bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tracer test modeling for characterizing heterogeneity and local-scale residence time distribution in an artificial recharge site
Authors: Valhondo Cristina , Martínez-Landa Lurdes , Carrera Jesús , Hidalgo Juan J. , Tubau Isabel , De Pourcq Katrien , Grau-Martínez Alba , Ayora Carlos
Published: October 2016

Abstract. Artificial recharge of aquifers is a technique for improving water quality and increasing groundwater resources. Understanding the fate of a potential contaminant requires knowledge of the residence time distribution (RTD) of the recharged water in the aquifer beneath. A simple way to obtain the RTDs is to perform a tracer test. We performed a pulse injection tracer test in an artificial recharge system through an infiltration basin to obtain the breakthrough curves, which directly yield the RTDs. The RTDs turned out to be very broad and we used a numerical model to interpret them, to characterize heterogeneity, and to extend the model to other flow conditions. The model comprised nine layers at the site scaled to emulate the layering of aquifer deposits. Two types of hypotheses were considered: homogeneous (all flow and transport parameters identical for every layer) and heterogeneous (diverse parameters for each layer). The parameters were calibrated against the head and concentration data in both model types, which were validated quite satisfactorily against 1,1,2-Trichloroethane and electrical conductivity data collected over a long period of time with highly varying flow conditions. We found that the broad RTDs can be attributed to the complex flow structure generated under the basin due to three-dimensionality and time fluctuations (the homogeneous model produced broad RTDs) and the heterogeneity of the media (the heterogeneous model yielded much better fits). We conclude that heterogeneity must be acknowledged to properly assess mixing and broad RTDs, which are required to explain the water quality improvement of artificial recharge basins.
Analysis of the characteristics of the global virtual water trade network
using degree and eigenvector centrality, with a focus on food and feed crops
Authors: Lee Sang-Hyun , Mohtar Rabi H. , Choi Jin-Yong , Yoo Seung-Hwan
Published: October 2016

Abstract. This study aims to analyze the characteristics of global virtual water trade (GVWT), such as the connectivity of each trader, vulnerable importers, and influential countries, using degree and eigenvector centrality during the period 2006–2010. The degree centrality was used to measure the connectivity, and eigenvector centrality was used to measure the influence on the entire GVWT network. Mexico, Egypt, China, the Republic of Korea, and Japan were classified as vulnerable importers, because they imported large quantities of virtual water with low connectivity. In particular, Egypt had a 15.3 Gm3 year−1 blue water saving effect through GVWT: the vulnerable structure could cause a water shortage problem for the importer. The entire GVWT network could be changed by a few countries, termed "influential traders". We used eigenvector centrality to identify those influential traders. In GVWT for food crops, the USA, Russian Federation, Thailand, and Canada had high eigenvector centrality with large volumes of green water trade. In the case of blue water trade, western Asia, Pakistan, and India had high eigenvector centrality. For feed crops, the green water trade in the USA, Brazil, and Argentina was the most influential. However, Argentina and Pakistan used high proportions of internal water resources for virtual water export (32.9 and 25.1 %); thus other traders should carefully consider water resource management in these exporters.
Water footprint of crop production for different crop structures in the Hebei southern plain, North China
Authors: Chu Yingmin , Shen Yanjun , Yuan Zaijian
Published: October 2016

Abstract. The North China Plain (NCP) is serious lack of fresh water resources, while crop production consumed about 75 % of the region's water. To estimate water consumption of different crops and crop structures in the NCP, the Hebei southern plain (HSP) was selected as a study area because it is a typical region of groundwater overdraft in the NCP. In this study, water footprint (WF) was being used which was consisted of green, blue and grey components. The results showed: (1) the WF of the main crops production was about 51.0 km3 in 2012 and winter wheat, vegetables and summer maize were in the top three leading among the main crops in the HSP, while the water footprint intensity (WFI) of cotton was the largest and vegetables were the smallest; (2) winter wheat and vegetables consumed the main groundwater and their blue water footprint (WFblue) accounted for 66.0 % of the total WFblue in the HSP; (3) the crop structure scenarios analysis indicated that, with about 20 % of arable land cultivating winter wheat-summer maize in rotation, 40 % spring maize, 10 % vegetables and 10 % fruiters can promote the sustainable utilization of groundwater resources, at the same time can ensure sufficient supply of food, vegetables and fruits in the HSP.
Sensor defect detection in multisensor information fusion
Authors: Ehlenbröker Jan-Friedrich , Mönks Uwe , Lohweg Volker
Published: October 2016

