bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Process of Financial Planning in Personal Finance
Authors: Doda Sanie , Fortuzi Shkelqim
Published: November 2015

The process of financial planning is not an event separate from situations of individuals, but an evolution in predictable and unexpected situations; The planning process should take into consideration: the constant changes that occur in our lives, our resources and financial decisions.This study claims to be a turn towards building a budget, how to save with payments,how to preserve more money for our welfare, etc. stable financial conditions.Good financial planning and maintaining financial stability will also help to prevent the financial crisis, which many cases are associated with social consequences without adjustingfor example: divorces and other consequences that distort the normal continuation of a healthy family or an individual personality unconditionally by phenomena not rationally acceptable.The financial plan of a family needs for consistency, because in this way the family will not face financial problems.Following effective management of personal income, the amount of Albanian families will be able to reach perhaps not a luxurious life, but would have a greater financial stability, more security.
Factors Explaining the Skills Transfer in Consulting Missions
Authors: Ksentini Noura , Mezghani Karim
Published: November 2015

The purpose of this article is to identify the factors that influence skills transfer from a consultant to a client during a consulting mission. A generic model is proposed in order to show the main factors in the context of an emerging country (Tunisia). Indeed, most works on this subject were performed in developed countries and involved the skills transfer in specific projects such as Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP) or research and development projects. This paper deals with three influencing factors that were addressed from previous works. Those factors are associated to: (1) the consultant, (2) the client and (3) the characteristics of skills to be transferred.

To test the proposed model, a questionnaire is developed and then addressed to projects managers in 31 Tunisian firms that have recourse to external consultants' services. The collected data are analyzed using Partial Least Squares (PLS) method.

The results of data analyses allow concluding that skills transfer is more influenced by factors related to the consultant (project management capabilities, communication competencies and industry experience) as well as the causal ambiguity of skills to be transferred.

 
Amantes
Authors: Flores Noel
Published: December 2015

“Yo estaba con el Maestro Noel Flores en su taller y le preguntaba si era posible en la escultura, lo que en la pintura le corresponde al dibujo lineal, que es un recurso en la ilustración editorial, además de su belleza intrínseca y mirando en el suelo le señalé un rollo de alambre, una parte del mismo incluso ya herrumbrado por el tiempo…, solo me dijo: vuelva en una semana. Al regresar miré esta joya y él expresó: A ese alambre le di estructura y el soplo del espíritu.”Denis Torres Pérez
Uma Solução Híbrida Analítico-Numérica para o Escoamento Laminar em Dutos Bicônicos
Authors: Alves Thiago Antonini , Ramos Ricardo Alan Verdú , Maia Cassio Roberto Macedo
Published: December 2015

Neste trabalho foi apresentada uma solução híbrida analítico-numérica do problema fluidodinâmico de escoamento laminar desenvolvido de fluidos Newtonianos no interior de dutos bicônicos utilizando a Técnica da Transformada Integral Generalizada – TTIG. Para facilitar o tratamento analítico e a aplicação das condições de contorno uma Transformação Conforme foi utilizada visando transformar o domínio em um sistema de coordenadas mais apropriado. Feito isso, a TTIG foi aplicada na equação do momentum para determinação do campo de velocidade. Os resultados numéricos foram obtidos para parâmetros fluidodinâmicos de interesse, tais como: velocidades média e máxima, fator de atrito de Fanning, número de Poiseuille, fator de Hagenbach e comprimento de entrada fluidodinâmico.
Análise da liga quasicristalina Al62,2Cu25,3Fe12,5 para a reforma a vapor do metanol
Authors: Jamshi Lourdes Cristina Lucena Agostinho , Nascimento Luciano , Barbosa Celmy Maria B. de Menezes , Rodbari Reza Jamshidi
Published: December 2015

Este trabalho mostra o bom desempenho do quasicristal Al62,2Cu25,3Fe12,5 como catalisador em reações catalíticas. Este catalisador metálico sem ser lixiviado com ácido ou base, a seco com composição estequiométrica de Al62,2Cu25,3Fe12,5 revelou dentre as reações ocorrida haver uma oxidação parcial; cuja formação dos produtos foram metanol, metanal+ácido metanóico, água e éter dimétilico. Para esta pesquisa utilizou de técnicas experimentais como a Difração de Raios-X (DRX) para acompanhar a evolução das fases da liga, a Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura (MEV) que permite o estudo de microestrutura de superfície, e a Microscopia Eletrônica de Transmissão (MET), estuda a morfologia de fases internas, núcleos quasicristalinos e defeitos; os testes catalíticos para conversão e seletividade de metanol e produtos formados a partir deste material usado como catalisador. A atividade e estabilidade do catalisador de quasicristal para a reformação do vapor de metanol mostrou uma desempenho suficiente em comparação aos demais catalisadores. As espécies Fe e Cu altamente dispersa na camada homogênea do catalisador quasicristal aumentam a atividade catalítica e suprime a agregação de Cu partículas. Neste artigo, se propusemos em analisar o quasicristal, como um bom catalisador para ser usado na reação de reforma a vapor, com elevada atividade catalítica e a excelente estabilidade térmica.
Análise não linear estática de bloco sobre estaca baseada na Mecânica do Dano Contínuo
Authors: Souza Luiz Antonio Farani de
Published: December 2015

