bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Review of machine learning and signal processing techniques for automated electrode selection in high-density microelectrode arrays
Authors: Van Dijck Gert , Van Hulle Marc M.
Published: May 2014

Recently developed CMOS-based microprobes contain hundreds of electrodes on a single shaft with interelectrode distances as small as 30 µm. So far, neuroscientists manually select a subset of those electrodes depending on their appraisal of the “usefulness” of the recorded signals, which makes the process subjective but more importantly too time consuming to be useable in practice. The ever-increasing number of recording electrodes on microelectrode probes calls for an automated selection of electrodes containing “good quality signals” or “signals of interest.” This article reviews the different criteria for electrode selection as well as the basic signal processing steps to prepare the data to compute those criteria. We discuss three of them. The first two select the electrodes based on “signal quality.” The first criterion computes the penalized signal-to-noise ratio (SNR); the second criterion models the neuroscientist’s appraisal of signal quality. Last, our most recent work allows the selection of electrodes that capture particular anatomical cell types. The discussed algorithms perform what is called in the literature “electronic depth control” in contrast to the mechanical repositioning of the electrode shafts in search of “good quality signals” or “signals of interest.”
A checklist of the benthic marine algae of Barbados, West Indies
Authors: Wynne Michael J. , Bradshaw Tammy , Carrington C.M. Sean
Published: May 2014

An updated checklist of the benthic marine algae (seaweeds) of Barbados, Lesser Antilles, is presented, with a total of 308 taxa, consisting of 168 taxa of red algae (Rhodophyta), 49 taxa of brown algae (Ochrophyta), and 91 taxa of green algae (Chlorophyta). Current nomenclature is provided. Obsolete names and taxonomic synonyms are indicated in brackets. The classification is based on contemporary systems increasingly derived from the results of molecular phylogenies. The following eight taxa are newly reported for Barbados: Polysiphonia foetidissima, Hypnea valentiae, Gracilaria cylindrica, Gracilaria intermedia, Sargassum buxifolium, Cladophora laetevirens, Avrainvillea mazei, and Avrainvillea
nigricans f. spongiosa.
汉语的焦点标记词
Authors: 祁 峰
Published: May 2014

提要

不同的语言会采用语音手段、词汇手段或句法手段来表达不同类型的焦点，而且同样一种表现手段在不同的语言中会有使用程度上的差异。本文讨论的是汉语中表达焦点的词汇手段—焦点标记词，主要采用否定测试的方法区分了两种非独立的焦点强迫形式：焦点标记和焦点算子，从而确定了汉语中焦点标记词的范围，希望此项研究能为汉语作为第二语言教学提供一定的参考。
Numerical Optimization of Eigenvalues of the Dirichlet–Laplace Operator on Domains in Surfaces
Authors: Straubhaar Régis
Published: May 2014

Let (M,g) be a smooth and complete surface,

Ω
⊂
M

$\Omega \subset M$

be a domain in M, and

Δ
g

$\Delta _g$

be the Laplace operator on M. The spectrum of the Dirichlet–Laplace operator on Ω is a sequence

0
<

λ
1

(
Ω
)

≤

λ
2

(
Ω
)

≤
⋯
↗
∞

$0 < \lambda _1(\Omega ) \le \lambda _2(\Omega ) \le \cdots \nearrow \infty $

. A classical question is to ask what is the domain

Ω
*

$\Omega ^*$

which minimizes

λ
m

(
Ω
)

$\lambda _m(\Omega )$

among all domains of a given area, and what is the value of the corresponding

λ
m

(

Ω
m
*

)

$\lambda _m(\Omega _m^*)$

. The aim of this article is to present a numerical algorithm using shape optimization and based on the finite element method to find an approximation of a candidate for

Ω
m
*

$\Omega _m^*$

. Some verifications with existing numerical results are carried out for the first eigenvalues of domains in ℝ2. Furthermore, some investigations are presented in the two-dimensional sphere to illustrate the case of the positive curvature, in hyperbolic space for the negative curvature and in a hyperboloid for a non-constant curvature.
Even unimodular Lorentzian lattices and hyperbolic volume
Authors: Emery Vincent
Published: May 2014

We compute the hyperbolic covolume of the automorphism
group of each even unimodular Lorentzian lattice. The result is obtained as a
consequence of a previous work with Belolipetsky, which uses Prasad's
volume to compute the volumes of the smallest hyperbolic arithmetic
orbifolds.
On the size of the fundamental solution of the Pell equation
Authors: Fouvry Étienne
Published: May 2014

We give a lower bound for the cardinality of the set of

D
≤
x

${D\leq x}$

for which the fundamental solution of the Pell equation

t
2

-

D
⁢

u
2

=
1

${t^{2}-Du^{2}=1}$

is less than

D

1
2

+
α

${D^{{1\over 2}+\alpha}}$

where α is any fixed constant such that

α
≤
1

${\alpha\leq 1}$

. A second result, based on an hypothesis concerning short exponential sums, goes in the direction of a conjecture due to C. Hooley.
Demystification of an Ad Using Barthes’s Cultural Semiotics
Authors: Zhang Shuping , Liu Xiaoxia
Published: May 2014

