bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Foreign Bodies: Travel, Empire and the Early Royal Society of London. Part II. The Land of Experimental Knowledge
Authors: Iliffe Robert
Published: December 2016

The first part of this paper examined the experience of English travellers abroad. That many members of the Royal Society had made such trips is of great significance, although this fact received surprisingly little attention in the historical literature on the Royal Society. The travellers tended to be young men who had just finished a university degree, although even younger individuals such as Robert Boyle were usually accompanied by their tutors. The journals and letters of a number of individuals from this period, pointed to the significance of learning in the context of the broader social accomplishments which made up the well-rounded gentleman or nobleman. Through their interactions with their hosts, a recognition of different cultural values served as a basis for the self-fashioning of a large number of English natural philosophers. In the second part of this paper, the often ambivalent attitude of the Fellows of the Royal Society to foreigners, relates to the formation of a stable experimentalist "party line" in the 1660s. Prejudice formed the basis of a dynamic process of "productive exclusion" in which many practices which had once been part of a more pluralist outlook were deemed to be unacceptable. I conclude here by looking at how this was also an issue of power, since the Society's credibility was connected with the fact that it was composed of eminent men and was situated at the centre of an increasingly powerful Protestant state.
"Some mysterious agency": Women, Violent Crime, and the Insanity Acquittal in the Victorian Courtroom
Authors: Ainsley Jill Newton
Published: December 2016

Although historians have thoroughly examined the evolution of the insanity acquittal as a legal concept, scholars know relatively little about the insanity acquittal in practice. This article attempts to fill that significant gap. How often did defendants plead insanity, how many succeeded, and what factors determined whether or not an insanity plea would succeed? An analysis of thousands of trials for violent crimes in England and Wales between I832-1901 reveals that, while the insanity plea figured in relatively few trials, far more men than women received an insanity acquittal. In proportional terms women were twice as likely to be acquitted on ground of insanity, even when women and men were charged with similar crimes. Why was the legal system more willing to grant insanity acquittals to female defendants? Were these women benefiting from the paternalism of male jurors reluctant to execute women, as many members of the public assumed? Examination of the cases reveals that although juries were supposed to assess insanity pleas according to the M'Naghten Rules, juries often ignored the rules when dealing with female defendants, and based their verdicts on the conclusion that only an insane woman could have committed the crime with which she was charged. This article argues that the conflation of female violence and insanity may have saved many women from the gallows, but it denied women's agency in violent criminal acts and reinforced the negative stereotype of women as mentally and emotionally weak.
Romanitas and the Roman Family: The Evidence of Apuleius’s Apology
Authors: Bradley Keith
Published: December 2016

In AD 158/9 al Sabratha in Roman Tripolitania, Apuleius of Madauros was accused of having used magic to entice into marriage the wealthy Oean widow Aemilia Pudentilla. Apuleius was tried before the proconsul of Africa and spoke in his own defence. The speech he delivered, the Apology, is an important document for the social history of Roman North Africa in the second century. This paper analyses the information the Apology provides on family history, investigating it within the context of Roman family studies in general and the mutual influence of Roman and Tripolitanian cultural patterns in particular. The story of family conflict the Apology unfolds is best understood by bringing to the fore the interplay between Roman cultural forms (Romanitas) and the survival of local cultural traditions, as locally prominent families reacted to the growing influence upon them of metropolitan conventions.
Missions Impossible: Pomponne de Bellièvre and the Policies of Henry III
Authors: Dickerman Edmund H. , Walker Anita M.
Published: December 2016

For more than four centuries the reign of Henry III, king of France (1574-89), was characterized by historians as one of bad government. Recently several students of the king and his reign have claimed that Henry was unjustly maligned and blamed for misfortunes attributable not to his failings as ruler but to the condition of France, which was torn asunder by the Wars of Religion. We argue that Henry lacked the requisites for effective political leadership. This can be demonstrated by analysing an aspect of his reign not hitherto studied in detail, namely the diplomatic missions undertaken by Henry’s emissary Pomponne de Bellièvre. In the conduct of these missions, which the king personally directed, Henry and Bellièvre exchanged scores of letters. Examination of Henry’s instructions and follow-up directives to his minister, and of Bellièvrexs’s replies and his comments to his colleagues allow one to see how Henry made policy. Analysis of four of the best-documented examples refutes the sunnier conclusions of recent revisionist historians who concur with the diarist L’Estolle’s opinion that Henry III would have been a good prince in a better century. Whether dealing through Bellièvre with Jean Casimir of the Palatinate (1575-76), Henry of Navarre (1583-84), Elizabeth of England (1586-87), or Henry, duke of Guise (1588), the king made serious errors of political judgement. Bellièvre, a sensitive and skilled negotiator, was acutely aware of his royal master’s shortcomings. Their exchange of correspondence shows how Bellièvre strove to persuade Henry to modify his bargaining position so as to offer some possibility of a negotiated solution to the problem at hand. Henry III is revealed as a ruler whose fundamental grasp of political reality was shaky at best, and whose policy decisions constrained Bellièvre to conduct what were truly Missions Impossible.
Paris Ethnology and the Perfectibility of "Races"
Authors: Staum Martin S.
Published: December 2016

