bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Protective Effects of Ferulic Acid against Chronic Cerebral Hypoperfusion-Induced Swallowing Dysfunction in Rats
Authors: Asano Takashi , Matsuzaki Hirokazu , Iwata Naohiro , Xuan Meiyan , Kamiuchi Shinya , Hibino Yasuhide , Sakamoto Takeshi , Okazaki Mari
Published: March 2017

Ferulic acid (FA), a phenolic phytochemical, has been reported to exert antioxidative and neuroprotective effects. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of FA against the dysfunction of the swallowing reflex induced by ligation of bilateral common carotid arteries (2VO) in rats. In 2VO rats, topical administration of water or citric acid to the pharyngolaryngeal region evoked a diminished number of swallowing events with prolonged latency compared to sham-operated control rats. 2VO rats had an increased level of superoxide anion radical, and decreased dopamine and tyrosine hydroxylase enzyme levels in the striatum, suggesting that 2VO augmented cerebral oxidative stress and impaired the striatal dopaminergic system. Furthermore, substance P (SP) expression in the laryngopharyngeal mucosa, which is believed to be positively regulated by dopaminergic signaling in the basal ganglia, was decreased in 2VO rats. Oral treatment with FA (30 mg/kg) for 3 weeks (from one week before 2VO to two weeks after) improved the swallowing reflex and maintained levels of striatal dopamine and laryngopharyngeal SP expression in 2VO rats. These results suggest that FA maintains the swallowing reflex by protecting the dopamine-SP system against ischemia-induced oxidative damage in 2VO rats.
Cellular Reprogramming Using Protein and Cell-Penetrating Peptides
Authors: Seo Bong , Hong Yean , Do Jeong
Published: March 2017

Recently, stem cells have been suggested as invaluable tools for cell therapy because of their self-renewal and multilineage differentiation potential. Thus, scientists have developed a variety of methods to generate pluripotent stem cells, from nuclear transfer technology to direct reprogramming using defined factors, or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Considering the ethical issues and efficiency, iPSCs are thought to be one of the most promising stem cells for cell therapy. Induced pluripotent stem cells can be generated by transduction with a virus, plasmid, RNA, or protein. Herein, we provide an overview of the current technology for iPSC generation and describe protein-based transduction technology in detail.
Nanocomposite Based on Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles and Sulfonated Poly(ether ether ketone) Membranes: Synthesis and Characterization
Authors: Venditti Iole , Fontana Laura , Scaramuzzo Francesca , Russo Maria , Battocchio Chiara , Carlini Laura , Gonon Laurent , Mareau Vincent , Fratoddi Ilaria
Published: March 2017

Gold nanoparticles, capped by 3-mercapto propane sulfonate (Au-3MPS), were synthesized inside a swollen sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) membrane (sPEEK). The formation of the Au-3MPS nanoparticles in the swollen sPEEK membrane was observed by spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. The nanocomposite containing the gold nanoparticles grown in the sPEEK membrane, showed the plasmon resonance λmax at about 520 nm, which remained stable over a testing period of three months. The size distribution of the nanoparticles was assessed, and the sPEEK membrane roughness, both before and after the synthesis of nanoparticles, was studied by AFM. The XPS measurements confirm Au-3MPS formation in the sPEEK membrane. Moreover, AFM experiments recorded in fluid allowed the production of images of the Au-3MPS@sPEEK composite in water at different pH levels, achieving a better understanding of the membrane behavior in a water environment; the dynamic hydration process of the Au-3MPS@sPEEK membrane was investigated. These preliminary results suggest that the newly developed nanocomposite membranes could be promising materials for fuel cell applications.
Primary Stability of Temporary Screws after Dentary and Orthopedic Forces under Static and Dynamic Load Cycles
Authors: Fernandes Daniel , Barbosa Flavia , Ferreira Ligia , Elias Carlos
Published: March 2017

The objective was to analyze the influence of dentary and orthopedic forces under static and dynamic loads in temporary screw stability. Self-drilling titanium (Ti6Al4V) screws (6 × 1.5 mm) were inserted and removed from pig ribs. Screws were loaded by static loads of 2 N and 5 N for 5 weeks. Dynamic force was applied during 56,000 cycles for simulations of a patient’s opening–closing mouth movements. Dynamic applied loads ranged from 2 to 5 N and from 5 to 7 N under a frequency of 1 Hz. Torque peak values at placement and removal were measured before and after static and dynamic cycles. Similarities in torque peaks (p = 0.3139) were identified at placement (12.54 Ncm) and removal (11.2 Ncm) of screws after a static load of 2 N. Statistical comparisons showed significant stability loss after dynamic cycles under loads of 2 N (64.82% at p = 0.0005) and 5 N (64.63% at p = 0.0026). Limited stability loss occurred in temporary screws submitted to 2 N static forces (p = 0.3139). The detrimental effects of dynamic cycles in temporary screws stability was attested after the simulation of dentary and skeletal forces, being intermittent forces more relevant in the loss of mechanical stability.
Recovery Process of Li, Al and Si from Lepidolite by Leaching with HF
Authors: Rosales Gustavo , Pinna Eliana , Suarez Daniela , Rodriguez Mario
Published: March 2017

