bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intradermal injection of human adipose-derived stem cells accelerates skin wound healing in nude mice
Authors: Rodriguez Jonathan , Boucher Fabien , Lequeux Charlotte , Josset-Lamaugarny Audrey , Rouyer Ondine , Ardisson Orianne , Rutschi Héléna , Sigaudo-Roussel Dominique , Damour Odile , Mojallal Ali
Published: December 2015

Background

The use of stem cells from adipose tissue or adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) in regenerative medicine could be an interesting alternative to bone marrow stem cells because they are easily accessible and available in large quantities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential effect of ASCs on the healing of 12 mm diameter-excisional wounds (around 110 mm2) in nude mice.

Methods

Thirty nude mice underwent surgery to create one 12-mm excisional wound per mouse (spontaneous healing, n = 6; Cytocare® 532, n = 12; ASCs, n = 12). The Galiano wound model was chosen to avoid shrinkage and thus slow the spontaneous healing (SH) of mouse skin, making it closer to the physiology of human skin healing. Transparent dressings were used to enable daily healing time measurements to be taken. Immunohistochemistry, histological and blood perfusion analysis were carried out on the healed skin.

Results

The in vivo results showed the effectiveness of using ASCs on reducing the time needed for complete healing to 21.2 days for SH, 17.4 days for vehicle alone (Cytocare® 532) and 14.6 days with the addition of ASCs (p < 0.001). Moreover, cutaneous perfusion of the healed wound was significantly improved in ASC-treated mice compared to SH group, as shown by laser Doppler flowmetry and the quantitation of blood vessels using immunohistochemistry of αsmooth muscle actin.

Conclusions

The tolerance and efficacy of cryopreserved ASCs to accelerate the complete closure of the wound by increasing the maturation of the skin and its blood perfusion,shows their therapeutic benefit in the wound healing context.
The US hegemony, East Asia and global governance
Authors: Chiang Min-Hua
Published: December 2015

This article studies the US hegemony with particular focus on its dominant role in East Asia and compares conventional thoughts with different views provided by the two books reviewed. Reich and Lebow considered that American hegemony has started to erode when other nations regained their economic strength and political stability during the postwar decades. Acharya’s main argument is focusing on the decline of the American world order, rather than the decline of the US. Authors from the two books jumped out from the conventional zero-sum game between the rising China and the declining US power and consider other regional players in constructing the world order. However, this article argued that if China was not able to challenge the US power presence, there is no reason to assume the IS power decline. The establishment of the institutionalized network with involvement of several countries would only to strengthen the US dominance, rather than to weaken it.
Genome sequence of the clover symbiont Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii strain CC275e
Authors: Delestre Clément , Laugraud Aurélie , Ridgway Hayley , Ronson Clive , O’Callaghan Maureen , Barrett Brent , Ballard Ross , Griffiths Andrew , Young Sandra , Blond Celine , Gerard Emily , Wakelin Steve
Published: December 2015

Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii strain CC275e is a highly effective, N2-fixing microsymbiont of white clover (Trifolium repens L.). The bacterium has been widely used in both Australia and New Zealand as a clover seed inoculant and, as such, has delivered the equivalent of millions of dollars of nitrogen into these pastoral systems. R. leguminosarum strain CC275e is a rod-shaped, motile, Gram-negative, non-spore forming bacterium. The genome was sequenced on an Illumina MiSeq instrument using a 2 × 150 bp paired end library and assembled into 29 scaffolds. The genome size is 7,077,367 nucleotides, with a GC content of 60.9 %. The final, high-quality draft genome contains 6693 protein coding genes, close to 85 % of which were assigned to COG categories. This Whole Genome Shotgun project has been deposited at DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank under the accession JRXL00000000. The sequencing of this genome will enable identification of genetic traits associated with host compatibility and high N2 fixation characteristics in Rhizobium leguminosarum. The sequence will also be useful for development of strain-specific markers to assess factors associated with environmental fitness, competiveness for host nodule occupancy, and survival on legume seeds (New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment program, ‘Improving forage legume-rhizobia performance’ contract C10X1308 and DairyNZ Ltd.).
Ultrasonic velocity and attenuation anisotropy of shales, Whitby, United Kingdom
Authors: Zhubayev Alimzhan , Houben Maartje E. , Smeulders David M. J. , Barnhoorn Auke
Published: December 2015

We have conducted ultrasonic experiments, between 0.3 and 1 MHz, to measure velocity and attenuation ([Formula: see text]) anisotropy of P- and S-waves in dry Whitby Mudstone samples as a function of stress. We found the degree of anisotropy to be as large as 70% for velocity and attenuation. The sensitivity of P-wave anisotropy change with applied stress is more conspicuous than for S-waves. The closure of large aspect-ratio pores (and/or micro cracks) seems to be a dominant mechanism controlling the change of anisotropy. Generally, the highest attenuation is perceived for samples that have their bed layering perpendicular ([Formula: see text]) to the wave path. The observed attenuation in the samples is partly due to the scattering on the different layers, and it is partly due to the intrinsic attenuation. Changes in attenuation due to crack closure during the loading stage of the experiment are an indication of the intrinsic attenuation. The remaining attenuation can then be attributed to the layer scattering. Finally, the changes in attenuation anisotropy with applied stress are more dynamic with respect to changes in velocity anisotropy, supporting the validity of a higher sensitivity of attenuation to rock property changes.
High-Fat Diet and Palmitate Alter the Rhythmic Secretion of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 by the Rodent L-cell
Authors: Gil-Lozano Manuel , Wu W. Kelly , Martchenko Alexandre , Brubaker Patricia L.
Published: December 2015