A study of the debates on "appropriate relations between the black and white races" of the Paris Ethnology Society (active from 1839 to 1848) and of the manuscripts of its secretary, Gustave d’Eichthal, reveals a continuity of discourse with the early discussions in the more successful Paris Anthropology Society (founded 1859). Despite an intentional eclipse of the earlier group, both societies treated similar themes of the perfectibility of "races," the supposed physical indicators of intelligence, and the unity of the human species. The racial theory of the ethnologists could not be aligned on a progressive-conservative political axis. The ambivalent heritage of Saint-Simonianism for some leading members could promote egalitarianism, but more typically, could suggest a functional, organic view of the role of various "races." There was a symbiotic relationship of Paris ethnologists to the "American" pro-slavery anthropological school, and aspects of the discussion on Egyptian monuments anticipated recent controversies on the racial identity of Egyptians.
The Good of this Service Consists in Absolute Secrecy: The Earl of Dunbar, Scotland, and the Border (1603-1611)
Authors: Sizer Jared R.M.
Published: December 2016

This article synthesizes the career and political impact of Sir George Home, Earl of Dunbar and Lord Berwick, demonstrating his dynamic role as a Jacobean royal favourite, intelligencer, and justiciary in the critical first years of the British regal union (1603-11). A brief background of his early career at the Stewart court is provided, illuminating his shadowy path to power and his political— and personal — struggle with Francis Stewart, Earl of Bothwell in the 1590s. As Earl of Dunbar, his enigmatic, intimidating personality is examined in the context of his impressive dual existence as Bedchamber man at Whitehall and virtual chief minister of Scottish affairs as Lord High Treasurer under James VI/I. From 1605, he would initiate a supra-national itinerary that ultimately established him as a formidable figure in Scottish political and ecclesiastical life, particularly in his close supervision of the Scottish parliamentary sessions throughout this period. Dunbar’s deft but controversial management as head border commissioner (with exclusive jurisdiction over both English and Scottish frontier counties) and royal commissioner to the general assemblies of Linlithgow and Glasgow have earned him the reputation of a corrupt despot with arbitrary tendencies. The present work is the first to re-examine the primary evidence and provide an alternative view of Dunbar as an intelligent master of early modern Realpolitik, and not as the great episcopal Satan which Andrew Melville, David Calderwood, and subsequent historians have frequently portrayed him. This historiographical rehabilitation also demonstrates his broader role as an essential practical instrument in King James’s push for a closer political union between Scotland and England in the seventeenth century.
Technical Knowledge and the Mental Universe of Manchester’s Early Cotton Manufacturers
Authors: Jacob Margaret , Reid David
Published: December 2016

Through the reinterpretation of evidence long available but still underutilized, the authors explore the role of mechanical and technical knowledge in the making of the industrial revolution in cotton. Traditionally, science — understood in eighteenth-century Britain to be largely, although not exclusively, the science of mechanics — has been seen to have little to do with spinning machines and power weaving. But the steam engine required a degree of technical knowledge which the leaders in Manchester cotton manufacturing possessed. Furthermore, this study of Manchester in the period from 1790 to 1820 focuses on the urban setting as a locus of innovation and the chapel life of Unitarians as providing a site for the inculcation of religious values compatible with an ethic for both entrepreneurs and workers. The article contributes to the growing (and often neo-Weberian) cultural history of the first Industrial Revolution. M’Connell and Kennedy led the Manchester cotton industry for over two decades and they stamped their values and knowledge base into the community through their avid participation in scientific societies and chapel life. Their manuscripts at the John Rylands Library, Deansgale, Manchester form the core of this article.
Suits Make the Man: Masculinity in Two English Law Courts, c.1500
Authors: Neal Derek
Published: December 2016

This article argues that masculinity must be considered historically as an aspect of identity, made by individual men for themselves through a dynamic between pressures from the interior (self-perceptions and assessments) and the exterior (social prescriptions). For premodern Europe, we can most easily retrieve the individual self through its social imprint: the social self. Records from the courts of the Church (defamation suits) and of Chancery (petitions) show us that, for fifteenth-century Englishmen, the concerns which constituted reputation fell, in varying proportions, on both sides of the highly porous boundary between public and private worlds. Livelihood, family dealings, household governance, and sexuality all might play a role, sometimes in unexpected ways. This was true also of the clergy, a socially important minority of men. Legal records show us how crucially language served to mediate the equilibrium between individual and society in producing meanings of masculinity.
“The Highest Type of Englishman”: Gender, War, and the Alfred the Great Commemoration of 1901
Authors: Heathorn Stephen
Published: December 2016

