bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Catalyst Design of Iron Complexes
Authors: Nagashima Hideo
Published: April 2017

Despite worldwide interest from synthetic chemists, the rational design of catalytically active organoiron species remains problematic. While noble metal catalysis proceeds through diamagnetic low-spin intermediates, iron species are often in the high or intermediate spin states, which are paramagnetic and difficult to analyze. Possible spin change during catalysis also complicates the problem. This report describes two extremes for the catalyst design of iron complexes. One involves diamagnetic 14-electron iron(II) species useful for two-electron chemistry often seen in noble metal catalysis. The disilaferracyclic carbonyl complex 4 is a good catalyst precursor, and shows good catalytic performance for the hydrogenation and hydrosilylation of alkenes, and the hydrosilane reduction of carbonyl compounds. Based on DFT calculations, mechanisms involving σ-CAM (sigma-complex-assisted metathesis) for the hydrogenation and hydrosilane reduction are suggested. Further catalyst design inspired by the success of 4 led to the discovery of iron and cobalt catalyst systems composed of metal carboxylates and isocyanide ligands leading to a practical substitute for industrially useful platinum catalysts for hydrosilylation with hydrosiloxanes. The second approach involves paramagnetic 16-electron iron (II) catalyst species. A series of “(R3TACN)FeX2” complexes were prepared and found to be good catalysts for atom transfer radical polymerization, giving rise to well-controlled polymerization of styrene, methacrylates, and acrylates with high activity. Moreover, the catalyst could be easily removed from the polymer and was reusable. Mechanistic studies of iron-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions in collaboration with Nakamura and Takaya opened a new approach to the catalyst design of unknown spin states by using new analytical methods for paramagnetic species in the solution state.
On the continuity of functionals defined on partitions
Authors: Ruf Matthias
Published: April 2017

We characterize the continuity of prototypical functionals acting on finite Caccioppoli partitions and prove that it is equivalent to convergence of the perimeter of the jump set.
Quasilinear elliptic equations with critical potentials
Authors: D’Ambrosio Lorenzo , Mitidieri Enzo
Published: April 2017

We study Liouville theorems for problems of the form

div
L

⁡

(

𝒜
⁢

(
x
,
u
,

∇
L

⁡
u

)

)

+

V
⁢

(
x
)

⁢

|
u
|

p
-
2

⁢
u

=

a
⁢

(
x
)

⁢

|
u
|

q
-
1

⁢
u

 

on
⁢

ℝ
N

$\operatorname{div}_{L}({\mathscr{A}}(x,u,\nabla_{L}u))+V(x)|u|^{p-2}u=a(x)|u|^%
{q-1}u\quad\text{on }{{\mathbb{R}}}^{N}$

in the framework of Carnot groups. Here

𝒜

${{\mathscr{A}}}$

is a vector-valued function satisfying Carathéodory
condition and

∇
L

${\nabla_{L}}$

denotes an horizontal gradient,
V is a given singular potential, a is a measurable scalar function and

q
>

p
-
1

.

${q>p-1.}$

Particular emphasis is given to the case when V is a Hardy or Gagliardo–Nirenberg
potential. The results are new even in the canonical Euclidean setting.
Early closeout of derivatives in the light of corporate income tax
Authors: Karczyński Łukasz
Published: April 2017

Due to financial crisis many entrepreneurs suffered heavy losses on derivatives, mainly currency options and forward contracts. Tax authorities tend to disallow deduction of those losses from the taxable income. Many cases ended up in administrative courts, resulting in judicature controversies on the issue in question. This paper is the third of four in a cycle. The aim of the whole cycle is to analyze deeply these controversies and suggest the proper interpretation of the legal provisions, determining whether the expenses on currency options and forward contracts should or should not be regarded as tax-deductible expenses. The aim of this paper is to determine if the rights from the derivatives are being exercised or waived (as the law provides) in case of their early closeout (which allows the deduction as well). The conducted analysis suggests that early derivative closeout realises in exercising the rights from the derivative (as the law provides), which allows the deduction.
L

p
boundedness of rough bi-parameter Fourier integral operators
Authors: Hong Qing , Lu Guozhen , Zhang Lu
Published: April 2017

In this paper, we will investigate the boundedness of the bi-parameter Fourier integral operators (or FIOs for short) of the following form:

T
⁢

(
f
)

⁢

(
x
)

=

1

(

2
⁢
π

)

2
⁢
n

⁢

∫

ℝ

2
⁢
n

e

i
⁢
φ
⁢

(
x
,
ξ
,
η
)

⋅
a

⁢

(
x
,
ξ
,
η
)

⋅

f
^

⁢

(
ξ
,
η
)

⁢

𝑑

ξ

⁢

𝑑
η

,

T(f\/)(x)=\frac{1}{(2\pi)^{2n}}\int_{\mathbb{R}^{2n}}e^{i\varphi(x,\xi,\eta)}%
\cdot a(x,\xi,\eta)\cdot\widehat{f}(\xi,\eta)\,d\xi\,d\eta,

where

x
=

(

x
1

,

x
2

)

∈

ℝ
n

×

ℝ
n

{x=(x_{1},x_{2})\in\mathbb{R}^{n}\times\mathbb{R}^{n}}

and

ξ
,
η

∈

ℝ
n

∖

{
0
}

{\xi,\eta\in\mathbb{R}^{n}\setminus\{0\}}

,

a
⁢

(
x
,
ξ
,
η
)

