bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mapping the Galactic Disk with the LAMOST and Gaia Red Clump Sample. III. A New Velocity Substructure and Time Stamps of the Galactic Disk Asymmetry in the Disk between 12 and 15 kpc
Authors: Wang Hai-Feng , Carlin Jeffrey L. , Huang Y. , López-Corredoira Martíin , Chen B.-Q. , Wang C. , Chang J. , Zhang H.-W. , Xiang M.-S. , Yuan H.-B. , Sun W.-X. , Li X.-Y. , Yang Y. , Deng L.-C.
Published: October 2019

We investigate the three-dimensional asymmetrical kinematics and present time stamps of the Milky Way disk between Galactocentric distances of R = 12 and 15 kpc, using red clump stars selected from the LAMOST Galactic survey, also with proper motion measurements provided by the Gaia DR2. We discover velocity substructure above the Galactic plane corresponding to a density dip found recently (“South-middle opposite” density structure [R ∼ 12–15 kpc, Z ∼ 1.5 kpc] discovered in Wang et al.) in the radial and azimuthal velocity. For the vertical velocity, we detect clear vertical bulk motions or bending mode motions, which has no clear North–South asymmetry corresponding to the in-plane asymmetrical features. In the subsample of stars with different ages, we find that there is little temporal evolution of the in-plane asymmetry from 0 to 14 Gyr, which means the structure is possibly sensitive to the perturbations in almost cosmic time. We propose that the possible scenario of this asymmetric velocity structure is caused by the mechanisms generated in-plane, rather than vertical perturbations.
Identifying Kinematic Structures in Simulated Galaxies Using Unsupervised Machine Learning
Authors: Du Min , Ho Luis C. , Zhao Dongyao , Shi Jingjing , Debattista Victor P. , Hernquist Lars , Nelson Dylan
Published: October 2019

Galaxies host a wide array of internal stellar components, which need to be decomposed accurately in order to understand their formation and evolution. While significant progress has been made with recent integral-field spectroscopic surveys of nearby galaxies, much can be learned from analyzing the large sets of realistic galaxies now available through state-of-the-art hydrodynamical cosmological simulations. We present an unsupervised machine-learning algorithm, named auto-GMM, based on Gaussian mixture models, to isolate intrinsic structures in simulated galaxies based on their kinematic phase space. For each galaxy, the number of Gaussian components allowed by the data is determined through a modified Bayesian information criterion. We test our method by applying it to prototype galaxies selected from the cosmological simulation IllustrisTNG. Our method can effectively decompose most galactic structures. The intrinsic structures of simulated galaxies can be inferred statistically by non-human supervised identification of galaxy structures. We successfully identify four kinds of intrinsic structures: cold disks, warm disks, bulges, and halos. Our method fails for barred galaxies because of the complex kinematics of particles moving on bar orbits.
A Staggered Semi-analytic Method for Simulating Dust Grains Subject to Gas Drag
Authors: Fung Jeffrey , Muley Dhruv
Published: October 2019

Numerical simulations of dust–gas dynamics are one of the fundamental tools in astrophysical research, such as the study of star and planet formation. It is common to find tightly coupled dust and gas in astrophysical systems, which demands that any practical integration method be able to take time steps,

, much longer than the stopping time,

, due to drag. A number of methods have been developed to ensure stability in this stiff

regime, but there remains large room for improvement in terms of accuracy. In this paper, we describe an easy-to-implement method, the “staggered semi-analytic method” (SSA), and conduct numerical tests to compare it to other implicit and semi-analytic methods, including the second-order implicit method and the Verlet method. SSA makes use of a staggered step to better approximate the terminal velocity in the stiff regime. In applications to protoplanetary disks, this not only leads to orders of magnitude higher accuracy than the other methods, but also provides greater stability, making it possible to take time steps 100 times larger in some situations. SSA is also second-order accurate and symplectic when

. More generally, the robustness of SSA makes it applicable to linear dust–gas drag in virtually any context.
Teaching Gerontological Nursing—Lessons From a Nurse Educator
Authors: Mueller Christine
Published: October 2019

EXCERPT

As a nurse educator that teaches gerontological nursing in an undergraduate program, my goal is to ensure that all students are competent in caring for older adults in a variety of settings. I believe the most effective way to ensure such competence is to require a course, with a clinical component, in gerontological nursing, as well as identify other places in the curriculum where students’ competence in caring for older adults can be developed. A 2003 national survey of BSN programs indicated a significant shift toward more integration of gerontological nursing into the curriculum; however, fewer than one quarter of the programs have a required course in geriatric nursing (Berman et al., 2005).
Death in the Nursing Home: Resident, Family, and Staff Perspectives
Authors: Carlson Alison L.
Published: October 2019

The actual experience of dying in the United States is far different from the expressed desires of most Americans. Although most Americans express a preference for dying at home, 73% of Americans die in medical institutions, with 23% dying in nursing homes (Teno, 2004). In this article, the author examines end-of-life care in the nursing home. A literature review identified more than 100 published articles relevant to end-of-life care in nursing homes. Of these, the author evaluated empirical research studies from the perspectives of residents, family members, and nursing home staff with findings specific to seriously ill nursing home residents. By identifying problematic issues and contributing factors, nurses can modify their practice to improve end-of-life care and substantially reduce suffering for nursing home residents and their families.
El centro histórico de Genzano di Roma (Lazio-Italia): un patrimonio arquitectónico en proceso de desaparición
Authors: Giannini Nicoletta
Published: October 2019

