bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Complex Spatial Morphology of Urban Housing Price Based on Digital Elevation Model: A Case Study of Wuhan City, China
Authors: Zhang Zuo , Lu Xinhai , Zhou Min , Song Yan , Luo Xiang , Kuang Bing
Published: January 2019

In a city, housing price varies with location. Thus, housing price plays an important role in detecting the spatial pattern of the city. Spatial interpolation methods have been widely used for simulating and predicting urban housing prices. In this paper, the Ordinary Kriging interpolation method is used for producing the digital elevation model (DEM) of urban housing prices. Based on the three-dimensional DEM of urban housing price, this paper develops a novel approach for geo–visual analytics of urban housing prices. To investigate and visualize the spatial morphology of housing price, we design the Water-flooding, Section-cutting and Belt-floating methods, and implement these methods with the 3D-analyst module in GIS environment. Then, we take Wuhan City as a case, apply this approach to analyze the complex spatial morphologic characteristics of the DEM for housing price and visualize the results from the multidimensional perspectives. The results show that the Water-flooding method effectively supports the investigation of the top areas of surface changes; Section-cutting method performs well in examining the profile or cross-section of the urban housing surface; and Belt-floating method is helpful for detecting the spatial variance of the urban housing surface through the routes of specific lines. The results demonstrate that the proposed approach works better than traditional methods in describing the complex spatial morphology of urban housing prices, and has an advantage in visualizing the analysis results.
Economic and Efficiency Analysis of China Electricity Market Reform Using Computable General Equilibrium Model
Authors: Yin Jieting , Yan Qingyou , Lei Kaijie , Baležentis Tomas , Streimikiene Dalia
Published: January 2019

China’s electricity industry has been undergoing a process of regulatory reform. This study aims to analyse the impact of liberalization on the electricity market assuming different degrees of scope of the reforms by applying a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model. In this paper, we consider the three sub-sectors of the electricity industry, namely generation, transmission and distribution. We assume that the reform will phase out the entry barriers on the generation side and allow for competition on the distribution side, while keeping the transmission side under regulation. The results showed that the reform could enhance efficiency in the electricity sector and reduce energy prices for households. Introduction of a complete competition model would decrease welfare by 5.394 billion yuan, if contrasted to a limited competition model. The composite energy price would decline under both scenarios, whereas the quantity of energy consumed by the households would go up. This research, thus, contributes to literature on the economic effects of China’s electric power market reform, and can be used as a case study to support policy decisions for the decision-makers.
Improvement of the K-Factor of USLE and Soil Erosion Estimation in Shihmen Reservoir Watershed
Authors: Lin Bor-Shiun , Chen Chun-Kai , Thomas Kent , Hsu Chen-Kun , Ho Hsing-Chuan
Published: January 2019

The estimation of soil erosion in Taiwan and many countries of the world is based on the widely used universal soil loss equation (USLE), which includes the factor of soil erodibility (K-factor). In Taiwan, K-factor values are referenced from past research compiled in the Taiwan Soil and Water Conservation Manual, but there is limited data for the downstream area of the Shihmen reservoir watershed. The designated K-factor from the manual cannot be directly applied to large-scale regional levels and also cannot distinguish and clarify the difference of soil erosion between small field plots or subdivisions. In view of the above, this study establishes additional values of K-factor by utilizing the double rings infiltration test and measures of soil physical–chemical properties and increases the spatial resolution of K-factor map for Shihmen reservoir watershed. Furthermore, the established values of K-factors were validated with the designated value set at Fuxing Sanmin from the manual for verifying the correctness of estimates. It is found that the comparative results agree well with established estimates within an allowable error range. Thus, the K-factors established by this study update the previous K-factor system and can be spatially estimated for any area of interest within the Shihmen reservoir watershed and improving upon past limitations.
Cooperation, Fair Trade, and the Development of Organic Coffee Growing in Chiapas (1980–2015)
Authors: Folch Albert , Planas Jordi
Published: January 2019

In present day Mexico, Chiapas is the state that produces the greatest amount of coffee, with both the highest number of producers and the largest cultivated area. A significant part of this production is organic coffee. Organic coffee growing emerged as an important alternative for small producers who previously devoted themselves to the production and commercialization of conventional coffee but found it increasingly difficult to make a living. The expansion of the cultivation of organic coffee was closely related to the processes of peasant mobilization that started in the 1970s when the agricultural model of the Green Revolution went into crisis. This article analyzes the expansion of organic coffee growing in Chiapas and its connection with the process of the collective organization of small coffee producers in cooperatives. In these cooperatives, an alternative model of production was established based on the peasants’ traditional knowledge. We argue that the development of organic coffee growing was strongly linked to the long tradition of community life, communal management of land and natural resources, and collective action. We also underline the resilience of the peasants’ traditional farming systems and their contribution to a more sustainable and environmentally respectful agriculture.
Outage Probability Analysis in Relaying Cooperative Systems with NOMA Considering Power Splitting
Authors: Ly Tran Thai Hoc , Nguyen Hoang-Sy , Nguyen Thanh-Sang , Huynh Van Van , Nguyen Thanh-Long , Voznak Miroslav
Published: January 2019

