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With the widespread adoption of mobile devices and explosive growth of spatio-temporal data, Location-Based Services (LBS) have become an indispensable technology in our daily lives. The key characteristics of the LBS applications include a high rate of time-stamped location updates, and many concurrent historical, present and predictive queries. The commercial providers of LBS must support all three kinds of queries and address the high update rates. While they employ relational databases for this purpose, traditional databases are unable to cope with the growing demands of many LBS systems. Support for spatio-temporal indexes within these databases are limited to R-tree based approaches. Although a number of advanced spatiotemporal indexes have been proposed by the research community, only a few of them support historical queries. These indexing techniques, with support for historical queries, are unable to sustain high update and query throughput typical in LBS. Technological trends involving increasingly large main memory and growing processing core count offer opportunities to address some of these issues. We present several key ideas to support high performance commercial LBS by exploiting in-memory database techniques. Taking advantage of very large memory available in modern machines, our system maintains the location data and index for the past N days in memory. Older data and index are kept in disk. We propose an in-memory storage organization for high insert performance. We also introduce a novel spatio-temporal index that maintains partial temporal indexes in a versioned grid structure. The partial temporal indexes are organized as compressed bitmaps. With extensive evaluation, we demonstrate that our system supports high insert and query throughputs and it outperforms the leading LBS system by a significant margin.

Location-based services;LBS;Main-memory database;Spatio-temporal index

WoS

With the widespread adoption of multi-core architectures, it is becoming more important to develop software in ways that takes advantage of such parallel architectures. This particularly entails a shift in programming paradigms towards fine-grained, thread-parallel computing. Many parallel programming models have been introduced for targeting such intra-task thread-level parallelism. However, most successful results on traditional multi-core real-time scheduling are focused on sequential programming models. For example, thread-level parallelism is not properly captured into the concept of interference, which is key to many schedulability analysis techniques. Thereby, most interference-based analysis techniques are not directly applicable to parallel programming models. Motivated by this, we extend the notion of interference to capture thread-level parallelism more accurately. We then leverage the proposed notion of parallelism-aware interference to derive efficient EDF schedulability tests that are directly applicable to parallel task models, including DAG models, on multi-core platforms, without knowing an optimal schedule. Our evaluation results indicate that the proposed analysis significantly advances the state-of-the-art in global EDF schedulability analysis for parallel tasks. In particular, we identify that our proposed schedulability tests are adaptive to different degrees of thread-level parallelism and scalable to the number of processors, resulting in substantial improvement of schedulability for parallel tasks on multi-core platforms.

Real-time scheduling;parallel task;global EDF;interference

WoS

With the widespread deployment of ground, air and space sensor sources (internet of things or IoT, social networks, sensor networks), the integrated applications of real-time geospatial data from ubiquitous sensors, especially in public security and smart city domains, are becoming challenging issues. The traditional geographic information system (GIS) mostly manages time-discretized geospatial data by means of the Structured Query Language (SQL) database management system (DBMS) and emphasizes query and retrieval of massive historical geospatial data on disk. This limits its capability for on-the-fly access of real-time geospatial data for online analysis in real time. This paper proposes a hybrid database organization and management approach with SQL relational databases (RDB) and not only SQL (NoSQL) databases (including the main memory database, MMDB, and distributed files system, DFS). This hybrid approach makes full use of the advantages of NoSQL and SQL DBMS for the real-time access of input data and structured on-the-fly analysis results which can meet the requirements of increased spatio-temporal big data linking analysis. The MMDB facilitates real-time access of the latest input data such as the sensor web and IoT, and supports the real-time query for online geospatial analysis. The RDB stores change information such as multi-modal features and abnormal events extracted from real-time input data. The DFS on disk manages the massive geospatial data, and the extensible storage architecture and distributed scheduling of a NoSQL database satisfy the performance requirements of incremental storage and multi-user concurrent access. A case study of geographic video (GeoVideo) surveillance of public security is presented to prove the feasibility of this hybrid organization and management approach.

real-time geospatial data;NoSQL;RDBMS;data management;public security;hybrid databases;GeoVideo

WoS

With the widespread utilization of multicore processors, operating systems face new challenges on scalability. The lock mechanism used by current monolithic OSs makes some critical modules encounter performance bottlenecks caused by lock contention. The contention in Linux process lifecycle management results in process Creation, execution and termination (CET) scaling poorly with core count increasing. Differing from the centralized fashion of Linux, this paper presents a Distributed process management model (DPMM) on micro kernel for better scalability. The kernel functions are distributed into message passing servers running on different cores. DPMM splits the shared data including Process control blocks (PCBs), page pools and buffer caches into these cooperating servers. The actions including PCB creation/deletion, page allocation/freeing, executable loading and scheduling can be parallelized without locking. Our micro-benchmarks show that DPMM achieves nearly linear performance growth on process CET and outperforms Linux and Minix3 on a 32-Core machine.

Multicore;Microkernel;Scalability;Process;management

WoS

With this method, consecutive cryosections are collected to enable both microscopy applications for tissue histology and enrichment of RNA for gene expression using adjacent regions from a single mouse skeletal muscle. Typically, it is challenging to achieve adequate homogenization of small skeletal muscle samples because buffer volumes may be too low for efficient grinding applications, yet without sufficient mechanical disruption, the dense tissue architecture of muscle limits penetration of buffer reagents, ultimately causing low RNA yield. By following the protocol reported here, 30 mu m sections are collected and pooled allowing cryosectioning and subsequent needle homogenization to mechanically disrupt the muscle, increasing the surface area exposed for buffer penetration. The primary limitations of the technique are that it requires a cryostat, and it is relatively low throughput. However, high-quality RNA can be obtained from small samples of pooled muscle cryosections, making this method accessible for many different skeletal muscles and other tissues. Furthermore, this technique enables matched analyses (e.g., tissue histopathology and gene expression) from adjacent regions of a single skeletal muscle so that measurements can be directly compared across applications to reduce experimental uncertainty and to reduce replicative animal experiments necessary to source a small tissue for multiple applications.

Molecular Biology;Issue 118;Muscle;tibialis anterior;cryosection;RNA extraction;histology;immunofluorescence;gene expression

WoS

With traditional data storage solutions becoming too expensive and cumbersome to support Big Data processing, enterprises are now starting to outsource their data requirements to third parties, such as cloud service providers. However, this outsourced initiative introduces a number of security and privacy concerns. In this paper, homomorphic encryption is suggested as a mechanism to protect the confidentiality and privacy of outsourced data, while at the same time allowing third parties to perform computation on encrypted data. This paper also discusses the challenges of Big Data processing protection and highlights its differences from traditional data protection. Existing works on homomorphic encryption are technically reviewed and compared in terms of their encryption scheme, homomorphism classification, algorithm design, noise management, and security assumption. Finally, this paper discusses the current implementation, challenges, and future direction towards a practical homomorphic encryption scheme for securing outsourced Big Data computation.

Big Data Security;Homomorphic Encryption;Secure Outsourcing;Cloud Security

WoS

With urging needs to decrease the fuel consumption and environment pollution, energy saving and emission reduction technologies in the ICE (internal combustion engine) industry are developed. A thermal OS/ORC (Oil Storage/Organic Rankine Cycle) system was constructed and preliminarily tested for WHR (Waste Heat Recovery) from exhaust gas of a 240 kW diesel engine. The heat balance test of diesel engine without OS/ORC was conducted first to investigate the varying property of exhaust gas, then the OS/ORC system was tested to show its ability against high temperature and variation of exhaust gas. The results show that thermal oil effectively dropped the working temperature of organic fluid to less than 210 degrees C, which is much lower than the decomposition temperature of many organic fluids. Also, thermal oil brought a significant inertia to the response of system which could be positive against the variation of engine condition. In order to learn more about the operating characteristics of OS/ORC system, the impact of important parameters on each other was investigated quantitatively as well as on the performance of OS/ORC system. The results show that within the given range, higher evaporating pressure can obviously improve the performance of OS/ORC while the impact of superheat is nearly negligible. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

OS/ORC;Diesel engine;Waste heat recovery;Thermal oil;High temperature;Transient performance

WoS

With very simple methods, we fabricate photoelectrical devices using a regular paper as substrate; these sensors are able to detect ultraviolet, visible, and infrared radiation using different paper additives. The experiment we made to test detection of ultraviolet and visible light consists in irradiating light of different wavelengths over a device made of paper and semiconductor crystals; electrical current of these devices increases importantly when the bandgap energy of the semiconductor crystal is reached. To test the sensitivity to infrared, we use paper devices impregnated with salts and glycerol to increment its electrical conductivity due to the augmentation of ionic current carriers. We observe that the ionic conductivity on paper increases when the paper is irradiated by infrared light from hot objects; this phenomenon might be due to the molecular structure of cellulose that absorbs energy in the infrared part of the spectrum.

Sensor;cellulose;ZnO;photoconductive;infrared sensor;ultraviolet sensor

WoS

With water becoming an even scarcer resource, rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems are becoming increasingly more commonplace as mechanisms to capture and store rainwater for both agricultural and domestic use. Three important engineering considerations associated with the construction of RWH systems are the capture surface area, the tank volume required for specific demand levels, and the number of expected occupants. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the engineering design of a RWH system in a semi-arid Texas region using a non-parametric stochastic rainfall generator based on 64 years of data and to provide engineering charts and equations for future use. We model the RWH system using simulation techniques in order to estimate requirements for building a system capable of providing a family with 100% of its water requirements with demand never exceeding available supply (100% demand satisfaction).

rainwater harvesting;stochastic modeling;systems simulation;sustainability development

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With water scarcity becoming an increasingly critical issue for modern society, solar seawater desalination represents a promising approach to mitigating water shortage. In addition, solar seawater desalination shows great potential for mitigating the energy crisis due to its high photo-thermal conversion efficiency. However, the increasing contamination of seawater makes it difficult to generate clean water through simple desalination processes. In this work, clean water is generated by a,newly designed bifunctional Au@TiO2 core-shell nanoparticle film with a high photo-thermal conversion efficiency that is capable of photocatalysis and solar evaporation for seawater desalination. Bifunctional films of Au@TiO2 core-shell nanoparticles with good stability were prepared. It was found that the formation of the core-shell structures played a key role in promoting the photo-thermal conversion efficiency and the evaporation of seawater, while the photocatalytic function demonstrated herein could contribute to the purification of polluted seawater. Furthermore, the film structure can serve to concentrate the NPs for the photo-reaction, as well as heat for water evaporation, improving both the photo-reaction efficiency and photo-thermal conversion efficiency. This efficient approach to solar seawater desalination, which combines evaporation with the photodegradation of pollutants, could help to address the dual issues of water scarcity and water pollution. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Core-shell Au@TiO2 nanoparticles;Solar energy;Seawater evaporation;Photocatalytic;Clean water

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Withdrawn/depressed behavior (WD) as defined by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) relates to various outcomes in developmental psychopathology such as depression, pervasive developmental disorders, and suicide. We sought to examine the temperamental characteristics of children who concurrently endorse symptoms of WD. Junior Temperament and Characteristic Inventory (JTCI) and CBCL data were collected from 397 children's parents in a family study in the northeastern United States. Linear mixed models were used to test the relations between WD and temperament dimensions (Novelty Seeking, Harm Avoidance, Reward Dependence, Persistence) on the JTCI, while controlling for age, sex, item overlap, and co-occurring aggression and attention problems. When controlling for definitional artifact and CBCL aggressive behavior and attention scores, high harm avoidance and low reward dependence were both significant predictors of childhood withdrawn behavior. This study marks the first characterization of a temperamental profile associated with WD in children and adolescents.

Temperament;Withdrawn behavior;Junior Temperament and Character Inventory;Child Behavior Checklist

WoS

Within a digital map service environment, the rapid growth of Spatial Big-Data is driving new requirements for effective mechanisms for massive online vector map tile processing. The emergence of Not Only SQL (NoSQL) databases has resulted in a new data storage and management model for scalable spatial data deployments and fast tracking. They better suit the scenario of high-volume, low-latency network map services than traditional standalone high-performance computer (HPC) or relational databases. In this paper, we propose a flexible storage framework that provides feasible methods for tiled map data parallel clipping and retrieval operations within a distributed NoSQL database environment. We illustrate the parallel vector tile generation and querying algorithms with the MapReduce programming model. Three different processing approaches, including local caching, distributed file storage, and the NoSQL-based method, are compared by analyzing the concurrent load and calculation time. An online geological vector tile map service prototype was developed to embed our processing framework in the China Geological Survey Information Grid. Experimental results show that our NoSQL-based parallel tile management framework can support applications that process huge volumes of vector tile data and improve performance of the tiled map service.

digital map;map tile;NoSQL;MapReduce;cloud computing

WoS

Within comparative school effectiveness research facilitated by large-scale data across countries, this article presents the results of the testing for measurement invariance of the latent concept of Professional Community (PC) across 23 European countries and more than 35,000 teachers in secondary schools. The newly proposed Multiple-Group Factor Analysis Alignment method is applied to obtain the mean differences of the latent PC factor, while also identifying the non-invariant parameters in these different countries. After performing a number of robustness checks, including the Multiple-Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis (MGCFA) exact scalar method, we conclude that teachers in Eastern European countries report the highest average perceived PC practices. The countries with smaller PC mean differences tend to shift places in the ranking when the 2 methods are applied; however, very few changes among the groups with significant latent mean differences are observed.

