bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
INFLUÊNCIA DOS PROCESSOS DE ESTERILIZAÇÃO NAS PROPRIEDADES MECÂNICAS DOS INSTRUMENTOS ENDODÔNTICOS
Authors: Amaral Georgiana
Published: July 2018

O objetivo principal deste trabalho é fazer uma revisão de literatura sobre o efeito de múltiplas esterilizações no comportamento mecânico dos instrumentos. Há um questionamento se isso poderia influenciar negativamente os instrumentos deixando-os mais susceptíveis à fratura, com menos resistência, podendo durar menos e até mesmo fraturar no interior do canal e assim comprometer o sucesso do tratamento endodôntico. Os autores pesquisados concordam que o processo de esterilização somente não seria capaz de deteriorar os instrumentos endodônticos e discordam sobre o número limite de vezes que estes instrumentos podem ser reutilizados. Podemos então concluir que o melhor é evitar utilizar os instrumentos por diversas vezes, principalmente aqueles utilizados em molares muito curvos  ou ao sinal de qualquer deformação plástica descartá- los. Espera-se contribuir com o meio acadêmico apresentando dados que possam ajudar a esclarecer e orientar os profissionais da área sobre os procedimentos endodônticos mencionados acima.
Diatom diversity and ecological status of the Lasovacka and Lenovacka streams near Zajecar: Consideration of WFD implementation in Serbia
Authors: Ciric Milos , Nikolic Natasa , Krizmanic Jelena , Gavrilovic Bojan , Pantelic Ana , Petrovic Vladimir
Published: July 2018

The development and improvement of the monitoring system of rivers according to the requirements of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) is essential for all European states because assigning a wrong ecological status class (misclassification) to a water body can have significant economic consequences. In order to point out some of the key issues of WFD implementation in Serbia, we conducted a one-year study of the composition and abundance of diatoms in the phytobenthos in two streams, the Lasovacka and Lenovacka, in eastern Serbia. The physicochemical quality elements were also used in the assessment of their ecological status. The diatom community exhibited a higher species richness in the Lasovacka (88 taxa) than in the Lenovacka stream (63 taxa). Such a detailed study enabled us to record some of the rare taxa, e.g. Caloneis budensis in the Lasovacka, which was the first finding of this species in Serbia. The Lasovacka and Lenovacka streams were downgraded to moderate and poor ecological status, respectively, because of the high nitrogen load. Since the monitoring results based on the diatom indices resulted in the assignment of two streams to a good ecological status, the possible reason for the mismatch between the biological and physicochemical quality elements could be due to the lack of analysis of benthic invertebrate fauna or the application of diatom indices that are insufficiently sensitive to the specific environmental pressure. The results of this study show that conducting a comprehensive ecological investigation of rivers within the framework of the WFD in Serbia is urgently needed.
Corpo, herança, memória e a miragem do eu
Authors: Klinger Diana
Published: July 2018

A partir do romance de Marta Dillon, Aparecida, o texto procura pensar a narrativa do eu a partir de lacunas e fragmentos, numa disputa em que corpo, herança familiar e memória estão atravessados pelas formas em que os poderes produzem e desmontam essas instâncias. A fragmentariedade do eu é considerada aqui uma possibilidade de posicionamento crítico diante do narcisismo da sociedade contemporânea, narcisismo este que tem sido pensado como funcional ao fascismo.
SIMULATION OF OSCILLATORY PROCESSES USING DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS OF LIOUVILLE TYPE
Authors: Ilyasova Albina Kuandykovna , Bulycheva Yuliia Vladimirovna
Published: July 2018

The problems of mathematical modeling lead to the necessity to create computational algorithms directly related to finding solutions of differential equations with partial derivatives in explicit form. In this study, explicit solutions are original tests for approximate methods that reflect the essence of the general solution. Each explicit solution of the differential equation has great importance as an accurate representation of the physical phenomenon under study within the framework of this model, as an analysis of the verification of numerical methods, as a theoretical basis for further modeling of the researched process. There have been considered aspects of the application of mathematical modeling to the study of oscillatory processes. Methods of reducing the solution of differential equations to an explicit form are proposed. Solution is given through functions of real arguments. The possible field of application is the study of wave processes. There is being considered the problem of building a variety of explicit solutions of the nonlinear third-order differential equation with partial derivatives with two boundary singular planes in space and second-order equation of general form with hyper-singular lines in the plane. On the basis of the developed method there has been proved the uniqueness of the obtained integral representations, and the boundary value problem of Cauchy type is posed and solved. The results are formulated in the form of theorems.
Mind the gap
Authors: Berisha Erbin , Colic Natasa , Cotella Giancarlo , Nedović-Budić Zorica
Published: July 2018

Starting in the 1990s, an increasing number of studies and reports have focused on examining the nature and characteristics of spatial planning in Europe. The geographical coverage of these comparative analyses broadened over time, paralleling the progression of EU integration. However, the Western Balkan countries were only vaguely mentioned within such studies, mostly due to their fragmentation and geopolitical instability. This paper analyses and compares spatial planning systems in the Western Balkan Region since the 1990s. More specifically, it presents an overview of the geographical and socio-economic situation, explores administrative and legal frameworks for spatial planning, analyses spatial planning instruments produced at each territorial level, and addresses future challenges. Through so doing this paper exposes the complexity of the subject and sets a base for further research.
Rural Quality of Life – Poverty, Satisfaction and Opportunity Deprivation in Different Types of Rural Territories
Authors: Bernard Josef
Published: July 2018

