bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Theoretical Models for the Rhetorical Analysis of Photomontage
Authors: Bañuelos Jacob
Published: May 2014

Abstract The analysis of the photographic image faces theoretical challenges within two large arenas - the analytical and the creative. What can be called a Semiotic Theory of photomontage is composed of studies that stem from diverse disciplines and theoretical schools of thought, ranging from structuralist studies to historical approaches. The focus of this review is to denominate the theoretical sources in order to carry out an analysis of photomontage from the standpoint of image semiotics, as rhetoric and poetics. The work at hand undertakes an analysis, evaluation and inventory of those studies, schools and theories that together comprise the necessary theoretical corpus in order to understand photomontage as a semiotic object within the specific field of visual and photographic production
Semiosis and Phase Transitions in Biology: a Peircean View
Authors: Fernández Eliseo
Published: May 2014

Since the days of Darwin and Wallace, evolution has been a leading unifying factor in biological theorizing, along with other key conceptual strands from thermodynamics, genetics, and molecular biology. Physics, whose explanatory resources underpin those of the physical sciences, has until quite recently stood impervious to evolutionary thought however. The thoroughly ahistorical conception of nature promoted by traditional physics, bundled with other philosophical preconceptions, conspired against any conceptual unification of physics with biology other than strict reductionism. This article aims to show that Peircean semiotics combined with new developments in both physics and biology augur new prospects for reversing this situation by means of a non-reductive unification of physical and biological theories leading to a truly evolutionary natural philosophy - including cosmology. For several reasons, such an upcoming synthesis could become auspicious to the incorporation of biosemiotic ideas as central explanatory resources in biology (in contrast to the present situation). To develop the reasons behind this expectation, I offer first a summary of some remarkable developments in cosmology, particle physics, condensed matter physics and biology, all of which relate to the notions of symmetry breaking, phase transitions and scale invariance. Next, I indicate how these trends merge with the rise of novel forms of causation (e.g. circular, downward, reciprocal) in systems biology and self-organization theories. Finally, I speculate on how the characteristic form of causation in biosemiotic transactions (i.e. semiosis) may relate to other types of causal action deployed within living systems.
The Generic Structure of the Editorials of People’s Daily and Its Variability
Authors: Xin Bin
Published: May 2014

Genre was once seen as something categorically fixed and immutable and such a view of genre can still be found in some contemporary studies of genres though it has been challenged by more and more theorists in both the literary and the linguistic circles, who hold a fairly dynamic view of genres. The analysis in this paper will demonstrate that, though we can identify a definite generic structure in the editorials of People's Daily, there are noticeable generic variations arising from the different occasions and/or purposes of those editorials. The results of the analysis will also show that different cultural conventions and different ways of thinking of different peoples often play an important role in the shaping of genres resulting in major or minor structural variations in the same genre in different languages.
The Logic of Phenomena: Semiotic Structures of West and East in Communicology and Culture
Authors: Lanigan Richard L.
Published: May 2014

The article offers a general introduction to the semiotic sign-systems that constitute the logic by which communication and culture function together to create the human world of expression and perception. There are two styles of logic that characterize a western egocentric (individual) perspective and an eastern sociocentric (group) perspective on cultural communicology. The cultural attitudes and practices of America (U. S. A . ) and China (PRC) are used to compare and contrast these two phenomenological styles of human logic: the causal disjunctive ( either/or) logic of the West and the causal conjunctive (both/and) logic of the East.
The Hypoiconic Metaphor and the Abductive Mode of Inference
Authors: Sørensen Bent , Thellefsen Torkild
Published: May 2014

In this article we suggest a possible relation between C. S. Peirce's (1839-1914) concept of metaphor and abduction. To our knowledge Peirce never did analyze nor even mention , the two concepts in the same context. But we understand the hypoiconic metaphor as rooted in the abductive mode of inference; the hypoiconic metaphor is part of an intricate relation between experience, body, inference, and guessing instinct as a semeiotic mechanism which can convey novel ideas.
Peirce’s Semiotic Categories from the Viewpoint of the Graphic Designer
Authors: Skaggs Steven
Published: May 2014

This article begins with Peirce's ten sign classes, derived from his three trichotomies of sign relations, and adapts this taxonomy to graphic design. The paper presents a table that graphically illustrates the sign classes and their inter-relationships, and it argues for a shift in the traditional terminology to allow a tighter fit with contemporary graphic design usage and practice. This article may be seen as a companion piece, and extension, to the article in Chinese Semiotic Studies by the same author in 2010 which questioned whether a designer ever completes an argument.
Tartu Summer Schools of Semiotics at the Time of Juri Lotman
Authors: Salupere Silvi
Published: May 2014

The article gives a brief overview of Summer Schools in semiotics of the 1960s and 1970s that took place near Tartu, at Kääriku sports centre of the University of Tartu, and later in Tartu. These Summer Schools on secondary modelling systems were certainly the most important scientific events in the field of semiotics in Soviet Union. These meetings drew together the members of Tartu-Moscow Semiotics School. An unconstrained atmosphere of these conferences allowed a freedom of discussion that the participants had not experienced earlier and that they recall decades after.
Ren ( 仁) Humanist Ethics and Semiotics in the Future
Authors: Li Youzheng
Published: May 2014

