bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A New Compact Double-Negative Miniaturized Metamaterial for Wideband Operation
Authors: Hasan Md. , Faruque Mohammad , Islam Sikder , Islam Mohammad
Published: October 2016

The aim of this paper is to introduce a compact double-negative (DNG) metamaterial that exhibits a negative refractive index (NRI) bandwidth of more than 3.6 GHz considering the frequency from 2 to 14 GHz. In this framework, two arms of the designed unit cell are split in a way that forms a Modified-Z-shape structure of the FR-4 substrate material. The finite integration technique (FIT)-based Computer Simulation Technology (CST) Microwave Studio is applied for computation, and the experimental setup for measuring the performance is performed inside two waveguide ports. Therefore, the measured data complies well with the simulated data of the unit cell at 0-degree and 90-degree rotation angles. The designed unit cell shows a negative refractive index from 3.482 to 7.096 GHz (bandwidth of 3.61 GHz), 7.876 to 10.047 GHz (bandwidth of 2.171 GHz), and 11.594 to 14 GHz (bandwidth of 2.406 GHz) in the microwave spectra. The design also exhibits almost the same wide negative refractive index bandwidth in the major region of the C-band and X-band if it is rotated 90 degrees. However, the novelty of the proposed structure lies in its effective medium ratio of more than 4, wide bandwidth, and compact size.
Small versus Large Iron Oxide Magnetic Nanoparticles: Hyperthermia and Cell Uptake Properties
Authors: Iacovita Cristian , Florea Adrian , Dudric Roxana , Pall Emoke , Moldovan Alin , Tetean Romulus , Stiufiuc Rares , Lucaciu Constantin
Published: October 2016

Efficient use of magnetic hyperthermia in clinical cancer treatment requires biocompatible magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), with improved heating capabilities. Small (~34 nm) and large (~270 nm) Fe3O4-MNPs were synthesized by means of a polyol method in polyethylene-glycol (PEG) and ethylene-glycol (EG), respectively. They were systematically investigated by means of X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and vibration sample magnetometry. Hyperthermia measurements showed that Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) dependence on the external alternating magnetic field amplitude (up to 65 kA/m, 355 kHz) presented a sigmoidal shape, with remarkable SAR saturation values of ~1400 W/gMNP for the small monocrystalline MNPs and only 400 W/gMNP for the large polycrystalline MNPs, in water. SAR values were slightly reduced in cell culture media, but decreased one order of magnitude in highly viscous PEG1000. Toxicity assays performed on four cell lines revealed almost no toxicity for the small MNPs and a very small level of toxicity for the large MNPs, up to a concentration of 0.2 mg/mL. Cellular uptake experiments revealed that both MNPs penetrated the cells through endocytosis, in a time dependent manner and escaped the endosomes with a faster kinetics for large MNPs. Biodegradation of large MNPs inside cells involved an all-or-nothing mechanism.
A Study of Inverted-Type Perovskite Solar Cells with Various Composition Ratios of (FAPbI3)1−x(MAPbBr3)x
Authors: Chen Lung-Chien , Tseng Zong-Liang , Huang Jun-Kai
Published: October 2016

This work presents mixed (FAPbI3)1−x(MAPbBr3)x perovskite films with various composition ratios, x (x = 0–1), which are formed using the spin coating method. The structural, optical, and electronic behaviors of the mixed (FAPbI3)1−x(MAPbBr3)x perovskite films are discussed. A device with structure glass/indium tin oxide (ITO)/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS)/mixed perovskite/C60/BCP/Ag was fabricated. The mixed perovskite film was an active light-harvesting layer. PEDOT:PSS was a hole transporting layer between the ITO and perovskite. Both C60 and bathocuproine (BCP) were electron transporting layers. MAPbBr3 was added to FAPbI3 with a composition ratio of x = 0.2, stabilizing the perovskite phase, which exhibited a uniform and dense morphology. The optimal device exhibited band matching with C60, resulting in a low series resistance (Rsh) and a high fill factor (FF). Therefore, the device with composition (FAPbI3)1−x(MAPbBr3)x and x = 0.2 exhibited outstanding performance.
Analysis of Landslide Evolution Affecting Olive Groves Using UAV and Photogrammetric Techniques
Authors: Fernández Tomás , Pérez José , Cardenal Javier , Gómez José , Colomo Carlos , Delgado Jorge
Published: October 2016

This paper deals with the application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) techniques and high resolution photogrammetry to study the evolution of a landslide affecting olive groves. The last decade has seen an extensive use of UAV, a technology in clear progression in many environmental applications like landslide research. The methodology starts with the execution of UAV flights to acquire very high resolution images, which are oriented and georeferenced by means of aerial triangulation, bundle block adjustment and Structure from Motion (SfM) techniques, using ground control points (GCPs) as well as points transferred between flights. After Digital Surface Models (DSMs) and orthophotographs were obtained, both differential models and displacements at DSM check points between campaigns were calculated. Vertical and horizontal displacements in the range of a few decimeters to several meters were respectively measured. Finally, as the landslide occurred in an olive grove which presents a regular pattern, a semi-automatic approach to identifying and determining horizontal displacements between olive tree centroids was also developed. In conclusion, the study shows that landslide monitoring can be carried out with the required accuracy—in the order of 0.10 to 0.15 m—by means of the combination of non-invasive techniques such as UAV, photogrammetry and geographic information system (GIS).
A Fast Superpixel Segmentation Algorithm for PolSAR Images Based on Edge Refinement and Revised Wishart Distance
Authors: Zhang Yue , Zou Huanxin , Luo Tiancheng , Qin Xianxiang , Zhou Shilin , Ji Kefeng
Published: October 2016

