bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thermal Hydraulic Performance in a Solar Air Heater Channel with Multi V-Type Perforated Baffles
Authors: Kumar Anil , Kim Man-Hoe
Published: July 2016

This article presents heat transfer and fluid flow characteristics in a solar air heater (SAH) channel with multi V-type perforated baffles. The flow passage has an aspect ratio of 10. The relative baffle height, relative pitch, relative baffle hole position, flow attack angle, and baffle open area ratio are 0.6, 8.0, 0.42, 60°, and 12%, respectively. The Reynolds numbers considered in the study was in the range of 3000–10,000. The re-normalization group (RNG) k-ε turbulence model has been used for numerical analysis, and the optimum relative baffle width has been investigated considering relative baffle widths of 1.0–7.0.The numerical results are in good agreement with the experimental data for the range considered in the study. Multi V-type perforated baffles are shown to have better thermal performance as compared to other baffle shapes in a rectangular passage. The overall thermal hydraulic performance shows the maximum value at the relative baffle width of 5.0.
Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment in Occupational Settings Applied to the Airborne Human Adenovirus Infection
Authors: Carducci Annalaura , Donzelli Gabriele , Cioni Lorenzo , Verani Marco
Published: July 2016

Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) methodology, which has already been applied to drinking water and food safety, may also be applied to risk assessment and management at the workplace. The present study developed a preliminary QMRA model to assess microbial risk that is associated with inhaling bioaerosols that are contaminated with human adenovirus (HAdV). This model has been applied to air contamination data from different occupational settings, including wastewater systems, solid waste landfills, and toilets in healthcare settings and offices, with different exposure times. Virological monitoring showed the presence of HAdVs in all the evaluated settings, thus confirming that HAdV is widespread, but with different average concentrations of the virus. The QMRA results, based on these concentrations, showed that toilets had the highest probability of viral infection, followed by wastewater treatment plants and municipal solid waste landfills. Our QMRA approach in occupational settings is novel, and certain caveats should be considered. Nonetheless, we believe it is worthy of further discussions and investigations.
Back to the Future Betas: Empirical Asset Pricing of US and Southeast Asian Markets
Authors: French Jordan
Published: July 2016

The study adds an empirical outlook on the predicting power of using data from the future to predict future returns. The crux of the traditional Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) methodology is using historical data in the calculation of the beta coefficient. This study instead uses a battery of Generalized Auto Regressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) models, of differing lag and parameter terms, to forecast the variance of the market used in the denominator of the beta formula. The covariance of the portfolio and market returns are assumed to remain constant in the time-varying beta calculations. The data spans from 3 January 2005 to 29 December 2014. One ten-year, two five-year, and three three-year sample periods were used, for robustness, with ten different portfolios. Out of sample forecasts, mean absolute error (MAE) and mean squared forecast error (MSE) were used to compare the forecasting ability of the ex-ante GARCH models, Artificial Neural Network, and the standard market ex-post model. Find that the time-varying MGARCH and SGARCH beta performed better with out-of-sample testing than the other ex-ante models. Although the simplest approach, constant ex-post beta, performed as well or better within this empirical study.
Inflammaging and Frailty Status Do Not Result in an Increased Extracellular Vesicle Concentration in Circulation
Authors: Alberro Ainhoa , Sáenz-Cuesta Matías , Muñoz-Culla Maider , Mateo-Abad Maider , Gonzalez Esperanza , Carrasco-Garcia Estefania , Araúzo-Bravo Marcos , Matheu Ander , Vergara Itziar , Otaegui David
Published: July 2016

In the last decades extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as key players for intercellular communication. In the case of inflammation, several studies have reported that EV levels are increased in circulation during inflammatory episodes. Based on this, we investigated whether aging results in elevated EV number, as a basal proinflammatory status termed “inflammaging” has been described in aged individuals. Moreover, we also hypothesized that frailty and dependence conditions of the elderly could affect EV concentration in plasma. Results showed that inflammaging, frailty or dependence status do not result in EV increase, at least in the total number of EVs in circulation. These results open a new perspective for investigating the role of EVs in human aging and in the inflammaging process.
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A New Opportunity in the Treatment of Ovarian Cancer?
Authors: Mittica Gloria , Genta Sofia , Aglietta Massimo , Valabrega Giorgio
Published: July 2016

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the leading cause of death for gynecological cancer. The standard treatment for advanced stage is the combination of optimal debulking surgery and platinum-based chemotherapy. Nevertheless, recurrence is frequent (around 70%) and prognosis is globally poor. New therapeutic agents are needed to improve survival. Since EOC is strongly immunogenic, immune checkpoint inhibitors are under evaluation for their capacity to contrast the “turn off” signals expressed by the tumor to escape the immune system and usually responsible for self-tolerance maintenance. This article reviews the literature on anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4), anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, and anti-PD-L2 antibodies in EOC and highlights their possible lines of development. Further studies are needed to better define the prognostic role of the immune checkpoint inhibitors, to identify predictors of response and the optimal clinical setting in EOC.
Enhancement of Anti-Hypoxic Activity and Differentiation of Cardiac Stem Cells by Supernatant Fluids from Cultured Macrophages that Phagocytized Dead Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Liu Liang , Jin Xian , Zhou Zhong’e , Shen Chengxing
Published: July 2016