O bloco sobre estacas é um importante elemento estrutural cuja função é transferir as ações da superestrutura para um grupo de estacas. A inspeção visual do comportamento do mesmo sob condições de serviço geralmente não é possível e, além disso, o conhecimento do seu verdadeiro desempenho estrutural é uma necessidade vital para a estabilidade global das construções. Neste artigo, uma análise não linear bidimensional é realizada, por meio do Método dos Elementos Finitos, de um bloco rígido de concreto armado sobre duas estacas encontrado na literatura. Adota-se para o material concreto um modelo constitutivo baseado na Mecânica do Dano Contínuo, com a possibilidade de prever um comportamento diferenciado à tração e à compressão. O aço é descrito por um modelo elastoplástico bilinear. A trajetória de equilíbrio é obtida com a técnica de iteração Comprimento de Arco em associação com o Método de Newton - Raphson. Os resultados numéricos obtidos com o código computacional desenvolvido são confrontados com os resultados experimentais e numéricos disponíveis e com a solução analítica, e têm o objetivo de avaliar a potencialidade da modelagem proposta como uma ferramenta numérica de investigação quanto à determinação da força de ruptura e a distribuição do dano no bloco.
Quantum Processes: A Novel Optimization for Quantum Simulation
Authors: Maron Adriano , Reiser Renata , Pilla Maurício , Yamin Adenauer
Published: December 2015

The simulation of quantum algorithms in classic computers is a task which requires high processing and storing capabilities, limiting the size of quantum systems supported by the simulators. However, optimizations for reduction of temporal and spatial complexities are promising and expanding the capabilities of some simulators. The main contribution of this work consists in designing optimizations by the description of quantum transformations using Quantum Processes and Partial Quantum Processes conceived in the qGM theoretical model. These processes, when computed on the VPE-qGM execution environment, result in lower execution time and better performance, allowing the simulation of more complex quantum algorithms. The performance evaluation of this proposal was carried out by benchmarks used in similar works and included the sequential simulation of quantum algorithms up to 24 qubits. The results show a great improvement when compared to the previous version of the environment and indicate possibilities of advances in this research.
Robustness on Intuitionistic Fuzzy Connectives
Authors: Reiser Renata Hax Sander , Bedregal Benjamin Callejas
Published: December 2015

The main contribution of this paper is concerned with the robustness of intuitionistic fuzzy connectives in fuzzy reasoning. Starting with an evaluation of the sensitivity in $n$-order functions on the class of intuitionistic fuzzy sets, we apply the results in the intuitionistic $(S,N)$-implication class. The paper formally states that the robustness preserves the projection functions in such class.
A Prelude to the Fractional Calculus Applied to Tumor Dynamic
Authors: Camargo Rubens De Figueiredo , Gomes Arianne Vellasco , Varalta Najla
Published: December 2015

In order to refine the solution given by the classical logistic equation and extend its range of applications in the study of tumor dynamics, we propose and solve a generalization of this equation, using the so-called Fractional Calculus, i. e., we replace the ordinary derivative of order one in the usual equation by a non-integer derivative of order $ 0 < \alpha \leq 1$, and recover the classical solution as a particular case. Finally, we analyze the applicability of this model to describe the growth of cancer tumors.
On the Criteria for Receiving a Research Productivity Fellowship from the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development in Mathematics and Statistics
Authors: Valle Marcos Eduardo , Sakuray Fábio
Published: December 2015

The fellowship of research productivity (PQ) granted by the national council for scientific and technological development (CNPq), besides the financial support, renders a significant status among Brazilian researchers of all areas of knowledge. Consequently, both the profile and the criteria for holding a PQ fellowship become of interest to the entire Brazilian scientific community. In this paper, we model the decision criteria as a weighted sum of the scientific production and the supervisory experience of an applicant for PQ fellowship. The scientific production is measured as the number of publications grouped according to  the QUALIS system provided by the Brazilian federal agency for the improvement of higher education (CAPES). The Lattes curricula of the successful applicants for the PQ fellowship in the field of mathematics and statistics, along with the curricula of many non-PQ fellows of similar institutions, were used to estimate the criteria adopted in the last call for PQ
fellowship in category 2. By allowing a certain tolerance, the model reproduced the decision criteria within acceptable bounds using the previous and the current QUALIS systems over a database composed of 234 curricula. As a consequence, the model may help to decide whether a researcher applicant is worthy to receive a PQ fellowship. Furthermore, it confirmed the recognized value of publications in journals with an elevated rank in the QUALIS system.
(min,+)-wavelets for non-linear analysis
Authors: KENOUFI Abdelouahab , GONDRAN Michel
Published: December 2015

