bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Real-Time Reverse-Transcription PCR to Quantify a Panel of 19 Genes in Breast Cancer: Relationships with Sentinel Lymph Node Invasion
Authors: Révillion F. , Lhotellier V. , Hornez L. , Leroy A. , Baranzelli M.C. , Giard S. , Bonneterre J. , Peyrat J.P.
Published: January 2018

At the Centre Oscar Lambret, the anticancer centre of the North of France, sentinel lymph node (SLN) procedures are routinely performed for localized (T0–T1, N0, M0) breast carcinoma without any previous treatment, in order to prevent the deleterious effects of axillary lymph node dissection. The present study was undertaken to assess if the expression in the tumor of a panel of 19 genes would allow to predict histological SLN involvement. We looked at cytokeratin 19 (CK19), mucin-1 (MUC1), mammaglobin (MGB1), cyclin D1 (CCND1), the four members of the HER/ErbB growth factor receptor family (EGFR, HER2–4), insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R), estradiol receptors (ERcx, ERβ), progesterone receptor (PR), vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF, VEGF-C), urokinase-like plasminogen activator (uPA), matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 (MMP2, MMP9), ets-related transcription factor ERM, and E-cadherin (CDH1). Their expression was quantified by real-time RT-PCR in 134 breast cancer samples and the relationships with SLN metastases were analyzed. A slight increase (35–40%) in CK19 and HER3 expression was observed in the tumors of patients with SLN metastases compared to those of patients without metastases, even if neither CK19 expression nor HER3 expression allowed to distinguish patients with micrometastases from patients with macrometastases. We conclude that the tumoral expression of biological parameters involved in cell proliferation or playing a critical role in the metastatic process, including tumor invasion and angiogenesis, is not strongly associated with SLN metastases.
Diagnostic and Prognostic Utility of Serum Receptor-Binding Cancer Antigen Expressed on SiSo Cells (RCAS1) Levels in Colon Cancer Patients
Authors: Giaginis Costas , Margeli Alexandra , Kouraklis Gregory , Zira Athina , Tsourouflis Gerasimos , Theocharis Stamatios
Published: January 2018

Receptor-binding cancer antigen expressed on SiSo cells (RCAS1) is a human tumor-associated antigen that induces cell-cycle arrest and/or apoptosis in cells bearing the RCAS1 receptor. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the diagnostic and prognostic utility of RCAS1 levels in colon cancer patients. Serum RCAS1 levels were determined using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 97 colon cancer patients and 20 healthy individuals. The levels were significantly increased in colon cancer patients compared to healthy individuals (p<0.0001). Increased RCAS1 levels were significantly associated with advanced Dukes’ stage (p=0.0079) and high histopathological tumor grade (p=0.0028). Univariate analysis revealed that colon cancer patients with elevated RCAS1 levels had significantly shorter overall survival times (log-rank test, p=0.027). By multivariate analysis, serum RCAS1 was identified as an independent prognostic factor (Cox regression analysis, p=0.033). In conclusion, colon cancer patients with advanced disease stage and grade and poor prognosis showed elevated serum RCAS1 levels. Assessment of serum RCAS1 levels could therefore be considered as a diagnostic and prognostic marker in colon neoplasia.
Synergistic exploration and navigation of mobile robots under pose uncertainty in unknown environments
Authors: Arvanitakis Ioannis , Tzes Anthony , Giannousakis Konstantinos
Published: January 2018

Path planning under uncertainty in an unknown environment is an arduous task as the resulting map has inaccuracies and a safe path cannot always be found. A path planning method is proposed in unknown environments towards a known target position and under pose uncertainty. A limited range and limited field of view range sensor is considered and the robot pose can be inferred within certain bounds. Based on the sensor measurements a modified map is created to be used for the exploration and path planning processes, taking into account the uncertainty via the calculation of the guaranteed visibility and guaranteed sensed area, where safe navigation can be ensured regardless of the pose-error. A switching navigation function is used to initially explore the space towards the target position, and afterwards, when the target is discovered to navigate the robot towards it. Simulation results highlighting the efficiency of the proposed scheme are presented.
Locating Giant Ground Pangolins (Smutsia gigantea) Using Camera Traps on Burrows in the Dja Biosphere Reserve, Cameroon
Authors: Bruce Tom , Kamta Romeo , Tabue Mbobda Roger Bruno , Talla Kanto Stephane , Djibrilla Djibrilla , Moses Ituka , Deblauwe Vincent , Njabo Kevin , LeBreton Matthew , Ndjassi Constant , Barichievy Chris , Olson David
Published: January 2018

Giant ground pangolins ( Smutsia gigantea) are poorly known and difficult to study due to their nocturnal and burrowing habits. Here, we test the efficacy of using camera traps on potentially active burrows identified by local Ba'Aka guides to rapidly locate giant ground pangolins in the wild for subsequent observation and tagging for telemetry studies. We deployed nine cameras on potential giant ground pangolin burrows in the Dja Biosphere Reserve, Cameroon. One camera photographed an adult male giant ground pangolin using a burrow within 2 days of camera deployment. The pangolin used the same burrow several times over a 25-day period and possible scent-marking behavior was recorded.
Hate Speech Is in the Eye of the Beholder
Authors: Roussos Gina , Dovidio John F.
Published: January 2018

