bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Il ruolo degli archivisti nelle nuove Soprintendenze archivistiche e bibliografiche
Authors: Palma Maria
Published: May 2018

The article briefly illustrates the regulatory interventions that gave the State back jurisdiction on the protection of the bibliographical heritage belonging to private individuals and public bodies and institutes, which used to be administered by the Regions. Moreover it presents the problems met by the Soprintendenza archivistica e bibliografica del Veneto e del Trentino-Alto Adige in trying to conduct its functions, particularly in the first stage of implementation of the reform. Lastly, although recognising the different professional competences of archivists and librarians and the differences and specificities of archive and book resources, the article highlights the establishment of new conditions that allow for greater integration of archive and library preservation practices, as well as for the fostering of a closer relationship between archivists and librarians with the aim of reflecting on the common ground between the two professions and cooperating in the handling of resources.
La chimica dei nanocomposti e la loro applicazione al restauro dei manoscritti
Authors: Poggi Giovanna , Bonelli Nicole , Giorgi Rodorico , Baglioni Piero
Published: May 2018

Cellulose-based artifacts are susceptible to fast degradation due to the presence of detrimental components and to the action of environmental pollutants. As a result, the acidity of pristine material increases, promoting the acid-catalysed depolymerisation of cellulose that alters the mechanical properties of paper. In this paper, the use of innovative dispersions of alkaline earth metal hydroxide nanoparticles will be discussed as a method of counteracting the degradation of paper. The application of the most recent formulations of nanoparticles dispersions for the deacidification of artworks will be highlighted. Finally, the usage of innovative gel formulations for the cleaning of cellulose-based artworks will be discussed.
Italy's Attention Turns to China Between the ’50 and the ’60
Authors: Meneguzzi Rostagni Carla
Published: May 2018

It is surprising that the very existence and recognition of China had significant repercussions on domestic policy in Italy, which was the country with the strongest Communist party in the West. In the ’50s the Italian official policy was compelled by membership in Atlantic alliance and relations with United States, to refuse economic exchanges with China. According to documents found in “Ministero degli Affari Esteri” and in “Aldo Moro” archives, even in the same years political characters such as the Socialist Pietro Nenni, the Christian Democrats Giovanni Gronchi and Amintore Fanfani worked to favour China-Italy exchanges and economic actors like Dino Gentili and Enrico Mattei organised economic Italian missions to China. Since 1960, thanks to trade relations set up in the ’50s, and to political events (December 1963 the first centre-left government with Aldo Moro president, Pietro Nenni vicepresident and Giuseppe Saragat to foreign affairs, and at the beginning of 1964 the French political recognition of China), the process was accelerated. Thus, in December 1964 the first commercial agreement between Italy and China was concluded and commercial offices were opened in Rome and Beijing. After 1964 the Chinese question entered Italian foreign policy and was included in parliamentary debates and government programmes. The American diplomacy, dominated by the Vietnam war, opposed any initiative to Chinese recognition but Italy anticipated the better reported, more celebrated US recognition.
Spagnolo Lingua di Origine e Italstudio in un modello di educazione bilingue di tipo eteroglossico
Authors: Firpo Elena , Sanfelici Laura
Published: May 2018

The reality of the Italian school, with the phenomenon of immigration and the presence of new ethnic-linguistic minorities, which are becoming more and more second-generation, poses new questions to the political debate and also to the legislative one. What model of integration and what protection for new minorities? What steps should be taken to complete the integration of foreign students who, despite being more and more born and educated in Italy, continue to achieve lower academic outcomes than Italian pupils? The aim of this paper is to present an overview of the main reference frameworks of heteroglossic bilingual education and show an example of research actions carried out in Secondary and Primary schools of Genoa.
La scuola del nuovo millennio: tra italiano, dialetti e altre lingue
Authors: Siebetcheu Raymond
Published: May 2018

The Italian linguistic space has been traditionally characterised by a tripolar situation: the pole of Italian and its varieties, the pole of Italian dialects and their varieties and the pole of minority languages of historic settlement. In the last four decades a new linguistic phenomenon has swept across the Italian society: the emergence of immigrant languages. This has brought up a quadripolar linguistic situation with the insertion a fourth pole based on this ‘neoplurilingualism’. Despite this situation of plurilingualism that has always characterised Italy, many international and national surveys observe that there is still a tendency to monolingualism in different Italian contexts. Education is one of these. Actually, in schools, little attention is paid to languages other than Italian whether foreign or immigrant. In confirming this trend, however, this paper also focuses on the so called engaged language policy which calls for the right to language policy-making in which all concerned – communities, parents, students, educators, and advocates – collectively imagine new strategies for resisting global marginalisation of home languages and cultural identities.
La formazione degli alfabetizzatori di adulti stranieri e la tipologia di corsi in Italia, Francia e Spagna
Authors: Nitti Paolo
Published: May 2018