Roland Barthes (1987) claimed that the creation of myth is the essence in mass media. Demystifying an advertisement for KONKA mobile phones uncovers the manipulation process of an ad campaign and finds that ads are designed to create myth today so as to exert influence upon their readers’ values and consumption habits
On Cognitive and Semiotic Functions of Shifters
Authors: Grishakova Marina
Published: May 2014

Shifters or referential deictics combine referential and indexical functions. As compared to non-referential deictics, functioning as spatio-temporal markers, shifters index speech events in relation to the narrated events and trigger shifts between referential domains: they alter the referential or experiential grounding of events and produce the effect of“ lamination”. In this paper I argue that Jakobson’s and Jespersen’s approach allows for a broad semiotic understanding of shifters as (1) cognitive operators, prototypical ways in which embodied mind relates to the world, and (2) fictional operators, or specific functions of fictional storytelling.
Sign Systems Studies and the Semiotic Journals of the World
Authors: Kull Kalevi , Maran Timo
Published: May 2014

This article provides a brief overview of the journal Sign Systems Studies, apparently the oldest journal of semiotics in the world. It was established by Juri Lotman in 1964, produced in Tartu and published by the University of Tartu Press. In addition, we provide a list of all semiotic journals currently published in the world, which includes 46 titles; from these 39 are printed on paper (among them 6 international journals on general semiotics, 14 specialized in some branch of semiotics, and 19 regional semiotics journals). Seven journals appear exclusively on the web. Altogether these journals publish articles in 16 languages.
The Hidden Narrator: A Semiotic Reconstruction of the Narrative Actor Network
Authors: Hoven Paul van den
Published: May 2014

The narrator is the organizing other. In a conscious interaction with the narrator the interpreter articulates and develops his identity. When an interpreter disregards the narrator, he perceives a situation as objectively there, he perceives a situation as "trivial" or as entirely a product of his subjectivity. When however an interpreter consciously interacts with the narrator, he acknowledges his sociocultural determination and can therefore further develop his socioculturally embedded subjective " theory". When an interpreter consciously attempts to escape this subjective theory, he enters the realm of the "aesthetic".

In this paper an argument is developed that these complex relations between trivial interpretation, theoretical interpretation and aesthetic interpretation fit into a semiotic model. The model is introduced and summarized. The model is then used to explain how semiotic polyphony raises theoretical awareness, how theoretical awareness may open the realm of the aesthetic and how overlooking the narrator results in the trivial.

These semiotics of the trivial are illustrated twofold. To underpin the relation to Western modernity we will briefly analyze the invisibility of the judge as a narrator in Western judicial argumentation. To underpin the relation to cultural literacy we will analyze the invisibility of the dynamics of the camera as a narrator in the Western world of moving pictures.

Both " hide and do not seek" plays seduce the interpreter to disregard the indexical and symbolic in his interpretation. He disregards his ongoing dialogue with the organizing other. The narrator hides and the interpreter does not seek. To restore the awareness of the narrator requires forms of literacy.
Biosemiotics and Self-Referential Loops
Authors: Fernandez Eliseo
Published: May 2014

This paper explores the various ways in which selfreferential loops are tacitly embedded in the interplay of some of the most basic and foundational notions of biosemiotics-notions ordinarily conveyed through the informal use of such terms as " signification", "information", and "purpose". The examination proceeds by proposing a new way of understanding Peirce's account of the triadic nature of semiosis. The manifold correlations that link representamens to their objects and interpretants are clarified through the disclosure and articulation of the implicit function of self-referential relations in semiotic action. These ideas are initially discussed at the level of human language and are subsequently generalized to the level of biosemiotics. This generalization is reached by considering how the disclosed correlations can be partially extended to the sphere of those basic semiotic transactions that obtain within and between organisms and among organic systems in general.

In a separate section there follows a brief account of the explicit role of self-referential processes in Robert Rosen's modeling of organisms in terms of non-formalizable circularity, as clarified and expanded in a recent revival of his ideas through the work of several authors. The triadic structures within semiotic transactions and those arising in Rosen's (M, R)-systems are compared.

Finally some realizations springing from the preceding discussions are pointed out. One is the need to integrate the conceptual restructuration sought by biosemiotics into a wider conception of natural philosophy-into a view that is receptive to new epistemic insights disclosed by current physics and mathematics. Another advances a heuristic strategy for reaching that goal.
The Pragmatic Maxim and the Idea of Necessity in Mathematical Inquiry
Authors: Cooke Elizabeth F.
Published: May 2014

In this paper we examine the pragmatic meaning of mathematical necessity. While Peirce writes extensively on the pragmatic meaning of a "would be", he does not provide a developed account of the pragmatic meaning of a mathematical "must be". After examining several possibilities such as information relative accounts, conceivability, the ideal world, and possible worlds accounts, we consider mathematical necessity in terms of his overall pragmatism whereby metaphysical notions are understood in terms of their pragmatic effects, and, in particular, their role in inquiry. We argue that mathematical necessity should be considered a regulative hypothesis. Peirce often addresses questions of modality, such as whether to posit real possibility or physical necessity, by appealing to what is good for inquiry. Just as the hypothesis of the real world constrains and directs inquiry in science, positing the reality of mathematical possibility (or what Peirce sometimes calls " substantive possibility") can also be seen to constrain and direct mathematical inquiry as well as natural science. The necessity of mathematics may, in the end, be stipulated in the form of a hypothesis, just as the reality of the natural world functions as a hypothesis in Peirce's system. The effect of positing this ideal world of substantive possibility lies both in its effects within mathematical inquiry, and ultimately within the natural sciences as mathematical conclusions constrain the hypotheses we see fit to entertain.
Signs and Phenomena: Phenomenological-Semiotic Considerations
Authors: Waldenfels Bernhard
Published: May 2014

