bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modeling Rheotaxis based on Preference to Predict Fish Migration Behavior in A River
Authors: Febrina Rina
Published: June 2017

In this research, we attempt to determine preference of rheotaxis and estimated weight values in laboratory experiments using adult and juvenile ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis altivelis). We conducted paired comparisons of ayu distribution between the upper and lower sections of a test watercourse using several velocity conditions (10, 30, and 40 cm/s for juveniles; 20, 30, 50, 70, and 90 cm/s for adults). In upper watercourse sections, juvenile ayu preferred velocities of 30 cm/s and 40 cm/s, and adults preferred a velocity of 50 cm/s. Even when a highly preferred illumination condition of 4000 lux was present in the lower section, fish maintained a higher distribution in the upper section. We design a procedure to calculate rheotaxis preference and built it into our fish behavior simulation model on geographic information system (GIS) software. The model successfully predicted natural migration behavior of fish.
Scale Model for Mass Flows Down an Inclined Plane in a Geotechnical Centrifuge
Authors: Cabrera M. A. , Wu W.
Published: June 2017

Natural mass flows are among the most dangerous geo-hazards in mountain regions. These mass flows are studied in experimental models in a wide range of model dimensions and flow configurations. However, the scale of the experiments required to bring the flowing material to a stress level close to those of field processes demands larger models. Centrifuge modelling is an attractive alternative to simulate mass flows under controlled boundary conditions while increasing the gravity-driven processes in a small scale model. This paper presented a centrifuge model developed for the simulation of dry and wet granular flows down an inclined plane. The scale model allowed measuring flow height, basal load, flow velocity, and discharge load under an augmented acceleration field. The scale model enabled studying mass flows with reduced dimensions, accounting for the stress-dependent behavior of the solid and fluid phase.
Rtt101‐Mms1‐Mms22 coordinates replication‐coupled sister chromatid cohesion and nucleosome assembly
Authors: Zhang Jingjing , Shi Di , Li Xiaoli , Ding Lin , Tang Jun , Liu Cong , Shirahige Katsuhiko , Cao Qinhong , Lou Huiqiang
Published: June 2017

Two sister chromatids must be held together by a cohesion process from their synthesis during S phase to segregation in anaphase. Despite its pivotal role in accurate chromosome segregation, how cohesion is established remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate that yeast Rtt101‐Mms1, Cul4 family E3 ubiquitin ligases are stronger dosage suppressors of loss‐of‐function eco1 mutants than PCNA. The essential cohesion reaction, Eco1‐catalyzed Smc3 acetylation is reduced in the absence of Rtt101‐Mms1. One of the adaptor subunits, Mms22, associates directly with Eco1. Point mutations (L61D/G63D) in Eco1 that abolish the interaction with Mms22 impair Smc3 acetylation. Importantly, an eco1LGpol30A251V double mutant displays additive Smc3ac reduction. Moreover, Smc3 acetylation and cohesion defects also occur in the mutants of other replication‐coupled nucleosome assembly (RCNA) factors upstream or downstream of Rtt101‐Mms1, indicating unanticipated cross talk between histone modifications and cohesin acetylation. These data suggest that fork‐associated Cul4‐Ddb1 E3s, together with PCNA, coordinate chromatin reassembly and cohesion establishment on the newly replicated sister chromatids, which are crucial for maintaining genome and chromosome stability.
Hormone replacement treatment choices in complete androgen insensitivity syndrome: an audit of an adult clinic
Authors: Ko Jennifer K Y , King Thomas F J , Williams Louise , Creighton Sarah M , Conway Gerard S
Published: June 2017

Objective

To review the treatment choices of women with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS) at a single tertiary centre.

Design

Retrospective review.

Patients

Women with CAIS identified from our database.

Results

The study group comprised 141 women with CAIS. Eleven percent (16/141) of women had gonads in situ, 3 of whom were under workup for gonadectomy. The age of gonadectomy in the remainder 125 women was 17 (0.1–53) years. The most common form of HRT was oral oestrogen or transdermal oestrogen in 80% (113/141). 13/141 (9%) women used vaginal oestrogens alone or together with other forms of HRT. Testosterone preparations had been used by 17% (24/141) of women and were currently used in 10% (14/141). Of those who had used testosterone, 42% (10/24) had chosen not to continue after a therapeutic trial.

Conclusions

In a clinic offering individualised multidisciplinary care for women with CAIS, we found that the majority of women chose oestrogen-based treatment while a significant minority used testosterone.
Targeting mitotic pathways for endocrine-related cancer therapeutics
Authors: Agarwal Shivangi , Varma Dileep
Published: June 2017