The present research investigated how levels of anti-Black prejudice may influence differential perceived free-speech protections (FSPs) for hurtful acts targeting Black or White people. Because hate crime designation (HCD) requires evidence of a prejudice-motivated intention to harm individuals, we investigated how anti-Black prejudice and race of the target interact to influence HCD for the act and how greater perceived FSPs may predict less willingness to label the act a hate crime. Across two studies, anti-Black bias was associated with more perceived FSPs for Black-targeted acts, which predicted less HCD. Low anti-Black prejudice participants viewed Black- versus White-targeted acts as less protected by free-speech rights and more likely to be a hate crime. In Study 1 (but not Study 2), high anti-Black prejudice participants displayed the opposite pattern. This work holds implications for theories of motivated justification and psychological understanding of public discourse regarding free speech.
Rare Combination of Pathologies Causing Mitral Stenosis and Mitral Regurgitation: A Case Report
Authors: Nair Anupama K. , Chowdhuri Kuntal Roy , Radhakrishnan Sitaraman , Iyer Krishna S. , Saxena Manish
Published: January 2018

A supramitral ring is a rare cause of mitral stenosis, while an isolated mitral valve cleft is a rare cause of congenital mitral regurgitation. Fortunately, both the lesions are known to have good outcomes after surgical correction. Although each is known to be associated with a variety of other structural heart defects, their coexistence has not been reported previously. We report a case of a three- and half-year-old boy detected to have a rare combination of supramitral ring producing severe mitral stenosis with a coexisting cleft in the anterior leaflet of mitral valve causing severe mitral regurgitation. The patient underwent successful surgical repair with resolution of both mitral stenosis and regurgitation.
Canonical Notch signaling is dispensable for adult steady-state and stress myelo-erythropoiesis
Authors: Duarte Sara , Woll Petter S. , Buza-Vidas Natalija , Chin Desmond Wai Loon , Boukarabila Hanane , Luís Tiago C. , Stenson Laura , Bouriez-Jones Tiphaine , Ferry Helen , Mead Adam J. , Atkinson Deborah , Jin Shaobo , Clark Sally-Ann , Wu Bishan , Repapi Emmanouela , Gray Nicki , Taylor Stephen , Mutvei Anders P. , Tsoi Yat Long , Nerlov Claus , Lendahl Urban , Jacobsen Sten Eirik W.
Published: January 2018

Key Points

Canonical Notch signaling is dispensable for steady-state and posttransplantation myelopoiesis, as well as stress erythropoiesis. Key lineage regulators and Notch target genes are expressed independent of canonical Notch signaling in myelo-erythropoiesis.
Correction to: Management and investigation of a Serratia marcescens outbreak in a neonatal unit in Switzerland – the role of hand hygiene and whole genome sequencing
Authors: Zingg Walter , Soulake Isabelle , Baud Damien , Huttner Benedikt , Pfister Riccardo , Renzi Gesuele , Pittet Didier , Schrenzel Jacques , Francois Patrice
Published: January 2018

The original article [1] contained an error whereby an erroneous article ID being displayed at the end of the title; the original article has now been corrected to remove this ID.
An objective measure for the assessment and management of fluid shifts in acute major burns
Authors: Kenworthy Pippa , Phillips Michael , Grisbrook Tiffany L. , Gibson William , Wood Fiona M. , Edgar Dale W.
Published: January 2018

Background

Major burns are life threatening. Fluid resuscitation is required for survival to maintain intravascular volumes and prevent hypovolemic shock. Bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) has been recognised as a potential method of monitoring fluid shifts after burn and in other disease states. The aims of this study were to examine the reliability of BIS across different dressing conditions and electrode positions, establish the influence of Acticoat™ on BIS variable measures and determine the validity of whole-body BIS to assess net fluid shift in the presence of moderate to major burns.

Methods

An observational longitudinal cohort study was conducted from December 2014 to February 2016. Patients with over 15% total body surface area (TBSA) burns and injury less than 48 h were enrolled in the study. BIS triplicate measures were collected in an open wound and with an ActicoatTM dressing (at 5 half hour intervals). Standard and alternate electrode placements were utilised for the reliability analysis and standard placement only for determining the validity of BIS in moderate to major burns. The ImpediMde SFB7 was used to collect whole-body and segmental BIS measures. Stata statistical software, release 14 was utilised to analyse all results. Descriptive analyses were performed and were reported using the means and standard deviations (SD).

Results

BIS-repeated measures established BIS raw resistance (R), and predicted volume variables were reliable in any condition (intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) 0.996–0.999, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.996–0.999) without a systematic difference. Acticoat™ dressings significantly influenced all BIS-predicted volumes (p ≤ 0.01) as determined by multilevel mixed effects (MLME) linear regression analysis. Validity of BIS was demonstrated by resistance variables significantly decreasing with increasing net ionic fluid shift and increased TBSA (severity of injury) and calculated fluid volumes increasing with increasing net fluid shift and TBSA. BIS resistance also decreased with time as oedema reduced. For clinical use, a calculator was developed to adjust BIS variables when an Acticoat™ dressing is in situ, thus facilitating BIS variable change estimates in real time, with dressings intact.

