bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Indigenous Women as Newspaper Representations: Violence and Action in 1960s Vancouver
Authors: Longstaffe Meghan
Published: May 2017

Through a discourse analysis of newspaper reports on the deaths of Indigenous women in Downtown Eastside Vancouver during the 1960s, this article provides a historical framework to expand our understanding of pervasive violence experienced by Indigenous women in the community. This analysis reveals that in attempting to raise the profile of the deaths of Indigenous women in the neighbourhood, journalists constructed a new trope – the “Skid Road Girl” – that re-inscribed old stereotypes and framed the city as non-Indigenous space. While reporters advocated for social reform, and provided a discursive context in which Indigenous activists could make their voices heard and gain support for their community and social service initiatives, their words reinforced damaging racist and sexist ideas and contributed to the normalization of violence against Indigenous women.
On the Edge, at the Centre: A Life in History
Authors: Hallowell Gerald
Published: May 2017

Raised on a farm in southern Ontario, Gerald Hallowell attended the University of Toronto and Carleton University, where he acquired a taste for Canadian history. During a long career as an editor at the University of Toronto Press, interrupted by a few detours, he worked with authors to bring forward for publication several hundred books in the fields of Canadian history and literature. He maintained contact with potential authors by visiting universities and attending conferences across Canada and abroad, by sitting on various boards and belonging to associations, and he made difficult decisions about the publication of the results of research by historians and literary scholars. In this editorial role he was at the centre of scholarly publishing and academic life. As general editor of The Oxford Companion to Canadian History in his retirement, he was also at the centre of a large national enterprise. However, as someone who worked professionally in the field of history but did not teach in a history department as a university professor, he was also situated, quite satisfactorily in fact, on the edge of university life. These days he is researching and writing books about the town and county in which he lives, on the edge, in Nova Scotia.
His Macdonald, My Creighton, Biography, and the Writing of History
Authors: Wright Donald
Published: May 2017

Despite its shortcomings, Donald Creighton's biography of Sir John A. Macdonald remains a milestone in Canadian historical writing. My biography of Donald Creighton therefore borrows from Creighton's Sir John A. Macdonald at the same time as it seeks to avoid its errors. Reflecting on the relationship between biographers and their subjects, I also consider the utility of biography to the writing of history.
‘Are We Coming to Make a Documentary or a Surrealist Film?’
Authors: Ripley Marc
Published: May 2017

In 1933 Luis Buñuel shot Tierra sin pan [Land without bread] in the Las
Hurdes region of Spain. His ethnographic documentary about this impoverished
community is a relentless onslaught of decay and death, and still
retains the power to shock. Fermín Solís’s 2008 graphic novel Buñuel en
el laberinto de las tortugas [Buñuel in the labyrinth of tortoises] narrates
the filming process of this movie. Solís renders the despair underpinning
Buñuel’s film ironically, showing this to be in part a result of Buñuel’s doctoring
of reality, thus achieving a demythification of this canonical film and
questioning its ethical legacy. The mixed mode of comics is fundamental in
exposing the irony of Tierra sin pan. Solís’s comic accomplishes this, paradoxically,
by foregrounding the mythology of Buñuel the man, encouraging
a new, contemporary audience to read the film as a product of Buñuel’s
idiosyncrasies and obsessions rather than an unmediated instance of reality.
An analysis from the Quality Outcomes Database, Part 2. Predictive model for return to work after elective surgery for lumbar degenerative disease
Authors: Asher Anthony L. , Devin Clinton J. , Archer Kristin R. , Chotai Silky , Parker Scott L. , Bydon Mohamad , Nian Hui , Harrell Frank E. , Speroff Theodore , Dittus Robert S. , Philips Sharon E. , Shaffrey Christopher I. , Foley Kevin T. , McGirt Matthew J.
Published: May 2017

OBJECTIVE

Current costs associated with spine care are unsustainable. Productivity loss and time away from work for patients who were once gainfully employed contributes greatly to the financial burden experienced by individuals and, more broadly, society. Therefore, it is vital to identify the factors associated with return to work (RTW) after lumbar spine surgery. In this analysis, the authors used data from a national prospective outcomes registry to create a predictive model of patients’ ability to RTW after undergoing lumbar spine surgery for degenerative spine disease.

METHODS

Data from 4694 patients who underwent elective spine surgery for degenerative lumbar disease, who had been employed preoperatively, and who had completed a 3-month follow-up evaluation, were entered into a prospective, multicenter registry. Patient-reported outcomes—Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), numeric rating scale (NRS) for back pain (BP) and leg pain (LP), and EQ-5D scores—were recorded at baseline and at 3 months postoperatively. The time to RTW was defined as the period between operation and date of returning to work. A multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model, including an array of preoperative factors, was fitted for RTW. The model performance was measured using the concordance index (c-index).

RESULTS

Eighty-two percent of patients (n = 3855) returned to work within 3 months postoperatively. The risk-adjusted predictors of a lower likelihood of RTW were being preoperatively employed but not working at the time of presentation, manual labor as an occupation, worker’s compensation, liability insurance for disability, higher preoperative ODI score, higher preoperative NRS-BP score, and demographic factors such as female sex, African American race, history of diabetes, and higher American Society of Anesthesiologists score. The likelihood of a RTW within 3 months was higher in patients with higher education level than in those with less than high school–level education. The c-index of the model’s performance was 0.71.

