bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Remotely Operated Valve Eliminates Intervention in Well Barrier Placement
Authors: Cooper Andrew
Published: February 2015

Technology Update

In offshore deepwater and extended-reach wells, placing and removing deep-set barriers is often challenging largely because of the distances and depths involved. With operations more complicated in deviated and lateral wells, the challenges multiply. Often, coiled tubing or tractor systems are needed to set and retrieve deep-set barriers, increasing the expense, the time to complete the operation, and the inherent environmental and personnel risks.

Although placing the second, shallow-set barrier may be easier, it still involves elements of risk and significant expense because of the rig time needed. In some cases, up to 15 interventions are required during the completion phase of a well’s construction, thus resulting in considerable costs and increased safety risks.

However, if the barriers were deployed as an integral part of the completion string, and the well could be plugged or unplugged remotely, as often as required, no well intervention would be needed. The potential savings in rig time and the reduced risk would be significant, and having this capability could change the way that wells are completed.

A New Way to Complete Wells

A major step toward achieving this was taken in 2008 when Halliburton-Red Spider successfully deployed the eRED valve, a remotely operated ball valve that could be deployed on a lock or bridge plug to replace traditional plug and prong barriers.

The valve’s primary advantage was its remote operability that enabled it to be opened and closed as often as needed, each time eliminating an intervention. When the well completion is finished, the assembly is retrieved before the well is brought online. The valve has been used in about 200 jobs with more than 400 remote actuations successfully performed.

It soon became clear that a tubing-mounted, fullbore version of the valve would provide greater benefits because it would not require retrieval. Thus, the eRED-LV valve (Fig. 1) was developed, which enables operators to set or remove well barriers at any time without intervention or the use of surface control lines. With retrieval unnecessary, additional savings in rig time are achieved.
Condition and Performance Monitoring of Subsea Production Systems
Authors: JPT staff _
Published: February 2015

Young Technology Showcase

Integrity management involves availability, access, and the analysis of necessary information. Even though you identify what is wrong, you need someone who is able to correct the issue and who has the correct spare part. Operators are focused on maintaining production and they prefer to conduct maintenance at planned intervals. When things start to fail, procedures exist for whom to call, how to troubleshoot, and what to do next.

The goal of a condition and performance monitoring (CPM) system is to detect irregularities and the details associated with them before a production alarm situation is reached. That way, the appropriate action can be taken to ensure equipment availability (Fig. 1).

The increase in field complexity and the decrease in the number of control room operators makes it necessary to think differently when it comes to integrity management. Integrated operations combine the operator and vendor in a common team for troubleshooting and solving issues. CPM is a solution developed by FMC Technologies to avoid unplanned production stops.

How It Works

Data collectors receive directly tagged information from subsea control systems. While the topside control system is primarily focused on production critical data, the CPM data collector also assesses equipment performance and internal housekeeping data from smart instrumentation and the control system itself. The data is also streamed to a location where the operator and the support organization can access it. The CPM software performs a combined analysis on the data stream and on historical data to present a picture of the current condition and performance of the field. All data is added to a historical database for later access. The graphical user interface is designed to help fault-finding and to enhance understanding of the condition of the equipment. The analysis process uses steady-state and dynamic models of the equipment performance to detect changes. Knowledge from the customer support organization and vendors is used to develop algorithms targeting relevant known failure modes and performance issues.
Analysis of Flow Field for Automotive Exhaust System Based on
Computational Fluid Dynamics
Authors: Xu Jianmin , Zhou Shuiting
Published: February 2015

In this study, a double mode muffler that can automatically adjust the exhaust resistance according to the
engine speed was designed. Based on computational fluid dynamics theory, the governing equation and turbulent
equations for numerical simulation of muffler were established. The pressure loss and the internal flow characteristics of
the double mode muffler were analyzed by CFD software. The influence of the distance between the main and submuffler
on the flow field of exhaust system was researched. In addition, the internal pressure distribution, the turbulence
intensity distribution and the velocity vector diagram of the dual mode muffler were also obtained. The pressure loss of
double mode muffler is mainly distributed in the area of air mutations. Main silencer plays a leading role in the entire
exhaust system. Therefore, the trend of the pressure loss of the exhaust system with the change in the distance between
main and auxiliary muffler was also obtained. When the distance between the main and auxiliary silencer changed from
50 mm to 300 mm, the pressure loss of exhaust system muffler first increased and then decreased, and following this,
continued to increase. The results will provide a theoretical basis for designing complex exhaust system.
The Study of Heavy Vehicles Rollover Warning Method Based on the
Suspension Distortion Perception
Authors: Zhao Zhiguo , Chen Min , Wang Chao
Published: February 2015

