bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Zebrafish as a Model to Evaluate Nanoparticle Toxicity
Authors: Haque Enamul , Ward Alister C.
Published: July 2018

Nanoparticles are increasingly being developed for in vivo use, from targeted drug delivery to diagnostics, where they have enormous potential, while they are also being used for a variety of applications that can result in environmental exposure for humans. Understanding how specific nanoparticles interact with cells and cell systems is essential to gauge their safety with respect to either clinical or environmental exposure. Zebrafish is being increasingly employed as a model to evaluate nanoparticle biocompatibility. This review describes this model and how it can be used to assess nanoparticle toxicity at multiple levels, including mortality, teratogenicity, immunotoxicity, genotoxicity, as well as alterations in reproduction, behavior and a range of other physiological readouts. This review also provides an overview of studies using this model to assess the toxicity of metal, metal oxide and carbon-based nanoparticles. It is anticipated that this information will inform research aimed at developing biocompatible nanoparticles for a range of uses.
Electrically Tunable Broadband Terahertz Absorption with Hybrid-Patterned Graphene Metasurfaces
Authors: Ye Longfang , Chen Xin , Cai Guoxiong , Zhu Jinfeng , Liu Na , Liu Qing Huo
Published: July 2018

We numerically demonstrate a broadband terahertz (THz) absorber that is based on a hybrid-patterned graphene metasurface with excellent properties of polarization insensitivity, wide-angle, and active tunability. Our design is made up of a single-layer graphene with periodically arranged hybrid square/disk/loop patterns on a multilayer structure. We find that broadband absorption with 90% terahertz absorbance and the fractional bandwidth of 84.5% from 1.38 THz to 3.4 THz can be achieved. Because of the axisymmetric configuration, the absorber demonstrates absolute polarization independence for both transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) polarized terahertz waves under normal incidence. We also show that a bandwidth of 60% absorbance still remains 2.7 THz, ranging from 1.3 THz to 4 THz, for a wide incident angle ranging from 0° to 60°. Finally, we find that by changing the graphene Fermi energy from 0.7 eV to 0 eV, the absorbance of the absorbers can be easily tuned from more than 90% to lower than 20%. The proposed absorber may have promising applications in terahertz sensing, detecting, imaging, and cloaking.
Combination of Aronia, Red Ginseng, Shiitake Mushroom and Nattokinase Potentiated Insulin Secretion and Reduced Insulin Resistance with Improving Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis in Insulin Deficient Type 2 Diabetic Rats
Authors: Yang Hye Jeong , Kim Min Jung , Kwon Dae Young , Kim Da Sol , Zhang Ting , Ha Chulgyu , Park Sunmin
Published: July 2018

The combination of freeze-dried aronia, red ginseng, ultraviolet-irradiated shiitake mushroom and nattokinase (AGM; 3.4:4.1:2.4:0.1) was examined to evaluate its effects on insulin resistance, insulin secretion and the gut microbiome in a non-obese type 2 diabetic animal model. Pancreatectomized (Px) rats were provided high fat diets supplemented with either (1) 0.5 g AGM (AGM-L), (2) 1 g AGM (AGM-H), (3) 1 g dextrin (control), or (4) 1 g dextrin with 120 mg metformin (positive-control) per kg body weight for 12 weeks. AGM (1 g) contained 6.22 mg cyanidin-3-galactose, 2.5 mg ginsenoside Rg3 and 244 mg β-glucan. Px rats had decreased bone mineral density in the lumbar spine and femur and lean body mass in the hip and leg compared to the normal-control and AGM-L and AGM-H prevented the decrease. Visceral fat mass was lower in the control group than the normal-control group and its decrease was smaller with AGM-L and AGM-H. HOMA-IR was lower in descending order of the control, positive-control, AGM-L, AGM-H and normal-control groups. Glucose tolerance deteriorated in the control group and was improved by AGM-L and AGM-H more than in the positive-control group. Glucose tolerance is associated with insulin resistance and insulin secretion. Insulin tolerance indicated insulin resistance was highly impaired in diabetic rats, but it was improved in the ascending order of the positive-control, AGM-L and AGM-H. Insulin secretion capacity, measured by hyperglycemic clamp, was much lower in the control group than the normal-control group and it was improved in the ascending order of the positive-control, AGM-L and AGM-H. Diabetes modulated the composition of the gut microbiome and AGM prevented the modulation of gut microbiome. In conclusion, AGM improved glucose metabolism by potentiating insulin secretion and reducing insulin resistance in insulin deficient type 2 diabetic rats. The improvement of diabetic status alleviated body composition changes and prevented changes of gut microbiome composition.
Nutrients in Fish and Possible Associations with Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Tørris Christine , Småstuen Milada Cvancarova , Molin Marianne
Published: July 2018