CONCLUSIONS

This study presents a novel predictive model for the probability of returning to work after lumbar spine surgery. Spine care providers can use this model to educate patients and encourage them in shared decision-making regarding the RTW outcome. This evidence-based decision support will result in better communication between patients and clinicians and improve postoperative recovery expectations, which will ultimately increase the likelihood of a positive RTW trajectory.
SMT-based Searching for k-quasi-optimal Runs in Weighted Timed Automata
Authors: Woźna-Szcześniak Bożena , Zbrzezny Agnieszka M. , Zbrzezny Andrzej
Published: May 2017

We investigate a quasi-optimal cost reachability problem for weighted timed automata. We use a translation to the satisfiability modulo theories (SMT) problem to solve the problem. In particular, we show how to find a run of length k ∈ IN that starts at the initial state and terminates at a state containing the target location, its total cost belongs to the interval [ c; c + 1), for some natural number c ∈ IN, and the cost of each other run of length k, which also leads from the initial state to a state containing the target location, is greater or equal to c. This kind of run is called k- quasi- optimal. We exemplify the use of our solution to the investigated problem by means of the weighted timed generic pipeline protocol and the weighted job shop scheduling problem, and we provide some preliminary experimental results.
High-frequency size effect study of the Fermi surface of metals
Authors: Gasparov V A
Published: May 2017

This paper reviews experimental and theoretical work on the study of the Fermi surface of pure metals by the aid of high-frequency size effects. Particular attention is given to little-known new ballistic effects such as the time of flight effect, multichannel size effect, and nonlinear size effect.
The Link between Mastery and Depression among Black Adolescents; Ethnic and Gender Differences
Authors: Assari Shervin , Caldwell Cleopatra
Published: May 2017

Purpose: Although the link between depression and lower levels of mastery is well established, limited information exists on ethnic and gender differences in the association between the two. The current study investigated ethnic, gender, and ethnic by gender differences in the link between major depressive disorder (MDD) and low mastery in the United States. Methods: We used data from the National Survey of American Life-Adolescent supplement (NSAL-A), 2003–2004. In total, 1170 Black adolescents entered the study. This number was composed of 810 African-American and 360 Caribbean Black youth (age 13 to 17). Demographic factors, socioeconomic status (family income), mastery (sense of control over life), and MDD (Composite International Diagnostic Interview, CIDI) were measured. Logistic regressions were used to test the association between mastery and MDD in the pooled sample, as well as based on ethnicity and gender. Results: In the pooled sample, a higher sense of mastery was associated with a lower risk of MDD. This association, however, was significant for African Americans but not Caribbean Blacks. Similarly, among African American males and females, higher mastery was associated with lower risk of MDD. Such association could not be found for Caribbean Black males or females. Conclusion: Findings indicate ethnic rather than gender differences in the association between depression and mastery among Black youth. Further research is needed to understand how cultural values and life experiences may alter the link between depression and mastery among ethnically diverse Black youth.
Form Follows Environment: Biomimetic Approaches to Building Envelope Design for Environmental Adaptation
Authors: Badarnah Lidia
Published: May 2017

Building envelopes represent the interface between the outdoor environment and the indoor occupied spaces. They are often considered as barriers and shields, limiting solutions that adapt to environmental changes. Nature provides a large database of adaptation strategies that can be implemented in design in general, and in the design of building envelopes in particular. Biomimetics, where solutions are obtained by emulating strategies from nature, is a rapidly growing design discipline in engineering, and an emerging field in architecture. This paper presents a biomimetic approach to facilitate the generation of design concepts, and enhance the development of building envelopes that are better suited to their environments. Morphology plays a significant role in the way systems adapt to environmental conditions, and provides a multi-functional interface to regulate heat, air, water, and light. In this work, we emphasize the functional role of morphology for environmental adaptation, where distinct morphologies, corresponding processes, their underlying mechanisms, and potential applications to buildings are distinguished. Emphasizing this morphological contribution to environmental adaptation would enable designers to apply a proper morphology for a desired environmental process, hence promoting the development of adaptive solutions for building envelopes.
The Right to Remember: Implementing a Rudimentary Emotive-Effect Layer for Frustration on AI Agent Gameplay Strategy
Authors: Stallwood James , Ranchhod Ashok
Published: May 2017

AI (Artificial Intelligence) is often looked at as a logical way to develop a game agent that methodically looks at options and delivers rational or irrational solutions. This paper is based on developing an AI agent that plays a game with a similar emotive content like a human. The purpose of the study was to see if the incorporation of this emotive content would influence the outcomes within the game Love Letter. In order to do this an AI agent with an emotive layer was developed to play the game over a million times. A lower win/loss ratio demonstrates that, to some extent, this methodology was vindicated and a 100 per cent win for the AI agent did not happen. Machine learning techniques were modelled purposely so as to match extreme models of behavioural change. The results demonstrated a win/loss ratio of 0.67 for the AI agent and, in many ways, reflected the frustration that a normal player would exhibit during game play. As was hypothesised, the final agent investment value was, on average, lower after match play than its initial value.
Reducing Fuel Consumption in Hydraulic Excavators—A Comprehensive Analysis
Authors: Vukovic Milos , Leifeld Roland , Murrenhoff Hubertus
Published: May 2017

