bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sustentabilidade: a produção científica brasileira Entre os anos de 2000 E 2009
Authors: Junqueira Luciano Prates , Pinheiro Fabiana Pereira , Maior João C. Souto
Published: August 2016

Este artigo tem por objetivo fazer um balanço da produção científica da área da administraçãode empresas sobre sustentabilidade, bem como verificar a sua temática predominante e quaisos autores e as respectivas instituições de ensino e de pesquisa brasileiras que se destacampelo volume de produções científicas publicadas assim como qual o perfil metodológico detais produções. Para tanto, foi feita uma revisão sistemática e avaliação critica das publicaçõesmais renomadas da área da Administração no Brasil do ano de 2000 até 2009, dentre elas a:Revista de Administração de Empresas (RAE), Revista de Administração Pública (RAP),Organizações & Sociedade (O&S), assim como os Anais do Encontro Anual da AssociaçãoNacional de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa em Administração (EnANPAD). Como resultado dapesquisa nota-se que o tema sustentabilidade ainda encontra-se em fase de evolução naspublicações pesquisadas e no EnANPAD. Foram analisados 106 artigos, sendo 27 nosperiódicos e 79 no EnANPAD. A análise desses dados revela que o comportamento daprodução científica analisada confirma as premissas do presente estudo, demonstrando que asustentabilidade ainda desperta interesse comedido dos autores nacionais.
Disfunção competitiva: análise do nível das lacunas (GAPS), pelo modelo SERVQUAL, em farmácias de manipulação em municípios do estado de São Paulo
Authors: Cukier Rubens , Da Costa Manuel Antonio Meireles
Published: August 2016

Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo investigar, pela aplicação do modelo SERVQUAL, o nível das lacunas (gaps) nos serviços oferecidos pelas farmácias de manipulação em municípios do estado de São Paulo. Trabalhou-se com uma amostra de 306 respondentes composta pelos proprietários, farmacêutico responsável e clientes relacionados a quinze farmácias de manipulação localizadas em Campo Limpo Paulista, Jundiaí, Valinhos e Vinhedo. Com este trabalho se buscou avaliar a dimensão de gaps referentes às disfunções competitiva, estratégica e operacional, verificando quais disfunções são significativas, e quais são os resultados do serviço prestado em relação aos fatores competitivos valorizados pelos clientes. A presente pesquisa lidou com dados qualitativos e quantitativos, o instrumento de coleta de dados foi um questionário do modelo validado como SERVQUAL, publicado por Parasuraman et al. (1988), destinado a medir a qualidade de serviço, composto das cinco dimensões: tangibilidade, confiabilidade, presteza, segurança e empatia. As técnicas de análise de cunho estatístico expressados foram do software BioEstat V.05. Os resultados demonstraram que existe uma forte aderência das amostras obtidas e que a dimensão da qualidade que mais se destacou foi a confiabilidade e em relação às disfunções pesquisadas indicam uma perfeita interação entre os agentes e que não há disfunção competitiva significativa.
A educação e o jovem frente ao exigente mercado de trabalho brasileiro
Authors: Raza Claudio , Lalli Laurent Cantuaria
Published: August 2016

O presente artigo aborda uma análise das políticas públicas aplicadas à educação e sua influência no desenvolvimento econômico e na ascensão social do trabalhador brasileiro frente ao mercado de trabalho que exige indivíduos eficientes, economicamente produtivos e em constante aperfeiçoamento profissional. Tem como objetivo geral analisar a eficiência do modelo de Gestão das políticas públicas na educação, no processo de ensino e na preparação do jovem para o mercado de trabalho. A partir dos resultados obtidos neste estudo, pode-se concluir que, existe uma grande lacuna entre as Instituições de Ensino Médio e o Mercado de Trabalho onde verificamos alguns pontos, tais como; como a evasão escolar pelo desinteresse e o distanciamento da teoria e da pratica necessária para a inserção do jovem no Mercado de Trabalho e pela falta de integração entre Escola, Empresa e Sociedade. Dessa forma, fica evidente a necessidade de adoção de medidas ou políticas públicas mais eficientes para diminuir esse distanciamento ou falta de preparo do jovem visando o desenvolvimento econômico do país e sua ascensão social.
Posicionamento de marca: uma perspectiva da evolução do conceito
Authors: Telles Renato , Queiroz Maciel Manoel
Published: August 2016

O presente artigo discute à importância atribuída à marca, destacando o seu gerenciamento, em que dois aspectos estão sempre presentes na análise de marcas e podem ser considerados decisivos na compreensão e gestão: identidade e posicionamento de marca. A análise e a decisão de um reposicionamento de marcas estão presentes no cotidiano de profissionais de marketing e comunicação, porém não existe consenso ou uniformidade de abordagem deste tema, resultado, entre outras razões, da limitada literatura desenvolvida acerca do assunto. Este trabalho se propõe a abordar de forma estruturada conceitual e estrategicamente as condições, desafios e riscos da adoção de uma estratégia de reposicionamento de marcas, utilizando argumentação baseada em literatura disponível, somada a intervenções exploratórias de exemplos reais, e propondo uma tipificação para as decisões e estratégias de reposicionamento, assim como orientações e alternativas para a gestão de marcas.
O impacto da conversão do custo histórico ao custo corrente corrigido no retorno sobre ativos e patrimônio líquido: análise a partir do sistema Dupont
Authors: Penha Roberto Silva da , Pinheiro Alan Franklin Rossiter , Silva JosÃ© DionÃ­sio Gomes da
Published: August 2016