This paper presents the results of a survey on the typology of literacy courses for adult non-native speakers in Turin, Marseilles and Seville and the teaching methods used in them. The internationalisation of university curricula has highlighted the need to compare the training systems available for access to all forms of teaching, from primary to university education, as well as professional training. The survey was administered to the teachers involved in these courses, and the analysis shows that, although many teachers attended language education and refresher courses, few of them were taught the principles of the acquisition of reading and writing. In the light of the data obtained, these literacy courses for adult non-native speakers have the same characteristics as any other course, but the role of volunteers is very relevant. In order to compare teaching programs in EU countries, an investigation of the university programs for language teaching and literacy is necessary.
Italiano L2 a studenti in mobilità
Authors: Fragai Eleonora , Fratter Ivana , Jafrancesco Elisabetta
Published: May 2018

This paper offers an opportunity to reflect on developing new skills and competences to respond to the new challenges and transformations posed by changes in the world of education and training in our knowledge-based society. In particular, the paper aims at analysing and reflecting on the so-called ‘transversal key competences’ and their application to Italian L2 teaching in universities. These skills and competences are needed to succeed in an ever-changing world not only to support the development of language skills, but also to promote personal development, employability, mobility and active citizenship.
Studenti internazionali in mobilità
Authors: Gallina Francesca
Published: May 2018

Academic vocabulary is a key component in studying at university level for non-native international students of Italian as L2. In this paper first of all it will be discussed the notion of academic vocabulary and will be presented the lists created for Italian, e.g. the Lessico della Conoscenza and the Academic Italian Word List. It will be then introduced an experimental test, designed to assess the knowledge of academic vocabulary of students who are non-native speakers of Italian. The results of the first experimental administration of the test will be presented and discussed and it will be given an overview of possible suggestions for teaching and learning on the basis of the test results.
VPI online: un approccio glottodidattico alla verifica della preparazione iniziale all’università
Authors: Mezzadri Marco , Sisti Flora
Published: May 2018

For over a decade, according to the provisions of Law 270/2004, Italian universities have been called to verify the initial preparation of students (VPI) enrolled in the first year of open access university degrees. A inter-university research group, formed by educational linguists from the Universities of Genoa, Parma and Urbino, is conducting a study aimed at creating the conditions for the verification of communicative skills which are necessary for native and international students to study at an Italian university. The project is placed within an educational linguistic framework and aims to highlight the strategic as well as the cross-curricular role of communicative skills at the time of entering university.
CLIL: il punto di vista degli studenti
Authors: Bailini Sonia , Bosisio Cristina , Gilardoni Silvia , Pasquariello Mario
Published: May 2018

This paper aims to investigate the students’ perception about the implementation of the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) methodology (D.P.R. 88 and 89/2010) in languages other than English. The research focuses on students attending foreign languages and human sciences secondary schools in Lombardy. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through a questionnaire focusing on the students’ perception of the CLIL learning environment in French, Spanish and German. Results outline CLIL reception in the first years of its implementation in Italy and highlight its strengths and weaknesses as they are perceived from the learners’ point of view.
Museum Learning Through a Foreign Language
Authors: Fazzi Fabiana
Published: May 2018

One of the most interesting effects of internationalisation is certainly the increase, in Italy, of museum educational programmes delivered through the means of a foreign language and based on the CLIL methodology. The aim of these programmes is for visitors to practise their foreign language skills in an authentic and stimulating context, while at same time developing their knowledge of science, art or other discipline related contents. Their target is mainly school-students, which is in line with current European policies that encourage member states to bridge the gap between in- and out-of-school language learning. This article will first offer a broad overview of how internationalisation has affected museum educational programmes in Italy. Thus, it will give an overview of museum and CLIL-based pedagogies, discussing the challenges encountered to integrate them through summarising Fazzi’s evaluation of a CLIL museum programme. It will then outline a research project carried out in collaboration with the Civic Museum of Venice, through discussing (i) the steps taken in developing a CLIL museum programme at the Natural History Museum of Venice, (ii) the programme structure and (iii) the challenges encountered. The project, which is currently in its second year, adopts a participatory approach and involves the museum educational staff, the museum educator/researcher, and secondary school teachers and students.
Il ruolo dell’intercomprensione linguistica nella (tras)formazione docente
Authors: Bertelli Anna , Gramegna Barbara
Published: May 2018

This paper describes a teacher-training experience delivered in the year 2015-16 by the Dipartimento Formazione e Istruzione Italiana of the Province of Bolzano and addressed to teachers of every school’s level is presented. The purpose of the described training was to share intercomprehension’s theory and practical suggestions in order to increase the intercultural sensitivity and metalinguistic awareness of the participants. The proposal was also meant to reflect about how far an interlinguistic dimension is naturally suited to promote consciousness in comprehension techniques, a necessary competence for teachers working in international contexts, and intercultural ‘contamination’. The paper synthesises the theoretical background of the proposal, based on the strict interdependence between the international character of learners, teachers and institutions and the development of intercultural openness through metacognitive reflections and receptive language skills. At the end, the teacher training proposal is briefly described, together with the participants feedback of the proposal.
Costruire la resilienza nell’interazione in un progetto di ricerca internazionale plurilingue
Authors: Cognigni Edith , Garbarino Sandra
Published: May 2018