A colossal amount of basic research over the past few decades has provided unprecedented insights into the highly complex process of cell division. There is an ever-expanding catalog of proteins that orchestrate, participate and coordinate in the exquisite processes of spindle formation, chromosome dynamics and the formation and regulation of kinetochore microtubule attachments. Use of classical microtubule poisons has still been widely and often successfully used to combat a variety of cancers, but their non-selective interference in other crucial physiologic processes necessitate the identification of novel druggable components specific to the cell cycle/division pathway. Considering cell cycle deregulation, unscheduled proliferation, genomic instability and chromosomal instability as a hallmark of tumor cells, there lies an enormous untapped terrain that needs to be unearthed before a drug can pave its way from bench to bedside. This review attempts to systematically summarize the advances made in this context so far with an emphasis on endocrine-related cancers and the avenues for future progress to target mitotic mechanisms in an effort to combat these dreadful cancers.
Continuity of Care in Infancy and Early Childhood Health Outcomes
Authors: Enlow Elizabeth , Passarella Molly , Lorch Scott A.
Published: June 2017

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

Continuity of care is a key aspect of the patient-centered medical home and improves pediatric outcomes. Health care reform requires high-quality data to demonstrate its continued value. We hypothesized that increased provider continuity in infancy will reduce urgent health care use and increase receipt of preventive services in early childhood.

METHODS:

Continuity, using the Usual Provider of Care measure, was calculated across all primary care encounters during the first year of life in a prospectively-constructed cohort of 17 773 infants receiving primary care from birth through 3 years at 30 clinics. Health care utilization and preventive care outcomes were measured from ages 1 to 3 years. Confounders, including chronic conditions, number of sick visits in the first year, socioeconomic status, and site, were addressed by using multivariable regression models incorporating a propensity score.

RESULTS:

Demographics associated with the lowest continuity quartile included white race (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.43; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.25–1.64), Medicaid insurance (aOR 1.41; 95% CI 1.23–1.61), and asthma (aOR 1.59; 95% CI 1.30–1.93). Lower continuity was associated with more ambulatory care-sensitive hospitalizations (adjusted incidence rate ratio 2.74; 95% CI 1.49–5.03), ambulatory sick visits (adjusted incidence rate ratio 1.08; 95% CI 1.05–1.11), and lower odds of lead screening (aOR 0.61; 95% CI 0.46–0.79). These associations were stronger for children with chronic conditions. Continuity measured during well visits was not associated with outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS:

Continuity may improve care quality and prevent high-cost health encounters, especially for children with chronic conditions. Novel solutions are needed to improve continuity in the medical home.
A RELAÇÃO TEORIA E PRÁTICA: INVESTIGANDO AS COMPREENSÕES DE PROFESSORES QUE ATUAM NA EDUCAÇÃO PROFISSIONAL
Authors: Morais Jaciária de Medeiros , Souza Ana Paula , Costa Temilson
Published: June 2017

A relação teoria e prática é uma problemática que se apresenta em todo processo formativo, suas formas de articulação expressam posições político-pedagógicas em que a ação educativa é desenvolvida. Na educação profissional a integração da teoria com a prática é dimensão basilar quando se almeja um ensino de formação integral dos sujeitos. Compreender a relação teoria e prática no trabalho de professores de formação geral que atuam na educação profissional consiste no objetivo desta pesquisa, que foi desenvolvida de acordo com a metodologia da pesquisa qualitativa, obtendo os dados a partir de uma entrevista semi-estruturada com 04 professores que atuam em duas escolas da rede privada de ensino profissional da cidade de Natal/RN. Para reflexão sobre as compreensões dos professores, autores como Candau (2013), Pimenta (2012), Moura (2007), Machado (2013), Vázquez (2011) e Araújo e Rodrigues (2011), nos ajudaram a tecer as discussões e análises. Sendo possível entender que a relação teoria e prática é indispensável no desenvolvimento de uma formação para educação professional. Suas formas de articulação acontecem, principalmente, pelas visões dicotômica e de unidade. A partir da compreensão dos professores foi possível perceber que há uma prevalência da visão dicotômica da relação teoria e prática na atuação docente da formação técnica professional
A EXPERIÊNCIA DA PESQUISA NA FORMAÇÃO DOCENTE: unindo teoria à prática
Authors: Ferreira Ilane Cavalcante , Henrique Ana Lúcia Sarmento
Published: June 2017

Este texto tem como objetivo discutir a pesquisa como princípio educativo na perspectiva da formação continuada do docente, a partir da experiência vivenciada na disciplina Formação de Professores para Educação Profissional, referenciada nas discussões de Demo (2000) e Echeverría (2002) sobre a pesquisa como processo formativo; de Tardif (2002) e Candau (sd) sobre a formação docente; e de Machado (2008), Araujo (2008),  Moura (2006) e Souza (2013) sobre a formação docente para a Educação Profissional e Tecnológica (EPT). Tentando unir teoria à prática, objetivou-se, na disciplina, a integração do conteúdo a ser ministrado em sala de aula com a experiência mesma do fazer científico na perspectiva de que o trabalho final da disciplina se revestisse de um caráter científico-reflexivo, ao mesmo tempo, inovador e que levasse também à produção de conhecimento na área. A pesquisa se desenvolveu em três campi do IFRN investigando três categorias gerais: identidade docente, prática pedagógica e percepção sobre EP. Para a coleta de dados utilizamos a entrevista semiestruturada gravada, cujas transcrições foram socializadas entre os alunos para que cada grupo pudesse analisar a categoria a qual havia escolhido. Como resultado da pesquisa, tivemos a produção de quatro artigos por parte dos alunos, versando sobre as diferentes categorias analisadas.
DESVELANDO O PERCURSO FORMATIVO DE DOCENTES DA EDUCAÇÃO PROFISSIONAL: UM ESTUDO DE CASO COM PROFESSORES DO CURSO DE ANÁLISES CLÍNICAS DE UMA IES PRIVADA
Authors: Da Costa Antonio Max Ferreira , Da Fonseca Christine Meyreles Felipe , COSTA L. de G. M.
Published: June 2017

