bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cyclin‐Dependent Kinase Inhibitors for the Treatment of Breast Cancer: Past, Present, and Future
Authors: DiPippo Adam J. , Patel Neelam K. , Barnett Chad M.
Published: April 2016

Treatment of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) that is resistant to endocrine therapy presents a significant clinical challenge. The well‐known role of cell cycle dysregulation in these patients is partly mediated by cyclin‐dependent kinase (CDK) activity. Specific cyclin and CDK complexes regulate cell cycle progression by managing the transition through the cell cycle, and inhibition of CDKs represents an important target for novel agents. First‐generation CDK inhibitors (e.g., flavopiridol) were relatively nonselective and had an unacceptable toxicity profile in early trials. Second‐generation CDK inhibitors were designed to target the CDK4 and CDK6 (CDK4/6) pathway and have shown promising clinical activity with an acceptable toxicity profile in patients with MBC. Palbociclib is a first‐in‐class CDK4/6 inhibitor that was granted accelerated U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in combination with letrozole for the treatment of MBC in the first‐line setting (February 2015) as well as in combination with fulvestrant for MBC that had progressed on previous endocrine therapy (February 2016). Other CDK4/6 inhibitors, including ribociclib and abemaciclib, are under investigation as monotherapy and in combination with endocrine or anti–human epidermal growth receptor 2 therapy for the treatment of MBC. Ongoing clinical trials should provide additional information to guide the appropriate use of these agents and identify patient populations that could derive the most benefit.
Relationship Between Medication Adherence and Distance to Dispensing Pharmacies and Prescribers Among an Urban Medicaid Population with Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Syed Samina T. , Sharp Lisa K. , Kim Yoonsang , Jentleson Adam , Lora Claudia M. , Touchette Daniel R. , Berbaum Michael L. , Suda Katie J. , Gerber Ben S.
Published: April 2016

Study Objective

To determine whether a relationship exists between medication adherence to angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) and distance to dispensing pharmacies and prescribers among an urban public aid population with diabetes mellitus.

Design

Retrospective cohort study using claims data.

Data Source

Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services database.

Patients

A total of 6532 patients aged 18–64 years with diabetes who had at least one prescription fill for an ACEI or ARB and had continuous Medicaid coverage in the greater Chicago area in 2009.

Measurements and Main Results

We assessed medication adherence, defined as proportion of days covered (PDC) of 0.8 or higher, to ACEIs and ARBs and its association with distances between patients and their pharmacies and prescribers. Of the 6532 patients included in the analyses, 2930 (45%) had PDC levels of 0.8 or higher. No significant differences were observed between patients who were adherent versus those who were nonadherent in distance to pharmacy (median 1.39 vs 1.35 miles, p=0.15) or distance to prescriber (median 4.39 vs 4.48 miles, p=0.80). In a multivariate regression model including age, sex, race/ethnicity, number of pharmacies, number of prescribers, distance to pharmacy, and distance to prescriber, a greater number of prescribers was associated with higher adherence (two prescribers vs one prescriber: odds ratio [OR] 1.396, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.233–1.580; three or more prescribers vs one prescriber: OR 2.208, 95% CI 1.787–2.727).

Conclusion

ACEI or ARB adherence was not associated with distances to pharmacies and prescribers.
Influence of liposome encapsulated essential oils on properties of chitosan films
Authors: Valencia‐Sullca Cristina , Jiménez Miriam , Jiménez Alberto , Atarés Lorena , Vargas Maria , Chiralt Amparo
Published: April 2016

The effect of the encapsulation of eugenol and cinnamon leaf essential oil (CLEO) in lecithin liposomes on the losses of these compounds during the chitosan film formation process by casting was evaluated. Film‐forming dispersions and films with eugenol or CLEO (either free or encapsulated) were obtained and characterized. The content of eugenol in active films was quantified by means of solvent extraction and gas chromatograph analysis. The encapsulation of eugenol or CLEO in lecithin liposomes led to the films retaining 40% − 50% of the incorporated eugenol, whereas only 1% − 2% was retained when eugenol was incorporated by direct emulsification. Films with liposomes exhibited a lamellar microstructure which improved film extensibility and increased water vapour barrier capacity with respect to those with free emulsified compounds. Liposomes also modified the optical properties of the films, reducing their gloss, increasing colour saturation and making them redder in colour. The encapsulation of volatile active compounds in liposomes appears to be a good strategy for obtaining antimicrobial films with essential oils. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
The Effects of the Low Temperature Argon Plasma on Stem Cells Proliferation and Regeneration in Planarians
Authors: Ermakov Artem , Ermakova Olga , Skavulyak Alexander , Kreshchenko Natalia , Gudkov Sergey , Maevsky Eugene
Published: April 2016

