bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Correction: Liss, K.-D., et al. Hydrostatic Compression Behavior and High-Pressure Stabilized β-Phase in γ-Based Titanium Aluminide Intermetallics. Metals 2016, 6, 165
Authors: Liss Klaus-Dieter , Funakoshi Ken-Ichi , Dippenaar Rian , Higo Yuji , Shiro Ayumi , Reid Mark , Suzuki Hiroshi , Shobu Takahisa , Akita Koichi
Published: September 2017

The authors would like to apologize for any inconvenience regarding misleading errors and inconsistencies in some of the units and one number, and wish to make the following corrections to this paper [1]:[...]
How to Constitute a Field of Merit: Structure and Flexibility in a Tibetan Buddhist Monastery’s Curriculum
Authors: Townsend Dominique
Published: September 2017

The written curriculum of Tibet’s prestigious Mindrölling monastery, composed in 1689, marries a firm pedagogical structure with flexibility for individual students. This reflects the monastery’s balance of institutional priorities, shaped by its religious, cultural, and political climate. The curriculum’s author was Terdak Lingpa, a charismatic visionary and systematizer of the “Ancient” or Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism who forged alliances with the Fifth Dalai Lama’s government in Lhasa starting in the seventeenth century. As part of Mindrölling’s formal constitutional document, the curriculum commits students and teachers to a distinctive approach to Buddhist training and helps to constitute the monastery and its members as a Buddhist “field of merit.” As such, Mindrölling is presented as a worthy recipient of support and protection from patrons and of respect from the community. The curriculum reflects a variety of overarching priorities for a relatively diverse student body over time and therefore calls for individual flexibility within a reliable and sustainable institutional structure. In this way, the curriculum demonstrates Mindrölling’s identity as a bridge between the potentially competing values of the Tibetan Buddhist schools of the author’s day.
Linking Group Theory to Social Science Game Theory: Interaction Grammars, Group Subcultures and Games for Comparative Analysis
Authors: Burns Tom , Roszkowska Ewa , Corte Ugo , Machado Des Johansson Nora
Published: September 2017

This article draws on earlier work in social system theorizing and analysis—in particular, the theory of social rule systems. On the basis of this foundational work, its aim is to systematically link theories of social groups and organizations, on the one hand, and social science game and interaction theory, on the other hand. Rule system theory has contributed to significant features of group theory and social science game theory. It is a cultural-institutional approach to conceptualizing group systems and games. We explore how groups and their particular games can be effectively described, analyzed, and compared—and their similarities and differences identified on a systematic basis. For illustrative purposes, we present a selection of several ideal types of groups: a military unit, a terrorist group, a recreational or social group, a research group, and a business entity, each of whom has a distinct rule configuration making for particular “rules of the game” and game patterns of interaction and outcome.
The Influence of Crumb Rubber on Modified Bitumen Properties
Authors: Šernas Ovidijus , Čygas Donatas , Vaitkus Audrius , Gumauskaitė Vytautė
Published: September 2017

Rubber derived from grinding of recycled cars and trucks tyres may be successfully used as a bitumen modifier. Number of researches reported sufficient characteristics of rubber modified asphalt binders or modified asphalt mixes in terms of improved permanent deformation and fatigue cracking. The behavior of crumb rubber asphalt binders depends on several factors, such as modification method, rubber content and size, modification temperature, mixing speed and time applied during the digestion process. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of crumb rubber amount and type on modified bitumen low and high temperature properties. This paper presents results of unmodified bitumen, crumb rubber crumb rubber and polymer modified bitumen. Low and high temperature properties have been evaluated using bending beam rheometer and dynamic shear rheometer. Moreover, softening point and viscosity tests have been performed. The study results revealed that crumb rubber modified bitumen performed better than pure bitumen and similarly to polymer modified bitumen.
The Key Issues of Road Design Found from Road Safety Inspections and Road Safety Audits
Authors: Tumavičė Aja , Vitkienė Jūratė , Kaniušėnienė Svaja , Kravcovas Igoris , Lingytė Ineta
Published: September 2017

In order to reduce accident rate on roads and streets more and more various road safety measures are being imple- mented each year. Nevertheless, road safety problem exists in most countries. For example, even though accident rate in Lith- uania was almost halved (6372 to 3161 yearly accidents) from years 2004 to 2015, fatality rate is still quite high – 8.3 per 100000 people. New regulations, approved in 2008, dictate the need of carrying out road safety audits and road safety inspec- tions for all road and street design projects. This paper presents most common road design errors and methods of fixing those errors based on Vilnius Gediminas Technical University Road Research Institute road safety auditors’ experience from years 2011 to 2016. Most common safety problems are organized and presented in groups ordered by their importance. Recommen- dations on how to improve road safety audit and inspection procedures in the future are formulated, as well as suggestions on improving road project design stage by taking most common flaw priority into consideration.
Surface Type and Age Effects on Tyre/Road Noise Levels
Authors: Vaitkus Audrius , Vorobjovas Viktoras , Čygas Donatas , Andriejauskas Tadas , Tuminienė Faustina
Published: September 2017

