bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Soil release performance of cotton finished with oleophobol CPR and CMC-Na salt
Authors: Dhiman Guneet , Chakraborty Jadu Nandan
Published: February 2015

Soiling of textiles is an irresistible process that deteriorates the appearance of fabric caused by gradual accumulation of soil on it. Cotton fabrics were finished with two different types of soil releasing agents, viz. Oleophobol CPR (fluorocarbon based) and Carboxymethyl cellulose sodium salt (CMC-Na) using Box-Behnken and Full factorial designs, respectively and the effect of factors and their levels on soil release property of fabric was studied. Finished fabrics were tested for two different soils i.e., mustard oil and hot coffee. From soiled and laundered fabrics soil release was evaluated for soil release rating as well as instrumental prediction with K/S value to measure discolouration of fabric due to soil. The CMC-Na salt finished cotton fabric picked up significantly more soil compared to that with Oleophobol CPR which resisted deposition of soil on fabric. Cotton fabrics finished with both of these showed excellent soil release with mustard oil and had better finish durability with Oleophobol CPR. Physical properties were comparable except stiffness which was high in CMC-Na finished cotton.
Pooled Analysis of Long-Term Survival Data From Phase II and Phase III Trials of Ipilimumab in Unresectable or Metastatic Melanoma
Authors: Schadendorf Dirk , Hodi F. Stephen , Robert Caroline , Weber Jeffrey S. , Margolin Kim , Hamid Omid , Patt Debra , Chen Tai-Tsang , Berman David M. , Wolchok Jedd D.
Published: February 2015

Purpose

To provide a more precise estimate of long-term survival observed for ipilimumab-treated patients with advanced melanoma, we performed a pooled analysis of overall survival (OS) data from multiple studies.

Methods

The primary analysis pooled OS data for 1,861 patients from 10 prospective and two retrospective studies of ipilimumab, including two phase III trials. Patients were previously treated (n = 1,257) or treatment naive (n = 604), and the majority of patients received ipilimumab 3 mg/kg (n = 965) or 10 mg/kg (n = 706). We also conducted a secondary analysis of OS data (n = 4,846) with an additional 2,985 patients from an expanded access program. OS rates were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

Results

Among 1,861 patients, median OS was 11.4 months (95% CI, 10.7 to 12.1 months), which included 254 patients with at least 3 years of survival follow-up. The survival curve began to plateau around year 3, with follow-up of up to 10 years. Three-year survival rates were 22%, 26%, and 20% for all patients, treatment-naive patients, and previously treated patients, respectively. Including data from the expanded access program, median OS was 9.5 months (95% CI, 9.0 to 10.0 months), with a plateau at 21% in the survival curve beginning around year 3.

Conclusion

To our knowledge, this is the largest analysis of OS to date for ipilimumab-treated patients with advanced melanoma. We observed a plateau in the survival curve, beginning at approximately 3 years, which was independent of prior therapy or ipilimumab dose. These data add to the evidence supporting the durability of long-term survival in ipilimumab-treated patients with advanced melanoma.
Postoperative Radiotherapy for Pathologic N2 Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer Treated With Adjuvant Chemotherapy: A Review of the National Cancer Data Base
Authors: Robinson Cliff G. , Patel Aalok P. , Bradley Jeffrey D. , DeWees Todd , Waqar Saiama N. , Morgensztern Daniel , Baggstrom Maria Q. , Govindan Ramaswamy , Bell Jennifer M. , Guthrie Tracey J. , Colditz Graham A. , Crabtree Traves D. , Kreisel Daniel , Krupnick Alexander S. , Patterson G. Alexander , Meyers Bryan F. , Puri Varun
Published: February 2015

Purpose

To investigate the impact of modern postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) on overall survival (OS) for patients with N2 non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated nationally with surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy.

Patients and Methods

Patients with pathologic N2 NSCLC who underwent complete resection and adjuvant chemotherapy from 2006 to 2010 were identified from the National Cancer Data Base and stratified by use of PORT (≥ 45 Gy). A total of 4,483 patients were identified (PORT, n = 1,850; no PORT, n = 2,633). The impact of patient and treatment variables on OS was explored using Cox regression.

Results

Median follow-up time was 22 months. On univariable analysis, improved OS correlated with younger age, treatment at an academic facility, female sex, urban population, higher income, lower Charlson comorbidity score, smaller tumor size, multiagent chemotherapy, resection with at least a lobectomy, and PORT. On multivariable analysis, improved OS remained independently predicted by younger age, female sex, urban population, lower Charlson score, smaller tumor size, multiagent chemotherapy, resection with at least a lobectomy, and PORT (hazard ratio, 0.886; 95% CI, 0.798 to 0.988). Use of PORT was associated with an increase in median and 5-year OS compared with no PORT (median OS, 45.2 v 40.7 months, respectively; 5-year OS, 39.3% [95% CI, 35.4% to 43.5%] v 34.8% [95% CI, 31.6% to 38.3%], respectively; P = .014).

