bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research on knowledge support technology for product innovation design based on quality function knowledge deployment
Authors: Zhang Kai , Zhao Wu , Wang Jie , Chen Ling , Wang Chen , Guo Xin
Published: June 2016

Based on the analysis of the relationship between the process of product innovation design and knowledge, this article proposes a theoretical model of quality function knowledge deployment. In order to link up the product innovation design and the knowledge required by the designer, the iterative method of quality function knowledge deployment is refined, as well as the knowledge retrieval model and knowledge support model based on quality function knowledge deployment are established. In the whole life cycle of product design, in view of the different requirements for knowledge in conceptual design stage, components’ configuration stage, process planning stage, and production planning stage, the quality function knowledge deployment model could link up the required knowledge with the engineering characteristics, component characteristics, process characteristics, and production characteristics in the four stages using the mapping relationship between the function characteristics and the knowledge and help the designer to track the required knowledge for realizing product innovation design. In this article, an instance about rewinding machine is given to demonstrate the practicability and validity of product innovation design knowledge support technology based on quality function knowledge deployment.
Midterm outcomes of catheter-directed interventions for the treatment of acute pulmonary embolism
Authors: Liang Nathan L , Chaer Rabih A , Marone Luke K , Singh Michael J , Makaroun Michel S , Avgerinos Efthymios D
Published: June 2016

Objective

The hemodynamic benefits of catheter-directed thrombolysis for acute pulmonary embolism have not been clearly defined beyond the periprocedural period. The objective of this study is to report midterm outcomes of catheter-directed thrombolysis for treatment of acute pulmonary embolism.

Methods

Records of all patients undergoing catheter-directed thrombolysis for high- or intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism were retrospectively reviewed. Endpoints were clinical success, procedure-related complications, mortality, and longitudinal echocardiographic parameter improvement.

Results

A total of 69 patients underwent catheter-directed thrombolysis (mean age 59 ± 15 y, 56% male). Eleven had high-risk and 58 intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism. Baseline characteristics did not differ by pulmonary embolism subtype. Fifty-two percent of patients underwent ultrasound-assisted thrombolysis, 39% standard catheter-directed thrombolysis, and 9% other interventional therapy; 89.9% had bilateral treatment. Average treatment time was 17.7 ± 11.3 h with average t-Pa dose of 28.5 ± 19.6 mg. The rate of clinical success was 88%. There were two major (3%) and six minor (9%) periprocedural bleeding complications with no strokes. All echocardiographic parameters demonstrated significant improvement at one-year follow-up. Pulmonary embolism-related in-hospital mortality was 3.3%, and estimated survival was 81.2% at one year.

Conclusions

Catheter-directed thrombolysis is safe and effective for treatment of acute pulmonary embolism, with sustained hemodynamic improvement at one year. Further prospective large-scale studies are needed to determine comparative effectiveness of interventions for acute pulmonary embolism.
Estimation of temperature-dependent thermal conductivity using proper generalised decomposition for building energy management
Authors: Berger Julien , Gasparin Suelen , Chhay Marx , Mendes Nathan
Published: June 2016

A proper generalised decomposition for solving inverse heat conduction problems is proposed in this article as an innovative method offering important numerical savings. It is based on the solution of a parametric problem, considering the unknown parameter as a coordinate of the problem. Then, considering this solution, all sets of cost function can be computed as a function of the unknown parameter of the defined domain, identifying the argument that minimises the cost function. In order to illustrate the applicability, the method is used to solve a non-linear inverse heat conduction problem to determine a temperature-dependent thermal conductivity. Then, a comparison is carried out with the local sensitivity and the genetic algorithm methods. It is shown that the proper generalised decomposition method estimates the unknown parameter with the same accuracy as the other two methods. Due to its advantage in terms of reducing the complexity, the method was then used to solve a transient three-dimensional non-linear heat transfer inverse problem. The results have shown that the method is appropriate to determine the unknown parameter with a low computational cost. Furthermore, the main advantage of the technique is its low capacity for storage, which can be used, as an inverse method, for building energy management and extended to evaluate thermal bridges from on-site measurements.
Hilbert-diagnostics of vortex rings induced in air by a pressure pulse on a hole
Authors: Arbuzov VA , Dubnishchev Yu N , Dvornikov NA , Nechaev VG , Novosyolova ON , Shlapakova EO
Published: June 2016

Formation and evolution of complementary vortical rings induced in air by a pressure pulse on a hole under various boundary conditions are investigated by Hilbert-optics methods and computer modeling. It is experimentally demonstrated that reverse ring-shaped vortices inside the chamber after its depressurization are formed not only in the case with a reduced initial pressure in the chamber as compared with the ambient atmospheric pressure but also in the case with a higher gas pressure in the chamber than the atmospheric pressure. The complementary vortex rings propagating in forward and reverse directions might significantly affect the combustion process in the jets.
Distractibility in multiple sclerosis: The role of depression
Authors: Patel Viral P , Zambrana Aaron , Walker Lisa AS , Herrmann Nathan , Swartz Richard H , Feinstein Anthony
Published: June 2016