Effects of the low temperature argon plasma (LTAP) in intact and regenerating planarians are studied. The LTAP actions were specified as activating or inhibiting using stem cells proliferation and the regenerative blastema growth, and the expression level of wound‐specific genes responsible for regeneration. The activating mode of LTAP treatment does not induce the generation of the Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) but the inhibiting mode of LTAP treatment causes the oxidative stress response in planarian tissue without DNA damage. The results indicate that LTAP wound healing action in planarians could be similar in cellular and molecular mechanisms of the higher organisms including humans. The effects of LTAP irradiation as a factor of the low intensity are discussed from standpoint of the hormesis hypothesis.
Investigation of the Failure Mechanism of HTPB/AP/Al Propellant by In‐situ Uniaxial Tensile Experimentation in SEM
Authors: van Ramshorst Marthinus C. J. , Di Benedetto Giuseppe L. , Duvalois Willem , Hooijmeijer Peter A. , van der Heijden Antoine E. D. M.
Published: April 2016

The failure mechanism of a propellant consisting of hydroxyl terminated poly‐butadiene filled with ammonium perchlorate and aluminum (HTPB/AP/Al) was determined by performing in‐situ uniaxial tensile tests in a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The experimental test plan contained uniaxial tensile test experiments performed at room temperature (25 °C) at three different strain rates (30, 150 and 750 μm min−1). The in‐situ images and in‐situ videos collected by the SEM were correlated with the stress‐strain diagrams created with the tensile experiments, in order to relate the failure mechanism to the features found in the stress‐strain diagram. No significant strain rate dependency of the failure mechanism was observed when working with strain rates up to 750 μm min−1 and working at room temperature. The stress‐strain diagram showed indications of existing cracks and voids opening up prior to the creation of new cracks and/or voids in the sample, debonding of binder with AP particles as well as nucleation and coalescence of voids. On the fracture surfaces of the samples, it was apparent that the binder cleanly separated from the large AP particles but had a better bond with the aluminum particles. However, a difference in the appearance of a short drawing phase in the stress‐strain diagram of the propellant is observed at different strain rates. The presented results clearly demonstrate the major advantage of the combination of microscopic tensile tests with microscopic observations, linking the stress‐strain behavior to the mechanical deformation processes taking place in these propellant samples at the microscopic level.
Stabilization by unbounded‐variation noises
Authors: Nishimura Yûki
Published: April 2016

In this paper, we claim the availability of deterministic noises for stabilization of the origins of dynamical systems, provided that the noises have unbounded variations. To achieve the result, we first consider the system representations of rough systems based on rough path analysis; then, we provide the notion of asymptotic stability for rough systems to analyze the stability for the systems. In the procedure, we also confirm that the system representations include stochastic differential equations; we also found that asymptotic stability for rough systems is the same property as uniform almost sure asymptotic stability provided by Bardi and Cesaroni. After the discussion, we confirm that there is a case that deterministic noises are capable of making the origin become asymptotically stable for rough systems while stochastic noises do not achieve the same stabilization results. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Stronger public key encryption system withstanding RAM scraper like attacks
Authors: Sivanandam Sree Vivek , Selvi Selvaraj Sharmila Deva , Srinivasan Akshayaram , Chandrasekaran Pandu Rangan
Published: April 2016

The indistinguishability of ciphertext under the chosen ciphertext attack (IND‐CCA2) is often considered to offer the strongest security notion for a public key encryption system. Nowadays, because of the availability of powerful malwares, an adversary is able to obtain “more” information than what he could obtain in the CCA2 security model. In order to realistically model the threats posed by such malwares, we need to empower the adversary to obtain additional information. This paper initiates a research to counter malwares such as RAM scrapers and extend the CCA2 model with oracles providing additional information to capture the effect of RAM scrapers precisely. We call this more stronger security notion as glass box decryption. After discussing the new kind of attack/threat and the related oracle, we show that almost all CCA2 secure systems are vulnerable to this kind of attack. We then propose a new system that offers security against glass box decryption and provide the formal security proof for the new system in the standard model. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Targeted estimation and inference for the sample average treatment effect in trials with and without pair‐matching
Authors: Balzer Laura B. , Petersen Maya L. , van der Laan Mark J. ,   the SEARCH Collaboration
Published: April 2016

In cluster randomized trials, the study units usually are not a simple random sample from some clearly defined target population. Instead, the target population tends to be hypothetical or ill‐defined, and the selection of study units tends to be systematic, driven by logistical and practical considerations. As a result, the population average treatment effect (PATE) may be neither well defined nor easily interpretable. In contrast, the sample average treatment effect (SATE) is the mean difference in the counterfactual outcomes for the study units. The sample parameter is easily interpretable and arguably the most relevant when the study units are not sampled from some specific super‐population of interest. Furthermore, in most settings, the sample parameter will be estimated more efficiently than the population parameter. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper to propose using targeted maximum likelihood estimation (TMLE) for estimation and inference of the sample effect in trials with and without pair‐matching. We study the asymptotic and finite sample properties of the TMLE for the sample effect and provide a conservative variance estimator. Finite sample simulations illustrate the potential gains in precision and power from selecting the sample effect as the target of inference. This work is motivated by the Sustainable East Africa Research in Community Health (SEARCH) study, a pair‐matched, community randomized trial to estimate the effect of population‐based HIV testing and streamlined ART on the 5‐year cumulative HIV incidence (NCT01864603). The proposed methodology will be used in the primary analysis for the SEARCH trial. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evaluating a strategy to deliver vaccine to white‐tailed deer at a landscape level
Authors: Fischer Justin W. , Blass Chad R. , Walter W. David , Anderson Charles W. , Lavelle Michael J. , Hall Wayne H. , VerCauteren Kurt C.
Published: April 2016