∈

L
∞

⁢
B
⁢

S
ρ
m

{a(x,\xi,\eta)\in L^{\infty}BS^{m}_{\rho}}

is the amplitude,
and the phase function is of the form

φ
⁢

(
x
,
ξ
,
η
)

=

φ
1

⁢

(

x
1

,
ξ
)

+

φ
2

⁢

(

x
2

,
η
)

\varphi(x,\xi,\eta)=\varphi_{1}(x_{1},\xi\/)+\varphi_{2}(x_{2},\eta)

, with

φ
1

,

φ
2

∈

L
∞

⁢

Φ
2

⁢

(

ℝ
n

×

ℝ
n

∖

{
0
}

)

\varphi_{1},\varphi_{2}\in L^{\infty}\Phi^{2}(\mathbb{R}^{n}\times\mathbb{R}^{%
n}\setminus\{0\})

, and satisfies a certain rough non-degeneracy condition (see (2.2)).

The study of these operators are motivated by the

L
p

{L^{p}}

estimates for one-parameter FIOs and bi-parameter Fourier multipliers and pseudo-differential operators. We will first define the bi-parameter FIOs and then study the

L
p

{L^{p}}

boundedness of such operators when their phase functions have compact support in frequency variables with certain necessary non-degeneracy conditions. We will then establish the

L
p

{L^{p}}

boundedness of the more general FIOs with amplitude

a
⁢

(
x
,
ξ
,
η
)

∈

L
∞

⁢
B
⁢

S
ρ
m

{a(x,\xi,\eta)\in L^{\infty}BS^{m}_{\rho}}

and non-smooth phase function

φ
⁢

(
x
,
ξ
,
η
)

{\varphi(x,\xi,\eta)}

on x satisfying a rough non-degeneracy condition.
A commonsense assessment of Arrow’s theorem
Authors: Ortona Guido
Published: April 2017

The usual, pessimistic interpretation of Arrow’s General Possibility Theorem (often “Impossibility” in textbooks) is excessive. The impossibility defined by Arrow occurs only in presence of a tie or of a cycle. These cases are rare or very rare, and their presence may be assessed ex post. If they occur it is necessary to resort to a second-best rule, but this two-stage procedure does not induce strategic behavior, nor impeaches the use of the Condorcet rule (in observance of the axioms) in all the others.

The paper conclusions sustain that implementation of modern management systems to government’s public institutions should deal with a different behavior used to know at companies. In this respect, the paper high-lights different aspects between companies and public institutions behavior admitting similarities on organizational structure and internal procedures.
Computing with dynamical systems based on insulator-metal-transition oscillators
Authors: Parihar Abhinav , Shukla Nikhil , Jerry Matthew , Datta Suman , Raychowdhury Arijit
Published: April 2017

In this paper, we review recent work on novel computing paradigms using coupled oscillatory dynamical systems. We explore systems of relaxation oscillators based on linear state transitioning devices, which switch between two discrete states with hysteresis. By harnessing the dynamics of complex, connected systems, we embrace the philosophy of “let physics do the computing” and demonstrate how complex phase and frequency dynamics of such systems can be controlled, programmed, and observed to solve computationally hard problems. Although our discussion in this paper is limited to insulator-to-metallic state transition devices, the general philosophy of such computing paradigms can be translated to other mediums including optical systems. We present the necessary mathematical treatments necessary to understand the time evolution of these systems and demonstrate through recent experimental results the potential of such computational primitives.
Numerical simulations of CO2 sequestration in basaltic rock formations: challenges for optimizing mineral-fluid reactions
Authors: Gysi Alexander P.
Published: April 2017

Numerical simulations were carried out for determining the chemical reactions relevant for the sequestration of CO2 in basaltic rock formations. The mineralogy of natural geological systems consists of silicate minerals such as the phyllosilicates and zeolites that form complex solid solutions. Using the GEMS code package based on Gibbs energy minimization, combined with the new MINES database, we can now simulate the solubility of these multicomponent and multisite mineral solid solutions in basaltic rocks. This study explores the varying effects of CO2 partial pressures, basaltic glass dissolution kinetics and reaction time on the complex chemistry of the overall CO2-water-basalt reaction path. The simulations indicate four reaction progress stages with the competing reactions between smectites (di- and trioctahedral) and Ca-Fe-Mg-carbonates controlling the amount of CO2 mineralized. A better understanding of these key mineral-fluid reactions and improvement of their thermodynamic models is critical for making more acurate predictive calculations. This comprises the basis for extending the simulations to reactive transport models, and for the assessment of the feasibility of long-term CO2 storage in basaltic rock formations.
Analyzing online postings as social behavior for L2 instruction of (im)politeness: Sensitizing advanced learners of German or English
Authors: Rieger Caroline L.
Published: April 2017

