bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Blueprint of a Minimal Cell: MiniBacillus
Authors: Reuß Daniel R. , Commichau Fabian M. , Gundlach Jan , Zhu Bingyao , Stülke Jörg
Published: September 2016

Bacillus subtilis
is one of the best-studied organisms. Due to the broad knowledge and annotation and the well-developed genetic system, this bacterium is an excellent starting point for genome minimization with the aim of constructing a minimal cell. We have analyzed the genome of
B. subtilis
and selected all genes that are required to allow life in complex medium at 37°C. This selection is based on the known information on essential genes and functions as well as on gene and protein expression data and gene conservation. The list presented here includes 523 and 119 genes coding for proteins and RNAs, respectively. These proteins and RNAs are required for the basic functions of life in information processing (replication and chromosome maintenance, transcription, translation, protein folding, and secretion), metabolism, cell division, and the integrity of the minimal cell. The completeness of the selected metabolic pathways, reactions, and enzymes was verified by the development of a model of metabolism of the minimal cell. A comparison of the
MiniBacillus
genome to the recently reported designed minimal genome of
Mycoplasma mycoides
JCVI-syn3.0 indicates excellent agreement in the information-processing pathways, whereas each species has a metabolism that reflects specific evolution and adaptation. The blueprint of
MiniBacillus
presented here serves as the starting point for a successive reduction of the
B. subtilis
genome.
Asian collisional subduction: A key process driving formation of the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Replumaz Anne , Funiciello F. , Reitano R. , Faccenna C. , Balon M.
Published: September 2016

Using silicone slabs as a model analogue for lithospheric plates subducting into a box of glucose syrup, as an analogue of the mantle, we explore the subduction of continental lithosphere in a context of intercontinental collision. The continental indenter pushed by a piston, reproducing the collision, attached to a dense oceanic plate, subducts to two-thirds of the depth of the mantle box. We show that, surprisingly, the continental plate attached to the back wall of the box subducts, even if not attached to a dense oceanic slab. The engine of this subduction is not the weight of the slab, because the slab is lighter than the mantle, but the motion of the piston, which generates horizontal tectonic forces. These are transmitted to the back wall plate through the indenter and the upper plate at the surface, and by the advancing indenter slab through the mantle at shallow depth. We define this process as collisional subduction occurring in a compressional context. The collisional subduction absorbs between 14% and 20% of the convergence, and represents an unexplored component of collisional mass balance. The transmission of tectonic forces far from the collision front favors the formation of a wide plateau. Our experiments reproduce adequately the amount and geometry of the Asian lithosphere subduction episodes inferred during the collision, leading us to conclude that it reproduces adequately the physics of such process.
Dodging snowballs: Geochronology of the Gaskiers glaciation and the first appearance of the Ediacaran biota
Authors: Pu Judy P. , Bowring Samuel A. , Ramezani Jahandar , Myrow Paul , Raub Timothy D. , Landing Ed , Mills Andrea , Hodgin Eben , Macdonald Francis A.
Published: September 2016

The snowball Earth hypothesis predicts that low-latitude glaciation lasted millions of years while CO2 built up to critical levels to culminate in catastrophic deglaciation in a supergreenhouse climate. The Gaskiers Formation of eastern Newfoundland (Canada) has been attributed to a snowball glaciation event, but the lack of robust paleomagnetic data and precise geochronological constraints has precluded tests of the hypothesis. Here we present high-precision U-Pb zircon geochronology (chemical abrasion–isotope dilution–thermal ionization mass spectrometry) from eight tuffs from multiple distant stratigraphic sections that bracket glacial diamictites and the first appearance of large Ediacaran fossils. Including internal error, deposition of the Gaskiers diamictite on the Avalon Peninsula is constrained to have been between 580.90 ± 0.40 and 579.88 ± 0.44 Ma, and the Trinity diamictite on Bonavista Peninsula was deposited between 579.63 ± 0.15 and 579.24 ± 0.17 Ma. Assuming approximately synchronous deglaciation, these results imply a maximum duration for deposition of the Trinity diamictite of ≤340 k.y.; this is inconsistent with the multimillion year duration predicted by the snowball Earth hypothesis. Our geochronologic data also constrain the first appearance datum of Ediacaran fossils to <9.5 m.y. after the Gaskiers glaciation. Thus, despite existing paleomagnetic constraints that indicate that marine ice sheets extended to low to middle latitudes, it appears that Earth narrowly escaped a third Neoproterozoic snowball glaciation just prior to the late Ediacaran expansion of metazoan ecosystems.
Cost-effectiveness of triage testing for facility-based systematic screening of tuberculosis among Ugandan adults
Authors: Murray Matthew , Cattamanchi Adithya , Denkinger Claudia , van't Hoog Anja , Pai Madhukar , Dowdy David
Published: September 2016

Background

Systematic screening is often proposed as a way to improve case finding for tuberculosis (TB), but the cost-effectiveness of specific strategies for systematic screening remains poorly studied.

