bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Measurement of thyroglobulin, calcitonin, and PTH in FNA washout fluids
Authors: Trimboli Pierpaolo , D’Aurizio Federica , Tozzoli Renato , Giovanella Luca
Published: November 2016

Different imaging tools, circulating endocrine markers, and fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology are of great importance in the diagnosis and follow-up of different thyroid and parathyroid diseases. Sometimes, however, they are conflicting or inconclusive: interestingly, measuring endocrine markers (i.e. thyroglobulin, calcitonin, parathyroid hormone) in fluids from FNA proved to be a very useful complementary diagnostic tool in such cases. The determination of endocrine markers in fluids other than serum/plasma has been developed in the last years. Although studies have reported overall satisfactory results, a good standardization of procedures has not yet been reached, and further efforts should be made in order to better define pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical aspects. Here we reviewed critically the literature on the measurement of FNA endocrine markers, focusing on laboratory issues, such as preparation of the sample, choice of solution, and technical features of determination of these markers. Indeed, information for use of FNA-Tg, FNA-CT, and FNA-PTH in clinical practice was also provided.
Mass Media Use: Causes and Effects
Authors: Rosengren Karl Erik , Windahl Swen
Published: November 2016

Dieser Beitrag enthält die Ergebnisse von vier Befragungen, die mit der Absicht durchgeführt wurden, eine bestimmte Annäherungsweise innerhalb der Tradition von Nutzung und Gratifikation zu erforschen. Der Grad des Interesses für den vom Einzelnen konsumierten Massenmedieninhalt wird als vom Grad seiner Abhängigkeit von funktionalen Alternativen zu realer Kommunikation von Angesicht zu Angesicht beeinflußt gesehen. Der Grad des Interesses wird durch die beiden Beziehungen der Identifikation und (imaginären) Interaktion mit den handelnden Personen des konsumierten Medieninhalts umschrieben; der Grad der Abhängigkeit durch die Umwelts- und individuellen Möglichkeiten zur Interaktion. (Erstere enthalten „Interaktionspotential“ und letztere gewisse Persönlichkeitsvariablen.) Die als Hypothese angenommene Beziehung zwischen dem Interkationspotential und dem Grad des Interesses fand sich in allen vier Befragungen. Die Einflüsse der Persönlichkeitsvariablen sind fragwürdiger. Die Ergebnisse zeigen jedoch deutlich die Notwendigkeit, derartige Variablen in die Erforschung der Gratifikationen durch die Nutzung der Massenmedien miteinzubeziehen.
Die Programmierung des Vergessens - Massenmedien und Geschichtsbewußtsein
Authors: Gottschlich Maximilian
Published: November 2016

The election of Kurt Waldheim as Austrian Federal President in June 1986 as well as Austrian public reaction to western criticism, have made one thing clear: More than 40 years after the catastrophe of National Socialism, the mechanisms of forgetting and ignoring are still in full swing in Austria. Guilty for the collective inability to remember, the inability to realize Austria’s culpable involvement in the Nazi dictatorship and thus for the current neurosis, the growing anti-Semitism and anti-Americanism, are the silent Church, and particularly the political parties and the Austrian media. In the second year after Waldheim’s election - if one analyzes the structures of public communication in Austria - there is less talk than ever of dealing with history, enlightenment, or even “sad work”. Public opinion emphasizes chauvinism of the Alpine republic, hatred of Jews, and hostility toward the United States. In addition, basic media difficulties can be seen in handling the past, particularly the difficulty to make historical processes visible in the abundance of shots of current events, and the focusing of the media on what is going on here and now.
The Myth and Rites of Newsmaking: Hard News Versus Soft News
Authors: Poecke Luc Van
Published: November 2016

The requirement for the facts to be sacred in the making of the news implies that the journalist must approach these facts from the „right distance“. This correct approach is presently being achieved by neither of the two main categories of news, hard news and soft news. The first (news of and about institutions) is overdistanced and, with its purely objectivizing and rational discourse, does not concern the public; the second (human interest stories, sensational news, gossip, and scandals) is underdistanced and addresses only the irrationality and subjectivity of the public. Of both genres of news the textual strategies are analyzed in this article. However, since neither of the genres is satisfactory, since the one is characterized by too much and the other by too little distance, the ideal of a precise balance doesn’t stop haunting both journalistic praxis and journalistic theory. Nevertheless, in this article it is argued that this precise balance is a myth, and the „semiotic square“ of A.J. Greimas is used for purposes of clarification and formalization. At the same time, this article attempts to determine how the two genres reach their public. Here, use is made of the discourse typology developed by J. Lacan: hard news is the discourse of power and is linked to what Lacan called the „discourse of the Master“ (with its extension, the „University discourse“). Soft news is news for the powerless and is linked to Lacan’s „discourse of the Hysteric“.
„Der Sound, der tierisch reinhaut”
Authors: Schneider Albrecht
Published: November 2016

