bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Why is the Arkavathy River drying? A multiple-hypothesis approach in a data-scarce region
Authors: Srinivasan V. , Thompson S. , Madhyastha K. , Penny G. , Jeremiah K. , Lele S.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. Water planning decisions are only as good as our ability to explain historical trends and make reasonable predictions of future water availability. But predicting water availability can be a challenge in rapidly growing regions, where human modifications of land and waterscapes are changing the hydrologic system. Yet, many regions of the world lack the long-term hydrologic monitoring records needed to understand past changes and predict future trends. We investigated this "predictions under change" problem in the data-scarce Thippagondanahalli (TG Halli) catchment of the Arkavathy sub-basin in southern India. Inflows into TG Halli reservoir have declined sharply since the 1970s. The causes of the drying are poorly understood, resulting in misdirected or counter-productive management responses. Five plausible hypotheses that could explain the decline were tested using data from field surveys and secondary sources: (1) changes in rainfall amount, seasonality and intensity; (2) increases in temperature; (3) groundwater extraction; (4) expansion of eucalyptus plantations; and (5) fragmentation of the river channel. Our results suggest that groundwater pumping, expansion of eucalyptus plantations and, to a lesser extent, channel fragmentation are much more likely to have caused the decline in surface flows in the TG Halli catchment than changing climate. The multiple-hypothesis approach presents a systematic way to quantify the relative contributions of proximate anthropogenic and climate drivers to hydrological change. The approach not only makes a meaningful contribution to the policy debate but also helps prioritize and design future research. The approach is a first step to conducting use-inspired socio-hydrologic research in a watershed.
Concise Review: New Insights Into the Role of Macrophages in β-Cell Proliferation
Authors: Xiao Xiangwei , Gittes George K.
Published: April 2015

Diabetes mellitus can potentially be treated with islet transplantation, but additional sources of β cells are necessary to overcome the short supply of donor pancreases. Although controversy still exists, it is generally believed that the postnatal expansion of the β-cell mass is mainly through pre-existing β-cell replication. Thus, understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of β-cell proliferation might lead to clinical strategies for increasing β-cell numbers, both in vitro and in vivo. Macrophages have a well-recognized role in the development of insulitis as part of the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes. However, a potential role for macrophage polarization, triggered by specific environmental stimuli, in promoting β-cell proliferation has only recently been appreciated. In the present review, we discuss several independent studies, using different regeneration models, that demonstrate a substantial inductive role for macrophages in β-cell proliferation. Additional dissection of the involved cell-cell crosstalk through specific signal transduction pathways is expected to improve our understanding of β-cell proliferation and might facilitate the current β-cell replacement therapy.

Significance

New independent findings from different β-cell regeneration models, contributed by different research groups, have provided compelling evidence to highlight a previously unappreciated role for macrophages in β-cell proliferation. Additional dissection of the underlying mechanisms and cell-cell crosstalk might shed new light on strategies to increase the functional β-cell mass in vivo and on β-cell replacement therapies.
Ações estratégicas e visões dos atores do cluster de turismo da cidade de São Paulo
Authors: Tomazzoni Edegar Luis , Da  Costa Juliana Soares
Published: April 2015

O maior destino de turístico de negócios da América Latina define o tempo de permanência dos turistas, implicando a sazonalidade do turismo da cidade de São Paulo. O objetivo do artigo é analisar as visões dos gestores das organizações representativas (atores do cluster do turismo) sobre o aumento do fluxo e do tempo de permanência dos turistas na cidade de São Paulo. A pesquisa é de natureza descritiva e exploratória, e o método de campo consistiu de entrevistas com os gestores da São Paulo Turismo (SPTuris), do São Paulo Convention & Visitors Bureau (SPCVB), da Secretaria Municipal de Cultura e do Fórum de Operadores Hoteleiros do Brasil (FOHB) e de aplicação de questionário a gestores de 25 hotéis. Os resultados mostram que, apesar da grande concentração de empresas e de organizações, que constituem o cluster de turismo, poderia haver mais cooperação entre os atores para reduzir a sazonalidade e para aumentar o fluxo de turistas e a ocupação hoteleira da cidade de São Paulo, aos finais de semana, nos feriados e nos períodos de férias.
A formação superior em gastronomia: análise descritiva das dissertações de mestrado produzidas no Brasil
Authors: Gimenes Minasse Maria Henriqueta Sperandio Garcia
Published: April 2015

