bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Land Reform and the Principle of Legal Certainty: The Practice of the Supreme Court of Estonia in 1918–1933
Authors: Visnapuu Karin
Published: November 2018

In the early years of the 20th century, the land-ownership and societal structure in many Eastern and some Central European countries displayed remnants of feudalism. Land distribution was dominated by large estates (manors) owned by feudal lords. Since this relic from the age of serfdom was not in line with modern values at all, land reforms were carried out in these countries after World War I. Estonia was no exception: once it gained its independence on 24 February 1918, the main task was to build a modern democratic state that was in accordance with the principle of rule of law. However, the process of land reform itself became a legal challenge to this principle. Today, legal certainty is an important part of the principle of rule of law. Even though legal certainty was not written expressis verbis in contemporary legal acts, it was still considered to be an important principle and it was necessary to follow it. The sterling basis of the land reform was considered to be the Land Law act but the act itself had many drawbacks, which were not resolved even with the respective implementation acts. For this reason, the main task of the Estonian courts became interpretation of the legal norms and forming of the substance of Estonian land reform with their practice. The paper describes how precisely land reform became a challenge to the principle of rule of law in the example of legal certainty, identifies the main problems found in the legislation of Estonian land reform, and articulates how the Estonian Supreme Court solved thus problems.
Tasks and Responsibilities of an Employer in a Digital Age: How to Comply with the Applicable Requirements for Work Conditions
Authors: Tavits Gaabriel
Published: November 2018

New forms of employment are not in line with the assumptions or terms of the labour-law rules that are in force today. In these cases, the employer has to employ different protection mechanisms in practice. If the necessary protection is to be guaranteed, there is still a need to follow work- and rest-time rules, occupational health and safety rules, etc., yet all those obligations are connected to the workplace. Because new forms of employment, however, are usually not connected to a concrete workplace, applying all of the necessary protection mechanisms is growing more complicated, particularly when the laws and regulation are out of step with technological and other development of society. In addition, difficulties arise in connection with assessment of the quality of the work done. The article examines these issues, the roles of the employer and employee in emergent forms of work, and mechanisms that represent possibilities for the future.
Audit Services and Requirements of International Standards of Auditing
Authors: Лосева Н. , Loseva N.
Published: November 2018

the article examines Russian legislation and regulatory documents regulating the types of audit services, as well as the structure of the Collection of Standards issued by the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB), the provisions of international auditing standards.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND FOR THE INCLUSIVE EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT
Authors: Сябрюк Надежда , Syabryuk Nadezhda
Published: November 2018

This article analyzes the historical background of the inclusive education system. Important aspects of the development of the social sphere are noted, the importance of providing equal rights and opportunities for all the participants of educational discourse, considering their individual needs and physical limitations. It describes the main approaches to the organization of the educational process for children with physical and mental health disorders, preceding the modern model of inclusive education. The article analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of the previous models of teaching children with disabilities, and also points out the current attitude of the state to the problem of teaching for children with disabilities
The role of fetal movement counting and ‘kick charts’ to reduce stillbirths in pregnancies ≥28 weeks’ gestation
Authors: Callaghan Shauna
Published: November 2018

Background

Stillbirths represent a significant global issue, with 2.6 million cases reported in 2015. Stillbirths are often unexplained and preceded by changes in fetal movement patterns. Fetal movement counting methods may be used to monitor maternally perceived fetal movement to identify pregnancies at increased risk.

Aims

This article reports on an in-depth, evidence-based practice review conducted to investigate the relationship between fetal movement counting and stillbirth rates.

Methods

A comprehensive search of online databases was undertaken to identify relevant literature using keywords. The results were then appraised.

Findings

Although a lack of conclusive evidence exists to support or refute the routine implementation of fetal movement counting to reduce stillbirth, indirect evidence suggests that increased maternal and professional awareness of fetal movement may assist in reducing stillbirth rates.

Conclusions

Further research is required to develop an appropriate definition of reduced fetal movement, and to determine the potential implications of fetal movement counting as a diagnostic screening tool to reduce stillbirths.
Enhancing Critical Thinking in Malaysian Primary School Students through PLS Method
Authors: Sasi Abolfazl Shirban
Published: November 2018

Pictologics (PLS) is a language teaching method which relies on imaginative usage of pictures. The current paper reports the effects of applying this method on enhancing critical thinking ability of the Malaysian students. 69 students (32 boys & 37 girls) in two classes in a public primary school in Penang, Malaysia participated in this study. The experiment covered ten 1-hour sessions which were all audio-recorded and video-taped. The main objective was to engage the students in short conversations in English by using new words that they were learning via PLS. The following qualitative instruments were employed in this study: interviews with the teachers, focus group interviews with the students, a group interview with students’ parents, class check-list of the students’ behavior during the sessions, photos, and video footages. The findings reveal significant patterns of critical thinking among the students such as recognizing and criticizing assumptions, giving reasons to support a conclusion, incorporating isolated data into a wider framework, and using analogies to solve problems. The author strongly recommends application of adopted PLS techniques to be used either alone, or combined with the other conventional language teaching methods.
Total hip arthroplasty through an anterior approach
Authors: Kyriakopoulos Georgios , Poultsides Lazaros , Christofilopoulos Panayiotis
Published: November 2018

Total hip arthroplasty through an anterior approach has been increasing in popularity amongst surgeons and patients. Anterior approach hip arthroplasty seems to offer improved early outcomes in terms of pain, rehabilitation and length of stay. No difference in long-term outcomes has been shown between anterior and posterior or lateral approaches. Proper formal training, utilization of fluoroscopy and adequate experience can mitigate risks of complications and improve early and medium-term outcomes.