In recent years, non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) has become a promising technology for the advancement of future wireless communications. In principle, the relay node with better channel conditions can support others to enhance the system performance by using successive interference cancellation (SIC) technique. In this paper, we take advantage of NOMA in the study of a relaying cooperative system operating in half-duplex (HD) fixed decode-and-forward (DF) relaying scheme. In the two time slots, two data symbols are received at the destination node resulting in a higher transmission rate. Besides that, we study energy harvesting (EH) with power splitting (PS) protocol. For performance analysis, approximate and exact closed-form expressions for outage probability (OP) are obtained. Following that, we examine the average bit error probability (ABEP) while expressions for the throughput in delay-limited mode are given. It can be seen that our simulation results match well with the Monte Carlo simulations.
Comparative Evaluation of Sustainable Design Based on Step-Wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) and Best Worst Method (BWM) Methods: A Perspective on Household Furnishing Materials
Authors: Zolfani Sarfaraz Hashemkhani , Chatterjee Prasenjit
Published: January 2019

For a few years, there has been an increasing consciousness to design structures that are concurrently economic and environmentally responsive. Eco-friendly inferences of building designs include lower energy consumption, reduction in CO2 emissions, assimilated energy in buildings and enhancement of indoor air quality. With the aim of fulfilling design objectives, designers normally encounter a situation in which the selection of the most appropriate material from a set of various material alternatives is essential. Sustainability has been developing as a new concept in all human activities to create a better balance between social, environmental and economic issues. Designing materials based on the sustainability concept is a key step to enable a better balance because there is no need to re-structure phases and procedures to make the system more efficient in comparison to previous models. Some of the most commonly used materials are household furnishing materials, which can be electrical devices, kitchen gears or general furnishing materials. The volume of production and consumption of these materials is considerable, therefore a newer sustainable plan for a better designed system is justifiable. In the literature, the application of multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) methods has been found to be very suitable for evaluating materials and developing general plans for them. This study contributes by applying two approaches based on MADM methods for weighting the criteria related to the sustainable design of household furnishing materials. Step-Wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) and Best Worst Method (BWM) are two specialized and new methods for weighting criteria with different approaches. This paper has not only investigated the weighting of important and related criteria for sustainable design but has also evaluated the similarities and differences between the considered weighting methods. A comparative study of SWARA and BWM methods has never been conducted to date. The results show that, except pairwise comparisons, SWARA and BWM are certainly similar and in some cases SWARA can be more accurate and effective.
A DRDoS Detection and Defense Method Based on Deep Forest in the Big Data Environment
Authors: Xu Ruomeng , Cheng Jieren , Wang Fengkai , Tang Xiangyan , Xu Jinying
Published: January 2019

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) has developed multiple variants, one of which is Distributed Reflective Denial of Service (DRDoS). With the increasing number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, the threat of DRDoS attack is growing, and the damage of a DRDoS attack is more destructive than other types. The existing DDoS detection methods cannot be generalized in DRDoS early detection, which leads to heavy load or degradation of service when deployed at the final point. In this paper, we propose a DRDoS detection and defense method based on deep forest model (DDDF), and then we integrate differentiated service into defense model to filter out DRDoS attack flow. Firstly, from the statistics perspective on different stages of DRDoS attack flow in the big data environment, we extract a host-based DRDoS threat index (HDTI) from the network flows. Secondly, using the HDTI feature we build a DRDoS detection and defense model based on the deep forest, which consists of 1 extreme gradient boost (XGBoost) forest estimator, 2 random forest estimators, and 2 extra random forest estimators in each layer. Lastly, the differentiated service procedure applies the detection result from DDDF to drop the traffic identified in different stages and different detection points. Theoretical analysis and experiments show that the method we proposed can effectively identify DRDoS attack with higher detection rate and a lower false alarm rate, the defense model also shows distinguishing ability to effectively eliminate the DRDoS attack flows, and dramatically mitigate the damage of a DRDoS attack.
Safety of Corn and Corn-Based Products Intended for Human Consumption Concerning Fumonisins from a Brazilian Processing Plant
Authors: Bordini Jaqueline Gozzi , Ono Mario Augusto , Hirozawa Melissa Tiemi , Garcia Glauco Tironi , Vizoni Edio , Ono Elisabete Yurie Sataque
Published: January 2019

Brazil is one of the world’s largest corn producers and is a leader in exportation. Due to intense globalization, corn may be commercialized worldwide and the issue concerning the safety of corn-based products has become a topic of widespread international interest. Dietary exposure evaluation is a relevant criterion for mycotoxin risk assessment. Thus, human exposure to fumonisins were assessed for corn grain and its derivatives (endosperm, cornmeal, and grits; n = 320) sampled from one of the large-scale corn processing plants in Brazil. The total probable daily intake (PDI) for fumonisins in Brazil was 96.9 ng kg−1 body weight day−1, which corresponds to 5% of the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI) of 2000 ng kg−1 b.w. day−1 for fumonisins. In countries that import Brazilian corn, the total PDI is lower in European countries (from 35.7 to 177 ng kg−1 b.w. day−1) and higher in Angola (1553 ng kg−1 b.w. day−1). Taking into account that dietary exposure in populations in Brazil and importing countries was low, the corn-based products were safe for human consumption regarding fumonisins, even for regions with high corn consumption.
Accounting for Healthcare-Seeking Behaviours and Testing Practices in Real-Time Influenza Forecasts
Authors: Moss Robert , Zarebski Alexander E. , Carlson Sandra J. , McCaw James M.
Published: January 2019

