bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Validation of the Italian Translation of the Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales
Authors: Pascazio Lorenzo , Bembich Stefano , Nardone Ilaria B. , Vecchiet Cristina , Guarino Giuseppina , Clarici Andrea
Published: January 2015

The theoretical perspective on affective neuroscience advanced by Panksepp, identified six basic innate affective systems: the SEEK, FEAR, ANGER, SADNESS, PLAY, and CARE systems. It has been proposed that the fundamental elements of human personality and its variants may be based on the different expressions of these basic emotional systems and their combinations. A self-report inventory, the Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales (ANPS), has been devised with the aim of studying and evaluating personality from this perspective. This study reports data on the initial validation of ANPS Italian translation on a sample of 418 adult participants. Descriptive statistics for each scale were calculated, assessing also their internal consistency, as a measure of reliability and factorial validity. Acceptable internal consistency was found in all but one scale (SADNESS), and a second-order factor analysis identified a more general affective feature of personality hinging on relational characteristics, independent of the dimensions of general positive and negative affect.
Parental Attachment as a Mediator between Parental Social Support and Self-Esteem as Perceived by Korean Sports Middle and High School Athletes
Authors: Kang Sangwook , Jeon Hyunsoo , Kwon Sungho , Park Seungha
Published: January 2015

This study examined whether parental attachment mediates the relationship between parental social support and self-esteem in Korean middle and high school athletes. 591 sports athletes attending middle and high schools that specialize in sport volunteered. Parental social support and parental attachment had a significant positive effect on self-esteem; parental attachment had a greater effect on self-esteem. In the structural relationship, direct effects of parental social support on self-esteem were weak, but indirect effects through parental attachment were strong. Therefore, parental attachment complementally mediated the relationship between parental social support and self-esteem. Metric invariance was supported for groups categorized by sex, region, and school level, confirming that the model could be applied to various groups.
Aggregated Effects of Combining Daily Milk Consumption and Aerobic Exercise on Short-Term Memory and Sustained Attention among Female Students
Authors: Leong In-Tyng , Moghadam Sedigheh , Hashim Hairul A.
Published: January 2015

Regular aerobic exercise and milk consumption have been found to have positive effects on certain cognitive functions such as short-term memory and sustained attention. However, aggregated effects of combining these modalities have not been explored. This study examined the combined effects of milk supplementation and aerobic exercise on the short-term memory and sustained attention of female students aged 16yr. ( N = 81). The intervention involved serving of 250 ml of regular milk during school days and/or a 1-hr. aerobic exercise period twice per week for 6 weeks. The Digit Span Test and Digit Vigilance Test were used to measure short-term memory and sustained attention, respectively. The combination group (milk and exercise) and exercise group performed significantly better than did the milk and control groups in terms of short-term memory. No significant interaction or group differences were found for sustained attention. The results suggest benefits of regular exercise for students' short-term memory.
Bilingual Memory Representations in Less Fluent Chinese–English Bilinguals: An Event-Related Potential Study
Authors: Chen Chao-Ying , Zhang John Xuexin , Li Li , Wang Ruiming
Published: January 2015

The present study was designed to investigate bilingual memory representations in less fluent Chinese–English bilinguals and the effect of word familiarity on bilingual memory representations with a translation priming paradigm and the event-related potential (ERP) technique. Three factors (translation order, word familiarity, and repetition status) were manipulated in this study, and the major dependent variable was the magnitude of the N400 repetition effect, which is related to semantic expectation and is an important physiological index of language processing. The results confirmed the asymmetry in bilingual memory with stronger L2–LI links compared to L1–L2 links in less fluent Chinese–English bilinguals, and that word familiarity was an important factor in the memory representations of these less fluent bilinguals.
Noise Mapping of the Flyover Highway in Genoa: comparison of different methods
Authors: Borelli Davide , Repetto Simona , Schenone Corrado
Published: January 2015

In urban noise mapping the accuracy of the simulation tools is often challenged by the complexity of the modeled scenario, particularly when its extent coincide with the whole city. In this paper, a meaningful case study is reported concerning the flyover highway “Aldo Moro” in Genoa. The particular morphology of the city and the location of the highway make it a significant test for analyzing the effectiveness of current modeling tools in simulating complex urban areas. Noise mapping has been implemented in accordance with the standardNMPB-Routes- 2008. Results have been then analyzed complying with the END. Next diverse computational methods have been compared, considering ISO 9613-2, NMPB-Routes-1996, and Harmonoise, and even different frequency partitions (octave band or one-third octave band) for the last two standards. The computational time for the different calculation methods has been analyzed. In order to get a reciprocal validation, the simulated noise maps have been finally compared with maps coming from on field measurements. In this way a case study helpful for public administrations and stakeholders facing similar issues is provided, defining the state of the art and the forthcoming perspectives.
Metallurgical characteristics and machining performance of nanostructured TNN-coated tungsten carbide tool
Authors: Kumar Thepperumal Sampath , Prabu Shanmugavel Balasivanandha , Vasu Kuraganti , Krishna Mamidipudi Ghanashyam
Published: January 2015

