bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Traffic Dynamics of Bicycle Flow: Experiment and Modeling
Authors: Jiang Rui , Hu Mao-Bin , Wu Qing-Song , Song Wei-Guo
Published: June 2016

Cycling has been advocated by many governments because it is a healthy and green transportation mode and it helps mitigate traffic congestion. However, compared with vast amounts of works on vehicle flow and pedestrian flow, the bicycle flow study currently lags behind. We have carried out experimental studies on bicycle flow on a 146 meters long circular road and on an on-ramp system. We present the fundamental diagram of bicycle flow and the trajectories of each bicycle on the circular road. We have analyzed the spatiotemporal evolution of bicycle flow and found that jams spontaneously form above a critical density of approximately 0.37 bicycles/m. For the on-ramp system, no capacity drop has been observed. The similarity and difference between bicycle flow and vehicle flow has been discussed. We propose a cellular automaton model of bicycle flow, and the simulation results are in agreement with the experiments.
Organise a Harry Potter themed science day
Authors: Hewson Claire
Published: June 2016

Capitalise on excitement around the West End theatre production, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, to provide KS2 science activities that will cast a spell on your class.
Taking back control of education
Authors: Moore Graham
Published: June 2016

What is the purpose of education? Graham Moore discusses the culture and relationships that are vital to what most teachers see as the true goals of education. He offers a range of ideas, and ultimately urges school leaders to put aside accountability and ministerial diktat and ask ‘What if?’
Taking educated risks: part 2
Authors: Bromley Matt
Published: June 2016

In the second of his four-part series on taking risks in schools with teaching and learning, Matt Bromley explains how shared cultures and consistent approaches go hand-in-hand with encouraging teaching autonomy
A study of nonspecific skeletal health indicators in two nonadult populations from western Britain
Authors: Bernie Bernadette Manifold
Published: June 2016

Skeletal health indicators are often employed to measure how past populations adapted to their physical environment. The skeletons of children provide a measure of population fitness, as the ability of a community to keep their younger inhabitants alive and in general good health attest their ability to adapt to their environment. In this study, skeletal remains of non-adults from foetal to 17 years of age (n=300) from two cemetery populations in western Britain, namely the early medieval site of Llandough in south Wales (n=204) and the multi-period site of St Oswald’s Priory in Gloucester (n=96), were assessed. Non-specific indicators of physiological stress (cribra orbitalia, porotic hyperosprotosis, dental hypoplasia) and non-specific infections (periosteal new bone formation and endocranial lesions) are compared. Results suggest that the children from the English site enjoyed better health than their counterparts in Wales, where there was an increase in physiological stress during childhood.
Recarga do tipo localizada em região semiárida: estudo de caso em Dolinas da Bacia do Rio Verde Grande, Minas Gerais
Authors: Braga Letícia Teixeira Palla , Velásquez Leila Nunes Menegasse , Fleming Peter Marshall , Rodrigues Paulo César Horta
Published: June 2016

A recarga localizada a partir de dolinas é muito importante no ambiente cárstico e especialmente em regiões áridas e semiáridas onde assume importância na recarga de aquíferos cárstico-fissurais, uma vez que essas estruturas geomorfológicas favorecem a concentração de água de escoamento superficial em ambiente com escassez hídrica. A área de estudos, sub-bacias do Rio Verde Grande, nos municípios de Verdelândia e Varzelândia, insere-se no clima semiárido (Pluviometria média regional = 790 mm), sendo fortemente marcada pela presença de dolinas instaladas na sequência carbonática-pelítica neoproterozóica do Grupo Bambuí. A fim de compreender os processos desse tipo de recarga e quantificá-la na área de estudo, selecionaram-se duas dolinas a partir da identificação automatizada em ArcGis, nas quais procedeu-se ao seguinte roteiro metodológico: caracterização textural do solo; ensaios de infiltração in loco do solo; ensaios de permeabilidade do aquitarde/aquiclude no fundo da dolina; monitoramentos automatizados da pluviometria e do nível d’água subterrânea; balanço hídrico e estimativa da recarga pelos métodos balanço hídrico e pelo método da variação do nível d´água. Os resultados apontaram valores de recarga pontuais entre 7,8% e 19,5% da precipitação permitindo destacar a importância de se preservar essas feições na região.
Classificação do uso da terra em área de afloramento do Sistema Aquífero Guarani entre 2002 e 2011: o caso da bacia do Ribeirão do Jacú, Tejupá/SP
Authors: Reissler Joyce , Manzione Rodrigo Lilla
Published: June 2016