Mobile machines, especially excavators, still consume considerable amounts of fuel during their operating lifetimes. This is not only undesirable in economic terms but also adversely affects our environment. The following paper discusses methods to lower fuel consumption by conducting a comprehensive analysis of the components comprising a hydraulic excavator and the cycles these machines perform. One of the main aims is to emphasise that a design centred on the standard definitions of efficiency, especially hydraulic efficiency, can be rather misleading. A new approach using a novel fuel consumption model, based on the Willans approximation, coupled with the concepts of fixed and variable fuel consumption is introduced and validated using real test data obtained from an 18 t excavator. The new methodology can be used to help uncover simpler methods to improve today’s machines.
Rectal Cancer in a Patient with Bartter Syndrome: A Case Report
Authors: Fujino Shiki , Miyoshi Norikatsu , Ohue Masayuki , Mukai Mikio , Kukita Yoji , Hata Taishi , Matsuda Chu , Mizushima Tsunekazu , Doki Yuichiro , Mori Masaki
Published: May 2017

A woman with rectal cancer was scheduled for surgery. However, she also had hypokalemia, hyperreninemia, and hyperaldosteronism in the absence of any known predisposing factors or endocrine tumors. She was given intravenous potassium, and her blood abnormalities stabilized after tumor resection. Genetic analysis revealed mutations in several genes associated with Bartter syndrome (BS) and Gitelman syndrome, including SLC12A1, CLCNKB, CASR, SLC26A3, and SLC12A3. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) plays an important role in BS and worsens electrolyte abnormalities. The PGE2 level is reportedly increased in colorectal cancer, and in the present case, immunohistochemical examination revealed an increased PGE2 level in the tumor. We concluded that the tumor-related PGE2 elevation had worsened the patient’s BS, which became more manageable after tumor resection.
Understanding the Effects of Parameter Uncertainty on Temporal Dynamics of Groundwater-Surface Water Interaction
Authors: Saha Gopal , Li Jianbing , Thring Ronald
Published: May 2017

This study presents the understanding of temporal dynamics of groundwater-surface water (GW-SW) interaction due to parameter uncertainty by using a physically-based and distributed gridded surface subsurface hydrologic analysis (GSSHA) model combined with a Monte Carlo simulation. A study area along the main stem of the Kiskatinaw River of the Kiskatinaw River watershed, Northeast British Columbia, Canada, was used as a case study. Two different greenhouse gas (GHG) emission scenarios (i.e., A2: heterogeneous world with self-reliance and preservation of local identities, and B1: a more integrated and environmental-friendly world) of the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) from the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for 2013 were used as case scenarios. Before conducting uncertainty analysis, a sensitivity analysis was performed to find the most sensitive parameters to the model output (i.e., mean monthly groundwater contribution to stream flow). Then, a Monte Carlo simulation was used to conduct the uncertainty analysis. The uncertainty analysis results under both case scenarios revealed that the pattern of the cumulative relative frequency distribution of the mean monthly and annual groundwater contributions to stream flow varied monthly and annually, respectively, due to the uncertainties of the sensitive model parameters. In addition, the pattern of the cumulative relative frequency distribution of a particular month’s groundwater contribution to the stream flow differed significantly between both scenarios. These results indicated the complexities and uncertainties in the GW-SW interaction system. Therefore, it is of necessity to use such uncertainty analysis results rather than the point estimates for better water resources management decision-making.
A Method for Multi-Criteria Group Decision Making with 2-Tuple Linguistic Information Based on Cloud Model
Authors: Zhang Haobo , Wu Yunna , Gao Jianwei , Xu Chuanbo
Published: May 2017

This paper presents a new approach to solve the multi-criteria group decision making (MCGDM) problem where criteria values take the form of 2-tuple linguistic information. Firstly, a 2-tuple hybrid ordered weighted geometric (THOWG) operator is proposed, which synthetically considers the importance of both individual and the ordered position so as to overcome the defects of existing operators. Secondly, combining the advantages of the cloud model and 2-tuple linguistic variable, a new generating cloud method is proposed to transform 2-tuple linguistic variables into clouds. Thirdly, we further define some new cloud algorithms, such as cloud possibility degree and cloud support degree which can be respectively used to compare clouds and determine the criteria weights. Furthermore, a new approach for 2-tuple linguistic group decision making is presented on the basis of the THOWG operator, the improved generating cloud method as well as the new cloud algorithms. Finally, an example of assessing the social effects of biomass power plants (BPPS) is illustrated to verify the application and feasible of the developed approach, and a comparative analysis is also conducted to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Effects of Micro-Sized Ferrite and Austenite Grains on the Pitting Corrosion Behavior of Lean Duplex Stainless Steel 2101
Authors: Hu Yadi , Li Yuping , He Yan , Wang Jian , Liu Xinglong , Zhang Yong , Han Peide
Published: May 2017