O presente artigo configura-se em uma pesquisa empírica e bibliográfica, cuja gênese se deu dentro do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação Profissional (PPGEP-IFRN) em 2015/16, objetivando apresentar os desvelamentos do percurso formativo de dois professores de disciplinas específicas que atuam na Educação Profissional (EP), do Curso de Análises Clínicas, de uma IES privada do estado do Rio Grande do Norte. A pesquisa se deu em dois momentos, no primeiro momento pesquisamos os autores que fundamentam a formação docente e a formação docente para a Educação Profissional (EP) dentre eles destacam-se: Pimenta (2002), Anastasiou (2002), Tardif (2014), Moura (2008), Araujo (2008) e Freire (1991). Depois de concluída essa etapa fomos ao lócus de pesquisa coletar os dados sobre o percurso formativo dos dois docentes, utilizando como fontes as entrevistas gravadas e posteriormente transcritas na íntegra, feito isso organizamos as transcrições em quadros. Com essa pesquisa chegamos à conclusão que o percurso formativo do docente que atua na Educação Profissional (EP) lócus de pesquisa não possuíam formação específica em licenciatura ou formação didática pedagógica para lecionar na (EP) eles só mobilizavam os saberes técnicos da área e não do ensino e aprendizagem adquiridos nas formações docentes, tanto inicial como continuada, pois um depois estava em fase de conclusão do mestrado
O PERFIL DE FORMAÇÃO DE PROFESSORES DA EDUCAÇÃO PROFISSIONAL QUE ATUAM EM INSTITUIÇÕES PRIVADAS NO RN: uma análise a partir das vozes dos docentes do eixo geral
Authors: De B. Correia Daniela Bessa , Batista Ana Cristina , Paiva Samara Yontei
Published: June 2017

Este estudo tem por objetivo analisar o perfil de formação de professores de disciplinas do eixo geral de duas instituições que ofertam cursos de Educação Profissional subsequente ao ensino médio na área de saúde no Rio Grande do Norte. A metodologia caracterizou-se por uma pesquisa empírica que utilizou como técnica de coleta de dados a entrevista semiestruturada. Para as discussões foram utilizados como referências principais as investigações de Moura (2013, 2014), Araujo (2008) e Machado (2008). Os resultados do estudo permitiram apontar para um perfil de formação bastante variado quando tratamos dos profissionais docentes que trabalham na Educação Profissional. Apontamos também que os saberes inerentes à Educação Profissional não são mencionados no percurso formativo dos professores investigados, tampouco são reconhecidos como importantes. Pudemos inferir que os conhecimentos relativos à compreensão do funcionamento da sociedade e das relações entre trabalho, cultura, ciência e Estado, das políticas públicas e dessas, articuladas à educação profissional, além de não serem contempladas na formação inicial dos professores investigados também não constituem objeto de estudo na formação continuada promovida pelas instituições. Por fim, acreditamos que a fragilidade no percurso formativo dos professores se dá pela ausência de políticas públicas de formação inicial e continuada que considere as especificidades e características deste campo da educação
Exploring multi-stage driving behaviours prior to potential vehicle–pedestrian collisions
Authors: Ma Lu , Yan Xuedong , Liu Xinyu
Published: June 2017

A simulator-based experiment involving a vehicle–pedestrian collision scenario was designed and the corresponding temporal patterns of the multi-stage driving behaviours were then analysed using the approach of sequential pattern mining. The test scenario, conducted by 45 participants, involved a vehicle travelling along a straight two-lane roadway when an unexpected pedestrian emerges and runs across the driving lane. The whole process was partitioned into three stages – the pre-event stage, the evasive stage and the conflict stage – and several featured variables (braking reaction time, time-to-collision etc.) were collected. A sequential pattern mining algorithm was adopted to analyse the temporal relationships among these variables and, for comparison, several conventional binary regression models were also developed. The analysis revealed several sequential patterns of driving behaviours under the crash-avoidance scenario. For example, the drivers who experienced collisions were accelerating during the first stage and also had relatively long braking reaction times in the second stage. The results from the sequential pattern mining analysis indicate that the evasive stage is crucial for understanding the whole process, as it affects the influence of behaviours from the pre-event stage to the conflict stage.
El sector de los alimentos ecológicos: Regulación y etiquetado ecológico = The organic food sector: Regulation and ecological labeling
Authors: Aguirre García María Belén
Published: June 2017

El sector de los alimentos ecológicos y la evolución de su normativa están experimentando continuos cambios y ampliaciones acordes con los flujos económicos y comerciales de nuestros días. El objetivo del artículo, desde una metodología descriptiva, es reflejar esta evolución, presentando la regulación vigente, que es exhaustiva y abarca ámbitos diversos: sistemas de producción agraria ecológica, control y certificación de operadores, comercialización y etiquetado de los alimentos ecológicos. Asimismo, se abordan las diferentes caracterizaciones en la actualidad del etiquetado de los alimentos ecológicos en Europa, en España y en las Comunidades Autónomas.