Este artigo tem como objetivo geral conhecer o quadro atual das pesquisas realizadas no Brasil em nível de pós-graduação (mestrado) sobre formação profissional em Gastronomia. Para tanto foi realizada revisão bibliográfica, pesquisa documental e análise descritiva das dissertações sobre o tema defendidas no país até o final de 2012. Foram analisadas: as instituições de ensino e os programas de pós-graduação cursados; as palavras-chave indicadas; o perfil dos pesquisadores (graduação e experiência profissional); objetivos gerais e a abrangência da pesquisa realizada; metodologias utilizadas. Os principais resultados apontam: a predominância de pesquisas realizadas na cidade de São Paulo, pesquisadores familiarizados com a graduação tecnológica em Gastronomia (do ponto de vista da formação e da atuação profissional), predominância de temáticas voltadas ao processo de ensino-aprendizagem , prevalência de pesquisas de caráter qualitativo, e ocorrência de descrição muito sucinta da metodologia empregada em alguns trabalhos.
Os Atrativos Turísticos de Curitiba – PR: Uma perspectiva através do Guia Brasil Quatro Rodas
Authors: Manosso Franciele Cristina , Bizinelli Camila , Abrahão Cinthia Maria de Sena , Gândara José Manoel Gonçalves
Published: April 2015

Os guias turísticos podem ser trabalhados como instrumentos relevantes para a divulgação dos destinos, pois contemplam informações sobre os atrativos, equipamentos, infraestrutura e serviços turísticos. O turista pode, através deste, conceber uma imagem sobre o destino que irá visitar, porque com os elementos trabalhados pelos guias, pode-se ter uma visão abrangente do que é oferecido pelo destino. O presente artigo contemplou como objetivo a análise dos atrativos turísticos da cidade de Curitiba apresentados pelo Guia Brasil Quatro Rodas nos anos de 1989, 2001, 2013, considerando como o documento apresenta a cidade para seus visitantes, analisando a descrição e o emprego de fotografias. Empregaram-se como metodologia a pesquisas bibliográfica e a análise documental, sendo a última aplicada para se verificar quais atrativos, a descrição, e se as fotografias foram empregadas na divulgação de Curitiba no Guia Brasil Quatro Rodas. Como resultados do estudo, pode-se destacar que houve um aumento no número de atrativos turísticos de Curitiba apresentados pelo Guia Brasil Quatro Rodas, sendo que, alguns destes evoluíram no que diz respeito a sua classificação, ou seja, os mesmos melhoraram em qualidade. Outra questão é a evolução da publicação na questão da apresentação dos destinos ao leitor, pois mais informações passaram a ser publicadas e, também, iniciou-se o emprego de fotografias para apresentar o destino turístico Curitiba
O Papel das Experiências de Consumo na Construção da Imagem das Marcas: Um Estudo nas Companhias Aéreas
Authors: Vasconcelos Ana Iris Tomás , Machado Diego de Queiroz , Almeida Silvio Romero de , Arruda Danielle Miranda de Oliveira , Matos Fátima Regina Ney
Published: April 2015

O presente estudo analisa o papel das experiências de consumo na construção da imagem das marcas, a partir da identificação dos pensamentos, sentimentos e ações oriundas das experiências de consumo com as companhias aéreas, e dos tipos de associações que o consumidor faz de tais marcas. Para tanto, utilizou-se uma variação da técnica qualitativa do incidente crítico, que considera aquelas experiências lembradas que tenham se destacado na percepção do consumidor. Foram entrevistados dez usuários dos serviços aéreos, empregando-se formulário semiestruturado em dois blocos: descrição das experiências com as companhias aéreas e informações sobre a imagem das marcas das companhias aéreas. Os dados analisados permitem afirmar que pensamentos, sentimentos e ações oriundas das experiências de consumo tornam-se importantes elementos na formação da imagem das marcas das companhias aéreas. Observou-se que o estado emocional dos pesquisados, resultado de sua interação com os atributos do serviço presentes na experiência, tende a influenciar seus comportamentos de compra futuros, dando indícios da relação entre imagem da marca e sua preferência. Os consumidores utilizam principalmente os atributos do serviço para construir sua percepção sobre as marcas das companhias aéreas.
The impacts of heterogeneous land surface fluxes on the diurnal cycle precipitation: A framework for improving the GCM representation of land‐atmosphere interactions
Authors: Wu Chien‐Ming , Lo Min‐Hui , Chen Wei‐Ting , Lu Chia‐Tsung
Published: April 2015

The present study aims to investigate the modulation of the diurnal cycle precipitation by heterogeneous land surface fluxes. By combining the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Land Model (CLM) and vector vorticity equation cloud‐resolving model (VVM), experiments are designed to understand the responses of diurnal convection to heterogeneous land surface forcings of various spatial scales and intensities. To delineate the land‐atmosphere interactions, a two‐step off‐line approach is adopted. First, the CLM is driven by observational atmospheric forcing with different characteristic length scales and magnitudes. While the surface fluxes from the CLM show no significant difference in the domain‐averaged values, their spatial distribution responds significantly to the precipitation heterogeneity. In the second step, the derived CLM surface fluxes are used to drive the VVM. Results show that the timing of precipitation accelerates with increasing magnitude of surface flux perturbation, while the mean and diurnal ranges of precipitation roughly remain the same. The larger perturbation magnitude enhances the boundary layer vertical kinetic energy, which advances the development of the boundary layer. On the other hand, the mean and diurnal ranges of precipitation increase significantly, and the timing of initial precipitation delays with increasing perturbation length scale. The inland breeze induced by the large patches of surface fluxes tends to enhance the mesoscale organization of deep convection, hence the stronger precipitation. The present results highlight the importance of taking heterogeneous land surface fluxes into consideration in future development of general circulation model convection parameterizations associated with land and atmosphere interactions.
Greenland 2012 melt event effects on CryoSat‐2 radar altimetry
Authors: Nilsson Johan , Vallelonga Paul , Simonsen Sebastian B. , Sørensen Louise Sandberg , Forsberg René , Dahl‐Jensen Dorthe , Hirabayashi Motohiro , Goto‐Azuma Kumiko , Hvidberg Christine S. , Kjær Helle A. , Satow Kazuhide
Published: April 2015

