bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In-Vitro Antidiabetic Activity of Clinacanthus nutans Extracts
Authors: N. Abdullah , K. F. Kasim
Published: July 2017

Diabetes mellitus is a prevalent disease which characterized by hyperglycemia. It is a condition in which blood glucose
levels are elevated due to decrease in cellular glucose uptake and metabolism. The management of blood glucose level is
critical in the treatment of this disease and this had been offered by α-amylase inhibitors. The present study was designed
to determine the in vitro antidiabetic of Clinacanthus nutans extracts. The antidiabetic action was observed by the inhibition
effects of the C. nutans extracts on α-amylase activity and glucose diffusion across the dialysis tube. It was found that the
antidiabetic action of the C. nutans extracts was not related to glucose diffusion as they did not show any significant glucose
entrapment ability. The ethanolic leaves extract of C. nutans exhibited the most significant inhibition effect on α-amylase
activity (64.25%) compared to other extracts. However, its inhibitory activity was moderate when compared to the
commercial drugs (captopril and acarbose). The ethanolic leaves extract (the best extract) was tested for the presence for
flavonoids, saponins and tannin (most reported antidiabetic compounds). Its antidiabetic action might be due to the presence
of flavonoids and tannins. However, the absence of saponins might be responsible for its moderate inhibition effect
comparable to control. This study suggested the in vivo studies of this plant should be carried out to confirm its antidiabetic
mechanism
Warsztaty samochodowe w perspektywie nadchodzącej ewolucji transportu i zmian w mobilności indywidualnej
Authors: Janczewski Jerzy
Published: July 2017

W artykule przedstawiono perspektywę ciągłego podejścia do ewolucji transportu i zmian w mobilności indywidualnej oraz wynikających z nich czynników wpływających na branżę garażową. Czynnikami tymi były: zdobywanie nowej wiedzy i umiejętność wykorzystania rosnącej ilości informacji, uzupełnianie i aktualizowanie serwisu nowoczesnych urządzeń, zmiany w procesach obsługi klienta, wzrost świadomości ekologicznej, praktyczne strategie zapobiegania awariom, konsolidacja i szersza współpraca z innymi warsztatami, kompleksowy zakres usług, a także stała dostępność. W podsumowaniu zawarto pogląd, że samochód pozostanie głównym środkiem transportu zarówno indywidualnego, jak i zbiorowego. Brak dowodów wskazujących, że w najbliższej przyszłości można je wyeliminować z użycia i zastąpić innymi środkami.
Regulation of statutory audit in the European Union
Authors: Gushko Serhii
Published: July 2017

The article deals with the regulatory policy of statutory audit with the purpose of confidence strengthening in the European financial markets and ensuring the foundations of international cooperation of market regulators under the conditions of information economy functioning. General requirements for the EU not only define the target strategy of an auditor and the method of auditing – they direct the establishment of the structures necessary for ensuring audit quality and rise of confidence in audit functions. The attention is drawn to information transparency, which is the result of systematization of financial information made public by European companies. The authors have investigated a number of legislative acts of the European Union in audit and Sarbanes-Oxley Act of investor protection, as important elements in the formation of a real global convergence in corporate legislation sphere and contribution to the creation of a single market. Harmonization of audit activity is a step in the right direction in the area of corporate governance and protection of potential investors’ interests of the European market.
Uprawnienia, kompetencje i odpowiedzialność wojewody w zakresie stanów nadzwyczajnych
Authors: Kamiński Radosław
Published: July 2017

Wojewoda – jako organ władzy – jest przykładem wyjątkowej i pod wieloma względami bardzo specyficznej regulacji podmiotu publicznego posiadającego uprawnienia władcze. Wyodrębniono jego prerogatywy uprawnienia stanu nadzwyczajnego i zarządzania kryzysowego, podkreślające znaczenie tego organu w systemie administracji publicznej i – zdaniem wielu autorów – decydujące dla racjonalności wojewody jako instytucji. Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie kompetencji wojewody w tym zakresie oraz przedstawienie sposobów realizacji zadań ustawowych do wprowadzenia w kraju jednego ze stanów nadzwyczajnych.
Zarządzanie kryzysowe w gminie jako element instytucjonalnego systemu bezpieczeństwa wewnętrznego. Prawne podstawy, zasady, aktualne rozwiązania
Authors: Kamiński Radosław
Published: July 2017

Współczesny świat nie jest pozbawiony zagrożeń gospodarczych i realnych. Mogą być spowodowane postawą i działalnością człowieka lub klęskami żywiołowymi. Powszechność pojęcia bezpieczeństwo sprzyja różnorodnemu rozumieniu zagrożeń i przeciwdziałaniu im. Celem artykułu jest przybliżenie podstaw prawnych i założeń dotyczących zarządzania kryzysowego na poziomie gminy w ramach instytucjonalnego systemu bezpieczeństwa wewnętrznego państwa. W artykule przedstawiono strukturę zarządzania kryzysowego w Polsce ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem zadań i funkcji powierzonych gminie oraz zasad i reguł panujących w tym systemie.
Rola negocjacji w zarządzaniu przedsiębiorstwem w relacjach z kontrahentami
Authors: Ślusarczyk Zenon
Published: July 2017