This article contributes to the rural-urban quality of life comparison issue by investigating territorial differences in quality of life using indices of poverty, satisfaction and opportunity deprivation. The article introduces three innovative elements. First, rural-urban differences are analysed alongside with the within-rural differentiation; second, two distinct spatial patterns of different forms of rural territorial disadvantage are introduced; third, the net-effect of the residential environment is assessed. Empirical results, based on survey data, show increased opportunity deprivation in rural areas, which however is not accompanied by decreased community satisfaction. For the most indices, within-rural differences proved larger than the difference between urban and rural areas.
Памяти Анатолия Григорьевича Исаченко
Authors: Слепян Э.И.
Published: July 2018

без аннотации
Effective Quenching and Excited-State Relaxation of a Cu(I) Photosensitizer Addressed by Time-Resolved Spectroscopy and TDDFT Calculations
Authors: Friedrich Aleksej , Bokareva Olga S. , Luo Shu-Ping , Junge Henrik , Beller Matthias , Kühn Oliver , Lochbrunner Stefan
Published: July 2018

Homogenous photocatalytic systems based on copper photosensitizers are promising candidates for noble metal free approaches in solar hydrogen generation. To improve their performance a detailed understanding of the individual steps is needed. Here, we study the interaction of a heteroleptic copper (I) photosensitizer with an iron catalyst by time-resolved spectroscopy and ab-initio calculations. The catalyst leads to rather efficient quenching of the 3MLCT state of the copper complex, with a bimolecular rate being about three times smaller than the collision rate. Using control experiments with methyl viologen an appearing absorption band is assigned to the oxidized copper complex demonstrating that electron transfer from the sensitizer to the iron catalyst occurs and the system reacts along an oxidative pathway. However, only about 30% of the quenching events result in an electron transfer while the other 70% experience deactivation indicating that the photocatalytic performance could be improved by optimizing the intermolecular interaction.
A Bayesian Approach to Predict Solubility Parameters
Authors: Sanchez-Lengeling Benjamin , Roch Loic , Perea Jose Dario , Langner Stefan , Brabec Christoph J. , Aspuru-Guzik Alan
Published: July 2018

Solubility is a ubiquitous phenomenon in many aspects of material science. While solubility can be determined by considering the cohesive forces in a liquid via the Hansen solubility parameters (HSP), quantitative structure-property relationship models are often used for prediction, notably due to their low computational cost. Herein, we report gpHSP, an interpretable and versatile probabilistic approach to determining HSP. Our model is based on Gaussian processes (GP), a Bayesian machine learning approach that provides uncertainty bounds to prediction. gpHSP achieves its flexibility by leveraging a variety of input data, such as SMILES strings, COSMOtherm simulations, and quantum chemistry calculations. gpHSP is built on experimentally determined HSP, including a general solvents set aggregated from literature, and a polymer set experimentally characterized by this group of authors. In all sets, we obtained a high degree of agreement, surpassing well-established machine learning methods. We demonstrate the general applicability of gpHSP to miscibility of organic semiconductors, drug compounds and in general solvents, which can be further extended to other domains. gpHSP is a fast and accurate toolbox, which could be applied to molecular design for solution processing technologies.
Ferrozine Assay for Simple and Cheap Iron Analysis of Silica-Coated Iron Oxide Nanoparticles
Authors: Ring Hattie , Gao Zhe , D. Klein Nathan , Garwood Michael , Bischof John C. , Haynes Christy L.
Published: July 2018

The Ferrozinen assay is applied as an accurate and rapid method to quantify the iron content of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) and can be used in biological matrices. The addition of ascorbic aqcid accelerates the digestion process and can penetrate an IONP core within a mesoporous and solid silica shell. This new digestion protocol avoids the need for hydrofluoric acid to digest the surrounding silica shell and provides and accessible alternative to inductively coupled plasma methods. With the updated digestion protocol, the quantitative range of the Ferrozine assay is 1 - 14 ppm.
El sistema procesal penal acusatorio nuevos desafíos investigativos frente al secuestro y la extorsión
Authors: Augusto Toro Lucena Óscar
Published: July 2018

Se exponen aquí algunas reflexiones respecto de los retos que para la investigaciónpenal planteó la entrada en vigencia del nuevo Código de Procedimiento Penal (Ley906 de 2004), así como sobre las cualidades que debe tener el investigador judicialy las exigencias en la aplicación de métodos cualitativos de investigación como laentrevista y el interrogatorio en el propósito de obtener resultados favorables, mejorar y agilizar la persecución y el juzgamiento de los delitos.
Situación de las víctimas en Baja California (México) en el contexto actual
Authors: Capito Mata Sergio , Molina González María Del Rosario , Soto barreras María De Jesús
Published: July 2018

