bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Golden Aspects of Roman Imperialism in Film, 1914–2015
Authors: Strong Anise K.
Published: September 2019

The first of three chapters that address Rome’s complicated legacy as an imperial state is Strong’s survey of films that present imperialism as beneficial for Rome’s provincial subjects and other “barbarians,” spanning a century of filmmaking from 1914 to 2015. The films in question were produced by and for members of three imperial states during particular historical periods: Italy between World Wars I and II, the United Kingdom after World War II, and the United States after 9/11. Strong’s analysis treats three major arguments variously offered by these films to justify imperialism as producing golden-age conditions for subjects: the technology and order provided by “civilization,” the enlightened embrace of diverse peoples within one expansive community, and the masculine valor of its soldiers. These portrayals, as products of societies engaged in imperialistic behavior, tend to ignore the moral problems of slavery, repression of Christianity, and the status of women in Roman society. Films treated include Cabiria (1914), Scipio l’Africano (1937), The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979), Centurion (2010), The Eagle (2011), and The Last Legion (2007).
Person and Poiesis in Technology and Law: Questioning Builds a Way
Authors: Gaakeer Jeanne
Published: September 2019

Chapter 12 examines the relation between biotechnology, law and literature. Following Ricoeur’s distinction between ipse selfhood, i.e. the way in which one perceives oneself in the course of a lifetime’s development, and idem selfhood, the term denoting the way in which the other perceives me, e.g. that I am thought of as a legal subject when the situation is legal, or how my fingerprints or DNA make me uniquely me, it considers questions of identity and selfhood, and what makes us human. It does so by offering two readings of Michel Houellebecq’s novel Atomised (The Elementary Particles), and Heidegger’s view on technology in relation to poièsis as “making” something. It then asks after the effects of technology on (legal) personhood and narrative identity when technology is employed instrumentally without sensitivity to its darker side effects such as loss of privacy, freedom, or individuality.
Coda
Authors: Gaakeer Jeanne
Published: September 2019

My argument in this book is that a literary turn of mind together with the building blocks from philosophical hermeneutics help form a solid basis for the development of the essential capability of jurists to truly judge from experience: that is, to learn about the lives and experiences of others, and to act on what one learns, while at the same time to cherish an attitude of self-reflection in order to gain self-knowledge. Whatever the global, political, or technological developments, I am convinced that judging from experience is, and remains, the crucial, professional methodology and ...
Introduction
Authors: Chiari Sophie
Published: September 2019

Torn as they were between trying to control their own destinies and letting God shape their actions, the Elizabethan and Jacobean subjects still looked for answers in the skies while they were also anxious to fashion their own lives in more coherent or rational ways than before. This Introduction gives clear definitions of the concepts used in the book (‘climate’, ‘weather’, ‘environment’) and presents the various approaches to weather and climate that prevailed at the turn of the seventeenth century. It also explains how early modern writers capitalised on both traditional and innovative views of the sky and emphasises both the influence of classical thought and the harsh realities of what is now known as the ‘Little Ice Age’. It finally introduces weather issues in connection with early modern drama and shows that the Shakespearean skies, in particular, are much more than a mere reservoir of metaphors.
‘Winter and rough weather’: Arden’s Sterile Climate
Authors: Chiari Sophie
Published: September 2019

The third chapter turns to As You Like It (1599), a comedy obsessed with coldness and the winter gale which features an exiled Duke and a couple of lovers forced to make the best of a bad bargain in a freezing forest. Marked by a saturnalian atmosphere which favours melancholy and bitter-sweet songs to the detriment of the not-so-innocent games of love, the play alludes to several ritual times, themselves associated with various types of weather. However, coldness always prevails. Jolly and festive as the comedy may sometimes be, Arden’s air remains desperately frosty—a frostiness synonymous with sterility and tyranny. If springtime, ‘the only pretty ring-time’ (5.3.18), is duly announced, it never fully materialises at the end. As a result, even though the multiple marriages about to be celebrated apparently point to a satisfying resolution of the plot, the characters’ tirades, laden with clichés, still suggest frozen thoughts strongly reminiscent of Rabelais’s paroles gelées.
‘The pelting of [a] pitiless storm’: Thunder and Lightning in King Lear
Authors: Chiari Sophie
Published: September 2019

King Lear (1605-06), where the vehemence of the old king’s defiant speeches is matched by the raging storm striking the heath, is what we may call a climatic play. If, in Of the lavves of ecclesiasticall politie (1593), Richard Hooker assumed that natural phenomena coincide with the voice of God, the playwright here questions the alleged divine origin of climatic manifestations in a dark and nihilistic vision of life. As Lear fights against the storm, superbly staging his own distress, he proceeds to an inverted exorcism, wishing he could destroy all forms of human life rather than recovering his mental sanity. This chapter argues that, influenced by Lucretius’ atomism, the play provides a truly epicurean vision of the skies makes an extensive dramatic use of the humoural and cosmological interplay of the four elements. Eventually, as gall invades Lear’s heart and eradicates both hope and tenderness, a disquietingly grotesque tonality pervades the tragedy and forces us to look at the title part’s internal turmoil.
Introduction: the end of representative politics?
Authors: Disch Lisa
Published: September 2019

