bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sobre la ambivalencia categorial de un montón y otros cuantificadores afines
Authors: San Julián Solana Javier
Published: January 2017

Dado el potencial que exhiben para la expresión de una cantidad indefinida (superlativa), unidades como montón, barbaridad, burrada o porrón han sido incluidas entre los sustantivos cuantificadores (Martínez, 1999, 2013; Vos, 2002; Saab, 2006; Gutiérrez Rodríguez, 2008; NGLE; Verveckken, 2015). En efecto, algunas de sus propiedades de relación sintagmática resultan típicamente sustantivas (§ 3); pero, por otro lado, también pueden intervenir en la oración desempeñando funciones sintácticas adverbiales (§ 4).
Feri Lainšček
Authors: Fras Ana
Published: January 2017

Feri Lainšček, escritor, poeta, dramático y escenógrafo, vive y trabaja en Murska Sobota. Es oriundo de la región de Prekmurje, en la parte este del país que colinda con Hungría, Austria y Croacia, uno de los lugares más peculiares y menos conocidos de Eslovenia. Esa llanura tan típica de la región (ravnica) ha marcado en gran medida su literatura, como puede apreciarse en la mayoría de sus novelas.
De blinde vlek van de filosofie: een leven leiden
Authors: Boomkens René
Published: January 2017

The blind spot of philosophy: to live a life

Age-old philosophical texts, from Plato to Montaigne or from Lao-tse to Rousseau, are still being read by many. What makes these texts so attractive and ‘contemporary’ today, other than scientific texts from long ago? Most of the time these texts do not address empirical or conceptual questions, but address the problem to understand ourselves as creatures that try to live a life. Academic philosophy has left this question more and more aside, in an ongoing process of ‘scientification’, and concentrated more on conceptual and epistemological questions or on the reconstruction of the philosophical tradition. Yet, in the margins of academic philosophy, in neighboring fields of research and in the public sphere, we can discern examples of a philosophical practice that rephrases the classical philosophical question in a new manner. In this essay an attempt is made to draw the contours of this new practice of philosophy and the writings it produces. Starting with (among others) Nietzsche and Benjamin, and inspired by recent lectures by Norman Lear, a portrait is created of an author who operates somewhere on the borders between science and literature, as a placeholder – or more precise: as an ethnographer who, more than the average scholar, is closely involved with the object of his research, and who, more than the average novelist, addresses ‘the weird problem of having a life’ in a direct way, starting with the problematic and problematizing experiences of others. This philosophical attitude comes close to what Michel Foucault called ‘an ontology of the present’ that writes about the question of who or what we are here and now from a ironical involvement with everyday problematizations of our cultural, political or personal identity. The essay ends with some concrete examples of this philosophical practice and with some suggestions for a philosophical institute in which such a practice could be a central concern.
The Microphysics of Clouds over the Antarctic Peninsula – Part 2:
modelling aspects within Polar WRF
Authors: Listowski Constantino , Lachlan-Cope Tom
Published: January 2017

Abstract. The first intercomparisons of cloud microphysics schemes implemented in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale atmospheric model (version 3.5.1) are performed in the Antarctic Peninsula using the polar version of WRF (Polar WRF) at 5 km resolution, along with comparisons to the British Antarctic Survey's aircraft measurements (presented in Part 1 of this work, Lachlan-Cope et al., 2016). This study follows previous works suggesting the misrepresentation of the cloud thermodynamic phase in order to explain large radiative biases derived at the surface in Polar WRF continent-wide, and in the Polar WRF-based operational forecast model Antarctic Mesoscale Prediction System (AMPS) over the Larsen C Ice shelf. Several cloud microphysics schemes are investigated: the WRF Single-Moment 5-class scheme (WSM5), the WRF Double-Moment 6-class scheme (WDM6), the Morrison double-moment scheme, the Thompson scheme, and the Milbrandt- Yau Double-Moment 7-class scheme. WSM5 used in AMPS struggles the most to capture the observed supercooled liquid phase mainly because of their ice nuclei parameterisation overestimating the number of activated crystals, while other micro- physics schemes (but not WSM5's upgraded version, WDM6) manage much better to do so. The best performing scheme is the Morrison scheme for its better average prediction of occurrences of clouds, and cloud phase, as well as its lowest surface radiative bias over the Larsen C ice shelf in the infrared. This is important for surface energy budget consideration with Polar WRF since the cloud radiative effect is more pronounced in the infrared over icy surfaces. However, our investigation shows that all the schemes fail at simulating the supercooled liquid mass at some temperatures (altitudes) where observations show evidence of its persistence. An ice nuclei parameterisation relying on both temperature and aerosol content like DeMott et al. (2010) (not currently used in WRF cloud schemes) is in best agreement with the observations, at temperatures and aerosol concentration characteristic of the Antarctic Peninsula where the primary ice production occurs (Part 1), compared to parame- terisation only relying on the atmospheric temperature (used by the WRF cloud schemes). Overall, a realistic ice microphysics implementation is paramount to the correct representation of the supercooled liquid phase in Antarctic clouds.
HSRL-2 aerosol optical measurements and microphysical retrievals
vs. airborne in situ measurements during DISCOVER-AQ 2013: an
intercomparison study
Authors: Sawamura Patricia , Moore Richard H. , Burton Sharon P. , Chemyakin Eduard , Müller Detlef , Kolgotin Alexei , Ferrare Richard A. , Hostetler Chris A. , Ziemba Luke D. , Beyersdorf Andreas J. , Anderson Bruce E.
Published: January 2017

