bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Processo de criação do designer de moda André Lima: cartografando imagens-ilhas
Authors: Maia Yorrana
Published: August 2017

O interesse deste artigo e melhor compreender a multiplicidade que perpassa variáveis de processos de criação em moda na contemporaneidade, por meio de uma cartografia composta por registros imagéticos particulares, guardados no ateliê, e por registros fotográficos compartilhados no Instagram do designer de moda paraense André Lima. O modelo de observação e estratégia de apresentação desta pesquisa parte do conceito de “cartografia”, tal como apresentado pelos pensadores franceses Gilles Deleuze e Felix Guattari. Em busca de redes de conexões entre as imagens, o modo como Deleuze apresenta o conceito de “ilha” referencia o “mapa aberto” das referencias imagéticas editadas pelo designer.
As roupas pelo avesso: cultura material e história social do vestuário
Authors: Volpi Maria Cristina
Published: August 2017

Este ensaio discute o estudo da indumentária em acervos de objetos, tendo como exemplo a organização do acervo de vestuário e acessórios do Centro de Referência Têxtil/Vestuário, projeto que coordeno desde 2005 que visa ao desenvolvimento de pesquisas sobre as formas vestimentares na Escola de Belas Artes da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro.
Antropometria e ergonomia no design para cadeirante desportista
Authors: Araujo Maria do Socorro de , Carvalho Miguel Angelo Fernandes
Published: August 2017

Este artigo resulta da pesquisa realizada com uma equipe de jogadores de basquetebol em cadeira de rodas da Associação Portuguesa de Deficientes – APD – Delegação Distrital de Braga, em Portugal, que investigou o design ideal de vestuário para desportistas cadeirantes. O estudo apresenta a importância da utilização da antropometria e ergonomia no design e modelagem do vestuário para pessoas com necessidades especiais motoras.
Capitu: a televisão vestida em camadas
Authors: Moura Carolina Bassi de
Published: August 2017

Esta analise compara o romance Dom Casmurro, obra do escritor realista brasileiro Machado de Assis, e a minissérie Capitu (2008), de Luiz Fernando Carvalho, adaptada para TV. Demonstra a transposição da estética moderna do escritor e como esta afetou a criação dos trajes de cena, considerando também uma pesquisa de trajes do século XIX, na sociedade carioca, a que Machado de Assis pertencia.
Georges Bertin
Authors: Villaça Nizia
Published: August 2017

Conheci o Prof. Georges Bertin em Paris, por ocasião de um acontecimento que renovava a cada ano a reunião da Ordem dos Cavaleiros e Damas da Tábula Redonda em um castelo medieval (Gisors), escolhido pelos membros da comunidade arturiana. Atualmente, ele dirige a revista Esprit Critique (Espírito Crítico) e possui uma grande atividade sobre estudos do imaginário na linha de Gilbert Durand, Michel Maffesoli, Roger Chartier, entre outros autores (...)
Contemporâneo: a moda inclusiva
Authors: Auler Daniela
Published: August 2017

Para entender o conceito e a nomenclatura Moda Inclusiva, vamos voltar aonde tudo começou. A concepção desse projeto se deu a partir da criação da Secretaria de Estado dosDireitos da Pessoa com Deficiência de São Paulo, em 6 de março de 2008, quando o então Governador de São Paulo, José Serra, criou a Lei Complementar nº 1.038. O Decreto que a organizou, nº 52.841, foi publicado dias depois, em 27 de março de 2008, data de posse da Secretária de Estado dos Direitos da Pessoa com Deficiência, Dra. Linamara Rizzo Battistella (...)
Por que ler...?: Charles James, um astro sem atmosfera no mundo da moda
Authors: Bueno Maria Lucia
Published: August 2017

Estilistas como Christian Dior e Chanel, ícones na cultura de moda do século XX, tiveram seus nomes ligados a marcas prestígio que permanecem ativas. Na história da moda, as referências mais longevas e legitimadas geralmente estão associadas a uma grife ou a um perfume, os principais artífices da construção da memória do trabalho dos profissionais do setor. A importância histórica tornou-se proporcional ao peso econômico e simbólico das marcas, pois são elas que financiam as publicações, as grandes exposições, a manutenção do acervo material, as pesquisas, os filmes, os documentários, uma vez que é na perenidade da influência do costureiro que reside a sua força simbólica (...)
Espaço aberto: um esboço de Brasil
Authors: Motta Eduardo
Published: August 2017

Recentemente, pude ver o Brasil pelo olhar de dois estrangeiros. Juntos, atravessamosum pedaço do país salpicado de praias e fashion weeks, moldado pela arquitetura,amedrontado pelos crimes urbanos, envergonhado pelo Pastor Feliciano econtaminado pelos movimentos da campanha política de 2014 (...)
O estilo tropical da moda praia brasileira e sua relação com o “mito fundador”
Authors: Maia Raquel Carvalho
Published: August 2017

Este artigo investiga a presença do estilo tropical nas coleções de algumas marcas de grande representatividade na indústria da moda praia no Brasil. Por meio da percepção de uma recorrência de elementos que remetem à natureza tropical, discutiu-se a articulação de algumas coleções e estampas com o mito fundador – um discurso de valorização da natureza construído a partir das narrativas elaboradas no período colonial do Brasil.
Red-light excitation of protoporphyrin IX fluorescence for subsurface tumor detection
Authors: Roberts David W. , Olson Jonathan D. , Evans Linton T. , Kolste Kolbein K. , Kanick Stephen C. , Fan Xiaoyao , Bravo Jaime J. , Wilson Brian C. , Leblond Frederic , Marois Mikael , Paulsen Keith D.
Published: August 2017

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to detect 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-induced tumor fluorescence from glioma below the surface of the surgical field by using red-light illumination.

