bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Alcohol Induced Hepatic Degeneration in a Hepatitis C Virus Core Protein Transgenic Mouse Model
Authors: Noh Dong-Hyung , Lee Eun-Joo , Kim Ah-Young , Lee Eun-Mi , Min Chang-Woo , Kang Kyung-Ku , Lee Myeong-Mi , Kim Sang-Hyeob , Sung Soo-Eun , Hwang Meeyul , Yu Dae-Yeul , Jeong Kyu-Shik
Published: March 2014

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has become a major public health issue. It is prevalent in most countries. HCV infection frequently begins without clinical symptoms, before progressing to persistent viremia, chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the majority of patients (70% to 80%). Alcohol is an independent cofactor that accelerates the development of HCC in chronic hepatitis C patients. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate ethanol-induced hepatic changes in HCV core-Tg mice and mutant core Tg mice. Wild type (NTG), core wild-Tg mice (TG-K), mutant core 116-Tg mice (TG-116) and mutant core 99-Tg mice (TG-99) were used in this investigation. All groups were given drinking water with 10% ethanol and 5% sucrose for 13 weeks. To observe liver morphological changes, we performed histopathological and immunohistochemical examinations. Histopathologically, NTG, TG-K and TG-116 mice showed moderate centrilobular necrosis, while severe centrilobular necrosis and hepatocyte dissociation were observed in TG-99 mice with increasing lymphocyte infiltration and piecemeal necrosis. In all groups, a small amount of collagen fiber was found, principally in portal areas. None of the mice were found to have myofibroblasts based on immunohistochemical staining specific for α-SMA. CYP2E1-positive cells were clearly detected in the centrilobular area in all groups. In the TG-99 mice, we also observed cells positive for CK8/18, TGF-β1 and phosphorylated (p)-Smad2/3 and p21 around the necrotic hepatocytes in the centrilobular area (p < 0.01). Based on our data, alcohol intake induced piecemeal necrosis and hepatocyte dissociation in the TG-99 mice. These phenomena involved activation of the TGF-β1/p-Smad2/3/p21 signaling pathway in hepatocytes. Data from this study will be useful for elucidating the association between alcohol intake and HCV infection.
Construction and Analysis of Siberian Tiger Bacterial Artificial Chromosome Library with Approximately 6.5-Fold Genome Equivalent Coverage
Authors: Liu Changqing , Bai Chunyu , Guo Yu , Liu Dan , Lu Taofeng , Li Xiangchen , Ma Jianzhang , Ma Yuehui , Guan Weijun
Published: March 2014

Bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) libraries are extremely valuable for the genome-wide genetic dissection of complex organisms. The Siberian tiger, one of the most well-known wild primitive carnivores in China, is an endangered animal. In order to promote research on its genome, a high-redundancy BAC library of the Siberian tiger was constructed and characterized. The library is divided into two sub-libraries prepared from blood cells and two sub-libraries prepared from fibroblasts. This BAC library contains 153,600 individually archived clones; for PCR-based screening of the library, BACs were placed into 40 superpools of 10 × 384-deep well microplates. The average insert size of BAC clones was estimated to be 116.5 kb, representing approximately 6.46 genome equivalents of the haploid genome and affording a 98.86% statistical probability of obtaining at least one clone containing a unique DNA sequence. Screening the library with 19 microsatellite markers and a SRY sequence revealed that each of these markers were present in the library; the average number of positive clones per marker was 6.74 (range 2 to 12), consistent with 6.46 coverage of the tiger genome. Additionally, we identified 72 microsatellite markers that could potentially be used as genetic markers. This BAC library will serve as a valuable resource for physical mapping, comparative genomic study and large-scale genome sequencing in the tiger.
Quantum States as Ordinary Information
Authors: Wharton Ken
Published: March 2014

Despite various parallels between quantum states and ordinary information, quantum no-go-theorems have convinced many that there is no realistic framework that might underly quantum theory, no reality that quantum states can represent knowledge about. This paper develops the case that there is a plausible underlying reality: one actual spacetime-based history, although with behavior that appears strange when analyzed dynamically (one time-slice at a time). By using a simple model with no dynamical laws, it becomes evident that this behavior is actually quite natural when analyzed “all-at-once” (as in classical action principles). From this perspective, traditional quantum states would represent incomplete information about possible spacetime histories, conditional on the future measurement geometry. Without dynamical laws imposing additional restrictions, those histories can have a classical probability distribution, where exactly one history can be said to represent an underlying reality.
The Use of Registries to Improve Cancer Treatment: A National Database for Patients Treated with Interleukin-2 (IL-2)
Authors: Kaufman Howard , Wong Michael , Daniels Gregory , McDermott David , Aung Sandra , Lowder James , Morse Michael
Published: March 2014

Registries evaluating un-randomized patients have provided valuable information with respect to a therapy’s utility, treatment practices, and evolution over time. While immunotherapy for cancer has been around for more than three decades, data collection in the form of a registry has not been undertaken. The authors believe that establishing a registry to study HD IL-2 immunotherapy, which has been the only systemic therapy producing long term unmaintained remissions for advanced kidney cancer and melanoma for over 20 years, will be an important resource in understanding the impact of immunotherapy with HD IL-2 in a rapidly changing therapeutic environment. Optimizing administration and improving selection of appropriate patients likely to benefit from HD IL-2 immunotherapy are two of many benefits to be derived from this endeavor.
Structural Studies of the Lipopolysaccharide from the Fish Pathogen Aeromonas veronii Strain Bs19, Serotype O16
Authors: Turska-Szewczuk Anna , Duda Katarzyna , Schwudke Dominik , Pekala Agnieszka , Kozinska Alicja , Holst Otto
Published: March 2014

