bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Protective Effect of Alpina nigra Leaves Extract in Mouse Liver Injury Induced by Carbon Tetrachloride
Authors: Islam A. M. T. , Chowdhury M. A. U. , Uddin M. E. , Islam M. R. , Sharmen F. , Parvin M. S. , Islam M. E.
Published: September 2016

The present study was aimed to evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of methanol extract against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced hepatic damage in rats. CCl4 caused liver damage in rats manifested by significant rise in serum enzyme levels. To examine the effect of the extract male albino rats were used and extract was administered orally at a dose of 300 mg/kg once daily. The results obtained showed that there were reductions in the activities of serum SGOT, SGPT, ALP, total protein, total bilirubin from 97.67±1.78, 275.67±2.86, 934 ± 1.41, 1.13±0.227 and 7.50±0.707 in animals treated with toxic doses of CCl4 to 78.33±1.08, 53±1.41, 870±0.707, 0.67±0.04 and 6.47±0.356 in animal treated with extract before CCl4 intoxication. The extract could also repair the abnormal lipid profile. From these results, it is concluded that methanol extract of Alpina nigra leaves has hepatoprotective activity in CCl4-induced hepatic damage in rats.
Effect of Annealing Temperature on the Structural and Optical Properties of TiO2 Thin Film Prepared by Sol-gel Method
Authors: Khan F. U. , Zubair M. , Ansar M. Z. , Alamgir M. K. , Nadeem S.
Published: September 2016

The effect of annealing temperatures on the surface morphology and optical properties of titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin films deposited by spin coating on Silicon substrate was studied. The TiO2 thin films deposited onto silicon substrates were annealed at different temperatures. The structural and optical properties were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction technique (XRD) and optical ellipsometer. The results indicated that the structural properties of the TiO2 thin films were changed with the increase in annealing temperature. The SEM investigation showed that as annealing temperature was increased, the grain and pores size were increased. The XRD patterns of the studied samples showed that rutile phase were found in a sample annealed at high temperature. The ellipsometry investigation shows that the refractive index increased while energy band gap decreased with the annealing temperature. The results showed that surface porosity, optical properties and surface morphology of TiO2 could be affected by changing the annealing temperature.
Nano-sized SnO2 Photocatalysts: Synthesis, Characterization and Their Application for the Degradation of Methylene Blue Dye
Authors: Uddin M. T. , Sultana Y. , Islam M. A.
Published: September 2016

In the present study, tin oxide (SnO2) nanoparticles were prepared by precipitation method using tin tetrachloride (SnCl4) as precursor and ammonia solution as precipitating agent followed by calcination at 400 ºC for 2 h. As-prepared SnO2 particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR). The powder XRD results revealed that the SnO2 nanoparticles had a typical tetragonal rutile (cassiterite) structure and the average crystallite size calculated by using the Debye Scherrer equation was found to be approximately 5.1 nm. The photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared photocatalysts was investigated by degrading methylene blue (MB) dye. The effect of pH, catalyst loading and initial dye concentration on photocatalytic degradation was investigated. Results showed that the SnO2 nanoparticles represented excellent photocatalytic activity for the degradation of MB under UV light with 200 min of irradiation time. The results also showed that the pH of solution had a direct influence on the photocatalysis process and basic pH was favorable for the degradation of MB. The effect of pH on photocatalytic activity was explained with the help of zero point charge (pHpzc). Furthermore, the photocatalysts could be easily recycled without significant change in the catalytic activity.
Investigating the Effectiveness of Group Work in Mathematics
Authors: Sofroniou Anastasia , Poutos Konstantinos
Published: September 2016

Group work permits students to develop a range of critical thinking, analytical and communication skills; effective team work; appreciation and respect for other views, techniques and problem-solving methods, all of which promote active learning and enhance student learning. This paper presents an evaluation of employing the didactic and pedagogical customs of group work in mathematics with the aim of improving student performance as well as exploring students’ perceptions of working in groups. The evaluation of group work was carried out during tutorial time with first year civil engineering students undertaking a mathematics module in their second semester. The aim was to investigate whether group work learning can help students gain a deeper understanding of the module content, develop improved critical and analytical thinking skills and see if this method of pedagogy can produce higher performance levels. The group work sessions were conducted over four weeks whilst studying the topic of integration. Evaluation surveys were collected at the end of the intervention along with an investigation into the examination results from the end of semester examinations. In order to derive plausible and reasonable conclusions, these examination results were compared with an analogous cohort of first year mathematics students, also studying integration in their engineering-based degree. The investigation into the effectiveness of group work showed interesting and encouraging positive outcomes, supported by a combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis.
Optimal Available Transfer Capability Assessment Strategy for Wind Integrated Transmission Systems Considering Uncertainty of Wind Power Probability Distribution
Authors: Xie Jun , Wang Lu , Bian Qiaoyan , Zhang Xiaohua , Zeng Dan , Wang Ke
Published: September 2016