Conclusion

For patients with N2 NSCLC after complete resection and adjuvant chemotherapy, modern PORT seems to confer an additional OS advantage beyond that achieved with adjuvant chemotherapy alone.
Genomic Classifier Identifies Men With Adverse Pathology After Radical Prostatectomy Who Benefit From Adjuvant Radiation Therapy
Authors: Den Robert B. , Yousefi Kasra , Trabulsi Edouard J. , Abdollah Firas , Choeurng Voleak , Feng Felix Y. , Dicker Adam P. , Lallas Costas D. , Gomella Leonard G. , Davicioni Elai , Karnes R. Jeffrey
Published: February 2015

Purpose

The optimal timing of postoperative radiotherapy (RT) after radical prostatectomy (RP) is unclear. We hypothesized that a genomic classifier (GC) would provide prognostic and predictive insight into the development of clinical metastases in men receiving post-RP RT and inform decision making.

Patients and Methods

GC scores were calculated from 188 patients with pT3 or margin-positive prostate cancer, who received post-RP RT at Thomas Jefferson University and Mayo Clinic between 1990 and 2009. The primary end point was clinical metastasis. Prognostic accuracy of the models was tested using the concordance index for censored data and decision curve analysis. Cox regression analysis tested the relationship between GC and metastasis.

Results

The cumulative incidence of metastasis at 5 years after RT was 0%, 9%, and 29% for low, average, and high GC scores, respectively (P = .002). In multivariable analysis, GC and pre-RP prostate-specific antigen were independent predictors of metastasis (both P < .01). Within the low GC score (< 0.4), there were no differences in the cumulative incidence of metastasis comparing patients who received adjuvant or salvage RT (P = .79). However, for patients with higher GC scores (≥ 0.4), cumulative incidence of metastasis at 5 years was 6% for patients treated with adjuvant RT compared with 23% for patients treated with salvage RT (P < .01).

Conclusion

In patients treated with post-RP RT, GC is prognostic for the development of clinical metastasis beyond routine clinical and pathologic features. Although preliminary, patients with low GC scores are best treated with salvage RT, whereas those with high GC scores benefit from adjuvant therapy. These findings provide the first rational selection of timing for post-RP RT.
Combined Loss of the GATA4 and GATA6 Transcription Factors in Male Mice Disrupts Testicular Development and Confers Adrenal-Like Function in the Testes
Authors: Padua Maria B. , Jiang Tianyu , Morse Deborah A. , Fox Shawna C. , Hatch Heather M. , Tevosian Sergei G.
Published: February 2015

The roles of the GATA4 and GATA6 transcription factors in testis development were examined by simultaneously ablating Gata4 and Gata6 with Sf1Cre (Nr5a1Cre). The deletion of both genes resulted in a striking testicular phenotype. Embryonic Sf1Cre; Gata4flox/flox Gata6flox/flox (conditional double mutant) testes were smaller than control organs and contained irregular testis cords and fewer gonocytes. Gene expression analysis revealed significant down-regulation of Dmrt1 and Mvh. Surprisingly, Amh expression was strongly up-regulated and remained high beyond postnatal day 7, when it is normally extinguished. Neither DMRT1 nor GATA1 was detected in the Sertoli cells of the mutant postnatal testes. Furthermore, the expression of the steroidogenic genes Star, Cyp11a1, Hsd3b1, and Hsd17b3 was low throughout embryogenesis. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed a prominent reduction in cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage enzyme (CYP11A1)- and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-positive (3βHSD) cells, with few 17α-hydroxylase/17,20 lyase-positive (CYP17A1) cells present. In contrast, in postnatal Sf1Cre; Gata4flox/flox Gata6flox/flox testes, the expression of the steroidogenic markers Star, Cyp11a1, and Hsd3b6 was increased, but a dramatic down-regulation of Hsd17b3, which is required for testosterone synthesis, was observed. The genes encoding adrenal enzymes Cyp21a1, Cyp11b1, Cyp11b2, and Mcr2 were strongly up-regulated, and clusters containing numerous CYP21A2-positive cells were localized in the interstitium. These data suggest a lack of testis functionality, with a loss of normal steroidogenic testis function, concomitant with an expansion of the adrenal-like cell population in postnatal conditional double mutant testes. Sf1Cre; Gata4flox/flox Gata6flox/flox animals of both sexes lack adrenal glands; however, despite this deficiency, males are viable in contrast to the females of the same genotype, which die shortly after birth.
Lhx4 Deficiency: Increased Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor Expression and Pituitary Hypoplasia
Authors: Gergics Peter , Brinkmeier Michelle L. , Camper Sally A.
Published: February 2015

Defects in the Lhx4, Lhx3, and Pitx2 genes can cause combined pituitary hormone deficiency and pituitary hypoplasia in both humans and mice. Not much is known about the mechanism underlying hypoplasia in these mutants beyond generally increased cell death and poorly maintained proliferation. We identified both common and unique abnormalities in developmental regulation of key cell cycle regulator gene expression in each of these three mutants. All three mutants exhibit reduced expression of the proliferative marker Ki67 and the transitional marker p57. We discovered that expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1a (Cdkn1a or p21) is expanded dorsally in the pituitary primordium of both Lhx3 and Lhx4 mutants. Uniquely, Lhx4 mutants exhibit reduced cyclin D1 expression and have auxiliary pouch-like structures. We show evidence for indirect and direct effects of LHX4 on p21 expression in αT3-1 pituitary cells. In summary, Lhx4 is necessary for efficient pituitary progenitor cell proliferation and restriction of p21 expression.
Activin/Nodal signalling in stem cells
Authors: Pauklin Siim , Vallier Ludovic
Published: February 2015

