bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Kunststoff-Metall-Hybridtechnik*
Authors: Ehrenstein Gottfried W. , Zhao Gaoming
Published: May 2017

Kurzfassung

Mit der Kunststoff-Metall-Hybridtechnik können konstruktive Eigenschaften ermöglicht werden, die mit homogenen Werkstoffen nicht zu erzielen sind. Leichtbau und Funktionsintegration sprechen für diese Technik. Um Kunststoff-Metall-Hybridstrukturen mit hoher mechanischer Belastbarkeit eigenspannungsarm und verzugsfrei herstellen zu können, sind Hybridstrukturen werkstoff-, fertigungs- und beanspruchungsgerecht zu konstruieren. Die Kraftübertragung zwischen Metall und Kunststoff sowie die Kunststoffverrippung je nach Beanspruchung sind dabei zu optimieren. Die problematischen Auswirkungen unterschiedlicher Eigenschaften der beiden Werkstoffe wie z. B. Wärmespannungen, Verzug und Kerbeffekte können durch gezielten Werkstoffauswahl und prozessoptimierte Herstellung unterdrückt werden.
Agenten lenken das Unternehmen
Authors: Weck Manfred , Klement Roman , Kurth Alexander , Possel-Dölken Frank
Published: May 2017

Kurzfassung

Die Realisierung eines durchgängigen Informationsflusses ist eines der primären Unternehmensziele hinsichtlich der inner- und überbetrieblichen Auftragsabwicklung. Die häufig heterogenen Softwarelandschaften behindern das Erreichen dieses Ziels. Softwareagenten sind eine neue Technologie, mit der sich diesbezüglich viel versprechende Lösungsansätze für intelligente IT-Systeme in Produktentwicklung und Produktion umsetzen lassen. Der nachfolgende Beitrag befasst sich mit der Agententechnologie und erläutert deren Potenziale anhand konkreter Beispiele.
Mass Customization für den Produktionsalltag
Authors: Seelmann-Eggebert Ralph , Schenk Michael
Published: May 2017

Kurzfassung

Als Marketingstrategie entwickelt, hat die Mass Customization viele Interessenten und Förderer gefunden. Eine erforderliche über- und Umsetzung der Marketingstrategie in eine Strategie für Produktion und Prozesse ist bislang in der Öffentlichkeit kaum beleuchtet worden. Dieser Beitrag soll daher verschiedene Aspekte aufzeigen, die bei der Implementierung dieser Methodik zu beachten sind.
Bionik in der Instandhaltung
Authors: Brüggemann Holger , Redeker Georg , Reichwage Mark
Published: May 2017

Kurzfassung

Die Wissenschaft der Bionik versucht die in der Natur realisierten Problemlösungen für die Technik nutzbar zu machen. Im folgenden Artikel soll ein Ansatz der Bionik für die Entwicklung neuer, innovativer Ideenansätze in der technischen Instandhaltung aufgezeigt werden – ein Gedanke, der in der Forschung bislang keine Verbreitung gefunden hat. Ausgangspunkt ist dabei das in Natur und Technik gleichermaßen bestehende Problem der Reparatur von Systemen.
Reduzierung der Entwicklungszeit in der Elektronikindustrie
Authors: Wildemann Horst
Published: May 2017

Kurzfassung

Zusammen mit den Unternehmen Alcatel, Knorr-Bremse, Rohde & Schwarz, Temic, Webasto und Zuken sowie dem Fraunhofer Institut für Zuverlässigkeit und Mikrointegration und dem Lehrstuhl für Betriebswirtschaftslehre der TU München wird unter der Leitung des Autors ein Forschungsprojekt zur Reduzierung und Prognose von Entwicklungszeiten in der Elektronikindustrie durchgeführt. In diesem Beitrag werden die ersten Ergebnisse dieses vom BMBF geförderten Programms vorgestellt.
Betreibermodelle
Authors: Wiendahl Hans-Peter , Harms Thomas
Published: May 2017

Kurzfassung

Ein verändertes Kundenverhalten, gekoppelt mit einer schrittweise entstehenden Dienstleistungsmentalität im Maschinen- und Anlagenbau, wirft die Frage auf, wie und durch wen zukünftig eine höhere Verfügbarkeit der Maschinen und Anlagen in Produktionsbetrieben gewährleistet werden kann. Eine weitere Verfügbarkeitssteigerung kann voraussichtlich durch die Einführung von Betreibermodellen realisiert werden. Dieser Beitrag leitet eine Betreiberdefinition für komplexe Produktionsanlagen aus der seit den achtziger Jahren bekannten Idee der Betreibermodelle her und arbeitet die Bedeutung von Betreibermodellen für die Verfügbarkeitssicherung heraus.
Entwicklungsbegleitende ökologische Bilanzierung von Bauteilen
Authors: Schiefer Ekkehard
Published: May 2017

Kurzfassung

Mit einer Sachbilanzierungsmethode lassen sich spanend herzustellende Bauteile basierend auf betrieblichen Daten verursachungsgerecht und unternehmensübergreifend vergleichbar bilanzieren. Erstmals werden auch die in Form von Emissionen in einer Fertigungshalle auf den Arbeiter einwirkenden Gesundheitsbeeinträchtigungen im Rahmen einer Ökobilanz berücksichtigt. Die rechnerverarbeitbare Modellierung dieser Methode erlaubt, die Sachbilanz in den Entwicklungsprozess zu integrieren. Das Datenmodell ermöglicht dabei ein vorausschauendes, entwicklungsbegleitendes Bilanzieren spanend herzustellender Bauteile direkt aus einem CAD-System heraus. Dabei finden auch betriebliche Randbedingungen Berücksichtigung.
Strategische Bedeutung des E-Business
Authors: Stegmüller Werner
Published: May 2017