Based on the experience of an international network of partners involved in the MIRIADI project, this research is meant to show how intercomprehension and online interaction can be used as means of communication in an international project with excellent results. Nevertheless, evidence shows that even if the partners agree on the modes of communication, the usual strategies used on interconnected intercomprehension platforms are not always efficient. Thus, a strong resilient ecosystem must be built in order to face abandon and disaffection when the partnership is vast and the partners do not have the same background.
ENFORMASYON ÇAĞI – ZAMAN – MEKÂN İLİŞKİSİ BAĞLAMINDA BÖLGESEL KALKINMA KURAM VE SÜREÇLERİ
Authors: ŞENOL Pervin , KEMEÇ ABİDİN
Published: May 2018

Bu çalışmada, 18.yüzyıldan günümüze kadar ortaya
atılmış olan iktisadi kuramlar, bölgesel kalkınma paradigmaları ve yer seçim
teorileri ele alınarak, kuramsal değişimler, zaman ve mekân kavramlarındaki
değişimler incelemektedir. Bir başka ifade ile çalışma kapsamında, kavramsal ve
dönemsel bir değerlendirme yapılmaktadır. Merkantilizm, Fizyokrasi, Klasik
İktisat, Keynesyen, Yeni Keynesyen ve Yeni Klasik İktisat Kuramları, Rosensten-
Rodan (Büyük İtiş Modeli), Perroux’a (Büyüme /Kalkınma Kutupları Teorisi) gibi
bölgesel kalkınma kuramları; von Thünen, A. Weber, Christaller, Lösch, W.Isard,
P. Krugman’ın yer seçim kuramları değerlendirilmektedir. Son dönem değişimleri
açıklamaya yönelen Manuel Castells tarafından sunulan zaman ve mekân tartışması
kapsamında değerlendirmeler yapılmaktadır. Bu kapsamda, kalkınma kuramlarında
mekânın ve zamanın karşılığı, yeri, değişimi ve nasıl değişip dönüştüğü
değerlendirmektedir.
Práticas Integrativas e Complementares: inserção no contexto do ensino Odontológico
Authors: Noll Gonçalves Rodrigo , Rodrigues da Silva Noll Gonçalves Jéssica , Da Cruz Magalhães Buffon Marilene , Rejane Bonato Negrelle Raquel , Souza Cavalcanti de Albuquerque Guilherme
Published: May 2018

O presente estudo visa discutir a inserção de Práticas Integrativas e Complementares (PIC) nos modelos flexneriano e giesiano, e seus reflexos na formação superior em Odontologia. Para tal, foi realizado um estudo reflexivo baseado em revisão de literatura. Foram consultadas publicações indexadas nas bases de dados Scientific Electronic Library Online e Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde. Documentos oficiais e periódicos não indexados foram investigados por meio de busca ativa. Os descritores aplicados foram: práticas integrativas e complementares, complementary and integrative practices, relatório flexner, flexner report, relatório gies, gies report, Odontologia de mercado, market dentistry, modelo assistencial em saúde. Observou-se que as características e concepções inseridas nos modelos provenientes dos relatórios Flexner e Gies, de 1910 e 1926 respectivamente, privilegiam a prática dita tecnológica, com a exclusão das práticas tradicionais. As PIC, apesar de seu potencial terapêutico, enfrentam, ainda, resistências de ordem científica, econômica e cultural para sua plena adoção. Nessa lógica, discutem-se os atuais desafios, bem como possibilidades e potencialidades da inserção de PIC na atenção odontológica.
Biomasa de Lupinus mutabilis Sweet y su efecto en el suelo
Authors: Pomboza-Tamaquiza Pedro Pablo , Aldas Juan Carlos , Buenaño Marcia
Published: May 2018

El objetivo del trabajo fue cuantificar la biomasa de Lupinus mutabilis Sweet mediante métodos dendométricos  y el aporte  en macronutrientes  de la biomasa incorporada al suelo como abono verde.  EL ensayo de campo, se realizó en la Granja de la Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias de la Universidad Técnica de Ambato, ubicada en Querochaca, a una altitud de 2990 msnm. Se cultivó Lupinus mutabilis Sweet en una parcela de 480 m2 hasta la  floración y se incorporó al suelo. Antes de incorporar se seleccionaron aleatoriamente 30 plantas, de las cuales se tomaron datos de diámetros, longitudes, pesos de tallos y ramas, se calculó la biomasa utilizando formulas volumétricas, adicionalmente se realizaron análisis químicos de suelo, antes de la siembra y 45 días después de incorporado la biomasa al suelo. Como resultado, se desarrolló un modelo de regresión lineal múltiple para estimar el volumen de biomasa de esta especie, a partir de conocer la altura de la planta y el diámetro basal del tallo.  Los análisis de suelos mostraron que la biomasa de L. mutabilis Sweet incrementaron la materia orgánica en 490%, el nitrógeno en 500% y el fósforo en  200%
Efecto del consumo voluntario de Leucaena leucocephala sobre la degradación ruminal de la materia orgánica en ovinos
Authors: Barros-Rodríguez Marcos , Sólorio-Sánchez Javier , Sandoval-Castro Carlos
Published: May 2018