What should political theorists make of M15 and the Occupy movements? Of the rise of alternative parties such as Podemos and Syriza? And support for alternatives to parties such as the Five Star Movement and the Pirate Party movement? These insurgencies are not motivated simply by economic circumstances but are unique for giving voice to a new and distinctively democratic citizen anger directed at the limits of representative politics. Some herald this activity as the “end of representative politics.” We argue that it is a protest against just one version—mandate representation—that is elitist in its conception and practice. Similar to this activism in the street, the “constructivist turn” in political theory also pushes against the limits and rejects the elitism of mandate representation. Its proponents argue that representatives can and should do more than speak for constituencies of voters: they revitalize democracy by sparking new political subjects into action—both within and beyond the confines of parliamentary politics.
Representative constructivism’s conundrum1
Authors: Urbinati Nadia
Published: September 2019

Representation is an acknowledgment that the political order is a constructive enterprise. Political representation is made by free citizens who are unified by a representative person or claim around some ideas or goals and in view of competing for the majority and for having representative recognition.  Representation is not a prerogative of the majority nor does its function end with the formation of a majority. The question that requires close analysis is whether constructivism is in itself democratic. In the paper I explore this conundrum and show what makes political representation a democratic form of constructivism. .
The History of the History of Ethics and Emblematic Passages
Authors: Garrett Aaron
Published: September 2019

This chapter first considers the way that “emblematic passages” – passages taken to be emblematic of a philosopher’s import – function as an organizing device in the history of philosophy, and through this the import of the history of the history of philosophy for the history of philosophy. The second half of the essay focuses on one emblematic passage from Joseph Butler to illustrate and argue for this claim.
Hume’s Peculiar Definition of Justice
Authors: Harris James A.
Published: September 2019

This chapter situates Hume’s treatment of justice in the modern natural law tradition in order to bring out what is, in that tradition’s terms, both unsurprising and peculiar in the definition of justice that Hume works with. For Hume justice is the essential element of an analysis of the minimal conditions of human sociability. But Hume defines justice exceedingly narrowly, as respect for rights of property. His definition has been severely criticised, both by his contemporaries and in recent Hume scholarship. The chapter argues that it was Hume’s particular version of the argument against Hutchesonian moral sense theory that led him to define justice as he did.
Paradoxes of Mentoring: An Ethnographic Study of a Mentoring Programme for Highly-educated Women with Migrant Backgrounds
Authors: Steel Tytti , Lämsä Anna-Maija , Jyrkinen Marjut
Published: September 2019

This article explores paradoxes that emerge in the mentoring of highly-educated, female, foreign-born job-seekers in Finland. Theoretically, the study is linked to the growing body of research scrutinising the integration or discrimination of migrants in working life. It analyses cultural practices and ideas that are visible and affect the mentoring interaction. On a more practical level, the paper determines how the mentors and mentees experience the mentoring, and how intercultural mentoring could be improved in order to promote mentees’ employment. The article is based on ethnography and 11 semi-structured interviews. Two major paradoxes and their links to cultural meanings were identified: the over-emphasised focus on Finnish language (the language paradox), and the myth of the strong Finnish woman (the support paradox). These can be seen as having aspects of both cultural awareness and situation-specific awareness. Using situation-specific awareness, some mentors understood the best way forward was to break the rules of the mentoring programme and not to use Finnish in all communication. This enabled a more equal setting for professional discussions. In some rare cases, when the mentors did not use situation-specific awareness, a vicious circle emerged and mentees felt even worse about their abilities and working life opportunities. Similarly, although the myth of the strong Finnish woman can be an empowering and positive model for the mentee, it can have a negative impact on the mentor, enabling undercurrents in the mentoring discussions which can be experienced as harsh and even hostile. This, instead of encouraging and supporting, can result in the undermining and ‘othering’ of the mentee.
Denatonium Benzoate-Induces Oxidative Stress in the Heart and Kidney of Chinese Fast Yellow Chickens by Regulating Apoptosis, Autophagy, Antioxidative Activities and Bitter Taste Receptor Gene Expressions
Authors: Hamdard Enayatullah , Shi Zhicheng , Lv Zengpeng , Zahir Ahmadullah , Wei Quanwei , Rahmani Mohammad Malyar , Shi Fangxiong
Published: September 2019

