bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Knockdown of Homeobox B5 (HOXB5) Inhibits Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells Through Inactivation of the Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway
Authors: Zhang Bin , Li Na , Zhang Hao
Published: March 2017

Homeobox B5 (HOXB5), a member of the HOX gene family, has been shown to play an important role in tumor progression. However, the expression and functional role of HOXB5 in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have not been defined. Thus, the purpose of this study was to elucidate
the expression and functional role of HOXB5 in human NSCLC. Our results showed that HOXB5 expression was elevated in human NSCLC tissues and cell lines. The in vitro experiments demonstrated that knockdown of HOXB5 inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion and prevented the EMT phenotype
in NSCLC cells. In vivo experiments indicated that knockdown of HOXB5 attenuated the growth of NSCLC xenografts in vivo. Furthermore, knockdown of HOXB5 suppressed the protein expression levels of β-catenin and its downstream targets c-Myc and cyclin D1 in A549 cells. Taken together,
for the first time we have shown that knockdown of HOXB5 significantly inhibited NSCLC cell proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and EMT, partly through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. These findings suggest that HOXB5 may be a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of NSCLC.
MicroRNA-940 Targets INPP4A or GSK3β and Activates the Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway to Regulate the Malignant Behavior of Bladder Cancer Cells
Authors: Wang Rong , Wu Yunfeng , Huang Weihua , Chen Weijun
Published: March 2017

In this report, we aimed to explore the role and regulatory mechanism of microRNA-940 (miR-940) in bladder cancer development. The expressions of miR-940 in bladder cancer tissues and cells were measured. miR-940 mimics, miR-940 inhibitor small interference RNA against INPP4A (si-INPP4A),
and GSK3β (si-GSK3β) and their corresponding controls were then transfected into cells. We investigated the effects of miR-940, INPP4A, or GSK3β on cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis. Additionally, target prediction and luciferase reporter assays were performed
to investigate the targets of miR-940. The regulatory relationship between miR-940 and the Wnt/β-catenin pathway was also investigated. miR-940 was upregulated in bladder cancer tissues and cells. Overexpression of miR-940 significantly increased bladder cancer cell proliferation, promoted
migration and invasion, and inhibited cell apoptosis. INPP4A and GSK3β were the direct targets of miR-940, and knockdown of INPP4A or GSK3β significantly increased cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and inhibited cell apoptosis. After miR-940 overexpression, the protein
expression levels of c-Myc, cyclin D1, and β-catenin were significantly increased, and the expression levels of p27 and p-β-catenin were markedly decreased. The opposite effects were obtained after suppression of miR-940. XAV939, a tankyrase 1 inhibitor that could inhibit Wnt/β-catenin
signaling, significantly reversed the effects of miR-940 overexpression on cell migration and invasion. Our results indicate that overexpression of miR-940 may promote bladder cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and inhibit cell apoptosis via targeting INPP4A or GSK3β and
activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Our findings imply the key roles of suppressing miRNA-940 in the therapy of bladder cancer.
Mass, Density, and Formation Constraints in the Compact, Sub-Earth Kepler-444 System including Two Mars-mass Planets
Authors: Mills Sean M. , Fabrycky Daniel C.
Published: March 2017

Kepler-444 is a five-planet system around a host star approximately 11 billion years old. The five transiting planets all have sub-Earth radii and are in a compact configuration with orbital periods between 3 and 10 days. Here, we present a transit-timing analysis of the system using the full Kepler data set in order to determine the masses of the planets. Two planets, Kepler-444 d (

) and Kepler-444 e (

), have confidently detected masses due to their proximity to resonance that creates transit-timing variations. The mass ratio of these planets combined with the magnitude of possible star–planet tidal effects suggests that smooth disk migration over a significant distance is unlikely to have brought the system to its currently observed orbital architecture without significant post-formation perturbations.
Recalibration of the MBH–σ⋆ Relation for AGN
Authors: Batiste Merida , Bentz Misty C. , Raimundo Sandra I. , Vestergaard Marianne , Onken Christopher A.
Published: March 2017

We present a recalibration of the M
BH–σ
⋆ relation, based on a sample of 16 reverberation-mapped galaxies with newly determined bulge stellar velocity dispersions (σ
⋆) from integral-field spectroscopy (IFS), and a sample of 32 quiescent galaxies with publicly available IFS. For both samples, σ
⋆ is determined via two different methods that are popular in the literature, and we provide fits for each sample based on both sets of σ
⋆. We find the fit to the active galactic nucleus sample is shallower than the fit to the quiescent galaxy sample, and that the slopes for each sample are in agreement with previous investigations. However, the intercepts to the quiescent galaxy relations are notably higher than those found in previous studies, due to the systematically lower σ
⋆ measurements that we obtain from IFS. We find that this may be driven, in part, by poorly constrained measurements of bulge effective radius (r

e
) for the quiescent galaxy sample, which may bias the σ
⋆ measurements low. We use these quiescent galaxy parameterizations, as well as one from the literature, to recalculate the virial scaling factor f. We assess the potential biases in each measurement, and suggest f = 4.82 ± 1.67 as the best currently available estimate. However, we caution that the details of how σ
⋆ is measured can significantly affect f, and there is still much room for improvement.
Gradual Solar Coronal Dimming and Evolution of Coronal Mass Ejectionin the Early Phase
Authors: Qiu Jiong , Cheng Jianxia
Published: March 2017

