bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comprehensive Comparison between Empty Nest and Non-Empty Nest Elderly: A Cross-Sectional Study among Rural Populations in Northeast China
Authors: Chang Ye , Guo Xiaofan , Guo Liang , Li Zhao , Yang Hongmei , Yu Shasha , Sun Guozhe , Sun Yingxian
Published: August 2016

This study aimed to comprehensively compare the general characteristics, lifestyles, serum parameters, ultrasonic cardiogram (UCG) parameters, depression, quality of life, and various comorbidities between empty nest and non-empty nest elderly among rural populations in northeast China. This analysis was based on our previous study which was conducted from January 2012 to August 2013, using a multistage, stratified, random cluster sampling scheme. The final analyzed sample consisted of 3208 participants aged no less than 60 years, which was further classified into three groups: non-empty nest group, empty nest group (living as a couple), and empty nest group (living alone). More than half of the participants were empty nest elderly (60.5%). There were no significant statistical differences for serum parameters, UCG parameters, lifestyles, dietary pattern, and scores of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire, abbreviated version (WHOQOL-BREF) among the three groups. Empty nest elderly showed no more risk for comorbidities such as general obesity, abdominal obesity, hyperuricemia, hyperhomocysteinemia, diabetes, dyslipidemia, left atrial enlargement (LAE), and stroke. Our study indicated that empty nest elderly showed no more risk for depression, low quality of life and comorbidities such as general obesity, abdominal obesity, hyperuricemia, hyperhomocysteinemia, diabetes, dyslipidemia, LAE, and stroke among rural populations in northeast China.
Review of Forty Years of Technological Changes in Geomatics toward the Big Data Paradigm
Authors: Jeansoulin Robert
Published: August 2016

Looking back at the last four decades, the technologies that have been developed for Earth observation and mapping can shed a light on the technologies that are trending today and on their challenges. Forty years ago, the first digital pictures decided the fate of remote sensing, photogrammetric engineering, GIS, or, for short: of geomatics. This sudden wave of volumes of data triggered the research in fields that Big Data is plowing today: this paper will examine this transition. First, a rapid survey of the technology through the succession of selected terms, will help identify two main periods in the last four decades. Spatial information appears in 1970 with the preparation of Landsat, and Big Data appears in 2010. The method for exploring geomatics’ contribution to Big Data, is to examine each of the “Vs” that are used today to characterize the latter: volume, velocity, variety, visualization, value, veracity, validity, and variability. Geomatics has been confronted to each of these facets during the period. The discussion compares the answers offered early by geomatics, with the situation in Big Data today. Over a very large range of issues, from signal processing to the semantics of information, geomatics has made contributions to many data models and algorithms. Big Data now enables geographic information to be disseminated much more widely, and to benefit from new information sources, expanding through the Internet of Things towards a future Digital Earth. Some of the lessons learned during the four decades of geomatics can also be lessons for Big Data today, and for the future of geomatics.
Family Growth and Survival Response to Two Simulated Water Temperature Environments in the Sea Urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius
Authors: Chang Yaqing , Tian Xiaofei , Zhang Weijie , Han Fenjie , Chen Shun , Zhou Mi , Pang Zhenguo , Qi Shoubing , Feng Wenping
Published: August 2016

Heat tolerance is a target trait in the selective breeding of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius, as it plays an important role in the survival and growth of cultured S. intermedius during summer. We investigated family growth and survival response to two temperature treatments to evaluate the genotype by temperature interaction (GEI) in the family selection of S. intermedius. Sea urchins from 11 families were exposed to two simulated water temperature environments—high temperature (HE) and control temperature (CE)—for 12 months, with each experiment divided into four periods (P1, stress-free period I; P2, stress-full high period; P3, stress-response period; and P4, stress-free period II) based on the temperature changes and the survival. Test diameter (TD), body weight (BW), and survival rate (SR) in HE and CE were measured monthly. Effects of family, temperature, and family-temperature interaction on TD, BW, SR, and specific growth rate (SGR) for BW were examined. In CE, BW differed significantly between families in P2, P3, and P4, while TD differed significantly between families in P3 and P4 (p < 0.05). In HE, family had significant effects on BW in P4, and on TD in P3 and P4, while temperature had significant effects on SR, TD, and BW in P3 and P4 (p < 0.05). GEI effects were not significant for TD or BW; however, family ranking changes revealed the existence of GEI in SR. The GEI results indicate the necessity of applying family selection in CE and HE for SR, but not for TD or BW. These results may provide a guide for aquaculture and selective breeding of S. intermedius under temperature pressure.
Synthesis, PASS-Predication and in Vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Benzyl 4-O-benzoyl-α-l-rhamnopyranoside Derivatives
Authors: Matin Mohammed , Nath Amit , Saad Omar , Bhuiyan Mohammad , Kadir Farkaad , Abd Hamid Sharifah , Alhadi Abeer , Ali Md. , Yehye Wageeh
Published: August 2016