CryoSat‐2 data are used to study elevation changes over an area in the interior part of the Greenland Ice Sheet during the extreme melt event in July 2012. The penetration of the radar signal into dry snow depends heavily on the snow stratigraphy, and the rapid formation of refrozen ice layers can bias the surface elevations obtained from radar altimetry. We investigate the change in CryoSat‐2 waveforms and elevation estimates over the melt event and interpret the findings by comparing in situ surface and snow pit observations from the North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling Project camp. The investigation shows a major transition of scattering properties around the area, and an apparent elevation increase of 56 ± 26 cm is observed in reprocessed CryoSat‐2 data. We suggest that this jump in elevation can be explained by the formation of a refrozen melt layer that raised the reflective surface, introducing a positive elevation bias.
Seasonal reversal of the influence of El Niño–Southern Oscillation on very large wildfire occurrence in the interior northwestern United States
Authors: Barbero Renaud , Abatzoglou John T. , Brown Timothy J.
Published: April 2015

Satellite‐mapped fire perimeters and the multivariate El Niño–Southern Oscillation index were used to examine the impact of concurrent El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phase on very large fire (VLF) occurrences over the intermountain northwestern United States (U.S.) from 1984 to 2012. While the warm phase of ENSO promotes drier and warmer than normal conditions across the region during winter and spring that favor widespread fire activity the following summer, a reduction in VLFs was found during the warm phase of ENSO during summer concurrent with the fire season. This paradox is primarily tied to an anomalous upper level trough over the western U.S. and positive anomalies in integrated water vapor that extend over the northwestern U.S. during summers when the warm phase of ENSO is present. Collectively, these features result in widespread increases in precipitation amount during the summer and a curtailment of periods of critically low‐fuel moistures that can carry wildfire.
Electron precipitation from EMIC waves: A case study from 31 May 2013
Authors: Clilverd Mark A. , Duthie Roger , Hardman Rachael , Hendry Aaron T. , Rodger Craig J. , Raita Tero , Engebretson Mark , Lessard Marc R. , Danskin Donald , Milling David K.
Published: April 2015

On 31 May 2013 several rising tone electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves with intervals of pulsations of diminishing periods were observed in the magnetic local time afternoon and evening sectors during the onset of a moderate/large geomagnetic storm. The waves were sequentially observed in Finland, Antarctica, and western Canada. Coincident electron precipitation by a network of ground‐based Antarctic Arctic Radiation‐belt Dynamic Deposition VLF Atmospheric Research Konsortia and riometer instruments, as well as the Polar‐orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite (POES) electron telescopes, was also observed. At the same time, POES detected 30–80 keV proton precipitation drifting westward at locations that were consistent with the ground‐based observations, indicating substorm injection. Through detailed modeling of the combination of ground and satellite observations, the characteristics of the EMIC‐induced electron precipitation were identified as latitudinal width of 2–3° or ΔL = 1 Re, longitudinal width ~50° or 3 h magnetic local time, lower cutoff energy 280 keV, typical flux 1 × 104 el cm−2 sr−1 s−1 > 300 keV. The lower cutoff energy of the most clearly defined EMIC rising tone in this study confirms the identification of a class of EMIC‐induced precipitation events with unexpectedly low‐energy cutoffs of <400 keV.
Very oblique whistler generation by low‐energy electron streams
Authors: Mourenas D. , Artemyev A. V. , Agapitov O. V. , Krasnoselskikh V. , Mozer F. S.
Published: April 2015

Whistler mode chorus waves are present throughout the Earth's outer radiation belt as well as at larger distances from our planet. While the generation mechanisms of parallel lower band chorus waves and oblique upper band chorus waves have been identified and checked in various instances, the statistically significant presence in recent satellite observations of very oblique lower band chorus waves near the resonance cone angle remains to be explained. Here we discuss two possible generation mechanisms for such waves. The first one is based on Landau resonance with sporadic very low energy (<4 keV) electron beams either injected from the plasma sheet or produced in situ. The second one relies on cyclotron resonance with low‐energy electron streams, such that their velocity distribution possesses both a significant temperature anisotropy above 3–4 keV and a plateau or heavy tail in parallel velocities at lower energies encompassing simultaneous Landau resonance with the same waves. The corresponding frequency and wave normal angle distributions of the generated very oblique lower band chorus waves, as well as their frequency sweep rate, are evaluated analytically and compared with satellite observations, showing a reasonable agreement.
Research Progress on Negative Electrodes for Practical Li‐Ion Batteries: Beyond Carbonaceous Anodes
Authors: Aravindan Vanchiappan , Lee Yun‐Sung , Madhavi Srinivasan
Published: April 2015

