bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Severe Hyperacusis, Photophobia, and Skin Hypersensitivity
Authors: Fioretti Alessandra Barbara , Varakliotis Theodoros , Poli Otello , Cantagallo Manuela , Eibenstein Alberto
Published: February 2016

We report a case of a patient with severe hyperacusis, photophobia, and skin hypersensitivity. The patient was initially treated with sound therapy and medical therapy for 4 months and successfully with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and cognitive behavioral therapy which improved her mood and the tolerance for sounds and light.
The Predictive Effects of Early Pregnancy Lipid Profiles and Fasting Glucose on the Risk of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Stratified by Body Mass Index
Authors: Wang Chen , Zhu Weiwei , Wei Yumei , Su Rina , Feng Hui , Lin Li , Yang Huixia
Published: February 2016

This study aimed at evaluating the predictive effects of early pregnancy lipid profiles and fasting glucose on the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in patients stratified by prepregnancy body mass index (p-BMI) and to determine the optimal cut-off values of each indicator for different p-BMI ranges. A retrospective system cluster sampling survey was conducted in Beijing during 2013 and a total of 5,265 singleton pregnancies without prepregnancy diabetes were included. The information for each participant was collected individually using questionnaires and medical records. Logistic regression analysis and receiver operator characteristics analysis were used in the analysis. Outcomes showed that potential markers for the prediction of GDM include early pregnancy lipid profiles (cholesterol, triacylglycerols, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratios [LDL-C/HDL-C], and triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratios [TG/HDL-C]) and fasting glucose, of which fasting glucose level was the most accurate indicator. Furthermore, the predictive effects and cut-off values for these factors varied according to p-BMI. Thus, p-BMI should be a consideration for the risk assessment of pregnant patients for GDM development.
Prevalence of Neoplastic Diseases in Pet Birds Referred for Surgical Procedures
Authors: Castro Patrícia F. , Fantoni Denise T. , Miranda Bruna C. , Matera Julia M.
Published: February 2016

Neoplastic disease is common in pet birds, particularly in psittacines, and treatment should be primarily aimed at tumor eradication. Nineteen cases of pet birds submitted to diagnostic and/or therapeutic surgical procedures due to neoplastic disease characterized by the presence of visible masses were retrospectively analyzed; affected species, types of neoplasms and respective locations, and outcomes of surgical procedures were determined. All birds undergoing surgery belonged to the order Psittaciformes; the Blue-fronted parrot (Amazona aestiva) was the prevalent species. Lipoma was the most frequent neoplasm in the sample studied. Most neoplasms affected the integumentary system, particularly the pericloacal area. Tumor resection was the most common surgical procedure performed, with high resolution and low recurrence rates.
Altered Autophagy-Associated Genes Expression in T Cells of Oral Lichen Planus Correlated with Clinical Features
Authors: Tan Ya-Qin , Zhang Jing , Du Ge-Fei , Lu Rui , Chen Guan-Ying , Zhou Gang
Published: February 2016

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a T cell-mediated inflammatory autoimmune disease. Autophagy has emerged as a fundamental trafficking event in mediating T cell response, which plays crucial roles in innate and adaptive immunity. The present study mainly investigated the mRNA expression of autophagy-associated genes in peripheral blood T cells of OLP patients and evaluated correlations between their expression and the clinical features of OLP. Five differentially expressed autophagy-associated genes were identified by autophagy array. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR results confirmed thatIGF1expression in the peripheral blood T cells of OLP patients was significantly higher than that in controls, especially in female and middle-aged (30–50 years old) OLP patients. In addition,ATG9BmRNA levels were significantly lower in nonerosive OLP patients. However, no significant differences were found in the expression ofHGS,ESR1, andSNCAbetween OLP patients and controls. Taken together, dysregulation of T cell autophagy may be involved in immune response of OLP and may be correlated with clinical patterns.
Research on Fuzzy Control Based Flexible Composite Winding System
Authors: Xiaodong He , Yaoyao Shi , Chao Kang
Published: February 2016

In the process of composite resin prepreg tape winding, the presence of pores or voids among the layers of composite can result in reduced strength of winding. To alleviate this problem, it is required that the composite tape winding machines be designed such that the layers of composite are evenly wound on the previous one. The paper presents a novel design of flexible winding system for composite tape winding. Based on the analysis of errors in winding process, the novel winding system eliminates winding point error and winding angle error based on the speed controlled flexible roller. This paper also presents the kinetic analysis of the novel system and its controller design. Experiments are conducted on the novel winding system. The experimental results illustrate that the novel flexible winding system has a good performance in winding accuracy.
Determining the Independent Risk Factors and Mortality Rate of Nosocomial Infections in Pediatric Patients
Authors: Aktar Fesih , Tekin Recep , Güneş Ali , Ülgen Cevat , Tan İlhan , Ertuğrul Sabahattin , Köşker Muhammet , Balık Hasan , Karabel Duran , Yolbaş Ilyas
Published: February 2016