The present study assesses the influence of depression and anxiety on the effects of cognitive distracters in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Participants completed computerized versions of the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (c-SDMT) with ( n = 51) and without ( n = 51) auditory distracters. Based on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), 29 (28.4%) and 51 (50%) participants were classified as depressed or anxious, respectively. A regression analysis revealed that depression ( p = 0.034), not anxiety ( p = 0.264), further impaired performance on the c-SDMT, particularly in the presence of distracters. These results suggest that distracter effects are influenced by depression more than anxiety. Given that distracters are ubiquitous in real-world environments, their use in a cognitive assessment adds to the ecological validity of the results.
The Indonesian perspective toward rising China
Authors: Pattiradjawane René L
Published: June 2016

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi)’s approach toward rising China was mainly an effort to balance the national interest in two ways. Economically, by adjusting the relations between China and Japan as the main source of financing and investment serving the national development in pursuit of prosperity for the nation. And politically, by maintaining a dynamic equilibrium to preserve peace and stability in the region as a prerequisite for a national sustainable development. Within this perspective, President Jokowi simultaneously set up frameworks for political diplomacy with a focus on commercial, trade, and financial diplomacy that was unprecedented. Never have been a precedent in world history where three global power-house of political, economic, and trade are in one region at the same time, presenting a new strategic environment in the Asia-Pacific region. The shift of world economic power from Japan to China as the number two and three respectively after the United States, change the pattern of the economic development through foreign direct investment to countries of the region. This change also brings new forms of aid and loans for development that is different from the previous practices introducing competition and requirements of interest which that provided by global economic and financial institutions. China’s initiative to establish the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) was a direct challenge to create a new balance of power, and prompted Indonesia to adjust the balance of national interest. The degree of interdependence in the fields of economics, politics, and commerce increasingly developed between Indonesia and China was not supported by the urban middle class in Indonesia perceiving the rise of China. The low awareness became the biggest obstacle to the vital interests of both countries and also to maintaining the balance of Indonesia’s national interest.
A Case-Control Study to Determine the Prognostic Features of Salivary Epithelial Cells in Periodontitis
Authors: Wang A. , Swinford C. , Zhao A. , Ramos E.D. , Gregory R.L. , Srinivasan M.
Published: June 2016

Periodontitis—a biofilm-induced immunoinflammatory pathology—often progresses gradually, exhibiting periodic bursts and resolution. Exfoliating oral epithelial cells act as reservoirs for key periodontal pathogens, facilitating reinfection or infection of new sites. Since saliva is a rich source of oral epithelial cells, we hypothesized that the microbial and functional profile of salivary epithelial cells (SECs) will reflect the in situ host response and disease severity. We used a case-control study design. Unstimulated whole saliva was collected from 20 chronic periodontitis patients and 20 healthy controls in accordance with the institutional review board. The isolated SECs were assessed for viability by trypan blue exclusion. Gram-stained SECs were analyzed by ImageJ, and Gram stain index (GSI) per SEC was calculated. Equal numbers of SECs from each sample were exposed to 2 periodontal pathogens— Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum—in biofilm or planktonic formulations at varying proportions. Cytokines in culture supernatants were assessed by ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). Additionally, soluble Toll-like receptor 2 (sTLR-2)—a pattern recognition receptor capable of binding microbial ligands associated with periodontitis—was measured in clarified saliva by ELISA. An increased number of SECs, a higher GSI/SEC, and a lower sTLR-2 were observed in periodontitis saliva as compared with healthy saliva. SECs from periodontitis saliva secreted higher amounts of interleukin 8 in response to P. gingivalis, and the presence of F. nucleatum dampened the response. Nonsurgical periodontal treatment improved clinical parameters, reduced the number of SECs, decreased GSI/SEC, and increased sTLR-2 in clarified saliva. In conclusion, our data suggest that SECs can provide a phenotypically distinct individualized resource for assessing epithelial response to pathogens in the course of periodontal disease. Furthermore, correlation between the sTLR-2 and GSI/SEC suggests that the expression profile of epithelial and soluble Toll-like receptor could provide an indirect measure of periodontal disease–associated dysbiosis.

Knowledge Transfer Statement: The results of this study can be used for prognostic evaluation of chronic periodontitis in response to therapy and provide an opportunity for early identification of poor responders. A chip-based simple test incorporating the identified salivary epithelial cell characteristics can be developed and validated for future clinical applications, especially for monitoring patients with increased susceptibility for refractory and/or recurrent periodontitis.
Structural geologic modeling as an inference problem: A Bayesian perspective
Authors: de la Varga Miguel , Wellmann J. Florian
Published: June 2016

Structural geologic models are widely used to represent the spatial distribution of relevant geologic features. Several techniques exist to construct these models on the basis of different assumptions and different types of geologic observations. However, two problems are prevalent when constructing models: (1) observations and assumptions, and therefore also the constructed model, are subject to uncertainties and (2) additional information is often available, but it cannot be considered directly in the geologic modeling step — although it could be used to reduce model uncertainties. The first problem has been addressed in recent work. Here we develop a conceptual approach to consider the second aspect: We combine uncertain prior information with geologically motivated likelihood functions in a Bayesian inference framework. The result is that we not only reduce uncertainties in the ensemble of generated models, but we also gain the potential to learn additional features about the model parameters. We develop an implementation of this concept in a probabilistic programming framework, in which we extend the functionality of a 3D implicit potential-field interpolation method with geologic likelihood functions. With schematic examples, we show how this combination leads to suites of models with reduced uncertainties and how it provides a deeper insight into parameter correlations. Furthermore, the integration into a hierarchical Bayesian model provides an insight into potential extensions of the method, for example, the interpolation functional itself, and other types of information, such as gravity or magnetic potential-field data. These aspects constitute promising paths for future research.
Local dispersion curve estimation from seismic ambient noise using spatial gradients
Authors: Edme Pascal , Yuan Shihao
Published: June 2016