Com a crescente demanda por recursos naturais que acompanha o crescimento populacional, o esforço para se oferecer água suficiente para a agricultura provoca pressões sobre o meio ambiente. Interesses conflitantes entre o uso da água e a proteção de mananciais estratégicos em áreas de proteção ambiental reforçam a necessidade da adequação e ordenamento do território visando o manejo sustentável dos recursos hídricos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi mapear o uso da terra em área de afloramento do Sistema Aquífero Guarani (SAG) e gerar informações para discutir ações para um melhor planejamento do uso da terra pela agricultura para conservação dos recursos hídricos subterrâneos em áreas de produção. A área de estudo foi a Bacia do Ribeirão do Jacú, localizada no município de Tejupá – SP, uma área representativa de afloramento do SAG e inserida no perímetro Tejupá da Área de Proteção Ambiental Corumbataí-Botucatu-Tejupá, região considerada altamente vulnerável. Com a classificação supervisionada do uso da terra em um Sistema de Informações Geográficas, pode-se identificar e quantificar as principais atividades desenvolvidas e os conflitos de uso da terra na bacia entre os anos de 2002 e 2011. Os resultados demonstram a apropriação de sistemas agrícolas e pecuária em Área de Preservação Permanente e avanço da agricultura irrigada, apontando tendência de intensificação da produção local. Essas informações contribuem para auxiliar futuras etapas de planejamento ambiental por gestores ambientais, visando a recuperação e preservação de zonas de afloramento e recarga do aquífero.
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The mediating role of human capital on the relationship between audit firm size and independent auditorâ€™s opinion: evidence from Iranian audit firms
Authors: Naslmosavi Seyedhossein , Jahanzeb Agha
Published: June 2016

This empirical research is aimed to explore the effect of Human Capital (HC) as a mediator in the association of the size of an audit firm and independent auditorâ€™s opinion (IAO). The respondents of this research were senior practicing auditors of audit firms with verse experience. The research has applied ANCOVA and path analysis method in SEM by utilizing LISREL to examine research questions. The results of this study revealed that HC was significantly associated to independent auditorâ€™s opinion and it can significantly create a relationship between audit firm size and IAO and their qualities. Indeed, the link of audit firm size on IAO without HC was found to be insignificant. Furthermore, it contributed to understand that the HC of large audit firm is greater than other audit firms and the audit reports of these kinds of firms possess good quality because of positive association amid firm size and quality of auditors.
Referenčne ambulante: izkušnje diplomiranih medicinskih sester
Authors: Pečelin Saša , Sočan Maja
Published: June 2016

Uvod: Referenčna ambulanta je ambulanta z razširjenim timom, katere članica je diplomirana medicinska sestra, ki je opolnomočena s podiplomskim znanjem. Raziskava prikazuje izkušnje diplomiranih medicinskih sester z referenčnimi ambulantami, dosedanje izobraževanje, zadovoljstvo z delom v referenčni ambulanti ter potrebe po dodatnih veščinah, znanju, dopolnitvah in spremembah.

Metode: V raziskavi so sodelovale diplomirane medicinske sestre (n = 88) v referenčnih ambulantah iz 18 zdravstvenih domov. Strukturiran vprašalnik je vključeval demografska vprašanja in vprašanja, ki so se nanašala na zadovoljstvo diplomiranih medicinskih sester z delom in potrebo po izobraževanju. Zanesljivost instrumenta (Cronbach alfa) je bila 0,734. Uporabljeni so bili opisna statistika, hi-kvadrat test (χ2) in Fisherjev test.

Rezultati: Anketiranci so se strinjali, da z izobraževanjem pridobijo dodatna znanja (81,8 %), ki so koristna (73,9 %) in uporabna pri delu v referenčni ambulanti (72,7 %). Najbolj so se strinjali, da si izkušnje izmenjujejo s sodelavci (x̄ = 4,2) in da so bolniki zadovoljni z njihovim delom (x̄ = 4,2). Pri znanju anketirancev (χ2 = 20,734, p = 0,016) in predlogih izboljšav delovnega procesa (χ2 = 9,905, p = 0,007) so statistično pomembne razlike v povezavi s starostjo.

Diskusija in zaključek: Raziskava pokaže, da so anketiranci delno zadovoljni na delovnem mestu. Treba bi bilo omogočiti napredovanje na delovnem mestu, dodatna izobraževanja, izboljšati informacijsko podporo in spodbujati podiplomsko izobraževanje.
Qualitative analysis of factors associated with the experience of contraception in rural setting
Authors: Črnigoj Špela , Prosen Mirko
Published: June 2016

Introduction: The phenomenon of contraception, its prevalence and its implication for women's emancipation is influenced by a number of social factors, including the environment. The purpose of this study was to examine the phenomenon of contraception through the eyes, knowledge, experience and perception of women living in rural areas. Methods: The phenomenological approach was used within the framework of qualitative methodology. The purposive sample included eight women aged 20 to 50 years, living in the rural areas of western Slovenia. The research was conducted in April and May 2015. The data obtained through semi-structured interviews were analysed using the method of phenomenological text analysis. Results: The analysis yielded four thematic groups which conceptualize the studied phenomenon: (1) the factors affecting the choice and use of a contraceptive method and its acceptance, (2) the importance of contraception for women, (3) the education and acquisition of adequate contraceptive knowledge, (4) the women's social status. Discussion and conclusion: Results of the research indicate that contraception is an important dimension of women's quality of life and their social status. The acceptance of contraception and the selection of a contraceptive method are influenced by a number of social factors and guided by various support systems. The knowledge of these factors enables nurses to systematically plan and deliver health education. Further research of the phenomenon could be conducted also among urban female population.
Varna tehnika dolgotrajne intermitentne samokatetrizacije
Authors: Peršolja Melita
Published: June 2016

