bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of oxygen-ozone therapy in the treatment of fibromyalgia
Authors: Balestrero Rossella , Franzini Marianno , Valdenassi Luigi
Published: October 2017

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a pathology that is manifested by a spectrum of heterogeneous symptoms that are difficult to frame, from both a diagnostic and therapeutic point of view. On one hand, the clinical features are highly variable, and on the other, the pathophysiology has yet to be fully clarified. This paper aims to highlight how oxygen ozone – administered using a precise protocol from the Scientific Society of Oxygen Ozone Therapy – is able to act on several levels of the pathophysiology of FM by virtue of its intrinsic biochemical mechanisms, making it a viable option for treating the disease. The following case study – a 45 year old woman who came to our attention due to diffuse pain and a feeling of general tiredness – responded positively to a standard treatment with oxygen-ozone therapy delivered via bi-weekly sessions, for a total of 12 sessions from September to October 2016. The treatment was followed by a maintenance therapy of about one session a month. One month after the end of the 12 sessions, the patient reported a significant improvement in pain, mood, and a significant reduction in fatigue, a new feeling of well-being and an improved quality of sleep. In the light of these results, oxygen-ozone therapy emerges as a viable therapeutic option for the treatment of FM patients.
Primary Adenocarcinoma of the Seminal Vesicle
Authors: Terrisse Safae , Camblor Maria Eugenia , Vérine Jérôme , Gauthier Hélène , Mongiat-Artus Pierre , Culine Stéphane
Published: October 2017

Primary adenocarcinoma of the seminal vesicle is a rare condition with only about 60 cases described in the literature. The unusual characteristics of this disease makes diagnosis difficult and treatment strategies differ as there are no specific guidelines available. This report presents a case of adenocarcinoma of the seminal vesicle with lung metastases in which surgical and chemotherapeutic treatments have been carried out. The MVAC dose dense regimen following local resection seems effective in this scenario and may be used in the treatment of this disease.
Management of Pleural Brucellosis: Case Report
Authors: Alothman Adel , Salih Salih Bin , Alothman Salwa , Johani Ghassan Al
Published: October 2017

Background

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease, with low incidence rate in developed countries, however the incidence rate in Middle Eastern countries remains high. Chest symptoms in brucellosis cases account for about 15% of the cases, but dealing with respiratory system involvement is rare particularly pleural involvement.

Case Report

We report a case of a 60-year-old Saudi woman who was admitted with two months history of fever, productive cough anorexia and weight loss, contact with sheep. She was ill looking, underweight and febrile while she was on treatment. Examination of the chest showed signs of pleural effusion on the right side with right infrascapular crepitations. Chest X-ray: showed pleural effusion and right LL infiltrates. CT chest: showed right loculated, pleural effusion. Pleural fluid examination showed exudative changes, on culture of pleural fluid, Brucella species grew. AFB in pleural fluid was negative. She was treated with Streptomycin, Doxycyclin and Ciprofloxacin. She improved within one week of treatment and was discharged, after 14 days on antibrucella therapy.

Discussion

Pulmonary brucellosis is reported in medical literature occasionally but only few reports are available about pleural brucellosis. The challenge with pleural brucellosis and the association of loculated abscesses lies in therapy. Due to lack of previous information with such cases, we suggest that a period of more than six weeks is needed to treat this condition. We recommend that pleural brucellosis needs to be treated with at least two therapeutic agents for nine weeks.
Candida Parapsilosis Endocarditis in a Very Low Birth Weight Premature Infant Successfully Treated with the Association of Caspofungin and Voriconazole
Authors: Lopes Vanessa A. Aguiare , Lopes Alexandre Ordones , De Araújo Orlei Ribeiro , Aguiare Valeska A. Schauer
Published: October 2017

Objectives

To report a case in where a mural endocarditis caused by Candida parapsilosis was successfully treated with the combination of 2 antifungal agents, caspofungin and voriconazole, in an extremely premature infant.

Description

A female infant born at 30.7 weeks with weight 925 g. The infant had a pneumothorax and respiratory distress syndrome, requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation, 1 venous umbilical and 3 central catheters, and broad-spectrum antibiotics. At 51 days of life, an echocardiogram showed an image compatible with fungal vegetation on the junction of the superior vena cava to the right atrium. Blood cultures grew Candida parapsilosis in various sequential samples, despite treatment with fluconazole and amphotericin-B and in vitro sensitivity to these drugs. A treatment of combined voriconazole and caspofungin was initiated resulting in clinical improvement and no need for surgical removal of vegetation.