El objetivo de este documento es mostrar cómo, en relación con algunos episodios ocurridos en Genzano di Roma (Lazio-Italia), podría ser posible generar una profunda consideración desde un punto de vista práctico y teórico sobre la mala conservación del centro histórico de la ciudad. Estas malas restauraciones están causadas, en la mayoría de los casos, por la ausencia total de intervenciones con restricciones de conservación, que protegerían su integridad y, por lo tanto, defenderían el patrimonio material e inmaterial de la identidad de la comunidad. Estas reflexiones, combinadas con el trabajo realizado en los últimos años, podrían constituir un análisis interesante que muestre que aún queda mucho por hacer en las complicadas relaciones entre los proyectos arquitectónicos y la investigación arqueológica y entre la planificación del desarrollo urbano y la arqueología vertical urbana. De lo que se desprende de este documento, el consentimiento para reflexionar también sobre el papel de la arqueología constructiva como Arqueología de la complejidad puede participar en la preservación de los edificios como elemento de la memoria histórica.
The Impact of Socialization on Collaborative Learning Method in E-Learning Management System (eLMS)
Authors: Muhisn Zahraa Abed Aljasim , Ahmad Mazida , Omar Mazni , Muhisn Sinan Adnan
Published: October 2019

The rapidly increasing use of information and communication technology (ICT) in the academic community allows learners to access information and academic content anywhere at anytime. e-Learning Management System (eLMS) is one of the popular tools that are increasingly being used in higher education institutions to support and manage teaching and learning. This empirical study was thus conducted to investigate the impact of e-learning on the socialisation among students in Iraq. The sample comprised of 109 undergraduate students from College of Information Technology at a public university in Iraq, all of whom were active eLMS users. The participants took part in a survey, the results of which indicated that knowledge can be effectively transferred from lecturer to students via eLMS, which motivates students to share knowledge with peers through socialisation process, which is one of the critical aspects of Knowledge Management (KM).
Promoting Students’ Generic Skills with the Integration of e-Service Learning Platform
Authors: Marcus Valerie Bukas , Atan Noor Azean , Talib Rohaya , Latif Adibah Abdul , Yusof Sanitah Mohd
Published: October 2019

Related previous studies have recognized service learning ability to im-prove students’ generic skills during the service learning projects, however strategies for implementing and evaluating the effects of service learning on students’ generic skills in online environment remain limited. Therefore, this study conducted to identify what are the generic skills mentioned in students’ reflections, the differences when the responses compare to stu-dents’ performance in the course, and to analyze students’ perception to-wards the integration of e-Service Learning platform. A learning environ-ment was created using face-to-face with integration of online delivery of service learning. By the end of the course, thirty-five students were required to reflect upon their learning process while using the e-Service Learning platform. Results showed that the design of the learning environment was effective in promoting the development of these generic skills such as Global Citizen, Scholarship, Adaptability and Teamworking. The major contribution of this study is that generic skills can be promoted through the hybrid strategy of service learning that combine both face-to-face and online delivery. Academic success is strengthened both via the use of tech-nologies as well as through the implementation of experiential learning op-portunities such as service learning.
Development of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) For English Teachers: The Validity and Reliability
Authors: Elas Noor Illi Binti , Majid Faizah Binti Abd , Narasuman Suthagar A/l
Published: October 2019

This paper discusses a study proposed to analyze technology affecting English Language Teaching (ELT). To begin with, English is an important language in a society where it acts as a bridge to connect different races in a society. However, in the circumstance of 21st-century education specifically for English Language Teaching (ELT) which has been affected by Industrial Revolution 4.0, technology plays an important part as it offers the potential to enhance teaching processes and facilitate the learning of English as Second Language (ESL). For this purpose, Technology Pedagogy Content Knowledge (TPACK) paves a way to determine the correlation between technology, pedagogy and content knowledge among the English teachers on how they incorporate these technology tools in their English teaching. Hence, because of this reason, English teachers will answer a TPACK questionnaire which was adapted from two different questionnaires to understand further how English teachers employ the technologies in ELT. Therefore, by holding on to this purpose, a questionnaire was adapted from two different major questionnaires that related to TPACK. As neighbour to the previous sentence, this research was about this adapted questionnaire that had gone through content validation by experts with more than 10 years of teaching experience in English subject. The methodology that had been used in this research was quantitative method. The data obtained was presented in the form of descriptive statistics and was analyzed by using Microsoft Excel to calculate the Content Value Index (CVI) and Kappa Values for validity. Also, the data was presented in the form of table as it can eliminate any incomprehensibility that arises in interpreting the data. Thus, as the result, the finding of this research had supported the face and content validity and this proved that the result had high reliability and validity. Hence, this adapted questionnaire will be further research in a pilot study to test the efficiency of this instrument.
Usability of M-PA21 Module to Improve Teachers’ Metacognitive Regulation in Teaching and Application of 21st Century Basic Skills
Authors: Karnain Rashidah , Rahman Saemah , Surat Shahlan , Ali M.T.
Published: October 2019