Background: Most mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) die shortly after transplantation into a myocardial infarcted area. Dead MSCs (dMSCs) are phagocytized by macrophages (pMΦ) in vivo and in vitro; however, the effects of pMΦ on cardiac stem cells (CSCs) remain unknown. Methods: MSCs, CSCs, and macrophages were obtained from bone marrow, hearts, and peritoneal cavity of mice, respectively. dMSCs were harvested after hypoxia for 24 h, and incubated with macrophages (2:1) for another 2 days with or without lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 50 ng/mL) and sorted by flow cytometry to obtain pMΦ. Viability and apoptosis of CSCs were respectively evaluated with the cell counting kit-8 (CCk-8) assay and Annexin V-PE/7-AAD staining at 0, 6, 12, and 24 h of culture with supernatant fluids from macrophages (MΦ), LPS-stimulated macrophages (LPS-pMΦ), pMΦ, and MSCs. GATA-4 and c-TnI expression was measured by flow cytometry on the seventh day. Expression of inflammation and growth factors was assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in MΦ, LPS-pMΦ, and pMΦ cells. Results: pMΦ expressed higher levels of interleukin-10 (IL-10) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)and lower levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and IL-6 than LPS-pMΦ, higher levels of growth factors and of GATA-4 and c-TnI at the 7th day, which were similar to those in MSCs. CSCs cultured with supernatant fluids of pMΦ exhibited higher proliferative, anti-hypoxic, and differentiation activities. Conclusion: The supernatant fluids of macrophages that had phagocytized dead MSCs encouraged changes in phenotype and growth factor expression, enhanced proliferation, differentiation, and anti-hypoxic activity of CSCs, which is relevant to understanding the persistent therapeutic effect of MSCs after their massive demise upon transplantation in myocardial infarction. Furthermore, some miRNAs or proteins which were extracted from the supernatant fluids may give us a new insight into the treatment of myocardial infarction in the future.
Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of Co-Cr Dental Alloys Fabricated by Three CAD/CAM-Based Processing Techniques
Authors: Kim Hae , Jang Seong-Ho , Kim Young , Son Jun , Min Bong , Kim Kyo-Han , Kwon Tae-Yub
Published: July 2016

The microstructures and mechanical properties of cobalt-chromium (Co-Cr) alloys produced by three CAD/CAM-based processing techniques were investigated in comparison with those produced by the traditional casting technique. Four groups of disc- (microstructures) or dumbbell- (mechanical properties) specimens made of Co-Cr alloys were prepared using casting (CS), milling (ML), selective laser melting (SLM), and milling/post-sintering (ML/PS). For each technique, the corresponding commercial alloy material was used. The microstructures of the specimens were evaluated via X-ray diffractometry, optical and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and electron backscattered diffraction pattern analysis. The mechanical properties were evaluated using a tensile test according to ISO 22674 (n = 6). The microstructure of the alloys was strongly influenced by the manufacturing processes. Overall, the SLM group showed superior mechanical properties, the ML/PS group being nearly comparable. The mechanical properties of the ML group were inferior to those of the CS group. The microstructures and mechanical properties of Co-Cr alloys were greatly dependent on the manufacturing technique as well as the chemical composition. The SLM and ML/PS techniques may be considered promising alternatives to the Co-Cr alloy casting process.
A Numerical Study on the Effect of Debris Layer on Fretting Wear
Authors: Yue Tongyan , Abdel Wahab Magd
Published: July 2016

Fretting wear is the material damage of two contact surfaces caused by micro relative displacement. Its characteristic is that debris is trapped on the contact surfaces. Depending on the material properties, the shapes of the debris, and the dominant wear mechanisms, debris can play different roles that either protect or harm interfaces. Due to the micro scale of the debris, it is difficult to obtain instantaneous information and investigate debris behavior in experiments. The Finite Element Method (FEM) has been used to model the process of fretting wear and calculate contact variables, such as contact stress and relative slip during the fretting wear process. In this research, a 2D fretting wear model with a debris layer was developed to investigate the influence of debris on fretting wear. Effects of different factors such as thickness of the debris layer, Young’s modulus of the debris layer, and the time of importing the layer into the FE model were considered in this study. Based on FE results, here we report that: (a) the effect of Young’s modulus of the debris layer on the contact pressure is not significant; (b) the contact pressure between the debris layer and the flat specimen decreases with increasing thickness of the layer and (c) by importing the debris layer in different fretting wear cycles, the debris layer shows different roles in the wear process. At the beginning of the wear cycle, the debris layer protects the contact surfaces of the first bodies (cylindrical pad and flat specimen). However, in the final cycle, the wear volumes of the debris layers exhibit slightly higher damage compared to the model without the debris layer in all considered cases.
Recent Developments in Antimicrobial Polymers: A Review
Authors: Santos Madson , Fonseca Ana , Mendonça Patrícia , Branco Rita , Serra Arménio , Morais Paula , Coelho Jorge
Published: July 2016