This work describes the development of a new process for the recovery of Li, Al and Si along with the proposal of a flow sheet for the precipitation of those metals. The developed process is comprised of lepidolite acid digestion with hydrofluoric acid, and the subsequent precipitation of the metals present in the leach liquor. The leaching operational parameters studied were: reaction time, temperature and HF concentration. The experimental results indicate that the optimal conditions to achieve a Li extraction higher than 90% were: solid-liquid ratio, 1.82% (w/v); temperature, 123 °C; HF concentration, 7% (v/v); stirring speed, 330 rpm; and reaction time, 120 min. Al and Si can be recovered as Na3AlF6 and K2SiF6. LiF was separated from the leach liquor during water evaporation, with recovery values of 92%.
New Marine Sterols from a Gorgonian Pinnigorgia sp.
Authors: Chang Yu-Chia , Hwang Tsong-Long , Chao Chih-Hua , Sung Ping-Jyun
Published: March 2017

Continuous chemical investigation of the gorgonian coral Pinnigorgia sp. resulted in the isolation of two new sterols, 5α,6α-epoxy-(22E,24R)-3β,11-dihydroxy-9,11-secoergosta-7-en-9-one (1) and (22R)-acetoxy-(24ξ)-ergosta-5-en-3β,25-diol (2). The structures of sterols 1 and 2 were elucidated using spectroscopic methods. Sterol 1 displayed inhibitory effects on the generation of superoxide anions and the release of elastase by human neutrophils with IC50 values of 8.65 and 5.86 μM, respectively. The structure of a known metabolite, pubinernoid A (3), is revised as (+)-loliolide (4).
In Vitro Activities of LCB 01-0648, a Novel Oxazolidinone, against Gram-Positive Bacteria
Authors: Oh Sang-Hun , Kim Josep , Baek Sung-Yoon , Chae Sang-Eun , Park Hee-Soo , Cho Young-Lag , Kwak Jin-Hwan
Published: March 2017

Oxazolidinones are a novel class of synthetic antibacterial agents that inhibit bacterial protein synthesis. Here, we synthesized and tested a series of oxazolidinone compounds containing cyclic amidrazone. Among these compounds, we further investigated the antibacterial activities of LCB01-0648 against drug-susceptible or resistant Gram-positive cocci in comparison with those of six reference compounds. LCB01-0648 showed the most potent antimicrobial activities against clinically isolated Gram-positive bacteria. Against the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MRCNS) isolates, LCB01-0648 showed the lowest MIC90s (0.5 mg/L) among the tested compounds. In addition, LCB01-0648 had the lowest minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against the four linezolid-resistant S. aureus (LRSA) strains (range 2–4 mg/L). The results of the time–kill studies demonstrated that LCB01-0648 at a concentration 8× the (MIC) showed bactericidal activity against methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus MSSA or MRSA, but showed a bacteriostatic effect against LRSA. These results indicate that LCB01-0648 could be a good antibacterial candidate against multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-positive cocci.
Identifying Natural syNergist from Pongamia pinnata Using High-Speed Counter-Current Chromatography Combined with Isobolographic Analysis
Authors: Yin Hao , Wei Yubai , Chen Rouwen , Zhang Si , Long Lijuan , Yin Hang , Tian Xinpeng , He Weihong
Published: March 2017

For identifying the synergistic compounds from Pongamia pinnata, an approach based on high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) combined with isobolographic analysis was designed to detect the synergistic effects in the complex mixture [...]
RAFT Polymerization of Styrene and Maleimide in the Presence of Fluoroalcohol: Hydrogen Bonding Effects with Classical Alternating Copolymerization as Reference
Authors: Yao Fangjun , Liu Qingqing , Zhang Zhengbiao , Zhu Xiulin
Published: March 2017

The impacts of hydrogen bonding on polymerization behavior has been of interest for a long time; however, universality and in-depth understanding are still lacking. For the first time, the effect of hydrogen bonding on the classical alternating-type copolymerization of styrene and maleimide was explored. N-phenylmaleimide (N-PMI)/styrene was chosen as a model monomer pair in the presence of hydrogen bonding donor solvent 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP), which interacted with N-PMI via hydrogen bonding. Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT) technique was used to guarantee the “living” polymerization and thus the homogeneity of chain compositions. In comparison with the polymerization in nonhydrogen bonding donor solvent (toluene), the copolymerization in HFIP exhibited a high rate and a slight deviation from alternating copolymerization tendency. The reactivity ratios of N-PMI and St were revealed to be 0.078 and 0.068, respectively, while the reactivity ratios in toluene were 0.026 and 0.050. These interesting results were reasonably explained by using computer simulations, wherein the steric repulsion and electron induction by the hydrogen bonding between HFIP and NPMI were revealed. This work first elucidated the hydrogen bonding interaction in the classical alternating-type copolymerization, which will enrich the research on hydrogen bonding-induced polymerizations.
PAVS: A New Privacy-Preserving Data Aggregation Scheme for Vehicle Sensing Systems
Authors: Xu Chang , Lu Rongxing , Wang Huaxiong , Zhu Liehuang , Huang Cheng
Published: March 2017

