bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
加强养老保险档案管理促进社保事业健康发展
Authors: 张 焱梅
Published: August 2017

随着中国社会经济的快速发展，社会保险制度也得到了深入改革，人们对保险事业的认识程度不断加深，加入养老保险项目的人数也在不断增加，养老保险的档案数量大幅度提升。但体制因素的影响，社会养老保险档案隶属多个部门管理，且其管理工作中存在着很多不足之处，亟待进一步改善与创新。为了进一步满足我国社会保险事业的发展需求，人力资源与社会保障部门应结合当前养老保险的发展现状，积极进行档案资源的建设工作，同步推进电子化建设、服务大厅建设以及库房建设等项目，确保社保事业的顺利发展。
开展政策措施落实情况跟踪审计的关键点
Authors: 赵 丽娜
Published: August 2017

随着中国社会经济的稳定发展，使得政策措施作为落实情况跟踪审计的重要途径，其有效的发挥出生动形象且灵活机动的特点。这也能很好的为政策措施落实情况提供较为有利的资源信息，在跟踪审计的工作中发挥着至关重要的作用。由于中国跟踪审计的建设时间较晚，使得在跟踪审计的过程中，存在着审计的难度较大、政策措施落实情况缺乏完整的规范制度等问题。鉴于此，本文针对中国开展政策措施落实情况跟踪审计中出现的问题进行简要的分析，并阐述改善开展政策措施落实情况跟踪审计的有效建议，此次研究的目的在于使政策措施得到有效的完善和落实。
O olhar docente para os estudantes com altas habilidades/superdotação em prol de uma educação inclusiva.
Authors: Negrini Tatiane
Published: August 2017

A educação inclusiva é uma discussão que vem se expandindo, e discutir a educação dos estudantes com altas habilidades/superdotação torna-se uma necessidade. Este texto objetiva discorrer a respeito da necessidade de conhecimento dos professores dos diferentes níveis sobre o tema das altas habilidades/superdotação, a fi m de contribuir para a qualifi cação da educação desses estudantes. Este trabalho caracteriza-se como um estudo qualitativo, uma vez que realiza um debate partindo de estudos e constatações da área, considerando as percepções a partir de projetos, leituras e trabalhos anteriormente desenvolvidos, envolvendo sujeitos com altas habilidades/ superdotação. Faz-se referência a autores como Renzulli (2004, 2010), Freitas e Pérez (2012), entre outros, os quais contribuem nesta discussão. Acredita-se que esses conhecimentos sobre o tema das altas habilidades/superdotação são importantes para os professores tanto da educação básica, quanto tecnológica e superior, tendo em vista que o reconhecimento desses sujeitos, assim como o enriquecimento intra ou extracurricular, pode ser ofertado no nível em que o estudante encontra-se, sendo este um direito dos mesmos.
Prevenção contra incêndio: um estudo de caso em uma escola
Authors: Barroso Lidiane Bittencourt , Nunez Letícia de Oliveira , Peixoto Nirvan Hofstadler
Published: August 2017

Este trabalho analisou os sistemas de prevenção contra incêndios utilizados em uma escola. O objetivo da Norma Regulamentadora 23, juntamente com legislação brasileira de segurança contra incêndio, é reduzir a possibilidade de incêndio e trazer as condições necessárias para atuar na sua prevenção. Para atingir os objetivos da legislação vigente, é necessário que os funcionários da escola sigam as recomendações pré-estabelecidas. Esta é uma pesquisa de campo de natureza exploratória e descritiva, por meio de perguntas fechadas mais registros fotográfi cos da edifi cação, para verifi car o grau de conhecimento dos funcionários da escola. Buscou-se o máximo de informações para assegurar que a escola segue as normas vigentes, oferecendo um ambiente seguro para a comunidade escolar.
Percepções de Inclusão: o que pensam e o que dizem os servidores de um Instituto Federal de Educação
Authors: Porto Eliane Quincozes , Corrêa Lucinara Bastiani , Brancher Vantoir
Published: August 2017

O presente artigo é resultado do projeto de pesquisa “As representações de Inclusão em um Instituto Federal de Educação do RS: repensando processos formativos”, desenvolvido pelo Grupo de Estudos e Pesquisas em Formação Inicial e Continuada de Professores MAGMA. Olhamos para as questões sociais a partir dos pressupostos do imaginário social de Cornelius Castoriadis, com o seguinte problema de pesquisa: Quais são as representações de inclusão instituídas nos servidores de um Instituto Federal de Ensino do RS e como estas representações tem repercutido nas ações, programas e projetos desenvolvidos na Instituição? Como objetivo geral buscamos conhecer as representações de inclusão instituídas entre os servidores de um Instituto Federal de Ensino do RS e perceber as possíveis repercussões delas nas ações, programas e projetos desenvolvidos na Instituição. Além disso, nos propomos a conhecer os principais mitos existentes sobre inclusão nesse contexto de ensino; mapear contextos e temáticas que necessitam formação permanente com foco na inclusão nessa Instituição. Como recurso de produção de dados utilizamos entrevista semi-estruturada com perguntas abrangentes, sendo que trabalhamos com narrativas orais, por estar inserida num processo de valorização das falas dos colaboradores, dando voz aos mesmos. A análise dos dados foi realizada através da Análise de Conteúdo, sob os pressupostos de Bardin (2016). As categorias emergentes após esse processo foram: significações de inclusão e condições institucionais.
José Ferreira de Moraes: Biografia
Authors: Asturian Marcos Jovino , Roballo Emerson Chiocheta , Da Rosa Bianca Ariadne , Matoso Rafael Brites , Aloraldo Vitória Santana
Published: August 2017

