bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Concentrated Conditioned Media from Adipose Tissue Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Mitigates Visual Deficits and Retinal Inflammation Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Jha Kumar Abhiram , Pentecost Mickey , Lenin Raji , Klaic Lada , Elshaer Sally L. , Gentry Jordy , Russell John M. , Beland Alex , Reiner Anton , Jotterand Veronique , Sohl Nicolas , Gangaraju Rajashekhar
Published: July 2018

Blast concussions are a common injury sustained in military combat today. Inflammation due to microglial polarization can drive the development of visual defects following blast injuries. In this study, we assessed whether anti-inflammatory factors released by the mesenchymal stem cells derived from adipose tissue (adipose stem cells, ASC) can limit retinal tissue damage and improve visual function in a mouse model of visual deficits following mild traumatic brain injury. We show that intravitreal injection of 1 μL of ASC concentrated conditioned medium from cells pre-stimulated with inflammatory cytokines (ASC-CCM) mitigates loss of visual acuity and contrast sensitivity four weeks post blast injury. Moreover, blast mice showed increased retinal expression of genes associated with microglial activation and inflammation by molecular analyses, retinal glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactivity, and increased loss of ganglion cells. Interestingly, blast mice that received ASC-CCM improved in all parameters above. In vitro, ASC-CCM not only suppressed microglial activation but also protected against Tumor necrosis alpha (TNFα) induced endothelial permeability as measured by transendothelial electrical resistance. Biochemical and molecular analyses demonstrate TSG-6 is highly expressed in ASC-CCM from cells pre-stimulated with TNFα and IFNγ but not from unstimulated cells. Our findings suggest that ASC-CCM mitigates visual deficits of the blast injury through their anti-inflammatory properties on activated pro-inflammatory microglia and endothelial cells. A regenerative therapy for immediate delivery at the time of injury may provide a practical and cost-effective solution against the traumatic effects of blast injuries to the retina.
Automatic Infants’ Pain Assessment by Dynamic Facial Representation: Effects of Profile View, Gestational Age, Gender, and Race
Authors: Zhi Ruicong , Zamzmi Ghada , Goldgof Dmitry , Ashmeade Terri , Sun Yu
Published: July 2018

Infants’ early exposure to painful procedures can have negative short and long-term effects on cognitive, neurological, and brain development. However, infants cannot express their subjective pain experience, as they do not communicate in any language. Facial expression is the most specific pain indicator, which has been effectively employed for automatic pain recognition. In this paper, dynamic pain facial expression representation and fusion scheme for automatic pain assessment in infants is proposed by combining temporal appearance facial features and temporal geometric facial features. We investigate the effects of various factors that influence pain reactivity in infants, such as individual variables of gestational age, gender, and race. Different automatic infant pain assessment models are constructed, depending on influence factors as well as facial profile view, which affect the model ability of pain recognition. It can be concluded that the profile-based infant pain assessment is feasible, as its performance is almost as good as that of the whole face. Moreover, gestational age is the most influencing factor for pain assessment, and it is necessary to construct specific models depending on it. This is mainly because of a lack of behavioral communication ability in infants with low gestational age, due to limited neurological development. To our best knowledge, this is the first study investigating infants’ pain recognition, highlighting profile facial views and various individual variables.
Assessment of the Weldability of T-Welded Joints in 10 mm Thick TMCP Steel Using Laser Beam
Authors: Górka Jacek
Published: July 2018

The article presents tests aimed to verify the possibility of Thermomechanically Controlled Processed (TMCP) steels T-joints laser welding. The 10 mm thick high-yield-point steel S700MC obtained in an industrial manufacturing process was used for tests of laser welding. The joints made during the tests were single- and double-sided. Subsequent nondestructive tests revealed that the laser-welded joints represented quality level B in accordance with PN-EN ISO 13919-1. Single-sided welding performed at the output laser beam power of 11 kW provided the penetration depth of just 8 mm without visibly deforming of the joint. The double-sided welded joints were characterized by proper geometry and the presence of gas pores in the welds not compromising the requirements of quality level B (strict requirements). The identified weld structure was bainitic-ferritic. The weld hardness was by approximately 60 HV1 higher than that of the base material (280 HV1). The HAZ (Heat Affected Zone) area was slightly softer than the base material. The tests of thin foils performed using a high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscope revealed that, during welding, an increase in the content of the base material in the weld was accompanied by an increase in contents of alloying microagents Ti and Nb, particularly near the fusion line. The above-named alloying microagents, in the form of fine-dispersive (Ti,Nb)(C,N) type precipitates, could reduce plastic properties of joints.
Some Generalized Dice Measures for Double-Valued Neutrosophic Sets and Their Applications
Authors: Khan Qaisar , Liu Peide , Mahmood Tahir
Published: July 2018