The superpixel segmentation algorithm, as a preprocessing technique, should show good performance in fast segmentation speed, accurate boundary adherence and homogeneous regularity. A fast superpixel segmentation algorithm by iterative edge refinement (IER) works well on optical images. However, it may generate poor superpixels for Polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) images due to the influence of strong speckle noise and many small-sized or slim regions. To solve these problems, we utilized a fast revised Wishart distance instead of Euclidean distance in the local relabeling of unstable pixels, and initialized unstable pixels as all the pixels substituted for the initial grid edge pixels in the initialization step. Then, postprocessing with the dissimilarity measure is employed to remove the generated small isolated regions as well as to preserve strong point targets. Finally, the superiority of the proposed algorithm is validated with extensive experiments on four simulated and two real-world PolSAR images from Experimental Synthetic Aperture Radar (ESAR) and Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AirSAR) data sets, which demonstrate that the proposed method shows better performance with respect to several commonly used evaluation measures, even with about nine times higher computational efficiency, as well as fine boundary adherence and strong point targets preservation, compared with three state-of-the-art methods.
Towards Materials Sustainability through Materials Stewardship
Authors: Taylor Christopher , Gully Benjamin , Sánchez Andrea , Rode Edward , Agarwal Arun
Published: October 2016

Materials sustainability requires a concerted change in philosophy across the entire materials lifecycle, orienting around the theme of materials stewardship. In this paper, we address the opportunities for improved materials conservation through dematerialization, durability, design for second life, and diversion of waste streams through industrial symbiosis.
Environmental Proactivity and Environmental and Economic Performance: Evidence from the Winery Sector
Authors: Barba-Sánchez Virginia , Atienza-Sahuquillo Carlos
Published: October 2016

Environmental sustainability in the winery sector is receiving increased attention from governments, environmental groups, and consumers. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between the degree of proactivity of a firm’s environmental strategies and its business performance. The novelty of this research work lies in its definition of business performance, which includes business environmental performance in terms of reducing the firm’s environmental impacts and eco-efficiency in the use of resources such as water, energy, and raw materials, in addition to its economic performance. A model is proposed and tested using a sample of 312 Spanish wineries. Data were analysed using partial least squares path modelling (PLS-PM). The fitness and robustness of the structural model proved adequate. The results indicate positive correlation of environmental proactivity with economic and environmental performance. Although environmental proactivity improves business performance, it has a greater impact on reducing environmental impacts and improving eco-efficiency.
The Urban Transition Performance of Resource-Based Cities in Northeast China
Authors: Tan Juntao , Zhang Pingyu , Lo Kevin , Li Jing , Liu Shiwei
Published: October 2016

Resource-based cities face unique challenges when undergoing urban transitions because their non-renewable resources will eventually be exhausted. In this article, we introduce a new method of evaluating the urban transition performance of resource-based cities from economic, social and eco-environmental perspectives. A total of 19 resource-based cities in Northeast China are studied from 2003 to 2012. The results show that resource-based cities in Jilin and Liaoning provinces performed better than those in Heilongjiang province. Liaoyuan, Songyuan and Baishan were ranked as the top three resource-based cities; and Jixi, Yichun and Heihe were ranked last. Multi-resource and petroleum resource-based cities performed better than coal and forestry resource-based cities. We also analyzed the factors influencing urban transition performance using the method of the geographic detector. We found that capital input, road density and location advantage had the greatest effects on urban transition performance, followed by urban scale, remaining resources and the level of sustainable development; supporting policies and labor input had the smallest effects. Based on these insights, we have formulated several recommendations to facilitate urban transitions in China’s resource-based cities.
An efficient recyclable magnetic material for the selective removal of organic pollutants
Authors: Monteil Clément , Bar Nathalie , Bee Agnès , Villemin Didier
Published: October 2016

Wastewater cleaning strategies based on the adsorption of materials are being increasingly considered, but the wide variety of organic pollutants at low concentrations still makes their removal a challenge. The hybrid material proposed here consists of a zwitterionic polyethylenimine polymer coating a magnetic core. Polyethylenimine is phosphonated at different percentages by a one-step process and used to coat maghemite nanoparticles. It selectively extracts high amounts of cationic and anionic contaminants over a wide range of pH values, depending on the adjustable number of phosphonate groups introduced on the polymer. After recovering the nanoparticles with a magnet, pollutants are quantitatively released by repeated washing with low amounts of pH-adjusted water. The material can be reused many times without noticeable loss of efficiency and is designed to resist high temperatures, oxidation and harsh conditions.
EXPLORING THE ACCRETION MODEL OF M87 AND 3C 84 WITH THE FARADAY ROTATION MEASURE OBSERVATIONS
Authors: Li Ya-Ping , Yuan Feng , Xie Fu-Guo
Published: October 2016

