bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“Meu discurso em cartaz”: gênero e ensino de língua mediado pelas redes sociais digitais
Authors: Bezerra Benedito Gomes , Santos Josefa Maria dos
Published: March 2017

As redes sociais digitais, em especial o Facebook, têm sido uma das tecnologias de comunicação mais utilizadas nos últimos anos, permitindo a integração e troca de informações e geração de conhecimento entre diferentes públicos, além de se tornarem veículos de propagação e organização de grandes eventos, a exemplo das manifestações populares ocorridas em junho de 2013 no Brasil. Diante disso, propusemos neste trabalho, desenvolvido no âmbito do PROFLETRAS, a utilização do Facebook como ambiente mediador do ensino de gênero na escola. Nosso objetivo foi analisar as estratégias de persuasão utilizadas no discurso dos cartazes de protesto, propondo atividades e estratégias que facilitassem o processo de ensino e aprendizagem do gênero em ambiente virtual nas aulas de Língua Portuguesa. A pesquisa se baseou em um corpus de 30 textos retirados do Facebook e analisados a partir dos aportes teóricos da Análise Crítica do Discurso e dos estudos de gêneros (FAIRCLOUGH, 2001; MARCUSCHI, 2008; BEZERRA, 2015). Na análise do corpus, observamos as três dimensões discutidas por Fairclough (2001). Na primeira, destacamos o uso da coesão, que contribuiu significativamente para indicar a orientação argumentativa pretendida pelo autor. Na segunda, a intertextualidade garantiu, nos cartazes, o diálogo com outros textos e discursos divulgados pela mídia em diferentes contextos. Na terceira, observamos a presença da metáfora, recurso muito utilizado no gênero para persuadir o interlocutor ora pela ativação da memória, ora pela emoção. O trabalho de ensino do gênero em ambiente virtual mostrou-se bastante produtivo para os participantes da pesquisa.
Bilhetes orientadores como proposta para a reescrita de textos no Ensino Fundamental
Authors: De Jesus Roberto Francisco Coutinho , Dos Santos Adelino Pereira
Published: March 2017

Neste artigo, apresentamos e discutimos uma experiência de correção dialógica de textos, recorte de uma pesquisa realizada com uma turma do 9º ano do Ensino Fundamental. A proposta didática foi apresentada como dissertação de mestrado profissional, no âmbito do PROFLETRAS. Os resultados demonstraram que, quando se trata da construção do texto como processo, a etapa da correção textual tem significativa relevância. Dentre os vários tipos de correção, a textual-interativa caracteriza-se como a que mais leva o aluno à reflexão da sua escrita e, por conseguinte, ao aprimoramento do texto por meio da reescrita.
Ensino da produção textual escrita por meio de narrativas de aventura: uma possibilidade de aplicação em sala de aula
Authors: Baumgärtner Carmen Teresinha , Spielmann Schnorr Lucilene Aparecida
Published: March 2017

As Diretrizes Curriculares da Educação Básica do Estado do Paraná (PARANÁ, 2008) orientam que o ensino de Língua Portuguesa deve contribuir para aprimorar os conhecimentos linguísticos e discursivos dos alunos, a fim de que compreendam os discursos que os cercam e tenham condições de interagir com esses discursos. Para isso, é fundamental que consideremos a natureza social da linguagem e o contexto de produção dos enunciados, os quais têm seus significados social e historicamente constituídos (BAKHTIN/VOLOCHINOV, 2006 [1929]). Com base nesses pressupostos, nosso objetivo é refletir sobre um processo de mediação realizado em sala de aula por meio de encaminhamentos didático-pedagógicos com o gênero discursivo narrativa de aventura em uma turma de 7º ano do Ensino Fundamental. Esta pesquisa está vinculada ao PROFLETRAS. Desenvolvida no âmbito da Linguística Aplicada, por meio da pesquisa-ação, elaboramos e implementamos em sala de aula um conjunto de atividades para possibilitar aos alunos participantes a produção escrita com vistas a atender adequadamente a uma situação real de interação que requereu a escrita de narrativas de aventura. Como resultado, observamos que é possível vencer a resistência que os alunos apresentam no momento da produção de textos escritos e que, quando motivados e orientados, eles fazem o exercício de se colocar no lugar de autores, escrevendo com empenho e autonomia.
Analysis on nonlinear stability of the triangular libration points for radiating and oblate primaries in ER3BP
Authors: Singh Nutan , Narayan A.
Published: March 2017

In this paper we study the non linear stability of the triangular librations points in ER3BP considering both the primaries as radiating and oblate. The study is carried out near the resonance frequency satisfying the conditions Â in resonance as well as non resonance case. The study is conducted for various values of radiation pressure and oblateness parameters. It is observed that the case corresponds to the boundary region of the stability for the system Further, it is examined that the system experiences resonance at for different values of radiation pressures and oblateness parameter. In non resonance case, it is observed that the equilibrium points are stable. In resonance case, for and the triangular equilibrium points are unstable. In case, when for some values of radiation pressure and oblateness parameter, it is stable and for some it is unstable. The model is best suited to the binary systems (Achird, Luyten, Î± Cen AB, Kruger- 60, Xi- Bootis).
Per capita income and public health expenditure: what makes good child health outcomes in Tanzania? a comparison of Frequentist and Bayesian approach (1995-2013)
Authors: Byaro Mwoya , Musonda Patrick
Published: March 2017