The objective of this study was to determine the rate, independent risk factors, and outcomes of healthcare-associated infections in pediatric patients. This study was performed between 2011 and 2014 in pediatric clinic and intensive care unit. 86 patients and 86 control subjects were included in the study. Of 86 patients with nosocomial infections (NIs), there were 100 NIs episodes and 90 culture growths. The median age was 32.0 months. The median duration of hospital stay of the patients was 30.0 days. The most frequent pathogens were Coagulase-negativeStaphylococcus,Acinetobacterspp.,Klebsiellaspp., andCandidaspp. Unconsciousness, prolonged hospitalization, transfusion, mechanical ventilation, use of central venous catheter, enteral feeding via a nasogastric tube, urinary catheter, and receiving carbapenems and glycopeptides were found to be significantly higher in NIs patients. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed prolonged hospitalization, neutropenia, and use of central venous catheter and carbapenems as the independent risk factors for NIs. In the univariate analysis, unconsciousness, mechanical ventilation, enteral feeding, use of enteral feeding via a nasogastric tube, H2receptor blockers, and port and urinary catheter were significantly associated with mortality. In the multiple logistic regression analysis, only mechanical ventilation was found as an independent predictor of mortality in patients with NIs.
Factor Structure, Internal Consistency, and Screening Sensitivity of the GARS-2 in a Developmental Disabilities Sample
Authors: Volker Martin A. , Dua Elissa H. , Lopata Christopher , Thomeer Marcus L. , Toomey Jennifer A. , Smerbeck Audrey M. , Rodgers Jonathan D. , Popkin Joshua R. , Nelson Andrew T. , Lee Gloria K.
Published: February 2016

The Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-Second Edition (GARS-2) is a widely used screening instrument that assists in the identification and diagnosis of autism. The purpose of this study was to examine the factor structure, internal consistency, and screening sensitivity of the GARS-2 using ratings from special education teaching staff for a sample of 240 individuals with autism or other significant developmental disabilities. Exploratory factor analysis yielded a correlated three-factor solution similar to that found in 2005 by Lecavalier for the original GARS. Though the three factors appeared to be reasonably consistent with the intended constructs of the three GARS-2 subscales, the analysis indicated that more than a third of the GARS-2 items were assigned to the wrong subscale. Internal consistency estimates met or exceeded standards for screening and were generally higher than those in previous studies. Screening sensitivity was .65 and specificity was .81 for the Autism Index using a cut score of 85. Based on these findings, recommendations are made for instrument revision.
Modeling the Distribution Characteristics of Urban Public Bicycle Rental Duration
Authors: Zhang Shuichao , He Kangkang , Dong Sheng , Zhou Jibiao
Published: February 2016

In order to model the distribution characteristics of public bicycle rental durations, individual journey data for three cities in China (Ningbo, Hangzhou, and Beijing), for weekdays, was obtained. The distribution curves for public bicycle rental duration in the three cities were found to be extremely similar, with small differences among the weekdays. The basic parameters such as the average rental duration, the rental duration corresponding to the maximum rental frequency, and the rental duration corresponding to 75% degree were then calculated. On this basis, the radioactive decay law from physics was used to establish a theoretical model for the relationship between rental frequency and rental duration. The data on public bicycle rental duration in Ningbo, Hangzhou, and Beijing were used to test the model and produce a corrected theoretical model. The results indicate that the relationship between rental frequency and rental duration obeys the decay law. The study results provide important theoretical support for the rental station planning of bicycle sharing systems, as well as the allocation, operation, and dispatch of public bicycles.
Polyethylene Glycol Preconditioning: An Effective Strategy to Prevent Liver Ischemia Reperfusion Injury
Authors: Bejaoui Mohamed , Pantazi Eirini , Calvo Maria , Folch-Puy Emma , Serafín Anna , Pasut Gianfranco , Panisello Arnau , Adam René , Roselló-Catafau Joan
Published: February 2016

Hepatic ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) is an inevitable clinical problem for liver surgery. Polyethylene glycols (PEGs) are water soluble nontoxic polymers that have proven their effectiveness in various in vivo and in vitro models of tissue injury. The present study aims to investigate whether the intravenous administration of a high molecular weight PEG of 35 kDa (PEG 35) could be an effective strategy for rat liver preconditioning against IRI. PEG 35 was intravenously administered at 2 and 10 mg/kg to male Sprague Dawley rats. Then, rats were subjected to one hour of partial ischemia (70%) followed by two hours of reperfusion. The results demonstrated that PEG 35 injected intravenously at 10 mg/kg protected efficiently rat liver against the deleterious effects of IRI. This was evidenced by the significant decrease in transaminases levels and the better preservation of mitochondrial membrane polarization. Also, PEG 35 preserved hepatocyte morphology as reflected by an increased F‐actin/G‐actin ratio and confocal microscopy findings. In addition, PEG 35 protective mechanisms were correlated with the activation of the prosurvival kinase Akt and the cytoprotective factor AMPK and the inhibition of apoptosis. Thus, PEG may become a suitable agent to attempt pharmacological preconditioning against hepatic IRI.
Nanosilica and Polyacrylate/Nanosilica: A Comparative Study of Acute Toxicity
Authors: Niu Ying-Mei , Zhu Xiao-Li , Chang Bing , Tong Zhao-Hui , Cao Wen , Qiao Pei-Huan , Zhang Lin-Yuan , Zhao Jing , Song Yu-Guo
Published: February 2016