Non-communicable diseases (NSDs) are responsible for two-thirds of all deaths globally, whereas cardiovascular disease (CVD) alone counts for nearly half of them. To reduce the impact of CVD, targeting modifiable risk factors comprised in metabolic syndrome (e.g., waist circumference, lipid profile, blood pressure, and blood glucose) is of great importance. Beneficial effects of fish consumption on CVD has been revealed over the past decades, and some studies suggest that fish consumption may have a protective role in preventing metabolic syndrome. Fish contains a variety of nutrients that may contribute to health benefits. This review examines current recommendations for fish intake as a source of various nutrients (proteins, n-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, iodine, selenium, and taurine), and their effects on metabolic syndrome and the CVD risk factors. Fatty fish is recommended due to its high levels of n-3 fatty acids, however lean fish also contains nutrients that may be beneficial in the prevention of CVD.
Fluid Dynamics of Microgel-Covered Drops Reveal Impact on Interfacial Conditions
Authors: Faulde Miriam , Siemes Eric , Wöll Dominik , Jupke Andreas
Published: July 2018

Microgels are deformable polymer-networks with conspicuous properties. Their surface- activity associated with their switchability makes their application in liquid-liquid systems, such as extraction processes, particularly promising. For their application as switchable stabilizers at the interface, a detailed understanding of their impact on process relevant phenomena, such as the sedimentation behavior, is necessary. So far, the focus of research has been on microscopic-scale properties, whereby the propagation to macroscopic effects has rarely been quantified. In this study, single microgel-covered n-butyl acetate drops rising in a quiescent continuous water phase are investigated experimentally. The dependency of the microgel properties, in terms of size and cross-linking density, on the fluid dynamics are addressed. The impact of microgels is studied in detail by sedimentation velocity, drop deformation and the resulting drag coefficient. The deformation of drops is related to shape conserving interfacial properties such as the interfacial tension. Counter to our expectations, microgel-covered drops deform less than the drops of the pure system although microgels reduce the interfacial tension. Moreover, the sedimentation velocity is of special interest, since it reveals the mobility of the interface and friction conditions at the interface. Our results demonstrate the correlation between microgel properties at the interface on a microscopic scale and the macroscopic behavior of microgel-covered drops.
Vernacular Politics, Sectarianism, and National Identity among Syrian Refugees in Jordan
Authors: Tobin Sarah A.
Published: July 2018

In Jordan—home to some one million Syrian refugees—the vital roles played by vernacular politics, discourses of inclusion and exclusion, and sectarian social histories for Syrians are often considered unimportant when examining possibilities for integration or coexistence. Based on ethnographic research and participation in women’s religion classes in a Syrian refugee camp in Jordan in 2014, I argue that while sectarian identities may not in and of themselves appear to divide the majority of Syrian refugees in Jordan from the majority of Jordanian residents (as Sunni Muslims), through utilizing a vernacular politics theoretical perspective I reveal that the sectarian orientations and localized histories of Syrian refugees have an understudied potential to create new forms of divisiveness in Jordanian society. To dismiss any concerns raised, Jordanians reinforce the idea that sectarian discourses, in an objectified sense, are not welcome in Jordan, and that they are even—as a few asserted—“against Islam”. These differing national experiences with vernacular politics expressed in sectarian terms prompt Jordanians to reinforce the narrative that Jordan is free of such divisions, and will continue to remain so. This paper concludes by discussing the implications for national–transnational tensions.
Site-Specific Unmodeled Error Mitigation for GNSS Positioning in Urban Environments Using a Real-Time Adaptive Weighting Model
Authors: Zhang Zhetao , Li Bofeng , Shen Yunzhong , Gao Yang , Wang Miaomiao
Published: July 2018

In Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning, observation precisions are frequently impacted by the site-specific unmodeled errors, especially for the code observations that are widely used by smart phones and vehicles in urban environments. The site-specific unmodeled errors mainly refer to the multipath and other space loss caused by the signal propagation (e.g., non-line-of-sight reception). As usual, the observation precisions are estimated by the weighting function in a stochastic model. Only once the realistic weighting function is applied can we obtain the precise positioning results. Unfortunately, the existing weighting schemes do not fully take these site-specific unmodeled effects into account. Specifically, the traditional weighting models indirectly and partly reflect, or even simply ignore, these unmodeled effects. In this paper, we propose a real-time adaptive weighting model to mitigate the site-specific unmodeled errors of code observations. This unmodeled-error-weighted model takes full advantages of satellite elevation angle and carrier-to-noise power density ratio (C/N0). In detail, elevation is taken as a fundamental part of the proposed model, then C/N0 is applied to estimate the precision of site-specific unmodeled errors. The principle of the second part is that the measured C/N0 will deviate from the nominal values when the signal distortions are severe. Specifically, the template functions of C/N0 and its precision, which can estimate the nominal values, are applied to adaptively adjust the precision of site-specific unmodeled errors. The proposed method is tested in single-point positioning (SPP) and code real-time differenced (RTD) positioning by static and kinematic datasets. Results indicate that the adaptive model is superior to the equal-weight, elevation and C/N0 models. Compared with these traditional approaches, the accuracy of SPP and RTD solutions are improved by 35.1% and 17.6% on average in the dense high-rise building group, as well as 11.4% and 11.9% on average in the urban-forested area. This demonstrates the benefit to code-based positioning brought by a real-time adaptive weighting model as it can mitigate the impacts of site-specific unmodeled errors and improve the positioning accuracy.
Resolving Surface Displacements in Shenzhen of China from Time Series InSAR
Authors: Liu Peng , Chen Xiaofei , Li Zhenhong , Zhang Zhenguo , Xu Jiankuan , Feng Wanpeng , Wang Chisheng , Hu Zhongwen , Tu Wei , Li Hongzhong
Published: July 2018

