bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
C. elegans midbodies are released, phagocytosed and undergo LC3-dependent degradation independent of macroautophagy
Authors: Fazeli Gholamreza , Trinkwalder Michaela , Irmisch Linda , Wehman Ann Marie
Published: August 2016

In animals, the midbody coordinates the end of cytokinesis when daughter cells separate through abscission. The midbody was thought to be sequestered by macroautophagy, but recent evidence suggests that midbodies are primarily released and phagocytosed. It was unknown, however, whether autophagy proteins play a role in midbody phagosome degradation. Using a protein degradation assay, we show that midbodies are released in Caenorhabditis elegans. Released midbodies are known to be internalized by actin-driven phagocytosis, which we show requires the RAB-5 GTPase to localize the class III phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) complex at the cortex. Autophagy-associated proteins, including the Beclin 1 homolog BEC-1 and the Atg8/LC3-family members LGG-1 and LGG-2, localize around the midbody phagosome and are required for midbody degradation. In contrast, proteins required specifically for macroautophagy, such as UNC-51 and EPG-8 (homologous to ULK1/Atg1 and Atg14, respectively) are not required for midbody degradation. These data suggest that the C. elegans midbody is degraded by LC3-associated phagocytosis (LAP), not macroautophagy. Our findings reconcile the two prevailing models on the role of phagocytic and autophagy proteins, establishing a new non-canonical role for autophagy proteins in midbody degradation.
Weathering Kinetics of Thin Wood Veneers Assessed with near Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Sandak Anna , Sandak Jakub , Burud Ingunn , Gobakken Lone Ross
Published: August 2016

Wooden elements may be subjected to mechanical, environmental or biological alterations during their service life. The most susceptible parts of wood structural members are the exposed surfaces since they are subjected to ageing, weathering and/or decay. Knowledge of the influence of weathering factors and polymer degradation mechanisms is essential for understanding the weathering process of wood. The goal of this study was to investigate the degradation of thin wooden samples exposed to short-term weathering. Tests were performed through the European summer (July), which according to previous research is considered as the most severe period for weathering of wood micro-sections. Fourier transform near infrared spectroscopy was used for evaluation of chemical changes of wood samples. Three approaches for data evaluation are presented in this paper: (1) direct spectral interpretation, (2) a concept for calculation of a weathering index Wind and (3) kinetics of lignin changes in relation to the exposure direction for selected wavelengths. Observation of the effects of weathering will allow better understanding of the degradation process. The southern exposure site was slightly more affected by weathering than other sites. Results of this research will be used for future determination of the weather-dose response model and could be essential for predicting the future performance of timber facade elements.
A Bayesian spatial random effects model characterisation of tumour heterogeneity implemented using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation
Authors: King Martin D. , Grech-Sollars Matthew
Published: August 2016

The focus of this study is the development of a statistical modelling procedure for characterising intra-tumour heterogeneity, motivated by recent clinical literature indicating that a variety of tumours exhibit a considerable degree of genetic spatial variability. A formal spatial statistical model has been developed and used to characterise the structural heterogeneity of a number of supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumours (PNETs), based on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Particular attention is paid to the spatial dependence of diffusion close to the tumour boundary, in order to determine whether the data provide statistical evidence to support the proposition that water diffusivity in the boundary region of some tumours exhibits a deterministic dependence on distance from the boundary, in excess of an underlying random 2D spatial heterogeneity in diffusion. Tumour spatial heterogeneity measures were derived from the diffusion parameter estimates obtained using a Bayesian spatial random effects model. The analyses were implemented using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation. Posterior predictive simulation was used to assess the adequacy of the statistical model. The main observations are that the previously reported relationship between diffusion and boundary proximity remains observable and achieves statistical significance after adjusting for an underlying random 2D spatial heterogeneity in the diffusion model parameters. A comparison of the magnitude of the boundary-distance effect with the underlying random 2D boundary heterogeneity suggests that both are important sources of variation in the vicinity of the boundary. No consistent pattern emerges from a comparison of the boundary and core spatial heterogeneity, with no indication of a consistently greater level of heterogeneity in one region compared with the other. The results raise the possibility that DWI might provide a surrogate marker of intra-tumour genetic regional heterogeneity, which would provide a powerful tool with applications in both patient management and in cancer research.
Estimating limits for natural human embryo mortality
Authors: Jarvis Gavin E.
Published: August 2016