Benzyl α-l-rhamnopyranoside 4, obtained by both conventional and microwave assisted glycosidation techniques, was subjected to 2,3-O-isopropylidene protection to yield compound 5 which on benzoylation and subsequent deprotection of isopropylidene group gave the desired 4-O-benzoylrhamnopyranoside 7 in reasonable yield. Di-O-acetyl derivative of benzoate 7 was prepared to get newer rhamnopyranoside. The structure activity relationship (SAR) of the designed compounds was performed along with the prediction of activity spectra for substances (PASS) training set. Experimental studies based on antimicrobial activities verified the predictions obtained by the PASS software. Protected rhamnopyranosides 5 and 6 exhibited slight distortion from regular 1C4 conformation, probably due to the fusion of pyranose and isopropylidene ring. Synthesized rhamnopyranosides 4–8 were employed as test chemicals for in vitro antimicrobial evaluation against eight human pathogenic bacteria and two fungi. Antimicrobial and SAR study showed that the rhamnopyranosides were prone against fungal organisms as compared to that of the bacterial pathogens. Interestingly, PASS prediction of the rhamnopyranoside derivatives 4–8 were 0.49 < Pa < 0.60 (where Pa is probability ‘to be active’) as antibacterial and 0.65 < Pa < 0.73 as antifungal activities, which showed significant agreement with experimental data, suggesting rhamnopyranoside derivatives 4–8 were more active against pathogenic fungi as compared to human pathogenic bacteria thus, there is a more than 50% chance that the rhamnopyranoside derivative structures 4–8 have not been reported with antimicrobial activity, making it a possible valuable lead compound.
Detection of Natural Resistance-Associated Substitutions by Ion Semiconductor Technology in HCV1b Positive, Direct-Acting Antiviral Agents-Naïve Patients
Authors: Marascio Nadia , Pavia Grazia , Strazzulla Alessio , Dierckx Tim , Cuypers Lize , Vrancken Bram , Barreca Giorgio , Mirante Teresa , Malanga Donatella , Oliveira Duarte , Vandamme Anne-Mieke , Torti Carlo , Liberto Maria , Focà Alfredo ,   The SINERGIE-UMG Study Group
Published: August 2016

Naturally occurring resistance-associated substitutions (RASs) can negatively impact the response to direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) agents-based therapies for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Herein, we set out to characterize the RASs in the HCV1b genome from serum samples of DAA-naïve patients in the context of the SINERGIE (South Italian Network for Rational Guidelines and International Epidemiology, 2014) project. We deep-sequenced the NS3/4A protease region of the viral population using the Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine, and patient-specific majority rule consensus sequence summaries were constructed with a combination of freely available next generation sequencing data analysis software. We detected NS3/4A protease major and minor variants associated with resistance to boceprevir (V36L), telaprevir (V36L, I132V), simeprevir (V36L), and grazoprevir (V36L, V170I). Furthermore, we sequenced part of HCV NS5B polymerase using Sanger-sequencing and detected a natural RAS for dasabuvir (C316N). This mutation could be important for treatment strategies in cases of previous therapy failure.
Bioinformatics Identification of Drug Resistance-Associated Gene Pairs in Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Cui Ze-Jia , Yang Qing-Yong , Zhang Hong-Yu , Zhu Qiang , Zhang Qing-Ye
Published: August 2016

Tuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Due to the extensive use of anti-tuberculosis drugs and the development of mutations, the emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis is recognized as one of the most dangerous threats to global tuberculosis control. Some single mutations have been identified to be significantly linked with drug resistance. However, the prior research did not take gene-gene interactions into account, and the emergence of transmissible drug resistance is connected with multiple genetic mutations. In this study we use the bioinformatics software GBOOST (The Hong Kong University, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China) to calculate the interactions of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) pairs and identify gene pairs associated with drug resistance. A large part of the non-synonymous mutations in the drug target genes that were included in the screened gene pairs were confirmed by previous reports, which lent sound solid credits to the effectiveness of our method. Notably, most of the identified gene pairs containing drug targets also comprise Pro-Pro-Glu (PPE) family proteins, suggesting that PPE family proteins play important roles in the drug resistance of Mtb. Therefore, this study provides deeper insights into the mechanisms underlying anti-tuberculosis drug resistance, and the present method is useful for exploring the drug resistance mechanisms for other microorganisms.
Cleome rutidosperma and Euphorbia thymifolia Suppress Inflammatory Response via Upregulation of Phase II Enzymes and Modulation of NF-κB and JNK Activation in LPS-Stimulated BV2 Microglia
Authors: Ding Hsiou-Yu , Wu Pei-Shan , Wu Ming-Jiuan
Published: August 2016

