bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design and Study on Sliding Mode Extremum Seeking Control of the Chaos Embedded Particle Swarm Optimization for Maximum Power Point Tracking in Wind Power Systems
Authors: Chen Jui-Ho , Yau Her-Terng , Hung Weir
Published: March 2014

This paper proposes a sliding mode extremum seeking control (SMESC) of chaos embedded particle swarm optimization (CEPSO) Algorithm, applied to the design of maximum power point tracking in wind power systems. Its features are that the control parameters in SMESC are optimized by CEPSO, making it unnecessary to change the output power of different wind turbines, the designed in-repetition rate is reduced, and the system control efficiency is increased. The wind power system control is designed by simulation, in comparison with the traditional wind power control method, and the simulated dynamic response obtained by the SMESC algorithm proposed in this paper is better than the traditional hill-climbing search (HCS) and extremum seeking control (ESC) algorithms in the transient or steady states, validating the advantages and practicability of the method proposed in this paper.
Cellulolytic Bacteria Associated with the Gut of Dendroctonus armandi Larvae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae)
Authors: Hu Xia , Yu Jiamin , Wang Chunyan , Chen Hui
Published: March 2014

The object of this study was to investigate the cellulolytic bacterial community in the intestine of the Chinese white pine beetle (Dendroctonus armandi) larvae. A total of 91 cellulolytic bacteria were isolated and assigned to 11 genotypes using amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA). Partial 16S rDNA sequence analysis and morphological tests were used to assign the 11 representative isolates. The results showed that the isolates belonged to α-Proteobacteria, γ-Proteobacteria and Firmicutes. Members of γ-Proteobacteria were the most frequently represented species and accounted for 73.6% of all the cellulolytic bacteria. The majority of cellulolytic bacteria in D. armandi larva gut were identified as Serratia and accounted for 49.5%, followed by Pseudomonas, which accounted for 22%. In addition, members of Bacillus, Brevundimonas, Paenibacillus, Pseudoxanthomonas, Methylobacterium and Sphingomonas were found in the D. armandi larva gut. Brevundimonas kwangchunensis, Brevundimonas vesicularis, Methylobacterium populi and Pseudoxanthomonas mexicana were reported to be cellulolytic for the first time in this study. Information generated from the present study might contribute towards understanding the relationship between bark beetle and its gut flora.
Identification of Health Risks of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease in China Using the Geographical Detector Technique
Authors: Huang Jixia , Wang Jinfeng , Bo Yanchen , Xu Chengdong , Hu Maogui , Huang Dacang
Published: March 2014

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common infectious disease, causing thousands of deaths among children in China over the past two decades. Environmental risk factors such as meteorological factors, population factors and economic factors may affect the incidence of HFMD. In the current paper, we used a novel model—geographical detector technique to analyze the effect of these factors on the incidence of HFMD in China. We collected HFMD cases from 2,309 counties during May 2008 in China. The monthly cumulative incidence of HFMD was calculated for children aged 0–9 years. Potential risk factors included meteorological factors, economic factors, and population density factors. Four geographical detectors (risk detector, factor detector, ecological detector, and interaction detector) were used to analyze the effects of some potential risk factors on the incidence of HFMD in China. We found that tertiary industry and children exert more influence than first industry and middle school students on the incidence of HFMD. The interactive effect of any two risk factors increases the hazard for HFMD transmission.
Ecological Factors and Adolescent Marijuana Use: Results of a Prospective Study in Santiago, Chile
Authors: Delva Jorge , Lee Wonhyung , Sanchez Ninive , Andrade Fernando , Grogan-Kaylor Andrew , Sanhueza Guillermo , Ho Michelle
Published: March 2014

Purpose: Despite the growing evidence that ecological factors contribute to substance use, the relationship of ecological factors and illicit drugs such as marijuana use is not well understood, particularly among adolescents in Latin America. Guided by social disorganization and social stress theories, we prospectively examined the association of disaggregated neighborhood characteristics with marijuana use among adolescents in Santiago, Chile, and tested if these relationships varied by sex. Methods: Data for this study are from 725 community-dwelling adolescents participating in the Santiago Longitudinal Study, a study of substance using behaviors among urban adolescents in Santiago, Chile. Adolescents completed a two-hour interviewer administered questionnaire with questions about drug use and factors related to drug using behaviors. Results: As the neighborhood levels of drug availability at baseline increased, but not crime or noxious environment, adolescents had higher odds of occasions of marijuana use at follow up, approximately 2 years later (odds ratio [OR] = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.16–1.66), even after controlling for the study’s covariates. No interactions by sex were significant. Discussion: The findings suggest that “poverty”, “crime”, and “drug problems” may not be synonyms and thus can be understood discretely. As Latin American countries re-examine their drug policies, especially those concerning decriminalizing marijuana use, the findings suggest that attempts to reduce adolescent marijuana use in disadvantaged neighborhoods may do best if efforts are concentrated on specific features of the “substance abuse environment”.
A Caspase-Dependent Pathway Is Involved in Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Promoted Apoptosis in Bacillus Calmette-Guerin Infected RAW264.7 Macrophages
Authors: Wu Xiaoling , Deng Guangcun , Hao Xiujing , Li Yong , Zeng Jin , Ma Chunyan , He Yulong , Liu Xiaoming , Wang Yujiong
Published: March 2014

