bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Simple Overlay Design Method for Thick Asphalt Pavements Based on the Method of Equivalent Thicknesses
Authors: Soós Zoltán , Tóth Csaba
Published: June 2017

The focus on the construction of new roads will certainly facea shift to the widening, maintenance and strengthening of theexisting roads and pavements. However, the Hungarian standardreferring to asphalt pavement and overlay design is outdatedin many ways, and to efficiently use national resources aproper analytical design must be urgently developed.The paper introduces a method based on the linear elasticmulti-layer theory which is suitable for overlay design ofconsidering the actual condition the existing structure, actualmaterial parameters and various technological possibilities,provided some boundary conditions – primarily true in casesof highways and heavy duty pavements – are met.The method is capable to assess the mechanical propertiesof the existing layers and the overlay, as well as to considerexcess performance achieved by technologies already commonlyused – but neglected in the current design methods –inHungary, such as various remix technologies, special additivesand mixes or innovative structural solutions.In light of the affordable compromise regarding accuracy theproposed method gives a straightforward option for overlaydesign in the everyday practice.
Evaluation of autogenous tooth transplantation for replacement of the missing or unrestorable mandibular molar tooth
Authors: Jaman Wahiduj , Khatun Shohda
Published: June 2017

This study was undertaken to evaluate the functional and occlusal stability of autogenous tooth transplantation. A total of 30 patients were included. Among them, 21 participants received transplanted first molar and the remaining 9 received transplanted second molar. In all the cases, donor tooth were third molar. In each participant, extraction of un-restorable first or second molar tooth was performed which was then replaced by atrumatic extracted third molar tooth. Each third molar tooth was placed in the recipient extracted socket, followed by the evaluation of the occlusion and then stabilized with arch bar and ligature wire. Clinical follow-up evaluation was performed at 15 days, 3 and 12 months in respect to occlusal stability, tooth mobility and periodontal status. It was found that 23 transplanted tooth were successful and the remaining 7 tooth need long-term observation for the final outcome, which was statistically significant. It can be concluded that the autogenous tooth transplantation can replace missing tooth to ensure the preservation of function, aesthetic and to prevent bone resorption of the missing area of the jaw, which can lead to exceptional esthetic and functional outcome.
Phytoconstituents, bioactivity and antioxidant potential of some commercial brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) cultivars of Bangladesh
Authors: Ahmed Fakhruddin Ali , Mubassara Sanzida , Sultana Tania
Published: June 2017

Comparative phytochemical composition, antibacterial activity, cytotoxicity and antioxidant potentiality of seven brinjal cultivars Solanum melongena L. were determined. Strong presence of carbohydrates, phenolic glycosides and weak presence of alkaloids, falvonoids, tannins, terpenoids, steroids and saponins were recorded in all the brinjal varieties. Antibacterial assay of brinjal extracts showed varying degree of sensitivity against both gram-positive and gramnegative bacteria. In cytotoxicity assay, the LC50 values ranged between 59.91 to 216.45 mg/ml after 6 hours was an indication of poor cytotoxic potential of brinjal cultivars. The DPPH free radical scavenging activity ranged between 80.79% to 87.64 although the phenolic content was found between 6.082 to 9.292 mg GAE/g among the brinjal cultivars.Jahangirnagar University J. Biol. Sci. 5(2): 41-50, 2016 (December)
Ethanol content in different energy drinks available in Bangladesh
Authors: Hossain MM , Jahan I , Akter S , Hasan MM , Uddin KR , Shawan MMAK , Parvin A , Hasan MA , Ibrahim M , Helali MOH
Published: June 2017

Abstract not availableJahangirnagar University J. Biol. Sci. 5(2): 57-60, 2016 (December)
Large Earthquake Magnitude Prediction in Chile with Imbalanced Classifiers and Ensemble Learning
Authors: Fernández-Gómez Manuel , Asencio-Cortés Gualberto , Troncoso Alicia , Martínez-Álvarez Francisco
Published: June 2017

This work presents a novel methodology to predict large magnitude earthquakes with horizon of prediction of five days. For the first time, imbalanced classification techniques are applied in this field by attempting to deal with the infrequent occurrence of such events. So far, classical classifiers were not able to properly mine these kind of datasets and, for this reason, most of the methods reported in the literature were only focused on moderate magnitude prediction. As an additional step, outputs from different algorithms are combined by applying ensemble learning. Since false positives are quite undesirable in this field, due to the social impact that they might cause, ensembles have been designed in order to reduce these situations. The methodology has been tested on different cities of Chile, showing very promising results in terms of accuracy.
Measuring and Interpreting Urban Externalities in Real-Estate Data: A Spatio-Temporal Difference-in-Differences (STDID) Estimator
Authors: Dubé Jean , Legros Diègo , Thériault Marius , Des Rosiers François
Published: June 2017