Cleome rutidosperma DC. and Euphorbia thymifolia L. are herbal medicines used in traditional Indian and Chinese medicine to treat various illnesses. Reports document that they have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities; nonetheless, the molecular mechanisms involved in their anti-inflammatory actions have not yet been elucidated. The anti-neuroinflammatory activities and underlying mechanisms of ethanol extracts of Cleome rutidosperma (CR) and Euphorbia thymifolia (ET) were studied using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated microglial cell line BV2. The morphology changes and production of pro-inflammatory mediators were assayed. Gene expression of inflammatory genes such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, interleukin (IL)-1β, and CC chemokine ligand (CCL)-2, as well as phase II enzymes such as heme oxygenase (HO)-1, the modifier subunit of glutamate cysteine ligase (GCLM) and NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 (NQO1), were further investigated using reverse transcription quantitative-PCR (RT-Q-PCR) and Western blotting. The effects of CR and ET on mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling pathways were examined using Western blotting and specific inhibitors. CR and ET suppressed BV2 activation, down-regulated iNOS and COX-2 expression and inhibited nitric oxide (NO) overproduction without affecting cell viability. They reduced LPS-mediated tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and IL-6 production, attenuated IL-1β and CCL2 expression, but upregulated HO-1, GCLM and NQO1 expression. They also inhibited p65 NF-κB phosphorylation and modulated Jun-N terminal kinase (JNK) activation in BV2 cells. SP600125, the JNK inhibitor, significantly augmented the anti-IL-6 activity of ET. NF-κB inhibitor, Bay 11-7082, enhanced the anti-IL-6 effects of both CR and ET. Znpp, a competitive inhibitor of HO-1, attenuated the anti-NO effects of CR and ET. Our results show that CR and ET exhibit anti-neuroinflammatory activities by inhibiting pro-inflammatory mediator expression and production, upregulating HO-1, GCLM and NQO1, blocking NF-κB and modulating JNK signaling pathways. They may offer therapeutic potential for suppressing overactivated microglia and alleviating neurodegeneration.
Extraction, Chemical Composition, and Antifungal Activity of Essential Oil of Bitter Almond
Authors: Geng Huiling , Yu Xinchi , Lu Ailin , Cao Haoqiang , Zhou Bohang , Zhou Le , Zhao Zhong
Published: August 2016

The essential oil from the powder residual of dried bitter almond, a novel and environmentally-friendly fungicide, was successfully extracted in a 0.7% yield by hydro-distillation under optimized conditions. The chemical composition of bitter almond essential oil (BAEO) was analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Twenty-one different components representing 99.90% of the total essential oil were identified, of which benzaldehyde (62.52%), benzoic acid (14.80%), and hexadecane (3.97%) were the most abundant components. Furthermore, the in vitro and in vivo antifungal activities of BAEO against common plant pathogenic fungi were evaluated by the mycelium linear growth rate method and pot test, respectively. It was documented that 1 mg/mL of BAEO could variously inhibit all tested pathogenic fungi with the inhibition rates of 44.8%~100%. Among the tested 19 strains of fungi, the median effective concentration (EC50) values of BAEO against Alternaria brassicae and Alternaria solani were only 50.2 and 103.2 μg/mL, respectively, which were higher than those of other fungi. The in vivo antifungal activity of BAEO against Gloeosporium orbiculare was much higher than Blumeria graminis. The protective efficacy for the former was up to 98.07% at 10 mg/mL and the treatment efficacy was 93.41% at 12 mg/mL. The above results indicated that BAEO has the great potential to be developed as a botanical and agricultural fungicide.
Messianic Time and Monetary Value1
Authors: Thate Michael
Published: August 2016

In this essay we return to Walter Benjamin’s notion of messianic time as outlined in his Theses on the Philosophy of History. Messianic time is read with Benjamin’s Sonnette as a “divestment” from historical time. That is, messianic time is a relinquishing of historical time’s formation of identities within late capitalism. Messianism represents that opening which whispers the possibility of bringing asymmetrical accumulation and subjective formation to a standstill. The aim of the essay is thus to push a rereading of Benjamin’s notion of messianic time as subjective divestment from historical time which in turn breaks the uneven distribution of time, accumulation, and the monetary value of market time at work in our current world of global finance.
Ocean Wave Parameters Retrieval from Sentinel-1 SAR Imagery
Authors: Shao Weizeng , Zhang Zheng , Li Xiaofeng , Li Huan
Published: August 2016

In this paper, a semi-empirical algorithm for significant wave height (Hs) and mean wave period (Tmw) retrieval from C-band VV-polarization Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery is presented. We develop a semi-empirical function for Hs retrieval, which describes the relation between Hs and cutoff wavelength, radar incidence angle, and wave propagation direction relative to radar look direction. Additionally, Tmw can be also calculated through Hs and cutoff wavelength by using another empirical function. We collected 106 C-band stripmap mode Sentinel-1 SAR images in VV-polarization and wave measurements from in situ buoys. There are a total of 150 matchup points. We used 93 matchups to tune the coefficients of the semi-empirical algorithm and the rest 57 matchups for validation. The comparison shows a 0.69 m root mean square error (RMSE) of Hs with a 18.6% of scatter index (SI) and 1.98 s RMSE of Tmw with a 24.8% of SI. Results indicate that the algorithm is suitable for wave parameters retrieval from Sentinel-1 SAR data.
Content-Based High-Resolution Remote Sensing Image Retrieval via Unsupervised Feature Learning and Collaborative Affinity Metric Fusion
Authors: Li Yansheng , Zhang Yongjun , Tao Chao , Zhu Hu
Published: August 2016

