bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Precipitable water vapour estimation using the permanent single GPS station in Zanjan, Iran
Authors: Abbasy Saeed , Abbasi Madjid , Asgari Jamal , Ghods Abdolreza 
Published: July 2017

ABSTRACTMeteorological investigations using the global positioning system (GPS) are based on expensive permanent networks and they are not developed globally on the Earth. In this study it is confirmed that single station GPS meteorology is feasible where there is no possibility for development of a sophisticated dense GPS network. Since 1 January 2011 a GPS station has been installed in the Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences in the province of Zanjan, Iran, where upper air meteorological data are not available. The GPS data were processed in order to estimate the zenith total delay (ZTD) of GPS signals due to the troposphere. The estimated ZTD was then transformed to precipitable water vapour (PWV) using the ERA‐Interim globally available humidity and temperature vertical profiles. Three kinds of validation were applied to the estimated PWV and all of them reasonably proved the validity of the GPS results: (1) the measured surface water vapour pressure and dew point temperature show 87.8 and 86.6% correlation respectively with the estimated PWV; (2) the PWV measured using radiosondes in three neighbouring cities of Zanjan (Tabriz, Tehran and Kermanshah) with nearly the same climatic regime show 81.1, 71.7 and 66.4% correlation respectively with the GPS PWV time series, and (3) the global reanalysis datasets for Zanjan show 89.2% correlation with the GPS results. These validations indicate that, in the absence of permanent GPS networks, if proper data processing strategies are adopted the low cost single station GPS meteorology can be considered as a possibility for meteorological monitoring.
Anticipation of the winter wheat growth based on seasonal weather forecasts over France
Authors: Canal Nicolas , Deudon Olivier , Le Bris Xavier , Gate Philippe , Pigeon Grégoire , Regimbeau Mathieu , Calvet Jean‐Christophe 
Published: July 2017

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to examine the ability of a crop model forced by seasonal weather forecasts to anticipate correctly the agrometeorological variables affecting the growth of winter wheat in France. The method is based on wheat growth simulations over 199 sites in France for the period 1981–2005 driven by seasonal weather forecasts, consisting of 6 month long, 45 member hindcasts starting on 1 February. These simulations were challenging a climatologically based wheat growth forecasting system currently used by ARVALIS − Institut du végétal. Both simulations were evaluated against a reference dataset. The simulations using the seasonal weather forecast present good skills for the dates of occurrence of the main growth stages: the ‘leaf sheaths strongly erect’ stage (also referenced as Zadoks scale Z30), the ‘head visible’ stage (Zadoks scale Z50) and the ‘kernel hard’ stage (Zadoks scale Z91). The simulations forced by the seasonal weather forecasts have lower bias than those forced by the climatological data: respectively −0.2 against 1.4 days for the Z30 stage, 1.1 against 3.2 days for the Z50 stage, 1.3 against 4.2 days for the Z91 stage. It is shown that the seasonal forecasting system provides more hit rates than the climatologically based method does. Thus, for the different events forecasted here, better predictability is found using the seasonal forecasting system. Despite shortcomings highlighted in this study, it is shown that a method based on seasonal weather forecasts could be applied in an operational context over France, in order to improve the method currently used in the agricultural sector.
Point verification and improved communication of the low‐to‐medium cloud cover forecasts
Authors: Tam Junella , Wong Wai‐kin 
Published: July 2017

ABSTRACTThe amount of sunshine weighs heavily in our perception of the weather. It is largely determined by cloud cover, especially that at the low‐to‐medium level. Therefore, when reviewing the Hong Kong Observatory's weather symbol forecasting product, verification on the low‐to‐medium cloud field is carried out against the synoptic observations at the Hong Kong International Airport. Several metrics are used to examine the different aspects of the forecasts, and consideration is given to the non‐Gaussian nature of the reported cloud amount for a fairer assessment. Based on the data from January to mid‐August 2015, the median of the forecasts from the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts Ensemble Prediction System is found to outperform the other model forecasts, particularly when the performance is examined by forecast day. This paper presents these results and also discusses the potential of using the field in deriving site‐specific weather symbol forecasts.
Piperonal attenuates visceral adiposity in mice fed a high‐fat diet: potential involvement of the adenylate cyclase–protein kinase A dependent pathway
Authors: Chu Songyi , Narayan Vikram P. , Sung Mi‐Kyung , Park Taesun 
Published: July 2017