It is now almost impossible to deal with spatial data without considering some explicit specification that captures possible spatial effects. One valuable feature of spatial econometrics models is their decomposition of marginal effects into spatial spillover effect and spatial externalities. Progress in interpreting spatial econometrics models has now been extended to the spatial-panel case. However, little consideration has been given to the possible interpretation of models using spatial data pooled over time. This paper proposes a spatio-temporal difference-in-differences (STDID) estimator to measure the effect of urban externalities, such as transport infrastructures, as revealed through real-estate prices. Based on an empirical application for a new development of commuter trains in the Montreal suburbs, this paper shows how such propositions can help us to better understand and evaluate changes in mass transit systems.
The Experience of International Sustainability Protocols for Retrofitting Historical Buildings in Italy
Authors: Castaldo Veronica , Pisello Anna , Boarin Paola , Petrozzi Alessandro , Cotana Franco
Published: June 2017

The sustainability and efficiency of buildings represents a crucial issue since the building sector is currently responsible for more than 40% of energy consumption and emissions. This concern is extended to historical buildings, as they are typically low-performance constructions usually equipped with ineffective systems. For these reasons, the upgrade of historical constructions from an energy and environmental perspective is urgent, especially in those countries where such buildings represent more than half of the building stock. This work concerns the refurbishment of a historical Italian building by integrating passive and active solutions to optimize the indoor thermal comfort and the energy performance. To this aim, the innovative GBC Historic Building® rating system, a new tool evaluating the sustainability level of conservation-related activities on pre-industrial buildings, is applied. A combined trigeneration heat and power plant with an absorption chiller to produce cooling and powered by vegetable oil is installed in the building. A dynamic simulation of the building is also carried out to predict the post-retrofit energy performance upgrading. The final aim is to propose an integrated approach for the preservation and energy upgrading of existing constructions by improving their energy performance and environmental quality while protecting their heritage value.
A Spatial Econometric Analysis of the Calls to the Portuguese National Health Line
Authors: Simões Paula , Carvalho M. , Aleixo Sandra , Gomes Sérgio , Natário Isabel
Published: June 2017

The Portuguese National Health Line, LS24, is an initiative of the Portuguese Health Ministry which seeks to improve accessibility to health care and to rationalize the use of existing resources by directing users to the most appropriate institutions of the national public health services. This study aims to describe and evaluate the use of LS24. Since for LS24 data, the location attribute is an important source of information to describe its use, this study analyses the number of calls received, at a municipal level, under two different spatial econometric approaches. This analysis is important for future development of decision support indicators in a hospital context, based on the economic impact of the use of this health line. Considering the discrete nature of data, the number of calls to LS24 in each municipality is better modelled by a Poisson model, with some possible covariates: demographic, socio-economic information, characteristics of the Portuguese health system and development indicators. In order to explain model spatial variability, the data autocorrelation can be explained in a Bayesian setting through different hierarchical log-Poisson regression models. A different approach uses an autoregressive methodology, also for count data. A log-Poisson model with a spatial lag autocorrelation component is further considered, better framed under a Bayesian paradigm. With this empirical study we find strong evidence for a spatial structure in the data and obtain similar conclusions with both perspectives of the analysis. This supports the view that the addition of a spatial structure to the model improves estimation, even in the case where some relevant covariates have been included.
Numerical Study of a 3D Eulerian Monolithic Formulation for Incompressible Fluid-Structures Systems
Authors: Chiang Chen-Yu , Pironneau Olivier , Sheu Tony , Thiriet Marc
Published: June 2017

An algorithm is derived for a hyperelastic incompressible solid coupled with a Newtonian fluid. It is based on a Eulerian formulation of the full system in which the main variables are the velocities. After a fully implicit discretization in time it is possible to eliminate the displacements and solve a variational equation for the velocities and pressures only. The stability of the method depends heavily on the use of characteristic-Galerkin discretization of the total derivatives. For comparison with previous works, the method is tested on a three-dimensional (3D) clamped beam in a pipe filled with a fluid. Convergence is studied numerically on an axisymmetric case.
Generalized Aggregation of Sparse Coded Multi-Spectra for Satellite Scene Classification
Authors: Han Xian-Hua , Chen Yen-wei
Published: June 2017

Satellite scene classification is challenging because of the high variability inherent in satellite data. Although rapid progress in remote sensing techniques has been witnessed in recent years, the resolution of the available satellite images remains limited compared with the general images acquired using a common camera. On the other hand, a satellite image usually has a greater number of spectral bands than a general image, thereby permitting the multi-spectral analysis of different land materials and promoting low-resolution satellite scene recognition. This study advocates multi-spectral analysis and explores the middle-level statistics of spectral information for satellite scene representation instead of using spatial analysis. This approach is widely utilized in general image and natural scene classification and achieved promising recognition performance for different applications. The proposed multi-spectral analysis firstly learns the multi-spectral prototypes (codebook) for representing any pixel-wise spectral data, and then, based on the learned codebook, a sparse coded spectral vector can be obtained with machine learning techniques. Furthermore, in order to combine the set of coded spectral vectors in a satellite scene image, we propose a hybrid aggregation (pooling) approach, instead of conventional averaging and max pooling, which includes the benefits of the two existing methods, but avoids extremely noisy coded values. Experiments on three satellite datasets validated that the performance of our proposed approach is very impressive compared with the state-of-the-art methods for satellite scene classification.
The Therapeutic Benefit of Bacterial Membrane Vesicles
Authors: Bitto Natalie , Kaparakis-Liaskos Maria
Published: June 2017