Natural human embryonic mortality is generally considered to be high. Values of 70% and higher are widely cited. However, it is difficult to determine accurately owing to an absence of direct data quantifying embryo loss between fertilisation and implantation. The best available data for quantifying pregnancy loss come from three published prospective studies (Wilcox, Zinaman and Wang) with daily cycle by cycle monitoring of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) in women attempting to conceive. Declining conception rates cycle by cycle in these studies indicate that a proportion of the study participants were sub-fertile. Hence, estimates of fecundability and pre-implantation embryo mortality obtained from the whole study cohort will inevitably be biased. This new re-analysis of aggregate data from these studies confirms the impression that discrete fertile and sub-fertile sub-cohorts were present. The proportion of sub-fertile women in the three studies was estimated as 28.1% (Wilcox), 22.8% (Zinaman) and 6.0% (Wang). The probability of conceiving an hCG pregnancy (indicating embryo implantation) was, respectively, 43.2%, 38.1% and 46.2% among normally fertile women, and 7.6%, 2.5% and 4.7% among sub-fertile women. Pre-implantation loss is impossible to calculate directly from available data although plausible limits can be estimated. Based on this new analysis and a model for evaluating reproductive success and failure it is proposed that a plausible range for normal human embryo and fetal mortality from fertilisation to birth is 40-60%.
Do Mandatory Overtime Laws Improve Quality? Staffing Decisions and Operational Flexibility of Nursing Homes
Authors: Lu Susan Feng , Lu Lauren Xiaoyuan
Published: August 2016

During the 2000s, over a dozen U.S. states passed laws that prohibit healthcare employers from mandating overtime for nurses. Using a nationwide panel data set from 2004 to 2012, we find that these mandatory overtime laws reduced the service quality of nursing homes, as measured by an increase in deficiency citations. This outcome can be explained by two undesirable changes in the staffing hours of registered nurses: decreased hours of permanent nurses and increased hours of contract nurses per resident day. We observe that the increase in deficiency citations concentrates in the domains of administration and quality of care rather than quality of life, and the severity levels of the increased citations tend to be minor rather than major. We also find that the laws’ negative effect on quality is more severe in nursing homes with higher percentages of Medicare-covered residents. These observations are consistent with the predictions of a stochastic staffing model that incorporates demand uncertainty and operational flexibility. Furthermore, we rule out an alternative hypothesis that the quality decline is induced by an increase in nurse wages.

This paper was accepted by Gad Allon, operations management.
Treatment of hallux valgus deformity
Authors: Fraissler Lukas , Konrads Christian , Hoberg Maik , Rudert Maximilian , Walcher Matthias
Published: August 2016

Hallux valgus deformity is a very common pathological condition which commonly produces painful disability. It is characterised as a combined deformity with a malpositioning of the first metatarsophalangeal joint caused by a lateral deviation of the great toe and a medial deviation of the first metatarsal bone. Taking the patient’s history and a thorough physical examination are important steps. Anteroposterior and lateral weight-bearing radiographs of the entire foot are crucial for adequate assessment in the treatment of hallux valgus. Non-operative treatment of the hallux valgus cannot correct the deformity. However, insoles and physiotherapy in combination with good footwear can help to control the symptoms. There are many operative techniques for hallux valgus correction. The decision on which surgical technique is used depends on the degree of deformity, the extent of degenerative changes of the first metatarsophalangeal joint and the shape and size of the metatarsal bone and phalangeal deviation. The role of stability of the first tarsometatarsal joint is controversial. Surgical techniques include the modified McBride procedure, distal metatarsal osteotomies, metatarsal shaft osteotomies, the Akin osteotomy, proximal metatarsal osteotomies, the modified Lapidus fusion and the hallux joint fusion. Recently, minimally invasive percutaneous techniques have gained importance and are currently being evaluated more scientifically. Hallux valgus correction is followed by corrective dressings of the great toe post-operatively. Depending on the procedure, partial or full weight-bearing in a post-operative shoe or cast immobilisation is advised. Post-operative radiographs are taken in regular intervals until osseous healing is achieved.

Cite this article: Fraissler L, Konrads C, Hoberg M, Rudert M, Walcher M. Treatment of hallux valgus deformity. EFORT Open Rev 2016;1:295-302. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.1.000005.
Diamonds are forever? Press coverage of African conflicts and the Westphalian filter of resource wars
Authors: Cook Christopher R.
Published: August 2016

This article argues that when it comes to reporting conflicts in the developing world the western press ignores the private sphere of economic activity because it privileges a narrative of people fighting over the nation state, as well as political ideologies and territory gained and lost. This choice of media framing matters in how western audiences understand the complexity of resource wars. To explore this concept further I examine American and British press coverage of conflict diamonds in the civil wars fought in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Sierra Leone in the pages of four western newspapers of record: The Guardian (UK), The Times (UK), the New York Times (US) and the Washington Post (US). Overall, while conflict diamonds were present in the reporting, the press ignored the full extent of involvement of private companies and international capital in the financing and trading of diamonds to fuel war.
Book Review
Authors: Jimu Ignasio Malizani
Published: August 2016

‘C’EST L’HOMME QUI FAIT L’HOMME’: CUL-DE-SAC UBUNTU-ISM IN CÔTE D’IVOIRE, FRANCIS B. NYAMNJOH (2015) Mankon, Bamenda: Langaa Research & Publishing CIG, 204 pp., ISBN: 9956762520, p/bk, £20.00
Urban segregation, game arcades and codified porn: Representations of youth in Madrid (1980–1995)
Authors: Rodríguez Ortega Vicente
Published: August 2016

