bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heavy Metals and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Urban Leaf Litter Designated for Combustion
Authors: Nitsche Meike , Nurmatov Nodirjon , Hensgen Frank , Wachendorf Michael
Published: March 2017

Vast amounts of leaf litter have to be disposed of by city administrations. This biomass has the potential for energy conversion, but contamination with pollutants can adversely affect this usage. We investigated leaf litter samples from the city of Kassel by analyzing their heavy metal and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations. Leaf samples were indeed contaminated with heavy metals and PAHs and contamination was influenced by provenience and collection technique. A simple cleaning system of washing and subsequent mechanical dewatering significantly reduced heavy metal concentration. Regression models were developed for contamination with heavy metals which showed that contamination could be successfully estimated using the total ash content of the sample as a predictor, with an R2 of up to 0.77. It can be concluded that leaf litter from cities is a possible feedstock for energetic conversion, provided a cleaning step is applied.
Therapeutic Horseback Riding Crossover Effects of Attachment Behaviors with Family Pets in a Sample of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Petty Jessie , Pan Zhaoxing , Dechant Briar , Gabriels Robin
Published: March 2017

The unique needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have implications for animal welfare. This nested pilot study examined the effects of a randomized trial of 10-week therapeutic horseback riding (THR) intervention versus a no-horse barn activity (BA) control group on children’s behaviors with family pets. Sixty-seven (THR n = 31; BA n = 36) participants with ASD (ages 6–16 years) with one or more family pet, were enrolled from a larger trial (n = 116) following their randomization to intervention groups, stratified by nonverbal intellectual ability. A consistent caregiver completed questionnaires about participants’ interactions with their household pets pre- and post-intervention. Caregivers of THR group participants reported significant improvements in participants’ caring actions with the family pet compared with the BA group (p = 0.013; effect size = 0.74). Engaging with horses during a standard THR intervention protocol may generalize to improving caring actions toward family pets in children and adolescents with ASD.
Racial Disparities in Obesity Prevalence in Mississippi: Role of Socio-Demographic Characteristics and Physical Activity
Authors: Qobadi Mina , Payton Marinelle
Published: March 2017

Although the etiology of obesity is complex, social disparities are gaining attention for their contribution to obesity. The aim of this study was to estimate prevalence of obesity and to explore the associations between socio-demographic characteristics and obesity by race in Mississippi. Data from the 2014 Mississippi Behavior Risk Factors Surveillance System (BRFSS) were used in this study (n = 3794). Descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests and logistic regressions were conducted using SAS Proc. Survey procedures to account for BRFSS’s multistage complex survey design and sample weights. The overall prevalence of self-reported obesity was 37%. Multiple logistic regression model showed gender was the only variable associated with increased risk of obesity among blacks. Black females were more likely to be obese (Adjusted OR [aOR] = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.4–2.7, ref = male) after controlling for confounders. Among white adults, obesity was significantly associated with physical activity, gender, age and education levels. Those aged 25–44 years (aOR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1–2.6, ref ≥ 64 years), those were physically inactivity (aOR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.4–2.5, ref = physically active) or had high school education (OR = 1.6, 95% CI: 1.2–2.3, ref = college graduate) or some college (aOR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.2–2.3, ref = college graduate) were more likely to be obese; females (aOR = 0.8; 95% CI: 0.6–0.9, ref = male) and those aged 18–24 years (aOR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.21–0.9, ref ≥ 64 years) were less likely to be obese.
Suicide Behaviors in Adult Inpatients with Mental Disorders in Beijing, China
Authors: Gao Qi , Fan Hua , Di Fei , Xia Xue , Long Haiying , Zhu Huiping
Published: March 2017

Background: This study examined the tendency and suicidal behavior rates of Chinese adult inpatients with different types of mental disorders from 2010 to 2015. The aim was to provide some interesting clues for further studies. Methods: Adult patients with mental disorders who were hospitalized in Beijing Anding hospital from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2015 were included. Chi-square tests were used to compare the difference among inpatients with mental disorders by gender and year. Frequency, trend and suicidal behavior rates of inpatients with mental disorders were graphed. Results: A total of 17,244 psychiatric adult inpatients were included in our study. About 53.2% of the inpatients had mood disorders, followed by schizophrenia, which accounted for 34.6%. The proportion of female inpatients with mental disorders was larger than that of males (52.6% to 47.4%). Of the total, 3296 psychiatric inpatients were recognized as having suicidal behaviors. The rate of suicidal behavior among all inpatients was 19.1%, and it varied over the years. The suicidal behavior rate of female inpatients with mood disorders was much higher than that of the corresponding male inpatients. Conclusions: The presence of suicidal behavior varied among people with different types of mental disorders. For each type of mental illness, identifying the risk of specific suicide behavior would help tailor-make preventive efforts accordingly.
A Review of Structure Construction of Silk Fibroin Biomaterials from Single Structures to Multi-Level Structures
Authors: Qi Yu , Wang Hui , Wei Kai , Yang Ya , Zheng Ru-Yue , Kim Ick , Zhang Ke-Qin
Published: March 2017