We report observations of a two-stage coronal dimming in an eruptive event of a two-ribbon flare and a fast coronal mass ejection (CME). Weak gradual dimming persists for more than half an hour before the onset of the two-ribbon flare and the fast rise of the CME. It is followed by abrupt rapid dimming. The two-stage dimming occurs in a pair of conjugate dimming regions adjacent to the two flare ribbons, and the flare onset marks the transition between the two stages of dimming. At the onset of the two-ribbon flare, transient brightenings are also observed inside the dimming regions, before rapid dimming occurs at the same places. These observations suggest that the CME structure, most probably anchored at the twin dimming regions, undergoes a slow rise before the flare onset, and its kinematic evolution has significantly changed at the onset of flare reconnection. We explore diagnostics of the CME evolution in the early phase with analysis of the gradual dimming signatures prior to the CME eruption.
Influence of Number of Implants and Attachment Type on Stress Distribution in Mandibular Implant-Retained Overdentures: Finite Element Analysis
Authors: El-Anwar Mohamed I. , El-Taftazany Eman A. , Hamed Hamdy A. , Abd ElHay Mohamed A.
Published: March 2017

AIM: This study aimed to compare the stresses generated by using two or four root form dental implants supporting mandibular overdentures that were retained with ball and locator attachments.METHODS: Under ANSYS environment, four 3D finite element models were prepared. These models simulated complete overdentures supported by two or four implants with either ball or locator attachments as a connection mechanism. The modelsâ€™ components were created by CAD/CAM package then were imported to ANSYS. Load of 100 N was applied at the right premolar/molar region vertically and at an oblique angle of 110Â° from lingual direction.RESULTS: Within the conditions of this research, in all cases, it was found that cortical and cancellous bone regions were the least to be stressed. Also, the ball attachment produced higher stresses.CONCLUSION: Caps deformation and stresses are negligible in cases of using locator attachment in comparison to ball attachments. This may indicate longer lifetime and less repair/maintenance operations in implant overdentures retained by locator attachments. Although the study revealed that bone was insensitive to a number of implants or attachment type, it may be recommended to use two implants in the canine region than using four, where the locator attachments were found to be better.
“The French Connection”
Authors: Guilhot Nicolas
Published: March 2017

Cet article offre quelques pistes d’analyse pour comprendre l’essor d’une discipline des « relations internationales » en France. Plutôt que d’y voir le résultat de spécificités nationales ou un produit importé des États-Unis, il tente de resituer le développement de cette discipline dans le cadre de circulations transatlantiques. Il montre les similitudes à la fois intellectuelles et idéologiques entre les trajectoires française et américaine de la discipline, largement déterminées par l’importation de la pensée politique allemande dans les deux contextes.
Des partis paradigmatiques
Authors: Roa Bastos Francisco
Published: March 2017

L’article étudie deux « classiques » de la théorie des partis : LaPalombara & Weiner (eds), Political Parties and Political Development , 1966 ; et Lipset & Rokkan (eds), Party Systems and Voter Alignments , 1967. Combinant analyse de contenus et étude sociologique des interactions des auteurs, il montre que leurs modèles théoriques divers, et leurs contradictions, s’expliquent par une adhésion partagée aux paradigmes de la « science normale » du politique de leur époque : fonctionnalisme systémique et behavioralisme. Cette communauté de pensée se fonde sur l’appartenance aux mêmes réseaux, qui consolident en retour ces paradigmes en les appliquant à un objet canonique : les partis politiques.
Thermal-Mechanical Effects and Near-Critical Fluid Dynamic Behaviors in Micro-Scale
Authors: Chen Lin
Published: March 2017

