but guidance tools are lacking. In this study, a toolkit was developed for health care facility officials to assess the resiliency of their facility to climate change impacts. A mixed methods approach was used to develop climate change resiliency indicators to inform the development of the toolkit. The toolkit consists of a checklist for officials who work in areas of emergency management, facilities management and health care services and supply chain management, a facilitator’s guide for administering the checklist, and a resource guidebook to inform adaptation. Six health care facilities representing three provinces in Canada piloted the checklist. Senior level officials with expertise in the aforementioned areas were invited to review the checklist, provide feedback during qualitative interviews and review the final toolkit at a stakeholder workshop. The toolkit helps health care facility officials identify gaps in climate change preparedness, direct allocation of adaptation resources and inform strategic planning to increase resiliency to climate change.
The Stereochemical Basis of the Genetic Code and the (Mostly) Autotrophic Origin of Life
Authors: Fontecilla-Camps Juan
Published: December 2014

Spark-tube experiments and analysis of meteorite contents have led to the widespread notion that abiotic organic molecules were the first life components. However, there is a contradiction between the abundance of simple molecules, such as the amino acids glycine and alanine, observed in these studies, and the minimal functional complexity that even the least sophisticated living system should require. I will argue that although simple abiotic molecules must have primed proto-metabolic pathways, only Darwinian evolving systems could have generated life. This condition may have been initially fulfilled by both replicating RNAs and autocatalytic reaction chains, such as the reductive citric acid cycle. The interactions between nucleotides and biotic amino acids, which conferred new functionalities to the former, also resulted in the progressive stereochemical recognition of the latter by cognate anticodons. At this point only large enough amino acids would be recognized by the primordial RNA adaptors and could polymerize forming the first peptides. The gene duplication of RNA adaptors was a crucial event. By removing one of the anticodons from the acceptor stem the new RNA adaptor liberated itself from the stereochemical constraint and could be acylated by smaller amino acids. The emergence of messenger RNA and codon capture followed.
Thermophysical and Mechanical Properties of Hardened Cement Paste with Microencapsulated Phase Change Materials for Energy Storage
Authors: Cui Hongzhi , Liao Wenyu , Memon Shazim , Dong Biqin , Tang Waiching
Published: December 2014

In this research, structural-functional integrated cement-based materials were prepared by employing cement paste and a microencapsulated phase change material (MPCM) manufactured using urea-formaldehyde resin as the shell and paraffin as the core material. The encapsulation ratio of the MPCM could reach up to 91.21 wt%. Thermal energy storage cement pastes (TESCPs) incorporated with different MPCM contents (5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25% by weight of cement) were developed, and their thermal and mechanical properties were studied. The results showed that the total energy storage capacity of the hardened cement specimens with MPCM increased by up to 3.9-times compared with that of the control cement paste. The thermal conductivity at different temperature levels (35–36 °C, 55–56 °C and 72–74 °C) decreased with the increase of MPCM content, and the decrease was the highest when the temperature level was 55–56 °C. Moreover, the compressive strength, flexural strength and density of hardened cement paste decreased with the increase in MPCM content linearly. Among the evaluated properties, the compressive strength of TESCPs had a larger and faster degradation with the increase of MPCM content.
Aaptamine Derivatives with Antifungal and Anti-HIV-1 Activities from the South China Sea Sponge Aaptos aaptos
Authors: Yu Hao-Bing , Yang Fan , Sun Fan , Li Jing , Jiao Wei-Hua , Gan Jian-Hong , Hu Wen-Zhen , Lin Hou-Wen
Published: December 2014

Five new alkaloids of aaptamine family, compounds (1–5) and three known derivatives (6–8), have been isolated from the South China Sea sponge Aaptos aaptos. The structures of all compounds were unambiguously elucidated by spectroscopic analyses, as well as by comparison with the literature data. Compounds 1–2 are characterized with triazapyrene lactam skeleton, whereas compounds 4–5 share an imidazole-fused aaptamine moiety. These compounds were evaluated in antifungal and anti-HIV-1 assays. Compounds 3, 7, and 8 showed antifungal activity against six fungi, with MIC values in the range of 4 to 64 μg/mL. Compounds 7–8 exhibited anti-HIV-1 activity, with inhibitory rates of 88.0% and 72.3%, respectively, at a concentration of 10 μM.
Curcumin and Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Potential and Limits of Innovative Treatments
Authors: Vecchi Brumatti Liza , Marcuzzi Annalisa , Tricarico Paola , Zanin Valentina , Girardelli Martina , Bianco Anna
Published: December 2014

Curcumin belongs to the family of natural compounds collectively called curcuminoids and it possesses remarkable beneficial anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and neuroprotective properties. Moreover it is commonly assumed that curcumin has also been suggested as a remedy for digestive diseases such as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), a chronic immune disorder affecting the gastrointestinal tract and that can be divided in two major subgroups: Crohn’s disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC), depending mainly on the intestine tract affected by the inflammatory events. The chronic and intermittent nature of IBD imposes, where applicable, long-term treatments conducted in most of the cases combining different types of drugs. In more severe cases and where there has been no good response to the drugs, a surgery therapy is carried out. Currently, IBD-pharmacological treatments are generally not curative and often present serious side effects; for this reason, being known the relationship between nutrition and IBD, it is worthy of interesting the study and the development of new dietary strategy. The curcumin principal mechanism is the suppression of IBD inflammatory compounds (NF-κB) modulating immune response. This review summarizes literature data of curcumin as anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant in IBD, trying to understand the different effects in CD e UC.
Effects of Resveratrol Supplementation on Bone Growth in Young Rats and Microarchitecture and Remodeling in Ageing Rats
Authors: Lee Alice , Shandala Tetyana , Nguyen Long , Muhlhausler Beverly , Chen Ke-Ming , Howe Peter , Xian Cory
Published: December 2014