Wind power prediction research shows that it is difficult to accurately and effectively estimate the probability distribution (PD) of wind power. When only partial information of the wind power probability distribution function is available, an optimal available transfer capability (ATC) assessment strategy considering the uncertainty on the wind power probability distribution is proposed in this paper. As wind power probability distribution is not accurately given, the proposed strategy can efficiently maximize ATC with the security operation constraints satisfied under any wind power PD function case in the uncertainty set. A distributional robust chance constrained (DRCC) model is developed to describe an optimal ATC assessment problem. To achieve tractability of the DRCC model, the dual optimization, S-lemma and Schur complement are adopted to eliminate the uncertain wind power vector in the DRCC model. According to the characteristics of the problem, the linear matrix inequality (LMI)-based particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is used to solve the DRCC model which contains first and second-order moment information of the wind power. The modified IEEE 30-bus system simulation results show the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed ATC assessment strategy.
Telomeres and Telomerase in Cardiovascular Diseases
Authors: Yeh Jih-Kai , Wang Chao-Yung
Published: September 2016

Telomeres are tandem repeat DNA sequences present at the ends of each eukaryotic chromosome to stabilize the genome structure integrity. Telomere lengths progressively shorten with each cell division. Inflammation and oxidative stress, which are implicated as major mechanisms underlying cardiovascular diseases, increase the rate of telomere shortening and lead to cellular senescence. In clinical studies, cardiovascular risk factors such as smoking, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and hypertension have been associated with short leukocyte telomere length. In addition, low telomerase activity and short leukocyte telomere length have been observed in atherosclerotic plaque and associated with plaque instability, thus stroke or acute myocardial infarction. The aging myocardium with telomere shortening and accumulation of senescent cells limits the tissue regenerative capacity, contributing to systolic or diastolic heart failure. In addition, patients with ion-channel defects might have genetic imbalance caused by oxidative stress-related accelerated telomere shortening, which may subsequently cause sudden cardiac death. Telomere length can serve as a marker for the biological status of previous cell divisions and DNA damage with inflammation and oxidative stress. It can be integrated into current risk prediction and stratification models for cardiovascular diseases and can be used in precise personalized treatments. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of telomeres and telomerase in the aging process and their association with cardiovascular diseases. In addition, we discuss therapeutic interventions targeting the telomere system in cardiovascular disease treatments.
Leachate from Municipal Waste Landfill and Its Natural Degradation—A Case Study of Zubří, Zlín Region
Authors: Václavík Vojtěch , Ondrašiková Ivana , Dvorský Tomáš , Černochová Kateřina
Published: September 2016

This work deals with the natural degradation of leachate from an old reclaimed landfill by means of a biological pond. Hamra is a municipal waste landfill with a limited formation of leachate, which has already been reclaimed. Leachate in this location is disposed of using natural biogeochemical method, and it is subsequently discharged into a surface stream. The main issue dealt with here is the long-term effectiveness of natural degradation of leachate and the limits of its use. The solutions of these fundamental questions took advantage of a database of analytical assessments collected during a long-term monitoring of the landfill site. The primary degradation trends and the long-term development have been revealed and described on the basis of these assessments. The main benefit of the biological pond is the dilution of the dominant contaminants, especially of inorganic character. In the case of ammonium ions, they show nitrification caused by their transition from the reduction into oxidizing environment. From a long term point of view, the disadvantage of natural degradation of leachate can be seen in the gradual reduction in efficiency due to the concentration of the substances or an undesired growth of water plants, which can be successfully eliminated, for example, by means of targeted aeration and by maintaining vegetation in the pond and its surroundings. The biological potential of the locality is very favorable and, despite its anthropogenic load, it creates a location with suitable living conditions for many water animals and plants. That is why it can be concluded that the efficiency of the natural biochemical cleaning elements can be considered as sufficient, taking into account the nature of the deposited waste, the quantity and quality of leachate, as well as the climate character of the locality.
Assessment of Dietary Mercury Intake and Blood Mercury Levels in the Korean Population: Results from the Korean National Environmental Health Survey 2012–2014
Authors: Kim Seong-Ah , Kwon YoungMin , Kim Suejin , Joung Hyojee
Published: September 2016

From a public health perspective, there is growing concern about dietary mercury intake as the most important source of mercury exposure. This study was performed to estimate dietary mercury exposure and to analyze the association between mercury intake and blood mercury levels in Koreans. The study subjects were 553 adults, comprising a 10% representative subsample of the Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS) 2012–2014, who completed a health examination, a face-to-face interview, and a three-day food record. Dietary mercury and methylmercury intakes were assessed from the three-day food record, and blood mercury concentration was measured using a mercury analyzer. The association between dietary mercury intake and blood mercury levels was analyzed by comparing the odds ratios for the blood mercury levels above the Human BioMonitoring (HBM) I value (5 μg/L) among the three groups with different mercury intakes. The average total mercury intake was 4.74 and 3.07 μg/day in males and females, respectively. The food group that contributed most to mercury intake was fish and shellfish, accounting for 77.8% of total intake. The geometric mean of the blood mercury concentration significantly and linearly increased with the mercury and methylmercury intakes (p < 0.001). The odds ratios for blood mercury levels above the HBM I value in the highest mercury and methyl mercury intake group were 3.27 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.79–5.95) and 3.20 (95% CI 1.77–5.79) times higher than that of the lowest intake group, respectively. Our results provide compelling evidence that blood mercury level has a strong positive association with dietary intake, and that fish and shellfish contribute most to the dietary mercury exposure.
A Labeling Model Based on the Region of Movability for Point-Feature Label Placement
Authors: Li Lin , Zhang Hang , Zhu Haihong , Kuai Xi , Hu Wei
Published: September 2016

