bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diasporic media and migrant worker consumerism: Thematic critique of magazine advertisements for the Filipino community in Taiwan
Authors: Calbay Francis Raymond
Published: November 2016

The financial burdens of Filipino migrant workers are exacerbated by the lure of miscellaneous consumer goods peddled to them by businesses looking for a lucrative share of their remittances. This study examines a profit-oriented model of diasporic media that directly serves the business interests of its publisher and its advertisers. It analyses the Taiwan-based EEC Now magazine and criticizes the duplicity of its proclaimed mission of ‘Caring for Migrant Workers Now and in the Future’. Through a thematic analysis of advertisements published in selected issues of EEC Now, the study reveals the consumerist ideology espoused by the magazine: the commodification of the migrant worker’s body, the obligatory sending of balikbayan (repatriate) cargo boxes and cash remittances and the search for the next overseas destination. Applying concepts from Baudrillard’s theory of consumer society and San Juan’s critique of Filipino diaspora formation, the themes from the analysis reveal how profit-oriented diasporic media reflect social inequities and service the global capitalist system that ultimately spawned labour migration.
Two draft genome sequences of Pseudomonas jessenii strains isolated from a copper contaminated site in Denmark
Authors: Qin Yanan , Wang Dan , Brandt Kristian K. , Rensing Christopher
Published: November 2016

Pseudomonas jessenii C2 and Pseudomonas jessenii H16 were isolated from low-Cu and high-Cu industrially contaminated soil, respectively. P. jessenii H16 displayed significant resistance to copper when compared to P. jessenii C2. Here we describe genome sequences and interesting features of these two strains. The genome of P. jessenii C2 comprised 6,420,113 bp, with 5814 protein-coding genes and 67 RNA genes. P. jessenii H16 comprised 6,807,788 bp, with 5995 protein-coding genes and 70 RNA genes. Of special interest was a specific adaptation to this harsh copper-contaminated environment as P. jessenii H16 contained a novel putative copper resistance genomic island (GI) of around 50,000 bp.
Introducing the Postsecondary Instructional Practices Survey (PIPS): A Concise, Interdisciplinary, and Easy-to-Score Survey
Authors: Walter Emily M. , Henderson Charles R. , Beach Andrea L. , Williams Cody T.
Published: November 2016

Researchers, administrators, and policy makers need valid and reliable information about teaching practices. The Postsecondary Instructional Practices Survey (PIPS) is designed to measure the instructional practices of postsecondary instructors from any discipline. The PIPS has 24 instructional practice statements and nine demographic questions. Users calculate PIPS scores by an intuitive proportion-based scoring convention. Factor analyses from 72 departments at four institutions (N = 891) support a 2- or 5-factor solution for the PIPS; both models include all 24 instructional practice items and have good model fit statistics. Factors in the 2-factor model include (a) instructor-centered practices, nine items; and (b) student-centered practices, 13 items. Factors in the 5-factor model include (a) student–student interactions, six items; (b) content delivery, four items; (c) formative assessment, five items; (d) student-content engagement, five items; and (e) summative assessment, four items. In this article, we describe our development and validation processes, provide scoring conventions and outputs for results, and describe wider applications of the instrument.
Encouragement for Faculty to Implement Vision and Change
Authors: Harvey Caylyn , Eshleman Kristen , Koo Kyosung , Smith Kevin G. , Paradise Christopher J. , Campbell A. Malcolm
Published: November 2016

The seminal report Vision and Change outlined improvements necessary for undergraduate biology courses to accomplish widely recognized learning objectives. Over the past 8 years, we have developed a two-semester introductory biology course that incorporates the core concepts and competencies recommended in Vision and Change. Using published research on how students learn, we focused our efforts on three main areas of change: pedagogy, course content, and technology. We introduced active-learning strategies to improve our classroom environments, wrote an e-textbook that provides students with the tools they need to construct their own knowledge, and employed an online learning hub to assist students who needed extra support. The redesigned courses have been well received by students, and we have seen good student learning outcomes. The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate to faculty that Vision and Change’s recommendations are feasible and students welcome the improvements.
Near-surface shear-wave velocity estimation based on surface-wave inversion
Authors: Li Peiming , Zhang Kui , Zhang Yimeng , Yan Zhihui
Published: November 2016

Rayleigh waves always coexist with reflection waves in land seismic exploration. Many previous works have shown the value of Rayleigh waves in obtaining near-surface shear velocity, however, few of them show successful applications from exploration geophysics. With an aim of practical application of Rayleigh waves in exploration data, we discuss how to obtain an accurate and high-resolution dispersion curve, the inversion algorithm, and the comparison of velocity estimated from Rayleigh-wave inversion with refraction interpretation and tomographic inversion. We first analyze the resolution difference of f-v spectra calculated through f-k, τ-p, and phase-shift approaches and propose a two-step spectrum normalization scheme for accurate picking of the dispersion curve. We then adopt the weighted damped least-squares method as the inversion algorithm and find through synthetic data that the estimated shear velocity based on the algorithm is quite accurate and the inversion algorithm is fast and robust. Finally, we select seismic data from one land exploration project in China as an example for test, and find the inverted velocity from Rayleigh-wave dispersion has a good correlation with refraction interpretation and tomographic inversion.
Near-surface velocity modeling using a combined inversion of surface and refracted P-waves
Authors: Duret Florian , Bertin Frederique , Garceran Katia , Sternfels Raphael , Bardainne Thomas , Deladerriere Nicolas , Le Meur David
Published: November 2016