This study takes a discursive approach (cf. Watts 1989, 2008; Locher 2004, 2006, 2011, 2012; Locher and Watts 2005, 2008; Mills 2011; van der Bom and Mills 2015), to analyze online postings as social behavior for use in other/second language (im)politeness instruction. The criteria for inclusion are authenticity, complexity, diversity and feasibility. This means the postings need to (1) be created for a social purpose, not an instructional one; (2) be pragmatically rich and exemplify evaluations of (in)appropriate behavior; (3) illustrate variety in their underlying social norms and values; as well as (4) lend themselves to examination by learners and provoke reflection in conjunction with participatory learning activities. The analysis found that postings from online fora can meet these criteria and identifies (a manageable number of) posts for which participatory learning activities were developed. In combination the posts and the activities are used to enhance awareness of the complexity of (im)politeness in social encounters, especially in intercultural interactions, and the omnipresent and emergent nature of (im)politeness. They have been used in a university setting to sensitize the L2 learner to differences in the views, judgments and negotiations of what constitutes polite or impolite behavior between as well as within speech communities.
Extracting Parallel Paragraphs from Common Crawl
Authors: Kúdela Jakub , Holubová Irena , Bojar Ondřej
Published: April 2017

Most of the current methods for mining parallel texts from the web assume that web pages of web sites share same structure across languages. We believe that there still exists a non-negligible amount of parallel data spread across sources not satisfying this assumption. We propose an approach based on a combination of bivec (a bilingual extension of word2vec) and locality-sensitive hashing which allows us to efficiently identify pairs of parallel segments located anywhere on pages of a given web domain, regardless their structure. We validate our method on realigning segments from a large parallel corpus. Another experiment with real-world data provided by Common Crawl Foundation confirms that our solution scales to hundreds of terabytes large set of web-crawled data.
Česílko Goes Open-source
Authors: Vičič Jernej , Kuboň Vladislav , Homola Petr
Published: April 2017

The Machine Translation system Česílko has been developed as an answer to a growing need of translation and localization from one source language to many target languages. The system belongs to the shallow parse, shallow transfer RBMT paradigm and it is designed primarily for translation of related languages. The paper presents the architecture, the development design and the basic installation instructions of the translation system.
Motives for participation in Paralympic sailing – opinions of Polish and foreign athletes with physical disabilities
Authors: Prokopowicz Grzegorz , Molik Bartosz , Prokopowicz Katarzyna , Chamera Tomasz , Ogonowska-Słodownik Anna , Lencse-Mucha Judit , Morgulec-Adamowicz Natalia , Kosmol Andrzej , Perkowski Krzysztof
Published: April 2017

Introduction: Paralympic sailing was introduced at the Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Games. Since then it has been developing rapidly and an increasing number of individuals in Poland and abroad regularly take part in sports competitions. Currently, disabled athletes can compete in three classes: Sonar, 2.4mR and Skud 18. The review of the Polish and foreign literature does not give a clear indication of the motives for participation in Paralympic sailing.

Material and methods: The study was carried out on 52 regatta sailors with physical disabilities. Group I consisted of 20 sailors from the Polish National Team. Group II consisted of 32 sailors from 10 European countries. The study was conducted during the National Team camp in Górki Zachodnie and during the European Championships in Switzerland. The Participation Reasons Scale (PRS – developed by Brasile and Hedrick in 1991) was used in the study.

Results: Excitement of the activity and an opportunity to improve abilities were rated highest by the disabled sailors from the Polish National Team. In the group of sailors from other European countries, the motives rated highest included the chance to be with friends and challenges related to sailing.

Conclusions: Sports-related aspects and emotions are the main factors motivating disabled persons to practise sailing. If we take into account the needs indicated by the sailors in planning sports activities for people with disabilities, it may contribute to faster development of Paralympic sailing in our country.
A brief essay on non-pharmacological treatment of Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Raggi Alberto , Tasca Domenica , Ferri Raffaele
Published: April 2017

Current pharmacological therapies for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) do not modify its course and are not always beneficial. Therefore, the optimization of quality of life represents the best possible outcome achievable in all stages of the disease. Cognitive and behavioural rehabilitation represents the main therapeutic approach for this purpose, also in order to mitigate indirectly the burden of distress of family caregivers. The aim of this mini-review is to go through this theme by discussing cognitive activation, virtual reality and neuromodulation techniques. The practices summarized in this essay are not alternative but, often, complementary therapies to standardized pharmacological treatment. The present mini-review has found encouraging results but also the need for more conclusive evidence for all types of non-invasive/non-pharmacological treatment of AD.
An Assessment of Carousel Value-Added Tax Fraud in The European Carbon Market
Authors: Berrittella Maria , Cimino Filippo Alessandro
Published: April 2017

The literature on the European Union Emission Trading System (EU ETS) is by now very rich. Much is known about the efficiency, the effectiveness, and the environmental and distributional impacts of the EU ETS. Less, however, is known about the carousel value-added-tax (VAT) fraud phenomena in the European carbon market. This article evaluates the welfare effects of carousel VAT fraud in the EU ETS using a computable general equilibrium (CGE) analysis. According to our findings, if VAT fraud occurs in the EU ETS, the effects on welfare for the EU Member States are negative, with welfare loss significantly higher than the VAT fraud value. This article also discusses the reverse charge mechanism that EU Member States could adopt to reduce the VAT fraud phenomena in the European carbon market.
Institutional interaction in traffic law enforcement in China: Resistance and obedience
Authors: Ye Ning
Published: April 2017

