bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ABC Transporters in Cancer Stem Cells: Beyond Chemoresistance
Authors: Begicevic Romana-Rea , Falasca Marco
Published: November 2017

The efficacy of chemotherapy is one of the main challenges in cancer treatment and one of the major obstacles to overcome in achieving lasting remission and a definitive cure in patients with cancer is the emergence of cancer resistance. Indeed, drug resistance is ultimately accountable for poor treatment outcomes and tumour relapse. There are various molecular mechanisms involved in multidrug resistance, such as the change in the activity of membrane transporters primarily belonging to the ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporter family. In addition, it has been proposed that this common feature could be attributed to a subpopulation of slow-cycling cancer stem cells (CSCs), endowed with enhanced tumorigenic potential and multidrug resistance. CSCs are characterized by the overexpression of specific surface markers that vary in different cancer cell types. Overexpression of ABC transporters has been reported in several cancers and more predominantly in CSCs. While the major focus on the role played by ABC transporters in cancer is polarized by their involvement in chemoresistance, emerging evidence supports a more active role of these proteins, in which they release specific bioactive molecules in the extracellular milieu. This review will outline our current understanding of the role played by ABC transporters in CSCs, how their expression is regulated and how they support the malignant metabolic phenotype. To summarize, we suggest that the increased expression of ABC transporters in CSCs may have precise functional roles and provide the opportunity to target, particularly these cells, by using specific ABC transporter inhibitors.
Increased Serum Levels of Fetal Tenascin-C Variants in Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension: Novel Biomarkers Reflecting Vascular Remodeling and Right Ventricular Dysfunction?
Authors: Rohm Ilonka , Grün Katja , Müller Linda , Kretzschmar Daniel , Fritzenwanger Michael , Yilmaz Atilla , Lauten Alexander , Jung Christian , Schulze P. , Berndt Alexander , Franz Marcus
Published: November 2017

Pulmonary vascular remodeling is a pathophysiological feature that common to all classes of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and right ventricular dysfunction, which is the major prognosis-limiting factor. Vascular, as well as cardiac tissue remodeling are associated with a re-expression of fetal variants of cellular adhesion proteins, including tenascin-C (Tn-C). We analyzed circulating levels of the fetal Tn-C splicing variants B+ and C+ Tn-C in serum of PH patients to evaluate their potential as novel biomarkers reflecting vascular remodeling and right ventricular dysfunction. Serum concentrations of B+ and C+ Tn-C were determined in 80 PH patients and were compared to 40 healthy controls by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Clinical, laboratory, echocardiographic, and functional data were correlated with Tn-C levels. Serum concentrations of both Tn-C variants were significantly elevated in patients with PH (p < 0.05). Significant correlations could be observed between Tn-C and echocardiographic parameters, including systolic pulmonary artery pressure (B+ Tn-C: r = 0.31, p < 0.001, C+ Tn-C: r = 0.26, p = 0.006) and right atrial area (B+ Tn-C: r = 0.46, p < 0.001, C+ Tn-C: r = 0.49, p < 0.001), and laboratory values like BNP (B+ Tn-C: r = 0.45, p < 0.001, C+ Tn-C: r = 0.42, p < 0.001). An inverse correlation was observed between Tn-C variants and 6-minute walk distance as a functional parameter (B+ Tn-C: r = −0.54, p < 0.001, C+ Tn-C: r = −0.43, p < 0.001). In a multivariate analysis, B+ Tn-C, but not C+ Tn-C, was found to be an independent predictor of pulmonary hypertension. Both fetal Tn-C variants may represent novel biomarkers that are capable of estimating both pulmonary vascular remodeling and right ventricular load. The potential beneficial impact of Tn-C variants for risk stratification in patients with PH needs further investigation.
Protein-Protein Interactions Prediction Using a Novel Local Conjoint Triad Descriptor of Amino Acid Sequences
Authors: Wang Jun , Zhang Long , Jia Lianyin , Ren Yazhou , Yu Guoxian
Published: November 2017

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) play crucial roles in almost all cellular processes. Although a large amount of PPIs have been verified by high-throughput techniques in the past decades, currently known PPIs pairs are still far from complete. Furthermore, the wet-lab experiments based techniques for detecting PPIs are time-consuming and expensive. Hence, it is urgent and essential to develop automatic computational methods to efficiently and accurately predict PPIs. In this paper, a sequence-based approach called DNN-LCTD is developed by combining deep neural networks (DNNs) and a novel local conjoint triad description (LCTD) feature representation. LCTD incorporates the advantage of local description and conjoint triad, thus, it is capable to account for the interactions between residues in both continuous and discontinuous regions of amino acid sequences. DNNs can not only learn suitable features from the data by themselves, but also learn and discover hierarchical representations of data. When performing on the PPIs data of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, DNN-LCTD achieves superior performance with accuracy as 93.12%, precision as 93.75%, sensitivity as 93.83%, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) as 97.92%, and it only needs 718 s. These results indicate DNN-LCTD is very promising for predicting PPIs. DNN-LCTD can be a useful supplementary tool for future proteomics study.
Ginger and Propolis Exert Neuroprotective Effects against Monosodium Glutamate-Induced Neurotoxicity in Rats
Authors: Hussein Usama , Hassan Nour , Elhalwagy Manal , Zaki Amr , Abubakr Huda , Nagulapalli Venkata Kalyan , Jang Kyu , Bishayee Anupam
Published: November 2017