A novel acquisition and processing technique is described to derive surface-wave dispersion curves from seismic ambient noise. We have determined that the use of spatial gradients of the wavefield provides new opportunities for high-resolution near-surface characterization with minimal field effort. In contrast to conventional active source data analysis that provides spatially smoothed results from large and dense arrays of receivers, our method provides local phase velocity information from ambient noise using only three closely spaced geophones. A time-frequency domain polarization-based analysis scheme is implemented to (1) detect the useful part of the data satisfying fundamental gradiometry assumptions, (2) estimate the noise source azimuthal distribution, and finally, (3) derive the desired local dispersion curves. The robustness and effectiveness of the developed method is demonstrated using the synthetic and real data, with a comparison to results from active source measurements.
PROGRAMA BRASIL QUILOMBOLA: UM ENSAIO SOBRE A POLÍTICA PÚBLICA DE PROMOÇÃO DA IGUALDADE RACIAL PARA COMUNIDADES DE QUILOMBOS
Authors: Rodrigues Vera
Published: June 2016

A política pública no Brasil possui um novo marco a partir da Constituição Federal de 1988, a qual inovou no reconhecimento de direitos etnorraciais e territoriais. Por conta disso, emergiram das lutas sociais novos sujeitos de direitos e cidadania: as comunidades de quilombos. Desse contexto surge a política pública de promoção da igualdade racial direcionada à população negra. Nesse ensaio, analisa-se um modelo dessa política, o Programa Brasil Quilombola, que, dentre os seus eixos de atuação, objetiva o reconhecimento e titulação territorial das comunidades quilombolas. Tal recorte justifica-se na centralidade que as comunidades quilombolas, como sujeitos da política pública, têm evidenciado na dinâmica conceitual e política da problemática fundiária e racial do país. PALAVRAS-CHAVE Equidade, movimentos negros, política pública, quilombos, relações raciais. ABSTRACT The public policy in Brazil has a new landmark from the 1988 Federal Constitution, which broke new ground in recognizing ethnic, racial and territorial rights. Because of this, new social subjects of rights and citizenship have emerged of the social struggles: the Quilombo communities. In this context arises the public policy of promoting racial equality targeted the black population. In this essay, we analyze a model that policy, the Quilombola Brazil Program, which, among its axis of action, aims the recognition and land regularization of quilombolas communities. Such delimitation is justified on the centrality that the quilombolas communities, as subjects of public policy, have demonstrated in the conceptual and political dynamics of land and racial issues in the country. KEYWORDS Equity, black movements, quilombos, public policy, racial relations.
Demarginalizing the Sharia: Muslim Activists and Legal Reforms in Malaysia
Authors: Syed Muhd Khairudin Aljunied
Published: June 2016

This article examines the active roles played by Muslim activists in agitating for the expansion of the functions of Sharia (Muslim legal and ethical code) within a given country's constitution and in society at large. Using the Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM) – the largest Muslim youth movement in Malaysia – as an illustrative case study, the article examines a process which I term as “demarginalizing the Sharia” by Muslim activists, which connotes an endeavour to reformulate and reassert the position of the Sharia to cover all aspects of the country's laws. Building upon recent works on Islamic activism and drawing from various strands of social movement theory, this essay attempts to conceptualize and explain the various tactics which Muslim movements such as ABIM had adopted to make the case for the Sharia to wield a wider influence in the public domain. Among the tactics which will be discussed are institutional subversion, ideological collaboration and dramatic contention, all of which have been utilized by Muslim activists since the advent of global Islamic resurgence in the 1970s.
Investigating the Secular Body: The Politics of the Male Circumcision Debate in Germany
Authors: Schirin Amir-Moazami
Published: June 2016

In the fall of 2012, Germany witnessed a heated debate on male circumcision, triggered by a four-year-old Muslim boy who had suffered complications following a circumcision
conducted by a doctor in Cologne. Engaging with Charles Hirschkind's posed question “Is there a secular body?” the article uses this controversy as a starting
point to push recent critical scholarship on secularism a little further. It argues that in order to understand the powers of secular governmentality, we need to take more
seriously the entanglements between modes of power operative by the secular nation-state and the embodied attachments to the secular, as articulated both in social practices and in
epistemological underpinnings of knowledge production bound and enabled by modern nation-state structures. Accordingly, the article suggests that the debates on male circumcision
reflect a broader discursive framework in which the ongoing division between proper and improper religious practice is part of the (re)production of a secular body politic and
embodied forms of secularity. Its genealogy can be traced back to the nineteenth century and has currently gained a reconfigured currency through the Muslim question in Europe.
Periostin Deficiency Causes Severe and Lethal Lung Injury in Mice With Bleomycin Administration
Authors: Kondoh Hirofumi , Nishiyama Takashi , Kikuchi Yoshinao , Fukayama Masashi , Saito Mitsuru , Kii Isao , Kudo Akira
Published: June 2016