The term “semiotics” is better used as a more desirable approach for promoting the modernization of global humanities. In place of a mere study of signs a new semiotics should be related to the institutionalized and institutionalizing mechanism of semantic production and communicative constitution with respect to the entire social and human sciences. For the sake of attaining this correct scientific goal semiotics should be linked with an ethics of subjectivity. Both Husserl and Wang Yangming, with different styles, provide us with the model of ethical practice that can make the semiotic scholar become spiritually capable of insisting on scientific truth against the prevailing scholarly utilitarianism caused by present-day commercialized globalization.
On the Cultural Turn of Translation Studies in China in the New Millennium: A Semiotic Appraisal and Prognosis
Authors: Han Lei
Published: May 2014

In the early years of the new millennium, Chinese scholars in translation studies were still debating, belatedly, the “cultural turn”, particularly with regard to two issues: (1) the distinction between the ontology of translation and the ontology of translation studies, and (2) the so-called “paradigm shift” triggered by the cultural turn. Stemming from a critique of the two ontologies and questioning the paradigm shift, this paper serves the following critical purposes. It appeals for a return to textuality by reinstating the role of language in translation studies; i.e., it seeks to clarify how language functions on the boundary between translation and non-translation on both the object-language and meta-language levels, and calls for a new meta-theoretical orientation of translation studies. Scholars participating in the Chinese debate over the cultural turn have regrettably overlooked the fact that semiotics has long since renovated translation studies, especially in terms of the discipline’s system-specificity and intersystemic relationships. Semiotic input on translation studies may enable the Chinese researcher to better formulate, pose and answer the crucial question: What is translation? Four versions of a semiotic approach to translation studies can be identified or envisaged: (1) the influence of Peircean “semeiotics”; (2) a structural linguistics-informed methodology, such as that of the Russian formalists and their Slavonic followers; (3) the impact of biosemiotics; and, finally, (4) the influence of cultural semiotics represented by the Tartu School. This essay provides a critical survey of the Chinese debate on the cultural turn and suggests a prognosis based on the aforementioned semiotic approaches.
The Common Features of Languages and Their Symbols – Interlanguage
Authors: Lin Xunzhun , Wang Yongxiang , Liu Mingming
Published: May 2014

The authors of this paper put forward a global semantic communication project to realize the mutual comprehension of different languages. This paper briefly introduces the basic concept and thinking of this innovative project
Semiotics as a Global Discipline
Authors: Hakim Arif
Published: May 2014

Semiotics has tremendous potential as a subject to be studied globally since it deals with the signs and sign-processes that exist in every society. In addition, it interprets culture, and related phenomena, by means of the scientific method. Further, the domain of semiotics includes social, temporal and spatial phenomena, from aerospace to the human mind, and from prehistory to the remote future. Viewed in this light, semiotics could be regarded as an essential discipline of the academic world. This paper explains the necessity of studying semiotics worldwide, its nature and characteristics, and its scope as a global discipline.
Abolishing Belief to Make Room for Knowledge: An Analysis of the “Contract” Underlying Reality TV
Authors: Jost François
Published: May 2014

This article aims to build a semiotic frame necessary for the analysis of television, in particular current formats of “reality” TV. First, it questions the concept of contract, which is the basis of many models of TV communication. As soon as one abandons the paradigm of textual immanence and adopts a more pragmatic perspective, this model loses power, develops cracks and fissures. Some examples show that it does not function for current TV programs in so far as TV formats such as Big Brother intentionally play on an ambiguity among three “worlds”, which are the interpretants of any TV genre: the real world, the world of fiction and the ludic world. Networks make promises as to the generic nature of a program and viewers are free to believe them or not. The author analyzes two programs the ambiguous anchorage of which in some world creates an opposition between those viewers who believe and those who do not, between the gullible and the incredulous. These programs displace content belonging to the domain of belief (or inversely to the domain of the “suspension of disbelief”) into the domain of knowledge. Such examples provide evidence that the notion of contract is epistemologically inadequate for the analysis of present-day media.
A Metaphysic for Semiotics
Authors: Rattasepp Silver
Published: May 2014

One aspect of theoretical thought is the position, sentiment or temperament chosen by the thinker, one that guides the thinker’s thought onward to new avenues. A “flat ontology” is proposed as one such possibility for semioticians, one that would take a nonhierarchical field of diversity as its basic ontological stance. In light of this flat ontology - which can be seen as a view on semiosphere -, two issues are briefly explored: reductionism vs. holism, and three models of relationship: self-actional, interactional, and transactional
Tartu Variations: Objects, Subjects and the Third Way
Authors: Rodríguez Higuera Claudio Julio
Published: May 2014

This article presents a consideration regarding semiosis and the theoretical problems faced in semiotics in cases where the approach to the phenomenon is taken under limiting conditions such as a singular focus on subjects or objects in semiosis. These problems, exemplified as disjointed components of the Tartu-Moscow school can be faced and overcome given a complex approach as the paradigm established by the combination of parts given in Tartu-Moscow semiotics through its heritage of complex subject-system relations in the semiosphere. The implications of this thought are considered as a potential solution to the issues of limiting semiosis to either a singular or dual reference of signification, creating a coherent tool for the analysis of semiosis beyond the vague definition of the action of signs.
Lurasidone drug-drug interaction studies: a comprehensive review
Authors: Chiu Yu-Yuan , Ereshefsky Larry , Preskorn Sheldon H. , Poola Nagaraju , Loebel Antony
Published: May 2014

Background: To evaluate potential drug-drug interactions with the atypical antipsychotic lurasidone.