The effect of depositing Nb-rich Ti1–x
Nb
x
N coatings on the metallurgical characteristics and machining performance of tungsten carbide tools is investigated. The direct current reactive magnetron sputter deposited Ti1–

x

Nb
x
N thin film was crystalline in the as-deposited state. The surface of the film is characterized by a dense granular structure with very few voids and lower roughness than the pristine tungsten carbide surface. Nanoindentation studies revealed that the Ti1–x
Nb
x
N coating enhanced the hardness and Young's modulus of the tungsten carbide tool to 35 GPa and 703 GPa, respectively, as compared to 20 GPa and 550 GPa respectively, for the uncoated tool. Scratch tests showed that the Ti1–x
Nb
x
N coating increased the adhesion strength on the tungsten carbide tool. Similarly, the tool wear, surface roughness and cutting force in turning an EN24 alloy steel component displayed significant improvement due to the Ti1–x
Nb
x
N coating. The minimum surface roughness, minimum tool flank wear and minimum cutting forces were predicted for Ti1–x
Nb
x
N coated tools based on the Taguchi experimental design.
Direct Determination of a Small-Molecule Drug, Valproic Acid, by an Electrically-Detected Microcantilever Biosensor for Personalized Diagnostics
Authors: Huang Long-Sun , Gunawan Christian , Yen Yi-Kuang , Chang Kai-Fung
Published: January 2015

Direct, small-molecule determination of the antiepileptic drug, valproic acid, was investigated by a label-free, nanomechanical biosensor. Valproic acid has long been used as an antiepileptic medication, which is administered through therapeutic drug monitoring and has a narrow therapeutic dosage range of 50–100 μg·mL−1 in blood or serum. Unlike labeled and clinically-used measurement techniques, the label-free, electrical detection microcantilever biosensor can be miniaturized and simplified for use in portable or hand-held point-of-care platforms or personal diagnostic tools. A micromachined microcantilever sensor was packaged into the micro-channel of a fluidic system. The measurement of the antiepileptic drug, valproic acid, in phosphate-buffered saline and serum used a single free-standing, piezoresistive microcantilever biosensor in a thermally-controlled system. The measured surface stresses showed a profile over a concentration range of 50–500 μg·mL−1, which covered the clinically therapeutic range of 50–100 μg·mL−1. The estimated limit of detection (LOD) was calculated to be 45 μg·mL−1, and the binding affinity between the drug and the antibody was measured at around 90 ± 21 μg·mL−1. Lastly, the results of the proposed device showed a similar profile in valproic acid drug detection with those of the clinically-used fluorescence polarization immunoassay.
Microarray Analysis Reveals Higher Gestational Folic Acid Alters Expression of Genes in the Cerebellum of Mice Offspring—A Pilot Study
Authors: Barua Subit , Kuizon Salomon , Chadman Kathryn , Brown W. , Junaid Mohammed
Published: January 2015

Folate is a water-soluble vitamin that is critical for nucleotide synthesis and can modulate methylation of DNA by altering one-carbon metabolism. Previous studies have shown that folate status during pregnancy is associated with various congenital defects including the risk of aberrant neural tube closure. Maternal exposure to a methyl supplemented diet also can alter DNA methylation and gene expression, which may influence the phenotype of offspring. We investigated if higher gestational folic acid (FA) in the diet dysregulates the expression of genes in the cerebellum of offspring in C57BL/6 J mice. One week before gestation and throughout the pregnancy, groups of dams were supplemented with FA either at 2 mg/kg or 20 mg/kg of diet. Microarray analysis was used to investigate the genome wide gene expression profile in the cerebellum from day old pups. Our results revealed that exposure to the higher dose FA diet during gestation dysregulated expression of several genes in the cerebellum of both male and female pups. Several transcription factors, imprinted genes, neuro-developmental genes and genes associated with autism spectrum disorder exhibited altered expression levels. These findings suggest that higher gestational FA potentially dysregulates gene expression in the offspring brain and such changes may adversely alter fetal programming and overall brain development.
Rapid Atmospheric-Pressure-Plasma-Jet Processed Porous Materials for Energy Harvesting and Storage Devices
Authors: Chen Jian-Zhang , Hsu Cheng-Che , Wang Ching , Liao Wei-Yang , Wu Chih-Hung , Wu Ting-Jui , Liu Hsiao-Wei , Chang Haoming , Lien Shao-Tzu , Li Hsin-Chieh , Hsu Chun-Ming , Kao Peng-Kai , Yang Yao-Jhen , Cheng I-Chun
Published: January 2015

Atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) technology is a versatile technology that has been applied in many energy harvesting and storage devices. This feature article provides an overview of the advances in APPJ technology and its application to solar cells and batteries. The ultrafast APPJ sintering of nanoporous oxides and 3D reduced graphene oxide nanosheets with accompanying optical emission spectroscopy analyses are described in detail. The applications of these nanoporous materials to photoanodes and counter electrodes of dye-sensitized solar cells are described. An ultrashort treatment (1 min) on graphite felt electrodes of flow batteries also significantly improves the energy efficiency.
Reshaping the Science of Reliability with the Entropy Function
Authors: Rocchi Paolo , Capacci Giulia
Published: January 2015