ScopePiperonal is an aromatic compound found in vanilla and has a floral odor resembling vanillin. This study was aimed to test whether piperonal attenuates visceral adiposity induced by a high‐fat diet (HFD) in mice and to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms.Methods and resultsMale C57BL/6N mice were fed a normal diet, HFD, or 0.05% piperonal‐supplemented HFD (PSD) for 10 weeks. PSD‐fed mice showed attenuation of body weight gain, total visceral fat pad weights, and plasma lipid levels compared to HFD‐fed mice. Piperonal supplementation of the HFD increased the mRNA expression of certain isotypes of adenylate cyclase (Adcy) and protein kinase A (PKA) in the white adipose tissue (WAT) of mice. The adipogenesis‐related genes were downregulated, whereas fatty acid oxidation‐ and thermogenesis‐related genes were upregulated in the WAT of PSD‐fed mice compared to those in HFD‐fed mice. Piperonal directly activated Adcy by decreasing the Km for its substrate (ATP) in plasma membranes prepared from the WAT of mice. Furthermore, piperonal‐induced inhibition of adipocyte differentiation and elevation of Adcy and PKA activities in 3T3‐L1 cells were abrogated by an Adcy inhibitor.ConclusionThe anti‐adipogenic effect of piperonal in mice fed the high‐fat diet appears to be associated with increased Adcy–PKA signaling in WAT.
Synthesis and characterization of itaconic‐based epoxy resins
Authors: Kumar Sudheer , Samal Sushanta K. , Mohanty Smita , Nayak Sanjay K. 
Published: July 2017

A trifunctional epoxy resin from itaconic acid (TEIA) was synthesized from a renewable resource‐based itaconic acid by allylation of itaconic acid to form diallyl itaconate by using m‐chloroperoxybenzoic acid as oxidizing agents followed by epoxidation of allylic C═C bond of diallyl itaconate methylhexahydropthalic anhydride as curing agent in the presence of 2‐methyl imidazole as a catalyst. The chemical structure of the synthesized resins was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance (1H‐NMR and13C‐NMR) spectroscopy analysis. The mechanical, thermal, and rheological performances of the TEIA were also investigated and compared with diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A and a plant‐based epoxidized soybean oil bioresin cured with the same curing agent. The higher epoxy value of 1.02, lower viscosity (0.96 Pa s at 25°C), higher mechanical, and higher curing reactivity toward methylhexahydropthalic anhydride of TEIA as compared with epoxidized soybean oil and comparable with diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A demonstrated significant evidence to design and develop a novel bio‐based epoxy resin with high performance to substitute the petroleum‐based epoxy resin.
Estimation of inelastic displacement factor of soil‐shallow‐foundation MDOF systems incorporating higher modes effect
Authors: Gholamrezatabar Abolfazl , Ghodrati Amiri Gholamreza , Shayanfar Mohsen A. , Ganjavi Behnoud 
Published: July 2017

SummaryThis study attempts to investigate the higher‐mode effects on the constant‐ductility inelastic displacement factors of multi‐degree‐of‐freedom (MDOF) systems considering soil‐structure interaction. These factors were computed for 12,600 two‐dimensional superstructure models of shear buildings and their corresponding equivalent single‐degree‐of‐freedom (ESDOF) systems under 26 ground motions recorded on alluvium and soft soil. An intensive parametric study was carried out for a wide range of non‐dimensional parameters, which completely define the problem. The underlying soil is considered as a homogeneous half‐space based on the concept of cone model. The higher‐mode effects were then investigated through defining the ratio of inelastic displacement factor of MDOF system to that of the corresponding ESDOF one. The influence of soil‐structure interaction key parameters, fundamental period, ductility ratio, the number of stories, and dispersion of the results are evaluated and discussed. Results indicate that as the base becomes very flexible, unlike to the fixed‐base systems, in which the defined ratios are greater than unity, using the inelastic displacement factors of ESDOF models for MDOF ones would result in a remarkable overestimation of maximum inter‐story displacement demand. A new expression is proposed to estimate the ratio of inelastic displacement factor of MDOF soil‐structure systems to that of SDOF counterpart.
Predicting Solid–Liquid Equilibrium of Fatty Acid Methyl Ester and Monoglyceride Mixtures as Biodiesel Model Fuels
Authors: Yoshidomi Shinichiro , Sugami Yuitsu , Minami Eiji , Shisa Noriko , Hayashi Hitoshi , Saka Shiro 
Published: July 2017