Antimicrobial polymers represent a very promising class of therapeutics with unique characteristics for fighting microbial infections. As the classic antibiotics exhibit an increasingly low capacity to effectively act on microorganisms, new solutions must be developed. The importance of this class of materials emerged from the uncontrolled use of antibiotics, which led to the advent of multidrug-resistant microbes, being nowadays one of the most serious public health problems. This review presents a critical discussion of the latest developments involving the use of different classes of antimicrobial polymers. The synthesis pathways used to afford macromolecules with antimicrobial properties, as well as the relationship between the structure and performance of these materials are discussed.
New Cyclotetrapeptides and a New Diketopiperzine Derivative from the Marine Sponge-Associated Fungus Neosartorya glabra KUFA 0702
Authors: May Zin War , Buttachon Suradet , Dethoup Tida , Fernandes Carla , Cravo Sara , Pinto Madalena , Gales Luís , Pereira José , Silva Artur , Sekeroglu Nazim , Kijjoa Anake
Published: July 2016

Two new cyclotetrapeptides, sartoryglabramides A (5) and B (6), and a new analog of fellutanine A (8) were isolated, together with six known compounds including ergosta-4, 6, 8 (14), 22-tetraen-3-one, ergosterol 5, 8-endoperoxide, helvolic acid, aszonalenin (1), (3R)-3-(1H-indol-3-ylmethyl)-3,4-dihydro-1H-1,4-benzodiazepine-2,5-dione (2), takakiamide (3), (11aR)-2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepine-5,11(10H,11aH)-dione (4), and fellutanine A (7), from the ethyl acetate extract of the culture of the marine sponge-associated fungus Neosartorya glabra KUFA 0702. The structures of the new compounds were established based on extensive 1D and 2D spectral analysis. X-ray analysis was also used to confirm the relative configuration of the amino acid constituents of sartoryglabramide A (5), and the absolute stereochemistry of the amino acid constituents of sartoryglabramide A (5) and sartoryglabramides B (6) was determined by chiral HPLC analysis of their hydrolysates by co-injection with the d- and l- amino acids standards. Compounds 1–8 were tested for their antibacterial activity against Gram-positive (Escherichia coli ATCC 25922) and Gram-negative (Staphyllococus aureus ATCC 25923) bacteria, as well as for their antifungal activity against filamentous (Aspergillus fumigatus ATCC 46645), dermatophyte (Trichophyton rubrum ATCC FF5) and yeast (Candida albicans ATCC 10231). None of the tested compounds exhibited either antibacterial (MIC > 256 μg/mL) or antifungal activities (MIC > 512 μg/mL).
The Development of Coronary Artery Stents: From Bare-Metal to Bio-Resorbable Types
Authors: Ho Ming-Yun , Chen Chun-Chi , Wang Chao-Yung , Chang Shang-Hung , Hsieh Ming-Jer , Lee Cheng-Hung , Wu Victor , Hsieh I-Chang
Published: July 2016

Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Conventional balloon angioplasty is associated with high rates of complications such as coronary dissection and vessel recoil. The deployment of bare-metal stents (BMSs) can overcome these problems and achieve a better patency rate than simple balloon angioplasty. It has been shown that the stent design including structure platform, size, length, and strut thickness has a major influence on the clinical results. Even though angioplasty with BMS implantation is widely used in coronary interventions, the restenosis rate due to neointimal hyperplasia remains high. Therefore, drug-eluting stents (DESs) coated with anti-proliferative agents and polymers have been developed to reduce the restenosis rate and improve the clinical outcomes. Although the repeat revascularization rate of DESs is lower than that of BMSs, the long-term stent thrombosis rate is higher than for BMSs. Therefore, new and emerging generations of stents, in which, for example, thinner struts and bioresorbable polymers are used, are available for clinical use. However, there are only a limited number of clinical trials, in which these newer stents have been compared with BMSs and first- and second-generation DESs. The purpose of this review was to provide up-to-date information on the evolution of coronary artery stents from BMSs to DESs to bioresorbable stents (BRSs).
Two New Secondary Metabolites from the Endophytic Fungus Endomelanconiopsis endophytica
Authors: Sun Zhang-Hua , Li Hao-Hua , Liang Fa-Liang , Chen Yu-Chan , Liu Hong-Xin , Li Sai-Ni , Tan Guo-Hui , Zhang Wei-Min
Published: July 2016

Two new secondary metabolites, endomeketals A–B (1–2), a new natural product (3), and a known compound (4) were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of the endophytic fungus Endomelanconiopsis endophytica A326 derived from Ficus hirta. Their structures were determined on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis. All compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against SF-268, MCF-7, NCI-H460, and HepG-2 tumor cell lines. However, no compound showed cytotoxic activity against these human tumor cell lines.
EGCG Suppresses ERK5 Activation to Reverse Tobacco Smoke-Triggered Gastric Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in BALB/c Mice
Authors: Lu Ling , Chen Jia , Tang Hua , Bai Ling , Lu Chun , Wang Kehuan , Li Manli , Yan Yinmei , Tang Ling , Wu Rui , Ye Yang , Jin Longtao , Liang Zhaofeng
Published: July 2016