Over the past few decades, the coastal city of Shenzhen has been transformed from a small fishing village to a mega city as China’s first Special Economic Zone. The rapid economic development was matched by a sharp increase in the demand for usable land and coastal reclamation has been undertaken to create new land from the sea. However, it has been reported that subsidence occurred in land reclamation area and around subway tunnel area. Subsidence and the additional threat of coastal inundation from sea-level rise highlight the necessity of displacement monitoring in Shenzhen. The time Series InSAR technique is capable of detecting sub-centimeter displacement of the Earth’s surface over large areas. This study uses Envisat, COSMO-SkyMed, and Sentinel-1 datasets to determine the surface movements in Shenzhen from 2004 to 2010 and from 2013 to 2017. Subsidence observed can be attributable to both land reclamation and subway construction. Seasonal displacements are likely to be associated with precipitation. The influence of ocean tidal level changes on seasonal displacement is not strongly evident from the results and requires further investigations. In general, InSAR has proven its ability to provide accurate measurements of ground stability for the city of Shenzhen.
Drought and Flood Monitoring of the Liao River Basin in Northeast China Using Extended GRACE Data
Authors: Chen Xuhui , Jiang Jinbao , Li Hui
Published: July 2018

In recent years, alternating periods of floods and droughts, possibly related to climate change and/or human activity, have occurred in the Liao River Basin of China. To monitor and gain a deep understanding of the frequency and severity of the hydro-meteorological extreme events in the Liao River Basin in the past 30 years, the total storage deficit index (TSDI) is established by the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE)-based terrestrial water storage anomalies (TWSAs) and the general regression neural network (GRNN)-predicted TWSA. Results indicate that the GRNN model trained with GRACE-based TWSA, model-simulated soil moisture, and precipitation observations was optimal, and the correlation coefficient and the root mean square error (RMSE) of the predicted TWSA and GRACE TWSA for the testing period equal 0.90 and 18 mm, respectively. The drought and flood conditions monitored by the TSDI were consistent with those of previous studies and records. The extreme climate events could indirectly reflect the status of the regional hydrological cycle. By monitoring the extreme climate events in the study area with TSDI, which was based on the TWSA of GRACE and GRNN, the decision of water resource management in the Liao River Basin could be made reasonably.
Gulf of Mexico Seafood Harvesters: Part 1. Occupational Injury and Fatigue Risk Factors
Authors: Myers Melvin L. , Durborow Robert M. , Kane Andrew S.
Published: July 2018

During 2000–2009, 116 Gulf of Mexico (GoM) fishers were killed (23% of the US total) while working in the shrimp, finfish, oyster, clam, and crab fisheries. The purpose of this literature review is to identify injury-related risk factors to better assess the frequency and severity of injuries experienced by fish harvesters in the GoM. Methods: The method of this study is a comprehensive narrative literature review of findings useful for the prevention of fatal and non-fatal injuries among GoM fish harvesters published since 2005. Search engine terms were used to identify relevant literature that included fatalities, injuries, fatigue, and several other terms in combination (e.g., string search with “fishing”). Results: We reviewed 48 articles; the most common cause of fish harvester deaths in the GoM is falls overboard with scant use of personal flotation devices and vessel disasters in which flooding and collision were the most lethal. The root cause of errors resulting in many disasters may have been operator fatigue, but fatigue is also an adverse health effect resulting from working conditions. Non-fatal injuries arise from multiple sources that include working with gears, slips and trips, struck-by or against objects, machine or line entanglements, and falls. Conclusion: Principal risk factors are a lack of sleep aboard fishing vessels, vessel flooding and collisions, poor weather, slips on deck, contact with gear, not wearing personal flotation devices, poor swimming ability, and fishing alone on a vessel or the deck.
ICT Development and Sustainable Energy Consumption: A Perspective of Energy Productivity
Authors: Yan Zheming , Shi Rui , Yang Zhiming
Published: July 2018

The information and communication technology (ICT) is closely related to the future of global energy consumption, not only because the ICT equipment itself increasingly consumes energy, but also because it is a general-purpose technology which may affect energy use of almost all sectors. Given the controversy over the net energy-saving effect of ICT, this paper focuses on a new perspective, i.e., energy productivity, to investigate the relationship between ICT development and energy consumption. Using a data panel of 50 economies over the period of 1995 to 2013, results of the Malmquist energy productivity index generally indicate an unbalanced development of energy productivity across the globe, while results of the patent-based ICT knowledge stock indicate a huge gap of ICT development comparing the high-income economies with the others. Furthermore, regression results indicate that ICT development is significantly related to energy productivity improvement. Finally, this paper suggests accelerating ICT development in underdeveloped economies, given the global common task of sustainable energy consumption.
Leisure-Time Physical Activity in Relation to the Stages of Changes and Achievement Goals in Adolescents: Comparative Study of Students in Spain, Costa Rica, and Mexico
Authors: Baños Raúl , Ruiz-Juan Francisco , Baena-Extremera Antonio , García-Montes María Elena , Ortiz-Camacho María del Mar
Published: July 2018