Apoptosis of alveolar macrophages following Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection have been demonstrated to play a central role in the pathogenesis of tuberculosis. In the present study, we found that Wnt/β-catenin signaling possesses the potential to promote macrophage apoptosis in response to mycobacterial infection. In agreement with other findings, an activation Wnt/β-catenin signaling was observed in murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells upon Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) infection at a multiple-of-infection of 10, which was accompanied with up-regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 production. However, the BCG-induced TNF-α and IL-6 secretion could be significantly reduced when the cells were exposed to a canonical Wnt signaling ligand, Wnt3a. Importantly, the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling was able to further promote apoptosis in BCG-infected RAW264.7 cells in part by a mitochondria-dependent apoptosis pathway. Immunoblotting analysis further demonstrated that Wnt/β-catenin signaling-induced cell apoptosis partly through a caspase-dependent apoptosis mechanism by down-regulation of anti-apoptotic protein Mcl-1, and up-regulation of pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and cleaved-caspase-3, as well as enhancement of caspase-3 activity in BCG-infected RAW264.7 cells. These data may imply an underlying mechanism of alveolar macrophages in response to mycobacterial infection, by which the pathogen induces Wnt/β-catenin signaling activation, which in turn represses mycobacterium-trigged inflammatory responses and promotes mycobacteria-infected cell apoptosis.
Differential Transcriptome Analysis between Paulownia fortunei and Its Synthesized Autopolyploid
Authors: Zhang Xiaoshen , Deng Minjie , Fan Guoqiang
Published: March 2014

Paulownia fortunei is an ecologically and economically important tree species that is widely used as timber and chemical pulp. Its autotetraploid, which carries a number of valuable traits, was successfully induced with colchicine. To identify differences in gene expression between P. fortunei and its synthesized autotetraploid, we performed transcriptome sequencing using an Illumina Genome Analyzer IIx (GAIIx). About 94.8 million reads were generated and assembled into 383,056 transcripts, including 18,984 transcripts with a complete open reading frame. A conducted Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) search indicated that 16,004 complete transcripts had significant hits in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) non-redundant database. The complete transcripts were given functional assignments using three public protein databases. One thousand one hundred fifty eight differentially expressed complete transcripts were screened through a digital abundance analysis, including transcripts involved in energy metabolism and epigenetic regulation. Finally, the expression levels of several transcripts were confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR. Our results suggested that polyploidization caused epigenetic-related changes, which subsequently resulted in gene expression variation between diploid and autotetraploid P. fortunei. This might be the main mechanism affected by the polyploidization. Our results represent an extensive survey of the P. fortunei transcriptome and will facilitate subsequent functional genomics research in P. fortunei. Moreover, the gene expression profiles of P. fortunei and its autopolyploid will provide a valuable resource for the study of polyploidization.
No Stress! Relax! Mechanisms Governing Growth and Shape in Plant Cells
Authors: Guerriero Gea , Hausman Jean-Francois , Cai Giampiero
Published: March 2014

The mechanisms through which plant cells control growth and shape are the result of the coordinated action of many events, notably cell wall stress relaxation and turgor-driven expansion. The scalar nature of turgor pressure would drive plant cells to assume spherical shapes; however, this is not the case, as plant cells show an amazing variety of morphologies. Plant cell walls are dynamic structures that can display alterations in matrix polysaccharide composition and concentration, which ultimately affect the wall deformation rate. The wide varieties of plant cell shapes, spanning from elongated cylinders (as pollen tubes) and jigsaw puzzle-like epidermal cells, to very long fibres and branched stellate leaf trichomes, can be understood if the underlying mechanisms regulating wall biosynthesis and cytoskeletal dynamics are addressed. This review aims at gathering the available knowledge on the fundamental mechanisms regulating expansion, growth and shape in plant cells by putting a special emphasis on the cell wall-cytoskeleton system continuum. In particular, we discuss from a molecular point of view the growth mechanisms characterizing cell types with strikingly different geometries and describe their relationship with primary walls. The purpose, here, is to provide the reader with a comprehensive overview of the multitude of events through which plant cells manage to expand and control their final shapes.
Tensile Properties and Fracture Behavior of Aluminum Alloy Foam Fabricated from Die Castings without Using Blowing Agent by Friction Stir Processing Route
Authors: Hangai Yoshihiko , Kamada Hiroto , Utsunomiya Takao , Kitahara Soichiro , Kuwazuru Osamu , Yoshikawa Nobuhiro
Published: March 2014