On-site law enforcement is routine work for Chinese traffic police to effectively control a congested city. Misunderstanding, confusion, and even conflict frequently occur between traffic police and offenders about traffic offence penalties. Based on an analysis of digital recordings, the present study investigates institutional interaction from a semiotic perspective. The institutional discourse, taken as a sign, creates an interpretant in the language of traffic police, which works as representamen to be interpreted by offenders. By examining the meaning construction in the interaction, the study reveals the way police impose penalties exploiting the impact of their linguistic, professional and social background. The findings indicate that the resistance or obedience to penalties is a reflection of the interpretant produced by the offenders in the process of mediation. As China has recently made great progress in the creation of rules of law, police organizations have established many new clauses, covering every aspect of police routine. However, the clauses relating to the use of legal language for police officers encountering offenders can, to some degree, result in different interpretations of the obscure language and conventional procedures, which can thus impede effective communication between two participants. Apart from the rigid limitation on and strict observance of legal language choices, the imbalanced distribution of legal knowledge between professionals and laymen, the complexity of identity construction and historical and social cultures may impose constraints on the institutional discourse. This study suggests that the police should be aware of institutional discourse as a semiotic process and should modify their linguistic strategy to effect positive interaction.
Antioxidant enzyme response of sorghum plant upon exposure to Aluminum, Chromium and Lead heavy metals
Authors: Yilmaz Seyma Hava , Kaplan Mahmut , Temizgul Ridvan , Yilmaz Semih
Published: April 2017

Objective

Sorghum has received great interest for resistance to heavy metals. Therefore, effects of Aluminum (Al), Chromium (Cr) and Lead (Pb) concentrations (2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 ppm) on antioxidant enzyme systems of Sorghum in root and leaf tissues were investigated.

Methods

Seeds were cultivated in hydroponic Hoagland solution containing heavy metal concentrations in a growth chamber. Malondialdehyde (MDA), proline levels, catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities were evaluated after treatment.

Results

Al doses decreased chlorophyll a (Chl a) at 4 ppm and subsequent doses, and total Chl at 32 and 64 ppm doses, however, it did not cause any change at Chl b except at 2 ppm. Although 64 ppm of Al, Cr, and Pb decreased total Chl, it increased proline level (nearly 5, 21 and 40 times higher compared to control, respectively) in leaf. Common observation is that positive correlation was apparent between proline, MDA, APX and GST activity for Al and Cr treatments and GST activity for three elements in root. Also, the only positive correlation was evident between proline and MDA for Al and Cr applications in leaf.

Conclusion

Although sorghum is resistant to heavy metals, induction of antioxidant enzymes seem to be not enough at higher concentrations to protect cells from heavy metal toxicity; however, it has great importance for further studies to find out whether phenolic compounds produced in sorghum have additive role in this regard.
Dynamic Characteristics Analysis and Optimization Design of a Simulated Power Turbine Rotor Based on Finite Element Method
Authors: Shengxi Jia , Longxi Zheng , Huang Jingjing , Mei Qing
Published: April 2017

The vibration optimum design for a simulated power turbine rotor without blades on the disk by using an optimization method based on the finite element method is described in this paper. The installation position of the two-stage turbine disks is chosen as design variables under the constraints of feasible regions for the critical speeds of the rotor. The objective functions are to minimize the transient response of the acceleration at the bearings and the amplitude of the disks. Predictions of the dynamic characteristics of the rotor are obtained by using ANSYS code. The optimization problem is solved by using commercial optimization code ISIGHT. The optimum installation position of the two-stage turbine disks is determined after optimization design. Experimental tests under the optimized structure show that the amplitude of the two-stage turbine disks which are recognized as the most concerned optimization objectives are reduced by 59 % and 56 % respectively in comparison with the comparative structure. The encouraging results demonstrate the potential of the presented method as an engineering design tool and also lay a foundation for the design of the real power turbine rotor used in turbo-shaft engine.
New adducts of silver(I) halides, AgX (X = Cl, Br), with bidentate phosphine ligands: syntheses and molecular structures of [Ag3(μ
3-Cl)2(μ-dppm)3][PF6], [Ag3(μ
3-Br)2(μ-dppm)3][AgBr2], {[Et4N][Ag2 (μ-Br)3(μ-dppe)]}
n
, [Et4N]2[(AgCl2)2(μ-dppe)], and [(AgCl)2(μ-dppp)2]
Authors: Qian Ting-Ting , Xie Yu-Feng , Shi Hua-Tian , Jia Ai-Quan , Zhang Qian-Feng
Published: April 2017

Interaction of AgCl with bis(diphenylphosphino)methane (dppm) in THF/MeCN in the presence of K[PF6] or [Et4N]Br afforded typical trinuclear cationic trigonal-bipyramidal complexes [Ag3(μ
3-Cl)2(μ-dppm)3][PF6] (1) or [Ag3(μ
3-Br)2(μ-dppm)3][AgBr2] (2), respectively. Treatment of AgBr with bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (dppe) in THF/MeCN in the presence of [Et4N]Br gave a polymeric complex {[Et4N][Ag2(μ-Br)3(μ-dppe)]}
n
(3) with a dinuclear {Ag2(μ-Br)3} core. The reaction of AgCl with dppe or bis(diphenylphosphino)propane (dppp) in THF/MeCN in the presence of [Et4N]Cl resulted in the isolation of a dinuclear anionic complex [Et4N]2[(AgCl2)2(μ-dppe)] (4) with one μ-dppe bridge or a dinuclear neutral complex [(AgCl)2(μ-dppp)2] (5) with two μ-dppp bridges and a 12-membered ring, respectively. The structures of complexes 1–5 with the bidentate phosphine ligands were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.
Experimental and Computational Perspectives on Bis(Creatininium) Succinate: An Efficient Organic Nonlinear Optical Material
Authors: Thirumurugan Ramaiah , Babu Balraj , Anitha Kandasamy , Chandrasekaran Joseph
Published: April 2017