The sense of taste which tells us which prospective foods are nutritious, poisonous and harmful is essential for the life of the organisms. Denatonium benzoate (DB) is a bitter taste agonist known for its activation of bitter taste receptors in different cells. The aim of the current study was to investigate the mRNA expressions of bitter taste, downstream signaling effectors, apoptosis-, autophagy- and antioxidant-related genes and effector signaling pathways in the heart/kidney of chickens after DB dietary exposure. We randomly assigned 240, 1-day-old Chinese Fast Yellow chicks into four groups with five replicates of 12 chicks and studied them for 28 consecutive days. The dietary treatments consisted of basal diet and feed containing DB (5, 20 and 100 mg/kg). The results revealed that dietary DB impaired (p < 0.05) the growth performance of the chickens. Haemotoxylin and eosin staining and TUNEL assays confirmed that medium and high doses of DB damaged the epithelial cells of heart/kidney and induced apoptosis and autophagy. Remarkably, the results of RT-PCR and qRT-PCR indicated that different doses of DB gradually increased (p < 0.05) mRNA expressions of bitter taste, signaling effectors, apoptosis-, autophagy- and antioxidant- related genes on day 7 in a dose-response manner, while, these expressions were decreased (p < 0.05) subsequently by day-28 but exceptional higher (P < 0.05) expressions were observed in the high-dose DB groups of chickens. In conclusion, DB exerts adverse effects on the heart/kidney of chickens in a dose-response manner via damaging the epithelium of the heart/kidney by inducing apoptosis, autophagy associated with bitter taste and effector gene expressions. Correlation analyses for apoptosis/autophagy showed agonistic relationships. Our data provide a novel perspective for understanding the interaction of bitter taste, apoptosis, autophagy and antioxidative genes with bitter taste strong activators in the heart/kidney of chicken. These insights might help the feed industries and pave the way toward innovative directions in chicken husbandry.
Olfactory Generalization in Detector Dogs
Authors: Moser Ariella Y. , Bizo Lewis , Brown Wendy Y.
Published: September 2019

Generalizing to target odor variations while retaining specificity against non-targets is crucial to the success of detector dogs under working conditions. As such, the importance of generalization should be considered in the formulation of effective training strategies. Research investigating olfactory generalization from pure singular compounds to more complex odor mixtures helps to elucidate animals’ olfactory generalization tendencies and inform ways to alter the generalization gradient by broadening or narrowing the range of stimuli to which dogs will respond. Olfactory generalization depends upon both intrinsic factors of the odors, such as concentration, as well as behavioral and cognitive factors related to training and previous experience. Based on the current research, some training factors may influence generalization. For example, using multiple target exemplars appears to be the most effective way to promote elemental processing and broaden the generalization gradient, whereas increasing the number of training instances with fewer exemplars can narrow the gradient, thereby increasing discrimination. Overall, this research area requires further attention and study to increase our understanding of olfactory generalization in dogs, particularly detector dogs, to improve training and detection outcomes.
Antibiotic Use: A Cross-Sectional Study Evaluating the Understanding, Usage and Perspectives of Medical Students and Pathfinders of a Public Defence University in Malaysia
Authors: Haque Mainul , Rahman Nor Azlina A. , McKimm Judy , Sartelli Massimo , Kibria Golam Mohammad , Islam Md Zakirul , Binti Lutfi Siti Nur Najihah , Binti Othman Nur Syamirah Aishah , Binti Abdullah Shahidah Leong
Published: September 2019

Background: Antimicrobial prescribing behaviors are often influenced by the local culture and prescribing appropriateness of medical doctors and other health care professionals. Globally, antimicrobial utilization practices have a profound impact on antimicrobial resistance and are a tremendous public health concern. The aim of this survey was to explore the knowledge and attitudes of medical students from the National Defence University of Malaysia regarding antimicrobial usage and antimicrobial resistance. Research design and methods: This was a cross-sectional study. The study population consisted of undergraduate medical students in each year group from the National Defence University of Malaysia. Students receive limited formal training on the use of antibiotics in their curriculum, and most of this learning is opportunistic whilst on clinical placement. Universal sampling was used as the study population was small. Data were collected utilizing a previously validated instrument regarding antibiotic use. Simple descriptive statistics were used to generate frequencies and percentages with SPSS V21. This research was approved by the Centre for Research and Innovation Management, National Defence University of Malaysia. Results: 206 questionnaires were distributed with a response rate of 99.03%, 54% (110) male, and 46% (94) female. Out of the respondents, 65% (132) had used antibiotics in the last year. Respondents displayed a moderate level of knowledge about antibiotics. Conclusions: This study revealed that the older the student was, or when the year of study and total knowledge score was higher, the students were less likely to stop antimicrobials when they felt better or use leftover antibiotics without consulting a doctor. Therefore, the nearer the students were to graduation, the better their knowledge and skills were, and this translated into their own behaviors regarding use of antimicrobials. This finding has clear implications for curriculum design and the inclusion of formal teaching throughout the medical program on antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). However, more research is needed on this topic, including the prescribing habits and antibiotic use of practicing doctors.
Chemical Profiling of Polyphenolics in Eucalyptus globulus and Evaluation of Its Hepato–Renal Protective Potential Against Cyclophosphamide Induced Toxicity in Mice
Authors: Ghareeb Mosad A. , Sobeh Mansour , El-Maadawy Walaa H. , Mohammed Hala Sh. , Khalil Heba , Botros Sanaa , Wink Michael
Published: September 2019