Methods

We constructed a Markov-based decision analytic model to analyse the cost-effectiveness of triage testing for TB in Uganda, compared against passive case detection with Xpert MTB/RIF. We assumed a triage algorithm whereby all adults presenting to healthcare centres would be screened for cough, and those with cough of at least 2 weeks would receive the triage test, with positive triage results confirmed by Xpert MTB/RIF. We adopted the perspective of the TB control sector, using a primary outcome of the cost per year of life gained (YLG) over a lifetime time horizon.

Results

Systematic screening in a population with a 5% underlying prevalence of TB was estimated to cost US$610 per YLG (95% uncertainty range US$200–US$1859) with chest X-ray (CXR) (US$5 per test, specificity 0.67), or US$588 (US$221–US$1746) with C reactive protein (CRP) (US$3 per test, specificity 0.59). In addition to the cost and specificity of the triage test, cost-effectiveness was most sensitive to the underlying prevalence of TB, monthly risk of mortality in people with untreated TB and the proportion of patients with TB who would be treated in the absence of systematic screening.

Conclusions

To optimise the cost-effectiveness of facility-based systematic screening of TB with a triage test, it must be carried out in a high-risk population, or use triage tests that are cheaper or more specific than CXR or CRP.
Assessing the independent and combined effects of subsidies for antimalarials and rapid diagnostic testing on fever management decisions in the retail sector: results from a factorial randomised trial in western Kenya
Authors: Prudhomme O'Meara Wendy , Mohanan Manoj , Laktabai Jeremiah , Lesser Adriane , Platt Alyssa , Maffioli Elisa , Turner Elizabeth L , Menya Diana
Published: September 2016

Objectives

There is an urgent need to understand how to improve targeting of artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) to patients with confirmed malaria infection, including subsidised ACTs sold over-the-counter. We hypothesised that offering an antimalarial subsidy conditional on a positive malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDT) would increase uptake of testing and improve rational use of ACTs.

Methods

We designed a 2×2 factorial randomised experiment evaluating 2 levels of subsidy for RDTs and ACTs. Between July 2014 and June 2015, 444 individuals with a malaria-like illness who had not sought treatment were recruited from their homes. We used scratch cards to allocate participants into 4 groups in a ratio of 1:1:1:1. Participants were eligible for an unsubsidised or fully subsidised RDT and 1 of 2 levels of ACT subsidy (current retail price or an additional subsidy conditional on a positive RDT). Treatment decisions were documented 1 week later. Our primary outcome was uptake of malaria testing. Secondary outcomes evaluated ACT consumption among those with a negative test, a positive test or no test.

Results

Offering a free RDT increased the probability of testing by 18.6 percentage points (adjusted probability difference (APD), 95% CI 5.9 to 31.3). An offer of a conditional ACT subsidy did not have an additional effect on the probability of malaria testing when the RDT was free (APD=2.7; 95% CI −8.6 to 14.1). However, receiving the conditional ACT subsidy increased the probability of taking an ACT following a positive RDT by 19.5 percentage points (APD, 95% CI 2.2 to 36.8). Overall, the proportion who took ACT following a negative test was lower than those who took ACT without being tested, indicated improved targeting among those who were tested.

Conclusions

Both subsidies improved appropriate fever management, demonstrating the impact of these costs on decision making. However, the conditional ACT subsidy did not increase testing. We conclude that each of the subsidies primarily impacts the most immediate decision.

Trial registration number

NCT02199977.
When are clinical trials beneficial for study patients and future patients? A factorial vignette-based survey of institutional review board members
Authors: Mhaskar Rahul , Miladinovic Branko , Guterbock Thomas M , Djulbegovic Benjamin
Published: September 2016

Objective

The ethicists believe that the goal of clinical research is to benefit future and not current (trial) patients. Many clinicians believe that the clinical trial enrolment offers best management for their patients. The objective of our study was to identify the situations when a clinical trial is beneficial for the patients enrolled in the trial and future patients.

Design

Factorial vignette-based cross-sectional survey via the internet.

Participants

Institutional review board (IRB) members of the US Medical Schools.

Main outcome measures

Each participant was invited to review 9 clinical vignettes related to (1) study approval and (2) the assessment if the study is designed to help future or current patients more.

Results

A total of 232 IRB members from 42 institutions participated. When considering approval of the trial, we found that uncertainty about treatment effects (OR=1.13; 95% CI 1.08 to 1.19) and requirement for continuation of standard therapy (OR=3.84; 95% CI 2.7 to 5.55) were the only statistically significant factors affecting IRB members' decisions to approve the study. The odds of IRB members approving a trial increased when a trial proposed to enrol patients with life-threatening versus chronic debilitating disease (OR=2.04; 95% CI 1.47 to 2.86). We also found that similar factors affected judgements related to the assessment whether the trial will benefit future or current patients more—(1) future patients: uncertainty (OR=1.27; 95% CI 1.18 to 1.37); continuation of standard treatment (OR=1.66; 95% CI 1.07 to 2.56); seriousness of condition (OR=1.78; 95% CI 1.15 to 2.28); (2) current patients: uncertainty (OR=1.54; 95% CI 1.4 to 1.7); continuation of standard therapy (OR=2.17; 95% CI 1.39 to 3.44).

