bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors Influencing the Fear of Needles among Students of Medicine and Pharmacy
Authors: Milovanović Boban , Tomović Dušan , Janković Slobodan M. , Grubor Iva , Nikolić Ljiljana , Nikolić Miloš , Mijajlović Marina , Mrvić Strahinja , Divjak Ana , Milojević Andjela , Djoković Jelena , Prokić Andjelka , Bukonjić Andriana , Sekulić Marija , Matić Vesna , Vukmirović Djordje , Rakonjac Bojan , Dimitrijević Tanja , Nikolić Nataša , Jovanović Dragutin , Milovanović Jelena , Ratković Marija , Barudžić Nevena , Mladenović Nenad , Milutinović Milan , Antanasković Ana , Nikolić Milena
Published: June 2017

Fear of needles can significantly limit professional and social functioning of a person, and is highly prevalent in general population (4%).

The aim of our study was to reveal risk factors that are associated with fear of needles among healthy university students of medicine and pharmacy.

The study was of a cross-sectional type. In total, 301 students of medicine or pharmacy (82% female and 18% male) attending from 1st to 5th year of study were surveyed at the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Serbia. The students were surveyed using a questionnaires (scales) for assessing the fear of needless, a visual analog scale for self-assessment intensity of the fear of needless, and a general questionnaire with questions about socio-demographic characteristics of the participants. Using a score on the scales as out-come variables, multiple regressions were employed to reveal factors that may influence the fear of needles.

Average values of Blood/Injection Fear Scale, Injection Phobia Scale-Anxiety and Medical Avoidance Survey scores were 7.89 ± 9.48, 4.46 ± 5.18 and 89.95 ± 12.73, respectively. The following factors affected significantly the score of the scales: course of study, chronic disease in the family, fear of a dentist, smell of the room phobia, sound phobia, score on the Beck’s anxiety scale and fear of a situation when medical staff give an injection. The presence of chronic disease in the family was a protective factor, while the other six factors were contributing to the fear of needles.

Fear of needles is more prevalent among the students of pharmacy than among the students of medicine. It is less frequent among students with chronic disease in their family, while fear of dentist, smell of the room phobia, sound phobia, general anxiety and fear from the situation when medical staff give an injection are all factors that predispose students of medicine or pharmacy to develop fear of needles.
Chitinase Activities in Wheat and Its Relative Species
Authors: Moravčíková Jana , Ujvariová Nikoleta , Žur Iwona , Gálová Zdenka , Gregorová Zuzana , Zimová Mária , Boszorádová Eva , Matušíková Ildikó
Published: June 2017

Defense components such as chitinases (EC 3.2.1.14) are crucial for plants to cope diseases. Despite of that the pattern and activities of these enzymes in agronomically important Triticale is unexplored. This work is aimed to study chitinase activities in the leaves of plants of early developmental stages in two diploids (Aegilops tauschii Coss., Triticum monococcum L.), four tetraploids (Ae. cylindrical Host, Ae. triuncialis L., T. araraticum Jakubyz, T. dicoccum Schrank) and two hexaploids (T. aestivum L., T. spelta L.). The leaves were subjected to quantitative and qualitative activity assays using synthetic 4-methylumbelliferyl-β-D-N,N´,N´´-triacetylchitotrioside and glycolchitin as substrates, respectively. Our results showed that the activities of chitinases with specificity towards short oligomers were variable and genotype dependent. The enzyme activities in the tetra- and hexaploid genotypes were significantly higher than in diplod counterparts. In the gel detection assays were revealed up to four fractions (~20, 30, 42 and 95 kDa) of proteins with the chitinase activity towards long chain polymers. The isoform of ~30 kDa was identified in all analyzed genotypes. Among the seven acidic and three basic chitinase fractions identified, three acidic (ChiA, ChiB, ChiC) and two (ChiH, ChiI) fractions were present in all genotypes. None of the isoforms can be assigned as specific with respect to ploidy.
Herbivorous Insects Diversity at Miscanthus × Giganteus in Ukraine
Authors: Stefanovska Tatyana , Pidlisnyuk Valentina , Lewis Edwin , Gorbatenko Anatoliy
Published: June 2017

Miscanthus × giganteus is considered as a perspective energy crop for biomass production in Ukraine where its commercial production has been observed. The herbivorous pest may pose a risk of yield reduction when an energy crop is growing on monoculture. The herbivorous diversity, species composition and potential damage associated with growing M. × giganteus were studied on seven experimental sites at three locations in Ukraine. The different life stages of herbivorous insects from seven orders representing thirteen families were found on M. × giganteus during the herbivorous survey and most of the insects had a pest status. Research indicated that crop was an alternate host for key cereal pest the Hessian fly Mayetiola destructor (Say) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). A comparative analysis of the biodiversity of herbivorous insects across research locations was done using statistical analysis. It was found that site location played a significant role in the level of biodiversity and an increase in the insect’s herbivores diversity was associated with the type of researched lands. The massive scale commercial use of M. × giganteus should take into account a responsible consideration of the benefits and risks associated with that crop in order to protect agroecosystems.
Evaluation of the Dairy Cows' Welfare Based on the Results of the Protocol of the Coordinated Veterinary Inspection Program in Podkarpackie Voivodeship
Authors: Bauer Edyta , Żychlińska-Buczek Justyna , Karbowniczak Anna , Latała Hubert
Published: June 2017