 

The organic food sector and the evolution of its regulations are undergoing continuous changes and extensions in line with the economic and commercial flows of our day. The objective of the article, from a descriptive methodology, is to reflect this evolution, presenting the current regulation, which is exhaustive and covers different areas: ecological agricultural production systems, operator control and certification, marketing and labeling of organic food. It also addresses the different characterizations of organic food labeling in Europe, Spain and the “Comunidades Autónomas”.

 
Counter-revolutionary transformations of Charles I in Burke, Austen and Scott
Authors: Napton Dani , Cousins A. D.
Published: June 2017

Few would deny Charles I’s uniqueness in British history. The voluminous interpretations of Charles since his execution amply indicate the impact of his myth on subsequent generations. This essay considers mythologizings of the executed monarch by Edmund Burke, Jane Austen and Walter Scott. These three writers, albeit to different degrees and in different ways, saw his pertinence to then-current debates against revolution, that is to say, to advocacy of counter-revolution at the time of or in the shadow of the French Revolution. Specifically this essay focuses initially on Burke’s Reflections on the Revolution in France which shaped the framework of much conservative thinking from 1790. Thereafter the essay considers affinities between Burke’s text (and his text’s divergences from) non-fiction and fiction by the politically conservative Jane Austen and Walter Scott. The focus is on two pre-eminent myths authored or authorised by the monarch himself which endured into and beyond the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries: Charles as the Royal Martyr and Charles as Christ (and, hence, as intercessor for his people).
Analysing corpus-based criterial conjunctions for automatic proficiency classification
Authors: Zarco-Tejada Ángeles , Noya Gallardo Carmen , Merino Ferradá Mª Carmen , Calderón López Isabel
Published: June 2017

The linguistic profiling of L2 learning texts can be taken as a model for automatic proficiency assessment of new texts. But proficiency levels are distinguished by many different linguistic features among which the use of cohesive devices can be a criterial element for level distinctions, either in the number of conjunctions used (quantitative) and/or in the type and variety of them (qualitative). We have carried such an analysis with a subgroup of the CLEC (CEFR-levelled English Corpus) using Coh-Metrix, a tool for computing computational cohesion and coherence metrics for written and spoken texts, but our results suggest that automatic proficiency level assessment needs a deeper examination of conjunctions that should rely on the analysis of conjunction-types use and conjunction varieties, with an analysis of lexical choice. A variable based on familiarity ranks could help to predict cohesive levels proficiencyoriented.
Time of Displacement as a Predictor of Re-employment
Authors: Jolkkonen Arja , Koistinen Pertti , Kurvinen Arja , Lipiäinen Liudmila , Nummi Tapio , Virtanen Pekka
Published: June 2017

Previous studies addressing plant closures suggest that the reemployment of workers varies according to the economic cycle at the time of displacement. However, there are few studies on the selectivity of labor demand and reemployment in the long run. This study applied trajectory analyses in exploring the 7-year labor market attachment of workers displaced in plant closures in Finland during the recession in 1992, the boom in 1997, and slow economic growth in 2003. Results of the multinomial logistic regression analyses indicated that those displaced during the recession assumed the trajectory of strong employment significantly less commonly than those displaced under better economic conditions. Moreover, a significant interaction between age and year of displacement was found, whereas the gender, education-, and industryrelated risks turned out to be timeindependent. The study contributes to the sociological understanding of economic restructuring and how different times frame the individual’s opportunities to gain re-employment.
Concepts of Work in Marx, Durkheim, and Weber
Authors: Karlsson Jan Ch. , Månson Per
Published: June 2017

The extremely dramatic social transformation – called ‘the great transformation’ by Polanyi (1985) – that the full emergence of capitalism and industrialism meant in Europe led to the birth of modern social theory. The attention of the classics of the studies was taken up by trying to describe, understand, and explain this social change: What is actually going on? What does it mean to people and society? What does the development depend on? And what can be done about all social problems that this new society creates? Changes in working life are at the center of the analyses of social science from the start. Even when the analyses concern religion, culture, music, and the family, the emergence of a labor market, capitalist wage labor, and the concentration of production in large industries provide the reference point. Working life is the central arena of the classics of social theory. There is, however, no common definition of the key concept ‘work’ or ‘labor’ among the classical social scientists – as little as among current ones. Why is that? (...)
An Argument and an Outline for a New Employment Scheme
Authors: Hansen Henning , Lind Jens , Møller Iver Hornemann
Published: June 2017