Cite this article: EFORT Open Rev 2018;3:574-583. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.3.180023.
Does Cognition Still Matter in Ethnobiology?
Authors: Ludwig David
Published: November 2018

Ethnobiology has become increasingly concerned with applied and normative questions about biocultural diversity and the livelihoods of local communities. While this development has created new opportunities for connecting ethnobiological research with ecological and social sciences, it also raises questions about the role of cognitive perspectives in current ethnobiology. In fact, there are clear signs of institutional separation as research on folkbiological cognition has increasingly found its home in the cognitive science community, weakening its ties to institutionalized ethnobiology. Rather than accepting this separation as inevitable disciplinary specialization, this short perspective article argues for a systemic perspective that addresses mutual influences and causal entanglement of cognitive and non-cognitive factors in socio-ecological dynamics. Such an integrative perspective requires a new conversation about cognition in ethnobiology beyond traditional polarization around issues of cognitive universals and cultural relativity.
Value Isn't Everything
Authors: Foster John Bellamy , Burkett Paul
Published: November 2018

The rapid advances in Marxian ecology in the last two decades have given rise to extensive debates within the left, reflecting competing conceptions of theory and practice in an age of planetary ecological and social crisis. One key area of dispute is the attempt by a growing number of radical environmental thinkers to deconstruct the labor theory of value in order to bring everything in existence within a single commodity logic. For many in Green circles, Karl Marx and a long tradition of Marxian theorists are to be faulted for not directly incorporating the expenditure of physical work/energy by extra-human nature into the theory of value. In response, this article argues that any form of analysis that seeks to eliminate the deep-seated dialectical contradictions between the natural form and the value form, as well as between the capitalist economy and the larger socioecological metabolism, fails to comprehend the complex, interdependent dialectics of nature and humanity.
Illocution on Speech Acts of Foreign Students in Indonesian Learning
Authors: Tri Budiasih Latifah
Published: November 2018

This research discusses illocution on speech acts of foreign students in Indonesian Language learning. Illocution is a speech that shows the state of language relating to the situation in general and aims to express something from the speaker to the partner. This research aims to describe the forms of illocution done by the Indonesian Language students. This is a qualitative study. Observation, interviews, and documentation methods are used to collect data. The data are the utterances containing illocutionary force (assertive, declaration, directives, commissive, and expressive) in learning activities. The data source in this research is the speech acts of a foreign student in Indonesian Language learning.
Miejsca obrzędowe ludności kultury łużyckiej i kultury przeworskiej na Kujawach. Część I. Przegląd źródeł
Authors: Cofta-Broniewska Aleksandra
Published: November 2018

The article is aimed at presentation of archaeological evidence from Kujavia in relation to reconstruction of religious sphere of the Lusatian and Przeworsk culture communities. In particular, the article explores various features along with their cultural and functional context as well as their natural environment. They are significantly supplemented by accompanying artifacts, which shed some light onto the past customs. Presented cultural facts refer both to the earthly life as well as to the posthumous existence. Additionally, available archaeological evidence contributes to better understanding of various rules responsible for selection of the sacred places and their layout as well as use of various ritual norms in the consecutive periods. The available evidence contributes also to the recognition of the far-reaching contacts between local communities and foreign groups and their mutual relationships.
Manowce polskiej egiptologii XIX wieku. II. Szczęsny Morawski i jego „studia” nad starożytnym Egiptem
Authors: Kaczmarek Hieronim
Published: November 2018

The article is a part of larger publication under preparation, which is intended to address acquaintance with ancient Egypt in Poland at the beginning of the 20,h century. In particular, it presents ‘research attempts’ of Szczęsny Morawski (1881-1898) concerning a supposed Phoenician genesis of the Slavs and the Egyptian-Phoenician occupation of the Polish lands in antiquity.
Michał Kuściński - pierwszy badacz Gniezdowa
Authors: Blombergowa Maria Magdalena
Published: November 2018

The paper presents achievements of Michał Kuściński - the 19 th century antiquarian and meritorious investigator of B yelorussia. Kuściński has initiated regular archaeological excavations o f the Medieval mound cemetery at Gniezdowo, near Smoleńsk. In archaeological literature on history of the Slavs, this site is quoted as one of the most significant places.
Ziemiański mecenat archeologiczny w Wielkim Księstwie Poznańskim: Adolf Skarbek-Małczewski (1813-1887) z Kruchowa koło Trzemeszna, odkrywca słynnego aquamanile
Authors: Fogel Jerzy
Published: November 2018

