bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of ambient dust pollution status at selected point sources (residential and commercial) of Mingaladon area, Yangon region, Myanmar
Authors: Tun Sai Nyan Lin , Aung Than Htut , Mon Aye Sandar , Kyaw Pyay Hein , Siriwong Wattasit , Robson Mark , Htut Than
Published: January 2018

Purpose

Dust (particulate matters) is very dangerous to our health as it is not visible with our naked eyes. Emissions of dust concentrations in the natural environment can occur mainly by road traffic, constructions and dust generating working environments. The purpose of this paper is to assess the ambient dust pollution status and to find out the association between PM concentrations and other determinant factors such as wind speed, ambient temperature, relative humidity and traffic congestion.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional study was conducted for two consecutive months (June and July, 2016) at a residential site (Defence Services Liver Hospital, Mingaladon) and a commercial site (Htouk-kyant Junction, Mingaladon) based on WHO Air Quality Reference Guideline Value (24-hour average). Hourly monitoring of PM2.5 and PM10 concentration and determinant factors such as traffic congestion, wind speed, ambient temperature and relative humidity for 24 hours a day was performed in both study sites. CW-HAT200 handheld particulate matters monitoring device was used to assess PM concentrations, temperature and humidity while traffic congestion was monitored by CCTV cameras.

Findings

The baseline PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations of Mingaladon area were (28.50±11.49)µg/m3 and (52.69±23.53)µg/m3, means 61.48 percent of PM2.5 concentration and 54.92 percent of PM10 concentration exceeded than the WHO reference value during the study period. PM concentration usually reached a peak during early morning (within 3:00 a.m.-5:00 a.m.) and at night (after 9:00 p.m.). PM2.5 concentration mainly depends on traffic congestion and temperature (adjusted R2=0.286), while PM10 concentration depends on traffic congestion and relative humidity (adjusted R2=0.292). Wind speed played a negative role in both PM2.5 and PM10 concentration with r=−0.228 and r=−0.266.

Originality/value

The air quality of the study area did not reach the satisfiable condition. The main cause of increased dust pollution in the whole study area was high traffic congestion (R2=0.63 and 0.60 for PM2.5 and PM10 concentration).
Deliverable accountability, change management and breach in consultancy contracts: A comparative study of world bank versus europeaid funded projects
Authors: Saad Youssef G.
Published: January 2018

A considerable proportion of donor aid is dedicated to technical assistance to support developing countries in their development initiatives. The majority of this aid comes from globally-operating international donors including the World Bank and the European Union. In spite of several harmonization attempts, there still exist major differences in their procurement regulations and standard contracts. Based on an extensive literature review on consulting services and an in-depth analysis of the standard forms of contract, it was found that divergence between both forms is not only clear but also paradigmatic owing mainly to market orientation paradigm differences. The findings and recommendations help advance research on and practice of various types of consultancy services in general.
Morphology transformation on Cu3Sn grains during the formation of full Cu3Sn solder joints in electronic packaging
Authors: Yao Peng , Li Xiaoyan , Jin Fengyang , Li Yang
Published: January 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to analyze the morphology transformation on the Cu3Sn grains during the formation of full Cu3Sn solder joints in electronic packaging.

Design/methodology/approach

Because of the infeasibility of analyzing the morphology transformation intuitively, a novel equivalent method is used. The morphology transformation on the Cu3Sn grains, during the formation of full Cu3Sn solder joints, is regarded as equivalent to the morphology transformation on the Cu3Sn grains derived from the Cu/Sn structures with different Sn thickness.

Findings

During soldering, the Cu3Sn grains first grew in the fine equiaxial shape in a ripening process until the critical size. Under the critical size, the Cu3Sn grains were changed from the equiaxial shape to the columnar shape. Moreover, the columnar Cu3Sn grains could be divided into different clusters with different growth directions. With the proceeding of soldering, the columnar Cu3Sn grains continued to grow in a feather of the width growing at a greater extent than the length. With the growth of the columnar Cu3Sn grains, adjacent Cu3Sn grains, within each cluster, merged with each other. Next, the merged columnar Cu3Sn grains, within each cluster, continued to merge with each other. Finally, the columnar Cu3Sn grains, within each cluster, merged into one coarse columnar Cu3Sn grain with the formation of full Cu3Sn solder joints. The detailed mechanism, for the very interesting morphology transformation, has been proposed.

Originality/value

Few researchers focused on the morphology transformation of interfacial phases during the formation of full intermetallic compounds joints. To bridge the research gap, the morphology transformation on the Cu3Sn grains during the formation of full Cu3Sn solder joints has been studied for the first time.
Recurrence of vulval intraepithelial neoplasia following treatment with cidofovir or imiquimod: results from a multicentre, randomised, phase II trial (RT3VIN)
Authors: Hurt CN , Jones SEF , Madden T‐A , Fiander A , Nordin AJ , Naik R , Powell N , Carucci M , Tristram A
Published: January 2018

Objective

To compare the recurrence rates after complete response to topical treatment with either cidofovir or imiquimod for vulval intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) 3.