Chemical analyses, mass spectrometry, and NMR spectroscopy were applied to study the structure of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) isolated from Aeromonas veronii strain Bs19, serotype O16. ESI-MS revealed that the most abundant LPS glycoforms have tetra-acylated or hexa-acylated lipid A species, consisting of a bisphosphorylated GlcN disaccharide with an AraN residue as a non-stoichiometric substituent, and a core oligosaccharide composed of Hep5Hex3HexN1Kdo1P1. Sugar and methylation analysis together with 1D and 2D 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy were the main methods used, and revealed that the O-specific polysaccharide (OPS) of A. veronii Bs19 was built up of tetrasaccharide repeating units with the structure: →4)-α-d-Quip3NAc-(1→3)-α-l-Rhap-(1→4)-β-d-Galp-(1→3)-α-d-GalpNAc-(1→. This composition was confirmed by mass spectrometry. The charge-deconvoluted ESI FT-ICR MS recorded for the LPS preparations identified mass peaks of SR- and R-form LPS species, that differed by Δm = 698.27 u, a value corresponding to the calculated molecular mass of one OPS repeating unit (6dHexNAc6dHexHexHexNAc-H2O). Moreover, unspecific fragmentation spectra confirmed the sequence of the sugar residues in the OPS and allowed to assume that the elucidated structure also represented the biological repeating unit.
Early State Research on Antifungal Natural Products
Authors: Negri Melyssa , Salci Tânia , Shinobu-Mesquita Cristiane , Capoci Isis , Svidzinski Terezinha , Kioshima Erika
Published: March 2014

Nosocomial infections caused by fungi have increased greatly in recent years, mainly due to the rising number of immunocompromised patients. However, the available antifungal therapeutic arsenal is limited, and the development of new drugs has been slow. Therefore, the search for alternative drugs with low resistance rates and fewer side effects remains a major challenge. Plants produce a variety of medicinal components that can inhibit pathogen growth. Studies of plant species have been conducted to evaluate the characteristics of natural drug products, including their sustainability, affordability, and antimicrobial activity. A considerable number of studies of medicinal plants and alternative compounds, such as secondary metabolites, phenolic compounds, essential oils and extracts, have been performed. Thus, this review discusses the history of the antifungal arsenal, surveys natural products with potential antifungal activity, discusses strategies to develop derivatives of natural products, and presents perspectives on the development of novel antifungal drug candidates.
Understanding the Adsorption of CuPc and ZnPc on Noble Metal Surfaces by Combining Quantum-Mechanical Modelling and Photoelectron Spectroscopy
Authors: Huang Yu , Wruss Elisabeth , Egger David , Kera Satoshi , Ueno Nobuo , Saidi Wissam , Bucko Tomas , Wee Andrew , Zojer Egbert
Published: March 2014

Phthalocyanines are an important class of organic semiconductors and, thus, their interfaces with metals are both of fundamental and practical relevance. In the present contribution we provide a combined theoretical and experimental study, in which we show that state-of-the-art quantum-mechanical simulations are nowadays capable of treating most properties of such interfaces in a quantitatively reliable manner. This is shown for Cu-phthalocyanine (CuPc) and Zn-phthalocyanine (ZnPc) on Au(111) and Ag(111) surfaces. Using a recently developed approach for efficiently treating van der Waals (vdW) interactions at metal/organic interfaces, we calculate adsorption geometries in excellent agreement with experiments. With these geometries available, we are then able to accurately describe the interfacial electronic structure arising from molecular adsorption. We find that bonding is dominated by vdW forces for all studied interfaces. Concomitantly, charge rearrangements on Au(111) are exclusively due to Pauli pushback. On Ag(111), we additionally observe charge transfer from the metal to one of the spin-channels associated with the lowest unoccupied π-states of the molecules. Comparing the interfacial density of states with our ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) experiments, we find that the use of a hybrid functionals is necessary to obtain the correct order of the electronic states.
Ginsenoside Rb1 Protects Rat Neural Progenitor Cells against Oxidative Injury
Authors: Ni Na , Liu Qiang , Ren Huixia , Wu Di , Luo Chuanming , Li Peng , Wan Jian-Bo , Su Huanxing
Published: March 2014