Cyclophosphamide (CP) is a potent anti-neoplastic and immunosuppressive agent; however, it causes multi-organ toxicity. We elucidated the protective activities of Eucalyptus globulus (EG) leaf extract against CP-induced hepato–renal toxicity. Mice were treated with EG for 15 days plus CP on day 12 and 13 of the experiment. Using HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS, 26 secondary metabolites were identified in EG leaf extract. Out of them, 4 polyphenolic compounds were isolated: (1) 4-(O-β-d-xylopyranosyloxy)-3,5-di-hydroxy-benzoic acid, (2) 4-(O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyloxy)-3,5-di-hydroxy-benzoic acid, (3) gallic acid, and (4) methyl gallate. Effects of EG extract on biochemical parameters, gene expression, and immune-histopathological changes were assessed in comparison to mesna positive control. Results showed that EG improved CP-increased serum ALT, AST, creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen levels. The hepatic and renal tissue levels of MDA, nitric oxide, protein carbonyl, TNF-α, IL-6, and immunohistochemical expression of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-kB) and caspase-3 were reduced. Also, hepatic and renal GSH contents, and nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (NRf2)/ hemoxygenase-1 (HO-1) signaling levels were increased. Histopathological findings supported our findings where hepatic and renal architecture were almost restored. Results revealed the protective effects of EG against CP-induced hepato–renal toxicity. These effects may be related to EG antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties coupled with activation of Nrf2/HO-1 signaling.
Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of a Thuja occidentalis Mother Tincture for the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis
Authors: Stan Miruna Silvia , Voicu Sorina Nicoleta , Caruntu Sonia , Nica Ionela Cristina , Olah Neli-Kinga , Burtescu Ramona , Balta Cornel , Rosu Marcel , Herman Hildegard , Hermenean Anca , Dinischiotu Anca
Published: September 2019

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) represents a group of chronic autoimmune and idiopathic disorders that are characteristic of industrialized countries. In contrast to drug therapies, which exert several side effects, herbal remedies have constantly attracted the attention of researchers. Therefore, in the present study, a mother tincture (MT) from fresh, young, non-woody Thuja occidentalis L. branches with leaves was obtained using distillation-based techniques. Further, this was used to assess its in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activities and anti-inflammatory properties, and to validate it as a potential phytotherapeutic treatment for IBD. The characterization of the tincture included common phytochemical screening assays for antioxidant capacity measurement, cell viability assays on Caco-2 colon cells, and in vivo assessment of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects by histopathological and ultrastructural analysis of the intestinal mucosa, measurement of reduced glutathione, lipid peroxidation, and gene expression of the inflammation markers (interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α) in intestine after oral administration to an experimental mouse model of colon inflammation (colitis) developed by intrarectal administration of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS). Our study proved that administration of 25 or 50 mg T. occidentalis MT/kg of body weight/day by gavage for 7 days succeeded in inhibiting the inflammatory process induced by TNBS in the intestine, most probably because of its rich contents of flavonoids and phenolic compounds. These data could contribute to the formulation of therapeutic products based on T. occidentalis that could come to the aid of IBD patients.
Biological and Chemical Insights of Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) Bark: A Source of Bioactive Compounds with Functional Properties
Authors: Tanase Corneliu , Mocan Andrei , Coșarcă Sanda , Gavan Alexandru , Nicolescu Alexandru , Gheldiu Ana-Maria , Vodnar Dan C. , Muntean Daniela-Lucia , Crișan Ovidiu
Published: September 2019

The present study aimed, on the one hand, to improve the yield of microwave assisted extraction (MAE) of polyphenols from beech bark by using a design of experiments (DoE) approach. On the other hand, beech bark extracts (BBE) were characterized in terms of their phytochemical profile and evaluated for biological potential (antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, antimutagen, anti-α-glucosidase, and anti-tyrosinase). The extraction time varies with the amount of extracted total phenolic content (TPC). The microwave power favors TPC extraction but in different proportions. The optimum conditions which gave the highest TPC (76.57 mg GAE/g dry plant material) were reached when the microwave power was 300 W, extraction time was 4 min, and the solvent was an ethanol–water (50:50) mixture. The practical value of TPC after a controlled experiment was 76.49 mg GAE/g plant material. The identified compounds were vanillic acid, gallic acid, epicatechin, catechin, protocatechuic acid, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, and isoquercitrin. The antioxidant potential of BBEs was demonstrated by in vitro experiments. The BBEs were active against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli, and Candida species. All extracts were antimutagenic and expressed an inhibition on α-glucosidase and tyrosinase activity. Regarding antimutagen activity, the assayed extracts may be considered to have low or no antimutagen effects.
Enhanced Tensile Plasticity in Ultrafine Lamellar Eutectic Al-CuBased Composites with α-Al Dendrites Prepared by Progressive Solidification
Authors: Cheng Jialin , Yun Yeling , Rui Jiaxin
Published: September 2019

In this paper, a new class of Al-Cubased composites which combine the ultrafine lamellar eutectic matrix (α-Al + θ-Al2Cu) and micron-sized primary α-Al dendrites was prepared by progressive solidification. By adjusting the alloy composition and solidification process, the formation of favorable microstructural and micromechanical features can be achieved. The ultrafine lamellar eutectic composite Al94Cu6 exhibits excellent mechanical properties with 472 MPa fracture strength and 7.4% tensile plastic strain. The plasticity of the ultrafine lamellar eutectic composite relies on the volume fraction and work hardening ability of micron-scale primary phase. The present results provide a new perspective for improving the plasticity of the ultrafine lamellar eutectic alloys.
Effect of Sensory Loss on Improvements of Upper-Limb Paralysis Through Robot-Assisted Training: A Preliminary Case Series Study
Authors: Miyasaka Hiroyuki , Takeda Kotaro , Ohnishi Hitoshi , Orand Abbas , Sonoda Shigeru
Published: September 2019