Se evaluó el efecto de la ingestión de Leucaena leucocephala sobre la degradación ruminal de MO del Pennisetum purpureum y L. leucocephala. El experimento se realizó en Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia de la Universidad Autónoma  de Yucatán, Se utilizaron 9 ovinos canulados en el rumen tres por tratamiento con un peso promedio de 34 ± 3.45 Kg en los que se evaluaron tres tratamientos; T1 sólo pasto, T2 leucaena (40%) pasto (60%) y T3 leucaena (20%) pasto (80%), para ello se utilizó la técnica de degradación in situ con bolsas de nylon en el rumen. Se mostró un efecto entre los tratamientos T2 y T3, ante el T1, con respecto a la tasa de degradación (% hora), manteniendo la misma tendencia para los dos forrajes evaluados. No obstante, los demás parámetros de degradación evaluados no marcaron diferencia (P>0.05) para ambos sustratos en todos los tratamientos. Se concluye que la incorporación de leucaena en la dieta favorece la tasa de degradación de la MO
Space time geometry in the atomic hydrogenoid system. Approach to a dust relativistic model from causal quantum mechanics
Authors: Gómez G. , Kotsireas I. , Gkigkitzis I. , Haranas I. , Fullana M.J.
Published: May 2018

Weintend to use the description oftheelectron orbital trajectory in the de Broglie-Bohm (dBB) theory to assimilate to a geodesiccorresponding to the General Relativity (GR) and get from itphysicalconclusions. ThedBBapproachindicatesustheexistenceof a non-local quantumfield (correspondingwiththequantumpotential), anelectromagneticfield and a comparativelyveryweakgravitatoryfield, togetherwith a translationkineticenergyofelectron. Ifweadmitthatthosefields and kineticenergy can deformthespace time, according to Einstein'sfield equations (and to avoidtheviolationoftheequivalenceprinciple as well), we can madethehypothesisthatthegeodesicsof this space-time deformation coincide withtheorbitsbelonging to thedBBapproach (hypothesisthat is coherentwiththestabilityofmatter). Fromit, we deduce a general equation that relates thecomponentsofthemetric tensor. Thenwe find anappropriatemetric for it, bymodificationofanexactsolutionofEinstein'sfield equations, whichcorresponds to dust in cylindricalsymmetry. Thefoundmodelproofs to be in agreementwiththebasicphysicalfeaturesofthehydrogenquantum system, particularlywiththeindependenceoftheelectronkineticmomentum in relationwiththeorbit radius. Moreover, themodel can be done Minkowski-like for a macroscopicshortdistancewith a convenientelectionof a constant. According to this approach, theguiding function ofthewaveontheparticlecould be identifiedwiththedeformationsofthespace-time and thestabilityofmatterwould be easilyjustifiedbythe null accelerationcorresponding to a geodesicorbit.
Optical characterization of CdTe nanoparticles embedded in a nanoparticulate SnO2 matrix
Authors: Campos-González E. , Becerril M. , Santoyo-Salazar J. , Silva-López H. , De Moure Flores F. , Zelaya-Ángel O.
Published: May 2018

Cadmium telluride (CdTe) nanoparticles were grown in the interior of a SnO2 transparent matrix by means of the r.f. sputtering technique.X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns reveal that the CdTe quantum dots (QD) grow in the hexagonal wurtzite (W) phase. Diffraction data showthat SnO2 is constituted by nanoparticles also, with size of the same order of the W-CdTe QD. The broad bands of the XRD patterns and theScherrer formula allowed, by assuming a spherical shape, the W-CdTe QD size calculation, which have average diameters in the range 4.8- 14.0 nm. These data were confirmed by electron microscopy images. Optical absorbance gives information to calculate the energy of thetwo lowest excitonic states (band gap). The Raman spectra show several broad bands in the range 100 - 200 cm-1, on which deconvolutionallows separate five modes in the 100 - 200 cm-1 interval. The bands correspond to CdTe and tetragonal Te. The transversal optic (TO) andlongitudinal optic (LO) modes of CdTe at the Γ point of the first Brillouin zone, for phonons in nanoparticles, follow the expected behaviorif the radius of crystal decreases, taking into account that the selection rules for momentum conservation are relaxed.
Culturally Relevant Programming versus the Status Quo: A Meta-analytic Review of the Effectiveness of Treatment of Indigenous Offenders
Authors: Gutierrez Leticia , Chadwick Nick , Wanamaker Kayla A.
Published: May 2018

The over-representation of Indigenous peoples in criminal justice systems internationally remains a critical issue. Some have argued that replacing generic services with culturally relevant programming would be an effective strategy to address this problem. This meta-analysis examines the effectiveness of culturally relevant programs for Indigenous offenders compared to conventional programs. Results based on seven studies (N=1,731) indicate Indigenous offenders who participate in these programs have significantly lower odds of recidivism (odds ratio=0.72) compared to Indigenous offenders who participate in generic programs. Although considerable methodological limitations were observed in the studies reviewed, the results of this meta-analysis are consistent with the concept of specific responsivity and the notion that treatment effectiveness is maximized when the learning environment is engaging and relevant. Additional research of higher methodological quality is needed to further evaluate culturally relevant programs and determine with greater confidence how correctional interventions best work for this population.
Introduction
Authors: Magnussen Anne
Published: May 2018