Con el tiempo, la víctima en el sistema penal mexicano ha trascendido de un sistema inquisitivo a uno acusatorio, entendiendo así que no solo el delincuente es parte dentro del proceso penal, sino que también se debe dar un reco- nocimiento jurídico a la persona sobre la cual recaen las consecuencias del delito. Así, resulta importante el análi- sis de la concepción etimológica de la palabra “víctima”, cuál es el marco jurídico que la protege y la falta de ar- monización de la ley respectiva. De esta manera, se abor- dará esta investigación documental a manera de análisis situacional, con recopilación estadística y de campo, para conocer la realidad jurídica de la víctima en Baja Califor- nia, en un nuevo contexto jurídico, como avance parcial del proyecto de investigación “La situación de las víctimas como sujeto jurídico dentro del nuevo sistema de justicia penal acusatorio”. Eventually the victim in the Mexican penal system has transcended from an inquisitorial system to an adversari- al one. Understanding so that not only the offender’s part in the criminal proceedings, but also must give legal rec- ognition to the victim, upon which rests the consequences of crime. Thus, the analysis of the etymological concep- tion of the word “victim”, which is the legal framework that protects and lack of harmonization of the respec- tive law is important. Thus, this documentary research be addressed, as a situational analysis, statistical and field collection, to meet the legal reality of the victim in Baja California, in a new legal context as partial progress of the research project “The situation of victims as a legal subject within the new adversarial criminal justice sys- tem”.
Caos sistémico global y políticas de postdesarrollo en América Latina
Authors: Fornillo Bruno
Published: July 2018

Nuestra sociedad actual permite vislumbrar que se desarrollan sin freno no solo las fuerzas productivas, sino también las ‘destructivas’, de modo que nos enfrentamos a una serie de ‘límites ecológicos’ que amenazan la reproducción de la biosfera. En este artículo, reflexionamos sobre el escenario incierto que dibuja el agotamiento de los combustibles fósiles, el cambio ambiental global y la actual disputa económica entre países y corporaciones globales, marco en el que América Latina debe repensar la concepción del desarrollo, en pro de elaborar nuevas estrategias, tanto desde la política pública como desde la sociedad civil, para enfrentar los peligros que acechan el siglo XXI. 
CHANGES OF CARDIOMETABOLIC RISK FACTORS IN EARLY AND LONG-TERM USE OF MENOPAUZAL HORMONE THERAPY IN WOMEN OF THE CLIMACTERIC PERIOD
Authors: Tolstov S. N. , Salov I. A. , Rebrov A. P.
Published: July 2018

Aim:changes in the main cardiometabolic risk factors in women of the climacteric period in early and long-term use of combined drospirenone-containing menopausal hormone therapy.

Material and Methods.The study included 210 menopausal women divided into 3 groups: 1 group (n=48) included women who, after reaching menopause, switched from a drospirenone-containing hormonal contraceptive to taking menopausal hormone therapy; in the second group (n=84) — women who started taking hormone therapy in the period of early postmenopause. Menopausal hormone therapy was used for 1 mg of 17β-estradiol and 2 mg of drospirenone-“Angeliq®”. The control group (n=78) included women in early postmenopausal women who did not take hormonal therapy. The duration of follow-up is 5.2 (4.8, 5.7) years. Lipid metabolism, uric acid, immunoreactive insulin and C-peptide, oral glucose tolerance test, HOMA-IR index were calculated. The waist circumference and waist circumference/thigh circumference were determined.

Results.Against the backdrop of prolonged menopausal hormonal therapy, a decrease in the atherogenicity of blood plasma was noted. In women of the control group, an increase in atherogenic lipid fractions was revealed by the end of the study. Patients of the first group of significant changes in the circumference of the waist and the ratio of waist circumference/thigh circumference were not detected. In women of the second group with initially higher values of the waist circumference and the ratio of the waist circumference/thigh circumference than in the patients of the 1st group, a decrease in the severity of abdominal obesity was established. Women of the control group noted an increase in the value of these indicators by the end of the study. In women receiving menopausal hormone therapy, there was a significant decrease in immunoreactive insulin and C-peptide, a decrease in the HOMA-IR index, combined with a decrease in basal and postprandial blood glucose levels. In women of the control group, as the abdominal obesity progresses, the increase in the studied indicators is noted.

Conclusion.The study suggests the possibility of using a combination of 1 mg of 17β-estradiol and 2 mg of drospirenone for prolonged menopausal hormone therapy in patients with early postmenopausal metabolic disorders. Early and longterm use of menopausal hormone therapy has some additional advantages before prescribing hormone therapy in the early postmenopausal period with more favorable changes in the lipid spectrum of the blood, less pronounced abdominal obesity and insulin resistance.
Subconjuntos de países por niveles de dependencia petrolera: propuesta para el análisis sociopolítico
Authors: González Oquendo Luis J
Published: July 2018

El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo hacer un análisis que permita construir subconjuntos analíticos dentro del conjunto de países con dependencia petrolera, útil para estudios sociopolíticos comparados. La estrategia metodológica es el análisis tipológico, que busca satisfacer la necesidad de clasificar, resumiendo unidades de análisis, en un conjunto reducido y significativo de categorías que vienen a ser el objeto de estudio. Se aplicó al conjunto de países un ajuste de los criterios establecidos por la literatura, tomando como variables clave renta (como porcentaje del PIB) y exportaciones de combustibles (como porcentaje de exportaciones totales). Así, se establecieron cuatro subconjuntos de países por nivel de dependencia petrolera que fueron probadas con análisis exploratorio utilizando variables sociopolíticas diversas
Analisis jalur pengaruh sosialisasi terhadap kepatuhan wajib pajak bumi dan bangunan kota kediri dengan kesadaran sebagai variabel intervening
Authors: Puspita Erna
Published: July 2018