The concept of professional community;multiple-group factor analysis alignment method;cross-cultural approach;teacher-perceived collaborative behaviour and beliefs

WoS

Within education, concepts such as distance learning, and open universities, are now becoming more widely used for teaching and learning. However, due to the nature of the subject domain, the teaching of Science, Technology, and Engineering are still relatively behind when using new technological approaches (particularly for online distance learning). The reason for this discrepancy lies in the fact that these fields often require laboratory exercises to provide effective skill acquisition and hands-on experience. Often it is difficult to make these laboratories accessible for online access. Either the real lab needs to be enabled for remote access or it needs to be replicated as a fully software-based virtual lab. We argue for the latter concept since it offers some advantages over remotely controlled real labs, which will be elaborated further in this paper. We are now seeing new emerging technologies that can overcome some of the potential difficulties in this area. These include: computer graphics, augmented reality, computational dynamics, and virtual worlds. This paper summarizes the state of the art in virtual laboratories and virtual worlds in the fields of science, technology, and engineering. The main research activity in these fields is discussed but special emphasis is put on the field of robotics due to the maturity of this area within the virtual-education community. This is not a coincidence; starting from its widely multidisciplinary character, robotics is a perfect example where all the other fields of engineering and physics can contribute. Thus, the use of virtual labs for other scientific and non-robotic engineering uses can be seen to share many of the same learning processes. This can include supporting the introduction of new concepts as part of learning about science and technology, and introducing more general engineering knowledge, through to supporting more constructive (and collaborative) education and training activities in a more complex engineering topic such as robotics. The objective of this paper is to outline this problem space in more detail and to create a valuable source of information that can help to define the starting position for future research. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Virtual laboratory;Dynamics based virtual reality;Virtual world;Distance learning for engineering/STEM education;Immersive education

WoS

Within Solanaceae, Nolana L. f. and Sclerophylax Miers are two genera that have deserved special attention because of their rare anatomical characteristics. However, they are poorly known from the cytogenetic perspective. In order to discuss their chromosome features in an evolutionary context, classical staining, chromomycin A(3)/4-6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (CMA/DAPI) fluorescent banding and in situ hybridisation (FISH) with probes for the 18-5.8-26S and the 5S rDNA loci were applied to root tips of germinating seeds. All the species presented the chromosome number 2n=24. Karyotypes were highly symmetric, with most chromosomes being metacentric and with a maximum of three submetacentric pairs in N. divaricata. The CMA/DAPI banding technique, assayed for the first time in Sclerophylax, showed CMA(+)/DAPI(-) bands associated with nucleolar organiser regions (NORs) in the first metacentric chromosome pair in each species. The FISH technique (applied to four species of Sclerophylax and, for the first time, in one species of Nolana) showed that the 18-5.8-26S loci coincide with CMA(+)/DAPI(-) bands. Three Sclerophylax species presented two pairs of 5S signals, whereas S. adnatifolia showed three. The rDNA loci resulted as asyntenic in Sclerophylax, but were localised in the same chromosome in N. divaricata. Despite the morphological peculiarities of Nolana and Sclerophylax, the chromosome number and karyotype features are consistent with the position of the two genera within the x=12 clade', while the number and position of rDNA loci established the chromosome rearrangements, suggesting different evolutionary pathways with respect to their closest relatives, Lycium and Jaborosa.

Heterochromatin;karyotype;Nolana;rDNA;Sclerophylax;South America

WoS

Within some European countries, for example Germany and France, a high proportion of students secure work placements as part of their course. This opportunity develops students and strengthens industry-academia interactions. In comparison, the UK lags behinds - a point that was commented on by the UK Universities minister David Willetts recently, as regards preparing graduates for employment. This difference raises the question as to what is deficient within the partnership models within the UK in cementing an effective relationship. This paper will consider tactics to overcome this gap and the resulting operational challenges, focusing particularly on undergraduate course development. A case study will be used to illustrate the approach: Coventry University and Unipart Manufacturing Group development of a BEng Manufacturing Engineering degree. Effective strategic partnerships require a clear and shared vision, as well as an effective operational model that develops lasting relationships: a set of specific resources and learning competencies. The shared vision from both university and company was to produce work-ready graduates graduates that do not require an extended graduate training scheme; this is not the norm. The achievement of this vision required the consideration of physical environments, communication and operational challenges in order to create a deeper level of collaboration. The partnership will result in the building of an institute for academic and research development which is to be based at Unipart Manufacturing's site in Coventry. This new resource will see a learning environment where students will be based, allowing them to work on live industrial projects that reinforce taught theory. These semester-long projects will be proposed by the company and progress will be mentored by University subject-specialists and industrial workplace mentors. This teaching model of one project for each 16-week semester resulted from a series of discussions factoring the voices of the three main stakeholders: Academic institute (AI), Industry partner (IP) and the students. A key challenge that this held was interpreting each voice - what are they really saying and what do they really want, as past experiences show when Universities and Industry come together to form partnerships differences in language and terminology created barriers. Academic hybrids (an academic who has transferred from professional practice to higher education) were key translators between AIs and IPs - allowing the move from elaborative language to restrictive language and back again to ensure no misunderstanding. The close and frequent interaction of students with industrial mentors on a company's site built into the semester-long projects brings a number of new challenges - particularly identifying live projects suitable for each level of study, the rules of engagement (how do the students gain access to the shop floor), health and safety, intellectual property rights and maintaining general and transferable skills (not only the company approach). The resolution of these dimensions will be outlined to demonstrate how work-relevant degree programs require a unique set of competencies to develop and implement.

Industry collaboration;Manufacturing Engineering;Employability;Graduate skills;work-based learning

WoS

Within the diagnostic process, in the activities in which digital radiology systems are utilised, image display devices play a very important role. Such devices have to guarantee high performances in order to maintain the diagnostic quality of the displayed images and present them so that they can be observed optimally. In order to ensure the appropriate performance to the users, not only the image display device but also the whole workstation should be designed properly. Particular attention should be paid to the lighting conditions, to avoid compromising the radiologist's ability to observe the displayed images. The aim of this study is to assess the lighting of some workstations used for diagnostic radiology reporting, in order to obtain information about the visual interaction between worker and device and prevent health risks. A detailed analysis of the lighting of adjustable and nonadjustable workstations used for diagnostic radiology reporting was carried out in different rooms of the Radiology Department at the "Felice Lotti" Hospital in Pontedera (Pisa, Italy). The analysis was carried out thanks to in situ measurements (objective analysis) and the submission of an evaluation questionnaire to a sample composed by 16 radiologists (subjective analysis). From the obtained results it has been possible to point out that, in nonadjustable workstations the absence of a dedicated lighting system very often reveals the inadequacy of the general lighting in guaranteeing correct lighting conditions for the radiologists during the reading of the diagnostic monitors. As measure to reduce the visual fatigue of the radiologists, the use of a supplementary adjustable innovative LED backlight system was proposed. The use of the LED backlight system allows complying the requirements of the Technical Standards and mitigate the difference of luminance in the field of view of the radiologist. Due to that the use of the LED backlight system has been positively perceived by the examined sample, a significant part of whom has ascribed to this use a reduction in the visual fatigue. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Adjustable ergonomic workstation;Visual ergonomic;Radio diagnostic reporting;Image display device;LED backlight system;Lighting risk assessment

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Within the early/late start typology of offenders with schizophrenia, a third type, first offenders (FO), has been proposed. The aim of this study was to examine the justification of this first offender type. Retrospective file study consisted of 97 early starters (ES), 100 late starters, and 26 FO. Variables in different domains were scored. There were significant differences between the groups within the domains life functioning, abuse and family-related problems, psychiatric functioning, substance misuse, antisocial personality, and offense characteristics. Most differences were between the ES and FO. The existence of the first offender type is justified by the present findings. These findings underscore the importance of offender subtyping for better offender treatment interventions.

first offenders;early/late start typology;criminal behavior;schizophrenia

WoS

Within the framework in which the Spanish universities are involved, the ECTS credit must be considered as the working hours needed for the students to acquire the subject related knowledge, capabilities and skills. The work presented in this paper consists of analyzing the data obtained by the surveys made by the students registered in manufacturing engineering subjects of the Technical University of Cartagena. This information lets us to estimate the workload needed for the subject adaptation process within the European higher education area framework.

Student's workload;Engineering education;European Credit Transfer System (ECTS);European Higher Education Area (EHEA)

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Within the framework of EUROfusion Program, the Dual Coolant Lithium Lead (DCLL) is one of the four EU breeder blanket concepts that are being investigated as candidates for DEMO. DCLL uses PbLi as the main coolant, tritium breeder, tritium carrier, and neutron multiplier. The main structures, including the first wall, are cooled with helium. The EU program proposed for the next years will consider a DCLL version limited to 550 degrees C in order to allow the use of conventional materials and technologies. During the first year of EUROfusion activities, a draft design of the DCLL has been proposed. The main blanket performances were adapted to the new specifications and the CAD model of DEMO. The breeder zone has been toroidally divided into four parallel PbLi circuits, separated through stiffening grid radial walls. The PbLi flow routing has been designed to maximize the amount of thermal power extracted by flowing PbLi and to avoid the occurrence of reverse flows due to volumetric heating. Thermal hydraulics, magnetohydrodynamic and neutronics calculations have been performed for the first draft design. The new DCLL design employs Eurofer-alumina-Eurofer sandwich as flow channel insert (FCI).

Breeder blanket (BB);DEMO;Dual Coolant Lithium Lead (DCLL);flow channel insert (FCI)

WoS

Within the last decades, the performance of concrete has been significantly improved by applying different kinds of micro- and nanoparticles and by applying analytical methods from fundamental research disciplines that had not been used for construction materials before, e.g. atomic force microscopy. One prominent result is Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) with its steel-like compressive strength which allows for slender but nevertheless very long lasting and thus sustainable concrete structures. On top of that several research projects performed at the University of Kassel, which this contribution likes to review, aim at making concrete an impervious, ceramic-like, acid resistant multifunctional "smart" material with added values by further changing its nano- and microstructure and/or applying reactive coatings e.g. with the ability to degenerate air pollutants. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nanotechnology;Structural materials;Smart concrete;Ultra-high performance concrete

WoS

Within the last two decades, the incidence of invasive fungal infections has been significantly increased. They are characterized by high mortality rates and are often caused by Candida albicans and Aspergillus furnigatus. The increasing number of infections underlines the necessity for additional anti-fungal therapies, which require extended knowledge of gene regulations during fungal infection. MicroRNAs are regulators of important cellular processes, including the immune response. By analyzing their regulation and impact on target genes, novel therapeutic and diagnostic approaches may be developed. Here, we examine the role of microRNAs in human dendritic cells during fungal infection. Dendritic cells represent the bridge between the innate and the adaptive immune systems. Therefore, analysis of gene regulation of dendritic cells is of particular significance. By applying next-generation sequencing of small RNAs, we quantify microRNA expression in monocyte-derived dendritic cells after 6 and 12h of infection with C. albicans and A. fumigatus as well as treatment with lipopolysaccharides (LPS). We identified 26 microRNAs that are differentially regulated after infection by the fungi or LPS. Three and five of them are specific for fungal infections after 6 and 12 h, respectively. We further validated interactions of miR-132-5p and miR-212-5p with immunological relevant target genes, such as FKBP1B, KLF4, and SPN, on both RNA and protein level. Our results indicate that these microRNAs fine-tune the expression of immune-related target genes during fungal infection. Beyond that, we identified previously undiscovered microRNAs. We validated three novel microRNAs via qRT-PCR. A comparison with known microRNAs revealed possible relations with the miR-378 family and miR-1260a/b for two of them, while the third one features a unique sequence with no resemblance to known microRNAs. In summary, this study analyzes the effect of known microRNAs in dendritic cells during fungal infections and proposes novel microRNAs that could be experimentally verified.

pathogenic fungi;novel microRNAs;ncRNA;validated target genes;dendritic cells;fungal infection

WoS

Within the nematode genus Caenorhabditis, Caenorhabditis briggsae and C. nigoni are among the most closely related species known. They differ in sexual mode, with C. nigoni retaining the ancestral XO male-XX female outcrossing system, while C. briggsae recently evolved self-fertility and an XX-biased sex ratio. Wild-type C. briggsae and C. nigoni can produce fertile hybrid XX female progeny, but XO progeny are either 100% inviable (when C. briggsae is the mother) or viable but sterile (when C. nigoni is the mother). A recent study provided evidence suggesting that loss of the Cbr-him-8 meiotic regulator in C. briggsae hermaphrodites allowed them to produce viable and fertile hybrid XO male progeny when mated to C. nigoni. Because such males would be useful for a variety of genetic experiments, we sought to verify this result. Preliminary crosses with wild-type C. briggsae hermaphrodites occasionally produced fertile males, but they could not be confirmed to be interspecies hybrids. Using an RNA interference (RNAi) protocol that eliminates any possibility of self-progeny in Cbr-him-8 hermaphrodites, we found sterile males bearing the C. nigoni X chromosome, but no fertile males bearing the C. briggsae X, as in wild-type crosses. Our results suggest that the apparent rescue of XO hybrid viability and fertility is due to incomplete purging of self-sperm prior to mating.