Sensory disorder is a factor preventing recovery from motor paralysis after stroke. Although several robot-assisted exercises for the hemiplegic upper limb of stroke patients have been proposed, few studies have examined improvement in function in stroke patients with sensory disorder using robot-assisted training. In this study, the efficacies of robot training for the hemiplegic upper limb of three stroke patients with complete sensory loss were compared with those of 19 patients without complete sensory loss. Robot training to assist reach motion was performed in 10 sessions over a 2-week period for 5 days per week at 1 h per day. Before and after the training, the total Fugl–Meyer Assessment score excluding coordination and tendon reflex (FMA-total) and the FMA shoulder and elbow score excluding tendon reflex (FMA-S/E) were evaluated. Reach and path errors (RE and PE) during the reach motion were also evaluated by the arm-training robot. In most cases, both the FMA-total and the FMA-S/E scores improved. Cases with complete sensory loss showed worse RE and PE scores. Our results suggest that motor paralysis is improved by robot training. However, improvement may be varied according to the presence or absence of somatic sensory feedback.
Issues on the Vibration Analysis of In-Service Laminated Glass Structures: Analytical, Experimental and Numerical Investigations on Delaminated Beams
Authors: Bedon Chiara
Published: September 2019

Load-bearing laminated glass (LG) elements take the form of simple members in buildings (i.e., columns, beams, and plates) or realize stand-alone assemblies, where glass and other traditional constructional materials can interact. Among several relevant aspects, the dynamic response of LG structures requires dedicated methods of analysis, towards the fulfilment of safe design purposes. A combination of multiple aspects must be taken into account for dynamic calculations of even simple LG elements when compared to static conditions, first of all the sensitivity of common interlayers to the imposed vibration frequency. The challenge is even more complex for the vibration serviceability assessment of in-service LG structures, where the degradation of materials and possible delamination effects could manifest, hence resulting in structural performances that can markedly differ from early-design conditions. Major uncertainties can be associated to the actual mechanical characterization of materials in use (especially the viscoelastic interlayers), as well as the contribution of restraints (as compared to ideal boundaries) and the possible degradation of the bonding layers (i.e., delaminations). All of these aspects are examined in the paper, with the support of extended analytical calculations, on-site experimental measurements, and parametric Finite Element (FE) numerical analyses. When compared to literature efforts accounting for ideal boundaries only, an analytical formulation is proposed to include the effects of flexible restraints in the dynamic performance of general (double) LG beams. Special care is also spent for the presence of possible delaminations, including size and position effects. In the latter case, existing formulations for composite laminates are preliminarily adapted to LG beams. Their reliability and accuracy is assessed with the support of test predictions and parametric FE simulations.
Indoor Localization Based on Wi-Fi Received Signal Strength Indicators: Feature Extraction, Mobile Fingerprinting, and Trajectory Learning
Authors: Yoo Jaehyun , Park Jongho
Published: September 2019

This paper studies the indoor localization based on Wi-Fi received signal strength indicator (RSSI). In addition to position estimation, this study examines the expansion of applications using Wi-Fi RSSI data sets in three areas: (i) feature extraction, (ii) mobile fingerprinting, and (iii) mapless localization. First, the features of Wi-Fi RSSI observations are extracted with respect to different floor levels and designated landmarks. Second, the mobile fingerprinting method is proposed to allow a trainer to collect training data efficiently, which is faster and more efficient than the conventional static fingerprinting method. Third, in the case of the unknown-map situation, the trajectory learning method is suggested to learn map information using crowdsourced data. All of these parts are interconnected from the feature extraction and mobile fingerprinting to the map learning and the estimation. Based on the experimental results, we observed (i) clearly classified data points by the feature extraction method as regards the floors and landmarks, (ii) efficient mobile fingerprinting compared to conventional static fingerprinting, and (iii) improvement of the positioning accuracy owing to the trajectory learning.
Application Research of Multi-Mode Relay in Future Heterogeneous Networks
Authors: Bai Wenle , Xiao Yu , Hu Danping , Zhang Yongmei
Published: September 2019

The fast increase of users in existing mobile networks requires more base stations (BSs) to bear more communication traffic. Future heterogeneous network is considered to be a promising candidate architecture to meet the demands of wireless networks under scarcity of radio frequency (RF) resources. In this paper, we present a multi-mode relay (MMR) model based on two-way relay technology, which is applied to heterogeneous hierarchical wireless networks (HHWN), and set up a system model of HHWN with 3 tiers, 2 users between the macrocell, and the picocell as the multi-mode relay (MMR). Specifically, we consider the new system with unequal relay emission power situation, which is usually researched in the traditional literature with equal relay emission powers. Based on this idea, we define the two-way SINR ratio, derive the mathematical formulas of outage error probability with channel estimation errors, and verify theoretical expressions by data simulations. For further comparison, several experiments are implemented to illuminate the effect on outage probability among different levels of relay emission power, noise power, and signal power. Furthermore, several conclusions are obtained, which have some meanings for implementing MMR in future heterogeneous networks.
Vision-Based Classification of Mosquito Species: Comparison of Conventional and Deep Learning Methods
Authors: Okayasu Kazushige , Yoshida Kota , Fuchida Masataka , Nakamura Akio
Published: September 2019