Methods: Seven phase I studies were conducted to investigate the effects of repeated dosing of ketoconazole, diltiazem, rifampin, or lithium on the pharmacokinetics (PK) of single oral doses of lurasidone, or the effects of repeated dosing of lurasidone on the PK of digoxin, midazolam, or the oral contraceptive norgestimate/ethinyl estradiol. Two 6-week, phase III studies included evaluation of the potential for interaction between lurasidone and lithium or valproate. Maximum serum or plasma concentration (C
max) and area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) were calculated.

Results: Concomitant ketoconazole administration resulted in a 6.8-fold increase in lurasidone C
max and a 9.3-fold increase in lurasidone AUC; concomitant diltiazem administration resulted in 2.1- and 2.2-fold increases, respectively. Rifampin decreased lurasidone C
max and AUC (one-seventh and one-fifth of lurasidone alone, respectively). Steady-state dosing with lurasidone increased C
max and AUC0–24 (AUC from time 0 to 24 h postdose) of digoxin by 9% and 13%, respectively, and of midazolam by 21% and 44%, respectively. There were no significant interactions between lurasidone and lithium, valproate, ethinyl estradiol, or norelgestromin (the major active metabolite of norgestimate).

Conclusions: Lurasidone PK is altered by strong cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 inhibitors or inducers, and coadministration is contraindicated; whereas moderate CYP3A4 inhibitors have less effect, and lurasidone dosage restrictions are recommended. No dose adjustment for lurasidone is needed when administered with lithium or valproate. Dose adjustment is not required for lithium, valproate, digoxin (a P-glycoprotein substrate), or midazolam or oral contraceptives (CYP3A4 substrates) when coadministered with lurasidone.
“Nascent” Fe(0)-mediated living radical copolymerization of styrene and acrylonitrile
Authors: Wang Guo-Xiang , Lu Mang , Hou Zhao-Hui , Zhan Xue-Hui , Gao Yong , Liu Li-Chao , Wu Hu
Published: May 2014

In this work, we reported the synthesis of copolymers of poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) via single-electron transfer-living radical polymerization using CCl4 as an initiator and Zn(0)/2,2′-bipyridine (Bpy)/FeCl2 as catalyst complexes. The polymerization was carried out at 25°C. The polymerization proceeded in a living fashion based on “nascent” Fe(0) as the source of the transition metal, which was prepared by Zn(0)/FeCl2 in situ. The kinetic experimental results showed that the copolymerization is first-order kinetics. The molecular weights increased linearly with respect to monomer conversion, and narrow polydispersity index values were obtained. The effect of the molar ratio of [Zn(0)]0/[FeCl2]0 on polymerization was investigated. In addition, the polymerization carried out in different solvents was also investigated. The obtained random copolymer was characterized by 1H NMR and gel permeation chromatography. The living characteristic was demonstrated by chain extension experiment.
Syndiospecific polymerization of styrene by half-titanocene catalysts with the sulfur-containing donor ligand
Authors: Wang Wei , Zheng Gang , Wang Hongtao
Published: May 2014

Monocyclopentadienyl titanium complexes of the type Cp*TiX2 L (Cp*=C5 Me5, 1: L=C6 F5 S, X=OMe; 2: L=C6 F5 S, X=Cl; 3: L=2, 6-Me2-C6 H3 S, X=OMe) have been synthesized with high yields. These complexes are used as the catalysts for the syndiospecific polymerization of styrene. High catalytic activity is observed, and a polymer with high molecular weight and narrow molecular weight distribution is obtained. It is concluded that not only the sulfur-containing donor ligand but also the anion ligand strongly affects the polymerization activity and the molecular weight of the resultant polymer.
The President, Polarization and the Party Platforms, 1944–2012
Authors: Jordan Soren , Webb Clayton McLaughlin , Wood B. Dan
Published: May 2014

Scholars generally agree that political elites in the US are polarized. Yet most of our evidence, especially longitudinal evidence, is built on proxy measures of elite ideology that fail to identify the unique dimensions that drive the cleavages between the parties. And our understanding of when elite polarization reemerged is also unclear. This study leverages the party platforms, along with the tools of content analysis, to shed new light on elite polarization. We find that, consistent with the literature, elite polarization is an asymmetric phenomenon driven by Republicans primarily motivated by economic issues. Further, we show that modern elite polarization emerged starting with the 1980 election.
Coupled coincidence point results for (φ,ψ)-contractive
mappings in partially ordered metric spaces
Authors: Ahmad Jamshaid , Arshad Muhammad , Vetro Pasquale
Published: May 2014

In this paper, we extend the coupled coincidence point theorems for a mixed g-monotone operator

F
:
X
×
X
→
X

$F:X\times X\rightarrow X$

obtained by Alotaibi and
Alsulami [Fixed Point Theory Appl. (2011), article ID 44], by weakening the
involved contractive condition. Two examples are given to illustrate the
effectiveness of our generalizations. Our result also generalizes some
recent results announced in the literature. Moreover, some applications to integral
equations are presented.
A priori estimates of solutions of nonlinear boundary value problems for singular in a phase variable second order differential inequalities
Authors: Kiguradze Ivan
Published: May 2014