Activin/Nodal growth factors control a broad range of biological processes, including early cell fate decisions, organogenesis and adult tissue homeostasis. Here, we provide an overview of the mechanisms by which the Activin/Nodal signalling pathway governs stem cell function in these different stages of development. We describe recent findings that associate Activin/Nodal signalling to pathological conditions, focusing on cancer stem cells in tumorigenesis and its potential as a target for therapies. Moreover, we will discuss future directions and questions that currently remain unanswered on the role of Activin/Nodal signalling in stem cell self-renewal, differentiation and proliferation.
Mitochondrial dysfunction in oocytes of obese mothers: transmission to offspring and reversal by pharmacological endoplasmic reticulum stress inhibitors
Authors: Wu Linda L. , Russell Darryl L. , Wong Siew L. , Chen Miaoxin , Tsai Te-Sha , St John Justin C. , Norman Robert J. , Febbraio Mark A. , Carroll John , Robker Rebecca L.
Published: February 2015

Over-nutrition in females causes altered fetal growth during pregnancy and permanently programs the metabolism of offspring; however, the temporal and mechanistic origins of these changes, and whether they are reversible, are unknown. We now show that, in obese female mice, cumulus-oocyte complexes exhibit endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, high levels of intracellular lipid, spindle abnormalities and reduced PTX3 extracellular matrix protein production. Ovulated oocytes from obese mice contain normal levels of mitochondrial (mt) DNA but have reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and high levels of autophagy compared with oocytes from lean mice. After in vitro fertilization, the oocytes of obese female mice demonstrate reduced developmental potential and form blastocysts with reduced levels of mtDNA. Blastocysts transferred to normal weight surrogates that were then analyzed at E14.5 showed that oocytes from obese mice gave rise to fetuses that were heavier than controls and had reduced liver and kidney mtDNA content per cell, indicating that maternal obesity before conception had altered the transmission of mitochondria to offspring. Treatment of the obese females with the ER stress inhibitor salubrinal or the chaperone inducer BGP-15 before ovulation increased the amount of the mitochondrial replication factors TFAM and DRP1, and mtDNA content in oocytes. Salubrinal and BGP-15 also completely restored oocyte quality, embryo development and the mtDNA content of fetal tissue to levels equivalent to those derived from lean mice. These results demonstrate that obesity before conception imparts a legacy of mitochondrial loss in offspring that is caused by ER stress and is reversible during the final stages of oocyte development and maturation.
Generation of enteroendocrine cell diversity in midgut stem cell lineages
Authors: Beehler-Evans Ryan , Micchelli Craig A.
Published: February 2015

The endocrine system mediates long-range peptide hormone signaling to broadcast changes in metabolic status to distant target tissues via the circulatory system. In many animals, the diffuse endocrine system of the gut is the largest endocrine tissue, with the full spectrum of endocrine cell subtypes not yet fully characterized. Here, we combine molecular mapping, lineage tracing and genetic analysis in the adult fruit fly to gain new insight into the cellular and molecular mechanisms governing enteroendocrine cell diversity. Neuropeptide hormone distribution was used as a basis to generate a high-resolution cellular map of the diffuse endocrine system. Our studies show that cell diversity is seen at two distinct levels: regional and local. We find that class I and class II enteroendocrine cells can be distinguished locally by combinatorial expression of secreted neuropeptide hormones. Cell lineage tracing studies demonstrate that class I and class II cells arise from a common stem cell lineage and that peptide profiles are a stable feature of enteroendocrine cell identity during homeostasis and following challenge with the enteric pathogen Pseudomonas entomophila. Genetic analysis shows that Notch signaling controls the establishment of class II cells in the lineage, but is insufficient to reprogram extant class I cells into class II enteroendocrine cells. Thus, one mechanism by which secretory cell diversity is achieved in the diffuse endocrine system is through cell-cell signaling interactions within individual adult stem cell lineages.
Paraconsistency and Sette’s calculus P1
Authors: Ciuciura Janusz
Published: February 2015

In 1973, Sette presented a calculus, called P1, which is recognized as one of the most remarkable paraconsistent systems. The aim of this paper is to propose a new axiomatization of P1. The axiom schemata are chosen to show that P1 behaves in a paraconsistent way only at the atomic level, i.e. the rule: α, ~α / β holds in P1 only if α is not a propositional variable.
The Simplex Method is Strongly Polynomial for Deterministic Markov Decision Processes
Authors: Post Ian , Ye Yinyu
Published: February 2015

We prove that the simplex method with the highest gain/most-negative-reduced cost pivoting rule converges in strongly polynomial time for deterministic Markov decision processes (MDPs) regardless of the discount factor. For a deterministic MDP with n states and m actions, we prove the simplex method runs in O(n3 m2 log2 n) iterations if the discount factor is uniform and O(n5 m3 log2 n) iterations if each action has a distinct discount factor. Previously the simplex method was known to run in polynomial time only for discounted MDPs where the discount was bounded away from 1.
Learning and Pricing with Models That Do Not Explicitly Incorporate Competition
Authors: Cooper William L. , Homem-de-Mello Tito , Kleywegt Anton J.
Published: February 2015