The present paper revolves around two argument points. As first, we have observed a certain parallel between the reliability of systems and the progressive disorder of thermodynamical systems; and we import the notion of reversibility/irreversibility into the reliability domain. As second, we note that the reliability theory is a very active area of research which although has not yet become a mature discipline. This is due to the majority of researchers who adopt the inductive logic instead of the deductive logic typical of mature scientific sectors. The deductive approach was inaugurated by Gnedenko in the reliability domain. We mean to continue Gnedenko’s work and we use the Boltzmann-like entropy to pursue this objective. This paper condenses the papers published in the past decade which illustrate the calculus of the Boltzmann-like entropy. It is demonstrated how the every result complies with the deductive logic and are consistent with Gnedenko’s achievements.
CALPUFF and CAFOs: Air Pollution Modeling and Environmental Justice Analysis in the North Carolina Hog Industry
Authors: Ogneva-Himmelberger Yelena , Huang Liyao , Xin Hao
Published: January 2015

Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) produce large amounts of animal waste, which potentially pollutes air, soil and water and affects human health if not appropriately managed. This study uses meteorological and CAFO data and applies an air pollution dispersion model (CALPUFF) to estimate ammonia concentrations at locations downwind of hog CAFOs and to evaluate the disproportionate exposure of children, elderly, whites and minorities to the pollutant. Ammonia is one of the gases emitted by swine CAFOs and could affect human health. Local indicator of spatial autocorrelation (LISA) analysis uses census block demographic data to identify hot spots where both ammonia concentrations and the number of exposed vulnerable population are high. We limit our analysis to one watershed in North Carolina and compare environmental justice issues between 2000 and 2010. Our results show that the average ammonia concentrations in hot spots for 2000 and 2010 were 2.5–3-times higher than the average concentration in the entire watershed. The number of people living in the areas where ammonia concentrations exceeded the minimal risk level was 3647 people in 2000 and 3360 people in 2010. We recommend using air pollution dispersion models in future environmental justice studies to assess the impacts of the CAFOs and to address concerns regarding the health and quality of life of vulnerable populations.
Binding Mode Analysis of Zerumbone to Key Signal Proteins in the Tumor Necrosis Factor Pathway
Authors: Fatima Ayesha , Abdul Ahmad , Abdullah Rasedee , Karjiban Roghayeh , Lee Vannajan
Published: January 2015

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women worldwide. Several signaling pathways have been implicated as causative and progression agents. The tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α protein plays a dual role in promoting and inhibiting cancer depending largely on the pathway initiated by the binding of the protein to its receptor. Zerumbone, an active constituent of Zingiber zerumbet, Smith, is known to act on the tumor necrosis factor pathway upregulating tumour necrosis factor related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) death receptors and inducing apoptosis in cancer cells. Zerumbone is a sesquiterpene that is able to penetrate into the hydrophobic pockets of proteins to exert its inhibiting activity with several proteins. We found a good binding with the tumor necrosis factor, kinase κB (IKKβ) and the Nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) component proteins along the TNF pathway. Our results suggest that zerumbone can exert its apoptotic activities by inhibiting the cytoplasmic proteins. It inhibits the IKKβ kinase that activates the NF-κB and also binds to the NF-κB complex in the TNF pathway. Blocking both proteins can lead to inhibition of cell proliferating proteins to be downregulated and possibly ultimate induction of apoptosis.
Theory and Applications of Covalent Docking in Drug Discovery: Merits and Pitfalls
Authors: Kumalo Hezekiel , Bhakat Soumendranath , Soliman Mahmoud
Published: January 2015

he present art of drug discovery and design of new drugs is based on suicidal irreversible inhibitors. Covalent inhibition is the strategy that is used to achieve irreversible inhibition. Irreversible inhibitors interact with their targets in a time-dependent fashion, and the reaction proceeds to completion rather than to equilibrium. Covalent inhibitors possessed some significant advantages over non-covalent inhibitors such as covalent warheads can target rare, non-conserved residue of a particular target protein and thus led to development of highly selective inhibitors, covalent inhibitors can be effective in targeting proteins with shallow binding cleavage which will led to development of novel inhibitors with increased potency than non-covalent inhibitors. Several computational approaches have been developed to simulate covalent interactions; however, this is still a challenging area to explore. Covalent molecular docking has been recently implemented in the computer-aided drug design workflows to describe covalent interactions between inhibitors and biological targets. In this review we highlight: (i) covalent interactions in biomolecular systems; (ii) the mathematical framework of covalent molecular docking; (iii) implementation of covalent docking protocol in drug design workflows; (iv) applications covalent docking: case studies and (v) shortcomings and future perspectives of covalent docking. To the best of our knowledge; this review is the first account that highlights different aspects of covalent docking with its merits and pitfalls. We believe that the method and applications highlighted in this study will help future efforts towards the design of irreversible inhibitors.
Insecticidal Activity of Plant Lectins and Potential Application in Crop Protection
Authors: Macedo Maria , Oliveira Caio , Oliveira Carolina
Published: January 2015

Lectins constitute a complex group of proteins found in different organisms. These proteins constitute an important field for research, as their structural diversity and affinity for several carbohydrates makes them suitable for numerous biological applications. This review addresses the classification and insecticidal activities of plant lectins, providing an overview of the applicability of these proteins in crop protection. The likely target sites in insect tissues, the mode of action of these proteins, as well as the use of lectins as biotechnological tools for pest control are also described. The use of initial bioassays employing artificial diets has led to the most recent advances in this field, such as plant breeding and the construction of fusion proteins, using lectins for targeting the delivery of toxins and to potentiate expected insecticide effects. Based on the data presented, we emphasize the contribution that plant lectins may make as tools for the development of integrated insect pest control strategies.
Metabolic Profiling of the Uncaria Hook Alkaloid Geissoschizine Methyl Ether in Rat and Human Liver Microsomes Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Kushida Hirotaka , Matsumoto Takashi , Igarashi Yasushi , Nishimura Hiroaki , Watanabe Junko , Maemura Kazuya , Kase Yoshio
Published: January 2015