A name of Adolf Skarbek-Malczewski brings back a discovery of the famous Roman aquamanile in his estate at Kruchowo near Trzemeszno in 1852. The article provides a detailed account on numerous field works by A. Malczewski, their repercussions in a subject literature along with significant museological enterprises of the period (the Warszawa exhibition in 1856/1857, the Kraków exhibition in 1858/1859). This part is followed by an attempt to reconstruct a private archaeological collection of A. Skarbek-Malczewski.
The Kleczew enclave of the Kujavian long barrows. An overview
Authors: Gorczyca Krzysztof
Published: November 2018

The article is aimed at general overview o f the long barrows o f the Funnel Beaker Culture discovered in the Kleczew vicinity, Konin district. These tombs are largely destroyed and thus presented analysis is mostly based upon archive materials. According to accounts from the early half of the 19th century, there were 150 tombs in this area. Only 22 of them can be localised at present.
Production of Methanol as a Fuel Energy from CO2 Present in Polluted Seawater - A Photocatalytic Outlook
Authors: Kavil Yasar N , Shaban Yasser A , Orif Mohammad I , Al-Farawati Radwan , Zobidi Mousa , Khan Sahed U M
Published: November 2018

The production of methanol by photocatalytic reduction of the CO2 present in the different polluted seawater systems was explored using P–25, C/TiO2, and Cu-C/TiO2 under both UV and sunlight. Both C/TiO2 and Cu-C/TiO2 were synthesized by the sonicated sol-gel method. The prepared photocatalyst demonstrated maximum efficiency when the dosage of photocatalysts was 1g/L and the doping level was 3wt% of copper. The maximum methanol yields of two observed polluted seawater systems were 2910 μmol/g and 2250 μmol/g after 5 hour illumination of UV light. However, the 5 hour natural sunlight illumination generated the yield of 990 μmol/g and 910 μmol/g of methanol. The observed results demonstrated that band gap narrowing of the photocatalyst by carbon modification and the restriction of electron-hole pair combination by copper doping both greatly enhanced the photocatalytic reduction of CO2 to methanol under both UV and natural sunlight.
Chemistry: The Driving Force for Emerging Technologies
Authors: Droescher Michael
Published: November 2018

In June 2017, the World Economic Forum published their choice of the top 10 emerging technologies of 2017 [1]. As a chemist who has spent his life in basic and applied research and also many years in innovation and foresight activities, I wanted to know how much chemistry is needed in the future. My first reading of the paper surprised me and made me wonder. Why is chemistry only mentioned once, and then only as an application? So I looked deeper for chemical contributions in the various technologies, and will report in detail here what I found. Direct quotes from the original article [1] are indicated by quotation marks. Illustrations from the original article are used with permission from the World Economic Forum.
Preprints and Scholarly Communication in Chemistry: A look at ChemRxiv
Authors: Lawlor Bonnie
Published: November 2018

In August 2016, the American Chemical Society (ACS) announced its plans to develop a chemistry preprint service, and that it was seeking collaborators as well as input from all stakeholders to ensure that the service met the needs of the chemical community [1]. A year later, nearly to the day, on 14 August 2017, the ACS and its collaborative partners, the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and the German Chemical Society (GDCh), launched the beta version of ChemRxiv (pronounced ‘chem-archive’), as a non-profit, free service for chemists around the globe. All three partners are supplying financial support. But why chemistry and why now, more than a quarter of a century after the first preprint server, arXiv, was launched to serve the fields of physics, mathematics, astronomy, and computer science? (Coincidentally, arXiv was also launched on August 14th) [2]. To answer these questions, I spoke with Dr. Darla Henderson, ACS’ Assistant Director of Open Access Programs, who brought me up-to-date on the status of ChemRxiv as it approached its first birthday.
A corpus-based study of the Chinese synonymous approximativesshangxia, qianhouandzuoyou
Authors: Wu Shuqiong
Published: November 2018

The Chinese antonymous compoundsshangxia‘up-down’,qianhou‘front-back’ andzuoyou‘left-right’ can convey similar meanings as approximatives, indicating ‘about’ or ‘around’. Based on data from the CCL (Centre for Chinese Linguistics) corpus and adopting a behavioral profile (BP) approach, this study investigates the semantic and usage differences between the three approximatives. The corpus analysis yields the following findings. First, the most frequently used of the three approximatives iszuoyou, followed byqianhouandshangxia, in that order. Second,qianhoumainly approximates time;zuoyouapproximates quantity; andshangxia, age. Third, in approximating age, time and quantity, the three approximatives exhibit subtle behavioral preferences. Based on these corpus findings, I discuss the motivations underlying the similarities and differences between the three synonyms. I argue that their similarities are explained by the metaphor QUANTIFICATION IS SPACE and their differences are explained by the different kinds of quantification they are used to approximate.
This is not the same: the ambiguity of a Gothic adjective
Authors: Ratkus Artūras
Published: November 2018