In revenue management research and practice, demand models are used that describe how demand for a seller’s products depends on the decisions, such as prices, of that seller. Even in settings where the demand for a seller’s products also depends on decisions of other sellers, the models often do not explicitly account for such decisions. It has been conjectured in the revenue management literature that such monopoly models may incorporate the effects of competition, because the parameter estimates of the monopoly models are based on data collected in the presence of competition. In this paper we take a closer look at such a setting to investigate the behavior of parameter estimates and decisions if monopoly models are used in the presence of competition. We consider repeated pricing games in which two competing sellers use mathematical models to choose the prices of their products. Over the sequence of games, each seller attempts to estimate the values of the parameters of a demand model that expresses demand as a function only of its own price using data comprised only of its own past prices and demand realizations. We analyze the behavior of the sellers’ parameter estimates and prices under various assumptions regarding the sellers’ knowledge and estimation procedures, and we identify situations in which (a) the sellers’ prices converge to the Nash equilibrium associated with knowledge of the correct demand model, (b) the sellers’ prices converge to the cooperative solution, and (c) the sellers’ prices have many potential limit points that are neither the Nash equilibrium nor the cooperative solution and that depend on the initial conditions. We compare the sellers’ revenues at potential limit prices with their revenues at the Nash equilibrium and the cooperative solution, and we show that it is possible for sellers to be better off when using a monopoly model than at the Nash equilibrium.
Sustaining Research Networks: the Twenty-Year Experience of the HMO Research
Network
Authors: Steiner John F. , Paolino Andrea R. , Thompson Ella E. , Larson Eric B.
Published: February 2015

Purpose: As multi-institutional research networks assume a central role in
clinical research, they must address the challenge of sustainability. Despite its
importance, the concept of network sustainability has received little attention in the
literature, and the sustainability strategies of durable scientific networks have not
been described.Innovation: The Health Maintenance Organization Research Network (HMORN)
is a consortium of 18 research departments in integrated health care delivery systems
with over 15 million members in the United States and Israel. The HMORN has coordinated
federally funded scientific networks and studies since 1994. This case study describes
the HMORN approach to sustainability, proposes an operational definition of network
sustainability, and identifies 10 essential elements that can enhance
sustainability.Credibility: The sustainability framework proposed here is drawn from
prior publications on organizational issues by HMORN investigators and from the
experience of recent HMORN leaders and senior staff.Conclusion and Discussion: Network
sustainability can be defined as (1) the development and enhancement of shared research
assets to facilitate a sequence of research studies in a specific content area or
multiple areas, and (2) a community of researchers and other stakeholders who reuse and
develop those assets. Essential elements needed to develop the shared assets of a
network include: network governance; trustworthy data and processes for sharing data;
shared knowledge about research tools; administrative efficiency; physical
infrastructure; and infrastructure funding. The community of researchers within a
network is enhanced by: a clearly defined mission, vision and values; protection of
human subjects; a culture of collaboration; and strong relationships with host
organizations. While the importance of these elements varies based on the membership and
goals of a network, this framework for sustainability can enhance strategic planning
within the network and can guide relationships with external stakeholders.
Zhang Yimou’s Blood Simple: Cannibalism, remaking and translation in world cinema
Authors: Evans Jonathan
Published: February 2015

Zhang Yimou’s A Woman, A Gun and A Noodle Shop (2009) remakes the Coen brothers’ Blood Simple (1984) in a way that re-imagines the earlier film in a Chinese setting, adapting and recreating the narrative, but the film cannot be regarded as being aimed solely at a Chinese audience, as it was also released in the United States and United Kingdom. Drawing from translation studies and film studies, this article analyses how Zhang’s film adapts its source material, particularly its tendency to make explicit elements that were left implicit in the source text. The idea of cannibalization, from Brazilian modernist theory, helps explain the ambiguous orientation of the remake as both homage to and localization of the source text. This hybridity was not well received by American audiences and shows how the movie’s connection to both Zhang and the Coens leads to a dual voice in the film. The analysis demonstrates how translation and cross-cultural adaptation enrich ideas of world cinema.
Authorship in stage adaptations of ‘inherited tales’: A survey approach
Authors: Sunderland Jane
Published: February 2015

For a range of reasons, there is a dearth of empirical work on stage adaptations of ‘inherited tales’, both individually and in general; this is in contrast to work on film adaptations. This article starts by exploring epistemological and methodological reasons for this, and then proposes an alternative: analysis of bodies of texts about stage adaptations. To exemplify this, I report a survey in which I explore representations of authorship in stage adaptations in ‘Theatre’ entries in the 2012 Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme. In this large body of short texts, while authors of ‘sourcetexts’ are referred to occasionally, and titles of the sourcetexts frequently, in many cases there is no direct acknowledgement that the production is an adaptation of an ‘inherited tale’, and hence no direct mention of an ‘original’ author or title. I look at contextualized reasons for this in terms of creative and marketing considerations and of the wider ‘event’ itself (in particular, fringe productions at festivals), and at implications for understandings of ‘authorship’ in theatre.
‘Peeling back the mask’: Remediation and remix of Kenya’s news into popular culture
Authors: Omanga Duncan
Published: February 2015

This article probes how two ‘ordinary news’ events were remediated and remixed by ordinary users, journalists and professional musicians, and were circulated as popular music in Kenya. Specifically, using TV news clips and music videos uploaded on YouTube, the article reveals how the digital media allow news events to be emptied of their ‘hard news’ and to be circulated as either entirely new, or as modified artefacts of popular culture. To achieve its aims, the article borrows and modifies Bolter and Grusin’s logic of remediation to show the conflations and distinctions between news and its digital derivatives, and also their metamorphosis from hard news to popular music. In particular, the article concludes that the process of the remediation of news into remix is a factor of technology, content and context, whose interplay ambiguously interrogates the notion of erasure/invisibility (immediacy) and construction/visibility (hypermediacy).
New evidence for the completeness of the Cleitophon from Plato’s musical symbolism
Authors: Kennedy Jay
Published: February 2015