With the features of high centroid, high load capacity and high aspect ratio, heavy vehicles are prone to rollover
when running at high speeds in the corners, so the study of heavy vehicle rollover warning method presents important
realistic meanings. In this paper, firstly, the composition of early warning systems is analyzed, and then the principles of
rollover warning method based on suspension distortion perception are proposed; Secondly, the wheels sprung
suspension force formula is established when the vehicle is cornering, taking lateral load transfer rate as the rollover
warning threshold and the size of wheel suspension pressure warning threshold when cornering is determined; Finally, a
test vehicle is taken for example to validate the rollover warning method. The simulation results show that the early
warning method is capable of warning the vehicles when in the curve and has a rollover risk to avoid the rollover, thus
improving the traffic efficiency in curve.
On High-precision Subpixel-based Drilling Technique for Suture Needles
with Thread
Authors: Sun Tiebo , Li Hong
Published: February 2015

In order to improve the automation of end-hole drilling process in the production of suture needles with thread,
a high-precision subpixel-based drilling method is proposed. According to the edge detection principle in mathematical
morphology, combined with the characteristics of the magnified images of the ends of suture needles to be drilled, the
morphological edge detection operators with variable structural elements are constructed to achieve noise suppression and
fully extract the detailed information of edges of images of needle end holes to be drilled. Then, the subdivision method of
spatial moments is adopted to realize the subpixel positioning of pixel-level edges. Finally, least squares fitting method is
used to achieve the high-precision positioning of center of needle end hole to be drilled. The experimental results of the
0.5 mm needle samples show that the drilling method proposed in this study has a concentricity error no more than ± 0.2
μm and an average drilling time of 0.65S. Moreover, the method also boasts good real-time performance and stability and
meets the automated production needs of drilling process of suture needles with thread.
Computation of Viscous Flow Inside a Double-Channel Centrifugal Pump
Authors: Zheng Su-Lu , Wang Xiang-Ping , Zheng Rui-Hang , Xia Ai-Ping , Wang Yi-Nian , Zhang Yu-Liang
Published: February 2015

The double-channel centrifugal pumps are widely used to transport the two-phase flow including big solid
particles in industry and agriculture. However, the related design theory and the design method are immature by far. In
practice, the revised design method based on the pure water medium is still the main method for the solid-liquid twophase
double-channel pump. Therefore, it is very necessary to deeply study the flow characteristics on the condition of the
pure water medium. In this paper, in order to study the flow characteristics inside a prototype double-channel centrifugal
pump in the case that the delivered medium is the pure water, the SIMPLE algorithm, RNG κ-ε turbulence model, and
frozen rotor method are employed to calculate the incompressible, viscous, three-dimensional internal flow. The
calculation results display the variation characteristics of the internal flow field and the external performance. The results
show that the predicted pump head drops with the increasing flow rate, which manifest that the pump model is of good
operation stability at the whole range of working. At the design point, a strong and large vortex remain appears at the
middle section of the double-channel impeller. The computational fluids dynamic technology is competent to assess the
internal viscous flow inside a double-channel centrifugal pump.
Maternal Deprivation of Lewis Rat Pups Increases the Severity of Experi-mental Periodontitis in Adulthood
Authors: Breivik Torbjørn , Gundersen Yngvar , Murison Robert , Turner Jonathan D , Muller Claude P , Gjermo Per , Opstad Kristian
Published: February 2015

Background and Objective:

Early life adverse events may influence susceptibility/resistance to chronic inflammatory diseases later in life by permanently dysregulating brain-controlled immune-regulatory systems. We have investigated the impact of infant-mother separation during early postnatal life on the severity of experimental periodontitis, as well as systemic stress and immune responses, in adulthood.

Material and Methods:

Pups of periodontitis resistant Lewis rats were separated from their mothers for 3 h daily during postnatal days 2-14 (termed maternal deprivation; MD), separated for 15 min daily during the same time period (termed handling; HD), or left undisturbed. As adults, their behaviour was tested in a novel stressful situation, and ligature-induced periodontitis applied for 21 days. Two h before sacrifice all rats were exposed to a gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge to induce a robust immune and stress response.

Results:

Compared to undisturbed controls, MD rats developed significantly more periodontal bone loss as adults, whereas HD rats showed a tendency to less disease. MD and HD rats exhibited depression-like behaviour in a novel open field test, while MD rats showed higher glucocorticoid receptor (Gr) expression in the hippocampus, and HD rats had altered methylation of genes involved in the expression of hippocampal Gr. LPS provoked a significantly lower increase in circulating levels of the cytokine TGF-1β in MD and HD rats, but there were no significant differences in levels of the stress hormone corticosterone.

Conclusion:

Stressful environmental exposures in very early life may alter immune responses in a manner that influences susceptibility/resistance to periodontitis.
Foot Pressure Distribution Variation in Pre-obese, Obese and Non-obese
Individuals – Forensic Implications
Authors: Krishan Kewal , Kanchan Tanuj
Published: February 2015

The present commentary refers to recent research on the plantar pressure distribution variation in pre-obese,
obese and non-obese adult individuals. While the studies observe significant changes in the contact area in the mid foot
region i.e. instep region, no statistically significant differences were observed in the pressure distribution of the fore-foot
and hind-foot region among the pre-obese and non-obese groups. Thus, the pressure distribution of the sole of the
individuals depends upon the body weight of the individuals. In this commentary, we emphasize that the results of these
studies; besides their clinical implications, have applications in forensic sciences especially in the field of forensic
podiatry too which is concerned with the examination of pedal evidence recovered at the crime scene.
Distributive Justice Climate and Job Performance: The Mediating Role of Industrial Relations Climate
Authors: Zhou Lian , Li Min
Published: February 2015