Pulmonary capillary leakage followed by influx of blood fluid into the air space of lung alveoli is a crucial step in the progression of acute lung injury (ALI). This influx is due to increased permeability of the alveolar–capillary barrier. The extracellular matrix (ECM) between the capillary and the epithelium would be expected to be involved in prevention of the influx; however, the role of the ECM remains to be addressed. Here, we show that the ECM architecture organized by periostin, a matricellular protein, plays a pivotal role in the survival of bleomycin-exposed mice. Periostin was localized in the alveolar walls. Although periostin-null mice displayed no significant difference in lung histology and air–blood permeability, they exhibited early lethality in a model of bleomycin-induced lung injury, compared with their wild-type counterparts. This early lethality may have been due to increased pulmonary leakage of blood fluid into the air space in the bleomycin-exposed periostin-null mice. These results suggest that periostin in the ECM architecture prevents pulmonary leakage of blood fluid, thus increasing the survival rate in mice with ALI. Thus, this study provides an evidence for the protective role of the ECM architecture in the lung alveoli.
Ultrafine Particles of Diesel Exhaust Induces Cytochrome P450 1A1 Mediated Oxidative Stress and DNA Damage in Cultured Blood and Lung Cells
Authors: Srivastava Ankita , Yadav Sanjay , Pandey Alok K , Dwivedi Uppendra N , Parmar Devendra
Published: June 2016

Attempts were made to investigate the role of cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) on similarities in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and DNA damage in IM9, a human B lymphoblastic cell line with A549, the human lung adenocarcinoma epithelial cell line on exposure of diesel exhaust particles (DEP). A suspension of ultrafine particles (< 0.2 μM) of DEP (1mg/ml) in DMEM-F12 medium, at a concentration range of 1-100 μg/ml, was added to the cells for 6-48h. Expression studies revealed that DEP induced similar increase in the expression of CYP1A1, generation of ROS and DNA damage in both the cells. Pre-incubation with 3-methylcholanthrene (MC), a CYP1A1 inducer resulted in higher magnitude of induction of CYP1A1, ROS and DNA damage. This synergistic effect was lowered when α-naphthoflavone (α-NF), an inhibitor of CYP1A1 catalysed reactions, was added to these cells. Though the magnitude of alterations was lower in IM9 cells when compared to A549 cells, similarities in the alterations in blood and lungs cells has further suggested that blood lymphocytes can be used as a surrogate to monitor toxicity of vehicular emissions.
Diversification of the Histone Fold Motif in Plants: Evolution of New Functional Roles
Authors: Kumar Amish , Yadav Gitanjali
Published: June 2016

The Histone fold motif (HFM) is one of the most conserved structural motifs in biology, mainly found in the core histone sub-units of all eukaryotes. The HFM represents a helix-strand-helix motif having three alpha helices connected by two loops/beta strands. This helix-strand-helix motif has the unique property of binding strongly with proteins as well as with DNA. Apart from core histones, the HFM has been reported in a variety of other proteins in all forms of life. In this work, we review the various classes of proteins that contain the HFM, as well as the diverse roles played by these proteins in the plant kingdom. As will be clear from this review, formation of the core histones through multi-merisation is not the only role played by this conserved fold, although the characteristic ability of the HFM to dimerize with suitable partner proteins has been used by nature to perform several non-core-histone functions. Most of the information about plant HFM containing proteins, such as identification and classification, has been done based on homology with yeast and animal counterparts. However, the ability of plants genomes to duplicate extensively has led to the existence of large gene families of the HFM containing proteins, unlike other eukaryotes. Plant HFM containing proteins can broadly be classified under the following major categories; TBP-associated factors (TAF), Nuclear Factor Y (NF-Y), Dr1/DrAp1 proteins and the chromatin accessibility complex (CHRAC). These proteins families are known to be involved in transcriptional regulation, co-activation and chromosome maintenance. Partner recognition through dimer formation remains a major conserved feature of these groups when compared with core histone sub-units.
W oku konia. Horyzonty biografii
Authors: Jarzyna Anita
Published: June 2016

Artykuł przybliża losy zwierząt (przede wszystkim koni), wykorzystywanych w trackie działań wojennych podczas I wojny światowej. Autorka, której bliska jest perspektywa historii nieantropocentrycznej, sięga po poświęcone między innymi tym zagadnieniom pionierskie opracowanie Érica Barataya pt. Zwierzęcy punkt widzenia. Inna wersja historii oraz po pamiętniki Ivana Cassagnau, francuskiego artylerzysty z lat 1914- 1916, odnosi je do napisanej przez Michaela Morpurgo powieści dla dzieci i młodzieży pt. War Horse (1982). W Polsce przełożonej dopiero pod wpływem adaptacji filmowej w reżyserii Stevena Spielberga z 2011 roku, dystrybuowanej pod kuriozalnym tytułem Czas wojny. Autorka artykułu w krytycznej interpretacji powieści zwraca uwagę na wartość (i niedociągnięcia) narracji prowadzonej z perspektywy zwierzęcego bohatera, zastanawia się, w jakim stopniu dzięki temu zabiegowi pisarzowi udało się stworzyć przekonującą wojenną biografię konia, wreszcie podkreśla wynikający z tej optyki pacyfistyczny wydźwięk książki.
Przed. Notatki na marginesach książki Piotra Szaroty Wiedeń 1913
Authors: Kuczyńska-Koschany Katarzyna
Published: June 2016

