bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Exploratory Study on the Development Process of Public Employment Service of Denmark
Authors:   Asia-Europe Perspective Association, Kim Ho-Won , Lee Jong-Gu
Published: June 2018

As a part of the structural reform of public sector that has progressed recent several years, since 2007 job centers of local governments have implemented an active labor market policy for unemployed person who hold an unemployment insurance fund and unemployed person who don't hold an unemployment insurance fund, and a series of changes that the policy takes effect overall are caused since August, 2009.
Also unemployment rate of Denmark is lower than average rate of EU and long term unemployment rate at total unemployment is given little weight, and mobility of labor market is high to such an extent that the 30% of total employers change their jobs every year.
In this way the successful case of Denmark is explained by ‘Flexicurity-Stability Model of Labor market'. This model guarantees re-employment by making dismissal easier but introducing a generous welfare system and supporting active job-trainings. And through this process, the model pursues both flexibility and security of labor market.
Meanwhile, Denmark case has primary implications for development of future Korean local employment policy in an aspect of organic role division of the central government and the local government on employment policy and building a governance. Especially, if we politically review transference of control from employment support center to local government in aspect of employment service structure, we should consider following facts through the Denmark case. First of all, in the Denmark case the local government provided more huge and higher quality of service than the central government. And it didn't carry out transfer of authority completely as a local government, it operated 14 trial job-centers for 3 years, and looked at the result and problem. Therefore scale and quality of the local government employment service should exceed at least the level of the central government to discuss transference of control as employment center of the local government, and we should fully examine the result and problem through operating demonstration center.
And in Denmark case, competition to some degree could be helpful to performance or result but inciting competition is considered undesirable. Therefore the case was not used for evaluating total ranking using several variables on inter-center, and it was utilized for basic data base of consulting to improve the performance of center.
So by benchmarking the application of evaluation result of Denmark, Korea also should use the evaluation not to distinguish incentives simply according to performance but to utilize for tools for each center to consult, and this could help performance improvement of employment center in the future.
The Linkage Effect of Wage Increase and Exchange Rate Fluctuation of Korean Manufacturing Industry
Authors:   Asia-Europe Perspective Association, Lee Woonghoo , Kim Jaehong
Published: June 2018

This paper analyzes the ripple effect of wage and exchange rate fluctuations on manufacturing industry in Korea through the inter-industry linkage structure, and suggests direction of government employment policy or exchange rate policy. To this end, the effects of wage and exchange rate fluctuations on the direct and indirect effects of industry and sensitivity coefficients were calculated.
As a result of the analysis, it is the 6th industry group consisting of 19, 20, 24, and 26 industries, especially those that need policy consideration. These industries are not sensitive to rising wages due to low total wage rates, but they are sensitive to exchange rate fluctuations because they have a high gross income.
Especially, the industries included here are petroleum, chemical and first metal products industry, and they are the main industries of Korea. Therefore, Korea is an industry that is highly sensitive to exchange rate fluctuations because it imports all of the raw materials of these industries and is highly dependent on exports of products. In addition, these industries are intermediary industries, which have a significant ripple effect on other industries and thus require considerable policy consideration. The VII industry group consists of 25, 29, and 33. In other words, these industries are the manufacturing industries of metal movable products and machinery equipment products, which produce finished products, which is a labor intensive industry with a low total import rate but a high total wage rate. Therefore, there is an urgent need for policy consideration for these industries in the current situation of severe unemployment. It also has a ripple effect on other industries.
Origins of Naxalism and Indian Governmental Response
Authors:   Asia-Europe Perspective Association, Chun Kwang Ho
Published: June 2018

Today, from a rebellion for land rights to a socio-political movement, posing a serious threat to country’s internal security, Naxalism has indeed, come a long way. The Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh, referred to Naxalism as a problem which is the single biggest internal security challenge ever faced by the country. As per a report published by the Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA) in 2011-2012, Naxalism has swept through nearly 40% of the geographical area and 35 % of the population. This paper attempts to bring forward two key arguments. First, Naxalism which is considered by many to be a grave problem is indeed not a problem in itself but a symptom. Secondly, the selection of ends, ways and means by the Naxal leaders has all through-out been inappropriate resulting in the protraction of the issue to the point where it rests today.
The Moderating effects of corporate culture on the relationship between social network activity and organizational commitment
Authors:   Asia-Europe Perspective Association, Bang Serin , Ahn Ji-Young
Published: June 2018

