bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does habitat complexity influence fish recruitment?
Authors: CHEMINÉE A. , MERIGOT B. , VANDERKLIFT M. A. , FRANCOUR P.
Published: June 2016

Human activities facilitate coastal habitat transformation and homogenization. The spread of marine invasive species is one example. This in turn may influence fish recruitment and the subsequent replenishment of adult assemblages. We tested habitat complexity effect on fish (Teleostei) recruitment by experimentally manipulating meadows of the habitat-forming invasive macroalga Caulerpa taxifolia (Chlorophyta). Among the fourteen fish species recorded during the experiment, only two labrids (Coris julis and Symphodus ocellatus) settled in abundance among these meadows. Patterns in the abundance of these juveniles suggested that reduced tri-dimensional meadow complexity may reduce habitat quality and result in altered habitat choices and / or differential mortality of juveniles, therefore reducing fish recruitment and likely the abundance of adults.
Characterization of Micrococcus luteus and Bacillus marisflavi Recovered from Common Dentex (Dentex dentex) Larviculture System
Authors: AKAYLI T. , ALBAYRAK G. , ÜRKÜ Ç. , ÇANAK Ö. , YÖRÜK E.
Published: June 2016

In this manuscript, thirty yellow-pigmented Gram-positive bacteria were isolated from natural intestine microflora and from sea water around the marine cage of a rearing tank of common dentex (Dentex dentex), in the Aegean Sea on the Turkish coast and were characterized. Eighteen isolates were assigned to the species Micrococcus luteus, the other twelve to the species Bacillus marisflavi. Eight representative strains, six from B. marisflavi and two from M. luteus, were chosen for further 16S rDNA analyses. A pathogenicity assay for the isolated bacterial strains was carried out in rainbow trout and it evidenced absence of pathogenicity in the tested strains. The isolated strains were tested for in vitro antagonistic activity against Listonella anguillarum, a pathogen bacterium diffused in Mediterranean aquaculture and affecting various fish species. The isolated bacterial strains showed antagonistic activity against the pathogenic bacterium, suggesting a possible role of isolates as probiotics. In this study, for the first time, bacterial strains of the species B. marisflavi, known as an environmental species, were recovered in the gut microbiota of a healthy fish. The use of the isolates characterized in this study, mainly the yellow-pigmented bacterium, is suggested as possible probiotics to improve fish health, along with alternative methods of maintaining a healthy environment.
Mollusc fauna associated with the Cystoseira algal associations in the Gulf of Trieste (Northern Adriatic Sea)
Authors: PITACCO V. , ORLANDO-BONACA M. , MAVRIČ B. , POPOVIĆ A. , LIPEJ L.
Published: June 2016

Mollusc assemblages associated with Cystoseira associations were sampled in the southern part of the Gulf of Trieste during the summers of 2008 and 2012. Samples were collected by SCUBA diving in the infralittoral belt (from 1 to 4 m depth). The surface within frames of 20 x 20 cm was scraped off with samples were collected by hand or with an air-lift sampler. Four erected algal species were found: Cystoseira barbata, C. compressa, C. corniculata and Halopithys incurva. A total of 69 species of molluscs were identified in those associations. Gastropoda were dominant, with the highest species richness and abundance, followed by Bivalvia and Polyplacophora. A large number of juveniles were found, proving the importance of Cystoseira associations for mollusc recruitment. Differences in composition, structure and abundance of mollusc assemblages were found for sites dominated by different algal species, and correspond to different morphology and degree of development of canopy-forming species. The present study confirms that the dominant algal species within Cystoseira associations strongly influence, although at different levels, abundance and distribution of mollusc assemblages in the Northern Adriatic Sea.
Contrasting recruitment seasonality of sea urchin species in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands (eastern Atlantic)
Authors: GARCIA-SANZ S. , NAVARRO P. G. , TUYA F.
Published: June 2016

Despite sea-urchins can play an important role affecting the community structure of subtidal bottoms, factors controlling the dynamics of sea-urchin populations are still poorly understood. We assessed the seasonal variation in recruitment of three sea-urchin species (Diadema africanum, Paracentrotus lividus and Arbacia lixula) at Gran Canaria Island (eastern Atlantic) via monthly deployment of artificial collectors throughout an entire annual cycle on each of four adjacent habitat patches (seagrasses, sandy patches, ‘urchin-grazed’ barrens and macroalgal-dominated beds) within a shallow coastal landscape. Paracentrotus lividus and A. lixula had exclusively one main recruitment peak in late winter-spring. Diadema africanum recruitment was also seasonal, but recruits appeared in late summer-autumn, particularly on ‘urchin-grazed’ barrens with large abundances of adult conspecifics. In conclusion, this study has demonstrated non-overlapping seasonal recruitment patterns of the less abundant species (P. lividus and A. lixula) with the most conspicuous species (D. africanum) in the study area.
Sea urchin response to rising pCO2 shows ocean acidification may fundamentally alter the chemistry of marine skeletons
Authors: BRAY L. , PANCUCCI-PAPADOPOULOU M.A. , HALL-SPENCER J. M.
Published: June 2016