Abstract. In industrial processes a vast variety of different sensors is increasingly used to measure and control processes, machines, and logistics. One way to handle the resulting large amount of data created by hundreds or even thousands of different sensors in an application is to employ information fusion systems. Information fusion systems, e.g. for condition monitoring, combine different sources of information, like sensors, to generate the state of a complex system. The result of such an information fusion process is regarded as a health indicator of a complex system. Therefore, information fusion approaches are applied to, e.g., automatically inform one about a reduction in production quality, or detect possibly dangerous situations. Considering the importance of sensors in the previously described information fusion systems and in industrial processes in general, a defective sensor has several negative consequences. It may lead to machine failure, e.g. when wear and tear of a machine is not detected sufficiently in advance. In this contribution we present a method to detect faulty sensors by computing the consistency between sensor values. The proposed sensor defect detection algorithm exemplarily utilises the structure of a multilayered group-based sensor fusion algorithm. Defect detection results of the proposed method for different test cases and the method's capability to detect a number of typical sensor defects are shown.
SILICA GRAFTED WITH EPOXIDIZED LIQUID POLYBUTADIENES: ITS BEHAVIOR AS FILLER FOR TIRE TREAD COMPOUNDS
Authors: Braum Marcus V. , Jacobi Marly A. M.
Published: October 2016

Achieving high polymer-filler interaction and lowering the energy consumption required to disperse precipitated silica in a rubber matrix have been the main motivations behind the recent interest in silica-coating processes. A simple, low-cost, and environmentally friendly process is available to graft epoxidized liquid polybutadienes onto a silica surface. The polymer-grafted silicas are applied as reinforcing fillers in typical car tire tread compounds. The processability, cure kinetics, and properties of the vulcanizates are greatly affected by the degree of epoxidation, molar mass, and microstructure of the epoxidized polybutadienes used for coating the silica surface. The dynamic-mechanical behavior is superior to that of the reference compound, using bis-[triethoxysilylpropyl] tetrasulfide as a coupling agent, in stiffness and hysteresis at low temperatures, which is indicative of superior performance in wet grip and emergency maneuvers (hard-handling). Thus, the use of this reinforcement system for high-performance car tires, for which safety features should be prioritized, is promising.
Combining Biofeedback and Mindfulness in Education
Authors: Edwards Lawrence
Published: October 2016

Mindfulness training programs are being integrated in many school systems around the world. Biofeedback professionals can use their unique training to help students and teachers learn and further develop powerful self-regulation skills that are incorporated in mindfulness training. Biofeedback training can improve learning these skills because of the clarity and specificity of the physiological feedback given through biofeedback training. There are numerous ways of integrating biofeedback and mindfulness that are beneficial to educators and students for reducing stress and anxiety and improving performance.
Developing Acceptance with the Help of Sensors—“Embracing the Me That I Can See”
Authors: Rolnick Arnon , Oren Nimrod Tom , Bassett Dana
Published: October 2016

How can patients be better facilitated in their efforts to transition towards a mindful, nonjudgmental attitude? While much research suggests that this is a crucial milestone on the road to recovery, clinical experience has shown that clients often resist embracing this new attitude toward their symptoms, thus making mindfulness-based interventions difficult or even impossible to implement for certain client groups. This article proposes that the adoption of mindfulness skills can be greatly expedited by using psychophysiological sensors. David Barlow's Unified Protocol is used as a model for illustrating that a mindfulness-based intervention can serve as the basis for a further integrative approach, combining the Unified Protocol, psychophysiological sensors, and acceptance training, ultimately providing the best of all three worlds. It is proposed that psychophysiological sensors are a natural teaching and demonstration tool for mindfulness skills, both quickening the learning process and providing the therapist and client with instrumental measures that enrich the pool of information available to them. The way in which sensor enhanced mindfulness training can be construed as a form of “exposure to the other,” thus leading to emotional self-regulation, is discussed. This paper is presented as part of an ongoing project to advance the more general therapeutic approach termed sensor-enhanced therapy, which aims to enhance various existing therapies with psychophysiological sensors.
Integration of Mindfulness and Acceptance-Based Biofeedback for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: The Case of Peter
Authors: Johnson Elizabeth J.
Published: October 2016

This paper presents a case study of an application of mindfulness and acceptance-based biofeedback treatment for a male business executive in his 50s with a long-standing history of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). There is mounting support for the use of mindfulness and acceptance-based skills in conjunction with biofeedback training for management of psychophysiological conditions such as IBS. The more intention and effort we put toward the goal of calming and relaxation, the more likely we are to get in our own way. This is a case example illustrating the notion that it is through awareness and acceptance that we can enact change.
A Guide to Cleaner Skin Temperature Recordings and More Versatile Use of Your Thermistor
Authors: Shaffer Fredric , Combatalade Didier , Peper Erik
Published: October 2016

Valid peripheral temperature measurements ensure the integrity of client assessment and biofeedback training. Accurate measurements require understanding of the signal and potential influences on measurement fidelity, and developing bulletproof monitoring procedures. In addition to their use in temperature biofeedback, thermistors can assist heart rate variability biofeedback practice and monitor breathing when a respirometer is not available.
The Mindfulness Imperative: How the Pedagogical Principles of Mindfulness Provide the Foundation for Biofeedback
Authors: Lichtenstein Brad
Published: October 2016