Dairy cows production plays a significant role in development of Podkarpackie Voivodeship. Progress in this production branch may depend on the dairy production support which is given after relevant types of actions are undertaken. The objective of the research was to determine changes in the level of welfare of production animals, evaluation of practice in dairy cows breeding in the province of Ropczyce and Sędziszów. Breeding documentation and control protocols of the Coordinated Veterinary Inspection Program were applied pursuant to the resolution (1) of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of 28 June 2010 on minimal conditions of maintaining farm animal species. 10 production herds of dairy cows (n-240) and heifers (n=101) which produce ≥ 10200 kilo of milk per lactation were used to achieve this objective. Dairy production was observed during individual visits in farms. Surveys were carried out with farm employees with the use of properly prepared veterinary control protocols of the Coordinated Veterinary Inspection Program. Control results were obtained based on the respondents' opinion from controlling institutions, such as: The Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture, Regional Veterinary Office and similar certified bodies.
Existence and characterization of best φ-approximations by linear subspaces
Authors: Benavente Ana , Favier Sergio , Levis Fabián
Published: June 2017

Given an Orlicz space
Non-Isothermal Kinetic Analysis of the Dehydroxylation of Kaolinite in Dynamic Air Atmosphere
Authors: Ondro Tomáš , Húlan Tomáš , Vitázek Ivan
Published: June 2017

A non-isothermal kinetic analysis of kaolinite dehydroxylation was carried out using thermogravimetric analysis on powder samples with heating rates from 1 to 30 °C・min-1 in a dynamic air atmosphere. The mechanism of the reaction, values of overall activation energy and pre-exponential factor were determined from a series of thermogravimetric experiments by the Coats- Redfern method. The results show that the dehydroxylation of kaolinite is controlled by the rate of the third-order reaction (F3) with the mean values of overall activation energy (EA) 255 kJ・mol-1 and pre-exponential factor (A) 25.56 × 1014 s-1.
The revision and extension of the RMS ring for time delay systems
Authors: Pekař L. , Prokop R.
Published: June 2017

This paper is aimed at reviewing the ring of retarded quasipolynomial meromorphic functions (RMS) that was recently introduced as a convenient control design tool for linear, time-invariant time delay systems (TDS). It has been found by the authors that the original definition does not constitute a ring and has some essential deficiencies, and hence it could not be used for an algebraic control design without a thorough reformulation which i.a. extends the usability to neutral TDS and to those with distributed delays. This contribution summarizes the original definition of RMSsimply highlights its deficiencies via examples, and suggests a possible new extended definition. Hence, the new ring of quasipolynomial meromorphic functions RQMis established to avoid confusion. The paper also investigates and introduces selected algebraic properties supported by some illustrative examples and concisely outlines its use in controller design.
Towards automation of measurement processes of surface water parameters by a remote-controlled catamaran
Authors: Wiora J. , Kozyra A. , Wiora A.
Published: June 2017

This paper describes a way of determining selected water parameters using a prototype of a remote-controlled catamaran. The remote controlling allows to steer the boat and to manage the measurement process from the shore. It is possible to monitor the water parameters online as well as to store them and analyze them afterwards. The measured parameters are determined mainly using potentiometric methods and include several ion concentrations. The system is orientated towards monitoring breeding ponds or other similar surface waters. The mechanical construction of the catamaran, its electronic circuits and implemented software are described in detail in the paper. Conclusions obtained from preliminary tests are also included. The described construction allows analysts to perform simple and inexpensive remote measurements or assessments of water quality and reduces the time of such analysis in comparison to traditional sampling.
The effect of sampling interval on the predictions of an asperity contact model of two-process surfaces
Authors: Pawlus P. , Reizer R. , Wieczorowski M. , Żelasko W.
Published: June 2017

Contact of random machined two-process steel textures with a smooth, flat steel surface is discussed in this paper. Two-process surfaces were machined by vapour blasting followed by lapping. An elastic-plastic contact model was applied, assuming distributed radius of asperities. Calculation procedures allowed the mean surface separation, contact pressure, and area fraction to be computed as functions of sampling intervals. Parameters characterizing the summits important in contact mechanics were calculated for different sampling intervals. Plasticity index of two-process textures was calculated using the modified procedure. It was found that the influence of sampling interval on normal contact depended on the rough surface ability to plastic deformation. The use of a traditional method of calculation overestimated the plasticity index. Peaks from plateau surface region governed contact characteristics of two-process surfaces.
Machine Translation: Phrase-Based, Rule-Based and Neural Approaches with Linguistic Evaluation
Authors: Macketanz Vivien , Avramidis Eleftherios , Burchardt Aljoscha , Helcl Jindrich , Srivastava Ankit
Published: June 2017

In this article we present a novel linguistically driven evaluation method and apply it to the main approaches of Machine Translation (Rule-based, Phrase-based, Neural) to gain insights into their strengths and weaknesses in much more detail than provided by current evaluation schemes. Translating between two languages requires substantial modelling of knowledge about the two languages, about translation, and about the world. Using English-German IT-domain translation as a case-study, we also enhance the Phrase-based system by exploiting parallel treebanks for syntax-aware phrase extraction and by interfacing with Linked Open Data (LOD) for extracting named entity translations in a post decoding framework.
Partition Based Perturbation for Privacy Preserving Distributed Data Mining
Authors: Antony Sheela M. , Vijayalakshmi K.
Published: June 2017