Uvod: Intermitentna samokatetrizacija je prednostna metoda praznjenja sečnega mehurja pri pacientih z zastojem urina. Medicinska sestra običajno pacienta nauči čiste ali aseptične tehnike samokatetrizacije. Namen prispevka je s pregledom literature ugotoviti, ali obstaja optimalna tehnika intermitentne samokatetrizacije, ki bi jo medicinske sestre priporočale pacientom.
Metode: Uporabljen je bil sistematični pregled literature v bazah podatkov: CINAHL, Medline, ProQuest, COBIB.SI in Cochrane Library. Vključena je bila literatura od prve omembe samokatetrizacije leta 1972 do leta 2016. S selekcijo prvotnih 350 virov smo glede na njihovo skladnost z namenom raziskave izbrali 67 enot literature.
Rezultati: Osemnajst referenc, izbranih z orodjem CASP, je bilo objavljenih med letoma 1992 in 2015: šest randomiziranih kliničnih in pet kohortnih raziskav ter šest sistematičnih pregledov literature in ena kritika. Ključne spremenljivke analize zbranih podatkov so bile sterilnost katetra, vrsta vlažilnega gela in higiena periuretralnega področja.
Diskusija in zaključek: Nobena tehnika intermitentne samokatetrizacije se ne izkaže kot optimalna. Ob upoštevanju značilnosti in sposobnosti pacienta je za slovenske razmere najboljša uporaba sterilnega materiala za enkratno uporabo (katetra in vlažilnega gela), higiena periuretralnega področja s sterilno solucijo in tamponi ter tehnika nedotikanja.
Izkušnje žensk ob nenačrtovanem porodu zunaj porodnišnice
Authors: Kragelj Ksenija , Prosen Mirko
Published: June 2016

Uvod: Porodi zunaj porodnišnice so v Sloveniji redkost. Nekaj teh porodov se zgodi tudi v Zgornjem Posočju, ki je posebno zaradi svojega geografskega položaja in časovne oddaljenosti do najbližje porodnišnice. Cilj raziskave je bil pridobiti poglobljen vpogled v doživljajski svet porodnic, ki so nenačrtovan porod zunaj porodnišnice izkusile, in zaznati oceno kakovosti ponujene obporodne skrbi skozi občuteno zadovoljstvo.

Metode: Raziskava je temeljila na kvalitativni metodologiji. V namenski vzorec je bilo vključenih 10 porodnic, ki so rodile med letoma 2004 in 2014. Podatki so bili pridobljeni s pomočjo delno strukturiranih intervjujev v juniju 2014 in analizirani z metodo analize besedila.

Rezultati: Z metodo analize besedila je bilo identificiranih pet tem, in sicer (1) proces rojevanja – rituali, prakse in doživljanja, (2) podoživljanje poroda, (3) v žensko osredotočena skrb, (4) zaznana stopnja zadovoljstva z institucionalno obravnavo in (5) zaznavanje poroda med nosečnostjo – želje in pričakovanja.

Diskusija in zaključek: Ugotovitve nakazujejo, da so med porodom v ospredju ljudje, ki so ob porodnici, in njihov odnos do nje. Čeprav se porodnice takrat morda res ne zavedajo vseh morebitnih tveganj, se tega zavedajo zdravstveni delavci ob njej. Vključene v raziskavo so svojo porodno izkušnjo izkusile kot pozitivno in obenem izrazile zadovoljstvo do obporodne zdravstvene oskrbe. Nadaljnje raziskovanje bi moralo vključevati vidik zdravstvenih delavcev.
Dewey a „český Dewey”, pedagogika a ideologie
Authors: Šíp Radim
Published: June 2016

Autor v textu dokládá skutečnost, že Dewey nebyl v Českém prostředí řádně pochopen a tedy ani aplikován. To může vést k odmítnutí údajně „Deweyho pedagogiky“. Ve druhé části textu se autor věnuje epistemologické metarovině a kontinuu cílů a prostředků jako pozadí, které utváří pragmatistickou pedagogiku. V rámci tohoto pozadí se dotýká důležitého rozlišení na výuku vedenou prostřednictvím smysluplné činorodé aktivity (occupation) a výuku úzce zaměřenou na přípravu na zaměstnání (vocation). Ve třetí části představuje dva základní principy deweyovské pedagogiky – kontinuitu a interaktivní charakter zkušenosti a sociální kontrolu pedagogického procesu, která probíhá socializací a intelektualizací původních impulzů žáka. Na těchto principech autor dokládá, že Deweyho pedagogiku nemůže chápat jako „pedocentrickou”. Pedocentrimus je zde ve vztahu k Deweyho dílu představen jako jeden z projevů ideologizace pedagogického diskurzu. Ve čtvrté části je poukázáno na to, jak byly Deweyho myšlenky ideologizovány již v americkém progresivistickém hnutí. V páté části autor upozorňuje na analogické tendence v českém pedagogickém diskurzu.klíčová slova: alternativní pedagogika; Dewey; kontinuum cílů a prostředků; kontinuita zkušenosti; pragmatistická pedagogika; sociální kontrola
Breathing life into aspheric dreams
Authors: Fuchs Ulrike , Kiontke Sven R.
Published: June 2016