Geissoschizine methyl ether (GM) is an indole alkaloid found in Uncaria hook, which is a galenical constituent of yokukansan, a traditional Japanese medicine. GM has been identified as the active component responsible for anti-aggressive effects. In this study, the metabolic profiling of GM in rat and human liver microsomes was investigated. Thirteen metabolites of GM were elucidated and identified using a high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method, and their molecular structures were proposed on the basis of the characteristics of their precursor ions, product ions, and chromatographic retention times. There were no differences in the metabolites between the rat and human liver microsomes. Among the 13 identified metabolites, there were two demethylation metabolites, one dehydrogenation metabolite, three methylation metabolites, three oxidation metabolites, two water-adduct metabolites, one di-demethylation metabolite, and one water-adduct metabolite followed by oxidation. The metabolic pathways of GM were proposed on the basis of this study. This study will be helpful in understanding the metabolic routes of GM and related Uncaria hook alkaloids, and provide useful information on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. This is the first report that describes the separation and identification of GM metabolites in rat and human liver microsomes.
Integration of Optical and SAR Data for Burned Area Mapping in Mediterranean Regions
Authors: Stroppiana Daniela , Azar Ramin , Calò Fabiana , Pepe Antonio , Imperatore Pasquale , Boschetti Mirco , Silva João , Brivio Pietro , Lanari Riccardo
Published: January 2015

The aim of this paper is to investigate how optical and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data can be combined in an integrated multi-source framework to identify burned areas at the regional scale. The proposed approach is based on the use of fuzzy sets theory and a region-growing algorithm. Landsat TM and (C-band) ENVISAT Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) images acquired for the year 2003 have been processed to extract burned area maps over Portugal. Pre-post fire SAR backscatter temporal difference has been integrated with optical spectral indices to the aim of reducing confusion between burned areas and low-albedo surfaces. The output fuzzy score maps have been compared with reference fire perimeters provided by the Fire Atlas of Portugal. Results show that commission and omission errors in the output burned area maps are a function of the threshold applied to the fuzzy score maps; between the two extremes of the greatest producer’s accuracy (omission error < 10%) and user’s accuracy (commission error < 5%), an intermediate threshold value provides errors of about 20% over the study area. The integration of SAR backscatter allowed reducing local commission errors from 65.4% (using optical data, only) to 11.4%, showing to significantly mitigate local errors due to the presence of cloud shadows and wetland areas. Overall, the proposed method is flexible and open to further developments; also in the perspective of the European Space Agency (ESA) Sentinel missions operationally providing SAR and optical datasets.
Sensing Properties of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Grown in MW Plasma Torch: Electronic and Electrochemical Behavior, Gas Sensing, Field Emission, IR Absorption
Authors: Majzlíková Petra , Sedláček Jiří , Prášek Jan , Pekárek Jan , Svatoš Vojtěch , Bannov Alexander , Jašek Ondřej , Synek Petr , Eliáš Marek , Zajíčková Lenka , Hubálek Jaromír
Published: January 2015

Vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes (VA-MWCNTs) with an average diameter below 80 nm and a thickness of the uniform VA-MWCNT layer of about 16 µm were grown in microwave plasma torch and tested for selected functional properties. IR absorption important for a construction of bolometers was studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Basic electrochemical characterization was performed by cyclic voltammetry. Comparing the obtained results with the standard or MWCNT‑modified screen-printed electrodes, the prepared VA-MWCNT electrodes indicated their high potential for the construction of electrochemical sensors. Resistive CNT gas sensor revealed a good sensitivity to ammonia taking into account room temperature operation. Field emission detected from CNTs was suitable for the pressure sensing application based on the measurement of emission current in the diode structure with bending diaphragm. The advantages of microwave plasma torch growth of CNTs, i.e., fast processing and versatility of the process, can be therefore fully exploited for the integration of surface-bound grown CNTs into various sensing structures.
Capacitance Variation Induced by Microfluidic Two-Phase Flow across Insulated Interdigital Electrodes in Lab-On-Chip Devices
Authors: Dong Tao , Barbosa Cátia
Published: January 2015

Microfluidic two-phase flow detection has attracted plenty of interest in various areas of biology, medicine and chemistry. This work presents a capacitive sensor using insulated interdigital electrodes (IDEs) to detect the presence of droplets in a microchannel. This droplet sensor is composed of a glass substrate, patterned gold electrodes and an insulation layer. A polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) cover bonded to the multilayered structure forms a microchannel. Capacitance variation induced by the droplet passage was thoroughly investigated with both simulation and experimental work. Olive oil and deionized water were employed as the working fluids in the experiments to demonstrate the droplet sensor. The results show a good sensitivity of the droplet with the appropriate measurement connection. This capacitive droplet sensor is promising to be integrated into a lab-on-chip device for in situ monitoring/counting of droplets or bubbles.
High Sensitive and Selective Sensing of Hydrogen Peroxide Released from Pheochromocytoma Cells Based on Pt-Au Bimetallic Nanoparticles Electrodeposited on Reduced Graphene Sheets
Authors: Yu Guangxia , Wu Weixiang , Pan Xiaoqi , Zhao Qiang , Wei Xiaoyun , Lu Qing
Published: January 2015