For singular in a phase variable second order differential inequalities, a priori estimates of positive solutions, satisfying nonlinear nonlocal boundary conditions, are established.
Parabolic equations with Cauchy–Dirichlet boundary conditions in a non-regular domain of
ℝN+1
Authors: Kheloufi Arezki
Published: May 2014

New results on the existence, uniqueness and
maximal regularity of a solution are given for a parabolic equation set in a
non-regular domain

Q
=

(
t
,

x
1

)

∈

ℝ
2

:
0
<
t
<
T
;

ϕ
1

(
t
)

<

x
1

<

ϕ
2

(
t
)

×

∏

i
=
1

N
-
1

]
0
,

b
i

[

$
Q=\bigl \lbrace (t,x_1) \in \mathbb {R}^{2}:0<t<T;\; \varphi _1(t) <x_1<\varphi _{2}(t) \bigr \rbrace \times \prod _{i=1}^{N-1}{]0,b_i[}
$

of ℝN+1, with Cauchy–Dirichlet boundary conditions,
under some assumptions on the functions

ϕ
1

$\varphi _1$

and

ϕ
2

$\varphi _2$

.
The right-hand side term of the equation is taken in

L
2

(
Q
)

$L^{2}(Q)$

. The method used is based on the approximation of the
domain Q by a sequence of sub-domains

(

Q
n

)

$(Q_n)$

which can be
transformed into regular domains. This work is an extension of the
two space variables case studied in [Differ. Equ. Appl. 2 (2010), no. 2, 251–263].
q-Dunkl-classical q-Hermite type polynomials
Authors: Ben Cheikh Youssèf , Gaied Mohamed , Zaghouani Ali
Published: May 2014

In this paper, we introduce two symmetric q-Dunkl-classical orthogonal polynomial sets generalizing the Hermite polynomials as range of discrete q-Hermite polynomials I and II by a suitable orthogonality preserving operator. Then, we state some of their properties: explicit expressions, recurrence relations, generating functions, inversion formulas, linear functionals and components. We conclude by locating these polynomials among orthogonal polynomials generalizing Hermite polynomials and classified according to lowering operators.
5-(2,2-Dimethyl-4H-1,3-benzodioxin)methanol: the synthetic precursor to o-formyl-m-hydroxycinnamic acid, the most oxidized salicylaldehyde-type phytotoxin isolated from rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe grisea
Authors: Saito Akihito , Hiramatsu Konosuke , Cao Hai-Qun , Nagashima Yuta , Tanaka Koji , Sasaki Ayaka , Yamada Teiko , Kuwahara Shigefumi , Nukina Manabu , Kiyota Hiromasa
Published: May 2014

o-Formyl-m-hydroxycinnamic acid, the most oxidized salicylaldehyde-type phytotoxin isolated from rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe grisea, was synthesized for the first time using 5-(2,2-dimethyl-4H-1,3-benzodioxin)methanol as the starting material, and the proposed structure was confirmed.
Experimental study of wood acoustic absorption characteristics
Authors: Smardzewski Jerzy , Batko Wojciech , Kamisiński Tadeusz , Flach Artur , Pilch Artur , Dziurka Dorota , Mirski Radosław , Roszyk Edward , Majewski Adam
Published: May 2014

The objective of this study was to determine normal impedance on the surface as well as sound absorption coefficients for several wood species from Europe and from the tropical zone. The mathematical models of Miki, Attenborough, and Allard – dealing with acoustic properties of porous materials – have also been compared. The air flow resistivity exhibits a distinct link between fiber dimensions and wood porosity. The highest sound absorption coefficient was found for oak, ash, sapeli, and pine woods at 2 kHz frequency. The Attenborough model provides results closest to laboratory measurements, although it still requires significant improvements. The Miki and Allard models have some drawbacks and should be applied with reservation for the determination of wood acoustic properties.
Influence of blue stain on density and dimensional stability of Pinus radiata timber from northern Galicia (Spain)
Authors: Rouco María C. Abuín , Muñoz Guillermo Riesco
Published: May 2014

The presence of blue-stain fungi considerably decreases the value of Pinus radiata timber, which is commercially important in Galicia (NW Spain). For this study, seven young pine trees growing in four different plantations were felled, and 20 discs were sampled from different heights in the stems. Parts of the discs were discoloured as a result of fungal infection. The discs were cut into small specimens. Defect-free specimens (controls) were selected for determining density and dimensional stability both in the volume and in the axial direction. Physical properties of fully blue-stained specimens and the controls were compared for each disc based on one-factor analysis of variance. As the factor was blue-stain, the other sources of variation were suppressed, such as tree source, height in the stem, ring width, cambial age and presence of heartwood or sapwood. Most of the physical properties analysed on some sample discs differed significantly between discoloured and unstained wood. The variables most affected by blue stain were basic density and volumetric shrinkage: blue-stained wood was 1.1% lighter and volumetric shrinkage was 5% higher in blue-stained wood than in the controls.
Brown adipose tissue, thermogenesis, angiogenesis: pathophysiological aspects
Authors: Honek Jennifer , Lim Sharon , Fischer Carina , Iwamoto Hideki , Seki Takahiro , Cao Yihai
Published: May 2014

