bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Possessor dissension: Agreement mismatch in Ngumpin-Yapa possessive constructions
Authors: Meakins Felicity , Nordlinger Rachel
Published: July 2017

In this article we describe a possessive construction in the Ngumpin-Yapa languages of Australia which has interesting implications for crosslinguistic models of agreement. In this “possessor dissension” construction, the possessor NP remains a modifier within the larger possessive NP, yet both the possessor and the possessum are cross-referenced with clause-level agreement morphology. Thus, there is a type of morphosyntactic disagreement (or dissension) between the syntactic position of the possessor as an NP-internal argument and its being agreed with at the clausal level as if it were a clausal argument. This phenomenon has had only limited mention in the typological literature, and has not previously been discussed for Australian languages. We discuss the properties of the construction, how it can be distinguished from other related construction types, and its implications for the typology of agreement.
PbS nanopowder – synthesis, characterization and antimicrobial activity
Authors: Suganya M. , Balu A.R.
Published: July 2017

Lead sulphide (PbS) nanopowder was synthesized by a simple soft chemical route using lead nitrate and thiourea as precursor salts. The as-synthesized nanopowder was characterized by XRD, SEM, EDX, FT-IR, PL, Raman and magnetic measurements. XRD studies reveal the polycrystalline nature of the powder. The powder exhibits face-centered cubic structure with a strong (2 0 0) preferential orientation. The presence of Pb and S in the powder is confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The peaks observed at 1112 cm-1 and at 606 cm-1 in the FT-IR spectrum are related to heteropolar diatomic molecules of PbS. The Raman peak shift at 173 cm-1 might have originated from the combination of longitudinal and transverse acoustic phonon modes associated with PbS crystal. The M-H loop confirms the paramagnetic nature of the as-synthesized PbS nanopowder. The nanopowder has significant antimicrobial activity against certain bacteria and fungi strains which make it suitable as antimicrobial agent against pathogenic microorganisms.
All-polymer whispering gallery mode sensor for application in optofluidics
Authors: Petermann Ann Britt , Roth Bernhard , Morgner Uwe , Meinhardt-Wollweber Merve
Published: July 2017

Microcavities such as spheres or rings are resonant optical sensors which support whispering gallery modes (WGMs). In recent years WGM based sensors have been continuously improved with respect to sensitivity and detection limit. The conventional method to measure physical as well as biological quantities using WGMs is to record the resonance shift of a single resonator. To ensure high sensitivity, resonators with high quality factors, expensive ultra narrow-line width tunable laser systems, and piezoelectric positioning are necessary. All these requirements hamper operation beyond the laboratory environment. To overcome these limitations in previous work we presented a small and completely polymer based measurement system. We use an array of microspheres with slightly different diameters, taking advantage of the fact that every single microsphere has a different resonance behaviour. Using many spheres instead of a single one relieves the high demands on resonator quality and allows using inexpensive polymer spheres instead of high quality resonators. Here we show, that a fixation of the spheres makes the device more robust with the result that the sensor is well suited for the determination of an unknown wavelength under different environmental conditions, for example in aqueous environment. This offers the possibility to use the sensor in microfluidics in the future.
Light Shaping with Holography, GPC and Holo-GPC
Authors: Bañas Andrew , Glückstad Jesper
Published: July 2017

Light shaping techniques based on phase-only modulation offer multiple advantages over amplitude modulation. This review examines and compares the merits of two phase modulation techniques; phase-only computer generated holography and Generalized Phase Contrast (GPC). Both techniques are briefly presented while recent developments in GPC will also be covered. Furthermore, novel hybrid schemes that inherit merits from both holography and GPC are also covered. In particular, our most recent technique coined “Holo-GPC” will be discussed in addition to earlier hybrid techniques. We will discuss how Holo-GPC utilizes the simplicity of GPC in forming well-defined speckle-free shapes and the versatility of holography in distributing these shaped beams over an extended 3D volume. To conclude, we cite applications where the combined strengths of the two photon-efficient phase-only light shaping techniques open new possibilities.
Plasmonic Nanocavities-based Aperiodic crystal for Protein-Protein Recognition SERS sensors
Authors: Rippa M. , Castagna R. , Pannico M. , Musto P. , Bobeico E. , Zhou J. , Petti L.
Published: July 2017

The revelation of protein-protein interactions is one of the main preoccupations in the field of proteomics. Nanoplasmonics has emerged as an attractive surface-based technique because of its ability to sense protein binding under physiological conditions in a label-free manner. Here, we present a detailed experimental study of the use of aperiodic photonic nanocavities for plasmonic Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) protein detection and recognition. The plasmonic crystal is designed on a 2D Thue-Morse array configuration. The SERS nanosensor is coated with a proper self-assembled monolayer to covalently bind Bovine Serum Albumin that is a well known model to study biological (specifically, protein) systems. The performance of the nanosensor is assessed by recording a new Raman (SERS) peak in the fingerprint region and by a giant enhancement of the SERS signal intensity, both reported and discussed.
Utilization of agroindustrial waste for biosurfactant production by native bacteria from chiapas
Authors: Yañez-Ocampo Gustavo , Somoza-Coutiño Gilberto , Blanco-González Cristina , Wong-Villarreal Arnoldo
Published: July 2017

