bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association of elevated serum cardiac troponin-I level and complications in acute heart failure cases
Authors: Aktar Farjana , Ahmed Selina
Published: August 2014

Acute heart failure is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality all over the world. Available published data has suggested that patients of acute heart failure with elevated level of serum cardiac troponin-I (cTn-I) have more adverse outcomes than that of acute heart failure with normal cTn-I level. Elevated level of serum cTn-I is a potential risk factor for acute heart failure. This study was carried out in the department of Biochemistry, Dhaka Medical College and National Institute of Cardiovascular Disease (NICVD) during the period from January 2010 to December 2010. In this study, 100 patients with acute heart failure were enrolled. Out of 100 cases, 50 had elevated serum cTn-I (cTn-I ? 1.0 ng/ml) and 50 had normal serum cTn-I (cTn-I < 1.0 ng/ml). The adverse outcome of the two groups were recorded and compared. Patients with high and normal serum cTn-I had mean age of 52.40 ± 8.10 years and 54.64 ± 7.26 years respectively while male and female cases were equally distributed. Left ventricular systolic dysfunction (lower ejection fraction) was significantly (p<0.05) higher among cases with elevated cTn-I level compared to those with normal level. The rate of renal failure (raised serum creatinine), impaired liver functions (raised ALT and AST) and abnormal serum electrolytes were significantly higher among the patients with elevated cTn-I compared to those with normal level. The study showed that elevated serum cTn-I level was a good biomarker to indicate adverse complications in acute heart failure cases. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/imcj.v7i2.20104 Ibrahim Med. Coll. J. 2013; 7(2): 32-34
Effect of Aegle marmelos fruit pulp powder on glycemic status of type 2 diabetic patients
Authors: Aziz Mkurshida , Akhter Masfida
Published: August 2014

Plant materials are considered to be attractive potential sources of alternate agents in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Different parts of Aegle marmelos have been claimed to possess anti-glycemic property. The present study was conducted at Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders (BIRDEM), Dhaka, Bangladesh from July 2010 to June 2011 to determine the anti-glycemic effect of A. marmelos unripe fruit pulp in T2DM patients. The experiment was conducted under a crossover design and the effects were analyzed during the 0-21 as well as 28-49 days with 7 days wash out period. The data were then pooled and the baseline versus endpoint values was also compared. The mean fasting blood glucose (FBG) values did not significantly differ between the two groups at any time points. No significant difference between the baseline and end point values regarding FBG. The effect on blood glucose was not significant in any of the analysis. This study did not reveal any antiglycemic effect of A. marmelos fruit pulp in T2DM patients. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/imcj.v7i2.20109 Ibrahim Med. Coll. J. 2013; 7(2): 35-37
A case of acute liver failure in dengue hemorrhagic fever
Authors: Biswas Rama , Hasan Kazi Ali
Published: August 2014

Dengue is an arboviral disease endemic in many parts of the world. The clinical presentation of dengue viral infection ranges from asymptomatic illness to fatal dengue shock syndrome. Although, it is known to cause hepatic involvement, it occasionally results in acute hepatic failure. We report a case of dengue hemorrhagic fever presenting with acute liver failure. The case recovered completely after treatment. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/imcj.v7i2.20112 Ibrahim Med. Coll. J. 2013; 7(2): 41-42
UNESCO, Adult education and political mobilization
Authors: Milana Marcella
Published: August 2014

In this article the author examine the type of mobilization processes that occur via interactions between the UNESCO and other political actors, and how these processes led to the creation of standard-setting and monitoring instruments, like the Belèm Framework for Action (UNESCO 2009) and the Global Report on Adult Learning and Education (UIL 2003, 2013). The findings point at three concurrent processes or modes of mobilization in adult education: landmarking, brokering and framing. Landmarking refers to the process of co-constructing a shared past for a broad set of actors with policy will in adult education; Brokering captures the process of supporting the transaction of values, ideas and information to envision a viable future for adult education; finally framing addresses the structuring of information and intentions to produce materials changes at governmental level in the field of adult education. Drawing on different data sources, for each mode the author present and discuss few of its incidences and visible marks.
Entropy-Complexity Characterization of Brain Development in Chickens
Authors: Montani Fernando , Rosso Osvaldo
Published: August 2014

Electroencephalography (EEG) reflects the electrical activity of the brain, which can be considered chaotic and ruled by a nonlinear dynamics. Chickens exhibit a protracted period of maturation, and this temporal separation of the synapse formation and maturation phases is analogous to human neural development, though the changes in chickens occur in weeks compared to years in humans. The development of synaptic networks in the chicken brain can be regarded as occurring in two broadly defined phases. We specifically describe the chicken brain development phases in the causality entropy-complexity plane H × C, showing that the complexity of the electrical activity can be characterized by estimating the intrinsic correlational structure of the EEG signal. This allows us to identify the dynamics of the developing chicken brain within the zone of a chaotic dissipative behavior in the plane H × C.
Sirt3 Protects Cortical Neurons against Oxidative Stress via Regulating Mitochondrial Ca2+ and Mitochondrial Biogenesis
Authors: Dai Shu-Hui , Chen Tao , Wang Yu-Hai , Zhu Jie , Luo Peng , Rao Wei , Yang Yue-Fan , Fei Zhou , Jiang Xiao-Fan
Published: August 2014