We propose an innovative workflow based on the complementary use of Rayleigh waves alongside standard P-wave refraction tomography, which better depicts the shallow part of the near-surface P-wave velocity model. Our surface-wave processing sequence led to an S-wave near-surface velocity field that can be used as a constraint for P-wave tomography and can improve P-wave statics determination. Rayleigh waves are processed in three steps. The first step consists of an accurate frequency-dependent traveltime measurement for each selected source-receiver pair in which the phase difference between two adjacent traces is used to derive the phase velocity. Then, a frequency-dependent surface-wave velocity tomography is performed from the picked traveltimes. Finally, after surface-wave tomography, the frequency-dependent phase velocity volume output by the tomography is inverted to deliver an S-wave near-surface velocity model. This model is used to constrain the first-arrival P-wave tomography. To illustrate our method, we use a 3D narrow-azimuth land data set, acquired along a river valley. Strong lateral velocity variations exist in the shallow part, with slow velocities around the unconsolidated sediments of the riverbed and faster velocities in the consolidated sediments of the surrounding hills. A combined first-arrival tomography using the S-wave velocity model, the initial unconstrained refracted P-wave velocity model, and the original first arrivals is used to obtain a more accurate near-surface P-wave velocity model. This new approach led to a constrained P-wave velocity model from which primary statics are derived and then applied, leading to an improved image with better focusing and continuity of thin layers in the shallowest part.
Dellinger: Donate your data sets for the benefit of the science
Authors: Farley Isaac
Published: November 2016

This SEG Wiki interview, the finale of the series, features Joe Dellinger, Spring 2016 SEG Distinguished Lecturer, Life Award member, and SEG Wiki Committee member. Dellinger joins Isaac Farley, SEG digital publications manager, to discuss open data and open software and what both can do to advance applied geophysics.

[Figure: see text]
Reviews
Authors: Treitel Sven , Avakian Bob , Taylo Patrick
Published: November 2016

Geophysics, realism, and industry: How commercial interests shaped geophysical conceptions, 1900–1960, by Aitor Anduaga, ISBN 978-0-19875-515-9, Oxford University Press, 2016, 368 p., US$75 (paper), eBook also available. Education and Training for the Oil and Gas Industry: Building a Technically Competent Workforce, first edition, by Phil Andrews and Jim Playfoot, ISBN 978-0-12-800975-8, Elsevier, 2014, 172 p., US$99.95 (print), US$98.95 (eBook), US$119.34 (print and eBook). Precession, Nutation, and Wobble of the Earth, V. Dehant and P. M. Mathews, ISBN: 978-1-10709-254-9, 2015, Cambridge University Press, 536 p., US$144 (print).
Determination of 17OHPreg and DHEAS by LC-MS/MS: Impact of Age, Sex, Pubertal Stage, and BMI on the Δ5 Steroid Pathway
Authors: Kulle Alexandra E. , Reinehr Thomas , Simic-Schleicher Gunter , Hornig Nadine C. , Holterhus Paul-Martin
Published: November 2016

Background:

Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and 17-hydroxypregnenolone (17OHPreg) are important for understanding the Δ5 pathway (e.g., in adrenarche and obesity). Although mass spectrometry has become the state-of-the-art method for quantifying steroids, there are few comprehensive age-, sex-, and pubertal stage–specific reference ranges for children.

Aims:

To develop a sensitive and reliable ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method for simultaneous quantification of DHEAS and 17OHPreg and to establish entire age-, sex- and pubertal stage–specific reference ranges in children.

Methods:

A total of 684 children, 453 (243 female, 210 male) with normal body mass index (BMI; <90th) and 231 (132 female, 99 male) obese subjects (>97th), were categorized into 11 age groups, and age- and Tanner stage (PH)–specific reference ranges were determined.

Results:

The limit of detection was 0.05 nmol/L for 17OHPreg and 0.5 nmol/L for DHEAS. Levels of both steroids declined after the neonatal period. Comparisons with RIA assays (Siemens, Munich, Germany) (DHEAS) and an in-house kit (17OHPreg) revealed 0.95 and 0.93, respectively, as coefficients of determination. Although DHEAS—generally higher in boys—increased continuously starting at 3 to 6 years, 17OHPreg remained largely constant. In obese patients, both were significantly elevated, also in part after alignment to Tanner stages (PH).