In this work, two agro-industrial wastes, namely Waste Cooking Oil (WCO) and Coffee Wastewater (CW) have been used as the carbon source for the production of biosurfactants, due to their low cost and high availability. Biosurfactant-producing bacterial isolates from the Mexican state of Chiapas were used. The selected biosurfactant-producer strains were evaluated in a liquid medium with 2% (v/v) of WCO as the carbon source. The assay was conducted in an Erlenmeyer flask containing 300 mL aliquots of mineral salt media (MSM) + residue and incubated at 100 rpm at room temperature for 96 hours. The biosurfactant produced in the samples reduced the surface tension from 50 to 30-29 mN/m. Strains A and 83 showed the maximum emulsification index at 58-59%. Strain A showed the highest biosurfactant yield with a production of 3.7 g/L in comparison with strains B, 83 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC27853. Our results suggest that the biosurfactant produced by strain A has great potential in the treatment of wastewater with a high content of fatty acids, and of soils contaminated by pesticides or oil hydrocarbons.
Roots, Tubers and Bananas: Planning and research for climate resilience
Authors: Thiele Graham , Khan Awais , Heider Bettina , Kroschel Jürgen , Harahagazwe Dieudonné , Andrade Maria , Bonierbale Merideth , Friedmann Michael , Gemenet Dorcus , Cherinet Mihiretu , Quiroz Roberto , Faye Emile , Dangles Olivier
Published: July 2017

The CGIAR Research Program (CRP) on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB) includes vegetatively propagated staple crops linked by common breeding, seed, and postharvest issues, and by the frequency with which women are involved in their production and use. RTB crops are the backbone of food security across the humid tropics in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and in more localized areas of Asia and Latin America. Around 300 million poor people in developing countries currently depend on RTB value chains for food security, nutrition and income. Climate change poses challenges which could undo progress in poverty reduction and markedly increase food insecurity. This article examines planning and research for climate resilience across RTB crops, with a particular focus on the contrasting potato and sweet potato cases in SSA. A six-step framework for climatesmart breeding is proposed: (1) downscaling climate change models and crop modeling; (2) identifying and understanding key climate change responsive traits; (3) breeding and varietal selection; (4) phenotyping and genomic research to accelerate gains; (5) developing management options for climate-smart varieties; and (6) deployment (seed systems). In summary, climate-smart breeding means we need to do what we already do but faster, better, and smarter.
Gender-sensitive Value Chain Intervention Improved Profit Efficiency among Orange-fleshed Sweetpotato Producers in Rwanda
Authors: Bocher Temesgen , Low Jan W. , Sindi Kirimi , Rajendran Srinivasulu
Published: July 2017

The Rwanda Super Foods project sought to develop a value chain for processed orange-fleshed sweetpotato products to respond to farmer concerns over lack of markets. This study used data collected from five districts in rural Rwanda under supper food project between August and September 2014. The study applied a stochastic profit frontier model to data collected from 846 households growing sweetpotato, among which 327 were value chain participants; 312 were “spillover” households that received planting material from participant households, and the remainder control households with no project links. Results showed that average level of profit efficiency in sweetpotato production systems is 55%; suggesting that an estimated 45% of profit is lost due to the combined effect of technical, allocative and scale inefficiency. The profit efficiency of participant households was 64% compared to 20% of the control households. Moreover, the profit efficiency of the female beneficiary, female spillover, and male beneficiary households was found to be 55%, 70%, and 90% against 17% for male control households, respectively. Findings suggest that an orange-fleshed sweetpotato based value chain intervention can enhance the profit efficiency of the poor and disadvantageous households, if designed with special attention to women’s needs. Thus, polices and programs aiming at improving the livelihood of smallholder should be designed targeting women and resource poor.
The Visegrád Group – A Rising Star Post-Brexit? Changing Distribution of Power in the European Council
Authors: Göllner Ralf Thomas
Published: July 2017

The portmanteau Brexit describes the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) which will cause a shift of power in the European institutions. The departure of one of the largest EU members will affect the voting power of member countries in the European Council significantly. This Council is the central hub of political decision making in the EU, defining the overall political direction and priorities and setting the policy agenda for the entirety of the EU. Using the Banzhaf power index, we have measured the voting power before and after the Brexit and analyzed the increasing power of the members of the Visegrád Group compared to other European states. We have found that there is growth in the voting power of all Visegrád states, with Poland experiencing the biggest increase. However, the extent by which the Visegrád Group will profit from this statistically growing power depends on the coordination of their voting behavior in the future.
A Place of Encounter with a Divine. Heidegger on the Spatiality of Religious Experience
Authors: Nitsche Martin
Published: July 2017

The paper explores how different models of space articulate the nature of religious experience. Analyses are focused primarily on Heidegger’s phenomenology. Throughout his work, three models of space are determined: an opened, an empty, and a topological space. According to these models, there are three types of sacred places, that is, places of encounter with Divine: 1. a sacred place defined by coordinates materialized in a sacred building or symbolized by a cultic procedure; 2. a negative place, a place of a negative form of encounter; 3. a place as a path-mark, defined by a transitive (wayfaring) involvement into a lived environment.
Method vs. form – an attempt to classify cartographic presentation methods
Authors: Mazur Marcin
Published: July 2017