Low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGNs) are believed to be powered by an accretion-jet model, consisting of an inner advection-dominated accretion flow (ADAF), an outer truncated standard thin disk, and a jet; however, model degeneracy still exists in this framework. For example, the X-ray emission can originate from either the ADAF or the jet. The aim of the present work is to check these models with the Faraday rotation measure (RM) observations recently detected for two LLAGNs, M87 and 3C 84, in the sub-mm band. For M87, we find that the RM predicted by the model in which the X-ray emission originates from the ADAF is larger than the observed upper limit of RM by over two orders of magnitude, while the model in which the X-ray emission originates from the jet predicts a RM lower than the observed upper limit. For 3C 84, the sub-mm emission is found to be dominated by the jet component, while the Faraday screen is attributed to the ADAFs. This scenario can naturally explain the observed external origin of the RM and why the RM is found to be stable during a two-year interval although the sub-mm emission increases at the same period.
A MECHANISM FOR STIMULATING AGN FEEDBACK BY LIFTING GAS IN MASSIVE GALAXIES
Authors: McNamara B. R. , Russell H. R. , Nulsen P. E. J. , Hogan M. T. , Fabian A. C. , Pulido F. , Edge A. C.
Published: October 2016

Observation shows that nebular emission, molecular gas, and young stars in giant galaxies are associated with rising X-ray bubbles inflated by radio jets launched from nuclear black holes. We propose a model where molecular clouds condense from low-entropy gas caught in the updraft of rising X-ray bubbles. The low-entropy gas becomes thermally unstable when it is lifted to an altitude where its cooling time is shorter than the time required to fall to its equilibrium location in the galaxy, i.e.,

. The infall speed of a cloud is bounded by the lesser of its free-fall and terminal speeds, so that the infall time here can exceed the free-fall time by a significant factor. This mechanism is motivated by Atacama Large Millimeter Array observations revealing molecular clouds lying in the wakes of rising X-ray bubbles with velocities well below their free-fall speeds. Our mechanism would provide cold gas needed to fuel a feedback loop while stabilizing the atmosphere on larger scales. The observed cooling time threshold of

—the clear-cut signature of thermal instability and the onset of nebular emission and star formation—may result from the limited ability of radio bubbles to lift low-entropy gas to altitudes where thermal instabilities can ensue. Outflowing molecular clouds are unlikely to escape, but instead return to the central galaxy in a circulating flow. We contrast our mechanism to precipitation models where the minimum value of

triggers thermal instability, which we find to be inconsistent with observation.
ON THE ROLE OF REPETITIVE MAGNETIC RECONNECTIONS IN EVOLUTION OF MAGNETIC FLUX ROPES IN SOLAR CORONA
Authors: Kumar Sanjay , Bhattacharyya R. , Joshi Bhuwan , Smolarkiewicz P. K.
Published: October 2016

Parker's magnetostatic theorem, extended to astrophysical magnetofluids with large magnetic Reynolds number, supports ceaseless regeneration of current sheets and, hence, spontaneous magnetic reconnections recurring in time. Consequently, a scenario is possible where the repeated reconnections provide an autonomous mechanism governing emergence of coherent structures in astrophysical magnetofluids. In this work, such a scenario is explored by performing numerical computations commensurate with the magnetostatic theorem. In particular, the computations explore the evolution of a flux rope governed by repeated reconnections in a magnetic geometry resembling bipolar loops of solar corona. The revealed morphology of the evolution process—including onset and ascent of the rope, reconnection locations, and the associated topology of the magnetic field lines—agrees with observations, and thus substantiates physical realizability of the advocated mechanism.
NEUTRINO, γ-RAY, AND COSMIC-RAY FLUXES FROM THE CORE OF THE CLOSEST RADIO GALAXIES
Authors: Fraija N. , Marinelli A.
Published: October 2016

The closest radio galaxies; Centaurus A (Cen A), M87, and NGC 1275, have been detected from radio wavelengths to TeV γ-rays, and also studied as high-energy neutrino and ultra-high-energy cosmic-ray (UHECR) potential emitters. Their spectral energy distributions (SEDs) show a double-peak feature, which is explained by a synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) model. However, TeV γ-ray measured spectra could suggest that very-high-energy γ-rays might have a hadronic origin. We introduce a lepto-hadronic model to describe the broadband SED; from radio to sub-GeV photons as synchrotron SSC emission and TeV γ-ray photons as neutral pion decay resulting from pγ interactions occurring close to the core. These photo-hadronic interactions take place when Fermi-accelerated protons interact with the seed photons around synchrotron SSC peaks. Obtaining a good description of the TeV γ-ray fluxes, first, we compute neutrino fluxes and events expected in the IceCube detector and, second, we estimate UHECR fluxes and the event rate expected in Telescope Array, Pierre Auger, and HiRes observatories. Within this scenario, we show that the expected high-energy neutrinos cannot explain the astrophysical flux observed by IceCube, and the connection with UHECRs observed by Auger experiment around Cen A might be possible only considering a heavy nuclei composition in the observed events.
A ROBUST DERIVATION OF THE TIGHT RELATIONSHIP OF RADIO CORE DOMINANCE TO INCLINATION ANGLE IN HIGH REDSHIFT 3CRR SOURCES
Authors: Marin Frédéric , Antonucci Robert
Published: October 2016