Oxidative stress is a well-established event in the pathology of several neurobiological diseases. Sirt3 is a nicotinamide adenine nucleotide (NAD+)-dependent protein deacetylase that regulates mitochondrial function and metabolism in response to caloric restriction and stress. This study aims to investigate the role of Sirt3 in H2O2 induced oxidative neuronal injury in primary cultured rat cortical neurons. We found that H2O2 treatment significantly increased the expression of Sirt3 in a time-dependent manner at both mRNA and protein levels. Knockdown of Sirt3 with a specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) exacerbated H2O2-induced neuronal injury, whereas overexpression of Sirt3 by lentivirus transfection inhibited H2O2-induced neuronal damage reduced the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and increased the activities of endogenous antioxidant enzymes. In addition, the intra-mitochondrial Ca2+ overload, but not cytosolic Ca2+ increase after H2O2 treatment, was strongly attenuated after Sirt3 overexpression. Overexpression of Sirt3 also increased the content of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and the expression of mitochondrial biogenesis related transcription factors. All these results suggest that Sirt3 acts as a prosurvival factor playing an essential role to protect cortical neurons under H2O2 induced oxidative stress, possibly through regulating mitochondrial Ca2+ homeostasis and mitochondrial biogenesis.
Life Cycle Assessment of Completely Recyclable Concrete
Authors: De Schepper Mieke , Van den Heede Philip , Van Driessche Isabel , De Belie Nele
Published: August 2014

Since the construction sector uses 50% of the Earth’s raw materials and produces 50% of its waste, the development of more durable and sustainable building materials is crucial. Today, Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) is mainly used in low level applications, namely as unbound material for foundations, e.g., in road construction. Mineral demolition waste can be recycled as crushed aggregates for concrete, but these reduce the compressive strength and affect the workability due to higher values of water absorption. To advance the use of concrete rubble, Completely Recyclable Concrete (CRC) is designed for reincarnation within the cement production, following the Cradle-to-Cradle (C2C) principle. By the design, CRC becomes a resource for cement production because the chemical composition of CRC will be similar to that of cement raw materials. If CRC is used on a regular basis, a closed concrete-cement-concrete material cycle will arise, which is completely different from the current life cycle of traditional concrete. Within the research towards this CRC it is important to quantify the benefit for the environment and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) needs to be performed, of which the results are presented in a this paper. It was observed that CRC could significantly reduce the global warming potential of concrete.
Tricyclic Guanidine Alkaloids from the Marine Sponge Acanthella cavernosa that Stabilize the Tumor Suppressor PDCD4
Authors: Grkovic Tanja , Blees Johanna , Bayer Magdalena , Colburn Nancy , Thomas Cheryl , Henrich Curtis , Peach Megan , McMahon James , Schmid Tobias , Gustafson Kirk
Published: August 2014

A cell-based high-throughput screen that assessed the cellular stability of a tumor suppressor protein PDCD4 (Programmed cell death 4) was used to identify a new guanidine-containing marine alkaloid mirabilin K (3), as well as the known compounds mirabilin G (1) and netamine M (2). The structures of these tricyclic guanidine alkaloids were established from extensive spectroscopic analyses. Compounds 1 and 2 inhibited cellular degradation of PDCD4 with EC50 values of 1.8 μg/mL and 2.8 μg/mL, respectively. Mirabilin G (1) and netamine M (2) are the first marine natural products reported to stabilize PDCD4 under tumor promoting conditions.
Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Momordica Charantia in Sepsis Mice
Authors: Chao Che-Yi , Sung Ping-Jyun , Wang Wei-Hsien , Kuo Yueh-Hsiung
Published: August 2014

Wild bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L. var. abbreviate Seringe), a common vegetable in Asia, is used in traditional medicine to treat various diseases, including inflammation. Extant literature indicates that wild bitter gourds have components that activate PPARα and PPARγ. This research probed the influence of adding wild bitter gourd to diets on inflammation responses in mice with sepsis induced by intraperitoneal injection of LPS. Male BALB/c mice were divided normal, sepsis, positive control, and three experimental groups. The latter ate diets with low (1%), moderate (2%), and high (10%) ratios of wild bitter gourd lyophilized powder. Before mice were sacrificed, with the exception of the normal group, intraperitoneal injection of LPS induced sepsis in each group; positive control group was injected with LPS after PDTC. This experiment revealed starkly lower weights in groups with added wild bitter gourd than those of the remaining groups. Blood lipids (TG, cholesterol, and NEFA) were also lower in comparison to the sepsis group, and blood glucose concentrations recovered and approached normal levels. Blood biochemistry values related to inflammation reactions indicated GOT, GPT, C-RP, and NO concentrations of groups with added wild bitter gourd were all lower than those of the sepsis group. Secretion levels of the spleen pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α tallied significantly lower in comparison to the sepsis group, whereas secretion levels of IL-10 anti-inflammatory cytokine increased. Expression level of proteins NF-κB, iNOS, and COX-2 were significantly inhibited. Results indicate wild bitter gourd in diets promoted lipid metabolism, reducing fat accumulation, and improving low blood glucose in sepsis. Addition of wild bitter gourd can reduce inflammation biochemical markers or indicators and pro-inflammatory cytokines in the body, hence improving the inflammation responses in mice with sepsis.
Thiosulfoxide (Sulfane) Sulfur: New Chemistry and New Regulatory Roles in Biology
Authors: Toohey John , Cooper Arthur
Published: August 2014