Supercritical CO2 fluid has been widely used in chemical extraction, chemical synthesis, micro-manufacturing and heat transfer apparatus, and so forth. The current chapter deals with near-critical CO2 micro-scale thermal convective flow and the effects of thermal-mechanical process. When the scale becomes smaller, new and detailed figures of near-critical thermal effects emerges. To explore this new area, theoretical developments and numerical investigations discussed and explained in this chapter. From a theoretical point of view, the thermal-mechanical nature of near-critical fluid would play a leading role in small time and spatial scales. This effect is found to dominants the thermal dynamic responses and convective structures of micro-scale fluid behaviors. The scaling effects, boundary thermal-mechanical process, instability evolutions, mixing flows and characteristics, possible extensions and applications are also discussed in this chapter.
Supercritical Natural Circulation Loop
Authors: Basu Dipankar Narayan , Sarkar Milan Krishna Singha
Published: March 2017

Supercritical natural circulation loop is a compelling technology for cooling of modern nuclear reactors, which promises enhanced thermalhydraulic performance in a simple design. Being a new concept, related knowledge base is relatively thin and involves several conflicting theories and controversies. Present chapter summarizes the observation till date, starting from the very fundamentals. The phenomenon of natural circulation and suitability of supercritical medium as working fluid are discussed in details. Different methods of analyses, including analytical, simple 1-D numerical and multidimensional computational codes, as well as experimental, are elucidated. A comprehensive discussion is presented about the effect of various geometric and operating parameters on the system behavior, from both thermalhydraulic and stability point of view. Finally, a few recommendations are included about the operation of such loops and future direction of research.
Study on Cooling Heat Transfer of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Applied to Transcritical Carbon Dioxide Heat Pump
Authors: Dang Chaobin , Hihara Eiji
Published: March 2017

Understanding the heat transfer characteristics of supercritical fluids is of fundamental importance in many industrial processes such as transcritical heat pump system, supercritical water-cooled reactor, supercritical separation and supercritical extraction processes. This paper addresses recent experimental, theoretical and numerical studies on cooling heat transfer of supercritical CO2. A systematic study on heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop of supercritical CO2 was carried out at wide ranges of tube diameter, mass flux, heat flux, temperature and pressure. Based on the understanding of temperature and velocity distributions at cross-sectional direction provided by the numerical simulation, a new prediction model was proposed, which agreed well with the experimental results. In addition, the effect of lubricating oil was also discussed with the focus on the change in flow pattern and heat transfer performance of oil and supercritical CO2.
Perspectives on the Historical Evolution of the People Side of Business
Authors: Greenfield Marianne
Published: March 2017

Determining the direction of where a field is headed often requires a reflection of its founding principles, the transformations it has endured, and the driving forces that shape its existence. For the past century the world has experienced evolutions in technology, business, and education. This chapter provides a historical review of the practices and professions dedicated to the people side of business. The origins of Personnel Management are discussed where the department formed to meet workforce needs. A transformation to Human Resource Management is explored with an examination of the influence of professional societies on practice. The reflection of the progression of this field of practice ends with a list of challenges facing Industrial Organizational Psychology practitioners of the future. A recommendation to rethink the employer-employee relationship with the workforce of tomorrow closes the chapter and hopefully encourages human resource professionals, I/O professionals, and their professional societies to embrace the next requisite transformation.
The Relationship Between Work-Life Balance (WLB) and Firm Performance
Authors: Long Choi Sang
Published: March 2017

It is paramount that firms accurately assess the cost-effectiveness of WLB policies as initiatives to conduct such policies involve cost. WLB policies should be considered due to synergistic effects by employing a variety of policies. The benefits are usually under-estimated while the costs over-estimated, as the latter is easier to measure. Until longitudinal research is conducted, we cannot discount the possibility that successful organizations are more likely to offer WLB practices, and that the practices themselves are not exerting any favorable effect on organizational performance. Instead, it might simply be that organizations offering WLB practices are more predisposed to engaging in high-quality management practices and that this approach usually generates a positive effect on employees and performance outcomes. Thus, we can surmise that improved firm performance is a result of effective management usually associated with the implementation of WLB policies in the workplace, and not solely because of WLB per se.
Protests, Social Movements and Media Legislation in Mexico 2012-2014
Authors: Lay Tonatiuh
Published: March 2017

The objective of this chapter is to describe and analyze the use of ICTs by social movements in Mexico in their attempt to keep proposed legislation from concentrating, or at least failing to dilute, the already concentrated power of the Mexican media. These technologies not only have been a means of organization and synchronization for protests and mobilization, but also, before restrictions in Mexican law, served as alternative media for citizens to obtain more truthful information and make use of their right to communicate.
Connected Living for Positive Ageing
Authors: Hasan Helen , Linger Henry
Published: March 2017

This chapter proposes that social use of digital technologies can play a useful role in meeting the social and economic challenges posed by the ageing populations in developed countries. Many citizens become increasingly isolated as they age and this has a detrimental impact on their wellbeing. The authors present research which shows how, with suitable devices and ongoing support, older people can develop the digital capability to remain connected to family and community. They can also engaged in activities that give meaning to their lives. The research shows the importance of taking an individualized approach to meeting the needs of each older person who is motivated to learn and of making this learning fun. It also demonstrates how mastering just one or two digital applications can not only enhance social wellbeing but also enable citizens to have more control of their lives and be less of a burden on others.
The Fundamentals of Organizational Citizenship Behavior
Authors: Kasemsap Kijpokin
Published: March 2017

