bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
É DRAMA! Reflexões sobre práticas cênicas e visualidades a partir da análise de oficinas de Teatro com alunos surdos
Authors: Blini Strasser Victória , Berselli Marcia
Published: August 2019

Este artigo aborda práticas cênicas a partir de oficinas de Teatro realizadas com estudantes surdos da Escola Estadual Dr. Fernando Reinaldo Coser, localizada no município de Santa Maria/RS. As atividades foram desenvolvidas a partir de princípios do Drama (CABRAL; PEREIRA, 2017), a fim de evidenciar o protagonismo dos estudantes para aproximar às práticas artísticas de sua cultura surda. Nesse processo destaca-se a articulação das visualidades que compõem o processo de Drama pelo grupo. As práticas são analisadas destacando o envolvimento dos alunos, bem como a relação estabelecida entre as referências de duas culturas que se encontram na sala de aula.
Improved definition of gas sand using elastic impedance attribute on an avo data over an x field, Nigerian Niger delta
Authors: M.C Ohakwere-Eze , M. U. Igboekwe , G.U Chukwu
Published: August 2019

Elastic impedance (EI) inversion is considered one of the newest methods being used today in geophysical interpretation. Preliminary interpretation carried on the well logs revealed a hydrocarbon bearing sand from 8780 to 8900 ft. The average porosity value is 39% which suggest good porosity values for oil and excellent for gas reservoirs. The matched total resistivity values are likewise very high at about 90 Ωm with a very low density at that depth. The logs were modelled by creating the EI near and EI far logs from the input Vp, Vs and density logs at a defined angle of incidence of 2.5 for near angle and 45.0 for far angle. The EI Far log is lower than the EI Near log in the interpreted depth but higher in the rest of the log. This is further revealed in the crossplot showing the mapped gas sand at depth between 8780 and 8900ft. Two Range limited stack were created from the seismic gathers with the first/near offset stack at 64m and second/far offset stack at 196m. From each stack, a model each was created to get the near EI model and far EI model respectively from which inversion was done to generate the near and far inversion results. There is an improved definition of the gas sand on the far angle inversion with a stronger contrast represented by low values at the mapped seismic time window which corresponds to the mapped gas sand at same depth. This was further revealed on the crossplot. Inserting the crossplot on the near-Inversion volume with the mapped zone, the visible top of gas on the zone of interest was noticed. This zone confirmed where the elastic impedance at far-offsets is lower than the elastic impedance at near-offsets moreover agreed with the Elastic Impedance results on the logs. The Elastic Impedance attribute and its inversion technique has shown it is a strong and suitable tool in exploitation of gas zones as it has optimized the area of the gas zone approved by well logging process.
SKA3 up-regulation promotes lung adenocarcinoma growth and is a predictor of poor prognosis
Authors: Sun Rong-Li , Liu Feng-Juan , Wu Xiao , Wang Li-Sheng , Wang Peng-Fei , Zhang Chun-Ling
Published: August 2019

Objective

The objective of this research is to investigate the expression and function of SKA3 in lung adenocarcinoma.

Methods

The mRNA expression level of SKA3 in lung adenocarcinoma and its association with clinic-pathological factors were analyzed using data obtained from the TCGA database. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) for SKA3 (si-SKA3) was used to down-regulate SKA3 in A549 cells. pcDNA3.1- SKA3 was used to overexpress SKA3 in A549 cells. The proliferation ability of A549 cells was determined via MTT assay and colony formation assay. A wound healing assay was performed to examine the migration ability of A549 cells. The protein expression of p-MEK, MEK, p-ERK and ERK were determined by western blot.

Results

We found that SKA3 is up-regulated in lung adenocarcinoma compared to the normal lung tissues. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that high SKA3 expression is markedly associated with poor prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma patients. SKA3 expression is significantly correlated with age, gender, pathologic-stage, pathologic-N and pathologic-M. Moreover, depleting SKA3 obviously inhibited A549 cell proliferation and migration in vitro, while overexpression of SKA3 notably increased A549 cell proliferation and migration. Western blot analysis showed that the protein expression ratio of p-MEK/MEK and p-ERK/ERK decreased noticeably after depleting SKA3.

Conclusion

SKA3 expression was enhanced and associated with poor prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma patients, and it might play a facilitating role in cell growth and motility by regulating the MAPK signaling pathway.
Unsupervised and weakly supervised approaches for answer selection tasks with scarce annotations
Authors: Vallee Emmanuel , Charlet Delphine , Galassi Francesca , Marzinotto Gabriel , Clérot Fabrice , Meyer Frank
Published: August 2019

Addressing Answer Selection (AS) tasks with complex neural networks typically requires a large amount of annotated data to increase the accuracy of the models. In this work, we are interested in simple models that can potentially give good performance on datasets with no or few annotations. First, we propose new unsupervised baselines that leverage distributed word and sentence representations. Second, we compare the ability of our neural architectures to learn from few annotated examples in a weakly supervised scheme and we demonstrate how these methods can benefit from a pre-training on an external dataset. With an emphasis on results reproducibility, we show that our simple methods can reach or approach state-of-the-art performances on four common AS datasets.
Investigation on Carbonsphere@Nickel Cobalt Sulfide Core-shell Nanocomposite for Asymmetric Supercapacitor Application
Authors: Simon Justin A. , Vickraman P. , Joji Reddy B.
Published: August 2019