This article studies how Spanish film depicts the everyday life of youth from the beginnings of democracy to the mid-1990s. I start off with youth-centred films from the early 1980s that captured previously censored occurrences of everyday living, displaying a commitment to the representation of social reality. I then move on to cinematic works stemming from a post-1992 ideological ‘present-centredness’. First, I focus on the relationship between subject and urban environment since it is one of the key representational strategies in portraying the unprecedented transformations in Spanish society during this time period. Second, I analyse the emergence of audiovisual forms of consumption and how they relate to the leisurely practices of youths as they navigate the cityscape. Finally, I explore how young people interact with the early 1990s scenario and the kind of behaviours that define their engagement with the social. This analysis demonstrates how films encounter an unfolding social real, codifying it in a variety of ways, becoming thus active recording devices of the practices of the everyday.
Imagining the pavement: A search through everyday texts for the symbolism of an everyday artefact
Authors: Hicks Megan
Published: August 2016

An interconnected system of paved surfaces is an omnipresent feature of the urban environment. The author contends that, because of its ubiquity, this ‘pavement’ impinges on the thoughts of ordinary urban dwellers in ways they might not consciously recognize. Evidence of feelings that may otherwise remain unexpressed has been sought from deliberate and incidental references to the pavement in the works of journalists, poets, memoirists and artists. Such works reveal that the pavement is a repository for private urban imaginings that may coalesce into shared public imaginaries. As a consequence the pavement can assume diverse symbolic roles and even fulfil the function of a monument onto which people project their own meanings.
Housing for whom? Wole Soyinka’s Beatification of Area Boy and the audacity of a new Nigeria
Authors: Amonyeze Chinenye
Published: August 2016

Growing urban Nigerian cities like Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt continually record millions of poor immigrants from rural areas looking for a new survival space. To be poor in Nigeria is to be a target. Soyinka’s Beatification of Area Boy is primarily a response to the upheavals within the Nigerian society; a dramatic documentation of the different manifestations of power at different historical periods in Nigeria. Soyinka queries a manipulative ordered Nigerian society based on a pervasive and binding morality. He firmly traces this anomaly to the doors of the military, who have ruled Nigeria for a number of years after independence. A dark reminder of the journey the underprivileged has made from independence to date, Soyinka’s play is also a longing to recover Nigeria’s moral territory.
Revisão textual-interativa
Authors: Menegassi Renilson José , Gasparotto Denise Moreira
Published: August 2016

Neste estudo, discutimos acerca do trabalho docente de revisão de textos, enfocando a abordagem textual-interativa de revisão, proposta por Ruiz (2010). Dada a pertinência e a abrangência da proposta dessa autora, apresentamos alternativas metodológicas de trabalho em situação de ensino, isto é, apresentamos e analisamos estratégias específicas de revisão textual-interativa: apontamento, questionamento e comentário, considerando-as como diferenciadas. Cientes da demanda de estudos voltados ao professor sobre o trabalho com a escrita em sala de aula, objetivamos oferecer subsídios metodológicos que colaborem e orientem a prática docente na revisão e reescrita de textos. A análise apontou a efetividade das propostas apresentadas ao se considerar aspectos do contexto imediato e mais amplo, como: objetivo da revisão, gênero discursivo produzido, aspecto do gênero enfocado e nível de escolaridade do aluno.
Observações didáticas sobre a análise dialógica do discurso – ADD
Authors: Sobral Adail , Giacomelli Karina
Published: August 2016

Pretendemos, com este artigo, apresentar didaticamente as especificidades da chamada Análise Dialógica do Discurso (ADD), de Bakhtin e o Círculo, a fim de oferecer a novos leitores, e a quantos queiram abordar as propostas bakhtinianas em ambiente acadêmico, uma síntese dos principais tópicos referentes a essa corrente de estudos. Esse objetivo didático justifica o fato de o texto estruturar-se em temas que julgamos mais imediatos para a compreensão dessa teoria, como dialogismo, gênero, interação e enunciado. Também, por se tratar de um texto introdutório, buscamos uma leitura mais fluida, não indicando especificamente em que obra(s) os tópicos abordados estão presentes, uma vez que seria necessária a citação de vários deles a cada parte. Assim, caso o leitor queira aprofundar, optamos por indicar na bibliografia os textos dos quais se originam os tópicos considerados para a elaboração deste artigo.
Los usos del pretérito perfeto compuesto en español: una perspectiva sociolingüística y pedagógica
Authors: Pontes Valdecy Oliveira , De Oliveira Leandra Cristina , Duarte Denísia Kênia Feliciano
Published: August 2016