The connection between the austenite transformation and pitting corrosion of lean duplex stainless steel LDX 2101 was investigated at different annealing temperatures in the range 950–1200 °C. Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and electrochemical techniques were employed in the present work. Results indicated that micro-sized ferrite and austenite grains, formed with the increase of annealing temperature, influenced the pitting corrosion resistance of the studied stainless steel. As the austenite phase transformed into ferrite, the micro-sized ferrite grains were produced in austenite domains with temperature increase from 1000 °C to 1100 °C, especially at 1050 °C. In these conditions, the corrosion resistance of LDX 2101 was reduced by the micro-sized ferrite grains. A further increase of annealing temperature to 1150 °C produced the presence of micro-sized austenite grains in the ferritic phase, due to an incomplete transformation of austenite to ferrite. They represent new sites for severe pitting attacks and therefore the corrosion resistance of LDX 2101 was the weakest. The sample annealed at 1200 °C, with few micro-sized austenite grains in the ferritic matrix, exhibited excellent corrosion resistance. Moreover, a schematic was used to illustrate the pitting corrosion of the samples annealed at different temperatures.
Diatoms and Their Capability for Heavy Metal Removal by Cationic Exchange
Authors: Hernández-Ávila Juan , Salinas-Rodríguez Eleazar , Cerecedo-Sáenz Eduardo , Reyes-Valderrama Ma. , Arenas-Flores Alberto , Román-Gutiérrez Alma , Rodríguez-Lugo Ventura
Published: May 2017

This work shows the physicochemical behavior of two different diatoms from the country of Mexico (State of Jalisco and Hidalgo) with similar compositions. These were used to eliminate toxic cations from a synthetic solution containing 5.270 mg As3+/L; 4.280 mg Ag+/L; 3.950 mgNi2+/L; 4.090 mg Cr6+/L; and 4.081 mg Pb2+/L. These diatoms were used as filters, and the quantity of cations remaining in the solution after filtering was measured. According to the most important results found, for the recovery of metals, both minerals achieved arsenic, silver, lead, and nickel recoveries up to 95%, and lower than 10% for chromium. This could be due to the absence of an environment to reduce Cr6+ to Cr3+. On the other hand, it was observed that there was no selectivity during the recovery of the other cations present in the solution. According to efficiency of interchange, the mineral from Hidalgo is slightly better than the mineral from Jalisco for the removal of arsenic, lead, and silver. For nickel, and particularly Cr6+, the efficiency is higher for the sample from Jalisco.
Characteristics of Cold and Hot Pressed Iron Aluminum Powder Metallurgical Alloys
Authors: Nassef Ahmed , El-Garaihy Waleed , El-Hadek Medhat
Published: May 2017

Iron powders having average particle sizes of ~40 µm are mechanically mixed thoroughly with aluminum powders ranging from 1 to 10 in wt. %, with an average particle size of ~10 µm. Two different powder metallurgy (PM) techniques, cold and hot pressing, are used to study the effect of the additive element powder on the mechanical properties, wear properties, and the microstructure of the iron based alloys. The hot pressing technique was performed at a temperature reaching up to 500 °C at 445.6 MPa. The cold pressing technique was performed at 909 MPa at room temperature. By increasing the Al content to 10 wt. % in the base Fe-based matrix, the Brinell hardness number was decreased from 780 to 690 and the radial strength from 380 to 228 MPa with reductions of 11.5% and 40%, respectively. Improvement of the wear resistance with the increase addition of the Al powder to the Fe matrix up to five times was achieved, compared to the alloy without Al addition for different wear parameters: wear time and sliding speed.
Mechanical and Corrosion Behavior of Al-Zn-Cr Family Alloys
Authors: Nassef Ahmed , El-Garaihy Waleed , El-Hadek Medhat
Published: May 2017

Aluminum base alloys containing chromium (Cr) and zinc (Zn) were produced using extrusion and powder metallurgy techniques. Cr additions ranged between 5 to 10 wt. %, while Zn was added in an amount between 0 and 20 wt. %. Heat treatment processes were performed during powder metallurgy process, at different temperatures, followed by water quenching. Similar alloys were extruded with an extrusion ratio of 4.6 to get proper densification. Optical microscopy was used for microstructure investigations of the alloys investigated. The element distribution microstructure study was carried out using the Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis method. Hardness and tensile properties of the investigated alloys have been examined. Wear resistance tests were carried out and the results were compared with these of the Al-based bulk alloys. Results showed that the aluminum base alloys, containing 10 wt. % Cr and heat treated at 500 °C for one hour followed by water quenching, exhibited the highest wear resistance and better mechanical properties.
Hypervalent Iodine Reagents in High Valent Transition Metal Chemistry
Authors: Sousa e Silva Felipe , Tierno Anthony , Wengryniuk Sarah
Published: May 2017