The 1901 Millenary Commemoration of the death of Alfred the Great was a prescriptive event, designed both to honour the memory of the “father of the English race” and to re-invigorate the supposed masculine virtues of the contemporary nation at a time of imperial crisis. Planned and staged during the politically divisive Anglo-Boer war, the commemoration was promoted by a variety of mostly liberal and progressive organizers. However, the representation of Alfred and what he stood for was fiercely contested, and conservatives and liberal imperialists endorsed the events and appropriated the meaning of Alfred’s legacy for their own political arguments and journalism. The cultural politics of this commemorative moment, most particularly of the monument designed to honour Alfred and the rhetoric of those swept-up in the hyperbolic adulation of Alfred in 1901, provides insight into the processes of the construction of national memory, of the plasticity of ideas about masculine heroism, and of the use of historical icons for completely opposing political objectives.
The Challenges and Issues of Undergraduate Student Retention and Attainment in UK Veterinary Medical Education
Authors: Jackson Elizabeth L. , Armitage-Chan Elizabeth
Published: December 2016

Student retention and attainment has recently been identified as a key area for development in veterinary medical education enquiry. Woodfield's research on retention and attainment across the UK disciplines has yielded some unique information about the challenges and issues of students who study veterinary medicine and related subjects. The present literature review aims to expand on Woodfield's findings and explain important issues about retention and attainment across veterinary medicine. Overall, the subject of retention and attainment in undergraduate veterinary medical education needs a great deal more empirical attention, such as data on the retention and attainment of mature and widening access students, and the effects of students being placed at remote locations during their studies. Our findings also cover some unsurprising issues: the dominance of women in a profession that is principally lead by men, the underrepresentation of black and minority ethnic (BME) students in veterinary medicine, and the effects of content overload in the veterinary medical curriculum. Based on data gathered by Woodfield and our investigation of the scholarly and gray literatures, we offer an overview of gaps in current knowledge and recommendations for further research.
From Caá-ehé to a Commercial Sweetener – the Diterpenoid Glycosides of Stevia rebaudiana
Authors: Hanson James R.
Published: December 2016

The isolation, structure elucidation, chemistry, biosynthesis and biological activity of the sweet steviol glycosides from Stevia rebaudiana, are reviewed.
A New Morphological Trait in Forensic Identification – Middle Phalangeal Hair (MPH)
Authors: Krishan Kewal , Kanchan Tanuj
Published: December 2016

Middle phalangeal hairs (MPH) are present on the dorsal aspect of the middle phalange of the fingers except for the thumb. The MPH have been of interest to anthropologists, human biologists, clinicians, geneticists and anatomists in the past as a morphological trait of the human body. The anthropological value of MPH is well established in studying population variations, with implications for age, ancestry and sex differences. We are of the opinion that MPH may be used significantly for forensic identification purposes along with other morphological characteristics of the human body. MPH can be one of the individualistic features in comparing the ante-mortem and post-mortem records in mass fatality incidents and in establishing identity in forensic casework pertaining to CCTV images of the hand.
Understanding and Combating Resistance to Online Learning
Authors: Vivolo John
Published: December 2016

Resistance to change is an easy thing for human beings to understand. It is at the heart of our desire to find comfort with the familiar such as family, friends and our homes. We create homes that are designed a certain way and usually are slow to change. We make friends for years and keep those memories etched in stone, even though time and age create a romanticised version of the past. Change scares us so much that we reflect on our past, the old days, with such reverence that we paint over the ugly parts. However, we still talk about how change is good. Consider our institutionalised method of learning that has existed for centuries and involved people sitting learning from another person in a physical space. Then, suddenly in the last 20 years, there is a complete change and almost every major institution in the United States and many around the world decided to offer a new method of learning. Enter online learning. It becomes a sudden disruption to a traditional system. It is not surprising that there has been resistance from faculty, students and administrators. Even in the face of evidence that online learning works as effectively as traditional onsite learning, still people resist. Oddly enough, the resistance can come from those who base their careers on facts and research, but continue to ignore the evidence. Even performance results get ignored. While this article will address the source of resistance to online learning, it will focus primarily on how to combat this resistance within an organisation or institution.
L’Art et la manière : Approche technologique des céramiques de dépôt dans le mégalithisme sénégambien – Le cas de la nécropole de Wanar (Sénégal)
Authors: Delvoye Adrien , Laporte Luc , Bocoum Hamady , Bernard Régis , Cros Jean-Paul , Djouad Sélim , Dartois Vincent , Lejay Mathieu , Athié Adama , Cissé Fatou , Quesnel Laurent
Published: December 2016

Among the many characteristics of the Senegalese and Gambian megalithic phenomenon, the deposition of pottery on the eastern edge of funerary structures is a recurrent practice present throughout the excavated sites. In the western part of the megalithic area, ceramics are generally located between the standing stone-circles and one or more frontal stones erected east of monuments. With the exception of morphological and decorative aspects, no technological studies have ever been conducted on the pottery from these deposits. Such an approach has now been taken to the analysis of around forty ceramics from deposits at the site of Wanar — about as many as are available from the deposits of all other Senegambian megalithic sites. The results demonstrate the range of technical choices mobilized in the shaping process. The high degree of finish on the vessels also suggests an important added value to the material culture which participated in the monuments’ ritual function.
Did Middle Stone Age Khargan Peoples Leave Structural Features? ‘Site J’, The Forgotten Settlement of the ‘Empty Desert’, Kharga Oasis, Egypt: 1933 and 2011
Authors: McDonald Mary M.A. , Wiseman Marcia F. , Kleindienst Maxine R. , Smith Jennifer R. , Taylor Nicholas , Wreschnig Andrew J. , Skinner Anne R. , Blackwell Bonnie A.B.
Published: December 2016