Conclusions

IRB members view the proposed studies to be beneficial for current patients and future patients if there is uncertainty regarding treatment effects and if studies do not require stopping the current treatment. This finding supports the design and use of pragmatic trials which may reduce therapeutic misconception and improve trial enrolment, speeding up therapeutic discoveries.
School restrictions on outdoor activities and weight status in adolescent children after Japan’s 2011 Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant disaster: a mid-term to long-term retrospective analysis
Authors: Nomura Shuhei , Blangiardo Marta , Tsubokura Masaharu , Ochi Sae , Hodgson Susan
Published: September 2016

Objective

Radiation fears following Japan's 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster affected levels of physical activity in local children. We assessed the postdisaster versus predisaster weight status in school children and evaluated to what extent school restrictions on outdoor activities that were intended to reduce radiation exposure risk affected child weight.

Participants

We considered children aged 13–15 years from 4 of the 5 secondary schools in Soma City (n=1030, 99.1% of all children in the city), located in 35–50 km from the Fukushima nuclear plant, postdisaster (2012 and 2015) and predisaster (2010).

Methods

Weight status, in terms of body mass index (BMI), percentage of overweight (POW) and incidence of obesity and underweight (defined as a POW ≥20% and ≤−20%, respectively) were examined and compared predisaster and postdisaster using regression models. We also constructed models to assess the impact of school restrictions on outdoor activity on weight status.

Results

After adjustment for covariates, a slight decrease in mean BMI and POW was detected in females in 2012 (−0.37, 95% CI −0.68 to −0.06; and −1.97, 95% CI −3.57 to −0.36, respectively). For male children, obesity incidence increased in 2012 (OR for obesity: 1.45, 95% CI 1.02 to 2.08). Compared with predisaster weight status, no significant weight change was identified in 2015 in either males or females. School restrictions on outdoor activities were not significantly associated with weight status.

Conclusions

4 years following the disaster, weight status has recovered to the predisaster levels for males and females; however, a slight decrease in weight in females and a slight increase in risk of obesity were observed in males 1 year following the disaster. Our findings could be used to guide actions taken during the early phase of a radiological disaster to manage the postdisaster health risks in adolescent children.
Reproductive diseases of reptiles
Authors: Hedley Joanna
Published: September 2016

With over 10,000 living species of reptiles recorded, there are a vast number of reproductive strategies found throughout the reptile world. This article discusses the basics of normal reproduction in reptiles and focuses on the common reproductive problems – follicular stasis, dystocia, cloacal prolapse and neoplasia – seen in reptiles kept as pets.
Effects of Curcumin in Experimental Diabetic Nephropathy
Authors: Prabhakar Sharma S
Published: September 2016

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is currently well established as the most common cause of end-stage renal disease in most parts of the world. Notwithstanding the expanding basic and clinical research in this field, the pathogenesis remains far from clear and hence the treatment of DN remains suboptimal. There is a critical need for the development of newer therapeutic strategies including alternative and complementary therapies. One of the natural products that was extensively studied in cancer and other chronic disease states such as diabetes is curcumin, an active ingredient in turmeric, a spice extensively used in India. In this manuscript, we present a critical review of the experimental and clinical evidence that supports the use of curcumin and its analogs in DN as well as the various proposed mechanisms for its biological actions in health and disease states.
Ten‐minute chat
Authors: French Jess
Published: September 2016

During her first degree, Jess French founded a programme in which university students taught primary school children about environmental issues. She recently qualified as a vet and, when not studying, teaching, writing or looking for bugs, she enjoys adventure sports and travel, learning new languages and playing the saxophone and drums. She is also a presenter on CBeebies.
Was Gordon Robilliard right? Integrative systematics suggest that Dendronotus diversicolor (multicolor frond-aeolis) is a valid species
Authors: Ekimova I. , Valdés Á. , Schepetov D. , Chichvarkhin A.
Published: September 2016

Nudibranch molluscs of the genus Dendronotus Alder and Hancock, 1845 are widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. Taxonomic studies on the genus Dendronotus have been problematic due to high variability in the colour pattern of many species, as well as in the external morphology and anatomy. In the present paper, we studied specimens of Dendronotus from northern Pacific presumably belonging to the species Dendronotus albus MacFarland, 1966 (white frond-aeolis). Molecular and morphological data revealed the existence of two distinct species among the material examined: D. albus, which has a wide range from Kamchatka and the Kurile Islands (from where we report this species for the first time) to California in North America, and the pseudocryptic species Dendronotus diversicolor Robilliard, 1970 (multicolor frond-aeolis), which has been previously considered a junior synonym of D. albus. Dendronotus diversicolor occurs from California, USA, to British Columbia, Canada, in sympatry with D. albus. Dendronotus albus and D. diversicolor can be clearly distinguished by colour pattern, internal and external morphology, and molecular sequence data. Despite some similarities in radular and external morphology between D. albus and D. diversicolor, these two species are phylogenetically distant and belong to different clades within the genus Dendronotus, which suggests convergent evolution.
A TODIM-Based Decision Support Framework for G-Resilient Supplier Selection in Fuzzy Environment
Authors: Sen Dilip Kumar , Datta Saurav , Mahapatra Siba Sankar
Published: September 2016

