bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE SURVIVAL AND GROWTH OF MIXED CULTURES OF SPRUCE AND LARCH
Authors: Корчагов  , Korchagov Sergey , Грибов  , Gribov Sergey , Карбасникова  , Karbasnikova Elena , Карбасников  , Karbasnikov Aleksandr
Published: August 2017

One of the urgent tasks for intensive forest management is the scientific study of agricultural technology of creation of forest plantations, the study of peculiarities of growth, structure and formation. The aim of the study was to determine the influence of agrotechnical treatments on the survival and growth of mixed cultures of larch and spruce in the southern taiga subzone. In the areas of plantations test plots are laid in accordance with OST 56-69-83, silvicultural and forest inventory parameters are determined by conventional methods. Forest plantations are established in Prigorodny forestry of the Vologda district. Plantations were created under the same conditions, the same technology, with the same density. However, in one area of the mixed cultures agrotechnical treatments in the form of grass cutting were performed. The resulting research evidence suggests that mowing of weeds at the time of adaptation of the seedlings (first three to four years) in forest cultivated areas had a positive impact on the formation of mixed forest cultures of spruce and larch. The larch increasingly responded to this type of agro-technical care. From these data we see that the area of crops with weeds cutting has better survival of larch and all the morphometric parameters (height, root collar diameter, height increment). Trunks of larch in this area are in 2 times more than in the area of crops without conducted care. From this it follows that the larch, as light-demanding species, suffers from shading and it may die without timely care. Agrotechnical treatments as well affected positively on spruce plantation formation, but to a lesser extent than in larch plantation. On a plot of forest cultures with the agro-technical treatments (grass cutting) larger trunks with a greater increase in height are formed than in the area of crops that are not affected by care.
INFLUENCE OF RECREATION IMPACT ON COMPONENTS OF FOREST PHYTOCENOSIS OF PURE 62-YEAR-OLD PLANTATIONS OF SCOTCH PINE
Authors: Тырченкова  , Tyrchenkova Irina
Published: August 2017

Under the influence of recreational impacts on plantings, their protective function, sustainability, aesthetics and natural appeal reduce. The objects of study are artificial pine plantations of 62 years of age, of different stages of digression (TLU-A2) on the sites of Somovskoe forestry of the Voronezh region. The paper explored the influence of recreational impacts on different components of forest phytocenosis. As it increases, the number of trees of the 1st category state ("no signs of weakening") significantly reduces and the number of trees 5-th and 6-th categories of the state ("fresh and old deadwood deadwood") increases. With the increase of anthropogenic influence the amount podletochnyh species, forest species of ground cover decreases and the number of weed and meadow species increases. Quickbeam (Sorbus aucuparia L) is the most resistant to recreational impact, volatile species are black alder (Frángula álnus, Mill) and wild pear tree (Pýrus commūnis, - L). With increasing stage of digression, the amount of trustworthy undergrowth of Scotch pine is reduced, the amount of questionable and unreliable undergrowth increases. The basis of natural regeneration in the forest plantations of Scots pine of 62 years of age is, in stage I of digression, single (46 %) and group (27 %) undergrowth of different age, located in the glade; its share is 49 % and 20 % respectively in stage II of digression; in stage III – single, medium, and large undergrowth (12%) in glades. Natural regeneration of tree species in trampled areas will not be able to ensure the restoration of forests and would require additional costs of afforestation in the future.
METHODS OF FORMULATING AND SOLVING OPTIMIZATION PROBLEMS OF CUTTING LOGS OF LARGE SIZE BY BAR-SAWING METHOD WITH CUTTING OUT ONE BAR AND FIVE PAIRS OF SIDE EDGING BOARDS WITH SUBSEQUENT SAWING LUMBER FOR EDGED BOARDS
Authors: Агапов  , Agapov Aleksandr
Published: August 2017

For the first time the mathematical model of task optimization for this scheme of cutting logs, including the objective function and six equations of connection. The article discusses Pythagorean area of the logs. Therefore, the target function is represented as the sum of the cross-sectional areas of edging boards. Equation of the relationship represents the relationship of the diameter of the logs in the vertex end with the size of the resulting edging boards. This relationship is described through the use of the Pythagorean Theorem. Such a representation of the mathematical model of optimization task is considered a classic one. However, the solution of this mathematical model by the classic method is proved to be problematic. For the solution of the mathematical model we used the method of Lagrange multipliers. Solution algorithm to determine the optimal dimensions of the beams and side edging boards taking into account the width of cut is suggested. Using a numerical method, optimal dimensions of the beams and planks are determined, in which the objective function takes the maximum value. It turned out that with the increase of the width of the cut, thickness of the beam increases and the dimensions of the side edging boards reduce. Dimensions of the extreme side planks to increase the width of cut is reduced to a greater extent than the side boards, which are located closer to the center of the log. The algorithm for solving the optimization problem is recommended to use for calculation and preparation of sawing schedule in the design and operation of sawmill lines for timber production. When using the proposed algorithm for solving the optimization problem the output of lumber can be increased to 3-5 %.
THE DEFINITION OF THE LIMIT OF SATURATION WITH WOOD PLATES FOR DOMESTIC PREMISES
Authors: Разиньков  , Razinkov Egor , Воропаев  , Voropaev O. , Киев  , Kiev N.
Published: August 2017