Artykuł prezentuje rolę negocjacji w zarządzaniu przedsiębiorstwem w relacjach z kontrahentami. Przytoczono definicje negocjacji jako proces rozwiązywania zaistniałego konfliktu między dwoma lub więcej stronami i określono je jako rozmowę nad dzielącymi strony podejściami w danej kwestii i próbę porozumienia i określenia dalszej współpracy. Proces negocjacji ma pewną strukturę składającą się z przygotowania rozpoczęcia rozmów, ich przebiegu, zamknięcia rozmów w postaci uzyskanego porozumienia. W podsumowaniu stwierdzono, że znajomość zasad negocjowania przyczynia się do osiągania założonych celów a najczęstszymi powodami negocjacji są: konflikty interesów między podmiotami; trudności w ich rozwiązywaniu za pomocą zwykłych procedur handlowych i administracyjnych.
Charakterystyka zarządzania ubezpieczeniami społecznymi w Polsce
Authors: Ślusarczyk Zenon
Published: July 2017

Celem artykułu jest omówienie podstawowych zagadnień dotyczących zarządzania zabezpieczeniem społecznym przez instytucje państwa, głównie w aspekcie prawnych regulacji tego zarządzania. Dokonano tego poprzez charakterystykę zarządzania podstawowymi ubezpieczeniami społecznymi w Polsce, rodzajami ubezpieczeń. Podstawowym instrumentem stosowanym przez państwo w ramach polityki społecznej jest ubezpieczenie społeczne. Regulują je normy prawa publicznego. Przez przedmiot ubezpieczenia rozumie się winę za brak dochodów wynikającą zarówno ze zdarzeń losowych, jak i szczególnych sytuacji rodzinnych.
Rozwój społeczeństwa opartego na wiedzy na przykładzie unijnych programów Kapitał Ludzki i Erasmus
Authors: Ślusarczyk Zenon
Published: July 2017

W artykule scharakteryzowano unijne programy Kapitał Ludzki i Erasmus oraz ich wpływ na rozwój społeczeństwa wiedzy, który jest zasadniczym wyzwaniem dla UE i Polski w warunkach globalizacji, sprostania konkurencji poprzez unowocześnianie gospodarek, tworzenia i wdrażania nowych technologii i produktów. W konkluzji stwierdzono, że w odpowiedzi na te wyzwania w Unii przyjęto strategię lizbońską i Europa 2020 oraz szereg programów operacyjnych, w tym Kapitał Ludzki wspierający rozwój szkolnictwa wyższego, podnoszenia jakości kształcenia, wynalazczości, itd. W przypadku Polski wykorzystanie dotacji z tego programu jest jeszcze niedostateczne, wymaga większego zaangażowania szkół wyższych, kadry naukowej.
Coaching skills of adult education professionals
Authors: Zbonikowski Andrzej , Witerska Kamila , Lasocińska Kamila
Published: July 2017

The article presents studies carried out within the European project Coach4You – COACH4U, developed in the years 2014 to 2105 by the consortium of six European countries: Sweden, Poland, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Spain and the UK. The research group has consisted of 136 people (81 females, 55 males): teachers, educators, trainers. The study investigated the coaching skills necessary to work effectively with adult learners, based on ICF Core Competencies: full participation in the interaction and focus on the other person; referring to the student resource; having communication skills; creativity – flexibility of thinking, openness; the use of coaching methods and tools; constructive Summary Coaching skills of adult education professionals The article presents studies carried out within the European project Coach4You – COACH4U, developed in the years 2014 to 2105 by the consortium of six European countries: Sweden, Poland, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Spain and the UK. The research group has consisted of 136 people (81 females, 55 males): teachers, and stimulating to face challenges. The study showed that the teachers’ level of coaching skills were average, which implied the need for improvement in this area. Specific training needs were identified in following areas: communication skills, creativity (flexibility of thinking, openness) and the use of coaching methods and tools. The comparison of representatives of individual countries indicated the highest level of competencies among educators in the UK and lowest (and highest need for this training) among educators in Cyprus.
Some results on Semisimple Symmetric Spaces and Invariant Differential Operators
Authors: Dõng Trần Đạo
Published: July 2017

Let X = G/H be a semisimple symmetric space of non-compact style. Our purpose is to construct a compact real analytic manifold in which the semisimple symmetric space X = G/H is realized as an open subset and that $G$ acts analytically on it. By the Cartan decomposition G = KAH, we must compacify the vectorial part A.$ In [6], by using the action of the Weyl group, we constructed a compact real analytic manifold in which the semisimple symmetric space G/H is realized as an open subset and that G acts analytically on it.Our construction is a motivation of the Oshima's construction and it is similar to those in N. Shimeno, J. Sekiguchi for semismple symmetric spaces.In this note, first we will inllustrate the construction via the case of SL (n, R)/SO_e (1, n-1) and then show that the system of invariant differential operators on X = G/H extends analytically on the corresponding compactification. 
NEW RECORDS AND AN UPDATED CHECKLIST OF AMPHIBIANS (AMPHIBIA) FROM PHU YEN PROVINCE, VIETNAM
Authors: Dang Do Trong
Published: July 2017