Conclusion

BIS may be used clinically to monitor fluid volume change in major acute burns.
Stromal Content Is Correlated With Tissue Site, Contrast Retention, and Survival in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Torphy Robert J. , Wang Zhen , True-Yasaki Aisha , Volmar Keith E. , Rashid Naim , Yeh Benjamin , Johansen Julia S. , Hollingsworth Michael A. , Yeh Jen Jen , Collisson Eric A.
Published: January 2018

Purpose

Desmoplastic stroma is a cardinal feature of primary pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA), but its effects on the biology, prognosis, and therapeutic outcomes in the disease are not known. We developed an automated method to assess tumor stroma density (TSD) and investigated computed tomography (CT) correlates of stroma in PDA.

Patients and Methods

We collected PDA samples from rapid autopsy and resection series and digitally annotated samples to quantify TSD. A series of patients who had undergone resection also underwent preoperative multiphasic CT imaging.

Results

Automated and manual assessments of TSD were highly correlated (ρ = 0.65; P < .001). Solid organ metastases had a lower median TSD than primary tumors ( P < .001). Patients whose tumors had high TSD had prolonged recurrence-free survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.51; P = .003) and overall survival (HR = 0.57; P = .008). In another independent dataset, patients whose tumors had high TSD had decreased risk for recurrence (HR = 0.03; P = .003) and death (HR = 0.03; P = .003) at time of resection; however, the protective effect of high TSD diminished over time. Patients with a normalized portovenous phase CT tumor enhancement ratio ≥ 0.40 had a longer time to recurrence after resection ( P = .020). Normalized portovenous phase CT tumor enhancement ratio was significantly correlated with TSD ( P = .003).

Conclusion

Objective quantitative assessment of stroma in PDA revealed several clinically relevant observations. Stroma was less abundant in metastatic PDA, the primary cause of mortality associated with PDA. High stromal content correlated with favorable outcome in patients with resected tumors, implying a protective effect of stroma and suggesting careful consideration of active stromal depletion therapies. Standard, multiphase CT imaging correlated with stroma content and clinical outcome, indicating that noninvasive assessment of stroma is a feasible sensitivity enrichment approach in PDA.
Effects of Electrical Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation on the Perceived Intensity of Repetitive Painful Heat Stimuli: A Blinded Placebo- and Sham-Controlled Randomized Crossover Investigation
Authors: Janner Henriette , Klausenitz Catharina , Gürtler Nancy , Hahnenkamp Klaus , Usichenko Taras I.
Published: January 2018

BACKGROUND:

Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (TVNS) is a promising treatment for acute and chronic pain. However, experimental studies yielded controversial results. We examined if TVNS reduces the perceived intensity of repetitive painful heat stimulation and temporal summation of pain (TSP) in healthy volunteers in comparison with placebo and sham stimulation, as well as no intervention.

METHODS:

In 4 sessions, 90 heat pulse stimuli at individual pain tolerance temperature were applied to the ventral forearm of 49 healthy volunteers (25 women) using a Contact Heat Evoked Potential Stimulator thermode (Medoc, Ramat Yishai, Israel). Pain intensity was assessed with verbal ratings on a numeric pain scale (0–100) at every tenth heat pulse. After the first session in which pain intensities without intervention were evaluated, participants completed 3 sessions in a single-blinded randomized crossover manner: (1) sham stimulation applied at the earlobes, (2) placebo stimulation (inactive device), or (3) TVNS applied at the cymbas conchae. Primary data were analyzed using analysis of variance for repeated measures and t test for paired samples.

RESULTS:

Pain intensity decreased during all interventions as compared to no intervention (ηp
2 = 0.22, P < .001; mean difference TVNS versus no intervention 9.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.6–15.4; P < .001). Hypoalgesic effect of TVNS was better than that of placebo and sham in men before the onset of TSP (mean differences for TVNS versus placebo 6.2; 95% CI, 0.2–12.1; TVNS versus sham 6.2; 95% CI, 0.2–12.1; P < .05). In women, TSP response under TVNS was decreased if compared to no intervention (median difference, 7.5; 95% CI, 3.5–15.0; P = .003).

CONCLUSIONS:

TVNS, placebo, and sham stimulation exerted comparable effects under experimental heat pain stimulation. Only in male participants, TVNS was superior to sham and placebo conditions in the reduction of heat pain before the onset of TSP.
Nucleophilicities of Alcohols and Water in Acetonitrile Based on Reactivities of Benzhydrylium Ions
Authors: Kumara Manikyanahally N , Nakahara Tesshu , Kobayashi Shinjiro , Fujio Mizue , Mishima Masaaki
Published: January 2018