Effective delivery of vaccines and other pharmaceuticals to wildlife populations is needed when zoonotic diseases pose a risk to public health and natural resources or have considerable economic consequences. The objective of our study was to develop a bait‐distribution strategy for potential delivery of oral bovine tuberculosis (bTB) vaccine to white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) where deer are reservoirs for the disease. During 17 February and 2 March 2011, we created a grid of experimental bait stations (n = 64) on Sandhill Wildlife Management Area, Wisconsin, USA, to assess station densities needed to attract and deliver placebo baits to free‐ranging white‐tailed deer and look for associations among deer density, number of bait stations per deer, and bait consumption. We placed 1 L of commercially available alfalfa cubes at bait stations 652 m apart, and monitored stations with motion‐activated cameras for 5 days to document visitation and consumption by deer and nontarget species. Deer discovered 38% of all bait stations within 37 hr, on average (SE = 3.91 hr), and consumed variable amounts of bait at each station. Deer were documented in 94% of all photographs of wildlife at bait stations. We found no correlation between bait consumption and deer density or the number of bait stations per deer. We provide the first information on use of baits by free‐ranging deer and nontarget wildlife to eventually vaccinate deer against bTB at a landscape level. The results of this study can further the development of strategies in delivery of pharmaceuticals to free‐ranging white‐tailed deer. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Recurrent Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax is Common Following Chest Tube and Conservative Treatment
Authors: Olesen Winnie Hedevang , Lindahl‐Jacobsen Rune , Katballe Niels , Sindby Jesper Eske , Titlestad Ingrid Louise , Andersen Poul Erik , Licht Peter Bjørn
Published: April 2016

Introduction

Previous studies on primary spontaneous pneumothorax reported variable recurrence rates, but they were based on heterogeneous patient populations including secondary pneumothorax. We investigated young patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax exclusively and used a national registry to track readmissions and calculate independent predictors of recurrence.

Methods

A prospective cohort study of consecutive young patients who were admitted over a 5‐year period with their first episode of primary spontaneous pneumothorax and treated conservatively with a chest tube. Baseline characteristics were obtained from questionnaires presented on admittance. All patients were discharged with fully expanded lungs on chest radiography. Patient charts were identified in the national electronic patient registry for detailed information on readmissions due to recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax.

Results

We included 234 patients. Male/female = ratio 5/1. After a median observation period of 3.6 years (range 1–6 years), recurrent pneumothorax was observed in 54 %. Ipsilateral recurrence was the most common (79 %) but 30 % also experienced contralateral pneumothorax during the study period. Females had a significantly higher age at debut (p < 0.01) and experienced significantly more recurrences over time (p < 0.01). Low body weight (<60 kg) was an independent predictor of recurrence and patients with repeated recurrences were significantly younger at debut (p = 0.01).

Conclusions

Primary spontaneous pneumothorax in younger patients with their first episode had a much higher recurrence rate than previously reported. Every doctor who treats patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax should be aware and patients informed.
On the origin of 3‐methylglutaconic acid in disorders of mitochondrial energy metabolism
Authors: Ikon Nikita , Ryan Robert O.
Published: April 2016

3‐methylglutaconic acid (3MGA)‐uria occurs in numerous inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) associated with compromised mitochondrial energy metabolism. This organic acid arises from thioester cleavage of 3‐methylglutaconyl CoA (3MG CoA), an intermediate in leucine catabolism. In individuals harboring mutations in 3MG CoA hydratase (i.e., primary 3MGA‐uria), dietary leucine is the source of 3MGA. In secondary 3MGA‐uria, however, no leucine metabolism defects have been reported. While others have suggested 3MGA arises from aberrant isoprenoid shunting from cytosol to mitochondria, an alternative route posits that 3MG CoA arises in three steps from mitochondrial acetyl CoA. Support for this biosynthetic route in IEMs is seen by its regulated occurrence in microorganisms. The fungus, Ustilago maydis, the myxobacterium, Myxococcus xanthus and the marine cyanobacterium, Lyngbya majuscule, generate 3MG CoA (or acyl carrier protein derivative) in the biosynthesis of iron chelating siderophores, iso‐odd chain fatty acids and polyketide/nonribosomal peptide products, respectively. The existence of this biosynthetic machinery in these organisms supports a model wherein, under conditions of mitochondrial dysfunction, accumulation of acetyl CoA in the inner mitochondrial space as a result of inefficient fuel utilization drives de novo synthesis of 3MG CoA. Since humans lack the downstream biosynthetic capability of the organisms mentioned above, as 3MG CoA levels rise, thioester hydrolysis yields 3MGA, which is excreted in urine as unspent fuel. Understanding the metabolic origins of 3MGA may increase its utility as a biomarker.
Antenatal Diagnosis of Prune Belly Syndrome
Authors: Gupta Ashutosh , Sehgal Renu Raina , Vasdev Nandini , Mehta Sanjay , Saini Pankaj
Published: April 2016