Teachers face the challenges in producing students with 21st-century basic skills encompassing communication, collaborative, critical and creative thinking, as well as values and ethical. The reasons are the teachers do not have enough knowledge and skills to implement student-centered teaching, applying 21st-century basic skills, and teachers’ thinking skills which are metacognition is at a low level. To overcome this problem, the Metacogni-tive Skills Training Module in the Teaching and Application of 21st Centu-ry Basic Skills (M-PA21) was developed. The training module needs to be evaluated for usability to see if it can solve the teachers’ existing problems. Therefore, the study aims to evaluate the usability of the M-PA21 module to improve the teachers’ metacognitive regulation in teaching. Evaluation of module usability was conducted through field test involving 16 respond-ents consisting of secondary school teachers. The data collection was done through module usability questionnaire, micro-teaching observation, and document analysis. The questionnaires of module usability were analyzed using SPSS version 24.0 by determining mean value, while observation data was analyzed thematic. Document analysis supports the evaluation of ques-tionnaires and observation findings. Overall, the findings show that the M-PA21 module can enhance teachers’ metacognitive regulation in the teach-ing and application of basic skills of the 21st century
Un voyage à hauts risques : l’exil clandestin des protestants vers Genève après la révocation de l’édit de Nantes
Authors: Coulet Pierre
Published: October 2019

À partir de témoignages de réfugiés, l’article décrit des itinéraires d’exil empruntés clandestinement par les protestants après la révocation de l’édit de Nantes (1685), entre le sud-est de la France et Genève. Parmi les points communs, on note la peur constante d’être identifié comme fugitif et dénoncé, la vulnérabilité face aux guides dont la loyauté reste aléatoire, l’importance de l’argent pour rétribuer aides ou complicités, sans omettre l’épreuve physique liée à un tel trajet.
Des Cévennes à Genève : l’itinéraire de Pierre Faisses en 1686
Authors: Rolland Pierre
Published: October 2019

Pierre Faisses, régent d’école cévenol et protestant, choisit de fuir la France au lendemain de la révocation de l’édit de Nantes. Il part avec son frère jusqu’à Lyon, par le Massif central. Après une première tentative malheureuse, il trouve enfin un guide qui le conduit, lui et ses compagnons, jusqu’à Genève à travers le Dauphiné et la Savoie. Il a laissé de ce périple une relation dont l’article propose une édition annotée.
The Production of a Sense of Place among Jewish Immigrants in Mandatory Palestine
Authors: Shavit Zeev
Published: October 2019

The article discusses the production of a sense of place among Zionist immigrants who came to Palestine at the first three decades of the 20th century. This was manifested through various practices clustered under the name «Knowledge of the Land». The article analyzes the symbolic meanings which helped turning Palestine into a concrete place for these immigrants.
Une migration urgente et transitoire : la fuite des Juifs de France en Suisse au temps de la « solution finale »
Authors: Fivaz-Silbermann Ruth
Published: October 2019

La migration, pour leur survie, des Juifs de France, de Hollande et de Belgique vers la Suisse débute en 1942, au moment où se déclenche la « solution finale » élaborée par les nazis. La Suisse a fermé ses frontières, mais accueille sous tolérance un certain nombre de fugitifs, tout en en refoulant d’autres. Un premier afflux vient de Hollande et de Belgique vers l’Arc jurassien, un second, bien plus important, de France non occupée, au moment des rafles de Vichy, vers Genève, le Léman et le Valais.
2001‑2010. L’invention des routes commerciales des transmigrants baloutches de Kandahar à Malaga
Authors: Tarrius Alain
Published: October 2019

Les Baloutches irano-afghans, commerçants nomades, sont les transmigrants indispensables à la naissance d’une économie mondiale de l’entre pauvres (ou poor to poor) que développent, à partir des années 2000, les majors asiatiques de l’électronique, via Dubaï. À 65 000, ils inventent de larges routes, les territoires circulatoires, et initient des cosmopolitismes migratoires originaux, dans l’étape de la Mer Noire, avec d’autres migrants, Caucasiens et Balkaniques… et, en France, avec des jeunes des quartiers enclavés, lors des dernières étapes de leur transmigration. Les frontières nationales, locales et continentales sont redéfinies à l’occasion de leurs passages.
Voies commerciales et routes de l’exode : évolution des pratiques de voyage au Niger
Authors: Apard-Malah Elodie
Published: October 2019

Les routes caravanières qui sillonnaient jadis le Sahara nigérien se sont transformées, constituant la trame d’un réseau de pistes contemporain où les circulations restent denses. Ces voies sont aujourd’hui empruntées par des migrants venus de toute l’Afrique, pour qui la traversée du désert est une étape difficile; les épreuves sont nombreuses sur le parcours et le voyage peut se prolonger indéfiniment. Ces nouvelles formes d’utilisation des voies transsahariennes ont reconfiguré le rapport au voyage dans l’espace nigérien.
A Study of Electrolysis Technology for the Removal of Nicosulfuron from Dilute Aqueous Solution
Authors: Jiang Meng Qi , Zhao Rui , Liu Xin Li
Published: October 2019