Kurzfassung

Dass sich die mittelständisch ausgerichteten Unternehmen mit E-Business in Deutschland mitunter noch schwer tun, liegt nicht so sehr an den technologischen oder finanziellen Rahmenbedingungen, sondern vielmehr an den oft fehlenden ganzheitlichen E-Business-Strategien. Zu diesem Ergebnis kommt eine von der Beratungsgruppe Plaut durchgeführte Studie, in der rund 400 Unternehmen in Deutschland zum Thema E-Business befragt wurden. In die Untersuchung einbezogen wurde das Management von produzierenden mittelständischen Industriebetrieben aller Branchen. Zwei Drittel der befragten Unternehmen tätigen einen Umsatz von über 250 Mio. DM und über 90 Prozent beschäftigen mehr als 400 Mitarbeiter. Von den in die Untersuchung eingebundenen Betriebe sind 72 Prozent global ausgerichtet, 19 Prozent zumindest europaweit tätig und 9 Prozent ausschließlich auf den deutschen Markt fokussiert.
„Managers do things right, leaders do the right things“
Authors: Spur Günter
Published: May 2017

Kurzfassung

Das Management eines Unternehmens zielt auf eine möglichst erfolgreiche Entwicklung und Umsetzung des verfügbaren Leistungspotenzials. Die Begriffe Unternehmensführung und Unternehmensmanagement werden nebeneinander verwendet. Sie umfassen einerseits die strategische Dimension unternehmerischer Führungskunst, andererseits auch die operative und wirtschaftliche Gestaltung aller Geschäftsprozesse. Allgemein wird unter Management die personen- und sachbezogene Leitung einer Organisationseinheit verstanden. Dabei kann zwischen einem institutionalen und einem funktionalen Begriffsverständnis unterschieden werden.
Effect of Surface Modification on the Dispersion, Thermal Stability and Crystallization Properties of PET/CaCO3 Nanocomposites
Authors: Gao Wei , Ding Lili , Zhu Yanchao
Published: May 2017

In order to improve the dispersion and increase the compatibility between CaCO3 nanoparticles and a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) matrix, hydrophobic calcium carbonate (CaCO3) nanoparticles were successfully prepared via a carbonization reaction with stearic acid (SA) as the modifying agent. PET/CaCO3 nanocomposites were prepared by further in situ polymerization of purified terephthalic acid (PTA), ethylene glycol (EG) and CaCO3 nanoparticles. The surface modification of CaCO3, the microstructure and the properties of nanocomposites were investigated by water contact angles measurements TEM, FTIR, XRD, SEM, TGA and DSC. SEM examination of the fractured surfaces of nanocomposites showed that CaCO3 modified by SA achieved well dispersed in the PET matrix. Moreover, compared to the nanocomposite filled with the blank CaCO3, the resulting nanocomposite filled with the modified CaCO3 exhibit a better thermal stability and a superior crystallization property.
Study on the Interaction Between Cellulase and Surfactants
Authors: Zhang Jian , Yu Yue
Published: May 2017

The conformations of secondary and tertiary structures of cellulase in the presence of eleven commonly used surfactants were determined by Raman spectroscopy and the results were discussed. The results indicated that anionic surfactants had a stronger influence on the cellulase conformations than nonionic surfactants. Thus anionic surfactants showed a stronger inactivation on the cellulase activity. Furthermore, Zeta potential distributions of cellulase in solutions of surfactants were tested by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). The DLS results indicated that the interaction between anionic surfactants and cellulase was attributed to electrostatic attraction. By adding cellulase to a liquid, non-cellulase-containing detergent, the detergency of the liquid detergent could be increased. Further studies on the sample swatches by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were undertaken in this paper.
Study on the Properties of Mixed Micelles of Disodium Salt of 3-({2-[(2-Carboxy-ethyl)-dodecanoyl-amino]-ethyl}-dodecanoyl-amino)-propionic Acid in Solution Systems
Authors: Xu Kai , Xu HuJun , Cao Qin , Yin JinSong
Published: May 2017

This study focuses on the properties of mixed micelles of di-sodium salt of 3-({2-[(2-Carboxy-ethyl)-dodecanoyl-amino]-ethyl}-dodecanoyl-amino)-propionic acid (symbolized as DLMC) in solution systems (DLMC/DTAB and DLMC/AEO6). The micro-polarity of the mixed micelles was determined by the fluorospectrophotometer. When the concentration is above CMC, the micellar micro-polarity and the aggregation number (Nm) of the mixed micelles were measured by a steady state fluorescence quenching method. The average hydrodynamic radius (Rh) of the mixed micelles was studied by means of dynamic light scattering. The results show that the micro-polarity of micelle nucleus decreases obviously with increasing concentration. The aggregation number of DLMC mixed systems is smaller than that of single surfactants. The difference of the proportion of the two surfactants has little effect on the aggregation number of mixed systems. It is easy to generate molecular aggregates with lower curvature from DLMC than the corresponding monomeric surfactant (DTAB), and DLMC can generate huge linear micelles at low concentrations when mixed with other surfactants.
Microscopic Evidence for the Correlation of Micellar Structures and Counterion Binding Constant for Flexible Nanoparticle Catalyzed Piperidinolysis of PS− in Colloidal System
Authors: Khalid Khalisanni , Zain Sharifuddin Md. , Suk Vicit Rizal Eh , Khan M. Niyaz
Published: May 2017