The understanding of sulfur bonding is undergoing change. Old theories on hypervalency of sulfur and the nature of the chalcogen-chalcogen bond are now questioned. At the same time, there is a rapidly expanding literature on the effects of sulfur in regulating biological systems. The two fields are inter-related because the new understanding of the thiosulfoxide bond helps to explain the newfound roles of sulfur in biology. This review examines the nature of thiosulfoxide (sulfane, S0) sulfur, the history of its regulatory role, its generation in biological systems, and its functions in cells. The functions include synthesis of cofactors (molybdenum cofactor, iron-sulfur clusters), sulfuration of tRNA, modulation of enzyme activities, and regulating the redox environment by several mechanisms (including the enhancement of the reductive capacity of glutathione). A brief review of the analogous form of selenium suggests that the toxicity of selenium may be due to over-reduction caused by the powerful reductive activity of glutathione perselenide.
Anti-Inflammatory Effect of the Blueberry Anthocyanins Malvidin-3-Glucoside and Malvidin-3-Galactoside in Endothelial Cells
Authors: Huang Wu-Yang , Liu Ya-Mei , Wang Jian , Wang Xing-Na , Li Chun-Yang
Published: August 2014

Blueberry fruits have a wide range of health benefits because of their abundant anthocyanins, which are natural antioxidants. The purpose of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effect of blueberry’s two main anthocyanins (malvidin-3-glucoside and malvidin-3-galactoside) on inflammatory response in endothelial cells. These two malvidin glycosides could inhibit tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) induced increases of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) production both in the protein and mRNA levels in a concentration-dependent manner. Mv-3-glc at the concentration of 1 μM could inhibit 35.9% increased MCP-1, 54.4% ICAM-1, and 44.7% VCAM-1 protein in supernatant, as well as 9.88% MCP-1 and 48.6% ICAM-1 mRNA expression (p < 0.05). In addition, they could decrease IκBα degradation (Mv-3-glc, Mv-3-gal, and their mixture at the concentration of 50 μM had the inhibition rate of 84.8%, 75.3%, and 43.2%, respectively, p < 0.01) and block the nuclear translocation of p65, which suggested their anti-inflammation mechanism was mediated by the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway. In general malvidin-3-glucoside had better anti-inflammatory effect than malvidin-3-galactoside. These results indicated that blueberry is good resource of anti-inflammatory anthocyanins, which can be promising molecules for the development of nutraceuticals to prevent chronic inflammation in many diseases.
Target Salt 2025: A Global Overview of National Programs to Encourage the Food Industry to Reduce Salt in Foods
Authors: Webster Jacqui , Trieu Kathy , Dunford Elizabeth , Hawkes Corinna
Published: August 2014

Reducing population salt intake has been identified as a priority intervention to reduce non-communicable diseases. Member States of the World Health Organization have agreed to a global target of a 30% reduction in salt intake by 2025. In countries where most salt consumed is from processed foods, programs to engage the food industry to reduce salt in products are being developed. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of national initiatives to encourage the food industry to reduce salt. A systematic review of the literature was supplemented by key informant questionnaires to inform categorization of the initiatives. Fifty nine food industry salt reduction programs were identified. Thirty eight countries had targets for salt levels in foods and nine countries had introduced legislation for some products. South Africa and Argentina have both introduced legislation limiting salt levels across a broad range of foods. Seventeen countries reported reductions in salt levels in foods—the majority in bread. While these trends represent progress, many countries have yet to initiate work in this area, others are at early stages of implementation and further monitoring is required to assess progress towards achieving the global target.
Salt Content Distribution and Paleoclimatic Significance of the Lop Nur “Ear” Feature: Results from Analysis of EO-1 Hyperion Imagery
Authors: Zhang Tingting , Shao Yun , Gong Huaze , Li Lin , Wang Longfei
Published: August 2014

Lop Nur, a playa lake located on the eastern margin of Tarim Basin in northwestern China, is famous for the “Ear” feature of its salt crust, which appears in remote-sensing images. In this study, partial least squares (PLS) regression was used to estimated Lop Nur playa salt-crust properties, including total salt, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, Si2+, and Fe2+ using laboratory hyperspectral data. PLS results for laboratory-measured spectra were compared with those for resampled laboratory spectra with the same spectral resolution as Hyperion using the coefficient of determination (R2) and the ratio of standard deviation of sample chemical concentration to root mean squared error (RPD). Based on R2 and RPD, the results suggest that PLS can predict Ca2+ using Hyperion reflectance spectra. The Ca2+ distribution was compared to the “Ear area” shown in a Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) 5 image. The mean value of reflectance from visible bands for a 14 km transversal profile to the “Ear area” rings was extracted with the TM 5 image. The reflectance was used to build a correlation with Ca2+ content estimated with PLS using Hyperion. Results show that the correlation between Ca2+ content and reflectance is in accordance with the evolution of the salt lake. Ca2+ content variation was consistent with salt deposition. Some areas show a negative correlation between Ca2+ content and reflectance, indicating that there could have been a small-scale temporary runoff event under an arid environmental background. Further work is needed to determine whether these areas of small-scale runoff are due to natural (climate events) or human factors (upstream channel changes).
A High-Pressure Bi-Directional Cycloid Rotor Flowmeter
Authors: Liu Shuo , Ding Fan , Ding Chuan , Man Zaipeng
Published: August 2014