Tobacco smoke is an important risk factor of gastric cancer. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition is a crucial pathophysiological process in cancer development. ERK5 regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition may be sensitive to cell types and/or the cellular microenvironment and its role in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process remain elusive. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is a promising chemopreventive agent for several types of cancers. In the present study we investigated the regulatory role of ERK5 in tobacco smoke-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in the stomach of mice and the preventive effect of EGCG. Exposure of mice to tobacco smoke for 12 weeks reduced expression of epithelial markers E-cadherin, ZO-1, and CK5, while the expression of mesenchymal markers Snail-1, Vimentin, and N-cadherin were increased. Importantly, we demonstrated that ERK5 modulated tobacco smoke-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition in mice stomach, as evidenced by the findings that tobacco smoke elevated ERK5 activation, and that tobacco smoke-triggered epithelial-mesenchymal transition was reversed by ERK5 inhibition. Treatment of EGCG (100 mg/kg BW) effectively attenuated tobacco smoke-triggered activation of ERK5 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition alterations in mice stomach. Collectively, these data suggested that ERK5 was required for tobacco smoke-triggered gastric epithelial-mesenchymal transition and that EGCG suppressed ERK5 activation to reverse tobacco smoke-triggered gastric epithelial-mesenchymal transition in BALB/c mice. These findings provide new insights into the mechanism of tobacco smoke-associated gastric tumorigenesis and the chemoprevention of tobacco smoke-associated gastric cancer.
Drug Delivery Approaches for the Treatment of Cervical Cancer
Authors: Ordikhani Farideh , Erdem Arslan Mustafa , Marcelo Raymundo , Sahin Ilyas , Grigsby Perry , Schwarz Julie , Azab Abdel
Published: July 2016

Cervical cancer is a highly prevalent cancer that affects women around the world. With the availability of new technologies, researchers have increased their efforts to develop new drug delivery systems in cervical cancer chemotherapy. In this review, we summarized some of the recent research in systematic and localized drug delivery systems and compared the advantages and disadvantages of these methods.
Particle Filter Approach for Real-Time Estimation of Crop Phenological States Using Time Series of NDVI Images
Authors: De Bernardis Caleb , Vicente-Guijalba Fernando , Martinez-Marin Tomas , Lopez-Sanchez Juan
Published: July 2016

Knowing the current phenological state of an agricultural crop is a powerful tool for precision farming applications. In the past, it has been estimated with remote sensing data by exploiting time series of Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), but always at the end of the campaign and only providing results for some key states. In this work, a new dynamical framework is proposed to provide real-time estimates in a continuous range of states, for which NDVI images are combined with a prediction model in an optimal way using a particle filter. The methodology is tested over a set of 8 to 13 rice parcels during 2008–2013, achieving a high determination factor R 2 = 0.93 ( n = 379 ) for the complete phenological range. This method is also used to predict the end of season date, obtaining a high accuracy with an anticipation of around 40–60 days. Among the key advantages of this approach, phenology is estimated each time a new observation is available, hence enabling the potential detection of anomalies in real-time during the cultivation. In addition, the estimation procedure is robust in the case of noisy observations, and it is not limited to a few phenological stages.
The Vector Matching Method in Geomagnetic Aiding Navigation
Authors: Song Zhongguo , Zhang Jinsheng , Zhu Wenqi , Xi Xiaoli
Published: July 2016

In this paper, a geomagnetic matching navigation method that utilizes the geomagnetic vector is developed, which can greatly improve the matching probability and positioning precision, even when the geomagnetic entropy information in the matching region is small or the geomagnetic contour line’s variety is obscure. The vector iterative closest contour point (VICCP) algorithm that is proposed here has better adaptability with the positioning error characteristics of the inertial navigation system (INS), where the rigid transformation in ordinary ICCP is replaced with affine transformation. In a subsequent step, a geomagnetic vector information fusion algorithm based on Bayesian statistical analysis is introduced into VICCP to improve matching performance further. Simulations based on the actual geomagnetic reference map have been performed for the validation of the proposed algorithm.
Novel Intersection Type Recognition for Autonomous Vehicles Using a Multi-Layer Laser Scanner
Authors: An Jhonghyun , Choi Baehoon , Sim Kwee-Bo , Kim Euntai
Published: July 2016

There are several types of intersections such as merge-roads, diverge-roads, plus-shape intersections and two types of T-shape junctions in urban roads. When an autonomous vehicle encounters new intersections, it is crucial to recognize the types of intersections for safe navigation. In this paper, a novel intersection type recognition method is proposed for an autonomous vehicle using a multi-layer laser scanner. The proposed method consists of two steps: (1) static local coordinate occupancy grid map (SLOGM) building and (2) intersection classification. In the first step, the SLOGM is built relative to the local coordinate using the dynamic binary Bayes filter. In the second step, the SLOGM is used as an attribute for the classification. The proposed method is applied to a real-world environment and its validity is demonstrated through experimentation.
The Evaluation of Physical Stillness with Wearable Chest and Arm Accelerometer during Chan Ding Practice
Authors: Chang Kang-Ming , Chun Yu-Teng , Chen Sih-Huei , Lu Luo , Su Hsiao-Ting , Liang Hung-Meng , Santhosh Jayasree , Ching Congo , Liu Shing-Hong
Published: July 2016