The therapeutic potential of extracellular vesicles from eukaryotes has gained strong interest in recent years. However, research into the therapeutic application of their bacterial counterparts, known as bacterial membrane vesicles, is only just beginning to be appreciated. Membrane vesicles (MVs) from both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria offer significant advantages in therapeutic development, including large-scale, cost effective production and ease of molecular manipulation to display foreign antigens. The nanoparticle size of MVs enables their dissemination through numerous tissue types, and their natural immunogenicity and self-adjuvanting capability can be harnessed to induce both cell-mediated and humoral immunity in vaccine design. Moreover, the ability to target MVs to specific tissues through the display of surface receptors raises their potential use as targeted MV-based anti-cancer therapy. This review discusses recent advances in MV research with particular emphasis on exciting new possibilities for the application of MVs in therapeutic design.
An Analysis on the Fractional Asset Flow Differential Equations
Authors: Prathumwan Din , Sawangtong Wannika , Sawangtong Panumart
Published: June 2017

The asset flow differential equation (AFDE) is the mathematical model that plays an essential role for planning to predict the financial behavior in the market. In this paper, we introduce the fractional asset flow differential equations (FAFDEs) based on the Liouville-Caputo derivative. We prove the existence and uniqueness of a solution for the FAFDEs. Furthermore, the stability analysis of the model is investigated and the numerical simulation is accordingly performed to support the proposed model.
The Effect of Niobium on the Changing Behavior of Non-Metallic Inclusions in Solid Alloys Deoxidized with Mn and Si during Heat Treatment at 1473 K
Authors: Liu Chengsong , Liu Xiaoqin , Yang Shufeng , Li Jingshe , Ni Hongwei , Ye Fei
Published: June 2017

To clarify the effect of niobium (Nb) on the changing behavior of oxide inclusions in alloys containing different concentrations of Mn, Si, and Nb, heat treatment experiments at 1473 K were conducted and changes in the morphology, size, quantity, and composition of these inclusions were investigated. The stability of the oxide inclusions in both molten and solid Fe-Mn-Si-Nb alloys was also estimated by thermodynamic calculation using available data. Results showed that the change in the composition of the oxide inclusions owing to heat treatment depended on the concentrations of Nb and Si in the alloy. MnO-SiO2-type oxide inclusions gradually transformed into MnO-Nb2O5-type or MnO-SiO2- & MnO-Nb2O5-type inclusions in low-Si and high-Nb alloys after heating for 60 min. However, the shape of the inclusions did not change clearly. It was indicated that, during the heat treatment at 1473 K, an interface chemical reaction between the Fe-Mn-Si-Nb alloys and the MnO-SiO2-type oxide inclusions occurred according to the experimental and calculation results.
Hydronopylformamides: Modification of the Naturally Occurring Compound (-)-β-Pinene to Produce Insect Repellent Candidates against Blattella germanica
Authors: Liao Shengliang , Liu Yan , Si Hongyan , Xiao Zhuanquan , Fan Guorong , Chen Shangxing , Wang Peng , Wang Zongde
Published: June 2017

The development of a novel repellent plays an important role in the integrated control of Blattella germanica. A series of novel hydronopylformamides derivatives were synthesized from a naturally occurring compound (-)-β-pinene. The structures of these hydronopylformamides derivatives were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR and 13C-NMR), and electron impact mass spectrometry (EI-MS). Repellency of these hydronopylformamides derivatives against Blattella germanica was evaluated by the using petri dish arena method. The results showed that four derivatives (compounds 8a, 8b, 8c and 8e) exhibited repellency against Blattella germanica at a concentration of 20 mg/mL. Compound 8a was the most active compound among these derivatives, where the repelling ratios of compound 8a against Blattella germanica were 66.10%, 50.46%, 48.26%, at concentrations of 20 mg/mL, 10 mg/mL, and 5 mg/mL, respectively. In addition, compound 8a showed better repellency than the traditional insect repellent N, N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET), which indicated that compound 8a had a good application prospect in the prevention of Blattella germanica. This research hopes to promote the value-added utilization of (-)-β-pinene and the development of novel German cockroach repellents.
Antioxidant Potential and Antibacterial Efficiency of Caffeic Acid-Functionalized ZnO Nanoparticles
Authors: Choi Kyong-Hoon , Nam Ki , Lee Sang-Yoon , Cho Guangsup , Jung Jin-Seung , Kim Ho-Joong , Park Bong
Published: June 2017

We report a novel zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticle with antioxidant properties, prepared by immobilizing the antioxidant 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-propenoic acid (caffeic acid, CA) on the surfaces of micro-dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma-treated ZnO nanoparticles. The microstructure and physical properties of ZnO@CA nanoparticles were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), infrared spectroscopy, and steady state spectroscopic methods. The antioxidant activity of ZnO@CA nanoparticles was evaluated using an ABTS (3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical cation decolorization assay. ZnO@CA nanoparticles exhibited robust antioxidant activity. Moreover, ZnO@CA nanoparticles showed strong antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) including resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant S. aureus and against Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli). Although Gram-negative bacteria appeared to be more resistant to ZnO@CA nanoparticles than Gram-positive bacteria, the antibacterial activity of ZnO@CA nanoparticles was dependent on particle concentration. The antioxidant and antibacterial activity of ZnO@CA may be useful for various biomedical and nanoindustrial applications.
Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility at the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex IV: The Muon Facility
Authors: Higemoto Wataru , Kadono Ryosuke , Kawamura Naritoshi , Koda Akihiro , Kojima Kenji , Makimura Shunsuke , Matoba Shiro , Miyake Yasuhiro , Shimomura Koichiro , Strasser Patrick
Published: June 2017

