bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Regos nervo disko drūzų sąsajos su spalvų jusle
Authors: Liutkevičienė Rasa , Žaliūnienė Dalia , Stanislovaitienė Daiva , Jašinskas Vytautas
Published: June 2018

Tyrimo tikslas. Nustatyti ribinio spalvinio kontrastinio jautrumo ir Munsell-Farnsworth 100 atspalvių atrinkimo tyrimų rodmenų ir regėjimo aštrumo sąsajas, esant regos nervo disko drūzų. Tyrimo medžiaga ir metodai. Atliktas 137 pacientų atvejo–kontrolės tyrimas. Ištirti 37 pacientai (67 akys), kuriems diagnozuotos regos nervo disko drūzos ir 100 sveikų žmonių (200 akių) kontrolinė grupė. Nekoreguotas ir geriausias koreguotas regėjimo aštrumas vertintas naudojant Landolto žiedus (C optotipais), pagal Sneleno principą. Spalvinio kontrastinio jautrumo tyrimui naudoti kompiuteriniai Farnsworth-Munsell 100 atspalvių ir ribinio spalvinio kontrastinio jautrumo tyrimai. Rezultatai. Kontrolinės grupės tiriamųjų, ribinis spalvinis kontrastinis jautrumas ir Farnsworth- Munsell 100 atspalvių atrinkimo tyrimo rezultatai buvo geresni nei pacientų (1,94±0,66 palyginti su 2,2±0,85, p=0,02; 94,1±53,9 palyginti su 120,6±61, p=0,003, atitinkamai). Išvada. Tyrimo duomenimis, regos nervo disko drūzos susijusios su spalvų juslės sumažėjimu.
Lietuvos rajonų suaugusių gyventojų socialinės paramos savitumai ir sąsajos su depresiškumu
Authors: Šidlauskaitė-Stripeikienė Ieva , Žemaitienė Nida , Klumbienė Jūratė
Published: June 2018

Įvadas. Daugėja mokslo duomenų, patvirtinančių, kad tarp asmens socialinės aplinkos, fizinės bei psichologinės savijautos egzistuoja glaudus ryšys. Tyrimai rodo, kad socialinė izoliacija neigiamai veikia tiek fizinę, tiek psichologinę asmens būklę. Yra duomenų, kad socialinių ryšių ir integracijos stoka turi įtakos depresijos pasireiškimui. Tyrimo tikslas – įvertinti suaugusių Lietuvos rajonų gyventojų socialinės paramos savitumus bei sąsajas su depresiškumu. Tyrimo medžiaga ir metodai. Tyrimas atliktas 2006–2007 m. vykdant tarptautinę Lėtinių neinfekcinių ligų integruotos profilaktikos programą (CINDI). Tyrime dalyvavo 1754 asmenys, atsitiktinės sluoksniuotosios atrankos būdu atrinkti penkiuose Lietuvos rajonuose. Duomenys surinkti atliekant anketinę tiriamųjų apklausą. Rezultatai. Tyrimas parodė, kad trečdalis (34,7 proc.) Lietuvos rajonų suaugusių gyventojų savo aplinkoje turi mažai, o 4,5 proc. iš viso neturi asmenų, į kuriuos galėtų kreiptis paramos, kai jiems būna sunku. Socialinės paramos stoka dažniau skundėsi moterys. Prastesni socialinės paramos rodikliai (mažas socialinis tinklas, suvokiamos socialinės paramos neturėjimas, blogas sutarimas bei mažas bendravimo intensyvumas su artimais draugais, blogas sutarimas su sutuoktiniu bei šeimos nariais) didino depresiškumo galimybę. Tiek vyrų, tiek moterų depresiškumo galimybę labiausiai didino blogas sutarimas su draugais ir sutuoktiniu, vyresnis amžius bei žemesnis išsilavinimas. Vyrų depresiškumas susijęs ir su šeimine padėtimi: išsituokusių vyrų depresiškumo galimybė buvo didesnė nei vedusių. Išvados. Trečdalis suaugusių Lietuvos rajonų gyventojų savo aplinkoje stokoja socialinės paramos. Nustatytos socialinės paramos ir depresiškumo sąsajos rodo, kad asmenų socialinių įgūdžių ugdymas yra svarbus psichikos sveikatos stiprinimo resursas.
Polyamidoamine Dendrimers for Enhanced Solubility of Small Molecules and Other Desirable Properties for Site Specific Delivery: Insights from Experimental and Computational Studies
Authors: Shadrack Daniel , Swai Hulda , Munissi Joan , Mubofu Egid , Nyandoro Stephen
Published: June 2018

Clinical applications of many small molecules are limited due to poor solubility and lack of controlled release besides lack of other desirable properties. Experimental and computational studies have reported on the therapeutic potential of polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers as solubility enhancers in pre-clinical and clinical settings. Besides formulation strategies, factors such as pH, PAMAM dendrimer generation, PAMAM dendrimer concentration, nature of the PAMAM core, special ligand and surface modifications of PAMAM dendrimer have an influence on drug solubility and other recommendable pharmacological properties. This review, therefore, compiles the recently reported applications of PAMAM dendrimers in pre-clinical and clinical uses as enhancers of solubility and other desirable properties such as sustained and controlled release, bioavailability, bio-distribution, toxicity reduction or enhancement, and targeted delivery of small molecules with emphasis on cancer treatment.
Synthesis of Both Enantiomers of Chiral Phenylalanine Derivatives Catalyzed by Cinchona Alkaloid Quaternary Ammonium Salts as Asymmetric Phase Transfer Catalysts
Authors: Jin Lei , Zhao Shuai , Chen Xin
Published: June 2018