Artykuł jest próbą omówienia – szerokiego, kontekstowego i interpretacyjnie otwartego na działania edukacyjne – książki Piotra Szaroty pt. Wiedeń 1913. Autorka proponuje koncept lekturowy oparty na kategorii „przed”, dekonstruujący pojęcie „dawnych, dobrych czasów”, kwestionujący topos „ubi sunt”. Innymi słowy: przekonanie, iż Szarota krytycznie czyta wiedeńską czasoprzestrzeń roku poprzedzającego wybuch I wojny światowej, skłania autorkę omówienia do zarówno empatycznej, jak krytycznej lektury książki Wiedeń 1913.
Nominal or Real? The Impact of Regional Price Levels on Satisfaction with Life
Authors: Deckers Thomas , Falk Armin , Schildberg-Hörisch Hannah
Published: June 2016

According to economic theory, real income, i. e., nominal income adjusted for purchasing power, should be the relevant source of life satisfaction. Previous work, however, has studied the impact of inflation-adjusted nominal income and hardly taken into account regional differences in purchasing power. We use novel data to study how regional price levels affect life satisfaction. The data set comprises a price level for each of the 428 administrative districts in Germany. Controlling for district heterogeneity other than the price level, our results show that higher price levels significantly reduce life satisfaction.
Business cycle synchronization across U.S. states
Authors: Aguiar-Conraria Luís , Brinca Pedro , Guðjónsson Haukur Viðar , Soares Maria Joana
Published: June 2016

We use wavelet analysis to conclude that individual U.S. states’ business cycles are very well synchronized. We also find evidence of a strong and significant correlation between business cycle dissimilitudes and the distance between each pair of states, consistent to gravity type mechanisms where distance affects trade. Trade, in turn, increases business cycle synchronization, while a higher degree of industry specialization is associated with a higher dissimilitude of the state cycle with the aggregate economy. Finally, there is evidence that business cycle dissimilitudes have been decreasing with time, consistent with the previous findings coupled with the idea that information and communications technology make distances smaller.
Open and closed shear-walls in high-rise structural systems: Static and dynamic analysis
Authors: Carpinteri Alberto , Lacidogna Giuseppe , Nitti Giuseppe
Published: June 2016

In the present paper, a General Algorithm is applied
to the analysis of high-rise structures. This algorithm
is to be used as a calculation tool in preliminary design; it
allows to define the interaction between closed and open,
straight or curved shear-walls, and the forces exchanged in
structures subject to mainly horizontal loads. The analysis
can be performed in both static and dynamic regimes, the
mode shapes and the natural frequencies being assessed.
This general formulation allows analyses of high-rise
structures by taking into account the torsional rigidity and
the warping deformations of the elements composing the
building without gross simplifications. In thisway it is possible
to model the structure as a single equivalent cantilever,
thus minimising the degrees of freedom of the system,
and consequently the calculation time.
Finally, potentials of the method proposed are demonstrated
by a numerical example which emphasizes the
link between global displacements and stresses in the elements
composing the structure.
Ives and MacPherson: Judicial Process in the Regulatory State
Authors: Witt John Fabian
Published: June 2016

A century ago, the New York Court of Appeals decided a case whose implications have reverberated through American law ever since. The case, like so many, arose out of one of the most notorious body-smashing technologies of the modern world. And it was a case whose opinion was authored by an up-and-coming jurist rumored to be a likely future nominee to the United States Supreme Court. Naturally, that opinion has appeared in torts casebooks ever since. The case, of course, was not MacPherson v. Buick, the occasion for this symposium, but rather Ives v. South Buffalo Railway, in which the New York Court of Appeals struck down what was essentially the nation’s first workmen’s compensation statute. It does not appear in that many casebooks. But it does in some. In an opinion written by Judge William Werner, the court tried to throw itself in front of the coming regulatory state. It failed, of course, at least in the most obvious sense. The regulatory state plays a vast role in the contemporary state, and has for more than three quarters of a century at least. But the Ives case’s engagement with the compensation scheme anticipated the central theme in American tort law in the century since: the relationship between tort adjudication and the common law, on one hand, and the forms of administration, on the other.
Improving Segmentation of 3D Retina Layers Based on Graph Theory Approach for Low Quality OCT Images
Authors: Stankiewicz Agnieszka , Marciniak Tomasz , Dąbrowski Adam , Stopa Marcin , Rakowicz Piotr , Marciniak Elżbieta
Published: June 2016

This paper presents signal processing aspects for automatic segmentation of retinal layers of the human eye. The paper draws attention to the problems that occur during the computer image processing of images obtained with the use of the Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD OCT). Accuracy of the retinal layer segmentation for a set of typical 3D scans with a rather low quality was shown. Some possible ways to improve quality of the final results are pointed out. The experimental studies were performed using the so-called B-scans obtained with the OCT Copernicus HR device.
An Implementation of a Compact Smart Resistive Sensor Based on a Microcontroller with an Internal ADC
Authors: Czaja Zbigniew
Published: June 2016