The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of corporate culture in exploring the environmental factors affecting the positive influence of social network activities on individual job attitude. Social network activities are pervasive in organizations through the forms of the formation of a social network, exchange relationship between leader and members, mentoring and learning organization. We examine how various types of organizational culture interact with social network activities and affect organizational commitment building on the typology of organizational culture using the competitive value model of Quinn and MaGrath(1985).
This study mainly focuses on whether corporate(organizational) culture has the moderating effects on the relationship between social network activity and organizational commitment. To accomplish this goal, the data from Human Capital Corporate Panel, provided by the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education & Training are utilized. In the human capital corporate panel, the 5th data added with the items of organizational commitment used as the variables were selected and the data of 10,043 workers were analyzed.
The results show that social network activity has an impact on organizational commitment, and corporate culture can moderate the aforementioned relationship between social network activity and organizational commitment. Specifically, we find that the corporate culture produces differential effects in moderating the main relationship. For instance, consensual corporate culture combined with active social network activity yield the synergistic effect on the commitment while hierarchical and development culture seem to have no potential interaction on organizational commitment.
The results imply that individuals acquire a variety of information through interactions with others, thereby perceiving such information as complementary assets to perform better. Moreover, such social activity can yield the positive interaction when the specific type of corporate culture is well aligned. More specifically, corporate culture further increases the influences of social network activities on organizational commitment that corporate members should strive to create a consensus corporate culture. In order for the social network of corporate members to be actively utilized, the following organizational behaviors, such as, teamwork, sense of unity, and trust among members that can help build the basis of consensual corporate culture, are needed. Moreover, these factors will increase the organizational commitment, which, could in turn, have potentially a positive effect on organizational performance.
Frequency of BRCA1 Mutations in B&H Breast and Ovarian Cancer Patients
Authors: Lojo-Kadrić Naida , Pojskić Lejla , Ramić Jasmin , Pojskić Naris , Bilalović Nurija , Obralić Nermina , Bešlija Semir , Bajrović Kasim
Published: June 2018

Incidence of breast cancer ranges from 27 per 100,000 in Middle Africa and Eastern Asia to 92 per 100,000 in Northern America. It is the fifth most common cause of death from cancer in women, with an estimated 522,000 deaths per year (6.4% of the total). Autosomal dominant inheritance of these cancers is characterized by transmission of cancer predisposition from generation to generation, with around 5-10% of all breast cancers being associated with inherited mutations in BRCA1, BRCA2 and other genes.  Breast and ovarian cancers are strongly associated with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. In this study, we genotyped BRCA1 gene for large genomic rearrangements in breast and ovarian cancer patients from Bosnia and Herzegovina, with aim to assess frequency of large BRCA1 mutations (exon deletions/duplications) in this group. We collected 59 breast cancer samples, as well as other data concerning patients’ histopathological parameters of tumor, like age at diagnosis, cancer type, TNM class, cancer grade, as well as estrogen, progesterone and Her2/neu expression. Following DNA extraction from breast cancer samples (tissue after biopsy), BRCA1 mutations were identified by Multiplex Ligase - Dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA) analysis. Biostatistical analyses were conducted using MedCalc v.9.2.0.0 software. In all statistical tests p<0.05 was considered significant. Mean age at diagnosis was 54±1.75 (range 17 – 80). BRCA1 genomic rearrangements were found in 22% of breast and ovarian cancer patients. Statistically significant associations and correlations were found between BRCA1 genomic rearrangements and cancer type, estrogen, progesterone and Her2/neu expression, but not cancer grade, size, invasiveness or patients’ age.
KINERJA PASAR DITINJAU DARI ASPEK KEPEMILIKAN MANAJERIAL KEPUTUSAN INVESTASI DAN KEBIJAKAN DIVIDEN
Authors: Yeni Fitri , Mayliza Riri
Published: June 2018

Performance of the company can be seen from two parts, namely financial performance and market performance. The Market Performent This study is  to examine  the effect of managerial ownership, investment decisions, and dividend policy to  market performance. Samples in this study are  manufacturing companies listed  on Indonesia Stock Exchange that provide dividends from  2013 until 2015.

Samples were taken by using the technique of puposive sampling, the data were analyzed by using Panel Data Regresion method. The results showed that managerial ownership (KP) has a regression coefficient value of 0.173 and t count of 0.594 with probability  value 0.555> 0

So concluded managerial ownership has no significant effect to market performance ,

The results show that investment decision (PER) Has a regression coefficient value of 0,214 dan thitung 2,931 With probability value of 0,005 <0,05 , Dividend Policy (DPR) regression coefficient value of -0,187 and  thitung -3,422 With probability value of 0,001 <0,05 The results show that investment decision has positive and significant effect to market performance and dividend policy has negative and significant effect to market performance. Keywords: Managerial Ownership, Investment Decision, Dividend Policy, Market Performance
ANALISIS SISTEM INFORMASI AKUNTANSI PENJUALAN KREDIT PADA CV. PUTRA TUNAS MANDIRI PADANG
Authors: Gracesia Gracesia , Zulvia Dewi , Sari Nila
Published: June 2018

In carrying out the activities of companies has very much requires adannya a informed and relevant to make decisions .One of information needed is about information company accounting that are amenable to survival perusahaan.sistem accounting information the sale of and acceptance of cash is one of the sub accounting information system which explains how should the procedure in doing the sales activity and acceptance of cash from the sale , so that the act of manipulation on the sale and acceptance of cash can be avoided(Prasetiyati, 2014). Aims to determine how credits an accounting system from the sale in cv .putra mandiri shoots and to determine whether the credit the sale of an accounting system has been implemented in accordance with an accounting system theory . In an analysis of data by using the method descriptive quantitative and results in the present study show that the sale of credit accounting information system has been an important role in supporting
FACTORS ANALYSIS OF AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF GOVERNMENT FINANCE SUBSIDIARIES (Empirical Study Payakumbuh Government)
Authors: Herman Lisa Amelia , Daswir Daswirman
Published: June 2018

