bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Invasive meningococcal disease: The new vaccination schedule
Authors: Leleux Jennie
Published: April 2016

Invasive meningococcal disease is a bacterial infection with serious consequences. Immunisation programmes can have a significant impact on the disease. Jennie Leleux explains the rationale for the vaccination programmes and considerations for practice

Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is a serious bacterial infection with a case-fatality rate of 5% in the UK. In 2014/15 there were 724 confirmed cases of IMD. The most common presentations of IMD are meningitis and septicaemia and the main causes in the UK are MenB, W and Y. In 2015, two new vaccination programmes were introduced to help combat these capsular groups: MenB for infants and MenACWY for teenagers/first-time university entrants. Immunisation programmes have previously had a significant impact on the incidence of MenC and it is hoped the new vaccination programmes will have the same effect. Practice nurses are vital for administering the vaccines and providing information on IMD for parents and children.
Vascular disease and foot assessment in diabetes
Authors: Burland Paul , Phillips Anne
Published: April 2016

Complications of peripheral arterial disease can occur at an early stage in people with diabetes. Paul Burland discusses the importance of foot assessments in patients with diabetes and the treatment options available for peripheral arterial disease

Wounds require an adequate blood supply to heal properly. In people with diabetes, blood supply can be compromised by peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and microvascular disease. PAD is a major cause of foot ulceration in people with diabetes. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence ( NICE, 2015a ) guidelines state that adults with diabetes should be assessed for evidence of limb ischaemia annually and whenever any new foot problems arise. Smoking is an important risk factor in PAD, and practice nurses can play a role in helping their patients with diabetes to understand the risk and provide support for them to stop smoking.
What primaries want?
Authors: Faux Karen
Published: April 2016

Government plans to impose deadlines on its acadamisation agenda have provoked controversy and mixed concerns. Karen Faux examines the sector's response.
Predictive Relationship between Humane Values of Adolescents Cyberbullying and Cyberbullying Sensibility
Authors: Dilmaç Bülent , Yurt Eyüp , Aydın Mustafa , Kaşarcı İsmail
Published: April 2016

Introduction. Cyberbullying has been more common than the traditional bullying in recent years. As with the traditional bullying, humane values likely to explain the reason why adolescents tend to bully via cyber-means. Cyber-bullying behaviors also reasoned by adolescent’s sensibility towards it. This study investigates the predictive relationships between humane values of adolescents, cyber-bullying and cyber-bullying sensibility.Method. The study consisted of a total 1743 participants from different middle schools in Istanbul, Konya, Mersin, Ordu and Bursa (Turkey). 963 of the participants were females and 780 were males. The study group was selected among adolescents studying at the above mentioned secondary schools by a random cluster sampling method. The study employed the “Humane Values Scale,” the “Cyberbullying Scale” and the “Cyberbullying Sensibility’’ scale. Predictive relationships between humane values of adolescents, cyberbullying and cyberbullying sensibility were analyzed with the “Structural Equivalence Model” by using the AMOS 19 computer program.Results. Results of the study revealed that each of the humane values like respect, being peaceful, friendship and responsibility are statistically meaningful predictors of cyberbullying sensibility. Besides it was seen that honesty and being peaceful are significant predictors of cyberbullying.Discussion and Conclusion. Rise in adolescents’ level of humane values has an important role in increasing sensitivity against cyberbullying. In this sense, a decrease can be observed in also the tendencies to cyberbullying of the adolescents whose sensitivity has increased. On the other hand the result shows that a rise in adolescents’ values of being peaceful will increase their tendencies of cyberbullying sensibility. It is estimated that a rise in adolescents’ values of friendship and responsibility will increase their cyberbullying sensibility.
Propiedades psicométricas y dimensionalidad de “The Flourishing Scale” en población hispanohablante
Authors: Pozo Muñoz Carmen , Garzón Umerenkova Angélica , Bretones Nieto Blanca , Ligia Charry Claudia
Published: April 2016

Introducción. El flujo o estado de flujo ha empezado a investigarse con estudiantes en cuanto a su relación con diversas variables académicas y motivacionales en diferentes entornos educativos. Esto conlleva la necesidad de más y mejores herramientas para la evaluación de este constructo en la población hispanohablante. El propósito de este estudio fue la validación de la versión en castellano de la Flourishing Scale (FS) en universitarios españoles y colombianos.Método. Formaron parte del estudio un total de 359 estudiantes, 152 de Bogotá (Colombia) y 207 de España, quienes respondieron a un cuestionario en línea. Se realizaron dos tipos de análisis estadísticos complementarios. Uno mediante el modelo Rasch, con el cual se analizó el ajuste de cada una de las preguntas, su dificultad y se estableció la adecuación del rango de la escala empleada en el cuestionario. El otro fue un análisis factorial confirmatorio con el cual se corroboró la dimensionalidad del constructo y su invarianza en las dos muestras empleadas mediante un análisis multigrupo.Resultados. Los resultados confirman la unidimensionalidad del constructo flujo medido con la FS, el cual fue invariante para las dos muestras. A través del modelo Rasch se obtuvieron buenos niveles de confiabilidad y evidencia de validez de la escala FS.Discusión. Las propiedades de la FS son satisfactorias, aunque puede ser recomendable la incorporación de nuevas preguntas con un mayor nivel de dificultad para personas con altos niveles de flujo. Finalmente, la reducción de la escala de respuesta a cuatro categorías podría aumentar la parsimonia de la escala y su funcionalidad.
REVISORES 2015
Authors: EJREP EJREP
Published: April 2016