For all function f : Rn to R one introduces (min; +)-wavelets which are lower and upper hulls build from (min; +) analysis.One shows at theoretical level and on numerical applications for the Weierstrass functions, that (min, +)-wavelets decomposition opens a non-linear branch to the multi-resolution analysis of a signal, in particular for the Hölder exponents calculation and Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD).
Exact Barrier Option Valuation with Arbitrary Functions for the Volatility
Authors: Rosalino Jr. Estevão , Silva Allan Jonathan , Baczynski Jack , Leão Dorival
Published: December 2015

Focus, in the past four decades, has been obtaining closed-form expressions for the no-arbitrage prices and hedges of modified versions of the Europeanoptions, allowing the dynamic of the underlying assets to have non-constant pa-rameters.In this paper, we obtain a closed-form expression for the price and hedge of an up-and-out European barrier option, assuming that the volatility in the dynamicof the risky asset is an arbitrary deterministic function of time. Setting a con-stant volatility, the formulas recover the Black and Scholes results, which suggestsminimum computational effort.We introduce a novel concept of relative standard deviation for measuring the ex-posure of the practitioner to risk (enforced by a strategy). The notion that is found in the literature is different and looses the correct physical interpreta-tion. The measure serves aiding the practitioner to adjust the number of rebalancesduring the option’s lifetime.
Multiscale Analysis of GPS Time Series from Non-decimated Wavelet to Investigate the Effects of Ionospheric Scintillation
Authors: Brassarote Gabriela De Oliveira Nascimento , Souza Eniuce Menezes de , Monico João Francisco Galera
Published: December 2015

Due to the numerous application possibilities, the theory of wavelets has been applied in several areas of research. The Discrete Wavelet Transform is the most known version. However, the downsampling required for its calculation makes it sensitive to the origin, what is not ideal for some applications,mainly in time series. On the other hand, the Non-Decimated Discrete Wavelet Transform (or Maximum Overlap Discrete Wavelet Transform, Stationary Wavelet Transform, Shift-invariant Discrete Wavelet Transform, Redundant Discrete Wavelet Transform) is shift invariant, because it considers all the elements of the sample, by eliminating the downsampling and, consequently, represents a time series with the same number of coefficients at each scale. In the present paper, the objective is to present the theorical aspects of the a multiscale/multiresolution analysis of non-stationary time series from non-decimated wavelets in terms of its implementation using the same pyramidal algorithm of the decimated wavelet transform. An application with real time series of the effect of the ionospheric scintillation on artificial satellite signals is investigated. With this analysis some information and hidden patterns which can not be detected in the time domain, may therefore be explained in the space-frequency domain.
Hybrid extragradient method with regularization for triple hierarchical variational inequalities with general mixed equilibrium and split feasibility constraints
Authors: Ceng Lu-Chuan
Published: December 2015

In this paper, we introduce a hybrid extragradient iterative algorithm with regularization for solving the triple hierarchical variational inequality problem (THVIP) (defined over the common fixed point set of finitely many nonexpansive mappings and a strictly pseudocontraction) with constraints of a general mixed equilibrium problem (GMEP), a split feasibility problem (SFP) and a general system of variational inequalities (GSVI). The iterative algorithm is based on Korpelevich's extragradient method, viscosity approximation method, Mann's iteration method, hybrid steepest descent method and gradient-projection method (GPM) with regularization. It is proven that, under very mild conditions, the sequences generated by the proposed algorithm converge strongly to a unique solution of the THVIP. We also give the applications of our results for solving some special cases of the THVIP. The results presented in this paper improve and extend some corresponding ones in the earlier and recent literature.
THE EXCAVATION OF PHUM SOPHY 2009-2010: AN IRON AGE SITE IN NORTH-WEST CAMBODIA
Authors: O'Reilly Dougald , Shewan Louise , Domett Kate , Newton Jennifer , Evans Damian , Vuthy Voeurn , Beavan Nancy
Published: December 2015

Excavations were undertaken at the village (phum) of Sophy in Banteay Meanchey Province, north-west Cambodia over two field seasons in two separate areas in 2009 and 2010. The remains of twenty individuals were found in 14 mortuary contexts with individuals interred with a range of burial goods including ceramic vessels, stone and glass beads, iron and bronze artefacts and faunal remains. The site dates to the Iron Age (dates spanning the period c. 87-526 AD) and is surrounded by the ruins of later, Pre-Angkorian temples and their associated ponds. Excavation and research has revealed Sophy to be a prehistoric agricultural village in which the inhabitants exploited a wide-range of habitats and engaged in inter-regional exchange.  The results of these investigations are presented here incorporating a description of the excavation, preliminary discussion of the material assemblage and demographic data obtained from the mortuary contexts.
Suppression of transcriptional drift extends C. elegans lifespan by postponing the onset of mortality
Authors: Rangaraju Sunitha , Solis Gregory M , Thompson Ryan C , Gomez-Amaro Rafael L , Kurian Leo , Encalada Sandra E , Niculescu Alexander B , Salomon Daniel R , Petrascheck Michael
Published: December 2015