Using data for World Bank Development Indicators (2015) database from 1995 to 2013, this paper explores the impact of public health expenditure on national health outcomes in Tanzania while GDP per capita and improved sanitation facilities as explanatory variables were controlled for. Two national health outcomes indicators namely, infant and under-five mortality were used as dependent variables. With separate modeling approach, Frequentist and Bayesian based on time series and Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) respectively, empirical evidence shows that income, represented by real GDP per capita lower infant and under-five mortality in Tanzania. Under both methodological approach regardless of the sample size, we failed to support evidence that, public health expenditure and improved sanitation facilities had an impact on child health outcomes. Our results imply that, public health spending in Tanzania is poorly targeted to bring good child health outcomes. The paper draws attention to policy makers in Tanzania to focus either within public health spending composition or beyond to other close determinants of infant and under-five mortality.
Sepiapterin reductase gene‐disrupted mice suffer from hypertension with fluctuation and bradycardia
Authors: Sumi‐Ichinose Chiho , Suganuma Yui , Kano Taiki , Ihira Noriko , Nomura Hiroko , Ikemoto Kazuhisa , Hata Tadayoshi , Katoh Setsuko , Ichinose Hiroshi , Kondo Kazunao
Published: March 2017

(6R)‐l‐erythro‐5,6,7,8‐Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) is an essential cofactor for monoamine and nitric oxide (NO) production. Sepiapterin reductase (SPR) catalyzes the final step in BH4 biosynthesis. We analyzed the cardiovascular function of adult Spr gene‐disrupted (Spr−/−) mice for the first time. After weaning, Spr−/− mice suffered from hypertension with fluctuation and bradycardia, while the monoamine contents in these mice were less than 10% of those in the wild‐type mice as a result of BH4 depletion. Heart rate variability analysis indicated the sympathetic dominant state in Spr−/− mice. The endothelium‐dependent vascular relaxation in response to acetylcholine was significantly impaired in Spr−/− mice after sexual maturation (above 4 months old). Protein amounts of α1 adrenergic receptor and eNOS in the aorta were not altered. Spr−/− mice exhibited hypoglycemia and elevation of plasma renin activity. Our results suggest that the hypertension with fluctuation and bradycardia of Spr−/− mice would be caused by an imbalance of sympathetic and parasympathetic input and impaired nitric oxide production in endothelial cells. We suggest an important role of BH4 and SPR in age‐related hypertension and a possible relationship with the cardiovascular instabilities in autonomic diseases, including Parkinson's disease and spinal cord injury.
Innovative Laboratory Procedure to Estimate Thermophysical Parameters of Iso-exo Sleeves
Authors: Ignaszak Z. , Prunier J-B.
Published: March 2017

The paper is focused on properties testing of materials used in form of iso-exo sleeves for risers in ferrous alloys foundry. They are grainyfibrous materials, containing components which initiate and upkeep exothermic reaction. Thermo-physical parameters characterizing such sleeves are necessary also to fill in reliable databases for computer simulation of processes in the casting-mould layout. Studies with use of a liquid alloy, especially regarding different sleeves bring valuable results, but are also relatively expensive and require longer test preparation time. A simplified method of study in laboratory conditions was proposed, in a furnace heated to a temperature above ignition temperature of sleeve material (initiation of exothermic reaction). This method allows to determine the basic parameters of each new sleeve supplied to foundries and assures relatively quick evaluation of sleeve quality, by comparison with previous sleeve supplies or with sleeves brought by new providers.
Effect of Heat-treatment Parameters of Cast Iron GJS-X350NiMnCu7-3-2 on its Structure and Mechanical Properties
Authors: Medyński D. , Janus A. , Zaborski S.
Published: March 2017

The paper presents influence of soaking parameters (temperature and time) on structure and mechanical properties of spheroidal graphite nickel-manganese-copper cast iron, containing: 7.2% Ni, 2.6% Mn and 2.4% Cu. Raw castings showed austenitic structure and relatively low hardness (150 HBW) guaranteeing their good machinability. Heat treatment consisted in soaking the castings within 400 to 600°C for 2 to 10 hours followed by air-cooling. In most cases, soaking caused changes in structure and, in consequence, an increase of hardness in comparison to raw castings. The highest hardness and tensile strength was obtained after soaking at 550°C for 6 hours. At the same time, decrease of the parameters related to plasticity of cast iron (elongation and impact strength) was observed. This resulted from the fact that, in these conditions, the largest fraction of fine-acicular ferrite with relatively high hardness (490 HV0.1) was created in the matrix. At lower temperatures and after shorter soaking times, hardness and tensile strength were lower because of smaller degree of austenite transformation. At higher temperatures and after longer soaking times, fine-dispersive ferrite was produced. That resulted in slightly lower material hardness.
Effect of Alloy Additions on the Structure and Mechanical Properties of the AlSi7Mg0.3 Alloy
Authors: Pisarek B. P. , Rapiejko C. , Szymczak T. , Pacyniak T.
Published: March 2017