Ocean acidification caused by an increase in pCO2 is expected to drastically affect marine ecosystem composition, yet there is much uncertainty about the mechanisms through which ecosystems may be affected. Here we studied sea urchins that are common and important grazers in the Mediterranean (Paracentrotus lividus and Arbacia lixula). Our study included a natural CO2 seep plus reference sites in the Aegean Sea off Greece. The distribution of A. lixula was unaffected by the low pH environment, whereas densities of P. lividus were much reduced. There was skeletal degradation in both species living in acidified waters compared to reference sites and remarkable increases in skeletal manganese levels (P. lividus had a 541% increase, A. lixula a 243% increase), presumably due to changes in mineral crystalline structure. Levels of strontium and zinc were also altered. It is not yet known whether such dramatic changes in skeletal chemistry will affect coastal systems but our study reveals a mechanism that may alter inter-species interactions.
Prey utilisation and trophic overlap between the non native mosquitofish and a native fish in two Mediterranean rivers
Authors: KALOGIANNI E. , GIAKOUMI S. , ANDRIOPOULOU A. , CHATZINIKOLAOU Y.
Published: June 2016

Non native freshwater fish species have been long implicated in the decline of native Mediterranean ichthyofauna, through hybridization, disease transmission, competition for food and habitat, predation and/or ecosystem alteration; our knowledge, however, on the underlying mechanisms of these ecological impacts remains very limited. To explore the potential for trophic competition between the widespread Eastern mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki and its co-occurring native toothcarp Valencia letourneuxi we compared resource use, feeding strategies, trophic selectivities and diet niche overlap. For this purpose, we studied two populations of the two species from a freshwater and a brackish habitat respectively, characterized by different food resource availabilities. In both habitats, the mosquitofish consumed a greater diversity of invertebrates and preyed on terrestrial invertebrates more frequently than the native toothcarp. Furthermore, in the less diverse and less rich brackish habitat, the non native relied heavily on plant material to balance a decrease in animal prey consumption and modified its individual feeding strategy, whereas these adaptive changes were not apparent in the native species. Their diet overlapped, indicating trophic competition, but this overlap was affected by resource availability variation; in the freshwater habitat, there was limited overlap in their diet, whereas in the brackish habitat, their diets and prey selectivities converged and there was high overlap in resource use, indicative of intense interspecific trophic competition. Overall, it appears that the underlying mechanism of the putative negative impacts of the mosquitofish on the declining Corfu toothcarp is mainly trophic competition, regulated by resource variability, though there is also evidence of larvae predation by the mosquitofish.
Thirty years after - dramatic change in the coastal marine habitats of Kos Island (Greece), 1981-2013.
Authors: BIANCHI C. N. , CORSINI-FOKA M. , MORRI C. , ZENETOS A.
Published: June 2016

Results of recent fieldwork were compared with data collected in 1981, taken as a reference condition. Surveys were conducted with the same method (time-based visual census along random paths), in the same sites, by the same people. Semi-quantitative inventories of conspicuous species were analysed by univariate and multivariate techniques. Available information on the main potential stressors indicated that a regime shift has occurred in these 30+ years: sea surface temperature rose by1-2°C, human pressure grew impressively, and invasion by several alien species took place. Consistently, a phase shift occurred in the biological communities. Of the 120 conspicuous species found in total, only 51 were common to both surveys; 31 species (‘losses’) were found in 1981 but not again in 2013, 38 (‘gains’) were found exclusively in 2013, 16 (‘winners’) increased their abundance, 8 (‘losers’) got scarcer, and 27 underwent little or no change. Gains included 7 alien, 2 nitrophilic, and 7 thermophilic species. Multivariate analysis evidenced biotic homogenisation in 2013 and huge change in rocky reef habitats. The once flourishing algal forests have disappeared to leave space to sponges and wide areas of bare substratum. This has most probably been the result of overgrazing by alien herbivorous fishes (Siganus luridus and S. rivulatus), whose establishment and spread has been favoured by seawater warming; the synergic action of local human impacts was also evidenced.
Record of an established population of Palaemon macrodactylus Rathbun, 1902 (Decapoda, Palaemonidae) in the Mediterranean Sea: confirming a prediction
Authors: CUESTA J. A. , BETTOSO N. , COMISSO G. , FROGLIA C. , MAZZA G. , RINALDI A. , RODRIGUEZ A. , SCOVACRICCHI T.
Published: June 2016

The capture of larvae of Palaemon macrodactylus off Mallorca (Balearic Islands) has been recently reported as evidence of a potential presence of a population of this species in the Mediterranean Sea. Photos of this species, taken during dives in the Sacca di Goro (northern Adriatic) were published in the same year, but no specimen could be collected at that time. Herein we report the capture in 2013 of numerous individuals of the oriental shrimp, including ovigerous females, both in the Sacca di Goro and in the Lagoon of Marano and Grado (northern Adriatic Sea, Italy), confirming the existence of a well-established population of this species in the Mediterranean Sea.
Utilization of muddy detritus as organic matter source by the fan mussel Pinna nobilis.
Authors: TRIGOS S. , GARCÍA-MARCH J.R. , VICENTE N. , TENA J. , TORRES J.
Published: June 2016