Liberalism is celebrating triumphs in these years. As faith in the welfare state and Keynesianism began to crack in the 1970s, capitalist principles were revitalised and the old virtues and dogmas were found and dusted. Now all that restrained the free competition in the market were considered a danger to the growth and the welfare. The impact of trade unions on wage formation should be limited, the welfare state should be reduced, and ‘modernised’ and the incentive structure strengthened by reducing social policy standards. Unemployment was again considered a natural part of the economy where individual choices were crucial to whether you were unemployed or not: lower your wage claims and you would probably get a job. (...)
Influence of Rhizobacterium Inoculation on NaCl Salinity Tolerance in Pusa Sukomal and RC101 Varieties of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.)
Authors: Chaturvedi Sadhna , Gudipati Tejovathi , Shrivastav Archana ,   Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Cancer Hospital and Research Institute, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India.,   Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Cancer Hospital and Research Institute, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India.,   Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Cancer Hospital and Research Institute, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Published: June 2017

Soil salinity is one of the most severe factors limiting growth and physiological response in cowpea plants. In the present study, the effect of rhizobacterium strains BR2 and BR3 on the growth of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) varieties—Pusa Sukomal and RC101—tolerance to 0, 25, 50, and 75 mM concentrations of NaCl salinity was evaluated. The rate of growth, in general, was high in plants irrigated with 25 mM NaCl saline water as compared to control, and thereafter, the growth reduced with increase in salinity concentrations. The results revealed that treating the seeds with rhizobacteria accompanied by NaCl salinity increased growth parameters of the cowpea plant as compared to the seeds irrigated with sodium chloride alone. Treatment with rhizobacteria mitigated the harmful effect of NaCl, and the growth was significantly better than the plants growing in saline water without rhizobacterium inoculation. The overall performance of Pusa Sukomal with BR3 strain was found to be better than the other combinations tested. Flowering in field plants started within 45 days of sowing, and the seeds in plants irrigated with saline water, in the presence of rhizobacterium, were found to be healthy as compared to control seeds. Seed protein profile was analyzed by SDS PAGE gel studies.
Therapeutic role of Schwann cells and resveratrol or melatonin combination in peripheral nerve injured rat models
Authors: Elbaz Amani A. , H. Abu-Almaaty A. , Hassan Mohamed K. , Mohammed Eman A. , Aziz Maryham M.
Published: June 2017

Peripheral nerve injuries (PNI) are a frequent and disabling condition which affects 13 to 23 per 100,000 persons each; it remains a major cause of morbidity and social disruption. The aim of this study is to evaluate the possible therapeutic potency of melatonin (100 mg/kg) or resveratrol (100 mg/kg) in enhancing the recovery after Schwann cells transplantation in injured sciatic nerves of albino rats in an attempt to overcome multiple factors that limit axons growth after injury. Recovery of function was analyzed by biochemical quantification of malondialdehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant capacity levels, assessment of the sciatic function index (SFI) based on walk track analysis, measurement of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA levels as a relative ratio to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) by using real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), electrophysiological assessment and histopathological evaluation. The results showed that there were significant improvements in serum MDA and serum total antioxidant capacity levels, the relative expression of BDNF mRNA by RT-PCR, the SFI values, the electrophysiological evaluations and the histopathological examinations after intralesional injection of SCs and its combination with melatonin or resveratrol when compared with the sciatic nerve injured untreated group, but the combined groups (SCS and melatonin and SCs and resveratrol treated groups) were significantly superior to the SCs cells only treated group in most of the assessments. We proved the presence of the transplanted cells in the injured tissue by the immunohistochemistry.
Microphytobenthos Primary Production Estimated by Hyperspectral Reflectance
Authors: Méléder Vona , Lavaud Johann , Barnett Alexandre , Jesus Bruno , Barillé Laurent
Published: June 2017

Monitoring photosynthesis is a great challenge to improve our knowledge of plant productivity at the ecosystem level, which may be achieved using remote-sensing techniques with synoptic abilities. The main objective of the current study is to take up this challenge for microphytobenthos (MPB) primary production in intertidal mudflats. This was achieved by coupling hyperspectral radiometry (reflectance, ρ and second derivative, δδ) and PAM-fluorometry (non-sequential light curve, NSLC) measurements. The later allowed the estimation of the primary production via the light use efficiency (LUE) and the electron transport rate (ETR) whereas ρ allowed to estimate pigment composition and optical absorption cross-section (a*). Five MPB species representative of the main growth forms: epipelic (benthic motile), epipsammic (benthic motile and non motile) and thycoplanktonic (temporarily resuspended in the water column) were lighted at increasing light intensity from dark to 1950 µmol photons.m-2.s-1. After spectral measurements, a* was retrieved using a radiative transfer model and several radiometric indices were tested for their capacity to predict LUE and ETR. The spectral estimation of these two photosynthetic variables was subsequently compared to the values estimated by PAM-fluorometry. Results showed that different responses related to the xanthophyll cycle (de-epoxydation state) were observed for the three growth-forms with increasing light levels. However, a single relationship with radiometric index was not affected by species/growth-forms, i.e. δδ496/508, called the MPBLUE index to predict LUE and ETR. This index has the potential to be applied to air borne hyperspectral imagery for large-scale assessment of MPB production.
Marginal Generation Technology in the Chinese Power Market towards 2030 Based on Consequential Life Cycle Assessment
Authors: Zhao Guangling , Guerrero Josep M. , Pei Yingying
Published: June 2017