AbstractFatty acid methyl esters from plant oils are the main component of biodiesel and used as a substitute for petroleum diesel. Biodiesel generally contains a small amount of monoglycerides as intermediate compounds, which have high melting points and often solidify and clog fuel filters. The prediction of the cold‐flow property of biodiesel is of great importance for practical application. In this study, a thermodynamic study was conducted for mixtures of monoglycerides and fatty acid methyl esters. Temperatures of the solid–liquid equilibrium for the mixtures were measured by differential scanning calorimetry and visual observation, while the theoretical values were calculated using the modified Universal Quasi‐chemical Functional‐group Activity Coefficients (UNIFAC) model (Dortmund). The theoretical and experimental results were in good agreement, especially for binary mixtures of monoglycerides and methyl esters. The importance of monoglycerides on the cold‐flow properties of biodiesel was determined, and the effects could be well described by the modified UNIFAC model (Dortmund).
The Contents of Lignans in Sesame Seeds and Commercial Sesame Oils of China
Authors: Shi Long‐Kai , Liu Rui‐Jie , Jin Qing‐Zhe , Wang Xing‐Guo 
Published: July 2017

AbstractIn this study, the concentrations of three lignans in 100 sesame seeds and 56 sesame oils were determined using a newly developed method based on high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with a UV/Vis detector. Total lignan contents in sesame seed and oil samples ranged from 2.52 to 12.76 and 3.38 to 11.53 mg/g, respectively. Black sesame seeds showed higher sesamin content (range 1.98–9.41 mg/g, mean 4.34 mg/g) and sesamolin content (range 1.06–3.35 mg/g, mean 1.92 mg/g) than the other three varieties of sesame seeds. Black sesame oils had higher contents of lignans than the white sesame oils, although remarkable differences were not observed. Hot pressed and small mill sesame oils expressed higher contents of sesamol, sesamin, and total lignans than the cold pressed and refined sesame oils. The results revealed that there is extensive variability in lignan concentration in sesame oils and seeds.
Altered coupling of default-mode, executive-control and salience networks in Internet gaming disorder
Authors: Zhang J.T. , Ma S.-S. , Yan C.-G. , Zhang S. , Liu L. , Wang L.-J. , Liu B. , Yao Y.-W. , Yang Y.-H. , Fang X.-Y. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractBackground:Recently, a triple-network model suggested the abnormal interactions between the executive-control network (ECN), default-mode network (DMN) and salience network (SN) are important characteristics of addiction, in which the SN plays a critical role in allocating attentional resources toward the ECN and DMN. Although increasing studies have reported dysfunctions in these brain networks in Internet gaming disorder (IGD), interactions between these networks, particularly in the context of the triple-network model, have not been investigated in IGD. Thus, we aimed to assess alterations in the inter-network interactions of these large-scale networks in IGD, and to associate the alterations with IGD-related behaviors.Methods:DMN, ECN and SN were identified using group-level independent component analysis (gICA) in 39 individuals with IGD and 34 age and gender matched healthy controls (HCs). Then alterations in the SN-ECN and SN-DMN connectivity, as well as in the modulation of ECN versus DMN by SN, using a resource allocation index (RAI) developed and validated previously in nicotine addiction, were assessed. Further, associations between these altered network coupling and clinical assessments were also examined.Results:Compared with HCs, IGD had significantly increased SN-DMN connectivity and decreased RAI in right hemisphere (rRAI), and the rRAI in IGD was negatively associated with their scores of craving.Conclusions:These findings suggest that the deficient modulation of ECN versus DMN by SN might provide a mechanistic framework to better understand the neural basis of IGD and might provide novel evidence for the triple-network model in IGD.
Necessary and surplus militarisation: Rethinking civil-military interactions and their consequences
Authors: Schulzke Marcus 
Published: July 2017

