bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Metalearning Approach on Sociotechnical Systems Toward Improving Organizational Effectiveness
Authors: Gonzalez Carlos Raul Navarro , Reyes Mildrend Ivett Montoya , Galicia Gabriela Jacobo , Muñoz Ismael Mendoza
Published: November 2018

Sociotechnical systems optimize social and technical systems, but joint optimization should involve autonomy, adaptability, meaningfulness, and feedback as underlying principles. A metalearning approach in the organizational development could affect the process of managing the change inside the organization where innovation, learning, and change produce resistance amount members. A systemic approach in measuring organizational effectiveness is presented emphasizing differences with short-term and long-term measures. Differences between validating and evaluating any sociotechnical interventions is done, proposing that evaluating could help detecting strengths and weaknesses in socio-technical methodologies and provide a guidance to the organizational improvement. This chapter proposes a tool that can join multiple points of view and help to promote a synergistic action toward technical and social systems looking to impact organization effectiveness.
Considerations of the Mental Workload in Socio-Technical Systems in the Manufacturing Industry
Authors: Bustillos Manuel Alejandro Barajas , Maldonado-Macías Aide Aracely , García-Alcaraz Jorge Luis , Arellano Juan Luis Hernández , Sosa Liliana Avelar
Published: November 2018

As cognitive tasks have displaced physical tasks in today's manufacturing industry, this sector can demand high levels of mental workload from workers. In certain situations, there is a high cognitive load, which affects operators reducing their attention to the task and causing them mental fatigue and distractions, resulting in errors that generate economic costs or even injuries to workers. This literature review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding the use of mental workload in the manufacturing sector. The methodology consisted of conducting a search in four databases. In the search, a combination of keywords was used, classifying each journal according to the mental workload evaluation means, the type of evaluation, and the area of application. Articles not focusing on the manufacturing area were discarded. Of the total of 3839 articles found, 12 have been selected. Regarding the methods used for mental load assessment, the analytic techniques were found to be the most frequently used.
Organizational Development in Improving Operations of a Language Center
Authors: Tarango Luz Elena , Rodriguez-Morachis Manuel Alonso , Frausto Yolanda , Rojas Edgardo de Jesus , Gaytán Marisela Lucero
Published: November 2018

In the period of 2013 through 2016, several actions were implemented to improve the English communication skills of the students of Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Juárez (ITCJ). These actions seek to comply with the expectations defined by employers, then to satisfy the English language proficiency test for the students to be able to graduate from their career and lastly to meet the requirements stablished by Tecnológico Nacional de México (TecNM) contained in the 2013-2018 Institutional Innovation and Development Program (IIDP). All these actions were accomplished applying a systemic approach and organizational development.
Implementation of an Intelligent Model Based on Machine Learning in the Application of Macro-Ergonomic Methods in a Human Resources Process Based on ISO 12207
Authors: Franco Edgar Cossio , Cazarez Jorge Alberto Delgado , Zezzatti Carlos Alberto Ochoa Ortiz
Published: November 2018

The objective of this chapter is to implement an intelligent model based on machine learning in the application of macro-ergonomic methods in human resources processes based on the ISO 12207 standard. To achieve the objective, a method of constructing a Java language algorithm is applied to select the best prospect for a given position. Machine learning is done through decision trees and algorithm j48. Among the findings, it is shown that the model is useful in identifying the best profiles for a given position, optimizing the time in the selection process and human resources as well as the reduction of work stress.
Building a Market for New Meat Alternatives
Authors: Dagevos Hans , Tolonen Ella , Quist Jaco
Published: November 2018

This chapter provides an overview of developments in the Netherlands on new meat alternatives with a focus on plant-based meat substitutes and lab-grown meat. It devotes attention to both the supply side of the market (business activity) and the demand side (consumer appetite). The first concerns developments in the meat substitutes' innovation system since the 1990s until now. It concludes that the Netherlands has become a major player. The latter concerns the supportive purchasing power of consumers regarding the building of a viable and strong market for new meat alternatives. It is concluded that available consumer studies provide evidence for being cautiously optimistic. The closing parts of this chapter, however, bring to the fore that a transition from the current high-meat diets to more sustainable and healthier diets with more non-meat sources of proteins is anything but self-evident. However encouraging and energetic modern developments in the Netherlands are, much progress is needed as it comes to consumer acceptance of new meat alternatives, producer capacity to innovate, concentrate strengths, and capture market share, as well as governmental support for reducing the adverse effects of today's meat consumption and production levels in accordance with Sustainable Development Goal 12 concerning responsible consumption and production.
Reconciling Not Eating Meat and Masculinity in the Marketing Discourse for New Food Alternatives
Authors: Bogueva Diana , Marinova Dora
Published: November 2018