The measurement of the flow rate of various liquids and gases is critical in industrial automation. Rotary positive displacement meters (rotary PD meters) are highly accurate flowmeters that are widely employed in engineering applications, especially in custody transfer operations and hydraulic control systems. This paper presents a high pressure rotary PD meter containing a pair of internal cycloid rotors. It has the advantages of concise structure, low pressure loss, high accuracy and low noise. The curve of the internal rotor is designed as an equidistant curtate epicycloid curve with the external rotor curve as its conjugate. The calculation method used to determine the displacement of the cycloid rotor flowmeter is discussed. A prototype was fabricated, and experiments were performed to confirm measurements over a flow range of 1–100 L/min with relative errors of less than ±0.5%. The pressure loss through the flowmeter was about 3 bar at a flow rate of 100 L/min.
Channel-Forming Bacterial Toxins in Biosensing and Macromolecule Delivery
Authors: Gurnev Philip , Nestorovich Ekaterina
Published: August 2014

To intoxicate cells, pore-forming bacterial toxins are evolved to allow for the transmembrane traffic of different substrates, ranging from small inorganic ions to cell-specific polypeptides. Recent developments in single-channel electrical recordings, X-ray crystallography, protein engineering, and computational methods have generated a large body of knowledge about the basic principles of channel-mediated molecular transport. These discoveries provide a robust framework for expansion of the described principles and methods toward use of biological nanopores in the growing field of nanobiotechnology. This article, written for a special volume on “Intracellular Traffic and Transport of Bacterial Protein Toxins”, reviews the current state of applications of pore-forming bacterial toxins in small- and macromolecule-sensing, targeted cancer therapy, and drug delivery. We discuss the electrophysiological studies that explore molecular details of channel-facilitated protein and polymer transport across cellular membranes using both natural and foreign substrates. The review focuses on the structurally and functionally different bacterial toxins: gramicidin A of Bacillus brevis, α-hemolysin of Staphylococcus aureus, and binary toxin of Bacillus anthracis, which have found their “second life” in a variety of developing medical and technological applications.
The Activation Effect of Hainantoxin-I, a Peptide Toxin from the Chinese Spider, Ornithoctonus hainana, on Intermediate-Conductance Ca2+-Activated K+ Channels
Authors: Huang Pengfei , Zhang Yiya , Chen Xinyi , Zhu Li , Yin Dazhong , Zeng Xiongzhi , Liang Songping
Published: August 2014

Intermediate-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (IK) channels are calcium/calmodulin-regulated voltage-independent K+ channels. Activation of IK currents is important in vessel and respiratory tissues, rendering the channels potential drug targets. A variety of small organic molecules have been synthesized and found to be potent activators of IK channels. However, the poor selectivity of these molecules limits their therapeutic value. Venom-derived peptides usually block their targets with high specificity. Therefore, we searched for novel peptide activators of IK channels by testing a series of toxins from spiders. Using electrophysiological experiments, we identified hainantoxin-I (HNTX-I) as an IK-channel activator. HNTX-I has little effect on voltage-gated Na+ and Ca2+ channels from rat dorsal root ganglion neurons and on the heterologous expression of voltage-gated rapidly activating delayed rectifier K+ channels (human ether-à-go-go-related gene; human ERG) in HEK293T cells. Only 35.2% ± 0.4% of the currents were activated in SK channels, and there was no effect on BK channels. We demonstrated that HNTX-I was not a phrenic nerve conduction blocker or acutely toxic. This is believed to be the first report of a peptide activator effect on IK channels. Our study suggests that the activity and selectivity of HNTX-I on IK channels make HNTX-I a promising template for designing new drugs for cardiovascular diseases.
Comparative Aspects of Human, Canine, and Feline Obesity and Factors Predicting Progression to Diabetes
Authors: Hoenig Margarethe
Published: August 2014

Obesity and diabetes mellitus are common diseases in humans, dogs and cats and their prevalence is increasing. Obesity has been clearly identified as a risk factor for type 2 diabetes in humans and cats but recent data are missing in dogs, although there is evidence that the unprecedented rise in canine obesity in the last decade has led to a rise in canine diabetes of similar magnitude. The insulin resistance of obesity has often been portrayed as major culprit in the loss of glucose control; however, insulin resistance alone is not a good indicator of progression to diabetes in people or pets. A loss of beta cell function is necessary to provide the link to impaired fasting and post-prandial plasma glucose. Increased endogenous glucose output by the liver is also a prerequisite for the increase in fasting blood glucose when non-diabetic obese humans and pets develop diabetes. This may be due to decreased hepatic insulin sensitivity, decreased insulin concentrations, or a combination of both. While inflammation is a major link between obesity and diabetes in humans, there is little evidence that a similar phenomenon exists in cats. In dogs, more studies are needed to examine this important issue.
Development of a Shared Vision for Groundwater Management to Protect and Sustain Baseflows of the Upper San Pedro River, Arizona, USA
Authors: Richter Holly , Gungle Bruce , Lacher Laurel , Turner Dale , Bushman Brooke
Published: August 2014