O custo histórico é o modo de avaliação contábil mais usado, porém não reflete o efeito da moeda no tempo. Estudos realizados no Brasil defendem que os dados contábeis fundamentados somente no custo histórico não revelam a posição verdadeira das empresas. Percebe-se que, a partir da Teoria do Custo Corrente Corrigido, é possível, ainda que com limitações, evidenciar informações contábeis relevantes e mais próximas da realidade da entidade e esses efeitos devem ser medidos por meio de indicadores. Neste contexto, levanta-se o seguinte questionamento: Qual o impacto da conversão do custo histórico a custo corrente corrigido no retorno sobre ativos e patrimônio líquido? Utilizou-se, como ferramenta para análise, o sistema DuPont, aplicado a uma empresa modelo. Os resultados apontaram que o retorno sobre ativo a custo histórico e corrente corrigido foram de 12,11% e 3,14%, respectivamente, uma diminuição de 74,07%, e o resultado do retorno sobre o patrimônio líquido, a custo histórico e corrente corrigido foram de 20,59% e 4,96%, respectivamente, uma diminuição de 75,91%. Com base nessas variações nota-se que os impactos da conversão a custo corrente corrigido foram significativos, corroborando com a importância da adoção desta prática, quando possível.
The Renewal of the Ambrosian and the Hispano-Mozarabic Liturgy after the Second Vatican Council
Authors: Bać Tomasz
Published: August 2016

Reforma liturgii katolickiej po Soborze Watykańskim II odnosiła się przede wszystkim do obrządku rzymskiego, ale odnowy wymagały także dwie pozostałe tradycje liturgiczne Kościoła zachodniego: obrządek ambrozjański w Mediolanie i obrządek mozarabski w Toledo. Odnowa rzymskich ksiąg liturgicznych stała się wzorem dla reformy ksiąg ambrozjańskich: mszału, lekcjonarza, liturgii godzin oraz rytuałów niektórych sakramentów. Odnowione mozarabskie księgi liturgiczne: mszał i lekcjonarz (Liber Commicus) zostały natomiast opublikowane między rokiem 1991 a 1995. Posoborowa reforma rytu ambrozjańskiego i mozarabskiego dokonana w ciągu ostatnich czterdziestu lat jest świadectwem tego, że liturgia należy do najważniejszych fundamentów tożsamości Kościoła lokalnego.
Second Vatican Council Fathers and Their Concern about Catholic Biblical Studies
Authors: Bogacz Roman
Published: August 2016

Artykuł ukazuje znaczny rozwój myślenia teologicznego i biblijnego na przestrzeni od początku XX wieku aż do zakończenia obrad Soboru Watykańskiego II. Zaistniałe napięcia pomiędzy naukami przyrodniczymi a biblistyką, a następnie pomiędzy naukami historycznymi a kwestią prawdy historycznej zawartej w Biblii stały się powodem licznych sporów i trudności, z którymi teologowie katoliccy nie umieli sobie poradzić. Dodatkowo trudności stawały się jeszcze bardziej nabrzmiałe z powodu zbyt daleko idących wniosków wyciąganych przez egzegetów protestanckich, stwierdzających między innymi, że na podstawie Ewangelii nic więcej nie można powiedzieć o Jezusie historycznym jak tylko tyle, że istniał (R. Bultmann). Bardzo systematyczna i wytrwała praca Ojców Soboru doprowadziła do sformułowania Konstytucji Dogmatycznej o Objawieniu Bożym Dei Verbum. Dokument ten przede wszystkim ukazał, na czym polega Boże Objawienie, a także otworzył szeroko drzwi dla wszelkich naukowych badań prowadzonych przez biblistów i teologów katolickich.
The Biblical Word of Animals
Authors: Wajda Anna Maria
Published: August 2016

Liczne wzmianki o zwierzętach na kartach Biblii są potwierdzeniem dobrej znajomości świata przyrody przez autorów natchnionych. W odniesieniu do obowiązującej obecnie klasyfikacji organizmów żywych i metod badawczych, jakimi posługuje się współczesna zoologia, nie mają one charakteru dociekań naukowych. Świadczą natomiast o umiejętności wnikliwej obserwacji zwierząt, czego wyrazem jest nie tylko znajomość wyglądu przedstawicieli poszczególnych gatunków, ale także specyficznych zachowań związanych ze sposobem ich życia. Dotyczy to nie tylko zwierząt udomowionych i hodowanych przez człowieka w celu pozyskania mięsa, mleka, skór oraz siły roboczej, ale i dzikich reprezentantów świata fauny. Biblijne wzmianki o tych ostatnich odnoszą się do gatunków postrzeganych jako szczególnie niebezpieczne dla człowieka i zwierząt domowych, do których zaliczyć należy lwy, wilki, niedźwiedzie, lamparty czy węże. Wśród biblijnych dzikich zwierząt są również takie, które swym wyglądem i zręcznością budziły podziw, czego przykładem są odniesienia do gazeli, jeleni, koziorożców, a nawet gołębi. Równocześnie należy podkreślić, że ten bogaty świat zwierzęcy jest jedynie barwnym tłem dla biblijnej historii zbawienia oraz narzędziem pomocnym w przekładaniu orędzia Boga na język ludzki. Dlatego poznanie znaczenia i symboliki zwierząt pojawiających się na kartach Pisma Świętego pozwala współczesnemu człowiekowi lepiej zrozumieć perykopy biblijne, w których są one przywoływane.
Thunderstorm Electricity as the Probable Origin of the Pentecost Kerygma
Authors: Szczerbiński Marek
Published: August 2016