It is believed that, in radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGNs), the core radio flux density can be normalized to the flux density of the extended lobe emission to infer the orientation of a radio source. However, very little is known about the reliability and precision of this method, and we are unaware of any robust conversion recipe to infer the inclination from the core dominance. Investigating whether or not the radio core dominance parameter R separates the quasars from the radio galaxies in the

1 3CRR catalog, we found excellent agreement of R with optical type, infrared flux ratios, and optical polarization. This indicates that probably both R and optical classification are very good orientation indicators, and the unified model is strongly predictive for these objects. The relative number densities indicate half-opening angles close to 60°, as expected from large surveys. The separations of optical types according to radio core dominance as well as near-infrared/MIR ratios, which are essentially perfect, mean that there can be only a small dispersion of torus half-opening angles. Also, even though torus dust is thought to be clumpy, there is an almost zero probability to see a type-1 source at high inclination. Finally, using only the Copernican Principle, i.e., the assumption that solid angle is filled uniformly with source axis orientations, we estimated a semi-empirical relation between core dominance and AGN inclination. This makes it possible to use R to infer the inclination of a source to an accuracy of ∼10° or less, at least for this type of object.
VETTING GALACTIC LEAVITT LAW CALIBRATORS USING RADIAL VELOCITIES: ON THE VARIABILITY, BINARITY, AND POSSIBLE PARALLAX ERROR OF 19 LONG-PERIOD CEPHEIDS
Authors: Anderson R. I. , Casertano S. , Riess A. G. , Melis C. , Holl B. , Semaan T. , Papics P. I. , Blanco-Cuaresma S. , Eyer L. , Mowlavi N. , Palaversa L. , Roelens M.
Published: October 2016

We investigate the radial velocity (RV) variability and spectroscopic binarity of 19 Galactic long-period (

 ≳ 10 days) classical Cepheid variable stars whose trigonometric parallaxes are being measured using the Hubble
Space Telescope and Gaia. Our primary objective is to constrain possible parallax error due to undetected orbital motion. Using over 1600 high-precision RVs measured between 2011 and 2016, we find no indication of orbital motion on ≲5 year timescales for 18 Cepheids and determine upper limits on allowed configurations for a range of input orbital periods. The results constrain the unsigned parallax error due to orbital motion to <2% for 16 stars, and <4% for 18. We improve the orbital solution of the known binary YZ Carinae and show that the astrometric model must take into account orbital motion to avoid significant error (∼±100 μarcsec). We further investigate long-timescale (

 > 10 years) variations in pulsation-averaged velocity v

γ
via a template fitting approach using both new and literature RVs. We discover the spectroscopic binarity of XZ Car and CD Cyg, find first tentative evidence for AQ Car, and reveal KN Cen’s orbital signature. Further (mostly tentative) evidence of time-variable v

γ
is found for SS CMa, VY Car, SZ Cyg, and X Pup. We briefly discuss considerations regarding a vetting process of Galactic Leavitt law calibrators and show that light contributions by companions are insignificant for most distance scale applications.
THE SPECTRAL ENERGY DISTRIBUTIONS OF FERMI BLAZARS
Authors: Fan J. H. , Yang J. H. , Liu Y. , Luo G. Y. , Lin C. , Yuan Y. H. , Xiao H. B. , Zhou A. Y. , Hua T. X. , Pei Z. Y.
Published: October 2016

In this paper, multiwavelength data are compiled for a sample of 1425 Fermi blazars to calculate their spectral energy distributions (SEDs). A parabolic function,

is used for SED fitting. Synchrotron peak frequency (

), spectral curvature (P1), peak flux (

), and integrated flux (

) are successfully obtained for 1392 blazars (461 flat-spectrum radio quasars [FSRQs], 620 BL Lacs [BLs], and 311 blazars of uncertain type [BCUs]; 999 sources have known redshifts). Monochromatic luminosity at radio 1.4 GHz, optical R band, X-ray at 1 keV and γ-ray at 1 GeV, peak luminosity, integrated luminosity, and effective spectral indices of radio to optical (

) and optical to X-ray (

) are calculated. The “Bayesian classification” is employed to log

in the rest frame for 999 blazars with available redshift, and the results show that three components are enough to fit the log

distribution; there is no ultra-high peaked subclass. Based on the three components, the subclasses of blazars using the acronyms of Abdo et al. are classified, and some mutual correlations are also studied. Conclusions are finally drawn as follows: (1) SEDs are successfully obtained for 1392 blazars. The fitted peak frequencies are compared with common sources from available samples. (2) Blazars are classified as low synchrotron peak sources if log

, intermediate synchrotron peak sources if

, and high synchrotron peak sources if

. (3) Gamma-ray emissions are strongly correlated with radio emissions. Gamma-ray luminosity is also correlated with synchrotron peak luminosity and integrated luminosity. (4) There is an anticorrelation between peak frequency and peak luminosity within the whole blazar sample. However, there is a marginally positive correlation for high synchrotron peak BL Lacs (HBLs), and no correlations for FSRQs or low synchrotron peak BL Lacs (LBLs). (5) There are anticorrelations between the monochromatic luminosities (γ-ray and radio bands) and the peak frequency within the whole sample and BL Lacs. (6) The optical to X-ray (