O presente trabalho tem por objetivo reconstituir a biografia de José Ferreira de Moraes para o conhecimento histórico local (São Borja/RS) e regional. O estudo biográfico configura uma pesquisa dos processos sociais por meio da interação, conflitos, lutas por legitimidade e reconhecimentos no interior dos espaços sociais. Entender o processo histórico do desenvolvimento da medicina local e regional através da atuação do médico José Ferreira de Moraes, bem como o desenvolvimento do espiritismo e suas relações com o catolicismo no universo religioso local são problemáticas que permeiam o respectivo artigo. Para tanto, foram pesquisadas fontes primárias (sobretudo, encontradas na Associação Espírita José Ferreira de Moraes – São Borja) e bibliográficas.
Financiamento da educação: trajetória da aplicação em MDE em três municípios da Fronteira Oeste - RS
Authors: Pergher Calinca Jordânia , Ferreira Nicola Gomes Ana Carla
Published: August 2017

Esse trabalho expõe e analisa a trajetória dos percentuais aplicados em Manutenção e Desenvolvimento do Ensino (MDE) em três redes municipais de ensino da Fronteira Oeste - RS. A metodologia é de cunho qualitativo e utiliza de estudo de caso comparado, os resultados apresentados nesse ensaio tem como fonte principal o site do Tribunal de Contas do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul – TCE-RS. Será apresentado um panorama da receita líquida de impostos e transferências municipais e do percentual de aplicação em MDE no período de 2006 a 2014, discriminando quanto cada um dos três municípios aplicou anualmente. Como principais resultados encontrados, em um dos municípios pesquisados, verificou-se por dois anos, a não aplicação do percentual mínimo exigido de 25% em MDE, bem como, nos três municípios observou-se que mesmo tendo as receitas municipais dobrado, no período analisado, não houve aumento de recursos para a educação.
Compostos fenólicos extraídos de fontes naturais aplicados como conservadores em massas de pizza
Authors: Christ-Ribeiro Anelise , Bretanha Cristiana Costa , Giacobbo Gregory , Souza Michele Moraes de , Badiale-Furlong Eliana
Published: August 2017

A melhoria nas práticas de higiene e produção de alimentos é importante para a segurança alimentar, além da necessidade de aplicação de conservantes de tipos e níveis corretos. A pizza é um dos alimentos que sofre intensa manipulação durante o processamento o que contribui para sua contaminação, perda de qualidade e um intervalo restrito de vida útil. Em vista disto, o objetivo do trabalho foi aplicar em pizzas compostos fenólicos extraídos do farelo de arroz fermentado pelo fungo Rhizopus oryzae e da microalga Spirulina sp. LEB-18 como conservantes. As soluções etanólicas de compostos fenólicos extraídos das matrizes borrifados nas pizzas estavam nas concentrações de 1,1 e 1,2 mg/gamostra, respectivamente, para o farelo de arroz fermentado e S. platensis LEB-18. Como controle foi empregado solução de água e etanol nas mesmas proporções. Os extratos fenólicos do farelo de arroz fermentado e da microalga Spirulina sp. LEB-18 foram eficientes inibidores frente a multiplicação fúngica nas massas de pizza comparados ao conservante químico e o controle.
Speaking about Weeds: Indigenous Elders’ Metaphors for Invasive Species and Their Management
Authors: Bach Thomas Michael , Larson Brendon M.H.
Published: August 2017

Our language and metaphors about environmental issues reflect and affect how we perceive and manage them. Discourse on invasive species is dominated by aggressive language of aliens and invasion, which contributes to the use of war-like metaphors to promote combative control. This language has been criticised for undermining scientific objectivity, misleading discourse, and restricting how invasive species are perceived and managed. Calls have been made for alternative metaphors that open up new management possibilities and reconnect with a deeper conservation ethic. Here, we turn to Indigenous perspectives because they are increasingly recognised as offering important and novel voices in invasive species discourse. We examine how Australian Aboriginal elders and land managers (rangers) speak about ‘environmental weeds’ (the term used to describe invasive plants in Australia) and weed management. Based on qualitative research with five Aboriginal groups in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, our findings indicate that Aboriginal elders speak about weeds through passive, neutral language and prefer metaphors for weed management that focus on health, care and creation. We outline the influence that this language has for how rangers practice weed work and discuss its implications for the mainstream paradigm.
Representing Non-Human Interests
Authors: Donoso Alfonso
Published: August 2017

In environmental ethics, the legal and political representation of non-humans is a widespread aspiration. Its supporters see representative institutions that give voice to non-humans’ interests as a promising strategy for responding to the illegitimate worldwide exploitation of non-human beings. In this article I engage critically with those who support this form of representation, and address two issues central to any account concerned with the legal and political representation of non-human living beings: what should be represented? And what are the conditions of such a representation? The answers I provide to these queries count as a first step towards a comprehensive account of the institutional representation of non-human nature.
Role of Rifaximin for the Treatment of Hepatic Encephalopathy in Chronic Liver Disease
Authors: Paul Ranjit Kumar , Datta Indrajit Kumar , Ahmed Habib , Karim Mohammad Reazul , Haque Md Nazmul , Bhuiyan Tareq M
Published: August 2017