One of the topical issues of the application of furniture in domestic premises is defining its limiting (maximum) saturation in the premises so that the air in these premises, the allocation of harmful substances does not exceed the maximum allowable level (maximum permissible concentrations - MPC). It is known that in using furniture of wood-based panels (particle Board, Chipboard, wood fiber, MDF) this substance is formaldehyde. Currently, the MoH established the formaldehyde MPC in the air at the level of 0.01 mg/m3. The aim of this work was to determine the limit of saturation with the wood plates in premises, provided that indoor formaldehyde emissions from plates will not exceed the established by the Ministry of health MPC. This definition of the limit of saturation (Ls, m2 of plates/m3 of the premises air) was performed according to our previously derived formula. Calculations were made for furniture (cabinet furniture, tables, beds of panel design, furniture for sitting and lying, beds with soft headboards and elements), floor coverings and wall panels. In the result, it was found that, for example, when using chipboard of E1 formaldehyde emission class in designs of furniture, tables, beds of panel construction value of Ls when the IISP is 1.0 m2/m3 of air (saturation of the volume of air with plates in their testing by chamber method) and MPC=0.01 mg/m3 is 4.03 m2 /room, and when MPC=0.124 mg/m3 (adopted by the countries-participants of the WTO and the World Health Organization) it will make 50.05 m2/room. When using plates of the same emission class, and for the same value of IISP, when MPC=0.01 mg/m3 Ls value is 6.25 m2 /room, when MPC=0.124 mg/m3 it will make 77.63 m2 /room. When using E1 class chipboard panels in the construction of furniture for sitting and lying, beds with soft headboards and elements, Ls value in the IISP is equal to 0.3 m2/m3 air and at MPC=0.01 mg/m3 is of 1.21 m2 /room, and when MPC=0.124 mg/m3 it will make 15.02 m2/room. When using plates of the same emission class, and for the same value of IISP at Mac=0.01 mg/m3 Ls value is 1.88 m2/room, when MPC=0.124 mg/m3 it will make 23.45 m2/room.
MODERN WOOD DISKSCARIFIER
Authors: Бартенев  , Bartenev Ivan , Донцов  , Dontsov Igor , Лысыч  , Lysych Mikhail , Шабанов  , Shabanov Mikhail , Сенькин  , Sen'kin Ivan
Published: August 2017

The article is devoted to problems of forest regeneration and promote natural regeneration in conditions of wood cuttings down, in particular, the designs of tillage tools for primary soil preparation. Tillage equipment operated under such conditions, must possess high permeability and strength, while providing acceptable quality. These requirements correspond to the most ploughs-rippers with disk working bodies. It uses both passive and active working bodies, which brings the first disc plows and heavy harrows, and the second milling tillage. On the basis of the spent constructive analysis of existing tools their classification by drive type (with an active mechanical drive, with an active hydraulic drive, with a passive drive), method of aggregation (rear-mounted mounted, mounted on lateral faces) and to type of the safety mechanism (spring, hydraulic, without safety locks) is resulted.The tools representing various constructive types are in more details considered. Given their technical characteristics: variants of aggregation, type of drive, quantity of working bodies, the width, the diameter of the disk working bodies, depth of processing, type of safety mechanism, weight. The short description of designs and appointment disk rippers is given.On each tool the critical analysis is carried out and conclusions are drawn on possibility of its application in conditions not cleared cuttings down. Based on the analysis formulated the main requirements to prospective disk rippers that will effectively carry out basic preparation of the soil in conditions not cleared cuttings down at height of stubs to 50 sm in various conditions of the Russian Federation.
IMPROVEMENT OF TECHNOLOGICAL EQUIPMENT OF THE MACHINE FOR TRIMMING TREE CROWNS IN ROADSIDE FOREST BELTS
Authors: Попиков  , Popikov Petr , Бухтояров  , Bukhtoyarov Leonid
Published: August 2017

When cleaning cutting, pruning of branches of roadside trees and shelter belt contour cutters are widely used, cutters is designed for total horizontal, vertical and oblique trimming crowns. These devices are hinged or removable ones and aggregated with wheeled tractors of traction class 0.6 to 1.4 kN, widespread in forestry. Improving the design of such devices is made in the following areas: cutting devices and hydraulic drives. In the proposed working body of the machine for cutting tree crowns containing base machine, crane on the handle of which a rotary hydraulic motor (rotator)is mounted, the shaft of which has movable connection with the housing of the circular saw with one-sided sharpening in the direction of the detachable part of the branch, V-shaped emphasis in the form of unilateral action hydraulic cylinder with spring-loaded rod, piston cavity which is connected in series with the drain lines of the hydraulic motor which is mounted an adjustable throttle to create pressure of the working fluid (support). In this implementation of the device when circular goes deep into the branch, which is cut, the V - shaped support with spring-loaded rod moves all the way in the branch and eliminates the clamping of the saw blade in the cut, which will improve reliability and performance. The article has developed a mathematical model of device for pruning tree crowns by circular saw with hydraulic drive on the basis of common methodology for the simulation of planar mechanisms. Differential equations of the cutting process were composed. The model of proposed design of the device for cutting tree crowns allows to study the influence of geometrical and mechanical parameters of the branches of the trees, technological parameters of cutting process on energy consumption and quality of the cut, taking into account design parameters. The model allows also to assess the performance and to examine the effectiveness of the device in different operating conditions.
ECONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT OF KNOWLEDGE AS A DEFINING COMPONENT OF IMPROVING THE ECONOMIC CONDITION OF RUSSIA
Authors: Ларионов  , Larionov Valeriy
Published: August 2017