Road surface characteristics are the core influencing factors for tyre/road noise generation mechanisms. Depending on the pavement wearing layer mixture composition, type surfaces have different acoustical properties. Acoustical parameters and acoustical behavior change over the time because of the effects of traffic and environmental conditions. Usually low noise pavements can be characterized with very good acoustical parameters but at the same time good acoustical properties deteriorates over the time. Paper presents the research study of surface type and age effects on tyre/road noise levels. Number of different age and different surface type pavements (conventional AC and SMA pavements, low noise SMA TM, TMOA and PA) were evaluated and compared in terms of acoustical performance. Analysis of CPX noise level measurement results are presented in the paper followed with the conclusions and recommendations of low noise pavement application for severe climate regions.
Distribución espacial y temporal de tortugas marinas asociada a la temperatura superficial del mar y clorofila-a en aguas del Pacífico Central Mexicano
Authors: Zepeda Borja Karen M. , Ortega Ortiz Christian D. , Torres Orozco Ernesto , Olivos Ortiz Aramis
Published: September 2017

En este estudio se describe la distribución espacio-temporal de tortugas marinas y su relación con parámetros oceanográficos en el Pacífico Central Mexicano (PCM) durante el 2010 (invierno, primavera y otoño). Los resultados muestran variaciones en la distribución de tortugas marinas. En invierno, la distribución de tortugas fue homogénea en áreas costeras y oceánicas; asociadas a la presencia de frentes térmicos debido a la interacción de una corriente de agua cálida del sur y la intrusión de agua fría proveniente del noroeste, así como con los límites de un giro ciclónico. En primavera, la distribución de tortugas se concentró hacia la zona costera y parte central de la zona oceánica, donde prevalecieron los efectos de una surgencia y los límites de un giro ciclónico. El mismo patrón de distribución ocurrió al inicio de otoño, mientras que las condiciones oceanográficas cambiaron para la segunda semana de muestreo, cuando ocurrió la formación de una surgencia costera. Los eventos de apareamiento solo se registraron durante otoño para la tortuga golfina (Lepidochelys olivacea), la especie dominante de la región. Se concluye que en otoño el patrón de distribución de tortugas marinas fue hacia la zona costera del PCM, y se relacionó con actividades de reproducción; mientras que en invierno y primavera este patrón tendió a la región central/oceánica vinculado potencialmente con actividades de forrajeo.
Nomenclatural adjustments in African plants 3
Authors: Manning John C.
Published: September 2017

Background: Ongoing systematic studies in the African flora necessitate periodic nomenclatural adjustments and corrections.Objectives: To effect requisite nomenclatural changes.Method: Relevant literature was surveyed, and type material was located and examined.Results: A new combination is published in Dimorphotheca Mairia Vaill. ex Moench (Asteraceae). Nomenclatural adjustments are provided for five recently described species of Hyacinthaceae in order to accommodate them in alternative classification systems currently in use.Conclusions: The new combination Dimorphotheca pinnata var. brevis (Norl.) J.C.Manning is made for Osteospermum pinnatum var. breve Norl. Eliokarmos craibii Martínez-Azorín et al. and Nicipe rosulata Martínez-Azorín et al. are transferred to Ornithogalum as Ornithogalum craibii (Martínez-Azorín et al.) J.C.Manning and Ornithogalum rosulatum (Martínez-Azorín et al.) J.C.Manning, respectively; Stellarioides exigua Martínez-Azorín et al. and S. littoralis N.A.Crouch et al. are transferred to Albuca as Albuca exigua (Martínez-Azorín et al.) J.C.Manning and Albuca littoralis (N.A.Crouch et al.) J.C.Manning, respectively, and the genus Desertia Martínez-Azorín et al. is included in Massonia with the new combination Massonia luteovirens (Martínez-Azorín et al.) J.C.Manning.
Kinematic Synthesis of a Crossed Four-bar Mechanism for Automotive Steering
Authors: Pramanik S. , Thipse S.S.
Published: September 2017

Kinematic synthesis has been carried out for crossed four-bar mechanisms to be used in steering mechanism of four wheel vehicles with several values of track to wheelbase ratios. Two equal spur gears have been included in the mechanism. Initial estimate has been made for the link size and angular orientation for straight ahead motion using iterative techniques. Hooke and Jeeves optimization method has been used to carry out the final estimation of the two design parameters. The objective function comprises of the steering errors only. Five precision points have been found out in the entire range of rotation of the front wheels. A very low steering error has been achieved by the kinematic synthesis. The limitation of this mechanism has been discussed and suitable modification has been suggested.
How Does the Use of ICTs Affect Family Relationships? A Quantitative Approach
Authors: Valencia-Arias Alejandro , Herazo Avendano Carolina , Echeverri Sanchez Laura , Peña Plata Juan Manuel , Vasquez Giraldo Stephanía , Aguilera Cardona Milady , Romero Ruíz Karin , Palacios Moya Lucia , Villa Eliana , Bran Piedrahita Lemy
Published: September 2017