AbstractRecent scholarship on militarisation suggests that Western democracies are threatened by military influence spreading into civilian domains. I contend that this research has identified problematic forms of militarisation, but that more careful attention should be given to different manifestations of this phenomenon. I borrow Herbert Marcuse’s distinction between necessary and surplus repression to show that militarisation can be excusable or excessive, depending on the context and its extent. Militarisation is potentially harmful and should be opposed when it is coercive or promotes militarism. By contrast, militarisation may be necessary if it is beneficial or ineliminable. A degree of militarisation may be desirable insofar as contact between civilians and soldiers promotes the spread of information, ensures that civilians have some influence on the military, and prevents members of the military from feeling detached and resentful. Some militarisation may also be indispensable for guarding against plausible threats or promoting social stability. Thus, militarisation should be treated as a process that has mixed costs and benefits depending on how it is enacted.
Association between maternal vitamin D status in pregnancy and neurodevelopmental outcomes in childhood: results from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)
Authors: Darling Andrea L. , Rayman Margaret P. , Steer Colin D. , Golding Jean , Lanham-New Susan A. , Bath Sarah C. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractSeafood intake in pregnancy has been positively associated with childhood cognitive outcomes which could potentially relate to the high vitamin D content of oily fish. However, whether higher maternal vitamin D status (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D)) in pregnancy is associated with a reduced risk of offspring suboptimal neurodevelopmental outcomes is unclear. A total of 7065 mother–child pairs were studied from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children cohort who had data for both serum total 25(OH)D concentration in pregnancy and at least one measure of offspring neurodevelopment (pre-school development at 6–42 months; ‘Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire’ scores at 7 years; intelligence quotient (IQ) at 8 years; reading ability at 9 years). After adjustment for confounders, children of vitamin D-deficient mothers (<50·0 nmol/l) were more likely to have scores in the lowest quartile for gross-motor development at 30 months (OR 1·20; 95 % CI 1·03, 1·40), fine-motor development at 30 months (OR 1·23; 95 % CI 1·05, 1·44) and social development at 42 months (OR 1·20; 95 % CI 1·01, 1·41) than vitamin D-sufficient mothers (≥50·0 nmol/l). No associations were found with neurodevelopmental outcomes, including IQ, measured at older ages. However, our results suggest that deficient maternal vitamin D status in pregnancy may have adverse effects on some measures of motor and social development in children under 4 years. Prevention of vitamin D deficiency may be important for preventing suboptimal development in the first 4 years of life.
THE FLEXIBILITY RULE IN ADMINISTRATIVE LAW
Authors: Perry Adam 
Published: July 2017

AbstractAdministrative officials are permitted to have policies as to the exercise of their discretionary powers, but those policies must be flexible, not rigid. The “flexibility rule”, as I call it here, is nearly a century old. Over time, it has become part of the furniture of judicial review: often used, rarely examined. That neglect has led to confusion, on display in recent cases. In this article I try to put the flexibility rule back on a sound footing. I argue, first, that the flexibility rule requires authorities to treat policies merely as rules of thumb. Second, the primary justification for the flexibility rule is neither legislative intent (as courts have said), nor the avoidance of error (as commentators tend to assume); it is the value of participation. Third, and as a result, the flexibility rule ought to apply to policies governing the use of prerogative and other non-statutory powers, as well as to policies governing the use of statutory powers.
The first detection ofToxoplasma gondiiDNA in environmental air samples using gelatine filters, real-time PCR and loop-mediated isothermal (LAMP) assays: qualitative and quantitative analysis
Authors: LASS ANNA , SZOSTAKOWSKA BEATA , KORZENIEWSKI KRZYSZTOF , KARANIS PANAGIOTIS 
Published: July 2017