The article discusses various aspects of the crisis in Russia. It is specified that in Russia there is management, financial and economic crisis, deepened by aggressive policies of the USA and its satellites, the obvious one is the next stage of new geopolitical repartition of the world. The main reasons that led to the current state of the domestic economy are given. To improve the situation the most important aspect is innovative government policy, and knowledge management, in which special place is occupied by information resources and education of labor resources. It is determined that the new ideas that are being developed by highly qualified personnel, possessing deep knowledge in modern conditions, become a source of economic development of the region. The necessity of integration of educational institutions with research institutions on the basis of industrial complex and business structures in the form of a scheme "education – science – personnel – investment – firm - region – business", representing a set of interrelated and interconnected processes that form the overall innovation potential of any economic system, is proved. In the Russian economy, which is based on knowledge, the structure of employment is changing; an increasing share is for workers of intellectual labor in the structure of the working population, the proportion of employees with higher education increases, which is a natural result of development of productive forces in the course of scientific and technical progress. One of the modern requirements to the employees is their ability to train and re-train. A special role in the formation of highly qualified personnel for the Russian economy is designated to information resources, the value increases significantly, they are easily replicated, have increasing marginal utility, they are characterized by positive externalities and discriminatory prices.
MECHANISMS AND PRINCIPLES OF FUNCTIONING OF MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OF TIMBER ENTERPRISE
Authors: Медведев  , Medvedev Sergey , Мохирев  , Mokhirev Aleksandr , Керющенко  , Keryuschenko Aleksandra , Пузырева  , Puzyreva Olga
Published: August 2017

In order to increase the efficiency of the enterprise we should organize a management system, which depends on the precise structure of the enterprise and activities of all its elements towards the selected target. The management structure consists of all the goals distributed between different levels, between which relationships exist, ensuring coordination of individual actions for their implementation. The relationship of the structure and key concepts of management by goals, functions, process, functioning, and powers suggests that it has a huge impact on all aspects of the work of the organization. Organizations create structure in order to coordinate and control the activities of their departments and employees. The structure of organizations differ from each other by the degree of separation of activities into different functions - complexity, extent of use of pre-established rules and procedures, formalization, levels at which management decisions are taken – balance between centralization and decentralization. To improve the efficiency of the enterprise in an increasingly competitive environment, management must quickly react to constant changes in the external infrastructure. This is especially important for the forest industry, as their effectiveness depends on external conditions. Feature timber companies is that, in addition to changes in the external infrastructure, production activity is affected by changes of production conditions, which depend on space and run time of logging, from specific species and qualitative composition of old felling areas, climatic conditions, level of infrastructure development of the region as a whole.
Boxed up? Lunchboxes and expansive mothering
Authors: Harman Vicki , Cappellini Benedetta
Published: August 2017

This article unpacks the experiences of 30 British women making lunchboxes for their children, and their opposition to opting for school dinners. Findings emerging from photo-elicitation interviews and focus group discussions show how mothers consider themselves the only social actor able to make a ‘proper lunchbox’. School dinners are considered a risky option for their children, and fathers’ interference in preparing lunchboxes is viewed with suspicion. The article shows how lunchboxes can be viewed as an expansion of intensive mothering: a way of making home away from home, stretching the intensive domestic care used for toddlers to school-aged children. Expansive mothering is characterised by mothers’ mediating role that places them between the child and the outside world. This role is mainly performed as a risk management activity aimed at recreating the domestic security outside the home, yet it also reinforces the message that feeding children is a mother’s domain.
‘Till They See a Man in Spite of His Clothes’: Twentieth-century media and Raymond Duncan
Authors: Campbell Megan Martinelli
Published: August 2017