Pentingnya pajak bagi pembangunan di Indonesia membuat pemerintah terus berupaya meningkatkan penerimaan dari sektor ini. Mengingat semakin banyaknya bangunan baru yang ada di Kota Kediri, menuntut pemerintah dalam hal ini Dispenda Kota Kediri memberikan sosialisasi perpajakan kepada wajib pajak Bumi dan Bangunan yang ada di Kota Kediri. Sehingga diharapkan dapat meningkatkan kepatuhan wajib pajak terhadap peraturan perpajakan yang berlaku. Tujuan dilakukan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh sosialisasi yang dilakukan oleh Dispenda Kota Kediri terhadap kepatuhan wajib pajak dengan menggunakan variabel kesadaran sebagai perantara.

Teknik pengumpulan data yang digunakan berupa kuesioner yang dibagikan kepada wajib pajak PBB Kota Kediri yang terdaftar di Dispenda Kota Kediri, dan wawancara kepada pihak pegawai Dispenda Kota Kediri. Teknik analisis data menggunakan analisis jalur, untuk mengetahui pengaruh langsung variabel Sosialisasi (X) terhadap variabel Kepatuhan (Y), dan pengaruh tidak langsung, yaitu pengaruh variabel Sosialisasi (X) terhadap variabel Kepatuhan (Y) melalui variabel Kesadaran (Z).

Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa variabel Sosialisasi berpengaruh secara langsung terhadap variabel Kepatuhan sebesar 19,4%, variabel Sosialisasi berpengaruh secara tidak langsung terhadap variabel Kepatuhan melalui variabel Kesadaran sebesar 38,4%. Sehingga dapat disimpulkan bahwa sosialisasi akan efektif meningkatkan kepatuhan wajib pajak apabila sosialisasi tersebut efektif meningkatkan kesadaran wajib pajak.

 

Kata Kunci : Sosialisasi, Kepatuhan, Kesadaran
Industrial Production and Investment in Pakistan
Authors: Papanek G. F.
Published: July 2018

Development in Pakistan so far has been largely sustained by a
rapidly growing industrial sector. From 1953 to 1960, the index for
manufacturing has grown more rapidly in Pakistan than in any other
country for which United-Nations statistics are published, except Japan.
Admittedly, the reliability of such comparisons is limited and the high
rate of Pakistan's industrial growth is partly a function of the low
initial level of industrial development—if you start at zero, any
increase means an infinite rate. But the United-Nations index starts in
the middle 1950's when Pakistan already had a respectable industrial
sector and the statistics are sufficiently reliable so one can say with
some confidence ' that Pakistan had a rate of industrial growth matched
by few countries in the recent past. A reasonably accurate measure of
the growth in industrial production and investment in Pakistan is,
therefore, of particular importance to economic analysis, policy
formulation, or planning. The dynamism of the industrial sector has been
due to what is called " large scale industry ". No reasonably reliable
information exists on value added in "small scale industry", but various
official , and unofficial guesses on its growth rate have ranged from a
decline to a 3.5- per-cent annual increase. There would be
near-universal agreement that "large scale industry" has grown much more
rapidly than "small scale". The Survey, discussed later in this paper,
confirms this conclusion. From 1947 to 1959, the value added by firms
with assets of less than one million rupees increased only five-fold,
while that added by larger firms increased more than fifteen
times.
Pengaruh beban kerja terhadap stress perawat kamar operasi di RSUD Prof. Dr. W.Z. Johanes Kupang
Authors: Dr.Sabina Gero SKp
Published: July 2018

Nurses get stress by various factors of the workload. workload of nurses in the operating room is influenced by factors such as long experience, strength and physical endurance, skills profesional attitude and knoledge. this study to determinate the effect of workload factors to stress on the operating room nurses in prof. Dr. W.Z. Johanes Kupang hospital. This study used cross - sectional design of the 36 samples that worked as a nurse in the operating room. The results were analyzed by using Kendall's Tau - b Test to examined the influence of workload factors to the operating room nurse stress. The result showed that have significant effect the physicalstress on the operating room nurse are long experience (p=0,041) and skills (0,029). The results showed factors that have a significant effect to the psycological stress is a long experience factor (p=0,023) and the effect of workload on social stress are profesional attitude (0,047) and knowledge (0,047). The conclusion of this study (in the year 2013) that the work load factors of long experience has more influence on the phisical and psychological stress. This research advice to avoid stress, operating room nurses is expected to follow the training or seminar about operating room to enhance the skills of operating rooms, self-train to remain calm and not panic in coping of critical patient and well-read and following the socialization process of existing SOPs in operating room. Keywords : workload, stress, nurse in operation room
A NOVELTY METHODS OF CRYPTOGRAPHY ALGORITHMS INTO LAYERED CIPHER ENCRYPTION AND DECRYPTION
Authors: Aryza Solly
Published: July 2018