) and radio to optical (

) spectral indices are strongly anticorrelated with peak frequency (log

) within the whole sample, but the correlations for subclasses of FSRQs, LBLs, and HBLs are different.
Suivi des indices de performance sur la durée moyenne de séjour avec la méthode CUSUM
Authors: Biard Lucie , Bernard Rémy , Le-Leplat Carole , Porcher Raphaël , Bagot Martine , Chevret Sylvie , Flicoteaux Rémi
Published: October 2016

Issue du contrôle qualité industriel, la méthode CUSUM permet de suivre des processus et déclencher des alertes lorsque les paramètres monitorés s’écartent d’une valeur de référence. L’objectif était d’évaluer la faisabilité de la méthode CUSUM pour le pilotage médico-économique à travers le suivi de l’indice de performance sur la durée moyenne des séjours (IP-DMS). Nous avons mené une analyse rétrospective au sein d’un service de dermatologie hospitalo-universitaire reposant sur le suivi entre 2008 et 2013 de l’IP-DMS hebdomadaire par test CUSUM. Etant donné les caractéristiques de l’IP-DMS, la valeur de référence a été choisie à 1. Une première étape de calibrage par une étude empirique sur les données observées et complétée par simulations a été réalisée pour définir les paramètres du test : une déviation de l’IP-DMS supérieure de + 0,1 était considérée comme inacceptable. En moyenne, le service accueillait 26 séjours par semaine pour un IP-DMS moyen hebdomadaire de 1,09 (écart-type 0,22). Au cours de l’année 2009, les IP-DMS, trop élevés de façon récurrente, ont déclenché 8 alertes par le test CUSUM. Les changements organisationnels entrepris par le service ont ensuite conduit à une stabilisation en 2010. Par la suite, 2 alertes ont été déclenchées début 2011, correspondant à une épidémie d’infections nosocomiales à bactérie multi-résistante responsable d’un allongement des durées de séjour avec pour conséquence un IP-DMS anormalement élevé. Le test CUSUM a permis de réaliser un suivi précis et dynamique de ce processus médico-économique. La mise en place d’un suivi prospectif visant à aider au pilotage pourrait donc être bénéfique pour les décideurs.
Consommation des médicaments coûteux à l’Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris : un indicateur des déterminants de l’attractivité hospitalière pour les patients ?
Authors: Siorat Virginie , Degrassat-Théas A. , Paubel P. , Parent De Curzon O. , Sinègre M.
Published: October 2016

Dans le système de tarification à l’activité, les ressources financières des hôpitaux sont directement liées à leur activité, les incitant à développer leur attractivité pour les patients. L’objectif de notre étude est de rechercher les paramètres influençant la part des patients ne résidant pas en Île-de-France (IDF) et pris en charge à l’Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), reflet de l’attractivité. Cette première analyse est limitée au recours aux médicaments inscrits sur la liste des médicaments facturables en sus en 2012. Un modèle Tobit est développé, dans lequel la variable dépendante est, pour chaque médicament, le ratio du nombre de patients ne résidant pas en IDF, sur le nombre total de patients recevant ce médicament. Les variables explicatives regroupent des caractéristiques liées aux médicaments et aux patients. En 2012, 526 091 doses – pour 113 médicaments de la liste en sus – sont administrées à 30 499 patients de l’AP-HP. 13 % des patients sont non franciliens. Selon le modèle Tobit, trois variables ont un impact positif sur le ratio (statut innovant, pourcentage de femmes et degré de sévérité du groupe homogène de malades) et trois un impact négatif (désignation orpheline, pourcentage de plus de 65 ans, origine biologique du médicament). Les classes thérapeutiques et le diagnostic principal ont également une incidence significative selon la classe statistique. Cette étude constitue une première étape de modélisation des déterminants significatifs de l’attractivité hospitalière pour les patients, permettant de mieux comprendre l’évolution des dépenses liées aux médicaments onéreux.
A Mindfulness Intervention for Residents: Relevance for Pediatricians
Authors: Taylor Mallory , Hageman Joseph R. , Brown Melanie
Published: October 2016

Physician burnout is a topic of growing importance in today's health care system. Tangible interventions aimed at reducing burnout and promoting wellness are now necessary components of medical training and practice. A study examined the feasibility and impact of a brief mindfulness intervention using a free smartphone application with a resident population. Participants used a free smartphone application to complete a 10-day program in mindfulness meditation, and completed surveys at the end of the program. Lack of time and knowledge were the top two barriers to regular meditation practice. More research in this area using a larger population is needed to further characterize the effects of mindfulness on medical trainees, as well as its utility for practicing pediatricians.

[
Pediatr Ann
. 2016;45(10):e373–e376.]
Interferon Gamma: Influence on Neural Stem Cell Function in Neurodegenerative and Neuroinflammatory Disease
Authors: Kulkarni Apurva , Ganesan Priya , O'Donnell Lauren A.
Published: October 2016

Interferon-gamma (IFNγ), a pleiotropic cytokine, is expressed in diverse neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory conditions. Its protective mechanisms are well documented during viral infections in the brain, where IFNγ mediates non-cytolytic viral control in infected neurons. However, IFNγ also plays both protective and pathological roles in other central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Of the many neural cells that respond to IFNγ, neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs), the only pluripotent cells in the developing and adult brain, are often altered during CNS insults. Recent studies highlight the complex effects of IFNγ on NSPC activity in neurodegenerative diseases. However, the mechanisms that mediate these effects, and the eventual outcomes for the host, are still being explored. Here, we review the effects of IFNγ on NSPC activity during different pathological insults. An improved understanding of the role of IFNγ would provide insight into the impact of immune responses on the progression and resolution of neurodegenerative diseases.
Realism vs utopianism
Authors: De Bom Erik
Published: October 2016