A practical synthesis of both enantiomers of unnatural phenylalanine derivatives by using two pseudoenantiomeric phase transfer catalysts is described. Through asymmetric α-alkylation of glycine Schiff base with substituted benzyl bromides and 1-(bromomethyl)naphthalene under the catalysis of O-allyl-N-(9-anthracenmethyl) cinchoninium bromide (1f) and O-allyl-N-(9-anthracenylmethyl)cinchonidium bromide (1i), respectively, a series of both (R)- and (S)-enantiomers of unnatural α-amino acid derivatives were obtained in excellent yields and enantioselectivity. The synthetic method is simple and scalable, and the stereochemistry of the products is fully predictable and controlled: the cinchonine-type phase transfer catalyst 1f resulted in (R)-α-amino acid derivatives, and the cinchonidine-type phase transfer catalyst 1i afforded (S)-α-amino acid derivatives.
Natural Aromatic Compounds as Scaffolds to Develop Selective G-Quadruplex Ligands: From Previously Reported Berberine Derivatives to New Palmatine Analogues
Authors: Franceschin Marco , Cianni Lorenzo , Pitorri Massimo , Micheli Emanuela , Cacchione Stefano , Frezza Claudio , Serafini Mauro , Hu Ming-Hao , Su Huafi , Huang Zhishu , Gu Lianquan , Bianco Armandodoriano
Published: June 2018

In this paper, the selective interactions of synthetic derivatives of two natural compounds, berberine and palmatine, with DNA G-quadruplex structures were reported. In particular, the previous works on this subject concerning berberine were further presented and discussed, whereas the results concerning palmatine are presented here for the first time. In detail, these palmatine derivatives were developed by inserting seven different small peptide basic chains, giving several new compounds that have never been reported before. The preliminary studies of the interactions of these compounds with various G-quadruplex-forming sequences were carried out by means of various structural and biochemical techniques, which showed that the presence of suitable side chains is very useful for improving the interaction of the ligands with G-quadruplex structures. Thus, these new palmatine derivatives might act as potential anticancer drugs.
Pubescenosides E–K, Seven New Triterpenoid Saponins from the Roots of Ilex pubescens and Their Anti-Inflammatory Activity
Authors: Qiao Xiaoxu , Ji Mengying , Yao Yunda , Ma Leilei , Wu Jinjun , Liao Guochao , Zhou Hua , Liu Zhongqiu , Wu Peng
Published: June 2018

Seven new triterpenoid saponins (1–7), together with three known ones (8–10), were isolated from Ilex pubescens. Elucidation of their structures was performed based on high-resolution electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS), infrared spectra (IR), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic data. The anti-inflammatory activity of the isolates toward lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages was investigated. The results demonstrated that compounds 3, 5, and 6 inhibited the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) protein in comparison with LPS stimulation in RAW264.7 cells.
Preparation, Characterization and Biological Applications of Biosynthesized Silver Nanoparticles with Chitosan-Fucoidan Coating
Authors: Venkatesan Jayachandran , Singh Sandeep Kumar , Anil Sukumaran , Kim Se-Kwon , Shim Min Suk
Published: June 2018

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are gaining a great deal of attention in biomedical applications due to their unique physicochemical properties. In this study, green synthesis of AgNPs was developed using seaweed polysaccharide fucoidan. The AgNPs were further coated with chitosan to form an electrolyte complex on the surface. The developed chitosan–fucoidan complex-coated AgNPs were characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). FT-IR results suggested strong polyelectrolyte complexation between fucoidan and chitosan. The developed chitosan–fucoidan complex-coated AgNPs significantly inhibited microbial growth. Moreover, the AgNPs showed efficient anticancer activity in human cervical cancer cells (HeLa). This study demonstrated that chitosan–fucoidan complex-coated AgNPs hold high potential for food and cosmeceutical applications.
Mesoscopic Modeling of the Encapsulation of Capsaicin by Lecithin/Chitosan Liposomal Nanoparticles
Authors: Terrón-Mejía Ketzasmin A. , Martínez-Benavidez Evelin , Higuera-Ciapara Inocencio , Virués Claudia , Hernández Javier , Domínguez Zaira , Argüelles-Monal Waldo , Goycoolea Francisco M. , López-Rendón Roberto , Gama Goicochea Armando
Published: June 2018