The decay rate constants of benzhydrylium ions generated by laser irradiation in acetonitrile have been determined photometrically. The decay of the stable carbocation with an electron-releasing substituent was decelerated with addition of LiClO4, being attributed to the decrease of the recombination of the cations with the counter anions. On the contrary, the decay of the highly reactive carbocation was accelerated, indicating the occurrence of the reaction with perchlorate anion. The second-order rate constants (k2) for the reactions of benzhydrylium ions with methanol, ethanol, i-propanol, t-butanol, and water were determined in acetonitrile in the presence of 3 mM LiClO4 for benzhydrylium ions less electrophilic than 3,5-dimethyl-4′-chlorobenzhydrylium ion and in the absence of LiClO4 for the remaining reactive benzhydrylium ions. Their logarithms were linearly correlated with the electrophilicity parameters (E) in Mayr’s equation, log k2 = sN(E + N). Based on the correlations the nucleophilicity parameters (N) were evaluated for these nucleophiles in acetonitrile, MeOH, 6.86; EtOH, 7.13; i-PrOH, 6.82; t-BuOH, 5.35; H2O, 5.79. The low nucleophilicity of t-butanol regardless of its high gas-phase basicity representing the inherent nature in molecular structure suggests the importance of steric environment at the transition state of the combination of benzhydrylium ions with nucleophiles.
Synthesis of β-Hydroxy-α,α-disubstituted Amino Acids through the Orthoamide-Type Overman Rearrangement of an α,β-Unsaturated Ester and Stereodivergent Intramolecular SN2′ Reaction: Development and Application to the Total Synthesis of Sphingofungin F
Authors: Sugai Tomoya , Usui Shunme , Tsuzaki Shun , Oishi Hiroki , Yasushima Daichi , Hisada Shoko , Fukuyasu Takahiro , Oishi Takeshi , Sato Takaaki , Chida Noritaka
Published: January 2018

The development of a two-step synthesis for β-hydroxy-α,α-disubstituted amino acid derivatives from cyclic orthoamide is reported. The first step is the orthoamide-type Overman rearrangement of an α,β-unsaturated ester to give a sterically hindered α,α-disubstituted amidoester. The α,β-unsaturated ester is known to be a challenging substrate in the conventional Overman rearrangement due to the competitive aza-Michael reaction. However, suppression of the aza-Michael reaction is realized by two factors; 1) the high reaction temperature, and 2) an alkyl substituent at the α-position. The second step is stereodivergent intramolecular SN2′ reaction for the installation of a hydroxy group at the β-position. Either syn- or anti-type SN2′ reaction is possible by simply changing the reaction conditions. The developed method can provide all four possible stereoisomers of the β-hydroxy-α,α-disubstituted amino acid, and is successfully applied to the total synthesis of sphingofungin F.
Using Drosophila to Understand Biochemical and Behavioral Responses to Exercise
Authors: Sujkowski Alyson , Wessells Robert
Published: January 2018

The development of endurance exercise paradigms in Drosophila has facilitated study of genetic factors that control individual response to exercise. Recent work in Drosophila has demonstrated that activation of octopaminergic neurons is alone sufficient to confer exercise adaptations to sedentary flies. These results suggest that adrenergic activity is both necessary and sufficient to promote endurance exercise adaptations.
Promotion of Exercise in Multiple Sclerosis Through Health Care Providers
Authors: Motl Robert W. , Barstow Elizabeth A. , Blaylock Sarah , Richardson Emma , Learmonth Yvonne C. , Fifolt Matthew
Published: January 2018

Participation in exercise yields meaningful benefits among persons with multiple sclerosis (MS), yet this population engages in low rates of health-promoting physical activity. The disconnect between evidence of benefits and rates of participation requires consideration of new opportunities for changing this health behavior. The current article hypothesizes that the patient-provider interaction offers a fertile opportunity for promoting exercise behavior in MS.
Early Detection and Chemoprevention of Lung Cancer
Authors: New Melissa , Keith Robert
Published: January 2018

Despite advances in targeted treatments, lung cancer remains a common and deadly malignancy, in part owing to its typical late presentation. Recent developments in lung cancer screening and ongoing efforts aimed at early detection, treatment, and prevention are promising areas to impact the mortality from lung cancer. In the past several years, lung cancer screening with low-dose chest computed tomography (CT) was shown to have mortality benefit, and lung cancer screening programs have been implemented in some clinical settings. Biomarkers for screening, diagnosis, and monitoring of response to therapy are under development. Prevention efforts aimed at smoking cessation are as crucial as ever, and there have been encouraging findings in recent clinical trials of lung cancer chemoprevention. Here we review advancements in the field of lung cancer prevention and early malignancy and discuss future directions that we believe will result in a reduction in the mortality from lung cancer.
Effects of stress or infection on rat behavior show robust reversals due to environmental disturbance
Authors: Abdulai-Saiku Samira , Hegde Akshaya , Vyas Ajai , Mitra Rupshi
Published: January 2018

Background: The behavior of animals is intricately linked to the environment; a relationship that is often studied in laboratory conditions by using environmental perturbations to study biological mechanisms underlying the behavioral change. 

Methods: This study pertains to two such well-studied and well-replicated perturbations, i.e., stress-induced anxiogenesis and Toxoplasma gondii -induced loss of innate fear. Here, we demonstrate that behavioral outcomes of these experimental manipulations are contingent upon the ambient quality of the wider environment where animal facilities are situated.

Results: During late 2014 and early 2015, a building construction project started adjacent to our animal facility. During this phase, we observed that maternal separation stress caused anxiolysis, rather than historically observed anxiogenesis, in laboratory rats. We also found that Toxoplasma gondii infection caused an increase, rather than historically observed decrease, in innate aversion to predator odors in rats.