Modern societies are increasingly globalized, where information and communication technologies (ICTs) play a fundamental role in every aspect of daily life: from the social, family, labor, among others. Every day more people who without distinguishing age and gender are seen in the need and desire to have at least one technological device. Objective: To examine the impact of using ICTs in the family relations of the residents of Medellín city. Methodology: exploratory-descriptive research through a quantitative methodological design, a non-probabilistic sampling by criterion was made, where 77 people were selected. Data were collected through a questionnaire type survey with closed questions in a virtual way during 3 Months. Results: among the results, 73.4% of responders suggest that there is no adequate supervision of adults to guide children and adolescents to establish a critical position on these contents. On the other hand, the most valued resources are the mobile device and computer for the possibilities of communication between relatives that are far way and for being means to improve the educational and labor processes. Conclusion: studies around ICTs and their impacts have grown significantly, which it ratifies the importance of the topic. It is imperative that parents stop seeing ICTs as a distant entity, and try to be at the forefront of the uses of the same by children, to generate effective control in the training processes within the family.
Od Redaktorów
Authors: Zmyślony Piotr , Gołembski Grzegorz
Published: September 2017

-
Współtworzenie wartości produktu turystycznego z klientami przez organizatorów turystyki i pośredników turystycznych z wykorzystaniem firmowych witryn WWW
Authors: Szczechowicz Bartosz
Published: September 2017

Cel. Identyfikacja technik i narzędzi stosowanych przez organizatorów turystyki i pośredników turystycznych, funkcjonujących na rynku krajowym (polskim), które umożliwiają włączenie klienta w proces współtworzenia imprez turystycznych. Metoda. Badaniom poddano przedsiębiorstwa wykazane w Centralnej Ewidencji Organizatorów Turystyki i Pośredników Turystycznych. Dla każdego z wytypowanych do badań przedsiębiorstw wyszukano firmową witrynę WWW i poddano ją analizie zawartości. Wyniki. Badane przedsiębiorstwa w niewielkim stopniu angażują klientów we współtworzenie wartości: wskazuje na to niewysoki odsetek przedsiębiorstw, które informują klientów o możliwości przygotowania imprezy turystycznej na zlecenie (36,2%), jak i znikomy udział firm, które klientów do tego zachęcają (15,1%) – poprzez stosowny przekaz, opis modelu współpracy z klientem i procesów współtworzenia, wskazanie przykładów „szycia na miarę” itp. Mimo to wśród praktyk stosowanych w tym względzie zidentyfikowano wiele interesujących rozwiązań, za sprawą których przedsiębiorcy starają się wejść w bliską relację z osobami odwiedzającymi ich firmowe witryny WWW. Ograniczenia badań i wnioskowania. W badaniach uwzględnione zostały wszystkie podmioty wykazane w CEOTiPT. Przedmiotem badań były jednak wyłącznie techniki i narzędzia stosowane przez przedsiębiorstwa na firmowych witrynach WWW. Implikacje praktyczne. Wyniki badań mają przede wszystkim charakter poznawczy. Mogą jednak stanowić inspirację dla różnego typu przedsiębiorstw turystycznych co do możliwości wykorzystania własnych stron internetowych do angażowania klientów w tworzenie wartości tworzonych z myślą o nich produktów. Oryginalność pracy. Nie są znane autorowi inne prace, w których dokonano analizy wykorzystania firmowych witryn WWW, we wskazanym celu, przez przedsiębiorstwa prowadzące działalność na rynku polskim. Rodzaj pracy. Artykuł prezentujący wyniki badań empirycznych.
Social activism in the United States: Digital collection and primary sources
Authors: Kaari Jennifer
Published: September 2017

The United States is currently going through a time of increasing political and social activism, from the Black Lives Matter movement to health care activism. This has brought on a renewed interest in the history of social activism to both learn lessons from the successful movements of the past, as well as gain a deeper understanding of the forces that have shaped our current environment. Studying the history of activism and social movements is essential to understanding how once radical ideas like women’s suffrage and civil rights have been able to move increasingly into the mainstream.
Kinetic Study on Nucleophilic Substitution Reactions of O‐Phenyl O‐Y‐substituted‐Phenyl Thionocarbonates with 1,8‐Diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec‐7‐ene in Acetonitrile
Authors: Um Ik‐Hwan , Park Kyoung‐Ho
Published: September 2017

Second‐order rate constants (kN) for nucleophilic substitution reactions of O‐phenyl O‐Y‐substituted‐phenyl thionocarbonates (4a–4k) with 1,8‐diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec‐7‐ene (DBU) in MeCN at 25.0 ± 0.1°C are reported. The reactivity of 4a–4k decreases as basicity of the leaving group increases except O‐2,4‐dinitrophenyl O‐phenyl thionocarbonate (4a), which is less reactive than O‐3,4‐dinitrophenyl O‐phenyl thionocarbonate (4b) although the former possesses 2 pKa units less basic nucleofuge than the latter. The Brønsted‐type plot for the reactions of 4b–4k is linear with βlg = −0.50, a typical βlg value for reactions reported to proceed through a concerted mechanism. The Hammett plot correlated with σY− constants for the reactions of 4b–4k results in a better linear correlation than that correlated with σYo constants. Besides, the Yukawa‐Tsuno plot exhibits an excellent linear correlation with ρY = 2.12, r = 0.68 and R2 = 0.990, indicating that a negative charge develops partially on the O atom of the leaving group in the rate‐determining step (RDS). Thus, the reactions have been concluded to proceed through a forced concerted mechanism. Effects of steric hindrance on reactivity and reaction mechanism are also discussed in detail.
Coherent multi-dimensional spectroscopy at optical frequencies in a single beam with optical readout
Authors: Seiler Hélène , Palato Samuel , Kambhampati Patanjali
Published: September 2017