Al foam has been used in a wide range of applications owing to its light weight, high energy absorption and high sound insulation. One of the promising processes for fabricating Al foam involves the use of a foamable precursor. In this study, ADC12 Al foams with porosities of 67%–78% were fabricated from Al alloy die castings without using a blowing agent by the friction stir processing route. The pore structure and tensile properties of the ADC12 foams were investigated and compared with those of commercially available ALPORAS. From X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT) observations of the pore structure of ADC12 foams, it was found that they have smaller pores with a narrower distribution than those in ALPORAS. Tensile tests on the ADC12 foams indicated that as their porosity increased, the tensile strength and tensile strain decreased, with strong relation between the porosity, tensile strength, and tensile strain. ADC12 foams exhibited brittle fracture, whereas ALPORAS exhibited ductile fracture, which is due to the nature of the Al alloy used as the base material of the foams. By image-based finite element (FE) analysis using X-ray CT images corresponding to the tensile tests on ADC12 foams, it was shown that the fracture path of ADC12 foams observed in tensile tests and the regions of high stress obtained from FE analysis correspond to each other. Therefore, it is considered that the fracture behavior of ADC12 foams in relation to their pore structure distribution can be investigated by image-based FE analysis.
Design, Synthesis and SAR Study of Novel Trisubstituted Pyrimidine Amide Derivatives as CCR4 Antagonists
Authors: Xu Libao , Zhang Yang , Dai Wenjie , Wang Ying , Jiang Dan , Wang Lili , Xiao Junhai , Yang Xiaohong , Li Song
Published: March 2014

The design, synthesis and structure-activity relationship studies of some novel trisubstituted pyrimidine amide derivatives prepared as CCR4 antagonists are described. The activities of these compounds were evaluated by the CCR4-MDC chemotaxis inhibition assay. Compound 1, which we have previously reported as a potent antagonist of CCR4, was employed as the positive control. The results indicated that most of the synthesized compounds exhibited some chemotaxis inhibition activity against CCR4. Of these new compounds, compounds 6c, 12a and 12b, with IC50 values of 0.064, 0.077 and 0.069 μM, respectively, showed higher or similar activity compared with compound 1 (IC50 of 0.078 μM). These compounds provide a basis for further structural modifications. The systematic structure-activity relationship of these trisubstituted pyrimidine amide derivatives was discussed based on the obtained experimental data. The results from the SAR study may be useful for identifying more potent CCR4 antagonists.
Correction: Barnard, N., et al. Meat Consumption as a Risk Factor for Type 2 Diabetes. Nutrients 2014, 6, 897-910
Authors: Barnard Neal , Levin Susan , Trapp Caroline
Published: March 2014

We have found two inadvertent errors in our paper published in Nutrients [1]. [...]
Strong Screening Effect of Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes (POSS) Nanoparticles on Hydrogen Bonded Polymer Blends
Authors: Chiou Chin-Wei , Lin Yung-Chih , Wang Lei , Hirano Chiharu , Suzuki Yoshinori , Hayakawa Teruaki , Kuo Shiao-Wei
Published: March 2014

In this study we used anionic living polymerization to prepare two different homopolymers: a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and a PMMA derivative presenting polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (PMA-POSS) units as its side chains. We then employed differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) to investigate the miscibility and specific interactions of PMMA and PMA-POSS with three hydrogen bonding donor compounds: poly(vinyl phenol) (PVPh), phenolic resin, and bisphenol A (BPA). DSC revealed that all of the PVPh/PMMA, phenolic/PMMA, and BPA/PMMA blends exhibited a single glass transition temperature, characteristic of miscible systems; FTIR spectroscopic analyses revealed that such miscibility resulted from hydrogen bonding interactions between the C=O groups of PMMA and the OH groups of these three hydrogen bonding donor compounds. In contrast, all of the PVPh/PMA-POSS, phenolic/PMA-POSS, and BPA/PMA-POSS blends were immiscible: DSC revealed two glass transition temperatures arising from strong screening effects (FTIR spectroscopy) and high degrees of aggregation (WAXD) of the POSS nanoparticles. We propose that the value of the intramolecular screening effect (γ) should be very close to 1 for all PMA-POSS blend systems when POSS nanoparticles appear as the side chains of PMMA, such that the OH groups of the hydrogen bonding donor compounds cannot interact with the C=O groups of PMA-POSS.
An Integrated Photoluminescence Sensing Platform Using a Single-Multi-Mode Fiber Coupler-Based Probe
Authors: Long Feng , Zhu Anna , Shi Hanchang
Published: March 2014

We demonstrate an integrated fiber optic photoluminescence sensing platform using a novel single-multi-mode fiber coupler (SMFC)-based probe with high collection efficiency for fluorescence signals. The SMFC, prepared using fused biconical taper technology, not only transmits excitation light, but also collects and transmits fluorescence. The entire system does not use complex optical components and rarely requires optical alignment. The simple structure of the SMFC considerably improves the light transmission efficiency, signal-to-noise ratio, and sensitivity of the system. Theoretical and experimental results show that the proposed probe increases the collection efficiency by more than eight-fold compared with a bifurcated fiber probe. The performance of the proposed probe was experimentally evaluated by measuring the fluorescence spectra of well-known targets and a fresh Tall Fescue leaf.
The Design of Educational Programs in System Dynamics at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)
Authors: Pavlov Oleg , Doyle James , Saeed Khalid , Lyneis James , Radzicki Michael
Published: March 2014

Educational programs leading to degrees in system dynamics are rare and thus of critical importance to the future of the field of system dynamics. However, to a large extent such programs have not yet been made transparent to the system dynamics community as a whole. The present article describes the design and rationale for undergraduate and graduate programs at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). The goal of the article is to invite feedback from the system dynamics community about our specific programs as well as to facilitate wider discussion about the appropriate content, design, and pedagogy of degree programs and courses in system dynamics.
Presence of the Neurotoxin BMAA in Aquatic Ecosystems: What Do We Really Know?
Authors: Faassen Elisabeth
Published: March 2014