METHODS

To overcome the shallow tissue penetration of blue light, which maximally excites the ALA-induced fluorophore protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) but is also strongly absorbed by hemoglobin and oxyhemoglobin, a system was developed to illuminate the surgical field with red light (620–640 nm) matching a secondary, smaller absorption peak of PpIX and detecting the fluorescence emission through a 650-nm longpass filter. This wide-field spectroscopic imaging system was used in conjunction with conventional blue-light fluorescence for comparison in 29 patients undergoing craniotomy for resection of high-grade glioma, low-grade glioma, meningioma, or metastasis.

RESULTS

Although, as expected, red-light excitation is less sensitive to PpIX in exposed tumor, it did reveal tumor at a depth up to 5 mm below the resection bed in 22 of 24 patients who also exhibited PpIX fluorescence under blue-light excitation during the course of surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Red-light excitation of tumor-associated PpIX fluorescence below the surface of the surgical field can be achieved intraoperatively and enables detection of subsurface tumor that is not visualized under conventional blue-light excitation.

Clinical trial registration no.: NCT02191488 (clinicaltrials.gov)
Endovascular treatment of a large ruptured middle cerebral artery bifurcation aneurysm in a 5-week-old infant: case report
Authors: Lyon Kristopher A. , Arrey Eliel N. , Haider Ali S. , Jeevan Dhruve S. , Benardete Ethan A.
Published: August 2017

Ruptured intracranial aneurysms are extremely rare in infants. The optimal treatment strategy is not well established. Both microsurgical and endovascular techniques and strategies have been tried, and in the literature there is a significant variability in outcome. The authors report the presentation and successful endovascular treatment of a large, ruptured, middle cerebral artery bifurcation aneurysm in a 5-week-old girl, one of only a few reported in the literature. Clinical and radiological findings at follow-up are also presented. The authors then review the literature on aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage in infants, with particular regard to outcome after either endovascular or open surgical management. They also provide recommendations for follow-up in pediatric patients whose intracranial aneurysms have been treated with coil embolization.
Base-promoted synthesis of N-arylbenzamides by N-benzoylation of dimethylphenylthioureas
Authors: Liu Xing , Xu Wan , Zeng Meng-Tian , Liu Min , Chang Cai-Zhu , Zhu Hui , Dong Zhi-Bing
Published: August 2017

An efficient synthesis of 10 N-arylbenzamides was achieved by N-benzoylation of N,N-dimethyl-( N′-phenyl)thioureas with 4-substituted benzoyl chlorides in dimethylacetamide in the presence of K2CO3. The features of this method include good yields, short reaction times and broad substrate scope. This work showed that arylthiourea derivatives can be alternative and useful starting materials for the preparation of N-arylbenzamides.
A simple green protocol for the synthesis of ethyl 3-amino-1-aryl-1H-benzo[f] chromene-2-carboxylates in aqueous media
Authors: Qian Siran , Li Mingjie , Liu Jiaming , Wang Cunde
Published: August 2017

An eco-friendly and efficient straightforward method has been developed for the synthesis of ethyl 3-amino-1-aryl-1 H-benzo[ f]chromene-2-carboxylate derivatives via 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO)-catalysed cyclisation of β-naphthol and 3-aryl-2-cyanoacrylates using water as a green solvent. All products precipitated from the reaction mixture and were isolated by simple filtration. No further work-up nor purification was necessary. The structure of ethyl 3-amino-1-aryl-1 H-benzo[ f]chromene-2-carboxylate was further confirmed by X-ray single crystal analysis.
Inflation Agorithm for Cox-regular Postive Edge-bipartite Graphs with Loops
Authors: Makuracki Bartosz , Simson Daniel , Zyglarski Błażej
Published: August 2017