In the paper a new implementation of a compact smart resistive sensor based on a microcontroller with internal ADCs is proposed and analysed. The solution is based only on a (already existing in the system) microcontroller and a simple sensor interface circuit working as a voltage divider consisting of a reference resistor and a resistive sensor connected in parallel with an interference suppression capacitor. The measurement method is based on stimulation of the sensor interface circuit by a single square voltage pulse and on sampling the resulting voltage on the resistive sensor. The proposed solution is illustrated by a complete application of the compact smart resistive sensor used for temperature measurements, based on an 8-bit ATxmega32A4 microcontroller with a 12-bit ADC and a Pt100 resistive sensor. The results of experimental research confirm that the compact smart resistive sensor has 1°C resolution of temperature measurement for the whole range of changes of measured temperatures.
Morphology, thermal and mechanical performances of SR composites containing sepiolite and HGMs as binary fillers
Authors: Huo Shanshan , Wang Jinwei , Wu Xinyu
Published: June 2016

Binary fillers-filled silicone rubber (SR) matrix composites are prepared to improve the thermal and mechanical properties of SR as a lightweight thermal insulating material. Sepiolite and hollow glass microspheres (HGMs) can be evenly dispersed in SR matrix to obtain SR/sepiolite/HGM composites with superior performances at amounts of around 7.5 parts per hundreds of rubber (phr) and 20 phr, respectively, as observed from scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The density of the composites increases slightly with the addition of sepiolite in a linear trend, while the addition of HGMs results in the abrupt reduction in density lower than 0.7 g/cm3. Sepiolite exhibits a strengthening effect in the SR matrix; however, the addition of HGMs in this matrix slightly enhances the stress of the composite; its maximum elongation at break can increase up to 300%. The addition of sepiolite and HGMs improves the initial decomposition temperatures of SR composites a little; the excellent thermal insulating effect provided by HGMs is further verified by their significant decrease in thermal conductivity at 200°C, providing the facts that these SR/sepiolite/HGM composites can be used as lightweight materials for thermal insulating purposes.
Circulating IL-6 and neopterin concentrations link cell-mediated immunity and tumor stage in patients with gastro-intestinal adenocarcinoma: relevance to the pituitary-adrenal axis and pituitary-thyroid axis
Authors: Engin Ayse Basak , Engin Atilla , Sepici-Dincel Aylin , Kurukahvecioglu Osman
Published: June 2016

Although cortisol is a powerful modulator of the immune system and inhibits production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels do not correspond to the chronically elevated concentrations of cortisol in cancer patients. Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) has been shown to have an effect on immunological functions. Actually it is not known whether cortisol, TSH and IL-6 have an effect on tumor progression via modulation of cell mediated immunity in patients with gastrointestinal carcinoma. Sixty-seven gastrointestinal cancer patients and 42 cancer-free subjects with cholelithiasis as the control group, were included in the study. Serum ACTH, cortisol, TSH, thyroid hormones, IL-6, IL-10 and neopterin levels were measured. Diagnosis and pathological staging were confirmed by surgical intervention. Cortisol levels were correlated with IL-6 in cancer patients. In addition to elevated neopterin values, linear regression analysis revealed that serum neopterin was associated more strongly with the increase of cortisol rather than IL-6 levels in advanced stage carcinoma. Furthermore, neopterin also correlated with IL-6, IL-10, cortisol and TSH levels in advanced carcinoma cases. These data indicated that cortisol, IL-6 and neopterin values of cancer patients were influenced by the tumor presence and progression.
Could Ergonomics of Portable Oxygen Cylinders Prevent Wastage? Comparison of Two Delivery Devices
Authors: Bodier-Montagutelli Elsa , Maréchal Antonin , Porcher Richard , Remérand Francis , Respaud Renaud
Published: June 2016

: Ambulatory oxygen therapy is sometimes needed when transferring inpatients. The prescribed administration rate must be maintained during the entire transit time. This implies that paramedical staff calculates the volume of gas remaining in the cylinder, based on the residual pressure displayed on the oxygen cylinders. This step carries a risk of errors and wastage. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of a digital autonomy display system on the use of oxygen cylinders at the hospital.

: Two B5 oxygen cylinders (Air Liquide Santé France) were compared: Presence™ (regular manometer) and Takeo™ (digital display). This study was carried out in two wards; Presence™ cylinders were supplied for two months, and then Takeo™ cylinders for the next two months. For each period, we measured the turnover rates of the cylinders and their residual pressure. The economic impact of this change in practice was estimated by a cost study.