The transport of hydrophobic drugs in the human body exhibits complications due to the low solubility of these compounds. With the purpose of enhancing the bioavailability and biodistribution of such drugs, recent studies have reported the use of amphiphilic molecules, such as phospholipids, for the synthesis of nanoparticles or nanocapsules. Given that phospholipids can self-assemble in liposomes or micellar structures, they are ideal candidates to function as vehicles of hydrophobic molecules. In this work, we report mesoscopic simulations of nanoliposomes, constituted by lecithin and coated with a shell of chitosan. The stability of such structures and the efficiency of the encapsulation of capsaicin, as well as the internal and superficial distribution of capsaicin and chitosan inside the nanoliposome, were analyzed. The characterization of the system was carried out through density maps and the potentials of mean force for the lecithin-capsaicin, lecithin-chitosan, and capsaicin-chitosan interactions. The results of these simulations show that chitosan is deposited on the surface of the nanoliposome, as has been reported in some experimental works. It was also observed that a nanoliposome of approximately 18 nm in diameter is stable during the simulation. The deposition behavior was found to be influenced by a pattern of N-acetylation of chitosan.
Piezo-Potential Generation in Capacitive Flexible Sensors Based on GaN Horizontal Wires
Authors: El Kacimi Amine , Pauliac-Vaujour Emmanuelle , Delléa Olivier , Eymery Joël
Published: June 2018

We report an example of the realization of a flexible capacitive piezoelectric sensor based on the assembly of horizontal c¯-polar long Gallium nitride (GaN) wires grown by metal organic vapour phase epitaxy (MOVPE) with the Boostream® technique spreading wires on a moving liquid before their transfer on large areas. The measured signal (<0.6 V) obtained by a punctual compression/release of the device shows a large variability attributed to the dimensions of the wires and their in-plane orientations. The cause of this variability and the general operating mechanisms of this flexible capacitive device are explained by finite element modelling simulations. This method allows considering the full device composed of a metal/dielectric/wires/dielectric/metal stacking. We first clarify the mechanisms involved in the piezo-potential generation by mapping the charge and piezo-potential in a single wire and studying the time-dependent evolution of this phenomenon. GaN wires have equivalent dipoles that generate a tension between metallic electrodes only when they have a non-zero in-plane projection. This is obtained in practice by the conical shape occurring spontaneously during the MOVPE growth. The optimal aspect ratio in terms of length and conicity (for the usual MOVPE wire diameter) is determined for a bending mechanical loading. It is suggested to use 60–120 µm long wires (i.e., growth time less than 1 h). To study further the role of these dipoles, we consider model systems with in-plane 1D and 2D regular arrays of horizontal wires. It is shown that a strong electrostatic coupling and screening occur between neighbouring horizontal wires depending on polarity and shape. This effect, highlighted here only from calculations, should be taken into account to improve device performance.
Construction of g-C3N4-mNb2O5 Composites with Enhanced Visible Light Photocatalytic Activity
Authors: Wang Meiyin , Wang Hui , Ren Yuanhang , Wang Cheng , Weng Zhewei , Yue Bin , He Heyong
Published: June 2018

A series of composites consisting of g-C3N4 sheet and mesoporous Nb2O5 (mNb2O5) microsphere were fabricated by in situ hydrolysis deposition of NbCl5 onto g-C3N4 sheet followed by solvothermal treatment. The samples were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N2 adsorption-desorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). The photocatalytic activity of the composites was studied by degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) and tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl) in aqueous solution under visible light irradiation (λ > 420 nm). Compared with g-C3N4 and mNb2O5, g-C3N4-mNb2O5 composites have higher photocatalytic activity due to synergistic effect between g-C3N4 and mNb2O5. Among these composites, 4% g-C3N4-mNb2O5 has the highest efficiency and good recyclability for degradation of both RhB and TC-HCl.
Food-Based Social Enterprises and Asylum Seekers: The Food Justice Truck
Authors: McKay Fiona H. , Lippi Kehla , Dunn Matthew , Haines Bronte C. , Lindberg Rebecca
Published: June 2018

People seeking asylum in high-income countries are vulnerable to food insecurity due to limited opportunities for social and economic participation. While charity organizations have long sought to provide food aid to those in need, the increasing number of people seeking this assistance requires alternatives. Using a case study approach, this research investigates The Food Justice Truck, which is a social enterprise designed to provide low cost, nutritious food to people seeking asylum with an aim to reduce the food insecurity burden. Twenty-seven people seeking asylum completed a structured interview (n = 15) or a semi-structured interview (n = 12). The majority of participants were female (n = 20) with an average age of 38.3 years (Standard Deviation (SD) 7.3; range 30–59) and over half were from Iran (n = 16, 59.2%) with most holding a temporary visa to stay in Australia (n = 15, 55.5%). Two key findings were identified including the fact that the FJT is at risk of creating and perpetuating a power imbalance. However, as a social setting, the FJT has the potential to promote and enable a social connection and create a positive experience. This research study adds valuable information to the literature by providing research on one alternative to traditional food aid. It was found that alternatives to traditional food aid may play a role in reducing the food security burden.
Fluorescent Polyion Complex for the Detection of Sodium Dodecylbenzenesulfonate
Authors: Liu Shuai , Hu Cun , Huang Jianbin , Yan Yun
Published: June 2018