Air pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental issues in recent years. According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report, air pollution has led to the deaths of millions of people worldwide. Accordingly, expensive and complex air-monitoring instruments have been exploited to measure air pollution. Comparatively, a vehicle sensing system (VSS), as it can be effectively used for many purposes and can bring huge financial benefits in reducing high maintenance and repair costs, has received considerable attention. However, the privacy issues of VSS including vehicles’ location privacy have not been well addressed. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a new privacy-preserving data aggregation scheme, called PAVS, for VSS. Specifically, PAVS combines privacy-preserving classification and privacy-preserving statistics on both the mean E(·) and variance Var(·), which makes VSS more promising, as, with minimal privacy leakage, more vehicles are willing to participate in sensing. Detailed analysis shows that the proposed PAVS can achieve the properties of privacy preservation, data accuracy and scalability. In addition, the performance evaluations via extensive simulations also demonstrate its efficiency.
Image-Based Multi-Target Tracking through Multi-Bernoulli Filtering with Interactive Likelihoods
Authors: Hoak Anthony , Medeiros Henry , Povinelli Richard
Published: March 2017

We develop an interactive likelihood (ILH) for sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) methods for image-based multiple target tracking applications. The purpose of the ILH is to improve tracking accuracy by reducing the need for data association. In addition, we integrate a recently developed deep neural network for pedestrian detection along with the ILH with a multi-Bernoulli filter. We evaluate the performance of the multi-Bernoulli filter with the ILH and the pedestrian detector in a number of publicly available datasets (2003 PETS INMOVE, Australian Rules Football League (AFL) and TUD-Stadtmitte) using standard, well-known multi-target tracking metrics (optimal sub-pattern assignment (OSPA) and classification of events, activities and relationships for multi-object trackers (CLEAR MOT)). In all datasets, the ILH term increases the tracking accuracy of the multi-Bernoulli filter.
SVM-Based Spectral Analysis for Heart Rate from Multi-Channel WPPG Sensor Signals
Authors: Xiong Jiping , Cai Lisang , Wang Fei , He Xiaowei
Published: March 2017

Although wrist-type photoplethysmographic (hereafter referred to as WPPG) sensor signals can measure heart rate quite conveniently, the subjects’ hand movements can cause strong motion artifacts, and then the motion artifacts will heavily contaminate WPPG signals. Hence, it is challenging for us to accurately estimate heart rate from WPPG signals during intense physical activities. The WWPG method has attracted more attention thanks to the popularity of wrist-worn wearable devices. In this paper, a mixed approach called Mix-SVM is proposed, it can use multi-channel WPPG sensor signals and simultaneous acceleration signals to measurement heart rate. Firstly, we combine the principle component analysis and adaptive filter to remove a part of the motion artifacts. Due to the strong relativity between motion artifacts and acceleration signals, the further denoising problem is regarded as a sparse signals reconstruction problem. Then, we use a spectrum subtraction method to eliminate motion artifacts effectively. Finally, the spectral peak corresponding to heart rate is sought by an SVM-based spectral analysis method. Through the public PPG database in the 2015 IEEE Signal Processing Cup, we acquire the experimental results, i.e., the average absolute error was 1.01 beat per minute, and the Pearson correlation was 0.9972. These results also confirm that the proposed Mix-SVM approach has potential for multi-channel WPPG-based heart rate estimation in the presence of intense physical exercise.
3-Form Cosmology: Phantom Behaviour, Singularities and Interactions
Authors: Morais João , Bouhmadi-López Mariam , Marto João
Published: March 2017

The latest cosmological observations by the Planck collaboration (and combined with others) are compatible with a phantom-like behaviour ( w < − 1 ) for the dark energy equation of state that drives the current acceleration of the Universe. With this mindset, we look into models where dark energy is described by a 3-form field minimally coupled to gravity. When compared to a scalar field, these models have the advantage of more naturally accommodating a cosmological-constant and phantom-like behaviours. We show how the latter happens for a fairly general class of positive-valued potentials, and through a dynamical system approach, we find that in such cases the 3-form field leads the Universe into a Little Sibling of the Big Rip singular event into the future. In this work, we explore the possibility of avoiding such singularity via an interaction in the dark sector between cold dark matter and the 3-form field. For the kind of interactions considered, we deduce a condition for replacing the LSBR by a late time de Sitter phase. For specific examples of interactions that meet this condition, we look for distinctive imprints in the statefinder hierarchy { S 3 ( 1 ) ; S 4 ( 1 ) } , { S 3 ( 1 ) ; S 5 ( 1 ) } , and in the growth rate of matter, ϵ ( z ) , through the composite null diagnostic (CND).
Overexpression of MicroRNA-216a Suppresses Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion of Glioma Cells by Targeting Leucine-Rich Repeat-Containing G Protein-Coupled Receptor 5
Authors: Zhang Junfeng , Xu Kun , Shi Lili , Zhang Li , Zhao Zhaohua , Xu Hao , Liang Fei , Li Hongbo , Zhao Yan , Xu Xi , Tian Yingfang
Published: March 2017

Increasing studies have suggested that microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the development of gliomas. MicroRNA-216a has been reported to be a tumor-associated miRNA in many types of cancer, either as an oncogene or as a tumor suppressor. However, little is known about the function of
miR-216a in gliomas. The present study was designed to explore the potential role of miR-216a in gliomas. We found that miR-216a was significantly decreased in glioma tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of miR-216a significantly suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion of glioma
cells. Leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 5 (LGR5) was identified as a target gene of miR-216a in glioma cells by bioinformatics analysis, dual-luciferase reporter assay, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and Western blot analysis. Moreover, miR-216a
overexpression inhibited the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. The restoration of LGR5 expression markedly reversed the antitumor effect of miR-216a in glioma cells. Taken together, these findings suggest a tumor suppressor role for miR-216a in gliomas, which inhibits glioma cell proliferation,
migration, and invasion by targeting LGR5. Our study suggests that miR-216a may serve as a potential therapeutic target for future glioma treatment.
Dimerization reactions of aryl selenophen-2-yl-substituted thiocarbonylS-methanides as diradical processes: a computational study
Authors: McKee Michael L , Mlostoń Grzegorz , Urbaniak Katarzyna , Heimgartner Heinz
Published: March 2017