Ginseng, the root of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, has been used as a tonic to enhance bodily functions against various ailments for hundreds of years in Far Eastern countries without apparent adverse effects. Ginsenoside Rb1, one of the most active ingredients of ginseng, has been shown to possess various pharmacological activities. Here we report that Rb1 exhibits potent neuroprotective effects against oxidative injury induced by tert-butylhydroperoxide (t-BHP). Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay demonstrated that incubation with 300 µm t-BHP for 2.5 h led to a significant cell loss of cultured rat embryonic cortex-derived neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and the cell viability was pronouncedly increased by 24 h pretreatment of 10 µm Rb1. TUNEL staining further confirmed that pretreatment of Rb1 significantly reduced the cell apoptosis in t-BHP-induced oxidative injury. Real time PCR revealed that pretreatment with Rb1 activated Nrf2 pathway in cultured NPCs and led to an elevated expression of HO-1. The results of the present study demonstrate that Rb1 shows a potent anti-oxidative effect on cultured NPCs by activating Nrf2 pathway.
Artificial Neural Network Modeling of High Arctic Phytomass Using Synthetic Aperture Radar and Multispectral Data
Authors: Collingwood Adam , Treitz Paul , Charbonneau Francois , Atkinson David
Published: March 2014

Vegetation in the Arctic is often sparse, spatially heterogeneous, and difficult to model. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) has shown some promise in above-ground phytomass estimation at sub-arctic latitudes, but the utility of this type of data is not known in the context of the unique environments of the Canadian High Arctic. In this paper, Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) were created to model the relationship between variables derived from high resolution multi-incidence angle RADARSAT-2 SAR data and optically-derived (GeoEye-1) Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI) values. The modeled SAVI values (i.e., from SAR variables) were then used to create maps of above-ground phytomass across the study area. SAVI model results for individual ecological classes of polar semi-desert, mesic heath, wet sedge, and felsenmeer were reasonable, with r2 values of 0.43, 0.43, 0.30, and 0.59, respectively. When the outputs of these models were combined to analyze the relationship between the model output and SAVI as a group, the r2 value was 0.60, with an 8% normalized root mean square error (% of the total range of phytomass values), a positive indicator of a relationship. The above-ground phytomass model also resulted in a very strong relationship (r2 = 0.87) between SAR-modeled and field-measured phytomass. A positive relationship was also found between optically derived SAVI values and field measured phytomass (r2 = 0.79). These relationships demonstrate the utility of SAR data, compared to using optical data alone, for modeling above-ground phytomass in a high arctic environment possessing relatively low levels of vegetation.
Ontological Knowledge Engine and Health Screening Data Enabled Ubiquitous Personalized Physical Fitness (UFIT)
Authors: Su Chuan-Jun , Chiang Chang-Yu , Chih Meng-Chun
Published: March 2014

Good physical fitness generally makes the body less prone to common diseases. A personalized exercise plan that promotes a balanced approach to fitness helps promotes fitness, while inappropriate forms of exercise can have adverse consequences for health. This paper aims to develop an ontology-driven knowledge-based system for generating custom-designed exercise plans based on a user’s profile and health status, incorporating international standard Health Level Seven International (HL7) data on physical fitness and health screening. The generated plan exposing Representational State Transfer (REST) style web services which can be accessed from any Internet-enabled device and deployed in cloud computing environments. To ensure the practicality of the generated exercise plans, encapsulated knowledge used as a basis for inference in the system is acquired from domain experts. The proposed Ubiquitous Exercise Plan Generation for Personalized Physical Fitness (UFIT) will not only improve health-related fitness through generating personalized exercise plans, but also aid users in avoiding inappropriate work outs.
A Novel Topology Control Approach to Maintain the Node Degree in Dynamic Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Huang Yuanjiang , Martínez José-Fernán , Díaz Vicente , Sendra Juana
Published: March 2014

Topology control is an important technique to improve the connectivity and the reliability of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) by means of adjusting the communication range of wireless sensor nodes. In this paper, a novel Fuzzy-logic Topology Control (FTC) is proposed to achieve any desired average node degree by adaptively changing communication range, thus improving the network connectivity, which is the main target of FTC. FTC is a fully localized control algorithm, and does not rely on location information of neighbors. Instead of designing membership functions and if-then rules for fuzzy-logic controller, FTC is constructed from the training data set to facilitate the design process. FTC is proved to be accurate, stable and has short settling time. In order to compare it with other representative localized algorithms (NONE, FLSS, k-Neighbor and LTRT), FTC is evaluated through extensive simulations. The simulation results show that: firstly, similar to k-Neighbor algorithm, FTC is the best to achieve the desired average node degree as node density varies; secondly, FTC is comparable to FLSS and k-Neighbor in terms of energy-efficiency, but is better than LTRT and NONE; thirdly, FTC has the lowest average maximum communication range than other algorithms, which indicates that the most energy-consuming node in the network consumes the lowest power.
The Role of Hand-Assisted Laparoscopic Surgery in a Right Hemicolectomy for Right-Sided Colon Cancer
Authors: Bae Sung Uk , Park Jin Seok , Choi Young Jin , Lee Min Ku , Cho Byung Sun , Kang Yoon Jung , Park Joo Seung , Kim Chang Nam
Published: March 2014