Both phenomenology and semiotics have to do with the basic question as to how our experience functions. But considering the fact that phenomenology tries to go back to the intuitively given things themselves, whereas semiotics stress the mediating role of signs, there remains a certain tension between both approaches. This tension leads to unbridgeable conflicts only if one side tries to dominate or to replace the other. In this case the extreme attempt to proceed ultimately without using signs clashes with the opposite presumption that basically everything is made of signs or words. However, in my view we should and can seek the so-called things themselves through the medium of signs, of words, and of pictures and so on. There is an intermediary sphere closely connected with our own body and with the relations between one’s own and the Other’s body. This basic assumption shall be tested by referring to a series of key issues like saying and showing, materiality of signs, sign and trace, sign and affect, use and creation of signs. We will cite authors such as Husserl, Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, Derrida and Wittgenstein and, on the other side, authors such as Bakhtin, Bühler, Jacobson and Peirce. As to the bridging over civilisations, our considerations by no means leads to a global form of being everywhere, but rather to the chance to be at once here and elsewhere, leaving room for singularity and otherness.
A Sociolinguistic View of Animal Names in Idiomatic Expressions in Chinese and French
Authors: Xu Yuehong
Published: May 2014

This paper attempts to explore animal names1 in Chinese and/or French idiomatic expressions in the light of representation (la représentation), a notion interpreted by French sociolinguist Henri Boyer.2 As linguistic phenomena are believed to be rooted in society and explained by the latter, animal names in different languages could be culturally loaded via their figurative/symbolic significations, due to the representations associated with animal referents in a given society. On the premise that animal referents generally exist in the physical world, the representations of animals would be formed on the basis of animals’ appearances, their habits and their relations with other animals, especially in accordance with the observation and the exploitation of animals by human beings in social life, and might be eventually enhanced, modified or even created in the common imagination. Besides animal referents as objects of human cognition, the other reason accounting for animal representations could be that human beings tend to attribute their moral values and spiritual expectances to the animals around them.
Advertisements of Cars as Semiotic Signs
Authors: Sorvali Irma
Published: May 2014

The aim of this study is to analyze verbal and pictorial signs in advertisements of cars, collected from Finnish newspapers in the 1950s and 2010s. The semiotic study of the material is based on the sign theory of Charles S. Peirce. The collection also opens a possibility to a micro-historical analysis, where the methodological emphasis lies more on quality than quantity. Finally, the car in urban society is considered as a kind of a Bakhtinian chronotope. The language variants, photos, pictures and other illustrations reveal interesting features in the advertisements, and they also show some social and cultural contrasts. There are only few human beings pictured in the advertisements, and the advertisements have, moreover, a clear masculine label. The car was a great dream for young people in post-war Finland in the 1950s, and that is why the pictures of cars had a great symbolic value in the society with a low number of car owners. From being a more or less luxurious vehicle of the higher social class, the car has become a vehicle for almost everyone. Internationally, the car has played a central role in the industrialized society, a role with an increasing effect even today.
The pharmacogenetics of drug metabolizing enzymes in the Lebanese population
Authors: Ossaily Safaa , Zgheib Nathalie K.
Published: May 2014

Drug metabolizing enzymes (DMEs) play a major role in the metabolism and final elimination of most drugs and xenobiotics from the body. Both phase I and phase II enzymes are highly polymorphic. Most studies on the pharmacogenetics (PGx) of DMEs and its influence on interindividual variability have been conducted in Western countries. Middle Easterners, however, may have a different genetic makeup and may be exposed to different environmental factors when compared with their Western counterparts. Thus, results obtained in Western populations cannot be extrapolated to the population of the Middle East, and it is important to examine and document PGx differences and influences within the Middle Eastern population as there have been very little published data from this region. Herein, we provide an update on the genetic polymorphisms of DMEs that were studied in Lebanon and their impact on drug toxicity and efficacy. It is hoped that with more time, additional funds, and perseverance, the PGx of DMEs in Lebanon picks up and becomes closer in quantity and quality to that in the West.
Pharmacogenetics of drug metabolizing enzymes in Brazilian populations
Authors: Cerda Alvaro , Hirata Mario Hiroyuki , Hirata Rosario Dominguez Crespo
Published: May 2014

Phase I and II drug metabolizing enzymes (DMEs) play an important role in biotransformation of endogenous and exogenous compounds including drugs currently used in pharmacoterapy. Moreover, the genetic variability of DMEs causes important interindividual differences in drug and metabolite exposure, drug response, and risk of adverse drug reactions. We reviewed pharmacogenetics/pharmacogenomics (PGx) studies that evaluated the influence of polymorphisms in the CYPs genes – mainly CYP1, CYP2 and CYP3 gene families – and in the phase II genes – TPMT, NAT2, GSTs and UGTs – on therapeutic response in Brazilian cohorts. Ethnic admixture of Brazilians resulted in a population characterized by a unique genetic profile, in which ancestry informative markers change continuously among ethnic groups. Therefore, some of the PGx biomarkers have a different distribution among Brazilians and PGx data from well-defined ethnic groups are not applicable to Brazilian populations. PGx data focused on phase I and phase II DMEs from Brazilian studies are needed in order to establish the influence of the genetic diversity on therapeutic response to clinically relevant drugs in a population with a composition from a complex genetic admixture. These studies and their impact are discussed in this review.
A missed opportunity—a near disaster
Authors: Sarosi George A.
Published: May 2014