A novel decision support framework has been proposed herein to solve supplier selection problems by considering green as well as resiliency criteria, simultaneously. In this work subjectivity of evaluation criteria has been tackled by exploring fuzzy set theory. A dominance based approach has been conceptualized which is basically a simplified version of TODIM. Application potential of the proposed dominance based fuzzy decision making approach has been compared to that of fuzzy-TOPSIS, fuzzy-VIKOR and also fuzzy-TODIM. The concept of a unique performance index, i.e. “g-resilient” index has been introduced here to help in assessing suppliers’ performance and thereby selecting the best candidate. The work has also been extended to identify the areas in which suppliers are lagging; these seek further improvement towards g-resilient suppliers’ performance to be boosted up to the desired level.
Algorithms for Finding Copulas Minimizing Convex Functions of Sums
Authors: Bernard Carole , McLeish Don
Published: September 2016

In this paper, we develop improved rearrangement algorithms to find the dependence structure that minimizes a convex function of the sum of dependent variables with given margins. We propose a new multivariate dependence measure, which can assess the convergence of the rearrangement algorithms and can be used as a stopping rule. We show how to apply these algorithms for example to finding the dependence among variables for which the marginal distributions and the distribution of the sum or the difference are known. As an example, we can find the dependence between two uniformly distributed variables that makes the distribution of the sum of two uniform variables indistinguishable from a normal distribution. Using MCMC techniques, we design an algorithm that converges to the global optimum.
Web Service Discovery for Cloud-Based Mobile Application Using Multi-Level Clustering and QoS-Based Ranking
Authors: Ramasamy R. Kanesaraj , Chua Fang-Fang , Haw Su-Cheng , Ho Chin-Kuan
Published: September 2016

Since many service providers are providing similar web services, finding an accurate web service based on user preferences is becoming a challenging task. Therefore, enhancing web service discovery (WSD) method will improve the searching performance. In this paper, we firstly discuss and review some existing web service discovery approaches and identify their limitations. Subsequently, we propose a web service discovery method for cloud-based mobile application by using multi-level clustering technique to improve performance by reducing the searching scope. Our web service discovery architecture is able to increase the discoverability of more accurate web services based on user's preferences. Meanwhile, user preference Quality of Services (QoS) attributes are also used for ranking procedure to allow user to decide the quality of the mobile application. The experimental results show that our approach is able to increase the searching performance and provide a reliable list of selection for users.
Counterexample Generation in Stochastic Model Checking Based on PSO Algorithm with Heuristic
Authors: Ma Yan , Cao Zining , Liu Yang
Published: September 2016

Providing counterexample for the refutation of a property is an essential feature of model checking, if it is not the most important. However, generating counterexample in stochastic model checking needs a dedicated algorithm. It usually costs too much time and memory, and sometimes it cannot find the counterexample. What is worse, generating smallest counterexample in stochastic model checking has been proved to be NP-complete, and it is unlikely to be efficiently approximable. Although there are a few heuristic methods that are applied to the construction of the counterexample, it is usually difficult to determine the heuristic function which is critical for counterexample generating. In this paper, we present a particle swarm optimization (PSO)-based approach to generating counterexample for stochastic model checking. We define the diagnostic sub-graph as counterexample, and extend PSO algorithm with heuristic (HPSO) to generate counterexample. It adopts indirect path coding scheme to expand the scope of the search space, and employs heuristic operator to generate more effective path. The validity of our approach is illustrated by some case studies in a prototype tool. The experiments show that HPSO algorithm can significantly outperform the present algorithm for counterexample generation in stochastic model checking.
Prosumer Framework for Knowledge Management Based on Prosumer Service Patterns
Authors: Martín Diego , Alcarria Ramón , Robles Tomás , Sánchez-Picot Álvaro
Published: September 2016

Service creation and customization are expensive tasks: they require specialists for the creation of required software elements, while the knowledge for defining and using those services is owned by domain experts. In many cases, some of the usual basic services could be implemented by domain experts without any programming skills. In this, paper we present the prosumer service pattern (ProSP), which considers the characterization of the prosumer and enables them to manage the knowledge of the services. A ProSP behaves as a knowledge object defined through a problem–solution approach and allows the solving of specific problems in a prosumer framework. The proposal comprises a ProSP data model, a lifecycle for the patterns, a methodological approach that involves prosumers in framework provisioning and a tool to manage ProSPs through their life cycle. This tool is based on a cloud-hosted web solution and it is accessible from different devices (PCs, tablets and smartphones). An experimental validation, where 24 students of telecommunications and bioengineering participated, was carried out. Based on obtained results, the authors discuss the factors that affect the correct elicitation of knowledge about prosumer services, the service quality improvement using the ProSP approach and the evaluation of the ProSP model.
Existence, Uniqueness and Functoriality of the Perfect Locality over a Frobenius P-Category
Authors: Puig Lluis
Published: September 2016