Polyion complexes have been known about for decades, with their applications mainly restricted to drug and gene delivery. In this study, we show that by the introduction of fluorescent charged molecules into a polyion complex, it can be used as a specific detection system for surfactants. The fluorescence of 8-hydroxy-1,3,6-pyrenetrisulfonic acid trisodium salt (HPTS) is quenched in the ionic complex, while it can be recovered with the addition of the surfactant sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS), due to the stronger interaction between SDBS and the polyelectrolyte. This leads to a drastic color change of the solution, and a recovery of the strong emission of HPTS. Specifically, the fluorescence is linearly proportional to the concentration of SDBS, thus it can be used for the qualitative detection of SDBS. Furthermore, the detection limit for SDBS can be up to the order of 10−10 M. We believe that competitive dissociation of the ionic complex can be used as a general approach for the construction of new functional materials.
Mapping Vegetation and Land Use Types in Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve Using Google Earth Engine
Authors: Tsai Yu Hsin , Stow Douglas , Chen Hsiang Ling , Lewison Rebecca , An Li , Shi Lei
Published: June 2018

Fanjinshan National Nature Reserve (FNNR) is a biodiversity hotspot in China that is part of a larger, multi-use landscape where farming, grazing, tourism, and other human activities occur. The steep terrain and persistent cloud cover pose challenges to robust vegetation and land use mapping. Our objective is to develop satellite image classification techniques that can reliably map forest cover and land use while minimizing the cloud and terrain issues, and provide the basis for long-term monitoring. Multi-seasonal Landsat image composites and elevation ancillary layers effectively minimize the persistent cloud cover and terrain issues. Spectral vegetation index (SVI) products and shade/illumination normalization approaches yield significantly higher mapping accuracies, compared to non-normalized spectral bands. Advanced machine learning image classification routines are implemented through the cloud-based Google Earth Engine platform. Optimal classifier parameters (e.g., number of trees and number of features for random forest classifiers) were achieved by using tuning techniques. Accuracy assessment results indicate consistent and effective overall classification (i.e., above 70% mapping accuracies) can be achieved using multi-temporal SVI composites with simple illumination normalization and elevation ancillary data, despite the fact limited training and reference data are available. This efficient and open-access image analysis workflow provides a reliable methodology to remotely monitor forest cover and land use in FNNR and other mountainous forested, cloud prevalent areas.
Numerical and Experimental Evaluation of High-Frequency Unfocused Polymer Transducer Arrays
Authors: Habib Anowarul , Wagle Sanat , Decharat Adit , Melandsø Frank
Published: June 2018

High-frequency unfocused polymer array transducers are developed using an adhesive-free layer-by-layer assembly method. The current paper focuses on experimental and numerical methods for measuring the acoustic performance of these types of array transducers. Two different types of numerical approaches were used to simulate the transducer performance, including a finite element method (FEM) study of the transducer response done in COMSOL 5.2a Multiphysics, and modeling of the excited ultrasonic pressure fields using the open source software k-Wave 1.2.1. The experimental characterization also involves two methods (narrow and broadband pulses), which are measurements of the acoustic reflections picked up by the transducer elements. Later on, measurements were undertaken of the ultrasonic pressure fields in a water-scanning tank using a hydrophone system. Ultrasonic pressure field measurements were visualized at various distances from the transducer surface and compared with the numerical findings.
Enhancing the Discrimination Ability of a Gas Sensor Array Based on a Novel Feature Selection and Fusion Framework
Authors: Deng Changjian , Lv Kun , Shi Debo , Yang Bo , Yu Song , He Zhiyi , Yan Jia
Published: June 2018

In this paper, a novel feature selection and fusion framework is proposed to enhance the discrimination ability of gas sensor arrays for odor identification. Firstly, we put forward an efficient feature selection method based on the separability and the dissimilarity to determine the feature selection order for each type of feature when increasing the dimension of selected feature subsets. Secondly, the K-nearest neighbor (KNN) classifier is applied to determine the dimensions of the optimal feature subsets for different types of features. Finally, in the process of establishing features fusion, we come up with a classification dominance feature fusion strategy which conducts an effective basic feature. Experimental results on two datasets show that the recognition rates of Database I and Database II achieve 97.5% and 80.11%, respectively, when k = 1 for KNN classifier and the distance metric is correlation distance (COR), which demonstrates the superiority of the proposed feature selection and fusion framework in representing signal features. The novel feature selection method proposed in this paper can effectively select feature subsets that are conducive to the classification, while the feature fusion framework can fuse various features which describe the different characteristics of sensor signals, for enhancing the discrimination ability of gas sensors and, to a certain extent, suppressing drift effect.
Microwave Metamaterial Absorber for Non-Destructive Sensing Applications of Grain
Authors: Zhang Yin , Zhao Junming , Cao Jie , Mao Bo
Published: June 2018

In this work, we propose a metamaterial absorber at microwave frequencies with significant sensitivity and non-destructive sensing capability for grain samples. This absorber is composed of cross-resonators periodically arranged on an ultrathin substrate, a sensing layer filled with grain samples, and a metal ground. The cross-resonator array is fabricated using the printed circuit board process on an FR-4 board. The performance of the proposed metamaterial is demonstrated with both full-wave simulation and measurement results, and the working mechanism is revealed through multi-reflection interference theory. It can serve as a non-contact sensor for food quality control such as adulteration, variety, etc. by detecting shifts in the resonant frequencies. As a direct application, it is shown that the resonant frequency displays a significant blue shift from 7.11 GHz to 7.52 GHz when the mass fraction of stale rice in the mixture of fresh and stale rice is changed from 0% to 100%. In addition, the absorber shows a distinct difference in the resonant absorption frequency for different varieties of grain, which also makes it a candidate for a grain classification sensor. The presented scheme could open up opportunities for microwave metamaterial absorbers to be applied as efficient sensors in the non-destructive evaluation of agricultural and food product quality.
Effective Vehicle-Based Kangaroo Detection for Collision Warning Systems Using Region-Based Convolutional Networks
Authors: Saleh Khaled , Hossny Mohammed , Nahavandi Saeid
Published: June 2018