Raymond Duncan (1874–1966) entered the twentieth century clothed in a Greekinspired dress influenced by the past, yet strikingly modern for his time. Duncan, a leader at his own self-sufficient art colonies in Paris and Nice, spent 62 years of his life dressed in the daily uniform of hand-woven tunics and leather sandals that he and his followers created for themselves. Duncan first adopted his social and gender-defying philhellenic costume in 1903, and coverage of Duncan and his companions’ dress in newspapers and other media outlets continued throughout his lifetime. This article explores Duncan’s defiance of social conventions via his clothing, and the evolving attitudes of the twentieth-century mindset, from scandalized shock at Duncan’s trouser-less appearance during the 1910s to bemused curiosity from the 1920s onwards. As a male artist travelling through cultural centres such as Paris, London, Berlin and New York during the twentieth century, the attention afforded by the western press to Duncan’s ‘draperies’, long hair and sandalled feet contributed to the artist’s notoriety and success, and revealed a gradually evolving social interpretation of bohemian dress, which, by the time of Duncan’s death in the late 1960s, approached understanding and acceptance.
Gender fluidity in men’s fashion: From Shakespeare’s modern English to the new millennium
Authors: Jordan Patti
Published: August 2017

This study explores how art, performance and the fluid construction of gender identities have significantly influenced men’s fashion over the trajectories of both time and place. Comparisons are made to the similarities and differences between everyday dress, and dress for performance. Studies of particular epochs indicate noteworthy changes in men’s fashion, such as sixteenth-century dress and costume in Shakespearean England, the nineteenth-century Aesthetic Movement, twentiethcentury counterculture and the new millennium. Emphasis is placed on the transformative development of New English, and how this linguistic trend, as well as the increase in world travel, may have augmented changes in men’s dress. Western fascination with eastern influences and emerging concepts of exotic dress during the nineteenth-century Aesthetic Movement to the present are noted. Other pivotal moments, such as the development of twentieth-century fashion subcultures, mirror specific contemporary shifts in men’s attitudes towards the construction of gender identity and fashion influence. Cross-analysis is introduced through visual and verbal linkages as well as diverse art genres so as to further examine men’s styling at decisive points in fashion history.
Reviews
Authors: Roberts Graham H. , Filippello Roberto , Volpert Megan
Published: August 2017

Fashion and Masculinity In Renaissance Florence, Elizabeth Currie (2016) London and New York: Bloomsbury, xvi + 202 pp., 40 b&w illustrations, ISBN: 9781474249768, h/bk, £85.00

Reigning Men: Fashion in Menswear 1715–2015, Sharon Sadako Takeda, Kaye Durland Spilker, Clarissa Esguerra, Peter Mcneil and Tim Blanks (2016) Munich, London and New York: Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Prestel Verlag, 272 pp., ISBN: 3791355201, h/bk, £22.75

Men and Style: Essays, Interviews, and Considerations, David Coggins (2016) New York: Abrams, 272 pp., ISBN: 9781419722325, h/bk, $30.00
Analytical evaluation of the performances of Diazyme and BRAHMS procalcitonin applied to Roche Cobas in comparison with BRAHMS PCT-sensitive Kryptor
Authors: Ceriotti Ferruccio , Marino Irene , Motta Andrea , Carobene Anna
Published: August 2017

Background:

Procalcitonin (PCT) is a recognized marker of sepsis, and its use is expanding to antibiotic stewardship. The aim of this study was the evaluation of two methods: Diazyme PCT on Roche Cobas c702 (PCT-D) and BRAHMS PCT on Roche Cobas e602 analyzers (PCT-BR) in comparison with BRAHMS PCT-sensitive Kryptor (PCT-BK).

Methods:

Imprecision was assessed at six critical concentrations following the CLSI EP5-A3; limits of detection (LoDs) were checked according to CLSI EP17-A2; linearity was tested, and method comparison was performed on 239 serum samples.

Results:

Overall CVs ranged from 12.58% to 5.97% for PCT-D, from 3.94% to 1.70% for PCT-BR and from 6.57% to 1.90% for PCT-BK. LoDs were 0.143 μg/L, 0.014 μg/L, 0.040 μg/L for PCT-D, PCT-BR and PCT-BK, respectively. The functional assay sensitivity was 0.24 μg/L for PCT-D, 0.045 μg/L for PCT-BK and <0.035 μg/L for PCT-BR. PCT-BR was linear up to 68.7 μg/L, PCT-BK up to 43 μg/L and PCT-D up to 27.2 μg/L. Method comparison: PCT-D=0.6543 PCT-BK+0.014, r=0.8463 (but 0.44 if calculated on 0–5 μg/L range); PCT-BR=0.9125 PCT-BK+0.021, r=0.9917. Cohen’s κ ranged from 45.2% at 0.25 μg/L to 57.0% at 2.00 μg/L between PCT-D and PCT-BK, whereas it ranged from 89% to 81.3% between PCT-BR and PCT-BK.

Conclusions:

The PCT-D performances were significantly different from those of PCT-BR and PCT-BK regarding sensitivity, precision, linearity and agreement at clinical cutoffs. For some patients with serial testing, significantly deviating results were obtained compared to reference. In contrast to Roche PCT assay, it does not seem feasible to use BRAHMS PCT cutoffs for the Diazyme test.
Oxidation of PTH: in vivo feature or effect of preanalytical conditions?
Authors: Ursem Stan R. , Vervloet Marc G. , Hillebrand Jacquelien J.G. , de Jongh Renate T. , Heijboer Annemieke C.
Published: August 2017

Background:

Posttranslational oxidation of parathyroid hormone (PTH) modifies its biological activity. Measurement of non-oxidized PTH (n-oxPTH) could be an improvement in assessing PTH status, as intact PTH may rather reflect oxidative stress. However, it is debated whether oxidation of PTH occurs in vivo, or whether it is mainly an in vitro artifact. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of different preanalytical conditions on the oxidation of PTH within a wide range of plasma PTH concentrations and oxidation propensity.