In this study, a high sensitive and selective hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) sensor was successfully constructed with Pt-Au bimetallic nanoparticles (Pt-Au NPs)/reduced graphene sheets (rGSs) hybrid films. Various molar ratios of Au to Pt and different electrodeposition conditions were evaluated to control the morphology and electrocatalytic activity of the Pt-Au bimetallic nanoparticles. Upon optimal conditions, wide linear ranges from 1 µM to 1.78 mM and 1.78 mM to 16.8 mM were obtained, with a detection limit as low as 0.31 µM. Besides, due to the synergetic effects of the bimetallic NPs and rGSs, the amperometric H2O2 sensor could operate at a low potential of 0 V. Under this potential, not only common anodic interferences induced from ascorbic acid, uric acid and dopamine, but also the cathodic interference induced from endogenous O2 could be effectively avoided. Furthermore, with rat pheochromocytoma cells (PC 12) as model, the proposed sensor had been successfully used in the detection of H2O2 released from the cancer cells. This method with wide linear ranges and excellent selectivity can provide a promising alternative for H2O2 monitoring in vivo in the fields of physiology, pathology and diagnosis.
Thermodynamic Analyses of Biomass Gasification Integrated Externally Fired, Post-Firing and Dual-Fuel Combined Cycles
Authors: Soltani Saeed , Athari Hassan , Rosen Marc , Mahmoudi Seyed , Morosuk Tatiana
Published: January 2015

In the present work, the results are reported of the energy and exergy analyses of three biomass-related processes for electricity generation: the biomass gasification integrated externally fired combined cycle, the biomass gasification integrated dual-fuel combined cycle, and the biomass gasification integrated post-firing combined cycle. The energy efficiency for the biomass gasification integrated post-firing combined cycle is 3% to 6% points higher than for the other cycles. Although the efficiency of the externally fired biomass combined cycle is the lowest, it has an advantage in that it only uses biomass. The energy and exergy efficiencies are maximized for the three configurations at particular values of compressor pressure ratios, and increase with gas turbine inlet temperature. As pressure ratio increases, the mass of air per mass of steam decreases for the biomass gasification integrated post-firing combined cycle, but the pressure ratio has little influence on the ratio of mass of air per mass of steam for the other cycles. The gas turbine exergy efficiency is the highest for the three configurations. The combustion chamber for the dual-fuel cycle exhibits the highest exergy efficiency and that for the post-firing cycle the lowest. Another benefit of the biomass gasification integrated externally fired combined cycle is that it exhibits the highest air preheater and heat recovery steam generator exergy efficiencies.
The Textile Industry and Sustainable Development: A Holt–Winters Forecasting Investigation for the Eastern European Area
Authors: Paraschiv Dorel , Tudor Cristiana , Petrariu Radu
Published: January 2015

To achieve sustainable development, massive changes towards fostering a clean and pollution-reducing industrial sector are quintessential. The textile industry has been one of the main contributors to water pollution all over the world, causing more than 20% of the registered levels of water pollution in countries like Turkey, Indonesia and China (among the G20 group of countries) and also in Romania and Bulgaria (in the Eastern European area), with even more than 44% in Macedonia. Given the controversy created by the textile industry’s contribution to pollution at a global level and also the need to diminish pollution in order to promote sustainable development, this paper comparatively investigates the contribution of the textile industry to the water pollution across Central and Eastern European countries, as well as developed countries. In addition, we employ the Holt–Winters model to forecast the trend of the total emissions of organic water pollutants, as well as of the textile industry’s contribution to pollution for the top polluters in Eastern Europe, i.e., Poland and Romania. According to our estimates, both countries are headed towards complete elimination of pollution caused by the textile industry and, hence, toward a more sustainable industrial sector, as Greenpeace intended with the release of its 2011 reports.
Thermodynamic Analysis of a Power Plant Integrated with Fogging Inlet Cooling and a Biomass Gasification
Authors: Athari Hassan , Soltani Saeed , Rosen Marc , Mahmoudi Seyed , Morosuk Tatiana
Published: January 2015