The biological performance of artificial biomaterials is closely related to their structure characteristics. Cell adhesion, migration, proliferation, and differentiation are all strongly affected by the different scale structures of biomaterials. Silk fibroin (SF), extracted mainly from silkworms, has become a popular biomaterial due to its excellent biocompatibility, exceptional mechanical properties, tunable degradation, ease of processing, and sufficient supply. As a material with excellent processability, SF can be processed into various forms with different structures, including particulate, fiber, film, and three-dimensional (3D) porous scaffolds. This review discusses and summarizes the various constructions of SF-based materials, from single structures to multi-level structures, and their applications. In combination with single structures, new techniques for creating special multi-level structures of SF-based materials, such as micropatterning and 3D-printing, are also briefly addressed.
More Insight into BDNF against Neurodegeneration: Anti-Apoptosis, Anti-Oxidation, and Suppression of Autophagy
Authors: Chen Shang-Der , Wu Chia-Lin , Hwang Wei-Chao , Yang Ding-I
Published: March 2017

In addition to its well-established neurotrophic action, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) also possesses other neuroprotective effects including anti-apoptosis, anti-oxidation, and suppression of autophagy. We have shown before that BDNF triggers multiple mechanisms to confer neuronal resistance against 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP)-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in primary rat cortical cultures. The beneficial effects of BDNF involve the induction of anti-oxidative thioredoxin with the resultant expression of anti-apoptotic B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) as well as erythropoietin (EPO)-dependent stimulation of sonic hedgehog (SHH). We further revealed that BDNF may bring the expression of sulfiredoxin, an ATP-dependent antioxidant enzyme, to offset mitochondrial inhibition in cortical neurons. Recently, we provided insights into another novel anti-oxidative mechanism of BDNF, which involves the augmentation of sestrin2 expression to endow neuronal resistance against oxidative stress induced by 3-NP; BDNF induction of sestrin2 entails the activation of a pathway involving nitric oxide (NO), cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-dependent protein kinase (PKG), and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). Apart from anti-apoptosis and anti-oxidation, we demonstrated in our most recent study that BDNF may activate the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) with resultant activation of transcription factor c-Jun, thereby stimulating the expression of p62/sequestosome-1 to suppress heightened autophagy as a result of 3-NP exposure. Together, our results provide in-depth insight into multi-faceted protective mechanisms of BDNF against mitochondrial dysfunction commonly associated with the pathogenesis of many chronic neurodegenerative disorders. Delineation of the protective signaling pathways elicited by BDNF would endow a rationale to develop novel therapeutic regimens to halt or prevent the progression of neurodegeneration.
Streptococcus Sanguis Biofilm Architecture and Its Influence on Titanium Corrosion in Enriched Artificial Saliva
Authors: Li Lei , Li Shunling , Qu Qing , Zuo Limei , He Yue , Zhu Baolin , Li Cong
Published: March 2017

Bacteria biofilm formation on metals is well-known, while biofilm architecture varies under different conditions. To date, few studies have determined the possible contribution to corrosion of titanium made by biofilm architecture. We investigated the interaction between the oral Streptococcus sanguis biofilm architecture and its influence on titanium corrosion in enriched artificial saliva using electrochemical methods and microscopic study. Patchy biofilms were observed on titanium surface after being immersed in solution containing S. sanguis. The thickness and size of the patchy biofilms increased with an increase of immersion time. The extensive pits were clearly observed by scanning electron microscopy, showing that adsorption of S. sanguis on titanium promoted the localized corrosion. The electrochemical results indicated that the corrosion rates were clearly accelerated in the presence of S. sanguis. The low icorr and high Rt in the first 48 h indicated that a typical passive behavior still remained. Our study showed that the pitting corrosion of titanium was mainly attributed to the formation of a self-catalytic corrosion cell by the co-effect of patchy biofilm and organic acid secreted by S. sanguis.
Influence of Ultrasound Treatment on Cavitation Erosion Resistance of AlSi7 Alloy
Authors: Pola Annalisa , Montesano Lorenzo , Tocci Marialaura , La Vecchia Giovina
Published: March 2017

Ultrasound treatment of liquid aluminum alloys is known to improve mechanical properties of castings. Aluminum foundry alloys are frequently used for production of parts that undergo severe cavitation erosion phenomena during service. In this paper, the effect of the ultrasound treatment on cavitation erosion resistance of AlSi7 alloy was assessed and compared to that of conventionally cast samples. Cavitation erosion tests were performed according to ASTM G32 standard on as-cast and heat treated castings. The response of the alloy in each condition was investigated by measuring the mass loss as a function of cavitation time and by analyzing the damaged surfaces by means of optical and scanning electron microscope. It was pointed out that the ultrasound treatment increases the cavitation erosion resistance of the alloy, as a consequence of the higher chemical and microstructural homogeneity, the finer grains and primary particles and the refined structure of the eutectic induced by the treatment itself.
A Study of Polycrystalline Silicon Damage Features Based on Nanosecond Pulse Laser Irradiation with Different Wavelength Effects
Authors: Xu Jiangmin , Chen Chao , Zhang Tengfei , Han Zhenchun
Published: March 2017