Electricity consumption is often the hotspot of life cycle assessment (LCA) of products, industrial activities, or services. The objective of this paper is to provide a consistent, scientific, region-specific electricity-supply-based inventory of electricity generation technology for national and regional power grids. Marginal electricity generation technology is pivotal in assessing impacts related to additional consumption of electricity. China covers a large geographical area with regional supply grids; these are arguably equally or less integrated. Meanwhile, it is also a country with internal imbalances in regional energy supply and demand. Therefore, we suggest an approach to achieve a geographical subdivision of the Chinese electricity grid, corresponding to the interprovincial regional power grids, namely the North, the Northeast, the East, the Central, the Northwest, and the Southwest China Grids, and the China Southern Power Grid. The approach combines information from the Chinese national plans on for capacity changes in both production and distribution grids, and knowledge of resource availability. The results show that nationally, marginal technology is coal-fired electricity generation, which is the same scenario in the North and Northwest China Grid. In the Northeast, East, and Central China Grid, nuclear power gradually replaces coal-fired electricity and becomes the marginal technology. In the Southwest China Grid and the China Southern Power Grid, the marginal electricity is hydropower towards 2030.
Human Activity Recognition Based on Quantization on Feature’s Classification Capability
Authors: Xu Cheng , Zhang Xiaotong , He Jie
Published: June 2017

Motion related human activity recognition using wearable sensors can potentially enable various useful daily applications. So far, most studies view it as a stand-alone mathematical classification problem without considering the physical nature of human motions. Consequently, they suffer from data dependencies and encounter the dimension disaster problem and the over-fitting issue, and their models are never human-readable. In this study, we start from a deep analysis on natural physical properties of human motions, and then propose a useful feature selection method to quantify each feature's classification contribution capability. On one hand, the "dimension disaster" problem can be avoid to some extent, due to the affined dimension of key features; On the other hand, over-fitting issue can be depressed since the knowledge implied in human motions are nearly invariant, which compensates the possible data inadequacy. The experiment results indicate that the proposed method performs superior to those adopted in related works, such as decision tree, k-NN, SVM, neural networks.
Screening of Immunosuppressive Factors for Identifying Breast Cancer Malignant Phenotypes Using mRNA Microarray Datasets
Authors: Liu Zhuoqi , Yang Xiaohong , Song Yunlei , Huang Bo , Xiao Yingquan , Zhu Weifeng , Yu Lehan , Liu Xi , Luo Daya , Wan Fusheng
Published: June 2017

To screen and validate immunosuppressive factors in luminal- and basal-like breast cancer cell lines and tissue samples associated with malignant phenotypes. The mRNA microarray datasets, GSE40057 and GSE1561, were downloaded and remodelled. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Enrichment analyses performed and the online resources, GOBO and Kaplan-Meier Plotter, were employed to screen for immunosuppressive factors associated with breast cancer malignant phenotypes. qRT-PCR and western blot were used to validate the expression of CD274 and IL8 in cell lines and immunohistochemical detected the MIF and VEGFA on tissue microarrays. The results showed that CD274 and IL8 were both upregulated in basal-like cell lines. That MIF expression was dramatically increased in patients with breast cancer metastases (p<0.05) and that VEGFA expression positively correlates with breast cancer pathologic grade (p<0.05).During the formation and development of breast cancer, immune-related genes are always activated, and immunosuppressive factors CD274, IL8, MIF and VEGFA are upregulated. Such molecules could be used as biomarkers for breast cancer prognosis. However, because individual immune-related factors can play several biological roles, the mechanistic relationship between immunosuppressive factors and breast cancer malignant phenotypes and the feasibility of their application as drug targets require further investigation.
Visual Motion Onset Brain–Computer Interface
Authors: Pereira Junior Jair , Teixeira Caio , Rutkowski Tomasz
Published: June 2017

The paper presents a study of two novel visual motion onset stimulus-based brain–computer interfaces (vmoBCI). Two settings are compared with afferent and efferent to a computer screen center motion patterns. Online vmoBCI experiments are conducted in an oddball event–related potential (ERP) paradigm allowing for “aha–responses” decoding in EEG brainwaves. A subsequent stepwise linear discriminant analysis classification (swLDA) classification accuracy comparison is discussed based on two inter–stimulus–interval (ISI) settings of 700 and 150 ms in two online vmoBCI applications with six and eight command settings. A research hypothesis of classification accuracy non–significant differences with various ISIs is confirmed based on the two settings of 700 ms and 150 ms, as well as with various numbers of ERP response averaging scenarios.The efferent in respect to display center visual motion patterns allowed for a faster interfacing and thus they are recommended as more suitable for the no–eye–movements requiring visual BCIs.
Classical and Novel TSPO Ligands for the Mitochondrial TSPO can Modulate Nuclear Gene Expression: Implications for Mitochondrial Retrograde Signaling
Authors: Yasin Nasra , Veenman Leo , Singh Sukhdev , Azrad Maya , Bode Julia , Vainshtein Alex , Caballero Bea , Marek Ilan , Gavish Moshe
Published: June 2017