Comments

Combined therapy with newer antifungal agents can be life-saving in premature infants with Candida parapsilosis complicated sepsis.
Education in South Asia and the Indian Ocean Islands
Authors: Letchamanan Hema , Dhar Debotri
Published: October 2017

Education in South Asia and the Indian Ocean Islands is a critical reference guide to development of education in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Comoros Islands, Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles and Zanzibar. The chapters provide an overview of the education system in each country, focusing particularly on contemporary education policies and some of the problems countries in this region face during the processes of development. Key themes include the practice of implementation of educational policy and the impact of global and local educational decisions on societies. Due to the demographic scale and the cultural diversity of India, the volume contains a particularly extensive coverage of the distinctive educational issues in this country.
Investigation of water adsorption and hygroscopicity of atmospherically relevant particles using a commercial vapor sorption analyzer
Authors: Gu Wenjun , Li Yongjie , Zhu Jianxi , Jia Xiaohong , Lin Qinhao , Zhang Guohua , Ding Xiang , Song Wei , Bi Xinhui , Wang Xinming , Tang Mingjin
Published: October 2017

Abstract. Water adsorption and hygroscopicity are among the most important physicochemical properties of aerosol particles, largely determining their impacts on atmospheric chemistry, radiative forcing, and climate. Measurements of water adsorption and hygroscopicity of nonspherical particles under subsaturated conditions are nontrivial because many widely used techniques require the assumption of particle sphericity. In this work we describe a method to directly quantify water adsorption and mass hygroscopic growth of atmospheric particles for temperature in the range of 5–30 °C, using a commercial vapor sorption analyzer. A detailed description of instrumental configuration and experimental procedures, including relative humidity (RH) calibration, is provided first. It is then demonstrated that for (NH4)2SO4 and NaCl, deliquescence relative humidities and mass hygroscopic growth factors measured using this method show good agreements with experimental and/or theoretical data from literature. To illustrate its ability to measure water uptake by particles with low hygroscopicity, we used this instrument to investigate water adsorption by CaSO4 ⋅ 2H2O as a function of RH at 25 °C. The mass hygroscopic growth factor of CaSO4 ⋅ 2H2O at 95 % RH, relative to that under dry conditions (RH  < 1 %), was determined to be (0.450±0.004) % (1σ). In addition, it is shown that this instrument can reliably measure a relative mass change of 0.025 %. Overall, we have demonstrated that this commercial instrument provides a simple, sensitive, and robust method to investigate water adsorption and hygroscopicity of atmospheric particles.
Automated mineralogy based on micro-energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence microscopy (µ-EDXRF) applied to plutonic rock thin sections in comparison to a mineral liberation analyzer
Authors: Nikonow Wilhelm , Rammlmair Dieter
Published: October 2017

Abstract. Recent developments in the application of micro-energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry mapping (µ-EDXRF) have opened up new opportunities for fast geoscientific analyses. Acquiring spatially resolved spectral and chemical information non-destructively for large samples of up to 20 cm length provides valuable information for geoscientific interpretation. Using supervised classification of the spectral information, mineral distribution maps can be obtained. In this work, thin sections of plutonic rocks are analyzed by µ-EDXRF and classified using the supervised classification algorithm spectral angle mapper (SAM). Based on the mineral distribution maps, it is possible to obtain quantitative mineral information, i.e., to calculate the modal mineralogy, search and locate minerals of interest, and perform image analysis. The results are compared to automated mineralogy obtained from the mineral liberation analyzer (MLA) of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and show good accordance, revealing variation resulting mostly from the limit of spatial resolution of the µ-EDXRF instrument. Taking into account the little time needed for sample preparation and measurement, this method seems suitable for fast sample overviews with valuable chemical, mineralogical and textural information. Additionally, it enables the researcher to make better and more targeted decisions for subsequent analyses.
Perspectivas para una bioética latinoamericana
Authors: Peralta Cornielle Andrés
Published: October 2017

There is an intense discussion if whether we must talk about a Latin American bioethics or about bioethics in Latin America. This is an issue we must reflect about, acknowledging the need for a further analyses and debate towards a definition of its characteristics and its epistemological fundaments. Several bioethicists in the region and other places have made contributions to characterize a Latin American bioethical discipline.Realidad: Revista de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades No. 119, 2009: 105-113
La doble cara de la reforma del sector salud en Costa Rica en la década del noventa
Authors: Rodríguez Allen Ana
Published: October 2017

In the following paper it can be found an evaluation of the public health system reform in Costa Rica during the 90’s. Most of the analysis of these reforms has a very restrictive scope. According to the author, bioethics makes it possible to analyse the reform from a more complex and integrated perspective.Realidad: Revista de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades No. 119, 2009: 131-167
Mi propuesta de conocimiento para la promoción de la buena salud. Ensayo con ilustraciones
Authors: Castañeda Perla
Published: October 2017

No abstracts availableRealidad: Revista de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades No. 119, 2009: 183-210
El triunfo del FMLN y sus perspectivas
Authors: Editor El
Published: October 2017

No abstracts available.Realidad: Revista de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades No. 120, 2009: 233-238
Teoría crítica, filosofía y esperanza en la sociedad mundial
Authors: Editor El
Published: October 2017

No abstractRealidad: Revista de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades No. 121, 2009: 455-458
Evaluating Differential Rater Functioning Over Time in the Context of Solo Music Performance Assessment
Authors: Wesolowski Brian C. , Wind Stefanie A. , Engelhard George
Published: October 2017