Central nervous system cytotoxicity is linked to neurodegenerative disorders. The objective of the study was to investigate whether monosodium glutamate (MSG) neurotoxicity can be reversed by natural products, such as ginger or propolis, in male rats. Four different groups of Wistar rats were utilized in the study. Group A served as a normal control, whereas group B was orally administered with MSG (100 mg/kg body weight, via oral gavage). Two additional groups, C and D, were given MSG as group B along with oral dose (500 mg/kg body weight) of either ginger or propolis (600 mg/kg body weight) once a day for two months. At the end, the rats were sacrificed, and the brain tissue was excised and levels of neurotransmitters, ß-amyloid, and DNA oxidative marker 8-OHdG were estimated in the brain homogenates. Further, formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded brain sections were used for histopathological evaluation. The results showed that MSG increased lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide, neurotransmitters, and 8-OHdG as well as registered an accumulation of ß-amyloid peptides compared to normal control rats. Moreover, significant depletions of glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase as well as histopathological alterations in the brain tissue of MSG-treated rats were noticed in comparison with the normal control. In contrast, treatment with ginger greatly attenuated the neurotoxic effects of MSG through suppression of 8-OHdG and β-amyloid accumulation as well as alteration of neurotransmitter levels. Further improvements were also noticed based on histological alterations and reduction of neurodegeneration in the brain tissue. A modest inhibition of the neurodegenerative markers was observed by propolis. The study clearly indicates a neuroprotective effect of ginger and propolis against MSG-induced neurodegenerative disorders and these beneficial effects could be attributed to the polyphenolic compounds present in these natural products.
Field Tests of a Portable MEMS Gravimeter
Authors: Middlemiss Richard , Bramsiepe Steven , Douglas Rebecca , Hough James , Paul Douglas , Rowan Sheila , Hammond Giles
Published: November 2017

Gravimeters are used to measure density anomalies under the ground. They are applied in many different fields from volcanology to oil and gas exploration, but present commercial systems are costly and massive. A new type of gravity sensor has been developed that utilises the same fabrication methods as those used to make mobile phone accelerometers. In this study, we describe the first results of a field-portable microelectromechanical system (MEMS) gravimeter. The stability of the gravimeter is demonstrated through undertaking a multi-day measurement with a standard deviation of 5.58 × 10 − 6 ms − 2 . It is then demonstrated that a change in gravitational acceleration of 4.5 × 10 − 5 ms − 2 can be measured as the device is moved between the top and the bottom of a 20.7 m lift shaft with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 14.25. Finally, the device is demonstrated to be stable in a more harsh environment: a 4.5 × 10 − 4 ms − 2 gravity variation is measured between the top and bottom of a 275-m hill with an SNR of 15.88. These initial field-tests are an important step towards a chip-sized gravity sensor.
Radar Constant-Modulus Waveform Optimization for High-Resolution Range Profiling of Stationary Targets
Authors: Yue Wenzhen , Li Lin , Xin Yu , Han Tao
Published: November 2017

The high-resolution range (HRR) profile is an important target signature in many applications (e.g., automatic target recognition), and the radar HRR profiling performance is highly dependent on radar transmitted waveforms. In this paper, we consider the constant-modulus (CM) waveform optimization problem to improve HRR profiling performance for stationary targets. Firstly, several fundamental bounds regarding the profiling ambiguity, stability, and accuracy are derived. Further investigation reveals that the stability and accuracy of HRR profiling are unified in the white noise case. Aimed at improving the profiling stability and accuracy, we design two types of CM radar waveforms—the arbitrary-phase and QPSK waveforms—through a customized Gaussian randomization method. The performance of LFM waveforms is also discussed. Numerical experiments show that the optimized CM waveforms can dramatically enhance the profiling performance over the unoptimized ones.
Spatial-Temporal Data Collection with Compressive Sensing in Mobile Sensor Networks
Authors: Zheng Haifeng , Li Jiayin , Feng Xinxin , Guo Wenzhong , Chen Zhonghui , Xiong Neal
Published: November 2017