A muon experimental facility, known as the Muon Science Establishment (MUSE), is one of the user facilities at the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex, along with those for neutrons, hadrons, and neutrinos. The MUSE facility is integrated into the Materials and Life Science Facility building in which a high-energy proton beam that is shared with a neutron experiment facility delivers a variety of muon beams for research covering diverse scientific fields. In this review, we present the current status of MUSE, which is still in the process of being developed into its fully fledged form.
Actuarial Geometry
Authors: Mildenhall Stephen
Published: June 2017

The literature on capital allocation is biased towards an asset modeling framework rather than an actuarial framework. The asset modeling framework leads to the proliferation of inappropriate assumptions about the effect of insurance line of business growth on aggregate loss distributions. This paper explains why an actuarial analog of the asset volume/return model should be based on a Lévy process. It discusses the impact of different loss models on marginal capital allocations. It shows that Lévy process-based models provide a better fit to the US statutory accounting data, and identifies how parameter risk scales with volume and increases with time. Finally, it shows the data suggest a surprising result regarding the form of insurance parameter risk.
Remotely Monitoring Ecosystem Water Use Efficiency of Grassland and Cropland in China’s Arid and Semi-Arid Regions with MODIS Data
Authors: Tang Xuguang , Ma Mingguo , Ding Zhi , Xu Xibao , Yao Li , Huang Xiaojuan , Gu Qing , Song Lisheng
Published: June 2017

Scarce water resources are available in the arid and semi-arid areas of Northwest China, where significant water-related challenges will be faced in the coming decades. Quantitative evaluations of the spatio-temporal dynamics in ecosystem water use efficiency (WUE), as well as the underlying environmental controls, are crucial for predicting future climate change impacts on ecosystem carbon-water interactions and agricultural production. However, these questions remain poorly understood in this typical region. By means of continuous eddy covariance (EC) measurements and time-series MODIS data, this study revealed the distinct seasonal cycles in gross primary productivity (GPP), evapotranspiration (ET), and WUE for both grassland and cropland ecosystems, and the dominant climate factors performed jointly by temperature and precipitation. The MODIS WUE estimates from GPP and ET products can capture the broad trend in WUE variability of grassland, but with large biases for maize cropland, which was mainly ascribed to large uncertainties resulting from both GPP and ET algorithms. Given the excellent biophysical performance of the MODIS-derived enhanced vegetation index (EVI), a new greenness model (GR) was proposed to track the eight-day changes in ecosystem WUE. Seasonal variations and the scatterplots between EC-based WUE and the estimates from time-series EVI data (WUEGR) also certified its prediction accuracy with R2 and RMSE of both grassland and cropland ecosystems over 0.90 and less than 0.30 g kg−1, respectively. The application of the GR model to regional scales in the near future will provide accurate WUE information to support water resource management in dry regions around the world.
Evaluating the Use of DMSP/OLS Nighttime Light Imagery in Predicting PM2.5 Concentrations in the Northeastern United States
Authors: Li Xueke , Zhang Chuanrong , Li Weidong , Liu Kai
Published: June 2017

Degraded air quality by PM2.5 can cause various health problems. Satellite observations provide abundant data for monitoring PM2.5 pollution. While satellite-derived products, such as aerosol optical depth (AOD) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), have been widely used in estimating PM2.5 concentration, little research was focused on the use of remotely sensed nighttime light (NTL) imagery. This study evaluated the merits of using NTL satellite images in predicting ground-level PM2.5 at a regional scale. Geographically weighted regression (GWR) was employed to estimate the PM2.5 concentration and analyze its relationships with AOD, meteorological variables, and NTL data across the New England region. Observed data in 2013 were used to test the constructed GWR models for PM2.5 prediction. The Vegetation Adjusted NTL Urban Index (VANUI), which incorporates Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) NDVI into NTL to overcome the defects of NTL data, was used as a predictor variable for final PM2.5 prediction. Results showed that Defense Meteorological Satellite Program/Operational Linescan System (DMSP/OLS) NTL imagery could be an important dataset for more accurately estimating PM2.5 exposure, especially in urbanized and densely populated areas. VANUI data could obviously improve the performance of GWR for the warm season (GWR model with VANUI performed 17% better than GWR model without NDVI and NTL data and 7.26% better than GWR model without NTL data in terms of RMSE), while its improvements were less obvious for the cold season (GWR model with VANUI performed 3.6% better than the GWR model without NDVI and NTL data and 1.83% better than the GWR model without NTL data in terms of RMSE). Moreover, the spatial distribution of the estimated PM2.5 levels clearly revealed patterns consistent with those densely populated areas and high traffic areas, implying a close and positive correlation between VANUI and PM2.5 concentration. In general, the DMSP/OLS NTL satellite imagery is promising for providing additional information for PM2.5 monitoring and prediction.
Professional Self-Structuration in the Arts: Sustaining Creative Careers in the 21st Century
Authors: Wyszomirski Margaret , Chang WoongJo
Published: June 2017