This study aimed to test: 1) Effect of implementation of financial management information system to quality LKPD, 2) Effect of human resource competencies to quality LKPD, and 3) Influence of Role SPIP to quality LKPD. This type of research is classified at the research be cuantitatife. The population in this study are 10 work units (SKPD) in Payakumbuh. Selection of the sample with purposive sampling method, the number of respondents 100. The data used in this study of primary data. Data collection techniques with engineering survey by distributing questionnaires to Employees Finance, General and Human Resources, Division of Program and Admin SIPKD. The analytical method used is path analysis with SPSS. The research proves that 1) Implementation of Financial Management Information System positive significant effect on the quality of LKPD where significant value of 0.007> 0.05. β coefficient value in the variable X1 is positive which means that (H1 accepted). 2) HR Competency positive significant effect on the quality of LKPD where significant value of 0.002> 0.05. β coefficient value in the variable X2 is positive which means that (H2 accepted). 3) SPIP positive significant effect on the quality of LKPD where significant value of 0.000> 0.05. β coefficient value in the variable X3 is positive which means that (H3 accepted).
Loyalitas Nasabah Bank Nagari Syariah Cabang Bukittinggi Dilihat dari Kualitas Pelayanan
Authors: Marlius Doni
Published: June 2018

Customer loyalty is very important for companies that maintain the continuity of their business and the continuity of business activities. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of service quality on customer loyalty Bank Syariah Bank Bukittinggi Branch. The sample used counted 86 people, with method of doubled linear regression analysis. The result proves that the physical evidence has a significance value of 0.016 <0.05, empathy has a significance value of 0.023 <0.05, reliability has a significance value of 0.014 <0.05, the responsiveness has a significance value of 0.000 <0.05, the assurance has a value significance of 0.174> 0.05, that physical evidence, empathy, reliability, responsiveness and assurance have a significance value of 0,000 <0.05. Thus the physical evidence, empathy, reliability, responsiveness and collateral together have a positive and significant impact on customer loyalty of Bank Nagari Syariah Bukittinggi Branch.Keywords: Loyalty, Quality of Service
Courage and Obstinacy
Authors: Rolshoven Johanna
Published: June 2018

In German academic Volkskunde of the 1970s, scholar Ina-Maria Greverus was a pioneer in several realms. As a woman and feminist, she challenged the discipline’s gender order, including its hidden gendered epistemology; as an early reader of international cultural anthropology, she transgressed nationalistically confined horizons, and her methodological openness created space for new formats that challenged false assumption of scientific objectivity and neutrality.
Anthropology of Europe Redux
Authors: Mitchell Jon P.
Published: June 2018

For good reasons, anthropology some decades ago deconstructed the Mediterraneanist picture of familialist societies in the South. However, this deconstruction unexpectedly had its political twin in Malta’s fight against corruption to meet the conditions for EU-membership in 2004. Drawing on a deeper concept of “territoriality”, introduced by anthropologist Ina-Maria Greverus, the article considers lately observed new variants of nationalist positions that paradoxically are deeply entwined with clientelistic dynamics against the state, culminating in the recent murder of critical journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
How Monotony Transforms into Dichotomy
Authors: Zhemukhov Sufian
Published: June 2018

A nuanced reading of the current situation in the North Caucasus reveals two main trends that articulate in confrontation with Russian nationalism. First, in the eastern part of the region, particularly in Dagestan, Chechnya, and Ingushetia, a shift from nationalism to Islam has taken place, and the ties between religion and political machine are strong and visible. Second, and by contrast, in the western part of the region, including Adygea, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachayevo-Cherkessia, and North Ossetia, nationalism has increased, and the political elites seldom practice religion publicly.
Russia’s ‘Other Ummah’
Authors: De Cordier Bruno
Published: June 2018

Since the beginning of the Syrian War, ties between Russia and the Shia sphere are primarily examined in terms of geopolitics, while little attention is being paid to the indigenous as well as immigrant Shia populations in Russia itself. Depending on the motives and circumstances that brought and bring various individuals and groups to more actively-professed Ja’fari Shi’ism, these can become the most active champions of its cause, or of social movements inspired by this persuasion. As such, the Shia element in Russia might become more relevant and present than its low-profile minority state suggests.
Reviews
Authors: Slavková Markéta , Farkas Enikő , Voyloshnikova Daria , Nic Craith Máiréad , Godet Aurélie , Jovicic Suzana
Published: June 2018

Books

Azra Hromadžić (2015), Citizens of an Empty Nation: Youth and State-
Making in Postwar Bosnia-Herzegovina (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania
Press), 248 pp., $59.95, ISBN 9780812247008.