Automatic point-feature label placement (PFLP) is a fundamental task for map visualization. As the dominant solutions to the PFLP problem, fixed-position and slider models have been widely studied in previous research. However, the candidate labels generated with these models are set to certain fixed positions or a specified track line for sliding. Thus, the whole surrounding space of a point feature is not sufficiently used for labeling. Hence, this paper proposes a novel label model based on the region of movability, which comes from plane collision detection theory. The model defines a complete conflict-free search space for label placement. On the premise of no conflict with the point, line, and area features, the proposed model utilizes the surrounding zone of the point feature to generate candidate label positions. By combining with heuristic search method, the model achieves high-quality label placement. In addition, the flexibility of the proposed model enables placing arbitrarily shaped labels.
Exogenous Ghrelin Accelerates the Healing of Acetic Acid-Induced Colitis in Rats
Authors: Matuszyk Aleksandra , Ceranowicz Piotr , Warzecha Zygmunt , Cieszkowski Jakub , Ceranowicz Dagmara , Gałązka Krystyna , Bonior Joanna , Jaworek Jolanta , Bartuś Krzysztof , Gil Krzysztof , Olszanecki Rafał , Dembiński Artur
Published: September 2016

Previous studies have shown that ghrelin reduces colonic inflammation induced by trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid and dextran sodium sulfate. In the present study we determined the effect of treatment with ghrelin on the course of acetic acid-induced colitis in rats. Rectal administration of 3% acetic acid solution led to induction of colitis in all animals. Damage of the colonic wall was accompanied by an increase in mucosal concentration of pro-inflammatory interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), as well mucosal activity of myeloperoxidase. Moreover, induction of colitis led to a reduction in colonic blood flow and DNA synthesis. Administration of ghrelin after induction of colitis led to faster regeneration of the colonic wall and reduction in colonic levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, and myeloperoxidase. In addition, treatment with ghrelin improved mucosal DNA synthesis and blood flow. Our study disclosed that ghrelin exhibits a strong anti-inflammatory and healing effect in acetic acid-induced colitis. Our current observation in association with previous findings that ghrelin exhibits curative effect in trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid- and dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis suggest that therapeutic effect of ghrelin in the colon is universal and independent of the primary cause of colitis.
Analysis, Design, and Control of a Novel Elastomeric Bearing Positioning Stage
Authors: Teng Yen-Chu , Chen Kuo-Shen
Published: September 2016

As products are required with higher precision, vibration control becomes more important for precision machining and inspection. A stage with both fast positioning and relative vibration eliminated can improve product quality. Elastomeric bearings are widely used in the seismic engineering and precision machining fields. By utilizing their stiffness anisotropy, miniaturized bearings can be made of rubbers and have the same function as much larger compliant mechanism–based designs. This provides possible advantages in precision positioning. In this paper, to model the system dynamics of the stage, the mechanical properties of elastomeric bearings are determined through essential material tests of the load cells in this system. The results show that the bearing stiffness is both frequency- and time-dependent. A single-degree-of-freedom precision stage containing four elastomeric bearings is then designed and realized. The stiffness of the elastomeric bearings is modeled as a generalized Maxwell model by system dynamics testing of the controller design. A closed-loop control system comprising an AVM40-20 voice coil motor, an ASP-10-CTR capacitance probe, and an Integral Sliding Mode controller is proposed for the precision stage. Signal processing for the entire system is performed under an NI cRIO-9014 LabVIEW field-programmable gate array real-time controller. In comparison with a previous compliant mechanism-based design, the stage size is reduced from 130 × 40 × 15 mm3 to 30 × 33 × 33 mm3, the positioning stroke is increased from 101 to 139 μm, and the bandwidth is increased from 29 to 350 Hz.
Enhanced Throughput for Electrokinetic Manipulation of Particles and Cells in a Stacked Microfluidic Device
Authors: Zhu Lin , Patel Saurin , Johnson Mark , Kale Akshay , Raval Yash , Tzeng Tzuen-Rong , Xuan Xiangchun
Published: September 2016

Electrokinetic manipulation refers to the control of particle and cell motions using an electric field. It is an efficient technique for microfluidic applications with the ease of operation and integration. It, however, suffers from an intrinsic drawback of low throughput due to the linear dependence of the typically very low fluid permittivity. We demonstrate in this work a significantly enhanced throughput for electrokinetic manipulation of particles and cells by the use of multiple parallel microchannels in a two-layer stacked microfluidic device. The fabrication of this device is simple without the need of a precise alignment of the two layers. The number of layers and the number of microchannels in each layer can thus be further increased for a potentially high throughput electrokinetic particle and cell manipulations.
Evaluation of the Enantiomer Specific Biokinetics and Radiation Doses of [18F]Fluspidine—A New Tracer in Clinical Translation for Imaging of σ1 Receptors
Authors: Kranz Mathias , Sattler Bernhard , Wüst Nathanael , Deuther-Conrad Winnie , Patt Marianne , Meyer Philipp , Fischer Steffen , Donat Cornelius , Wünsch Bernhard , Hesse Swen , Steinbach Jörg , Brust Peter , Sabri Osama
Published: September 2016