Rater variability studies in the context of music performance assessment treat rater effects as static characteristics of raters, where the effects occur similarly across each assessed performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate expert raters’ (N = 13) differential severity/leniency as dynamic processes, where the rater effects occur over time. In particular, we sought to examine the manifestation of group and individual variability using a class of rater effects referred to as differential rater functioning over time (DRIFT). DRIFT refers to the changes in rater performance in relation to a parameter of time. Three classes of Multifaceted Rasch (MFR) models were specified in order to explore differences in raters’ systematic changes in their interpretation of a 4-point rating scale structure across a 5-day rating session: (a) time-static model, (b) rater-by-time interaction model, and (c) partial credit model for time points. Results indicated a significant difference in severity/leniency across time for both the group of raters as a whole and some individual raters. Overall, raters demonstrated a general trend of decreasing severity over the 5-day rating session. Interaction analyses suggested that differential severity/leniency existed for both the raters as a group and for 9 out of the 13 individual raters. Of the total 65 potential pairwise interaction terms examined between raters and days, 21 (33.31%) were found to be statistically significant. Ten interactions systematically underestimated the performances and 11 interactions systematically overestimated the performances. Implications for the improved fairness of ratings in music assessment contexts are discussed.
Rethinking the Diegetic/Nondiegetic Distinction in the Film Musical
Authors: Penner Nina
Published: October 2017

This paper exposes problems with the diegetic/nondiegetic distinction as a means of describing film-musical numbers. Tracing the use of these terms from Plato to present-day cinema studies, the author identifies a divergence of meaning between scholarship on film musicals and that directed toward non-musical films. Film-musical scholars’ idiosyncratic use of these terms not only poses obstacles to effective scholarly dialogues across film genres but also leads to logical problems when the standard criteria for diegetic status are combined with the realism criterion presupposed by most scholars of film musicals. As an alternative means of describing differences between film-musical numbers, the author proposes two scalar concepts. One tracks the number’s degree of realism in terms of its dramatic context, performers’ skill levels and preparation, identification of a fictional source for its accompaniment, and visual effects. The other measures the performance’s degree of formality and intended function. At the formal end of the spectrum, there are numbers with a strict separation of performers and audience members, where the performance is intended primarily for aesthetic appreciation or entertainment. On the other end are spontaneous performances that are intended primarily for communicative or expressive purposes, which often have no fictional audience aside from the performers. In between these extremes lie communal performances, in which audience members tend to become performers in the course of the number. Such songs and dances are intended as much for community building or cheering loved ones as for aesthetic appreciation or entertainment.
Great Expectations? The Changing Role of Audiovisual Incongruence in Contemporary Multimedia
Authors: Ireland David
Published: October 2017

Film-music combinations that have been labeled as inappropriate, misfitting, or incongruent are often also described as unexpected audiovisual pairings. Various strands of academic research observe a prevalence of such constructions in contemporary multimedia, which arguably implies that such pairings are less surprising or unexpected than they once might have been. This article identifies three types of audiovisual incongruence from recent multimedia, and discusses these in relation to psychological theories of expectation and ideas from semiotics, which facilitate consideration of any potential disjunction between authorial intent and perceiver reception of a work.
Penetration and post-infection development of root-knot nematodes in watermelon
Authors: López-Gómez Manuel , Verdejo-Lucas Soledad
Published: October 2017

Meloidogyne javanica has showed less reproductive success than M. incognita in watermelon genotypes. This study was conducted to elucidate the low reproduction of M. javanica in watermelon. The post-infection development of M. javanica in watermelon ‘Sugar Baby’ was determined at progressively higher initial population (Pi) levels at two time points during the life cycle. Plants were inoculated with 0, 25, 50, 100, 200, and 300 second-stage juveniles (J2)/plant. The increase in Pi was correlated with the penetration rates (R2= 0.603, p<0.001) and total numbers of nematodes in the root (R2 =0.963, p< 0.001) but there was no correlation between the Pi and the reproduction factor (eggs/plant/Pi). The population in the roots at 26 days post-inoculation (dpi) consisted primarily of third-stage juveniles (J3) with a small presence of J2 and fourth stages, and egg-laying females. The dominance of the J3, when egg-laying females are expected, point to the malfunction of the feeding sites that failed to support nematode development beyond the J3 stage. The similarities in egg-laying females at 26 and 60 dpi imply the disruption of the life cycle. Watermelon compensated for M. javanica parasitism by increasing vine length (19% to 33%) and dry top weight (40%) in comparison with the non-inoculated plants. The area under the vine length progress curve was significantly larger as the Pi progressively increased (R²=0.417, p<0.001). Physiological variation was detected between the M. incognita populations. M. arenaria had less ability to invade watermelon roots than did M. incognita and M. javanica.
Presidential Election and Portfolio Selections in the Nigeria Stock Exchange
Authors: Osamwonyi Ifuero Osad , Omorokunwa Osazee G.
Published: October 2017