We compared the acute toxicity of nanosilica and polyacrylate/nanosilica instillation in Wistar rats (n=60). Exposure to nanosilica and polyacrylate/nanosilica showed a 30% mortality rate. When compared with saline-treated rats, animals in both exposure groups exhibited a significant reduction of PO2(P<0.05) at both 24 and 72 hr. after exposure. Both exposure groups exhibited a significant reduction of neutrophils in arterial blood compared to saline controls (P<0.05) 24 hr. after exposure. The levels of blood ALT and LDH in exposed groups were found to be significantly increased (P<0.05) 24 hr. following exposure. The exposed groups exhibited various degrees of pleural effusion and pericardial effusion. Our findings indicated respiratory exposure to polyacrylate/nanosilica and nanosilica is likely to cause multiple organ toxicity.
A Modified Floor Field Model Combined with Risk Field for Pedestrian Simulation
Authors: Wang Chao , Wang Jian
Published: February 2016

Microscopic evacuation models are of great value in both scientific research and practical applications. The floor field (FF) model is one of the most widely used models in previous research. However, the repulsion effect of hazard and the interaction between evacuees are not considered simultaneously. This paper proposes a modified floor field model combined with risk field and extended dynamic field to depict these features. The whole evacuation process is validated through a series of numerical simulations which are realized by C++ language. In addition, two different renewal mechanisms, namely, synchronous and asynchronous renewal mechanisms, are compared to validate the model parameters. Results show that the proposed model is able to partly reveal the typical pedestrian behaviors and the impacts of hazard on evacuation process.
Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Arrhythmia by Oxidative Stress
Authors: Sovari Ali A.
Published: February 2016

Current therapies for arrhythmia using ion channel blockade, catheter ablation, or an implantable cardioverter defibrillator have limitations, and it is important to search for new antiarrhythmic therapeutic targets. Both atrial fibrillation and heart failure, a condition with increased arrhythmic risk, are associated with excess amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS). There are several possible ways for ROS to induce arrhythmia. ROS can cause focal activity and reentry. ROS alter multiple cardiac ionic currents. ROS promote cardiac fibrosis and impair gap junction function, resulting in reduced myocyte coupling and facilitation of reentry. In order to design effective antioxidant drugs for treatment of arrhythmia, it is essential to explore the molecular mechanisms by which ROS exert these arrhythmic effects. Activation of Ca2+/CaM-dependent kinase II, c-Src tyrosine kinase, protein kinase C, and abnormal splicing of cardiac sodium channels are among the recently discovered molecular mechanisms of ROS-induced arrhythmia.
DNA Methylation Indicates Susceptibility to Isoproterenol-Induced Cardiac Pathology and Is Associated With Chromatin States
Authors: Chen Haodong , Orozco Luz D. , Wang Jessica , Rau Christoph D. , Rubbi Liudmilla , Ren Shuxun , Wang Yibin , Pellegrini Matteo , Lusis Aldons J. , Vondriska Thomas M.
Published: February 2016

Rationale:

Only a small portion of the known heritability of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart failure, can be explained based on single-gene mutations. Chromatin structure and regulation provide a substrate through which genetic differences in noncoding regions may affect cellular function and response to disease, but the mechanisms are unknown.

Objective:

We conducted genome-wide measurements of DNA methylation in different strains of mice that are susceptible and resistant to isoproterenol-induced dysfunction to test the hypothesis that this epigenetic mark may play a causal role in the development of heart failure.

Methods and Results:

BALB/cJ and BUB/BnJ mice, determined to be susceptible and resistant to isoproterenol-induced heart failure, respectively, were administered the drug for 3 weeks via osmotic minipump. Reduced representational bisulfite sequencing was then used to compare the differences between the cardiac DNA methylomes in the basal state between strains and then after isoproterenol treatment. Single-base resolution DNA methylation measurements were obtained and revealed a bimodal distribution of methylation in the heart, enriched in lone intergenic CpGs and depleted from CpG islands around genes. Isoproterenol induced global decreases in methylation in both strains; however, the basal methylation pattern between strains shows striking differences that may be predictive of disease progression before environmental stress. The global correlation between promoter methylation and gene expression (as measured by microarray) was modest and revealed itself only with focused analyses of transcription start site and gene body regions (in contrast to when gene methylation was examined in toto). Modules of comethylated genes displayed correlation with other protein-based epigenetic marks, supporting the hypothesis that chromatin modifications act in a combinatorial manner to specify transcriptional phenotypes in the heart.

Conclusions:

This study provides the first single-base resolution map of the mammalian cardiac DNA methylome and the first case–control analysis of the changes in DNA methylation with heart failure. The findings demonstrate marked genetic differences in DNA methylation that are associated with disease progression.
Functional Tuning of Intrinsic Endothelial Ca
2+
Dynamics in Swine Coronary Arteries
Authors: Francis Michael , Waldrup Joshua R. , Qian Xun , Solodushko Viktoriya , Meriwether John , Taylor Mark S.
Published: February 2016

Rationale:

Recent data from mesenteric and cerebral beds have revealed spatially restricted Ca
2+
transients occurring along the vascular intima that control effector recruitment and vasodilation. Although Ca
2+
is pivotal for coronary artery endothelial function, spatial and temporal regulation of functional Ca
2+
signals in the coronary endothelium is poorly understood.