For diseases such as influenza, where the majority of infected persons experience mild (if any) symptoms, surveillance systems are sensitive to changes in healthcare-seeking and clinical decision-making behaviours. This presents a challenge when trying to interpret surveillance data in near-real-time (e.g., to provide public health decision-support). Australia experienced a particularly large and severe influenza season in 2017, perhaps in part due to: (a) mild cases being more likely to seek healthcare; and (b) clinicians being more likely to collect specimens for reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) influenza tests. In this study, we used weekly Flutracking surveillance data to estimate the probability that a person with influenza-like illness (ILI) would seek healthcare and have a specimen collected. We then used this estimated probability to calibrate near-real-time seasonal influenza forecasts at each week of the 2017 season, to see whether predictive skill could be improved. While the number of self-reported influenza tests in the weekly surveys are typically very low, we were able to detect a substantial change in healthcare seeking behaviour and clinician testing behaviour prior to the high epidemic peak. Adjusting for these changes in behaviour in the forecasting framework improved predictive skill. Our analysis demonstrates a unique value of community-level surveillance systems, such as Flutracking, when interpreting traditional surveillance data. These methods are also applicable beyond the Australian context, as similar community-level surveillance systems operate in other countries.
Enterococcus faecalis Countermeasures Defeat a Virulent Picovirinae Bacteriophage
Authors: Lossouarn Julien , Briet Arnaud , Moncaut Elisabeth , Furlan Sylviane , Bouteau Astrid , Son Olivier , Leroy Magali , DuBow Michael S. , Lecointe François , Serror Pascale , Petit Marie-Agnès
Published: January 2019

Enterococcus faecalis is an opportunistic pathogen that has emerged as a major cause of nosocomial infections worldwide. Many clinical strains are indeed resistant to last resort antibiotics and there is consequently a reawakening of interest in exploiting virulent phages to combat them. However, little is still known about phage receptors and phage resistance mechanisms in enterococci. We made use of a prophageless derivative of the well-known clinical strain E. faecalis V583 to isolate a virulent phage belonging to the Picovirinae subfamily and to the P68 genus that we named Idefix. Interestingly, most isolates of E. faecalis tested—including V583—were resistant to this phage and we investigated more deeply into phage resistance mechanisms. We found that E. faecalis V583 prophage 6 was particularly efficient in resisting Idefix infection thanks to a new abortive infection (Abi) mechanism, which we designated Abiα. It corresponded to the Pfam domain family with unknown function DUF4393 and conferred a typical Abi phenotype by causing a premature lysis of infected E. faecalis. The abiα gene is widespread among prophages of enterococci and other Gram-positive bacteria. Furthermore, we identified two genes involved in the synthesis of the side chains of the surface rhamnopolysaccharide that are important for Idefix adsorption. Interestingly, mutants in these genes arose at a frequency of ~10−4 resistant mutants per generation, conferring a supplemental bacterial line of defense against Idefix.
Innate Immune Responses to Avian Influenza Viruses in Ducks and Chickens
Authors: Evseev Danyel , Magor Katharine E.
Published: January 2019

Mallard ducks are important natural hosts of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) viruses and many strains circulate in this reservoir and cause little harm. Some strains can be transmitted to other hosts, including chickens, and cause respiratory and systemic disease. Rarely, these highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses cause disease in mallards, while chickens are highly susceptible. The long co-evolution of mallard ducks with influenza viruses has undoubtedly fine-tuned many immunological host–pathogen interactions to confer resistance to disease, which are poorly understood. Here, we compare innate responses to different avian influenza viruses in ducks and chickens to reveal differences that point to potential mechanisms of disease resistance. Mallard ducks are permissive to LPAI replication in their intestinal tissues without overtly compromising their fitness. In contrast, the mallard response to HPAI infection reflects an immediate and robust induction of type I interferon and antiviral interferon stimulated genes, highlighting the importance of the RIG-I pathway. Ducks also appear to limit the duration of the response, particularly of pro-inflammatory cytokine expression. Chickens lack RIG-I, and some modulators of the signaling pathway and may be compromised in initiating an early interferon response, allowing more viral replication and consequent damage. We review current knowledge about innate response mediators to influenza infection in mallard ducks compared to chickens to gain insight into protective immune responses, and open questions for future research.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Veterinary Sciences in 2018
Authors:   Office
Published: January 2019

Rigorous peer-review is the corner-stone of high-quality academic publishing [...]
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Vibration in 2018
Authors:   Vibration Editorial Office
Published: January 2019

Rigorous peer-review is the corner-stone of high-quality academic publishing [...]
Impact of Main Pipe Flow Velocity on Leakage and Intrusion Flow: An Experimental Study
Authors: Shao Yu , Yao Tian , Gong Jinzhe , Liu Jinjie , Zhang Tuqiao , Yu Tingchao
Published: January 2019