REVISORES 2015
Eastern Sumbanese Bird Classification and Nomenclature: Additions and Revisions
Authors: Forth Gregory
Published: April 2016

Expanding on previously published research into folk classification of birds in the eastern part of the Indonesian island of Sumba, this article reports new information on bird categories and classification recorded by the author in 2015. New folk taxa are described and identified and scientific identifications for previously reported taxa are added or revised. Information on local bird classification from the Kambera region is compared with data recorded in the 1970s in the district of Rindi, and these are shown to reveal only minor differences. Employing Berlin’s well-known analytical scheme, the main features of the taxonomy are summarized and totals are enumerated for monotypic and polytypic folk-generics and both named and unnamed (covert) folk-intermediates. Additional information is provided concerning symbolic uses of bird categories, including bird names used as place names and local beliefs about nightjars (Camprimulgus spp.) which correspond to ideas encountered on the ethnozoologically better-known neighboring island of Flores.
The neighbouring effect of isosorbide and its epimers in their reactions with dimethyl carbonate
Authors: Aricò Fabio , Evaristo Serena , Tundo Pietro
Published: April 2016

The reactions of isosorbide and its epimers, isomannide and isoidide, with dimethyl carbonate have been herein investigated as easy access to bio-based products by a free-halogen chemistry approach. Isosorbide and its epimers show a different reactivity in bimolecular nucleophilic substitution with dimethyl carbonate (DMC). Carboxymethylation reaction was carried out in the presence of DMC and a weak base resulting in the high-yielding synthesis of dicarboxymethyl derivatives. Isomannide was the most reactive anhydro sugar due to the less sterically hindered exo position of the OH groups. On the other hand, methylation of isosorbide and its epimers, conducted in the presence of a strong base and DMC, showed the higher reactivity of the endo hydroxyl group, isoidide being the most reactive epimer. This result has been ascribed to the neighboring effect due to the combination of the oxygen in β-position and the intramolecular hydrogen bond within the anhydro sugar structure. Methylation reactions were also conducted in autoclave at high temperature with the amphoteric catalyst hydrotalcite using DMC as reagent and solvent. In this case, the reactivity of the epimers resulted quite differently with isosorbide being the most reactive reagent possibly as a result of the structure of hydrotalcite comprising of both acidic and basic sites. The neighboring effect was observed with good evidence in these methylation reactions.
Patentability potential of natural products for xerostomia treatment
Authors: Burci Lígia Moura , Barbosa Paula Bianca Dias , Da Silva Cristiane Bezerra , Zanin Sandra Maria Warumby , Miguel Obdulio Gomes , Dias Josiane de Fátima Gaspari , Miguel Marilis Dallarmi
Published: April 2016

Xerostomia is characterized as a symptom caused by hyposalivation, which can occur for reasons such as age, polypharmacy, radiation therapy, among others. Currently,few products are available for the treatment of xerostomia, which is a subject still underestimated by many health professionals. Thus, we searched patents applied and approved in Brazil on xerostomia, to verify the existing innovation involving natural products. We found 33 patents applied and approved in Brazil, many of them using acids derived from natural products such as sialologue agents. This significant number of patents demonstrates the relevance of the themeand the need for more studies involving the potential use of natural products to relieve symptoms.KeywordsXerostomia; Natural products and patents.
Periodontal inflammation induced by chronic ethanol consumption in ovariectomized rats
Authors: Alonso Juliana Madureira , De Souza Daniela Martins , Balducci Ivan , Da Rocha Rosilene Fernandes
Published: April 2016

The immune system plays an important role in the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases. The host may modulate periodontal inflammatory reactions and it determines variances in the individual susceptibility and in the periodontal disease progression speed. Osteoporosis and alcoholism are described as risk indicators of periodontal disease among the systemic acquired factors. Objective: The current study aims to analyze chronic alcohol consumption influence on induced periodontitis in rats presenting estrogen deficiency. Material and Methods: Sixty rats approximately 90 days old were used in the experiment; they were divided into two groups: correlated surgery (OVZ) or surgical ovariectomy simulation (SHAM). Each group was divided into three subgroups: (C) control diet, (A) ethanol containing 20% liquid diet and (I) par-fed control diet. Thirty days after castration the diet and the experimental periodontitis induction were kept for 56 days. Interproximal regions between the first and the second lower left molar and the respective contralateral site without periodontal disease induction were assessed for inflammatory features. Results: Hormone deficiency resulted in important inflammatory changes concerning the meaning of SHAM-C and OVZ-C. The ethanol diet has resulted in inflammatory changes to both groups SHAM-A and OVZ-A in the absence of periodontitis, with also greater severity when combined with ovariectomy. Conclusion: It was concluded that the association between estrogen deficiency and 20% ethanol was just relevant for sites without periodontitis disease induction, since it induces stronger severity in the inflammatory process in the presence of the inflammatory cells scattered in the conjunctive tissue and of the disorientation of periodontal ligament fibers. KeywordsAlcoholism; Osteoporosis; Ovariectomy; Periodontal disease.
Retention of class V restorations placed by dental students: a retrospective evaluation
Authors: Silva Úrsula Aparecida Escalero , Da Silva Emílie , Okida Ricardo , Sundefeld Maria , Fagundes Ticiane Cestari
Published: April 2016