Abstract. We present a detailed evaluation of remotely-sensed aerosol microphysical properties obtained from an advanced, multi-wavelength High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL-2) during the 2013 NASA DISCOVER-AQ field campaign. Vertically-resolved retrievals of fine mode aerosol number, surface area, and volume concentration as well as aerosol effective radius are compared to 108 co-located, airborne in situ measurement profiles in the wintertime San Joaquin Valley, California, and in summertime Houston, Texas. An algorithm for relating the dry in situ aerosol properties to those obtained by the HSRL at ambient relative humidity is discussed. We show that the HSRL-2 retrievals of ambient fine mode aerosol surface area and volume concentrations agree with the in situ measurements to within 25 % and 10 %, respectively, once hygroscopic growth adjustments have been applied to the dry in situ data. Despite this excellent agreement for the microphysical properties, extinction and backscatter coefficients at ambient relative humidity derived from the in situ aerosol measurements using Mie theory are consistently smaller than those measured by the HSRL, with average differences of 31 % ± 5 % and 53 % ± 11 % for California and Texas, respectively. This low bias in the in situ estimates is attributed to the presence of coarse mode aerosol that are detected by HSRL-2 but that are too large to be well sampled by the in situ instrumentation. Since the retrieval of aerosol volume is most relevant to current regulatory efforts targeting fine particle mass (PM2.5), these findings highlight the advantages of an advanced 3β + 2α HSRL for constraining the vertical distribution of the aerosol volume or mass loading relevant for air quality.
Globally significant yields of dissolved organic carbon from small watersheds of the Pacific coastal temperate rainforest
Authors: Oliver Allison A. , Tank Suzanne E. , Giesbrecht Ian , Korver Maartje C. , Floyd William C. , Sanborn Paul , Bulmer Chuck , Lertzman Ken P.
Published: January 2017

Abstract. The perhumid region of the Pacific coastal temperate rainforest of North America (PCTR) is one of the wettest places on Earth and contains numerous small catchments that discharge freshwater and high concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) directly to the coastal ocean. However, empirical data on the flux and composition of DOC exported from these watersheds is scarce. We established monitoring stations at the outlets of seven catchments on Calvert and Hecate Islands, British Columbia, which represent the rain dominated outer-coast region of the PCTR. Over several years, we measured stream discharge, stream water DOC concentration, and stream water dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition. Discharge and DOC concentrations were used to calculate DOC fluxes and yields, and DOM composition was examined using absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy, including parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). The areal estimate of annual DOC yield in water year 2015 was 33.3 Mg C km−2 yr−1, with individual watersheds ranging from an average of 24.1–37.7 Mg C km−2 yr−1. This represents some of the highest DOC yields in the world exported to the ocean. We observed strong seasonality in the quantity and composition of exports, with the majority of DOC export occurring during the extended wet period of the year (September–April). Stream flow from catchments reacted quickly to rain inputs, resulting in rapid flushing of relatively fresh, highly terrestrial-like DOM. DOC concentration and measures of DOM composition were correlated with watershed attributes, including the extent of lakes and wetlands, and thickness of organic and mineral soils. Our discovery of high DOC yields from these small catchments on the outer-coast of the temperate rainforest is especially compelling as they represent the delivery of relatively fresh, highly terrestrial organic matter directly to the coastal ocean. This suggests that this coastal margin may play an important role in the global processing of carbon and in linking terrestrial carbon to marine ecosystems.
Influence of pH, Temperature and Various Heavy Metals on β-galactosidase Activity in the Crude Extract of Pleurotus ostreatus
Authors: Shloul Tariq H. , Atrooz Omar M. , Abukhalil Mohammad H.
Published: January 2017

The aim of this study was to determine the activity of β-galactosidase in the crude extracts of Pleurotus ostreatus in the presence and absence of various heavy metals. β-galactosidase (EC 3.2.1.23), is a hydrolase enzyme which helps in the hydrolysis of lactose into monosaccharides. Characterization of β-galactosidase from Pleurotus ostreatus was achieved using the substrate 2-nitrophenyl β-D-galactopyranoside (ONPG). The pH and temperature profiles of β-galactosidase showed maximum activity at pH 3.0 and at 50°C, respectively. The Vmax  and Km values of β-galactosidase using ONPG as a substrate was found to be 0.571 μmol/min and 0.307 mM, respectively. These results revealed that the β-galactosidase activity in the crude extracts of Pleurotus ostreatus was changed in the presence of different heavy metals. The results indicated that Hg2+ and Mo2+ have an uncompetitive inhibition on the β- galactosidase activity in the extract of Pleurotus ostreatus by decreasing both Km and Vmax values.  while Al3+, Cu2+, Cr3+, Zn2+ and Ni2+  showed mixed inhibition  activity  by decreasing Vmax values and  by increasing Km values. However, Pb2+ was found to act as a non-competitive inhibition by decreasing Vmax value. The findings suggested that crude extract of Pleurotus ostreatus can be used as a source of β-galactosidase for medical and industrial purposes.
ANALYSIS OF PROCESSED UHT MILK AT THE METROPOLITAN REGION OF CURITIBA , PR
Authors: MATOSO A. C. , FREITAS F. , FREITAS K. J. , OLIVEIRA M. M. , BALBI M. E.
Published: January 2017