Drawing on the theories of social exchange and social information processing, we proposed and examined a multilevel model of distributive justice climate. Using hierarchical linear modeling and a sample of 1,618 employees of 49 companies in China, we found that distributive justice
climate was positively related to industrial relations climate at the firm level. Furthermore, industrial relations climate mediated the relationship between distributive justice climate and employees' job performance. Our findings contribute to the increasing interest in interpreting organizational
behavior from a multilevel perspective.
Individuality Within the Group: Testing the Optimal Distinctiveness Principle Through Brand Consumption
Authors: Moon Jang Ho , Sung Yongjun
Published: February 2015

In optimal distinctiveness theory, it is suggested that individuals pursue an optimally distinctive identity at the personal level when their collective identity no longer sustains the balance between need for assimilation and differentiation. We tested this assumption via 2 online
experimental studies in the context of brand consumption. In Study 1, with 86 participants, we found that individuals with a high need for uniqueness were less likely to purchase brands used by the majority of members of an in-group when the group was homogeneous and the product was identity
relevant because of their need for arousal of differentiation under these conditions. In Study 2, we temporarily primed need states of 93 participants and results supported the relationships we had observed in Study 1. By using brands as an identity-signaling mechanism, we found that the need
for internal balance would be activated at the collective or personal level to ensure an individual's optimal distinctiveness.
Do Salespeople's In-Role and Extrarole Brand-building Behaviors Contribute to Customer Loyalty Transfer?
Authors: Wang Guocai , Li Shanliang , Wang Xiaoyan , Wang Xifeng
Published: February 2015

We examined how, and under what conditions, a customer's loyalty to a specific salesperson (personal loyalty) can transfer over to loyalty to the firm. Participants were 900 salesperson–customer dyads who completed a paired questionnaire. We hypothesized that customer loyalty
toward individuals would have a positive influence on firm loyalty. Specifically, we reasoned that the loyalty transfer process would be strengthened by salespeople's in-role and extrarole brand-building behavior (IRBBB and ERBBB). We tested our theoretical model in the context of the Chinese
direct-selling industry, using the Amway organization as our research case. Our findings suggest that both IRBBB and ERBBB have a general moderating effect on the relationship between personal loyalty and firm loyalty. Compared with ERBBB, IRBBB had a stronger moderating role in the relationship
between customer loyalty to the salesperson and loyalty to the firm. Our findings advance the extant marketing literature on customer loyalty and we offer suggestions for ways to incorporate this knowledge into managerial strategies and practice.
How College Students' Job Search Self-Efficacy and Clarity Affect Job Search Activities
Authors: Bao Zhao , Luo Ping
Published: February 2015

We hypothesized that individuals' proactive personality would moderate the relationships among job search self-efficacy, job search clarity, and job search activities. However, for those with a strong proactive personality, active job search activity was predicted to be positively related
to job search self-efficacy and clarity. Participants were 400 undergraduates randomly selected from various main cities in China. We conducted hierarchical regression analyses and found support for our hypotheses. Implications of these results are discussed and suggestions for job searching
practice presented.
The Effect of Peer Acceptance on Euphoria Among Korean Adolescents
Authors: Jun Youngsang , Shin Junseob
Published: February 2015

Our purpose in this study was to examine the influence of peer acceptance on euphoria in Korean adolescents, by investigating the relationships among peer acceptance, school life satisfaction, and happiness. We surveyed 343 Korean middle school students to investigate how the relationships
among these variables were influenced by school life and family background factors. Results from structural equation modeling revealed that peer acceptance did not have a direct effect on euphoria, but that an indirect influence was applied through school life satisfaction. Of the school and
family factors, family harmony showed a direct and an indirect (via school satisfaction) influence on euphoria. Implications of the results for enhancing the psychological well-being of Korean adolescents are discussed.
The Impact of Extraversion and Sensation Seeking on Tourist Role
Authors: Li Cheng-Yu , Lu Shiao-Yuan , Tsai Bi-Kun , Yu Keh-Yuan
Published: February 2015

In recent years, personality variables, such as extraversion and sensation seeking, have been used to investigate tourist preferences and behaviors. For this study, we classified tourist roles into three types: the familiarized mass tourist, the organized mass tourist, and the independent
tourist. We investigated the impact of extraversion and sensation seeking on tourist roles in a large-scale survey of Taiwanese citizens (N = 1,249) aged 20 years and older. Using logistic regression analysis, the results indicated that sensation seeking was a significant predictor
of tourist role, but extraversion was not. Compared to familiarized mass tourists, people who are sensation-seeking are more likely to become independent tourists rather than organized mass tourists. We provide suggestions for tourism marketing.
An Online Shopping Behavior Model Integrating Personality Traits, Perceived Risk, and Technology Acceptance
Authors: Wu Wann-Yih , Ke Ching-Ching
Published: February 2015