The author of the article discusses the subject of terminology in the field of cartographic methodology. The general purpose is to propose an internally consistent system of concepts which allows classification of cartographic presentation methods based on unambiguous criteria. For this purpose, in the article the concept of presentation method and the concept of presentation form were differentiated, the cartographic presentation method was divided into stages, and possible data transformation and visualization aspects during application of a method were specified. Then, review of the previous classifications of cartographic presentation methods was conducted which allows differentiation of two fundamental approaches to classification and comparison of the applied criteria. On this basis, the author’s classification of cartographic presentation methods was suggested in which three qualitative and four quantitative methods were differentiated. It constitutes a compromise between accepting unambiguous criteria and the possibility to differentiate methods fixed in cartographic convention.
Evaluation of selected maps used in early school education in Poland and proposal of a new solution
Authors: Słomska Katarzyna
Published: July 2017

The author presents criteria of evaluation and assumption for early school education maps. Attention was payed to needs and perceptual possibilities of map users and cartographic correctness of maps. Main criteria of map evaluation – content and form of a map – have their unique attributes. In case of the first criterion they are accuracy and currency, classification of content and usability. Second criterion consist of: composition, colours, labels on the map and readability. Materials commissioned by Ministry of National Education were evaluated on the said criteria basis. Evaluation of maps for early school education revealed their flaws, among which absence of a scale can be named. Afterwards assumptions were developed and used to prepare own proposal of a map. Achieving maximum readability was a priority. Other assumptions concerned graphic balance, classification and hierarchy of content, simplicity of elaboration, usage of readable typefaces and adjustment of transmission to the age of users.
Geological content on maps and in accompanying texts developed until the end of the 18th century
Authors: Szaniawska Lucyna
Published: July 2017

For many centuries on general geographical maps and early maritime maps geological information was rarely included. The map of the Wadi Hammamat valley, the Borgia world map, the Catalan world map and Carta de nauigar per le Isole nouamente... portolan chart were indicated as examples. Places where minerals occurred were presented mainly using textual descriptions.

Among Renaissance maps and later maps published before the second half of the 18th century, the map of the Kingdom of Bavaria by Philipp Apian and the map of the Duchy of Świdnica in Silesia by Johann Wieland and Matthaus Schubart were discussed as examples. Distribution of raw materials and places of their extraction were shown using simple geometric signs with graphic characteristics for a given period.

Mineralogical maps published in the second half of the 18th century were described based on the example of maps by Jean-Étienne Guettard and Johann Jirasek. Their content was compared with the texts accompanying them, developed under patronage of the contemporary scientific institutions and relevant methods of geological information presentation were described. From the late Renaissance symbols signifying extraction sites of raw materials had simplified and rather random shapes which indicates ‘unhurried’ development of cartographic methods on geological maps.
Classifying BCI signals from novice users with extreme learning machine
Authors: Rodríguez-Bermúdez Germán , Bueno-Crespo Andrés , José Martinez-Albaladejo F.
Published: July 2017

Brain computer interface (BCI) allows to control external devices only with the electrical activity of the brain. In order to improve the system, several approaches have been proposed. However it is usual to test algorithms with standard BCI signals from experts users or from repositories available on Internet. In this work, extreme learning machine (ELM) has been tested with signals from 5 novel users to compare with standard classification algorithms. Experimental results show that ELM is a suitable method to classify electroencephalogram signals from novice users.
Privacy-Preserving Computation with Trusted Computing via Scramble-then-Compute
Authors: Dang Hung , Dinh Tien Tuan Anh , Chang Ee-Chien , Ooi Beng Chin
Published: July 2017

We consider privacy-preserving computation of big data using trusted computing primitives with limited private memory. Simply ensuring that the data remains encrypted outside the trusted computing environment is insufficient to preserve data privacy, for data movement observed during computation could leak information. While it is possible to thwart such leakage using generic solution such as ORAM [42], designing efficient privacy-preserving algorithms is challenging. Besides computation efficiency, it is critical to keep trusted code bases lean, for large ones are unwieldy to vet and verify. In this paper, we advocate a simple approach wherein many basic algorithms (e.g., sorting) can be made privacy-preserving by adding a step that securely scrambles the data before feeding it to the original algorithms. We call this approachScramble-then-Compute(StC), and give a sufficient condition whereby existing external memory algorithms can be made privacy-preserving via StC. This approach facilitates code-reuse, and its simplicity contributes to a smaller trusted code base. It is also general, allowing algorithm designers to leverage an extensive body of known efficient algorithms for better performance. Our experiments show that StC could offer up to 4.1× speedups over known, application-specific alternatives.
SeaGlass: Enabling City-Wide IMSI-Catcher Detection
Authors: Ney Peter , Smith Ian , Cadamuro Gabriel , Kohno Tadayoshi
Published: July 2017