Based on PVDF (piezoelectric sensing techniques), this paper attempts to study the propagation law of shock waves in brittle materials during the process of three-wavelength laser irradiation of polysilicon, and discusses the formation mechanism of thermal shock failure. The experimental results show that the vapor pressure effect and the plasma pressure effect in the process of pulsed laser irradiation lead to the splashing of high temperature and high density melt. With the decrease of the laser wavelength, the laser breakdown threshold decreases and the shock wave is weakened. Because of the pressure effect of the laser shock, the brittle fracture zone is at the edge of the irradiated area. The surface tension gradient and surface shear wave caused by the surface wave are the result of coherent coupling between optical and thermodynamics. The average propagation velocity of laser shock wave in polysilicon is 8.47 × 103 m/s, and the experiment has reached the conclusion that the laser shock wave pressure peak exponentially distributes attenuation in the polysilicon.
Partially Hydrolyzed Guar Gum Increases Ferroportin Expression in the Colon of Anemic Growing Rats
Authors: Carvalho Luciana , Brait Débora , Vaz Márcia , Lollo Pablo , Morato Priscila , Oesterreich Silvia , Raposo Jorge , Freitas Karine
Published: March 2017

Studies have reported a positive effect of prebiotics on the bioavailability of iron. This study evaluated the effect of partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG) on iron absorption mechanisms in anemic rats. Male Wistar rats were fed 75g American Institute of Nutrition Rodent Diets for growth, pregnancy and lactation (AIN93‐G) without iron for three weeks in order to induce iron deficiency anemia. Then they were fed a control diet (n = 12; without fiber) or a diet with 7.5% of PHGG (n = 12), both without iron. Food intake, body growth and the feed efficiency coefficient (FEC) were measured. The animals were euthanized after two weeks of treatment. The weight of the organs, the pH of the cecal content, and the hepatic iron and ferroportin expression in the cecum, duodenum, and liver were assessed. The intake of PHGG reduced food intake without affecting body growth, and there was a difference between the groups regarding the FEC (p = 0.026), with the highest value found in the PHGG group. The weight of the cecal content increased (p ≤ 0.001) and the pH of the cecal content was significantly lower in the PHGG group. The intake of PHGG significantly increased ferroportin expression in the cecum; however, the difference was not significant in the duodenum and the liver. PHGG seems to have a positive influence on iron absorption through transporter expression, and structural and physiological changes in the colon of anemic growing animals.
Association of Serum Manganese Levels with Alzheimer’s Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Du Ke , Liu Mingyan , Pan Yanzhu , Zhong Xin , Wei Minjie
Published: March 2017

Manganese (Mn) is one of the most studied environmental heavy metals linked to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, it remains unclear whether serum Mn levels are associated with AD and mild cognition impairment (MCI, a prodromal stage of AD). We conducted a metaanalysis to analyze the serum Mn levels in patients with AD and MCI. A systematic database search of PubMed, Web of Science, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) identified 17 studies, including 836 cases and 1254 health controls (HC). Random‐effects meta‐analysis showed that patients with AD had significantly reduced serum Mn levels compared with HC subjects (SMD = −0.39; 95% CI (−0.71, −0.08); p = 0.015). MCI individuals had a tendency toward reduced serum Mn levels compared with HC subjects (SMD = −0.31; 95% CI (−0.70, 0.08); p = 0.117). A significant decrease in serum Mn levels was found in patients with cognitive impairment (including both AD patients and MCI patients) (SMD = −0.37, 95% CI (−0.60; −0.13); p = 0.002). Finally, no significant differences were observed between AD and MCI patients in serum levels (SMD = 0.24; 95% CI (−0.23, 0.72); p = 0.310). Our findings show that the serum Mn levels are lower in AD patients, and Mn deficiency may be a risk factor for AD.
Synthesis of Dimethyl-Substituted Polyviologen and Control of Charge Transport in Electrodes for High-Resolution Electrochromic Displays
Authors: Sato Kan , Mizukami Ryusuke , Mizuma Takahiro , Nishide Hiroyuki , Oyaizu Kenichi
Published: March 2017

Electrochromic (EC) polymers such as polyviologens have been attracting considerable attention as wet-processable electrodes for EC displays, thanks to their brilliant color change accompanied with reversible redox reactions. To establish wider usage, achieving multicolor and high-resolution characteristics is indispensable. In this paper, we demonstrated that the introduction of substituents such as methyl groups into bipyridine units changed the stereostructure of the cation radicals, and thus shifted the color (e.g., ordinary purple to blue). Also, by relaxing excessive π-stacking between the viologen moieties, the response rate was improved by a factor of more than 10. The controlled charge transport throughout the polyviologen layer gave rise to the fabrication of EC displays which are potentially suitable for the thin film transistor (TFT) substrate as the counter electrodes with submillimeter pixels. The findings can be versatilely used for the new design of polyviologens with enhanced electrochemical properties and high-resolution, multicolor EC displays.
Demixing by a Nematic Mean Field: Coarse-Grained Simulations of Liquid Crystalline Polymers
Authors: Ramírez-Hernández Abelardo , Hur Su-Mi , Armas-Pérez Julio , Cruz Monica , De Pablo Juan
Published: March 2017