Alexandra Schwell, Nina Szogs, Małgorzata Kowalska, Michał
Buchowski (eds.) (2016), New Ethnographies of Football in Europe: People,
Passions, Politics (London: Palgrave Macmillan), 241pp., €72.99, ISBN:
978-1-137-51696-1.

Thomas Sikor, Stefan Dorondel, Johannes Stahl, and Phuc Xuan To
(2017), When Things Become Property: Land Reform, Authority and Value
in Postsocialist Europe and Asia: Max Planck Studies in Anthropology and
Economy (Oxford: Berghahn), 250 pp., $120.00/£85.00, ISBN 978-1-
78533-451-1.

Helena Wulff (2017), Rhythms of Writing: An Anthropology of Irish Literature
(London: Bloomsbury), 156 pp., £76.50, ISBN 978-1-4742-4413-8.

Films

Anja Unger, director (2016), Carnaval à Villingen: la cinquième saison,
produced by ARTE, Le Film à la patte and L’Envol, 52 minutes.

Barbed Wire Fence and Viennese Coffee Houses: A Review of the
2017 Edition of Ethnocineca International Documentary Film Festival
Vienna
Absential Locations and the Figureless Ground
Authors: Mac Cumhaill Clare
Published: June 2018

When Sartre arrives late to meet Pierre at a local establishment,
he discovers not merely that Pierre is absent, but also Pierre’s
absence, where this depends, or so Sartre notoriously supposes, on a
frustrated expectation that Pierre would be seen at that place. Many
philosophers have railed against this view, taking it to entail a treatment
of the ontology of absence that Richard Gale describes as ‘attitudinal’
– one whereby absences are thought to ontologically depend
on psychological attitudes. In this article, I aim to make Sartre’s
intuition respectable. What Sartre perceives is an ‘absential location’,
only the ‘boundaries’ of which are circumscribed by what Sartre is
doing at that place: meeting Pierre. I explain how this Sartrean view,
though not specifically attributable to Sartre, nonetheless honours
some of the phenomenological data described, if a little opaquely, in
Being and Nothingness.
Book Reviews
Authors: Gillespie John H. , Norris Marcos , Farrell-Fox Nik
Published: June 2018

Kate Kirkpatrick, Sartre and Theology (London: Bloomsbury, 2017), xi +
226 pp., ISBN 978-0-567-66449-5 (paperback).

Kate Kirkpatrick, Sartre on Sin: Between Being and Nothingness (Oxford:
Oxford University Press, 2017), xii + 262 pp., ISBN 978-0-198-81173-2
(hardback).

Gary Cox, Existentialism and Excess: The Life and Times of Jean-Paul
Sartre (London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2016), vii + 338 pp.,
ISBN 978-1-474-23533-4 (hardback).
Green Protocol: Catalyst-Free Synthesis of 2-Substituted Benzimidazoles under Ultrasound Irradiation
Authors: Menteşe Emre , Kahveci Bahittin , Menteşe Meltem
Published: June 2018

The synthesis of 2-substituted benzimidazoles from the reaction of o-phenylenediamine and an imino ester hydrochloride with ultrasound irradiation is reported. The procedure has an eco-friendly and simple workup with good yield in a short time.
Incertitude et pilotage des écosystèmes forestiers (essai)
Authors: Rosset Christian , Dumollard Gaspard
Published: June 2018

Uncertainty and steering forest ecosystems (essay)

Uncertainties are not just one element of managing forest ecosystems; they influence every dimension and are at the heart of the extraordinary complexity of this activity. This fact leads us to review the approaches and tools of forest management through the lens of uncertainty. This essay looks at this question from the perspective of three major types of uncertainty: 1) uncertainty regarding the definition of management objectives in the very long term; 2) uncertainties regarding the disturbances which can affect forest management and 3) uncertainties regarding ecosystems and their dynamics. Studying these three types of uncertainty provides food for thought leading us towards dynamic and adaptive management of forest ecosystems. From the start, the relative weight of the different uncertainties must be estimated, and focused on the field of action which is available in practice to the forest manager. Then, the rapid progress of recent years in remote sensing and IT-based decision support tools makes possible a dynamic and adaptive ecosystem management. Finally, putting in place a continuous learning process, through appropriate measures and support systems, allows us to refine even more our understanding of ecosystems.
Une nouvelle approche pour immuniser nos forêts contre l'incertitude (essai)
Authors: Messier Christian , Maure Fanny , Aquilué Núria
Published: June 2018

A new approach to immunizing our forests against uncertainty (essay)

In the present context of global change, managing our forests is a major challenge, in particular because of the great uncertainty associated with this change. Faced with this new reality, our methods of monitoring and forecasting the developments in our forests are no longer effective enough, so we have to review how we manage our forests. Complexity theory provides a conceptual framework for our approach, which leads us to adopt a more holistic and flexible way of seeing the world when planning our forest management. We must therefore accept that forests are complex and dynamic systems, and for that reason, never completely predictable. By incorporating the functional properties of trees and the complex spatial network of their populations in our forest management, and encouraging greater functional diversity and connectivity, we can immunize the forests against present and future stresses.
Traiter l'incertitude des projections climatiques (essai)
Authors: Evin Guillaume , Eckert Nicolas , Hingray Benoît , Verfaillie Deborah , Morin Samuel , Lafaysse Matthieu , Blanchet Juliette
Published: June 2018