Research activities related to the development of negative electrodes for construction of high‐performance Li‐ion batteries (LIBs) with conventional cathodes such as LiCoO2, LiFePO4, and LiMn2O4 are described. The anode materials are classified in to three main categories, insertion, conversion, and alloying type, based on their reactivity with Li. Although numerous materials have been proposed (i.e., for half‐cell assembly), few of them have reached commercial applications, apart from graphite, Li4Ti5O12, Si, and Sn‐Co‐C. This clearly demonstrates that full‐cell studies are desperately needed rather than just characterizing materials in half‐cell assemblies. Additionally, the performance of such anodes in practical Li‐ion configurations (full‐cell) is much more important than merely proposing materials for LIBs. Irreversible capacity loss, huge volume variation, unstable solid electrolyte interface layer formation, and poor cycleability are the main issues for conversion and alloy type anodes. This review addresses how best to circumvent the mentioned issues during the construction of Li‐ion cells and the future prospects of such anodes are described in detail.
Atypical fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva diagnosed by whole‐exome sequencing
Authors: Liu Hao , Sawyer Sarah L , Gos Monika , Grynspan David , Issa Kheirie , Ramphal Raveena , Rotaru Carmen , Consortium FORGE Canada , Majewski Jacek , Boycott Kym M , Graham Gail , Bromwich Matthew
Published: April 2015

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by congenital malformations of the great toes and progressive heterotopic ossification of connective tissue that begins during the first decade of life. Our patient presented with intrauterine growth retardation, respiratory distress, neonatal onset soft tissue masses, bilateral hallux valgus, and congenital anomalies of the thyroid and uterus. She was initially diagnosed with atypical infantile myofibromatosis based on clinical and pathological findings. She underwent whole‐exome sequencing (WES) as part of the FORGE study to identify the gene for infantile myofibromatosis; however a de novo dominant mutation in ACVR1 (NM_001105.4:c.617G>A) revised the diagnosis to FOP. This patient highlights the utility of WES as an early diagnostic tool in the investigation of patients with unusual presentations of rare diseases, thereby providing clinicians with accurate molecular diagnoses and the opportunity to tailor clinical management to improve patient care. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Community dissemination and genetic research: Moving beyond results reporting
Authors: Trinidad Susan Brown , Ludman Evette J. , Hopkins Scarlett , James Rosalina D. , Hoeft Theresa J. , Kinegak Annie , Lupie Henry , Kinegak Ralph , Boyer Bert B. , Burke Wylie
Published: April 2015

The community‐based participatory research (CBPR) literature notes that researchers should share study results with communities. In the case of human genetic research, results may be scientifically interesting but lack clinical relevance. The goals of this study were to learn what kinds of information community members want to receive about genetic research and how such information should be conveyed. We conducted eight focus group discussions with Yup'ik Alaska Native people in southwest Alaska (N = 60) and 6 (N = 61) with members of a large health maintenance organization in Seattle, Washington. Participants wanted to receive genetic information they “could do something about” and wanted clinically actionable information to be shared with their healthcare providers; they also wanted researchers to share knowledge about other topics of importance to the community. Although Alaska Native participants were generally less familiar with western scientific terms and less interested in web‐based information sources, the main findings were the same in Alaska and Seattle: participants wished for ongoing dialogue, including opportunities for informal, small‐group conversations, and receiving information that had local relevance. Effective community dissemination is more than a matter of presenting study results in lay language. Community members should be involved in both defining culturally appropriate communication strategies and in determining which information should be shared. Reframing dissemination as a two‐way dialogue, rather than a one‐way broadcast, supports the twin aims of advancing scientific knowledge and achieving community benefit. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Mild Angelman syndrome phenotype due to a mosaic methylation imprinting defect
Authors: Fairbrother Laura C. , Cytrynbaum Cheryl , Boutis Paula , Buiting Karin , Weksberg Rosanna , Williams Charles
Published: April 2015

Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neurogenetic disorder causing severe to profound intellectual disability, absent or very limited speech and a high risk for seizures. AS is caused by a loss of function of the maternally‐derived UBE3A allele due to one of several mechanisms including imprinting defects (ImpDs). We present a girl with AS due to a mosaic ImpD who has relatively high developmental function (VABS‐II composite score of 76) and communication skills (as demonstrated in supplemental video links). Given the patient's relatively mild developmental impairment, without clinical evidence of seizures, gait disturbance or inappropriate laughter, the diagnosis of AS was not initially suspected. Initial laboratory testing for AS was inconclusive but additional studies suggested mosaic ImpD and characteristic EEG findings provided further support for the clinical diagnosis. Our patient, along with other case reports of children with AS and relatively mild phenotypes, raises the question as to whether there exists an undiagnosed group of individuals with mild intellectual disability and expressive speech delays due to mosaic methylation defects of the chromosome 15q11.2‐13 region. Population studies may be needed to determine if such an undiagnosed group exists. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Using guided inquiry and the information search process to develop research confidence among first year anatomy students
Authors: Bentley Danielle Christine , Robinson Andrea Cristina , Ruscitti Robert Joseph
Published: April 2015