Abstract. We herein provide an updated checklist of 33 amphibian species from Phu Yen Province, Vietnam. Eight of them are reported for the first time from this province, namely Ophryophryne gerti, O. hansi, Xenophrys major, Glyphoglossus molossus, Kaloula indochinensis, Microhyla berdmorei, M. nanapollexa, and Amolops spinapectoralis. Additional data of morphological characters of afore mentioned species were also provided. The number of amphibian species recorded was highest from Tay Hoa district (18 species), followed by Song Hinh district (15 species), Dong Xuan district (10 species), Tuy Hoa city (8 specise), Son Hoa district (8 species), Dong Hoa (4 specise), and Tuy An district (3 species). In terms of conservation concern, three species are listed in the IUCN Red List (2016) and one species is listed in the Vietnam Red Data Book (2007). 
Analyse d’implantation d’une recherche-intervention sur le dépistage rapide du VIH dans la communauté gaie montréalaise
Authors: Veillette-Bourbeau Ludivine , Otis Joanne , Blais Martin , Rousseau Robert , Wainberg Mark A.
Published: July 2017

Abstract: Spot is an intervention research project that led to the implementation of a community-based rapid HIV testing service in Montreal’s gay community. A case study was undertaken to describe the process through which Spot was implemented and the contextual factors that affected this process. Qualitative analysis allowed an implementation process comprised of several phases to be identified. These phases were shaped by stakeholders’ motivations to engage in the project; complex partnership dynamics; challenges with regards to coordinating a multidisciplinary, intersectoral, intervention research project; and the day-to-day management of the intervention team.
Effects of different surgical modalities on the clinical outcome of patients with moyamoya disease: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Deng Xiaofeng , Gao Faliang , Zhang Dong , Zhang Yan , Wang Rong , Wang Shuo , Cao Yong , Zhao Yuanli , Pan Yuesong , Ye Xun , Liu Xingju , Zhang Qian , Wang Jia , Yang Ziwen , Zhao Meng , Zhao Jizong
Published: July 2017

OBJECTIVE

Bypass surgery is the most common treatment for moyamoya disease (MMD), but there is controversy over which surgical modality is best. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcome of patients with MMD after undergoing different surgical modalities.

METHODS

A series of 696 consecutive MMD patients treated between June 2009 and May 2015 were screened in this prospective cohort study. Patients who did not undergo revascularization surgeries and those who underwent different surgical modalities in bilateral hemispheres were excluded. Finally, 529 patients who were observed for at least 12 months were included: 438 patients underwent unilateral surgery, and 91 patients underwent bilateral surgery. Of these, 241 patients underwent direct bypass (DB); 81, a combined bypass (CB); and 207, an indirect bypass (IB). Three clinical outcomes were evaluated and compared between surgical groups: recurrent stroke events, modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores, and change in the main symptoms.

RESULTS

The mean follow-up period was 40 months. During the follow-up period, recurrent stroke was observed in 43 patients, including 15 patients with hemorrhage, 26 patients with ischemia (transient ischemic attack in 19 patients and infarction in 7 patients), and 2 patients with both hemorrhage and cerebral infarction. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients who underwent a CB or DB had a longer ischemia-free time than those who underwent IB (p = 0.013); however, there was no significant difference in the hemorrhage-free time between the different surgical modalities (p = 0.534). A good neurological status (mRS score ≤ 2) was achieved in 495 patients (93.6%) and was significantly achieved by more children (98.2%) than adults (92.3%; p = 0.022). Surgical modalities were not significantly associated with outcome neurological status (p = 0.860). Moreover, improvement in symptoms was observed in 449 patients (84.9%) and was also significantly more common in children (93.0%) than in adults (82.7%; p = 0.006). No significant difference was observed between the different surgical modalities (p = 0.548).

CONCLUSIONS

CB and DB are more effective at preventing recurrent ischemic strokes than IB. However, there is no evidence that these 3 surgical modalities demonstrate significant differences in preventing recurrent hemorrhage.
Effectiveness of surgical revascularization for stroke prevention in pediatric patients with sickle cell disease and moyamoya syndrome
Authors: Yang Wuyang , Xu Risheng , Porras Jose L. , Takemoto Clifford M. , Khalid Syed , Garzon-Muvdi Tomas , Caplan Justin M. , Colby Geoffrey P. , Coon Alexander L. , Tamargo Rafael J. , Huang Judy , Ahn Edward S.
Published: July 2017

OBJECTIVE

Sickle cell disease (SCD) in combination with moyamoya syndrome (MMS) represents a rare complication of SCD, with potentially devastating neurological outcomes. The effectiveness of surgical revascularization in this patient population is currently unclear. The authors’ aim was to determine the effectiveness of surgical intervention in their series of SCD-MMS patients by comparing stroke recurrence in those undergoing revascularization and those undergoing conservative transfusion therapy.

METHODS

The authors performed a retrospective chart review of patients with MMS who were seen at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institution between 1990 and 2013. Pediatric patients (age < 18 years) with confirmed diagnoses of SCD and MMS were included. Intracranial stroke occurrence during the follow-up period was compared between surgically and conservatively managed patients.

RESULTS

A total of 15 pediatric SCD-MMS patients (28 affected hemispheres) were included in this study, and all were African American. Seven patients (12 hemispheres) were treated with indirect surgical revascularization. The average age at MMS diagnosis was 9.0 ± 4.0 years, and 9 patients (60.0%) were female. Fourteen patients (93.3%) had strokes before diagnosis of MMS, with an average age at first stroke of 6.6 ± 3.9 years. During an average follow-up period of 11.6 years, 4 patients in the conservative treatment group experienced strokes in 5 hemispheres, whereas no patient undergoing the revascularization procedure had any strokes at follow-up (p = 0.029). Three patients experienced immediate postoperative transient ischemic attacks, but all recovered without subsequent strokes.