Leites e produtos lácteos são considerados importantes para uma dieta saudável e devido ao consumo diário destes, é importante a oferta de produtos com alta qualidade que garantam aos seus consumidores contribuição para saúde. Para isto, há necessidade de um controle frequente e rigoroso, que identifique possíveis adulterações nos produtos, com a finalidade de garantir sua autenticidade e qualidade. Deste modo, o objetivo deste artigo visa analisar se há alterações de alguns fatores que influenciam na qualidade de leites UHT. Para isso, foram escolhidas aleatoriamente 11 marcas de leite comercializadas na Região Metropolitana de Curitiba/PR e em Curitiba/PR, cada uma apresentando três variações comerciais (desnatado, semidesnatado e integral), totalizando desta forma 33 amostras. Realizaram- se análises químicas de determinação de acidez e acidez em Graus Dornic, presença de: urina, amido, sacarose, água oxigenada, formaldeído, catalase e fermentação ácido lática. Os resultados obtidos das análises apresentaram alterações e adulterações em variadas marcas. Constatou-se a presença de sacarose, urina e fermentação lática em 2 marcas, para todos os tipos comerciais, e verificou-se a presença de formaldeído em 5 marcas. Deste modo, sugere-se o desenvolvimento de melhores e mais práticos métodos de análise química do leite e   que os órgãos controladores tenham maior efetividade nas análises para garantir à população produtos mais íntegros e saudáveis, para que os alimentos comercializados apresentem apenas os componetes nutricionais presentes nos rótulos.
La dedicación a los estudios de los jóvenes de origen inmigrante en España en la Gran Recesión
Authors: Miyar-Busto María
Published: January 2017

En este trabajo se analizan las pautas de dedicación a los estudios de lapoblación joven de origen inmigrante residente en España, a partir dedatos de la Encuesta de Población Activa. Los resultados muestran quela probabilidad de estar fuera del sistema educativo de los jóvenes deorigen inmigrante es superior a la de los de origen autóctono, aunquesolo para los que llegaron a España después de los diez años. Además,su reacción ante cambios en las circunstancias laborales ha sido menosintensa. Asimismo, se encuentra que los recursos educativos paternosfrenan la reacción ante cambios en las oportunidades laborales para loshijos de autóctonos y las mujeres hijas de inmigrantes, disminuyendo ladesigualdad dentro de cada grupo en contextos de recesión, pero nosucede así para los varones de origen inmigrante.
¿Asambleas, referéndums o consultas? Representaciones sociales de la participación ciudadana
Authors: García-Espín Patricia , Ganuza Fernández Ernesto , De Marco Stefano
Published: January 2017

Según algunos estudios, los españoles desean procesos másparticipativos. Habría grupos proparticipativos (jóvenes,abstencionistas, votantes de izquierda, etc.) y otros menos entusiastas(votantes de la derecha). En este trabajo nos ocupamos de lasrepresentaciones sociales de la democracia participativa. El estudio sebasa en 16 grupos de discusión realizados entre 2011 y 2013.Identifi camos cuatro grandes visiones entre los participantes: los quedesean un sistema de deliberación complejo para la participaciónciudadana, los que quieren referendos y canales expresivos, los quepiensan que es una reforma inalcanzable, y los que rechazan este tipode procesos.
From General Relativity to A Simple-Harmonically Oscillating Universe, and Vice-Versa: A Review
Authors: Cataldo Carmine
Published: January 2017

In this paper two different lines of reasoning are followed in order to discuss a Universe that belongs to the so-called oscillatory class. In the first section, we start from the general writing of the first Friedmann – Lemaître equation. Taking into account mass – energy equivalence, the so-called fluid equation is immediately deduced, with the usual hypotheses of homogeneity and isotropy, once identified the evolution of the Universe with an isentropic process. Considering equal to zero the curvature parameter, and carrying out an opportune position concerning the so-called cosmological constant, we obtain an oscillating class, to which a simple-harmonically oscillating Universe evidently belongs. In the second section, we start from a simple-harmonically oscillating Universe, hypothesized globally flat and characterized by at least a further spatial dimension. Once defined the density, taking into account a global symmetry elsewhere postulated, we carry out a simple but noteworthy position concerning the gravitational constant. Then, once established the dependence between pressure and density, we deduce, by means of simple mathematical passages, the equations of Friedmann – Lemaître, without using Einstein’s Relativity.
Development of Pre-service Science Teachers’ Understanding and Attitude towards Science Project by Teaching Management through Service Learning
Authors: Pitiporntapin Sasithep , Lertcharoenrit Tassaneewon
Published: January 2017

The purposes of this research were to develop Pre-service Science Teachers’ (PSTs) understanding and attitude towards science by teaching management through service learning. The participants of this study were 9 volunteer PSTs who enrolled in 15-week Science and Technology Project in School course in the universities in Bangkok. This course focused on PSTs’ application of knowledge about science project to solve problem via doing community service. The researcher gathered data from observation, journal entries, and artifacts in the first semester of academic year 2015. Moreover, informal interviews were used for clarification. For data analysis, the researchers analyzed data with descriptive statistics and content analysis. Findings showed that most PSTs had increased understanding in doing a science project in aspects of integration to other learning disciplines, role of students, and role of advisors. Moreover, PSTs also increased their attitude towards a science project due to the construction of knowledge by themselves, development of many skills, and generation of societal benefits. These findings were considered in terms of further designing other courses activities.
Technological Determinism in Patterns of Communication and Social Behavior Change in Indonesian Society
Authors: Muljono Wiryanta , Setiyawati Sri , Haryanto Budhi
Published: January 2017