Let p be a prime, P a finite p-group and ℱ a Frobenius P-category. The question on the existence of a suitable category ℒ sc extending the full subcategory of ℱ over the set of ℱ-selfcentralizing subgroups of P goes back to Dave Benson in 1994. In 2002 Carles Broto, Ran Levi and Bob Oliver formulate the existence and the uniqueness of the category ℒ sc in terms of the annulation of an obstruction 3 -cohomology element and of the vanishing of a 2-cohomology group, and they state a sufficient condition for the vanishing of these n-cohomology groups. Recently, Andrew Chermak has proved the existence and the uniqueness of ℒ sc via his objective partial groups, and Bob Oliver, following some of Chermak's methods, has also proved the vanishing of those n-cohomology groups for n > 1, both applying the Classification of the finite simple groups. Here we give direct proofs of the existence and the uniqueness of ℒ sc ; moreover, in [11] we already show that ℒ sc can be completed in a suitable category ℒ extending ℱ and we also prove some functoriality of this correspondence.
Automorphism Groups of Some Finite p-Groups
Authors: Liu Heguo , Wang Yulei
Published: September 2016

The automorphism group of G is determined, where G is a nonabelian p-group given by a central extension as 1 → ℤpm → G → ℤp × ⋯ × ℤp → 1 such that its derived subgroup has order p.
Homology of Powers of Ideals: Artin-Rees Numbers of Syzygies and the Golod Property
Authors: Herzog Jürgen , Welker Volkmar , Yassemi Siamak
Published: September 2016

Let R0 be a Noetherian local ring and R a standard graded R0-algebra with maximal ideal 𝔪 and residue class field 𝕂 = R/𝔪. For a graded ideal I in R we show that for k ≫ 0: (1) the Artin-Rees number of the syzygy modules of Ik as submodules of the free modules from a free resolution is constant, and thereby the Artin-Rees number can be presented as a proper replacement of regularity in the local situation; and (2) R is a polynomial ring over the regular R0, the ring R/Ik is Golod, its Poincaré-Betti series is rational and the Betti numbers of the free resolution of 𝕂 over R/Ik are polynomials in k of a specific degree. The first result is an extension of the work by Swanson on the regularity of Ik for k ≫ 0 from the graded situation to the local situation. The polynomiality consequence of the second result is an analog of the work by Kodiyalam on the behaviour of Betti numbers of the minimal free resolution of R/Ik over R.
THE TOP MANAGERS' IMPACT ON OPENING THE ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE TO INNOVATION
Authors: SPERBER SONJA CHRISTINA
Published: September 2016

Innovation is an ever-increasing focus for modern organizations; yet research studies on organizational culture have tended to neglect this aspect. This paper specifies the key factors characterising a company's innovation culture and examines the top managers' executed impact as organizational leaders from the individual perspective on implementing and fostering it in their respective organizations. Based on a conceptual framework, the empirically identified key factors of the (1) formal embedment, (2) climate, (3) incentives and reward allocation, (4) integration into decision process, (5) cross-hierarchical communication and (6) communication style are presented. Within the empirical study, 37 top managers of 21 leading companies in the industries of “fashion and accessories” and “watch and jewelry” were interviewed. The results indicate that the impact of top managers lag behind their potential to advance innovativeness through innovation culture, and the detected deficit represents scope for improvement. The paper concludes by highlighting the implications of the study and its limitations.
The Role of Skewness in Mergers and Acquisitions
Authors: DeLisle R. Jared , Walcott Nathan
Published: September 2016

Investors prefer stocks with idiosyncratic skewness in their returns, which may be evidence of behavioral biases. Previous research suggests that skewness is related to the choice of target in corporate acquisitions, which may reflect CEOs’ behavioral biases. However, if the acquiring firms’ stock returns are also skewed, then the acquirer CEOs may rationally use their stock as currency in these deals. We investigate the skewness of the acquiring firm and the method of payment to determine if takeovers involving high skewness stocks are consistent with shareholder wealth maximization. We find that firms with high levels of skewness are more likely to become takeover targets and that takeover premiums increase with skewness, but there is no relation between the target’s skewness level and acquirer announcement returns. We also find that acquirers with high skewness are more likely to pay with stock and have higher announcement returns. We conclude that acquirer CEOs often take advantage of investor preference for skewness when undertaking mergers and acquisitions activity.
Geology of Caphouse Colliery, Wakefield, Yorkshire, UK
Authors: Davies-Vollum K. S. , Guion P. D. , Knight J. A. , Smith A.
Published: September 2016

The National Coal Mining Museum in West Yorkshire affords a rare opportunity for the public to visit a former colliery (Caphouse) and experience at first hand the geology of a mine. The geology at the museum can be seen via the public tour, limited surface outcrop and an inclined ventilation drift, which provides the best geological exposure and information. The strata encountered at the site are
c
. 100 m thick and are of latest Langsettian (Pennsylvanian) age. The ventilation drift intersects several coal seams (Flockton Thick, Flockton Thin, Old Hards, Green Lane and New Hards) and their associated roof rocks and seatearths. In addition to exposures of bedrock, recent mineral precipitates of calcium carbonates, manganese carbonates and oxides, and iron oxyhydroxides can be observed along the drift, and there is a surface exposure of Flockton Thick Coal and overlying roof strata. The coals and interbedded strata were deposited in the Pennine Basin in a fluvio-lacustrine setting in an embayment distant from the open ocean with limited marine influence. A lacustrine origin for mudstone roof rocks of several of the seams is supported by the incidence of non-marine bivalves and fossilized fish remains whilst the upper part of the Flockton Thick Coal consists of subaqueously deposited cannel coal. The mudstones overlying the Flockton Thick containing abundant non-marine bivalves are of great lateral extent, indicating a basin-wide rise of base level following coal deposition that may be compared with a non-marine flooding surface.
Analysis of Fixed, Reconfigurable, and Hybrid Devices with Computational, Memory, I/O, & Realizable-Utilization Metrics
Authors: Richardson Justin , George Alan , Cheng Kevin , Lam Herman
Published: September 2016