Purpose The purpose of this study is to evaluate the perioperative and long-term oncologic outcomes of hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery (HALS) and standard laparoscopic surgery (SLS) and assess the role of HALS in the management of right-sided colon cancer.Methods The study group included 53 patients who underwent HALS and 45 patients who underwent SLS for right-sided colon cancer between April 2002 and December 2008.Results The patients in each group were similar in age, American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) score, body mass index, and history of previous abdominal surgeries. Eight patients in the HALS group and no patient in the SLS group exhibited signs of tumor invasion into adjacent structures. No differences were noted in the time to return of normal bowel function, time to toleration of diet, lengths of hospital stay and narcotic usage, and rate of postoperative complications. The median incision length was longer in the HALS group (HALS: 7.0 cm vs. SLS: 4.8 cm, P < 0.001). The HALS group had a significantly higher pathologic TNM stage and significantly larger tumor size (HALS: 6.0 cm vs. SLS: 3.3 cm, P < 0.001). The 5-year overall, disease-free, and cancer-specific survival rates of the HALS and the SLS groups were 87.3%, 75.2%, and 93.9% and 86.4%, 78.0%, and 90.7%, respectively (P = 0.826, P = 0.574, and P = 0.826).Conclusion Although patients in the HALS group had more advanced disease and underwent more complex procedures than those in the SLS group, the short-term benefits and the oncologic outcomes between the two groups were comparable. HALS can, therefore, be considered an alternative to SLS for bulky and fixed right-sided colon cancer.
Extracellular biosynthesis of gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) nanoparticles, their biodistribution and bioconjugation with the chemically modified anticancer drug taxol
Authors: Khan Shadab Ali , Gambhir Sanjay , Ahmad Absar
Published: March 2014

As a part of our programme to develop nanobioconjugates for the treatment of cancer, we first synthesized extracellular, protein-capped, highly stable and well-dispersed gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) nanoparticles by using thermophilic fungus Humicola sp. The biodistribution of the nanoparticles in rats was checked by radiolabelling with Tc-99m. Finally, these nanoparticles were bioconjugated with the chemically modified anticancer drug taxol with the aim of characterizing the role of this bioconjugate in the treatment of cancer. The biosynthesized Gd2O3 nanoparticles were characterized by UV–vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). The Gd2O3–taxol bioconjugate was confirmed by UV–vis spectroscopy and fluorescence microscopy and was purified by using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
Visible-light photoredox catalysis enabled bromination of phenols and alkenes
Authors: Zhao Yating , Li Zhe , Yang Chao , Lin Run , Xia Wujiong
Published: March 2014

A mild and efficient methodology for the bromination of phenols and alkenes has been developed utilizing visible light-induced photoredox catalysis. The bromine was generated in situ from the oxidation of Br−by Ru(bpy)33+, both of which resulted from the oxidative quenching process.
Logique d'encastrement et de découplage au sein du développement durable. Le cas des relations entre Prestataires Logistiques et GMS
Authors: George Alain , Mannarini Michel , Travaillé Denis
Published: March 2014

La thématique du développement durable se déploie dans le cadre contractuel de la prestation logistique « aval », entre GMS et prestataires. Cette recherche exploratoire basée sur une étude de cas interroge ces relations contractuelles. Les auteurs tenteront de démontrer que le « Développement Durable et Impact Environnemental » (DDIE) devient un levier de découplage et d’encastrement par le biais d’une démarche volontariste. Ces résultats montrent l’intérêt de faire appel à la théorie de l’encastrement et du découplage. Ils questionnent et justifient les conditions d’échange, assurant une plus grande stabilité dans le temps, entre GMS et prestataires logistiques, des relations au sein de la chaîne logistique « aval ».
Tuteur, manager, un enrichissement bidirectionnel
Authors: Alves Sarah , Ardouin Thierry , Philippe Xavier
Published: March 2014

Les managers sont de plus en plus sollicités par leur organisation à la fois pour développer leurs compétences, atteindre les objectifs de production mais aussi accompagner leur équipe en intégrant les situations individuelles. La fonction de tuteur est alors souvent mise en avant. Nous nous interrogeons sur les liens existants entre les deux fonctions tant en termes de postures que de compétences qu’une recherche action met effectivement en évidence.
Un état francophone du champ du management des connaissances : la communauté GeCSO
Authors: Ermine Jean-Louis , Lièvre Pascal , Paraponaris Claude , Guittard Claude
Published: March 2014

L’émergence d’une communauté de recherche francophone multidisciplinaire GecSO (Gestion des Connaissances, Société et Organisation) autour du management des connaissances donne lieu à la production d’une centaine de contributions depuis 2008. L’objet de cet article est de proposer une structuration du champ à partir de cette production. Il est possible de dégager six programmes de recherche qui sont à la fois distincts mais reliés entre eux. Ces programmes constituent des attracteurs propres à structurer le champ. Ces programmes de recherche ont la particularité de traverser largement les disciplines. Ces programmes de recherche convergent sur la nécessité de distinguer information et connaissance, d’appréhender la connaissance comme une activité cognitive plutôt qu’un objet.
Communautés de savoir et innovation : le rôle de l'apprentissage. Une analyse sous l'éclairage d'une théorie basée sur les connaissances
Authors: Karoui Zouaoui Samia , Hchich Hedhli Rym
Published: March 2014