Groundwater pumping along portions of the binational San Pedro River has depleted aquifer storage that supports baseflow in the San Pedro River. A consortium of 23 agencies, business interests, and non-governmental organizations pooled their collective resources to develop the scientific understanding and technical tools required to optimize the management of this complex, interconnected groundwater-surface water system. A paradigm shift occurred as stakeholders first collaboratively developed, and then later applied, several key hydrologic simulation and monitoring tools. Water resources planning and management transitioned from a traditional water budget-based approach to a more strategic and spatially-explicit optimization process. After groundwater modeling results suggested that strategic near-stream recharge could reasonably sustain baseflows at or above 2003 levels until the year 2100, even in the presence of continued groundwater development, a group of collaborators worked for four years to acquire 2250 hectares of land in key locations along 34 kilometers of the river specifically for this purpose. These actions reflect an evolved common vision that considers the multiple water demands of both humans and the riparian ecosystem associated with the San Pedro River.
Provenance assignment of archaeological marbles in the museum of Ballıhisar (Central Anatolia, Turkey)
Authors: De Paepe Paul , Moens Luc , De Donder José
Published: August 2014

Dix objets en marbre blanc conservés au Musée de Ballıhisar, en Anatolie centrale, ont été soumis à une analyse isotopique : deux sarcophages, cinq éléments architecturaux, deux monuments funéraires et un pithos (Fig. 1 et 2). La fabrication de certaines de ces pièces remonte à l'Antiquité classique ; d'autres ont vu le jour dans des ateliers byzantins ou datent de la période chrétienne. Les marbres étudiés proviennent, d'une part, de fouilles réalisées à Ballıhisar - où se trouvent les vestiges de l'ancienne ville de Pessinonte - et, d'autre part, de prospections de terrain menées aux alentours de ce site. Le but principal du travail de laboratoire était d'éclairer le problème de l'origine précise des marbres utilisés par les habitants de Pessinonte pendant et après l'Antiquité classique. Si les résultats obtenus n'ont pas donné une réponse complètement satisfaisante à cette question, ils nous instruisent du moins sur la provenance probable de quelques pièces.

Afin de tester l'hypothèse des archéologues sur l'origine locale des marbres de Pessinonte, des prélèvements de roches ont eu lieu entre 2001 et 2003 dans plusieurs carrières de marbre, antiques et modernes, de la région, plus précisément à İstiklâlbağı et Tekören, au Nord de Ballıhisar. Les données fournies par l'examen isotopique de soixante- cinq échantillons de marbre brut ont permis d'établir les premiers diagrammes de référence (Fig. 3 et 4). La variation isotopique, plus particulièrement celle de l'oxygène, observée dans les marbres de İstiklâlbağı et, à un degré moindre, dans ceux de Tekören est malheureusement tellement grande que les roches analysées se confondent isotopiquement avec bon nombre de marbres d'intérêt archéologique du bassin méditerranéen. Avant même d'entamer l'examen de laboratoire des objets du Musée de Ballıhisar, il était donc clair que nos chances de pouvoir désigner un lieu d'origine précis étaient assez réduites.

Malgré ce handicap, notre étude conduit à la conclusion que deux pièces architecturales et le pithos sont taillés dans du marbre étranger à la région de Pessinonte (Fig. 5 et 6). La source la plus probable de ces œuvres semble être les carrières antiques d'Afyon, au Sud-Ouest de Pessinonte. La caractérisation isotopique des deux sarcophages, par contre, est compatible avec une production locale quoique, dans le stade actuel de notre recherche, on ne peut exclure qu'ils proviennent d'une autre source anatolienne. En ce qui concerne les autres pièces, les données analytiques ne confirment apparemment pas l'origine locale. Mais ceci s'explique peut-être par le nombre limité de roches inclues dans notre banque de données concernant les marbres de la région de Pessinonte.
Quelques techniques halieutiques chez les Temiar de Malaisie
Authors: Bruguière Jean-Luc
Published: August 2014

Après avoir séjourné plusieurs mois chez les Temiar, ethnie forestière de la péninsule malaise, afin d'y étudier les techniques d'acquisition et de consommation, l'auteur décrit ici les différentes techniques de pêche qu'il a recensées dans trois villages en s'intéressant plus particulièrement aux pièges aquatiques.
Dona Flora et les cajous. Deux systèmes agricoles au sud-est du Piaui (Brésil)
Authors: Emperaire Laure , Pinton Florence
Published: August 2014

Two agricultural systems of the South-Eastern Piaui region are described as ecosystems and analysed according to their evolution capability. The first system represents traditional family agricultural unit, dedicated to mixed farming of food crops. The second systems belongs to monoculture food farming of cashew (Anacardium occidentale). These two types of farming diverged considerably interms of their ecological impact and socio-economical integration.
Nomenclatures comparées de mammifères dans deux langues bantoues : Songola (D 24) et Ombo (C-69)
Authors: Ankei Yuji
Published: August 2014