The interest to determine the ionization degree of counterion initiates the need to study the relationship between counterion binding constant (RX
Br) and the growth of self-assembly micellar structure. This paper discussed the microscopic evidence for the correlation of counterion binding constant values and micellar structure of cationic surfactants in the presence of phenolates and 2-ethyl phenolates ions in flexible nanoparticle (FN)-system of ionized phenyl salicylate-catalyzed piperidinolysis. The sizes of micelles were determined by particle size analysis. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results showed a spherical micellar structure for phenolates and 2-ethyl phenolates ions at counterion binding constant values 6.3 ± 1.0 and 24.0 ± 1.1 respectively. A study using a semi-emperical kinetic technique in published article proved that the suggested micellar structures at respective counterion binding constant values corresponded with the present microscopic evidence.
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prevalence Studies of Sporadic Inclusion Body Myositis
Authors: Callan Aoife , Capkun Gorana , Vasanthaprasad Vijayalakshmi , Freitas Rita , Needham Merrilee
Published: May 2017

Background: Sporadic Inclusion Body Myositis (sIBM) is a rare and slowly progressive debilitating muscle disease with symptoms generally developing≥50 years of age.

Objective: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of sIBM literature, including a methodological quality assessment of the selected papers.

Methods: A systematic search of Medline, Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and major Myositis and Neurological conferences was conducted. Articles reporting prevalence and published in English up to March 2017 were assessed for methodology quality using the Loney quality assessment, Downs & Black score, and the Methodological Evaluation of Observational Research checklists. Meta-analyses using random effects were completed on both general population and≥50 years prevalence estimates.

Results: 315 articles were retrieved and data were extracted from 10 relevant studies. One study was subsequently excluded due to methodological issues. The meta-prevalence estimate from 9 papers was 24.8/1,000,000 (95% CI: 20.0–29.6). The methodological quality results were consistent across assessment tools with four articles scoring 4 or 5 out of 8 in the Loney assessment. The meta-prevalence of these four articles was 45.6/ 1,000,000 (95% CI: 35.9–55.2).

Conclusion: There was high variability in reported sIBM prevalence estimates and the quality of the studies conducted. Existing evidence suggests an increase of prevalence estimates over time, which may be explained by growing disease awareness, improvements in diagnostic criteria and study methodologies. Further high quality studies are needed to understand if prevalence varies across geographies or ethnicities.
Therapeutic effects of oral dimethyl fumarate on stroke induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion: An animal experimental study
Authors: Safari Anahid , Fazeli Mehdi , Namavar Mohammad Reza , Tanideh Nader , Jafari Peyman , Borhani-Haghighi Afshin
Published: May 2017

Background: Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) has immune-modulatory and neuro-protective characteristics that can be used for treatment of acute ischemic stroke.

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effects of DMF on histological and functional recovery of rats after transient middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion.

Methods: 22 Sprague-Dawley male rats weighing 275–300 g were randomized into three groups by block randomization. In the sham group ( n = 7), the neck was opened, but neither MCA was occluded, nor any drug was administered.

The control group ( n = 7) was treated with vehicle (methocel) by gavage for 14 days after MCA occlusion. In the DMF-treated group ( n = 8), treatment was performed with 15 mg/kg body weight dimethyl fumarate twice a day for 14 days after MCA occlusion. Transient occlusion of the right MCA was performed by intraluminal thread method in the DMF-treated and the control group. Neurological deficit score (NDS), pole test, and adhesive removal test were performed before the surgery, and on post-operative Days 0, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 14. After the final behaviour test, the animals’ brains were perfused and removed. Brains were frozen and sectioned serially and coronally using a cryostat. Infract volume and brain volume were estimated by stereology.

Results: The percentage of infarct volume was significantly lower in DMF-treated animals (5.76%) than in the control group (22.39%) ( P < 0.0001). Regarding behavioural tests, the DMF-treated group showed better function in NDS on Days 7 ( P = 0.041) and 10 ( P = 0.046), but not in pole and adhesive removal tests. There was no significant correlation between behavioural tests and histological results.

Conclusion: Dimethyl fumarate could be beneficial as a potential neuroprotective agent in the treatment of stroke.
Transcranial direct current stimulation combined with visuo-motor training as treatment for chronic stroke patients
Authors: Pavlova Elena L. , Lindberg Påvel , Khan Amirah , Ruschkowski Sigurd , Nitsche Michael A. , Borg Jörgen
Published: May 2017

Background: Recent studies exploring the combined effect of motor learning and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for stroke rehabilitation have shown partially conflicting results.

Objective: To test the efficacy of an optimized hand training approach combined with tDCS in stroke patients.

Methods: In the present pilot study we investigated motor effects of four-week training with a visuomotor grip force tracking task combined with tDCS in 11 chronic stroke patients. Anodal (0.5 mA) or sham tDCS was applied over the primary motor cortex of the lesioned side for 20 minutes, twice a day, during training.