Encryption is one method used to protect or maintain the data. Data that has encrypted will be kept confidential where the contents of the data are altered, so it does not correspond to the actual data. To be able to read data that has been encrypted earlier required a process called decryption. In the science of cryptography, the data will be safeguarded consists of three main components, that is the message that will be read (plaintext), the keys to perform cryptographic techniques (Key), and a random signal that is unreadable (ciphertext). Testing is done by sending the data in the form of words or sentences by using a secret key. Results of analysis of data from tests performed show that with the incorporation of some algorithm plated confidentiality of information can be safer because it takes several different stages to solve.
Child marriage: historical reality around the globe and in Bangladesh – A literature review
Authors: Chowdhury Mohiuddin Ahsanul Kabir , Morium Salma
Published: July 2018

Child marriage, defined as marriage before 18 years, is a reality for more than 60 million women worldwide. This is more prevalent in developing countries including Bangladesh. Although the universal age for the marriage of women is 18 years, the girls get married earlier across different countries depending on the socio-cultural perspective. Globally child marriage is not uncommon even in this twenty first century; however, the phenomenon is concentrated in the developing countries, especially in Africa and South Asia. Currently Bangladesh is securing the 8th position among the highest burdened countries with child marriage. This literature review attempts to illuminate over the overall scenario of child marriage with special emphasis on Bangladesh situation. Besides, we also reviewed for drivers, consequences and legal aspects of child marriage. The evidences suggest that education, women empowerment and programmes involving the community stakeholders with bottom-up approach can be effective in preventing child marriage and can foster change relatively quickly.
Influence of the milling process on TiB2 particle reinforced Al-7 wt.-% Si matrix composites
Authors: Mertdinç Sıddıka , Tekoğlu Emre , Ağaoğulları Duygu , Öveçoğlu M. Lütfi
Published: July 2018

Al-Si metal matrix composites have generally been manufactured using casting methods. Powder metallurgy has been used as an alternative manufacturing technique to obtain more homogeneous and segregation-free products. In this study, 2 wt.-% TiB2 particle reinforced Al-7 wt.-% Si composites were manufactured using high energy ball milling, cold pressing (at 450 MPa) and pressureless sintering (at 570 °C for 2 h under Ar flow) techniques. The effects of different milling processes, such as mechanical alloying at room temperature and/or cryomilling in an isolated polycarbonate cylinder soaked in liquid nitrogen or sequential milling, on the Al-7 wt.-% Si-2 wt.-% TiB2 powders and corresponding bulk products were investigated. The microstructural, physical and mechanical properties of the composites sintered from the mechanically alloyed, mechanically alloyed and cryomilled, and sequentially milled powders were significantly improved as compared with those of as-blended ones. The highest density, the highest microhardness and the lowest wear rate were obtained in a composite sintered from mechanically alloyed and cryomilled powders at 92.38 %, 214.14 ± 41.17 HV and 3.8 × 10−3 mm3·N−1 × m−1, respectively.
Microstructure and mechanical properties of fly ash particulate reinforced AA8011 aluminum alloy composites
Authors: Magibalan Subramaniam , Senthilkumar Palanisamy , Senthilkumar Chinnamuthu , Nagar Annamalai , Palanivelu Rajagounder , Prabu Muthusamy
Published: July 2018

The objective of this study was to investigate the synthesis and characterization of aluminum alloy AA8011 reinforced with various amounts (0, 4, 8 and 12 wt.-%) of fly ash (FA) particles by the stir casting method. The wettability of fly ash particles in the matrix was improved by adding 0.5 wt.-% of Mg into the solution. Fly ash particles were combined with the semi-solid aluminum solution. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the fabricated aluminum matrix composites were analysed. The optical and SEM with EDX revealed a homogeneous dispersion of fly ash particles in the aluminum matrix composites. The aluminum matrix composites were characterized by a homogeneous distribution of fly ash particles having clear boundaries and good bonding qualities to the aluminum matrix. Mechanical properties such as hardness and tensile strength improve with an increase in weight percentage of fly ash particulates in the AMCs.
Epidemiological Trends of Antibiotic Resistant Gonorrhoea in the United Kingdom
Authors: Whittles Lilith , White Peter , Paul John , Didelot Xavier
Published: July 2018

Gonorrhoea is one of the most common sexually-transmitted bacterial infections, globally and in the United Kingdom. The levels of antibiotic resistance in gonorrhoea reported in recent years represent a critical public health issue. From penicillins to cefixime, the gonococcus has become resistant to all antibiotics that have been previously used against it, in each case only a matter of years after introduction as a first-line therapy. After each instance of resistance emergence, the treatment recommendations have required revision, to the point that only a few antibiotics can reliably be prescribed to treat infected individuals. Most countries, including the UK, now recommend that gonorrhoea be treated with a dual therapy combining ceftriaxone and azithromycin. While this treatment is still currently effective for the vast majority of cases, there are concerning signs that this will not always remain the case, and there is no readily apparent alternative. Here, we review the use of antibiotics and epidemiological trends of antibiotic resistance in gonorrhoea from surveillance data over the past 15 years in the UK and describe how surveillance could be improved.
Tunable and Switchable Erbium-Doped Fiber Laser Using a Multimode-Fiber Based Filter
Authors: Khattak Anum , Tatel Gerard , Wei Li
Published: July 2018