The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between levels of leisure-time sports and physical activity and the stages of change in high school students with goal orientations. Methods: The sample was conformed of 2168 students randomly selected to participate in a longitudinal study in Costa Rica (423), Mexico (408), and Spain (1337), with 1052 being boys, 1037 girls, and 79 who did not specify sex, aged between 11 and 16 years old (M = 12.49, SD = 0.81). We used a questionnaire to ask students about their leisure-time sports and physical activity, about stages of change and to measure achievement goals. Results: The results show that students are more active in Costa Rica, most of them being in a stage of active change. Conclusions: We found significant differences in achievement goals in all three countries, which shows that students in active stages have higher values than those in the inactive stage.
Development of Mix Designs for Minimally Refined Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) Concrete for Florida Concrete Test Road
Authors: Han Sangyoung , Chung Hung-Wen , Subgranon Thanachart , Tia Mang
Published: July 2018

The main objective was to develop mix designs for concrete incorporating minimally processed reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) materials to be used in the Florida Concrete Test Road. The laboratory program was conducted in two phases. Phase I involved testing of twelve (12) trial mixes to identify feasible mixes which could meet the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) specification requirements for pavement concrete. Based on the preliminary test results from the trial mixes, ten (10) production mixes were identified and evaluated more extensively in Phase II to establish the optimum concrete mixes incorporating RAP to be recommended. Concrete mixtures, with 0% to 40% RAP as aggregate replacement and using 20% fly ash and 50% slag as cement replacement, were designed using the optimized aggregate gradation (OAG) technique instead of the American Concrete Institute (ACI) method. Among the RAP concrete evaluated, the 20% RAP concrete mixes with 0%, 20% fly ash, and 50% slag as cement replacement were able to meet Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) over-design compressive strength of 29 MPa (4200 psi) at 28 days. Using 20% and 40% RAP in concrete could result in saving in the total cost of aggregate by 9% and 17%, respectively. When the RAP is not refined (e.g., no washing of RAP, and no separating of coarse and fine portions), it is recommended that 20% of RAP can be used as aggregate replacement in pavement concrete.
Multi-Granulation Neutrosophic Rough Sets on a Single Domain and Dual Domains with Applications
Authors: Bo Chunxin , Zhang Xiaohong , Shao Songtao , Smarandache Florentin
Published: July 2018

It is an interesting direction to study rough sets from a multi-granularity perspective. In rough set theory, the multi-particle structure was represented by a binary relation. This paper considers a new neutrosophic rough set model, multi-granulation neutrosophic rough set (MGNRS). First, the concept of MGNRS on a single domain and dual domains was proposed. Then, their properties and operators were considered. We obtained that MGNRS on dual domains will degenerate into MGNRS on a single domain when the two domains are the same. Finally, a kind of special multi-criteria group decision making (MCGDM) problem was solved based on MGNRS on dual domains, and an example was given to show its feasibility.
Prenatal Exposure to Ambient Pesticides and Preterm Birth and Term Low Birthweight in Agricultural Regions of California
Authors: Ling Chenxiao , Liew Zeyan , Von Ehrenstein Ondine S. , Heck Julia E. , Park Andrew S. , Cui Xin , Cockburn Myles , Wu Jun , Ritz Beate
Published: July 2018

Findings from studies of prenatal exposure to pesticides and adverse birth outcomes have been equivocal so far. We examined prenatal exposure to agricultural pesticides in relation to preterm birth and term low birthweight, respectively, in children born between 1998 and 2010, randomly selected from California birth records. We estimated residential exposure to agriculturally applied pesticides within 2 km of residential addresses at birth by pregnancy trimester for 17 individual pesticides and three chemical classes (organophosphates, pyrethroids, and carbamates). Among maternal addresses located within 2 km of any agricultural pesticide application, we identified 24,693 preterm and 220,297 term births, and 4412 term low birthweight and 194,732 term normal birthweight infants. First or second trimester exposure to individual pesticides (e.g., glyphosates, paraquat, imidacloprid) or exposure to 2 or more pesticides in the three chemical classes were associated with a small increase (3–7%) in risk for preterm birth; associations were stronger for female offspring. We did not find associations between term low birthweight and exposure to pesticides other than myclobutanil (OR: 1.11; 95% CI: 1.04–1.20) and possibly the pyrethroids class. Our improved exposure assessment revealed that first and second trimester exposure to pesticides is associated with preterm delivery but is rarely linked with term low birthweight.
Day Biting Habits of Mosquitoes Associated with Mangrove Forests in Kedah, Malaysia
Authors: T. Ismail Tengku Nur Saffawati , A. Kassim Nur Faeza , A. Rahman Azimah , Yahya Khairun , Webb Cameron E.
Published: July 2018