The number of obese and overweight individuals is globally rising, and obesity-associated disorders such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer are among the most common causes of death. While white adipose tissue is the key player in the storage of energy, active brown adipose tissue expends energy due to its thermogenic capacity. Expanding and activating brown adipose tissue using pharmacological approaches therefore might offer an attractive possibility for therapeutic intervention to counteract obesity and its consequences for metabolic health.
Effect of Dislocations on Spinodal Decomposition, Precipitation, and Age-hardening of Cu–Ti Alloy
Authors: Sato Shigeo , Hasegawa Akifumi , Semboshi Satoshi , Wagatsuma Kazuaki
Published: May 2014

In age-hardenable Cu–Ti alloys, cold work before aging enhances their mechanical properties and shortens the aging time for obtaining the maximum hardness. In order to discuss hardening behaviors, microstructural evolutions such as dislocation rearrangements, progress of spinodal decomposition, and subsequent precipitation from the spinodal region during aging need to be analyzed precisely. Therefore, we employed a probing method combining the small- and the wide-angle X-ray scattering methods to characterize the precipitate size and the progress of spinodal decomposition, respectively. Sideband peaks appearing adjacent to Bragg reflection peaks in the X-ray diffraction patterns of a copper matrix were analyzed to estimate the development of compositional modulations of titanium accompanied by spinodal decomposition. The results of these analytical procedures revealed that the growth rates of the spinodal region and nanometer-scales precipitates in Cu–Ti alloys are less susceptible to dislocations introduced during cold working before aging, and that dislocations introduced during prior cold working annihilate in the initial aging stage. Consequently, overaging, which is mainly induced by dislocation annihilation, in a cold-worked Cu–Ti alloy occurs after a shorter aging time than in an unworked alloy.
Dyslipidemia and hyperinsulinemia in children and adolescents with chronic liver disease: relation to disease severity
Authors: El-Kabbany Zeinab A. , Hamza Rasha Tarif , Ibrahim Salwa AH. , Mahmoud Nermine H.
Published: May 2014

Background: Lipid metabolism is profoundly disturbed in chronic liver diseases (CLD). Moreover, patients with cirrhosis displayed chronically elevated serum insulin (SI) concentrations.

Objectives: The aim of this work was to assess fasting lipid profile (FLP) and SI levels among Egyptian patients with CLD and their relation to severity of liver disease.

Methods: A total of 40 Egyptian children with CLD were compared with 30 age-, sex-, and pubertal stage-matched controls. All subjects were subjected to history and auxological assessment; their FLP, fasting blood glucose (FBG) and SI were measured; and their fasting glucose/insulin (G/I) ratios were calculated.

Results: Total cholesterol (TC, p=0.006), triglycerides (TG, p=0.03), low density lipoproteins (LDL, p=0.034), and SI (p<0.001) were significantly higher while high density lipoproteins (HDL, p<0.001) and G/I ratio (p<0.001) were significantly lower as serum albumin decreased; these were also lower among cases with a progressive decrease going from child A to C. Of the 40 studied cases, eight (20%) had hypercholesterolemia, 13 (32.5%) had hypertriglyceridemia, 17 (42.5%) had low HDL and 9 (22.5%) had high LDL, 32 (80%) had hyperinsulinemia (HI), and 11 (27.5%) had insulin resistance (IR).

Conclusions: Dyslipidemia and HI were frequent findings in patients with CLD, which worsened with increased severity of CLD.
Physical self-esteem – a ten-year follow-up study from early adolescence to early adulthood
Authors: Raustorp Anders , Lindwall Magnus
Published: May 2014

Introduction: One variable that has been consistently associated with adolescents’ physical activity is perceived activity competence. Perceived physical (or sport) competence is considered a sub-domain to the physical self-esteem or self-worth (i.e., a person’s valuation of what is good and worthy in their self-description).

Objective: This study aimed to describe levels of and inter-correlations among physical self-esteem, physical activity, and body mass index in a longitudinal design spanning adolescence to early adulthood.

Materials and methods: At mean ages of 12.7, 15.7, 17.7 and 22.7 years, we measured perceived physical self-esteem in 39 (22 boys) Swedish adolescents. Physical activity (steps/day) for four consecutive schooldays, height, and weight were also measured.

Results: No significant difference between the four time points for any variable of perceived physical self-esteem was seen, neither in boys nor girls. In general, all physical self-variables revealed non-linear trajectories across time, where the general trend was an increase during the younger ages followed by a decrease during older ages. At ages 12 and 15 years in boys and girls physical condition and physical strength as well as body attractiveness and physical strength, respectively, had the strongest correlations to physical self-esteem. At age 17 and 22 years sports competence had the strongest correlation to self-esteem in girls, while body attractiveness and physical strength had the strongest correlation to self-esteem in boys.