Haldane's rule;X chromosome;hybrids;Genetics of Sex

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Within the past 10 years, several investigators have reported the presence of immunoglobulin G in brain neurons. However, because immunoglobulin molecules were only known to be produced by B-lymphocytes, it was suspected that the neurons were taking immunoglobulin G up from the extracellular fluid. The aim of this study was to determine whether immunoglobulin G was actually being produced by the neurons. By immunohistochemistry and Western blotting analysis, we found that immunoglobulin G was also present in adult mouse brain neurons and isolated neonatal mouse neurons, respectively. More importantly, by in situ hybridization, Northern blotting and single cell reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, the transcripts of rearranged immunoglobulin gamma chain and K chain were also found in adult mouse brain neurons. Further, confocal imaging of primary culture neurons showed that immunoglobulin G immunoreactivity was localized in the neuron cytoplasm, axons and dendrites. Immunoglobulin G extracted from the primary culture neurons could also be detected by Western blotting. Furthermore, the results of sulphur-35 or iodine-125 pulse-labeled immunoprecipitation provided additional confirmation that brain neurons could produce immunoglobulin G. Taken together, the results indicated that immunoglobulin G originated from both early generated and adult mouse neurons. Although the bioactivity of neuron-derived immunoglobulin G was not yet clear, we believed that immunoglobulin G might play an important role in neuronal development. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

immunoglobulin G expression;gene rearrangement;mouse;neuron

WoS

Within the past decade, mobile computing has morphed into a principal form of human communication, business, and social interaction. Unfortunately, the energy demands of newer ambient intelligence and collaborative technologies on mobile devices have greatly overwhelmed modern energy storage abilities. This paper proposes several novel techniques that exploit spatiotemporal and device context to predict device wireless data and location interface configurations that can optimize energy consumption in mobile devices. These techniques, which include variants of linear discriminant analysis, linear logistic regression, non-linear logistic regression with neural networks, k-nearest neighbor, and support vector machines are explored and compared on synthetic and user traces from real-world usage studies. The experimental results show that up to 90% successful prediction is possible with neural networks and k-nearest neighbor algorithms, improving upon prediction strategies in prior work by approximately 50%. Further, an average improvement of 24% energy savings is achieved compared to state-of-the-art prior work on energy-efficient location-sensing.

Energy optimization;pervasive computing;machine learning

WoS

Within the policies of an organization is possible find not to allow users to access sites on the Internet for entertainment or social networks, as in the case of production organizations and educational therefore a firewall that is used implemented certain rules based on the policies of the organization, blocks access to certain defined sites while you let others free. However there is no implemented rules to block proxies of Avoidance Internet Censorship Systems, the user can access easily to those proxies. The addresses of these proxies change very frequently, so it is almost impossible to block them all, and eventually they appear more. The proposed solution is to create a firewall that uses dynamic rules, these rules are created for the dynamic firewall. A test of each address to a destination is made and if it finds that the destination is a proxy of one of these evation systems; the firewall creates a new rule and automatically implemented. In this way the user will lose access to the proxy.

ultrasurf;torbrowser;security policies;network security

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Within this paper, a comparative approach will be presented, in order to evaluate electrical machines in electrical drive trains. The selection of the machine type is an essential task for the design of drive trains. This paper contains the comparison of induction machines and permanent magnet synchronous machines, whereas the comparison follows an abstract procedure, since almost no machine parameters are given. Therefore, assumptions are made in order to reduce the complexity of the machine design equations. Due to the concluding diagram, it becomes possible to get a first impression about the torque-current characteristic of both machine types. The characteristics are proved by parameters of commercial machines.

comparison;electrical machine;analysis;volume;power density;efficiency

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Within this work, the analysis of the selected arterial system segments were performed regarding to various hematocrit values. Properties of arteries were transformed to electrical quantities by using electromechanical analogy. There is theory of two port electrical circuits, which was used for analysis of the selected arterial segments. The characteristic voltage and current transfers were calculated in order determine the atrial properties as function of frequency for the various hematocrit values. The work deals with model of blood viscosity assuming non - Newtonian flow and then combines it with Newtonian blood flow, which is characteristic for the used arterial system model. The impact of different hematocrit values on the selected arterial segments is evaluated.

arterial system;blood;hematocrit;two port theory;viscosity

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Without power and political authority, planning theorists' advice for planners to be politically astute is of little help. The politically astute planners could do little in the face of political pressure. In this context, the logical advice for planners would be to join politics and acquire the political authority that they need to materialize their plans. This article, through case studies from the United States, Brazil, and Nepal, shows that the planners who joined politics were able to accomplish some of the most difficult planning tasks in their towns and suggests that planners should take up elected position as and when possible.

planner-politician;political-empowerment;authority;political-leadership;political pressure

WoS

Without slighting the important role played by controlled psychological processes in human aggression, this paper recommends that considerable systematic attention should also be given to the operation of automatic processes in bringing about this behavior. The concepts of automaticity and impulsivity are discussed briefly and it is proposed that many impulsive actions, particularly antisocial ones, are due to failures of restraint after they were initiated involuntarily. A number of experiments are reviewed in which situational stimuli automatically instigated or heightened aggressive inclinations. These have to do with associations in hostility displacement, reactions to stigmatized persons, and association in aggressive reactions to media violence. The last-mentioned studies deal especially with factors affecting the selection of the target for aggression. In discussing these findings it is suggested that after the crucial situational features had automatically initiated the sequence of determinants, the aggression displayed could have been due either to a hostile appraisal of the target or the activation of aggression-related bodily reactions as well as hostile ideas. It is also hypothesized that in at least one of the studies, an experienced negative affect might have instigated the aggression independently of any appraisals.

automaticity;impulsive;hostility displacement;stigma;media violence

WoS

Wnt/beta-catenin signaling plays a key role in embryonic development, stem cell biology, and neurogenesis. However, the mechanisms of Wnt signal transmission, notably how the receptors are regulated, remain incompletely understood. Here we describe that the Parkinson's disease-associated receptor GPR37 functions in the maturation of the N-terminal bulky beta-propellers of the Wnt co-receptor LRP6. GPR37 is required for Wnt/beta-catenin signaling and protects LRP6 from ER-associated degradation via CHIP (carboxyl terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein) and the ATPase VCP. GPR37 is highly expressed in neural progenitor cells (NPCs) where it is required for Wnt-dependent neurogenesis. We conclude that GPR37 is crucial for cellular protein quality control during Wnt signaling.

ER-associated degradation;GPR37;LRP6;PAEL-R;Wnt signaling

WoS

Wolbachia naturally infects a wide variety of arthropods, where it plays important roles in host reproduction. It was previously reported that Wolbachia did not infect silkworm. By means of PCR and sequencing we found in this study that Wolbachia is indeed present in silkworm. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that Wolbachia infection in silkworm may have occurred via transfer from parasitic wasps. Furthermore, Southern blotting results suggest a lateral transfer of the wsp gene into the genomes of some wild silkworms. By antibiotic treatments, we found that tetracycline and ciprofloxacin can eliminate Wolbachia in the silkworm and Wolbachia is important to ovary development of silkworm. These results provide clues towards a more comprehensive understanding of the interaction between Wolbachia and silkworm and possibly other lepidopteran insects.

Wolbachia;silkworm;wsp;antibiotics

WoS

Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome (WHS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by mental retardation, craniofacial malformation, and defects in skeletal and heart development. The syndrome is associated with irregularities on the short arm of chromosome 4, including deletions of varying sizes and microduplications. Many of these genotypic aberrations in humans have been correlated with the classic WHS phenotype, and animal models have provided a context for mapping these genetic irregularities to specific phenotypes; however, there remains a significant knowledge gap concerning the cell biological mechanisms underlying these phenotypes. This review summarizes literature that has made recent contributions to this topic, drawing from the vast body of knowledge detailing the genetic particularities of the disorder and the more limited pool of information on its cell biology. Finally, we propose a novel characterization for WHS as a pathophysiology owing in part to defects in neural crest cell motility and migration during development.

Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome;Neural crest;Cell migration;Embryonic development

WoS

Women and couples continue to experience unintended pregnancies at high rates. In the US, 45% of all pregnancies are either mistimed or unwanted. Mishaps with contraceptives, such as condom breakage, missed pills, incorrect timing of patch or vaginal ring application, contraceptive nonuse, forced intercourse, and other circumstances, place women at risk of unintended pregnancy. There is a critical role for emergency contraception (EC) in preventing those pregnancies. There are currently three methods of EC available in the US. Levonorgestrel EC pills have been available with a prescription for over 15 years and over-the-counter since 2013. In 2010, ulipristal acetate EC pills became available with a prescription. Finally, the copper intrauterine device remains the most effective form of EC. Use of EC is increasing over time, due to wider availability and accessibility of EC methods. One strategy to expand access for both prescription and nonprescription EC products is to include pharmacies as a point of access and allow pharmacist prescribing. In eight states, pharmacists are able to prescribe and provide EC directly to women: levonorgestrel EC in eight states and ulipristal acetate in seven states. In addition to access with a prescription written by a pharmacist or other health care provider, levonorgestrel EC is available over-the-counter in pharmacies and grocery stores. Pharmacists play a critical role in access to EC in community pharmacies by ensuring product availability in the inventory, up-to-date knowledge, and comprehensive patient counseling. Looking to the future, there are opportunities to expand access to EC in pharmacies further by implementing legislation expanding the pharmacist scope of practice, ensuring third-party reimbursement for clinical services delivered by pharmacists, and including EC in pharmacy education and training.

pharmacist;community pharmacy;emergency contraception;levonorgestrel;ulipristal acetate;intrauterine device

WoS

Women are born with Millions of primordial follicles which gradually decrease with increasing age and this irreversible supply of follicles completely exhausts at menopause. The fertility, capacity of women diminishes in, parallel with aging The mechanisms for reproductive aging are not fully understood. We :have observed a, decline in Brca1 mediated DNA repair in aging rat primordial follicles: To further understand the age-related molecular changes, we performed microarray gene expression analysis using total RNA extracted from immature (1.8 to 20 day old) and aged (400 to 450 day old) rat primordial follicles. The results of current microarray study revealed that there were 1,011 (>1.5. fold, p<0.05) genes differentially expressed between two groups in which 422 genes were up-regulated and 589 genes were down-regulated in,aged rat primordial follicles compared to immature primordial follicle. The gene ontology and pathway analysis of differentially expressed,genes revealed a critical biological function such as cell cycle; oocyte meiosis, chromosomal stability, transcriptional activity, DNA replication, and DNA repair were affected by age: This considerable difference in gene expression profiles may have an adverse influence On oocyte quality. Our data provide information on the processes that may contribute to aging and age-related decline in fertility.

Aging;gene expression;oocytes;rat primordial follicles

WoS

Women are globally underrepresented in the energy industry. This paper reviews existing academic and practitioner literature on women's employment in renewable energy in industrialized nations, emerging economies and developing countries. It highlights similarities and differences in occupational patterns in women's employment in renewables in different parts of the world, and makes recommendations for optimizing women's participation. Findings reveal the need for broader socially-progressive policies and shifts in societal attitudes about gender roles, in order for women to benefit optimally from employment in renewables. In some industrialized countries, restructuring paid employment in innovative ways while unlinking social protection from employment status has been suggested as a way to balance gender equity with economic security and environmental protection. However, without more transformative social changes in gender relations, such strategies may simply reinforce rather than subvert existing gender inequities both in paid employment and in unpaid domestic labor. Grounded interventions to promote gender equality in renewable energy employment - especially within the context of increasing access to energy services for underserved communities - are more prevalent and better-established in some non-OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries. OECD countries might be well-advised to try to implement certain programs and policies that are already in place in some emerging economies.

Women;employment and labor;renewable energy;OECD countries;emerging economies;developing countries

WoS

Women are less likely than men to engage in sexually agentic behavior (e.g., initiating sexual encounters), despite the benefits associated with sexual agency (Kiefer & Sanchez, 2007). Two studies examined possible explanations, related to person perception, for gender differences in sexually agentic behavior. In Study 1, participants viewed the dating profiles of targets who were either high or low on sexual agency and rated sexually agentic targets as more desirable but also riskier sexual partners (i.e., having more previous sexual partners), as well as more selfish partners overall. Participants believed the agentic female targets to be the most desirable but also to have the highest number of previous sexual partners. In Study 2, female participants weighed the importance and consequences of sexual agency differently than male participants. Based on the two studies, we suggest that although men and women are judged similarly for sexual agency, women may refrain from sexual agency because they view the traits and characteristics that are perceived to go hand in hand with sexual agency more negatively.

Sexual agency;Sexual assertiveness;Gender differences;Sexual behavior;Sexual norms

WoS

Women are still underrepresented at the highest management levels. The think-manager-think-male phenomenon suggests that leadership is associated with male rather than female attributes. Although styling has been shown to influence the evaluation of women's leadership abilities, the relevant specific features have been left remarkably unaddressed. In a 2x2x2x2 (skirt/pants, with/without jewelry, loose hair/braid, with/without makeup) between-subjects design, 354 participants evaluated a woman in a photograph. Women with makeup, pants, or with jewelry were rated as more competent than women without makeup, with skirts, or without jewelry. A combination of loose hair and no makeup was perceived as warmest, and women with loose hair were more likely to be hired than those with braids. In sum, even subtle changes in styling have a strong impact on how women's leadership abilities are evaluated.