The evidence and arguments for a system of musical symbols in Plato’sdialogues presented in Kennedy’s 2011 The Musical Structure of Plato’s Dialoguesis here extended by showing that the Cleitophon has the same structure. Althoughthis short dialogue is often thought a mere fragment and incomplete, it is shown herethat it contains the complete musical structure and so is complete. This settles a longstanding, scholarly debate.
Tragédia, finitude e os impasses da filosofia do trágico
Authors: Costa Gilmário Guerreiro da
Published: February 2015

O presente artigo delineia uma possibilidade de análise das relações entretragédia e filosofia, com foco residindo nas questões suscitadas pela tragédia grega que serviram de esteio à construção da filosofia do trágico. Nesse itinerário, o problema da finitude recobrou especial interesse, ao qual concedemos ênfase. O itinerário conduziu a impasses que se referem às próprias possibilidades de a filosofia construir uma escrita coerente com o objeto que buscou estudar, a saber, o trágico.
La Midienne à la lumière du code rhétorique présent dans la Rhétorique à Alexandre
Authors: Fernandes Marcelo Vieira
Published: February 2015

La Rhétorique à Alexandre (Rh. Al.), normalement atribuée au sophiste Anaximène de Lampsaque (c. 380-320 av. J.-C.), peut être une voie pour la connaissance de ce qui se trouvait dans les manuels de rhétorique en usage dans la première moitié du IVe siècle av. J.-C. et, à partir de là, pour une connaissance plus precise du code rhétorique pratiqué par les orateurs attiques. L’objectif de cette étude est de démontrer que le code rhétorique présent dans la Rh. Al., où il se trouve en l’état de préceptes, apparaît également en l’état de discours, c’est-à-dire en l’état de pratique, dans le cas de la Midienne de Démosthène.
Raptos combinados: uma possibilidade de resistência feminina na Grécia Antiga
Authors: Santos Sandra Ferreira dos
Published: February 2015

A intenção deste trabalho é propor uma interpretação para as diferenças encontradas em cenas de rapto, presentes em vasos gregos do período clássico. Apesar de cenas com esta temática serem bastante comuns, algumas não seguem o padrão ortodoxo das cenas de violência e de rapto, levantando dúvidas sobre a natureza do ato. Ao analisarmos estas imagens podemos aventar a possibilidade de que se tratasse de raptos combinados, nos quais havia a anuência da moça raptada, uma vez que, ao contrário das imagens mais ortodoxas, as cenas não apresentam os signos próprios de violência e de contrariedade e, em alguns casos, sugerem intimidade e aceitação.
Recepção do mundo epistémico da Antiguidade na historiografia Renascentista (performance humanista): as Collectaneas e os loci communes
Authors: Martins Ana Isabel Correia
Published: February 2015

O Renascimento revaloriza os pressupostos da Antiguidade, num processo de imitatio em que recupera códigos e actualiza matrizes estético-literárias. O Humanismo quinhentista exibiu o seu máximo fulgor nas aspirações morais, problematizações filosóficas, aliadas a um laborioso e escrupuloso trabalho filológico de tradução e análise dos clássicos. Os humanistas, apercebendo-se do potencial desta uox universalis ao serviço da performance pedagógica, imprimem uma nova concepção historiográfica, central na Ratio Studiorum e na difusão das litteris humaniores. Proliferam por toda a Europa colectâneas, um género fértil não só pelo seu carácter enciclopédico, pois organiza e compagina o legado clássico em loci communes, mas também porque giza a educação integral do indivíduo. Refinando a nossa análise, devemos ainda reconhecer que na historiografia renascentista tece-se uma (inter)dependência entre retórica e a dialéctica, que se consubstancia e funde na res et uerba, o programa do humanismo filológico.
Mining of hospital laboratory information systems: a model study defining age- and gender-specific reference intervals and trajectories for plasma creatinine in a pediatric population
Authors: Søeby Karen , Jensen Peter Bjødstrup , Werge Thomas , Sørensen Steen
Published: February 2015

The knowledge of physiological fluctuation and variation of even commonly used biochemical quantities in extreme age groups and during development is sparse. This challenges the clinical interpretation and utility of laboratory tests in these age groups. To explore the utility of hospital laboratory data as a source of information, we analyzed enzymatic plasma creatinine as a model analyte in two large pediatric hospital samples.

Plasma creatinine measurements from 9700 children aged 0–18 years were obtained from hospital laboratory databases and partitioned into high-resolution gender- and age-groups. Normal probability plots were used to deduce parameters of the normal distributions from healthy creatinine values in the mixed hospital datasets. Furthermore, temporal trajectories were generated from repeated measurements to examine developmental patterns in periods of changing creatinine levels.

Creatinine shows great age dependence from birth throughout childhood. We computed and replicated 95% reference intervals in narrow gender and age bins and showed them to be comparable to those determined in healthy population studies. We identified pronounced transitions in creatinine levels at different time points after birth and around the early teens, which challenges the establishment and usefulness of reference intervals in those age groups.