En este trabajo, redimensionamos discusiones teóricas sobre la expresión de pasado en español para el ámbito pedagógico de lengua extranjera. Considerando la complejidad en la enseñanza del pretérito perfecto compuesto castellano a estudiantes brasileños, socializamos el diseño de una propuesta didáctica para el tratamiento de este fenómeno a partir de dos cuentos literarios – textos auténticos que ilustran la lengua en uso y la variación diatópica. Con el objetivo de defender la enseñanza del español bajo la perspectiva de la variación lingüística, promoviendo la valoración y respeto a las diferentes variedades hispano-hablantes, el presente estudio se fundamenta en postulados básicos de la sociolingüística, con especial interés a su contribución para la didáctica de las lenguas.
terminologia referente ao local de expedição das certidões de casamento francesas
Authors: Curti Beatriz Fernandes , Barros Lidia Almeida
Published: August 2016

O presente artigo expõe nossas reflexões acerca dos aspectos socioculturais que subjazem à terminologia do local de expedição em certidões de casamento francesas. Para tanto, selecionamos 33 documentos, dentre os quais constam 16 certidões de casamento religioso católico e 17 certidões de casamento civil expedidas do ano 1736 a 1815. Com base no levantamento dos termos designativos do local de expedição em cada um desses documentos, realizamos um estudo sobre os aspectos socioculturais e históricos da França nesse período e seu reflexo nos termos encontrados nesses documentos.
The Wisdom of Some: Do We Always Need High Consensus to Shape Consumer Behavior?
Authors: Sciandra Michael R. , Lamberton Cait , Reczek Rebecca Walker
Published: August 2016

From the Food and Drug Administration's efforts to prompt healthier eating to the Environmental Protection Agency's desire to prompt people to engage in environmentally friendly behaviors, a wide range of policy makers aim to persuade consumers. To do so, they must decide how and whether to use information about the behavior of other consumers as part of their persuasive message. In four experimental studies, the authors demonstrate that the persuasive advantage of high- versus low-consensus information depends on the target consumer's trait level of susceptibility to interpersonal influence (SII). Low-SII consumers differentiate between low- and high-consensus information, such that they are more persuaded by high-consensus information. In contrast, high-SII consumers find any cue about the behavior of others persuasive, regardless of whether it is high or low consensus. Importantly, this finding suggests that policy makers may find success motivating behavioral change even in low-consensus situations. The authors close by reporting data from two broadscale correlational surveys that identify behavioral, psychographic, and demographic characteristics related to consumer SII as well as domains in which low consensus currently exists, so that policy makers can identify and target these individuals and related issues.
The Impact of the Plate Diameter on the Determined Value of the Pre-Compaction Stress of Samples made of Silt Soil
Authors: Błażejczak Dariusz , Dawidowski Jan B.
Published: August 2016

The objective of the paper was to investigate the impact of the plate diameter on the value of the measured pre-compaction stress of soil. The investigations were carried out on model samples with 100 mm diameter and 30 mm height made of the silt loam and the percentage moisture content of 13.7 and 21.9%. The following properties of the used material were measured: the granulation group, density of solid particles, humus content, reaction, plastic and liquid limit and the degree of saturation of samples. The samples were loaded with a testing machine using plates with varied diameters: 20, 30, 50, 70, 80, 90, 96, 98 and 99 mm. The pre-compaction stress value was measured with the method of searching for the crossing point of tangents with the secondary stress curve and original stress curve (a classic method). It was found out that for samples with saturation amounting to 13.7% of the moisture content the pre-compaction stress does not significantly depend on the plate diameter. For samples with saturation amounting to 21.9% of the moisture content the pre-compaction stress may significantly depend on the plate diameter. Based on the obtained results a conclusion was made that in the research on the pre-compaction stress with the method of uni-axial deformations, the relation of the plate diameter (d) to the diameter of the cylinder (D) should be within 0.3 ≤ d/D < 0.8.
Exploitation Assessment of New Holland CX780 Combine Harvester
Authors: Dębska Anna , Bieniek Jerzy , Fabrykowski Emil , Molendowski Franciszek , Romański Leszek
Published: August 2016

The article presents an exploitation assessment of New Holland CX780 combine operation. Significant technical and technological progress is visible in modern harvesters. Inter alia, performance increased and elements improving the quality of work of harvesters appeared. The objective of the paper was to determine efficiency of the New Holland CX780 harvester operation including factors which affect its operation. Time structures of particular activities of combine operation and ratios of these times use were determined during tests. Yield value and moisture of collected seeds was determined. Studies proved that effective time of combine operation in the process of rapeseed and wheat grain harvesting was less than 50% and was caused by long preparation of a machine for operation. Preparation for operation of a combine influences its performance in the total time. It was 22% of the total operation time in case of wheat harvesting and 20% in case of rapeseed harvesting.
Chemical Composition and Selected Energy Properties of Black Locust Bark (Robinia pseudoacacia L.)
Authors: Kraszkiewicz Artur
Published: August 2016