The knowledge of the feeding habits in marine species is fundamental to better understand their relationship with the environment. Although phytoplankton has been traditionally reported as the main food source consumed by the Mediterranean fan mussel Pinna nobilis, recent studies have revealed that detritus represents an important food source for this species. We analysed the degree of acceptance of muddy detritus and the utilisation of its organic matter (OM) by P. nobilis on a group of 21 individuals (30.3-59.7 cm of total shell height (Ht)). The specimens were collected between July and September 2012 in two areas (43°04´25” N; 5°46´7” E and 43°04´34” N; 5°47´32” E) of the Embiez archipelago, northwestern Mediterranean (France). Our studies show that P. nobilis retains high quantities of OM from muddy detritus (47.50 ± 11.23% of filtered OM) irrespectively of shell size. Smaller individuals, however, actively filter more detritus than large ones. The values of retained OM, together with previous studies on stomach contents, suggest that muddy detritus is a more important OM source than phytoplankton for this species.
regionReport: Interactive reports for region-level and feature-level genomic analyses
Authors: Collado-Torres Leonardo , Jaffe Andrew E. , Leek Jeffrey T.
Published: June 2016

regionReport is an R package for generating detailed interactive reports from region-level genomic analyses as well as feature-level RNA-seq. The report includes quality-control checks, an overview of the results, an interactive table of the genomic regions or features of interest and reproducibility information. regionReport provides specialised reports for exploring DESeq2, edgeR, or derfinder differential expression analyses results. regionReport is also flexible and can easily be expanded with report templates for other analysis pipelines.
Features of arrangement of accounting and control in autonomous educational institutions in the conditions of reforming
Authors: Турищева  , Turishcheva Tatyana
Published: June 2016

The article discusses the features of the organization of accounting and control of independent educational

institutions, which quality management in modern conditions is one of the fundamental conditions for the successful

functioning of these institutions, as well as the qualitative performance of works and provision of educational services.
NEUTRONACTIVATION DETERMINATION OF GOLD IN THE TECHNOGENIC RAW MATERIALS WITH DIFFERENT MINERAL COMPOSITION
Authors: Yudakov Aleksandr A. , Ivannikov Sergey I. , Zheleznov Veniamin V. , Taskin Andrei V. , Tsybulskaya Oksana N.
Published: June 2016

The methods used to determine the gold content in the technogenic objects of gold mining were analyzed regarding their no homogeneity and complexity of chemical and mineral compositions. A possible application of the neutron activation analysis (NAA) with the use of the californium source of neutrons for determining the content of fine-grained and extra-fine-grained gold in the technogenic objects, including the bottom-ash waste of energy providers, is considered. It was demonstrated that the chemical composition of the sample affects the neuron flux distribution in the sample, which can essentially distort the results of the NAA. In order to eliminate the possible systematic errors, investigations of the effect of the sample mineral composition on the results of the gold determination using the NAA, loading a large mass of the rock (3–5 kg) into an activation zone and using four types of matrix, silicate, carbon-containing, iron-containing, and titanium magnetite, were carried out. It was shown that there is no significant difference between the dispersal of the fluxes of thermal and resonance neutrons emitted from 252Cf during activation of the gold-containing technogenic samples with different mineral compositions.
Bone micro-architectural analysis of mandible and tibia in ovariectomised rats
Authors: Liu H. , Li W. , Liu Y. S. , Zhou Y. S.
Published: June 2016

Objectives

This study aims to evaluate if micro-CT can work as a method for the 3D assessment and analysis of cancellous bone by comparing micro-CT with undecalcified histological sections in OVX rats.

Methods

The mandible and tibia of sham, ovariectomised (OVX) and zoledronate-injected ovariectomised (OVX-ZOL) rats were assessed morphometrically. Specimens were scanned by micro-CT. Undecalcified histological sections were manufactured from the specimen scanned by micro-CT and stained with haematoxylin and eosin. Bivariate linear regressions and one-way analysis of variance were undertaken for statistics using SPSS 16.0.1 software.

Results

There were highly significant correlations between undecalcified histological sections and micro-CT for all parameters (bone volume density (BV/TV), bone surface density (BS/BV), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), trabecular number (Tb.N), and trabecular separation (Tb.Sp))in the mandible and tibia. Bone histomorphometric parameters analysed by both methods exhibited significant differences among sham, OVX, and OVX-ZOL groups. There were significant correlations between mandible and tibia in BV/TV, BS/BV, and Tb.Sp.

Conclusions

Micro-CT is a complementary tool to histological sections in basic research that could improve our understanding of bone histomorphometry. The mandible can be used as an effective site to assess bone morphometry of OVX or metabolic bone disease rat models. Cite this article: H. Liu, W. Li, Y. S. Liu, Y. S. Zhou. Bone micro-architectural analysis of mandible and tibia in ovariectomised rats: A quantitative structural comparison between undecalcified histological sections and micro-CT. Bone Joint Res 2016;5:253–262.
Pigmented villonodular synovitis of the hip
Authors: Steinmetz Sylvain , Rougemont Anne-Laure , Peter Robin
Published: June 2016

Pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) is a rare disease that can affect any joint, bursa or tendon sheath. The hip is less frequently affected than the knee, and hence is less discussed in scientific journals. PVNS of the hip mainly occurs in young adults, requiring early diagnosis and adequate treatment to obtain good results. There is no consensus on the management of PVNS of the hip in current literature. We will discuss the options for surgical intervention in hip PVNS using a literature review of clinical, biological, etiological, histological and radiographic aspects of the disease.