Mindfulness is everywhere, from the cover of TIME magazine to segments on every major news network. With such popularity in mainstream culture for mindfulness, it was only a matter of time before psychology embraced the approach by offering a burst of mindfulness-based therapies, such as mindfulness-based stress reduction, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and mindfulness-based eating awareness therapy. These approaches claim mindfulness as a central theme, yet debate has grown over the role of mindfulness in psychotherapy and biofeedback, and there is growing concern about secularizing a philosophy originating in Asia over 2,000 years ago. This paper will define mindfulness from both traditional and modern perspectives, review the skills and practice of mindfulness, examine the connection of mindfulness and health, and show how, as a process, mindfulness is incorporated in virtually most forms of psychotherapy as well as biofeedback training.
Understanding Value-based Reimbursement Models and Trends in Orthopaedic Health Policy: An Introduction to the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) of 2015
Authors: Saleh Khaled J. , Shaffer William O.
Published: October 2016

In 2015, the US Congress passed legislation entitled the Medicare Access and CHIP [Children’s Health Insurance Program] Reauthorization Act (MACRA), which led to the formation of two reimbursement paradigms: the merit-based incentive payment system (MIPS) and alternative payment models (APMs). The MACRA effectively repealed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula while combining several CMS quality-reporting programs. As such, MACRA represents an unparalleled acceleration toward reimbursement models that recognize value rather than volume. The first pathway, MIPS, consolidates several Medicare quality-reporting programs into one composite score that will be derived by four performance categories, including quality (30%), resource utilization (30%), meaningful use (25%), and clinical practice improvement activities (15%). The APM pathway includes the following programs: Medicare accountable care organizations as part of the Medicare Shared Savings Program, Bundled Payments for Care Improvement, and Comprehensive Primary Care initiative. Existing APMs have yet to be determined as eligible. We provide a contextual framework of the healthcare legislation that has led to the formation of current health policy and offer recommendations regarding SGR how orthopaedic surgeons may best steer through such reimbursement models.
Measures for Pain and Function Assessments for Patients With Osteoarthritis
Authors: Saleh Khaled J. , Davis Aileen
Published: October 2016

Introduction:

To develop an osteoarthritis (OA) quality measure that satisfies quality-reporting initiatives, a systematic review of the literature was undertaken to identify and evaluate measures of pain and function commonly used to assess outcomes in patients with upper and lower extremity OA.

Methods:

English-language systematic reviews and meta-analyses evaluating validity of pain and function instruments in OA patients published between 1995 and 2014 were considered for inclusion. The quality of all included studies was assessed using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II instrument (AGREE II).

Results:

More than 90 pain and/or functional assessment tools were evaluated within the 16 systematic reviews included in this analysis. Of the 16 systematic reviews, 6 articles had high-quality study designs; the remaining 10 reviews had moderate-quality study designs.

Conclusion:

There currently exists no OA pain and functional assessment tool capable of meeting the stringent requirements established by newer quality-reporting programs. The use of invalidated or unreliable patient-reported outcome measures may improperly estimate patient pain and functional status, which could affect treatment options, patient satisfaction, reimbursement, and/or quality of life.

Level of Evidence:

II
Action Research on College English Writing Based on Information Technology from the Perspective of Moocs
Authors: Guo Xuan
Published: October 2016

The educational reform based on information technology at college has been paid high attention recently in China, which aims at using educational informationization to drive educational modernization and bringing online education into the reform and development strategy of the overall higher education. To promote the educational informatization is not only the inevitable choice of the reform and development of Chinese education; it is also an important means and way to realize the internationalization of the education development.

In the background of the development of education system, for the reality is that the teaching way in our university is basically the traditional teaching mode, the paper is to do action research on college English writing based on information technology from the perspective of Moocs. This paper mainly discusses how to filter to use information technology in network teaching environment in order to help teachers build education concept in the information age, and guide students to truly put themselves into autonomous learning and mobile learning, so as to improve students’ innovative writing ability.
Respons en motivatiebronnen bij bedrijfsenquêtes
Authors: Torres van Grinsven Vanessa
Published: October 2016

Respons en motivatiebronnen bij bedrijfsenquêtes

Bedrijven en andere organisaties ontvangen vaak veel enquêtes en klagen over de lastendruk hiervan. Tevens dalen responsaantallen en zijn er zorgen over de kwaliteit van de respons. In dit artikel wordt beschreven wat er gedaan kan worden om de motivatie van bedrijven en organisaties, en hun respondenten, te verhogen om daarmee bij organisatie- en bedrijfsenquêtes de responsaantallen en de responskwaliteit te verbeteren.
Identity and cultural assimilation of the Turks in exile
Authors: Bodziany Marek , Köstekçi Ahmet
Published: October 2016