Ultrafast coherent multi-dimensional spectroscopies form a powerful set of techniques to unravel complex processes, ranging from light-harvesting, chemical exchange in biological systems to many-body interactions in quantum-confined materials. Yet these spectroscopies remain complex to implement at the high frequencies of vibrational and electronic transitions, thereby limiting their widespread use. Here we demonstrate the feasibility of two-dimensional spectroscopy at optical frequencies in a single beam. Femtosecond optical pulses are spectrally broadened to a relevant bandwidth and subsequently shaped into phase coherent pulse trains. By suitably modulating the phases of the pulses within the beam, we show that it is possible to directly read out the relevant optical signals. This work shows that one needs neither complex beam geometries nor complex detection schemes in order to measure two-dimensional spectra at optical frequencies. Our setup provides not only a simplified experimental design over standard two-dimensional spectrometers but its optical readout also enables novel applications in microscopy.
A view from the vendor’s side: factors that determine satisfaction
Authors: Gopalakrishnan Shanthi , Guilbault Melodi , Ojha Abhoy K.
Published: September 2017

Purpose

With the growth in outsourcing it is imperative to understand the vendor’s satisfaction with IT outsourcing relationships since contractual and relationship factors affect the ability of vendors and clients to work together over time. A recent study demonstrated that relational factors such as trust and information exchange dominated in their ability to explain client satisfaction when compared to contractual factors. The purpose of this paper is to further examine how the relational factors work together to lead to vendor satisfaction in an outsourcing relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was developed and pre-tested with vendors in India and client firms in the USA that used international IT vendors. Using data collected from 214 vendor firms in the Indian subcontinent the paper examines the main effect of two client focused variables, namely, competence-based trust and client dependence on vendor satisfaction; it also explores whether social control moderate the main effect relationships.

Findings

The findings indicate that client dependence and competence-based trust were significant direct predictors of vendor satisfaction. Social control or the ability to resolve conflicts positively moderated the effect client dependence on vendor satisfaction. But it did not impact the effect of competence-based trust on vendor satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

The authors identify three limitations: a dyadic analysis using both the client and the vendor perspective would have provided a richer understanding of the relationship; since the data were collected on a cross-sectional basis, it is hard to make predictive assessments; and a limited response rate.

Practical implications

These findings help us understand the factors that impact vendor satisfaction in an outsourcing relationship and this is one of the keys to maintaining a long-term relationship between transacting parties.

Originality/value

Previous studies have explored the relational aspects of a vendor-client interaction from the client’s point of view and, here, the authors take the vendor’s perspective, which is increasingly important due to the increasing complexity of work outsourced. Besides exploring the direct effect competence-based trust and client dependence on vendor satisfaction, the authors also analyze the role of social control as a moderator.
How USP18 deals with ISG15‐modified proteins: structural basis for the specificity of the protease
Authors: Basters Anja , Knobeloch Klaus‐Peter , Fritz Günter
Published: September 2017

The ubiquitin‐specific protease 18 (USP18) has two major functions: (a) it is a highly specific protease that cleaves the ubiquitin‐like modifier ISG15 (interferon‐stimulated gene 15) from proteins, and (b) independent from its enzymatic activity USP18 interacts with the type I interferon receptor and shuts off downstream signaling. The structures of USP18 and a USP18–ISG15 complex revealed the molecular basis of the unique specificity of the protease and might shed some light into its interaction with the interferon receptor.
How Voluntary Environmental Programs Reduce Pollution
Authors: McGuire William , Hoang Phi Cong , Prakash Aseem
Published: September 2017

This article investigates the mechanisms that voluntary environmental program (VEP) participants adopt to reduce pollution. The focus of this article is the 33/50 program, a VEP introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1991 and discontinued in 1995. The program called for emissions reductions for 17 chemicals reported to the Toxics Release Inventory. Using a sample of approximately 12,000 plants, the relationship between 33/50 program participation and adoption of pollution reduction practices is studied for three time periods, 1991–1995 (program life), 1996–2004, and 2005–2013. These practices include source reduction activities (SRAs) and recycling, recovery, and treatment (RRTs). The major findings are that during the program's life, 33/50 participants showed increased adoption of SRAs and RRTs for both targeted and nontargeted chemicals. However, once the program ended, higher adoption rates persisted for RRTs only, with a shift in emphasis toward treatment over recycling and recovery.
Effects of Partial Melting on Seismic Velocity and Attenuation: A New Insight from Experiments
Authors: Takei Yasuko
Published: September 2017

The effects of partial melting on seismic velocity and attenuation have long been studied by focusing on the direct effects of melt, such as the poroelastic effect. The direct effects are generally very small for a very small melt fraction. Because geochemical studies have shown that the melt fraction during partial melting is very small (∼0.1%), it is difficult to explain upper-mantle low-velocity regions by the direct effects of melt. Recent experimental studies, by using a rock analog, have captured a significant enhancement of polycrystal anelasticity just before partial melting in the absence of melt. This newly recognized effect enables us to interpret seismological and geochemical observations consistently. The new anelasticity model significantly changes the interpretation of upper-mantle seismic structures. This review summarizes the recent progress in the understanding of polycrystal anelasticity, starting from a basic knowledge of linear anelasticity.
Versatility of NaCl transport mechanisms in the cortical collecting duct
Authors: Edwards Aurélie , Crambert Gilles
Published: September 2017