Methods:

n-oxPTH was separated from its oxidized form using an affinity column capturing the oxidized PTH. n-oxPTH was measured in eluate using commercially available PTH assays. The study included ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid plasma samples from 17 patients undergoing hemodialysis and 32 healthy subjects. We determined effects of storage temperature, time until centrifugation and freeze-thaw cycles. PTH and n-oxPTH concentrations were measured in each sample using six different immunoassays.

Results:

n-oxPTH concentrations remained unchanged up to 180 min until centrifugation, two freeze-thaw cycles or after storage at −20°C or −80°C up to 79 days. Various methods for n-oxPTH and PTH measurements yielded highly comparable results, apart from standardization differences between various PTH and n-oxPTH assays.

Conclusions:

n-oxPTH concentrations were stable under our study conditions, indicating negligible ex vivo oxidation of PTH. In addition, PTH immunoassays have a different sensitivity for n-oxPTH than for total PTH. For this reason, the n-oxPTH/total PTH ratio cannot be used in absence of a n-oxPTH standard. Clinical implications of determining n-oxPTH require additional study.
Period relations for cusp forms of GSp4
Authors: Grobner Harald , Sebastian Ronnie
Published: August 2017

Let F be a totally real number field and let π be a cuspidal
automorphic representation of

GSp
4

⁢

(

𝔸
F

)

{\mathrm{GSp_{4}}(\mathbb{A}_{F})}

, which contributes irreducibly
to coherent cohomology. If π has a Bessel model, we may attach a period

p
⁢

(
π
)

{p(\pi)}

to this datum. In the present paper, which is Part I in a series of
two, we establish a relation of these Bessel periods

p
⁢

(
π
)

{p(\pi)}

and all of
their twists

p
⁢

(

π
⊗
ξ

)

{p(\pi\otimes\xi)}

under arbitrary algebraic Hecke characters
ξ. In the appendix, we show that

(
𝔤
,
K
)

{(\mathfrak{g},K)}

-cohomological cusp forms of

GSp
4

⁢

(

𝔸
F

)

{\mathrm{GSp_{4}}(\mathbb{A}_{F})}

all qualify to be of the above type – providing a large source of examples.
We expect that these period relations for

GSp
4

⁢

(

𝔸
F

)

{\mathrm{GSp_{4}}(\mathbb{A}_{F})}

will allow a
conceptual, fine treatment of rationality relations of special values
of the spin L-function, which we hope to report on in Part II of this paper.
Protocol Processing for 100 Gbit/s and Beyond – A Soft Real-Time Approach in Hardware and Software
Authors: Büchner Steffen , Lopacinski Lukasz , Kraemer Rolf , Nolte Jörg
Published: August 2017

100 Gbit/s wireless communication protocol processing stresses all parts of a communication system until the outermost. The efficient use of upcoming 100 Gbit/s and beyond transmission technology requires the rethinking of the way protocols are processed by the communication endpoints. This paper summarizes the achievements of the project End2End100. We will present a comprehensive soft real-time stream processing approach that allows the protocol designer to develop, analyze, and plan scalable protocols for ultra high data rates of 100 Gbit/s and beyond. Furthermore, we will present an ultra-low power, adaptable, and massively parallelized FEC (Forward Error Correction) scheme that detects and corrects bit errors at line rate with an energy consumption between 1 pJ/bit and 13 pJ/bit. The evaluation results discussed in this publication show that our comprehensive approach allows end-to-end communication with a very low protocol processing overhead.
Diagnosis and treatment of primary Sjogren’s syndrome: an update
Authors: Chu Chiu Sum , Mok Chi Chiu
Published: August 2017

Primary Sjogren’s syndrome (SS) is a systemic autoimmune disease that primarily affects the exocrine glands, resulting in dryness of the mucosal membranes, particularly of the eyes and mouth. Considerable advance has been made for the classification and treatment of primary SS in the past few years. This article reviews the recent classification criteria for primary SS and briefly discusses the conventional and novel therapies of the disease.
A Two-Dimensional Coarse-Grained Model for Molybdenum Disulphide
Authors: Wang Cui-Xia , Zhang Chao , Rabczuk T.
Published: August 2017

We parametrize a two-dimensional (2D) coarse-grained (CG) model of molybdenum disulphide (MoS
A Comparison of Control Variate Methods for Pricing Interest Rate Derivatives in the LIBOR Market Model
Authors: Xu Chenglong , Guan Wei , Liang Yijuan
Published: August 2017