Neutrosophic sets (NSs) are used to illustrate uncertain, inconsistent, and indeterminate information existing in real-world problems. Double-valued neutrosophic sets (DVNSs) are an alternate form of NSs, in which the indeterminacy has two distinct parts: indeterminacy leaning toward truth membership, and indeterminacy leaning toward falsity membership. The aim of this article is to propose novel Dice measures and generalized Dice measures for DVNSs, and to specify Dice measures and asymmetric measures (projection measures) as special cases of generalized Dice measures via specific parameter values. Finally, the proposed generalized Dice measures and generalized weighted Dice measures were applied to pattern recognition and medical diagnosis to show their effectiveness.
Green Alga Ulva spp. Hydrolysates and Their Peptide Fractions Regulate Cytokine Production in Splenic Macrophages and Lymphocytes Involving the TLR4-NFκB/MAPK Pathways
Authors: Cian Raúl E. , Hernández-Chirlaque Cristina , Gámez-Belmonte Reyes , Drago Silvina R. , Sánchez de Medina Fermín , Martínez-Augustin Olga
Published: July 2018

Hydrolysates of food protein sources have immunomodulatory effects, which are of interest for use as functional foods. In this study, we have characterized the immune regulatory effect on rat splenocytes, macrophages and T lymphocytes of Ulva spp. hydrolysates and their peptide fractions with or without in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and/or ultrafiltration. IL-10 was induced in almost all conditions and cell types obtained from wild type animals. The induction was in general increased by ultrafiltration and in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. TNF was also induced in basal conditions. In turn, TNF and IFN-γ production was attenuated by the hydrolysate products in lipopolysaccharide or concanavalin A immune stimulated cells. Inhibitors for the activation of NFκB, MAPK p38 and JNK inhibited IL-10 induction in rat splenocytes. The response was dramatically attenuated in TLR4−/− cells, and only modestly in TLR2−/− cells. Food peptides from Ulva spp. genus exert anti-inflammatory effects in immune cells mediated by TLR4 and NFκB. Similarity with the immunomodulatory profile of protein hydrolysates from other sources suggests a common mechanism.
Chemotherapy in Pancreatic Cancer: A Systematic Review
Authors: Hajatdoost Leva , Sedaghat Keyvan , Walker Erin , Thomas Jackson , Kosari Sam
Published: July 2018

Background and Aim: Pancreatic cancer is one of the most fatal cancers. Cytotoxic chemotherapy remains the mainstream treatment for unresectable pancreatic cancer. This systematic review evaluated and compared the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) outcomes obtained from recent phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of pancreatic cancer chemotherapy. Materials and methods: Thirty-two studies were included and compared based on chemotherapy agents or combinations used. Additionally, outcomes of first-line versus second-line chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer were compared. Results: In studies that investigated the treatments in adjuvant settings, the highest OS reported was for S-1 in patients, who received prior surgical resection (46.5 months). In neoadjuvant settings, the combination of gemcitabine, docetaxel, and capecitabine prior to the surgical resection had promising outcomes (OS of 32.5 months). In non-adjuvant settings, the highest OS reported was for the combination of temsirolimus plus bevacizumab (34.0 months). Amongst studies that investigated second-line treatment, the highest OS reported was for the combination of gemcitabine plus cisplatin (35.5 months), then temsirolimus plus bevacizumab (34.0 months). Conclusions: There is a need to develop further strategies besides chemotherapy to improve the outcomes in pancreatic cancer treatment. Future studies should consider surgical interventions, combination chemotherapy, and individualized second-line treatment based on the prior chemotherapy.
Improved Virtual Gyroscope Technology Based on the ARMA Model
Authors: Song Jinlong , Shi Zhiyong , Wang Lvhua , Wang Hailiang
Published: July 2018

In view of the large output noise and low precision of the Micro-electro-mechanical Systems (MEMS) gyroscope, the virtual gyroscope technology was used to fuse the data of the MEMS gyroscope to improve its output precision. Random error model in the conventional virtual gyroscopes contained an angular rate random walk and angle random walk ignoring other noise items and the virtual gyroscope technology can not compensate all random errors of MEMS gyroscope. So, the improved virtual gyroscope technology based on the autoregressive moving average (ARMA) model was proposed. First, the conventional virtual gyroscope technology was used to model the random error of three MEMS gyroscopes, and the data fusion was carried out by a Kalman filter to get the output of the virtual gyroscope. After that, the ARMA model was used to model the output of the virtual gyroscope, the random error model was improved with the ARMA model, and the Kalman filter was designed based on the improved random error model for data fusion of the MEMS gyroscopes. The experimental results showed that the 1σ standard deviation of the output of the virtual gyroscope based on the ARMA model was 1.4 times lower than that of the conventional virtual gyroscope output.
Mineralogical and Geochemical Characteristics of Trace Elements in the Yongdingzhuang Mine, Datong Coalfield, Shanxi Province, China
Authors: Yuan Yue , Tang Shuheng , Zhang Songhang , Yang Ning
Published: July 2018