This study seeks to investigate the effect of presidential elections on investors’ portfolio selection in Nigeria from 2003 to 2011. The regression analysis was used to identify the effects that election could have on stock prices in the country, while event study was applied to investigate the focused effects of election event on portfolio selection in the Nigerian stock exchange. Price index for high and medium capitalization stocks were used in the analysis. The study showed that there were low returns performance in the stock market during elections and that elections events have strong (generally) negative effects on abnormal returns for the selected companies in the Nigerian Stock Exchange. In addition, the study showed a negative relationship between the return and risk behaviour of selected companies and election announcement in Nigeria. It is recommended that government and relevant authorities should increase the surveillance of both the market and political system prior to the presidential election in order to curtail the instability during this period.
Shareholder Value Index for Saudi Banks
Authors: Kumaran Sunitha
Published: October 2017

This paper aims to examine the shareholder value efficiency and build a Shareholder Value Index for Saudi banks between 2010 and 2014. Shareholder value efficiency is measured using value based performance metrics and binary logistic regression model was adopted to develop the Shareholder Value Index for Saudi banks. The Shareholder Value Index developed provides the probability of a bank’s competence to create/erode shareholders' wealth. The study finds that Economic Value Added (EVA) is the value-based performance metric that comes closer than any other to capture the true Economic Profit and the market performance (Market Value Added) of banks. Positive EVA of most of the commercial banks denote that they are more Shareholder value efficient than Islamic banks. High Market Value Added (MVA) represents a highly positive outlook of the investors on the Saudi banks' performance. Value creation is significantly linked to high Net Operating Profit After Tax and a low cost of capital. The most significant observation is that not all banks with highest capital employed are the highest value creators. The Shareholder Value Index developed indicate that majority of Saudi banks demonstrate a higher probability of shareholder value creation. Few Islamic banks showed a less probability of wealth creation for the period of study and are predicted to improve the shareholder value creation ability through their aggressive strategy in the future.
The Impact of Mining on the Water Resources in Ghana: Newmont Case Study at Birim North District (New Abirem)
Authors: Attiogbe Francis , Nkansah Andrews
Published: October 2017

Mining activities accelerate the rate and degree of changes in the natural environment. These activities modify landscapes and can have long-term pollution impacts on communities and water resources due to their physical degrading nature, as well as their use of chemicals and other harmful substances. This study carried out by Department of Energy and Environmental Engineering of the University of Energy and Natural Resources therefore sought to assess the role of Newmont Akyem towards affecting the various water bodies in Akyem District. Qualitative and quantitative comparative methods were used for gathering data and performing analysis. The findings indicated that the physico-chemical parameters tested for the water bodies were all within the EPA, Ghana standards for drinking water except for the Pra River which recorded high levels of TSS indicating that there was, possibly, illegal mining activities upstream affecting the quality of the water. The study recommends that government provides both training and equipment to support small scale miners to avoid illegal mining. Also mining companies should contribute towards developing alternative livelihood for communities on whose lands they occupy. EPA should enforce environmental laws to protect the water bodies and the environment.
A Functional Study of zhi 之 in the Chinese Nominal Group
Authors: Zhang Weiwei , Li Manliang
Published: October 2017

Over the past decades, subjects concerned with the Chinese character “zhi之”, i.e. grammatical structure, in ancient Chinese language, have been widely explored. This paper conducts a research from a new dimension: the Cardiff Grammar, an integral part of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) which is famous for its “problem-oriented theory”. In order to shed light on the semantics and syntactic functions of “zhi之” in the Chinese nominal group, this study examines five distinctive nominal groups involving “zhi之” with elaborate tree diagrams which are presented in each of the following sections. Through the contrastive study, we find that the Chinese character “zhi之” has some various functions in different situations: as genitive element (g), as modifier trigger (mtr), as selector (v), as qualifier introducer (qint) and as deictic determiner (dd).
Korean ESL Parents’ Perspectives and Maintenance of Mother Tongue: A Case Study of Two Korean Mothers
Authors: Yang Jaeseok
Published: October 2017

This case study explores the language attitudes and perceptions of Korean parents, with regard to their children’s native language maintenance and ESL education in the US. The primary focuses are on (1) what aspects are held by Korean parents toward the maintenance of the native language in the US, and (2) how these perspectives operate in their children’s language education. The data for this study includes autobiographies and in-depth interviews with two Korean mothers whose children attend a Korean language program at a Korean school in the US. The findings indicate three emerging issues, including native language maintenance, practices of language using, and identity formation. The elicited data underscores that English exceeds its meaning as a single language. For the parents, the English proficiency signifies prospective social outcomes (e.g., employment, wealth, and education) for their children’s life in the future.
Small Firms, Corruption, and Demand for Credit. Evidence from the Euro Area
Authors: Galli Emma , Mascia Danilo V. , Rossi Stefania P. S.
Published: October 2017