Competence;gender stereotypes;leadership;person perception;styling

WoS

Women are still underrepresented in management and men hold the majority of higher positions. Nonetheless, one often-heard claim in popular media is that female people-centered leadership skills (empathy, communication, etc.) are a better match for the business world - especially in the future. Furthermore, a related idea is that women may use this advantage to take over men's dominant position in leadership. Four studies show that such claims paradoxically maintain gender inequality, by undermining support for affirmative action to reduce female underrepresentation in leadership. Where earlier research shows that positive stereotypes can hurt women by suggesting that they are unqualified for leadership, the current findings show that even positive stereotypes that claim that women are particularly well qualified for leadership can hurt women in their chances for gaining leadership positions. Although it is good to highlight the advantages of female leadership, exaggerated and sensationalist claims contribute to a perpetuation of gender inequality.

gender;sexism;stereotypes;biases;leadership

WoS

Women are underrepresented in the field of Computer Science. This project aims to help Secondary School girls develop an insight into the role computers play in society and to learn some of the key skills in computing including computer programming. Exposure to Computer Science, in home or school environments, and encouragement from family and peers are leading factors that influence girls' decisions to pursue careers in Computer Science. Other factors include the girls' perception of their own problem solving ability, an understanding of the diverse applications of Computer Science and related career paths and the potential for positive social impact. This paper describes the design of an after school computing programme, CodePlus, which uses a novel 21st Century learning model. Pre and post questionnaire are being used to explore girls intentions to study CS, their confidence to study CS, perception of CS as a career, gender perception of CS and IT profession and self-efficacy following participation in the CodePlus programme. Preliminary results comparing pre questionnaire results with a male control group highlight differences in how girls see themselves in terms of CS capabilities and their future potential. Initial post questionnaire findings show a significant increase in the participants' perceived programming ability.

Computing;21C Learning;Programming;Scratch;Computational thinking;Collaborative learning

WoS

Women bear the predominant burden of our obesogenic environment, with a higher incidence of obesity than men, more impact on their fertility and success with treatment, and significant maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. In this series, the causes, consequences, and solutions regarding the obesity pandemic, the mechanisms of the effect of obesity on the female and male, the epigenetic consequences of male obesity, the marked effects on perinatal outcomes, and the effects of weight loss before conception and during pregnancy are explored. Lifestyle modifications, in particular a healthy diet and exercise during the 3-6 months before conception and during treatment, should result in better outcomes than requiring weight loss before fertility treatments. Such fundamental changes toward a healthier lifestyle will achieve steady and sustainable weight loss and long-term benefits for general health. The role of bariatric surgery before pregnancy requires careful consideration. (C) 2017 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

Obesity;infertility;perinatal risks;IVF;weight loss

WoS

Women have more of the stress-related behavioral profile that has been linked to cardiovascular disease than men. For example, women double the rates of stress-related mental disorders such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than men, and have higher rates of exposure to adversity early in life. This profile may increase women's long-term risk of cardiometabolic conditions linked to stress, especially coronary heart disease (CHD). In addition to having a higher prevalence of psychosocial stressors, women may be more vulnerable to the adverse effects of these stressors on CHD, perhaps through altered neurobiological physiology. Emerging data suggest that young women are disproportionally susceptible to the adverse effects of stress on the risk of cardiovascular disease, both in terms of initiating the disease as well as worsening the prognosis in women who have already exhibited symptoms of the disease. Women's potential vulnerability to psychosocial stress could also help explain their higher propensity toward abnormal coronary vasomotion and microvascular disease compared with men. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stress;women;cardiovascular disease;mental health;gender factors

WoS

Women hunters are a significant portion of the hunting population in North America. The increasing attention to this demographic group requires further investigation and analysis. This article introduces qualitative data to investigate women hunters by examining how women hunt, why women hunt, how gender identities are negotiated in a male-dominated sport, and their relationships with men who have often introduced them to the sport. This study suggests women use hunting as a way to reinforce their roles in their male relationships (be it romantic, familial, or friendly) and their family, while also performing domestic gender roles by providing food for their family. Recognizing the culture and motives of women hunters is paramount to understanding how women successfully pervade a social space traditionally occupied by men. Les chasseurs feminins sont une partie importante en Amerique du Nord de la population de chasse. L'attention croissante a ce groupe demographique necessite une enquete et une analyse plus approfondies. Cet article presente des donnees qualitatives pour enqueter sur les femmes chasseurs en examinant comment les femmes chassent, pourquoi les femmes chassent, comment les identites de genre sont negociees dans un sport domine par les hommes, et leurs relations avec les hommes qui les ont souvent introduites a ce sport. Cette etude suggere que les femmes utilisent la chasse comme un moyen de renforcer leur role dans leurs relations masculines (que ce soit romantique, familiale ou amicale) et familiales, tout en effectuant les taches domestiques en fournissant de la nourriture pour leur famille. Reconnaissant la culture et les motivations des femmes chasseurs est primordiale pour comprendre comment les femmes envahissent avec succes un espace social traditionnellement occupe par des hommes.

gender;society;sport;leisure;recreation

WoS

Women leaders are scarce in evangelical mission organizations. Part of the reason may be gender-role stereotypes, which function very strongly in much of evangelicalism. This article presents the stories of two women who worked at executive-level leadership positions in evangelical mission organizations. Using narrative analysis and a critical feminist lens, I examine their stories to understand how these women describe their leadership and how they portray their use of power. The strength of gender-role stereotypes and evangelical gender roles appeared to define and limit the power they were able to use. As long as they stayed within prescribed norms, they experienced some success. Deviations from the gender-role stereotypes led to sanctions from their organizations. Conclusions and implications are that the stereotypes may limit women's leadership and that both women and organizations need to become aware of how these unspoken assumptions may be functioning. Recommendations for women leaders and for organizations seeking to incorporate women into leadership are offered.

gender;leadership;mission organization;gender-role stereotypes;evangelicalism

WoS

Women who engage in prenatal physical activity give themselves, and their child, an advantage over women who did not engage in prenatal physical activity; not only are there significant health benefits for mothers, but there are also great benefits for the unborn child. Breastfeeding is another important decision parents make that can affect the mother and her child. There has been extensive research on the benefits of both prenatal physical activity and breastfeeding, but the connection between the two is unclear. The purpose of this grounded theory article was to identify potential connections between factors influencing women's decisions to engage in prenatal physical activity and breastfeeding among mothers in a medium-sized city in Tennessee. Responses from mothers revealed numerous themes related to both prenatal physical activity and breastfeeding. Connections between prenatal physical activity and breastfeeding, in addition to an overarching theme that captured the women's collective experience, were identified.

breastfeeding;physical activity;grounded theory;health behavior;infants;semi-structured interviews;mothers;parenting;perinatal health;pregnancy;social support;women's health;qualitative;grounded theory;Southeastern United States

WoS

Women who experience gender-based violence (GBV) are at increased risk for HIV. To better understand causal mechanisms, qualitative interviews were conducted with 48 African American women, who reported recent GBV and who were recruited from areas in Atlanta, GA, deemed high risk for HIV infection. Women were tested for Chlamydia (9.4%), gonorrhea (7.5%), and trichomoniasis (28.3%). Key themes were history of abuse, stereotypical gender roles, concurrency, and social support. HIV prevention programs need to address societ al, cultural, and relational influences that play a role in men perpetrating GBV while also addressing risk and protective factors for women to engage in safer sex.

African American women;heterosexual transmission;intimate partner violence;qualitative research

WoS

Women with breast cancer frequently report distressing symptoms during and after treatment that can significantly erode quality of life (QOL). Symptom burden among women with breast cancer is of complex etiology and is likely influenced by disease, treatment, and environmental factors as well as individual genetic differences. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationships between genetic polymorphisms within Neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor 1 (NTRK1), Neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor 2 (NTRK2), and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and patient symptom burden of QOL, pain, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance before, during, and after treatment for breast cancer in a subset of participants (N = 51) in a randomized clinical trial of a novel symptom-management modality for women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Patients were recruited at the time of initial breast cancer diagnosis and completed all survey measures at the time of recruitment, after the initiation of treatment (surgery and/or chemotherapy), and then following treatment conclusion. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed significant associations between NTRK2 and COMT single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotype and symptom burden. Two COMT variants were associated with the specific symptoms of anxiety and QOL measures prior to the initiation of chemotherapy as well as pain interference and severity during and after treatment. Genotype at the NTRK2 SNP rs1212171 was associated with both sleep disturbance and fatigue. These findings, while exploratory, indicate that the genotypes of NTRK2 and COMT may contribute to relative risk for symptom burden during and shortly after the period of chemotherapy in women with early stage breast cancer.

breast cancer;pain;depression;anxiety;sleep disturbance;fatigue

WoS

Women younger than 40 years may face early menopause because of premature ovarian failure (POF). The cause of POF can be idiopathic or iatrogenic, especially the cancer-induced oophorectomy and chemo-or radiation therapy. The current treatments, including hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and cryopreservation techniques, have increased risk of ovarian cancer and may reintroduce malignant cells after autografting. Decellularization technique has been regarded as a novel regenerative medicine strategy for organ replacement, wherein the living cells of an organ are removed, leaving the extracellular matrix (ECM) for cellular seeding. This study aimed to produce a xenogeneic decellularized ovary (D-ovary) scaffold as a platform for ovary regeneration and transplantation. We have developed a novel decellularization protocol for porcine ovary by treatment with physical, chemical, and enzymatic methods. Using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, DAPI staining, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and quantitative analysis, this approach proved effective in removing cellular components and preserving ECM. Furthermore, the results of biological safety evaluation demonstrated that the D-ovary tissues were noncytotoxic for rat ovarian cells in vitro and caused only a minimal immunogenic response in vivo. In addition, the D-ovary tissues successfully supported rat granulosa cell penetration ex vivo and showed an improvement in estradiol (E2) hormone secretion.

bioengineering in organ transplantation;decellularization;extracellular matrix;premature ovarian failure;regenerative medicine

WoS

Women, especially in developing countries, are often responsible for managing water at the household level. However, they are rarely represented in bodies that decide on water management, and they hardly play a role in the implementation of projects to increase water access. While the need for enhanced gender equity in water management is acknowledged in the international development discourse, the complexities of implementing it are poorly understood. This article presents a qualitative case study of women participation in the Program 'One Million Cisterns' in the Brazilian Semi-Arid region, to illustrate the promise and the challenges of bringing about women's participation and empowering. The case study shows that women not only derived significant material benefits from the program (access to water), they also acquired roles and responsibilities - as cistern builders and as members of local water commissions - that traditionally had been reserved for men. Key for this transformational process, we argue, was the role played by local feminist NGOs and social movements who helped rural women create new spaces for social inclusion in water development. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Water management;Gender and development;Latin America;Brazil;Women and water;Gender inequality;Rainwater harvesting

WoS

Wood contains a large amount of air, even in functional xylem. Air embolisms in the xylem affect water transport and can determine plant growth and survival. Embolisms are usually estimated with laborious hydraulic methods, which can be prone to several artefacts. Here, we describe a new method for estimating embolisms that is based on air flow measurements of entire branches. To calculate the amount of air flowing out of the branch, a vacuum was applied to the cut bases of branches under different water potentials. We first investigated the source of air by determining whether it came from inside or outside the branch. Second, we compared embolism curves according to air flow or hydraulic measurements in 15 vessel- and tracheid-bearing species to test the hypothesis that the air flow is related to embolism. Air flow came almost exclusively from air inside the branch during the 2.5-min measurements and was strongly related to embolism. We propose a new embolism measurement method that is simple, effective, rapid and inexpensive, and that allows several measurements on the same branch, thus opening up new possibilities for studying plant hydraulics.

cavitation;drought;plant hydraulics;water transport;xylem

WoS

Wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) are highly susceptible to infection with Frog virus 3 (FV3, Ranavirus, Iridoviridae), a cause of mass mortality in wild populations. To elucidate the pathogenesis of FV3 infection in wood frogs, 40 wild-caught adults were acclimated to captivity, inoculated orally with a fatal dose of 10(4.43) pfu/frog, and euthanized at 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 9, and 14 days postinfection (dpi). Mild lesions occurred sporadically in the skin (petechiae) and bone marrow (necrosis) during the first 2 dpi. Severe lesions occurred 1 to 2 weeks postinfection and consisted of necrosis of medullary and extramedullary hematopoietic tissue, lymphoid tissue in spleen and throughout the body, and epithelium of skin, mucosae, and renal tubules. Viral DNA was first detected (polymerase chain reaction) in liver at 4 dpi; by dpi 9 and 14, all viscera tested (liver, kidney, and spleen), skin, and feces were positive. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) first detected viral antigen in small areas devoid of histologic lesions in the oral mucosa, lung, and colon at 4 dpi; by 9 and 14 dpi, IHC labeling of viral antigen associated with necrosis was found in multiple tissues. Based on IHC staining intensity and lesion severity, the skin, oral, and gastrointestinal epithelium and renal tubular epithelium were important sites of viral replication and shedding, suggesting that direct contact (skin) and fecal-oral contamination are effective routes of transmission and that skin tissue, oral, and cloacal swabs may be appropriate antemortem diagnostic samples in late stages of disease (>1 week postinfection) but poor samples to detect infection in clinically healthy frogs.