This article discusses the penetration of communication technologies in communication and social behavior patterns of rural and urban communities. The Internet was not able to erode the sense of nationalism and replace it with global values. This study also illustrates the effective communication with family, neighbors, or friends through social media in both urban and rural. An analysis shows that the internet does not affect prosocial attitudes, in traditional, moderate, and modern societies in urban and rural communities. Furthermore, face to face communication is still reliable when communicating within the family. Communication technology helps to communicate outside the family, such as a neighbor or friend. It is also suggested social media less capable of enabling a fully functioning society. matic investment risk. The authors propose an original non-traditional approach to the solution of two interrelated problems: investment climate diagnostics and investment risk level evaluation. The technique can be applied by both an investor for making an investment decision and an issuer for analyzing reasons of the low investment object attractiveness. It makes it possible to identify the barrier and restrictive factors determining a high risks and to develop measures to reduce them. The advanced algorithm, step-by-step methodology, and decision support system for assessing investment climate and unsystematic investment risk were described and formalized in the paper. Scientific and practical significance lies in the fact that the complex analysis and evaluation method proposed allows management decisions to be argued. the author’s technique will significantly reduce the role of the subjective factor caused by expert evaluation and uncertainty factors, improve the validity and reliability of the investment climate and risk assessments, and help to make an adequate decision about risk elimination.
Gender Segregation and the Gender Wage Gap: Rising Inequality in Alberta and Saskatchewan
Authors: Al-Zyoud Hussein , Belassi Walid
Published: January 2017

Canada has made significant historical commitments towards implementing gender equality policies, programs, and legislation after the findings of the Abella Commission were released in 1984 (Abella, 1984). Since then, gender wage gaps have been decreasing in many parts of the country. Two of the Canadian prairie provinces, Alberta and Saskatchewan, have not experienced the same degree of measureable gender equity at the national level, as the other provinces. This paper will therefore examine the gender wage gaps in these two provinces. To investigate gender wage gaps in Alberta and Saskatchewan, the paper examines two industries in each of the two provinces that are fundamentally different in terms of the gender of their workforce composition. In particular, the study compares the oil and gas industry, which is predominantly male dominant, with the predominantly female dominant healthcare and social assistance industry in order to discover whether wage gaps are industry specific, and can be explained by the size of worker-affiliated organizations in particular provinces and industries. The study also investigates the effects of years of job tenure on gender wage gaps. The results demonstrate that, in both provinces, regardless of industry, the size of the organization proves significant in explaining gender wage gaps, while years of tenure are insignificant. this study showed that students who have learned through the E-book method achieve design efficiently better in their post-test scores than those in the traditional method. Students at the internal motivation level perform design efficiently better in their post-test scores than those at external motivation level. The E-book method proved to help students with external motivation in their post-test score motivation.
The Mediating Effect of Adult Attachment on the Relation between Childhood Experiences and Intimate Partner Perpetration and Victimization in Thailand
Authors: Sriyothin Saranya , Maneesri Kakanang
Published: January 2017

The current study investigated the effects of exposure to abusive and supportive childhood experiences on intimate partner perpetration and victimization using adult attachment as a mediator. A sample of 1010 heterosexual adults completed measures of the Exposure to Abusive and Supportive Environments Parenting Inventory (EASE-PI), Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R), Adult Attachment Questionnaire, and the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2). Structural equation modeling revealed that abusive childhood experiences affected perpetration and victimization directly and indirectly through anxiety over abandonment and avoidance of intimacy, supportive childhood experiences affected perpetration through anxiety over abandonment, and affected victimization through both anxiety over abandonment and avoidance of intimacy. The implications suggested a decrease in abusive childhood experiences and an increase in supportive childhood experiences are necessary to reduce IPV perpetration and victimization. s and industries. The study also investigates the effects of years of job tenure on gender wage gaps. The results demonstrate that, in both provinces, regardless of industry, the size of the organization proves significant in explaining gender wage gaps, while years of tenure are insignificant. this study showed that students who have learned through the E-book method achieve design efficiently better in their post-test scores than those in the traditional method. Students at the internal motivation level perform design efficiently better in their post-test scores than those at external motivation level. The E-book method proved to help students with external motivation in their post-test score motivation.
Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility Implementation in Jordanian Public Shareholding Companies on Sustainable Development
Authors: Al-Zyoud Ismail
Published: January 2017

The study aimed to investigate the impact of corporate social responsibility implementation in Jordanian public shareholding companies on sustainable development. The study used descriptive analytical methodology. A questionnaire was designed and distribute over a sample consisting of 135 reponsedents, 125 were collected and 5 questionnaires were removed. The study results indicated that there a statistically significant impact at the level of significance (α≤0.05) of social responsibility in Jordanian public shareholding companies on sustainable development. It also indicated that there is a statistically significant impact at the level of significance (α≤0.05) of economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic responsibility in Jordanian public shareholding companies on sustainable development. The study recommended a set of recommendations.
A proposta de emenda à Constituição 99/2011 da Frente Parlamentar Evangélica e suas implicações no Estado laico brasileiro.
Authors: Maia Eduardo Lopes Cabral
Published: January 2017