Traffic collisions between kangaroos and motorists are on the rise on Australian roads. According to a recent report, it was estimated that there were more than 20,000 kangaroo vehicle collisions that occurred only during the year 2015 in Australia. In this work, we are proposing a vehicle-based framework for kangaroo detection in urban and highway traffic environment that could be used for collision warning systems. Our proposed framework is based on region-based convolutional neural networks (RCNN). Given the scarcity of labeled data of kangaroos in traffic environments, we utilized our state-of-the-art data generation pipeline to generate 17,000 synthetic depth images of traffic scenes with kangaroo instances annotated in them. We trained our proposed RCNN-based framework on a subset of the generated synthetic depth images dataset. The proposed framework achieved a higher average precision (AP) score of 92% over all the testing synthetic depth image datasets. We compared our proposed framework against other baseline approaches and we outperformed it with more than 37% in AP score over all the testing datasets. Additionally, we evaluated the generalization performance of the proposed framework on real live data and we achieved a resilient detection accuracy without any further fine-tuning of our proposed RCNN-based framework.
Web Accessibility for People with Disabilities in the European Union: Paving the Road to Social Inclusion
Authors: Ferri Delia , Favalli Silvia
Published: June 2018

Despite the drawbacks and the challenges highlighted by several scholars, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), in particular the World Wide Web, has the potential to foster social inclusion of people with disabilities. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), which entered into force in 2008, has illuminated the role technology can play as a tool to promote the human rights of people with disabilities, and their participation and inclusion in society. The UNCRPD has also conceptualized ICT accessibility as a precondition for the enjoyment of rights, prompting a series of reforms in domestic legal frameworks globally and in the European Union (EU). Against this background, this article aims to address the role played by the EU in fostering “digital inclusion”, and critically evaluates relevant EU policies and legal rules, locating them within the broader realm of the implementation of the UNCRPD. It pays particular attention to Directive 2016/2102 on the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies, as well as on the proposal for a European Accessibility Act (EAA). It attempts to show that, while the EU has thus far played an extremely important role in fostering web accessibility, many remaining obstacles must be eradicated to fully ensure access to the web to people with disabilities. This article adopts a doctrinal legal research methodology and is primarily concerned with the analysis of relevant legal rules and related scholarship. In addition, it is informed by a socially-oriented understanding of disability and builds upon the multifaceted and multidisciplinary literature on disability and technology.
Monitoring Disability Policies and Legislation towards Effective Exercise of Rights to Equality and Inclusive Access for Persons with Disabilities: The Case of the Quebec Model
Authors: Fougeyrollas Patrick , Grenier Yan
Published: June 2018

Quebec’s government established a mechanism to monitor its progress towards achieving the right to equality for people with disabilities. With the goal of strengthening the accountability of public actors, this mechanism is based on legal provisions and inclusive political guidelines. In 2009, the provincial government adopted a policy entitled “Equals in Every Respect: Because Rights Are Meant to Be Exercised” along with other legal dispositions aimed at significantly increasing the social participation of people with disabilities. The Disability Creation Process, a conceptual reference model also known as the Quebec Model, proposes that public actors should be able to identify and act upon environmental obstacles within their respective competences to transform them into facilitators. The challenge facing inclusive policy-monitoring mechanisms is to acquire quantitative and qualitative information-collecting tools and strategies that link the quality of access of the components of the physical and social environment to the quality of the social participation for the various segments of the population with or without disabilities.
An Empirical Study on Sustainable Innovation Academic Entrepreneurship Process Model
Authors: Qian Xiao-Duo , Xia Jing , Liu Wei , Tsai Sang-Bing
Published: June 2018

As academic entrepreneurs, university faculty members and researchers with rich knowledge resources play an important role in the technology commercialization process, and in the creation and development of university spinoff enterprises. In this paper, we used a case study method to construct a sustainable innovative academic entrepreneurship process model from the perspective of entrepreneurial behavior. Then, we used this model to provide a deeper understanding of the activities and roles of academic entrepreneurs. This paper also expounded the process of value creation that is a result of sustainable innovative academic entrepreneurship, and compared and analyzed three types of university technology commercialization models. Our results showed that in the sustainable innovative academic entrepreneurship process model, the motivation of academic entrepreneurs leads them to play multiple roles as academic researchers, enterprise founders, and enterprise managers. In creating enterprises as the founders, and establishing and developing their enterprises, academic entrepreneurs realize the commercial value of the technology, while also incrementing their personal value. The sustainable innovative academic entrepreneurship process model provides a new path for effective transfer of technological innovations from academic research to the commercial market, creates social as well as economic value, and promotes regional economic development.
Intelligent Prognostics of Degradation Trajectories for Rotating Machinery Based on Asymmetric Penalty Sparse Decomposition Model
Authors: Li Qing , Liang Steven Y.
Published: June 2018