Handling the uncertainty of climate change projections (essay)

The uncertainties associated with climate projections cannot be ignored when those projections are used. They arise from uncertainties surrounding developments for greenhouse gases, uncertainties arising from the climate models and the impact models (hydrology, biodiversity etc.), as well as the natural variability of the climate. To describe these different sources of uncertainty, and take them into account is not easy for engineers and managers, who are more accustomed to reasoning in a determinist framework. This article aims to demonstrate that statistics offers a number of approaches which make it possible to use a given multiscenario, multimodel climate projection. The simplest propose a descriptive summary of the information, while the more complex approaches can test the significance of the expected changes, to separate the different causes of uncertainty and measure each one's contribution to the overall variability. The approach is illustrated by a set of projections for temperature, precipitation and mean snow depth for a mountainous region of the French Alps. It can be easily applied to any variable whose projections have been generated through an impact model which simulates the consequences of a set of climate projections for a given sector defined in social and ecosystem terms.
‘Jumping on the Bondwagon’: The Spy Cycle in British Cinema in the 1960s
Authors: Burton Alan
Published: June 2018

The article examines the significant cycle of spy thrillers in British cinema in the 1960s. It argues that the success of the early James Bond pictures, which commenced with Dr. No in 1962, initiated a popular cycle of spy films that lasted through the decade. The interest in fictional intrigue generated by the new-style espionage stories of Len Deighton and John le Carré further fuelled the cycle, and there appeared a number of adaptations of these authors’ novels. The article pays particular attention to the critical reception of the cycle and the two styles of Bond-inspired spy thriller and Deighton/le Carré-inspired espionage drama, carefully considering the mounting reviewer fatigue regarding the overworked spy picture and recounting the decline of the cycle.
‘The trouble with treachery nowadays’: Revisiting the Age of Treason in Philby, Burgess and Maclean and Blunt
Authors: Oldham Joseph
Published: June 2018

The Cambridge spy ring has been the subject of many dramatic representations on British television. While prior scholarship has largely focused on plays by Dennis Potter and Alan Bennett depicting the later lives of such figures, this article examines an alternative tradition: representations which re-enact events at the height of their careers in the early Cold War. I focus on two productions which centre specifically on events surrounding the 1951 defection of Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean, but from hugely contrasting perspectives. Firstly, Philby, Burgess and Maclean (ITV, 1977) by Ian Curteis covers a ten-year period from the 1945 ‘Volkov Incident’ to Kim Philby's exoneration in 1955. This production closely adheres to broadly accepted accounts of the case as known in the late 1970s, and I examine this is as a product of the public service-oriented drama-documentary culture of Granada Television. I then contrast this with the revised narrative presented in Robin Chapman's Blunt (BBC, 1987). Not only does this incorporate the newly revealed ‘fourth man’, Anthony Blunt, but it also offers a more humanised portrayal of Burgess and centres much of its drama on the marginal but implicated figure of Goronwy Rees. I explore how, in contrast to Curteis, Chapman takes greater artistic licence in examining the spies' personal lives, which resulted in a wave of controversy. I argue that this portrayal can be situated within a broader revisionist school of 1980s representation which mobilised these icons of an earlier generation's ideals in order to critique new political developments.
A Novel Method for Control Performance Assessment with Fractional Order Signal Processing and Its Application to Semiconductor Manufacturing
Authors: Liu Kai , Chen YangQuan , Domański Paweł D. , Zhang Xi
Published: June 2018

The significant task for control performance assessment (CPA) is to review and evaluate the performance of the control system. The control system in the semiconductor industry exhibits a complex dynamic behavior, which is hard to analyze. This paper investigates the interesting crossover properties of Hurst exponent estimations and proposes a novel method for feature extraction of the nonlinear multi-input multi-output (MIMO) systems. At first, coupled data from real industry are analyzed by multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MFDFA) and the resultant multifractal spectrum is obtained. Secondly, the crossover points with spline fit in the scale-law curve are located and then employed to segment the entire scale-law curve into several different scaling regions, in which a single Hurst exponent can be estimated. Thirdly, to further ascertain the origin of the multifractality of control signals, the generalized Hurst exponents of the original series are compared with shuffled data. At last, non-Gaussian statistical properties, multifractal properties and Hurst exponents of the process control variables are derived and compared with different sets of tuning parameters. The results have shown that CPA of the MIMO system can be better employed with the help of fractional order signal processing (FOSP).
emgr—The Empirical Gramian Framework
Authors: Himpe Christian
Published: June 2018

System Gramian matrices are a well-known encoding for properties of input-output systems such as controllability, observability or minimality. These so-called system Gramians were developed in linear system theory for applications such as model order reduction of control systems. Empirical Gramians are an extension to the system Gramians for parametric and nonlinear systems as well as a data-driven method of computation. The empirical Gramian framework - emgr - implements the empirical Gramians in a uniform and configurable manner, with applications such as Gramian-based (nonlinear) model reduction, decentralized control, sensitivity analysis, parameter identification and combined state and parameter reduction.
Suppressing Alopecurus myosuroides Huds. in Rotations of Winter-Annual and Spring Crops
Authors: Zeller Alexander K. , Kaiser Yasmin I. , Gerhards Roland
Published: June 2018