This study aims to propose a vision-based method to classify mosquito species. To investigate the efficiency of the method, we compared two different classification methods: The handcraft feature-based conventional method and the convolutional neural network-based deep learning method. For the conventional method, 12 types of features were adopted for handcraft feature extraction, while a support vector machine method was adopted for classification. For the deep learning method, three types of architectures were adopted for classification. We built a mosquito image dataset, which included 14,400 images with three types of mosquito species. The dataset comprised 12,000 images for training, 1500 images for testing, and 900 images for validating. Experimental results revealed that the accuracy of the conventional method using the scale-invariant feature transform algorithm was 82.4% at maximum, whereas the accuracy of the deep learning method was 95.5% in a residual network using data augmentation. From the experimental results, deep learning can be considered to be effective for classifying the mosquito species of the proposed dataset. Furthermore, data augmentation improves the accuracy of mosquito species’ classification.
A Model for Naturalistic Programming with Implementation
Authors: Pulido-Prieto Oscar , Juárez-Martínez Ulises
Published: September 2019

While the use of natural language for software development has been proposed since the 1960s, it was limited by the inherent ambiguity of natural languages, which people resolve using reasoning in a text or conversation. Programming languages are formal general-purpose or domain-specific alternatives based on mathematical formalism and which are at a remove from natural language. Over the years, various authors have presented studies in which they attempted to use a subset of the English language for solving particular problems. Each author approached the problem by covering particular domains, rather than focusing on describing general elements that would help other authors develop general-purpose languages, instead focusing even more on domain-specific languages. The identification of common elements in these studies reveals characteristics that enable the design and implementation of general-purpose naturalistic languages, which requires the establishment of a programming model. This article presents a conceptual model which describes the elements required for designing general-purpose programming languages and which integrates abstraction, temporal elements and indirect references into its grammar. Moreover, as its grammar resembles natural language, thus reducing the gap between problem and solution domains, a naturalistic language prototype is presented, as are three test scenarios which demonstrate its characteristics.
Electrical Stimulation through Conductive Substrate to Enhance Osteo-Differentiation of Human Dental Pulp-Derived Stem Cells
Authors: Cheng Yu-Che , Chen Chien-Hsun , Kuo Hong-Wei , Yen Ting-Ling , Mao Ya-Yuan , Hu Wei-Wen
Published: September 2019

Human dental pulp-derived stem cells (hDPSCs) are promising cellular sources for bone healing. The acceleration of their differentiation should be beneficial to their clinical application. Therefore, a conductive polypyrrole (PPy)-made electrical stimulation (ES) device was fabricated to provide direct-current electric field (DCEF) treatment, and its effect on osteo-differentiation of hDPSCs was investigated in this study. To determine the optimal treating time, electrical field of 0.33 V/cm was applied to hDPSCs once for 4 h on different days after the osteo-induction. The alizarin red S staining results suggested that ES accelerated the mineralization rates of hDPSCs. The quantification analysis results revealed a nearly threefold enhancement in calcium deposition by ES at day 0, 2, and 4, whereas the promotion effect in later stages was in vain. To determine the ES-mediated signaling pathway, the expression of genes in the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) family and related receptors were quantified using qPCR. In the early stages of osteo-differentiation, the mRNA levels of BMP2, BMP3, BMP4, and BMP5 were increased significantly in the ES groups, indicating that these genes were involved in the specific signaling routes induced by ES. We are the first using DCEF to improve the osteo-differentiation of hDPSCs, and our results promise the therapeutic applications of hDPSCs on cell-based bone tissue engineering.
Mixed Basis Sets for Atomic Calculations
Authors: Kozlov Mikhail , Tupitsyn Ilya
Published: September 2019

Many numerical methods of atomic calculations use one-electron basis sets. These basis sets must meet rather contradictory requirements. On the one hand, they must include physically justified orbitals, such as Dirac–Fock ones, for the one-electron states with high occupation numbers. On the other hand, they must ensure rapid convergence of the calculations in respect to the size of the basis set. It is difficult to meet these requirements using a single set of orbitals, while merging different subsets may lead to linear dependence and other problems. We suggest a simple unitary operator that allows such merging without aforementioned complications. We demonstrated robustness of the method on the examples of Fr and Au.
A New Generalized Projection and Its Application to Acceleration of Audio Declipping
Authors: Rajmic Pavel , Záviška Pavel , Veselý Vítězslav , Mokrý Ondřej
Published: September 2019