SUMMARYToxoplasma gondiiinfections are acquired through the ingestion of oocysts present in the environment. However, there is no data about their occurrence in the air or about airborne transmission of these infections. In the present paper, we report on the identification ofT. gondiiusing rapid molecular detection methods, supported by microscopic analysis, in environmental air samples. A total of 71 samples were collected, using gelatine filters, from kitchen gardens, recreational areas and sandpits located in northern and north-eastern Poland. Material recovered from the filters was analysed using real-time PCR and loop-mediated isothermal assays targeting theT. gondiiB1 gene.Toxoplasma gondiiDNA was found in two samples, as confirmed by both molecular assays. Genotyping at the SAG2 locus showedToxoplasmaSAG2 type I. Moreover, the presence ofT. gondiioocysts was confirmed in one of the positive samples with the use of microscopy. The results showed thatT. gondiimay be present in environmental air samples and that respiratory tract infections may play a role in the high prevalence of toxoplasmosis in humans and animals. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first epidemiological evidence that oro-fecal and foodborne toxoplasmosis may be traceable to an airborne respiratory origin and that this may represent a new, previously unknown transmission route for this disease.
Antiprotozoal effects of metal nanoparticles againstIchthyophthirius multifiliis
Authors: SALEH MONA , ABDEL-BAKI ABDEL-AZEEM , DKHIL MOHAMED A. , EL-MATBOULI MANSOUR , AL-QURAISHY SALEH 
Published: July 2017

SUMMARYIchthyophthirius multifiliisis a widespread, ciliated protozoan ectoparasite of fish. In the present study, we investigated the effects of metal nanoparticles on the reproduction and infectivity of free-living stages ofI. multifiliis. We determined that ~50% of theronts could be killed within 30 min of exposure to either 20 ng mL−1gold, 10 ng mL−1silver or 5 ng mL−1zinc oxide nanoparticles. Silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles at concentration of 10 and 5 ng mL−1killed 100 and 97% of theronts, respectively and inhibited reproduction of tomonts after 2 h exposure. Gold nanoparticles at 20 ng mL killed 80 and 78% of tomonts and theronts 2 h post exposure, respectively.In vivoexposure studies using rainbow trout (Oncoryhnchus mykiss) demonstrated that theronts, which survived zinc oxide nanoparticles exposure, showed reduced infectivity compared with control theronts. No mortalities were recorded in the fish groups cohabited with theronts exposed to either nanoparticles compared with 100% mortality in the control group. On the basis of the results obtained from this study, metal nanoparticles particularly silver nanoparticles hold the best promise for the development of effective antiprotozoal agents useful in the management of ichthyophthiriosis in aquaculture.
LIFE-GIVER: THE PRE-HISPANIC NAHUA CONCEPT OF “FATHER” THROUGH COLONIAL WRITTEN SOURCES
Authors: Madajczak Julia 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThis paper explores the ancient Nahua concept of “father,” employing early Colonial sources written in both Nahuatl and Spanish. A careful contextual analysis of the occurrences of various Nahuatl terms for “father” or “parent” leads to the conclusion that the principal criterion for creating their metaphorical extensions differed considerably from parallel Spanish criterion. While the latter referred to the power relationship (“father” is the one who governs), the former was based on the concept of exchange (“father” is the one who gives). This principle has implications for studying many aspects of Nahua culture in which the terms for “father” appear: gender and social roles, political hierarchy, pre-Hispanic religion, or evangelization. The difference in the construction of such basic concepts in Nahuatl and Spanish leads to methodological considerations about studying sources that have arisen from the context of cultural contact.
PRINCIPLES OF POLICING AND PRINCIPLES OF PUNISHMENT
Authors: Nathan Christopher 
Published: July 2017

ABSTRACTAlthough the debate on the basic norms of punishment is well established, the basic norms of policing have received relatively little attention. This paper connects the two subjects, defending two claims. First, it argues that some police action that is not obviously illegitimate falls under the moral standards applicable to punishment. This may strike some as surprising. The explicit job of the police does not include punishment. Such a position is customarily defended by appeal to intention, form of treatment, or expression of censure. Such appeals prove ineffective against cases that involve a discretionary decision not to prosecute, such as in the recruitment of informants or in standard public order management tactics. Second, the paper urges that this first point presents a dilemma: either police routinely act in an illegitimately extrajudicial fashion, or the stringency of the standards to which we hold criminal court procedures is, if it is grounded, not grounded directly in the fact that the courts administer punishment. Neither option is attractive.