Over the last 20 years, high valent metal complexes have evolved from mere curiosities to being at the forefront of modern catalytic method development. This approach has enabled transformations complimentary to those possible via traditional manifolds, most prominently carbon-heteroatom bond formation. Key to the advancement of this chemistry has been the identification of oxidants that are capable of accessing these high oxidation state complexes. The oxidant has to be both powerful enough to achieve the desired oxidation as well as provide heteroatom ligands for transfer to the metal center; these heteroatoms are often subsequently transferred to the substrate via reductive elimination. Herein we will review the central role that hypervalent iodine reagents have played in this aspect, providing an ideal balance of versatile reactivity, heteroatom ligands, and mild reaction conditions. Furthermore, these reagents are environmentally benign, non-toxic, and relatively inexpensive compared to other inorganic oxidants. We will cover advancements in both catalysis and high valent complex isolation with a key focus on the subtle effects that oxidant choice can have on reaction outcome, as well as limitations of current reagents.
Ortho-Nitro Effect on the Diastereoselective Control in Sulfa-Staudinger and Staudinger Cycloadditions
Authors: Yang Zhanhui , Abdellaoui Hassane , He Wei , Xu Jiaxi
Published: May 2017

The ortho-nitro effect was discovered in sulfa-Staudinger cycloadditions of ethoxycarbonylsulfene with linear imines. When an ortho-nitro group is present at the C-aryl substituents of linear imines, the sulfa-Staudinger cycloadditions deliver cis-β-sultams in considerable amounts, together with the predominant trans-β-sultams. In other cases, the above sulfa-Staudinger cycloadditions give rise to trans-β-sultams exclusively. Further mechanistic rationalization discloses that the ortho-nitro effect is attributed to its strong electron-withdrawing inductive effect. Similarly, the ortho-nitro effect also exists in Staudinger cycloadditions of ethoxycarbonyl ketene with the imines. The current research provides further insights into the diastereoselective control in sulfa-Staudinger and Staudinger cycloadditions.
Design, Synthesis and Anti-Proliferative Activities of 2,6-Substituted Thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidine Derivatives Containing Electrophilic Warheads
Authors: Zhang Qiumeng , Hu Zonglong , Shen Qianqian , Chen Yi , Lu Wei
Published: May 2017

Thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidine as an effective pharmacophore has been extensively studied. However, its 2,6-substituted derivatives are rarely reported. In the present study, eighteen 2,6-substituted thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidine derivatives containing electrophilic warheads were designed based on the first known Fibroblast growth factor receptor-4 (FGFR4) inhibitor Blu9931. Unexpectedly, all of the derivatives exhibited negligible activity against FGFR4. However, most of the target compounds exhibited antiproliferative activities against four human cancer cell lines, including A431, NCI-H1975, Ramos and SNU-16. Compound 12 showed the most potent antiproliferative activities on the above four cell lines with IC50 values of 1.4 μM, 1.2 μM, 0.6 μM, and 2.6 μM, respectively. Additionally, the antiproliferative activity of 12 against MDA-MB-221 proved that 12 had the selectivity towards certain tumor cell lines. Furthermore, preliminary structure-activity relationship analysis was discussed based on the experimental data.
11C-Labeling of Aryl Ketones as Candidate Histamine Subtype-3 Receptor PET Radioligands through Pd(0)-Mediated 11C-Carbonylative Coupling
Authors: Siméon Fabrice , Culligan William , Lu Shuiyu , Pike Victor
Published: May 2017

Pd(0)-mediated coupling between iodoarenes, [11C]carbon monoxide and aryltributylstannanes has been used to prepare simple model [11C]aryl ketones. Here, we aimed to label four 2-aminoethylbenzofuran chemotype based molecules ([11C]1–4) in the carbonyl position, as prospective positron emission tomography (PET) radioligands for the histamine subtype 3 receptor (H3R) by adapting this methodology with use of aryltrimethylstannanes. Radiosynthesis was successfully performed on a platform equipped with a mini-autoclave and a liquid handling robotic arm, within a lead-shielded hot-cell. Candidate radioligands were readily formulated in saline containing ethanol (10%, v/v) and ascorbic acid (0.5 mg/10 mL). Yields for preclinical use were in the range of 5–9%, decay-corrected from cyclotron-produced [11C]CO2 and molar activities were >115 GBq/µmol at end of synthesis. Radiochemical purities exceeded >97%.
Synthesis, Biological Activity and Preliminary in Silico ADMET Screening of Polyamine Conjugates with Bicyclic Systems
Authors: Szumilak Marta , Galdyszynska Malgorzata , Dominska Kamila , Bak-Sypien Irena , Merecz-Sadowska Anna , Stanczak Andrzej , Karwowski Boleslaw , Piastowska-Ciesielska Agnieszka
Published: May 2017

Polyamine conjugates with bicyclic terminal groups including quinazoline, naphthalene, quinoline, coumarine and indole have been obtained and their cytotoxic activity against PC–3, DU–145 and MCF–7 cell lines was evaluated in vitro. Their antiproliferative potential differed markedly and depended on both their chemical structure and the type of cancer cell line. Noncovalent DNA-binding properties of the most active compounds have been examined using ds–DNA thermal melting studies and topo I activity assay. The promising biological activity, DNA intercalative binding mode and favorable drug-like properties of bis(naphthalene-2-carboxamides) make them a good lead for further development of potential anticancer drugs.
Nine Different Chemical Species and Action Mechanisms of Pancreatic Lipase Ligands Screened Out from Forsythia suspensa Leaves All at One Time
Authors: Chen Tinggui , Li Yayun , Zhang Liwei
Published: May 2017