In convex optimization, it is often inevitable to work with projectors onto convex sets composed with a linear operator. Such a need arises from both the theory and applications, with signal processing being a prominent and broad field where convex optimization has been used recently. In this article, a novel projector is presented, which generalizes previous results in that it admits to work with a broader family of linear transforms when compared with the state of the art but, on the other hand, it is limited to box-type convex sets in the transformed domain. The new projector is described by an explicit formula, which makes it simple to implement and requires a low computational cost. The projector is interpreted within the framework of the so-called proximal splitting theory. The convenience of the new projector is demonstrated on an example from signal processing, where it was possible to speed up the convergence of a signal declipping algorithm by a factor of more than two.
Mechanical Deformation and Electronic Structure of a Blue Copper Azurin in a Solid-State Junction
Authors: Romero-Muñiz Carlos , Ortega María , Vilhena J. G. , Diéz-Pérez Ismael , Cuevas Juan Carlos , Pérez Rubén , Zotti Linda A.
Published: September 2019

Protein-based electronics is an emerging field which has attracted considerable attention over the past decade. Here, we present a theoretical study of the formation and electronic structure of a metal-protein-metal junction based on the blue-copper azurin from pseudomonas aeruginosa. We focus on the case in which the protein is adsorbed on a gold surface and is contacted, at the opposite side, to an STM (Scanning Tunneling Microscopy) tip by spontaneous attachment. This has been simulated through a combination of molecular dynamics and density functional theory. We find that the attachment to the tip induces structural changes in the protein which, however, do not affect the overall electronic properties of the protein. Indeed, only changes in certain residues are observed, whereas the electronic structure of the Cu-centered complex remains unaltered, as does the total density of states of the whole protein.
Genetic Predisposition and Disease Expression of Bipolar Disorder Reflected in Shape Changes of the Anterior Limbic Network
Authors: Lu Chia-Feng , Wu Yu-Te , Teng Shin , Wang Po-Shan , Tu Pei-Chi , Su Tung-Ping , Jao Chi-Wen , Li Cheng-Ta
Published: September 2019

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a genetically and phenotypically complex psychiatric disease. Although previous studies have suggested that the relatives of BD patients have an increased risk of experiencing affective disturbances, most relatives who have similar genotypes may not manifest the disorder. We aim to identify the neuroimaging alterations—specifically, the cortical folding structures of the anterior limbic network (ALN)—in BD patients and their siblings, compared to healthy controls. The shared alterations in patients and their siblings may indicate the hereditary predisposition of BD, and the altered cortical structures unique to BD patients may be a probe of BD expression. High-resolution, T1-weighted magnetic resonance images for 17 euthymic patients with BD, 17 unaffected siblings of BD patients, and 22 healthy controls were acquired. We categorized the cortical regions within the ALN into sulcal and gyral areas, based on the shape index, followed by the measurement of the folding degree, using the curvedness. Our results revealed that the changes in cortical folding in the orbitofrontal and temporal regions were associated with a hereditary predisposition to BD. Cortical folding structures in multiple regions of the ALN, particularly in the striatal–thalamic circuit and anterior cingulate cortex, could be used to differentiate BD patients from healthy controls and unaffected siblings. We concluded that the cortical folding structures of ALN can provide potential biomarkers for clinical diagnosis of BD and differentiation from the unaffected siblings.
Matched Whole-Genome Sequencing (WGS) and Whole-Exome Sequencing (WES) of Tumor Tissue with Circulating Tumor DNA (ctDNA) Analysis: Complementary Modalities in Clinical Practice
Authors: Imperial Robin , Nazer Marjan , Ahmed Zaheer , Kam Audrey E. , Pluard Timothy J. , Bahaj Waled , Levy Mia , Kuzel Timothy M. , Hayden Dana M. , Pappas Sam G. , Subramanian Janakiraman , Masood Ashiq
Published: September 2019

Tumor heterogeneity, especially intratumoral heterogeneity, is a primary reason for treatment failure. A single biopsy may not reflect the complete genomic architecture of the tumor needed to make therapeutic decisions. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is believed to overcome these limitations. We analyzed concordance between ctDNA and whole-exome sequencing/whole-genome sequencing (WES/WGS) of tumor samples from patients with breast (n = 12), gastrointestinal (n = 20), lung (n = 19), and other tumor types (n = 13). Correlation in the driver, hotspot, and actionable alterations was studied. Three cases in which more-in-depth genomic analysis was required have been presented. A total 58% (37/64) of patients had at least one concordant mutation. Patients who had received systemic therapy before tissue next-generation sequencing (NGS) and ctDNA analysis showed high concordance (78% (21/27) vs. 43% (12/28) p = 0.01, respectively). Obtaining both NGS and ctDNA increased actionable alterations from 28% (18/64) to 52% (33/64) in our patients. Twenty-one patients had mutually exclusive actionable alterations seen only in either tissue NGS or ctDNA samples. Somatic hotspot mutation analysis showed significant discordance between tissue NGS and ctDNA analysis, denoting significant tumor heterogeneity in these malignancies. Increased tissue tumor mutation burden (TMB) positively correlated with the number of ctDNA mutations in patients who had received systemic therapy, but not in treatment-naïve patients. Prior systemic therapy and TMB may affect concordance and should be taken into consideration in future studies. Incorporating driver, actionable, and hotspot analysis may help to further refine the correlation between these two platforms. Tissue NGS and ctDNA are complimentary, and if done in conjunction, may increase the detection rate of actionable alterations and potentially therapeutic targets.
Selective CO Hydrogenation Over Bimetallic Co-Fe Catalysts for the Production of Light Paraffin Hydrocarbons (C2–C4): Effect of Space Velocity, Reaction Pressure and Temperature
Authors: Jo Seong Bin , Kim Tae Young , Lee Chul Ho , Woo Jin Hyeok , Chae Ho Jin , Kang Suk-Hwan , Kim Joon Woo , Lee Soo Chool , Kim Jae Chang
Published: September 2019