Compressive sensing (CS) provides an energy-efficient paradigm for data gathering in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). However, the existing work on spatial-temporal data gathering using compressive sensing only considers either multi-hop relaying based or multiple random walks based approaches. In this paper, we exploit the mobility pattern for spatial-temporal data collection and propose a novel mobile data gathering scheme by employing the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm with delayed acceptance, an improved random walk algorithm for a mobile collector to collect data from a sensing field. The proposed scheme exploits Kronecker compressive sensing (KCS) for spatial-temporal correlation of sensory data by allowing the mobile collector to gather temporal compressive measurements from a small subset of randomly selected nodes along a random routing path. More importantly, from the theoretical perspective we prove that the equivalent sensing matrix constructed from the proposed scheme for spatial-temporal compressible signal can satisfy the property of KCS models. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme can not only significantly reduce communication cost but also improve recovery accuracy for mobile data gathering compared to the other existing schemes. In particular, we also show that the proposed scheme is robust in unreliable wireless environment under various packet losses. All this indicates that the proposed scheme can be an efficient alternative for data gathering application in WSNs .
Feature Selection for Motor Imagery EEG Classification Based on Firefly Algorithm and Learning Automata
Authors: Liu Aiming , Chen Kun , Liu Quan , Ai Qingsong , Xie Yi , Chen Anqi
Published: November 2017

Motor Imagery (MI) electroencephalography (EEG) is widely studied for its non-invasiveness, easy availability, portability, and high temporal resolution. As for MI EEG signal processing, the high dimensions of features represent a research challenge. It is necessary to eliminate redundant features, which not only create an additional overhead of managing the space complexity, but also might include outliers, thereby reducing classification accuracy. The firefly algorithm (FA) can adaptively select the best subset of features, and improve classification accuracy. However, the FA is easily entrapped in a local optimum. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a method of combining the firefly algorithm and learning automata (LA) to optimize feature selection for motor imagery EEG. We employed a method of combining common spatial pattern (CSP) and local characteristic-scale decomposition (LCD) algorithms to obtain a high dimensional feature set, and classified it by using the spectral regression discriminant analysis (SRDA) classifier. Both the fourth brain–computer interface competition data and real-time data acquired in our designed experiments were used to verify the validation of the proposed method. Compared with genetic and adaptive weight particle swarm optimization algorithms, the experimental results show that our proposed method effectively eliminates redundant features, and improves the classification accuracy of MI EEG signals. In addition, a real-time brain–computer interface system was implemented to verify the feasibility of our proposed methods being applied in practical brain–computer interface systems.
Two-dimensional Molecular Gas and Ongoing Star Formation around H ii Region Sh2-104
Authors: Xu Jin-Long , Xu Ye , Yu Naiping , Zhang Chuan-peng , Liu Xiao-Lan , Wang Jun-Jie , Ning Chang-chun , Ju Bing-Gang , Zhang Guo-Yin
Published: November 2017

We performed a multi-wavelength study toward H ii region Sh2-104. New maps of 12CO J = 1 − 0 and 13CO J = 1 − 0 were obtained from the Purple Mountain Observatory 13.7 m radio telescope. Sh2-104 displays a double-ring structure. The outer ring with a radius of 4.4 pc is dominated by 12, 500 μm, 12CO J = 1 − 0, and 13CO J = 1 − 0 emission, while the inner ring with a radius of 2.9 pc is dominated by 22 μm and 21 cm emission. We did not detect CO emission inside the outer ring. The north–east portion of the outer ring is blueshifted, while the south–west portion is redshifted. The present observations have provided evidence that the collected outer ring around Sh2-104 is a two-dimensional structure. From the column density map constructed by the Hi-GAL survey data, we extract 21 clumps. About 90% of all the clumps will form low-mass stars. A power-law fit to the clumps yields

. The selected YSOs are associated with the collected material on the edge of Sh2-104. The derived dynamical age of Sh2-104 is

yr. Comparing the Sh2-104 dynamical age with the YSO timescale and the fragmentation time of the molecular ring, we further confirm that the collect-and-collapse process operates in this region, indicating positive feedback from a massive star for surrounding gas.
Observation and Analysis of Interstellar Acetone in GAL 31.41+0.31, GAL 034.3+00.2, and GAL 10.47+00.03
Authors: Zou Luyao , Widicus Weaver Susanna L.
Published: November 2017

We present observations of interstellar acetone (CH3COCH3) detected in broadband line surveys in the 1.3 mm band from the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO). The observations were conducted toward three massive star-forming regions: GAL 31.41+0.31, GAL 034.3+00.2, and GAL 10.47+00.03. Numerous acetone lines were detected in these three sources. The results were analyzed using the assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium. These results rigorously confirm the previous reports of acetone detections in GAL 31.41+0.31 and GAL 10.47+00.03, and add a new acetone detection in GAL 034.3+00.2. Source-averaged column densities for acetone were determined to be

cm−2 for GAL 31.41+0.31,

cm−2 for GAL 10.47+00.03, and

cm−2 for GAL 034.3+00.2. The rotational temperatures of acetone in these three sources range from 49 to 132 K, which suggests a complicated formation mechanism for interstellar acetone.
Bayesian Estimation of Thermonuclear Reaction Rates for Deuterium+Deuterium Reactions
Authors: Gómez Iñesta Á. , Iliadis C. , Coc A.
Published: November 2017