In this paper, we investigate the ongoing, self-motivated activity called freelancing or self-employment, and explore ideas about the entrepreneurial competencies needed to conduct a sustainable work life in the arts. We present the findings of a comparative concept analysis of three concept clusters concerning working in the arts and creative sector: Portfolio of jobs, Portfolio of hybrid practices, and the Portfolio/Protean career. We relate these concept clusters to ideas about arts entrepreneurship and professionalism in the arts in order to investigate our research questions: How do cultural workers/artists in today’s social context create economically and creatively sustainable careers? What can we learn from their experiences about broader questions of the cultural value of art, the ongoing trend toward professionalization, and the changing roles of the worker and the entrepreneur in 21st-century economic life? To begin to answer these questions, we undertake a conceptual literature review and use conceptual mapping as a primary tool. We draw on a critical analysis of research, practice, and policy, as well as numerous discussions and interviews with creative professionals and the authors’ own experiences with educating students who aim to become cultural workers in the creative sector. Based on our findings, we developed the Integrated Model for Self-Structuring Portfolio Professions. This model demonstrates how incomes and work practices tend to be clustered into portfolios that are self-structured by individual creative workers, acting as the entrepreneurs in their own career management and sustainability.
Synthesis of (R)-Modafinil via Organocatalyzed and Non-Heme Iron-Catalyzed Sulfoxidation Using H2O2 as an Environmentally Benign Oxidant
Authors: Held Felix , Stingl Kerstin , Tsogoeva Svetlana
Published: June 2017

The first organocatalyzed sulfoxidation reaction towards enantioenriched (R)-modafinil (Armodafinil®), a drug against narcolepsy, is reported here. A series of chiral organocatalysts, e.g., different chiral BINOL-phosphates, or a fructose-derived N-substituted oxazolidinone ketone (Shi catalyst) were applied for the sulfoxidation reaction with environmentally friendly H2O2 as a convenient oxygen transferring agent. Furthermore, the potential of a biomimetic catalytic system consisting of FeCl3 and a dipeptide-based chiral ligand was demonstrated, which constitutes the most successful asymmetric non-heme iron-catalyzed synthesis of (R)-modafinil so far.
Spontaneous Perspective Taking in Humans?
Authors: Cole Geoff , Atkinson Mark , D’Souza Antonia , Smith Daniel
Published: June 2017

A number of social cognition studies posit that humans spontaneously compute the viewpoint of other individuals. This is based on experiments showing that responses are shorter when a human agent, located in a visual display, can see the stimuli relevant to the observer’s task. Similarly, responses are slower when the agent cannot see the task-relevant stimuli. We tested the spontaneous perspective taking theory by incorporating it within two classic visual cognition paradigms (i.e., the flanker effect and the Simon effect), as well as reassessing its role in the gaze cueing effect. Results showed that these phenomena (e.g., the Simon effect) are not modulated according to whether a gazing agent can see the critical stimuli or not. We also examined the claim that previous results attributed to spontaneous perspective taking are due to the gazing agent’s ability to shift attention laterally. Results found no evidence of this. Overall, these data challenge both the spontaneous perspective taking theory, as well as the attentional shift hypothesis.
Calcium Concentration in Culture Medium as a Nondestructive and Rapid Marker of Osteogenesis
Authors: Tanikake Yohei , Akahane Manabu , Furukawa Akira , Tohma Yasuaki , Inagaki Yusuke , Kira Tsutomu , Tanaka Yasuhito
Published: June 2017

Artificial bones made of β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) combined with bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs) are used for effective reconstruction of bone defects caused by genetic defects, traumatic injury, or surgical resection of bone tumors. However, the selection of constructs with high osteogenic potential before implantation is challenging. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the calcium concentration in BM-MSC culture medium can be used as a nondestructive and simple osteogenic marker for selecting tissue-engineered grafts constructed using β-TCP and BM-MSCs. We prepared three cell passages of BM-MSCs derived from three 7-week-old, male Fischer 344 rats; the cells were cultured in osteoinductive medium in the presence of β-TCP for 15 days. The medium was replaced with fresh medium on day 1 in culture and subsequently changed every 48 h; it was collected for measurement of osteocalcin secretion and calcium concentration by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, respectively. After cultivation, the constructs were implanted subcutaneously into the backs of recipient rats. Four weeks after implantation, the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and osteocalcin content of the constructs were measured. A strong inverse correlation was observed between the calcium concentration in the medium and the ALP activity and osteocalcin content of the constructs, with Pearson's correlation coefficients of 0.92 and 0.90, respectively. These results indicate that tissue-engineered bone with high osteogenic ability can be selected before implantation based on low calcium content of the culture medium, resulting in successful bone formation after implantation. This nondestructive, simple method shows great promise for assessing the osteogenic ability of tissue-engineered bone.
NON-PARAMETRIC ANALYSIS OF YIELD RISK IN LITHUANIAN CROP FARMING
Authors: BALEŽENTIS Tomas , ŠTREIMIKIENĖ Dalia , MELNIKIENĖ Rasa , YU Zhiqian
Published: June 2017