It is difficult to screen out as many active components as possible from natural plants all at one time. In this study, subfractions of Forsythia suspensa leaves were firstly prepared; then, their inhibitive abilities on pancreatic lipase were tested; finally, the highest inhibiting subfraction was screened by self-made immobilized pancreatic lipase. Results showed that nine ligands, including eight inhibitors and one promotor, were screened out all at one time. They were three flavonoids (rutin, IC50: 149 ± 6.0 μmol/L; hesperidin, 52.4 μmol/L; kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, isolated from F. suspensa leaves for the first time, IC50 notably reached 2.9 ± 0.5 μmol/L), two polyphenols (chlorogenic acid, 3150 ± 120 μmol/L; caffeic acid, 1394 ± 52 μmol/L), two lignans (phillyrin, promoter; arctigenin, 2129 ± 10.5 μmol/L), and two phenethyl alcohol (forsythiaside A, 2155 ± 8.5 μmol/L; its isomer). Their action mechanisms included competitive inhibition, competitive promotion, noncompetitive inhibition, and uncompetitive inhibition. In sum, using the appropriate methods, more active ingredients can be simply and quickly screened out all at one time from a complex natural product system. In addition, F. suspensa leaves contain numerous inhibitors of pancreatic lipase.
Selfish Memes: An Update of Richard Dawkins’ Bibliometric Analysis of Key Papers in Sociobiology
Authors: Aaen-Stockdale Craig
Published: May 2017

In the second edition of The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins included a short bibliometric analysis of key papers instrumental to the sociobiological revolution, the intention of which was to support his proposal that ideas spread within a population in an epidemiological manner. In his analysis, Dawkins primarily discussed the influence of an article by British evolutionary biologist William Donald Hamilton which had introduced the concept of “inclusive fitness”, and he argued that citations to it were accumulating in a very different manner to two other seminal papers, demonstrating the appearance and spread of a new “meme” in circles. This paper re-examines Dawkins’ original analysis and the conclusions drawn from it, and updates those conclusions based on citation data accumulated in the intervening three decades since . This updated analysis shows that patterns of citation for the three papers, and Dawkins’ book itself, are actually remarkably similar and show no qualitative difference in citation growth. The data are well described by a two-phase exponential model of citation growth in which citations accumulate rapidly and then saturate at a slower level of growth dictated primarily by the general increase in production. It is speculated that this two-phase exponential growth, with some modification to account for papers that are not immediately discovered, may be a signature that will help to reveal the emergence of genuinely novel ideas within the literature.
Erratum: Zielewska-Büttner, K.; Adler, P.; Ehmann, M.; Braunisch, V. Automated Detection of Forest Gaps in Spruce Dominated Stands Using Canopy Height Models Derived from Stereo Aerial Imagery. Remote Sens. 2016, 8, 175
Authors: Zielewska-Büttner Katarzyna , Adler Petra , Ehmann Michaela , Braunisch Veronika
Published: May 2017

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Validation of Abundance Map Reference Data for Spectral Unmixing
Authors: Williams McKay , Parody Robert , Fafard Alexander , Kerekes John , Van Aardt Jan
Published: May 2017

The purpose of this study is to validate the accuracy of abundance map reference data (AMRD) for three airborne imaging spectrometer (IS) scenes. AMRD refers to reference data maps (“ground truth”) that are specifically designed to quantitatively assess the performance of spectral unmixing algorithms. While classification algorithms typically label whole pixels as belonging to certain ground cover classes, spectral unmixing allows pixels to be composed of fractions or abundances of each class. The AMRD validated in this paper were generated using our previously-proposed remotely-sensed reference data (RSRD) technique, which spatially aggregates the results of standard classification or unmixing algorithms from fine spatial-scale IS data to produce AMRD for co-located coarse-scale IS data. Validation of the three scenes was accomplished by estimating AMRD in 51 randomly-selected 10 m×10 m plots, using seven independent methods and observers. These independent estimates included field surveys by two observers, imagery analysis by two observers and RSRD by three algorithms. Results indicated statistically-significant differences between all versions of AMRD. Even AMRD from our two field surveys were significantly different for two of the four ground cover classes. These results suggest that all forms of reference data require validation prior to use in assessing the performance of classification and/or unmixing algorithms. Given the significant differences between the independent versions of AMRD, we propose that the mean of all (MOA) versions of reference data for each plot and class is most likely to represent true abundances. Our independent versions of AMRD were compared to MOA to characterize error and uncertainty. Best case results were achieved by a version of imagery analysis, which had mean coverage area differences of 2.0%, with a standard deviation of 5.6%. One of the RSRD algorithms was nearly as accurate, achieving mean differences of 3.0%, with a standard deviation of 6.3%. Further analysis of statistical equivalence yielded an overall zone of equivalence between [ − 7.0 % , 7.2 % ] for this version of RSRD. The relative accuracy of RSRD methods is promising, given their potential to efficiently generate scene-wide AMRD. These results provide the first known validated abundance level reference data for airborne IS data.
The Irreducible Ethics in Reflexivity: Rethinking Reflexivity in Conducting Ethnography in Shangri-La, Southwest China
Authors: Zhang Jundan
Published: May 2017