Background: Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a common problem in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) and is characterized by diminished mentation and neuromuscular abnormalities. Rifaximin has been reported to be effective for the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) in Europe and other countries. It is unknown whether rifaximin is effective for the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy in Bangladeshi patients.Methods: A prospective, randomized, single blind, placebo controlled study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of rifaximin among patients with cirrhosis of liver with hepatic encephalopathy. A total sixty patients of HE fulfilling inclusion criteria were randomly enrolled among those admitted under Gastrointestinal, Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Disorders (GHPD) department of BIRDEM General Hospital during August 2012 to April 2013. Patients were divided into two groups: group A (receiving Tab. rifaximin with lactulose), the total number of patients were 31(51.7%) and group B (receiving placebo with lactulose), it was 29(48.3%). Enrolled patients were followed up for 10 days or up to discharge from the hospital or death. At enrollment and at the end of treatment, gradation of HE and estimation of portosystemic encephalopathy (PSE) index was done.Results: In this study between two groups, mean age difference (p=0.404), gender difference (p=0.668) and CLD duration difference (p=0.555) were not statistically significant between two groups. At enrollment, prognostic scores e.g. Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) score (p=0.489) and PSE index (p=0.934) were not significantly different between two groups. At the end of treatment, group A patients showed significantly lower HE grade (P=0.045) and PSE index (P<0.05) than group B. CTP score (p=0.552) was also lower in rifaximin treated group than placebo group but no significant difference was observed. The mean duration of hospital stay was significantly lower in group A than group B (p<0.05).Conclusions: Hepatic encephalopathy patients treated with rifaximin plus lactulose have better outcome and less hospital stay than those treated with placebo plus lactulose.Birdem Med J 2017; 7(3): 205-211
Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial Comparing Transurethral Eneucleation and Resection of Prostate and Trans-urethral Resection of Prostate in the Management of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Authors: Hasan Md Mehedi , Afroze Samira Rahat , Rahim Muhammad Abdur , Salam Muhammad Abdus
Published: August 2017

Background: Transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) is the predominant surgical procedure for benign prostatic hypertension (BPH) but is not devoid of complications like capsular perforation, drop in Hb%, drop in Na+, residual adenoma; hence endeavors are evolving to combat such complications. A newer technique transurethral enucleation and resection of prostate (TUERP) has been devised to solve these problems. This study was designed to compare the safety and the efficacy of newer technique, TUERP with widely practiced TURP Methods: This randomized controlled trial was done at BSMMU, after getting ethical approval from the ethical review committee of the institute, from January to October, 2009. A total of 60 BPH patients were purposively enrolled in this study, after obtaining informed written consent and they were randomized as control, Group A (30 patients, underwent TURP) and experimental group, Group B (30 patients, underwent TEURP).Results: The mean preoperative Hb% level of Group A was 15.1 gm% (SD ± 0.5) and perioperative Hb% level was 13.04 gm% (SD ± 6.06). There was significant difference (P <0.05). The mean preoperative Hb% of Group B was 15.2 gm% (SD ± 0.5) and perioperative Hb% was 15.2 gm% (SD ± 0.48). There was no difference (P >0.05). The mean preoperative Na + of Group A was 140 mmol/l (SD ± 4.1) and perioperative Na+ was 126 mmol/l (SD ± 6.8). There was significant difference (P<0.01). The mean preoperative Na+ of Group B was 136 mmol/l (SD ± 4) and perioperative Na+ was 136 mmol/l (SD ± 2.70). There was no difference (P >0.05).Conclusion: TUERP eliminates drop in Hb% and Na+which are usual consequences following TURP. Thus TUERP can be advocated in the treatment of BPH as it also allows completeresection down to surgical capsule.Birdem Med J 2017; 7(3): 216-220
Wilsons Disease Presenting with Severe Anaemia and Bleeding Manifestation: A Case Report
Authors: Rahman Mohammad Ferdous Ur , Mondal Manosh Kumar
Published: August 2017

Wilsons disease is an inherited disorder in which defective biliary excretion of copper leads to its accumulation, particularly in liver and brain. Presentation can vary, but the key features of Wilsons disease are hepatic and neuropsychiatric disturbances, KayserFleischer rings of the cornea, acute episodes of hemolysis and sometimes renal impairment. Here, we report a case of Wilsons disease in a young female having severe anaemia without other evidence of hepatic and neuropsychiatric manifestation.Birdem Med J 2017; 7(3): 233-234
Medical Quiz: Single Best Answer (SBA) Vol.7(3)
Authors: Ahmed Jamal Uddin
Published: August 2017

Abstract not availableBirdem Med J 2017; 7(3): 246
Understanding Adolescents’ Categorisation of Animal Species
Authors: Connor Melanie , Lawrence Alistair
Published: August 2017