Nicosulfuron is a kind of sulfonylurea herbicide used for controlling weeds in corn. In order to solve the problem of plant water with agrochemical, electrolysis was investigated for the treatment of nicosulfuron from dilute aqueous solutions. The operating varieles of time, chlorine anion, pH were experimented and the electrolytic decomposition mechanism of nicosulfuron was suggested. Acid solution was effective for the decomposition of the nicosulfuron and the existence of chloride ions lead to the formation of electrolytic reaction products, which regarded as chloronicosulfuron by HPLC-MS. The reaction is similar to free radical reaction.
Hydrothermal Synthesis of Co(OH)2 Microspheres
Authors: Liu Ming Liang , Chen Hai Feng , Li Han Jun , Cai Zheng Yi , Ding Jiao
Published: October 2019

The crystal morphology and geometry may play a role in electronic dissemination transition, and they would lay the foundation for the assembly about various accessories. The main aim of our research is to investigate a variety of factors which had an impact on the types and morphologies of the final products during the Co(OH)2 crystal formation process, such as substrate material, reaction concentration and reaction time. In this paper, Co(OH)2 microspheres are successfully prepared by a facile hydrothermal synthesis method, using cobalt nitrate hexahydrate and ammonium fluoride as the raw material, ammonia as the complexing agent and a clean nickel or copper foam as the base material. The structure and morphology of samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM).
Investigation of the Tensile Fracture Behavior of Notched C/SiC Composite Using In Situ SEM and Micro-CT
Authors: Jiang Bai Hong , Yu Yi , Zhang Lei , Yu Shi Zhang , Gao Xiao Jin
Published: October 2019

In order to better understand the failure mechanism of C/SiC composites, the tensile behavior of notched C/SiC composites was investigated by the in-situ scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the micro-CT technique. Surface morphologies of the C/SiC sample during tensile loading were in-situ observed by SEM, while the three-dimensional microscopic images of the C/SiC sample before loading and after failure were obtained by micro-CT. The results showed that no cracks formed in the initial elastic stage corresponding to the linear part of the load-displacement curve. However, corresponding to the following non-linear part of the load-displacement curve, matrix crack initiation, fiber pull-out, crack propagation and deflection appeared consecutively in the notched region of the sample. What’s more, different crack growth paths existed in different directions of the sample during tensile failure. In general, approximately flat fracture formed in the plying direction and serrated or stepped fracture were observed in the needling direction. It indicated that the in-situ observation method combining SEM and micro-CT can obtain the micro-structure images of the material in different states, which is helpful to analyze the fracture failure mechanism of composites.
The Effect of Ply Orientation and Damage Detection in Composite Stiffened Panel Using Lamb Waves
Authors: Mouhat Ouadia , Bybi Abdelmajid , El Bouhmidi Ahmed , Boubel Hasnae , Elmrabet Omaima , Rougui Mohamed
Published: October 2019

The present work proposes a vibration study with different surface and layers orientations at 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75° and 90°using the Abaqus finite element code, the frequencies Stratified laminate composite panels were studied and the comparison between damaged structures and perfect structures we used stiffened panels based on T-shaped reinforced fibers. Lamb waves (LW) were widely proposed for the long-range inspection of Structural Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) oriented composite structures, the obtained results show the angle effects on the natural frequency increase at a peak then decrease in the form of a sinusoidal half-curve and the numerical results found in this work can be compared to those of other authors in the same area of ​​research, A piezoelectric actuator is used to design acoustic waves and a sensor is used for signal acquisition.
Improvements on Mechanical Property and Microstructure of Cementitious Composite Incorporated with Silica Fume and Carbon Nanotube
Authors: Han Gu Yue , Luo Jian Lin
Published: October 2019

Nano-size fillers (ultrafine silica fume (USF) or/and multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCT)) were incorporated into cement matrix to fabricate nano-fillers reinforced cementitious materials (NFRCs) with surfactant ultrasonic dispersion and subsequently mix cast process. The flexural and compressive strengths of four groups NFRCs with varied nano-filler loading were comprehensively investigated. Results show, there are positive effects on the flexural and compressive strength of NFRCs with nano-fillers loading, especially when USF and MWCT are incorporated simultaneously, and the correspondent maximal flexural and compressive strength can increase by above 17%, 28% with respect to the baseline, respectively. The pozzolan infilling effect of USF and the crack-bridging effect of dispersed MWCT result in the dense and integrated network microstructures of cured NFRC.
Preparation of Photocatalytic Porous Nano-ZnO from Galvanizing Dross
Authors: Wu Peng Hui , Xie Jun Lin , Yang Jia Ming , Yang Wen Hao , Mao Chi , Liu Xiao Qing
Published: October 2019

By using an acid free wet chemical method, porous nano-ZnO with high photocatalytic performance was synthesized from galvanizing dross at room temperature. The route is an environmental way to realize high value conversion and reuse of galvanizing dross. X-ray diffraction, microstructure, electron diffraction and specific surface area analyses show, the prepared porous nano-ZnOs are hexagonal wurtzite structure ZnO strips. The strips are consist of ZnO nanoparticles, the strips growth direction is perpendicularly to the C axis when the calcination temperature is up to 350°C. With the increase of calcination temperature, the specific surface area of ZnO decreases and the crystallinity increases. The photocatalytic activity of nano-ZnO is related to its crystallinity and grain size. When the calcination temperature is 400°C and the calcination time is 2h, the nano-ZnO has been completely crystallized, the ZnO particle size is uniform and is about 20 nm, the photocatalytic activity is the best and can reach up to 95%.
Thermal Performance Simulation of the Metal Foam Heat Sink
Authors: Hao Gai Hong , Zhang Ya Ping
Published: October 2019