The study presents the results of the investigations of the effect of Cu, Ni, Cr, V, Mo and W alloy additions on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the AlSi7Mg0.3 alloy. The examinations were performed within a project the aim of which is to elaborate an experimental and industrial technology of producing elements of machines and devices complex in their construction, made of aluminium alloys by the method of precision investment casting. It was demonstrated that a proper combination of alloy additions causes the crystallization of complex intermetallic phases in the silumin, shortens the SDAS and improves the strength properties: Rm, Rp0.2,HB hardness. Elevating these properties reduces At, which, in consequence, lowers the quality index Q of the alloy of the obtained casts. Experimental casts were made in ceramic moulds preliminarily heated to 160 °C, into which the AlSi7Mg0.3 alloy with the additions was cast, followed by its cooling at ambient temperature. With the purpose of increasing the value of the quality index Q, it is recommended that the process of alloy cooling in the ceramic mould be intensified and/or a thermal treatment of the casts be performed (ageing)(T6).
Wear Resistance of TiC Reinforced Cast Steel Matrix Composite
Authors: Sobula S. , Olejnik E. , Tokarski T.
Published: March 2017

Wear resistance of TiC-cast steel metal matrix composite has been investigated. Composites were obtained with SHSB method known as SHS synthesis during casting. It has been shown the differences in wear between composite and base cast steel. The Miller slurry machine test were used to determine wear loss of the specimens. The slurry was composed of SiC and water. The worn surface of specimens after test, were studied by SEM. Experimental observation has shown that surface of composite zone is not homogenous and consist the matrix lakes. Microscopic observations revealed the long grooves with SiC particles indented in the base alloy area, and spalling pits in the composite area. Due to the presence of TiC carbides on composite layer, specimens with TiC reinforced cast steel exhibited higher abrasion resistance. The wear of TiC reinforced cast steel mechanism was initially by wearing of soft matrix and in second stage by polishing and spalling of TiC. Summary weight loss after 16hr test was 0,14÷0,23 g for composite specimens and 0,90 g for base steel.
Hypoeutectic Al-Si Alloy with Cr, V and Mo to Pressure Die Casting
Authors: Szymczak T. , Gumienny G. , Stasiak I. , Pacyniak T.
Published: March 2017

This paper presents the results of hypoeutectic 226 grade alloy as well as prepared on its basis Al-Si alloy containing Cr, V and Mo. The additives tested were added as AlCr15, AlV10 and AlMo8 master alloys. Alloys tested were poured into DTA sampler as well as using pressure die casting. An amount of Cr, V and Mo additives in alloy poured into DTA sampler comprised within the range approximately 0.05-0.35%. Alloys to pressure die casting contained 0.05-0.20% Cr, V and Mo. The crystallization process was examined using the derivative thermal analysis (DTA). The microstructure of castings made in the DTA sampler as well as castings made with use of pressure die casting were examined. The basic mechanical properties of castings made using pressure die casting were defined too. It has been shown in the DTA curves of Al-Si alloy containing approximately 0.30 and 0.35% Cr, Mo, and V there is an additional thermal effect probably caused by a peritectic crystallization of intermetallic phases containing the aforementioned additives. These phases have a morphology similar to the walled and a relatively large size. The analogous phases also occur in pressure die casting alloys containing 0.10% or more additions of Cr, V and Mo. The appearance of these phases in pressure die casting Al-Si alloys coincides with a decrease in the value of the tensile strength Rm and the elongation A. It has been shown die castings made of Al-Si alloys containing the aforementioned additives have a higher Rm and A than 226 alloy.
Development of Cloud Based Casting Defects Categorization System (CDCS)
Authors: Sata Amit V.
Published: March 2017

Defects affect the properties and behavior of the casting during its service life. Since the defects can occur due to different reasons, they must be correctly identified and categorized, to enable applying the appropriate remedial measures. several different approaches for categorizing casting defects have been proposed in technical literature. They mainly rely on physical description, location, and formation of defects. There is a need for a systematic approach for classifying investment casting defects, considering appropriate attributes such as their size, location, identification stage, inspection method, consistency, appearance of defects. A systematic approach for categorization of investment casting defects considering multiple attributes: detection stage, size, shape, appearance, location, consistency and severity of occurrence. Information about the relevant attributes of major defects encountered in investment casting process has been collected from an industrial foundry. This has been implemented in a cloud-based system to make the system freely and widely accessible.
Near Field Asymptotic Behavior for the Porous Medium Equation on the Half-Line
Authors: Cortázar Carmen , Quirós Fernando , Wolanski Noemi
Published: March 2017

Kamin and Vázquez [11] proved in 1991 that solutions to the Cauchy–Dirichlet problem for the porous medium equation

u
t

=

(

u
m

)

x
⁢
x

${u_{t}=(u^{m})_{xx}}$

,

m
>
1

${m>1}$

, on the half-line with zero boundary data and nonnegative compactly supported integrable initial data behave for large times as a dipole-type solution to the equation having the same first moment as the initial data, with an error which is

o
⁢

(

t

-

1
/
m

)

${o(t^{-1/m})}$

. However, on sets of the form

0
<
x
<

g
⁢

(
t
)

${0<x<g(t)}$

, with

g
⁢

(
t
)

=

o
⁢

(

t

1
/

(

2
⁢
m

)

)