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical performance of class V restorations made by undergraduate students and determine the factors that might influence retention of restorations. Material and Methods: A survey of the clinical records created between 2007 and 2009 was used to collect data on patients with dental restorations. The USPHS (United States Public Health Service) criteria were used to perform evaluations by direct clinical observation. Statistical analyses were performed using Fisher’s exact test, Chi-square test, and Logistic regression analysis. Results: Clinical records were analyzed, of which 282 (21.3%) described class V restorations performed on a total of 781 teeth. These patients were contacted, and 67 (23.76%) attended the clinic for assessment. Out of the 221 (28.3%) evaluated teeth, 37 restorations were replaced and 184 were analyzed. The logistic regression analysis showed that gingival bleeding index (GBI), decay-missing-filled teeth (DMFT) index, and pulpal protection influenced the retention of the restorations. The association tests demonstrated superiority of the composite resin over the glass ionomer cement with regard to retention, wear, and anatomical form. Conclusion: In this study, retention of cervical composite resin restorations was higher than that of the glass ionomer cement restorations when performed by undergraduate students.Key Words: Composite resins; Glass ionomer cements; Retrospective study.
Comparison of estimates using censored samples from Gompertz model: Bayesian, E-Bayesian, hierarchical Bayesian and empirical Bayesian schemes
Authors: Reyad Hesham , Younis Adil Mousa , Alkhedir Amal Alsir
Published: April 2016

This paper aims to introduce a comparative study for the E-Bayesian criteria with three various Bayesian approaches; Bayesian, hierarchical Bayesian and empirical Bayesian. This study is concerned to estimate the shape parameter and the hazard function of the Gompertz distribution based on type-II censoring. All estimators are obtained under symmetric loss function [squared error loss (SELF))] and three different asymmetric loss functions [quadratic loss function (QLF), entropy loss function (ELF) and LINEX loss function (LLF)]. Comparisons among all estimators are achieved in terms of mean square error (MSE) via Monte Carlo simulation.
Hepatoprotective activity of the methanolic leaf extract of Moringa oleifera (Lam) against chemically-induced Liver Toxicity
Authors: Mbagwu Herbert , Nsikan Etok , Emem Ekpo
Published: April 2016

Aim: Moringa oleifera commonly known as â€œmiracle plantâ€ possesses enormous nutritional and medicinal properties. It is used in traditional medicine in treating many ailments, including liver disorders. Though some works on hepatoprotective effects have been done (Mishra et al., 2011), the present study aims at evaluating the methanolic leaf extract (MLE) of Moringa oleifera harvested in Ewet Housing Estate in Uyo; AkwaIbom State in South-South Nigeria.Materials and Methods: The Carbon tetrachloride (CClâ‚„) model was employed throughout this investigation (Dongare et al., 2013). Briefly, thirty animals were randomly divided into six groups of five animals in each group. Group I served as normal control and was administered 10ml/kg normal saline. Group II was the toxic control and received 3 ml/kg of CClâ‚„. Group III served as the reference control and received 100mg/kg silymarin while groups IV, V and VI received 9, 18 and 27 mg/kg of MLE respectively. Phytochemical screening, acute toxicity tests as well as free radical scavenging effects using DPPH (in vitro) were also carried out.Results: Preliminary phytochemical tests revealed the presence of tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids, anthraquinones, saponins, terpenes, phlobatanins and cardiac glycosides. The acute toxicity investigations showed that MLE LDâ‚…â‚€ was 90 mg/kg. In the hepatoprotective studies, liver function tests (LFT) revealed a significant (p<0.05) protective effect when compared with silymarin. The histopathological studies also provided supportive evidence for the protective effects of MLE. The DPPH studies showed that MLE has antioxidant property.Conclusion: It can be concluded based on findings from this study that the MLE of Moringa oleifera possesses antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities in a dose-dependent manner and safe for oral administration.
Observing the interactive qualities of L2 instructional practices in ESL and FSL classrooms
Authors: Zuniga Michael , Simard Daphnée
Published: April 2016