Chan Ding training is beneficial to health and emotional wellbeing. More and more people have taken up this practice over the past few years. A major training method of Chan Ding is to focus on the ten Mailuns, i.e., energy points, and to maintain physical stillness. In this article, wireless wearable accelerometers were used to detect physical stillness, and the created physical stillness index (PSI) was also shown. Ninety college students participated in this study. Primarily, accelerometers used on the arms and chest were examined. The results showed that the PSI values on the arms were higher than that of the chest, when participants moved their bodies in three different ways, left-right, anterior-posterior, and hand, movements with natural breathing. Then, they were divided into three groups to practice Chan Ding for approximately thirty minutes. Participants without any Chan Ding experience were in Group I. Participants with one year of Chan Ding experience were in Group II, and participants with over three year of experience were in Group III. The Chinese Happiness Inventory (CHI) was also conducted. Results showed that the PSI of the three groups measured during 20–30 min were 0.123 ± 0.155, 0.012 ± 0.013, and 0.001 ± 0.0003, respectively (p < 0.001 ***). The averaged CHI scores of the three groups were 10.13, 17.17, and 25.53, respectively (p < 0.001 ***). Correlation coefficients between PSI and CHI of the three groups were −0.440, −0.369, and −0.537, respectively (p < 0.01 **). PSI value and the wearable accelerometer that are presently available on the market could be used to evaluate the quality of the physical stillness of the participants during Chan Ding practice.
Development of a Combined Heart-Cut and Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography System to Extend the Carbon Range of Volatile Organic Compounds Analysis in a Single Instrument
Authors: Dunmore Rachel , Hopkins James , Lidster Richard , Mead Mohammed , Bandy Brian , Forster Grant , Oram David , Sturges William , Phang Siew-Moi , Samah Azizan , Hamilton Jacqueline
Published: July 2016

The majority of atmospheric measurements of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are usually limited to a small range, either in volatility or time resolution. A combined heart-cut gas chromatography (GC) with comprehensive two-dimensional GC (GC×GC) instrument was developed, specifically to increase the number of VOCs analysed using a single instrument. The system uses valve based modulation and was fully automated, making it suitable for use in the field. A laboratory comparison to an existing dual-channel GC (DC-GC) instrument demonstrated that this new GC-GC×GC can accurately measure atmospheric mixing ratios of C 5 -C 13 VOC species with a wide range of functionalities. Approximately hourly field measurements were conducted at a remote marine atmospheric research station in Bachok, Malaysia. This region was shown to be influenced by clean marine air masses, local anthropogenic and biogenic emission sources and aged emissions transported from highly polluted South East Asian regions. A dramatic shift in air mass direction was observed each day associated with the development of a sea breeze, which influenced the diurnal profiles of species measured at the Bachok site. A proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-MS) was also deployed at Bachok and compared to the new GC-GC×GC instrument. Overall, the GC-GC×GC instrument has been shown to perform well in lab comparisons and during field observations. This represents a good compromise between volatility and high complexity o n l i n e measurements of VOCs.
Reporter-Expressing, Replicating-Competent Recombinant Arenaviruses
Authors: Martínez-Sobrido Luis , De la Torre Juan
Published: July 2016

Several arenaviruses cause hemorrhagic fever (HF) disease in humans and pose an important public health problem in their endemic regions. To date, no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-licensed vaccines are available to combat human arenavirus infections, and current anti-arenaviral drug therapy is limited to an off-label use of ribavirin that is only partially effective. The development of arenavirus reverse genetic approaches has provided investigators with a novel and powerful approach for the study of arenavirus biology including virus–host interactions underlying arenavirus induced disease. The use of cell-based minigenome systems has allowed examining the cis- and trans-acting factors involved in arenavirus replication and transcription, as well as particle assembly and budding. Likewise, it is now feasible to rescue infectious arenaviruses containing predetermined mutations in their genomes to investigate virus-host interactions and mechanisms of pathogenesis. The use of reverse genetics approaches has also allowed the generation of recombinant arenaviruses expressing additional genes of interest. These advances in arenavirus molecular genetics have also facilitated the implementation of novel screens to identify anti-arenaviral drugs, and the development of novel strategies for the generation of arenavirus live-attenuated vaccines. In this review, we will summarize the current knowledge on reporter-expressing, replicating-competent arenaviruses harboring reporter genes in different locations of the viral genome and their use for studying and understanding arenavirus biology and the identification of anti-arenaviral drugs to combat these important human pathogens.
KSHV-Mediated Angiogenesis in Tumor Progression
Authors: Purushothaman Pravinkumar , Uppal Timsy , Sarkar Roni , Verma Subhash
Published: July 2016