${g(t)=o(t^{1/(2m)})}$

as

t
→
∞

${t\to\infty}$

, in the so-called near field, a scale which includes the particular case of compact sets, the dipole solution is

o
⁢

(

t

-

1
/
m

)

${o(t^{-1/m})}$

, and their result gives neither the right rate of decay of the solution nor a nontrivial asymptotic profile. In this paper, we will improve the estimate for the error, showing that it is

o
⁢

(

t

-

(

2
⁢
m

+
1

)

/

(

2
⁢

m
2

)

⁢

(

1
+
x

)

1
/
m

)

${o(t^{-(2m+1)/(2m^{2})}(1+x)^{1/m})}$

. This allows in particular to obtain a nontrivial asymptotic profile in the near field limit, which is a multiple of

x

1
/
m

${x^{1/m}}$

, thus improving in this scale the results of Kamin and Vázquez.
Subjective and Objective Comparative Study of DAB+ Broadcast System
Authors: Gilski Przemysław , Stefański Jacek
Published: March 2017

Broadcasting services seek to optimize their use of bandwidth in order to maximize user’s quality of experience. They aim to transmit high-quality digital speech and music signals at the lowest bitrate. They intend to offer the best quality under available conditions. Due to bandwidth limitations, audio quality is in conflict with the number of transmitted radio programs. This paper analyzes whether the quality of real-time digital DAB+ broadcasted radio programs surpasses the quality offered by analog FM radio. We also perform a subjective and objective quality assessment comparative study of the HE-AAC v2 audio codec used in DAB+. The subjective studies were carried out using the MOS test methodology, whereas the objective tests were realized using the ViSQOLAudio metric. These studies were followed by a questionnaire concerning the migration from analog to digital radio domain.
Operational Modal Analysis for Crack Detection in Rotating Blades
Authors: Bednarz Jarosław
Published: March 2017

Vibration analysis has found widespread application for condition monitoring in a variety of applications and industries. With the continual development of cheaper and more powerful processing hardware, such systems have developed from utilizing simple checks on amplitude to those based around sophisti- cated spectral analysis. The paper presents application of the model based diagnostic method for early detection of faults in rotating machinery. The proposed diagnostics system based on modal analysis methods (OMA and OMAX methods). In the paper the diagnostic system based on such modelling is presented. The proposed system was verified during research on a specialized test rig, which can generate vibration signals.
Electrical Characterization of 65 W Cubic Sonoreactor with Horizontally Stacked Transducers
Authors: Kerdthongmee Pansak , Pholnak Chat , Sirisathitkul Chitnarong , Danworaphong Sorasak
Published: March 2017

A sonoreactor was assembled with stacked lead zirconate titanate transducers. These transducers were attached on one side of a 10×10×10 cm3 chamber and driven by an integrated circuit power amplifier. The impedance of the reactor was analyzed in order to determine a matching inductance. The electrical frequency could be varied from 20 to 50 kHz and the electrical output power was adjustable up to 65 W. The highest power was obtained in the case of resonance at 31 kHz and the maximum temperature at the heat sink of the amplifier rose to 42.0° C. Both acoustic cavitation and mechanical effects could be utilized in this sonoreactor for a variety of purposes including sonochemical synthesis, ultrasonic cleaning and microbial cell disruption.
Effects of water turbulence on plant, sediment and water quality in reed (Phragmites australis) community
Authors: Atapaththu Keerthi Sri Senarathna , Asaeda Takashi , Yamamuro Masumi , Kamiya Hiroshi
Published: March 2017

Even though the interaction between water movements and aquatic plant is crucial for the aquatic ecosystem management, the importance of water turbulence in this regard is not well documented. To add to our knowledge on the interaction between aquatic plant communities and water turbulence, this study examined turbulence, plant, sediment and water quality at the reed community (Phragmites australis) in the Lake Shinji, Japan. Observations were conducted along transects perpendicular to the shoreline. For each transect, reed communities were observed at land ward side, centre, water ward and the outside of the reed community. An elevated level of turbulence was observed outside compared to inside reed community, where the magnitude of turbulence decreased with distance into the community interior. A significant positive correlation was observed for turbulence and surface-dissolved oxygen where the latter was negatively correlated to reed density. Sediment composition was affected by water turbulence where the content of coarse particles positively correlated to turbulence. Accumulation of organic matter in anoxic sediments together with fine particles was observed under low turbulence. Our findings can offer insight into understanding the interactions between turbulence and aquatic plant communities.
Biological recovery the steppe of Hammada scoparia after enclosure in the region of Naama (Algeria)
Authors: Boucherit Hafidha , Benabdeli Kheloufi , Benaradj Abdelkrim
Published: March 2017

This work was being carried out in the steppe of remth (Hammada scoparia) in Oranian part of the Saharan Atlas (Tiout - south of Naama). The H. scoparia of Saharan group occupies the foothills south of the Saharan Atlas and glazes and hamadas of the northern part of the Sahara where it seems to find its optimum development. The objective of the study is the floristic and ecological characterisation of the steppe vegetation groups of H. scoparia after 4 years of enclosure grazing (Eg). For the past three decades, steppe of H. scoparia were completely overwhelmed, both in their structure and their operation by increasing the herd and the continued use of natural pastures using animal load significantly higher than the production potential of course, which is reflected by the reduction of their capacity for natural regeneration.