With the urgent demand for automatic management of large numbers of high-resolution remote sensing images, content-based high-resolution remote sensing image retrieval (CB-HRRS-IR) has attracted much research interest. Accordingly, this paper proposes a novel high-resolution remote sensing image retrieval approach via multiple feature representation and collaborative affinity metric fusion (IRMFRCAMF). In IRMFRCAMF, we design four unsupervised convolutional neural networks with different layers to generate four types of unsupervised features from the fine level to the coarse level. In addition to these four types of unsupervised features, we also implement four traditional feature descriptors, including local binary pattern (LBP), gray level co-occurrence (GLCM), maximal response 8 (MR8), and scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT). In order to fully incorporate the complementary information among multiple features of one image and the mutual information across auxiliary images in the image dataset, this paper advocates collaborative affinity metric fusion to measure the similarity between images. The performance evaluation of high-resolution remote sensing image retrieval is implemented on two public datasets, the UC Merced (UCM) dataset and the Wuhan University (WH) dataset. Large numbers of experiments show that our proposed IRMFRCAMF can significantly outperform the state-of-the-art approaches.
Using VIIRS Day/Night Band to Measure Electricity Supply Reliability: Preliminary Results from Maharashtra, India
Authors: Mann Michael , Melaas Eli , Malik Arun
Published: August 2016

Unreliable electricity supplies are common in developing countries and impose large socio-economic costs, yet precise information on electricity reliability is typically unavailable. This paper presents preliminary results from a machine-learning approach for using satellite imagery of nighttime lights to develop estimates of electricity reliability for western India at a finer spatial scale. We use data from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) onboard the Suomi National Polar Partnership (SNPP) satellite together with newly-available data from networked household voltage meters. Our results point to the possibilities of this approach as well as areas for refinement. With currently available training data, we find a limited ability to detect individual outages identified by household-level measurements of electricity voltage. This is likely due to the relatively small number of individual outages observed in our preliminary data. However, we find that the approach can estimate electricity reliability rates for individual locations fairly well, with the predicted versus actual regression yielding an R2 > 0.5. We also find that, despite the after midnight overpass time of the SNPP satellite, the reliability estimates derived are representative of daytime reliability.
Hybrid SnO2/TiO2 Nanocomposites for Selective Detection of Ultra-Low Hydrogen Sulfide Concentrations in Complex Backgrounds
Authors: Larin Alexander , Womble Phillip , Dobrokhotov Vladimir
Published: August 2016

In this paper, we present a chemiresistive metal oxide (MOX) sensor for detection of hydrogen sulfide. Compared to the previous reports, the overall sensor performance was improved in multiple characteristics, including: sensitivity, selectivity, stability, activation time, response time, recovery time, and activation temperature. The superior sensor performance was attributed to the utilization of hybrid SnO2/TiO2 oxides as interactive catalytic layers deposited using a magnetron radio frequency (RF) sputtering technique. The unique advantage of the RF sputtering for sensor fabrication is the ability to create ultra-thin films with precise control of geometry, morphology and chemical composition of the product of synthesis. Chemiresistive films down to several nanometers can be fabricated as sensing elements. The RF sputtering technique was found to be very robust for bilayer and multilayer oxide structure fabrication. The geometry, morphology, chemical composition and electronic structure of interactive layers were evaluated in relation to their gas sensing performance, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction technique (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDAX), UV visible spectroscopy, and Kelvin probe measurements. A sensor based on multilayer SnO2/TiO2 catalytic layer with 10% vol. content of TiO2 demonstrated the best gas sensing performance in all characteristics. Based on the pattern relating material’s characteristics to gas sensing performance, the optimization strategy for hydrogen sulfide sensor fabrication was suggested.
Novel Robotic Platforms for the Accurate Sampling and Monitoring of Water Columns
Authors: Fernández Roemi , Apalkov Andrey , Armada Manuel
Published: August 2016

The hydrosphere contains large amounts of suspended particulate material, including living and non-living material that can be found in different compositions and concentrations, and that can be composed of particles of different sizes. The study of this particulate material along water columns plays a key role in understanding a great variety of biological, chemical, and physical processes. This paper presents the conceptual design of two patented robotic platforms that have been conceived for carrying out studies of water properties at desired depths with very high accuracy in the vertical positioning. One platform has been specially designed for operating near to a reservoir bottom, while the other is intended to be used near the surface. Several experimental tests have been conducted in order to validate the proposed approaches.
Dynamic Layered Dual-Cluster Heads Routing Algorithm Based on Krill Herd Optimization in UWSNs
Authors: Jiang Peng , Feng Yang , Wu Feng , Yu Shanen , Xu Huan
Published: August 2016

Aimed at the limited energy of nodes in underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs) and the heavy load of cluster heads in clustering routing algorithms, this paper proposes a dynamic layered dual-cluster routing algorithm based on Krill Herd optimization in UWSNs. Cluster size is first decided by the distance between the cluster head nodes and sink node, and a dynamic layered mechanism is established to avoid the repeated selection of the same cluster head nodes. Using Krill Herd optimization algorithm selects the optimal and second optimal cluster heads, and its Lagrange model directs nodes to a high likelihood area. It ultimately realizes the functions of data collection and data transition. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can effectively decrease cluster energy consumption, balance the network energy consumption, and prolong the network lifetime.
Magnetoelastic Effect-Based Transmissive Stress Detection for Steel Strips: Theory and Experiment
Authors: Zhang Qingdong , Su Yuanxiao , Zhang Liyuan , Bi Jia , Luo Jiang
Published: August 2016