O objetivo deste artigo é realizar uma análise da Proposta de Emenda à Constituição número 99 de 2011 e, em seguida, uma problematização a respeito de suas implicações para o Estado brasileiro a partir das noções de secularização e laicidade. Para atingir os objetivos propostos, foi realizada uma análise do conteúdo e da tramitação da Proposta de Emenda Constitucional 99 de 2011, dos posicionamentos de alguns dos atores envolvidos no debate e das implicações da proposta para a laicidade do Estado. Como resultado, acredita-se que a proposta apresentada pelo Presidente da Frente Parlamentar Evangélica, embora permita a criação de garantias à preservação da liberdade de culto, também produz alguma tensão em relação aos limites da laicidade do Estado e sua tramitação sugere que o processo legislativo ainda não enfrentou adequadamente a problematização de tal tensão.
Uma “laicidade interacional”? Norma constitucional e expressão religiosa em uma universidade pública do Brasil.
Authors: Lopes Ricardo Cortez , Weiss Raquel Andrade
Published: January 2017

A universidade é uma instituição cuja origens remontam à Europa medieval, de modo que sua estrutura inicial não pode ser dissociada da orientação moral cristã. Todavia, a partir da constituição do Estado-Nação, houve uma progressiva transformação dessa estrutura, colocando, aos poucos, o conhecimento como um propósito intramundano. Em diversos contextos ela tornou-se laica e/ou pública, assumindo como tarefa a promoção do processo modernizador sem as interferências das instituições religiosas. Recentemente, ao menos no caso brasileiro, é possível identificar uma nova transformação que, segundo o argumento que defendemos aqui, está em consonância com os deslocamentos na concepção de modernidade, ainda que essas modificações não sejam plenamente acompanhadas pela norma jurídica. Nosso estudo de caso foi a Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. O estudo quanti-qualitativo de nossa amostra, colhida entre alunos, professores e servidores, indicou que circulam representações sociais tanto modernas stricto-senso como multiculturais. De modo que o conceito de laicidade também se modificou, o que dá a entender que uma experiência do religioso (como traço cultural individual) se dá nesse espaço, fenômeno impensável na época da formulação da norma jurídica. Elaboramos um modelo explicativo dessa dinâmica de vivência dessa laicidade, o qual chamamos de Modelo do Relógio de Bolso.
Desequilíbrio das informações ao cidadão: estudo de caso da relação entre jornais impressos e política no Estado do Pará.
Authors: Marques Rodolfo Silva , Conceição Bruno Da Silva , Oliveira André Silva de
Published: January 2017

O presente artigo analisa a relação dos principais jornais do estado do Pará (O Liberal e Diário do Pará) com a classe política estadual. Embora sejam concorrentes empresariais, estes veículos de comunicação podem apresentar um eventual alinhamento político com os políticos tradicionais do Pará. Dessa forma, os interesses políticos dessas elites midiáticas, ás vezes comandadas ou patrocinadas por políticos locais, afetam o conteúdo da informação transmitida para a população paraense. Nesse cenário, jornais de pequena circulação representam uma alternativa relevante de conteúdo informativo permitindo que o acesso às informações de interesse público não seja tão deturpado pelos jogos de poder. Partindo da perspectiva teórica da qualidade da democracia, o texto se empenha em verificar como os jornais de maior circulação, e também as pequenas mídias impressas alternativas, posicionam-se acerca da política estadual e da informação levada ao público. Para tanto, será pesquisada a história de fundação destes jornais e sua relação com a classe política no passado e na atualidade.
Meynert’s Nucleus Complex White Matter Abnormalities in Autism Spectrum Disorders: An MRI Study
Authors: Pardini Matteo , Garaci Francesco G. , Zaborszky Laszlo , Coniglione Filadelfo , Serafini Gianluca , Siracusano Martina , Benassi Francesca , Gialloreti Leonardo Emberti
Published: January 2017

Introduction: Cholinergic dysfunction has been proposed to play a role in autistic symtomatology. However, to date, its structural correlates are poorly understood.
Methods: Twenty-five low-functioning, non-verbal males with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and 25 controls were enrolled in the study. All underwent MR T1-weighted 3D Structural Imaging and Diffusion Tensor Imaging. Grey and white matter components of the Meynert’s Nucleus Complex were then identified on MR images, and both grey matter density and white matter mean Fractional Anisotropy in the Meynert’s Nucleus region of interest were quantified for each subject. Non-verbal IQ was assessed in all subjects with ASD.
Results: We showed reduced white matter Fractional Anisotropy in the bundles surrounding the Meynert’s Nucleus in ASD subjects compared to controls. Fractional Anisotropy in these bundles was positively associated with non-verbal IQ, independently from whole brain white matter mean Fractional Anisotropy. ASD subjects did not show significant abnormalities in Meynert’s Nucleus grey matter density.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that white matter abnormalities in the Meynert’s Nucleus might be involved in the cholinergic deficits of ASD.
Atypical Eating Behaviors Identified in Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, Aged 3 to 5 Years, Using the Children’s Eating Behavior Questionnaire in a Caregiver-Reported Online Survey
Authors: Evans Shirley F. , Payton Mark , Kennedy Tay
Published: January 2017