We demonstrated a compact tunable and switchable single/dual-wavelength erbium-doped fiber laser. The fiber laser can be tuned and switched from single-wavelength to dual-wavelength oscillation by using our recently proposed tunable comb filter. The comb filter consists of a section of multimode fiber (MMF) coiled into a polarization controller and two sections of single mode fibers (SMFs) to form a SMF/MMF/SMF structure, serving as a simple tunable all-fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer. Due to the insertion of the MMF-based polarization controller (PC), an additional phase shift is introduced from the difference of the birefringence intensity in different dominant modes, which can be used to tune the fiber laser. In the experiment, by properly adjusting the PC, a tuning range of 9.3 nm can be achieved for the single-wavelength operation. Moreover, dual-wavelength operation with different free-spectral-ranges can be obtained. The tunable and switchable fiber lasers are of great importance for their applications in optical testing, optical fiber sensing, and signal processing.
Test Granular Materials Failure Using Bi-Directional Simple Shear Apparatus: A Review
Authors: Li Yao
Published: July 2018

As widely used natural granular materials, sand and clay have been extensively studied. However, its physical and mechanical behavior, such as the shear behavior and deformation under loading, are still not clear. This is due to the limitation of the testing facility, in which most of the testing apparatus can only add one directional shear stress. The in situ stress condition of soils is usually more complex and has multi-directional shear stress during consolidation and shearing. A bi-directional simple shear apparatus can better replicate the in situ stress condition and has been used by a few researchers. This review summarized the testing facilities and recent advances in bi-directional simple shear testing.
In-Situ Strain Measurements in Large Volumes of Hardening Epoxy Using Optical Backscatter Reflectometry
Authors: Heinze Søren , Echtermeyer Andreas T.
Published: July 2018

Some large engineering structures are made by casting polymers into a mold. The structures can have complicated geometries and may be filled with other components, such as electrical transformers. This study investigated casting of large components made of epoxy. Epoxy is easy to pour, bonds well and has relatively low cure shrinkage. However, the cure shrinkage can lead to significant stresses or strains, causing large deformations that can lead to cracks.Understanding the curing process and related shrinkage is important for designing molds and controlling the production process. This study applied a new experimental method to measure strains due to cure shrinkage allowing many accurate local measurements along the length of an optical measurement fiber. The method is based on Optical Backscatter Reflectometry. Six distinct stages of the curing process can be identified. Previous measurements were limited to a few point measurements in small samples. This paper shows cure shrinkage in large samples and identifies some unexpected changes in behavior when going from small to large specimens. The behavior is explained qualitatively.
Humidity Control for Front Opening Unified Pod after Opening Its Door in a Mini-Environment
Authors: Hu Shih-Cheng , Li Zhe-Wei , Lin Tee , Fu Ben-Ran
Published: July 2018

Wafers are usually placed in a front opening unified pod (FOUP) while waiting in the line of manufacturing processes; a conventional way for preventing (or removing) contamination is to purge an FOUP with a gas, so as to maintain the cleanliness level. This study investigates the effect of the flow rate of clean dry air (CDA), supplied to the purge system and air curtain, on the moisture prevention performance, while opening the FOUP door in a mini-environment. An initial relative humidity (RH) in the pre-purged FOUP was approximately 0%, whereas an RH in the mini-environment was about 43%. Conventional, diffuser, and panel purge approaches were tested. The results showed that the moisture in the surroundings rapidly entered the FOUP when the door was opened, without using either the purge system or air curtain. When the CDA was then supplied to both the purge system and the air curtain, the RH values decreased significantly; the drop slope of the RH for the diffuser- and panel-purge processes was much larger than that of the conventional-purge process. In addition, the moisture prevention performance when the developed panel-purge system was used was slightly lower than when using the diffuser-purge system. However, the use of the panel-purge method could sufficiently suppress the vibration problem. In the present study, the case with CDA flow rates of 150 L/min to the air curtain and 250 L/min to the panel-purge device had the best moisture prevention performance, because of the smallest values for both the mean and maximum RH values (i.e., 1.3% and 9.5%, respectively) in the FOUP.
Replacement of Vanadium by Ferrovanadium in a Ti-Based Body Centred Cubic (BCC) Alloy: Towards a Low-Cost Hydrogen Storage Material
Authors: Bibienne Thomas , Gosselin Catherine , Bobet Jean-Louis , Huot Jacques
Published: July 2018

We report here the effect on hydrogen sorption behavior of replacing vanadium by ferrovanadium (FeV) in Ti-V-Cr Body Centred Cubic (BCC) solid solution alloys. The compositions studied were Ti1.56V0.36Cr1.08 and Ti1.26V0.63Cr1.11. Both of the alloys were synthesized by melting with 4 wt % of Zr7Ni10 in order to enhance the first hydrogenation (i.e., activation) kinetics. The ferrovanadium substitution leads to the same microstructure as the vanadium pristine alloys and no significant change in the lattice parameters was found. However, a longer incubation time was observed in the activation process for the FeV substituted alloy. Finally, the replacement of vanadium by ferrovanadium did not have a noticeable impact on the hydrogen capacities, heat of formation, and entropy.
An Ensemble Stacked Convolutional Neural Network Model for Environmental Event Sound Recognition
Authors: Li Shaobo , Yao Yong , Hu Jie , Liu Guokai , Yao Xuemei , Hu Jianjun
Published: July 2018