Conclusion: An overall stability in physical self-esteem was found. However the impact of a sub-domain upon physical self-esteem vary during adolescence and early adulthood. Such information may be useful when creating physical activity programs that support and develop physical self-esteem.
Semiparametric Odds Rate Model for Modeling Short-Term and Long-Term Effects with Application to a Breast Cancer Genetic Study
Authors: Yuan Mengdie , Diao Guoqing
Published: May 2014

The proportional odds model is commonly used in the analysis of failure time data. The assumption of constant odds ratios over time in the proportional odds model, however, can be violated in some applications. Motivated by a genetic study with breast cancer patients, we propose a novel semiparametric odds rate model for the analysis of right-censored survival data. The proposed model incorporates the short-term and long-term covariate effects on the failure time data and includes the proportional odds model as a nested model. We develop efficient likelihood-based inference procedures and establish the large sample properties of the proposed nonparametric maximum likelihood estimators. Simulation studies demonstrate that the proposed methods perform well in practical settings. An application to the motivating example is provided.
Porosity and the bounded linear regularity property
Authors: Reich Simeon , Zaslavski Alexander J.
Published: May 2014

H. H. Bauschke and J. M. Borwein showed that in the space of all
tuples of bounded, closed, and convex subsets of a Hilbert space
with a nonempty intersection, a typical tuple has the bounded linear
regularity property. This property is important because it leads
to the convergence of infinite products of the corresponding
nearest point projections to a point in the intersection.
In the present paper we show that the subset of all tuples possessing the
bounded linear regularity property has a porous complement. Moreover, our
result is established in all normed spaces and for tuples of closed and
convex sets, which are not necessarily bounded.
Monotone Confounding, Monotone Treatment Selection and Monotone Treatment Response
Authors: Jiang Zhichao , Chiba Yasutaka , VanderWeele Tyler J.
Published: May 2014

Manski (Monotone treatment response. Econometrica 1997;65:1311–34) and Manski and Pepper (Monotone instrumental variables: with an application to the returns to schooling. Econometrica 2000;68:997–1010) gave sharp bounds on causal effects under the assumptions of monotone treatment response (MTR) and monotone treatment selection (MTS). VanderWeele (The sign of the bias of unmeasured confounding. Biometrics 2008;64:702–6) provided bounds for binary treatment under an assumption of monotone confounding (MC). We discuss the relation between MC and MTS and provide bounds under various combinations of these assumptions. We show that MC and MTS coincide for a binary treatment, but MC does not imply MTS for a treatment variable with more than two levels.
Nicole Oresme (1320–1382)
Authors: Moss Laurence S.
Published: May 2014

The pantheon of classical liberal thinkers must honor the memory of one brilliant mathematician, scientist, and debunker of superstitious beliefs, the sound-money advocate Nicole Oresme. Although his opposition to the recoinage practices of the French monarchy was not unprecedented in the fourteenth century, Oresme must be credited with anticipating the “rational expectations” in economics when he distinguished quite forcefully between “preannounced debasement” and “secret debasement” and their effects on the distribution of wealth. Oresme explains that the king should not practice secret debasement, and can appear as a pioneer for modern ideas on monetary surprises.
Identification of an unknown spatial load distribution in a vibrating cantilevered beam from final overdetermination
Authors: Hasanov Alemdar , Baysal Onur
Published: May 2014

The inverse problem of determining the unknown spatial load distribution F(x) in the cantilever beam equation
m(x)u

tt
= -(E
I(x)u

xx
)
x
x
+ F(x)H(t), with arbitrary but separable source term, from the measured data
uT
(x) := u(x,T), x ∈ (0,l), at the final time T > 0 is considered. Some a priori estimates of the weak solution
u ∈ H°2,1(Ω
T
) of the forward problem are obtained. Introducing the input-output map, it is proved that this map is a compact operator. The adjoint problem approach is then used to derive an explicit gradient formula for the Fréchet derivative of the cost functional J(F) = ∥ u(·,T;F) - uT
(·) ∥
L
2(0,l)
2. The Lipschitz continuity of the gradient is proved. The collocation algorithm combined with the truncated singular value decomposition (TSVD) is used to estimate the degree of ill-posedness of the considered inverse source problem. The conjugate gradient algorithm (CGA), based on the explicit gradient formula, is proposed for numerical solution of the inverse problem. The algorithm is examined through numerical examples related to reconstruction of various spatial loading distributions F(x). The numerical results illustrate bounds of applicability of proposed algorithm, also its efficiency and accuracy.
Reflection of waves in micropolar transversely isotropic thermoelastic half space of GN type II and III
Authors: Gupta Rajani Rani
Published: May 2014

The present paper deals with the reflection of waves incident at the surface of a transversely isotropic micropolar medium under the theory of thermoelasticity of GN types II and III. The wave equations are solved by imposing proper conditions on the components of displacement, stresses, and temperature distribution. It is found that there exist four different waves, viz. quasi-longitudinal displacement (qLD) wave, quasi-transverse displacement (qTD) wave, quasi-transverse microrotational (qTM) wave, and quasi-thermal (qT) wave. The amplitude ratios of these reflected waves are presented, when different waves are incident. Numerically simulated results have been depicted graphically for the different angles of incidence with respect to the frequency. Some special cases of interest also have been deduced from the present investigation.
Principal Component Analysis of Correlated WEDM Performance Characteristics during Machining ZC63/SiCP MMCs
Authors: Rao Thella Babu , Krishna A. Gopala
Published: May 2014

The present investigation proposes the optimization of the wire electrical discharge machining process for machining ZC63/SiCP metal matrix composite. SiC particulate size and its percentage with the matrix are considered as the process variables along with the most significant WEDM variables such as pulse-on time, pulse-off time and wire tension. In view of quality cut, surface roughness, metal removal rate and kerf are considered as the process responses. Since, these responses are correlated with each other and they need to be optimized simultaneously. Therefore, the problem is treated as multi-response optimization problem. Principal component analysis (PCA) has been implemented to convert the multi-objective optimization problem in to single objective optimization problem by converting the multiple correlated responses in to the total quality index. Taguchi's robust optimization technique has been adopted to derive the set optimal process parameters which maximize the total quality index. The derived optimal process responses are confirmed with the experimental validation tests. ANOVA is conducted find the importance of the chosen process variables on the overall quality of the machined component. The practical possibility of the obtained optimal process performance is observed using SEM studies.
Genetiuus and Ablatiuus pretii in Latin: concepts, functions, and formal marks
Authors: Torrego M. Esperanza
Published: May 2014