Prune belly syndrome (PBS) is a rare congenital abnormality characterized by classical triad of urinary tract abnormalities, deficient abdominal musculature, and bilateral cryptorchidism. We present a prenatally diagnosed case of PBS identified at 12 weeks. Antenatal ultrasound study showed fetal bladder and abdomen to be enormously enlarged filling up whole of fetal abdomen with bilateral clubfeet. Gross examination showed very thin parchment-like defective anterior abdominal wall with protrusion of the abdominal contents. Microscopic examination showed hypoplasia of the abdominal muscle with overlying thin layer of epidermis. The histopathology examination of the abdominal wall muscles demonstrates a pattern of developmental arrest rather than one of atrophy consequent to early and severe obstruction. There is also absence of aponeurotic layer. Antenatal suspicion of PBS was corroborated on postnatal gross examination of the fetus and further confirmed on histopathological examination of the fetus.
Massacres, Majorities and Money: Reparation after Sectarian Violence in India
Authors: CHOPRA Surabhi
Published: April 2016

This article evaluates reparation by the state after four of the worst episodes of violence against religious minorities in independent India. Examining official records obtained through India’s law on the right to information, I analyze government aid to victims after identity-based massacres over a 20-year period. I argue that there is a well-established repertoire of assistive measures after sectarian violence but, despite the resources available within a politically stable state, aid for victims of mass violence in India is unimaginative and meagre. I argue further that the political opportunity structure for reparations is limited by the fact that sectarian mobilization is embedded within electoral politics in India. Just as sectarian politics led governments to tolerate mass violence, it constricts the checks and balances that might lead to adequate reparation after violence subsides. I then suggest that opportunities to negotiate better reparation for victims expand over time, and propose that a law on reparation would constrain state bias and strengthen opportunities for victims to demand the support that they need.
Lift force on nanoparticles in shear flows of dilute gases: negative or positive?
Authors: Luo Shuang , Wang Jun , Xia Guodong , Li Zhigang
Published: April 2016

We theoretically investigate the lift force on spherical nanoparticles in a shear flow of a dilute gas, wherein the non-rigid-body collision between the particle and the gas molecules is considered. The analytical formula of the lift force is derived based on the gas kinetic theory. In the limit of rigid-body collision, the formula is consistent with the theoretical results in the literature (Liu & Bogy,Phys. Fluids, vol. 20, 2008, 107102), which predicts that the lift force is in the opposite direction to the fluid velocity gradient (negative lift force). However, by taking into account gas–particle intermolecular interactions, the direction of the lift force on the nanoparticle is found to be dependent on temperature, i.e. both positive and negative lift forces exist in a certain temperature range. An explanation for the direction change of the lift force is given based on the analysis of the scattering angle under non-rigid-body particle–molecule collisions.
Elevation change, mass balance, dynamics and surging of Langjökull, Iceland from 1997 to 2007
Authors: POPE ALLEN , WILLIS IAN C. , PÁLSSON FINNUR , ARNOLD NEIL S. , REES W. GARETH , BJÖRNSSON HELGI , GREY LAUREN
Published: April 2016

Glaciers and ice caps around the world are changing quickly, with surge-type behaviour superimposed upon climatic forcing. Here, we study Iceland's second largest ice cap, Langjökull, which has both surge- and non-surge-type outlets. By differencing elevation change with surface mass balance, we estimate the contribution of ice dynamics to elevation change. We use DEMs, in situ stake measurements, regional reanalyses and a mass-balance model to calculate the vertical ice velocity. Thus, we not only compare the geodetic, modelled and glaciological mass balances, but also map spatial variations in glacier dynamics. Maps of emergence and submergence velocity successfully highlight the 1998 surge and subsequent quiescence of one of Langjökull's outlets by visualizing both source and sink areas. In addition to observing the extent of traditional surge behaviour (i.e. mass transfer from the accumulation area to the ablation area followed by recharge of the source area), we see peripheral areas where the surge impinged upon an adjacent ridge and subsequently retreated. While mass balances are largely in good agreement, discrepancies between modelled and geodetic mass balance may be explained by inaccurate estimates of precipitation, saturated adiabatic lapse rate or degree-day factors. Nevertheless, the study was ultimately able to investigate dynamic surge behaviour in the absence of in situ measurements during the surge.
Macronutrient intake and food sources in the very old: analysis of the Newcastle 85+ Study
Authors: Mendonça Nuno , Hill Tom R. , Granic Antoneta , Davies Karen , Collerton Joanna , Mathers John C. , Siervo Mario , Wrieden Wendy L. , Seal Chris J. , Kirkwood Thomas B. L. , Jagger Carol , Adamson Ashley J.
Published: April 2016