With the growing volume of obtainable medical information and scientific literature, it is crucial that students in the field of allied health professions develop and refine the research skill set necessary to effectively find, retrieve, analyze, and use this information. This skill set can be effectively developed using student inquiry; an active learning process where students answer questions using research and data analysis. Therefore, with the pedagogical goal of developing information literacy among a cohort of allied health professional trainees, first year students studying human anatomy completed inquiry‐based projects that were structured within the framework of the Information Search Process. This article thoroughly describes the conceptualization, creation, improvement, implementation, and assessment of the projects beginning with version one, the Student Inquiry Projects. Following a pilot of the Student Inquiry Projects various evidence‐based improvements resulted in the final project version called the Inquiry Guided Learning Projects (IGLPs). A full assessment of the IGLPs revealed that students' self‐perceived confidence improved for all tested research skills including: research question development, research question selection, exploration of peer‐review literature, acquisition of resources, effective communication of results, and literature citation (all P < 0.05). Furthermore, six months following project completion students retained improved confidence in research question development and effective communication of results, with 90% of students indicating the IGLPs were directly responsible for these improvements. By guiding students through the Information Search Process, the IGLPs successfully developed research confidence among allied health trainees. Anat Sci Educ 8: 564–573. © 2015 American Association of Anatomists.
New Integral Antiwindup Scheme for PI Motor Speed Control
Authors: Hoo C. L. , Haris Sallehuddin Mohamed , Chung Edwin C. Y. , Nik Mohamed Nik Abdullah
Published: April 2015

Windup refers to the phenomenon where a control system operates in a nonlinear region when the controller's output exceeds the input limits of the plant being controlled. Windup can lead to performance degradation in terms of overshoot, settling time and even system stability. Many anti‐windup strategies involve switching and manipulating the integral control component in various ways when saturation occurs aiming to bring control back into the linear region. For better insight into windup, the proportional–integral (PI) plane is now used as a means to explain the phenomenon in terms of the controller's signals. A PI controller with a built‐in closed‐loop integral controller that has a reference set based on the input command and external torque is proposed. The performance for this proposed method is compared against existing conditional integration, tracking back calculation and integral state prediction schemes on second and third order systems using MATLAB/SIMULINK simulations of an induction motor and a DC motor respectively. The proposed controller showed promising potential with its ability to eliminate overshoot in both no load and full load conditions due to the decoupling of its parameters from its response and has the shortest settling time when compared against existing schemes, even in the presence of noise.
Vehicle–pedestrian interaction for mixed traffic simulation
Authors: Chao Qianwen , Deng Zhigang , Jin Xiaogang
Published: April 2015

Simulation of real‐world traffic scenarios is widely needed in virtual environments. Different from many previous works on simulating vehicles or pedestrians separately, our approach aims to capture the realistic process of vehicle–pedestrian interaction for mixed traffic simulation. We model a decision‐making process for their interaction based on a gap acceptance judging criterion and then design a novel environmental feedback mechanism for both vehicles' and pedestrians' behavior‐control models to drive their motions. We demonstrate that our proposed method can soundly model vehicle–pedestrian interaction behaviors in a realistic and efficient manner and is convenient to be plugged into various traffic simulation systems. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Real‐time haptic manipulation and cutting of hybrid soft tissue models by extended position‐based dynamics
Authors: Pan Junjun , Bai Junxuan , Zhao Xin , Hao Aimin , Qin Hong
Published: April 2015

This paper systematically describes an interactive dissection approach for hybrid soft tissue models governed by extended position‐based dynamics. Our framework makes use of a hybrid geometric model comprising both surface and volumetric meshes. The fine surface triangular mesh with high‐precision geometric structure and texture at the detailed level is employed to represent the exterior structure of soft tissue models. Meanwhile, the interior structure of soft tissues is constructed by coarser tetrahedral mesh, which is also employed as physical model participating in dynamic simulation. The less details of interior structure can effectively reduce the computational cost during simulation. For physical deformation, we design and implement an extended position‐based dynamics approach that supports topology modification and material heterogeneities of soft tissue. Besides stretching and volume conservation constraints, it enforces the energy preserving constraints, which take the different spring stiffness of material into account and improve the visual performance of soft tissue deformation. Furthermore, we develop mechanical modeling of dissection behavior and analyze the system stability. The experimental results have shown that our approach affords real‐time and robust cutting without sacrificing realistic visual performance. Our novel dissection technique has already been integrated into a virtual reality‐based laparoscopic surgery simulator. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Thalidomide for tocilizumab‐resistant ascites with TAFRO syndrome
Authors: Tatekawa Shotaro , Umemura Koji , Fukuyama Ryuichi , Kohno Akio , Taniwaki Masafumi , Kuroda Junya , Morishita Yoshihisa
Published: April 2015