Cell-site simulators, also known as IMSI-catchers and stingrays, are used around the world by governments and criminals to track and eavesdrop on cell phones. Despite extensive public debate surrounding their use, few hard facts about them are available. For example, the richest sources of information on U.S. government cell-site simulator usage are from anonymous leaks, public records requests, and court proceedings. This lack of concrete information and the difficulty of independently obtaining such information hampers the public discussion. To address this deficiency, we build, deploy, and evaluate SeaGlass, a city-wide cellsite simulator detection network. SeaGlass consists of sensors that measure and upload data on the cellular environment to find the signatures of portable cell-site simulators. SeaGlass sensors are designed to be robust, low-maintenance, and deployable in vehicles for long durations. The data they generate is used to learn a city’s network properties to find anomalies consistent with cell-site simulators. We installed SeaGlass sensors into 15 ridesharing vehicles across two cities, collecting two months of data in each city. Using this data, we evaluate the system and show how SeaGlass can be used to detect signatures of portable cell-site simulators. Finally, we evaluate our signature detection methods and discuss anomalies discovered in the data.
Why can’t users choose their identity providers on the web?
Authors: Corre Kevin , Barais Olivier , Sunyé Gerson , Frey Vincent , Crom Jean-Michel
Published: July 2017

Authentication delegation is a major function of the modern web. Identity Providers (IdP) acquired a central role by providing this function to other web services. By knowing which web services or web applications access its service, an IdP can violate the enduser privacy by discovering information that the user did not want to share with its IdP. For instance, WebRTC introduces a new field of usage as authentication delegation happens during the call session establishment, between two users. As a result, an IdP can easily discover that Bob has a meeting with Alice. A second issue that increases the privacy violation is the lack of choice for the end-user to select its own IdP. Indeed, on many web-applications, the end-user can only select between a subset of IdPs, in most cases Facebook or Google. In this paper, we analyze this phenomena, in particular why the end-user cannot easily select its preferred IdP, though there exists standards in this field such as OpenID Connect and OAuth 2? To lead this analysis, we conduct three investigations. The first one is a field survey on OAuth 2 and OpenID Connect scope usage by web sites to understand if scopes requested by websites could allow for user defined IdPs. The second one tries to understand whether the problem comes from the OAuth 2 protocol or its implementations by IdP. The last one tries to understand if trust relations between websites and IdP could prevent the end user to select its own IdP. Finally, we sketch possible architecture for web browser based identity management, and report on the implementation of a prototype.
A Usability Evaluation of Tor Launcher
Authors: Lee Linda , Fifield David , Malkin Nathan , Iyer Ganesh , Egelman Serge , Wagner David
Published: July 2017

Although Tor has state-of-the art anticensorship measures, users in heavily censored environments will not be able to connect to Tor if they cannot configure their connections. We perform the first usability evaluation of Tor Launcher, the graphical user interface (GUI) that Tor Browser uses to configure connections to Tor. Our study shows that 79% (363 of 458) of user attempts to connect to Tor in simulated censored environments failed. We found that users were often frustrated during the process and tried options at random. In this paper, we measure potential usability issues, discuss design constraints unique to Tor, and provide recommendations based on what we learned to help more users connect to Tor while reducing the time they take to do so. Tor Browser incorporated the changes proposed by this study.
Privacy-Preserving Interdomain Routing at Internet Scale
Authors: Asharov Gilad , Demmler Daniel , Schapira Michael , Schneider Thomas , Segev Gil , Shenker Scott , Zohner Michael
Published: July 2017

The Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) computes routes between the organizational networks that make up today’s Internet. Unfortunately, BGP suffers from deficiencies, including slow convergence, security problems, a lack of innovation, and the leakage of sensitive information about domains’ routing preferences. To overcome some of these problems, we revisit the idea of centralizing and using secure multi-party computation (MPC) for interdomain routing which was proposed by Gupta et al. (ACM HotNets’12). We implement two algorithms for interdomain routing with state-of-the-art MPC protocols. On an empirically derived dataset that approximates the topology of today’s Internet (55 809 nodes), our protocols take as little as 6 s of topology-independent precomputation and only 3 s of online time. We show, moreover, that when our MPC approach is applied at country/region-level scale, runtimes can be as low as 0.17 s online time and 0.20 s pre-computation time. Our results motivate the MPC approach for interdomain routing and furthermore demonstrate that current MPC techniques are capable of efficiently tackling real-world problems at a large scale.
A Leakage-Abuse Attack Against Multi-User Searchable Encryption
Authors: Van Rompay Cédric , Molva Refik , Önen Melek
Published: July 2017

Searchable Encryption (SE) allows a user to upload data to the cloud and to search it in a remote fashion while preserving the privacy of both the data and the queries. Recent research results describe attacks on SE schemes using the access pattern, denoting the ids of documents matching search queries, which most SE schemes reveal during query processing. However SE schemes usually leak more than just the access pattern, and this extra leakage can lead to attacks (much) more harmful than the ones using basic access pattern leakage only. We remark that in the special case of Multi-User Searchable Encryption (MUSE), where many users upload and search data in a cloud-based infrastructure, a large number of existing solutions have a common leakage in addition to the well-studied access pattern leakage. We show that this seemingly small extra leakage allows a very simple yet powerful attack, and that the privacy degree of the affected schemes have been overestimated. We also show that this new vulnerability affects existing software. Finally we formalize the newly identified leakage profile and show how it relates to previously defined ones.
DataLair: Efficient Block Storage with Plausible Deniability against Multi-Snapshot Adversaries
Authors: Chakraborti Anrin , Chen Chen , Sion Radu
Published: July 2017