The enantiomers of [18F]fluspidine, recently developed for imaging of σ1 receptors, possess distinct pharmacokinetics facilitating their use in different clinical settings. To support their translational potential, we estimated the human radiation dose of (S)-(−)-[18F]fluspidine and (R)-(+)-[18F]fluspidine from ex vivo biodistribution and PET/MRI data in mice after extrapolation to the human scale. In addition, we validated the preclinical results by performing a first-in-human PET/CT study using (S)-(−)-[18F]fluspidine. Based on the respective time-activity curves, we calculated using OLINDA the particular organ doses (ODs) and effective doses (EDs). The ED values of (S)-(−)-[18F]fluspidine and (R)-(+)-[18F]fluspidine differed significantly with image-derived values obtained in mice with 12.9 μSv/MBq and 14.0 μSv/MBq (p < 0.025), respectively. A comparable ratio was estimated from the biodistribution data. In the human study, the ED of (S)-(−)-[18F]fluspidine was calculated as 21.0 μSv/MBq. Altogether, the ED values for both [18F]fluspidine enantiomers determined from the preclinical studies are comparable with other 18F-labeled PET imaging agents. In addition, the first-in-human study confirmed that the radiation risk of (S)-(−)-[18F]fluspidine imaging is within acceptable limits. However, as already shown for other PET tracers, the actual ED of (S)-(−)-[18F]fluspidine in humans was underestimated by preclinical imaging which needs to be considered in other first-in-human studies.
Gender- and Age-Specific REE and REE/FFM Distributions in Healthy Chinese Adults
Authors: Cheng Yu , Yang Xue , Na Li-Xin , Li Ying , Sun Chang-Hao
Published: September 2016

Basic data on the resting energy expenditure (REE) of healthy populations are currently rare, especially for developing countries. The aims of the present study were to describe gender- and age-specific REE distributions and to evaluate the relationships among glycolipid metabolism, eating behaviors, and REE in healthy Chinese adults. This cross-sectional survey included 540 subjects (343 women and 197 men, 20–79 years old). REE was measured by indirect calorimetry and expressed as kcal/day/kg total body weight. The data were presented as the means and percentiles for REE and the REE to fat-free mass (FFM) ratio; differences were described by gender and age. Partial correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlations between REE, tertiles of REE/FFM, and glycolipid metabolism and eating behaviors. In this study, we confirmed a decline in REE with age in women (p = 0.000) and men (p = 0.000), and we found that men have a higher REE (p = 0.000) and lower REE/FFM (p = 0.021) than women. Furthermore, we observed no associations among glycolipid metabolism, eating behaviors, and REE in healthy Chinese adults. In conclusion, the results presented here may be useful to clinicians and nutritionists for comparing healthy and ill subjects and identifying changes in REE that are related to aging, malnutrition, and chronic diseases.
Performance Analysis of a Fiber Reinforced Plastic Oil Cooler Cover Considering the Anisotropic Behavior of the Fiber Reinforced PA66
Authors: Wang Jian , Zhang Junhong , Lin Jiewei , Li Weidong , Dai Huwei , Hu Huan
Published: September 2016

In this paper, a simulation method based on an orthogonal anisotropic material is proposed. A numerical example using a simple plate is presented to show the difference in the static performance between the orthogonal anisotropic and the isotropic models. Comparing with the tested modal data of a diesel engine oil cooler cover made by glass fiber reinforced polyamide 66 (PA66), the proposed simulation method was confirmed to be much closer to reality than the general isotropic model. After that, a comprehensive performance comparison between the plastic oil cooler covers with the orthogonal anisotropic and the isotropic fiber orientations was carried out including a static deformation and stress analysis under a pressure-temperature coupled load, a forced response analysis, and an acoustic analysis under real operating conditions. The results show that the stress, the deformation, the peak vibration velocity, and the overall sound power level of the orthogonal anisotropic model are different from that obtained with the isotropic model. More importantly, the proposed method can provide a much more detailed frequency content compared to the isotropic model.
Multi-Sensor Consensus Estimation of State, Sensor Biases and Unknown Input
Authors: Zhou Jie , Liang Yan , Yang Feng , Xu Linfeng , Pan Quan
Published: September 2016

This paper addresses the problem of the joint estimation of system state and generalized sensor bias (GSB) under a common unknown input (UI) in the case of bias evolution in a heterogeneous sensor network. First, the equivalent UI-free GSB dynamic model is derived and the local optimal estimates of system state and sensor bias are obtained in each sensor node; Second, based on the state and bias estimates obtained by each node from its neighbors, the UI is estimated via the least-squares method, and then the state estimates are fused via consensus processing; Finally, the multi-sensor bias estimates are further refined based on the consensus estimate of the UI. A numerical example of distributed multi-sensor target tracking is presented to illustrate the proposed filter.
Coseismic Gravity and Displacement Signatures Induced by the 2013 Okhotsk Mw8.3 Earthquake
Authors: Zhang Guoqing , Shen Wenbin , Xu Changyi , Zhu Yiqing
Published: September 2016

In this study, Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) RL05 data from January 2003 to October 2014 were used to extract the coseismic gravity changes induced by the 24 May 2013 Okhotsk Mw8.3 deep-focus earthquake using the difference and least square fitting methods. The gravity changes obtained from GRACE data agreed well with those from dislocation theory in both magnitude and spatial pattern. Positive and negative gravity changes appeared on both sides of the epicenter. The positive signature appeared on the western side, and the peak value was approximately 0.4 microgal (1 microgal = 10−8 m/s2), whereas on the eastern side, the gravity signature was negative, and the peak value was approximately −1.1 microgal. It demonstrates that deep-focus earthquakes Mw ≤ 8.5 are detectable by GRACE observations. Moreover, the coseismic displacements of 20 Global Positioning System (GPS) stations on the Earth’s surface were simulated using an elastic dislocation theory in a spherical earth model, and the results are consistent with the GPS results, especially the near-field results. We also estimated the gravity contributions from the coseismic vertical displacements and density changes, analyzed the proportion of these two gravity change factors (based on an elastic dislocation theory in a spherical earth model) in this deep-focus earthquake. The gravity effect from vertical displacement is four times larger than that caused by density redistribution.
A Comprehensive Real-Time Indoor Air-Quality Level Indicator
Authors: Kang Jungho , Hwang Kwang-Il
Published: September 2016