Frog virus 3;Lithobates sylvaticus;pathogenesis;Rana sylvatica;Ranavirus;wood frog

WoS

Wood is a renewable, abundant bio-energy and environment friendly resource. Woody biomass Moisture Content (MC) is a key parameter for controlling the biofuel product qualities and properties. In this paper, we are interested in predicting MC from data. The input impedance of half-wave dipole antenna when buried in the wood pile varies according to the permittivity of wood. Hence, the measurement of reflection coefficient, that gives information about the input impedance, depends directly on the MC of wood. The relationship between the reflection coefficient measurements and the MC is studied. Based upon this relationship, MC predictive models that use machine learning techniques and feature selection methods are proposed. Numerical experiments using real world data show the relevance of the proposed approach that requires a limited computational power. Therefore, a real-time implementation for industrial processes is feasible. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Moisture content;Nonlinear regression;LS-SVM;Feature selection

WoS

Wood is a widely used material in various applications where its dimensional stability is of practical interest in the design and performance of wooden materials. The change in geometry of wood depends upon the environmental conditions (such as relative humidity) as well as internal structure and composition of wood. This work presents a measurement technique and development of the associated system for the measurement of strain changes of wood samples with relative humidity. The developed system is capable of measuring the strain change and relative humidity (RH) with temperature compensation. The system comprises of strain gauge based strain measurement unit and RH sensor with its related signal conditioning circuit along with temperature sensor. The strain gauge signal conditioning is based on quarter bridge method with high precision resistors which is excited by an AC source. The whole system is centered on an 8-bit RISC microcontroller (PIC18F43K22). The built in 10-bit analog to digital converter (ADC) is used to read the strain and ambient RH. The temperature is directly read from temperature to digital converter using ZACwire (TM) interface. The measurement system is calibrated using a cantilever of stainless steel and is used for collecting and analyzing data of four wood samples. The uncertainties associated with the measurements are reported in the paper. Experimental results obtained for a few wood samples are presented. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relative humidity;Signal conditioning circuit;Dimensional change of wood;Calibration

WoS

Wood, Garb, Nezworski, Lilienfeld, and Duke (2015) found our systematic review and meta-analyses of 65 Rorschach variables to be accurate and unbiased, and hence removed their previous recommendation for a moratorium on the applied use of the Rorschach. However, Wood et al. (2015) hypothesized that publication bias would exist for 4 Rorschach variables. To test this hypothesis, they replicated our meta-analyses for these 4 variables and added unpublished dissertations to the pool of articles. In the process, they used procedures that contradicted their standards and recommendations for sound Rorschach research, which consistently led to significantly lower effect sizes. In reviewing their meta-analyses, we found numerous methodological errors, data errors, and omitted studies. In contrast to their strict requirements for interrater reliability in the Rorschach meta-analyses of other researchers, they did not report interrater reliability for any of their coding and classification decisions. In addition, many of their conclusions were based on a narrative review of individual studies and post hoc analyses rather than their meta-analytic findings. Finally, we challenge their sole use of dissertations to test publication bias because (a) they failed to reconcile their conclusion that publication bias was present with the analyses we conducted showing its absence, and (b) we found numerous problems with dissertation study quality. In short, one cannot rely on the findings or the conclusions reported in Wood et al.

Rorschach;meta-analysis;construct validity;comprehensive system;psychological assessment

WoS

Woody vegetation in global tropical drylands is of significant importance for both the interannual variability of the carbon cycle and local livelihoods. Satellite observations over the past decades provide a unique way to assess the vegetation long-term dynamics across biomes worldwide. Yet, the actual changes in the woody vegetation are always hidden by interannual fluctuations of the leaf density, because the most widely used remote sensing data are primarily related to the photosynthetically active vegetation components. Here, we quantify the temporal trends of the nonphotosynthetic woody components (i.e., stems and branches) in global tropical drylands during 2000-2012 using the vegetation optical depth (VOD), retrieved from passive microwave observations. This is achieved by a novel method focusing on the dry season period to minimize the influence of herbaceous vegetation and using MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data to remove the interannual fluctuations of the woody leaf component. We revealed significant trends (P < 0.05) in the woody component (VODwood)in 35% of the areas characterized by a nonsignificant trend in the leaf component (VODleaf modeled from NDVI), indicating pronounced gradual growth/ decline in woody vegetation not captured by traditional assessments. The method is validated using a unique record of ground measurements from the semiarid Sahel and shows a strong agreement between changes in VODwood and changes in ground observed woody cover (r(2) = 0.78). Reliability of the obtained woody component trends is also supported by a review of relevant literatures for eight hot spot regions of change. The proposed approach is expected to contribute to an improved assessment of, for example, changes in dryland carbon pools.

deforestation;drylands;nonphotosynthetic woody component;remote sensing;shrub encroachment;trend analysis;wood biomass;woody vegetation

WoS

Word association tasks seek to measure implicit attitudes that participants may be unwilling or unable to express explicitly, by analyzing the timing of responses to a sequence of word matching tasks. An earlier study used a computer-based sequence of word associations to measure differences in response time for pair-word associations when categories within the pairings were realigned. They found that females implicitly demonstrated a more negative attitude toward mathematics, and identified it more as a male-gender domain than their male counterparts. Since females continue to be under-represented in high paying, math-intensive career, it is important for educators to be informed about research that may lead to improving the participation of women in the study of mathematics. This study seeks to identify patterns in implicit female attitudes about mathematics and math-gender identity, based on culture, background growth environment and current physical location. While results for the total sample are consistent with earlier studies, significant variations are observed in subgroups partitioned by culture and background growth environment. Identifying these types of patterns may elucidate paths to alter the persistent lack of female participation in math intensive careers.

Implicit association;Mathematics;Gender roles

WoS

Word clouds are a popular method to visualize the frequency of words in textual data. Nowadays many text-based data sets, such as Flickr tags, are geo-referenced, that is, they have an important spatial component. However, existing automated methods to generate word clouds are unable to incorporate such spatial information. We introduce geo word clouds: word clouds which capture not only the frequency but also the spatial relevance of words. Our input is a set of locations from one (or more) geographic regions with (possibly several) text labels per location. We aggregate word frequencies according to point clusters and employ a greedy strategy to place appropriately sized labels without overlap as close as possible to their corresponding locations. While doing so we "draw" the spatial shapes of the geographic regions with the corresponding labels. We experimentally explore trade-offs concerning the location of labels, their relative sizes and the number of spatial clusters. The resulting word clouds are visually pleasing and have a low error in terms of relative scaling and locational accuracy of words, while using a small number of clusters per label.

I.3.3 [Computer Graphics]

WoS

Word clouds have been widely used to present the contents and themes in the text for summary and visualization. In this paper, we propose a new semantic word cloud taking into account the word semantic meanings. Distributed word representation is applied to accurately describe the semantic meaning of words, and a word similarity graph is constructed based on the semantic distance between words to lay out words in a more compact and aesthetic manner. Word-related interactions are introduced to guide users fast read and understand the text. We apply the proposed word cloud to user generated reviews in different fields to demonstrate the effectiveness of our method.

I.3.6 [Computer Graphics]

WoS

Word problems are prevalent on high-stakes assessments, and success on word problems has implications for grade promotion and graduation. Unfortunately, English Language Learners (ELLs) continue to perform significantly below their native English-speaking peers on mathematics assessments featuring word problems. Little is known about the instructional needs and performance of ELLs at risk of mathematics difficulty (MD). In the present study, an exploratory quasi-experimental design was used to investigate word-problem instruction for ELLs in a culturally and linguistically diverse public elementary school. Specifically, we studied the efficacy of a word-problem intervention for ELLs with MD (N = 9) that combined culturally and linguistically responsive practices with schema instruction (CLR-SI). The study is unique in that it combines research on effective instruction for ELLs and students with MD; CLR-SI has not been investigated for either ELLs or students with MD. Results have implications for teachers, administrators, and researchers of ELLs with MD.

English learners;culturally and linguistically responsive teaching;mathematics difficulty;word-problem instruction;schema instruction

WoS

Words activate cortical regions in accordance with their modality of presentation (i.e., written vs. spoken), yet there is a long-standing debate about whether patterns of activity in any specific brain region capture modality invariant conceptual information. Deficits in patients with semantic dementia highlight the anterior temporal lobe (ATL) as an amodal store of semantic knowledge but these studies do not permit precise localisation of this function. The current investigation used multiple imaging methods in healthy participants to examine functional dissociations within ATL. Multi-voxel pattern analysis identified spatially segregated regions: a response to input modality in anterior superior temporal gyrus (aSTG) and a response to meaning in more ventral anterior temporal lobe (vATL). This functional dissociation was supported by resting-state connectivity that found greater coupling for aSTG with primary auditory cortex and vATL with the default mode network. A meta-analytic decoding of these connectivity patterns implicated aSTG in processes closely tied to auditory processing (such as phonology and language) and vATL in meaning-based tasks (such as comprehension or social cognition). Thus we provide converging evidence for the segregation of meaning and input modality in the ATL.

Anterior temporal lobe (ATL);Multi voxel pattern analysis (MVPA);Semantic;Hub;Spoke;Resting-state connectivity

WoS

Work in this paper presents the results of field testing on four instrumented roadway sections constructed on poor subgrade soils and stabilized with select fill, geosynthetics, or cement. Loading was applied using 1000 consecutive truck passes and profile surveying was performed to provide permanent deformation (rutting) data. Peak vertical stresses at the subgrade as well as moisture conditions were also monitored during testing. Results indicated that the deep undercut (31 in./790 mm) with select material backfill section produced the largest cumulative rut depths due to shallow incremental plastic strains induced during each axle pass. The use of a thin Aggregate Base Course (ABC) surface layer (3 in./75 mm) over the select material reduced the rate of rutting. The biaxial geogrid and the high strength geotextile showed a relatively equal performance in all aspects of the study. The cement stabilized section produced a slightly larger average rut depth than the geosynthetically-reinforced sections due to localized areas of pronounced cumulative rutting. However, there were several areas of the soil-cement test section that performed as well as the geosynthetically-reinforced sections.

cement;geosynthetics;subgrade;undercut;field;rutting

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Work Integrated Learning (WIL) is recognised by industry and academia for its benefits including preparing students for the workforce, allowing for extra resources on projects and opportunity to trial potential recruits for industry. Since 2013 the School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering developed a suite of WIL options and introduced mandatory 12 weeks of industry experience for all undergraduate students. Changes were introduced to increase student employability and decrease the skills gap. The success can be attributed to the employment of a WIL Coordinator, implementation of streamlined processes and increased brand awareness of flexible WIL options. There is great potential in this new approach as we are able to diversify relationships by offering flexible options for students to undertake placements/projects and for industry to be involved in educating future generations of engineers.

academic-industry partnerships;work integrated learning;industry

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Work on standardising methods in the field of animal species differentiation has been intensified in Germany in recent years, not least due to the horsemeat scandal in 2013. Even though there are now hardly ever any positive findings any more in examinations to detect horse elements in foods such as lasagne, animal species differentiation altogether ranks high in detecting adulteration of foods. This article therefore summarises the current status of analysis techniques in Germany with a focus on standardisation. It has been established by the working group "Biochemical and Molecular Biological Analytics" of the Lebensmittelchemische Gesellschaft (Food Chemistry Society within the German Chemical Society) with support of experts in the working group "Molecular biology techniques for differentiating plant and animal species" [ 64 of the German Food and Feed Code - LFGBI and the "Immunology and molecular biology" task force of the Food hygiene and food of animal origin working group (ALTS), both from Germany.