Secretion of the incretin hormone, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), by the intestinal L-cell is rhythmically regulated by an independent molecular clock. However, the impact of factors known to affect the activity of similar cell-autonomous clocks, such as circulating glucocorticoids and high-fat feeding, on GLP-1 secretory patterns remains to be elucidated. Herein the role of the endogenous corticosterone rhythm on the pattern of GLP-1 and insulin nutrient-induced responses was examined in corticosterone pellet-implanted rats. Moreover, the impact of nutrient excess on the time-dependent secretion of both hormones was assessed in rats fed a high-fat, high-sucrose diet. Finally, the effects of the saturated fatty acid, palmitate, on the L-cell molecular clock and GLP-1 secretion were investigated in vitro using murine GLUTag L-cells. Diurnal variations in GLP-1 and insulin nutrient-induced responses were maintained in animals lacking an endogenous corticosterone rhythm, suggesting that glucocorticoids are not the predominant entrainment factor for L-cell rhythmic activity. In addition to hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, and disorganization of feeding behavior, high-fat high-sucrose-fed rats showed a total abrogation of the diurnal variation in GLP-1 and insulin nutrient-induced responses, with comparable levels of both hormones at the normal peak (5:00 pm) and trough (5:00 am) of their daily pattern. Finally, palmitate incubation induced profound derangements in the rhythmic expression of circadian oscillators in GLUTag L-cells and severely impaired the secretory activity of these cells. Collectively our findings demonstrate that obesogenic diets disrupt the rhythmic activity of the L-cell, partially through a direct effect of specific nutritional components.
Althusser’s Materialist Theater: Ideology and Its Aporias
Authors: Bargu Banu
Published: December 2015

This essay offers a rejoinder to Balibar’s reconstruction of Althusser’s thought. The author analyzes Balibar’s reading by attending to its formal protocols and substantive arguments, especially the transposition of the aporias in Althusser’s theoretical formulations, moving from a politics of theater to a theatrical politics. Building on the movement Balibar traces on how the problematic of ideology is successively transformed through a series of décalages over a longitudinal view of Althusser’s oeuvre, this essay proposes another décalage in light of the posthumously published writings. Offering a reading of Althusser’s theory of ideology from the perspective of aleatory materialism, the essay calls attention to the radical instability of structures and the role of struggle in social reproduction that is otherwise hidden from view. The author also extrapolates a new conception of subjectivity, a theory of “bad subjects,” that attempts to address the aporias of interpellation by making room for disobedience and resistance. The essay develops the idea of a layered subjectivity based on the overdetermined effect of contingently sequenced subjectivations and countersubjectivations that result from interpellating encounters, and it theorizes disobedience as the becoming-dominant of countersubjectivations within each singular subjectivity understood as a contradictory unity. The essay contends that aleatory materialism puts forth the field of subjectivity as a theater within theater, designating it as the site of revolutionary politics today.
Orc5 induces large-scale chromatin decondensation in a GCN5-dependent manner
Authors: Giri Sumanprava , Chakraborty Arindam , Sathyan Kizhakke M. , Prasanth Kannanganattu V. , Prasanth Supriya G.
Published: December 2015

In eukaryotes, Origin recognition complex proteins establish the pre-replicative complex at the origins and this is essential for the initiation of DNA replication. Open chromatin structures regulate the efficiency of preRC formation and replication initiation. However, the molecular mechanisms that control chromatin structure, and how the preRC components establish themselves on the chromatin remain to be understood. In human cells, ORC is a highly dynamic complex with many separate functions attributed to sub-complexes or individual subunits of ORC, including heterochromatin organization, telomere and centromere function, centrosome duplication and cytokinesis. We demonstrate that human Orc5, unlike other ORC subunits, when ectopically tethered to a chromatin locus, induces large-scale chromatin decondensation, predominantly during G1phase of the cell cycle. Orc5 associates with the H3 histone acetyl transferase GCN5 and this association enhances the chromatin opening function of Orc5. In the absence of Orc5, histone H3 acetylation is decreased at the origins. We propose that Orc5's ability to induce chromatin unfolding during G1 allows the establishment of the preRC at the origins.
Trivial Dialetheism and the Logic of Paradox
Authors: Beziau Jean-Yves
Published: December 2015

In this paper we explain that the paraconsistent logic LP (Logic of Paradox) promoted by Graham Priest can only be supported by trivial dialetheists, i.e., those who believe that all sentences are dialetheias.
Partition Dependence and Carryover Biases in Subjective Probability Assessment Surveys for Continuous Variables: Model-Based Estimation and Correction
Authors: Prava Venkata R. , Clemen Robert T. , Hobbs Benjamin F. , Kenney Melissa A.
Published: December 2015