: Use of Takeo™ cylinders resulted in a significant decrease in the turnover rate (69 % vs. 93 %,

: A digital autonomy display increases the delivery performance of portable medicinal oxygen cylinders and generates an economic gain.
Sorption of Th(IV) onto ZnO nanoparticles and diatomite-supported ZnO nanocomposite: kinetics, mechanism and activation parameters
Authors: Yusan Sabriye , Bampaiti Anastasia , Erenturk Sema , Noli Fotini , Aslani Mahmut A. A. , Aytas Sule
Published: June 2016

In this study, for the first time ZnO nanoparticles and diatomite-supported ZnO nanocomposite have been utilized as adsorbent for the removal of Th(IV) ions from aqueous solutions under different experimental conditions. The Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin– Radushkevich (D–R) isotherms were used to analyze the equilibrium data. The sorption equilibrium data were fitted well to the Langmuir isotherm with maximum sorption capacities values was found to be 1.105 mmol/g and 0.320 mmol/g for ZnO nanoparticles and diatomite supported ZnO nanocomposite, respectively. Pseudo-first and pseudo-second order equations, Intraparticle diffusion and Bangham’s models were considered to evaluate the rate parameters and sorption mechanism. Sorption kinetics were better reproduced by the pseudo-second order model (R
2 > 0.999), with an activation energy (E
a) of +99.74 kJ/mol and +62.95 kJ/mol for ZnO nanoparticles and diatomite-supported ZnO nanocomposite, respectively. In order to specify the type of sorption reaction, thermodynamic parameters were also determined. The evaluated ΔG
* and ΔH* indicate the non-spontaneous and endothermic nature of the reactions. The results of this work suggest that both of the used materials are fast and effective adsorbents for removing Th(IV) from aqueous solutions and chemical sorption plays a role in controlling the sorption rate.
Self-assembled DNA/RNA nanoparticles as a new generation of therapeutic nucleic acids: immunological compatibility and other translational considerations
Authors: Dobrovolskaia Marina A.
Published: June 2016

Therapeutic nucleic acids (TNAs) are rapidly being embraced as effective interventions in a variety of genetic disorders, cancers, and viral/microbial infections, as well as for use in improving vaccine efficacy. Many traditional nucleotide-based formulations have been approved for clinical use, while various macromolecular nucleic acids are in different phases of preclinical and clinical development. Various nanotechnology carriers, including but not limited to liposomes, emulsions, dendrimers, and polyplexes, are considered for their improved delivery and reduced toxicity compared to traditional TNAs. Moreover, a new generation of TNAs has recently emerged and is represented by DNA/RNA nanoparticles formed by the self-assembly of DNA, RNA, or hybrid DNA-RNA oligonucleotides into 1D, 2D, and 3D structures of different shapes. In this mini-review, I will discuss immunocompatibility and other translational aspects in the development of this new class of promising nucleic acid therapeutics.
The Mikoyan Mini-Hamburger, or How the Socialist Realist Novel about the Soviet Meat Industry Was Created
Authors: LeBlanc Ronald D.
Published: June 2016

This article examines Boris Pilnyak's attempt to answer Commissar Mikoyan's “social mandate” for a work of Socialist Realist fiction that would glorify the achievements of the newly modernized Soviet meat industry in general and of the recently constructed Mikoyan meat-packing plant in particular. Pilnyak's Meat: A Novel (1936), which reads like a Soviet(ized) version of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle (1907), shows how under a socialist system the negative features of the tsarist-era meat business can be eliminated in Stalinist Russia without having to sacrifice industrial efficiency or worker productivity. The novel failed to please the Party leadership, however, because the author did not respond earnestly enough to Mikoyan's “social mandate.” Pilnyak provided a parodic, tongue-in-cheek pastiche of a Socialist Realist novel rather than a genuine one. This article shows how Commissar Mikoyan's aspiration to have a literary monument erected to the Soviet meat industry, which he had worked so diligently to modernize and expand, culminated in the publication of The Book about Tasty and Healthy Food (1939), the famous cookbook and household guide, which projects numerous Socialist Realist images of material abundance, good taste, and scientific nutrition that were associated during the Stalin years with an ideal (and idealized) cuisine that never really existed in the USSR. The food commissar's abiding desire to produce a domestic version of the American hamburger was likewise realized through his creation of the “Mikoyan cutlet,” which generated a veritable revolution in the system of public food service in his country.
cAMP-specific PDE4 phosphodiesterases and AIP in the pathogenesis of pituitary tumors
Authors: Bolger Graeme B , Bizzi Mariana F , Pinheiro Sergio V , Trivellin Giampaolo , Smoot Lisa , Accavitti Mary-Ann , Korbonits Márta , Ribeiro-Oliveira Antonio
Published: June 2016

PDE4 cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases regulate cAMP abundance in cells and therefore regulate numerous processes, including cell growth and differentiation. The rat PDE4A5 isoform (human homolog PDE4A4) interacts with the AIP protein (also called XAP2 or ARA-9). Germline mutations inAIPoccur in approximately 20% of patients with Familial Isolated Pituitary Adenoma (FIPA) and 20% of childhood-onset simplex somatotroph adenomas. We therefore examined the protein expression of PDE4A4 and the closely related isoform PDE4A8 in normal human pituitary tissue and in pituitary adenomas. PDE4A4 had low expression in normal pituitary but was significantly overexpressed in somatotroph, lactotroph, corticotroph and clinically nonfunctioning gonadotroph adenomas (P<0.0001 for all subtypes). Likewise, PDE4A8 was expressed in normal pituitary and was also significantly overexpressed in the adenoma subtypes (P<0.0001 for all). Among the different adenoma subtypes, corticotroph and lactotroph adenomas were the highest and lowest expressed for PDE4A4, respectively, whereas the opposite was observed for PDE4A8. Naturally occurring oncogenic variants in AIP were shown by a two-hybrid assay to disrupt the ability of AIP to interact with PDE4A5. A reverse two-hybrid screen identified numerous additional variants in the tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) region of AIP that also disrupted its ability to interact with PDE4A5. The expression of PDE4A4 and PDE4A8 in normal pituitary, their increased expression in adenomatous pituitary cells where AIP is meant to participate, and the disruption of the PDE4A4–AIP interaction byAIPmutants may play a role in pituitary tumorigenesis.
In vitro impact of pegvisomant on growth hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma cells
Authors: Cuny Thomas , Zeiller Caroline , Bidlingmaier Martin , Défilles Céline , Roche Catherine , Blanchard Marie-Pierre , Theodoropoulou Marily , Graillon Thomas , Pertuit Morgane , Figarella-Branger Dominique , Enjalbert Alain , Brue Thierry , Barlier Anne
Published: June 2016