For the deficiencies of traditional stress detection methods for steel strips in industrial production, this paper proposes a non-contact stress detection scheme based on the magnetoelastic effect. The theoretical model of the transmission-type stress detection is established, in which the output voltage and the tested stress obey a linear relation. Then, a stress detection device is built for the experiment, and Q235 steel under uniaxial tension is tested as an example. The result shows that the output voltage rises linearly with the increase of the tensile stress, consistent with the theoretical prediction. To ensure the accuracy of the stress detection method in actual application, the temperature compensation, magnetic shielding and some other key technologies are investigated to reduce the interference of the external factors, such as environment temperature and surrounding magnetic field. The present research develops the theoretical and experimental foundations for the magnetic stress detection system, which can be used for online non-contact monitoring of strip flatness-related stress (tension distribution or longitudinal residual stress) in the steel strip rolling process, the quality evaluation of strip flatness after rolling, the life and safety assessment of metal construction and other industrial production links.
Risk Compensation: Revisited and Rebutted
Authors: Pless Barry
Published: August 2016

This Commentary addresses the ongoing disagreements between many safety advocates who endorse traditional models of prevention and those who oppose them, arguing that safety measures are offset by risk compensation (RCT). The debate is especially heated with respect to regulatory or legislative prevention measures. After explaining the rationale behind risk compensation (aka risk homeostasis theory) (RHT), I provide examples of RCT studies to explain why I believe they should be rejected. The main basis for my rebuttal, however, rests on data that show steady declines in unintentional injury mortality, which, according to RCT, should not have occurred. There are many other reasons for rejecting this theory, and it seems that the time has come for the debate to finally be concluded.
Coffee and Caffeine Ingestion Have Little Effect on Repeated Sprint Cycling in Relatively Untrained Males
Authors: Clarke Neil , Baxter Harry , Fajemilua Emmanuel , Jones Victoria , Oxford Samuel , Richardson Darren , Wyatt Charlotte , Mundy Peter
Published: August 2016

The present study investigated the effect of ingesting caffeine-dose-matched anhydrous caffeine or coffee on the performance of repeated sprints. Twelve recreationally active males (mean ± SD age: 22 ± 2 years, height: 1.78 ± 0.07 m, body mass: 81 ± 16 kg) completed eighteen 4 s sprints with 116 s recovery on a cycle ergometer on four separate occasions in a double-blind, randomised, counterbalanced crossover design. Participants ingested either 3 mg·kg−1 of caffeine (CAF), 0.09 g·kg−1 coffee, which provided 3 mg·kg−1 of caffeine (COF), a taste-matched placebo beverage (PLA), or a control condition (CON) 45 min prior to commencing the exercise protocol. Peak and mean power output and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were recorded for each sprint. There were no significant differences in peak power output (CAF: 949 ± 199 W, COF: 949 ± 174 W, PLA: 971 ± 149 W and CON: 975 ± 170 W; p = 0.872; η P 2 = 0.02) or mean power output (CAF: 873 ± 172 W, COF: 862 ± 44 W, PLA: 887 ± 119 W and CON: 892 ± 143 W; p = 0.819; η P 2 = 0.03) between experimental conditions. Mean RPE was similar for all trials (CAF: 11 ± 2, COF: 11 ± 2, PLA: 11 ± 2 and CON: 11 ± 2; p = 0.927; η P 2 = 0.01). Neither the ingestion of COF or CAF improved repeated sprint cycling performance in relatively untrained males.
Perception of Cabin Air Quality among Drivers and Passengers
Authors: Constantin Doru , Mazilescu Crisanta-Alina , Nagi Mihai , Draghici Anca , Mihartescu Ana-Andreea
Published: August 2016

Air analysis inside vehicles is a problem that can be interpreted from several perspectives. This research is oriented towards the perception of air quality within a car, regarding a situation of cars in stationary traffic. Carbon dioxide measurements were made using a Trotec Data Logger Air Quality CO2 BZ30 machine inside different standing vehicles with up to five occupants, with and without circulating air. The perception of the air quality was measured on a Likert-type scale with seven levels on a sample group of 60 students. The results highlight, on the one hand, the conditions under which the CO2 in the cabin air can reach concentrations which are, according to new data, considered to influence the cognitive capacity of occupants in the car, and on the other hand, they present a global assessment of the air quality in the vehicle when critical values of CO2 have been reached. If the air exchange rates inside a car are low, this degrades the air quality in such a way that it affects the concentration and reactions necessary for safe driving without perceiving any discomfort that would put the drivers or the passengers on alert.
Thriving Organizational Sustainability through Innovation: Incivility Climate and Teamwork
Authors: Yang Jaewan
Published: August 2016

The present study examines the association between team incivility climate and team members’ perceived support for innovation. To extend findings on the negative effects of incivility (which are low intensity deviant behaviors, such as rudeness) in studies focusing on the individual level, the effects of organizational incivility are examined at the work team level. Drawing on the spiral model of incivility and the literature on teams, this study suggests that team incivility climate has a negative impact on perceived support for innovation through team members’ teamwork behaviors. Using data collected from 411 subordinates on 62 work teams, the hypothesized mediation model is tested. The results show a negative effect of team incivility climate on teamwork and a positive effect of teamwork on perceived support for innovation, supporting the hypothesized negative indirect effect. Research and practical implications for organizational sustainability are discussed.
Scenarios of Carbon Emissions from the Power Sector in Guangdong Province
Authors: Tian Zhong-Hua , Yang Ze-Liang
Published: August 2016

