bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Two Xenograft Materials Used in Sinus Lift Procedures: Material Characterization and In Vivo Behavior
Authors: Ramírez Fernández María , Mazón Patricia , Gehrke Sergio , Calvo-Guirado Jose , De Aza Piedad
Published: June 2017

Detailed information about graft material characteristic is crucial to evaluate their clinical outcomes. The present study evaluates the physico-chemical characteristics of two xenografts manufactured on an industrial scale deproteinized at different temperatures (non-sintered and sintered) in accordance with a protocol previously used in sinus lift procedures. It compares how the physico-chemical properties influence the material’s performance in vivo by a histomorphometric study in retrieved bone biopsies following maxillary sinus augmentation in 10 clinical cases. An X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the typical structure of hydroxyapatite (HA) for both materials. Both xenografts were porous and exhibited intraparticle pores. Strong differences were observed in terms of porosity, crystallinity, and calcium/phosphate. Histomorphometric measurements on the bone biopsies showed statistically significant differences. The physic-chemical assessment of both xenografts, made in accordance with the protocol developed on an industrial scale, confirmed that these products present excellent biocompatibilitity, with similar characteristics to natural bone. The sintered HA xenografts exhibited greater osteoconductivity, but were not completely resorbable (30.80 ± 0.88% residual material). The non-sintered HA xenografts induced about 25.92 ± 1.61% of new bone and a high level of degradation after six months of implantation. Differences in the physico-chemical characteristics found between the two HA xenografts determined a different behavior for this material.
Fracture Surface Morphology and Impact Strength of Cellulose/PLA Composites
Authors: Gao Honghong , Qiang Tao
Published: June 2017

Polylactide (PLA)-based composite materials reinforced with ball-milled celluloses were manufactured by extrusion blending followed by injection molding. Their surface morphology from impact fracture were imaged with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and investigated by calculating their fractal dimensions. Then, linear regression was used to explore the relationship between fractal dimension and impact strength of the resultant cellulose/PLA composite materials. The results show that filling the ball-milled celluloses into PLA can improve the impact toughness of PLA by a minimum of 38%. It was demonstrated that the fracture pattern of the cellulose/PLA composite materials is different from that of pristine PLA. For the resultant composite materials, the fractal dimension of the impact fractured surfaces increased with increasing filling content and decreasing particle size of the ball-milled cellulose particles. There were highly positive correlations between fractal dimension of the fractured surfaces and impact strength of the cellulose/PLA composites. However, the linearity between fractal dimension and impact strength were different for the different methods, due to their different R-squared values. The approach presented in this work will help to understand the structure–property relationships of composite materials from a new perspective.
Characterization and Separation Studies of a Fine Sedimentary Phosphate Ore Slime
Authors: Liu Xin , Zhang Yimin , Liu Tao , Cai Zhenlei , Sun Kun
Published: June 2017

Detailed characterization and recovery of apatite from a sedimentary phosphate ore slime of a gravity plant of Yichang, China, were investigated. The phosphate ore slime consisted mainly of apatite, quartz, dolomite, and clay. To start with, the ore slime was characterized in sufficient detail to reveal that it is extremely fine in distribution with a d50 of 65 μm. Other different characterizations, such as apatite grain size distribution, apatite liberation, particle density distribution, and theoretical grade recovery, were also analyzed by mineral liberation analyser (MLA). Based on the results, a new gravity-flotation process, which was comprised of spiral gravity and reverse flotation, was proposed to process the slime. In the new process, the apatite was firstly recovered by two-stage spiral gravity, avoiding direct flotation. The gravity concentrate was the feed for the reverse flotation. A phosphate concentrate of 30.51% P2O5 with a P2O5 recovery of 89.00% can be produced from the slime analyzing 24.25% P2O5. Compared to the conventional direct-reverse flotation process, it was found that the reagent cost of the new gravity-flotation process was lower a quarter than that of the direct-reverse flotation flowsheet.
Evaluating the Differences in Modeling Biophysical Attributes between Deciduous Broadleaved and Evergreen Conifer Forests Using Low-Density Small-Footprint LiDAR Data
Authors: Awaya Yoshio , Takahashi Tomoaki
Published: June 2017

Airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) has been used for forest biomass estimation for the past three decades. The performance of estimation, in particular, has been of great interest. However, the difference in the performance of estimation between stem volume (SV) and total dry biomass (TDB) estimations has been a priority topic. We compared the performances between SV and TDB estimations for evergreen conifer and deciduous broadleaved forests by correlation and regression analyses and by combining height and no-height variables to identify statistically useful variables. Thirty-eight canopy variables, such as average and standard deviation of the canopy height, as well as the mid-canopy height of the stands, were computed using LiDAR point data. For the case of conifer forests, TDB showed greater correlation than SV; however, the opposite was the case for deciduous broadleaved forests. The average- and mid-canopy height showed the greatest correlation with TDB and SV for conifer and deciduous broadleaved forests, respectively. Setting the best variable as the first and no-height variables as the second variable, a stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed. Predictions by selected equations slightly underestimated the field data used for validation, and their correlation was very high, exceeding 0.9 for coniferous forests. The coefficient of determination of the two-variable equations was smaller than that of the one-variable equation for broadleaved forests. It is suggested that canopy structure variables were not effective for broadleaved forests. The SV and TDB maps showed quite different frequency distributions. The ratio of the stem part of the broadleaved forest is smaller than that of the coniferous forest. This suggests that SV was relatively smaller than TDB for the case of broadleaved forests compared with coniferous forests, resulting in a more even spatial distribution of TDB than that of SV.
A Novel Technique for Sterilization Using a Power Self-Regulated Single-Mode Microwave Cavity
Authors: Reverte-Ors Juan , Pedreño-Molina Juan , Fernández Pablo , Lozano-Guerrero Antonio , Periago Paula , Díaz-Morcillo Alejandro
Published: June 2017

In this paper, a novel technique to achieve precise temperatures in food sterilization has been proposed. An accurate temperature profile is needed in order to reach a commitment between the total removal of pathogens inside the product and the preservation of nutritional and organoleptic characteristics. The minimal variation of the target temperature in the sample by means of a monitoring and control software platform, allowing temperature stabilization over 100 °C, is the main goal of this work. A cylindrical microwave oven, under pressure conditions and continuous control of the microwave supply power as function of the final temperature inside the sample, has been designed and developed with conditions of single-mode resonance. The uniform heating in the product is achieved by means of sample movement and the self-regulated power control using the measured temperature. Finally, for testing the sterilization of food with this technology, specific biological validation based on Bacillus cereus as a biosensor of heat inactivation has been incorporated as a distribution along the sample in the experimental process to measure the colony-forming units (CFUs) for different food samples (laboratory medium, soup, or fish-based animal by-products). The obtained results allow the validation of this new technology for food sterilization with precise control of the microwave system to ensure the uniform elimination of pathogens using high temperatures.
A Capacitance-To-Digital Converter for MEMS Sensors for Smart Applications
Authors: Pérez Sanjurjo Javier , Prefasi Enrique , Buffa Cesare , Gaggl Richard
Published: June 2017

The use of MEMS sensors has been increasing in recent years. To cover all the applications, many different readout circuits are needed. To reduce the cost and time to market, a generic capacitance-to-digital converter (CDC) seems to be the logical next step. This work presents a configurable CDC designed for capacitive MEMS sensors. The sensor is built with a bridge of MEMS, where some of them function with pressure. Then, the capacitive to digital conversion is realized using two steps. First, a switched-capacitor (SC) preamplifier is used to make the capacitive to voltage (C-V) conversion. Second, a self-oscillated noise-shaping integrating dual-slope (DS) converter is used to digitize this magnitude. The proposed converter uses time instead of amplitude resolution to generate a multibit digital output stream. In addition it performs noise shaping of the quantization error to reduce measurement time. This article shows the effectiveness of this method by measurements performed on a prototype, designed and fabricated using standard 0.13 µm CMOS technology. Experimental measurements show that the CDC achieves a resolution of 17 bits, with an effective area of 0.317 mm2, which means a pressure resolution of 1 Pa, while consuming 146 µA from a 1.5 V power supply.
Tyrosinase-Based Biosensors for Selective Dopamine Detection
Authors: Florescu Monica , David Melinda
Published: June 2017

A novel tyrosinase-based biosensor was developed for the detection of dopamine (DA). For increased selectivity, gold electrodes were previously modified with cobalt (II)-porphyrin (CoP) film with electrocatalytic activity, to act both as an electrochemical mediator and an enzyme support, upon which the enzyme tyrosinase (Tyr) was cross-linked. Differential pulse voltammetry was used for electrochemical detection and the reduction current of dopamine-quinone was measured as a function of dopamine concentration. Our experiments demonstrated that the presence of CoP improves the selectivity of the electrode towards dopamine in the presence of ascorbic acid (AA), with a linear trend of concentration dependence in the range of 2–30 µM. By optimizing the conditioning parameters, a separation of 130 mV between the peak potentials for ascorbic acid AA and DA was obtained, allowing the selective detection of DA. The biosensor had a sensitivity of 1.22 ± 0.02 µA·cm−2·µM−1 and a detection limit of 0.43 µM. Biosensor performances were tested in the presence of dopamine medication, with satisfactory results in terms of recovery (96%), and relative standard deviation values below 5%. These results confirmed the applicability of the biosensors in real samples such as human urine and blood serum.
Improving Multidimensional Wireless Sensor Network Lifetime Using Pearson Correlation and Fractal Clustering
Authors: Almeida Fernando , Brayner Angelo , Rodrigues Joel , Maia Jose
Published: June 2017