Traditional hegemonic masculinity can be traced on the typical man's plate where meat represents the centerpiece. Meat consumption dominates the current marketing discourse which builds on masculinity to reinforce the stereotyped gender-based diets. In light of scientific evidence about the detrimental impacts of meat consumption on human wellbeing and environmental health, this chapter argues that men are at the crossroads where the concept of masculinity is being redefined. Their social role is similarly changing with new expectations for more sustainable diets which call for plant-based food choices and possibly lab-grown meat. Some men are endorsing these imperatives while others continue to succumb to social inertia. A new marketing discourse is needed which reconciles masculinity with not eating meat and encourages a transition to alternative dietary choices that are better for personal health, allow improved use of the planet's resources, and have less impact on climate change.
Converged Fi-Wi Passive Optical Networks and Their Designing Using the HPON Network Configurator
Authors: Róka Rastislav
Published: November 2018

With the emerging mobile applications and needs of ever-increasing bandwidth, it is anticipated that the next-generation passive optical network (NG-PON) with much higher bandwidth is a natural path forward to satisfy these demands and to develop valuable converged fiber-wireless access networks for wireless network operators. NG-PON systems present optical access infrastructures to support various applications of many service providers. Hybrid passive optical networks (HPON) present a necessary phase to future PON networks utilized the optical transmission medium – the optical fiber. For developing hybrid passive optical networks, there exist various architectures and directions. They are specified with emphasis on their basic characteristics. For proposing reliable and survivable architectures, traffic protection schemes must be implemented. For converging Fi-Wi passive optical networks, an integration of optical and wireless technologies into common broadband access network must be considered. Finally, the HPON network configurator as the interactive software tool is introduced.
Building Community Resilience Through Environmental Education
Authors: Ketlhoilwe Mphemelang Joseph
Published: November 2018

The call for collaborative efforts to respond to climate change is heeded through bilateral and multilateral agreements. The UN Sustainable Development Goals bears testimony to the call. Environmental education is one of the vehicles to raise awareness, understanding, and assessment of sustainable development goals at a community level to build resilience for sustainability. Environmental education enhances the accomplishment of the key competencies for sustainability. Climate change is a complex environmental problem that is not only naturally induced, but made more stressful by anthropocentric capabilities in the quest for a better lifestyle. Although climate change causes and impacts are known, its mitigation strategies are compounded by human wants at the expense of their own sustainable survival. This chapter explores ways of building sustainable development in communities. Environmental education is a core development strategy in local communities against the adverse impact of climate change, especially in vulnerable areas.
Active Learning and Disaster Risk Reduction
Authors: Craft LaMesha Lashal
Published: November 2018

The author provides a robust discussion of an ethnographic case study to facilitate creative thinking about how to use communications and social media technology to build resilience and improve citizen disaster preparedness through a “Be Ready” trivia campaign. This research can inform strategies to achieve several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction's Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR). Future research directions include a new community resilience index that measures citizens' use of communications and social media technology. Implications for social change include raising the level of public awareness and facilitating a means to improve personal responsibility for disaster preparedness through low cost education programs. This could improve efforts by government and non-government organizations to improve disaster risk reduction; increase access to information and communication technology; increase disaster emergency planning and response; and build resilient communities.
Revisiting Zanzibari Seaweed
Authors: Hashim Nadra O.
Published: November 2018

Well before island nations began to consider rising ocean levels, a feature of global climate change, they have been concerned with the allocation of water resources. The purpose of this chapter is to revisit the efforts of Zanzibar's academic, as well as private and public institutions, as they promote environmentally responsible entrepreneurial projects, while advancing women's economic empowerment. Analysis will examine the history of seaweed production and consider how Zanzibar's seaweed farmers have recently responded to the dislocations associated with global climate change. This discussion will also consider to what extent Zanzibari seaweed production reflects the norms enshrined in the United Nation's Rio + 20 platform, and the language of the UN's 2030 sustainable development goals.
GUI-CAD Tool for Segmentation and Classification of Abnormalities in Lung CT Image
Authors: Kishore V. Vijaya , Satyanarayana R.V.S.
Published: November 2018

A vital necessity for clinical determination and treatment is an opportunity to prepare a procedure that is universally adaptable. Computer aided diagnosis (CAD) of various medical conditions has seen a tremendous growth in recent years. The frameworks combined with expanding capacity, the coliseum of CAD is touching new spaces. The goal of proposed work is to build an easy to understand multifunctional GUI Device for CAD that performs intelligent preparing of lung CT images. Functions implemented are to achieve region of interest (ROI) segmentation for nodule detection. The nodule extraction from ROI is implemented by morphological operations, reducing the complexity and making the system suitable for real-time applications. In addition, an interactive 3D viewer and performance measure tool that quantifies and measures the nodules is integrated. The results are validated through clinical expert. This serves as a foundation to determine, the decision of treatment and the prospect of recovery.
Augmented Reality Technology for Year 10 Chemistry Class
Authors: Wan Au Thien , San Leong Yat , Omar Mohammad Saiful
Published: November 2018