Key Clinical Message

TAFRO syndrome have been proposed as a rare variant of Castleman's disease. This article reports a case of a 56‐year‐old man with TAFRO syndrome who was successfully treated with thalidomide in spite of the refractoriness to prednisolone and tocilizumab. Thalidomide may be one of the treatment options for TAFRO syndrome.
New Surfactant Delivery System for Controlling Surfactant Adsorption onto Solid Surfaces. Part I: Static Adsorption Tests
Authors: Alhassawi Hassan , Romero‐Zerón Laura
Published: April 2015

Chemical enhanced oil recovery processes (EOR) are effective if the injected chemical slugs propagate through the oil reservoir. With surfactant flooding, the loss of surfactant to adsorption onto rock surfaces significantly affects the effectiveness of the chemical flooding. Therefore, the adsorption of surfactant onto solid surfaces is a major issue that makes the process uneconomical. In this paper, the first of a series of three, a new approach to preventing surfactant adsorption onto rock surfaces is studied. A novel surfactant delivery system based on inclusion complexes between sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and β‐cyclodextrin was evaluated. The adsorption of SDS in free‐ and complex‐state onto solid surfaces was investigated through static adsorption tests. Different mixtures of solid materials (sandstone, oil shale, and kaolinite) were used as adsorbents. The adsorption of the surfactant was quantified through analysis of total organic carbon (TOC). Qualitative experiments through bottle testing were also conducted to visualize the effectiveness of the surfactant delivery system. Experimental results demonstrate that the surfactant delivery system effectively minimizes the adsorption of surfactant (SDS) onto solid surfaces, with reductions of surfactant adsorption ranging from 64–76%. Likewise, the release of the surfactant hydrophobic tail from the β‐CD cavity was qualitatively verified through bottle testing. Therefore, this novel surfactant delivery system shows great potential for chemical EOR flooding applications.
The impact of electric vehicles on the power market
Authors: Albanese Lorenzo , Ciriminna Rosaria , Meneguzzo Francesco , Pagliaro Mario
Published: April 2015

We investigate the impact of massive electric vehicle (EV) adoption onto the power market, both in the presence and in the absence of significant photovoltaic (PV) generation. Although results are derived taking into consideration Italy's power market, results are of relevance also to other industrialized countries. One of the most important outcomes of the analysis, that is, the synergistic and beneficial effect on the overall energy bill of the concomitant expansion of EVs utilization and the growth of the renewable energy generation, particularly solar photovoltaics. The Conclusions provide arguments for policymakers for further support to sustainable mobility in their regions.
Schmidt‐hammer exposure‐age dating (SHD) of snow‐avalanche impact ramparts in southern Norway: approaches, results and implications for landform age, dynamics and development
Authors: Matthews John A. , McEwen Lindsey J. , Owen Geraint
Published: April 2015

Schmidt‐hammer exposure‐age dating (SHD) was applied to the problem of dating the diachronous surfaces of five distal river‐bank boulder ramparts deposited by snow avalanches plunging into the Jostedøla and Sprongdøla rivers in the Jostedalsbreen region of southern Norway. Approaches to local high‐precision linear age calibration, which controlled in different ways for boulder roundness, were developed. The mean age (SHDmean) and the maximum age (SHDmax) of surface boulders were estimated for whole ramparts, crests and distal fringes. Interpretation was further assisted by reference to R‐value distributions. SHDmean ages (with 95% confidence intervals) ranged from 520 ± 270 years to 5375 ± 965 years, whereas SHDmax ages (expected to be exceeded by <5% of surface boulders) ranged from 675 to 9065 years. SHD ages from the Jostedøla ramparts tended to be older than those associated with the Sprongdøla, rampart crests were younger than the respective distal fringes, and use of relatively rounded boulders yielded more consistent SHD ages than angular boulders. The SHDmean ages indicate differences in recent levels of snow‐avalanche activity between ramparts and provide insights into rampart dynamics as boulders are deposited on rampart crests and, in smaller numbers, on the distal fringes. SHDmax ages provide minimum age estimates of rampart age (i.e. the time elapsed since the ramparts began to form) and suggest that at least some of the ramparts have been developing since the early Holocene. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nanotopographical control of human embryonic stem cell differentiation into definitive endoderm
Authors: Ghanian Mohammad Hossein , Farzaneh Zahra , Barzin Jalal , Zandi Mojgan , Kazemi‐Ashtiani Mohammad , Alikhani Mehdi , Ehsani Morteza , Baharvand Hossein
Published: April 2015