Because this research started in Shangri-La County in Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Southwest China, I have had different people in different occasions ask me similar questions: Are you a Han or a Tibetan? Why do you want to do research in Shangri-La? These are indeed common
questions to start with if one is studying a place and people that are different from one's own "origins." However, if we take such questions seriously and look deeper, we can see that they are not only posed on the condition of knowledge or assumptions, but also posed as a concern and sometimes
curiosity on how the researcher may reflect upon her research as a political action and deal with relations with other people, especially in a situation that research seems to be institutionalized and the researcher appears to have more influence and power. In this article, I attempt to look
into the contents and contexts of the recent "reflexive calls" in tourism studies and social research in general. Through critically questioning what "reflexivity" is and what context it has been applied, I argue that both the researcher and the researched subjects are a mixture of "selves,"
and they both go through the process of interpreting information and thus always attempt to negotiate with their surroundings. Therefore, I argue that we must rethink the current normalized ideas of "reflexivity" in social research, to examine/self-examine the researcher's intention or actual
capacity to practice "reflexivity." Hence, the ethical way for me to follow in this research is to not claim myself being "reflexive," rather to act on it.
Source identification of western Oregon Douglas‐fir wood cores using mass spectrometry and random forest classification
Authors: Finch Kristen , Espinoza Edgard , Jones F. Andrew , Cronn Richard
Published: May 2017

Premise of the study:

We investigated whether wood metabolite profiles from direct analysis in real time (time‐of‐flight) mass spectrometry (DART‐TOFMS) could be used to determine the geographic origin of Douglas‐fir wood cores originating from two regions in western Oregon, USA.

Methods:

Three annual ring mass spectra were obtained from 188 adult Douglas‐fir trees, and these were analyzed using random forest models to determine whether samples could be classified to geographic origin, growth year, or growth year and geographic origin. Specific wood molecules that contributed to geographic discrimination were identified.

Results:

Douglas‐fir mass spectra could be differentiated into two geographic classes with an accuracy between 70% and 76%. Classification models could not accurately classify sample mass spectra based on growth year. Thirty‐two molecules were identified as key for classifying western Oregon Douglas‐fir wood cores to geographic origin.

Discussion:

DART‐TOFMS is capable of detecting minute but regionally informative differences in wood molecules over a small geographic scale, and these differences made it possible to predict the geographic origin of Douglas‐fir wood with moderate accuracy. Studies involving DART‐TOFMS, alone and in combination with other technologies, will be relevant for identifying the geographic origin of illegally harvested wood.
Chloroplast and mitochondrial microsatellites for Millettia pinnata (Fabaceae) and cross‐amplification in related species
Authors: Wang Yanling , Xie Hongxian , Yang Yi , Huang Yelin , Wang Jianwu , Tan Fengxiao
Published: May 2017

Premise of the study:

Chloroplast and mitochondrial microsatellites were identified to study the population genetics of Millettia pinnata (Fabaceae).

Methods and Results:

Based on publicly available plastid genome sequence data of M. pinnata, 42 primer pairs were developed, of which 17 displayed polymorphisms across 89 individuals from four populations. For chloroplast loci, two to six alleles were recovered and the unbiased haploid diversity per locus ranged from 0.391 to 0.857. For mitochondrial loci, two to four alleles were recovered and the unbiased haploid diversity ranged from 0.264 to 0.740. Sixteen of the 17 screened markers could be successfully amplified in the related species M. pulchra.

Conclusions:

The 17 microsatellite markers developed here exhibited variation in M. pinnata and 16 presented transferability in the related species M. pulchra, suggesting that these markers will be valuable for genetic studies across M. pinnata and its related species.
The Mass–Concentration Relation and the Stellar-to-halo Mass Ratio in the CFHT Stripe 82 Survey
Authors: Shan HuanYuan , Kneib Jean-Paul , Li Ran , Comparat Johan , Erben Thomas , Makler Martin , Moraes Bruno , Waerbeke Ludovic Van , Taylor James E. , Charbonnier Aldée , Pereira Maria E. S.
Published: May 2017

We present a new measurement of the mass–concentration relation and the stellar-to-halo mass ratio over the halo-mass range 5 × 1012 to 2 × 1014
M
⊙. To achieve this, we use weak lensing measurements from the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope Stripe 82 Survey (CS82), combined with the central galaxies from the redMaPPer cluster catalog and the LOWZ/CMASS galaxy sample of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey Tenth Data Release. The stacked lensing signals around these samples are modeled as a sum of contributions from the central galaxy, its dark matter halo, and the neighboring halos, as well as a term for possible centering errors. We measure the mass–concentration relation:

with A = 5.24 ± 1.24, B = −0.13 ± 0.10 for 0.2 < z < 0.4, and A = 6.61 ± 0.75, B = −0.15 ± 0.05 for 0.4 < z < 0.6. These amplitudes and slopes are completely consistent with predictions from recent simulations. We also measure the stellar-to-halo mass ratio for our samples, and find results consistent with previous measurements from lensing and other techniques.
Identification of Low Coronal Sources of “Stealth” Coronal Mass Ejections Using New Image Processing Techniques
Authors: Alzate Nathalia , Morgan Huw
Published: May 2017