Autor prezentuje i uzasadnia swój pogląd, że źródłem kerygmatu Zesłania Ducha Świętego („języki jakby z ognia”) mogą być zjawiska elektryczności burzowej. Stosownie do dziedziny naukowej autora, podejście do tematu ma charakter przyrodniczy, a nie teologiczny. Zjawiska przyrody w Biblii zostają podzielone na cztery grupy. „Języki jakby z ognia” (Dz 2, 3) przypadają do ostatniej: rzadkie, lecz naturalne zjawiska przyrody dyslokowane przez autorów ksiąg świętych z codzienności w czas i miejsce, gdzie potrzeba znaku. Domysł jest uzasadniany opisami zjawiska w antycznej literaturze. Zapożyczenia niekoniecznie musiało być bezpośrednie, lecz mogły trafić do Dziejów Apostolskich jako elementy potocznego myślenia i rozmów w ówczesnym zhellenizowanym świecie.
The Future of Biosimilar Insulins
Authors: Kim Anne Park , Bindler Ross Jason
Published: August 2016

IN BRIEF Biosimilar insulins are available in many countries and will be made available in the United States in the near future. Some concerns associated with biosimilar insulins include potential differences in the efficacy and safety between a biosimilar product and its reference insulin, the ramifications of having the same name or different names for a biosimilar and its reference insulin, the prospects of and limitations to substituting insulin products, and the proper implementation of pharmacovigilance. Still, health care providers will have the opportunity, with continued appropriate monitoring, to offer alternative, and possibly more individualized, therapy for diabetes management with the introduction of biosimilar insulins.
Adherence to Insulin Therapy
Authors: Sarbacker G. Blair , Urteaga Elizabeth M.
Published: August 2016

IN BRIEF Six million people with diabetes use insulin either alone or in combination with an oral medication. Many barriers exist that lead to poor adherence with insulin. However, there is an underwhelming amount of data on interventions to address these barriers and improve insulin adherence. Until pharmacological advancements create easier, more acceptable insulin regimens, it is imperative to involve patients in shared decision-making.
Exploring Experiences of Delayed Prescribing and Symptomatic Treatment for Urinary Tract Infections among General Practitioners and Patients in Ambulatory Care: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Duane Sinead , Beatty Paula , Murphy Andrew , Vellinga Akke
Published: August 2016

“Delayed or back up” antibiotic prescriptions and “symptomatic” treatment may help to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) in the future. However, more research needs to be conducted in this area before these strategies can be readily promoted in practice. This study explores General Practitioner (GP) and patient attitudes and experiences regarding the use of delayed or back-up antibiotic and symptomatic treatment for UTI. Qualitative face to face interviews with General Practitioners (n = 7) from one urban and one rural practice and telephone interviews with UTI patients (n = 14) from a rural practice were undertaken. Interviews were analysed using framework analysis. GPs believe that antibiotics are necessary when treating UTI. There was little consensus amongst GPs regarding the role of delayed prescribing or symptomatic treatment for UTI. Delayed prescribing may be considered for patients with low grade symptoms and a negative dipstick test. Patients had limited experience of delayed prescribing for UTI. Half indicated they would be satisfied with a delayed prescription the other half would question it. A fear of missing a serious illness was a significant barrier to symptomatic treatment for both GP and patient. The findings of this research provide insight into antibiotic prescribing practices in general practice. It also highlights the need for further empirical research into the effectiveness of alternative treatment strategies such as symptomatic treatment of UTI before such strategies can be readily adopted in practice.
Dynamic Similitude Design Method of the Distorted Model on Variable Thickness Cantilever Plates
Authors: Luo Zhong , Zhu Yunpeng , Liu Haopeng , Wang Deyou
Published: August 2016

In the present study, a new method of predicting the dynamic behavior of a variable thickness (VT) cantilever plate by using a thin plate scaled model is proposed. The thin plate model, defined as the model thin (MT) plate, is designed by using the newly proposed similitude design method. The method is derived based on the transfer matrix of both the stepped thickness (ST) plate that is simplified by the VT plate and the thin plate. The thickness of the MT plate is calculated by introducing the equivalent thickness corresponding to each VT plate’s vibration modals, such that a series of accurate distorted scaling laws are provided to predict each corresponding property. Moreover, an algorithm of designing the MT plate is proposed and a design process is summarized in steps. Finally, an example, where the prototype VT plate is made of 42 CrMo and the MT plate is made of NO. 45 steel, is discussed to validate the proposed design method, showing that the MT plate, which is designed by using the proposed method, can accurately predict the dynamic properties of the prototype VT plate, and showing its significance in engineering practice.
Chip-Based Cytometry Illuminated by a Blade-Shape Continuous Light for Multispectral Detection
Authors: Lin Shi-Wei , Lin Che-Hsin
Published: August 2016