The carbon sphere (CS)@nickel cobalt sulfide core-shell nanocomposite at five different mole ratios have been synthesized by a facile low-temperature water-bath method without any thermal treatment. The XRD results on CS, NiCo2S4 and its ternary complexation confirms nanocomposite formation which matches with the cubic structure. The FTIR confirms the complexation of CS and metal-sulfide core-shell. TEM morphology shows CS at NiCo2S4 forming a core-shell which appears as interlinked bunch of grapes. The BET surface analysis observes the high surface area for the core-shell. The XPS studies confirm the elemental presence and valence states of metal composition of the core-shell. Electrochemical studies on the pure NiCo2S4 and CS@NiCo2S4 have shown that CS@NiCo2S4 in 1:1 ratio (scn2) only exhibits higher specific capacitance of 838 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 with capacity retention of 89 % for 5000 cycles than other mole ratios. Using this scn2, asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) device fabrication has been studied. The electrochemical studies on ASC reveal high energy density of 101 Wh kg−1 with the power density of 6.3 k W kg−1, and having good cycling stability with 92 % of capacitance retention even after 3000 cycles at 20 A g−1.
Failure Analysis of Super Hard End Mill HSS-Co
Authors: Tjahjana D.D.D.P. , Waloyo Y. , Triyono
Published: August 2019

The failure of tools will make a large impact to the productivity, so it must be investigated to avoid the next failure. In this case, the super hard end mill HSS-Co list 4SE code 6210 was broken when it was used for side milling processing of mild steel AISI A36 with rotation speed, cutting speed and cutting depth of 540 rpm, 0.10 m/min (4 ipm) and 16 mm respectively. Standard procedure of failure analysis was performed including macro-micro investigation using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS) attachment, micro hardness test, and Finite Element Methods (FEM) simulation. The results of failure analysis showed that fracture occurred due to stress concentration and micro defects of the super hard end mill. Two parts of fracture surface, rough and fine surface were found. Based on SEM-EDS investigation, it was known that the content of tungsten (W) and cobalt (Co) elements on the rough and fine surface was inhomogeneous. Excessive Co and W elements appeared on the fine surface while they disappeared on the rough surface. Excessive Co will diffuse with tungsten and carbon and lead to the separation of tungsten and carbon elements, so it greatly destroyed the alloys and lead to form the non-stoichiometry carbide points. Hence, the defective manufacturing processes which made the elements distribute inhomogeneous is concluded as the reason of the super hard end mill failure.
Getting efficient choices in buildings by using Genetic Algorithms: Assessment & validation
Authors: Santos Ricardo Simões , Matias João, , Abreu Antonio
Published: August 2019

The energy consumption in buildings, can be reduced through a rational choice of the household appliances to be acquired. This choice can be based, on a specific criteria, settled according to the consumer needs. However, such choice, still needs to be optimized, since in general, an efficient equipment has a high investment, although a low energy consumption. Genetic Algorithms (GAs) are used therefore, as an optimization technique, to get efficient and several solutions, based on those pre-selected from the market, and according to a set of criteria. However, there is a need to assess its robustness as well as its consistence in terms of convergence results. The quality of its solutions is also assessed, by comparing GAs results with those, obtained from Simplex method. The problem formulation, and its influence on GAs results, is also considered on this work, where it’s chosen the best one, among four proposed. In this paper it is presented a methodology that allows to promote energy efficiency in buildings, by achieving savings in terms of initial investment, energy consumption and CO2 emissions for the consumer. It is shown that GAs, can provide several and optimal solutions, through formulation and parameters suitable.
Cooperation of the PTFE sealing ring with the steel ball of the valve subjected to durability test
Authors: Romanik Grzegorz , Jaszak Przemysław , Rogula Janusz
Published: August 2019

The paper presents an quantitative assessment of the wear process of the sealing ring made of pure PTFE cooperating with steel ball of the industrial valve. The three variants of the sealing PTFE ring differing in shape were taken into consideration. In the first stage the numerical simulation by means of Finite Element Method was used to determine the contact pressure between the steel ball and PTFE seal ring. In the second stage the experimental test was carried out to check the wear rate of the PTFE ring. The DN50 PN10 industrial ball valve was subjected to 1000 of the closing/opening cycles. In the three variants of the sealing ring the friction torque necessarily to open and close of valve was measured. The weight loss due to wear was determined which was the assessment of the wear degree in macro-scale. As a wear in a micro-scale the roughness parameter on the contact surface of the PTFE ring was taken as an index.
Effect of foam glass granules fillers modification of lime-sand products on their microstructure
Authors: Jasińska Iga
Published: August 2019

Silicate products are products made exclusively from natural raw materials. A relatively high value of the heat transfer coefficient is still considered a fault. This property adversely affects the thermal insulation of buildings and energy consumption, so you should look for materials with a low heat conduction coefficient. One of the ways of obtaining such products can be the use of light, porous fillers in the mass of lime-sand products.