Data mining on vertically or horizontally partitioned dataset has the overhead of protecting the private data. Perturbation is a technique that protects the revealing of data. This paper proposes a perturbation and anonymization technique that is performed on the vertically partitioned data. A third-party coordinator is used to partition the data recursively in various parties. The parties perturb the data by finding the mean, when the specified threshold level is reached. The perturbation maintains the statistical relationship among attributes.
Dynamic Numerical Analysis of Steel Footbridge
Authors: Major Maciej , Minda Izabela , Major Izabela
Published: June 2017

The study presents a numerical analysis of the arched footbridge designed in two variants, made of steel and aluminium. The first part presents the criteria for evaluation of the comfort of using the footbridges. The study examined the footbridge with arched design with span in the axis of 24 m and width of 1.4 m. Arch geometry was made as a part of the circle with radius of r = 20 m cut off with a chord with length equal to the calculation length of the girders. The model of the analysed footbridge was subjected to the dynamic effect of wind and the pedestrian traffic with variable flexibility. The analyses used Robot Structural Analysis software.
Screening Efficiency Analysis of Vibrosieves with the Circular Vibrations
Authors: Djoković Jelena M. , Tanikić Dejan I. , Nikolić Ružica R. , Kalinović Saša M.
Published: June 2017

The analysis of influence of factors that depend on construction characteristics of the vibrosieves with circular vibrations on screening efficiency is presented in this paper. The dependence of the screening efficiency on the aperture size, length and inclination of the screen, as well as on vibration amplitude, is considered. Based on obtained results, one can see that the screening efficiency increases with vibration amplitude and the screen length increase. Further, increases of the screen inclination and aperture size are causing an initial increase of the screening efficiency, which is later decreasing.
Comparisons of Buckling Capacity Curves of Pressurized Spheres with EDR Provisions and Experimental Results
Authors: Błażejewski Paweł , Marcinowski Jakub
Published: June 2017

Existing provisions leading to the assessment of the buckling resistance of pressurised spherical shells were published in the European Design Recommendations (EDR) [1]. This book comprises rules which refer to the stability of steel shells of different shapes. In the first step of the general procedure they require calculation of two reference quantities: the elastic critical buckling reference pRcr and the plastic reference resistance pRpl. These quantities should be determined in the linear buckling analysis (LBA) and in the materially nonlinear analysis (MNA) respectively. Only in the case of spherical shells the existing procedure has exceptional character. It is based on the geometrically nonlinear analysis (GNA) and on the geometrically and materially nonlinear analysis (GMNA), respectively. From this reason, in this particular case there was a need to change the existing approach. The new procedure was presented in the work of Błażejewski & Marcinowski in 2016 (comp. [2]). All steps of the procedure leading to the assessment of buckling resistance of pressurized steel, spherical shells were presented in this work. The elaborated procedure is consistent with provisions of Eurocode EN1993-1-6 (comp. [3]) and with recommendations inserted in Europeans Design Recommendations [1]. The proposed capacity curves were compared with existing proposal published in [1] for three different fabrication quality classes predicted in [3]. In this work also comparisons of author’s proposals with experimental results obtained by other authors were presented.
Investigations on Torsion of the Two-Chords Single Laced Members
Authors: Lorkowski Paweł , Gosowski Bronisław
Published: June 2017

The paper presents experimental and numerical studies to determine the equivalent second moment of area of the uniform torsion of the two-chord steel single laced members. The members are used as poles of railway traction network gates, and steel columns of framed buildings as well. The stiffness of uniform torsion of this kind of columns allows to the determine the critical loads of the spatial stability. The experimental studies have been realized on a single - span members with rotation arrested at their ends, loaded by a torque applied at the mid-span. The relationship between angle of rotation of the considered cross-section and the torque has been determined. Appropriate numerical model was created in the ABAQUS program, based on the finite element method. A very good compatibility has been observed between experimental and numerical studies. The equivalent second moment of area of the uniform torsion for analysed members has been determined by comparing the experimental and analytical results to those obtained from differential equation of non-uniform torsion, based on Vlasov’s theory. Additionally, the parametric analyses of similar members subjected to the uniform torsion, for the richer range of cross-sections have been carried out by the means of SOFiSTiK program. The purpose of the latter was determining parametrical formulas for calculation of the second moment of area of uniform torsion.
Steel Lattice Tower Under Ultimate Load – Chosen Joint Analysis
Authors: Szafran Jacek , Rykaluk Kazimierz
Published: June 2017

The main objective of the presented paper is to discuss chosen lattice tower joint behavior under structure ultimate load. Joint numerical modelling considerations are enriched with comparison to the full-scale tower pushover test results. Two independent load cases were examined: 1) where the L-sections (diagonal bracings) are loaded by the axial force only and that forces are applied in the center of the member cross section, 2) where the L-sections are loaded by the axial force and the bending moment that reproduce the effect of the eccentric connection to the gusset plates by the one leg of the angle section is added. Differences in equivalent stresses state for two independent design situations allow for conclusion that additional bending moments should be taken into account, especially for thin-walled members.
Cardinality of subsets of the residue group with nonunit differences of elements
Authors: Roldugin Pavel V.
Published: June 2017