The cortical collecting duct (CCD) forms part of the aldosterone-sensitive distal nephron and plays an essential role in maintaining the NaCl balance and acid-base status. The CCD epithelium comprises principal cells as well as different types of intercalated cells. Until recently, transcellular Na+transport was thought to be restricted to principal cells, whereas (acid-secreting) type A and (bicarbonate-secreting) type B intercalated cells were associated with the regulation of acid-base homeostasis. This review describes how this traditional view has been upended by several discoveries in the past decade. A series of studies has shown that type B intercalated cells can mediate electroneutral NaCl reabsorption by a mechanism involving Na+-dependent and Na+-independent Cl−/[Formula: see text] exchange, and that is energetically driven by basolateral vacuolar H+-ATPase pumps. Other research indicates that type A intercalated cells can mediate NaCl secretion, through a bumetanide-sensitive pathway that is energized by apical H+,K+-ATPase type 2 pumps operating as Na+/K+exchangers. We also review recent findings on the contribution of the paracellular route to NaCl transport in the CCD. Last, we describe cross-talk processes, by which one CCD cell type impacts Na+/Cl−transport in another cell type. The mechanisms that have been identified to date demonstrate clearly the interdependence of NaCl and acid-base transport systems in the CCD. They also highlight the remarkable versatility of this nephron segment.
A Novel 18-Marker Panel Predicting Clinical Outcome in Breast Cancer
Authors: Biermann Jana , Nemes Szilárd , Parris Toshima Z. , Engqvist Hanna , Rönnerman Elisabeth Werner , Forssell-Aronsson Eva , Steineck Gunnar , Karlsson Per , Helou Khalil
Published: September 2017

Background: Gene expression profiling has made considerable contributions to our understanding of cancer biology and clinical care. This study describes a novel gene expression signature for breast cancer–specific survival that was validated using external datasets.

Methods: Gene expression signatures for invasive breast carcinomas (mainly luminal B subtype) corresponding to 136 patients were analyzed using Cox regression, and the effect of each gene on disease-specific survival (DSS) was estimated. Iterative Bayesian model averaging was applied on multivariable Cox regression models resulting in an 18-marker panel, which was validated using three external validation datasets. The 18 genes were analyzed for common pathways and functions using the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis software. This study complied with the REMARK criteria.

Results: The 18-gene multivariable model showed a high predictive power for DSS in the training and validation cohort and a clear stratification between high- and low-risk patients. The differentially expressed genes were predominantly involved in biological processes such as cell cycle, DNA replication, recombination, and repair. Furthermore, the majority of the 18 genes were found to play a pivotal role in cancer.

Conclusions: Our findings demonstrated that the 18 molecular markers were strong predictors of breast cancer–specific mortality. The stable time-dependent area under the ROC curve function (AUC(t)) and high C-indices in the training and validation cohorts were further improved by fitting a combined model consisting of the 18-marker panel and established clinical markers.

Impact: Our work supports the applicability of this 18-marker panel to improve clinical outcome prediction for breast cancer patients. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(11); 1619–28. ©2017 AACR.
Accelerating Topical Anaesthesia Using Microneedles
Authors: Davies Lleucu B. , Gateley Christopher , Holland Phillip , Coulman Siôn A. , Birchall James C.
Published: September 2017

Background/Aims: Topical anaesthetics reduce pain during venous access procedures in children. However, clinical use is hindered by a significant anaesthetic onset time. Restricted diffusion of the topical anaesthetic through the stratum corneum barrier is the principal reason for the delayed onset. Microneedles can painlessly pierce the skin. This study evaluated microneedle pre-treatment of ex vivo human skin as a means to increase the rate of tetracaine permeation, in order to accelerate the onset of anaesthesia. Methods: Franz-type diffusion cells were used to determine permeation of a commercial tetracaine formulation, Ametop gel, through human skin epidermis. Microneedle-assisted permeation was compared to untreated epidermis. Upon completion of the permeation studies, the epidermal membranes were visually characterised. Results: At 30 min, 5.43 µg/cm2 of tetracaine had permeated through the untreated membrane compared to 12.13 µg/cm2 through the microneedle-treated membrane. Insertion of a hypodermic needle created a large single channel in the epidermis (approx. 4,250 μm2) whilst the punctured surface area following microneedle treatments was estimated to be 75,000 μm2. Conclusion: Pre-treatment of skin with microneedles significantly enhances the permeation of tetracaine. Microneedles have the potential to more than halve the onset time for anaesthesia when applying Ametop gel.
Simple Age Specific Cutoff Value for Sarcopenia Evaluated by Computed Tomography
Authors: Kim Ji Sun , Kim Won Young , Park Hyun Kyung , Kim Myung Chun , Jung Woong , Ko Byuk Sung
Published: September 2017