The purpose of this article was to evaluate the effectiveness of using mobile augmented reality (AR) instructional material for Year 10 science students in a secondary school in Brunei Darussalam. Specific learning styles were identified for the control and the experimental groups. A mobile AR application of instructional material was developed for year 10 chemistry lesson focusing on redox reaction using Vuforia SDK and Unity3d. The material developed consisted of visual, audio and kinesthetic elements of learning modalities which aimed to stimulate students' interest and improve their learning ability. The t-test (t = -3.39) in the posttest indicate d a significant result (p = 0.00152) between the mean scores of the experimental (mean = 42.72) and control (mean = 26.36) groups. The result showed that the intervention of classroom lessons introduced by the mobile AR application had a significant positive impact on the learning outcome and supported the idea that AR can be a valuable teaching tool. Qualitative analysis also indicated that it improved the liveliness of the learning environment and the interaction amongst the students.
Efficacy of Telemedicine in Psychiatry and Mental Health Nursing
Authors: Jones Michael , Berhie Girmay
Published: November 2018

Adoption and implementation of telecommunication services which allow psychiatric services to be delivered have increased availability of care to patients in remote areas. Past studies have suggested that telepsychiatry services are comparable to traditional face-to-face services; and patients typically considered telepsychiatry an acceptable alternative. The purpose of this research was to examine and describe the efficacy of psychiatric care delivered via telemedicine (telepsychiatry) to determine whether telepsychiatry could improve outcomes for patients. Seven electronic databases were utilized with a total of 22 articles that were referenced as a basis for this literature review. The findings suggest telepsychiatry is an effective alternative compared to traditional methods. Future research should include controlled experiments that compare telepsychiatry to face-to-face psychiatry and incorporate newer technologies into the research.
Fueling Women Empowerment?
Authors: Qazi Sarah Wali , Khushk Humair Ali
Published: November 2018

The purpose of this study is to explore the structural meaning of empowerment realized through microcredit from the women's perspective. Women-lived experiences have been gauged to see how they feel empowered when microcredit is selected as transformation for their lives; also identifying the status of branchless banking is in focus. Abductive research strategy with hermeneutics phenomenology for interpreting women interviews are applied. The participants were selected through purposive sampling, 46 were interviewed from 17 districts of Sindh, Pakistan. Through interpretative phenomenological analysis, interviews were analyzed; and meaning constructed that women with financial stability are empowered specifically in a familial context; also, results show that branchless banking like easy paisa and other mobile financial services are in emerging stage and there is desire need of it. Microfinance practitioners can design strategies, framework and training according to the specific needs noticed in this study.
An Approach to Aggregate the Partial Rank List of Web Services in E-Business
Authors: Mareeswari V. , Sathiyamoorthy E.
Published: November 2018

In the present web era, efficient and topmost outcomes of applications, such as recommender systems, search engines, voting and other ranking applications fascinate web users. Web services maintain communication among applications and applications to end users. In E*Trade, the support system evolves to suggest services based on the user's browser preferences. Services thus are ranked depending on the quality of service of the corresponding service from a user perspective. There are adequate services that are accessible, but users utilize only their desired services and give their ranking. In the process of final rank generation, merging the long partial ranked list by heterogeneous web service users is not adequate in current research articles. This approach applies the efficient methods of Markov chain for this dynamic context, and validating using real datasets and results showed the efficiency of this approach. This ranking approach engages the consumers to choose their services in a short span in the decision-making process in this competitive electronic business system.
An IoT-Based Framework for Health Monitoring Systems
Authors: Yadav N. Sudhakar , Srinivasa K. G. , Reddy B. Eswara
Published: November 2018

A software framework is a reusable design that requires various software components to function almost out of the box. To specify a framework, the creator must specify the different components that form the framework and how to instantiate them. Also, the communication interfaces between these various components must be defined. In this article, the authors propose such a framework based on the internet of things (IoT) for developing applications for handling emergencies of some kind. This article demonstrates the usage of the framework by explaining various applications such as tracking the status of autistic students, analytics on medical records to detect and mitigate chronic heart diseases in the Indian demographic, prediction of Parkinson's disease, determining the type of disease that corresponds to the dermatology field, and health monitoring and management using internet of things (IoT) sensing.
Achieving Service Process Excellence With Connected Customer
Authors: Yerpude Samir , Singhal Tarun Kumar , Rathod Hiren Rajeshkumar
Published: November 2018

This article studies the service process and evaluates the need of a connected customer for achieving customer satisfaction and customer ecstasy, in-turn improving service process excellence for the organization. The method used was an exploratory analysis of research studying the CRM concept and usage data generated from IoT devices. Through a literature review process, various preliminary information constructs on IoT and CRM system with digital enablers are evaluated. References from research papers, journals, internet sites, statistical data sites and books were used to collate the relevant content on the subject. The study of all the relevant scenarios and impact assessment on all the relevant stakeholders was undertaken. Further primary data was gathered from the customer sample and was evaluated to substantiate the importance of connected customer for an organization and its linkage to customer satisfaction. It was found that customer demands are continuously evolving, and it is very relevant for all the organizations to align and keep pace with the change. Connected customers help organizations maintain a complete customer profile, needs, and ability to customize for the individual customer. With this, customers become active participants in the whole ecosystem. The usage of real time data becomes a reality with IoT data transmitted over the internet and analyzed by the CRM system. It gives a better understanding of the customer relationship aspect, helping organizations to operate within healthy financial margins. It also resolves the softer issues arising out of such strategic alliances such as trust and ensures that the organization remains competitive.
Sustainability
Authors: Correia Maria Salome
Published: November 2018