A high performance diascopic illumination configuration is presented for the simultaneous detection of cells and particles with different sizes and different fluorescence labels in a microchannel. In the proposed approach, the cells/particles are illuminated by an objective-type dark-field condenser equipped with a low-cost tungsten light source and are then characterized by extracting the side-scatter, absorbance, and fluorescence signals from the spectra obtained by a ultraviolet-visible-near infrared (UV-Vis-NIR) spectrometer. A modified computation model is adopted to improve the capability for discriminating more fluorescence dyes simultaneously. The feasibility of the proposed detection configuration is demonstrated by counting and classifying a mixed sample of green, red, and crimson fluorescent-labeled particles and non-labeled particles with various dimensions. The suitability of the proposed system for real-world cytometry applications is then evaluated by classifying a mixed bio-sample comprising of gastric epithelial (AGS) cells stained with Trypan-blue and Erythrosin-bluish dye, respectively. The results show that the cytometer enables the efficient detection, identification, and classification of mixed bio-samples without the need for spatial filters or delicate optical components. Consequently, the proposed system has significant potential for high-performance micro-flow cytometry applications.
Medication-Overuse Headache: Differences between Daily and Near-Daily Headache Patients
Authors: Krymchantowski Abouch , Jevoux Carla , Valença Marcelo
Published: August 2016

Medication-overuse headache (MOH) is a challenging neurological disease, which brings frustration for sufferers and treating physicians. The patient’s lack of adherence and limited treatment evidence are frequent. The aim of this study was to compare the outcome and treatment strategies between consecutive MOH patients with daily and near-daily headache from a tertiary center. Methods: Every consecutive patient seen between January and December 2014 with the diagnosis of MOH was included. Psychiatric comorbidities, inability to inform baseline headache frequency, current or previous two-month use of preventive medications, and refusal to sign informed consent were exclusion criteria. The patients were evaluated in thorough initial consultations and divided in two groups based on their baseline headache frequency. The diagnosis and treatment strategies were clearly explained. The filling out of a detailed headache diary was requested from all patients. Endpoints compared headache frequency and adherence after two, four, and eight months between the two study groups. Results: One-hundred sixty-eight patients (31 male, 137 female) met the inclusion criteria. Nineteen patients (11.3%) were excluded. All patients had migraine or chronic migraine as primary headaches. Eighty had daily (DH), and 69 near-daily headache (NDH), at baseline consultation. Mean baseline frequency was 24.8 headache days/month (18.9 days/month for the near-daily group), average headache history was 20.6 years and mean time with >15 headache days/month was 4.8 years. Outpatient withdrawal, starting prevention, and enforcing the correct use of rescue therapy was carried out with all patients. After two months, 88% of the DH and 71% of the NDH groups adhered to treatment (p = 0.0002). The HF decreased to 12 and 9 headache days/month, respectively in DH and NDH groups (p > 0.05, non-significant) (Intention-to-treat (ITT) 14 DH; 12 NDH; p > 0.05). After four and eight months, 86.3% and 83.7% of the DH patients, and 59.4% and 55% of the NDH patients were still under treatment (p = 0.0003 and p = 0.0001). The HF decreased, respectively, to nine and nine headache days/month in the DH patients compared to 6 and 7 headache days/month in the NDH group (p > 0.05) (ITT, 12; 12; DH; 10; 11; NDH; p > 0.05). Conclusions: Although open studies provide limited conclusions, withdrawing overused medications and starting prevention may have helped the favorable outcomes. However, daily headache patients had a significantly higher adherence and lower relapse rates than near-daily headache patients, despite a considerable reduced headache frequency in both groups. Additionally, real-world patient studies are scarce and the comparison between these two subsets of patients may be useful to guide clinicians in approaching their patients. Controlled studies are necessary to confirm these observations.
Non-Vacuum Processed Polymer Composite Antireflection Coating Films for Silicon Solar Cells
Authors: Uzum Abdullah , Kuriyama Masashi , Kanda Hiroyuki , Kimura Yutaka , Tanimoto Kenji , Ito Seigo
Published: August 2016

A non-vacuum processing method for preparing polymer-based ZrO2/TiO2 multilayer structure antireflection coating (ARC) films for crystalline silicon solar cells by spin coating is introduced. Initially, ZrO2, TiO2 and surface deactivated-TiO2 (SD-TiO2) based films were examined separately and the effect of photocatalytic properties of TiO2 film on the reflectivity on silicon surface was investigated. Degradation of the reflectance performance with increasing reflectivity of up to 2% in the ultraviolet region was confirmed. No significant change of the reflectance was observed when utilizing SD-TiO2 and ZrO2 films. Average reflectance (between 300 nm–1100 nm) of the silicon surface coated with optimized polymer-based ZrO2 single or ZrO2/SD-TiO2 multilayer composite films was decreased down to 6.5% and 5.5%, respectively. Improvement of photocurrent density (Jsc) and conversion efficiency (η) of fabricated silicon solar cells owing to the ZrO2/SD-TiO2 multilayer ARC could be confirmed. The photovoltaic properties of Jsc, the open-circuit photo voltage (VOC), the fill factor (FF), and the η were 31.42 mA cm−2, 575 mV, 71.5% and 12.91%. Efficiency of the solar cells was improved by the ZrO2-polymer/SD-TiO2 polymer ARC composite layer by a factor of 0.8% with an increase of Jsc (2.07 mA cm−2) compared to those of fabricated without the ARC.
A Novel Dynamic Co-Simulation Analysis for Overall Closed Loop Operation Control of a Large Wind Turbine
Authors: Wang Ching-Sung , Chiang Mao-Hsiung
Published: August 2016