As probability elicitation becomes widely used, methods other than one-on-one interviews are being used to elicit expert probabilities. This paper considers biases that may arise when probabilities are elicited in an online or workbook setting. We develop a prescriptive model in which the elicited probability is a convex combination of the expert’s underlying probability with elements of partition dependence and two anchors arising from responses to previous questions (“carryover” bias). Our model, applied to two data sets, allows us to estimate the amount of the various biases in a set of elicited probabilities from experts. We find that both the format of the questions—whether they appear on the same or separate pages/screens—and the ordering of the questions can affect the amount of bias. Our research addresses biases in the presence of multiple anchors and provides guidance on manipulating the availability of anchors. The results demonstrate the persistence of anchoring even with careful questionnaire design; thus, the proposed model-based methods are useful to suggest corrections for the resulting biases.
DEVELOPMENT OF VERY LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE SEQUESTRATION PROCESS CRITERIA
Authors: Chan Nicholas , Wong Pierre
Published: December 2015

Segregating radioactive waste at the source and reclassifying radioactive waste to lower waste classes are the key activities to reduce the environmental footprint and long-term liability. In the Canadian Standards Association’s radioactive waste classification system, there are 2 sub-classes within low-level radioactive waste: very short-lived radioactive waste and very low-level radioactive waste (VLLW). VLLW has a low hazard potential but is above the Canadian unconditional clearance criteria as set out in Schedule 2 of Nuclear Substances and Devices Regulations. Long-term waste management facilities for VLLW do not require a high degree of containment and isolation. In general, a relatively low-cost near-surface facility with limited regulatory control is suitable for VLLW.

At Canadian Nuclear Laboratories’ Chalk River Laboratories site an initiative, VLLW Sequestration, was implemented in 2013 to set aside potential VLLW for temporary storage and to be later dispositioned in the planned VLLW facility. As of May 2015, a total of 236 m3 resulting in approximately $1.1 million in total savings have been sequestered.

One of the main hurdles in implementing VLLW Sequestration is the development of process criteria. Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) are used as a guide or as requirements for determining whether waste is accepted by the waste management facility. Establishment of the process criteria ensures that segregated waste materials have a high likelihood to meet the VLLW WAC and be accepted into the planned VLLW facility.

This paper outlines the challenges and various factors which were considered in the development of interim process criteria.
The use of skin flaps in small animal reconstructive surgery
Authors: Charlesworth Tim
Published: December 2015

A range of skin flap techniques exist allowing surgeons to close wounds that are not amenable to simple, direct closure. Simple advancement and transposition flaps can be used wherever abundant skin exists in close proximity to the defect. Axial pattern flaps are based on known vascular domains and allow large areas of skin to be mobilised to close extensive wounds within their arc of rotation. Postoperative complications will be minimised when careful surgical technique is employed.
Perceived changes to swallowing in people with Parkinson's disease
Authors: Noble Emma , Jones Diana , Miller Nick
Published: December 2015

Aims:

To describe the relationship between perceived swallowing difficulties in people with Parkinson's disease with disease-specific measures, carers' perceptions of swallowing problems and control participant responses.

Method:

In total, 119 people with Parkinson's disease, their carers and matched controls answered a specifically prepared functional swallowing changes questionnaire. People with Parkinson's completed a water-swallowing test. Motor status, cognition and mood were also assessed.

Results:

People with Parkinson's disease scored poorer than controls (p < 0.001) on the questionnaire. Those reporting swallowing problems scored poorer than those who did not (p < 0.01). However, of 74 people with Parkinson's who perceived no swallowing problem, 32 fell below the 50th percentile on the water-swallowing test, while 41 fell below cut-off scores on the questionnaire. There was a weak correlation between drinking speeds and questionnaire totals. Carers' evaluations correlated with their partners' (r = 0.796) but they perceived changes as less severe (p < 0.03).

Conclusions:

Despite reduced swallowing efficiency, some people with Parkinson's can successfully compensate. A sizeable proportion, however, remain unaware of swallowing problems when asked simply ‘Do you have a problem?’, but indicate difficulties with more specific questions. The present questionnaire provides a guide for gaining such insights for diagnosis, education and outcomes.
‘Every minute counts’
Authors: Renshaw Michelle
Published: December 2015

Year 6 teacher Michelle Renshaw takes us through her school day and reflects on how daily achievements are always a reminder of how much else there is still to.
‘A chance to start afresh’
Authors: Edwards Karen
Published: December 2015

Karen Edwards, headteacher of The Heights Primary, describes the journey of turning her dream of a free school into reality, and the many challenges along the way.
Independent learning
Authors: Sullivan Karen
Published: December 2015

Independent learning beats teaching to the test every time, argues Karen Sullivan. She offers some ideas and resources
Inclusion: Moderate learning difficulties
Authors: Sobel Daniel , Knott Wendy
Published: December 2015

Including students with moderate learning difficulties in the mainstream secondary school setting can present challenges. Experts Daniel Sobel and Wendy Knott offer some solutions
A compassionate approach
Authors: Lee-Potter Emma
Published: December 2015

The vice-principal of a Plymouth school and a clinical psychologist are working together to improve the wellbeing of students, staff and the local community using ‘compassion-based initiatives’. Emma Lee-Potter finds out more
Public Intellectuals and Politics in Cuba: A Case Study of Cosme de la Torriente y Peraza (1872–1956)
Authors: Jorge Renato Ibarra Guitart  , Gastón A. Fernández
Published: December 2015