The electricity power sector plays an important role in both CO2 emissions as well as the target contribution of non-fossil energy. Although the target for the reduction of CO2 emission intensity in Guangdong (GD) has not been released by the central government, GD has set a goal for increasing the share of non-fossil energy in total energy consumption to 25% in the provincial 13th Five-Year Plan. In this study, the CO2 emissions from the electric power sector and the corresponding share of non-fossil fuels in total energy consumption between 2005 and 2014 were analyzed. The logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) technique was applied for investigating the factors affecting the changes in CO2 emissions. The main results are as follows: in 2014, the CO2 emissions from the electric power sector were 286.54 Mt, of which the net purchased electricity accounted for 22.4%. Economic growth is the main contributor for the increase in CO2 emissions from the electric power sector. Electricity intensity, thermal generation efficiency, CO2 emission coefficient, and electricity supply mix slowed the growth of CO2 emissions. Several energy scenarios were developed, and results showed that the provincial target for the share of non-fossil fuels by 2020 would be achieved by all of the scenarios.
Zebrafish Get Connected: Investigating Neurotransmission Targets and Alterations in Chemical Toxicity
Authors: Horzmann Katharine , Freeman Jennifer
Published: August 2016

Neurotransmission is the basis of neuronal communication and is critical for normal brain development, behavior, learning, and memory. Exposure to drugs and chemicals can alter neurotransmission, often through unknown pathways and mechanisms. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) model system is increasingly being used to study the brain and chemical neurotoxicity. In this review, the major neurotransmitter systems, including glutamate, GABA, dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, acetylcholine, histamine, and glutamate are surveyed and pathways of synthesis, transport, metabolism, and action are examined. Differences between human and zebrafish neurochemical pathways are highlighted. We also review techniques for evaluating neurological function, including the measurement of neurotransmitter levels, assessment of gene expression through transcriptomic analysis, and the recording of neurobehavior. Finally examples of chemical toxicity studies evaluating alterations in neurotransmitter systems in the zebrafish model are reviewed.
miRNA profiling of circulating EpCAM+ extracellular vesicles: promising biomarkers of colorectal cancer
Authors: Ostenfeld Marie Stampe , Jensen Steffen Grann , Jeppesen Dennis Kjølhede , Christensen Lise‐Lotte , Thorsen Stine Buch , Stenvang Jan , Hvam Michael Lykke , Thomsen Anni , Mouritzen Peter , Rasmussen Mads Heilskov , Nielsen Hans Jørgen , Ørntoft Torben Falck , Andersen Claus Lindbjerg
Published: August 2016

Cancer cells secrete small membranous extracellular vesicles (EVs) into their microenvironment and circulation. These contain biomolecules, including proteins and microRNAs (miRNAs). Both circulating EVs and miRNAs have received much attention as biomarker candidates for non‐invasive diagnostics. Here we describe a sensitive analytical method for isolation and subsequent miRNA profiling of epithelial‐derived EVs from blood samples of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). The epithelial‐derived EVs were isolated by immunoaffinity‐capture using the epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) as marker. This approach mitigates some of the specificity issues observed in earlier studies of circulating miRNAs, in particular the negative influence of miRNAs released by erythrocytes, platelets and non‐epithelial cells. By applying this method to 2 small‐scale patient cohorts, we showed that blood plasma isolated from CRC patients prior to surgery contained elevated levels of 13 EpCAM+‐EV miRNAs compared with healthy individuals. Upon surgical tumour removal, the plasma levels of 8 of these were reduced (miR‐16‐5p, miR‐23a‐3p, miR‐23b‐3p, miR‐27a‐3p, miR‐27b‐3p, miR‐30b‐5p, miR‐30c‐5p and miR‐222‐3p). These findings indicate that the miRNAs are of tumour origin and may have potential as non‐invasive biomarkers for detection of CRC. This work describes a non‐invasive blood‐based method for sensitive detection of cancer with potential for clinical use in relation to diagnosis and screening. We used the method to study CRC; however, it is not restricted to this disease. It may in principle be used to study any cancer that release epithelial‐derived EVs into circulation.
La mémoire des aiguats dans le haut Vallespir
Authors: Xatard Evelyne
Published: August 2016

Au cours des derniers siècles, le haut Vallespir a connu à plusieurs reprises des inondations catastrophiques. Le gonflement exceptionnel du Tech et de ses affluents y fit en octobre 1940 de nombreuses victimes. Une enquête effectuée auprès des habitants de ce canton montagnard a mis en lumière la constitution et la transmission, de génération en génération, d'un véritable savoir de la catastrophe. La mémoire d'événements anciens, tel l'aiguat d'octobre 1763, a été remarquablement conservée dans de petits hameaux des vallées méridionales du Canigou. Les mutations sociologiques contemporaines font craindre cependant la disparition de ce savoir à plus ou moins brève échéance.
Aménagements hydrauliques en Roussillon du IXe au XVe siècle
Authors: Caucanas Sylvie
Published: August 2016