This study investigated the sintered metal among the regular finned heat sink. And a metal foam heat sink for power module cooling is designed. An improved computational model for effective thermal conductivity was obtained. Contrast to the two types of the heat sink, it is found that under the condition of the constant heat flow density, the heat accumulated is absent in metal foam heat sink. Meanwhile, the heat transfer coefficient of the metal foam heat sink is 3.6 times that of the finned heat sink of equivalent geometric parameter. At the same drop pressure, the air velocity of the metal foam heat sink is lower than that of the finned heat sink. The velocity of air in the foam radiator is lower than that in the finned radiator. Under the same fan power, the gain factor of the four finned metal foam radiators is about 20 times higher than that of the ribbed radiators of the same conditions.
Design and Verification of a Metal 3D Printing Device Based on Contact Resistance Heating
Authors: Dai Yu Hua , Wang Xi
Published: October 2019

As a branch of 3D printing technology, metal 3D printing is an important advanced manufacturing processing method. Metal 3D printing technology has been widely applied in a variety of areas, including the aerospace field, biomedical research and mold manufacturing. This paper proposed a new method for melting metal wires via contact resistance heating. Through the combination of a numerical control technique, a mechanical structure and computer software, a metal 3D printing device was designed based on the principle of fused deposition modeling. The printing nozzle of the device can be heated to over 1400°C in a few minutes. Additionally, we performed experiments with aluminum wire to demonstrate the feasibility of the printing method. The designed consumer-level desktop metal 3D printer cost less than 1500 dollars to fabricate.
The Enhanced Ability to Withstand Axial Hot Compression of Electropulsing-Assisted Ultrasonic Surface Rolling Process Treated Inconel 718
Authors: Sun Zhi Yan , Hu Ti Min , Ren Shuai , Li Bo
Published: October 2019

The ability to withstand axial hot compression at 700 °C of electropulsing-assisted ultrasonic surface rolling process (EUSRP) treated Inconel 718 was characterized by hot compression tests in this study. Results indicated that EUSRP induced ultra-fine microstructure on the near-surface regions of the sample and the formation of recrystallized ultra-fine grains in the near-surface regions was further promoted during hot compression test. In addition, a large number of nanoγ'' phases were precipitated on the broadened grain boundaries of the near-surface regions. In summary, EUSRP enhanced the ability to withstand axial hot compression of Inconel 718 at 700 °C.
The TL1A-DR3 Axis Selectively Drives Effector Functions in Human MAIT Cells
Authors: Sattler Arne , Thiel Lion Gabriel , Ruhm Annkathrin Helena , Souidi Naima , Seifert Martina , Herberth Gunda , Kotsch Katja
Published: October 2019

Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are semi-invariant T cells specifically recognizing riboflavin derivatives that are synthesized by many bacteria and fungi presented by MHC class I–related MR1 molecules. Accumulating evidence, however, indicates that MAIT cell functions are inducible by cytokine stimuli in the absence of TCR ligation, identifying MAIT cells as innate sentinels in inflammatory environments. In this study, we demonstrate that death receptor 3 (DR3), a member of the TNFR superfamily, is ex vivo expressed and predominantly upregulated on the surface of human MAIT cells by innate cytokine stimulation. In turn, the DR3 ligand TNF-like protein 1A (TL1A) licenses innate TNF-α production in the absence of cognate triggers, being sufficient to promote activation of primary endothelial cells in vitro. TL1A further amplifies synthesis of IFN-γ and granzyme B in the presence of otherwise weak innate stimuli and strongly augments polyfunctionality. Mechanistically, TL1A potentiates T-bet expression, early NF-κB, and late p38 MAP kinase phosphorylation, with the latter being indispensable for TNF-α production by MAIT cells. Of note, endogenous TL1A is also rapidly released from PBMC cultures in response to bacterial triggering, thereby equally augmenting Ag-specific MAIT cell effector functions. In summary, to our knowledge, we identify a new inflammatory mechanism in MAIT cells linking the DR3/TL1A axis with amplification of TCR-dependent and -independent effector functions, particularly inducing excessive innate TNF-α production. Given that both TL1A and TNF-α are abundantly present at sites of chronic inflammation, the contribution of MAIT cells in such scenarios needs to be determined.
Immunofluorescence characterization of innervation and nerve-immune cell interactions in mouse lymph nodes
Authors: Hu Dailun , Nicholls Philip K. , Claus Melissa , Wu Yongkang , Shi Zhongli , Greene Wayne K. , Ma Bin
Published: October 2019