Categorisations are a means of investigating cognitive maps. The present study, for the first time, investigates adolescents’ spontaneous categorisation of 34 animal species. Furthermore, explicit evaluations of 16 selected animals in terms of their perceived utility and likeability were analysed. 105 British adolescents, 54% female, mean age 14.5 (SD = 1.6) participated in the study. Results of multidimensional scaling (MDS) techniques indicate 3-dimensional data representation regardless of gender or age. Property fittings show that affect and perceived utility of animals explain two of the MDS dimensions, and hence partly explain adolescents’ categorisation. Additionally, hierarchical cluster analyses show a differentiation between farm animals, birds, pet animals, and wild animals possibly explaining MDS dimension 3. The results suggest that utility perceptions predominantly underlie adolescents’ categorisations and become even more dominant in older adolescents, which potentially has an influence on attitudes to animals with implications for animal welfare, conservation, and education.
Numerical Study on the Urban Ventilation in Regulating Microclimate and Pollutant Dispersion in Urban Street Canyon: A Case Study of Nanjing New Region, China
Authors: Liu Fan , Qian Hua , Zheng Xiaohong , Zhang Lun , Liang Wenqing
Published: August 2017

Urban ventilation plays an important role in regulating city climate and air quality. A numerical study was conducted to explore the ventilation effectiveness on the microclimate and pollutant removal in the urban street canyon based on the rebuilt Southern New Town region in Nanjing, China. The RNG k − ε turbulence model in the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was employed to study the street canyon under parallel and perpendicular wind directions, respectively. Velocity inside of the street canyon and temperature on the building envelopes were obtained. A novel pressure coefficient was defined, and three methods were applied to evaluate the urban ventilation effectiveness. Results revealed that there was little comfort difference for the human body under two ventilation patterns in the street canyon. Air stagnation occurred easily in dense building clusters, especially under the perpendicular wind direction. In addition, large pressure coefficients ( C P > 1 ) appeared at the windward region, contributing to promising ventilation. The air age was introduced to evaluate the “freshness” of the air in the street canyon and illustrated the ventilation effectiveness on the pollutant removal. It was found that the young air distributed where the corresponding ventilation was favorable and the wind speed was large. The results from this study can be useful in further city renovation for the street canyon construction and municipal planning.
Robust Automatic Modulation Classification Technique for Fading Channels via Deep Neural Network
Authors: Lee Jung , Kim Jaekyum , Kim Byeoungdo , Yoon Dongweon , Choi Jun
Published: August 2017

In this paper, we propose a deep neural network (DNN)-based automatic modulation classification (AMC) for digital communications. While conventional AMC techniques perform well for additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channels, classification accuracy degrades for fading channels where the amplitude and phase of channel gain change in time. The key contributions of this paper are in two phases. First, we analyze the effectiveness of a variety of statistical features for AMC task in fading channels. We reveal that the features that are shown to be effective for fading channels are different from those known to be good for AWGN channels. Second, we introduce a new enhanced AMC technique based on DNN method. We use the extensive and diverse set of statistical features found in our study for the DNN-based classifier. The fully connected feedforward network with four hidden layers are trained to classify the modulation class for several fading scenarios. Numerical evaluation shows that the proposed technique offers significant performance gain over the existing AMC methods in fading channels.
Effects of the Antiozonant Ethylenediurea (EDU) on Fraxinus ornus L.: The Role of Drought
Authors: Salvatori Elisabetta , Fusaro Lina , Manes Fausto
Published: August 2017

Ethylenediurea (EDU) is a synthetic chemical known to protect plants from the phytotoxic effects of tropospheric ozone (O3). Although many studies have proposed the use of EDU for studying the O3 effects under field conditions, its mechanism of action is not fully understood, and it is unclear whether it exerts a specific antiozonant action, or if it may also interact with other oxidative stresses. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of EDU on forest species in a Mediterranean environment where, during summer, vegetation is exposed to multiple oxidative stresses, such as O3 and drought. The experiment was conducted on Fraxinus ornus L. (Manna ash) plants growing in six mesocosms, three maintained under full irrigation, while the other three were subjected to drought for 84 days. In each mesocosm, three plants were sprayed every 15 days with 450 ppm EDU. Gas exchange and chlorophyll “a” fluorescence measurements carried out through the experimental period highlighted that EDU did not affect stomatal conductance and had an ameliorative effect on the functionality of drought-stressed plants, thus suggesting that it may act as a generic antioxidant. The implications of these findings for the applicability of EDU in field studies are discussed.
Prediction of Forest Canopy and Surface Fuels from Lidar and Satellite Time Series Data in a Bark Beetle-Affected Forest
Authors: Bright Benjamin , Hudak Andrew , Meddens Arjan , Hawbaker Todd , Briggs Jennifer , Kennedy Robert
Published: August 2017