The amount of popmusic transmitted via broadcasting, TV and other media has been increased during about the past twenty years while at the same time young people have spent more and more hours per day watching TV, listening to records and radio etc. as almost all of the teenagers nowadays either own or have access to the equipment needed and many programmes contain little but pop every day (MOR-Pop). Consequently, a general shift from the traditional print media to the audio visual media has been observed, together with a concentration on rather few preferential types of music. This process can be understood basically as an effect of the technical media as well as the result of sales promotion and other campaigns (like, for instance, video clips) aimed at shaping the consumers taste and thus, his purchases and consumption. However, as especially middle-of-the-road pop (MOR) is highly redundant, stereotypes are as difficult to avoid as is the wear and tear of musical means by sheer repetition. To conceal the musical redundancy, studio technique usually is employed to create fresh sounds, and videos have become indispensable aids in publicity campaigns.
Vortrag: Wochenmarkt Gesundheit: Aufklärung oder Vermarktung
Authors: Pott Elisabeth , Härle Monika
Published: November 2016

Aufklärung beinhaltet Informationen auf dem aktuellen Stand der wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnis zum Thema Gesundheit. Sie soll das Bewußtsein für gesund- und krankmachende Zusammenhänge schärfen. Um den Adressaten für die persönlichen Vorteile einer gesunden Lebensweise zu sensibilisieren, muß Aufklärung über die seriöse Informationsvermittlung auch zeigen, wie gesundheitsförderndes Verhalten in den Alltag integriert werden kann und wie Ohnmachtsgefühle und Ängste überwunden werden können. Hierzu bieten sich einzeln ausdifferenzierte Kampagnen zu speziellen Gesundheitsproblemen an, die ihre volle Wirkung im Sinne einer Verhaltensänderung dann erzielen, wenn eine entsprechende Infrastruktur vor Ort (z.B. eine Beratungsstelle) vorhanden ist.

Werbung mit Gesundheit und Vermarktung von Gesundheit ist von Aufklärung klar zu unterscheiden. Bei derartigen Strategiezielen liegt es durchaus im Interesse, zunächst Ängste auszulösen bzw. bereits vorhandene Ängste zu verstärken, um ein Produkt besser verkaufen zu können. Da Angst aber keine konkrete Verhaltensorientierung bietet, sind die auf diese Weise ausgelösten Reaktionen oft nicht im Sinne einer bewußten, gesundheitsgerechten Entscheidung zu werten.

Auch Produkte, die selbst mit Gesundheit gar nichts zu tun haben, werden mit gesundheitsbezogenen Werbestrategien angeboten. Hier wird eine Verantwortungsethik von Werbetreibenden und Medienmachern gefordert.
Vortrag: Gesundheit durch Unterhaltung - Ist das möglich?
Authors: Bankhofer Hademar , Koch Marianne
Published: November 2016

Eingangs der Diskussion wurde Unterhaltung definiert als das, was Betroffenheit herstellt und Interesse weckt, was ans Medium fesselt und ein Wohlgefühl sowohl in der Spannung als auch im Amüsement erzeugt. Da es sich hierbei um sehr individuelle Empfindungen handele, solle im Bereich der Gesundheit eher die Verständlichkeit als das „Unterhaltsame“ als Maßstab dienen. Hierzu gehöre vor allem eine verständliche Sprache anstelle von medizinischem Fachchinesisch und die Annahme lediglich rudimentären medizinischen Basiswissens des Konsumenten.

Im Bereich Gesundheit wird in verschiedenartigster Form unterhalten, wobei zwischen Formen, die Gesundheitsinformationen transportieren und aufklären wollen, und Formen, bei denen die Gesundheit lediglich den Rahmen einer Spielhandlung bildet, wie z.B. bei Arztserien oder Arztromanen, differenziert werden muß. Aus Letztgenannten resultiert eher eine Desinformation, die letztlich ihre Ursache in der weitverbreiteten Sprachlosigkeit zwischen Arzt und Patient hat. Fragen der gesundheitlichen Vorsorge eignen sich hervorragend für einen Transport via Fernsehunterhaltung, wobei hier neben der Sprache die Art der Präsentation (z.B. als Quiz) sehr wichtig erscheint, um die ganze Aufmerksamkeit des Zuschauers über einen Zeitraum zu binden. Es wurde positiv angemerkt, daß Publikationen über Gesundheit grundsätzlich dazu anregen, daß die Konsumenten dieser Publikationen in den Dialog mit dem Arzt treten und ein Vertrauensverhältnis begründen/verstärken.
Temperature and Concentration Dependence of Viscosity of Binary Mixtures of PEG-1000 + water
Authors: Dash Debasmita , Mallika C. , Kamachi Mudali U.
Published: November 2016

Viscosities of binary mixtures of polyethylene glycol-1000 (PEG-1000) and water were measured precisely in the temperature range 293.15–343.15 K at atmospheric pressure using a high precision viscometer. Viscosity data were used to calculate the activation energy of viscous flow. The activation energy was observed to increase with increase in the concentration of aqueous solutions of PEG which indicated that more energy is required to move the molecule inside the structure with increase in concentration. The measured data provided better understanding to explain the behaviour of macromolecules with respect to change in concentration and temperature. The results were discussed in the light of polymer-solvent interactions. At lower concentration range, the molecules exhibit weak interaction due to dominant repulsive force and at higher concentration the entanglement of polymer chain increases. In view of greater force of interaction between solute and solvent molecules forming hydrogen bonding, there will be an increase in interaction with temperature and concentration.
On a combinatorial search problem
Authors: Debrev E. V.
Published: November 2016

In this paper, we consider the problem of searching for undirected Hamiltonian circuits in the complete graph on n vertices with the use of unconditional edge tests. We prove that the minimal test contains exactly n(n - 3)/2 - [n/3] + 1 edges. We propose an explicit characterisation of all minimal difference sets of edges.