In this paper, we aim to assess how the quality of the institutional environment – identified according to the level of corruption perceived in a country – may affect the access to credit for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Based on a sample of 68,115 observations – drawn from the ECB-SAFE survey – related to MSMEs chartered in 11 euro area countries, we investigate whether the level of corruption affects their demand for bank loans during the period 2009–2014.Overall, we find that the degree of corruption seems to play a role in the applications for bank loans when small firms are under investigation. Interestingly, results highlight that small businesses chartered in highly corrupt countries face a greater probability of self-restraint regarding their loan applications (about 7.4%) than small firms located in low-corruption economies (around 6%). The results are robust to various model specifications and econometric methodologies. Our findings suggest that anti-corruption policies and measures enhancing transparency in the economy may be crucial in reducing the negative spillovers generated by a low-quality institutional environment on the access to credit by small firms.
The Moderation Effect of Athletic Maturity on the Association between Perceived Leadership Behavior and Athlete Satisfaction
Authors: Ntomali Stavroula , Psychountaki Maria , Kyprianou Miltiades , Chairopoulou Chrysoula
Published: October 2017

Perceived leadership behavior and athlete satisfaction are integral constructs in the multidimensional leadership model. The aim of the present study was to examine the moderation effect of athletic maturity on the association between perceived leadership behavior and athlete satisfaction in synchronized swimming athletes. The sample was comprehensive, as it included all 165 Greek synchronized swimming athletes participating in national championships and elite athletes from the national teams participating in international events. Athletic maturity was classified according to the athletes’ category into comen, junior and senior. Athlete satisfaction was measured with Athletes Satisfaction Scale and perceived leadership behavior was assessed with the Leadership Scale for Sports-Perceived edition. The questionnaires were completed at the end of the competitive season at the athletes’ training grounds. Results showed that the strength of association between perceived leadership behavior and athlete satisfaction is significantly greater in the senior category as compared to the comen and junior categories. This association proves to be stronger for the dimension of satisfaction with leadership that is adequately explained by the factors of social support and training and instruction. The findings provide support to the notion that athletic maturity is a moderator of the effect of perceived leadership behavior on athlete satisfaction.
Discurso jornalístico legitimador da ideologia nacional desenvolvimentista dos anos 70 em São Borja
Authors: Rodrigues Ribeiro Mara Regina
Published: October 2017

Este estudo se ocupa da produção jornalística impressa do jornal a Folha de São Borja, no período de 1969-1974, no Brasil. Apresenta-se uma análise sócia histórica, de onde se infere que há uma proximidade simbólica, atravessada pela exaltação das figuras públicas (políticos) e das temáticas nacionais. Esse estabelecimento retórico dialoga diretamente com a propaganda política governamental.Palavras-chave: jornalismo; governo militar; ideologia.Discurso periodístico legitimador de la ideología nacional desarrollista en los años 70 en São BorjaResumen: este estudio se ocupa de la producción periodística impresa del periódico la Folha de São Borja, en el periodo de 1969-1974, en Brasil. Presentase un análisis socia histórica, lo que se infiere es una asociación directa con las discusiones nacionales del periodo, donde se construye una proximidad simbólica, atravesada por la exaltación de las figuras públicas (políticos) y temáticas nacionales. Este establecimiento retórico dialoga directamente con la propaganda política gubernamental.Palabras clave: periodismo; gobierno militar; ideología.Legitimating journalistic discourse of national development ideology of the 70s in São BorjaAbstract: This study occupies itself of the journalistic production of Folha de São Borja newspaper, period 1969-1974, in Brazil. It has presented a social-historical analysis, what infers is a direct association with the national discussions of the period, where builds a symbolic vicinity, crossed by the exaltation of the public figures (political) and thematic national. This rhetorical establishment has a conversation directly with the governmental political propaganda.Keywords: journalism; military government; ideology.
Critical Review of Subdivision Regulations in the SOLAS Convention
Authors: Pawlowski Maciej
Published: October 2017

The paper presents a critical review of recent developments regarding the pi and si factors, adopted in Chapter II-1 on subdivision and stability of ships in the harmonized Convention on Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention. The two factors adopted from an European Union (EU)-funded research project HARDER are questioned. The paper strongly suggests that International Maritime Organization restores in SOLAS the previous sound and simple formulations for the factor pi from SOLAS 2006, and adopts the factor si, embedded in the accumulation of water on deck.

1. Introduction

Many factors affecting the final consequences of ship hull damage are random in nature and their influence is different for different ships. For this reason, the probability of collision survival is taken as a genuine measure of ship safety in the damaged condition (i.e., a measure of merit of ship's subdivision).

A relatively rigorous procedure for dealing with this concept was first introduced by Wendel in 1960 (Wendel 1960) who initiated this novel approach to the evaluation of subdivision. The idea appeared to catch on and was later developed by Comstock and Robertson (1961), Volkov (1963), Wendel (1968), Aleksandrov (1970), and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) (1974), which resulted in establishing and adopting the equivalent regulations for passenger ships. IMO (2009) continued this work resulting in harmonized regulations for all types of ships, contained in the 1974 sOLAs convention, in Chapter II- in parts B to B–4. In the convention, the probability of collision survival is referred to as the attained subdivision index A.