The classic orifice equation is commonly used to calculate the leakage and intrusion rate for pressurized pipelines with cracks on the pipe wall. The conventional orifice equation does not consider the effect of the flow velocity in the main pipe, and there is a lack of studies on this matter. For this technical note, the influence of the main pipe flow velocity on the outflow and inflow through a crack on the pipe wall was studied in the laboratory. The experimental results show that the impact of the main pipe flow velocity can be significant. When the pressure difference across the orifice was constant, with the increase of the main pipe flow velocity, the outflow velocity increased, but the contraction area of the jet and the outflow discharge coefficient decreased. By comparing orifices with different shapes, it was found that the discharge from the circumferential crack was most sensitive to the main pipe flow velocity. In addition, the main pipe flow promoted the orifice inflow. When the pressure difference across the orifice was constant, with the increase of the main pipe flow velocity, the inflow discharge coefficient increased, which is the opposite pattern to that of the orifice outflow.
INTERCULTURAL ASPECTS OF ONLINE COMMUNICATION A COMPARISON OF MANDARIN‐SPEAKING, US, EGYPTIAN AND GERMAN USER PREFERENCES
Authors: Seidenspinner Margarete , Theuner Gabriele
Published: January 2019

This paper sums up the results of a survey conducted with four samples of website users, i.e. young urban academics from the PR of China, the United States, Egypt and Germany. The survey analyses the ways in which users from such distinctly dissimilar cultural environments view websites. The websites researched are those of global operators that either offer international services, high price utility items or technologically advanced products.

The results gained in the course of this research project demonstrate how the targeted users’ cultural environments may impact on their preferred navigation tools, their perceived quality of web designs and on the perception and processing of the information provided online. A brief overview of the consequences which derive from this culture‐bound user behaviour for corporate communication policies conclude this paper.
BIOMETRICS - MARKET SEGMENTS AND APPLICATIONS
Authors: Költzsch Gregor
Published: January 2019

Biometric methods are concerned with the measurement and evaluation of human physiological or behavioral characteristics. During the last years, the economic relevance of the biometric industry and market has increased rapidly. Although public security projects have initiated the positive market development, future growth will be also generated by private sector demand such as secure and convenient banking, payment applications etc.

The deployment of biometrics to machine readable travel documents such as passports provides citizens with first experiences in biometric applications, thereby functioning as pioneer projects and market openers for other market segments. For example, biometric passports will redefine the border control process in the future, and in the midterm, aviation security is another market segment that will contribute to the growth. To prepare for this business, the industry must carefully analyze the market and meet the demand. This article assesses the economic relevance of biometrics and discusses selected market segments.
DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF A MATHEMATICAL MODEL FOR EVALUATING EXTRA ENERGY COST DUE TO DISPROPORTIONAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION
Authors: Oke Sunday Ayoola , Oyedokun Oluwafemi Isaac
Published: January 2019

In this investigation, a scientific approach is presented in quantifying energy losses associated with production facilities. The corresponding analytical approach in estimating energy requirement of equipment is shown. In particular, mathematical information on how extra energy cost due to extra energy losses that occur in equipment is measured has been shown. The premise of the study is based on the fact that the value of the efficiency of the equipment determines the value of the energy that can be lost for a time frame. Similarly, the heat generated in some equipment, like lamps and air conditioner, can constitute energy lost in equipment. The paper then further shows that the energy cost paid for the energy losses that occur in equipment can be determined by using the energy cost rate used for calculating the cost paid for the useful work done. As manufacturing companies strive to meet and exceed the expected needs of the customer with cost saving manufacturing processes, a major hurdle is the losses in energy transfer as a result of inefficiencies in operations. This paper is geared towards achieving effective and efficient manufacturing processes by researching into trends in energy losses. The results obtained show the feasibility of the applied procedure. There is no previous documentation that has addressed the current problem using the approach presented. This is therefore a new way of viewing energy consumption.
EU STRUCTURAL SUPPORT AND ITS IMPACT ON LITHUANIA'S PROGRESS
Authors: Tamošiūnienė Rima , Šidlauskas Skirmantas , Trumpaitė Ingrida
Published: January 2019

During the last years the changes of social ‐ economic situation have been fast, however, according to individual macroeconomic indexes Lithuania is still significantly below the average of EU countries. To decrease these discrepancies the EU grants the structural support, the use of which is anticipated to establish strong and competitive economy, to train qualified labour force and stimulate social and economic cohesion. The efficient and expedient use of the EU support would enable Lithuania to implement the national Lisbon strategy programme and contribute to the implementation of the very Lisbon strategy guidelines. However, the investigations showed that the use of the support is not sufficient enough to secure the efficient progress of the country.

The article analyses the aspects of the EU regional policy financing and the expected results of implementing the Lisbon strategy actions; it analyses economic, social, environmental, and other indexes of the economies of Lithuania and EU countries and assesses the result of the country's progress in implementing the Lisbon strategy. The research on the expedience of using the EU structural support and its impact on the country's progress was carried out.