This paper studies the control variate method for pricing interest rate derivatives driven by the LIBOR market model. Several control variates are constructed based on distinctive approximations for the LIBOR market model. Numerical results show the great efficiency of our methods. The idea in this paper can also be extended to price other interest rate derivatives under the LIBOR market model, such asSwaptions, Caps, some path dependent interest rate derivatives, and so forth.
Detecting the Structural Breaks in GARCH Models Based on Bayesian Method: The Case of China Share Index Rate of Return
Authors: Li Qiang , Wang Liming , Qiu Fei
Published: August 2017

This paper investigates the detection for structural breaks in GARCH models based on Bayesian method. The authors firstly introduce the background and significance of this problem, then present the current situation and recent developments in this field. Because the rates of return have heavy tails, the authors present GARCH models. In this paper, the authors innovatively suppose that the error term follows standard studenttdistribution with degree of freedomvinstead of standard normal distribution. The authors give the specific description of estimation using Bayesian method, including a single structural break situation and multiple structural breaks situation when the number of breaks is unknown. In an application, the authors empirically research the volatility of stock market in China. The authors estimate GARCH models with structural breaks for the Shanghai Α-share index and Shenzhen Α-share index rate of return over the period of January 4, 2000–September 30, 2011. The authors explain the breaks together with the nearby big political and economic events. Empirical results show that the detecting method used in this paper is feasible.
Human Rights for Women in Liberia (and West Africa): Integrating Formal and Informal Rule of Law Reforms through the Carter Center’s Community Justice Advisor Project
Authors: Zwier Paul J.
Published: August 2017

This article will first describe the problem of Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) in Liberia, its history to views of its current status, and the debate about its cause. It will discuss the problems that result through trying to address the problem of SGBV through both formal and informal rule of law development strategies, including both traditional and customary dispute resolution processes within the Liberian setting. It will also describe the reasoning behind The Carter Center (TCC’s) support of traditional and community-based projects, including its use of NGO social science research in helping it monitor the progress being made in fighting SGBV. It will be a tale of discouragement as assessment showed the continuing prevalence of SGBV. Next the paper will discuss what led TCC to develop its Community Justice Advisor (CJA) Project. It will describe the project and its implementation. Finally it will look at the research attempts to measure CJA’s success and predict whether funding of additional CJAs will likely be effective in combating SGBV. It will conclude by making some modest observations about whether CJAs might work elsewhere in Africa, or in the developing world, and the promise and dangers of using individual paralegals as a major tool in combating SGBV.
Preparation of graphene and its application in polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene composites
Authors: Li Yueshu , Wang Aiqing , Meng Lingli , Jiang Nannan
Published: August 2017

Graphene was prepared by the reduction of graphene oxide through chemical, thermal, and microwave methods. The morphology and structure of graphene obtained using different reduction processes have been characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectra. Polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymers were modified with the addition of the as-prepared graphene. Electrical resistivity and tensile strength as well as thermal stability of composites have been investigated. The results reveal that graphene from chemical reduction is well compatible with composites and suitable for the enhancement of thermal stability. Graphene prepared from thermal reduction and microwave reduction are applicable for mechanical reinforcement and antistatic fields, respectively.
Dynamic susceptibility contrast enhanced (DSC) MRI perfusion and plasma cytokine levels in patients after tonic-clonic seizures
Authors: Filipovic Tatjana , Popovic Katarina Surlan , Ihan Alojz , Vodusek David Bozidar
Published: August 2017

Background

Inflammatory events in brain parenchyma and glial tissue are involved in epileptogenesis. Blood concentration of cytokines is shown to be elevated after tonic-clonic seizures. As a result of inflammation, blood-brain barrier leakage occurs. This can be documented by imaging techniques, such is dynamic susceptibility contrast enhanced (DSC) MRI perfusion. Our aim was to check for postictal brain inflammation by studying DSC MRI perfusion and plasma level of cytokines. We looked for correlations between number and type of introducing seizures, postictal plasma level of cytokines and parameters of DSC MRI perfusion. Furthermore, we looked for correlation of those parameters and course of the disease over one year follow up.

Patients and methods

We prospectively enrolled 30 patients, 8–24 hours after single or repeated tonic-clonic seizures.

Results

25 of them had normal perfusion parameters, while 5 had hyperperfusion. Patients with hyperperfusion were tested again, 3 months later. Two of 5 had hyperperfusion also on control measurements. Number of index seizures negatively correlated with concentration of proinflammatory cytokines IL-10, IFN-ϒ and TNF-α in a whole cohort. In patients with hyperperfusion, there were significantly lower concentrations of antiinflammatory cytokine IL-4 and higher concentrations of proinflammatory TNF-a.