The growing concern about Indoor Air-Quality has accelerated the development of small, low-cost air-quality monitoring systems. These systems are capable of monitoring various indoor air pollutants in real time, notifying users about the current air-quality status and gathering the information to the central server. However, most Internet of Things (IoT)-based air-quality monitoring systems numerically present the sensed value per pollutant, making it difficult for general users to identify how polluted the air is. Therefore, in this paper, we first introduce a tiny air-quality monitoring system that we developed and, based on the system, we also test the applicability of the comprehensive Air-Quality Index (AQI), which is widely used all over the world, in terms of its capacity for a comprehensive indoor air-quality indication. We also develop design considerations for an IoT-based air-quality monitoring system and propose a real-time comprehensive indoor air-quality level indication method, which effectively copes with dynamic changes and is efficient in terms of processing and memory overhead.
Social Content Recommendation Based on Spatial-Temporal Aware Diffusion Modeling in Social Networks
Authors: Ullah Farman , Lee Sungchang
Published: September 2016

User interactions in online social networks (OSNs) enable the spread of information and enhance the information dissemination process, but at the same time they exacerbate the information overload problem. In this paper, we propose a social content recommendation method based on spatial-temporal aware controlled information diffusion modeling in OSNs. Users interact more frequently when they are close to each other geographically, have similar behaviors, and fall into similar demographic categories. Considering these facts, we propose multicriteria-based social ties relationship and temporal-aware probabilistic information diffusion modeling for controlled information spread maximization in OSNs. The proposed social ties relationship modeling takes into account user spatial information, content trust, opinion similarity, and demographics. We suggest a ranking algorithm that considers the user ties strength with friends and friends-of-friends to rank users in OSNs and select highly influential injection nodes. These nodes are able to improve social content recommendations, minimize information diffusion time, and maximize information spread. Furthermore, the proposed temporal-aware probabilistic diffusion process categorizes the nodes and diffuses the recommended content to only those users who are highly influential and can enhance information dissemination. The experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
“‘Kolossaal’ van poëzie”. Lyrische aspecten van Vlaams proza uit het fin de siècle
Authors: Sintobin Tom
Published: September 2016

In het discours over de auteurs van de tweede generatie van Van Nu en Straks, allen geboren tussen 1870 en 1880, duiken vaak karakteriseringen op als “ poëtisch”, “ dichterlijk”, of “ lyrisch”. Vaak lijkt het daarbij om een retorische strategie te gaan : de dichterlijke kwaliteit distantieert het werk van het naturalisme. Maar is ze ook aanwijsbaar in de tekst ? In deze bijdrage wordt in het proza van vier van de betrokken auteurs gespeurd naar de prototyische kenmerken van lyriek die Werner Wolf heeft geïdentificeerd. Die blijken in ruime mate aanwezig te zijn : de syntaxis wijkt af doordat ze opsommend is, de woordkeuze door het gebruik van dialect of neologismen, er wordt vaak een beroep gedaan op een spel met klanken, de verhaalde tijd vertraagt. Het is niet eenvoudig om uit te maken waar deze opvallende stijl zijn inspiratie vond. Enerzijds zijn er aanwijzingen dat de verschijning van De Nieuwe Gids bijzonder veel indruk heeft gemaakt op deze auteurs, anderzijds kan er gewezen worden op de impact van een inheemse traditie in de vorm van het werk van de via

Van Nu en Straks weer onder de belangstelling gebrachte Guido Gezelle, die zeker voor Streuvels en Teirlinck van belang is geweest.
Door de mazen van het net geglipt. Lyricisering in postmodern proza
Authors: Vervaeck Bart
Published: September 2016

Slipped through the net”. Lyricisation in postmodern fiction.

This contribution investigates the role and the evolution of the lyric in the postmodern type of fiction that appeared from 1975 onwards in the Netherlands and (a few years later) in Flanders. Three stages are discerned. The “ emergent” phase (a term borrowed from Raymond Williams) sees three early postmodern novelists, who do not make up a generation : Willem Brakman, Louis Ferron, and, to a lesser extent, Gerrit Krol. With Brakman and Ferron the lyric is to be found primarily in the use of imagery replacing the narrative sequence, in the self-conscious exploration of language, and in the stress on the individual consciousness. Krol’s lyricism, on the other hand, involves semantic condensation and abstraction. Around 1990, postmodernism becomes a “ dominant” literary phenomenon, involving a whole generation of novelists born around 1960. Their lyric fiction draws attention to the poetic aspects of objects (the subject being undermined by postmodern relativism) and melts imagery with philosophical and essayistic digressions. The third, “ residual” phase, starting in the late nineties, is represented by authors of the same generation as the second stage. They underscore two seemingly contradictory lyrical functions : the musical play with words and the encyclopedic transfer of knowledge. In none of the stages does lyric fiction cut the ties with social reality, but in the final stage social criticism becomes most explicit.
Maternity visit on St. Thomas. Demographic information on the earliest stages of Negerhollands
Authors: Rossem Cefas van
Published: September 2016