An intriguing stepwise diradical mechanism of the dimerization of the reactive intermediate (thiocarbonylS-methanide) appearing in the reaction of phenyl selenophen-2-yl thioketone with diazomethane was studied by means of computational methods. The preferred formation of the unusual macroheterocycle, competitive with the 1,3-ring closure leading to a thiirane and the head-to-head dimerization yielding a 1,4-dithiane derivative, respectively, was explained based on the analysis of the structure of the favored conformer of the intermediate, delocalized diradical species. The influence of selenium as a ‘heavy atom’ for stabilization of this intermediate has been emphasized.
The ALMA View of the OMC1 Explosion in Orion
Authors: Bally John , Ginsburg Adam , Arce Hector , Eisner Josh , Youngblood Allison , Zapata Luis , Zinnecker Hans
Published: March 2017

Most massive stars form in dense clusters where gravitational interactions with other stars may be common. The two nearest forming massive stars, the BN object and Source I, located behind the Orion Nebula, were ejected with velocities of ∼29 and ∼13 km s−1 about 500 years ago by such interactions. This event generated an explosion in the gas. New ALMA observations show in unprecedented detail, a roughly spherically symmetric distribution of over a hundred 12CO J = 2−1 streamers with velocities extending from V
LSR = −150 to +145 km s−1. The streamer radial velocities increase (or decrease) linearly with projected distance from the explosion center, forming a “Hubble Flow” confined to within 50″ of the explosion center. They point toward the high proper-motion, shock-excited H2 and [Fe ii] “fingertips” and lower-velocity CO in the H2 wakes comprising Orion's “fingers.” In some directions, the H2 “fingers” extend more than a factor of two farther from the ejection center than the CO streamers. Such deviations from spherical symmetry may be caused by ejecta running into dense gas or the dynamics of the N-body interaction that ejected the stars and produced the explosion. This ∼1048 erg event may have been powered by the release of gravitational potential energy associated with the formation of a compact binary or a protostellar merger. Orion may be the prototype for a new class of stellar explosiozn responsible for luminous infrared transients in nearby galaxies.
Discovery of an Enormous Lyα Nebula in a Massive Galaxy Overdensity at z = 2.3
Authors: Cai Zheng , Fan Xiaohui , Yang Yujin , Bian Fuyan , Prochaska J. Xavier , Zabludoff Ann , McGreer Ian , Zheng Zhen-Ya , Green Richard , Cantalupo Sebastiano , Frye Brenda , Hamden Erika , Jiang Linhua , Kashikawa Nobunari , Wang Ran
Published: March 2017

Enormous Lyα nebulae (ELANe), unique tracers of galaxy density peaks, are predicted to lie at the nodes and intersections of cosmic filamentary structures. Previous successful searches for ELANe have focused on wide-field narrowband surveys or have targeted known sources such as ultraluminous quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) or radio galaxies. Utilizing groups of coherently strong Lyα absorptions, we have developed a new method to identify high-redshift galaxy overdensities and have identified an extremely massive overdensity, BOSS1441, at

. In its density peak, we discover an ELAN that is associated with a relatively faint continuum. To date, this object has the highest diffuse Lyα nebular luminosity of

erg s−1. Above the 2σ surface brightness limit of SB

erg s−1 cm−2 arcsec−2, this nebula has an end-to-end spatial extent of 442 kpc. This radio-quiet source also has extended C iv

and He ii

emission on

scales. Note that the Lyα, He ii, and C iv emissions all have double-peaked line profiles. Each velocity component has an FWHM of ≈700–1000 km s−1. We argue that this Lyα nebula could be powered by shocks due to an active galactic nucleus–driven outflow or photoionization by a strongly obscured source.
On the Evolution of Galaxy Spin in a Cosmological Hydrodynamic Simulation of Galaxy Clusters
Authors: Choi Hoseung , Yi Sukyoung K.
Published: March 2017

The traditional view of the morphology–spin connection is being challenged by recent integral field unit observations, as the majority of early-type galaxies are found to have a rotational component that is often as large as a dispersion component. Mergers are often suspected to be critical in galaxy spin evolution, yet the details of their roles are still unclear. We present the first results on the spin evolution of galaxies in cluster environments through a cosmological hydrodynamic simulation. Galaxies spin down globally with cosmic evolution. Major (mass ratios > 1/4) and minor (1/4

mass ratios > 1/50) mergers are important contributors to the spin-down in particular in massive galaxies. Minor mergers appear to have stronger cumulative effects than major mergers. Surprisingly, the dominant driver of galaxy spin-down seems to be environmental effects rather than mergers. However, since multiple processes act in combination, it is difficult to separate their individual roles. We briefly discuss the caveats and future studies that are called for.
Gravitational Waves from F-modes Excited by the Inspiral of Highly Eccentric Neutron Star Binaries
Authors: Chirenti Cecilia , Gold Roman , Miller M. Coleman
Published: March 2017