Due to the above, particular attention was paid to white foam glass in the form of granules, which is a product of recycling glass cullet. The research was carried out with a granulate size of 0.25-0.5 mm, share of which in the tested samples ranged from 5 to 30%. The obtained results were referred to the tests carried out on basic (lime-sand) sample.

The aim of the article is to determine the correctness of the formation of selected usable properties of modified lime-sand products, taking into account changes in their microstructure. The article describes the results of volume density and compressive strength tests of basic samples and the samples modified by using the expanded glass granulate as well as the results of their observations by using of SEM and tests of phase composition obtained from XRD.
Analysis of renewable energy use in single-family housing
Authors: Drozd Wojciech , Kowalik Marcin
Published: August 2019

The article presents the most frequently chosen heating systems for single-family houses and utility water heating by investors. The most popular installations based on conventional fuels using renewable energy sources were compared. A technical and cost analysis of the adopted cases was carried out. Finally, the most important conclusions resulting from the analys is were given. The article is mainly intended to encourage the reader - the investor to be to choose pro-ecological solutions based on modern technology that guarantees comfortable use and limited environmental pollution. The authors wanted to achieve the intended goal by presenting available heating systems and performing an in-depth analysis, after which the obtained results would be similar to the real situation.
Ecological risk assessment of geohazards in Natural World Heritage Sites: an empirical analysis of Bogda, Tianshan
Authors: Liu Qin , Yang Zhaoping , Shi Hui , Wang Zhi
Published: August 2019

Ecological risk assessment plays an important role in avoiding disasters and reducing losses. Natural world heritage site is the most precious natural assets on earth, yet few studies have assessed ecological risks from the perspective of world heritage conservation and management. A methodology for considering ecological threats and vulnerabilities and focusing on heritage value was introduced and discussed for the Bogda component of the Xinjiang Tianshan Natural World Heritage Site. Three important results are presented. (1) Criteria layers and ecological risk showed obvious spatial heterogeneity. Extremely high-risk and high-risk areas, accounting for 13.60% and 32.56%, respectively, were mainly gathered at Tianchi Lake and Bogda Glacier, whereas the extremely low-risk and low-risk areas, covering 1.33% and 17.51% of the site,were mainly distributed to the north and scattered around in the southwest montane region. (2) The level of risk was positively correlated with the type of risk, and as the level of risk increases, the types of risk increase. Only two risk types were observed in the extremely low-risk areas, whereas six risk types were observed in the high-risk areas and eight risk types were observed in the extremely high-risk areas. (3) From the perspective of risk probability and ecological damage, four risk management categories were proposed, and correlative strategies were proposed to reduce the possibility of ecological risk and to sustain or enhance heritage value.
Sub-membranous actin rings in the axon initial segment are resistant to the action of latrunculin
Authors: Abouelezz Amr , Micinski David , Lipponen Aino , Hotulainen Pirta
Published: August 2019

The axon initial segment (AIS) comprises a sub-membranous lattice containing periodic actin rings. The overall AIS structure is insensitive to actin-disrupting drugs, but the effects of actin-disrupting drugs on actin rings lack consensus. We examined the effect of latrunculin A and B on the actin cytoskeleton of neurons in culture and actin rings in the AIS. Both latrunculin A and B markedly reduced the overall amount of F-actin in treated neurons in a dose-dependent manner, but the periodicity of actin rings remained unaffected. The insensitivity of AIS actin rings to latrunculin suggests they are relatively stable.
Drivers’ Individual Design Preferences of Takeover Requests in Highly Automated Driving
Authors: Brandenburg Stefan , Epple Sandra
Published: August 2019

Highly automated cars will be on the worlds’ roads within the next decade. In highly automated driving the vehicle’s lateral and longitudinal controls can be passed on from the driver to the vehicle and back again. The design of a vehicle’s take-over requests will largely determine the driver’s performance after taking back vehicle control. In the scope of this paper, potential drivers of highly automated cars were asked about their preferences regarding the human-machine interface design of take-over requests. Participants were asked to evaluate eight different take-over requests that differed with respect to (a) take-over request procedure (one-step or two-step procedure), (b) visual take-over request modality (text or text and pictogram), and (c) auditory take-over request modality (tone or speech). Results showed that participants preferred a two-step procedure using text and speech to communicate take-over requests. A subsequent conjoint analysis revealed that take-over requests ideally use speech output in a two-step procedure. Finally, a detailed evaluation showed that the best take-over request interface received significantly higher user experience ratings regarding product characteristics as well as users’ emotions and consequences of product use than the worst take-over request interface. Results are related to the background literature and practical implications are discussed.
Challenges and Requirements of Immersive Media in Autonomous Car: Exploring the Feasibility of Virtual Entertainment Applications
Authors: Wienrich Carolin , Schindler Kristina
Published: August 2019