Conclusions:

UPLC-MS/MS is sensitive and reliable for quantifying DHEAS and 17OHPreg. Our data support differential maturation of CYP17 during adrenarche with successively increasing 17,20-lyase activity but largely constant 17α−hydroxylation activity. Endocrine interpretation of 17OHPreg and DHEAS must consider differential patterns for age, sex, pubertal stage, and BMI.
O direito administrativo como caixa de ferramentas e suas estratégias
Authors: Ribeiro Leonardo Coelho
Published: November 2016

Este artigo busca contribuir para a aproximação do direito administrativo com o seu emprego prático e os resultados que produz, enquanto instrumento para a realização de finalidades predefinidas. Para isso, são investigadas não só interfaces do direito administrativo com a economia e a ciência política mas, principalmente, com a ciência da administração. O direito administrativo é, então, tomado pela metáfora de uma caixa de ferramentas, que congrega instrumentos com diferentes capacidades, conferindo-se importância ao desenho dos arranjos jurídicos, orientando a seleção, combinação e manejo das ferramentas de direito administrativo segundo os incentivos que podem gerar para cumprir as tarefas pretendidas. As estratégias do direito administrativo como caixa de ferramentas são exploradas após situar o papel do direito diante do processo de seleção de ferramentas sob as óticas da política e da gestão pública, fixando uma estratégia diagnóstica, para avaliar a consistência de arranjos jurídicos em curso, e uma estratégia prognóstica, para projetar combinações de ferramentas que produzam incentivos adequados. Essas estratégias são potencializadas por meio de uma associação aos métodos de experimentalismo, incrementalismo e minimalismo institucional. This study seeks to contribute to the approximation of Administrative Law with its practice and achieved results, as an instrument for the realization of predefined purposes. In this way are investigated not just the interfaces between Administrative Law, economics and political science, but mainly with management science. Therefore, the Administrative Law is metaphorically taken as a toolbox that brings together instruments with different capacities. Based on the new institutional economics, institutional legal design is focused as a way of guiding the selection, combination and management of Administrative Law tools according to the incentives they may generate to fulfill tasks as required. Administrative Law toolbox strategies are explored after faced with tools selection approach given by politics and public management, so establishing a diagnostic strategy to evaluate the consistency of legal arrangements in progress and a prognostic strategy to design tools combinations to produce adequate incentives. These strategies are leveraged through an association with methods of institutional experimentalism, incrementalism and minimalism.
Complete genome of Pieris rapae, a resilient alien, a cabbage pest, and a source of anti-cancer proteins
Authors: Shen Jinhui , Cong Qian , Kinch Lisa N. , Borek Dominika , Otwinowski Zbyszek , Grishin Nick V.
Published: November 2016

The Small Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) is originally a Eurasian butterfly. Being accidentally introduced into North America, Australia, and New Zealand a century or more ago, it spread throughout the continents and rapidly established as one of the most abundant butterfly species. Although it is a serious pest of cabbage and other mustard family plants with its caterpillars reducing crops to stems, it is also a source of pierisin, a protein unique to the Whites that shows cytotoxicity to cancer cells. To better understand the unusual biology of this omnipresent agriculturally and medically important butterfly, we sequenced and annotated the complete genome from USA specimens. At 246 Mbp, it is among the smallest Lepidoptera genomes reported to date. While 1.5% positions in the genome are heterozygous, they are distributed highly non-randomly along the scaffolds, and nearly 20% of longer than 1000 base-pair segments are SNP-free (median length: 38000 bp). Computational simulations of population evolutionary history suggest that American populations started from a very small number of introduced individuals, possibly a single fertilized female, which is in agreement with historical literature. Comparison to other Lepidoptera genomes reveals several unique families of proteins that may contribute to the unusual resilience ofPieris. The nitrile-specifier proteins divert the plant defense chemicals to non-toxic products. The apoptosis-inducing pierisins could offer a defense mechanism against parasitic wasps. While only two pierisins fromPieris rapaewere characterized before, the genome sequence revealed eight, offering additional candidates as anti-cancer drugs. The reference genome we obtained lays the foundation for future studies of the Cabbage White and other Pieridae species.
Review and appraisal of the implementation of OECD initiatives, "the erosion of the tax base and the withdrawal of profits from taxation"
Authors: Капустина Лариса , Kapustina Larisa , Портнов Н , Portnov N
Published: November 2016

The article describes the key provisions of OECD Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project. The article describes necessities for creation of BEPS. Author analyses possible difficulties of application of BEPS as well as consequences of implementation and possible impact on investment climate of BEPS.
Of innovative labour potential of the Russian economy: problems and prospects of training
Authors: Резник Галина , Ryeznik Galina , Амирова Динара , Amirova Dinara
Published: November 2016

Despite the availability of highly skilled staff, innovative activity of a considerable part of Russian companies remains low. Under these circumstances, the formation of innovative labor potential of society at all stages of its development is a priority in the article series reveals the stages of formation of innovative labor potential. Recommendations to facilitate the formation of an innovative labor potential of society at all stages of its development are given. The indicators of innovation activity of enterprises are recorded.
Methods of assessing the quality of services: comparative analysis
Authors: Ватолкина Н , Vatolkina N
Published: November 2016

The article presents a review of methods for assessing service quality on the basis of author´s classification in accordance with the evaluation subject and the purpose of the method. Author gives brief description of the main groups of methods of evaluation of components of service quality, evaluation of customer experience and evaluation of customer satisfaction; provides their comparative characteristics taking into account the evolutionary nature of the methods development. The author outlines specific features of quality assessment of service quality and makes the conclusion that general methods should be adapted to the services of different types and nature.
Social market preferences of students
Authors: Игошина Ирина , Igoshina Irina , Дресвянников Владимир , Dryesvyannikov Vladimir
Published: November 2016