The popularity of electronic commerce is growing rapidly. However, previous studies regarding shopping online are rather fragmented in nature, and do not integrate their work into a comprehensive research framework to consider simultaneously the issues of motivation, risk, and trust.
We conducted a meta-analysis to integrate the findings of previous researchers and to provide a more complete framework of online shopping behavior, based on the models of personality traits, perceived risk, and technology acceptance. We investigated the mediating effects of attitude and trust,
and the direct and indirect effects on the 3 models showed different outcomes. Structural equation modeling was used to establish the relationships among the influential factors of personality traits, perceived risk, and technology acceptance with regard to online shopping intention.
On the Laplacian spectra of product graphs
Authors: Barik S. , Bapat R.B. , Pati S.
Published: February 2015

Graph products and their structural properties have been studied extensively
by many researchers. We investigate the Laplacian eigenvalues and
eigenvectors of the product graphs for the four standard products, namely,
the Cartesian product, the direct product, the strong product and the
lexicographic product. A complete characterization of Laplacian spectrum of
the Cartesian product of two graphs has been done by Merris. We give an
explicit complete characterization of the Laplacian spectrum of the
lexicographic product of two graphs using the Laplacian spectra of the
factors. For the other two products, we describe the complete spectrum of the
product graphs in some particular cases. We supply some new results relating
to the algebraic connectivity of the product graphs. We describe the
characteristic sets for the Cartesian product and for the lexicographic
product of two graphs. As an application we construct new classes of
Laplacian integral graphs.
Farey lines defining Farey diagrams and application to some discrete structures
Authors: Khoshnoudirad Daniel
Published: February 2015

The aim of the paper is to study some of the analytical properties of Farey
diagrams of order (m,n), which are associated to the (m,n)-cubes, that is the
pieces of discrete planes, occurring in discrete mathematics. We give a
closed formula for the number of Farey lines defining Farey diagrams. This
number asymptotically behaves as mn(m+n)=?(3). Then we establish the
relation with some discrete structures in the field of discrete geometry in
particular.
Diameter constrained reliability of ladders and Spanish fans
Authors: Cancela Héctor , Robledo Franco , Romero Pablo , Sartor Pablo
Published: February 2015

We are given a graph G = (V, E), terminal set K ? V and diameter d > 0. Links
fail stochastically and independently with known probabilities. The
diameter-constrained reliability (DCR for short), is the probability that the
K-diameter is not greater than d in the subgraph induced by non-failed links.
The contributions of this paper are two-fold. First, the computational
complexity of DCR-subproblems is discussed in terms of the number of
terminals k = jKj and diameter d. Here, we prove that when d > 2 the problem
is NP-Hard when K = V. Second, we compute the DCR efficiently for Ladders and
Spanish Fans. Open problems and trends for future work are discussed in the
conclusions.
The Effects of Independent Expert Recommendations on Juror Judgments of Auditor Negligence
Authors: Grenier Jonathan H. , Lowe D. Jordan , Reffett Andrew , Warne Rick C.
Published: February 2015

Audit firms claim that they are subject to unreasonable litigation risk and that legal reforms are needed. One frequently proposed reform is to utilize independent (i.e., court-appointed) experts to examine case facts and provide recommendations to the court. This study provides theory and evidence to examine the general effects of such recommendations on jurors' judgments and, also, more specifically, to inform critics' concerns that jurors will merely “rubber stamp” independent experts' recommendations. Results of an experiment indicate that independent experts' recommendations shift jurors' judgments in the direction of the recommendation, but that such effects depend on jurors' perceptions of the experts' credibility. Further, consistent with critics' concerns, independent experts' recommendations reduce jurors' sensitivity to specific case facts in some, but not all, contexts. Specifically, when the experts conclude that the auditors were negligent, jurors' negligence judgments are insensitive to variation in specific case facts (the auditors' use versus nonuse of a specialist), but are sensitive to such variation when the experts conclude that the auditors were not negligent. Implications for theory, practice, and regulation are discussed.

Data Availability: Available from the authors upon request.
Using Construal Level Theory to Motivate Accounting Research: A Literature Review
Authors: Weisner Martin M.
Published: February 2015