Cite this article: Steinmetz S, Rougemont A-L, Peter R. Pigmented villonodular synovitis of the hip. EFORT Open Rev 2016;1:260-266. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.1.000021.
Policy Spotlight
Authors: Wrigley Catherine
Published: June 2016

This regular feature aims to provide key political news in relation to dentistry and an update of the Faculty–s policy activities. You can find out more in the policy and public affairs section on the FDS website.
Is child safeguarding safe in our hands?
Authors: Welbury Richard , Park Christine M
Published: June 2016

Dental teams have been involved with child protection for more than 40 years. In this article, we summarise their involvement in the detection of the various types of child abuse and discuss the ‘gap’ between the number of dental professionals who suspect child abuse or neglect and those who ask for advice on how to obtain help in such cases. Current child protection legislation and responsibilities for the dental team will also be outlined.
“Land to the Tiller”: Unrealized Agenda of the Revolution
Authors: Yemane-ab Abera
Published: June 2016

Land reform was perhaps the single most galvanizing issue of the Ethiopian Revolution. The changes effected in this regard led to the collapse of a social and political order that had prevailed for centuries. The Ethiopian Revolution broke the chains of serfdom and freed the peasants from feudal bondage. Although the archaic and exploitative land tenure system was brought to an end, the revolutionary slogan “land to the tiller” was not realized. The Land Reform Proclamation of 1975, which abolished the landlord-tenant relationship, at the same time instituted a new form of land tenure. It made the state the new landlord over all rural land in the country. The enshrinement of the state as the landlord over all of the rural land empowered it to intervene at will in the economic and political lives of people. This article aims to revisit the revolution’s land reform program and assess some of its legacies. The author’s perspective has been informed by his active involvement in the now largely forgotten Chilalo Agricultural Development Unit (CADU) project of the 1970s and his efforts to advance land reform legislation just before and after the 1974 revolution.
Historicizing Contemporary Growth: The Ethiopian Revolution, Social-Structural Transformation, and Capitalist Development
Authors: Admasie Samuel Andreas
Published: June 2016

This article aims to historicize the current conjuncture in Ethiopia, which is characterized by rapid economic growth. It aims to do so by using a historical and political economy perspective to analyze the social-structural transformation that the Ethiopian revolution entailed, the nature and dynamics of the social structures that emerged as a result of the Ethiopian revolution, and the manner in which those structural transformations relate to the current phase of capitalist growth in the country. It is argued that the Ethiopian revolution, by eliminating the rentier landlord class; by elevating in its place a modern petit bourgeois category to the commanding positions of the state apparatuses and of the economy; by creating an internal market out of the freed peasantry; by enhancing and deepening the relative autonomy of the state, along with its ability to intervene in the economy and act as an agent and promoter of accumulation; and by thoroughly subjugating labor, created a social structure conducive to capitalist development and laid the foundations for the current spurt of rapid capitalist growth.
Revolutionary Ethiopia through the Lens of the Contemporary Film Industry
Authors: Tadesse Bitania
Published: June 2016

This article assesses how Ethiopian historical films have engaged with the Ethiopian revolution. It analyzes the way in which contemporary Ethiopian cinema constructs the traumatic events of the past half century and in doing so contributes to a particular ideological understanding of Ethiopia’s past and present. Through utilizing certain techniques and tropes, historical films contribute to and perpetuate the hegemonic ideological interpretation of the Ethiopian Revolution of 1974 and the events associated with it. The article addresses the lacunae in the literature on the Ethiopian film industry, which in contrast to other cinemas in Sub-Saharan Africa has not been the focus of academic analysis.
Some Thoughts about the Ethiopian Left
Authors: Tadesse Kiflu
Published: June 2016

The article discusses the chronology of events during the revolutionary movement of Ethiopia in 1974, which finally resulted in usurpation of power by a military junta. It then turns to look at the Ethiopian Left, which took an important part in the movement. The emergence of the Ethiopian Left, the political and social dynamics that brought about the cleavage and early differences are given due attention. The symbiotic relationship between the reform acts that the military junta undertook and the defeat of the revolutionary movement are examined in detail. Finally, the article focuses on further deterioration of the relationship of the Left, which finally resulted in a carnage that engulfed the whole country.
Reachability of standard and fractional continuous-time systems with constant inputs
Authors: Rogowski Krzysztof
Published: June 2016

The reachability of standard and fractional-order continuous-time systems with constant inputs is addressed. Positive and non-positive continuous-time linear systems are considered. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of such constant inputs that steers the system from zero initial conditions to the given final state in desired time are derived and proved. As an example of such systems the electrical circuits with DC voltage sources are presented.
Neurological Diseases of Small Ruminants in Greece: A Retrospective Study in 114 Flocks
Authors: Polizopoulou S Zoe , Giadinis D. Nektarios , Papahristou Andreas , Papaioannou Nikolaos
Published: June 2016

Although neurological diseases comprise an important part of small ruminant internal medicine, the number of retrospective studies on their epidemiology conducted to date is limited. This study reports an extensive review of epidemiological data on the occurrence of neurological diseases in Greek sheep and goat herds. The survey was based on data retrieved from the records of the Farm Animal Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, A.U.TH from January 2006 to May 2011. Historical information, clinical and neurological examination, clinicopathological and (if available) pathological evaluation were the minimum data recorded in each case.