The study of d+d reactions is of major interest since their reaction rates affect the predicted abundances of D, 3He, and 7Li. In particular, recent measurements of primordial D/H ratios call for reduced uncertainties in the theoretical abundances predicted by Big Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN). Different authors have studied reactions involved in BBN by incorporating new experimental data and a careful treatment of systematic and probabilistic uncertainties. To analyze the experimental data, Coc et al. used results of ab initio models for the theoretical calculation of the energy dependence of S-factors in conjunction with traditional statistical methods based on χ
2 minimization. Bayesian methods have now spread to many scientific fields and provide numerous advantages in data analysis. Astrophysical S-factors and reaction rates using Bayesian statistics were calculated by Iliadis et al. Here we present a similar analysis for two d+d reactions, d(d, n)3He and d(d, p)3H, that has been translated into a total decrease of the predicted D/H value by 0.16%.
Deepest View of AGN X-Ray Variability with the 7 Ms Chandra Deep Field-South Survey
Authors: Zheng X. C. , Xue Y. Q. , Brandt W. N. , Li J. Y. , Paolillo M. , Yang G. , Zhu S. F. , Luo B. , Sun M. Y. , Hughes T. M. , Bauer F. E. , Vito F. , Wang J. X. , Liu T. , Vignali C. , Shu X. W.
Published: November 2017

We systematically analyze the X-ray variability of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in the 7 Ms Chandra Deep Field-South survey. On the longest timescale (≈17 years), we find only a weak (if any) dependence of X-ray variability amplitudes on energy bands or obscuration. We use four different power spectral density (PSD) models to fit the anticorrelation between normalized excess variance (

) and luminosity, and obtain a best-fit power-law index

for the low-frequency part of the AGN PSD. We also divide the whole light curves into four epochs in order to inspect the dependence of

on these timescales, finding an overall increasing trend. The analysis of these shorter light curves also infers a β of ∼1.3 that is consistent with the above-derived β, which is larger than the frequently assumed value of

. We then investigate the evolution of

. No definitive conclusion is reached because of limited source statistics, but if present, the observed trend goes in the direction of decreasing AGN variability at fixed luminosity toward high redshifts. We also search for transient events and find six notable candidate events with our considered criteria. Two of them may be a new type of fast transient events, one of which is reported here for the first time. We therefore estimate a rate of fast outbursts

and a tidal disruption event (TDE) rate

assuming the other four long outbursts to be TDEs.
La dynamique de l’environnementalisme en France
Authors: Facchini François , Michallet Benjamin
Published: November 2017

Cet article mobilise la théorie de l’entrepreneur politique pour décrypter la diversité du recours aux problématiques environnementales dans les programmes des grandes familles politiques françaises. L’homme politique comme entrepreneur puise chez les intellectuels et les scientifiques un argumentaire rhétorique, qu’il diffuse aux électeurs à travers son programme politique. Les partis politiques jouent ainsi un rôle de caisse de résonance, en mobilisant les innovations idéelles à des fins politiques. En France, quatre grandes familles d’idéologie environnementale sont principalement mobilisées : l’environnementalisme anti-lumière, l’écologie politique, l’environnementalisme interventionniste et l’écologie de marché.
Le chèque ( voucher ), instrument néolibéral et/ou innovation institutionnelle ?
Authors: Lacheret Arnaud
Published: November 2017

Le chèque (ou voucher ) est un instrument d’action publique d’origine anglo-saxonne, dont l’usage s’est largement diffusé au sein des collectivités locales françaises. Cet article vise à montrer, sur la base d’une étude de terrain menée auprès d’acteurs de collectivités locales, que cette diffusion s’est faite de façon dépolitisée, par le biais de l’action des entreprises qui en assuraient la mise en œuvre, en insistant sur son caractère « innovant ».
Guy Kauffmann : « On ne résout pas les problèmes avec les modes de pensée qui les ont engendrés. »
Authors: Michel Dominique-Anne
Published: November 2017

Élu « Manager public de l’année 2016 », le directeur général des services du département du Val d’Oise est un ardent promoteur de la démarche « design » et des méthodes d’innovation participative, qu’il a largement contribué à impulser depuis 2011 sur ce territoire francilien.
Rédaction et prise en compte des directives anticipées en oncologie
Authors: Vinant Dr Pascale
Published: November 2017

C’est avec l’autorité et la délicatesse d’une professionnelle expérimentée que Pascale Vinant discute des modalités de la rédaction et de la prise en compte des directives anticipées, dans les circonstances extrêmement difficiles de l’oncologie. Retenons en particulier la très intéressante discussion du passage des directives anticipées à la démarche d’un dialogue appelé discussions anticipées.
Enquête sur les parcours des professeurs de philosophie en sciences de l’éducation (1968-1979) – Du ciel des idées à l’étude des pratiques éducatives
Authors: Fontbonne Gaspard
Published: November 2017