Fifteen samples of No. 4 coal from the Yongdingzhuang Mine in Datong Coalfield were tested for their elemental compositions, modes of occurrence, and mineralogical compositions, using X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and scanning electron microscopy equipped with an energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer. The samples have low sulfur content (0.63%). The major minerals are kaolinite and quartz, followed by pyrite and anatase. Compared with averages for the Chinese coals, the percentages of SiO2 (15.11%), TiO2 (0.7%), and Al2O3 (10.39%) are much higher. In No. 4 coals, Li (62.81 μg/g), Be (6.94 μg/g), Zr (235 μg/g), Ga (17.04 μg/g), F (165.53 μg/g), Tl (1.93 μg/g), and Hg (0.34 μg/g) are some potentially valuable and toxic trace elements with higher concentrations than Chinese coals and World hard coals. Lithium and F mainly have kaolinite associations. With the exception of kaolinite, Li, and F also partly occur in anatase, gorceixite and goyazite. Beryllium largely occurs in anatase; gallium is mainly associated with kaolinite and to a lesser extent, with gorceixite and goyazite; zirconium is associated with kaolinite, gorceixite and goyazite; and thallium and Hg occur in in pyrite. Potentially valuable elements (including Al, Li, Ga, and Zr) might be recovered as value-added byproducts from coal ash. Toxic elements (e.g., Be, F, Tl, and Hg) might have potential adverse effects to the environment and human health during coal processing. In addition, the distribution patterns of rare earth elements and yttrium (REY) indicate that the REY in No. 4 coals originated from the granite of Yinshan Oldland, and natural waters or hydrothermal solutions that may circulate in coal basins.
In-Depth Study of Laser Diode Ablation of Kapton Polyimide for Flexible Conductive Substrates
Authors: Romero Francisco J. , Salinas-Castillo Alfonso , Rivadeneyra Almudena , Albrecht Andreas , Godoy Andres , Morales Diego P. , Rodriguez Noel
Published: July 2018

This work presents a detailed study of the photothermal ablation of Kapton® polyimide by a laser diode targeting its electrical conductivity enhancement. Laser-treated samples were structurally characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), as well as Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy. The results show that the laser-assisted ablation constitutes a simple one-step and environmental friendly method to induce graphene-derived structures on the surface of polyimide films. The laser-modified surface was also electrically characterized through the Transmission Line Method (TLM) aiming at the improvement of the conductivity of the samples by tuning the laser power and the extraction of the contact resistance of the electrodes. Once the laser-ablation process is optimized, the samples increase their conductivity up to six orders of magnitude, being comparable to that of graphene obtained by chemical vapor deposition or by the reduction of graphene-oxide. Additionally, we show that the contact resistance can be decreased down to promising values of ∼2 Ω when using silver-based electrodes.
Combining Living Microorganisms with Regenerated Silk Provides Nanofibril-Based Thin Films with Heat-Responsive Wrinkled States for Smart Food Packaging
Authors: Valentini Luca , Bittolo Bon Silvia , Pugno Nicola M.
Published: July 2018

Regenerated silk (RS) is a protein-based “biopolymer” that enables the design of new materials; here, we called “bionic” the process of regenerated silk production by a fermentation-assisted method. Based on yeast’s fermentation, here we produced a living hybrid composite made of regenerated silk nanofibrils and a single-cell fungi, the Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast extract, by fermentation of such microorganisms at room temperature in a dissolution bath of silkworm silk fibers. The fermentation-based processing enhances the beta-sheet content of the RS, corresponding to a reduction in water permeability and CO2 diffusion through RS/yeast thin films enabling the fabrication of a mechanically robust film that enhances food storage durability. Finally, a transfer print method, which consists of transferring RS and RS/yeast film layers onto a self-adherent paraffin substrate, was used for the realization of heat-responsive wrinkles by exploiting the high thermal expansion of the paraffin substrate that regulates the applied strain, resulting in a switchable coating morphology from the wrinkle-free state to a wrinkled state if the food temperature overcomes a designed threshold. We envision that such efficient and smart coatings can be applied for the realization of smart packaging that, through such a temperature-sensing mechanism, can be used to control food storage conditions.
Rheological and Mechanical Analyses of Felbinac Cataplasms by Using Box–Behnken Design
Authors: Yang Jie , Zhu Yishen , Diao Yongqin , Yin Caiyun
Published: July 2018

Felbinac, an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) used clinically for the treatment of osteoarthritis, has poor solubility. Felbinac cataplasm product design was investigated using rheological and mechanical analyses. Experiments using a response surface methodology based on Box–Behnken design (BBD) incorporated three independent variables: the proportions of partially neutralized polyacrylate (NP800), dihydroxyaluminum aminoacetate (DAAA), and felbinac. Statistically significant quadratic models obtained using BBD demonstrated optimal NP-800, DAAA, and felbinac cataplasm proportions of 4.78–5.75%, 0.30–0.59%, and 0.70–0.90%, respectively. Felbinac cataplasms exhibited “gel-like” mechanical property with predominantly elastic behavior. Rheological studies correlated increasing NP-800 and DAAA concentrations with increased complex modulus (G*) values that were inversely related to peeling strength. Frequency sweep and creep tests revealed decreasing tan θ values with increasing NP-800 and DAAA concentrations. G’ and G” values were higher for higher NP-800 and DAAA levels, although G” values decreased with increasing DAAA concentration. Response surface methodology was applied to develop mathematical models. Variance analysis showed that the quadratic model effectively predicted felbinac and matrix material interactions, with two verification samples upholding model predictions. Relative errors between predicted and measured G* values were 3.28% and 1.10% and for peeling strength were 1.24% and 5.59%, respectively. In conclusion, rheological and mechanical analyses of felbinac cataplasms using BBD permits optimization of cataplasms as topical drug delivery vehicles.
Effective Reduction of Volumetric Thermal Expansion of Aromatic Polyimide Films by Incorporating Interchain Crosslinking
Authors: Ando Shinji , Harada Mari , Okada Tomohiro , Ishige Ryohei
Published: July 2018