Sustainability awareness has become increasingly important to society and a matter of interest by scholars and professionals. This article presents an overview of the concept and its Triple Bottom Line and describes the three dimensions of the most commonly accepted models of sustainability – environmental, economic and social. Given the key role that sustainability plays in organisations, it is important that they incorporate sustainability into their strategies. Thus, after a discussion on sustainability implementation, the article examines some issues and examples of sustainability assessment and measurement.
Digital Forensic Investigation of Social Media, Acquisition and Analysis of Digital Evidence
Authors: Montasari Reza , Hill Richard , Carpenter Victoria , Montaseri Farshad
Published: November 2018

Various social networking sites (SNSs), widely referred to as social media, provide services such as email, blogging, instant messaging and photo sharing for social and commercial interactions. SNSs are facilitating new forms of social interaction, dialogue, exchange and collaboration. They allow millions of users and organisations worldwide to exchange ideas, post updates and comments or participate in activities and events, while sharing their wider interests. At the same time, such a phenomenon has led to an upsurge in significant criminal activities by perpetrators who are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their attempts to deploy technology to circumvent detection. Digital forensic Examiners (DFEs) often face serious challenges in relation to data acquisition. Therefore, this article aims to analyse the significance of SNSs in DFIs and challenges that DFEs often encounter when acquiring evidence from SNSs. Furthermore, this article describes the steps of the digital forensic investigation process that must be taken to acquire digital evidence that is both authentic and forensically sound.
Data Driven Symbiotic Machine Learning for the Identification of Motion-Based Action Potentials
Authors: Klinger Volkhard
Published: November 2018

Understanding and modelling technical and biological processes is one of the basic prerequisites for the management and control of such processes. With the help of identification, the interdependencies of such processes can be deciphered and thus a model can be achieved. The verification of the models enables the quality of the models to be assessed. This article focuses on the identification and verification of motion and sensory feedback-based action potentials in peripheral nerves. Based on the acquisition of action potentials, the identification process correlates physiological and motion-based parameters to match movement trajectories and the corresponding action potentials. After a brief description of a prototype of a biosignal acquisition and identification system, this article introduces a new identification method, the symbiotic cycle, based on the well-known term symbiotic simulation. As an example, this article presents a data-driven method to create a human readable model without using presampled data. The closed-loop identification method is integrated into this symbiotic cycle.
Personalized Mobile eHealth Services for Secure User Access Through a Multi Feature Biometric Framework
Authors: Manikis Georgios C. , Spanakis Marios , Spanakis Emmanouil G.
Published: November 2018

Humans have various features that differentiates one person from another which can be used to identify an individual for security purposes. These biometrics can authenticate or verify a person's identity and can be sorted in two classes, physiological and behavioural. In this article, the authors present their results of experimentation on publicly available facial images and the efficiency of a prototype version of SpeechXRays, a multi-modal biometric system that uses audio-visual characteristics for user authentication in eHealth platforms. Using the privacy and security mechanism provided, based on audio and video biometrics, medical personnel are able to be verified and subsequently identified for two different eHealth applications. These verified persons are then able to access control, identification, workforce management or patient record storage. In this work, the authors argue how a biometric identification system can greatly benefit healthcare, due to the increased accuracy of identification procedures.
Semantics Based Web Ranking Using a Robust Weight Scheme
Authors: Priya R. Vishnu , Vijayakumar V. , Yang Longzhi
Published: November 2018

In this paper, HTML tags and attributes are used to determine different structural position of text in a web page. Tags- attributes based models are used to assign a weight to a text that exist in different structural position of web page. Genetic algorithms (GAs), harmony search (HS), and particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithms are used to select the informative terms using a novel tags-attributes and term frequency weighting scheme. These informative terms with heuristic weight give emphasis to important terms, qualifying how well they semantically explain a webpage and distinguish them from each other. The proposed approach is developed by customizing Terrier and tested over the Clueweb09B, WT10g, .GOV2 and uncontrolled data collections. The performance of the proposed approach is found to be encouraging against five baseline ranking models. The percentage gain of approach achieved is 75-90%, 70-83% and 43-60% in P@5, P@10 and MAP, respectively.
Zebrafish NDRG1a Negatively Regulates IFN Induction by Promoting the Degradation of IRF7
Authors: Lu Long-Feng , Li Shun , Wang Zhao-Xi , Liu Shu-Bo , Chen Dan-Dan , Zhang Yong-An
Published: November 2018