Objective:

We aimed to determine whether a discrete spatial and temporal profile of Ca
2+
dynamics underlies endothelium-dependent relaxation of swine coronary arteries.

Methods and Results:

Using confocal imaging, custom automated image analysis, and myography, we show that the swine coronary artery endothelium generates discrete basal Ca
2+
dynamics, including isolated transients and whole-cell propagating waves. These events are suppressed by depletion of internal stores or inhibition of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors but not by inhibition of ryanodine receptors or removal of extracellular Ca
2+
. In vessel rings, inhibition of specific Ca
2+
-dependent endothelial effectors, namely, small and intermediate conductance K
+
channels (K
Ca
3.1 and K
Ca
2.3) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase, produces additive tone, which is blunted by internal store depletion or inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor blockade. Stimulation of endothelial inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate–dependent signaling with substance P causes idiosyncratic changes in dynamic Ca
2+
signal parameters (active sites, event frequency, amplitude, duration, and spatial spread). Overall, substance P–induced vasorelaxation corresponded poorly with whole-field endothelial Ca
2+
measurements but corresponded precisely with the concentration-dependent change in Ca
2+
dynamics (linearly translated composite of dynamic parameters).

Conclusions:

Our findings show that endothelium-dependent control of swine coronary artery tone is determined by spatial and temporal titration of inherent endothelial Ca
2+
dynamics that are not represented by tissue-level averaged Ca
2+
changes.
Additional new species in Roccellaceae s.l. from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India
Authors: Jagadeesh Ram TAM
Published: February 2016

In the floristic revision on the lichens of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands three more species in the family Roccellaceae are described as new to science: Chiodecton norsticticum sp. nov., Enterographa nicobarica sp. nov. and Gyrographa nigrofusca sp. nov. Chiodecton norsticticum has 7-septate small ascospores and norstictic acid. Enterographa nicobarica has simple to branched lirelliform ascomata in pseudostromata, 5–7-septate ascospores and lacking lichen substances. Gyrographa nigrofusca has simple to substellate lirelliform ascomata, 7-septate ascospores and lacking lichen substances Chiodecton norsticticum and Enterographa nicobarica are recorded on coconut palms.
Review of the genus Diaphanogryllacris (Orthoptera: Gryllacrididae: Gryllacridinae) with description two new species from China
Authors: DU BAO-JIE , BIAN XUN , SHI FU-MING
Published: February 2016

Two new species of the genus Diaphanogryllacris from China are described, i.e. Diaphanogryllacris brevispina sp. nov. and Diaphanogryllacris incavatis sp. nov.. In addition, a distribution map of the species of the genus Diaphanogryllacris from China is presented. All material examined is deposited in the Museum of Hebei University.
Three new species of Calyptotheca (Bryozoa: Lanceoporidae) from the Great Barrier Reef, tropical Australia
Authors: SEBASTIAN PASCAL , CUMMING ROBYN L.
Published: February 2016

The cheilostome bryozoans Calyptotheca wulguru n. sp. and Calyptotheca tilbrooki n. sp. (Lanceoporidae) are described from inter-reefal, sediment-dominated habitats of the Great Barrier Reef, and Calyptotheca churro n. sp. was washed up on a Heron Island beach, with uncertain origin. Calyptotheca wulguru n. sp. and C. churro n. sp. belong to a subgroup of Calyptotheca species with numerous small, oval, marginal adventitious avicularia and suboral nodular thickening or umbones. The vicarious avicularia of C. tilbrooki n. sp. are elongate-oval, unlike those of other known Calyptotheca species, and C. tilbrooki n. sp. has more pronounced orificial dimorphism than in any other known Calyptotheca species. Calyptotheca churro n. sp. has the most pronounced suboral umbo of all known Calyptotheca species. This study increases the known Calyptotheca species of the Great Barrier Reef to ten, and of tropical Australia to 14.
Biting midges of the tribe Ceratopogonini (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from the Middle East, with keys and descriptions of new species
Authors: ALWIN-KOWNACKA ALICJA , SZADZIEWSKI RYSZARD , SZWEDO JACEK
Published: February 2016

Middle East predatory biting midges of the tribe Ceratopogonini, covering 22 species of 7 genera are reviewed. Three new species are described and illustrated: Allohelea israelensis Szadziewski & Alwin sp. nov., Kolenohelea levantica Szadziewski & Alwin sp. nov. and Serromyia galilaeae Szadziewski & Alwin sp. nov. The genus Boreohelea Clastrier & Delécolle, 1990 syn. nov. is recognized as a junior synonym of Allohelea Kieffer, 1917. Thysanognathus nilogenes Kieffer, 1925 syn. nov. from Egypt is a junior synonym of Alluaudomyia melanosticta (Ingram & Macfie, 1922). Keys to identification of subfamilies, tribes, genera and species of Ceratopogonini of the Middle East are also provided.
Description of a new species of Tomiyamichthys from Australia with a discussion of the generic name
Authors: HOESE DOUGLASS F. , SHIBUKAWA KOCHI , JOHNSON JEFFREY W.
Published: February 2016