This chapter reveals the overview of Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB); OCB and organizational factors; OCB and Counterproductive Work Behavior (CWB); OCB and organizational identification; OCB and leadership perspectives; OCB, social exchange, and organizational silence; and OCB, abusive supervision, and work engagement. OCB encompasses the positive and constructive task that employees do, of their own volition, which supports co-workers and benefits the company. When the employees feel like the citizens of the organization, they feel that their co-workers are their fellow citizens toward enhancing the helping behaviors. Organization will benefit from encouraging employees to engage in OCB, because it can increase productivity, efficiency and job satisfaction, and reduce costs and rates of employee turnover and absenteeism in the organization. The chapter argues that promoting OCB has the potential to increase organizational performance and gain sustainable competitive advantage in the modern workforce.
Communication and Job Satisfaction
Authors: Shen Libi , Austin Larry
Published: March 2017

In a business organization, communication is imperative for employers to express their thoughts, ideas, policies, and goals to their employees. Different organizational leaders or managers have various communication styles. Effective communication between employers and employees would not only boost employees' morale and job performance, but also demonstrate employers' successful leadership. Are communication and job satisfaction related? How should employers communicate so that their employees have higher job satisfaction, better engagement, lower turnover, and stronger long-term commitment? The purpose of this chapter is to explore the relationship between communication and employees' job satisfaction. This chapter attempts to provide business executives, company leaders, and scholar-practitioners suggestions with regard to developing effective communication strategies for better company management.
Experienced Stress and the Value of Rest Stops in the Transportation Field
Authors: Pietiläinen Ville , Salmi Ilkka , Rusko Rauno , Jänkälä Raimo
Published: March 2017

Work-related stress has been a long-term research focus in the field of industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology. Transportation is marginal, but an interesting context for the study as the field contains many specific characteristics related to stress phenomena. This chapter investigates the contents of and connection between work-related stress and rest stops' value in the transportation field, specifically in a lightly settled area with long geographic distances. Professional truck drivers in Finland serve as the target group for this study. The working conditions of truck drivers are unique compared to other branches where the work is not so mobile. In addition to how the truck is equipped, the services and facilities at rest stops are important elements in wellbeing. Based on the qualitative content analysis, this study offers in-depth information concerning work-related stress as an experienced phenomenon in the transportation field. Work management and legislation are highlighted as primary results while a dangerous work environment as well as isolation and loneliness are listed as secondary research results associated with work-related stress and the value of rest stops. Recommendations for future research and practical implications are proposed.
Diversity in the Workplace
Authors: Hieker Carola , Rushby Maia
Published: March 2017

The ‘diversity in the workforce' chapter looks at the current status of gender diversity in the workplace and describes initiatives that are commonly designed and implemented by organizations for their female workforce and their senior leaders in pursuit of gender parity. It is emphasized that one or two interventions in isolation will not guarantee gender parity but that a combination of interventions is necessary, depending on the size and complexity of the organization. Furthermore, it is underlined that if these interventions are perceived as attractive by senior leaders then the senior leaders should be encouraged to invest time and resources in pursuing them. It will raise their commitment to become diversity champions, which is key for sustainable change. Examples from finance and professional service firms illustrate how some of the described interventions are used to enhance diversity.
The Future of Accessibility in Higher Education
Authors: Chan Roy Y.
Published: March 2017

Higher education worldwide is facing unprecedented challenges - the dramatic rise of college tuition, rapidly increasing demands for accountability, and a complex society that demands college graduates with even more skills and capacities. To understand how higher education can effectively address these challenges, this chapter investigates the economic and social benefits of higher education and what it means for the future of accessibility in higher education. Utilizing Critical Interpretive Synthesis (CIS) and signaling theory, a comprehensive search of the literature selected 60 peer-reviewed journal articles and twenty-five books published between 2000 and 2016. The findings suggest that student expectations for a college degree tends to be very instrumental and personal, while higher education purpose of undergraduate education tend towards highly ideal life- and society-changing consequences. Eight recommendations for teacher-scholars, policymakers, and campus leaders are proposed. The ultimate goal is to help make colleges skills and degrees more accessible for students.
Tackling the Emerging New Norms in Higher Education in Post-Recession America
Authors: Webster Wayne Perry , Messitte Zach P.
Published: March 2017