Au cours des années 70, les sciences de l’éducation ont, malgré une implantation récente au sein de l’espace intellectuel, constitué le premier secteur de reconversion intellectuelle pour les lauréats des concours de l’enseignement en philosophie (agrégation et capes). Cette situation, qui s’explique, entre autres, par le recrutement d’un nombre important de jeunes professeurs en Écoles Normales d’instituteurs pour assurer des enseignements de « psycho-pédagogie », avait quelques aspects paradoxaux. On pouvait en effet s’étonner de voir les philosophes d’une génération marquée par les progrès de disciplines comme la sociologie ou l’anthropologie auxquels s’ajoutait l’implantation de la pensée « structuraliste » et de la psychanalyse dans l’air du temps, s’investir majoritairement dans une discipline jeune et relativement modeste. On voudrait montrer, ici, que cette situation était liée aux divers degrés d’identification possibles à une même discipline et de mise à distance d’une formation philosophique de base. Si certains ont en effet rompu avec cette dernière pour s’investir dans l’étude d’objets empiriques comme les pratiques pédagogiques ou l’histoire de l’éducation, d’autres sont devenus, dans la continuité de leur première formation, « philosophes de l’éducation ».
Assessing Media Literacy in Teacher Education
Authors: Tomé Vitor
Published: November 2017

The twenty-first century citizens must develop their media literacy competence at several levels such as technique, reflective and creative, auto-regulation, social participation and pedagogical. Even though the citizens' empowerment is a general society responsibility, school plays a crucial role, especially if school is able to respond to a set of challenges, namely breaking the traditional resistance to change, integrating formal and informal learning, educating for the media beyond the technical dimension, overcoming the digital divides, protecting citizens' data, and training teachers. This chapter focuses on this last challenge, presenting three research projects which involved in-service teacher training (2007-2011; 2012-2015; 2016-2018). Results showed that K-12 teachers are able to develop media literacy activities with their pupils, using traditional and/or digital technologies, during in-service teacher training courses. As such, they are also able to overcome the lack of technologies in their classrooms by using their own devices or pupils' devices.
The Shluvim Social-Professional Network
Authors: Bar-Tal Smadar , Seifert Tami
Published: November 2017

Establishment of the Shluvim network in 2010 responded to the Israeli education profession's need to introduce innovative pedagogical challenges. This social-professional network provides a virtual space for its members, empowering them through discussion on different aspects of education. The article describes a case study, employing both qualitative and quantitative methodology (questionnaires and interviews), to identify the dynamics of quantitative components involved in the evolvement of the network and to elicit members' experiences in the communication process. Findings reveal challenges involved in informed use of social networking in education and show how participation in the professional network can assist members' professional development, although it is necessary to adapt to changes in usage patterns and competition with alternative social networks. The research enhances understanding of the social-professional network's role as an empowering environment for the Israeli education system in general and for teachers' education and professional development in particular.
Managing the Recycling Business in Istanbul
Authors: Cakirli Nuray , Sozuer Aytug
Published: November 2017

The global waste market is estimated at US$410 billion a year and growing, while only 25 per cent of total waste is known as recovered and recycled. Besides, this figure does not include the informal segment in which around 20 million people work as waste pickers in developing countries. Solid waste management policy and recycling practices differ among certain parts of the world to a large extent. Industrialized countries generally have formal and automated waste management systems, whereas developing countries rely on the informal sector. In Istanbul, which is one of the few megacities in the world appear to be at the crossroad of a policy choice. Authorities will either privatize the recycling business for large firms or try to follow more inclusive approach for more than 100,000 waste pickers in the city. Based on the literature, this study will review the formal waste management systems and describe the integration of informal recycling sector in particular world regions that may have policy implications for Istanbul.
A Quantitative Analysis of the Impact of Renewable Energy Deployment on Sustainability
Authors: Kilinc-Ata Nurcan , Tanriover Banu
Published: November 2017

Renewable energy sources have a large potential to contribute the sustainable development as environmentally and socioeconomically. However, the existing literature includes theoretical framework in general and there is a lack of both comprehensive theoretical and empirical framework on the relationship between sustainable development and RE technologies. This paper aims to theoretically synthesise the literature on renewable energy technologies and sustainable development for Turkey, and then classify the results by broad categories. After all, the present paper uses conceptual and quantitative analysis, which reviews each concept with conceptual framework and evaluates data with quantitative method. From this point of view, this paper attempts to make a contribution by developing a conceptual framework which allows a wide-ranging analysis of the impact of renewable energy on sustainability and which can be empirically applied to classify these benefits in Turkey.
What Is Next?
Authors: Martin Melissa , Mockry Jean , Puliatte Alison , Simard Denise A. , Squires Maureen E.
Published: November 2017

Because the possible problems related to mental health and well-being have been identified throughout the chapters of this book, the authors plan to implement and evaluate these strategies to help provide future directions and frameworks. This chapter describes a future research study and other explorations the authors wish to conduct. Specifically, the authors seek to measure preservice general and special educators' character dispositions (e.g., grit), and use these data to determine how to effectively help college students handle stress. Additionally, researchers hope to examine the use of technology in college classrooms to promote mindfulness. Finally, the implementation of strategies for the college classroom will be implemented and evaluated in teacher preparation coursework.
Differences in the Factors Influencing Job Satisfaction Among Scientists and Engineers
Authors: Bhat Vasanthakumar N. , Person Andrew
Published: November 2017