Differentiation;Animal species;Fish species;PCR;Standardisation

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Work place engineering problems are recognized as being complex and ambiguous. However, most of the problems students are asked to solve during their degree programs are classroom problems. Most studies of ambiguity in problem solving have defined ambiguity as a characteristic of the problems. We are interested in understanding how students interpret engineering problems, either creating or resolving ambiguity during their problem solving process. The research question that guides this study is: How is ambiguity manifested by engineering students as they solve problems? This study is part of a larger project examining engineering students' engineering problem solving across different types of engineering problems. Twenty materials engineering students were asked to solve four materials engineering problems during a think-aloud session. For the analysis, points of ambiguity during the problem-solving process were identified as periods in which the students specifically verbalized uncertainty. The points of ambiguity in the transcript were then analyzed through script analysis. More specifically textual instances of ambiguity were linked with three main periods and situational categories: a) the situation that caused the ambiguity, 2) what happened during the point of ambiguity, and 3) the reaction of the student after reaching the point of ambiguity. Results indicated that students experienced points of ambiguity in both closed-and open-ended problems. Several motifs were common to both types of problems, including confusion over how to use given values, not having necessary content knowledge, lack of self-confidence, and difficulty conceptualizing the problem. The lack of constraints inherent in the open-ended problems also caused additional ambiguity among some students. Our findings show that ambiguity can take many forms and is not just a function of the problem structure. Students reach points of ambiguity (e.g., points where they do not know what to do next), due to many factors. Some of these factors represent aspects of their academic and epistemological development. Our analysis to date suggests that students need more comprehensive training and practice to be prepared in facing problems that reflect the work in engineering practice. We are currently examining the data further to identify patterns in their response to ambiguity, which may help in developing pedagogical strategies and tools to support students' ability to successfully solve engineering problems

ambigui ty;qualitative analysis;problem solving

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Work-anxieties are often going along with workplace problems and long-term sick leave. Psychopathologically, different qualities of work anxiety can be distinguished: worrying, phobic anxiety, health-related anxiety, anxiety of insufficiency. An evaluation of a work-anxiety treatment showed that confronting patients with the topic work during medical rehabilitation leads to a better course. In work-oriented capacity trainings or behavior therapy groups, coping with everyday phenomena at work may be trained (self-presentation, social rules, work organization and problem solving, coping with chronic illness and impairment conditions). Active coping and communication (explaining impairment to the supervisor and occupational physician for making problem solving possible) are helpful. In some cases, correction of expectations must be done, and normalizing everyday work problems (conflicts and achievement requirements are normal at work, work does not make happy all the time).

work-anxiety;workplace;vocational rehabilitation;work ability;group treatment

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Working all day and all weather, a passive millimeter wave radiometer (PMMW) can be widely used in civil and military affairs. It can get some specific information about the material characteristics different from radar and infrared detectors. On basis of the radiometric operating range equation, the radiation cross section and stealth effect of metal objects are presented for the PMMW near-sensing application. The measurement experiments of metal solid models adopts 3 mm band Dicke radiometer with the outdoor calibration system. The sky temperature and other different surface metal objects are also measured as the contrastive experiments. The results show the radiometric temperature contrasts of solid models have remarkable difference in the bare and coated conditions, and the radiometric operating range can decrease to 60.8 %. In addition, the PMMW stealth methods through different surface treatment respectively reduce the radiometric antenna temperature contrast in some degree.

Radiometer;PMMW;Contrast;Stealth technology;Coated metal objects

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Working all-day and all-weather, the passive millimeter wave radiometer is widely used in remote sensing, guidance and other fields. In order to solve the increasingly serious problem of water pollution, especially the pollution caused by the rapidly breed of the aquatic plants, a simple and effective method to monitor the water environment is proposed. Aquatic plants can be distinguished through millimeter wave system, as they have high bright temperature compared to Water. The 8mm radiometer is used to measure the radiation characteristics of aquatic plants and image. The simulation results and radiation imaging experiments prove the feasibility and effectively of monitoring aquatic plants by millimeter wave radiometer. This study will contribute to monitoring the aquatic plants growth and decreasing the pollution.

MMW radiometer;radiation imaging;multilayer dielectric model;coherent approach;aquatic plants;environmental protection

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Working alliance and empathy are believed to be important components of counseling, although few studies have empirically tested this. We recently conducted a randomized controlled trial in which brief motivational and reduction counseling failed to increase the number of participants who made a quit attempt (QA) in comparison to usual care (i.e., brief advice to quit). Our negative findings could have been due to nonspecific factors. This secondary analysis used a subset of participants (n = 347) to test (a) whether, in comparison to usual care, brief telephone-based motivational or reduction counseling predicted greater working alliance or empathy; (b) whether changes in these nonspecific factors predicted an increased probability of a QA at a 6-month follow-up; and (c) whether counseling affected the probability of a QA via working alliance or empathy (i.e., mediation). Findings were similar for both active counseling conditions (motivational and reduction) versus usual care. In comparison to usual care, active counseling predicted greater working alliance (p < .001) and empathy (p < .05). Greater working alliance predicted a greater probability of a QA (p < .001) but, surprisingly, greater empathy predicted a decreased probability of a QA (p < .05) at the 6-month follow-up. Working alliance (p .001) and empathy (p < .05) mediated the active counseling's effects on the probability of a QA. One explanation for our motivational and reduction interventions' failure to influence QAs in comparison to usual care is that working alliance and empathy had opposing effects on quitting. Our analyses illustrate how testing nonspecific factors as mediators can help explain why a treatment failed.

tobacco;counseling;working alliance;empathy;mediation

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Working memory is an executive memory process that allows transitional information to be held and manipulated temporarily in memory stores before being forgotten or encoded into long-term memory. Working memory is necessary for everyday decision making and problem solving, making it a fundamental process in the daily lives of older adults. Working memory relies heavily on frontal lobe structures and is known to decline with age. The current study aimed to determine the neural correlates of decreased working memory performance in the frontal lobes by comparing cortical thickness and cortical surface area from two demographically matched groups of healthy older adults, free from cognitive impairment, with high versus low N-Back working memory performance (N = 56; average age = 70.29 +/- 10.64). High-resolution structural T1-weighted images (1 mm isotropic voxels) were obtained on a 3T Philips MRI scanner. When compared to high performers, low performers exhibited significantly decreased cortical surface area in three frontal lobe regions lateralized to the right hemisphere: medial orbital frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, and superior frontal gyrus (FDR p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in cortical thickness between groups, a proxy for neurodegenerative tissue loss. Our results suggest that decreases in cortical surface area (a proxy for brain structural integrity) in right frontal regions may underlie age-related decline of working memory function.

cognitive aging;cortical surface area;cortical thickness;FreeSurfer;N-Back;Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging

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Work-related stress in construction management can trigger impairment to employees' psychological health, and thus affect project performance, but psychological disorders' deleterious consequences on project performance have not received sufficient attention in the literature. This study aims to identify different types of psychological disorders in construction projects and to develop a fuzzy mapping to determine the impact of psychological disorders in the context of time, cost, and quality in construction management. Through a questionnaire survey assisted by pair-wise comparison among experienced construction personnel, the six most common psychological disorders, including depression, generalized anxiety disorders (GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD), substance use disorders (SUD), acrophobia, and claustrophobia, were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA), partial least-square (PLS) tests, and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (fuzzy-AHP), and followed by visualization. Although various stressors such as work overload, role ambiguity and conflict, unpaid overtime, restrictive career progression, and the diverse range of personalities are common in construction management, different roles and positions are subjected to different levels of stress, which from high to low are project manager, civil engineer, architect, contractor, quantity surveyor, and mechanical and electrical (M& E) engineer. This research developed fuzzy mapping of psychological disorders in the context of project performance, which is useful for project management teams to reveal and tackle mental health problems in early stages.(C) 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.

Psychological disorder;Depression;Generalized anxiety disorder;Obsessive-compulsive disorder;Substance use disorders;Acrophobia;Claustrophobia;Labor and personnel issues

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Work-related stress is a significant socio-economic problem and is widely discussed in developed countries today. Health care professionals are among the professionals who experience a high level of stress. It is because of long workdays, high case loads, working under time pressure, high expectations from others and a low tolerance to error. According to the American Psychological Association, yoga is one of the activities helping manage work-related stress. This classic Eastern approach seems to be very useful in dealing with our modern Western problem. There are many papers on the role of yoga in stress management, but only few studies exploring the effect of yoga on stress among health care professionals. We would like to present the results of our single arm pilot study at Military Hospital in Olomouc. They could serve as a basis for a larger randomized control trial among health care professionals in the Czech Republic.

Work-related stress;yoga

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World experts of different disciplines, from molecular biology to macroecology, recognize the value of cave ecosystems as ideal ecological and evolutionary laboratories. Among other subterranean taxa, spiders stand out as intriguing model organisms for their ecological role of top predators, their unique adaptations to the hypogean medium and their sensitivity to anthropogenic disturbance. As the description of the first eyeless spider (Stalita taenaria), an array of papers on subterranean spider biology, ecology and evolution has been published, but a comprehensive review on these topics is still lacking. We provide a general overview of the spider families recorded in hypogean habitats worldwide, we review the different adaptations of hypogean spiders to subterranean life, and we summarize the information gathered so far about their origin, population structure, ecology and conservation status. Finally, we point out the limits of the knowledge we currently have regarding hypogean spiders, aiming to stimulate future research.

Araneae;subterranean biology;evolution;hypogean habitat;adaptation

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Worldwide increase in carbapenem resistance and transferable carbapenemases are significant challenges in treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. In this study, investigation of carbapenemase production in carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa isolates recovered from clinical specimens in a tertiary hospital was aimed. A total of 84 carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa isolates were examined. Carbapenem inactivation method (CIM) was used for phenotypic detection of carbapenemase production. The existence of bla(KPC), bla(NDM), bla(IMP), bla(VIM), bla(OXA-48), and bla(GES) genes was investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Subtypes of the detected genes were identified by sequence analysis. Arbitrarily primed PCR (AP-PCR) was performed to evaluate the clonal relationship among the isolates. The presence of high-risk clones in carbapenemase producers was investigated by Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionizationtime of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Three isolates (3.5%) were identified as carbapenemase producers by CIM tests, while PCR tests demonstrated three isolates carrying carbapenemase genes as well. bla(VIM) gene was found in two isolates and bla(GES) gene was found in one isolate. Sequence analysis demonstrated that the carbapenemases were VIM-1, VIM-2, and GES-5. AP-PCR yielded high clonal diversity among the isolates. According to MALDI-TOF MS analysis, none of the carbapenemase-producing strains belonged to the high-risk clones. In conclusion, the presence of VIM-1, VIM-2, and GES-5 type carbapenemases in P. aeruginosa isolates was demonstrated for the first time in our hospital, GES-5 being reported for the second time in Turkey. Our results will lead strategies for controlling the spread of carbapenemases and contribute to epidemiological data from Turkey.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa;carbapenemase;VIM-1;VIM-2;GES-5;Turkey

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Worldwide natural gas consumption has increased significantly, especially for power generation in electricity systems with the gas-to-power (G2P) process of natural gas fired units. Supply for both natural gas and electricity systems should be dispatched economically and simultaneously due to their firm interconnection. This paper proposes a security-constrained bi-level economic dispatch (ED) model for integrated natural gas and electricity systems considering wind power and power-to-gas (P2G) process. The upper level is formulated as an ED optimization model for electricity system, while the lower level is an optimal allocation problem for natural gas system. Natural gas system is modeled in detail. In addition, the security constraints and coupling constraints for the integrated energy systems are considered. The objective function is to minimize the total production cost of electricity and natural gas. The lower model is converted and added into the upper model as Karush-Kuhn-Tucher (KKT) optimality conditions, thus the bi-level optimization model is transformed into a mix-integer linear programming (MILP) formulation. Numerical case studies on the PJM-5bus system integrated with a seven-node gas system and IEEE 118-bus system integrated with a modified Belgian high-calorific gas system demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed bi-level ED model. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bi-level optimization model;Economic dispatch;Integrated natural gas and electricity;systems;KKT optimality conditions;Power-to-gas (P2G)

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Worldwide, 40% of all pregnancies are unintended. Widespread, over-the-counter availability of oral emergency contraception (EC) has not reduced unintended pregnancy rates. The EC visit presents an opportunity to initiate a highly effective method of contraception in a population at high risk of unintended pregnancy who are actively seeking to avoid pregnancy. The copper intrauterine device (IUD), the most effective method of EC, continues to provide contraception as effective as sterilization for up to 12 years, and it should be offered as the first-line method of EC wherever possible. Increased demand for and supply of the copper IUD for EC may have an important role in reducing rates of unintended pregnancy. The EC visit should include access to the copper IUD as optimal care but should ideally include access to all highly effective methods of contraception.

copper intrauterine device;emergency contraception;intrauterine device;Paragard (R);unintended pregnancy

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Worldwide, ecosystem change compromises the supply of ecosystem services (ES). Better managing ecosystems requires detailed information on these changes and their implications for ES supply. Ecosystem accounting has been developed as an environmental-economic accounting system using concepts aligned with the System of National Accounts. Ecosystem accounting requires spatial information from a local to national scale. The objective of this paper is to explore how remote sensing can be used to analyze ecosystems using an accounting approach in the Orinoco River Basin. We assessed ecosystem assets in terms of extent, condition, and capacity to supply ES. We focus on four specific ES: grasslands grazed by cattle, timber harvesting, oil palm fresh fruit bunches harvesting, and carbon sequestration. We link ES with six ecosystem assets: savannahs, woody grasslands, mixed agroecosystems, very dense forests, dense forest, and oil palm plantations. We used remote sensing vegetation and productivity indexes to measure ecosystem assets. We found that remote sensing is a powerful tool to estimate ecosystem extent. The enhanced vegetation index can be used to assess ecosystems condition, and net primary productivity can be used for the assessment of ecosystem assets capacity to supply ES. Integrating remote sensing and ecological information facilitates efficient monitoring of ecosystem assets. (C) 2017 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)

moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer;ecosystem services;net primary productivity;condition;measurement

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Worldwide, glioblastoma (GBM) is the most lethal and frequent intracranial tumor. Despite decades of study, the overall survival of GBM patients remains unchanged. epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) amplification and gene mutation are thought to be negatively correlated with prognosis. In this study, we used proteomics to determine that UBXN1 is a negative downstream regulator of the EGFR mutation vIII (EGFRvIII). Via bioinformatics analysis, we found that UBXN1 is a factor that can improve glioma patients' overall survival time. We also determined that the down-regulation of UBXN1 is mediated by the upregulation of H3K27me3 in the presence of EGFRvIII. Because NF-kappa B can be negatively regulated by UBXN1, we believe that EGFRwt/vIII activates NF-kappa B by suppressing UBXN1 expression. Importantly, we used the latest genomic editing tool, CRISPR/Cas9, to knockout EGFRwt/vIII on exon 17 and further proved that UBXN1 is negatively regulated by EGFRwt/vIII. Furthermore, knockout of EGFR/EGFRvIII could benefit GBM in vitro and in vivo, indicating that CRISPR/Cas9 is a promising therapeutic strategy for both EGFR amplification and EGFR mutation-bearing patients. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