CONCLUSIONS

Indirect revascularization is suggested as a safe and effective alternative to the best medical therapy alone in patients with SCD-MMS. High-risk patients managed on a regimen of chronic transfusion should be considered for indirect revascularization to maximize the effect of stroke prevention.
Assessment of Runoff and Sediment Yield in the Tilaya Reservoir, India Using SWAT Model
Authors: Dutta Debobroto , Das Rajib , Mazumdar Asis
Published: July 2017

In this paper the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to simulate the runoff and sediment that is coming into the Tilaiya Reservoir, Jharkhand, India. In this twenty first century, it is widely accepted that climate change would significantly affect many hydrologic systems which in turn would affect the water availability, overland flow and the flow discharges in rivers. Surface runoff estimation in a catchment based on the rate of storm precipitation and also discharge estimation at outlet is important in hydrologic studies. The research was conducted using a 10-year historical stream-flow record from 1991-2000; the data from 1991 to 1995 was used for calibration and the data from 1996 to 2000 was used for validation. From the sediment inflow data that we obtained from the SWAT model output, the reservoir life was calculated i.e. the time required to fill the reservoir up to its dead storage; in the study it was found out to be 89 years from the year 2000.
Variation in the Chemical Status of Water and Soil Sediments along Saiwa Swamp Ecosystem, Trans Nzoia County, Kenya
Authors: Ruto W.S.K. , Kinyamario J.I. , Kanya J.I. , Ng’etich N.K.
Published: July 2017

Saiwa Swamp National Park in west-northern Kenya presents a typical wetland, and is habitat to the rare sitatunga antelope ( Tragelaphus spekei). The swamp is surrounded by farms making it an ecological island, thus threatening the very existence of this wetland. Agrochemicals released from these farms are channelled into the swamp and thus affecting its physico-chemical status. This study compared the chemistry of water and soil sediments at specific sites along the swamp gradient during the rainy season. pH of surface waters was nearly neutral (mean of 7.0) during the entire study period while that of the soil sediments was acidic (4.6 to 5.0). Elements Ca, Mg and Fe recorded higher concentrations in dry season compared to the wet season. Other elements including Cu, Mn and Zn were not detected in surface water during the dry season. There was an increase in concentrations of Cu and Mn in the swamp waters during the wet season. The findings of the study showed a large percentage of the nutrients removed from the subsurface water in filtering contaminants.
An Optimization Model Using the Standard Deviation Method and Multiple Decision Making Statistics in Water Treatment Plants in Northeastern India
Authors: Choudhury Sudipa , Majumder Mrinmoy , Saha Apu Kumar
Published: July 2017

Water treatment plants provide an integral service to both households and industries by supplying an essential component for day to day living as well as for commercial processes. In order to maintain an efficient and sustainable water supply, the various components implicit in the processes in WTPs need to be aligned in an optimal configuration of settings that balances various input parameters. In order to identify these optimal allocations, this study aims to propose an indicator that represents the suitability of the instruments in surface water treatment plants. It utilizes a new adaptation of multi-criteria decision making techniques, the Standard Deviation Method alongside the well adapted Analytical Hierarchy Process for this purpose. In total six criteria, four sub-criteria and twelve alternatives were considered for the study with the global priorities being computed with the help of the AHP and STD methods.

The GMDH modelling framework was also used to evaluate the relation between various input parameters and the indicator. These methods in effect work to identify priority quality parameters of inputs with respect to the overall performance of the instruments. To refine and improve the MCDM methods used, this study developed twelve different models by adapting the number of inputs as well as the types of training algorithms to increase representative accuracy. Results suggest that daily changes in turbidity were the most significant parameter followed by pH affecting the efficiency of the WTP’s key processes.
Predicting Water Availability of the Regulated Mekong River Basin Using Satellite Observations and a Physical Model
Authors: Hossain Faisal , Sikder Safat , Biswas Nishan , Bonnema Matthew , Lee Hyongki , Luong N.D. , Hiep N.H. , Du Duong Bui , Long Duc
Published: July 2017

Currently there are 30 large dams in the Mekong River Basin (MRB), three of which are located on the main stem of the Mekong River in China. Understanding the impacts of these dams on the altered water availability on the MRB is therefore timely and essential for water management. In this article we present two critical aspects to water management for the stakeholder community of the Mekong basin. These are: (1) identify if a widely used macroscale hydrologic model can represent the hydrology of Mekong river basin in the absence of adequate in-situ data; and (2) explore how well satellite remote sensing can monitor the behaviour of reservoirs. We find that it is possible to predict water availability and reservoir behaviour to a reasonable accuracy even under the circumstances of sparse in-situ data using satellite observations.
Ground Water Quality Assessment through Index Method and Health Status: A Case Study of Firozabad City (India)
Authors: Bano Nikhat
Published: July 2017