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) with log-mel audio representation and CNN-based end-to-end learning have both been used for environmental event sound recognition (ESC). However, log-mel features can be complemented by features learned from the raw audio waveform with an effective fusion method. In this paper, we first propose a novel stacked CNN model with multiple convolutional layers of decreasing filter sizes to improve the performance of CNN models with either log-mel feature input or raw waveform input. These two models are then combined using the Dempster–Shafer (DS) evidence theory to build the ensemble DS-CNN model for ESC. Our experiments over three public datasets showed that our method could achieve much higher performance in environmental sound recognition than other CNN models with the same types of input features. This is achieved by exploiting the complementarity of the model based on log-mel feature input and the model based on learning features directly from raw waveforms.
Innovative Strategies for Observations in the Arctic Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ISOBAR)—The Hailuoto 2017 Campaign
Authors: Kral Stephan T. , Reuder Joachim , Vihma Timo , Suomi Irene , O’Connor Ewan , Kouznetsov Rostislav , Wrenger Burkhard , Rautenberg Alexander , Urbancic Gabin , Jonassen Marius O. , Båserud Line , Maronga Björn , Mayer Stephanie , Lorenz Torge , Holtslag Albert A. M. , Steeneveld Gert-Jan , Seidl Andrew , Müller Martin , Lindenberg Christian , Langohr Carsten , Voss Hendrik , Bange Jens , Hundhausen Marie , Hilsheimer Philipp , Schygulla Markus
Published: July 2018

The aim of the research project “Innovative Strategies for Observations in the Arctic Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ISOBAR)” is to substantially increase the understanding of the stable atmospheric boundary layer (SBL) through a combination of well-established and innovative observation methods as well as by models of different complexity. During three weeks in February 2017, a first field campaign was carried out over the sea ice of the Bothnian Bay in the vicinity of the Finnish island of Hailuoto. Observations were based on ground-based eddy-covariance (EC), automatic weather stations (AWS) and remote-sensing instrumentation as well as more than 150 flight missions by several different Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) during mostly stable and very stable boundary layer conditions. The structure of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) and above could be resolved at a very high vertical resolution, especially close to the ground, by combining surface-based measurements with UAV observations, i.e., multicopter and fixed-wing profiles up to 200 m agl and 1800 m agl, respectively. Repeated multicopter profiles provided detailed information on the evolution of the SBL, in addition to the continuous SODAR and LIDAR wind measurements. The paper describes the campaign and the potential of the collected data set for future SBL research and focuses on both the UAV operations and the benefits of complementing established measurement methods by UAV measurements to enable SBL observations at an unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution.
Fabrication and In Vitro Characterization of Bioactive Glass/Nano Hydroxyapatite Reinforced Electrospun Poly(ε-Caprolactone) Composite Membranes for Guided Tissue Regeneration
Authors: Sunandhakumari Vishnu Jayakumar , Vidhyadharan Arun Kumar , Alim Aneesh , Kumar Deepan , Ravindran Jayakrishnan , Krishna Aswathy , Prasad Manoj
Published: July 2018

Background: Current resorbable and non-resorbable membranes act as a physical barrier to avoid connective and epithelial tissue downgrowth into the defect, favoring the regeneration of periodontal tissues. These conventional membranes possess many structural and bio-functional limitations. We hypothesized that the next-generation of guided tissue regeneration (GTR) membranes for periodontal tissue engineering will be a biologically active, spatially designed nanofibrous biomaterial that closely mimics the native extra-cellular matrix (ECM). Methods: GTR membranes made of poly(ε-Caprolactone) with a molecular weight of 80,000 reinforced with different weight concentrations of nano-Hydroxyapatite/Bioactive glass (2%, 5%, 10%, 15%) is fabricated by the method of electrospinning. After fabrication, in vitro properties are evaluated. Results: The electrospun nanofibrous membranes possessed excellent mechanical properties initially and after one month of degradation in phosphate buffer solution (PBS). Moreover, none of the fabricated membranes were found to be cytotoxic at lower concentrations and higher concentrations. Comparing the overall properties, PCL (poly(e-caprolactone)) + BG (Bioactive glass) 2% exhibited superior cell attachment and percentage of viable cells, increased fiber and pore diameter which satisfies the ideal properties needed for GTR membranes. Conclusion: Composite nanofibrous membranes prepared by electrospinning are suitable for use as a GTR membrane and are a useful prototype for further development of a final membrane for clinical use.
Photocatalytic Membrane Reactor (PMR) for Virus Removal in Drinking Water: Effect of Humic Acid
Authors: Cheng Rong , Shen Liangjie , Wang Qi , Xiang Shaoyu , Shi Lei , Zheng Xiang , Lv Wenzhou
Published: July 2018