This chapter will examine emerging new norms across higher education in the United States following the recession of 2008-09. Colleges and universities face an environment increasingly made up of prospective students and their families shopping and bargaining for the best college deal; institutions are struggling to control student costs by raising discount rates; administrators are seeking to find new sources of revenue and programmatic niches; and faculty are increasingly focused on how to make their curriculum more unique and relevant. Finally, higher education leaders should closely examine long-held recruitment and financial aid strategies, cost structures, academic calendars and mission to meet the new situation. This chapter will summarize the development of the new landscape in public and private higher education, including the growing similarities facing public and private institutions including their common efforts to keep higher education affordable and accessible, and conclude with recommendations for administrators as they navigate their way through the new norm.
Accessibility and Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Brown Kirsten
Published: March 2017

This chapter contributes to important conversations about accessibility in higher education by examining legal issues that shape experiences of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The chapter begins by outlining the relationship between reasonable accommodations and academic success. Then, it provides an overview of ASD in relation to postsecondary education. A substantive portion of the chapter delineates current legal topics, including federal law, case law, and Office of Civil Rights (OCR) letters. Functional limitations associated with ASD are social or sensory in nature. However, legal precedent in the United States defines the major life activity of learning in a manner that does not usually include these components, thereby limiting access to sensory and social accommodations. The chapter concludes by discussing Title IX and students with ASD that experience sexual assault, the value of neurodiversity, and future implications for accessibility as the number of students with ASD in postsecondary education increases.
Part-Time Students and Performance-Based Funding 2.0 in United States Public Higher Education
Authors: Peters Brian A , Draughon Ginger Burks
Published: March 2017

Meeting the college completion goals set by the United States Government, the Lumina Foundation, and others will require the completion of an additional eight million associate's or bachelor's degrees (Kelly & Schneider, 2012). As part-time students will make up to 40 percent of college students by 2023 (NCES, 2015), educational policymakers will need to adjust their completion agenda to account for the high number of part-time students in higher education. Drawing from the literature on part-time students and performance-based funding, the authors in this chapter propose that better attention to part-time students and factors that signal their success, combined with performance-based funding that acknowledges the need for the success of more part-time students, would be a worthwhile approach for increasing the accessibility of higher education.
Wheelchair Access and Inclusion Barriers on Campus
Authors: Amaral Maryan
Published: March 2017

Students with disabilities are achieving greater success in high school and attending post-secondary institutions at higher rates than ever before. However, disabled students are graduating at a lower rate than their able-bodied peers. Federally legislated mandates on accessibility have strengthened over the past decades, yet statistics suggest that inclusion, access, and support services for students are inadequate. Universal Design principles and barrier-free concepts are beginning to trend as possible solutions to higher education inclusion barriers. The universal design paradigm shifts the focus from providing accommodations for individual students to removing barriers in the environment and thus promoting universal access. This chapter will explore the barriers to inclusive education that students with disabilities face and propose solutions to create more inclusive and welcoming campuses that facilitate the success of all students.
Secure Buffer-Based Routing Protocol for WMN
Authors: Rathee Geetanjali , Saini Hemraj
Published: March 2017

Secure routing is considered as one of a key challenge in mesh networks because of its dynamic and broadcasting nature. The broadcasting nature of mesh environment invites number of security vulnerabilities to come and affect the network metrics drastically. Further, any node/link failure of a routed path may reduce the performance of the entire network. A number of secure routing protocols have been proposed by different researchers but enhancement of a single network parameter (i.e. security) may affect another performance metrics significantly i.e. throughput, end to end delay, packet delivery ratio etc. In order to ensure secure routing with improved network metrics, a Secure Buffer based Routing Protocol i.e. SBRP is proposed which ensures better network performance with increased level of security. SBRP protocol uses buffers at alternate positions to fasten re-routing mechanism during node/link failure and ensures the security using AES encryption. Further the protocol is analyzed against mAODV protocol in both static and dynamic environment in terms of security, packet delivery ratio, end to end delay and network throughput.
Construction of the Political Other in Citizens' Comments on Politicians' Facebook Pages
Authors: Oladapo Oyewole Adekunle
Published: March 2017

Facebook is emerging as a platform for moderately civil political discussion because of its high level of identifiability. To confirm if Facebook construction of political opposition is equally civil, this study content analyses 28 comment threads (N=3,311 comments) from the Facebook pages of four aspirants in two Nigerian gubernatorial elections. The study finds that civil comments, though mostly impolite, dominate the Facebook pages of the aspirants. It finds also a significant relationship between comment position and its politeness and civility. Neutral comments are most likely to be civil and polite while dissenting comments are most likely to be uncivil. More than others, dissenting comments constitute a potent discursive tool for othering political opposition into a politically disadvantaged position.
An Evidence-Based Approach to the Use of Social Media to Promote Political Literacy among Youth in the Sultanate of Oman
Authors: Al-Suqri Mohammed Nasser , AlKindi Salim Said , Al-Kindi Abdullah Khamis
Published: March 2017