A novel dynamic co-simulation methodology of overall wind turbine systems is presented. This methodology combines aerodynamics, mechanism dynamics, control system dynamics, and subsystems dynamics. Aerodynamics and turbine properties were modeled in FAST (Fatigue, Aerodynamic, Structures, and Turbulence), and ADAMS (Automatic Dynamic Analysis of Mechanical Systems) performed the mechanism dynamics; control system dynamics and subsystem dynamics such as generator, pitch control system, and yaw control system were modeled and built in MATLAB/SIMULINK. Thus, this comprehensive integration of methodology expands both the flexibility and controllability of wind turbines. The dynamic variations of blades, rotor dynamic response, and tower vibration can be performed under different inputs of wind profile, and the control strategies can be verified in the different closed loop simulation. Besides, the dynamic simulation results are compared with the measuring results of SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) of a 2 MW wind turbine for ensuring the novel dynamic co-simulation methodology.
Self-Gravitating Bose-Einstein Condensates and the Thomas-Fermi Approximation
Authors: Toth Viktor
Published: August 2016

Self-gravitating Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC) have been proposed in various astrophysical contexts, including Bose-stars and BEC dark matter halos. These systems are described by a combination of the Gross-Pitaevskii and Poisson equations (the GPP system). In the analysis of these hypothetical objects, the Thomas-Fermi (TF) approximation is widely used. This approximation is based on the assumption that in the presence of a large number of particles, the kinetic term in the Gross-Pitaevskii energy functional can be neglected, yet it is well known that this assumption is violated near the condensate surface. We also show that the total energy of the self-gravitating condensate in the TF-approximation is positive. The stability of a self-gravitating system is dependent on the total energy being negative. Therefore, the TF-approximation is ill suited to formulate initial conditions in numerical simulations. As an alternative, we offer an approximate solution of the full GPP system.
T315 Decreases Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cell Viability through a Combination of Apoptosis Induction and Autophagic Cell Death
Authors: Chiu Chang-Fang , Weng Jing-Ru , Jadhav Appaso , Wu Chia-Yung , Sargeant Aaron , Bai Li-Yuan
Published: August 2016

T315, an integrin-linked kinase (ILK) inhibitor, has been shown to suppress the proliferation of breast cancer, stomach cancer and chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells. Here we demonstrate that T315 decreases cell viability of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines (HL-60 and THP-1) and primary leukemia cells from AML patients in a dose-responsive manner. Normal human bone marrow cells are less sensitive than leukemia cells to T315. T315 down regulates protein kinase B (Akt) and p-Akt and induces caspase activation, poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage, apoptosis and autophagy through an ILK-independent manner. Interestingly, pretreatment with autophagy inhibitors rescues cells from apoptosis and concomitant PARP cleavage, which implicates a key role of autophagic cell death in T315-mediated cytotoxicity. T315 also demonstrates efficacy in vivo, suppressing the growth of THP-1 xenograft tumors in athymic nude mice when administered intraperitoneally. This study shows that autophagic cell death and apoptosis cooperatively contribute to the anticancer activity of T315 in AML cells. In conclusion, the complementary roles of apoptotic and autophagic cell death should be considered in the future assessment of the translational value of T315 in AML therapy.
Treatment Modalities for Acne
Authors: Fox Lizelle , Csongradi Candice , Aucamp Marique , Du Plessis Jeanetta , Gerber Minja
Published: August 2016

Acne is a common inflammatory skin disease which affects the pilosebaceous units of the skin. It can have severe psychological effects and can leave the patient with severe skin scarring. There are four well-recognized pathological factors responsible for acne which is also the target for acne therapy. In this review, different treatment options are discussed, including topical (i.e., retinoids, and antibiotics) and systemic (i.e., retinoids, antibiotics, and hormonal) treatments. Since the general public has been showing an increasing interest in more natural and generally safer treatment options, the use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) for treating acne was also discussed. The use of physical therapies such as comedone extraction, cryoslush therapy, cryotherapy, electrocauterization, intralesional corticosteroids and optical treatments are also mentioned. Acne has been extensively researched with regards to the disease mechanism as well as treatment options. However, due to the increasing resistance of Propionibacterium acnes towards the available antibiotics, there is a need for new treatment methods. Additionally, the lack of necessary evidence on the efficacy of CAM therapies makes it necessary for researchers to investigate these treatment options further.
Methanol-Tolerant Platinum-Palladium Catalyst Supported on Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanofiber for High Concentration Direct Methanol Fuel Cells
Authors: Kim Jiyoung , Jang Jin-Sung , Peck Dong-Hyun , Lee Byungrok , Yoon Seong-Ho , Jung Doo-Hwan
Published: August 2016

Pt-Pd catalyst supported on nitrogen-doped carbon nanofiber (N-CNF) was prepared and evaluated as a cathode electrode of the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The N-CNF, which was directly synthesized by the catalytic chemical vapor deposition from acetonitrile at 640 °C, was verified as having a change of electrochemical surface properties such as oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activities and the electrochemical double layer compared with common carbon black (CB). To attain the competitive oxygen reduction reaction activity with methanol tolerance, the Pt and Pd metals were supported on the CB or the N-CNF. The physical and electrochemical characteristics of the N-CNF–supported Pt-Pd catalyst were examined and compared with catalyst supported on the CB. In addition, DMFC single cells using these catalysts as the cathode electrode were applied to obtain I-V polarization curves and constant current operating performances with high-concentration methanol as the fuel. Pt-Pd catalysts had obvious ORR activity even in the presence of methanol. The higher power density was obtained at all the methanol concentrations when it applied to the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of the DMFC. When the N-CNF is used as the catalyst support material, a better performance with high-concentration methanol is expected.
A Spatial Downscaling Algorithm for Satellite-Based Precipitation over the Tibetan Plateau Based on NDVI, DEM, and Land Surface Temperature
Authors: Jing Wenlong , Yang Yaping , Yue Xiafang , Zhao Xiaodan
Published: August 2016