To develop a facile method for reducing the coefficient of volumetric thermal expansion (CVE) of polymer films, the thermal expansion behaviors of thermally cross-linkable polyimide (PI) films with isomeric diamine structures were investigated via thermal mechanical analyses and optical interferometry measurements. The degree of crosslinking of the PI films containing the diphenylethynylene (Ph–C≡C–Ph) structure in the main chain was characterized by far-infrared (far-IR) spectra and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, and variations in the CVE induced by thermal crosslinking were quantitatively estimated. The crosslinking reactions effectively reduced the CVEs of the PI films by suppressing intermolecular free volume expansion and local molecular motions promoted at elevated temperatures. The lowest CVE value observed for a crosslinked PI cured at 400 °C (+98 ppm/K at 80–280 °C) was one of the smallest values reported to date in polymers. Incorporating interchain crosslinking into the main chain is an effective method for reducing the CVE of aromatic polymers.
Fast Semi-Supervised Unmixing of Hyperspectral Image by Mutual Coherence Reduction and Recursive PCA
Authors: Das Samiran , Routray Aurobinda , Deb Alok Kanti
Published: July 2018

Dictionary pruning step is often employed prior to the sparse unmixing process to improve the performance of library aided unmixing. This paper presents a novel recursive PCA approach for dictionary pruning of linearly mixed hyperspectral data motivated by the low-rank structure of a linearly mixed hyperspectral image. Further, we propose a mutual coherence reduction method for pre-unmixing to enhance the performance of pruning. In the pruning step we, identify the actual image endmembers utilizing the low-rank constraint. We obtain an augmented version of the data by appending each image endmember and compute PCA reconstruction error, which is a convex surrogate of matrix rank. We identify the pruned library elements according to PCA reconstruction error ratio (PRER) and PCA reconstruction error difference (PRED) and employ a recursive formulation for repeated PCA computation. Our proposed formulation identifies the exact endmember set at an affordable computational requirement. Extensive simulated and real image experiments exhibit the efficacy of the proposed algorithm in terms of its accuracy, computational complexity and noise performance.
Practical Methods for Vehicle Speed Estimation Using a Microprocessor-Embedded System with AMR Sensors
Authors: Markevicius Vytautas , Navikas Dangirutis , Idzkowski Adam , Andriukaitis Darius , Valinevicius Algimantas , Zilys Mindaugas
Published: July 2018

The proper operation of computing resources in a microprocessor-embedded system plays a key role in reducing computing time. Processing the variable amount of collected data in real-time improves the performance of a microprocessor-embedded system. In this regard, a vehicle’s speed measurement system is no exception. The computing time for evaluating any speed value is expected to be reduced as much as possible. Four computational methods, including cross-correlation, are discussed. An exemplary pair of recorded signals presenting the change in magnetic field magnitude is analyzed. The sample delay values are compared. The results of the evaluated speed and the execution time of the program code are presented for each method based on a dataset of 200 randomly driven vehicles. The results of the performed tests confirm that the cross-correlation-based methods are not always reliable in situations when the sample size is small, i.e., it is a segment of the impulse response caused by a driving vehicle.
Expert System for Monitoring the Malaxing State of the Olive Paste Based on Computer Vision †
Authors: Martínez Gila Diego M. , Cano Marchal Pablo , Gómez Ortega Juan , Gámez García Javier
Published: July 2018

The malaxing of olive paste is one of the most important sub-processes in the virgin olive oil production process. The master continuously supervises the olive paste inside the themomixer to assess the preparation state of the olive paste and he acts manually over the process variables. The viscosity, granularity, and the presence of olive oil over the paste are the main indicators of the olive paste state. Furthermore, the temperature, time, coadjuvant addition and the shovel speeds are the process variables in the thermomixer. In this work, different image-processing parameters have been proposed to automatically assess the aforementioned indicators and they have been used as inputs in the designed fuzzy controller. Also, the outputs of this controller have been evaluated according to a sequence of images obtained inside the thermomixer and during the malaxing process in a real olive mill.
Desertification Sensitivity Analysis Using MEDALUS Model and GIS: A Case Study of the Oases of Middle Draa Valley, Morocco
Authors: Ait Lamqadem Atman , Pradhan Biswajeet , Saber Hafid , Rahimi Abdelmejid
Published: July 2018