The dependent character of the Cuban bourgeoisie in the aftermath of the Revolution of 1895–98, the cycles of economic and political crisis with roots in the Island's sugar monoculture and economic dependency on the US and the pattern of US interventions in Cuban affairs under the Platt Amendment produced a profound crisis of legitimacy of the Cuban state during the Republic. Public intellectuals, in Antonio Gramsci's definition, played an important role in mediating the cyclical crisis with the purpose of maintaining public consent for Republican institutions, political parties and elites. Cosme de la Torriente y Peraza was a leading figure among public intellectuals who performed this role on behalf of Republican democracy beginning with the administration of President Estrada y Palma (1902–06) and culminating with the Fulgencio Batista regime (1952–58). His political career provides insights into the root causes of the crisis of confidence in Republican political institutions and leaders that paved the way for the Revolution of 1958.
Developing and Test of Fast Neutron Detectors Array for Spectroscopy
Authors: Elbasher Ahemd Elbashe Mohamed
Published: December 2015

Nine 100x100x600 mm3 plastic scintillators, formerly built for the neutron time of flight measurements at iThemba LABS, were refurbished. The position resolution of these detectors was determined using muon cosmic rays and coincident measurement techniques. Average position resolution of 4.28 cm (FWHM) was found. In order to predict the time spectrum of the large-volume detector Monte Carlo
simulations have been performed. These simulations aimed at anticipating the separation of statistical neutrons, prompt gamma rays and uncorrelated gamma rays from the fast neutrons emitted in the reaction of interest. One of the neutron detectors was tested using fast neutrons from the 232 Th(,xn) reaction at 42 MeV .
No Reconciliation without Truth: An Interview with Tan Swie Ling on the 1965 Mass Killings in Indonesia
Authors: Suwandi Intan
Published: December 2015

In the early morning of October 1, 1965, self-proclaimed left-wing troops raided the houses of seven top army generals in Jakarta. In the process, six of the generals were killed—three were shot during the kidnapping attempt, while the others were taken to Lubang Buaya, an air force base located in the south of Jakarta, and then killed. The seventh general, Nasution, managed to escape. The perpetrators announced on national radio that they were troops loyal to President Sukarno, and they aimed to protect the president from the danger posed by the right-wing "Council of Generals"—who, they said, were planning to launch a military coup d'état.… This movement was very short-lived. Within one day, it collapsed. Major General Suharto…took control of the army during the morning of October 1 and quickly crushed the movement.… [W]hat happened on October 1, 1965 marked the fall of Sukarno and the rise of Suharto, who was soon to rule Indonesia under his military dictatorship for more than three decades. The brutality of Suharto's New Order is probably not news for people familiar with Indonesia. But there is "an episode the West would prefer to forget," as journalist John Pilger put it, that accompanied Suharto's rise to power: the destruction of Communism and the mass killings that followed—a phenomenon claimed by Time magazine in 1966 as "The West's best news for years in Asia."

Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.
Laudato Si—The Pope's Anti-Systemic Encyclical
Authors: Löwy Michael
Published: December 2015

Pope Francis's "ecological encyclical" is an event which—whether taken from a religious, ethical, social, or political point of view—is of planetary importance. Considering the enormous influence of the Catholic Church worldwide, it is a crucial contribution towards the development of a critical ecological consciousness. It was received with enthusiasm by the true defenders of the environment; however it aroused uneasiness and rejection among religious conservatives, representatives of capital, and ideologues of "market ecology." It is a document with a great richness and complexity, one that proposes a new interpretation of the Judeo-Christian tradition, a rupture with the "promethean dream of dominion over the world," and a profoundly radical reflection on the causes of the ecological crisis. Many aspects of liberation theology…can be seen as a source of inspiration here, particularly the inseparable.… In the following brief notes, I am interested in emphasizing the aspect of the encyclical that explains the resistance it has found in the economic and media establishment: its anti-systemic character.

Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.
REFLETINDO SOBRE A AVALIAÇÃO NO ENSINO DE ARTES VISUAIS A PARTIR DO PORTFÓLIO
Authors: Zamperetti Maristani Polidori , Ribeiro Cristiano Acosta
Published: December 2015

Este artigo problematiza questões teórico/metodológicas referentes à avaliação em Artes Visuais no âmbito escolar investigando, inicialmente, tópicos que apontam tendências que caracterizam essa discussão, buscando investigar e compreender, de maneira mais aprofundada, quais os sentidos da ação avaliativa do professor de Artes em relação aos estudantes das Séries Iniciais do Ensino Fundamental. Após, serão analisados os documentos oficiais que trazem as diretrizes para o Ensino de Artes Visuais tendo como aprofundamento as questões trazidas referentes à avaliação. Finalmente, o texto aponta caminhos para contribuir e ampliar questões sobre o tema a partir da utilização do portfólio como possibilidade avaliativa de processos artísticos vivenciados em sala de aula. http://dx.doi.org/10.14572/nuances.v26i1.2779
EDUCAÇÃO PARA O MUNDO DO TRABALHO: ALIENAÇÃO DA FUNÇÃO SOCIAL DA ATIVIDADE PRODUTIVA NA FORMAÇÃO DA JUVENTUDE
Authors: Marino Filho Armando
Published: December 2015