In the article describe a short history of mutual relations Poles and Turks, their national identity and elements of cultural assimilation in the foreign environment related to their social and economic lives. Particular emphasis is put on presenting the stereotype of a Turk in the perception of the Poles and the feedback, namely the cultural characteristics of the Poles in the opinion of the Turks.
Energy governance and compliance with the EU regulations in Poland prior to the adoption of the 2030 Energy and Climate Framework
Authors: Smyrgała Dominik
Published: October 2016

The article analyses the most important problems related to governance of the Polish energy sector prior to the adoption of the 2030 EU Climate and Energy Policy Framework. The document was to introduce major changes in the Polish energy mix due to restrictions placed upon the emissions of the CO2 and requirements related to the renewable sources of energy. The paper argues that in fact this overshadowed the pre-existing management problems of the Polish energy sector, in many aspects more serious than the provisions of the Framework itself.
Threat of biological weapons
Authors: Michailiuk Bogdan
Published: October 2016

The biological weapons often is defined as ‘weapons of mass destruction poor’, because this is relatively cheap and easy in the production, hidden and relocation. The risk of the use biological weapons still seems to be very real. A possibility of using weapons of mass destruction (biological weapon) is arousing special danger by contemporary terrorist organizations. In this article in a synthetic, based on the available references and the unpublished information, author present the current level of threat of biological terrorism.
Triangulation as the method used in the study of local security
Authors: Štofko Stanislav , Wałek Tomasz
Published: October 2016

Research on the science of safety can be carried out various scientific methods, al-lowing to obtain the results of both a quantitative as well as qualitative. As part of the research you can use a wide range of methods, techniques and research tools. The publication aims to popularize the method of triangulation in research on local security. The author describes the characteristics and advantages triangulation method over other methods in studies of local security.
Human trafficking for sex exploitation in Thailand
Authors: Opanovych Nataliya
Published: October 2016

Research paper addresses an issue of sex trafficking in the Kingdom of Thailand and analyzes it through external and internal perspectives. Firstly, legal framework of The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in regards to human rights violations and its activities to eliminate the problem in the region are examined. Secondly, historical reasons of sex industry in Thailand, state of affairs and its con-sequences for the society are discussed and local government’s activities are criti-cized. Lastly, sex tourism as a main cause of the problem is identified.
Design Principles of Multi-Chambered Gun
Authors: KOVAŘÍK Michal
Published: October 2016

The multi-chambered gun concept is based on the effect of increasing muzzle velocity of weapon system without need of new technologies or excessive dimensions. The mathematical model of interior ballistics of the multi-chambered gun was assembled by means of extension and modification of the thermodynamic model of interior ballistics of conventional gun. The reliability of numerical solution of a model has been examined in the comparison with results of ballistic shootings with several arrangements of the experimental weapon system. Subsequently the numerical sensitivity analysis of the interior ballistics model has been carried out as well as the simplified system of analytical approximate expressions comprising the crucial gun design characteristics has been built up. Outputs of both the sensitivity analysis and simplified system could be used in the case of multi-chambered gun designing in order to reach maximum velocity with no simultaneous rise in maximal ballistic pressure.
A Navigation and Control System for a Mobile Robot for Patrolling Buildings
Authors: GŁĘBOCKI Robert , KICMAN Paweł , KOPYT Antoni
Published: October 2016

This paper presents the work completed under a research project titled "Design of a mobile platform for the support of forensic testing of scenes with potential CBRN hazards". The study focuses on operation of the mobile platform control algorithm, determination of the mobile platform position and preparation of the mobile platform system for integration with a video navigation system. The sensors installed on the mobile platform are intended as emergency backup systems in the event of loss of communication between the platform and its operator. The results of the test drive sessions completed to verify the control algorithm performance are also given.
Exchange Network Topologies and Agent-Based Modeling: Economies of the Sedentary-Period Hohokam
Authors: Watts Joshua , Ossa Alanna
Published: October 2016

The origins and evolution of market-based economies remain poorly understood in part because the data from nascent markets are scarce and methods available to archaeologists are underdeveloped. Studying how markets evolved is vital for understanding the origins of a process that dominates modern economies around the world and has significant policy implications. We show how refining abstract models of exchange networks with household-scale distributional analyses and regional-scale computational agent-based models (ABMs) can lead to new understandings about the organization of a prehistoric economy. The Sedentary-period Hohokam of central Arizona—particularly for the middle Sacaton phase (A.D. 1020–1100)—have been identified as a middle-range society that traded pottery in a market-based economy, but the structure of their exchange networks is not well understood. We analyzed ceramic data from recent archaeological excavations at two sites in the Phoenix Basin using new network-inspired distributional approaches to evaluate exchange systems. Initial results were then assessed using simulated data generated by an ABM of Hohokam exchange networks. Final results indicated that the best-fitting ABM model configurations were those consistent with openly accessed market-based exchange and contributed new insights into the influence of natural landscape barriers such as the Salt River on exchange in the Phoenix Basin.
Sourcing Interaction Networks of the American Southeast: Neutron Activation Analysis of Swift Creek Complicated Stamped Pottery
Authors: Wallis Neill J. , Pluckhahn Thomas J. , Glascock Michael D.
Published: October 2016