Background: Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs), aged 3 to 5 years, have physical, behavioral, and functional problems. Because of alcohol-related deficits, children with FASDs are at risk for malnutrition; yet, little is known about how FASD affects eating behavior and nutrition.
Aim: The purpose of this study was to identify atypical eating behavior in children with FASDs, aged 3 to 5 years, and their associations with socio-demographic characteristics.
Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study gathered data from a caregiver-reported online survey targeting the eating behavior of preschool-aged children with FASDs. The survey included the Children’s Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ) and a socio-demographic questionnaire.
Participants/Setting: Seventy-four caregivers qualified for the study with nine having two children with FASDs. Responses to survey questions varied since caregivers had permission to omit any question.
Results: Significant differences were found between the preschool-aged children with FASDs and Wardle’s published normative sample by gender and age. Compared to reported norms, study children scored higher in Desire to Drink, Food Responsiveness, Emotional Overeating, and Food Fussiness, and lower in Enjoyment of Food. Regarding socio-demographic characteristics, there was greater Enjoyment of Food with larger families and Food Avoidance with college-educated caregivers.
Conclusion: Children with FASDs, aged 3 to 5 years, have atypical eating behaviors characteristic of maladaptive appetites, overeating under stress, selective eating, slowness in eating, and an excessive need for drinks, in comparison with a published normative sample.
Lepidopteran HMG-CoA reductase is a potential selective target for pest control
Authors: Li Yuan-mei , Kai Zhen-peng , Huang Juan , Tobe Stephen S.
Published: January 2017

As a consequence of the negative impacts on the environment of some insecticides, discovery of eco-friendly insecticides and target has received global attention in recent years. Sequence alignment and structural comparison of the rate-limiting enzyme HMG-CoA reductase (HMGR) revealed differences between lepidopteran pests and other organisms, which suggested insect HMGR could be a selective insecticide target candidate. Inhibition of JH biosynthesisin vitroconfirmed that HMGR inhibitors showed a potent lethal effect on the lepidopteran pestManduca sexta, whereas there was little effect on JH biosynthesis inApis melliferaandDiploptera punctata. The pest control application of these inhibitors demonstrated that they can be insecticide candidates with potent ovicidal activity, larvicidal activity and insect growth regulatory effects. The present study has validated that Lepidopteran HMGR can be a potent selective insecticide target, and the HMGR inhibitors (especially type II statins) could be selective insecticide candidates and lead compounds. Furthermore, we demonstrated that sequence alignment, homology modeling and structural comparison may be useful for determining potential enzymes or receptors which can be eco-friendly pesticide  targets.
Jellyfish extract induces apoptotic cell death through the p38 pathway and cell cycle arrest in chronic myelogenous leukemia K562 cells
Authors: Ha Sun-Hyung , Jin Fansi , Kwak Choong-Hwan , Abekura Fukushi , Park Jun-Young , Park Nam Gyu , Chang Young-Chae , Lee Young-Choon , Chung Tae-Wook , Ha Ki-Tae , Son Jong-Keun , Chang Hyeun Wook , Kim Cheorl-Ho
Published: January 2017

Jellyfish species are widely distributed in the world’s oceans, and their population is rapidly increasing. Jellyfish extracts have several biological functions, such as cytotoxic, anti-microbial, and antioxidant activities in cells and organisms. However, the anti-cancer effect of Jellyfish extract has not yet been examined. We used chronic myelogenous leukemia K562 cells to evaluate the mechanisms of anti-cancer activity of hexane extracts from Nomura’s jellyfish in vitro. In this study, jellyfish are subjected to hexane extraction, and the extract is shown to have an anticancer effect on chronic myelogenous leukemia K562 cells. Interestingly, the present results show that jellyfish hexane extract (Jellyfish-HE) induces apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent manner. To identify the mechanism(s) underlying Jellyfish-HE-induced apoptosis in K562 cells, we examined the effects of Jellyfish-HE on activation of caspase and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), which are responsible for cell cycle progression. Induction of apoptosis by Jellyfish-HE occurred through the activation of caspases-3,-8 and -9 and phosphorylation of p38. Jellyfish-HE-induced apoptosis was blocked by a caspase inhibitor, Z-VAD. Moreover, during apoptosis in K562 cells, p38 MAPK was inhibited by pretreatment with SB203580, an inhibitor of p38. SB203580 blocked jellyfish-HE-induced apoptosis. Additionally, Jellyfish-HE markedly arrests the cell cycle in the G0/G1 phase. Therefore, taken together, the results imply that the anti-cancer activity of Jellyfish-HE may be mediated apoptosis by induction of caspases and activation of MAPK, especially phosphorylation of p38, and cell cycle arrest at the Go/G1 phase in K562 cells.
Assessing the Perceptions of the Health Care Workforce Toward the Patient Safety Culture in Vietnamese Hospitals
Authors: Luong Quang Duy
Published: January 2017