Oases can play a significant role in the sustainable economic development of arid and Saharan regions. The aim of this study was to map the desertification-sensitive areas in the Middle Draa Valley (MDV), which is in the southeast of Morocco. A total of 13 indices that affect desertification processes were identified and analyzed using a geographic information system. The Mediterranean desertification and land use approach; which has been widely used in the Mediterranean regions due to its simplicity; flexibility and rapid implementation strategy; was applied. All the indices were grouped into four main quality indices; i.e., soil quality; climate quality; vegetation quality and management quality indices. Each quality index was constructed by the combination of several sub-indicators. In turn; the geometric mean of the four quality index maps was used to construct a map of desertification-sensitive areas; which were classified into four classes (i.e., low; moderate; high and very high sensitivity). Results indicated that only 16.63% of the sites in the study were classified as least sensitive to desertification; and 50.34% were classified as highly and very highly sensitive areas. Findings also showed that climate and human pressure factors are the most important indicators affecting desertification sensitivity in the MDV. The framework used in this research provides suitable results and can be easily implemented in similar oasis arid areas.
Capacitive Phase Shift Detection for Measuring Water Holdup in Horizontal Oil–Water Two-Phase Flow
Authors: Zhang Hongxin , Zhai Lusheng , Yan Cong , Wang Hongmei , Jin Ningde
Published: July 2018

In this paper, a phase shift detection system of flow impedance is designed based on a concave capacitance sensor (CCS). The flow impedance of oil–water stratified flow is investigated by establishing an equivalent circuit model and a finite element model. The influence of exciting frequency and sensor geometric parameters on the phase shift output of the CCS is studied to access an optimal phase shift measurement system. An experiment of horizontal oil–water two-phase flows was conducted during which four flow patterns are observed, i.e., stratified flow (ST), stratified wavy flow (SW), dual continuous flow (DC), and dispersed oil-in-water and water flow (DO/W&W). The phase shift responses of the CCS to the water holdup variation are collected. The results indicate that the phase shift response of the CCS presents satisfied sensitivity for ST and SW flow patterns, which is consistent with the predictions of the equivalent circuit model and the finite element model. Although the flow structures of DC and DO/W&W flows are extremely nonuniform, the phase shift response of the CCS still shows better linearity and sensitivity to the water holdup variation. In general, the capacitive phase shift detection technology exhibits advantages for water holdup measurement in horizontal oil–water two-phase flow with nonuniform phase distributions and conductive water.
An Effective Singular Value Selection and Bearing Fault Signal Filtering Diagnosis Method Based on False Nearest Neighbors and Statistical Information Criteria
Authors: Liao Zhiqiang , Song Liuyang , Chen Peng , Guan Zhaoyi , Fang Ziye , Li Ke
Published: July 2018

Singular value decomposition (SVD) is an effective method used in bearing fault diagnosis. Ideally two important problems should be solved in any diagnosis: one is how to decide the dimension embedding of the trajectory matrix (TM); the other is how to select the singular value (SV) representing the intrinsic information of the bearing condition. In order to solve such problems, this study proposed an effective method to find the optimal TM and SV and perform fault signal filtering based on false nearest neighbors (FNN) and statistical information criteria. First of all, the embedded dimension of the trajectory matrix is determined with the FNN according to the chaos theory. Then the trajectory matrix is subjected to SVD, which is helpful to acquire all the combinations of SV and decomposed signals. According to the similarities of the signal changed back and signal in normal state based on statistical information criteria, the SV representing fault signal can be obtained. The spectrum envelope demodulation method can be used to perform effective analysis on the fault. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified with simulation signals and low-speed bearing fault signals, and compared with the published SVD-based method and Fast Kurtogram diagnosis method.
A Different Study on the Spaces of Generalized Fibonacci Difference bs and cs Spaces Sequence
Authors: Yaşar Fevzi , Kayaduman Kuddusi
Published: July 2018

The main topic in this article is to define and examine new sequence spaces bs(F^(s,r)) and cs(F^(s,r))), where F^(s,r) is generalized difference Fibonacci matrix in which s,r∈R\0. Some algebric properties including some inclusion relations, linearly isomorphism and norms defined over them are given. In addition, it is shown that they are Banach spaces. Finally, the α-, β- and γ-duals of the spaces bs(F^(s,r)) and cs(F^(s,r)) are appointed and some matrix transformations of them are given.
A Systematic Framework for Exploring Worldviews and Its Generalization as a Multi-Purpose Inquiry Framework
Authors: Rousseau David , Billingham Julie
Published: July 2018

Systems science methodologies do not have a consistent way of working with worldviews, even though determining stakeholder perspectives is central to systems thinking. In this paper, we propose a comprehensive “Worldview Inquiry Framework” that can be used across methodologies to govern the process of eliciting, documenting, and comparing the worldviews of stakeholders. We discuss the systemicity of worldviews and explain how this can help practitioners to find the roots of stakeholders’ disagreements about value judgements. We then generalize the structure of the Worldview Inquiry Framework to produce a “General Inquiry Framework” that can be used to govern an inquiry process in other contexts. We show that the presented Worldview Inquiry Framework is a special case of this General Inquiry Framework and show how the General Inquiry Framework can be tailored for other contexts such as problem solving, product design, and fundamental research.
Synergistic Effects of Influenza and Staphylococcus aureus Toxins on Inflammation Activation and Cytotoxicity in Human Monocytic Cell Lines
Authors: Jeannoel Marion , Casalegno Jean-Sebastien , Ottmann Michèle , Badiou Cédric , Dumitrescu Oana , Lina Bruno , Lina Gérard
Published: July 2018