Biomass energy and especially biofuels produced by biomass gasification are clean and renewable options for power plants. Also, on hot days the performance of gas turbines decreases substantially, a problem that can be mitigated by fog cooling. In the present paper, a biomass-integrated fogging steam injected gas turbine cycle is analyzed with energy and exergy methods. It is observed that (1) increasing the compressor pressure ratio raises the air flow rate in the plant but reduces the biomass flow rate; (2) increasing the gas turbine inlet temperature decreases the air and biomass flow rates; (3) increasing the compressor pressure ratio raises the energy and exergy efficiencies, especially at lower pressure ratios; (4) increasing the gas turbine inlet temperature raises both efficiencies; and (5) overspray increases the energy efficiency and net cycle power slightly. The gas turbine exhibits the highest exergy efficiency of the cycle components and the combustor the lowest. A comparison of the cycle with similar cycles fired by natural gas and differently configured cycles fueled by biomass shows that the cycle with natural gas firing has an energy efficiency 18 percentage points above the biomass fired cycle, and that steam injection increases the energy efficiency about five percentage points relative to the cycle without steam injection. Also, the influence of steam injection on energy efficiency is more significant than fog cooling.
HBV Carrying Drug-Resistance Mutations in Chronically Infected Treatment-Naive Patients
Authors: Gomes-Gouvêa Michele S , Ferreira Ariana C , Teixeira Rosangela , Andrade José R , Ferreira Adalgisa SP , Barros Lena MF , Rezende Rosamar EF , Nastri Ana CS Santos , Leite Andrea GB , Piccoli Leonora Z , Galvan Josiane , Conde Simone RSS , Soares Manoel CP , Kliemann Dimas A , Bertolini Dennis A , Kunyoshi Aline SO , Lyra André C , Oikawa Marcio K , De Araújo Luciano V , Carrilho Flair J , Mendes-Corrêa Maria CJ , Pinho João R Rebello
Published: January 2015

Background

Nucleoside/nucleotide analogue (NA) treatment causes selection pressure for HBV strains carrying mutations conferring NA resistance. Drug-resistance mutations occur in the reverse transcriptase (RT) region of the HBV polymerase gene and spontaneously arise during viral replication. These mutations can also alter the hepatitis B surface (HBs) protein and in some cases reduce binding to HBs antibodies. The spread of NA-resistant HBV may impact the efficacy of antiviral treatment and hepatitis B immunization programmes. In this study, we used direct sequencing to assess the occurrence of HBV carrying known mutations that confer NA resistance in the largest cohort of treatment-naive patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) to date.

Methods

HBV DNA samples isolated from 702 patients were sequenced and the RT region subjected to mutational analysis.

Results

There was high genetic variability among the HBV samples analysed: A1 (63.7%), D3 (14.5%), A2 (3.3%), A3 (0.1%), B1 (0.1%), B2 (0.1%), C2 (0.9%), D1 (0.9%), D2 (4.6%), D4 (5.1%), D unclassified sub-genotype (0.7%), E (0.6%), F2a (4.6%), F4 (0.4%) and G (0.4%). HBV strains harbouring mutations conferring NA resistance alone or combined with compensatory mutations were identified in 1.6% (11/702) of the patients.

Conclusions

HBV strains harbouring resistance mutations can comprise the major population of HBV quasispecies in treatment-naive patients. In Brazil, there is a very low frequency of untreated patients who are infected with these strains. These findings suggest that the spread and natural selection of drug-resistant HBV is an uncommon event and/or most of these strains remain unstable in the absence of NA selective pressure.
Euroscepticism and the 2014 European Parliamentary Elections
Authors: FitzGibbon John
Published: January 2015

Le résultat des élections parlementaires européennes de 2014 est largement perçu comme ayant été une victoire pour l’euroscepticisme et les acteurs politiques qui veulent la sortie de leurs pays de l’UE. Le récit des médias a mis l’accent en particulier sur le succès des eurosceptiques (Szczerbiak & Taggart : 2004) de l’UKIP en Grande-Bretagne et du Front national (FN) en France, qui ont émergé comme les plus grands partis, dans leur pays respectif, avec le vote des élections européennes. Cet article soutient, cependant, que ce récit spécifique débouche sur une conclusion trop nuancée du résultat des élections. Il souligne que le résultat des élections est la nature différenciée des euroscepticismes qui ont émergé à travers l’UE. En examinant plusieurs cas – le cas de l’Irlande, de la France, de la Grèce, de la Pologne, de l’Espagne et du Royaume-Uni – il montre que la nature de l’opposition à l’intégration européenne exprimée par les partis « vainqueurs » des élections européennes dans chaque État varie de façon significative. Voir ces résultats à travers le prisme du ‘withdrawalist’ du FN et de l’UKIP conduit à exclure l’émergence des opposants à l’intégration européenne dont la position est fondée sur une critique des politiques adoptées par l’UE pour faire face à la crise économique et financière européenne. L’article conclut en replaçant l’émergence de cet euroscepticisme dans le contexte de l’impact catastrophique de la crise sur l’économie européenne, et comment elle n’est pas seulement compréhensible, mais peut-être même mise en sourdine compte tenu de la dévastation causée par la crise.
Apprécier des attitudes et des manières d'agir
Authors: Jackiewicz Agata
Published: January 2015

L’étude s’intéresse aux jugements d’évaluation de nature axiologique exprimés par les adverbes orientés vers le sujet. Menée sur corpus, elle explore plusieurs questions étroitement liées : (i) la polyfonctionnalité et la polysémie des lexiques potentiellement évaluatifs, (ii) les rapports entre la signification des adverbes et leur polarité, (iii) les paradigmes de valeurs sémantiques encodées par les adverbes orientés vers le sujet, ainsi que (iv) le fonctionnement de ces adverbes dans trois configurations discursives spécifiques.
Évaluation, référence et noms généraux attitudinaux
Authors: Adler Silvia
Published: January 2015

