bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
On the approximation of the potential fields when using right rectangular prisms
Authors: De Stefano Michele , Panepinto Stefano 
Published: October 2016

ABSTRACTDue to its simplicity, stability, and efficiency, the use of right rectangular prisms is still widespread for potential field modelling and inversion. It is well known that modelling the subsurface with Cartesian grids has important consequences in terms of accuracy of the results. In this paper, we review the main issues that geophysicists face in day‐to‐day work when trying to use right rectangular prisms for performing gravity or full tensor gravity modelling and inversions. We demonstrate the results both theoretically and through Monte Carlo simulations, also exploiting concepts from fractal geometry. We believe that the guidelines contained in this paper may suggest a good practice for the day‐to‐day work of geophysicists dealing with gravity and full tensor gravity data.
Proteomic and transcriptomic investigations on cold‐responsive properties of the psychrophilic Antarctic bacterium Psychrobacter sp. PAMC 21119 at subzero temperatures
Authors: Koh Hye Yeon , Park Hyun , Lee Jun Hyuck , Han Se Jong , Sohn Young Chang , Lee Sung Gu 
Published: October 2016

SummaryPsychrobacter sp. PAMC 21119, isolated from Antarctic permafrost soil, grows and proliferates at subzero temperatures. However, its major mechanism of cold adaptation regulation remains poorly understood. We investigated the transcriptomic and proteomic responses of this species to cold temperatures by comparing profiles at −5°C and 20°C to understand how extreme microorganisms survive under subzero conditions. We found a total of 2,906 transcripts and 584 differentially expressed genes (≥ twofold, P <0.005) by RNA‐seq. Genes for translation, ribosomal structure and biogenesis were upregulated, and lipid transport and metabolism was downregulated at low temperatures. A total of 60 protein spots (≥ 1.8 fold, P < 0.005) showed differential expression on two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis and the proteins were identified by mass spectrometry. The most prominent upregulated proteins in response to cold were involved in metabolite transport, protein folding and membrane fluidity. Proteins involved in energy production and conversion, and heme protein synthesis were downregulated. Moreover, isoform exchange of cold‐shock proteins was detected at both temperatures. Interestingly, pathways for acetyl‐CoA metabolism, putrescine synthesis and amino acid metabolism were upregulated. This study highlights some of the strategies and different physiological states that Psychrobacter sp. PAMC 21119 has developed to adapt to the cold environment in Antarctica.
Oxidative stability of alpha‐linolenic acid (ω‐3) in flaxseed oil microcapsules fortified market milk
Authors: Goyal Ankit , Sharma Vivek , Sihag Manvesh Kumar , Singh Ashish Kumar , Arora Sumit , Sabikhi Latha 
Published: October 2016

The oxidative stability of α‐linolenic acid (ALA) was investigated in market milk fortified with flaxseed oil microcapsules. Milk was fortified at levels of 1, 2 and 3 g/100 mL using flaxseed oil powder, and optimised on the basis of sensory scores. No significant difference was observed between the control, 1 and 2 g/100 mL fortified milk samples. Therefore, 2 g/100 mL fortified milk was further evaluated for oxidative stability, fatty acids profile and sensory acceptability during 5 days of storage. The fortified milk was oxidatively stable and sensorially acceptable, retaining ~10.35% ALA, which indicated that 250 mL of milk could meet ~46% of the RDA for ω‐3 fatty acids.
Geographic Portfolio Allocations, Property Selection and Performance Attribution in Public and Private Real Estate Markets
Authors: Ling David C. , Naranjo Andy , Scheick Benjamin 
Published: October 2016

AbstractThis article examines the effects of geographic portfolio concentrations on the return performance of U.S. public real estate investment trusts versus private commercial real estate over the 1996–2013 time period. Adjusting private market returns for differences in geographic concentrations with public markets, we find that core private market performance falls. Using return performance attribution analysis, we find that the geographic allocation effect constitutes only a small portion of the total return difference between listed and private market returns, whereas individual property selection within geographic locations explains, in part, the documented outperformance of listed versus private real estate market returns.
Is Nickel Chloride really a Non‐Genotoxic Carcinogen?
Authors: Stannard Leanne , Doak Shareen H. , Doherty Ann , Jenkins Gareth J. 
Published: October 2016