Factor analysis indicates that two factors account for significant variations in job-related satisfaction among scientists and engineers. Economic factor consists of job salary, job benefits and job security. Non-economic factor includes responsibility, intellectual challenge, contribution to society, independence, upward mobility, and location. The influence of these factors on overall job satisfaction is different for different individuals. The authors' analysis indicates that scientists and engineers whose job satisfaction is influenced by economic factors include non-U.S. citizens, males, individuals under the age of 30, individuals with Master's degrees or higher, computer and mathematical scientists, individuals working for established businesses and individuals with high job satisfaction. On the other hand, scientists and engineers whose job satisfaction is impacted by non-economic factors include U.S. citizens, females, individuals with Bachelor's degrees, individuals over the age of 30, and scientists and engineers working for start-ups.
Leaders' Behavior in Association With Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment
Authors: Lorber Mateja , Treven Sonja , Mumel Damijan
Published: November 2017

The achievement of organizational objectives depends on the leadership and leaders' behavior. The study was conducted to examine the relationship between the leaders' behavior, job satisfaction and organizational commitment of employees in nursing in Slovenian hospitals. The differences between individual variables were analyzed with the Mann-Whitney Test, Spearman correlation analysis and the regression analysis. With the leadership style, leaders' characteristics, leaders' emotional intelligence, and teamwork in the unit we can explain 51% of the total variability of nurses' job satisfaction and 84% of organizational commitment. Leaders' behavior has an important component of work and associated with job satisfaction and organizational commitment of employees in nursing. Health care organizations can be successful if the employees are satisfied with their work and have a high level of organizational commitment.
Organizational Climate as a Predictor to Employees' Behavior
Authors: Singh Shashi
Published: November 2017

There are many behavioral challenges lying in the front of employees, management and their organization due to globalization. The present investigation attempts to identify few of them like organizational role stress, job satisfaction and organizational climate. The study is also determining the effect of organizational climate on role stress and job satisfaction. The Stress has always been a part of human existence. Organizational climate is an individual's perception about the environment of the organization one is working with. Job satisfaction is the result of the individual perception of what is expected and what is receive from different facts of the work situation. Primary data is collected through standard psychometric devices. Prevailed climatic conditions are very important in the determination of stress levels and its consequences in an individual. The link between role stress and employees job satisfaction are of great relevance to organizational health. It will be useful for organizations in utilizing its human capital in a better and effective manner.
Minimizing Construction Emissions Using Building Information Modeling and Decision-Making Techniques
Authors: Marzouk Mohamed , Abdelkader Eslam Mohammed
Published: November 2017

The construction industry is regarded as a major contributor to environmental emissions, due to extensive usage of resources and the waste products produced. This article presents a building information modeling (BIM)-based model that is capable of measuring six types of emissions for different activities of construction projects. The paper investigates eight multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques for ranking alternatives based on project time; project life cycle cost; project environmental impact; and primary energy consumed by different activities. Three group decision- making techniques are performed to provide consensus and final ranking of alternatives. The Monte Carlo simulation is implemented in order to account for the discrepancy in the calculation of greenhouse gases produced from buildings. Also, a case study of academic buildings is introduced in order to demonstrate the practical features of the proposed model.
Continuous Learning through Video-Based Courses
Authors: Nuninger Walter , Châtelet Jean-Marie
Published: November 2017

The tremendous changes in the context of Higher Education motivate the organization to integrate new innovative ICT solutions to comply with quality challenge. This affects the trainers in their practices, looking for pedagogical tools to integrate into the course. In the framework of distance learning or WIL, note the usefulness of LMS and the asset of multimedia with educational videos to strengthen the blended course efficiency. This paper explores a set of solutions used in and for a hybrid course, integrating guidance and feedback to support the audience's evolution. Though such pedagogical devices are levers for increased knowledge ownership, the trainers have to overcome blocks: the IT basics for end-users to access trainings that integrate digital means, but also their personal expertise as IT independent-users with respect to multimedia, changing their teaching practices. They will “learn by integrating” the tool into their course, in reference to the Ldl approach (“learn by doing”), sharing and transforming the pedagogical culture in the Community of Practice (CoP).
Multi-Feature Optimization of WEDM for Ti-6Al-4V by Applying a Hybrid Approach of Utility Theory Integrated With the Principal Component Analysis
Authors: Sonawane Sachin Ashok , Kulkarni M.L.
Published: November 2017

In this study, multi-feature optimization is performed using a hybrid approach of utility theory (UT) combined with the principal component analysis (PCA) during wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) of Ti-6Al-4V. Taguchi's L27 orthogonal collection is used to evaluate the effects of the pulse on time, pulse off time, peak current, servo voltage, wire feed rate and cable tension on surface roughness (SR), overcut and metal removal rate (MRR). The utility concept is employed to turn the multi-feature problem into a distinct equivalent feature called as overall efficiency index (OEI). Optimal sets of governing parameters using a hybrid approach are established as the pulse on time 114 machine unit, pulse off time 55 machine unit, servo voltage 20 volts, peak current 190 Amp., wire feed rate 5 m/min and cable tension 2 device unit. Scanning Electron Microscopic (SEM) analysis of cut surfaces shows a lump of debris, microvoids, micro-cracks, and large dark craters at high values of the pulse on time.
Investigation of Influence of Quenching and Annealing on the Plane Fracture Toughness and Brittle to Ductile Transition Temperature of the Zinc Coated Structural Steel Materials
Authors: Ramesh M. , Garg Rajnish , Subrahmanyam Garimella V.
Published: November 2017