In this work, combined experimental and computational investigations of a promising organic nonlinear optical (NLO) material, bis(creatininium) succinate (BCS), are reported. The optical quality single crystals of BCS were grown with the dimensions of 12×2×2 mm3. Single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that BCS crystallized in the orthorhombic system with non-centrosymmetric (NCS) space group F2dd. Vibrational modes of various BCS functional groups were confirmed by using FTIR and FT-Raman spectrum. UV-Vis-NIR spectrum shows that BCS crystal has low near-UV cut-off wavelength at 261 nm and optical transparency window in the visible and near-IR (261–1100 nm) region. Photoconductivity study has been carried out magnificently for grown crystals. The nonlinear optical property such as nonlinear refractive index (n2) and nonlinear absorption coefficient (β) have been investigated by z-scan technique. Density functional theory (DFT) studies were carried out to probe Mulliken charge analysis, frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs), molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) mapping and first order hyperpolarizability (β) for the optimized molecular structure. Experimental and computed vibrations were correlated well. All these characterization results endorse BCS as a suitable NLO candidate and are discussed in this work.
More Spirit in That Little Madera Church
Authors: Barba Lloyd
Published: April 2017

This article coalesces historical grassroots developments in the Central Valley: the growth of Mexican Pentecostalism and its production of music, brewing legal tensions regarding voting rights and undocumented immigration, and the fledgling career of Cesar Chavez as a community-organizer-turned-labor-activist. At a time when Pentecostals were believed to be anti-union and apolitical, they joined the Community Service Organization and, through their singing, inspired Cesar Chavez to incorporate singing when he later formed his union/association. This article shows how the social conditions of labor and religion proved to be fertile soil for a productive encounter between Chavez, a Catholic, and a Pentecostal congregation in need of legal assistance. The well-publicized grape strikes and marches of the late 1960s, for example, incorporated religious iconography and music, the latter of which came from an idea Chavez developed from this unusual, productive encounter over a decade earlier with Mexican Pentecostals in 1954. The latter part of the article focuses on the religious overtones of music produced about Chavez and La Causa.
Role of soluble and membrane-bound dipeptidyl peptidase-4 in diabetic nephropathy
Authors: Hasan Ahmed A , Hocher Berthold
Published: April 2017

Diabetic nephropathy is one of the most frequent, devastating and costly complications of diabetes. The available therapeutic approaches are limited. Dipeptidyl peptidase type 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors represent a new class of glucose-lowering drugs that might also have reno-protective properties. DPP-4 exists in two forms: a plasma membrane-bound form and a soluble form, and can exert many biological actions mainly through its peptidase activity and interaction with extracellular matrix components. The kidneys have the highest DPP-4 expression level in mammalians. DPP-4 expression and urinary activity are up-regulated in diabetic nephropathy, highlighting its role as a potential target to manage diabetic nephropathy. Preclinical animal studies and some clinical data suggest that DPP-4 inhibitors decrease the progression of diabetic nephropathy in a blood pressure- and glucose-independent manner. Many studies reported that these reno-protective effects could be due to increased half-life of DPP-4 substrates such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and stromal derived factor-1 alpha (SDF-1a). However, the underlying mechanisms are far from being completely understood and clearly need further investigations.
Failed Theory, Cynicism, and the Study of Religion
Authors: Kirsch Anja
Published: April 2017

An afterword to the essays responding to Russell T. McCutcheon's "Beyond Cynicism: A Sampling of Current Work in the Swiss Study of Religion".
Is CAM Religious?
Authors: Zeugin Barbara
Published: April 2017

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has become a central research field in the social sciences as well as religious studies. The scholarly interest often focuses on the relatedness of medicine and religion and many scholars implicitly define and categorize CAM as religious. This paper, however, seeks to discuss the methodological problems that come along with the categorization of CAM as religious.
Understanding the behaviour of wrought-iron riveted assemblies: manufacture and testing in France
Authors: Gallegos Mayorga Linamaria , Sire Stéphane , Ragueneau Muriel , Plu Bernard
Published: April 2017

Numerous wrought-iron bridges can be found in the French railway network. Since most of this architectural heritage was built during the second half of the nineteenth century, these old riveted structures have been in service for over 100 years and need an adapted maintenance policy. This paper, done in collaboration between the University of Brest (France) and the National Society of French Railways, presents the French railway network, its wrought-iron riveted bridges and the different scales used to analyse their mechanical behaviour. Once these are established, the paper presents an experimental strategy carried out to identify the behaviour of a riveted constructional detail under quasi-static and cyclic loadings through the manufacture and testing of double-shear hot-riveted specimens. The tested assemblies were fabricated from the recovered material from the demolished bridge over Adour River (France). The tests showed an important scatter on the mechanical behaviour of the riveted wrought-iron specimens (for both tensile and fatigue tests). This was mainly attributed to material and process parameters. A static loading scenario was proposed, and the fatigue tests were statistically analysed and the results compared to data found in the literature.
Evaluation of strain-hardening cementitious composites for RC seismic strengthening
Authors: Zhang Yongxing , Peng Hui , Lv Weihua
Published: April 2017