G. Caton-Thompson and E. W. Gardner designated new Pleistocene cultural units at Kharga Oasis in the 1930’s: both were originally termed ‘pre-Sebilian’, but were later locally named the ‘Levalloiso-Khargan’ and ‘Khargan’ industries. High on the Bulaq scarp face, a puzzling cluster of stone ‘alignments’ was discovered in 1931–32, with a reported, but discounted, association with ‘Levalloiso-Khargan’ artefacts. Gardner excavated some features in 1933. Members of the Kharga Oasis Prehistory Project relocated ‘Site J’ in January 2011, and verified the reported Khargan associations with the features. In 2008, the project found structural features associated with Khargan artefacts in the northern Gebel Yebsa survey area, confirming earlier finds in the southern oases of Kurkur and Dungul. Evidence there, and that found in Kharga and Dakhleh oases, is now designated as the Khargan Complex. The associated built stone features of the included cultural units appear to be unique in Late Pleistocene Africa, especially at Bulaq.
Benefits of Occupational Therapy in Dementia Patients: Findings from a Real-World Observational Study
Authors: Pimouguet Clément , Le Goff Mélanie , Wittwer Jérôme , Dartigues Jean-François , Helmer Catherine
Published: December 2016

Background: There is a growing interest in developing non-pharmacological approaches in dementia. Clinical efficacy of occupational therapy (OT) under routine care conditions has not been investigated yet.

Objective: To analyze the short-term effects of OT in patients with dementia; and to identify factors related to greater benefit.

Methods: Patients referred to OT were evaluated before starting a 3-month intervention and at 3 and 6 months later. Measures included: Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Disability Assessment in Dementia (DAD), Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) Questionnaire, patients’ quality of life (EQ 5D-VAS), caregivers’ burden (Zarit scale), and amount of informal care. Linear mixed models were used to analyze trajectories of outcomes. Logistic regressions with stepwise descending selection were used to study factors associated with benefits.

Results: 421 dementia patients benefited from OT (mean MMSE = 17.3). Patients remained cognitively stable over time. Functional performances also remained stable at 3 months and significantly decreased at 6 months (crude reduction of 2.8 points, p < 0.01). Behavioral troubles were significantly reduced over the intervention period and remained stable after ( p < 0.01). Patients’ quality of life increased over the 3-month intervention ( p = 0.16) and significantly decreased thereafter. Caregivers’ burden and informal care significantly decreased over the 3-month intervention and remained stable thereafter. Patients who benefited from OT with regard to function were less educated and had higher cognitive level.

Conclusion: OT may be an effective intervention to maintain cognition and functionality and to reduce psychiatric symptoms in dementia patients. Mild stages of dementia could gain more benefits from OT with regard to functional decline.
Validation of the Spanish Version of the LASSI-L for Diagnosing Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Matías-Guiu Jordi A. , Curiel Rosie E. , Rognoni Teresa , Valles-Salgado María , Fernández-Matarrubia Marta , Hariramani Roshan , Fernández-Castro Alejandro , Moreno-Ramos Teresa , Loewenstein David A. , Matías-Guiu Jorge
Published: December 2016

Background: The Loewenstein-Acevedo Scale for Semantic Interference and Learning (LASSI-L) is a novel cognitive test that measures recovery from proactive semantic interference, which may be an early cognitive marker of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Objective: To generate normative data for a Spaniard population and to validate the LASSI-L for the diagnosis of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and mild AD.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study in which 97 healthy participants, 34 with aMCI, and 33 with mild AD were studied with LASSI-L and a comprehensive neuropsychological protocol. The overlapping strategy analysis was used to maximize the sample size and to provide age- and education-adjusted normative data using a logistic regression analysis.

Results: Internal consistency was 0.932. Convergent validity with the Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test was moderate. LASSI-L raw scores were correlated with age and years of education, but not gender. The area under the curve for discriminating between healthy controls and aMCI was 0.909, and between healthy controls and mild AD was 0.986. LASSI-L sub-scores representing maximum storage capacity, recovery from proactive interference, and delayed recall yielded the highest diagnostic accuracy.