This paper presents the findings of a review of literature to understand the issues facing the Sultanate of Oman in this area, and to identify international examples of best practice in the use of social media to promote political literacy among young people. Evidence-based recommendations for the Government of the Sultanate of Oman are developed, which include the provision of social media literacy training at school and university level, as well as the establishment of an online citizen engagement portal. By adopting international best practice in the use of social media to promote political literacy and citizen engagement among young people, it is believed that the Sultanate of Oman can provide a model for other Middle Eastern Arab states, helping to reduce the potential for political conflict in these countries and promoting participatory approaches to policy-making which reflect the growing demands of young citizens.
A Semantic Approach to Designing Information Services for Smart Museums
Authors: Korzun Dmitry G. , Marchenkov Sergey A. , Vdovenko Andrey S. , Petrina Oksana B.
Published: March 2017

The existing wide spectrum of embedded, multimedia, and mobile equipment provides an effective base for making museums smart or intelligent. By using the Internet of Things technology and the smart spaces paradigm the distance can be shortened between exhibits and their descriptive information on one side and consumers and providers of this information on the other side. In this paper, the authors discuss a smart museum concept and present a semantic approach to design of advanced information services for smart museums. The central point is introduction of the semantic layer to create a semantic network. The proposed approach reduces the semantic layer development to the following components: software infrastructure, semantic layer ontology, and mobile user access. For these components the authors provide design solutions, which are analyzed in respect to particular services for the History Museum of Petrozavodsk State University. The semantic approach can be applied to development of many museum services as well as in various digital environments of museums and cultural heritage areas.
Analytical Model for High–Level Area Estimation of FPGA Design
Authors: Singh Rachna , Rajawat Arvind
Published: March 2017

FPGAs have been used as a target platform because they have increasingly interesting in system design and due to the rapid technological progress ever larger devices are commercially affordable. These trends make FPGAs an alternative in application areas where extensive data processing plays an important role. Consequently, the desire emerges for early performance estimation in order to quantify the FPGA approach. A mathematical model has been presented that estimates the maximum number of LUTs consumed by the hardware synthesized for different FPGAs using LLVM.. The motivation behind this research work is to design an area modeling approach for FPGA based implementation at an early stage of design. The equation based area estimation model permits immediate and accurate estimation of resources. Two important criteria used to judge the quality of the results were estimation accuracy and runtime. Experimental results show that estimation error is in the range of 1.33% to 7.26% for Spartan 3E, 1.6% to 5.63% for Virtex-2pro and 2.3% to 6.02% for Virtex-5.
Improving the Utility of Social Media Data to Emergency Responders through Emotional Content Detection
Authors: Halse Shane , Tapia Andrea H
Published: March 2017

In the following paper, we will present an alternate method for the detection of emotional content within social media data. Current research has presented the traditional bag-of-words method in which a predefined corpus is used to measure the emotional context of each word within a message. Here we present a method in which a small subset of the data is labeled to generate a corpus which is then used to detect emotional content within the data. This research is being conducted on the dataset from hurricane Sandy in 2012. Our findings show an improvement upon the bag-of-words method. These findings would further the current research in improving the utilization of social media data within crisis response. In doing this we allow the average citizen to provide beneficial data to those in decision making roles.
Reengineering of Legacy Systems into Supply Chain Systems
Authors: Valverde Raul , Talla Malleswara
Published: March 2017

The paper presents data oriented and process oriented models of legacy systems. It discusses the details of systems development and evolution models mainly aiming at an ongoing reengineering of legacy systems into supply chain systems. It proposes few strategies for reengineering of both data oriented model and process oriented models. The legacy systems often miss automatic interfaces to supply chain systems, so the article presents a strategy focusing on automatic update of data of the system. Likewise, the article also presents a strategy for process reengineering in order to integrate these legacy systems into supply chain systems. Finally, a legacy system is envisioned as a comprehensive mix of both data and process oriented, while proposing a gradual ongoing reengineering of both data structures and process methods.
Building Intelligent Systems for Paying Healthcare Providers and Using Social Media to Detect Fraudulent Claims
Authors: Cook Jack S. , Neely M. Pamela
Published: March 2017