Discourse features that promote the generation of interactionally modified input and output, such as negotiation for meaning, have been shown to significantly enhance second language acquisition. Research has also identified several characteristics of instructional practices that render them more or less propitious to the generation of these discourse features. While various classroom observation studies have successfully measured the communicative orientation of classroom environments, most of the indicators of interactivity analyzed in those studies were obtained through micro-level discourse analyses and not through macro-level analyses of task-related factors shown to directly influence the interactivity of instructional practices. Such a macro-level scale has potential practical implications for teachers and administrators seeking an efficient tool for assessing and improving the interactivity afforded by a given curriculum. The objective of the present study was therefore to develop macro-level scale to determine the extent to which teachers of French and English as a second language use interaction-friendly instructional practices. Using an observation scheme designed to code data on factors shown to influence interactivity, 63 hours of FSL and ESL classes from secondary schools in the Montreal area were observed and analyzed. Results indicate clear differences between the two groups. While both ESL and FSL classes were less teacher-centered than those observed in previous studies, they were still rated as not-very-interactive. Target language differences showed that the FSL classes were more teacher-centered and characterized by fewer interaction-friendly tasks and activities than the ESL classes. Task characteristics, reasons for ESL and FSL differences and recommendations for improvement are discussed.
A-priori bounds and existence for solutions of weighted elliptic equations with a convection term
Authors: Ho Ky , Sim Inbo
Published: April 2016

We investigate weighted elliptic equations containing a convection term with variable exponents that are subject to Dirichlet or Neumann boundary condition. By employing the De Giorgi iteration and a localization method, we give a-priori bounds for solutions to these problems. The existence of solutions is also established using Brezis’ theorem for pseudomonotone operators.
Intrinsic decay rates for the energy of a nonlinear viscoelastic equation modeling the vibrations of thin rods with variable density
Authors: Cavalcanti Marcelo M. , Domingos Cavalcanti Valéria N. , Lasiecka Irena , Webler Claudete M.
Published: April 2016

We consider the long-time behavior of a nonlinear PDE with a memory term which can be recast in the abstract form

d

d
⁢
t

⁢
ρ
⁢

(

u
t

)

+

A
⁢

u

t
⁢
t

+

γ
⁢

A
θ

⁢

u
t

+

A
⁢
u

-

∫
0
t

g
⁢

(
s
)

⁢
A
⁢
u
⁢

(

t
-
s

)

=
0

,

$\frac{d}{dt}\rho(u_{t})+Au_{tt}+\gamma A^{\theta}u_{t}+Au-\int_{0}^{t}g(s)Au(t%
-s)=0,$

where A is a self-adjoint, positive definite operator acting on a Hilbert space H,

ρ
⁢

(
s
)

${\rho(s)}$

is a continuous, monotone increasing function, and the relaxation kernel

g
⁢

(
s
)

${g(s)}$

is a continuous, decreasing function in

L
1

⁢

(

ℝ
+

)

${L_{1}(\mathbb{R}_{+})}$

with

g
⁢

(
0
)

>
0

${g(0)>0}$

. Of particular interest is the case when

A
=

-
Δ

${A=-\Delta}$

with appropriate boundary conditions and

ρ
⁢

(
s
)

=

|
s
|

ρ

⁢
s

${\rho(s)=|s|^{\rho}s}$

. This model arises in the context of solid mechanics accounting for variable density of the material. While finite energy solutions of the underlying PDE solutions exhibit exponential decay rates when strong damping is active (

γ
>
0

,

θ
=
1

${\gamma>0,\theta=1}$

), this uniform decay is no longer valid (by spectral analysis arguments) for dynamics subjected to frictional damping only, say,

θ
=
0

${\theta=0}$

and

g
=
0

${g=0}$

. In the absence of mechanical damping (

γ
=
0

${\gamma=0}$

), the linearized version of the model reduces to a Volterra equation generated by bounded generators and, hence, it is exponentially stable for exponentially decaying kernels. The aim of the paper is to study intrinsic decays for the energy of the nonlinear model accounting for large classes of relaxation kernels described by the inequality

g
′

+

H
⁢

(
g
)

≤
0

${g^{\prime}+H(g)\leq 0}$

with H convex and subject to the assumptions specified in (1.13) (a general framework introduced first in [1] in the context of linear second-order evolution equations with memory). In the context of frictional damping, such a framework was introduced earlier in [15], where it was shown that the decay rates of second-order evolution equations with frictional damping can be described by solutions of an ODE driven by a suitable convex function H which captures the behavior at the origin of the dissipation. The present paper extends this analysis to nonlinear equations with viscoelasticity. It is shown that the decay rates of the energy are intrinsically described by the solution of the dissipative ODE

S
t

+

c
1

⁢
H
⁢

(

c
2

⁢
S

)

=
0

${S_{t}+c_{1}H(c_{2}S)=0}$

with given intrinsic constants

c
1

,

c
2

>
0

${c_{1},c_{2}>0}$

. The results obtained are sharp and they improve (by introducing a novel methodology) previous results in the literature (see [20, 19, 21, 6]) with respect to (i) the criticality of the nonlinear exponent ρ and (ii) the generality of the relaxation kernel.
The Valuation of Carbon Bonds Linked with Carbon Price
Authors: Zhang Shuhua , Yang Zhuo
Published: April 2016