Conclusions

Long lasting blood- brain barrier disruption may be crucial for epileptogenesis in selected patients.
Concepts of narrative, founding violence, and multiculturalism in the Americas: Greimas, Girard, and Kymlicka
Authors: Imbert Patrick
Published: August 2017

Greimas’s conception of narrative is based on a causality linked to basic paradigms establishing the deep meaning of a story; Girard’s conception of narrative is rooted in a universal mimetic desire which leads the “lynchers” to justify exclusion by producing mythical narratives demonstrating that the excluded was evil; Kymlicka’s perspective on cultural relationships is based on the necessity to create a socio-political framework helping people to cooperate in order to invent a better world. These three important thinkers analyze stories people tell themselves or believe in in order to organize a controlled and safer way of life for themselves. We compare the theoretical perspectives of these three thinkers in order to understand in what way contemporary writers of the Americas structure their narratives and explore encounters while aiming at fostering a vision of the world oriented towards multi and transculturalism.
The Pressure Dependence of Structural, Electronic, Mechanical, Vibrational, and Thermodynamic Properties of Palladium-Based Heusler Alloys
Authors: Çoban Cansu
Published: August 2017

The pressure dependent behaviour of the structural, electronic, mechanical, vibrational, and thermodynamic properties of Pd2TiX (X=Ga, In) Heusler alloys was investigated by ab initio calculations. The lattice constant, the bulk modulus and its first pressure derivative, the electronic band structure and the density of states (DOS), mechanical properties such as elastic constants, anisotropy factor, Young’s modulus, etc., the phonon dispersion curves and phonon DOS, entropy, heat capacity, and free energy were obtained under pressure. It was determined that the calculated lattice parameters are in good agreement with the literature, the elastic constants obey the stability criterion, and the phonon dispersion curves have no negative frequency which shows that the compounds are stable. The band structures at 0, 50, and 70 GPa showed valence instability at the L point which explains the superconductivity in Pd2TiX (X=Ga, In).
On the Shallow Water Equations
Authors: Abdelrahman Mahmoud A.E.
Published: August 2017

We studied the shallow water equations of nonlinear conservation laws. First we studied the parametrisation of nonlinear elementary waves and hence we present the solution to the Riemann problem. We also prove the uniqueness of the Riemann solution. The Riemann invariants are formulated. Moreover we give an interesting application of the Riemann invariants. We present the shallow water system in a diagonal form, which admits the existence of a global smooth solution for these equations. The other application is to introduce new conservation laws for the shallow water equations.
Refractoriness Accounts for Variable Spike Burst Responses in Somatosensory Cortex
Authors: Teleńczuk Bartosz , Kempter Richard , Curio Gabriel , Destexhe Alain
Published: August 2017

Neurons in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) respond to peripheral stimulation with synchronized bursts of spikes, which lock to the macroscopic 600-Hz EEG waves. The mechanism of burst generation and synchronization in S1 is not yet understood. Using models of single-neuron responses fitted to unit recordings from macaque monkeys, we show that these synchronized bursts are the consequence of correlated synaptic inputs combined with a refractory mechanism. In the presence of noise these models reproduce also the observed trial-to-trial response variability, where individual bursts represent one of many stereotypical temporal spike patterns. When additional slower and global excitability fluctuations are introduced the single-neuron spike patterns are correlated with the population activity, as demonstrated in experimental data. The underlying biophysical mechanism of S1 responses involves thalamic inputs arriving through depressing synapses to cortical neurons in a high-conductance state. Our findings show that a simple feedforward processing of peripheral inputs could give rise to neuronal responses with nontrivial temporal and population statistics. We conclude that neural systems could use refractoriness to encode variable cortical states into stereotypical short-term spike patterns amenable to processing at neuronal time scales (tens of milliseconds).
Calpain-GRIP Signaling in Nucleus Accumbens Core Mediates the Reconsolidation of Drug Reward Memory
Authors: Liang Jie , Li Jia-Li , Han Ying , Luo Yi-Xiao , Xue Yan-Xue , Zhang Yàn , Zhang Yán , Zhang Li-Bo , Chen Man-Li , Lu Lin , Shi Jie
Published: August 2017

Exposure to drug-paired cues causes drug memories to be in a destabilized state and interfering with memory reconsolidation can inhibit relapse. Calpain, a calcium-dependent neutral cysteine protease, is involved in synaptic plasticity and the formation of long-term fear memory. However, the role of calpain in the reconsolidation of drug reward memory is still unknown. In the present study, using a conditioned place preference (CPP) model, we found that exposure to drug-paired contextual stimuli induced the activation of calpain and decreased the expression of glutamate receptor interacting protein 1 (GRIP1) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core, but not shell, of male rats. Infusions of calpain inhibitors in the NAc core immediately after retrieval disrupted the reconsolidation of cocaine/morphine cue memory and blocked retrieval-induced calpain activation and GRIP1 degradation. The suppressive effect of calpain inhibitors on the expression of drug-induced CPP lasted for at least 14 d. The inhibition of calpain without retrieval 6 h after retrieval or after exposure to an unpaired context had no effects on the expression of reward memory. Calpain inhibition after retrieval also decreased cocaine seeking in a self-administration model and this effect did not recover spontaneously after 28 d. Moreover, the knock-down of GRIP1 expression in the NAc core by lentivirus-mediated short-hairpin RNA blocked disruption of the reconsolidation of drug cue memories that was induced by calpain inhibitor treatment. These results suggest that calpain activity in the NAc core is crucial for the reconsolidation of drug reward memory via the regulation of GRIP1 expression.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTCalpain plays an important role in synaptic plasticity and long-term memory consolidation, however, its role in the reconsolidation of drug cue memory remains unknown. Using conditioned place preference and self-administration procedures, we found that exposure to drug-paired cues induced the activation of calpain and decreased glutamate receptor interacting protein 1 (GRIP1) expression in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core. The inhibition of calpain activity in the NAc core immediately after retrieval disrupted the reconsolidation of cocaine/morphine cue memory that was blocked by prior GRIP1 knock-down. Our findings indicate that calpain-GRIP signaling is essential for the restabilization process that is associated with drug cue memory and the inhibition of calpain activity may be a novel strategy for the prevention of drug relapse.
Objective Measures and Subjective Reports
Authors: vom Lehn Dirk , Webb Helena , Heath Christian , Gibson Will
Published: August 2017