Tomiyamichthys levisquama is described as a new species from the Northern Territory and Queensland, Australia from estuaries and soft bottom marine environments. It is distinctive in body and head shape, head coloration and by the absence of ctenoid scales on the body. It is compared with the related species Tomiyamichthys russus (Cantor 1849), which has ctenoid scales on the posterior part of the body. The validity of the name Tomiyamichthys over Flabelligobius is discussed, with both genera being described in the same paper, here accepting Tomiyamichthys as the appropriate name.
A new addition to the subfamily Anabropsinae (Orthoptera: Anostostomatidae) from China
Authors: SHI FUMING , BIAN XUN
Published: February 2016

The paper describes one very interesting genus and species, Brevipenna Shi & Bian gen. nov. and B. falcata Shi & Bian sp. nov.. The genus shares similar characters with macropterous genus Pteranabropsis Gorochov, 1988 and apterous or subapterous genus Apteranabropsis Gorochov, 1988 in following: distributed in Asia, presence both tympana, male ninth abdominal tergite with 1 pair of lobes, which continue with the paired hooks of tenth abdominal tergite, and paraproct specialized with 2 long sclerotized processes. The tegmina and hind wings are short, and right and left ones overlapped. Therefore, we conclude the new genus may be intermediate state between the Pteranabropsis and Apteranabropsis. Perhaps, future study will suggest the three genera be combined. All the material is deposited in the Museum of Hebei University.
Comparison of Hybrid Four-Dimensional Data Assimilation Methods with and without the Tangent Linear and Adjoint Models for Predicting the Life Cycle of Hurricane Karl (2010)
Authors: Poterjoy Jonathan , Zhang Fuqing
Published: February 2016

Two four-dimensional hybrid data assimilation systems based on the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model are applied over the life cycle of Hurricane Karl (2010). One method uses a mix of ensemble- and climate-based background error covariance in a four-dimensional variational data assimilation (4DVar) system that uses an adjoint model to assimilate observations over a time window (denoted E4DVar). The second method approximates the function of linearized models in 4DVar with perturbations generated from an ensemble forecast using the full nonlinear model (denoted 4DEnVar). Ensemble perturbations in 4DEnVar provide a four-dimensional covariance, which is combined with a static climate-based covariance for performing the data assimilation. In cycling data assimilation experiments, analyses produced by both methods provide more accurate intensity forecasts than E3DVar, owing mostly to a better representation of moisture near the developing storm. Despite providing a computationally efficient alternative to E4DVar, predictions made from 4DEnVar analyses are less accurate than E4DVar for the tested case study. Numerical experiments using identical background error statistics in both schemes reveal differences in the mesoscale structure of the developing storm, which are suspected to be responsible for this result. In particular, 4DEnVar analyses contain a less intense inner-core circulation and lower column relative humidity than E4DVar at analysis times closest to Karl’s genesis, which lead to a persistent slow bias in intensifying the storm. These results suggest errors introduced in the linearization of the model for E4DVar may be less severe than errors introduced by the localization of time covariances. This study provides the first comparison of hybrid E4DVar and 4DEnVar for a tropical cyclone application.
The Influence of Weather on Interest in a “Sun, Sea, and Sand” Tourist Destination: The Case of Majorca
Authors: Rosselló Jaume , Waqas Aon
Published: February 2016

Last-minute decisions to take vacations overseas have become popular in recent years. Because of the reduction of the time between the booking and the trip (lead time), and because climate conditions are acknowledged to be key factors in tourism decisions, this study aims to investigate whether weather anomalies are becoming a new key determinant in tourism destination interest. Using data from Google Trends, different time series models are estimated analyzing whether potential tourists’ interest in Majorca, a popular Mediterranean “sun, sea, and sand” destination, is determined by previous and contemporaneous weather conditions both at the destination and in two main tourist countries of origin, Germany and the United Kingdom. Results show how favorable weather conditions at the destination but also adverse weather conditions at the origin are significantly related to a higher interest in Majorca.
Preparation of tourmaline/graphene oxide and its application in thermal interface materials
Authors: Huang Zhihuan , Wang Tao , Zhang Xueliang , Zheng Luning , Xue Gang , Liang Jinsheng
Published: February 2016

Tourmaline/graphene oxide (TGOx, x = 5, 10, 15, and 20) compound with high thermal conductivity and high far infrared emissivity was prepared by a refluxing method. Transmission electron microscopy results confirmed that graphene oxide with a few layers was fabricated, and tourmaline nanoparticles were supported by graphene oxide layers. Thermal interface materials were prepared by adding tourmaline/graphene oxidex compound into epoxy resin. Far infrared emissivity of TGOx and thermal conductivity of thermal interface materials were increased with the weight ratio of graphene oxide in compound, but the corresponding electrical conductivity was slightly decreased. In particular, the tourmaline/graphene oxide15 (tourmaline/graphene oxide ratio of 85:15) showed an enhancement of 4% in far infrared emission than that of tourmaline. The thermal conductivity of thermal interface materials with 5 wt% tourmaline/graphene oxide15 was improved by 380% compared with that of pure epoxy resin, and the electrical conductivity of tourmaline/graphene oxide/epoxy was decreased slightly compared to that of graphene oxide/epoxy.
A comparable comparison? A corpus stylistic analysis of the Italian translation of Julian Barnes’ Il Senso di una Fine and the original text The Sense of an Ending
Authors: Johnson Jane Helen
Published: February 2016