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are generally associated with low coronal signatures (LCSs), such as flares, filament eruptions, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) waves, or jets. A number of recent studies have reported the existence of stealth CMEs as events without LCSs, possibly due to observational limitations. Our study focuses on a set of 40 stealth CMEs identified from a study by D’Huys et al. New image processing techniques are applied to high-cadence, multi-instrument sets of images spanning the onset and propagation time of each of these CMEs to search for possible LCSs. Twenty-three of these events are identified as small, low-mass, unstructured blobs or puffs, often occurring in the aftermath of a large CME, but associated with LCSs such as small flares, jets, or filament eruptions. Of the larger CMEs, seven are associated with jets and eight with filament eruptions. Several of these filament eruptions are different from the standard model of an erupting filament/flux tube in that they are eruptions of large, faint flux tubes that seem to exist at large heights for a long time prior to their slow eruption. For two of these events, we see an eruption in Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph C2 images and the consequent changes at the bottom edge of the eruption in EUV images. All 40 events in our study are associated with some form of LCS. We conclude that stealth CMEs arise from observational and processing limitations.
Reverberation Mapping of Optical Emission Lines in Five Active Galaxies
Authors: Fausnaugh M. M. , Grier C. J. , Bentz M. C. , Denney K. D. , Rosa G. De , Peterson B. M. , Kochanek C. S. , Pogge R. W. , Adams S. M. , Barth A. J. , Beatty Thomas G. , Bhattacharjee A. , Borman G. A. , Boroson T. A. , Bottorff M. C. , Brown Jacob E. , Brown Jonathan S. , Brotherton M. S. , Coker C. T. , Crawford S. M. , Croxall K. V. , Eftekharzadeh Sarah , Eracleous Michael , Joner M. D. , Henderson C. B. , Holoien T. W.-S. , Horne Keith , Hutchison T. , Kaspi Shai , Kim S. , King Anthea L. , Li Miao , Lochhaas Cassandra , Ma Zhiyuan , MacInnis F. , Manne-Nicholas E. R. , Mason M. , Montuori Carmen , Mosquera Ana , Mudd Dale , Musso R. , Nazarov S. V. , Nguyen M. L. , Okhmat D. N. , Onken Christopher A. , Ou-Yang B. , Pancoast A. , Pei L. , Penny Matthew T. , Poleski Radosław , Rafter Stephen , Romero-Colmenero E. , Runnoe Jessie , Sand David J. , Schimoia Jaderson S. , Sergeev S. G. , Shappee B. J. , Simonian Gregory V. , Somers Garrett , Spencer M. , Starkey D. A. , Stevens Daniel J. , Tayar Jamie , Treu T. , Valenti Stefano , Saders J. Van , Villanueva Jr. S. , Villforth C. , Weiss Yaniv , Winkler H. , Zhu W.
Published: May 2017

We present the first results from an optical reverberation mapping campaign executed in 2014 targeting the active galactic nuclei (AGNs) MCG+08-11-011, NGC 2617, NGC 4051, 3C 382, and Mrk 374. Our targets have diverse and interesting observational properties, including a “changing look” AGN and a broad-line radio galaxy. Based on continuum-Hβ lags, we measure black hole masses for all five targets. We also obtain Hγ and He ii
λ4686 lags for all objects except 3C 382. The He ii
λ4686 lags indicate radial stratification of the BLR, and the masses derived from different emission lines are in general agreement. The relative responsivities of these lines are also in qualitative agreement with photoionization models. These spectra have extremely high signal-to-noise ratios (100–300 per pixel) and there are excellent prospects for obtaining velocity-resolved reverberation signatures.
Facilitating Follow-up of LIGO–Virgo Events Using Rapid Sky Localization
Authors: Chen Hsin-Yu , Holz Daniel E.
Published: May 2017

We discuss an algorithm for accurate and very low-latency (<1 s) localization of gravitational-wave (GW) sources using only the relative times of arrival, relative phases, and relative signal-to-noise ratios for pairs of detectors. The algorithm is independent of distances and masses to leading order, and can be generalized to all discrete (as opposed to stochastic and continuous) sources detected by ground-based detector networks. Our approach is similar to that of BAYESTAR with a few modifications, which result in increased computational efficiency. For the LIGO two-detector configuration (Hanford+Livingston) operating in O1 we find a median 50% (90%) localization of 143 deg2 (558 deg2) for binary neutron stars. We use our algorithm to explore the improvement in localization resulting from loud events, finding that the loudest out of the first 4 (or 10) events reduces the median sky-localization area by a factor of 1.9 (3.0) for the case of two GW detectors, and 2.2 (4.0) for three detectors. We also consider the case of multi-messenger joint detections in both the gravitational and the electromagnetic radiation, and show that joint localization can offer significant improvements (e.g., in the case of LIGO and Fermi/GBM joint detections). We show that a prior on the binary inclination, potentially arising from GRB observations, has a negligible effect on GW localization. Our algorithm is simple, fast, and accurate, and may be of particular utility in the development of multi-messenger astronomy.