In line with the traditional pronouncement that the weak (definite) forms of adjectives in Germanic follow the definite determiner, the Gothic weak-only adjectivesama‘the same’ (no indefinite form *sams, with the strong inflection-s, occurs) is determined (sa sama‘the same’) in the majority of its attestations. However, contrary to the traditional description, occasionally it also occurs on its own, without a determiner. An examination of the syntactic distribution of the adjective and a comparison of the Gothic translation of the Bible with the Greek and Latin texts uncover a double semantic nature ofsama. Specifically, when determined,samaconveys a definite/particularising force of ‘the same’. In the absence of the determiner, however, it conveys the semantic value of ‘one; of one kind’. The results of this investigation contribute to our understanding of the conditions that govern the distribution of strong vs. weak adjective inflections in early Germanic. In particular, they confirm the contention that the occurrence of the weak form of the adjective is not simply a matter of whether or not a definite determiner precedes it. Instead, the definite value of the adjective inflection is realised cumulatively (periphrastically), via the co-occurrence of the definite determiner and the weak adjective inflection.
Characterization of Non-Target-Site Mechanisms in Imidazolinone-Resistant Sunflower by RNA-seq
Authors: Gil Mercedes , Vega Tatiana , Felitti Silvina , Picardi Liliana , Balzergue Sandrine , Nestares Graciela
Published: November 2018

Imisun sunflowers (Helianthus annuus L.) are imidazolinone-resistant cultivars in which the two mechanisms of herbicide resistance coexist: (i) mutation in herbicide target-site (target-site resistance) and (ii) non-target-site resistance (NTSR). In Imisun technology, NTSR could be related to herbicide metabolism and might occur as a result of a constitutive up-regulation of resistance genes, or it can appear only after herbicide treatment. The objective of this study was to characterize NTSR in Imisun sunflower in response to imazethapyr using RNA-Seq and to determine whether these mechanisms are constitutive or herbicide-induced. Cypsels were germinated in plastic pots, watered by capillarity and growth in chamber under controlled conditions. Seven-day-old plants were treated with 0 (control) and 1 μM imazethapyr for 12 h. After leaf RNA purification, stranded, paired-end cDNA libraries were constructed. Sequencing was performed with Illumina HiSeq2000. Local mapping, with and without multihits, was carried out over the reference transcriptome HaT13l and differential expression was analysed. Sixty one and 47 contigs (according to mapping strategy) related to xenobiotic metabolism were found: cytochromes P450s, ABC transporters, glycosyltransferases, UDPglucuronosyl/glucosyltransferases and glutathione S-transferases. None of these contigs showed differential expression between control and imazethapyr-treated plants. Seventeen interesting contigs were verified by qRT-PCR. These results suggest that constitutive NTSR mechanisms may account for imidazolinone resistance in Imisun sunflower.
Optimal Scheduling and Economic Analysis of Hybrid Electric Vehicles in a Microgrid
Authors: Savari George Fernandez , Krishnasamy Vijayakumar , Guerrero Josep M.
Published: November 2018

A projected high penetration of electric vehicles (EVs) in the electricity market will introduce an additional load in the grid. The foremost concern of EV owners is to reduce charging expenditure during real-time pricing. This paper presents an optimal charging schedule of the electric vehicle with the objective to minimize the charging cost and charging time. The allocation of EVs should satisfy constraints related to charging stations (CSs) status. The results obtained are compared with the two conventional algorithms and other charging algorithms: Arrival time-based priority algorithm (ATP) and SOC based priority algorithm (SPB), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Shuffled Frog Leaping Algorithm (SFLA). Also, the CS is powered by the main grid and the microgrid available in the CSs. The EVs charging schedule and the economic analysis is done for two cases: (i) With Grid only (ii) With Combined Grid & microgrid. The load shifting of EVs is done based on the grid pricing and the results obtained are compared with the other cases mentioned.
Detection of iron and iron-cobalt labeled cellulose nanofibrils using ICP-OES and XµCT
Authors: Turpeinen Tuomas , Lappalainen Timo , Kenttä Eija , Torvinen Katariina
Published: November 2018

When studying the properties of cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) enriched fiber products, it is essential to be able to determine the retention and the spatial distribution of the CNF inside the end-product. That is, to determine how much and where the CNF has been attached. As the CNF and cellulose fibers share the same density and chemical composition, labeling of the CNF is required to distinguish them from each other. In this work, we have applied iron and iron-cobalt -labeling. Labeling with iron is more desirable because of the carcinogenic and toxic properties of cobalt chloride. The benefits of our labeling method are the possibility to determine the retention of the labeled nanocellulose using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), and to define the spatial distribution using X-ray micro-computed tomographic (XμCT). With XμCT we were able to measure fairly large samples (2 cm × 5 cm × 5 cm). Our study found that the retention of iron-labeled CNF was about 95 % and that of iron-cobalt labeled CNF was 84–94 %. Labeling of CNF improves the contrast of X-ray images. Labeled CNF is attached to fiber network also in the inner structures of the sample. Furthermore, when making thick porous structures using cationic starch, there might be agglomerates in the sample that cannot be visually detected by looking the sample.
Effect of nanoparticles on the expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinases
Authors: Matysiak-Kucharek Magdalena , Czajka Magdalena , Sawicki Krzysztof , Kruszewski Marcin , Kapka-Skrzypczak Lucyna
Published: November 2018