Introducing aspheric lenses in optical design broadens the horizons of possibilities and opens up new way to correct aberrations or creating effects that are not possible otherwise. Manufacturing these aspheric surfaces has come a long way during the last 15 years. This article discusses the state of the art concerning optical design, manufacturing, surface form tolerances and roughness to show the possibilities in hand.
Three-Way Coupling Simulation of a Gas-Liquid Stirred Tank using a Multi-Compartment Population Balance Model
Authors: Gimbun Jolius , Liew Shi Yan , Nagy Zoltan K. , Rielly Chris D.
Published: June 2016

Modelling of gas-liquid stirred tanks is very challenging due to the presence of strong bubble-liquid interactions. Depending upon the needs and desired accuracy, the simulation may be performed by considering one-way, two-way, three-way or four-way coupling between the primary and secondary phase. Accuracy of the prediction on the two-phase flow generally increases as the details of phase interactions increase but at the expense of higher computational cost. This study deals with two-way and three-way coupling of gas-liquid flow in stirred tanks which were then compared with results via four-way coupling. Population balance model (PBM) based on quadrature method of moments (QMOM) was implemented in a multi-compartment model of an aerated stirred tank to predict local bubble size. The multi-compartment model is regarded as three-way coupling because the local turbulent dissipation rates and flow rates were obtained from a two-way computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. The predicted two-phase flows and local bubble size showed good agreement with experimental data.
A socio-economic evaluation of a protected area - A case study: Hamadan province, Iran
Authors: Moradpanah Haniyeh , Dargahi Mohammad Dehdar , Limaei Soleiman Mohammadi , Moradpanah Monireh
Published: June 2016

The aim of this study was to investigate the socio-economic issues of a protected area and participation of the local stakeholders in conservation of the protected area. This study was conducted at 7 villages in Hamedan province in the midwest part of Iran. A questionnaire was used for data collection. Reliability of the data was determined by Cronbach's alpha. In order to investigate the relationship between the average incomes of different villages, a t-statistic test was used. Results indicated that at the 0.05 significance level, there were significant differences between most villages. Furthermore, the results indicated that there was no significant relationship between mean income of Jara and Saadat Abad villages. In order to investigate the interest for the preservation of different villages, a t-statistic test was used. Results indicated that at the 0.05 significance level of, there were significant differences between Shademaneh and Maloosan, Siyah Dare and Gheshlagh Najaf, Shademaneh and Taemeh, Taemeh and Gheshlagh Najaf villages. Results also showed that the Maloosan village has the highest income in the area and willingness to participate in conservation activities was highest at this village. The results of this study show a new approach to the protection of biodiversity of protected areas with connection to economic, biological and humanistic studies.
Anthropogenic influences on the morphodynamics of the upper Odra channel
Authors: Czajka Agnieszka , Nádudvari Ádám
Published: June 2016

The aim of the studies presented in this article was a multifaceted approach to the problem of the processes of river adjustments to new conditions created by channel regulation. The Upper Odra channel has been significantly shortened by meander cut offs and locally by channelization. The influence of those changes on channel morphodynamics and the pattern of bedload transport were calculated. Pre-regulation channel geometry was reconstructed and the channel stability and bedload transport were characterized and compared with the present state. Also the flow duration curves (FDC) for the characteristic water stages and for the average discharges were plotted and analyzed to assess vertical channel bed movement. By comparing the behavior of natural channel sectors (both, present and fossil) to channelized and sectors shortened by cut offs it was possible to understand the intensity of changes depending on a way of channel regulation. The range of post regulation changes in bedload transport and channel stability was also calculated for the functioning, unregulated sector of the Odra channel. Flow duration curves reflect steady channel incision while the protected river banks prevent the channel from lateral movement. In order to achieve lateral stability, which is unnatural for meandering rivers, the Odra channel is totally remodelled and the new geometry and flow conditions created. The morphological response to the training works was channel incision and accelerated bedload transport.
High Dynamic Range Cognitive Radio Front Ends: Architecture to Evaluation
Authors: Ashok Arun , Subbiah Iyappan , Varga Gabor , Schrey Moritz , Heinen Stefan
Published: June 2016

Advent of TV white space digitization has released frequencies from 470 MHz to 790 MHz to be utilized opportunistically. The secondary user can utilize these so called TV spaces in the absence of primary users. The most important challenge for this coexistence is mutual interference. While the strong TV stations can completely saturate the receiver of the cognitive radio (CR), the cognitive radio spurious tones can disturb other primary users and white space devices. The aim of this paper is to address the challenges for enabling cognitive radio applications in WLAN and LTE. In this process, architectural considerations for the design of cognitive radio front ends are discussed. With high-IF converters, faster and flexible implementation of CR enabled WLAN and LTE are shown. The effectiveness of the architecture is shown by evaluating the CR front ends for compliance of standards namely 802.11b/g (WLAN) and 3GPP TS 36.101 (LTE).
Performance Analysis of Hybrid WDM-FSO System under Various Weather Conditions
Authors: Robinson S. , Jasmine S.
Published: June 2016