Conclusions: The LASSI-L is a reliable and valid test for the diagnosis of aMCI and mild AD. The age and education influences on the performance of the test and normative data are provided. LASSI-L merits further studies to evaluate its ability to detect preclinical AD and predict progression to aMCI and early dementia.
Tracing the Source of the Errors in Hourly IMERG Using a Decomposition Evaluation Scheme
Authors: Xu Shiguang , Shen Yan , Du Zhe
Published: December 2016

Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement (IMERG) is an important satellite precipitation product of Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission. Quantitative information about the errors of IMERG has great significance for the data developers and end users. In order to investigate the characteristics and the source of the errors contained in IMERG, a bias-decomposition scheme was employed to evaluate the hourly IMERG over the eastern part of Mainland China during the warm season. First, the total bias of IMERG before and after calibration (termed as precipitationUncal and precipitationCal) was calculated using rain gauge measurements as reference. Then the bias was decomposed into three independent components including false bias, missed bias, and hit bias. Finally, the hit bias was further decomposed according to the rainfall intensity measured by rain gauges. The results indicate that (1) the bias of precipitationUncal over the north part is dominated by hit bias and false bias, leading to the serious overestimation for the precipitation over this area, but it underestimates the precipitation over the south part with the false bias and missed bias acting as major contributors; (2) the precipitationCal overestimates the precipitation over more than 80% of the study areas mainly as a result of a large amplitude of false bias; (3) the calibration algorithm used by IMERG could not reduce the missed bias and enlarges the false bias over some regions, revealing a shortcoming of this algorithm in that it could not effectively alleviate the bias resulting from the rain areas delineation; (4) the hit bias of IMERG is strongly related with the rainfall intensity of rain gauge measurements, which should be beneficial for reducing the errors of IMERG. This study provides a deep insight into the characteristics and sources of the biases inherent in IMERG, which is significant for its utilization and possible correction in future.
Ensuring Quality in Online Palliative Care Resources
Authors: Tieman Jennifer
Published: December 2016

Evidence and information is an integral part of the processes enabling clinical and service delivery within health. It is used by health professionals in clinical practice and in developing their professional knowledge, by policy makers in decision making, and is sought by health consumers to help them manage their health needs and assess their options. Increasingly, this evidence and information is being disseminated and sought through online channels. The internet is fundamentally changing how health information is being distributed and accessed. Clinicians, patients, community members, and decision makers have an unprecedented capacity to find online information about palliative care and end-of-life care. However, it is clear that not all individuals have the skills to be able to find and assess the quality of the resources they need. There are also many issues in creating online resources that are current, relevant and authoritative for use by health professionals and by health consumers. This paper explores the processes and structures used in creating a major national palliative care knowledge resource, the CareSearch website, to meet the needs of health professionals and of patients and their families and carers.
Asymmetric Star Formation Efficiency Due to Ram Pressure Stripping
Authors: Troncoso Iribarren Paulina , Padilla Nelson , Contreras Sergio , Rodriguez Silvio , García-Lambas Diego , Lagos Claudia
Published: December 2016

Previous works have shown that a dense cluster environment affects satellite galaxy properties and accelerates or truncates their evolutionary processes. In this work, we use the EAGLE simulation to study this effect, dissecting the galaxies in two halves: the one that is falling directly to the cluster (leading half) and the one behind (trailing half). Considering all galaxies within the virial radius of the most massive groups and clusters of the simulation ( M h a l o > 10 13 . 8 [ M ⊙ ] ), we find that on average the leading half presents an enhancement of the star formation rate with respect to the trailing half. We conclude that galaxies falling into the intra-cluster medium experience a boost in star-formation in their leading half due to ram pressure. Sparse observations of jellyfish galaxies have revealed visually the enhancement of the star formation in the leading half. In order to confirm this effect statistically using observations, different cases must be investigated using the simulation as a test dataset.
Surface Morphology at the Microscopic Scale, Swelling/Deswelling, and the Magnetic Properties of PNIPAM/CMC and PNIPAM/CMC/Fe3O4 Hydrogels
Authors: Uva Marianna , Atrei Andrea
Published: December 2016

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) hydrogels containing carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and CMC/Fe3O4 nanoparticles were prepared. Free-radical polymerization with BIS as cross-linker was used to synthesize the hydrogels. The morphology at the microscopic scale of these materials was investigated using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The images show that CMC in the PNIPAM hydrogels induces the formation of a honeycomb structure. This surface morphology was not observed for pure PNIPAM hydrogels prepared under similar conditions. The equilibrium swelling degree of the PNIPAM/CMC hydrogels (5200%) is much larger than that of the pure PNIPAM hydrogels (2500%). The water retention of PNIPAM/CMC hydrogels above the volume phase transition temperature is strongly reduced compared to that of pure PNIPAM hydrogel. Both PNIPAM/Fe3O4 and PNIPAM/CMC/Fe3O4 hydrogels exhibit a superparamagnetic behavior, but the blocking temperature (104 K) of the former is higher than that of the latter (83 K).
Study of the Genetic Etiology of Primary Ovarian Insufficiency: FMR1 Gene
Authors: Barasoain Maitane , Barrenetxea Gorka , Huerta Iratxe , Télez Mercedes , Criado Begoña , Arrieta Isabel
Published: December 2016