The paper is concerned with the subsets I ⊂ {0, ..., d – 1} for which gcd(n – m, d) ≠ 1 for any n, m ∈ I. Such subsets are called sets of nontrivial differences. Let d > 1 and d
1 be the least prime divisor of d. We prove that the largest cardinality of a set of nontrivial differences is d/d
1. Sets of nontrivial differences in which not all differences of elements are multiples of the same prime factor d are called nonelementary. Let t be the number of prime factors of d. We show that there are no nonelementary sets for t ⩽ 2. It is shown that a minimal nonelementary set may have arbitrary order in the interval

3
,

t

¯

$\overline {3,\;t}$

. The largest cardinality of nonelementary sets is estimated from below and above.
Halogenoheterocyclization of terminally substituted 2-allylthio(seleno)quinolin- 3-carbaldehydes
Authors: Onysko Mikhajlo , Filak Igor , Lendel Vasyl
Published: June 2017

Electrophilic heterocyclization of 2-alkenyllthioquinolin-3-carbaldehydes or 2-alkenylselenoquinolin-3-carbaldehydes 2, 3 under the action of iodine or bromine non-regioselectively leads to the formation of fused quinolinium trihalogenides 4, 5. Type of the chalcogen atom does not affect regiochemistry of halogenation.
Four-point key-hole side-edge-notched bending (4KHSENB) strength of medium-density fibreboard
Authors: Yoshihara Hiroshi , Maruta Makoto
Published: June 2017

Four-point key-hole side-edge-notched bending (4KHSENB) tests of medium-density fibreboard (MDF), a quasi-isotropic material, were conducted. The experimental results were analysed via data reduction methods, including the elementary beam theory (EBT), the point stress criterion (PSC), the average stress criterion (ASC) and linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM), which are applicable to MDF specimens. The PSC and ASC approaches accurately predicted the relationship between the nominal critical stress at the onset of nonlinearity and the notch length. The same is true for predicting the relationship between the nominal bending strength and the notch length.
Performance Trends in Master Butterfly Swimmers Competing in the FINA World Championships
Authors: Knechtle Beat , Nikolaidis Pantelis T. , Rosemann Thomas , Rüst Christoph A.
Published: June 2017

Performance trends in elite butterfly swimmers are well known, but less information is available regarding master butterfly swimmers. We investigated trends in participation, performance and sex differences in 9,606 female and 13,250 male butterfly race times classified into five-year master groups, from 25-29 to 90-94 years, competing in the FINA World Masters Championships between 1986 and 2014. Trends in participation were analyzed using linear regression analysis. Trends in performance changes were investigated using mixed-effects regression analyses with sex, distance and a calendar year as fixed variables. We also considered interaction effects between sex and distance. Participation increased in master swimmers older than ~30-40 years. The men-to-women ratio remained unchanged across calendar years and master groups, but was lower in 200 m compared to 50 m and 100 m. Men were faster than women from 25-29 to 85-89 years (p < 0.05), although not for 90-94 years. Sex and distance showed a significant interaction in all master groups from 25-29 to 90-94 years for 200m (p < 0.05). For 50 m and 100 m, a significant sex × distance interaction was observed from 25-29 to 75-79 years (p < 0.05), but not in the older groups. In 50 m, women reduced the sex difference in master groups 30-34 to 60-64 years (p < 0.05). In 100 m, women decreased the gap to men in master groups 35-39 to 55-59 years (p < 0.05). In 200 m, the sex difference was reduced in master groups 30-34 to 40-44 years (p < 0.05). In summary, women and men improved performance at all distances, women were not slower compared to men in the master group 90-94 years; moreover, women reduced the gap to men between ~30 and ~60 years, although not in younger or older master groups.
Factors influencing the effectiveness of campus recreation management: a structural equation model
Authors: Schmidt Busaba , Gulthawatvichai Tepprasit , Suwanthada Silpachai , Laxanaphisuth Prapat
Published: June 2017

Purpose

This study developed and validated the consistency of a structural equation model of factors influencing the effectiveness of campus recreation management.

Methods

The study involved 416 teachers and administrators, enrolled with multistage sampling in four university groups: public universities, Rajamangala University of Technology, Rajabhat University, and private universities. The data collection tool was a 5-rating-scale questionnaire. The data were analysed with descriptive statistics. The validity of the structural equation model was tested with the LISREL 8.72 software.

Results

The study proved that the structural equation model was consistent with the empirical data, with a statistical significance level of 0.05 (χ2 = 124.75, df = 83, p = 0.048, RMSEA = 0.035, GFI = 0.93, AGFI = 0.96).