Due to conservation and rehabilitation efforts, mangrove forests represent some of the largest environmental niches in Malaysia. However, there is little information on the potential risks posed by mosquitoes that are directly and indirectly associated with mangrove forests. To study the potential health risk to humans active within and in close vicinity of mangrove forests, this research focused on the day biting habits of mosquitoes in mangrove forests of Kedah, Malaysia. The bare leg catch (BLC) method was used to collect adult mosquitoes during a 12-h period from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. in both disturbed and less disturbed areas of mangroves. In total, 795 adult mosquitoes from 5 genera and 8 species were collected, and over 65% of the total mosquitoes were collected from the less disturbed area. The predominant species from the less disturbed area was Verrallina butleri; in the disturbed area the dominant species was Culex sitiens. The peak biting hour differed for each species, with Aedes albopictus and Cx. sitiens recorded as having a bimodal biting activity peak during dawn and dusk. For Ve. butleri an erratic pattern of biting activity was recorded in the less disturbed area but it peaked during the early daytime for both collection points. Overall, the distinct pattern of day biting habits of mosquitoes within mangroves peaked during dawn and dusk for the less disturbed area but was irregular for the disturbed area throughout the day. The presence of vectors of pathogens such as Ae. albopictus for both areas raises the need for authorities to consider management of mosquitoes in mangrove forests.
A Flexible Framework HydroInformatic Modeling System—HIMS
Authors: Wang Lili , Wang Zhonggen , Liu Changming , Bai Peng , Liu Xiaocong
Published: July 2018

It is important to simulate streamflow with hydrological models suitable for the particular study areas, as the hydrological characteristics of water cycling processes are distinctively different due to spatial heterogeneity at the watershed scale. However, most existing hydrological models cannot be customized to simulate water cycling processes of different areas due to their fixed structures and modes. This study developed a HydroInformatic Modeling System (HIMS) model with a flexible structure which had multiple equations available to describe each of the key hydrological processes. The performance of the HIMS model was evaluated with the recommended structure for semi-arid areas by comparisons with two datasets of observed streamflow: the first one of 53 Australian watersheds, the second one of the Lhasa River basin in China. Based on the first dataset, the most appropriate watersheds were identified for the HIMS model utilization with areas of 400–600 km2 and annual precipitation of 800–1200 mm. Based on the second dataset, the model performance was statistically satisfied with Nash-Sutcliffe Efficient (NSE) greater than 0.87 and Water Error (WE) within ±20% on the streamflow simulation at hourly, daily, and monthly time steps. In addition, the water balance was mostly closed with respect to precipitation, streamflow, actual evapotranspiration (ET), and soil moisture change at the annual time steps in both the periods of calibration and validation. Therefore, the HIMS model was reliable in estimating streamflow and simulating the water cycling processes for the structure of semi-arid areas. The simulated streamflow of HIMS was compared with those of the Variable Infiltration Capacity model (VIC) and Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) models and we found that the HIMS model performed better than the SWAT model, and had similar results to the VIC model with combined runoff generation mechanisms.
Rainfall Prediction with AMSR–E Soil Moisture Products Using SM2RAIN and Nonlinear Autoregressive Networks with Exogenous Input (NARX) for Poorly Gauged Basins: Application to the Karkheh River Basin, Iran
Authors: Fereidoon Majid , Koch Manfred
Published: July 2018

Accurate estimates of daily rainfall are essential for understanding and modeling the physical processes involved in the interaction between the land surface and the atmosphere. In this study, daily satellite soil moisture observations from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer–Earth Observing System (AMSR–E) generated by implementing the standard National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) algorithm are employed for estimating rainfall, firstly, through the use of recently developed approach, SM2RAIN and, secondly, the nonlinear autoregressive network with exogenous inputs (NARX) neural modelling at five climate stations in the Karkheh river basin (KRB), located in south-west Iran. In the SM2RAIN method, the period 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2005 is used for the calibration of algorithm and the remaining 9 months from 1 January 2006 to 30 September 2006 is used for the validation of the rainfall estimates. In the NARX model, the full study period is split into training (1 January 2003 to 31 September 2005) and testing (1 September 2005 to 30 September 2006) stages. For the prediction of the rainfall as the desired target (output), relative soil moisture changes from AMSR–E and measured air temperature time series are chosen as exogenous (external) inputs in NARX. The quality of the estimated rainfall data is evaluated by comparing it with observed rainfall data at the five rain gauges in terms of the coefficient of determination R2, the RMSE and the statistical bias. For the SM2RAIN method, R2 ranges between 0.32 and 0.79 for all stations, whereas for the NARX- model the values are generally slightly lower. Moreover, the values of the bias for each station indicate that although SM2RAIN is likely to underestimate large rainfall intensities, due to the known effect of soil moisture saturation, its biases are somewhat lower than those of NARX. Moreover, Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks–Climate Data Record (PERSIANN–CDR) is employed to evaluate its potential for predicting the ground-based observed station rainfall, but it is found to work poorly. In conclusion, the results of the present study show that with the use of AMSR–E soil moisture products in the physically based SM2RAIN algorithm as well as in the NARX neural network, rainfall for poorly gauged regions can be predicted satisfactorily.
Irrigation Salinity Risk Assessment and Mapping in Arid Oasis, Northwest China
Authors: Seydehmet Jumeniyaz , Lv Guang-Hui , Abliz Abdugheni , Shi Qing-Dong , Abliz Abdulla , Turup Abdusalam
Published: July 2018