As gravitational wave instrumentation becomes more sensitive, it is interesting to speculate about subtle effects that could be analyzed using upcoming generations of detectors. One such effect that has great potential for revealing the properties of very dense matter is fluid oscillations of neutron stars. These have been found in numerical simulations of the hypermassive remnants of double neutron star mergers and of highly eccentric neutron star orbits. Here we focus on the latter and sketch out some ideas for the production, gravitational-wave detection, and analysis of neutron star oscillations. These events will be rare (perhaps up to several tens per year could be detected using third-generation detectors such as the Einstein Telescope or the Cosmic Explorer), but they would have unique diagnostic power for the analysis of cold, catalyzed, dense matter. Furthermore, these systems are unusual in that analysis of the tidally excited f-modes of the stars could yield simultaneous measurements of their masses, moments of inertia, and tidal Love numbers, using the frequency, damping time, and amplitude of the modes. They would thus present a nearly unique opportunity to test the I-Love-Q relation observationally. The analysis of such events will require significant further work in nuclear physics and general relativistic nonlinear mode coupling, and thus we discuss further directions that will need to be pursued. For example, we note that for nearly grazing encounters, numerical simulations show that the energy delivered to the f-modes may be up to two orders of magnitude greater than predicted in the linear theory.
Diffusion and Clustering of Carbon Dioxide on Non-porous Amorphous Solid Water
Authors: He Jiao , Emtiaz Shahnewaj M. , Vidali Gianfranco
Published: March 2017

Observations by ISO and Spitzer toward young stellar objects showed that CO2 segregates in the icy mantles covering dust grains. Thermal processing of the ice mixture was proposed as being responsible for the segregation. Although several laboratories studied thermally induced segregation, a satisfying quantification is still missing. We propose that the diffusion of CO2 along pores inside water ice is the key to quantify segregation. We combined Temperature Programmed Desorption and Reflection Absorption InfraRed Spectroscopy to study how CO2 molecules interact on a non-porous amorphous solid water (np-ASW) surface. We found that CO2 diffuses significantly on an np-ASW surface above 65 K and clusters are formed at well below one monolayer. A simple rate equation simulation finds that the diffusion energy barrier of CO2 on np-ASW is 2150 ± 50 K, assuming a diffusion pre-exponential factor of 1012 s−1. This energy should also apply to the diffusion of CO2 on the wall of pores. The binding energy of CO2 from CO2 clusters and CO2 from H2O ice has been found to be 2415 ± 20 K and 2250 ± 20 K, respectively, assuming the same prefactor for desorption. CO2–CO2 interaction is stronger than CO2–H2O interaction, in agreement with the experimental finding that CO2 does not wet the np-ASW surface. For comparison, we carried out similar experiments with CO on np-ASW, and found that the CO–CO interaction is always weaker than CO–H2O. As a result, CO wets the np-ASW surface. This study should be of help to uncover the thermal history of CO2 on the icy mantles of dust grains.
Searching for the Expelled Hydrogen Envelope in Type I Supernovae via Late-Time Hα Emission
Authors: Vinko J. , Pooley D. , Silverman J. M. , Wheeler J. C. , Szalai T. , Kelly P. , MacQueen P. , Marion G. H. , Sárneczky K.
Published: March 2017

We report the first results from our long-term observational survey aimed at discovering late-time interaction between the ejecta of hydrogen-poor Type I supernovae (SNe I) and the hydrogen-rich envelope expelled from the progenitor star several decades/centuries before explosion. The expelled envelope, moving with a velocity of ∼10–100 km s−1, is expected to be caught up by the fast-moving SN ejecta several years/decades after explosion, depending on the history of the mass-loss process acting in the progenitor star prior to explosion. The collision between the SN ejecta and the circumstellar envelope results in net emission in the Balmer lines, especially Hα. We look for signs of late-time Hα emission in older SNe Ia/Ibc/IIb with hydrogen-poor ejecta via narrowband imaging. Continuum-subtracted Hα emission has been detected for 13 point sources: 9 SN Ibc, 1 SN IIb, and 3 SN Ia events. Thirty-eight SN sites were observed on at least two epochs, from which three objects (SN 1985F, SN 2005kl, and SN 2012fh) showed significant temporal variation in the strength of their Hα emission in our Direct Imaging Auxiliary Functions Instrument (DIAFI) data. This suggests that the variable emission is probably not due to nearby H ii regions unassociated with the SN and hence is an important additional hint that ejecta–circumstellar medium interaction may take place in these systems. Moreover, we successfully detected the late-time Hα emission from the Type Ib SN 2014C, which was recently discovered as a strongly interacting SN in various (radio, infrared, optical, and X-ray) bands.
Salivary Immunoglobulin Gene Expression in Patients with Caries
Authors: Guadarrama SantÃ­n Gema Regina , Visoso Salgado Angel , Montiel Bastida Norma Margarita , De la Rosa GÃ³mez IsaÃ­as , SantillÃ¡n BenÃ­tez Jonnathan Guadalupe , Mendieta ZerÃ³n Hugo
Published: March 2017