Design

A prospective, open, randomised multicentre trial.

Setting

32 general hospitals located in Wales and England.

Population or Sample

180 patients were randomised consecutively between 21 October 2009 and 11 January 2013, 89 to cidofoovir (of whom 41 completely responded to treatment) and 91 to imiquimod (of whom 42 completely responded to treatment).

Methods

After 24 weeks of treatment, complete responders were followed up at 6‐monthly intervals for 24 months. At each visit, the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v3.0 was assessed and any new lesions were biopsied for histology.

Main outcome measures

Time to histologically confirmed disease recurrence (any grade of VIN).

Results

The median length of follow up was 18.4 months. At 18 months, more participants were VIN‐free in the cidofovir arm: 94% (95% CI 78.2–98.5) versus 71.6% (95% CI 52.0–84.3) [univariable hazard ratio (HR) 3.46, 95% CI 0.95–12.60, P = 0.059; multivariable HR 3.53, 95% CI 0.96–12.98, P = 0.057). The number of grade 2+ events was similar between treatment arms (imiquimod: 24/42 (57%) versus cidofovir: 27/41 (66%), χ2 = 0.665, P = 0.415), with no grade 4+.

Conclusions

Long‐term data indicates a trend towards response being maintained for longer following treatment with cidofovir than with imiquimod, with similar low rates of adverse events for each drug. Adverse event rates indicated acceptable safety of both drugs

Tweetable abstract

Long‐term follow up in the RT3VIN trial suggests cidofovir may maintain response for longer than imiquimod.
Fatal Hemorrhage from an Arteriovenous Fistula
Authors: Handlos Petr , Marecová Klára , Smatanová Margita , Dvořáček Igor , Dobiáš Martin
Published: January 2018

In this study, we present two cases of sudden deaths of people with end‐stage kidney with arteriovenous fistulas for long‐term hemodialysis treatment. This procedure is associated with a number of known complications. While stenosis, thrombosis, and infection are well known, lethal hemorrhage from arteriovenous fistula is much less commonly encountered. Inspection of the bodies at the scene of the death by a medical examiner suggested that the deaths were due to exsanguination. Autopsies revealed visible defects on the front wall of the arteriovenous fistulas. Microscopic examination showed wall necrosis with infiltration of various inflammatory cells. Deaths were due to exsanguination from the ulcerated arteriovenous fistulas in patients with chronic renal failure. Further investigation revealed that complications in the area around the arteriovenous fistulas were known and were being treated until a sudden rupture of the vessels and hemorrhage from the arteriovenous fistulas resulted in the deaths.
Discrimination of Geographical Origin of Asian Garlic Using Isotopic and Chemical Datasets under Stepwise Principal Component Analysis
Authors: Liu Tsang‐Sen , Lin Jhen‐Nan , Peng Tsung‐Ren
Published: January 2018

Isotopic compositions of δ2H, δ18O, δ13C, and δ15N and concentrations of 22 trace elements from garlic samples were analyzed and processed with stepwise principal component analysis (PCA) to discriminate garlic's country of origin among Asian regions including South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, and China. Results indicate that there is no single trace‐element concentration or isotopic composition that can accomplish the study's purpose and the stepwise PCA approach proposed does allow for discrimination between countries on a regional basis. Sequentially, Step‐1 PCA distinguishes garlic's country of origin among Taiwanese, South Korean, and Vietnamese samples; Step‐2 PCA discriminates Chinese garlic from South Korean garlic; and Step‐3 and Step‐4 PCA, Chinese garlic from Vietnamese garlic. In model tests, countries of origin of all audit samples were correctly discriminated by stepwise PCA. Consequently, this study demonstrates that stepwise PCA as applied is a simple and effective approach to discriminating country of origin among Asian garlics.
Continued root maturation despite persistent apical periodontitis of immature permanent teeth after failed regenerative endodontic therapy
Authors: Lin Louis M. , Kim Sahng G. , Martin Gabriela , Kahler Bill
Published: January 2018

Three immature permanent teeth with pulp necrosis and apical periodontitis were treated with regenerative endodontic therapy (RET), which included root canal disinfection with sodium hypochlorite irrigation, intra‐canal medication with calcium hydroxide paste, 17% EDTA rinse, induction of periapical bleeding into the canal, collagen matrix and MTA coronal seal, and composite resin restoration of access cavities. After different periods of follow‐up, it was observed that continued root maturation, especially apical closure occurred despite persistent apical periodontitis of immature permanent teeth after failed RET. This finding is of interest as the secondary goal of further root maturation occurred despite failure of the primary goal of elimination of clinical symptom/sign and periapical inflammation. The possible biological mechanisms that could allow for further root maturation to occur in spite of persistent root canal infection of immature permanent teeth are discussed. Based on these observations, the biology of wound healing of immature permanent teeth after injury is not fully understood and should be further investigated. This case report demonstrates that whilst further root maturation is considered a successful outcome for teeth treated with RET, the primary objective must be the resolution of the signs and symptoms of apical periodontitis.
NO, CO and H2S: What about gasotransmitters in fish and amphibian heart?
Authors: Imbrogno S. , Filice M. , Cerra M. C. , Gattuso A.
Published: January 2018