A numerical approach for evaluating the behaviour of strain-hardening cementitious composites (SHCCs) for reinforced-concrete (RC) seismic strengthening is presented. The method takes account of the seismic tensile strain capacity of SHCCs for RC strengthening, which is affected by the presence of cracks within the RC and varying layer thickness of the SHCC, the shear transfer behaviour of SHCC layers on the crack surface, which is contributed to by both the contact effect and the fibre bridging effect on the crack surface, and the seismic compressive constitutive law of SHCCs. In the numerical approach, a zero-span tensile model is adopted for reflecting the tensile strain capacity of SHCCs for RC strengthening, and a shear stress transfer model is applied for reflecting the respective contributions of both contact stress and fibre bridging stress for shear stress transfer behaviour of the SHCC on the crack surface. The effectiveness of the numerical approach is confirmed through the comparison between the experimental investigation and numerical analysis, in which the numerical result is coincided with the experimental one.
Microleakage of Sealants after Phosphoric Acid, Er: YAG Laser and Air Abrasion Enamel Conditioning: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Fumes Ana Caroline , Longo Daniele Lucca , De Rossi Andiara , Fidalgo Tatiana Kelly da Silva , de Paula e Silva Francisco Wanderley Garcia , Borsatto Maria Cristina , Küchler Erika Calvano
Published: April 2017

Purpose: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to answer the focused question: Does the application of phosphoric acid, Er:YAG laser and air abrasion enamel conditioning methods previous to the oclusal sealant application in human permanent molars influence the microleakage? Study design: A literature research was carried out in the Pubmed Medline, Web of Science, Scopus and Cochrane databases using with the MeSH terms and keyword search strategy. A supplemental hand search of the references of retrieved articles was also performed. Inclusion criteria comprised ex vivo studies (extracted teeth) with permanent human teeth that used chemical (phosphoric acid) or mechanical (Er:YAG laser and air abrasion) conditioning methods previous the sealant application. The studies should evaluate microleakage as an outcome. Meta-analysis pooled plot were obtained comparing the microleakage after pre-treatment with phosphoric acid, Er:YAG and air abrasion enamel conditioning for sealant application using RevMan software. Results: The search resulted in 164 articles, 55 records were excluded because they were duplicated. The analysis of titles and abstracts resulted in the exclusion of 105 studies. Four studies were included in the systematic review and the meta-analysis. According to the risk of bias evaluation, the four studies were considered low risk of bias. The meta-analysis showed that phosphoric acid had lower microleakage than Er:YAG laser (p < 0.001) and air abrasion (p < 0.001), with heterogeinity of I2 = 0% and I2 = 71%, respectively. It was not found statistical difference when compared phosphoric acid and phosphoric acid combined with Er:YAG laser and air abrasion (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The evidence supports that the pretreatment with phosphoric acid leads lower microleakage in oclusal sealants than Er:YAG laser and air abrasion.
Degradation of Resin Restorative Materials by Streptococcus Mutans: A Pilot Study
Authors: Gautam Ankit K , Thakur Ruchi , Shashikiran N D , Shilpy Singla , Agarwal Nikita , Tiwari Shilpi
Published: April 2017

Objective: To evaluate the degradation of three resin based restorative materials by S Mutans. Study design: Class I cavity was prepared in extracted premolars and were randomly divided into 3 groups (Group I – Conventional composite (CC), Group II – Resin Modified GIC and Group III–Giomer). Teeth were then restored by respective restorative material and equally divided in two subgroups (Control and Experimental). Experiment subgroup samples were then incubated in 2 ml of BHI with 1:10 dilution of SM (MTCC-497) grown overnight in BHI whereas control subgroup samples were incubated in BHI without SM. The incubation solution was collected at 2,14 and 30 days interval, and the analysis for identification and quantification of Bis-HPPP was done by High performance Liquid Chromatography. Results: Statistical analysis of the collected data revealed a statistically increased Bis HPPP production in the presence of SM in all the tested materials, with minimum in Resin Modified GIC and a maximum in Conventional Composite (CC). Conclusion: SM degrades the resin based restorative materials & among the tested materials Resin Modified GIC appears to be most Biostable.
Measurement of intact parathormone after one hour of total thyroidectomy: a predictor of symptomatic hypocalcemia
Authors: P. Nabeel T. , Gamalial Jose , Thomas Jacob
Published: April 2017