Foregrounding (e.g. Leech, 1965, 1985; Leech and Short, 1981), whereby certain linguistic elements in literary works differ consistently and systematically (Mukařovský, 1958: 44) from norms represented by a particular benchmark, has often been measured using corpus stylistic methods (e.g. Mahlberg, 2013; Stubbs, 2005). While most such studies have focused on works in their original language, this study compares the translation with the original text. More specifically, I explore the stylistic elements identified in Julian Barnes’ novel The Sense of an Ending in both the original and its Italian translation. The study applies notions of tertiary or internal deviation (Leech, 1985) in order to explore to what extent an analysis of keywords and key clusters in Part One compared with Part Two of the target text concurs with the results of the same process in the source text. Corpus stylistic methods were used to identify ‘good bets’ (Leech, 2008: 164) which were then subjected to qualitative analysis. Findings suggest that elements identified as being frequent in Part One of the source text, such as a predominance of ‘uncertain impressionistic perceptions’ (Shepherd and Berber Sardinha, 2013), and an emphasis on first person narration in Part Two, did not play such an important role in the target text, where other elements such as time references and discourse markers of explanation emerged instead. The article concludes that discrepancies between a stylistic description of source and target texts might be due to translating strategies as well as target language conventions.
The loss of poetic effects: From indeterminate to conventionalised meaning
Authors: Vande Wiele Héloïse
Published: February 2016

This study investigates the diachronic evolution of poetic figurative language and some of its aesthetic effects. It suggests that poetic expressions can lose their poetic force over time as they conventionalise through repetition. A hypothesis based on the concept of poetic effects developed in Relevance Theory (Pilkington, 2000; Sperber and Wilson, 1995 [1989]) and on the theory of semantic change (Traugott and Dasher, 2002) is proposed to explain this phenomenon. This hypothesis was successfully tested through three case studies, in which French idiomatic expressions that have originated in poetry were shown to have progressively lost their aesthetic power and to have become cliché phrases as they were gaining a clearer, more determinate and conventional meaning. The methodology makes use of various sources to determine the poetic power of an expression and its change through time: literary critiques, newspaper corpora, Google Ngram graphs, translations into foreign languages and date of appearance in the dictionaries.
A Study on the Effect of Empowerment on Customer Orientation of Employees
Authors: Khalili Hamidreza , Sameti Ardalan , Sheybani Hassan
Published: February 2016

Over the recent years, managers have used empowerment as a practical tool to motivate their employees to demonstrate their talents, intentions and generally to achieve better results. Today, organizations have targets, and they use empowerment to achieve some of their most important targets, such as customer attraction and retention. The present article intends to study the effect of empowerment on customer orientation. The data were collected from the sample by using questionnaires. The sample consists of 176 staff members from Bank Sepah, who were selected randomly. The findings have been obtained through statistical analysis in SPSS using Spearman correlation test, regression analysis and path analysis. The findings indicated that there is a positive and significant relationship between all the components of managerial and psychological empowerment and customer orientation of employees in Bank Sepah, in the west Tehran branches.
Economics of State-owned Passenger Transport in Kolkata
Authors: Chakrabartty Aparajita , Gupta Sudakshina
Published: February 2016

In developing countries, rapid urbanisation has led to an increase in the demand for transport, aggravating problems of pollution, congestion and accidents. Increasing public transport availability is one way of addressing these problems. In the Indian city of Kolkata, buses cater to a large number of people in the metropolitan area and are run by private operators as well as by the state government. Corporations owned by the state, known as state transport undertakings, operate buses. There is, however, a general complaint that the state-run buses show poor performance in nearly every sphere, including inefficient staff, irregular service, ill-maintained fleet, etc. The objective of this study is to look at the physical, financial and manpower performance of the different state transport corporations to find out whether these corporations operate efficiently. The results indicate that there is underutilisation of fleet, defective employment policy, wrong purchase policy, poor revenue generation, etc. on the part of all the corporations.
The literary field and contemporary trade-book publishing in Australia: Literary and genre fiction
Authors: Carter David
Published: February 2016

This article examines fiction as a major sector of trade-book publishing in exploring the place of Australian publishing within a globalised industry and marketplace. It traces the function of ‘literary fiction’ as industry category and locus of symbolic value and national cultural capital, mapping its structures and dynamics in Australia, including the impact of digital technologies. In policy terms, literature and publishing remain significant sites of national and state government investment. Following Bourdieu’s model of the field of cultural production, the literary/publishing field is presented as exemplary rather than as a high-cultural exception in the cultural economy. Taking Thompson’s use of field theory to examine US and UK trade publishing into account, it analyses the industry structures governing literary and genre fiction in Australia, demonstrating the field’s logic as determined by the unequal distribution of large, medium-sized and small publishers. This analysis reveals distinctive features of the Australian situation within a transnational context.
From fluent to Culture Warriors: Curatorial trajectories for Indigenous Australian art overseas
Authors: Fisher Laura , McDonald Gay
Published: February 2016