Liquid crystalline polymers exhibit a particular richness of behaviors that stems from their rigidity and their macromolecular nature. On the one hand, the orientational interaction between liquid-crystalline motifs promotes their alignment, thereby leading to the emergence of nematic phases. On the other hand, the large number of conﬁgurations associated with polymer chains favors formation of isotropic phases, with chain stiffness becoming the factor that tips the balance. In this work, a soft coarse-grained model is introduced to explore the interplay of chain stiffness, molecular weight and orientational coupling, and their role on the isotropic-nematic transition in homopolymer melts. We also study the structure of polymer mixtures composed of stiff and ﬂexible polymeric molecules. We consider the effects of blend composition, persistence length, molecular weight and orientational coupling strength on the melt structure at the nano- and mesoscopic levels. Conditions are found where the systems separate into two phases, one isotropic and the other nematic. We conﬁrm the existence of non-equilibrium states that exhibit sought-after percolating nematic domains, which are of interest for applications in organic photovoltaic and electronic devices.
Change Point Detection and Estimation of the Two-Sided Jumps of Asset Returns Using a Modified Kalman Filter
Authors: Theodosiadou Ourania , Skaperas Sotiris , Tsaklidis George
Published: March 2017

In the first part of the paper, the positive and negative jumps of NASDAQ daily (log-) returns and three of its stocks are estimated based on the methodology presented by Theodosiadou et al. 2016, where jumps are assumed to be hidden random variables. For that reason, the use of stochastic state space models in discrete time is adopted. The daily return is expressed as the difference between the two-sided jumps under noise inclusion, and the recursive Kalman filter algorithm is used in order to estimate them. Since the estimated jumps have to be non-negative, the associated pdf truncation method, according to the non-negativity constraints, is applied. In order to overcome the resulting underestimation of the empirical time series, a scaling procedure follows the stage of truncation. In the second part of the paper, a nonparametric change point analysis concerning the (variance–) covariance is applied to the NASDAQ return time series, as well as to the estimated bivariate jump time series derived after the scaling procedure and to each jump component separately. A similar change point analysis is applied to the three other stocks of the NASDAQ index.
Supportive Noninvasive Tool for the Diagnosis of Breast Cancer Using a Thermographic Camera as Sensor
Authors: Garduño-Ramón Marco , Vega-Mancilla Sofia , Morales-Henández Luis , Osornio-Rios Roque
Published: March 2017

Breast cancer is the leading disease in incidence and mortality among women in developing countries. The opportune diagnosis of this disease strengthens the survival index. Mammography application is limited by age and periodicity. Temperature is a physical magnitude that can be measured by using multiple sensing techniques. IR (infrared) thermography using commercial cameras is gaining relevance in industrial and medical applications because it is a non-invasive and non-intrusive technology. Asymmetrical temperature in certain human body zones is associated with cancer. In this paper, an IR thermographic sensor is applied for breast cancer detection. This work includes an automatic breast segmentation methodology, to spot the hottest regions in thermograms using the morphological watershed operator to help the experts locate the tumor. A protocol for thermogram acquisition considering the required time to achieve a thermal stabilization is also proposed. Breast thermograms are evaluated as thermal matrices, instead of gray scale or false color images, increasing the certainty of the provided diagnosis. The proposed tool was validated using the Database for Mastology Research and tested in a voluntary group of 454 women of different ages and cancer stages with good results, leading to the possibility of being used as a supportive tool to detect breast cancer and angiogenesis cases.
A Scheme to Smooth Aggregated Traffic from Sensors with Periodic Reports
Authors: Oh Sungmin , Jang Ju
Published: March 2017

The possibility of smoothing aggregated traffic from sensors with varying reporting periods and frame sizes to be carried on an access link is investigated. A straightforward optimization would take O(pn) time, whereas our heuristic scheme takes O(np) time where n, p denote the number of sensors and size of periods, respectively. Our heuristic scheme performs local optimization sensor by sensor, starting with the smallest to largest periods. This is based on an observation that sensors with large offsets have more choices in offsets to avoid traffic peaks than the sensors with smaller periods. A MATLAB simulation shows that our scheme excels the known scheme by M. Grenier et al. in a similar situation (aggregating periodic traffic in a controller area network) for almost all possible permutations. The performance of our scheme is very close to the straightforward optimization, which compares all possible permutations. We expect that our scheme would greatly contribute in smoothing the traffic from an ever-increasing number of IoT sensors to the gateway, reducing the burden on the access link to the Internet.
Study on the Deformation Measurement of the Cast-In-Place Large-Diameter Pile Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors
Authors: Gao Lei , Yang Kai , Chen Xiaorui , Yu Xiangjuan
Published: March 2017

Compared with conventional piles such as the circle pile, the cast-in-place large-diameter pile (PCC pile) has many advantages: the lateral area of PCC pile is larger and the bearing capacity of PCC pile is higher. It is more cost-effective than other piles such as square pile under the same condition. The deformation of the PCC pile is very important for its application. In order to obtain the deformation of the PCC pile, a new type of quasi-distributed optical fiber sensing technology named a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is used to monitor the deformation of the PCC pile. The PCC model pile is made, the packaging process of the PCC model pile and the layout of fiber sensors are designed, and the strains of the PCC model pile based on FBG sensors are monitored. The strain of the PCC pile is analyzed by the static load test. The results show that FBG technology is successfully applied for monitoring the deformation of the PCC pile, the monitoring data is more useful for the PCC pile. It will provide a reference for the engineering applications.
The Baryon Phase-Transition Model and the too strange Standard Model of Cosmology
Authors: Mayer Frederick
Published: March 2017