Derivation of definitive endoderm (DE) from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can address the needs of regenerative medicine for endoderm‐derived organs such as the pancreas and liver. Fibrous substrates which topographically recapitulate native extracellular matrix have been known to promote the stem cell differentiation. However, the optimal fiber diameter remains to be determined for the desired differentiation. Here, we have developed a simple method to precisely fabricate electrospun poly(ε‐caprolactone) fibers with four distinct average diameters at nano‐ and microscale levels (200, 500, 800, and 1300 nm). Human ESCs were cultured as clumps or single cells and induced into DE differentiation to determine the optimal topography leading to the promoted differentiation compared with planar culture plates. Gene expression analysis of the DE‐induced cells showed significant upregulation of DE‐specific genes exclusively on the 200‐nm fibers. By Western blot analysis, significant expression of DE‐specific proteins was found when hESCs were cultured on the 200 nm substrate as single cells rather than clumps, probably due to more efficient cell–matrix interaction realized by morphological observations of the cell colonies. The results indicated that nanofibrillar substrates, only at ultrathin fiber diameters, provided a better environment for DE differentiation of hESC, which holds great promise in prospective tissue engineering applications. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 103A: 3539–3553, 2015.
Improved regeneration potential of fibroblasts using ascorbic acid‐blended nanofibrous scaffolds
Authors: Sridhar Sreepathy , Venugopal Jayarama Reddy , Ramakrishna Seeram
Published: April 2015

Two‐dimensional scaffolds, three‐dimensional scaffolds, and dermal substitutes are extensively used for biomedical applications in skin tissue regeneration. Not much explored synthetic polymers, like poly(l‐lactic acid)‐co‐poly‐(ε‐caprolactone) (PLACL), natural polymers, like silk fibroin (SF), and active inducing agents, such as ascorbic acid (AA) and tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH), represent a favorable matrix for fabricating dermal substitutes to engineer artificial skin for wound repair. The profligate nature of residing skin cells near the wound site is a paramount to survival and also regulating stem cells and other cellular networks and mechanical forces. PLACL/SF/TCH/AA nanofibrous scaffolds were fabricated by electrospinning and characterized for fiber morphology, membrane porosity, wettability, and significant subchains using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for culturing human‐derived dermal fibroblasts. The PLACL, PLACL/SF, PLACL/SF/TCH, and PLACL/SF/TCH/AA scaffolds obtained diameters between 250 and 340 nm. The secretion of collagen by the laboratory‐grown fibroblasts over the AA‐blended scaffolds was found to be significantly higher compared with that of other scaffolds. The obtained results positively prove that introduction of naturally secreting compounds (AA) by the cells into the nanofibrous scaffolds will favor cell's microenvironment and eventually leads to complete tissue regeneration. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 103A: 3431–3440, 2015.
Predicting neonatal pharmacokinetics from prior data using population pharmacokinetic modeling
Authors: Wang Jian , Edginton Andrea N. , Avant Debbie , Burckart Gilbert J.
Published: April 2015

Selection of the first dose for neonates in clinical trials is very challenging. The objective of this analysis was to assess if a population pharmacokinetic (PK) model developed with data from infants to adults is predictive of neonatal clearance and to evaluate what age range of prior PK data is needed for informative modeling to predict neonate exposure. Two sources of pharmacokinetic data from 8 drugs were used to develop population models: (1) data from all patients > 2 years of age, and (2) data from all nonneonatal patients aged > 28 days. The prediction error based on the models using data from subjects > 2 years of age showed bias toward overprediction, with median average fold error (AFE) for CL predicted/CLobserved greater than 1.5. The bias for predicting neonatal PK was improved when using all prior PK data including infants as opposed to an assessment without infant PK data, with the median AFE 0.91. As an increased number of pediatric trials are conducted in neonates under the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act, dose selection should be based on the best estimates of neonatal pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics prior to conducting efficacy and safety studies in neonates.
Synthesis of Some New Heterocycles Derived from Novel 2‐(1,3‐Dioxisoindolin‐2‐yl)Benzoyl Isothiocyanate
Authors: Hemdan Magdy M. , El‐Sayed Amira A.
Published: April 2015

Novel 2‐(1,3‐Dioxisoindolin‐2‐yl)benzoyl isothiocyanate was prepared and underwent addition–cyclization reactions with some nucleophilic reagents. Simultaneous or subsequent cyclization of the obtained adducts gave a diverse range of differently sized heterocycles and thioureas. The structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed by microanalytical and spectral data.
Graphene oxide based in‐tube solid‐phase microextraction combined with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of triazine herbicides in water
Authors: Tan Feng , Zhao Cong , Li Lianjun , Liu Min , He Xin , Gao Jinsuo
Published: April 2015

A novel in‐tube solid‐phase microextraction method based on a graphene oxide coated column was developed for the determination of triazines in waters. This column was prepared by the covalent modification of monolayer graphene oxide sheets onto the inner wall of a fused‐silica capillary. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the thickness of the graphene oxide coating was ∼30 nm, with a porous, wrinkled membrane‐like structure. Its performance was evaluated through the extraction of triazines in water. Results showed that the coating was stable for at least 100 replicate extractions, and variety of multi‐columns was less than 10%. Flow rate, loading volume, pH, and ionic strength of samples played an important effect on the extraction. The high extraction efficiency was mainly attributed to π–π stacking and hydrogen bonding interactions. The in‐tube solid‐phase microextraction was used in the determination of triazines with liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry, and the detection limits were 0.0005–0.005 μg/L for five triazine compounds. Further, the method was applied to the analysis of triazine herbicides in real samples including tap water, sea water, and river water, and the recoveries were 82.8–112.0, 85.4–110.5, and 81.6–105.9%, respectively, with RSDs of 2.7–7.1%.
Effects of H2S annealing on Cu‐Sn‐S thin films prepared from vacuum‐evaporated Cu‐Sn precursor
Authors: Miyata Yuji , Nakamura Shigeyuki , Akaki Yoji
Published: April 2015