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), also known as Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), is a malignant human oncovirus belonging to the gamma herpesvirus family. HHV-8 is closely linked to the pathogenesis of Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) and two other B-cell lymphoproliferative diseases: primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) and a plasmablastic variant of multicentric Castleman’s disease (MCD). KS is an invasive tumor of endothelial cells most commonly found in untreated HIV-AIDS or immuno-compromised individuals. KS tumors are highly vascularized and have abnormal, excessive neo-angiogenesis, inflammation, and proliferation of infected endothelial cells. KSHV directly induces angiogenesis in an autocrine and paracrine fashion through a complex interplay of various viral and cellular pro-angiogenic and inflammatory factors. KS is believed to originate due to a combination of KSHV’s efficient strategies for evading host immune systems and several pro-angiogenic and pro-inflammatory stimuli. In addition, KSHV infection of endothelial cells produces a wide array of viral oncoproteins with transforming capabilities that regulate multiple host-signaling pathways involved in the activation of angiogenesis. It is likely that the cellular-signaling pathways of angiogenesis and lymph-angiogenesis modulate the rate of tumorigenesis induction by KSHV. This review summarizes the current knowledge on regulating KSHV-mediated angiogenesis by integrating the findings reported thus far on the roles of host and viral genes in oncogenesis, recent developments in cell-culture/animal-model systems, and various anti-angiogenic therapies for treating KSHV-related lymphoproliferative disorders.
Link Prediction on a Network of Co-occurring MeSH Terms: Towards Literature-based Discovery
Authors: Rindflesch Thomas , Hristovski Dimitar , Kastrin Andrej
Published: July 2016

Objectives:Literature-based discovery (LBD) is a text mining methodology for automatically generating research hypotheses from existing knowledge. We mimic the process of LBD as a classification problem on a graph of MeSH terms. We employ unsupervised and supervised link prediction methods for predicting previously unknown connections between biomedical concepts.

Methods:We evaluate the effectiveness of link prediction through a series of experiments using a MeSH network that contains the history of link formation between biomedical concepts. We performed link prediction using proximity measures, such as common neighbor (CN), Jaccard coefficient (JC), Adamic / Adar index (AA) and preferential attachment (PA). Our approach relies on the assumption that similar nodes are more likely to establish a link in the future.

Results:Applying an unsupervised approach, the AA measure achieved the best performance in terms of area under the ROC curve (AUC = 0.76),gfollowed by CN, JC, and PA. In a supervised approach, we evaluate whether proximity measures can be combined to define a model of link formation across all four predictors. We applied various classifiers, including decision trees, k-nearest neighbors, logistic regression, multilayer perceptron, naïve Bayes, and random forests. Random forest classifier accomplishes the best performance (AUC = 0.87).

Conclusions:The link prediction approach proved to be effective for LBD processing. Supervised statistical learning approaches clearly outperform an unsupervised approach to link prediction.
RIEGER-TYPE PERIODICITY DURING SOLAR CYCLES 14–24: ESTIMATION OF DYNAMO MAGNETIC FIELD STRENGTH IN THE SOLAR INTERIOR
Authors: Gurgenashvili Eka , Zaqarashvili Teimuraz V. , Kukhianidze Vasil , Oliver Ramon , Ballester Jose Luis , Ramishvili Giorgi , Shergelashvili Bidzina , Hanslmeier Arnold , Poedts Stefaan
Published: July 2016

Solar activity undergoes a variation over timescales of several months known as Rieger-type periodicity, which usually occurs near maxima of sunspot cycles. An early analysis showed that the periodicity appears only in some cycles and is absent in other cycles. But the appearance/absence during different cycles has not been explained. We performed a wavelet analysis of sunspot data from the Greenwich Royal Observatory and the Royal Observatory of Belgium during cycles 14–24. We found that the Rieger-type periods occur in all cycles, but they are cycle dependent: shorter periods occur during stronger cycles. Our analysis revealed a periodicity of 185–195 days during the weak cycles 14–15 and 24 and a periodicity of 155–165 days during the stronger cycles 16–23. We derived the dispersion relation of the spherical harmonics of the magnetic Rossby waves in the presence of differential rotation and a toroidal magnetic field in the dynamo layer near the base of the convection zone. This showed that the harmonics of fast Rossby waves with m = 1 and n = 4, where m (n) indicates the toroidal (poloidal) wavenumbers, perfectly fit with the observed periodicity. The variation of the toroidal field strength from weaker to stronger cycles may lead to the different periods found in those cycles, which explains the observed enigmatic feature of the Rieger-type periodicity. Finally, we used the observed periodicity to estimate the dynamo field strength during cycles 14–24. Our estimations suggest a field strength of ∼40 kG for the stronger cycles and ∼20 kG for the weaker cycles.
Éducation et société chez Marie Lahy-Hollebecque, pionnière de la sociologie de l’enfant
Authors: Ottavi Dominique
Published: July 2016

Marie Lahy-Hollebecque a produit une œuvre théorique et militante dont le but est de repenser l’éducation de la jeunesse dans un monde moderne bouleversé par les deux guerres mondiales. Dès le début de sa carrière de professeur de lettres, elle s’interroge sur les besoins culturels de la jeunesse et, au fur et à mesure que le siècle avance, elle considère que la formation intellectuelle et morale des jeunes devrait être une priorité pour les pouvoirs publics, sans considérer que l’école est le seul moyen d’éducation. C’est ainsi qu’elle imagine une institution, la Maison de l’enfant, où se rencontreraient acteurs de l’éducation, dont les familles, et scientifiques, où des ressources seraient offertes pour donner à l’enfant la place qu’il mérite et développer de nouvelles connaissances.
Une expérience d’éducation régénératrice : l’École Freinet à Vence (1934-1939)
Authors: Riondet Xavier
Published: July 2016