The Standard Model of Cosmology (SMC) has evolved in the decades since the 1965 Penzias and Wilson observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). Over this 50-year period, the SMC has become increasingly strange due to a number of questionable assumptions. This paper examines some of these assumptions and compares them to our Baryon Phase-Transition cosmological model.
Influence Mechanisms of Rainfall and Terrain Characteristics on Total Nitrogen Losses from Regosol
Authors: Ding Xiaowen , Xue Ying , Lin Ming , Jiang Guihong
Published: March 2017

The upper reach of the Yangtze River is an ecologically sensitive region where water loss, soil erosion, and nonpoint source (NPS) pollution are serious issues. In this drainage area, regosol is the most widely distributed soil type. Cultivation on regosol is extensive and total nitrogen (TN) has become a common NPS pollutant. Artificial rainfall experiments were conducted to reveal the influence mechanisms of rainfall and terrain on TN losses from regosol. The results showed that there were positive correlations between precipitations and TN loads but negative ones between precipitations and TN concentrations. Furthermore, negative correlations were more obvious on fields with slopes of 5° and 25° than on other slopes. With increasing rainfall intensity, TN loads rose simultaneously. However, TN concentration in runoff-yielding time presented a decline over time. As far as terrain was concerned, TN loads grew generally but not limitlessly when slopes increased. Similarly, TN concentrations also rose with rising slopes; upward trends were more obvious for steeper slopes. Furthermore, the initial runoff-yielding time became longer for steeper slopes and the differences under various rainfall intensity conditions diminished gradually.
Polymorphic Variations Associated With Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity in Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: Todorova Valentina K. , Makhoul Issam , Dhakal Ishwori , Wei Jeanne , Stone Annjanette , Carter Weleetka , Owen Aaron , Klimberg V. Suzanne
Published: March 2017

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a commonly used antineoplastic agent for the treatment of various malignancies, and its use is associated with unpredictable cardiotoxicity. Susceptibility to DOX cardiotoxicity is largely patient dependent, suggesting genetic predisposition. We have previously
found that individual sensitivity to DOX cardiotoxicity was associated with differential expression of genes implicated in inflammatory response and immune trafficking, which was consistent with the increasing number of reports highlighting the important role of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)
complex polymorphism in hypersensitivity to drug toxicity. This pilot study aimed to investigate DNA from patients treated with DOX-based chemotherapy for breast cancer and to correlate the results with the risk for DOX-associated cardiotoxicity. We have identified 18 SNPs in nine genes in
the HLA region (NFKBIL1, TNF-α, ATP6V1G2-DDX39B, MSH5, MICA, LTA, BAT1, and NOTCH4) and in the psoriasis susceptibility region of HLA-C as potential candidates for association with DOX cardiotoxicity. These results, albeit preliminary and involving a small number of patients, are consistent
with reports showing the presence of susceptibility loci within the HLA gene region for several inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, and with our previous findings indicating that the increased sensitivity to DOX cardiotoxicity was associated with dysregulation of genes implicated both in
inflammation and autoimmune disorders.
Accurate Empirical Radii and Masses of Planets and Their Host Stars with Gaia Parallaxes
Authors: Stassun Keivan G. , Collins Karen A. , Gaudi B. Scott
Published: March 2017

We present empirical measurements of the radii of 116 stars that host transiting planets. These radii are determined using only direct observables—the bolometric flux at Earth, the effective temperature, and the parallax provided by the Gaia first data release—and thus are virtually model independent, with extinction being the only free parameter. We also determine each star’s mass using our newly determined radius and the stellar density, a virtually model independent quantity itself from previously published transit analyses. These stellar radii and masses are in turn used to redetermine the transiting-planet radii and masses, again using only direct observables. The median uncertainties on the stellar radii and masses are 8% and 30%, respectively, and the resulting uncertainties on the planet radii and masses are 9% and 22%, respectively. These accuracies are generally larger than previously published model-dependent precisions of 5% and 6% on the planet radii and masses, respectively, but the newly determined values are purely empirical. We additionally report radii for 242 stars hosting radial-velocity (non-transiting) planets, with a median achieved accuracy of ≈2%. Using our empirical stellar masses we verify that the majority of putative “retired A stars” in the sample are indeed more massive than ∼1.2 

. Most importantly, the bolometric fluxes and angular radii reported here for a total of 498 planet host stars—with median accuracies of 1.7% and 1.8%, respectively—serve as a fundamental data set to permit the re-determination of transiting-planet radii and masses with the Gaia second data release to ≈3% and ≈5% accuracy, better than currently published precisions, and determined in an entirely empirical fashion.
Gamma-Ray Emission of the Kes 73/1E 1841-045 Region Observed with the Fermi Large Area Telescope
Authors: Yeung Paul K. H. , Kong Albert K. H. , Tam P. H. Thomas , Hui C. Y. , Takata Jumpei , Cheng K. S.
Published: March 2017