This paper assesses the status of ground water quality of Firozabad city through index method in order to assess the qualitative aspect of drinking water supply of the city by comparing it with existing standards for important parameters. The main components of the study include a field sampling analysis of groundwater collected from three different sites. Water Quality Index is calculated from physico-chemical analysis of eight parameters taken together, which ranges from 235.56 to 576.59 indicating the heavy pollution load in water. The result of this study indicate that the drinking water supply of the city do not conform the recommendation standards, which is a major cause of various health problems in the city, and hence it is suggested to take all necessary precautionary measures before it is sent to public consumption to avoid adverse health impacts and to prevent various intestinal epidemics. It is concluded that WQI is a useful tool and can be used in comparing the water quality of different sources.
A Case Study on Sustainable Development in Coal India Limited
Authors: Raghavendra S. , Pardhasaradhi S. , Suram Swetha
Published: July 2017

The case on sustainable development in Coal India Limited attempts to analyse the policies and practices of sustainability in Coal India in terms of social, environmental and economic dimensions. The study also throws light on some of the challenges and solutions for CIL towards sustainability development.
Framework for Assessing Efficient Water Consumption Attributes and Their Relative Importance in Office Complexes
Authors: Chandra Gaurav , Chakraborty Manjari , Sinha A.K.
Published: July 2017

Globally, the water availability is getting difficult due to over extraction of ground water and rapid population growth. The Indian national water supply is expected to fall down by 50% below the demand by 2030. In the last decade, in spite of alluvial aquifers of the Indo-Gangetic plains, the over extraction of the ground water is making the scene catastrophic in the state of Uttar Pradesh (U.P.), India. Therefore, to overcome this water stress condition in the urban areas of U.P., it is needed to achieve water sustainability in office complexes (major consumers of the drinking water supply of a city) based on the analysis of water resource management of the area. In this study, to develop water management attribute framework for office complexes, expert opinion based Delphi technique followed by Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is adopted.

The determination and pairwise comparison of the components are computed using Delphi technique, while AHP is used to calculate the weights representing their relative importance. Finally, the water supply, consumption and financial aspects are found as crucial components with 0.378, 0.422 and 0.20 relative weights respectively. Thus, the developed framework rates the attributes (components, indicators and sub-indicators) with their relative importance (based on weights) which would intelligently assist decision makers to design priority issues and programmes for efficient water management system in the geographical area under consideration.
The Impact of Ecotourism in Taman Negara National Park, Malaysia: Tourist Perception on Its Environmental Issues
Authors: Hassan Mohd Sayuti , Syed Azhar Sharifah Nurlaili Farhana
Published: July 2017

Taman Negara National Park, Malaysia (TNNP) is widely known for its famous ecotourism destination in Malaysia. Many developments have taken place over the last decades. However uncontrolled development has caused serious environmental damages in the area and concerns visitors. The paper is designed for relevant stakeholders and TNNP management in order to refine their policy inputs to improve tourist perception of TNNP in accordance with the 2030 Agenda. The main objectives of the study are to explore visitor’s perception on environmental issues in TNNP, the main issue and how it affects their number of tourist revisit. Three methods employed in the study are surveys, interviews and document analysis. The study received favourable feedback and valuable input from respondents. Contamination of Kuala Tahan River was identified as the main environmental issue in TNNP. As a result, majority of visitors will not revisit TNNP if environmental issues in the area remain unsolved.
Fluoride Contamination in the Ground Water of Two Villages of Visakhapatnam Industrial Area
Authors: Pavan Kumar G.V.S.R. , Bharath Yerra , Komal Avinash M.
Published: July 2017

The present work of the authors is aimed at the assessment of water quality with special reference to fluoride contamination in the two selected villages Mulagada and Yeduruvanipalem. These two villages are situated in the industrial area of Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh, India. These two villages are surrounded by industries like BHPV, HPCL, Zinc smelter and Coromondel fertilizers. During a preliminary survey in the two villages it was found that the residents of the two villages were suffering from dental flourisis. In view of this, the authors carried out experiments on the determination of physico-chemical characterization. The results were compared with BIS standards. In the two villages, concentration of fluoride was found to be in the range 1.432-2.944 mg/L. Water quality index (WQI) for the two villages was found to be 101.1 for the village Mulagada and 87.5 for the village Yeduruvanipalem. A strong correlation between phosphate and fluoride in the water of the village Mulagada was observed. From the results obtained it was inferred that the water of the two villages is unfit for human consumption.
Comparative Analysis of Cortical Microinfarcts and Microbleeds using 3.0-Tesla Postmortem Magnetic Resonance Images and Histopathology
Authors: Niwa Atsushi , Ii Yuichiro , Shindo Akihiro , Matsuo Ko , Ishikawa Hidehiro , Taniguchi Akira , Takase Shinichi , Maeda Masayuki , Sakuma Hajime , Akatsu Hiroyasu , Hashizume Yoshio , Tomimoto Hidekazu
Published: July 2017