The gasotransmitters nitric oxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO), and hydrogen sulphide (H2S), long considered only toxicant, are produced in vivo during the catabolism of common biological molecules and are crucial for a large variety of physiological processes. Mounting evidence is emerging that in poikilotherm vertebrates, as in mammals, they modulate the basal performance of the heart and the response to stress challenges. In this review, we will focus on teleost fish and amphibians to highlight the evolutionary importance in vertebrates of the cardiac control elicited by NO, CO and H2S, and the conservation of the intracellular cascades they activate. Although many gaps are still present due to discontinuous information, we will use examples obtained by studies from our and other laboratories to illustrate the complexity of the mechanisms that, by involving gasotransmitters, allow beat‐to‐beat, short‐, medium‐ and long‐term cardiac homoeostasis. By presenting the latest data, we will also provide a framework in which the peculiar morpho‐functional arrangement of the teleost and amphibian heart can be considered as a reference tool to decipher cardiac regulatory networks which are difficult to explore using more conventional vertebrates, such as mammals.
How Children Invented Humanity
Authors: Bjorklund David F.
Published: January 2018

I use the commentaries of Legare, Clegg, and Wen and of Frankenhuis and Tiokhin as jumping‐off points to discuss an issue hinted at both in my essay and their commentaries: How a developmental perspective can help us achieve a better understanding of evolution. I examine briefly how neoteny may have contributed to human morphology; how developmental plasticity in great apes, and presumably our common ancestor with them, may have led the way to advances in social cognition; and how the “invention” of childhood contributed to unique human cognitive abilities. I conclude by acknowledging that not all developmentalists have adopted an evolutionary perspective, but that we are approaching a time when an evolutionary perspective will be implicit in the thinking of all psychologists.
Rural Labor Migration and Households' Land Rental Behavior: Evidence from China
Authors: Ji Xianqing , Qian Zhonghao , Zhang Linxiu , Zhang Tonglong
Published: January 2018

There has been growing debate about whether the changing demographic composition due to rural labor migration could potentially threaten China's agricultural productivity. The Chinese Government is promoting the “three rights separation system” to consolidate agricultural land through the land rental market with the explicit intention of fostering new agricultural management subjects and improving agricultural productivity. The present paper estimates the effect of rural labor migration on households' participation in land renting in and renting out activities based on a unique dataset from three rounds of nationally representative surveys. Our results indicate that rural labor migration has a significant negative effect on households renting in land and has a positive effect on households renting out land in rural China. Therefore, the government should adopt targeted policies to effectively encourage farmers with higher agricultural capacity to rent in land to alleviate the negative effect of rural migration on households renting in land. Supporting policies should guarantee that rural migrants enjoy the same welfare services as urban residents.
Democratic accountability and the changing European political order
Authors: Olsen Johan P.
Published: January 2018

This article is about democratic accountability and a Europe struggling to find viable answers to the questions of who and what shall constitute “Europe” and how to develop legitimate political institutions for governing it. The article is, nevertheless, first and foremost about political order and change, rules for living together, the role of democratic politics in society and the relations between political organization and civilized coexistence, and the study of the political. Modern democracies live with unresolved conflict, and accountability regimes are part of an institutional arrangement for preserving order and continuity and also for creating dynamics and change. Accountability processes take place within settled and unsettled orders, and they affect and are affected by existing orders. Without denying the importance of contending interests, power struggles, strategic behaviour, non‐cooperative games, and (re)distributional battles, attention is directed towards the search for unity, political cohesion and solidarity based upon the informed voluntary consent of the people through reflection and reasoned deliberation among individuals with different values, interests, understandings and resources.
Reframing transnational engagement: a relational analysis of Afghan diasporic groups
Authors: FISCHER CAROLIN
Published: January 2018

In recent years, there have been repeated calls to refocus studies of diasporic engagements, especially their conceptual underpinnings, underlying assumptions and units of analysis. Based on a qualitative case study of Afghan diasporic groups in Britain and Germany, I propose a refined approach to such engagements. I combine the distinction between different spheres of engagement with key concepts from relational sociology. Afghans in both countries participate in a plethora of transnational engagements, which vary according to the extent of their orientation towards the public or private sphere. At the same time, clearly delineated groups of people undertake engagements observed in different spheres, which different aims and objectives drive. Although informants' attachments to their home country are important, they are not the only basis on which they act. My conceptual angle seeks to inspire critical, nuanced and theoretically rich research on diasporas as social actors and transnational civic engagement in a wider sense.
Rethinking the informal and criminal economy from a global commodity chain perspective: China–Paraguay–Brazil
Authors: PINHEIRO‐MACHADO ROSANA
Published: January 2018