Negerhollands bevat veel kenmerken die gerelateerd zijn aan de Nederlandse dialecten, in het bijzonder het West-Vlaams en het Zeeuws. Deze elementen vinden we echter niet in zeventiende-eeuwse Nederlandse teksten die met de Deense Antillen te maken hebben. Door de oorsprong van de eerste Europese inwoners van het eiland St. Thomas na te gaan, probeer ik de taalvariëteit te reconstrueren waaraan het Negerhollands het grootste gedeelte van zijn woordenschat te danken heeft. Ik richt me specifiek op de periode van nederzettingen voor 1736, het jaar waarin het bestaan van de creooltaal het eerst vermeld werd. Op basis van de verspreiding van de achternamen van de eerste Europese kolonisten en de uitgebreide demografische informatie uit de volkstelling van St. Thomas van 1691 stel ik dat de kolonisten een meertalige samenleving vormden waarin mogelijk Zeeuws/ West-Vlaamsgekleurd Nederlands als koine is gebruikt.
Cape Malay Dutch: The Missing Link Between Cape Dutch Pidgin and Afrikaans?
Authors: Stell Gerald
Published: September 2016

De ‘ creolistische wending’ in de historische Afrikaanse taalkunde berust in hoge mate op interpretaties van, enerzijds, een verzameling zinnen uit de 17de en 18de eeuw die aan slaven en Khoekhoen toegeschreven worden, en anderzijds, van hedendaagse gevevens over het Oranje Rivier Afrikaans. Den Besten (1989, 2001a[ 2012]) stelde een ‚ creolistisch scenario’ over het ontstaan van het Afrikaans voor, en veronderstelde dat basilectale Kaap– Hollandse variëteiten tot op hoge mate afgeleid waren uit wat hij Hottentot Hollands noemt, d. w. z. een gepidginiseerde Nederlandse variëteit die de sporen van gedeeltelijke syntactische transfers uit Khoekhoen-talen lijkt te vertonen. Doordat de Khoekhoen beschouwd worden als de ‚ stichters’ van het Kaap– Hollandse basilect, ging de aandacht van taalhistorici naar het Oranje Rivier Afrikaans – d. w. z. die Afrikaanse variëteit die door de afstammelingen van de Khoekhoen gesproken wordt ; in die variëteit worden verklaringen gezocht wordt voor het ontstaan van de kenmerken van het Afrikaans. De rol die andere Kaapse niet– Europese bevolkingsgroepen speelden bij de ontwikkeling van het Afrikaans (met name de slaven en ‘ Vrije Zwarten‘) werd hierdoor over het hoofd gezien. De ontdekking van een corpus 19de eeuwse Kaapmaleis– Hollandse literaire teksten geeft ons een bron aan informatie over niet– Europese Kaap– Hollandse variëteiten ; die gegevens kunnen creolistiche reconstructies van het ontstaan van het Afrikaans verfijnen. In dit artikel bespreek ik de Kaapmaleis– Hollandse variëteit, in de brede algemene sociolinguïstische context van zijn ontstaan. Ik beschrijf hierbij zijn direct herkenbare Aziatische kenmerken alsmede zijn‚ on-nederlandse’ kenmerken van onbepaalde herkomst. Op basis van een vergelijking tussen het Kaapmaleis– Hollands en andere variëteiten van het Kaap– Hollands en Afrikaans toon ik aan dat Kaapmaleis– Hollands het resultaat is van een niet– Europese variëteit die onderscheiden moet worden van het Hottentot Hollands. Dit verklaart waarom deze variëteit kenmerken heeft die niet in het Oranje Rivier Afrikaans voorkomen.
The role of Dutch in language practices in the Dutch-speaking periphery: the impact of Dutch on the Eastern Maroon Creoles
Authors: Migge Bettina
Published: September 2016

Veel van het onderzoek naar de creoolse talen van Suriname heeft zich toegespitst op de oorsprong en de ontwikkeling van deze talen. Dit onderzoek heeft hierbij voornamelijk aandacht geschonken aan de rol van de Afrikaanse talen die door de slavenbevolking gesproken werden. Er is ook wat aandacht geschonken aan de oorsprong van de Europese component, in het bijzonder van de Engelse en Portugese elementen (Smith 1987). Daartegenover weten we relatief weinig over de invloed van het Nederlands op de creoolse talen van Suriname. Dit artikel wil ertoe bijdragen deze leemte in te vullen door het gebruik van Nederlandse elementen te analyseren in een reeks opnames die tijdens de laatste 20 jaren gedaan werden onder oostelijke Maroons die in plattelandse en stedelijke gebieden wonen, alsmede in opnames die van een Maroons radiostation verkregen werden. De discussie toont aan dat niet of weinig geïntegreerde Nederlandse lexicale elementen doorsijpelen in Maroon taalgebruik, in het bijzonder in het taalgebruik van die mensen die in stedelijke contexten wonen of die in regelmatig contact met het Nederlands staan. Terwijl oudere mensen op het platteland heel weinig gebruik maken ervan, maken jongere mensen die toegang kregen tot het onderwijs gebruik van het Nederlands via code-switching. Dit gebeurt in bepaalde contexten waarbij hun sociale status op het spel staat en ze hun vereenzelviging met een moderne interpretatie van de Maroonidentiteit willen uiten.
‘Et Skriftsprog gjør sig ikke selv’. Metacommentaar op het taalplanningsproces in Vlaanderen en Noorwegen in de 19e eeuw ‘van binnenuit’: Den Ny-Norske Sprog- og Nationalitetsbevœgelse (1877) van Arne Garborg als casestudy
Authors: Belsack Els
Published: September 2016