Generally, three measures of merit can be postulated for judging the effectiveness of ship's subdivision:overall (global) index of subdivision, reflecting the average degree of subdivision for the whole ship that denotes a mean probability of survival for the whole ship in case of accidental flooding, andlocal indices of subdivision of two kinds (not in use in the regulations as yet), reflecting the degree of subdivision for individual parts of the ship. They denote mean probabilities of survival either for the cases of flooding in which a given (wing, if any) compartment is involved (alone or together with adjacent compartments), or in which a given transverse bulkhead is involved. For this reason, we talk about one-compartment indices of subdivision and minor damage indices. The formers express the so-called one-compartment standard on the ground of the probabilistic concept, while the latter, a two-compartment standard, so regarded by the practitioners.
Improvement of Quantum-Behaved Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm and Its Application to Ship Hull Waterlines Approximation Based on Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline
Authors: Zhang Yanru , Lu Conghong , Lin Yan , Hu Junming
Published: October 2017

Nowadays, the optimization algorithm used in the ship design is a hot research area. The computation efficiency and stability of the algorithm depended on the number of design variables, the algorithm parameters, and operation process. In order to improve design efficiency and stability, this paper focuses on the waterlines approximation with as less control parameters as possible applying the improved quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization (QPSO) algorithm based on NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline). The optimization model is constructed with the homogeneous coordinate component of the fitted waterline's control points as the design variables. The objective function is set to minimize the maximum relative difference between the widths of the approximated waterlines and the original ones corresponding to the same stations. The appropriate constraints are set according to the characteristics of the free segments of the waterline. The QPSO algorithm is used to solve this optimization problem. With view to the correlation among the design variables, the algorithm is improved by introducing the memory factor to ensure the design variables within the feasible region during the evolution process. Based on this improved QPSO algorithm, the waterlines of the full-scale hull form are approximated and the hull surface is constructed using the skinning algorithm with them. Compared with the related reference results, this approximation method has higher precision and can satisfy the engineering design requirements. It is indicated that it is feasible to represent the hull form using the reduced data. Furthermore, the success rate and the average relative difference comparison between the basic QPSO and the improved QPSO show the reliability and stability of the algorithm. This method proposed in this paper provides a foundation for the hull surface design based on the reduced data. Meanwhile, the improved QPSO algorithm can be used in the similar optimization problem with the design variables correlated with each other.
A protein phosphatase network controls the temporal and spatial dynamics of differentiation commitment in human epidermis
Authors: Mishra Ajay , Oulès Bénédicte , Pisco Angela Oliveira , Ly Tony , Liakath-Ali Kifayathullah , Walko Gernot , Viswanathan Priyalakshmi , Tihy Matthieu , Nijjher Jagdeesh , Dunn Sara-Jane , Lamond Angus I , Watt Fiona M
Published: October 2017

Epidermal homeostasis depends on a balance between stem cell renewal and terminal differentiation. The transition between the two cell states, termed commitment, is poorly understood. Here, we characterise commitment by integrating transcriptomic and proteomic data from disaggregated primary human keratinocytes held in suspension to induce differentiation. Cell detachment induces several protein phosphatases, five of which - DUSP6, PPTC7, PTPN1, PTPN13 and PPP3CA – promote differentiation by negatively regulating ERK MAPK and positively regulating AP1 transcription factors. Conversely, DUSP10 expression antagonises commitment. The phosphatases form a dynamic network of transient positive and negative interactions that change over time, with DUSP6 predominating at commitment. Boolean network modelling identifies a mandatory switch between two stable states (stem and differentiated) via an unstable (committed) state. Phosphatase expression is also spatially regulated in vivo and in vitro. We conclude that an auto-regulatory phosphatase network maintains epidermal homeostasis by controlling the onset and duration of commitment.
Constraining Sedimentary Structure Using Frequency‐Dependent P Wave Particle Motion: A Case Study of the Songliao Basin in NE China
Authors: Bao Yifei , Niu Fenglin
Published: October 2017

Knowledge on sedimentary structure within a basin is of great importance for exploring petroleum resources and predicting strong ground motions caused by earthquakes. Although 3‐D seismic data acquisition is common nowadays in petroleum industry, it is still impossible to conduct dense 3‐D seismic surveys at a whole‐basin scale. Passive seismic imaging thus can play a significant role in obtaining large‐scale sedimentary structure of basins with a reasonably good resolution. Here we present a new method to estimate the sedimentary structure beneath a seismic station using frequency‐dependent nonlinear particle motion of the teleseismic P wave, that is, a delay in the P wave arrival time on the horizontal component. Forward modeling suggests that the delay time and its variations over frequency are caused by interference of the direct P wave with the P‐to‐S conversions at the base of the sediments as well as sediment reverberations, and hence can be used to constrain the thickness and seismic velocity of the sediments beneath the station. We further develop a 2‐D grid search technique to estimate the optimum sediment thickness (Z) and surface S wave velocity (β0) by minimizing the residuals between the observed and calculated apparent P wave splitting times. The grid search yields reasonably robust estimates of Z and β0, although it has some trade‐off between the two parameters in the case of thin and unconsolidated sediments. We apply the method to 30+ broadband stations inside the Songliao basin, and the estimated sedimentary structures beneath these stations agree well with previous results.
On the Implications of A Priori Constraints in Transdimensional Bayesian Inversion for Continental Lithospheric Layering
Authors: Roy C. , Romanowicz B. A.
Published: October 2017