The carbon bonds issued by countries or enterprises can solve the problem of funds in low carbon economy growth. Now most of carbon bonds pay fixed interest rates, and a few pay floating rates.
The diversity of carbon bonds can attract more investors to participate green energy projects. The London Accord project group proposed the index linked carbon bonds in the World Band Government Borrowers' Forum in May 2009, and pointed out that the interest paid regularly may be linked to carbon price, governments' carbon emission targets, in-country fossil fuel prices or tariff feed-in prices. In this paper, the interests are considered to be linked with carbon prices in the condition of stochastic risk-free interest rate, and a partial differential equation is established for carbon bond interests. Also, a fitted finite volume method is employed to solve the resulting partial differential equation numerically, and on the basis of the valuation for zero-coupon bonds, the price of carbon bonds is obtained. Finally, some data are utilized for the calibration of the parameters in the established pricing models, and some numerical examples are presented and the effects of parameters on solutions are also demonstrated, which can provide references for the issuers of carbon bonds.
On the complex dynamics of birational surface maps defined over number fields
Authors: Jonsson Mattias , Reschke Paul
Published: April 2016

We show that any birational selfmap of a complex projective surface
that has dynamical degree greater
than one and is defined over a number field automatically satisfies
the Bedford–Diller energy condition after a suitable birational
conjugacy.
As a consequence, the complex dynamics of the map is well behaved.
We also show that there is a well-defined canonical height function.
K-homological finiteness and hyperbolic groups
Authors: Emerson Heath , Nica Bogdan
Published: April 2016

Motivated by classical facts concerning closed manifolds, we introduce a strong finiteness property in K-homology. We say that a

C
*

\mathrm{C}^{*}

-algebra has uniformly summable K-homology if all its K-homology classes can be represented by Fredholm modules which are finitely summable over the same dense subalgebra, and with the same degree of summability. We show that two types of

C
*

\mathrm{C}^{*}

-algebras associated to hyperbolic groups – the

C
*

\mathrm{C}^{*}

-crossed product for the boundary action, and the reduced group

C
*

\mathrm{C}^{*}

-algebra – have uniformly summable K-homology. We provide explicit summability degrees, as well as explicit finitely summable representatives for the K-homology classes.
Compact Tri-Band BPF with Controllable Passbands Based on Stubs Loaded Stepped-Impedance Resonators
Authors: Xu Jin
Published: April 2016

In this paper, a novel second-order tri-band bandpass filter (BPF) is presented by using the first three modes of stubs loaded stepped-impedance resonators (SIRs). The resonant behavior of proposed stubs loaded SIR is analyzed by even-/odd-mode method and parameters sweep, which shows its controllable first three resonant modes. As an example, a second-order tri-band BPF operating at 3.5/5.2/5.8 GHz for WiMax and WLAN applications is designed, fabricated and measured. The fabricated filter has a compact size of 0.21λg × 0.28 λg. Good agreement is shown between the simulated and measured results.
Faster Ate pairing computation on Selmer's model of elliptic curves
Authors: Fouotsa Emmanuel , Ciss Abdoul Aziz
Published: April 2016

This paper revisits the computation of pairings on a model of elliptic curve called Selmer curves. We extend the work of Zhang, Wang, Wang and Ye
Environmental impact of the Midia Port - Black Sea (Romania), on the coastal sediment quality
Authors: Catianis Irina , Ungureanu Constantin , Magagnini Luca , Ulazzi Elisa , Campisi Tiziana , Stanica Adrian
Published: April 2016

The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of potential pollution sources, mainly from the upstream anthropogenic sources and port-related activities. The in-vestigated area covered a wide range of anthropogenic im-pacts (e.g., industrial wastes, storm water runoff, acciden-tal oil spills, intentional discharges and shipping activities). The quality of water and Sediments was assessed us-ing Standard methods, as physical-chemical parameters, chemistry and biology (microbiology, ecotoxicology) aim-ing to figure the level of pollution and the effect of port-related activities. Seawater quality results agreed generally with environmental Standards. Though, in some samples the concentrations of sulphates (mg/1) and heavy metals (μg/1), as B, As and Se exceeded the recommended lim-its, without posing a serious environmental concern. Most of the surface sediment samples contain critical levels of hydrocarbons (C>12), (mg/kg), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (ng/g) and polychlorobiphenyls (ng/g). For some heavy metals (mg/kg), exchangeable concentrations were found to be very close or above the regulations. The signifi-cance of this study is incontestable taking into account the lack of previous relevant historical data of this area. In this sense, it was possible to indicate, in general, good environmental conditions, despite the industrial and concentrated local port-related activities in the investigated area.
Transmission Loss Calculation using A and B Loss Coefficients in Dynamic Economic Dispatch Problem
Authors: Jethmalani C. H. Ram , Dumpa Poornima , Simon Sishaj P. , Sundareswaran K.
Published: April 2016