L’ère actuelle rend la survie des entreprises dans une économie basée essentiellement sur la connaissance, de plus en plus tributaire de la variété des compétences et expertises des acteurs travaillant dans l’entreprise, et leur capacité à exploiter au mieux les connaissances existantes et à explorer de nouvelles connaissances susceptibles d’enflammer l’innovation. L’objet de cette recherche est de décrire le rôle des communautés de pratique et épistémiques selon l’orientation cognitive adoptée, dans le développement des innovations et ce à travers l’analyse du processus d’influence des communautés de connaissances sur l’innovation. Nous cherchons à nous approcher du sujet à partir du terrain au travers d’une étude de cas qualitative à visée exploratoire. Les enseignements empiriques réconfortent les prédictions théoriques et quelques conclusions intéressantes se dégagent : les communautés de connaissances sont cruciales pour déclencher l’apprentissage bidimensionnel. L’apprentissage d’exploitation et celui d’exploration ne conduisent pas nécessairement à une innovation d’exploration mais certainement à l’amélioration de l’existant.
Usages des outils collaboratifs : le rôle des formes organisationnelles et des politiques de ressources humaines
Authors: Ologeanu-Taddei Roxana , Fallery Bernard , Oiry Ewan , Tchobanian Robert
Published: March 2014

Nous présentons les résultats d’une enquête menée dans six organisations afin de saisir les liens entre usages des outils collaboratifs, structure organisationnelle et politique RH. Notre recherche a mis en évidence le fait que les usages du logiciel de travail collaboratif retenu sont généralement conventionnels par rapport à des pratiques concernant des outils existants, mais qui peuvent être envisagés comme innovants par rapport aux pratiques des organisations étudiées.
Repenser la logistique à partir du management des connaissances. Le cas d'une mission au sein de la Mars Desert Research Station
Authors: Bonnet Emmanuel , Lièvre Pascal
Published: March 2014

L’objet de cet article est de proposer un design de recherche visant à répondre à la question : en quoi le management des connaissances renouvelle-t-il l’approche logistique de nos organisations ? Nous montrerons qu’il s’agit d’une nouvelle étape du développement de la logistique s’appuyant sur une approche dynamique et processuelle de la connaissance basée sur des pratiques situées qui n’ont pas le statut d’objet. Nous posons notre unité d’analyse au niveau de l’ « organisant » que l’on différencie d’une représentation décontextualisée de l’organisation. Nous interrogeons ici la possibilité d’articuler une perspective de codification des connaissances à une méthode d’explicitation des pratiques. Notre finalité est de construire un « codebook » à partir des pratiques des acteurs d’une simulation d’une exploration martienne.
Responsabilité sociale chez Tocqueville et Le Play
Authors: Sabéran Shirine
Published: March 2014

Cet article examine le principe d’une responsabilité sociale de la classe industrielle, tel qu’il a été pensé par Tocqueville et Le Play au xix e siècle : tous deux considèrent que la disparition des institutions de l’Ancien Régime et le développement industriel sont responsables de la perte des anciennes valeurs et de l’émergence de nouvelles centrées sur la seule satisfaction des intérêts privés matériels. Afin de moraliser cette nouvelle société, ils proposent une analyse des institutions à promouvoir, susceptibles de transformer les mœurs des classes dirigeantes et, par diffusion graduelle, celles de l’ensemble de la société : tel est l’objet de l’association aristocratique que défend Tocqueville et du « patronage » que recommande Le Play.
Come Together: Peer Review with Energy Engineering Students
Authors: Dominguez C. , Nascimento Maria Da Silva , Maia A. , Pedrosa D. , Cruz G.
Published: March 2014

Based on the quantitative and qualitative analysis of collected data, this work examines energy engineering students’ perceptions towards web-based peer assessment, distinguishing their role as reviewers and as feedback receivers. It analyses the type of feedback in an attempt to evaluate students’ written communication skills and identifies which factors are related to students’ use and appreciation of feedback. Taking in account the conclusions of our previous case-study in the civil engineering course at University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal) the results of this study allow us to deepen the reflexion on how to improve the design and implementation of future web-based peer assessment tasks in engineering courses.
Concept Mapping and Mind Mapping to Lift the Thinking Skills of Chemical Engineering Students
Authors: Joao Isabel M. , Silva João M.
Published: March 2014

Chemical product and process design teaching is facing challenges due to the major changes occurred in the last decades in the chemical industry. The emergence of products as a focus for chemical engineers implies changes in what chemical engineers do. It is important to prepare students for the more diverse, flexible roles they are expected to perform in industry and nowadays it is requisite that chemical engineers participate in the whole process from conception to manufacture. This paper addresses the activity of ideas generation, a very important step in product and process design procedure, and explores the role of concept maps and mind maps along with the discussion of the main features of the methods used to map and structure the ideas. The main goal of this paper is to present the methods within the context of product and process design teaching and learning showing the potentialities of the methods as graphical representations, in the ideas generation step in order to allow free-flowing thoughts. An illustration of the maps performed by chemical and biological engineering master students within the product and process design curricular unit is presented along with the main conclusions. This type of maps is promising in order to allow chemical and biological engineering students gradually lift their skills.
A Customizable Language Learning Support System Using Ontology-Driven Engine
Authors: Wang Jingyun , Mendori Takahiko , Xiong Juan
Published: March 2014

This paper proposes a framework for web-based language learning support systems designed to provide customizable pedagogical procedures based on the analysis of characteristics of both learner and course. This framework employs a course-centered ontology and a teaching method ontology as the foundation for the student model, which includes learner knowledge status and learning preferences. A prototype system has been developed based on this framework. The system was evaluated by means of analysis of learner data from the international language department of a Chinese university. The average learning achievement of the students in the experimental group, who studied with the learning support system, was significantly better than that of the control group, who studied with the tradition learning management system while taking the same Japanese course as the experimental group.
Cloud Computing Technology and Science
Authors: Hsu Ching-Hsien , Udoh Emmanuel
Published: March 2014