The paper discusses how visual research methods that draw on ethnomethodology and conversation analysis can help sociologists to reveal how optometrists’ assess the clarity of their clients’ distance vision. It argues that the detailed analysis of video-recorded interactions in optometric consultation rooms can help reveal the practical organization of the ‘routine’ work through which optometrists examine and assess their clients’ sight. Save for the contribution of the paper to methodological discussions about the use of visual data for the analysis of the practical work of optometrists, the paper also demonstrates how video-based research can add to recent debates in organizational sociology, workplace studies, and practice theory as well as to discussions about service quality and quality of care in health-service settings.
Seeing Real Life?
Authors: Clark Andrew
Published: August 2017

This paper reports on the use of visual techniques and data as part of a multimethod investigation exploring the temporal and spatial contexts of social connections and community formation in an economically and socially heterogeneous inner city neighbourhood. The paper provides a reflective commentary on the use of two visually orientated methods (participatory mapping and walking interviews) and explores how working with the visual offers particular analytical insight. Discussion moves beyond existing debates about the benefits of using visual methods to suggest that understanding how visual methodologies illuminate social phenomena needs to take account of the participative and performative processes that underpin them.
Allosteric alterations in the androgen receptor and activity in prostate cancer
Authors: Uo Takuma , Plymate Stephen R , Sprenger Cynthia C
Published: August 2017

Organisms have evolved to generate biological complexity in their proteome and transcriptome from a limited number of genes. This concept holds true for the androgen receptor, which displays a diversity of inclusion/exclusion events in its structural motifs as a mechanism of resistance to the most forefront anti-androgen therapies. More than 20 androgen receptor variants that lack various portions of ligand-binding domain have been identified in human prostate cancer (PCa) samples. Most of the variants are inactive on their own, with a few exceptions displaying constitutive activity. The full-length receptor and one or more variants can be co-expressed in the same cell under many circumstances, which raises the question of how these variants physically and functionally interact with the full-length receptor or one another in the course of PCa progression. To address this issue, in this review, we will characterize and discuss androgen receptor variants, including the novel variants discovered in the last couple of years (i) individually, (ii) with respect to their physical and functional interaction with one another and (iii) in clinical relevance. Here, we also introduce the very recent understanding of AR-Vs obtained through successful development of some AR-V-specific antibodies as well as identification of novel AR-Vs by data mining approaches.
Estudo de prevalência de Desordens Temporomandibulares (tmd) e qualidade de vida em uma população de idosos institucionalizados
Authors: Rehm Daniela Disconzi Seitenfus , Progiante Patricia Saram , Ficht Denise Munaretto , Carapeto Betina , Grossi Marcio Lima , Grossi Patricia Krieger
Published: August 2017

Purpose: This multidisciplinary prevalence study had the objective of identifying the prevalenceof TMD, chronic pain and quality of life in institutionalized elderly patients in Southern Brazil,including depression and somatization levels. Methods: Forty subjects (55% women, meanage=75 years±S.D., 80% Caucasian) in need of dental treatment were selected from twolong-term elderly institutions in the city of Porto Alegre. The World Health Organization Qualityof Life (WHOQOL) questionnaire was used for assessing quality of life, the Research DiagnosticCriteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD) for TMD signs and symptoms as well asdepression and somatization levels, and the North York Dental Health Survey (NYDHS ) for theoral health status. Result s: Approximately 60% completed elementary school. It was also a lowincome population (85%, $75 to $500 American dollars per month). Most (56.4%) were bornin the countryside. Ten percent had high intensity pain, with 2.5% accompanied by moderatelimitation. These severe signs and symptoms of TMD were associated with significant disabilityin daily functions and had a negative impact in the level of psychological stress and qualityof life in institutionalized patients. In addition, almost 97.5% of the elderly has shown somedegree of depression, and 57.5% had moderate to strong somatization levels. Conclusions:The proportion of elderly with severe TMD signs and symptoms was low; however, the greatfrequency of depression and somatization, with a good number of them in actual treatmentneed, highlights the importance of evaluating the elderly in all aspects.Keywords: temporomandibular disorder; orofacial pain; depression; somatization; quality of life; elderly.
The use of positron emission tomography (pet) in the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases of the elderly
Authors: Jeckel Cristina Maria Moriguchi
Published: August 2017

---