Free Space Optical (FSO) communication is being realized as an effective solution for future accessing networks, offering light passed through air. The performance of FSO system can be primarily degraded by various atmospheric attenuations such as rain, fog, haze and snow. At present, hybridization of Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) with Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing (CWDM) becomes necessary to scale the speed and high bandwidth of the services. In this paper, primarily the attenuation values for different weather conditions are calculated. Then the hybrid WDM-FSO system is proposed, designed and the network parameters such as Bit Error Rate (BER), Quality factor (Q factor) and receiver sensitivity are analyzed with respect to link distance for various weather conditions. For investigation, four CWDM (1,510 nm, 1,530 nm, 1,570 nm and 1,570 nm) channel and eight DWDM channels (1,537.4 nm, 1,538.2 nm, 1,539 nm, 1,539.8 nm, 1,540.6 nm, 1,541.4 nm, 1,542.2 nm and 1,543 nm) are considered whose corresponding channel spacing is 20 nm and 0.8 nm, respectively. In addition, the Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifier (EDFA) is inserted at the receiver end in order to enhance the link distance. The proposed hybrid WDM-FSO system is designed to handle the quality of transmission for 12 users, each at a data rate of 2.5 Gbps along an FSO link distance of about 960 km.
Design and Analysis of a Triple Stop-band Filter Using Ratioed Periodical Defected Microstrip Structure
Authors: Jiang Tao , Wang Yanyan , Li Yingsong
Published: June 2016

In this paper, a triple stop-band filter with a ratioed periodical defected microstrip structure is proposed for wireless communication applications. The proposed ratioed periodical defected microstrip structures are spiral slots, which are embedded into a 50
Adolescent health care education and training: insights from Israel
Authors: Kerem Nogah C. , Hardoff Daniel
Published: June 2016

There is a growing need for health care professionals to extend their knowledge in adolescent health care. Formal training curricula in adolescent medicine have been established in the United States, Canada, and Australia, yet many other countries have developed shorter training programs to enable interested physicians to further pursue knowledge and practical experience in delivering improved quality health care for adolescents. The Israeli experience in building an infrastructure that allows students and physicians to learn about adolescent medicine and to train in the field is described. It includes a series of lectures and seminars for medical students during medical school and at the clinical rotations in pediatric wards; the development of hospital-based and community-based multidisciplinary adolescent health services where residents can practice adolescent health care; a 3-year diploma course in adolescent medicine for specialists in pediatrics and family medicine; mini courses in adolescent medicine for pediatricians and family practitioners working in community settings; and a simulated patient-based program regarding communication with adolescents, aimed for all professional levels – medical students, residents, and specialists. This infrastructure has been developed to create a leading group of physicians, who are able to operate adolescent clinics and to teach adolescent medicine. Recently, a formal fellowship program in adolescent medicine has been approved by the Scientific Council of the Israel Medical Association. The Israeli experience described here could be applied in countries, where formal training programs in adolescent health care are not yet established.
Comparison of Drying Kinetics of Maize in Oven and in Pilot Silo Dryer: Influence on Moisture Content and Physical Characteristics
Authors: Montanuci Flávia Daiana , Cavalcante Raphaela Mulato , Perussello Camila Augusto , de Matos Jorge Luiz Mario
Published: June 2016

The study of process kinetics may aid the design and optimization of drying systems. This paper evaluated the influence of drying temperature (40, 60 and 80 °C) on the moisture content, drying rate, density, shrinkage and breakage of maize dried in two different dryers: oven and silo dryer. In both dryers, the temperature increase reduced drying time, final moisture content and shrinkage of the grains, however increased breakage. Drying rate was higher in the oven (6.4×10−4±2.3×10−4s−1 versus 5.4×10−4±1.2×10−4s−1), while shrinkage (15.2±4.7 % versus 24.4±5.6 %) and density increase (16.6±5.9 % versus 33.4±5.8 %) were more intense in the silo. There was a large release of husk in the silo dryer and the moisture content was slightly smaller in the lower layers respective to the upper ones.
Teaching and Learning Medication Calculations: A Grounded Theory of Conceptual Understanding
Authors: Mills Susan
Published: June 2016

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify the process of nursing students’ attainment of conceptual understanding when learning medication dosage calculations.

Design: This study utilized a grounded theory research design with a blended theoretical framework of constructivism and symbolic interaction.

Results: A process of conceptual understanding began with the teaching and learning experiences in the classroom and progressed to students’ reengagement with the course content outside of the classroom. Confusion was the core category of the process. Students who were able to work through the confusion and solve problems were able to attain conceptual understanding and progress to more complex problem solving.

Conclusions: Nurse educators need to identify teaching and learning strategies that promote conceptual understanding. Helping students to get beyond memorization and move to understanding of medication calculations can help students’ critical thinking and problem solving ability and lead to conceptual understanding.
Apache Flink in current research
Authors: Rabl Tilmann , Traub Jonas , Katsifodimos Asterios , Markl Volker
Published: June 2016

Recent trends in data collection and the decreasing prices of storage result in constantly growing amounts of analyzable
data. These masses of data cannot easily be processed by traditional database systems as these do not allow for
a sufficient degree of scalability. Programs especially designed for parallel data analysis on large-scale distributed
systems are required. Developing such programs on clusters of commodity hardware is a complex challenge for even the most
experienced system developers. Frameworks such as Apache Hadoop are scalable, but – when compared to SQL – extremely
hard to program. The open-source platform Apache Flink is a link between conventional database systems and big data
analysis frameworks. Flink is based on a fault tolerant runtime for data stream processing, which manages the distribution
of data as well as communications within the cluster. A high diversity of use cases can be supported through various
interfaces that allow for the implementation of data analysis processes. In this paper, we present an overview of Apache
Flink as well as some current research activities on top of the Apache Flink ecosystem.
Crowdsourcing privacy policy analysis: Potential, challenges and best practices
Authors: Schaub Florian , Breaux Travis D. , Sadeh Norman
Published: June 2016