The main objective of this study was to use the translated version of Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture, the English-Vietnamese Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (E-V HSOPSC), to assess the patient safety culture in Vietnamese hospitals and examine the extent to which safety attitudes vary between staff, hospitals, and health care systems. In addition, this study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the instrument in Vietnamese dataset. We evaluated whether patient safety culture contributes to establish a positive patient safety culture—the cornerstone of a quality health care. In May 2015, the E-V HSOPSC was conducted with 1500 staff from 10 hospitals in Vietnam. The respondents were asked to return the completed surveys after a 3-month period. Before assessing the perceptions of health care workforce toward organizational safety culture, a confirmatory factor analysis, construct validity, and reliability were performed using SPSS and Amos 23.0. A total of 1116 questionnaires were eligible for data analysis. The outcomes from factor analysis verified the fitness and validity of the instrument. The positive response rate across 12 safety culture dimensions in the questionnaire ranged from 30% (Hospital Handoffs and Transitions) to 77% (Teamwork within Hospital Units). Overall, the mean positive score was 58.9%, which was slightly lower than of the United States. The safety was graded as “Very Good” by 52.6% of respondents in Vietnam. The E-V HSOPSC was appropriate to assess the patient safety culture in Vietnam, because the instrument provided adequate evidence of validity and reliability and patient safety culture strengths and deficiencies.
Cushing's syndrome mutant PKAL205R exhibits altered substrate specificity
Authors: Lubner Joshua M. , Dodge‐Kafka Kimberly L. , Carlson Cathrine R. , Church George M. , Chou Michael F. , Schwartz Daniel
Published: January 2017

The PKAL205R hotspot mutation has been implicated in Cushing's syndrome through hyperactive gain‐of‐function PKA signaling; however, its influence on substrate specificity has not been investigated. Here, we employ the Proteomic Peptide Library (ProPeL) approach to create high‐resolution models for PKAWT and PKAL205R substrate specificity. We reveal that the L205R mutation reduces canonical hydrophobic preference at the substrate P + 1 position, and increases acidic preference in downstream positions. Using these models, we designed peptide substrates that exhibit altered selectivity for specific PKA variants, and demonstrate the feasibility of selective PKAL205R loss‐of‐function signaling. Through these results, we suggest that substrate rewiring may contribute to Cushing's syndrome disease etiology, and introduce a powerful new paradigm for investigating mutation‐induced kinase substrate rewiring in human disease.
T‐cell immunoglobulin mucin 3 blockade drives an antitumor immune response in head and neck cancer
Authors: Liu Jian‐Feng , Ma Si‐Rui , Mao Liang , Bu Lin‐Lin , Yu Guang‐Tao , Li Yi‐Cun , Huang Cong‐Fa , Deng Wei‐Wei , Kulkarni Ashok B. , Zhang Wen‐Feng , Sun Zhi‐Jun
Published: January 2017

T‐cell immunoglobulin mucin 3 (TIM3) contributes to immune suppression during progression of many cancers, but the precise role of TIM3 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is not clearly understood. In this study, we report that TIM3 expression was significantly up‐regulated in patients with HNSCC and associated with lymph node metastasis. Additionally, TIM3 expression was increased in patients with recurrent HNSCC and patients with preradiotherapy or prechemotherapy. We also characterized CD8+ T cells and CD11b+CD33+ myeloid‐derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in human HNSCC, and found that their expression was positively correlated with TIM3 expression. To determine the underlying mechanism of TIM3 in immune response during HNSCC progression, we utilized the Tgfbr1/Pten 2cKO HNSCC mouse model with TIM3 overexpression. Treatment with anti‐TIM3 monoclonal antibody effectively suppressed tumor growth through restoring effector T‐cell function by targeting CD4+TIM3+ cells and CD8+TIM3+ cells and decreasing MDSCs. Our findings demonstrate TIM3 expression in patients with HNSCC and suggest anti‐TIM3 immunotherapy as a novel therapeutic approach for effective treatment of HNSCC.
Assessment of Noah land surface model with various runoff parameterizations over a Tibetan river
Authors: Zheng Donghai , Van Der Velde Rogier , Su Zhongbo , Wen Jun , Wang Xin
Published: January 2017

Runoff parameterizations currently adopted by the (i) Noah‐MP model, (ii) Community Land Model (CLM), and (iii) CLM with variable infiltration capacity hydrology (CLM‐VIC) are incorporated into the structure of Noah land surface model, and the impact of these parameterizations on the runoff simulations is investigated for a Tibetan river. Four numerical experiments are conducted with the default Noah and three aforementioned runoff parameterizations. Each experiment is forced with the same set of atmospheric forcing, vegetation, and soil parameters. In addition, the Community Earth System Model database provides the maximum surface saturated area parameter for the Noah‐MP and CLM parameterizations. A single‐year recurrent spin‐up is adopted for the initialization of each model run to achieve equilibrium states. Comparison with discharge measurements shows that each runoff parameterization produces significant differences in the separation of total runoff into surface and subsurface components and that the soil water storage‐based parameterizations (Noah and CLM‐VIC) outperform the groundwater table‐based parameterizations (Noah‐MP and CLM) for the seasonally frozen and high‐altitude Tibetan river. A parameter sensitivity experiment illustrates that this underperformance of the groundwater table‐based parameterizations cannot be resolved through calibration. Further analyses demonstrate that the simulations of other surface water and energy budget components are insensitive to the selected runoff parameterizations, due to the strong control of the atmosphere on simulated land surface fluxes induced by the diurnal dependence of the roughness length for heat transfer and the large water retention capacity of the highly organic top soils over the plateau.
Estimation of land surface evaporation using a generalized nonlinear complementary relationship
Authors: Zhang Lu , Cheng Lei , Brutsaert Wilfried
Published: January 2017