1516 saw the publication of three important works. First of all, it is the year of Thomas More’s Utopia. But it is also the year in which Erasmus published his major political work The Education of the Christian Prince. The third work even appeared with the same publisher as More’s Utopia, viz. Nicolaas Everaerts’s Topica or legal commonplaces. All three works are remarkable in their own way. Erasmus represents a tradition that goes back to Petrarch and that saw the well-being of society as totally dependent on the virtuousness of its prince. For Thomas More this was far too risky and therefore he sketched a radical alternative that was based on a reorganisation of society as a whole. However appealing his imaginary island was, it is remarkable that within the domain of political theory it did not attract too much attention. Most authors focused on another work, that was conceived in the very same period, viz. Machiavelli’s Prince. The present article will shed light on these developments by focusing on the work of two further early-modern intellectuals active in the Netherlands. Both Justus Lipsius and Leonardus Lessius, whose work bears a strong resemblance to that of Everaerts, looked for the ideal society. And this was not a society after the model of More, but a society modelled after a well-defined form of Machiavellism.
Bodies, morals, and religion
Authors: van Ruler Han
Published: October 2016

Although Thomas More’s description of the Utopians’ ‘Epicurean’ position in philosophy nominally coincides with Erasmus’s defence of the Philosophia Christi, More shows no concern for the arguments Erasmus gave in support of this view. Taking its starting point from Erasmus’s depreciations of the body and More’s intellectual as well as physical preoccupations with the bodily sphere, this article presents the theme of the human body and its moral and religious significance as a test case for comparing Erasmus and More. The treatises both men wrote on Christ’s suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane confirm that both authors dealt with the notion of the body in contrasting ways: Erasmus shows a tendency to address the moral-psychological question of mentally conquering the worldly self, whilst More highlights the way in which ordinary facts and physical things may carry spiritual and religious meaning. Paradoxically, Erasmus consistently applied his spiritualized ideal of man to this-worldly moral and social concerns, whereas More focused on the physical domain out of a religious interest in transcendent truths. In line with Giulia Sissa’s thesis, our hypothesis is that More ostensibly appropriated an Erasmian type of idealism in Utopia, but, contrary to Erasmus himself, focused on the exterior form of a virtuous society, rather than on its moral and spiritual preconditions. While Erasmus advocated a mental transformation towards reason, More’s Utopia envisioned what might come of this.
A praise of pain
Authors: Sissa Giulia
Published: October 2016

In his incarnation as ‘Morus’ in Utopia, Thomas More asserts his profound disagreement with his fictional character, Raphael Hythlodaeus. Whereas Hythlodaeus extols the merits of commonality and the moral value of pleasure, Morus dismisses the whole project as absurdity, or hopeless wishful thinking. This divergence has been variously interpreted, but mostly played down. This paper argues that the civilized, amicable, and yet genuine discord between Raphael Hythlodaeus and Morus is the key to Utopia. We can appreciate its importance only if we understand who Hythlodaeus is, and what the purpose of the dialogue is. We also have to do justice to Thomas More’s politics, which were grounded on the authority of the Christian tradition, in the Old and the New Testament. Over the years, Thomas More maintained a very clear and consistent line of thought on the legitimacy of worldly wealth, the responsibilities inherent in its management, the imperative to curb their enjoyment, the temptation of ‘business’ and greed, the duty of charity, and the value of penance, remorse, prayer, and other kinds of self-inflicted suffering. In A Dialogue of Comfort against Tribulation, Anthony, the wiser character, conveys Thomas More’s relentless praise of pain. Anthony has the last word. So, too, does Morus.
Soil carbon response to land-use change: evaluation of a global vegetation model using observational meta-analyses
Authors: Nyawira Sylvia S. , Nabel Julia E. M. S. , Don Axel , Brovkin Victor , Pongratz Julia
Published: October 2016

Abstract. Global model estimates of soil carbon changes from past land-use changes remain uncertain. We develop an approach for evaluating dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) against existing observational meta-analyses of soil carbon changes following land-use change. Using the DGVM JSBACH, we perform idealized simulations where the entire globe is covered by one vegetation type, which then undergoes a land-use change to another vegetation type. We select the grid cells that represent the climatic conditions of the meta-analyses and compare the mean simulated soil carbon changes to the meta-analyses. Our simulated results show model agreement with the observational data on the direction of changes in soil carbon for some land-use changes, although the model simulated a generally smaller magnitude of changes. The conversion of crop to forest resulted in soil carbon gain of 10 % compared to a gain of 42 % in the data, whereas the forest-to-crop change resulted in a simulated loss of −15 % compared to −40 %. The model and the observational data disagreed for the conversion of crop to grasslands. The model estimated a small soil carbon loss (−4 %), while observational data indicate a 38 % gain in soil carbon for the same land-use change. These model deviations from the observations are substantially reduced by explicitly accounting for crop harvesting and ignoring burning in grasslands in the model. We conclude that our idealized simulation approach provides an appropriate framework for evaluating DGVMs against meta-analyses and that this evaluation helps to identify the causes of deviation of simulated soil carbon changes from the meta-analyses.
Effect of hydrated apple powder on dough rheology and cookies quality
Authors: Lauková Michaela , Kohajdová Zlatica , Karovičová Jolana
Published: October 2016