In the lower American Southeast, regional scale social interactions burgeoned alongside the growth of nucleated villages, widespread mound-building projects, and conspicuous mortuary ceremonialism during the Middle and Late Woodland periods (ca. A.D. 100–800). A premier material for understanding the scale and significance of social interactions across the southern landscape comes from Swift Creek Complicated Stamped pottery, a ubiquitous class of material culture that provides direct evidence of connections between specific sites at a multitude of scales and in myriad contexts. By combining design data and determinations of vessel provenance through Neutron Activation Analysis of a total of 825 sherds and 130 clay samples, this research ascertains types of social interaction and their predominant directions and levels of intensity across multiple ecological, social, and cultural contexts. The results indicate two main patterns: first, that vessels were frequently transported from habitation sites and civic-ceremonial centers to distant burial mounds; and second, that people traveled to ceremonial centers from outlying villages for events that included the exchange of wooden paddles. These patterns reveal a high level of social coordination within integrated networks that were inextricable from the region-wide trends toward population aggregation and heightened monumentality and rituality.
On Identifying Stone Tool Production Techniques: An Experimental and Statistical Assessment of Pressure Versus Soft Hammer Percussion Flake Form
Authors: Buchanan Briggs , Mraz Veronica , Eren Metin I.
Published: October 2016

Identifying stone tool production techniques in the archaeological record can inform on prehistoric economy, time budgets, shared cultural practices, and the spatiotemporal occurrence of technological innovations and adaptations. The pressure flaking technique is one such innovation that appears on every continent Homo sapiens colonized. Pressure flaking has long been associated with the ability of flintknappers to produce small, regularly shaped flakes that were used to maintain particular edge shapes and resharpen dull tool edges with minimal loss of raw material. Despite the importance of pressure flaking, a method for supporting the identification of pressure flakes in the archaeological record is lacking. Here, we present a stone tool replication experiment that statistically compares flakes derived from bifacial pressure flaking and soft hammer percussion flaking. Our analyses show that pressure flakes are on average lighter, shorter, narrower, and thicker than soft hammer percussion flakes. Discriminant analyses indicate that pressure flakes can be correctly classified at a rate of 70 percent in a mixed sample. Furthermore, our findings validate the assumption that pressure flakes are less variable in form compared to soft hammer percussion flakes. Based on our results, we suggest quantitatively reevaluating the presence of pressure flaking in the global archaeological record.
Bison Jump Location is Primarily Predicted by Minimizing Visibility at the Wold Site, Johnson County, Wyoming
Authors: Grund Brigid S. , Pelton Spencer R. , Surovell Todd A. , Matthews Neffra A. , Noble Tommy A.
Published: October 2016

The Wold Bison Jump (48JO966) is a communal bison (Bison bison) hunting site in Johnson County, Wyoming. It likely represents a single kill event precipitated by Great Plains foragers between A.D. 1433 and 1643. Operating the jump required that prehistoric hunters drive stampeding bison up a steep slope in order to position them within a V-shaped drive line configured to funnel them toward a cliff. Using iterative models of least cost paths, topographic cross-sections, and visibility analysis, we test which landscape-embedded variables are optimized at the jump site as compared to other potential localities across the study area. We find that this site’s placement is primarily explained by minimizing the distance at which the cliff face is visible and secondarily by minimizing the cost of slope and curvature routes ascending into the drive lines. Our procedure could hypothetically be used to predict optimal jump locations on similar landscapes.
PrEP implementation research in Africa: what is new?
Authors: Cowan Frances M , Delany‐Moretlwe Sinead , Sanders Eduard J , Mugo Nelly R , Guedou Fernand A , Alary Michel , Behanzin Luc , Mugurungi Owen , Bekker Linda‐Gail
Published: October 2016

Introduction

Of the two million new HIV infections in adults in 2014, 70% occurred in sub‐Saharan Africa. Several African countries have already approved guidelines for pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for individuals at substantial risk of HIV as part of combination HIV prevention but key questions remain about how to identify and deliver PrEP to those at greatest need. Throughout the continent, individuals in sero‐discordant relationships, and members of key populations (sex workers, men who have sex with men (MSM), transgender women and injection drug users) are likely to benefit from the availability of PrEP. In addition, adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) are at substantial risk in some parts of the continent. It has been estimated that at least three million individuals in Africa are likely to be eligible for PrEP according to WHO's criteria. Tens of demonstration projects are planned or underway across the continent among a range of countries, populations and delivery settings.