Microvascular lesions including cortical microinfarctions (CMIs) and cerebral lobar microbleeds (CMBs) are usually caused by cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) in the elderly and are correlated with cognitive decline. However, their radiological-histopathological coincidence has not been revealed systematically with widely used 3-Tesla (3T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The purpose of the present study is to delineate the histopathological background corresponding to MR images of these lesions. We examined formalin-fixed 10-mm thick coronal brain blocks from 10 CAA patients (five were also diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, three with dementia with Lewy bodies, and two with CAA only) with dementia and six non CAA patients with neurodegenerative disease. Using 3T MRI, both 3D-fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and 3D-double inversion recovery (DIR) were examined to identify CMIs, and T2* and susceptibility-weighted images (SWI) were examined to identify CMBs. These blocks were subsequently examined histologically and immunohistochemically. In CAA patients, 48 CMIs and 6 lobar CMBs were invariably observed in close proximity to degenerated Aβ-positive blood vessels. Moreover, 16 CMIs (33%) of 48 were detected with postmortem MRI, but none were seen when the lesion size was smaller than 1 mm. In contrast, only 1 undeniable CMI was founded with MRI and histopathology in 6 non CAA patients. Small, cortical high-intensity lesions seen on 3D-FLAIR and 3D-DIR images likely represent CMIs, and low-intensity lesions in T2* and SWI correspond to CMBs with in vivo MRI. Furthermore, a close association between amyloid-laden vessels and these microvascular lesions indicated the contribution of CAA to their pathogenesis.
Sparse-view image reconstruction via total absolute curvature combining total variation for X-ray computed tomography
Authors: Zheng Zhizhong , Cai Ailong , Li Lei , Yan Bin , Le Fulong , Wang Linyuan , Hu Guoen
Published: July 2017

Sparse-view imaging is a promising scanning approach which has fast scanning rate and low-radiation dose in X-ray computed tomography (CT). Conventional L1-norm based total variation (TV) has been widely used in image reconstruction since the advent of compressive sensing theory. However, with only the first order information of the image used, the TV often generates dissatisfactory image for some applications. As is widely known, image curvature is among the most important second order features of images and can potentially be applied in image reconstruction for quality improvement. This study incorporates the curvature in the optimization model and proposes a new total absolute curvature (TAC) based reconstruction method. The proposed model contains both total absolute curvature and total variation (TAC-TV), which are intended for better description of the featured complicated image. As for the practical algorithm development, the efficient alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) is utilized, which generates a practical and easy-coded algorithm. The TAC-TV iterations mainly contain FFTs, soft-thresholding and projection operations and can be launched on graphics processing unit, which leads to relatively high performance. To evaluate the presented algorithm, both qualitative and quantitative studies were performed using various few view datasets. The results illustrated that the proposed approach yielded better reconstruction quality and satisfied convergence property compared with TV-based methods.
Priority-based Mojette reconstruction from sparse noisy projections
Authors: Jiang Min , Sun Yi , Qu Zhiping , Li Mengjie
Published: July 2017

Sparse-view Computed Tomography (CT) plays an important role in industrial inspection and medical diagnosis. However, the established reconstruction equations based on traditional Radon transform are ill-posed and obtain an approximate solution in the case of finite sampling angles. By contrast, Mojette transform is considered as the discrete geometry of the projection and reconstruction lattice. It determines the geometrical conditions for ensuring a unique solution instead of solving an ill-posed problem from the start. Therefore, Mojette transform results in theoretical exact image reconstruction in the discrete domain, and approximately gets the minimum number of projections, as well as their directions. However, the reconstruction method utilizing Mojette transform is very sensitive to noise. To address the problem, the paper proposes a sparse-view Mojette inversion algorithm based on the minimum noise accumulation by selecting the prioritized projections for an image reconstruction. Experimental results show that the proposed method can effectively suppress the noise accumulation without increasing the number of projections and produce better reconstruction results than traditional corner-based Mojette inversion (CBI).
Integrated Optical Content Addressable Memories (CAM) and Optical Random Access Memories (RAM) for Ultra-Fast Address Look-Up Operations
Authors: Vagionas Christos , Maniotis Pavlos , Pitris Stelios , Miliou Amalia , Pleros Nikos
Published: July 2017

Electronic Content Addressable Memories (CAM) implement Address Look-Up (AL) table functionalities of network routers; however, they typically operate in the MHz regime, turning AL into a critical network bottleneck. In this communication, we demonstrate the first steps towards developing optical CAM alternatives to enable a re-engineering of AL memories. Firstly, we report on the photonic integration of Semiconductor Optical Amplifier-Mach Zehnder Interferometer (SOA-MZI)-based optical Flip-Flop and Random Access Memories on a monolithic InP platform, capable of storing the binary prefix-address data-bits and the outgoing port information for next hop routing, respectively. Subsequently the first optical Binary CAM cell (B-CAM) is experimentally demonstrated, comprising an InP Flip-Flop and a SOA-MZI Exclusive OR (XOR) gate for fast search operations through an XOR-based bit comparison, yielding an error-free 10 Gb/s operation. This is later extended via physical layer simulations in an optical Ternary-CAM (T-CAM) cell and a 4-bit Matchline (ML) configuration, supporting a third state of the “logical X” value towards wildcard bits of network subnet masks. The proposed functional CAM and Random Access Memories (RAM) sub-circuits may facilitate light-based Address Look-Up tables supporting search operations at 10 Gb/s and beyond, paving the way towards minimizing the disparity with the frantic optical transmission linerates, and fast re-configurability through multiple simultaneous Wavelength Division Multiplexed (WDM) memory access requests.
Evaluation of Aging Resistance of Graphene Oxide Modified Asphalt
Authors: Wu Shaopeng , Zhao Zhijie , Li Yuanyuan , Pang Ling , Amirkhanian Serji , Riara Martin
Published: July 2017