An efficient strategy for reducing message transmission in a wireless sensor network (WSN) is to group sensors by means of an abstraction denoted cluster. The key idea behind the cluster formation process is to identify a set of sensors whose sensed values present some data correlation. Nowadays, sensors are able to simultaneously sense multiple different physical phenomena, yielding in this way multidimensional data. This paper presents three methods for clustering sensors in WSNs whose sensors collect multidimensional data. The proposed approaches implement the concept of multidimensional behavioral clustering. To show the benefits introduced by the proposed methods, a prototype has been implemented and experiments have been carried out on real data. The results prove that the proposed methods decrease the amount of data flowing in the network and present low root-mean-square error (RMSE).
An Empirical Study of the Transmission Power Setting for Bluetooth-Based Indoor Localization Mechanisms
Authors: Castillo-Cara Manuel , Lovón-Melgarejo Jesús , Bravo-Rocca Gusseppe , Orozco-Barbosa Luis , García-Varea Ismael
Published: June 2017

Nowadays, there is a great interest in developing accurate wireless indoor localization mechanisms enabling the implementation of many consumer-oriented services. Among the many proposals, wireless indoor localization mechanisms based on the Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) are being widely explored. Most studies have focused on the evaluation of the capabilities of different mobile device brands and wireless network technologies. Furthermore, different parameters and algorithms have been proposed as a means of improving the accuracy of wireless-based localization mechanisms. In this paper, we focus on the tuning of the RSSI fingerprint to be used in the implementation of a Bluetooth Low Energy 4.0 (BLE4.0) Bluetooth localization mechanism. Following a holistic approach, we start by assessing the capabilities of two Bluetooth sensor/receiver devices. We then evaluate the relevance of the RSSI fingerprint reported by each BLE4.0 beacon operating at various transmission power levels using feature selection techniques. Based on our findings, we use two classification algorithms in order to improve the setting of the transmission power levels of each of the BLE4.0 beacons. Our main findings show that our proposal can greatly improve the localization accuracy by setting a custom transmission power level for each BLE4.0 beacon.
Artificial Neural Network-Based Early-Age Concrete Strength Monitoring Using Dynamic Response Signals
Authors: Kim Junkyeong , Lee Chaggil , Park Seunghee
Published: June 2017

Concrete is one of the most common materials used to construct a variety of civil infrastructures. However, since concrete might be susceptible to brittle fracture, it is essential to confirm the strength of concrete at the early-age stage of the curing process to prevent unexpected collapse. To address this issue, this study proposes a novel method to estimate the early-age strength of concrete, by integrating an artificial neural network algorithm with a dynamic response measurement of the concrete material. The dynamic response signals of the concrete, including both electromechanical impedances and guided ultrasonic waves, are obtained from an embedded piezoelectric sensor module. The cross-correlation coefficient of the electromechanical impedance signals and the amplitude of the guided ultrasonic wave signals are selected to quantify the variation in dynamic responses according to the strength of the concrete. Furthermore, an artificial neural network algorithm is used to verify a relationship between the variation in dynamic response signals and concrete strength. The results of an experimental study confirm that the proposed approach can be effectively applied to estimate the strength of concrete material from the early-age stage of the curing process.
Faller Classification in Older Adults Using Wearable Sensors Based on Turn and Straight-Walking Accelerometer-Based Features
Authors: Drover Dylan , Howcroft Jennifer , Kofman Jonathan , Lemaire Edward
Published: June 2017

Faller classification in elderly populations can facilitate preventative care before a fall occurs. A novel wearable-sensor based faller classification method for the elderly was developed using accelerometer-based features from straight walking and turns. Seventy-six older individuals (74.15 ± 7.0 years), categorized as prospective fallers and non-fallers, completed a six-minute walk test with accelerometers attached to their lower legs and pelvis. After segmenting straight and turn sections, cross validation tests were conducted on straight and turn walking features to assess classification performance. The best “classifier model—feature selector” combination used turn data, random forest classifier, and select-5-best feature selector (73.4% accuracy, 60.5% sensitivity, 82.0% specificity, and 0.44 Matthew’s Correlation Coefficient (MCC)). Using only the most frequently occurring features, a feature subset (minimum of anterior-posterior ratio of even/odd harmonics for right shank, standard deviation (SD) of anterior left shank acceleration SD, SD of mean anterior left shank acceleration, maximum of medial-lateral first quartile of Fourier transform (FQFFT) for lower back, maximum of anterior-posterior FQFFT for lower back) achieved better classification results, with 77.3% accuracy, 66.1% sensitivity, 84.7% specificity, and 0.52 MCC score. All classification performance metrics improved when turn data was used for faller classification, compared to straight walking data. Combining turn and straight walking features decreased performance metrics compared to turn features for similar classifier model—feature selector combinations.
Left–Right Asymmetry in Spectral Characteristics of Lung Sounds Detected Using a Dual-Channel Auscultation System in Healthy Young Adults
Authors: Tsai Jang-Zern , Chang Ming-Lang , Yang Jiun-Yue , Kuo Dar , Lin Ching-Hsiung , Kuo Cheng-Deng
Published: June 2017