Longevity mechanisms increase lifespan by counteracting the effects of aging. However, whether longevity mechanisms counteract the effects of aging continually throughout life, or whether they act during specific periods of life, preventing changes that precede mortality is unclear. Here, we uncover transcriptional drift, a phenomenon that describes how aging causes genes within functional groups to change expression in opposing directions. These changes cause a transcriptome-wide loss in mRNA stoichiometry and loss of co-expression patterns in aging animals, as compared to young adults. Using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model, we show that extending lifespan by inhibiting serotonergic signals by the antidepressant mianserin attenuates transcriptional drift, allowing the preservation of a younger transcriptome into an older age. Our data are consistent with a model in which inhibition of serotonergic signals slows age-dependent physiological decline and the associated rise in mortality levels exclusively in young adults, thereby postponing the onset of major mortality.
Sampling the conformational space of the catalytic subunit of human γ-secretase
Authors: Bai Xiao-chen , Rajendra Eeson , Yang Guanghui , Shi Yigong , Scheres Sjors HW
Published: December 2015

Human γ-secretase is an intra-membrane protease that cleaves many different substrates. Aberrant cleavage of Notch is implicated in cancer, while abnormalities in cutting amyloid precursor protein lead to Alzheimer's disease. Our previous cryo-EM structure of γ-secretase revealed considerable disorder in its catalytic subunit presenilin. Here, we describe an image classification procedure that characterizes molecular plasticity at the secondary structure level, and apply this method to identify three distinct conformations in our previous sample. In one of these conformations, an additional transmembrane helix is visible that cannot be attributed to the known components of γ-secretase. In addition, we present a γ-secretase structure in complex with the dipeptidic inhibitor N-[N-(3,5-difluorophenacetyl)-L-alanyl]-S-phenylglycine t-butyl ester (DAPT). Our results reveal how conformational mobility in the second and sixth transmembrane helices of presenilin is greatly reduced upon binding of DAPT or the additional helix, and form the basis for a new model of how substrate enters the transmembrane domain.
The grammatical properties of 'since'
Authors: Xiqués Teresa Maria
Published: December 2015

In this paper, I compare the grammatical properties of English since-adverbials, which have been analysed as perfect-level adverbials (Iatridou et al. 2001), with Catalan des de-adverbials. I argue against the claim that either the perfect tense or prepositions like since are ambiguous between a universal and an existential interpretation. I show that an analysis based on the grammatical properties of the internal structure of the temporal path denoted by des de or since can contribute to a more fine-grained derivation of universal and existential interpretations of PrP sentences modified by since-type of intervals in both languages.
Gravity waves amplify upper tropospheric dehydration by clouds
Authors: Schoeberl Mark R. , Jensen Eric J. , Woods Sarah
Published: November 2015

We use a 1‐D cloud model run using a prescribed temperature field to investigate the role of gravity waves in dehydration in the tropical tropopause layer (TTL). We find that gravity waves play an important role in the TTL dehydration process beyond just lowering the minimum temperature experienced by the air parcels. We show that the more rapid cooling in the presence of gravity waves significantly increases the abundance ice crystals. This increase in ice crystal concentration causes a more rapid depletion of vapor in excess of saturation, and the resultant cloud dehydration efficiency is increased. Using a spectrum of gravity waves, we generate ice particle statistics that are in good agreement with observations. We also find that the gravity waves increase cloudiness. Our results show that cloud physics and gravity wave temperature fluctuations cannot be neglected in simulating the TTL physics. In fact, it appears that short‐period waves may be an essential component of the TTL cloud dehydration process.
Does a localized plasma disturbance in the ionosphere evolve to electrostatic equilibrium? Evidence to the contrary
Authors: Cosgrove Russell B.
Published: November 2015

Electrostatic equilibrium must be achieved through electromagnetic evolution. From an initial state with nonzero neutral wind localized along the geomagnetic field, and with all other plasma and electromagnetic perturbations initially zero, evolution progresses from plasma velocity to electric field to magnetic field, where the last step can launch an Alfvén wave that transmits the electromagnetic disturbance along geomagnetic field lines. Without the Alfvén wave the disturbance does not map along geomagnetic field lines, and there is no semblance of electrostatic equilibrium. This paradigm is essentially the traditional magnetosphere/ionosphere coupling paradigm, except addressed to smaller‐scale, local ionospheric phenomena. However, Alfvén waves have not been thoroughly studied in the context of the partially ionized, collisional ionospheric plasma, and so the full effects predicted by this modeling paradigm are not known. In this work we adopt the two‐fluid equations and investigate whether the ionosphere supports Alfvén‐type waves that can transmit disturbances along geomagnetic field lines and perform a wave analysis of the “lumped circuit” parameters normally used to characterize the ionosphere under electrostatic equilibrium. We find that under the wave analysis (1) the Pedersen conductivity is severely modified and has a negative real part at short wavelengths; (2) the mapping distance for electric fields is significantly modified, and there is a nonnegligible wavelength along the geomagnetic field; and (3) the load admittance seen by a localized dynamo is strongly reactive, causing a phase offset between electric field and current, as compared with that when the load is electrostatic.
Modeling of Na airglow emission and first results on the nocturnal variation at midlatitude
Authors: Bag T. , Sunil Krishna M. V. , Singh Vir
Published: November 2015