The peripheral nervous system communicates specifically with the immune system via local interactions. These interactions include the “hardwiring” of sympathetic/parasympathetic (efferent) and sensory nerves (afferent) to primary (e.g., thymus and bone marrow) and secondary (e.g., lymph node, spleen, and gut-associated lymphoid tissue) lymphoid tissue/organs. To gain a better understanding of this bidirectional interaction/crosstalk between the two systems, we have investigated the distribution of nerve fibres and PNS-immune cell associations in situ in the mouse lymph node by using immunofluorescent staining and confocal microscopy/ three-dimensional reconstruction. Our results demonstrate i) the presence of extensive nerve fibres in all compartments (including B cell follicles) in the mouse lymph node; ii) close contacts/associations of nerve fibres with blood vessels (including high endothelial venules) and lymphatic vessels/sinuses; iii) close contacts/associations of nerve fibres with various subsets of dendritic cells (e.g., B220+CD11c+, CD4+CD11c+, CD8a+CD11c+, and Mac1+CD11c+), Mac1+ macrophages, and B/T lymphocytes. Our novel findings concerning the innervation and nerve-immune cell interactions inside the mouse lymph node should greatly facilitate our understanding of the effects that the peripheral nervous system has on cellular- and humoral-mediated immune responses or vice versa in health and disease.
Digital PCR - Methods and Protocols
Authors: Catarsi Paolo
Published: October 2019

Sensitivity, reproducibility, precision and accuracy are recurring words in this book. Indeed, digital PCR (dPCR) represents a major step forward in the quantification of nucleic acids. In this field, for many years it has been used the quantitative PCR (qPCR), a technology that allows a real-time monitoring of DNA amplification which has proved useful for obtaining a relative measurement, but that only indirectly, through the use of reference standards, provides an absolute quantification....
A Brief Sailor Resiliency Scale for the South African Navy
Authors: Van Wijk Charles H. , Martin Jarred H.
Published: October 2019

Resilience constructs and measures in the military context are of particular interest because of their association with general performance and mental health outcomes. However, in spite of the reported advantages, the use of resilience assessment models faces two challenges: firstly, measurement and, secondly, operational application within the military environment. This article aimed to provide preliminary validation for a Brief Sailor Resiliency Scale (BSRS) for use in the South African Navy (SAN) in order to discuss its operational application for individuals and groups. The study used a sample of active-duty SAN sailors, distributed throughout the fleet. Participants (N = 1312) completed the BSRS, together with established measures of resiliency and emotional regulation, and also provided socio-demographic information. The psychometric structure of the scale was examined, firstly, through confirmatory factor analysis within structural equation modelling, and secondly socio-demographic effects and construct validity were also explored. The model yielded acceptable fit and high internal consistency. Furthermore, the results support the construct validity of the scale. The data appear to support the contention that comprehensive resilience screening measures, while still brief and time-effective, could be employed to the benefit of navy personnel. This would facilitate a ‘screen-and-stream’ approach which allows military mental health practitioners (1) to screen military personnel comprehensively and (2) to identify and stream quickly those whose resilience appears to be compromised for further assessment and targeted intervention by appropriate support providers.
Depression, anxiety and stress symptoms in patients presenting with dyspepsia at a regional hospital in KwaZulu-Natal province
Authors: Tshabalala Sijabulisiwe J. , Tomita Andrew , Ramlall Suvira
Published: October 2019

Background: Depression, anxiety and stress (DAS) have been shown to be co-morbid with dyspepsia. Local data on the factors associated with these co-morbidities could inform the role of psychiatric intervention in affected patients.Aim: The aim of this study was to describe the frequency of undiagnosed DAS and their associated protective and risk correlates in a sample of patients undergoing endoscopies for dyspepsia.Setting: The study was conducted at a regional hospital’s gastro-intestinal unit in KwaZulu-Natal province.Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 201 in- and outpatients with symptoms of dyspepsia awaiting endoscopy. Information on DAS symptomatology (using the DASS-21 screening questionnaire, as well as socio-demographic and clinical data) were collected.Analyses: Following a descriptive analysis of the participants’ socio-demographic and clinical details, linear regression models were fitted to identify potential risk and protective correlates linked to DAS symptomatology.Results: The mean age of participants (N = 201) was 48.89 years, of whom approximately two-thirds (n = 133; 66.17%) were women, 97% (n = 195) were African and 64.68% (n = 130) resided in rural areas. Anxiety was the most prevalent symptom category (n = 149; 74.13%) versus depression (n = 96; 47.76%) and stress (n = 68; 33.83%) in each category of symptom (mild to extremely) severity. In the severe and extremely severe range, anxiety existed without co-morbid depression or stress in 61.19% of anxious patients. Alcohol use was significantly associated with all three symptom categories (p 0.01).Conclusions: Given high frequencies of depression and anxiety in patients undergoing endoscopies for dyspepsia, screening for common mental disorders is essential.
Mutual conditioning of gender and love: Towards a non-gendered idea of humanity
Authors: Slater Jennifer
Published: October 2019