O objetivo desse texto é analisar a formação da consciência na atividade educativa para o trabalho, segundo observações feitas em projetos de pesquisa que foram realizados no ano de 2014. Tem como foco a formação do pensamento sobre a realidade social e sua produção pelos homens. Fundamenta-se, na concepção materialista, histórica e dialética e toma como eixo a formação da consciência e da alienação no processo educativo, compreendendo a juventude na unidade que vai da infância à vida adulta e analisando implicações da prática educativa para o pensamento na atividade produtiva. As análises giram em torno de como se forma uma concepção sobre o trabalho no jovem, e como essa forma de pensar permanece no sujeito trabalhador adulto. Considera-se, ao final, que um tipo específico de pensamento fundamentado na crença tem orientado esses sujeitos na compreensão da realidade sobre a vida social.   http://dx.doi.org/10.14572/nuances.v26i1.3820
VIDEO GAMES INTERATIVOS E NOVAS POSSIBILIDADES PARA A AÇÃO CORPORAL E A IMAGINAÇÃO
Authors: Ferrin Nino , Kontopodis Michalis
Published: December 2015

Os video games podem abrir novas possibilidades para a ação e a imaginação dos jovens, especialmente as novas formas de video games. Nós discutiremos essa questão a partir de dois estudos de caso de atividade esportiva com o jogo “Nintendo Wii”, em que o jogo é controlado por movimentos corporais dos jogadores. A performance requerida nessa nova forma de mídia possibilita ao ator-atuante reconhecer suas habilidades, como também seus limites, uma vez que essa engendra transformações qualitativas na visão dos sujeitos. Com a intenção de lidar com esses pressupostos básicos, propomos uma visão antropológica simétrica acerca de “humanos” e “coisas”, como consequência do conceito de tecnografia assumido como um campo de pesquisa. Os exemplos de dois jovens atuando na luta de boxe no Wii-sports e de um homem de 40 anos jogando boliche revelam as interconexões entre o jogador e o avatar, entre o corpo e a imagem do corpo, assim como entre imagem e imaginação. http://dx.doi.org/10.14572/nuances.v26i1.3823
On a Generalization of a Global Implicit Function Theorem
Authors: Idczak Dariusz
Published: December 2015

In this paper, we derive generalized versions of the results on the existence, uniqueness and continuous differentiability of a global implicit function obtained in [5] and we give some examples.
On groups of even orders with automorphisms generating recurrent sequences of the maximal period
Authors: Akishin Aleksandr V.
Published: December 2015

Let G be a finite group and f be an automorphism of the group G. The automorphism f specifies a recurrent sequence {a
On frequencies of elements in multicyclic random sequence modulo 4
Authors: Mezhennaya Natalia M. , Mikhailov Vladimir G.
Published: December 2015

Suficient conditions for the joint distribution of frequences of elements on the cycle of the random multicyclic sequence modulo 4 to converge to the limit distribution are given. This limit distribution and some of its properties are described.
Single tests for logical gates
Authors: Popkov Kirill A.
Published: December 2015

The paper is concerned with checking problems for failure and state diagnostics of N gates implementing in a working condition a given Boolean function f(x
On the probability of coincidence of cycle lengths for independent random permutations with given number of cycles
Authors: Timashev Aleksandr N.
Published: December 2015

From the set of all permutations of the degree n with a given number N ≤ n of cycles two permutations are choosed randomly, uniformly and independently. The cycles of each permutation are numbered in some of N! possible ways. We study the coincidence probability of the cycle lengths of permutations for a given numbering. This probability up to a suitably selected renumbering of cycles of the first permutation equals to the probability of similarity of these permutations. The asymptotic estimates of the coincidence probability of the cycle lengths are obtained for five types of relations between N, n → ∞.
A nonmonotone inexact smoothing Newton-type method for P0-NCP based on a parametric complementarity function
Authors: Fang Liang , Tang Jingyong , Hu Yunhong
Published: December 2015

In this paper, nonlinear complementarity problem with P
Pythagorean-hodograph cycloidal curves
Authors: Kozak Jernej , Krajnc Marjeta , Rogina Mladen , Vitrih Vito
Published: December 2015

In the paper, Pythagorean-hodograph cycloidal curves as an extension of PH cubics are introduced. Their properties are examined and a constructive geometric characterization is established. Further, PHC curves are applied in the Hermite interpolation, with closed form solutions been determined. The asymptotic approximation order analysis carried out indicates clearly which interpolatory curve solution should be selected in practice. This makes the curves introduced here a useful practical tool, in particular in algorithms that guide CNC machines.
Diagnostics and importance of hepatitis E virus infections
Authors: Osterman Andreas , Nitschko Hans , Eberle Josef , Campe Hartmut
Published: December 2015

The diagnosis of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections has been recently substantially facilitated by the introduction of a whole range of new different virological assays. The increasing appearance of sporadic cases of acute hepatitis E in Germany directed the focus toward the zoonotic transmission route of the virus. The recognition of HEV genotypes differing in virulence and in pathogenic potential is not only relevant for epidemiology and the course of the disease, but also for the development and choice of diagnostic tools. A broad variety of enzymatic and protein-based assay formats detecting anti-HEV IgG or IgM antibodies directed against the different genotype variants of HEV is available (ELISA, LIA, Western blot); however, sensitivity and specificity of these assays differ notably. Today’s state-of-the art technology that permits fast and reliable assay-based confirmation of HEV infections is PCR. The newly developed commercially available PCR kits will detect all four human pathogenic HEV genotypes. Further subdivision and discrimination can be achieved by sequencing, although this approach is only reasonable in the setting of specific epidemiological demands. Detection of viral antigens, cell culture, and T-cell assays are of no practical importance in a routine diagnostic setting. New insight into the pathogenesis and its clinical relevance for defined groups of patients (immunosuppressed) as well as the implementation of specific antiviral and prophylactic therapies (vaccination) will further challenge the performance of existing assay formats and increase the technical demands for the diagnostic laboratory.
Choosing to Intervene: US Domestic Politics and Moral Imperatives
Authors: Haar Roberta , Krebs Lutz F.
Published: December 2015