Precipitation is an important controlling parameter for land surface processes, and is crucial to ecological, environmental, and hydrological modeling. In this study, we propose a spatial downscaling approach based on precipitation–land surface characteristics. Land surface temperature features were introduced as new variables in addition to the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) to improve the spatial downscaling algorithm. Two machine learning algorithms, Random Forests (RF) and support vector machine (SVM), were implemented to downscale the yearly Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission 3B43 V7 (TRMM 3B43 V7) precipitation data from 25 km to 1 km over the Tibetan Plateau area, and the downscaled results were validated on the basis of observations from meteorological stations and comparisons with previous downscaling algorithms. According to the validation results, the RF and SVM-based models produced higher accuracy than the exponential regression (ER) model and multiple linear regression (MLR) model. The downscaled results also had higher accuracy than the original TRMM 3B43 V7 dataset. Moreover, models including land surface temperature variables (LSTs) performed better than those without LSTs, indicating the significance of considering precipitation–land surface temperature when downscaling TRMM 3B43 V7 precipitation data. The RF model with only NDVI and DEM produced much worse accuracy than the SVM model with the same variables. This indicates that the Random Forests algorithm is more sensitive to LSTs than the SVM when downscaling yearly TRMM 3B43 V7 precipitation data over Tibetan Plateau. Moreover, the precipitation–LSTs relationship is more instantaneous, making it more likely to downscale precipitation at a monthly or weekly temporal scale.
Mapping Clearances in Tropical Dry Forests Using Breakpoints, Trend, and Seasonal Components from MODIS Time Series: Does Forest Type Matter?
Authors: Grogan Kenneth , Pflugmacher Dirk , Hostert Patrick , Verbesselt Jan , Fensholt Rasmus
Published: August 2016

Tropical environments present a unique challenge for optical time series analysis, primarily owing to fragmented data availability, persistent cloud cover and atmospheric aerosols. Additionally, little is known of whether the performance of time series change detection is affected by diverse forest types found in tropical dry regions. In this paper, we develop a methodology for mapping forest clearing in Southeast Asia using a study region characterised by heterogeneous forest types. Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) time series are decomposed using Breaks For Additive Season and Trend (BFAST) and breakpoints, trend, and seasonal components are combined in a binomial probability model to distinguish between cleared and stable forest. We found that the addition of seasonality and trend information improves the change model performance compared to using breakpoints alone. We also demonstrate the value of considering forest type in disturbance mapping in comparison to the more common approach that combines all forest types into a single generalised forest class. By taking a generalised forest approach, there is less control over the error distribution in each forest type. Dry-deciduous and evergreen forests are especially sensitive to error imbalances using a generalised forest model i.e., clearances were underestimated in evergreen forest, and overestimated in dry-deciduous forest. This suggests that forest type needs to be considered in time series change mapping, especially in heterogeneous forest regions. Our approach builds towards improving large-area monitoring of forest-diverse regions such as Southeast Asia. The findings of this study should also be transferable across optical sensors and are therefore relevant for the future availability of dense time series for the tropics at higher spatial resolutions.
Estimating Understory Temperatures Using MODIS LST in Mixed Cordilleran Forests
Authors: Laskin David , Montaghi Alessandro , Nielsen Scott , McDermid Gregory
Published: August 2016

Satellite remote sensing provides a rapid and broad-scale means for monitoring vegetation phenology and its relationship with fluctuations in air temperature. Investigating the response of plant communities to climate change is needed to gain insight into the potentially detrimental effects on ecosystem processes. While many studies have used satellite-derived land surface temperature (LST) as a proxy for air temperature, few studies have attempted to create and validate models of forest understory temperature (Tust), as it is obscured from these space-borne observations. This study worked to predict instantaneous values of Tust using daily Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) LST data over a 99,000 km2 study area located in the Rocky Mountains of western Alberta, Canada. Specifically, we aimed to identify the forest characteristics that improve estimates of Tust over using LST alone. Our top model predicted Tust to within a mean absolute error (MAE) of 1.4 °C with an overall model fit of R2 = 0.89 over two growing seasons. Canopy closure and the LiDAR-derived standard deviation of canopy height metric were found to significantly improve estimations of Tust over MODIS LST alone. These findings demonstrate that canopy structure and forest stand-type function to differentiate understory air temperatures from ambient canopy temperature as seen by the sensor overhead.
Ontology-Based Architecture for Intelligent Transportation Systems Using a Traffic Sensor Network
Authors: Fernandez Susel , Hadfi Rafik , Ito Takayuki , Marsa-Maestre Ivan , Velasco Juan
Published: August 2016