Menopause is a period of women’s life characterized by the cessation of menses in a definitive way. The mean age for menopause is approximately 51 years. Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) refers to ovarian dysfunction defined as irregular menses and elevated gonadotrophin levels before or at the age of 40 years. The etiology of POI is unknown but several genes have been reported as being of significance. The fragile X mental retardation 1 gene (FMR1) is one of the most important genes associated with POI. The FMR1 gene contains a highly polymorphic CGG repeat in the 5′ untranslated region of exon 1. Four allelic forms have been defined with respect to CGG repeat length and instability during transmission. Normal (5–44 CGG) alleles are usually transmitted from parent to offspring in a stable manner. The full mutation form consists of over 200 repeats, which induces hypermethylation of the FMR1 gene promoter and the subsequent silencing of the gene, associated with Fragile X Syndrome (FXS). Finally, FMR1 intermediate (45–54 CGG) and premutation (55–200 CGG) alleles have been principally associated with two phenotypes, fragile X tremor ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) and fragile X primary ovarian insufficiency (FXPOI).
Health Profile of Construction Workers in Hong Kong
Authors: Yi Wen , Chan Albert
Published: December 2016

Construction is a manual, heavy, and complex sector concerning the most fatal accidents and high incidence of occupational illnesses and injuries resulting in days away from work. In Hong Kong, “Pilot Medical Examination Scheme for Construction Workers” was launched in 2014 to detect the health problems of their construction workforce. All registered workers under the Construction Workers Registration Board are eligible to join the scheme. The purpose of this paper is to assess the physical condition, physiological status, and musculoskeletal disorders of 942 construction workers in Hong Kong. This study adopted a two-phase design, which includes a basic medical examination to measure the workers’ physiological parameters, such as blood pressure, resting heart rate, glucose, cholesterol, uric acid, liver function test, and renal function test; as well as a face-to-face interview following the medical examination to collect their demographic information and pain experience. Individual characteristics, including gender, age, obesity, alcohol drinking habit, and sleeping habit influenced the health condition of construction workers. Among the participants, 36.1% and 6.5% of them were overweight and obese, respectively. In addition, 43.0%, 38.4%, 16.2%, and 13.9% of the participants exceeded the thresholds of cholesterol, blood pressure, urea nitrogen, and uric urea, correspondingly. Moreover, 41.0% of the participants suffered musculoskeletal pain, where the most frequent painful parts occur in the lower back, shoulder, knees, leg, and neck. Through these findings, a series of important issues that need to be addressed is pointed out in terms of maintaining the physical well-being and reducing musculoskeletal disorders of construction workers. The finding may have implications for formulating proper intervention strategies for the sustainable development of Hong Kong’s construction industry.
Minimizing Spatial Variability of Healthcare Spatial Accessibility—The Case of a Dengue Fever Outbreak
Authors: Chu Hone-Jay , Lin Bo-Cheng , Yu Ming-Run , Chan Ta-Chien
Published: December 2016

Outbreaks of infectious diseases or multi-casualty incidents have the potential to generate a large number of patients. It is a challenge for the healthcare system when demand for care suddenly surges. Traditionally, valuation of heath care spatial accessibility was based on static supply and demand information. In this study, we proposed an optimal model with the three-step floating catchment area (3SFCA) to account for the supply to minimize variability in spatial accessibility. We used empirical dengue fever outbreak data in Tainan City, Taiwan in 2015 to demonstrate the dynamic change in spatial accessibility based on the epidemic trend. The x and y coordinates of dengue-infected patients with precision loss were provided publicly by the Tainan City government, and were used as our model’s demand. The spatial accessibility of heath care during the dengue outbreak from August to October 2015 was analyzed spatially and temporally by producing accessibility maps, and conducting capacity change analysis. This study also utilized the particle swarm optimization (PSO) model to decrease the spatial variation in accessibility and shortage areas of healthcare resources as the epidemic went on. The proposed method in this study can help decision makers reallocate healthcare resources spatially when the ratios of demand and supply surge too quickly and form clusters in some locations.
Portraying Temporal Dynamics of Urban Spatial Divisions with Mobile Phone Positioning Data: A Complex Network Approach
Authors: Zhou Meng , Yue Yang , Li Qingquan , Wang Donggen
Published: December 2016

Spatial structure is a fundamental characteristic of cities that influences the urban functioning to a large extent. While administrative partitioning is generally done in the form of static spatial division, understanding a more temporally dynamic structure of the urban space would benefit urban planning and management immensely. This study makes use of a large-scale mobile phone positioning dataset to characterize the diurnal dynamics of the interaction-based urban spatial structure. To extract the temporally vibrant structure, spatial interaction networks at different times are constructed based on the movement connections of individuals between geographical units. Complex network community detection technique is applied to identify the spatial divisions as well as to quantify their temporal dynamics. Empirical analysis is conducted using data containing all user positions on a typical weekday in Shenzhen, China. Results are compared with official zoning and planned structure and indicate a certain degree of expansion in urban central areas and fragmentation in industrial suburban areas. A high level of variability in spatial divisions at different times of day is detected with some distinct temporal features. Peak and pre-/post-peak hours witness the most prominent fluctuation in spatial division indicating significant change in the characteristics of movements and activities during these periods of time. Findings of this study demonstrate great potential of large-scale mobility data in supporting intelligent spatial decision making and providing valuable knowledge to the urban planning sectors.
Using CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated GLA Gene Knockout as an In Vitro Drug Screening Model for Fabry Disease
Authors: Song Hui-Yung , Chiang Huai-Chih , Tseng Wei-Lien , Wu Ping , Chien Chian-Shiu , Leu Hsin-Bang , Yang Yi-Ping , Wang Mong-Lien , Jong Yuh-Jyh , Chen Chung-Hsuan , Yu Wen-Chung , Chiou Shih-Hwa
Published: December 2016