Mammal names among two Bantu-speaking peoples were investigated. The Songola (linguistic zone D) have 66 names whereas the Ombo (zone C) have 49, of which 32 have the same etymology. On the other hand, Songola (D-24) and Mbuti-Bira (D-32) have only 5 mammal names in common, and Ombo (C-69) and Boyela (C-74) have only 10. The large similarity between Songola and Ombo may be understood as a result of borrowing that occurred when the Ombo migrated into the Songola territory.
Essai de formalisation de l'ethnobotanique
Authors: De Foucault B.
Published: August 2014

This text attempts to bring a formalisation of ethnobotany, on next points : definition of the elementary ethnobotanic fact, classifications ; the author details particularely a relationnal classification, with universal transformations represented by operators.
Central Asia and Kashmir, an appraisal of post and present links
Authors: Buth G.M. , Navchoo Irshad A. , Asti Navayan
Published: August 2014

The author intends to show the floral relationships between the Kashmir Valley and Central Asia. Two points in particular are emphasized : 1) The archeobotanic relationship between these 2 regions (several archaeological Indian findings in Kashmir are analyzed). 2) The affinities between present flora of Himalayan Kashmir and those of Central Asia.
Astyanax et les orphelins de guerre athéniens. Critique de l’idéologie de la cité dans les Troyennes d’Euripide
Authors: Brillet-Dubois Pascale
Published: August 2014

La question de la portée polémique des Troyennes d’Euripide a été abordée récemment soit du point de vue de l’allusion historique aux événements contemporains (prise de Mélos et préparation de l’expédition de Sicile), soit dans la perspective intellectuelle des débats sophistiques, soit en mettant l’accent sur le pouvoir subversif de la lamentation féminine. On s’intéresse ici, pour infirmer ou compléter certaines de ces hypothèses antérieures, à l’usage que fait la pièce de discours et de rites officiels qui expriment ou matérialisent l’idéologie guerrière athénienne, notamment dans l’enceinte même du théâtre au cours des Grandes Dionysies, dans les jours précédant le concours tragique. La mise en scène et en mots du meurtre d’Astyanax, en particulier, constitue une inversion et une perversion rigoureuses de la cérémonie honorant les orphelins de guerre athéniens. La mort de l’enfant se révèle être non seulement un admirable coup de théâtre, une scène extrêmement pathétique suscitant une pitié universelle, mais aussi l’instrument d’une charge politique ancrée dans un contexte historique bien déterminé, ayant pour cible l’idéologie guerrière d’Athènes dont elle révèle les failles et les dangers.
Les fêtes du théâtre grec à l’époque hellénistique
Authors: Le Guen Brigitte
Published: August 2014

Le présent article a pour but de mettre au jour la logique, tant politique que cultuelle, selon laquelle les concours dramatiques furent associés à d’autres divinités que Dionysos, tout au long de la période hellénistique.
Pollux, un lexicographe au théâtre
Authors: Mauduit Christine , Moretti Jean-Charles
Published: August 2014

Le livre IV de l’Onomasticon de Pollux a été souvent utilisé par la critique comme une source d’informations fiable sur le théâtre grec. Mais de quel théâtre le lexicographe parle-t-il∞∞ ? Un premier type d’approche, topographique et chronologique, de sa notice sur le théâtre permet de mettre en lumière la diversité des strates temporelles auxquelles renvoient les réalités qu’il décrit, et de cerner l’aire géographique et culturelle qui se dessine à l’arrière-plan de ses références. Cette perspective référentielle, qui cherche à éclairer les descriptions de Pollux en les confrontant à la réalité des édifices et des spectacles, ne suffit cependant pas à rendre compte de la composition et de la finalité d’un texte qui procède avant tout d’autres textes et obéit à une logique propre, déterminée par la visée lexicale de l’ouvrage. Il importe donc — et c’est l’objet de la seconde partie de cette étude — de s’interroger sur l’origine des informations livrées par le texte de Pollux, sur la manière dont le lexicographe utilise et combine ses sources, pour construire un théâtre qui n’est pas fait de pierres, mais de mots, produit d’un savoir lexical résultant de l’accumulation non critique de données puisées dans des textes de nature et d’époques variées.
Efficient CO2 capture by tertiary amine-functionalized ionic liquids through Li+-stabilized zwitterionic adduct formation
Authors: Yang Zhen-Zhen , He Liang-Nian
Published: August 2014

Highly efficient CO2 absorption was realized through formation of zwitterionic adducts, combining synthetic strategies to ionic liquids (ILs) and coordination. The essence of our strategy is to make use of multidentate cation coordination between Li+ and an organic base. Also PEG-functionalized organic bases were employed to enhance the CO2-philicity. The ILs were reacted with CO2 to form the zwitterionic adduct. Coordination effects between various lithium salts and neutral ligands, as well as the CO2 capacity of the chelated ILs obtained were investigated. For example, the CO2 capacity of PEG150MeBu2N increased steadily from 0.10 to 0.66 (mol CO2 absorbed per mol of base) through the formation of zwitterionic adducts being stabilized by Li+.
A review on alkaline activation: new analytical perspectives
Authors: Palomo A. , Krivenko P. , Garcia-Lodeiro I. , Kavalerova E. , Maltseva O. , Fernández-Jiménez A.
Published: August 2014