Spanish comics represent an exciting and diverse field, but with few exceptions
they are unknown to most comics scholars outside of Spain. This is
one important reason behind choosing the subject for not only one but two
special issues of European Comic Art. Another reason is the opportunity to
draw attention to the extensive comics research in Spanish, and a third is
that a national comics focus such as this one contributes to two perspectives
within comics research that are very much in vogue, namely transnational
studies and memory studies. The six articles included in this issue contribute
in different ways to one or all three of these concerns and, despite their
necessarily limited number, represent a surprisingly broad spectrum of
historical periods, genres and themes.
Medieval Hunting and Wood Management in the Buzzart Dykes Landscape
Authors: Malloy Kevin , Hall Derek
Published: May 2018

Whilst research into medieval park landscapes has been limited in Scotland, recent efforts to enhance our understanding of the design, construction and functions of these structures through archaeological methods have been fruitful. This paper discusses the results of excavations at the site of Buzzart Dykes in Perthshire. As the site lacks historical documentation, little was known about how and when it was constructed and managed. Here we evaluate the modern interpretation of the enclosure as a medieval park used for hunting, and present evidence for additional economic utilisations that revolved around wood management. Excavations of the park bounds and associated longhouse structure clarify the landscape history of Buzzart Dykes, and demonstrate an effective methodology for studying park landscapes in Scotland.
Evaluation of Serum Magnesium Level in Preeclampsia
Authors: Roy HL , Nargis S , Mahmud SH , Jahan NWB , Hossain MS , Majumder M , Begum H
Published: May 2018

Preeclampsia is the most common medical complication of pregnancy associated with increased maternal and infant mortality and morbidity. Reduced serum magnesium level is found to be associated with elevated blood pressure in preeclampsia. The purpose of this cross-sectional study is to evaluate the serum magnesium level in preeclamptic women. For this study 50 preeclamptic patients, with age range 20 to 40 years having gestational age range from 20 to 40 weeks and 50 age and gestational age matched normotensive pregnant women having no proteinuria were enrolled. Serum magnesium was measured by colorimetric method. The mean(±SD) age and mean(±SD) gestational age of preeclampsia was not significantly different from those of normotensive pregnant women (p=0.203 and p=0.251 respectively). The mean(±SD) body mass index of the preeclamptic patients was significantly higher compared to that of normotensive pregnant women (p<0.001). The mean(±SD) serum magnesium level was 3.37±2.05 mg/dl in preeclamptic group and 2.87±1.38 mg/dl in normal pregnant women; the level did not differ significantly between the subject of preeclampsia and normal pregnant women (p=0.153). Findings of this study suggest that serum magnesium has no association with preeclampsia.Bangladesh J Med Biochem 2017; 10(1): 10-15
Effect of Ethanol Extract of Glycine Max (Soy Bean) on Serum Lipid Profile of Fat-Fed Hyperlipidemic Rats
Authors: Sharmin K , Ahmed R , Momtaz A , Chowdhury SA , Maya NA , Sharmin R , Rahman S , Tabassum H
Published: May 2018

Hypercholesterolemia is one of the important causes of cardiovascular disease related mortality and morbidity and recently it has become a significant issue in public health problem of developing countries. The purpose of the study was to see the effect of glycine max (soy bean) on serum lipid profile of experimentally induced hyperlipidemic rats. Hypercholesterolemia was induced by high cholesterol diet containing 1% cholesterol in olive oil. This study was done on 24 long Norwegian rats (Rattus norvegicus) weighing about 200-210 gram. For convenience, the study was divided into Experiment I and Experiment II. In experiment I, 12 rats were divided into two groups- Group A (n = 6, control group) fed on laboratory diet and Group B (n=6) fed on laboratory diet and soy bean extract for 35 days. In experiment II, the remaining 12 rats were divided into 2 groups, Group C (n=6) were fed on laboratory diet and high cholesterol diet (HCD) for 35 days and Group D (n=6) were fed laboratory diet and high cholesterol diet on initial 10 days and soy bean extract was added along with high cholesterol diet for next 25 days. Serum TC, TG, LDL-C and HDL-C were measured after 35 days. HCD increased TG, TC and LDL-C significantly in group C. Glycine max (soy bean) treated group showed that it decreased plasma TC, TG and LDL-C in experimentally induced hyperlipidemic rats but Glycine max (soy bean) did not show any significant lipid lowering effect in normolipidemic rats. The results of this experimental study indicate that Glycine max can act as a cholesterol lowering agent and thereby can improve cardiovascular functions.Bangladesh J Med Biochem 2017; 10(1): 21-26
Electrolyte Disturbances in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Khanduker S , Ahmed R , Khondker F , Aharama A , Afrose N , Chowdhury MAA
Published: May 2018