Food and nutrient intake data are scarce in very old adults (85 years and older) – one of the fastest growing age segments of Western societies, including the UK. Our primary objective was to assess energy and macronutrient intakes and respective food sources in 793 85-year-olds (302 men and 491 women) living in North-East England and participating in the Newcastle 85+ cohort Study. Dietary information was collected using a repeated multiple-pass recall (2×24 h recalls). Energy, macronutrient and NSP intakes were estimated, and the contribution (%) of food groups to nutrient intake was calculated. The median energy intake was 6·65 (interquartile ranges (IQR) 5·49–8·16) MJ/d – 46·8 % was from carbohydrates, 36·8 % from fats and 15·7 % from proteins. NSP intake was 10·2 g/d (IQR 7·3–13·7). NSP intake was higher in non-institutionalised, more educated, from higher social class and more physically active 85-year-olds. Cereals and cereal products were the top contributors to intakes of energy and most macronutrients (carbohydrates, non-milk extrinsic sugars, NSP and fat), followed by meat and meat products. The median intakes of energy and NSP were much lower than the estimated average requirement for energy (9·6 MJ/d for men and 7·7 MJ/d for women) and the dietary reference value (DRV) for NSP (≥18 g/d). The median SFA intake was higher than the DRV (≤11 % of dietary energy). This study highlights the paucity of data on dietary intake and the uncertainties about DRV for this age group.
Effect of BMI and fat mass on HIV disease progression in HIV-infected, antiretroviral treatment-naïve adults in Botswana
Authors: Martinez S. S. , Campa A. , Bussmann H. , Moyo S. , Makhema J. , Huffman F. G. , Williams O. D. , Essex M. , Marlink R. , Baum M. K.
Published: April 2016

An obesity paradox has been proposed in many conditions including HIV. Studies conducted to investigate obesity and its effect on HIV disease progression have been inconclusive and are lacking for African settings. This study investigated the relationship between overweight/obesity (BMI≥25 kg/m2) and HIV disease progression in HIV+ asymptomatic adults not on antiretroviral treatment (ART) in Botswana over 18 months. A cohort study in asymptomatic, ART-naïve, HIV+ adults included 217 participants, 139 with BMI of 18·0–24·9 kg/m2 and seventy-eight participants with BMI≥25 kg/m2. The primary outcome was time to event (≥25 % decrease in cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) cell count) during 18 months of follow-up; secondary outcomes were time to event of CD4 cell count<250 cells/µl and AIDS-defining conditions. Proportional survival hazard models were used to compare hazard ratios (HR) on time to events of HIV disease progression over 18 months. Higher baseline BMI was associated with significantly lower risk of an AIDS-defining condition during the follow-up (HR 0·218; 95 % CI 0·068, 0·701; P=0·011). Higher fat mass at baseline was also significantly associated with decreased risk of AIDS-defining conditions during the follow-up (HR 0·855; 95 % CI 0·741, 0·987; P=0·033) and the combined outcome of having CD4 cell count≤250/µl and AIDS-defining conditions, whichever occurred earlier (HR 0·918; 95 % CI 0·847, 0·994; P=0·036). All models were adjusted for covariates. Higher BMI and fat mass among the HIV-infected, ART-naïve participants were associated with slower disease progression. Mechanistic research is needed to evaluate the association between BMI, fat mass and HIV disease progression.
Metabolism ofα-linolenic acid during incubations with strained bovine rumen contents: products and mechanisms
Authors: Honkanen Anne M. , Leskinen Heidi , Toivonen Vesa , McKain Nest , Wallace R. John , Shingfield Kevin J.
Published: April 2016

Description ofα-linolenic acid (cis-9,cis-12,cis-15-18 : 3, ALA) metabolism in the rumen is incomplete. Ruminal digesta samples were incubated with ALA and buffer containing water or deuterium oxide to investigate the products and mechanisms of ALA biohydrogenation. Geometric Δ9,11,15-18 : 3 isomers were the main intermediates formed from ALA. An increase in then+1 isotopomers of Δ9,11,15-18 : 3 was due to2H labelling at C-13. Isomers of Δ9,11,13-18 : 3,cis-7,cis-12,cis-15-18 : 3 andcis-8,cis-12,cis-15-18 : 3 were also formed. No increase inn+1 isotopomers of Δ7,12,15-18 : 3 or Δ8,12,15-18 : 3 was detected. Enrichment inn+2 isotopomers of 18 : 2 products indicated that ALA metabolism continued via the reduction of 18 : 3 intermediates. Isomers of Δ9,11,15-18 : 3 were reduced to Δ11,15-18 : 2 labelled at C-9 and C-13. ALA resulted in the formation of Δ11,13-18 : 2 and Δ12,14-18 : 2 containing multiple2H labels. Enrichment of then+3 isotopomer of Δ12,15-18 : 2 was also detected. Metabolism of ALA during incubations with rumen contents occurs by one of three distinct pathways. Formation of Δ9,11,15-18 : 3 appears to be initiated by H abstraction on C-13. Octadecatrienoic intermediates containingcis-12 andcis-15 double bonds are formed without an apparent H exchange with water. Labelling of Δ9,11,13-18 : 3 was inconclusive, suggesting formation by an alternative mechanism. These findings explain the appearance of several bioactive fatty acids in muscle and milk that influence the nutritional value of ruminant-derived foods.
Biological activity of two new pyrrole derivatives against stored-product species: influence of temperature and relative humidity
Authors: Boukouvala M.C. , Kavallieratos N.G. , Athanassiou C.G. , Hadjiarapoglou L.P.
Published: April 2016