This article discusses that the variation in fracture toughness is exclusively due to the influence of coating on the surface of the material, depending upon the time interval that the specimen is immersed in the coating tub under a specific temperature. Parameters during the process of coating have shown their own influence on heat treatment, which has shown its own significance of the fracture toughness of coated and uncoated materials. Hence, to estimate this effect, EN 18 and AISI 1020 steels have been tested under different heat treatment processes, like annealing, oil-quenching and water-quenching. The results obtained under these conditions have clearly shown that the influence of heat treatment is significant on the fracture toughness of the materials. Compared to untreated materials, the annealed and quenched materials have shown much variation in fracture toughness.
Is Pair Programming More Effective than Solo Programming for Secondary Education Novice Programmers?
Authors: Papadakis Stamatios
Published: November 2017

The teaching and learning of programming are often considered a difficult topic for both teachers and students, due to its complexity and abstract nature. The traditional teaching approaches are unable to contribute substantially to the development of the necessary cognitive models by the students, producing high rates of failure and dropout in introductory programming courses. In the last 30 years, the scientific community has not stopped looking for new pedagogical approaches and teaching techniques in introductory computer programming courses. Various studies have shown that pair programming under appropriate conditions may create an environment conducive to learning, leading to an increase student interest in programming. In this paper, the author presents the results of a pilot teaching intervention. The sample was collected among first-grade students of a high school in Greece. The results showed that the pair programming is more efficient than the solo programming, both on facilitating and supporting students' learning and understanding of basic programming concepts, as well as on improving students' attitudes toward programming.
Interactivity Technologies to Improve the Learning in Classrooms Through the Cloud
Authors: Fardoun Habib M. , Alghazzawi Daniyal M. , Paules Antonio
Published: November 2017

In this paper, the authors present a cloud system that incorporate tools developed in HTML5 and JQuery technologies, which are offered to professors and students in the development of a teaching methodology called flipped classroom, where the theoretical content is usually delivered by video files and self-assessment tools that students can display from home. This system aims to eliminate the technical limitations to facilitate communication and a real learning process by monitoring and evaluating the students and teachers. Highlighting main functions, the authors do find: the wizard of quality content, visual interactive wizard, the audio note as tool for audio records, and finally the graphical evaluator that provides a graphical and intuitive result, providing a clear image of the theoretical and practical difficulties that students experience.
Design of a 3-D Printed, Modular Lateral Line Sensory System for Hydrodynamic Force Estimation
Authors: Nelson Kevin , Mohseni Kamran
Published: November 2017

AbstractThis paper presents a sensory system that is biologically inspired by the lateral line sensory system found in fish. This artificial lateral line system provides sensory information to be used in vehicle control algorithms, both to reduce model complexity and to measure hydrodynamic disturbances. The system presented in this paper is a modular implementation that can fit around a vehicle without requiring modifications to the hull. The design and manufacturing processes are presented in detail along with considerations for sensor placement and port spacing. An algorithm for calculating the hydrodynamic forces acting on the surface of a vehicle is derived and experimentally validated. An underwater motion capture system and strain sensors are used to calculate a reference hydrodynamic force that compares favorably with the hydrodynamic force calculated by the lateral line system.
Mer Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Signaling Prevents Self-Ligand Sensing and Aberrant Selection in Germinal Centers
Authors: Schell Stephanie L. , Soni Chetna , Fasnacht Melinda J. , Domeier Phillip P. , Cooper Timothy K. , Rahman Ziaur S. M.
Published: November 2017

Mer tyrosine kinase (Mer) signaling maintains immune tolerance by clearing apoptotic cells (ACs) and inducing immunoregulatory signals. We previously showed that Mer-deficient mice (Mer−/−) have increased germinal center (GC) responses, T cell activation, and AC accumulation within GCs. Accumulated ACs in GCs can undergo necrosis and release self-ligands, which may influence the outcome of a GC response and selection. In this study, we generated Mer−/− mice with a global MyD88, TLR7, or TLR9 deficiency and cell type–specific MyD88 deficiency to study the functional correlation between Mer and TLRs in the development of GC responses and autoimmunity. We found that GC B cell–intrinsic sensing of self-RNA, but not self-DNA, released from dead cells accumulated in GCs drives enhanced GC responses in Mer−/− mice. Although self-ligands directly affect GC B cell responses, the loss of Mer in dendritic cells promotes enhanced T cell activation and proinflammatory cytokine production. To study the impact of Mer deficiency on the development of autoimmunity, we generated autoimmune-prone B6.Sle1b mice deficient in Mer (Sle1b.Mer−/−). We observed accelerated autoimmunity development even under conditions where Sle1b.Mer−/− mice did not exhibit increased AC accumulation in GCs compared with B6.Sle1b mice, indicating that Mer immunoregulatory signaling in APCs regulates B cell selection and autoimmunity. We further found significant expansion, retention, and class-switching of autoreactive B cells in GCs under conditions where ACs accumulated in GCs of Sle1b.Mer−/− mice. Altogether, both the phagocytic and immunomodulatory functions of Mer regulate GC responses to prevent the development of autoimmunity.
Pompe Disease, a Storage Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Felice Tiziana
Published: November 2017