Diabetic patients frequently develop a constellation of electrolyte disorders. These derangement results from insulin deficiency, hyperglycemia and hyperketonemia. Hyperglycemia sets the internal environment for osmotic diuresis while causing a dilutional effect on electrolyte concentrations.The osmotic effect of glucose results in decreased circulating blood volume and fluid shift from the intracellular spaces causing cellular dehydration. These disturbances are particularly common in decompensated diabetes, especially in the context of diabetic ketoacidosis or non ketotic hyperglycemic hyperosmolar syndrome.These patients are markedly sodium, magnesium and phosphate depleted. Diabetes mellitus is linked to both hypo and hyperkalemia and also hypo and hypercalcemia reflecting coexistence of hyperglycemia related mechanisms, which tend to change serum potassium and calcium to opposite directions. This article provides an overview of the electrolyte disturbances occurring in Diabetes and mechanisms underlying those disturbances.Bangladesh J Med Biochem 2017; 10(1): 27-35
Post-hoc simulation study of computerized adaptive testing for the Korean Medical Licensing Examination
Authors: Seo Dong Gi , Choi Jeongwook
Published: May 2018

Purpose: Computerized adaptive testing (CAT) has been adopted in licensing examinations because it improves the efficiency and accuracy of the tests, as shown in many studies. This simulation study investigated CAT scoring and item selection methods for the Korean Medical Licensing Examination (KMLE). Methods: This study used a post-hoc (real data) simulation design. The item bank used in this study included all items from the January 2017 KMLE. All CAT algorithms for this study were implemented using the ‘catR’ package in the R program. Results: In terms of accuracy, the Rasch and 2-parametric logistic (PL) models performed better than the 3PL model. The ‘modal a posteriori’ and ‘expected a posterior’ methods provided more accurate estimates than maximum likelihood estimation or weighted likelihood estimation. Furthermore, maximum posterior weighted information and minimum expected posterior variance performed better than other item selection methods. In terms of efficiency, the Rasch model is recommended to reduce test length. Conclusion: Before implementing live CAT, a simulation study should be performed under varied test conditions. Based on a simulation study, and based on the results, specific scoring and item selection methods should be predetermined.
A Novel Machine Learning Method for Estimating Biomass of Grass Swards Using a Photogrammetric Canopy Height Model, Images and Vegetation Indices Captured by a Drone
Authors: Viljanen Niko , Honkavaara Eija , Näsi Roope , Hakala Teemu , Niemeläinen Oiva , Kaivosoja Jere
Published: May 2018

Silage is the main feed in milk and ruminant meat production in Northern Europe. Novel drone-based remote sensing technology could be utilized in many phases of silage production, but advanced methods of utilizing these data are still developing. Grass swards are harvested three times in season, and fertilizer is applied similarly three times—once for each harvest when aiming at maximum yields. Timely information of the yield is thus necessary several times in a season for making decisions on harvesting time and rate of fertilizer application. Our objective was to develop and assess a novel machine learning technique for the estimation of canopy height and biomass of grass swards utilizing multispectral photogrammetric camera data. Variation in the studied crop stand was generated using six different nitrogen fertilizer levels and four harvesting dates. The sward was a timothy-meadow fescue mixture dominated by timothy. We extracted various features from the remote sensing data by combining an ultra-high resolution photogrammetric canopy height model (CHM) with a pixel size of 1.0 cm and red, green, blue (RGB) and near-infrared range intensity values and different vegetation indices (VI) extracted from orthophoto mosaics. We compared the performance of multiple linear regression (MLR) and a Random Forest estimator (RF) with different combinations of the CHM, RGB and VI features. The best estimation results with both methods were obtained by combining CHM and VI features and all three feature classes (CHM, RGB and VI features). Both estimators provided equally accurate results. The Pearson correlation coefficients (PCC) and Root Mean Square Errors (RMSEs) of the estimations were at best 0.98 and 0.34 t/ha (12.70%), respectively, for the dry matter yield (DMY) and 0.98 and 1.22 t/ha (11.05%), respectively, for the fresh yield (FY) estimations. Our assessment of the sensitivity of the method with respect to different development stages and different amounts of biomass showed that the use of the machine learning technique that integrated multiple features improved the results in comparison to the simple linear regressions. These results were extremely promising, showing that the proposed multispectral photogrammetric approach can provide accurate biomass estimates of grass swards, and could be developed as a low-cost tool for practical farming applications.
Concepts and Misconceptions of Humic Substances as the Stable Part of Soil Organic Matter: A Review
Authors: Gerke Jörg
Published: May 2018