Results: No difference between the Active and Sham groups in the total upper extremity (UE) Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) score was found. The most prominent recovery occurred in the shoulder-elbow FMA sub-score; in this segment a significantly greater improvement in the Active compared to the Sham group was observed up to two months after the intervention. Mean hold force during the first treatment session predicted the change in the total UE FMA score after treatment.

Conclusion: Four-week visuo-motor training combined with tDCS showed no difference between the Active and Sham groups in the total UE FMA score, which may be explained by heterogeneity of the degree of recovery in the Active group. However, the shoulder-elbow FMA sub-score improved significantly more in the Active compared to the Sham group, which deserves further study.
Research dataset discovery from research publications using web context
Authors: Singhal Ayush , Srivastava Jaideep
Published: May 2017

Scientific datasets play a crucial role in data-driven research. While there are several repositories that curate public datasets, several more datasets and their usage is “hidden” in the research publications. Hence, discovering a relevant dataset for a research topic requires in-depth investigation of several publications, tracking dataset usage and in-exhaustive literature search. To this end, a search engine to directly handle the research dataset discovery problem is extremely useful for the scientific community. In this work, we define an important paradigm of dataset search known as “ dataset discovery in application context”. Unlike dataset look-up type search where the user looks up for dataset in a repository, application context based search corresponds to search without information about the name of the dataset. Such searches arise when the user is looking a best fit dataset for his research problem. We show that in this paradigm of search, conventional methods of indexing the little text about the dataset description do not work due to lack of application text content within the description text for a dataset. To alleviate this problem we propose two models of search, namely, (1) a user profile based search and (2) a keyword based search. We show that in both these models the dataset discovery is done in the application context by leveraging information from open source web resources such as scholarly articles repositories and academic search engines. The performance of the proposed models were tested with simulated test queries (user profiles) as well as with real world user studies.
A survey of agent-oriented programming from software engineering perspective
Authors: Mao Xinjun , Wang Qiuzhen , Yang Sen
Published: May 2017

Agent-oriented programming (AOP) represents a novel programming paradigm that adopts concepts and technologies of multi-agent system to implement software. It has gained great attentions of researchers and practitioners from both artificial intelligence field and software engineering field. Dozens of AOP languages have been proposed in the past two decades. However the acceptance and adoption of AOP in software engineering community remain limited and the current practices of applying AOP do not convince such paradigm has extensively exploited its technical advantages and potentials. The experiences and practices of programming language researches in software engineering field can give us some inspirations to get out of the dilemma. The paper aims at providing a survey of AOP from software engineering perspectives, including its research history and the state-of-the-art of researches on agent-oriented programming concepts and models, languages, CASE tools and running manners. We investigate how current AOP studies satisfy design principles of programming language like simplicity, regularity, maintainability, expressiveness, reliability and efficiency, discuss several challenges of AOP researches and practices, and point out some directions for future studies.
Rigid motion artifact reduction in CT using frequency domain analysis
Authors: Zhang Yuan , Zhang Liyi , Sun Yunshan
Published: May 2017

BACKGROUND:

It is often unrealistic to assume that the subject remains stationary during a computed tomography (CT) imaging scan. A patient rigid motion can be decomposed into a translation and a rotation around an origin. How to minimize the motion impact on image quality is important.

OBJECTIVE:

To eliminate artifacts caused by patient rigid motion during a CT scan, this study investigated a new method based on frequency domain analysis to estimate and compensate motion impact.

METHODS:

Motion parameters was first determined by the magnitude correlation of projections in frequency domain. Then, the estimated parameters were applied to compensate for the motion effects in the reconstruction process. Finally, this method was extended to helical CT.

RESULTS:

In fan-beam CT experiments, the simulation results showed that the proposed method was more accurate and faster on the performance of motion estimation than using Helgason-Ludwig consistency condition method (HLCC). Furthermore, the reconstructed images on both simulated and human head experiments indicated that the proposed method yielded superior results in artifact reduction.

CONCLUSIONS:

The proposed method is a new tool for patient motion compensation, with a potential for practical application. It is not only applicable to motion correction in fan-beam CT imaging, but also to helical CT.
Metal artifact reduction in spiral fan-beam CT using a new sinogram segmentation scheme
Authors: Yazdi Mehran , Mansourian Zohre
Published: May 2017

Objective of this study is to present and test a new method for metal artifact reduction (MAR) by segmenting raw CT data (sinogram). The artifact suppression technique incorporates two steps namely, metal projection segmentation in the sinogram and replacement of segmented regions by new values using an interpolation method. The proposed segmentation algorithm uses the sinogram instead of reconstructed CT slices. First, one of the best and newest region-based geometric active contour models is used to detect projection data affected by metal objects (missing projections). Then, the Hough-transform method is applied to detect all sinusoidal-like curves belonging to metal objects. Finally, a post image processing technique is used aiming to increase accuracy of the segmentation process. To provide a proof of performance, CT data of two patients with metallic teeth filling and pelvis prosthesis were included in the study as well as CT data of a phantom with metallic teeth inserts. Accuracy was determined by comparing mean, variance, mean squared error (MSE) and, peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR) as evaluation measurements of distortion in phantom images with respect to metallic teeth (original and suppressed) and without metallic teeth inserts. Quantitative results showed an average improvement of 12 dB in terms of PSNR and 517 in terms of MSE when the new MAR method was applied to remove metal artifacts. Qualitative improvement was also assessed by comparing uncorrected clinical images with artifact suppressed images. Moreover, qualitative comparison of the results of the proposed new method with the existing methods of MAR showed the superiority of the new method tested in this study.
Breast osteoblastoma and recurrence after resection: Demonstration by color Doppler ultrasound
Authors: Li Xia , Xin Hua , Yang Shifeng , Zhao Miaoqing , Wang Ximing , Zhang Nan
Published: May 2017