The study documents that hospital laboratory data may inform on the developmental aspects of creatinine, on periods with pronounced heterogeneity and valid reference intervals. Furthermore, part of the heterogeneity in creatinine distribution is likely due to differences in biological and chronological age of children and should be considered when using age-specific reference intervals.
Significantly improving the performance and dispersion morphology of porous g-C3N4/PANI composites by an interfacial polymerization method
Authors: Yu Qingbo , Li Xianhua , Zhang Leigang , Wang Xuexue , Tao Yulun , Zhang Mingxu
Published: February 2015

Polyaniline (PANI) nanorods grown on layered porous graphitic carbon nitride (porous g-C3N4) sheets (porous g-C3N4/PANI) were successfully synthesized by interfacial polymerization of aniline monomers in the presence of porous g-C3N4 sheets. The experimental results suggest that porous g-C3N4 obtained a good dispersion with intercalated and exfoliated nanostructure and interfacial adhesion in PANI, which improved the thermal stability and photocatalytic activity of the porous g-C3N4/PANI composites.
Internal resilience, peer victimization, and suicidal ideation among adolescents
Authors: Hirschtritt Matthew E. , Ordóñez Anna E. , Rico Yvette C. , LeWinn Kaja Z.
Published: February 2015

Purpose: Our goal was to examine the association between peer victimization (PV) and suicidal ideation (SI), and the degree to which internal resilience moderates this association.

Materials and methods: We examined the independent associations between PV frequency and type (verbal, cyber, physical, and relational), internal resilience, and the risk of SI within the last 12 months among 9th and 11th grade students participating in the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) (n=42,594; 55.2% female; 72.2% non-white).

Results: Odds ratios (OR) of SI associated with very low- (at least 1 PV type 1 time, but none more than 1 time), low- (at least 1 PV type 2–3 times, but none more than 2–3 times), and moderate/high- (at least 1 PV type 4 times or more) frequency PV compared with no PV were 1.30 (95% CI=1.15–1.45), 1.70 (95% CI=1.51–1.90) and 2.47 (95% CI=1.23–2.73), respectively. Any exposure to physical (OR=1.31; 95% CI=1.19–1.44), relational (OR=1.26; 95% CI=1.15–1.38), verbal (OR=1.38; 95% CI=1.27–1.50), or cyber (OR=1.26; 95% CI=1.15–1.39) PV was associated with increased odds of SI compared with no PV. Internal resilience was associated with lower odds of SI (OR=0.98, 95% CI=0.98–0.99), regardless of PV exposure. The slope between internal resilience and SI was significantly steeper for those subjects who experienced verbal PV (OR interaction=0.99; 95% CI=0.98–1.00).

Conclusion:Even infrequent PV was found to be associated with increased risk for SI. Internal resilience was associated with reduced SI, particularly for verbal forms of PV. Our results suggested that efforts to decrease SI among adolescents should be directed toward both preventing PV and strengthening internal resilience.
Thin-Layer Drying Model of Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) Kernel and Its Application in Fat Extraction Process
Authors: Chimplee Sirirattana , Klinkesorn Utai
Published: February 2015

Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) kernels contain a high amount of fat and it has a potential to be used as a new alternative source of edible vegetable fat. Drying of fat seed can improve the fat yield and prolong the seed storage shelf life. Therefore the drying behaviour of rambutan kernels was investigated using a hot air dryer for 6 h at each of three temperatures, 45°C, 55°C and 65°C. Based on the coefficient of determination (R
2) and root mean square error (RMSE), modified Henderson and Pabis model was found to be the best thin-layer drying model for rambutan kernels (R
2 > 0.99 and RMSE < 0.02). The effective moisture diffusivity of rambutan kernels, estimated from a modified equation of Fick’s second law of diffusion, was 2.56 × 10–10 to 3.68 × 10–10 m2 s–1. The result of fat extraction significantly indicates the effect of low moisture rambutan kernels on the fat yield enhancing (P < 0.05).
Assessment and Separation of Angiotensin I-Converting Enzyme Inhibitory Peptides in Chinese Soypaste
Authors: Li Fengjuan , Yamaki Kohji , Cheng Yongqiang , Fang Yuanyuan
Published: February 2015

A Chinese soypaste-derived fraction with potent angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity (IC50 = 25.9 μg/mL) was obtained by treating soypaste extract with 80% ethanol. The result of gradient reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) suggested that bioactive peptides bearing some polarity groups made a substantial contribution to the ACE inhibitory activity. By mass spectrometric analysis, a component was separated as Glu-Ser-Gly-Asp which was then found to act in a dose-dependent manner against ACE activity as a non-competitive inhibitor, with an IC50 value of 2.297 mM.
Mathematical Modeling of Thin-Layer Solar Drying of Eland (Taurotragus oryx) Jerky
Authors: Kucerova Iva , Hubackova Anna , Rohlik Bo-Anne , Banout Jan
Published: February 2015

Mathematical modeling of thin-layer solar drying of eland jerky was investigated in this study. Eland jerky was compared to traditional beef jerky, inasmuch as both were treated with traditional jerky marinade (TM), traditional marinade with honey (TMH) and compared to an untreated control (C). The influence of the marinades on the drying process was statistically significant. Based on the coefficients of determination, the root mean square errors and the chi-squares, the two-term model was found to be the most suitable model for describing the solar drying kinetics of eland jerky. The mean effective moisture diffusivities of solar dried eland meat for the C, TM and TMH samples were 2.07×10−10, 1.45×10−10 and 1.43×10−10 m2.s−1, respectively. The activation energy values for solar dried eland jerky were 23.75, 26.22 and 26.97 kJ mol−1 for C, TM and TMH, respectively.
Studies on Grinding and Extraction of Oil from Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) Seed
Authors: HG Savitha , B Manohar
Published: February 2015