The neurotoxin β-N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA) is suspected to play a role in the neurological diseases amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. BMAA production by cyanobacteria has been reported and contact with cyanobacteria infested waters or consumption of aquatic organisms are possible pathways to human exposure. However, there is little consensus regarding whether BMAA is present in cyanobacteria or not, and if so, at what concentrations. The aim of this review is to indicate the current state of knowledge on the presence of BMAA in aquatic ecosystems. Some studies have convincingly shown that BMAA can be present in aquatic samples at the µg/g dry weight level, which is around the detection limit of some equally credible studies in which no BMAA was detected. However, for the majority of the reviewed articles, it was unclear whether BMAA was correctly identified, either because inadequate analytical methods were used, or because poor reporting of analyses made it impossible to verify the results. Poor analysis, reporting and prolific errors have shaken the foundations of BMAA research. First steps towards estimation of human BMAA exposure are to develop and use selective, inter-laboratory validated methods and to correctly report the analytical work.
Toxins Produced by Valsa mali var. mali and Their Relationship with Pathogenicity
Authors: Wang Caixia , Li Chao , Li Baohua , Li Guifang , Dong Xiangli , Wang Guoping , Zhang Qingming
Published: March 2014

Valsa mali var. mali (Vmm), the causal agent of apple tree canker disease, produces various toxic compounds, including protocatechuic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-hydroxyacetophenone, 3-(p-hydroxyphenyl)propanoic acid and phloroglucinol. Here, we examined the relationship between toxin production and the pathogenicity of Vmm strains and determined their bioactivities in several assays, for further elucidating the pathogenesis mechanisms of Vmm and for developing new procedures to control this disease. The toxins were quantified with the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method, and the results showed that the strain with attenuated virulence produced low levels of toxins with only three to four kinds of compounds being detectable. In contrast, higher amounts of toxins were produced by the more aggressive strain, and all five compounds were detected. This indicated a significant correlation between the pathogenicity of Vmm strains and their ability to produce toxins. However, this correlation only existed in planta, but not in vitro. During the infection of Vmm, protocatechuic acid was first detected at three days post inoculation (dpi), and the others at seven or 11 dpi. In addition, all compounds produced noticeable symptoms on host plants at concentrations of 2.5 to 40 mmol/L, with protocatechuic acid being the most effective compound, whereas 3-(p-hydroxyphenyl)propanoic acid or p-hydroxybenzoic acid were the most active compounds on non-host plants.
Role of Virus-Encoded microRNAs in Avian Viral Diseases
Authors: Yao Yongxiu , Nair Venugopal
Published: March 2014

With total dependence on the host cell, several viruses have adopted strategies to modulate the host cellular environment, including the modulation of microRNA (miRNA) pathway through virus-encoded miRNAs. Several avian viruses, mostly herpesviruses, have been shown to encode a number of novel miRNAs. These include the highly oncogenic Marek’s disease virus-1 (26 miRNAs), avirulent Marek’s disease virus-2 (36 miRNAs), herpesvirus of turkeys (28 miRNAs), infectious laryngotracheitis virus (10 miRNAs), duck enteritis virus (33 miRNAs) and avian leukosis virus (2 miRNAs). Despite the closer antigenic and phylogenetic relationship among some of the herpesviruses, miRNAs encoded by different viruses showed no sequence conservation, although locations of some of the miRNAs were conserved within the repeat regions of the genomes. However, some of the virus-encoded miRNAs showed significant sequence homology with host miRNAs demonstrating their ability to serve as functional orthologs. For example, mdv1-miR-M4-5p, a functional ortholog of gga-miR-155, is critical for the oncogenicity of Marek’s disease virus. Additionally, we also describe the potential association of the recently described avian leukosis virus subgroup J encoded E (XSR) miRNA in the induction of myeloid tumors in certain genetically-distinct chicken lines. In this review, we describe the advances in our understanding on the role of virus-encoded miRNAs in avian diseases.
Exploring China’s Farmer-Level Water-Saving Mechanisms: Analysis of an Experiment Conducted in Taocheng District, Hebei Province
Authors: Chen Sicheng , Wang Yahua , Zhu Tingju
Published: March 2014

Two types of farmer-level mechanisms have been traditionally adopted to increase agricultural water use efficiency in northern China: pricing mechanisms and tradable water rights systems. However, the reluctance of policymakers to exacerbate farmers’ burdens has rendered pricing mechanisms politically infeasible, while tradable water rights systems involve prohibitively high transaction costs in rural China. An experiment conducted in 2005 in the Taocheng District of Hebei Province created a new kind of water-saving mechanism that involves a number of institutional innovations, including “flexible total management”, “collect then refund” and “collect and subsidize, then refund”. This paper evaluates the district’s water-saving mechanisms based on efficiency, equity and operability criteria. The results of the analysis demonstrate that the “collect then refund” mechanism can more effectively enhance water use efficiency and reduce farmers’ burdens than water pricing instruments, tradable water rights systems and flexible total management. Adequate infrastructure and trusted institutions are identified as necessary prerequisites for the successful implementation of the new water-saving mechanism. We believe the new mechanism has great potential to be scaled up.
Esigenza fisiologica e funzione terapeutica del lamento nei poemi omerici. (Studio sul significato di κλαίω, γοάω, στένω, οἰμώζω/κωκύω, ὀδύρομαι)
Authors: Spatafora Giuseppe
Published: March 2014