The modern processor landscape is a varied and diverse community. As such, developers need a way to quickly and fairly compare various devices for use with particular applications. This article expands the authors’ previously published computational-density metrics and presents an analysis of a new generation of various device architectures, including CPU, DSP, FPGA, GPU, and hybrid architectures. Also, new memory metrics are added to expand the existing suite of metrics to characterize the memory resources on various processing devices. Finally, a new relational metric,
realizable utilization (RU)
, is introduced, which quantifies the fraction of the computational density metric that an application achieves within an individual implementation. The RU metric can be used to provide valuable feedback to application developers and architecture designers by highlighting the upper bound on specific application optimization and providing a quantifiable measure of theoretical and realizable performance. Overall, the analysis in this article quantifies the performance tradeoffs among the architectures studied, the memory characteristics of different device types, and the efficiency of device architectures.
How Do Different Cognitive Styles Affect Learning Programming? Insights from a Game-Based Approach in Greek Schools
Authors: Theodoropoulos Anastasios , Antoniou Angeliki , Lepouras George
Published: September 2016

Is there any relationship between students’ cognitive style and the ability to learn programming through serious games? The aim of this work is to assess the learning effectiveness and motivational appeal of digital games for learning basic programming concepts, involving secondary education students. For this purpose, the Code.org
®
’s activity named
K-8 Intro to Computer Science
was used. The study investigated students’ attitudes from gaming activities to reveal the quality of their learning experience. Next, students’ attitudes from games were correlated with their cognitive profile to reveal potential differences. Finally, students’ performance from the digital games was assessed to reveal game-based learning (GBL) effectiveness compared to their cognitive styles. In the study, 77 students of two Greek high schools participated in the context of the European Code Week. The results suggest that these specific games, or similar educational computer games, can be exploited as effective and motivational learning environments within schools, as they provide a high-quality learning experience. Cognitive style was found to be a significant learning characteristic that should be taken into consideration when using digital games to learn programming.
A Microcoded Kernel Recursive Least Squares Processor Using FPGA Technology
Authors: Pang Yeyong , Wang Shaojun , Peng Yu , Peng Xiyuan , Fraser Nicholas J. , Leong Philip H. W.
Published: September 2016

Kernel methods utilize linear methods in a nonlinear feature space and combine the advantages of both. Online kernel methods, such as kernel recursive least squares (KRLS) and kernel normalized least mean squares (KNLMS), perform nonlinear regression in a recursive manner, with similar computational requirements to linear techniques. In this article, an architecture for a microcoded kernel method accelerator is described, and high-performance implementations of sliding-window KRLS, fixed-budget KRLS, and KNLMS are presented. The architecture utilizes pipelining and vectorization for performance, and microcoding for reusability. The design can be scaled to allow tradeoffs between capacity, performance, and area. The design is compared with a central processing unit (CPU), digital signal processor (DSP), and Altera OpenCL implementations. In different configurations on an Altera Arria 10 device, our SW-KRLS implementation delivers floating-point throughput of approximately 16 GFLOPs, latency of 5.5μ
S
, and energy consumption of 10
− 4
J, these being improvements over a CPU by factors of 12, 17, and 24, respectively.
What's Really New with NewSQL?
Authors: Pavlo Andrew , Aslett Matthew
Published: September 2016

A new class of database management systems (DBMSs) called NewSQL tout their ability to scale modern on-line transaction processing (OLTP) workloads in a way that is not possible with legacy systems. The term NewSQL was first used by one of the authors of this article in a 2011 business analysis report discussing the rise of new database systems as challengers to these established vendors (Oracle, IBM, Microsoft). The other author was working on what became one of the first examples of a NewSQL DBMS. Since then several companies and research projects have used this term (rightly and wrongly) to describe their systems.

Given that relational DBMSs have been around for over four decades, it is justifiable to ask whether the claim of NewSQL's superiority is actually true or whether it is simply marketing. If they are indeed able to get better performance, then the next question is whether there is anything scientifically new about them that enables them to achieve these gains or is it just that hardware has advanced so much that now the bottlenecks from earlier years are no longer a problem.