Intervention measures that address this alarming situation are to foster the inverse process of degradation reconstruction and rehabilitation of degraded steppe rangelands by the technique of the Eg. The methodology involves a device that is composed of a series of transects that constitute a grid and allow to scan the whole website for Eg and part of the neighbouring paths. The results emphasise the interest and constructive impact of the Eg on plant diversity and the fight against the factors of degradation and desertification. This review highlights the importance of the technique of Eg for the rehabilitation and restoration of steppe rangelands in arid bioclimate.
The characterization of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), its role in cancerogenesis and cardiovascular system diseases and possibilities of using this cytokine as a molecular marker
Authors: Grabarek Beniamin , Bednarczyk Martyna , Mazurek Urszula
Published: March 2017

The inflammatory process is directly associated with secretion of cytokines, e.g. tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). This molecule is one of the 22 proteins which belong to TNF family and is secreted mainly by: macrophages, monocytes, T lymphocyte and mast cells. The biological effects of TNF-α is possible through binding this cytokine to specific receptors – TNFR1 and TNFR2. The large number of reports provides that this cytokine plays extremely important role in cancers and cardiovascular disease – two groups of inflammatory diseases. Unfortunately, these diseases are the main cause of death in spite of advances in medicine and increasing public awareness of prevention. It is believed that better understanding both molecular potential of this cytokine and the impact in cancerogenesis and others inflammatory diseases may cause using TNF-α as a molecular marker in these diseases and will make it possible to observe the effects of anti-inflammatory therapy. It will be able to cause a drop in the incidence of these diseases and better monitoring of them.
A Smart Amalgamation of Spectral Neural Algorithm for Nonlinear Lane-Emden Equations with Simulated Annealing
Authors: Khan Najeeb Alam , Shaikh Amber
Published: March 2017

The actual motivation of this paper is to develop a functional link between artificial neural network (ANN) with Legendre polynomials and simulated annealing termed as Legendre simulated annealing neural network (LSANN). To demonstrate the applicability, it is employed to study the nonlinear Lane-Emden singular initial value problem that governs the polytropic and isothermal gas spheres. In LSANN, minimization of error is performed by simulated annealing method while Legendre polynomials are used in hidden layer to control the singularity problem. Many illustrative examples of Lane-Emden type are discussed and results are compared with the formerly used algorithms. As well as with accuracy of results and tranquil implementation it provides the numerical solution over the entire finite domain.
Episodic runoff generation at Central European headwater catchments studied using water isotope concentration signals
Authors: Votrubova Jana , Dohnal Michal , Vogel Tomas , Sanda Martin , Tesar Miroslav
Published: March 2017

Hydrological monitoring in small headwater catchments provides the basis for examining complex interrelating hydraulic processes that govern the runoff generation. Contributions of different subsurface runoff mechanisms to the catchment discharge formation at two small forested headwater catchments are studied with the help of their natural isotopic signatures. The Uhlirska catchment (Jizera Mts., Czech Republic) is situated in headwater area of the Lusatian Neisse River. The catchment includes wetlands at the valley bottom developed over deluviofluvial granitic sediments surrounded by gentle hillslopes with shallow soils underlain by weathered granite. The Liz catchment (Bohemian Forest, Czech Republic) is situated in headwater area of the Otava River. It belongs to hillslope-type catchments with narrow riparian zones. The soil at Liz is developed on biotite paragneiss bedrock. The basic comparison of hydrological time series reveals that the event-related stream discharge variations at the Uhlirska catchment are bigger and significantly more frequent than at Liz. The analysis of isotope concentration data revealed different behavior of the two catchments during the major rainfall-runoff events. At Uhlirska, the percentage of the direct runoff formed by the event water reaches its maximum on the falling limb of the hydrograph. At Liz, the event water related fraction of the direct outflow is maximal on the rising limb of the hydrograph and then lowers. The hydraulic functioning of the Uhlirska catchment is determined by communication between hillslope and riparian zone compartments.
A class of extensions of Restricted (s, t)-Wythoff’s game
Authors: Liu Sanyang , Li Haiyan
Published: March 2017

Restricted (s, t)-Wythoff’s game, introduced by Liu et al. in 2014, is an impartial combinatorial game. We define and solve a class of games obtained from Restricted (s, t)-Wythoff’s game by adjoining to it some subsets of its P-positions as additional moves. The results show that under certain conditions they are equivalent to one case in which only one P-position is adjoined as an additional move. Furthermore, two winning strategies of exponential and polynomial are provided for the games.
Dynamics for a discrete competition and cooperation model of two enterprises with multiple delays and feedback controls
Authors: Lu Lin , Lian Yi , Li Chaoling
Published: March 2017

This paper is concerned with a competition and cooperation model of two enterprises with multiple delays and feedback controls. With the aid of the difference inequality theory, we have obtained some sufficient conditions which guarantee the permanence of the model. Under a suitable condition, we prove that the system has global stable periodic solution. The paper ends with brief conclusions.
Output Error Method for Tiltrotor Unstable in Hover
Authors: Lichota Piotr , Szulczyk Joanna
Published: March 2017