Community acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common medical problem. Over 1.5 million patients annually will be diagnosed with CAP and treated with empiric therapy initially. The vast majority of patients will improve with a single course broad spectrum antimicrobial agent. Rarely a patient will not improve and some may progress on this regimen. Giving a second course of broad spectrum antimicrobial agent is not warranted until further evaluation is performed to look for the unusual cause of CAP. Blastomycosis is a regionally common community acquired fungal infection. When potential exposure of the patient to an area of high endemicity is recognized appropriate diagnostic studies should be performed.
The Hope for Audacity: The Understated Unilateralism of President Obama
Authors: Dodds Graham G.
Published: May 2014

This article offers an overall assessment of President Barack Obama’s use of unilateral presidential directives and situates his usage in a broader historical context. It draws on academic scholarship and history to better understand the extent to which Obama’s use of unilateral presidential directives (such as executive orders, proclamations, and memoranda) comports with or departs from that of other presidents. It examines five perspectives on Obama’s use of unilateral presidential directives (namely, a quantitative overview of his executive orders and proclamations, a qualitative review of some of his more noteworthy directives, and a survey of what the president, his conservative critics, and liberals have had to say about his directives). The evidence indicates that Obama has been fairly reserved or reticent in his use of unilateral directives. Four possible explanations for the nature of his (dis)use of unilateral directives (namely, reservations of a political, constitutional, or psychological nature, as well as the use of alternatives to unilateral presidential directives are considered).
Presidential Party Fundraising in Hopes of Not Having to Govern by Himself
Authors: Doherty Brendan J.
Published: May 2014

The extent to which presidents embrace the role of electoral leader of their party is important but relatively understudied. Each of the past three presidents devoted substantial time to the role of chief party fundraiser during his first 2 years in office, hoping to avoid having to govern by himself in the final 2 years of his first term. Key institutional and contextual factors drive these dynamics. Presidents are incentivized to spend time fundraising for their co-partisans because of the interaction of the high costs of campaigns and the contribution limits mandated by campaign finance laws in an era of intense partisan competition. While even unpopular presidents are in demand as fundraisers, popularity does relate to fundraising dynamics. An unpopular Bill Clinton aggressively embraced fundraising efforts behind closed doors in his first 2 years in office, supporting his fellow Democrats with a kind of hidden-hand leadership, while over 90% of George W. Bush’s fundraisers were open to the media in 2001 and 2002, as his popularity surged following 9/11. Popularity makes a difference in terms of where presidents raise money for their fellow party members as well. While Clinton and Barack Obama largely confined their efforts to states in which they had found electoral support, the more popular Bush headlined fundraisers for fellow Republicans in states across the political spectrum. Presidents’ efforts can win them more political allies in elected office, but also expose them to criticism and may make it more difficult for presidents to work across the aisle on questions of public policy.
Presidential Policymaking: Race to the Top, Executive Power, and the Obama Education Agenda
Authors: McGuinn Patrick
Published: May 2014

This article offers an analysis of the origins, evolution, and impact of the Obama administration’s Race to the Top (RTTT) competitive grant program and places it in the broader context of the debate over President Obama’s aggressive use of executive power. Faced with divided control and partisan gridlock in Congress – which has been unable to reauthorize ESEA, the largest federal education program – the Obama administration has opted to make education policy from the executive branch. While many observers have questioned the expansive interpretation of statutory and regulatory authority that undergirds RTTT – and the NCLB waiver process – there is little doubt that the efforts have had a significant impact on the national political discourse around education and pushed many states to propose or enact important policy changes, particularly around charter schools, common core standards, and teacher evaluation processes. Along with health care, education reform is likely to be remembered as the most significant policy legacy of the Obama administration. However, while the Affordable Care Act was drafted by Congress and secured through the “normal” legislative process, the Obama education agenda has largely been designed and enacted through unilateral executive branch authority. As a result, these actions may well set significant precedents for the separation of powers as well as for education policy.
Obama’s Choice: Bowling Alone in the White House
Authors: Renshon Stanley A.
Published: May 2014

Why has President Obama chosen to “Govern by Himself.” This essay analyzes the psychological and political elements that have led President Obama to choose this leadership strategy in the White House. The analysis is framed through the lenses of decision discretion and choice, presidential ambition, and the president’s approach to both leading and governing. It is true that the country is politically divided but the essence of president leadership is choice and President Obama, like every president, had an array of leadership and governing strategies before him from which to choose. This essay locates Obama’s choices in his conception of himself as a “great” and transformative leader. That ambition led him to pursue large legislative and foreign policy accomplishments instead of more modest, possibly bipartisan, initiatives, with equivocal and ultimately poignant results.
Chemithermomechanical and kraft pulping of Pinus radiata wood chips after the hydrothermal extraction of hemicelluloses
Authors: Reyes Pablo , Ferraz André , Pereira Miguel , Rodríguez Jaime , Mendonça Regis Teixeira
Published: May 2014