Conclusion: These observations suggest that effects of stress and Toxoplasma gondii are dependent on variables in the environment that often go unreported in the published literature.
Crystal structures of a llama VHH antibody BCD090-M2 targeting human ErbB3 receptor
Authors: Eliseev Igor E. , Yudenko Anna N. , Vysochinskaya Vera V. , Svirina Anna A. , Evstratyeva Anna V. , Drozhzhachih Maria S. , Krendeleva Elena A. , Vladimirova Anna K. , Nemankin Timofey A. , Ekimova Viktoria M. , Ulitin Andrey B. , Lomovskaya Maria I. , Yakovlev Pavel A. , Bukatin Anton S. , Knyazev Nickolay A. , Moiseenko Fedor V. , Chakchir Oleg B.
Published: January 2018

Background: The ability of ErbB3 receptor to functionally complement ErbB1-2 and induce tumor resistance to their inhibitors makes it a unique target in cancer therapy by monoclonal antibodies. Here we report the expression, purification and structural analysis of a new anti-ErbB3 single-chain antibody.

Methods: The VHH fragment of the antibody was expressed in E. coli SHuffle cells as a SUMO fusion, cleaved by TEV protease and purified to homogeneity. Binding to the extracellular domain of ErbB3 was studied by surface plasmon resonance. For structural studies, the antibody was crystallized by hanging-drop vapor diffusion in two different forms.

Results: We developed a robust and efficient system for recombinant expression of single-domain antibodies. The purified antibody was functional and bound ErbB3 with KD = 1 μM. The crystal structures of the VHH antibody in space groups C2 and P1 were solved by molecular replacement at 1.6 and 1.9 Å resolution. The high-quality electron density maps allowed us to build precise atomic models of the antibody and the putative paratope. Surprisingly, the CDR H2 existed in multiple distant conformations in different crystal forms, while the more complex CDR H3 had a low structural variability. The structures were deposited under PDB entry codes 6EZW and 6F0D.

Conclusions: Our results may facilitate further mechanistic studies of ErbB3 inhibition by single-chain antibodies. Besides, the solved structures will contribute to datasets required to develop new computational methods for antibody modeling and design.
Une façon de voir le monde. La violence comme sujet d’un discours éthique dans les années 1930
Authors: Le Baillif Anne-Marie
Published: January 2018

One Way to See the World. Violence as a Subject of the Ethical Discourse in the 1930s. Ethical literary criticism has made a spectacular comeback in the field of literary research. This form of criticism is described in France by Antoine Compagnon, professor at the Collège de France, as a “reflection on the values created and transmitted by literature”. It seems to us that the third volume of A. H. Tammsaare’s novel Tõde ja õigus (1931, translated into French as Jours d’émeutes), focuses on violence as an object of Ethical Literary Criticism. Does this text not echo the Critique of Violence (1921), written by his contemporary, Walter Benjamin?Tammsaare’s character Indrek questions right, justice and ethic. He has to cope with his historical time and his family problems. Tammsaare depicts the opposition between the group ethic and the private one. Indrek rejects readymade thinking when adapting himself to situations, accordingly he makes a difference between the political violence and the private once. Ten years earlier, Benjamin had written a paper which had questioned the use of violence in preserving law and justice. He had included in his remarks also ethical and religious problems. Privately, Indrek obeys his mother’s request for euthanasia as a compensatory act for her sin he is the embodiment of. So, according to his values, his personal ethic requires him to restore his mother’s peace of mind. This act puts him into a paradoxical situation out of which he has to find his own way according to his own ethical standards.
The Gentleman as a Hero? (Mis)representations of Heroic Masculinity in W. M. Thackeray’s Vanity Fair
Authors: Sirkel Katri
Published: January 2018

The aim of the article is to analyse the concept of gentlemanliness with regard to heroic masculinity in W.M. Thackeray’s novel Vanity Fair. Set at the time of the Napoleonic Wars and written in the 1840s, the novel casts light on the controversial nature of the notion of gentleman. In the Victorian period, gentlemanliness came to be modelled on the principles of chivalry but there was nevertheless an implicit assumption originating from the Regency era that being a gentleman meant yielding to leisurely elegance rather than performing heroic deeds. Thackeray, whose formative years had passed in the Regency-tinted 1820s and early 1830s but who as a novelist gained maturity in the mid-nineteenth century, was acutely aware of the contradiction between the Regency and Victorian perceptions of gentlemanliness and the unease resulting therefrom. Thus, the paper argues that although the Regency standards of gentlemanliness were discarded as incompatible with Victorian heroic masculinity, they had a considerable influence on how heroism as a component of gentlemanliness was perceived in the Victorian era. The analysis of gentlemanliness focuses on the four principal male characters in the novel – Jos Sedley, Rawdon Crawley, George Osborne, and William Dobbin, of whom each represents aspects of gentlemanliness not entirely compatible with the Victorian heroic ideal. The article suggests that the characters take heroism as an asset for creating a heroic image rather than as a manifestation of heroic deeds, thus presenting vividly the contradiction within the concept of Victorian heroic masculinity.
The Ethics of Aesthetics
Authors: Brynhildsvoll Knut
Published: January 2018

In my article I shall deal with the role of modern literary criticism as exercised by critics working for influential newspapers, journals and public media. I will discuss the evaluating standards and the judgment criteria. I will also examine the independence and moral integrity of critics working in close cooperation with big publishing houses. An important part of my article will focus on the jeopardized balance in book business which threatens to make the critics vulnerable to compromises and loss of ethical credibility. As a consequence of the critic’s cooperation with the sales departments of the publishing houses, he might overlook good literature and promote best-sellers, thus giving priority to a category of books which seldom proves to be of lasting value.
Aesthetics and Ethics Intertwined: Fictional and Non-Fictional Worlds
Authors: Hart Jonathan Locke
Published: January 2018