Wildfire behavior depends on the type, quantity, and condition of fuels, and the effect that bark beetle outbreaks have on fuels is a topic of current research and debate. Remote sensing can provide estimates of fuels across landscapes, although few studies have estimated surface fuels from remote sensing data. Here we predicted and mapped field-measured canopy and surface fuels from light detection and ranging (lidar) and Landsat time series explanatory variables via random forest (RF) modeling across a coniferous montane forest in Colorado, USA, which was affected by mountain pine beetles (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) approximately six years prior. We examined relationships between mapped fuels and the severity of tree mortality with correlation tests. RF models explained 59%, 48%, 35%, and 70% of the variation in available canopy fuel, canopy bulk density, canopy base height, and canopy height, respectively (percent root-mean-square error (%RMSE) = 12–54%). Surface fuels were predicted less accurately, with models explaining 24%, 28%, 32%, and 30% of the variation in litter and duff, 1 to 100-h, 1000-h, and total surface fuels, respectively (%RMSE = 37–98%). Fuel metrics were negatively correlated with the severity of tree mortality, except canopy base height, which increased with greater tree mortality. Our results showed how bark beetle-caused tree mortality significantly reduced canopy fuels in our study area. We demonstrated that lidar and Landsat time series data contain substantial information about canopy and surface fuels and can be used for large-scale efforts to monitor and map fuel loads for fire behavior modeling at a landscape scale.
The Non-Linear Relationship between BMI and Health Care Costs and the Resulting Cost Fraction Attributable to Obesity
Authors: Laxy Michael , Stark Renée , Peters Annette , Hauner Hans , Holle Rolf , Teuner Christina
Published: August 2017

This study aims to analyse the non-linear relationship between Body Mass Index (BMI) and direct health care costs, and to quantify the resulting cost fraction attributable to obesity in Germany. Five cross-sectional surveys of cohort studies in southern Germany were pooled, resulting in data of 6757 individuals (31–96 years old). Self-reported information on health care utilisation was used to estimate direct health care costs for the year 2011. The relationship between measured BMI and annual costs was analysed using generalised additive models, and the cost fraction attributable to obesity was calculated. We found a non-linear association of BMI and health care costs with a continuously increasing slope for increasing BMI without any clear threshold. Under the consideration of the non-linear BMI-cost relationship, a shift in the BMI distribution so that the BMI of each individual is lowered by one point is associated with a 2.1% reduction of mean direct costs in the population. If obesity was eliminated, and the BMI of all obese individuals were lowered to 29.9 kg/m2, this would reduce the mean direct costs by 4.0% in the population. Results show a non-linear relationship between BMI and health care costs, with very high costs for a few individuals with high BMI. This indicates that population-based interventions in combination with selective measures for very obese individuals might be the preferred strategy.
Determinants of FDI Localization in China: A County-Level Analysis for the Pharmaceutical Industry
Authors: Li Su , Angelino Antonio , Yin Haitao , Spigarelli Francesca
Published: August 2017

Foreign direct investments (FDIs) have been widely recognized as a crucial feature of the Chinese industrial development process. Over the past decades, China has been attracting huge amounts of inward FDIs as a consequence of both spontaneous market dynamics and place-based preferential policies at the sub-national level. However, the Chinese market exhibits large dissimilarities in terms of FDI localization across territories that are worth investigating at a more disaggregated level. In this regards, our study explores the determinants of attraction of inward FDIs in China, at the county level. It focuses on the pharmaceutical industry and attempts to assess whether factors related to location advantages, agglomeration dynamics, information cost effects and environmental regulation costs affect foreign firms’ localization choices as well as invested amounts in that location. By means of discrete choice models, our paper confirms the findings of the prevalent literature about the positive effects of location advantages on pharmaceutical FDI attraction. Different from our expectations, a higher proportion of foreign enterprises do not stimulate significant effects on FDI localization, while preferential policies and sectoral agglomeration are positively correlated with the localization of pharmaceutical foreign firms. Finally, our results suggest that investing firms tend to avoid areas with strict environment regulation.
Patch-Clamp Recording from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes: Improving Action Potential Characteristics through Dynamic Clamp
Authors: Verkerk Arie , Veerman Christiaan , Zegers Jan , Mengarelli Isabella , Bezzina Connie , Wilders Ronald
Published: August 2017

Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) hold great promise for studying inherited cardiac arrhythmias and developing drug therapies to treat such arrhythmias. Unfortunately, until now, action potential (AP) measurements in hiPSC-CMs have been hampered by the virtual absence of the inward rectifier potassium current (IK1) in hiPSC-CMs, resulting in spontaneous activity and altered function of various depolarising and repolarising membrane currents. We assessed whether AP measurements in “ventricular-like” and “atrial-like” hiPSC-CMs could be improved through a simple, highly reproducible dynamic clamp approach to provide these cells with a substantial IK1 (computed in real time according to the actual membrane potential and injected through the patch-clamp pipette). APs were measured at 1 Hz using perforated patch-clamp methodology, both in control cells and in cells treated with all-trans retinoic acid (RA) during the differentiation process to increase the number of cells with atrial-like APs. RA-treated hiPSC-CMs displayed shorter APs than control hiPSC-CMs and this phenotype became more prominent upon addition of synthetic IK1 through dynamic clamp. Furthermore, the variability of several AP parameters decreased upon IK1 injection. Computer simulations with models of ventricular-like and atrial-like hiPSC-CMs demonstrated the importance of selecting an appropriate synthetic IK1. In conclusion, the dynamic clamp-based approach of IK1 injection has broad applicability for detailed AP measurements in hiPSC-CMs.
How Stress Treatments Influence the Performance of Biodegradable Poly(Butylene Succinate)-Based Copolymers with Thioether Linkages for Food Packaging Applications
Authors: Siracusa Valentina , Genovese Laura , Munari Andrea , Lotti Nadia
Published: August 2017