In patients with influenza, morbidity and mortality are strongly influenced by infections with Staphylococcus aureus producing high amounts of certain toxins. Here we tested the impact of influenza virus on the pro-inflammatory and cytotoxic actions of a panel of S. aureus virulence factors, including Panton-Valentine Leucocidin (PVL), phenol-soluble modulin α1 (PSMα1) and 3 (PSMα3), α-hemolysin (Hla), and cell wall components, i.e., heat-killed S. aureus (HKSA) and protein A. We initially screened for potential synergic interactions using a standardized in vitro model in influenza-infected continuous human monocytic cell lines. Then we tested the identified associations using an ex vivo model in influenza-infected human monocytes freshly isolated from blood. Co-exposure to influenza virus and HKSA, PVL, PSMα1, and PSMα3 increased NF-κB/AP-1 pathway activation in THP1-XBlue cells, and co-exposure to influenza virus and PVL increased cytotoxicity in U937 cells. In monocytes isolated from blood, the synergy between influenza virus and HKSA was confirmed based on cytokine production (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6), and co-exposure to influenza virus and Hla-increased cytotoxicity. Our findings suggest that influenza virus potentiates the pro-inflammatory action of HKSA and contributes to the cytotoxicity of Hla on monocytes. Synergic interactions identified in the cell-line model must be cautiously interpreted since few were relevant in the ex vivo model.
Vulnerability Assessment to Trihalomethane Exposure in Water Distribution Systems
Authors: Quintiliani Claudia , Di Cristo Cristiana , Leopardi Angelo
Published: July 2018

Chlorination is an effective and cheap disinfectant for preventing waterborne diseases-causing microorganisms, but its compounds tend to react with the natural organic matter (NOM), forming potentially harmful and unwanted disinfection by-products (DBPs) such as trihalomethanes (THMs), haloacetic acids (HAAs), and others. The present paper proposes a methodology for estimating the vulnerability with respect to users’ exposure to DPBs in water distribution systems (WDSs). The presented application considers total THMs (TTHMs) concentration, but the methodology can be used also for other types of DPBs. Five vulnerability indexes are adopted that furnish different kinds of information about the exposure. The methodology is applied to five case studies, and the results suggest that the introduced indexes identify different critical areas in respect to elevated concentrations of TTHMs. In this way, the use of the proposed methodology allows identifying the higher risk nodes with respect to the different kinds of exposure, whether it is a short period of exposure to high TTHMs values, or chronic exposure to low concentrations. The application of the methodology furnishes useful information for an optimal WDS management, for planning system modifications and district sectorization taking into account water quality.
Electromigrated electrical optical antennas for transducing electrons and photons at the nanoscale
Authors: Dasgupta Arindam , Buret Mickaël , Cazier Nicolas , Mennemanteuil Marie-Maxime , Chacon Reinaldo , Hammani Kamal , Weeber Jean-Claude , Arocas Juan , Markey Laurent , des Francs Gérard Colas , Uskov Alexander , Smetanin Igor , Bouhelier Alexandre
Published: July 2018

Background: Electrically controlled optical metal antennas are an emerging class of nanodevices enabling a bilateral transduction between electrons and photons. At the heart of the device is a tunnel junction that may either emit light upon injection of electrons or generate an electrical current when excited by a light wave. The current study explores a technological route for producing these functional units based upon the electromigration of metal constrictions.

Results: We combine multiple nanofabrication steps to realize in-plane tunneling junctions made of two gold electrodes, separated by a sub-nanometer gap acting as the feedgap of an optical antenna. We electrically characterize the transport properties of the junctions in the light of the Fowler–Nordheim representation and the Simmons model for electron tunneling. We demonstrate light emission from the feedgap upon electron injection and show examples of how this nanoscale light source can be coupled to waveguiding structures.

Conclusion: Electromigrated in-plane tunneling optical antennas feature interesting properties with their unique functionality enabling interfacing electrons and photons at the atomic scale and with the same device. This technology may open new routes for device-to-device communication and for interconnecting an electronic control layer to a photonic architecture.
EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SPEED REDUCTION MARKINGS IN HIGHWAY TUNNELS
Authors: Wan Hongliang , Du Zhigang , Yan Qixiang , Chen Xiaohong
Published: July 2018

As typical weak visual reference systems, highway tunnels have low illumination, monotonous environment and few references, which may cause severe visual illusion and reduce drivers’ speed perception ability. Thus, drivers tend to underestimate their driving speed, which may induce speeding behaviours that result in rear-end collisions. The cost-effective pavement markings installed on both sides of the lane or shoulder may make drivers overestimate their speed. This perception can help ensure safe driving and regulate driving behaviour effectively. This study analyses the effects of sidewall markings in typical low luminance highway tunnels, specifically observing how their angles and lengths affect the driver’s speed perception. A three-dimensional model of highway tunnels was built in a driving simulator. Psychophysical tests of speed perception were carried out by the method of limits. The simulation tests studied the Stimulus of Subjectively Equal Speed (SSES) and reaction time in relation to sidewall markings with different angles. Furthermore, based on the optimal angle, the effects of sidewall marking with different lengths on speed perception were also analysed. The test results reveal that the angle and length of sidewall markings have a significant impact on the driver’s SSES and reaction time. Moreover, the level of speed overestimation decreases with the increase of angle or length of sidewall marking. As the angle of sidewall marking gradually increases, the maximum reaction time first increases and then decreases. Within the angle of sidewall marking of 15°, the subjects have the highest speed overestimation and an easy speed judgment. This may due to Zöllner illusion, the driver’s perception of lane width shrinks may induce deceleration behaviour.
Aspectos microbiológicos de queijos coalhos comercializados em feiras livres do município de Petrolina-PE
Authors: Coelho Maria Cláudia Soares Cruz , Da Silva Géssica Lopes , Coelho Marcelo Iran De Souza , Libório Rafael Cunha , Amorim Iolanda Dos Santos , Silva Girle Cássia Dos Santos
Published: July 2018