Irrigation salinity is a common environmental threat for sustainable development in the Keriya Oasis, arid Northwest China. It is mainly caused by unreasonable land management and excessive irrigation. The aim of this study was to assess and map the salinity risk distribution by developing a composite risk index (CRI) for seventeen risk parameters from traditional and scientific fields, based on maximizing deviation method and analytic hierarchy process, the grey relational analysis and the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) sustainability framework. The results demonstrated that the northern part of the Shewol and Yeghebagh village has a very high salinity risk, which might be caused by flat and low terrain, high subsoil total soluble salt, high groundwater salinity and shallow groundwater depth. In contrast, the southern part of the Oasis has a low risk of salinity because of high elevation, proper drainage conditions and a suitable groundwater table. This achievement has shown that southern parts of the Oasis are suitable for irrigation agriculture; for the northern area, there is no economically feasible solution but other areas at higher risk can be restored by artificial measures. Therefore, this study provides policy makers with baseline data for restoring the soil salinity within the Oasis.
Hotel Food and Beverage Services: Cannibalistic or Complimentary
Authors: Taylor D. Christopher , Draper Jason , Hammond Rhonda
Published: July 2018

As there is a gap in the research in evaluating the relationship of hotel room sales with food and beverage (F&B) sales, this study focused on the differences in yearly sales of rooms and F&B revenue in hotels from 2011 to 2013. This study also focuses on the relationships between various hotel measurements (e.g., number of rooms, occupancy, average daily rate) and food and beverage sales in hotels. Ultimately, it addresses trends associated with hotel F&B and traveler demands that would potentially impact revenue. Finally, the study suggests that the relationship between food sales and beverage sales at hotel bars may be that the food typically sold in bars would be geared to increasing thirst. Ultimately, this study identified differences in yearly sales of rooms and food and beverages revenue in hotels. It also revealed relationships between various hotel measurements and identified if certain F&B services might hinder or cannibalize sales in other areas of food and beverage, which the findings suggest it does.
Picture it: The Use of Food-Related Images in Tourism Visitor's Guides
Authors: Graham Susan C. , Toombs Elizabeth , Courtney Shannon A. , Dawson Hannah
Published: July 2018

Culinary tourism has become an important means of attracting quality visitors for many destinations. As tourism destination marketers develop the brands and associated promotional material through which to communicate with potential visitors, the need to identify ways to differentiation
their place brand vis-à-vis the place brand of other tourism destinations becomes paramount. One way to engage potential visitors via tourism promotional material is through the use of images. By examining the food-related imagery used by specific Canadian tourism destinations, the
increased focus on culinary tourism and the evolution of the use of imagery can be seen more clearly. This study offers a contribution to tourism research by examining the evolution of culinary tourism promotion in three geographically-linked regions through the use of food-related imagery
in their tourism visitor's guides. The findings of this study can also offer valuable information to tourism industry stakeholders who have identified culinary tourism as a priority and want to further develop their positioning, differentiation, and marketing strategies using food-related
imagery.
A cultura da participação na vertigem digital: reflexões na crítica de mídia
Authors: Limeira Vivianne , Gomes Taianne De Lima , De Araújo Allyson Carvalho
Published: July 2018

Esta resenha tem como objetivo apresentar e refletir sobre os pontos de vistas dos escritores dos livros A cultura da participação (2011) e Vertigem digital (2012).  Cada autor repercute de maneira diferente, mas complementar, aspectos relacionados à revolução tecnológica e cultural, destacando os males e os benefícios dos ambientes digitais na sociedade pós-moderna. O subtítulo dos livros já demonstra olhares divergentes: enquanto o primeiro aponta para criatividade e generosidade no mundo conectado; o segundo indaga por que as redes sociais estão nos dividindo, diminuindo e desorientando. Pontos estes que consideramos fundamentais na temática crítica dos estudos da mídia.
A reinvenção do cotidiano: os saberes e as práticas alimentares como estratégias de resistência na sociedade contemporânea
Authors: Demozzi Sabrina Fernanda
Published: July 2018

RESUMOO presente artigo propõe identificar e analisar as relações entre o ato de cozinhar, as tradições alimentares e o consumo, a partir da análise de experiências e práticas alimentares como as observadas na padaria comunitária Pão da Casa, localizada na Colônia Witmarsum na região dos Campos Gerais e o Cefuria- Centro de Formação Urbano Rural Irmã Araújo. A partir destes exemplos, busca-se investigar as vivências práticas na produção de alimentos e a reinterpretação do consumo e das hierarquias socialmente estabelecidas. Por meio da análise das atividades produtivas, do diálogo com as pesquisas sobre a história e cultura da alimentação e também com conceitos relacionados à identidade, tradição e sociabilidade, pretende-se com este artigo verificar e compreender de que forma essas ações configuram possibilidades de resistência e transformação da realidade, no resgate às tradições culinárias no Paraná, nas relações sociais e na ressignificação do sentido do trabalho e consumo. Pretende-se contribuir com essa pesquisa para os debates historiográficos interdisciplinares, especialmente no que se refere às questões relacionadas à cultura alimentar, comunicação e sociedade.
A comunicação popular no contexto das tecnologias da informação
Authors: Wistuba Vanuza Santos , Lima Marcelo Fernando de
Published: July 2018

O objetivo deste trabalho é estudar novas tendências da comunicação popular, originadas no âmbito dos movimentos sociais, suas relações com as tecnologias digitais atuais e seu resultado como um processo de comunicação que atua diretamente na formação do indivíduo e no seu papel como cidadão. A pesquisa foi embasada em diversos autores das teorias da comunicação que ajudam a elucidar o papel da comunicação popular no contexto das novas tecnologias da informação.
Les enjeux du schibboleth
Authors: Aklé Mariette
Published: July 2018