The CRISPR/Cas9 Genome-editing system has revealed promising potential for generating gene mutation, deletion, and correction in human cells. Application of this powerful tool in Fabry disease (FD), however, still needs to be explored. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), a regular administration of recombinant human α Gal A (rhα-GLA), is a currently available and effective treatment to clear the accumulated Gb3 in FD patients. However, the short half-life of rhα-GLA in human body limits its application. Moreover, lack of an appropriate in vitro disease model restricted the high-throughput screening of drugs for improving ERT efficacy. Therefore, it is worth establishing a large-expanded in vitro FD model for screening potential candidates, which can enhance and prolong ERT potency. Using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene knockout of GLA in HEK-293T cells, we generated GLA-null cells to investigate rhα-GLA cellular pharmacokinetics. The half-life of administrated rhα-GLA was around 24 h in GLA-null cells; co-administration of proteasome inhibitor MG132 and rhα-GLA significantly restored the GLA enzyme activity by two-fold compared with rhα-GLA alone. Furthermore, co-treatment of rhα-GLA/MG132 in patient-derived fibroblasts increased Gb3 clearance by 30%, compared with rhα-GLA treatment alone. Collectively, the CRISPR/Cas9-mediated GLA-knockout HEK-293T cells provide an in vitro FD model for evaluating the intracellular pharmacokinetics of the rhα-GLA as well as for screening candidates to prolong rhα-GLA potency. Using this model, we demonstrated that MG132 prolongs rhα-GLA half-life and enhanced Gb3 clearance, shedding light on the direction of enhancing ERT efficacy in FD treatment.
Automated Soil Physical Parameter Assessment Using Smartphone and Digital Camera Imagery
Authors: Aitkenhead Matt , Coull Malcolm , Gwatkin Richard , Donnelly David
Published: December 2016

Here we present work on using different types of soil profile imagery (topsoil profiles captured with a smartphone camera and full-profile images captured with a conventional digital camera) to estimate the structure, texture and drainage of the soil. The method is adapted from earlier work on developing smartphone apps for estimating topsoil organic matter content in Scotland and uses an existing visual soil structure assessment approach. Colour and image texture information was extracted from the imagery. This information was linked, using geolocation information derived from the smartphone GPS system or from field notes, with existing collections of topography, land cover, soil and climate data for Scotland. A neural network model was developed that was capable of estimating soil structure (on a five-point scale), soil texture (sand, silt, clay), bulk density, pH and drainage category using this information. The model is sufficiently accurate to provide estimates of these parameters from soils in the field. We discuss potential improvements to the approach and plans to integrate the model into a set of smartphone apps for estimating health and fertility indicators for Scottish soils.
N-[2-(Cyclohexylamino)-2-oxoethyl]-N-(4-octyloxy)phenyl-prop-2-enamide
Authors: Ganesh Shimoga , Saha Nabanita , Kucharczyk Pavel , Sáha Petr
Published: December 2016

N-[2-(Cyclohexylamino)-2-oxoethyl]-N-(4-octyloxy)phenyl-prop-2-enamide was prepared in good yield by coupling of 4(octyloxy)aniline, Cyclohexyl isocyanide, paraformaldehyde and acrylic acid by multicomponent Ugi reaction, at room temperature. The structure of the newly synthesized tripeptoid derivative was well characterized using elemental analysis, FTIR, NMR and mass spectral data.
Rational Spline Image Upscaling with Constraint Parameters
Authors: Yao Xunxiang , Zhang Yunfeng , Bao Fangxun , Zhang Caiming
Published: December 2016

Image interpolation is one of key contents in image processing. We present an interpolation algorithm based on a rational function model with constraint parameters. Firstly, based on the construction principle of the rational function, the detection threshold is selected through contour analysis. The smooth and non-smooth areas are interpolated by bicubic interpolation and general rational interpolation, respectively. In order to enhance the contrast in non-smooth areas and preserve the details, the parameter optimization technique is applied to get optimal shape parameters. Experimental results on benchmark test images demonstrate that the proposed method achieves competitive performance with the state-of-the-art interpolation algorithms, especially in image details and texture features.
VRP-GMRES(m) Iteration Algorithm for Fast Multipole Boundary Element Method
Authors: Yu Chunxiao , Ren Cuihuan , Bai Xueting
Published: December 2016