La présente étude se focalise sur le mécanisme évaluatif mis en œuvre par des noms généraux tels que catastrophe ou tragédie lesquels réfèrent à ce qui a pu être identifié comme étant un cataclysme naturel ou non dans des tranches textuelles antérieures ou postérieures au nom général, tout en transmettant l’avis de l’énonciateur vis-à-vis de l’événement couvert.
Approche textuelle pourle traitement automatique du discours évaluatif
Authors: Valette Mathieu , Eensoo Egle
Published: January 2015

Nous formulons, dans cet article, l’hypothèse que le discours évaluatif peut être caractérisé linguistiquement par les interactions entre différentes composantes sémantiques (déroulement aspectuel, rôles et interactions entre acteurs, modalités énonciatives, thématiques et univers sémantiques exprimés dans les textes). Nous nous démarquons de la sorte des travaux en analyse du discours qui posent l’existence d’un vocabulaire évaluatif ou de segments prédicatifs dévolus. Nous nous appuyons à des fins de validation sur une application en fouille d’opinion. Notre corpus d’application est relatif aux perceptions de la communauté Rom par les internautes français, en 2013.
Legacy, sustainability and Olympism: crafting urban outcomes at London 2012
Authors: Gold John R. , Gold Margaret M.
Published: January 2015

Dès le départ, l’organisation de Jeux olympiques a été censée avoir des effets positifs et durables, mais, au fil des années, on a vu le mouvement olympique et les villes qui accueillent ces Jeux moduler leurs plans en fonction de leurs propres valeurs et de leurs propres besoins. À partir de cette observation, le présent article jette d’abord un regard d’historien sur la période qui débute à la restauration des Jeux olympiques, en 1896, jusqu’à 2012. Il s’attache à la manière dont quatre notions : mémoire, renouveau, développement durable et tradition ont progressivement émergé comme thèmes prédominants dans la recherche d’un urbanisme meilleur, tout en explorant l’évolution de la relation dynamique, permanente mais aussi difficile entre le « développement durable » et l’omniprésent concept de « tradition ». La dernière partie de l’article donne une illustration de ces idées dans le cadre des Jeux olympiques et paralympiques d’été de Londres 2012. Elle analyse le concept de « Jeux planétaires » ; comment ce concept a été présenté dans le dossier de candidature et comment il a été, par la suite, mis en pratique. Elle comprend notamment des commentaires sur la question de l’empreinte de carbone, la création du Parc olympique (en tant qu’héritage à caractère de développement durable) et la promotion d’un mode de vie écologique. La conclusion traite des défis permanents rencontrés lorsqu’il s’agit de conserver un développement durable visible tout en restant sur le long terme fidèle à un héritage traditionnel.
Roger Bambuck dans Salut les copains : un Olympien en bleu de travail
Authors: Lemonnier Jean-Marc
Published: January 2015

Cet article présente un terrain de recherche articulé autour d’un objet d’étude, la culture des jeunes, et une problématique centrée sur le différentiel entre celle-ci et la culture sportive scolaire ou fédérale. Dans le cadre d’une histoire culturelle et d’une méthodologie d’analyse iconique dont les subtilités et les risques méritent d’être explicités, il s’agit, à travers un cliché du magazine Salut les Copains , d’appréhender les représentations des activités physiques et sportives de cette presse. Les années 1960 vibrent pleinement de la puissance juvénile en marche et accueillent par ailleurs des pratiques de loisirs qui, davantage qu’émerger, s’imposent à une société française bouillonnante. Aussi, à la fois proche et distant du lecteur, cette image de champion révèle autant un intérêt pour le fait sportif compétitif qu’une dissonance dans l’univers culturel de SLC.
Medically Complex Children and Early Intervention for Comprehensive Medical Care at Home
Authors: Tian Wendy , Smith Peter J. , Msall Michael
Published: January 2015

We present the case of a 4-year-old with multiple congenital anomalies. These included complete tracheal rings with agenesis of the right lung and missing right ribs. He was hospitalized from birth until he was age 3 years and 6 months. At age 4 years and 4 months he had yet to move to a family home or experience his first day of school because he was in a transitional care facility. The intensity of his care was initially high, slowly declined over time, and eventually entered the range where he would be potentially manageable in a home environment. Despite the countless medical teams treating him, he did not receive a referral either to the early intervention or educational services that he had a right to under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. While his case is extreme, there is a disconnect between the United States health care and educational systems, which negatively impacts both the health and development of children with chronic conditions who require frequent and prolonged hospitalizations.

[
Pediatr Ann.
2015;44(1):36–39.]
Doll Therapy: An Intervention for Nursing Home Residents With Dementia
Authors: Shin Juh Hyun
Published: January 2015

The use of dolls as a therapeutic intervention for nursing home residents with dementia is relatively new. The current article describes a research study implemented with nursing home residents in Korea to examine the effects of doll therapy on their mood, behavior, and social interactions. A one-group, pretest–posttest design was used to measure the impact of doll therapy on 51 residents with dementia. Linear regression demonstrated statistically significant differences in aggression, obsessive behaviors, wandering, negative verbalization, negative mood, and negative physical appearance after introduction of the doll therapy intervention. Interactions with other individuals also increased over time. Findings support the benefits of doll therapy for nursing home residents with dementia; however, further research is needed to provide more empirical evidence and explore ethical considerations in the use of doll therapy in this vulnerable population. [
Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 53
(1), 13–18.]
High Energy Drinks, With and Without Alcohol: What Do Nurses Know and Do?
Authors: Smoyak Shirley A. , Nowik Katerina , Lee Jennifer
Published: January 2015