Discussion

In each of the target populations, there are overarching issues related to (i) creating demand for PrEP, (ii) addressing supply‐side issues and (iii) providing appropriate and tailored adherence support. Critical for creating demand for PrEP is the normalization of HIV prevention. Community‐level interventions which engage opinion leaders as well as empowerment interventions for those at highest risk will be key. Critical to supply of PrEP is that services are accessible for all, including for stigmatized populations. Establishing accessible integrated services provides the opportunity to address other public health priorities including the unmet need for HIV testing, contraception and sexually transmitted infections treatment. National policies need to include minimum standards for training and quality assurance for PrEP implementation and to address supply chain issues. Adherence support needs to recognize that social and structural factors are likely to have an important influence. Combining interventions that build self‐efficacy, empowerment and social cohesion, with evidence‐based individualized adherence support for PrEP, are most likely to be effective.

Conclusions

Efficacy of tenfovir‐based PrEP is proven but many issues related to implementation remain unclear. Here, we have summarized some of the important implementation questions that need to be assessed as PrEP is rolled out across Africa.
Implementation of pre‐exposure prophylaxis for human immunodeficiency virus infection: progress and emerging issues in research and policy
Authors: Cáceres Carlos F , Borquez Annick , Klausner Jeffrey D , Baggaley Rachel , Beyrer Chris
Published: October 2016

Background

In this article, we present recent evidence from studies focused on the implementation, effectiveness and cost‐effectiveness of pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV infection; discuss PrEP scale‐up to date, including the observed levels of access and policy development; and elaborate on key emerging policy and research issues to consider for further scale‐up, with a special focus on lower‐middle income countries.

Discussion

The 2015 WHO Early Release Guidelines for HIV Treatment and Prevention reflect both scientific evidence and new policy perspectives. Those guidelines present a timely challenge to health systems for the scaling up of not only treatment for every person living with HIV infection but also the offer of PrEP to those at substantial risk. Delivery and uptake of both universal antiretroviral therapy (ART) and PrEP will require nation‐wide commitment and could reinvigorate health systems to develop more comprehensive “combination prevention” programmes and support wider testing linked to both treatments and other prevention options for populations at highest risk who are currently not accessing services. Various gaps in current health systems will need to be addressed to achieve strategic scale‐up of PrEP, including developing prioritization strategies, strengthening drug regulations, determining cost and funding sources, training health providers, supporting user adherence and creating demand.

Conclusions

The initial steps in the scale‐up of PrEP globally suggest feasibility, acceptability and likely impact. However, to prevent setbacks in less well‐resourced settings, countries will need to anticipate and address challenges such as operational and health systems barriers, drug cost and regulatory policies, health providers’ openness to prescribing PrEP to populations at substantial risk, demand and legal and human rights issues. Emerging problems will require creative solutions and will continue to illustrate the complexity of PrEP implementation.
PrEP implementation in the Asia‐Pacific region: opportunities, implementation and barriers
Authors: Zablotska Iryna , Grulich Andrew E , Phanuphak Nittaya , Anand Tarandeep , Janyam Surang , Poonkasetwattana Midnight , Baggaley Rachel , van Griensven Frits , Lo Ying‐Ru
Published: October 2016

Introduction

HIV epidemics in the Asia‐Pacific region are concentrated among men who have sex with men (MSM) and other key populations. Pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective HIV prevention intervention and could be a potential game changer in the region. We discuss the progress towards PrEP implementation in the Asia‐Pacific region, including opportunities and barriers.

Discussion

Awareness about PrEP in the Asia‐Pacific is still low and so are its levels of use. A high proportion of MSM who are aware of PrEP are willing to use it. Key PrEP implementation barriers include poor knowledge about PrEP, limited access to PrEP, weak or non‐existent HIV prevention programmes for MSM and other key populations, high cost of PrEP, stigma and discrimination against key populations and restrictive laws in some countries. Only several clinical trials, demonstration projects and a few larger‐scale implementation studies have been implemented so far in Thailand and Australia. However, novel approaches to PrEP implementation have emerged: researcher‐, facility‐ and community‐led models of care, with PrEP services for fee and for free. The WHO consolidated guidelines on HIV testing, treatment and prevention call for an expanded access to PrEP worldwide and have provided guidance on PrEP implementation in the region. Some countries like Australia have released national PrEP guidelines. There are growing community leadership and consultation processes to initiate PrEP implementation in Asia and the Pacific.

Conclusions

Countries of the Asia‐Pacific region will benefit from adding PrEP to their HIV prevention packages, but for many this is a critical step that requires resourcing. Having an impact on the HIV epidemic requires investment. The next years should see the region transitioning from limited PrEP implementation projects to growing access to PrEP and expansion of HIV prevention programmes.
Control of the structural landscape and neuronal proteotoxicity of mutant Huntingtin by domains flanking the polyQ tract
Authors: Shen Koning , Calamini Barbara , Fauerbach Jonathan A , Ma Boxue , Shahmoradian Sarah H , Serrano Lachapel Ivana L , Chiu Wah , Lo Donald C , Frydman Judith
Published: October 2016