It is known that knockdown of the mitochondrial 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO) as well as TSPO ligands modulate various functions, including functions related to cancer.  To study the ability of TSPO to regulate gene expression regarding such functions, we applied microarray analysis of gene expression to U118MG glioblastoma cells.  Within 15 minutes, the classical TSPO ligand PK 11195 induced changes in expression of immediate early genes and transcription factors.  These changes also included gene products that are part of the canonical pathway serving to modulate general gene expression.  These changes are in accord with reverse transcriptase (RT) real-time -PCR.  At the time points of 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes, as well as 3 and 24 hours of PK 11195 exposure, the functions associated with the changes in gene expression in these glioblastoma cells covered well known TSPO functions.  These functions included cell viability, proliferation, differentiation, adhesion, migration, tumorigenesis, and angiogenesis. This was corroborated microscopically for cell migration, cell accumulation, adhesion, and neuronal differentiation.  Changes in gene expression at 24 hours of PK 11195 exposure were related to downregulation of tumorigenesis and upregulation of programmed cell death.  In the vehicle treated as well as PK 11195 exposed cell cultures, our triple labeling showed intense TSPO labeling in the mitochondria but no TSPO signal in the cell nuclei.  Thus, mitochondrial TSPO appears to be part of the mitochondria-to-nucleus signaling pathway for modulation of nuclear gene expression.  The novel TSPO ligand 2-Cl-MGV-1 appeared to be very specific regarding modulation of gene expression of immediate early genes and transcription factors.
Como as escolas educam corpos nas práticas pedagógicas?
Authors: Dias Alfrancio Ferreira
Published: June 2017

O objetivo desse artigo é refletir, a partir de uma revisão da literatura, como as práticas escolares contemporâneas estão a educar os corpos de meninos e meninas para produzirem as diferenças. Discutem-se as questões do gênero e do corpo como um campo e de relações de poder que influenciam as experiências e expectativas de representação do erotismo, da sexualidade e do corpo. Na tentativa de mostrar a necessidade de incluir o princípio da coeducação para ampliação das relações de gênero nas práticas educativas, bem como as desigualdades no campo da educação.
Mini Special Issue on Design and Manufacturing for Environmental Sustainability
Authors: Umeda Yasushi ,   Professor, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo
Published: June 2017

As the third special issue on Design and Manufacturing for Environmental Sustainability for IJAT, this issue focuses on design and manufacturing theories and methodologies for achieving environmental sustainability and the topic of the special issue seems to be becoming established in this journal.

This special issue contains six articles consisting of a wide variety of rather novel topics emerging in the domain of design and manufacturing for environmental sustainability. The first three deal with design problem in the broader sense: designing of system of systems taking distributed energy generation systems, upgradable design problems, and selection problem of end-of-life products recovery options integrated from the view of environmental load and cost. The last three papers deal with manufacturing problems in the broader sense – motion extraction problems for disassembly automation, machine tool energy efficiency, and optimization problems related to machine tool operating conditions for increasing environmental sustainability. Some papers, revised and extended at the editor’s request, were presented originally at EcoDesign 2015, the ninth international symposium on environmentally conscious design and inverse manufacturing, held in Tokyo, Japan, 2015.

The editor thanks the authors and reviewers for their comprehensive efforts in making this special issue possible and hopes these articles will encourage further research on design and manufacturing for environmental sustainability.
In-Process Tool Wear Detection of Uncoated Square End Mill Based on Electrical Contact Resistance
Authors: Gouarir Amine ,   Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kyushu University, Kurokawa Syuhei , Sajima Takao , Murata Mitsuaki ,   Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kyushu Sangyo University, Japan
Published: June 2017

This paper presents a method for in-process detection of tool wear in square end mills. The developed high-speed tool wear detection system uses the contact resistance between the tool and workpiece as a gauge to monitor the progression of tool wear. The electrical resistance decreases with an increase in contact area on the tool flank. In the experiments conducted in our previous study, the target was the face milling process. In the present study, the experiments were conducted on down cut milling with a square end mill. The results are presented based on the observations made on the relationship between the area of tool flank wear and tool-work contact resistance. In conclusion, the results of the experiment show that the present tool wear detection system is effective as an in-process tool wear detection system for square end mills.
Fabrication of Metallic Nanodot Arrays Using Nano-Chemical Stamping Technique with a Polymer Stamp
Authors: Potejanasak Potejana ,   Department of Mechanical and Control Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yoshino Masahiko , Terano Motoki
Published: June 2017