Background: Hypocalcemia is one of the most common complications of thyroidectomy. Hence, parathyroid hormone (PTH) measurement can be used to predict patients at risk for developing significant postoperative hypocalcaemia after thyroidectomy. The present study was conducted with the objective to find out whether there is any correlation between intact PTH value and patients developing symptoms of hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy and to determine the threshold value of 1 hour post total thyroidectomy (intact PTH level) that can identify those at high risk for developing symptomatic hypocalcemia.Methods: Study involved determination of serum calcium, creatinine and albumin preoperatively, serum intact PTH, 1 hour after completion of total thyroidectomy (i.e. after the closure of skin incision), and serum calcium levels 6, 24 and 48 hours postoperatively. Clinical findings suggestive of hypocalcaemia were also watched for and recorded. Symptomatic signs and/or symptoms were recorded. The patients were followed up for 3 days post operatively and the lowest recorded serum calcium was taken into account. The results were tabulated and entered in Microsoft excel and analysed with spss 17 statistical software.Results: 26% of the study population developed hypocalcemia. Intact PTH was found to be lower in patients who developed symptoms of hypocalcemia. There was a statisticantly significant correlation between the two groups. A one-hour Intact PTH value of 14 pg/ml was found to have high sensitivity (92.3%) and specificity (91.9%).Conclusions: Hypocalcemia is the most common complication after total thyroidectomy. Intact PTH measurement one hour after total thyroidectomy can be used to predict the patients who will develop hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy. Therefore, patients having low one-hour intact PTH value could be started on calcium supplementation and those having high PTH could be safely discharged early.
MODEL IMPLEMENTASI PENDIDIKAN KARAKTER MELALUI PENDEKATAN TERINTEGRASI DALAM PERKULIAHAN PADA JURUSAN PAI – FITK UIN MAULANA MALIK IBRAHIM MALANG
Authors: Mujtahid Mujtahid
Published: April 2017

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji model implementasi pendidikan karakter melalui pendekatan terintegrasi dalam perkuliahan pada jurusan pendidikan Agama Islam Fakultas Ilmu Tarbiyah dan Keguruan Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang. Penelitian ini difokuskan membahas tiga hal, yaitu karakter religius, karakter kepribadian diri, dan karakter sosial yang dikembangkan melalui proses pembelajaran. Penelitian ini bersifat kualitatif dengan pendekatan field research. Data penelitian digali melalui metode interview, observasi dan dokumentasi. Berdasarkan fokus tersebut, penelitian ini menghadirkan temuan sebagai berikut: Pertama, model karakter Religius, yaitu karakter yang dikonstruk melalui pembiasaan perkuliahan dengan pembudayaan membaca kalimat thoyyibah (basmalah dan hamdalah), tilawah al-Qur’an dan do’a dan dzikir sebagai manisfestasi aktualisasi nilai-nilai keimanan dan keyakinan kepada Allah Swt. Kedua, model Karakter Kepribadian Diri, yakni konstruksi karakter yang ditanamkan melalui pembiasaan disiplin, jujur dan tanggungjawab dalam semua aktivitas perkuliahan yang meliputi aspek proses, pelaksanaan dan evaluasi pembelajaran. Ketiga, konstruksi karakter sosial, yakni karakter yang meliputi toleransi, kepedulian sosial dan demokratis yang nyata dalam sistem pembelajaran.
Current Status and Future Trends on Robot Vision Technology
Authors: Hashimoto Manabu ,   Chukyo University, Domae Yukiyasu , Kaneko Shun’ichi ,   Mitsubishi Electric Corporation,   Hokkaido University
Published: April 2017

[abstFig src='/00290002/01.jpg' width='300' text='Intelligent robot classifying randomly stacked items in bin: (a) illustration of robot and setup and (b) actual robot system' ] This paper reviews the current status and future trends in robot vision technology. Centering on the core technology of 3-dimensional (3D) object recognition, we describe 3D sensors used to acquire point cloud data and the representative data structures. From the viewpoint of practical robot vision, we review the performance requirements and research trends of important technologies in 3D local features and the reference frames for model-based object recognition developed to address these requirements. Regarding the latest development examples of robot vision technology, we introduce the important technologies according to purpose such as high accuracy or ease-of-use. Then, we describe, as an application example for a new area, a study of general-object recognition based on the concept of affordance. In the area of practical factory applications, we present examples of system development in areas attracting recent attention, including the recognition of parts in cluttered piles and classification of randomly stacked products. Finally, we offer our views on the future prospects of and trends in robot vision.
Evaluation of Walking Balance Based on Pose Difference Between Normal Walking and Walking Under Multi-Task Conditions
Authors: Maeda Hiroyuki ,   Kanazawa University, Shogenji Miho , Watanabe Tetsuyou
Published: April 2017

[abstFig src='/00290002/02.jpg' width='270' text='Appearance of a subject' ] In this study, we present a method for the evaluation of the perturbation of walking balance resulting from additional task loads. For the evaluation, we compared pose differences between normal walking and walking under multi-task conditions. We employed an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor attached to the hips and the shoulders of subjects, through which we determined the orientation of the shoulder with respect to the hip. We focused on the variation width of orientation and utilized the increase rate from the variation width for normal walking to that for walking under multi-task conditions. By analyzing the correlation between the rate and the evaluation factor determined by employing a conventional fall-risk assessment method, which is related to cognitive and motor functions, we defined a walking balance evaluation criterion. The results indicate that calculation and auditory tasks affect the walking balance.
Experimental Study of Ankle Joint Pushing Mechanism Concerning About the Horizontal Movement of Talus
Authors: Toda Hideki ,   Department of Electrical and Electronic Systems, Faculty of Engineering, University of Toyama, Matsumoto Takeshi , Takeuchi Hiroya
Published: April 2017