Though lung sounds auscultation is important for the diagnosis and monitoring of lung diseases, the spectral characteristics of lung sounds have not been fully understood. This study compared the spectral characteristics of lung sounds between the right and left lungs and between healthy male and female subjects using a dual-channel auscultation system. Forty-two subjects aged 18–22 years without smoking habits and any known pulmonary diseases participated in this study. The lung sounds were recorded from seven pairs of auscultation sites on the chest wall simultaneously. We found that in four out of seven auscultation pairs, the lung sounds from the left lung had a higher total power (PT) than those from the right lung. The PT of male subjects was higher than that of female ones in most auscultation pairs. The ratio of inspiration power to expiration power (RI/E) of lung sounds from the right lung was greater than that from the left lung at auscultation pairs on the anterior chest wall, while this phenomenon was reversed at auscultation pairs on the posterior chest wall in combined subjects, and similarly in both male and female subjects. Though the frequency corresponding to maximum power density of lung sounds (FMPD) from the left and right lungs was not significantly different, the frequency that equally divided the power spectrum of lung sounds (F50) from the left lung was significantly smaller than that from the right lung at auscultation site on the anterior and lateral chest walls, while it was significantly larger than that of from the right lung at auscultation site on the posterior chest walls. In conclusion, significant differences in the PT, FMPD, F50, and RI/E between the left and right lungs at some auscultation pairs were observed by using a dual-channel auscultation system in this study. Structural differences between the left and the right lungs, between the female and male subjects, and between anterior and posterior lungs might account for the observed differences in the spectral characteristics of lung sounds. The dual-channel auscultation system might be useful for future development of digital stethoscopes and power spectral analysis of lung sounds in patients with various kinds of cardiopulmonary diseases.
A Comparison of Implicit and Explicit Motor Sequence Learning in Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Sarabandi Maliheh
Published: June 2017

This study tends to assess implicit and explicit types of motor learning in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and normal peers by means of a serial reaction time. Sample size was 15 for each group and Samples included 30 patients with MS and 30 normal peers and were assigned to implicit and explicit learning groups. A repeated measures ANOVA was used for measuring reaction time and response error, and a paired samples t-test was used to compare regular and irregular sequence data in each group. Comparison of these two types of learning in speed (response time) and accuracy (number of errors) showed the number of errors (P = 0.012) and response time (P = 0.012) in the implicit motor learning group of MS patients and the number of errors (P = 0.096) and response time (P = 0.954) in the explicit motor learning group of MS patients. Moreover, comparison showed the number of errors (P = 0.008) and response time (P = 0.05) in the implicit group of normal peers and the number of errors (P = 0.011) and response time (P = 0.442) in the explicit group of normal peers. The results showed that explaining and describing the task is less effective at training the motor sequence of MS patients and that these patients benefit more from implicit learning.
Vulnerability Assessment in African Villages under Conditions of Land Use and Climate Change: Case Studies from Mkomazi and Keiskamma
Authors: Grothmann Torsten , Petzold Maximilian , Ndaki Patrick , Kakembo Vincent , Siebenhüner Bernd , Kleyer Michael , Yanda Pius , Ndou Naledzani
Published: June 2017

While most climate change vulnerability assessments focus on regional or city-levels, this paper studies villages and their different forms of vulnerability vis-
Using BP Neural Networks to Prioritize Risk Management Approaches for China’s Unconventional Shale Gas Industry
Authors: Dong Cong , Dong Xiucheng , Gehman Joel , Lefsrud Lianne
Published: June 2017

This article is motivated by a conundrum: How can shale gas development be encouraged and managed without complete knowledge of the associated risks? To answer this question, we used back propagation (BP) neural networks and expert scoring to quantify the relative risks of shale gas development across 12 provinces in China. The results show that the model performs well with high predictive accuracy. Shale gas development risks in the provinces of Sichuan, Chongqing, Shaanxi, Hubei, and Jiangsu are relatively high (0.4~0.6), while risks in the provinces of Xinjiang, Guizhou, Yunnan, Anhui, Hunan, Inner Mongolia, and Shanxi are even higher (0.6~1). We make several recommendations based on our findings. First, the Chinese government should promote shale gas development in Sichuan, Chongqing, Shaanxi, Hubei, and Jiangsu Provinces, while considering environmental, health, and safety risks by using demonstration zones to test new technologies and tailor China’s regulatory structures to each province. Second, China’s extremely complex geological conditions and resource depths prevent direct application of North American technologies and techniques. We recommend using a risk analysis prioritization method, such as BP neural networks, so that policymakers can quantify the relative risks posed by shale gas development to optimize the allocation of resources, technology and infrastructure development to minimize resource, economic, technical, and environmental risks. Third, other shale gas industry developments emphasize the challenges of including the many parties with different, often conflicting expectations. Government and enterprises must collaboratively collect and share information, develop risk assessments, and consider risk management alternatives to support science-based decision-making with the diverse parties.
Elderly’s Travel Patterns and Trends: The Empirical Analysis of Beijing
Authors: Liu Wenzhi , Lu Huapu , Sun Zhiyuan , Liu Jing
Published: June 2017