Student community has always been looked at as a peculiar social barometer reflecting tendencies of public perception of social and economic reforms. The authors set a goal to study the values of the student community of a regional institution of higher education in modern Russia conditions as a basis for their life strategies. Analytical investigation lies not only in description of structural elements and characteristics of the social object under study, but also in finding out the courses determining its peculiarities and essence. The following sociological methods were used in the investigation: overt observation, content analysis of documents, mass survey, interviewing experts. The investigation of social and market behavior of students as the most dynamic group of the population makes it possible to assess the perception of reforms by the society, and not only in the present, but in the future as well, is practically important and necessary in work on developing social and economic reforms in Russia.
Excessive Dependence on Mobile Social Apps: A Rational Addiction Perspective
Authors: Kwon Hyeokkoo Eric , So Hyunji , Han Sang Pil , Oh Wonseok
Published: November 2016

Drawing on the rational addiction framework, this study explores the digital vulnerabilities driven by dependence on mobile social apps (e.g., social network sites and social games). Rational addicts anticipate the future consequences of their current behaviors and attempt to maximize utility from their intertemporal consumption choices. Conversely, myopic addicts tend toward immediate gratification and fail to fully recognize the future consequences of their current consumption. In lieu of conducting self-report surveys or aggregate-level demand estimation, this research examines addictive behaviors on the basis of consumption quantity at an individual level. To empirically validate rational addiction in the context of social app consumption, we collect and analyze 13-month, individual-level panel data on the weekly app usage of thousands of smartphone users. Results indicate that the average social app user conducts herself in a forward-looking manner and rationally adjusts consumption over time to derive optimal utility. The subgroup analysis, however, indicates that substantial variations in addictiveness and forward-looking propensities exist across demographically diverse groups. For example, addictive behaviors toward social network sites are more myopic in nature among older, less-educated, high-income groups. Additionally, the type of social app moderates the effects of demographic characteristics on the nature of addictive behaviors. We provide implications that policymakers can use to effectively manage mobile addiction problems, with the recommendations focusing on asymmetric social policies (e.g., information- and capacity-enhancing measures).
The Threat of Exclusion and Implicit Contracting
Authors: Brown Martin , Serra-Garcia Marta
Published: November 2016

Implicit contracts can mitigate moral hazard in labor, credit, and product markets. The enforcement mechanism underlying an implicit contract is the threat of exclusion: the agent fears that he will lose future income if the principal breaks off the relationship. This threat may be very weak in environments where an agent can appropriate income-generating resources provided by the principal. For example, in credit markets with weak creditor protection, borrowers may be able to appropriate borrowed funds and generate investment income without requiring further loans. We examine implicit contracting in a lending experiment where the threat of exclusion is exogenously varied. We find that weak exclusion undermines implicit contracting: it leads to a more frequent breakdown of credit relationships as well as to smaller loans.

Data, as supplemental material, are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2016.2572 .

This paper was accepted by John List, behavioral economics.
Provably Near-Optimal Balancing Policies for Multi-Echelon Stochastic Inventory Control Models
Authors: Levi Retsef , Roundy Robin , Truong Van Anh , Wang Xinshang
Published: November 2016

We develop the first algorithmic approach to compute provably good ordering policies for a multi-echelon, stochastic inventory system facing correlated, nonstationary and evolving demands over a finite horizon. Specifically, we study the serial system. Our approach is computationally efficient and provides worst-case guarantees. That is, the expected cost of the algorithms is guaranteed to be within a constant factor of the optimal expected cost; depending on the assumption the constant varies between two and three. Our algorithmic approach is based on an innovative scheme to account for costs in a multi-echelon, multi-period environment, as well as repeatedly balancing between opposing cost. The cost-accounting scheme, called a cause-effect cost-accounting scheme, is significantly different from traditional cost-accounting schemes in that it reallocates costs with the goal of assigning every unit of cost to the decision that caused the cost to be incurred. We believe it will have additional applications in other multi-echelon inventory models.
CHARACTERISTICS OF LOCAL GOVERNANCE AFTER 1912 IN ALBANIA
Authors: Ndreu Aurora
Published: November 2016

After declaring its independence in 1912, the Albanian state was recognized as such by the great powers only in 1913, during the Peace Conference in London, where besides the important fact of the de jure recognition of Albania as a state in the international arena, it was territorially disintegrated, where more than half of its territories remain outside of the state borders. In the Organic Statute of Albania, Albania was formed as a constitutional pricipality and hereditary sovereign under the guarantee of six major international states. If the aforementioned Statute, Chapter VI defines the organization of local administration in Albania. We can see for the first time a juridical status of local government in Albania to the most important document of the time. Based on Article 95 of the Statute, Albania was divided into seven sanjaks (units), these were divided in Kaza, and these latter in Nahije. Remaining from the Ottoman conquest of how organized and label, Sanjaks were those of Shkodra, Elbasan, Dibra, Durres, Berat, Korca and Gjirokastra. Regarding the analysis of the organization of local government, as we shall see below, this model is a remnant of the Turkish invaders organization and does not bring any innovation regarding the organization in this period. Such a form of organization had itself the Turkish Empire, which brought in Albania together with the process of invasion for centuries.
Meanings of balance for people with long-term illnesses
Authors: Nilsson Carina , Lindberg Birgitta , Skär Lisa , Söderberg Siv
Published: November 2016