Intelligent transportation systems are a set of technological solutions used to improve the performance and safety of road transportation. A crucial element for the success of these systems is the exchange of information, not only between vehicles, but also among other components in the road infrastructure through different applications. One of the most important information sources in this kind of systems is sensors. Sensors can be within vehicles or as part of the infrastructure, such as bridges, roads or traffic signs. Sensors can provide information related to weather conditions and traffic situation, which is useful to improve the driving process. To facilitate the exchange of information between the different applications that use sensor data, a common framework of knowledge is needed to allow interoperability. In this paper an ontology-driven architecture to improve the driving environment through a traffic sensor network is proposed. The system performs different tasks automatically to increase driver safety and comfort using the information provided by the sensors.
Assessment of the Minimum Sampling Frequency to Avoid Measurement Redundancy in Microclimate Field Surveys in Museum Buildings
Authors: García-Diego Fernando-Juan , Verticchio Elena , Beltrán Pedro , Siani Anna
Published: August 2016

Monitoring temperature and relative humidity of the environment to which artefacts are exposed is fundamental in preventive conservation studies. The common approach in setting measuring instruments is the choice of a high sampling rate to detect short fluctuations and increase the accuracy of statistical analysis. However, in recent cultural heritage standards the evaluation of variability is based on moving average and short fluctuations and therefore massive acquisition of data in slowly-changing indoor environments could end up being redundant. In this research, the sampling frequency to set a datalogger in a museum room and inside a microclimate frame is investigated by comparing the outcomes obtained from datasheets associated with different sampling conditions. Thermo-hygrometric data collected in the Sorolla room of the Pio V Museum of Valencia (Spain) were used and the widely consulted recommendations issued in UNI 10829:1999 and EN 15757:2010 standards and in the American Society of Heating, Air-Conditioning and Refrigerating Engineers (ASHRAE) guidelines were applied. Hourly sampling proved effective in obtaining highly reliable results. Furthermore, it was found that in some instances daily means of data sampled every hour can lead to the same conclusions as those of high frequency. This allows us to improve data logging design and manageability of the resulting datasheets.
Through-Wall Multiple Targets Vital Signs Tracking Based on VMD Algorithm
Authors: Yan Jiaming , Hong Hong , Zhao Heng , Li Yusheng , Gu Chen , Zhu Xiaohua
Published: August 2016

Targets located at the same distance are easily neglected in most through-wall multiple targets detecting applications which use the single-input single-output (SISO) ultra-wideband (UWB) radar system. In this paper, a novel multiple targets vital signs tracking algorithm for through-wall detection using SISO UWB radar has been proposed. Taking advantage of the high-resolution decomposition of the Variational Mode Decomposition (VMD) based algorithm, the respiration signals of different targets can be decomposed into different sub-signals, and then, we can track the time-varying respiration signals accurately when human targets located in the same distance. Intensive evaluation has been conducted to show the effectiveness of our scheme with a 0.15 m thick concrete brick wall. Constant, piecewise-constant and time-varying vital signs could be separated and tracked successfully with the proposed VMD based algorithm for two targets, even up to three targets. For the multiple targets’ vital signs tracking issues like urban search and rescue missions, our algorithm has superior capability in most detection applications.
Evolution of Toilets Worldwide through the Millennia
Authors: Antoniou Georgios , De Feo Giovanni , Fardin Franz , Tamburrino Aldo , Khan Saifullah , Tie Fang , Reklaityte Ieva , Kanetaki Eleni , Zheng Xiao , Mays Larry , Angelakis Andreas
Published: August 2016

Throughout history, various civilizations developed methodologies for the collection and disposal of human waste. The methodologies throughout the centuries have been characterized by technological peaks on the one hand, and by the disappearance of the technologies and their reappearance on the other. The purpose of this article is to trace the development of sewage collection and transport with an emphasis on toilets in ancient civilizations. Evolution of the major achievements in the scientific fields of sanitation with emphasis on the lavatory (or toilets) technologies through the centuries up to the present are presented. Valuable insights into ancient wastewater technologies and management with their apparent characteristics of durability, adaptability to the environment, and sustainability are provided. Gradual steps improved the engineering results until the establishment of the contemporary toilet system, which provides a combined solution for flushing, odor control, and the sanitation of sewerage. Even though the lack of proper toilet facilities for a great percentage of the present day global population is an embarrassing fact, the worldwide efforts through millennia for the acquisition of a well-engineered toilet were connected to the cultural level of each period.
Assessment of Environmental and Economic Impacts of Vine-Growing Combining Life Cycle Assessment, Life Cycle Costing and Multicriterial Analysis
Authors: Falcone Giacomo , De Luca Anna , Stillitano Teodora , Strano Alfio , Romeo Giuseppa , Gulisano Giovanni
Published: August 2016

The wine sector is going through a significant evolution dealing with the challenges of competition issues in international markets and with necessary commitments to sustainability improvement. In the wine supply chain, the agricultural phase represents a potential source of pollution and costs. From the farmers’ point of view, these contexts require them to be more attentive and find a compromise among environmental benefits, economic benefits, and costs linked to farming practices. This paper aims to make a sustainability assessment of different wine-growing scenarios located in Calabria (Southern Italy) that combines conflicting insights, i.e., environmental and economic ones, by applying Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) to identify the main hotspots and select the alternative scenarios closest to the ideal solution through the VIKOR multicriteria method. In particular, the latter allowed us to obtain synthetic indices for a two-dimensional sustainability assessment. Conventional practices associated to the espalier training system represent the best compromise from both environmental and economic points of view, due to the higher yield per hectare. The choices regarding Functional Unit (FU) and indicators were shown to have a high influence on results.
Farmers’ Risk Perception towards Climate Change: A Case of the GAP-Şanlıurfa Region, Turkey
Authors: Aydogdu Mustafa , Yenigün Kasim
Published: August 2016