Viral infection activates the transcription factor IFN regulatory factor 7 (IRF7), which plays a critical role in the induction of IFNs and innate antiviral immune response. How virus-induced IFN signaling is controlled in fish is not fully understood. In this study, we demonstrate that N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1a (NDRG1a) in zebrafish plays a role as a negative regulator for virus-triggered IFN induction. First, the activation of the IFN promoter stimulated by the polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid or spring viremia of carp virus was decreased by the overexpression of NDRG1a. Second, NDRG1a interacted with IRF7 and blocked the IFN transcription activated by IRF7. Furthermore, NDRG1a was phosphorylated by TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) and promoted the K48-linked ubiquitination and degradation of IRF7. Finally, the overexpression of NDRG1a blunted the transcription of several IFN-stimulated genes, resulting in the host cells becoming susceptible to spring viremia of carp virus infection. Our findings suggest that fish NDRG1a negatively regulates the cellular antiviral response by targeting IRF7 for ubiquitination and degradation, providing insights into the novel role of NDRG1a on the innate antiviral immune response in fish.
Rhinovirus and Bacteria Synergistically Induce IL-17C Release from Human Airway Epithelial Cells To Promote Neutrophil Recruitment
Authors: Jamieson Kyla C. , Traves Suzanne L. , Kooi Cora , Wiehler Shahina , Dumonceaux Curtis J. , Maciejewski Barbara A. , Arnason Jason W. , Michi Aubrey N. , Leigh Richard , Proud David
Published: November 2018

Virus–bacteria coinfections are associated with more severe exacerbations and increased risk of hospital readmission in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The airway epithelium responds to such infections by releasing proinflammatory and antimicrobial cytokines, including IL-17C. However, the regulation and role of IL-17C is not well understood. In this study, we examine the mechanisms regulating IL-17C production and its potential role in COPD exacerbations. Human bronchial epithelial cells (HBE) obtained from normal, nontransplanted lungs or from brushings of nonsmokers, healthy smokers, or COPD patients were exposed to bacteria and/or human rhinovirus (HRV). RNA and protein were collected for analysis, and signaling pathways were assessed with pharmacological agonists, inhibitors, or small interfering RNAs. HBE were also stimulated with IL-17C to assess function. HRV–bacterial coinfections synergistically induced IL-17C expression. This induction was dependent on HRV replication and required NF-κB–mediated signaling. Synergy was lost in the presence of an inhibitor of the p38 MAP kinase pathway. HBE exposed to IL-17C show increased gene expression of CXCL1, CXCL2, NFKBIZ, and TFRC, and release CXCL1 protein, a neutrophil chemoattractant. Knockdown of IL-17C significantly reduced induction of CXCL1 in response to HRV–bacterial coinfection as well as neutrophil chemotaxis. HBE from healthy smokers release less IL-17C than cells from nonsmokers, but cells from COPD patients release significantly more IL-17C compared with either nonsmokers or healthy smokers. These data suggest that IL-17C may contribute to microbial-induced COPD exacerbations by promoting neutrophil recruitment.
Immature Neutrophils Released in Acute Inflammation Exhibit Efficient Migration despite Incomplete Segmentation of the Nucleus
Authors: van Grinsven Erinke , Textor Johannes , Hustin Lucie S. P. , Wolf Katarina , Koenderman Leo , Vrisekoop Nienke
Published: November 2018

Acute inflammation recruits neutrophils with a band-shaped nucleus to the circulation. This neutrophil population was recently shown to have superior antibacterial capacity. Early recruitment of banded neutrophils to an infection site will likely improve the outcome of the immune response, yet it critically depends on efficient migration. However, the current dogma states that the segmentation of the mature neutrophil nucleus has evolved to favor migration through narrow pores as found between endothelial cells and in the interstitium. Therefore, we hypothesized that banded neutrophils migrate less efficiently than neutrophils with segmented nuclei, whereas recently described neutrophils with hypersegmented nuclei would in turn migrate more efficiently. Acute inflammation was evoked in a human model of experimental endotoxemia to recruit neutrophil subsets with different nuclear segmentation to the circulation. To simulate migration toward an infection site, migration of the subsets was studied in in vitro models of transendothelial migration or interstitial chemokinesis and chemotaxis. In both models, nuclear segmentation did not increase migration speed. In dense collagen matrices, the speed of the hypersegmented neutrophils was even reduced compared with the banded neutrophils. Fluorescence microscopy suggested that the hypersegmented neutrophils displayed reduced rear release and deposited more membrane vesicles. Vice versa, migration through narrow pores did not induce nuclear segmentation in the neutrophils. In conclusion, like neutrophils with a segmented nucleus, the banded subset exhibited efficient migration through narrow pores. These findings suggest that the nucleus does not preclude the banded subset from reaching an infection site.
Challenges and Potential Solutions in Heterogeneous Integration from a Foundry Viewpoint
Authors: McCann David
Published: November 2018