The criminalization of Chinese counterfeit goods in the global market calls for a fresh approach to understanding well‐established binary distinctions such as legal/illegal, licit/illicit, and formal/informal. Based on a multi‐sited ethnography in China, Paraguay and Brazil, I examine five commodity chains of two products – toys and watches – and their regulatory frameworks in terms of merchandise status, business formality, and international transaction legality. Certain merchandise produced in the formal economy has no legal definition a priori, but legal variability starts when goods leave the factory. A great interchangeability of a product's legal status existed along its chain according to governance structures, legal cultures, geographical domains, and power relations. These findings suggest that the illicit is a relational category and the so‐called criminal economy is not a segmented market, but part of a global process integrated with formality and marked by great legal variability within and between nations.
Bodily Violence, Agency, and Animals
Authors: Lin Zi
Published: January 2018

Ethical theories in the Kantian tradition tend to centre heavily on rational agency, so it may appear challenging for such theories to account for the wrongness of bodily violence, especially the wrongness of bodily violence to animals who lack rationality. This article develops a Kantian explanation for the pro tanto wrongness of killing or injuring animals who have agency and lack rationality, based on a Kantian explanation for the pro tanto wrongness of killing or injuring people. Even though morality is grounded in the will of rational agents or the value of rational agency, one does not have to be a rational agent to be morally considerable.
Making The Most of It, Counting the Cost: Some Catholic Perspectives on Luther's Revolution
Authors: Duffy Eamon
Published: January 2018

Against the background of greatly improved ecumenical relations between the Lutheran and Roman Catholic Churches, this article discusses Catholic scholarship on Martin Luther, from the four centuries after the reformation, when Luther was subject to consistently hostile distortions of his character, to more positive twentieth century approaches by Joseph Lortz and his followers, who saw Luther as a reluctant dissenter, essentially orthodox on the contested issue of Justification, but forced by circumstances to call for the reform of a corrupt and theologically decadent Church. But more recent reformation scholarship has called into question Lortz's negative view of pre‐reformation Catholicism, while some post‐Lortzian Catholic Luther scholarship has highlighted the reformer's radical departures from Catholic orthodoxy, consequently entailing a less optimistic reading of the doctrinal divisions between Lutherans and Catholics.
Out of sight, but no longer out of mind – towards an increased recognition of the role of soil microbes in plant speciation
Authors: Geml József , Wagner Maggie R.
Published: January 2018

This article is a Commentary on Osborne et al., 217: 1254–1266.
Spatial and temporal patterns of nest distribution influence sexual selection in a marine fish
Authors: Wong Bob B. M. , Lehtonen Topi K. , Lindström Kai
Published: January 2018

In many species, the natural distribution of material resources important for reproduction can profoundly impact reproductive success among individuals and, hence, the opportunity and intensity of sexual selection. Here, we report on a field‐based experiment investigating the effects of nest aggregation on sexual selection in a fish, the sand goby Pomatoschistus minutus. We found that the distribution of potential nests (sparse versus aggregated nest treatments) affected patterns of nest colonization and reproductive success. Specifically, in the treatment with aggregated nesting resources, a greater proportion of nests remained unoccupied by sand goby males. Although the size of nesting males did not differ between treatments, eggs accumulated more rapidly when nests were sparsely distributed. We found that the opportunity for selection decreased over time with the accumulation of eggs in the nests in both the aggregated and sparse treatments. Moreover, the effect of male size on reproductive success was influenced by an interaction between nest distribution and time, with the selection gradient being highest right after nest colonization when nests were aggregated, while the opposite pattern was observed in the sparse nest treatment. Such findings highlight the vital role that environmental and social factors can play in determining the importance of male phenotypic traits (in this case, male size). More broadly, our results also underscore how the natural distribution of resources, both in space and time, can impact the strength of sexual selection acting on wild animal populations.
The Problem with Morality: Impeding Progress and Increasing Divides
Authors: Kovacheff Chloe , Schwartz Stephanie , Inbar Yoel , Feinberg Matthew
Published: January 2018

Morality is commonly held up as the pinnacle of goodness but can also be a source of significant problems, interfering with societal functioning and progress. We review the literature regarding how morality diverges from nonmoral attitudes, biases our cognitive processing, and the ways in which it can lead to negative interpersonal and intergroup consequences. To illustrate the negative implications of morality, we detail two specific examples of how moral convictions impair societal progress: the rejection of science and technology, and political polarization in the United States. Specifically, we discuss how moral convictions can cause individuals to challenge scientific facts (e.g., evolution), oppose technologies that can improve health and well‐being (e.g., vaccinations and GMO foods), and fuel political polarization and segregation. We conclude this review by suggesting strategies for policy makers and individuals to help overcome the problems morality can cause.
Mirroring the object of the lesson: The creative process of scriptural rewriting as an effective practice for teaching sacred texts
Authors: Palmer Carmen
Published: January 2018