The supernova remnant (SNR) Kes 73 and/or the magnetar 1E 1841-045 at its center can deposit a large amount of energy to the surroundings and is potentially responsible for particle acceleration. Using the data taken with the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT), we confirmed the presence of an extended source whose centroid position is highly consistent with this magnetar/SNR pair. Its emission is intense from 100 MeV to >100 GeV. Its LAT spectrum can be decoupled into two components, which are respectively governed by two different mechanisms. According to the young age of this system, the magnetar is seemingly a necessary and sufficient source for the downward-curved spectrum below 10 GeV, as the observed <10 GeV flux is too high for the SNR to account for. On the other hand, the SNR is reasonably responsible for the hard spectrum above 10 GeV. Further studies of this region in the TeV regime is required so that we can perform physically meaningful comparisons of the >10 GeV spectrum and the TeV spectrum.
A Circumbinary Disk Scenario for the Negative Orbital-period Derivative of the Ultra-compact X-Ray Binary 4U 1820-303
Authors: Jiang Long , Chen Wen-Cong , Li Xiang-Dong
Published: March 2017

It is generally thought that an ultra-compact X-ray Binary is composed of a neutron star and a helium white dwarf donor star. As one of the most compact binaries, 4U 1820-303 in globular cluster NGC 6624 was predicted to have an orbital period of

yr−1 if the mass transfer is fully driven by gravitational radiation. However, recent analysis of 16 year data from Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer and other historical records has yielded a negative orbital-period derivative in the past 35 years. In this work, we propose an evolutionary circumbinary (CB) disk model to account for this anomalous orbital-period derivative. 4U 1820-30 is known to undergo superburst events caused by runaway thermal nuclear burning on the neutron star. We assume that, for a small fraction of the superbursts, part of the ejected material may form a CB disk around the binary. If the recurrence time of such superbursts is ∼10,000 year and ∼10% of the ejected mass feeds a CB disk, the abrupt angular-momentum loss causes a temporary orbital shrink, and the donor’s radius and its Roche lobe radius do not keep in step. Driven by mass transfer and angular-momentum loss, the binary would adjust its orbital parameters to recover a new stable stage. Based on theoretical analysis and numerical simulation, we find that the required feed mass at the CB disk is approximately ∼10−8
M
⊙.
The Pale Green Dot: A Method to Characterize Proxima Centauri b Using Exo-Aurorae
Authors: Luger Rodrigo , Lustig-Yaeger Jacob , Fleming David P. , Tilley Matt A. , Agol Eric , Meadows Victoria S. , Deitrick Russell , Barnes Rory
Published: March 2017

We examine the feasibility of detecting auroral emission from the potentially habitable exoplanet Proxima Centauri b. Detection of aurorae would yield an independent confirmation of the planet’s existence, constrain the presence and composition of its atmosphere, and determine the planet’s eccentricity and inclination, thereby breaking the mass-inclination degeneracy. If Proxima Centauri b is a terrestrial world with an Earth-like atmosphere and magnetic field, we estimate that the power at the 5577 Å O i auroral line is on the order of 0.1 TW under steady-state stellar wind, or ∼100× stronger than that on Earth. This corresponds to a planet–star contrast ratio of

in a narrow band about the 5577 Å line, though higher contrast (

) may be possible during periods of strong magnetospheric disturbance (auroral power 1–10 TW). We searched the Proxima Centauri b HARPS data for the 5577 Å line and for other prominent oxygen and nitrogen lines, but find no signal, indicating that the O i auroral line contrast must be lower than

(with power ≲3000 TW), consistent with our predictions. We find that observations of 0.1 TW auroral emission lines are likely infeasible with current and planned telescopes. However, future observations with a space-based coronagraphic telescope or a ground-based extremely large telescope (ELT) with a coronagraph could push sensitivity down to terawatt oxygen aurorae (contrast

) with exposure times of ∼1 day. If a coronagraph design contrast of 10−7 can be achieved with negligible instrumental noise, a future concept ELT could observe steady-state auroral emission in a few nights.
The Stochastic X-Ray Variability of the Accreting Millisecond Pulsar MAXI J0911–655
Authors: Bult Peter
Published: March 2017

In this work, I report on the stochastic X-ray variability of the 340 Hz accreting millisecond pulsar MAXI J0911–655. Analyzing pointed observations of the XMM-Newton and NuSTAR observatories, I find that the source shows broad band-limited stochastic variability in the

range with a total fractional variability of

rms in the

energy band that increases to

rms in the 3–10 keV band. Additionally, a pair of harmonically related quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) are discovered. The fundamental frequency of this harmonic pair is observed between frequencies of 62 and 146 mHz. Like the band-limited noise, the amplitudes of the QPOs show a steep increase as a function of energy; this suggests that they share a similar origin, likely the inner accretion flow. Based on their energy dependence and frequency relation with respect to the noise terms, the QPOs are identified as low-frequency oscillations and discussed in terms of the Lense–Thirring precession model.
La psychiatrie italienne au front : l’expérience fondatrice de la guerre de Libye, 1911-1912
Authors: Scarfone Marianna
Published: March 2017