This research was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, grants 02-01-00985 and 00-15-96103, by the Program ‘Universities of Russia,’ and the Federal Program ‘Integration.’
Automaton mappings of words which multiply errors by a factor no greater than K in the Hamming and Levenshtein metrics
Authors: Babash A. V.
Published: November 2016

Let I and O be finite alphabets. For a finite alphabet Ω, let Ω* denote the set of all words of finite lengths over the alphabet Ω. In this paper we give a complete description of all automaton mappings of the set I* into O* which multiply symbol replacement errors in words by a factor not exceeding K. We give a complete description of injective automaton mappings of the set 1* into O* which multiply symbol skip errors by a factor no greater than K. A similar result is obtained for the deletion and insertion metric.
Limit distribution of the number of pairs in generalised allocation scheme
Authors: Pavlov Yu. L. , Cherepanova E. V.
Published: November 2016

We consider three combinatorial problems covered by generalised allocation scheme: sampling of balls from an urn that contains balls of various colours; random forests; and random permutations with given number of cycles. For these problems, we present limit distributions of the number of pairs of balls of the same colour; of the number of paths in a forest; and of the number of simple (non-closed) paths in the permutation graph respectively.

This research was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, grant 00-01-00233.
Modeling and Experimental Validation of Bi-Stable Beam Based Piezoelectric Energy Harvester
Authors: Xu Ruize , Kim Sang-Gook
Published: November 2016

We have previously proposed a bi-stable nonlinear oscillator based piezoelectric energy harvester to address the challenges of low-frequency, low-g vibration energy harvesting at MEMS scale. The compressive residual stress in micro-fabricated thin films could be employed to induce buckling in doubly clamped beams. The buckled beams with two equilibriums can snap through at low frequencies and enhance the power generation. This paper focuses on the modeling of the dynamics of the bi-stable oscillator based energy harvesters. An electromechanical lumped model has been built by Lagrange’s formulation and lumped parameters have been solved explicitly. More particularly, the model considers multi-layer thin films and the residual stress in these films, to be readily applicable to MEMS device design. Harmonic functions as the approximate solutions have been used to analytically solve for the frequency responses of the nonlinear oscillations. Two modes of oscillations predicted by the analytical model have been validated by testing a meso-scale prototype.
Power Response of a Planar Thermoelectric Microgenerator Based on Silicon Nanowires at Different Convection Regimes
Authors: Santos José D. , Salleras Marc , Donmez Inci , Gadea Gerard , Calaza Carlos , Morata Àlex , Tarancón Albert , Fonseca Luis
Published: November 2016

A thermoelectric microgenerator based on multiple silicon nanowire arrays is fabricated and its performance evaluated for different convection regimes. Mature silicon microfabrication technology is used to fabricate the device structure. As a post-process, a bottom-up approach is used to grow silicon nanowires by a VLS-CVD mechanism. The thermal design of the microgenerator features a thermally isolated silicon platform which is connected to the bulk silicon rim through several arrays of silicon nanowires. Simulations are carried out to evaluate the need of an external heat sink to improve the thermal gradient seen by the nanowires and the power output of the microgenerator. Results show a significant improvement with a heat sink raising the thermal gradient from 3 K to approximately 100 K when the external temperature gradient is 300 K. Experimental measurements with different convection regimes also show a radical improvement on the power output comparing natural convection and two different forced convection regimes. The first forced convection regime is a broad airflow from a commercial CPU fan placed on top of the device, while the second (air jet forced convection) uses a syringe to focus the airflow from the compressed air line to the platform. The maximum output power for a natural convection regime is 2.2 nW for a hotplate temperature of 200 °C, while the air jet forced convection regime generates up to 700 nW, which correspond to 35 µW/cm2 considering a device footprint of 2 mm2.
Influence of ecological variation across Pistacia altantica on fruit oil content
Authors: Yousefi Bayzid
Published: November 2016

In the western and central parts of Iran, there are more than eight million female trees of Pistacia atlantica Desf. with approximately 20,000 tons of fruit oil production ability. In order to evaluate the influence of select ecological characteristics, fruit samples of seven P. atlantica habitats in Kurdistan (Iran) were collected in late October over two years (2013-14). Fruit oil was extracted using soxhlet extraction. The results showed a relatively small variation in oil content in fruit across plants of P. atlantica. The fruit oil content ranged from 25.4% to 28.4%, with a mean of 27.3%. Most habitats belonged to temperate and semi-arid regions, with higher longitude and altitude but less latitude and slope, higher soil electrical conductivity, total neutralizing value, organic carbon and clay, medium yearly rainfall, evaporation and sunny hours and also trees with medium ages such as Borban and Kashtar producing higher fruit oil yield than those that belonged to cool and semi-humid regions. Cluster analysis classified habitats into four distinct groups at 50% similarity; four habitats belonging to forest areas were located in the first, Borban and Kashtar in the second and third and Abdolmomen, with the coldest climate and the oldest trees, was in the fourth group. The results of principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that habitats with low fruit oil showed extreme values of PC1 and PC2 but ones with high fruit oil were located mainly in the central zones of the bi plot, which suggest that habitats with medium ecological conditions produce higher fruit oil.
Populism in American Politics
Authors: Brewer Mark D.
Published: November 2016