Cet article se propose de donner sens à la réalité sanguinaire qui caractérise le Liban depuis des décennies. La théorie analytique est sollicitée, surtout à travers les apports de Jacques Lacan sur le stade du miroir dont la théorisation permet de déceler la trame imaginaire, donc persécutrice, qui tisse les sujets libanais – le pluriel à l’image de la réalité plurielle – dans une réalité destructrice qui ne cesse de saigner. L’auteur travaille sur le schibboleth et essaie d’éclairer sa fonction symbolique ainsi que son rôle au niveau du sujet et des groupes ethniques, religieux, confessionnels, politiques, familiaux… qui s’abattent afin de donner forme à leur coexistence. Le recours à la richesse de la langue arabe pour rendre compte de l’effet du schibboleth ainsi qu’à la Bible pour l’expliciter se joint au stade du miroir de Jacques Lacan dans un essai sur la destructivité. Le schibboleth multiple s’inscrit en tant que totem qui dicte l’appartenance, fragmentant le Signifiant Liban ; il est aussi déterminant du paradigme fusionnel et advient dans le réel, objet a non significantisable.
Historiens et littérature, romanciers et histoire : autour de quelques livres récents
Authors: Martinat Monica
Published: July 2018

L’article s’intéresse à la manière dont l’histoire et la littérature réélaborent aujourd’hui leurs relations et proposent au public des livres d’un genre nouveau : fondés sur des faits réels qu’ils reconstruisent et dont ils donnent une interprétation, ces textes se caractérisent par une attention particulière pour le style et par la présence imposante de leurs auteurs dans le texte en tant que garants de leur validité/valeur scientifique. Le sens épistémologique de cette démarche n’est pas le même lorsqu’elle est menée par des historiens, comme Ivan Jablonka, ou par des romanciers, comme Javier Cercas – les deux cas d’étude proposés ici. La recherche d’une implication émotive du lecteur à travers la mise en scène de l’écrivain et de ses propres sentiments n’a pas les mêmes implications pour l’histoire et pour la littérature, et risque de perdre de vue l’importance d’une forme de connaissance critique moins empathique mais non moins utile, qui est peut-être l’un des apports spécifiques de l’histoire vis-à-vis de la littérature.
Les mots et les récits des morts
Authors: Lyon-Caen Judith
Published: July 2018

Les débats sur les relations entre l’histoire (la discipline, la connaissance du passé, l’écriture historique, le passé lui-même) et la littérature (comme corpus de textes, activité sociale, forme d’écriture, valeur, institution…) ont connu dans les deux dernières décennies un certain nombre d’inflexions dont cet article tente tout d’abord de rendre compte. Il s’interroge sur la manière dont la discipline historique semble désormais parfois renoncer à faire de la littérature l’objet de son investigation pour mieux investir son pouvoir, en s’installant sur le terrain de la « littérature contemporaine ». Dans ce glissement, l’opération historiographique perd ce qui l’organise, le principe de séparation du passé et du présent, et, avec lui, un certain rapport aux morts, aux mots et aux récits de morts. C’est pourtant en faisant de ces mots et de ces récits des objets d’histoire qu’il est possible de travailler, en historien, avec la littérature. La seconde partie de l’article propose de revenir à une histoire attentive au recours aux mots, à l’écriture, aux formes narratives produites dans le passé, en s’arrêtant sur le volume consacré par Michel Borwicz à L’insurrection du ghetto de Varsovie de la collection « Archives » (Julliard/Gallimard) publié en 1966.
Un pasteur français au service des Provinces-Unies. Le ministère de Samuel Des Marets à Maastricht (1632-1636)
Authors: Léonard Julien
Published: July 2018

Né en France et exerçant le ministère pastoral réformé dans le royaume au cours de ses jeunes années, Samuel Des Marets (1599-1673) voit sa carrière prendre un virage précoce qui lui pose des problèmes d’identités confessionnelle et politique, dans la controverse, mais aussi dans son usage de la discipline ecclésiastique. Ministre et professeur de théologie dans la principauté indépendante de Sedan au milieu des années 1620, il passe sous la protection de sa régente, Élisabeth de Nassau, et de son fils, le prince Frédéric-Maurice, duc de Bouillon, lui-même proche de son oncle, le stathouder Frédéric-Henri. Établi par les États-Généraux et sur la recommandation d’André Rivet à Maastricht après la prise de la ville par les Provinces-Unies (1632), il exerce son ministère dans des conditions par certains aspects proches de celles de la France à la même époque (controverse, coexistence entre des communautés confessionnelles légales), mais marquées par des éléments irréductibles (co-souveraineté du prince-évêque de Liège, menace espagnole, intégration heurtée de son Église au synode). Tout cela le place dans une situation d’entre-deux dont il sait habilement jouer, usant alternativement des avantages de son statut de Français et de ceux de protégé des États-Généraux. Il le fait pour des raisons personnelles, mais aussi pour proposer un modèle pastoral de combat et consolider une Église qu’il a établie et veut protéger des attaques catholiques. À la fois de culture française et au service politique des Provinces-Unies, Samuel Des Marets développe, jusqu’à son départ pour Bois-le-Duc (1636), une position ambiguë, mais qui nous révèle bien des aspects de l’exercice du ministère pastoral dans une Église fraîchement établie sur un front confessionnel durant la guerre de Trente Ans.
Análisis arqueológico de la torre-puerta de la alcazaba de Guadix (Granada)
Authors: Rouco Collazo Jorge , Martín Civantos José M.ª , Benavides López José Antonio
Published: July 2018