Pendant la guerre menée par l’Italie pour la conquête de la Libye (1911-1912), les psychiatres, militaires et civils, sont confrontés pour la première fois aux pathologies qui peuvent affecter les soldats en temps de guerre. Prenant appui sur leur expérience au front ou dans les hôpitaux italiens qui reçoivent les militaires rapatriés, ils réfléchissent à l’étiologie de ces manifestations et à leur classification. Un débat se dessine alors sur le rôle des émotions ou de la prédisposition dans le cadre de la psychopathologie en contexte de guerre, qui s’inspire des auteurs russes et français. Fondé sur les publications des psychiatres impliqués, cet article rend compte de ce débat, mais aussi des interrogations que cette première confrontation aux troubles psychiques de guerre fait émerger, telles que la sélection des combattants ou la formation psychiatrique des médecins. Il s’attache également à l’organisation de l’assistance psychiatrique des hôpitaux de campagne. Grâce à l’exploitation des dossiers médicaux de l’ancien asile de Gênes, l’article présente enfin certains cas cliniques de soldats rapatriés de Tripolitaine et de Cyrénaïque, pour tenter de restituer au plus près l’expérience vécue par les militaires de ces perturbations de leur existence.
Vivons-nous dans une ère post-phallique ?
Authors: Morel Geneviève
Published: March 2017

Le capitalisme, qui fait mine de combattre sévèrement la contrefaçon, en tire en fait les plus grands bénéfices. D’ailleurs celle-ci ne lui rend-elle pas un hommage appuyé en diffusant partout les logos des marques de luxe ? La passion contemporaine pour les logos et la consommation massive de contrefaçons, notamment dans la mode, m’amènera à examiner l’hypothèse d’un fétichisme de masse. En m’appuyant sur la conception lacanienne du sexe et sur divers exemples cliniques et artistiques, je montrerai que la contrefaçon révèle le statut postiche du sexe dans une ère dorénavant post-phallique.
La domination sexuelle des femmes
Authors: Iacub Marcela
Published: March 2017

Cet article se propose d’analyser la notion de domination sexuelle des femmes construite par le féminisme radical et adoptée par l’ensemble des élites universitaires, médiatiques et politiques. Son but est de lier les phénomènes que l'auteur qualifie comme relevant de la « domination » à la structure familiale de notre modernité, notamment à la place qui y échoue aux femmes. Il cherche aussi à montrer qu’une critique politique de cette notion ne saurait être efficace sans une mise en cause des structures familiales sur lesquelles elle s’appuie.
Occlusal Considerations in the Hypersensitive Dentition
Authors: Yiannios, DDS Nick
Published: March 2017

In the literature, Dentinal Hypersensitivity (DH) is considered to arise from exposed dentin and patent dentinal tubules. However, clinical observation of recurrent DH sensitivity indicates it can occur in the presence or absence of exposed dentin. Quantified occlusal contact force and timing parameters have been ignored in studies assessing hypersensitive teeth. This chapter introduces a novel occlusal concept: Frictional Dental Hypersensitivity (FDH). Clinical evidence from combining computerized occlusal analysis and electromyography is presented linking opposing posterior tooth friction and muscular hyperactivity to Dentin Hypersensitivity. This chapter proffers how occlusion, muscular TMD symptoms, and frictional Dentin Hypersensitivity are all related. Lastly, a Pilot Study is presented that used a Visual Numerical Analog scale to quantify Dentin Hypersensitivity resolution observed in symptomatic patients who underwent the Immediate Complete Anterior Guidance Development (ICAGD) coronoplasty. This computer-guided occlusal adjustment eliminated pretreatment FDH symptomatology, further supporting that Dentinal Hypersensitivity has an occlusally-based, frictional etiology.
Significance of Critical Success Factors for Indian eBusiness
Authors: Baporikar Neeta
Published: March 2017

India is in an envious leading position as far as Information Technology (IT) development and related service is concerned. This has also lead to a boom in India for ecommerce and ebusiness, where the companies do all or most of its transactions through the Internet. However, understanding of Critical Success Factors (CSFs), for ebusiness which is vital, still seems to be inapt. CSFs, refers to greatest possible and important circumstance, fact, or influence that contributes for the correct or desired result of an attempt and it is one of the parts that make up a whole or the one that actively contributes to the production of a result or success or failure of something that is aimed to be achieved or attained. Through grounded theory approach, in depth literature review and deep observation, the core of this chapter is to identify the critical success factors for eBusiness in India and critically evaluate the identified critical factors.
Chinese Investment in the European Football Industry
Authors: Berning Sue Claire , Maderer Daniel
Published: March 2017