This paper investigated the influence of VR-entertainment systems on passenger and entertainment experience in vehicles with smooth movements. To simulate an autonomous driving scenario, a tablet and a mobile VR-HMD were evaluated in a dynamic driving simulator. Passenger, user and entertainment experience were measured through questionnaires based on comfort/discomfort, application perception, presence, and simulator sickness. In two experiments, two film sequences with varying formats (2D versus 3D) were presented. In Experiment 1, the established entertainment system (tablet + 2D) was tested against a possible future one (HMD + 3D). The results indicated a significantly more favorable experience for the VR-HMD application in the dimensions of user experience (UX) and presence, as well as low simulator sickness values. In Experiment 2, the film format was held constant (2D), and only the device (tablet versus HMD) was varied. There was a significant difference in all constructs, which points to a positive reception of the HMD. Additional analyses of the HMD device data for both experiments showed that the device and not the film format contributed to the favorable experience with the HMD. Additionally, the framework to evaluate the new application context of VR as an entertainment system in autonomous vehicles was discussed.
“What’s the Robo-Driver up to?” Requirements for Screen-based Awareness and Intent Communication in Autonomous Buses
Authors: Fröhlich Peter , Schatz Raimund , Buchta Markus , Schrammel Johann , Suette Stefan , Tscheligi Manfred
Published: August 2019

Autonomous buses are expected to become a cornerstone of future mobility systems. Especially during their introduction, passengers may require reassurance about the vehicle’s awareness of the situation on the road and of its intended next actions to further acceptance. In order to investigate the need and requirements for information about the vehicle’s awareness and intent from the perspective of first-time users, we conducted two user studies in a state-of-the-art autonomous bus at public demonstration spaces. In the first study, participants underwent a demonstration ride with the bus and were then asked about their needs for awareness and intent communication. The second study took participants on a ‘simulated ride’ within a stationary bus, in which typical scenarios of the road ahead were presented, together with different awareness and intent cues. Our results suggest that, first, future autonomous bus passengers may be in need of such awareness and intent communication screens. Second, we found that awareness and intent communication may be of greater importance for the indication of potential hazard recognition than for indicating route directions. Third, due to their complementary strengths, none of the three compared types of visual communication (text, icon and augmented reality) should be used in isolation.
Augmented Reality Windshield Displays and Their Potential to Enhance User Experience in Automated Driving
Authors: Riegler Andreas , Wintersberger Philipp , Riener Andreas , Holzmann Clemens
Published: August 2019

Increasing vehicle automation presents challenges as drivers of highly automated vehicles become more disengaged from the primary driving task. However, even with fully automated driving, there will still be activities that require interfaces for vehicle-passenger interactions. Windshield displays are a technology with a promising potential for automated driving, as they are able to provide large content areas supporting drivers in non-driving related activities. However, it is still unknown how potential drivers or passengers would use these displays. This work addresses user preferences for windshield displays in automated driving. Participants of a user study (

N
=
63

N=63

) were presented two levels of automation (conditional and full), and could freely choose preferred positions, content types, as well as size, transparency levels and importance levels of content windows using a simulated “ideal” windshield display. We visualized the results in form of heatmap data which show that user preferences differ with respect to the level of automation, age, gender, or environment aspects. These insights can help designers of interiors and in-vehicle applications to provide a rich user experience in highly automated vehicles.
Undergraduate Public History Teaching: How and Why It Can Change University History Training
Authors: Cauvin Thomas
Published: August 2019

This essay introduces the special section on undergraduate public history teaching. It explores its various opportunities, its challenges and some options for instructors to design their courses. In addition to presenting the six contributions of this special section, the author proposes some broader reflections on how undergraduate public history teaching can potentially change the ways history is taught but also researched and practiced in universities.
Leading the Way: Teaching Public History for the First Time
Authors: Silva Bárbara
Published: August 2019

This paper seeks to discuss some challenges and reflections on teaching a public history class for the first time, in a country with little familiarity with public history as a field, and with limited literature in Spanish. This experience presents some decisions on how to teach public history, how undergraduate students got involved in public history as a practice, and some considerations on historians and public history.
Learning by Doing: Introducing Students to Public History through Digital Projects
Authors: Lucchesi Anita , Legay Richard
Published: August 2019

This article reflects on the process of building and teaching a course in digital public history for Bachelor students at the University of Luxembourg. The heart of the program was the hands-on, experimental approach. The article describes the organization of the course and presents some of the strategies followed to lead the students through a more holistic and playful approach. The experience shows that the learning by doing motto can be an effective path for teaching public history and especially digital public history, as the digital element opens space for more experimentation.
From Uncle Tom’s Cabin to “Countering Colston”: Slavery and Memory in a Transatlantic Undergraduate Research Project
Authors: Reid-Maroney Nina , Bell Amy , Brooks Neil , Otele Olivette , White Richard
Published: August 2019