Dietary fiber is a group of food components, which are resistant to human enzymatic digestion. The incorporation of dietary fiber obtained from various sources of fruit and vegetable by-products into the cereal based products such as bread, rolls, cookies, muffins, crackers, cakes and pasta is of growing interest for the food industry. The replacement of wheat flour by dietary fiber from various sources can change physicochemical, textural and organoleptic characteristic of bakery products. Apple pomace is the main by-product produced in the apple fruit processing industry. It is a rich source of carbohydrate, pectin, crude fiber, and minerals. The dietary fiber content in apple pomace ranges between 33 - 35%. The influence of hydrated commercial dietary fiber on wheat dough rheology (5, 10 and 15% flour replacement) and physical and sensory properties of cookies was examined. It was found that addition of HAP significantly increased the rheological properties of dough such as water absorption (from 58.0% to 75.3%), dough stability (from 6.7 min to 11.6 min) and prolonged dough development time (from 3.5 min to 11.0 min) and reduced the mixing tolerance index (from 34.7 BU to 11.9 BU). It was also concluded that hydrated apple powder addition reduced physical properties of cookies such as volume (from 10.4 cm3 to 8.0 cm3), diameter (from 4.7 cm to 4.2 cm), volume index (from 1.35 cm to 1.10 cm) and porosity (from 0.32 to 0.24). Sensory properties (taste, odour, stickiness, firmness and density) of cookies were also analysed. Cookies with addition of hydrated apple powder had fruity taste and odour and showed high overall acceptance. From this study resulted that hydrated apple powder can be used as potentially source of dietary fiber in cookie formulation. Moreover, addition of apple pomace inhibits the use of any other flavouring ingredients because has a pleasant fruity flavour.
Microbiological and chemical quality of fresh and frozen whole trout and trout fillets
Authors: Popelka Peter , Jevinová Pavlí­na , Marcinčák Slavomí­r
Published: October 2016

The rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is considered as an important fish in the freshwater aquaculture and play a significant role in the human diet. The final quality of fish depends on the chemical and microbiological quality of fish at the time of freezing as well as on other factors including storage temperature and processing. The purpose of the study was to determine the microbiological status of 30 samples cooled and frozen trouts collected from approved farm in the Turiec region, territory of middle Slovakia. Total viable counts (TVCs), psychrotrophic bacteria, Pseudomonas spp. and also total volatile base-nitrogen (TVB-N) and pH were measured in samples of fresh (1. and 7. day of storage at 0 - 2 °C) and frozen whole trout and trout fillets. Frozen samples were stored at -18 °C during 1, 3, and 6 months. Samples were collected from the skin, muscles (sterile) and muscles after filleting. The microbiological quality of samples varied between fresh and frozen (6th month of storage) regarding TVCs and also between samples taken from the skin and muscles after filleting compared to muscle samples collected sterile regarding all tested bacteria. A large number of bacteria (pathogens and spoilage bacteria) enter with the raw material and in particular the skin contamination had a negative impact on the increase of microbial load in fillets. All processing techniques and procedures including filleting therefore must be designed and aimed to minimise contamination and growth of microorganisms in fish. However, based on the results of TVB-N analysis, differences between fresh and frozen samples were found, but all the samples were suitable for human consumption.
Biochemical composition of tangerine fruits under microfertilizers
Authors: Belous Oksana , Abilfazova Yuliya
Published: October 2016

The paper presents the long-term research and its results in the field of biochemical composition and mechanical analysis of dwarf tangerine fruits ('Miagava-Vase') growing in the subtropical zone of the Black Sea coast, Krasnodar region. The given results have been obtained after treatments with the following micro fertilizers: H3BO3 (at a concentration of 0.06%), MnSO4 H2O (0.4%), ZnSO4 H2O (0.3%) and CuSO4 H2O (0.06%), an option with foliar water spraying served as a control. It is shown that treatments with copper, zinc and boron significantly (at 2.37 - 3.66 mg.100g-1) increase the amount of vitamin C in fruits compared to the control option. The total amount of sugars in fruits was slightly increased under foliar application of manganese salts. The results show an effect of manganese and zinc to the ratio of total sugars and titratable acids and consequently, on the sugar-acid index value. We found that the content of ascorbic acid in tangerine depends on harvesting term, fruit location on the crown, light level, etc. Equally important is the fact that if storage makes up 3 months the loss of ascorbic acid is not more than 12%. Micro fertilizers had a positive effect on market quality: heavier fruits with thin peel were recorded on options with boric acid and manganese treatments. Treatments with boron and copper sulphate increased juice output from the pulp (74 and 76%, respectively, which is 3 - 7% higher than the control option). A higher dry substance accumulation was observed in the option with foliar application of zinc (13.93%). The despite differences in climatic characteristics of research years and annual adverse periods, foliar feeding with micro fertilizers had a positive effect not only on the accumulation of assimilates in the fruit, but also on the preservation of their presentation. The studies have shown that foliar treatments with micronutrients are promising for tangerine crop, which allowed us to develop guidelines for their use as an agro technical method on dwarf tangerine plantations.
Emergência de Relações Numéricas em Pré-Escolares
Authors: Miccione Mariana Morais , Assis Grauben José Alves de , Carmo João Dos Santos
Published: October 2016