Montaigne and Las Casas are important thinkers and writers, as are many others, including Shakespeare, as a poet, whose work is complex enough in its modernity that it would be hard to condemn him as a poet as Plato did Homer. Aristotle analyzed Greek tragedy to see how it worked in terms of a framework of anagnorisis and catharsis, that is, recognition and the purging of pity and terror. Shakespeare revisits and reshapes Homer in Troilus and Cressida and remakes Plutarch in Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra while playing on the classical epic and mythological themes in Venus and Adonis and Rape of Lucrece. Plato, a poet as well as a philosopher, and a great writer if one does not like those categories, may have feared the poet within himself. Although assuming with Plato that philosophy is more universal and just than poetry, Aristotle takes the analysis of poetry and drama seriously in Poetics, and also discusses ethics, aesthetics and style in Rhetoric. So, while I discuss Plato as a framework, I am not presuming that writing on the relations among the good, the true, the just and the beautiful stop with him. I am also making the assumption that Las Casas, Montaigne, Shakespeare and other poets and writers deserve to be taken seriously in the company of Plato. Las Casas and Montaigne respond to radically changing realities and shake the very basis of traditional ethics (especially in understanding of the “other”) and work in harmony with the greatest poets and writers of a new era often called modernity like Shakespeare, who is in the good company of Manrique, Villon, Ronsard, Du Bellay, Juan de la Cruz, Luis de León, Lope de Vega, Quevedo and Calderón. Long before, Dante and Petrarch were exploring in their poetry ethical and aesthetic imperatives and broke new ground doing so. Nor can Las Casas and Montaigne be separated from other great writers like Rabelais and Cervantes, who carry deep philosophical and ethical sensibility in their work while responding to reality by providing aesthetically – even sensuously – shaped images that always leave a margin for ambiguity because conflicts are part of an ambiguous reality.
On the Ethics of Interpretation: are Young Readers to Blame?
Authors: Žakevičienė Indrė
Published: January 2018

The author of the article will discuss the problem of validity thinking about the basic statements of Literary Ethics. Though the problems Literary Ethics emphasizes are global and at the same time rather abstract, the efforts of literary researchers to educate readers with the help of novels are understandable but seem ineffectual. Young readers are not capable of understanding complicated texts of the previous century because of the different contents of their mental spaces or the different schemes of thinking. Literary Ethics speaks about the importance of the role of emotions while reading novels, but the spectrum of primary emotions young readers experience while reading complicated literary texts blocks all the ways to deeper understanding and the ability to analyze specific ethical issues encoded in the novels. The theory of emotions explains the situation and in a way rehabilitates young readers. Nevertheless, particular transformations of genres or of the original form of literary texts could evoke the readers’ interest and make them think deeper or extend the realm of interpretations by relating particular “genre markers” and rethinking their codes.
The Ethics of Romance: Edward Bellamy and American Historical Fiction
Authors: Tiao Wang
Published: January 2018

The author examines The Duke of Stockbridge: A Romance of Shays’ Rebellion (1879), a historical novel written by Edward Bellamy (1850–1898) in order to examine the ethics of Romance in the treatment of historical fiction. Edward Bellamy, most famous for his socialist novel, Looking Backwards (1888), himself looks backwards to examine the popular rebellion during the early post-revolutionary American democracy before the US Constitution was established. The striking feature of this novel is the way that it superimposes the romance genre onto political and historical events. Using the ethical criticism of J. Hillis Miller, Martha Nussbaum, Alasdair MacIntyre, and others, the paper examines the romance genre in relation to virtue ethics to analyze the ethical impulse in Bellamy’s historical novel. To what degree does romance – a literary genre that combines stock characters and stereotypical action – open itself up to analysis in terms of the “virtue ethics” of Nussbaum, MacIntyre, and others? To what degree does an analysis of Bellamy’s novel in these terms allow us to understand what I call the “rhetorical ethics” of a critic like Miller? An examination of the Genteel Literary Tradition prevalent at the time of Bellamy’s novel – as it manifests itself in language and historical representation – allows us to see more closely the relations among rhetoric, character and ethics in the historical novel.
ANALISIS PREFERENSI DAN PROSPEKTIF PARTSIPIPATIF DALAM PERENCANAAN PENATAAN DAN PENYESUAIAN ULANG LAHAN (LAND READJUSTMENT) KAWASAN KAMPUNG BRAGA BANDUNG
Authors: Wihadanto Ake , Barus Baba , Achsani Noer Azam , Bratakusumah Deddy S.
Published: January 2018