The research made on the use of the EU support and its impact on the country's progress suggests that about two thirds of the measures correspond to the national programme for implementing the Lisbon strategy but only few indicators have a complex influence on the progress indexes. Therefore, while preparing the programmes of the EU support use for 2007–2013 and coordinating them with the EU Commission a better harmonization of this support use measures with the national programme for implementing the Lisbon strategy is necessary, and the measures have to be implemented in a complex manner, as well as the horizontal compatibility of the measures has to be maintained.
STAKEHOLDERS’ IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY: MODEL DESIGN AND TESTING
Authors: Smaliukienė Rasa
Published: January 2019

The study is based on comparative theoretical research into the concepts of corporate social and environmental responsibilities. Multinational enterprises (MNEs) are responsive to the stakeholders’ needs. Therefore, environmental business management was integrated into model of corporate social responsibility. This demonstrates that social processes influencing corporate social responsibility are of equal importance for the development of environmental responsibility. Simultaneously, this theoretical integration leads to an understanding that corporate environmental responsibility may be also introduced into other theoretical models of social responsibility, which assess impacts of stakeholders and other social influences.

The empirical research demonstrates that environmental expectations of stakeholders are different in economically different countries. In addition, the stakeholders differently see the functions of business in environmental issues. Qualitative content analysis disclosed what form of environmental responsibility is proper in countries of developed, developing and emerging economies. In developing economies, donations are demanded most of all; in emerging economies exposed to various transformations, there is a need for social investments; in developed economies full business co‐operation is preferred on environmental issues. Most important environmental outcomes of MNEs, as reflected in their annual statements, demonstrate business adaptation to different stakeholders’ expectations built in economically different countries.
Shadow Imaging of Transiting Objects
Authors: Sandford Emily , Kipping David
Published: January 2019

We consider the problem of inferring the shape of a transiting object’s silhouette from its light curve alone, without assuming a physical model for the object. We model the object as a grid of pixels which transits a star; each pixel has an opacity, ranging from transparent to opaque, which we infer from the light curve. We explore three interesting degeneracies inherent to this problem, in which markedly different transiting shapes can produce identical light curves: (i) the “flip” degeneracy, by which two pixels transiting at the same impact parameter on opposite sides of the star’s horizontal midplane generate the same light curve; (ii) the “arc” degeneracy, by which opacity can be redistributed along the semicircular arc of pixels which undergoes ingress or egress at the same time without consequence to the light curve; and (iii) the “stretch” degeneracy, by which a wide shape moving fast can produce the same light curve as a narrow shape moving more slowly. By understanding these degeneracies and adopting some additional assumptions, we are able to numerically recover informative shadow images of transiting objects, and we explore a number of different algorithmic approaches to this problem. We apply our methods to real data, including the TRAPPIST-1c/e/f triple transit and two dips of Boyajian’s Star. We provide Python code to calculate the transit light curve of any grid and, conversely, infer the image grid which generates any light curve in the software package accompanying this paper, EightBitTransit (https://github.com/esandford/EightBitTransit).
Fast-to-Alfvén Mode Conversion Mediated by Hall Current. II. Application to the Solar Atmosphere
Authors: González-Morales P. A. , Khomenko E. , Cally P. S.
Published: January 2019

Coupling between fast magnetoacoustic and Alfvén waves can be observed in fully ionized plasmas mediated by stratification and 3D geometrical effects. In Paper I, Cally & Khomenko have shown that in a weakly ionized plasma, such as the solar photosphere and chromosphere, the Hall current introduces a new coupling mechanism. The present study extends the results from Paper I to the case of warm plasma. We report on numerical experiments where mode transformation is studied using quasi-realistic stratification in thermodynamic parameters resembling the solar atmosphere. This redresses the limitation of the cold plasma approximation assumed in Paper I, in particular allowing the complete process of coupling between fast and slow magnetoacoustic modes and subsequent coupling of the fast mode to the Alfvén mode through the Hall current. Our results confirm the efficacy of the mechanism proposed in Paper I for the solar case. We observe that the efficiency of the transformation is a sensitive function of the angle between the wave propagation direction and the magnetic field, and of the wave frequency. The efficiency increases when the field direction and the wave direction are aligned for increasing wave frequencies. After scaling our results to typical solar values, the maximum amplitude of the transformed Alfvén waves, for a frequency of 1 Hz, corresponds to an energy flux (measured above the height of peak Hall coupling) of ∼103 W m−2, based on an amplitude of 500 m s−1 at β = 1, which is sufficient to play a major role in both quiet and active region coronal heating.
Observationally Based Models of Penumbral Microjets
Authors: Esteban Pozuelo S. , de la Cruz Rodríguez J. , Drews A. , Rouppe van der Voort L. , Scharmer G. B. , Carlsson M.
Published: January 2019