To do this, we first discuss the history of databases to understand how NewSQL systems came about. We then provide a detailed explanation of what the term NewSQL means and the different categories of systems that fall under this definition.
Nitric oxide synthase inhibition causes acute increases in glomerular permeability in vivo, dependent upon reactive oxygen species
Authors: Dolinina Julia , Sverrisson Kristinn , Rippe Anna , Öberg Carl M. , Rippe Bengt
Published: September 2016

There is increasing evidence that the permeability of the glomerular filtration barrier (GFB) is partly regulated by a balance between the bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO) and that of reactive oxygen species (ROS). It has been postulated that normal or moderately elevated NO levels protect the GFB from permeability increases, whereas ROS, through reducing the bioavailability of NO, have the opposite effect. We tested the tentative antagonism between NO and ROS on glomerular permeability in anaesthetized Wistar rats, in which the left ureter was cannulated for urine collection while simultaneously blood access was achieved. Rats were systemically infused with either l-NAME or l-NAME together with the superoxide scavenger Tempol, or together with l-arginine or the NO-donor DEA-NONOate, or the cGMP agonist 8-bromo-cGMP. To measure glomerular sieving coefficients (theta, θ) to Ficoll, rats were infused with FITC-Ficoll 70/400 (mol/radius 10–80 Å). Plasma and urine samples were analyzed by high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) for determination of θ for Ficoll repeatedly during up to 2 h. l-NAME increased θ for Ficoll70Åfrom 2.27 ± 1.30 × 10−5to 8.46 ± 2.06 × 10−5( n = 6, P < 0.001) in 15 min. Tempol abrogated these increases in glomerular permeability and an inhibition was also observed with l-arginine and with 8-bromo-cGMP. In conclusion, acute NO synthase inhibition in vivo by l-NAME caused rapid increases in glomerular permeability, which could be reversed by either an ROS antagonist or by activating the guanylyl cyclase-cGMP pathway. The data strongly suggest a protective effect of NO in maintaining normal glomerular permeability in vivo.
Trial-to-trial adaptation in control of arm reaching and standing posture
Authors: Pienciak-Siewert Alison , Horan Dylan P. , Ahmed Alaa A.
Published: September 2016

Classical theories of motor learning hypothesize that adaptation is driven by sensorimotor error; this is supported by studies of arm and eye movements that have shown that trial-to-trial adaptation increases with error. Studies of postural control have shown that anticipatory postural adjustments increase with the magnitude of a perturbation. However, differences in adaptation have been observed between the two modalities, possibly due to either the inherent instability or sensory uncertainty in standing posture. Therefore, we hypothesized that trial-to-trial adaptation in posture should be driven by error, similar to what is observed in arm reaching, but the nature of the relationship between error and adaptation may differ. Here we investigated trial-to-trial adaptation of arm reaching and postural control concurrently; subjects made reaching movements in a novel dynamic environment of varying strengths, while standing and holding the handle of a force-generating robotic arm. We found that error and adaptation increased with perturbation strength in both arm and posture. Furthermore, in both modalities, adaptation showed a significant correlation with error magnitude. Our results indicate that adaptation scales proportionally with error in the arm and near proportionally in posture. In posture only, adaptation was not sensitive to small error sizes, which were similar in size to errors experienced in unperturbed baseline movements due to inherent variability. This finding may be explained as an effect of uncertainty about the source of small errors. Our findings suggest that in rehabilitation, postural error size should be considered relative to the magnitude of inherent movement variability.
Municipal Solid Waste to Energy Generation in Bangladesh: Possible Scenarios to Generate Renewable Electricity in Dhaka and Chittagong City
Authors: Islam K. M. Nazmul
Published: September 2016

Increased generation of methane (CH4) from municipal solid wastes (MSW) alarms the world to take proper initiative for the sustainable management of MSW, because it is 34 times stronger than carbon dioxide (CO2). Mounting land scarcity issue around the world brands the waste to energy (WtE) strategy for MSW management in urban areas as a promising option, because WtE not only reduces the land pressure problem, but also generates electricity, heat, and green jobs. The goal of this study is to evaluate the renewable electricity generation potential and associated carbon reduction of MSW management in Bangladesh using WtE strategies. The study is conducted in two major cities of Bangladesh: Dhaka and Chittagong. Six different WtE scenarios are evaluated consisting of mixed MSW incineration and landfill gas (LFG) recovery system. Energy potential of different WtE strategy is assessed using standard energy conversion model and subsequent GHGs emissions models. Scenario A1results in highest economic and energy potential and net negative GHGs emission. Sensitivity analysis by varying MSW moisture content reveals higher energy potential and less GHGs emissions from MSW possessing low moisture content. The study proposes mixed MSW incineration that could be a potential WtE strategy for renewable electricity generation in Bangladesh.
The Polymorphism −308G/A ofTumor Necrosis Factor-αGene Modulates the Effect of Immunosuppressive Treatment in First Kidney Transplant Subjects Who Suffer an Acute Rejection
Authors: Sánchez-Fructuoso Ana Isabel , Pérez-Flores Isabel , Valero Rosalia , Moreno Maria Angeles , Fernandez-Arquero Miguel , Urcelay Elena , Fernández-Pérez Cristina , Santiago Jose Luis
Published: September 2016