AbstractHuman beings are exposed to carcinogens through air, water, food and tobacco smoke. Nickel chloride (NiCl2) is a toxic and carcinogenic environmental and occupational pollutant, which was previously classified as a non‐genotoxic carcinogen and thought to not directly alter the DNA. Non‐genotoxic carcinogens such as NiCl2 are difficult to detect in vitro; hence, a heavy reliance on animal studies exists. NiCl2 has previously been classified as a non‐genotoxic carcinogen (NGTC); however, after studying the effect of NiCl2 on many mechanistic end‐points, it has become clear that NiCl2 behaves more like a genotoxic carcinogen. The induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) after treatment with NiCl2 along with positive micronuclei results from a preliminary 5‐day chronic dose micronucleus study further supports that NiCl2 has been misclassified as a NGTC. It is possible that NiCl2 causes indirect DNA damage by the production of ROS and requires a longer, chronic exposure, which is more similar to that of human exposure. The focus of this MiniReview is on research into the molecular mechanisms of nickel‐induced carcinogenicity and potential genotoxicity, with a focus on one of the salts of greatest commercial importance, nickel chloride.
Maternal HLA genotyping is not useful for predicting severity of fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia
Authors: Sainio Susanna , Javela Kaija , Tuimala Jarno , Haimila Katri 
Published: October 2016

SummaryLack of reliable laboratory parameters is the main challenge in the management of fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FNAIT). Despite the long‐known association between the HLA‐DRB3*01:01 allele and human platelet antigen 1a (HPA‐1a) alloimmunisation, maternal human leucocyte antigen (HLA) typing has been of little clinical value. Recently, other DRB3 allele variants have been suggested to predict the severity of FNAIT. In this nationwide population‐based retrospective cohort study, we performed extensive HLA typing of 96 women, accounting for 87% of our cohort of 110 families with confirmed or possible HPA‐1a‐immunisation. The HLA type was compared with anti‐HPA‐1a levels, severity of neonatal disease and responsiveness to maternally administrated intravenous gammaglobulin (IVIG). HLA haplotypes were constructed to investigate further HLA associations. Despite significantly lower anti‐HPA‐1a levels in DRB3*01:01‐negative women, the carrier status of this particular allele could not be used to confirm or rule out FNAIT in the absence of detectable antibodies. In the haplotype analysis, the DRB3*01:01 allele was the actual factor associated with FNAIT. No other HLA allele was shown to be of additional value as a predictor of severe FNAIT or non‐responsiveness to IVIG treatment. Thus, HLA genotyping was not found useful in differentiating high‐ and low‐risk pregnancies or in guiding antenatal treatment in affected families.
Synthesis of new arylisoxazole–oxindole conjugates as potent antiproliferative agents
Authors: Kumar Gajjela Bharath , Bukhari Syed Nasir Abbas , Qin Hua‐Li 
Published: October 2016

A new series of arylisoxazole–oxindole derivatives (6a–r) were synthesized and evaluated for their antiproliferative activity against human cancer cell lines including non‐small cell lung (A549), cervical (HeLa), breast (MCF‐7), and prostate (DU‐145) cancer cell lines. The synthesized compounds (6a–r) demonstrated excellent to moderate cytotoxicity with IC50 values ranging from 0.82 to 3.69 μm. Some new compounds (6m–r) exhibited profound cytotoxicity better or similar to positive control. More particularly, the compound 6q possesses donating substituent like methoxy group presented at 5‐position on D ring exhibited remarkable antiproliferative activity against A‐549 (lung cancer) with an IC50 value 0.82 μm. Further studies to determine the mechanistic aspects of these conjugates are under progress.
Developments in the field of clinical allergy in 2015 through the eyes of Clinical and Experimental Allergy
Authors: Roberts G. , Boyle R. , Bryce P. J. , Crane J. , Hogan S. P. , Saglani S. , Wickman M. , Woodfolk J. A. 
Published: October 2016