We continue the study of finite connected edge-bipartite graphs Δ, with m ≥ 2 vertices (a class of signed graphs), started in [SIAM J. Discrete Math. 27(2013), 827-854] and developed in [Fund. Inform. 139(2015), 249-275, 145(2016), 19-48] by means of the non-symmetric Gram matrix G∨Δ∈𝕄n(ℤ) defining Δ, its symmetric Gram matrix GΔ:=12[GΔ∨+GΔtr∨]∈𝕄n(12ℤ), and the Gram quadratic form qΔ : ℤn → ℤ. In the present paper we study connected positive Cox-regular edge-bipartite graphs Δ, with n ≥ 2 vertices, in the sense that the symmetric Gram matrix GΔ ∈ 𝕄 n(ℤ) of Δ is positive definite. Our aim is to classify such Cox-regular edge-bipartite graphs with at least one loop by means of an inflation algorithm, up to the weak Gram ℤ-congruence Δ ~ℤ Δ′, where Δ ~ℤ Δ′ means that GΔ′ = Btr · GΔ · B, for some B ∈ 𝕄 n(ℤ) such that det B = ±1. Our main result of the paper asserts that, given a positive connected Cox-regular edge-bipartite graph Δ with n ≥ 2 vertices and with at least one loop there exists a Cox-regular edge-bipartite Dynkin graph 𝒟 n ∨ {ℬ n, 𝒞 n, ℱ4, 𝒢2} with loops and a suitably chosen sequence t•− of the inflation operators of one of the types Δ′↦ta−Δ′ and Δ′↦tab−Δ′ such that the composite operator Δ↦t•−Δ reduces Δ to the bigraph 𝒟 n such that Δ ~ℤ 𝒟 n and the bigraphs Δ, 𝒟 n have the same number of loops. The algorithm does not change loops and the number of vertices, and computes a matrix B ∈ 𝕄 n(ℤ), with det B = ±1, defining the weak Gram ℤ-congruence Δ ~ℤ 𝒟 n, that is, satisfying the equation G𝒟 n = Btr · GΔ · B.
Gender-Based Cerebral Perfusion Differences in 46,034 Functional Neuroimaging Scans
Authors: Amen Daniel G. , Trujillo Manuel , Keator David , Taylor Derek V. , Willeumier Kristen , Meysami Somayeh , Raji Cyrus A.
Published: August 2017

Background:

Studies have reported that females have widespread increases in regional cerebral blood flow, but the studies were relatively small and inconsistent.

Objective:

Here we analyzed a healthy and a very large clinical psychiatric population to determine the effect of gender, using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).

Methods:

Whole brain and region of interest (ROI) gender differences were analyzed in a total of 46,034 SPECT scans at baseline and concentration. The sample included 119 healthy subjects and 26,683 patients (60.4% male, 39.6% female); a subset of 11,587 patients had complete diagnostic information. A total of 128 regions were analyzed according to the AAL Atlas, using ROI Extract and SPSS statistical software programs, controlling for age, diagnoses, and correcting for multiple comparisons.

Results:

Compared to males, healthy females showed significant whole brain ( p < 0.01) and ROI increases in 65 baseline and 48 concentration regions ( p < 0.01 corrected). Healthy males showed non-significant increases in 9 and 22 regions, respectively. In the clinical group, there were widespread significant increases in females, especially in the prefrontal and limbic regions, and specific increases in males in the inferior occipital lobes, inferior temporal lobes, and lobule 7 and Crus 2 of the cerebellum. These findings were replicated in the subset of 11,587 patients with the effect of diagnoses removed.

Conclusions:

Our results demonstrated significant gender differences in a healthy and clinical population. Understanding these differences is crucial in evaluating functional neuroimaging and may be useful in understanding the epidemiological gender differences among psychiatric disorders.
Long-Term Effects of Safinamide on Mood Fluctuations in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Cattaneo Carlo , Müller Thomas , Bonizzoni Erminio , Lazzeri Gabriele , Kottakis Ioannis , Keywood Charlotte
Published: August 2017

Background:

Mood disorders are very frequent in Parkinson’s Disease (PD), and their effective treatment is still a major unresolved issue: growing evidence suggests that glutamatergic system dysfunction is directly involved. Safinamide is a drug with an innovative mechanism of action, dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic, that includes the reversible inhibition of the monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B) enzyme and the modulation of excessive glutamate release through the use- and state-dependent blockade of the sodium channels.

Objective:

To investigate the effects of safinamide on mood over two-year treatment in PD patients with motor fluctuations.

Methods:

This was a post-hoc analysis of the data from studies 016 and 018. The analysis focused on outcomes related to mood, namely: scores of the “Emotional well-being” domain of the Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39), scores of the GRID Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (GRID-HAMD) and the proportion of patients reporting depression as an adverse event over the entire treatment period.

Results:

Safinamide, compared to placebo, significantly improved the PDQ-39 “Emotional well-being” domain after6-months ( p = 0.0067) and 2 years ( p = 0.0006), as well as the GRID-HAMD ( p = 0.0408 after 6 months and p = 0.0027 after 2 years). Significantly fewer patients in the safinamide group, compared to placebo, experienced depression as adverse event ( p = 0.0444 after 6 months and p = 0.0057 after 2 years).

Conclusion:

The favorable effect of safinamide on mood may be explained by the improvement in wearing off and by its modulation of glutamatergic hyperactivity and reversible MAO-B inhibition. Prospective studies are warranted to investigate this potential benefit.
Direct Identification of Functional Amyloid Proteins by Label-Free Quantitative Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Danielsen Heidi N. , Hansen Susan H. , Herbst Florian-Alexander , Kjeldal Henrik , Stensballe Allan , Nielsen Per H. , Dueholm Morten S.
Published: August 2017