The aim of this study is to develop metallic nanodot arrays with controlled morphology and alignment. To produce gold nanodot arrays with high throughput, the authors propose a new efficient fabrication process based on the templated thermal dewetting method, using a nano-chemical stamping technique with a polymer mold. This process comprises four steps: sputter etching on a quartz glass substrate, patterning of micrometer size by printing with acetone on the substrate by stamping with a polymer film stamp, deposition of a thin Au film on the substrate, and self-organization of the metal nanodot arrays by thermal dewetting. A new method, using a cyclo-olefin polymer film mold for chemical patterning by nano-chemical stamping, was examined. Since the acetone stamped on the substrate reduces the surface energy and affects the contact angle of the gold nanodots, the gold nanodots are distributed along the stamped pattern. It is found that the pattern stamped with acetone on the substrate works as a template for the thermal dewetting process. The nano-chemical stamping technique is useful in controlling the size and distribution of the nanodots.
India Post Payments Bank – Problems and Prospect
Authors: Meena Kumari K.
Published: June 2017

Payments Bank is a new kind of bank which is promoted with the express purpose of extending the reach of banking to vast majority of the unbanked and under banked segments of the population. Payments bank promoted by India Post is expected to use the physical network of post offices as well as digital platforms such as mobile, internet banking, debit cards, point of sale devices, etc. to provide the designated financial services at low cost to target population. Payments Bank might be able to provide last mile connectivity especially in those areas which do not have any bank branches but has a post office. Its’ huge presence in rural areas and the trust that it enjoys among vast segments of population might enable it to succeed where commercial banks have failed. The present study examines the role and objectives of payments banks with special reference to India Post Payments Bank, relevance in achieving financial inclusion objective, prospective challenges and problems, suggestions for overcoming those.
Impact of secondary education reform on tertiary students’ generic competencies: A case study of associate degree freshmen in Hong Kong
Authors: Ng Ka Wai , So Joseph C.H.
Published: June 2017

This paper examines the correlation between curriculum reforms and the development of generic competencies among Hong Kong tertiary students (or secondary leavers who were admitted to Associate Degree and Higher Diploma). A total number of 3626 freshmen completed a set of self-assessment questionnaires, which were used to analyse the correlation between five generic competencies, across three academic years from 2010 to 2012. Five of the generic competencies, which were highlighted in the proposed new three-year New Senior Secondary (NSS) academic structure, were measured and compared between students from different academic backgrounds. The finding of the study indicated significantly higher scores in generic competencies for the traditional Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE) secondary school curriculum in 2012 compared to earlier cohorts, whilst in general no significant difference was found between students from the traditional curriculum and the new academic structure of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) in the mixed ‘double cohort’ year of 2012. The result points to the potential early impact of NSS on students’ generic skill development across both the old and new curriculum.
A Practical Method for Peach-related Species Identification and Hybrid Analysis Using Simple Sequence Repeat Markers
Authors: Cai Zuguo , Zeng Wenfang , Niu Liang , Lu Zhenhua , Cui Guochao , Zhu Yunqin , Pan Lei , Ding Yifeng , Wang Zhiqiang
Published: June 2017

Cultivated peach (Prunus persica) is an important fruit species worldwide. The wild relatives in Prunus, such as P. mira, P. davidiana, P. kansuensis, P. ferganensis, and P. persica, are valuable for peach breeding, and early and accurate identification of parental and hybrid genotypes is critical. In this study, 20 representative accessions of peach germplasm from the National Germplasm Repository of Peach in China were used to select a set of 18 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers for accurate species discrimination. Eight unknown peach samples were successfully identified using the SSR panel and species genotype database. Interspecific hybrid genotypes of P. persica × P. davidiana, P. persica × P. kansuensis, and P. persica × P. ferganensis were also analyzed reliably. The markers were amenable to high-throughput fluorescent labeling and capillary electrophoresis (CE) analysis, allowing rapid and efficient species identification. The practical method described in this study will facilitate peach breeding and germplasm management.
Variation in Floral Scent Compositions of Different Lily Hybrid Groups
Authors: Kong Ying , Bai Jinrong , Lang Lixin , Bao Fang , Dou Xiaoying , Wang Huan , Shang Hongzhong
Published: June 2017

Lilium cultivars have a wide range of variation in floral scent phenotypes. Using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analyses of volatile emissions during the night, the floral scent compositions of 35 lily cultivars from seven different hybrid groups were studied. The results showed that there was a positive correlation between volatile emission levels and scent intensities. Nonscented lily cultivars belonging to Asiatic hybrids hardly emitted volatiles, light-scented Longiflorum × Asiatic hybrids emitted low levels of volatiles, and scented lily cultivars (belonging to Oriental, Trumpet, Longiflorum, Longiflorum × Oriental, and Oriental × Trumpet hybrids) emitted significantly high levels of volatiles. In general, the scent compositions of lily cultivars were similar within the same hybrid group, and the differences among hybrid groups reflect their pedigree. Monoterpenoids and benzenoids dominated the floral scents of most volatile-emitting lily cultivars, whereas monoterpenoids alone dominated the floral scents of some volatile-emitting lilies. Although various scent compounds were released from volatile-emitting lily cultivars, the dominant scent compounds were focused on three monoterpenoids [1.8-cineole, linalool, and (E)-β-ocimene] and one benzenoid (methyl benzoate). The scent traits of lily cultivars could be traced back to their parents.