The “Cloud” is a natural evolution of distributed computing and of the widespread adaption of virtualization and SOA. In Cloud Computing, IT-related capabilities and resources are provided as services, via the Internet and on-demand, accessible without requiring detailed knowledge of the underlying technology. By taking advantage of virtualized resources, cloud computing presents an attractive means to address the challenges while realizing the potential of ubiquitous IT services. Consequently, computational scientists are turning their attention to emerging cloud computing technology and science. As such, cloud computing has come to the picture seeking solutions for computing and IT services to be efficient and environmentally friendly. This special issue is in response to the increasing convergence of cloud computing technologies and services, while different approaches exist, challenges and opportunities are numerous in this context. The research papers selected for this special issue represent recent progresses in the field, including works on virtualization, big data intelligence, resource management, services computing architectures and modeling, as well as mobile cloud and applications. This special issue includes seven extended version of the selected papers originally presented at the 4th IEEE International Conference on Cloud Computing Technology and Science (IEEE CloudCom 2012), held at Taipei, Taiwan. The papers selected for this issue not only contribute valuable insights and results but also have particular relevance to the emerging and cloud computing technologies. All of them present high quality results for tackling problems arising from the ever-growing cloud computing, heterogeneous computing as well as sustainable computing technologies. We believe that this special issue provides novel ideas and state-of-the-art techniques in the field, and stimulates future research in the emerging and cloud computing community.
Maintaining User Control While Storing and Processing Sensor Data in the Cloud
Authors: Henze Martin , Hummen René , Matzutt Roman , Catrein Daniel , Wehrle Klaus
Published: March 2014