Matrix metallopeptidases, commonly known as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), are a group of proteolytic enzymes whose main function is the remodeling of the extracellular matrix. Changes in the activity of these enzymes are observed in many pathological states, including cancer metastases. An increasing body of evidence indicates that nanoparticles (NPs) can lead to the deregulation of MMP expression and/or activity both in vitro and in vivo. In this work, we summarized the current state of knowledge on the impact of NPs on MMPs. The literature analysis showed that the impact of NPs on MMP expression and/or activity is inconclusive. NPs exhibit both stimulating and inhibitory effects, which might be dependent on multiple factors, such as NP size and coating or a cellular model used in the research.
Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy: The technique and its applications in soft matter
Authors: Gupta Anjali , Sankaran Jagadish , Wohland Thorsten
Published: November 2018

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) is a well-established single-molecule method used for the quantitative spatiotemporal analysis of dynamic processes in a wide range of samples. It possesses single-molecule sensitivity but provides ensemble averaged molecular parameters such as mobility, concentration, chemical reaction kinetics, photophysical properties and interaction properties. These parameters have been utilized to characterize a variety of soft matter systems. This review provides an overview of the basic principles of various FCS modalities, their instrumentation, data analysis, and the applications of FCS to soft matter systems.
Organophosphorus-selenium/tellurium reagents: from synthesis to applications
Authors: Hua Guoxiong , Woollins J. Derek
Published: November 2018

Organic selenium- and tellurium-phosphorus compounds have found wide application as reagents in synthetic inorganic and organic chemistry, such as oxygen/chalcogen exchange, oxidation/reduction, nucleophilic/electrophilic substitution, nucleophilic addition, free radical addition, Diels–Alder reaction, cycloadditions, coordination, and so on. This chapter covers the main classes of phosphorus-selenium/tellurium reagents, including binary phosphorus-selenium/tellurium species, organophosphorus(III)-selenium/tellurium compounds, phosphorus(V)-selenides/tellurides, diselenophosphinates/ditellurophopshinates, diselenaphosphetane diselenides, Woollins’ reagent, phosphorus-selenium/tellurium amides, and imides. Given the huge amount of literature up to mid-2017, this overview is inevitably selective and will focus particularly on their synthesis, reactivity, and applications in synthetic and coordination chemistry.
Effects of Brittleness on Crack Behaviors in Rock-Like Materials
Authors: Zhou X. P. , Bi J. , Deng R. S. , Li B.
Published: November 2018

The principal objective of this work is to understand the effects of brittleness on crack behaviors in rock, rock-like materials, and the underlying fracturing mechanisms. Brittleness, as one of the critical parameters of rock, significantly affects mechanical properties and fracturing behaviors. A better understanding of the effects of the brittleness on fracturing behaviors can lead to a more satisfactory characterization and assessment of the overall behaviors and performances of rock mass. In this study, experiments on rock-like materials with two parallel preexisting flaws are conducted to study the effects of brittleness, as well as the mechanical properties, crack initiation modes, crack coalescence types, and ultimate failure modes, on cracking behaviors of rock-like materials. We find that the content of the adhesive material’s polyamide and epoxy have a significant effect on the brittleness of rock-like materials that consist of sand, barite, epoxy, polyamide, and alcohol at different mass ratios. The brittleness of specimens decreases with increasing content of the cementing agents epoxy and polyamide. Seven types of crack initiation—wing crack, antiwing crack, coplanar secondary crack, oblique secondary crack, out-of-plane tensile crack, out-of-plane shear crack, and far-field crack—are observed in high-speed images of the ultimate failure crack morphology. Four types of crack coalescence are also identified: tension coalescence mode, shear coalescence mode, and the mixed mode including tension-shear coalescence mode and tension-shear-tension coalescence mode. A primary observation was that the ultimate failure mode is a transition from tension failure mode to tension-shear failure mode and shear failure mode, in sequence, and the rupture angle increases gradually with decreasing brittleness. Finally, the effects of the brittleness on the mechanical properties of rock-like materials, including the complete axial stress-strain curves, crack initiation stress ratio, and residual stress, are investigated in detail.
Effect of Rubber Incorporation on the Behavior of Pavement Cemented Mixtures under Cyclic Flexural Loading: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Farhan Ahmed Hilal , Dawson Andrew Robert , Thom Nicholas Howard
Published: November 2018

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of replacing natural aggregate with crumb rubber on the behavior of cement-stabilized crushed aggregate mixtures subjected to cyclic flexural loading. This behavior is evaluated in terms of fatigue life and resilient flexural modulus. The damage to the modified mixtures was also examined utilizing permanent deformation accumulation and degradation of resilient flexural modulus during a fatigue test. To ensure the same packing of aggregate mixture, the natural aggregate was replaced by waste tire rubber particles of similar gradation. Four volumetric replacement percentages (0 %, 15 %, 30 %, and 45 %) of the 6-mm fraction size were utilized. The results revealed that the inclusion of rubber improves the fatigue life of cement-stabilized aggregate mixtures and reduces the resilient flexural modulus. Damage investigation showed that the rubber has little effect on the degradability of the modulus during fatigue. However, more permanent deformation was accumulated after modification with crumb rubber. It was observed that the applied stress ratio affected the different phases of permanent deformation accumulation. It is suggested that the mechanism of fatigue improvement of rubberized mixtures occurs by delaying crack propagation and absorbing the energy during the microcracking stage.
Influence of the Load and Time Conditions on the Results of the Static Plate Load Test
Authors: Mackiewicz Piotr , Krawczyk Bartłomiej
Published: November 2018