The aim of this study was to elucidate meanings of balance in everyday life for people with long-term illnesses living at home. People living with long-term illnesses are in need of help and support to manage their daily lives. Twelve adults with extensive needs for help and support were interviewed. A phenomenological hermeneutic interpretation was used to analyse the interview texts. The findings show that balance in everyday life for people with long-term illnesses means striving for independence through care and support in their surroundings. It was also important to be able to choose how their lives would be and to be with others who listened and understood them for who they are. By building a relationship with patients at an early stage of their illnesses, nursing staff have an opportunity to understand what people who are living at home with long-term illnesses need in order to achieve balance in their everyday lives.
The changing nature of the nurse-patient partnership
Authors: Griffith Richard
Published: November 2016

In this article Richard Griffith considers three developments in regulation and law that have changed the nature of the relationship between neuroscience nurses and their patients. The traditional, often paternalistic, ‘professional-knows-best’ approach now gives way to a patient focused partnership.
The Orpington Prognostic Scale: a predictive tool for discharge destination and outcomes in stroke survivors admitted to a hyperacute stroke unit
Authors: Mohapatra Sushmita , Jones Amy
Published: November 2016

Background/Aims:

Accurate assessment of severity of impairment and prediction of prognosis following stroke are important for determining a patient's rehabilitation needs. This study investigates the predictive ability of the Orpington Prognostic Scale, administered within 72 hours of stroke onset, in determining discharge destination and outcomes from a hyperacute stroke unit.

Methods

Prospective data were collected from 219 patients with confirmed diagnosis of stroke admitted to a hyperacute stroke unit. Initial Orpington Prognostic Scale scores were compared to discharge destination at 72 hours. The predictive ability of the scale was analysed using logistic regression and multivariate analysis.

Results

A low score (<3.2) on the Orpington Prognostic Scale had a high positive predictive value (88.63%) for discharge home, while a high score (>3.2) had a high positive predictive value for further inpatient management (98.39%). The scale showed good predictive ability (odds ratio 27.691, 95% CI 9.852–77.825) for outcome after admission to the hyperacute stroke unit. This was independent of age, gender, type and site of stroke, previous social support and co-morbidity.

Conclusions

The Orpington Prognostic Scale could be a valuable tool for predicting discharge destination from a hyperacute stroke unit by early identification of rehabilitation needs 72 hours after stroke following the initial screening. Patients with low scores are highly likely to go home with or without support / therapy, whereas high scorers will require further input in an inpatient setting.
A culture of caring: how nurses promote emotional wellbeing and aid recovery following a stroke
Authors: Bennett Beverley
Published: November 2016

Experiencing a stroke can significantly impact on a person's emotional wellbeing. As nurses play a key role in stroke rehabilitation, their responses to the emotional experience of stroke may be crucial to the wellbeing of the patient and their relatives. This interpretive ethnographic study involved a purposive sample of 10 cases, with each ‘case’ comprising a patient, their closest relative and the nurses who provided their care. Data were constructed through participant observation, interviews and document review. Analysis revealed that the relationships built and sustained between nurses, patients and relatives are central to creating a positive culture of caring, which promotes emotional wellbeing and aids recovery in stroke rehabilitation. The importance of this culture should be more fully acknowledged, both within nursing and the wider multiprofessional rehabilitation team.
EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF WEDM MACHINED SURFACE WAVINESS
Authors: Mouralova Katerina , Kovar Jiri , Houska Pavel
Published: November 2016

Wire Electrical Discharge Machining (WEDM) an unconventional machining technology which has become indispensable in many industries. The typical morphology of a surface machined using the electrical discharge technology is characterized with a large number of craters caused by electro-spark discharges produced during the machining process. The study deals with an evaluation of the machine parameter setting on the profile parameters of surface waviness on samples made of two metal materials Al 99.5 and Ti-6Al-4V. Attention was also paid to an evaluation of the surface morphology using 3D colour filtered and non-filtered images.
BACK TO BASICS: TOWARDS NOVEL COMPUTATION AND ARRANGEMENT OF SPATIAL SENSORY IN IMAGES
Authors: Wen Wei , Khatibi Siamak
Published: November 2016

The current camera has made a huge progress in the sensor resolution and the lowluminance performance. However, we are still far from having an optimal camera as powerful as our eye is. The study of the evolution process of our visual system indicates attention to two major issues: the form and the density of the sensor. High contrast and optimal sampling properties of our visual spatial arrangement are related directly to the densely hexagonal form. In this paper, we propose a novel software-based method to create images on a compact dense hexagonal grid, derived from a simulated square sensor array by a virtual increase of the fill factor and a half a pixel shifting. After that, the orbit functions are proposed for a hexagonal image processing. The results show it is possible to achieve an image processing in the orbit domain and the generated hexagonal images are superior, in detection of curvature edges, to the square images. We believe that the orbit domain image processing has a great potential to be the standard processing for hexagonal images.
O papel conservador da renovação terminológica: reflexões sobre a expressão ‘expectativas de aprendizagem’
Authors: Oliveira Peterson José
Published: November 2016