In recent decades, Indigenous artists have been strongly represented in exhibitions of Australian art offshore. This article explores two such exhibitions: fluent, staged at the Venice Biennale in 1997, and Culture Warriors, shown at the Katzen Arts Center at the American University in Washington, DC, in 2009. These exhibitions took place during an era in which issues around Indigenous rights and recognition were frequently the subject of domestic public debate and policy turmoil. They have also been significant staging posts on Indigenous Australian art’s trajectory towards contemporary fine art status – something that, while no longer questioned in Australia, continues to be precarious overseas. By considering how both political and aesthetic concerns were addressed by Indigenous curators Hetti Perkins and Brenda L. Croft, this discussion sheds light on the ways in which emergent political meanings associated with Indigeneity have driven new kinds of institutional practice and international cultural brokerage.
Dismantling the public airwaves: Shifting Canadian public broadcasting to an online service
Authors: Taylor Gregory
Published: February 2016

In 2014, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation released a five-year plan entitled A Space For Us All. The plan outlined a bold new vision for the Canadian public broadcaster, placing digital mobile content at the forefront of the corporation’s priorities. This article examines the shifting priorities of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation against established principles of public broadcasting. It also interrogates the relationship between mobile digital media and legal obligations of the public broadcaster under current Canadian broadcasting regulation. Drawing upon Canadian broadcasting history, contemporary data and recent examples from sport and politics in Canada, the article questions this new direction for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and argues that despite the significant new opportunities in mobile digital media, traditional broadcasting methods remain the dominant tool to reach mass audiences and will provide a significant forum for public information and debate for the foreseeable future.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: BCORL1 is an independent prognostic marker and contributes to cell migration and invasion in human hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Yin Guozhi , Liu Zhikui , Wang Yufeng , Dou Changwei , Li Chao , Yang Wei , Yao Yingmin , Liu Qingguang , Tu Kangsheng
Published: February 2016

Background

The deregulation of E-cadherin has been considered as a leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metastasis. BCL6 corepressor-like 1 (BCORL1) is a transcriptional corepressor and contributes to the repression of E-cadherin. However, the clinical significance of BCORL1 and its role in the metastasis of HCC remain unknown.

Methods

Differentially expressed BCORL1 between HCC and matched tumor-adjacent tissues, HCC cell lines and normal hepatic cell line were detected by Western blot. The expression of BCORL1 was altered by siRNAs or lentivirus-mediated vectors. Transwell assays were performed to determine HCC cell invasion and migration.

Results

Increased expression of BCORL1 protein was detected in HCC specimens and cell lines. Clinical association analysis showed that BCORL1 protein was expressed at significant higher levels in HCC patients with multiple tumor nodes, venous infiltration and advanced TNM tumor stage. Survival analysis indicated that high expression of BCORL1 protein conferred shorter overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) of HCC patients. Multivariate Cox regression analysis disclosed that BCORL1 expression was an independent prognostic marker for predicting survival of HCC patients. Our in vitro studies demonstrated that BCORL1 prominently promoted HCC cell migration and invasion. Otherwise, an inverse correlation between BCORL1 and E-cadherin expression was observed in HCC tissues. BCORL1 inversely regulated E-cadherin abundance and subsequently facilitated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in HCC cells. Notably, the effect of BCORL1 knockdown on HCC cells was abrogated by E-cadherin silencing.

Conclusions

BCORL1 may be a novel prognostic factor and promotes cell migration and invasion through E-cadherin repression-induced EMT in HCC.
Formal specification and analysis of take-off procedure using VDM-SL
Authors: Zafar Nazir Ahmad
Published: February 2016

Purpose

Air traffic management system is a complex adaptive and safety critical system which requires considerable attention for its modelling and verification. Currently Air traffic control (ATC) systems are heavily dependent upon human intervention at airport causing accidents and delays because of failure of communication. The purpose of this study is to develop, plan, manage and verify aircrafts movement procedures at the airport surface that prevent delays and collisions.

Methods

The airport surface is decomposed into blocks and represented by the graph relation. The state space of the system is described by identifying all the possible components of the system. The ground and local controls monitor queues of the aircrafts moving from taxiway to take-off. It is insured that once an aircraft is inserted into a queue, it is eventually removed from it after the next queue has become available. The take-off procedure is provided using graph theory and Vienna Development Method Specification Language (VDM-SL) and analyzed using VDM-SL toolbox.

Results

Formal specification of graph-based model, taxiways, aircrafts, runways and controllers is provided in static part of the model. The state space analysis describing take-off algorithms is provided by defining optimal paths and possible operations in dynamic model expediting the departure procedure. The model is developed by a series of refinements following the stepwise development approach.