Pinus radiata D. Don wood chips were submitted to a hydrothermal (HT) process, which is a pretreatment with pressurized water at P-factors of 20 (E1) and 1200 (E2), leading to 27% and 56% of hemicellulose removal, respectively. The residual wood chips were pulped by the chemithermomechanical (CTMP) and kraft processes. The pulp yield in the HT/CTMP process was in the range of 56–75%. The cellulose yields were not affected by the HT pretreatment, whereas the solubilization of hemicelluloses and lignin was intensified. The HT process provided energy savings in the refining of CTMP pulps, and the E1/CTMP pulp had a similar tensile and increased tear strength as the control wood. For kraft pulping, the HT wood chips demanded more active alkali (AA) to achieve a κ number (KN) of 30, and consequently, a decrease in pulp yield was observed (47.2% yield in the control and 44.4% and 37.8% in the E1 and E2 pulps, respectively). The fiber length decreased in the E1 and E2 kraft pulps compared with their control samples. In the E1 pulps, the tensile, tear, and burst indexes decreased by 10%, 25%, and 30%, respectively. Considering the low hemicellulose content and pulp viscosity in the range of 800–900 ml g-1, the mild HT process of P. radiata would be better suited for preparing cellulose-rich materials instead of paper-grade pulps under the biorefinery concept.
Influence of spruce xylan characteristics on tensile strength of spruce kraft pulp
Authors: Tavast Daniel , Jansson Zheng Li , Brännvall Elisabet
Published: May 2014

The aim of the study was to investigate the possibility to use spruce xylan more efficiently by possible relocation of dissolved xylan with certain characteristics from the first part of the kraft cooking to the later part, when precipitation occur. The characteristics of re-located xylan was controlled by replacing half the black liquor (BL) at a late stage of a kraft cook, with the same amount of black liquor containing spruce xylan with known molecular weight and content of uronic acid (UA). Pulp with addition of xylan with high amount of UA groups responded strongly on beating, resulting in improved tensile strength. It is proposed that the best effect of xylan on tensile strength occurs when the xylan penetrates some distance into the subsurface of the fiber wall. Both low molecular weight (Mw)and a high degree of substitution decreases the tendency of xylan to aggregate, which enables the dissolved xylan to penetrate some distance into the exposed fiber surface. Upon beating, this xylan will be exposed thus facilitating improved fiber-fiber joint formation, which leads to increased tensile strength.
Nutrition, lifestyle factors, and mental health in adolescents and young adults living in Austria
Authors: Walther Julia , Aldrian Ulrike , Stüger Hans Peter , Kiefer Ingrid , Ekmekcioglu Cem
Published: May 2014

Background: Due to an alarming trend of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents, along with the sparse data on dietary habits and lifestyle factors, the present study aims to analyze the current nutritional behavior as well as the lifestyle and mental health of adolescents and young adults living in Austria.

Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 500 respondents (aged between 14 and 24 years) completed an anonymous questionnaire on nutrition behavior, mental health, and lifestyle factors by Internet survey.

Results: Only 50% of the participants ate breakfast daily and 10% did not eat breakfast at all. About 47% of the respondents consumed milk and milk products daily. Furthermore, only 31% ate fruit and 21% ate vegetables at least once a day, and 46% ate fish seldom or never. Nearly 28% of young people liked to eat fast food twice or thrice a week and more, with males more often replacing a meal with a fast food product (36%) than females (21%). About 46% of the respondents engaged in physical activity only once a week (or more rarely). A fifth of our respondents (23%) spent more than 2 h a day using various social networks, with Facebook being the most popular social network among the respondents. Around 27% claimed to be smokers, with more female (33%) than male (20%) smoker. In terms of sleeping habits, 19% slept <6 h a day. Regarding well-being, 44% were more likely to feel stressed, 35% stated that they were tense, and 43% felt tired and listless. Eating together, physical activity, and sleep patterns showed positive effects on well-being, whereas higher consumption of fast food/snacks/soft drinks and alcoholic drinks/energy drinks was associated with relatively lower well-being.

Conclusions: Unhealthy eating habits, suboptimal physical activity, and smoking are still prominent in a sample of Austrian adolescents and young people. In addition, stress and tiredness are also relevant problems in this collective.
A Nonlinear Excitation Controller Design Method for Terminal Voltage Regulation and Transient Stability Enhancement
Authors: Huang Chongxin , Zhang Kaifeng , Dai Xianzhong , Zang Qiang
Published: May 2014

This paper proposes a cascade control method to design a nonlinear excitation controller to guarantee the terminal voltage regulation and the transient stability. Firstly, a nonlinear automatic voltage regulator (NAVR) in the inner loop is designed to control the terminal voltage exactly. Secondly, the generator model including the NAVR is transformed to be a reduced one. Subsequently, based on the reduced generator model, the nonlinear power system stabilizer in the external loop is designed to enhance the transient stability of the power systems. Furthermore, a coordination strategy is presented to improve the performances of the terminal voltage regulation in the steady state and the stability in the transient state. Finally, the proposed method is verified by numerous simulation results.
Modes of ideal continuity and the additive property in the Riesz space setting
Authors: Boccuto Antonio , Dimitriou Xenofon , Papanastassiou Nikolaos , Wilczyński Władysław
Published: May 2014

In this paper we present some different types
of ideal convergence/divergence and of ideal continuity for Riesz space-valued functions, and prove some
basic properties and comparison results. We investigate the relations among
different modes of ideal continuity and present a
characterization of the (AP)-property for ideals of
an abstract set Λ. Finally we pose some open problems.
Abortifacient potential of ethanolic seed extract of Caesalpinia bonducella in female albino rats
Authors: Lilaram  , Raichur Nazeer Ahmed
Published: May 2014

Background: The abortifacient potential of ethanolic seed extract of Caesalpinia bonducella was assessed in the present study.