‘ Et Skriftsprog gjør sig ikke selv’. Meta-comments on the language planning process in 19th century Flanders and Norway : Arne Garborg’s Den Ny-Norske Sprog-og Nationalitetsbevægelse (1877) as a casestudy

The research presented in this article is part of a larger comparative sociolinguistic project on the history of the language standardization of Norwegian (in Norway) and Southern Dutch (in Flanders) during the long 19th century (1794-1917). I discuss the views of Arne Garborg (1851-1924), one of the foremost Nynorsk-defenders in the language debate. This Norwegian author published a programmatic collection of essays, entitled Den ny-norske sprog-og nationalitetsbevægelse : Et forsøg paa en omfattende redegjørelse, formet som polemiske sendebreve til modstræverne

(1877). In this work he systematically presents his views on language planning processes, both as a general principle and applied to the Norwegian case. Garborg also introduces a comparative European perspective in his discussion. Garborg’s comparison of the Norwegian and Belgian language struggle will be discussed in detail. This article presents a selection and an analysis of the language planningrelated sections in Den ny-norske sprog-og nationalitetsbevægelse, but also tries to discuss these views in the light of present-day insights in the linguistic historiography of Norwegian and Southern Dutch. We finally try to connect Garborg’s views to present-day language planning theories.
Stereo- and regioselectivity of the hetero-Diels–Alder reaction of nitroso derivatives with conjugated dienes
Authors: Brulíková Lucie , Harrison Aidan , Miller Marvin J , Hlaváč Jan
Published: September 2016

The hetero-Diels–Alder reaction between a nitroso dienophile and a conjugated diene to give the 3,6-dihydro-2H-1,2-oxazine scaffold is useful for the synthesis of many biologically interesting molecules due to the diverse opportunities created by subsequent transformations of the resulting 1,2-oxazine ring. This review discusses the rationale for the observed regio- and stereoselectivity and the methods developed in recent years used to control and improve the stereo- and regioselectivity for the synthesis of 1,2-oxazine scaffolds.
EMISSION SIGNATURES FROM SUB-PARSEC BINARY SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES. I. DIAGNOSTIC POWER OF BROAD EMISSION LINES
Authors: Nguyen Khai , Bogdanović Tamara
Published: September 2016

Motivated by advances in observational searches for sub-parsec supermassive black hole binaries (SBHBs) made in the past few years, we develop a semi-analytic model to describe spectral emission-line signatures of these systems. The goal of this study is to aid the interpretation of spectroscopic searches for binaries and to help test one of the leading models of binary accretion flows in the literature: SBHB in a circumbinary disk. In this work, we present the methodology and a comparison of the preliminary model with the data. We model SBHB accretion flows as a set of three accretion disks: two mini-disks that are gravitationally bound to the individual black holes and a circumbinary disk. Given a physically motivated parameter space occupied by sub-parsec SBHBs, we calculate a synthetic database of nearly 15 million broad optical emission-line profiles and explore the dependence of the profile shapes on characteristic properties of SBHBs. We find that the modeled profiles show distinct statistical properties as a function of the semimajor axis, mass ratio, eccentricity of the binary, and the degree of alignment of the triple disk system. This suggests that the broad emission-line profiles from SBHB systems can in principle be used to infer the distribution of these parameters and as such merit further investigation. Calculated profiles are more morphologically heterogeneous than the broad emission lines in observed SBHB candidates and we discuss improved treatment of radiative transfer effects, which will allow a direct statistical comparison of the two groups.
ITPA Deficiency and Ribavirin Level are Still Predictive of Anaemia in HCV–HIV-Coinfected Patients Receiving Ribavirin Combined with a First-Generation DAA (ANRS HC27 Study)
Authors:   the ANRS HC27 BOCEPREVIH Study Group, Kheloufi Farid , Poizot-Martin Isabelle , Garraffo Rodolphe , Tavenard Aude , Quaranta Sylvie , Renault Alain , Lavrut Thibault , Bourlière Marc , Halfon Philippe , Piroth Lionel , Bellissant Eric , Lacarelle Bruno , Molina Jean-Michel , Solas Caroline
Published: September 2016

Background

We aimed to determine the impact of inosine triphosphatase (ITPA) deficiency on ribavirin (RBV)-induced anaemia in HIV–HCV-coinfected patients receiving a triple therapy including the haematotoxic direct-acting antiviral agent boceprevir (BOC).

Methods

Patients of the ANRS HC27 BocepreVIH study were genotyped for two ITPA single nucleotide polymorphisms involved in ITPA deficiency. RBV trough concentration (Ctrough) was determined at week (W)4 and W8. Impact of ITPA deficiency on anaemia, RBV Ctrough, response and haematotoxicity (grade 3/4 anaemia, erythropoietin [EPO] use, RBV dose reduction or transfusion between day [D]0 and W8) was evaluated. Impact of RBV Ctrough on anaemia was also studied.