Las redes de regadío en Rosellón en la edad media. La sociedad medieval ha dejado fuerte impronta en el espacio rural del Rosellón : creación, entre los siglos IX y XV, de una red de regadío que hoy aún se utiliza en gran parte ; desecación de pantanos e importantes obras de drenaje ; intentos de protección contra las inundaciones y las crecidas de los ríos.
Évolution des campagnes et monde paysan : la diffusion des modèles agricoles en Italie du nord
Authors: Prost Brigitte , Vandenbroucke Michel
Published: August 2016

El caso de la Italia del norte. Desde los siglos XII y XIII, bajo la influencia de la burgesía ciudadana de la Italia del Norte, se ha desarrollado en la llanura del Po una agricultura avanzada (Lombardía, Venecia) que luego se situó a la vanguardia de la agronomía. Durante el siglo XVIII fue elaborándose el sistema que, reforzado en el siglo siguiente con el ferrocarril y la unificación del a península, perduró hasta hoy : en las llanuras, en unas grandes entidades capitalistas dirigidas por un administrador trabajaban para el mercado de venta aparceros y jornaleros ; en las zonas más elevadas y más secas, iban multiplicándose las pequeñas explotaciones familiares orientadas hacia la economía doméstica. Después de la segunda guerra mundial, las autoridades políticas no tocaron a las grandes explotaciones del norte y, al mismo tiempo, por motivos sociales y políticos, trataron de mantener la pequeña propiedad campesina. Pero ésta no llegó a constituir un modelo eficaz como en Holanda (modelo «danés»), y tampoco las organizaciones profesionales y sindicales desempeñaron un papel motor. El éxodo rural, la supresión de la aparcería y después el desarrollo de la doble actividad y de los contratos agroindustriales permitieron que las pequeñas explotaciones, más diversificadas, se mantuvieran. Los imperativos de la productividad y de un mercado extendido a toda Europa impulsaron igual las pequeñas explotaciones como las mayores a adoptar orientaciones comunes.
Renaissance de l'exploitation familiale dans les nouveaux Länder d'Allemagne : greffe délicate d'un modèle agricole imposé
Authors: Lacquement Guillaume
Published: August 2016

Le 7 juin 1991, le gouvernement allemand fait adopter par le Parlement l'amendement de la loi d'adaptation de l'agriculture qui modifie à plusieurs titres la législation précédemment votée par la Chambre du Peuple de l'ex-RDA et impose un calendrier impératif de démantèlement des structures agraires héritées du système collectiviste. Dans les nouveaux Lander allemands, la transition des territoires ruraux vers l'économie de marché se résoud à un transfert de modèle : la politique agricole du gouvernement fédéral se fonde principalement sur la renaissance de l'exploitation familiale. Deux ans après la réunification, malgré la détermination du gouvernement et sa conformité avec l'idéologie ambiante, l'exploitation familiale ne constitue pas le modèle agricole dominant issu du processus de restructuration. Parce qu'il a provoqué une remise en cause violente des pratiques politiques, économiques et sociales dans des campagnes en grande partie figées par quarante ans de collectivisme agraire, et parce que sa diffusion s'opère dans un contexte de crise foncière, le nouveau modèle agricole doit aujourd'hui s'incliner devant la prépondérance des nouvelles entreprises de coopération agricole qui jouent dans le processus de transition un rôle certain de continuité sociale et fonctionnelle.
Avant-propos - La langue et la littérature bulgares de 1989 à 2009 : Libération, expérimentation, transgression
Authors: Feuillet Jack , Vrinat-Nikolov Marie
Published: August 2016

Българският език и литература между 1989 и 2009.

Освобождение, експериментиране, трансгресия.

Изминаха вече 20 години откакто комунизмът, считан от мнозина за непоклатим въпреки признаците на явно залиняване, рухна от самосебе си, лишен от подкрепата на «съветския брат». Новата България, която се роди от промяната след 45 години «летаргичен сън» според метафората, създадена от Паисий Хилендарски в неговата История славянобългарска (1762), претърпява дълъг и мъчителен «преход» (друг траен образ в българския дискурс). Освободени от натиска на цензурата и на автоцензурата, от идеологическите догми и от контрола, упражняван от българската комунистическа партия върху целия културен живот, българският език и литература представляват динамична, подвижна и напоследък трудно обозрима картина. Двайсет години обаче ни се струват достатъчни, за да опитаме едно предварително обобщение и периодизация на настъпилите промени благодарение на проучванията на български и френски специалисти : за литературните процеси - Пламен Дойнов («Българската литература след 1989 година : дискусионни тенденции, тен- денционни дискусии»), Виолета Дечева («Фрагментаризирането на субекта : новата българската драма след 1989 г.»), Мари Врина-Николов («Памет за 1989 и посткомунистическа литература - как да се покрият гърмящите мълчания на историята») ; за досиетата - Надеж Рагарю («Досиетата на българската Държаваната сигурност : преплетените времена на социализма») ; за промените, настъпили в езика - Владко Мурдаров («Как разрушихме книжовните норми за 20 години (20 примера)»), Снежана Гаджева («Турцизмите в "освободения" български език : източник на неологизми»), Георги Армянов («Жаргонът и езиковите промени в България след 1989 година») и Красимир Стоянов («Езиковите предизвикателства на българския масме- диен дискурс след Промените от 1989 г.»).
Comment nous avons détruit les normes standard en vingt ans (vingt exemples)
Authors: Murdarov Vladko
Published: August 2016

Как разрушихме книжовните норми за 20 години (20 примера).