Clouds provide a platform for efficiently and flexibly aggregating, storing, and processing large amounts of data. Eventually, sensor networks will automatically collect such data. A particular challenge regarding sensor data in Clouds is the inherent sensitive nature of sensed information. For current Cloud platforms, the data owner loses control over her sensor data once it enters the Cloud. This imposes a major adoption barrier for bridging Cloud computing and sensor networks, which we address henceforth. After analyzing threats to sensor data in Clouds, the authors propose a Cloud architecture that enables end-to-end control over sensitive sensor data by the data owner. The authors introduce a well-defined entry point from the sensor network into the Cloud, which enforces end-to-end data protection, applies encryption and integrity protection, and grants data access. Additionally, the authors enforce strict isolation of services. The authors show the feasibility and scalability of their Cloud architecture using a prototype and measurements.
Trajectory model simulations of ozone and carbon monoxide in the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere (UTLS)
Authors: Wang T. , Randel W. J. , Dessler A. E. , Schoeberl M. R. , Kinnison D. E.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. A domain-filling, forward trajectory model originally developed for simulating stratospheric water vapor is used to simulate ozone (O3) and carbon monoxide (CO) in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS). Trajectories are initialized in the upper troposphere, and the circulation is based on reanalysis wind fields. In addition, chemical production and loss rates along trajectories are included using calculations from the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM). The trajectory model results show good overall agreement with satellite observations from the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) and the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS) in terms of spatial structure and seasonal variability. The trajectory model results also agree well with the Eulerian WACCM simulations. Analysis of the simulated tracers shows that seasonal variations in tropical upwelling exerts strong influence on O3 and CO in the tropical lower stratosphere, and the coupled seasonal cycles provide a useful test of the transport simulations. Interannual variations in the tracers are also closely coupled to changes in upwelling, and the trajectory model can accurately capture and explain observed changes during 2005–2011. This demonstrates the importance of variability in tropical upwelling in forcing chemical changes in the tropical UTLS.
The Heidelberg Airborne Imaging DOAS Instrument (HAIDI) – a novel Imaging DOAS device for 2-D and 3-D imaging of trace gases and aerosols
Authors: General S. , Pöhler D. , Sihler H. , Bobrowski N. , Frieß U. , Zielcke J. , Horbanski M. , Shepson P. B. , Stirm B. H. , Simpson W. R. , Weber K. , Fischer C. , Platt U.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. Many relevant processes in tropospheric chemistry take place on rather small scales (e.g. tens to hundreds of meters) but often influence areas of several square kilometer. Thus, measurements of the involved trace gases with high spatial resolution are of great scientific interest. In order to identify individual sources and sinks and ultimately to improve chemical transport models, we developed a new airborne instrument, which is based on the well established DOAS method. The Heidelberg Airborne Imaging Differential Optical Absorption Spectrometer Instrument (HAIDI) is a passive imaging DOAS spectrometer, which is capable of recording horizontal and vertical trace gas distributions with a resolution of better than 100 m. Observable species include NO2, HCHO, C2H2O2, H2O, O3, O4, SO2, IO, OClO and BrO. Here we report a technical description of the instrument including its custom build spectrographs and CCD detectors. Also first results from measurements with the new instrument are presented. These comprise spatial resolved SO2 and BrO in volcanic plumes, mapped at Mt. Etna (Sicily, Italy), NO2 emissions in the metropolitan area of Indianapolis (Indiana, USA) as well as BrO and NO2 distributions measured during arctic springtime in context of the BROMEX campaign, which was performed 2012 in Barrow (Alaska, USA).
Transport of branched tetraether lipids from the Tagus River basin to the coastal ocean of the Portuguese margin: consequences for the interpretation of the MBT'/CBT paleothermometer
Authors: Zell C. , Kim J.-H. , Balsinha M. , Dorhout D. , Fernandes C. , Baas M. , Sinninghe Damsté J. S.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. Branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs), which are transported from soil to marine sediment by rivers, have been used to reconstruct the mean annual air temperature (MAAT) and soil pH of the drainage basin using the methylation index of branched tetraethers (MBT, recently refined as MBT') and cyclization index of branched tetraethers (CBT) from coastal marine sediment records. In this study we are tracing the brGDGTs from source to sink in the Tagus River basin, the longest river system on the Iberian Peninsula, by determining their concentration and distribution in soils, river suspended particulate matter (SPM), riverbank sediments, marine SPM, and marine surface sediments. The concentrations of brGDGTs in river SPM were substantially higher and their distributions were different compared to those of the drainage basin soils. This indicates that brGDGTs are mainly produced in the river itself. In the marine environment, the brGDGT concentrations rapidly decreased with increasing distance from the Tagus estuary. At the same time, the brGDGT distributions in marine sediments also changed, indicating that marine in-situ production also takes place. These results show that there are various problems that complicate the use of the MBT'/CBT for paleoreconstructions using coastal marine sediments in the vicinity of a river. However, if the majority of brGDGTs are produced in the river, it might be possible to reconstruct the environmental (temperature and pH) conditions of the river water using appropriate aquatic calibrations, provided that marine core locations are chosen in such a way that the brGDGTs in their sediments are predominantly derived from riverine in-situ production.
46 000 years of alternating wet and dry phases on decadal to orbital timescales in the cradle of modern humans: the Chew Bahir project, southern Ethiopia
Authors: Foerster V. , Junginger A. , Asrat A. , Lamb H. F. , Weber M. , Rethemeyer J. , Frank U. , Brown M. C. , Trauth M. H. , Schaebitz F.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. Rapid changes in environmental conditions are considered to be an important driver for human evolution, cultural and technological innovation, and expansion out of Africa. However, the nature of these environmental changes, their amplitude and correlation with steps in human evolution is the subject of current debates. Here we present a high-resolution (~3–12 yr) and well-dated (32 AMS 14C ages) lake-sediment record of the last 46 000 yr from the Chew Bahir basin in the southern Ethiopian Rift. The record was obtained from six cores along a NW–SE transect across the basin, which has been selected as the drilling location within the ICDP Hominin Sites and Paleolakes Drilling Project (HSPDP). Multi-proxy data and the comparison between the transect coring sites provide initial insight into intra-basin dynamics and major mechanisms controlling the sedimentation of the proxies that was used to develop a basic proxy concept for Chew Bahir for the last two wet-dry cycles. The environmental response to orbitally induced sinusoidal insolation changes is usually nonlinear, as climate changes abruptly compared to changes in the forcing, or gradual but punctuated by multi-decadal intervals of drier conditions. The second major control on the environment is millennial-scale climate variability lasting ~1500 yr, similar in duration to the high-latitude Dansgaard–Oeschger cycles and Heinrich events including the Younger Dryas cold reversal at the end of the last glacial, mostly causing abrupt shifts from extreme arid to wet conditions. The duration and character of orbitally induced, high-latitude controlled, and multi-decadal climate shifts provides important constraints for the adaptation of humans to the changing environment. Therefore, Chew Bahir is a perfect site to study and understand climatic variability on different timescales.
La investigación-acción en didáctica de las ciencias: perspectiva desde las revistas españolas de educación
Authors: Romera Iruela María Jesús
Published: March 2014

En este artículo se elabora un marco conceptual de la investigación-acción en educación y se ofrece el desarrollo que dicha modalidad de investigación ha tenido en la Didáctica de las Ciencias, a través de la identificación de los artículos publicados en las revistas de educación españolas y del análisis de sus contenidos. Se aporta el perfil personal, social y cognitivo de esta línea de investigación y la incidencia que ha tenido la investigación-acción española en la Didáctica de las Ciencias, en la práctica docente, en la formación del profesorado y en su desarrollo profesional.
¿Qué educación científica se promueve para la etapa de primaria en España? Un análisis de las prescripciones oficiales de la LOE
Authors: García-Carmona Antonio , Criado Ana M. , Cañal Pedro
Published: March 2014

Se analiza la educación científica promovida por el currículo oficial de primaria en España. El análisis centra la atención en los aspectos siguientes relativos a la ciencia escolar: naturaleza y sociología de la ciencia; axiología; psicología en el aprendizaje de la ciencia; objetivos, competencias, contenidos y criterios de evaluación; actividades, recursos y estrategias de enseñanza. Los resultados indican que las prescripciones del currículo oficial de la LOE para la educación científica en primaria no sintonizan adecuadamente con las actuales tendencias en Didáctica de las Ciencias. A la vista de las carencias detectadas, se hacen algunas recomendaciones que mejorarían la propuesta oficial al respecto.
Los estudiantes de ciencias, ¿pueden reconocer los argumentos lógicos involucrados en una demostración?
Authors: Camacho Moreno Vladímir , Sánchez Pozos José Javier , Zubieta Badillo Gonzalo
Published: March 2014