The end of the Cold War meant fewer constraints on humanitarian intervention, and the third pillar of the nascent R2P norm suggests at least a moral imperative to intervene when another country’s population is threatened. Yet US leaders continue to shy away from protecting innocents outside of the United States from harm — despite the fact that presidential candidates often campaign on restoring America’s moral lead in the world and, in particular, on US responsibilities to avert mass atrocities. This paper investigates the extent to which US military intervention abroad is driven by domestic considerations. Using logistic regression analysis, we aim to explain decisions by Presidents Bush Sr., Clinton and Bush Jr. to send troops into harms way.
In-mould graining of 3D-shaped parts with micro-structured surfaces
Authors: Hopmann Christian , Martens Jonathan
Published: December 2015

To make functional surface effects on plastic components usable on an industrial scale, new processes have to be developed. The in-mould graining (IMG) process is a variant of the thermoforming enabling the manufacture of micro-structures. One advantage of the IMG process is that the surface structure is formed to the final shape of the part. Recent investigations show that the forming accuracy of a flat mould can be extended by applying a variothermal mould heating in the IMG process. As high mould temperatures lead to high forming accuracies but also increase the cycle time of the process, a conflict of interests follows. In this paper, it is investigated to what extent high moulding accuracies can be achieved to form three-dimensional parts by using the IMG process extended by a variothermal mould heating. The results show that forming accuracies of micro-scaled structures of >90% can be reached on the bottom and the side walls of a cup-shaped mould. To address the conflict of interests between high moulding accuracy and long cycle times, the influence of the mould temperature is investigated in detail. To analyse the micro-forming behaviour of the processed material, analyses of the rheological behaviour with a rotational rheometer are carried out.
The difference between electrical microstimulation and direct electrical stimulation – towards new opportunities for innovative functional brain mapping?
Authors: Vincent Marion , Rossel Olivier , Hayashibe Mitsuhiro , Herbet Guillaume , Duffau Hugues , Guiraud David , Bonnetblanc François
Published: December 2015

Both electrical microstimulation (EMS) and direct electrical stimulation (DES) of the brain are used to perform functional brain mapping. EMS is applied to animal fundamental neuroscience experiments, whereas DES is performed in the operating theatre on neurosurgery patients. The objective of the present review was to shed new light on electrical stimulation techniques in brain mapping by comparing EMS and DES. There is much controversy as to whether the use of DES during wide-awake surgery is the ‘gold standard’ for studying the brain function. As part of this debate, it is sometimes wrongly assumed that EMS and DES induce similar effects in the nervous tissues and have comparable behavioural consequences. In fact, the respective stimulation parameters in EMS and DES are clearly different. More surprisingly, there is no solid biophysical rationale for setting the stimulation parameters in EMS and DES; this may be due to historical, methodological and technical constraints that have limited the experimental protocols and prompted the use of empirical methods. In contrast, the gap between EMS and DES highlights the potential for new experimental paradigms in electrical stimulation for functional brain mapping. In view of this gap and recent technical developments in stimulator design, it may now be time to move towards alternative, innovative protocols based on the functional stimulation of peripheral nerves (for which a more solid theoretical grounding exists).
A fast iteration method for solving elliptic problems with quasiperiodic coefficients
Authors: Khoromskij Boris N. , Repin Sergey I.
Published: December 2015

The paper suggests a preconditioning type method for fast solving of elliptic equations with oscillating quasiperiodic coefficients A
A semi-Lagrangian method on dynamically adapted octree meshes
Authors: Terekhov Kirill M. , Nikitin Kirill D. , Olshanskii Maxim A. , Vassilevski Yuri V.
Published: December 2015

The paper develops a semi-Lagrangian method for the numerical integration of the transport equation discretized on adaptive Cartesian cubic meshes. We use dynamically adaptive graded Cartesian grids. They allow for a fast grid reconstruction in the course of numerical integration. The suggested semi- Lagrangian method uses a higher order interpolation with a limiting strategy and a back-and-forth correction of the numerical solution. The interpolation operators have compact nodal stencils. In a series of experiments with dynamically adapted meshes, we demonstrate that the method has at least the second-order convergence and acceptable conservation and monotonicity properties.
1,3,5-Tris[(trimethylstannyl)ethynyl]- 1,3,5-trimethyl-1,3,5-trisilacyclohexane
Authors: Weisheim Eugen , Stammler Hans-Georg , Mitzel Norbert W.
Published: December 2015

The reaction of 1,3,5-triethynyl-1,3,5-trimethyl- 1,3,5-trisilacyclohexane with (dimethylamino)trimethylstannane afforded 1,3,5-tris[(trimethylstannyl)ethynyl]- 1,3,5-trimethyl-1,3,5-trisilacyclohexane with tin-functionalised ethynyl groups. The compound was characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, mass spectrometry, NMR and FT-IR spectroscopy.
Left Ventricular Perforation during Catheter Ablation in a Patient with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura
Authors: Sakamoto Hiroaki , Tsukada Toru , Tokunaga Chiho , Matsubara Muneaki , Aikawa Shizu , Enomoto Yoshiharu , Sato Fujio , Hiramatsu Yuji
Published: December 2015