Populism undoubtedly has a long history in the politics of the US, and there is no doubt that populism has significantly affected American politics in a variety of ways. However, what exactly is meant by “populism” is frequently ambiguous and ill-defined. Political commentators routinely label individuals or ideas as populist, without even attempting to explain how and why the person or idea in question relates to populism. Scholars are not immune to acting in a similar fashion. Populism’s presence is more often asserted than demonstrated in any convincing way. Here I engage in a thorough examination of the substance of populism in American politics. All elements of American populism – its championing of the common people, it rural roots, its anti-elitism, anti-intellectualism, and anti-government views, and its religious and cultural dimensions – will be explored. The paper closes with an attempt to suss out the place of populism in contemporary American politics.
Neurotransmitter alteration in a testosterone propionate-induced polycystic ovarian syndrome rat model
Authors: Chaudhari Nirja K. , Nampoothiri Laxmipriya P.
Published: November 2016

Background:

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), one of the leading causes of infertility seen in women, is characterized by anovulation and hyperandrogenism, resulting in ovarian dysfunction. In addition, associations of several metabolic complications like insulin resistance, obesity, dyslipidemia and psychological co-morbidities are well known in PCOS. One of the major factors influencing mood and the emotional state of mind is neurotransmitters. Also, these neurotransmitters are very crucial for GnRH release. Hence, the current study investigates the status of neurotransmitters in PCOS.

Materials and methods:

A PCOS rat model was developed using testosterone. Twenty-one-day-old rats were subcutaneously injected with 10 mg/kg body weight of testosterone propionate (TP) for 35 days. The animals were validated for PCOS characteristics by monitoring estrus cyclicity, serum testosterone and estradiol levels and by histological examination of ovarian sections. Neurotransmitter estimation was carried out using fluorometric and spectrophotometric methods.

Results:

TP-treated animals demonstrated increased serum testosterone levels with unaltered estradiol content, disturbed estrus cyclicity and many peripheral cysts in the ovary compared to control rats mimicking human PCOS. Norepinephrine (NE), dopamine, serotonin, γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) and epinephrine levels were significantly low in TP-induced PCOS rats compared to control ones, whereas the activity of acetylcholinesterase in the PCOS brain was markedly elevated.

Conclusion:

Neurotransmitter alteration could be one of the reasons for disturbed gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) release, consequently directing the ovarian dysfunction in PCOS. Also, decrease in neurotransmitters, mainly NE, serotonin and dopamine (DA) attributes to mood disorders like depression and anxiety in PCOS.
Le nom du ‘gendre’ en indo-européen et en balto-slave
Authors: Viredaz Rémy
Published: November 2016

The PIE. word for ‘daughter’s husband’ can be reconstructed on the basis of Indo-Iranian, Greek, and Latin as *g1émer- (or *g1émor-), weak grade *g1m̥r-.

I.-Ir. *jā́mātar- underwent the influence of ‘daughter’ (1.2) and *jāmí- ‘relative’ (1.5). Some Old Iranian dialects developed a hypocoristic variant *zāma- (2). Gk. γαμβρός; is based on gen. pl. *g1m̥rṓm (3). Lat. gener has n after genō ‘beget’ or genus ‘family’, thematic inflection after socer (4).

The Balto-Slavic forms Latv. znuõt(i)s, Lith. žéntas, Sl. zętь are related to Skt.jñātí-, Gk. γνωτός, ‘relative, brother’, root *g1neH3- ‘to know, recognize’ (5). Albanian dhëndër(r) may be akin to the Balto- Slavic forms, with *- Vr- after* ‘daughter’ or ‘father-in-law’ (6).

The instability of the word for ‘daughter’s husband’ may be a result of its low frequency (7.1). No etymology is known (7.2).
Inquiry Based Learning of Selected Computer Sciences Concepts and Principles
Authors: Šnajder Ľubomír , Guniš Ján
Published: November 2016

In the article we describe the proposal of two unplugged activities verified in practice together with methodological commentaries on how to use them in computer science education. The first activity is oriented on discovering and understanding the basic principles and rules of computer communication carried out by pupils themselves. We encourage pupils to simulate communication in a computer network and solve raised problems. The aim is to lead pupils to discover the encoded message within transmitted information (the structure of TCP/IP packet) and to realize the significance and importance of communication protocols. The second activity is oriented on discovering and devising the principles of information encoding; the code length dependence on the quantity of states, unambiguous encoding, the use of n-ary trees in encoding, etc.
System for Creation of a Dictionary Icelandic-Czech Students’Dictionary
Authors: Chejn Aleš
Published: November 2016

This article concerns the creation of a lexicographic tool for compiling one-way bilingual dictionaries and encyclopaedias; the tool has served to create the Icelandic-Czech Students' Dictionary. The Introduction explains the aims of the project. The article briefly mentions the history of developing the application Dictionary System as well as the creation of the Icelandic- Czech Students' Dictionary. It also describes the programming methods, explains how the application works and presents its functions. Finally, the article introduces the practical use of the application and the Icelandic-Czech Students' Dictionary.
Categorization of Museum Visitors as Part of System for Personalized Museum Tour
Authors: Najbrt Lukáš , Kapounová Jana
Published: November 2016