Osteoblastoma is a rare benign primary bone tumor, which occurs in any part of the skeleton. Extraskeletal osteoblastoma is rather rare. We presented an extremely rare case of extraskeletal osteoblastoma located in the breast. The tumor recurred 7 months later after resection and transformed to aggressive osteoblastoma. The histopathological features, ultrasonic manifestations and ultrasonic differential diagnoses of the primary and recurrent tumors were discussed. The recommended treatment of the tumor is surgical excision. Due to its tendency of recurrence and potential malignant transformation, adequate resection and careful follow up is essential.
Intellectual Property Litigation at the Court of Session: A First Empirical Investigation
Authors: Cornwell Jane
Published: May 2017

Scotland is said to enjoy an economy rich in intellectual property (“IP”), but reported decisions from the Court of Session in IP matters are rare. This article analyses a new dataset of Court of Session IP actions compiled from court records for the period from 2008 to 2014, alongside a survey and interviews conducted among Scottish legal practitioners working in the field of IP. The research provides insights into the Court of Session's IP caseload, parties and their sectors, the subject matter of claims and remedies sought. This article discusses key themes emerging from the research data against the broader context of civil justice reform and jurisdictional competition between the Scottish, English and other courts.
‘The roses are long gone but the chrysanthemums are magnificent’: Late-life Creativity in Quartet and Youth
Authors: Swinnen Aagje
Published: May 2017

This article employs Boden's (2004) understanding that creativity can be defined in terms of both ‘big C creativity’ associated with high culture and ‘small c creativity’ concerned with constructive, life-affirming strategies in its comparative study of the films Quartet (2012) and Youth (2015) focusing on their representations of ageing artists and musicians and the ways in which each film suggests that life experience informs artistic endeavour and vice versa. With each film based on varying scenarios of late-life ‘big C creativity’, the article explores the contrasts with ‘small c creativity’ that are suggested in storylines. The article argues that to varying degrees and with different ideological implications each film points to the importance of relationality and embodiment in late-life creativity.
Ageing across Space and Time: Exploring Concepts of Ageing and Identity in the Female Ensemble Dramas Tenko and Call the Midwife
Authors: Jennings Ros
Published: May 2017

This article focuses on two female ensemble dramas Tenko (BBC/Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 1981–5) and Call the Midwife (BBC, 2012–) and uses an ageing studies lens to explore the way that the ensemble format provides a particularly rich insight into the relationship between women, ageing and understandings of women's identity over time. The two dramas provide complex and evocative links between the spaces and times of British politics, culture and society in different historical periods enabling a highly nuanced engagement with the ideological constructions of concepts of age and women's gendered identities.
‘The one you watched when you were twelve’: Regenerations ofDoctor Whoand Enduring Fandom's ‘Life-Transitional Objects’
Authors: Hills Matt
Published: May 2017

In this article I return to the fannish transitional object, relating fandom across the life course (Harrington and Bielby 2013) to recent critical concepts of ‘consumed nostalgia’ and ‘mediated nostalgia’ (Cross 2015; Lizardi 2015), both of which imply that ‘enduring fandom’ can represent an unhealthy holding on to the past. Challenging this, I turn to Christopher Bollas’ (1993) notion of ‘generational consciousness’, considering instead how a long-running British science fiction TV series such as Doctor Who (BBC1, 1963–) can become a ‘generational object’ for multiple cohorts of fans (Booth and Kelly 2013), this being recognised through fan discourses of ‘my Doctor’. I also examine how changes in the fan object linked to recasting and reimagining are drawn on by fans to understand the ageing of their own generation, and its movement from a culturally powerful ‘illusion’ (that the text is meant for them), to disillusionment (that Doctor Who is now aimed at younger audiences, and hence they may no longer be culturally central to its meanings and practices). If we can identify ‘media generations’ (Bolin 2017), then this calls for a greater exploration of how media attachments, retained by fans across many decades, can act as life-transitional objects within experiences of ageing. I conclude by addressing the ‘textual ageing’ of Doctor Who, demonstrating how the programme denies its own metaphorical ‘life cycle’ (Harrington 2016) in favour of always regenerating, even while it simultaneously trades on the cultural/heritage value of being more than 50 years old.
Adaptive Vector Quantization for Lossy Compression of Image Sequences
Authors: Pizzolante Raffaele , Carpentieri Bruno , De Agostino Sergio
Published: May 2017