A common need across computing and communication products is integration of different functions that do not integrate well on a single chip for various reasons. The cost of leading-edge integration is also become unaffordable to all but the largest volume devices. One node is not the best solution for all functions. The demand for fast access memory is causing die size to exceed reticle size. Integration of RF devices with antennas will drive 5G products. All this integration must be done at a lower cost than is available today. Multi-chip devices are needed but how will first pass design success be enabled? How will IC interfaces be enabled when they come from different suppliers? These challenges and some solutions will be discussed.
Epidermal growth factor-like domain multiple 7 (EGFL7): Expression and possible effect on biliary epithelium growth in cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Mammola Caterina L. , Vetuschi Antonella , Pannarale Luigi , Sferra Roberta , Mancinelli Romina
Published: November 2018

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is an aggressive biliary tract malignancy with limited treatment options and low survival rates. The intrahepatic subtype comprises two forms: mucin-iCCA and mixed-iCCA. Epidermal growth factor-like domain multiple (EGFL7) is overexpressed in less differentiated liver tumors. The aim of this study was to assess the presence of EGFL7 due to its possible role in the growth of CCA. Hematoxylin and Eosin and periodic acid-Schiff staining were used to evaluate the morphological aspects and glycogen deposition. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence were performed to identify the presence of EGFL7 both in tumor sections ex vivo and in appropriate cell lines in culture. We found that EGFL7 is expressed in malignant cholangiocytes of mixed-iCCA and absent in mucin-iCCA. In conclusion the expression of EGFL7 might be useful in the classification of CCA subtypes.
Cell Toxicity and inhibitory effects of Cyperus rotundus extract on Streptococcus mutans, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Candida albicans
Authors: Khojaste Moein , Yazdanian Mohsen , Tahmasebi Elahe , Shokri Mehdi , Houshmand Behzad , Shahbazi Razieh
Published: November 2018

Periodontitis and tooth decay are common dental diseases. There are some bacterial risk factors such as Streptococcus mutans, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Candida albicans complications, tubers of Cyperus rotundus was used to determine the antimicrobial effect of fungi. Considering the increasing resistance of bacteria and fungi to antibiotics and their alcoholic and aqueous extracts and essential oil on Streptococcus mutans, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Candida albicans, as well as an examination cytotoxicity on gingival fibroblast cells. Alcoholic and aqueous extracts and essential oil prepared from tubers of Cyperus rotundus. After bacterial and fungal cultures, the inhibition zone, Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC), and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC), were studied. Cytotoxicity was also evaluated using the Methyl tetrazolium test (MTT).The results showed that Cyperus rotundus alcoholic extract had the greatest effect on inhibition of growth and death of Streptococcus mutans, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. According to the present study, Cyperus rotundus extract can be considered as a suitable candidate for the treatment and prevention of periodontitis and tooth decay.
Acknowledgement to reviewers
Authors: Office Editorial
Published: November 2018

No abstract available.
Editorial
Authors: Wassermann Johan
Published: November 2018

No abstract available.
Alternative criteria to achieve sustainable management of Mezilaurus itauba in the Brazilian Amazon
Authors: Braz Evaldo Muñoz , Canetti Aline , Mattos Patricia Povoa , Basso Renato Olivir , Figueiredo Filho Afonso
Published: November 2018

The aims of this study were to evaluate the Brazilian law parameters for tropical forest management regarding forest recovery and to propose alternative criteria to achieve sustainability, using Mezilaurus itauba (Meisn.) Taub. ex Mez as case study. The diameter structure was obtained from a 100% forest inventory of a 500 ha forest compartment. The assessment of M. itauba growth, ingrowth and mortality were carried out in a two sample plot of 50 ha located on the compartment, where all commercial species were measured both before and 7 years after logging. First it was evaluated the species structure and its most productive diameter class. The species recovery of timber volume has been simulated for the minimum logging diameter (MLD) of 50, 60, 70 and 80 cm. The largest volume recover was reached for the 60 cm MLD class. We showed that there is a diametric limit to achieve net timber volume production and that different remnant structures produce different increments.
NH3-promoted hydrolysis of NO2 induces explosive growth in HONO
Authors: Xu Wanyun , Kuang Ye , Zhao Chunsheng , Tao Jiangchuan , Zhao Gang , Bian Yuxuan , Yu Yingli , Shen Chuanyang , Liang Linlin , Zhang Gen
Published: November 2018

Abstract. The study of atmospheric nitrous acid (HONO), which is the primary source of OH radicals, is crucial to atmospheric photochemistry and heterogeneous chemical processes. The heterogeneous NO2 chemistry under haze conditions was pointed out to be one of the missing sources of HONO on the North China Plain, producing sulfate and nitrate in the process. However, controversy exists between various proposed mechanisms, mainly debating on whether SO2 directly takes part in the HONO production process and what roles NH3 and the pH value play in it. In this paper, never before seen explosive HONO production (maximum rate: 16 ppb/hour) was reported and evidence was found for the first time in field measurements during fog episodes (usually with pH > 5) and haze episodes under high relative humidity (usually with pH
La Educación como vía de empoderamiento laboral y social de la juventud universitaria en México
Authors: Fausto Lizaola Celia , Tójar Hurtado Juan Carlos , Ríos Ariza José Manuel
Published: November 2018