Functional amyloids are important structural and functional components of many biofilms, yet our knowledge of these fascinating polymers is limited to a few examples for which the native amyloids have been isolated in pure form. Isolation of the functional amyloids from other cell components represents a major bottleneck in the search for new functional amyloid systems. Here we present a label-free quantitative mass spectrometry method that allows identification of amyloid proteins directly in cell lysates. The method takes advantage of the extreme structural stability and polymeric nature of functional amyloids and the ability of concentrated formic acid to depolymerize the amyloids. An automated data processing pipeline that provides a short list of amyloid protein candidates was developed based on an amyloid-specific sigmoidal abundance signature in samples treated with increasing concentrations of formic acid. The method was evaluated using the Escherichia coli curli and the Pseudomonas Fap system. It confidently identified the major amyloid subunit for both systems, as well as the minor subunit for the curli system. A few non-amyloid proteins also displayed the sigmoidal abundance signature. However, only one of these contained a sec-dependent signal peptide, which characterizes most of all secreted proteins, including all currently known functional bacterial amyloids.
Key Challenges in the Search for Innovative Drug Treatments for Special Populations. Converging Needs in Neonatology, Pediatrics, and Medical Genetics
Authors: MacLeod Stuart
Published: August 2017

The explosion of knowledge concerning the interplay of genetic and environmental factors determining pathophysiology and guiding therapeutic choice has altered the landscape in pediatric clinical pharmacology and pharmacy. The need for innovative research methods and design expertise for small clinical trials to be undertaken in sparse populations has been accentuated. At the same time, shortfalls in critical human resources represent a key challenge, especially in low- and middle-income countries where the need for new research and education directions is greatest. Unless a specific action plan is urgently developed, there will be a continuing gap in availability of the essential expertise needed to address treatment challenges in special patient populations such as neonates, patients suffering from rare or neglected diseases, and children of all ages.
Dislocation Creep: Climb and Glide in the Lattice Continuum
Authors: Mesarovic Sinisa Dj.
Published: August 2017

A continuum theory for high temperature creep of polycrystalline solids is developed. It includes the relevant deformation mechanisms for diffusional and dislocation creep: elasticity with eigenstrains resulting from vacancy diffusion, dislocation climb and glide, and the lattice growth/loss at the boundaries enabled by diffusion. All the deformation mechanisms are described with respect to the crystalline lattice, so that the continuum formulation with lattice motion as the basis is necessary. However, dislocation climb serves as the source sink of lattice sites, so that the resulting continuum has a sink/source of its fundamental component, which is reflected in the continuity equation. Climb as a sink/source also affects the diffusion part of the problem, but the most interesting discovery is the climb-glide interaction. The loss/creation of lattice planes through climb affects the geometric definition of crystallographic slip and necessitates the definition of two slip fields: the true slip and the effective slip. The former is the variable on which the dissipative power is expanded during dislocation glide and is thus, the one that must enter the glide constitutive equations. The latter describes the geometry of the slip affected by climb, and is necessary for kinematic analysis.
Optimal Belief Approximation
Authors: Leike Reimar , Enßlin Torsten
Published: August 2017

In Bayesian statistics probability distributions express beliefs. However, for many problems the beliefs cannot be computed analytically and approximations of beliefs are needed. We seek a loss function that quantifies how “embarrassing” it is to communicate a given approximation. We reproduce and discuss an old proof showing that there is only one ranking under the requirements that (1) the best ranked approximation is the non-approximated belief and (2) that the ranking judges approximations only by their predictions for actual outcomes. The loss function that is obtained in the derivation is equal to the Kullback-Leibler divergence when normalized. This loss function is frequently used in the literature. However, there seems to be confusion about the correct order in which its functional arguments—the approximated and non-approximated beliefs—should be used. The correct order ensures that the recipient of a communication is only deprived of the minimal amount of information. We hope that the elementary derivation settles the apparent confusion. For example when approximating beliefs with Gaussian distributions the optimal approximation is given by moment matching. This is in contrast to many suggested computational schemes.
Virtual Synchronous Generator Based Auxiliary Damping Control Design for the Power System with Renewable Generation
Authors: Gao Bingtuan , Xia Chaopeng , Chen Ning , Cheema Khalid , Yang Libin , Li Chunlai
Published: August 2017

Aiming for large-scale renewable energy sources (RES) integrated to power systems with power electronic devices, the technology of virtual synchronous generator (VSG) has been developed and studied in recent years. It is necessary to analyze the damping characteristics of the power system with RES generation based on VSG and develop its corresponding damping controller to suppress the possible low frequency oscillation. Firstly, the mathematical model of VSG in a per unit (p.u) system is presented. Based on the single-machine infinite bus system integrated with an RES power plant, the influence of VSG on the damping characteristics of the power system is studied qualitatively by damping torque analysis. Furthermore, the small-signal model of the considered system is established and the damping ratio of the system is studied quantitatively by eigenvalue analysis, which concluded that adjusting the key control parameters has limited impacts on the damping ratio of the system. Consequently, referring to the configuration of traditional power system stabilizer (PSS), an auxiliary damping controller (ADC) for VSG is designed to suppress the low frequency oscillation of the power system. Finally, simulations were performed to verify the validity of theoretical analysis and the effectiveness of designed ADC.
Capacity Decay Mechanism of the LCO + NMC532/Graphite Cells Combined with Post-Mortem Technique
Authors: Zhang Linjing , Jiang Jiuchun , Zhang Weige
Published: August 2017