This paper analyzes the performance of A-loss coefficients while evaluating transmission losses in a Dynamic Economic Dispatch (DED) Problem. The performance analysis is carried out by comparing the losses computed using nominal A loss coefficients and nominal B loss coefficients in reference with load flow solution obtained by standard Newton-Raphson (NR) method. Density based clustering method based on connected regions with sufficiently high density (DBSCAN) is employed in identifying the best regions of A and B loss coefficients. Based on the results obtained through cluster analysis, a novel approach in improving the accuracy of network loss calculation is proposed. Here, based on the change in per unit load values between the load intervals, loss coefficients are updated for calculating the transmission losses. The proposed algorithm is tested and validated on IEEE 6 bus system, IEEE 14 bus, system IEEE 30 bus system and IEEE 118 bus system. All simulations are carried out using SCILAB 5.4 (www.scilab.org) which is an open source software.
Use of difference-based methods to explore statistical and mathematical model discrepancy in inverse problems
Authors: Banks H. Thomas , Catenacci Jared , Hu Shuhua
Published: April 2016

Normalized differences of several adjacent observations, referred to as pseudo-measurement errors in this paper, are used in so-called difference-based estimation methods as building blocks for the variance estimate of measurement errors. Numerical results demonstrate that pseudo-measurement errors can be used to serve the role of measurement errors. Based on this information, we propose the use of pseudo-measurement errors to determine an appropriate statistical model and then to subsequently investigate whether there is a mathematical model misspecification or error. We also propose to use the information provided by pseudo-measurement errors to quantify uncertainty in parameter estimation by bootstrapping methods. A number of numerical examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of these proposed methods.
Cryptographic properties of monotone Boolean functions
Authors: Carlet Claude , Joyner David , Stănică Pantelimon , Tang Deng
Published: April 2016

We prove various results on monotone Boolean functions. In particular, we prove a conjecture
proposed recently, stating that there are no monotone bent Boolean functions.
Further, we give an upper bound on the nonlinearity of monotone functions in odd dimension, we describe the Walsh–Hadamard spectrum and investigate some other cryptographic properties of monotone Boolean functions.
Unconditionally secure signature schemes revisited
Authors: Swanson Colleen M. , Stinson Douglas R.
Published: April 2016

Unconditionally secure signature (USS) schemes provide the ability to electronically sign documents without the reliance on computational assumptions needed in traditional digital signatures. Unlike digital signatures, USS schemes require that verification algorithms are not public – for any possible signer, a given user must have a different secret verification algorithm corresponding to that signer. Thus, any viable security definition for a USS scheme must carefully treat the subject of what constitutes a valid signature. That is, it is important to distinguish between signatures that are created using a user's signing algorithm and signatures that may satisfy one or more user verification algorithms. Moreover, given that each verifier has his own distinct verification algorithm, a USS scheme must necessarily handle the event of a disagreement. In this paper, we present a new security model for USS schemes that incorporates these notions, as well as give a formal treatment of dispute resolution and the trust assumptions required.
We provide formal definitions of non-repudiation and transferability in the context of dispute resolution, and give sufficient conditions for a USS scheme to satisfy these properties. We then extend our basic framework to the setting of strong key-insulated signatures, which increase robustness against key exposure. Finally, we give security analyses for two constructions: Hanaoka et al.'s construction, which we show is secure in our basic USS model, and a key-insulated extension of this construction, which is secure in our strong key-insulated model.
This is an extended version of the conference paper [Lecture Notes in Comput. Sci. 6673, Springer, Berlin (2011), 100–116], which appeared in ICITS 2011.
Strong convergence of discrete DG solutions of the heat equation
Authors: Girault Vivette , Li Jizhou , Rivière Beatrice
Published: April 2016

A convergence analysis to the weak solution is derived for interior penalty discontinuous Galerkin methods applied to the heat equation in two and three dimensions under general mixed boundary conditions. Strong convergence is established in the DG norm, as well as in the
Error estimates for Neumann boundary control problems with energy regularization
Authors: Apel Thomas , Steinbach Olaf , Winkler Max
Published: April 2016

A Neumann boundary control problem for a second order elliptic state equation is considered. The problem is regularized by an energy term which is equivalent to the

The state and co-state are approximated by piecewise linear finite elements. For the approximation of the control variable we use carefully designed spaces of piecewise linear or piecewise constant functions, such that an inf-sup condition is satisfied. Error estimates for the approximate solution are proved for all three variables and we show a relation between convergence rate and the opening angles at corners of the domain. As the control grows in general unboundedly near the concave corners for unconstrained problems, it becomes active and hence regular when control constraints are present. We show that in this case the convergence rates are higher than in the unbounded case. Numerical tests suggest that the estimates derived are optimal in the unconstrained case but too pessimistic in the control constrained case.
Crystal structure of N′-(4-methoxybenzylidene)-5-phenyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carbohydrazide, C18H16N4O2
Authors: Karrouchi Khalid , Radi Smaail , Ansar M'hammed , Taoufik Jamal , Ghabbour Hazem A. , Mabkhot Yahia N.
Published: April 2016

C18H16N4O2, triclinic, P1̅ (no. 2), a = 10.9734(4) Å, b = 11.8835(5) Å, c = 13.0996(5) Å, α = 78.581(2)°, β = 78.542(1)°, γ = 83.725(2)°, V = 1636.68(11) Å3, Z = 4, R
gt
(F) = 0.0439, wR
ref
(F
2
) = 0.1182, T = 100 K.
Building the Scholarly Base of a Field: Reflections on 8 Years of the Archival Education and Research Initiative (AERI)
Authors: Gilliland Anne J.
Published: April 2016