La educación es el eje estratégico para activar la transformación económica y cultural de las naciones, promover la calidad de vida de la sociedad y la vinculación de las personas con el mundo del trabajo. Invertir individual y socialmente en educación, genera beneficios de rentabilidad macrosocial, microsocial y personal. De este modo, el futuro personal y colectivo, está ligado al proceso educativo y a la formación de personas críticas, que puedan intervenir en la mejora de su realidad social (Díaz Domínguez y Alemán, 2008). La educación, y en especial la superior, prepara a la ciudadanía para la vida, generando altas expectativas individuales y colectivas, para construir un mejor entorno social (Soto y Torres, 2016). Con un nivel educativo óptimo, la juventud contribuye a la economía nacional y a reducir la brecha de desigualdad social (OCDE/CEPAL/ CAF, 2016). Desde esta perspectiva, las Instituciones de Educación Superior (IES), tienen el compromiso con la sociedad de reforzar el binomio calidad-pertinencia. Todo ello para que la juventud mexicana cuente con el perfil profesional que exigen los retos y expectativas de la realidad social. Frente a este panorama, el planteamiento es: ¿La formación universitaria contribuye al empoderamiento laboral y social de la juventud mexicana? Para este estudio se han considerado cuatro centros de la Universidad de Guadalajara, de diferentes regiones del Estado de Jalisco, México. Con este trabajo se busca analizar la fiabilidad y validez de la evaluación realizada, con un instrumento orientado a analizar el entorno laboral y social del alumnado que egresa de la Universidad de Guadalajara. Se han elaborado análisis de consistencia interna (alpha de Cronbach) y factoriales (validez estructural). Los resultados destacan los factores más relevantes en relación al desarrollo de competencias durante su trayectoria formativa y, al mismo tiempo, avalan el uso del instrumento para evaluar líneas estratégicas orientadas a fortalecer los currícula académicos, de los centros universitarios objeto de estudio. Las conclusiones muestran cómo la formación universitaria recibida faculta a la población egresada para el empoderamiento social y, en menor medida, para el laboral y económico.
CROSSLINKING OF SBR COMPOUNDS FOR TIRE TREAD USING BENZOCYCLOBUTENE CHEMISTRY
Authors: Kulkarni Akshata , Pugh Coleen , Jana Sadhan C. , Wims Darnell T. , Gawad Ammar Abdel
Published: November 2018

This research investigates the potential of benzocyclobutene (BCB) chemistry for crosslinking styrene-butadiene rubber in conjunction with sulfur curatives with the objective of achieving curing at lower temperatures and/or in shorter times compared with entirely sulfur-based cure formulations. The reversible polysulfidic linkages produced in sulfur crosslinking allow self-healing characteristics but suffer from poor heat-aging stability. The C–C crosslinks from BCB chemistry are irreversible and offer higher resistance to aging, but they do not present apparent self-healing properties. The hybrid curative package based on C–C, C–S, and S–S linkages developed is expected to provide reduced crosslinking time and/or temperature, along with higher crack-growth resistance, the ability to self-heal, higher resistance to fatigue-to-failure, reduced hysteresis, and increased abrasion resistance. The crosslinking performance of 1-substituted BCB-based compounds in conjunction with sulfur is specifically investigated.
MESO-PROPYLENE-CO-ETHYLENE POLYOLEFIN RUBBER: VULCANIZATION AND COMPARISON TO AMORPHOUS STEREOISOMER RUBBER
Authors: Datta Sudhin , Sahnoune Abdelhadi
Published: November 2018

A new class of polyolefin rubbers containing a majority of propylene copolymerized with ethylene and a vulcanizable, unsymmetrical diene is described. The key structural feature of these rubbers is the presence of meso-propylene sequences, which leads to a small level of crystallinity, which is amplified on uniaxial tensile deformation. This strain induced crystallization leads to very remarkable tensile and tear properties in sulfur and resin vulcanized formulations, even for very low viscosity compounds. Isomeric rubbers of a similar composition but with irregular propylene sequences, which are and stay amorphous on extension, are unremarkable in their vulcanized properties.
Perspectivism and Falsification: A Reply to Maudemarie Clark
Authors: Nehamas Alexander
Published: November 2018

In this reply, I defend my views on Nietzsche's “falsification thesis” and his perspectivism against Maudemarie Clark's recent criticisms, which appeared in The Journal of Nietzsche Studies 49.1. I begin by amplifying my interpretation of Gay Science 110 and 111, which, I argue, show that the falsification thesis is absent from The Gay Science. I then turn to perspectivism and argue that, contrary to Clark's claims, perspectivism never involves the falsification of the views to which it applies. It is therefore unnecessary to apply perspectivism, as Clark does, only to value-imbued viewpoints and not to empirical knowledge or the natural sciences. Perspectivism, as Nietzsche, I believe, makes clear, applies to every aspect of human knowledge.
Nietzsche Studies as Historical Philosophizing
Authors: Richardson John
Published: November 2018