Synthetic natural gas (SNG) using syngas from coal and biomass has attracted much attention as a potential substitute for fossil fuels because of environmental advantages. However, heating value of SNG is below the standard heating value for power generation (especially in South Korea and Japan). In this study, bimetallic Co-Fe catalyst was developed for the production of light paraffin hydrocarbons (C2–C4 as well as CH4) for usage as mixing gases to improve the heating value of SNG. The catalytic performance was monitored by varying space velocity, reaction pressure and temperature. The CO conversion increases with decrease in space velocities, and with an increase in reaction pressure and temperature. CH4 yield increases and C2+ yield decreases with increasing reaction temperature at all reaction pressure and space velocities. In addition, improved CH4 yield at higher reaction pressure (20 bar) implies that higher reaction pressure is a favorable condition for secondary CO2 methanation reaction. The bimetallic Co-Fe catalyst showed the best results with 99.7% CO conversion, 36.1% C2–C4 yield and 0.90 paraffin ratio at H2/CO of 3.0, space velocity of 4000 mL/g/h, reaction pressure of 20 bar, and temperature of 350 °C.
(±)-trans-1,2-Cyclohexanediamine-Based Bis(NHC) Ligand for Cu-Catalyzed Asymmetric Conjugate Addition Reaction
Authors: Ishibashi Azusa , Kamihigashi Shun , Iwai Yuuki , Sakaguchi Satoshi
Published: September 2019

Bis(NHC) ligand precursors, L1, based on trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane were designed and synthesized. To introduce chirality at the hydroxyamide side arm on the NHC of L1, a chiral β-amino alcohol, such as enantiopure leucinol, was used. Cu-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate addition reactions of cyclic and acyclic enones with Et2Zn were selected to evaluate the performance of L1 as a chiral ligand. For the reaction of cyclic enone, a combination of [bis(trimethylsilyl)acetylene]-(hexafluoroacetylacetonato)copper(I) (Cu(hfacac)(btmsa)) with a (±)-trans-1,2-cyclohexanediamine-based bis(NHC) ligand precursor, (rac; S,S)-L1, which was prepared from (S)-leucinol, was the most effective. Thus, treating 2-cyclohexen-1-one (3) with Et2Zn in the presence of catalytic amounts of Cu(hfacac)(btmsa) and (rac; S,S)-L1 afforded (R)-3-ethylcyclohexanone ((R)-4) with 97% ee. Similarly, use of (rac; R,R)-L1, which was prepared from (R)-leucinol, produced (S)-4 with 97% ee. Conversely, for the asymmetric 1,4-addition reaction of the acyclic enone, optically pure (−)-trans-1,2-cyclohexanediamine-based bis(NHC) ligand precursor, (R,R; S,S)-L1, worked efficiently. For example, 3-nonen-2-one (5) was reacted with Et2Zn using the CuOAc/(R,R; S,S)-L1 catalytic system to afford (R)-4-ethylnonan-2-one ((R)-6) with 90% ee. Furthermore, initially changing the counterion of the Cu precatalyst between an OAc and a ClO4 ligand on the metal reversed the facial selectivity of the approach of the substrates. Thus, the conjugate addition reaction of 5 with Et2Zn using the Cu(ClO4)2/(R,R; S,S)-L1 catalytic system, afforded (S)-6 with 75% ee.
One-Pot Aqueous and Template-Free Synthesis of Mesoporous Polymeric Resins
Authors: Nabavinia Mahboubeh , Kanjilal Baishali , Hesketh Alexander , Wall Philip , Shirazi Amin Alireza , Kerns Peter , Stanzione Joseph , Suib Steven , Liu Fujian , Noshadi Iman
Published: September 2019

This work explores the novel one-pot aqueous phase synthesis of mesoporous phenolic-hyperbranched polyethyleneimine resins without the use of a template, and their utility as heterogeneous catalysts in batch reactors and continuous microreactors. Catalyst surface areas of up to 432 m2/g were achieved with a uniform Pd distribution and an interconnected, highly porous, network structure, confirmed through Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area measurements, scanning electron microscopes (SEM), X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The heterogeneous catalysts achieved a maximum 98.98 ± 1% conversion in batch Suzuki couplings, with conversions being dependent upon reaction conditions, reactant chemistries, Pd loading and catalyst surface area. The catalysts were shown to be recyclable with only a marginal loss in conversion achieved after five runs. Up to 62 ± 5% and 46.5 ± 8% conversions at 0.2 mL/s and 0.4 mL/s flow rates, respectively, were achieved in a continuous microreactor. Understanding the mechanism of action of this mesoporous resin is a future research area, which could help expand the application vistas for this catalyst platform.