O paradigma das relações ordinais subsidia interpretação e análise de repertórios comportamentaisenvolvidos na aquisição de comportamentos ordinais acadêmicos. Três crianças com idades entre 4 a5 anos participaram de dois estudos utilizando-se o procedimento de ensino informatizado porsobreposição de pares de estímulos. Na etapa 1 investigou-se a formação de relações ordinais após oensino de duas sequências, numerais de 1 a 6 e suas quantidades. Todos formaram relações transitivase classes ordinais. A etapa 2 verificou a emergência dessas relações ordinais sob controle condicional,na modalidade auditiva-visual. Todos formaram relações transitivase não houve formação de classesordinais. Os resultados foram discutidos em termos de maior compreensão das variáveis do responderordinal sob a modalidade auditiva-visual em pré-escolares.
Efeitos da Imprevisibilidade Familiar e das Diferenças em Função do Sexo Sobre a Propensão ao Risco, Exposição à Violência e o Desconto do Futuro de Jovens Universitários: Uma Abordagem Evolucionista
Authors: Andrade-Silva Alice , Tokumaru Rosana Suemi , Howat-Rodrigues Anna Beatriz Carnielli
Published: October 2016

Partindo da abordagem evolucionista objetivou-se identificar efeitos da imprevisibilidade familiar na infância e das diferenças em função do sexo sobre propensão ao risco, expectativa de futuro e percepção de exposição à violência. Participaram 233 jovens (117 homens, M=18,96 anos). O grupo com maior imprevisibilidade na infância apresentou maior risco de competição e expectativa de vida. Homens apresentaram maiores taxas de propensão ao risco e exposição direta à violência; mulheres maiores taxas de exposição indireta à violência. Concluiu-se que imprevisibilidade familiar e diferenças em função do sexo não apresentaram efeitos lineares sobre as variáveis estudadas, como previsto a partir da abordagem evolucionista. Aponta-se a necessidade de integrar teorias biológicas, psicológicas e sociais e de desenvolver instrumentos adaptados para a população brasileira.
EFICIÊNCIA DE FERTILIZANTE FOSFATADO PROTEGIDO NA CULTURA DO MILHO
Authors: Almeida Tiago de , Pocojeski Elisandra , Nesi Cristiano Nunes , Silva Leandro Souza da , Oliveira Jaqueline Pereira Machado de
Published: October 2016

O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar a eficiência do fertilizante fosfatado protegido Top-Phos® em relação ao superfosfato simples (SFS) na cultura do milho. O experimento foi desenvolvido em Galvão/SC, com a cultura do milho, na safra 2012/2013, em duas áreas distintas: Experimento 1 – com alto teor de P disponível, a qual recebeu os seguintes tratamentos: SFS, fertilizante fosfatado protegido e a testemunha; e, Experimento 2 – com médio teor de fósforo disponível, cuja área foi subdividida em duas faixas, uma recebeu aplicação de corretivo para elevar o pH e a outra faixa manteve-se o pH original. Posteriormente, cada uma das faixas recebeu os mesmos tratamentos utilizados para o experimento 1. Os experimentos foram realizados em delineamento de blocos ao acaso, com quatro repetições. Em solos corrigidos, o fertilizante fosfatado protegido se mostrou mais eficiente comparado ao SFS para a adubação fosfatada na cultura do milho, independentemente do nível inicial de P disponível no solo.
Assessing guideline impact on referral patterns of postprostatectomy patients to radiation oncologists
Authors: Taggar Amandeep , Alghamdi Majed , Tilly Derek , Kostaras Xanthoula , Kerba Marc , Husain Siraj , Gotto Geoff , Sia Michael
Published: October 2016

Introduction: Adjuvant radiotherapy (aRT) can improve biochemical progression-free survival in patients with high-risk features (HRF) after radical prostatectomy (RP). Guidelines from Alberta andthe Genitourinary Radiation Oncologists of Canada (GUROC) recommend that patients with HRF be referred to radiation oncologists (RO) based on the findings from three randomized, controlled trials(RCT). Our study examines the impact of these recommendations both pre- (2005) and post- (2012) publication of RCT and GUROC guideline establishment.Methods: Patients undergoing RP during 2005 and 2012 were identified from the provincial cancer registry. Charts were retrospectively reviewed and variables of interest were linked to the registry data. RO referral patterns for each year were determined and variables influencing referral (extracapsular extension, positive margin, seminal vesicle invasion, and post-RP prostate-specific antigen [PSA]) were compared.Results: Median time to referral was 26.4 months in 2005 compared to 3.7 months 2012 (p<0.001). Among patients referred post-RP, a higher proportion was referred within six months in 2012 (21%)as compared to 2005 (13%) (p=0.003). Among eligible patients in 2012, 30% were referred for discussion of aRT compared to 24% in 2005 (p=0.003). There was a marked drop in patients referredfor salvage radiation therapy beyond six months and a rise in the number of patients who are never referred.Conclusions: Despite an increase in referral rates to RO post-RP from 2005–2012, more than 50% of those patients with HRF did not receive a referral. Initiatives aimed at improving multidisciplinary care and guideline adherence should be undertaken.