L'auteur examine les formes de plainte qui se manifestent en réponse à une émotion, avec le double but d'analyser la signification des verbes κλαίω, γοάω, στένω, οίμώζω / κωκύω, οδύρομαι dans les poèmes homériques et de tenter une reconstitution globale des différentes formes de la plainte ici traitée. Il semble que l'exigence physiologique et la fonction thérapeutique en constituent les principales caractéristiques, dans un milieu culturel qui perçoit l'homme comme unité complexe du corps et de l'esprit.
Femmes partagées par l'Egypte et la Grèce (Un double témoignage littéraire)
Authors: Baconicola-Ghéorgopoulou Chara
Published: March 2014

Entre le drame et l'histoire, trois aventures de femmes déracinées de leur pays forment, en quelque sorte, un pont «culturel» qui rapproche la Grèce de l'Egypte. La poésie tragique d'Eschyle (Prométhée enchaîné, Les Suppliantes) et d'Euripide (Hélène), d'une part, et, d'autre part, l'Histoire d'Hérodote, à travers les figures de Io, des Danaïdes et d'Hélène, mettent en lumière les multiples liens qui unissent les deux pays voisins. Quant à la différence entre les témoignages poétiques et les récits historiques, elle n'est qu'une différence essentielle d'optique entre la poésie dramatique et la pensée historique. Différence qui laisse, pourtant, intacte la parenté culturelle en question.
Echoes of Earlier Drama in Sositheus' Daphnis and Lycophron's Menedemus
Authors: Xanthakis-Karamanos Georgia
Published: March 2014

Le but de cette communication présentée au Xe Congrès de la F.I.E.C. est de trouver les rapports et l'influence de la poésie dramatique du Ve et IVe siècle sur les deux textes les mieux conservés du drame hellénistique : le Daphnis ou Lityerse du Sosithée et le Ménédème du Lycophron. Cette influence est constatée : 1. par l'action et les thèmes. Concernant la pièce du Sosithée, l'histoire purement hellénistique du Daphnis se combine avec des thèmes romantiques et satyriques du drame euripidéen et particulièrement l'Alceste. En ce qui concerne Ménédème, la parodie calme du philosophe contemporain ressemble à celle de la Comédie Moyenne (du Platon et des Académiciens). 2. par la langue et les images. Le Daphnis ou Lityerse présente des affinités remarquables avec le drame du Ve siècle tandis que les fragments du Ménédème sont marqués par des ressemblances importantes avec la Comédie Ancienne et Moyenne ainsi que des similitudes avec la tragédie, et particulièrement Sophocle, au sujet de l'usage des expressions paratragiques.
The Art of Love and Love of Art in Longus
Authors: Edwards Mark J.
Published: March 2014

Dans les Pastotrales qu'on attribue à Longus, les hommes se montrent plus puissants que les dieux, et les amants se trouvent plus sages que les sophistes. Daphnis, poète et rustique amoureux, ne souffre les calamités ni de Philétas, l'artiste sans passion, ni de Pan, le ravisseur sans finesse. Mais que faut-il donc dire de l'auteur lui-même, qui n'oserait jamais faire partie du monde qu'il a créé ?
Les compagnes de Socrate
Authors: Labarbe Jules
Published: March 2014

La tradition littéraire relative à Socrate n'éclaire guère sur la place que les femmes ont tenue dans sa vie sentimentale ni sur la nature des liens qu'il a noués avec elles. Cette étude entreprend dès lors de débrouiller l'écheveau des témoignages sur la vie conjugale du philosophe. Il en ressort que, dans un âge avancé, Socrate entretenait une liaison avec une femme discutable et la garda sans l'épouser, alors qu'il en prenait une autre en mariage. Des dispositions légales transitoires permettaient apparemment ce type de situation sans préjudice grave pour les enfants de l'un ni de l'autre lit.
La prima Elegia a Mecenate. Apologia di un ministro e propaganda di regime
Authors: Nigro Maria-Antoinetta
Published: March 2014

Le but apologétique et le nom de Marcus Lollius invitent à dater la composition et la parution de la première élégie à Mécène entre 8 av. J.-C. et 2 apr. J.-C. La conduite exceptionnelle de Mécène, bien que mort depuis peu de temps, pourrait avoir été utilisée par le parti de Tibère comme prétexte contre Auguste qui semblait préférer la famille Iulia dans le choix de son successeur. Lollius aurait commandé la rédaction de l'élégie pour la sauvegarde du Ministre d'Auguste et de la moralité du principat. Après cette date, une apologie de Mécène dans laquelle on nommait Lollius n'aurait pas été appréciée.
Chromatographically separable rotamers of an unhindered amide
Authors: Geffe Mario , Andernach Lars , Trapp Oliver , Opatz Till
Published: March 2014