UBXN1;NF-KB;CRISPR/Cas9;EGFR/EGFRvIII;Glioblastoma

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Worldwide, many nonsmokers (often women and children) are exposed to second-hand smoke (SHS) in home settings, as men retain their traditional power and control within their family and women and children have limited agency to intervene. This study, set up to explore home smoking management in rural China, found that some women were able to positively intervene to restrict men's smoking at three key stages: prior to conception, during their pregnancy and at the early years of their children's lives. By utilizing dominant social, health and political narratives about the importance of raising a healthy child supported by the One-Child Policy in China, combined with the fear of health risks of SHS to young children, the women were able to use their elevated status as bearer and carers of the only children to subvert the pre-eminence of men in domestic environments, enabling them to positively influence home smoking. While this study highlights the possibility for future smoking cessation initiatives in China by incorporating family carers' elevated awareness of protection of children's health in key stages of childhood, there is also a need for further health education, as family members were unsure why they needed to keep children smoke-free, which may partially explain why few households were smoke-free.

second-hand smoke;pregnancy;One-Child Policy;rural China

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Worldwide, the demand for healthcare exceeds what individuals and governments are able to afford. Priority setting is therefore inevitable, and mental health services have often been given low priority in the decision-making process. Drawing on established economic criteria, and specifically the work of Philip Musgrove, key factors which influence government decision-making about health priorities are reviewed. These factors include the size of the health burden, the availability of cost-effective interventions to reduce the burden, whether private markets can provide the necessary treatment efficiently, whether there are "catastrophic costs" incurred in accessing treatment, whether negative externalities arise from not providing care, and if the "rule of rescue" applies. Beyond setting priorities for resource allocation, governments also become involved where there is a need for regulation to maintain quality in the delivery of healthcare. By providing field-specific examples for each factor, we illustrate how advocates in the eating disorder field may use evidence to inform government policy about resource allocation and regulation in support of individuals with an eating disorder.

advocacy;cost-effectiveness;cost of illness;eating disorder;public policy

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Worry is a common phenotype in both psychiatric patients and the normal population. Worry can be seen as a covert behavior with primary function to avoid aversive emotional experiences. Our research group has developed a treatment protocol based on an operant model of worry, where we use exposure -based strategies to extinguish the catastrophic worry thoughts. The aim of this study was to test this treatment delivered via the Internet in a large-scale randomized controlled trial. We randomized 140 high-worriers [PSWQ]) to either Internet-based extinction therapy (IbET) or to a waiting-list condition (WL). Results showed that IbET was superior to WL with an overall large between-group effect size of d 1.39 (95% confidence interval [1.04,1.73]) on the PSWQ. In the IbET group, 58% were classified as responders. The corresponding figure for WL participants was 7%. IbET was also superior to the WL on secondary outcome measures of anxiety, depression, meta-cognitions, cognitive avoidance, and quality of life. Overall treatment results were maintained for the IbET group at 4- and 12-month follow-up. The results from this trial are encouraging as they indicate that worry can be targeted with an accessible and novel intervention for worry. Replication trials with active control group are needed.

worry;exposure;extinction;internet

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Worrying is a key concept in describing the complex relationship between anxiety and cognitive control. On the one hand, cognitive control processes might underlie the specific tendency to engage in worrying (i.e., trait worry), conceptualized as a future-oriented mental problem-solving activity. On the other hand, the general tendency to experience the signs and symptoms of anxiety (i.e., trait anxiety) is suggested to impair cognitive control because worrisome thoughts interfere with task-relevant processing. Based on these opposing tendencies, we predicted that the effect of the two related constructs, trait anxiety and trait worry, might cancel out one another. In statistics, such instances have been termed suppressor situations. In four experiments, we found evidence for such a suppressor situation: When their shared variance was controlled, trait worry was positively whereas trait anxiety was negatively related to performance in a memory task requiring strategic, effortful retrieval. We also showed that these opposing effects are related to temporal context reinstatement. Our results suggest that trait worry and trait anxiety possess unique sources of variance, which differently relate to performance in memory tasks requiring cognitive control.

Cognitive control;executive functions;Context reinstatement;Episodic memory;Suppressor situation;Worry

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Wound age evaluation is one of the most challenging issues in forensic pathology. In the first minutes or hours, standard histological examination may not determine whether the wound was inflicted in the pre- or post-mortem period. While red blood cell infiltration is classically considered as a sign of vital reaction, several studies have shown that extravasation of blood cells may also occur after death and cannot be used as a reliable marker in the diagnosis of wound vitality. Numerous studies about wound vitality are available in the literature. They have evaluated markers involved in coagulation or inflammation, using various methods such as enzymology, molecular biology or immunohistochemistry. In this update, we first introduce some methodological principles. Then, we review the main studies available in the literature. Immunohistochemistry seems to be the most valuable method, given its easy application and the possibility to analyse the localization of the molecules of interest. Some markers are promising, such as CD15, TNF alpha, IL-6, IL-1b, TGF alpha or TGF beta 1. Prior to their application in daily practice, these early results need to be confirmed with other studies, conducted by independent teams and integrating multiple controls. Most notably, the antibodies have to be tested in numerous postmortem wounds. Indeed, a critical risk of overexpression in post-mortem wounds is present. Some promising markers have been later invalidated because of post-mortem false positivity. Finally, optimal sensitivity and specificity values could probably be reached by combining several markers, validated by large groups of pre- and post-mortem wounds.

Wound;vitality;marker;immunohistochemistry;forensic;pathology

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Wound dressing plays an irreplaceable role in preventing infection and accelerating healing of wounds, especially the chronic non-healing wounds. Recently, the electrospun silk fibroin (SF) fibrous matrices is regarded as an ideal candidate for wound healing in virtue of its excellent skin affinity and good permeability for air and water. Manuka honey (MH) has demonstrated its unique properties in wound healing, including anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial function as well as promoting tissue growth and reducing pain of patients. Here we report the feasibility of developing MH/SF composite fibrous matrices as antimicrobial wound dressing. SF fibrous matrices loading different amount of MH were manufactured by green electrospinning. The FTIR spectra indicated that MH was successfully loaded into the SF fibers. The composite fibers show smooth morphology and their diameter increases with MH content increased. Interestingly, the incorporation of MH significantly improved the antimicrobial activity of SF fibrous matrices, without negative effect on the excellent biocompatibility of SF. Moreover, the MH/SF composite fibrous matrices showed good performance on improving wound healing according to the data of animal experiment Our findings suggest as-prepared natural green composite matrices combining the merits of both SF and MH could be a promising candidate for wound dressing. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords

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Wound dressings play an important role in a patient's recovery from health problems, as unattended wounds could lead to serious complications such as infections or, ultimately, even death. Therefore, wound dressings since ancient times have been continuously developed, starting from simple dressings from natural materials for covering wounds to modern dressings with functionalized materials to aid in the wound healing process and enhance tissue repair. However, understanding the nature of a wound and the subsequent healing process is vital information upon which dressings can be tailored to ensure a patient's recovery. To date, much progress has been made through the use of nanomedicine in wound healing due to the ability of such materials to mimic the natural dimensions of tissue. This review provides an overview of recent studies on the physiology of wound healing and various wound dressing materials made of nanofibers fabricated using the electrospinning technique.

activity;antimicrobial;biomedical;electrospinning;nanofibers;nanomaterials;wound dressings

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Wound repair surgeries are the most common childhood surgery in most countries. Medical treatment itself will impact children's mental health. The authors' objective was to study the impact of parental presence in preschool children and to reveal the conditions and precautions of it. Parental presence during facial trauma surgeries was analyzed, a group of 49 preschool children from April 1, 2013 to April 30, 2013 and their parents attended the experiment, contrasting with a group of 57 preschool children without parental presence. By means of clinical observation and questionnaire, the wound infection rate, surgery satisfaction, children and parents' anxiety level were studied. The authors found that parental presence would not increase the Infection rate. Parental presence could reduce children's and their parents' anxiety level and increase the surgery satisfaction rate. Parental presence has a lot of positive significances about the children's emergency surgery, children's health care and parents' anxiety.

Parental presence;preschool children;emergency surgery;psychological intervention;anxiety

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Wraparound is a team-based care coordination strategy for children and youth with complex behavioral health needs and their families. Despite widespread adoption, a review of the literature pertaining to Wraparound has not previously been conducted. To address this gap, we conducted a comprehensive review, ultimately identifying 206 unique Wraparound-related publications in peer-reviewed outlets. We then coded and analyzed the publications' methods, main foci, measures, and findings. Eighty-three publications (40%) were non-empirical, most of which focused on defining Wraparound and advocating for its use, largely based on its alignment with the System of Care philosophy. Among empirical studies (n = 123; 60%), 22 controlled studies were found, most finding positive or mixed evidence for Wraparound's effectiveness. Other empirical studies examined implementation issues such as necessary system conditions and measurement and influence of fidelity. Major gaps include rigorous tests of Wraparound's change mechanisms, workforce development models, peer support, and the use of specific treatments. We conclude that literature produced to date has provided useful information about Wraparound's core components, program-level and system-level implementation supports, and applicability across systems and populations, as well as preliminary information about effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. The Wraparound research base would, however, benefit from additional studies of the model's intervention and implementation components, as well as more rigorous effectiveness studies.

Wraparound;Care coordination;Literature review;Children's mental health;Systems of care

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Wrapping granular soils in geosynthetic containers, such as soilbags, results in a considerable increase in the bearing capacity due to the effective restraint on the dilatancy of the soil. This paper numerically investigates the stress states and fabric anisotropies in the wrapped soil using the discrete element method, providing a novel perspective for new insights into the reinforcement mechanisms and the development of constitutive relations for soilbags. The two most anticipated loading conditions, namely, unconfined compression and simple shear, are considered, and numerical predictions are compared to experimental results. During unconfined compression, both global and local p q stress paths evolve linearly, having the same slope until the global failure of the wrapping geosynthetic. Under simple shear, the global stress path approaches the critical state line first and then turns to the compression line of the wrapped soil. Some local loading unloading stress paths are observed, which may account for the high damping of soilbags during cyclic shear. The reduced fabric anisotropies of the normal and tangential force chains suggest greater confinement from the lateral sides of the geosynthetic container in either loading course. The performance and mechanisms of the soilbag earth reinforcement method, i.e., confinement and interlocking, can be better understood based on these new findings on the stress states and fabric anisotropies. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Soilbag reinforcement;Geotextile;Discrete element modeling;Stress path;Fabric anisotropy

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Writing highly performant simulations requires a lot of human effort to optimize for an increasingly diverse set of hardware platforms, such as multi-core CPUs, GPUs, and distributed machines. Since these optimizations cut across both the design of geometric data structures and numerical linear algebra, code reusability and portability is frequently sacrificed for performance. We believe the key to make simulation programmers more productive at developing portable and performant code is to introduce new linguistic abstractions, as in rendering and image processing. In this perspective, we distill the core ideas from our two languages, Ebb and Simit, that are published in this journal.