SummaryIn the second of two papers, we describe developments in the field of clinical allergy as documented by Clinical and Experimental Allergy in 2015. Epidemiology, clinical allergy, asthma and rhinitis are all covered.
The relationship between non‐verbal systems of number and counting development: a neural signatures approach
Authors: Hyde Daniel C. , Simon Charline E. , Berteletti Ilaria , Mou Yi 
Published: October 2016

AbstractTwo non‐verbal cognitive systems, an approximate number system (ANS) for extracting the numerosity of a set and a parallel individuation (PI) system for distinguishing between individual items, are hypothesized to be foundational to symbolic number and mathematics abilities. However, the exact role of each remains unclear and highly debated. Here we used an individual differences approach to test for a relationship between the spontaneously evoked brain signatures (using event‐related potentials) of PI and the ANS and initial development of symbolic number concepts in preschool children as displayed by counting. We observed that individual differences in the neural signatures of the PI system, but not the ANS, explained a unique portion of variance in counting proficiency after extensively controlling for general cognitive factors. These results suggest that differences in early attentional processing of objects between children are related to higher‐level symbolic number concept development.
Longitudinal stability of pre‐reading skill profiles of kindergarten children: implications for early screening and theories of reading
Authors: Ozernov‐Palchik Ola , Norton Elizabeth S. , Sideridis Georgios , Beach Sara D. , Wolf Maryanne , Gabrieli John D.E. , Gaab Nadine 
Published: October 2016

AbstractResearch suggests that early identification of developmental dyslexia is important for mitigating the negative effects of dyslexia, including reduced educational attainment and increased socioemotional difficulties. The strongest pre‐literacy predictors of dyslexia are rapid automatized naming (RAN), phonological awareness (PA), letter knowledge, and verbal short‐term memory. The relationship among these constructs has been debated, and several theories have emerged to explain the unique role of each in reading ability/disability. Furthermore, the stability of identification of risk based on these measures varies widely across studies, due in part to the different cut‐offs employed to designate risk. We applied a latent profile analysis technique with a diverse sample of 1215 kindergarten and pre‐kindergarten students from 20 schools, to investigate whether PA, RAN, letter knowledge, and verbal short‐term memory measures differentiated between homogenous profiles of performance on these measures. Six profiles of performance emerged from the data: average performers, below average performers, high performers, PA risk, RAN risk, and double‐deficit risk (both PA and RAN). A latent class regression model was employed to investigate the longitudinal stability of these groups in a representative subset of children (n = 95) nearly two years later, at the end of 1st grade. Profile membership in the spring semester of pre‐kindergarten or fall semester of kindergarten was significantly predictive of later reading performance, with the specific patterns of performance on the different constructs remaining stable across the years. There was a higher frequency of PA and RAN deficits in children from lower socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. There was no evidence for the IQ–achievement discrepancy criterion traditionally used to diagnose dyslexia. Our results support the feasibility of early identification of dyslexia risk and point to the heterogeneity of risk profiles. These findings carry important implications for improving outcomes for children with dyslexia, based on more targeted interventions.
Post‐conflict slowing effects in monolingual and bilingual children
Authors: Grundy John G. , Keyvani Chahi Aram 
Published: October 2016

AbstractPrevious research has shown that bilingual children outperform their monolingual peers on a wide variety of tasks measuring executive functions (EF). However, recent failures to replicate this finding have cast doubt on the idea that the bilingual experience leads to domain‐general cognitive benefits. The present study explored the role of disengagement of attention as an explanation for why some studies fail to produce this result. Eighty children (40 monolingual, 40 bilingual) who were 7 years old performed a task‐switching experiment. In the pure blocks, three simple non‐conflict tasks were performed in which children responded by pressing one of two response keys. In the conflict block, occasional bivalent stimuli appeared and created conflict because the irrelevant dimension was mapped to the incorrect response key. The results showed that these bivalent stimuli affected subsequent performance in the conflict block. For monolinguals, the effect of conflict was found for up to 12 trials after the appearance of the bivalent stimulus, but for bilinguals the effect disappeared after only two trials. The results are interpreted as evidence for faster disengagement of attention by bilingual children. Most studies examining EF in monolingual and bilingual children do not examine trial‐by‐trial adjustments following conflict, but these are essential considerations because relevant processing differences are masked when analyses are applied to data averaged across entire blocks.
Bringing Lean Six Sigma to the Supply Chain Classroom: A Problem‐Based Learning Case
Authors: Miller Keith E. , Hill Craig , Miller Antoinette R. 
Published: October 2016