In this article, the authors analyzed the influence of the loading time, magnitude, and loading approach (loading device type and weight) on the vertical displacements registered in the pavement subgrade static plate load test. The three-dimensional finite element method computational model was developed. Conducted numerical analyses were verified in field tests. Three layer systems of different stiffnesses were examined. The visco-plastic behavior of the subgrade was taken into account in the numerical computations as well as the reach and superposition of the deflection (displacements) basins at different loading configurations (loading device type and weight). Essential discrepancies in both the field measurement results and computation results were observed for different loading times and approaches at the same loading level of the plate. The ambiguity of the pavement subgrade static plate load test results interpretation due to different load-time test conditions was explained.
A hybrid SP-QPSO algorithm with parameter free adaptive penalty method for constrained global optimization problems
Authors: Fatemeh D B , Loo C K , Kanagaraj G , Ponnambalam S G
Published: November 2018

Most real-life optimization problems involve constraints which require a specialized mechanism to deal with them. The presence of constraints imposes additional challenges to the researchers motivated towards the development of new algorithm with efficient constraint handling mechanism. This paper attempts the suitability of newly developed hybrid algorithm, Shuffled Complex Evolution with Quantum Particle Swarm Optimization abbreviated as SP-QPSO, extended specifically designed for solving constrained optimization problems. The incorporation of adaptive penalty method guides the solutions to the feasible regions of the search space by computing the violation of each one. Further, the algorithm’s performance is improved by Centroidal Voronoi Tessellations method of point initialization promise to visit the entire search space. The effectiveness and the performance of SP-QPSO are examined by solving a broad set of ten benchmark functions and four engineering case study problems taken from the literature. The experimental results show that the hybrid version of SP-QPSO algorithm is not only overcome the shortcomings of the original algorithms but also outperformed most state-of-the-art algorithms, in terms of searching efficiency and computational time.
Development of TiO2 coated activated carbon foam as cooling pad for direct evaporative cooling system
Authors: Abd. Aziz Radhiyah , Kandasan Ramprabhu , Rosli Nurrina
Published: November 2018

This research aims to examine the property of the ceramic (TiO2) coated activated carbon foam (TiO2-ACF) as a cooling pad. Efficiency of direct evaporative cooling system mostly depends on the cooling pad and hence, the material used in the cooling pad plays a very vital role. Here, the TiO2-ACF pad is fabricated by dipping activated carbon foam into the slurry of TiO2 which has different loading mass. The physical property of the TiO2-ACF such as stability of the cooling pad under constant and vigorous flow of water, absorbability property and photocatalytic properties were analysed. It is concluded that TiO2-ACF cooling pad can be easily fabricated and have an excellent stability and absorbability property.
Comparison on cooling efficiency of cooling pad materials for evaporative cooling system
Authors: Abd. Aziz Radhiyah , Zamrud Nurul Farahin , Rosli Nurrina
Published: November 2018

This research aims to examine on cooling efficiency of different type natural based material as a cooling pad for evaporative cooling system. Efficiency of direct evaporative cooling system mostly depends on the cooling pad and hence, the material used in the cooling pad plays a very vital role. Here, two types of natural based materials (activated carbon foam and luffa pad) were selected to be used as cooling pad. Those materials pad are then fabricated to fit into the evaporative cooling setup. Temperature, and humidity are the most important data in this experimental analysis. The readings of these terms are taken for each type of cooling pad using data logger and also, the further calculations are done based on these readings. The material of the cooling pad and the air flow rate are varied to observe the effect on their cooling efficiency. From the analysis, the ACF cooling pad shows better cooling efficiency compared to that of luffa pad.
MECHANISMS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY: Anorexia nervosa and endocrinology: a clinical update
Authors: Støving René Klinkby
Published: November 2018

Anorexia nervosa is a syndrome, that is collections of symptoms, which is not defined by its etiology. The severe cases are intractable. The syndrome is associated with multiple, profound endocrine alterations which may be adaptive, reactive or etiologic. Adaptive changes potentially may be inappropriate in clinical settings such as inpatient intensive re-nutrition or in a setting with somatic comorbidity. Electrolyte levels must be closely monitored during the refeeding process, and the need for weight gain must be balanced against potentially fatal refeeding complications. An important focus of clinical research should be to identify biomarkers associated with different stages of weight loss and re-nutrition combined with psychometric data. Besides well-established peripheral endocrine actions, several hormones also are released directly to different brain areas, where they may exert behavioral and psychogenic actions that could offer therapeutic targets. We need reliable biomarkers for predicting outcome and to ensure safe re-nutrition, however, first of all we need them to explore the metabolism in anorexia nervosa to open new avenues with therapeutic targets. A breakthrough in our understanding and treatment of this whimsical disease remains. Considering this, the aim of the present review is to provide an updated overview of the many endocrine changes in a clinical perspective.
GnRH antagonist treatment of malignant adrenocortical tumors
Authors: Doroszko Milena , Chrusciel Marcin , Stelmaszewska Joanna , Slezak Tomasz , Anisimowicz Slawomir , Plöckinger Ursula , Quinkler Marcus , Bonomi Marco , Wolczynski Slawomir , Huhtaniemi Ilpo , Toppari Jorma , Rahman Nafis A
Published: November 2018