Conclusions

The delays at airport surface require effective safety and guidance protocols to control air traffic at the airport. In static model, the safety criteria are described in terms of invariants over the data types carrying critical information. The safety is insured by defining pre/post conditions in description of operations for changing state space of the system. Although the proposed study is focussed more on the safety component, however, the efficiency is not ignored.
Use of novel high-resolution 3D marine seismic technology to evaluate Quaternary fluvial valley development and geologic controls on shallow gas distribution, inner shelf, Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Meckel Timothy A. , Mulcahy Francis J.
Published: February 2016

The first deployment of the P-Cable™ high-resolution 3D (HR3D) seismic acquisition system in the Gulf of Mexico has provided unprecedented resolution of depositional, architectural, and structural features related to relative sea-level change recorded in the Quaternary stratigraphy. These details are typically beyond conventional 3D seismic resolution and/or excluded from commercial surveys, which are generally optimized for deeper targets. Such HR3D data are valuable for detailed studies of reservoir analogs, sediment delivery systems, fluid-migration systems, and geotechnical hazard assessment (i.e., drilling and infrastructure). The HR3D survey ([Formula: see text]) collected on the inner shelf ([Formula: see text] water depth) offshore San Luis Pass, Texas, imaged the upper 500 m of stratigraphy using peak frequency of 150 Hz and [Formula: see text] bin size. These data provided an exceptionally well-imaged example of shallow subsurface depositional system and stratigraphic architecture development during a lowstand period. The system evolved from a meandering channel with isolated point-bar deposits to a transgressive estuary characterized by dendritic erosional features that were eventually flooded. In addition, HR3D data have identified a previously unidentified seismically discontinuous zone interpreted to be a gas chimney system emanating from a tested (drilled) nonproductive, three-way structure in the lower Miocene (1.5 km depth). Within the shallowest intervals ([Formula: see text]) and at the top of the chimney zone, seismic attribute analysis revealed several high-amplitude anomalies up to [Formula: see text]. The anomalies were interpreted as reaccumulated thermogenic gas, and their distribution conforms to the stratigraphy and structure of the Quaternary interval, in that they occupy local fault-bounded footwall highs within remnant coarser-grained interfluvial zones, which are overlain by finer grained, transgressive deposits.
Characterizing a turbidite system in Canterbury Basin, New Zealand, using seismic attributes and distance-preserving self-organizing maps
Authors: Zhao Tao , Zhang Jing , Li Fangyu , Marfurt Kurt J.
Published: February 2016

Recent developments in seismic attributes and seismic facies classification techniques have greatly enhanced the capability of interpreters to delineate and characterize features that are not prominent in conventional 3D seismic amplitude volumes. The use of appropriate seismic attributes that quantify the characteristics of different geologic facies can accelerate and partially automate the interpretation process. Self-organizing maps (SOMs) are a popular seismic facies classification tool that extract similar patterns embedded with multiple seismic attribute volumes. By preserving the distance in the input data space into the SOM latent space, the internal relation among data vectors on an SOM facies map is better presented, resulting in a more reliable classification. We have determined the effectiveness of the modified algorithm by applying it to a turbidite system in Canterbury Basin, offshore New Zealand. By incorporating seismic attributes and distance-preserving SOM classification, we were able to observe architectural elements that are overlooked when using a conventional seismic amplitude volume for interpretation.
“The One Place Where Money Makes No Difference”: The Campus Novel from Stover at Yale Through The Art of Fielding
Authors: Findeisen Christopher
Published: February 2016

This essay argues that in its opposition to the business of college sports, the American campus novel has undergone very few changes over the past century. Debates about college sports replicate, either literally or metonymically, the assumed economic and social functions of college education as such. Campus novels like Owen Johnson's Stover at Yale (1912) are committed to the belief that the corruption of sports by business interests emblemizes the corruption of the university as a whole, while the ideal of sports uncorrupted by business represents the ideal of the university itself. Similarly, when commercialized sports are condemned today, the narrative critique imagines an alternative academic world—as we see in Chad Harbach's The Art of Fielding (2012)—in which economic corruption is abolished and true academic merit is valued. However, despite the ten-fold increase in college enrollment over the past century, America's most influential educational institutions largely serve the same social classes as they did in the past, and largely for the same reasons. The essential difference is that while the benefits of higher education were once understood as form of inherited privilege, today they are understood as justly earned reward, and, I argue, it is both this similarity of the student population and this difference in that population's understanding of itself that makes the campus novel such a necessary form in contemporary American society.
Expanding the Circle to Learner English: Investigating Quotative Marking in a German Student Community
Authors: Davydova Julia , Buchstaller Isabelle
Published: February 2016

This article is concerned with the acquisition of sociolinguistic variation, which is central to native speaker competence. It explores the acquisition of variable quotative marking within the local Learner English ecology in a cohort of German students. The data consist of 809 instances of quotation produced by 45 speakers, all of whom are currently completing their bachelor's and master's degrees and who have different exposure types to English spoken in a naturalistic context. The authors focus on the acquisition of the constraints that govern the variable use of the innovative quotative form be like, which is not formally taught in classes of English as a foreign language. The data suggest that German learners of English with an extensive record of face-to-face communications with native speakers are rather adept at picking up on the grammar that governs the quotative system and innovative be like more specifically. Overall, the study contributes to the discussion of what is possible in the second-language acquisition of the variable grammar, while exploring the sociolinguistic and cognitive mechanisms that shape the formation of nonnative Englishes worldwide.