Surprisingly stable formamide rotamers were encountered in the tetrahydroisoquinoline and morphinan series of alkaloids. We investigated the hindered rotation around the amide bond by dynamic high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) and kinetic measurements of the interconversion of the rotamers which can readily be separated by HPLC as well as TLC. The experimental results of the different methods were compared to each other as well as to results obtained by DFT calculations.
Expanding and Vetting Sorghum bicolor Gene Annotations through Transcriptome and Methylome Sequencing
Authors: Olson Andrew , Klein Robert R. , Dugas Diana V. , Lu Zhenyuan , Regulski Michael , Klein Patricia E. , Ware Doreen
Published: March 2014

With the emergence and subsequent advancement of next‐generation sequence technology, detailed structural and functional characterization of genomes is readily attainable. Here, we have sampled the Sorghum bicolor methylome by shallow sequencing of HSO3– (bisulfite)‐treated DNA and have used these data to identify methylation patterns associated with high confidence gene models. We trained a classifier to predict functional gene models based on expression levels, methylation profiles, and sequence conservation. We have expanded the transcriptome atlas by sequencing RNA from meristematic tissues, florets, and embryos, and utilized this information to develop a more complete annotation of the sorghum transcriptome. Our gene annotations modify 60% of Sbi1.4 (version 1.4 of sorghum gene annotations) gene models. The updated models most often have extended untranslated region (UTR) annotations (18,105), but some show longer protein coding regions (5096) or previously unannotated alternative transcripts (6493). A phylogenetic analysis suggests that 800 genes are missing from annotation Sbi1.4 and 400 gene models are split. The new annotations resolve 50% of split gene models and include 30% of conserved genes missing from the Sbi1.4 annotation. Using our classifier, we identified a large set of 34,276 novel potentially functional transcribed regions. These transcribed regions include protein coding genes, non‐coding RNAs, and other classes of gene products.
AN AHP-BASED APPROACH TO CREDIT RISK EVALUATION OF MORTGAGE LOANS
Authors: Ferreira Fernando A. F. , Santos Sérgio P. , Dias Vítor M. C.
Published: March 2014

Mortgage loans for home purchase require careful analysis by all parties involved in the transaction, and credit-scoring is usually adopted to assist the decision process. From a credit institution standpoint, credit-scoring for mortgage loan risk evaluation becomes even more important in scenarios of economic turbulence and recession, primarily because of the severe restrictions imposed on credit availability that result from reduced access to both money and debt markets and subsequent decreasing liquidity. Employing an AHP – Analytic Hierarchy Process – based approach in the creditscoring system used by one of the major banks in Portugal, this study proposes a methodological framework conceived to adjust trade-offs among evaluation criteria and provide decision makers with a more transparent mortgage risk evaluation system. Practical implications of our framework are also discussed.
PARTNERSHIP PRACTICES AND THEIR IMPACT ON VALUE CREATION – REFLECTIONS FROM LEAN MANAGEMENT
Authors: Jylha Tuuli , Junnila Seppo
Published: March 2014

The trend of outsourcing operational property management services by the property owners has had a prominent role in the Finnish real estate sector. At the same time, value creation has been scattered across many players such as the owner, the property manager and several service providers. This paper aims to analyse the value creation practices and mechanisms between two partners, a real estate owner and its property management company, in order to assess the current value creation. The assessment is based on a lean partnering framework presented by Lamming (1993). The customers are office tenants in the Helsinki business district. The case findings showed that the expected customer value was challenging to deliver, because waste activities disrupted the value creation. The partners had also adapted some of the value creation practices differently, which caused turbulence in value creation. In addition, the partners had missed the power of doing improvements jointly, but prefer to use bidding to establish value creation. However, through lean thinking the organisations found a much-needed new approach to develop their partnership. The principles of lean management made the problem clearer and enabled the organisations to start dealing with the relevant challenges.
A FUZZY APPROACH FOR ADAPTIVE REUSE SELECTION OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS IN HONG KONG
Authors: Tan Yongtao , Shen Li-yin , Langston Craig
Published: March 2014

With rapid economic development and restructuring, there are an increasing number of aged or obsolete buildings in large cities, such as Hong Kong. Adaptive reuse of these buildings provides an alternative for property stakeholders towards more sustainable practices instead of redevelopment or destruction. Adaptive reuse can also make great contributions to sustainable development by reducing construction waste and saving natural resources. As a result of industrial restructuring, manufacturing plants were migrated from Hong Kong to Mainland China during the 1980s and 1990s. Many industrial buildings then became vacant or under-utilised. Adaptive reuse of these industrial buildings is considered a viable way forward for all parties, including government, property stakeholders and the community. However, the problem is how to deal with multiple criteria to assess how these buildings can be reused for residential living, retail, training centres, or other purposes. Adaptive reuse of industrial buildings is discussed in this paper, and a fuzzy adaptive reuse selection model is developed for decision-making. A hypothetical example is used to demonstrate the application of the method and show its effectiveness.
DO RESPONSIBLE REAL ESTATE COMPANIES OUTPERFORM THEIR PEERS?
Authors: Cajias Marcelo , Fuerst Franz , McAllister Patrick , Nanda Anupam
Published: March 2014