Osteoporosis is a highly prevalent skeletal disorder in the elderly that causes serious bone fractures. Peak bone mass achieved at adolescence has been shown to predict bone mass and osteoporosis related risk fracture later in life. Resveratrol, a natural polyphenol compound, may have the potential to promote bone formation and reduce bone resorption. However, it is unclear whether it can aid bone growth and bone mass accumulation during rapid growth and modulate bone metabolism during ageing. Using rat models, the current study investigated the potential effects of resveratrol supplementation during the rapid postnatal growth period and in late adulthood (early ageing) on bone microarchitecture and metabolism. In the growth trial, 4-week-old male hooded Wistar rats on a normal chow diet were given resveratrol (2.5 mg/kg/day) or vehicle control for 5 weeks. In the ageing trial, 6-month-old male hooded Wistar rats were treated with resveratrol (20 mg/kg/day) or vehicle for 3 months. Treatment effects in the tibia were examined by μ-computer tomography (μ-CT) analysis, bone histomorphometric measurements and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) gene expression analysis. Resveratrol treatment did not affect trabecular bone volume and bone remodeling indices in the youth animal model. Resveratrol supplementation in the early ageing rats tended to decrease trabecular bone volume, Sirt1 gene expression and increased expression of adipogenesis-related genes in bone, all of which were statistically insignificant. However, it decreased osteocalcin expression (p = 0.03). Furthermore, serum levels of bone resorption marker C-terminal telopeptides type I collagen (CTX-1) were significantly elevated in the resveratrol supplementation group (p = 0.02) with no changes observed in serum levels of bone formation marker alkaline phosphatase (ALP). These results in rat models suggest that resveratrol supplementation does not significantly affect bone volume during the rapid growth phase but may potentially have negative effects on male skeleton during early ageing.
Fabrication of Chitin/Poly(butylene succinate)/Chondroitin Sulfate Nanoparticles Ternary Composite Hydrogel Scaffold for Skin Tissue Engineering
Authors: Deepthi S. , Viha C. , Thitirat Chaochai , Furuike Tetsuya , Tamura Hiroshi , Jayakumar Rangasamy
Published: December 2014

Skin loss is one of the oldest and still not totally resolved problems in the medical field. Since spontaneous healing of the dermal defects would not occur, the regeneration of full thickness of skin requires skin substitutes. Tissue engineering constructs would provide a three dimensional matrix for the reconstruction of skin tissue and the repair of damage. The aim of the present work is to develop a chitin based scaffold, by blending it with poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), an aliphatic, biodegradable and biocompatible synthetic polymer with excellent mechanical properties. The presence of chondroitin sulfate nanoparticles (CSnp) in the scaffold would favor cell adhesion. A chitin/PBS/CSnp composite hydrogel scaffold was developed and characterized by SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope), FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy), and swelling ratio of scaffolds were analyzed. The scaffolds were evaluated for the suitability for skin tissue engineering application by cytotoxicity, cell attachment, and cell proliferation studies using human dermal fibroblasts (HDF). The cytotoxicity and cell proliferation studies using HDF confirm the suitability of the scaffold for skin regeneration. In short, these results show promising applicability of the developed chitin/PBS/CSnps ternary composite hydrogel scaffolds for skin tissue regeneration.
A Malicious Pattern Detection Engine for Embedded Security Systems in the Internet of Things
Authors: Oh Doohwan , Kim Deokho , Ro Won
Published: December 2014

With the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT), a large number of physical objects in daily life have been aggressively connected to the Internet. As the number of objects connected to networks increases, the security systems face a critical challenge due to the global connectivity and accessibility of the IoT. However, it is difficult to adapt traditional security systems to the objects in the IoT, because of their limited computing power and memory size. In light of this, we present a lightweight security system that uses a novel malicious pattern-matching engine. We limit the memory usage of the proposed system in order to make it work on resource-constrained devices. To mitigate performance degradation due to limitations of computation power and memory, we propose two novel techniques, auxiliary shifting and early decision. Through both techniques, we can efficiently reduce the number of matching operations on resource-constrained systems. Experiments and performance analyses show that our proposed system achieves a maximum speedup of 2.14 with an IoT object and provides scalable performance for a large number of patterns.
Effects of Reduced Terrestrial LiDAR Point Density on High-Resolution Grain Crop Surface Models in Precision Agriculture
Authors: Hämmerle Martin , Höfle Bernhard
Published: December 2014

3D geodata play an increasingly important role in precision agriculture, e.g., for modeling in-field variations of grain crop features such as height or biomass. A common data capturing method is LiDAR, which often requires expensive equipment and produces large datasets. This study contributes to the improvement of 3D geodata capturing efficiency by assessing the effect of reduced scanning resolution on crop surface models (CSMs). The analysis is based on high-end LiDAR point clouds of grain crop fields of different varieties (rye and wheat) and nitrogen fertilization stages (100%, 50%, 10%). Lower scanning resolutions are simulated by keeping every n-th laser beam with increasing step widths n. For each iteration step, high-resolution CSMs (0.01 m2 cells) are derived and assessed regarding their coverage relative to a seamless CSM derived from the original point cloud, standard deviation of elevation and mean elevation. Reducing the resolution to, e.g., 25% still leads to a coverage of >90% and a mean CSM elevation of >96% of measured crop height. CSM types (maximum elevation or 90th-percentile elevation) react differently to reduced scanning resolutions in different crops (variety, density). The results can help to assess the trade-off between CSM quality and minimum requirements regarding equipment and capturing set-up.