Privacy policies are supposed to provide transparency about a service's data practices and help consumers make informed
choices about which services to entrust with their personal information. In practice, those privacy policies are typically
long and complex documents that are largely ignored by consumers. Even for regulators and data protection authorities
privacy policies are difficult to assess at scale. Crowdsourcing offers the potential to scale the analysis of privacy
policies with microtasks, for instance by assessing how specific data practices are addressed in privacy policies or
extracting information about data practices of interest, which can then facilitate further analysis or be provided to
users in more effective notice formats. Crowdsourcing the analysis of complex privacy policy documents to non-expert
crowdworkers poses particular challenges. We discuss best practices, lessons learned and research challenges for
crowdsourcing privacy policy analysis.
Software maintenance research that is empirically valid and useful in practice
Authors: Juergens Elmar
Published: June 2016

For successful software system, maintenance efforts dominate initial development costs by far. However, research and
practice still place most of the attention on the initial development phase. In consequence, companies suffer
mission-critical systems that are extremely hard to maintain.

To better support practitioners in writing maintainable software, we both need an empirically sound understanding of
software properties that help or hinder maintenance and tools that are useful in practice. This requires work that
includes both research and practitioner perspectives. In this article, I outline my work towards this goal.
On robust spatial filtering of EEG in nonstationary environments
Authors: Samek Wojciech
Published: June 2016

Brain-Computer Interfacing (BCI) is a promising technology for patients that are severely motor-disabled, because it
enables them to communicate and interact with the environment. A BCI system decodes user's intentions from brain signals,
typically recorded with electroencephalography (EEG), and transmits them to a computer application that, e.g., controls
a wheelchair. The efficiency of the system largely depends upon a reliable extraction of informative features from the
high-dimensional EEG signal. Spatial filtering is a crucial step in this protocol, however, current approaches are prone
to errors when data is contaminated by artifacts or is nonstationary. This article provides an overview of a dissertation,
which has addressed the problem of robust spatial filtering in BCI. The contributions of the thesis range from the
development of regularization schemes and a robust parameter estimator for spatial filtering, to the formulation of an
information geometric view on the spatial filtering problem and the proposal of a new family of algorithms based on robust
divergences. The developed methods and concepts are applicable to a variety of problems in machine learning and signal
processing.
Scholarship and Inquiry in Early Mesopotamia
Authors: Delnero Paul
Published: June 2016

Thousands of texts documenting the activities of scribes and scholars that shed light on the social context of scholarship and scientific inquiry survive from the first half of Mesopotamian history (c. 3400bcto c. 1600bc). Since these texts provide ample evidence that scholarship occupied a central place in Mesopotamian culture and society during the period in question, examining their content is essential to reconstructing what can be known about scientific knowledge and practice in the ancient world. In this chapter some of this evidence will be considered in order to present a modest overview of the social position and intellectual processes of knowledge acquisition and inquiry during the first phase of Mesopotamian history and to address preliminarily some of the many questions that can be asked about scholarship and inquiry in early Mesopotamia.
Application of Is-Mp-Ia Model and Taylor Rule to Cesee Economies
Authors: Josheski Dushko , Eftimoski Dimitar
Published: June 2016

In this paper, the extended framework of the IS-MP-IA model has been tested. Since the appearance of the Romer’s (2000) model, a bulk of studies with its extensions have been published. Perhaps, the most notable amongst them were those proposed by Hsing (2004, 2013) and Giese and Wagner (2006) - which are integral part of this paper. The application of the extended Romer (2000) model to selected Central Eastern and South Eastern Europe (CESEE) countries (Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Ukraine) shows that on an average, higher world output and lower world interest rate and inflation have positive effect on real output. A lower government consumption to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio also increases the real output. However, the insignificant government consumption implies that the Ricardian equivalence might hold in these economies. Hence, fiscal prudence is needed, and the conventional approach of real currency depreciation, in order to stimulate exports and raise real output, is not recommendable for the selected CESEE countries. The results from this paper can be useful for the policymakers and the academia. They prove the theoretical and empirical value of the Romer’s IS-MP-IA model. From a methodological point of view, we use generalised method of moments (GMM) estimator for dynamic panel data models, that is, first-differenced GMM.
The Issues of the Management of Receivables: Lithuanian Case
Authors: Remeikiene Rita , Gaspareniene Ligita , Grigaliune Gintare
Published: June 2016