It is a presumed opinion that gender and love mutually condition each other and that this presumption ought to be embraced by cultural norms, religion, human rights and the ethic of freedom. The notion of mutual conditioning presupposes a healthy and principled environment that facilitates the free dynamic interaction between gender and love. It is the purpose of this article to explore the outcomes of the gender revolution and the additional strands of complexities that it contributed to the human condition. Although feminism has created terminologies such as sex and gender, it is believed that these words have outlived their usefulness to make way for the present-day evolution towards a non-gendered idea of humanity. Gender diversity seeks mutuality, and true love accommodates multiplicity; hence, the interacting and intra-acting of gender and love inevitably come face-to-face with cultural, legal, social, religious and moral milieus that hamper or even contradict the concept of mutual conditioning. This article seeks to trace the evolution of gender within diverse cultural constructions created by new liberal living conditions, but which have not yet infiltrated the diverse cultural domains where gender remains an entity without cultural freedom and therefore undermines the process of mutual conditioning of gender and love. The idea of gender as transcending bodily sex forms part of an old theological and philosophical debate; it, however, resurfaces here while revisiting Aristotle’s idea of a non-gendered society or humanity. A degendered society implies a society that is free from dependence on gender, whereas a non-gendered humanity transcends gender divisions and associations, with its aspirations linked to the transcendence or consciousness of human nature. Love, in this sense, transcends all human dissections, and this article ascertains its capacity to mutually condition the diversity of gender and love.
Embeddings into Thompson's groups from quasi-median geometry
Authors: Genevois Anthony
Published: October 2019

The main result of this article is that any braided (resp. annular, planar) diagram group

D

splits as a short exact sequence

1 \to R \to D \to S \to 1

where

R

is a subgroup of some right-angled Artin group and

S

a subgroup of Thompson's group

V

(resp.

T

,

F

). As an application, we show that several braided diagram groups embed into Thompson's group

V

, including Higman's groups

V_{n,r}

, groups of quasi-automorphisms

QV_{n,r,p}

, and generalised Houghton's groups

H_{n,p}

.
Fukaya categories of plumbings and multiplicative preprojective algebras
Authors: Etgü Tolga , Lekili Yankı
Published: October 2019

Given an arbitrary graph

\Gamma

and non-negative integers

g_v

for each vertex

v

of

\Gamma

, let

X_\Gamma

be the Weinstein 4-manifold obtained by plumbing copies of

T^*\Sigma_v

according to this graph, where

\Sigma_v

is a surface of genus

g_v

. We compute the wrapped Fukaya category of

X_\Gamma

(with bulk parameters) using Legendrian surgery extending our previous work [14] where it was assumed that

g_v=0

for all

v

and

\Gamma

was a tree. The resulting algebra is recognized as the (derived) multiplicative preprojective algebra (and its higher genus version) defined by Crawley-Boevey and Shaw [8]. Along the way, we find a smaller model for the internal DG-algebra of Ekholm and Ng [12] associated to 1-handles in the Legendrian surgery presentation of Weinstein 4-manifolds which might be of independent interest.
Copper/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite for high performance photocatalytic methylene blue dye degradation
Authors: Aragaw Belete Asefa , Dagnaw Atsedemariam
Published: October 2019

Copper nanoparticles deposited on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) have been investigated for various applications. In many of these reports RGO is used as a support and electron collector and not as a light absorber. However, Cu nanoparticle decorated over the surface of semiconducting RGO as a light absorber has not been investigated for its photocatalytic organic dye degradation activity. Here, we deposited Cu nanoparticle on RGO sheet by insitu photoreduction method. The Cu/RGO nanocomposite photocatalyst material is characterized by UV-Visible spectroscopy, FT-IR and X-ray powder diffraction and its photodegradation activity towards model organic dye was investigated. Based on our results, it was found that the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of GO, RGO and Cu/RGO nanocomposites were 63%, 68% and 94%,  respectively under light irradiation at pH~7 in 50 min. The high photocatalytic performance of Cu/RGO nanocomposite is due to the catalytic effect of Cu. The Cu nanoparticle is a good photoelectron acceptor that traps the photoelectron and reduces the recombination rate of photoelectron-hole pairs. We believe that our finding would be widely applicable to the graphene oxide based composites with metal or metal oxide nanoparticles to develop a cost effective technique for environmental protection.
Quem conta como nação? A exclusão de temáticas lgbti nas assembleias constituintes de Brasil e Colômbia
Authors: Lelis Rafael Carrano , Almeida Marcos Felipe Lopes de , Rosa Waleska Marcy
Published: October 2019

As Constituições do Brasil e da Colômbia não previram direitos LGBTI específicos, diferentemente de outras Constituições latino-americanas. Assim, tais direitos foram garantidos judicialmente. Esse fato gera questionamentos a respeito de como a nação foi representada no corpo constituinte. Nesse sentido, o objetivo do artigo é analisar os debates ocorridos nas Assembleias Constituintes brasileira e colombiana a respeito dos direitos LGBTI. Para isso, são analisadas as atas das sessões plenárias das Constituintes, sendo essa uma das limitações da investigação, uma vez que não foram analisadas todas as discussões que ocorreram nas referidas assembleias. Trata-se de pesquisa qualitativa, de caráter exploratório e com suporte na técnica de análise documental. Finalmente, constatou-se uma abordagem apenas incidental dos direitos LGBTI na Constituinte colombiana, com debates escassos, enquanto no Brasil houve uma maior discussão, marcada por argumentos negativos e positivos. A originalidade da pesquisa está na análise de dados pouco explorados pela comunidade acadêmica, sendo possível compreender como a população LGBTI foi representada e retratada no momento de elaboração do documento jurídico de mais alta hierarquia dos ordenamentos.
O Novo Constitucionalismo na América Latina e Caribe e a construção do direito à saúde
Authors: Santos Alethele De Oliveira , Delduque Maria Célia , Filho Moacyr Rey
Published: October 2019