The objective of the paper was to assess the usefulness of bark of black locust trunks as an energy source based on chemical and energy properties. Material for research was collected from five forest stands of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.). After determination of the bark mass, its participation in the mass of trees, the content of moisture in bark, density, calorific value, ash, content of C, H, N, S, K and P were established. In comparison to wood, bark has worse chemical properties on account of a high content of sulphur and nitrogen. In the conditions of research, black locust bark had an average density of approx. 400 kg·m−3 which is comparable to the willow and poplar wood. Average calorific value of black locust bark was by 10% higher than the average value of this parameter for bark wood.
Determination of Power Output and Impact on the Rheological Parameters of Raw Materials during Rolling
Authors: Daniłowicz Stadnyk Petro , Grigorowicz Dobrotvor Igor , Szwedziak Katarzyna
Published: August 2016

The paper presents mathematical modelling of determining the power output over the rolling materials in the gap rotating rollers taking into account the rheological parameters of the final product. Determination of these parameters will reduce energy consumption, increase efficiency and reduce loss of material during production. This solution, suggested in the article, allows determination of the overall quality of the rolled product layer. Analysis of experimental results revealed that the main features of the machine provide the necessary stable shape products and provide good rheological parameters of these products. Rheological testing indicators allow for a rational approach to a decision to operate a rolling process. At the same time they improve quality control methods and will have an impact on the design parameters of rollers and modes of chambers. The proposed method not only allows obtaining a predetermined pressure, but also allows defining the optimal shape of the gap, wherein the pressure gradient is constant.
Effect of Steering Gear Parameters of Crawler Tractor Cornering Ability
Authors: Zhdanovich Cheslav , Mamonov Michail , Kuboń Maciej , Kamiński Jan Radosław
Published: August 2016

Crawler tractor with specific loads on the hitch loses traction abilities during cornering and causes intensive destruction of the surface layer of soil. This phenomenon may be limited if relevantly selected parameters of the cornering mechanisms were applied. The objective of the paper was to determine the impact of the cornering mechanism parameters on the crawler tractor maneuver ability. The object of the research was a planetary cornering mechanism which enables fluent change of the cornering radius through the change of the rotational speed of planetary gears drive by pneumatic engines. Relations of the turning radius to the slip of the spinning and overleaping crawler at the speed of 7 km·h-1 without the load on the hitch and with the load of 40 kN were defined. The average values of drift and the turning radius as a function of drive speed from 0 to 2.5 m·s−1 on the moist soil μ=0.4 and dry soil μ=0.8 were determined. Relations of the turning radius to the pressure of oil pump oil, to the drive speed and to the load on the hitch were set forth. The research proved that when using the hydraulic pump with the regulated expense the working pressure of oil may be maximally reduced to 30 MPa, the power of the pump may be reduced by twofold, the possibility of turning in difficult field conditions within the scope of the required speed may be enabled. To ensure the required turning radius of the crawler tractor it is recommended to install the pump with the efficiency of 33 cm3·rot−1 and a regulated hydraulic motor with the capacity of 56 сm3·rot−1 with a power regulation within 2.0-2.5, at the same time maximum pressure of liquid will not exceed 35 MPa and the determined power of the hydraulic gear will amount to 52.6 kW.
Shortening and dispersion of single-walled carbon nanotubes upon interaction with mixed supramolecular compounds
Authors: Jagusiak Anna , Piekarska Barbara , Chłopaś Katarzyna , Bielańska Elzbieta , Pańczyk Tomasz
Published: August 2016

Congo red (CR) dye molecules self-associate in water solutions creating ribbon-like supramolecular structures that can bind various aromatic compounds by intercalation, forming mixed supramolecular systems. Mixed supramolecular systems, such as CR-doxorubicin and CR-Evans blue, interact with the surface of carbon nanotubes, leading to their stiffening and ultimately to their breaking and shortening. This work presents a simple method of obtaining short and straight carbon nanotubes with significantly better dispersion in aqueous solutions and consequently improved usability in biological systems.
Estimation and Extraction of Radar Signal Features Using Modified B Distribution and Particle Filters
Authors: Mikluc Davorin , Bujaković Dimitrije , Andrić Milenko , Simić Slobodan
Published: August 2016

The research analyses the application of particle filters in estimating and extracting the features of radar signal time-frequency energy distribution. Time-frequency representation is calculated using modified B distribution, where the estimation process model represents one time bin. An adaptive criterion for the calculation of particle weighted coefficients whose main parameters are frequency integral squared error and estimated maximum of mean power spectral density per one time bin is proposed. The analysis of the suggested estimation application has been performed on a generated signal in the absence of any noise, and consequently on modelled and recorded real radar signals. The advantage of the suggested method is in the solution of the issue of interrupted estimations of instantaneous frequencies which appears when these estimations are determined according to maximum energy distribution, as in the case of intersecting frequency components in a multicomponent signal.
Optimization of recovering cerium from the waste polishing powder using response surface methodology
Authors: Lu Shuaidan , Sun Shuchen , Huang Xiaoxiao , Tu Ganfeng , Zhu Xiaoping , Kong Xianghui
Published: August 2016