Sensitive information is present on our phones, disks, watches and computers. Its protection is essential. Plausible deniability of stored data allows individuals to deny that their device contains a piece of sensitive information. This constitutes a key tool in the fight against oppressive governments and censorship. Unfortunately, existing solutions, such as the now defunct TrueCrypt [5], can defend only against an adversary that can access a user’s device at most once (“single-snapshot adversary”). Recent solutions have traded significant performance overheads for the ability to handle more powerful adversaries able to access the device at multiple points in time (“multi-snapshot adversary”). In this paper we show that this sacrifice is not necessary. We introduce and build DataLair1, a practical plausible deniability mechanism. When compared with existing approaches, DataLair is two orders of magnitude faster for public data accesses, and 5 times faster for hidden data accesses. An important component in DataLair is a new write-only ORAM construction which improves on the complexity of the state of the art write-only ORAM by a factor of O(logN), where N denotes the underlying storage disk size.
Mast cells in neuropathic pain: an increasing spectrum of their involvement in pathophysiology
Authors: Kaur Gunjanpreet , Singh Nirmal , Jaggi Amteshwar Singh
Published: July 2017

Mast cells are immunological cells that are diversely distributed in different parts of the body. Their role in various pathological conditions such as hypersensitivity, atherosclerosis, pulmonary hypertension, and male infertility has been reported by different scientists. Apart from these, a number of studies have shown their important role in pathogenesis of neuropathic pain of diverse aetiology. They have been found to release active mediators, primarily histamine and serotonin on degranulation in response to different stimuli including chemical, nerve damage, toxin or disease-related conditions. The mast cells stabilizer has shown pain attenuating effects by preventing degranulation of mast cells. Similarly, compound 48/80 (first dose 200 μg/100 g and after 6-h interval, second dose of 500 μg/100 g) caused the degranulation of the accumulated endoneurial histamine and 5-HT antagonists have shown pain relieving effects by attenuating the effects of histamine and serotonin, respectively. On the other hand, the mast cell degranulator compound 48/80 has shown dual action depending on its time of administration. The present review discusses the critical role of mast cells in the generation and maintenance of neuropathic pain in experimental models.
Sin Í an Cheist a Chuireas Orm Féin: Modern Irish Presentative Constructions
Authors: Eshel Orit
Published: July 2017

This article surveys two types of Modern Irish presentative constructions. These constructions open with a presentative element and introduce an NP (entity) or a nexus (a situation or an event involving an entity) into the discourse. I describe the constructions’ poetic functions in literary narratives by Pádraic Ó Conaire (1882-1928). The first type of presentative construction opens with one of the deictic-presentative elements seo ‘here’, sin ‘there’ or siúd ‘yonder’. The second type of presentative construction features as a presentative element of various forms of perception and cognition verbs, such as d’fheicfeá ‘you’d see’ and shílfeá ‘you’d think’. Presentative constructions in literary narrative are used in several functions: expression of a point of view, either the narrator’s or that of a character, scene-setting, explication, and signalling boundaries in the text in varying degrees of cohesion and delimitation. The latter is also used to ‘sudden effect’, adding drama and speeding up story time.
On the effect of heterogeneity on flocking behavior and systemic risk
Authors: Fang Fei , Sun Yiwei , Spiliopoulos Konstantinos
Published: July 2017

The goal of this paper is to study organized flocking behavior and systemic risk in heterogeneous mean-field interacting diffusions. We illustrate in a number of case studies the effect of heterogeneity in the behavior of systemic risk in the system, i.e., the risk that several agents default simultaneously as a result of interconnections. We also investigate the effect of heterogeneity on the “flocking behavior” of different agents, i.e., when agents with different dynamics end up following very similar paths and follow closely the mean behavior of the system. Using Laplace asymptotics,
we derive an asymptotic formula for the tail of the loss distribution as the number of agents grows to infinity. This characterizes the tail of the loss distribution and the effect of the heterogeneity of the network on the tail loss probability.
Effect of the Existence of Brownfields on Selected Item Expenditure of Municipal Budgets
Authors: Endel Stanislav , Wernerová Eva , Kuda František
Published: July 2017

The existence of brownfields in an area results in a number of problems. Among others, economic problems are often mentioned. They are mainly connected with negative influence on urban economics, i.e. the total cost of construction and operation of the city. These increased costs are then naturally reflected in the budgets of municipalities burdened by the existence of brownfields. This paper presents the individual items of municipal budgets, which can be influenced by the existence of brownfields, and then examines on a practical example of six Czech towns whether any functional dependence can be found between these items and a number of brownfields in the municipalities.
Calculation of Impact of Construction Investment to the Public Infrastructure
Authors: Ferko Martin , Česelský Jan , Proske Zbyněk
Published: July 2017