Conclusions

The factors influencing the effectiveness of campus recreation management ordered from the highest to lowest mean score were: organization characteristics, internal environment, employee characteristics, and managerial policies and practices. The independent variables in the structural equation model could explain 68% of the variation in the effectiveness of campus recreation management.
Physical Investment Financing: The Cases of Poland and Latvia
Authors: Żak Katarzyna
Published: June 2017

The aim of the article is to present and compare the major sources of financing of physical investments in Poland and Latvia and to attempt to identify their determinants. The subject of the diagnosis is the corporate sector in Poland and i Latvia in the years 2005-2015.The article uses methodology, developed by C. Mayer, J. Corbett and T. Jenkinson, that is based on the net sources of finance. The financial data analysed in the article come from the capital and financial accounts, constituting the element of the integrated system of national accounts. Assuming that in a given period of time, the sources of finance (revenue) are equal to their use (expenditure), it is possible to estimate the structure of financing of physical investments in the corporate sector. The practical dimension of the analysis should be viewed as an indication for identifying changes in the area of financing of physical investments in enterprises in the two countries.
Role of Facilities Available and Un-Available in Attracting of Tourist in Swat Valley Pakistan
Authors: Akbar Jalaluddin , Shah Syed Tanveer , Khan Muhammad Naeem , Naeem Ahmad
Published: June 2017

Natural landscape is an important resource for mountainous regions and play crucial role in tourism development. Tourism play a key role in economic development of a country. Developing tourist areas is the key to meet the expectations of mountain inhabitants, tourists, and the general public outside of mountainous areas. In order to know tourist perception, problems, and role of landscape & horticulture plants in the field of tourism. A research study entitled “Role of facilities available and un-available in attracting of tourist in swat valley Pakistan “The data was collected from the respondents through a questionnaire survey and analyzed using percentages, frequencies and Chi-square test (where applicable). The analyzed data revealed that most of the respondent (55 %) considered natural green environment as a reason for their visit and 67 % respondents wanted to visit with their friends and were satisfied with the tourist area, respectively. Most of the respondent (39 %) observed throwing of surplus food as major waste materials which turned the beautiful green environment into unattractive environment. Most of the visitors (52 %) dislike un-cleanliness of the locality, 74% respondents felt ill effect due to deforestation.53 % tourist disagree with the current maintenance of the locality by tourism department. The most missed facilities were non availability of dustbins and children playing areas. 75 % respondents agreed with the fact that most of the people (local inhabitants as well as tourist) were unaware with regard to maintenance activities of the area 15.7 % respondent agreed that road system should be improved to access most of the greenery in the locality, respectively to aware local people and tourist regarding maintenance of the locality will improve tourism in Swat valley. The studies need to be develop for the improvement of existing as well as artificial landscape of the tourist area (Kalam and Malamjabba) of Swat valley.
Impact of discontinuation of growth hormone treatment on lipids and weight status in adolescents
Authors: Rothermel Juliane , Lass Nina , Bosse Christina , Reinehr Thomas
Published: June 2017

Background:

While the main role of growth hormone (GH) replacement therapy in children is to promote linear growth, GH has also an effect on lipids and body composition. There is an ongoing discussion whether discontinuation of GH treatment is associated with deterioration of lipids.

Methods:

We analyzed weight status [as body mass index-standard deviation score (BMI-SDS)], insulin like growth factor (IGF)-1, triglycerides, total, low-density liporptoein (LDL)- and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol at the end of GH treatment and in mean 6 months later in 90 adolescents (53 with GH deficiency, 16 with Turner syndrome [TS] and 21 born small-for-gestational age [SGA]).

Results:

After stopping GH treatment, total cholesterol (+10±24 mg/dL vs. −4±13 mg/dL) and LDL-cholesterol (+15±20 mg/dL vs. −6±12 mg/dL) increased significantly higher in severe (defined by GH peak in stimulation test <3 ng/mL) compared to moderate GHD. In patients with TS, total cholesterol (+19±9 mg/dL), LDL-cholesterol (+9±12 mg/dL) and HDL-cholesterol (+4.3±3.5 mg/dL) increased significantly. In adolescents born SGA, triglycerides increased (+34±51 mg/dL) and HDL-cholesterol decreased significantly (−3.8±7.1 mg/dL). In multiple linear regression analyses, changes of total and LDL-cholesterol were significantly negatively related to peak GH in stimulation tests, but not to gender, age at GH start, duration of GH treatment, observation time, changes of BMI-SDS or IGF-1 after the end of GH treatment. The BMI-SDS did not change after the end of GH treatment.

Conclusions:

Discontinuation of GH treatment leads to a deterioration of lipids in TS, SGA and severe but not moderate GHD.
Testing the weak NP analysis of gapless bei sentences in Mandarin Chinese: Implications for the affectedness typology of passives
Authors: Ting Jen , Li Larry Hong-lin
Published: June 2017

Motivated by the lack of a consensus on the basic judgment data on gapless (or indirect exclusive)
Role of the substrate in monolithic AlGaAs nonlinear nanoantennas
Authors: Gili Valerio Flavio , Carletti Luca , Chouchane Fares , Wang Guillaume , Ricolleau Christian , Rocco Davide , Lemaître Aristide , Favero Ivan , Ghirardini Lavinia , Finazzi Marco , Celebrano Michele , Angelis Costantino De , Leo Giuseppe
Published: June 2017

We report the effect of the aluminum oxide substrate on the emission of monolithic AlGaAs-on-insulator nonlinear nanoantennas. By coupling nonlinear optical measurements with electron diffraction and microscopy observations, we find that the oxidation-induced stress causes negligible crystal deformation in the AlGaAs nanostructures and only plays a minor role in the polarization state of the harmonic field. This result highlights the reliability of the wet oxidation of thick AlGaAs optical substrates and further confirms the bulk χ(2) origin of second harmonic generation at 1.55 μm in these nanoantennas, paving the way for the development of AlGaAs-on-insulator monolithic metasurfaces.
Laffer Curves and Home Production
Authors: Kotamäki Mauri
Published: June 2017