A model for sodium airglow emission is developed by incorporating all the known reaction mechanisms. The neutral, ionic, and photochemical mechanisms are successfully implemented into this model. The values of reaction rate coefficients are based upon the theoretical calculations as well as from experimental observations. The densities of major species are calculated using the continuity equations, whereas for the minor, intermediating, and short‐lived species steady state approximation method is used. The modeled results are validated with the rocket, lidar, and photometer observations for a branching ratio of 0.04 for the production of Na(2P) in the reaction NaO + O 
 Na(2P, 2S). The inputs have been obtained from other physics‐based models and ground‐ and satellite‐based observations to give the combined volume emission rate (VER) of Na airglow between 80 and 110 km altitude. In the present study, the model is used to understand the nocturnal variation of Na VER during the solstice conditions. The model results suggest a variation of peak emission layer between 85 and 90 km during summer solstice condition, indicating a lower value of peak emission rate during summer solstice. The emission rates bear a strong correlation with the O3 density during summer solstice, whereas the magnitude of VER follows the Na density during winter solstice. The altitude of peak VER shows an upward shift of 5 km during winter solstice.
Parameterization of incoming longwave radiation at glacier sites in the Canadian Rocky Mountains
Authors: Ebrahimi Samaneh , Marshall Shawn J.
Published: November 2015

We examine longwave radiation fluxes in the Canadian Rocky Mountains based on multiyear observations at glaciers in the southern and northern Rockies. Our main objective is to develop improved parameterizations of incoming longwave radiation for surface energy balance and melt modeling in glaciological studies, in situations where minimal meteorological data are available. We concentrate on the summer melt season, June through August. We test several common parameterizations of mean daily incoming longwave radiation and also explore simple regression‐based models of atmospheric emissivity as a function of near‐surface vapor pressure, relative humidity, and a sky clearness index (i.e., a proxy for cloud cover). Multivariate regressions based on these three variables have the strongest performance at our two sites, with RMS errors of 9–13 W m−2 and biases 1–2 W m−2 when transferred to different time periods or between sites in our study region. We also find good results for all‐sky atmospheric emissivity with a bivariate relation based on vapor pressure and relative humidity. This parameterization requires only screen‐level temperature and humidity as input data, which has value for modeling of incoming longwave radiation and surface energy balance when observational radiation and cloud data are not available.
Development and demonstration of a Lagrangian dispersion modeling system for real‐time prediction of smoke haze pollution from biomass burning in Southeast Asia
Authors: Hertwig Denise , Burgin Laura , Gan Christopher , Hort Matthew , Jones Andrew , Shaw Felicia , Witham Claire , Zhang Kathy
Published: November 2015

Transboundary smoke haze caused by biomass burning frequently causes extreme air pollution episodes in maritime and continental Southeast Asia. With millions of people being affected by this type of pollution every year, the task to introduce smoke haze related air quality forecasts is urgent. We investigate three severe haze episodes: June 2013 in Maritime SE Asia, induced by fires in central Sumatra, and March/April 2013 and 2014 on mainland SE Asia. Based on comparisons with surface measurements of PM10 we demonstrate that the combination of the Lagrangian dispersion model NAME with emissions derived from satellite‐based active‐fire detection provides reliable forecasts for the region. Contrasting two fire emission inventories shows that using algorithms to account for fire pixel obscuration by cloud or haze better captures the temporal variations and observed persistence of local pollution levels. Including up‐to‐date representations of fuel types in the area and using better conversion and emission factors is found to more accurately represent local concentration magnitudes, particularly for peat fires. With both emission inventories the overall spatial and temporal evolution of the haze events is captured qualitatively, with some error attributed to the resolution of the meteorological data driving the dispersion process. In order to arrive at a quantitative agreement with local PM10 levels, the simulation results need to be scaled. Considering the requirements of operational forecasts, we introduce a real‐time bias correction technique to the modeling system to address systematic and random modeling errors, which successfully improves the results in terms of reduced normalized mean biases and fractional gross errors.
Evaluation of error in TRMM 3B42V7 precipitation estimates over the Himalayan region
Authors: Bharti Vidhi , Singh Charu
Published: November 2015