This research is purported to understand and map people’s preferences on rearrangement plan of the area. General description of people’s preferences is resulted by using qualitative descriptive analysis on data gained from interview and FGD. Furthermore, by employing Participatory Prospective Analysis (PPA) the people’s preferences has represented through the following key variables, those are transparency, people’s bargaining position, tenurial (ownership) system, communication, land value, institution/organization, location’s economic value, and level of conflict potential. Based on those variables, the future’s scenarios are constructed as follows: (1) Status quo; (2) Negative; (3) Positive; and (4) Progressive.  The way to anticipate the first two scenarios are to close or impede any room or possibilities of the scenarios’ emergence. Meanwhile, for the last two scenarios, the anticipation way is to promote or enhance the scenarios’ emergence, maintaining sustainability of the scenarios, as well as avoiding any ways that can reverse the scenarios’ direction. Both ways of anticipation should be carried out through transparency, communication, and institution.
MODEL REKLAMASI PANTAI SECARA BERKELANJUTAN KASUS : PANTAI KOTA MAKASSAR
Authors: Andi Yurnita , Trisutomo Slamet , Ali Mukti
Published: January 2018

Coastal urban phenomenon in the form of high population growth, rapid economic development and inadequate control of the sea, resulting in the use of the sea and coastal regions become more intensive in the last few years. This development led to the expansion of the city was further intensified by the coastal reclamation. Reclamation has been performed in many cities of the world and also in Indonesia, but many constraints. Research on model of sustainable Reclamation is still rare. The purpose of this paper is to formulate a model that could be applied on a coastal reclamation area using an index of sustainability. This research began with literature study of previous researches of developing sustainability index that not focusing yet on coastal reclamation area with the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and expert choices. Reclamation sustainability index is used to as a tool to develop a sustainable reclamation model. This model will help project of reclamation activities and its relationship with suitable measures to manage the implementation of a sustainable reclamation. Formulation of the model is done by analysis of Structural Equatian Model (SEM) on the Makassar coastal zone and then tested the feasibility to found the appropriate reclamation model.
Sustained release biodegradable solid lipid microparticles: Formulation, evaluation and statistical optimization by response surface methodology
Authors: Hanif Muhammad , Khan Hafeez Ullah , Afzal Samina , Mahmood Asif , Maheen Safirah , Afzal Khurram , Iqbal Nabila , Andleeb Mehwish , Abbas Nazar
Published: January 2018

For preparing nebivolol loaded solid lipid microparticles (SLMs) by the solvent evaporation microencapsulation process from carnauba wax and glyceryl monostearate, central composite design was used to study the impact of independent variables on yield (Y1), entrapment efficiency (Y2) and drug release (Y3). SLMs having a 10-40 μm size range, with good rheological behavior and spherical smooth surfaces, were produced. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffractometry pointed to compatibility between formulation components and the zeta-potential study confirmed better stability due to the presence of negative charge (-20 to -40 mV). The obtained outcomes for Y1 (29-86 %), Y2 (45-83 %) and Y3 (49-86 %) were analyzed by polynomial equations and the suggested quadratic model were validated. Nebivolol release from SLMs at pH 1.2 and 6.8 was significantly (p < 0.05) affected by lipid concentration. The release mechanism followed Higuchi and zero order models, while n > 0.85 value (Korsmeyer- Peppas) suggested slow erosion along with diffusion. The optimized SLMs have the potential to improve nebivolol oral bioavailability.
Alkyl polyglucoside vs. ethoxylated surfactant-based microemulsions as vehicles for two poorly water-soluble drugs: physicochemical characterization and in vivo skin performance
Authors: Pajić Nataša Z. Bubić , Todosijević Marija N. , Vuleta Gordana M. , Cekić Nebojša D. , Dobričić Vladimir D. , Vučen Sonja R. , Čalija Bojan R. , Lukić Milica Ž. , Ilić Tanja M. , Savić Snežana D.
Published: January 2018

Two types of biocompatible surfactants were evaluated for their capability to formulate skin-friendly/non-irritant microemulsions as vehicles for two poorly water-soluble model drugs differing in properties and concentrations: alkyl polyglucosides (decyl glucoside and caprylyl/capryl glucoside) and ethoxylated surfactants (glycereth-7-caprylate/ caprate and polysorbate 80). Phase behavior, structural inversion and microemulsion solubilization potential for sertaconazole nitrate and adapalene were found to be highly dependent on the surfactants structure and HLB value. Performed characterization (polarized light microscopy, pH, electrical conductivity, rheological, FTIR and DSC measurements) indicated a formulation containing glycereth- 7-caprylate/caprate as suitable for incorporation of both drugs, whereas alkyl polyglucoside-based systems did not exhibit satisfying solubilization capacity for sertaconazole nitrate. Further, monitored parameters were strongly affected by sertaconazole nitrate incorporation, while they remained almost unchanged in adapalene-loaded vehicles. In addition, results of the in vivo skin performance study supported acceptable tolerability for all investigated formulations, suggesting selected microemulsions as promising carriers worth exploring further for effective skin delivery of model drugs.
Synthesis and cytotoxicity evaluation of thiazole derivatives obtained from 2-amino-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobenzo[b]thiophene- 3-carbonitrile
Authors: Mohareb Rafat M. , Abdallah Amira E. M. , Ahmed Ebtsam A.
Published: January 2018