Lithium ion batteries are widely used in portable electronics and transportations due to their high energy and high power with low cost. However, they suffer from capacity degradation during long cycling, thus making it urgent to study their decay mechanisms. Commercial 18650-type LiCoO2 + LiNi0.5Mn0.3Co0.2O2/graphite cells are cycled at 1 C rate for 700 cycles, and a continuous post-mortem analysis is performed. Based on these tests, the decay mechanism of the cells is finally proposed. The changes of differential capacity curves of the full cells show that the loss of active materials, loss of lithium ions and cell polarization are the main factors contributing to capacity loss. Non-fully charging of the electrodes is also one of the reasons, but only takes up a minor portion. Impedance results indicate that the charge transfer resistance becomes larger during cycling, especially at low state of charge. Morphology and surface chemistry analysis demonstrates that the electrode particles after cycling exhibit some minor cracks and some additional layers are formed on surfaces of both the cathode and anode electrodes. All of these effects may contribute to the impedance increase, and consequently lead to degradation of the full cells. Thus, a good protection of the surface of the cathode and anode shows great potential to improve the capacity maintenance and prolong the cycle life of the cells.
Advanced Spatial Modeling to Inform Management of Data-Poor Juvenile and Adult Female Rays
Authors: Dedman Simon , Officer Rick , Brophy Deirdre , Clarke Maurice , Reid David G.
Published: August 2017

Chronic overfishing has depleted numerous elasmobranch stocks in the North East Atlantic, but addressing this issue has been hampered by management complications and lacking data. Spatial management approaches have thus been advocated. This work presents a novel application and further development of an advanced spatial modeling technique to identify candidate nursery grounds and spawning areas for conservation, by subsetting already limited data. Boosted Regression Tree models are used to predict abundance of juvenile and mature female cuckoo (Leucoraja naevus), thornback (Raja clavata), blonde (Raja brachyura), and spotted (Raja montagui) rays in the Irish Sea using fish survey data and data describing fishing pressure, predation and environmental variables. Model-predicted spatial abundance maps of these subsets reveal distinct nuances in species distributions with greater predictive power than maps of the whole stock. These resulting maps are then integrated into a single easily understood map using a novel approach, standardizing and facilitating the spatial management of data-limited fish stocks.
Regional Assessment of Human Fecal Contamination in Southern California Coastal Drainages
Authors: Cao Yiping , Raith Meredith , Smith Paul , Griffith John , Weisberg Stephen , Schriewer Alexander , Sheldon Andrew , Crompton Chris , Amenu Geremew , Gregory Jason , Guzman Joe , Goodwin Kelly , Othman Laila , Manasjan Mayela , Choi Samuel , Rapoport Shana , Steele Syreeta , Nguyen Tommy , Yu Xueyuan
Published: August 2017

Host-associated genetic markers that allow for fecal source identification have been used extensively as a diagnostic tool to determine fecal sources within watersheds, but have not been used in routine monitoring to prioritize remediation actions among watersheds. Here, we present a regional assessment of human marker prevalence among drainages that discharge to the U.S. southern California coast. Approximately 50 samples were analyzed for the HF183 human marker from each of 22 southern California coastal drainages under summer dry weather conditions, and another 50 samples were targeted from each of 23 drainages during wet weather. The HF183 marker was ubiquitous, detected in all but two sites in dry weather and at all sites during wet weather. However, there was considerable difference in the extent of human fecal contamination among sites. Similar site ranking was produced regardless of whether the assessment was based on frequency of HF183 detection or site average HF183 concentration. However, site ranking differed greatly between dry and wet weather. Site ranking also differed greatly when based on enterococci, which do not distinguish between pollution sources, vs. HF183, which distinguishes higher risk human fecal sources from other sources, indicating the additional value of the human-associated marker as a routine monitoring tool.
Comment on Montagna, et al. Evaluation of Legionella air contamination in healthcare facilities by different sampling methods: An Italian multicenter study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14, 670
Authors: Collins Samuel , Walker Jimmy
Published: August 2017

In their recent article, Montagna et al. describe a multicenter study investigating the presence of Legionella in water and air samples of Italian healthcare facilities [1].[...]
Program Development and Effectiveness of Workplace Health Promotion Program for Preventing Metabolic Syndrome among Office Workers
Authors: Ryu Hosihn , Jung Jiyeon , Cho Jeonghyun , Chin Dal
Published: August 2017

This paper aims to develop and analyze the effects of a socio-ecological model-based intervention program for preventing metabolic syndrome (MetS) among office workers. The intervention program was developed using regular health examinations, a “health behavior and need” assessment survey among workers, and a focus group study. According to the type of intervention, subjects took part in three groups: health education via an intranet-based web magazine (Group 1), self-monitoring with the U-health system (Group 2), and the target population who received intensive intervention (Group 3). The intervention programs of Group 1 and Group 2, which relied on voluntary participation, did not show significant effects. In Group 3, which relied on targeted and proactive programs, showed a decrease in waist circumference and in fasting glucose (p < 0.001). The MetS score in both males (−0.61 ± 3.35 versus −2.32 ± 2.55, p = 0.001) and females (−3.99 ± 2.05 versus −5.50 ± 2.19, p = 0.028) also showed a statistically significant decrease. In light of the effectiveness of the intensive intervention strategy for metabolic syndrome prevention among workers used in this study, companies should establish targeted and proactive health care programs rather than providing a healthcare system that is dependent on an individual’s voluntary participation.
Gingival Pigmentation Affected by Smoking among Different Age Groups: A Quantitative Analysis of Gingival Pigmentation Using Clinical Oral Photographs
Authors: Kato Tomotaka , Mizutani Shinsuke , Takiuchi Hiroya , Sugiyama Seiichi , Hanioka Takashi , Naito Toru
Published: August 2017