This paper introduces Rewritten Scripture and scriptural rewriting as a creative process that, when mirrored in a teaching exercise, may serve as an effective practice in teaching sacred texts. Observing changes made between scripture and its rewriting may allow readers to identify different contexts among these texts. Furthermore, the act of rewriting scripture mirrors descriptions of creativity, which itself is argued to be the highest level of cognitive operation in learning. Therefore, the paper shows how scriptural rewriting can be simultaneously the object of the lesson and the method of learning through a two‐step teaching process, using an example of scriptural rewriting in a Dead Sea Scroll. The first step offers a way to understand the meaning of Rewritten Scripture and what exegetes can learn from it, while the second step engages creativity by practicing rewriting scripture itself.
The retina of the collared peccary (Pecari tajacu): structure and function
Authors: Ezra‐Elia Raaya , Ross Maya , Avni‐Magen Nili , Berkowitz Asaf , Ofri Ron
Published: January 2018

Objective

To study retinal morphology and function in the collared peccary, an ungulate species distantly related to the domestic pig.

Animal studies

Twenty captive peccaries anesthetized for routine health examinations.

Procedures No abnormalities were noted on a complete ophthalmic examination. Fundi were examined ophthalmoscopically and photographed. The eyes of an individual that died of unrelated, nonocular reasons were studied histologically and by immunohistochemistry. Scotopic, mixed rod–cone, and photopic electroretinography (ERG) responses were recorded using the ‘QuickRetCheck’ (n = 6) and ‘Dog diagnostic’ (n = 5) protocols of the Handheld Multispecies ERG (HMsERG).

Results

The fundus of the peccary is atapetal, with varying amounts of pigmentation seen ophthalmoscopically, and histologically in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and choroid. The retina is holangiotic with dichotomously branching vessels. These cross, and apparently loop on, the optic disk surface, but no venous circle was seen. Immunohistochemistry suggests a high concentration of cone photoreceptors with red/green cones being more abundant than blue cones. Rod ERG responses were very low with no evident dark adaptation. Mixed rod–cone and cone ERG response amplitudes were low compared to those of domestic pigs, but quite similar to those of minipigs.

Conclusions

To the best of our knowledge, this study describes the collared peccary's retinal features for the first time. A comparison of our findings with data from other ungulate species shows some similarities between the peccary and pig retinas. Further studies are warranted to determine whether the peccary can be used alongside the pig as an animal model in retinal studies.
Evaluation of Horizontal Recirculatory Air Curtain Efficiencies: Cooler to Conditioned Space
Authors: Rhyner Daniel J.
Published: January 2018

Air curtains have long been used to reduce losses from high traffic doorways in cold storage facilities. Different varieties of air curtains have been used including vertical (down blast) non-recirculatory, horizontal non-recirculatory and horizontal recirculatory. The effectiveness of air curtains to provide thermal separation between rooms of differing temperatures has long been a matter of debate. Previous experiments have been done to determine the effectiveness using tracer gas decay methods. This paper will evaluate the thermal effectiveness of the horizontal recirculatory air curtain when applied in a typical cooler application using an environmental chamber. This allowed testing of the air curtain’s ability to reduce infiltration on the actual thermal envelope. A vertical non-recirculatory air curtain was also evaluated for comparison purposes. The air curtains were tested in an environmental chamber that was divided into two rooms of differing temperature. The chamber was instrumented to measure all energy transfer into and out of each room. The cold room was maintained at a temperature of 4°C (39°F) and the warm room was maintained at a temperature of 24°C (75°F) and 60% RH throughout all tests. Three phases of testing were conducted for each air curtain to completely evaluate all energy losses — a completely closed doorway test for calibration, a completely open doorway test with no air curtains and an open doorway test with the air curtains adjusted and running. Completion of the testing revealed the horizontal recirculatory air curtain had a thermal efficiency of 71% while the vertical non-recirculatory air curtain had an efficiency of 38%. The results were slightly lower than theoretical calculations which may be attributable to chamber size. Additional tests were conducted using a smaller doorway for comparison. Applying the results from the smaller doorway yields an effectiveness of 76.2%. Using the theoretical open doorway energy loss yields an effectiveness of 80%.