Socioeconomic development requires meeting the goals of food security. Yield risk constitutes an important factor of farming business viability. As the Central and Eastern European countries have been affected by both economic and environmental transformations, there is a need to develop a robust methodology for assessment of yield risks in order to propose convincing guidelines for both farmers and government institutions in regards to risk management and viability of agricultural business in general. This paper attempts to devise non-parametric measures of yield risk for Lithuanian crop farming. The research covers the period of 2000–2015. County-level data from Statistics Lithuania are employed for the analysis. The non-parametric analysis of yield risk relies on information diffusion theory and linear moving average. The results indicate that there exist differences in yield trends, yield loss rates and yield risk among crops and regions. Maize, buckwheat and winter rape exhibited the highest yield risk. These results shed light on the extent of yield risks underlying crop farming in Lithuania and, to a certain extent, can be contrasted to situation in Central and Eastern European countries. Indeed, the obtained results can be applied in decision making at different levels of management.
BUSINESS NEGOTIATIONS: COMMUNICATION IN THE BARGAINING PROCESS
Authors: PÕLAJEVA Tatjana
Published: June 2017

Kęstutis Peleckis. Business negotiations: communication in the bargaining process: monograph. North Charleston, USA: createspace, 2016. 224 p.
ENVIRONMENTAL DEA METHOD FOR ASSESSING PRODUCTIVITY OF EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
Authors: CHODAKOWSKA Ewa , NAZARKO Joanicjusz
Published: June 2017

The article presents the concept of environmental efficiency analysis based on the method of Data Envelopment Analysis in the case of the existence of desirable and undesirable results. Theoretical considerations are illustrated by a case study of European countries and evaluation of productivity taking into account not only economic growth but also effects which are undesirable and impossible to eliminate entirely, such as the impact on the environment. The differences in the results are explained by the relationship between policies aiming at supporting research and development with the use of the Tobit regression model. The added value of this work is to propose an integration of environmental DEA method with the concept of technological competitors. The possibility of applying the concept of DEA to technological competition was presented in the form of classification and benchmarking of the European countries. It is concluded that European countries are highly diversified in regard to the efficiency of environmental performance.
REGIONAL ASPECTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF LARGEST ENTERPRISES IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC
Authors: SUCHÁČEK Jan , SEĎA Petr , FRIEDRICH Václav , KOUTSKÝ Jaroslav
Published: June 2017

Location processes are constitutive for the formation of economic landscape. Largest enterprises represent one of the most important units of territorial economies. Their role is palpable mainly in the sphere of employment, technological level, value chains, competition as well as overall economic power. It is far from surprising that the weight of enterprise headquarters is higher than that of their affiliates. Therefore, the main objective of our article is to analyze and assess the development of spatial organization of one hundred largest enterprise head offices in the Czech Republic from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives. Due to data limitations, size of the enterprise is measured by its turnover. Spatial distribution of one hundred largest Czech enterprises and its development over time represent the focal point of our evaluation from quantitative point of view. The analysis was based upon annually published top 100 databases. Qualitative assessment is underpinned by the results of the questionnaire, which was focused on particular location factors accentuated by largest enterprises. Consistency analysis and exploratory factor analysis provide us with useful instrument for the evaluation of qualitative dimension of the issue and help us to conceptualize location preferences of largest enterprises in the country.
„BUSINESS CANVAS“ MODELIO PRITAIKYMAS TRANSPORTO ĮMONĖJE
Authors: Donculaitė Monika , Vasilienė-Vasiliauskienė Virgilija
Published: June 2017

Straipsnyje nagrinėjama verslo modelio samprata ir analizuojamas „Business Canvas“ modelis bei
galimybės jį pritaikyti transporto įmonės veiklos gerinimui. Straipsnyje pateikiama transporto įmonės veiklos
analizė „Business Canvas“ modelio elementų pagrindu bei įmonės konkurencinės aplinkos analizė. Analizių
rezultatų pagrindu sudarytas transporto įmonės „Business Canvas“ modelis. Modelio pritaikymas leido
identifikuoti transporto įmonės vertę vartotojams ir tuo pačiu parodė realias įmonės veiklos problemas.
Identifikuotų problemų sprendimui pasiūlytos konkrečios priemonės, kurios leis įmonei pagerinti veiklos
konkurencingumą.
GYVENTOJŲ UŽIMTUMAS LIETUVOJE: SITUACIJOS VERTINIMAS IR NAUJOS GALIMYBĖS DARBO RINKOJE
Authors: Okunevičiūtė Neverauskienė Laima , Duden Ričard
Published: June 2017

Straipsnyje vertinama Lietuvos gyventojų situacija darbo rinkoje. Remiantis pagrindiniais užimtumo situaciją apibūdinančiais rodikliais, vertinama atskirų demografinių grupių padėtis ir užimtumo tendencijos. Atskleidžiamos tikslinių grupių problemos integruojantis į darbo rinką, nagrinėjamos darbo rinkos galimybės naujų darbo rinką reglamentuojančių teisės aktų kontekste. Atliktas užimtumo situacijos vertinimas leidžia teigti, kad, nepaisant gerėjančios bendrosios užimtumo situacijos, nagrinėjamos demografinės grupės vis dar susiduria su sunkumais darbo rinkoje. Tačiau pabrėžtina, kad Lietuva, vykdydama Europos Komisijos rekomendacijas, pastaruoju metu reformuoja darbo rinką. Tikėtina, kad naujais teisės aktais suteiktas lankstumas darbo rinkoje pagerins tikslinių grupių užimtumo galimybes ir Lietuvos darbo rinka išlaikys savo konkurencingumą ekonominių pokyčių metu.
VIEŠOJO IR PRIVATAUS SEKTORIŲ PARTNERYSTĖS PRINCIPAS – ORO UOSTŲ VEIKLOS ATVEJIS
Authors: Nanevičiūtė Eglė , Tunčikienė Živilė
Published: June 2017