In 2016–17 and in 2018–19, undergraduate students and faculty at Huron University College in London, Canada, and at Bath Spa University in the UK collaborated on an innovative community-based research project: Phantoms of the Past: Slavery and Resistance, History and Memory in the Atlantic World. Our paper outlines the structure of the project, highlights student research, and argues that the Phantoms undergraduate student researchers helped to create an innovative and important body of work on transatlantic Public History and local commemorative practice.
Chirped Large Mode Area Photonic Crystal Modal Fibers and its Resonance Modes Based on Finite Element Technique
Authors: Amiri IS , Rashed Ahmed Nabih Zaki , Sarker Kaushik , Paul Bikash Kumar , Ahmed Kawsar
Published: August 2019

The study has outlined the finite element technique used for the fiber modal analysis of photonic crystal fiber (PCF) structure with a hexagonal/circular air holes arrangement on the cladding of pure fiber-optic silica. The used fibers that are namely highly nonlinear fiber (HNLF), single model silica fiber (SMSF) are combined with PCFs with different dopants concentration. Leakage loss, number of guided resonant modes, fiber birefringence, effective refractive index and cross-section areas and nonlinear coefficient parameters are measured inaccurate estimation. The optimum resonant guided modes are also estimated for different lattice infrastructure in circular PCFs.
Combinatorial models of cross-country dual meets: what is a big victory?
Authors: Riedel Kurt S.
Published: August 2019

Combinatorial/probabilistic models for cross-country dual-meets are proposed. The first model assumes that all runners are equally likely to finish in any possible order. The second model assumes that each team is selected from a large identically distributed population of potential runners and with each potential runner’s ranking determined by the initial draw from the combined population.
Severe population bottleneck and cranial morphology change in the Mednyi Island subspecies of Arctic foxVulpes lagopus(Carnivora: Canidae)
Authors: Prôa Miguel , Nanova Olga
Published: August 2019

Arctic foxes,Vulpes lagopusliving on Mednyi Island suffered a drastic decline in population size in the late 1970s due to an outbreak of mange epizootic. This dramatic fall in numbers rendered the subspecies endangered, and the concomitant loss of variability resulted in a population bottleneck. Here, we investigate whether differences in cranial morphology between Mednyi Island Arctic foxes and Bering Island Arctic foxes could be attributed to the severe population bottleneck suffered by the Mednyi population in the 1970s. We used morphometric traits as proxies for genetic data to provide estimates of FST. Results show higher FSTestimates for the Mednyi population than for the Bering population, which we interpret as a bottleneck signature. FSTresults also indicate a pattern of divergence between the two populations consistent with random genetic drift. Bottleneck detection is critical for the interpretation of the demographic history of the endangered Mednyi Island Arctic fox, with consequences for conservation management.
*-Ricci soliton on (κ, μ)′-almost Kenmotsu manifolds
Authors: Dai Xinxin , Zhao Yan , Chand De Uday
Published: August 2019

Let (M, g) be a non-Kenmotsu (κ, μ)′-almost Kenmotsu manifold of dimension 2n + 1. In this paper, we prove that if the metric g of M is a *-Ricci soliton, then either M is locally isometric to the product ℍn+1(−4)×ℝn or the potential vector field is strict infinitesimal contact transformation. Moreover, two concrete examples of (κ, μ)′-almost Kenmotsu 3-manifolds admitting a Killing vector field and strict infinitesimal contact transformation are given.
Two weight estimates for a class of (p, q) type sublinear operators and their commutators
Authors: Yunpeng Hu , Jiang Zhou , Yonghui Cao
Published: August 2019

In the present paper, the authors investigate the two weight, weak-(p, q) type norm inequalities for a class of sublinear operators 𝓣γ and their commutators [b, 𝓣γ] on weighted Morrey and Amalgam spaces. What should be stressed is that we introduce the new BMO type space and our results generalize known results before.
Dynamic of a nonautonomous two-species impulsive competitive system with infinite delays
Authors: He Mengxin , Li Zhong , Chen Fengde
Published: August 2019

In this paper, we consider a nonautonomous two-species impulsive competitive system with infinite delays. By the impulsive comparison theorem and some mathematical analysis, we investigate the permanence, extinction and global attractivity of the system, as well as the influence of impulse perturbation on the dynamic behaviors of this system. For the logistic type impulsive equation with infinite delay, our results improve those of Xuxin Yang, Weibing Wang and Jianhua Shen [Permanence of a logistic type impulsive equation with infinite delay, Applied Mathematics Letters, 24(2011), 420-427]. For the corresponding nonautonomous two-species impulsive competitive system without delays, we discuss its permanence, extinction and global attractivity, which weaken and complement the results of Zhijun Liu and Qinglong Wang [An almost periodic competitive system subject to impulsive perturbations, Applied Mathematics and Computation, 231(2014), 377-385].
2-closures of primitive permutation groups of holomorph type
Authors: Yu Xue , Pan Jiangmin
Published: August 2019

The 2-closure G(2) of a permutation group G on a finite set Ω is the largest subgroup of Sym(Ω) which has the same orbits as G in the induced action on Ω × Ω. In this paper, the 2-closures of certain primitive permutation groups of holomorph simple and holomorph compound types are determined.
Monotonicity properties and inequalities related to generalized Grötzsch ring functions
Authors: Wang Fei , He Jian-Hui , Yin Li , Qi Feng
Published: August 2019