In this work, we present a scheme for the lossy compression of image sequences, based on the Adaptive Vector Quantization (AVQ) algorithm. The AVQ algorithm is a lossy compression algorithm for grayscale images, which processes the input data in a single-pass, by using the properties of the vector quantization to approximate data. First, we review the key aspects of the AVQ algorithm and, subsequently, we outline the basic concepts and the design choices behind the proposed scheme. Finally, we report the experimental results, which highlight an improvement in compression performances when our scheme is compared with the AVQ algorithm.
Searchable Data Vault: Encrypted Queries in Secure Distributed Cloud Storage
Authors: Poh Geong , Baskaran Vishnu , Chin Ji-Jian , Mohamad Moesfa , Lee Kay Win , Maniam Dharmadharshni , Z’aba Muhammad
Published: May 2017

Cloud storage services allow users to efficiently outsource their documents anytime and anywhere. Such convenience, however, leads to privacy concerns. While storage providers may not read users’ documents, attackers may possibly gain access by exploiting vulnerabilities in the storage system. Documents may also be leaked by curious administrators. A simple solution is for the user to encrypt all documents before submitting them. This method, however, makes it impossible to efficiently search for documents as they are all encrypted. To resolve this problem, we propose a multi-server searchable symmetric encryption (SSE) scheme and construct a system called the searchable data vault (SDV). A unique feature of the scheme is that it allows an encrypted document to be divided into blocks and distributed to different storage servers so that no single storage provider has a complete document. By incorporating the scheme, the SDV protects the privacy of documents while allowing for efficient private queries. It utilizes a web interface and a controller that manages user credentials, query indexes and submission of encrypted documents to cloud storage services. It is also the first system that enables a user to simultaneously outsource and privately query documents from a few cloud storage services. Our preliminary performance evaluation shows that this feature introduces acceptable computation overheads when compared to submitting documents directly to a cloud storage service.
Treatment of Real-World HCV Genotype 2-Infected Japanese Patients with Sofosbuvir plus Ribavirin
Authors: Kanda Tatsuo , Nakamura Masato , Yasui Shin , Haga Yuki , Tawada Akinobu , Suzuki Eiichiro , Ooka Yoshihiko , Takahashi Koji , Sasaki Reina , Wu Shuang , Nakamoto Shingo , Arai Makoto , Imazeki Fumio , Yokosuka Osamu
Published: May 2017

The aim of this study was to characterize the treatment response and tolerability of sofosbuvir plus ribavirin therapies in Japanese patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype (GT)-2. This retrospective study analyzed 114 Japanese HCV GT-2 patients treated for 12 weeks with 400 mg of sofosbuvir plus weight-based ribavirin daily. This treatment led to higher sustained virologic response at 12-weeks post-treatment (SVR12) rates in both treatment-naïve and treatment-experienced patients. The efficacy of this treatment in compensated cirrhotics was the same as that in patients with chronic hepatitis. HCV GT-2a infection and lower estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR) tended to be associated with SVR12. Of 114 patients, 113 completed the combination of sofosbuvir plus ribavirin for 12 weeks. Seven patients without SVR12 did not have HCV NS5B-S282 mutations. The overall SVR12 rate was 90.4% (103 of 114). More effective therapeutic options with less adverse events are desired to achieve higher SVR rates in HCV GT-2 Japanese patients.
Hypoxia and Inflammation in Cancer, Focus on HIF and NF-κB
Authors: D’Ignazio Laura , Batie Michael , Rocha Sonia
Published: May 2017

Cancer is often characterised by the presence of hypoxia and inflammation. Paramount to the mechanisms controlling cellular responses under such stress stimuli, are the transcription factor families of Hypoxia Inducible Factor (HIF) and Nuclear Factor of κ-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB). Although, a detailed understating of how these transcription factors respond to their cognate stimulus is well established, it is now appreciated that HIF and NF-κB undergo extensive crosstalk, in particular in pathological situations such as cancer. Here, we focus on the current knowledge on how HIF is activated by inflammation and how NF-κB is modulated by hypoxia. We summarise the evidence for the possible mechanism behind this activation and how HIF and NF-κB function impacts cancer, focusing on colorectal, breast and lung cancer. We discuss possible new points of therapeutic intervention aiming to harness the current understanding of the HIF-NF-κB crosstalk.
Impact of Demand-Side Management on Thermal Comfort and Energy Costs in a Residential nZEB
Authors: Péan Thibault , Ortiz Joana , Salom Jaume
Published: May 2017

In this study, simulation work has been carried out to investigate the impact of a demand-side management control strategy in a residential nZEB. A refurbished apartment within a multi-family dwelling representative of Mediterranean building habits was chosen as a study case and modelled within a simulation framework. A flexibility strategy based on set-point modulation depending on the energy price was applied to the building. The impact of the control strategy on thermal comfort was studied in detail with several methods retrieved from the standards or other literature, differentiating the effects on day and night living zones. It revealed a slight decrease of comfort when implementing flexibility, although this was not prejudicial. In addition, the applied strategy caused a simultaneous increase of the electricity used for heating by up to 7% and a reduction of the corresponding energy costs by up to around 20%. The proposed control thereby constitutes a promising solution for shifting heating loads towards periods of lower prices and is able to provide benefits for both the user and the grid sides. Beyond that, the activation of energy flexibility in buildings (nZEB in the present case) will participate in a more successful integration of renewable energy sources (RES) in the energy mix.
Targeting Intracellular Calcium Signaling ([Ca2+]i) to Overcome Acquired Multidrug Resistance of Cancer Cells: A Mini-Overview
Authors: Büsselberg Dietrich , Florea Ana-Maria
Published: May 2017