In the earlier related literature, consumption tax rate Laffer curve is found to be strictly increasing (see Trabandt and Uhlig (2011)). In this paper, a general equilibrium macro model is augmented by introducing a substitute for private consumption in the form of home production. The introduction of home production brings about an additional margin of adjustment – an increase in consumption tax rate not only decreases labor supply and reduces the consumption tax base but also allows a substitution of market goods with home-produced goods. The main objective of this paper is to show that, after the introduction of home production, the consumption tax Laffer curve exhibits an inverse U-shape. Also the income tax Laffer curves are significantly altered. The result shown in this paper casts doubt on some of the earlier results in the literature.
Visión del cuerpo: un recorrido corporo-textual a partir de los años setenta en Chile
Authors: Aros Legrand Pablo
Published: June 2017

El presente trabajo relaciona algunas obras literarias y plásticas desarrolladas durante y después de la dictadura cívico militar de Augusto Pinochet en Chile. Tal cometido pretende desentrañar el siguiente cuestionamiento: ¿qué implica considerar obras literarias y plásticas desde el punto de vista de los cuerpos? En términos específicos, este trabajo quiere ser una muestra de las relaciones que distintas obras del quehacer nacional chileno tienen respecto del cuerpo y a los alcances de éste como medio para dar cuenta de las situaciones acaecidas en el país durante y después de la dictadura.Palabras clave: cuerpos; literatura y plástica chilena; dictadura chilena; vulnerabilidad.Vision of the body: a textual-body tour since the seventies in ChileAbstract: The present paper relates some literary and plastic works developed during and after the military civic dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet in Chile. This task aims to unravel the following question: What does it mean to consider literary and plastic works from the point of view of bodies? In specific terms, this article aspires to be an illustration of the relationships between different literary productions of the Chilean national work and the body, as well as the scope of the concept of the body as a means, to account for the situations that occurred in the country during and after the dictatorship.Keywords: bodies; Chilean literature and plastic; Chilean dictatorship; vulnerability.
Contributions of Children With Multiple Chronic Conditions to Pediatric Hospitalizations in the United States: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis
Authors: Berry Jay G. , Ash Arlene S. , Cohen Eyal , Hasan Fareesa , Feudtner Chris , Hall Matt
Published: June 2017

BACKGROUND:

Children with multiple chronic conditions (CMCC) are increasingly using hospital care. We assessed how much of US pediatric inpatient care is used by CMCC and which chronic conditions are the key drivers of hospital use.

METHODS:

A retrospective analysis of all 2.3 million US acute-care hospital discharges in 2012 for children age 0 to 18 years in the Kids’ Inpatient Database. The ∼4.5 million US hospitalizations for pregnancy, childbirth, and newborn and neonatal care were not assessed. We adapted the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Chronic Condition Indicators to classify hospitalizations for children with no, 1, or multiple chronic conditions, and to determine which specific chronic conditions of CMCC are associated with high hospital resource use.

RESULTS:

Of all pediatric acute-care hospitalizations, 34.3% were of children with no chronic conditions, 36.5% were of those with 1 condition, and 29.3% were of CMCC. Of the $23.6 billion in total hospital costs, 19.7%, 27.4%, and 53.9% were for children with 0, 1, and multiple conditions, respectively, and similar proportions were observed for hospital days. The three populations accounted for the most hospital days were as follows: children with no chronic condition (20.9%), children with a mental health condition and at least 1 additional chronic condition (20.2%), and children with a mental health condition without an additional chronic condition (13.3%). The most common mental health conditions were substance abuse disorders and depression.

CONCLUSIONS:

CMCC accounted for over one-fourth of acute-care hospitalizations and one-half of all hospital dollars for US pediatric care in 2012. Substantial CMCC hospital resource use involves children with mental health–related conditions.
Access to Emergency Contraception After Removal of Age Restrictions
Authors: Wilkinson Tracey A. , Clark Porsche , Rafie Sally , Carroll Aaron E. , Miller Elizabeth
Published: June 2017

BACKGROUND:

Levonorgestrel emergency contraception (EC) is safe and effective for postcoital pregnancy prevention. Starting in 2013, the US Food and Drug Administration removed age restrictions, enabling EC to be sold over the counter to all consumers. We sought to compare the availability and access for female adolescents with the 2012 study, using the same study design.

METHODS:

Female mystery callers posing as 17-year-old adolescents in need of EC used standardized scripts to telephone 979 pharmacies in 5 US cities. Using 2015 estimated census data and the federal poverty level, we characterized income levels of pharmacy neighborhoods.

RESULTS:

Of 979 pharmacies, 827 (83%) indicated that EC was available. This proportion did not vary by pharmacy neighborhood income level, nor was significantly different from the 2012 study (P = .78). When examining access, 8.3% of the pharmacies reported it was impossible to obtain EC under any circumstances, which occurred more often in low-income neighborhoods (10.3% vs 6.3%, adjusted odds ratio 1.5; 95% confidence interval 1.20–1.94). This was not significantly different from 2012 (P = .66). Correct information regarding over-the-counter access was conveyed only 51.6% of the time; accuracy did not differ by pharmacy's neighborhood income (47.9% vs 55.3%, adjusted odds ratio 0.89; 95% confidence interval 0.71–1.11) and was not significantly different from 2012 (P = .37).