This paper deals with the revision of the Genitive and the Ablative as codes for the expressions of value and price. In the first part (Sections 2 and 3), the paper revisits the problem of the productivity and partial interchangeability of the two markers and concludes that both are productive, each one for one role: the Genitive is the only way of codifying intrinsic value (understood as an intrinsic property of entities), whereas the Ablative only codifies market value. Market value is projected as estimated value in some contexts, and as price, in other contexts. The second part of the paper (Section 4) deals with the syntactic position they take in their verbal contexts and concludes that the fact that the valuing expression is in the complement, not in the verbs, is an important factor in explaining the association of the Genitive to intrinsic value and the Ablative to market value (projected in some contexts as price).
Crystal structure of 1-carbamoyl-3-cyano-&-carboline, C13H8N4O
Authors: Wang Yue , Jin Qiaomei , Guo Hao
Published: May 2014

C13H8N4O, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 9.748(2) Å, b = 14.661(3) Å, c = 7.364(2) Å, β = 93.22(3)°, V = 1050.8 Å3, Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0485, wRref(F2) = 0.1500, T = 293 K.
Crystal structure of (acetonitrile-κN)chlorido[2-(2-pyridyl)phenyl-κ2N,C] platinum(II), C13H11ClN2Pt
Authors: Ha Kwang
Published: May 2014

C13H11ClN2Pt, monoclinic, P21/n (no. 14), a = 11.424(1) Å, b = 5.4949(7) Å, c = 20.060(3) Å, β = 104.987(2)°, V = 1216.4 Å3, Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0225, wRref(F2) = 0.0525, T = 200 K.
Redetermination of the crystal structure of N,N-diphenylacetamide, at 200 K, C14H13NO
Authors: Hosten Eric , Betz Richard
Published: May 2014

C14H13NO, orthorhombic, Pbca (no. 61), a = 10.9317(3) Å, b = 11.9675(4) Å, c = 17.2285(5) Å, V = 2253.9 Å3, Z = 8, Rgt(F) = 0.0340, wRref(F2) = 0.0879, T = 200 K.
Use of Raman spectroscopy for continuous monitoring and control of lignocellulosic biorefinery processes
Authors: Ewanick Shannon , Schmitt Elliott , Gustafson Rick , Bura Renata
Published: May 2014

The production of fuels and chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass demands efficient processes to compete with fossil fuel-derived products. Key biorefinery processes, such as enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose and microbial fermentation, can be monitored by advanced sensors in real time, providing information about reactant and product concentration, contamination, and reaction progress. Spectroscopic techniques such as Raman spectroscopy provide a means of quickly and accurately assessing many types of reaction mixtures non-destructively, in real time, and with no costly sample preparation and analysis time. Raman spectroscopy techniques have been developed to accurately quantify a number of compounds present in lignocellulosic processes, and methods have been developed to overcome the presence of fluorescent compounds that can increase the spectral background. Online Raman sensors also can provide the feedback measurements necessary for advanced process controls (APCs). Specifically, model predictive control, a common APC used extensively throughout similar processing industries, is especially well suited for ensuring optimal production of bio-based chemicals from lignocellulosic material.
Synthesis by successive ionic layer deposition (SILD) methodology and characterization of gold nanoclusters on the surface of tin and indium oxide films
Authors: Korotcenkov Ghenadii , Gulina Larisa B. , Cho Beongki , Brinzari Vladimir , Tolstoy Valery P.
Published: May 2014

The ability of successive ionic layer deposition (SILD) technology to synthesize gold clusters on the surface of tin(IV) oxide and indium(III) oxide films is discussed. It was shown that during the process, concentration of active sites that are capable of absorbing gold ions, and the size of the gold particles thus formed, may be controlled by both concentration of the solutions used and the number of SILD cycles. Thus, SILD methodology, employing separate and multiple stages of adsorption and reduction of adsorbed species, has considerable potential for customizing the properties of the deposited metal nanoparticles. In particular, it is shown that during the deposition of gold nanoparticles on the surface of tin(IV) oxide and indium(III) oxide films by SILD methodology, conditions can be realized under which the size of gold nanoclusters may be controllably varied between 1–3 nm and 50 nm. A model is proposed for the formation of gold clusters during the SILD process.
Light harvester band gap engineering in excitonic solar cells: A case study on semiconducting quantum dots sensitized rainbow solar cells
Authors: Concina Isabella , Selopal Gurpreet S. , Milan Riccardo , Sberveglieri Giorgio , Vomiero Alberto
Published: May 2014