След 1989 година до голяма степен бях разрушени нормите на книжовния език и техните правила. Това важи за правописната и правоговорната система, за граматиката и речника. В момента езиковедите се стремят да кодифицират онова, което е най-подходящо за съвременността, за да може книжовният език да продължава да бъде представителната форма на националния език и чрез нея да се осъществява най-пълноценна комуникация.
Les turcismes dans la langue bulgare « libérée » : une source de néologie
Authors: Gadjeva Snejana
Published: August 2016

Turkisms in the 'Liberated Bulgarian Language : A Source of Neology.

This study examines the neological ability of the Turkisms, which represent one part of the Bulgarian lexicon, in the context of the 'liberation' of the language. It provides an analysis of the productivity of Turkisms over the past twenty years, from the point of view of the formation of new lexical items and the adoption of new meanings. It also discusses the emergence of new usages in which these lexical items specialize.
Les défis linguistiques du discours des médias bulgares après les changements de 1989
Authors: Stojanov Krasimir
Published: August 2016

Езиковите предизвикателства на българския маем едиен дискурс след Промените от 1989 г.

Краят на 1989 година постави началото на едно изключително напрежение в българската публичност. В началото на Промените - в ранните години на 90-те, българският гражданин живее със съзнанието за огромния авторитет на публицистиката. В тоталитарната държава беше по-важно какво пише във вестниците, какво се показва и говори по радиото и телевизията, отколкото онова, което действително ставаше всеки ден в България. Този начин на възприемане на социалността се оказа решаващ в много отношения за по-нататъшната постановка на събитията, определяни като Промените в България. Настоящата статия проследява новия публицистичен и публичен език, който стана знаково измерение на реалността на случващите се - изговаряни / прокламирани / назовавани "промени" ден след ден. Надигна се изблик на мощни общонародни движения на изобличителна, остра, ненавистна публичност на назова- ване заявена декларативно по митингите на площадите - и във вид на лозунги, и във вид художествено обмислени стилистични фигури във вестникарския език, който акомпанира площадността.
Synthesis and characterization of fluorinated azadipyrromethene complexes as acceptors for organic photovoltaics
Authors: Etheridge Forrest S , Fernando Roshan J , Pejić Sandra , Zeller Matthias , Sauvé Geneviève
Published: August 2016

Homoleptic zinc(II) complexes of di(phenylacetylene)azadipyrromethene (e.g., Zn(WS3)2) are potential non-fullerene electron acceptors for organic photovoltaics. To tune their properties, fluorination of Zn(WS3)2 at various positions was investigated. Three fluorinated azadipyrromethene-based ligands were synthesized with fluorine at the para-position of the proximal and distal phenyl groups, and at the pyrrolic phenylacetylene moieties. Additionally, a CF3 moiety was added to the pyrrolic phenyl positions to study the effects of a stronger electron withdrawing unit at that position. The four ligands were chelated with zinc(II) and BF2+ and the optical and electrochemical properties were studied. Fluorination had little effect on the optical properties of both the zinc(II) and BF2+ complexes, with λmax in solution around 755 nm and 785 nm, and high molar absorptivities of 100 × 103 M−1cm−1 and 50 × 103 M−1cm−1, respectively. Fluorination of Zn(WS3)2 raised the oxidation potentials by 0.04 V to 0.10 V, and the reduction potentials by 0.01 V to 0.10 V, depending on the position and type of substitution. The largest change was observed for fluorine substitution at the proximal phenyl groups and CF3 substitution at the pyrrolic phenylacetylene moieties. The later complexes are expected to be stronger electron acceptors than Zn(WS3)2, and may enable charge transfer from other conjugated polymer donors that have lower energy levels than poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT).
CLUSTER DYNAMICS LARGELY SHAPES PROTOPLANETARY DISK SIZES
Authors: Vincke Kirsten , Pfalzner Susanne
Published: August 2016

To what degree the cluster environment influences the sizes of protoplanetary disks surrounding young stars is still an open question. This is particularly true for the short-lived clusters typical for the solar neighborhood, in which the stellar density and therefore the influence of the cluster environment change considerably over the first 10 Myr. In previous studies, the effect of the gas on the cluster dynamics has often been neglected; this is remedied here. Using the code NBody6++, we study the stellar dynamics in different developmental phases—embedded, expulsion, and expansion—including the gas, and quantify the effect of fly-bys on the disk size. We concentrate on massive clusters (M
cl ≥ 103–6 ∗ 104
M
Sun), which are representative for clusters like the Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC) or NGC 6611. We find that not only the stellar density but also the duration of the embedded phase matters. The densest clusters react fastest to the gas expulsion and drop quickly in density, here 98% of relevant encounters happen before gas expulsion. By contrast, disks in sparser clusters are initially less affected, but because these clusters expand more slowly, 13% of disks are truncated after gas expulsion. For ONC-like clusters, we find that disks larger than 500 au are usually affected by the environment, which corresponds to the observation that 200 au-sized disks are common. For NGC 6611-like clusters, disk sizes are cut-down on average to roughly 100 au. A testable hypothesis would be that the disks in the center of NGC 6611 should be on average ≈20 au and therefore considerably smaller than those in the ONC.