Accurate precipitation measurement is crucial for weather forecasting and hydrological modeling. Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) 3B42V7 satellite precipitation product offers an opportunity to monitor precipitation at high spatiotemporal resolution. However, it has several inherent errors related to observation, instrument, and rainfall retrieval algorithms. It is, therefore, essential to validate it with ground‐based measurements. We divide the region into different elevation ranges and compare 3B42V7 with India Meteorological Department gauge‐based measurements, so as to observe the behavior of satellite at different altitudes. This paper evaluates error characteristics of 3B42V7 using continuous and categorical validation schemes. The analysis reveals 3100 m altitude as the breakpoint for the satellite overestimating and underestimating rainfall amount for elevation ranges below and above it, respectively. It gives a poor positive correlation of ~0.23 between individual rainfall events, though the correlation improves (~0.67) for areal‐averaged precipitation values. 3B42V7 also underestimates the frequency of actual rainfall events and is not very good at identifying correct rain and no‐rain events with the overall accuracy of ~66%. Conclusively, the satellite exhibits comparatively better performance for 1000–2000 m elevations but exacerbates over higher‐altitude regions. Further, we assess its capability for very heavy rainfall events using three percentile thresholds. The low‐magnitude bias for 98th and 99th percentiles and high‐magnitude bias for 99.99th percentile imply that 3B42V7 may not be suitable for the study of very heavy rainfall events. On the basis of these findings, it is recommended to improve satellite precipitation retrieval algorithms by incorporating topographical and local climatic factors into consideration.
Detection of atmospheric rivers: Evaluation and application of an algorithm for global studies
Authors: Guan Bin , Waliser Duane E.
Published: November 2015

Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are narrow, elongated, synoptic jets of water vapor that play important roles in the global water cycle and regional weather/hydrology. A technique is developed for objective detection of ARs on the global domain based on characteristics of the integrated water vapor transport (IVT). AR detection involves thresholding 6‐hourly fields of ERA‐Interim IVT based on the 85th percentile specific to each season and grid cell and a fixed lower limit of 100 kg m−1 s−1 and checking for the geometry requirements of length >2000 km, length/width ratio >2, and other considerations indicative of AR conditions. Output of the detection includes the AR shape, axis, landfall location, and basic statistics of each detected AR. The performance of the technique is evaluated by comparison to AR detection in the western North America, Britain, and East Antarctica with three independently conducted studies using different techniques, with over ~90% agreement in AR dates. Among the parameters tested, AR detection shows the largest sensitivity to the length criterion in terms of changes in the resulting statistical distribution of AR intensity and geometry. Global distributions of key AR characteristics are examined, and the results highlight the global footprints of ARs and their potential importance on global and regional scales. Also examined are seasonal dependence of AR frequency and precipitation and their modulation by four prominent modes of large‐scale climate variability. The results are in broad consistency with previous studies that focused on landfalling ARs in the west coasts of North America and Europe.
Massive hemoptysis in Loeys–Dietz syndrome
Authors: Bennett Christopher L. , Aziz Hamza , Sparks Elizabeth , Shah Trushil , Yoder Mark , MacCarrick Gretchen , Dietz Harry C.
Published: November 2015

We describe four unrelated individuals with Loeys–Dietz syndrome (LDS) who presented with massive hemoptysis of unknown etiology. LDS is an autosomal dominant connective‐tissue disorder characterized by altered cardiovascular, craniofacial, and skeletal development that is attributed to mutations in the TGFBR1, TGFBR2, SMAD3, or TGFB2 genes. Massive hemoptysis (MH) is a rare and often fatal pulmonary medical emergency. This is the first report of MH in individuals with LDS and establishes it as part of the LDS spectrum. It compels providers to educate their LDS patients on MH, although much investigation needs to be done to determine etiology and appropriate treatment for this newly described LDS feature. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Looking, seeing and believing in autism: Eye movements reveal how subtle cognitive processing differences impact in the social domain
Authors: Benson Valerie , Castelhano Monica S. , Howard Philippa L. , Latif Nida , Rayner Keith
Published: November 2015

Adults with High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) viewed scenes with people in them, while having their eye movements recorded. The task was to indicate, using a button press, whether the pictures were normal, or in some way weird or odd. Oddities in the pictures were categorized as violations of either perceptual or social norms. Compared to a Typically Developed (TD) control group, the ASD participants were equally able to categorize the scenes as odd or normal, but they took longer to respond. The eye movement patterns showed that the ASD group made more fixations and revisits to the target areas in the odd scenes compared with the TD group. Additionally, when the ASD group first fixated the target areas in the scenes, they failed to initially detect the social oddities. These two findings have clear implications for processing difficulties in ASD for the social domain, where it is important to detect social cues on‐line, and where there is little opportunity to go back and recheck possible cues in fast dynamic interactions. Autism Res 2016, 9: 879–887. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Curriculum differentiation and social inequality in higher education entry in Scotland and Ireland
Authors: Iannelli Cristina , Smyth Emer , Klein Markus
Published: November 2015