Biodegradable poly(butylene succinate) (PBS)-based random copolymers containing thioether linkages (P(BSxTDGSy)) of various compositions have been investigated and characterized from the gas barrier, thermal, and mechanical point of view, after food contact simulants or thermal and photoaging processes. Each stress treatment was performed on thin films and the results obtained have been compared to the same untreated film, used as a standard. Barrier properties with different gases (O2 and CO2) were evaluated, showing that the polymer chemical composition strongly influenced the permeability behavior. The relationships between the diffusion coefficients (D) and solubility (S) with polymer composition were also investigated. The results highlighted a correlation between polymer chemical structure and treatment. Gas transmission rate (GTR) mainly depending on the performed treatment, as GTR increased with the increase of TDGS co-unit amount. Thermal and mechanical tests allowed for the recording of variations in the degree of crystallinity and in the tensile properties. An increase in the crystallinity degree was recorded after contact with simulant liquids and aging treatments, together with a molecular weight decrease, a slight enhancement of the elastic modulus and a decrement of the elongation at break, proportional to the TDGS co-unit content.
Evaluating the Tensile Properties of Aluminum Foundry Alloys through Reference Castings—A Review
Authors: Anilchandra A.R. , Arnberg Lars , Bonollo Franco , Fiorese Elena , Timelli Giulio
Published: August 2017

The tensile properties of an alloy can be exploited if detrimental defects and imperfections of the casting are minimized and the microstructural characteristics are optimized through several strategies that involve die design, process management and metal treatments. This paper presents an analysis and comparison of the salient characteristics of the reference dies proposed in the literature, both in the field of pressure and gravity die-casting. The specimens produced with these reference dies, called separately poured specimens, are effective tools for the evaluation and comparison of the tensile and physical behaviors of Al-Si casting alloys. Some of the findings of the present paper have been recently developed in the frame of the European StaCast project whose results are complemented here with some more recent outcomes and a comprehensive analysis and discussion.
Towards Multiplex Molecular Diagnosis—A Review of Microfluidic Genomics Technologies
Authors: Basha Ismail , Ho Eric , Yousuff Caffiyar , Hamid Nor
Published: August 2017

Highly sensitive and specific pathogen diagnosis is essential for correct and timely treatment of infectious diseases, especially virulent strains, in people. Point-of-care pathogen diagnosis can be a tremendous help in managing disease outbreaks as well as in routine healthcare settings. Infectious pathogens can be identified with high specificity using molecular methods. A plethora of microfluidic innovations in recent years have now made it increasingly feasible to develop portable, robust, accurate, and sensitive genomic diagnostic devices for deployment at the point of care. However, improving processing time, multiplexed detection, sensitivity and limit of detection, specificity, and ease of deployment in resource-limited settings are ongoing challenges. This review outlines recent techniques in microfluidic genomic diagnosis and devices with a focus on integrating them into a lab on a chip that will lead towards the development of multiplexed point-of-care devices of high sensitivity and specificity.
How to Make a Fast, Efficient Bubble-Driven Micromotor: A Mechanical View
Authors: Liu Lisheng , Bai Tao , Chi Qingjia , Wang Zhen , Xu Shuang , Liu Qiwen , Wang Qiang
Published: August 2017

Micromotors, which can be moved at a micron scale, have special functions and can perform microscopic tasks. They have a wide range of applications in various fields with the advantages of small size and high efficiency. Both high speed and efficiency for micromotors are required in various conditions. However, the dynamical mechanism of bubble-driven micromotors movement is not clear, owing to various factors affecting the movement of micromotors. This paper reviews various factors acting on micromotor movement, and summarizes appropriate methods to improve the velocity and efficiency of bubble-driven micromotors, from a mechanical view. The dynamical factors that have significant influence on the hydrodynamic performance of micromotors could be divided into two categories: environment and geometry. Improving environment temperature and decreasing viscosity of fluid accelerate the velocity of motors. Under certain conditions, raising the concentration of hydrogen peroxide is applied. However, a high concentration of hydrogen peroxide is not applicable. In the environment of low concentration, changing the geometry of micromotors is an effective mean to improve the velocity of micromotors. Increasing semi-cone angle and reducing the ratio of length to radius for tubular and rod micromotors are propitious to increase the speed of micromotors. For Janus micromotors, reducing the mass by changing the shape into capsule and shell, and increasing the surface roughness, is applied. This review could provide references for improving the velocity and efficiency of micromotors.
An Unusual Dimeric Inhibitor of Acetylcholinesterase: Cooperative Binding of Crystal Violet
Authors: Allgardsson Anders , David Andersson C. , Akfur Christine , Worek Franz , Linusson Anna , Ekström Fredrik
Published: August 2017

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is an essential enzyme that terminates cholinergic transmission by a rapid hydrolysis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. AChE is an important target for treatment of various cholinergic deficiencies, including Alzheimer’s disease and myasthenia gravis. In a previous high throughput screening campaign, we identified the dye crystal violet (CV) as an inhibitor of AChE. Herein, we show that CV displays a significant cooperativity for binding to AChE, and the molecular basis for this observation has been investigated by X-ray crystallography. Two monomers of CV bind to residues at the entrance of the active site gorge of the enzyme. Notably, the two CV molecules have extensive intermolecular contacts with each other and with AChE. Computational analyses show that the observed CV dimer is not stable in solution, suggesting the sequential binding of two monomers. Guided by the structural analysis, we designed a set of single site substitutions, and investigated their effect on the binding of CV. Only moderate effects on the binding and the cooperativity were observed, suggesting a robustness in the interaction between CV and AChE. Taken together, we propose that the dimeric cooperative binding is due to a rare combination of chemical and structural properties of both CV and the AChE molecule itself.
Diet, Gut Microbiome and Epigenetics: Emerging Links with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and Prospects for Management and Prevention
Authors: Aleksandrova Krasimira , Romero-Mosquera Beatriz , Hernandez Vicent
Published: August 2017