The Archival Education and Research Initiative (AERI) was begun in 2008 to stimulate the growth of a new generation of academics in archival education who are versed in contemporary issues and knowledgeable about their colleagues’ work. The initiative nurtures and promotes state-of-the-art scholarship in archival science broadly conceived, and encourages curricular and pedagogical innovation in archival education. This paper reflects on its genesis and activities over the past eight years and points to its future.
Preparation and characterization of pure and copper-doped PVC films
Authors: Sree K. Bhagya , Kumar Y. Madhava , Gopal N.O. , Ramu Ch.
Published: April 2016

Pure and Cu2+-doped polyvinyl chloride (PVC) polymer films were prepared using the solution cast technique. Investigations were conducted using DSC, TGA, XRD, FT-IR, UV–Vis, SEM and EPR. Differential scanning calorimetry studies suggested that the Cu2+ samples have higher values of the glass transition (T
g) temperature, and thermo gravimetric studies show that weight loss of polymer film indicates the improved thermal stability of the polymer film. The features of the complexation of the polymer films were studied by X-ray diffraction. FT-IR spectra exhibits the bands in three regions, which are attributed to C–Cl, C–C and numerous CH groups of stretching and bending vibrations. The absorption spectra have been recorded in the wavelength range 200–900 nm. The absorption edge, direct bandgap, indirect bandgap and urbach energy have been evaluated. Film morphology was examined by scanning electron microscopy. XRD, DSC and SEM reveal the amorphous nature and surface morphology of polymer films, respectively. Electron paramagnetic resonance studies were used to calculate the number of spins and paramagnetic susceptibility as a function of dopant concentration, all the Cu2+-doped PVC samples exhibit signal with g values g
⊥=2.176 and g
||=2.254. The observed variation in the EPR signal intensity is due to variation in the dopant concentration.
Crystalline phase of inorganic montmorillonite/poly(vinylidene fluoride) nanocomposites: influence of dispersion of nanolayers
Authors: Fu Chao , Wang Xuemei , Shi Xiang , Ran Xianghai
Published: April 2016

Inorganic montmorillonite (MMT)/poly(vinylidene fluoride) nanocomposites were prepared by two methods: co-precipitation and solution casting. The effect of preparation methods and thermal treatment on crystalline phase was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry tests. The isothermal crystallization process was observed with polarized optical microscopy. It was found that the solution-casting method was more effective than the co-precipitation method in inducing the polar phase in the melt-isothermal crystallization process. The addition of inorganic MMT by the solution-casting method without further thermal treatment promoted the β-phase crystallization. The inorganic MMT significantly improved the γ phase of the solution-cast samples in the melt-recrystallization process. The degree of dispersion of inorganic MMT influenced the relative content of the polar phase and the crystallinity of the samples in the same crystallization conditions, i.e. the preparation method and the thermal treatment. The effect of dispersion on crystallization kinetics was also studied to verify the enhancement of finely dispersed nanolayer clusters on the γ phase.
Modern Management Challenges of Floating Housing Development
Authors: Miszewska-Urbańska Emilia
Published: April 2016

The aim of the article is to identify factors that determine the development and management models of floating housing development in the analyzed countries. The author indicates factors determining the possibility of settling on bodies of water in Poland, and restrictions connected with this type of development, as well as the need for specialized persons and companies ready to meet the challenges of the modern management of hydro-technical facilities, including floating housing development.

In Western Europe, living on water is gaining in popularity. People have begun to dwell on water because of rising land prices, congestion in cities and work related to the use of rivers for the transport of goods.

The popularity of housing on water in the Netherlands results from environmental conditions. About 60% of the Netherlands is below the sea level. For hundreds of years, the population of the Netherlands has been battling with the elements, while being exposed to continuously rising sea levels, which has been a consequence of the greenhouse effect. Environmental changes have caused a change in government policy, which began to support construction activity on water, adapted regulations and changed office holders.

In North America, especially in the United States, the identification of residents with their neighborhoods of houses on water is so high that it has resulted in the formation of communities uniting owners of residential watercrafts, who have succeeded in homes on water becoming recognized as real estate and, consequently, now have the same rights as residents of houses on land.

In Poland, housing estates on water are slowly gaining popularity but no factors determining the development of this type of settlement have been established. An analysis of the situation in Poland reveals many factors limiting the functional use of houses on water and a lack of specialists in the management of hydro-technical facilities. Therefore, on the basis of examples of countries in Western Europe and North America given in this article, the author tries to define the responsibilities of managers and an appropriate management model for housing estates on water in Poland, as well as indicate problems with the development of housing on water and their possible solutions.
Speculative Bubbles and their Components on the Real Estate Market–A Preliminary Analysis
Authors: Brzezicka Justyna
Published: April 2016

Various speculative phenomena arise on the real estate market, and the speculative bubble (SB) is one of the best known events of the type. Speculative bubbles still have many unidentified components, and are characterized by high research potential due to the multiple factors responsible for bubble creation, as well as considerable practical implications on account of the multivariate results describing the real estate market (REM) and its surroundings.