In the last three decades, the concept of soil humic substances has been questioned in two main directions. Misinterpretations of CP MAS13C NMR spectroscopy led to the conclusion that soil organic matter is mainly aliphatic, questioning the theory of polymerization of humic substances from phenolic molecules. Conversely, some critics of humic substances assume that a great proportion of aromatic soil organic carbon originates from fire-affected carbon, often termed as black carbon (BC). However, the determination of BC in soil by two widely applied methods, the benzene polycarboxylic acid marker method and the UV method, is not reliable and seems to strongly overestimate the BC content of soils. The concept of humic substances continues to be relevant today. The polymerization of phenolic molecules that originate from the degradation of lignin or synthesis by microorganisms may lead to humic substances which can incorporate a variety of organic and inorganic molecules and elements. The incorporation, e.g., of triazines or surfactants into the humic matrix, leading to bound residues, illustrates that humic substances are important to explain central reactions in soil. Humic substances are also important to understand the availability of plant nutrients in soil, including P, Fe, and Cu, and they may have a direct effect on the growth of higher plants in soil. Therefore, there are good reasons to reformulate or to further develop the concepts and models of humic substances introduced and developed by M. Schnitzer, W. Flaig, W. Ziechmann, and F.J. Stevenson.
Fisher Discriminative Sparse Representation Based on DBN for Fault Diagnosis of Complex System
Authors: Tang Qiu , Chai Yi , Qu Jianfeng , Ren Hao
Published: May 2018

Fault detection and diagnosis in the chemical industry is a challenging task due to the large number of measured variables and complex interactions among them. To solve this problem, a new fault diagnosis method named Fisher discriminative sparse representation (FDSR), based on deep belief network (DBN), is proposed in this paper. We used DBN to extract the features of all faulty and normal modes. Features extracted by the DBN were used to learn subdictionaries, then the overcomplete dictionary was constructed by cascading all subdictionaries in order, and each dictionary atom corresponded to class labels. The Fisher discrimination criterion (FDC) was applied to the dictionary learning to ensure smaller within-class scatter but greater between-class scatter. The quadratic programming method was applied to estimate the sparse coefficients simultaneously class by class. Therefore, both the reconstruction error and sparse coefficients were discriminative, so that the reconstruction error after sparse coding can be used for pattern classification. An experiment performed on the Tennessee Eastman (TE) process indicated that compared with the traditional monitoring methods, the FDSR based on DBN produced more interpretable results and achieved superior performance for feature extraction and classification in the field of complex system fault diagnosis. T-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) appropriately visualized the performance of the proposed method and produced reliable fault diagnosis results.
Correction: Riedlinger, T. et al. The Direct and Indirect Roles of NF-κB in Cancer: Lessons from Oncogenic Fusion Proteins and Knock-In Mice. Biomedicines, 2018, 6, 36
Authors: Riedlinger Tabea , Haas Jana , Busch Julia , Van de Sluis Bart , Kracht Michael , Schmitz M.
Published: May 2018

We would like to report an error in a previously published paper[...]
The Design of Local-Authority Rental Housing for the Elderly That Improves Their Quality of Life
Authors: Kuboshima Yukiko , McIntosh Jacqueline , Thomas Geoff
Published: May 2018

As the population ages, the demand for suitable rental housing will increase. Suitable housing means housing that can accommodate those impairments that typically correspond with ageing. This paper explores the quality of life (QoL) requirements of those elderly with high-care needs who live in rental housing. Using a qualitative case study approach, it examines the living experiences of six elderly people who need assistance and are living in local-authority rental housing in New Zealand. The themes of QoL were identified from the literature and related to the larger themes of; 1. Activities and independence, 2. Sense of control, 3. Privacy, 4. Relationships, 5. Quality of care, and 6. Comfort. The survey consisted of a detailed documentation of the physical environment, followed by interviews with and full-day observations of the residents and their caregivers. The study finds that the design of housing that improves their QoL requires solutions to accommodate the various conflicting needs for their QoL that include those derived from the diversity in the user’s preferences and impairments. In the design of rental housing, there is greater need for additional or reorganized space to accommodate caregivers and visitors, maintain residents’ independence, privacy, and other aspects important for their QoL.
Catalytic Ozonation of Toluene Using Chilean Natural Zeolite: The Key Role of Brønsted and Lewis Acid Sites
Authors: Alejandro-Martín Serguei , Valdés Héctor , Manero Marie-Hélène , Zaror Claudio A.
Published: May 2018

The influence of surface physical-chemical characteristics of Chilean natural zeolite on the catalytic ozonation of toluene is presented in this article. Surface characteristics of natural zeolite were modified by acid treatment with hydrochloric acid and ion-exchange with ammonium sulphate. Prior to catalytic ozonation assays, natural and chemically modified zeolite samples were thermally treated at 623 and 823 K in order to enhance Brønsted and Lewis acid sites formation, respectively. Natural and modified zeolite samples were characterised by N2 adsorption at 77 K, elemental analysis, X-ray fluorescence, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, using pyridine as a probe molecule. The highest values of the reaction rate of toluene oxidation were observed when NH4Z1 and 2NH4Z1 zeolite samples were used. Those samples registered the highest density values of Lewis acid sites compared to other samples used here. Results indicate that the presence of strong Lewis acid sites at the 2NH4Z1 zeolite surface causes an increase in the reaction rate of toluene oxidation, confirming the role of Lewis acid sites during the catalytic ozonation of toluene at room temperature. Lewis acid sites decompose gaseous ozone into atomic oxygen, which reacts with the adsorbed toluene at Brønsted acid sites. On the other hand, no significant contribution of Brønsted acid sites on the reaction rate was registered when NH4Z1 and 2NH4Z1 zeolite samples were used.
Host-Guest Engineering of Layered Double Hydroxides towards Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reaction: Recent Advances and Perspectives
Authors: Li Jianming , Jiang Shan , Shao Mingfei , Wei Min
Published: May 2018