This paper investigates the relationship between corporate social and environmental performance and financial performance for a sample of publicly traded US real estate companies. Using the MSCI ESG (formerly KLD) database on seven Environmental, Social & Governance dimensions in the 2003–2010 period, and weighting the dimensions according to prominence in the real estate sector, we model Tobin's Q and annual total return in a panel data framework. The results indicate a positive relationship between ESG rating and Tobin's Q but this effect is driven by ESG concerns rather than strengths. Consistently across all model specifications, overall ESG ratings are associated with lower returns. Negative scores appear to result in higher returns, at least in the short run, but positive scores have no significant impact on returns.
RENOVATION PRIORITY RANKING BY MULTI-CRITERIA ASSESSMENT OF ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE: THE CASE OF CASTLES
Authors: Vodopivec Barbara , Žarnić Roko , Tamošaitienė Jolanta , Lazauskas Marius , Šelih Jana
Published: March 2014

Preservation of cultural heritage is related with high costs and required interventions generally exceed available funding. It is, therefore, necessary to prioritise renovation interventions. Multi-criteria assessment can lead to scientifically sound and informed decisions about interventions. The paper presents the results of research carried out with the purpose of establishing a multi-criteria method for the assessment of architectural heritage, specifically for castles in Slovenia. It explains the methodology used to develop the multi-criteria method. Its main elements are critical content analysis of relevant literature, comparative analysis between the Slovenian and international space, and identification of relevant criteria and sub-criteria of the decision method. The course and results of empirical research, based on interviews with selected experts, is presented together with the results of the criteria importance ranking based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. The research presented in this paper is interdisciplinary and brings together tangible and intangible aspects of cultural heritage. The obtained results confirm that rational determination of relative importance of individual criteria for the assessment of architectural heritage can help decision-makers to identify buildings with higher refurbishment priority.
Évaluer la santé sociale des régions françaises : entre enjeux économiques, épistémologiques et politiques
Authors: Jany-Catrice Florence , Marlier Grégory
Published: March 2014

Dans cet article sont analysées les conditions sociopolitiques d’émergence et d’institutionnalisation de nouveaux indicateurs de richesse et de bien-être sur les territoires. L’article prend appui sur une expérimentation régionale française ayant permis la production d’un indicateur composite de santé sociale appliqué à l’ensemble des régions. Les dimensions de la multi-dimensionnalité de cette santé sociale sont présentées. Est ensuite testée la sensibilité de l’indicateur composite au choix des pondérations. Enfin, les usages possibles de cet indicateur social sont interrogés : combiné à une dimension économique, permettrait-il d’infléchir des politiques économiques et sociales, par exemple, les politiques de fonds structurels européens ?
L'économie résidentielle en Suisse : une approche par les emplois
Authors: Segessemann Alain , Crevoisier Olivier
Published: March 2014

L’économie résidentielle renouvelle la compréhension de la croissance et du développement. Jusqu’à présent, l’attention est largement orientée sur les emplois qui exportent en dehors de la région avec l’idée que d’autres emplois seront induits par la dépense de ce revenu sur place. Aujourd’hui pourtant, l’importance des revenus de transfert issus de la redistribution étatique, de la mobilité des ménages, des rentes de retraite et du tourisme génèrent de nouveaux emplois de service et montrent que cette approche traditionnelle est incomplète. L’économie résidentielle apparaît comme une nouvelle voie à explorer pour analyser la diversité des modalités de développement local. La contribution proposée ici introduit différentes théories de l’économie résidentielle et livre une première caractérisation de son importance en Suisse à partir des statistiques de l’emploi. Différents types d’espaces économiques sont identifiés et cartographiés.
La variété des coûts de congestion routière. Le cas du boulevard Périphérique parisien
Authors: Koning Martin
Published: March 2014

Cet article a pour buts d’estimer les pertes de bien-être imputables à l’externalité de congestion sur le boulevard Périphérique parisien (BPP) et d’illustrer les divergences marquant l’étude de cette « défaillance de marché ». Ce travail est rendu possible grâce à l’exploitation d’une riche base de données sur l’utilisation du BPP en 2000 et en 2007. Le coût « économique » de la congestion sur le BPP atteignait 130 M euros en 2007, soit une légère augmentation par rapport à 2000 (+6 %). Alors qu’elles représentent 8 % des kilomètres parcourus sur le BPP, les classes de vitesse inférieures à 20 km/h concentrent 70 % des pertes. Nous discutons une grille de tarification optimale de la congestion pour le BPP et nous montrons que les approches « non économiques » de l’externalité surestiment, du simple au triple, les pertes liées au manque de coordination des voyageurs.
Risk Communication Methods and Participatory Approaches
Authors: Guzzo Tiziana , Grifoni Patrizia , Ferri Fernando
Published: March 2014

The chapter provides an overview of the main methods, tools, and actions of risk communication used in the different phases of risk governance, analyzing their advantages and disadvantages. A practical case study carried out in Italy shows an application of some of these methods, comparing data before and after communication actions. Finally, a discussion for future challenges on risk communication is introduced. It underlines the need to improve the link between communication, consultation, and participation, enhancing the citizens' knowledge and mutual learning by applying the new social media.
A Flexible Bio-Signal Based HMI for Hands-Free Control of an Electric Powered Wheelchair
Authors: Rechy-Ramirez Ericka Janet , Hu Huosheng
Published: March 2014