In the past few years, the process of lifelong learning has become more important. A tour of an educational exhibition is an interesting and attractive activity for a person receiving an education. A museum, art gallery, zoological or botanical garden or even a technological park can all be perceived as an educational exhibition. If we want the exhibition tour to provide an educational benefit to the visitor, we need to offer him adequate information about individual exhibits. The exhibition has to be personalized, that is, tailored for the various kinds of visitors. This paper deals with the issue of categorizing museum visitors using ICT, specifically an expert system which is a part of a “virtual guide”. Based on an initial analysis of a visitor, the virtual guide proposes a tour through the exhibition so that it brings the visitor the maximum educational benefit while at the same time offers information about the displayed exhibits in such a way that is most interesting and comprehensible.
Creation of Educational Video Tutorials and Their Use in Education
Authors: Oujezdský Aleš
Published: November 2016

Educational video tutorials are currently modern teaching resources. They are primarily used as a guide when working with various software applications. The tutorials can be produced in high definition, including narration and subtitles. However, creating such a video tutorial is not easy. Students at the Department of Information and Communication Technologies are learning to create these video tutorials. The basis of a tutorial is the creation of a script. The next step is a high quality screen capture, sound recording and subtitle creation. The tutorial can be accompanied by several different audio tracks and subtitles in different languages. Such video tutorial can be then used by foreign students or hearing-impaired students. The tutorial is then exported into a modern format that ensures high image quality and can be played on most devices for video playback. At the Department of Information and Communication Technologies the tutorials are being created mainly for Informatics courses where students work in different and often special software applications.
ICT Teachers and Technical E-Safety: Knowledge and Routines
Authors: Šimandl Václav
Published: November 2016

The article looks at how competent ICT teachers in primary, lower secondary and high schools are as regards the issues of Internet safety, the use of secure passwords, protection against malware and data back-up. Specific knowledge and routines are described whilst discussing the ways teachers are influenced in these areas.

In-depth semi-structured interviews have been carried out with chosen ICT teachers. Teachers were presented with several situations from the issue in question and the way they reacted in given situations was observed. Data gained from the interviews and the triangulation that had been carried out was processed through open and axial coding.

The results of our investigation show that teachers do usually try to behave in a relatively safe way but their reasons for such behaviour differ greatly. The main external determiners include reactions to a certain negative experience, active self-study of the issue and organised instruction (not only at high schools and universities but voluntary attendance of courses). Factors preventing teachers from behaving as safely as possible have been identified. It may be due to working or teaching limitations. Teachers might lack professional knowledge or there could be a problem with security, perhaps being time-consuming or difficult to remember passwords.
Informatics Education: Current State and Perspectives of Development Within the System of Field Didactics in the Czech Republic
Authors: Černochová Miroslava , Vaníček Jiří
Published: November 2016

This study offers an overview of the current state in the field of informatics education in the Czech Republic. The new publication of a monograph focusing on field didactics showed that a complex analysis of the current state and future perspectives of developments in informatics education that has not yet been addressed is needed. This paper presents an overview of development in the discipline from the 1960s, defines the main goals of informatics education in the Czech Republic, namely the contents and methods of ICT and computer science education, the need to revise the content areas in official pedagogical documents, teacher education including training of primary teachers and methodology of research in the field of informatics education. The authors of the paper analyse current trends that have impact on informatics education and also refer to the dynamics of computer science education, gradual shift of computer science to lower school levels and introduction of new computer science topics into the area of information and communication technologies. In the conclusion the authors formulate the current problems that informatics education will have to tackle and indicate the possible dangers and perspectives of its future developments. In this article, we distinguish between informatics education as a school subject education and computer science education and ICT education which we understand as parts of this school subject in this context.
Learner-Content Interaction in Flipped Classroom Model
Authors: Špilka Radim
Published: November 2016

The article deals with the interaction of elementary school students with online educational videos. Half-yearly survey was conducted in mathematics lessons pupils in the eighth grade. During the experimental teaching was flipped classroom teaching model, where students watch educational instructional video before school lessons. During class when the teacher uses activization teaching methods that build on the content of the educational video. It turned out that there is a correlation between the average length of time that students watched videos and length instructional videos. Students watched a video about three times the length of their time. Additionally was monitored a number of playback of educational videos. Here it shows a slightly declining and fluctuating trend. For some video, especially towards the end of the experiment, the number playback are low due to preservation the measured correlation. This suggests that some students stopped to watch educational videos at the end of the experiment or accelerated video playback.
Satellite-based Estimates of Ground Subsidence in Ordos Basin, China
Authors: Du Zheyuan , Ge Linlin , Ng Alex Hay-Man , Li Xiaojing
Published: November 2016