Constant changes in business environment determine the significance of receivables to business. The analysis of the current situation in Lithuania has revealed that a substantial part of business enterprises are facing the problem of overdue receivables. This issue emerged as extremely topical after the beginning of the economic crisis in 2008. A number of scientific studies confirmed that the level of receivables has a significant impact not only on smooth business operation but also on operational results and serves as the cause of numerous economic and social problems, faced by both business enterprises and the state. Rising level of receivables determines slower recovery of total economics because it has a negative impact on the sustainability of the public sector of the country. In addition, the scientists highlight economic problems such as production capacity losses, general decrease in competitiveness and failure to satisfy the debt claims. The social problems include the increase in unemployment rate, fall of living standards, dissatisfaction with poor economics of the country and uncertainty about the future. The aim of this article is to analyse the impact of receivables on business in Lithuania. The methods of the research include scientific literature analysis and statistical data analysis.
Microstructural and Corrosion Properties of Atmospheric Plasma Sprayed Alumina Coatings on AZ31B Magnesium Alloy Under Sodium Chloride Environment
Authors: kumarasamy D. Thirumalai , Shanmugam K. , Balasubramanian V. , Vignesh S.
Published: June 2016

The corrosion deterioration process of plasma sprayed alumina coatings on AZ31B magnesium alloy was investigated using immersion corrosion test in NaCl solution at different chloride ion concentrations, pH value and immersion time. The experiments were conducted based on a three factor, five level, central composite rotatable design matrix with full replications technique. Response surface methodology was used to develop the relationship. The developed relationship can be effectively used to predict the corrosion rate of plasma sprayed alumina coatings on AZ31B magnesium alloy at 95 % confidence level. The results showed that the corrosion deterioration of alumina coated magnesium alloy in NaCl solutions was significantly influenced by chloride ion concentration and pH value. The alumina coatings were found to be highly susceptible to localized damage, and could not provide an effective corrosion protection to Mg alloy substrate in solutions containing acidic environments (pH3), higher chloride concentrations and immersion time.
Preservative potential of cumin essential oil for Pisum sativum L. during storage
Authors: Kumar Narendra
Published: June 2016

The samples of stored seeds of pea (Pisum sativum L.) were collected from 30 farmer markets. The mycobiota analysis showed presence of 15 fungal species and one species of insect Callosobruchus chinensis. The fungi such as Aspergillus flavus, A. niger, A. ochraceous, A. terreus were found to be dominant based on percent frequency of each in blotter method in unsterilized and sterilized seeds 18.9-7.9, 15.0-3.9, 12.2-3.7, 10.1-1.7, respectively, and in agar plate technique 17.9-8.3, 15.1-9.5, 12.8-5, 7.9.7-6.7, respectively. These species showed reduction in terms of weight loss, germination and protein content in pathogenicity testing. Essential oil extracted by hydrodistillation from fruits of Cuminum cyminum L. was evaluated against the most common occurring funi such as A. flavus and A. niger as well as the insect species C. chinensis and the oil exhibited high toxicity. The oil killed the tested fungi and showed thermostable nature at its minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 400 ppm. The oil safely preserved pea seeds up to 120 days at 0.50 (1,000 ppm) and 0.76 ml (1,500 ppm) in polyethylene and jute bags of 500 ml capacity containing 400 g seeds separately. There were no changes in organoleptic appereance of food seeds during storage. The oil has beneficial effect on number of visible nodule formation and shoot and root dry biomass of 15-day-old plants in comparison to control sets. The cumin oil was analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).
Howlers and marmosets in Pacatuba: an overcrowded existence in a semi-deciduous Atlantic forest fragment?
Authors: Hue Thomas , Caubet Marion , Moura Antonio Christian de A.
Published: June 2016

The Atlantic forest of Brazil is extremely fragmented. This fragmentation has had a toll on the mammal’s assemblages. Although different species are not equally susceptible to fragmentation, populations of some species have become locally extinct. Primate populations in these fragments are in decline or have gone locally extinct. However, there is a dearth of information on density of primates in the highly fragmented Atlantic forest of NE Brazil. We conducted a series of censuses to record primates and other mammals in the Pacatuba semi deciduous forest (~267 ha). Most of the midsized and large mammals disappeared, even fragment-tolerant species such as sloths and coatis are missing in the area. Currently, marmosets (Callithrix jacchusLinnaeus, 1758) and red handed howlers (AlouattabelzebulLinnaeus, 1766) are the most abundant species. Howlers preferred areas with larger trees and marmosets were more common in edge habitat. Marmosets were the most abundant species (264 individual/km2). Howlers attained the highest densities recorded so far in the Atlantic forest (94.7 individual/km2), and the fragment is probably hyper abundant with howlers. The high availability of larger trees and fruit resources combined with the lack of natural predators, the reduced possibility of dispersal and the semi-deciduousness of the forest could explain these results.
Activity patterns of jaguars and pumas and their relationship to those of their potential prey in the Brazilian Pantanal
Authors: Porfirio Grasiela , Sarmento Pedro , Foster Vania , Fonseca Carlos
Published: June 2016

Jaguar and puma are the largest cats in the American continent. Competition between both species is expected due to similarities in diet and habitat use. The objective of this study was to test whether temporal separation exists between these two species and to analyze whether their activity patterns coincide with those of some of their potential prey. We used data from camera trapping to estimate activity patterns and measure the overlap between activity distributions using kernel density. The activity of jaguars and pumas overlapped extensively and followed those of some of their potential prey, suggesting a potential for competition.
A meta-analysis of neuroprotective effect for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the treatment of glaucoma
Authors: Chao Li , Na Lu , Bin Li , Botao Zheng , Shuaijie Li
Published: June 2016

Background

The aim of this study was to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of surgery combined with traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)in the treatment of glaucoma by meta-analysis based on clinical controlled trial.