Physical simulation languages;performance;compilation

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Wu D, Peng F, Zhang B, Ingram AJ, Kelly DJ, Gilbert RE, Gao B, Kumar S, Krepinsky JC. EGFR-PLC gamma 1 signaling mediates high glucose-induced PKC beta 1-Akt activation and collagen I upregulation in mesangial cells. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 297: F822-F834, 2009. First published July 15, 2009; doi:10.1152/ajprenal.00054.2009.-Glomerular matrix accumulation is a hallmark of diabetic nephropathy. We have recently shown that epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) transactivation mediates high glucose (HG)-induced collagen I upregulation through PI3K-PKC beta 1-Akt signaling in mesangial cells (MC). Phospholipase C gamma 1 (PLC gamma 1) interacts with activated growth factor receptors and activates classic PKC isoforms. We thus studied its role in HG-induced collagen I upregulation in MC. Primary rat MC were treated with HG (30 mM) or mannitol as osmotic control. Protein kinase activation was assessed by Western blotting and collagen I upregulation by Northern blotting. Diabetes was induced in rats by streptozotocin. HG treatment for 1 h led to PLC gamma 1 membrane translocation and Y783 phosphorylation, both indicative of its activation. Mannitol was without effect. PLC gamma 1 Y783 phosphorylation was also seen in cortex and glomeruli of diabetic rats. HG induced a physical association between EGFR and PLC gamma 1 as identified by coimmuno-precipitation. PLC gamma 1 activation required EGFR kinase activity since it was prevented by the EGFR inhibitor AG1478 or overexpression of kinase-inactive EGFR (K721A). Phosphoinositide-3-OH kinase inhibition also prevented PLC gamma 1 activation. HG-induced Akt S473 phosphorylation, effected by PKC beta 1, was inhibited by the PLC gamma inhibitor U73122. PLC gamma 1 inhibition or downregulation by small interference RNA also prevented HG-induced collagen I upregulation. Our results indicate that EGFR-PLC gamma 1 signaling mediates HG-induced PKC beta 1-Akt activation and subsequent collagen I upregulation in MC. Inhibition of EGFR or PLC gamma 1 may provide attractive therapeutic targets for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy.

diabetic nephropathy;extracellular matrix;epidermal growth factor receptor

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Wu, Sheppard, and Mitchell (Br. J. Psychol., 2016; 107, 1-22) provide interesting data on the perception of empathy. Their focus on cue validity could usefully be expanded to look at what cues are used, whether they have multimodal properties, and how the perception of empathy relates to other first impressions.

empathy;person perception

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Xanthine oxidase (XO) catalyses hypoxanthine and xanthine to uric acid in human metabolism. Overproduction of uric acid will lead to hyperuricemia and finally cause gout and other diseases. Luteolin is one of the major components of celery and green peppers, its inhibitory activity on XO and their interaction mechanism were evaluated by multispectroscopic methods, coupled with molecular simulation. It was found that luteolin reversibly inhibited XO in a competitive manner with inhibition constant (K-i) value of (2.38 +/- 0.05) x 10(-6) mol l(-1). Luteolin could bind to XO at a single binding site and the binding was driven mainly by hydrophobic interactions. Analysis of synchronous fluorescence and circular dichroism spectra demonstrated that the microenvironment and secondary structure of XO were altered upon interaction with luteolin. The molecular docking results revealed luteolin actually interacted with the primary amino acid residues located within the active site pocket of XO. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Luteolin;Xanthine oxidase;Inhibition kinetics;Fluorescence quenching;Circular dichroism;Molecular simulation

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Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae causes bacterial leaf blight, one of the most widespread and destructive bacterial diseases in rice. This study identified and characterized the contribution of the twin-arginine translocation (Tat) pathway to motility, chemotaxis, extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) production and virulence in X. oryzae pv. oryzae strain PXO99. The tatC disruption mutant (strain TCM) of strain PXO99 were generated, and confirmed both by PCR and Southern blotting. Strain PXO99 cells were highly motile in NYGB 0.3% soft agar plate. In contrast, the tatC mutation impaired motility. Furthermore, strain TCM cells lacked detectable flagella and exhibited almost no chemotaxis toward glucose under aerobic conditions, indicating that the Tat secretion pathway contributed to flagellar biogenesis and chemotactic responses. It was also observed that strain TCM exhibited a reductive production of extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) and a significant reduction of virulence on rice plants when compared with the wild type PXO99. However, the tatC mutation in strain PXO99 did not affect growth rate and the ability to induce hypersensitive response (HR) in nonhost tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Samsun). Our findings indicated that the Tat system of X. oryzae pv. oryzae played an important role in the pathogen's virulence.

Twin-arginine translocation system (Tat);Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae;Motility;Pathogenicity

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X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) has been associated with a broad range of infections, but enteroviral disease represents one of the most damaging infections. The risk of enteroviral infection in XLA is lower now than in the setting of intramuscular immunoglobulin or in patients without immunoglobulin replacement, but the rate of infection has not declined significantly in the era of intravenous immunoglobulin replacement. Enteroviruses can cause inflammation of nearly every organ, but in XLA, infections often manifest as dermatomyositis or chronic meningoencephalitis. Difficulty and delay in recognizing symptoms and lack of specific therapy contribute to the poor outcomes. Furthermore, cerebrospinal fluid detection of enteroviruses is not very sensitive. Reluctance to perform brain biopsies can lead to significant delays. The other feature compromising outcomes is the lack of specific therapy. High-dose peripheral and intraventricular immunoglobulin have been used, but failure is still common. New antienteroviral drugs are in development and show promise for immunodeficient patients with life-threatening infections with enterovirus. (C) 2016 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

Agammaglobulinemia;Enterovirus;Coxsackievirus B5;Polio;Pleconaril;Pocapavir;Meningoencephalitis

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XML is a pervasive technology for representing and accessing semi-structured data. XPath is the standard language for navigational queries on XML documents and there is a growing demand for its efficient processing. In order to increase the efficiency in executing four navigational XML query primitives, namely descendants, ancestors, children and parent, we introduce a new paradigm where traditional approaches based on the efficient traversing of nodes and edges to reconstruct the requested subtrees are replaced by a brand new one based on basic set operations which allow us to directly return the desired subtree, avoiding to create it passing through nodes and edges. Our solution stems from the NEsted SeTs for Object hieRarchies (NEASTOR) formal model, which makes use of set-inclusion relations for representing and providing access to hierarchical data. We define in-memory efficient data structures to implement NESTOR, we develop algorithms to perform the descendants, ancestors, children and parent query primitives and we study their computational complexity. We conduct an extensive experimental evaluation by using several datasets: digital archives (EAD collections), INEX 2009 Wikipedia collection, and two widely-used synthetic datasets (XMark and XGen). We show that NESTOR-based data structures and query primitives consistently outperform state-of-the-art solutions for XPath processing at execution time and they are competitive in terms of both memory occupation and pre-processing time. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In-memory XPath processing;NESTOR;Set-based data models;Data structures

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Xp11 translocation renal cell carcinomas (RCC) are characterized by several different translocations involving the TFE3 gene. Tumors with different specific gene fusions may have different clinicopathologic manifestations. Only 3 RBM10TFE3 RCCs have been reported to date. Here, we added 4 cases of this rare type of tumors with clinicopathologic, immunohistochemical, molecular, and ultrastructural analyses. Most tumors had similar patterns with mixed architectures as follows: acinar, tubular and papillary patterns of epithelioid cells combined with sheets of small cells with "pseudorosettelike" architectures, mimicking the typical morphology of t(6;11) RCC. Cytoplasmic vacuolization, nuclear groove, and psammoma bodies were observed in most cases. Immunohistochemically, all 4 cases demonstrated moderate to strong immunoreactivity for TFE3, Cathepsin K, CD10, Ksp-cadherin, E-cadherin, P504S, RCC marker, PAX8 and vimentin, whereas negativity for TFEB, HMB45, and CK7. CKpan and Melan-A were at least focally expressed. The antibody to Ki-67 showed labeling of 3% to 8% (mean, 5%) of tumor cell nuclei. ;Of interest, several immunostainings demonstrated expression discrepancy in different histology patterns. RBM10-TFE3 fusion transcripts were identified in all cases by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. By fluorescence in situ hybridization, all 4 cases showed unusual split signals with a distance <1 signal diameter (co-localized or subtle split signals) and usually had false-negative results. We also observed ultrastructures, including melanin pigment, nuclear groove, numerous glycogens, mitochondrion with areas of high electron density material, basement membrane material, and cell junctions with poor development. All 4 patients were alive with no evidence of recurrent disease. Our report adds to the known data regarding RBM10-TFE3 RCC.

RBM10;TFE3;Xp11 translocation;renal cell carcinoma

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X-ray screening systems have been used to safeguard environments in which access control is of paramount importance. Security checkpoints have been placed at the entrances to many public places to detect prohibited items, such as handguns and explosives. Generally, human operators are in charge of these tasks as automated recognition in baggage inspection is still far from perfect. Research and development on X-ray testing is, however, exploring new approaches based on computer vision that can be used to aid human operators. This paper attempts to make a contribution to the field of object recognition in X-ray testing by evaluating different computer vision strategies that have been proposed in the last years. We tested ten approaches. They are based on bag of words, sparse representations, deep learning, and classic pattern recognition schemes among others. For each method, we: 1) present a brief explanation; 2) show experimental results on the same database; and 3) provide concluding remarks discussing pros and cons of each method. In order to make fair comparisons, we define a common experimental protocol based on training, validation, and testing data (selected from the public GDXray database). The effectiveness of each method was tested in the recognition of three different threat objects: 1) handguns; 2) shuriken (ninja stars); and 3) razor blades. In our experiments, the highest recognition rate was achieved by methods based on visual vocabularies and deep features with more than 95% of accuracy. We strongly believe that it is possible to design an automated aid for the human inspection task using these computer vision algorithms.

Baggage screening;deep learning;implicit shape model (ISM);object categorization;object detection;object recognition;sparse representations;threat objects;X-ray testing

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Xylazine is used in veterinary medicine for sedation, anesthesia, and analgesia. It has also been reported to be misused as a horse doping agent, a drug of abuse, a drug for attempted sexual assault, and as source of accidental or intended poisonings. So far, no data concerning human metabolism have been described. Such data are necessary for the development of toxicological detection methods for monitoring drug abuse, as in most cases the metabolites are the analytical targets. Therefore, the metabolism of xylazine was investigated in rat and human urine after several sample workup procedures. The metabolites were identified using gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS) and liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with linear ion trap high-resolution multistage MS (MS (n) ). Xylazine was N-dealkylated and S-dealkylated, oxidized, and/or hydroxylated to 12 phase I metabolites. The phenolic metabolites were partly excreted as glucuronides or sulfates. All phase I and phase II metabolites identified in rat urine were also detected in human urine. In rat urine after a low dose as well as in human urine after an overdose, mainly the hydroxy metabolites were detected using the authors' standard urine screening approaches by GC-MS and LC-MS (n) . Thus, it should be possible to monitor application of xylazine assuming similar toxicokinetics in humans.

Xylazine;Metabolism;Human;Detectability;Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry;Liquid chromatography-multistage mass spectrometry;Liquid chromatography-high-resolution multistage mass spectrometry

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Xylem embolism is one of the main processes involved in drought-related plant mortality. Although its consequences for plant physiology are already well described, embolism formation and spread are poorly evaluated and modelled, especially for tracheid-based species. The aim of this study was to assess the embolism formation and spread in Pinus sylvestris as a case study using X-ray microtomography and hydraulics methods. We also evaluated the potential effects of cavitation fatigue on vulnerability to embolism and the micro-morphology of the bordered pits using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to test for possible links between xylem anatomy and embolism spread. Finally, a novel model was developed to simulate the spread of embolism in a 2D anisotropic cellular structure. Results showed a large variability in the formation and spread of embolism within a ring despite no differences being observed in intertracheid pit membrane anatomical traits. Simulations from the model showed a highly anisotropic tracheid-to-tracheid embolism spreading pattern, which confirms the major role of tracheid-to-tracheid air seeding to explain how embolism spreads in Scots pine. The results also showed that prior embolism removal from the samples reduced the resistance to embolism of the xylem and could result in overestimates of vulnerability to embolism.

cavitation;fatigue;vulnerability to embolism;X-ray microtomography;xylem anatomy

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Xylem resistance to cavitation is an important trait that is related to the ecology and survival of plant species. Vessel network characteristics, such as vessel length and connectivity, could affect the spread of emboli from gas-filled vessels to functional ones, triggering their cavitation. We hypothesized that the cavitation resistance of xylem vessels is randomly distributed throughout the vessel network. We predicted that single vessel air injection (SVAI) vulnerability curves (VCs) would thus be affected by sample length. Longer stem samples were predicted to appear more resistant than shorter samples due to the sampled path including greater numbers of vessels. We evaluated the vessel network characteristics of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.), English oak (Quercus robur L.) and black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa Torr. & A. Gray), and constructed SVAI VCs for 5- and 20-cm-long segments. We also constructed VCs with a standard centrifuge method and used computer modelling to estimate the curve shift expected for pathways composed of different numbers of vessels. For all three species, the SVAI VCs for 5aEuro...cm segments rose exponentially and were more vulnerable than the 20aEuro...cm segments. The 5aEuro...cm curve shapes were exponential and were consistent with centrifuge VCs. Modelling data supported the observed SVAI VC shifts, which were related to path length and vessel network characteristics. These results suggest that exponential VCs represent the most realistic curve shape for individual vessel resistance distributions for these species. At the network level, the presence of some vessels with a higher resistance to cavitation may help avoid emboli spread during tissue dehydration.

hydraulic architecture;plant hydraulics;water stress;water transport;xylem anatomy;xylem embolism

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Xylitol, a five carbon sugar alcohol, occurs widely in nature but it is also a normal intermediate in human metabolism. As an alternative sweetener, it is recommended for diabetics and for the prevention of dental caries. Xylitol is currently produced chemically on a large scale. Microbial production is lately becoming more attractive since the downstream processing is expected to be cheaper. Among microorganisms, yeasts are the best xylitol producers, particularly those belonging to the genus Candida. The key enzymes for xylitol production in yeasts are D-xylose reductase which, using either NADH or NADPH, reduces D-xylose to xylitol, and predominantly, NAD-linked xylitol dehydrogenase which reoxidizes xylitol to D-xylulose. Xylitol accumulation in yeasts is sensitive to environmental conditions such as nutrition, temperature, pH, inoculum, substrate and aeration, with the last two being critical for yeast growth and fermentation. Hemicellulosic hydrolysates derived from hardwood and particularly from agricultural residues, such as sugar cane bagasse, corn cabs, wheat and rice straw, are used as feedstock for xylitol production. Due to the presence of inhibitory components, some of the hydrolysates have to be treated prior to microbial utilization. The most investigated types of processes have been batch ones, although fed-batch and immobilized systems have been characterized by the highest yields and productivities. Apart from the naturally occurring yeasts, recombinant strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in free and immobilized form were also investigated for xylitol production.

D-xylose fermentation;xylitol;yeasts;D-xylose reductase;xylitol dehydrogenase

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