BACKGROUND: Immunoglobulins mediate the hostâ€™s humoral immune response are expressed in saliva.AIM: To quantify the FcÎ±R, FcÎ³RIIB, and FcÎ±Î¼R gene expression in the saliva of Mexican patients with caries in mixed and permanent dentition.SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This was a comparative cross-sectional study. mRNA was isolated from 200 Î¼L of saliva following the RNA III Tissue Fresh-frozen protocol of the MagNA Pure LC Instrument 2.0 (Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Nederland BV) and the FcÎ±R, FcÎ±ÂµR and FcÎ³RIIB were quantified through TaqMan Assays.RESULTS: One hundred individuals, 50 with mixed dentition and 50 with permanent dentition, were included in the study. Statistically, it was found a significant difference (p = 0.025) in the IgG (FcÎ³RIIB) expression between the studied groups.CONCLUSION: Although we confirmed the existence of FcÎ±R, FcÎ³RIIB and FcÎ±Î¼R gene expression in saliva, only a significant difference in the expression of FcÎ³RIIB between the mixed dentition and permanent dentition was found.
Soigner une colonie naissante : les médecins de l’armée d’Afrique, les fièvres et la quinine, 1830-1870
Authors: Fredj Claire
Published: March 2017

En Algérie, au début de la conquête, les soldats français sont confrontés à une forte mortalité due aux fièvres paludéennes. Le remède contre le paludisme, le sulfate de quinine, est mis au point en 1820 et sa consommation s’accroît considérablement avec l’occupation de la colonie. Il devient un produit couramment utilisé par la population militaire, voire au-delà puisque les médecins militaires ont à traiter des civils européens et algériens, urbains et ruraux. Comment et sous quelle forme la quinine entre-t-elle dans l’arsenal thérapeutique des médecins de l’armée, distributeurs majoritaires de ce médicament et comment se diffuse-t-elle en Algérie au sein des populations militaires et civiles ? Cet article explore les voies par lesquelles l’administration militaire approvisionne l’armée d’Afrique et les questions économiques qui s’y rapportent – l’administration militaire s’inquiétant régulièrement des coûts élevés provoqués par l’usage massif d’un produit cher. Il s’intéresse ensuite à la manière dont les populations concernées ont adopté ce médicament et à ce que cela peut signifier en termes de demande sociale de soins.
Registres émotionnels et processus politiques
Authors: Traïni Christophe
Published: March 2017

L’objet de cet article est de montrer dans quelle mesure l’approche théorique des émotions peut parfois s’enchâsser au coeur même des processus qui conduisent des individus à coordonner leur action en vue de faire valoir une cause collective. Dans cette optique, l’analyse s’applique préalablement à relever ce qui distingue les différents registres émotionnels à travers lesquels des entrepreneurs de cause peuvent s’indigner d’un désordre moral. Le critère le plus décisif résulte de la distinction entre les réactions affectives immédiates et les évaluations intellectuelles. Ce sont effectivement à travers ces dernières que les spécialistes de la philosophie peuvent travailler à une moralisation des émotions qui constitue une forme spécifique d’engagement nécessitant, non seulement des compétences cognitives, mais encore des dispositions affectives appropriées notamment à l’égard des luttes argumentatives. Ainsi, l’activité philosophique peut être envisagée comme une forme, parmi d’autres, de formalisation des émotions très utile au développement des revendications collectives les plus aptes à être entendues par les institutions politiques. L’analyse proposée s’appuie sur les observations empiriques collectées au cours d’une enquête réalisée auprès des promoteurs de la protection animale qui, compte tenu des contrastes qui les distinguent, offrent un poste d’observation privilégié.
La publicité des débats parlementaires : un triomphe pour l’argumentation ?
Authors: Blanc Félix
Published: March 2017

La distinction entre persuader et convaincre a souvent servi à disqualifier les passions soulevées par l’éloquence antique, qui aurait conduit les assemblées populaires à céder au charme des démagogues. À l’inverse, nous disent Condorcet et Perelman, la publicité des débats parlementaires entre représentants élus garantirait le triomphe d’arguments évalués in fine par le jugement « froids et sévères » de citoyens élevés au rang d’« auditoire universel ». Avec l’avènement de la publicité, le recours aux passions n’a pas pour autant disparu de l’horizon des gouvernements représentatifs. Entre l’espace public des Lumières et la propagande des démocraties de masse, tels que les a décrits Habermas, la Révolution française a donné voix à des formes mixtes de rhétorique qui déjouent les catégories traditionnelles de la persuasion et de la conviction, du délibératif et de l’épidictique, pour laisser libre cours à l’usage stratégique de la publicité, par lequel Condorcet et Barère parvinrent à gagner l’assentiment de la Législative et de la Convention.
L’indignation entre pitié et dégoût : les ambiguïtés d’une émotion morale
Authors: Cordell Crystal
Published: March 2017

Résumé L’indignation est souvent comprise comme la traduction d’une évaluationmorale par essence juste. Cependant, il convient d’interroger les ambiguïtés de cette émotion morale. Un détour par la généalogie de l’indignation permet dans un premier temps de proposer une comparaison des conceptions anciennes et modernes de l’indignation. Ces dernières présupposent une notion universaliste de la dignité et s’opposent ainsi non seulement à l’injustice, comme c’est le cas de la nemesis ancienne, mais aussi à l’indignité. La contribution s’attache dans un second temps à repérer les sources de l’indignation moderne, en particulier la pitié et le dégoût. Il apparaît que l’indignation compatissante opère une distanciation entre le « spectateur » et la victime, tandis que l’indignation dégoûtée engage une démarche davantage réflexive conduisant à renforcer la distinction entre in-groups et out-groups. Les apports de la neurologie cognitive ainsi que de la psychologie sociale sont ensuite convoqués pour étayer la thèse d’une homologie entre indignation morale et dégoût primaire. Enfin, les effets politiques à la fois positifs et négatifs de l’indignation sont étudiés.
Dental Tissue Engineering Research and Translational Approaches towards Clinical Application
Authors: Bakopoulou Athina , Leyhausen Gabriele , Geurtsen Werner , Koidis Petros
Published: March 2017