This essay is one of ten contributions to a special editorial feature in The Journal of Nietzsche Studies 49.2 (Autumn 2018), in which authors were invited to address the following questions: What is the future of Nietzsche studies? What are the most pressing questions its scholars should address? What texts and issues demand our urgent attention? And as we turn to these issues, what methodological and interpretive principles should guide us? The editorship hopes this collection will provide a starting point for discussions about the most fruitful directions for Nietzsche scholarship to take and the most promising avenues for building on the best recent work.
Cervical Spine Deformity: Indications, Considerations, and Surgical Outcomes
Authors: Cho Samuel K. , Safir Scott , Lombardi Joseph M. , Kim Jun S.
Published: November 2018

Cervical spinal deformity (CSD) in adult patients is a relatively uncommon yet debilitating condition with diverse etiologies and clinical manifestations. Similar to thoracolumbar deformity, CSD can be broadly divided into scoliosis and kyphosis. Severe forms of CSD can lead to pain; neurologic deterioration, including myelopathy; and cervical spine–specific symptoms such as difficulty with horizontal gaze, dysphagia, and dyspnea. Recently, an increased interest is shown in systematically studying CSD with introduction of classification schemes and treatment algorithms. Both major and minor complications after surgical intervention have been analyzed and juxtaposed to patient-reported outcomes. An ongoing effort exists to better understand the relationship between cervical and thoracolumbar spinal alignment, most importantly in the sagittal plane.
Enhancement of Critical Current Density of Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide Thin Films by Introducing Nano dimensional Cerium Oxide Defects
Authors: Emeakaroha Tochukwu , James Floyd , Kebede Abebe
Published: November 2018

The critical current density, Jc  has been the most important parameter used in the design and engineering of effective devices which is one of the implementation of high temperature superconductors (HTSC). In this work, an effort has been made to further improve the critical current density of YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) thin films by preventing the magnetic flux line lattice against the Lorentz force by pinning it in place with the aid of nano-dimensional defects. These defects were generated by distributing nano sized CeO2 islands after YBCO layer was created on LaAlO3 substrates perpendicular to the film using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. Three samples with buffer layers of CeO2 were prepared. CeO2 with 50 pulses, 100 pulses and 150 pulses, after each 1000 pulses of YBCO were prepared five layers for each of the samples. The structural characterization of YBCO/CeO2 and YBCO pristine films were carried out using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Superconducting proprieties were measured using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Jc  for the pure YBCO and the YBCO/CeO2 films were calculated from magnetization (M) versus Field (H) loops using Bean’s model. Jc  for the 50 pulses of YBCO/CeO2 films was found to be increased slightly by an order of magnitude of about 40% with respect to those of YBCO films without the nano dimensional defects.
Enhanced Derivation of the Electron Magnetic Moment Anomaly from the Electron Charge using Geometric Principles
Authors: Worsley Andrew , Peters J.F.
Published: November 2018

The electron magnetic moment anomaly is conventionally derived from the fine structure constant using a complex formula requiring over 13,000 evaluations. However, the charge of the electron is an important parameter of the Standard Model and could provide an enhanced basis for the derivation of the electron magnetic moment anomaly. This paper uses a geometric model to reformulate the equation for the electron’s charge, this is then used to determine a more accurate value for the electron magnetic moment anomaly from first geometric principles. This enhanced derivation uses a single evaluation, using a concise mathematical equation based on the natural log e^pi. This geometric model will lead to further work to theoretically improve the understanding of the electron.
Cognition and Assessment of Tourism Disaster Risk Based on a Tourism Spot of Green Island
Authors: Wang Wen-Ching , Wang Ching-Jung
Published: November 2018

In this study, we examined the risk of offshore travel from the dimensions of tourists and purveyors in the tourism industry. A questionnaire survey was administered for data collection. A factor analysis was performed to determine respondents’ perceptions, evaluations and responses, and demands and intentions concerning travel risk, as well as the degree of hazard impact. The analysis results were then used to investigate the similarities and difference of travelers’ and tourism purveyors’ travel demands. Survey analysis results indicated partial significant differences between travel behaviors and travel risk awareness and travel risk evaluations and responses. In addition, travel risk awareness was partially correlated to travel risk evaluations and responses, travel risk demand and intentions, and degree of hazard impact. Respondents with higher travel risk awareness were more careful in evaluating hazard risk, consequently influencing their tourism and travel behaviors. Applying the analysis results, we addressed traveler-related, operator-related, and environment-related travel risk factors proposed a response strategy for minimizing travel risk, helping parties in the tourism industry cope with hazards and minimizing the risk and losses associated with hazards.