Pegvisomant (PEG), an antagonist of growth hormone (GH)-receptor (GHR), normalizes insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) oversecretion in most acromegalic patients unresponsive to somatostatin analogs (SSAs) and/or uncontrolled by transsphenoidal surgery. The residual GH-secreting tumor is therefore exposed to the action of circulating PEG. However, the biological effect of PEG at the pituitary level remains unknown. To assess the impact of PEG in vitro on the hormonal secretion (GH and prolactin (PRL)), proliferation and cellular viability of eight human GH-secreting tumors in primary cultures and of the rat somatolactotroph cell line GH4C1. We found that the mRNA expression levels of GHR were characterized in 31 human GH-secreting adenomas (0.086 copy/copy β-Gus) and the GHR was identified by immunocytochemistry staining. In 5/8 adenomas, a dose-dependent inhibition of GH secretion was observed under PEG with a maximum of 38.2±17% at 1μg/mL (P<0.0001 vs control). A dose-dependent inhibition of PRL secretion occurred in three mixed GH/PRL adenomas under PEG with a maximum of 52.8±11.5% at 10μg/mL (P<0.0001 vs control). No impact on proliferation of either human primary tumors or GH4C1 cell line was observed. We conclude that PEG inhibits the secretion of GH and PRL in primary cultures of human GH(/PRL)-secreting pituitary adenomas without effect on cell viability or cell proliferation.
La investigación sobre intangibles en España
Authors: Pascual Julián González , Lazcani Paulina Almonacid
Published: June 2016

La importancia de los recursos intangibles ha generado muchas corrientes de estudios que han permitido avances considerables en la materia, lo que refleja que estamos ante un tema de indudable interés con aspectos pendientes por resolver y un campo de trabajo importante por delante. El objetivo principal de este trabajo consiste en establecer y analizar las distintas líneas de investigación que han surgido en España durante esta última década, en relación con los activos intangibles y el capital intelectual. La idea es obtener una muestra lo suficientemente representativa de las principales tendencias de investigación que nos permita aportar una clasificación temática sobre ellos. Nuestro objetivo final será dar a conocer los principales resultados obtenidos de estos enfoques y así detectar las líneas de investigación que actualmente permanecen abiertas, y que tienen un mayor potencial de desarrollo.
La aplicación de criterios prudentes en la valoración de activos, costos, gastos y pasivos
Authors: Pachón María Amparo Pachón
Published: June 2016

El documento presenta una amplia caracterización de los criterios técnicos que deben tenerse en cuenta para el reconocimiento de las partidas contables, y especialmente sobre el tratamiento de las contingencias. Recoge los principales argumentos que se presentan en la valoración de partidas contingentes y rescata los criterios de conservadurismo que son necesarios para el registro de los hechos económicos.
La Facultad de Contaduría Pública de la Universidad Santo Tomás: 40 años construyendo verdad con fe pública
Authors: Sarmiento Morales José Jimmy
Published: June 2016

Este artículo presenta un compendio de los aspectos más importantes que han marcado la historia de la Facultad de Contaduría Pública de la Universidad Santo Tomás, a lo largo de sus 40 años de existencia. Su propósito, correspondiente con el proyecto de investigación que le dio origen, es dar a conocer a la sociedad, y con interés particular a los estudiantes de dicha facultad y a los que hoy ejercen orgullosamente como contadores públicos tomasinos, las memorias históricas de una facultad que ha contribuido en gran medida a la formación de profesionales contables, así como a la consolidación y desarrollo de la disciplina contable en Colombia.
 El contenido del documento presenta en un primer momento el contexto y el escenario que dio origen a la Facultad de Contaduría Pública de la Universidad Santo Tomás, para luego describir elementos particulares en lo referente a sus inicios y desarrollo. En este ejercicio se articulan aspectos relacionados con sus diferentes estructuras académicas y administrativas, acontecimientos, reconocimientos y protagonistas. Dentro de estos últimos se identi¬can sus directivos, docentes, estudiantes y egresados.
 Es así como el presente documento se convierte en un instrumento socializador de la historia de la Facultad de Contaduría Pública de la Universidad Santo Tomás, para que sean identi¬cados sus orígenes, sus protagonistas, sus desarrollos y sus reconocimientos, que en conjunto le han permitido posicionarse como una de las más importantes facultades de contaduría pública del país.