In the paper, the authors present some monotonicity properties and some sharp inequalities for the generalized Grötzsch ring function and related elementary functions. Consequently, the authors obtain new bounds for solutions of the Ramanujan generalized modular equation.
Variation inequalities related to Schrödinger operators on weighted Morrey spaces
Authors: Zhang Jing
Published: August 2019

This paper establishes the boundedness of the variation operators associated with Riesz transforms and commutators generated by the Riesz transforms and BMO-type functions in the Schrödinger setting on the weighted Morrey spaces related to certain nonnegative potentials belonging to the reverse Hölder class.
Primary angiosarcoma of the kidney: case report and comprehensive literature review
Authors: Boni Andrea , Cochetti Giovanni , Sidoni Angelo , Bellezza Guido , Lepri Emanuele , Giglio Andrea De , Turco Morena , Vermandois Jacopo Adolfo Rossi De , Zingaro Michele Del , Cirocchi Roberto , Mearini Ettore
Published: August 2019

Purpose

Angiosarcoma (AS) is an aggressive malignant tumour of endothelial origin, most frequently compelling the skin. The kidney is a rare site of primary occurrence of AS with a quite challenging diagnosis and poor prognosis, mainly due to its raw metastasising power. We described our first case of AS treatment. A comprehensive literature review in this field is also carried out.

Patients and methods

We report the case of a 56-years-old man with radiological appearance of an 11 cm poor vascularised left renal mass. The pre-operative imaging ruled out distant metastases and inferior vena cava thrombosis. Thus, after radioembolization, we performed a transperitoneal open radical nephrectomy with regional lymphadenectomy with the removal of the middle portion of the ileo-psoas muscle, followed by two lines of adjuvant chemotherapy. We analysed all the papers concerning primary kidney AS until December 2018.

Results

Estimated intraoperative blood loss was 200 mL with an operative time of 100 minutes. No postoperative complications were recorded, with the patient discharge in the 8th postoperative day. The pathological assessment showed a pT3a N0, M0 tumour compatible with AS of the kidney. An immune-histochemical study showed a vascular positive for CD31, CD34, Fli-1 with a Ki-67/Mib 1 of 50%. One month after surgery the patient began adjuvant chemotherapy with gemcitabine. After 45 days from surgery, a Computed Tomography scan showed lung and liver metastases with disease relapse in the left kidney lodge. The response to the first-line treatment was excellent, unlike the second-line, encountering a chemo-refractory disease. The cancer-specific survival was of 15 months. We included 66 cases in our review.

Conclusion

This is the first case of treatment of kidney AS performed at our Institute. Our findings added new information about the unclear biology and progression of this subset of tumours, demonstrating an abysmal prognosis.
Hounsfield Units on Lumbar Computed Tomography for Predicting Regional Bone Mineral Density
Authors: Kim Kyung Joon , Kim Dong Hwan , Lee Jae Il , Choi Byung Kwan , Han In Ho , Nam Kyoung Hyup
Published: August 2019

Objective

Bone mineral density (BMD) is a very important factor in spinal fusion surgery using instrumentation. Our aim was to investigate the utility of Hounsfield units (HU) obtained from preoperative lumbar computed tomography (CT) to predict osteoporosis coupling with data of quantitative computed tomography (QCT) and dual X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA).

Methods

We reviewed 180 patients that underwent both QCT and lumbar CT for spine surgery. HU was retrospectively calculated on the lumbar CT of 503 lumbar vertebrae from L1 to L3. Femur DEXA was performed in all patients and spine DEXA was tested in 120 patients (331 vertebrae). BMD was grouped as osteoporosis (QCT<80mg/cm3, DEXA T score≤-2.5) and non-osteoporosis (QCT≥80mg/cm3, DEXA T score>-2.5) for comparison of HU value.

Results

HU value and BMD showed significant correlations. The optima cut-off value based on QCT was higher than that of DEXA scans which had the best correlation for predicting osteoporosis. ROC curve analysis demonstrated that HU value with QCT of 146 has a sensitivity of 94.3% and a specificity of 87.5% for osteoporosis.

Conclusions

Significant correlation was found between HU measurement and BMD value. These findings provide evidence that HU measurement can be established as a means for predicting osteoporosis before spine fusion surgery with reduced radiation hazard.
Tandem white organic light-emitting diodes stacked with two symmetrical emitting units simultaneously achieving superior efficiency/CRI/color stability
Authors: Miao Yanqin , Wei Xiaozhen , Gao Long , Wang Kexiang , Zhao Bo , Wang Zhongqiang , Zhao Bin , Wang Hua , Wu Yucheng , Xu Bingshe
Published: August 2019