Travel by the elderly is generally characterized by relatively short distances and low frequencies. However, with social development, the travel patterns of the elderly are lacking in sustainability. In some European countries, the elderly are increasingly dependent on cars while traveling. In addition, the influencing factors of the elderly’s travel behavior are also changing. At present, most foreign and domestic studies focus on the impact of individual and household socioeconomic attributes, travel attributes, and policy factors on the travel frequency, travel mode choice, and travel demand of the elderly, but they lack an analysis of the regional differences of the elderly’s travel behavior characteristics and related countermeasures. The studies excessively focus on the influencing factors but overlook the difference between the elderly’s travel characteristics and young people’s travel characteristics, as well as the interactions at the household level. Based on data from the Fifth Travel Survey of Residents in Beijing 2014, this paper uses variance analysis, Spearman’s correlation analysis, and descriptive and comparative analysis to study the difference in travel frequency over 24 hours between the elderly and middle-aged/young people in Beijing, the impact of household, individual, and travel attributes on the travel frequency difference, and the regional difference in the elderly’s travel behavior characteristics. The results show that there is a significant difference in travel frequency between the elderly group and the middle-aged/young group in Beijing; the main reason is the individual difference between travelers. Travelers’ attributes all exert an influence on the travel frequency of both groups, but the degree and direction of the influence are different. At the household level, middle-aged/young people with a higher household income travel less frequently, whereas the case is completely the opposite for the elderly. In terms of personal attributes, gender has a significant negative effect on the elderly’s travel frequency; that is, women travel less than men, whereas there is no difference between men and women in middle-aged/young people. Regarding travel attributes, travel distance and travel duration have a significant negative effect on the two groups’ travel frequencies. The elderly in some European countries are more dependent on cars, whereas a large proportion of elderly people in Beijing walk on foot, but the degree of dependence on cars of the “new generation” of the elderly in Beijing will increase rapidly, which will bring the lack of sustainability of travel patterns, further bringing new challenges to policymakers and transport planning departments.
Characterization of Asian Corn Borer Resistance to Bt Toxin Cry1Ie
Authors: Wang Yueqin , Yang Jing , Quan Yudong , Wang Zhenying , Cai Wanzhi , He Kanglai
Published: June 2017

A strain of the Asian corn borer (ACB), Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée), has evolved >800-fold resistance to Cry1Ie (ACB-IeR) after 49 generations of selection. The inheritance pattern of resistance to Cry1Ie in ACB-IeR strain and its cross-resistance to other Bt toxins were determined through bioassay by exposing neonates from genetic-crosses to toxins incorporated into the diet. The response of progenies from reciprocal F1 crosses were similar (LC50s: 76.07 vs. 74.32 μg/g), which suggested the resistance was autosomal. The effective dominance (h) decreased as concentration of Cry1Ie increased. h was nearly recessive or incompletely recessive on Cry1Ie maize leaf tissue (h = 0.02), but nearly dominant or incompletely dominant (h = 0.98) on Cry1Ie maize silk. Bioassay of the backcross suggested that the resistance was controlled by more than one locus. In addition, the resistant strain did not perform cross-resistance to Cry1Ab (0.8-fold), Cry1Ac (0.8-fold), Cry1F (0.9-fold), and Cry1Ah (1.0-fold). The present study not only offers the manifestation for resistance management, but also recommends that Cry1Ie will be an appropriate candidate for expression with Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, Cry1F, or Cry1Ah for the development of Bt maize.
Perceiving Musical Note Values Causes Spatial Shift of Attention in Musicians
Authors: Prpic Valter
Published: June 2017

The Spatial-Numerical Association of Response Codes (SNARC) suggests the existence of an association between number magnitude and response position, with faster left-key responses to small numbers and faster right-key responses to large numbers. The attentional SNARC effect (Att-SNARC) suggests that perceiving numbers can also affect the allocation of spatial attention, causing a leftward (vs. rightward) target detection advantage after perceiving small (vs. large) numbers. Considering previous findings that revealed similar spatial association effects for both numbers and musical note values (i.e., the relative duration of notes), the aim of this study is to investigate whether presenting note values instead of numbers causes a spatial shift of attention in musicians. The results show an advantage in detecting a leftward (vs. rightward) target after perceiving small (vs. large) musical note values. The fact that musical note values cause a spatial shift of attention strongly suggests that musicians process numbers and note values in a similar manner.
Can Statistical Machine Learning Algorithms Help for Classification of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Severity to Optimal Utilization of Polysomno graphy Resources?
Authors: Bostanci Asli , Turhan Murat , Bozkurt Selen
Published: June 2017

Objectives: The goal of this study is to evaluate the results of machine learning methods for the classification of OSA severity of patients with suspected sleep disorder breathing as normal, mild, moderate and severe based on non-polysomnographic variables: 1) clinical data, 2) symptoms and 3) physical examination.