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) represent a growing public health concern due to increasing incidence worldwide. The current notion on the pathogenesis of IBD is that genetically susceptible individuals develop intolerance to dysregulated gut microflora (dysbiosis) and chronic inflammation develops as a result of environmental triggers. Among the environmental factors associated with IBD, diet plays an important role in modulating the gut microbiome, influencing epigenetic changes, and, therefore, could be applied as a therapeutic tool to improve the disease course. Nevertheless, the current dietary recommendations for disease prevention and management are scarce and have weak evidence. This review summarises the current knowledge on the complex interactions between diet, microbiome and epigenetics in IBD. Whereas an overabundance of calories and some macronutrients increase gut inflammation, several micronutrients have the potential to modulate it. Immunonutrition has emerged as a new concept putting forward the importance of vitamins such as vitamins A, C, E, and D, folic acid, beta carotene and trace elements such as zinc, selenium, manganese and iron. However, when assessed in clinical trials, specific micronutrients exerted a limited benefit. Beyond nutrients, an anti-inflammatory dietary pattern as a complex intervention approach has become popular in recent years. Hence, exclusive enteral nutrition in paediatric Crohn’s disease is the only nutritional intervention currently recommended as a first-line therapy. Other nutritional interventions or specific diets including the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), the low fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyol (FODMAP) diet and, most recently, the Mediterranean diet have shown strong anti-inflammatory properties and show promise for improving disease symptoms. More work is required to evaluate the role of individual food compounds and complex nutritional interventions with the potential to decrease inflammation as a means of prevention and management of IBD.
Revisiting the Latency of Uridine Diphosphate-Glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs)—How Does the Endoplasmic Reticulum Membrane Influence Their Function?
Authors: Liu Yuejian , Coughtrie Michael
Published: August 2017

Uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) are phase 2 conjugation enzymes mainly located in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of the liver and many other tissues, and can be recovered in artificial ER membrane preparations (microsomes). They catalyze glucuronidation reactions in various aglycone substrates, contributing significantly to the body’s chemical defense mechanism. There has been controversy over the last 50 years in the UGT field with respect to the explanation for the phenomenon of latency: full UGT activity revealed by chemical or physical disruption of the microsomal membrane. Because latency can lead to inaccurate measurements of UGT activity in vitro, and subsequent underprediction of drug clearance in vivo, it is important to understand the mechanisms behind this phenomenon. Three major hypotheses have been advanced to explain UGT latency: compartmentation, conformation, and adenine nucleotide inhibition. In this review, we discuss the evidence behind each hypothesis in depth, and suggest some additional studies that may reveal more information on this intriguing phenomenon.
Litter Accumulation and Nutrient Content of Roadside Plant Communities in Sichuan Basin, China
Authors: He Huiqin , Monaco Thomas
Published: August 2017

It is widely recognized that feedbacks exist between plant litter and plant community species composition, but this relationship is difficult to interpret over heterogeneous conditions typical of modified environments such as roadways. Given the need to expedite natural recovery of disturbed areas through restoration interventions, we characterized litter accumulation and nutrient content (i.e., organic carbon, total N, and P) and quantified their association with key plant species. Plant species cover and litter characteristics were sampled at 18 successional forest plant communities along major roadways in Sichuan Basin, western China. Variation in litter across communities was assessed with principal component analysis (PCA) and species with the highest correlation to PCA axes were determined with Pearson’s r coefficients. Plant communities with the longest time since road construction (i.e., 70 years) were distinctly different in litter total N and organic carbon compared to plant communities with a shorter disturbance history. We encountered 59 plant species across sampling plots, but only four rare species (i.e., frequency < 5) were strongly correlated with litter characteristics (p < 0.01); none of which were the most abundant where they occurred. These results highlight the importance of site-specific factors (i.e., geographic location, disturbance age) regulating plant litter across heavily disturbed landscapes and how litter characteristics and rare plant species are correlated.
Deterioration of Basic Properties of the Materials in FRP-Strengthening RC Structures under Ultraviolet Exposure
Authors: Zhao Jun , Cai Gaochuang , Cui Lu , Si Larbi Amir , Daniel Tsavdaridis Konstantinos
Published: August 2017