Diseases of the nervous system represented 37.9% and 19.2% of the total evaluated sheep and goat caseload, respectively. The most frequent neurological disorders diagnosed in sheep were chronic coenurosis and Scrapie, which accounted for 72% of cases, followed by less common conditions like ovine lentiviral encephalomyelitis (OLE), listeriosis and acute coenurosis. In goats the frequency of various types of neurological diseases was more evenly distributed, with listeriosis and polioencephalomalacia being the most commonly encountered problems.
Effects of Glyphosate on Enzyme Activity and Serum Glucose in Rats Rattus norvegicus
Authors: Hasković Edhem , Pekić Melina , Fočak Muhamed , Suljević Damir , Mešalić Lejla
Published: June 2016

Glyphosate is a pesticide that influences many blood parameters if taken orally or subcutaneously. This pesticide causes important changes in the metabolic activity which can be measured by organospecific enzyme activity such as liver aminotransferases (AST and ALT), while glucose acts as a stress, energy and metabolism indicator after acute glyphosate exposure. In this research, glyphosate was applied subcutaneously to rats, administrated each 24 hours for a 15 days period. The concentration of the applied glyphosate was 2.8 g/kg. The experimental rats were 13 weeks old. The concentration of serum glucose, the activity of lactate dehydrogenase and liver transaminases (AST and ALT) were observed as indicators of metabolic changes after treatment. It was observed that glyphosate led to a statistically significant decrease of serum glucose level. Statistically significantly increased (p<0.05) AST, ALT and LDH activities are indicators of hepatocyte damage while LDH activity demonstrates damage of other tissues.
On Invariant Tori with Prescribed Frequency in Hamiltonian Systems
Authors: Zhang Dongfeng , Xu Junxiang , Wu Hao
Published: June 2016

In this paper we are mainly concerned with the persistence of invariant tori with prescribed frequency for analytic nearly integrable Hamiltonian systems under the Brjuno–Rüssmann non-resonant condition, when the Kolmogorov non-degeneracy condition is violated. As it is well known, the frequency of the persisting invariant tori may undergo some drifts, when the Kolmogorov non-degeneracy condition is violated. By the method of introducing external parameters and rational approximations, we prove that if the Brouwer topological degree of the frequency mapping is nonzero at some Brjuno–Rüssmann frequency, then the invariant torus with this frequency persists under small perturbation.
Existence and Multiplicity of Nontrivial Solutions to Quasilinear Elliptic Equations
Authors: Li Anran , Wei Chongqing
Published: June 2016

In this paper, Morse theory is used to study the existence and multiplicity of nontrivial solutions for the following class of quasilinear elliptic equations:

{

-

Δ
⁢
u

-

Δ
⁢

(

u
2

)

⁢
u

=

g
⁢

(
x
,
u
)

,

x
∈
Ω

,

u
=
0

,

x
∈

∂
⁡
Ω

,

$\left\{\begin{aligned} &\displaystyle{-}\Delta u-\Delta(u^{2})u=g(x,u),&&% \displaystyle x\in\Omega,\\ &\displaystyle u=0,&&\displaystyle x\in\partial\Omega,\end{aligned}\right.$

where

Ω
⊂

ℝ
N

${\Omega\subset\mathbb{R}^{N}}$

is a bounded open domain with smooth boundary

∂
⁡
Ω

${\partial\Omega}$

,

N
⩾
3

${N\geqslant 3}$

and g is a Carathéodory function with some additional growth conditions.
Die alte Litanei
Authors: Frey Winfried
Published: June 2016

Litanies, which are sung in great variety also today, especially on pilgrimages, have been popular for centuries in the Catholic Church, as a form of prayer that creates a sense of community and makes people forget their everyday problems. But these kinds of function hold many dangers: they can arise also from ›unholy‹ causes and ›unholy‹ aims can be achieved with them. The »Deggendorfer Gnad«, a pilgrimage in memory of a host desecration in Lower Bavaria, allegedly committed by Jews, and the pilgrimage to Andreas of Rinn near Innsbruck, alleged victim of a ritual murder committed by Jews, may serve as examples of the effects and consequences the traditional but questionable litanies can have for the Christian-Jewish relationship.
Computational study on 3D structure of L-aspartic acid and L-glutamic acid: molecular descriptors and properties
Authors: Stefaniu Amalia , Savoiu Valeria Gabriela , Lupescu Irina , Iulian Olga
Published: June 2016