We study the polarization signals and physical parameters of penumbral microjets (PMJs) by using high spatial resolution data taken in the Fe i 630 nm pair, Ca ii 854.2 nm, and Ca ii K lines with the CRISP and CHROMIS instruments at the Swedish 1 m Solar Telescope. We infer their physical parameters, such as physical observables in the photosphere and chromospheric velocity diagnostics, by different methods, including inversions of the observed Stokes profiles with the STiC code. PMJs harbor overall brighter Ca ii K line profiles and conspicuous polarization signals in Ca ii 854.2 nm, specifically in circular polarization that often shows multiple lobes mainly due to the shape of Stokes I. They usually overlap photospheric regions with a sheared magnetic field configuration, suggesting that magnetic reconnections could play an important role in the origin of PMJs. The discrepancy between their low LOS velocities and the high apparent speeds reported on earlier, as well as the existence of different vertical velocity gradients in the chromosphere, indicate that PMJs might not be entirely related to mass motions. Instead, PMJs could be due to perturbation fronts induced by magnetic reconnections occurring in the deep photosphere that propagate through the chromosphere. This reconnection may be associated with current heating that produces temperature enhancements from the temperature minimum region. Furthermore, enhanced collisions with electrons could also increase the coupling to the local conditions at higher layers during the PMJ phase, giving a possible explanation for the enhanced emission in the overall Ca ii K profiles emerging from these transients.
A Detailed Study of the Most Relaxed SPT-selected Galaxy Clusters: Properties of the Cool Core and Central Galaxy
Authors: McDonald M. , Allen S. W. , Hlavacek-Larrondo J. , Mantz A. B. , Bayliss M. , Benson B. A. , Brodwin M. , Bulbul E. , Canning R. E. A. , Chiu I. , Forman W. R. , Garmire G. P. , Gupta N. , Khullar G. , Mohr J. J. , Reichardt C. L. , Schrabback T.
Published: January 2019

We present a multi-wavelength analysis of the four most relaxed clusters in the South Pole Telescope 2500 deg2 survey, which lie at 0.55 < z < 0.75. This study, which utilizes new, deep data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory and Hubble Space Telescope, along with ground-based spectroscopy from Gemini and Magellan, improves significantly on previous studies in both depth and angular resolution, allowing us to directly compare to clusters at z ∼ 0. We find that the temperature, density, and entropy profiles of the intracluster medium (ICM) are very similar among the four clusters, and share similar shapes to those of clusters at z ∼ 0. Specifically, we find no evidence for deviations from self-similarity in the temperature profile over the radial range 10 kpc < r < 1 Mpc, implying that the processes responsible for preventing runaway cooling over the past ≳6 Gyr are, at least roughly, preserving self-similarity. We find typical metallicities of ∼0.3 Z
⊙ in the bulk of the ICM, rising to ∼0.5 Z
⊙ in the inner ∼100 kpc, and reaching ∼1 Z
⊙ at r < 10 kpc. This central excess is similar in magnitude to what is observed in the most relaxed clusters at z ∼ 0, suggesting that both the global metallicity and the central excess that we see in cool core clusters at z ∼ 0 were in place very early in the cluster’s lifetime, and specifically that the central excess is not due to late-time enrichment by the central galaxy. Consistent with observations at z ∼ 0, we measure a diversity of stellar populations in the central brightest cluster galaxies of these four clusters, with star formation rates spanning a factor of ∼500, despite the similarities in cooling time, cooling rate, and central entropy. These data suggest that, while the details vary dramatically from system to system, runaway cooling has been broadly regulated in relaxed clusters over the past 6 Gyr.
Spécificités et évolution récente de la fiscalité bancaire
Authors: Quignon Laurent
Published: January 2019

Les banques présentent des caractéristiques qui justifient qu'une fiscalité particulière leur soit appliquée. Le levier financier d'abord, indissociable de l'activité d'intermédiation, ne rend guère pertinent la correction du « biais fiscal de l'endettement » et le plafonnement des charges d'intérêts retenu pour les entreprises non financières. La délicate mesure de la valeur ajoutée, ensuite, explique que la plupart des pays développés exonèrent leurs services financiers de TVA et aient adopté des mécanismes alternatifs (à l'instar de la taxe sur les salaires en France). En revanche, l'imposition des bénéfices est commune aux secteurs financier et non financier, exception faite des surtaxes mises en œuvre dans quelques pays. À l'échelle de la zone euro, nos calculs fondés sur les comptes nationaux montrent que la contribution fiscale des sociétés financières est, en proportion de leur valeur ajoutée, plus élevée que celle des sociétés non financières et que l'écart tend même à s'accroître depuis la crise financière, sous l'influence notamment des nouvelles taxes bancaires introduites dans plusieurs pays. Enfin il existe une complémentarité, mais aussi un risque de redondance, entre la fiscalité bancaire, les contributions au Fonds de résolution unique et la réglementation prudentielle. Classification JEL : G01, H21, H32, G21, G28.
Exacerbation of Granular Corneal Dystrophy Type II (Avellino Corneal Dystrophy) After LASEK
Authors: Lee Jae Hwan , Stulting R. Doyle , Lee Dong Ho , Lee Christopher Seungkyu , Kim Woon Cho , Kim Eung Kweon
Published: January 2019

Purpose:

To report cases of granular corneal dystrophy type II (Avellino corneal dystrophy) that were exacerbated by uncomplicated laser epithelial keratomileusis (LASEK) for myopia.

Methods:

Eight patients (15 eyes) with granular corneal dystrophy type II who underwent LASEK were examined by DNA sequencing, slit-lamp microscopy, and confocal microscopy.

Results:

The number and density of the opacities increased after LASEK. Best spectacle-corrected visual acuity decreased after LASEK as the density of the opacities increased. In three patients, mitomycin C was used intraoperatively, but corneal deposits also worsened in these patients.