Objective: Until now, cutoff values of low skeletal muscle mass using computed tomography (CT) were driven by optimal stratification to predict mortality in cancer patients. The aim of the present study was to investigate the simple, age-specific, cutoff value of low skeletal muscle mass by CT in healthy adults. Design: This is a retrospective, observational, single-center study. Setting: This study was performed in the health screening department of a university-affiliated hospital during a 10-year period. Patients: Medical records of 1,422 patients presenting to the health screening department were reviewed. Cross-sectional area of psoas muscle at the level of the third lumbar vertebra on abdominal CT was measured and adjusted by height (mm2/m2). This value (psoas muscle index [PMI]) was assumed to represent whole skeletal muscle mass. We divided the patients according to age, sex, and defined cutoff value of low skeletal muscle mass as 2 SDs below the mean. Intervention: None. Measurements and Main Results: Among 1,422 patients, 550 patients (38.6%) were male. The mean PMI was 896.60 (mm2/m2) for men and 570.54 (mm2/m2) for women. Cutoff values of PMI for men were 592.3 mm2/m2 for 20-39 years, 474.0 mm2/m2 for 40-49 years, 422.2 mm2/m2 for 50-59 years, 374.4 mm2/m2 for 60-69 years, and 331.5 mm2/m2 for 70-89 years. The values for women were 399.9 mm2/m2 for 20-39 years, 287.7 mm2/m2 for 40-49 years, 242.5 mm2/m2 for 50-59 years, 220.4 mm2/m2 for 60-69 years, and 147.6 mm2/m2 for 70-89 years. Conclusions: Cutoff values of low skeletal muscle mass using CT differed in healthy adults as age increased. Further studies on the effect of sarcopenia intervention using this cutoff value are needed.
Themes Associated With Top-Grossing Films Released From 2005 to 2015
Authors: Heasley Victoria L. , Li Christina F. , Fatica Jack P. , Magdeburger Jessica A. , Trinkkeller Jane M. , King Tonya S. , Olympia Robert P.
Published: September 2017

Films continue to be a popular form of entertainment among children. The objective of this study was to determine the most common themes found in the top-grossing films released from 2005 to 2015. Forty-five films were independently viewed and analyzed by 5 reviewers. The most common positive themes were “importance of helping others,” “working as a team,” and “standing up for what you believe in” (5.71, 4.08, and 3.78 mean events per hour, respectively). The most common negative themes were “use of guns/knives/lethal weapons,” “acts of violence/fighting,” and “demonstrating excessive anger” (5.78, 5.64, and 3.09 mean events per hour, respectively). In conclusion, the most common positive themes in our sample were associated with service, collaboration, and courage, and the most common negative themes were associated with violence. We encourage co-viewing and active mediation, focusing on the positive and negative themes found in film, as a method to guide children through their development process.
Beyond unemployment: Informal employment and heterogeneous motivations for participating in street vending in present-day China
Authors: Huang Gengzhi , Zhang Hong-ou , Xue Desheng
Published: September 2017

The proliferation of urban street vending in developing countries is generally viewed as being as a result of unemployment. Using a theoretical approach based on mainstream perspectives on informal employment and first-hand material from 200 semi-structured vendor interviews in Guangzhou, we challenge this view by revealing the heterogeneity of people’s motivations for participating in street vending in present-day China. Various types of labourers, including wage workers, farmers, the unemployed and small businesspeople, participate in street vending with diverse motivations, but in a common attempt to improve their livelihoods. Such motivations are driven both by the labourers’ responses to multiple socio-economic forces including unemployment, the low quality of waged jobs, rural poverty, the difficulties of maintaining a formal business and the poor remuneration of jobs in cities, and by their desire to achieve autonomy and flexibility. Street vending is mainly argued to be an effective strategy of ordinary labourers to cope with the unfavourable situations they face amidst socio-economic transformation. It should not be seen as a problem, but a potential part of the solution to the problems arising from socio-economic transformation in post-reform China.
A study of correlation between flame height and gap width of an internal fire whirl in a vertical shaft with a single corner gap
Authors: Zou G. W. , Hung H. Y. , Chow W. K.
Published: September 2017

An internal fire whirl can be generated by a pool fire burning in a vertical shaft with a single corner gap of appropriate width. In an internal fire whirl, the flame height is an important characteristic in terms of fire safety. In this paper, a correlation expression of flame height with the width of a single corner gap was studied using reported experimental data in a 9-m tall vertical shaft model. A pool of gasoline fuel was burnt inside the shaft model to study the characteristics of flame swirling. An internal fire whirl was generated for gap widths lying between 0.11 m and 0.66 m, when the pool fire was 0.46 m diameter. The flame height was between 2.5 m and 3.2 m. From the experimental observations on flame swirling for different gap widths, coupled with three assumptions on variation of air entrainment velocity with height, an expression relating the flame height and the corner gap width was derived for the internal fire whirl using a set of compiled experimental data. The correlation expression obtained would be useful for fire safety design in vertical shafts.
A Time Course of Bevacizumab (Anti-VEGF) Effect on Rat Peritoneum: Relations Between Antiadhesive Action and Fibrin Regulation Enzymes
Authors: Micha Aikaterini-Eftychia , Psarras Kyriakos , Ouroumidis Odysseas , Siska Evangelia , Vlachaki Efthymia , Lymperopoulos Aristotelis , Symeonidis Nikolaos , Nikolaidou Christina , Venizelos Ioannis , Koliakos George , Pavlidis Theodoros E.
Published: September 2017