A constante mudança de vocabulário descritivo das atividades escolares, por um lado aponta para um esvaziamento conceitual, por outro, é parte de uma estratégia de destituição da autonomia dos professores em relação aos conteúdos ministrados. Trata-se de uma virada ideológica que prioriza o como ensinar em detrimento do que ensinar (MILNER, 1984). Nesse sentido, a expressão ‘expectativas de aprendizagem’ é um das últimas pseudonovidades do jargão pedagógico, que tenta substituir os antigos objetivos de ensino. Nosso artigo mostra como tal processo pode ser visto em um documento oficial no qual as expectativas de aprendizagem são colocadas. Valendo-nos de conceitos da semântica da enunciação (GUIMARÃES (2005) e de análises conjunturais sobre a escola e a educação encontradas em DUFOUR (2009) e MILNER (1984) fazemos uma análise de partes de um documento da secretaria de Educação do Estado de São Paulo, em que tal expressão aparece e tentamos mostrar a imprecisão do termo ou sua equivalência semântico-discursiva a expressões como objetivos.
Lot-casting, Divine Interference and Chance in the Myth of Er
Authors: Ilievski Viktor
Published: November 2016

The aim of this paper is to throw some additional light on the lot-casting episode of the
Analysis of the Tourism Activities in the Protected Natural Areas of Vrancea County
Authors: Stănilă Andreea Georgiana , Barbu Constantin Ionuț
Published: November 2016

Vrancea County, through its specific physical-geographical region of Romania is replete with natural elements with unique value. The diversity of species and natural habitats, the high density of large carnivores are the main reasons that led to the establishment of protected natural areas. As regards the Natura 2000 European network, in the county were declared a number of 11 Sites of Community Importance and Sites of Special Protection 3 as a reconfirmation of the value of biodiversity. These have given rise to some touristic activities becoming tourist attraction places for nature lovers. The presence of tourists in a protected area can threaten the environment, but if tourism is managed according to sustainability principles can bring a number of benefits to both the environment and local communities. From this point of view, Vrancea stays at tourist underdevelopment, so economical, due to poor promotion nationally and underinvestment. Thanks to the initiative of associations and relevant organizations were implemented European sustainable development programs that have had a real impact on protected areas in Vrancea County. The results obtained have resulted in actions for biodiversity conservation, tourism planning of the territory and contribute to increased quality of life for local communities. These projects are proof that this region of the country presents all the strengths to develop ecotourism plan.
Model-based glycaemic control: methodology and initial results from neonatal intensive care
Authors: Dickson Jennifer L. , Chase J. Geoffrey , Lynn Adrienne , Shaw Geoffrey M.
Published: November 2016

Very/extremely premature infants often experience glycaemic dysregulation, resulting in abnormally elevated (hyperglycaemia) or low (hypoglycaemia) blood glucose (BG) concentrations, due to prematurity, stress, and illness. STAR-GRYPHON is a computerised protocol that utilises a model-based insulin sensitivity parameter to directly tailor therapy for individual patients and their changing conditions, unlike other common insulin protocols in this cohort. From January 2013 to January 2015, 13 patients totalling 16 hyperglycaemic control episodes received insulin under STAR-GRYPHON. A significant improvement in control was achieved in comparison to a retrospective cohort, with a 26% absolute improvement in BG within the targeted range and no hypoglycaemia. This improvement was obtained predominantly due to the reduction of hyperglycaemia (%BG>10.0 mmol/l: 5.6 vs. 17.7%, p<0.001), and lowering of the median per-patient BG [6.9 (6.1–7.9) vs. 7.8 (6.6–9.1) mmol/l, p<0.001, Mann-Witney U test]. While cohort-wide control results show good control overall, there is high intra-patient variability in BG behaviour, resulting in overly conservative treatments for some patients. Patient insulin sensitivity differs between and within patients over time, with some patients having stable insulin sensitivity, while others change rapidly. These results demonstrate the trade-off between safety and performance in a highly variable and fragile cohort.
Editorial for the special issue: “Novel solutions or novel approaches in Operational Research”
Authors: Dumičić Ksenija , Stirn Lidija Zadnik , Žerovnik Janez
Published: November 2016

The special issue of Business Systems Research (SI of BSR) is co-published by the Slovenian Society INFORMATIKA – Section for Operational Research (SSI – SOR) and contains developments and new techniques in operations research (OR) models and their practical uses in various fields of business and economics. Seven papers that investigate developments and new techniques in operations research (OR) models and their practical uses in various fields of business and economics have been selected for this SI of BSR.
Proust - the Scientist
Authors: Heiss Corinna
Published: November 2016

Proust was not only a French writer, but - based on his incredible scientific knowledge and descriptions in his novel - to some extent, a neurologist and psychologist. Far ahead of his time, Proust illustrated in his masterpiece In Search of Lost Time a link between personal memories and sensory stimuli. In his novels, he explains the mechanism of memory retrieval after perceiving a sensation.