Reactivity of 2-amino-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobenzo[b]thiophene-3- carbonitrile towards thioglycolic acid resulted in thiazole derivative 1. The latter reacted with different chemical reagents to give thiazole, pyrano[2,3-d]thiazole and thiazolo[ 4,5-d]thiazole derivatives. Cytotoxicity effects of the newly synthesized products against six cancer cell lines, namely, human gastric cancer (NUGC), human colon cancer (DLD- 1), human liver cancer (HA22T and HEPG-2), human breast cancer (MCF) and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (HONE-1) as well as against a normal fibroblast cell (WI-38) were evaluated. The study showed that the 4,5,6,7 tetrahydrobenzo[ b] thiophene derivatives 6a, 7, 8a,b, 9b and 10b,c w ere t he most active compounds. Their potencies were attributed to the presence of the electron withdrawing groups.
Study of Distortion on the Example of the Rings from Ductile Iron and Cast Steel
Authors: Łukasik K. , Nawrocki P. , Misiak J. , Myszka D.
Published: January 2018

The paper attempts to analyze distortions of cast iron and cast steel rings, after heat treatment cycles. The factors influencing distortion are: chemical composition of material, sample geometry, manufacturing process, hardenability, temperature and heat treatment method. Standard distortion tests are performed on C-ring samples. We selected a ring-model, which approximate the actual part, so that findings apply to gear rings. Because distortion depends on so many variables, this study followed strictly defined procedures. The research was started by specifying the appropriate geometry of the samples. Then, the heat treatment was conducted and samples were measured again. The obtained results allow to determine the value of the resulting distortion and their admissibility. The research will be used to evaluate the possibility of using the material to produce parts of equipment operated under extreme load conditions.
The Impact of Microwave Penetration Depth on the Process of Heating the Moulding Sand with Sodium Silicate
Authors: Nowak D.
Published: January 2018

This paper presents the impact of microwave penetration depth on the process of heating the moulding sand with sodium silicate. For each material it is affected by: the wavelength in vacuum and the real and imaginary components of the relative complex electrical permittivity εrfor a selected measurement frequency. Since the components are not constant values and they change depending on the electrical parameters of materials and the frequency of the electromagnetic wave, it is indispensable to carry out laboratory measurements to determine them. Moreover, the electrical parameters of materials are also affected by: temperature, packing degree, humidity and conductivity. The measurements of the dielectric properties of moulding sand with sodium silicate was carried out using the perturbation method on a stand of waveguide resonance cavity. The real and imaginary components of the relative complex electrical permittivity was determined for moulding sand at various contents of sodium silicate and at various packing degrees of the samples. On the basis of the results the microwave penetration depth of moulding sand with sodium silicate was established. Relative literature contains no such data that would be essential to predicting an effective process of microwave heating of moulding sand with sodium silicate. Both the packing degree and the amount of sodium silicate in moulding sand turned out to affect the penetration depth, which directly translates into microwave power density distribution in the process of microwave heating of moulding sand with sodium silicate.
Cavitation Erosion of Nodular Cast Iron − Microstructural Effects
Authors: Orłowicz A.W. , Mróz M. , Tupaj M. , Trytek A. , Jacek M. , Radoń M.
Published: January 2018

The paper deals with susceptibility of nodular cast iron with ferritic-pearlitic matrix on cavitation erosion. Cavitation tests were carried out with the use of a cavitation erosion vibratory apparatus employing a vibration exciter operated at frequency of 20 kHz. The study allowed to determine the sequence of subsequent stages in which microstructure of cast iron in superficial regions is subject to degradation. The first features to be damaged are graphite precipitates. The ferritic matrix of the alloy turned out to be definitely less resistant to cavitation erosion compared to the pearlitic matrix component.
Simulation of Stress Distribution in a Thick- Walled Bushing Produced by Die-Casting
Authors: Pisarek B.P. , Kołakowski D. , Pacyniak T.
Published: January 2018

Metallographic investigations and a computer simulation of stresses in a gravity die-casting bushing were performed. Simulation of the casting process, solidification of the thick-walled bushing and calculations of the stress was performed using MAGMA5.3 software. The size variability of phases κII affecting the formation of phase stresses σf, depending on the location of the metallographic test area, was identified. The distribution of thermal σt and shrinkage stresses σs, depending on the location of the control point SC in the bushing's volume, was estimated. Probably the nature of these stresses will change slightly even after machining. This can cause variations in operating characteristics (friction coefficient, wear). Due to the strong inhomogeneity of the stress distribution in the bushing's casting, it is necessary to perform further tests of the possibility to conduct thermal treatment guaranteeing homogenization of the internal stresses in the casting, as well as to introduce changes in the bushing' s construction and the casting technology. The paper presents the continuation of the results of research aimed at identifying the causes of defects in the thick-walled bushing, die-casting made of CuAl10Fe5Ni5Cr aluminium bronze.
Iterated Local Search for Foundry Lotsizing and Scheduling Problem with Setup Costs
Authors: Stawowy A. , Duda J.
Published: January 2018

The paper presents a novel Iterated Local Search (ILS) algorithm to solve multi-item multi-family capacitated lot-sizing problem with setup costs independent of the family sequence. The model has a direct application to real production planning in foundry industry, where the goal is to create the batches of manufactured castings and the sequence of the melted metal loads to prevent delays in delivery of goods to clients. We extended existing models by introducing minimal utilization of furnace capacity during preparing melted alloy. We developed simple and fast ILS algorithm with problem-specific operators that are responsible for the local search procedure. The computational experiments on ten instances of the problem showed that the presence of minimum furnace utilization constraint has great impact on economic and technological conditions of castings production. For all test instances the proposed heuristic is able to provide the results that are comparable to state-of-the art commercial solver.