The aim of this work is to provide a comprehensive and complex analysis of molecular descriptors and properties of two similar amino acids, L-Aspartic acid and L-Glutamic acid, using a software tool for calculations and properties predictions. As amino acids are model compounds for predicting the physical-chemical properties and behavior of biological, larger molecules as peptides or proteins, researches were focused on providing accurate mechanical calculations using: molecular/mechanical methods. Our study aims to initiate a linear scaling approach, by dividing a large system into small subsystems and performing the calculations for each, individually, then, embedding and correcting the information globally. The calculations were performed on the 3D structure of the studied amino acids that were first generated, as CPK model, and optimized by energy minimization. A comparative assay on their topological, molecular descriptors and properties was conducted, in vacuum and in water, using the Hartree-Fock model and second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory MP2 for predicting structure, energy and property calculations with Spartan’14 software. Values of molecular properties such as area, volume, polar surface area, polarizability, ovality, logP, dipole moment, HOMO-LUMO gap, distances and angles between atoms, were obtained. The results have been interpreted in terms of electronic effects of side chain groups, molecular deformability, steric factors and reactivity. This approach can be extended to other amino acids in order to predict protein-ligand interactions, important aspects in drug design studies and protein engineering.
Modification of surface morphology of Ti6Al4V
alloy manufactured by Laser Sintering
Authors: Draganovská Dagmar , Ižariková Gabriela , Guzanová Anna , Brezinová Janette , Koncz Juraj
Published: June 2016

The paper deals with the evaluation of relation
between roughness parameters of Ti6Al4V alloy produced
by DMLS and modified by abrasive blasting. There were
two types of blasting abrasives that were used – white
corundum and Zirblast at three levels of air pressure. The
effect of pressure on the value of individual roughness parameters
and an influence of blasting media on the parameters
for samples blasted by white corundum and Zirblast
were evaluated by ANOVA. Based on the measured values,
the correlation matrix was set and the standard of correlation
statistic importance between the monitored parameters
was determined from it. The correlation coefficient
was also set.
Real-Time Demonstration of Optimized Spectrum Usage with LSA Carrier Aggregation
Authors: Wirth Thomas , Wieruch Dennis , Holfeld Bernd , Mehlhose Matthias , Pilz Jens , Haustein Thomas , Halfmann Rüdiger , Friederichs Karl-Josef
Published: June 2016

Mobile broadband networks will face a tremendous growth in data traffic demand over the next 20 years. A key requirement for the evolution of radio access networks is the increase in the amount of spectrum and optimized spectrum usage, in order to meet future service demands. More efficient spectrum use will come with evolving technology features and novel spectrum sharing models. Candidates for technology improvements are higher order and massive MIMO systems, cooperative base stations and CoMP techniques, highly optimized resource allocation algorithms, network densification with inter-cell interference management and highly flexible carrier aggregation techniques to extend spectrum. In this paper, we will highlight carrier aggregation combined with flexible spectrum assignment and use of spectrum databases following novel licensing schemes. We give an overview of LSA activities, present a 3CA demonstration platform enabling the LSA concept and discuss its implementation constraints.
Joint-angle specific strength adaptations influence improvements in power in highly trained athletes
Authors: Rhea Matthew R. , Kenn Joseph G. , Peterson Mark D. , Massey Drew , Simão Roberto , Marin Pedro J. , Favero Mike , Cardozo Diogo , Krein Darren
Published: June 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of training at different ranges of motion during the squat exercise on joint-angle specific strength adaptations.

Methods

Twenty eight men were randomly assigned to one of three training groups, differing only in the depth of squats (quarter squat, half squat, and full squat) performed in 16-week training intervention. Strength measures were conducted in the back squat pre-, mid-, and post-training at all three depths. Vertical jump and 40-yard sprint time were also measured.

Results

Individuals in the quarter and full squat training groups improved significantly more at the specific depth at which they trained when compared to the other two groups (p < 0.05). Jump height and sprint speed improved in all groups (p < 0.05); however, the quarter squat had the greatest transfer to both outcomes.

Conclusions

Consistently including quarter squats in workouts aimed at maximizing speed and jumping power can result in greater improvements.
In Royal Circles: The Nature of Hittite Scholarship
Authors: van den Hout Theo
Published: June 2016

This essay advocates a distinction between scribal craftsmen and scholar-scribes, the latter mostly coming from the elite circles of the kingdom and increasingly, as their career advanced, involved in scholarly endeavors rather than tablet production. It is these scholars who were probably also responsible for the so-called tablet inventories (“catalogs”).
FPGA–Based Efficient Hardware/Software Co–Design for Industrial Systems with Consideration of Output Selection
Authors: Deliparaschos Kyriakos M. , Michail Konstantinos , Zolotas Argyrios C. , Tzafestas Spyros G.
Published: June 2016

This work presents a field programmable gate array (FPGA)-based embedded software platform coupled with a software-based plant, forming a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) that is used to validate a systematic sensor selection framework. The systematic sensor selection framework combines multi-objective optimization, linear-quadratic-Gaussian (LQG)-type control, and the nonlinear model of a maglev suspension. A robustness analysis of the closed-loop is followed (prior to implementation) supporting the appropriateness of the solution under parametric variation. The analysis also shows that quantization is robust under different controller gains. While the LQG controller is implemented on an FPGA, the physical process is realized in a high-level system modeling environment. FPGA technology enables rapid evaluation of the algorithms and test designs under realistic scenarios avoiding heavy time penalty associated with hardware description language (HDL) simulators. The HIL technique facilitates significant speed-up in the required execution time when compared to its software-based counterpart model.
Application of Input–State of the System Transformation for Linearization of Selected Electrical Circuits
Authors: Zawadzki Andrzej , Różowicz Sebastian
Published: June 2016