Members of the pyrrole group are likely to have interesting properties that merit additional investigation as insecticides at the post-harvest stages of agricultural commodities. In the present work, the insecticidal effect of two new pyrrole derivatives, ethyl 3-(benzylthio)-4,6-dioxo-5-phenyl-2,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-carboxylate (3i) and isopropyl 3-(benzylthio)-4,6-dioxo-5-phenyl-2,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-carboxylate (3k) were studied as stored-wheat protectants against two major stored-product insect species, the confused flour beetle,Tribolium confusumJaquelin du Val adults and larvae and the Mediterranean flour moth,Ephestia kuehniellaZeller larvae at different doses (0.1, 1 and 10 ppm), exposure intervals (7, 14 and 21 days), temperatures (20, 25 and 30°C) and relative humidity (55 and 75%) levels. ForT. confusumadults, in the case of the pyrrole derivative 3i, mortality was low and it did not exceed 32.2% in wheat treated with 10 ppm 3i at 30°C and 55% relative humidity. Progeny production was very low (<1 individual/vial) in all combinations of 55% relative humidity, including control. In the case of the pyrrole derivative 3k, mortality reached 67.8% at 30°C and 55% relative humidity in wheat treated with 10 ppm after 21 days of exposure. Progeny production was low in all tested combinations (≤0.7 individuals/vial) of 55% relative humidity, including control. ForT. confusumlarvae, in the case of the pyrrole derivative 3i, at the highest dose, mortality was 82.2% at 25°C and 55% relative humidity whereas in the case of 3k it reached 77.8% at the same combination. In contrast, mortality at 75% relative humidity remained very low and did not exceed 13.3%. ForE. kuehniellalarvae, the highest mortalities, 44.4 and 63.3%, were observed in 10 ppm at 25°C and 55% relative humidity for both pyrrole derivatives. The compounds tested here have a certain insecticidal effect, but this effect is moderated by the exposure, the target species, the temperature and the relative humidity.
GERMANICUS ON TOUR: HISTORY, DIPLOMACY AND THE PROMOTION OF A DYNASTY
Authors: Low Katie
Published: April 2016

Towards the end of Book 2 of Tacitus' Annals, Germanicus, great-nephew of Augustus, grandson of Mark Antony, and nephew, adopted son and heir of the emperor Tiberius, falls ill and dies at Antioch (2.69-72). His travels in the eastern Mediterranean in a.d. 18 thus reach a sad conclusion. They had begun when, after being recalled from the wars of conquest in Germany described in detail in the opening books of the Annals (1.50-1, 1.55-71; 2.5.2-26), he was sent from Rome by Tiberius to preside over the installation of a new king of Armenia (2.43.1; cf. 2.3-5.1).
Clinical evaluation of acute phase nystagmus associated with cerebellar lesions
Authors: Ogawa Y , Otsuka K , Hagiwara A , Inagaki T , Shimizu S , Nagai N , Konomi U , Itani S , Kondo T , Suzuki M
Published: April 2016

Objectives:

To determine the characteristics of acute phase nystagmus in patients with cerebellar lesions, and to identify a useful indicator for differentiating central lesions from peripheral lesions.

Methods:

Acute phase nystagmus and the appearance of neurological symptoms were retrospectively investigated in 11 patients with cerebellar stroke.

Results:

At the initial visit, there were no patients with vertical nystagmus, direction-changing gaze evoked nystagmus or pure rotatory nystagmus. There were four cases with no nystagmus and seven cases with horizontal nystagmus at the initial visit. There were no neurological symptoms, except for vertigo and hearing loss, in any cases at the initial visit. The direction and type of nystagmus changed with time, and neurological symptoms other than vertigo appeared subsequently to admission.