The paper shortly introduces and describes a computational model that illustrates the impact of land development construction investment in the form of creating new needs for public infrastructure and community facilities in the territory. New construction investment may also initiate other construction investment, which also increases the demands on ensuring the capacity of public infrastructure. For public administration (local and regional), the created model can facilitate preparation, decision-making and management of public investment in the territory while respecting the 3E principle.
Influence of Temperature on Workability and Compressive Strength of Ordinary Concrete with High Calcium Fly Ash
Authors: Gołaszewski Jacek , Ponikiewski Tomasz , Cygan Grzegorz
Published: July 2017

The rheological properties of fresh ordinary concrete are closely affected by temperature and time. The paper presents the study of consistency of fresh concrete mixtures made with Portland cement and cement with calcareous fly ash. Two types of admixtures were used. It was proven that the temperature has a clear effect on workability and compressive strength concrete. Influence on workability can be reduced by selecting the appropriate superplasticizer and cement.
Influence of Horizontal Seismic Excitation on Tank – Fluid – Soil Seismic Interaction
Authors: Kotrasová Kamila
Published: July 2017

Ground-supported tanks are used to store a variety of liquids. During the earthquake activity the liquid exerts impulsive and convective effects. This paper provides theoretical background for hydrodynamic pressure that is being developing during an earthquake in the liquid storage ground-supported rectangular container – the endlessly long shipping channel, is grounded on hard soil or sub-soil.
Nonlinear Analysis of the Hermetic Postament Safety During Technology Accident in the Nuclear Power Plant
Authors: Králik Juraj
Published: July 2017

This paper describes the nonlinear analysis of the nuclear power plant (NPP) postament safety under a high internal overpressure and temperature. The scenario of the hard accident in NPP and the methodology of the calculation of the safety of the technology segments are presented. The elastoplastic behavior of steel material dependent on temperature was considered in software ANSYS. The safety analysis of the original and upgraded postament structure is described here.
Analysis of Partial Factors for New EN 1990 Basis of Design
Authors: Marková Jana
Published: July 2017

Presently the new generation of Eurocodes is under development. It is expected that the basis of structural design given in current EN 1990 will be considerably revised including the format for load combinations in the Ultimate Limit States and new categorisation of consequence classes for construction works. It is expected that the partial factors for self-weight of structural members could be reduced and factors for variable loads more differentiated. Calibration of partial factors should be performed for actions and materials including also structural glass and FRP polymers.
Calculation of Characteristics Describing the Properties of Dynamical Systems
Authors: Melcer Jozef , Kuchárová Daniela , Kúdelčíková Mária
Published: July 2017

There are characteristics that uniquely define the properties of dynamical systems from the point of its dynamical response. For example, natural frequencies and natural modes or frequency response functions can be assigned to these characteristics. Determination of these characteristics is fixed on the selection of computational model and on the means of structure excitation. This contribution discusses about analysis of such characteristics.
Shape and Size of Initial Geometrical Imperfections of Structural Glass Members
Authors: Pešek Ondřej , Melcher Jindřich
Published: July 2017

In this paper measuring and determining of initial geometrical imperfections of set of glass members are presented. Measured specimens had the different dimensions and different composition – monolithic glass or laminated glass using different types of interlayer foils and glass panes. The shape of initial overall bow was measured using different methods and results were statistically evaluated and compared with allowable values defined in standards.
Mutual Comparison between the Two Computational Models of Interaction System Vehicle-Pavement
Authors: Valašková Veronika , Melcer Jozef
Published: July 2017

Dynamic interaction between vehicle and pavement is a current problem which is solving in many workplaces around the world. This article is focused on the interaction model creation and principles of the solution for two numerical models. Numerical models of the interaction system vehicle-pavement were constructed in the computer software ADINA, which is based on the Finite Element Method.
Supplemental Exercises for Core Stability Which Utilize the Concept of Parametric Oscillation in the Hammer Throw
Authors: Murofushi Koji , Babbitt Donald , Ohta Ken
Published: July 2017

TRAINING FOR THE HAMMER THROW HAS TRADITIONALLY BEEN SEPARATED INTO 2 PARTS. THE PRIMARY TRAINING METHOD IS THROWING OF THE HAMMER, WHEREAS THE SECONDARY/SUPPLEMENTARY METHOD INVOLVES VARIOUS STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING EXERCISES TO IMPROVE THE ATHLETE'S FITNESS LEVELS FOR THROWING PERFORMANCE. THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SPECIAL STABILITY EXERCISES IN THE WEIGHT ROOM THAT USE THE PRINCIPLE OF PARAMETRIC OSCILLATION FOUND IN THE HAMMER THROW MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO ENHANCE STABILIZATION SKILLS THAT MAY POTENTIALLY OPTIMIZE HAMMER THROWING PERFORMANCE. THESE ADVANCED MIDSECTION EXERCISES ALSO MIGHT PLAY A ROLE IN INJURY PREVENTION. FOR A VIDEO ABSTRACT OF THIS ARTICLE SEE SUPPLEMENTAL DIGITAL CONTENT 1 (SEE VIDEO, HTTP://LINKS.LWW.COM/SCJ/A206).
Managing Performance Throughout Periods of Travel
Authors: Williams Biju , Clarke Richard , Aspe Rodrigo , Cole Matthew , Hughes Jonathan
Published: July 2017

UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF TRAVEL ON PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE IS AN INCREASING AREA OF INTEREST FOR THE STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING PRACTITIONER. PREVIOUS RESEARCH SURROUNDING THE EFFECT OF TRAVEL ON THE PHYSIOLOGY OF AN ATHLETE HAS FOCUSED ON SLEEP. OF CONCERN TO COACHES AND ATHLETES ARE STRATEGIES TO HELP ATTENUATE ANY DETRIMENTAL IMPACT OF TRAVEL ON SUBSEQUENT PERFORMANCE. THE AIM OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO PROVIDE INFORMATIVE PRACTICAL GUIDELINES FOR BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER TRAVEL THAT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED BY COACHES AND ATHLETES. THE KEY COPING STRATEGIES ADDRESSED INCLUDE TIMED LIGHT EXPOSURE; MANAGING SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND NUTRITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
Aging Does Not Affect Axon Initial Segment Structure and Somatic Localization of Tau Protein in Hippocampal Neurons of Fischer 344 Rats
Authors: Kneynsberg Andrew , Kanaan Nicholas M.
Published: July 2017

Little is known about the specific contributions of aging to the neuron dysfunction and death in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). AD is characterized by the pathological accumulation of abnormal tau (a microtubule-associated protein), and the mislocalization of tau from the axon to the somatodendritic compartment is thought to play an important role in disease pathogenesis. The axon initial segment (AIS) is thought to play a role in the selective localization of tau in the axonal compartment. Thus, disruption in the AIS barrier may allow tau to diffuse freely back into the somatodendritic compartment and potentially lead to neurotoxicity. Here, we analyzed AISs using stereological methods and protein immunoblotting, and the localization of tau was assessed with immunofluorescence optical density measurements and protein immunoblotting. None of the outcome measurements assessed, including AIS structure, AIS protein levels, the distribution of tau in neurons of the hippocampus (HP), and total tau or phospho-tau protein levels were different in young, middle-, and old-age Fischer 344 rats. The outcome measurements assessed, including AIS structure, AIS protein levels, the distribution of tau in neurons of the HP, and total tau or phospho-tau protein levels were not different in young, middle-, and old-age Fischer 344 rats, with the exception of a small reduction in AIS volume and diameter in the CA2 region of aged animals. These data suggest that aging largely has no effect on these properties of the AIS or tau distribution, and thus, may not contribute directly to tau mislocalization.
Interação entre projetil de arma de fogo e superfícies de vidro
Authors: Dal Magro Amanda Balbinotto , Kraemer Airton Carlos
Published: July 2017

O presente trabalho visa estudar a interação entre projetil de arma de fogo e superfícies de vidro possibilitando estabelecer o sentido e a sequência dos disparos realizados, através de uma revisão bibliográfica com artigos diversos. A balística forense estuda a arma de fogo e os efeitos provocados pelos projeteis expelidos por ela. Existem métodos que podem auxiliar o perito a descobrir se determinada arma de fogo foi utilizada para efetuar um disparo. Os efeitos provocados por estes projeteis em seu alvo podem ajudar a solucionar alguns crimes, como por exemplo, afirmar que uma arma foi utilizada em determinado delito, a posição do atirador, entre outros. Entre os efeitos produzidos em alguns alvos, encontramos os efeitos provocados por projeteis em superfícies de vidro, os quais são importantes para se saber qual a trajetória realizada por este projetil e em caso de diversos disparos, qual a ordem cronológica deles. Ao final desta pesquisa, após o estudo de todas as características deixadas na cena do crime por projeteis de arma de fogo nas superfícies de vidro, mais especificamente em vidros de automóveis, percebe-se a importância de cada detalhe, pois eles nos levam a identificar a dinâmica do evento.
Contínua evolução da RBC: um obrigado a todos os colaboradores!
Authors: Telles Bruno , Dias Filho Claudemir Rodrigues , Gomes Juliano de Andrade
Published: July 2017

Desde o seu nascimento, a RBC prima pela divulgação do conhecimento pericial tecnicamente validado e pela discussão de novos métodos e de casos. É o caminho que há de ser constantemente trilhado pelos profissionais da perícia para que não eivem seus laudos periciais e pareceres técnicos de vícios insanáveis cujas consequências seriam nefastas para a justiça. Não é à toa que o Corpo Editorial da RBC, com o imprescindível auxílio dos editores de sessão e dos avaliadores, não envida esforços na contínua evolução da revista em direção à qualidade. Prova disso é a permanente busca por indexação em vários meios e pela elevação dos índices de qualidade por qualificação externa. A RBC aparece no Latindex, no CrossRef, no Google Scholar, no Research Gate, no Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), no Electronic Journal Library (EZ3), no Scilit, no Diadorim, na ABEC Brasil, na Universitäts Bibliothek UBL Leipzig e na Qualis/CAPES.
Axitinib treatment in advanced RAI-resistant differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) and refractory medullary thyroid cancer (MTC)
Authors: Capdevila Jaume , Trigo José Manuel , Aller Javier , Manzano José Luís , Adrián Silvia García , Llopis Carles Zafón , Reig Òscar , Bohn Uriel , Cajal Teresa Ramón y , Duran-Poveda Manuel , Astorga Beatriz González , López-Alfonso Ana , Martínez Javier Medina , Porras Ignacio , Reina Juan Jose , Palacios Nuria , Grande Enrique , Cillán Elena , Matos Ignacio , Grau Juan Jose
Published: July 2017

Background

Axitinib, an antiangiogenic multikinase inhibitor (MKI), was evaluated in the compassionate use programme (CUP) in Spain (October 2012–November 2014).