Methods: Twenty-four pregnant Wistar albino rats were divided into two groups containing 12 animals in each group. Control group rats were orally administered with distilled water, while rats in the second group received 300 mg/kg b. wt of the seed extract from gestation day 12 to 18, once daily. Half of the rats from both the groups were sacrificed 24 h after the last dose on gestation day 20 and the remaining were allowed to go to full term to deliver vaginally.

Results: A significant reduction in maternal final weight, number of implantation sites, average weight of pups, implantation index, number of live fetuses, placental weight, percentage survival of fetuses, progesterone level, as well as the contrasting significant increase in resorption index, post-implantation loss, number of dead fetuses, and percentage of abortions was recorded in the seed extract treated rats. Histology of the uteri exhibited increased myometrium thickness and decreased endometrium thickness with degenerated cubic epithelial cells, uterine glands and increased infiltration of white blood cells in seed extract treated group. The ovaries revealed shrunken and degenerated corpora lutea in extract treated rats. The placentas exhibited degeneration of the junctional zone and the labyrinth in the seed extract treated rats. Fetuses were noticed with deformities in extract treated group. Seed extract treated rats did not deliver any pups until the full term of gestation.

Conclusions: The results obtained in this study suggest that the seeds of Caesalpinia bonducella possess abortifacient activity.
Caffeic and chlorogenic acids inhibit key enzymes linked to type 2 diabetes (in vitro): a comparative study
Authors: Oboh Ganiyu , Agunloye Odunayo M. , Adefegha Stephen A. , Akinyemi Ayodele J. , Ademiluyi Adedayo O.
Published: May 2014

Background: Chlorogenic acid is a major phenolic compound that forms a substantial part of plant foods and is an ester of caffeic acid and quinic acid. However, the effect of the structures of both chlorogenic and caffeic acids on their antioxidant and antidiabetic potentials have not been fully understood. Thus, this study sought to investigate and compare the interaction of caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid with α-amylase and α-glucosidase (key enzymes linked to type 2 diabetes) activities in vitro.

Methods: The inhibitory effect of the phenolic acids on α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities was evaluated. Thereafter, their antioxidant activities as typified by their 1,1-diphenyl-2 picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging ability and ferric reducing antioxidant properties were determined.

Results: The results revealed that both phenolic acids inhibited α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities in a dose-dependent manner (2–8 μg/mL). However, caffeic acid had a significantly (p<0.05) higher inhibitory effect on α-amylase [IC50 (concentration of sample causing 50% enzyme inhibition)=3.68 μg/mL] and α-glucosidase (IC50=4.98 μg/mL) activities than chlorogenic acid (α-amylase IC50=9.10 μg/mL and α-glucosidase IC50=9.24 μg/mL). Furthermore, both phenolic acids exhibited high antioxidant properties, with caffeic acid showing higher effects.

Conclusions: The esterification of caffeic acid with quinic acid, producing chlorogenic acid, reduces their ability to inhibit α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities. Thus, the inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities by the phenolic acids could be part of the possible mechanism by which the phenolic acids exert their antidiabetic effects.
Gastroprotective activity of essential oils from turmeric and ginger
Authors: Liju Vijayasteltar B. , Jeena Kottarapat , Kuttan Ramadasan
Published: May 2014

Background: Turmeric (Curcuma longa) and ginger (Zingiber officianale) are widely used in Asian countries as traditional medicine and food ingredients. In the present study, we have evaluated the gastroprotective activity of turmeric essential oil (TEO) and ginger essential oil (GEO) in rats.

Methods: Turmeric and ginger were evaluated for their antiulcer activity against ethanol-induced ulcers in male Wistar rats at different doses: 100, 500 and 1000 mg/kg body weight. Ethanol was used to induce gastric ulcer in Wistar rats. Parameters such as ulcer index, histopathology and levels of antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione (GSH) levels were measured to assess the degree of protection produced by the essential oils.

Results: TEO and GEO inhibited ulcer by 84.7% and 85.1%, respectively, as seen from the ulcer index. Reduced antioxidant enzymes such as GPx, SOD, catalase and GSH produced by alcohol administration were significantly (p<0.001) increased by simultaneous administration of TEO and GEO. Histopathological examination showed that ethanol-induced lesions such as necrosis, erosion and hemorrhage of the stomach wall were significantly reduced after oral administration of essential oils.