Graphene oxide (GO) has a unique layered structure with excellent gas and liquid blocking properties. It is widely used in many areas, such as gas sensors, carbon-based electronics, impermeable membranes, and polymeric composite materials. In order to evaluate whether GO (1% and 3% by weight of asphalt) can improve the aging resistance performance of the asphalt, 80/100 penetration grade asphalt (90 A) and styrene–butadiene–styrene modified asphalt (SBS MA) were used to prepare the GO modified asphalt by the melt blending method. The surface morphology of the GO was analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The UV aging test was conducted to simulate the aging during the service period. After UV aging test, the physical performances of GO-modified asphalts were tested, and the IC=O and IS=O increments were tested by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to evaluate the aging resistance performance of the GO modified asphalt. In addition, the rheological properties of GO modified asphalts were studied using a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR). The SEM analysis indicated that the GO exhibits many shared edges, and no agglomeration phenomenon was found. With respect to the physical performance test, the FTIR and the DSR results show that GO can improve the UV aging resistance performance of 90 A and SBS MA. In addition, the analysis indicated that the improvement effect of 3% GO is better than the 1% GO. The testing on the rheological properties of the modified asphalt indicated that the GO can also improve the thermo-oxidative aging resistance performance of asphalt.
Crop Factors Influencing Ethanol Production from Sorghum Juice and Bagasse
Authors: Capecchi Lorenzo , Nissen Lorenzo , Modesto Monica , Di Girolamo Giuseppe , Cavani Luciano , Barbanti Lorenzo
Published: July 2017

This study investigated the effects of two soil moisture levels (SM) (30% and 70% soil available water) and three harvests (90 days, 118 days, and 151 days after seeding) on sweet (S506) and fiber (B133) sorghum genotypes under rain-sheltered conditions. Juice and bagasse-derived ethanol and their sum (EtOHBJ, EtOHB, and EtOHJ+B, respectively) were assessed. Water use efficiency (WUE) was determined for sorghum dry weight (DW) and EtOHJ+B. S506 had similar DW, but higher sugar content than B133, resulting in higher EtOHJ (+32%) and EtOHJ+B (+9%). High SM-enhanced DW, juice and sugars content, determining a strong EtOHJ+B increase (+99% vs. low SM). Late harvest enhanced DW and EtOHJ+B (+107% vs. early harvest), despite decreasing extractives and increasing structural fiber components. Water use efficiency of EtOHJ+B improved with high vs. low SM, although differences faded in late harvest. Upscale of EtOHJ+B and WUE data indicated a range of 21,000–82,000 ha of sorghum cultivation and 60–117 Mm3 of irrigation water, as amounts of resources needed to supply an 85,000 m3·yr−1 bio-ethanol plant. This large variation in land and water needs depended on specific combinations between crop factors SM and harvests.
Ab-Initio Investigations of Magnetic Properties and Induced Half-Metallicity in Ga1−xMnxP (x = 0.03, 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75) Alloys
Authors: Laref Amel , AlMudlej Abeer , Laref Slimane , Yang Jun , Xiong Yong-Chen , Luo Shi
Published: July 2017

Ab-initio calculations are performed to examine the electronic structures and magnetic properties of spin-polarized Ga1−xMnxP (x = 0.03, 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75) ternary alloys. In order to perceive viable half-metallic (HM) states and unprecedented diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMSs) such as spintronic materials, the full potential linearized augmented plane wave method is utilized within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). In order to tackle the correlation effects on 3d states of Mn atoms, we also employ the Hubbard U (GGA + U) technique to compute the magnetic properties of an Mn-doped GaP compound. We discuss the emerged global magnetic moments and the robustness of half-metallicity by varying the Mn composition in the GaP compound. Using GGA + U, the results of the density of states demonstrate that the incorporation of Mn develops a half-metallic state in the GaP compound with an engendered band gap at the Fermi level (EF) in the spin–down state. Accordingly, the half-metallic feature is produced through the hybridization of Mn-d and P-p orbitals. However, the half-metallic character is present at a low x composition with the GGA procedure. The produced magnetic state occurs in these materials, which is a consequence of the exchange interactions between the Mn-element and the host GaP system. For the considered alloys, we estimated the X-ray absorption spectra at the K edge of Mn. A thorough clarification of the pre-edge peaks is provided via the results of the theoretical absorption spectra. It is inferred that the valence state of Mn in Ga1−xMnxP alloys is +3. The predicted theoretical determinations surmise that the Mn-incorporated GaP semiconductor could inevitably be employed in spintronic devices.
On the Invariance of Hardness at Vickers Indentation of Pre-Stressed Materials
Authors: Larsson Per-Lennart
Published: July 2017

The influence from residual surface stresses on global indentation properties, i.e., hardness and size of the contact area, have been studied quite frequently in recent years. A fundamental assumption when evaluating such tests is that the material hardness is independent of any residual stresses. This assumption has been verified in the case of cone indentation of classical Mises elastoplastic materials. However, a detailed investigation of this feature in the case of three-dimensional indentation, i.e., Vickers and Berkovic indentation, has not been presented previously. It is therefore the aim of the present study to remedy this shortcoming using finite element methods. The numerical results pertinent to Vickers indentation clearly show that the material hardness is independent of residual (or applied) stresses (also in case of three-dimensional indentation problems). The limitations of the validity of hardness invariance are also discussed in some detail.
Trifluoroethoxy-Coated Phthalocyanine Catalyzes Perfluoroalkylation of Alkenes under Visible-Light Irradiation
Authors: Matsuzaki Kohei , Hiromura Tomoya , Amii Hideki , Shibata Norio
Published: July 2017