The purpose of this research is to evaluate farmers’ risk perception towards climate change in dry farming areas of the Şanlıurfa province in Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) Region, Turkey, and their willingness to pay for adaptation practices and explore the potential factors that contribute to the understanding of climate change. The main material of this research comes from a sample of 466 farmers among 32,809 in Şanlıurfa who were chosen via a simple random sampling method. Sampling was conducted in 2014 and participants were interviewed face to face by questionnaires and local interviewers were used in order to maximize the reliability of the results. The logistic regression and fit tests were used for analysis. The results indicate that 53% of farmers have a risk perception about climate change and 62% of farmers accept paying for adaptation practices to reduce its potential effects. Explanatory affecting factors, such as age, agricultural income, amount of land owned, farming experience, agricultural credit usage, household numbers, non-agricultural manpower, education level and water perception, significantly explained the risk perceptions. This study is one of the first of its type in GAP-Şanlıurfa, Turkey. Therefore, the results could be helpful for decision- and policy-makers to develop adaptive strategies.
Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever Spirochetes in the Americas
Authors: Lopez Job , Krishnavahjala Aparna , Garcia Melissa , Bermudez Sergio
Published: August 2016

Relapsing fever spirochetes are tick- and louse-borne pathogens that primarily afflict those in impoverished countries. Historically the pathogens have had a significant impact on public health, yet currently they are often overlooked because of the nonspecific display of disease. In this review, we discuss aspects of relapsing fever (RF) spirochete pathogenesis including the: (1) clinical manifestation of disease; (2) ability to diagnose pathogen exposure; (3) the pathogen’s life cycle in the tick and mammal; and (4) ecological factors contributing to the maintenance of RF spirochetes in nature.
Effects of musical ear training on lexical tone perception
Authors: Bradley Evan D , Van Hell Janet G
Published: August 2016

The effect of short term musical experience on lexical tone perception was examined by administering four hours of daily musical ear training to non-tone language speakers. After training, participants showed some improvement in a tone labeling task, but not a tone discrimination task; however, this improvement did not differ reliably from controls indicating that short-term musical training is thus far not able to replicate language effects observed among lifelong musicians, but some linguistic differences between musicians and nonmusicians may likely be due to experience, rather than individual differences or other factors.
The halting problem
Authors: Sobin Nicholas J
Published: August 2016

In Chomsky 2015 it is proposed that raising of a wh phrase from subject position is not possible unless C is deleted in the Narrow Syntax (NS), as seen in the that/Comp-trace Effect (C-tE).  Evidence presented here indicates that the raising of a subject may allow and even require the overt presence of C, pointing toward the conclusions that raising a subject is not related to C deletion, and that all wh subjects raise.  The alternative considered here is that the locus of phenomena such as the C-tE may be the Sensory-motor (SM) component rather than NS.  Taking anti-Comp-trace phenomena into account, there appears to be a requirement that a subject extraction must be phonetically marked (‘Subject Extraction Marking’--SEM), either by the subject itself being overt, or by the presence of an overt C.  This paper proposes a possible SM analysis consisting of rules that account for the complexities of spelling out that including Doubly-filled Comp, the C-tE, and SEM.
Against V-to-T-to-C movement in Japanese and Korean non-constituent coordination
Authors: Kobayashi Ryoichiro
Published: August 2016

This paper argues against syntactic verb movement in Japanese, through a case study of Non-Constituent Coordination (NCC) in Japanese and a dialectal variation of Korean. I provide novel data observing the scope relation between heads and QPs inside NCC, showing that verb movement does NOT take place. The arguments are also supported by the observations on Korean data. Moreover, I defend Fukui and Sakai’s (2003) gapping analysis of NCC, providing counterexamples to Kawazoe’s (2005) arguments. This study opens a new window by providing two novel syntactic diagnostics for head movement in head-final languages. As a theoretical implication, it insists on the importance of re-examining the existence of head movement in head-final languages, for there is no overt phonological evidence for children to acquire string-vacuous movements.
Segmental noun/verb phonotactic differences are productive too
Authors: Smith Jennifer L.
Published: August 2016

Not all statistical patterns in a speaker’s lexicon are acquired productively, and it has been proposed that distinguishing between those patterns that are productive and those that are not serves as a source of evidence for the existence of learning biases in the grammar (Becker et al. 2011). A cross-linguistic survey of categorical noun/verb phonotactic differences finds that most of them involve prosodic patterns, such as stress or tone, not segmental ones—but does this typological asymmetry actually result from a learning bias against segmental noun/verb differences? English provides a testing ground for this question, as the lexicon has statistical differences between noun and verb phonotactics involving not only stress, a prosodic property, but also fricative voicing and vowel backness, which are segmental properties. A nonce-word noun/verb categorization experiment finds that adult English speakers apply all three patterns productively, even the segmental ones. Moreover, evidence for productive knowledge is found even when the effect of existing morphological alternations (such as the stress alternation seen in pérmitN/permítV) is controlled for. These results contribute to a growing body of evidence that gaps in language typology do not necessarily correspond to patterns that are unlearnable.