The −308G/A SNP oftumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) geneaffects TNF-αproduction. As its impact on transplant outcome remains open to debate, we decided to genotype it in a cohort of transplant subjects. A retrospective analysis of 439 first kidney recipients randomly divided into two subgroups (discovery and validation cohorts) was performed to identify the best predictors of acute rejection (AR). The effect on transplant outcome was analyzed by an adjusted logistic regression model. Carriers of the A allele, associated with elevated TNF-αproduction, presented a higher risk of AR (OR = 2.78; 95% CI = 1.40–5.51). Logistic regression analyses for AR showed an interaction between the polymorphism and treatment with thymoglobulin (p-interaction = 0.03). In recipients who did not receive thymoglobulin, carriers of A allele had higher risk of AR (OR = 4.05; 95% CI = 1.76–9.28). Moreover, carriers of A allele not treated with thymoglobulin presented higher risk of AR than those who received thymoglobulin (OR = 13.74; 95% CI = 1.59–118.7). The AUC of the model in the discovery cohort was 0.70 and in the validation cohort was 0.69. Our findings indicate that the −308G/ATNF-αpolymorphism is associated with AR risk and it modulates the effectiveness of thymoglobulin treatment. This pharmacogenetic effect lets us propose this SNP as a useful predictor biomarker to tailor immunosuppressive regimens.
The Effects ofAgave fourcroydesPowder as a Dietary Supplement on Growth Performance, Gut Morphology, Concentration of IgG, and Hematology Parameters in Broiler Rabbits
Authors: Iser Maidelys , Martínez Yordan , Ni Hengjia , Jiang Hongmei , Valdivié Navarro Manuel , Wu Xiaosong , Al-Dhabi Naif Abdullah , Rosales Manuel , Duraipandiyan Veeramuthu , Fang Jun
Published: September 2016

This study was conducted to determine the effects ofAgave fourcroydespowder as a dietary supplement on the growth performance, gut morphology, serum concentration of IgG, and the hematology parameters of broiler rabbits. A total of 32 rabbits [New Zealand × Californian] were weaned at 35 days. They were randomly selected for two dietary treatments (eight repetitions per treatment), which consisted of a basal diet and a basal diet supplemented with 1.5% dried-stem powder ofA. fourcroydes. On day 60 from the initiation of treatment, gut histomorphology (duodenum and cecum), serum concentration of IgG, and hematology parameters were all measured. The results showed thatA. fourcroydespowder supplementation improved (P<0.05) the ADFI, ADG, and final BW. Correspondingly, this treatment increased (P<0.05) the muscle and mucosa thickness and height and width of villi. However, duodenum crypts depth was lower (P<0.05) when rabbits were fed with this natural product, compared with the basal diet treatment. Results also indicated that theA. fourcroydespowder increased (P<0.05) the serum concentration of IgG but did not change the hematology parameters. This data indicates thatA. fourcroydespowder, as a supplement, had beneficial effects on increasing the growth performance and serum concentration of IgG, as well as improving the gut morphology without affecting the hematology parameters in broiler rabbits.
Synthetic Cannabis Overdose and Withdrawal in a Young Adult: A Case Report, Commentary on Regulation, and Review of the Literature
Authors: Samaan John , Ferrer Gerardo F. , Akinyemi Boye , Junquera Patricia , Oms Juan , Dumenigo Rhaisa
Published: September 2016

Introduction. Marijuana has been used for its psychotropic effects including enhanced relaxation and perceptual alterations. However, the use of synthetic marijuana (SM) leads to more frequent and drastic side effects than the typical use of regular marijuana, owing to the fact that SM has a shorter duration and an earlier peak of action. Despite all the potential adverse health effects associated with SM use, current health policies on SM are very limited. It is believed that the popularity of SM has increased, due to its easy accessibility in the US and lack of detection in typical urine drug screens for THC.Case Report. One case presented is of a young adult patient, with histories of recurrent synthetic cannabis and recreational cannabis use, who had developed drastic physiological and psychiatric symptoms, including the development of acute-onset psychosis.Conclusion/Discussion. This case, as many others nationwide, exemplifies the impact of synthetic cannabinoid use and abuse in adolescents. Side effects and adverse health consequences of synthetic cannabinoid use warrant stricter regulations and policies in order to decrease psychiatric hospital admissions and associated healthcare costs.
Mentoring Nurses in Political Skill to Navigate Organizational Politics
Authors: Montalvo Wanda , Byrne Mary W.
Published: September 2016

Objective. The aim of this study was to describe and analyze the correlations between mentoring functions and political skill development among nurses who have earned or are candidates for a Ph.D. or doctorate of nursing practice (DNP) degree. Background. The healthcare system is in flux; future generations of Ph.D. and DNP nurse leaders will be required to demonstrate political acumen. Political skill to navigate organizational politics has had limited research within nursing. Methods. A cross-sectional research design using a web-based survey of 222 nurses who have earned or are candidates for a Ph.D. or DNP. This study utilized two validated tools to measure mentoring functions and political skill. Results. The response rate was 52% (n=115) of which 86 were Ph.D. and 29 were DNPs. An informal mentoring relationship was described by 62% of the respondents and formal mentoring by 35% of the protégés; only 25% (n=74) established a mentoring contract. Mentoring score showed significance for total political skill and moderate effect on the networking ability. The mentoring functions of advocacy, career development facilitation, learning facilitation, and friendship were found to correlate significantly with total political skill scores. Conclusions. This study established a benefit for nurses who have earned or are candidates for a Ph.D. or DNP from mentoring to support political skill development.