Objetivou-se avaliar a qualidade microbiológica de queijos coalhos através da contagem de bactérias aeróbias mesófilas (BAM), número mais provável de coliformes (NMP) totais e termotolerantes e, pesquisa de Escherichia coli (E.coli), em 36 amostras coletadas em quatro feiras livres no município de Petrolina-PE.  Os queijos coalho analisados apresentaram contagem de BAM com médias de 6,2 x 1010; 1,3x1011; 1,2x1011 e; 7,7x1010 para as feiras A, B, C e D, respectivamente, sendo todos os resultados superiores ao preconizado na legislação (≤5x103UFC/g), indicando a má qualidade higiênica dos produtos. Observou-se que 100% das amostras demonstraram a presença de coliformes totais e, todas apresentaram-se fora do padrão estabelecido pela legislação ≤500NMP/g. Os coliformes termotolerantes apresentaram-se acima do permitido em 61,11% (22) das amostras, com confirmação de E. coli em 52,78% (19) amostras. Não houve diferença estatística para BAM e coliformes termotolerantes, apenas os coliformes totais apresentaram diferenças, nas feiras A e B com maiores valores destes micro-organismos. Diante dos resultados, os valores não atenderam à legislação brasileira para queijos coalho e as amostras analisadas apresentaram má qualidade microbiológica tornando-se, portanto, imprópria o consumo humano.
A imparcialidade da ciência e suas possibilidades para educação CTS
Authors: Biscaino Aline Portella
Published: July 2018

O presente artigo busca discutir a perspectiva de Hugh Lacey a respeito da neutralidade da Ciência e, principalmente, a tese da imparcialidade defendida pelo autor. Para isso, faz-se uma abordagem acerca dos valores envolvidos na atividade científica e mais detalhadamente sobre os valores cognitivos no intuito de refletir sobre a Ciência. Defendendo-se que o ensino de Ciências deve ir além de ensinar teorias e procedimentos científicos, versa-se sobre o enfoque CTS (Ciência, Tecnologia e Sociedade) na educação científica a fim de problematizar a relação destes com o contexto histórico, social, político e econômico. Por último, os objetivos da educação científica são tratados a partir dessa perspectiva, discutindo a possibilidade de se utilizar as ideias de Lacey para trabalhar a não-neutralidade da Ciência, os valores envolvidos na produção do conhecimento científico, sem, no entanto, recair numa postura relativista da Ciência. O pensamento de Lacey mostra-se como uma alternativa para problematizar a visão do desenvolvimento da Ciência e da Tecnologia na Educação Básica a fim de promover um ensino com uma abordagem crítica sem recair numa perspectiva relativista ou distante da história da Ciência.
Infraestruturas de transportes e inclusão social… ou, como os cadeirantes se revoltam
Authors: Velho Raquel
Published: July 2018

Infraestruturas de transporte são nexos sociais importantes: elas permitem a locomoção da esfera privada (o lar) para a esfera social (o trabalho, o lazer, o político). Neste artigo, questiona-se a questão de acessibilidade à infraestrutura de transporte público na cidade de Londres, capital inglesa, da perspectiva de passageiros cadeirantes. Baseado em pesquisa de caráter qualitativo, argumenta-se, primeiramente, que séculos de exclusão social estão materializados no sistema de transporte público, resultando assim em um ciclo vicioso de segregação de pessoas com deficiência. Mostram-se em seguida as maneiras em que cadeirantes em Londres efetuam um processo de re-inclusão social por movimentos políticos, mas também por ações subversivas e individuais no quotidiano. Para concluir, propõe-se algumas reflexões teóricas sobre o estudo de infraestruturas, questionando conceitos como “invisibilidade” e “trabalho”, e algumas lições para o contexto brasileiro.
A análise ergonômica do trabalho como método de adequação sociotécnica em uma empresa recuperada por seus trabalhadores
Authors: Pompeu Lucca Pérez , Atolini Tarcila Mantovan , Castro Beatriz Mota , Henriques Flávio Chedid , Araújo Fernanda Santos , Nepomuceno Vicente
Published: July 2018