ABSTRACTThe article describes a project that employs problem‐based learning (PBL) to teach the Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodology as part of an undergraduate or graduate business course. It is scalable to a variety of course delivery and schedule formats, and uses data sets that can create distinct problem‐solving scenarios for up to 16 student teams. It exploits available internet resources for supplemental information, thus requiring no physical setup or experimentation, and eliminating material costs. The project provides a complex business problem in a familiar setting, allowing students to focus their learning efforts on technical mastery of concepts and tools rather than underlying business descriptions. It emphasizes critical thinking, team work, and project management, in addition to the fundamental concepts and supporting tools of the process improvement method.
Environment‐specific modulation of odorant representations in the honeybee brain
Authors: Chakroborty Neloy Kumar , Menzel Randolf , Schubert Marco 
Published: October 2016

AbstractCa2+ imaging techniques were applied to investigate the neuronal behavior of projection neurons in the honeybee antennal lobe (AL) to examine the effects of long‐lasting adaptation on odorant coding. Responses to eight test odorants were measured before, during, and after an odor adaptation phase. Bees were exposed to the adapting odor for 30 min. Test odorant responses were only recorded from a sub‐population of accessible glomeruli on the AL surface. Projection neurons, the output neurons of the antennal lobes, are projecting through the lateral, mediolateral, and medial AL tract to higher centers of the olfactory pathway. Due to our staining techniques, we primarily focused our study on projection neurons going through the lateral and medial tract. Test odorants comprised compounds with different functional groups (alcohol, aldehyde, ketone, and ester) representing floral and/or pheromone odorants. Strength and discriminability between combinatorial activity patterns induced by the test odorants were quantified. In two independent experiments, we investigated one group of animals adapted to a colony odor and another adapted to a synthetic odor. Within the experimental groups, we found test odorant responses either decreased or increased in AL projection neurons. Additionally, the discriminability between test odorant patterns became less distinct in the colony odor experiment and more distinct during adaptation in the synthetic mixture experiment. These results are interpreted as odor dependent adaptation effects, increasing or decreasing response strength and discriminability by altered neural coding mechanisms in the AL neuropile.
Venlafaxine and oxycodone effects on human spinal and supraspinal pain processing: a randomized cross‐over trial
Authors: Lelic D. , Fischer I. W. D. , Olesen A. E. , Mørch C. D. , Arguissain F. G. , Manresa J. A. B. , Dahan A. , Drewes A. M. 
Published: October 2016

AbstractSevere pain is often treated with opioids. Antidepressants that inhibit serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake (SNRI) have also shown a pain relieving effect, but for both SNRI and opioids, the specific mode of action in humans remains vague. This study investigated how oxycodone and venlafaxine affect spinal and supraspinal pain processing. Twenty volunteers were included in this randomized cross‐over study comparing 5‐day treatment with venlafaxine, oxycodone and placebo. As a proxy of the spinal pain transmission, the nociceptive withdrawal reflex (NWR) to electrical stimulation on the sole of the foot was recorded at the tibialis anterior muscle before and after 5 days of treatment. For the supraspinal activity, 61‐channel electroencephalogram evoked potentials (EPs) to the electrical stimulations were simultaneously recorded. Areas under curve (AUCs) of the EMG signals were analyzed. Latencies and AUCs were computed for the major EP peaks and brain source analysis was done. The NWR was decreased in venlafaxine arm (P = 0.02), but the EP parameters did not change. Oxycodone increased the AUC of the EP response (P = 0.04). Oxycodone also shifted the cingulate activity anteriorly in the mid‐cingulate‐operculum network (P < 0.01), and the cingulate activity was increased while the operculum activity was decreased (P = 0.02). Venlafaxine exerts its effects on the modulation of spinal nociceptive transmission, which may reflect changes in balance between descending inhibition and descending facilitation. Oxycodone, on the other hand, exerts its effects at the cortical level. This study sheds light on how opioids and SNRI drugs modify the human central nervous system and where their effects dominate.
Volumetric analysis of the cerebellum in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy
Authors: Lee Y. , Lee D. K. , Lee J. M. , Chung S. J. , Lee J. J. , Sohn Y. H. , Lee P. H. 
Published: October 2016