Pastaruoju metu vis dažniau pasiteisina viešojo ir privačiojo sektorių partnerystė (VPSP). Apie principo
taikymą kalbama ieškant atsakymo, kaip pagerinti valstybės įmonių veiklą. Principo taikymo galimybės diskutuotinos
ir svarstant oro uostų, kurie įprastai priklauso valstybei, veiklos gerinimo sprendimų alternatyvas.
Pasitelkiant lyginamosios mokslinės literatūros šaltinių analizės metodą, siekiama atskleisti naujosios viešosios
vadybos siūlomo VPSP principo taikymo galimybes sprendžiant valstybei priklausančių įmonių – oro uostų –
veiklos efektyvumo problemą. Tikslui pasiekti iškelti uždaviniai, siekiama atsakyti į tokius klausimus, kaip: kas
yra partnerystė, kas lemia jos poreikį, kokios yra partnerystės formos, kaip ji valdoma ir kokie keliami reikalavimai.
Darbe dėmesys koncentruojamas į analizę aviacijos sektoriuje.
JUNGTINIŲ AMERIKOS VALSTIJŲ AKCIJŲ RINKA
Authors: Žilinskas Ignas , Gurkšnienė Regina
Published: June 2017

Išsiaiškinamos pagrindinės sąvokos, susijusios su akcijų rinkomis, taip pat atskleidžiama akcijų rinkos
atsiradimo istorija. Nagrinėjama Jungtinių Amerikos Valstijų akcijų rinka – apžvelgiamos pagrindinės akcijų
biržos ir institucijos, skirtos reguliuoti akcijų rinką. Straipsnyje pateikiama akcijų, vertybinių popierių, obligacijų
svarba Jungtinių Amerikos Valstijų ekonomikai. Atskleidžiami veiksniai, darantys įtaką akcijų ir vertybinių
popierių kainai. Palyginamos Niujorko ir Nasdaq akcijų biržos, veikimo principai ir apžvelgiamos didžiųjų JAV
įmonių akcijų kainos. Siekiama išsiaiškinti pagrindinius privalumus ir trūkumus investuojant į akcijas, vertybinius
popierius ir obligacijas. Atliekamas palyginimas tarp Jungtinių Amerikos Valstijų ir Lietuvos akcijų rinkų.
Identité sexuée ou sexuelle, développement et racines précoces de la bisexualité psychique
Authors: Golse Bernard
Published: June 2017

Identité sexuée ou sexuelle, développement et racines précoces de la bisexualité psychique. Féminin - Masculin - Objet partiel - Objet total Après quelques rappels théoriques sur la question de l’identité sexuée, l’auteur aborde la question de la bisexualité psychique au regard des précurseurs de la différence des sexes, c’est-à-dire la manière dont elle s’élabore au niveau des enveloppes et des objets partiels avant de s’exprimer en termes d’objets totaux (homme/femme). Cette réflexion s’achève sur une référence aux travaux de François Jullien quant aux concepts « d’écart » ou « d’entre » qui permettent peut-être une certaine dialectisation du masculin et du féminin
La différence des sexes. L’énigme de l’autre
Authors: Bonnet Gérard
Published: June 2017

A propos de la différence sexuelle, Freud écrit dans l’ Abrégé de psychanalyse : « nous nous trouvons là en face d’une grande énigme, d’un problème posé par un fait biologique ». Le problème vient de ce que le sujet humain est habité par bisexualité psychique et qu’il ne peut se résoudre à cette différence. Dans son article sur La tête de Méduse Freud démontre l’horreur qu’éprouve tout sujet humain à la vision du sexe de l’autre mais aussi la réassurance qui en résulte dès lors qu’il peut l’affronter, car c’est aussi l’occasion d’assumer et de transformer les énigmes inconscientes. Dans Le supplément au voyage de Bougainville, Diderot laisse entendre que cet affrontement prend tout son sens dès lors qu’il est aussi source de fécondité.
Gut microbiota composition strongly correlates to peripheral insulin sensitivity in obese men but not in women
Authors: Most J. , Goossens G.H. , Reijnders D. , Canfora E.E. , Penders J. , Blaak E.E.
Published: June 2017