This article investigates unstable tiltrotor in hover system identification from flight test data. The aircraft dynamics was described by a linear model defined in Body-Fixed-Coordinate System. Output Error Method was selected in order to obtain stability and control derivatives in lateral motion. For estimating model parameters both time and frequency domain formulations were applied. To improve the system identification performed in the time domain, a stabilization matrix was included for evaluating the states. In the end, estimates obtained from various Output Error Method formulations were compared in terms of parameters accuracy and time histories. Evaluations were performed in MATLAB R2009b environment.
Using the Lid-Driven Cavity Flow to Validate Moment-Based Boundary Conditions for the Lattice Boltzmann Equation
Authors: Mohammed Seemaa , Reis Tim
Published: March 2017

The accuracy of the Moment Method for imposing no-slip boundary conditions in the lattice Boltzmann algorithm is investigated numerically using lid-driven cavity flow. Boundary conditions are imposed directly upon the hydrodynamic moments of the lattice Boltzmann equations, rather than the distribution functions, to ensure the constraints are satisfied precisely at grid points. Both single and multiple relaxation time models are applied. The results are in excellent agreement with data obtained from state-of-the-art numerical methods and are shown to converge with second order accuracy in grid spacing.
Metamodel-Based Optimization of the Labyrinth Seal
Authors: Rulik Sebastian , Wróblewski Włodzimierz , Frączek Daniel
Published: March 2017

The presented paper concerns CFD optimization of the straight-through labyrinth seal with a smooth land. The aim of the process was to reduce the leakage flow through a labyrinth seal with two fins. Due to the complexity of the problem and for the sake of the computation time, a decision was made to modify the standard evolutionary optimization algorithm by adding an approach based on a metamodel. Five basic geometrical parameters of the labyrinth seal were taken into account: the angles of the seal’s two fins, and the fin width, height and pitch. Other parameters were constrained, including the clearance over the fins. The CFD calculations were carried out using the ANSYS-CFX commercial code. The in-house optimization algorithm was prepared in the Matlab environment. The presented metamodel was built using a Multi-Layer Perceptron Neural Network which was trained using the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm. The Neural Network training and validation were carried out based on the data from the CFD analysis performed for different geometrical configurations of the labyrinth seal. The initial response surface was built based on the design of the experiment (DOE). The novelty of the proposed methodology is the steady improvement in the response surface goodness of fit. The accuracy of the response surface is increased by CFD calculations of the labyrinth seal additional geometrical configurations. These configurations are created based on the evolutionary algorithm operators such as selection, crossover and mutation. The created metamodel makes it possible to run a fast optimization process using a previously prepared response surface. The metamodel solution is validated against CFD calculations. It then complements the next generation of the evolutionary algorithm.
Complete acromioclavicular joint dislocation treated with reconstructed ligament by trapezius muscle fascia and observation of fascial metaplasia
Authors: Wang Chaoliang , Huang Sufang , Wang Yingzhen , Sun Xuesheng , Zhu Tao , Li Qiang , Lin Chu
Published: March 2017

We evaluated the long-term clinical results of acute complete acromioclavicular dislocations treated by reconstruction of the acromioclavicular and coracoclavicular ligament using trapezius muscle fascia. Open reduction and internal fixation was performed using the clavicular hook plate in 12 patients with acute complete acromioclavicular joint dislocation, and the acromioclavicular and coracoclavicular ligaments were reconstructed using trapezius muscle fascia. Radiographic evaluations were conducted postoperatively. We evaluated the functional results with constant scoring system and radiological results at the final follow-up visit. The mean Constant score at the final follow-up visit was 91.67 (range, 81 to 100). The results were excellent in eight patients (66.7%) and good in four patients (33.3%). Three patients with scores from 80 to 90 had mild pain during activity, but this did not affect the range of motion of the shoulder. All patients have returned to their preoperative work without any limitations. Compared with the contralateral side, radiography showed anatomical reposition in the vertical plane in all cases. The hook-plate fixation with ligament reconstruction was successful in treating AC dislocations. The acromioclavicular and coracoclavicular ligament were reconstructed by trapezius muscle fascia that keep the distal clavicle stable both vertically and horizontally after type III injuries.
Influence of COPD Assessment Text (CAT) evaluation and rehabilitation education guidance on the respiratory and motor functions of COPD patients
Authors: Liu Jing , Meng Guangju , Ma Yi , Zhang Xia , Chen Dongmei , Chen Mengting
Published: March 2017

The study aimed to evaluate the influence of the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) evaluation and rehabilitation education guidance on the respiratory and motor functions of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Forty-five patients with COPD admitted from Nov. 2012 to Nov. 2013 were treated with combined bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids. Thirty-five patients admitted from Nov. 2012 to Nov. 2013 and classified as a study group received rehabilitation education guidance on the basis of the treatment of the control group to compare the quality-of-life-scale score, dyspnea index score, and motor function of the two groups of patients after 48 weeks of treatment. After treatment, the CAT score of both groups of patients was significantly lowered. After 48 weeks of treatment, the respiratory function of both groups was significantly improved, but the Medical Research Council (MRC) scale for the study group after treatment was significantly lower than that for the control group. After 48 weeks of rehabilitation exercises, the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) for patients with COPD was significantly prolonged, but the test results were significantly higher for the study group after treatment than for the control group. After receiving CAT rehabilitation education, COPD patients had significantly improved life quality and significantly enhanced exercise tolerance. The treatment mode may be gradually introduced in future clinic and nursing work.
Examination of Sol-Gel Derived Hydroxyapatite Enhanced with Silver Nanoparticles using OCT and Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Głowacki Maciej J. , Gnyba Marcin , Strąkowska Paulina , Gardas Mateusz , Kraszewski Maciej , Trojanowski Michał , Strąkowski Marcin R.
Published: March 2017