Changer l’éducation et la société ? Comment Célestin et Élise Freinet pensent-ils cette question ? On se propose de répondre à cette question en revenant sur la création de l’École Freinet de Vence pendant l’entre-deux guerres et sur le sens politique de cette expérience. En mettant au jour les différents contextes en jeu et la singularité de cette école nouvelle, privée, prolétarienne et naturiste, cette étude montre comment l’expérience de Vence représente la concrétisation d’une pensée critique. Elle donne corps à une réponse originale quant au questionnement sur les changements sociétaux et scolaires à mener en France dans une perspective révolutionnaire.
Pitting Corrosion of Marine Steam Boilers - The Case Study
Authors: Behrendt Cezary , Gawdzińska Katarzyna
Published: July 2016

On the grounds of the inspections performed and the results of metallographic tests, the causes of pitting corrosion of combined, auxiliary oil-fired boiler were described in this paper. The boiler generated saturated steam. The methodology and the scope of the carried out tests are indicated, photographs are included as well as the description of damages and documentation regarding the metallographic tests. Conclusions which arose from the abovementioned tests and operational recommendations for engine crew were developed.
The Evaluation of the Cavitational Damage in MgAl2Si Alloy Using Various Laboratory Stands
Authors: Jasionowski Robert , Zasada Dariusz , Polkowski Wojciech
Published: July 2016

Evaluation of cavitation erosion resistance of is carried out by using various testing stands, that differ by the way of cavitation excitation and its intensity. These various testing conditions have led to a standardization of some part of laboratory stands, that in turn allows a direct comparison of results obtained in different laboratories. The aim of this study was to determine the course of cavitational destruction of MgAl2Si alloy samples tested on three different laboratory stands. The research was conducted on a vibration stand according to ASTM G32, where cavitation is forced by the vibrating element; in the cavitation tunnel reflecting actual flow conditions, and on a jet impact stand- simulating the impact microjet in the final phase of the cavitational bubbles implosion. Each laboratory stand has given a different course of cavitational destruction.
Strength Analysis of Shipping Container Floor with Gooseneck Tunnel under Heavy Cargo Load
Authors: Rzeczycki Arkadiusz , Wiśnicki Bogusz
Published: July 2016

Currently, guidelines for safely loading shipping containers with heavy cargo in the gooseneck tunnel region do not exist. This work investigates the influence of the construction type of the gooseneck tunnel on the strength of the floor of the shipping container. The main objective is to develop guidelines for loading shipping containers with heavy cargo in the gooseneck tunnel region. This paper investigates strength of the floor using finite element method. The finite element analysis shows how the container's floor responds in the given loading scenarios.
Distribution of Discrete Time Delta-Hedging Error via a Recursive Relation
Authors: Park Minseok , Lee Kyungsub , Choe Geon Ho
Published: July 2016

We introduce a new method to compute the approximate distribution of the Delta-hedging error for a path-dependent option, and calculate its value over various strike prices via a recursive relation and numerical integration. Including geometric Brownian motion and Merton's jump diffusion model, we obtain the approximate distribution of the Delta-hedging error by differentiating its price with respect to the strike price. The distribution from Monte Carlo simulation is compared with that obtained by our method.
Prediction-Correction Scheme for Decoupled Forward Backward Stochastic Differential Equations with Jumps
Authors: Fu Yu , Yang Jie , Zhao Weidong
Published: July 2016

By introducing a new Gaussian process and a new compensated Poisson random measure, we propose an explicit prediction-correction scheme for solving decoupled forward backward stochastic differential equations with jumps (FBSDEJs). For this scheme, we first theoretically obtain a general error estimate result, which implies that the scheme is stable. Then using this result, we rigorously prove that the accuracy of the explicit scheme can be of second order. Finally, we carry out some numerical experiments to verify our theoretical results.
Numerical Solution of Stochastic Ito-Volterra Integral Equations using Haar Wavelets
Authors: Mohammadi Fakhrodin
Published: July 2016

This paper presents a computational method for solving stochastic Ito-Volterra integral equations. First, Haar wavelets and their properties are employed to derive a general procedure for forming the stochastic operational matrix of Haar wavelets. Then, application of this stochastic operational matrix for solving stochastic Ito-Volterra integral equations is explained. The convergence and error analysis of the proposed method are investigated. Finally, the efficiency of the presented method is confirmed by some examples.
Convergence of an Anisotropic Perfectly Matched Layer Method for Helmholtz Scattering Problems
Authors: Liang Chao , Xiang Xueshuang
Published: July 2016