For many years now the idea of including alkalis in a Portland cement matrix has been regarded as a daft or inexcusably erroneous proposition: despite its absurdity, that opinion has been widely accepted as a basic premise by the scientific and technical community working in the area of the chemistry of cement. In 1957 Glukhovsky proposed a working hypothesis in which he established a close relationship between alkalis and cementitious materials. That hypothesis has become consolidated and has served as a basis for developing a new type of binders, initially called “alkaline cements”. The present paper reviews the most significant theoretical interpretations of the role played by alkalis in the formation of the “stony” structure of cement. It ends with a broad overview of the versatility of this type of materials for industrial applications and a discussion of the possibility of building on the existing legislation to meet the need for the future regulation of alkaline cement and concrete manufacture.
Tecnologías para el siglo XXI: los nanotubos de carbono como adsorbentes de metales
Authors: Alguacil Francisco José , Cerpa Arisbel , Lado Isabel , López Félix A.
Published: August 2014

Tanto en el pasado como hoy en día, cuando la palabra “nano” aparece en cualquier sitio inmediatamente suscita atención e interés; por eso y desde su descubrimiento hace cerca de veinte años, los nanotubos de carbono interesaron tanto a científicos como a industriales, que utilizaron las propiedades de estos nanomateriales en una serie de aplicaciones. Entre éstas, se incluye la eliminación de metales tóxicos, y otros con un cierto valor económico, de medios acuosos, problemática que además tiene unas implicaciones económicas y sociales importantes. Este trabajo revisa los avances más recientes (años 2009–2013) de la utilización de estos nanotubos de carbono en la eliminación de una serie de metales contenidos en distintos medios acuosos.
Infinite Petri Nets as Models of Grids
Authors: Zaitsev Dmitry A. , Zaitsev Ivan D. , Shmeleva Tatiana R.
Published: August 2014

An overview of works, early published by the authors, has been done that explains peculiarities of composition and analysis technique developed for investigation of infinite Petri nets with regular structure which were introduced for modeling networks, clusters, and computing grids. Parametric description of Petri nets, parametric representation of infinite systems for calculation place/transition invariants, and solving them in parametric form allowed the invariance proof for infinite Petri net models. Complex deadlocks were disclosed and a possibility of the network blocking via ill-intended traffic revealed. Prospective directions for future research of infinite Petri nets were formulated.
Measuring the Effects of Data Mining on Inference
Authors: Burr Tom , Tobin S.
Published: August 2014

Data mining is a term used to describe various types of exploratory data analysis whose purposes are to select data models, estimate model parameters, and generate hypotheses that can be tested on future data. It is known that model predictions are overly optimistic when generated from the same data that are used to select a model and estimate its parameters. Therefore, most statistical procedures assume that the data model is selected prior to data collection. Alternatively, to adjust for data mining, we describe steps that should be taken to account for “choosing the best” among many candidate models.
Affect Awareness Support and Communication Technologies in Education
Authors: Apostolidis Hippokratis , Tsiatsos Thrasyvoulos
Published: August 2014

The purpose of this article is the support of learning activities through the student affective awareness and more specifically through his/her anxiety level recognition. In learning activities besides the cognitive procedure, there is a mixture of student academic emotions revealed, which might be considered as important factors to student performance. Student anxiety recognition through bio-feedback, might be approved a significant support providing critical and on-time affective information which may improve self-regulation and teaching and coaching quality. The physiological reactions of the body, affects the conductivity of the skin, the skin temperature and the heart rate producing bio-signals that provide the opportunity to estimate some basic human emotional states. More specifically, high anxiety is usually resulting in increased human skin moisture, reducing the resistance and increasing the skin conductivity to electrical current. Human skin temperature is decreasing as anxiety is increasing. Also people under stressful conditions usually show increased heart rate values.
Literacy Learning and Assessment for the Digital Age
Authors: Leach April Marie
Published: August 2014

Multiple forms of media or multimodal media (MMM) available to communicate have expanded the definition of literacy beyond “alphabetical communication” and assessment (Kalantzis, & Cope, 2012; Kress, 2003; Kress, & Leeuwen, 2006). Reading and writing as traditional forms of literacy now encompass digital media. These technologies afford opportunities for the design of communication that incorporates the senses of sight, sound, and movement as part of the message. Newly possible modes of communication require of creators the ability to craft and manipulate these multiple modes of media, and require that interpreters formerly thought of as readers, develop the ability to understand these modes of meaning making as contemporary literacy pedagogy. Reconceptualizing both the interpretation of multiple modes of media and learning how to craft interdisciplinary MMM to address the requirements of the Common Core State Standards and college and career readiness is the new frontier in literacy learning in this first digital age.
Categorizing Blogs as Information Sources for Libraries and Information Science
Authors: Scale Mark-Shane , Quan-Haase Anabel
Published: August 2014