In this work, Cu‐Sn‐S thin films were prepared from a vacuum‐evaporated Cu‐Sn precursor via annealing in H2S from 200 to 500 °C for 1 h. Cu2SnS3 thin films with monoclinic and tetragonal structures were observed by X‐ray diffraction when the annealing temperature exceeded 325 °C. In addition, the SnS phase was observed when the annealing temperature exceeded 275 °C. The surface of the Cu‐Sn‐S thin film annealed at 500 °C was uneven due to the re‐evaporation of SnS. The absorption coefficient of the Cu‐Sn‐S thin films was above 104 cm‐1 with energies above 1.0 eV. The band gap of these films was estimated from transmission and reflection apectra using UV‐visible‐NIR spectrophotometry to be between 0.88‐1.0 eV when the annealing temperature exceeded 450 °C. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Linear regression model with histogram‐valued variables
Authors: Dias Sónia , Brito Paula
Published: April 2015

Histogram‐valued variables are a particular kind of variables studied in Symbolic Data Analysis where to each entity under analysis corresponds a distribution that may be represented by a histogram or by a quantile function. Linear regression models for this type of data are necessarily more complex than a simple generalization of the classical model: the parameters cannot be negative; still the linear relation between the variables must be allowed to be either direct or inverse. In this work, we propose a new linear regression model for histogram‐valued variables that solves this problem, named Distribution and Symmetric Distribution Regression Model. To determine the parameters of this model, it is necessary to solve a quadratic optimization problem, subject to non‐negativity constraints on the unknowns; the error measure between the predicted and observed distributions uses the Mallows distance. As in classical analysis, the model is associated with a goodness‐of‐fit measure whose values range between 0 and 1. Using the proposed model, applications with real and simulated data are presented.
Performance evaluation of twisted Edwards‐form elliptic curve cryptography for wireless sensor nodes
Authors: Liu Zhe , Seo Hwajeong , Xu Qiuliang
Published: April 2015

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) pose a number of unique security challenges that demand innovation in several areas including the design of cryptographic primitives and protocols. Despite recent progress, the efficient implementation of Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) for WSNs is still a very active research topic, and techniques to further reduce the time and energy cost of ECC are eagerly sought. This paper presents an optimized ECC implementation that we developed from scratch to comply with the severe resource constraints of 8‐bit sensor nodes such as the MICAz and IRIS motes. Our ECC software uses Optimal Prime Fields as underlying algebraic structure and supports two different families of elliptic curves, namely, Weierstraß‐form and twisted Edwards‐form curves. Due to the combination of efficient field arithmetic and fast group operations, we achieve an execution time of 5.3·106 clock cycles for a full 160‐bit scalar multiplication on an 8‐bit ATmega128 microcontroller, which is more than three times faster than the widely used TinyECC library. Our implementation also shows that the energy cost of scalar multiplication on a MICAz (or IRIS) mote amounts to just 17.34mJ when using a twisted Edwards curve over a 160‐bit Optimal Prime Field. This result further demonstrates the advantage of special family of elliptic curves for resource‐constrained environments. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A case of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation with a non‐pulmonary vein trigger identified by intravenous adenosine triphosphate infusion
Authors: Esato Masahiro , Nishina Naoto , Kida Yoshitomi , Chun YeongHwa
Published: April 2015

A 54‐year‐old woman was referred to our institution with frequent chest discomfort and was diagnosed with drug‐refractory paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) was performed using a three‐dimensional electroanatomic mapping system. After completion of left and right circumferential pulmonary vein isolation (CPVI), an intravenous bolus of adenosine triphosphate (ATP, 20 mg) was administered to evaluate the electric reconduction between the pulmonary vein (PV) and left atrium (LA). Although no PV–LA reconduction was observed, atrial fibrillation (AF) was reproducibly induced. As the duration of AF was very short (<20 s), no further RFCA to the LA was performed. One month later, the patient presented with frequent atrial tachyarrhythmias (ATs), and RFCA was repeated. Although no electric reconduction was observed in the left‐ or right‐sided PVs, incessant ATs and AF were induced after an intravenous bolus administration of ATP. The earliest atrial activation site initiating ATs was consistently identified from electrodes positioned in the superior vena cava (SVC), and both ATs and AF were no longer inducible after electric isolation of the SVC. ATP‐induced PV/non‐PV ectopy may be a marker of increased susceptibility to autonomic triggers of AF and could potentially predict recurrent AF after CPVI.