This paper reports the findings based on ALOS-1 and GRACE satellite data for the purpose of monitoring land surface subsidence due to groundwater extraction and underground mining activities in the Ordos Basin, China. 42 ALOS-1 PALSAR data (22 images from Frame 790 while 20 scenes from Frame 780) acquired between 8 January 2007 and 19 January 2011 are utilized in the time-series InSAR (TS-InSAR) analysis while the total water storage observations derived from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite data are integrated with hydrological modeling results (for soil moisture modelling) to estimate the groundwater depletion rate. Since the results have vast difference in spatial resolution between GRACE (~300 km) and InSAR (~10’s of meters), the two measurements are not comparable over the same region. Instead, we applied them to Haolebaoji surrounding region and ALOS covered area, respectively. The groundwater change series of about –7.3 mm yr–1 between December 2006 and June 2012 is detected, which is then being exploited to explain the groundwater induced subsidence in Haolebaoji, Inner Mongolia. Within ALOS covered region, time-series analysis was carried out to explain the local subsidence. Then the total area size of underground mining sites is estimated, and we concluded that human involved activities contribute a lot to the total velocity and this part of subsidence should be excluded before estimating the final mean velocity (–4.9 mm yr–1 in vertical direction) when comparing with GRACE-based groundwater depletion series. Last but not least, some suggestions are given on how to make a rational comparison between the InSAR derived mean velocity with GRACE-based groundwater depletion trend together. This study could help the local government and associated geotechnical engineers to have a better understanding of the groundwater induced subsidence in this region.
Affine equivalence of monomial rotation symmetric Boolean functions: A Pólya’s theorem approach
Authors: Cusick Thomas W. , Lakshmy K. V. , Sethumadhavan M.
Published: November 2016

Two Boolean functions are affine equivalent if one can be obtained from the other by applying an affine transformation to the input variables. For a long time, there have been efforts to investigate the affine equivalence of Boolean functions. Due to the complexity of the general problem, only affine equivalence under certain groups of permutations is usually considered. Boolean functions which are invariant under the action of cyclic rotation of the input variables are known as rotation symmetric (RS) Boolean functions. Due to their speed of computation and the prospect of being good cryptographic Boolean functions, this class of Boolean functions has received a lot of attention from cryptographic researchers. In this paper, we study affine equivalence for the simplest rotation symmetric Boolean functions, called MRS functions, which are generated by the cyclic permutations of a single monomial. Using Pólya’s enumeration theorem, we compute the number of equivalence classes, under certain large groups of permutations, for these MRS functions in any number
Design Tradeoffs for High-Speed Directional Coupler Modulators with Δβ-Reversal in LiNbO3
Authors: Auracher F.
Published: November 2016

We show the tradeoffs between the bandwidth-length product, drive voltage-length product and the optical insertion-loss of modulators butt-coupled to single-mode fibers. The numerical calculations are performed for a new design that permits fast Δβ-operation of directional coupler modulators.
Fibers. Selective Excitation of Annular Zones in a Graded Index Multimode Fiber
Authors: Calzavara M. , Caponi R. , Cisternino F.
Published: November 2016

A simple and reliable method to excite selectively different annular zones of a multimode graded index fiber has been implemented. This technique, exploring concentric layers of the fiber core with different chemical compositions, can find application in differential measurements of material properties. On the basis of a ray optics picture of propagation, a light beam having angular and spatial dimensions much smaller than the relevant dimensions of the fiber was employed for selective excitation.

Different annular configurations have been obtained varying the position and angle of incidence on the fiber end. Results obtained by an apparatus consisting of standard components only on low loss communication fibers are reported for different refractive index profiles and lengths up to 100 meters.
Coupling. Theory of Coupling Loss of an Ion Exchanged Multimode Channel Waveguide to Optical Fibers
Authors: Čtyroký J.
Published: November 2016

The potential applicability of multimode integrated optical branching waveguides and couplers is limited primarily by their coupling loss to optical fibers. To get a reasonably detailed theoretical insight, the fiber-to- fiber coupling loss of a section of a multimode channel waveguide fabricated, e.g., by ion exchange in a glass substrate is calculated using a ray-optic approximation. An approach of the length-averaged coupling loss results in a simple and efficient calculation procedure which enables one to optimize the parameters of a channel waveguide for minimum coupling loss. Coupling losses as low as 2 dB and 0.25 dB can be obtained for single channel and sandwich structures, respectively, coupled to standard graded-index fibers.
Detectors. Time Response of Long Wavelength PIN Photodiodes Based on GaInAs
Authors: Radenovic B. M. , Cvijetic M. M.
Published: November 2016

In this paper a complete analytical treatment of the step response of GaInAs PIN photodiodes is presented. The analysis is based on the continuity equations, and the effects of the reflection upon the back surface is taken into account. The obtained results are presented in the form of diagrams suitable for use in the photodiode designing.
Variable Presentation of X-linked Adrenal Hypoplasia Congenita
Authors: Wiltshire Esko , Couper J. Jennifer , Rodda Christine , Jameson J. Larry , Achermann John C.
Published: November 2016

We present a family with X-linked adrenal hypoplasia congenita (AHC) due to a truncation mutation in the DAX1 gene. The three patient reports demonstrate variable clinical and biochemical features at presentation. They presented with adrenal crises at 3 years, 4 weeks, and 3 weeks. Mineralocorticoid deficiency preceded glucocorticoid deficiency in patient 3 and an early ultrasound indicated normal sized adrenal tissue. Genetic analysis showed that potential female carriers were unaffected.
Assessment of the Current Status of Iodine Prophylaxis in Bosnia and Herzegovina Federation
Authors: Tahirović H. , Toromanović A. , Hadžibegić N. , Štimljanin D. , Konjević R. , Budimić Z. , Čengić H. , Rončević Ž. , Denjo E. , Huskić J. , Hadžimujić I. , Moro D. , Ivanković A. , Dodik N. , Hasanbegović S.
Published: November 2016