Recovery of rare earth from the waste rare earth polishing powder is of great importance to improve the process economics. The current recovery methods result in the generation of large quantities of polluted discharge necessitating waste treatment systems. The present work attempts to extract cerium from rare earth slurry waste by thiourea reducing and hydrochloric acid leaching, towards which central composite technique of the response surface methodology is adopted to design the experiments and to optimize the process conditions to maximize the recovery rate. The effects of four major parameters such as temperature, duration of leaching, dosage of thiourea, and the concentration of HCl were assessed, and the optimal process conditions were identified. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was utilized to identify the suitable model and to eliminate the insignificant model parameters. The optimized process conditions for maximizing the recovery rate are identified to be a leaching temperature of 90°C, duration of 150 min, thiourea dosage of 0.2 g/g, and HCl concentration of 3.5 mol/l. A recovery of 91.23% could be achieved and validated through repeat experimental runs at the optimized process conditions. The optimized process samples are characterized utilizing XRD to validate the recovery.
Development of a diagnostic DNA marker for the geographic origin of Shorea leprosula
Authors: Nuroniah Hani Sitti , Gailing Oliver , Finkeldey Reiner
Published: August 2016

The development of sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers derived from amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) is described for Shorea leprosula. An AFLP fragment that showed nearly complete differentiation between Borneo and Sumatra was gel-extracted, sequenced, and converted into a SCAR marker using the inverse polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) that originally caused the AFLP was found in the MseI restriction site. Differentiation between islands was detected either as size variation of the codominant SCAR marker or after digestion of the PCR products with the restriction enzyme MseI (PCR-RFLP). Size variation was due to insertions/deletions found within the sequenced region that flanked the original AFLP fragment. After genotyping 151 samples of S. leprosula from 14 populations in Sumatra and Borneo, all but one sample from Sumatra were homozygous for one size variant (427 bp), while S. leprosula populations from Borneo showed different genotypes than Sumatra populations and variation not only among populations but also within populations. Complete differentiation and fixation on alternative variants was found for the geographic regions of Sumatra and Borneo by the PCR-RFLP method. The SCAR marker did not amplify in Shorea parvifolia and thus can also be used to distinguish between S. leprosula and S. parvifolia. The marker was successfully amplified from wood DNA extracts suggesting its applicability to track the geographic origin of timber.
Analysis of substitution times in soccer
Authors: Silva Rajitha M. , Swartz Tim B.
Published: August 2016

This paper considers the problem of determining optimal substitution times in soccer. We review the substitution rule proposed by Myers (Myers, B. R. 2012. “A Proposed Decision Rule for the Timing of Soccer Substitutions.”
Diverse Teacher Candidates’ Perceptions of and Recommendations for a Special Education Preparation Program
Authors: Prater Mary Anne , Cramer Ashleigh , Wilder Lynn K. , Carter Nari J.
Published: August 2016

As part of a four-year professional development program centered on increasing special education faculty members’ cultural responsiveness, the faculty members interviewed culturally and/or linguistically diverse (CLD) teacher candidates nearing completion of the special education program at a large Western university. The interviews, which focused on the candidates’ experiences during their time in the program, were conducted in the candidates’ homes. Each interview was audio and/or videotaped and transcribed verbatim, then analyzed using the inductive analysis design for qualitative research. The CLD candidates described types of learning activities and professor behaviors that had helped them to be successful. They also contributed suggestions to benefit future CLD candidates, including recommendations for professors and for the program as a whole.
Thermal radiation and chemical reaction effects on boundary layer slip flow and melting heat transfer of nanofluid induced by a nonlinear stretching sheet
Authors: Krishnamurthy M.R. , Gireesha B.J. , Prasannakumara B.C. , Gorla Rama Subba Reddy
Published: August 2016

A theoretically investigation has been performed to study the effects of thermal radiation and chemical reaction on MHD velocity slip boundary layer flow and melting heat transfer of nanofluid induced by a nonlinear stretching sheet. The Brownian motion and thermophoresis effects are incorporated in the present nanofluid model. A set of proper similarity variables is used to reduce the governing equations into a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. An efficient numerical method like Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg-45 order is used to solve the resultant equations for velocity, temperature and volume fraction of the nanoparticle. The effects of different flow parameters on flow fields are elucidated through graphs and tables. The present results have been compared with existing one for some limiting case and found excellent validation.
From Heathen to Sub-Human: A Genealogy
of the Influence of the Decline of Religion
on the Rise of Modern Racism
Authors: Ogunnaike Oludamini
Published: August 2016

This essay traces a genealogy of the modern concept of race, and modern racism, in
relationship to the intellectual shifts that led to the secularization of knowledge during the Renaissance
and Enlightenment. Through an analysis of the evolution of the central concept of “The Great Chain of
Being” from the Classical through Medieval and Early Modern periods, I argue that the decline of religion
in the West was a necessary condition for the rise of modern conceptions of race and racism.
Trends in the development of unmanned marine technology
Authors: Olejnik Adam
Published: August 2016