Methods: In order to produce classification models for OSA severity, five different machine learning methods (Bayesian network, Decision Tree, Random Forest, Neural Networks and Logistic Regression) were trained while relevant variables and their relationships were derived empirically from observed data. Each model was trained and evaluated using 10-fold cross-validation and to evaluate classification performances of all methods, true positive rate (TPR), false positive rate (FPR), Positive Predictive Value (PPV), F measure and Area Under Receiver Operating Characteristics curve (ROC-AUC) were used.

Results: Results of 10-fold cross validated tests with different variable settings promisingly indicated that the OSA severity of suspected OSA patients can be classified, using non-polysomnographic features, with 0.71 true positive rate as the highest and, 0.15 false positive rate as the lowest, respectively. Moreover, the test results of different variables settings revealed that the accuracy of the classification models was significantly improved when physical examination variables were added to the model.

Conclusions: Study results showed that machine learning methods can be used to estimate the probabilities of no, mild, moderate, and severe obstructive sleep apnea and such approaches may improve accurate initial OSA screening and help referring only the suspected moderate or severe OSA patients to sleep laboratories for the expensive tests.
Plant–pollinator interactions under climate change: The use of spatial and temporal transplants
Authors: Morton Eva M. , Rafferty Nicole E.
Published: June 2017

Climate change is affecting both the timing of life history events and the spatial distributions of many species, including plants and pollinators. Shifts in phenology and range affect not only individual plant and pollinator species but also interactions among them, with possible negative consequences for both parties due to unfavorable abiotic conditions or mismatches caused by differences in shift magnitude or direction. Ultimately, population extinctions and reductions in pollination services could occur as a result of these climate change–induced shifts, or plants and pollinators could be buffered by plastic or genetic responses or novel interactions. Either scenario will likely involve altered selection pressures, making an understanding of plasticity and local adaptation in space and time especially important. In this review, we discuss two methods for studying plant–pollinator interactions under climate change: spatial and temporal transplants, both of which offer insight into whether plants and pollinators will be able to adapt to novel conditions. We discuss the advantages and limitations of each method and the future possibilities for this area of study. We advocate for consideration of how joint shifts in both dimensions might affect plant–pollinator interactions and point to key insights that can be gained with experimental transplants.
Total syntheses of the archazolids: an emerging class of novel anticancer drugs
Authors: Scheeff Stephan , Menche Dirk
Published: June 2017

V-ATPase has recently emerged as a promising novel anticancer target based on extensive in vitro and in vivo studies with the archazolids, complex polyketide macrolides which present the most potent V-ATPase inhibitors known to date, rendering these macrolides important lead structures for the development of novel anticancer agents. The limited natural supply of these metabolites from their myxobacterial source renders total synthesis of vital importance for the further preclinical development. This review describes in detail the various tactics and strategies employed so far in archazolid syntheses that culminated in three total syntheses and discusses the future synthetic challenges that have to be addressed.
Effects of Device on Video Head Impulse Test (vHIT) Gain
Authors: Janky Kristen L. , Patterson Jessie N. , Shepard Neil T. , Thomas Megan L. A. , Honaker Julie A.
Published: June 2017

Background:Numerous video head impulse test (vHIT) devices are available commercially; however, gain is not calculated uniformly. An evaluation of these devices/algorithms in healthy controls and patients with vestibular loss is necessary for comparing and synthesizing work that
utilizes different devices and gain calculations.Purpose:Using three commercially available vHIT devices/algorithms, the purpose of the present study was to compare: (1) horizontal canal vHIT gain among devices/algorithms in normal control subjects; (2) the effects of age on vHIT gain
for each device/algorithm in normal control subjects; and (3) the clinical performance of horizontal canal vHIT gain between devices/algorithms for differentiating normal versus abnormal vestibular function.Research Design:Prospective.Study Sample:Sixty-one normal control adult
subjects (range 20‐78) and eleven adults with unilateral or bilateral vestibular loss (range 32‐79).Data Collection and Analysis:vHIT was administered using three different devices/algorithms, randomized in order, for each subject on the same day: (1) Impulse (Otometrics,
Schaumberg, IL; monocular eye recording, right eye only; using area under the curve gain), (2) EyeSeeCam (Interacoustics, Denmark; monocular eye recording, left eye only; using instantaneous gain), and (3) VisualEyes (MicroMedical, Chatham, IL, binocular eye recording; using position gain).Results:There
was a significant mean difference in vHIT gain among devices/algorithms for both the normal control and vestibular loss groups. vHIT gain was significantly larger in the ipsilateral direction of the eye used to measure gain; however, in spite of the significant mean differences in vHIT gain
among devices/algorithms and the significant directional bias, classification of “normal” versus “abnormal” gain is consistent across all compared devices/algorithms, with the exception of instantaneous gain at 40 msec. There was not an effect of age on vHIT gain up
to 78 years regardless of the device/algorithm.Conclusions:These findings support that vHIT gain is significantly different between devices/algorithms, suggesting that care should be taken when making direct comparisons of absolute gain values between devices/algorithms.
Heating of Porous Icy Dust Aggregates
Authors: Sirono Sin-iti
Published: June 2017