Gut microbiota composition may play an important role in the development of obesity-related comorbidities. However, only few studies have investigated gender-differences in microbiota composition and gender-specific associations between microbiota or microbial products and insulin sensitivity. Insulin sensitivity (hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp), body composition (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry), substrate oxidation (indirect calorimetry), systemic inflammatory markers and microbiota composition (PCR) were determined in male (n=15) and female (n=14) overweight and obese subjects. Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes-ratio was higher in men than in women (P=0.001). Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes-ratio was inversely related to peripheral insulin sensitivity only in men (men: P=0.003, women: P=0.882). This association between Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes-ratio and peripheral insulin sensitivity did not change after adjustment for dietary fibre and saturated fat intake, body composition, fat oxidation and markers of inflammation. Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes-ratio was not associated with hepatic insulin sensitivity. Men and women differ in microbiota composition and its impact on insulin sensitivity, implying that women might be less sensitive to gut microbiota-induced metabolic aberrations than men. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02381145.
Muscular and neuromotor control and learning in the athletic horse
Authors: McGowan C.M. , Hyytiäinen H.K.
Published: June 2017

Athletic performance or the kinematics of locomotion is ultimately the result of the actions of muscles. Muscular actions differ depending on the muscle group involved with anatomical and functional properties depending on the primary roles of the muscle; from stabilisation to powering locomotion. The functional (contractile and metabolic) properties of a muscle are determined by its fibre type or relative fibre type proportions in the muscle. The actions of muscle require the coordination of the nervous system with muscle contraction to produce movement or resist movement to avoid unwanted motion and tissue damage. The coordination of muscular action with the nervous system is termed neuromotor control and it requires precise proprioceptive input from the periphery, processing and input from the central nervous system (including learned or trained movements) and involves timing of muscle recruitment as well as muscle contraction. Training of muscles involves training for strength (or force generation) and stamina with measureable physiological changes with training including increased fibre size, alterations in fibre type, alterations in glycogen concentrations and lactate transport and alterations in mitochondrial and capillary density. As well as standard athletic training, skills training can make the difference in athletic performance and injury prevention in the equine athlete. This involves training of neuromotor control; training motor skills by motor relearning and conditional learning. Practical specific training techniques can be used in injury prevention, rehabilitation post injury and maintenance of the athlete. In this review we will focus on the thoracolumbar and hindlimb areas of the horse and review the importance of muscular control of locomotion, neuromotor control, the physiological effects of training and practical ways to maximise performance potential by specific physiotherapy skills training.
ANALYTICAL REVIEW OF GREEN BUILDING DEVELOPMENT STUDIES
Authors: Huo Xiaosen , Yu Ann T.W.
Published: June 2017

Green building is an essential component of sustainable development, but previous studies have offered little in the way of systematic reviews of green building development from the perspective of project management. This research presents the current research trends in this discipline by analyzing the publications in ten major international journals from 2007 to 2016. The analysis was conducted on papers that have reported relevant investigations during that 10-year period. The analyzed research topics were found to group into five themes: green building management in general, the benefits and barriers to green building development, green building performance, stakeholder behavior with regard to green buildings, and green building strategies. Future directions for research relating to green building are suggested for the areas stakeholder management, policies and incentives, communication platform development, and retrofitting of existing buildings. Green building development will continue to be an important research area, and more comprehensive studies on green building management can help to promote further progress in this field.
OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF MORTAR INCORPORATING PHASE CHANGE MATERIALS AND SILICA FUME
Authors: Richardson Alan , Heniegal Ashraf , Tindall Jess
Published: June 2017

This paper examines the thermal performance of 20 different mortar mixes, which were prepared in order to study the behaviour of mortar incorporating Phase Change Materials (PCM). The PCM was used at a rate of 10, 20 and 30% by weight of total solid materials. Silica fume was added to the mixes by 10, 20, 30 and 50% by weight of cement to enhance the mortar properties. Mortars which incorporate phase-change materials (PCM) have the capability to help regulate the temperature inside buildings, contributing to the thermal comfort while decreasing the amount of mechanical heating and cooling energy required, therefore they have the potential to reduce building carbon emissions. The mechanical characteristics and physical properties of the mortar with PCM were studied. The results show that mortar with Phase Change Materials up to PCM20% can be used with an optimal compressive strength. Silica fume (SF), up to a 20% SF addition, enhanced the mechanical properties of the mortar.
LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENTS OF WHITE FLAT AND RED OR WHITE PITCHED ROOFS FOR RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS IN ISRAEL
Authors: Pushkar Svetlana , Verbitsky Oleg
Published: June 2017

Historically, white flat roofs have been used in Israel due to the intense solar radiation and long, hot, rainless summers. However, red pitched roofs have also been frequently used for aesthetic reasons. It has been recently observed that red pitched roofs have been recolored white by homeowners. The goal of this study was to compare the life cycle assessments (LCAs) of white flat roofs versus red or white pitched roofs through their production (P), operational energy (OE), and maintenance to disposal (MtoD) stages. EnergyPlus software was used to evaluate the OE stage. The ReCiPe method was used to evaluate the environmental damages in all the stages. A two-stage nested ANOVA was used to determine the significant differences between the ReCiPe result of a white flat roof and the ReCiPe result of a red/white pitched roof. It was found that (i) selection of the best roof technology (flat or pitched) requires consideration of the LCA, including the P, OE, and MtoD stages; (ii) the white (flat and pitched) roof was the best technology, while the red pitched roof was the worst technology; and (iii) the combination of the ReCiPe endpoint hierarchical six methodological options method with two-stage nested hierarchical mixed ANOVA is the best approach for assessing the differences related to the LCAs of roof technologies.