To solve large scale linear equations involved in the Fast Multipole Boundary Element Method (FM-BEM) efficiently, an iterative method named the generalized minimal residual method (GMRES(m)) algorithm with Variable Restart Parameter (VRP-GMRES(m)) algorithm is proposed. By properly changing a variable restart parameter for the GMRES(m) algorithm, the iteration stagnation problem resulting from improper selection of the parameter is resolved efficiently. Based on the framework of the VRP-GMRES(m) algorithm and the relevant properties of generalized inverse matrix, the projection of the error vector r m + 1 on r m is deduced. The result proves that the proposed algorithm is not only rapidly convergent but also highly accurate. Numerical experiments further show that the new algorithm can significantly improve the computational efficiency and accuracy. Its superiorities will be much more remarkable when it is used to solve larger scale problems. Therefore, it has extensive prospects in the FM-BEM field and other scientific and engineering computing.
An Investigation of the High Performance of a Novel Type of Benzobisoxazole Fiber Based on 3,3-Diaminobenzidine
Authors: Wang Yang , Song Yuanjun , Zhao Lei , Rahoui Nahla , Jiang Bo , Huang Yudong
Published: December 2016

The mechanical and thermal properties of poly{2,6-diimidazo[4,5-b:4′5′-e] pyridinylene-1,4(2,5-dihydroxy) phenylene} (PIPD)-3,3-diaminobenzidine (DAB) fibers were analyzed. Compared to other types of benzimidazole fiber structures and properties, PIPD-DAB is distinguished by a unique combination of strength, tensile modulus, and thermal properties. The PIPD polymer was prepared from 2,3,5,6-tetra-aminopyridine (TAP) and 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid (DHTA) in polyphosphoric acid (PPA). In order to enhance the tensile strength and modulus, a third comonomer, 3,3-diaminobenzidine (DAB), was incorporated into the PIPD molecular structure. The change in molecular structure was recorded using Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). Compared to the PIPD fibers (average tensile strength of PIPD is 3.9 GPa, average tensile modulus of PIPD is 287 GPa), the tensile strength and modulus of PIPD-DAB increased to 4.2 and 318 GPa, respectively. In addition, the thermal decomposition temperature of the PIPD fibers is enhanced by 35 °C, due to the incorporated DAB. PIPD-DAB is a promising material for use under high tensile loads and/or high temperatures.
Gridded Water Resource Distribution Simulation for China Based on Third-Order Basin Data from 2002
Authors: Tu Mingguang , Wang Futao , Zhou Yi , Wang Shixin
Published: December 2016

Water resources are a key factor for regional sustainable development. However, the published water resource data in China is based on a large geographical scale, such as watershed units, and the data cannot reflect subtle differences in water resource distribution. The paper aimed to distribute water resources of the third-order basin of China into grid-cells of 1 km × 1 km. First, we used Moran’s I index to analyze the spatial pattern of water resources of the third-order basin. Second, we constructed a spatial autocorrelation model between water resources of third-order basins and the associated factors. Third, we applied the model to simulate the gridded water resource distribution and evaluated the simulation accuracy. The results indicated that significant spatial autocorrelation existed among the water resources of third-order basins. Northern China was the low-value clustering area of water resources and Southeast China was the high-value clustering area of water resources. Slope and precipitation were the main factors that influenced the amount of water resources. The simulating accuracy of water resource distribution was very high, apart from some extremely arid regions (Gurbantunggut Desert, Kumtag Desert, and Hexi Desert). On the whole, the gridded water resource distribution map was valid and was helpful for regional water resource management.
The Wicked Problem of Climate Change: A New Approach Based on Social Mess and Fragmentation
Authors: Sun Jiazhe , Yang Kaizhong
Published: December 2016

The 21st century has been the warmest period on record since 1880, making the problem of climate change a central issue in the global political arena. While most approaches to climate change emphasize setting and imposing thresholds for greenhouse gas emissions, this paper argues that the issue of climate change and its solutions should be viewed in a more dynamic and complex way, involving social messes and the fragmentation of industries and organizations. In this context, learning models can offer a starting point to understand the reasons why organizations engage in certain types of corporate environmental strategies with regard to climate change, and can help in the search for solutions to the problem of climate change.
Proteomic Analyses of Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix Venom Using 2D Electrophoresis and MS Techniques
Authors: Bocian Aleksandra , Urbanik Małgorzata , Hus Konrad , Łyskowski Andrzej , Petrilla Vladimír , Andrejčáková Zuzana , Petrillová Monika , Legáth Jaroslav
Published: December 2016

Snake venom is a complex mixture of proteins and peptides which in the Viperidae is mainly hemotoxic. The diversity of these components causes the venom to be an extremely interesting object of study. Discovered components can be used in search for new pharmaceuticals used primarily in the treatment of diseases of the cardiovascular system. In order to determine the protein composition of the southern copperhead venom, we have used high resolution two dimensional electrophoresis and MALDI ToF/ToF MS-based identification. We have identified 10 groups of proteins present in the venom, of which phospholipase A2 and metalloprotease and serine proteases constitute the largest groups. For the first time presence of 5′-nucleotidase in venom was found in this group of snakes. Three peptides present in the venom were also identified. Two of them as bradykinin-potentiating agents and one as an inhibitor.