Conclusion:

It is important to observe the changes in nystagmus and other neurological findings for the differential diagnosis of central lesions.
On Intimate Choices and Troubles in Rural South China
Authors: SANTOS GONÇALO
Published: April 2016

This article explores how marriage practices and intimate relations are being refashioned in reform-era China in the context of increasingly entangled intersections between private negotiations and public dialogues in law, state policy, science, and the media. Based on long-term field research in impoverished rural areas, the article focuses on the intersections between intimate practices of the everyday and large-scale projects of social engineering aimed at turning ordinary ‘peasants’ into ‘modern civilized citizens’. The article draws particular attention to the important role played by the Birth Planning Policy in shaping local reproductive practices and intimate structures, but the approach developed here to make sense of the impact of globalized neo-Malthusian state interventions on local realities considers also the perspective and the agency of ordinary individuals and communities. Instead of assuming that changes in local practices follow primarily from the impact of external forces such as state policies and technologies of birth planning, the article suggests that local practices and global forces co-produce each other through ‘frictions’ of various kinds. This focus on the micro-macro intersections of what I call here the ‘techno-politics of intimacy’ joins recent efforts in the humanities and social sciences to move beyond conventional top-down approaches to global intimate transformations.
Is it Better to Cry in a BMW or to Laugh on a Bicycle? Marriage, ‘financial performance anxiety’, and the production of class in Nanjing (People's Republic of China)
Authors: ZAVORETTI ROBERTA
Published: April 2016

Drawing on ethnographic data collected in the city of Nanjing, China, the article analyses discursive practices of courtship and marriage in the context of post-Mao and post-Deng economic, social, and legal developments. Informants’ discussions often revolve around the tension between the idea that marriage should be about love and the increasing material demands that prospective grooms face upon marriage in a market-led consumer society. This tension also emerges in media debates on the hedonistic attitude of Ma Nuo, a contestant on the matchmaking programmeFeicheng Wurao(If you are the one). Informants, on the other hand, articulate their feelings in terms of family responsibility and pursue marriages that, while based on choice, may also ensure financial stability and parental approval.
Doing it our Way: Love and marriage in Kolkata middle-class families
Authors: DONNER HENRIKE
Published: April 2016

With the exception of a few anthropologists working on gender, much of the recent literature on emerging intimate modernities in South Asia, and the middle class in India in particular, seems to support a view of social relationships evolving in a kind of linear development towards free choice, individualism, and identities based on sexual preference. This imagery is particularly prominent in the representation and self-representation of metropolitan, educated middle-class youths, whose views dominate popular media representations and are associated with secularism, individualism, and independence from family and community. In this article I argue that apart from the ostensibly overwhelming transformations that discourses on coupledom, love, choice and self-realization bring in their wake, new ways of choosing a spouse and of conducting conjugal relations among middle-class urbanites have to be interpreted in relation to much more subtle and long-standing social transformations as well as existing institutional forms, in particular the practical implications of patrilocality and the ideology and reality of the joint family. Based on fieldwork with Bengali-speaking middle-class families in Kolkata spanning two decades, the article charts continuities and subtle shifts in the way ‘love’ and ‘marriage’ are related in conversations, and how young women and their parents negotiate marriage in the context of middle-class consumerism, status competition, and uncertainty.
Participation of natural resource managers on editorial boards of conservation and applied natural resource journals
Authors: Carter Sarah K. , Fayram Andrew H.
Published: April 2016

A gap between research and management exists in numerous natural resource fields. This can lead to management actions that are based on experience rather than evidence and may be less effective as a result. The gap may be partly attributable to research not being relevant, timely or accessible for managers. Editorial boards of peer-reviewed journals are responsible for determining the relevance of submitted manuscripts for a journal's readership. Limited representation of natural resource managers on editorial boards may make it more difficult for journals to identify the topics and findings of most relevance for management, thus contributing to the research–management gap. We quantified the representation of natural resource managers on the editorial boards of 79 conservation and applied natural resource journals. We found that 65% of editors were affiliated with universities, 13% with research institutions, 12% with government agencies and 3% with NGOs. On average, 9% of editors were affiliated with an agency or organization responsible for managing or regulating natural resources. The proportion of managers on editorial boards did not differ significantly between natural resource fields or with journal impact factor. Potential benefits of greater integration of managers into the research and publishing process include selection of research topics with greater relevance for management, clearer statements of the management implications of research studies, and more frequent publication of research evaluating the effectiveness of management interventions. Further study is needed to evaluate whether greater participation of managers in the editorial review process may contribute to achieving these benefits.
Street Politics: Street Vendors and Urban Governance in China
Authors: Hanser Amy
Published: April 2016

Conflicts between urban street vendors and city regulators have become a common urban sight in Chinese cities today. This paper considers how visions of modern urban streets and sidewalks have helped to generate increasingly restrictive policies on street vending and spurred new forms of urban regulation and policing. While mostly an everyday routine of Chinese city life, the resulting vendor–chengguanconflicts dramatize state power in public and carry the latent danger of crowd violence in response. In particular, aggressive policing of highly visible city streets can at times produce a volatile “politics of the street” involving episodes of vendor resistance and even dramatic expressions of bystander solidarity which challenge these street-level expressions of state power.
Multi-Region Scene Matching Based Localisation for Autonomous Vision Navigation of UAVs
Authors: Jin Zhenlu , Wang Xuezhi , Moran Bill , Pan Quan , Zhao Chunhui
Published: April 2016