Monte Carlo methods are powerful approaches to solve nonlinear problems and are becoming very popular in Earth sciences. One reason being that, at first glance, no constraints or explicit regularization of model parameters are required. At second glance, one might realize that regularization is done through a prior. The choice of this prior, however, is subjective, and with its choice, unintended or undesired extra information can be injected into the problem. The principal criticism of Bayesian methods is that the prior can be “tuned” in order to get the expected solution. Consequently, detractors of the Bayesian method could easily argue that the solution is influenced by the form of the prior distribution, which choice is subjective. Hence, models obtained with Monte Carlo methods are still highly debated. Here we investigate the influence of a priori constraints (i.e., fixed crustal discontinuities) on the posterior probability distributions of estimated parameters, that is, vertical polarized shear velocity VSV and radial anisotropy ξ, in a transdimensional Bayesian inversion for continental lithospheric structure. We follow upon the work of Calò et al. (2016), who jointly inverted converted phases (P to S) without deconvolution and surface wave dispersion data, to obtain 1‐D radial anisotropic shear wave velocity profiles in the North American craton. We aim at verifying whether the strong lithospheric layering found in the stable part of the craton is robust with respect to artifacts that might be caused by the methodology used. We test the hypothesis that the observed midlithospheric discontinuities result from (1) fixed crustal discontinuities in the reference model and (2) a fixed Vp/Vs ratio. The synthetic tests on two Earth models show that a fixed Vp/Vs ratio does not introduce artificial layering, even if the assumed value is slightly wrong. This is an important finding for real data inversion where the true value is not always available or accurate. However, fixing crustal discontinuities can lead to the introduction of spurious layering, and this is not recommended. Additionally, allowing the Vp/Vs ratio to vary does not help preventing that. Applying the modified approach resulting from these tests to two stations (FRB and FCC) in the North American craton, we confirm the presence of at least one midlithospheric low‐velocity layer. We also confirm the difficulty of consistently detecting the lithosphere‐asthenosphere boundary in the craton.
Numerical Modeling of the Active Layer Thickness and Permafrost Thermal State Across Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Qin Yanhui , Wu Tonghua , Zhao Lin , Wu Xiaodong , Li Ren , Xie Changwei , Pang Qiangqiang , Hu Guojie , Qiao Yongping , Zhao Guohui , Liu Guangyue , Zhu Xiaofan , Hao Junming
Published: October 2017

The dynamics of permafrost (including the permafrost thermal state and active layer thicknesses (ALT)) across the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau (QTP) have not been well understood on a large scale. Here we simulate the ALT and permafrost thermal state using the Geophysical Institute Permafrost Lab version 2 (GIPL2) model across the QTP. Based on the single‐point simulations, the model is upscaled to the entire QTP. The upscaled model is validated with five investigated regions (IRs), including Wenquan (WQIR), Gaize (GZIR), Aerjin (AEJIR), Xikunlun (XKLIR), and Qinghai‐Tibetan Highway (G109IR). The results show that the modified GIPL2 model improves the accuracy of the permafrost thermal state simulations. Due to our simulated results on the QTP, the average ALT is of 2.30 m (2.21–2.40 m). The ALT decreases with an increase in the altitude and decreases from the southeast to the northwest. The ALT is thin in the central QTP, but it is thick in the high‐elevation mountain areas and some areas surrounding glaciers and lakes. The largest ALT is found in the border areas between permafrost and seasonally frozen ground regions. The simulated results of the MAGT (the mean annual ground temperature) indicate that most of the permafrost is substable, which is sensitive to climate warming. The simulated results would be of great significance on assessing the impacts of permafrost dynamics on local hydrology, ecology, and engineering construction.
Constraints on Ceres' Internal Structure and Evolution From Its Shape and Gravity Measured by the Dawn Spacecraft
Authors: Ermakov A. I. , Fu R. R. , Castillo‐Rogez J. C. , Raymond C. A. , Park R. S. , Preusker F. , Russell C. T. , Smith D. E. , Zuber M. T.
Published: October 2017