Conclusions:

LASEK is contraindicated in patients with granular corneal dystrophy type II because vision may be reduced from an increase in the density of corneal opacities postoperatively. [
J Refract Surg.
2008;24:39–45.]
Primary Topography-Guided LASIK: Treating Manifest Refractive Astigmatism Versus Topography-Measured Anterior Corneal Astigmatism
Authors: Wallerstein Avi , Gauvin Mathieu , Qi Susan Ruyu , Bashour Mounir , Cohen Mark
Published: January 2019

PURPOSE:

To investigate whether topography-guided laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) with anterior corneal astigmatism measured on the WaveLight Contoura (Alcon Laboratories, Inc., Fort Worth, TX) leads to better refractive outcomes compared to treating on the clinically measured manifest refractive astigmatism axis in eyes with primary myopic astigmatism.

METHODS:

Retrospective analysis of 1,274 consecutive LASIK eyes treated on the topography-measured anterior corneal astigmatism axis compared to eyes treated on the conventional clinical manifest refractive astigmatism axis.

RESULTS:

In eyes with a small axis discrepancy between anterior corneal astigmatism and refractive astigmatism of 5° to 20°, there was no significant difference in efficacy index, refractive astigmatism accuracy, and most Alpins vector analysis parameters. Both treatment modalities achieved 20/20 uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) in 90% of eyes, with 95% having postoperative cylinder of 0.50 diopters (D) or less. In eyes with a large axis discrepancy between 21° and 45° treated on the anterior corneal astigmatism axis, outcomes were both statistically and clinically inferior. Fewer eyes achieved UDVA of 20/20 (88.9% vs 73.6%;
P
= .01) and fewer had a defocus equivalent of 0.25 (65.6% vs 52.7%), 0.50 (86.9% vs 80.0%), and 0.75 (97.5% vs 90.9%) D or less (
P
< .05 for all). Significantly more eyes achieved an angle of error greater than 15° (25.4% vs 8.1%;
P
= .004), had postoperative residual astigmatism of 0.75 D or less (18.2% vs 7.4%;
P
= .03), and needed an excimer laser re-treatment (11% vs 1.6%;
P
= .007).

CONCLUSIONS:

Topography-guided myopic astigmatism LASIK treated on the topography-measured anterior corneal astigmatism axis resulted in inferior refractive and visual outcomes compared to treating on the clinical manifest refractive astigmatism axis.

[
J Refract Surg
. 2019;35(1):15–23.]
Evaluation of Different IOL Calculation Formulas of the ASCRS Calculator in Eyes After Corneal Refractive Laser Surgery for Myopia With Multifocal IOL Implantation
Authors: Vrijman Violette , Abulafia Adi , van der Linden Jan Willem , van der Meulen Ivanka J.E. , Mourits Maarten P. , Lapid-Gortzak Ruth
Published: January 2019

PURPOSE:

To compare the accuracy of different intraocular lens (IOL) calculation formulas available on the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) post-refractive surgery IOL power calculator for the prediction of multifocal IOL power after previous corneal refractive laser surgery for myopia.

METHODS:

An analysis and comparison were performed of the accuracy of three methods using surgically induced change in refraction (ie, Masket, Modified Masket, and Barrett True-K formulas) and three methods using no previous data (ie, Shammas, Haigis-L, and Barrett True-K No History formulas). The average of all formulas was also analyzed and compared.

RESULTS:

Thirty-six eyes of 36 patients were included. All formulas, except for the Masket, Modified Masket, and Barrett True-K formulas, had myopic mean numerical errors that were significantly different from zero (
P
⩽ .01). The median absolute error of the Shammas formula (0.52 diopters [D]) was significantly higher compared to all of the other formulas (
P
< .05), except for the Haigis-L formula (
P
= .09). Comparing the formulas using no previous data, the Barrett True-K No History formula had the lowest median absolute error (0.33 D,
P
< .001).

CONCLUSIONS:

The Shammas formula showed the least accuracy in predicting IOL power in eyes with multifocal IOL implantation after previous corneal refractive laser surgery for myopia. In eyes with all available data, all formulas performed equally except for the Shammas formula, whereas in eyes lacking historical data, the Barrett True-K No History formula performed best.

[
J Refract Surg
. 2019;35(1):54–59.]
CIRCLE Software for the Management of Retained Lenticule Tissue Following Complicated SMILE Surgery
Authors: Ganesh Sri , Brar Sheetal , K.V. Manasa
Published: January 2019

PURPOSE:

To describe the therapeutic use of CIRCLE software (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Jena, Germany) for the management of retained lenticule tissue after complicated small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE).

METHODS:

Two patients were referred for consultation and treatment due to intraoperative complications during SMILE. In case 1, a black patch during laser delivery caused the lenticule to be torn irregularly from the undersurface during extraction and a sliver of it was retained in the pocket. Case 2 presented with false plane dissection and a completely retained lenticule on anterior segment optical coherence tomography. Both cases were managed using the CIRCLE software by converting the cap into a flap, thus making access to the interface possible.