The ability to accurately track the degradation trajectories of rotating machinery components is arguably one of the challenging problems in prognostics and health management (PHM). In this paper, an intelligent prediction approach based on asymmetric penalty sparse decomposition (APSD) algorithm combined with wavelet neural network (WNN) and autoregressive moving average-recursive least squares algorithm (ARMA-RLS) is proposed for degradation prognostics of rotating machinery, taking the accelerated life test of rolling bearings as an example. Specifically, the health indicators time series (e.g., peak-to-peak value and Kurtosis) is firstly decomposed into low frequency component (LFC) and high frequency component (HFC) using the APSD algorithm; meanwhile, the resulting non-convex regularization problem can be efficiently solved using the majorization-minimization (MM) method. In particular, the HFC part corresponds to the stable change around the zero line of health indicators which most extensively occurs; in contrast, the LFC part is essentially related to the evolutionary trend of health indicators. Furthermore, the nonparametric-based method, i.e., WNN, and parametric-based method, i.e., ARMA-RLS, are respectively introduced to predict the LFC and HFC that focus on abrupt degradation regions (e.g., last 100 points). Lastly, the final predicted data could be correspondingly obtained by integrating the predicted LFC and predicted HFC. The proposed methodology is tested using degradation health indicator time series from four rolling bearings. The proposed approach performed favorably when compared to some state-of-the-art benchmarks such as WNN and largest Lyapunov (LLyap) methods.
Impacts of Global Circulation Model (GCM) bias and WXGEN on Modeling Hydrologic Variables
Authors: Lee Sangchul , Wallace Carlington W. , Sadeghi Ali M. , McCarty Gregory W. , Zhong Honglin , Yeo In-Young
Published: June 2018

A WXGEN weather generator is commonly used to generate daily climate data for Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model when input climate data are not fully available. Of all input data for WXGEN, precipitation is critical due to its sensitivity to the number of wet days. Since global climate model (GCM) data tend to have excessive wet days, use of GCM precipitation data for WXGEN may cause errors in the estimation of climate variables and therefore SWAT predictions. To examine such impacts of GCM data, we prepared two climate data for SWAT using WXGEN with both the original GCM data with the excessive number of wet days (EGCM) and the processed GCM data with the reasonable number of wet days (RGCM). We then compared SWAT simulations from EGCM and RGCM. Results show that because of the excessive wet days in EGCM, solar radiation generated by WXGEN was underestimated, subsequently leading to 143 mm lower ET and 0.6–0.8 m3/s greater streamflow compared to the simulations from RGCM. Simulated crop biomass under EGCM was smaller than RGCM due to less solar radiation. Although use of WXGEN is increasing in projecting climate change impacts using SWAT, potential errors from the combination of WXGEN and GCM have not well investigated. Our findings clearly demonstrate that GCM bias (excessive wet days) leads WXGEN to generate inaccurate climate data, resulting in unreasonable SWAT predictions. Thus, GCM data should be carefully processed to use them for WXGEN.
Spatial and Temporal Trend Analysis of Precipitation and Drought in South Korea
Authors: Azam Muhammad , Maeng Seung , Kim Hyung , Lee Seung , Lee Jae
Published: June 2018

High spatial and temporal variation in precipitation in South Korea leads to an increase in the frequency and duration of drought. In this study, the spatial characteristics of temporal trends for precipitation and drought severity time series were analyzed at 55 stations across South Korea for the period 1980–2015. This study also reviewed the usefulness of different trend tests while addressing the issue of serial correlation, which has often received less attention in previous studies. Results showed that most significant trends in precipitation were detected along the south coast of South Korea, especially during winter, late spring and summer, whereas no significant trend was detected in annual precipitation. The Sen’s slope of the trends increased from January to August and decreased from August onward. Principal component analysis applied on Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) at a 12-month time scale divides the whole of South Korea into four subregions with different temporal behaviors of drought severity. Moreover, drought severity showed a significant increasing trend, mainly on the northeast coast. Drought frequency analysis showed more frequent droughts in late winter, early spring and early autumn, with less frequent droughts in summer.
Statistical Distribution of TSS Event Loads from Small Urban Environments
Authors: Leutnant Dominik , Muschalla Dirk , Uhl Mathias
Published: June 2018

Results from a long-term stormwater quality monitoring program were used to derive total suspended solids (TSS) event load distributions at four small urban environments (flat roof, parking lot, residential catchment, high traffic street). Theoretical distribution functions were fitted to the empirical distribution functions obtained. Parameters of the theoretical distribution functions were optimized with respect to a likelihood function to get both optimized parameters and standard errors. Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Anderson-Darling test statistics were applied to assess the goodness-of-fit between empirical and theoretical distribution. The lognormal distribution function was found to be most expressive to approximate empirical TSS event load distributions at all sites. However, the goodness-of-fit of the statistical model strongly depends on the number of events available. Based on the results of a Monte-Carlo-based resampling strategy, around 40 events should be considered.
LATE SOVIET FILM INDUSTRY: CREATIVITY AND WORK CULTURE
Authors: Mitkus Tomas , Steiblytė Raimonda
Published: June 2018