Blogs are important sources of information currently used in the work of professionals, institutions and academics. Nevertheless, traditional information needs and uses research has not yet discussed where blogs fit in the existing typologies of information sources. Blogs and other types of social media have several characteristics that blur the lines of distinction existent between traditional information source categories. This chapter brings this research problem to the fore. Not only do we examine why blogs do not neatly fit into existing information source categories, but we also deliberate the implications for libraries in terms of the need to consider blogs as an information source to be included in collection development. We discuss the opportunities and possibilities for blogs to be integrated into the collection development efforts of academic and public libraries to better serve patrons. In order to accommodate for blogs and other types of social media as information sources, we propose the introduction of an additional information source category. We suggest new avenues of future research that investigate how blogs are being used to meet information needs in various social settings, such as corporations, health care and educational settings (e.g., higher education, and schools). In this chapter, we develop a framework of how blogs may function as information sources to provide libraries with a better understanding of how blogs are integrated into the context of everyday information seeking. By grouping the ways in which people employ blogs to acquire information, we propose that blogs provide information sources along a continuum ranging from non-fiction to fictional information.
An Overview of 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE)
Authors: Grigoriou Elisavet , Chatzimisios Periklis
Published: August 2014

The purpose of the current chapter is the presentation of the basic characteristics of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology. With the rapid dispatch of LTE deployments and the upgraded mobile user experience that it delivers, LTE is clearly emerging as a successful technology for mobile communications. LTE features a simplified network architecture, higher performance and lower cost per bit. This chapter indicates the main characteristics and developments of LTE and a part is devoted mainly to system architecture. Furthermore, a description of the standardization process within 3GPP is provided. We will also introduce Release 10 (LTE Advanced), one of the leading technologies for next-generation mobile broadband. Currently 3GPP is in the closing stage of LTE Release 11. Thus, we will also perform a comprehensive comparison between the two Releases. Finally, an important issue that will be mentioned is the interworking of LTE with other technologies. The presented information will help readers to understand how LTE has evolved and the functionality of 3GPP technologies.
Energy Efficiency Using the Fast Reroute Technique
Authors: Recupero Diego Reforgiato , Consoli Sergio
Published: August 2014

This article is addressed to network engineers and managers of large enterprises that are interested in energy consumption of network devices. In the last years many efforts in telecommunications network research and design have been devoted to reduce energy consumption of network devices. Development of green routers aimed at saving energy when the input traffic is low is receiving increasing attention in the scientific community. In this article we face the problem of further reducing power consumption in transport networks adopting the Fast Reroute technique together with a low power idle approach, which result in substantial energy saving when the traffic on the network is low. We have run simulations using NS-2 and as test case, we developed the proposed approach on top of the NetFPGA architecture and results are very promising for larger exploitation.
Scrum Software Development Methodology
Authors: Guthrie Ruth
Published: August 2014

Scrum is a software development methodology that is growing in popularity. It is an agile development technique that allows user requirements to change throughout the development of the project. Scrum is often described as appropriate for small development programs with high uncertainty of requirements. This article describes scrum methodology at a high level. The advantages and disadvantages of adopting scrum methodology are reviewed. Impediments to adopting scrum and remedies are also discussed.
Importance of Airflow for Physiologic and Ergogenic Effects of Precooling
Authors: Morrison Shawnda A. , Cheung Stephen , Cotter James D.
Published: August 2014

Context:

Cooling the body before exercise (precooling) has been studied as an ergogenic aid for many thermal conditions; however, airflow accompanying exercise is seldom reported.

Objective:

To determine whether the physiologic and ergogenic benefits of precooling before endurance exercise may be negated with semirealistic airflow in hot conditions.

Design:

Crossover study.

Setting:

Climate-controlled chamber in a research laboratory.

Patients or Other Participants:

Ten fit, healthy cyclists.

Intervention(s):

After a familiarization trial, participants completed 4 randomized, counterbalanced sessions consisting of no precooling versus precooling and no fan airflow versus airflow (~4.8 m/s) during exercise. Precooling was via chest-deep immersion (~24°C) for 1 hour or until core temperature dropped 0.5°C. Participants then cycled at 95% ventilatory threshold in a hot environment (temperature = 30°C, relative humidity = 50%) until volitional exhaustion, core temperature reached >39.5°C, or heart rate reached >95% of maximum.

Main Outcome Measure(s):

Thermal strain was assessed via core temperature (esophageal and rectal thermistors) and mean skin temperature (thermistors at 10 sites) and cardiovascular strain via heart rate and ratings of perceived exertion.

Results:

Endurance time (28 ± 12 minutes without precooling or airflow) increased by 30 ± 23 minutes with airflow (~109%; 95% confidence interval = 12, 45 minutes; P < .001) and by 16 ± 15 minutes with precooling (~61%; 95% confidence interval = 4, 25 minutes; P = .013), but it was not further extended when the strategies were combined (29 ± 21 minutes longer than control). During cycling without precooling or airflow, mean core and skin temperatures were higher than in all other trials. Precooling reduced heart rate by 7–11 beats/min during the first 5 minutes of exercise, but this attenuation ended by 15 minutes.

Conclusions:

Most laboratory-based precooling studies have (inadvertently) overestimated the extent of the physiologic and ergogenic benefits for typical athlete-endurance situations. Precooling increases work capacity effectively when airflow is restricted but may have little or no benefit when airflow is present.