RESULTS:

In case 1, after lifting the flap a small sliver of tissue was found in the interface, which was dissected, following which a 20-µm phototherapeutic keratectomy was done to smooth the interface. In case 2, after lifting the flap the edge of the retained lenticule was identified by using an endoilluminator and the lenticule was separated and subsequently removed. Both cases showed significant improvement in uncorrected distance visual acuity, corrected distance visual acuity, and Objective Scatter Index score on day 1 after repair surgery.

CONCLUSIONS:

CIRCLE software may be successfully used for managing retained lenticule tissue apart from performing enhancement after SMILE.

[
J Refract Surg.
2019;35(1):60–65.]
Bilaterally Asymmetric Corneal Ectasia Following SMILE With Asymmetrically Reduced Stromal Molecular Markers
Authors: Shetty Rohit , Kumar Nimisha Rajiv , Khamar Pooja , Francis Matthew , Sethu Swaminathan , Randleman J. Bradley , Krueger Ronald R. , Sinha Roy Abhijit , Ghosh Arkasubhra
Published: January 2019

PURPOSE:

To evaluate extracellular matrix regulators and inflammatory factors in a patient who developed ectasia after small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) despite normal preoperative tomographic and biomechanical evaluation.

METHODS:

The SMILE lenticules from both eyes of the patient with ectasia and three control patients (5 eyes) matched for age, sex, and duration of follow-up were used for gene expression analysis of lysyl oxidase (LOX), matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9), collagen types I alpha 1 (COLIA1) and IV alpha 1 chain (COLIVA1), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7), interleukin-6 (IL-6), cathepsin K, cluster of differentiation 68, integrin beta-1, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP1). Furthermore, the functional role of LOX was assessed in vitro by studying the collagen gel contraction efficiency of LOX overexpressing in primary human corneal fibroblast cells.

RESULTS:

Preoperatively, manifest refraction was −9.25 diopters (D) in the right eye and −10.00 D in the left eye. Corneal thickness, Pentacam (OCULUS Optikgeräte GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany) tomography, and Corvis biomechanical indices (OCULUS Optikgeräte GmbH) were normal. The ectatic eye lenticule (left) had reduced expression of LOX and COLIA1 compared to controls without ectasia. Increased mRNA fold change expression of TGF-beta, BMP7, IL-6, cathepsin K, and integrin beta-1 was noted in the ectatic left eye compared to controls; however, MMP9 and TIMP1 levels were not altered. Ectopic LOX expression in human corneal fibroblast induced significantly more collagen gel contraction, confirming the role of LOX in strengthening the corneal stroma.

CONCLUSIONS:

Reduced preexisting LOX and collagen levels may predispose clinically healthy eyes undergoing refractive surgery to ectasia, presumably by corneal stromal weakening via inadequately cross-linked collagen. Preoperative molecular testing may reveal ectasia susceptibility in the absence of tomographic or biomechanical risk factors.

[
J Refract Surg
. 2019;35(1):6–14.]
Genero y teoría social
Authors: Cobo Bedia Rosa
Published: January 2019

El objetivo de este artículo es mostrar el debate desarrollado en los últimos años en teoría social, entre la modernidad y la postmodernidad desde la perspectiva de género. La tesis central de este trabajo apunta a la falta de plausibilidad del feminismo postmoderno y a la necesidad de reformular normativamente el feminismo desde la modernidad ilustrada e igualitaria.
Estrategias adaptativas del sindicalismo español contemporáneo
Authors: Serrano del Rosal Rafael
Published: January 2019

En este artículo, el autor discute la tesis de la crisis u obsolescencia del sindicalismo en las sociedades industriales avanzadas, para el caso del sindicalismo español de finales del siglo XX. Para ello analiza, en primer lugai; la evolución reciente del mercado de trabajo español con objeto de describir el escenario en el que los trabajadores definen sus problemas y plantean sus demandas a los sindicatos, y, a su vez, el marco en el que los sindicatos definen sus objetivos y desarrollan estrategias para adaptarse y defender los intereses de los trabajadores; en segundo lugar, los problemas que consideran que tienen los trabajadores y las demandas que dirigen a los sindicatos, es decir, los intereses de los trabajadores; y, en tercer lugar, los principales objetivos sindicales y las estrategias que ponen en marcha para implementarlos en las postrimerías del siglo XX. Con estos elementos se tratará de contestar a la pregunta: ¿se adaptan las organizaciones sindicales españolas de finales de siglo a los intereses de los trabajadores?.
Fundamentos cognitivo-evolucionarios de las ciencias sociales
Authors: Mundó Jordi , Raventós Daniel
Published: January 2019

Las ciencias sociales han vivido en los últimos decenios de espaldas a los espectaculares logros de algunas ciencias vecinas. Este artículo trata de justificar el error que ello supone, dado que los principios, las reglas y los acontecimientos de lo social descansan en, y son constreñidos por, lo natural. La extiaordinaria proliferación de investigaciones y publicaciones que en las dos últimas décadas han dirigido sus intereses a reflexionar sobre las relaciones entre la ciencia cognitiva y la sociología, la ciencia cognitiva y la filosofía social normativa, la ciencia cognitiva y la evolución cultural, o la biología evolucionarla con todas ellas, ha puesto en un serio aprieto a la defensa teórica de una inexorable fragmentación del territorio de la Ciencia.