In this work, a series of three and four-color tandem white organic light-emitting diodes (WOLEDs) are developed by using the optimized charge generating unit (CGU) to connect two electroluminescence (EL) units with symmetrical emitting layers, in which symmetrical emitting layers are constructed based on the mixed hosts; sandwiched between hole and electron-transporting hosts and the light emitted from two EL units that are absolutely complementary for forming white emission. All resulting tandem WOLEDs realize good white emission with maximum color rendering index (CRI) beyond 77 and 90 for three and four-color white devices and extremely high EL spectra stability, and also achieve high device efficiency with maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) exceeding 33.10%. For example, for the optimized four-color tandem WOLED, the maximum CRI and EQE of 91 and 34.78% are demonstrated and only very slight CIE (Δx, Δy) variation of (0.002, −0.010) was observed at a wide luminance range from 170.9 cd/m2 to 13,870 cd/m2. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first tandem WOLED with only two EL units realizing such high device performances. More importantly, the proposed tandem WOLEDs here avoid introducing carrier or exciton blocking layer or using more EL units to realize high color quality white emission that provides a novel approach to develop simple, but high-performance tandem WOLEDs.
Guidelines for unequivocal structural identification of compounds with biological activity of significance in food chemistry (IUPAC Technical Report)
Authors: Molyneux Russell J. , Beck John J. , Colegate Steven M. , Edgar John A. , Gaffield William , Gilbert John , Hofmann Thomas , McConnell Laura L. , Schieberle Peter
Published: August 2019

Isolation of endogenous constituents of foods is generally performed in order to elucidate the biological activity of individual compounds and their role with respect to factors such as organoleptic qualities, health and nutritional benefits, plant protection against herbivores, pathogens and competition, and presence of toxic constituents. However, unless such compounds are unequivocally defined with respect to structure and purity, any biological activity data will be compromised. Procedures are therefore proposed for comprehensive elucidation of food-based organic structures using modern spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques. Also included are guidelines for the experimental details and types of data that should be reported in order for subsequent investigators to repeat and validate the work. Because food chemistry usually involves interdisciplinary collaboration, the purpose is to inform chemists and scientists from different fields, such as biological sciences, of common standards for the type and quality of data to be presented in elucidating and reporting structures of biologically active food constituents. The guidelines are designed to be understandable to chemists and non-chemists alike. This will enable unambiguous identification of compounds and ensure that the biological activity is based on a secure structural chemistry foundation.
Coordination of tridentate ligands to SmI2: cooperativity and incremental effect on reduction potential and on reactivity
Authors: Nimkar Amey , Maity Sandeepan , Hoz Shmaryahu
Published: August 2019

The effect of coordination of a series of tridentate ligands (TDLs) on various features of SmI2 was determined. The TDLs used in this study were diethylene glycol (OOO), diethanolamine (ONO), 2-(2-Aminoethoxy) ethanol (OON), N-(2-Hydroxyethyl) ethylene diamine (ONN) and glycerol (GLY). Of special interest is the effect of these additives on the reduction potential of SmI2. The cyclic voltammograms of the TDLs with nitrogen at the binding sites display simultaneously several peaks, each corresponding to a different coordination level of SmI2, enabling determination of three equilibrium constants. The results are in concert with electronic spectra of SmI2 complexes with these ligands. The second and third equilibrium constants were found to be larger than the first, demonstrating the cooperativity effect. Moreover, the incremental effect of each moiety on the reduction potential of SmI2 was determined. Regarding reactivity of SmI2, excessive coordination of some ligands is shown to have an adverse effect.
Origen in Paradise: A Response to Peter Martens
Authors: Edwards Mark
Published: August 2019

This article is a response to Peter Martens, “Origen’s Doctrine of Pre-Existence and the Opening Chapters of Genesis,” ZAC 16 (2012): 516–549, in which he argues that Origen imagines the primitive state of human beings to be strictly incorporeal. Following the structure of Marten’s argument, it will be argued (a) that while Origen rejects anthropomorphic elements in the narrative of the creation of Eden, he does not deny its existence as a place in the world; (b) that Origen sometimes means by the fall of “rational beings” the fall of angels rather than human beings; (c) that the doctrine that “the end is like the beginning” ought to entail that humans had bodies in the beginning, as they will at the end; (d) that passages said by Martens to speak of a church that antedates the world are open to a different interpretation; and (e) that Origen does not say unequivocally that “coats of skin” at Genesis 3:21 represent bodies.
Ignatius of Antioch and Scripture
Authors: Lookadoo Jonathon
Published: August 2019

This article challenges a consensus position in Ignatian studies by arguing that Ignatius’s use of scripture has been underestimated and exploring two proposals for ways in which scripture influenced Ignatius. The essay first addresses the weak foundations of the consensus, namely, Ignatius’s report about his visit to Philadelphia and the small number of direct citations. It then explores two suggestions for how Ignatius displays his indebtedness to an early Jewish thought-world. First, Ignatius employs scriptural imagery in his letters. Second, he alludes to language that is found in several places across the Old Testament. Although the number of explicit citations is small, an expanded understanding of Ignatius’s use of Jewish scripture that takes into account imagery and allusions sheds light on Ignatius’s awareness of scripture and is in keeping with the practices of other early Christian texts.
The Adaptive Amplitude-Phase Control for Sinusoidal Fatigue Test of Automobile Engine Flywheel
Authors: Zhang Bing , Mujtaba Muhammad , Qian Pengfei , Jiang Ziliang , Li Jiandong , Xie Fangwei , Wang Cuntang
Published: August 2019