Using an interpretive case study approach, this paper describes the data quality problems in a regional health insurance (RHI) company. Within this company, two interpretive cases examine different processes of the healthcare supply chain and their integration with a business intelligence system. Specifically, the first case examines RHI's provider enrollment and credentialing process, and the second case examines the processes within the special investigations unit (SIU) for investigating and detecting fraud. The second case examines DIQ issues and how social media can be used to acquire evidence to support a fraud case. In addition, the second case utilized lean six sigma to streamline internal processes. A data and information quality (DIQ) assessment of these processes demonstrates how a framework, referred to as PGOT, can identify improvement opportunities within any information intensive environment. This paper provides recommendations for DIQ and social media best practices, and illustrates these best practices within this real-world context of healthcare.
An Evolutionary Algorithm Based Approach for Business Process Multi-Criteria Optimization
Authors: Mahammed Nadir , Benslimane Sidi Mohamed
Published: March 2017

Business processes design optimization is known as the problem of creating feasible business processes while optimizing their criteria such as resource cost and execution time. In this paper, the authors propose an evolutionary multi-criteria approach based on a modified evolutionary algorithm for generating optimized business processes. The main contribution of this work is a framework capable of (i) generating business processes using an enhanced version of evolutionary algorithm NSGAII, (ii) verifying the feasibility of each business process created employing an effective algorithm, and (iii) selecting Pareto optimal solutions in a multi criteria optimization environment up to three criteria, with use of an effectual fitness function. The experimental results showed that the authors' proposal generates efficient business processes with high quality in terms of qualitative parameters compared with existing solutions.
The Evolution Behavior of Defects in the Nanofilms of W/Cu and W Probed by Doppler Broadening Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy
Authors: Wang Ling , Deng Ai Hong , Wang Kang , Wang Yong , Lu Xiao Bo , Wang Yuan , Li Ran
Published: March 2017

W/Cu multilayer nanofilms and pure W nanofilms were prepared in pure Ar and He/Ar mixing atmosphere by radio frequency magnetron sputtering method. The defect evolution of the samples was characterized by Doppler broadening positron annihilation spectroscopy (DB-PAS).The results show that plenty of defects can be produced by introducing helium (He) into W/Cu multilayer nanofilms. With the natural storage time increasing, the helium located in the near surface of W/Cu multilayer nanofilm would be released gradually and induce the coalescence of the helium related defects due to the diffusion of the helium and defects. In addition, the pure W nanofilms were irradiated by 30 keV helium ions and 40 keV hydrogen (H) ions in sequence at room temperature. From the DB-PAS analysis, it can be shown that a large number of vacancy-type defects are produced due to the He and/or H irradiation. H ions would be trapped by He related defects and produced He-H-V complexes.
Evolution of the Helium-Related Defect in Polycrystalline Tungsten
Authors: Lu Xiao Bo , Deng Ai Hong , Wang Yong , Wang Kang , Wang Ling
Published: March 2017

The evolution of the helium-related defect in polycrystalline tungsten was studied by Doppler Broadening Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscope as functions of annealing temperature and implantation fluence. The experimental results showed that the defect type was not changed at lower annealing temperature, and the decline of S parameter manifested that the lower temperature annealing led the decrease of defect concentration. In addition there existed the same defect type with the increment of the implantation fluence, thus the rise of S parameter implied the increase of the defect concentration.
Positron Annihilation Studies on La1-xSrxMnO3 Manganites
Authors: Huang Yu Yang , Meng Yan , Huang Wen Hua , Xu Shou Lei , Xiong Ding Kang , Deng Wen
Published: March 2017

Positron lifetime and coincidence Doppler broadening spectra of La1-xSrxMnO3 and LaMnO3 manganites were measured. The effects of Sr contents on the microdefects of La1-xSrxMnO3 were investigated by means of positron lifetime results. The signals of 3d electrons of La1-xSrxMnO3 were extracted from the coincidence Doppler broadening spectra. The results show that the electron density of La1-xSrxMnO3 is larger than that of LaMnO3. The open volume of the defect in La1-xSrxMnO3 increases with the Sr contents. The signals of 3d electrons of ferromagnetic La1-xSrxMnO3 is larger than that of antiferromagnetic LaMnO3, and it reaches the maximum at x=0.33, that is, the signals of 3d electrons of the La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 is the highest in all testing samples, which corresponds to a lowest resistivity and a higher Curie temperature of the manganite. The influence of 3d electrons on the ferromagnetic double-exchange coupling and anti-ferromagnetic coupling of La1-xSrxMnO3 were discussed.
Zn-Vacancy Related Defects Identified in ZnO Films Grown by Pulsed Laser Deposition
Authors: Ling Francis Chi Chung , Wang Zi Lan , Luo Cai Qin , Anwand Wolfgang , Wagner Andreas
Published: March 2017