A multi-region scene matching-based localisation system for automated navigation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) is proposed. This system may serve as a backup navigation error correction system to support autonomous navigation in the absence of a global positioning system such as a Global Navigation Satellite System. Conceptually, the system computes the location of the UAV by comparing the sensed images taken by an on board optical camera with a library of pre-recorded geo-referenced images. Several challenging issues in building such a system are addressed, including the colour variability problem and elimination of time-varying details from the pairs of images. The overall algorithm is an iterative process involving four sub-processes: firstly, exact histogram matching is applied to sensed images to overcome the colour variability issues; secondly, regions are automatically extracted from the sensed image where landmarks are detected via their colour histograms; thirdly, these regions are matched against the library, while eliminating inconsistent regions between underlying image pairs in the registration process; and finally the location of the UAV is computed using an optimisation procedure which minimises the localisation error using affine transformations. Experimental results demonstrate the proposed system in terms of accuracy, robustness and computational efficiency.
Analysis and Simulation of Geomagnetic Map Suitability Based on Vague Set
Authors: Wang Lihui , Yu Le , Qiao Nan , Sun Desheng
Published: April 2016

An evaluation method named vague set is proposed to describe the suitability of a geomagnetic map. It is based on the Fuzzy Decision Making (FDM) method, and overcomes the FDM model's shortcomings that favouring and opposing content cannot be taken into account simultaneously. The membership function and non-membership function are used to define the influence of the geomagnetic map parameters on map suitability, including standard deviation, information entropy, roughness and slope variance. The weight of each geomagnetic map parameter is calculated by establishing an optimisation model. Vague set data are divided into four types after classification, and Weighted Score Function Values (WSFVs) of matching areas are obtained by using the Weighted Score Function (WSF) method. Then, WSFV of each matching area are compared to select an optimal area. Simulation results demonstrate that geomagnetic map suitability is positively proportional to the function value, and matching error is negatively proportional to the WSFV of the matching area.
Explicating concepts in reasoning from function to form by two-step innovative abductions
Authors: Kroll Ehud , Koskela Lauri
Published: April 2016

The mechanism of design reasoning from function to form is suggested to consist of a two-step inference of the innovative abduction type. First is an inference from a desired functional aspect to an idea, concept, or solution principle to satisfy the function. This is followed by a second innovative abduction, from the latest concept to form, structure, or mechanism. The intermediate entity in the logical reasoning, the concept, is thus made explicit, which is significant in following and understanding a specific design process, for educating designers, and to build a logic-based computational model of design. The idea of a two-step abductive reasoning process is developed from the critical examination of several propositions made by others. We use the notion of innovative abduction in design, as opposed to such abduction where the question is about selecting among known alternatives, and we adopt a previously proposed two-step process of abductive reasoning. However, our model is different in that the two abductions used follow the syllogistic pattern of innovative abduction. In addition to using a schematic example from the literature to demonstrate our derivation, we apply the model to an existing, empirically derived method of conceptual design called “parameter analysis” and use two examples of real design processes. The two synthetic steps of the method are shown to follow the proposed double innovative abduction scheme, and the design processes are presented as sequences of double abductions from function to concept and from concept to form, with a subsequent deductive evaluation step.
Overcoming design fixation: Design by analogy studies and nonintuitive findings
Authors: Moreno Diana P. , Blessing Luciënne T. , Yang Maria C. , Hernández Alberto A. , Wood Kristin L.
Published: April 2016

Design fixation is a phenomenon with important significance to many fields of design due to the potential negative impacts it may have in design outcomes, especially during the ideation stage of the design process. The present study aims to provide a framework for understanding, or at least probing, design fixation by presenting a review of existing defixation approaches, as well as metrics that have been employed to understand and account for design fixation. This study also describes the results of two design by analogy (DbA) methods, WordTree and SCAMPER, to overcome design fixation in an experiment that involved 97 knowledge-domain experts. The study outcomes are at least twofold: a common framework of metrics and approaches to overcome design fixation in a wide range of design problems and nonintuitive results for DbA approaches in design fixation and other related creativity metrics. The application of WordTree and SCAMPER shows that both methods yield increased novelty compared to a control, where the SCAMPER results are significantly higher than WordTree. It is also found that WordTree mitigates design fixation whereas SCAMPER appears to be ineffective for this purpose but effective to generate an increased quantity of novel ideas. These results demonstrate that both DbA methods provide de-fixation capabilities and enhance designers’ creativity during idea generation.
Intestinal barrier dysfunction: implications for chronic inflammatory conditions of the bowel
Authors: Miner-Williams Warren M. , Moughan Paul J.
Published: April 2016

The intestinal epithelium of adult humans acts as a differentially permeable barrier that separates the potentially harmful contents of the lumen from the underlying tissues. Any dysfunction of this boundary layer that disturbs the homeostatic equilibrium between the internal and external environments may initiate and sustain a biochemical cascade that results in inflammation of the intestine. Key to such dysfunction are genetic, microbial and other environmental factors that, singularly or in combination, result in chronic inflammation that is symptomatic of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of the present review is to assess the scientific evidence to support the hypothesis that defective transepithelial transport mechanisms and the heightened absorption of intact antigenic proinflammatory oligopeptides are important contributing factors in the pathogenesis of IBD.