The current article provides a basic literature review on high energy drinks (HED), with and without alcohol, and presents the results of surveys completed by samples of psychiatric nurses and college students. The nurses’ responses, including knowledge, attitudes, and practices are compared with student sample responses. HED, which have high caffeine contents, have become increasingly popular with teens and young adults. A recent trend documented in the literature is mixing HED with alcohol. Not only are youth and young adults (who are the highest users of these products) unaware of the dangers of such combination use, but faculty, clinicians, and administrators are also uninformed, misinformed, or unaware of the dangers associated with such use. [
Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 53
(1), 39–44.]
Odds and Ends in Psychopharmacology From the Past 10 Years
Authors: Howland Robert H.
Published: January 2015

Seven topics previously described in this column are revisited. The use of quantitative electroencephalography has been shown in a prospective study to be effective for predicting antidepressant treatment response. A novel antidepressant drug, agomelatine, has generated much controversy, and its development for the U.S. market was discontinued. A long awaited revised system for categorizing the safety of medications during pregnancy and lactation has finally been published by the Food and Drug Administration. Dextromethorphan/quinidine, eslicarbazepine acetate, levomilnacipran, and esketamine are recent examples of drugs that were developed based on the complex concepts of chirality and stereochemistry. Lisdexamfetamine, a stimulant drug, failed to show benefit as an augmentation therapy for the treatment of depression. The combination drug naltrexone/bupropion was finally approved as a therapy for obesity, after its cardiovascular safety was confirmed in a prospective premarketing study. Further development of the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist drug mifepristone as a treatment for psychotic depression was stopped based on a large negative trial, but the drug continues to be investigated for other potential psychiatric indications. These examples illustrate how the field of psychopharmacology continues to evolve. [
Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 53
(1), 9–12.]
Allelic Interaction between CRELD1 and VEGFA in the Pathogenesis of Cardiac Atrioventricular Septal Defects
Authors: Redig Jennifer K. , Fouad Gameil T. , Babcock Darcie , Reshey Benjamin , Feingold Eleanor , Reeves Roger H. , Maslen Cheryl L.
Published: January 2015

Atrioventricular septal defects (AVSD) are highly heritable, clinically significant congenital heart malformations. Genetic and environmental modifiers of risk are thought to work in unknown combinations to cause AVSD. Approximately 5–10% of simplex AVSD cases carry a missense mutation in CRELD1. However, CRELD1 mutations are not fully penetrant and require interactions with other risk factors to result in AVSD. Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGFA) is a well-characterized modulator of heart valve development. A functional VEGFA polymorphism, VEGFA c.−634C, which causes constitutively increased VEGFA expression, has been associated with cardiac septal defects suggesting it may be a genetic risk factor. To determine if there is an allelic association with AVSD we genotyped the VEGFA c.−634 SNP in a simplex AVSD study cohort. Over-representation of the c.−634C allele in the AVSD group suggested that this genotype may increase risk. Correlation of CRELD1 and VEGFA genotypes revealed that potentially pathogenic missense mutations in CRELD1 were always accompanied by the VEGFA c.−634C allele in individuals with AVSD suggesting a potentially pathogenic allelic interaction. We used a Creld1 knockout mouse model to determine the effect of deficiency of Creld1 combined with increased VEGFA on atrioventricular canal development. Morphogenic response to VEGFA was abnormal in Creld1-deficient embryonic hearts, indicating that interaction between CRELD1 and VEGFA has the potential to alter atrioventricular canal morphogenesis. This supports our hypothesis that an additive effect between missense mutations in CRELD1 and a functional SNP in VEGFA contributes to the pathogenesis of AVSD.
El Corán de Toledo y la escatología islámica: traducir «infierno» en la literatura aljamiada
Authors: Tottoli Roberto
Published: January 2015

La introducción del Corán de Toledo dice que el texto en alfabeto latino se copió de una traducción aljamiada. De hecho, la traducción de términos y expresiones relacionadas con el infierno muestra algunas características muy especiales de la literatura aljamiada, como la preferencia por el uso de calcos del árabe o del término Ŷahannam, aunque el término más citado, al-nār (“fuego”), está también atestiguado. Estas características son incluso más evidentes cuando se comparan con las traducciones latinas previas o contemporáneas al propio Corán de Toledo. Parece claro que estas obras conceden mayor atención al estilo latino en la traducción de términos relacionados con el infierno, lo que indica que tenían una nueva perspectiva y, consecuentemente, debían buscar otra audiencia.
La preferencia dada al término Ŷahannam está íntimamente relacionada con los casos encontrados en la literatura escatológica aljamiada, en la que Ŷahannam se suele preferir a al-nār (fuego). Pero más que una característica de la literatura de los moriscos, esta preferencia muestra una evolución de la literatura musulmana en general, tal y como queda reflejado en los materiales literarios que circulaban y se transmitían. Por tanto, en esta línea, la literatura aljamiada y el Corán de Toledo muestran desarrollos similares en la literatura árabe medieval y, por tanto, en las tradiciones escatológicas en las que Ŷahannam emerge fuertemente como el término utilizado en la narrativa para describir el infierno y sus muchas etapas.