Paper published with permission.
ASME OM Code Implementation Lessons Learned for the AP1000® Plant
Authors: Cardillo Augustine A. , Rodgers Natalie M.
Published: January 2018

The Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 52 process and unique aspects of a passive plant design have presented new challenges for the development and implementation of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Code for Operation and Maintenance of Nuclear Power Plants (OM Code) requirements. This paper will discuss lessons learned from the development and implementation of pre-service testing (PST) / in-service testing (IST) program plans for the AP1000® plant, for both international and domestic. Topics to be addressed include the following:

• Level of detail in design certification

• Treatment of unique passive plant features

• Design certification commitments beyond Code requirements

• Future regulatory requirements for high-risk non-safety component PST/IST

• Implementation challenges for international plants

Paper published with permission.
May the forces be with you!
Authors: Sirola Christopher
Published: January 2018

In everyday life, we usually directly note two basic forces: gravity and electromagnetism. Gravity—as in the acceleration due to Earth’s gravity—tends to be a background force of sorts, something that is always present and always the same. We don’t always see electricity and/or magnetism as such, but their subsidiaries are all around us—friction, normal force, tension, springs, and the like.
Influence of grain morphology on ultrasonic wave attenuation in polycrystalline media with statistically equiaxed grains
Authors: Ryzy Martin , Grabec Tomáš , Sedlák Petr , Veres István A.
Published: January 2018

The influence of a polycrystals' grain structure on elastic wave scattering is studied with analytical and numerical methods in a broad frequency range. A semi-analytical attenuation model, based on an established scattering theory, is presented. This technique accurately accounts for the grain morphology without prior assumptions on grain statistics. This is achieved by incorporating a samples' exact spatial two-point correlation function into the theory. The approach is verified by using a finite element method (FEM) to simulate P-wave propagation in 3D Voronoi crystals with equal mean grain diameter, but different grain shape uniformity. Aluminum and Inconel serve as representatives for weak and strong scattering cubic class materials for simulations and analytical calculations. It was found that the shape of the grains has a strong influence on the attenuation curve progression in the Rayleigh-stochastic transition region, which was attributed to mode conversion scattering. Comparisons between simulations and theory show excellent agreement for both materials. This demonstrates the need for accurately taking the microstructure of heterogeneous materials into account, to get precise analytical predictions for their scattering behaviour. It also demonstrates the impressive accuracy and flexibility of the scattering theory which was used.
Watching the teen brain grow
Authors: Wadman Meredith
Published: January 2018

Over a decade, researchers aim to follow 10,000 children through the challenges of adolescence.
Mars methane rises and falls with the seasons
Authors: Hand Eric
Published: January 2018

Scientists debate what could be causing annual cycles and occasional spikes.
In Pakistan, surveillance for polio reveals a paradox
Authors: Roberts Leslie
Published: January 2018

Cases are the lowest ever, but the virus persists in sewage.
Cliffs of ice spied on Mars
Authors: Voosen Paul
Published: January 2018

Buried glaciers could be prime target for human exploration.
Coherent excitations revealed and calculated
Authors: Georges Antoine
Published: January 2018

Neutron scattering and theoretical studies reveal wavelike electron states in CePd
3
TRPM channels come into focus
Authors: Bae Chanhyung , Jara-Oseguera Andres , Swartz Kenton J.
Published: January 2018

The structures of TRPM channels help to explain how they can sense intracellular calcium
The art of space-time

Gravity.
Imaging the Universe After Einstein

:
National Museum of the 21st Century Arts
Rome, Italy. Through 29 April 2018.
Authors: Cartlidge Edwin
Published: January 2018

An ambitious exhibition explores the intersection of the cosmos and contemporary artistry
Frankenstein lives on
Authors: van den Belt Henk
Published: January 2018

It was 200 years ago that Mary Shelley's
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus
was published. Over the decades, this gothic tale has captured the popular imagination through the numerous theater productions and films it inspired. The story is commonly taken to imply a dire warning about the dangers of scientific hubris. Just mention the name Frankenstein and laypersons think of scientists “playing God.” In the common view, the inevitable consequence of Frankenstein's alleged transgression—bestowing life on inanimate matter—was that he created a monster that would wreak havoc on his family and friends. Frankenstein's name is repeatedly invoked in debates about emerging technologies like biotech, nanotech, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence. However, the view of Shelley's story as a cautionary tale about scientific hubris, although dominant, is only one possible interpretation. Her novel, actually, is a multilayered story full of ambivalences and much subtler than most Hollywood versions. It naturally lends itself to diverse interpretations.
Ecological Stability Properties of Microbial Communities Assessed by Flow Cytometry
Authors: Liu Zishu , Cichocki Nicolas , Bonk Fabian , Günther Susanne , Schattenberg Florian , Harms Hauke , Centler Florian , Müller Susann
Published: January 2018