O objetivo deste artigo é analisar como o novo Constitucionalismo na América Latina e Caribe contribui para a construção e concretização do direito à saúde. Para tanto, são apresentados conceitos dos subsistemas jurídico e sanitário, na América Latina e Caribe. Busca-se ainda a correlação das formas de institucionalização e de efetivação do direito à saúde, no contexto do chamado ‘novo constitucionalismo’, e a pretensão de sua ruptura com o princípio universalista, a partir da interpretação do conceito de cobertura universal. Os métodos utilizados foram o estudo exploratório da retórica na área de saúde, bem como em material bibliográfico relativo ao ‘Novo Constitucionalismo’ na América Latina e Caribe. As normas que tratam da efetivação dos direitos sociais são prospectivas e se irradiam pelo sistema jurídico, condicionando a interpretação e aplicação do direito infraconstitucional à realização e concretização dos programas constitucionais necessários à garantia das condições de existência humana digna. Uma vez que as normas regentes do direito à saúde geram expectativas e promovem o processo evolutivo das sociedades, devem ser cumpridas em sua integralidade, garantido-se o acesso universal aos serviços de saúde. Portanto, a aplicação dos conceitos de universalidade do direito à saúde ou cobertura universal em saúde nos sistemas sanitários apresentados pelo “novo constitucionalismo” na América Latina e Caribe não permite atuações desarrazoadas e socialmente descompromissadas dos poderes constituídos, uma vez que podem levar a desestruturação dos sistemas de saúde.
O direito à água nas Constituições da América do Sul: elementos comuns e traços distintivos
Authors: Burckhart Thiago Rafael , Melo Milena Petters
Published: October 2019

O objetivo deste artigo é de analisar a configuração do direito à água em perspectiva comparada nas constituições sul-americanas, buscando identificar os elementos comuns e os traços distintivos deste direito nos diferentes textos constitucionais. Primeiro, contextualiza-se o novo ciclo constitucional arquitetado na região após os anos 1980 e sua abertura cognitiva a novos direitos e novos sujeitos. Em seguida, realiza-se a comparação entre os textos constitucionais sul-americanos vigentes sobre o direito à água e a proteção dos recursos hídricos; Num terceiro momento, identifica-se os elementos comuns e os traços distintivos deste direito nestas constituições. O trabalho se insere no campo da teoria Constitucional, com aportes da teoria política e da sociologia jurídica, sendo realizada mediante comparação constitucional em chave dialógica, buscando responder à seguinte pergunta de pesquisa: pode-se conceber um comum direito constitucional à água na região? Conclui-se que o direito à água é reconhecido expressamente e de modo pioneiro somente em três países da região, todas constituições promulgadas recentemente já no século XXI, sendo que em cada uma destas realidades inscreve diferenças e peculiaridades epistemológicas. No entanto, todos os países da região reconhecem o direito ao meio ambiente, que constitui elemento comum da identidade constitucional da região, o que posiciona a água como um direito de modo implícito. Em resposta à pergunta de pesquisa, conclui-se que não há um direito comum a água na região. Contudo, ele se projeta como tendência jurídica de abertura cognitiva do constitucionalismo democrático contemporâneo na América do Sul e no mundo.
A diversidade cultural sob o entendimento da corte interamericana de direitos humanos e o novo constitucionalismo latino americano transformador
Authors: Parra Flórez Deicy Yurley , Nogueira Júnior Bianor Saraiva , Cruz dos Santos Ulisses Arjan
Published: October 2019

O aumento de conflitos e dissonâncias em uma sociedade com alta diversidade cultural provoca inevitavelmente uma cultura dominante, que as características diferenciadoras das culturas não predominantes desapareçam, caminhando pra homogeneização, definindo por médio de elementos externos não próprios de sua tradição suas formas de organização, especialmente na América Latina que atravessou e vivencia, mesmo em pleno século XXI, um processo de colonialidade cultural, ou seja, ainda há grupos com particularidades culturais que estão submetidos ao pensamento dominante, que os classifica e delimita dentro de uma única concepção. Em razão disso, o objetivo da presente pesquisa enfocou-se em analisar o entendimento da Corte Interamericana de Direitos Humanos em relação à proteção dos direitos, especialmente o direito à diversidade cultural e o como está interagindo o denominado Novo Constitucionalismo nessa interpretação. Fazendo uso do método dedutivo, quanto aos meios da pesquisa foi bibliográfica-documental, e quanto aos fins a pesquisa foi a qualitativa. Concluiu-se que o Novo Constitucionalismo Latino-Americano surge como um quebra de paradigmas a estas concepções, integrando um sentido transformador, com novos pensamentos, novos conceitos que alimentam essa diversidade cultural, respeitando a diferencias e nutrindo a luta, autonomia e emancipação dos grupos e movimentos sociais, criando, portanto, o desafio para o Sistema Interamericano de Direitos Humanos na interpretação dos conflitos que surgem em relação ao direito de diversidade cultural no sentido amplo da mesma.