In this paper authors analyse work environment in late Soviet period Lithuanian film industry. This study looks at primary sources (session memos, annual reports, professional film union’s memos etc.) and analyses what key elements influenced work ethics of Soviet Lithuanian film crew. Findings suggest that censorship, tolerance of low work ethics and strict annual production planning influenced work environment that accepted low film creative value and negative attitude towards administration.
Is cattle grazing more important than landscape heterogeneity for grasshoppers in Afromontane grassland?
Authors: Joubert-Van der Merwe Lize , Pryke James S.
Published: June 2018

Overgrazing is a major driver of habitat degradation, especially in southern Africa. Although grasshoppers are adapted to and benefit from natural disturbances, such as grazing by indigenous game and burning, we do not know how they respond to heavy cattle grazing, and how this response interacts with different fire regimes. We also do not know whether grasshoppers respond principally to these disturbances, to changes in the vegetation layer, or to larger landscape attributes (e.g. elevation). We addressed these questions in the topographically heterogeneous Central Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. We compared grasshopper assemblages among sites differing in grazing intensity (light, moderate and heavy), fire regime, rocky outcrops and vegetation structure, and attributes of landscape heterogeneity. The local environment (rocky outcrops, bare ground cover, grass height and total vegetation cover) was more important than landscape attributes for all measures of diversity. Grasshopper species richness was best explained by grazing intensity, with the specific response determined by fire regime. Greatest species richness was consistently recorded in heavily-grazed grassland. Thus, we found no evidence in support of the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis. Grasshopper assemblage composition of areas with light grazing was different from those with heavy grazing, but areas with light grazing were similar to those with moderate grazing under all fire regimes. Different suites of grasshopper species were adapted to changes in the local environment, with greatest diversity (Shannon H’) associated with elevated levels of bare ground and sparse vegetation cover. The greatest proportion of rare, endemic and sensitive grasshoppers (incl. Lentula minuta, Machaeridia conspersa and Qachasia fastigiata) was associated with a greater proportion of vegetation cover. The sensitivity of grasshopper assemblages to fire-grazing interactions, and the habitat requirements of different suites of species necessitates consideration of different types (fire and grazing) as well as levels of disturbances when adjusting management practices. We recommend that conservation of rare, endemic and sensitive grasshoppers should be prioritized, as these are most vulnerable to local extirpation.
The lesser mottled grasshopper, Stenobothrus stigmaticus: lessons from habitat management at its only site in the British Isles
Authors: Selman Richard G. , Cherrill Andrew J.
Published: June 2018

The lesser mottled grasshopper, Stenobothrusstigmaticus, occurs at a single site in the British Isles. This paper describes the history of site protection and management over 30 years including the introduction of conservation grazing management. Successes have been limited, but this has been due largely to issues around recreational access and stakeholder engagement rather than lack of ecological understanding. Despite severe challenges, sufficient experience has been gained to be confident that grazing by sheep can assist in re-establishing the grasshopper over areas of a protected site from which it is now absent or present in only scattered colonies. The grasshopper requires a short, open grassland and pockets of such vegetation occur naturally because of rabbit-grazing and thin, nutrient poor, free-draining soils around rocky outcrops. These small areas have proved to be critical to the species persistence and provide a nucleus from which spread can occur. Grazing management has involved complex negotiations with multiple stakeholders, including landowners, their agents, the landowners’ tenants, and the tenants’ graziers. Public access, cases of dogs worrying grazing livestock, and objections over the introduction of fencing in a once open landscape have made negotiations more difficult. Future success requires that these issues be addressed. Observations on a golf course within the site, with a remnant population of the grasshopper, suggest that winter-cutting of grassland may be a useful supplement to grazing management while such difficulties remain.
The effects of livestock grazing and climate variation on vegetation and grasshopper communities in the northern Chihuahuan Desert
Authors: Lightfoot David C.
Published: June 2018

Grasshoppers are important herbivores of North American semi-arid grasslands and shrublands, and vegetation and climate are key factors controlling their species compositions and population dynamics. Domestic livestock grazing is a historic and a current landscape-scale ecological perturbation that has caused reductions of perennial grasses and increases in woody shrubs and weedy annual herbs in desert grassland communities. Climate variation also affects vegetation and grasshopper production, and the combined effects of livestock grazing and climate variation on vegetation and grasshoppers have not been adequately studied in the American Southwest. I measured vegetation and grasshoppers for five years at a series of five semi-arid sites in the northern Chihuahuan Desert to evaluate the interactive effects of short-term livestock grazing and climate variation on plant and grasshopper community structure and species abundances. The study sites ranged from shrub dominated to grass dominated landscapes, with livestock fence lines separating land that was grazed at 30% annual forage utilization, and lands on the other sides of the fences excluded from grazing for at least 20 years. I assigned grasshopper species to life-form guilds based on their ecomorphologies and their microhabitat substrate uses that I observed. A wet spring/dry summer El Niño event occurred at the beginning of the study, and a dry spring/wet summer La Niña event occurred at the end of the study. Livestock grazing changed plant and grasshopper species compositions and abundances significantly during those wet years, further favoring annual forbs, annual grasses and non-graminicole grasshoppers on grazed lands during wet years, while favoring perennial grasses and graminicoles on non-grazed lands also during wet years. The biotic communities at all sites probably supported more perennial grasses and more graminicoles prior to European settlement and livestock grazing that began over a century before this study.
Influence of grazing on populations of the specialist grasshopper Mioscirtus wagneri inhabiting hypersaline habitats in La Mancha Region, Central Spain
Authors: Aguirre María Pilar , Ortego Joaquin , Cordero Pedro J.
Published: June 2018