The anisotropic perfectly matched layer (APML) defines a continuous vector field outside a rectangle domain and performs the complex coordinate stretching along the vector field. Inspired by [Z. Chen et al., Inverse Probl. Imag., 7, (2013):663–678] and based on the idea of the shortest distance, we propose a new approach to construct the vector field which still allows us to prove the exponential decay of the stretched Green function without the constraint on the thickness of the PML layer. Moreover, by using the reflection argument, we prove the stability of the PML problem in the PML layer and the convergence of the PML method. Numerical experiments are also included.
Mesh Spacing Estimates and Efficiency Considerations for Moving Mesh Systems
Authors: Remski Joan
Published: July 2016

Adaptive numerical methods for solving partial differential equations (PDEs) that control the movement of grid points are called moving mesh methods. In this paper, these methods are examined in the case where a separate PDE, that depends on a monitor function, controls the behavior of the mesh. This results in a system of PDEs: one controlling the mesh and another solving the physical problem that is of interest. For a class of monitor functions resembling the arc length monitor, a trade off between computational efficiency in solving the moving mesh system and the accuracy level of the solution to the physical PDE is demonstrated. This accuracy is measured in the density of mesh points in the desired portion of the domain where the function has steep gradient. The balance of computational efficiency versus accuracy is illustrated numerically with both the arc length monitor and a monitor that minimizes certain interpolation errors. Physical solutions with steep gradients in small portions of their domain are considered for both the analysis and the computations.
Contractual arrangements in the Nigeria's oil industry
Authors: Onyi-Ogelle Helen Obioma
Published: July 2016

Nigeria is about the 7th largest producer of oil in the world by virtue of which she is a major player at the international oil market. But Nigeria is not technologically self-sufficient; hence, requires the developed nation’s technology to enable her maximally explore and produce the oil and gas she is rich in. To achieve this, Nigeria entered into contracts with different international oil companies. Thus, this paper explicitly sets out these various contracts, critically analyses their nature, features, distinguishing characteristics, etc. It also discovers the problems with the application of the contracts considering the political background of the developed nations vis-à-vis Nigeria’s yet to be developed background, and made recommendations on the way forward. This paper concludes that with the application of the contractual arrangements as amended and the recommendations hereto, Nigeria’s richness in oil and gas will be evidenced in their control of the oil industry with resultant increase in revenue and foreign earnings.Keywords: Nigeria, oil and gas, contracts, concession, exploration production
An appraisal of the state fund and empowerment programme in Nigeria
Authors: Uhunmwuangho SO , Akintoye EO
Published: July 2016

This paper presents an appraisal of the Goodluck Jonathan’s policy on Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P). Distributive politics is one of the most important and controversial aspects of the policy chain. In the Nigerian nation, more than anything else, the greatest obstacle to the nascent democracy is the pervasive insecurity of lives and property as evidenced by the spate of armed robbery attacks, political assassinations, and poor power distribution coupled with the seeming helplessness of security agencies to handle criminal acts. The situation is worsened by the increasing number of unemployed Nigerians some of whom are ready recruits for criminal activities. The above statement from an editorial comment by a national daily in Nigeria indeed epitomizes the central focus of this paper, the aim of which is to analyze the nexus between democratic nurturing, sustenance and eventually consolidation via-a-vis the battles with one of the major ills of the Nigerian nation. Fifty-two years after independence, Nigeria still battles with one of the major fall-outs of democratic dispensation: the politics of trying to appease all sectors of the polity. This paper highlights and assesses the nature, quality and value of particular issues and matters that have dominated the Nigerian federal polity and which have created untold unpleasant experiences and pains at one point or the other since independence. The SURE-P programme is aimed at alleviating the suffering of the teaming youths in Nigeria, especially those that was affected by the oil-spillage and jobless youths. However, the research employed as a focal point, a unique data to explain the implementation of the SURE-P programme. The paper painstakingly appraises many of these issues and concludes that all stakeholders in the federal polity should thread softly, be objective, rational, altruistic and magnanimous in order not to make the existence of true federalism (social, political and economic cohesive existence of the people, peace and tranquility) a fleeting illusion and a mirage. It also focuses on critical analysis of the SURE-P programme of the immediate past President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.Keywords: Political, Democracy, Corruption, Society, Nigeria, State
Parents’ occupation as correlate of students’ career aspiration in Public Secondary Schools in Ekpoma Metropolis
Authors: Ehigbor BO , Akinlosotu TN
Published: July 2016

This study investigated the relationship between parents’ occupation and students’ career aspiration in public secondary schools in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State. The correlational research design was adopted for the study. A sample of 320 students was drawn for by simple random sampling technique from a population  of 3272 senior secondary school students in the 16 public schools in the local government. A self-designed inventory titled: Students Career and Parent Occupational Inventory (SCAPOI) was designed using Holland’s (1985) work on six (6) personality types namely: Realistic (R); Investigative (I); Social (S); Artistic (A); Enterprising (E); and Conventional personality type (C). The Kendall’s tau-b rank correlation technique was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS version 20). Results showed that there is a significant relationship between parents’ career/occupation and students’ career aspiration in public secondary schools in Ekpoma metropolis (r=.943, p<0.01). Sequel to findings, it was recommended that parents should cautiously avoid the tendency of pushing their children into pursuing those ‘wishful heights’ in their careers that they were unable to attain in other to make them accomplish their ‘own failings’.Keywords: Career, Personality type, Career Aspiration, Career Choice, Student