Preoperative gamma-globulin therapy was recently performed to prevent bleeding complications in a patient with concomitant idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura undergoing cardiac surgery. Here we report the case of a 75-year-old male patient with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, chronic aortic dissection, and funnel chest in whom a left ventricular perforation sustained during catheter ablation was repaired during emergent surgery. Despite preoperative gamma-globulin therapy not being performed, bleeding complications were prevented because platelets were preserved by avoidance of cardiopulmonary bypass use. Although the funnel chest made it difficult to secure the operative field, the deep pericardial sutures were effective in repairing the perforation without cardiopulmonary bypass.
Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections in Children With Bladder and Bowel Dysfunction
Authors: Shaikh Nader , Hoberman Alejandro , Keren Ron , Gotman Nathan , Docimo Steven G. , Mathews Ranjiv , Bhatnagar Sonika , Ivanova Anastasia , Mattoo Tej K. , Moxey-Mims Marva , Carpenter Myra A. , Pohl Hans G. , Greenfield Saul
Published: December 2015

BACKGROUND:

Little generalizable information is available on the outcomes of children diagnosed with bladder and bowel dysfunction (BBD) after a urinary tract infection (UTI). Our objectives were to describe the clinical characteristics of children with BBD and to examine the effects of BBD on patient outcomes in children with and without vesicoureteral reflux (VUR).

METHODS:

We combined data from 2 longitudinal studies (Randomized Intervention for Children With Vesicoureteral Reflux and Careful Urinary Tract Infection Evaluation) in which children <6 years of age with a first or second UTI were followed for 2 years. We compared outcomes for children with and without BBD, children with and without VUR, and children with VUR randomly assigned to prophylaxis or placebo. The outcomes examined were incidence of recurrent UTIs, renal scarring, surgical intervention, resolution of VUR, and treatment failure.

RESULTS:

BBD was present at baseline in 54% of the 181 toilet-trained children included; 94% of children with BBD reported daytime wetting, withholding maneuvers, or constipation. In children not on antimicrobial prophylaxis, 51% of those with both BBD and VUR experienced recurrent UTIs, compared with 20% of those with VUR alone, 35% with BBD alone, and 32% with neither BBD nor VUR. BBD was not associated with any of the other outcomes investigated.

CONCLUSIONS:

Among toilet-trained children, those with both BBD and VUR are at higher risk of developing recurrent UTIs than children with isolated VUR or children with isolated BBD and, accordingly, exhibit the greatest benefit from antimicrobial prophylaxis.
Competencias docentes en la educación superior: un estudio empírico en la Universidad del Bío-Bío
Authors: Salazar Botello Carlos Mauricio , Chiang Vega María Margarita , Muñoz Jara Yohana Andrea
Published: December 2015

Se plantean grandes cambios y desafíos para la Educación Superior y especialmente en el accionar docente para la mediación pedagógica. El papel del docente es facilitar los procesos de aprendizaje y su preocupación debe ir más allá de la disciplina. Este artículo analiza las competencias que deben poseer los académicos de la Universidad del Bío-Bío para el ejercicio de la docencia desde la perspectiva de los propios académicos y de los estudiantes. La información se obtuvo a través de la aplicación de un cuestionario elaborado a partir de los resultados de una primera investigación de carácter cualitativo, realizada en esa misma institución. Dentro de los principales resultados se encontró que existen diferencias respecto de la priorización de las competencias necesarias para el buen desarrollo de la labor docente, pues, por una parte, generar un clima agradable en el ambiente áulico resulta más importante para los estudiantes, por la otra, es más importante la responsabilidad al momento de preparar las condiciones necesarias de su mediación pedagógica para los docentes.
Classes of simplicial complexes which admit nontrivial Cohen-Macaulay modifications
Authors: Ahmad Safyan , Naeem Muhammad
Published: December 2015

The set of Cohen-Macaulay monomial ideals with a given radical contains the so-called Cohen-Macaulay modifications. Not all Cohen-Macaulay squarefree monomial ideals admit nontrivial Cohen-Macaulay modifications. We present classes of Cohen-Macaulay squarefree monomial ideals with infinitely many nontrivial Cohen-Macaulay modifications.
Summability of general orthonormal Fourier series
Authors: Gogoladze L. , Tsagareishvili V.
Published: December 2015

S. Banach in [1] proved that for any function f ∈ L2(0, 1), f ≁ 0, there exists an ONS (orthonormal system) such that the Fourier series of this function is not summable a.e. by the method (C, α), α > 0.

D. Menshov found the conditions which should be satisfied by the Fourier coefficients of the function for the summability a.e. of its Fourier series by the method (C, α), α > 0.