The presence of any age-related differences in gingival pigmentation associated with smoking, particularly in a young population, remains to be fully investigated. The purpose of this study was to determine the age-related differences in smoking gingival pigmentation. Gingival pigmentation was analyzed using the gingival melanosis record (GMR) and Hedin’s classification with frontal oral photographs taken at 16 dental offices in Japan. Participants were categorized into 10-year age groups, and their baseline photographs were compared. In addition, to evaluate the effect of smoking cessation on gingival pigmentation, subjects were divided into a former smoker group (stopped smoking) and current smoker group. A total of 259 patients 19 to 79 years of age were analyzed. People in their 30s showed the most widespread gingival pigmentation. In addition, subjects in their 20s showed a weak effect of smoking cessation on gingival pigmentation. These findings suggested that the gingival pigmentation induced by smoking was more remarkable in young people than in middle-aged people. This information may be useful for anti-smoking education, especially among young populations with a high affinity for smoking.
Systematic Selection of Reference Genes for the Normalization of Circulating RNA Transcripts in Pregnant Women Based on RNA-Seq Data
Authors: Chim Stephen , Wong Karen , Chung Claire , Lam Stephanie , Kwok Jamie , Lai Chit-Ying , Cheng Yvonne , Hui Annie , Meng Meng , Chan Oi-Ka , Tsui Stephen , Lee Keun-Young , Chan Ting-Fung , Leung Tak-Yeung
Published: August 2017

RNA transcripts circulating in peripheral blood represent an important source of non-invasive biomarkers. To accurately quantify the levels of circulating transcripts, one needs to normalize the data with internal control reference genes, which are detected at relatively constant levels across blood samples. A few reference gene candidates have to be selected from transcriptome data before the validation of their stable expression by reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. However, there is a lack of transcriptome, let alone whole-transcriptome, data from maternal blood. To overcome this shortfall, we performed RNA-sequencing on blood samples from women presenting with preterm labor. The coefficient of variation (CV) of expression levels was calculated. Of 11,215 exons detected in the maternal blood whole-transcriptome, a panel of 395 genes, including PPP1R15B, EXOC8, ACTB, and TPT1, were identified to comprise exons with considerably less variable expression level (CV, 7.75–17.7%) than any GAPDH exon (minimum CV, 27.3%). Upon validation, the selected genes from this panel remained more stably expressed than GAPDH in maternal blood. This panel is over-represented with genes involved with the actin cytoskeleton, macromolecular complex, and integrin signaling. This groundwork provides a starting point for systematically selecting reference gene candidates for normalizing the levels of circulating RNA transcripts in maternal blood.
Developing Talent from a Supply–Demand Perspective: An Optimization Model for Managers
Authors: Moheb-Alizadeh Hadi , Handfield Robert
Published: August 2017

While executives emphasize that human resources (HR) are a firm’s biggest asset, the level of research attention devoted to planning talent pipelines for complex global organizational environments does not reflect this emphasis. Numerous challenges exist in establishing human resource management strategies aligned with strategic operations planning and growth strategies. We generalize the problem of managing talent from a supply–demand standpoint through a resource acquisition lens, to an industrial business case where an organization recruits for multiple roles given a limited pool of potential candidates acquired through a limited number of recruiting channels. In this context, we develop an innovative analytical model in a stochastic environment to assist managers with talent planning in their organizations. We apply supply chain concepts to the problem, whereby individuals with specific competencies are treated as unique products. We first develop a multi-period mixed integer nonlinear programming model and then exploit chance-constrained programming to a linearized instance of the model to handle stochastic parameters, which follow any arbitrary distribution functions. Next, we use an empirical study to validate the model with a large global manufacturing company, and demonstrate how the proposed model can effectively manage talents in a practical context. A stochastic analysis on the implemented case study reveals that a reasonable improvement is derived from incorporating randomness into the problem.
Spectral Selectivity of Plasmonic Interactions between Individual Up-Converting Nanocrystals and Spherical Gold Nanoparticles
Authors: Piątkowski Dawid , Schmidt Mikołaj , Twardowska Magdalena , Nyk Marcin , Aizpurua Javier , Maćkowski Sebastian
Published: August 2017

We experimentally demonstrate strong spectral selectivity of plasmonic interaction that occurs between α-NaYF4:Er3+/Yb3+ nanocrystals, which feature two emission bands, and spherical gold nanoparticles, with plasmon frequency resonant with one of the emission bands. Spatially–resolved luminescence intensity maps acquired for individual nanocrystals, together with microsecond luminescence lifetime images, show two qualitatively different effects that result from the coupling between plasmon excitations in metallic nanoparticles and emitting states of the nanocrystals. On the one hand, we observe nanocrystals, whose emission intensity is strongly enhanced for both resonant and non-resonant bands with respect to the plasmon resonance. Importantly, this increase is accompanied with shortening of luminescence decays times. In contrast, a significant number of nanocrystals exhibits almost complete quenching of the emission resonant with the plasmon resonance of gold nanoparticles. Theoretical analysis indicates that such an effect can occur for emitters placed at distances of about 5 nm from gold nanoparticles. While under these conditions, both transitions experience significant increases of the radiative emission rates due to the Purcell effect, the non-radiative energy transfer between resonant bands results in strong quenching, which in that situation nullifies the enhancement.
Surface Sensitive Techniques for Advanced Characterization of Luminescent Materials
Authors: Swart Hendrik
Published: August 2017