Conclusions: Results suggest that TEO and GEO could reduce the gastric ulcer in rat stomach as seen from the ulcer index and histopathology of the stomach. Moreover, oxidative stress produced by ethanol was found to be significantly reduced by TEO and GEO.
Character deflations
and a generalization of the Murnaghan–Nakayama rule
Authors: Evseev Anton , Paget Rowena , Wildon Mark
Published: May 2014

Given natural numbers m and n,
we define a deflation map from the
characters of the symmetric group
S

mn
to the characters of Sn
.
This map is obtained by
first restricting a character of S

mn
to the
wreath product Sm
≀ Sn
, and then taking the sum of
the
irreducible constituents
of the restricted character
on which the base group Sm
× ⋯ × Sm

acts trivially.
We prove a combinatorial formula which gives the
values of the images of the irreducible characters of S

mn

under this map.
We also prove an
analogous result for more general deflation maps
in which the base group is not required to act trivially.
These results generalize
the Murnaghan–Nakayama rule and special cases of the Littlewood–Richardson rule.
As a corollary we obtain a new combinatorial formula
for the character multiplicities that are the subject of the
long-standing Foulkes' Conjecture.
Using this formula we verify Foulkes' Conjecture in some new cases.
Relationship between Mental Rotation of Body Parts and Postural Stability during Quiet Stance
Authors: Kawasaki Tsubasa , Yasuda Kazuhiro , Fukuhara Kazunobu , Higuchi Takahiro
Published: May 2014

The present study was designed to investigate a relationship between the ability to quickly perform a mental rotation (MR) task using body (particularly foot) stimuli and postural stability during unipedal and bipedal quiet stance. Twenty-four healthy young adults participated in this study to measure reaction times for the MR (stimuli: foot, hand, and car), postural sway values during unipedal and bipedal standings, and lower extremity functions. Results showed significant correlations between the reaction time for the MR of the foot stimuli (but not for hand and car stimuli) and some of postural sway values (total length of sway and mean velocity in the anterior–posterior direction) during unipedal standing (but not for bipedal standing). Consistently, participants who performed the MR task quickly showed significantly smaller sway values during unipedal standing than those who performed the task slowly. These findings suggest that the ability to mentally imagine the foot movement is likely to relate to postural stability, while involving a challenging postural task, such as unipedal standing. The reaction time for the MR of foot stimuli was also correlated with two-point discrimination (TPD) distance on the plantar skin. Given that the TPD distance not only represents cutaneous acuity but also reflects participants’ body image relating to their feet, MR performance may have been related to postural stability because both involve cognitive processes used for both motor imagery and motor execution of the foot movement.
A Novel Approach for Image Enhancement via Nonsubsampled Contourlet Transform
Authors: Tan Yunlan , Li Chao , Li Guangyao , Luo Wenlang , Tang Weidong
Published: May 2014

An improved image enhancement approach via nonsubsampled contourlet transform (NSCT) is proposed in this article. We constructed a geometric image transform by combining nonsubsampled directional filter banks and a nonlinear mapping function. Here, the NSCT of the input image is first decomposed for L-levels and its noise standard deviation is estimated. It is followed by calculating the noise variance and threshold calculation, and computing the magnitude of the corresponding coefficients in all directional subbands. Then, the nonlinear mapping function is used to modify the NSCT coefficients for each directional subband, which keeps the coefficients of strong edges, amplifies the coefficients of weak edges, and zeros the noise coefficients. Finally, the enhanced image is reconstructed from the modified NSCT coefficients. Three experiments are carried out respectively on images from subjective vision quality and objective evaluation measures. The first experiment is the algorithm performed on images. The subsequent experiments are the information entropy and spatial frequency. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can gain better performance in enhancing the low-contrast parts of an image while keeping its clear edges.
A Review on Welding of AISI 304L Austenitic Stainless Steel
Authors: Prasad Kondapalli Siva , Rao Chalamalasetti Srinivasa , Rao Damera Nageswara
Published: May 2014

AISI 304L is an austenitic Chromium-Nickel stainless steel offering the optimum combination of corrosion resistance, strength, and ductility. These attributes make it a favorite for many mechanical switch components. The low carbon content reduces susceptibility to carbide precipitation during welding. In the present paper a thorough review on welding of AISI 304L austenitic Stainless Steel by various welding processes was made. From the review it is understood that AISI 304L austenitic Stainless Steel is the best material where there is a problem of intergranular corrosion. Also it is one of the best materials frequently used in manufacturing non heat treatable components.
Sermo deorum in Vergil's Aeneid: colloquial Latin?
Authors: Cabrillana C.
Published: May 2014

This study focuses on the analysis of the direct speech between divine and human characters in Vergil's
Again on relative clause and subordination in Latin
Authors: Calboli Gualtiero
Published: May 2014