At the beginning of planetary formation, highly porous dust aggregates are formed through coagulation of dust grains. Outside the snowline, the main component of an aggregate is H2O ice. Because H2O ice is formed in amorphous form, its thermal conductivity is extremely small. Therefore, the thermal conductivity of an icy dust aggregate is low. There is a possibility of heating inside an aggregate owing to the decay of radionuclides. It is shown that the temperature increases substantially inside an aggregate, leading to crystallization of amorphous ice. During the crystallization, the temperature further increases sufficiently to continue sintering. The mechanical properties of icy dust aggregates change, and the collisional evolution of dust aggregates is affected by the sintering.
Discovery of a Kiloparsec Extended Hard X-Ray Continuum and Fe–Kα from the Compton Thick AGN ESO 428-G014
Authors: Fabbiano G. , Elvis M. , Paggi A. , Karovska M. , Maksym W. P. , Raymond J. , Risaliti G. , Wang Junfeng
Published: June 2017

We report the discovery of kiloparsec-scale diffuse emission in both the hard continuum (3–6 keV) and in the Fe–Kα line in the Compton thick (CT) Seyfert galaxy ESO 428-G014. This extended hard component contains at least ∼24% of the observed 3–8 keV emission, and follows the direction of the extended optical line emission (ionization cone) and radio jet. The extended hard component has ∼0.5% of the intrinsic 2–10 keV luminosity within the bi-cones. A uniform scattering medium of density

would produce this luminosity in a 1 kpc path length in the bi-cones. Alternatively, higher column density molecular clouds in the disk of ESO 428-G014 may be responsible for these components. The continuum may also be enhanced by the acceleration of charged particles in the radio jet. The steeper spectrum (Γ ∼ 1.7 ± 0.4) of the hard continuum outside of the central 1.″5 radius nuclear region suggests a contribution of scattered/fluorescent intrinsic Seyfert emission. Ultrafast nuclear outflows cannot explain the extended Fe–Kα emission. This discovery suggests that we may need to revise the picture at the base of our interpretation of CT AGN spectra.
US/China/Taiwan relationships today : an independentist perspective on Taiwan’s Ambiguous Status Quo
Authors: Ching-Kai Shen
Published: June 2017

La conversation téléphonique de dix minutes entre la première présidente de Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, et le président américain tout juste élu, Donald Trump, en décembre 2016 a créé la sensation au niveau mondial. Alors que les différents partis politiques et que les gens à Taiwan ont réagi plutôt positivement à cette nouvelle, il y a toujours une angoisse existentielle qui prédomine du fait des menaces de la Chine et du statut ambigu du pays au sein de la communauté internationale. Même les militants pro-indépendance actuels sont paralysés par l’usage de la rhétorique du « statu quo » qui rend très difficile pour Tsai de résister aux pressions de la Chine. Plus encore, même si Tsai a changé la formulation du « consensus de 1992 », stipulant que Taiwan est une partie de la Chine, en affirmant qu’il s’agissait juste d’une « conversation », Taiwan est toujours régi par la constitution de la République de Chine. Au lieu de servir simplement de monnaie d’échange dans les relations entre deux superpuissances, Taiwan pourrait, à travers un référendum sur son indépendance, affirmer la volonté collective du peuple taiwanais d’être reconnu comme tel, pour en finir avec l’ambiguïté du statu quo. Maintenant que la version préliminaire du référendum est en cours d’examen, nous pouvons voir la lumière au bout du tunnel.
US/India relationships under Trump’s administration and the “One China Principle” from an Indian Perspective
Authors: Smith Jeff M.
Published: June 2017

Cet entretien avec Jeff M. Smith (directeur du programme de recherche sur la sécurité en Asie du Conseil américain de politique étrangère) aborde le sujet des relations entre l’Inde et la Chine dans le contexte de la présidence de Donald Trump. Selon Jeff M. Smith, les États-Unis et l’Inde vont continuer à renforcer leurs liens parce que leurs intérêts en terme de sécurité intérieure et de politique étrangère sont complémentaires et compatibles – du fait, notamment, de préoccupations similaires eu égard au terrorisme basé au Pakistan et face à l’aventurisme chinois. Plus encore, le fait que l’Inde ait omis d’inscrire la reconnaissance de la politique d’une seule Chine dans ses déclarations communes avec la Chine, comme son insistance pour que la Chine reconnaisse d’abord le « principe d’une seule Inde », sans subir de sanctions de la part de Pékin, tend à montrer que contrairement à ce que l’on imagine la politique d’une seule Chine est bien débattable.
Qu’apporte l’identité collective des associations professionnelles à la construction de l’identité professionnelle du responsable de la communication ?
Authors: Cotton Anne-Marie
Published: June 2017