Subjects and Methods

47 patients with advanced radioactive iodine (RAI)-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC, n = 34) or medullary thyroid cancer (MTC, n = 13) with documented disease progression were treated with axitinib 5 mg b.i.d. The primary efficacy endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) by Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST) v1.1. Progression-free survival (PFS) and adverse events (AEs) were secondary objectives. Regulatory authorities validated the CUP, and all patients signed informed consent form.

Results

Axitinib was administered as first-line therapy in 17 patients (36.2%), as second-line in 18 patients (38.3%) and as third/fourth-line in 12 patients (25.5%). With a median follow-up of 11.5 months (0–24.3), ORR was 27.7% (DTC: 29.4% and MTC: 23.1%) and median PFS was 8.1 months (95% CI: 4.1–12.2) (DTC: 7.4 months (95% CI: 3.1–11.8) and MTC: 9.4 months (95% CI: 4.8–13.9)). Better outcomes were reported with first-line axitinib, with an ORR of 53% and a median PFS of 13.6 months compared with 16.7% and 10.6 months as second-line treatment. Twelve (25.5%) patients required dose reduction to 3 mg b.i.d. All-grade AEs included asthenia (53.2%), diarrhoea (36.2%), hypertension (31.9%) and mucositis (29.8%); grade 3/4 AEs included anorexia (6.4%), diarrhoea (4.3%) and cardiac toxicity (4.3%).

Conclusion

Axitinib had a tolerable safety profile and clinically meaningful activity in refractory and progressive thyroid cancer regardless of histology as first-line therapy. To our knowledge, this is the first time that cross-resistance between MKIs is suggested in thyroid cancer, highlighting the importance of prospective sequential clinical studies.
Effect of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation on puberty and estrus in mice offspring
Authors: Ding Jiahui , Tan Xiujuan , Song Kunkun , Ma Wenwen , Xiao Jing , Zhang Mingmin
Published: July 2017

Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) is widely used for the treatment of infertility, while the long-term effects of COH on the reproductive function in female offspring are currently unknown. Based on the fact that COH could cause high E2 levels in women throughout pregnancy and excess estrogenic exposure during fetal development is harmful to subsequent adult ovarian function, we assumed the hypothesis that COH disrupts reproductive function in female offspring. To test this hypothesis, COH was induced in mice to obtain female offspring by pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) and HCG, and then we evaluated pubertal transition, serum levels of E2, anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), FSH and LH, mRNA expressions ofEsr1,Amhr2,FshrandLhcgrin ovaries, number of follicles and ovarian histology. We also investigated the apoptosis of follicles by TUNEL; the mRNA expressions ofFas,FasL,Bax,Bcl2, and caspase 3, 8 and 9 by quantitative real-time PCR; and the protein expressions of cleaved-caspase (CASP) 3, 8 and 9 by Western blot. Moreover, we further observed estrous cyclicity in young adult offspring, performed follicle counting and measured the level of AMH in both serum and ovary. COH could induce detrimental pregnancy outcomes, as well as delayed pubertal transition and irregular estrous cycle due to the aberrant growth and maturation of follicles in female offspring. Our novel findings add new evidence to better understand the potential risks of COH on the reproductive function in female offspring, raising the awareness that COH could exert adverse effects on female offspring, rather than just obtain more oocytes for fertilization.
Early Hearing Detection and Vocabulary of Children With Hearing Loss
Authors: Yoshinaga-Itano Christine , Sedey Allison L. , Wiggin Mallene , Chung Winnie
Published: July 2017

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

To date, no studies have examined vocabulary outcomes of children meeting all 3 components of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) guidelines (hearing screening by 1 month, diagnosis of hearing loss by 3 months, and intervention by 6 months of age). The primary purpose of the current study was to examine the impact of the current EHDI 1-3-6 policy on vocabulary outcomes across a wide geographic area. A secondary goal was to confirm the impact of other demographic variables previously reported to be related to language outcomes.

METHODS:

This was a cross-sectional study of 448 children with bilateral hearing loss between 8 and 39 months of age (mean = 25.3 months, SD = 7.5 months). The children lived in 12 different states and were participating in the National Early Childhood Assessment Project.

RESULTS:

The combination of 6 factors in a regression analysis accounted for 41% of the variance in vocabulary outcomes. Vocabulary quotients were significantly higher for children who met the EHDI guidelines, were younger, had no additional disabilities, had mild to moderate hearing loss, had parents who were deaf or hard of hearing, and had mothers with higher levels of education.

CONCLUSIONS:

Vocabulary learning may be enhanced with system improvements that increase the number of children meeting the current early identification and intervention guidelines. In addition, intervention efforts need to focus on preventing widening delays with chronological age, assisting mothers with lower levels of education, and incorporating adults who are deaf/hard-of-hearing in the intervention process.