Outward foreign direct investment of Chinese firms in developed markets is a relatively new phenomenon. Since December, 2014 when the Chinese government announced a major investment program in sports, Chinese firms have particularly focused on foreign direct investments in the European football industry. We analyze the investment patterns, the determinants, and the motives of six investment cases of Chinese Outward Foreign Direct Investment (OFDI) undertaken in European football clubs. Based on Dunning's OLI paradigm and the determinants-framework from Holtbrügge and Kreppel, a within-case and cross-case analysis was conducted. We reveal that the main motives of Chinese investments differ between asset-seeking and market-seeking to a combination of both. The most important determinants of OFDI were the size of the host market and the level of know-how in it, while firm-specific resources and the strategic importance of the industry for the home government was a joint determinant for all Chinese companies.
The Basics of Big Data and Security Concerns
Authors: Tamane Sharvari C. , Solanki Vijender K. , Joshi Madhuri S.
Published: March 2017

The chapter is written on two important buildings, the basics of Big data and their security concern. The chapter is classifying in different sections. The chapter starts with the basic of big data and is concluded with security concern. The chapter is enriched with different category examples to make texts easy for author understanding. The chapter begins with the introduction of big data, their memory size followed by the examples. The chapter explains the category of big data in type of structured, semi-structured and unstructured data. The discussion on operational data service and big data application is also included to ensure the basic understanding to readers. The second portion of chapter which is based on security in big data. It's explaining the issues and challenges in big data. The section also focusing on the shift paradigm from cloud environment to big data environment changes and the problems encounter by organizations. The section discusses the framework issue and concluded with the necessity of understanding security in the big data, keeping in view of expansion of information technology infrastructure in the 21st century.
Development of Data Analytics in Shipping
Authors: Perera Lokukaluge P. , Mo Brage
Published: March 2017

Modern vessels are monitored by Onboard Internet of Things (IoT), sensors and data acquisition (DAQ), to observe ship performance and navigation conditions. Such IoT may create various shipping industrial challenges under large-scale data handling situations. These large-scale data handling issues are often categorized as “Big Data” challenges and this chapter discusses various solutions to overcome such challenges. That consists of a data-handling framework with various data analytics under onboard IoT. The basis for such data analytics is under data driven models presented and developed with engine-propeller combinator diagrams of vessels. The respective results on data analytics of data classification, sensor faults detection, data compression and expansion, integrity verification and regression, and visualization and decision support, are presented along the proposed data handling framework of a selected vessel. Finally, the results are useful for energy efficiency and system reliability applications of shipping discussed.
The Knowledge Management Culture
Authors: Chedid Marcello , Teixeira Leonor
Published: March 2017

Knowledge management is defined by different authors as the process that enables the sharing, capture and application of knowledge from the individual to the group and further to organizational level. The organizational atomization observed in the academia imposes importance in paying attention to a culture that encourages knowledge management and also assigns equal importance to the cooperation and the work in team. However, due to the different levels of heterogeneity among and within these organizations there is not just one model that fits well. Through a literature review on the knowledge management in the academia, the purpose of this chapter is an exploratory study that identifies the main cultural challenges in the development and implementation of a knowledge management system in the academic context.
Impact of Interactive Multimedia in E-Learning Technologies
Authors: Khamparia Aditya , Pandey Babita
Published: March 2017

Multimedia-based technologies have significant impact on our daily life learning activities as they have shifted the education from teacher centered to learner centered. E-learning provides opportunities to people to take course online and provide a virtual classroom environment on the web through teacher learner interactions, course material distribution based on interactive multimedia. Interactive multimedia offers learners different forms of media to match their learning style, provides personalization of adaptive content delivery which enhanced learners learning effectiveness. In this chapter, we have discussed how information quality can be improved by multimedia based authoring tools and approaches, also identified the negative and positive effects of using interactive multimedia for learners in E-learning. Finally, focus was given on current E-learning multimedia technologies, their research challenges and future trends on social networking based technologies.
University Students' Perceptions of Personal Mobile Devices in the Classroom and Policies
Authors: Santos Ieda M. , Bocheco Otávio
Published: March 2017

This chapter discussed the results of a study that explored students' perceptions of personal mobile devices in the classroom and suggestions for policies. Thirty-four students enrolled in two undergraduate courses taught at a Brazilian higher education institution took part in the study. Data collection consisted of a survey and focus group interview. Quantitative data suggested an overall tendency to rare use of the devices for content and non-content activities. Qualitative results, however, showed that students may have used more often their devices in class. The results discussed several policies recommended by the students ranging from allowing the devices for content and emergency to not using social media for off- task activities. The study suggested that inappropriate use of mobile technology in the classroom may be minimized if students participate in the development of policies, and instructors integrate the devices in class to promote engagement and interest among students. Recommendations for practice and future research are discussed.
Business Applications of Deep Learning
Authors: Vieira Armando
Published: March 2017

Deep Learning (DL) took Artificial Intelligence (AI) by storm and has infiltrated into business at an unprecedented rate. Access to vast amounts of data extensive computational power and a new wave of efficient learning algorithms, helped Artificial Neural Networks to achieve state-of-the-art results in almost all AI challenges. DL is the cornerstone technology behind products for image recognition and video annotation, voice recognition, personal assistants, automated translation and autonomous vehicles. DL works similarly to the brain by extracting high-level, complex abstractions from data in a hierarchical and discriminative or generative way. The implications of DL supported AI in business is tremendous, shaking to the foundations many industries. In this chapter, I present the most significant algorithms and applications, including Natural Language Processing (NLP), image and video processing and finance.