This paper examines the relative importance of upper secondary subject choice and attainment in explaining social inequalities in access to higher education (HE) in Scotland and Ireland. These two countries differ in the extent of curriculum differentiation, in the degree of standardisation in school examination and in HE entry criteria. In particular, in Scotland subject choice in upper secondary education is more differentiated (both in terms of number and type of subjects taken) and allocation of places in HE is less standardised and more dependent upon the subjects studied at school than in Ireland. Given these institutional differences, we expected subject choices to be more important for explaining social origin differences in HE entry and access to prestigious institutions in Scotland than in Ireland. Because of increasing student competition for HE places, we further hypothesised the growing importance of school subjects over time in mediating social inequalities in HE entry in both countries, more so in Scotland than in Ireland. Our results confirm that subject choice is a stronger mediator of social inequalities in HE entry and access to prestigious universities in Scotland while attainment is more important in Ireland. Contrary to our expectations, the role of subject choice in HE entry has not become more important over time. However, in Scotland subject choice continues to be a strong mediator for social inequalities in HE entry.
An orbital shear platform for real‐time, in vitro endothelium characterization
Authors: Velasco Vanessa , Gruenthal Mark , Zusstone Esther , Thomas Jonathan M. D. , Berson R. Eric , Keynton Robert S. , Williams Stuart J.
Published: November 2015

Electrical impedance techniques have been used to characterize endothelium morphology, permeability, and motility in vitro. However, these impedance platforms have been limited to either static endothelium studies and/or induced laminar fluid flow at a constant, single shear stress value. In this work, we present a microfabricated impedance sensor for real‐time, in vitro characterization of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) undergoing oscillatory hydrodynamic shear. Oscillatory shear was applied with an orbital shaker and the electrical impedance was measured by a microfabricated impedance chip with discrete electrodes positioned at radial locations of 0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0, and 12.5 mm from the center of the chip. Depending on their radial position within the circular orbital platform, HUVECs were exposed to shear values ranging between 0.6 and 6.71 dyne/cm2 (according to numerical simulations) for 22 h. Impedance spectra were fit to an equivalent circuit model and the trans‐endothelial resistance and monolayer's capacitance were extracted. Results demonstrated that, compared to measurements acquired before the onset of shear, cells at the center of the platform that experienced low steady shear stress (∼2.2 dyne/cm2) had an average change in trans‐endothelial resistance of 6.99 ± 4.06% and 1.78 ± 2.40% change in cell capacitance after 22 hours of shear exposure; cells near the periphery of the well (r = 12.5 mm) experienced transient shears (2.5–6.7 dyne/cm2) and exhibited a greater change in trans‐endothelial resistance (24.2 ± 10.8%) and cell capacitance (4.57 ± 5.39%). This study, demonstrates that the orbital shear platform provides a simple system that can capture and quantify the real‐time cellular morphology as a result of induced shear stress. The orbital shear platform presented in this work, compared to traditional laminar platforms, subjects cells to more physiologically relevant oscillatory shear as well as exposes the sample to several shear values simultaneously. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 1336–1344. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Progress and challenges in macroencapsulation approaches for type 1 diabetes (T1D) treatment: Cells, biomaterials, and devices
Authors: Song Shang , Roy Shuvo
Published: November 2015

Macroencapsulation technology has been an attractive topic in the field of treatment for Type 1 diabetes due to mechanical stability, versatility, and retrievability of the macro‐capsule design. Macro‐capsules can be categorized into extravascular and intravascular devices, in which solute transport relies either on diffusion or convection, respectively. Failure of macroencapsulation strategies can be due to limited regenerative capacity of the encased insulin‐producing cells, sub‐optimal performance of encapsulation biomaterials, insufficient immunoisolation, excessive blood thrombosis for vascular perfusion devices, and inadequate modes of mass transfer to support cell viability and function. However, significant technical advancements have been achieved in macroencapsulation technology, namely reducing diffusion distance for oxygen and nutrients, using pro‐angiogenic factors to increase vascularization for islet engraftment, and optimizing membrane permeability and selectivity to prevent immune attacks from host's body. This review presents an overview of existing macroencapsulation devices and discusses the advances based on tissue‐engineering approaches that will stimulate future research and development of macroencapsulation technology. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 1381–1402. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effect of different carbon materials as electron shuttles in the anaerobic biotransformation of nitroanilines
Authors: Pereira Luciana , Pereira Raquel , Pereira Manuel F. R. , Alves Madalena M.
Published: November 2015

Aromatic amines resulted from azo dyes biotransformation under anaerobic conditions are generally recalcitrant to further anaerobic degradation. The catalytic effect of carbon materials (CM) on the reduction of azo dyes is known and has been confirmed in this work by increasing threefold the biological reduction rate of Mordant Yellow 1 (MY1). The resulting m‐nitroaniline (m‐NoA) was further degraded to m‐phenylenediamine (m‐Phe) only in the presence of CM. The use of CM to degraded anaerobically aromatic amines resulted from azo dye reduction was never reported before. In the sequence, we studied the effect of different CM on the bioreduction of o‐, m‐, and p‐NoA. Three microporous activated carbons with different surface chemistry, original (AC0), chemical oxidized with HNO3 (ACHNO3), and thermal treated (ACH2), and three mesoporous carbons, xerogels (CXA and CXB) and nanotubes (CNT) were assessed. In the absence of CM, NoA were only partially reduced to the corresponding Phe, whereas in the presence of CM, more than 90% was converted to the corresponding Phe. ACH2 and AC0 were the best electron shuttles, increasing the rates up to eightfold. In 24 h, the biological treatment of NoA and MY1 with AC0, decreased up to 88% the toxicity towards a methanogenic consortium, as compared to the non‐treated solutions. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 1194–1202. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Comparative performance evaluation of conventional and two‐phase hydrophobic stirred tank reactors for methane abatement: Mass transfer and biological considerations
Authors: Cantera Sara , Estrada José M. , Lebrero Raquel , García‐Encina Pedro A. , Muñoz Raúl
Published: November 2015