Aberrantly expressed G protein-coupled receptors in tumors are considered as potential therapeutic targets. We analyzed the expressions of receptors of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GNRHR), luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin (LHCGR) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSHR) in human adrenocortical carcinomas and assessed their response to GnRH antagonist therapy. We further studied the effects of the GnRH antagonist cetrorelix acetate (CTX) on cultured adrenocortical tumor (ACT) cells (mouse Cα1 and Y-1, and human H295R), andin vivoin transgenic mice (SV40 T-antigen expression under inhibin α promoter) bearingLhcgrandGnrhrin ACT. Both models were treated with control (CT), CTX, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) or CTX+hCG, and their growth and transcriptional changes were analyzed.In situhybridization and qPCR analysis of human adrenocortical carcinomas (n = 11–13) showed expression ofGNRHRin 54/73%,LHCGRin 77/100% andFSHRin 0%, respectively. CTX treatmentin vitrodecreased cell viability and proliferation, and increased caspase 3/7 activity in all treated cells.In vivo, CTX and CTX+hCG (but not hCG alone) decreased ACT weights and serum LH and progesterone concentrations. CTX treatment downregulated the tumor markersLhcgrandGata4. Upregulated genes includedGrb10,Rerg,NfatcandGnas, all recently found to be abundantly expressed in healthy adrenal vs ACT. Our data suggest that CTX treatment may improve the therapy of human adrenocortical carcinomas by direct action on GNRHR-positive cancer cells inducing apoptosis and/or reducing gonadotropin release, directing tumor cells towards a healthy adrenal gene expression profile.
KAT5 promotes invasion and metastasis through C-MYC stabilization in ATC
Authors: Wei Xi , Cai Shang , Boohaker Rebecca J , Fried Joshua , Li Ying , Hu Linfei , Pan Yi , Cheng Ruifen , Zhang Sheng , Tian Ye , Gao Ming , Xu Bo
Published: November 2018

Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is an aggressive cancer with poor clinical prognosis. However, mechanisms driving ATC aggressiveness is not well known. Components of the DNA damage response (DDR) are frequently found mutated or aberrantly expressed in ATC. The goal of this study is to establish the functional link between histone acetyltransferase lysine (K) acetyltransferase 5 (KAT5, a critical DDR protein) and ATC invasiveness using clinical, in vitro and in vivo models. We analyzed the expression of KAT5 by immunohistochemistry and assessed its relationship with metastasis and overall survival in 82 ATC patients. Using cellular models, we established functional connection of KAT5 expression and C-MYC stabilization. We then studied the impact of genetically modified KAT5 expression on ATC metastasis in nude mice. In clinical samples, there is a strong correlation of KAT5 expression with ATC metastasis (P = 0.0009) and overall survival (P = 0.0017). At the cellular level, upregulation of KAT5 significantly promotes thyroid cancer cell proliferation and invasion. We also find that KAT5 enhances the C-MYC protein level by inhibiting ubiquitin-mediated degradation. Further evidence reveals that KAT5 acetylates and stabilizes C-MYC. Finally, we prove that altered KAT5 expression influences ATC lung metastases in vivo. KAT5 promotes ATC invasion and metastases through stabilization of C-MYC, demonstrating it as a new biomarker and therapeutic target for ATC.
Pharmacological modulation of two melanocortin-5 receptors by MRAP2 proteins in zebrafish
Authors: Zhu Ming , Wang Meng , Chen Yijun , Zhang Chao
Published: November 2018

Melanocortin receptor accessory protein 2 (MRAP2) plays an important role in regulating melanocortin receptors. In zebrafish, MRAP2a and MRAP2b show distinct pharmacological effects on MC4R activity, but how MRAP2 protein regulates other zebrafish melanocortin receptors is barely studied. Zebrafish have two mc5r genes: mc5ra and mc5rb, it is still vague which one is the homologous isoform to the mammalian paralog. Here, we utilize synteny and phylogenetic analysis to demonstrate the evolutionary conservation of zebrafish MC5Ra and MC5Rb among different species. We also show that MRAP2a and MRAP2b could interact and regulate surface expression of two MC5R receptors. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) studies suggest that zebrafish MC5Rs could form homo- and heterodimers, which are suppressed by co-expression with MRAP2 proteins. In comparison with mammalian MC5R-MRAP2 system and different pharmacological effects of zMRAP2 protein on MC5Rs, zmc5ra is identified as the evolutionary homologous paralog to the mammals, and it is regulated by metabolic state in zebrafish brain region.
Gremlin, noggin, chordin and follistatin differentially modulate BMP-induced suppression of androgen secretion by bovine ovarian theca cells
Authors: Glister Claire , Regan Sheena L , Samir Moafaq , Knight Phil G
Published: November 2018