CONCLUSIONS:

A majority of pharmacies have EC available; however, barriers to and disparities in access for adolescents persist and have not changed since the previous study despite regulatory changes that were designed to improve access to EC.
The impact of pretreatment with simvastatin on kidney tissue of rats with acute sepsis
Authors: Özkök E , Yorulmaz H , Ateş G , Aydın I , Ergüven M , Tamer Ş
Published: June 2017

It has been reported that changes in cytokine levels affect mitochondrial functions, levels of hypoxia-inducible factor α (HIF-1α), and tissue damage during sepsis. We aimed to investigate the effects of simvastatin pretreatment on mitochondrial enzyme activities, and on levels of ghrelin, HIF-1α, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in kidney tissue during sepsis. Rats were separated into four groups, namely, control, lipopolysaccharides (LPS) (20 mg/kg), simvastatin (20 mg/kg), and simvastatin + LPS. We measured the levels of mitochondrial enzyme activities and TBARS in the kidney using spectrophotometry. The histological structure of the kidney sections was examined after staining with hematoxylin and eosin. Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), IL-10, HIF-1α, and ghrelin immunoreactivity were examined using proper antibodies. In tissue, TNF-α (p < 0.01) and HIF-1α (p < 0.05) levels were increased in the simvastatin + LPS and LPS groups. TBARS levels were higher in the LPS group than in the other groups (p < 0.01), but they were similar in the simvastatin + LPS and control groups (p > 0.05). Ghrelin immunoreactivity was lower in the LPS group (p < 0.05) and higher in the simvastatin + LPS group than in the LPS group (p < 0.01). We observed tubular damage in the sections of the LPS group. There were no differences in mitochondrial enzyme activities between the groups (p > 0.05). We observed that pretreatment of simvastatin caused favorable changes on ghrelin and TBARS levels in rats with sepsis.
Food and Feeding Habits of the Deep-Water Mud Shrimp (Solenocera melantho) of Visakhapatnam Coast, India
Authors: PATURI Rama Chandra Ganesh , MYLA Sarvabhowma Chakravarty
Published: June 2017

The food and feeding habits of the shrimp Solenocera melantho off Visakhapatnam coast were studied qualitatively and quantitatively. Feeding intensity differs in relation to gender, size, season and stage of maturity. Detritus was the major component of the food consumed, followed by crustaceans, molluscs, foraminiferans, fish remains, eggs; sand was also found as one of the gut contents. Diet preference in males and females was similar, but varied with size and season. The index of preponderance of detritus was 50.88% in males and 47.16% in females. Variation in feeding intensity was noticed in relation to size, months and season. The overall feeding intensity in males and females was categorized as actively fed (21.52% and 40.78% respectively), moderately fed (22.07%, 19.72%) and poorly fed (14.07%, 27.03%) respectively. S. melantho may designate as an omnivorous detritivore with scavenging activity.
Phytotoxicity of Chitosan and SiO2 Nanoparticles to Seed Germination of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Plants
Authors: BEHBOUDI Faride , TAHMASEBI SARVESTANI Zeinalabedin , KASSAEE Mohamad Zaman , MODARES SANAVI Seyed Ali Mohamad , SOROOSHZADEH Ali
Published: June 2017

Plants such as wheat and barley that are strategically important crops need to be considered to develop a comprehensive toxicity profile for nanoparticles (NPs). The present study was aimed to investigate the effects of chitosan and SiO2 NPs on wheat and barley plants. Two factorial experiments (seeds priming and direct exposure) were performed based on a completely randomized design in four replications. Results showed that the seeds priming with the NPs had not significant effect on germination parameters such as Germination Percentage (GP), Germination Rate (GR), Germination Value (GV), Mean Germination Time (MGT), Pick Value (PV) and Mean Daily Germination (MDG). In contrast, exposure of the seeds to the NPs had significant effects on these parameters. In both experiments, treatments had significant effects on shoot, seedling, root length, fresh and dry weight, as well as vigor indexes as compared to the control. In most traits, the best concentration of NPs was 30 ppm, whereas applications of the NPs with 90 ppm displayed adverse effects on majority of the studied traits. According to these results, selectivity in applications of NPs with suitable concentration and method is essential for different plant species.
Exogenous Salicylic Acid-Mediated Physiological Responses and Improvement in Yield by Modulating Antioxidant Defense System of Wheat under Salinity
Authors: FARDUS Jannatul , MATIN Md. Abdul , HASANUZZAMAN Md. , HOSSAIN Md. Shahadat , NATH Sheymol Dev , HOSSAIN Md. Amzad , ROHMAN Md. Motiar , HASANUZZAMAN Mirza
Published: June 2017