The article constitutes an attempt to identify current tendencies regarding the development of unmanned marine technologies such as unmanned surface and underwater vehicles. The analyses were performed on the basis of available literature, databases on research projects and internet sources. The material has been divided with regard to the location the research was conducted, the following groups being identified: the European Union, the United States of America and Poland. On the basis of the review of objectives and final effects of projects, tendencies in the development of the discussed marine technology have been identified. An interesting result of the review consists in an observation that Polish R&D works in this area are placed within the main identified developmental trends. Unfortunately, their effects are incomparable due to the minuteness of national funds allocated to R&D as opposed to other countries.
Clinical aspect of naval crews combat stress
Authors: Żychlińska Małgorzata , Żychliński Michał , Siermontowski Piotr
Published: August 2016

Stress among naval mariners is caused by a new environment in the form of climate, noise, defective food, diseases or injuries, and others. Stress is aggravated by the lack of information, conflicts between mariners, changing decisions of superiors. The strongest stressor military action is the fear of losing life or health.

The stress leads to disturbances in the neuronal transmission and reduction in CNS cells, weakening the processes of neurogenesis. Its complications are a social problem for soldiers returning from humanitarian and military missions and their families.

Mariners cope with stress individually in the area of operations of the armed forces. When difficult situations overwhelm the possibility of compensating psyche, there are algorithms for psychological support. The basis for coping with stress is permanent, social support. The next level concerns support group sessions, involving soldiers after a traumatic event or completing a task. Sessions take place in a quiet place, after the cessation of activities. We are talking about defusing and debriefing technique. The highest level of coping with stress refers to psychotherapy. At first, in the field conditions, and then in the form of hospitalization in the country. Clinical forms of combat stress is post-traumatic stress disorder, acute stress syndrome, personality change as a result of the disaster experience, dissociative disorders, operational fatigue, DESNOS. The treatment of these disorders involves cognitive behavioral oriented trauma therapy and medical therapy with the use of SSRIs, SNRIs, and antipsychotics.

In the twenty-first century a inquiry into combat stress creates a tight prevention of its complications.
The diving mouthpiece and the conditions of the temporomandibular joints. Preliminary study
Authors: Walczyńska – Dragon Karolina , Walczyńska Janina , Siermontowski Piotr
Published: August 2016

The article presents the results of research on the effects of a long-term exposure to non-physiological location of anatomical elements of the masticatory organ in the course of diving. The said exposure is connected with the utilisation of various types of diving mouthpieces.

The study was conducted on 186 professional divers manifesting various conditions occurring immediately upon diving completion and connected with the temporomandibular joints and muscles lifting the mandible. The most frequently reported pain affected the areas of cervical spine and shoulder ring, earache and reflex pain, an exhausting gritting of teeth.
Inter-speaker variation, Optimality theory, and the prosody of clitic left-dislocations in Spanish
Authors: Feldhausen Ingo
Published: August 2016

This paper presents an empirical study on the prosody of clitic left-dislocations (CLLDs) in Spanish and offers new perspectives on how the phenomenon of inter-speaker variation in linguistic data can be integrated into formal grammatical theory. Results from a production experiment based on scripted speech show that CLLDs have an obligatory left and right boundary (typically a high edge tone at the intermediate phrase level), while other sentence-internal boundaries are subject to inter-speaker variation. The hypothesis presented here suggests that prosodic boundaries which mark information structural (IS) categories are more necessary than boundaries which satisfy alignment constraints; only the latter can show inter-speaker variation (
Neutron Activation Analysis of the Rare Earth Elements (REE) – With Emphasis on Geological Materials
Authors: Stosch Heinz-Günter
Published: August 2016

Neutron activation analysis (NAA) has been the analytical method of choice for rare earth element (REE) analysis from the early 1960s through the 1980s. At that time, irradiation facilitieswere widely available and fairly easily accessible. The development of high-resolution gamma-ray detectors in the mid-1960s eliminated, formany applications, the need for chemical separation of the REE from the matrix material, making NAA a reliable and effective analytical tool. While not as precise as isotopedilution mass spectrometry, NAA was competitive by being sensitive for the analysis of about half of the rare earths (La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Yb, Lu). The development of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry since the 1980s, together with decommissioning of research reactors and the lack of installation of new ones in Europe and North America has led to the rapid decline of NAA.
Electrochemical aptasensors for detection of small molecules, macromolecules, and cells
Authors: Han Kun , Liu Tao , Wang Yuanhong , Miao Peng
Published: August 2016

Aptamers are a kind of special nucleic acids that have the ability to bind various targets (e.g. small molecules, macromolecules, and cells) with high affinity and specificity. As a type of efficient recognition component in analytical designs and applications, aptamers have gained intense achievements in the designs of biosensors. Especially, the past few years have witnessed the fast development of electrochemical aptasensors. In this mini-review, we summarize recent progresses in electrochemical biosensors based on aptamers. Different targets and the corresponding detection principles are introduced. The methods to enhance detectable signals are mentioned including the employment of nanomaterials. Also, some possible limitations and future perspectives are discussed.
Supercritical water gasification: a patents review
Authors: Casademont Pau , García-Jarana M. Belén , Sánchez-Oneto Jezabel , Portela Juan Ramón , Martínez de la Ossa Enrique J.
Published: August 2016