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are firmly implicated as intra-ovarian regulators of follicle function and steroidogenesis, but information is lacking regarding the regulation of BMP signalling by extracellular binding proteins co-expressed in the ovary. In this study, we compared the abilities of four BMP-binding proteins (gremlin, noggin, chordin, follistatin) to antagonize the action of four different BMPs (BMP2 BMP4, BMP6, BMP7) on LH-induced androstenedione secretion by bovine theca cells in primary culture. Expression of the four BMP-binding proteins and BMPs investigated here has previously been documented in bovine follicles. All four BMPs suppressed androstenedione secretion by >85%. Co-treatment with gremlin antagonized BMP2- and, less potently, BMP4-induced suppression of androgen secretion but did not affect responses to BMP6 and BMP7. Noggin antagonized the effects of three BMPs (rank order: BMP4 > BMP2 > BMP7) but did not affect the response to BMP6. Follistatin partially reversed the suppressive effects of BMP6 on androgen secretion but did not affect BMP2, BMP4 and BMP7 action. Chordin had no effect on the response to any of the four BMPs. BMP6 treatment upregulated thecal expression of GREM1, NOG, CHRD and SMAD6 mRNA whilst inhibiting expression of the four BMPs. Taken together with previous work documenting the intra-ovarian expression of different BMPs, BMP-binding proteins and signalling receptors, these observations reinforce the conclusion that extracellular binding proteins selectively modulate BMP-dependent alterations in thecal steroidogenesis. As such they likely constitute an important regulatory component of this and other intra-ovarian actions of BMPs.
The ERα membrane pool modulates the proliferation of pituitary tumours
Authors: Sosa Liliana del V , Petiti Juan P , Picech Florencia , Chumpen Sabrina , Nicola Juan P , Perez Pablo , De Paul Ana , Valdez-Taubas Javier , Gutierrez Silvina , Torres Alicia I
Published: November 2018

The molecular mechanisms underlying the ERα nuclear/cytoplasmic pool that modulates pituitary cell proliferation have been widely described, but it is still not clear how ERα is targeted to the plasma membrane. The aim of this study was to analyse ERα palmitoylation and the plasma membrane ERα (mERα) pool, and their participation in E2-triggered membrane-initiated signalling in normal and pituitary tumour cell growth. Cell cultures were prepared from anterior pituitaries of female Wistar rats and tumour GH3 cells, and treated with 10 nM of oestradiol (E2). The basal expression of ERα was higher in tumour GH3 than in normal pituitary cells. Full-length palmitoylated ERα was observed in normal and pituitary tumour cells, demonstrating that E2 stimulation increased both, ERα in plasma membrane and ERα and caveolin-1 interaction after short-term treatment. In addition, the Dhhc7 and Dhhc21 palmitoylases were negatively regulated after sustained stimulation of E2 for 3 h. Although the uptake of BrdU into the nucleus in normal pituitary cells was not modified by E2, a significant increase in the GH3 tumoural cell, as well as ERK1/2 activation, with this effect being mimicked by PPT, a selective antagonist of ERα. These proliferative effects were blocked by ICI 182780 and the global inhibitor of palmitoylation. These findings indicate that ERα palmitoylation modulated the mERα pool and consequently the ERK1/2 pathway, thereby contributing to pituitary tumour cell proliferation. These results suggest that the plasma membrane ERα pool might be related to the proliferative behaviour of prolactinoma and may be a marker of pituitary tumour growth.
Meiotic nondisjunction and sperm aneuploidy in humans
Authors: Ioannou Dimitrios , Fortun Jenny , Tempest Helen
Published: November 2018

Infertility is relatively common affecting approximately 1-in-6 couples. Although the genetic basis of infertility is increasingly being uncovered, the contribution of male infertility often remains unexplained. The leading cause of pregnancy loss and cognitive impairment in humans is chromosome aneuploidy. Sperm aneuploidy is routinely evaluated by fluorescence in-situ hybridization. The majority of studies have reported similar findings, namely: 1) all men produce aneuploid sperm; 2) certain chromosomes are more prone to undergo chromosome nondisjunction; 3) infertile men typically have significantly higher levels of sperm aneuploidy compared to controls; and 4) the level of aneuploidy is often correlated with the severity of the infertility. Despite this, sperm aneuploidy screening is rarely evaluated in the infertility clinic. Within recent years, there appears to be renewed interest in the clinical relevance of sperm aneuploidy. We shall examine the gender differences in meiosis between the sexes, and explore why less emphasis is placed on the paternal contribution to aneuploidy. Increased sperm aneuploidy is often perceived to be modest and not clinically relevant, compared to the female contribution. However, even small increases in sperm aneuploidy may impact fertility and IVF cycle outcomes. Evidence demonstrating the clinical relevance of sperm aneuploidy will be discussed, as well as some of the challenges precluding widespread clinical implementation. Technological developments that may lead to widespread clinical implementation will be discussed. Recommendations will be suggested for specific patient groups that may benefit from sperm aneuploidy screening and whether preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy should be discussed with these patients.