Background and purposeAlthough early cerebellar symptoms are one of the exclusive criteria in the diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), cerebellar involvement in PSP is evident both clinically and pathologically. However, structural analysis focusing on the cerebellum has not been previously studied in patients with PSP. We aimed to evaluate cerebellar involvement in PSP using a magnetic resonance imaging‐based segmental volumetric analysis.MethodsWe retrospectively enrolled 48 patients with PSP composed of 25 patients with PSP–Richardson's syndrome (RS) and 23 patients with pure akinesia with gait freezing, 39 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and 34 healthy controls. Data on both the whole and segmented cerebellar volumes were analyzed using a fully automated procedure.ResultsA general linear model showed that whole cerebellar volume in patients with PSP was significantly smaller compared with that of patients with PD or controls after controlling for age, sex and intracranial volume (P = 0.34). In addition, patients with PSP exhibited decreased regional volume in the crus I, lobule VIIIa and lobule VIIIb, which play roles as secondary representations of motor tasks, compared with patients with PD or controls. In subgroup analysis of PSP, volume loss in the whole and segmental cerebellum was more pronounced in patients with PSP‐RS than in those with pure akinesia with gait freezing, PD or control subjects.ConclusionThese data demonstrate that cerebellar atrophy is evident in patients with PSP and is especially prominent in the PSP‐RS group. These findings increase understanding of the clinicopathological basis of cerebellar involvement in PSP.
The Role of the Conditional Skewness and Kurtosis in VIX Index Valuation
Authors: Lalancette Simon , Simonato Jean‐Guy 
Published: October 2016

ABSTRACTThe CBOE VIX index is a widely recognised benchmark measure of expected stock market volatility. As shown in the literature, probability distributions other than Gaussian are key features required to describe the dynamics of the S&P 500, the variable that ultimately determines the VIX index level. As such, it is important to assess if deviations from the Gaussian distribution have important impacts on the VIX index level. We examine herein how a model articulated over a time‐varying non‐Gaussian distribution with conditional skewness and kurtosis can contribute to the overall explanation of the VIX dynamics.
The potential use of papyrus (Cyperus papyrus L.) wetlands as a source of biomass energy for sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Jones Michael B. , Kansiime Frank , Saunders Matthew J. 
Published: October 2016

AbstractFour of five people in sub‐Saharan Africa rely on the traditional use of solid biomass, mainly fuelwood, for cooking. In some areas, the current rate of fuelwood consumption will exhaust biomass reserves within the next decade or two. A largely unrecognized source of biomass are tropical wetland ecosystems which have been shown to be some of the most productive ecosystems globally, exhibiting rates of net primary productivity comparable with high‐input, intensively managed agricultural systems. Papyrus (Cyperus papyrus L.) is an emergent sedge with C4 photosynthesis which is native to the wetlands, river valleys and lakes of central, eastern and southern Africa. The mean standing dry matter of culms and umbels measured at a number of locations throughout East Africa is 38.3 ± 21.6 tDM ha−1, and the aerial net primary productivity ranges between 25.9 and 136.4 tDM ha−1 yr−1. Papyrus vegetation can be harvested by hand and stacked on the rhizome mat for partial air‐drying, and it has been demonstrated that an annual harvesting regime has no negative impacts on long‐term productivity. The use of papyrus as a biofuel for cooking and heating depends on converting it to a suitably combustible form, such as compressed or carbonized briquettes with a calorific value approximately one‐third less than wood charcoal. While papyrus has significant potential as a biofuel, we argue that an integrated management and decision‐making framework for the sustainable utilization of papyrus wetlands is required, in which all ecosystem services including the provision of biomass energy need to be assessed. Sustainability of papyrus wetlands requires management which combines the strength of traditional communal governance and modern legislation to promote its utilization. In this way, local communities can benefit from the inherent advantages of tropical wetlands as very productive ecosystems.