I started from the relative clause which occurs in Hittite, and in particular with the enclitic position of the relative pronoun. This is connected with the OV position and this position seems to have been prevailing in Hittite and PIE. The syntactic structure usually employed in Hittite between different clauses is the parataxis. Nevertheless, also the hypotaxis begins to be employed and the best occasion to use it was the diptych as suggested by Haudry, though he didn't consider the most natural and usual diptych: the law, where the crime and the sanction build a natural diptych already in old Hittite. Then I used Justus' and Boley's discussion on the structure of Hittite sentence and found a similarity with Latin, namely the use of an animate subject as central point of a sentence. With verbs of action in ancient languages the subject was normally an animate being, whereas also inanimate subject is employed in modern languages. This seems to be the major difference between ancient and modern structure of a sentence, or, better to say, in Hittite and PIE the subject was an animate being and this persisted a long time, and remained as a tendency in Latin, while in following languages and in classical grammar the subject became a simple nominal “entity” to be predicated and precised with verb and other linguistic instruments. A glance has been cast also to pronouns and particles (sometimes linked together) as instruments of linking nominal variants of coordinate or subordinate clauses and to the development of demonstrative/deictic pronouns. Also in ancient case theory a prevailing position was assured to the nominative case, the case of the subject.
Type III Bartter-like syndrome in an infant boy with Gitelman syndrome and autosomal dominant familial neurohypophyseal diabetes insipidus
Authors: Brugnara Milena , Gaudino Rossella , Tedeschi Silvana , Syrèn Marie-Louise , Perrotta Silverio , Maines Evelina , Zaffanello Marco
Published: May 2014

We report the case of an infant boy with polyuria and a familial history of central diabetes insipidus. Laboratory blood tests disclosed hypokalemia, metabolic alkalosis, hyperreninemia, and hyperaldosteronism. Plasma magnesium concentration was slightly low. Urine analysis showed hypercalciuria, hyposthenuria, and high excretion of potassium. Such findings oriented toward type III Bartter syndrome (BSIII). Direct sequencing of the CLCNKB gene revealed no disease-causing mutations. The water deprivation test was positive. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a lack of posterior pituitary hyperintensity. Finally, direct sequencing of the AVP-NPII gene showed a point mutation (c.1884G>A) in a heterozygous state, confirming an autosomal dominant familial neurohypophyseal diabetes insipidus (adFNDI). This condition did not explain the patient’s phenotype; thus, we investigated for Gitelman syndrome (GS). A direct sequencing of the SLC12A3 gene showed c.269A>C and c.1205C>A new mutations. In conclusion, the patient had a genetic combination of GS and adFNDI with a BSIII-like phenotype.
Quasi-Monte Carlo: A high-dimensional experiment
Authors: Sobol Ilya M. , Shukhman Boris V.
Published: May 2014

Certain very high-dimensional integrals can be efficiently approximated by quasi-Monte Carlo (q-MC) methods. If the average dimension of the integrand is small, the convergence rate can be near to 1/N, where N is the sample size.
Crystal structure of 2-cinnamenyl-1-ferrocenylsulfonyl-1H-1,3-benzimidazole, C25H20FeN2O2S
Authors: Wang Lu-Yao , Meng Dong , Li Lu , Zhang Bing-Sen
Published: May 2014

C25H20FeN2O2S, monoclinic, C2/c (no. 15), a = 24.0837(6) Å, b = 9.9163(2) Å, c = 19.9314(5) Å, β = 117.055(1)°, V = 4239.2 Å3, Z = 8, Rgt(F) = 0.0301, wRref(F2) = 0.0848, T = 296 K.
Crystal structure of dimethyl 4-(4-chlorophenyl)-1,4-dihydropyridine-3,5- dicarboxylate, C15H14ClNO4
Authors: He Jing-Yu , Yao Qing-Guo , Liu Si-Jie , Jia Hui-Zhen , Yu Hong-Wei
Published: May 2014

C15H14ClNO4, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 8.3515(6) Å, b = 7.4351(5) Å, c = 23.931(2) Å, β = 96.655(1)°, V = 1476.0 Å3, Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0503, wRref(F2) = 0.1412, T = 298 K.
Crystal structure of catena-bis[(4-chlorobenzoate-κO)-(1,4-bis(2-methylbenzimidazol- 1-ylmethyl)benzene-κ2N:N')zinc(II)], C38H30Cl2N4O4Zn
Authors: Xu Chun-Ying , Chen Qiuxi , Kang Guohui , Su Tong , Yang Xuechun
Published: May 2014

C38H30Cl2N4O4Zn, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 11.5694(8) Å, b = 14.143(1) Å, c = 21.969(2) Å, β = 100.856(2)°, V = 3530.5 Å3, Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0499, wRref(F2) = 0.1282, T = 296 K.
Crystal structure of diaqua-bis(1,10-phenanthroline)-zinc(II) bis(thiophene-3-carboxy-4-carboxylate) heptahydrate, [Zn(H2O)2(C12H8N2)2][(C6H3O4S)2]·7H2O, C36H40N4O17S2Zn
Authors: Liu Shu-Hua , Zhang Rui-Ling , Li En-Xia , Xu Qing-Zhong
Published: May 2014

C36H40N4O17S2Zn, monoclinic, C2/c (no. 15), a = 16.690(3) Å, b = 22.905(2) Å, c = 12.940(2) Å, β = 124.849(6)°, V = 4059.6 Å3, Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0473, wRref(F2) = 0.1327, T = 293 K.
Redetermination of the crystal structure of ammonium formiate at 200 K, CH5NO2
Authors: Hosten Eric , Betz Richard
Published: May 2014

CH5NO2, monoclinic, Pc (no. 7), a = 3.7747(3) Å, b = 4.6743(3)Å, c = 9.0947(8) Å, β = 90.642(4)°, V = 160.5 Å3, Z = 2, Rgt(F) = 0.0168, wRref(F2) = 0.0427, T = 200(2) K.