Background. To investigate the early and late antiadhesive effect and any changes of fibrin matrix regulation enzymes on rat peritoneum, after local administration of bevacizumab. Methods. Rats were subjected to cecal abrasion. Bevacizumab (5 mg/kg) against placebo was given intraperitoneally. On the 2nd, 14th, and 28th postoperative days adhesions were scored, and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), degree of fibrosis, and angiogenesis were measured in abrased cecum and in intact parietal peritoneum. Results. Bevacizumab significantly reduced adhesions up to 15% on the 2nd, 52.5% on the 14th, and 55% on the 28th postoperative day, and significantly increased tPA concentrations in peritoneum. PAI-1 was decreased, and a significantly higher tPA/PAI-1 ratio along with an increase of MMP-9 was measured at all time points. Fibrosis and angiogenesis were significantly lower on the 14th and 28th postoperative days. Conclusions. Local bevacizumab administration has a strong early and late antiadhesive action on rat peritoneum, mediated by changes in the tPA/PAI-1 and MMP balance in favor of fibrinolysis up to 28 days after operations.
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Development in Emerging Adulthood
Authors: Davis Jordan P. , Dumas Tara M. , Roberts Brent W.
Published: September 2017

To date, no study has investigated the relation of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) with the developmental identification of the dimensions of emerging adulthood (IDEA; e.g., identity development, experimentation). Participants ( N = 832) were recruited from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (version: ‘2014 - 08- 15'). Basic associations between ACEs and the IDEA were conducted as well as indirect effects between ACEs and the IDEA for endorsement of traditional adult roles and current stress. ACEs were associated with reporting lower scores on the IDEA. Specifically, higher ACEs were associated with feeling less self-focused and less likely to feel this period of life is a time of experimentation and possibilities. Conversely, higher ACEs scores were associated with increased negativity/instability. Current perceived stress fully and partially mediated the effect between ACEs and IDEA Scales. As posited by Arnett, ACEs was associated with decreased IDEA scores. Current perceived stress may be a salient mechanism between ACEs and developmental dimensions of emerging adulthood.
Postcolonialism and Baltic Drama
Authors: Epner Luule
Published: September 2017

Benedikts Kalnačs, 20th Century Baltic Drama: Postcolonial Narratives, Decolonial Options. Bielefeld: Aisthesis Verlag, 2016.
Research into experiential learning in nurse education
Authors: Hill Barry
Published: September 2017

This research is founded on an innovative pedagogical project as part of a higher education lecturer teaching qualification. This project involved redesigning the module ‘advanced history taking and physical examination with clinical reasoning’, a continuing professional development at a higher education institution. The author undertook an exploration of the literature, considering evidence on teaching styles and the way in which students learn and gain knowledge. The module was redesigned, impelemented and then evaluated by the student participants. Key themes in the evaluation centred on the experiential learning style and experiential teaching style. There are numerous internal and external factors that affect teaching, and student learning. Experiential learning has provided a successful teaching pedagogy when applied to clinical skill acquisition, and has positively benefited the module delivery and pass rate, suggesting it has embedded ‘deep learning’. Student feedback was positive, and the redesigned module has had a positive impact on student engagement and the teacher–student interaction.
LDA*
Authors: Yut Lele , Zhang Ce , Shao Yingxia , Cui Bin
Published: September 2017

We present LDA*, a system that has been deployed in one of the largest Internet companies to fulfil their requirements of
"topic modeling as an internal service"
---relying on thousands of machines, engineers in different sectors submit their data, some are as large as 1.8TB, to LDA* and get results back in hours. LDA* is motivated by the observation that
none of the existing topic modeling systems is robust enough
---Each of these existing systems is designed for a specific point in the tradeoff space that can be sub-optimal, sometimes by up to 10×, across workloads.

Our first contribution is a systematic study of all recently proposed samplers: AliasLDA, F+LDA, LightLDA, and WarpLDA. We discovered a novel system tradeoff among these samplers. Each sampler has different sampling complexity and performs differently, sometimes by 5×, on documents with different lengths. Based on this tradeoff, we further developed a hybrid sampler that uses different samplers for different types of documents. This hybrid approach works across a wide range of workloads and outperforms the fastest sampler by up to 2x. We then focused on distributed environments in which thousands of workers, each with different performance (due to virtualization and resource sharing), coordinate to train a topic model. Our second contribution is an
asymmetric
parameter server architecture that pushes some computation to the parameter server side. This architecture is motivated by the skew of the word frequency distribution and a novel tradeoff we discovered between communication and computation. With this architecture, we outperform the traditional, symmetric architecture by up to 2×.

With these two contributions, together with a carefully engineered implementation, our system is able to outperform existing systems by up to 10× and has already been running to provide topic modeling services for more than six months.
The Murder of the Innocents in the Saturnalia and the Religion of Macrobius
Authors: Prchlík Ivan
Published: September 2017

Macrobius' allusion to the Murder of the Innocents is considered by Alan Cameron as evidence of his having been a Christian. The murder itself, however, appears in various versions in several sources, and Macrobius thus need not have depended on Matthew who himself could only have adapted material from an originally non-Christian source. The notion of Macrobius' Christianity is not unambiguously supported either by any other indicia produced by Cameron. Charles Hedrick's overall view of the Saturnalia appears preferable to that of Cameron.
Determining of right-hand side of higher order ultraparabolic equation
Authors: Protsakh Nataliya
Published: September 2017