Stem cell-based dental tissue regeneration is a new and exciting field that has the potential to transform the way that we practice dentistry. It is, however, imperative its clinical application is supported by solid basic and translational research. In this way, the full extent of the potential risks involved in the use of these technologies will be understood, and the means to prevent them will be discovered. Therefore, the aim of this chapter is to analyze the state-of-the-science with regard to dental pulp stem cell research in dental tissue engineering, the new developments in biomimetic scaffold materials customized for dental tissue applications, and to give a prospectus with respect to translational approaches of these research findings towards clinical application.
Adding Technology to Diagnostic Methods
Authors: Radke, BM, MBA John C.
Published: March 2017

Adding technology to clinical diagnosis improves patient care, because objective measurements enhance the patient's report of symptoms and the observations made during an examination. The combination of multiple tests has universally been acknowledged to improve diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, as well as add value to treatment effectiveness monitoring and treatment outcomes. This chapter discusses four dental technologies that objectively measure differing masticatory functions: Surface Electromyography, Magnet-Based 3-Dimensional Electrognathography, Temporomandibular Joint Vibration Analysis, and T-Scan Computerized Occlusal Analysis. Each technology is presented with examples of its output data recorded from both an asymptomatic patient and one demonstrating masticatory system dysfunction. An included case report illustrates how combining these technologies can therapeutically improve a symptomatic Occluso-Muscle Disorder patient's diagnosis and treatment. Finally, recommendations are made that Dental Medicine accept these technologies as an indispensable part of modern clinical practice, so that resistance to their implementation will no longer inhibit their use.
Segmentation and Feature Extraction of Panoramic Dental X-Ray Images
Authors: Lira Pedro H. M. , Giraldi Gilson A. , Neves Luiz A. P.
Published: March 2017

Automating the process of analysis of Panoramic X-Ray images is important to help dentist procedures and diagnosis. Tooth segmentation from the radiographic images and feature extraction are essential steps. The authors propose a segmentation approach based on mathematical morphology, quadtree decomposition for mask generation, thresholding, and snake models. The feature extraction stage is steered by a shape model based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA). First, the authors take the quadtree decomposition of a low-pass version of the original image and select the smallest blocks to generate a mask. Then, the original image is processed by Otsu's thresholding. The result is improved by morphological operators and the quadtree mask is applied to address overlapping, a common problem in X-ray images. The obtained regions are searched and the larger ones are selected to find tooth candidates. The boundary of the obtained regions are extracted and aligned with the shape model in order to recognize the target tooth (molar). The selected curve is used in a search method to initialize a snake technique. Finally, morphometric data extraction is performed to obtain tooth measurements for dentist diagnosis. Experiments show the advantages of the proposed method to extract teeth from X-Ray images and discuss its drawbacks.
A Comparative Study of the Central Administration Budget Preparation Process in Turkey and Sweden
Authors: Turna Fatma , Kurtulmaz Nihan , Kozali Burak
Published: March 2017

Sweden was one of the countries among the OECD states yielding maximum budget surplus at the end of 1980s and became one of the countries yielding maximum budget deficits in the first years of the 1990s. The budget deficit almost doubled in five years. During that period, the government decided the most important reason of the budget deficits was the budget process itself and commenced studies to reform the budget process and enhance its consistency and reliability. Basic steps were taken to grant budget surplus for whole public sector, to set an allowance cap for whole public sector and create equivalent budget structure for all municipalities and a series of studies were conducted. In this study, the stage of the budget preparation process in Turkey and Sweden will be reviewed and compared to the budget preparation process in Sweden with the budget preparation process in Turkey.
The Interaction of Pharmaceutical Regulations in Saudi Arabia With the Presence of FDI
Authors: Asiri Majed
Published: March 2017

Recent literature on pharmaceutical regulations focuses on the apparently increasing scope for intimate relationships between the regulation framework and FDI opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry. This chapter deals with these interactions within the context of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). In 2015, Saudi Arabia was the largest market in the Middle East for drug companies and has one of the most sophisticated healthcare systems in the region. Yet, the Saudi drug regulatory regime have been criticized for having ambiguous procedures from both domestic and foreign companies. In addition, many international agreements have been signed by the Saudi government to encourage and protect foreign direct investment (FDI) in different sectors including the pharmaceutical industry. This research pursued to discover whether the international regulatory regime, based on the theoretical principles of free trade and applied to the international trade relations of KSA, interacts in any manner with the pharmaceutical industry's trends.
The Digital Economy in Vietnam as an Instrument of Global Integration
Authors: Volintiru Clara , Volintiru Mihai , Mușetescu Radu
Published: March 2017