Alopecurus myosuroides Huds. has become one of the most abundant grass weeds in Europe. High percentages of winter-annual crops in the rotation, earlier sowing of winter wheat and non-inversion tillage favor A.myosuroides. Additionally, many populations in Europe have developed resistance to acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase), acetolactate synthase (ALS) and photosynthetic (PSII) inhibitors. Hence, yield losses due to A.myosuroides have increased. On-farm studies have been carried out in Southern Germany over five years to investigate abundance, control efficacies and crop yield losses due to A.myosuroides. Three crop rotations were established with varying proportions of winter- and summer-annual crops. The crop rotations had a share of 0, 25 and 50% of summer-annual crops. Within each crop rotation, three herbicide strategies were tested. In contrast to classical herbicidal mixtures and sequences, the aim of one of the herbicide strategies was to keep selection pressure as low as possible by using each mode of action (MOA) only once during the five years. A.myosuroides population was susceptible to all herbicide at the beginning of the experiment. Initial average density was 14 plants m−2. In the rotation with only winter-annual crops, density increased to 5347 ears m−2 in the untreated control plots. Densities were lower in the rotations with 25% and even lower with 50% summer-annual crops. Control efficacies against A. myosuroides in the herbicide strategy using only MOAs of the HRAC-groups B and A, according to the Herbicide Resistance Action Committee (HRAC) classification on MOA, dropped after five years compared to the strategy of changing MOA in every year. Nevertheless, the results demonstrate the need for combining preventive and direct weed-management strategies to suppress A.myosuroides and maintain high weed-control efficacies of the herbicides.
Satellite and Proximal Sensing to Estimate the Yield and Quality of Table Grapes
Authors: Anastasiou Evangelos , Balafoutis Athanasios , Darra Nikoleta , Psiroukis Vasileios , Biniari Aikaterini , Xanthopoulos George , Fountas Spyros
Published: June 2018

Table grapes are a crop with high nutritional value that need to be monitored often to achieve high yield and quality. Non-destructive methods, such as satellite and proximal sensing, are widely used to estimate crop yield and quality characteristics, and spectral vegetation indices (SVIs) are commonly used to present site specific information. The aim of this study was the assessment of SVIs derived from satellite and proximal sensing at different growth stages of table grapes from veraison to harvest. The study took place in a commercial table grape vineyard (Vitis vinifera cv. Thompson Seedless) during three successive cultivation years (2015–2017). The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Green Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (GNDVI) were calculated by employing satellite imagery (Landsat 8) and proximal sensing (Crop Circle ACS 470) to assess the yield and quality characteristics of table grapes. The SVIs exhibited different degrees of correlations with different measurement dates and sensing methods. Satellite-based GNDVI at harvest presented higher correlations with crop quality characteristics (r = 0.522 for berry diameter, r = 0.537 for pH, r = 0.629 for berry deformation) compared with NDVI. Proximal-based GNDVI at the middle of veraison presented higher correlations compared with NDVI (r = −0.682 for berry diameter, r = −0.565 for berry deformation). Proximal sensing proved to be more accurate in terms of table grape yield and quality characteristics compared to satellite sensing.
Thinking outside the Laboratory: Analyses of Antibody Structure and Dynamics within Different Solvent Environments in Molecular Dynamics (MD) Simulations
Authors: Al Qaraghuli Mohammed M. , Kubiak-Ossowska Karina , Mulheran Paul A.
Published: June 2018

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have revolutionized the biomedical field, directly influencing therapeutics and diagnostics in the biopharmaceutical industry, while continuing advances in computational efficiency have enabled molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to provide atomistic insight into the structure and function of mAbs. Despite the success of MD tools, further optimizations are still required to enhance the computational efficiency of complex mAb simulations. This issue can be tackled by changing the way the solvent system is modelled to reduce the number of atoms to be tracked but must be done without compromising the accuracy of the simulations. In this work, the structure of the IgG2a antibody was analyzed in three solvent systems: explicit water and ions, implicit water and ions, and implicit water and explicit ions. Root-mean-square distance (RMSD), root-mean-square fluctuations (RMSF), and interchain angles were used to quantify structural changes. The explicit system provides the most atomistic detail but is ~6 times slower in its exploration of configurational space and required ~4 times more computational time on our supercomputer than the implicit simulations. Overall, the behavior of the implicit and explicit simulations is quantifiably similar, with the inclusion of explicit ions in the implicit simulation stabilizing the antibody to reproduce well the statistical fluctuations of the fully explicit system. Therefore, this approach holds promise to maximize the use of computational resources to explore antibody behavior.
Neopterin, Inflammation, and Oxidative Stress: What Could We Be Missing?
Authors: Gieseg Steven P. , Baxter-Parker Gregory , Lindsay Angus
Published: June 2018