Speculative price bubbles are associated mainly with changes in price trends on the real estate market. A thorough analysis of a speculative bubble over time demonstrates trend changes also in other research categories which constitute bubble components and elements of the real estate market and its surroundings. The above criteria were used to identify a new research category termed speculative bubble components (SBC).

The research hypothesis states that speculative bubbles should be analyzed based not only on prices, but also on bubble components. The objectives of this study were to: 1) classify speculative phenomena on the REM, 2) describe a speculative bubble based on market prices and SBC, and 3) present the results of a study evaluating speculative bubble components in relation to market prices, and discuss the trajectories of the analyzed research categories over time.

This study attempts to determine whether a speculative bubble can be analyzed in view of its components, and which elements of the real estate market and its surroundings can be classified as SBC. Attempts were also made to identify a research method that supports the identification of SBC variables and classification of variables into groups, and explains market prices in view of the identified variables and groups. The research relies on a review of literature in the theoretical part and statistical analyses in the experimental part. The results will broaden our knowledge of the mechanisms behind speculative phenomena on the real estate market.
The level of the shadow economy, tax evasion and corruption: The empirical evidence for SEE countries
Authors: Osmani Rufi
Published: April 2016

Economic theory and practice of developed countries have shown that the good functioning of market economies requires the existence of stable institutions that are effective in the application of legal rules as a precondition for the proper functioning of the economic and fiscal system.

In the process of building a market economy in Southeast European countries, along with the sector of legal economy there coexists a large sector of shadow economy, tax evasion and high levels of corruption.

Analyses made by many authors and relevant national and international institutions estimate that the amount of the shadow economy, tax evasion and corruption in the analyzed countries despite a declining trend in the last decade continues to be at the level of 25-50% compared with the legal sector of the economy.

The author aims through a comparative approach to analyze the level of the shadow economy, tax evasion and corruption in the economies of Southeast Europe and provides some recommendations for governments to overcome these negative phenomena.
The effects of crocin (active contstituent of saffron) treatment on brain antioxidant enzyme mRNA levels in diabetic rats / Diyabetik ratlarda safranın aktif içeriği olan krosin tedavisinin beyindeki antioksidan enzimlerin mRNA seviyeleri üzerine etkisi
Authors: Altınöz Eyüp , Ekici Cemal , Özyazgan Berna , Çiğremiş Yılmaz
Published: April 2016

Objective: The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effect of crocin on mRNA expression of antioxidant enzymes, SOD, CAT and GPX in the brain of the STZ induced diabetic rats.

Methods: Thirty animals randomized in three groups containing ten animals in each group as follows; control (non-diabetic rats), DM (STZ-induced untreated diabetic rats), DM+crocin (STZ-induced diabetic rats treated with crocin,). Crocin was given at a dose of 20 mg/kg bw/day by gavage for 21 days.

Results: STZ injection caused a significant increase in mRNA expression of antioxidant enzymes, SOD, CAT and GPX when compared to control group. Crocin given to diabetic rats significantly decreased mRNA expression of antioxidant enzymes, SOD, CAT and GPX when compared to DM group.

Conclusion: The present study demonstrates that crocin can modulate mRNA expression of antioxidant enzymes, SOD, CAT and GPX and oxidative stress in the brain of the STZ induced diabetic rats.
PSA request analysis: how should this be interpreted? What may be overlooked / PSA istem analizi: Nasıl yorumlanmalı? Gözden kaçanlar nelerdir?
Authors: Ayyıldız Sema Nur , Çırakoğlu Abdullah , Ayyıldız Ali , Benli Erdal
Published: April 2016

Objective: Prostate specific antigen is widely used for the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of prostate cancer. However, despite being organ-specific, PSA is not specific to cancer. As some patients with elevated PSA level have normal biopsy results and some others with low PSA levels have cancer diagnosed in biopsy examination, PSA creates diagnostic uncertainty both for clinicians and patients. Moreover, different PSA results received for the same subject at separate time points as well as smalllarge fluctuations in PSA levels perturb both sides. In a setting where there are so many unknowns we have PSA in our hands without any restrictions for ordering it. This study analyzed PSA orders, patient traffic, and economic burden within a 6-year period.

Methods: The number of PSA tests and patient outcomes at a training and research hospital between October 2006 and May 2013 were evaluated.

Results: Of 12107 tPSA orders, 73.6% were ordered by the urology clinic and 26.4% orders were made from other outpatient clinics. When patients at follow-up for prostate cancer are excluded because their tPSAs have to be more commonly checked, we detected that 28.22% of tests were ordered at intervals of less than 1 year. The average tPSA testing frequency was 91.84±1.21 days (0-330). The number of patients younger than 40 years who were tested for tPSA was 287. Of these, 25.43% were ordered by the urology clinic and the remaining by other medical branches.

Conclusion: A state of chaos surrounds PSA order and interpretation. Neither patients nor physicians are aware of PSA-related outcomes. Therefore, each hospital should hold sessions on PSA testing and inform physicians about them. Furthermore, a detailed public education should be provided and seminars should be organized at the national level.