The paper presents a transformation of nonlinear electric circuit into linear one through changing coordinates (local diffeomorphism) with the use of closed feedback loop. The necessary conditions that must be fulfilled by nonlinear system to enable carrying out linearizing procedures are presented. Numerical solutions of state equations for the nonlinear system and equivalent linearized system are included.
A New Dry Etching Method with the High Etching Rate for Patterning Cross–Linked SU–8 Thick Films
Authors: Han Jingning , Yin Zhifu , Zou Helin , Wang Wenqiang , Feng Jianbo
Published: June 2016

Photo sensitive polymer SU-8, owing to its excellent mechanical properties and dielectric properties on polymerization, is widely used in MEMS device fabrications. However, the removing, stripping or re-patterning of the cross-linked SU-8 is a difficult issue. In this paper, CF4/O2 gas mixture provided by a plasma asher equipment was used for the patterning of cross-linked SU-8 material. The RF power, the temperature of the substrate holder, chamber pressure and gas concentration were optimized for the cross-linked SU-8 etching process. When the CF4/O2 mixture contains about 5%CF4 by volume, the etching rate can be reached at 5.2 μm/min.
Joint Signal Parameter Estimation in Non–Gaussian Noise by the Method of Polynomial Maximization
Authors: Palahin Volodymyr , Juhár Jozef
Published: June 2016

This paper considers the adaptation of the method of polynomial maximization for synthesis of the polynomial algorithms of joint signal parameter estimation in non-Gaussian noise. It is shown that the nonlinear processing of samples, the moment and the cumulant description of random variables in the form of cumulant coefficients of the third and higher orders can decrease the variance of joint parameters estimation as compared with the well-known results.
Regularization and numerical solution of the inverse scattering problem using shearlet frames
Authors: Kutyniok Gitta , Mehrmann Volker , Petersen Philipp C.
Published: June 2016

Regularization techniques for the numerical solution of inverse scattering problems in two space dimensions are discussed. Assuming that the boundary of a scatterer is its most prominent feature, we exploit as model the class of cartoon-like functions. Since functions in this class are asymptotically optimally sparsely approximated by shearlet frames, we consider shearlets as a means for regularization. We analyze two approaches, namely solvers for the nonlinear problem and for the linearized problem obtained by the Born approximation. As example for the first class we study the acoustic inverse scattering problem, and for the second class, the inverse scattering problem of the Schrödinger equation. Whereas our emphasis for the linearized problem is more on the theoretical side due to the standardness of associated
solvers, we provide numerical examples for the nonlinear problem that highlight the effectiveness of our algorithmic approach.
Influence of DIN EN ISO 15189 on the correctness of results in clinical virology
Authors: Späth Patricia M. , Hoffmann Dieter , Spitzenberger Folker
Published: June 2016

To date more than 400 medical laboratories in Germany are accredited based on DIN EN ISO 15189 (Medical laboratories – requirements for quality and competence). In Germany, a new version of the DIN EN ISO 15189 has been published in 2014. This standard includes overall criteria but no requirements specific for certain disciplines of laboratory medicine. The present study examined how technical requirements, mainly for quality assurance and analytic methods, influence the correctness of results in clinical virology. Experts from laboratories, industry, DAkkS (German Accreditation Body) and from standardization have been interviewed. The qualitative content analysis showed that fulfilling technical requirements increased the correctness of examination results and minimized the risks for patient care and safety. Furthermore, we studied how effective internal quality controls, assay-controls as well as additional controls, assure HIV-p24-antigen and anti-HBs results. Additional controls recommended by DIN EN ISO 15189 (so called “run controls”) clearly indicated inaccuracies of HIV antigen measurement that were undetected by manufacturer’s controls. Also for anti-HBs examination, such internal controls provided by the manufacturer did not guarantee correct results. Therefore, we conclude that fulfilling DIN EN ISO 15189, usually confirmed by accreditation, has a positive influence on correctness of results in clinical virology, ultimately improving patient care.
Early Engagements with the Constitutive Laws of Others: Possible Lessons from Pre-Modern Religious Law
Authors: Hirschl Ran
Published: June 2016

Constitutional law and religious law are often portrayed as diametrically opposed domains. While there are obvious foundational differences between the two domains, the simplistic portrayal of religious law as altogether irrelevant to contemporary discussions about engagement with the laws of others provides an all-too-easy excuse for contemporary constitutional discourse to blind itself to religious law’s rich history and doctrinal innovation. Alongside other possible new horizons of interdisciplinary inquiry, religious law may provide a fertile terrain for placing contemporary debates in (comparative) constitutional law in a broader context. In particular, few authors have paid close attention to the potential value of legal concepts developed within religious law to meeting the challenge of encounters with foreign law. Even fewer have drawn analogies between the effect of extra-doctrinal factors on interpretation in the two domains. The poignant dilemmas of rejection of or interaction with foreign law yearn for thorough and prompt cross-disciplinary analysis, as their relevance to contemporary constitutional law comes to echo their historic importance in religious law. In this article, I explore elements of early engagement with the constitutive laws of others along two lines: (i) various doctrinal innovations in pre-modern religious law, particularly Jewish law, in respect to engagement with the laws of others; (ii) earthly motivations for change to religious law’s treatment of external sources and practices. I conclude by suggesting that the current liberal constitutional canon’s hostility toward religion, in particular its simplistic portrayal of religion as a monolithically “traditional,” “particularist,” “backward” and outdated domain runs the risk of throwing out the baby (religious law) with the bathwater (religion).
Synagogue and State in the Israeli Military: A Story of “Inappropriate Integration”
Authors: Carmit Yefet Karin
Published: June 2016