Neopterin has been extensively used as a clinical marker of immune activation during inflammation in a wide range of conditions and stresses. However, the analysis of neopterin alone neglects the cellular reactions that generate it in response to interferon-γ. Neopterin is the oxidation product of 7,8-dihydroneopterin, which is a potent antioxidant generated by interferon-γ-activated macrophages. 7,8-Dihydroneopterin can protect macrophage cells from a range of oxidants through a scavenging reaction that generates either neopterin or dihydroxanthopterin, depending on the oxidant. Therefore, plasma and urinary neopterin levels are dependent on both macrophage activation to generate 7,8-dihydroneopterin and subsequent oxidation to neopterin. This relationship is clearly shown in studies of exercise and impact-induced injury during intense contact sport. Here, we argue that neopterin and total neopterin, which is the combined value of 7,8-dihydroneopterin and neopterin, could provide a more comprehensive analysis of clinical inflammation than neopterin alone.
Application of Biosensors Based on Lipid Membranes for the Rapid Detection of Toxins
Authors: Nikoleli Georgia-Paraskevi , Nikolelis Dimitrios P. , Siontorou Christina G. , Karapetis Stephanos , Nikolelis Marianna-Thalia
Published: June 2018

Lipid assemblies in the form of two dimensional films have been used extensively as biosensing platforms. These films exhibit certain similarities with cell membranes, thus providing a suitable means for the immobilization of proteinaceous moieties and, further, a number of intrinsic signal amplification mechanisms. Their implementation in the detection of toxins yielded reliable and fast detectors for in field analyses of environmental and clinical samples. Some examples are presented herein, including aflatoxin and cholera toxin detection. The conditions and parameters that determine the analytical specifications of the lipid membrane sensors are discussed, advantages and technology bottlenecks are reviewed, and possible further developments are highlighted.
A Novel Acquired t(2;4)(q36.1;q24) with a Concurrent Submicroscopic del(4)(q23q24) in An Adult with Polycythemia Vera
Authors: Kjeldsen Eigil
Published: June 2018

Background: Polycythemia vera (PV) is a clonal myeloid stem cell disease characterized by a growth-factor independent erythroid proliferation with an inherent tendency to transform into overt acute myeloid malignancy. Approximately 95% of the PV patients harbor the JAK2V617F mutation while less than 35% of the patients harbor cytogenetic abnormalities at the time of diagnosis. Methods and Results: Here we present a JAK2V617F positive PV patient where G-banding revealed an apparently balanced t(2;4)(q35;q21), which was confirmed by 24-color karyotyping. Oligonucleotide array-based Comparative Genomic Hybridization (aCGH) analysis revealed an interstitial 5.4 Mb large deletion at 4q23q24. Locus-specific fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analyses confirmed the mono-allelic 4q deletion and that it was located on der(4)t(2;4). Additional locus-specific bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) probes and mBanding refined the breakpoint on chromosome 2. With these methods the karyotype was revised to 46,XX,t(2;4)(q36.1;q24)[18]/46,XX[7]. Conclusions: This is the first report on a PV patient associated with an acquired novel t(2;4)(q36.1;q24) and a concurrent submicroscopic deletion del(4)(q23q24). The study also underscores the benefit of combined usage of FISH and oligo-based aCGH analysis in characterizing chromosomal abnormalities. The present findings provide additional clues to unravel important molecular pathways in PV to obtain the full spectrum of acquired chromosomal and genomic aberrations, which eventually may improve treatment options.
Assessing the Potential of Co-Pt Bronze for Electrocatalysis in Acidic Media
Authors: Kamitaka Yuji , Taguchi Noboru , Morimoto Yu
Published: June 2018

An electron-conducting mixed oxide, Co-Pt bronze was synthesized and examined as a candidate for a highly durable electrocatalyst for both the polymer electrolyte fuel cells and electrolyzers. The motivation of this study comes from the fact that this material has not been studied as an electrocatalyst in acidic media, although past studies showed a high electronic conductivity and a high corrosion resistance. Co-Pt bronze without metallic Pt was obtained by solid-state synthesis and hot aqua regia rinsing. The OER activity was found to be among the highest as a material without Ir and Ru in acidic media, and it showed extremely high electrochemical stability in the OER potential range. Its oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) was obtained after potential cycles down to the hydrogen region, which formed a thin Pt metallic layer over the oxide. While its specific activity was not more than that of pure platinum nanoparticles, its durability against the potential cycles was much higher.
The Desmosomal Cadherin Desmoglein-2 Experiences Mechanical Tension as Demonstrated by a FRET-Based Tension Biosensor Expressed in Living Cells
Authors: Baddam Sindora R. , Arsenovic Paul T. , Narayanan Vani , Duggan Nicole R. , Mayer Carl R. , Newman Shaston T. , Abutaleb Dahlia A. , Mohan Abhinav , Kowalczyk Andrew P. , Conway Daniel E.
Published: June 2018