Without a doubt the most famous scene of In Search of Lost Time remains the moment when the taste of a French pastry, called “madeleine,” rekindles the childhood memories of the narrator Marcel in the first volume Swann’s Way. Similarly, listening to Vinteuil’s Sonata triggers and maintains Swann’s love for Odette and its expression in the second volume of the masterpiece In Search of Lost Time.

His descriptions reveal that human senses are not only linked to personal memories, but may also trigger them. Moreover, contemporary studies in the biological field have shown that there are correlations between stimuli and intangible feelings and states of mind, such as love, hatred, and sympathy, primarily located in the amygdala of the human brain.

Reading Proust’s masterpiece In Search of Lost Time through the lens of current neurological studies opens an interesting and innovative perspective on the subject of memory retrieval and shows that he was not “only” a writer, but also an observational scientist.
Free Vibration Study of Anti-Symmetric Angle-Ply Laminated Plates under Clamped Boundary Conditions
Authors: Viswanathan K.K. , Karthik K. , Sanyasiraju Y.V.S.S. , Aziz Z.A.
Published: November 2016

Two type of numerical approach namely, Radial Basis Function and Spline approximation, used to analyse the free vibration of anti-symmetric angle-ply laminated plates under clamped boundary conditions. The equations of motion are derived using YNS theory under first order shear deformation. By assuming the solution in separable form, coupled differential equations obtained in term of mid-plane displacement and rotational functions. The coupled differential is then approximated using Spline function and radial basis function to obtain the generalize eigenvalue problem and parametric studies are made to investigate the effect of aspect ratio, length-to-thickness ratio, number of layers, fibre orientation and material properties with respect to the frequency parameter. Some results are compared with the existing literature and other new results are given in tables and graphs.
Rayy and the Religious History of the Seljūq Period
Authors: Tor D. G.
Published: November 2016

Historically, the years between the start of the tenth century AD and the mid-twelfth century witnessed dramatic socio-political and religious convulsions and transformation. This article first adumbrates the political role of Rayy, then gives an overview of the major trends in the religious history of the Seljūq period. These included the promotion and spread of the madrasa, with its accompanying
The Linguistic History of Rayy up to the Early Islamic Period
Authors: Baghbidi Hassan Rezai
Published: November 2016

The purpose of this paper is to give a short sketch of the linguistic history of Rayy from ancient times through the early Islamic period. The language of Rayy in the Old Iranian period must have been Median. The only traces of Median are a few loanwords identified in Old Persian, Assyrian and Babylonian inscriptions, Elamite tablets, Aramaic documents, and Greek texts. The language of Rayy in the Middle Iranian period seems to have been very close to the well-documented northwestern Middle Iranian language spoken in Parthia, known as Parthian or Arsacid Pahlavi. The Iranian dialect of Rayy in the Islamic period, known as the Rāzī dialect, was in fact the natural continuation of Middle Median. The only Rāzī texts available are a small number of poems by Bundār, a Shīʿīte poet at the court of Majd al-Dawla, the Buwayhid ruler of Rayy. In addition, scanty information about the Rāzī dialect can be obtained from a few classical Islamic sources and some of the Persian texts written in Rayy by Rāzī-speaking writers.
From Khalaf (beginning of the 4th/10th century?) to Ḥasan al-Ṣabbāḥ (d. 518 H/1124 CE): Ismailism in Rayy before and under the Seljūqs
Authors: De Smet Daniel
Published: November 2016

In the last decades of the 3rd/9th and the first decades of the 4th/10th centuries, the city of Rayy seems to have been an important center of Ismāʿīlī missionary activity not only in West Persia, but also in Mesopotamia, in Khurāsān and the southern region of the Caspian Sea (Daylam). Organized as a secret society, the Qarmaṭian mission in Rayy, preparing the advent of the Mahdī Muḥammad b. Ismāʿīl, left only a few traces in Ismāʿīlī sources, but has been described by hostile authors trying to prove that the Ismāʿīlī movement is the offshoot of an old Zoroastrian conspiracy against Islam. When, during the 4th/10th century, the
Sunnism in Rayy during the Seljūq Period: Sources and Observations
Authors: Ansari Hassan
Published: November 2016

During the 6th-century AH, under Seljūq rule, Rayy was a center of learning, attracting many Ḥanafīs as well as Shāfiʿīs, Zaydīs, Imāmīs, and Muʿtazilīs from other regions. Nevertheless, because of the conflicts during that period between Ḥanafīs and Shāfiʿīs, as well as between Shīʿīs and Sunnis, and then the Mongol invasion, only a handful of sources survive describing the activities of the Sunni scholars of Rayy and their relationships with one another and also with the Zaydīs and the Imāmīs. Contrary to expectation, some of the most valuable sources on the Sunnis of this era are writings by Shīʿī authors, one of the most important of which is the
Nomads and Bukhara. A Study in Nomad Migrations, Pasture, and Climate Change (11th century CE)
Authors: Paul Jürgen
Published: November 2016