Many neurodegenerative diseases are linked to amyloid aggregation. In Huntington’s disease (HD), neurotoxicity correlates with an increased aggregation propensity of a polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion in exon 1 of mutant huntingtin protein (mHtt). Here we establish how the domains flanking the polyQ tract shape the mHtt conformational landscape in vitro and in neurons. In vitro, the flanking domains have opposing effects on the conformation and stabilities of oligomers and amyloid fibrils. The N-terminal N17 promotes amyloid fibril formation, while the C-terminal Proline Rich Domain destabilizes fibrils and enhances oligomer formation. However, in neurons both domains act synergistically to engage protective chaperone and degradation pathways promoting mHtt proteostasis. Surprisingly, when proteotoxicity was assessed in rat corticostriatal brain slices, either flanking region alone sufficed to generate a neurotoxic conformation, while the polyQ tract alone exhibited minimal toxicity. Linking mHtt structural properties to its neuronal proteostasis should inform new strategies for neuroprotection in polyQ-expansion diseases.
Direct modulation of GFAP-expressing glia in the arcuate nucleus bi-directionally regulates feeding
Authors: Chen Naiyan , Sugihara Hiroki , Kim Jinah , Fu Zhanyan , Barak Boaz , Sur Mriganka , Feng Guoping , Han Weiping
Published: October 2016

Multiple hypothalamic neuronal populations that regulate energy balance have been identified. Although hypothalamic glia exist in abundance and form intimate structural connections with neurons, their roles in energy homeostasis are less known. Here we show that selective Ca2+ activation of glia in the mouse arcuate nucleus (ARC) reversibly induces increased food intake while disruption of Ca2+ signaling pathway in ARC glia reduces food intake. The specific activation of ARC glia enhances the activity of agouti-related protein/neuropeptide Y (AgRP/NPY)-expressing neurons but induces no net response in pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC)-expressing neurons. ARC glial activation non-specifically depolarizes both AgRP/NPY and POMC neurons but a strong inhibitory input to POMC neurons balances the excitation. When AgRP/NPY neurons are inactivated, ARC glial activation fails to evoke any significant changes in food intake. Collectively, these results reveal an important role of ARC glia in the regulation of energy homeostasis through its interaction with distinct neuronal subtype-specific pathways.
Fabrication of superhydrophobic silicone rubber by ArF-excimer-laser-induced microstructuring for repelling water in water
Authors: Okoshi Masayuki , Pambudi Wisnu Setyo
Published: October 2016

Microswellings of 1 µm height, 1.5 µm diameter, and regular intervals of 2.5 µm on a silicone rubber surface were fabricated using a 193 nm ArF excimer laser. The laser was focused on silicone by each microsphere made of silica glass of 2.5 µm diameter; these microspheres covered the entire surface of the silicone. The surface underneath each microsphere selectively swelled owing to the photodissociation of the Si–O bonds of silicone. The contact angle of water was measured to be approximately 155°, indicating a clear superhydrophobicity. The samples successfully repelled water in water to form an air gap layer between silicone and water.
Does regional diversity recover after disturbance? A field experiment in constructed ponds
Authors: Woods Lauren M. , Biro Elizabeth G. , Yang Muxi , Smith Kevin G.
Published: October 2016

The effects of disturbance on local species diversity have been well documented, but less recognized is the possibility that disturbances can alter diversity at regional spatial scales. Since regional diversity can dictate which species are available for recolonization of degraded sites, the loss of diversity at regional scales may impede the recovery of biodiversity following a disturbance. To examine this we used a chemical disturbance of rotenone, a piscicide commonly used for fish removal in aquatic habitats, on small fishless freshwater ponds. We focused on the non-target effects of rotenone on aquatic invertebrates with the goal of assessing biodiversity loss and recovery at both local (within-pond) and regional (across ponds) spatial scales. We found that rotenone caused significant, large, but short-term losses of species at both local and regional spatial scales. Using a null model of random extinction, we determined that species were selectively removed from communities relative to what would be expected if species loss occurred randomly. Despite this selective loss of biodiversity, species diversity at both local and regional spatial scales recovered to reference levels one year after the addition of rotenone. The rapid recovery of local and regional diversity in this study was surprising considering the large loss of regional species diversity, however many aquatic invertebrates disperse readily or have resting stages that may persist through disturbances. We emphasize the importance of considering spatial scale when quantifying the impacts of a disturbance on an ecosystem, as well as considering how regional species loss can influence recovery from disturbance.
Molecular phylogeny of the megadiverse insect infraorder Bibionomorphasensu lato(Diptera)
Authors: Ševčík Jan , Kaspřák David , Mantič Michal , Fitzgerald Scott , Ševčíková Tereza , Tóthová Andrea , Jaschhof Mathias
Published: October 2016