Undoped and Cu-doped ZnO grown on sapphire using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) were studied by positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS), photoluminescence (PL), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). In the undoped samples, two kinds of VZn-related defects, namely VZn1 and VZn2 are identified. VZn1 was identified in as-grown samples grown at relatively low substrate (~300 °C). After annealing at 900 °C, VZn-2, the green luminescence (GL) peaking at 2.47 eV and the near band edge (NBE) emission at 3.23 eV in the low temperature photoluminescence (LT-PL) were simultaneously introduced. Another kind of VZn-related defect is identified in the Cu-doped ZnO sample, and is tentatively assigned to the VZn decorated with the Cu.
Positron Annihilation Spectroscopic Studies of Cu2Te Thermoelectric Material
Authors: Ge Wen Na , Xu Ju Ping , Ye Run , Liu Jian Dang , Ye Bang Jiao
Published: March 2017

Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) and coincident Doppler-broadening spectroscopy (CDBS) have been used for investigating the evolution of vacancy-type defects in the thermoelectric material Cu2Te which annealed at different temperatures. The results of PALS show that a fraction of positrons has got annihilated at the surfaces and the sample which annealed at 450 °C has the highest concentration of surface defects. The average positron lifetime and the S parameter have the same trends which gradually increase with the increase of the annealing temperature. This change implies that the total concentration of the defects has been changed with the change of the annealed temperatures. The results of the CDBS ratio spectrum and S-W plot indicate that the defect species have no change after annealing at different temperatures.
A Microstructural Study of Acrylic-Modified Chitosan by Means of PALS and SAXS
Authors: Anbinder Pablo , Macchi Carlos , Amalvy Javier , Somoza Alberto
Published: March 2017

Chemical modification of chitosan, specially grafting with different polymers is an important strategy in the production of bio-based materials with enhanced properties. In the present study, chitosan was grafted with n-butyl acrylate, in a surfactant-free emulsion polymerization. Stable dispersions with high grafting efficiency were obtained and the microstructure of the casted films was analyzed by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy and small angle X-ray scattering. Results are discussed in terms of the number and distribution of the grafting sites.
Study of Gamma Irradiation Effect on Unplasticized PVC by Positron Annihilation
Authors: Wang Bao Yi , Yang Jing , Cao Xing Zhong , Wei Long , Yu Run Sheng
Published: March 2017

Positron annihilation technique is used to study the gamma irradiation effect on unplasticized PVC (UPVC). Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) results show that both the o-Ps lifetime and intensity decrease with the increase of gamma irradiation dose. By comparing Coincidence Doppler Broadening (CDB) results of four typical polymers using different reference sample, it is confirmed that CDB ratio curve can truthfully reflect the momentum difference of electrons which positrons annihilate with. The CDB results of gamma-irradiated UPVC using non-irradiated UPVC rather than commonly chosen LDPE as a reference sample show obvious oxygen peak, together with FTIR results, verify the appearance of carbonyl groups around the free volume.
Positron Lifetime Annihilation Study of Porous Composites and Silicas Synthesized Using Polymer Templates
Authors: Gorgol Marek , Kierys Agnieszka , Zaleski Radosław
Published: March 2017

The porous structure of polymer-silica composites, based on three polymer templates, which differ in a porosity and hydrophobicity, was examined using positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy. Additionally, the investigation of silicas obtained after removal of polymers during calcination of composite materials, was performed. In composites based on hydrophobic polymers, silica condensates only in larger free volumes, while SiO2 deeply penetrates spaces between polymer chains, when the template is polar. Moreover, the structure of the silica gel, obtained after polymer removal, depends on chemical character of the template, rather than its porosity.
Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy Application to In Situ Monitoring of n-Heptane Sorption in Mesopores
Authors: Zaleski Radosław , Gorgol Marek , Kierys Agnieszka
Published: March 2017

The dynamics of n-heptane adsorption and desorption on two silicas (Si-A and SBA-15) with different porosity was studied using positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS). Simplified method of spectra analysis consisting in the summation of counts in the long-lived part of PALS spectra was used. It allowed to observe changes occurring in the minute time scale. The dependence of the number of counts on time could be fairly well approximated by exponential functions. It was found that the time required for reaching equilibrium in long cylindrical pores is up to ten times longer than in bell-mouthed interconnected ones. The longest time constants (ca. 5 min in Si-A and ca. 60 min in SBA-15) were observed for desorption in both samples.
The Science Enjoyed by Professor Alec T. Stewart
Authors: Hyodo Toshio
Published: March 2017

Late Professor Stewart initiated and shaped the International Conference on Positron Annihilation (ICPA) series. As a first-generation experimental positron-annihilation scientist, he made full use of the angular correlation of annihilation radiation (ACAR) method. He applied this method to study Fermi surfaces of metals, positron wave-functions in crystals, positron-electron and -phonon many-body interactions, and the vacancy formation energy in solids. He also studied with this method positronium in liquids and solids (T. Hyodo, J. Phys. Conf. Series, 618 (2015) 012002). All these studies enjoyed by Professor Stewart will long be remembered by the positron study community.