Assessment of the status of iodine prophylaxis was studied in 5,523 schoolchildren randomly selected in all cantons in Bosnia and Herzegovina Federation (BHF). According to the iodine content of household salt samples, all cantons of BHF were divided into two groups: Group A: 95.5% of the salt used is produced in the Tuzla plant, in which the salt is iodized at 5-15 mg Kl/kg salt, and 4.5% of the salt used is produced in the Pag plant, in which the salt is iodized at 20-30 mg Kl/kg of salt, and Group B: 19.9% of the salt used is produced in the Tuzla plant and 80.1% in the Pag plant. In Group A the amount of iodine in salt was significantly lower than in Group B (11.4 mg/kg vs 18.9 mg/kg, P <0.001). In Group A the prevalence of goiter was significantly higher than in Group B (32.6% vs 19.7%, P <0.001). The highest prevalence of goiter was in Bosnian Podrinje Canton (51.2%) and Central Bosnian Canton (42.6%) while the lowest was in West Herzegovina Canton (12.9%). Significantly higher concentrations of urinary iodine were found in Group B than in Group A (82.6 μg/1 vs 75.2 μg/1, P <0.001). In Group A the percentage of urine samples below 50 μg/1 iodine was significantly higher than in Group B (35.6% vs 26.9%, P <0.001), but there was no difference in the percentage of urine samples with iodine values less than 100 μg/1 (70.7 μg/1 vs 68.25 μg/1, P >0.05). We conclude that FBH is an iodine deficient area and that the improvement of iodine prophylaxis is urgently required, primarily by increasing salt iodine content to 20-30 mg/kg, in order to eradicate endemic goiter.
Gliclazide-Induced Hepatitis, Hemiplegia and Dysphasia in a Suicide Attempt
Authors: Çaksen Hüseyin , Kendirci Mustafa , Tutuş Ahmet , Üzüm Kazım , Kurtoğlu Selim
Published: November 2016

The drugs used to treat diabetes mellitus are diverse and include several classes. One class is sulfonylureas which primarily cause serum glucose reduction by stimulating the release of preformed insulin from the pancreatic islets. Gliclazide, a second generation sulfonylurea, is used to control glycemic levels in non-insulin- dependent diabetes mellitus. We report a 14 year-old non-diabetic girl who developed hepatitis, hemiplegia and dysphasia after ingestion of an overdose of gliclazide (20 mg/kg/day) in a suicide attempt. Our purpose is to draw attention to the severity of gliclazide-induced neurological signs. To the best of our knowledge, gliclazide-induced hemiplegia and dysphasia have not been previously reported in the literature.
Idiopathic Hypothalamic Dysfunction with Precocious Puberty and Adipsic Hypernatremia First Presenting in Adolescence
Authors: Cauble Michele S. , Mack-Shipman Lynn , Schaefer G. Bradley , Balakrishnan Sajeev , Larsen Jennifer L.
Published: November 2016

Background: Idiopathic hypothalamic dysfunction is a rare syndrome that has been described in young children. This syndrome is characterized by a disturbance of thirst regulation with hypernatremia, hyperosmolarity, and altered hypothalamic function.

Patient report: At age 6 years the reported patients presented with precocious puberty, by age 12 years she had hypernatremia presumed secondary to central diabetes insipidus and was treated with DDAVP, and at age 14 was identified to have hyperprolactinemia. At age 19 she presented with serum sodium of 185 mg/dl, during an episode of illness associated with dehydration. After hydration, her sodium remained elevated. Arginine vasopressin was measurable but inappropriate to serum sodium, while urinary cyclic AMP response to vasopressin was appropriate.

Conclusions: This is the first case of precocious puberty identified in association with the more classic features of idiopathic hypothalamic dysfunction, including later-onset hypernatremia, poor thermoregulatory function, obesity, and hyperprolactinemia.
Primary Hyperparathyroidism in an Infant with Three Parathyroid Glands and Pulmonary Calcinosis
Authors: Topaloglu A. Kemal , Yuksel Bilgin , Tuncer Recep , Mungan Neslihan O. , Ozer Guler
Published: November 2016

A 2 month-old male infant presented with severe hypercalcemia due to parathyroid hyperplasia. A total parathyroidectomy and partial heterotopic autotransplantation were carried out. Hypercalcemia recurred two months later. Normocalcemia was re-established after removing one half of the implanted tissue. Despite two separate surgical explorations and several imaging studies, including 99mTc-sestamibi scintigraphy, ultrasonography, and MRI, only three parathyroid glands were found. Severe pulmonary calcinosis has not previously been reported in children with PHPT. In conclusion, developmental variations of the parathyroid glands may be difficult to identify with present imaging techniques. This may pose difficulties in management of PHPT. The present report describes pulmonary calcinosis as a sequela which can cause additional morbidity in these infants.
Management of Puberty for Optimal Auxological Results in β-Thalassaemia Major
Authors: Caruso-Nicoletti Manuela , De Sanctis V. , Cavallo L. , Raiola G. , Ruggiero L. , Skordis N. , Wonke B.
Published: November 2016