This study reviews extant literature on construal level theory (CLT) of psychological distance (Liberman and Trope 1998; Trope and Liberman 2003). According to CLT, the concept of psychological distance constitutes a common meaning shared by four interrelated dimensions: temporal distance, social distance, spatial distance, and hypotheticality. The core premise is that psychological distance is tied to the level of mental construal (i.e., mental representation), such that more distant objects (or situations) are construed at a higher level and higher-level construals evoke thoughts of more distant objects (Trope and Liberman 2010). CLT further suggests that mental construals influence evaluation, prediction, and behavior (Trope, Liberman, and Wakslak 2007). In spite of the fact that CLT is considered a prominent contemporary theory and comprehensive framework for judgment and decision-making, behavioral accounting research, with few exceptions, has largely ignored the theory's predictions and insights. However, as accounting, auditing, and business in general become increasingly global and geographically dispersed, the perspectives provided by CLT should no longer be ignored. This study aims at illustrating CLT's potential for investigating hitherto unexplained phenomena within the accounting domain and argues that CLT provides the potential for a superior understanding of the heuristics and biases in judgment and decision-making that are associated with distance-affected decision environments. The paper reviews the findings reported in 88 articles (and one book chapter) with an emphasis on publications that apply CLT in contexts that are of particular interest to accounting researchers. CLT's underlying theoretical logic, its commonalities, and its differences with related theories and models are explained through a detailed review of the insights gained from basic CLT research. Commonly applied methods associated with experimental manipulations are highlighted, and broad, CLT-based research questions pertaining to various accounting domains are offered.
Human Adipocytes Induce Inflammation and Atrophy in Muscle Cells During Obesity
Authors: Pellegrinelli Vanessa , Rouault Christine , Rodriguez-Cuenca Sergio , Albert Victorine , Edom-Vovard Frédérique , Vidal-Puig Antonio , Clément Karine , Butler-Browne Gillian S. , Lacasa Danièle
Published: February 2015

Inflammation and lipid accumulation are hallmarks of muscular pathologies resulting from metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. During obesity, the hypertrophy of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) contributes to muscle dysfunction, particularly through the dysregulated production of adipokines. We have investigated the cross talk between human adipocytes and skeletal muscle cells to identify mechanisms linking adiposity and muscular dysfunctions. First, we demonstrated that the secretome of obese adipocytes decreased the expression of contractile proteins in myotubes, consequently inducing atrophy. Using a three-dimensional coculture of human myotubes and VAT adipocytes, we showed the decreased expression of genes corresponding to skeletal muscle contractility complex and myogenesis. We demonstrated an increased secretion by cocultured cells of cytokines and chemokines with interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β as key contributors. Moreover, we gathered evidence showing that obese subcutaneous adipocytes were less potent than VAT adipocytes in inducing these myotube dysfunctions. Interestingly, the atrophy induced by visceral adipocytes was corrected by IGF-II/insulin growth factor binding protein-5. Finally, we observed that the skeletal muscle of obese mice displayed decreased expression of muscular markers in correlation with VAT hypertrophy and abnormal distribution of the muscle fiber size. In summary, we show the negative impact of obese adipocytes on muscle phenotype, which could contribute to muscle wasting associated with metabolic disorders.
Therapeutic Potential of Anti-Angiogenic Multitarget N,O-Sulfated E. Coli K5 Polysaccharide in Diabetic Retinopathy
Authors: Rezzola Sara , Dal Monte Massimo , Belleri Mirella , Bugatti Antonella , Chiodelli Paola , Corsini Michela , Cammalleri Maurizio , Cancarini Anna , Morbidelli Lucia , Oreste Pasqua , Bagnoli Paola , Semeraro Francesco , Presta Marco
Published: February 2015

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) blockers have been developed for the treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), the leading cause of visual impairments in the working-age population in the Western world. However, limitations to anti-VEGF therapies may exist because of the local production of other proangiogenic factors that may cause resistance to anti-VEGF interventions. Thus, novel therapeutic approaches targeting additional pathways are required. Here, we identified a sulfated derivative of the Escherichia coli polysaccharide K5 [K5-N,OS(H)] as a multitarget molecule highly effective in inhibiting VEGF-driven angiogenic responses in different in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo assays, including a murine model of oxygen-induced retinopathy. Furthermore, K5-N,OS(H) binds a variety of heparin-binding angiogenic factors upregulated in PDR vitreous humor besides VEGF, thus inhibiting their biological activity. Finally, K5-N,OS(H) hampers the angiogenic activity exerted in vitro and in vivo by human vitreous fluid samples collected from patients with PDR. Together, the data provide compelling experimental evidence that K5-N,OS(H) represents an antiangiogenic multitarget molecule with potential implications for the therapy of pathologic neovessel formation in the retina of patients with PDR.
Effects of Acute and Antecedent Hypoglycemia on Endothelial Function and Markers of Atherothrombotic Balance in Healthy Humans
Authors: Joy Nino G. , Tate Donna B. , Younk Lisa M. , Davis Stephen N.
Published: February 2015