Cancer is a main public health problem all over the world. It affects millions of humans no matter their age, gender, education, or social status. Although chemotherapy is the main strategy for the treatment of cancer, a major problem limiting its success is the intrinsic or acquired drug resistance. Therefore, cancer drug resistance is a major impediment in medical oncology resulting in a failure of a successful cancer treatment. This mini-overview focuses on the interdependent relationship between intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) signaling and multidrug resistance of cancer cells, acquired upon treatment of tumors with anticancer drugs. We propose that [Ca2+]i signaling modulates gene expression of multidrug resistant (MDR) genes which in turn can be modulated by epigenetic factors which in turn leads to modified protein expression in drug resistant tumor cells. A precise knowledge of these mechanisms will help to develop new therapeutic strategies for drug resistant tumors and will improve current chemotherapy.
Diagnostic and Therapeutic Potential of MicroRNAs in Lung Cancer
Authors: Inamura Kentaro
Published: May 2017

Lung cancer is the leading cause of deaths resulting from cancer owing to late diagnosis and limited treatment intervention. MicroRNAs are short, non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally by translational repression or target messenger RNA degradation. Accumulating evidence suggests various roles for microRNAs, including development and progression of lung cancers. Because microRNAs are degraded to a much lesser extent in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens and are present not only in tumor tissues but also in body fluids, there is an increased potential in microRNA analyses for cancer research. In this review, recent studies of microRNA are introduced and briefly summarized, with a focus on the association of microRNAs with histological subtypes, genetic driver alterations, therapeutically-targeted molecules, and carcinogens. The reported circulating microRNA signature for the early detection of lung cancer and the implications of microRNAs as the modulators of tumor immune response are also introduced.
Major Tumor Suppressor and Oncogenic Non-Coding RNAs: Clinical Relevance in Lung Cancer
Authors: Inamura Kentaro
Published: May 2017

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, yet there remains a lack of specific and sensitive tools for early diagnosis and targeted therapies. High-throughput sequencing techniques revealed that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), e.g., microRNAs and long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), represent more than 80% of the transcribed human genome. Emerging evidence suggests that microRNAs and lncRNAs regulate target genes and play an important role in biological processes and signaling pathways in malignancies, including lung cancer. In lung cancer, several tumor suppressor/oncogenic microRNAs and lncRNAs function as biomarkers for metastasis and prognosis, and thus may serve as therapeutic tools. In this review, recent work on microRNAs and lncRNAs is introduced and briefly summarized with a focus on potential biological and therapeutic applications.
Two-Stage Crystallizer Design for High Loading of Poorly Water-Soluble Pharmaceuticals in Porous Silica Matrices
Authors: Dwyer Leia , Kulkarni Samir , Ruelas Luzdary , Myerson Allan
Published: May 2017

While porous silica supports have been previously studied as carriers for nanocrystalline forms of poorly water-soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), increasing the loading of API in these matrices is of great importance if these carriers are to be used in drug formulations. A dual-stage mixed-suspension, mixed-product removal (MSMPR) crystallizer was designed in which the poorly soluble API fenofibrate was loaded into the porous matrices of pore sizes 35 nm–300 nm in the first stage, and then fed to a second stage in which the crystals were further grown in the pores. This resulted in high loadings of over 50 wt % while still producing nanocrystals confined to the pores without the formation of bulk-sized crystals on the surface of the porous silica. The principle was extended to another highly insoluble API, griseofulvin, to improve its loading in porous silica in a benchtop procedure. This work demonstrates a multi-step crystallization principle API in porous silica matrices with loadings high enough to produce final dosage forms of these poorly water-soluble APIs.
Designing Labeled Graph Classifiers by Exploiting the Rényi Entropy of the Dissimilarity Representation
Authors: Livi Lorenzo
Published: May 2017

Representing patterns as labeled graphs is becoming increasingly common in the broad field of computational intelligence. Accordingly, a wide repertoire of pattern recognition tools, such as classifiers and knowledge discovery procedures, are nowadays available and tested for various datasets of labeled graphs. However, the design of effective learning procedures operating in the space of labeled graphs is still a challenging problem, especially from the computational complexity viewpoint. In this paper, we present a major improvement of a general-purpose classifier for graphs, which is conceived on an interplay between dissimilarity representation, clustering, information-theoretic techniques, and evolutionary optimization algorithms. The improvement focuses on a specific key subroutine devised to compress the input data. We prove different theorems which are fundamental to the setting of the parameters controlling such a compression operation. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the resulting classifier by benchmarking the developed variants on well-known datasets of labeled graphs, considering as distinct performance indicators the classification accuracy, computing time, and parsimony in terms of structural complexity of the synthesized classification models. The results show state-of-the-art standards in terms of test set accuracy and a considerable speed-up for what concerns the computing time.
Tidal Current Power Resources and Influence of Sea-Level Rise in the Coastal Waters of Kinmen Island, Taiwan
Authors: Chen Wei-Bo , Chen Hongey , Lin Lee-Yaw , Yu Yi-Chiang
Published: May 2017