Present study investigates the regulatory roles of exogenous salicylic acid (SA) in physiology, antioxidant defense systems and yield of wheat under different salt stress condition. The experiment was conducted with two varieties i.e. BARIGom 21 and BARIGom 25 and ten salt stress treatments viz. control (without salt), SA (1 mMsalicylic acid), S50 (50 mMsalt stress), S50+SA (50 mMsalt stress with 1 mMSA), S100 (100 mMsalt stress), S100+SA (100 mMsalt stress with 1 mMSA), S150 (150 mMsalt stress), S150+SA (150 mMsalt stress with 1 mMSA), S200 (200 mMsalt stress) and S200+SA (200 mMsalt stress with 1 mMSA). Leaf relative water content (RWC) and chlorophyll (chl) content reduced due to salt stress. The malondialdelyde (MDA) and H2O2 were increased under the stress condition. The ascorbate (AsA) content, reduced glutathione (GSH) and GSH/GSSG ratio were reduced by salt stresses (50, 100, 150 and 200 mM, respectively). But the glutathione disulfide (GSSG) amount increased with an increase in the all level of salinity. The ascorbate peroxidase (APX), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) and catalase (CAT) activities showed a significant reduction in response to salt stress but CAT increased only at 100 mM stress condition. The glutathione S-transferase (GST) and glutathione reductase (GR) activity increased significantly with severe salt stress (200 mM). But the activity of peroxidase (POD) was decreased with increasing salinity level. At harvest, salt stresses reduced the effective tiller hill-1, 1000 grain weight, grain yield, straw yield, biological yield and harvest index for both of varieties. However, number of non-effective tiller hill-1 significantly increased in response of salt stress. Exogenous 1 mM SA application with salt stress improved physiological parameters, yield and reduced oxidative damage in both cultivars whereBARI Gom 25 showed better tolerance. But, SA application could not improve physiological parameters and yield at extreme level of salt stress (200 mM).
Automatic Generation Control by Hybrid Invasive Weed Optimization and Pattern Search Tuned 2-DOF PID Controller
Authors: Manoharan Neelamegam , Sekhar Dash Subhransu , Rajesh Kurup Sathy , Panda Sidhartha
Published: June 2017

A hybrid invasive weed optimization and pattern search (hIWO-PS) technique is proposed in this paper to design 2 degree of freedom proportionalintegral- derivative (2-DOF-PID) controllers for automatic generation control (AGC) of interconnected power systems. Firstly, the proposed approach is tested in an interconnected two-area thermal power system and the advantage of the proposed approach has been established by comparing the results with recently published methods like conventional Ziegler Nichols (ZN), differential evolution (DE), bacteria foraging optimization algorithm (BFOA), genetic algorithm (GA), particle swarm optimization (PSO), hybrid BFOA-PSO, hybrid PSO-PS and non-dominated shorting GA-II (NSGA-II) based controllers for the identical interconnected power system. Further, sensitivity investigation is executed to demonstrate the robustness of the proposed approach by changing the parameters of the system, operating loading conditions, locations as well as size of the disturbance. Additionally, the methodology is applied to a three area hydro thermal interconnected system with appropriate generation rate constraints (GRC). The superiority of the presented methodology is demonstrated by presenting comparative results of adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), hybrid hBFOA-PSO as well as hybrid hPSO-PS based controllers for the identical system.
High-speed Train Control System Big Data Analysis Based on the Fuzzy RDF model and Uncertain Reasoning
Authors: Zhang Dalin
Published: June 2017

China high-speed train control system is a combination of computer, communication and control. Its events are diverse, including sensor data stream, GPS signal, GSM-R transmission data, real-time video monitoring data, train control software data, etc. These data have the typical characteristics of big data. If these data are well applied, this will be of great help to operations, maintenance, safety, passenger services, etc. This paper presents an efficient analysis method based on the fuzzy RDF model and uncertain reasoning for high-speed train control system big data. We have used the method proposed in this paper to analyze the data of the high-speed train control system. The experiment results show that the method proposed in this paper has good efficiency and scalability for the analysis of big data with different structures, types and context sensitive from high-speed train control system.
PID and Fuzzy-PID Control Model for Quadcopter Attitude with Disturbance Parameter
Authors: Kuantama Endrowednes , Vesselenyi Tiberiu , Dzitac Simona , Tarca Radu
Published: June 2017

This paper aims to present data analysis of quadcopter dynamic attitude on a circular trajectory, specifically by comparing the modeling results of conventional Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) and Fuzzy-PID controllers. Simulations of attitude stability with both control systems were done using Simulink toolbox from Matlab so the identification of each control system is clearly seen. Each control system algorithm related to roll and pitch angles which affects the horizontal movement on a circular trajectory is explained in detail. The outcome of each tuning variable of both control systems on the output movement is observable while the error magnitude can be compared with the reference angles. To obtain a deeper analysis, wind disturbance on each axis was added to the model, thus differences between each control system are more recognizable. According to simulation results, the Fuzzy-PID controller has relatively smaller errors than the PID controller and has a better capability to reject disturbances. The scaling factors of gain values of the two controllers also play a vital role in their design.
Ciclones em Superfície nas Latitudes Austrais: Parte I - Revisão Bibliográfica
Authors: Reboita Michelle Simões , Gan Manoel Alonso , Rocha Rosmeri Porfírio da , Custódio Igor Stivanelli
Published: June 2017

Resumo Com o objetivo de organizar o conhecimento sinótico sobre ciclones em superfície em latitudes austrais, este trabalho (o primeiro de um conjunto de dois) apresenta uma síntese das principais características de quatro tipos de ciclones: extratropical do tipo Bjerknes e Solberg, extratropical do tipo Shapiro e Keyser, tropical e subtropical. Ao longo do texto são apresentados modelos conceituais bem como os mecanismos de ciclogênese, intensificação e ciclólise de cada tipo de ciclone. As principais diferenças entre os quatros tipos de ciclones em superfície estão nas estruturas horizontais e verticais dos campos de temperatura e vorticidade relativa.