The existent literature on the economic integration in South East Asia has been predominantly focused on trade agreements and market liberalization (Thanh 2005, Dee 2007). While preferential trade agreements and regional institutional cooperation have been important stepping stones in the catching up process of many economies in the region, we argue that other drivers should be considered for the following years. Looking at the case study of Vietnam we therefore firstly account for its historical process of integration in the regional and global economy by way of the international agreements. This allows us to understand the relative positioning of this country in the world market. We subsequently develop an in-depth analysis of the current drivers for economic integration and internationalization. We argue that Vietnam's potential in the digital economy is distinctive in the Indochina region, and we develop a systematic analysis of the market trends.
Affordances of Data Science in Agriculture, Manufacturing, and Education
Authors: Umachandran Krishnan , Ferdinand-James Debra Sharon
Published: March 2017

Continued technological advancements of the 21st Century afford massive data generation in sectors of our economy to include the domains of agriculture, manufacturing, and education. However, harnessing such large-scale data, using modern technologies for effective decision-making appears to be an evolving science that requires knowledge of Big Data management and analytics. Big data in agriculture, manufacturing, and education are varied such as voluminous text, images, and graphs. Applying Big data science techniques (e.g., functional algorithms) for extracting intelligence data affords decision markers quick response to productivity, market resilience, and student enrollment challenges in today's unpredictable markets. This chapter serves to employ data science for potential solutions to Big Data applications in the sectors of agriculture, manufacturing and education to a lesser extent, using modern technological tools such as Hadoop, Hive, Sqoop, and MongoDB.
Data Mining Techniques in Knowledge Management
Authors: Dasgupta Hirak
Published: March 2017

The ability to manage knowledge is becoming increasingly more crucial in today's knowledge economy. The creation and diffusion of knowledge have become ever more important factors in competitiveness. More and more, knowledge is being regarded as a valuable commodity that is embedded in products (especially high-technology products) and in the tacit knowledge of highly mobile employees. Data mining is an essential tool, which is used to predict and classify the data collected from the customers. Data mining can be applied for classifying and clustering student characteristics based on demographic, psychographic and behavioural variables. Data mining can also be applied by using if-then rule. In addition, it can describe the profile of successful and unsuccessful students based of GPA achieved during the semesters. This chapter aims to study the role of data mining in the education sector and emphasizes on the role of knowledge management in educational institutions.
Accelerating Sobel Edge Detection Using Compressor Cells Over FPGAs
Authors: Abouelfarag Ahmed , Elshenawy Marwa Ali , Khattab Esraa Alaaeldin
Published: March 2017

Recently, computer vision is playing an important role in many essential human-computer interactive applications, these applications are subject to a “real-time” constraint, and therefore it requires a fast and reliable computational system. Edge Detection is the most used approach for segmenting images based on changes in intensity. There are various kernels used to perform edge detection, such as: Sobel, Robert, and Prewitt, upon which, the most commonly used is Sobel. In this research a novel type of operator cells that perform addition is introduced to achieve computational acceleration. The novel operator cells have been employed in the chosen FPGA Zedboard which is well-suited for real-time image and video processing. Accelerating the Sobel edge detection technique is exploited using different tools such as the High-Level Synthesis tools provided by Vivado. This enhancement shows a significant improvement as it decreases the computational time by 26% compared to the conventional adder cells.
Design of a University Learning Environment for SMART Education
Authors: Morze Nataliia V. , Smyrnova-Trybulska Eugenia , Glazunova Olena
Published: March 2017

This chapter discusses theoretical, methodological and practical aspects of a design of a university learning environment for SMART education. Smart technology is analyzed against university background. The authors consider a process of transformation from e-learning to smart education, in particular the VLE objective according to the concept of smart education, formation of individual learning trajectories in a smart environment and a quality university educational environment for smart education. In the second part of chapter, the authors look at the development of teacher ICT competence of teachers in the system of smart education and present their conclusions. The references include more than thirty items: articles, books, chapters, conference proceedings on SMART education, university learning environment, virtual learning environment (VLE).
CRM 2.0 and Mobile CRM
Authors: Gregório Tânia Isabel , Isaías Pedro
Published: March 2017

Companies are becoming more focused on customers and on new ways to approach them individually. Mobile technologies and Web 2.0 have been pushing companies to evolve in this area. This research is focused on the way Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems are used, on a European level, by recruiting companies to assist candidates in finding a satisfactory job. A framework is presented to identify how CRM 2.0 and mCRM (mobile CRM) can help candidates to find jobs in a personalized way. A set of four hypotheses have been defined. To gain a better understanding of these CRM systems, the methodology used in the exploratory study was quantitative, employing a non-probabilistic sampling technique, with 35 recruiting agencies being studied. Results showed that the use of software in recruiting agencies is quite common and that CRM 2.0 is present in the vast majority of the studied companies. When it comes to mobile CRM, there's still much to be explored in this channel, as agencies focus their resources on Web 2.0, leaving this channel's great potential of mobile CRM unused.
Introduction to Machine Learning
Authors: Tiwari Arvind Kumar
Published: March 2017

Machine learning refers to the changes in systems that perform tasks associated with artificial intelligence. This chapter presents introduction types and application of machine learning. This chapter also presents the basic concepts related to feature selection techniques such as filter, wrapper and hybrid methods and various machine learning techniques such as artificial neural network, Naive Bayes classifier, support vector machine, k-nearest-neighbor, decision trees, bagging, boosting, random subspace method, random forests, k-means clustering and deep learning. In the last the performance measure of the classifier is presented.