Cell-cell junctions are critical structures in a number of tissues for mechanically coupling cells together, cell-to-cell signaling, and establishing a barrier. In many tissues, desmosomes are an important component of cell-cell junctions. Loss or impairment of desmosomes presents with clinical phenotypes in the heart and skin as cardiac arrhythmias and skin blistering, respectively. Because heart and skin are tissues that are subject to large mechanical stresses, we hypothesized that desmosomes, similar to adherens junctions, would also experience significant tensile loading. To directly measure mechanical forces across desmosomes, we developed and validated a desmoglein-2 (DSG-2) force sensor, using the existing TSmod Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) force biosensor. When expressed in human cardiomyocytes, the force sensor reported high tensile loading of DSG-2 during contraction. Additionally, when expressed in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) epithelial or epidermal (A431) monolayers, the sensor also reported tensile loading. Finally, we observed higher DSG-2 forces in 3D MDCK acini when compared to 2D monolayers. Taken together, our results show that desmosomes experience low levels of mechanical tension in resting cells, with significantly higher forces during active loading.
Raman Spectroscopy for Reliability Assessment of Multilayered AlCrN Coating in Tribo-Corrosive Conditions
Authors: Baronins Janis , Antonov Maksim , Bereznev Sergei , Raadik Taavi , Hussainova Irina
Published: June 2018

In this study, a multilayered AlCrN coating has been employed as a protective layer for steel used in tribo-corrosive conditions. The coating was deposited by a lateral rotating cathode arc PVD technology on a AISI 316L stainless steel substrate. A ratio of Al/(Al + Cr) was varied from 0.5 up to 0.6 in the AlCrN layer located above Cr adhesion and gradient CrN interlayers. A Raman spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarization scan were used to determine the resistance in tribo-corrosive (3.5 wt % NaCl) conditions. Correlation between sliding contact surface chemistry and measured tribological properties of material was supported with static corrosion experiments. The corrosion mechanisms responsible for surface degradation are reported.
Cycling Impact Assessment of Renewable Energy Generation in the Costs of Conventional Generators
Authors: Bassi Vincenzo , Pereira-Bonvallet Eduardo , Abdullah Md Abu , Palma-Behnke Rodrigo
Published: June 2018

This paper proposes a set of indicators to quantify the impact of conventional thermal generating unit cycling on its non-fuel variable costs (NFVC) due to generation mix changes in the system. A novel iterative cost adjustment framework is developed to evaluate the proposed indicators in order to assess the impacts of increasing installation of renewable resources on operation costs of the thermal units. The proposed framework allows private investors to estimate NFVC using a minimum level of information without a full knowledge of the system parameters. Additionally, the proposed framework is kept generic, which supports the NFVC adjustment for the conventional thermal units in a changing market environment. The impact of accelerated solar photovoltaic penetration on cycling and operational costs of existing thermal power plants in the Chilean power system is assessed using the indicators and methodology developed. The results suggest that natural gas driven peaking power plants are more susceptible to experiencing increased NFVC from solar photovoltaic growth than coal fired base load power plants.
Analysis of the Operation of an Aerothermal Heat Pump in a Residential Building Using Building Information Modelling
Authors: Torregrosa-Jaime Bárbara , González Benjamín , Martínez Pedro J. , Payá-Ballester Gaspar
Published: June 2018

Heating, cooling and domestic hot water (DHW) are responsible for the largest share of energy use in residential buildings in Spain and play an important role in the implementation of nearly zero-energy buildings (NZEB). Building Information Modelling (BIM) is expected to promote more efficient buildings through evaluation of different design options. BIM can be used as a platform from which to gather information that can be conveyed to energy efficiency simulation tools. The objective of this paper was to implement the model of a reversible air-to-water heat pump in EnergyPlus 8.9. This model was employed to analyze the performance of an aerothermal heat pump system (B) in a residential building under different Spanish climates compared to a conventional Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system (A). Significant primary energy savings were achieved with system B compared to system A. These energy savings were higher in climates with a significant heating demand such as Madrid (27.4%) and Burgos (33.6%), and in cities with a mild climate such as Barcelona (37%). The residential building studied in this work was classified as Class A according to the CO2 emissions scale when using the aerothermal heat pump system, and as Class B when using the conventional HVAC system.
The Effect of Price-Dependent Demand on the Sustainable Electrical Energy Supply Chain
Authors: Wangsa Ivan Darma , Yang Tao Ming , Wee Hui Ming
Published: June 2018

In order to identify the optimal structure of an electricity power network under the main assumption of a price dependent demand of electrical energy, we presented an optimization model that aims at analyzing the effect of price-dependent demand on the sustainable electrical supply chain system (SESCS). The system included a power generation system, transmission and distribution substations, and many customers. The electrical energy was generated and transmitted through multiple substations to our customers, and the demand for electricity by the customers is dependent on the price of electricity. In the study, we considered the transmission and the distribution costs which depend on the capacities of power generation, transmission rates and distances between stations. We utilized the inventory theory to develop our model and proposed a procedure to derive an optimal solution for this problem. Finally, numerical examples and sensitivity analysis are provided to illustrate our study and consolidate managerial insights.