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) seed known for its many medicinal properties is studied for its grinding characteristics in an impact-type hammer mill. The particle size distribution (PSD) data of powder was found to regress very well with well-known mathematical Rosin–Rammler–Bennet model. Several statistical parameters of the PSD such as mass relative span, size guide number, skewness, uniformity index, uniformity coefficient were also estimated. Weight mean diameter for the entire range of grinding was between 395.8 and 620.8 µm. Specific energy consumption (32.4–115.2 kJ/kg) increased linearly with increase in size reduction ratio (4.53–7.10). Fenugreek powder fraction with less than 200 µm resulted in highest oil yield. Oil yield was found increasing with increase in size reduction ratio.
The effect of ginger (Zingiber officinale) on glycemic markers in patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Shidfar Farzad , Rajab Asadollah , Rahideh Tayebeh , Khandouzi Nafiseh , Hosseini Sharieh , Shidfar Shahrzad
Published: February 2015

Background: Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is one of the functional foods which contains biological compounds including gingerol, shogaol, paradol and zingerone. Ginger has been proposed to have anti-cancer, anti-thrombotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, hypolipidemic and analgesic properties. Here, we report the effect of ginger supplementation on glycemic indices in Iranian patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial was conducted on 20–60 -year-old patients with type 2 diabetes who did not receive insulin. Participants in the intervention and control groups were received 3 g of powdered ginger or placebo (lactose) (in capsules) daily for 3 months. Glycemic indices, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA), C-reactive protein (CRP), serum paraoxonase, dietary intake and physical activity were measured at the beginning and end of the study, and after 12 h fasting.

Results: Comparison of the indices after 3 months showed that the differences between the ginger and placebo groups were statistically significant as follows: serum glucose (–19.41±18.83 vs. 1.63±4.28 mg/dL, p<0.001), HbA1c percentage (–0.77±0.88 vs. 0.02±0.16 %, p<0.001), insulin (–1.46±1.7 vs. 0.09±0.34 μIU/mL, p<0.001), insulin resistance (–16.38±19.2 vs. 0.68±2.7, p<0.001), high-sensitive CRP (–2.78±4.07 vs. 0.2±0.77 mg/L, p<0.001), paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) (22.04±24.53 vs. 1.71±2.72 U/L, p<0.006), TAC (0.78±0.71 vs. –0.04±0.29 µIU/mL, p<0.01) and MDA (–0.85±1.08 vs. 0.06±0.08 µmol/L, p<0.001) were significantly different.

Conclusions: This report shows that the 3 months supplementation of ginger improved glycemic indices, TAC and PON-1 activity in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Traffic Lights on Consecutive Intersections and Pedestrian Crossings Along Linear Settlements Located on National Roads
Authors: Burlacu Alina , Dicu Mihai , Anton Valentin
Published: February 2015

In Romania, with time, settlements located along the main roads have developed and transformed into linear towns, with significant local and connection traffic, important administrative, economic, commercial and touristic activities concentrated in the central area, as well as pedestrian traffic of over 200 pedestrians per hour in the main pedestrian crossings on the route.

The object of the present study is made by a series of junctions situated on National Road 1 in Busteni town, on a dangerous road sector. For this study, traffic measurements, simulations and suggestions for improving the existing situation were made.

Based on the simulated traffic flows, there were performed capacity analysis with PTV Vissim and Traficware Synchro softwares, and were developed appropriate planning solutions for the intersections, resulting in tables with extracted performance indicators based on micro simulation of the traffic values. Also planning solutions for horizontal design and proposals for traffic lights were made for junctions that can not operate under priority traffic on one direction or which are presenting traffic safety risk.

Based on the traffic data, it was taken in consideration the necessity to make planning proposals and to develop design solutions immediately applicable, with minimum intervention.

Solutions will refer to the geometric planning of the intersections, but with new plans and timings for traffic lights, including proposals for new equipment; regulating the traffic flow: development/ refurbishment of intersections and pedestrian crossings; optimization of routing programs in order to achieve a higher level of service and more efficient traffic control indicators; segregation of pedestrian movements by vehicles traffic, implementation of physical devices to lock / channel the traffic.
The Distance Between Real Time Data and Decision Making in Urban Road Freight Transportation Systems; The Example of the City of Thessaloniki
Authors: Bouhouras Efstathios
Published: February 2015

Road freight transport in urban areas (city logistics) is under study worldwide, especially during the last years, mainly due to its negative impacts to the environment and to the efficient operation of the road network. The modern approach to deal with this rising issue includes the deployment of strategies and measures that take into consideration the conditions prevailing in each study area. In order the decision makers to adopt the proper measures and define the strategy, it is vital for them to have full knowledge of the way an Urban Road Freight Transportation (URFT) system is organized and functions in the field. For this to happen, the decision makers must have under their disposal reliable real time data. After all URFT systems evolve through time and space and it is s crucial that the necessary data not only will be collected correctly but also they will be accessible anytime and anywhere. In this paper a new approach is proposed in order to achieve real time monitoring for URFT systems in order to provide the decision makers with all the necessary data for the case of Greece.
Viscoelastic Model for the Rigid Body Vibrations of a Viaduct Depending on the Support Devices’ Rheological Model
Authors: Bratu Polidor , Vasile Ovidiu
Published: February 2015

Rezumat

Lucrarea abordează comportarea unui model de solid-rigid cu anumite simetrii structurale. Aceste simetrii permit simplificarea calculelor (ecuaţii de mişcare) şi, deci, a modelelor matematice. Dacă solidul rigid este conectat la structură prin patru legături elastice, modelul rămâne încă simplu şi uşor de rezolvat, vibraţiile putând fi decuplate în patru subsisteme de mişcare.