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) has been attracting widespread interest in medical applications. In a form of coating, it enables to create a durable bond between an implant and surrounding bone tissues. With addition of silver nanoparticles HAp should also provide antibacterial activity. The aim of this research was to evaluate the composition of hydroxyapatite with silver nanoparticles in a non-destructive and non-contact way. For control measurements of HAp molecular composition and solvent evaporation efficiency the Raman spectroscopy has been chosen. In order to evaluate dispersion and concentration of the silver nanoparticles inside the hydroxyapatite matrix, the optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been used. Five samples were developed and examined ‒ a reference sample of pure HAp sol and four samples of HAp colloids with different silver nanoparticle solution volume ratios. The Raman spectra for each solution have been obtained and analyzed. Furthermore, a transverse-sectional visualization of every sample has been created and examined by means of OCT.
New type of Piezoresistive Pressure Sensors for Environments with Rapidly Changing Temperature
Authors: Tykhan Myroslav , Ivakhiv Orest , Teslyuk Vasyl
Published: March 2017

The theoretical aspects of a new type of piezo-resistive pressure sensors for environments with rapidly changing temperatures are presented. The idea is that the sensor has two identical diaphragms which have different coefficients of linear thermal expansion. Therefore, when measuring pressure in environments with variable temperature, the diaphragms will have different deflection. This difference can be used to make appropriate correction of the sensor output signal and, thus, to increase accuracy of measurement. Since physical principles of sensors operation enable fast correction of the output signal, the sensor can be used in environments with rapidly changing temperature, which is its essential advantage. The paper presents practical implementation of the proposed theoretical aspects and the results of testing the developed sensor.
Automatic Extraction of the Pelvicalyceal System for Preoperative Planning of Minimally Invasive Procedures
Authors: Heryan Katarzyna , Skalski Andrzej , Jakubowski Jacek , Drewniak Tomasz , Gajda Janusz
Published: March 2017

Minimally invasive procedures for the kidney tumour removal require a 3D visualization of topological relations between kidney, cancer, the pelvicalyceal system and the renal vascular tree. In this paper, a novel methodology of the pelvicalyceal system segmentation is presented. It consists of four following steps: ROI designation, automatic threshold calculation for binarization (approximation of the histogram image data with three exponential functions), automatic extraction of the pelvicalyceal system parts and segmentation by the Locally Adaptive Region Growing algorithm. The proposed method was applied successfully on the Computed Tomography database consisting of 48 kidneys both healthy and cancer affected. The quantitative evaluation (comparison to manual segmentation) and visual assessment proved its effectiveness. The Dice Coefficient of Similarity is equal to 0.871 ± 0.060 and the average Hausdorff distance 0.46 ± 0.36 mm. Additionally, to provide a reliable assessment of the proposed method, it was compared with three other methods. The proposed method is robust regardless of the image acquisition mode, spatial resolution and range of image values. The same framework may be applied to further medical applications beyond preoperative planning for partial nephrectomy enabling to visually assess and to measure the pelvicalyceal system by medical doctors.
Mining Data of Noisy Signal Patterns in Recognition of Gasoline Bio-Based Additives using Electronic Nose
Authors: Osowski Stanisław , Siwek Krzysztof
Published: March 2017

The paper analyses the distorted data of an electronic nose in recognizing the gasoline bio-based additives. Different tools of data mining, such as the methods of data clustering, principal component analysis, wavelet transformation, support vector machine and random forest of decision trees are applied. A special stress is put on the robustness of signal processing systems to the noise distorting the registered sensor signals. A special denoising procedure based on application of discrete wavelet transformation has been proposed. This procedure enables to reduce the error rate of recognition in a significant way. The numerical results of experiments devoted to the recognition of different blends of gasoline have shown the superiority of support vector machine in a noisy environment of measurement.
Partial Shading Detection in Solar System Using Single Short Pulse of Load
Authors: Bartczak Mateusz
Published: March 2017

A single photovoltaic panel under uniform illumination has only one global maximum power point, but the same panel in irregularly illuminated conditions can have more maxima on its power-voltage curve. The irregularly illuminated conditions in most cases are results of partial shading. In the work a single short pulse of load is used to extract information about partial shading. This information can be useful and can help to make some improvements in existing MPPT algorithms. In the paper the intrinsic capacitance of a photovoltaic system is used to retrieve occurrence of partial shading.
A quality of life assessment and the correlation between generic and disease-specific questionnaires scores in outpatients with chronic liver disease-pilot study
Authors: Obradovic Milica , Gluvic Zoran , Petrovic Nina , Obradovic Milan , Tomasevic Ratko , Dugalic Predrag , Isenovic Esma R.
Published: March 2017