Este artículo tiene como objetivo realizar el análisis de la secuencia constructiva de la torre-puerta de la alcazaba medieval de Guadix (Granada). Para ello, se efectuó un levantamiento tridimensional de la estructura mediante fotogrametría, una lectura estratigráfica de paramentos en profundidad y una caracterización de técnicas constructivas. Esto nos ha permitido comprobar que la torre-puerta tiene una compleja evolución histórica, lo que hace posible comprender mejor la historia de la alcazaba accitana desde su erección en época zirí hasta la actualidad, con importantes transformaciones en época almohade, nazarí, castellana y contemporánea.
Damaged muscle fibers might masquerade as hybrid fibers – a cautionary note on immunophenotyping mouse muscle with mouse monoclonal antibodies
Authors: Begam Morium , Roche Joseph A.
Published: July 2018

We report that, labeling mouse muscle tissue, with mouse monoclonal antibodies specific to slow or fast myosin heavy chain (sMyHC and fMyHC, respectively), can lead to artefactual labeling of damaged muscle fibers, as hybrid fibers (sMyHC+ and fMyHC+).  We demonstrate that such erroneous immunophenotyping of muscle may be avoided, by performing colabeling or serial-section-labeling, to identify damaged fibers. The quadriceps femoris muscle group (QF) in 7-month-old, male, C57BL/6J mice had: 1.21 ± 0.21%, 98.34 ± 1.06%, 0.07 ± 0.01%, and 0.53 ± 0.85% fibers, that were, sMyHC+, fMyHC+, hybrid, and damaged, respectively.  All fibers in the tibialis anterior muscle (TA) of 3-month-old, male, C57BL/6J mice were fMyHC+; and at 3 days after injurious eccentric contractions, there was no fiber-type shift, but ~ 18% fibers were damaged.
Distribution of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) immunoreactivity in the brain of the teleost Cyprinus carpio
Authors: Casini Arianna , Vaccaro Rosa , Toni Mattia , Cioni Carla
Published: July 2018

Cholinergic systems play a role in basic cerebral functions and its dysfunction is associated with deficit in neurodegenerative disease. Mechanisms involved in human brain diseases, are often approached by using fish models, especially cyprinids, given basic similarities of the fish brain to that of mammals. In the present paper, the organization of central cholinergic systems have been described in the cyprinid Cyprinus carpio, the common carp, by using specific polyclonal antibodies against ChAT, the synthetic enzyme of acetylcholine, that is currently used as a specific marker for cholinergic neurons in all vertebrates.  In this work, serial transverse sections of the brain and the spinal cord were immunostained for ChAT. Results showed that positive neurons are present in several nuclei of the forebrain, the midbrain, the hindbrain and the spinal cord. Moreover, ChAT-positive neurons were detected in the synencephalon and in the cerebellum. In addition to neuronal bodies, afferent varicose fibers were stained for ChAT in the ventral telencephalon, the preoptic area, the hypothalamus and the posterior tuberculum. No neuronal cell bodies were present in the telencephalon. The comparison of cholinergic distribution pattern in the Cyprinus carpio central nervous system has revealed similarities but also some interesting differences with other cyprinids. Our results provide additional information on the cholinergic system from a phylogenetic point of view and may add new perspectives to physiological roles of cholinergic system during evolution and the neuroanatomical basis of neurological diseases.
Longitudinal Experience With a Transparent Weighted Lottery System to Incentivize Resident Scholarship
Authors: Borman-Shoap Emily C. , Zhang Lei , Pitt Michael B.
Published: July 2018

Background 

Promoting resident scholarship is important to programs. Positive Peer-Pressured Productivity (P-QUAD) is a dual incentive model that combines increased transparency through awareness of peers' engagement in scholarship, with a weighted cash lottery where tickets are earned for various dimensions of academic success (ie, 1 point/ticket for an abstract submission up to 6 for manuscript acceptance).

Objective 

We explored whether a weighted lottery system contributes to sustained increases in academic productivity in a residency program.

Methods 

We implemented P-QUAD in 1 pediatrics residency program in July 2015. Residents reported their scholarship submissions/acceptances for the prior year, establishing a program baseline. During the 2-year intervention, residents logged their academic submissions/acceptances on a web interface where they could view real-time scores and the work of their peers. At the end of each academic year, we compared P-QUAD points for each category to baseline.

Results 

During the intervention, 31% of residents (68 of 218) reported engaging in scholarship. Using P-QUAD was acceptable to most residents. Engagement in scholarship across the program, as measured by total P-QUAD score, increased 53% from baseline (329 versus 504 points per year). Mean submission and acceptance rates for individual residents reporting research through P-QUAD increased across all categories, ranging from 19% for abstract submissions (1.62 to 1.93 per year) to 275% (0.24 to 0.90 per year) for accepted manuscripts.

Conclusions 

The residency program sustained gains in academic productivity at the program-wide and participating resident level in the 2 years since implementing P-QUAD.