A systematic study on the fabrication of quantum dots sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) exploiting hybrid networks of semiconducting light harvesters is presented, which shows how the engineering of band gaps of the device components by a very simple technique allows improving the solar energy conversion performances. Panchromatic devices are fabricated and tested, and correspondent functional parameters analyzed in order to highlight both advantages and drawbacks of the most common (CdS, CdSe, PbS) quantum dots applied for light collection in QDSSCs. Judicious engineering of the light harvester layer is demonstrated as a simple and powerful strategy for boosting device performances, through the management of light collection in a rather broad range of solar spectrum and photogenerated charges injection and collection.
Laser interstitial thermal therapy for treatment of post-radiosurgery tumor recurrence and radiation necrosis
Authors: Patel Toral R. , Chiang Veronica L.S.
Published: May 2014

Background and objective:

Approximately one-third of all intracranial metastatic lesions treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) will regrow at some point during follow-up. A fraction of these lesions will require further therapy. Traditional approaches will work in a majority of, but not all, cases. Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) represents a promising strategy for treatment of regrowing lesions post-SRS that are refractory to standard therapies.

Materials and methods:

Published literature to evaluate the role of LITT for treatment of regrowing metastatic lesions post-SRS is reviewed; own single institution experience treating these pathologies with two different commercially available LITT systems is included.

Results:

Early clinical studies have established that LITT can be used to successfully treat post-SRS regrowing lesions. Patients treated with LITT demonstrate both clinical and radiographic improvements following treatment, with minimal side effects.

Conclusions:

LITT is a promising new therapy for the management of post-SRS regrowing intracranial metastases. Large-scale clinical trials demonstrating therapeutic efficacy must be completed prior to widespread adoption of this technique.
Fabrication and characteristics study of ITO/DBSA/PSS/PPY/Al SCHOTTKY junction diode
Authors: Jayamurugan Periyannan , Ponnuswamy Veerappa Gounder , Mariappan Ramasamy , Mahalingam Thaiyan , Rao Yammani Venkat Subba
Published: May 2014

A water-dispersed dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid (DBSA)/poly (styrene sulfonic acid) (PSS)/polypyrrole (PPY) composite was prepared by an in situ chemical polymerization method. The prepared solution was spun on indium tin oxide (ITO) glass plates at different rates of 2000 and 3000 rpm. The optical band gap energy (Eg) was calculated by UV spectroscopy. The band gap of the composite thin films was found at 1.89 eV and 1.93 eV, respectively. A Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum confirms the presence of dopant and co-dopant in the structure. The diode parameters were calculated from current-voltage (I-V) characteristics and discussed. The I-V characteristics of the devices indicated behavior of a Schottky diode. The ideality factor, barrier height (ϕb) and saturation current were investigated. The ϕb was found to be 0.59 eV and 0.52 eV for 2000 rpm and 3000 rpm, respectively. The ideality factor was calculated from the slope of the linear region of the forward bias in the I-V curves and was found to be 6.4 and 13.5. The results of the present study reveal that the 2000 rpm coated ITO/DBSA/PSS/PPY/Al device showed better nonlinearity behavior than the 3000 rpm one.
Multiple melting behavior of poly(lactic acid)-hemp-silica composites using modulated-temperature differential scanning calorimetry
Authors: Mustapa Izan R. , Shanks Robert A. , Kong Ing
Published: May 2014

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA)-hemp-nanosilica (PHS) composites were prepared by impregnation of hemp woven fabric with PLA solution. Nanosilica was dispersed in the PLA solution to introduce a matrix reinforcing nanophase within the composite. The melting behavior of PLA composites was obtained by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and modulated-temperature DSC (mT-DSC). Multiple melting which appeared in the non-isothermal heating curve showed that the temperature of a low melting peak increased when using a slower scanning rate. The incorporation of nanosilica in PLA composites affected the melting temperature (Tm) and sufficiently formed nucleation sites that promoted the growth of PLA crystals. Composites analyzed by a temperature-modulated program showed a broad exothermic peak before the melting peak in the non-reversing heat capacity and endothermic melting in the reversing heat capacity curve. This behavior was explained by a process of partial melting, recrystallization and remelting (mrr). The mT-DSC resolved that hemp fiber induced recrystallization and nanosilica acted as an effective nucleating agent, which promoted small and imperfect crystals that changed successively into more stable crystals through a melt-recrystallization process.
Characterization of styrene butadiene rubber and microwave devulcanized ground tire rubber composites
Authors: Karabork Fazliye , Pehlivan Erol , Akdemir Ahmet
Published: May 2014

Ground tire rubber (GTR) was devulcanized by microwaves at the same heating rate (constant power) and different times of exposure. The devulcanized rubber (DV-R) and untreated GTR were characterized physically and thermally. Composite materials were prepared from different proportions of the GTR, which was used as a filler, and the DV-R, which was used as part of the styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) matrix, and by varying the exposure time of the microwave power. These composites were compared with a control sample that was prepared from virgin SBR. The sol content (soluble part) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses of the devulcanized samples were examined to define the efficiency of devulcanization. The cure characteristics and tensile properties of the SBR composites were researched. In this study, it was found that using DV-R as part of the rubber matrix produced much better properties than using GTR as a filler, thereby showing the significant benefits of microwave devulcanization. At the DV-R content of 50 phr, the elongation at break of the DV-R 5 min/SBR composites increased to 445.06% from 217.25% for the GTR/SBR composites, i.e., the elongation at break was enhanced by 105% by the devulcanization of GTR. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) photographs displayed a better interface coherence between the DV-R 5 min and SBR matrix than the GTR/SBR composites.