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of single and repeated episodes of clamped hypoglycemia on fibrinolytic balance, proinflammatory biomarkers, proatherothrombotic mechanisms, and endothelial function. Twenty healthy individuals (12 male and 8 female) were studied during separate 2-day randomized protocols. Day 1 consisted of either two 2-h hyperinsulinemic (812 ± 50 pmol/L)-euglycemic (5 ± 0.1 mmol/L) or hyperinsulinemic (812 ± 50 pmol/L)-hypoglycemic (2.9 ± 0.1 mmol/L) clamps. Day 2 consisted of a single 2-h hyperinsulinemic-hypoglycemic clamp. Two-dimensional Doppler ultrasound was used to determine brachial arterial endothelial function. Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, intracellular adhesion molecule-1, E-selectin, P-selectin, TAT (thrombin/antithrombin complex), tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-6 responses were increased (P < 0.05) during single or repeated hypoglycemia compared with euglycemia. Endogenous and exogenous nitric oxide (NO)-mediated vasodilation were both impaired by repeated hypoglycemia. Neuroendocrine and autonomic nervous system (ANS) responses were also blunted by repeated hypoglycemia (P < 0.05). In summary, acute moderate hypoglycemia impairs fibrinolytic balance; increases proinflammatory responses, platelet activation, and coagulation biomarkers; and reduces NO-mediated endothelial function in healthy individuals. Repeated episodes of hypoglycemia further impair vascular function by additionally reducing exogenously NO-mediated endothelial function and increasing coagulation biomarkers. We conclude that despite reduced neuroendocrine and ANS responses, antecedent hypoglycemia results in greater endothelial dysfunction and an increased proatherothrombotic state compared with a single acute episode of hypoglycemia.
Exercise Strategies to Optimize Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes: A Continuing Glucose Monitoring Perspective
Authors: van Dijk Jan-Willem , van Loon Luc J.C.
Published: February 2015

IN BRIEF The introduction of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) several years ago enabled researchers to investigate the impact of exercise strategies on 24-hour glycemic control. Such unique information on the glucoregulatory properties of exercise will ultimately lead to more effective exercise programs to prevent and treat type 2 diabetes. This article reviews the role of exercise and physical activity in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, complemented by recent data obtained by CGM.
High-Tech Tools for Exercise Motivation: Use and Role of Technologies Such as the Internet, Mobile Applications, Social Media, and Video Games
Authors: Tate Deborah F. , Lyons Elizabeth J. , Valle Carmina G.
Published: February 2015

IN BRIEF The majority of patients with type 2 diabetes are not active at recommended levels, and many do not have access to behavior change programs to support lifestyle change. Thus, tools and programs designed to promote the adoption and maintenance of physical activity using technology may be helpful. This article reviews the evidence regarding the use of technology tools such as the Internet, mobile applications, social media, and video games and provides suggestions for evaluating the potential benefit of such tools for behavior change.
Unrealistic Optimism, Sex, and Risk Perception of Type 2 Diabetes Onset: Implications for Education Programs
Authors: Reyes-Velázquez Wanda , Sealey-Potts Claudia
Published: February 2015

This study examined links among unrealistic optimism, sex, and risk perception of type 2 diabetes onset in college students. Participants included 660 college students who consented to complete a questionnaire. The results showed significant differences between students who perceived that they were at risk for type 2 diabetes onset and those who thought their peers were the ones at risk. A higher prevalence of participants thought their peers were the ones at risk for type 2 diabetes. Women were more likely than men to report a higher risk perception, indicating that their peers were at lower risk for diabetes onset.
Occlusal Caries Extension in Relation to Visual and Radiographic Diagnostic Criteria: Results from a Microcomputed Tomography Study
Authors: Bücher K , Galler M , Seitz M , Hickel R , Kunzelmann K-H , Kühnisch J
Published: February 2015

Objective

This in vitro study aimed to evaluate occlusal caries extension in relation to visual and radiographic diagnostic criteria and their clinical value to indicate operative or preventive dental care.

Methods

A total of 196 third molars with clinically sound occlusal fissures or noncavitated lesions were collected. Before microcomputed tomography (μCT) investigation, each tooth was examined visually and radiographically. Kühnisch's μCT-based caries-extension index (CE index) was used to determine the caries depth on a numeric scale (0 = sound; 0.01-0.99 = enamel caries; 1.0-1.99 = dentin caries). Sensitivities (SEs), specificities (SPs), and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (Az value) were also calculated.

Results

Based on μCT data, the following mean CE index values and standard deviations (SDs) were documented according to the visual criteria: sound = 0.6 (0.4); first visible signs = 0.9 (0.4); established lesions = 1.3 (0.3); microcavities = 1.4 (0.2); dentin exposure = 1.5 (0.2); and large cavities = 1.5 (0.3). The radiographic categories according to Marthaler (enamel caries [D0-2], caries in the outer half of dentin [D3], and caries in the inner half of dentin [D4]) were related to CE index values of 0.9 (0.4), 1.4 (0.2) and 1.6 (0.4), respectively. Caries detected visually or radiographically showed an SE of 84% and an SP of 85% (Az = 0.85). When both methods were used to predict dentin involvement simultaneously, SE = 27%, SP = 100%, and Az = 0.63; this combined visual and radiographic approach was associated with a perfect specificity and no false-negative decisions. The proportion of false-positive diagnoses was moderately high, and lesion extension in these cases was mainly limited to the outer 20% of the dentin.