Grazing is an influential land use that has introduced profound changes in worldwide landscapes, ecosystems and their species. In this paper, we analysed the influence of grazing on the presence and abundance of the endangeredMioscirtuswagneri, a monophagous grasshopper inhabiting inland hypersaline ecosystems in Spain and showing a marked spatial and genetic fragmentation. Using count transects, we analyzed the presence and abundance of this grasshopper in relation to specific vegetation cover and the abundance of goat and sheep droppings, considering this variable as a surrogate of livestock activity and grazing impact. We found that both the presence and abundance ofM.wagneriwere positively related to the cover of its host plantSuaedaveraand negatively associated with the abundance of droppings. We conclude that dropping abundance is a useful parameter to assess livestock impact and evaluate habitat quality and the conservation status ofM.wagneriand many other singular species of macroinvertebrates inhabiting inland hypersaline ecosystems. We highly recommend the use of electric shepherd fencing around all sensitive and protected areas where inland hypersaline ecosystems are present in order to deter livestock. We also suggest intensive educational campaigns for farmers and shepherds, revealing the ecological importance of these singular and unique habitats for rare and exclusive species likeM.wagneriand many other coexisting plants and invertebrates.
La dynamique de groupe et ses apports dans la formation
Authors: Darchis Élisabeth
Published: June 2018

Le groupe, objet d’investissement fantasmatique et de contre-investissement défensif, mobilise des éprouvés archaïques, de l’illusion groupale, des angoisses et des fantasmes de casse. La dynamique de groupe dévoile ce qui organise les représentations, les projections, les transferts, les identifications qui deviennent objets d’analyse, de recherche et d’articulation entre fantasmes individuels et productions imaginaires du groupe. Vivre une expérience analytique groupale est essentiel dans la formation pour acquérir une pratique de thérapeute psychanalytique de groupe ou de famille.
Le pôle de fin de formation (PFF) à la Société de thérapie familiale psychanalytique d’Île-de-France (STFPIF)
Authors: Baruch Florence , Eiguer Alberto
Published: June 2018

Les auteurs présentent un dispositif de fin de formation à la thérapie familiale psychanalytique mis en place depuis plus de dix ans dans la Société de thérapie familiale psychanalytique d’Île-de-France (STFPIF). Ce temps d’échanges entre professionnels et formateurs, de mise en commun des interrogations sur la rédaction du mémoire et la fin de formation est précieux pour chacun. Les auteurs proposent de cheminer depuis la fin d’un processus de formation vers le début d’une activité de thérapeute familial psychanalytique (TFP). Comment quitter cette position de professionnel en formation pour devenir TFP ? Comment écouter la groupalité psychique qui se déploie dans ces rencontres trimestrielles ? Des séances de ce pôle de fin de formation sont présentées, en insistant sur les interactions suscitées dans le groupe, compte tenu de l’avancée de certains dans la rédaction du mémoire alors que d’autres en sont encore aux débuts. La procédure de validation y est largement décrite ; elle s’accompagne de concertation entre formateurs, ce qui a fait émerger, après cinq années de fonctionnement régulier, la nécessité de créer un comité de formateurs afin de réfléchir ensemble sur ce processus de formation.
La formation des psychologues cliniciens au groupe et par le groupe, à l’Université
Authors: Joubert Christiane
Published: June 2018

L’auteure propose une initiation à la psychanalyse groupale et à la thérapie familiale psychanalytique pour les étudiants en master de psychopathologie clinique, à l’Université. Les concepts sont succinctement exposés. Elle développe, sur le plan pédagogique, la méthode du grupo operativo d’E. Pichon Rivière et des groupes expérientiels de Photolangage®, afin que l’enseignement soit interactif et intégré par les étudiants.
Mémorandum d’une journée mémorable
Authors: Blanchard Anne-Marie , Mercier Martine , Popper Haydée
Published: June 2018

Dans cet article, les auteures tentent de montrer une équipe de formateurs au travail, en prenant comme exemple la préparation d’une journée d’étude de la société de thérapie familiale psychanalytique dont elles font partie. Elles exposent les questions que se pose cette équipe de formateurs en recherche d’un cadre et d’un dispositif propres à initier les participants de cette journée à l’écoute des familles. L’équipe, soudée dans l’illusion formative, accepte non sans ambivalence un projet novateur qui remet en cause son mode de fonctionnement et interroge chacun sur sa représentation de la formation, tâche primaire de cette société. Cette journée mémorable reste un fait marquant de son histoire.
Se faire suspendre
Authors: de Kernier Nathalie , Bellut Alexia , Camps François-David
Published: June 2018

À partir de deux entretiens, l’article explore la pratique de la suspension corporelle, consistant à suspendre son corps par des crochets installés sous la peau, comme révélatrice de carences des liens aux objets parentaux. Cette recherche innovante approfondit le sens de cet acte extrême, notamment le surinvestissement du corps, du groupe et de l’initiateur, figure parentale effractante de fait mais idéalisée comme contenant, dans un contrat narcissique.