Microbial communities drive many processes which affect human well-being directly, as in the human microbiome, or indirectly, as in natural environments or in biotechnological applications. Due to their complexity, their dynamics over time is difficult to monitor, and current sequence-based approaches are limited with respect to the temporal resolution. However, in order to eventually control microbial community dynamics, monitoring schemes of high temporal resolution are required. Flow cytometry provides single-cell-based data in the required temporal resolution, and we here use such data to compute stability properties as easy to interpret univariate indicators of microbial community dynamics. Such monitoring tools will allow for a fast, continuous, and cost-effective screening of stability states of microbiomes. Applicable to various environments, including bioreactors, surface water, and the human body, it will contribute to the development of control schemes to manipulate microbial community structures and performances.
Competitiveness of nonstationary states in linear kinetic systems
Authors: Teslenko Victor I. , Kapitanchuk Oleksiy L.
Published: January 2018

The master equation formalism is used to describe the possibility for peak population amplitudes of two nonstationary states in a 3-stage linear kinetic system to be endowed with an untraditional physical quantity — competitiveness — established in regard to the differences for the degree of the peak responses to a change in the input rate constants. Calculated coefficients of competitiveness are found to agree with observations of performance for the three optical materials with respect to their reliability in different operating windows. It is concluded that, for a non-equilibrium linear kinetic system, the competitiveness constitutes a common dynamic property of its nonstationary states and, in the case of their directed irreversible evolution, comprises the property of a system’s anti-cooperativity.
The Chabrières Tunnel, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France
Authors: Giles David
Published: January 2018

In 2017, the
Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology
celebrated its 50th anniversary. The cover photograph chosen for this anniversary year was of the northern portal of the Chabrières Tunnel, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France. The tunnel had been recently excavated through steeply dipping Jurassic limestones and marls using drill and blast methods. This paper provides more context to the engineering geology and construction of this tunnel with details of the geological ground conditions and developed ground model.
Feasibility of Computational Fluid Dynamics for Evaluating the Intraventricular Hemodynamics in Single Right Ventricle Based on Echocardiographic Images
Authors: Chen Li-Jun , Tong Zhi-Rong , Wang Qian , Zhang Yu-Qi , Liu Jin-Long
Published: January 2018

This study introduced a combined computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and echocardiography methodology to simulate blood flow in the single right ventricle (SRV) and normal ventricles to study the intraventricular flow. Derived from echocardiographic image loops, CFD-based three-dimensional (3D) flow models of normal subject’s left ventricle (LV) and right ventricle (RV) and SRV with and without heart failure at three characteristic diastolic statuses were reconstructed. The CFD derived morphological and functional measurements in normal ventricles and the SRV were validated with echocardiography. The vortex in the normal ventricles and the SRV were studied. The morphological and functional measurements derived from CFD modeling and echocardiography were comparable, and both methods demonstrated the larger volume and higher spherical index in the SRV, in particular the SRV with heart failure. All the vortices in the SRV were smaller than those in the normal control subject’s LV and RV, notably with heart failure. Unlike normal LV and RV, no vortex ring was observed in the SRV. Echocardiography-based CFD demonstrated the feasibility of quantifying ventricular morphology and function; in addition, CFD can detect the abnormal flow pattern (smaller or obliterated vortices) in the SRV when compared with normal ventricles.
Accurate Rapid Lifetime Determination on Time-Gated FLIM Microscopy with Optical Sectioning
Authors: Silva Susana F. , Domingues José Paulo , Morgado António Miguel
Published: January 2018

Time-gated fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) is a powerful technique to assess the biochemistry of cells and tissues. When applied to living thick samples, it is hampered by the lack of optical sectioning and the need of acquiring many images for an accurate measurement of fluorescence lifetimes. Here, we report on the use of processing techniques to overcome these limitations, minimizing the acquisition time, while providing optical sectioning. We evaluated the application of the HiLo and the rapid lifetime determination (RLD) techniques for accurate measurement of fluorescence lifetimes with optical sectioning. HiLo provides optical sectioning by combining the high-frequency content from a standard image, obtained with uniform illumination, with the low-frequency content of a second image, acquired using structured illumination. Our results show that HiLo produces optical sectioning on thick samples without degrading the accuracy of the measured lifetimes. We also show that instrument response function (IRF) deconvolution can be applied with the RLD technique on HiLo images, improving greatly the accuracy of the measured lifetimes. These results open the possibility of using the RLD technique with pulsed diode laser sources to determine accurately fluorescence lifetimes in the subnanosecond range on thick multilayer samples, providing that offline processing is allowed.
The Influence of Accreditation on the Sustainability of Organizations with the Brazilian Accreditation Methodology
Authors: Corrêa João Éderson , Turrioni João Batista , de Paiva Anderson Paulo , Paes Vinicius de Carvalho , Balestrassi Pedro Paulo , Papandrea Pedro José , Gonçalves Ernany Daniel de Carvalho
Published: January 2018