Conclusions

Our results might be useful for differentiating between preventive and operative dental care for pits and fissures.
Supervised Automatic Interpretation of Technical Documents: When Interruption is a Time Saver
Authors: Fleury Sylvain , Jamet Eric
Published: February 2015

The present study examined human-computer interactions in which the operator has to detect errors made by software designed to automatically recognize technical documents. The goal was to assess the effect of user-initiated interruptions of the recognition process to correct these errors. Participants were asked to check the interpretations, either with or without the possibility of interrupting the process. Results showed that interruptions can improve efficiency by decreasing task duration, especially in the post-recognition verification phase. Interruptions provide an opportunity to correct errors during rather than after the recognition process, which is easier because it requires fewer cognitive resources.
Assessment of human influenza pandemic scenarios in Europe
Authors: Napoli C , Fabiani M , Rizzo C , Barral M , Oxford J , Cohen J  M , Niddam L , Goryński P , Pistol A , Lionis C , Briand S , Nicoll A , Penttinen P , Gauci C , Bounekkar A , Bonnevay S , Beresniak A
Published: February 2015

The response to the emergence of the 2009 influenza A(H1N1) pandemic was the result of a decade of pandemic planning, largely centred on the threat of an avian influenza A(H5N1) pandemic. Based on a literature review, this study aims to define a set of new pandemic scenarios that could be used in case of a future influenza pandemic. A total of 338 documents were identified using a searching strategy based on seven combinations of keywords. Eighty-three of these documents provided useful information on the 13 virus-related and health-system-related parameters initially considered for describing scenarios. Among these, four parameters were finally selected (clinical attack rate, case fatality rate, hospital admission rate, and intensive care admission rate) and four different levels of severity for each of them were set. The definition of six most likely scenarios results from the combination of four different levels of severity of the four final parameters (256 possible scenarios). Although it has some limitations, this approach allows for more flexible scenarios and hence it is far from the classic scenarios structure used for pandemic plans until 2009.
Territorial Prospective Visions for Japan's High Growth: The Role of Local Urban Development
Authors: Flores Urushima Andrea
Published: February 2015

The 1960s period witnessed the most important internal migration of Japan's population since the modern period with the definitive shift from a rural to an urban-based society. This unprecedented transformation led the Japanese central government to request visions for the prospective development of the national territory in an open competition. Responding to this call, a wide range of reports were produced and debated between 1967 and 1972, mobilizing a vast network of influential representatives in city making, such as sociologists, economists, urban planners, and architects. This article analyzes these reports on the theme of the conservation of natural and historical heritage. To support a sustainable development that was adjustable to economic and social change, the reports emphasized the aesthetic and environmental value of natural landscapes and traditional lifestyles. The reports also proclaimed the rise of an information society and stressed the growing importance of leisure and tourism activities, nowadays one of the most profitable industries worldwide. Apart from their value as interdisciplinary reflections on problems related to urban expansion with visionary qualities, the reports were also highly relevant because they influenced later policies on urban planning and heritage preservation.
Controlling Nature, Disciplining Human Nature: Floods in Singapore and Metro Manila, 1945–1980s
Authors: Loh Kah Seng , Pante Michael D.
Published: February 2015

A history of urban floods underlines the state's efforts to discipline people as well as to control floodwaters. We focus on two big cities in Southeast Asia—Singapore and Metro Manila—in the period from after World War II until the 1980s. During this period, both cities traversed similar paths of demographic and socioeconomic change that had an adverse impact on the incidence of flooding. Official responses to floods in Singapore and Manila, too, shared the common pursuit of two objectives. The first was to tame nature by reducing the risk of flooding through drainage and other technical measures, as implemented by a modern bureaucracy. The second was to discipline human nature by eradicating “bad” attitudes and habits deemed to contribute to flooding, while nurturing behavior considered civic-minded and socially responsible. While Singapore's technocratic responses were more effective overall than those in Metro Manila, the return of floodwaters to Orchard Road in recent years has highlighted the shortcomings of high modernist responses to environmental hazards. This article argues that in controlling floods—that is, when nature is deemed hazardous—the state needs to accommodate sources of authority and expertise other than its own.
Sustainability in Asian Countries: Perspectives from Economics
Authors: Chang Youngho , Tan Jiesheng , Chen Letian
Published: February 2015

Studies on sustainable development rely on diverse and seemingly conflicting concepts that yield contrasting results. The root of these conflicting concepts is the lack of agreement on the path toward achieving sustainable development (SD), namely, weak (or economic) versus strong (or ecological) sustainability. This article revisits the Solow-Hartwick model (Solow 1974, 1986; Hartwick 1977, 1978a, 1978b), which suggests that an economy can achieve intergenerational equity by mandating the Hartwick rule of investing the amount of rents from natural capital into renewable capital. It constructs a modified Solow-Hartwick model in which the assumptions of constant population and no technological progress are relaxed and from which it derives a more general form of the Hartwick rule. The modified Solow-Hartwick investment rule presents how weak sustainability can be attained and explains how the residual Hotelling rents (or proceeds from natural resources) could be utilized in order to achieve strong sustainability. In this article, we apply the modified Solow-Hartwick investment rule to a selection of developing and developed Asian economies to assess their sustainability. We then compare our results with two existing measures of sustainability, the genuine savings (GS) model and the Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI), both of which frequently present contradicting evaluations on the status of sustainability.
Assessing the Antimicrobial Activity of Polyisoprene Based Surfaces
Authors: Badawy Hope , Brunellière Jérôme , Veryaskina Marina , Brotons Guillaume , Sablé Sophie , Lanneluc Isabelle , Lambert Kelly , Marmey Pascal , Milsted Amy , Cutright Teresa , Nourry Arnaud , Mouget Jean-Luc , Pasetto Pamela
Published: February 2015