Pompe disease also known as glycogen storage disease type II, is a rare and progressive lysosomal storage disorder caused by the deficiency of the enzyme acid α-glucosidase. This results in the accumulation of glycogen in various tissues particularly involving the heart, skeletal muscle and liver. It is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner due to mutations in the GAA gene. There are several known pathogenic variants, some of which are particularly common in certain geographical regions. Pompe disease is a single disease exhibiting a heterogeneous clinical spectrum depending on the extent of enzyme deficiency, the age of onset, the progression of the disease and the degree of organ involvement. It may lead to muscle weakness, hypotonia, respiratory compromise and premature death. Pompe disease is classically divided into two forms, infantile and late-onset disease. The infantile form is further subdivided into classical and non-classical subtypes. Cardiac involvement is particularly seen in the infantile phenotype of the condition, presenting as severe cardiomyopathy associated with conduction abnormalities. Enzyme replacement therapy with recombinant human acid α-glucosidase is the approved treatment option for patients with this metabolic condition. Further research is currently being done to explore more treatment options. One must keep in mind other metabolic and mitochondrial conditions, which may give a similar cardiac and neurological clinical picture.
An intraoperative finding of double L5 nerve root
Authors: Shaban Abdulhamid , Atiyah Qayss , Ajaj Seraj
Published: November 2017

Congenital anatomical anomalies of the lumbosacral nerve root are a rare condition. Various types of anomalies of the lumbosacral nerve roots have been described in the literature. Undiagnosed lumbosacral nerve root anomalies are at risk for iatrogenic injury, may contribute to wrong-site surgery, and contribute to continued postoperative symptoms. Here, we present the case of a 45-year-old female with discogenic back pain and L5 radiculopathy who found to have a duplicated left L5 nerve root intraoperatively.
Biochemical, physiological and body composition changes in patients with type 2 diabetes during Ramadan fasting
Authors: Sfar Haifa , Sellami Senda , Boukhayatia Fatma , Naceur Khadija , Mami Faika
Published: November 2017

Context: During the month of Ramadan, healthy Muslims must fast from dawn until sunset. However, religious rulings dispense the sick from this duty. During the fast, diabetic patients, are predisposed because of their disease, to an increased risk of hypoglycemia, loss of diabetes control, dehydration especially in summer and thromboembolic complications. Objectives: In order to better categorize the indications for the fasting of the month of Ramadan by people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), we studied the effects of fasting on clinical; and biological parameters, dietary behavior, and physical activity. Subjects and Methods: We conducted an observational, descriptive, comparative study of patients with T2DM and 16 age- and sex-matched controls. Results: The average age of patients was 52 ± 4 years, and the mean duration of diabetes was 7 ± 4 years. The fasting did not seem to affect the anthropometric parameters and the glycemic control. For the lipid profile, fasting significantly increased high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (P = 0.004), total cholesterol (P = 0.001) and triglycerides (P = 0.04). Dietary intake decreased from 54% before Ramadan to 47% in Ramadan (P = 0.001), and the intake of lipids increased from 27% to 37% during Ramadan (P = 0.001), in particular, the intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which doubled between the two periods (P = 0.009). Physical activity also showed a significant increase in patients and controls combined, essentially represented by the prayer of Tarawih. Conclusions: The Ramadan fast is well tolerated by T2DM patients, treated by diet or oral antidiabetic medications. They can stay free from serious complications, through regular medical support and self-monitoring. However, it is necessary for patients allowed to fast by their physician, to ensure a proper nutrition and obtain diabetes education.
OAB Update: Focus on Trospium
Authors: Gomelsky Alex , Dmochowski Roger R.
Published: November 2017

Muscarinic receptor antagonists form the mainstay of pharmacologic therapy for overactive bladder (OAB), a prevalent, debilitating, and costly condition. Antimuscarinics differ in their specificity for certain muscarinic receptors, their metabolism, and their ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. Trospium chloride is the only antimuscarinic that is a quarternary amine and its positive charge prevents the crossing of the blood-brain barrier, thus minimizing CNS side effects. Level I evidence supports the efficacy and tolerability of both the immediate-release and extended-release formulations of trospium. Furthermore, subanalyses of data pooled from large randomized, controlled trials support the efficacy is subpopulations such as men, the obese, and the elderly. The adverse event profile is favorable, with dry mouth and constipation presenting as the main adverse sequelae. As expected, CNS side effects have been rare and cognition does not appear to be impaired in those patients taking multiple medications.