We disclose herein the perfluoroalkylation of alkenes catalyzed by trifluoroethoxy-coated zinc phthalocyanine under irradiation of visible light. Perfluoroalkyl iodides were nicely incorporated into unsaturated substrates, including alkyne, to provide perfluoroalkyl and iodide adducts in moderate to good yields. Trifluoromethylation is also possible by trifluoromethyl iodide under the same reaction conditions. The mechanistic study is discussed.
Correction: Jang, S.-E.; et al. Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 and Lactobacillus acidophilus La-14 Attenuate Gardnerella vaginalis-Infected Bacterial Vaginosis in Mice. Nutrients 2017, 9, 531
Authors: Jang Se-Eun , Jeong Jin-Ju , Choi Su-Young , Kim Hyunji , Han Myung , Kim Dong-Hyun
Published: July 2017

We would like to submit the following corrections to our recently published paper [1] due to the reported wrong name of probiotic mixture and the dose of some drugs. ...]
Retrospective Proteomic Screening of 100 Breast Cancer Tissues
Authors: Pucci-Minafra Ida , Di Cara Gianluca , Musso Rosa , Cancemi Patrizia , Albanese Nadia , Roz Elena , Minafra Salvatore
Published: July 2017

The present investigation has been conducted on one hundred tissue fragments of breast cancer, collected and immediately cryopreserved following the surgical resection. The specimens were selected from patients with invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast, the most frequent and potentially aggressive type of mammary cancer, with the objective to increase the knowledge of breast cancer molecular markers potentially useful for clinical applications. The proteomic screening; by 2D-IPG and mass spectrometry; allowed us to identify two main classes of protein clusters: proteins expressed ubiquitously at high levels in all patients; and proteins expressed sporadically among the same patients. Within the group of ubiquitous proteins, glycolytic enzymes and proteins with anti-apoptotic activity were predominant. Among the sporadic ones, proteins involved in cell motility, molecular chaperones and proteins involved in the detoxification appeared prevalent. The data of the present study indicates that the primary tumor growth is reasonably supported by concurrent events: the inhibition of apoptosis and stimulation of cellular proliferation, and the increased expression of glycolytic enzymes with multiple functions. The second phase of the evolution of the tumor can be prematurely scheduled by the occasional presence of proteins involved in cell motility and in the defenses of the oxidative stress. We suggest that this approach on large-scale 2D-IPG proteomics of breast cancer is currently a valid tool that offers the opportunity to evaluate on the same assay the presence and recurrence of individual proteins, their isoforms and short forms, to be proposed as prognostic indicators and susceptibility to metastasis in patients operated on for invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast.
Multi-Channel Deconvolution for Forward-Looking Phase Array Radar Imaging
Authors: Xia Jie , Lu Xinfei , Chen Weidong
Published: July 2017

The cross-range resolution of forward-looking phase array radar (PAR) is limited by the effective antenna beamwidth since the azimuth echo is the convolution of antenna pattern and targets’ backscattering coefficients. Therefore, deconvolution algorithms are proposed to improve the imaging resolution under the limited antenna beamwidth. However, as a typical inverse problem, deconvolution is essentially a highly ill-posed problem which is sensitive to noise and cannot ensure a reliable and robust estimation. In this paper, multi-channel deconvolution is proposed for improving the performance of deconvolution, which intends to considerably alleviate the ill-posed problem of single-channel deconvolution. To depict the performance improvement obtained by multi-channel more effectively, evaluation parameters are generalized to characterize the angular spectrum of antenna pattern or singular value distribution of observation matrix, which are conducted to compare different deconvolution systems. Here we present two multi-channel deconvolution algorithms which improve upon the traditional deconvolution algorithms via combining with multi-channel technique. Extensive simulations and experimental results based on real data are presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed imaging methods.
‘When She Calls for Help’—Domestic Violence in Christian Families
Authors: Westenberg Leonie
Published: July 2017

Violence in relationships is a common experience for a significant number of women. VicHealth (Australia) has noted that one of the underlying and contributing factors towards violence against women is their environment, citing ‘faith-based institutions’ such as churches as one such environment for many women. Indeed, international research shows that the language of religion is often used by women to explain abuse. Additionally, abused Christian women are more likely to remain in or return to unsafe relationships, citing religious beliefs to support avoidance of ‘family break-ups’ despite abuse. In contrast, however, churches can address domestic violence within a context of care, with emphasis on a theology of biblical equality. This paper examines how domestic violence may be supported by Christian language and belief, and suggests an ‘alternate theology’ concerning religious language in concepts of gender roles, sacrifice, submission, and suffering. It reviews current research on the connection between Christian religious language and domestic violence against women, to highlight the Christian church’s role as a contributing factor to such abuse. Finally, the paper makes some suggestions on how religious language can, in contrast to perpetuating abuse through norms, sever the connections between domestic violence and religious language.