This paper presents a bio-signal based human machine interface (HMI) for hands-free control of an electric powered wheelchair. In this novel HMI, an Emotive EPOC sensor is deployed to detect facial expressions and head movements of users, which are then recognized and converted to four uni-modal control modes and two bi-modal control modes to operate the wheelchair. Nine facial expressions and up-down head movements have been defined and tested, so that users can select some of these facial expressions and head movements to form the six control commands. The proposed HMI is user-friendly and allows users to select one of available control modes according to their comfort. Experiments are conducted to show the feasibility and performance of the proposed HMI.
Significant Enhancement of Object Recognition Efficiency Using Human Cognition based Decision Clustering
Authors: Kumar Upendra , Lahiri Tapobrata
Published: March 2014

It is well known that human can recognize object-pattern better using its temporal description. In this paper both theoretical study and experiments were performed to translate this cognition principle into mathematical formula. In the implementation phase we considered breaking up of temporal data of human face into an assembly of time series data for each of which we obtained a decision as output of the chosen classifier. An assembly of decisions was thus resulted for a single temporal input data which was further judiciously clustered to obtain the final decision. Interestingly, the work also showed that the successive order of the time series data was not needed to be maintained; rather an assembly of randomly chosen multiple test data was important to obtain quite significant level of enhancement of classification accuracy. Thus, it gives new interpretation on temporal data based human cognition. The work also indicated that augmentation of this method with any classifier including those which used decision clustering tree, might yield quite a significant enhancement of recognition efficiency.
Assessing Jordan's e-Government Maturity Level
Authors: Al-Yaseen Hussein , Al-Soud Anas Ratib , Al-Jaghoub Saheer
Published: March 2014

Similar to other developing countries, Jordan started a national e-government initiative aiming to streamline government procedures and make information and government services available to business and citizens online. This paper presents the results of a study that assessed factors which could influence the awareness level, acceptance and use of e-government services in Jordan. It investigated issues such as: accessibility of e-government, citizen's attitude toward various privacy and security, the required services and costs. A survey has been distributed in one of the largest governorates of Jordan. The results of this preliminary study suggest that awareness of e-government has not reached the required level. These findings are hoped to be useful for researchers, practitioners and policy makers.
Exploring Importance of Environmental Factors for Adoption of Knowledge Management Systems in Saudi Arabian Public Sector Organisations
Authors: Alatawi Fatmah M. H. , Williams Michael D. , Dwivedi Yogesh K.
Published: March 2014

This research aimed to examine importance and influence of environmental factors (mainly from institutional theory perspective) on adoption of KMS in the context of Saudi Arabian public sector. Data collected from a survey of 352 employees from various public sector organisations, was utilised to perform a number of analyses which led to illustrate that the coercive pressure not just directly affects behavioural intention but also exert indirect effect on it via mimetic pressure construct. Coercive pressure along with normative pressure and external IS support determines the strength of mimetic pressure. Findings also indicate that mimetic pressure along with coercive pressure significantly influences behavioural intention to adopt KMS in Saudi Arabian public sector organisations. The paper also outlines contribution, limitations and future research directions emerging from this research.
e-Government Adoptions in Developing Countries
Authors: Rajapakse Jayantha
Published: March 2014

This paper presents a set of lessons learned from the adoption of an e-Government initiative in Sri Lanka. The case study presented in the paper is the e-Pensions project of the e-government initiative of the Government of Sri Lanka called “e-SriLanka”. This is one of the first World Bank projects designed to bring Information Communication Technology (ICT) to every village, citizen, and business, and transform the way the government thinks and works. A set of lessons related to leadership, hidden cost, BPR, group dynamics, data migration, language issues, bureaucracy, training, change management, project governance, staff turnover and transitional projects were identified. While some of these lessons have been identified in the previous literature five such lessons have not been discussed previously. Those are transitional projects, language issues relating to software development processes, group dynamics, planning for data migration and staff turnover. Moreover, the study further revealed some interrelationship among these factors eg., how transitional projects can positively impact training and change management. Thus, these new insights relating to e-Government adoptions will shed some light into new e-government initiatives in developing countries with similar environments to Sri Lanka. Additionally, these new factors will contribute to enhancing e-Government adoption models.
Vision-Based Human Face Recognition Using Extended Principal Component Analysis
Authors: Saif A. F. M. Saifuddin , Prabuwono Anton Satria , Mahayuddin Zainal Rasyid , Mantoro Teddy
Published: March 2014

Face recognition has been used in various applications where personal identification is required. Other methods of person's identification and verification such as iris scan and finger print scan require high quality and costly equipment. The objective of this research is to present an extended principal component analysis model to recognize a person by comparing the characteristics of the face to those of new individuals for different dimension of face image. The main focus of this research is on frontal two dimensional images that are taken in a controlled environment i.e. the illumination and the background is constant. This research requires a normal camera giving a 2-D frontal image of the person that will be used for the process of the human face recognition. An Extended Principal Component Analysis (EPCA) technique has been used in the proposed model of face recognition. Based on the experimental results it is expected that proposed the EPCA performs well for different face images when a huge number of training images increases computation complexity in the database.