This study demonstrated for the first time the capability of methanotrophs to grow inside silicone oil (SO200) and identified the optimum cultivation conditions for enrichment of hydrophobic methanotrophs (high dilution rates (D) and low CH4 transfer rates). The potential of the hydrophobic methanotrophs enriched was assessed in a single‐phase stirred tank reactor (1P‐STR) and in a two‐phase stirred tank reactor (2P‐STR). Different operational conditions were systematically evaluated in both reactors (SO200 fractions of 30 and 60 %, stirring rates of 250 and 500 rpm, and D of 0.1–0.35 day−1 with and without biomass retention). The results showed that the TPPB only supported a superior CH4 abatement performance compared to the 1P‐STR (40% enhancement at 250 rpm and 25% enhancement at 500 rpm) at a D of 0.3 day−1 due to the retention of the biocatalytic activity inside the SO200, while the 1P‐STR achieved higher elimination capacities (EC up to ≈3 times) than the TPPB under the rest of conditions tested (ECmax = 91.1 g m−3 h−1). Furthermore, the microscopic examination and DGGE‐sequencing of the communities showed that the presence of SO200 influenced the microbial population structure, impacting on bacterial biodiversity and favoring the growth of methanotrophs such as Methylosarcina. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 1203–1212. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The histone deacetylase inhibitor Entinostat enhances polymer‐mediated transgene expression in cancer cell lines
Authors: Elmer Jacob J. , Christensen Matthew D. , Barua Sutapa , Lehrman Jennifer , Haynes Karmella A. , Rege Kaushal
Published: November 2015

Eukaryotic cells maintain an immense amount of genetic information by tightly wrapping their DNA around positively charged histones. While this strategy allows human cells to maintain more than 25,000 genes, histone binding can also block gene expression. Consequently, cells express histone acetyl transferases (HATs) to acetylate histone lysines and release DNA for transcription. Conversely, histone deacetylases (HDACs) are employed for restoring the positive charge on the histones, thereby silencing gene expression by increasing histone‐DNA binding. It has previously been shown that histones bind and silence viral DNA, while hyperacetylation of histones via HDAC inhibition restores viral gene expression. In this study, we demonstrate that treatment with Entinostat, an HDAC inhibitor, enhances transgene (luciferase) expression by up to 25‐fold in human prostate and murine bladder cancer cell lines when used with cationic polymers for plasmid DNA delivery. Entinostat treatment altered cell cycle progression, resulting in a significant increase in the fraction of cells present in the G0/G1 phase at low micromolar concentrations. While this moderate G0/G1 arrest disappeared at higher concentrations, a modest increase in the fraction of apoptotic cells and a decrease in cell proliferation were observed, consistent with the known anticancer effects of the drug. DNase accessibility studies revealed no significant change in plasmid transcriptional availability with Entinostat treatment. However, quantitative PCR studies indicated that Entinostat treatment, at the optimal dose for enhancing transgene expression, led to an increase in the amount of plasmid present in the nucleus in two cancer cell lines. Taken together, our results show that Entinostat enhances polymer‐ mediated transgene expression and can be useful in applications related to transient protein expression in mammalian cells. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 1345–1356. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Bioengineered glaucomatous 3D human trabecular meshwork as an in vitro disease model
Authors: Torrejon Karen Y. , Papke Ellen L. , Halman Justin R. , Stolwijk Judith , Dautriche Cula N. , Bergkvist Magnus , Danias John , Sharfstein Susan T. , Xie Yubing
Published: November 2015

Intraocular pressure (IOP) is mostly regulated by aqueous humor outflow through the human trabecular meshwork (HTM) and represents the only modifiable risk factor of glaucoma. The lack of IOP‐modulating therapeutics that targets HTM underscores the need of engineering HTM for understanding the outflow physiology and glaucoma pathology in vitro. Using a 3D HTM model that allows for regulation of outflow in response to a pharmacologic steroid, a fibrotic state has been induced resembling that of glaucomatous HTM. This disease model exhibits HTM marker expression, ECM overproduction, impaired HTM cell phagocytic activity and outflow resistance, which represent characteristics found in steroid‐induced glaucoma. In particular, steroid‐induced ECM alterations in the glaucomatous model can be modified by a ROCK inhibitor. Altogether, this work presents a novel in vitro disease model that allows for physiological and pathological studies pertaining to regulating outflow, leading to improved understanding of steroid‐induced glaucoma and accelerated discovery of new therapeutic targets. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 1357–1368. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.