Short stature is present in a significant percentage of patients affected by β-thalassaemia major. Growth failure of patients with thalassaemia is multifactorial. The most important contribution is attributed to the toxic effect desferrioxamine and to endocrine disorders, due to iron overload. The commonest endocrine complication is hypogonadism. The growth pat- tern of patients with thalassaemia is characterized by normal growth during childhood, a deceleration of growth velocity around age 9-10 years, and a reduced pubertal growth spurt. In addition, reduced growth of the trunk is often present. Short stature and short trunk are more evident at pubertal age. Hypogonadism is usually considered responsible for the pubertal growth failure, as well as the aggravation of body disproportion at pubertal age. However, data suggest that pubertal height gain and final height are reduced in both patients with spontaneous puberty and patients with induced puberty. It is concluded that several aspects of peripubertal growth in patients with thalassaemia remain to be clarified.
Crystal structure of cis-bis(2,2′-bipyridine-κ2
N,N′)bis(thiocyanato-κN)nickel(II), C22H16N6NiS2
Authors: Ha Kwang
Published: November 2016

C22H16N6NiS2, triclinic, P1̅ (no. 2), a = 7.2925(4) Å, b = 8.9214(5) Å, c = 17.7808(9) Å, α = 90.484(3)°, β = 98.965(3)°, γ = 113.003(3)°, V = 1048.75(10) Å3, Z = 2, R
gt(F) = 0.0480, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.0824, T = 223(2) K.
Chaos Suppression in Fractional Order Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor and PI controlled Induction motor by Extended Back stepping Control
Authors: Rajagopal Karthikeyan , Karthikeyan Anitha , Duraisamy Prakash
Published: November 2016

In this paper we investigate the control of three-dimensional non-autonomous fractional-order model of a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) and PI controlled fractional order Induction motor via recursive extended back stepping control technique. A robust generalized weighted controllers are derived to suppress the chaotic oscillations of the fractional order model. As the direct Lyapunov stability analysis of the controller is difficult for a fractional order first derivative, we have derived a new lemma to analyze the stability of the system. Numerical simulations of the proposed chaos suppression methodology are given to prove the analytical results.
Synthesis and characterisation of lignin-like oligomers as a bio-inspired consolidant for waterlogged archaeological wood
Authors: McHale Emily , Braovac Susan , Steindal Calin C. , Gillis Richard B. , Adams Gary G. , Harding Stephen E. , Benneche Tore , Kutzke Hartmut
Published: November 2016

The development of new materials for the consolidation of waterlogged archaeological wood from sustainable sources is an important area of research, as the most widely used consolidant today is petroleum based. Ideally a new consolidant will interact with the existing wood structure, ensuring maximum compatibility. Lignin is often the major component remaining in archaeological wood, as it is less susceptible to degradation than holocellulose. Therefore, in order to maximise the potential for interaction with the wood cells, lignin-like oligomers have been synthesized from isoeugenol using a water soluble copper salen catalyst at pH 10, giving a weight average Mw of 1.6 kDa. Analysis by NMR spectroscopy has shown that the oligomers have a lignin-like structure with β-O-4′, β-β′ and β-5′ connections. A 10 w/w% solution of the oligomers in ethyl acetate was found to thoroughly penetrate 1 cm3 samples of waterlogged archaeological wood (density of 0.146 g/mL, maximum water content of 620%) after 14 days impregnation, as determined by FTIR spectroscopy. No impregnation material could be seen by SEM, suggesting that it coats the cell walls upon drying. This indicates that dehydrogenated polymers penetrate waterlogged archaeological wood well and have the potential to be developed into consolidants.
Effects of molecular weight distribution on the melt spinning of polypropylene fibers
Authors: Fan Qingrong , Xu Duanfu , Zhao Delu , Qian Renyuan
Published: November 2016

A basic study of melt spinning of polypropylene is reported. This study is aimed at developing a new technology for the manufacture of fine denier polypropylene fibers for clothing end uses. It was found that the molecular weight of the polypropylene resin has-a key influence on structure development in the fiber spinline. By aiming at achieving a smectic structure of the as-spun fiber through a controlled degradation of polypropylene, we can spin fine denier good quality polypropylene fibers at temperatures below 280°C and speeds up to 2000 meters/minute.
Pressure Effects on Rheological Behavior of Melt Polymers – A Discussion in Relation to Polymer Processing
Authors: Oyanagi Yasushi , Kubota Kazuhisa
Published: November 2016

Polymers have large bulk compressibility in the molten state /1/ and their rheological properties are largely affected by pressure applied in polymer processing.

The volumetric strain induced by pressure consists of instantaneous and retarded elastic strains, both of which are proportional to pressure, and recover reversibly when pressure is removed.

In many crystalline polymers, as observed by B. Maxwell for polyethylene, retarded elastic strain is large, and due mostly to pressure crystallization.

This paper describes results of experimental studies relating pressure effects on rheological properties of melt polymers with polymer processing and bulk properties of products.

The following items are discussed: pressure induced shear stress, analysis of local deformation pattern, critical shear stress for melt flow fracture, relationship between power law index and bulk compressibility, effects of hydrostatic pressure on melt flow behavior, pressure efficiency of injection molding, jetting phenomena, shrinkage in injection moldings, residual strain, and super-high-pressure injection molding process.