In the actual water environment, the health risk of waterborne viruses is evaluated to be 101–104 times higher at a similar level of exposure compared with bacteria and has aroused strong concern in many countries in the world. Photocatalytic membrane reactor (PMR), a new process for virus inactivation in water, has gradually become one of the main tools to inactivate pathogenic organisms in water. However, there is relatively little attention to the effect of natural organic matters (NOMs) on the PMR system, which actually exists in the water environment. In this paper, the TiO2-P25, a common type in sales and marketing, was selected as the photocatalyst, and humic acid was regarded as the representative substance of NOMs for investigating thoroughly the influence of humic acid on virus removal by the PMR system. It was found that competitive adsorption between the virus and humic acid occurred, which markedly reduced the amount of virus adsorbed on the surface of the photocatalyst. Moreover, with humic acid, the direct contact behavior between the virus and the photocatalyst was blocked to some extent, and the disinfection of phage f2 by the active free radicals produced by photocatalysis was furthermore badly affected. Meanwhile, the special structure of humic acid, which made humic acid be able to absorb light of 270–500 nm, led to the reduction of photocatalytic efficiency. Further experiments showed that when there was a certain concentration of humic acid in water, intermittent operation mode or higher membrane flux (>40 L/(m2·h)) was selected to partly alleviate the adverse effects of humic acid.
Comparative and Expression Analysis of Ubiquitin Conjugating Domain-Containing Genes in Two Pyrus Species
Authors: Cao Yunpeng , Meng Dandan , Chen Yu , Abdullah Muhammad , Jin Qing , Lin Yi , Cai Yongping
Published: July 2018

Ripening affects the nutritional contents and quality of fleshy fruits, and it plays an important role during the process of fruit development. Studies have demonstrated that ubiquitin-conjugating (UBC or E2) genes can regulate fruit ripening, but the characterization of UBCs in pear is not well documented. The recently published genome-wide sequences of Pyrus bretschneideri and Pyrus communis have allowed a comprehensive analysis of this important gene family in pear. Using bioinformatics approaches, we identified 83 (PbrUBCs) and 84 (PcpUBCs) genes from P. bretschneideri and P. communis, respectively, which were divided into 13 subfamilies. In total, 198 PbrUBC paralogous, 215 PcpUBC paralogous, and 129 orthologous gene pairs were detected. Some paralogous gene pairs were found to be distributed on the same chromosome, suggesting that these paralogs may be caused by tandem duplications. The expression patterns of most UBC genes were divergent between Pyrus bretschneideri and Pyrus communis during pear fruit development. Remarkably, the transcriptome data showed that UBC genes might play a more important role in fruit ripening for further study. This is the first report on the systematic analysis of two Pyrus UBC gene families, and these data will help further study the role of UBC genes in fruit development and ripening, as well as contribute to the functional verification of UBC genes in pear.
Lamins in Lung Cancer: Biomarkers and Key Factors for Disease Progression through miR-9 Regulation?
Authors: Guinde Julien , Frankel Diane , Perrin Sophie , Delecourt Valérie , Lévy Nicolas , Barlesi Fabrice , Astoul Philippe , Roll Patrice , Kaspi Elise
Published: July 2018

Lung cancer represents the primary cause of cancer death in the world. Malignant cells identification and characterization are crucial for the diagnosis and management of patients with primary or metastatic cancers. In this context, the identification of new biomarkers is essential to improve the differential diagnosis between cancer subtypes, to select the most appropriate therapy, and to establish prognostic correlations. Nuclear abnormalities are hallmarks of carcinoma cells and are used as cytological diagnostic criteria of malignancy. Lamins (divided into A- and B-types) are localized in the nuclear matrix comprising nuclear lamina, where they act as scaffolding protein, involved in many nuclear functions, with regulatory effects on the cell cycle and differentiation, senescence and apoptosis. Previous studies have suggested that lamins are involved in tumor development and progression with opposite results concerning their prognostic role. This review provides an overview of lamins expression in lung cancer and the relevance of these findings for disease diagnosis and prognosis. Furthermore, we discuss the link between A-type lamins expression in lung carcinoma cells and nuclear deformability, epithelial to mesenchymal transition, and metastatic potential, and which mechanisms could regulate A-type lamins expression in lung cancer, such as the microRNA miR-9.
Significantly Reduced Secondary-Electron-Yield of Aluminum Sheet with Fluorocarbon Coating
Authors: Wang Feipeng , Zhao Qi , Li Jian , Wang Kaizheng , Huang Zhengyong , Cui Wanzhao
Published: July 2018

In this work, the surface of Al sheet was coated with a fluorocarbon (FC) thin film by radio frequency (RF) sputtering of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) to investigate the influence of dielectric coatings on the secondary electron yield (SEY) behavior of Al sheets. Atomic-force microscopy (AFM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were employed to identify the surface topographies and elemental contents of the samples with FC coatings. Water contact angle (WCA) measurements were performed to characterize the surface tension as well as the polar and dispersion components of the samples’ surface. The secondary electron- mission (SEE) behavior of the samples was determined by measuring the SEY coefficients in an ultra-high vacuum chamber with three electron guns. The experimental results indicated that the longer sputtering time effectively led to the increase in coating thickness and a higher ratio of F/C, as well as the continued decrease of surface tension. A quite thin FC coating of about 11.3 nm on Al sheet resulted in the value of maximum SEY (δmax) dropping from 3.02 to 1.85. The further increase in coating thickness beneficially decreased δmax down to 1.60, however, at the cost of a ten-fold thicker coating (ca. 113 nm). It is found that increasing the coating thickness contributes to reducing SEY coefficients as well as suppressing SEE. The results are expected to guide the design of dielectric-coating for SEY reduction as well as multipactor suppression on Al.