In this paper the necessary and sufficient conditions are found which should be satisfied by the ONS functions (φn(x)) so that the Fourier coefficients (by this system) of functions from class Lip 1 or A (absolutely continuous) satisfy the conditions of D. Menshov.
The effect of noise on the estimation of rebar radius by inversion of GPR scan data
Authors: Mechbal Z. , Khamlichi A.
Published: December 2015

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is largely used nowadays in civil engineering applications as an effective technique of structural monitoring. This paper describes a method using radargram acquired by the GPR for estimating the radius of a steel rebar buried in a concrete massif, which is assumed to be homogeneous and isotopic. Considering the forward problem under B-scan procedure, a closed form mathematical formula was derived for the hyperbola trace appearing as the diffraction pattern provided by a circular steel bar. This equation relates the observed hyperbola parameters in the obtained radargram to the characteristics of the object and those of the host medium where the object is buried. The inverse problem was solved in two steps. Using the extracted raw data in terms of the hyperbola characteristics and Hough transform, the coordinates of the peak hyperbola are identified. Then the wave speed, the rebar radius as well as the coordinates of the rebar centre are estimated by a curve fitting procedure which is based on the selection of an arbitrary set of points on the considered hyperbola. The effect of noise resulting from variations affecting the electromagnetic wave speed was assessed. The noise was assumed to be a random variable and to act additively on the actual ordinates of the hyperbola. The obtained results have shown that the estimation of the rebar radius is very sensitive to the considered level of noise. Noise impedes the retrieval of a bar radius if its magnitude exceeds 5%.
Assessing the Accuracy of Cone-Beam Computerized Tomography in Measuring Thinning Oral and Buccal Bone
Authors: Raskó Zoltán , Nagy Lili , Radnai Márta , Piffkó József , Baráth Zoltán
Published: December 2015

The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy and reliability of cone-beam computerized tomography (CBCT) in measuring thinning bone surrounding dental implants. Three implants were inserted into the mandible of a domestic pig at 6 different bone thicknesses on the vestibular and the lingual sides, and measurements were recorded using CBCT. The results were obtained, analyzed, and compared with areas without implants. Our results indicated that the bone thickness and the neighboring implants decreased the accuracy and reliability of CBCT for measuring bone volume around dental implants. We concluded that CBCT slightly undermeasured the bone thickness around the implant, both buccally and orally, compared with the same thickness without the implant. These results support that using the i-CAT NG with a 0.2 voxel size is not accurate for either qualitative or quantitative bone evaluations, especially when the bone is thinner than 0.72 mm in the horizontal dimension.
Pemikiran Imre Lakatos (1922-1974) tentang Metodologi Program Riset dan Signifikansinya dalam Kajian Keislaman
Authors: Aziz Ahmad Amir
Published: December 2015

Apart from Kuhn and Popper, Lakatos has become an important figure in the
field of Philosophy of Science for his scientific theories, which he calls research
programmes. For Lakatos, Popper’s theoretical falsification can be immensely dangerous
when applied to the already established theories. On the other hand, in contrast to Kuhn
who assumed that a paradigm is by its nature immeasurable, Lakatos maintains that the
competing scientific discoveries may in fact be compared between one another. To him,
the main issues with regard to the logic of discovery cannot be dealt with satisfactorily
unless we do so within the framework of research programmes. The practical
implementation of this would be that the hard core of this framework cannot be subjected
to modification -let alone- rejection. This hard core must in other words be protected
from what he terms falsification. Lakatos also maintains that what can be said as scientific
is a series of theory, and not a single theory. This model of research programmes can in
fact be used in Islamic Studies in order to develop new theoretical principles that may
play a role of convincing protective-belt on the one hand, and to find new premises
whose discoveries can be used universally on the other
Penalaran Ta‘Lîilî dalam Hukum Islam: Telaah Corak Penalaran Hukum Islam dalam Upaya Penerapan Maqâşid al-Sharî‘ah
Authors: Aibak Kutbuddin
Published: December 2015

 Ijtihâd is the third legal source of Islam whose object is all things about which

the Qur’an and the Sunnah are silent (mâ lâ naşş  fih). From the perspective of the Uşûl

al-Fiqh, there have been methods of ijtihâd put forward by the ‘Ulama, which include

qiyâs, istişlâh, istishâb and ‘urf. These methods in the final analysis, should be based on

what is commonly known as maqâşid al-sharî‘ah (human interest) when put into practice.

When ijtihad is undertaken furthermore, two modes of thinking are normally born out of

maqâşid al-sharî‘ah, one of which being –and this is the focus of our analysis- the ta‘lîlî

mode of thinking. The ta‘lîlî mode of thinking is about discovering the reasons (‘illah)

behind certain religious rulings. It comes into existence as a result of the fact that the

texts of the Qur’an and the Sunnah always mention the reasons when issuing religious

rulings. And this has become the starting point of the mujtahids in resolving various legal

issues that they face. They start by discovering first the reasons and then proceed to issue

the ruling. As far as the science of Uşûl al-Fiqh is concerned, qiyâs and istihsân belong to
this ta‘lîlî mode of thinking.
Bersama Jâvîdân Khirad Seyyed Hossein Nasr
Authors: Al-Amin Ainur Rofiq
Published: December 2015

On the issue of religious pluralism one may find different currents of thought
ranging from that which rejects it to that which accepts it. A part from this, the issue of
religious pluralism has also provoked scholars of different backgrounds –Muslim and
Western scholars- to have their say concerning this very important problem. One of
those scholars is Seyyed Hossein Nasr who proposed what he calls Jāvīdān Khirad. This
paper is destined to explore this concept and the implication that emerges there of.