The tidal current power (TCP) resource, the impact of TCP extraction on hydrodynamics and the influence of sea-level rise (SLR) on TCP output in the coastal waters of Kinmen Island (Taiwan) are investigated using a state-of-the-art unstructured-grid depth-integrated numerical model. The model was driven by eight tidal constituents extracted from a global tidal prediction model and verified with time series of measured data for tide level and depth-averaged current. The simulations showed reasonable agreement with the observations; the skill index was in the excellent (0.71–0.93) range with regard to simulating tide level and currents. Model predictions indicated that the channel between Kinmen and Lieyu serves as an appropriate site for deploying the tidal turbines because of its higher tidal current and deeper water depth. The bottom friction approach was utilized to compute the average TCP over a spring-neap cycle (i.e., 15 days). Mean TCP reached its maximum to 45.51 kW for a coverage area of 0.036 km2 when an additional turbine friction coefficient (Ct) increased to 0.08, and a cut-in speed of 0.5 m/s was used. The annual TCP output was estimated to be 1.08 MW. The impact of TCP extraction on the change in current is significant, with a maximum reduction rate of instant current exceeding 60%, and the extent of influence for the average current is 1.26 km in length and 0.30 km in width for the −0.05 m/s contour line. However, the impact of TCP extraction on the change in tide level is insignificant; the maximum change in amplitude is only 0.73 cm for the K2 tide. The influence of SLR on the TCP output in Kinmen waters was also estimated. Modeling assessments showed that due to SLR produces faster tidal current, the annual TCP output increased to 1.52 MW, 2.01 MW, 2.48 MW and 2.97 MW under the same cut-in speed and coverage area conditions when SLR 0.25 m, SLR 0.5 m, SLR 0.75 m and SLR 1.0 m were imposed on the model.
An Updated Review of Dendrochronological Investigations in Mexico, a Megadiverse Country with a High Potential for Tree-Ring Sciences
Authors: Acosta-Hernández Andrea , Pompa-García Marín , Camarero Jesús
Published: May 2017

Dendrochronology is a very useful science to reconstruct the long-term responses of trees and other woody plants forming annual rings in response to their environment. The present review considered Mexico, a megadiverse country with a high potential for tree-ring sciences given its high climatic and environmental variability. We reviewed papers considering Mexican tree species that were published from 2001 to 2016. Most of these studies examined tree species from temperate forests, mainly in the pine and fir species. The review included 31 tree species. The most intensively sampled family and species were the Pinaceae and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziessi (Mirb.) Franco), respectively. Some threatened tree species were also studied. Dendrochronological investigations were mainly conducted in northern and central Mexico, with Durango being the most sampled state. The reviewed studies were mostly developed for hydroclimatic reconstructions, which were mainly based on the tree-ring width as a proxy for the climate. Tree-ring studies were carried out in both national and foreign institutions. Our review identified relevant research gaps for dendrochronologists such as: (i) biomes which are still scarcely studied (e.g., tropical dry forests) and (ii) approaches still rarely applied to Mexican forests as dendroecology.
Bioactive Peptides in Animal Food Products
Authors: Albenzio Marzia , Santillo Antonella , Caroprese Mariangela , Della Malva Antonella , Marino Rosaria
Published: May 2017

Proteins of animal origin represent physiologically active components in the human diet; they exert a direct action or constitute a substrate for enzymatic hydrolysis upon food processing and consumption. Bioactive peptides may descend from the hydrolysis by digestive enzymes, enzymes endogenous to raw food materials, and enzymes from microorganisms added during food processing. Milk proteins have different polymorphisms for each dairy species that influence the amount and the biochemical characteristics (e.g., amino acid chain, phosphorylation, and glycosylation) of the protein. Milk from other species alternative to cow has been exploited for their role in children with cow milk allergy and in some infant pathologies, such as epilepsy, by monitoring the immune status. Different mechanisms concur for bioactive peptides generation from meat and meat products, and their functionality and application as functional ingredients have proven effects on consumer health. Animal food proteins are currently the main source of a range of biologically-active peptides which have gained special interest because they may also influence numerous physiological responses in the organism. The addition of probiotics to animal food products represent a strategy for the increase of molecules with health and functional properties.
Growth and Tissue Elemental Composition Response of Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) to Hydroponic and Aquaponic Water Quality Conditions
Authors: Vandam Daniel , Anderson Tyler , De Villiers David , Timmons Michael
Published: May 2017

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea cv. Carmel) was grown in a conventional glass greenhouse under three different nutrient solution treatments. Lighting and temperature conditions were identical. Six growing systems were used to provide a duplicate trough system for each of these three treatments. Six trials were harvested from each system over a two month time period. Two treatments received hydroponic nutrient inputs, with one treatment at pH 7.0 (referred to as H7) and the other at pH 5.8 (H5), and the third treatment was aquaponic (A7), receiving all of its nutrients from a single fish tank with koi (Cyprinus carpio) except for chelated iron. System pH was regulated by adding K2CO3 to aquaponic systems and KOH to hydroponic systems. Comparisons made between treatments were total yield, leaf surface area, tissue elemental content, and dry weight to fresh weight ratio. Dry weight biomass yield values were not different in pairwise comparisons between treatments (A7 vs. H5: p = 0.59 fresh weight, p = 0.42 dry weight). Similarly, surface area results were not different between treatments. The important comparison was that A7 achieved the same growth as H5, the conventional pH with a complete inorganic nutrient solution, despite unbalanced and less than “ideal” nutrient concentrations in the A7 condition.