Evaporation is a key component of the hydrological cycle and affects regional water resources. Although the physics of evaporation is well understood, its estimation in practice remains a challenge. Among available methods for estimating it, the complementary principle of Bouchet has the potential to provide a practical tool for regional water resources assessment. In this study, the generalized nonlinear formulation of this principle by Brutsaert (2015) was tested against evaporation measurements from four flux stations in Australia under different climatic and vegetation conditions. The method was implemented using meteorological data and Class A pan evaporation measurements. After calibration the estimated daily evaporation values were in good agreement with flux station measurements with a mean correlation coefficient of 0.83 and a bias of 4% on average. More accurate estimates of daily evaporation were obtained when the evaporative demand or apparent potential evaporation was determined from the Penman equation instead of from pan evaporation. The obtained parameter values were found to lie well within the ranges of reported values in the literature. Advantages of the method are that only routine meteorological data are required and that it can be used to estimate long‐term evaporation trends.
Ultrathin Layered Hydroxide Cobalt Acetate Nanoplates Face‐to‐Face Anchored to Graphene Nanosheets for High‐Efficiency Lithium Storage
Authors: Su Liwei , Hei Jinpei , Wu Xianbin , Wang Lianbang , Zhou Zhen
Published: January 2017

The dramatically increasing demand of high‐energy lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) urgently requires advanced substitution for graphite‐based anodes. Herein, inspired from the extra capacity of lithium storage in solid‐electrolyte interface (SEI) films, layered hydroxide cobalt acetates (LHCA, Co(Ac)0.48(OH)1.52·0.55H2O) are introduced as novel and high‐efficiency anode materials. Furthermore, ultrathin LHCA nanoplates are face‐to‐face anchored on the surface of graphene nanosheets (GNS) through a facile solvothermal method to improve the electronic transport and avoid agglomeration during repeated cycles. Profiting from the parallel structure, LHCA//GNS nanosheets exhibit extraordinary long‐term and high‐rate performance. At the current densities of 1000 and 4000 mA g−1, the reversible capacities maintain ≈1050 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles and ≈780 mAh g−1 after 300 cycles, respectively, much higher than the theoretical value of LHCA according to the conversion mechanism. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirms the conversion from acetate to acetaldehyde after lithiation. A reasonable mechanism is proposed to elucidate the lithium storage behaviors referring to the electrocatalytic conversion of OH groups with Co nanocatalysts. This work can help further understand the contribution of SEI components (especially LiOH and LiAc) to lithium storage. It is envisaged that layered transition metal hydroxides can be used as advanced materials for energy storage devices.
Mechanical reinforcement in magadiite/styrene‐butadiene rubber composites
Authors: Li Shigeng , Mao Yating , Ploehn Harry J.
Published: January 2017

This work investigates mechanical properties of styrene‐butadiene rubber (SBR) composites incorporating magadiite (MGD), a synthetic layered silicate (Na2Si14O29·9H2O) with surface chemistry similar to precipitated silica used in tire tread formulations. Treatment with cetyltrimethylammonium (CTA+) expands the MGD layers and makes the interlayer face surfaces accessible to sulfur‐functional silane TESPT (Si69) and SBR, primarily during batch mixing. DMA and tensile testing of cured CMGD/SBR composites show that CTA‐treated MGD (CMGD) provides substantially higher levels of mechanical reinforcement than equivalent amounts of silica. However, CMGD/SBR composites exhibit larger loss tangent values above Tg, probably due to lower SBR‐SBR crosslink density resulting from interlayer trapping of sulfur released by Si69 during vulcanization. DMA and tensile testing also demonstrate Si69′s critical role in forming MGD‐SBR graft sites essential to mechanical reinforcement. Replacing silica with CMGD reduces composite weight without sacrificing tensile modulus, suggesting that use of CMGD in tire rubber formulations could improve vehicle energy efficiency. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 44763.
Magadiite/styrene‐butadiene rubber composites for tire tread applications: Effects of varying layer spacing and alternate inorganic fillers
Authors: Mao Yating , Li Shigeng , Fang Randy L. , Ploehn Harry J.
Published: January 2017

Magadiite (MGD), a synthetic layered silicate (Na2Si14O29·9H2O) with surface chemistry similar to precipitated silica, was cation‐exchanged with three different organic cations to explore the effect of varying MGD layer spacing on the mechanical properties of MGD‐based styrene‐butadiene rubber (SBR) composites. This work also compares the mechanical properties of MGD/SBR composites with those formulated with montmorillonite (MMT) and precipitated silica. Dodecylpyridinium (DP+) produces greater expansion of MGD layers than cetyltrimethylammonium (CTA+); the resulting DP‐MGD/SBR composites have greater yield strain, toughness, and rubbery storage modulus than comparable CTA‐MGD/SBR composites. MGD treated with hexadecylammonium (HDA+) has the greatest layer spacing, but the HDA‐MGD layers collapse upon melt‐blending with SBR. CTA‐treated MMT (CMMT) exfoliates in aqueous suspension, but the platelets re‐stack upon drying and during melt‐blending with SBR. The presence of exfoliated and/or disordered platelet stacks in CMMT/SBR probably accounts for its higher tensile and dynamic moduli compared to MGD‐ and silica‐based SBR composites. Dynamic mechanical properties are used to predict tire tread performance metrics for these composites. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 44764.