Supercritical water gasification (SCWG) is a very recent technology that allows conversion of organic wastewaters into a fuel gas with a high content of hydrogen and light hydrocarbons. SCWG involves the treatment of organic compounds at conditions higher than those that define the critical point of water (temperature of 374°C and pressure of 221 bar). This hydrothermal process, normally operated at temperatures from 400 to 650°C and pressures from 250 to 350 bar, produces a gas effluent with a high hydrogen content. SCWG is considered a promising technology for the efficient conversion of organic wastewaters, mainly wet biomass, into fuel gas. This technology has received extensive worldwide attention, and many research groups have studied the effect of operation conditions, reaction mechanisms, kinetics, etc. There are some recent reviews about the research works carried out in the last decades, but there is no information or analysis of almost 100 patents registered in relation with this new technology. A revision of the current status of SCWG patents and technologies has been completed based on the Espacenet patent database. The objective of this revision was to set down the new perspectives toward the improvement of this technology efficiency. Patents have been published with regard to process or device improvements as well as to the use of different catalysts. More than 71% of these patents were published since 2009, and a substantial climb in the number of patents on SCWG is expected in the coming years. One of the most important aspects where research is particularly interesting if the integration of renewable energy recovery systems with SCWG processes.
On thermodynamic equilibrium of carbon deposition from gaseous C-H-O mixtures: updating for nanotubes
Authors: Jaworski Zdzisław , Zakrzewska Barbara , Pianko-Oprych Paulina
Published: August 2016

Extensive literature information on experimental thermodynamic data and theoretical analysis for depositing carbon in various crystallographic forms is examined, and a new three-phase diagram for carbon is proposed. The published methods of quantitative description of gas-solid carbon equilibrium conditions are critically evaluated for filamentous carbon. The standard chemical potential values are accepted only for purified single-walled and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT). Series of C-H-O ternary diagrams are constructed with plots of boundary lines for carbon deposition either as graphite or nanotubes. The lines are computed for nine temperature levels from 200°C to 1000°C and for the total pressure of 1 bar and 10 bar. The diagram for graphite and 1 bar fully conforms to that in (Sasaki K, Teraoka Y. Equilibria in fuel cell gases II. The C-H-O ternary diagrams. J Electrochem Soc 2003b, 150: A885–A888). Allowing for CNTs in carbon deposition leads to significant lowering of the critical carbon content in the reformates in temperatures from 500°C upward with maximum shifting up the deposition boundary O/C values by about 17% and 28%, respectively, at 1 and 10 bar.
An update on a few permanent conjectures
Authors: Zhang Fuzhen
Published: August 2016

We review and update on a few conjectures concerning matrix permanent that are easily stated,
understood, and accessible to general math audience. They are: Soules permanent-on-top conjecture†, Lieb
permanent dominance conjecture, Bapat and Sunder conjecture† on Hadamard product and diagonal entries,
Chollet conjecture on Hadamard product, Marcus conjecture on permanent of permanents, and several
other conjectures. Some of these conjectures are recently settled; some are still open.We also raise a few new
questions for future study. (†conjectures have been recently settled negatively.)
A density-functional theory approach to the existence and stability of molybdenum and tungsten sesquioxide polymorphs
Authors: Becker Nils , Reimann Christoph , Weber Dominik , Lüdtke Tobias , Lerch Martin , Bredow Thomas , Dronskowski Richard
Published: August 2016

The sesquioxides of molybdenum and tungsten have been reported as thin films or on surfaces as early as 1971, but the preparation of bulk materials and their crystal structures are still unknown up to the present day. We present a systematic ab initio approach to their possible syntheses and crystal structures applying complementary methods and basis-set types. For both compounds, the corundum structure is the most stable and does not display any imaginary frequencies. Calculations targeted at a high-pressure synthesis starting from the stable oxides and metals predict a reaction pressure of 15 GPa for Mo2O3 and over 60 GPa for W2O3.
Isolation and Characterization of Herbicide Resistant Mutants in the Cyanobacterium Synechococcus R2
Authors: Hirschberg Joseph , Ohad Nir , Pecker Iris , Rahat Ana
Published: August 2016

Department of Genetics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Jerusalem. A variety of mutants which are resistant to triazine - and urea - classes of herbicides have been isolated in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus R2.

All the mutants that have been analyzed, show some cross-resistance to different herbicides suggesting that these herbicides share a common binding site in photosystem II.

Three psbA genes have been identified in Synechococcus R2. The psbA-copy I gene was cloned from three mutants and used in DNA-mediated genetic transformation. It was found that in all three mutants this gene could transfer the mutation for herbicide resistance indicating that this gene codes for the herbicide resistant protein.