The encounter between synagogue and state in Israel’s military context raises a variety of complex questions that defy conventional paradigms. While religious liberty continues to occupy a special place in most liberal democratic thought, the legal and philosophical literature pondering its various dimensions has largely lost analytic sight of the fascinating intersection of military and religion. This article embarks on analyzing the appropriate integration between loyalty to God and to country, and between religious male and secular female soldiers. Evaluating examples of synagogue-state tensions and accommodationist policies, this article explores the manner and extent to which the Israeli military (IDF) responds to the observant soldier’s multiple identities as a religious minority member and a faithful citizen of the larger secular polity. Against this backdrop, the article analyzes the vexed challenges posed to multicultural theory by the equivocal status of the Orthodox community as a numerical minority but “power majority” within the military, and by the IDF’s unique exercise of multiculturalist protection, termed herein “external restrictions,” imposed on majority group members. It concludes that the ongoing “religionization” of the IDF through the 2002 “Appropriate Integration” regulation has served as a powerful counterforce to gender equality, fostering a growing practice of female exclusion through which women are disenfranchised from core, non-negotiable protections of citizenship. The article identifies as the prime casualty of this aggressive multicultural accommodation not only secular women’s hard-won equality of opportunity, but also the very rights and status of minority women within their own religious community.
A Proposal for a Flexible Trend Specification in DSGE Models
Authors: Slanicay Martin
Published: June 2016

In this paper I propose a flexible trend specification for estimating DSGE models on log differences. I demonstrate this flexible trend specification on a New Keynesian DSGE model of two economies, which I consequently estimate on data from the Czech economy and the euro area, using Bayesian techniques. The advantage of the trend specification proposed is that the trend component and the cyclical component are modelled jointly in a single model. The proposed trend specification is flexible in the sense that smoothness of the trend can be easily modified by different calibration of some of the trend parameters. The results suggest that this method is capable of finding a very reasonable trend in the data. Moreover, comparison of forecast performance reveals that the proposed specification offers more reliable forecasts than the original variant of the model.
Economic Growth and Budget Constraints: EU Countries Panel Data Analysis
Authors: Zimčík Petr
Published: June 2016

The aim of this paper is to identify the impacts of different taxes and expenditures on economic growth. The research is focused on 20 selected European Union Member States. These countries are equally divided into four groups based on their average tax burden as presented in the World Tax Index. A comparison of fiscal attributes among these groups is important for the analysis. Annual government finance data from the years 1995 to 2012 are used for an empirical study. The indicators observed are real GDP change, the composition and volume of total government expenditures, tax quotas of individual taxes and total budget balance. These indicators are used within an endogenous growth model together with capital stock and an approximation of human capital. A panel regression with fixed effects is used as an analytic tool. The main results are that an increase in social contributions, property, production and personal income tax quotas has an adverse effect on economic growth.
The Efficiency and Public Transport Accessibility of Indirect State Administration in the Czech Republic
Authors: Vrabková Iveta , Vaňková Ivana , Ivan Igor
Published: June 2016

This paper examines the efficiency and public transport accessibility of indirect (devolved) state administration performed by municipalities with extended powers (hereinafter MEPs) in the Czech Republic. Our aim is to evaluate the efficiency of the revenues made by municipalities with extended powers, through performing powers delegated to them by the state administration, and those municipalities’ public transport accessibility as of 31 December, 2014. The rate of efficiency is tested on an output-oriented Free Disposable Hull model. One input variable is selected - the operating expenses of the municipal offices recalculated per inhabitant of the municipality’s administrative district - and two output variables are selected: contribution to the performance of state administration, recalculated per inhabitant of the municipality’s administrative district, and revenues from administrative fees per inhabitant of the municipality’s administrative district. The municipality’s offices’ transport accessibility is evaluated via network analysis using ArcGIS software. The article investigates the hypothesis that public administration deconcentration practices logically result in higher security costs and therefore inefficiency. The results reveal that only 66 of the country’s 205 MEPs are efficient and that operating expenses and state contributions for the performance of state administrative tasks play a significant role in these results. Efficiency is less significantly influenced by administrative fee revenues. Public transport accessibility is analyzed for two time intervals - 6:00 to 8:00 am and 1:00 to 2:00 pm - on Tuesdays. The degree of accessibility is defined using a six-point scale of accessibility. The results show that the best accessibility is in the morning hours, when the offices are accessible for 68.8% of the population aged 15+ in the Czech Republic; the worst accessibility is in the afternoon hours when only 2% of the population aged 15+ can access the offices.