The important role of surface sensitive characterization techniques such as Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), X-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS), time of flight scanning ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) and High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) for the characterization of different phosphor materials is discussed in this short review by giving selective examples from previous obtained results. AES is used to monitor surface reactions during electron bombardment and also to determine the elemental composition of the surfaces of the materials, while XPS and TOF-SIMS are used for determining the surface chemical composition and valence state of the dopants. The role of XPS to determine the presence of defects in the phosphor matrix is also stated with the different examples. The role of HRTEM in combination with Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) for nanoparticle characterization is also pointed out.
Development of pH-sensitive Dextran Derivatives with Strong Adjuvant Function and Their Application to Antigen Delivery
Authors: Yuba Eiji , Uesugi Shinya , Miyazaki Maiko , Kado Yuna , Harada Atsushi , Kono Kenji
Published: August 2017

To achieve efficient cancer immunotherapy, the induction of cytotoxic T lymphocyte-based cellular immunity is necessary. In order to induce cellular immunity, antigen carriers that can deliver antigen into cytosol of antigen presenting cells and can activate these cells are required. We previously developed 3-methyl glutarylated dextran (MGlu-Dex) for cytoplasmic delivery of antigen via membrane disruption ability at weakly acidic pH in endosome/lysosomes. MGlu-Dex-modified liposomes delivered model antigens into cytosol of dendritic cells and induced antigen-specific cellular immunity. However, their antitumor effects were not enough to complete the regression of the tumor. In this study, antigen delivery performance of dextran derivatives was improved by the introduction of more hydrophobic spacer groups next to carboxyl groups. 2-Carboxycyclohexane-1-carboxylated dextran (CHex-Dex) was newly synthesized as pH-responsive dextran derivative. CHex-Dex formed stronger hydrophobic domains at extremely weak acidic pH and destabilized lipid membrane more efficiently than MGlu-Dex. CHex-Dex-modified liposomes were taken up by dendritic cells 10 times higher than MGlu-Dex-modified liposomes and delivered model antigen into cytosol. Furthermore, CHex-Dex achieved 600 times higher IL-12 production from dendritic cells than MGlu-Dex. Therefore, CHex-Dex is promising as multifunctional polysaccharide having both cytoplasmic antigen delivery function and strong activation property of dendritic cells for induction of cellular immunity.
Coalescence Avalanches in Liquid Aluminum Foams
Authors: Paeplow Marlen , García-Moreno Francisco , Meagher Aaron , Rack Alexander , Banhart John
Published: August 2017

Coalescence is the rupture of a film between two adjacent bubbles in any type of liquid foam and has pronounced influence on the development of its macrostructure after solidification, mostly leading to larger pores and a wider size distribution. Foamable AlSi6Cu4 + 0.5 wt % TiH2 precursors made following the powder metallurgical route were foamed in a gas-tight X-ray transparent furnace under 500 kPa (5 bar) pressure with subsequent pressure release. Coalescence was investigated by fast X-ray radioscopy at a frame rate of 1250 Hz and an effective pixel size of 9 µm at the beamline ID-19, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), Grenoble, France. A self-developed program yielded the temporal and spatial detection of coalescence events in the acquired radioscopies. We observed the occurrence of film ruptures in a short temporal and spatial distance and we will refer to these phenomena as “avalanches”.
Hot Deformation Behavior of a Spray-Deposited Al-8.31Zn-2.07Mg-2.46Cu-0.12Zr Alloy
Authors: Sheng Xiaofei , Lei Qian , Xiao Zhu , Wang Mingpu
Published: August 2017

Metallic materials have a significant number of applications, among which Al alloys have drawn people’s attention due to their low density and high strength. High-strength Al-based alloys, such as 7XXX Al alloys, contain many alloying elements and with high concentration, whose microstructures present casting voids, segregation, dendrites, etc. In this work, a spray deposition method was employed to fabricate an Al-8.31Zn-2.07Mg-2.46Cu-0.12Zr (wt %) alloy with fine structure. The hot deformation behavior of the studied alloy was investigated using a Gleeble 1500 thermal simulator and electron microscopes. The microstructure evolution, variation in the properties, and precipitation behavior were systematically investigated to explore a short process producing an alloy with high property values. The results revealed that the MgZn2 particles were detected from inside the grain and grain boundary, while some Al3Zr particles were inside the grain. An Arrhenius equation was employed to describe the relationship between the flow stress and the strain rate, and the established constitutive equation was that: ε ˙ = [ sinh ( 0.017 σ ) ] 4.049 exp [ 19.14 − ( 129.9 / R T ) ] . An appropriate hot extrusion temperature was determined to be 460 °C. Hot deformation (460 °C by 60%) + age treatment (120 °C) was optimized to shorten the processing method for the as-spray-deposited alloy, after which considerable properties were approached. The high strength was mainly attributed to the grain boundary strengthening and the precipitation strengthening from the nanoscale MgZn2 and Al3Zr precipitates.
Scanning Micro-Mirror with an Electrostatic Spring for Compensation of Hard-Spring Nonlinearity
Authors: Izawa Takashi , Sasaki Takashi , Hane Kazuhiro
Published: August 2017