Introduction. Chronic liver diseases (CLD) are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in general population. The aim of this study was to analyze potential differences between patients with CLD and healthy control group, and to estimate the severity of CLD by using simple questionnaires: general health questionnaire (GHQ-12) and chronic liver disease questionnaire (CLDQ). Methods. A cross-sectional pilot study was performed in Zemun Clinical Hospital during years 2014 and 2015. Sixty participants were divided into 4 groups (15 per group): chronic alcoholic hepatitis, other chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and healthy control group. Entire study population chose one of four offered answers of structured questionnaires GHQ-12 and CLDQ, based on which mean model of end-stage liver disease (MELD) and Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) scores were calculated. Results. Mean GHQ12 and CLDQ scores were 10.5 and 5.21 ± 1.11 respectively. Regarding certain CLDQ domain scores, a significant difference between alcoholic and non-alcoholic hepatitis groups in the worry domain was observed. Mean MELD score was 7.42 ± 2.89 and did not differ between chronic hepatitis groups, while mean CTP score was 5.73 ± 0.88. A statistically significant correlation was observed between GHQ12 and CLDQ scores (ρ = -0.404, p < 0.01), but not between subjective and objective scores. Conclusions. Mean GHQ12 and CLDQ scores pointed out to general psychological no-distress condition of the studied participants, as well as scarcely expressed CLD-specific complaints. Mean MELD and CTP scores indicated stable chronic liver diseases, with low three-month mortality rates in the cases of chronic hepatitis, as well as determination to Child A group in the case of liver cirrhosis.
Dress Syndrome - A Case Report
Authors: Kremić Zorana , Mijušković Željko P. , Kandolf-Sekulović Lidija
Published: March 2017

The drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome is an adverse drug-induced reaction that occurs most commonly after exposure to drugs, most frequently anticonvulsants, sulfa derivates, antidepressants, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and antimicrobials. We present a 61-year-old male, with a generalized maculopapular exanthema on the trunk, face, extremities, palms, soles, palate, and fever (38°C). His medical history was notable for generalized epilepsy, treated with carbamazepine during 1 month. The diagnosis of DRESS syndrome was confirmed by specific RegiSCAR criteria. In our case, skin eruptions were successfully treated with oral methylprednisolone, cephalexin, and topical corticosteroid ointment.

In conclusion, although the mechanisms of this syndrome are not completely understood, numerous cases were reported in children and adults. This syndrome should be considered in every patient with skin eruption, fever, eosinophilia, liver and hematological abnormalities. Prompt recognition, supportive therapy and initiation of corticosteroids may prevent systemic manifestations.
Verrucous Carcinoma of the Foot - Report of Two Cases
Authors: Lalošević Jovan , Lekić Branislav , Gajić-Veljić Mirjana , Škiljević Dušan , Đukić Katarina , Medenica Ljiljana
Published: March 2017

Verrucous carcinoma (VC) is a rare variant of a well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) with a low grade of malignancy. Epithelioma cuniculatum (EC) is a subtype of VC, usually found on the sole of the foot.

Two patients, a 55-year-old female, and a 77-year-old male, with VC were treated at the Clinic of Dermatology and Venereology, Clinical Center of Serbia, from 2002 to 2011. Both patients presented with a tumor on the foot. Incisional biopsies showed a well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Foot x-rays showed bone involvement in one case. One patient underwent surgical amputation of the lower extremity, while the other had a partial amputation of the affected foot.

In the initial stage of the disease, it is difficult to distinguish pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia from verrucous carcinoma. The superficial biopsy of EC lesion may mislead to a histopathological diagnosis of warts or condylomas. Multiple deep biopsies are necessary for accurate and timely diagnosis of verrucous carcinoma.
Cutaneous Sarcoidosis in a patient with left Hilar calcification of the lungs - A Case Report
Authors: Paravina Mirjana , Ljubenović Milanka , Stanojević Milenko , Stepanović Milica , Marković Dragica
Published: March 2017

Sarcoidosis is an acquired idiopathic granulomatous disease, which is characterized by noncaseating epithelioid granulomas in organs and tissues. Most frequently it affects the lungs, liver, lymph nodes, skin, eyes and other organs. The cutaneous lesions appear in 20 - 30% of patients with systemic manifestations, and in 25% of them they appear without systemic manifestations. Based on the histopathological characteristics, cutaneous lesions are divided into specific, characterized by cutaneous granuloma, and non-specific, which are not granulomatous. Moreover, they can be classified as typical and atypical. We are presenting a female patient with unilateral hilar calcification of the lungs, who exhibited plaque skin lesions typical for sarcoidosis, with a specific granulomatous histology and a favorable response to corticosteroid and antimalarial therapy.
Habitats with Large Bitter Cress (Cardamine amara L.) in the Spring Area of Nera River (Semenic Mountains, Romania)
Authors: Schneider-Binder Erika
Published: March 2017

The paper presents the spring habitats and their communities edified by the Large Bitter Cress (Cardamine amara L.) in the area of Nergăniţa, a headwater stream of the Nera River included in the “Nature Reserve Semenic Mountains and springs of Nera River”. The communities of Large Bitter Cress are situated in and on the springs and spring streamlets situated in the beech forest area, being well adapted to the special site conditions with low water temperatures, low light conditions and humus rich soils. The species composition of the Large Bitter Cress communities and their habitats are presented in strong relation with the habitat conditions and the interrelation with other communities. Finally, the conservation status of the streamlets habitats is analyzed in the context of their importance for the European Natura 2000 network.