Methods

All the prospective randomized controlled trialsof surgery combined with TCM in the treatment of glaucoma were searched in the databases of Medline (1960-2015.1), CENTRAL (the Cochrane central register of controlled trials 1989-2015.1, EMBASE (1980∼2015.1) and CNKI (1979-2015.1). Two reviewers independently assessed the quality of the included studies, extracted the relevant data and performed a cross-check. The pooled relative risk (RR) or standard mean difference (SMD) of surgery combined with TCM versus western medicine or surgery alone were calculated as the effect size by meta-analysis method. All the data was analyzed by stata11.0 software (http://www.stata.com; Stata Corporation, College Station, TX).

Results

Finally, eleven clinical controlledtrails with 843 subjects were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled results indicated that the surgery combined with TCM treatment procedure can significant improve the vision recovery rate compared to control group (RR=1.22, 95% CI:1.06∼1.40, P=0.005); And after treatment, the visual field in combined group was significantly improved compared to control group (SMD=0.26∼95% CI:0.09∼0.43, P=0.003).

Conclusion

Surgery combined with TCM can improve the vision recovery rate and the visual fieldin the treatment of glaucoma compared to surgery or western medicine alone.
MiR-218 increases sensitivity to cisplatin in esophageal cancer cells via targeting survivin expression
Authors: Jingjing Lin , Wangyue Wang , Qiaoqiao Xu , Jietong Ye
Published: June 2016

Objectives

Increasing evidence showed that microRNAs (miRNAs) were implicated in the chemical resistance of human cancers. We intended to investigate the role of miR-218 in cisplatin sensitivity of esophageal cancer cells.

Methods

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was carried out to analyze miR-218 expression in human esophageal cancer cell line Eca9706 and a cisplatin-resistant subline (ECa9706-CisR cells). The effects of miR-218 transfection on ECa9706 and ECa9706-CisR cell viability, including cell viability and apoptosis rate were confirmed using MTT assay, or flow cytometry, respectively. qRT-PCR was used to validate survivin as a direct target gene of miR-218 in our system.

Results

We found that miR-218 was significantly decreased in ECa9706-CisR cells compared with parent Eca9706 cells. Overexpression of miR-218 by mimics transfection would enhance cisplatin sensitivity evaluated by cell viability inhibition and apoptosis promotion. We validated here survivin as a direct target of miR-218 in ECa9706 cells, which might contribute to the chemoresistance of esophageal cancer cells to cisplatin.

Conclusions

In summary, our data suggest that miR-218 might represent as a promising sensitizer of cisplatin therapy in clinical esophageal cancer patients.
The role of interleukin genes in the course of depression
Authors: Talarowska Monika , Szemraj Janusz , Gałecki Piotr
Published: June 2016

Background

Research studies conducted in recent years have confirmed that in the absence of medical illnesses, depressive disorders are associated with upregulation of many inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-aplha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 and 6 (IL-1,IL-6). The main objective of the study was to examine whether recurrent depressive disorders (rDD) are accompanied by more profound inflammatory disturbances than the first episode of depression (ED-I). The analysis included the expression of mRNA and protein levels of three interleukins namely. IL-1, IL-6 and IL-10.

Methods

The study was carried out in a cohort of 130 patients: ED-I group – 44 patients, rDD group – 86 patients respectively.

Results

Our results suggest that there was no significant statistical difference between the analyzed groups as regards the intensity of the depressive disorders. Furthermore, No differences in the expression of IL-1, IL-6 and IL-10 genes on the level of both mRNA and protein were observed among the groups. Additionally, there was no significant interrelation been documented between the number of depression episodes experienced v/s the expression of selected genes.

Conclusions

There is no significant difference in IL-1, IL-6 and IL-10 expression between patients with recurrent depressive disorders and those suffering from the first episode of depression. 2. There seems to be no difference in acute first episode depression vs. acute episode of depression in patients with a recurrent disorder. Further larger trials are needed.
A rare case of primary pulmonary diffuse large B cell lymphoma with CD5 positive expression
Authors: Wang Tao , Zhang Mingming , Sun Jianrong , Hao Dong , Qi Zhijiang , Lu Feng , Ji Hong , Liu Weili , Wang Xiaozhi , Wu Dawei
Published: June 2016

Primary pulmonary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (PPDLBCL) is extremely rare. Its clinical symptoms and signs are nonspe cific, and imaging features also have not yet been well-defined. Further description is important for the diagnosis and treatment of PPDLBCL. Herein, we reported a case of a patient who suffered from bilateral chest pain and dyspnea. Computed tomography (CT) of chest demonstrated bilateral lung mass, consolidations and reverse halo sign, while consolidations and reverse halo sign are uncommon according to previous reports. Tissue samples were taken by CT guided needle biopsy. The histological samples showed PPDLBCL. This case was special in view of positive expression of CD5. After the case was treated by cyclophosphamide pirarubicin vindesine dexamethasone (CHOP) chemotherapy for six courses, her clinical symptoms were partially alleviated, while CT showed progression disease. This case report highlights different imaging features and characteristics of molecular biology, and reviews study progress of PPDLBCL.