În final, se prezintă un studiu de caz pentru analiza modală a unui viaduct, modelat precum un corp solid-rigid, rezemat elastic, de pe autostrada Transilvania (km 29+602.75 m).
Croatian Experience in Road Traffic Noise Management - Concrete Noise Barriers
Authors: Ahac Saša , Haladin Ivo , Lakušić Stjepan , Dragčević Vesna
Published: February 2015

The paper gives an overview of concrete noise barrier application in several EU countries and in Croatia. It describes a process of introducing different noise protection solutions on Croatian market in the phase of intensive motorway construction in recent years. Namely, an extensive motorway network has been constructed in Croatia in the last 10 years. Following the process of motorway construction, noise protection walls have also been erected. Usage of different building materials and installation processes as well as variations in building expenditures has led to a comparative analysis of several types of noise protection solutions (expanded clay, wood fibre) including a new eco-innovative product RUCONBAR, which incorporates rubber granules from recycled waste tyres to form a porous noise absorptive layer.
Design of the New Arch Bridge at Mioveni
Authors: Alexandru Dima , Radu Răcănel Ionuţ
Published: February 2015

Road bridges with steel arches are used efficiently for medium and large spans. These solutions show advantages determined by the arches geometry, by the number and distributions of hangers and by the form and type of the arches bracing system.

The appearance of the welding as standard connection procedure for steel bridges, for road bridge decks two solutions are mainly used:

- the solution with a concrete slab acting together with the stringers and cross beams (the composite solution);

- the solution with orthotropic deck (the orthotropic deck consists in a network formed by the continuous longitudinal stiffeners and cross beams connected at the upper part by a steel plate).

In this paper a comparative study of the strength and fatigue checks performed on the new road bridge over river Argeşel near Mioveni in Argeş county is presented. The results are obtained using the Romanian standards STAS 1844-75 and SR 1911-1998 and the European norms SR EN 1990, SR EN 1993 and SR EN 1994. The deck was designed with two parallel steel arches, which are sustaining through vertical hangers a concrete slab connected with steel girders at the way level.

The aim of the paper is to outcome the safety factors obtained from checks performed on steel hangers using the Romanian standards with respect with those obtained using Eurocodes.
Quantifying the Benefits from a Major Infrastructure Improvement: The Case of Thessaloniki Western Ring Road Upgrade to Eliminate at Grade Signalised Intersections
Authors: Miltiadou Marios D. , Bouhouras Efstathios
Published: February 2015

Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece and its transportation system (development and operation) is hampered by the city’s geographical position and surrounding relief. Specifically, the city has been developed and expanded through the years along the coastline, the sea boundary on the southwest, and a second physical boundary, a forest, on the east side. The Thessaloniki Ring Road (divided in western and eastern part) was constructed in the early ‘90s, in order to relief the road network of the city centre from the transit traffic and confront the gradually increasing congestion. The absence of alternatives other than road transport and the increase of car ownership over the years led to an increase of motorized traffic. So even that this Ring Road had been designed to serve 30,000 vehicles daily it became to serve more than triple traffic just before the impacts of the economic crisis on transport and mobility have been made visible.

The Western Internal Ring Road of Thessaloniki (WIRRT) has length of 8.4km. It has three lanes per direction separated by a median and no emergency lanes. The traffic increase and moreover the existence of eight at grade intersections along the WIRRT degrade the provided level of service. For the elimination of these intersections an upgrade project is underway for implementation that includes the construction of five grade separated intersections and several interventions on the adjacent road network. This paper presents in brief the methodology and the results of the project’s Cost-Benefit Analysis, which assessed the expected socioeconomic benefits, emerging mainly from minimising the delays for users due to the elimination of the at grade signalised intersections.
A Mechanism for Sensorimotor Translation in Singing
Authors: Pfordresher Peter Q. , Halpern Andrea R. , Greenspon Emma B.
Published: February 2015

We propose a new framework to understand singing accuracy, based on multi-modal imagery associations: the MMIA model. This model is based on recent data suggesting a link between auditory imagery and singing accuracy, evidence for a link between imagery and the functioning of internal models for sensorimotor associations, and the use of imagery in singing pedagogy. By this account, imagery involves automatic associations between different modalities, which in the present context comprise associations between pitch height and the regulation of vocal fold tension. Importantly, these associations are based on probabilistic relationships that may vary with respect to their precision and accuracy. We further describe how this framework may be extended to multi-modal associations at the sequential level, and how these associations develop. The model we propose here constitutes one part of a larger architecture responsible for singing, but at the same time is cast at a general level that can extend to multi-modal associations outside the domain of singing.