[abstFig src='/00290002/03.jpg' width='300' text='Proposed ankle joint pushing mechanism for the movement of the talus' ] An ankle joint pushing system that absorbs the horizontal movement of the talus is proposed, and the effects of the horizontal movement absorbing mechanism in the system are examined. The bending of the ankle joint is an important medical treatment that physical therapists (PTs) utilize to help their patients recover their ability to walk and to prevent contracture. However, since the ankle treatment requires a large amount of force (nearly equal to the subject’s weight) plus precise angle and power control, manual treatment by PTs has not been replaced by mechanical treatment systems. In order to realize the mechanization of the ankle joint pushing treatment, the system developed here uses two features. (1) The proposed device fixes the ankle joint position correctly by making contact with the Achilles tendon, the back of the calf, and the hip. (2) The bucket rotation center shifts its position horizontally with the movement of the talus when the foot is pushed back. This mechanism can push the toes or any part of the foot strongly and stably without causing the patient any pain. It can also stretch the biceps femoris and gastrocnemius muscles simultaneously, which could previously only be done by a physical therapist. During 73 N stretching treatment tests done on four subjects, 22.2 mm (S.D. 6.4 mm) horizontal (ventral direction) movements of the ankle joint were observed due to the movement of the talus, and our proposed device mechanism successfully suppressed the movement to a 1.8 mm (S.D. 1.3 mm) horizontal (ventral) movement in the same 73 N stretching treatment.
A New Ultrasonographic Image Displaying System to Support Vein Detection
Authors: Noyori Shuhei ,   Departments of Gerontological Nursing/Wound Care Management, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Nakagami Gojiro , Noguchi Hiroshi , Yabunaka Koichi , Mori Taketoshi , Sanada Hiromi ,   Department of Life Support Technology (Molten), Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo
Published: April 2017

[abstFig src='/00290002/04.jpg' width='300' text='Virtual ultrasonic probe system' ] The insertion of a peripheral intravenous catheter is often required by patients during a hospital stay. However, approximately 30% of intravenous catheters experience catheter failure. Using ultrasonography to observe the depth and diameter of a vein and to thereby perform catheter site selection is a promising procedure to prevent catheter failure. Nevertheless, it is difficult to perform this procedure, as it is associated with complicated maneuvering in which a nurse simultaneously manipulates an ultrasonographic probe, assesses veins, and inserts a catheter. In this study, a new image displaying system that consists of a camera, head-mounted display, and software is proposed. The newly developed image-processing program detects the fingertip of a user, and the system displays the reconstructed ultrasonographic image at any cross-sectional plane as indicated by the user’s finger. Additionally, veins are superimposed on the ultrasonographic image, and the depth and diameter of veins are also displayed on the image. The newly developed image-processing algorithm detects markers and fingertip in the images captured by the head-mounted camera by robustly detecting the fingertip. This aids in realizing a new ultrasonographic image displaying system. This system is used to increase the success rate of vein detection by nurses in a study of volunteers.
Динамика структуры популяций двух видов бокоплавов рода Echinogammarus (Gammaridae, Amphipoda) из бухты Ласпи (Крым, Чёрное море)
Authors: Гринцов В. А.
Published: April 2017

Исследование популяционных характеристик массовых видов беспозвоночных зоны заплеска важно для оценки и прогнозирования состояния прибрежной экосистемы моря. В течение года исследовали популяционную структуру двух массовых видов амфипод: Echinogammarus karadagiensis (Grintsov, 2009) и Echinogammarus foxi (Schellenberg, 1928) зоны заплеска галечно-песчаного пляжа б. Ласпи. Выявлены важные особенности в изменении размерного состава, соотношения самцов и самок, соотношения взрослых особей и молоди, количества яиц у самок, размеров взрослых самцов и самок.
Планктонные и донные сообщества высокоминерализованных рек бассейна оз. Эльтон: статистический анализ зависимостей
Authors: Зинченко Т. Д. , Головатюк Л. В. , Шитиков В. К. , Абросимова Э. В.
Published: April 2017

На примере экосистемы высокоминерализованных рек бассейна гипергалинного оз. Эльтон проанализированы изменения таксономической структуры донных и планктонных сообществ в условиях экстремальных факторов среды. Показано,что под воздействием резких природно-климатических колебаний идёт постоянная перестройка таксономической структуры составляющих гидроэкосистему сообществ. Для многомерного статистического анализа использованы многолетние данные гидробиологической съёмки макрозообентоса, мейобентоса и зоопланктона на 15 станциях 5 солёных рек разного уровня минерализации и соответствующий блок из 19 абиотических показателей. Проверены гипотезы о причинах и закономерностях изменения видовой структуры гидросообществ в условиях воздействия экстремальных факторов (уровень минерализации, температура, эвтрофирование). Установлено, что структуры планктонных и донных сообществ достаточно хорошо коррелируют между собой, следовательно, тесно связаны. Эта связь обусловливается взаимно согласованной реакцией на изменение факторов водной среды и биотическими взаимодействиями, что объясняет снижение коэффициентов матричной корреляции Мантеля между ценозами гидробионтов и гидрохимическими показателями. Для выявления планктонных и донных сообществ, развивающихся в сходных биотопах в условиях перекрывающихся экологических ниш, использованы методы кластерного анализа. Осуществлено целенаправленное графическое проецирование таксонов изучаемых гидросообществ и биотопов в пространстве факторов среды. Определена роль абиотических показателей для оценки особенностей развития популяций макрозообентоса, мейобентоса и зоопланктона. Выполнен сравнительный анализ изменения видового разнообразия сообществ с использованием обобщённых энтропий Реньи. При взаимодействии планктонных и донных сообществ солёных рек выявлена высокая доля по генезису композиционно «взаимопроникающих» экологических групп.