En toda demostración matemática, se utilizan argumentos lógicos correctos; saber reconocerlos y aplicarlos es una condición necesaria para comprender algunos de los pasos clave en las demostraciones. Pero ¿puede un estudiante identificar claramente los argumentos que han sido utilizados en una demostración? Y si los reconoce ¿puede decir cómo se utilizaron? El objetivo de este trabajo es explorar si estudiantes de Matemáticas y Computación que cuentan con experiencia en cursos universitarios, de maestría e incluso de doctorado, son capaces de identificar los argumentos usados en una demostración.
Zero-dark-counting high-speed X-ray photon detection using a cerium-doped yttrium aluminum perovskite crystal and a small photomultiplier tube and its application to gadolinium imaging
Authors: Yamaguchi Satoshi , Sato Eiichi , Oda Yasuyuki , Nakamura Ryuji , Oikawa Hirobumi , Yabuushi Tomonori , Ariga Hisanori , Ehara Shigeru
Published: March 2014

X-ray photons are detected using a cerium-doped yttrium aluminum perovskite [YAP(Ce)] single-crystal scintillator with a decay time of 30 ns and a small-sized photomultiplier tube (SPMT). The negative output pulse from the SPMT is amplified by a high-speed inverse amplifier, and the event pulses are sent to a multichannel analyzer to measure X-ray spectra. The energy resolution of the spectrometer was 15% at 59.5 keV. We carried out photon-counting computed tomography using gadolinium media with a maximum rate of 650 kilo counts per second and confirmed the energy-dispersive effect with changes in the description voltage of event pulses using a high-speed comparator.
Emission decay rate of a light emitter on thin metal films
Authors: Nakamura Toshihiro , Moriyama Takumi , Nabatova-Gabain Nataliya , Adachi Sadao
Published: March 2014

We theoretically study the emission decay rate of a light emitter on thin Au films based on a semiclassical point-dipole model. The complex dielectric functions of Au films determined by spectroscopic ellipsometry are used in this calculation model. We investigate the dependences of the decay rate on the metal thickness, distance between emitter and metal, and emitted-light wavelength. It is found that the decay rate shows a peak at the surface plasmon resonance wavelength. It is also shown that its peak wavelength, width, and peak value are strongly dependent on the Au layer thickness. The peak value in the decay rate versus wavelength curves for the Au film of 10 nm thickness is also found to be higher than for the bulk Au metal. These results are due to the metal-thickness-dependent plasmon effects on the emission decay rates.
Area-efficient reconfigurable ring oscillator for device and circuit level characterization of static and dynamic variations
Authors: Islam A. K. M. Mahfuzul , Onodera Hidetoshi
Published: March 2014

Accurate characterization of transistor variation under dynamic switching condition has become important for reliable digital circuit design. This paper proposes a reconfigurable ring oscillator (RO) structure which enables measurement of transistor level variation. Each inverter stage in the RO can be configured into several delay modes. The delay of a particular inverting stage can be made dominant by configuring an inhomogeneous RO structure. By scanning the inhomogeneous stage, delay variation of each stage can be measured. Furthermore, pMOSFET and nMOSFET variation can be measured separately by making only rise or fall delay dominant. Specific transistor with random telegraph noise (RTN) in the inhomogeneous stage can be identified by reconfiguring the inhomogeneous stage. Thus, using a single RO, static delay variation as well as dynamic variation such as RTN can be measured. The area for a 127-staged reconfigurable RO including peripheral circuits is only 0.0085 mm2 thus area-efficient measurement becomes possible. Measurement results from a 65-nm test chip shows the validity of the proposed circuit structure.
Real-time monitoring of voltage shift based on enzymatically released pyrophosphate using phenylboronic acid-immobilized gate field-effect transistor
Authors: Nishida Hirokazu , Takahashi Kiyofumi , Tabuse Yuki , Kambara Hideki , Sakata Toshiya
Published: March 2014

Pyrophosphate (PPi) is ubiquitous in living cells and is often produced by enzymatic reactions, e.g., DNA synthesis by DNA polymerase. We have developed a novel detection system for the voltage shift associated with the change in PPi concentration resulting from an enzymatic reaction using a phenylboronic acid (PBA)-coated gate field-effect transistor (FET), since PBA coating is effective for detecting ion accumulation associated with PPi production from enzymatic reactions. To detect enzymatic reactions more efficiently, we employed the enzyme-electrode conjugation method using specific peptide sequences, which are spontaneously tethered to a gold substrate. The combination of the enzyme-electrode conjugation method with the charge detection using the PBA-coated FET enables the effective detection of enzymatic reactions.
Far-Infrared Spectra of Oxide Superconductors
Authors: Thomas G. A. , Bhatt R. N. , Millis A. , Cava R. , Rietman E.
Published: March 2014

A summary is presented of some measurements in the frequency region near the superconducting energy gaps of five oxides. The different normal state behavior observed in nominally similar materials indicate that the gap values summarized here should be regarded with caution. Given this caveat, the results are consistent with the weak coupling BCS prediction.