In the paper the conditions of the existence and uniqueness of the solution for the inverse problem for higher order ultraparabolic equation are obtained. The equation contains two unknown functions of spatial and time variables in its right-hand side. The overdetermination conditions of the integral type are used.
Arzneimittelanwendung im Kindes- und Erwachsenenalter in Deutschland – Ergebnisse der bundesweiten Interview- und Untersuchungssurveys
Authors: Knopf Hildtraud C.
Published: September 2017

In den bundesweiten Surveys des Robert Koch-Instituts zur Gesundheit von Kindern, Jugendlichen (KiGGS) und Erwachsenen (DEGS1) wird die aktuelle Arzneimittelanwendung in den letzten 7 Tagen vor der Untersuchung durch ein standardisiertes ärztliches Interview erfasst. Etwa die Hälfte der Kinder und Jugendlichen (50,8%) und drei Viertel aller Erwachsenen (74,7%) geben an, in diesem Zeitraum mindestens ein Präparat angewendet zu haben. Die höchsten Anwendungsprävalenzen weisen Kinder im Alter von 0 bis 2 Jahren (74,9%) sowie 70- bis 79-jährige Frauen und Männer (96,3% vs. 94,9%) auf. Im Erwachsenenalter dominieren Arzneimittel zur Behandlung chronisch-degenerativer Erkrankungen, im Kindes- und Jugendalter sind es Präparate, die bei akuten Erkrankungen, Gesundheitsstörungen und zur Prävention eingesetzt werden. Die dargestellten Ergebnisse beschreiben wesentliche Eckpunkte des Arzneimittelgebrauchs repräsentativ für die Wohnbevölkerung in Deutschland.
Implications of microRNA dysregulation in the development of prostate cancer
Authors: Massillo Cintia , Dalton Guillermo N , Farré Paula L , De Luca Paola , De Siervi Adriana
Published: September 2017

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding small RNAs that target mRNA to reduce protein expression. They play fundamental roles in several diseases, including prostate cancer (PCa). A single miRNA can target hundreds of mRNAs and coordinately regulate them, which implicates them in nearly every biological pathway. Hence, miRNAs modulate proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, adhesion, migration, invasion and metastasis, most of them constituting crucial hallmarks of cancer. Due to these properties, miRNAs emerged as promising tools for diagnostic, prognosis and management of cancer patients. Moreover, they come out as potential targets for cancer treatment, and several efforts are being made to progress in the field of miRNA-based cancer therapy. In this review, we will summarize the recent information about miRNAs in PCa. We will recapitulate all the miRNAs involved in the androgen pathway and the biology of PCa, focusing in PCa initiation and progression. In particular, we will describe the miRNAs associated with cell proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis in PCa, as well as invasion, adhesion and metastatic miRNAs. We will revise the recent progress made understanding the role of circulating miRNAs identified in PCa that might be useful for PCa patient stratification. Another key aspect to be discussed in this review is miRNAs’ role in PCa therapy, including the miRNAs delivery.
PERBAIKAN PRODUKSI BENIH IKAN BETUTU DENGAN MANAJEMEN PEMBERIAN PAKAN ALAMI YANG DIPERKAYA GIZINYA
Authors: Azwar Zafril Imran , Puspaningsih Dewi , Taufik Imam
Published: September 2017

Empat perbedaan pemberian kombinasi pakan yaitu pakan alami (Moina sp. dan nauplii Artemia), serta Moina sp. yang masing-masing diperkaya minyak ikan, kuning telur ayam, dan pakan buatan telah diuji pengaruhnya terhadap pertumbuhan dan sintasan benih ikan betutu. Percobaan dilakukan dalam wadah toples plastik yang berisi air 7 L, dilengkapi aerasi dengan dasar wadah dilubangi dan dipasang plankton net. Wadah percobaan disusun secara seri dalam bak fiber gelas (2 m x 1,2 m x 0,5 m) yang telah diisi air setinggi 0,4 m. Pada fiber gelas dipasang pemanas air (heather) hingga kisaran suhu 28oC-30oC. Di atas wadah percobaan dipasang pipa yang berfungsi mensuplai air, dan air mengalir keluar dari bagian bawah sehingga terjadi sirkulasi air dalam wadah percobaan. Padat tebar ikan uji adalah 5 ekor/L benih umur 25 hari. Sebagai perlakuan adalah pakan alami; (a) Moina sp. dan nauplii Artemia (50%:50%), (b) Moina sp. (100%) diperkaya minyak ikan, (c) Moina sp. (100%) diperkaya minyak ikan dan tepung telur ayam, (d) Moina sp. (100%) dan diperkaya minyak ikan dan pakan buatan. Percobaan dilaksanakan dengan Rancangan Acak Lengkap, dan masing-masing perlakuan dengan tiga ulangan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa ikan uji yang diberi pakan Moina sp. diperkaya dengan minyak ikan dan pakan buatan memperlihatkan pertumbuhan bobot yang nyata lebih tinggi dari perlakuan lainnya (P<0.05), namun sintasannya lebih rendah. Sedangkan pertumbuhan bobot ikan uji maupun sintasan pada ketiga perlakuan lainnya tidak memperlihatkan perbedaan. Dapat disimpulkan bahwa pakan alami Moina sp. (100%) diperkaya minyak ikan, kuning telur, dan pakan buatan cukup mendukung pertambahan bobot dan panjang tubuh benih betutu selama masa pemeliharaan, dan dapat menggantikan nauplii Artemia