Electrochemical water splitting has great potential in the storage of intermittent energy from the sun, wind, or other renewable sources for sustainable clean energy applications. However, the anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) usually determines the efficiency of practical water electrolysis due to its sluggish four-electron process. Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) have attracted increasing attention as one of the ideal and promising electrocatalysts for water oxidation due to their excellent activity, high stability in basic conditions, as well as their earth-abundant compositions. In this review, we discuss the recent progress on LDH-based OER electrocatalysts in terms of active sites, host-guest engineering, and catalytic performances. Moreover, further developments and challenges in developing promising electrocatalysts based on LDHs are discussed from the viewpoint of molecular design and engineering.
A Multiple Legs Inverter with Real Time–Reflected Load Detection Used in the Dynamic Wireless Charging System of Electric Vehicles
Authors: Tian Yong , Tian Jindong , Li Dong , Zhou Shijie
Published: May 2018

Dynamic wireless power transfer is a potentially effective method to solve issues related to the range anxiety of electric vehicles (EVs) and reduce the cost of on-board batteries. A novel multiple legs inverter topology with a reflected load identification method for dynamic EV charging is proposed in this paper. In the proposed circuit topology, several inductor-capacitor-capacitor (LCC) reactive power compensation resonant networks and primary pads are selectively excited through a sole primary converter. Besides, a high-response and simple method for the reflected load identification is proposed to rapidly and precisely detect the EV’s position, providing accurate power regulation reference to the converter. With the proposed method, the system can realize high-response and closed-loop power control precisely without any additional wireless communication and position detection devices. Simulation and experimental results verified the efficiency of the proposed scheme. Additionally, the cost comparison results reveal that the proposed scheme could reduce costs by nearly 78% in comparison with the conventional scheme.
An Active Defense Model with Low Power Consumption and Deviation for Wireless Sensor Networks Utilizing Evolutionary Game Theory
Authors: Al-Jaoufi Mohammed Ahmed Ahmed , Liu Yun , Zhang Zhenjiang
Published: May 2018

In wireless sensors networks, nodes may be easily captured and act non-cooperatively, for example by not defending forwarding packets in response to their own limited resources. If most of these nodes are obtained by attackers, and an attack by an internal malicious node occurs, the entire network will be paralyzed and not be able to provide normal service. Low power consumption indicates that the rational sensor nodes tend to be very close to the mean; high power consumption indicates that the rational sensor nodes are spread out over a large range of values. This paper offers an active defense model for wireless sensor networks based on evolutionary game theory. We use evolutionary game theory to analyze the reliability and stability of a wireless sensor network with malicious nodes. Adding a defense model into the strategy space of the rational nodes and establishing a preventive mechanism forces the malicious node to abandon the attack and even switch to cooperative strategies. Thus, this paper argues that the stability and reliability of wireless sensor networks can be improved. Numerical experiments were conducted to evaluate the proposed defense model, and these results verified our conclusions based on a theoretical analysis that showed that, compared with the existing algorithms, our approach has lower energy consumption, lower deviation, and a higher probability to quickly switch each node to cooperative strategies.
How Forest Gap and Elevation Shaped Abies faxoniana Rehd. et Wils. Regeneration in a Subalpine Coniferous Forest, Southwestern China
Authors: Chen Li , Liu Guohua , Liu Dan
Published: May 2018

Focusing on the underlying ecological mechanisms of dominant species regeneration in forest gaps at a landscape scale can provide detailed understanding for gap-based forest management. The individual effects of forest gaps or elevation on the regeneration of Abies faxoniana Rehd. et Wils. are well known, although elucidating how gap characteristics and elevation concurrently influence regeneration remains an important challenge. In this paper, we present an explorative study using structural equation models (SEMs) to assess the direct and indirect effects of forest gaps and elevation on Abies faxoniana Rehd. et Wils. regeneration. Four of the predicted SEMs showed the following results: (1) Temperature, photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), soil total carbon, gap openness, shrub layer cover, herb layer cover, and moss layer thickness in forest gaps were associated with Abies faxoniana regeneration along an elevation gradient in subalpine coniferous forest. (2) Elevation had a generally negative and indirect effect on Abies faxoniana regeneration. Forest gaps positively affected regeneration when compared with non-gap plots and gap size was positively related to small tree regeneration density and the ratio of height to diameter at breast height (HD ratio) of the tallest Abies faxoniana small trees but was negatively related to Abies faxoniana sapling regeneration density. (3) In forest gaps, the Abies faxoniana sapling density and HD ratio of the tallest Abies faxoniana small trees were mainly indirectly influenced by elevation, and Abies faxoniana small tree regeneration density was directly associated with the dominance of the sapling regeneration density. In summary, Abies faxoniana regeneration was negatively and largely affected by elevation (total effect), although forest gaps enhanced Abies faxoniana regeneration by multiple pathways (direct and indirect effects).