A Adequação Sociotécnica (AST) é um conceito consolidado teoricamente, porém parece faltar uma sistematização das metodologias construídas no amadurecimento da sua prática junto a grupos autogestionários; quem se propõe a realizar AST’s parece ter que inventar, em um processo que gera angústia. Acreditamos que as experiências recentes do Grupo de Pesquisa em Empresas Recuperadas por Trabalhadores podem colaborar com o desenvolvimento metodológico da AST a partir do referencial da Ergonomia da Atividade e do método da Análise Ergonômica do Trabalho (AET).  Entendemos que a AET, como a desenvolvida em uma pesquisa-ação na Fábrica Ocupada Flaskô, se apresenta como um método relevante para a construção de AST, pois permite compreender as lógicas do trabalho real, de como a atividade é desenvolvida nos seus interstícios. Essa análise aprofundada faz emergir os limites e possibilidades da autogestão e, assim, nos permite potencializar sua prática através de uma AST bem referenciada.
Manual of Afrotropical Diptera. 2017. Volume 1 & 2, edited by Ashley H. Kirk-Spriggs and Bradley J. Sinclair.
Authors: Whittington Andrew E.
Published: July 2018

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Em busca de uma ruptura da totalidade: as fronteiras nacionais no espaço-tempo
Authors: Siqueira Juliana
Published: July 2018

As fronteiras nacionais são sobreposições simultâneas e cumulativas de tempos e espaços e configuram-se como um dos maiores sintomas da necessidade que as sociedades têm de criar modos de diferenciação. Com base nesses argumentos, defendemos que se configura um equívoco referenciar as fronteiras como naturais ou casuais e extraí-las de seus construtos temporais e espaciais, tratando-as como homogêneas e não dialéticas. Para isso, baseados na proposição de Milton Santos de que o conhecimento pressupõe análise, que por sua vez pressupõe divisão, optamos pela separação entre essas duas componentes, com o objetivo final de indicar evidências da formação temporal e espacial das fronteiras. Pretendemos igualmente com esta divisão indicar o quão artificial e didática ela se configura, já que tempo e espaço se reconhecem e confundem continuamente ao longo de toda nossa argumentação.
As espacialidades homossexuais masculinas como constituidoras da urbanidade: análise histórico-comparativa entre São Paulo e Paris em 1995 e 2016
Authors: Almeida Vinicius Santos
Published: July 2018

Este artigo procura entender a relação entre a urbanidade e as espacialidades homossexuais masculinas em São Paulo e em Paris em uma comparação espaço-temporal (1995 e 2016). Consideramos, a princípio, que essa relação é dialética e que quanto mais urbanidade tem uma cidade, mais as espacialidades homossexuais podem se expressar publicamente, em busca de reconhecimento social. Ao analisar através de mapas as estruturas elementares das espacialidades de homens gays, chegamos ao final com um modelo de síntese da organização do espaço para cada cidade. Por fim, realizamos uma discussão sobre a justiça espacial, a fim de defender a necessidade da superação do debate acerca do gueto gay.
Notas teóricas para o estudo do medo pela Geografia
Authors: Bayer Hiram de Aquino , Dantas Eugênia Maria
Published: July 2018

O medo é um sentimento que está na matriz da condição humana e de sua capacidade de produzir o espaço. Ele pode ser visto como um dos fios que tramam a vida no cotidiano das cidades, podendo ser considerado um fenômeno que atravessa as relações materiais e imateriais, objetivas e subjetivas. O medo é tratado neste artigo incorporado à estrutura citadina na condição de medo do crime. Objetiva-se, neste artigo, refletir sobre a dimensão espacial do medo, utilizando como categoria de análise o Território a partir do seu movimento de des-re-territorialização. Nessa perspectiva, esse sentimento carrega consigo uma dimensão espacial intrínseca: ser um dos condicionantes responsáveis pelas práticas espaciais na cidade, interferindo na (des)organização, na (re)produção e na (trans)formação da paisagem. A discussão se pauta em uma perspectiva teórica que destaca contribuições geográficas para a análise deste fenômeno.
Desenvolvimento desigual e turismo no Brasil
Authors: Cruz Rita de Cássia Ariza da
Published: July 2018

Como fenômeno social, econômico, cultural e espacial, o turismo no Brasil vem produzindo geografias particulares relacionadas a equipamentos e serviços tais como operação e agenciamento de viagens, à infraestrutura hoteleira, às residências secundárias, a cruzeiros marítimos e, consequentemente a fluxos turísticos pelo território nacional. Essas geografias do turismo no país são compreendidas, nesta análise, como causa e conseqüência do chamado desenvolvimento desigual, tal como discutido contemporaneamente por Smith (2008). Neste sentido, buscamos para alem de supostas determinações culturais, apreender, através de uma economia política do território, lógicas engendradoras das espacialidades assumidas pelo turismo enquanto atividade econômica no Brasil. No que tange à metodologia da análise, buscamos no materialismo histórico e dialético as bases para a interpretação deste fenômeno complexo e de importância social e econômica crescente, que é o turismo. A noção de desenvolvimento desigual enquanto “expressão geográfica sistemática das contradições inerentes à própria construção e estrutura do capital” (SMITH, 2008: 4) constitui pilar conceitual sobre o qual assentamos nossa análise. Além disso, consideramos que a noção de desenvolvimento desigual constitui chave interpretativa central para a compreensão do lugar do turismo no processo conflituoso e contraditório de produção do espaço. Como resultados desta análise, destacamos a expressiva concentração espacial de equipamentos e de fluxos turísticos no Brasil enquanto produtos históricos de processos de concentração e centralização do capital na sua relação com distintas Divisões Sociais e Territoriais do Trabalho distribuídas ao longo do tempo e materializadas no espaço.