L’article interroge l’influence de l’appartenance ou de l’identification à l’identité collective d’une association professionnelle squant ur la construction de l’identité professionnelle du communicant. Les expériences sociales liées à l’affiliation sont identifiées à travers la vision qu’a le communicant du rôle des associations professionnelles, sa perception de l’identité collective des associations professionnelles et son évaluation de la présence des associations professionnelles dans la construction de son identité professionnelle. Quatre profils identitaires émergent qui bénéficient à des degrés différents de l’apport des associations professionnelles : le stratège qui trouve au sein des associations professionnelles une réponse lifelong learning à son attitude réflexive et son identité d’entreprise, le conteur qui y trouve une plateforme flexible dans une identité de réseau et son besoin de personal branding, le diplomate qui y développe graduellement son orientation vers l’autre en adéquation avec son identité hors-travail et son besoin de benchmarking, et le nomade qui y vit son identité de métier et y réalise son concept de Soi. Les associations professionnelles comme groupe homogène facilitent les discours constitutifs des identités professionnelles. L’identité collective qu’elles portent concourt de manière profilée à la construction de l’identité professionnelle des communicants affiliés.
Les troubles liés à l’usage de l’alcool en milieu de travail : mots ou maux de gestion ?
Authors: Beaudry Catherine , Gagnon Mélanie , Otterdijk Simon Van
Published: June 2017

L’article s’intéresse aux pratiques de gestion des employés présentant un trouble lié à l’usage de l’alcool. Il prend appui sur une étude de cas menée dans une entreprise canadienne qui fait le commerce de boissons alcoolisées. Si des politiques formelles de gestion facilitent le travail des managers de proximité par un encadrement qui permet une ligne directrice à suivre, les résultats de cette recherche suggèrent qu’elles contribuent à une certaine déshumanisation de la gestion des employés. La contribution principale de l’article consiste à cerner le paradoxe entre, d’une part, la nécessité d’encadrer par des politiques organisationnelles les employés présentant un trouble lié à l’usage de l’alcool et, d’autre part, le besoin d’autonomie des managers.
Les déterminants du risque perçu par le touriste français lors du choix d’une destination touristique : un modèle conceptuel
Authors: Yousfi-Bachir Rima , Schaaper Jan
Published: June 2017

L’actualité géopolitique et des évènements marquants médiatisés (attentats, catastrophes, crash...) de ces dernières années amènent à reconsidérer la question du risque dans le champ touristique. Aujourd’hui, la perception du risque menace plus que sa réalité. Cet article propose de déterminer les facteurs subjectifs à l’origine du risque perçu, lors du choix d’une destination touristique. Pour répondre à cette problématique, sur la base d’une revue de littérature académique, nous avons interrogé 16 professionnels du tourisme en face-à-face. Nous trouvons neuf facteurs subjectifs à l’origine de la perception du risque dans le choix d’une destination touristique, qui se regroupent en trois thématiques : le profil psychographique du touriste, les caractéristiques perçues de la destination et la situation subjective du choix. Aussi, nous trouvons que parmi les huit dimensions théoriques du risque perçu, c’est la dimension physique qui est prépondérant dans le tourisme. Notre recherche aboutit sur un modèle conceptuel de la perception du risque dans le tourisme.
Implementing the flipped classroom methodology to the subject "Applied computing" of the chemical engineering degree at the University of Barcelona
Authors: Iborra Montserrat , Ramírez Eliana , Badía Jordi Hug , Bringué Roger , Tejero Javier
Published: June 2017

This work is focus on implementation, development, documentation, analysis and assessment of flipped classroom methodology, by means of just in time teaching strategy, in a pilot group (1 of 6) of the subject “Applied Computing” of Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Degree of the University of Barcelona. The results show that this technique promotes self-learning, autonomy, time management as well as an increase in the effectiveness of classroom hours.
A gamification experience to improve engineering students' performance through motivation
Authors: Sánchez-Carmona Adrián , Robles Sergi , Pons Jordi
Published: June 2017

The students' lack of motivation is a usual problem. The students value more the obtention of the degree than the developing of competences and skills. In order to fight this, we developed a gamification's experience based on merits and leaderboards. The merits are linked to the attainment of skills and competences that students usually do not appreciate. During the year 2016, we are carrying out a pilot involving 950 students at the Graduate of Engineering in Computer Science at theAutonomous University of Barcelona (UAB).
Improving transversal competences by using wikis in collaborative work
Authors: Guinau Marta , Playà Elisabet , Aulinas Meritxell , Rosell Laura , Rivero Lluís
Published: June 2017

Work on transversal competences in university degrees is a teaching line entirely established since the implementation of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). Nevertheless, undergraduate students present shortcomings in the development of some of these competences, especially on collaborative work, time management, oral and writing expression, and on the use of information resources.This paper presents a virtual tool and associated guidelines to enhance the information management during the development of collaborative works, and to facilitate the information availability among the students. Moreover, this tool and the guideline improve the individual monitoring and evaluation of the contributions of the students to the work.The proposal presented in this work belongs to a teaching innovation project carried out in the Earth Sciences Faculty of the Universitat de Barcelona, and implemented in the subjects General Geology (first-year in the Engineering Geology degree, 6 ECTS) and Geochemistry (third-year course in the Geology degree, 9 ECTS).