The phylogeny of the insect infraorder Bibionomorpha (Diptera) is reconstructed based on the combined analysis of three nuclear (18S, 28S, CAD) and three mitochondrial (12S, 16S, COI) gene markers. All the analyses strongly support the monophyly of Bibionomorpha in both the narrow (sensu stricto) and the broader (sensu lato) concepts. The major lineages of Bibionomorphasensu lato(Sciaroidea, Bibionoidea, Anisopodoidea, and Scatopsoidea) and most of the included families are supported as monophyletic groups. Axymyiidae was not found to be part of Bibionomorpha nor was it found to be its sister group. Bibionidae was paraphyletic with respect to Hesperinidae and Keroplatidae was paraphyletic with respect to Lygistorrhinidae. The included Sciaroideaincertae sedis(exceptOhakuneaEdwards) were found to belong to one clade, but the relationships within this group and its position within Sciaroidea require further study.
Aquifers switched from confined to semiconfined by earthquakes
Authors: Shi Zheming , Wang Guangcai
Published: October 2016

Earthquake‐induced aquifer parameter changes (e.g., permeability and hydraulic diffusivity) have been documented in many studies. However, changes in the confinement of an aquifer from confined to semiconfined following an earthquake have not been reported. Here we focus on the tidal response of the water level in four wells following the 2008 Wenchuan Mw 7.9 and 2013 Lushan Mw 6.6 earthquakes to show that earthquakes can change confined aquifers to semiconfined aquifers by reopening of preexisting vertical fractures (and later healing). This study has important implications because a switch from confined to semiconfined means a change of vertical hydraulic connection, which may affect the vulnerability of an aquifer, the integrity of underground waste repositories, and the safety of groundwater supplies.
Joint approach combining damage and paleoseismology observations constrains the 1714 A.D. Bhutan earthquake at magnitude 8 ± 0.5
Authors: Hetényi György , Le Roux‐Mallouf Romain , Berthet Théo , Cattin Rodolphe , Cauzzi Carlo , Phuntsho Karma , Grolimund Remo
Published: October 2016

The region of Bhutan is thought to be the only segment of the Himalayas not having experienced a major earthquake over the past half millennium. A proposed explanation for this apparent seismic gap is partial accommodation of the India‐Asia convergence further south across the Shillong Plateau, yet the seismic behavior of the Himalayan megathrust in Bhutan is unknown. Here we present historical documents from the region reporting on an earthquake in 1714 A.D. and geological evidence of surface rupture to constrain the latest large event in this area. We compute various earthquake scenarios using empirical scaling relationships relating magnitude with intensity, source location and rupture geometry. Our results constrain the 1714 A.D. earthquake to have ruptured the megathrust in Bhutan, most likely during aM7.5–8.5 event. This finding reclassifies the apparent seismic gap to a former information gap and implies that the entire Himalayan arc has a high level of earthquake potential.
Features of CO2 fracturing deduced from acoustic emission and microscopy in laboratory experiments
Authors: Ishida Tsuyoshi , Chen Youqing , Bennour Ziad , Yamashita Hiroto , Inui Shuhei , Nagaya Yuya , Naoi Makoto , Chen Qu , Nakayama Yoshiki , Nagano Yu
Published: October 2016

We conducted hydraulic fracturing (HF) experiments on 170 mm cubic granite specimens with a 20 mm diameter central hole to investigate how fluid viscosity affects HF process and crack properties. In experiments using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC‐CO2), liquid carbon dioxide (L‐CO2), water, and viscous oil with viscosity of 0.051–336.6 mPa · s, we compared the results for breakdown pressure, the distribution and fracturing mechanism of acoustic emission, and the microstructure of induced cracks revealed by using an acrylic resin containing a fluorescent compound. Fracturing with low‐viscosity fluid induced three‐dimensionally sinuous cracks with many secondary branches, which seem to be desirable pathways for enhanced geothermal system, shale gas recovery, and other processes.
Bias and variance correction of sea surface temperatures used for dynamical downscaling
Authors: Hoffmann P. , Katzfey J. J. , McGregor J. L. , Thatcher M.
Published: October 2016

Bias correction is a widely used method to deal with the deficiencies of climate models in representing the current climate. While it is mainly applied to prepare the output of global or regional climate models (GCMs/RCMs) for climate impact assessment, it has also been used recently to correct GCM output before it is downscaled by RCMs. For most RCMs, 3‐D atmospheric fields as well as sea surface temperatures (SSTs) should be corrected in order to create forcing fields. The global stretched grid, conformal‐cubic atmospheric model (CCAM), is able to run regional simulations with SST‐only forcing. Therefore, only the monthly SSTs obtained from the GCM need to be corrected. In previous studies, the climatological bias was removed, while the bias in the temporal variability was still present. In this study, a simple method for correction of the mean and variance is proposed. The impact of the bias correction is tested using global even‐grid CCAM simulations forced with raw and corrected SSTs from ACCESS1.0. Results indicate an improved precipitation pattern in the tropics for all seasons using corrected SSTs. There is also a slight improvement in the precipitation pattern in December–February and March–May and in the response to the El Niño–Southern Oscillation due to the additional variance correction.