This article takes a new look at the Seljuq migration into Transoxiana, and in doing so, discusses the theses recently put forward by Richard
A New High Speed Induction Motor Drive based on Field Orientation and Hysteresis Current Comparison
Authors: Ogbuka Cosmas , Nwosu Cajethan , Agu Marcel
Published: November 2016

This paper presents a new high speed induction motor drive based on the core advantage of field orientation control (FOC) and hysteresis current comparison (HCC). A complete closed loop speed-controlled induction motor drive system is developed consisting of an outer speed and an inner HCC algorithm which are optimised to obtain fast and stable speed response with effective current and torque tracking, both during transient and steady states. The developed model, being speed-controlled, was examined with step and ramp speed references and excellent performances obtained under full load stress. A speed response comparison of the model with the standard AC3 (Field-Oriented Control Induction Motor Drive) of MATLAB Simpower systems shows that the model achieved a rise time of 0.0762 seconds compared to 0.2930 seconds achieved by the AC3. Also, a settle time of 0.0775 seconds was obtained with the developed model while that of the AC3 model is 0.2986 seconds confirming, therefore, the superiority of the developed model over the AC3 model which, hitherto, served as a reference standard.
Design of Optical I/Q Modulator Using Dual-drive Mach-Zehnder Modulators in Coherent Optical-OFDM System
Authors: Nehra Monika , Kedia Deepak
Published: November 2016

A CO-OFDM system combines the advantages of both coherent detection and OFDM modulation for future high speed fiber transmission. In this paper, we propose an I/Q modulation technique using dual-drive MZMs for high rate 10 Gb/s CO-OFDM system. The proposed modulator provides 10.63 dBm improved optical spectra compared to a single dual-drive MZM. The simulation results in terms of BER and Q factor are quite satisfactory upto a transmission reach of 3,000 km and that to without making use of any dispersion compensation. A BER of about 8.03×10−10 and 15.06 dB Q factor have been achieved at −10.43 dBm received optical power.
Perinatal outcome of dichorionic-triamniotic as compared to trichorionic triplets
Authors: Simões Teresinha , Queiros Alexandra , Gonçalves Margarida Rosal , Periquito Isabel , Silva Patricia , Blickstein Isaac
Published: November 2016

Objective:

To evaluate if the perinatal outcomes of dichorionic-triamniotic (DC) triplets are significantly different than that of trichorionic (TC) triplets.

Study design:

Comparison of maternal and neonatal data of 44 DC to 46 TC triplets, using univariate analysis.

Results:

DC triplets were significantly more common after spontaneous conception but all other maternal characteristics as well complications and cesarean section rates were similar. Both groups had similar incidence of birth at <32 and <28 weeks as well as similar incidence of very low and extremely low birth weight. There was similar incidence of neonatal morbidity except for twin-twin transfusion syndrome (13.6%) in the DC group. The stillbirth rate was 45/1000 and 29/1000, the early neonatal mortality rates were 63/1000 and 45/1000, and the perinatal mortality rate was 106/1000 and 72/1000 for DC and TC triplets, respectively (all not significantly different).

Conclusions:

Our data indicate that DC twins are not significantly disadvantaged compared to TC triplets and the similar outcomes might be reassuring for those who consider continuing their DC triplet pregnancy.
Detection and quantification of left-to-right shunting using transpulmonary ultrasound dilution (TPUD): a validation study in neonatal lambs
Authors: Vrancken Sabine L. , van Heijst Arno F. , Hopman Jeroen C. , Liem Kian D. , van der Hoeven Johannes G. , de Boode Willem P.
Published: November 2016

Objectives:

We investigated the accuracy of left-to-right shunt detection using transpulmonary ultrasound dilution (TPUD) and compared the agreement between pulmonary over systemic blood flow (Qp/Qs) ratio measured by TPUD [Qp/Qs(tpud)] and ultrasonic flow probes [Qp/Qs(ufp)].

Methods:

Seven newborn lambs under general anesthesia were connected to the TPUD monitor (COstatus™) after insertion of arterial and central venous catheters. A Gore-Tex® shunt, inserted between the descending aorta and left pulmonary artery, was intermittently opened and closed while cardiac output was varied by blood withdrawals. Flow probes were placed around the main pulmonary artery (Qufp) and the descending aorta proximal (Qpre) and distal (Qpost) to the shunt insertion. Qp/Qs(ufp) was calculated as (Qufp+Qpre–Qpost)/Qufp.

Results:

Seventy-two paired measurement sessions were analyzed. Shunts were detected by TPUD with a positive predictive value of 86%, a negative predictive value of 100%, a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 83%. The Bland-Altman analysis comparing Qp/Qs(tpud) and Qp/Qs(ufp) showed an overall mean bias (SD) of 0.1 (0.3), limits of agreement (LOA) of ±0.6 and a percentage error of 34.8%.

Conclusions:

The qualitative diagnostic accuracy of TPUD for shunt detection is high. Modification of the algorithm seems required as shunt quantification by TPUD is accurate, but not yet very precise.