High-frequency and long-running hydraulic servo system sinusoidal tests are developed for automobile engine flywheels in this article. The frequency characteristic of the hydraulic system is revealed by the classical control method and the double inertia loop. The feedforward controller is introduced so as to compare it with the adaptive control. The modified amplitude-phase adaptive control (MAPAC) method is proposed to cope with the uncertainties in the hydraulic system to increase the precision of sinusoidal experiments without knowing the structure and parameters of the system. The amplitude error, phase delay, and the center position error of the sinusoidal signal are identified in the time domain, and the iterative equations are established for these three parameters. The simulation and experimental results show that higher tracking accuracy can be achieved with the sinusoidal signal than the feedforward controller by using the MAPAC controller.
Comparative Studies on the Ablation/Erosion Mechanisms of Silicone Rubber Composites under Erosion of Different Particles by New Testing Method
Authors: Wang Jinjin , Zha Bailin , Zhang Wei
Published: August 2019

The performance of solid rocket ramjets is affected by the ablation resistance of silicone rubber composites in the secondary combustion chamber. To investigate the ablation mechanisms of silicone rubber composites in multiphase flow environments, a new ablation testing methodology, in which particles can be added to the flame, is developed in this investigation. Boron oxide (B2O3) and alumina (Al2O3) particles were used to simulate condensed-phase particles. The experimental results show that because of the high hardness and melting point of Al2O3, the mechanical destruction of the Al2O3 particles was so intense that the surface of silicone rubber composite was completely destroyed, and the matrix was exposed to the surface. The surfaces of the B2O3 particles melted and evaporated in the flame, forming a liquid layer, similar to condensed-phase particles in the secondary combustion chamber of solid ramjet. After the ablation of silicone rubber under the erosion action of B2O3 particles, a char layer and pyrolysis layer were formed, similar to the scenario during the actual ablation of silicone rubber composites. The multiphase flow environment with B2O3 particles can truly reflect the ablative environment experienced by silicone rubber composites.
Testing of Contact Stress at Ballast Bed-Soil Subgrade Interface under Cyclic Loading Using the Thin-Film Pressure Sensor
Authors: Xiao Junhua , Wang Yanhai , Zhang De , Zhang Xiao , Guo Jiaqi
Published: August 2019

A novel pressure testing method, i.e., a thin-film pressure distribution measurement system, was utilized to investigate the contact area and stress at the ballast bed-soil subgrade interface of conventional railways during cyclic loading in model tests. Factors like the amplitude and frequency of cyclic loading and the existence or nonexistence of the subballast were considered to study their effects on the contact area and average stress over the contact area at the interfaces. In addition, the testing results were compared with those measured by the traditional testing method using earth pressure cells and those calculated by the finite element method (FEM) based on continuum theory. The study shows that, because of the discontinuous characters of the ballast medium, the stress diffused from the ballast bed on the subgrade surface was unevenly distributed but becoming relatively evenly distributed as the subballast was being installed. The subgrade surface stresses measured by the earth pressure cell and calculated by the FEM were very similar, but both were about 50 % lower than the average stress over the contact area measured by the novel thin-film pressure sensor. As the interface stress between the ballast bed and the subgrade is a key factor in subgrade deterioration, new testing methods and numerical calculation methods can consider the discontinuous characters of the ballast appropriately to be necessary for the investigations of the interface contact stress.
The Ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment in California
Authors: Mattingly Doreen J.
Published: August 2019

In California, the 1972 campaign to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the U.S. Constitution pitted amendment supporters against labor leaders trying to protect women-only protective labor laws. The seven-month struggle in California resulted in a vote for ratification and motivated several years of legislative activity on women's issues. Most scholarship about ERA ratification in the United States in the 1970s has examined the reasons why the amendment failed. This article takes a different tack by investigating a state where the ERA was successful. The ERA campaign was a key element in the embrace of women's issues by the California Democratic Party. The article also provides an in-depth analysis of the relationship between labor feminists and equal rights feminists, two groups that were opposed during the ratification campaign but were frequent allies on women's issues before and after 1972.
“I Ought to Know How Negroes Talk”
Authors: Sterba Christopher M.
Published: August 2019

The African American actor, writer, and director Spencer Williams, Jr. (1895–1969) has been the subject of a range of academic studies in recent years. Scholars have explored his pioneering work in early black film and his problematic role as “Andy Hogg Brown” in the television version of the Amos 'n' Andy radio program as a means of interpreting representations of black life within the confines of the Hollywood culture industry. This new scholarship, however, has reflected a limited and often inaccurate understanding of Williams' remarkable career. As will be discussed in this article, major events in Williams' life that have been unknown until now strongly influenced his filmmaking and his strategies to make the movie and television industries more racially inclusive. Most significantly, Williams was at different times a soldier in a segregated army unit, a convicted felon, and a committed artist and activist in Hollywood. These experiences helped to shape the themes and subject matter of his films, which ranged from religious dramas and singing cowboy westerns to backstage musicals and the first African American horror movie ever made.