A scanning micro-mirror operated at the mechanical resonant frequency often suffer nonlinearity of the torsion-bar spring. The torsion-bar spring becomes harder than the linear spring with the increase of the rotation angle (hard-spring effect). The hard-spring effect of the torsion-bar spring generates several problems, such as hysteresis, frequency shift, and instability by oscillation jump. In this paper, a scanning micro-mirror with an electrostatic-comb spring is studied for compensation of the hard-spring effect of the torsion-bar spring. The hard-spring effect of the torsion-bar spring is compensated with the equivalent soft-spring effect of the electrostatic-comb spring. The oscillation curve becomes symmetric at the resonant frequency although the resonant frequency increases. Theoretical analysis is given for roughly explaining the compensation. A 0.5 mm square scanning micro-mirror having two kinds of combs, i.e., an actuator comb and a compensation comb, is fabricated from a silicon-on-insulator wafer for testing the compensation of the hard-spring in a vacuum and in atmospheric air. The bending of the oscillation curve is compensated by applying a DC voltage to the electrostatic-comb spring in vacuum and atmosphere. The compensation is attributed by theoretical approach to the soft-spring effect of the electrostatic-comb spring.
Web-Based Remote Control of a Building’s Electrical Power, Green Power Generation and Environmental System Using a Distributive Microcontroller
Authors: Chen Cheng-Yi , Liu Chien-Yuan , Kuo Chiu-Chan , Yang Cheng-Fu
Published: August 2017

This article proposes a novel, web-based, remote monitoring and control system design for a building’s electrical power, green power generation and environmental system that will save energy. The supervisory control system is based on the use of distributed microcontroller architecture to access programmable logic controllers (PLC) and remote input/output devices through the system hardware framework with uniform Ethernet technology. The programmable logic controller (PLC) can access and control devices directly or through RS-232 and RS-485 serial communication. The distributed microcontroller is the control module designated through an open-source firmware, to transform heterogeneous communication to Modbus transmission control protocol (TCP) communication and to achieve the exchange of information between the host and client controller. The proposed supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system is based on the professional software of InduSoft Web Studio and provides a supervisory control design with a friendly human–machine interface. The system can realize real-time data acquisition and storage, control command transmission, system security and power trend analysis. Finally, the proposed SCADA system can be built directly into the hypertext markup language (HTML) and HTML5 and run on the web server, allowing access from a personal computer or smartphone web browser. Our system goals are to greatly reduce system complexity and maintenance costs with a simple Ethernet architecture. The control system can be easily expanded with the same technology culture outside the restrictive one of the large companies. Hence, this system can easily be used in a smart home system to enhance the quality of its inhabitants.
Immuno-Stimulatory Peptides as a Potential Adjunct Therapy against Intra-Macrophagic Pathogens
Authors: Silva Tânia , Gomes Maria
Published: August 2017

The treatment of infectious diseases is increasingly prone to failure due to the rapid spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are natural components of the innate immune system of most living organisms. Their capacity to kill microbes through multiple mechanisms makes the development of bacterial resistance less likely. Additionally, AMPs have important immunomodulatory effects, which critically contribute to their role in host defense. In this paper, we review the most recent evidence for the importance of AMPs in host defense against intracellular pathogens, particularly intra-macrophagic pathogens, such as mycobacteria. Cathelicidins and defensins are reviewed in more detail, due to the abundance of studies on these molecules. The cell-intrinsic as well as the systemic immune-related effects of the different AMPs are discussed. In the face of the strong potential emerging from the reviewed studies, the prospects for future use of AMPs as part of the therapeutic armamentarium against infectious diseases are presented.
γ-Tocotrienol Inhibits Proliferation and Induces Apoptosis via the Mitochondrial Pathway in Human Cervical Cancer HeLa Cells
Authors: Xu Weili , Mi Yaqing , He Pan , He Shenghua , Niu Lingling
Published: August 2017

γ-Tocotrienol, a kind of isoprenoid phytochemical, has antitumor activity. However, there is limited evidence that it has an effect on cervical cancer. In this study, the capacity to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in human cervical cancer HeLa cells and the mechanism underlying these effects were examined. The results indicated that a γ-tocotrienol concentration over 30 μM inhibited the growth of HeLa cells with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 46.90 ± 3.50 μM at 24 h, and significantly down-regulated the expression of proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and Ki-67. DNA flow cytometric analysis indicated that γ-tocotrienol arrested the cell cycle at G0/G1 phase and reduced the S phase in HeLa cells. γ-tocotrienol induced apoptosis of HeLa cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. γ-tocotrienol-induced apoptosis in HeLa cells was accompanied by down-regulation of Bcl-2, up-regulation of Bax, release of cytochrome from mitochondria, activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3, and subsequent poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage. These results suggested that γ-tocotrienol could significantly inhibit cell proliferation through G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, and induce apoptosis via the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in human cervical cancer HeLa cells. Thus, our findings revealed that γ-tocotrienol may be considered as a potential agent for cervical cancer therapy.