Results

Among the 63 genotyped patients, 33% had a predicted ITPA deficiency. ITPA deficiency was associated with a lower haemoglobin (Hb) decline both at W4 (-1.0 g/dl versus -2.1 g/dl; P=0.02) and W8 (-2.7 g/dl versus -4.1 g/dl; P=0.05). None of the patients with ITPA deficiency received EPO between D0–W8 versus 26% of patients without ITPA deficiency ( P=0.01). RBV Ctrough was associated with Hb decrease both at W4 and W8 and an RBV Ctrough cutoff value of 2 μg/ml was significantly associated with a W4 Hb decline >2 g/dl. Haematotoxicity was significantly associated with a lower W4 Hb level ( P=0.017), absence of ITPA deficiency ( P=0.018) and higher RBV Ctrough ( P=0.012). ITPA deficiency, W4 RBV Ctrough and gender were independent predictors of anaemia at W4. ITPA deficiency was not associated with virological response.

Conclusions

ITPA deficiency and RBV Ctrough are still predictive of RBV-induced anaemia in HIV–HCV-coinfected patients treated with RBV combined with a first-generation direct antiviral agent.
Small Surface Antigen Variants of HBV Associated with Responses to Telbivudine Treatment in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients
Authors: Dong Hui , Zhou Bin , Kang Hui , Jin Weirong , Zhu Yongqiang , Shen Yan , Sun Jian , Wang Shengyue , Zhao Guoping , Hou Jinlin , He Yungang
Published: September 2016

Background

Nucleoside/nucleotide analogues are widely used to treat chronic HBV infection, but drug resistance is common. The role of HBV surface gene variants in drug resistance to nucleoside/nucleotide analogues is unknown. We are trying to investigate the dynamics of S gene mutations and how they relate to a patient's virological response in this study.

Methods

Thirty patients with chronic hepatitis B were enrolled and serum samples were collected at multiple time points during treatment with telbivudine (LdT). The coding regions of the small surface antigen (S-HBsAg) were amplified and sequenced using the 454 GS FLX+ System.

Results

Sequencing results revealed different dynamics of non-synonymous mutations, such as sL9P, sN40S, sG44E, sW172*, sW182* and sS187F, between patients with a complete virological response and those with a partial virological response. The viral population heterogeneity decreased at week 12 of LdT treatment in patients with a complete virological response, with a concomitant decline in non-synonymous mutations (from an average of 14 to 9.9 per sample) and an increase in the frequencies of major variants (from 14.3% to 40.4%).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that the decrease in viral population heterogeneity at an early stage of LdT treatment was associated with the subsequent optimal virological response, and the early appearance of some specific mutations, such as sG44E, sW172* and sW182*, is a potential indicator of a partial virological response in continuing therapy.
Effect of Co-Medications on Paritaprevir, Ritonavir, Ombitasvir, Dasabuvir and Ribavirin Pharmacokinetics: Analysis of Data from Seven Phase II/III Trials
Authors: Polepally Akshanth R , Badri Prajakta S , Parikh Apurvasena , Rodrigues Lino , Silva-Tillmann Barbara A Da , Mensing Sven , Podsadecki Thomas J , Awni Walid M , Dutta Sandeep , Menon Rajeev M
Published: September 2016

Background

The three drug direct-acting antiviral regimen (3D regimen) of ombitasvir, paritaprevir/ritonavir and dasabuvir, with and without ribavirin, was evaluated in one Phase II trial and six Phase III trials in over 2,300 HCV genotype-1-infected patients. Patients continued taking their protocol-permitted co-medications while receiving the 3D ± ribavirin regimen. The effects of the co-medications on exposures of the 3D regimen and ribavirin were examined.

Methods

Population pharmacokinetic model-predicted steady-state area under the curve (AUC24,ss) values were evaluated in the presence/absence of the co-medications. Interactions resulting in a greater than 50% reduction or 100% increase in an AUC24,ss value were examined as covariates for an effect on apparent clearance (CL/F).

Results

More than 1,200 co-medications belonging to 15 drug classes and/or 19 enzyme and transporter inhibitor and/or inducer categories were used concomitantly with the 3D regimen in the trials. Approximately 1,500 patients (65%) in Phase III trials received two or more co-medications from multiple drug classes or categories. No co-medication class/category decreased or increased ombitasvir, dasabuvir, ritonavir or ribavirin AUC24ss by more than half or twofold, respectively. Opioids, antipsychotics, anti-epileptics, antidiabetics and non-ethinyl estradiol-containing hormone replacement therapies appeared to have an effect (AUC24ss ratio ≤0.5 or ≥2.0) on paritaprevir exposures. However, when these classes were included in the paritaprevir population pharmacokinetic model, only opioids and antidiabetics had a statistically significant effect on CL/F, but with no clinically meaningful increase in exposures (≤55%).

Conclusions

No dose adjustment is necessary for the 3D + ribavirin regimen when used with the co-medications included in this analysis as there were no clinically meaningful effects on exposures of the DAAs.
Species conservation profile of the cave spider Turinyphia cavernicola (Araneae, Linyphiidae) from Terceira Island, Azores, Portugal
Authors: Borges Paulo , Crespo Luis , Cardoso Pedro
Published: September 2016

Turinyphia cavernicola Wunderlich, 2008 is one of the two endemic cavernicolous spiders known from the Azorean archipelago (Portugal). In spite of relatively intensive searches, this species is known from only three caves, but with a single sustainable subpopulation restricted to the Algar do Carvão show cave. With an observed extent of occurrence (EOO) of 2 km² and an area of occupancy (AOO) around 0,75 km², it presents a restricted range, severe fragmentation, and continuing decline in EOO, AOO, habitat quality, number of locations and subpopulations caused by the ongoing threat from pasture intensification and tourist activities in the cave systems.