This paper presents an experimental study of the basic properties of the main materials found in reinforced concrete (RC) structures strengthened by fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) sheets with scope to investigate the effect of ultraviolet (UV) exposure on the degradation of FRP, resin adhesive materials and concrete. The comparison studies focused on the physical change and mechanical properties of FRP sheet, and resin adhesive materials and concrete before and after UV exposure. However, the degradation mechanisms of the materials under UV exposure were not analyzed. The results show that the ultimate tensile strength and modulus of FRP sheets decrease with UV exposure time and the main degradation of FRP-strengthened RC structures is dependent on the degradation of resin adhesive materials. The increase in the number of FRP layers cannot help to reduce the effect of UV exposure on the performance of these materials. However, it was verified that carbon FRP materials have a relatively stable strength and elastic modulus, and the improvement of the compression strength of concrete was also observed after UV exposure.
Characteristics of Aerosol Types in Beijing and the Associations with Air Pollution from 2004 to 2015
Authors: Ou Yang , Zhao Wenhui , Wang Junqian , Zhao Wenji , Zhang Bo
Published: August 2017

With the fast development of the economy and expansion, a large number of people have concentrated in Beijing over the past few decades, leading to the result that Beijing has become home to one of the most complex mixtures of aerosol types in the world. The various aerosol types play different roles in the determination of global climate change, visibility, and human health. However, to the best of our knowledge, research has rarely analyzed the correlation between aerosol types and air quality index (AQI) in Beijing (urban and suburban) over a long-term series of observations. Therefore, in this study, we aim to identify and discuss the different aerosol types and AQI in Beijing from 2004 to 2015. The aerosol types are classified into six categories: dust, mixed, highly-absorbing, moderately-absorbing, slightly-absorbing, and scattering by a multiple clustering method with the fine mode fraction (FMF) and single scattering albedo (SSA) data of retrievals from the global Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) sun photometer sites. The AQI levels: are good (0–50); moderate (51–100); unhealthy for sensitive groups (101–150); unhealthy (151–200); very unhealthy (201–300); and hazardous (>300). The results show that a significant FMF variability occurred among different seasons in Beijing, with maximum values present in spring and minimum values in winter. The SSA values exhibit variation, with small fluctuations from season to season. In the case of BJ station, the scattering aerosols are more frequent in summer (39%) and less in winter (1%), while the coarse particles (dust) are more frequent in spring (18%) and less in autumn (6%). In contrast, the absorbing aerosols (especially slightly-absorbing) are more frequent in summer (35%) and winter (15%). However, the mixed aerosol types are more frequent in spring (38%) and less in summer (8%). There is a similar seasonal variation in XH. In the past 12 years, the slightly-absorbing aerosol type in Beijing has increased by approximately 14%, which is believed to be due to the rapid development of industrial cities. In addition, comparing the urban and suburban regions, the slightly-absorbing aerosol type is the dominant aerosol type in both areas. Furthermore, to identify the dominant aerosol types which lead to air pollution, a related analysis was carried out by analyzing different aerosol types and the relationship between aerosol types and AQI. The results indicate that the air pollution was strongly correlated to slightly-absorbing aerosols, in which the percentage of slightly-absorbing aerosols was about 49% during the hazardous days in 2013–2015, and the correlation between AQI and aerosol types is also strong (R2 = 0.76 and 0.97, in Beijing and Xianghe).
Design and Analysis of the Measurement Characteristics of a Bidirectional-Decoupling Over-Constrained Six-Dimensional Parallel-Mechanism Force Sensor
Authors: Niu Zhi , Zhao Tieshi , Zhao Yanzhi , Hu Qiangqiang , Ding Shixing
Published: August 2017

The measurement of large forces and the presence of errors due to dimensional coupling are significant challenges for multi-dimensional force sensors. To address these challenges, this paper proposes an over-constrained six-dimensional force sensor based on a parallel mechanism of steel ball structures as a measurement module. The steel ball structure can be subject to rolling friction instead of sliding friction, thus reducing the influence of friction. However, because the structure can only withstand unidirectional pressure, the application of steel balls in a six-dimensional force sensor is difficult. Accordingly, a new design of the sensor measurement structure was designed in this study. The static equilibrium and displacement compatibility equations of the sensor prototype’s over-constrained structure were established to obtain the transformation function, from which the forces in the measurement branches of the proposed sensor were then analytically derived. The sensor’s measurement characteristics were then analysed through numerical examples. Finally, these measurement characteristics were confirmed through calibration and application experiments. The measurement accuracy of the proposed sensor was determined to be 1.28%, with a maximum coupling error of 1.98%, indicating that the proposed sensor successfully overcomes the issues related to steel ball structures and provides sufficient accuracy.
Remote Marker-Based Tracking for UAV Landing Using Visible-Light Camera Sensor
Authors: Nguyen Phong Ha , Kim Ki Wan , Lee Young Won , Park Kang Ryoung
Published: August 2017

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which are commonly known as drones, have proved to be useful not only on the battlefields where manned flight is considered too risky or difficult, but also in everyday life purposes such as surveillance, monitoring, rescue, unmanned cargo, aerial video, and photography. More advanced drones make use of global positioning system (GPS) receivers during the navigation and control loop which allows for smart GPS features of drone navigation. However, there are problems if the drones operate in heterogeneous areas with no GPS signal, so it is important to perform research into the development of UAVs with autonomous navigation and landing guidance using computer vision. In this research, we determined how to safely land a drone in the absence of GPS signals using our remote maker-based tracking algorithm based on the visible light camera sensor. The proposed method uses a unique marker designed as a tracking target during landing procedures. Experimental results show that our method significantly outperforms state-of-the-art object trackers in terms of both accuracy and processing time, and we perform test on an embedded system in various environments.