There has been an intense research effort in the last decades in the field of biofouling prevention as it concerns many aspects of everyday life and causes problems to devices, the environment, and human health. Many different antifouling and antimicrobial materials have been developed to struggle against bacteria and other micro- and macro-organism attachment to different surfaces. However the “miracle solution” has still to be found. The research presented here concerns the synthesis of bio-based polymeric materials and the biological tests that showed their antifouling and, at the same time, antibacterial activity. The raw material used for the coating synthesis was natural rubber. The polyisoprene chains were fragmented to obtain oligomers, which had reactive chemical groups at their chain ends, therefore they could be modified to insert polymerizable and biocidal groups. Films were obtained by radical photopolymerization of the natural rubber derived oligomers and their structure was altered, in order to understand the mechanism of attachment inhibition and to increase the efficiency of the anti-biofouling action. The adhesion of three species of pathogenic bacteria and six strains of marine bacteria was studied. The coatings were able to inhibit bacterial attachment by contact, as it was verified that no detectable leaching of toxic molecules occurred.
Fucoidan from Macrocystis pyrifera Has Powerful Immune-Modulatory Effects Compared to Three Other Fucoidans
Authors: Zhang Wei , Oda Tatsuya , Yu Qing , Jin Jun-O
Published: February 2015

Fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide purified from brown algae, has a variety of immune-modulation effects, such as promoting activation of dendritic cells (DCs), natural killer (NK) cells and T cells, and enhancing anti-viral and anti-tumor responses. However, the immune-modulatory effect of fucoidan from different seaweed extracts has not been thoroughly analyzed and compared. We analyzed fucoidans obtained from Ascophyllum nodosum (A. nodosum), Macrocystis pyrifera (M. pyrifera), Undaria pinnatifida (U. pinnatifida) and Fucus vesiculosus (F. vesiculosus) for their effect on the apoptosis of human neutrophils, activation of mouse NK cells, maturation of spleen DCs, proliferation and activation of T cells, and the adjuvant effect in vivo. Fucoidans from M. pyrifera and U. pinnatifida strongly delayed human neutrophil apoptosis at low concentration, whereas fucoidans from A. nodosum and F. vesiculosus delayed human neutrophil apoptosis at higher concentration. Moreover, fucoidan from M. pyrifera promoted NK cell activation and cytotoxic activity against YAC-1 cells. In addition, M. pyrifera fucoidan induced the strongest activation of spleen DCs and T cells and ovalbumin (OVA) specific immune responses compared to other fucoidans. These data suggest that fucoidan from M. pyrifera can be potentially useful as a therapeutic agent for infectious diseases, cancer and an effective adjuvant for vaccine.
Urbanisation et gestion de l'environnement en milieu méditerranéen(Urbanization and environmental management in mediterranean regions)
Authors: Gabert P.
Published: February 2015

Résumé. - La Région Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur a connu une intense urbanisation depuis une vingtaine d'années. Elle a accompagné une croissance démographique très rapide surtout par immigration. De grandes infrastructures et d'importantes mutations économiques et sociales ont provoqué une série de conflits avec l'environnement : inondations plus fréquentes et plus dangereuses ; pollutions de l'air, des cours d'eau et des littoraux ; dégradation des forêts et de nombreux paysages. Une planification de la gestion des milieux physiques reste à étudier et à appliquer.
Les modelés hérités du Costa Rica (Inherited landforms of Costa Rica)
Authors: Beaudet Gaston , Gabert P. , Bergoeing J.P.
Published: February 2015

Abstract. - Over 3 100 m height, recent glacial and nival forms are present. The middle level is marked by increasing evolution of creep and solifluction under rain forest. Below 1 500 m height, stepped terraces and glacis, as big gullies, are the consequences of semi-arid crisis, which later took place between 23 000 and 5- 6 000 years B.P.
Conclusion. Les mécanismes du soulèvement des bourrelets
Authors: Birot Pierre
Published: February 2015

Conclusion : the mechanisms of uplift. In the most cases (excepting northern Ghats and perhaps south african bulge), the mechanisms of uplift will be sought into light infracrustal roots, proceeding either directly from heating, either from transformation of ec/ogites into gabbros. The models must take into account the rythm of uplift, as registered by geomorphological-geological research.

Some mechanisms of uplift of the bulges have been discussed. M.F. André suggests that asthenosphere is pushed beneath the continental bulge by subsidence of the dead cooling Labrador dorsal. Y. Battiau-Queney invokes the excess of lithostatic preasure in the new oceanic lithosphere respect to the continental one. P. Birot tests a model where the light roots of the bulges result from the thermal thinning of continental lithosphère «eaten» by warmer asthenosphere. But the process probably exceeds the imparted geological time. Better achievement is obtained by the model of Mlle Fleitout where the heating of the cold continental lower lithosphere proceeds from its replacing by advection of infra-oceanic matter.