Ceres is the largest body in the asteroid belt with a radius of approximately 470 km. In part due to its large mass, Ceres more closely approaches hydrostatic equilibrium than major asteroids. Pre‐Dawn mission shape observations of Ceres revealed a shape consistent with a hydrostatic ellipsoid of revolution. The Dawn spacecraft Framing Camera has been imaging Ceres since March 2015, which has led to high‐resolution shape models of the dwarf planet, while the gravity field has been globally determined to a spherical harmonic degree 14 (equivalent to a spatial wavelength of 211 km) and locally to 18 (a wavelength of 164 km). We use these shape and gravity models to constrain Ceres' internal structure. We find a negative correlation and admittance between topography and gravity at degree 2 and order 2. Low admittances between spherical harmonic degrees 3 and 16 are well explained by Airy isostatic compensation mechanism. Different models of isostasy give crustal densities between 1,200 and 1,400 kg/m3 with our preferred model giving a crustal density of
 kg/m3. The mantle density is constrained to be
 kg/m3. We compute isostatic gravity anomaly and find evidence for mascon‐like structures in the two biggest basins. The topographic power spectrum of Ceres and its latitude dependence suggest that viscous relaxation occurred at the long wavelengths (>246 km). Our density constraints combined with finite element modeling of viscous relaxation suggests that the rheology and density of the shallow surface are most consistent with a rock, ice, salt and clathrate mixture.
Foraging Fish as Zoogeomorphic Agents: An Assessment of Fish Impacts at Patch, Barform, and Reach Scales
Authors: Pledger A. G. , Rice S. P. , Millett J.
Published: October 2017

Flume studies have demonstrated that foraging by fish can modify the structure and topography of gravel substrates, thereby increasing particle entrainment probabilities and the amount of sediment mobilized during subsequent experimental high flows. However, the zoogeomorphic impact of benthic foraging has not previously been investigated in the field. This paper reports field experiments that examined the nature and extent of disturbance of riverbed gravels by foraging fish, predominately Cyprinids, at patch, riffle, and reach scales and complementary ex situ experiments of the impacts on bed stability. At patch scale, benthic feeding fish displaced particle sizes ≤90 mm in diameter, increased bed surface microtopography and grain protrusion, and loosened surface structures. Although enhanced mobility was expected from these structural changes, foraging also caused localized coarsening of sediments, and the ex situ experiments recorded significantly reduced grain entrainment, bedload flux, and total transported mass from foraged patches. Foraging disturbed bed materials at all 12 riffles in the study reach and, on average, disturbed 26.1% of riffle area per 24 h feeding period. These findings demonstrate for the first time that foraging fish, which are widespread and feed perennially, can act as zoogeomorphic agents in rivers, affecting grain‐size distributions and bed material structure, with potential implications for bed stability and bedload transport at reach and river scales. Whether fish increase or reduce bed mobility is probably dependent on a host of factors, including the net effects of both structural disturbance and biogenic particle sorting, as these affect entrainment stresses under subsequent competent flows.
Do Regional Aerosols Contribute to the Riverine Export of Dissolved Black Carbon?
Authors: Jones M. W. , Quine T. A. , de Rezende C. E. , Dittmar T. , Johnson B. , Manecki M. , Marques J. S. J. , de Aragão L. E. O. C.
Published: October 2017

The fate of black carbon (BC), a stable form of thermally altered organic carbon produced during biomass and fuel combustion, remains an area of uncertainty in the global carbon cycle. The transfer of photosynthetically derived BC into extremely long‐term oceanic storage is of particular significance and rivers are the key linkage between terrestrial sources and oceanic stores. Significant fluvial fluxes of dissolved BC to oceans result from the slow release of BC from degrading charcoal stocks; however, these fluvial fluxes may also include undetermined contributions of aerosol BC, produced by biomass and fossil fuel combustion, which are deposited in river catchments following atmospheric transport. By investigation of the Paraíba do Sul River catchment in Southeast Brazil we show that aerosol deposits can be substantial contributors to fluvial fluxes of BC. We derived spatial distributions of BC stocks within the catchment associated with soil charcoal and with aerosol from both open biomass burning and fuel combustion. We then modeled the fluvial concentrations of dissolved BC (DBC) in scenarios with varying rates of export from each stock. We analyzed the ability of each scenario to reproduce the variability in DBC concentrations measured in four data sets of river water samples collected between 2010 and 2014 and found that the best performing scenarios included a 5–18% (135–486 Mg DBC year−1) aerosol contribution. Our results suggest that aerosol deposits of BC in river catchments have a shorter residence time in catchments than charcoal BC and, therefore, contribute disproportionately (with respect to stock magnitude) toward fluvial fluxes of BC.
Transition Metal‐Free Direct C‐3 Arylation of Quinoxalin‐2(1H)‐ones with Arylamines under Mild Conditions
Authors: Yuan Jinwei , Liu Shuainan , Qu Lingbo
Published: October 2017

A transition metal‐free direct C‐3 arylation of quinoxalin‐2(1H)‐ones with arylamines has been explored. This reaction proceeded smoothly through a radical process under mild conditions and produced the desired arylation products in good yields. The reactions proceeded efficiently with a broad range of substrates and functional group tolerance.

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