This research evaluates the influence of the Brazilian accreditation methodology on the sustainability of the organizations. Critical factors for implementing accreditation were also examined, including measuring the relationships established between these factors in the organization sustainability. The present study was developed based on the survey methodology applied in the organizations accredited by ONA (National Accreditation Organization); 288 responses were received from the top level managers. The analysis of quantitative data of the measurement models was made with factorial analysis from principal components. The final model was evaluated from the confirmatory factorial analysis and structural equation modeling techniques. The results from the research are vital for the definition of factors that interfere in the accreditation processes, providing a better understanding for accredited organizations and for Brazilian accreditation.
A Risk Stratification Model for Lung Cancer Based on Gene Coexpression Network and Deep Learning
Authors: Choi Hongyoon , Na Kwon Joong
Published: January 2018

Risk stratification model for lung cancer with gene expression profile is of great interest. Instead of previous models based on individual prognostic genes, we aimed to develop a novel system-level risk stratification model for lung adenocarcinoma based on gene coexpression network. Using multiple microarray, gene coexpression network analysis was performed to identify survival-related networks. A deep learning based risk stratification model was constructed with representative genes of these networks. The model was validated in two test sets. Survival analysis was performed using the output of the model to evaluate whether it could predict patients’ survival independent of clinicopathological variables. Five networks were significantly associated with patients’ survival. Considering prognostic significance and representativeness, genes of the two survival-related networks were selected for input of the model. The output of the model was significantly associated with patients’ survival in two test sets and training set (p<0.00001, p<0.0001 and p=0.02 for training and test sets 1 and 2, resp.). In multivariate analyses, the model was associated with patients’ prognosis independent of other clinicopathological features. Our study presents a new perspective on incorporating gene coexpression networks into the gene expression signature and clinical application of deep learning in genomic data science for prognosis prediction.
Discrete Switched Model and Fuzzy Robust Control of Dynamic Supply Chain Network
Authors: Zhang Songtao , Zhang Chunyang , Zhang Siqi , Zhang Min
Published: January 2018

Supply chain network is more complex and dynamic under the uncertain demand and the lead time. Robustness is a key index of the stable operation for the supply chain network. We investigate a fuzzy robust strategy to realize the robust operation of the supply chain network with the production lead times and the ordering lead times under the uncertain customer demand. A discrete switched model of the dynamic supply chain network with the lead times and the uncertain customer demand is established based on T‐S fuzzy systems. Then a fuzzy switched strategy is proposed to control the switching actions among subsystems. Furthermore, by introducing the inhibition rate γ, a fuzzy control strategy for the dynamic supply chain network is put forward to suppress the impacts of the lead times and the uncertain customer demand on the operation of the dynamic supply chain network. The fuzzy robust strategy composed of the fuzzy switched strategy and the fuzzy control strategy can guarantee the robust operation of the supply chain network at low cost. Finally, the simulation researches show the advantage of the proposed fuzzy robust strategy through the comparisons with the common robust strategy.
The Effect of Dexmedetomidine on Cognitive Function and Protein Expression of Aβ, p-Tau, and PSD95 after Extracorporeal Circulation Operation in Aged Rats
Authors: Zhang Ying , Lin Yong , Liu Qing , Yuan Xuemei , Mao Anqiong , Liu Yuexin , Li Qun , Zheng Jie , Hu Bin , Yu Fengxu
Published: January 2018

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a kind of serious neurologic complications and dexmedetomidine has a certain effect on POCD. However, functional mechanism of dexmedetomidine on POCD still remains unclear, so the research mainly studied the effect of dexmedetomidine on cognitive function and protein expression in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex cerebrospinal fluid after extracorporeal circulation operation in aged rats. We Found that, compared with POCD group, the cognitive function was improved in POCD + Dex group. We speculate that dexmedetomidine could improve the cognitive function after extracorporeal circulation operation in aged rats and Aβ, p-Tau, and PSD95 protein might have contributed to this favorable outcome.
Influence of the Eccentric Error of Star Gear on the Bifurcation Properties of Herringbone Star Gear Transmission with Floating Sun Gear
Authors: Guo Fang , Fang Zongde , Zhang Xijin , Cui Yanmei
Published: January 2018

Taking a herringbone star gear transmission (HSGT) with floating sun gear as an example, the system bifurcation characteristics with the changing of the eccentric error of star gear and the working frequencies are analyzed. For this analysis, a generalized dynamic model of HSGT considering the manufacturing eccentric errors, time‐varying mesh stiffness, and load balancing mechanism is established and solved by numerical method. The floating process of sun gear is explained. In this paper, there are seven cases about the eccentric errors of star gears which are calculated, respectively. To study the effect of the working frequencies (including meshing frequency and rotation frequency), the calculation is done at three kinds of input speed in which the working frequencies are close to the system natural frequencies. The results are demonstrated in detail by the bifurcation diagrams, phase plane plots, and Poincare maps. The system bifurcation characteristics are particularly analyzed and compared in every case. This work provides important guidance to the engineering of HSGT.